From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Putting Up with All That is Annoying   
      
   "Now, what does 'Let him take up his cross' mean? Put up with all that   
   is annoying: that is how they must follow me. To tell the truth, when   
   they follow me, imitating my conduct and keeping my commandments, they   
   will have many who will try to oppose them, forbid them, dissuade   
   them, and this will be done by those same people who appear to be   
   followers of Christ."   
   --St. Augustine--Sermon 96, 4   
      
   Prayer: O Lord, my God, what is the kernel of your deep mystery? How   
   far from it have I been led by the consequences of my sins!   
   --St. Augustine--Confessions 11, 31   
      
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   September 19th - St. Émilie de Rodat   
      
   Marie Guillemette Émilie de Rodat was born September 6, 1787 at   
   Druelle, Rodez, France. She was the daughter of a well-to-do family   
   and at the age of 18 months, she was taken to live with her maternal   
   grandmother Madame de Pomayrols, at Château Ginals. During her time   
   there, the French Revolution broke out, but the Château, which was in   
   a very remote area, did not suffer seriously.   
      
   Émilie grew up a pious young woman, but not without the usual   
   difficulties. She tended to be a bit willful and an occasional   
   childhood temper tantrum was not unheard of. A story is told of a   
   young cousin trying to kiss her and she promptly slapped his face. As   
   she grew into her teens, her devotion cooled and she became immersed   
   in social activities. She would recite her prayers as quickly as   
   possible. She also sought to change confessors because she felt that   
   her's was just too strict.   
      
   After the Revolution, Madame de Pomayrols retired to Villefranche and   
   Émilie returned to Ginals. She found her life more austere and   
   monotonous and experienced a profound spiritual awakening. In 1804 she   
   moved back to Villefranche and worked with the sisters at Maison   
   Saint-Cyr where she had gone to school. She subsequently entered three   
   different religious communities, but didn't find her vocation until   
   she and some companions opened a school for the poor children of   
   Villefranche in 1815.   
      
   Abbé Marty, the spiritual director of Maison Saint-Cyr, encouraged and   
   helped Émilie. He wrote a rule modeled on that of St. Augustine and   
   helped her to expand the focus of this new community, known as the   
   Sisters of the Holy Family of Villefranche. The sisters made their   
   first perpetual professions in 1820 and were formally approved by the   
   bishop of Rodez in 1832.   
      
   Against insurmountable odds Émilie made foundations wherever help was   
   sought. She had great faith in God's providential care and money and   
   materials seemed to miraculously appear when needed. She suffered from   
   spiritual dryness occasionally, but her faith in God helped her to   
   remain cheerful and optimistic no matter what difficulty presented   
   itself. Even in the face of ridicule and criticism, she maintained a   
   gentle and compassionate spirit. The community flourished rapidly and   
   by 1852 there were 32 convents which ran schools, as well as 5   
   contemplative communities. The sisters also set up orphanages and did   
   extensive work with the poor.   
      
   Afflicted with cancer she died at the age of 65 on September 19, 1852.   
   She was canonized in 1950. Émilie is a great example to us of   
   perseverance and trust in God. She experienced and sometimes gave in   
   to the same temptations we all do as we grow up. Her adult life was   
   filled with uncertainties, disappointments, rejections and seeming   
   inadequacies. But, Émilie continued to trust in God's love and care   
   for her and she was able to be His instrument of blessing to so many   
   of His people.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   "Of how much greater faith and salutary fear are they who . . .confess   
   their sins to the priests of God in a straightforward manner and in   
   sorrow, making an open declaration of conscience. . . . I beseech you,   
   brethren, let everyone who has sinned confess his sin while he is   
   still in this world, while his confession is still admissible, while   
   the satisfaction and remission made through the priests are still   
   pleasing before the Lord" (ibid., 28).   
   --St Cyprian of Carthage.   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   Thus saith the Lord: Stand ye on the ways, and see, and ask for the   
   old paths, which is the good way, and walk ye in it: and you shall   
   find refreshment for your souls. And they said: We will not walk. (Jer   
   6:16 DRB)   
      
      
   Meditation for the Day   
      You should try to stand aside and let God work through you. You   
   should try not to block Him off by your own efforts, or prevent His   
   spirit working through you. God desires your obedient service and your   
   loyalty to the ideals of the new life you are seeking. If you are   
   loyal to God, He will give you protection against mistakes. His spirit   
   will plan for you and secure for you a sufficiency of all spiritual   
   help. You will have true victory and real success, if you will put   
   yourself in the background and let God work through you   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)