From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Seek the life that endures   
      
      "The Lord said to a certain young man, 'If you would enter life,   
   keep the commandments.' He did not say 'If you would have life' but   
   'If you would enter life,' defining that life as eternal life. Let us   
   first consider then the love of this life. For this life is loved,   
   whatever its quality - and however troubled it is, however wretched,   
   people are afraid to end it. Hence we should see, we should consider,   
   how much eternal life is to be loved, when this miserable life that   
   must at some time be ended is so loved. Consider, brothers, how much   
   that life is to be loved when it is a life you never end. You love   
   this life, where you work so much, run, are busy, pant. In this busy   
   life the obligations can scarcely be counted: sowing, plowing, working   
   new land, sailing, grinding, cooking, weaving. And after all this hard   
   work your life comes to an end. Look at what you suffer in this   
   wretched life that you so love. And do you think that you will always   
   live and never die? Temples, rocks, marbles, all reinforced by iron   
   and lead, still fall. And a person thinks that he will never die?   
   Learn therefore, brothers, to seek eternal life, when you will not   
   endure these things but will reign with God forever."   
   --St. Augustine-- (excerpt from Sermon 84,1)   
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   August 25th - Saint Joseph Calasanz, Confessor   
   (Also known as Calasanctius)   
      
    JOSEPH thrived on a dream.  He worked and worked, until the dream   
   became reality.  But with the fulfillment of the dream came disaster.   
   At the time of Joseph's death, an evil enemy had destroyed his work.   
      
    Joseph Calasanz, was born in Aragon in 1556.  Even when he was a boy   
   he was very religious.  For this trait his fellow students ridiculed   
   him.  Nor were his parents joyous when Joseph announced his desire to   
   become a priest.   
      
    Joseph was ordained in 1583.  Although he was happy working at reform   
   and administration in the Spanish Church, an inner voice kept calling   
   him to Rome.  After nine years he went there, and for five years led a   
   hidden life of prayer and of service in hospitals and prisons.  When   
   he saw how ignorant the children of the poor were, his true vocation   
   in Rome became apparent to him.   
      
    In 1597 Joseph opened a free school.  His project grew rapidly and   
   before long he had established many schools.  In 1617 Joseph conferred   
   the religious habit of Clerics Regular of the Religious Schools (known   
   as the Piarists) upon his fourteen assistants.  The next year it was   
   made a mendicant order.   
      
    Difficulties arose when a priest, Mario Sozzi, contrived to have   
   Joseph arrested and then made himself head of the order.  The Piarists   
   and their schools were thrown into confusion.  Finally an   
   investigation by the pope served to re-instate Joseph.  His joy at   
   this was short-lived; other troublemakers arose, and the Piarists   
   became simply a society of priests without vows.  Joseph,   
   grief-stricken at seeing his work destroyed, died shortly afterward,   
   in 1648.  He was 92 years old, and had suffered innumerable outrages   
   with Christ-like patience and humble obedience.  Immense crowds came   
   to his funeral.   
      
    Joseph's dream became a reality after his death.  In 1669 the   
   foundation was reconstituted as a religious order, and his ideal, the   
   education of children, is being carried out today by the Piarists.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Truth always ends by victory; it is not unassailable, but invincible.   
   -- St. Ignatius of Loyola   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,   
   knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance;   
   for you serve the Lord Christ."  [Colossians 3:23-24]   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   THIRTY-ONE DAYS OF PRAYER FOR THE HOLY SOULS   
   FROM THE PURGATORIAN MANUAL (Imprimatur 1946)   
      
   13th Day   
      
   THE SPECIAL DUTY OF EVERY ONE TO AID THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED   
      
        Besides the general duty imposed upon us by the divine law of   
   charity, there is a special obligation incumbent upon every one to   
   assist particular souls. This duty devolves upon us in consequence of   
   the personal relations with such souls during their earthly career;   
   for, whatever be the condition of man in life, he will have among the   
   souls, departed, who may be suffering in Purgatory, some to whom he is   
   indebted for particular favors and benefits.   
      
        But what could more forcibly elicit our charity and gratitude   
   than to behold our loved ones and our benefactors in extreme distress,   
   while we have the means of alleviating their suffering! That person   
   does not possess a spark of Christian charity, who, from neglect or   
   indolence, suffers the souls of his friends to be tormented in the   
   flames of Purgatory.   
      
   Prayer: Revive, O Lord, within the hearts of Thy faithful, an active   
   commiseration for the brethren gone before us, that they may not, by   
   our indifference or neglect, suffer without relief and assistance.   
   Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.   
      
   Special Intercession: Pray for the souls of those who are neglected by   
   their relatives and friends.   
      
   Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine   
   upon them; may they rest in peace. Amen. (Three times)   
      
   Practice: Bestow alms for the relief of the suffering souls.   
      
   Invocation: My Jesus, mercy!   
      
   See entire 31day prayer at:   
   http://www.faithfuldeparted.net/prayers.html   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)