Saint Clotilda, Queen and Widow
by VP
Posted on Tuesday June 03, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
St. Clotilda praying at the foot of Saint Marc's Tomb. Public domain
"The Mission of the Christian Woman: If death has entered the world through the guilt of a woman, woman has, on the other hand, oftentimes been invested with the mission of bringing salvation to the world. It suffices to mention Deborah, Judith, the incomparable Mary, Mother of God; and, coming down to our own times, Genoveva and Clotilda, to the latter of whom France owes Christianity. Being the wife of Clovis, who was a pagan, like the rest of his people, she urged her husband to become a Christian, and each day entreated Heaven to grant his conversion. Heaven came to her assistance. When he was on the point of losing the battle of Tolbiac and his troops had already begun to fly, a sudden thought recurred to the mind of Clovis, and he exclaimed: "God of Clotilda! if Thou givest me the victory, I will become a Christian." God vouchsafed to grant him the victory, and Clovis was true to his word. let not this great boon, however, allow us to forget the other virtues of Clotilda, - her humility, piety, resignation, love for the poor, her austerities, and zeal for religion. She died at Tours in 543, having had a revelation of her death thirty days beforehand, while praying at the tomb of St. Martin. Moral reflection: St. Peter traces out the mission of the Christian woman, "To win the heart of those that believe not the word." (1 Peter 3. 1.). Pictorial half hours with the saints, by Abbe Auguste François Lecanu
Prayer:
Hail, gentle and loving St. Clotilde, sweet illustrious Queen of the Franks, who by thy faith and perseverance in the Lord didst convert thy husband and made France for many centuries a venerable stalwart of the Catholic faith, I implore thy powerful intercession in this my great need. Assist me, holy St. Clotilde, from thy height of glory in heaven. Thou, who during thy earthly sojourn, didst drink deeply from the Saviour's chalice of sorrows, have pity on my dire distress, especially . . . (Here make your intention). Grant also that through my sorrows I may, like thee, purify my faith and never lose hope in the mercy of God. Amen.
Saint Pothinus, Martyr
by VP
Posted on Monday June 02, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
Saint Pothin ; Vitraux de Lucien Bégule (1901), Église Saint-Irénée.
"ARDOUR FOR MARTYRDOM. - St. Pothinus had founded at Lyons one of the first churches in the whole of Gaul; the body of Christians was already numerous and making great progress, when the pagan priests, alarmed for their gods, excited a tumult among the people. Pothinus was then more than ninety years old, and had almost lost the use of his limbs; but in order to proceed to the presence of the judge, he suddenly summoned up strength. The blasphemies of the thronging multitude accompanied his steps. "What is this God of the Christians?" asked one. "You will know Him, if worthy of it," replied the old man. At this firm and bold answer, the anger of the people knew no bounds. Pothinus was loaded with blows, and beaten down with the missiles hurled at him; he was, however, snatched from their violence, and taken to prison, where, after two days, he expired. This happened in the year 177. Forty-seven other martyrs, who had been arrested at the same time, underwent various tortures. Cemented thus with the blood of its founders, the Church of Gaul became indestructible.
MORAL REFLECTION. Even thus did the Apostles rejoice "that they were accounted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus." (Acts v. 41.)" Pictorial Half Hours with the Saints, Abbe Lecanu
St. Pamphilus, MARTYR, A.D. 309.
by VP
Posted on Sunday June 01, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
"A PRIEST of great learning and sanctity, and particularly honoured by the historian Eusebius. He led a most austere life, retired from the world and its company. He was apprehended by order of Urbanus, the cruel governor of Palestine, and most inhumanly tortured with iron hooks. When the governor could no longer bear the horror of his own cruelty, he ordered the martyr to be cast into prison, to wait the coming of a new governor. Urbanus was succeeded by Firmilian, who passed sentence of death upon St. Pamphilus. He was beheaded on the 16th of February, in the year 309.
When you consider the torments of the martyrs, and then reflect how every peevish word, uneasy humour, and trifling contradiction, is too much now for your patience; have you not reason to blush and be confounded at your weakness, and think that on these days of martyrs you ought to ask for a better spirit, that you may approach something nearer to what you honour in them. O God, help this sinful, and yet proud impatient clay. Give us strength from heaven, for of ourselves we have none.
If you are united with the martyrs in faith, show your faith to be like theirs; that is, let it be accompanied with constancy and courage. You have frequent opportunities of trying it in public, when the irreligious, profane, and sinful discourses of others oblige you to espouse the cause of virtue and truth, for preventing ill impressions upon the hearers. You have as many trials of it when the difficulties of life, the obstinancy of temptations, and your own weakness overwhelm you. It is here that your faith must come to your assistance. What is your faith, if it be only vigorous in time of peace, and sinks in time of difficulties? This is not the faith of the martyrs.
Begin the month by a hearty oblation of yourself, and all under your care to Almighty God. Beg His blessing and protection; ask grace for the amendment of past failings, and let these put you upon resolutions of being more watchful, and avoiding all occasions of sin." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
