SS. HERACLIUS AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS - 11 MARCH

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MARCH 

Saints celebrated on the 11th of March

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. HERACLIUS AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS

On March 11, Heraclius is mentioned by many martyrologies as a martyr at Carthage. Simultaneously with him are mentioned: Zosimus, Alexander, the bishop Philomus, Candidus, Valerius, Quirillus, Petronius, Caius, Martianus, Ysicus or Sicipus, Piperion and fifteen other unnamed persons. 

Whether they all died at Carthage is not certain. Some suppose that several of them suffered in Nicomedia or Alexandria or in Spain, and place their martyrdom under the reigns of the emperors Valerian and Galienus, that is between the years 253 and 268. 

The Roman Martyrology names only Heraclius and Zosimus in Carthage, but in Alexandria Candidus, Piperion and "twenty others." 

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints)

THEIR ENTRY IN THE ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:

"At Carthage, the holy martyrs Heraclius and Zosimus."

"At Alexandria, the passion of the Saints Candidus, Piperion, and twenty others."

PRAYER:

Grant to your Church, we beseech you, O Lord, through the intercession of your holy martyr Heraclius and his Companions, not to think high-mindedly, but to grow in humility pleasing to you; that, despising what is base, she may with unbounded love diligently do whatever is right. 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.