San Genaro, a Christian martyr who confessed his faith, was imprisoned and taken to an amphitheatre to be eaten by lions, but they did not harm him and decided to cut off his head; the blood spilled today is a symbol of miracles and miracles, get to know this interesting story.
History and biography of Saint Gennaro
Saint Gennaro was Bishop of Benevento, when there was a certain persecution by Diocletian he was a victim of martyrdom, this happened with other Christians in the city of Naples where these people venerate him in a very special way.
This saint is considered the patron saint of Naples, he has become very famous because of a miracle that has happened every year for centuries, the day commemorating his feast is the 19th of September, when the blood of this man is liquefied in the presence of the public.
When, during the persecution of Diocletian, this man was arrested together with his other companions, and his only crime was to have publicly confessed his incredible faith in God, like the martyr St. Clare of Assisi, the news reached the ears of St. Gennaro that his friend Sosso and his other companions were in prison, he decided to visit them, giving them words of encouragement and consolation for the situation they were going through at that moment.
The jailers immediately reported the presence of St Gennaro in the prison. The governor, as expected, sent for him and took him to the prison; besides St. Gennaro, his deacon Desiderius, a reader who belonged to the Church, was also arrested and taken to the governor.
These three persons were subjected to tortures like those of St. Agatha and to terrible interrogations, but they endured all this; soon after the governor went to Pozzuli, these prisoners were forced to walk to his chariot with heavy chains, and in that city they were thrown into the same prison where the rest of their friends were.
Some of them were thrown to the wild beasts, a day before the arrival of St. Gennaro and his other two companions, but still the beasts did not attack them, they condemned them all to be thrown to the wild beasts and took them to an amphitheatre for all
to see this grotesque spectacle, and it happened again.
The same thing happened again, the beasts, although hungry and provoked, did not attack them, they only roared and did not come near them.
The people wanted to see blood and, as usual, they were blinded by violence and everyone shouted for the death of these people whose only crime was to honour God, as did Saint Margaret when she decided to behead them, this sentence was carried out near Pozzuoli and in the same place they were buried. The relics of Saint Gennaro were transferred in the 5th century to a small church near Solfatara, where they were buried.
Who was Saint Gennaro?
Saint Gennaro was the Bishop of Beneveto, a martyr and the patron saint of Naples, who died in 305 A.D. His feast day is celebrated every year on 19 September. It happened that during the persecution of the Christians at that time, this great man suffered great martyrdom in the company of other Christians who, like him, professed faith in Our God.
In the city of Naples he is held in special veneration, he has become a very famous saint because of his miracles that have occurred every year for many centuries, usually on the 19th of September, the day of his holy celebration, the blood of this martyr liquefies and flows in the presence of all those who are present to see and receive the miracles of this great event.
This persecution, which only brought torture, was ordered by the governor of the time, as happened to Santa Catalina, who accused them for the mere fact of being Christians and professing their faith in public; San Genaro learnt that his friends had been imprisoned and that they had been captured by those who were dedicated to persecuting them; before such an event San Genaro went to visit them in prison, with the intention of encouraging them and giving them words of encouragement.
The bishop, his deacon and a lector who was also a member of the church were also arrested and brought before the governor a few days later.
These men were subjected to torture and interrogation, and soon after this governor went to Pozzuoli and these men were forced to carry heavy chains and walk in front of the chariot in which he was going, and when they arrived in that city they were imprisoned in the same prison as the other Christians.
These men had been condemned to be eaten by wild beasts, but these had done nothing to them, now they were all equally condemned to be eaten by wild beasts, and so they were sent to an amphitheatre to be attacked, but the wild beasts did not act, and the public, enraged and full of violence, demanded their death, and the governor ordered their beheading, as happened to St Paul.
These men were condemned to this kind of death in the same city where they were buried. The Christians who remained in Naples at that time were the ones who obtained the relics of Saint Gennaro, which were then taken to a small church in San Gennaro and finally buried there.
The blood of San Gennaro
What is called the blood of San Gennaro is a religious icon and very venerated for its properties that are said to be very miraculous, it is known that San Gennaro was an archbishop of Benevento, at that time Dioclesano, who was an emperor, was the one who ordered to be eaten by the wild beasts, This sentence was not carried out because the wild beasts did not act against him or his friends, for this reason they had another kind of punishment, this time they would be beheaded, in this way he became a martyr who was tortured and another saint of the Roman Catholic Church.
Long after the death of San Gennaro, his remains had to be talked about because they were moved several times and it was not until the V century when San Gennaro was declared the patron saint of Naples, this already entering the year 1337, for San Gennaro celebrations have been dedicated in his honour, at that time it was not known, much less had records of miracles that had occurred by the liquefaction of his blood.
For the year 1839 appears in a newspaper a news related to this fact, where it is told that in a procession through the streets with the devotees and faithful the blood of San Genaro, which have kept in a ampollase liquid lathe, this was to the astonishment of all because it was very similar to the blood of the human body, as if it still passed through the veins of the saint, the same day reported that when San Genaro was beheaded there was a woman who approached and collected his blood when they were executing him.
At present there are still two ampoules full of what is said to be the blood of San Gennaro, a martyr who died for the faith in Jesus, one contains a few drops, the other is almost full, this jewel is in a glass box that is totally sealed and it is in a vault in the church called Capella del Tesoro, in Naples.
Three times a year the so-called Blood of San Gennaro is exposed for the veneration of the people, this happens on the following Sunday in May, which corresponds to the feast of San Gennaro on the 19th of September.
This day is celebrated to commemorate the martyrdom suffered by this man, San Gennaro. The devotees and the many people who come take the opportunity to make their requests.
In May the blood of Saint Gennaro is taken from the Cathedral and taken to the Church of Santa Chiara, where it is liquefied; in September the liquefaction takes place in the Cathedral and the vials are exposed to the public for seven days so that the parishioners can kiss them.
Some of those present always comment that they have seen with their own eyes how the blood solidifies, but in the morning it is liquid again.
In the month of December the vault is opened again and if the blood of San Gennaro is found to be liquid, these ampoules are displayed again, although the Church does not believe in it, the faithful say that if the miracle does not happen, it is a bad omen, they say that it did not happen in 1987 and that was the year of the attempted communist coup in the city of Naples. Watch this video.
San Gennaro Sanctuary
It is considered a day of celebration, the 19th of September, because it is celebrated the day of Saint Gennaro, this noble man who died martyred, like Saint Stephen, the blood of Saint Gennaro was deposited millions of centuries ago in a very special reliquary, the blood of Saint Gennaro goes from solid to liquid, this saint is the patron saint of Naples Italy, he was also Bishop of Benevento.
There was a persecution against all Christians and this man was imprisoned with others who were subjected to unbearable tortures, and one day they were ordered to be thrown to the lions, but surprisingly the ferocious beasts did not approach them, but only roared.
At that time they were also accused of using magic and for this reason they were condemned to be beheaded near Pozzuoli, where they were buried, this happened in the year 305, these relics were moved to different places until finally they were kept in Naples in 1497.
Much is said about the extraordinary event of the liquefaction of the blood of this noble man, during the three celebrations that take place during the year: the one when his remains are brought to Naples, on the Saturday before the first Sunday of the month of May, the liturgical feast in his honour on the 19th of September and finally the anniversary of his glorious participation to prevent the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631, on the 16th of December.
In each of these celebrations, the bishop or the priest is in charge of showing the relic with blood, this is done exactly in front of the urn of San Gennaro that contains his head, all this is done in the presence of his devotees, after a while, After a while, the person in charge of the ceremony shakes the reliquary, turning it upside down, and you can clearly see the mass of blood as it becomes liquid, with this reddish colour, and you can see how it bubbles, this is when they announce that the long-awaited miracle has happened. Watch this video.
Prayer to San Genaro
Prayers are often what we need to solve the daily problems of our lives, so when we pray we must do so with total faith, knowing that we will be heard and that St. Gennaro will intercede before the divine throne so that we will be heard and mercy will reach us, you can also pray to San Benito de Abad to ward off envy.
Glorious and mighty Saint Gennaro, you who are brave and athletic in this timely and good faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, you who gave your life to defend the Gospel and also received the crown of martyrdom, we ask you to save us from all the dangers that may approach us, not only those of the body, but also those of the soul.
With your amazing miracle of the liquefaction of the blood, you assure us that you are a sure and eloquent sign, that you are among us and that you know our needs and desires beforehand. We ask you to pray for us, that we may always come to you, that we may be sure to be heard, and we ask you to deliver us from all evil.
We ask you to save us from the invasion of evil unbelief and to make our faith, for which you were able to sacrifice your own life, always produce in the midst of us all the good fruits of holy works in your name alone. You who are holy and miraculous, Saint Gennaro, we ask you in this hour to grant us the miracle that our soul, in need of so much light and truth, needs. We ask you to pray for us and to obtain for us the love of our mother, the Virgin Mary. Amen. Watch this video.
Prayer to San Gennaro for a change in your life
When we feel that our life is troubled, that we cannot find a way out and that we urgently need a change, then we must turn to San Gennaro, so that we can turn around all those things that we want to change and that in one way or another affect us, let us pray with faith and trust in this powerful intercessor, we can also confidently do the following
Glorious and mighty Saint Gennaro, you who were a mighty defender of the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, you who were a unique and illustrious patron of Naples, we ask you to turn your gaze towards us and we ask you to fulfil the requests that we are making to you, we trust in your powerful intercession before the throne of grace and full of mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Good and illustrious Patron of Naples, look upon us with compassion, we prostrate ourselves today at your feet, you who go everywhere to help your faithful, you who stopped the lava of the volcano called Vesuvius
You have also been able to save us from plagues and from the terrible earthquakes that have tried to scourge us, You who have saved us from hunger and from many other punishments. We are here before you to cry out to you and ask you to grant us the petitions that we are making to you; today, be with this humble devotee of yours (at this moment to make the petition).
This miracle that always happens of the liquefaction of the blood is a very sure sign that you San Genaro always live among us, we ask you to please us by fulfilling the requests that we make today to satisfy our needs, pray for us that today we are before you with total devotion, we ask you to hear us to free us from all the evils and dangers that may lurk and oppress us.
We ask you, San Genaro, to save us from invading unbelief and that the faith for which you sacrificed your precious life may always bear abundant fruit for us, Amen. Watch this video.
Catacombs of San Gennaro
Catacombs of San Gennaro is a rocky construction that has an underground form and it is in the city of Naples where we can find this beautiful work that we can enjoy whenever we want, just in the north of this city, to arrive with more rapidity we locate a church that is very near as a reference.
The catacombs of San Gennaro are an important new discovery that has been possible only in the last six years, with the very good help of a cooperative. Considering that the catacombs of the other saints are just as amazing, we will continue to talk about the catacombs of San Gennaro.
The Catacombs of St. Gennaro, like St. Paul Outside the Walls, are of great attraction and are a total representation for tourists who always want to experience that deep and unique relationship that the Neapolitans have with faith and also with death. The entrance that leads to the catacombs is very close to the Basilica, which is in the good advice and is also known as the little San Prieto, at this entrance a guide will always be waiting for you and will be happy to assist you in your tour.
The catacombs of San Gennaro, which have been excavated and are considered the largest in southern Italy, are generally made up of two levels, the most important of which is the upper level, which was enlarged in the 5th century following the transfer of the remains of St. Gennaro.
The lower level of this catacomb, it is said, has a certain resemblance to the tombs that were once pagan and were later donated to the Christians and also converted into a cemetery in the 2nd and 3rd centuries.
A few metres away are the upper catacombs of the main entrance; going down you can see very large rooms and it is as if you were in a large underground cathedral dug out of the tuff.
On the upper level is the crypt, where the first bishops were buried and later depicted in mosaics. It also has three naves, built after the transfer of the remains of San Gennaro. These remains, moved in the 5th century, were stolen in the 7th century and then reburied, this time under the crypt of all the bishops, and on the walls of the catacomb we can find the oldest images of Saint Gennaro.
Research on the miracle of the liquefaction of the blood
Among the positive elements concerning this holy relic, the following analyses can be made.
This dark substance, which everyone assures us is the blood of Saint Gennaro and which they assure us has remained for more than 300 years very hermetically sealed in a glass container and which is also very tightly bound and held by a metal frame which is the reliquary, generally never occupies the same volume inside the container where it is kept.
On many occasions this mass, said to be the blood of Saint Gennaro, has completely filled the glass jar in which it is kept, and on many other occasions it has left more than a third of the jar empty.
In the same way that the volume of the jar varies, so too does the weight, which is checked year after year with a balance.
Year after year, using a very specific and very accurate balance, differences of up to approximately 27 grams have been recorded between the maximum and minimum weights.
The approximate time at which liquefaction occurs seems to be independent of the temperature of the atmosphere.
There have been occasions when the atmosphere has been over 30 degrees Celsius and it has taken about two hours for signs of liquefaction to be observed. At much lower temperatures of up to 5 and 8 degrees Celsius, it is known to have taken up to 15 minutes for liquefaction to occur.
The liquefaction does not always take place in the same way, there have been cases where the liquid of the contents bubbles and, when shaken, takes on a crimson colour, while at other times it becomes opaque and has a pasty consistency.
Experts have not yet been able to discover a real natural cause for this phenomenon, although the Church says that it does not exclude the possibility of its existence and has never opposed the search for the truth.
The faith that exists in Catholicism teaches that we have a supernatural and almighty God and that everything that exists is part of His creation, but the Church is very careful to assert or determine whether it is in fact a particular phenomenon or indeed a supernatural phenomenon.
The Catholic Church always urges caution so as not to dismiss these phenomena prematurely, and therefore recognises the competence of science to reveal and investigate the truth, as well as the knowledge of experts.
The Catholic Church hopes that this investigation will prove with certainty that this is a true miracle and will remove all possible doubts, so that our faith will grow even more and we will be able to praise Saint Genaro even more. watch this video
The Martyrdom of Saint Gennaro
The martyrdom of St. Gennaro is depicted on a canvas that is still in perfect condition, having been folded at the sides many years ago. Some parts are missing, but they are not very important and only concern a part of the dress of the holy woman who, at the moment of Saint Gennaro’s beheading, is in charge of collecting the blood.
In the lower part of the cloak and in some specific points of the lower part of this composition, it can be seen that there are some parts of the tunic that Saint Gennaro was wearing, and in some specific points of the lower part of this canvas, it can be seen that there are some parts of the tunic that Saint Gennaro was wearing.
In the background, on the left, there is a bald figure that has undergone a cleaning that can be seen to accentuate the contrasts from much lighter to darker; the restoration that it has undergone was aimed at saving the glazes that were concentrated in the lighter areas, giving an intense luminosity.
