From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Christ's Resurrection   
      
   "Know that our faith is strengthened by the resurrection of Christ.   
   The passion of Christ represents the misery of our present life, while   
   the resurrection of Christ gives us a brilliant glimpse of the   
   happiness of the future life.   
      
   Let us apply ourselves energetically in the present life, and hope in   
   the future. Now is the time for the painful struggle; then will come   
   the recompense. Those who are lazy about carrying out their work will   
   be brazenly impudent if they expect the recompense."   
   Sermon 233, 1   
      
   Prayer: O death, when you seized my Lord, you then lost your grip on me.   
   Sermon 233, 5   
      
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   May 4th - Bl. Catherine of Parc-aux-Dames, Virgin   
   (13th v. became famous for her visions and miracles)   
      
   BL. CATHERINE of Parc-aux-Dames was the daughter of Jewish parents,   
   resident in the city of Louvain. Amongst the constant visitors to   
   their house was the duke of Brabant’s chaplain, Master Rayner, with   
   whom his host used to have long discussions on religious subjects.   
   From the time she was five years old, little Rachel--as she was then   
   called--was an attentive listener to these talks and one day the   
   priest, noticing her eager expression, said to her, “Rachel, would you   
   like to become a Christian?” “Yes--if you would tell me how!” was the   
   prompt reply.   
      
   From that time Master Rayner began to give her instruction in the   
   faith as occasion offered. Rachel’s parents, however, became uneasy at   
   the change which was taking place in their child, and when she was in   
   her seventh year decided to send her away beyond the Rhine, to remove   
   her from Christian influences. Rachel was greatly distressed at the   
   prospect, but one night she had a vision of our Lady, who gave her a   
   staff and bade her escape. The girl arose at once, slipped out of the   
   house and made her way to the priest, by whom she was taken to the   
   Cistercian nuns in the abbey of Parc-aux-Dames, a mile and a half from   
   Louvain. There she was baptized and clothed with the habit of the   
   order, assuming the name of Catherine. Her parents appealed to the   
   bishop of Louvain, to the duke of Brabant and even to Pope Honorius,   
   that their daughter might be restored to them--at any rate till she   
   was 12 years old. The bishop and the duke favoured the claim, but it   
   was successfully opposed by Engelbert, archbishop of Cologne, and   
   William, abbot of Clairvaux. Catherine accordingly remained at   
   Parc-aux-Dames until her death, and became famous for her visions and   
   miracles.   
      
   See the account in the Acta Sanctorum, May, vol. i, which is mainly   
   compiled from such Cistercian sources as Caesarius of Heisterbach and   
   Henriquez. But the Dominican Thomas de Cantimprd also vouches for the   
   truth of the story, from his personal knowledge of Catherine.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Learn from Saint Thérèse to depend on God alone and serve Him with a   
   wholly pure and detached heart. Then, like her, you will be able to   
   say ‘I do not regret that I have given myself up to Love’.   
   -- Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)   
      
   Bible Quote   
    For we are buried together with him by baptism into death; that as   
   Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also   
   may walk in newness of life.   
   [Romans 6:4] DRV   
      
      
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   HAPPINESS IS JESUS THE LORD   
      
   I wake up in the morning to face another day,   
   A day filled first with gladness,   
   For I have learned to pray.   
   I lift my eyes to Heaven, and ask what I can do to   
   Face another working day   
   Along the path to You?   
   Temptations are beside me, for me to cast aside;   
   For there has been a promise   
   To be Your loving bride.   
   I open wide the door, steadfastly on my way,   
   To give and take the worst and best   
   With every passing day.   
   My mission fills my heart,   
   There is no room for fear,   
   I'll always tell the story   
   Of when you came so near.   
   They'll never quite believe me,   
   Though what I say is true   
   That all these visions that I saw,   
   Were gifts that came from You!   
   --St. Teresa   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)