The persecution in our days had been prolonged to the fifth year. And it was the month Nisan, and the second day of the same month, when a godly virgin, and holy in all things, one of the virgins of the Son of God in the city of Tyre, who was not yet eighteen years old, out of pure love for those, who on account of their confession of God were set before the tribunal of the governor, drew near and saluted them, and entreated them to remember her in their prayers: and because of these words which she had spoken to them, the wicked men were filled with anger, as if she had been doing something unjust and improper; and the officers seized her forthwith, and took her before the governor Urbanus, for he still held the power in Palestine. And I know not what happened to him, but immediately, like one much excited by this young woman, he was filled with rage and fury against her, and commanded the girl to offer sacrifice: and because he found, that although she was but a girl, she withstood the imperial orders like a heroine, then did this savage governor the more inflict tortures on her sides and on her breast with the cruel combs; and she was torn on the ribs until her bowels were seen. And because this girl had endured this severe punishment and the combs without a word, and still survived, he again commanded her to offer sacrifice. She then raised her lips and opened her eyes, and looking around with a joyful countenance in that time of her suffering, (for she was charming in beauty and in the appearance of her figure), with a loud voice she addressed the governor: Why, oh man, dost thou deceive thyself, and not perceive that I have found the thing which I prayed to obtain at thy hands? for I rejoice greatly in having been deemed worthy to be admitted to the participation of the sufferings of God’s martyrs: for indeed, for this very cause, I stood up and spake with them, in order that by some means or other they might make me a sharer in their sufferings, so that I also might obtain a portion in the kingdom of heaven together with them, because so long as I had no share in their sufferings, I could not be a partaker with them in their salvation. Behold therefore now, how, on account of the future recompense, I stand at present before thee with great exultation, because I have obtained the means of drawing near to my God, even before those just men, whom but a little while ago I entreated to intercede for me. Then that wicked judge, seeing that he became a laughingstock, and that his haughty threats were manifestly humbled before all those who were standing in his presence, did not venture to assail the girl again with great tortures like the former, but condemned her by the sentence which he passed to be thrown into the depths of the sea.
And when he passed on from the condemnation of this pure girl, he proceeded to the rest of those confessors, on whose account this blessed maiden had been called to this grace, and they were all delivered over to the copper mines in Palestine, without his saying a word to them, or inflicting upon them any sufferings or torture; for this holy girl prevented all those confessors by her courageous conduct against error, and received in her own body, as it were on a shield, all the inflictions and tortures which were intended for them, having rebuked in her own person the enemy that opposed them; and subdued by her valor and patience the furious and cruel judge, and rendered that fierce governor like a coward with respect to the other confessors. It was on the first day of the week that these confessors were condemned in Caesarea; and in the month above written and in the year noted by us was this act accomplished. — The Confession of Theodosia, A Virgin of God.
Via Poland in the Rockies, Wanda Koscia’s film, Battle for Warsaw will be shown in the following locations starting October 19th:
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 19, 2:30pm, Mississauga Central Library, Noel Ryan Auditorium, 301 Burnhamthorpe Road
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 20, 6:30pm, University of Toronto, Emmanuel College, 75 Queen’s Park Crescent, Room 001
- Chicago, October 22, 7:00pm, The Chopin Theater, 1543 W Division St., Chicago, IL 60642
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada, October 26, 2:00pm, De Sève Cinema, Concordia University, 1400 de Maisonneuve West
Born in London of Polish parents, Wanda Koscia is a Producer/Director specializing in history and current affairs for the BBC. For over two decades she worked extensively across the former Soviet bloc on a number of major television series, including: The Struggles for Poland (1985), The Other Europe (1988), The Hand of Stalin. Leningrad (1989), The Walls Came Tumbling Down (1990), Death of Yugoslavia (1995), Tourists of the Revolution (1998). Other credits include Intelligence to Please part of Discovery series Why Intelligence Fails (2004) and several years on the BBC flagship history program, Timewatch. Also at the BBC she made over three hours of documentary films to accompany Dunkirk, a major factual drama. Her interviews were then made into an award winning documentary: The Soldiers Story. In 2005 she made a film about the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 (featuring an interview with her own mother who was a participant aged 16). The Battle of Warsaw was shown on Discovery Europe and the BBC. In the mid 1980s, Wanda spent a year at Radio Free Europe working in the Research Department’s Underground Publications Unit. During the 1980s she was active in the Solidarity support group in London.
From Asia News: Lalji Nayak, martyr for the faith in Orissa
Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) – Lalji Nayak, tortured to force him to abandon his Christian faith, died of his injuries two days ago. …”they [his radical Hindu assailants] stuck a knife in his neck and threatened to kill him if he did not renounce Christianity, but Lalji Nayak, even though he was severely bleeding, refused to abandon his faith. He died in the hospital on October 1″.
Lalji Nayak’s village, in Rudangia, was attacked by Hindu fundamentalists on September 30, at four o’clock in the morning. Rudangia is in the district of Kandhamal, the epicenter from which the pogrom against Christians began more than a month ago.
For a complete recap of the martyrdoms, assaults, rapes, and pillaging taking place in India, all directed at Christians, see The Western Confucian’s coverage. The headlines alone are horrific.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy!
Mary, Queen of martyrs and confessors, intercede for us!
All holy martyrs and confessors, pray for us!
Thank you to the Young Fogey for the link.
A really wonderful post by Adrianus Indra Setiadi at Beacons of Light: Omnipotent Vending Machine. I encourage that you check it out.
Indeed. Coming from a third-world country to a sophisticated country as the US, the biggest difference was how convenient everything was. Everything is easy to get here, as long as we have the means, of course.
Even being a Christian is convenient. If we want to get serious about our Christianity, there is an abundance of churches, conferences, spiritual books, activities, and everything else. Oh my, life is good!
When I started to know God more, I realized how deep His love is for us, how powerful He is, and how faithful He is to us. Alrighty then! Life will be even better now!!
Yes, it is true, but to tell you the truth, it was not as I had expected…
It was the second year of the persecution, and the hostility against us was more violent than the first; and Urbanus, who at that same time had superseded the governor Flavianus in his office, was governor over the people of Palestine. There came then again the second time edicts from the emperor, in addition to the former, threatening persecution to all persons. For, in the former, he had given orders respecting the rulers of the Church of God only, to compel them to sacrifice; but, in the second edicts there was a strict ordinance, which compelled all persons equally, that the entire population in every city, both men and women, should sacrifice to dead idols, and a law was imposed upon them to offer libations to devils; for such were the commands of the tyrants who, in their folly, desired to wage war against God, the king supreme.
And when these commands of the emperor were put into effect, the blessed Timotheus, in the city of Gaza, was delivered up to Urbanus while he was there, and was unjustly bound in fetters, like a murderer, for indeed he was not bound in fetters on account of any thing deserving of blame, because he had been blameless in all his conduct, and during the whole of his life. When, therefore, he did not comply with the law as to the worship of idols, nor bow down to dead images without life, for he was a man perfect in every thing, and was in his soul acquainted with his God, and because of his piety and his conduct and his virtues, even before he was delivered up to the governor, he had already endured severe sufferings from the inhabitants of his own city, having lived there under insults and frequent blows and contumely, for the people of the city of Gaza were accursed in the heathenism; and when they were present in the judgment hall of the governor, this champion of righteousness came off victorious in all the excellence of his patience. And the judge cruelly employed against him severe tortures, and showered upon his body terrible scourging without number, inflicting on his sides horrible lacerations, such as it is impossible to describe; but, under all these things this brave martyr of God sustained the conflict like a hero, and at last obtained the victory in the struggle, by enduring death by means of a slow fire: for it was a weak and slow fire by which he was burned, so that his soul could not easily make her escape from the body, and be at rest. And there was he tried like pure gold in the furnace of a slow fire, manifesting the perfection and the sincerity of his religion towards his God, and obtaining the crown of victory which belongs to the glorious conquerors of righteousness. And because he loved God, he received, as the meet recompense of his will, that perfect life which he longed for in the presence of God the sovereign of all. And together with this brave confessor, at the same time of the trial of his confession, and in the same city, the martyr Agapius, and the admirable Theckla (she of our days) were condemned by the governor to suffer punishment and to be devoured by wild beasts. — The confession of Timotheus, in the city of Gaza.
From Interfaith Worker Justice: A Guide for Faith-Based Voters — Vote Your Values 2008
This guide is meant to highlight issues of major importance for working people in the U.S. during this election cycle.
The prophet Amos spoke God’s word thus: —Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream— (Amos 5:24). The foundation story of the Jewish faith is God’s liberation of His people from slavery in the land of Egypt. Further, the Bible commands us not only to give to the poor, but to advocate on their behalf. —Speak up, judge righteously, champion the poor and the [needy] (Proverbs 31:9).—
At the core of Christian belief is the vision of God lifting up the poor, the destitute, the homeless and the reviled. The Apostle Paul wrote, —Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality….Your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: ‘He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.’— (2 Corinthians 8:13-14).
In the 2006 elections, —values voters,— men and women whose political choices are influenced by deeply held religious and moral values, were crucial in the outcomes of six successful state referendums to raise the minimum wage. In 2008 we face an economy in freefall, millions of homeowners in danger of foreclosure, many millions more unable to obtain health insurance who face economic ruin if they or a loved one gets sick, workers who cannot take a paid sick day to care for themselves or a family member, workers who are robbed of their wages, and the worst income inequality since 1929.
This voter guide highlights several issues that are clearly critical to working families but that often receive scant attention by the media and by candidates for federal office. Interfaith Worker Justice urges people of faith, and indeed all citizens of conscience, to consider these issues when they cast their votes for president and congress in November 2008.
- Support the Right of Workers to Organize a Union —“ Pass the Employee Free Choice Act
- Health Care for All
- Stop Wage Theft
- A Job Should Get You Out of Poverty, Not Keep You In It
- We Need Comprehensive Immigration Reform
- All Workers Need Paid Sick Days —“ Support the Healthy Families Act
From personal experience I can tell you that these issues are real. Things like wage theft do occur – and much more frequently then you would suspect. The abuses people thought had long passed, the horror stories from the early 1900’s, are just as real today: child labor, forced labor, wages so inadequate that workers must sleep in unheated boxes at job sites, the same workers provided with just enough money to eat. They keep working because there is no means of escape, and in hope of getting paid eventually. I have heard of migrant construction workers who are transported, fed, and housed by companies. They work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. If they complain they are left at the side of the road, hundreds of miles from home, with no means to get home.
You may think they are illegals – they get what they deserve… Certainly not the way Christians should treat their bothers and sisters. Every human being deserves justice and fair compensation for his work. Hiring an illegal is not the basis for treating that person as a slave, nor is it allowance for breaking even more laws.
Deuteronomy 24:14-15 states:
“You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brethren or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns;
you shall give him his hire on the day he earns it, before the sun goes down (for he is poor, and sets his heart upon it); lest he cry against you to the LORD, and it be sin in you.”
I encourage you to read the materials IWJ presents and that you give them due consideration.
From the Albany Times-Union: Medieval Faire returning
ALBANY —” Judy and Dan Odell have dug their monks’ robes out of the attic, which can only mean one thing.
No, they’re not recycling old Halloween costumes.
After a six-year hiatus, the Medieval Faire is returning to the Cathedral of All Saints on Saturday, Oct. 18.
The vast nave of the 124-year-old Gothic treasure —” it is the fifth-largest cathedral in the nation —” will again echo with the bleat of lambs, the metallic rustle of chain mail and the thrum of wheels spinning yarn.
“After 26 years, we decided it was time to give it a rest, but we had a lot of people asking us to bring it back, so we did,” said Dan Odell, who is co-chairman with his wife.
The Odells are hoping to reach a new audience of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings fans after dropping the event in 2002 due to declining attendance. It peaked in the early ’90s with more than 2,000 visitors and a $10,000 influx of cash for the financially struggling Episcopal congregation, whose membership has fallen to about 120 households.
“It’s a lot of fun doing the Medieval Faire because everyone’s wandering around in period costume,” said juggler Mike McCrea, who’ll be back after performing at the event for more than 10 years with sharp weapons, fire, bowling balls and a unicycle.
Beneath flying buttresses and thick walls of red Potsdam sandstone, members of the Society for Creative Anachronism will joust with battle axes, pike poles and shields, as well as less combative interplay, as they engage in medieval re-enactment.
Other performers in the family-friendly program include Merdwin the Mediocre, the Pokingbrook Morris Dancers and medieval music by the Adirondack Baroque Consort, the Bleecker Consort and harpists Susan Coughtry and Jim Davis. There also will be demonstrations by potters, a soap maker, silversmith, blacksmith and stained-glass window creator. A variety of food and beverages will be sold.
Another medieval tradition, the procession of a boy bishop, will be revived when Beeliek Austin dons the cathedral’s set of pint-sized vestments and is installed with pomp and circumstance at a 2 p.m. ceremony.
“I hope we attract people new to the region who have never heard of the Medieval Faire and want to see what it’s all about,” Odell said. “We listed it on craigslist and we’ve gotten a lot of hits.”
Note that the boy bishop link above leads to a site that contains the Order of Service for the Enthronement of the Boy Bishop according to the late 20th century use of the Episcopal Cathedral of All Saints in Albany, New York.
What: Medieval Faire featuring family-friendly music, crafts, food and entertainment with a Middle Ages theme.
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 18, 2008.
Where: Cathedral of All Saints, 62 S. Swan St. (corner of South Swan and Elk streets), Albany.
Cost: Adults $8, seniors $6, children 4 to 12 $5, children 3 and younger, free.
Information: 518-465-1342
The first of all the martyrs who appeared in Palestine was named Procopius. In truth he was a godly man, for even before his confession he had given up his life to great endurance: and from the time that he was a little boy had been of pure habits, and of strict morals: and by the vigor of his mind he had so brought his body into subjection, that, even before his death, his soul seemed to dwell in a body completely mortified, and he had so strengthened his soul by the word of God that his body also was sustained by the power of God. His food was bread only, and his drink water; and he took nothing else besides these two. Occasionally he took food every second day only, and sometimes every third day; oftentimes too he passed a whole week without food. But he never ceased day nor night from the study of the word of God: and at the same time he was careful as to his manners and modesty of conduct, so that he edified by his; meekness and piety all those of his own standing. And while his chief application was devoted to divine subjects, he was acquainted also in no slight degree with natural science. His family was from Baishan; and he ministered in the orders of the Church in three things: First, he had been a Reader; and in the second order he translated from Greek into Aramaic; and in the last, which is even more excellent than the preceding, he opposed the powers of the evil one, and the devils trembled before him.
Now it happened that he was sent from Baishan to our city Caesarea, together with his brother confessors. And at the very moment that he passed the gates of the city they brought him before the Governor: and immediately upon his first entrance the judge, whose name was Flavianus, said to him: It is necessary that thou shouldest sacrifice to the gods: but he replied with a loud voice, There is no God but one only, the Maker and Creator of all things. And when the judge felt himself smitten by the blow of the martyr’s words, he furnished himself with arms of another kind against the doctrine of truth, and, abandoning his former order, commanded him to sacrifice to the emperors, who were four in number; but the holy martyr of God laughed still more at this saying, and repeated the words of the greatest of poets of the Greeks, which he said that “the rule of many is not good: let there be one ruler and one sovereign.” And on account of his answer, which was insulting to the emperors, he, though alive in his conduct, was delivered over to death, and forthwith the head of this blessed man was struck off, and an easy transit afforded him along the way to heaven. And this took place on the seventh day of the month Heziran, in the first year of the persecution in our days. This confessor was the first who was consummated in our city Caesarea. — The Confession of Procopius.
Those Holy Martyrs of God, who loved our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, and God supreme and sovereign of all, more than themselves and their own lives, who were dragged forward to the conflict for the sake of religion, and rendered glorious by the martyrdom of confession, who preferred a horrible death to a temporary life, and were crowned with all the victories of virtue, and offered to the Most High and supreme God the glory of their wonderful victory, because they had their conversation in heaven, and walked with him who gave victory to their testimony, also offered up glory, and honor, and majesty to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. Moreover, the souls of the martyrs being worthy of the kingdom of heaven are in honor together with the company of the prophets and apostles. Let us therefore, likewise, who stand in need of the aid of their prayers, and have been also charged in the book of the Apostles, that we should be partakers in the remembrance of the Saints, — let us also be partakers with them, and begin to describe those conflicts of theirs against sin, which are at all times published abroad by the mouth of those believers who were acquainted with them Nor, indeed, have their praises been noted by monuments of stone, nor by statues variegated with painting and colors and resemblances of earthly things without life, but by the word of truth spoken before God: the deed also which is seen by our eyes bearing witness.
Let us therefore, relate the manifest signs and glorious proofs of the divine doctrine, and commit to writing a commemoration not to be forgotten, setting also their marvelous virtues as a constant vision before our eyes. For I am struck with wonder at their all-enduring courage, at their confession under many forms, and at the wholesome alacrity of their souls, the elevation of their minds, the open profession of their faith, the clearness of their reason, the patience of their condition, and the truth of their religion: how they were not cast down in their minds, but their eyes looked upwards, and they neither trembled nor feared.
I just posted a few photos on Flickr from the High Holy Mass I served at St. Francis PNCC in East Meadow, NY on October 5th. The Holy Mass was part of the Parish’s celebration of its 76th Anniversary and was accompanied by the Bishop’s blessing of their newly remodeled church.
