From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   This is a Hard Saying:   
      
    READ in the gospel that when the Lord was teaching his disciples   
   and urged them to share in his passion by the ministry of eating his   
   body, some said: This is a hard saying; and from that time they no   
   longer followed him. When he asked the disciples whether they also   
   wish to go away, they replied: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the   
   words of eternal life. I assure you my brothers that even to this day   
   it is clear to some that the words which Jesus speaks are spirit and   
   life, and for this reason they follow him. To others these words seem   
   hard, and so they look elsewhere for some pathetic consolation. Yet   
   wisdom cries out in the streets, in a broad and spacious way that   
   leads to death, to call back those who take this path.   
   -- St Bernard   
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   April 22nd – St. Acepsimas of Hnaita   
    (also known as Acesimus of Honita)   
      
   Died October 10, 376. Saint Acepsimas, an octogenarian bishop of   
   Hnaita (Honita) in Assyria (western Persia), was racked and flogged to   
   death under Shapur II. His acta are quite authentic--recorded by Saint   
   Maruthas, a near contemporary, and mentioned by Sozomen. The priests   
   Aithala and Joseph suffered with him. The Roman Martyrology   
   commemorates many others who suffered about this time in the same   
   persecution.  Maruthas writes that in the 37th of the 40 years of   
   persecution a new edict was published that stated: "They abolish our   
   doctrine; they teach men to worship one only God, and forbid them to   
   adore the sun or fire; they use water for profane washing; they forbid   
   persons to marry, to be soldiers in the king's armies, or to strike   
   any one; they permit all sorts of animals to be killed, and they   
   suffer the dead to be buried; they say that serpents and scorpions   
   were made, not by the devil, but by God himself."   
      
   These were the charges laid upon the ancient Bishop Acepsimas, who was   
   arrested and taken to the governor in Arbela. When asked how he could   
   deny the divinity of the sun, the bishop expressed astonishment that   
   any man would prefer a creature to the Creator. For this insolence he   
   was thrown to the ground, scourged, and then imprisoned.   
      
   Meanwhile the priest Joseph of Bethcatuba and Deacon Aithalas of   
   Bethnudra, who was renowned for his eloquence, sanctity, and learning,   
   were brought before the same governor. Joseph answered the charges   
   much as Acepsimas did: that he was a Christian, and had always taught   
   the sun to be an inanimate creature. This response resulted in Joseph   
   being stretched on the ground and beaten successively by ten   
   executioners until his body seemed to be one open wound. Seeing what   
   they had done to his body, Joseph said: "I return you the greatest   
   thanks I am able, Christ, the Son of God, who have granted me this   
   mercy, and washed me with this second baptism of my blood, to wipe   
   away my sins." This infuriated his persecutors, who redoubled their   
   efforts to tear his body apart (Benedictines).   
      
   In art, Saint Acepsimas is an Oriental bishop loaded with chains. He   
   is venerated in the Eastern Church (Roeder).   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Affliction or consolation, health or sickness, is all one to a heart   
   that loves. Since we wish only to please God, it should be enough for   
   us that His Will is accomplished.   
   --St. Margaret Mary Alacoque   
      
   Bible Quote   
    In that day the bud of the Lord shall be in magnificence and glory,   
   and the fruit of the earth shall be high, and a great joy to them that   
   shall have escaped of Israel.  (Isaias 4:2)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   On Certain Temptations Against Humility   
      
   It is not easy to be humble when we are praised and flattered. Our   
   self-love sucks in with eagerness the words of compliment. We think   
   they must be partly true, or at least we are tempted to exult in the   
   high opinion that others profess of us. Such occasions are very   
   perilous to humility. We should do well to think of Herod when the   
   people listened to his oration, and shouted out: "It is the voice of a   
   god and not of a man." We read that because he took the glory to   
   himself instead of giving it to God, he was smitten down by the Angel   
   of the Lord and died miserably. (Acts xii.)   
      
   Yet we cannot help being pleased when others speak kindly of us, and   
   we ought to be pleased when our superiors commend us. But we must   
   observe certain precautions. (1) We must take care to rejoice rather   
   in the kindness of others than in their praise. (2) We must strive and   
   forget ourselves, and raise our heart to God, and offer Him our   
   success. (3) We must make an act of humility at the thought that if   
   those who praise us saw us as God sees us, they would despise, not   
   honor us.   
      
   If we find that we are puffed up by praise, this is a fresh proof of   
   our imperfection. The Saints disliked and dreaded praise, and when   
   they were blamed unjustly, thanked God and took it as a mark of His   
   love and favor. Father Lancicius used to consider unjust reproaches as   
   pure gain, because they had no drawback of self-reproach or regret.   
   Which do I accept most gladly, undue praise or undeserved blame?   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)