 14/02/2012 14:01 |
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Tuesday, February 14, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
SAINTS CYRIL AND METODIUS (9th century), Apostles to the Slavs, Co-Patrons of Europe
The two brothers were born (Cyril in 826, Methodius in 815) to an influential Greek family in Thessaloniki but soon moved to Constantinople. Methodius became a monk, eventually becoming abbot of a monastery while carrying out important administrative functions for the Byzantine Empire. His younger brother concentrated on his studies, even learning Aramaic, Jewish and Arabic, later becoming a university professor. Because of his language skills, the emperor sent him on a peace mission to the reigning Caliph, and later to a Byzantine dependency to prevent the spread of Judaism. The brothers first worked together when they were sent to evangelize at the request of the Prince of Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic). For this purpose, they decided to translate the Bible to Slavonic; they they devised an alphabet that would best represent Slavonic sounds - this eventually developed into the Cyrillic used by Russia and other Eastern European Slavic languages. In 867, the brothers were invited to Rome by Pope Nicholas III, at which time they brought with them the relics of Pope St. Clement, that Cyril had recovered in the Crimea on one of his expeditions. (Clement was persecuted under Trajan, exiled to a quarry and then thrown into the Black Sea weighed down with an anchor. Cyril apparently found bones that had been buried with an anchor.) On this visit, Cyril was ailing, and sensing his end was near, he decided to become a monk. He died 50 days later. At his funeral procession in Rome in 869, the people are said to have expressed their own version of 'Santo subito'. Methodius returned to Moravia to carry on their work for another 16 years, most of which he spent fighting off challenges from the German bishops of Salzburg and Regensburg who resented that part of their jurisdictions were assigned to his new archdiocese. Pope Adrian II Rome supported him in these disputes and also approved the Slavic liturgy. Three years after he died (884), widespread political changes resulted in the exile of all his missionaries from Moravia - it is thought that their dispersal throughout the rest of Eastern Europe was responsible for spreading Christianity throughout the Slavic world. The two brothers were immediately venerated by the Eastern Orthodox Church as 'Equal to the Apostles', but they were not introduced into the Roman Catholic liturgy until 1880. One hundred years later, John Paul II would declare them Co-Patrons of Europe together with St. Benedict of Norcia. The feast of the two brothers is observed by the Catholic Church on Feb. 14, the day of Cyril's death. Pope Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis to them on June 17, 2009.
Readings for today's Mass: usccb.org/bible/readings/021412.cfm
Not to forget
the 14 Saints Valentine
Valentinus is the name of 14 martyred saints of Roman antiquity. But the Valentines remembered on February 14 have been traditionally two 3rd century martyrs - Valentine, Bishop of Terni, who was martyred in the early 3rd century during the Aurelian persecutions, and Valentine the priest, of Rome, who was martyred in 269, on February 14. Both happened to be buried on different sites in Rome's Via Flaminia. A third St. Valentine was martyred in Africa with other companions.
Because of these uncertainties and scant information, the liturgical celebration of St. Valentine on February 14 was not kept in the Catholic calendar of saints for universal liturgical veneration as revised in 1969. But "Martyr Valentinus the Presbyter and those with him at Rome", who was definitely known to be buried on Feb. 14, remains in the list of saints proposed for veneration by all Catholics.
A verse from Geoffrey Chaucer's 'Parliament of Fools' (1347) is cited as the first association of St. Valentine to romantic love - "For this was Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh to choose his mate" - in observance of a royal engagement. The 19th-century Butler's Lives of Saints enshrined Chaucer's poetic fancy as having been based on tradition, though it was not. Meanwhile Victorian England and mid-18th-century USA began the business of heart-shaped cards on February 14, since when 'Valentine's Day' spread worldwide as a day for lovers.
we should all remember and pray to the 14 Saints Valentine on February 14....and give thanks
for the uncommon blessed valentine we all have in common, our beloved BENEDICT XVI...
BENEDICTUS QUI VENIT IN NOMINE DOMINI!
![[SM=g9503]](https://im0.freeforumzone.it/up/0/3/1206881.gif)
No bulletins posted on the Vatican site so far.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 14/02/2012 14:05] |
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