Sixtus II, a native of Athens, was first a philosopher, and then a disciple of Christ. He ruled the Church of Rome for only 11 months and 12 days. In the persecution of Valerian, he was accused of publicly preaching the faith of Christ, and was seized and dragged to the temple of Mars, where he was given his choice between death and offering sacrifice to the idols. As he firmly refused to commit such an impiety, he was led away to martyrdom. As he went, Saint Laurence met him, and with great sorrow, spoke to him in this manner: “Where do you go, Father, without your son? To where are you hastening, O holy priest, without your deacon?” Sixtus answered: “I am not "forsaking you, my son. A greater combat for the faith of Christ awaits you. In three days you will follow me, the Deacon will follow his Priest. In the meanwhile distribute among the poor whatever you have in the treasury.” Sixtus was put to death that same day, the eighth of the Ides of August, together with the Deacons Felicissimus and Agapitus, and the Subdeacons Januarius, Magnus, Vincent and Stephen. The Pope was buried in the cemetery of Callixtus, but the other martyrs in the cemetery of Praextatus.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
At Burgos in Spain, in the monastery of St. Peter of Cardegna, of the Order of St. Benedict, two hundred monks with their abbot Stephen, who were put to death for the faith of Christ by the Saracens and buried in the monastery by Christians.
At Alcala in Spain, the holy martyrs Justus and Pastor, brothers. While they were yet schoolboys, they threw aside their books in school, and spontaneously ran to martyrdom. By order of the governor Dacian, they were arrested, beaten with rods, and as they exhorted each other to constancy, were led out of the city, and had their throats cut by the executioner.
At Rome, St. Hormisdas, pope and confessor.
At Amida, St. James, a hermit renowned for miracles.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
“Xistum in cimiterio animadversum sciatis octavo iduum augustarum, die. Know that Sixtus has been beheaded in the cemetery on the 8th of the Ides of August.” These words of Saint Cyprian mark the opening of a glorious period, both for the cycle and for history. From this day to the feast of Saint Cyprian himself, taking in that of the deacon Laurence, how many holocausts in a few weeks does the earth offer to the Most High God! One would think that the Church, on the feast of our Lord’s Transfiguration, was impatient to join her testimony as Bride, to that of the Prophets, of the Apostles, and of God Himself. Heaven proclaims Him well-beloved, the Earth also declares its love for Him: the testimony of blood and of every sort of heroism is the sublime echo wakened by the Father’s voice through all the valleys of our lowly Earth, to be prolonged through out all ages.
Let us then today salute this noble Pontiff, the first to go down into the arena opened wide by Valerian to all the soldiers of Christ. Among the brave leaders who, from Peter down to Melchiades, have headed the struggle by which Rome was both vanquished and saved, none is more illustrious as a martyr. He was seized in the Catacomb lying to the left of the Via Appia in the very chair in which, in spite of the recent edicts, he was presiding over the assembly of the brethren. And after the sentence had been pronounced by the judge he was brought back to the sacred crypt. There in that same chair, in the midst of the martyrs sleeping in the surrounding tombs their sleep of peace, the good and peaceful Pontiff received the stroke of death. Of the seven deacons of the Roman Church, six died with him. Laurence alone was left, inconsolable at having this time missed the palm, but trusting in the invitation given him to be at the heavenly altar in three days’ time.
Two of the Pontiff’s deacons were buried in the cemetery of Praetextatus, where the sublime scene had taken place. Sixtus and his blood-stained chair were carried to the other side of the Via Appia into the crypt of the Popes where they remained for long centuries an object of veneration to pilgrims. When Damasus in the days of peace adorned the tombs of the saints with his beautiful inscriptions, the entire cemetery of Callixtus, which includes the burial place of the Popes, received the title “of Caecilia” and “of Sixtus,” two glorious names inscribed by Rome upon the venerable diptychs of the Mass. Twice over on this day did the Holy Sacrifice summon the Christians to honour at each side of the principal way to the Eternal City the triumphant victims of the 8th of the Ides of August.Also on this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
At Burgos in Spain, in the monastery of St. Peter of Cardegna, of the Order of St. Benedict, two hundred monks with their abbot Stephen, who were put to death for the faith of Christ by the Saracens and buried in the monastery by Christians.
At Alcala in Spain, the holy martyrs Justus and Pastor, brothers. While they were yet schoolboys, they threw aside their books in school, and spontaneously ran to martyrdom. By order of the governor Dacian, they were arrested, beaten with rods, and as they exhorted each other to constancy, were led out of the city, and had their throats cut by the executioner.
At Rome, St. Hormisdas, pope and confessor.
At Amida, St. James, a hermit renowned for miracles.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
