From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Following the Lord Jesus   
      
   "'Come follow Me, says the Lord. Do you love? He has hastened on, He   
   has flown on ahead. Look and see where. O Christian, don't you know   
   where your Lord has gone? I ask you: Don't you wish to follow Him   
   there? Through trials, insults,the cross, and death. Why do you   
   hesitate? Look, the way has been shown you."   
    by Augustine of Hippo (excerpt from Sermon 64,5)   
      
   ===============   
   July 11th - Pope St. Pius I   
      
   Date of birth unknown; pope from about 140 to about 154. According to   
   the earliest list of the popes, given by Irenaeus ("Adv. haer.", II,   
   xxxi; cf. Eusebius, "Hist. eccl.", V, vi), Pius was the 9th successor   
   of St. Peter. The dates given in the Liberian Catalogue for his   
   pontificate (146-61) rest on a false calculation of earlier   
   chroniclers, and cannot be accepted. The only chronological datum we   
   possess is supplied by the year of St. Polycarp of Smyrna's death,   
   which may be referred with great certainty to 155-6. On his visit to   
   Rome in the year before his death Polycarp found Anicetus, the   
   successor of Pius, bishop there; consequently, the death of Pius must   
   have occurred about 154. The "Liber Pontificalis" (ed. Duchesne, I,   
   132) says the father of Pius was Rufinus, and makes him a native of   
   Aquileia; this is, however, probably a conjecture of the author, who   
   had heard of Rufinus of Aquileia (end of 4th century). From a notice   
   in the "Liberian Catalogue" (in Duchesne, "Liber Pontificalis", I, 5),   
   which is confirmed by the Muratorian Fragment (ed. Preuschen,   
   "Analecta", I, Tubingen, 1910), we learn that a brother of this pope,   
   Hermas by name, published "The Shepherd" (see HERMAS). If the   
   information which the author gives concerning his personal conditions   
   and station (first a slave, then a freedman) were historical, we   
   should know more about the origin of the pope, his brother. It is very   
   possible that the story which Hermas relates of himself is a fiction.   
      
   During the pontificate of Pius the Roman Church was visited by various   
   heretics, who sought to propagate their false doctrine among the   
   faithful of the capital. The Gnostic Valentinus, who had made his   
   appearance under Pope Hyginus, continued to sow his heresy, apparently   
   not without success. The Gnostic Cerdon was also active in Rome at   
   this period, during which Marcion arrived in the capital (see   
   MARCIONITES). Excluded from communion by Pius, the latter founded his   
   heretical body (Irenaeus, "Adv. haer.", III, iii).   
      
   But Catholic teachers also visited the Roman Church, the most   
   important being St. Justin, who expounded the Christian teachings   
   during the pontificate of Pius and that of his successor. A great   
   activity thus marks the Christian community in Rome, which stands   
   clearly conspicuous as the centre of the Church. The "Liber   
   Pontificalis" (ed. cit.) speaks of a decision of this pope to the   
   effect that Jewish converts to Christianity should be admitted and   
   baptized. What this means we do not know; doubtless the author of the   
   "Liber Pontificalis", here as frequently, refers to the pope a decree   
   valid in the Church of his own time. A later legend refers the   
   foundation of the two churches, the titulus Pudentis (ecclesia   
   Pudentiana) and the titulus Praxedis, to the time of this pope, who is   
   also supposed to have built a baptistry near the former and to have   
   exercised episcopal functions there (Acta SS., IV May, 299 sqq.; cf.   
   de Rossi, "Musaici delle chiese di Roma: S. Pudenziana, S. Prassede").   
   The story, however, can lay no claim to historical credibility. These   
   two churches came into existence in the 4th century, although it is   
   not impossible that they replaced Christian houses, in which the   
   faithful of Rome assembled for Divine service before the time of   
   Constantine; the legend, however, should not be alleged as proof of   
   this fact. In many later writings (e.g. the "Liber Pontificalis") the   
   "Pastor" or "Shepherd" in the work of Hermas is erroneously accepted   
   as the name of the author, and, since a Roman priest Pastor is   
   assigned an important role in the foundation of these churches, it is   
   quite possible that the writer of the legend was similarly misled, and   
   consequently interwove Pope Pius into his legendary narrative (see   
   PRAXEDES AND PUDENTIANA). Two letters written to Bishop Justus of   
   Vienne (P.L., V, 1125 sq.; Jaffé, "Regesta", I, 2nd ed., pp. 7 sq.),   
   ascribed to Pius, are not authentic.   
      
   http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12126b.htm   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   That we may not be deceived by self-love, in considering matters that   
   concern us, we ought to look at them as if they belonged to others,   
   and our only business with them was to give our judgment not from   
   interest, but in the cause of truth; and in the same way we should   
   look on others' affairs as our own.   
   --St. Ignatius Loyola   
      
   Bible Quote   
   He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in that   
   which is greater: and he that is unjust in that which is little, is   
   unjust also in that which is greater.  (Luke 16:10)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   A Prayer for Fulfilling the Will of God   
      
   by Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)   
      
   O most merciful Jesus,   
   grant me Your grace,   
   that it may remain with me always   
   and persevere with me to the end.   
   Grant me always to will and desire,   
   what is more pleasing and acceptable to You.   
   Let Your will be mind   
   and let my will always follow Yours   
   in perfect conformity with it.   
   Let my will and desires always be one with Yours   
   and let me be unable to will or not to will,   
   except as You will or do not will.   
   Grant that I may die to all worldly things   
   and that I may be despised and unknown   
   for love of You.   
   Grant, above all things to be desired,   
   that I may find rest in You   
   and that in Your Heart alone may be my peace.   
   You, O Lord, give true peace to the heart   
   and perfect rest to body and soul.   
   Apart from You, all is difficult and never still.   
   In that peace, in You Who are the one,   
   supreme and eternal Good,   
   I will sleep and take my rest.   
   Amen   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)