Saint of the Day: St. Maurice and the Theban Legion

Martyrs (d. ca. 287)

Their story

+ Maurice was an officer of the Roman Empire’s famed Theban Legion which, according to tradition, was made up of Christian soldiers.

+ While traveling to Gaul to suppress an uprising there, the soldiers were ordered to offer sacrifices to the Roman gods for the success of their mission. Refusing to obey, the Christian soldiers were massacred by their fellow soldiers.

+ Devotion to Saint Maurice and his soldier-companions dates back to the fourth century and their supposed relics are enshrined in various places in Europe. Saint Maurice is honored as the patron saint of the Swiss Guard and the United States Army Infantry, as well as being celebrated as one of the patrons of Austria and Sardinia. 

+ In 1664, Saint Maurice appeared to Benoîte Rencurel as part of the series of apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary that have come to be known as “Our Lady of Laus.” The vision of Saint Maurice took place near a ruined chapel that had once been dedicated to the saint and, during the vision, the martyr told the young shepherdess to take her flock to the Valley of Kilns, where she would see the Mother of God. The apparitions of Our Lady of Laus were approved by the Holy See in 2008. 

For prayer and reflection

“As gold in the furnace, the Lord put his chosen to the test; as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself; and in due time they will be honored, and grace and peace will be with the elect of God.”—Wisdom 3:6-7, 9

Spiritual bonus 

On this day, we also remember Blessed María Purificaión Vidal Pastor. A laywoman from Alzira, Spain, she worked as a tutor, before dedicating her time to teaching and catechizing young workers. She was one of the thousands of Catholics killed during the anti-Catholic persecutions of the Spanish Civil War, dying near Valencia on September 22, 1936. She was beatified in 2001.

Prayer

May the sight of the great number of your holy Martyrs gladden us, O Lord, making our faith stronger and bringing us consolation by the prayers of them all. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal: Common of Martyrs—For Several Martyrs)
Saint profiles prepared by Fr. Silas Henderson, S.D.S.