From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   What do we know?   
      
   Do we know how to love God? Can we tell and show our children and our   
   neighbour how to love God? Our spare time--to whom do we give it; to   
   God Who is the most loveable and will not accept half-love, nor   
   unrequited love.   
      
   "Blessed is he who has received from God the science of the Saints.   
   The science of the Saints is to know how to love God. How many in the   
   world are well versed in literature, in mathematics, in foreign and   
   ancient languages! But what will all this profit them, if they know   
   not how to love God? 'Blessed is he, said St. Augustine, who knows   
   God, even if he knows nothing else.'   
      
   "He that knows God and loves Him, though he be ignorant of what others   
   know, is more learned than all the learned, who know not how to love   
   God.   
      
   "O my true and perfect lover, where shall I find one who has loved me   
   as much as Thou hast loved me? In the past I have lost my time in   
   learning many things which have profited my soul nothing; and I have   
   thought little of knowing how to love Thee. I see that my life has   
   been lost."   
      
   --St. Alphonsus de Liguori (The 'Useful' Doctor, 1696-1787) -"St.   
   Alphonsus' Devout Reflections", [Burns & Oates, 1901, p.19]:   
      
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   May 2nd - SS. Hesperus and Zoe   
      
   The Holy Martyrs Hesperus, his Wife Zoe, and their Children Cyriacus   
   and Theodulus suffered for their faith in Christ in the second   
   century, during the persecution under Hadrian (117-138). They had been   
   Christians since their childhood, and they also raised their children   
   in piety. They were all slaves of an illustrious Roman named Catullus,   
   living in Attalia, Asia Minor. While serving their earthly master, the   
   saints never defiled themselves with food offered to idols, which   
   pagans were obliged to use.   
      
   Once, Catullus sent Hesperus on business to Tritonia. Sts Cyriacus and   
   Theodulus decided to run away, unable to endure constant contact with   
   pagans. St. Zoe, however, did not bless her sons to do this. Then they   
   asked their mother's blessing to confess their faith in Christ openly,   
   and they received it. When the brothers explained to Catullus that   
   they were Christian, he was surprised, but he did not deliver them for   
   torture. Instead, he sent them with their mother to St. Hesperus at   
   Tritonia, hoping that the parents would persuade their children to   
   deny Christ. At Tritonia, the saints lived in tranquility for a while,   
   preparing for martyrdom.   
      
   All the slaves returned to Attalia for the birthday of Catullus' son,   
   and a feast was prepared at the house in honor of the pagan goddess   
   Fortuna. Food was sent to the slaves from the master's table, and this   
   included meat and wine that had been sacrificed to idols. The saints   
   would not eat the food. Zoe poured the wine upon the ground and threw   
   the meat to the dogs. When he learned of this, Catullus gave orders to   
   torture Zoe's sons, Sts Cyriacus and Theodulus.   
   The brothers were stripped, suspended from a tree, and raked with iron   
   implements before the eyes of their parents, who counseled their   
   children to persevere to the end.   
      
   Then the parents, Sts Hesperus and Zoe, were subjected to terrible   
   tortures. Finally, they threw all four martyrs into a red-hot furnace,   
   where they surrendered their souls to the Lord. Their bodies were   
   preserved in the fire unharmed, and angelic singing was heard,   
   glorifying the confessors of the Lord.   
      
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   Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth. -Matt. 5:4   
      
   "There is nothing which edifies others so much as charity and   
   kindness, by which, as by the oil in the lamp, the flame of good   
   example is kept alive"   
   --St. Francis de Sales   
      
   We read of St. Francis Xavier that his brother Jesuits often visited   
   him, only to enjoy his admirable mildness.   
      
   (Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". May - Meekness)   
      
   Bible Quote   
   Tell ye the daughter of Sion: Behold thy king cometh to thee, meek,   
   and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of her that is used to   
   the yoke. (Matthew 21:5)   
      
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   Meditation for troubled times:   
      
      I will try to make the world better and happier by my presence in   
   it. I will try to help other people find the way God wants them to   
   live. I will try to be on the side of good, in the stream of   
   righteousness, where all things work for good. I will do my duty   
   persistently and faithfully, not sparing myself. I will be gentle with   
   all people. I will try to see other people's difficulty and help them   
   to correct it. I will always pray to God to act as interpreter between   
   me and the other person. I pray that I may live in the spirit of   
   prayer. I pray that I may depend on God for the strength I need to   
   help me to do my part in making the world a better place.   
   --From Twenty-Four Hours a Day   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)