Interim Saints - May 18th
VENANTIUS, martyr (date uncertain)
The false Acts assert that he was arrested at the age of fifteen, and
was thrown to wild beasts, but they did not touch him. [We've heard
that one before - ed.] He was then dragged over thorns, thrown down a
precipice, and his head struck off. There is not a particle of
trustworthy history in the story of this saint.
THEODOTIUS and companions, martyrs (A.D. 304)
. . . When Theodotus was at the place [of execution], he raised his
eyes to heaven and prayed, "Lord Jesus Christ, I thank thee that Thou
hast given me strength to crush the head of the old dragon. Give rest
to Thy servants, and restrain the violence of the enemy; give peace to
Thy Church, and save it from the tyranny of the evil one." So saying,
he received the mortal stroke.
FELIX, bishop of Spalato (about A.D. 304)
Spalato contains the ruins of the palace of Diocletian, that cruel
persecutor of the Church. To Spalato he retired, leaving the reins of
the government in the hands of Maximian. At this time Felix was bishop
of the city where he fixed his residence; and it was not possible for
him to escape condemnation, being under the eye of the aged lion.
Accordingly he was soon taken, brought before the tribunal of the
emperor, and sentenced to death, first being tortured with fire, and
afterwards executed with the sword.
ELFGYVA, queen (A.D. 971)
S. Elfgyva was queen of Edmund the Magnificent, who came to the throne
of england in 940, succeeding his brother Athelstan . . . She retired
at length into the convent of Shaftesbury, which had been founded by
King Alfred, and there died.
ERICK, king and martyr (A.D. 1160)
. . . Erick was unexpectedly beleaguered in Upsala by the Danish
prince, Magnus, during the celebration of divine service. The king
heard the mass out, and marched against the enemy. After a short but
valiant resistance he fell dead, covered with wounds.
FELIX OF CANTALICE (A.D. 1587)
This good Capuchin was born at Cantalice, at the foot of the Apennines,
on the confines of the Duchy of Spoleto, in the year 1513. . . His body
is in the church of his Order in Rome. He is represented with a sack
over his shoulder, on which is written 'Deo Gratias,' or leading an ass
laden with the sack [the sack was for begging food]; sometimes giving
S. Philip Neri to drink out of a bottle in the midst of a street, this
incident being related of him.
Oriens.
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