Today, 3 May, is the feast of ...
* Alexander, Eventius and Theodolus, martyrs (c. 113)
* Timothy and Maura, martyrs (c. 286) - One of the more gruesome stories
in the Roman Martyrology. Timothy and Maura were newlyweds who suffered
persecution under Diocletian. As a result of Timothy's refusal to give the
authorities his Bible he and his wife were nailed to a wall and died after
lingering for nine days.
* the finding of the Holy Cross (c. 326) - According to Ambrose and John
Chrysostom, St Helen insisted on excavations which reavealed three
crosses. The one in the middle had the 'title' still attached and that is
how Christ's cross was identified.
* Juvenal, bishop of Narni (c. 376) - One day, as he was passing a brazen
bull in front of a temple dedicated to Bacchus, a pagan priest struck
Juvenal in the mouth with the hilt of his sword because the saint refused
to sacrifice to the gods. The bishop held the weapon with his teeth, and
the pagan priest, in a violent effort to withdraw his blade, cut his own
throat. This incident led to the immediate conversion of the pagan
bystanders.
* Philip of Zell, hermit (eighth century) - Amongst those who sought out
this hermit was Pepin, Charlemagne's father, who often visited Philip and
conversed with him about holy things.
Carolyn Muessig
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