St. Boniface of Tarsus

St. Boniface of Tarsus - May 14th

The story of this Saint as it comes to us from tradition, shows God’s infinite goodness and mercy.

In the city of Rome there lived a very beautiful and rich women named Aglae. This lady was so anxious to get attention that three times she paid for special entertainments for all the people. The one in charge of her household was a man named Boniface, and Aglae lived in sin with him. He often got drunk, was impure, and commited many other sins. Yet he was very kind to poor people and to needy travelers.

One day Aglae felt sorry for all the offenses the two of them were giving God. She called Boniface and said, “We have forgotten that we shall some day have to appear before the Lord and answer for our sins. I have heard that whoever honors the relics of martyrs will share in their glory. So you go to the East where there is a persecution and bring me back some relics.”

Boniface made ready to go. “I will do my best to bring you back some relics,” he told Aglae, “but what if my own body should be brought back to you as one of them?” However, she thought he was only joking. Then Boniface set out. On the way, he became a very different man. He began to pray and to do penance, neither eating meat nor drinking wine. To the poor he met he gave away his money.

Boniface went to the city of Tarsus, where the persecution was worse. As soon as he arrived, he went straight to the governor who right then was cruelly torturing about twenty Christians. “Great is the God of the Christians!” cried Boniface. “Pray for me, servants of Christ, that I may join with you in fighting the devil!”

Furious, the Governor ordered his men to torture Boniface in every way. Then he commanded him to be put to death. Just before being beheaded, Boniface asked for a little time in which to pray. Finally his soul passed from this miserable earth to the glory of Heaven. His body was brought back to Rome and Aglae built a church in which it was kept. She herself did penance for fifteen years until she died.

If we have some friend who leads us into sin, we will break off with him or her at once. For the strength to do it, we shall pray and make some mortification.