Urban, a Roman by birth, governed the Church during the reign of the emperor Alexander Severus. By his learning and holy life he converted many to the Christian Faith. Among these were Valerian, the husband of Saint Caecilia, and Tiburtius, Valerian’s brother, both of whom afterwards courageously suffered martyrdom. Urban wrote these words regarding property that is given to the Church: “Things that have been offered to the Lord by the Faithful should not be put to any other use than such as is for the benefit of the Church, the brethren in the Christian faith, or the poor: because they are the offerings of the Faithful, the return made for sin, and the patrimony of the poor.” He reigned 6 years, 7 months and 4 days. He was crowned with martyrdom and was buried in the Cemetery of Praetextatus on the eighth of the Calends of June (May 25). In five ordinations held in the Decembers of different years, he ordained 9 priests, 5 deacons and 8 bishops.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
At Florence, St. Mary Magdalene, virgin, of the Order of the Carmelites, illustrious by the holiness of her life. Her feast is kept on the twenty-seventh of May.
At Dorostorum in Mysia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Pasicrates, Valentio and two others, crowned with them.
At Milan, the holy bishop Denis, who for the Catholic faith was, by the Arian emperor Constantius, banished to Cappadocia where he yielded his soul to God in a manner almost like that of the martyrs. His sacred body was sent to the blessed bishop Ambrose at Milan by bishop Aurelius with the assistance, it is said, of St. Basil the Great.
At Rome, Pope St. Boniface IV who dedicated the Pantheon to the honour of blessed Mary of the Martyrs.
At Florence, the birthday of St. Zenobius, bishop of that city, renowned for holiness of life and glorious miracles.
In England, St. Aidhelm, bishop of Sherburn.
In the territory of Troyes, St. Leo, confessor.
At Assisi in Umbria, the translation of St. Francis, confessor, in the time of Pope Gregory IX.
At Veroli in Campania, the translation of St. Mary, mother of James, whose sacred body is rendered illustrious by many miracles.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
This day is beautified by the triumph of two sainted Popes, and the Seventh Gregory, when he quitted this Earth, was introduced into the court of Heaven by one of his predecessors. Urban was a martyr by the shedding of his blood. Gregory was a martyr by the sufferings he had to endure during his whole Pontificate. Both fought for the same glorious cause. Urban laid down his life, rather than obey an earthly potentate who bade him degrade himself by adoring an idol. Gregory preferred to endure every temporal suffering rather than allow the Church to be the slave of Caesar. Both of them adorn the Paschal Season with their beautiful palms. Our Risen Jesus said to Peter: “Follow me!” (John xxi. 19), and Peter followed Him, even to the Cross. Urban and Gregory were Peter’s successors and, like him, they were the devoted disciples of the same Divine Master. We honour them both on this day and in their triumph we have a proof of the invincible power which, in every age, the Conqueror of death has communicated to them whom He appointed to bear testimony to the truth of His Resurrection.
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Holy Pontiff, the joy of this day of your triumph is enhanced by its being the anniversary of the entrance into Heaven of your illustrious successor Gregory. You had watched his combats here on Earth, and his courage delighted you as being equal to that of the martyrs. He, when dying at Salerno, thought of your martyrdom, and the thought inspired him with energy for his last trial. How admirable is the union that exists between the Church Triumphant and Militant! How sublime the brotherhood that exists between the Saints! What a joy it is for us to know that we may share in it! Our Risen Jesus invites us to be united with Him for all eternity. Each generation is sending Him its elect, and they cluster around Him, for He is their Head, and they are the Members that complete His mystical body. He is the first-born of the dead and He will give us to share in His life in proportion to our having imitated Him in His sufferings and Death. Pray, O Urban, that we may become more and more inflamed with the desire of being with Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John xiv. 6), that we may be detached from earthly things and comport ourselves here below as men who believe themselves to be exiles who are absent from the Lord (2 Corinthians v. 6).Also on this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
At Florence, St. Mary Magdalene, virgin, of the Order of the Carmelites, illustrious by the holiness of her life. Her feast is kept on the twenty-seventh of May.
At Dorostorum in Mysia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Pasicrates, Valentio and two others, crowned with them.
At Milan, the holy bishop Denis, who for the Catholic faith was, by the Arian emperor Constantius, banished to Cappadocia where he yielded his soul to God in a manner almost like that of the martyrs. His sacred body was sent to the blessed bishop Ambrose at Milan by bishop Aurelius with the assistance, it is said, of St. Basil the Great.
At Rome, Pope St. Boniface IV who dedicated the Pantheon to the honour of blessed Mary of the Martyrs.
At Florence, the birthday of St. Zenobius, bishop of that city, renowned for holiness of life and glorious miracles.
In England, St. Aidhelm, bishop of Sherburn.
In the territory of Troyes, St. Leo, confessor.
At Assisi in Umbria, the translation of St. Francis, confessor, in the time of Pope Gregory IX.
At Veroli in Campania, the translation of St. Mary, mother of James, whose sacred body is rendered illustrious by many miracles.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
