How the Apostles Died

How The Apostles Died

1. Matthew

Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, Killed by a sword wound

2. Mark

Died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by Horses through the streets until he was dead

3. Luke

Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous Preaching to the lost

4 John

Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of boiling oil during a wave

of persecution In Rome . However, he was miraculously delivered from death.

John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos.

He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos. The apostle John was later freed

and returned to serve As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the

only apostle to die peacefully.

5. Peter

He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross.

According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy

to die In the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

6 James

The leader of the church in Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast

pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he

survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.

* This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.

7. James the Great

Son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus Called him to a lifetime of ministry.

As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem.

The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial.

Later, the officer Walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he

declared his new faith to the judge and Knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

8. Bartholomew

Also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey.

Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

9. Andrew

He was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers

they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was

led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: 'I have long desired and expected this happy hour.

The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.' He continued to preach to his

tormentors For two days until he expired.

10. Thomas

Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Sub-continent

11. Jude

Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.

12. Matthias

The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

13. Paul

Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured

a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had

formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational

Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.

Perhaps this is a reminder to us

That our sufferings here Are indeed minor compared To the intense persecution And cold cruelty

faced by the apostles And disciples during their times For the sake of the Faith. And ye shall be

hated Of all men for my name's sake: But he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matthew

Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that God WILL!

Novena For the Election of the Pope

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator, come.
From thy bright heavenly throne!
Come, take possession of our souls,
And make them all Thine Own!

Thou who art called the Paraclete,
Best gift of God above,
The Living Spring, The Living Fire,
Sweet Unction, and True Love!

Thou who are sevenfold in Thy grace,
Finger of God's right hand,
His Promise, teaching little ones
To speak and understand!

O guide our minds with thy blest light,
With love our hearts inflame,
And with thy strength, which ne'er decays,
Confirm our mortal frame.

Far from us drive our hellish foe,
True peace unto us bring,
And through all perils guide us safe
Beneath thy sacred wing.

Through Thee may we the Father know,
Through Thee the Eternal Son,
And Thee the Spirit of them both
Thrice blessed Three in One.

Now to the Father, and the Son
Who rose from death, be glory given,
With Thee, O holy Comforter,
Henceforth by all in earth and heaven.

Amen.

Prayer

O Lord, with suppliant humility, we entreat Thee,
that in Thy boundless mercy
Thou wouldst grant the most holy Roman Church a pontiff,
who by his zeal for us,
may be pleasing to Thee,
and by his good government may ever be honoured
by Thy people for the glory of Thy name.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son,
who with Thee livest and reignest world without end.

Amen.

Most Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary,
pray for us who have recourse to Thee!

Papal Trivia . . .

There is, of course, nothing trivial about a papal election but throughout the Church's history, there have been some interesting bits of trivia pertaining to the papal lineage.

The longest the Church has ever been without a pope was 1268-1271 when Gregory X was finally elected. This election was taking so long that the faithful finally put the cardinals on a diet of bread and water which seems to get the voting back on track!

The first Roman to be elected pope was St. Anacletus in 76.

The last Roman elected to be pope was Pius XII in 1939.

The first Italian pope was St. Linus in 67.

The last conclave held outside Rome was in Venice in 1800. At that conclave, Pius VII was elected. The reason the conclave was held in Venice was because that period of time was marked by uncertainty for the Pope and Roman Catholic Church following the invasion of the Papal States and abduction of Pius VI under the French Directory.

The Catholic Church Chooses a Pope!

Like most Catholics, I'm excited about the conclave being convened this week for the purpose of voting for our next Pope. Since we aren't also mourning the recent death of the previous Pope, there is a different feeling about this election. There is a lot of conjecture about who will actually be elected. I know from other papal elections that the ones we are sure will be in the running are not always the ones that are given the title. Naturally, I have favorite cardinals but await the white smoke the the final decision.

The Conclave starts this Tuesday. Before the voting even begins, some cardinals are selected by lot to gather the ballots of the sick who cannot attend the regular voting sessions. In fact, these cardinals will be sequestered at St. Martha's House. Some other cardinals are given the task of counting the ballots. Voting begins with only one ballot on the first day. In the following days, if necessary, two ballots will be taken in the morning and two in the afternoon. You have to wonder who has the most anxiety - we the people of the Church awaiting the announcement or the cardinals prayerfully voting and asking for God's Will to be done through them.

The ballot paper is rectangular with the words Elligo in Summum Pontificem in Latin which translates to "I Elect as Supreme Pontiff" written at the top with room for the cardinal to write in the name. The ballots are then folded twice and carried to the altar. As each cardinal casts his vote, he says aloud, "I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected". The ballot is then placed into a receptacle, they bow, and return to their place.

When all the ballots have been cast, they are immediately counted. Each ballot is pierced with a needle through the work Eligo and place on a thread. After the names have been read out loud, the ends of the thread area tied into a knot. If someone has obtained two-thirds of the votes, the canonically valid election of the Roman Pontiff has taken place and we have a pope!

Once a pope has been elected and before the cardinals leave the Sistine Chapel, all the ballots are to be burned along with any notes written by the cardinals.

Until a pope is elected, the ballots are burned and the black smoke indicates to the world that they are still at work on this. Once a pope is elected, the burned ballots are done so as to emit white smoke and the cheering and anticipation begins until the actually announcement is made public.

After three days and no two-thirds vote for anyone, voting is suspended for a day of prayer, discussion, and spiritual exhortation. After a series of seven further ballots, the process may again be halted for discernment until, finally, only the two cardinals who received the most votes in the last ballot are eligible for a runoff election. The two candidates cannot themselves vote.