Man is destroyed by his own free choice

Man is destroyed by his own free choice: for out of love for some
worldly thing he throws himself into fire, is drowned in the sea and
gives himself into captivity. Let us suppose that someone's house or
field has caught fire. The person who wanted to save himself fled
without anything as soon as he noticed the fire, leaving everything in
it and concerned only with his own life. But someone else thought he
would take some of the goods with him, so he stayed behind to collect
them; and as he was taking them the fire, which had already
overwhelmed the house, caught him as well and burnt him. In this way,
through his attachment to some transient thing, he was destroyed in
the fire by his own free choice. Again, two men were shipwrecked. One
of them, wanting to save himself, stripped off his clothes and threw
himself into the water; and in this way he was able to save his life.
The other, wanting to save his clothes as well, was drowned,
destroying himself for the sake of a slight gain. Or again, let us
suppose that news of an attack by an enemy was announced. One man, as
soon as he heard the news, fled as fast as his feet would carry him,
without a thought for his possessions. Another, either because he
distrusted the news, or because he wanted to take with him some of his
goods, waited until later, and when the enemy arrived he was caught.
Thus, through his lack of alertness and his attachment to worldly
things, he lost body and soul by his own free choice.
--St. Symeon Metaphrastis

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September 7th – St. Sozon, Martyr

The following is the legend of this young shepherd of Cilicia, who was originally called Tarasius and took the name of Sozon at baptism. One
day while sleeping under a tree our Lord appeared to him, told him to
leave his sheep, and to follow Him to death. Sozon awoke and at once
made his way to the nearest town, Pompeiopolis, Where he found a pagan
festival was being celebrated. He went straight into the temple of the
god and with a mighty blow of his crook knocked down the golden image
and broke off its hand. This hand he took and broke into further
small pieces, which he distributed as alms among the poor. Several
innocent persons were arrested for this, Whereupon Sozon marched into
court and gave himself up as the true culprit.

He was offered pardon and freedom if he would Worship the god whose
statue he had mutilated, but Sozon mocked the idea of worshipping a
god that could be broken by a sheep-crook. Nails were then driven,
points upward, through the soles of his sandals and he was made thus
to walk around the arena. As Sozon passed before the magistrate he
pointed at his blood-stained feet and said, " I have finer red shoes
than you ". "You are a brave fellow ", said the magistrate. "Play a
tune on your pipe and I will let you go." But Sozon refused, saying
that he had often piped to his sheep but would now make music only to
God. So he was sentenced to be burned, and when night had come the
Christians of the place collected his charred bones and gave them
honourable burial.

Two Greek texts preserve the alleged acts of this martyr. One has
been edited in the Acta Sanctorum, September, vol. iii the other in
vol. cxv of Migne, PG.


Saint Quote:
We do not know the number of souls that is ours to save through our
prayers and sacrifices; therefore, let us always pray for sinners.
(1783)
--St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in my Soul

Bible Quote:
Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, the bowels
of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience: Bearing with one
another and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against
another. Even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also. (Col
3:12-13) DRB


<><><><>
The Holy Spirit

The coming of the Spirit is gentle, his presence fragrant, his
weight very light. Rays of light and knowledge stream before him as he approaches. The Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend and
protector to save, to heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to
console. The Spirit comes to enlighten the mind first of the one who
receives him, and then through that person the minds of others as
well. As light strikes the eye of those who come out of darkness into
sunshine and enables them to see clearly things they could not discern
before, so does light flood the souls of those counted worthy of
receiving the Holy Spirit and enable them to see things beyond the
range of human vision of which they had previously been ignorant.
--St. Cyril of Jerusalem

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