What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

Every once in a while someone sends a nice little perk of appreciation in the form of a gift card to useful stores or some e-mail/internet equivalent. So to the person who sent me the Starbuck’s card, thanks. I am having a very nice cup of coffee and thinking benevolent thoughts.

Gratias vobis libenter persolvo.

Today in his General Audience address, the Holy Father spoke yet again about the reactions raised by his Regensburg Address.  Here is the principle point (my emhpasis):

“I trust, therefore, that following the initial reactions, my words at the University of Regensburg may constitute an impulse and encouragement towards positive, even self-critical, dialogue both among religions and between modern reason and Christian faith.”

In other words: "YO PEEPS!  Look at what you are doing!  THINK!  And examine your consciences!"

I live in the Sant’Eustachio area of the ancient center of Rome. I thought on his feast day you might like to see a few photos:

Here is a view of the church named for this saint. It is a bit hard to get a view of the whole place, given its location.

Here is a closeup of the upper part. This is a marvelous view, with the graceful romanesque campanile juxtaposed to the sweeping curves of the baroque facade:

At the very top is the distinguishing emblem of the basilica and the saint:

You might know that all over Rome there are plaques from the time of Pope Benedict XIV (Lambertini) identifiying the different "rioni" of the City. Before WWII Mussolini wanted to created similar identifying monuments for the different regions and did so with fountains: the fountains of Rome. They were all done by the same architect and have unifying elements together with symbols relevant to each particular region of Rome. Here is the fountain for the area of Sant’Eustachio (Region 8). It is built into the side of the old seat of "La Sapienza", the great University of Rome. This is why you books. You also see the head of the stage, symbol of the region.

We just don’t know much for sure about St. Eustace. He might have been a 2nd c. martyr who had been in the Roman army during the time of Trajan. While hunting, he saw a vision of Jesus between the horns of a stag and converted, taking the baptismal name of Eustachius. After various adventures, he was killed during the time of Hadrian with his wife and children, by being roasted alive inside the abovementioned bronze ox.

St. Eustace is a patron of hunters and his story is somewhat conflated with St. Hubert. He is included in the list of the 14 so-called Auxilliary Saints, or "Holy Helpers".

Over at Argent we find a blurb about Sant’Eustachio (St. Eustace) and companions from, as he writes, The Roman Martyrology.  Here is his offering:

From the Roman Martyrology: At Rome, the holy martyrs Eustace, and Theopistes, his wife, with their two sons, Agapitus and Theopistus. Under Emperor Hadrian they were condemned to be cast to the beasts, but by the power of God they were uninjured by them, so they were shut up in a heated brazen ox, and thus completed their martyrdom.

This is clearly from an older edition of the MartRom.  The newest edition of 2004, has only this:

2. Romae, commemoratio sancti Eustachii, martyris, cuius nomen colitur in antiqua diaconia Urbis. ... At Rome, the commemoration of Saint Eustace, martyr, whose name is honored at the ancient diaconal (titular church) of the City (of Rome).

You can see what is going on.  In the newer, 2004 edition there was a choice to eliminate some of the more "hagiographical" elements that crept into earlier editions.  You can decide for yourselves if that was a good choice or not.  In any event, this whole thing reminds us to identify which edition we are dealing with.  I think it is sometimes assumed that when something is cited, the most recent edition is being used.  

 

By the way… what is with the "brazen ox" thing?   When the thing was heated and the poor person inside began to suffer, his or her moans would resonate inside and the ox would seem to bellow.  Great entertainment for banquets, etc.