mysterious Januarius

Ezra 1:1-6; Ps 126 The Lord has done marvels for us; Luke 8:16-18

Today we celebrate the feast of an obscure saint, saint Januarius. He was a bishop who was martyred in 305. Not much is known about his life other than the hagiographers tell us that the emperor Diocletian had a hard time killing the bishop. He tried to throw him to animals but the wild beast wouldn't touch him. He tried to throw him in a furnace but the bishop wouldn't burn. Eventually, he decided to behead him, and that seem to work.

I find it kind of humorous that the hagiographers just seem to focus on this bit of his life. The saint that wouldn't die, might have been another title for this post. But, again in all fairness, beheading seems to work every time.

Excuse my failed attempt at humor.

None the less, St. Januarius has gotten more notoriety since his death than he did in life. Since the 14th century, a vial filled with his blood is taken out on his feast day and the dried blood liquifies. The people of Naples wait on this miracle. IT has been testified countless times. Scientist have no explanation as to why the dried blood of the martyr, who has been dead since 305, liquifies on his feast day. It has become an historic mystery.

Here is an article that explains it in further detail:

What a strange and beautiful faith we have.
Now let us look at the reading for today.


The German word for hospitality Gastfreundschaft which means friendship for the guest…It means the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. — Henri J. M. Nouwen

Think about that in relation to the first reading and the gospel. In the book of Ezra, we are told that God uses the foreign King of Persia to bring about restoration of Jerusalem. Who would have thought that a Persian king would be instrumental in rebuilding the temple and rebuilding the city of Jerusalem.

What a turn of events for the people in their history. What a great lesson. God can and often will use the those we least expect to bring about change for the better. God is open to using anyone and everyone to bring about his will; so too must we learn to be open to whom ever God wishes to make his will known to us.

We must create space where the stranger can become a friend instead of an enemy.

Perhaps, this can be used to understand the gospel.

Jesus tells us, "No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bushel basket; rather it is placed on the lamp stand so that those who enter may see the light."


Hospitality demands the light be seen. Again as Henri Nouwen points out, we must create space so that the stranger can become a friend instead of an enemy. What better way than to keep the lights on as the old motel6 commercial reminds us.


Click here for radio spots of Tom Bodette doing his thing

Here at motel 6, we will leave the light on for ya!