Christmas begins to glimmer on the horizon. The last Sunday after Pentecost has given us the closing instructions of the moveable Cycle. Beginning with the twenty-seventh of this month, the present days belong in some years to the new Cycle, in others to the one which is ending.
The last Lesson from the Scripture of the Time ends with the solemn declaration of the last of the Prophets, announcing the approach of a new era: “From the rising of the sun even to the going down, my Name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my Name a clean oblation! for my Name is great among the Gentiles, says the Lord of hosts” (Malachias i. 11). And in today’s Gospel we have Saint John the Baptist echoing the words of Malachias, and joining the old and the new times together: “Behold the Lamb of God!” He points out to us the Messiah close at hand. Andrew, brother of Peter, and another of John’s disciples, asked this Messiah: “Rabbi, where do you dwell?” Jesus answered: “Come and see.” And they went, continues the Evangelist, and saw where He abode, and they stayed with Him that day. Whereupon Saint Augustine speaking in the name of the Church on this Vigil, says: “Let us build Him a dwelling in our hearts, that He may come to us, and teach us, and live with us.” Here is our Advent planned out for us. Let us put that blessed season under the protection of the Apostle of the Cross, and also of the holy Martyr Saturninus, whom the Church has honoured on this day from time immemorial.On this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
The vigil of St. Andrew, apostle.
At Rome, on the Via Salaria, the birthday of the holy martyr Saturninus, an aged man, and the deacon Sisinius, in the time of the emperor Maximian. After a long imprisonment, they were, by order of the prefect of the city, placed on the rack, distended with ropes, scourged with rods and whips garnished with metal, then exposed to the flames, taken down from the rack and beheaded.
At Toulouse, in the time of Decius, the holy bishop Saturninus, who was confined by the pagans in the capitol of that city, and from the highest part of the building precipitated down the stairs, by which fall, having his head crushed, his brains dashed out and his whole body mangled, he rendered his worthy soul to Our Lord.
Also the martyrdom of the Saints Paramon and his companions, to the number of three hundred and seventy-five, under the emperor Decius and the governor Aquilinus.
At Ancyra, St. Philomenus, martyr. During the persecution of the emperor Aurelian, under the governor Felix, he was first exposed to the flames, then having his hands, feet and head pierced with nails, consummated his martyrdom.
At Veroli, the holy martyrs Blasius and Demetrius.
At Todi, St. Illuminata, virgin.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
