[Rank]
Ss. Alexandri et Sociorum Martyrum;;Simplex;;1.1;;vide C3

[Rule]
vide C3;

[Ant 2]
Come forth, * O ye daughters of Jerusalem, and behold the martyrs with the~
crowns where with the Lord crowned them in the day of His feasting and of His~
gladness. Alleluia, Alleluia.

[Versum 2]
V. Precious in the sight of the Lord. Alleluia.
R. Is the death of His Saints. Alleluia.

[Oratio]
Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who do keep the birthday of thy~
holy servants Alexander, Eventius, Theodulus, and Juvenal, may by their prayers~
be delivered from all evils that presently hang over us.
$Per Dominum.

[Lectio94]
Alexander was a Roman, who ruled the Church during the reign of the Emperor~
Hadrian. He turned to Christ a great number of the Roman nobility. He ordained~
that nothing but bread and wine should be offered at the mystery, but that some~
water should be mingled with the wine, in memory of the Blood and Water Which~
flowed from the Side of Jesus Christ. He added to the Canon of the Mass the~
words " Who, the night before He suffered." He also ordained that blessed~
water mingled with salt, should be kept always in Churches, and should be used~
in private rooms to scare away devils. He sat in the throne of Peter ten years,~
five months, and twenty days. He hath great renown on account of the holiness of~
his life, and the usefulness of his institutions. He was crowned with martyrdom,~
(in the year 119,) together with the Priests Eventius and Theodulus, and was~
buried beside the Nomentan Way, at the third mile-stone from the city, in the~
same place where he had been beheaded. During his Popedom he held divers Advent~
ordinations, and at them ordained six Priests, two Deacons, and five Bishops for~
divers places. The bodies of these three Martyrs, Alexander, Eventius, and~
Theodulus, were afterwards brought into the city, and buried in the Church of St~
Sabina. On this day likewise, (about the year 367,) occurred the blessed death~
of Juvenal, the holy Bishop of Narni, who by the holiness of his life and~
teaching, became the father in Christ of so many of the dwellers in that city.~
He fell asleep very peacefully, with great fame for miracles, and was there~
honourably buried.
&teDeum
