— Obadiah 12 —



- Obadiah 12 -
You should not look down on your brother
in the day of his misfortune,
nor rejoice over the people of Judah
in the day of their destruction,
nor boast so much
in the day of their trouble.
__________________________

The nation of Edom (descendents of Esau) was glad to see Judah in
trouble. Their
hatred made them want the nation destroyed. For their wrong attitudes
and
actions, God wiped out Edom. How often do you find yourself rejoicing
at the
misfortunes of others? Because God alone is the judge, we must never
be happy
about others' misfortunes, even if we think they deserve them.


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September 2nd - St. Justus of Lyons, Bishop and recluse

At Lyons in France, the translation of St. Justus, bishop and
confessor, and
Viator, his servant, whose birthdays occur on the 14th of October and
the 21st
of October.

Justus was born in the Vivarais, and whilst he served the church of
Vienne as
deacon he was advanced to the see of Lyons. His zeal made him severe
in
reproving everything that deserved reproof, and his attachment to
discipline and
good order was displayed at the Synod of Valence in the year 374. A
council
being assembled at Aquileia in 381, St Justus with two other bishops
from Gaul
assisted at it. The chief affairs there debated regarded the Arians,
and St
Ambrose, who was present, procured the deposition of two Arian
bishops. He had a
particular respect for St Justus, as appears from two letters which he
addressed
to him concerning certain biblical questions.

It happened that at Lyons a man, who had stabbed some persons in the
street,
took sanctuary in the church; and St Justus delivered him into the
hands of the
magistrate's officer upon a promise that the prisoner's life should be
spared.
Notwithstanding this he was dispatched by the populace. The good
bishop was
apprehensive that he had been accessory to his death and was by that
disqualified for the ministry of the altar. Having long desired to
serve God in
retirement, it is said that he made use of this as a pretext to resign
the
pastoral charge. The opposition of his flock seemed an obstacle, but
his journey
to Aquileia afforded him an opportunity. On his return he stole from
his friends
in the night, and at Marseilles took ship with a lector of his church,
named
Viator, and sailed to Alexandria. He lived unknown in a monastery in
Egypt,
until he was discovered by one who came from Gaul to visit the
monasteries in
the Thebaid, and the church of Lyons sent a priest called Antiochus to
urge him
to return but he was not to be prevailed upon. Antiochus (who
succeeded Justus
in his see and is himself venerated as a saint, on October 15)
determined to
bear him company in his solitude, and the saint shortly after died in
his arms
about the year 390. His body was soon after translated to Lyons and
buried in
the church of the Macchabees which afterwards bore his name. His
minister St
Viator survived him only a few weeks, and is named in the Roman
Martyrology on
October 21, and the translation of their bodies together on September
2.

Alban Butler states that the village of Saint Just in Cornwall takes
its name
from Justus of Lyons. This seems to be a guess, and a poor one-there
are two
Cornish Saint Justs, in Roseland and in Penwith, but their eponyms
have not been
identified.

An early Latin life of St Justus is printed in the Acts Sanctorum,
September,
vol. i (under September 2), and there seems no reason to doubt that it
is in the
main reliable. The fact that Justus is mentioned on five different
days in the
Hieronymianum (see CMH., pp. 566- 567) may be taken as satisfactory
proof of the
interest which his cultus inspired. Sidonius Apollinaris in a letter
gives a
description of the enthusiasm with which crowds flocked to the shrine
on his
feast-day. Consult also Duchesne, Pastes Episcopaux, vol. ii, p. i6z
Coville,
Recherches sur l'histoire d Lyon (1928), pp. 441-445 and Leclercq,
DAC., vol. X,
Cc. 191-193.

He was born in Vivarais in Gaul and was made bishop of Lyons in 350.
When a
prisoner who had sought sanctuary in Justus' cathedral was put to
death, Justus
left the Council of Aquileia and went to Alexandria, Egypt, with a
deacon,
Viator. He became a hermit there and refused to return to Lyons.


Saint Quote:
He who communicates most frequently will be freest from sin, and will
make
farthest progress in Divine Love.
-Saint Alphonsus Liguori

Bible Quote:
42. Jesus saith to them: Have you never read in the Scriptures: The
stone which
the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? By
the Lord
this has been done; and it is wonderful in our eyes. 43. Therefore I
say to you,
that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to
a nation
yielding the fruits thereof. 44. And whosoever shall fall on this
stone, shall
be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to
powder.
(Matthew 21:42-44)


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During this month of September which gives us the exaltation
of the Holy Cross on the fourteenth, it traditionally is a month
devoted to that sacred tree. The following are three prayers in
honor of the Cross of Christ:

The Cross is my sure salvation. The Cross it is that I worship
evermore. The Cross of our Lord is with me. The Cross is my
refuge.
-St. Thomas Aquinas


Assist us, O Lord our God; and defend us evermore by the
might of Thy holy Cross, in whose honor Thou makest us to
rejoice. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
- from the Roman Missal

O God, Who didst will to hallow the standard of the life-giving
Cross by the Precious Blood of Thine only-begotten Son; grant,
we beseech Thee, that they who rejoice in honoring the same
holy Cross, may rejoice also in Thine ever-present protection.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
-Also from the Roman Missal

Imprimatur: + Francis Spellman, Archbp. of New York, May 30, 1951.


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Relevant Pages

  • September 2nd - St. Justus of Lyons
    ... September 2nd - St. Justus of Lyons, Bishop and recluse ... honor of the Cross of Christ: ...
    (alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic)
  • October 14th - St. Justus of Lyons
    ... Born near Viviers; died in Egypt c. 390; feast day formerly September 2. ... Deacon Justus of Vienne became bishop of Lyons in 350. ... The only consideration of Superiors ought to be the love of God, ...
    (alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic)