Saints celebrated on the 27th of July
SAINT PANTALEON, MARTYR
St Pantaleon was physician to the Emperor Galerius Maximianus, and a Christian, but fell by a temptation - for bad example, if not shunned, insensibly weakens, and at length destroys the strongest virtue.
Pantaleon being perpetually obsessed by it in an impious idolatrous court, and deceived by often hearing the false maxims of the world applauded, was unhappily seduced into an apostacy. But a zealous Christian called Hermolaus, by his prudent admonitions awakened his conscience to a sense of his guilt, and brought him again into the fold of the Church.
HE DISTRIBUTED ALL HIS POSSESSIONS AMONG THE POOR
When Diocletian’s bloody persecution broke out at Nicomedia in 303, he distributed all his possessions among the poor. Not long after this action he was taken up, and in his house were also apprehended Hermolaus, Hermippus, and Hermocrates. After suffering many torments they were all condemned to lose their heads. St Pantaleon suffered the day after them. [St Pantaleon is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.]
A PATRON OF PHYSICIANS
Physicians honour St Pantaleon as their chief patron after St Luke. All the healing powers of medicine are a gift of God; and he himself who could have restored Ezechias to health by the least act of his omnipotent will, directed Isaiah to apply dry figs to the abscess into which his fever was terminating; than which poultice no better remedy could have been used to promote suppuration.
St Ambrose, St Basil, and St Bernard, inveigh severely against too anxious a care of health, as a mark of inordinate self-love and immortification; nor is any thing generally more hurtful to it.
But as man is not master of his own life or health, he is bound to take a moderate reasonable care not to throw them away... But let the Christian in sickness seek in the first place the health of his soul by penance, and the exercise of all virtues.
LET THE CHRISTIAN IN SICKNESS SEEK IN THE FIRST PLACE THE HEALTH OF HIS SOUL
Let him also consider God as his chief physician, begging him, if it may be conducive to his divine honour, to restore the frame he created, and entreating our Redeemer to stretch out that hand upon him, with which in his mortal state he restored so many sick to their health...
So uncertain the skill of the ablest physicians, that their endeavours frequently check nature instead of seconding its efforts, and thus hasten death.
The divine blessing alone is the Christian’s sheet-anchor, perfect resignation to the divine will is the secure repose of his soul; and the fervent exercise of penance, patience, and devotion, is his gain in the time of sickness.
From Fr Butler's Lives of the Saints
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