February 6 — Saint Dorothy

Dorothea virgo, in Caesarea Cappadociae, propter Christi confessionem, ab Apricio illius provinciae praefecto comprehensa, Crystae et Callistae sororibus, quae a fide defecerant, tradita est, ut earn a proposito removerent. Sed ipsa reduxit eas ad finem, propter quam in cupam missae et incens sunt. Dorotheam vero jussit praeses in catasta levari ; quae dixit ad ilium : Numquam in tota vita mea sic laetata sum sicut hodie. Turn ad ejus latera lampades ardentes apponi, dein faciem diutissime caedi, tandem caput gladio percuti praeses imperat.

Ea porro dum duceretur ad supplicium dicente : Gratias tibi, amator animarum, qui me ad paradisum tuum vocasti, Theophilus quidam praesidis advocatus irridens : Eia tu, inquit, sponsa Christi, mitte mihi de paradiso sponsi tui mala, aut rosas. Et Dorothea respondit: Et plane ita faciam. Gum ante ictum breviter precari permissa esset, pulchra specie puer ante earn apparuit, ferens in orario tria mala, et tres rosas. Cui ilia ait : Gbsecro ut feras ea Theophilo.

The holy virgin Dorothy, of Cesarea in Cappadocia, was apprehended by Apricius, the governor of that province, for professing the faith of Christ. She was put under the care of her two sisters, Chrysta and Callista, who had apostatized from the faith, and would be able to shake the resolute constancy of Dorothy. But she brought them back to the faith, for which they were burnt to death in a cauldron. The governor ordered Dorothy to be hoisted on the rack, and she said to him, as she lay upon it : * Never in my whole life have I felt such joy, as I do to-day.' Then the governor ordered the executioners to burn her sides with lighted lamps, and beat her for a very long time on the face, and finally behead her with the sword.

While she was being led to the place of execution, she said: I give thee thanks, O thou lover of our souls, that thou callest me to thy paradise 1' Theophilus, one of the governor's officers, hearing her words, laughed, and said to her : ' Hear me, bride of Christ ! I'll ask thee to send me some apples and roses from this paradise of thy Spouse.' Dorothy replied : ' Well, and so I will.' Before she was beheaded, she was allowed a moment for prayer ; when lo ! a beautiful child

SEPTUAGESIMA

Et mox gladio percussa perrexit ad Christum.

Igitur cum Theophilus irridens, promissionem sanctae Dorothese sodalibus narraret, ecce puer ante eum cum orario, in quo ferens tria mala magnifica, et tres rosas elegantissimas, dixit ei : En sicut petenti promisit virgo sacratissima Dorothea, transmisit hsec tibi de paradiso sponsi sui. Turn Theophilus stupens, quod esset Februarius, et gelu cuncta rigerent, ea accepit, atque exclamavit : Vere Deus Christus est. Sicque palam fidem Christi professus, gravissimum quoque pro ea martyrium strenue pertulit. came to her, bringing with him in a napkin three apples and three roses. She said to him : 4 Take them, I pray thee, to Theophilus.' Then <the executioner struck her head off with his sword, and her soul fled to Christ.

While Theophilus was jocosely telling his fellows the promise made him by Dorothy, he sees a boy bringing him in a napkin three fine apples, and three most lovely roses, who, as he gave them, said: 'Lo! the most holy virgin Dorothy sends thee, as she promised, these gifts from the paradise of her Spouse.' Theophilus was beside himself with surprise, for it was February, and the frost most sharp ; but taking the gifts he exclaimed : ' Christ is truly God 1' He openly professed the Christian faith, and courageously suffered for the same a most painful martyrdom.

The missals and breviaries of the Middle Ages contain several pieces in honour of St. Dorothy. The following is one that was used in Germany, and is most appropriate for the season of Septuagesima.

SEQUENCE

Psallat concors symphonia,

Laudes pangat harmonia,

Cum sonora melodia Cordisque tripudio.

In hoc festo laetabundo Dorothese, corde mundo,

Let tuneful instruments breathe forth concordant strains, and harmony sound forth her praise, and we, with joyous heart, sing sweet melodious hymns.

'Tis the pure-hearted Dorothy's happy feast ; let our

FEBRUARY 6. ST. DOROTHY

Sono plaudat vox jucundo Neumatum praeludio.

Generosa Christi verna Labe carens, et lucerna Mundo lucens, ac pincerna, Vina donans mystic a.

Paradisi tu colona, Quae pro malo reddis bona,

Scribae mittis coeli dona Eosas, mala pistica.

Vitam ducens angelorum, Dum in carne praeter forum

Carnis vivis, spernis torum

Viri propter Dominum.

Martyr Christi quae profanos

Deos sternis, ac paganos Fide vestis, et sic sanos

Mores facis hominum. Tota manens speciosa,

Velut rubens fragrans rosa, Ad conflicturn roborosa,

Minante Fabricio.

Vinculata carceraris, In catasta cruciaris,

Vultu caesa flagellaris, Omni carens vitio.

Gens perversa malae spei Quam dum doces verbum Dei,

Lumen tuae faciei Conterit cum baculis.

Furens auget tormentales Poenas saevas et lethales,

Dum mamillas virginales Tuas cremat faculis.

Supplicamus : nos tuere Et peccata fac timere,

Martyr sancta, confer verae

Tempus poenitentiae. Virgo bona, crimen terge, glad voices, led on by the organ's peal, proclaim her praise.

0 noble and sinless handmaid of Christ ! 0 bright lamp shining to the whole world ! O cup-bearer, that profferest us rich mystic wines !

Child of paradise, that payest evil with good, and givest to thine enemy roses and fragrant apples of heaven.

Thou leadest the life of an angel, and whilst in the flesh, livest not according to the flesh ; scorning to be spouse of man, because betrothed to Christ.

Thou art his martyr too, trampling on the pagan gods ; and, giving faith to infidels, convertest them from madness to wisdom.

Bed fragrant rose ! nothing could impair thy beauty. Fabricius may threaten what he lists, thou hast a heart brave enough for all.

Chains and prisons, racks and buffets, thou sufferest all, yet innocent, deserving none.

Wicked men, whose hopes Were bent on evil, beat thy beaming face, for that thou darest to teach them the word of God.

But they could increase their tortures, keen and deadly as they were ; furiously, then, they burn thy innocent breast.

0 holy martyr I we beseech thee, protect us, get us a fear of sin, and pray that time be given us for true repentance.

Kind virgin ! pray for us

SEPTUAGESIMA

Victum dona, mores rege, that our sins be cleansed, our Ne damneniur gravi lege souls be nourished with grace,

Causa negligentise. our lives well regulated, that so we be not condemned for negligence by God's dread law of justice.

Sponsa Christi Dorothea, O Dorothy, thou spouse of Tua nos virtute bea, Christ ! may thy merits draw

Ut purgata mente rea, down his blessing upon us ; Digni simus prsemio. and we be found worthy of the reward that he gives to those whose souls are free from sin.

Deum nobis fac placatum, Bender our Lord propitious Ut post hujus incolatum, to us, and beseech him to give

Sed et locum det optatum us, after our sojourn here, the In coelesti gremio. longed-for place of rest in the

Amen. bosom of his heaven. Amen.

Thy promises, 0 Dorothy, are faithful as thyself. In the garden of thy heavenly Spouse, thou forgettest not the exiles on earth. How fortunate was Theophilus to have had one of thy promises ! He asked for fruits and flowers ; he received them, and with them the richer gifts of faith and perseverance, which we r also would now ask thee to send us. Thou knowest our wants. We want courage to conquer the world and our passions ; we want the grace of conversion ; we want the spirit of penance, without which we can never reach that N heaven of our vocation, where we are to be thy companions in bliss. Promise us thy prayers, and we shall not fail. And on the grand day of Easter we are preparing for, our souls, having been purified in the Blood of the Lamb, will be as fragrant as the fruits and as fair as the flowers thou didst send to a pagan, whose prayer was less confident than ours.