Optional Memorial of Saints Marcellinus and Peter, Martyrs
Saints Marcellinus and Peter are revered as martyrs in the Christian tradition, celebrated for their steadfast faith and ultimate sacrifice during the early years of the Church. Their story unfolds in a time marked by intense persecution of Christians under the Roman Empire.
Marcellinus, a priest, and Peter, an exorcist, served the Christian community with dedication during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, around the early 4th century. They were known for their profound compassion, unwavering commitment to their faith, and their efforts to comfort and convert others, even in the face of adversity.
According to tradition, their paths crossed when both were imprisoned for their beliefs. In the dark confines of their cell, they continued to minister to fellow prisoners, spreading hope and fortifying the faith of those around them. Their courage and devotion did not go unnoticed, and they soon attracted the attention of their captors.
The two saints were subjected to severe torture in an attempt to make them renounce their faith, but they remained resolute. Eventually, they were led to execution in a secluded forest, in a bid to discourage public veneration. Yet, even in their final moments, they offered prayers for their executioners and all who persecuted them.
Their martyrdom was not in vain; it inspired many to embrace Christianity. Their bodies were later discovered and given a proper burial by a devoted Christian woman, Lucilla. This act of reverence helped to preserve their legacy and ensured that their story would be told for generations to come.
In recognition of their sacrifice, Saints Marcellinus and Peter are honored annually on June 2. Their legacy is a reminder of the power of faith and the enduring spirit of those who stand firm in their beliefs, despite the greatest of trials. Their lives and martyrdom continue to inspire countless individuals in their spiritual journeys, symbolizing the triumph of faith over persecution.
Reading 1
Brothers and sisters:
In everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God,
through much endurance, in afflictions, hardships,
constraints, beatings, imprisonments, riots,
labors, vigils, fasts;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,
in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech,
in the power of God;
with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left;
through glory and dishonor, insult and praise.
We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (7) Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.
Had not the LORD been with usB
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive
When their fury was inflamed against us.
R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;
The torrent would have swept over us;
over us then would have swept
the raging waters.
R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.
Gospel
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed, saying:
"Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.
When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,
and I guarded them, and none of them was lost
except the son of destruction,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you.
I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely.
I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep them from the Evil One.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
And I consecrate myself for them,
so that they also may be consecrated in truth."