2213 Thu 16 Aug 2001

A couple of updates on yesterday's journal: I tried chatting with Mandy a second time and it worked, so I continued chatting past midnight. I slept in and so decided to do the Metaphysics assignment at home, rather in the library.

It was raining after today's Metaphysics class, so I read some Medieval Philosophy - a saint from Yorkshire St Aelred of Rievaulx. He was about 32 when he wrote "The Mirror of Charity". He writes in a practical, "down to earth" way: For example: "Even though we may not feel a great deal of love towards our fellow men, or even towards God, reason insists that we make the necessary effort to love."

I decided to look if there was a patron saint of lectors. According to "Patron Saints" written by Michael Freze in 1992 there are two: Saint Pollio (martyred in 304) and Saint Sabas (martyred in 372).

I thought Sabas, a Goth, was particularly inspirational. Here are some excerpts about him from "Butler's Lives of the Saints" (1956 edition):

When, at the outset of the persecution, the magistrates ordered the Christians to eat meat sacrificed to idols, certain pagans, who had Christian relations whom they wished to save, persuaded the officials to give them meat which had not been offered to idols. Sabas loudly denounced this ambiguous proceeding: not only did he refuse to eat, but he declared that those who consented to do so had betrayed the faith. Some Christians applauded him, but others were so much displeased that they obliged him to withdraw from the town. He was, however, soon to return. The following year, when the persecution broke out again, some of the principal inhabitants offered to swear that there were no Christians in the town. As they were about to take the oath, Sabas presented himself and said, "Let no one swear for me: I am a Christian!"

Perhaps I will search the internet for more about him and add links to my lector's page.

Journal

2213 Thu 16 Aug 2001