Behind the altar of the great Cathedral in Ravenna Italy, there is a beautiful mosaic of that city’s first bishop, the saint who we honor today, St. Apollinaris. Apollinaris was a disciple of the apostle Peter, who accompanied Peter from to Antioch, and finally to Rome, the place of Peter’s martyrdom.
Before his death, St. Peter sent Apollinaris to Ravenna, to be that place’s first bishop. There he preached the faith with great courage and performed many healing miracles. Upon his arrival, he was welcomed into the home of a Roman Tribune who had a blind son. Apollinaris shared with the tribune the good news of Jesus Christ. Apollinaris then healed the blind boy, and the tribune and his family converted. His house became the headquarters of the Bishop. Soon, many families were coming to the bishop to be instructed in the faith. The faith began to flourish, priests and deacons were ordained.
The pagan Roman priests soon became disgruntled at the number of Christian conversions, and had the city officials arrest, imprison, and torture the bishop in order to get him to leave Ravenna. He was flogged, put on the rack, and plunged into boiling oil. When he survived these tortures, he was exiled for a time, and after preaching the Gospel and winning many conversions in exile, he returned to Italy, where he was imprisoned and tortured again, and eventually beaten to death on July 23rd in the year 79. His feast was transferred to July 20th after the revision of the Liturgical Calendar at Vatican Council II.
The Collect prayer for the mass in honor of Apollinaris speaks of perseverance; we certainly see perseverance in the life of this holy bishop, enduring torture, exile, the hatred of rival religions and secular government, not to mention the ordinary crosses that every Christian faces: the temptations to abandon the commandments, to lose our temper when things don’t go our way, to grow lax in our attentiveness to the needs of the poor, to give in to being grumpy, gloomy, irritable, impatient.
Christians need to look to the martyrs constantly to remind us that if they can endure such great suffering, we can certainly endure the ordinary difficulties of life with the help and grace of God if we really want to.
St. James writes, “Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life.” May we open our hearts to the help of the martyrs, like St. Apollinaris, that we may so persevere in keeping the commandments as to merit being crowned with them, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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Our Savior’s faithfulness is mirrored in the fidelity of his witnesses who shed their blood for the Word of God. Let us praise him in remembrance of them:
The martyrs professed their faith by shedding their blood, may we have a faith that is constant and pure.
The martyrs followed in Christ’s footsteps by carrying the cross, may we endure courageously our earthly trials and all the misfortunes of life.
The martyrs washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb, may we be helped by their prayers to overcome the weaknesses of the flesh and worldly allurements.
For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of July: That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests. We pray to the Lord.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord
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