From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
    -- Ephesians 1:18-22 --   
      
   The eyes of your heart enlightened that you may know what the hope is   
   of his calling and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance   
   in the saints.  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power   
   towards us, who believe according to the operation of the might of his   
   power,  Which he wrought in Christ, raising him up from the dead and   
   setting him on his right hand in the heavenly places. Above all   
   principality and power and virtue and dominion and every name that is   
   named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And   
   he hath subjected all things under his feet and hath made him head   
   over all the church,  [Ephesians 1:18-22] DRB   
   =========================   
   Having been raised from the dead, Christ is now the head of the   
   church, the ultimate authority over the world. Jesus is the Messiah,   
   God’s anointed one, the one Israel longed for, the one who would set   
   their broken world right. As Christians we can be confident that God   
   has won the final victory and is in control of everything. We need not   
   fear any dictator or nation or even death or Satan himself. The   
   contract has been signed and sealed; we are waiting just a short while   
   for delivery. Paul says, in Romans 8:37-39, that nothing can separate   
   us from God and his love.   
      
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   August 10th - St. Equitius, Abbot   
   d. 560   
      
     St. Equitius flourished in the Abruzzi at the time when St. Benedict   
   was establishing his rule at Monte Cassino, and in his youth suffered   
   greatly from temptations of the flesh. He sought solitude in the   
   province of Valeria, where by prayer and discipline he brought his   
   body into subjection and attained the virtues of the spirit. When he   
   had learned to govern himself he undertook the direction of others and   
   founded first a monastery at Terni (Amiternum) and then other houses,   
   both of men and women. St. Gregory the Great describes Equitius from   
   accounts he had received from Albinus, Bishop of Rieti, and others who   
   knew him personally:   
      
     "Zeal for the salvation of souls so burned in his heart that, in   
   spite of his responsibility for so many monasteries, he travelled   
   about diligently, visiting churches, towns, villages, and particularly   
   men's houses, to stir up the hearts of those that heard him to a love   
   of heavenly joys.  His clothes were so poor and shabby that those who   
   did not know who he was would not deign to salute him, even if he   
   greeted them first.  He rode on the most forlorn beast he could find,   
   with a halter for bridle and a sheep's skin for saddle. He carried   
   his books of divinity in leather bags, hung on either side of his   
   horse, and to what place soever he came he opened there the spring of   
   Sacred Scripture and refreshed the souls of his hearers with the   
   heavenly water of his words. His grace in preaching was so great the   
   fame thereof reached Rome itself."   
      
      Like many of the early abbots St. Equitius was not in holy orders,   
   and a patrician called Felix challenged him for presuming to preach   
   when he was neither ordained nor licensed thereto by the bishop of   
   Rome.   
      
    "I myself have seriously considered the matter on which you speak,"   
   replied Equitius, "but on a certain night a young man stood by me in a   
   vision and touched my tongue with such an instrument as is used in   
   letting blood, and said to me:  Behold I have put my word into your   
   mouth. Go your way and preach.'  And since that day I can talk only of   
   God, whether I would or no."  This did not satisfy some of the Roman   
   clergy, who complained to the pope that "this countrified fellow has   
   taken on himself authority to preach and, ignorant as he is, usurps   
   the office of our apostolic ruler", and asked that he be sent for to   
   be dealt with.  A cleric called Julian was therefore sent to his   
   monastery to fetch Equitius, and he found the abbot in hobnailed   
   boots, mowing grass, who, when he received the pope's message,   
   prepared to set out at once. Julian was tired with his journey and   
   wanted to stay there the night, and St. Equitius agreed, but, "I am   
   very sorry", he said, "for if we go not to-day, to-morrow we shall   
   not".  And so it fell out, for the next morning a messenger arrived   
   from the pope to tell Julian that he had had a vision from God about   
   Equitius and the holy man was not to be disturbed.  St. Equitius died   
   on March 7 about the year 560, and on this day his body was translated   
   to the church of St. Laurence at Aquila.   
      
   The Bollandists have dealt with St. Equitius on March 7 (Acta   
   Sanctorum, March, vol. i) there is a similar collection of fragmentary   
   data in Mabillon, vol. i, pp. 655-658 .   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Control desire and you will dominate anger; for desire gives rise to anger.   
   --St. Thalassios the Libyan   
      
   Bible Quote   
   Jesus said to them: Because of your unbelief. For, amen I say to you,   
   if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this   
   mountain, Remove from hence hither, and it shall remove; and nothing   
   shall be impossible to you.  (Matthew 17:19)  DRB   
      
      
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   St. Lawrence, Martyr Prayer   
      
   O glorious Saint Lawrence, Martyr and Deacon, who, being subjected to   
   the most bitter torments, didst not lose thy faith nor thy constancy   
   in confessing Jesus Christ; obtain in like manner for us such an   
   active and solid faith, that we shall never be ashamed to be true   
   followers of Jesus Christ, and fervent Christians in word and in deed.   
      
   Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.   
      
    V. Pray for us, O holy Lawrence,   
    R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.   
      
    Let us pray:   
      
   Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, the grace to quench the flames   
   of our wicked desires, who didst give unto blessed Lawrence power to   
   be more than conqueror in his fiery torments. Through Christ our Lord.   
   Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)