Today April 22

Today is the feast of Saints Epipodius and Alexander, (died 177), martyrs of Lyons in France. They were great friends, having studied and become Christians together. Christianity having been outlawed, they did the reasonable thing and took off, trying to hide themselves. An old lady, a platonic female friend, hid them in her little hovel but by and by the two gentlemen were found out.

Now, the Romans, by law, were not supposed to incarcerate people without a trial, but the feeling was running so high against them (and the other remaining Christians), that they were summarily separated, jailed, tortured and finally executed (Epipodius by beheading, Alexander by crucifixion -- still a method of execution in those days). It perplexed the governor that "What purpose have all the preceding tortures and executions served, if there still remain any who dare profess the name of Christian?" Indeed, the more they tried to stamp it out, the more it grew, it seemed. They didn't yet realize that this movement was something supernatural, indeed, something "of God."

The faithful collected the bodies of these men (plus a shoe that had fallen off one of them when they ran away from the arresting officers) and buried them on a hill outside the city (and kept the shoe). Well, the city grew and soon it was inside the city and a church built there: first it was called the church of St. John and then the church of St. Irenaeus. Dust from the double tomb was used to cure illness, ditto drinks poured into the shoe (and then given to patients). Good Saints Epipodius and Alexander, pray for us.