Vitalis was a soldier and the father of Saints
Gervasius and Protasius. Coming one day into Ravenna in company with
the judge Paulinus, there was being led to execution, for his having
confessed the Christian faith, a certain Ursicinus, a physician.
Vitalis observing that his courage was somewhat staggered by the
tortures, cried out to him: “Ursicinus! You that are a physician,
and cure other men, take heed lest you wound yourself with the dart
of eternal death!” Encouraged by these words Ursicinus bravely
suffered martyrdom. Whereupon, Paulinus was very angry and ordered
Vitalis to be seized, tortured on the rack and then thrown into a
deep pit where he was to be buried alive by stones being thrown upon
him. This done, one of the priests of Apollo who had excited Paulinus
against Vitalis was possessed by a devil and began shouting these
words: “O Vitalis, Martyr of Christ, you burn me beyond endurance!”
Mad with the inward burning, he threw himself into a river.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
There are few martyrs of the West whose names are more celebrated than those of Saints Gervasius and Protasius. The veneration in which they are held by the Roman Church has led her to honour the memory of their father who also won the palm under the persecution of Nero. She has chosen for his feast the glad Season of Easter. The account given by the Liturgy upon Saint Vitalis is short, but we can gather from the few circumstances related what fine characters these primitive Christians were who received the crown of martyrdom under the first of all the Persecutions, the one that numbers, among its choicest victims, the two Apostles Saints Peter and Paul.
* * * * *
Sin is the enemy of the soul. It throws her back again into that death from which Jesus had drawn her by His Resurrection. To preserve one of your brethren from this misery, you, Vitalis, bravely raised cry of zealous warning to him in the midst of his torments, and your words awakened him to self-possession and courage. Show this same fraternal charity to us. We are living with the Life of our Risen Jesus but the enemy is bent on robbing us of this life. He will seek to intimidate us. He will lay all manner of snares with which to deceive us. He will give us battle, and this untiringly. Pray then for us, holy Martyr, that we may be on our guard, and that the mystery of the Pasch may be fully accomplished within us, now and forever.
Also on this day according to the ROMAN
MARTYROLOGY:
St. Paul of the Cross, a man remarkable for
innocence of life and the spirit of penance, and Founder of the
Congregation of the Cross and Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Consumed with a burning love for Christ crucified, illustrious by his
heavenly gifts and the working of miracles, and blessed with a
perfect and finished virtue, he went to his repose in the Lord.
At Milan, the martyr St. Valeria who was the wife
of St. Vitalis.
At Atinor, St. Mark, who being made bishop by the
blessed Apostle St. Peter, was the first to preach the Gospel to the
inhabitants of that region, and received the crown of martyrdom in
the persecution of Domitian under the governor Maximus.
At Alexandria, the martyrdom of the virgin St.
Theodora. For refusing to sacrifice to idols, she was led to a place
of debauchery, but a Christian named Didymus, through the admirable
Providence of God, delivered her by quickly exchanging garments with
her. He was afterwards decapitated and crowned with her in the
persecution of Diocletian under the governor Eustratius.
The same day, the saints Aphrodisius, Caralippus,
Agapius and Eusebius, martyrs.
In Pannonia, St. Pollio, martyr, under the emperor
Diocletian.
At Prusa in Bithynia, the holy martyrs Patritius,
bishop, Acatius, Menander and Polyenus.
At Tarrazona in Spain, St. Prudentius, bishop and
martyr.
At Pelino in Abruzzo, St. Pamphilus, bishop of
Valva, illustrious by his charity towards the poor, and the gift of
miracles. His body was buried at Solmona.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs,
confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
