From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   The fountain of living water again begins to flow.   
      
   "When the heart is occupied with worldly things, especially   
   superfluous ones, it forsakes the Lord--the Source of life and   
   peace--and is therefore deprived of life and tranquillity, of light   
   and strength; but when it repents of its care for vain things, and   
   wholly turns from corruptible things to the incorruptible God, then   
   the into it, and peace, tranquillity, light,strength, and boldness   
   before God and man one more dwell within it. We must live wisely."   
   --St. John of Kronstadt.   
      
       • October 12th - St. Seraphin of Montegarano   
   (also known as Seraphinus, Serafino)   
      
   (Italian, Capuchin  brother, spiritual advisor of dignitaries, healer,   
   died at about age 64 in 1604 [beatified 1729, canonized 1767])   
   [commemorated by some on the 17th]   
      
   Seraphin's parents were poor in earthly goods and obscure in the sight   
   of men. But the spirit of prayer which his mother instilled in the boy   
   was an inheritance of priceless value. The loving lessons of his   
   mother caused Seraphin to make the firm resolve to remain innocent and   
   become a saint.   
      
   He fostered tender devotion to the Blessed Mother and occasionally   
   visited her shrine at Loreto, not far from his home. Once, on his way   
   to the shrine, he found the River Potenza so high that no boatman   
   ventured across. In his eagerness to get to the shrine, Seraphin   
   stepped on the water, and it became like solid ground beneath him; he   
   crossed the river on his way to the shrine and back without so much as   
   wetting the soles of his feet.   
      
   On the death of his parents, Seraphin was subjected to a severe trial.   
   His brother, a bricklayer and a man of a violent temper, took him into   
   his employ; but no matter what the boy did, he received nothing but   
   harsh words and blows in return. Seraphin bore the cruel treatment   
   with great patience and recognized in it the way to holiness.   
      
   Desiring to consecrate himself to the service of God, he entered a   
   Capuchin convent when he was only 16 years old. The high degree of   
   perfection he had already attained was soon noticed and admired. His   
   brethren were edified at his humility, charity, mortification, and   
   self-sacrifice. Punctual in performing all the duties assigned to him,   
   he still found time to be of service to the other brothers.   
      
   He devoted the night to prayer. In the evening he would visit the   
   Blessed Sacrament and remain there for hours absorbed in prayer and   
   contemplation. Then he would take a short rest, after which he would   
   get up once more to attend the midnight office. God seemed to preserve   
   his bodily strength in a marvelous way.   
      
   During a famine he ate but a fourth of his own meager meal, in order   
   to have so much more to give to the poor. As porter of the convent,   
   charged with providing for the poor, he once exceeded the bounds of   
   obedience. For, as he had nothing more to give and there were still   
   some poor waiting for help, he went into the garden and gathered a   
   supply of the vegetables growing there. When his superior took him to   
   task for it, the good brother assured him that the community would in   
   no way suffer on his account, and that and the next morning a new   
   growth of vegetables appeared in the garden.   
      
   The miraculous power with which God rewarded the charity of His   
   servant continued to manifest itself. Countless sick were restored to   
   health when he made the Sign of the Cross over them.   
      
   Seraphin endeavored, nevertheless, to withdraw as much as possible   
   from contact with the world. While engaged in the quiet work about the   
   convent, his heart was busy contemplating the sufferings of Christ.   
   Consumed with the love of Him who shed His blood for love of us, he   
   yearned to go to the infidels in order to shed his blood for Christ.   
   Since his request was not granted, he made it a habit to pray:   
      
   Holy Mother, pierce me through,   
   In my heart each wound renew   
   Of my Savior Crucified.   
      
   Inflamed with the love of God, Seraphin departed from this life on   
   October 12, 1604, in his 64th year. Many miracles occurred at his   
   grave, and Pope Clement XIII canonized him in 1767.   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   ON VENERATING THE PRECIOUS BLOOD   
   1. The precious Blood which Jesus Christ shed for us inflamed the   
   heart of Seraphin with glowing love for his Lord. When Jesus shed   
   tears at the grave of Lazarus, the bystanders said: "Behold how he   
   loved him!" (John 11:36). But when He shed His precious Blood for us,   
   he proved His love for us more than He could do by tears. One drop of   
   His precious Blood would have sufficed to redeem us, but "what would   
   have satisfied justice," says St. Chrysostom, "did not satisfy His   
   love." He shed all His Blood, even to the last drop. He "has loved us   
   and washed us from our sins in His own blood" (Apoc 1:5).--When your   
   soul is refreshed with the precious Blood in holy Communion, say, as   
   St. Seraphin frequently said: "My beloved to me and I to Him" (Cant   
   2:16).   
      
   2. To promote devotion to the precious Blood, a confraternity of the   
   precious Blood was established in the 19th century. Much good has been   
   achieved by it and many members have been enrolled. The only   
   conditions are, to have one's name entered on the membership list and   
   to say daily seven Glorys in honor of the seven times our Savior shed   
   His Blood: 1) at the Circumcision, 2) at the Agony, 3) at the   
   Scourging, 4) at the Crowning with thorns, 5) on the Way of the Cross,   
   6) at the Crucifixion, 7) from the open Side. Pope Pius IX, in   
   recommending the confraternity, reminded the faithful that by way of a   
   figure the blood of the lamb was used in Egypt to mark the houses of   
   the Israelites, so that they would be spared from the wrath of God. He   
   added: "Will not they who devoutly venerate the Blood of our Savior,   
   more assuredly escape the wrath and experience the mercies of   
   God?"--Let us, then, devoutly venerate the precious Blood.   
      
   3). Consider that sincere veneration of the Blood of Christ should   
   hearten us to abstain carefully from every sin and to bear the   
   sufferings of this life in a manner pleasing to God. Our souls have   
   been cleansed by the blood of Christ, first in baptism, and then in   
   the sacrament of penance. "The blood of Jesus Christ, " says St. John,   
   "cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:17). And he adds, "My little   
   children, these things I write to you that you may not sin." For,   
   would that not be like treading on the Blood of Christ? We should   
   rather manifest our gratitude and return love for love by patiently   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)