Your Daily Martyr

YOUR DAILY MARTYR
Living With The Daily Martyrology of the Church

“Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? … My chalice indeed you shall drink!” (Matthew 20:22-23).

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

"The Roman Martyrology is an official and accredited record, on the pages of which are set forth in simple and brief, but impressive words, the glorious deeds of the Soldiers of Christ in all ages of the Church ; of the illustrious Heroes and Heroines of the Cross, whom her solemn verdict has beatified or canonized" (Taken from the "Introduction" from The Roman Martyrology).

The Roman Martyrology is, like the Roman Missal and the Roman Breviary, an official liturgical book of the Catholic Church. It provides an extensive but not exhaustive list of the saints recognized by the Church. The Roman Martyrology was first published in 1583 by Pope Gregory XIII, who in the year before had decreed the revision of the calendar that is called, after him, the Gregorian Calendar. A second edition was published in the same year. The third edition was made obligatory wherever the Roman Rite was in use.

In 1630 Pope Urban VIII ordered a new edition. 1748 saw the appearance of a revised edition by Pope Benedict XIV, who personally worked on the corrections: he suppressed some names, such as those of Clement of Alexandria and Sulpicius Severus, but kept others that had been objected to, such as that of Pope Siricius. Since then, the Martyrology has remained essentially unchanged, save for the addition of new saints canonized during the intervening years.

THE HONOR ROLL OF MARTYRS
for May 29th
taken from the entry for the day
from the Roman Martyrology

At Rome, upon the Aurelian Way, the holy martyr St. Restitutus.

At Iconium, a city of Isauria, the holy martyrs St. Conon and his son aged twelve years. Under the Emperor Aurelian they suffered with great firmness from being basted with oil upon a grating over live coals, stretching upon the rack and fire, and at length gave up the ghost as their hands were being pounded with a wooden mallet.

On the same day, the holy martyrs St. Sisinius, St. Martyrius, and St. Alexander, who are stated by Paulinus, in his life of St. Ambrose, to have gained the crown of martyrdom in the parts of Val-d'Anagna, under the persecution of the heathen in the time of the Emperor Honorius.

At Caesarea Philippi, the holy martyrs St. Theodosia, mother of the holy martyr St. Procopius, and twelve other noble matrons, who were beheaded in the persecution under Diocletian.

In Umbria suffered one thousand five hundred and twenty-five holy martyrs.

At Trier, the blessed confessor St. Maximin, bishop of that city, who honorably welcomed the holy bishop St. Athanasius when he was in exile from the persecution of the Arians.

At Verona, in the fourth century, St. Maximus, bishop of that see.

At Arci, in Latium, the holy confessor St. Eleutherius.

May 29th
The Martyr of the Day

ST. CYRIL

Martyred in the Third Century, exact year unknown

St. Cyril was as yet a child when he glorified God by martyrdom at Cæsarea in Cappadocia. His father, being an idolater, seeing his young son, who had been privately made a Christian, refuse to adore his idols, after all manner of severe usage, threw him out of the family home.

The governor of Cæsarea being informed of it, gave orders that Cyril should be brought before him. Enraged to hear him never cease to proclaim the name of Jesus, he told him with many caresses, that he ought to detest that name, and promised him the pardon of his faults, a reconciliation with his father, and the inheritance of his estate, if he obeyed.

The courageous child answered, “I rejoice in suffering reproaches for what I have done. God will receive me, with whom I shall be better than with my father. I cheerfully renounce earthly estates and house, that I may be made rich in Heaven. I am not afraid of death, because it will procure me a better life.” This he said with a courage which showed that God spoke in him.

The judge commanded him to be publicly bound, and to be led as if it had been to execution, but he gave orders in private that they should only frighten him. Being placed before a great fire, and threatened to be thrown into it, yet he was not daunted.

He was then carried back to the judge, who said to him, “My child, you have seen both the fire and the sword. Be wise, and return to your house and fortune.”

The martyr answered, “You have done me a real prejudice in calling me back. I neither fear the fire nor the sword; God will receive me. Put me to death without delay, that I may the sooner go to him.”

All the assistants wept to hear him speak in this manner. But he said to them, “You ought rather to rejoice; you know not what is my hope, nor what kind of kingdom I am going to possess.”

With these sentiments he went joyfully to his death. He seems to have died by the sword. His name occurs in the Martyrology which bears the name of St. Jerome, and in that of Florus. He suffered under Decius or Valerian. See his authentic acts in Ruinart and Henschenius, probably compiled by St. Firmilian, bishop of Cæsarea.