
January 14 + Saint Felix of Nola
Felix was the son of Hermias, a Syrian who had been a Roman soldier. He was born on his father's estate in Nola near Naples, Italy. After the death of his father, Felix distributed his inheritance to the poor, was ordained a priest by Saint Bishop Maximus of Nola, and became his assistant.
When Bishop Maximus fled to the mountains to escape the persecution of the Roman emperor Decius, Felix was arrested and beaten for his faith instead. He escaped prison, being freed by an angel, so that he could help Bishop Maximus.
Felix found Maximus alone, ill, and helpless, and hid him from soldiers in a vacant building. When the two were safely inside, a spider quickly spun a web over the door, fooling the imperial forces into thinking it was long abandoned, and they left without finding the Christians.
A subsequent attempt to arrest Felix followed, which he avoided by hiding in a ruined building where again, a spider web spun across the entrance convinced the soldiers the building was abandoned. The two managed to hide from authorities until the persecution ended with the death of Emperor Decius in 251.
After the death of Bishop Maximus, the people wanted Felix to be the next Bishop of Nola, but he declined, favoring Quintus, a senior priest who had seven days more experience than Felix. So, Felix continued as a priest and he continued to farm his remaining land, giving most of the proceeds to people even poorer than himself.
Though Felix died of natural causes, he is normally listed as a martyr because of the torture, imprisonment, and privations he experienced in the persecutions.
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