From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   On God's Graciousness to Those who Love Him   
      
   3. O Light everlasting, surpassing all created lights, dart down Thy   
   ray from on high which shall pierce the inmost depths of my heart.   
   Give purity, joy, clearness, life to my spirit that with all its   
   powers it may cleave unto Thee with rapture passing man's   
   understanding.  Oh when shall that blessed and longed-for time come   
   when Thou shalt satisfy me with Thy presence, and be unto me All in   
   all?  So long as this is delayed, my joy shall not be full.  Still, ah   
   me! the old man liveth in me: he is not yet all crucified, not yet   
   quite dead; still he lusteth fiercely against the spirit, wageth   
   inward wars, nor suffereth the soul's kingdom to be in peace.   
   --Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Bk 3, Ch 34   
      
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   January 13th - St. Potitus, Martyr   
   d. ca 160   
      
   The Holy Martyr Potitus suffered under the emperor Antoninus Pius   
   (reigned 138-161). Having become familiar with the Christian teaching,   
   the young Potitus believed in the true God and accepted holy Baptism   
   at thirteen years of age. When he learned of this, his pagan father   
   was extremely upset and tried, first by endearments, and then by   
   threats to dissuade his son from his faith in Christ the Savior, but   
   his efforts were in vain. Impressed by the boy's firmness of faith,   
   the father also came to believe in the Son of God and became a   
   Christian himself.   
      
   St. Potitus traveled through many lands preaching about Christ, and by   
   the power of God he worked wondrous miracles.   
      
   In the region of Epiros, lived the illustrious woman Kyriake, the wife   
   of a senator; she was afflicted with leprosy. Hearing of St. Potitus,   
   she summoned him and asked him to heal her. The saint declared that if   
   she believed in Christ, she would be healed. The woman accepted holy   
   Baptism and was immediately made well. Seeing such a miracle, her   
   husband and all their household believed in Christ and were baptized   
   as well.   
      
   After this, the saint settled on Mount Garganus and lived in solitude,   
   among the animals. He was found there by servants of the emperor   
   Antoninus, whose daughter was possessed by a demon. Through the lips   
   of the maiden, the devil said that he would come out of her only if   
   Potitus should come. They brought the holy youth to the emperor, and   
   through the prayers of St. Potitus the demon released the girl. But   
   instead of being grateful, the emperor treated the saint with inhuman   
   cruelty. For his firm confession of faith in Christ the Savior, and   
   for his refusal to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods, to whom the   
   emperor imputed the healing of his daughter, he ordered that the   
   saint's tongue be torn out, and that he be blinded. After lengthy   
   torture, St. Potitus was finally beheaded.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   "Little children follow and obey their father. They love their mother.   
   They know nothing of covetousness, ill-will, bad temper, arrogance and   
   lying. This state of mind opens the road to heaven. To imitate our   
   Lord's own humility, we must return to the simplicity of God's little   
   ones."   
   --Saint Hilary of Poitiers.   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   And thou shalt say in that day: I will give thanks to thee, O Lord,   
   for thou wast angry with me: thy wrath is turned away, and thou hast   
   comforted me. Behold, God is my saviour, I will deal confidently, and   
   will not fear: because the Lord is my strength, and my praise, and he   
   is become my salvation.  (Isaiah 12:1-2)DRB   
      
      
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   The Importance of Humility  [I]   
      
   Humility is not only important to the welfare of our souls, but it is   
   absolutely necessary in order to obtain grace from Almighty God. He   
   resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble. Pride is an   
   insuperable bar to the entrance of grace into the soul, and as we can   
   do nothing good in the sight of God without the assistance of His   
   grace, we must have at least some degree of humility before we can do   
   anything pleasing to Him. In proportion to our humility will be the   
   grace given us, and the supernatural virtue to which we shall attain.   
   The first thing I must do if I wish to please God more is to humble   
   myself more.   
      
   Humility is not only necessary to the obtaining of grace, but without   
   it we are the enemies of God. He resists the proud; that is, they have   
   God fighting against them, and regarding them as His enemies. How   
   awful a thing to have God for our adversary. It was this that rendered   
   the devils for ever accursed. It was the humility of their subjection   
   that in one moment confirmed the holy Angels in the love of God, in   
   perfect happiness to all eternity. If I wish God to fight for me, not   
   against me, the first condition is humility.   
      
   Humility is a necessary condition of entrance into the Kingdom of   
   Heaven. "Unless you become as little children," says our Divine Lord,   
   "you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." He loves the humble, and   
   no one who has in his heart the spirit of humility need have any fear   
   of death and judgment. O my God, am I really-humble? Is there not   
   still in me, alas! a spirit of pride hateful to Thee? Drive out from   
   me all pride and fill me with true humility, that I may be fit for   
   Thee and fit for Heaven.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)