April 19th St. Expeditus

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Denise
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April 19th St. Expeditus

Post by Denise » Fri Apr 19, 2024 6:08 am

There are few issues these days that don’t seem to need an urgent response, even a miracle.

St. Expedite is the patron saint of emergency situations where an immediate resolution is needed. I can think of a dozen crises off the top of my head, all of global, national and spiritual consequence — even eternal consequence.

Expedite, also known as Expeditus, was born in the fourth century in an area of Armenia, now Turkey. As a Roman centurion (according to tradition), he was a pagan, but like many Roman soldiers, he later converted to Christianity.

Before his conversion, it is said that the devil came to him as a crow and encouraged him to put off his conversion until the following day.

St. Expedite refused and crushed the bird under his feet, killing it, saying, “I will be Christian today!”

That story led to him being named the patron against procrastination.

St. Expedite is usually depicted stomping on a bird that is saying Cras, which means “tomorrow” in Latin, while he lifts a cross with the word Hodie engraved in it. Hodie is Latin for “today.”

St. Expedite’s conversion would mean death during the Diocletian persecution of Christians. He died a martyr on April 19, 303, in Melitene, Turkey.

St. Expedite was declared a martyr in 1781, in Italy, where devotion to him survived since the Middle Ages. He was called upon for his intercession in settling legal and financial troubles rapidly. He is still quite popular in Europe — and especially in Latin America. On his April 19 feast day, São Paulo, Brazil, holds celebrations in his honor.

No matter the urgent situation, let us turn to St. Expedite to intercede for our petitions.

from the National Catholic Register

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Devotion to the souls in Purgatory contains in itself all the works of mercy, which supernaturalized by a spirit of faith, should merit us Heaven. de Sales

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MarieT
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Re: April 19th St. Expeditus

Post by MarieT » Fri Apr 19, 2024 10:00 pm

St Expeditus intercede for all our emergency cases in the world.
"He who followeth Me, walketh not in darkness." sayeth the Lord

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