From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Constant effort is necessary   
      
   Constant effort is necessary if I am to grow spiritually and develop   
   my spiritual life. I must keep the spiritual rules persistently,   
   perseveringly, lovingly, patiently, and hopefully. By keeping them,   
   every mountain of difficulty shall be laid low, the rough places of   
   poverty of spirit shall be made smooth, and all who know me shall know   
   that God is the Lord of all my ways. To get close to the spirit of God   
   is to find life and healing and strength.   
   --From Twenty-Four Hours a Day   
      
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   March 31st - Saint Benjamin the Deacon   
      
   (died 424)   
      
   Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Benjamin the Deacon, Martyr of   
   the faith, and patron saint of preachers and evangelizers. The courage   
   and steadfast conviction of Saint Benjamin--who preached publicly   
   despite considerable risk to his life--remains inspirational to us   
   today.   
      
   Benjamin was born in Persia, but the remainder of his early life is   
   lost to history. He was appointed a deacon of the Church, and for   
   some, enjoyed the years of peace that Christians were granted during   
   the reign of Isdegerd, son of Sapor III. Prior to his 12-year reign,   
   Christians had been actively persecuted. Near the end of his reign,   
   the ire of Isdegerd was raised by Abdas, a Christian bishop who burned   
   the Temple of Fire--the great sanctuary of the Persian pagan gods--in   
   his zeal for Christ. King Isdegerd threatened to destroy all Christian   
   churches unless Abdas agreed to rebuild the Temple of Fire. Of course,   
   he refused, and was summarily executed.   
      
   For the next 40 years (first under Isdegerd, and then his son,   
   Varanes), a general persecution was unleashed on Christians. Churches   
   were destroyed, and Christians were tortured and imprisoned   
   mercilessly. Among the faithful who suffered during this persecution   
   was Saint Benjamin, a deacon. He was imprisoned for one year after   
   being overheard preaching by a member of the royal court. Saint   
   Benjamin was renowned for his zealous preaching, brining many Persians   
   and Greeks to the faith. Following his imprisonment, an ambassador of   
   the Emperor of Constantinople negotiated his condition release: the   
   condition, that he never preached within earshot of any member of the   
   royal court again.   
      
   Saint Benjamin, however, at great risk to his life, declared it his   
   duty to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and could not remain   
   silent. He resumed his preaching with great intensity, finding   
   audiences wherever he could, including public places and street   
   corners. Before long, he was re-arrested and brought before the king   
   who again ordered him to stop preaching. Saint Benjamin replied, "I   
   cannot possibly do that. Those who hide the talent they have received   
   will be given over to greater suffering." King Varanes then ordered   
   that he undergo extreme torture. Reeds and thorns were thrust beneath   
   his finger and toe nails, and into the most tender parts of his body   
   before being withdrawn. Following this, which he bore with smiles and   
   joy, a knotted stake was thrust into his bowls to rend and tear them.   
   In this most terrible agony, he died, earning the martyrs’ golden   
   crown.   
      
   Saint Ephrem, considering the heroic constancy of the martyrs, wrote:   
   "The wisdom of philosophers, and the eloquence of the greatest   
   orators, are dumb through amazement, when they contemplate the   
   wonderful spectacle and glorious actions of the martyrs: the tyrants   
   and judges were not able to express their astonishment when they   
   beheld the faith, the constancy, and the cheerfulness of these holy   
   champions. What excuse shall we have in the dreadful day of judgment,   
   if we, who have never been exposed to any cruel persecutions, or to   
   the violence of such torments, shall have neglected the love of God   
   and the care of a spiritual life? No temptations, no torments, were   
   able to draw them from that love which they bore to God; but we,   
   living in rest and delights, refuse to love our most merciful and   
   gracious Lord. What shall we do in that day of terror, when the   
   martyrs of Christ, standing with confidence near his throne, shall   
   show the marks of their wounds? What shall we then show? Shall we   
   present a lively faith? true charity towards God? a perfect   
   disengagement of our affections from earthly things? souls freed from   
   the tyranny of the passions? silence and recollection? meekness?   
   almsdeeds? prayers poured forth with clean hearts? compunction,   
   watchings, tears? Happy shall he be whom such good works shall attend.   
   He will be the partner of the martyrs, and, supported by the treasure   
   of these virtues, shall appear with equal confidence before Christ and   
   his angels."   
      
   Saint Benjamin is remembered by Christians today for his great courage   
   and faith in Jesus Christ. Today, many continue to look to Saint   
   Benjamin for courage and strength by wearing Saint Benjamin medals--a   
   reminder of the importance of preaching, living courageously in the   
   Lord, and the sacrifice that the brave martyrs of the faith made   
   throughout Church history.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   It is difficult to live a saintly life in this world even with the   
   best of intentions. There always exists the dangerous menace of one's   
   being left entirely to oneself and also the probability of one's being   
   absorbed by work, by the necessities of life, and by the occupations   
   of every sort which conditions or our own will impose. Then too, one   
   is most always ignorant of the right road to pursue!   
   --St. Peter Eymard   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   Now there are diversities of graces, but the same Spirit. And there   
   are diversities of ministries. but the same Lord. And there are   
   diversities of operations, but the same God, who worketh all in all.   
   (1 Corinthians 12:4-6 )  DRB   
      
      
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   Thy martyr, Benjamin, O Lord, by his struggle hath received from thee,   
   our God, the imperishable crown; because, acquiring thy strength, he   
   demolished usurpers and crushed the powerless might of Satan.   
   Therefore, through his intercessions, O Christ God, save our souls.   
      
   We entreat you, O most holy martyrs, who cheerfully suffered most   
   cruel torments for God our Savior and his love, on which account you   
   are now most intimately and familiarly united to him, that you pray to   
   the Lord for us miserable sinners, covered with filth, that he infuse   
   into us the grace of Christ that it may enlighten our souls that we   
   may love him.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)