Sacred Calendar

Fourth Lesson - A Catholic Kingdom Offered to the Apostolic See

This Stephen [was the son of Geysa, fourth Duke of the Hungarians, and was born at Gran in the year 977.] He it was who first gave to Hungary the faith of Christ and the name of a kingdom. He obtained the Kingly crown from the Bishop of Rome, and being by command of the same anointed King, he made an offering of his kingdom to the Apostolic See. With wonderful devotion and bounty he founded divers godly houses at Rome, Jerusalem, and Constantinople, and in Hungary the Archbishoprick of Gran and ten other Sees. Toward the poor he had the same love and bounty. He greeted them as though they were Christ Himself, and never sent any one away sorrowing and empty. He spent vast sums in relieving their poverty, and also often parted among them with exceeding tenderness even the furniture of his house. Moreover it was his use to wash the feet of the poor with his own hands, and to go in the night, alone and unknown, to the hospitals, and to wait on them that lay there, and show them other deeds of kindness. It was the reward of these good works that, when the rest of his body decayed, his right hand remained uncorrupt.

Fifth Lesson - Prayer, Catholic Counsel, and the Formation of a Nation

He passed almost whole nights in earnest prayer, and when totally rapt in the thought of heavenly things, he sometimes became beside himself, and was seen to rise off the ground into the air. In more than one instance he strangely escaped through the power of prayer from rebellion, treason, and the onslaughts of mighty foes. He married Gisela of Bavaria, sister to the holy Emperor Henry, and begat on her Emeric, whom he trained up in such manners and godliness, as are shown by his also becoming a Saint. To carry on the business of his kingdom, he gathered together from all quarters the most learned and godly men, and took nothing in hand without their advice. Meanwhile he entreated of God by the most lowly supplications, offered up in sack-cloth and ashes, that, before he departed this life, he might see all Hungary Catholic. On account of his excellent zeal for the spread of the Faith he is called the Apostle of that nation, and the Bishop of Rome gave to him and to his successors the right to have a Cross carried before them.

Sixth Lesson - Hungary Entrusted to the Mother of God

He had a burning zeal to honour the Mother of God. He built a very great Church in her honour, and made her Patroness of Hungary. In return, the same Virgin received him into heaven, [in the year 1038,] upon the day of her own Assumption, which the Hungarians, by the example of the holy King, call "the Great Lady's Day." His hallowed body yielded the sweetest savour, and reeked with an heavenly liquid, and amid many and divers wonders it was removed by command of the Bishop of Rome into a more noble place, and more honourably buried. Pope Innocent XI. ordered his Feast to be held upon the 2nd day of September, on account of the famous victory over the Turks which was gained upon this day, [in the year 1686,] when the army of Leopold I., Emperor (elect) of the Romans, and King of Hungary, wrested from them, by the help of God, the city of Buda.

Seventh Lesson - St. Ambrose on the Nobleman Who Received a Kingdom

The Lesson is taken from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (xix. 13.) At that time: JESUS spake this parable unto His disciples: A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. And so on. Homily by St Ambrose, Bishop [of Milan.] (Bk. viii. on Luke.) It is well ordered that, being about to call the Gentiles, and to command the destruction of those Jews, who would not have Christ to reign over them, He should put forth first this parable; lest it should be said: He had given the Jews no means of becoming better. How can they be asked to repay who have received nothing? That is not a piece of silver of little worth, which, when the woman before mentioned in this Gospel (xv. 8) hath lost, she lighteth a candle, and sweepeth the house, and searcheth diligently until she findeth it.

Eighth Lesson - Practice Joined to Orthodox Doctrine

With a single pound one gained ten and another five pounds. Perchance by him which had the five pounds is signified he which practiseth well, since the body hath five senses, and by him which had the ten, (that is, double the other,) he which is learned and orthodox in the deep things of doctrine, as well as upright in his practical life. Hence also in Matthew we have five talents and two talents - the five talents signifying good practice, and the two talents precept and practice together. So that that which counteth as the greater number is but a fraction of the lesser number.

Ninth Lesson - The Commandments and the Increase of Grace

And here we may also understand by the ten pounds the ten words, that is, the Commandments, and by the five pounds, the enforcement of their teaching. But I would that a lawyer should be in all things perfect. "For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power." (1 Cor. iv. 20.) Meet also is it, that, in speaking of Jews, Christ should represent only two as bringing in increased capital, for these talents are talents not of money but of grace, and to increase money by usury is a very different thing from improving heavenly revelation by the like means.