From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   How we may not Inquire into the Unsearchable Judgments of God [I]   
      
   CHRIST.   
   My son, avoid controversy over high things and the judgements of God.   
   Do not argue why this person is so forsaken while another is endowed   
   with great graces; or why one person is so grievously afflicted, while   
   another is so richly rewarded. These things are above human   
   understanding, and neither reasoning nor argument is competent to   
   explain the judgements of God. Therefore, when the enemy suggests   
   these things to your mind, or when inquisitive people ask about them,   
   answer with the prophet, 'Thou are just, 0 Lord, and Thy judgements   
   are right. (Ps. 119:137) My judgements are to be respected, not   
   discussed, for they are beyond the comprehension of the human mind'.   
   (Rom.11:33)   
   --Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Book 3 Ch. 58   
      
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   July 9th - St. Valeriano   
      
   Ariadne, daughter of Eastern Roman Emperor Leo I (ruled 457–474),   
   married Zeno the Isaurian, and gave him a son. The birth of this boy   
   pleased the Emperor, and since he had no son he considered this   
   grandson as heir to the throne. However, the small Prince was attacked   
   by a strange illness that had characteristics of a diabolical   
   possession. All the remedies applied to cure the child were useless.   
      
   At that time a young man called Valeriano was living in Armenia. His   
   reputation for sanctity was great, for through his prayers God worked   
   great miracles. Leo I heard of him and sent a messenger asking him to   
   come to Constantinople. Valeriano agreed. While visiting the child, he   
   made a Sign of the Cross over him and the illness left without any   
   trace. As a reward for this action, Leo I treated Valeriano in a truly   
   imperial way. Since he was intelligent and wise, the Emperor offered   
   him a position as one of his first palace officials.   
      
   This sudden rise of status did not change the habits of Valeriano, who   
   amidst the worldly court, always gave the best example. His pleasing   
   appearance also contributed to the general esteem he won. The Emperor   
   had such confidence in him that he would not make any serious   
   decisions without first asking his opinion. Valeriano took advantage   
   of this situation to defend the Church, his homeland (Armenia), and   
   the poor.   
      
   At the time, the Western Roman Empire was falling apart. Italy itself   
   was the theater of barbarian invasions and the entire country was   
   upset by the Arian heresy. Valeriano was sent to Italy to pacify the   
   region of Emilia Romagna.To insure his safety and success, the Emperor   
   chose 80 of his best soldiers to be the personal escort of Valeriano.   
   In combat he was very courageous and his subordinates were encouraged   
   to see his ardent zeal in fighting the Arians, the enemies of the   
   Catholic Religion. St. Valeriano led his troops to Forli and   
   surrounded the city, which was under the control of Leobard, an Arian   
   tyrant.   
      
   Every night of the siege, St. Valeriano used to leave the camp to pray   
   alone and meditate on divine things. Leobard was informed of this by   
   his spies in the camp. He took advantage of this weak point, surprised   
   Valeriano at prayer, and killed him. The heretic thought that without   
   their leader, the troops would become discouraged and lift the siege.   
   Precisely the opposite happened. Eager to avenge Valeriano’ death, the   
   soldiers quickly took the city, punished the guilty and re-established   
   the Catholics in their proper places. The inhabitants of Forli chose   
   him as their Patron Saint and placed his effigy on the seal of the   
   city. He is mounted on his horse, with this caption underneath: St.   
   Valeriano martyr, protector of the city of Forli.   
      
      
   Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)   
      
   This is a most beautiful selection. To be properly understood, a short   
   historic overview of that time is necessary.   
      
   In that epoch, the most civilized part of the world was the   
   Mediterranean basin. Two Empires had capital importance: the Eastern   
   Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire. Both empires surrounded the   
   Mediterranean Sea, which the Romans proudly called mare nostrum--our   
   sea.   
      
   The fates of these two Roman Empires were quite different. The Western   
   Roman Empire centered on the Italian Peninsula and encompassed all the   
   European territory from the west of the Rhine to England and Scotland.   
   This immense territory had suffered invasions of the barbarian German   
   tribes, which had adopted the Arianism introduced by a heretic bishop   
   called Ulfilas. Therefore, these barbarians invaded the Western Roman   
   Empire with a true hatred against the Catholic Church.   
      
   To simplify things, the Arians at that time were more or less what the   
   Protestants are today, but they had a great strength and capacity to   
   expand, characteristics that the Protestants lost. Thus you should   
   imagine a powerful, active heresy at the apex of its strength entering   
   the Western Roman Empire riding double behind the barbarians on their   
   horses.   
      
   This Western Roman Empire was tremendously decadent. St. Augustine   
   pointed to the tepidity of Catholics as one the determining factors of   
   this decadence. He also predicted that, given this general tepidity,   
   there would be no resistance against powerful and efficacious enemies.   
   In fact, there was no serious resistance when the barbarians invaded.   
      
   So, the Arian-barbarian hordes poured over all of Italy, destroying   
   churches, killing Bishops and priests, profaning the Sacraments, and   
   also destroying great masterpieces of Roman Civilization. This   
   enormous earthquake, so to speak, shook the imposing Roman structure   
   of the Western Roman Empire.   
      
   To understand the extent of those invasions, you need to realize that   
   the barbarians did not just enter Europe to loot and then return to   
   their places. They entered with the clear intent of staying. Thus,   
   with these new, ignorant and heretical populations, they took over   
   whole cities that until then had been governed by Catholics. On the   
   other hand, the Eastern Roman Empire shone brilliantly with all the   
   charms of the East. Its capital, Constantinople—on the borders of the   
   Bosphorus Strait—was considered the most beautiful city of both   
   Empires. It was famous for its ornate churches, palaces and   
   institutions, all set in a magnificent maritime panorama.   
      
   The emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire was titled Basileus, and lived   
   in a magnificent court, at which many saints played important roles.   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)