The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-06-23

| cousule. He was educated with great care
and his genius and eloquence. in prose ana
verse, were the admiration of st. jerome
and St. Augustine. He had more thar
one of the foremost men of his time
Though be was the chosen friend of Saints
and had o great devotion to st. Felix OF
Nola, he was still only catechumen, try
| ing to serve two masters. But God drew
him to Himself along the way Of sorrows
| into Spain to be alone and thons in con
cert with his holy wife, sold all their vast
estates in various parts of the empire, and
distributed their proceeds so prudently,
that st. Jerome says East and West were
filed with his aims. He was then ordained
priest, and retired to Nola in Camponia.
There he rebuilt the church of st. Felix
with great magniacence, and served it
night and day, living life of extreme
abstinence and toll. In 400 be was chosen
Bishop, and for more than thirty years SO
ruled as to be conspicuous in an age
blessed with 30 many great and wise BIZ
shop. One who knew him we'll says he
was meek as Moses, priestlike as Aaron,
innocent as Samuel, tender as. David, wise
as Solomon, apostolic az Peter, loving as
John, cautious as Thomas, keen. sighted as
Stephen, fervent as Apollos. He died A. d
43l.
St. Gregory the Great tells us that when
the Vandals of Africa had made descent
on Campania, Paulinus spent all he had in
relieving the distress of his people and
redeeming them from slavery. At last
there came pooF-widow her only son
had been carried off by the eon-in-law of
the Vandel king. "Such as have give
to Africa, and will give myself for your
son." Having overborne her resistance,
they went, aud Paulinue was accepted in
place of the widows son, and employed as
q gardener. After time the king found
out, by Divine interposition, that his SON
in-law's slave was the great Bishop OF
Nola. He at once set him free, granting
him also the freedom of all the townsmen
of Nola who we're in slavery.
June %.
ST PoTAMIANA, VIRGIN, MARTYR.
Towards the middle of the third century
lived Potamiana, an Alexaudrian slave.
She had been brought up q Christian by
her mother, Marcella, also q martyr, and
the great Origen had been her instructor
in the Faith. Owing to her remarkable
beauty che was exposed to many dangers,
and in particular her master, who was
heather, endeavored by alternate threats
and promises, to lead her from the path of
Christian virtue. At last he was driven
to such fury, that he accused her as a
Christian to the governor of the city, tell
ing him privately to spare her life if she
would consent to sin.
The holy virgin was brought before the
tribunal and Instruments of torture were
made ready. She was tormented in va
riOus ways, but she stood firm and i'm |
like tower of strength. There |
upon the judge ordered huge cauldron |
of pitch to be set on the furnace. When |
it was already boiling, he turned to Poto- |
miana, and said, "Go and submit, or else |
I will have you flung into this cauldron,"
on her refusal he bsde the attendants strip |
off her clothes and fling her in. She i'm |
plored him to leave her clothed as she was, |
and instead to lower her down little by |
little into the cauldron, that he might see |
what patience Christ would give her.
After three hours of agony the boiling
pitch rose to her neck, and she gave up |
her pure soul to Christ, the Spouse of Vir-
gins.
Devotion to the Virgin Saints is great
means of obtaining from God the gift of |
holy purity. When POtamiana was being |
led to torture, and the crowd attacked her
with horrible insults, Basilides, the hea-
then officer in whose charge she was,
showed her many marks of sympathy and
respect Potamlana promised that after
her death che would obtain bis salvation
from our Lord in reward for bis kindness.
Three days after her death che appeared
before him, placed a crown on his head,
and told him he would ere long be with
her in heaven. The prophecy was soon
fulfilled. Basiiides was baptized and died
for the confession of the Faith.
June go
ST. PETER, APOSTLE.
Peter was of Bethsaida in Galilee, and |
as he was fishing on the lake was called by |
our Lord to be one of His Apostles. He |
was poor and uplearned but candid, eager |
and loving. In his heart, fret of all, grew |
up the conviction, and from his lips came |
the confession, "Thou art the Christ, the |
Son of the living God" and 80 our Lord |
chose him and fitted him to be the Rock |
of His Church, His Vicar on earth, the |
head and prince of His Apostles, the centre
and very principle of the Church's oneness,
aonrca of all epiritnal poHera. and the