This is an ancient fresco from the Roman Catacomb of Commodilla. The Mother of God is seated, with the early 4th century martyrs, Sts. Felix and Adauctus to left and right. There is a woman friend there as well on the left, in front of Felix. Some say she is Turtura, the lady who gave the gift of the painting. I like images like this - it's as if, before cameras existed, someone called everyone together for a group shot. It feels very friendly or familial.
The feast day of these two martyrs is still August 30, (this Thursday) though the liturgical commemoration was dropped in the calendar reforms of 1969. Too bad, there was something to learn.
Priest-Martyr Felix died in the early days of the Diocletian persecution (early 300's). Along the way to his death, an unknown Christian witnessed the saint's courage and called out, "I confess the same faith and the same Jesus Christ as this man. I too will sacrifice my life in the cause of Christ." The stranger was arrested at once and beheaded alongside Felix.
Apparently no one asked who this fellow was, and so they simply called him, Adauctus, which means the added one or today we'd say, Anonymous. What does it mean? "Anonymous" doesn't mean unseen or unknown to God. Anonymous matters. Additionally, it may mean that we can step into Adauctus' place, perhaps not in the literal sense, though in a world of evil deeds there are Christians being beheaded, but in the self-gift each day invites.
Thich Nhat Hanh is a venerable Buddhist monk who was a voice for peace during the Vietnam War. He lives at Plum Village in France still creating Wake Up communities, farms and retreats. The first world is in zombie mode - seemingly awake only to eating and shopping. Adauctus and Thich Nhat Hanh invite awake-ness and self-gift. Here's how the Buddhist monk frames it:
The feast day of these two martyrs is still August 30, (this Thursday) though the liturgical commemoration was dropped in the calendar reforms of 1969. Too bad, there was something to learn.
Priest-Martyr Felix died in the early days of the Diocletian persecution (early 300's). Along the way to his death, an unknown Christian witnessed the saint's courage and called out, "I confess the same faith and the same Jesus Christ as this man. I too will sacrifice my life in the cause of Christ." The stranger was arrested at once and beheaded alongside Felix.
Apparently no one asked who this fellow was, and so they simply called him, Adauctus, which means the added one or today we'd say, Anonymous. What does it mean? "Anonymous" doesn't mean unseen or unknown to God. Anonymous matters. Additionally, it may mean that we can step into Adauctus' place, perhaps not in the literal sense, though in a world of evil deeds there are Christians being beheaded, but in the self-gift each day invites.
Thich Nhat Hanh is a venerable Buddhist monk who was a voice for peace during the Vietnam War. He lives at Plum Village in France still creating Wake Up communities, farms and retreats. The first world is in zombie mode - seemingly awake only to eating and shopping. Adauctus and Thich Nhat Hanh invite awake-ness and self-gift. Here's how the Buddhist monk frames it:
Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy and happiness to ourselves and others.
Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We don't have to travel far away to enjoy the blue sky. We don't have to leave our city or even our neighborhood to enjoy the eyes of a beautiful child. Even the air we breathe can be a source of joy.
We can smile, breathe, walk, and eat our meals in a way that allows us to be in touch with the abundance of happiness that is available. We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive. Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy and serenity. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment.
