ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY
Saints celebrated on the 17th of February
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.
SS. THEODOLUS AND JULIAN, MARTYRS
Saints Theodulus and Julian suffered at Caesarea in Palestine, at the same time with those mentioned yesterday, but are named on this day in the Roman Martyrology.
HIS EMINENT VIRTUE
Theodulus was an old man of eminent virtue and wisdom, who enjoyed one of the most honourable posts in the household of Firmilian, the governor of Palestine, and had several sons. His personal merit gained him the love of all that knew him, and the governor had a particular esteem for him.
HE HAD GONE TO THE PRISONS
This holy man had seen the invincible courage and patience of the five Egyptian martyrs at Caesarea, and, going to the prisons, made use of their example to encourage the other confessors, and prepare them for the like battles.
HE WAS SENTENCED
Firmilian, vexed at this conduct of an old favourite servant, sent for him, reproached him strongly with ingratitude, and, without hearing his defence, condemned him to be martyred. Theodulus received the sentence with joy, and went with transports to a death which was speedily to unite him to his Saviour.
HE SHARED THE GLORY OF THAT DAY WITH OTHER MARTYRS
Julian, who shared the glory of that day with the other martyrs, was a Cappadocian, as was also St Seleucus; he was only a catechumen, though highly esteemed by the faithful for his many great virtues, and he had just then come to Caesarea. At his arrival, hearing of the conflicts of the martyrs, he ran to the place, and finding the execution over, expressed his veneration for them, by kissing and embracing the bodies which had been animated by those heroic and happy souls.
THE GUARDS APPREHENDED HIM
The guards apprehended him, and carried him to the governor, who, finding him as inflexible as the rest, would not lose his time in useless interrogatories; but immediately ordered him to be martyred, too. Julian, now master of all he wished for, gave God thanks for the honour done him by this sentence, and begged he would be pleased to accept of his life as a voluntary sacrifice. The courage and cheerfulness which he maintained to his last moment, filled his executioners with surprise and confusion.
(From Fr Butler's Lives of the Saints)
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