St. Tarcisius (Feast Day August 15)
St. Tarcisius lived in third century Rome during the persecution of Christians. At that time, Christians were forced to attend Mass in secret because all Christians had to hide their faith or face execution. A group of Christians who were set to be executed wished to receive the Eucharist for the last time. Young Tarcisius, who was only about 12 years old, volunteered to take it to them. He hid the Eucharist out of sight, close to his chest, but along the way, he was stopped by a group of men. They discovered Tarcisius was a Christian and beat him to death. Tarcisius never gave up the Eucharist and died with it hugged to his chest. He is the patron saint of people receiving their First Communion and altar servers. His feast day is August 15.
Questions for Reflection:
- How do you let others know you are a Christian? Perhaps you wear a cross necklace to publicly proclaim your faith or share Bible verse with friends. Tarcisius was forced to hide his faith but you have the freedom to share yours; spend some time thinking about ways to do so.
- What are some modern ways you can put Jesus above all things? Do you make it a priority to attend Mass? Do you take time to read the Bible? Think of ways you can incorporate Jesus into your life more.
