ST SECUNDELLUS, DEACON - 1 AUGUST

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN AUGUST

Saints celebrated on the 1st of August

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

ST SECUNDELLUS, DEACON 

…One day included the life of St Secundellus, which I found had an interesting lesson for us. St Secundellus lived in the 6th century and was ordained a Deacon. He came to join St Friardus as a hermit on the island of Vindunitta along the Loire River of France. Both men lived in solitude, devoting themselves to prayer and simplicity of life.

THE DEVIL TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS ALREADY A SAINT AND GAVE HIM INSTRUCTIONS

The devil, however, came to deceive St Secundellus by pretending to be Jesus, flattering him and telling him that he was already a saint and that he needed to leave the island and perform works of miracles. St Secundellus did what the devil told him, thinking it was Jesus saying these things, and the devil empowered St Secundellus in these works.

HE HAD BEEN DELUDED BY THE DEVIL

Eventually St Secundellus returned to the island bragging to St Friardus that he had become a great healer. St Friardus, recognising that Jesus would not have led his friend to become so proud and worldly, discerned that it was the devil that had done this. St Friardus then warned St Secundellus that he had been deluded by the devil and instructed him to do penance. St Secundellus realised his error and threw himself at the feet of St Friardus, asking him for help and prayer.

WHEN HE ASKED THE DEVIL TO SHOW HIM THE CROSS, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE

As the two prayed together the devil appeared again, once more pretending to be Jesus. But when St Secundellus demanded that the devil show him his Cross, there was no response. St Secundellus then made the Sign of the Cross and the devil went away. Thereafter St Secundellus led a life of extraordinary sanctity.

"REMEMBER THE DEVIL DOES NOT SLEEP"

The devil tries many different ways to tempt us to move away from God. St Angela Merici wrote, ‘Remember that the devil does not sleep, but seeks our ruin in a thousand ways.’ We must not be deluded and be on our guard. ‘The devil’s snare doesn’t catch you unless you’re already nibbling on the devil’s bait,’ wrote St Ambrose. We should always draw near to God as our protection.

(From: Spiritual Thought from Father Chris)