From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Cleansed by Jesus' word   
      
      "So the world - life enslaved by carnal passions - can no more   
   receive the grace of the Spirit than a weak eye can look at the light   
   of a sunbeam. First the Lord cleansed his disciples' lives through his   
   teaching, and then he gave them the ability to both see and   
   contemplate the Spirit. He says, 'You are already made clean by the   
   word I have spoken to you' (John 15:3). Therefore 'the world cannot   
   receive him, because it neither sees him nor knows him... You know   
   him, for he dwells with you' (John 14:17). Isaiah says, 'He who   
   settled the earth and the things in it; and gives breath to the people   
   on it, and Spirit to them that tread on it' (Isaiah 42:5). From this   
   we can learn that those who trample earthly things and rise above them   
   become worthy to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."   
    by Basil the Great, 329-379 A.D.(excerpt from ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 22.53)   
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   May 29th - Saint Cyril of Caesarea   
   Also known as Cyril of Kayseri   
      
    (Third century)   
   Saint Cyril, while still a boy at Caesarea in Cappadocia, suffered   
   during the persecutions of the third century. He had been secretly   
   instructed in Christianity and would repeat the name of Christ at all   
   times, confessing that the mere utterance of this Name was beneficial.   
   For this, his pagan father, plunged in the superstitions of paganism,   
   made him suffer all kinds of bad treatment. But he bore all with joy,   
   increasing in the strength of Christ who dwelt within him, and drawing   
   many children of his own age to the imitation of his angelic life.   
   When his father in fury put him out of the house, he said he would   
   receive a great recompense in exchange.   
      
   The city’s governor, when informed of what had occurred, asked that   
   the young Cyril be brought to him. When he heard him confess the name   
   of Jesus Christ, he was filled with wrath, but dissimulated it and   
   tried to gain the youth by fine promises. He assured him he would   
   pardon his fault, reconcile him with his father and guarantee his   
   future inheritance. The boy replied that he would be poor on earth, in   
   order to possess eternal riches in another world, and said he did not   
   fear death. He was taken away as though to be tortured, but the   
   governor told the executioners merely to frighten him.   
      
   He was taken to a blazing fire as if for execution, and then brought   
   back and interrogated again; but he only protested against the cruel   
   delay. He manifested the same heavenly desires to the end. Led out to   
   die, he asked the executioners to make haste, gazed unmoved at the   
   flames, this time truly kindled for him, and in which he expired,   
   after saying to onlookers that they should be joyful, and that they   
   were weeping only because they did not know his hope or the kingdom   
   which he was about to enter.   
      
   Reflection. Ask Our Lord to make all earthly joy insipid, and to fill   
   you with a constant desire for heaven. This desire will make labor   
   easy and suffering light. It will make you fervent and detached, and   
   bring you a foretaste of that eternal joy and peace to which you are   
   hastening.   
      
   Sources: Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul   
   Guérin (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 5; Little Pictorial Lives   
   of the Saints,   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   "And should you ever hear a sister [someone] speak ill of others, be   
   careful neither to encourage her uncharitableness nor to appear   
   pleased with her language; otherwise you will partake of her guilt.   
   You should either reprove her, or change the subject of conversation,   
   or withdraw from her, or at least pay no attention to her.   
   Your words must be full of charity, so as to cover as much as possible   
   the defects of others, or at least to excuse their intention, if their   
   actions be inexcusable."   
   --St. Alphonsus de Liguori (Doctor, 1696-1787)--"The True Spouse of   
   Jesus Christ"   
      
   Bible Quotes:   
   "Hast thou heard a word against thy neighbour? let it die within thee,   
   trusting that it will not burst thee"  (Ecclesiasticus 19:10)   
      
   "Let no evil speech proceed from your mouth: but that which is good,   
   to the edification of faith: that it may administer grace to the   
   hearers"  (Ephesians 4:29)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Meditation for troubled times   
      
      God can work through you better when you are not hurrying. Go very   
   slowly, very quietly, from one duty to the next, taking time to rest   
   and pray between. Do not be too busy. Take everything in order.   
   Venture often into the rest of God and you will find peace. All work   
   that results from resting with God is good work. Claim the power to   
   work miracles in human lives. Know that you can do many things through   
   the Higher Power. Know that you can do good things through God who   
   rests you and gives you strength. Partake regularly of rest and   
   prayer.   
      I pray that I may not be in too much of a hurry. I pray that I may   
   take time out often to rest   
   with God.   
   —From Twenty-Four Hours a Day   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)