medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (25. December) is the feast day of:
The Nativity of Jesus Christ. I don't think one can do better than quote
the esteemed Bonnie Blackburn & Leofranc Holford-Strevens (The Oxford
Compatnion to the Year) on the subject of celebration of Christmas: "In the
first three Christian centuries Jesus' birth had been speculatively
assigned to various dates, but not celebrated as a festival, except as
subordinate, in the Eastern churches, to His baptism, or birth in the
spirit, on 6 January. The Roman Church, however, having previously
despised the divine birthdays familiar in the pagan world, responded to the
Arians of the East, who made the Son in ferior to the Father, by adopting
the solar feast of 25 December as Christ's Nativity, on which the Sun of
Righteousness (Mal. 4:2) was born; in an age when the emperor Constantine
could come to Christianity through the solar cult, this was both a natural
and a profitable identification. From Rome the new feast spread throughout
thte Western church, and then to Egypt. . .; in the late fourth century it
was established at Constantinople and Antioch. By contrast, the church at
Jerusalem long resisted the new festival, which is still not observed by
the Armenians."
Eugenia of Rome (or of Alexandria) (d. c. 257) According to legend,
Eugenia was a young woman of Alexandria who, to avoid marriage, disguised
herself as a man and hid in a monastery. Later she became abbot of the
community. When she was discovered, she went to Rome, where she was
martyred in c. 257.
Anastasia (d. c. 304) Legend reports that Anastasia of Rome, after her
husband died at a young age, gave all her possessions to care for Christian
prisoners. When her spiritual advisor Chrysogonos was arrested, Anastasia
accompanied him to his place of excecution in Aquileia. She herself was
arrested there, thrown into prison in Sirmium, and finally condemned to
death. In a particularly picturesque and inept attempt at execution, she
was placed in a boat with holes knocked in it and put to sea. The boat
failed to sink, so she was burned to death in Sirmium. Her cult is
especially important in Bavaria, where Benediktbeuern has had her relics
since 1053.
Peter the Venerable (d. 1156) Peter is the last of the great abbots of
Cluny. He was born in c. 1092, becoming abbot in 1122. He is particularly
notable for his defense of the Cluniac way of life, including an exchange
with Bernard of Clairvaux.
Bentivolius de Bonis (d. 1231) (blessed) Bentivolius (Bentivoglio) was
born in the second half of the twelfth century in Sanseverino (Italy). He
was an early member of the Franciscan order, noted for his charisma and his
care of the poor and lepers. His cult was approved in 1852.
Petrus Nolascus (d. 1256) Peter was born in 1182 in southern France. He
joined the Albigensian Crusade at the age of fifteen, then settled in
Barcelona, where he became a friend of Raymond of Penaforte. The two
together founded the Congregation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mercedarians)
in 1218 to ransom Christians who were captured by the Muslims. On one
journey through Spain, Peter is supposed to have freed 400 Christian
prisoners. His cult was approved in 1628.
Merry Christmas to all.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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