MEMORIAL OF SAINT APOLLINARIS, BISHOP AND MARTYR; SAINT MARGARET OF ANTIOCH, VIRGIN AND MARTYR AND SAINT ELIAS THE PROPHET ~ FEAST DAY: JULY 20TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr; Saint Margaret of Antioch, Virgin and Martyr and Elias the Prophet. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all expectant mothers and those seeking for the fruit of the womb; for the the sick and dying, especially those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for those going through difficulties especially during these challenging times, for the poor and the needy, for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. And we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world.🙏
SAINT APOLLINARIS, BISHOP AND MARTYR: St. Apollinaris is a Syrian saint, born in Antioch and became a disciple of St. Peter. He was ordained by the St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles himself and sent as a missionary bishop to Ravena during the reign of the emperor Claudius (who ruled from 41 to 54). Renowned for his powers to heal in the name of Christ, he was frequently exiled, tortured and imprisoned for the faith, and finally martyred. He’s described as “a bishop who, according to tradition, while spreading among the nations the unsearchable riches of Christ, led his flock as a good shepherd and honoured the Church of Classis near Ravenna by a glorious martyrdom.”
According to a legend, stemming from the 7th century, Apollinaris cured an official’s wife, resulting in the couple’s conversion, cured a man who could not speak, and gained a good many adherents to the faith. As a result, he was scourged and sent away from Ravena. Going to Bologna, he converted the family of Rufinius, a patrician, leading to his ouster from that city. The holy man went to preach in Dalmatia and ended up being sent away from there also. St. Apollinaris returned to his See on three separate occasions, and each time he was subjected to torture and cast out again. On his fourth return, he was forced to go into hiding from the Emperor Vespasian (69-79), who issued a decree banishing all Christians. Ultimately, the Saint was recognized by a mob at Classis, a suburb of Ravena, beaten, and left for dead. He was carried away by the Christians, and seven days after, while exhorting them to constancy in the faith, he passed away from this life, to be crowned with the glory of martyrdom. His body was buried near the city walls. St. Peter Chrysologus (d. 450), one of the Saint’s successors at Ravena, called him a Martyr and said that God did not permit the persecutors to take his life. So St. Apollinaris may have been a Martyr solely by the torments he endured for the Lord. St. Apollinaris is the Patron Saint of epilepsy; gout; Emilia-Romagna region (Italy) Aachen, Burtscheid, Düsseldorf, Ravenna, Italy, Remagen.
PRAYER: Lord, direct Your faithful in the way of eternal salvation, which St. Apollinaris Your Bishop pointed out by both his teaching and his martyrdom. By his intercession enable us to persevere in Your commandments so that we may merit to be crowned with him. Amen 🙏
SAINT MARGARET OF ANTIOCH, VIRGIN AND MARTYR: St. Margaret (289-304 A.D.) is also called “Marina”. St. Margaret is one of the “Fourteen Holy Helpers” and one of the saints that appeared and spoke to St. Joan of Arc. She was born in Antioch, the daughter of a pagan priest in Pisidian Antioch, Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Her mother died when she was an infant, and she was raised by a Christian nurse who baptized her and gave her a Christian education. St. Margaret grew into a pious and virtuous young woman under her nurse’s care, to the delight of her father. When she came of age, Margaret returned to live with her father. She quickly angered him, however, when she refused to take part in offering sacrifices to idols. Furious at her steadfast refusals, he drove her out of his home. Margaret then returned to live with her nurse as a household servant.
One day, while she was engaged in watching the flocks of her mistress, a lustful Roman prefect named Olybrius caught sight of her, and attracted by her great beauty sought to make her his concubine or wife. St. Margaret declined, citing that she had consecrated her virginity to Jesus Christ, a reply for which she was severely persecuted. When neither cajolery nor threats of punishment could succeed in moving her to yield to his desires, he had her brought before him in public trial at Antioch to be tried for her Christian faith, scourged, tortured, and thrown into prison by her suitor. In her moment of weakness, the devil appeared to her in the form of a dragon to intimidate her and break her faith. An attempt was made to burn her, she was left unharmed. She was then bound hand and foot and thrown into a cauldron of boiling water, but at her prayer her bonds were broken and she stood up uninjured. St. Margaret trusted in God and made the Sign of the Cross, and the dragon fled defeated. At this triumph over her enemy, St. Margaret’s cell was filled with light and her wounds were miraculously healed. Enraged to find her healed, her suitor had new tortures applied to her body, which did her no harm and caused many witnesses to convert to the Christian faith. Finally the prefect ordered her to be beheaded.
The Greek Church honors her under the name Marine on July13, and the Latin, as Margaret on July 20. Her Acts place her death in the persecution of Diocletian (A.D. 303-5), but in fact even the century to which she belonged is uncertain. St. Margaret is represented in art sometimes as a shepherdess, or as leading a chained dragon, again carrying a little cross or a girdle in her hand, or standing by a large vessel which recalls the cauldron into which she was plunged. Relics said to belong to the saint are venerated in very many parts of Europe; at Rome, Montefiascone, Brusels, Bruges, Paris, Froidmont, Troyes, and various other places. Curiously enough this virgin has been widely venerated for many centuries as a special patron of women who are pregnant. She’s Patron Saint against sterility; childbirth; dying; escape from devils; exiles; expectant mothers; falsely accused people; kidney disease; loss of milk by nursing mothers; Lowestoft, Suffolk, England; martyrs; nurses; peasants; people in exile; Queens College Cambridge; women; pregnancy; women in labour; and childbirth. Her feast day is July 20th.
Saint Margaret of Antioch, Virgin and Martyr ~ Pray for us 🙏
SAINT ELIAS THE PROPHET: St. Elias [also known as Elijah in English] of great fame was from Thisbe or Thesbe, a town of Galaad (Gilead), in what is now the country of Jordan. He was of priestly lineage, a man of a solitary and ascetical character, clothed in a mantle of sheep skin, and girded about his loins with a leather belt. His name is interpreted as “Yah is my God.” His zeal for the glory of God was compared to fire, and his speech for teaching and rebuke was like a burning lamp. From this too he received the name Zealot. Aflame with such zeal, he spoke against the impiety and lawlessness of Israel’s King Ahab and his wife Jezebel. By his prayers he shut up heaven and it did not rain for three years and six months. Ravens brought him food for his need when, at God’s command, he was hiding by the river of Horrath. He multiplied the little flour and oil of the poor widow of Sarephtha of Sidon (Lebanon) who had given him hospitality in her home, and when her son died, he raised him up. He is revered as the spiritual Father and traditional founder of the Catholic religious Order of Carmelites. In addition to taking their name from Mt. Carmel where the first hermits of the order established themselves, the Calced Carmelite and Discalced Carmelite traditions pertaining to Elijah focus upon the prophet’s withdrawal from public life. St. Elias brought down fire from Heaven upon Mount Carmel, and it burned up the sacrifice offered to God before all the people of Israel so they might know the truth.
At the river of Kisson, St. Elias, the Prophet killed 450 false prophets and priests who worshipped idols and led the people astray. He received food miraculously at the hand of an Angel, and being strengthened by this food he walked for forty days and forty nights. He saw God on Mount Horeb, as far as this is possible for a human. He predicted the destruction of the dynasty of Ahab, and the death of his son Ohozias. He divided the waters of the river Jordan, and he and his disciple Elisha passed through as if on dry land; and finally, while speaking with him, St. Elias was suddenly snatched away by a fiery chariot in the year 895 B.C., and ascended as into heaven, where God most certainly translated him alive, as He did Enoch (Gen. 5:24; IV Kings 2: 11). But from there also, after seven years, by means of a message he reproached Joram, the son of Josaphat, as it is written: “And there came a message in writing to him from Elias the Prophet, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of David thy father, “Because thou hast not walked in the way,” and so forth (II Chron. 21:12). Interpreters believe this happened either through his disciple Elisha, or through another Prophet when Elias appeared to them, even as he appeared on Mount Tabor to the disciples of Christ. It was widely believed that St. Elias would appear before the arrival of the Messiah and Jesus himself was identified by some as being Elias returned. However, Jesus identified St. John the Forerunner (Baptist) as the Elias that was to come and proceed Him. St. Elias the Prophet is the Patron Saint of the Carmelite Order and vehicle blessings.
PRAYER: O great Prophet Elijah,/ seer of God’s mighty works,/ who didst halt the torrential rain by thy word,/ pray for us to the Lover of Mankind. Amen🙏
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