Page:MaryHelpOfChristians.djvu/36

 pilgrimage the  saints  are  our  intercessors  with God. True, we  know  that  there  is  One  who  guides our destinies  and  whose  providence  watches  over all; but  who  would  not  choose,  also,  to  have  a friend  already  abiding  with  God,  sharing  His bliss and  confirmed  for  ever  in  His  grace,  and who therefore  is  in  a  position  to  aid  us,  and  certainly will  do  so  if  we  invoke  Him?

The following  is  an  example  illustrating  the power of  the  saints'  intercession  with  God:

Basilides was  one  of  the  guards  that  led  St. Potamiana  to  a  martyr's  death. Whilst the  rest of the  soldiers  and  the  crowd  of  spectators  insulted the  holy  virgin,  he  treated  her  with  great respect and  protected  her  from  the  assaults  of the  rabble. The martyr  thanked  him  for  his  kindness, and  promised  to  pray  for  him  when  she  came into God's  presence. A few  days  after  her  death the grace  of  God  touched  Basilides'  heart,  and  he professed  himself  a  Christian. His comrades  at first  imagined  that  he  was  jesting. But when  he persevered  in  the  confession  of  the  Faith,  he  was brought before  the  judge,  who  sentenced  him  to be  beheaded  next  day. Taken to  prison,  he  was baptized, and  at  the  appointed  time,  executed.

What else  but  the  intercession  of  the  saint whom he  had  befriended  obtained  for  this  heathen the grace  of  the  Faith  and  martyrdom? Convinced of the  power  of  the  intercession  of  the