Here’s another Advent tradition practiced by the Von Trapp Family: Choosing Saints. The family gathered together to light the Advent candle and sing the first Advent hymn. Then they each chose a saint’s name to “invoke” each day and to learn about their lives. Their research was shared with the family.

Maria Von Trapp points out that with so many children in the family, they learned about quite a few saints each year. She also notes that “Sometimes this calls for considerable research on the part of the unfortunate one who has drawn St. Eustachius, for instance, or St. Bibiana.” (from a chapter in Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family)

Coincidentally, Pastor Art’s 2018 Advent Theme is called “Walking with the Saints.” Last week, he introduced us to John of Damascus, by way of dramatic illustration, accent and all.

John of Damascus was an early Doctor of the Church, who was deeply embroiled in the iconography controversy in the 700’s AD. He wrote extensively in defense of the use of icons and pictures by pointing out that the invisible God had become visible in the person of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it was possible to imagine what God looked like.
And since I have easy access to the world wide web, I did a little research about St. Eustachius and St. Bibiana. I cannot tell you everything that I learned about these two early Christian saints, but I would like to share a few observations. Since they lived in the early days of the Christian church, there is little in the way of factual information. There is plenty in the way of tradition.

Eustachius was a man of power, a Roman general, who experienced a dramatic conversion to Christianity and immediately, his life went into ruin. His wife was kidnapped, his sons were taken by a wolf and a lion. He had to go to work for a farmer – he had nothing left but his belief in Christ. The story continues, and he is restored to a position of respect by Emperor Adrian due to his previous excellent reputation as a leader.

His children are rescued by local farmers, his wife is returned from her captor and life is good again. Except… Eustachius refuses to follow Adrian’s orders to worship the Roman gods. Their execution is ordered. He and his family are placed in a den of lions and remain unharmed. Their end comes in a most grisly manner which I will leave to your research.

I’ll save St. Bibiana for next week. In the meantime, Pastor will introduce us to Katherine von Bora Martin next week at the Wednesday evening service. Come and meet her.
Why do we care about these ancients? Because they illustrate for us, in dramatic fashion, the love, devotion and zeal that humans can have for the triune God. The very God who loves you unconditionally.

Terri