Saint of the Day – 18 July – St Philastrius of Brescia (c330-c387) Confessor, the 7th Bishop of Brescia, Italy, Defender of the True Faith against heretics, most particularly he fought zealously against the Arian heretics, Miracle-worker, he was one of the Bishops present at a Synod held in Aquileia in 381. Born in c330 in Spain and died in c387 of natural causes. St Philastrius’ Relics are venerated in the Crypt of Saint Apollonius in the Cathedral of Brescia, Italy. Also known as – Filastrius, Philaster.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Brescia, the birthday of St Philastrius, Bishop of that City, who, in speech and writing combated heretics, especially the Arians, from whom he suffered much. Finally, he died in peace, renowned for miracles.”
WE know nothing of this Saint’s beginnings and his home, only that he quitted it and the house and inheritance of his ancestors, like Abraham, the more perfectly to disengage himself from the ties of the world.
He lived in perfect continency and often passed whole nights in meditating on the Holy Scriptures. Being Ordained Priest, he travelled through many provinces to oppose the infidels and heretics, especially the Arians, whose fury was, at that time, formidable over the whole Church. His zeal and lively faith gave him courage to rejoice with the apostles in suffering for the truth and to bear in his body, the marks of the stripes which he received by a severe scourging which he underwent for Jesus Christ. At Milan he vigorously opposed the endeavours of Auxentius, the impious Arian wolf, who laboured there, to destroy the flock of Christ and, our Saint was its strenuous guardian before St Ambrose was made Bishop of that City.
He afterwards went to Brescia and, finding the inhabitants of that place savage and barbarous, almost entirely ignorant in spiritual things, yet desirous to learn, he took much pain to instruct them and had the comfort to see his labours crowned with incredible success. He rooted out the tares of many errors and cultivated this wild soil with such assiduity that it became fruitful in good works.
Being chosen the 7th Bishop of this See, he exerted himself in the discharge of all his pastoral functions with such vigour as even to outdo himself and the authority of his high dignity added the greater weight to his endeavours. He was not quite equal in learning to the Ambroses and Augustins of that age but what was wanting in that respect, was abundantly made up by the example of his life, his spirit of perfect humility and piety and his unwearied application to every pastoral duty. Philastrius is an instance of what eminent service and may be capable of achieving in the Church, when they are joined with a heroic degree of virtue.
To caution his flock against the danger of errors in faith, he wrote his Catalogue of Heresies. He, everywhere breathes an ardent zeal for the Catholic faith. St. Gaudentius extols his profound humility, his meekness, and sweetness towards all men, which was such that it seemed natural to him to repay injuries only with kindness and favours and, he never discovered the least emotions of anger. By his charity and patience, he gained the hearts of all men. In all he did, he sought no interest but that of Jesus Christ and regarding with contempt all earthly things, he pursued and valued only those that are eternal.
Being most mortified and sparing in his diet and apparel, he seemed to know no other use of money than to employ it in relieving the poor and he extended his liberality, not only to all that were reduced to beggary but also, to tradesmen and all others, whom he often generously enabled to carry on, or when expedient, to enlarge their business. Although he communicated himself with surprising charity and goodness to all sorts of persons of every age, sex and condition, he seemed always to receive the poor with particular affection.
He trained many pious and eminent disciples, among whom are named St Gaudentius, his successor as Bishop of Brescia and one Benevolus, who, in his lifetime, was a true imitator of the Apostles. St Augustine met our St Philastrius at Milan with St Ambrose in the year 384. He died soon after, and before St Ambrose, his Archbishop, who after his death placed St Gaudentius in the See of Brescia. This Saint solemnised every year, with his people, the day on which his master, St Philastrius, passed to glory and always honoured it with a panegyric but of these discourses only the fourteenth is extant.
St Gaudentius here:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/25/saint-of-the-day-25-october-st-gaudentius-of-brescia-died-410/
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