May 16 — Saint John. Nepomucen, Martyr

To the Martyrs who were slain because they refused to adore false gods, — to the Martyrs whose blood was shed by heretics, — there is added, to-day, another brave soldier of Christ, who won his crown in a very different sorb of combat. The Sacrament of Penance whereby sinners regain the heaven they had lost, claims John Nepomucen as its glorious defender. between God and the Penitent. This Sacramental Secrecy deserved to have its Martyr. When Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Penance, — that second Baptism, wherein the Blood of our Redeemer washes away the sins of the Christian soul, — he willed that man should not be deterred from confessing his humiliations to his spiritual physician, by the fear of their ever being revealed. How many hidden martyrdoms have there not been, during these eighteen hundred years, for the maintenance of this Secret, which, whilst it gives security to the Penitent, exposes the Confessor to obloquy, injustice, and even death ! But the Martyr we honour to-day, was not one of these hidden sufferers. His testimony to the inviolability of the Sacramental Seal was public; he gave it amidst cruel tortures ; it cost him his life.

Ail praise, then, to the brave and faithful Priest ! Bight worthy was he to hold in his hands the Keys shrouds the reconciliation made

MAY 16. ST. JOHN NEPOMUCEN. that open or shut the gate of heaven ! In this great fact of the observance of the Seal of Confession, on which depends the salvation of millions of souls, we have a permanent miracle. But there was one thing wanting to it, — the glory of Martyrdom. The holy Priest of Prague gave it that glory ; and he offers the fair Palm to our Risen Jesus, whom we have seen, during these days between his Resurrection and Ascension, mercifully instituting the Sacrament of Penance, wherein he communicates to men his own power of forgiving sin.

We subjoin the Lessons approved of by the Holy See for the feast of this great Martyr.

John was born at Nepomuk, a town in Bohemia,(f rom which he took the name of Nepvmwcend and of parents who were advanced in years. His future sanctity was foretold by the appearance of bright rays miraculously shining over the house wherein he was born. When an infant, he was seized with a dangerous illness ; but was delivered from death by the protection of the Blessed Virgin, to whom his parents considered themselves indebted for his birth. He was blessed with an excellent disposition, and received a pious training, in keeping with the indications given from heaven. He spent his boyhood in the practice of religious exercises ; among which it was his delight to be frequently at the Church, and serve the Priests when saying Mass. He went through

Joannes Nepomuci Bohemias oppido, unde Nepomuceni cognomen duxit, a parentibus aetate provectis, non sine futurae sanctitatis praesagio, flam mis supra nascentis domum mirabiliter coilucentibus, ortus est Quum infans in gravem morbum incidisset, beat® Virginis ope, cui natum parentes referebant acceptum, e vitas periculo evasit incolumis. Egregia indole, piaque institutione ccelestibus indiciis obsequente, inter sanctas religiosasque exercitationes pueritiam egit : nam ecclesiam frequenter adire, ac sacerdotibus ad aras operantibus ministrare in deliciis habebat Zatecii politioribus litteris ad Lumanitatem informatus, Pragaa vero gravioribus disci plinis excultus, philosophise, theologiae, sacrorumque canonum magisterium et lauream emeruit.

Sacerdotio initiatus atque a scientia sanctorum ad lucra animarum rite comparatus, n» ministerio verbi Dei se penitus addixit. Quum igitur ology, in vitiis exstirpandis, et revocandis in viam salutis errantibus, eloquentia et pietate uberes ederet fructus, inter canonicos metropolitanse Ecclesiae Pragensis cooptatus, mox sibi deman- In datam Evangelii coram rege elo- Wenceslao Quarto praedi- (juence excandi provinciam suscepit, tirpated vice eo successu ut Joannjs suasu ners salvamulta rex faceret, magnoque tion, in honore ejus virtutes haberet. Conspicuas tamen, quas ille obtulit, dignitates Dei servu, ne a divini verbi Wenceslaus prseconio avocaretur, constantissime recusavit, his humanities at Zatek, and the higher studies at Prague, where he took . degrees in Philosophy, Theand Canon law. He was ordained Priest ; and being, by his prohciency in the science of the Saints, well fitted for gaining souls, he devoted himself entirely to preaching the word of God. consideration of the great fruits produced by his and piety, which and brought sinback to the way of he was made a Canon of the Metropolitan Church of Prague. Being afterwards chosen as Preacher to King the Fourth, he so far succeeded, that the King did many things through his

Regiis ilium eleemosynis in pauperes erogandis pwefectum, Joanna regina conscientise sibi moaeratorem spiadscivit. Quum autem Wen- Wenceslaus ceslaus ab officio institutoque decessisset, atque in vitia praBceps abriperetur, vero conjugis obtestapones et monita gravate ferret, contendere ausus est ut in sacramentali judicio sacerdoti credita reginse ar- John's cana sibi a Joanne Pande- Dei minister, sacrablanditiis primum, tormenmi- advice, and had a great regard for his virtue. He offered him several high dignities ; but the Saint peremptorily refused to accept them, fearing that they would interfere with his preachiDg the divine word. He was intrusted with the distribution of the royal alms to the poor, and Queen Jane chose him as her own ritual director. having eiven himself up to vices, which disgraced both his kingly and christian pise character, and being displeased at the entreaties and counsels of his wife, be even dared to insist on revealing to him the secrets, told to him as Priest, rentur. At by the queen in the ment of Penance. The

MAT 16. ST. JOHN NEPOMUCEN. deinde et carceris squatentatus, nefariae regis fortiter obstitit Furentem tamen Wenceslai animum quum ab execranproposito nec humana nec divina jura deterrerent, supremum agonem, quern sibi athleta Christi noverat, populo in condone de impendentibus etiam regni calamitatibus admonon obscure praenuntiavit. Mox Boleslaviam ad beatae imaginem antiquo cultu celebrem, cceleste praesidium ad certandum bonum certamen effusis ploravit. Inde vespere revertentem in pervigilio minicae Ascensionis, rex e conspicatus arcessit ; quumque vehementius et proximam in aquis, si obluctari pergeret, Joannes invicta constantia vit. Itaque, regis imperio, Moldavam, flumen Pradejectus, illustrem martyrii coronam est consecutus. com- nister of God courageously tis resisted the King's impious lore request, and neither bribes, cupiditati nor tortures, nor imprisonment, could make him yield. Seeing that the do King had got to such a pitch of rage that the laws of neither man nor God instare made him relent, the soldier of Christ plainly foretold in one of his sermons, his own approaching death, and nito, the calamities that were to befal the kingdom. He prof ect us, Virgin is then set out for Buntzel, where is kept an image of the Blessed Virgin that has been venerated for cenprecious imturies : he there, in fervent prayer, implored heaven to Dogrant him the assistance he needed, in order to fight fenestra the good fight. As he was returning home, on the urgeret, evening before the Vigil of the Ascension, the King, submersion em intentaret, who was standing at the palace window, saw him, terrores minasque refutaand sent him word that he was to repair to the King, in The King was more than gam interfluens, noctu ever urgent in his demand, and threatened John with immediate drowning, if he continued to refuse pliance. The saint was not to be conquered, and showed the King that he was not afraid of his threats. Wherefore, by the King's orders, he was thrown that same night, into the river Moldaw, which flows through Prague ; and John obtained the glorious crown of martyrdom.

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Sacrilegum facinus clam patratum et martyris glo- "iam insigne prodigium divinitus patefecit. Ubi enim exanime corpus secundo flumine vehi coepit, ardentes faces aquis supernatantes et discurrentes apparuerunt. Quamobrem ex arena postridie mane corpus elatum canonici deinde, regis iram nihil timentes, in metropolitanam ecclesiam solemni pompa intulerunt, et sepulturae mandarunt Quum autem in dies invicti sacerdotis memoria miraculis et maxima lidelium, eorum praecipue qui fama periclitantur, veneratione cresceret, post anuos demum amplius trecentos, in juridicarecognitione corporis, quod sub humo tarndiu jacuerat, lingua ejus incorrupta et vivida reperta est : quae, sexto post anno judicious a Sede Apostolica delegatis exhibita, novo prodigio repente intumuit, et subobscurum ruborem in purpureumcommutavit. His itaque aliisque signis rite probatis, Benedictus Decimus tertius, Pontifex Maximus, die decima nona mensis Martii, anno salutis millesimo septingentesimo vigesimo nono, primum hunc sacramentalis sigilli assertorem, arcani fidem sanguine obsignantem, sanctorum martyrum catalogo adscripsit.

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The sacrilegious crime, thus privately committed, was miraculously revealed, as was also the Martyr's great glory. For as soon as life was extinct, and the corpse began to float down the stream, flaming torches were seen following on the surface of the water. The next morning, the Canons went and took the body from the sand on which it lay, and heedless of the King's displeasure, they had it carried, with much solemnity, to the metropolitan Church, and gave it burial. The memory of this courageous Priest became gradually most venerable, both by the miracles that were wrought, and by the devotion of the Faithful,— of those especially whose good name is injured by evil report. After upwards of three hundred years, a juridical examination was made of his body (which, during all the time, had lain under the ground), and his tongue was found to be incorrupt and as though it were that of a living man. Six years later on, the tongue was shown to judges delegated by the Apostolic See ; when, by a fresh miracle, it immediately resumed the fulness of life, and, from being of a brownish colour, it became perfectly red. These and other miracles having been authentically proved, he was canonised by Pope Benedict the Thirteenth, on the nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord 1729, as the defender of the Sacramental Seal, and the first

MAY 16. ST. JOHN NEPOMUCEN.

Martyr that shed his blood for the maintenance of its holy secrecy.

How great, O glorious Martyr, was the honour reserved for thee by the Son of God, when he chose thee to be the one, who was to attest, by laying down his life, the sacredness of the secret which protects the Sacrament of Penance ! Other Priests, as well as thyself, have bravely suffered persecution for the sake of the secrecy of the mystery of Reconciliation ; but thou wast the one chosen by heaven to give a solemn testimony of priestly discretion. Thy sufferings were known to more than to Angels : thy Martyrdom was a public one, and the Faithful honour thy courage as an eloquent proof of how truly our good Shepherd, Jesus, removes every difficulty that could deter the strayed sheep from returning to the fold.

We address ourselves to thee, O holy Martyr, on this the day of thy triumph, and we beg of thee to intercede for sinners. Admirable minister of the Sacrament of Penance ! thou seest how many Christians there are, who neglect to avail themselves of the means of salvation prepared for them by our Risen Saviour. Instead of laying hold of this " second plank after shipwreck," they let themselves be carried on to the deep abyss by the tide of their sinful habits. There are thousands, who have turned a deaf ear, even this Easter, to the call of holy Church, who invited them, as an affectionate Mother, to approach the Tribunal of mercy and Reconciliation. We beseech thee, intercede for these blind, these unwary, these ungrateful men. Get them that grace, which will lead thern to the feet of the God of Mercy, who is ever ready to grant pardon.

There are others, again, who go to Confession, but who have not the dispositions requisite for receiving

PASCHAL TIME. the grace of the Sacrament, — the justification of their souls. Pray also for these, that they may see the danger they thus incur of profaning the Blood of Christ. Obtain for all them who approach the holy Tribunal, an honest avowal of their sins, and contrition of heart ; that thus the life of our Risen Jesus may be imparted to them, and that they may neve* again lose it. By athy powerful intercession, raise up zealous and faithful ministers of this great Sacrament, of which thou wast the Martyr. Draw down on their arduous labour the blessing of heaven : — then will the number of the children of God be in* creased, and the grace of the Holy Ghost triumph in souls that have long been dead in sin.

Cast, too, an eye of compassion on thy fatherland of Bohemia, where there are so many Faithful hearts that love and honour thee. Alas ! there are tares which disfigure that portion of the Church. The enemy came, not many years after thy glorious martyrdom, and sowed the baneful weeds of heresy in thy native land. The good seed claims thy protection ; but take pity also on the cockle, for even it may be turned, by the True Faith, into wheat, and be garnered into the House of our Heavenly Father. Secure to thy Bohemia the peace of which an ambitious diplomacy is now seeking to deprive her, and save her from the snares tnat are being laid for her.