ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN APRIL
Saints celebrated on the 9th of April
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.
SAINT DEMETRIUS OF SERMIUM, MARTYR
FROM THE GOLDEN LEGEND
From the 13th century "Golden Legend" by Bl. Jacopo de Voragine, Archbishop of Genoa, 1275, originally in Latin, which apparently was the most widely read book (after the Bible) during the late Middle Ages:
Here followeth the Life of Saint Demetrius.
While that the Emperor Maximian had the lordship of Thessalonica, he made all the auditors of the Christian faith to be put to death, among which was Demetrius that made himself to be manifested and known of all without any fear or dread. For since the time of his youth he had ever been steadfast and constant in all good operations or works, and ever indoctrined and taught the others how the divine Sapience was descended in the earth, who by his own blood had quickened or raised from death the man, which by his sin was put to death.
And as he preached, some of the ministers and sergeants of the emperor that were committed and ordained for to take the Christian men, took St Demetrius, and would have presented him unto the emperor Maximian, but it happed so that the emperor was gone to see a battle that should be done, for much he delighted him to see shedding of human blood.
In the same battle was a man named Lineus, which because of the victories that he in his days had had, was much loved of the emperor, but as fortune changeth oft, it happed that this Lineus was there wounded to death. And when the emperor was returned into his palace, sorrowful and angry at the death of the same Lineus, mention of Demetrius was made unto him.
Then was the emperor sore moved against him, insomuch that in the same prison where he was, sore fettered and hard holden, he made him to be sticked through and through his body with sharp spears. The which St Demetrius thus ever witnessing the name of Jesu, consummated there his martyrdom.
MIRACLES
Many miracles were made by his merits and by his good virtues on all them that with good faith devoutly reclaimed him. A man that was called Lemicius, who heartily loved and served God, gave much of his goods to the house where the holy corpse of St Demetrius was buried, and made the place more greater than it was tofore, and builded there an oratory or chapel in the honour of the said martyr Demetrius.
One of the prefects or judges of Thessalonica that named was Manam, was much agreeable to God, and to the world, on which the enemy had great envy for his good works, and began to tempt him sore and strong. And first he tempted him of the seven deadly sins, but God would that he never should overcome him. When the devil saw that he might not deceive him, he took from him all his temporal goods and finally smote him with such a sickness that he had no member wherewith he might help him, save only his tongue, with which he praised and thanked ever our Lord.
After this, the enemy appeared to one of his servants in likeness of a man, and showed to him a schedule saying thus to him: If thy master did put once this schedule or scroll on him he should be all whole of his sickness, for it containeth within written the names both of the gods and of the angels.
Anon went forth the servant and told it to his master, which answered to him: God that made me may save me if it please him, and without his pleasure nothing may be done, all is his, and all thing lieth in his hands, he may well take that is his, therefore let his will be done.
Soon after these words he fell in a sleep, and as he would sleep he heard the voice of St Demetrius, that commanded him that he should make himself to be borne within his church, and that he should there recover his health. And when he was borne thither he fell yet again on sleep, and heard St Demetrius that said: God that created thee and that restoreth to the folk their health, when he will, send to thee comfort and help.
When he was awaked from sleep he rehearsed how Demetrius told him in his sleep: God that healeth sick folk send to thee comfort and help, and how at those words our Lord sent to him health and rendered to him the force and strength of all his members and stood upon his feet, and forthwith kneeled and thanked our Lord and the glorious martyr also.
The solemnity of this glorious martyr St Demetrius, that many virtues hath made, is celebrated the eighth ides of the month of October, and his life was translated out of Greek into Latin by St Anastasius, and sent it to Charles the Emperor, to the praising and reverence of God, who by the merits of the said glorious martyr St Demetrius healeth us of all our sins. Amen.
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