ZEPHYRINUS.: Pope Saint Fabian And Saint Sebastian. Martyrs. Feast Day, Today, 20 January.

Thursday 20 January 2022

Pope Saint Fabian And Saint Sebastian. Martyrs. Feast Day, Today, 20 January.

Text is taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

Pope Saint Fabian and Saint Sebastian.
Martyrs.
Feast Day 20 January.

Double.

Red Vestments.

AND

Pope Saint Fabian (236 A.D. - 250 A.D.)
wears an anachronistic Papal Tiara
Artist: Giovanni di Paolo (1403–1482).
Date: Mid-15th-Century.
Current location: National Gallery, London.
Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei.
DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN3936122202.
Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.
(Wikimedia Commons)

Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian.
Saint Sebastian of Avla.
Captain of The The Prætorian Guard. Roman Soldier, Healer and Martyr.
Artist: Il Sodoma (1477–1549).
Date: 1525.
Current location: Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.
Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei.
DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN3936122202.
Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.
(Wikimedia Commons)

The two great Roman Martyrs, Fabian and Sebastian, made manifest, the first in 250 A.D. in The Persecution of Decius, the second in 284 A.D. in that of Diocletian, The Divine Power of Christ "Who operated Wonders in them" (Gradual). The ancient Martyrologies unite their names.

The appearance of The Holy Ghost, in the form of a Dove, had attested The Divinity of Jesus on The Day of His Baptism. It was also a Dove, hovering above Fabian, that pointed him out to The Church as Vicar of Jesus Christ.

Saint Sebastian, an Officer of The Imperial Household and Commander of a Cohort, encouraged his brothers-in-arms, subjected to torments on account of their Faith. Diocletian ordered him to be pierced with arrows. Sebastian, having escaped death, reappeared before the Emperor and reproached him with his crimes. He was condemned to be flogged to death.

Like the Martyrs mentioned in the Epistle, these two Saints "were found perfect in the testimony they bore of their Faith in Jesus Christ," for "it is for the cause of The Son of Man that they suffered persecution" (Gospel), Numerous cures were wrought by Saint Sebastian or, rather, by the virtue of Christ which was in him (Gospel and Communion).

Let us in our weakness have recourse (Collect) to the powerful protection of these glorious Martyrs.

Mass: Intret in conspéctu.