Sacred Calendar

Fourth Lesson

Nazarius was baptized by the blessed Pope Linus, and afterwards went to Gaul. There he met with the boy Celsus, whom he instructed in the Christian law, and baptized. They went together to Treves, and, in the persecution under Nero, were both thrown into the sea, from which they had a marvellous escape. Later on, they came to Milan, where they spread the Faith of Christ, and as they remained firm in declaring that He is God, the Praefect Anolinus had them beheaded. Their bodies were buried outside the Roman gate, and lay long unknown, till, by a revelation from God, Blessed Ambrose found them, smeared with fresh blood, as though they had only a short time undergone martyrdom. They were taken up from thence, carried into the city, and laid in an honourable sepulchre.

Fifth Lesson

Victor was by birth an African, and governed the Church in the time of the Emperor Severus. He confirmed the decree of Pius I. that the Holy Passover should be kept upon the Lord's Day. To bring this rule into use, Councils were held in many places, and in the First Synod of Nice it was decided that the Holy Passover Day should be kept after the 14th day of the month [Nisan], lest the Christians should seem to be copying the Jews. Victor decided that if need be, baptism can be administered with any water, as long as it be natural. He cast out of the Church Theodotus the tanner, of Constantinople, who taught that Christ was nothing but a man. He wrote upon the subject of the Passover, and some other small works. He held two Ordinations in the month of December, wherein he ordained four Priests, seven Deacons, and twelve Bishops for divers places. He received the crown of his testimony, and was buried at the Vatican on the 28th day of July, [in the year of our Lord 197.] He sat in the throne of Peter nine years, one month, and twenty-eight days.

Sixth Lesson

Innocent of Albano flourished in the time of St Jerome and St Austin. Concerning him, St Jerome saith, writing to Demetrias: "Keep firm hold on the faith of holy Innocent, who is the heir and the child of the Apostolic See, and of Anastasius of blessed memory, and receive not any strange doctrine, how wise and acute soever thou mayest count thyself." Orosius writeth that God kept Innocent at Ravenna that he might not see the destruction of the Roman people, even as righteous Lot was withdrawn by God's Providence [from being at the burning of Sodom.] He condemned Pelagius and Caelestius, and made a decree against their heresy, that little children, even those whose mother was a Christian, must be born again in baptism, that the new birth may wash away in them the stain which they have contracted in their conception. He approved also that a Fast should be kept upon Saturday in memory of the Lord Christ's lying in the grave on that day. He sat in the throne of Peter fifteen years, one month, and ten days. He held four Ordinations in the month of December, and made therein thirty Priests, fifteen Deacons, and forty-four Bishops for divers places. He was buried in the "Bear-and-Cap" Cemetery, [upon the 28th of July, in the year 417.]