Page 77 - Saints of the Month: February

Saints of the Month: February

the faith took so early and so deep root as to
give birth in it to the name of Christians. St.
Chrysostom says that St. Peter made’ there
a long stay; St. Gregory the Great, that he
was seven years Bishop of Antioch; not that
he resided there all that time, but only that
he had a particular care over that Church. If
he sat twenty-five years at Rome, the date of
his establishing his chair at Antioch must be
within three years after Our Saviour’s
Ascension; for in that supposition he must
have gone to Rome in the second year of
Claudius. In the first ages it was customary,
especially in the East, for every Christian to
keep the anniversary of his Baptism, on
which he renewed his baptismal vows and
gave thanks to God for his heavenly
adoption: this they called their spiritual
birthday. The bishops in like manner kept
the anniversary of their own consecration,
as appears from four sermons of St. Leo on
the anniversary of his accession or
assumption to the pontifical dignity; and this
was frequently continued after their decease
by the people, out of respect for their
memory. St. Leo says we ought to celebrate
the chair of St. Peter with no less joy than
the day of his martyrdom; for as in this he
was exalted to a throne of glory in heaven,
so by the former he was installed head of
the Church on earth.

Reflection.—On this festival we are
especially bound to adore and thank the

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