Apr 22nd - Pope Caius I

This is a day of popes but the designation of death date is often random. We know so little about the first popes so the most we can say is that they had some impact mainly because they kept the Faith and the faithful going. As to Caius, some of what we have been told say that he was from Spalato in Dalmatia, possibly the uncle of Saint Susanna, and may have even been a relative of Emperor Diocletian (not that that helped anyone), and may have been martyred then.
But it seems that he died before that persecution so what we can say is that Caius reigned in relative peace. He codified the path to bishop, starting with minor orders and working up to priest. This required a bishop to be ordained, different than just grabbing someone like Augustine off the street, even someone who was not baptized (though they did have to get baptized first). After this bishops were not so much the choice of the people but men who had taken a path to God and showed their devotion over time - to both good and bad consequences over time.
This process also speaks to the relative peace that the Church enjoyed at that time. Who had the luxury of the time to move through seven or eight minor orders before coming to the fullness of the priesthood? Let us also not take such blessings for granted as we give our priests the space to become men of God and help us to become a people of God.
Caius pray with us for more vocations!

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Jesus said to the crowds:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.”


-- John 6:44-51