fection of Christian virtue."
Out of the most ardent and tender love which he bore our divine
Redeemer, and in order daily to enkindle and improve the sane, he was
wonderfully delighted with reading every day a part of the gospel of St.
John, which for this purpose he divided into seven parts or tasks. St.
Cuthbert inherited from him this devotion, and in his tomb was fouled a
Latin copy of St. John's gospel, which was in the possession of the
present earl of Litchfield, and which his lordship gave to Mr. Thomas
Philips, canon of Tongres.

Bede relates[1] as an instance that St. Boisil continued after his death
to interest himself particularly in obtaining for his country and
friends the divine mercy and grace, that he appeared twice to one of his
disciples, giving him a charge to assure St. Egbert, who had been
hindered from going to preach the gospel to the infidels in Germany,
that God commanded him to repair to the monasteries of St. Columba, to
instruct them in the right manner of celebrating Easter. These
monasteries were, that in the island of Colm-Kill, or Iona, (which was
the ordinary burial-place of the kings of Scotland down to Malcolm
III.,) and that of Magis, in the isles of Orkney, built by bishop
Colman. The remains of St. Boisil were translated to Durham, and
deposited near those of his disciple St. Cuthbert, in 1030. Wilson and
other English authors mention St. Boisil on the 7th of August; but in
the Scottish calendars his name occurs on the 23d of February. See Bede,
Hist. l. 4, c. 27, l. 5, c. 10, and in Vita S. Cuthberti, c. 8.

Footnotes:
1. Hist. l. 5, c. 10.

FEBRUARY XXIV.

SAINT MATTHIAS, APOSTLE.

From Acts i. 21. See Tillemont, t. 1, p. 406. Henschenius, p. 434.

ST. CLEMENT of Alexandria[1] assures us, from tradition, that this saint
was one of the seventy-two disciples, which is confirmed by Eusebius[2]
and St. Jerom;[3] and we learn from the Acts[4] of the apostles, that he
was a constant attendant on our Lord, from the time of his baptism by
St. John to his ascension. St. Peter having, in a general assembly of
the faithful held soon after, declared from holy scripture, the
necessity of choosing a twelfth apostle, in the room of Judas; two were
unanimously pitched upon by the assembly, as most worthy of the dignity,
Joseph, called Barsabas, and, on account of his extraordinary piety,
surnamed the Just, and Matthias. After devout prayer to God, that he
would direct them in their c