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Patron Saint :
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Born, Verulamium, Hertfordshire (now Saint Albans), England
Died, tortured and beheaded c.305 at Holmhurst Hill, England
The traditional date of his death is 304, during the persecution under the Emperor Diocletian; but many scholars now date it as around 209, during the persecution under the Emperor Septimius Severus. There were probably Christians in Britain before Alban's time, but his martyrdom is the first we read about.
We know even less about his life prior to his conversion than we know about the end of his life. He may have been a Roman soldier. For some reason, again we don't really know why, Alban gave refuge to a Christian priest, trying to escape persecution. He listened and learned from the priest about the Christian faith, and eventually became a Christian himself.
The search for the priest in hiding eventually came to Alban's house. He disguised himself in the priest's clothing and allowed the soldiers to take him away. As Bede tells it, when he was brought before the Judge, he was making an offering to the Roman gods. He was furious when he discovered that the soldiers had captured not the priest, but Alban, and threatened to make Alban pay the price that the escaped priest would have made. He offered Alban the opportunity to buy back his own life if he would make sacrifice to the gods. Alban's reply was not exactly politic. He said, "Those sacrifices, which you offer to devils, can neither avail the offerers any thing, nor obtain for them the effect of their petitions; on the contrary, whosoever offers sacrifices to these idols, shall receive the eternal pains of hell for his reward." You can imagine how well that went over with the magistrate.
He ordered Alban to be scourged, thinking that would bring him to his senses. When it became clear that Alban would not recant his Christian faith, he was sentenced to be beheaded. Many miracles attended Alban's last days. On the way to the place of execution, he was accompanied by most of the inhabitants of the city. After Alban prayed, the river they had to cross pulled back, so he could pass over on dry land. The executioner who has to have beheaded him then refused to do the deed and declared his faith.
When the reached the top of the hill, on which the executions were to take place-for now the former executioner had also been sentenced to death-Alban asked for water. According to the story, God caused a spring to rise up on the site. Eventually, Alban and his faithful companion were executed. Bede seems to think that his hearers would be worried about the state of the soldier's soul, since he wasn't baptized, so he is careful to say that although he was not baptized in a font, he was cleansed in his own blood.
Bede adds a small vengeful detail, with a good deal of satisfaction: the eyes of the executioner who finally did kill Alban and his companion dropped out of their sockets and hit the ground at the same moment as Alban's head.
But according to Bede, everything turned out right in the end. Because the pagan judge, after he heard about and saw the many miraculous things that had happened, ordered the persecution to cease immediately, and himself began to honor the saints for their faithfulness.
As I said before, this is not one of the more cheerful saints' legends. The gory details, that the chroniclers loved so dearly, make it unpleasant reading. But there is something wonderful in the story of St. Alban. Not once, but twice, in this story, people gave their lives to protect complete strangers-strangers who were not even of their faith. And those same people, brand-new Christians-one even without the benefit of the traditional sacrament of baptism-believed strongly and vibrantly enough to go to their deaths, full of faith that they would be welcomed by Christ. Bede's closing words give me pause: "They yielded their souls, after the conflict was over, to the joys of the city above."
St. Alban's story is a reminder to me when I feel discouraged about the state of the world, that perhaps, even now, there are people in the world who are loving enough and courageous enough to put their lives on the line for their friends. This story reminds, me, too, of today's Gospel (Matthew 10:34-42), where Christ said that sometimes being faithful is not easy. Sometimes we do need to take up our cross and follow, as Alban and his nameless companion did. And if we're not called to become martyrs, or are not brave enough to stand forth as Alban did, it is still our privilege to support those who are on the front lines of faith. For, as Christ said, if we support the prophet, we are also worthy of the prophet's reward. Whatever we are called to do, may we do it faithfully and lovingly-not for the sake of some reward, but in honor of those saints and holy people of God who have done so much and have suffered so much to make it possible for us to be people of faith. Amen.
-- Homily by The Rev. Laura Howell, 2000
(based on Lectionary Lessons)
Cross: Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. -- 1 John 3:13-16
Invitatory Bead: Almighty God, by whose grace and power your holy martyr Alban triumphed over suffering and was faithful even unto death: Grant to us, who now remember him with thanksgiving, to be so faithful in our witness to you in this world, that we may receive with him the crown of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Cruciform Bead: O taste and see that the LORD is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. -- Psalm 34:8
Week Beads: Psalm 34:1-7
1st: I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2nd: My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.
3rd: O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4th: I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5th: Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed.
6th: This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD, and was saved from every trouble.
7th: The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Exit Cross: ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. ‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple--truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’ -- Matthew 10:34-42
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Item No: St. Alban 02
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Item No: St. Alban 01
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