From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   The cross of Christ as victory   
      
   "[Mary] did the Father's will. It was this in her that the Lord   
   magnified, not merely that her flesh gave birth to flesh... When he   
   said, 'Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it' (Luke   
   11:28), he was in effect saying: 'My mother whom you have called   
   blessed is blessed for the reason that she keeps the Word of God, not   
   that the Word was made flesh in her and dwelt among us (John 1:14),   
   but that she keeps the very Word of God through which she was made and   
   which was made flesh in her."   
   --St. Augustine--(excerpt from TRACTATE ON JOHN 10.3.2)   
      
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   April 9th - St. Gaucherius   
      
   Gaucherius was born at Meulan-sur-Seine, France, about the year 1060.   
   He apparently came from a wealthy family because he was well educated,   
   but little is known of his family and early life. At eighteen he   
   decided on a life dedicated to God.   
      
   With a like-minded friend named Humbert, Gaucherius traveled into the   
   wild forest area near Limoges and built a hermitage in a very remote   
   and inaccessible spot. The two men lived there for several years,   
   unknown and forgotten. However, as is common with holy men, others   
   came to join in their simple and austere life. Thus about 1078, the   
   Priory, later called Saint-Jean of Auriel, came into being.   
      
   The community followed the Rule of the canons of St. Augustine and   
   theirs was a simple semi-eremetical life of prayer and manual labor.   
   Later Gaucherius also founded a convent for women which followed the   
   rule of the canonesses of St. Augustine.   
      
   Gaucherius lived to about the age of eighty and died from   
   complications which developed after he fell from his horse while   
   traveling back to Auriel from Limoges. He was canonized in 1194. Once   
   again we have the example of a saint who didn't do anything   
   spectacular. He heard the call of God and responded whole heartedly,   
   living a simple austere life of humility, charity and love.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   All places are alike to me, because everywhere I expect to find God,   
   who is the only object of all my desires.   
   --Saint Marie Victoire Therese Couderc   
      
   Bible Quote:   
    Whoever humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in   
   the kingdom of heaven. (Mt 18:4)   
      
      
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   NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP   
      
   1. Behold, O Mother of Perpetual Help, at thy feet a wretched sinner,   
   who has recourse to thee and trusts in thee. O Mother of mercy,   
   have pity on me; I hear all men call thee the refuge and hope of sinners:   
   be therefore my refuge and my hope. Help me for the love of Jesus Christ:   
   hold out thy hand to a fallen wretch, who commends himself to thee and   
   dedicates himself to be thy servant forever. I praise and thank God, who   
   of His great mercy hath given me this confidence in thee, a sure pledge   
   of my eternal salvation. Alas, it is only too true that in the past I have   
   fallen miserably, because I did not come to thee. I know that with thy help   
    I shall conquer; I know that thou wilt help me, if I commend myself to thee;   
   but I am fearful lest in the occasions of sin I shall forget to call upon thee   
   and so I shall be lost. This grace, then, do I ask of thee;   
   for this I implore thee, as much as I can and know how to do; namely,   
   that in the assaults of hell I may ever run to thy protection and may   
   say to thee:   
   Mary, help me; Mother of Perpetual Help, permit me not to lose my God.   
      
   Hail Mary, three times.   
      
   2. O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant me ever to be able to call upon thy   
   powerful name, since thy name is the help of the living and the salvation of   
   the dying. Ah, Mary most pure, Mary most sweet, grant that thy name from   
   this day forth may be to me the very breath of life. Dear Lady, delay not to   
   come to my assistance whenever I call upon thee; for in all the temptations   
   that assail me, in all the necessities that befall me, I will never leave   
   off calling upon thee, ever repeating: Mary, Mary. What comfort, what   
   sweetness, what confidence, what tenderness fills my soul at the sound of   
   thy name, at the very thought of thee! I give thanks to our Lord, who for my   
   sake hath given thee a name so sweet, so lovable, so mighty. But I am not   
   content merely to speak thy name; I would utter it for very love of thee; it   
   is my desire that love should ever remind me to name thee,   
   Mother of Perpetual Help.   
      
   Hail Mary, three times.   
      
   3. O Mother of Perpetual Help, thou art the dispenser of every grace that   
   God grants us in our misery; it is for this cause that He hath made thee so   
   powerful, so rich, so kind, that thou mightest assist us in our miseries.   
   Thou art the advocate of the most wretched and abandoned sinners, if they   
   but come unto thee; come once more to my assistance, for I commend myself   
   to thee. In thy hands I place my eternal salvation; to thee I entrust my soul.   
   Enroll me among thy most faithful servants; take me under thy protection   
   and it is enough for me: yes, for if thou protect me, I shall fear nothing; not   
   my sins, for thou wilt obtain for me their pardon and remission; not the   
   evil spirits, for thou art mightier than all the powers of hell; not even   
   Jesus, my Judge, for He is appeased by a single prayer from thee. I fear   
   only that through my own negligence I may forget to recommend myself to   
   thee and so I shall be lost. My dear Lady, obtain for me the forgiveness of my   
   sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance and the grace to have recourse to   
   thee at all times, O Mother of Perpetual Help.   
      
   Hail Mary, three times.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)