[ Post a Response | Mystical Rose Message Board ]
The banner ad is placed here by Boardhost.com, the host of this free message board.
The Mystical Rose Catholic Page has no control over which ad banners appear on this page.
Posted by kate on 7/18/2005, 4:13 pm St. Vincent is frequently depicted with wings like an Angel like this image painted by the contemporary master, Matthew Brooks, and which image cannot be used for commercial sites. The Saint is called the "Angel of the Apocalypse." Saint Isadore the Farmer St. Isidore was a farmer who lived and worked as a laborer in the fields near Madrid. He was accustomed before going to work to hear daily Mass. Some meddlesome people complained to the gentleman by whom he was employed that he gave his time to prayer and neglected his work. His employer, however, had no reason to complain, as Isidore's work was well done. Nevertheless, he went to see for himself and perceived from a distance the yoke of oxen ploughing the land, led by a man whom he thought to be Isidore. On approaching nearer, he now saw that not a man but an Angel guided the oxen. It was Isidore's Angel Guardian who took his place. Saint Lawrence His garments were torn off, and he was barbarously scourged. After this his executioners showed him the awful instruments of torture with which they were about to inflict on his already lacerated body the most excruciating pains. All their efforts were, however, in vain. Nothing could shake his patience or wring from him a cry or a groan. Instead, he smiled at his tormentors. But a voice was heard telling him that he was still reserved for greater trials. This voice caused great surprise to the bystanders, and one of the soldiers, called Romanus, was much impressed. He saw a beautiful Angel wiping the sweat from the Martyr's brow and the blood from his wounds, thus giving him immense joy. The sight of this glorious Angel and the fortitude of Lawrence converted the soldier, who was Baptized and, in his own turn, died for Christ. Beside himself with anger, the judge commanded Lawrence to be stretched on an iron gridiron beneath which a slow fire was constantly kept burning. The Martyr bade the executioners to turn him, saying, "This side is now roasted." They did so. After a little while he said to them, "Now I am fully cooked, come and eat my flesh." And so saying, he lifted his eyes to Heaven and breathed forth his pure soul into the hands of God. The cruel judge and the brutal executioners were lost in amazement. They had never witnessed such extraordinary courage in the midst of such appalling torments. St. Venantius was a boy of fifteen years, simple and modest in bearing, a devout Christian and of indomitable courage in the practice of his faith. The persecution against the Christians had broken out afresh, and Venantius learned that the pagan authorities were seeking to seize him. Far from flying from the danger, as he could easily have done, he went straight to the judge and declared himself a follower of Christ. Venantius did not seek to escape. The Angel had imbued him with fresh courage and an earnest desire to die for Christ. Oh, for the Martyr's crown! The judge now ordered him to be hung up by the heels over a fire, with his head down and his mouth forced open, so that he would be suffocated by the fumes. With admirable calm and courage, he resisted these new efforts to make him renounce his faith. Seeing his immovable constancy in these sufferings, the judge had recourse to promises and rewards and sent his agent, Anatole, to use all his ingenuity to induce the heroic boy to renounce Christ. Venantius, full of a holy indignation, drove the messenger from his presence. On hearing of the failure of his agent, the judge ordered the executioners to break the teeth and jaws of Venantius with iron hammers and then to throw him into a filthy pit where he would die of suffocation. The Angel again appeared and gently drew the Martyr from the foul pit. Venantius once more stood before the judge, who fell headlong from the tribunal and died, exclaiming, "The God of Venantius is the only true God." The governor of the city, on being made aware of the awful death of his iniquitous judge, gave orders to throw Venantius to the lions, but to the surprise of the people, the wild beasts lay down at his side, gentle as lambs. The Martyr, availing himself of the opportunity, raised his voice and preached to the multitude that thronged the circus the religion and love of Jesus Christ, whom even the wild beasts had honored and obeyed. Porphyrius, a holy and fearless priest, presented himself to the governor and told him that he had seen in a vision all those whom Venantius had converted, wearing glorious crowns and enjoying immense glory and happiness; whereas, his persecutors were plunged into dark and dreadful dungeons, into which the governor himself would soon be cast. The wretched man refused to listen to the warning and commanded Porphyrius to be slain and Venantius to be dragged over rugged ground strewn with thorns and thistles. In the course of this new torture, the executioners became weary and consumed with thirst, and Venantius caused a spring of fresh water to spring up, in which they quenched their thirst. Many of them, full of gratitude to Venantius and admiring his wonderful powers, were at once converted and were, together with Venantius, beheaded. Following the execution, a fearful storm burst over the city, and the impious governor attempted to fly, but died most miserably. These glorious Martyrs, whose history we have just given, are only a few of the millions of men and women who have given their lives and shed their blood amidst appalling sufferings in defense of their faith and for the love of Jesus Christ.
86.131.246.159
St. Vincent Ferrer
St. Vincent Ferrer, a Dominican, was unquestionably one of the most extraordinary Saints in the calendar of Holy Church. His life from infancy to death was one long series of prodigies, the authenticity of which rests on unimpeachable evidence. No wonder then that the Holy Angels had a special love for this great Saint, whom the Breviary calls a very portent of sanctity. On one occasion, when the Saint was entering Barcelona, he saw and spoke to the Angel Guardian of the city. This fact he announced in his sermon to the people. As a consequence, a special devotion sprang up toward the Angel, and a monument was erected in his honor. At the hour of St. Vincent's death, a multitude of the Blessed Spirits came to accompany his soul to Heaven. They filled the house in which he lay dying under the appearance of snow white birds of ravishing beauty and disappeared at the moment that the Saint breathed his last.
St. Lawrence sold the goods belonging to the Church and gave the money to the poor. He was then seized and subjected to the most cruel tortures, one after another. At the sight of his marvelous courage, many were converted, including one of the guards, called Hypolitus.
The judge now ordered him to be stretched on the rack, so that his joints were dislocated. Next, he was beaten with whips armed with leaden balls, and his flesh was so horribly mangled that he felt that he was dying.
Instead of admiring the heroism of the youth, the brutal judge became infuriated, ordered him to be seized, stripped of his garments and beaten so mercilessly that he would certainly have died under the blows showered on him by the savage executioners, had it not been for a glorious Angel, full of beauty and strength, who severed the ropes that bound him and hurled back at the same time his tormentors.
Message Thread:
« Back to thread
The opinions expressed on this board are those of the individuals who post them.
They do not necessarily represent the beliefs of the Mystical Rose Catholic Page, its
webmaster, or the official teaching of the Holy Catholic Church!