For you I am a bishop; with you I am a Christian

Today, September 19, as our Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr, we are invited to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Ezekiel (16:3, 5b-7a, 8-15,35,37a,40-43,59-63) entitled "Jerusalem, the adulterous spouse of the Lord". Our treasure, which follows, is from a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop. Saint Januarius was the Bishop of Benevento during the early 4th century and the patron saint of Naples, Italy. He was a martyr, meaning he died for his faith during a period of intense Christian persecution. He was arrested and beheaded during the Great Persecution under Emperor Diocletian around 305 AD.  According to legend, he and his companions were initially thrown to wild beasts, but the animals did not attack them, leading to their beheading.  What is believed to be a sample of Saint Januarius' blood is preserved in a sealed ampoule in Naples Cathedral. On his feast day, September 19, and other occasions, the blood relic undergoes a miraculous process, liquefying and bubbling as if freshly drawn.  For the people of Naples, this liquefaction is seen as a good omen, while its failure to occur is interpreted as a sign of impending disaster, such as war, famine, or volcanic eruptions. He is invoked against volcanic eruptions, and his patronage of blood banks and blood donors is attributed to this miracle of blood.  Saint Augustine was born at Tagaste in Africa in 354. He was unsettled and restlessly searched for the truth until he was converted to the faith at Milan and baptized by Ambrose. Returning to his homeland, he embraced an ascetic life and subsequently was elected bishop of Hippo. For thirty-four years he guided his flock, instructing it with sermons and many writings. He fought bravely against the errors of his time and explained the faith carefully and cogently through his writings. Augustine is perhaps the most significant Christian thinker after St. Paul. He adapted Classical teaching and created a powerful theological system of lasting influence. He also shaped the practice of biblical exegesis and helped lay the foundation for much of medieval and modern Christian thought. Augustine is recognized as a saint in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Lutheran churches, and the Anglican Communion. Saint Augustine is viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers of the Latin Church in the Patristic Period. He is also a preeminent Catholic Doctor of the Church and the patron of the Augustinians. He died in 430. In response to the rebellion of Jehoiakim of Judah in 601 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian ruler, besieged Jerusalem. When Jehoiakim's successor, Jehoiachin, surrendered in 597, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah king and deported to Babylon Jehoiachin and the royal family, along with members of the upper class, including Ezekiel the priest. Five years later, as Zedekiah planned his own revolt against Babylon, Ezekiel became the first prophet to be commissioned outside Judah or Israel. Before Jerusalem is destroyed in 587 B.C., Ezekiel is concerned to convince his audience that they are responsible for the punishment of exile and to justify the Lord's decision to destroy their city and Temple. Later, Ezekiel argues that the Judahites who embrace his preaching are the people whom the Lord has chosen as a new Israel, enlivened by a new heart, imbued with new breath, and restored to a re-created land, Temple, and covenant relationship. Ezekiel is clear on one point: the Lord punishes and restores for one reason—for the sake of his name, in order to demonstrate once and for all that he is Lord.