Wednesday 13 August 2008

Memorial of Saint Hippolytus of Rome

Here is something I've discovered about this saint on Wikipedia:

- [probably] born in the second half of the 2nd century in Rome, he was one of the most prolific writers of the early Church
- came into conflict with the Popes of his time and for some time headed a separate group
- died in 235 or 236 reconciled to the Church and as a martyr.
- considered as the patron saint of horses

Another saint shared this feast day- Pope Saint Pontian. He was (according to Wikipedia):

- pope from 21 July 230 to September 235
- Pontian and other church leaders, among them Hippolytus, were exiled by the emperor Maximinus Thrax to Sardinia, and in consequence of this sentence he resigned on 25 September or 28 September 235
- His remains were brought to Rome by Pope Fabian and buried in the Catacomb of Pope Callixtus I

Bible Readings for Today (Memorial of Saint Hippolytus of Rome)

Here are the readings for today Wed 13 Aug:

Ezekeil 9: 1-7; 10: 18-22
The LORD shouted in my ears, “Approach, you who are to visit destruction on the city, each with his destructive weapon in his hand!” Next, I noticed six men coming from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his war club in his hand. Among them was a man dressed in linen with a writing kit at his side. They came and stood beside the bronze altar. Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub where it had rested to the threshold of the temple. He called to the man dressed in linen who had the writing kit at his side. The Lord said to him, “Go through the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the people who moan and groan over all the abominations practiced in it.” While I listened, he said to the others, “Go through the city after him and strike people down; do no let your eye pity nor spare anyone! Old men, young men, young women, little children, and women – wipe them out! But do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary!” So they began with the elders who were at the front of the temple. He said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courtyards with corpses. Go!” So they went out and struck people down throughout the city.
Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. The cherubim spread their wings, and they rose up from the earth while I watched (when they went the wheels went alongside them). They stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the Lord’s temple as the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. These were the living creatures which I saw at the Kebar River underneath the God of Israel; I knew that they were cherubim. Each had four faces; each had four wings and the form of human hands under the wings. As for the form of their faces, they were the faces whose appearance I had seen at the Kebar River. Each one moved straight ahead.

Matthew 18: 15-20
“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector. I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven. Again, I tell you the truth, if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”