• April 22nd - Saint Leonidas

    From rich@1:396/4 to All on Sat Apr 21 10:08:17 2018
    From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

    April 22nd - Saint Leonidas of Alexandria
    (Also known as Leonides)

    (d. 202)

    The Emperor Severus, in the year 202, the tenth of his reign, raised a
    bloody persecution which filled the entire empire with martyrs, but
    especially Egypt. The most illustrious of those who by their triumphs
    ennobled and edified the city of Alexandria was Leonides, father of
    the great Origen. He was a Christian philosopher and excellently
    versed both in the profane and sacred sciences. He had seven sons; the
    eldest was Origen, whom he brought up with very great care, returning
    thanks to God for having blessed him with a son of such an excellent disposition for learning, and so remarkable a piety. After his son was baptized, he would come to his bedside while he was asleep and,
    bending over the child, would kiss his breast respectfully, as the
    temple of the Holy Spirit.

    When the persecution reached Alexandria in 202, under Laetus, governor
    of Egypt, Leonides was cast into prison. Origen, who was then only
    seventeen years of age, burned with a fervent desire for martyrdom,
    and sought every opportunity of facing it. His ardor redoubled at the
    sight of his father's chains, and his mother was forced to lock up =
    all
    his clothes to oblige him to stay at home. She conjured him not to
    forsake her; thus, unable to do more, he wrote a letter to his father
    in very moving terms, strongly exhorting him to look at the crown that
    was offered him with courage and joy. He added this exhortation: =E2=80=9CT= ake
    heed that for our sakes you do not change your mind!=E2=80=9D Leonides was indeed beheaded for the faith in 202.

    Sources: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on
    Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources


    Saint Quote:
    Never see a need without trying to do something about it.
    --Blessed Mary Mackillop

    Bible Quote:
    Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! The sword shall
    be upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm shall be clean dried
    up, and his right eye utterly darkened. (Zech 11:17)


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    Humility

    Humility so greatly pleases God that, in coming upon earth, He made it
    His own special virtue. In order to understand it, let us rise above
    the highest heavens to that sublime solitude where the infinite
    excellence of His Being places Him--at an incommensurable distance
    from all created beings. This will be the starting-point which will
    enable us to measure the humility of the Incarnate Word. He descends
    first to the dazzling order of the Seraphim, which, for God, is
    already an immense descent; it is to traverse the infinite. He still
    descends, and descends until He arrives at our nature. It is in our
    clay He wills His majesty to be. But in this clay there are different
    degrees. There is the clay which shines beneath the splendor of gold
    and of purple. It is doubtless a false splendor, but yet it shines;
    the Word of God will have none of it. He, therefore, descends yet
    lower. First, He finds a stable, then the dwelling of an artisan. He
    finds a poor woman, who gains her bread by labor. He descends even
    lower than this, and He hides Himself in her womb; He chooses this
    obscure person to be His first dwelling upon earth. O abyss of
    humility! Who, after this, would desire esteem and glory? Who would
    wish to appear in public, to attract notice, to make himself
    applauded? Who would not love a hidden life?

    --Rev. M. Hamon, Meditations for All the Days of the Year, 19th century
    --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
    * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)