This saint survived being scourged twice, flayed alive and set on fire

                     May 4 ----- St. Florian

Florian von Lorch is one of the patron saints of Poland as well as of Austria.  He was born to a noble family in the year 250 and lived in the region which is present day Austria. 

At a very young age, he joined the Roman Army and became one of its finest officers as a member and then a Commander of the elite corps called the Fire Brigade. 

When Florian converted to Christianity, he became so pious that he saved an entire city from fire with only a single bucket of water.  Florian accomplished by prayer what others found impossible through temporal means.  His confidence in God caused him to declare his Christianity before a tribunal of Diocletian who was persecuting all Christians. 

After making his bold confession, he was scourged twice, flayed alive and set on fire.  The faith that allowed him to quench a city fire with a single bucket of water, also allowed him to survive these unheard of tortures.  Finally on  May 4, 304, he won the crown of martyrdom when the Roman soldiers  threw him into the river Enns with a millstone tied around his neck.

Let us pray to St. Florian to gain the confidence that prayer is indispensable and efficacious in a Catholic's life and that it will help us to accomplish what is expected of us in the trials of modern life.