Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Hi, I'm Maria Prisma and the name of the father and the son, the Holy spirit. Amen. It's the feast of Saint Fabian and Saint Sebas. We have a first class Relic of Saint Sebastian up there. So after Thanksgiving today, we'll give everybody a blessing without Relic Saint Fabian's a Paul, uh, he's martyred under the, in the persecution Daishia's and two 50 and Saint Sebastian, uh, was moderate during Diocletian and I'm gonna, uh, preach a little bit. Okay. Saint Sebastian Diocletian was ampere from a two 84 to three Oh five and he is Stanford responsible for the greatest persecution because of that persecution. Saint Sebastian was one of the captains, the Praetorian guard, uh, conceal the fact that he was Catholic, not out of fear, but because he was fully aware that a man in his position had a great operation Attunity to travel freely. Yeah, those who have not yet been identified as Catholics by the authorities and the visit in prison, Christians and encouraged them to keep the faith.
Speaker 0 00:01:03 In fact, Saint Sebastian I'm so jealous, you know, did encouraging other Christians that the pulp Pope Saint Kayas called him the defender of the church, two Catholic Nolan, twin brothers named Mark Marcel. Leanna's joined into prison torture, but they had such great support from Sebastian. They bore their trials. Cheerfully. You're finally sentenced to the death for the crime of being Catholic, but insistence of their pagan, friends and relatives, the prefect of Rome is a man named Komatsus, delayed their execution for 30 days. Mark Marshall Leanna's has friends and relatives here. I promised the prefect before the 30 days were over, they would certainly persuade the twins to sacrifice to the God. So that sent the two men to be held as prisoners in the hostel. One of his officers, a man named Nick, a Stratus with orders at any of their pagan friends visit at any time, the tortures, which Mark the honest had manfully suffered began to see mild compared to the pressures that now I didn't do it.
Speaker 0 00:02:02 They had a very large circle of friends and relatives that loved them very deeply. And we're spraying no link to give up this foolishness of worship worshiping this Jewish carpenter who had been crucified exhorted. Mark Marcy asked to consider the duties they had towards their family, their wives, their children. They told them God true. I expect them to do their duty and take care of their dependents, not to ban and everything, their mother and Marcia and old peg and noble woman begged them by the love, which she'd nursed them, cared by them not to bring her sorrowing into the grade. They're all crippled is upgraded his sons for their stupidity and running after death, as they were now doing and limited that they should think this was a fitting way to repay a father for all he'd done for them. Their wives would cry and hold up the little babies and begged them to stop this cool.
Speaker 0 00:02:49 The not make them widows and their kids, orphans. And this went on and on Dan and day out, the pressure started to take its toll on them. If I say Tabasco and realized they were in danger of committing, uh, the pasta. And so in front of the whole crowd of guards, friends, and relatives, he stood up and exposed himself as a Christian and exhorted them, the brothers to remain firm in the faith. And then he turned to the crowd and urged them to stop tempting the brothers to give up their crowns. And I quote for the hopes of Christians are not idle fables, but saw truth. This is proven every day by the miracles with Christians work, they raised the dead that gets sight to the blind. They kill the worst disease only by calling on the name of Jesus. And if these miracles, which Christians work be true, well, certainly the promises of Christ are also true and is reasonable that a man should die for them.
Speaker 0 00:03:42 So dry up your tears and joyfully companies, wholly moderates, their triumph. And I hope by their merits, God will open your eyes. Also that's Saint tobacco. When he finished the whole room, filled up with his heavenly light in the midst of which were seven angels. And our Lord who embraced Sebastian said, dosh will always be with me. The apparition disappeared, but everyone there pagans and Catholics saw the apparition and they heard what our Lord said. Zoe was the wife of the jail and Stratus. And she'd been mute for six years and she's instantly converged. She's she throws herself at Saint Sebastian speak, make making signs. She wanted to be baptized. And remember, this means this is the death penalty and she's professing your faith just like that in front of the whole crowd of pagans. So Saint Sebastian said, if I'm the servant of Jesus and the fall, I've said, be true, made Lord Jesus healed, be loose like Tom, and make me speak.
Speaker 0 00:04:35 And he made the sign of the cross over Zoe's mouth. And instantly she began to speak and praising God and Saint Sebastian procuring her. So her husband, Nick has Stratus. The jailer was so struck by this miracle that he converted track wiliness and Mo and Martha, the father, mother, the twins were converted as were their wives and children. And so everybody's begging state to bash them, to baptize him. But he asked Nick Stratos to first bring up the other prisoners being held. So they might hear the opera. They have the opportunity to hear the gospel. So knickers trash brought them in and Saint Sebastian creeks to them. And they all converted. Saint Sebastian sent for a priest who baptize all 64 of the converts and all attract wiliness had been crippled for 11 years. The moment he was baptized is crippled limb straightened out. And he was totally healed to other men who had severe disabilities were also healed at their baptism.
Speaker 0 00:05:27 Now, at the end of the 30 days, Komatsu sees the prefect of Rome. He assembles, he summons tranquil and it's to find out what sort of success you'd had and getting his twin sons to sacrifice to the God of is who was himself crippled was amazed to put it mildly, to see tranq leanness walk in rather than, than carried on a litter. Trackways told Komatsu it's the whole story of how I'd been healed for Chromat is still at doubts about the faith. So TrackMan is set for Saint Sebastian command says, listen to Sebastian, but still fill with dots until Sebastian promised him. If he'd believe also he'd be cured just like crankiness, but first he'd have to destroy all his household gods. Now the pagan Romans had a shrine in their house color alarm. It contained all of these little statues, all these idols of the gods and goddesses, which would be worshiped on special bays and sacrifices offered.
Speaker 0 00:06:18 So commands, disagreed and idols are smashed, but he still wasn't cured. Sebastian said to Kratos, since you're not cured, either you haven't renounced. You believe in these or you're holding back. Some idols <inaudible> submitted. He did have another room, uh, with, uh, things used for paying and worship. And as soon as those things were destroyed, he was cured. Now think of this, the divine mercy right there, cause CAMACS yes is a man responsible for Margaret and Catholics. And yet our, our Lord cures him at this point as a result of his commands, his entire household included his say slaves was also converted and baptized and Thanksgiving for his miraculous covering free to slaves. That's 1400 men, 1400 slaves. He said that those had God for their father shouldn't have, should be slaves to men. He decided he could no longer perform the office of prefect of Rome.
Speaker 0 00:07:09 So at the base of the pulp, he resigned and went to glib in a great country, Villa some distance from Rome, the Pope, the priests of Rome and men like since Sebastian would send, uh, Christians whose faith was weak or didn't receive the call. The monitor ought to live with chromatics and the country at his Villa. Will they continue to take care of the Christians in Rome, the new prefect of rum summered, Mark Mark's Liliana's in order to have to sacrifice to the gods. When they were fused, she had a bond of two pillars with their feet, nailed him. They hung for a full day, seen Psalms all time until finally they were pierced with Lantis st. Zoe was discovered what she was praying at st. Peter's tomb. She was martyred by being hung by the heels over a fire. Her husband, tray or trampoline is rather went to pay at the tomb of Saint.
Speaker 0 00:07:52 Paul was stoned to death by a crowd <inaudible> was also converted and baptized at the same time as his father, it stayed in Rome. He was not suspected of being a Christian. It made an easy to imitate Saint Sebastian by moving Ron secretly, helping the Christians enjoy him to stay strong and a pay gimme as mothering to the poor and generally setting a good example to everyone. One day, as he's walking along, came across a crowd, gathered around a dying young man who had fallen from a great height. He asked if he mind, if he spoke briefly to the young man, he thought it might give him some good. So he did. He, the crowd moves away, said our father and created over the man who stood up in perfect hell and a great many were converted baptized. As a result of this miracle, eventually type Virtus was betrayed by a Catholic.
Speaker 0 00:08:37 They had reproached for lately, a sinful life. The prefect gift type to the choice, either offer sacrifice to the gods or a walk around barefoot on burning coals. So they Burt's has made a sign across of the calls and began walking around on them. And as he walked around on the coals, he reproached the prefect. Cool away now with your option infidelity and confess Jesus Christ to be the true God who's come at all things obey. If you'll not believe in him, put your hands in a kettle of boiling water and call punny God Jupiter. And you'll see for Jupiter's sake, the water limits skulled you. And in response to prefect in instantly had type Bertie's beheaded. It lasted st. Sebastian's a turn Knepper directly. I had heard that a Saint Sebastian was a Christian. He sent for him, reproached him severely for his disloyalty, and then ordered it to be taken out of his sight and shot full of arrows.
Speaker 0 00:09:27 So he's taken a field, tied to a tree shot full of arrows and left for dead Lake. That night that would have a modern went to get his body in order to bury him. And she found out he was still alive. She took him to her home and dressed his wound in character for him. And then after a few days got up, well, he restored him to perfect hell. I can say it's the best. He goes right back. He played some stuff at a staircase where the emperor was going to pass by just as the emperor came up to him. Saint Sebastian said the price of your temple emperor to save you, tell you lies. What about the Christians make me believe? They're the, the museum part. Well, in reality, they protect your empire for their daily prayers for its preservation. So Diocletian is completely startled by this because you think that by a man who thinks his dad, when he regains his composure, he says, are you Sebastian ordered to be put to death?
Speaker 0 00:10:14 Did you not die? And if, if, if so, how do you come back to life again? So Saint Sebastian said, my Lord, Jesus, please do give me lie, nor do that here. Before all people, I may bear witness to the truth of his faith and your cruelty and persecuted. You've done you no harm in his name, there, frankly, command you. If you would preserve your life and your empire to see through awakeness, to shed no more innocent blood. When Diocletian realizes that he's dealing with the living man and not a ghost, you ordered at the Saint Sebastian to be tied to a pillar and beaten to death. And they got it done. And after his execution, they threw his body into sewer. But before very long, he appeared to pious Christian lady and vision told her where his body was in order to take it and bury it at the entrance to the catacombs.
Speaker 0 00:10:59 And, uh, so his relics on altar will give you a blessing with it. He's the patron Saint. He's one of the 14, Holy helpers. He's traditionally involved. Uh, in the case of plagues, he's just picking Saint archers athletes and soldiers. Today's his feast day. Saint Mark. <inaudible> June 18th, st. Zoe's feast day is July 5th, st. Trek Lina speech date is July 6th, st. Nick Stratus. Feast is July 7th, st. Kibera two species, August 11th, which is the same day as st. Komatsu. So there's a lot of lessons we can draw from the story of Saint Sebastian. And I'll just draw out a couple of them. You can think on them, yourself, but the importance of encouraging each other to keep the faith. We're all weak. We all live in a pagan environment. And so many of our friends and relatives are for all practical purposes, pagan, and it can be hard to stay strong in the faith.
Speaker 0 00:11:51 So we need to imitate Saint and encourage each other. Uh, another point is the fact that Saint Komatsus wasn't cured till he made a definite break with paganism. We can't keep our feet in both camps with Christ all the way or not. We're not with Christ at all. It's that black and white, a divine mercy, think of the mercy God has for sinners, even though chromaticism stuff. In order to Catholics, to martyrdom, he has given the grace of conversion. He's even a Saint on our calendar and Diocletian was offered exactly the same opportunity. That's why since the Bascom was allowed to live through that first being pierced with arrows and go there and witness to him. But unlike commands, he has, he hardened his heart, God even sent, uh, st to help Diocletian that's how much God loves us and wants us to be with him in heaven.
Speaker 0 00:12:47 And, uh, so those are some of the things that, uh, I, I, I guess the last thing I would think is, is the protection of the weed. They were sending the Catholics up into the country, three that they thought were weak to keep them away from the situation, how important it is for us to protect our children. Who are we from the influences of this satanic and how important it is for us to respect our own weakness in that way. Be careful not to place ourselves in the near occasions of sin. Those are just a few things that you can draw from the story of Saint Sebastian today. Pray to saints, Fabian Sebastian, you remain faithful unto death, faithful witnesses, the truth, the Catholic church.
