http://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/St.%20Clement%20I%20and%20St.%20Felicity.html

Saint Clement I., Pope and Martyr
Father Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876



Whilst the holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, were preaching the Gospel at Rome, there came to them Clement, a son of Faustinus, who was related to the Emperor Domitian. After several discourses with St Peter, he saw the error of Paganism in which he had been born and educated, and became a convert to the Christian faith. He progressed so rapidly in virtue and holiness, that he was of great help to Paul in converting the heathen, as the holy Apostle testifies in his Epistle to the Philippians. The unwearied zeal he manifested in such holy endeavors, his purity and other bright virtues, raised him, after the death of Sts. Linus and Cletus, to the government of the entire Church of Christ.

In this elevated but burdensome dignity, his holy life was an example to his flock. He gave several excellent laws to the Church, by one of which he divided the city into seven districts, and placed in each a notary to record the deeds, virtues and martyrdom of those who were persecuted for Christ's sake, that posterity, admiring their heroism, might be animated to follow their example. His sermons were so full of deep thought and so powerful, that he daily converted several heathens. Among these was Flavia Domitilla, a niece of the Emperor Domitian, who not only became a zealous Christian, but refusing several advantageous offers of marriage, vowed her virginity to God. He converted Sisinius, one of the most influential men in the city, by a miracle. While yet a heathen, Sisinius went unseen into the secret chapel where the Christians assembled, in order to ascertain what they were doing, and to see whether his wife was among them. God, however, punished him immediately with blindness in both eyes. He discovered himself by calling for, some one to lead him home; and St. Clement, who was present, went to him, and, restoring his sight after a short prayer, he improved the occasion to explain to him the truths of Christianity.

Sisinius, being soon convinced, received holy baptism, and many heathens followed his example. The Emperor Trajan, being informed of this, commanded St. Clement to be banished to the Chersonesus, unless he consented to sacrifice to the gods. Nearly two thousand Christians had already been banished to that region, where they were forced to work in mines and quarries. The holy Vicar of Christ rejoiced to be thought worthy to suffer for his Divine Master, and indignantly refused to comply with the Emperor's command to worship the Pagan idols. He was accordingly transported, and condemned to labor like the others.

This fate at first seemed very hard to him, but the thought that he suffered it for Christ's sake, strengthened him. With the same thought he endeavored also to inspire his unhappy companions, when he saw that they became discouraged and lost their patience. He also frequently represented to them the reward which was awaiting them in heaven. A miracle that God performed through him raised him to great consideration even with the heathens.

There was a great scarcity of water; and the Christians suffered much from the thirst occasioned by their hard work. St. Clement, pitying them most deeply, prayed to God to help them. Rising from his knees, he saw, on a high rock, a lamb, which seemed, with his raised right foot, to point to the place where water could be found. The holy man, trusting in the Almighty, seized an axe, and, lightly striking the rock, procured a rich stream of clear water, which refreshed all the inhabitants of the country, especially the poor persecuted Christians. So many heathens were converted on account of this miracle, that, in the course of a year, almost all the idolatrous temples were torn down, and Christian churches erected in their stead.






Some of the idolatrous priests complained of this to the Emperor, who immediately sent Aufidian, a cruel tyrant, to force the Christians to forsake their faith, and to put St. Clement to death. The tyrant endeavored to induce the holy man to forsake Christ, but finding that all words were useless, he commanded the executioners to tie an anchor to the neck of St. Clement, take him out into the sea, and cast him into the deep, in order that nothing of him should remain to comfort the Christians. The last words of the holy Pope were: "Eternal Father! receive my spirit!"

The Christians, who had been encouraged by him to remain constant in their faith, stood on the sea-shore, until the tyrant and his followers had departed, after the death of the Saint. They then knelt in prayer, to beg of the Almighty that He would restore to them the body of their beloved shepherd; and, whilst they prayed, the sea began slowly to retreat from the shore. The Christians, following the retreating water, came to the place where the Saint had been cast into the sea, and found, to their inexpressible astonishment, a small marble chapel, and in it a tomb of stone, in which the body of the holy Pope was reposing. At his side lay the anchor which had been tied around his neck. The joy and comfort that filled the hearts of the faithful at this sight can more easily be imagined than described. They wished to take the holy body away, but God made known to them that, for the present, it should not be disturbed; and that every year the sea would retreat, during seven days, so as to permit all to visit the shrine of the Saint. This took place for several years, until, at last, by divine revelation, the relics were transported to Rome.




PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS.


I. Did you observe how St. Clement encouraged himself and his fellow captives in the hard labor they had to perform? To work for the sake of Christ, and to expect for one's work an eternal reward in heaven, is surely enough to make all suffering and exertion sweet. Every man is bound to work according to his station, and it is quite sure that we are in danger of losing our souls, if we do not work as we ought, but lead an idle, luxurious and sensual life.

One station, however, has harder and more troublesome work than another, and there are numbers of people who earn their bread by the sweat of their brow and have, day and night, hardly an hour for rest. It is quite natural that these sometimes become impatient, as we see in many servants, artisans and day-laborers. Their impatience goes so far that they become dissatisfied with God's providence in their regard, and murmur against Him, curse their labor, or perform it unwillingly; and thus not only lose all the merits which they might have earned, but incur heavy responsibility.

I would ask such people to recollect, that their work, if performed with a good intention, in the grace of God and according to His will, will merit for them great glory in heaven. They ought to arm, themselves against the impatience which sometimes rises in them, with the thought of the reward that awaits them in heaven; for God recompenses every man according to his work, as Holy Writ teaches us. Ought not every one to work with pleasure, when he expects an eternal reward?




 _________________________


A Universal Prayer


Pope Saint Clement, the third successor of Saint Peter, intervened in the affairs of the Church at Corinth, which had been led by a few men into ѕєdιтισn against its rulers. The intervention was in the form of a letter, written about 96 A.D., which contains a prayer, of which the following is a part. This is the oldest non-scriptural prayer and it enables us to pray in the words of a first century saint.


May the Artisan of the Universe preserve inviolate upon the earth the number of His elect, through His well-beloved Child, Jesus Christ. Through Him He has called us from the darkness to the light, from ignorance to knowledge of the glory of His name.

We place our trust in Thee, Principle of all creation. Thou hast opened the eyes of our hearts, that they may know Thee, Thou who alone art Most-High, in the heavens, The Holy One who dwellest with the saints. Thou humblest the proud in their insolence, Thou bringest to naught the plans of nations, Thou dost exalt the lowly and put down the mighty; Thou enrichest and Thou dost impoverish, Thou takest and Thou givest life. Sole benefactor of the spirit, and God of all flesh; Thou scannest the depths, Thou watchest over the works of men; Refuge in danger, Savior of those in despair!

Creator and Guardian of every spirit! Thou dost multiply the peoples of the earth, Amongst all these, Thou hast chosen those who love Thee, through Jesus Christ, Thy well-beloved Child, Thou dost teach, sanctify, and ennoble them.

We pray Thee, Almighty One, be our refuge and our defender. Save the oppressed, take pity on the humble, raise those who have fallen, manifest Thyself to those in need, heal the sick, bring back those who have strayed from Thy people, give food to those who are hungry, give freedom to our prisoners; strengthen the weak, comfort the timid; and let all nations acknowledge that Thou alone art God, that Jesus Christ is Thy Child, that we are Thy people, the lambs of Thy fold.