St. Eustace and His Companions
September 20
St. Eustace was a general in the army of the Emperor Trajan. Returning victorious from an expedition, he refused to thank the gods for this triumph. He and his wife and children were exposed to the lions. St. Eustace is one of the fourteen auxiliary saints.
Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers. — Gradual, Psalm 123
The Imitation of Christ
They hated their lives in this world, that they might keep them unto life eternal.
Ideal
A general in the Roman army, he fought battles for his emperor and risked his life for his empire, but when he was commanded to pour a grain of incense on the coals to honor the gods, he refused. He was martyred; also his wife and children.
Today
When someone says to you: “Come on, let’s do so-and-so,” what do you do? Find out today, if you are a tag-along or, if like St. Eustace, you obey when you should, and refuse to obey when you should refuse, regardless of consequences. If you find you are a tag-along, set about acquiring a head of your own.
Slogan
Be not as the dumb driven cattle; be a hero in the strife. — Longfellow
