00:00Today, September 22, the Church invites us to celebrate Saint Maurice and his fellow martyrs of the Thebena Legion.
00:09We also do the first names Maurice, Mora and Morissette.
00:14Saint Maurice is one of the most famous martyred saints of Christian antiquity,
00:18particularly venerated in Switzerland, France and throughout Europe.
00:23His memory is associated with that of his fellow soldiers, all who fell for their fidelity to Christ.
00:30Maurice was probably born in Egypt, around the middle of the 3rd century, in the region of Thebes, from which the name Thebene Legion comes.
00:41He was an officer in the Roman army and commanded a unit composed mainly of Christian soldiers from that province.
00:49These men were distinguished by their courage, discipline and loyalty, but also by their deep faith.
00:56At the end of the 3rd century, Emperor Maximian Hercules sent the Thebenian Legion to the Alpine region to contain revolts and strengthen Roman authority.
01:08It was during this military march that the story of Maurice and his companions took a tragic, but luminous, turn.
01:14When Roman troops were ordered to participate in pagan sacrifices, offering incense to the god of Rome and taking oaths on the person of the emperor,
01:26Maurice and his soldiers refused.
01:29Their fidelity to Christ forbade them from denying their faith.
01:32Faced with this refusal, Maximian became very angry.
01:38To break their resistance, he ordered decimation.
01:43One in ten soldiers was to be executed.
01:47But far from intimidating the survivors, this punishment strengthens their determination.
01:53All proclaimed that they were ready to die rather than disobey God.
01:57Faced with such consistency, the emperor had the decimation repeated.
02:04Once again, the remaining soldiers remained steadfast in their faith.
02:09Finally, Maximian ordered the massacre of the entire Legion.
02:14Maurice and his companions were executed near Agone, in present-day French-speaking Switzerland, around the year 287.
02:22This collective martyrdom left a profound mark on Christian history.
02:27It is estimated that several hundred, if not thousands, soldiers perished confessing Christ.
02:33Saint-Auchère of Lyon, in the 5th century, transmitted their memory in a letter,
02:38giving details of their heroic testimony.
02:41The place of their execution became a center of pilgrimage.
02:46The Abbey of Saint-Maurice d'Agone, founded by King Sigissement of Burgundy in 515,
02:52perpetuates their memory to this day.
02:55It is one of the oldest monasteries in the West still in operation,
03:01living witness to the uninterrupted veneration paid to Saint-Maurice.
03:07Maurice became the patron saint of many regions and many trades.
03:11He is invoked as protector of soldiers, knights,
03:17but also mountaineers and climbers,
03:20because his cult took root in the Alps.
03:23His name has crossed the centuries and remains very widespread,
03:27worn by kings, emperors and many Christians.
03:30In France, many parishes, churches and communes still bear the name of Saint-Maurice,
03:37sign of the importance of his cult.
03:40The figure of Maurice still speaks to us today.
03:44It reminds us of fidelity to the Christian conscience in the face of external pressures,
03:48the strength of a community united by faith
03:51and the greatness of a sacrifice offered not in hatred, but in the love of God.
03:57Contemplating Saint-Maurice and his companions,
04:00we discover that martyrdom is not only a military or human defeat,
04:04but a spiritual victory.
04:07Their shed blood became a seed of faith for subsequent generations.
04:12Prayer to Saint Maurice
04:14Lord Almighty,
04:17You gave to Saint-Maurice and his companions
04:19the grace to remain faithful until death.
04:23Grant us, through their intercession, to keep courage in trials.
04:26and to remain firm in our faith.
04:30Saint Maurice, soldier of Christ,
04:32You who preferred to lose your life rather than deny your Savior,
04:37help us to be constant in our commitments,
04:40loyal to our brothers,
04:42and to bear witness to the Gospel in all our actions.
04:45Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
04:48Amen.
04:49Subtitling Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
04:54Subtitling Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
04:59Subtitling Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Commentaires