St. Gallican, Martyr.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 25, 22 June 1905, Page 31

St. Gallican, Martyr.

St. Gallican, a Roman officer of high rank, resigned his position in order- Vo devote himself to the service of the sick poor. He received the crown of martyrdom at Alexandria,, in Egypt, during the reign of Julian the Apostate, about the year 362. SS. John and Paul, Martyrs. . Like St. Gallican, these two Roman officers were martyred during the reign of Julian the Apostate. Their names have always been famous in the Church, but only scanty records have been preserved of their lives and sufferings. St. William, Abbot. St. William, a native of Northern Italy, inspired with the desire of leading a penitential life, retired to a lonely spot named Monte Vergine, near Benevento. Having been followed by many persons desirous to place their souls under his guidance, he established a religious congregation, which was afterwards united to the Benedictine Order St. William died in 1142. St. Leo 11., Pope a.nd Confessor. St. Leo was a Sicilian by birth. During a shoirt pontificate of nineteen months he enacted ma,ny wise and useful laws for the reform of discipline and the regulation of Dhine worship. St. Leo passed to a better life A I). f>B3. SS. Peter and Paul, Apostles. St. Peter was known originally as Simon Barjona— that is, Simon, son of John. The name Peter, which ireans rook,, was given to him by our Divine Lord to signify that he was to be the solid foundation of Christ's future Church. ' I say to thee,' said Ohrist, ' tha.t thou are Peter (that is, Rock), and upon this rock I will biiild My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,' etc. This solemn promise of Christ was fulfilled after His Resurrection, when He said to St. Peter, ' F,ixl My lambs, feed My sheep,' words which, in\ the figura-ti .c language of the East, signify the exercise ot si,<reme power o\er the Ohurch. The principal events in the life of St. Peter—his imprisonment, his lo^nment of the Church fiom Antioch, and finally f'om Home—are commemorated by special feasts. Today we consider more particularly tthe glorious death by which he atoned for his former denial of his Divine Master. St Petar was crucified at Rome, under the Emi eror Nero, about the year 67.. St. Paul is associated v\ilh St Peter in this day's solemnity because, after having labored with him for the conversion of Rome, jhe reeei\ed the crown of martyrdom on the same day. Feast of the Sacred Heart. Since the Person of Christ, including His human nature, is the object of Divine adoration, the worshiD which is dee to His Person is due to all that is united to His Person For this reason the Fifth General Couiuil condemned the Nestorians who introduced two adorations as to two separate natures,, and to two separate persons. The Council affirms that one adoration is to 'be offered to the .Word united to His humanity./ The material obiect of this Divine adoration is Ohrist, God and man : the formal object, or the reason for which this Di'ine adoration is given to Him in both natures, is the dhir.ity of the Incarnate Son. Thus the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the human heart which the Son of God took from the substance of His Immaculate Mother, is adored w,i(h Divine worship in heaven and on earth—at therie;ht hand of his Father, and in his real presence in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.