ST ZOSIMUS OF SYRACUSE, BISHOP - 30 MARCH

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MARCH

Saints celebrated on the 30th 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.

ST ZOSIMUS OF SYRACUSE, BISHOP 

Saint Zosimus (Zosymus), bishop of Syracuse was born there of wealthy and virtuous parents, and from his seventh year was brought up at the convent of St Lucy. But he had so little inclination for monastic life that he returned to his parents' house - against the wishes of his parents and Abbot Faustus. 

HE DECIDED TO BRING THIS SACRIFICE OF OBEDIENCE

But, despite this, his parents insisted that he take up the monastic profession and forcibly brought him back, he decided to bring this sacrifice of obedience to God, and gradually became (according to legend, St  Lucy appeared to him and beat him because he was not guarding her resting place carefully enough) such a good monk that after the death of Faustus he was elected abbot. 

A WORTHY CHIEF SHEPHERD

Finally he succeeded - against his will - the bishop Peter of Syracuse in this seat, and faithfully fulfilled all the duties of a worthy chief shepherd, in charity and humility (once he took off his outer garment in the street and had it sold because he had no more money to give to the poor) until he died in the 90th year of his age around the year 660. His name is also in the Roman Martyrology on March 30. He is invoked as a patron against the plague. 

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints)

PRAYER:

O God, who gladden us each year by the feast of Zosimus, your bishop, graciously grant that, as we rejoice in his merits, we may be inspired by his example. 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.