Primus and Felicianus, two holy martyrs, were brothers and natives of Rome. They were renowned on account of their birth and wealth, but still more on account of the blameless life they led and their determination to remain constant in the true faith, though they knew the suffering which was in store for them as well from their pagan parents, as from other persecutors of the Christian faith. At that period the emperors Dioclesian and Maximian reigned, and the Christians were most cruelly persecuted. Many of them were cast into prison, while others were put: to death by the most barbarous torments. The two zealous brothers visited the imprisoned Christians frequently, and sacrificed all their possessions to comfort them, while they cheered and encouraged those that were led to execution, exhorting them to remain faithful to Christ. The idolatrous priests could not endure this, and incited the people against the two holy brothers, as against two sworn enemies of the gods, and accused them before the Emperor, demanding their execution.

Both were brought before the Emperor and called upon to renounce their faith: they, however, said fearlessly, that they would rather die, than obey the Emperor in this point. They were cast into a dungeon and heavily chained. But in the first night an angel appeared to them, who loosed their fetters and set them free. They immediately returned to their former kind deeds not willing to save their lives by flight, as many advised them to do. The Emperor, being informed of this, summoned them into his presence, and endeavored more than before, by promises and menaces to persuade them to abjure their faith, and at last sent them to the temple of Hercules to offer incense to this idol. Both brothers refused to obey, and the Emperor gave orders that after having been scourged, they should be taken to the Governor of Momentum, a village about 12 miles from Rome, and very hostile to the Christians. Before they were led thither, an angel again appeared and healed their wounds. No sooner had the two Christian heroes appeared before Promotus, the cruel Governor of the town, than he ordered them to be beaten with clubs until they should change their minds. This was a punishment ordained by law only for slaves and other low people, and the tyrant had it executed upon the two noble brothers in derision of their faith.

It was a most painful punishment as the clubs were scourges twisted together of many cords, with leaden balls fastened at the end. With these the condemned were whipped on the bare back and neck. The two holy brothers had to endure this martyrdom, and were more cruelly whipped than the greatest criminals. They, however, manifested no sign of pain, but encouraging each other, they united in praising God, humbly begging His assistance: "Strengthen us, O God!" cried they; "be with us O God! Our only hope, strengthen us, that all may recognize Thee as the only true God." The torture was prolonged until the executioners, tired out with whipping, were no longer able to torment the Saints. The Governor wondered at the constancy, or, as he said, the obstinacy of the two brothers, and to cause them sooner to obey him, he separated them and had them confined in different prisons.

A few days later, he had Felicianus alone brought before him, to whom he said: "Is it not a contemptible blindness that you should persist in ending your days in agony," (Felicianus was 80 years old) "when, by obeying the Emperor, you have the opportunity of closing your life honored and favored by him?" The Saint replied: "Is it not a much more contemptible blindness that you, a man of so much mind and importance, should worship a piece of wood as God, and thus cast yourself, after the few short days of life, into never-ending pains and torments, while you have the opportunity, by receiving the true faith, to make yourself eternally happy with the true God? "These fearless words enraged the Governor beyond endurance, and he ordered the Saint to be fastened to a pole by an iron nail, and there to be left hanging. The Saint, casting his eyes towards heaven, said: "I have placed my trust in God; I shall not fear the hand of man."

Three days the hero had to remain on the pole, after which he was taken back to prison. Meanwhile Promotus had Primus brought before him and said to him that at last the eyes of his brother Felicianus had been opened, and that he had sacrificed to Jupiter, for which reason the Emperor had raised him to the highest dignities, and that Primus might expect the same favors if he followed his brother's example. But Primus knew the constancy of his brother, as an angel had revealed it to him. Hence he reproved Promotus with earnest words. Enraged at this, the governor said: "Either you will immediately sacrifice to Jupiter, or I shall deal with you more cruelly than with all the others." "I sacrifice to the true God only," replied Primus, "and fear not your cruelties." Hardly had these words passed his lips, when the tyrant gave orders to scourge him with hard thongs, until his whole body was one great wound. After this they burned him for a long time with torches. Primus's countenance was bright and cheerful during this inhuman torture. To prevent this, by command of the tyrant, they poured melted lead into his mouth. How terrible must have been this suffering is easily to be conceived. Constantine the Great had ordered this kind of punishment for those who by impure language had seduced others to unchastity. "Whoever with impure speeches seduces any one to unchastity," says the law, " shall have his mouth closed with melted lead." The tyrants had already in earlier times used this punishment to torture the Christians.

St. Primus was sentenced to this suffering in order that he might no longer praise the true God. He, however, swallowed the lead without the least sign of pain, and then turning to Promotus, said: " Acknowledge at length, unhappy man, the omnipotence of my God, and be converted to Him that you may not go to eternal damnation." Promotus, furious and unwilling to hear more, ordered the brothers to to be cast to the wild beasts. The order was obeyed, but neither the fiercely roaring lion, nor the cruel bear, which they let loose upon them, harmed either of them, but crouching at their feet, thus evinced their reverence for the holy men. Many of the heathens, who witnessed this spectacle, were so deeply touched by the miracle, that they cried: " Great is the God of the Christians, and He alone is the true God!" Promotus, fearing an insurrection, had both the valiant confessors decapitated without loss of time; and thus they, both, after many heroic battles, obtained the crown of immortality in heaven, in the year of our Lord 287.

Primus and Felicianus, the two holy brothers, encouraged each other to patience and constancy during their martyrdom. Thus one helped the other to gain heaven. Both manifested by this not only a truly Christian love to each other, but also a true love to God. Have you no sisters, no brothers, no friends or relatives, to whom you may sometimes say an encouraging word or whom you may exhort to piety? If not, then you have as many sisters and brothers in Christ as there are Christians. Among these there are surely some whom you can assist to gain heaven by encouraging them to lead a Christian life: by impressing upon them the duty of abstaining from lying, cursing, slandering and other vices; by exhorting them to pray, to assist at Holy Mass, to hear the word of God, to give alms, to go to confession and to do other good works. Endeavor to do this. In this manner you manifest true love to God and for your neighbor: to your neighbor, because you assist him to eternal happiness; and to God, because, according to St. Chrysostom, you can do nothing more agreeablee to God than to gain others to His service, and deter them from offending His majesty. "If you love God, rites St. Augustine, endeavor to induce those, who live in your house or with whom you are acquainted, to love Him also. Exhort them, beg them, persuade them as much as is in your power." If you do this, you may rest assured that God will richly recompense you and they whom you will thus lead to heaven, will thank you in the other world. If, however, you dare to deter any one from doing good or perhaps even entice him to evil, you assist him to enter hell, and the Almighty will terribly punish your wickedness. And they whom you have led to hell, will during all eternity, as I told you last month, curse and execrate you: yes they will war and rage against you more than the evil spirits.

St. Felicianus considered it contemptible blindness that the heathen governor, by the idolatry of a few days, should cast himself into eternal torments, when he had the opportunity, by receiving the true faith, to prepare himself for a happy eternity with the true God. Heaven and hell are open to you, my reader! There is eternity in heaven: there is also eternity in hell. But heaven can also be for ever closed to you and you may be cast into Hell. "God sets water and fire before thee. Stretch forth thy hand to which thou wilt. Before man are life and death, good and evil: that which he shall choose shall be given him."(Eccl. xv.) Thus speaks the Lord Himself. He gives grace, opportunity, and means to you to escape hell and gain heaven. Is it not then the most contemptible blindness, the most astonishing folly, if you do not use these gifts to secure your salvation, but, on account of frivolous pleasures, or temporal advantages, close heaven for ever against yourself, and cast yourself into hell, when you could have made yourself eternally happy? "Understand, ye senseless among the people: and you, fools, be wise at last." (Psalm 93.) A fool, and a great fool is he, who believes in heaven, believes that he can take possession of it, and yet does not earnestly strive to obtain it. A still greater fool, however, is he who believes that there is a hell and that he is in danger of falling into it, and yet does not use all his strength to avoid it. "If we believe in hell," says St. Peter Chrysologus," an eternally tormenting hell, why do we not endeavor to escape it; why do we not prevent being sentenced to such dreadful and eternal suffering?"

O ye blessed Princes of the heavenly kingdom! ye who sacrificed to the Almighty God the honors, the riches, and possessions of this life, and have received in return the unfading glory and never-ending joys of heaven! ye who are secure in the everlasting possession of the brilliant crown of glory which your sufferings have obtained! Look with compassionate regards upon our wretched state in this valley of tears, where we groan in the uncertainty of what may be our eternal destiny. And from that divine Savior, for Whom you suffered so many torments, and Who now repays you with so unspeakable glory, obtain for us that we may love Him with all our heart, and receive in return the grace of perfect resignation under the trials of this life, fortitude under the temptations of the enemy, and perseverance to the end. May your powerful intercession obtain for us that we may one day in your blessed company sing the praises of the Eternal, and even as you now do, face to face, enjoy the beatitude of His vision! Amen

Roses and lilies are exquisitely alternated in the wreath woven by centuries, for the Bride of the Son of God. Though the world be heedless of the fact, it is none the less true, that everything here below has but one object, namely to bedeck the Church with the attractive charms of heaven, to adjust her jewelled robes formed of the virtues of her saints, that she may be fitted to take her seat beside her Divine Spouse, in the highest heavens, for all eternity (Apoc. xix. 7-8; Ps. xliv. 10). The sacred cycle, in its yearly course, presents an image of those ceaseless labours whereby the Holy Ghost continues to form, up to the day of the eternal nuptials, that varied robe of holy Church, by diversifying the merits of God's servants, her members here below. Today, we have two Martyrs becrimsoned with their own blood, setting off the dazzling whiteness of Norbert's works, or of William's innocence ; and tomorrow we may contemplate with delighted gaze, the softer light beamed upon our earth, by Margaret, Scotland's Pearl. Primus and Felician, wealthy Romans, had already attained maturity of age, when our Lord made His voice heard inviting them to forsake their vain idols. Brothers, according to the flesh, they now became more really so, by fidelity to the same call of grace. Together, they proved themselves intrepid helpers of the confessors of Christ amidst the atrocious persecution which raged against the Church during the latter half of the Third Century. In the same combat were they to fall side by side, exchanging this frail life here below, for that into which, at one birth, they were to enter forever in heaven. They furthermore were honoured by having their precious relics, placed in the celebrated sanctuary consecrated to Saint Stephen, the Proto-Martyr, on Monte Caelio, and there form its richest treasure.

Primus and Felician were brothers, and being accused of professing the Christian religion, during the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian, they were thrown into irons, which an Angel broke, and they were delivered. But being soon led again before the praetor, and as they most earnestly clung to the Christian faith, they were separated one from the other. The steadfastness of Felician was the first to be put to the test in divers ways. As they who strove to persuade him into impiety, found it hopeless to gain aught from him by words, he was fastened hand and foot to a stake and there left to hang three days, without either food or drink. The day after that, the praetor having called Primus before him, thus addressed him: "Seest thou how much wiser is thy brother, than thou art? He hath obeyed the Emperors, and they have made him honourable. Thou hast only to follow his example to be made partaker of his honours and favours."

Primus replied: "What hath befallen my brother, I know, for an angel hath told me. Would to God, that seeing I have the same will that he hath, I were not divided from him in the same martyrdom." These words raised the wrath of the praetor, and to the torments which he had already inflicted on Primus, he added this also, that he had boiling lead poured into his mouth, and this, in presence of Felician. After that, he had them both dragged into the amphitheatre, and two lions let loose upon them, in presence of about twelve thousand people, who were gathered together to see the show. The lions only fawned upon the knees of the saints, making friends with them, caressingly moving their heads and tails. This spectacle turned five hundred persons of the assembled crowd, together with their households, to the Christian religion. The praetor then, moved beyond all endurance, by what had passed, caused Primus and Felician to be beheaded with the axe.

O ye brave veterans of the Lord's battles, teach us what energy we must bring to the service of God, whatsoever be our age. Less favoured than we are, ye came late in life, to the knowledge of the Gospel and of those inestimable treasures promised to the Christian. But in holy Baptism your youth was renewed as that of the eagle (Ps. cii. 5), and for thirty years, the Holy Ghost continued to produce rich fruits in you. When, in extreme old age, the hour of final victory at last sounded, your courage was equal to that of the most vigorous warriors. You were nerved up to such heroism and sustained therein, through prayer constantly kept alive within you by the words of the Psalms, as your Acts attest. Revive then amongst us, faith in the word of God; His promises will make us despise, as ye did, this present life. Lead our piety back to those true sources which strengthen the soul, the knowledge and daily use of those sacred formulae, which bind our earth unfailingly to heaven whence they were brought down to us.