Today, 10 August, is the feast of ...
Laurence, martyr (258): One of the seven deacons who served the Roman
church. Martyred during the Emperor Valerian's reign. Valerian had
Laurence bound upon an iron bed and slowly roasted him to death.
According to the legends, Laurence's face appeared to be surrounded
with a beautiful light, and his body gave off a sweet smell. Having
suffered a long time, he turned to the judge and said with a cheerful
smile: "Let my body be turned, one side is broiled enough." When the
execution turned him, he said: "It is cooked enough, you may eat."
Philomena or Philumena (date unknown): Butler states: "On May 24, 1802,
in the catacomb of St Priscilla on the Via Salaria Nova an inscribed
loculus was found, and on the following day it was carefully examined
and opened. The loculus was closed with three tiles, on which was the
following inscription: lumena paxte cum fi ... It is now generally
accepted that the tiles were put in a wrong order ... and that the
inscription should read: pax tecum Filumena. Within the loculus was
found the skeleton of a female between thirteen and fifteen years old
... Embedded in the cement was a small glass phial with vestiges of
what was taken to be blood. Accordingly, in accordance with the
knowledge of the time ... the remains were taken to be those of the
virgin martyr Philomena..."
***************************
Dr Carolyn Muessig
Department of Theology and Religious Studies
University of Bristol
Bristol BS8 1TB
UK
phone: +44(0)117-928-8168
fax: +44(0)117-929-7850
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|