Lenten Meditations: Friday 15 March 2024

Mar 15, 2024 by Jill

FOURTH FRIDAY  OF LENT – Agapios and his 7 companions, Martyrs 304

LITURGICAL THEME OF THE DAY:  The holy Martyrs contested for piety’s sake during the reign of Diocletian (284-305), when Urban was Governor of Caesarea of Palestine.  Urbanus, the governor of the region, observed a pagan festival by having some Christians publicly tortured and executed: some by fire, others on the gallows, and some by being thrown to wild beasts in the arena.

When Urban commanded that together with the heathen festival, certain condemned Christians be publicly cast to wild beasts, Timolaus, Dionysius of Tripolis in Phoenicia, Romulus of Diospolis, Plesius (or Paisius) and Alexander from Egypt, and another Alexander from Gaza, seeing the patience and serenity with which the Christians endured their torments, were reached by the Holy Spirit, tied their own hands and presented themselves to Urban when the exhibition was about to begin, professing their faith in Christ; they were immediately cast into prison.  A few days later Agapius (the only baptized Christian amongst these youths) and Dionysius also presented themselves. All were beheaded together at Caesarea. Their martyrdom is recorded by Eusebius (Eccl. Hist., Book VIII, ch.3, called The Martyrs of Palestine).

BIBLICAL MEDITATION OF THE DAY: Psalm 107 continues to challenge us to consider how we apprehend the idea of giftedness in our spiritual journey. Are we individuals and churches who remind ourselves and witness to others that God’s steadfast love does endure? Are we signs of God’s presence assured that He will lead us through and out of troubles?  This is an important message and witness in a broken world that seems more and more to be spinning out of control.

As people of faith who receive this psalm, we can appreciate God’s rescue of His people who find themselves struggling in various circumstances. It got so bad that some of the people have been foolish and have become so sick that they cannot even eat. At this time, people believed that sickness was a punishment from God for sin, and so it would have been viewed as just that these “foolish” people had become ill. Yet, despite this God steps in and rescues them, healing them so thoroughly that they can offer thanksgiving sacrifices which, according to the law, include eating the sacrifice afterward. What do we seek from God?  Heal and rescue us, of course in the hope that strength and wholeness flowing from God’s grace and presence will fill us. When one is filled with that grace and has gratitude, a profound witness to the God’s grace can be had

PRAYER OF THE DAY: Grant us, we pray, O Lord, perseverance in obeying your will,
that in our days the people dedicated to your service may grow in both merit and number. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “And reckon ye that it is for your sakes we have been saying these things; for it is in our power, when we are examined, to deny that we are Christians; but we would not live by telling a lie. For, impelled by the desire of the eternal and pure life, we seek the above that is with God,” – St. Justyn Martyr

Lenten Lyrics:  A Hymn of the Martyrs by Liturgical Folk

Lenten Discipline – Abstain today from or limit a favorite activity (internet music, television, movies, etc.) for the entire day, and spend that time reading devotional material on the lives of martyrs

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