Roman Martyrology

The reading

August 25

At Paris, St. Louis, confessor, king of France, illustrious by the holiness of his life and the fame of his miracles. — At Rome, in the time of the emperor Commodus, the holy martyrs Eusebius, Pontian, Vincent, and Peregrinus, who were first racked, distended by ropes, then beaten with rods and burned on their sides. As they continued faithfully to praise Christ, they were scourged with leaded whips until they expired. — Also, at Rome, St. Genesius, martyr, who embraced the profession of actor while he was yet a Pagan. One day he was deriding the Christian mysteries in the theatre in the presence of the emperor Diocletian; but by the inspiration of God he was suddenly converted to the faith and baptized. By the command of the emperor, he was forthwith most cruelly beaten with rods, then racked, and a long time lacerated with iron hooks, and burned with fire-brands. As he remained firm in the faith of Christ, and said: "There is no king besides Christ. Should you kill rue a thousand times, you shall not be able to take Him from my lips or my heart," he was beheaded, and thus merited the palm of martyrdom. — At Italica, in Spain, St. Gerontius, a bishop, who preached the Gospel in that country in apostolic times, and after many labors died in prison. — At Aries, in France, another blessed Genesius, who, filling the office of notary, and refusing to record the impious edicts by which Christians were commanded to be punished, threw away his tablets publicly, and declared himself a Christian. He was seized and beheaded, and thus attained to the glory of martyrdom through baptism in his blood. — In Syria, St. Julian, martyr. — At Tarragona, St. Maginus, martyr. — At Constantinople, St. Mennas, bishop. — At Utrecht, St. Gregory, bishop. — At Naples, St. Patricia, virgin.

Source: The Roman Martyrology, Baltimore, 1916, John Murphy Company; local raw text lines 8826-8871.