[Rank]
S. S. Eusebii Episcopi Martyris;;Semiduplex;;2.5;;vide C2

[Rule]
vide C2;
9 lectiones;

[Oratio]
God, who year by year dost gladden us by the solemn feast day of thy Blessed~
Martyr and Bishop Eusebius, mercifully grant that we who keep his birthday, may~
ever feel the joyful effects of his protection.
$Per Dominum

[Lectio4]
Eusebius was a Sardinian by birth, first a Reader in the Roman Church, and then~
Bishop 'of Vercelli. It seemed specially designed by Providence that he should~
be called to govern that Church, for the electors, who had never before known~
him, passed over, with a strange unanimity, all their own fellow-citizens, and~
chose Eusebius, as soon as they had seen him. He was the first Bishop in the~
Western Church who established an Order of Regular Clergy, to combine the active~
with the contemplative life. At this time the storm of Arian blasphemy and sin~
was sweeping far and wide over the West, and Eusebius set himself to fight~
against it so manfully, that his unshaken faith brought back Liberius again to~
life and hope. This Pope, knowing that the Spirit of God was in him, sent him~
with his Legates to the Emperor Constantius, (in the year 354,) to plead the~
cause of the Catholic Faith. His earnestness prevailed with that Prince, so that~
he obtained all that was asked for, and, among other things, permission for a~
Council to be summoned.

[Lectio5]
The year following, the Council met at Milan, and Eusebius, by the invitation of~
the Emperor, and the desire and command of the Papal Legates, attended. Here the~
Arians, assembled in a perfect synagogue of Satan, and all furiously raging~
together against holy Athanasius, found Eusebius one of the stoutest enemies of~
their faction. As soon as he entered the Council, he delivered a long harangue,~
wherein he remarked that, of those there gathered together, some were~
notoriously defiled with heresy, and therefore he proposed that everyone should~
first of all subscribe the Nicene Creed, before proceeding to any other~
business. The Arians, in a violent passion, refused, whereupon he on his part~
refused to subscribe any proceedings against Athanasius, and even skilfully~
procured the withdrawal of the signature of the holy martyr Denys, then Bishop~
of Milan, which they had lyingly procured by practising on his simplicity. The~
Arians were now entirely enraged, and, after many persecutions, procured a~
decree of banishment against Eusebius. The Saint shook off the dust of his feet~
against them, and, defying alike the threats of Cassar and the drawn swords of~
the soldiery, accepted the sentence as one of the dignities of his office. He~
was sent to Bethshan in the Holy Land, suffering hunger, thirst, stripes, and~
all manner of violence, but for the Faith's sake he despised this life, and~
feared not death, but freely delivered his body to the tormentors.

[Lectio6]
He wrote a solemn letter from Bethshan, addressed to the clergy and people of~
Vercelli and that neighbourhood, full of constancy, devotion, and piety,~
describing the frightful cruelty and brazen impudence of the Arians. From this~
letter we know how completely they failed to scare him by their threats and~
their inhuman brutality, or to seduce him by their serpent-like cunning into~
receiving their communion. In consequence of his unshaken resolution, he was~
moved from Bethshan into Cappadocia, and then again, to the deserts of Upper~
Egypt. He suffered exile until the death of Constantius, (in 361,) after which~
he was allowed to return to his flock. First, however, he took care to attend~
the Council at Alexandria, called to heal the wounds of the Church, and,~
afterwards, like a skilful physician, he made a progress through all the~
provinces of the East, strengthening those that were weak in the Faith, and~
confirming them in Christian doctrine. Then, with the same healthful results, he~
passed through Illyricum into Italy, who, at his coming, laid aside her garments~
of mourning. After his return, he published an expurgated edition of Origen's~
Commentary on the Psalms, and likewise of the works of Eusebius of Caesarea,~
both which he translated from Greek into Latin. At length, distinguished by all~
these great works, he passed to that crown of glory which fadeth not away,~
promised to them who suffer for the truth. He departed this present life at~
Vercelli, (in 371,) in the reign of Valentinian and Valens.

[Lectio94]
Eusebius was born in Sardinia a lector at Rome, and later bishop of Vercelli,~
fought so bravely against Arianism that his unconquerable faith supplied~
encouragement and new life to the Pope. Because of his profession of the~
Catholic faith, Eusebius was sent to Scythopolis by emperor Constantius, where~
he suffered hunger, thirst, beatings and many other kinds of torment. From there~
he was sent away to Cappadocia and endured hardships of exile until Constantius'~
death. When he was allowed to return to his own Church, Italy put off her~
garments of mourning. Here he published his own expurgated Latin translation of~
the Greek commentaries of Origen and those of Eusebius of Cesarea on all the~
psalms. At Vercelli, during the reign of Valentinian and Valens, he went to the~
Lord to receive the unfading crown of glory earned by his great labors and~
hardship.
&teDeum

