SAINT FEAST DAY 10 JANUARY: ST MARCIAN, PRIEST

SAINT MARCIAN, PRIEST

Saint Marcian, treasurer of the church of Constantinople, in the fifth age, was born at Constantinople, though of a Roman family related to the imperial house of the Theodosiuses. From his childhood he served God in continual watching, fasting, and prayer, in imitation of St John the Baptist; and for the relief of the necessitous he gave away immense occult alms.

PRIESTLY ORDINATION

The time which was not employed in these charities, he spent in holy retirement and prayer. In the reign of the emperor Marcian, Anatolius the archbishop, offering violence to the saint’s humility, ordained him priest. In this new state the saint saw himself under a stricter obligation than before of labouring to attain to the summit of Christian perfection; and whilst he made the instruction of the poor his principal and favourite employment, he redoubled his earnestness in providing for their corporal necessities, and was careful never to relax any part of his austerities.

LABOURING TO ATTAIN THE SUMMIT OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION

The severity of his morals was made a handle, by those who feared the example of his virtue, as a tacit censure of their sloth, avarice, and irregularities, to fasten upon him a suspicion of Novatianism; but his meekness and silence at length triumphed over the slander. This persecution served more and more to purify his soul, and exceedingly improve his virtue. This shone forth with greater lustre than ever, when the cloud was dispersed; and the patriarch Gennadius, with the great applause of the whole body of the clergy and people, conferred on him the dignity of treasurer, which was the second in that church.

HE BUILT AND REPAIRED A GREAT NUMBER OF CHURCHES

St Marcian built or repaired in a stately manner a great number of churches in Constantinople, confounded the Arians and other heretics, and was famous for miracles both before and after his happy death, which happened towards the end of the fifth century. He is honoured both in the Greek Menaea, and Roman Martyrology, on January 10.

From Fr Butler's Lives of the Saints

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Marcian may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

WELCOME

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BL. RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

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