FEAST OF SAINTS ADAM AND EVE; MEMORIAL OF SAINT IRMINA OF OEREN, ABBESS; SAINT DELPHINUS, BISHOP OF BORDEAUX AND SAINTS TRASILLA AND EMILIANA, VIRGINS – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 24TH: Today, we celebrate the Feast of Saints Adam and Eve; Memorial of Saint Irmina of Oeren, Abbess; Saint Delphinus, Bishop of Bordeaux and Saints Trasilla and Emiliana, Virgins.
SAINTS ADAM AND EVE: Saints Adam and Eve are not saints in the ordinary reference, historic or scriptural ways. Catholic tradition holds that Adam and Eve repented of their great sin and lived lives of holiness and are with Christ in heaven. Sts. Adam and Eve, the first man and woman created by God as recounted in the Old Testament book of Genesis, are the father and mother of all humanity. St. Adam is the Father of the Human race. St. Eve, formed from Adam’s body, is his wife. The human race is descended from them. Through their willful disobedience to the command of God, sin came into the world. To redeem mankind which was thereby separated from the perfect communion with the Holy Trinity for which they were created, God became man, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and died on a Cross. Jesus is the New Adam, and Mary is the New Eve. Mary is the foretold “Woman” of Genesis 3:15 who bears the Redeeming “Seed” who is Jesus Christ. The long expectation of Adam and Eve for the birth of the promised Child has finally arrived.
During the Easter Vigil Mass, St.Thomas Aquinas’s quote “oh holy fault of Adam” is used to make the point of how great Jesus’s death was for the human race. Christian tradition recognizes that Adam and Eve were rescued by Christ in virtue of His death, burial, and resurrection, and are with God and the saints in heaven. Their feast day is celebrated together on December 24th.
Saints Adam and Eve ~ Pray for us 🙏
SAINT IRMINA OF OEREN, ABBESS: St. Irmina of Oeren (also called Ermina and Hirmina; died 720) was a princess, the daughter of Dagobert II, King of the Franks. She was a founder and abbess of a convent in Oeren (now Alveringem in West Belgium), and co-founder of a convent in Echternach (now eastern Luxembourg). According to Irmina’s biography, when she was fifteen years old, she was engaged to marry a man named Count Hermann, but just before they were to marry, he was killed in a murder-suicide by one of his servants, who “admired Irmina and could not bear that his master should have her”. St. Irmina’s father was ready to marry her to another man, but she chose to become a nun instead, a decision he supported, building her a convent in Oeren, which was eventually named after her and where she later became its second abbess. she carried out her duties perfectly. She was succeeded as abbess by her sister, Saint Modesta. St. Irmina donated lands to help co-found, with Saint Willibrord of Northumberland, the convent in Echternacht in 698. Historian Jamie Kreiner called the founding of the Echternacht convent “a cooperative venture” between Willibrord and Irmina’s family, who later promised to protect the convent and its holdings after Willibrord promised fidelity to them in 706. Watkins reported that Irmina was “generous to both Celtic and Saxon missionary monks” St. Irmina went to her eternal reward about 720 at the monastery at Weissenburg, which was also founded by her father. She is the patron saint of Trevos.
PRAYER: Lord God, You showered heavenly gifts on St. Irmina the Virgin. Help us to imitate her virtues during our earthly life and enjoy eternal happiness with her in heaven. Amen🙏
SAINT DELPHINUS, BISHOP OF BORDEAUX: St. Delphinus was Bishop of Bordeaux, France, renowned for his vigilance in defense of the Truth. The saintliest princes of the Church at the time were honored to be counted amongst his friends and to correspond with him, among them, St. Ambrose of Milan. St. Delphinus was present at the Council of Saragossa in 380, at which the Priscillian heresy was condemned. This heresy argued that the renunciation of marriage and the acceptance of asceticism were prerequisites for following Christ. St. Delphinus later assembled a Council at Bordeaux, his episcopal city, whose assembly also condemned the same errors. Such was the force and zealous preaching of the Bishop of Bordeaux against those that propagated this heresy in his territory that it undermined their influence entirely and they soon abandoned the region for Italy. In 388, St. Delphinus baptized the future Bishop of Nola, St. Paulinus, and inspired in him the desire to live a life of perfection. In several letters, St. Paulinus speaks of St. Delphinus as his father and his master. The saintly Bishop of Bordeaux died on Christmas Eve in the year 403.
Saint Delphinus, Bishop of Bordeaux ~ Pray for us 🙏
SAINTS TRASILLA AND EMILIANA, VIRGINS: Saints Trasilla (Tharsilla, Tarsilla, Thrasilla) and Emiliana (Aemiliana, Emilie) were sisters and came from an ancient Roman noble family, the gens Anicia. Their brother, Senator Gordian, was a very rich patrician with a magnificent townhouse on the Caelian Hill and large estates in Sicily. They were aunts of St. Gregory the Great and nieces of Pope St. Felix III. They are venerated as virgin saints of the sixth century. St. Gregory relates that his father, the Senator Gordian, had three sisters: Trasilla, Emiliana, and Gordiana. All three had devoted themselves to a religious life and led a life of virginity, fasting, and prayer. They practiced their faith in their father’s house, located on the Clivus Scauri in Rome. Gordiana, at first was devout as her sisters, she initially made the same vows and consecrated herself to the Lord. Gradually, however, she withdrew from her sisters, abandoned this calling, returning to the world, and is thus not venerated as a saint. Their reproaches fell on deaf ears and caused them significant sadness and grief.
Saint Trasilla died prior to Saint Emiliana but not before she received a vision of her uncle, Pope Saint Felix. In her vision, the pope appeared to her, showing her a place of great beauty. He said, “Come, I will receive you into this habitation of light.” Immediately, she fell ill with fever. Her sister ministered to her but to no avail. By the following day, her illness had grown worse. Saint Trasilla, in agonising pain, called out to those around her; “Make way! Jesus is coming!” With her eyes fixed firmly on heaven, she died soon thereafter and a heavenly fragrance filled the room, confirming her visions. Saint Emiliana was deeply saddened, made more difficult by missing her sister on Christmas. Emiliana received consolation in the form of a vision of her sister, however. In this vision, Trasilla encouraged, “My sister, come! I did not celebrate with you the birth of the Lord but together we will celebrate the feast of the Epiphany.” “If you call only me,” Emiliana replied, “what will become of our sister, Gordiana?” “Come,” Tarsilla sadly answered. “Our sister has decided to remain with the world.” Soon thereafter, Saint Emiliana fell ill and promptly joined her sister in heaven. Their relics and those of their sister-in-law, St. Silvia are kept at the Oratory of Saint Andrew on the Celian Hill in Rome.
Saints Trasilla and Emiliana, Virgins ~ Pray for us 🙏