ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MARCH
Saints celebrated on the 3rd 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. MARINUS AND ASTERIUS, MARTYRS
Saint Marinus was a person remarkable both for his wealth and family at Caesarea in Palestine, about the year 272, and was in course to succeed to the place of a centurion, which was vacant, and about to obtain it; when another came up and said, that according to the laws Marinus could not have that post, on account of his being a Christian.
THE JUDGE GAVE HIM THREE HOURS TIME TO CHANGE HIS ANSWER
Achaeus, the governor of Palestine, asked Marinus if he were a Christian; who answered in the affirmative: whereupon the judge gave him three hours space to consider whether he would abide by his answer, or recall it.
Theotecnus, the bishop of that city, being informed of the affair, came to him, when withdrawn from the tribunal, and taking him by the hand led him to the church. Here, pointing to the sword which he wore, and then to a book of the gospels, asked him which of the two he made his option.
"ADHERE STEADFASTLY THEN TO GOD"
Marinus, in answer to the query, without the least hesitation, stretched out his right hand, and laid hold of the sacred book. “Adhere stedfastly then to God,” says the bishop, “and he will strengthen you, and you shall obtain what you have chosen. Depart in peace.”
Being summoned again before the judge, he professed his faith with greater resolution and alacrity than before, and was immediately led away just as he was, and beheaded.
ST ASTERIUS GAVE HIM A DECENT BURIAL
St Asterius, or Astyrius, a Roman senator, in great favour with the emperors, and well known to all on account of his birth and great estate, being present at the martyrdom of St Marinus, though he was richly dressed, took away the dead body on his shoulders, and having sumptuously adorned it, gave it a decent burial. Thus far the acts in Ruinart. Rufinus adds, that he was beheaded for this action.
(From Fr Butler's Lives of the Saints)
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