From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
October 8th - St. Pelagia, Penitent
THIS saint had been a comedian at Antioch, even whilst she was a
catechumen; but afterwards renounced that profession, and became a
true penitent. The manner of her conversion is thus related in the
Greek Men=C3=A6a, published by the Emperor Basil.
=C2 The Patriarch of Antioch having assembled a council of bishops in
that city, St. Nonnus, [1] one of the number, was commissioned to
announce the word of God to the people. Accordingly he preached before
the church of St. Julian martyr, in the presence of the other bishops.
During the sermon, Pelagia passed that way richly adorned with jewels;
and her beauty, heightened with all the elegance of dress, drew on her
the attention of the whole assembly, except the bishops, who turned
away their eyes from so scandalous an object; but Nonnus, looking
earnestly at Pelagia, cries out in the middle of his discourse: =E2=80=9CTh=
e
Almighty in his infinite goodness will show mercy even to this woman,
the work of his hands.=E2=80=9D At these words, she stopped suddenly, and, joining the audience, was so touched with remorse for her criminal
life, that she shed abundance of tears; and immediately after the
sermon she addressed herself to Nonnus, imploring him to instruct her
how to expiate her sins, and to prepare her for the grace of baptism.
=C2 The holy penitent distributed all her goods among the poor, changed
her name from Margaret to Pelagia, and resolved to spend the remainder
of her life in the exercise of prayer, and the austerities of penance.
After her baptism, which she received at the hands of Nonnus, she
retired to Jerusalem, and having taken the religious veil, [2] shut
herself up in a grotto on Mount Olivet, in the fifth age. Phocas, a
monk of Crete, in the relation of his voyage from Palestine in 1185,
[3] describes Mount Olivet, and the grotto where the saint completed
the martyrdom of her penance, and where her relics were preserved in
an urn. St. Pelagia is mentioned on this day in the Roman Martyrology,
and in the Greek and Muscovite Calendars; but in an ancient
inscription on marble in Naples on the 5th of October. [4]
See her life written by James, deacon of Heliopolis, in Syria, an
eye-witness of her conversion and penance, ap. Rosweide, Vit. Patr. p.
374. The same is found in an ancient MS. in folio, on vellum well
preserved, which formerly belonged to the abbey of St. Edmundsbury in
England, and is at present in the author's possession. This MS.
contains a fine collection in Latin of the lives of the Fathers of the
desert, which Rosweide published from MSS. found in different
libraries of the Low Countries. It were to be wished that the learned
Jesuit had either suppressed or distinguished by some mark, two or
three spurious pieces, which are evidently the work of modern Greeks.
See also Theophanes in his Chronology, under the year 432; Nicephorus Callixtus, &c.
Note 1. This St. Nonnus was successor to Ibas in the see of Edessa,
(Liberatus. in Breviar. c. 12,) and being recommended by the fathers
of the council of Chalcedon to Maximian, patriarch of Antioch, (Conc.
Calced. Act. 10,) he became bishop of Heliopolis in Syria. He is
mentioned in the Roman Martyrology on the 2nd of December.
Note 2. We are told by James, deacon of Heliopolis, that during the
time of her penance, she was disguised in man's clothes; but this c=
an
scarcely be believed, as nothing but ignorance or necessity could have
excused such a disguise, it being contrary to the law of nature....
Note 3. L. de locis sanctis, ap. Leonem Allat. in Symm. p. 25, et ap. Papebroch. t. 2, Maij.
Note 4. Our saint is not to be confounded with St. Pelagia, virgin and
martyr of Antioch, who suffered under Dioclesian; on whom see St.
Chrysostom, Panegyr. t. 2, p. 591, ed. Ben. Lambecius, Bibl. Vind. t.
8, p. 223, 249, 258, 262; and the Martyrologies on the 9th of June.
Nor with St. Pelagia of Tarsus, who suffered in the same persecution.
See the Martyrologies on the 4th of October; and Papebroke, t. 1,
Maij, p. 747; the acts of this saint in Metaphrastes are interpolated.
Bible Quote
So also you now indeed have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your
heart shall rejoice; and your joy no man shall take from you.=C2 =C2 (=
John
16:22)
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Hail Lady, Holy Queen, Holy Mary Mother of God,
Who art the Virgin made Church
And the One elect by the Most Holy Father of Heaven,
Whom He consecrated with His Most Holy beloved Son
And with the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete;
Thou in whom was and is all fullness of grace and every good.
Hail His Palace;
Hail His Tabernacle;
Hail His Home.
Hail His Vestment;
Hail His Handmaid;
Hail His Mother
And hail all thee holy virtues, which through the grace and
illumination of the Holy Ghost are infused into the hearts of the
faithful, so that from those unfaithful thou make them faithful to
God.
--Saint Francis of Asissi
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