July 10 The Seven Brothers, Martyrs by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876.
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July 10 The Seven Brothers, Martyrs by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876. . The names of the seven brothers whose martyrdom is commemorated today, are: Januarius, Felix, Philip, Sylvan, Alexander, Vitalis and Martialis. Their mother was St. Felicitas, a matron greatly renowned in Rome, not only on account of her noble birth, but still more for her edifying life. After her husband's death, she laid aside all worldly magnificence and vowed to live in perfect chastity for the remainder of her life. The education of her sons was her greatest care, and as at that period, the Christians were most cruelly persecuted, she directed all her exhortations and instructions in such a manner, that she might impress deeply into their hearts constancy to the true Faith, contempt of temporal happiness, and even of life itself, and, at the same time, a high estimation of eternal happiness and a great desire to obtain it. She frequently spoke to them of the torments of the Christian martyrs in and out of Rome, and the great glories which therefore had been prepared for them in heaven; of the happiness of suffering or dying for Christ's sake. "How happy should I be," said she, "if I should, one day, see you give your blood and life willingly out of love for Christ! How happy would you yourselves be for all eternity!" By these and similar words she awakened in the hearts of her sons a fervent desire to suffer and die for the faith of Christ. They spoke of nothing more frequently than of martyrdom, and declared to each other how they would despise all flatteries and caresses, all honors and riches of the world, and how gladly they would suffer pains and tortures. The pious mother listened with great inward joy to these words, and prayed daily to the Almighty to receive her children as an agreeable sacrifice.
July 10 The Seven Brothers, Martyrs by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876.
July 10 The Seven Brothers, Martyrs by Fr…
July 10 The Seven Brothers, Martyrs by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876.
July 10 The Seven Brothers, Martyrs by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876. . The names of the seven brothers whose martyrdom is commemorated today, are: Januarius, Felix, Philip, Sylvan, Alexander, Vitalis and Martialis. Their mother was St. Felicitas, a matron greatly renowned in Rome, not only on account of her noble birth, but still more for her edifying life. After her husband's death, she laid aside all worldly magnificence and vowed to live in perfect chastity for the remainder of her life. The education of her sons was her greatest care, and as at that period, the Christians were most cruelly persecuted, she directed all her exhortations and instructions in such a manner, that she might impress deeply into their hearts constancy to the true Faith, contempt of temporal happiness, and even of life itself, and, at the same time, a high estimation of eternal happiness and a great desire to obtain it. She frequently spoke to them of the torments of the Christian martyrs in and out of Rome, and the great glories which therefore had been prepared for them in heaven; of the happiness of suffering or dying for Christ's sake. "How happy should I be," said she, "if I should, one day, see you give your blood and life willingly out of love for Christ! How happy would you yourselves be for all eternity!" By these and similar words she awakened in the hearts of her sons a fervent desire to suffer and die for the faith of Christ. They spoke of nothing more frequently than of martyrdom, and declared to each other how they would despise all flatteries and caresses, all honors and riches of the world, and how gladly they would suffer pains and tortures. The pious mother listened with great inward joy to these words, and prayed daily to the Almighty to receive her children as an agreeable sacrifice.