age to suffer joyfully the most crueltorments and death, rather than offend God by sin, because his lovereigned in their hearts. The emir Abderamene in Spain, havingshaken off the yoke of the caliph of the Saracens, in 736, andestablish He delighted in performingmenial offices in the convent, and when the task allotted to him wasfinished, he was anxious to fulfil that of others. Nicephorus, thethird martyr, was impatient of delay, and leaped of his own accord intothe bloody mortar.
He who is penetrated with this spirit of love and compunction,frequently breaks into floods of tears; but these tears afford himincredible sweetness and pleasure. Only the prelates of the Eastern empireassisted, so that we find no mention of legates of pope Damasus, and itwas general, not in the celebration, but by the acceptation of theuniversal church. Wherefore, at his decease, in 1041, Petertook upon him the direction of that holy family, which he governed withthe greatest reputation for wisdom and sanctity. Serapion, Bishop of Thmuis in Egypt.
Join the newsletter to receive news, updates, new products and freebies in your inbox.