Saint Eusebius, Bishop of Vercelli[370a.d.]

Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources | 1894 | John Gilmary Shea

[Lady In Blue]

Spiritual Bouquet: Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in the time of His visitation. I Pet 5:6

"Saint Eusebius"

SAINT EUSEBIUS
Bishop of Vercelli
ca. 370)

Saint Eusebius was born of a noble family on the island of Sardinia, where his father is said to have died in prison for the Faith. He was brought up in Rome in the practice of piety, and studied in Vercelli, a city of Piedmont. Eusebius was ordained a priest there, and served the Church of Vercelli with such zeal that when the episcopal chair became vacant he was unanimously chosen, by both clergy and people, to fill it.

The holy bishop saw that the best and principal means to labor effectually for the edification and sanctification of his people was to have a zealous clergy. Saint Ambrose assures us that he was the first bishop who in the West united the monastic life with the clerical, living and having his clergy live almost like the monks of the East in the deserts. They shared a common life of prayer and penance, in a single residence, that of the bishop, as did the clergy of Saint Augustine in his African see. Saint Eusebius was very careful to instruct his flock in the maxims of the Gospel. The force of the truth which he preached, together with his example, brought many sinners to a change of life.

When a Council was held in Italy, under the influence of the Emperor Constans and the Arian heretics, with the intention of condemning Saint Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, Saint Eusebius courageously resisted the heretics. He attempted to have all present sign the Nicene Creed, but the paper was torn out of his hands and his pen was broken. With Saint Dionysus of Milan, he refused to sign the condemnation of the bishop of Alexandria. The Emperor therefore had him banished to Scythopolis in Palestine with Saint Dionysus of Milan, then to Cappadocia, where Saint Dionysus died; and finally he was taken to the Upper Thebaid in Egypt, where he suffered grievously. The Arians of these places loaded him with outrages and treated him cruelly, and Saint Eusebius confounded them wherever they were.

At the death of Constans in 361, he was permitted to return to his diocese, where he continued to combat Arianism, concertedly with Saint Hilarion of Poitiers. He has been called a martyr in two panegyrics appended to the works of Saint Ambrose. Two of his letters, written from his dungeons, are still extant, the only ones of his writings which have survived. One is addressed to his church, the other to the bishop of Elvira to encourage him to oppose a fallen heretic and not fear the power of princes. He died in about the year 370. His relics are in a shrine in the Cathedral of Vercelli.

Sources: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler’s Lives of the Saints and other sources, by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894); Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 14.

[Lady In Blue]

From a letter by Saint Eusebius of Vercelli,bishop

I have run the race; I have kept the faith

Dearly beloved, I know now that you are safe,as I was hoping, and I felt that I had paid you a visit, by being suddenly transported over the face of the earth like Habakkuk, when the angel brought him to Daniel. When I receive a letter from one of you and see in your writings your goodness and love, joy mingles with tears, and my desire to continue reading is checked by my weeping.Both emotions are inescapable, as they vie with each other in discharging their duty of affections,when such a ltter satisfies my longing for you.

Days pass in this way as I imagine myself in conversation with you, and so I forget my past sufferings.Consolations surround me on all sides:your firm faith,your love,your good works. In the midst of so many great blessings I soon imagine myself in your company, in exile no longer.

Dearly beloved, I rejoice in your faith, in the salvation that comes from faith, in your good works,which are not confined to your own surroundings byt spread far and wide. Like a farmer tending a sound tree, untouched by ax or fire because of its fruit, I want not only to serve you in the body, good people that you are, but also to give my life for your well-being.

Somehow or other I have managed with difficulty to complete this letter. I asked God constantly to keep the guards away hour by hour, and to allow the deacon to bring you some kind of greeting in writing, not simply news of my suffering.So I beg you to keep the faith with all vigilance, to preserve harmony, to be earnest in prayer, to remember me always, so that the Lord may grant freedom to his Church which is suffering throughout the world, and that I may be set free from the sufferings that weigh upon me, and so be able to rejoice with you.

I also ask and beseech you in God's mercy, that each one of you should add his own name to the greeting in this letter. Of necessity I cannot write to each of you as was my custom.So in this letter I ask you all-brothers and holy sisters, sons and daughters, men and women, old and young-to be content with this greeting and to be good enough to give my respectful good wishes to those who are outside the community and are kind enough to be my friends.

[Lady In Blue]

ping

[Lady In Blue]

ping

[JMJ333]

Ah hah! Now I have it right! Thanks for both threads. I love reading about the saints and love your graphics and hard work. Bless you!

[JMJ333]

Mwahahahah...I get my own special ping! thphphphphphp! LOL

[JMJ333]

Post 5 was meant for you, but in my excitement at teasing you forgot to type in your name. LOL

[Lady In Blue]

You're welcome,JMJ333!

[Lady In Blue]

Mwahahahah...I get my own special ping! thphphphphphp! LOL

hehehehe!

[JMJ333]

=)))

[Salvation]

I was so impressed with St. Eusebius in the narrative about him that I posted in the Daily Readings Thread.

Pope Liberius also noticed his abilities and sent him on a mission to the Emperor Constantius to try to resolve the troubles between Arians and Catholics. Seeming to agree, Constantius convened a council in Milan in 355. The powerful Arians however weren't there to talk but to force their own will on the others. A horrified Eusebius watched as his worst fears were confirmed and the Arians made this peace council into a condemnation of Saint Athanasius, their chief opponent. Eusebius, unafraid of their power, slapped the Nicene Creed down on the table and demanded that everyone sign that before condemning Athanasius. The Nicene Creed, adopted by a council of the full Church, proclaims that Jesus is one in being with the Father -- directly contradicting the Arian teaching.

[Salvation]

Saint Eusebius, help us to have a desire to learn more about our faith, the wisdom to discern the truth, and the strength to defend it. Amen

[JMJ333]

Bump for #11. Awesome prayer!

[Lady In Blue]

Wow! Wasn't he something?! We could sure use a Eusebius today that's for sure!

[nickcarraway]

We have to remember the courage of the early Christians. They put their life on the line all the time. And they didn't lose faith, when everyone around them fell into error. Especially important to remember.

[EODGUY]

And you deserve it.

EODGUY

[Salvation]

Bumping for today, 8-02-03

[Lady In Blue]

Thanks for bumping this thread and the one on St Peter along! I'm pretty sure I didn't bookmark either one and I was thinking about putting new threads on them in but I was on the main political threads so long my eyes were tired. Thanks again.

[nickcarraway]

BUMP

[Salvation]

Saint of the Day Ping!

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[Salvation]

BTTT on 08-02-05, Optional Memorial of St. Eusebius of Vercelli.