We hear from the letter to the Hebrews in our first reading today. Although it was accepted into the canon of Sacred Scripture in the early Church as a letter attributed to St Paul, most modern biblical scholars believe that this letter is dated much later than St Paul, and thus is now attributed to an unknown author in the early Church. Today’s reading tackles a difficult topic, of Jesus’ suffering while he was here on earth. The author of the letter states that we, who are subject to Jesus, who give him honor and glory as is fitting, in the midst of our own suffering, see how Jesus was subject to suffering while he was here with us on earth. The early Church first read this letter in a time of great trial and persecution. Through our faith, we see how that by stating that Jesus was made “perfect through sufferings,” the author means that Jesus was consecrated by obedient suffering. Because he is perfected as high priest, Jesus is then able to consecrate us as his people.
Felix of Nola, who died around the year 260 AD, is the saint we celebrate today. He was a priest in Nola near Naples in Italy. He sold off his possessions to give his resources to the poor, but was arrested and tortured for his Christian faith during the persecutions of the Roman emperor. He became well known through the writings of St Paulinus of Nola. We often do not know a lot about the martyrs of the early Church, but in a time when many Christians suffered persecution, their example of faith of how they gave up their lives for Christ spoke very profoundly to the Christians of that era.
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