MEMORIAL OF SAINT ANYSIUS, BISHOP OF THESSALONICA; SAINT SABINUS, BISHOP OF SPOLETO AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARYTRS AND SAINT ANYSIA OF SALONIKA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR ~ FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 30TH: Today is the sixth day in the octave of Christmas and we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Anysius, Bishop of Thessalonica and Saint Sabinus, Bishop of Spoleto and his Companions, Martyrs and Saint Anysia of Salonika, Virgin and Martyr.

SAINT ANYSIUS, BISHOP OF THESSALONICA: He was Bishop successor of St. Ascholius in the see of Salonika, in Greece. Saint Anysius became Bishop of Thessalonica upon the death of Ascholius in 383 to 407. He was a friend of St. Ambrose and on this occasion of his appointment as Bishop, St. Ambrose wrote to the new Bishop and expressed his hope that since Anysius was a dedicated disciple of Ascholius he might prove to be “another Elisha to Elijah.”

Pope St. Damasus also appointed this saintly Bishop the patriarchal vicar of Illyricum and he was confirmed in his power by Sts. Siricius and Innocent I. He was a loyal defender of Saint John Chrysostom. When St. John Chrysostom was being harassed by the authorities, St. Ansius came strongly to his defense. St. Anysius was one of the sixteen Macedonian bishops to appeal to Pope Innocent in 404 on St. John’s behalf. In 404, St. Anysius called upon Pope Innocent I to review the case whereby St. John had been exiled from his See, and he was joined in this by fifteen other Bishops of Macedonia. In return he received a letter from St. John thanking him for his efforts on his behalf. St. Anysius was a dedicated shepherd who inspired his people by his life and teachings. Both St. Innocent I and St. Leo the Great had high praise for his virtues. He died about 407.

PRAYER: God, Light and Shepherd of souls, You established St. Anysius as Bishop in Your Church to feed Your flock by his word and form it by his example. Help us through his intercession to keep the Faith he taught by his word and follow the way he showed by his example. Amen🙏

SAINT SABINUS, BISHOP OF SPOLETO AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARYTRS: Saint Sabinus of Spoleto (died c. 303) was a bishop in the Christian church who resisted the Diocletianic Persecution and was martyred. According to legend, Venustian, governor of Etruria and Umbria, had Sabinus and his deacons arrested in Assisi. Diocletian’s order  required all Christians to sacrifice to the gods or be put to death, with their estates seized for the state. Venustian mocked Sabinus’s faith, accusing him of leading the people to the worship of a dead man. When Sabinus said that Christ rose on the third day, Venustian invited him to do the same thing. He had Sabinus’s hands cut off. The deacons were in great fear, but Sabinus encouraged them to hold to their faith, and they died after being torn apart by iron hooks. In prison after the martyrdom of his deacons, he was tended by a woman named Serena. While in prison, he healed a man born blind. Venustian heard of the cure and sought a cure for his own eyes from Sabinus. Sabinus healed the governor and converted him to Christianity. Venustian then sheltered Sabinus. Maximianus Herculius, hearing of this, ordered the the tribune Lucius to address the matter. Lucius had Venustian, his wife, and his two sons beheaded at Assisi, and he had Sabinus beaten to death at Spoleto. Saint Sabinus was beaten so cruelly that on December 7, 303, he expired under the blows. The charitable widow, Serena, after seeing to his honorable burial near the city, was also crowned with martyrdom. A basilica was later built at the site of the bishop’s tomb, and a number of monasteries in Italy were consecrated under his illustrious name. Patron Saints of Fermo, Ivrea and Spoleto all in Italy.

Reflection: How powerfully do the martyrs cry out to us by their example, exhorting us to detach from a false and wicked world!

Saint Sabinus of Spoleto and His Companions, Marytrs ~ Pray for us 🙏

SAINT ANYSIA OF SALONIKA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR: St. Anysia of Salonika (d. c. 298 A.D.), also known as St. Anysia of Thessalonica, was born to wealthy and pious Christian parents near Thessalonica, Greece. After the death of her parents, while she was still a young lady, Anysia dedicated her life completely to Christ. She made private vows of chastity and poverty, spent her days in fasting and prayer, and gave her wealth to the poor. She lived under the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Maximian, who declared that anyone who met a Christian could kill them without trial. One Sunday while on her way to church, St. Anysia was harassed by a Roman soldier. In one account he attempted to force her to make sacrifice to the pagan sun god. St. Anysia refused, declared her commitment to Christ, and spat in the soldier’s face. Enraged, the soldier ran her through with his sword, winning St. Anysia the crowns of virginity and martyrdom. Her feast day is December 30.

Saint Anysia of Salonika, Virgin and Martyr ~ Pray for us 🙏