From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   On Offering Ourselves wholly to God [V]   
      
   I offer Thee also all the holy aspirations of devout persons; the   
   needs of my parents, friends, brothers, sisters, and all who are dear   
   to me; and the needs of all who have desired or asked me to pray and   
   offer the Eucharist for them and theirs, whether living or departed. I   
   pray that all these may enjoy the assistance of Thy grace, the aid of   
   Thy comfort, protection from dangers, and deliverance from pains to   
   come; and that, freed from all evils, they may offer glad praise and   
   thanks to Thee.   
   --Thomas à Kempis--Imitation of Christ Book 4 Ch.9   
      
      
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   October 9th – St. Ghislain, Abbot   
   Also known as Apostle of Hainault, Gislenus, Gislain, Gisleno   
    c. 680.   
      
   He was probably of German origin. Ghislain lived in the province of   
   Hainault (Belgium) in the time of St. Amand (d. 679) and Saints   
   Waudru, Aldegonde, and Madelberte. With two unknown disciples he made   
   a clearing in the vicinity of Castrilocus (now Mons, in Hainault),   
   taking up later his abode at a place called Ursidongus, where he built   
   an oratory or chapel dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. Aubert,   
   Bishop of Cambrai, summoned him to the episcopal presence in order to   
   sound the intentions of this almost unknown hermit, but he afterwards   
   accorded him efficient protection. During his visit to Cambrai   
   Ghislain spent some time in the villa of Roisin and received as a gift   
   the estates of Celles and Hornu.   
      
   He soon entered into friendship with St. Waudru, who was induced by   
   him to build a monastery at Castrilocus, his former place of refuge.   
   It is probable that Ghislain influenced the religious vocation of St.   
   Aldegonde, Abbess of Maubeuge, also of St. Madelberte and   
   St.Aldetrude, of whom the first was the sister and the last two the   
   daughters of St. Waudru.   
      
      One day Aldegonde in her monastery of Maubeuge, had a vision in   
   which, according to her biographer, the death of St. Amand, Bishop of   
   Tongres, was revealed to her. Ghislain visited the saint in her villa   
   of Mairieu, near Mabeuge, and explained to her that the vision was an   
   announcement of her own approaching death.   
      
     The relation between Ghislain and Aldegonde brought about a perfect   
   understanding between Maubeuge and the monastery founded at Ursidongus   
   under Ghislain's direction. St. Waudru rewarded her counsellor with a   
   portion of the villa of Frameries and of the oratory of St Quentin,   
   comprised within the boundaries of the villa of Quaregnon.   
      
      Ghislain died at Ursidongus, and the monastery which he had founded   
   took his name. The relics of the saint were first disinterred c. 929.   
   They were transferred to Grandlieu, near Quaregnon, about the end of   
   the tenth century or the beginning of the eleventh, and in 1025 Gerard   
   I, Bishop of Cambrai, removed them to Cateau-Cambresis. They were   
   visited several times in the course of the Middle Ages by the Bishops   
   of Cambrai. In 1647 they were removed to St Ghislain of which place   
   our saint is patron.   
      
      His feast is celebrated 9 October and his intercession is sought to   
   ward off convulsions from children. In iconography he is frequently   
   represented with a bear or bear's cub beside him. This is an allusion   
   to the popular legend which relates that a bear, pursued in the chase   
   by King Dagobert, sought refuge with Ghislain and later showed him the   
   place where he should establish a monastery. Moreover, the site of the   
   saint's cell was called Ursidongus, "bear's den".   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Liberalism in religion is the doctrine that there is no positive truth   
   in religion, but that one creed is as good as another. . . . [it holds   
   that] Revealed religion is not a truth, but a sentiment and a taste;   
   not an objective fact, not miraculous; and it is the right of each   
   individual to make it say just what strikes his fancy.   
   -- Blessed John Cardinal Henry Newman   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   "Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His   
   marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of   
   His mouth."  (1 Chronicles 16:11-12)   
      
      
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   A short and efficacious prayer for the faithful departed.   
      
   O most compassionate Jesus, have mercy on the souls   
   detained in Purgatory, for whose redemption Thou didst take   
   upon Thyself our nature and endure bitter death. Mercifully   
   hear their sighs, look with pity upon the tears which they now   
   shed before Thee, and by virtue of Thy Passion, release them   
   from the pains due to their sins. O most merciful Jesus, let   
   Thy Precious Blood reach down into purgatory and refresh   
   and revive the captives souls who suffer there. Stretch out to   
   them Thy strong right hand, and bring them forth into a place   
   of refreshment, light and peace. Amen   
      
   O blessed souls! We have prayed for Thee! We entreat Thee,   
   who art so dear to God, and who art certain of never losing   
   him, to pray for us poor miserable sinners who are in danger   
   of being damned and losing our God forever. Amen   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)