Saints Vincent and Anastatius, Martyrs, January 22nd

Saints Vincent and Anastatius, Martyrs, January 22^nd

Vincent was a deacon of Saragossa in Spain, who suffered great tortures and death in the year 304 at Valencia, supposedly on January 22^nd. At a very early date his fame spread abroad through Christendom, and he hath ever since been honored as one of the noblest of the early Martyrs. The Acts of blessed Vincent were already extant by the time of Saint Augustine, who said in a sermon on this Martyr that they lay before him as he preached ; and the poet Prudentius wrote of him. From such written Acts and poetry his history took its present form, which is one of the treasures of Christian culture. * The history of St. Vincent runs thus. The Bishop of Saragossa had an impediment in his speech, for which reason the Deacon Vincent did the preaching. And in the persecution of Dacian, Vincent spake for the Bishop and his followers at the judgement seat, whereat he was scourged, tormented on the rack, blistered on a grating over burning coals, torn with iron hooks, and his wounds cauterized with hot metal. He was then laid on potsherds, lest he should sleep from exhaustion. But as he lay in his dark cell, it was suddenly filled with glorious light. Then Dacian tried to seduce him from Christ by pretended kindness, and had him laid in a soft bed. But Vincent, who had suffered beyond human endurance, thereupon passed at once to his Master whom he had loved so bravely. Whereat his body was thrown out unburied. But a raven came and guarded it, and by beak, claws, and wings kept off other birds, and even a wolf. Dacian then had the body thrown into the sea, which washed it up again. Then it was reverently buried by the Christians. His relicks are still venerated at Saragossa. * Anastasius was martyred on January 22^nd, in 628. The holy Cross carried away in Persia by Chosroes had this Anastasius as one of its trophies. He was a Persian, the son of a Magian and a soldier in the Persia army, who was made inquisitive regarding Christ by the controversies over the Cross, and so went to Jerusalem and learned Christ and became a monk. He was tortured at Caesarea, and then brought to Chosroes who was in Assyria, by whose orders he was strangled, then beheaded. His relicks were later taken to Rome, and laid in the Monastery of Saints Vincent and Anastasius.

Collect:

Assist us mercifully, O Lord, in these our supplications, that whereas we are tied and bound by the chain of our sins, the intercession of thy blessed Martyrs Vincent and Anastatius may speedily help and deliver us, through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.