From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   October 10th - Eleven Martyrs of Almeria, Spain   
      
   The Spanish civil war began in 1936. It has been described as a struggle   
   between   
   atheism and belief in God. The particular object of persecution was the   
   Catholic   
   Church. In three years, 12 bishops; 4,184 priests; 2,365 monks and 300 nuns   
   died   
   for the faith. Today we celebrate eleven of those martyrs: two bishops, a   
   diocesan priest, seven Brothers of the Christian Schools, and a young lay   
   woman.   
   The bishops were from Almeria and Gaudix, Spain. The seven Brothers of the   
   Christian Schools were teachers at St. Joseph College in Almeria. Father   
   Pedro   
   Castroverde was a well-known scholar and founder of the Teresian   
   Association.   
   Victoria Diez Molina belonged to the Teresians. She had found a spiritual   
   treasure in the way this group prayed and lived their Christian   
   responsibilities. Victoria was a teacher in a country school and was very   
   active   
   in her parish.   
      
   All eleven martyrs chose to die for Jesus rather than give up their Catholic   
   faith. Brother Aurelio Maria, soon to be killed, was the director of St.   
   Joseph   
   College. He said: "What happiness for us if we could shed our blood for the   
   lofty ideal of Christian education. Let us double our fervor so to become   
   worthy   
   of such an honor." Bishop Medina of Gaudix said: "We have done nothing to   
   deserve death. But I forgive you so that the Lord will also forgive us. May   
   our   
   blood be the last shed in Almeria." Bishop Ventaja of Almeria had many   
   opportunities to flee the country. He chose instead to remain with his   
   suffering   
   people, his suffering Church. Father Castroverde, the Teresian founder,   
   wrote in   
   his diary: "Lord, may I think what you want me to think. May I desire what   
   you   
   want me to desire. May I speak as you want me to speak. May I work as you   
   want   
   me to work." He was killed on July 28, 1936.   
      
   Victoria Molina was jailed on August 11, 1936. She and seventeen others were   
   led   
   to an abandoned mine shaft and to their death. Victoria comforted the others   
   and   
   said: "Come on, our reward is waiting for us." Her last words were: "Long   
   live   
   Christ the King." Pope John Paul II proclaimed these martyrs "blessed" on   
   October 10, 1993.   
      
   We can ask these eleven heroes of God to give us their courage. We could   
   make   
   the prayer of Blessed Pedro Castroverde our own:   
      
   Lord, may I think what you want me to think.   
   May I desire what you want me to desire.   
   May I speak as you want me to speak.   
   May I work as you want me to work. Amen.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Since every man of whatever race is endowed with the dignity of a person, he   
   has   
   an inalienable right to an education corresponding to his proper destiny and   
   suited to his native talents, his cultural background, and his ancestral   
   heritage. At the same time, this education should pave the way to brotherly   
   association with other peoples, so that genuine unity and peace on earth may   
   be   
   promoted. For a true education aims at the formation of the human person   
   with   
   respect to the good of those societies of which, as a man, he is a member,   
   and   
   in whose responsibilities, as an adult, he will share.   
   -Saint John Neumann   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   11 Let him decline from evil, and do good: let him seek after peace and   
   pursue   
   it: 12 Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto   
   their   
   prayers: but the countenance of the Lord upon them that do evil things. (1   
   Peter   
   3:11-12)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   AN ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY FACE   
      
   Written for the Novices   
      
   O Adorable Face of Jesus, since Thou hast deigned to make special choice of   
   our   
   souls, in order to give Thyself to them, we come to consecrate these souls   
   to   
   Thee. We   
   seem, O Jesus, to hear Thee say : "Open to Me, My Sisters, My Spouses, for   
   My   
   Face is   
   wet with dew, and My Locks with the drops of the night." our souls   
   understand   
   Thy   
   language of love ; we desire to wipe Thy sweet Face, and to console Thee for   
   the   
   contempt of the wicked. In their eyes Thou art still 'as it were hidden . .   
   .   
   they esteem   
   Thee an object of reproach."   
      
   O Blessed Face, more lovely than the lilies and the roses of spring, Thou   
   art   
   not   
   hidden from us. The tears which dim Thine Eyes are as precious as pearls   
   which   
   we   
   delight to gather, and, through their infinite value, to purchase the souls   
   of   
   our brethren.   
   From Thy Adorable Lips we have heard the loving plaint : "I Thirst." Since   
   we   
   know   
   that this thirst which consumes Thee is a thirst for love, to quench it we   
   would   
   wish to   
   possess an infinite love.   
      
   Dear Spouse of our souls, if we could with the love of all hearts, that love   
   would   
   be Thine. . . . Give us, O Lord, this love ! Then come to thy spouses and   
   satisfy Thy Thirst.   
   And give to, us souls, dear Lord . . . We thirst for souls !-Above all for   
   the   
   souls   
   of Apostles and Martyrs . . . that through we may inflame all poor sinners   
   with   
   love of Thee.   
      
   O Adorable Face, we shall succeed in winning this grace from Thee !   
   Unmindful   
   of our exile, " the rivers of Babylon," we will sing in Thine Ears the   
   sweetest   
   of   
   melodies. Since Thou art the true and only Home of our souls, our songs   
   shall   
   not be   
   sung in a strange land. O Beloved Face of Jesus, while we await the Eternal   
   Day   
   when   
   we shall gaze upon Thine Infinite Glory, our only desire is to delight Thy   
   Divine Eyes by   
   keeping our faces hidden too, so that no one on earth may recognize us . . .   
   Dear Jesus,   
   Heaven for us is Thy Hidden Face!   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)