Last Sunday we kept the feast of the Assumption. There are quite a number of days in the year when there are a number of saints that we remember. The 15th August is one such day, although the importance of the Marian feast usually means the saint I wish to bring to your attention this morning does not often get much of a look in.
Tarcisius was a twelve-year-old acolyte, or what we would call an altar server, during one of the fierce Roman persecutions of the third century, probably during that of Valerian. Speaking at a gathering in Rome of boys and girls who are altar servers – the Roman Catholic church allows both genders to be altar servers - from around Europe, Pope Benedict XVI said, “Who was St Tarcisius? We do not have much information about him. We are dealing with the early centuries of the Church's history or, to be more precise, with the third century. It is said that he was a boy who came regularly to the Catacombs of St Calixtus here in Rome and took his special Christian duties very seriously. He had great love for the Eucharist … Those were years in which the Emperor Valerian was harshly persecuting Christians who were forced to meet secretly in private houses or, at times, also in the Catacombs, to hear the word of God, to pray and to celebrate Holy Mass. Even the custom of taking the Eucharist to prisoners and the sick became increasingly dangerous.”
We know that each day, from their secret meeting place in the catacombs where those early Christians gathered for Mass, a deacon would be sent to the prisons to carry the Host from the Mass to those Christians condemned to die. At one point, there was no deacon to send and so St. Tarcisius, as we have said, one of the servers, volunteered to take the Sacred Species. This boy
seemed too young for such a demanding service! "My youth", Tarcisius said, "will be the best shield for the Eucharist". Convinced, the priest entrusted to him the precious Bread, saying: "Tarcisius, remember that a heavenly treasure has been entrusted to your weak hands. Avoid crowded streets and do not forget that holy things must never be thrown to dogs nor pearls to pigs. Will you guard the Sacred Mysteries faithfully and safely?". "I would die", Tarcisius answered with determination, "rather than let go of them.”
On the way, he was stopped by boys his own age who were not Christians but knew him as a playmate and lover of games. He was asked to join their games, but this time he refused and the crowd of pagan boys noticed that he was carrying something. Somehow, he was also recognized as a Christian, and the small gang of boys, anxious to view the Christian "Mysteries," became a mob and turned upon Tarcisius with fury. He went down under the blows, and it is believed that while Tarcisius was dying a Pretoria guard called Quadratus, who had also, secretly, become a Christian, carried his mangled body back to the catacombs, but the boy died on the way from his injuries. He was buried in the cemetery of St. Callixtus. Some while later his body was moved to the church of San Silvestro in Capite. It is believed that the boy died in 257.
Tarcisius, one of the patron saints of altar servers, has always been an example of youthful courage and devotion, and his story was one that was told again and again to urge others to a like heroism in suffering for their faith.
In that meeting in Rome last week, Pope Benedict also said, “Dear boys and girls and young people… St Tarcisius' testimony and this beautiful tradition teach us the deep love and great veneration that we must have for the Eucharist: it is a precious good, a treasure of incomparable value; it is the Bread of life, it is Jesus himself who becomes our nourishment, support and strength on our daily journey and on the open road that leads to eternal life; the Eucharist is the greatest gift that Jesus bequeathed to us.”
The Pope continued, “I am addressing those of you who are present here (in Rome) and, through you, all the altar servers of the world! Serve Jesus present in the Eucharist generously. It is an important task that enables you to be particularly close to the Lord and to grow in true and profound friendship with him. Guard this friendship in your hearts jealously, like St Tarcisius, ready to commit yourselves, to fight and to give your lives so that Jesus may reach all peoples. May you too communicate to your peers the gift of this friendship with joy, with enthusiasm, without fear, so that they may feel that you know this Mystery, that is true and that you love it! Every time that you approach the altar, you have the good fortune to assist in God's great loving gesture as he continues to want to give himself to each one of us, to be close to us, to help us, to give us strength to live in the right way. With consecration, as you know, that little piece of bread becomes Christ's Body, that wine becomes Christ's Blood.”
“You are lucky to be able to live this indescribable Mystery from close at hand! Do your task as altar servers with love, devotion and faithfulness; do not enter a church for the celebration with superficiality but rather, prepare yourselves inwardly for Holy Mass! Assisting your priests in service at the altar helps to make Jesus closer, so that people can understand, can realize better: he is here. You collaborate to make him more present in the world, in every day life, in the Church and everywhere. Dear friends! You lend Jesus your hands, your thoughts, your time. He will not fail to reward you, giving you true joy and enabling you to feel where the fullest happiness is. St Tarcisius has shown us that love can even bring us to give our life for an authentic good, for the true good, for the Lord.”
The Pope expressed the hope that St Tarcisius “…may become a reference point for altar servers, boys and girls, and for all who wish to follow Jesus more closely through the priestly,
religious or missionary life. May they all be able to look at this strong and courageous boy and renew their commitment to friendship with the Lord, to learn to live with him always, following the path he points out to us with his word and the witness of so many Saints and Martyrs whose brothers and sisters we have become through Baptism.”
A thought for all of us today is that a mere 12 year old boy can become a saint, and youth is no barrier to holiness. The call to holiness begins at baptism, and we do not have to wait for old age and gray hair to serve God. Youthful saints tell us something about sanctity, and their example is especially luminous as they dedicate their young lives to God. Although we may not all be altar servers, we can certainly lend Jesus our hands, our thoughts and our time. We can all help make Jesus closer to a world in which people are desperately crying out for some deeper meaning. We can show that we believe that Jesus is here.
May God bless you in your following of Jesus, wherever it may lead you.
