The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-02-24
Morning Star and Catholic messenger.
MINIATURE LIVES OF THE SAIN rs.
February 26.
ST. PoRPHYRY, BISHOP

ST. PORPHIhIS blSdOf'
At the age of twenty five, Porphyry, Q
rich citizen Of Thessalonica, lett shs world
for one of the great relig gious hOa seS Ia the
desert of Scete. Here he reE ainsd nve
years, and then finding himself draws 10 q
more solitary life passed into FaicsNne,
where he spent q similar period ia the
severest penance, till i'll health ob!fGed MIN
to moderate his austerities. he saon Naue
his home in Jerusalem, and in spite his
siIments visited the Holy Places every day;
thinking, says his biographer, so little of
his sickness that he seemed to be afflicted in
another body, and not his own. About
this time God put it into his heart to sell
all he had and give to the poor, and then
in reward for the eacrifce restored him by
q miracle to perfect health. In 393 he was
ordained priest, and intrusted with the care
of the relics of the True Cross I; three years
later, in spite of all the resistance his fami-
" could make, he was consecrated Bishop
Of GAIA. That city was hot bed of pa
ganism, and Porphyry found in it an ample
scope for his apostolic zeal. His labors
and the miracles which attended them eff
fected the conversion of many and an i'm
perial edict for the destruction of the tenn
pies, obtained through the influence of St.
John Chrysostom, greatly siren gthened bis
hands. He lived to see his diocese for
the most part clear of idOlatry, and died
When St. Porphyry first went to GAIA,
he found there one temple more splendid
than the rest, in honor of the chief god.
When the edict went forth to destroy all
traces of heather worship, st. Porpbyry
determined to pnt Satan to special shame
where he had received special honor. A
Christian church was built upon the site,
and its approach was paved with the mar
bles of the heather temple. Thus every
worshipper of Jeeus Christ trod the relics
of idolatry and superstition under foot
la ct hn al
Mass.
February q.
ST. BRIGID, PATRoNEss OF 111 30
Brigid was born of noble pst>s,,at
Faugher, near Dundalk, few yh 'iaEer
the great St. Patrick had arFis - his
mission to Ireland. As the Gus 80 tAen
duties, and thue her sanctity WA Sittse-
yeale6. One day, after milking Sas esWs,
she gave the contents of her pail s. aome
poor persons who were passing, aud then,
fearing her mothers anger, prayed God to
make good the loss. On reaching home
Brigid's pail was found TO be fuller than
those of the other maidens. From her
childhood she gave everything she could
lay her hands on to the poor and her
father, who found his goods, even to his
sword, thus disposed of, determined to be-
stow her in marriage without delay. Her
D6aQGy 1OunU ueC mSuy pUU SuIisG
was her only love, and she prayed to be al
ways His. Her desire was granted. A
rapid disease disfgured her, as it seemed,
for life, and she was free to take the veil.
Yet when Brigid, PROSTATE before the altar,
consecrated herself to God, her scars and
wounds vanished, and her face shone anew
with surprising comeliness, giving her
the very lineaments and likeness of the
Holy Mother of God. She chose for her
cell hollow oak-tree, hence called KILL
dars or Kildare, and here she founded the
frat Irish nunnery. She died in the year
52s.
At Synod held near Kildare, says an
old legend, during the lifetime of the
Saint, one of the fathers declared that he
had seen a vision, and that the Blessed Vir-
gin would on the morrow appear among
them. On the next day Brigid arrived
with her companions, and the father i'm :
mediately exclaimed, "There is the Holy
Mary whom saw in my dream" From
that she was called "Altera Maria" and
"Mary of the Irish." And so pure was she
in spirit, go holy in every action, 30 mod
est, 30 gentle, 80 filed with mercy and com
passion, that to the last hour of her life
sanity men did not cease to regard her as
q living image in soul and body of Mary the
Mother of God.
o February 2s.
ST. JOSEPH OF LEoNIssA.
Joseph was born in the States of the
Church, A. D. 1856. His parents dying