Wisdom Satu: Saint of the Day (Sunday, June 02, 2013)

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Saint of the Day (Sunday, June 02, 2013) - Sts. Marcellinus and Peter

Sunday, June 02, 2013
Sts. Marcellinus and Peter
(d. 304)

Marcellinus and Peter were prominent enough in the memory of the Church to be included among the saints of the Roman Canon. Mention of their names is optional in our present Eucharistic Prayer I.

Marcellinus was a priest and Peter was an exorcist, that is, someone authorized by the Churh to deal with cases of demonic possession. They were beheaded during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. Pope Damasus wrote an epitaph apparently based on the report of their executioner, and Constantine erected a basilica over the crypt in which they were buried in Rome. Numerous legends sprang from an early account of their death.

Comment:
Why are these men included in our Eucharistic prayer, and given their own feast day, in spite of the fact that almost nothing is known about them? Probably because the Church respects its collective memory. They once sent an impulse of encouragement through the whole Church. They made the ultimate step of faith.

Quote:
"The Church has always believed that the apostles, and Christ's martyrs who had given the supreme witness of faith and charity by the shedding of their blood, are quite closely joined with us in Christ" (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 50).

(This entry appears in the print edition of Saint of the Day.)

CLICK HERE FOR PRINT VERSION
If you are having difficulty listening to Saint of the Day audio, or need help setting up an audio player, go to our Audio Help page for more information.