“Sine Dominico non possumus.”

The title of this post are the words of an early Christian martyr, a man named St. Emeritus. He was one of the famous 49 martyrs of Abitinae in North Africa, who died in 304 A.D. during the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian. Because they had celebrated the Eucharist together, the 49, including four children, had all been charged with violating the emperor's prohibition of Sunday Mass. Of course, it was also illegal simply to be a Christian. Each was tortured and ultimately executed for this act of Christian worship.

When it came time for St. Emeritus to be tortured, he was asked why he had committed this unlawful act of worship. He responded with "Sine Dominico non possumus." A literal translation is simply, "Without this thing of the Lord [the Lord's Day] we cannot..." In other words, we need the Lord's Day...we need the Bread of Life...we need the Church...we need God's House...we need the Community of Christians...we need the grace of the sacraments...we need all that God gives us. Without  "this thing of the Lord" we have nothing and cannot live. And with these words on his lips and thoughts in his mind, Emeritus gave his life to his Lord.

I suppose some good questions for you and me might include: Do we believe the same about the Eucharist and the Lord's Day? Without it, can we also not live? How willing would we be to do as St. Emeritus and his companions did back in February 304? I'm not prophesying, but given what's happening in our world, and even in our nation, it could come to that. Are we truly ready to defend Our Lord?

St. Emeritus came to mind today because of a letter written by Robert Cardinal Sarah, Prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Liturgy and Sacraments (photo above). On September 14, Cardinal Sarah sent the letter to the world's bishops urging them to make the Eucharist available to the faithful, while observing proper safety protocols. The primary thrust of the letter, however, is the necessity of the Eucharist in the life of the Church. In the Cardinal's words:

As soon as circumstances permit, however, it is necessary and urgent to return to the normality of Christian life, which has the church building as its home and the celebration of the liturgy, especially the Eucharist, as "the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed, at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 10)

In his letter Cardinal Sarah also refers to those four wonderful words of St. Emeritus and uses them to emphasize what the Eucharist means (or should mean) to every Catholic. He also stresses the responsibility of each bishop to decide how best to ensure access to the Eucharist, reminding them to do so prudently but firmly, not letting public authorities decide on liturgical matters. Here's a relevant excerpt:

Due attention to hygiene and safety regulations cannot lead to sterilization of gestures and rites, to the instilling, even unconsciously, of fear or insecurity in the faithful.

It is up to the prudent but firm action of the Bishops to ensure that the participation of the faithful in the celebration of the Eucharist is not reduced by public authorities to a "gathering", and is not considered comparable or even subordinate to forms of recreational activities.

Liturgical norms are not matters on which civil authorities can legislate, but only the competent ecclesiastical authorities (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, 22).

[Note: On several occasions, Cardinal Sarah refers to Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, one of the key documents of Vatican II.]

Here's a link to the complete text of Cardinal Sarah's letter: Return to the Eucharist With Joy.

As a postscript, if you haven't yet read Cardinal Sarah's book -- The Day Is Now Far Spent -- I recommend doing so. It's a most timely book, filled with wisdom. Every Catholic should read it.

Oh, yes, one more thing. St. Emeritus is honored with a memorial on February 12, under the title, St. Saturninus and his Companions, Martyrs. Emeritus was among the companions.