St. Ariadne of Phrygia

Ariadne lived in the 2nd century in what is now central Turkey. She was a Christian and enslaved to a prominent official in Phrygia who was pagan. Around 130, the official held a large birthday celebration for his son which included rites to a pagan god. When Ariadne refused to participate in the rites, he became indignant and had her flogged. When she still refused, he dismissed her and sent her away.

Yet, even after that, the official was not satisfied with the slave woman who had defied him and called the authorities on her. She fled and fell into a chasm in a ridge, where she died. Some say the chasm opened for and closed behind her, providing her a tomb rather than a violent death at the hands of the authorities.

Her feast day is Sept. 18.

No Greater Love

In this Sunday’s Gospel readings, there was one of the more well-known verses: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13).” (It was a special Mass, not the regular lectionary readings.)

I found myself thinking of that verse again and again today while I watched a documentary on 9/11. I had heard about the documentarians who were following some NYFD firefighters on the day, but for some reason, I had never looked up the documentary itself. The French filmmakers Jules and Gedeon Naudet were wanting to make a film on a rookie firefighter during his first year. Three months in, they follow the firefighters as the worse day of their lives unfolds, capturing footage no one else can.

There are lots of profound moments and amazing people in their footage. One in particular is Father Mychal Judge. Father Judge was a Franciscan friar and chaplain for the NYFD. The son of Irish immigrants, Father Judge was well known in the city for ministering to the homeless, hungry, addicted, grieving, and sick, including people with AIDS.