From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   July 27th - St. Theobald of Marly   
   (also known as Thibaut)   
      
   The biographical data available for St. Theobald is very sketchy. He was   
   born   
   probably at the end of the 12th century. His father was Bouchard de   
   Monmorency,   
   the head of an important family in France. He was born at the castle of   
   Marly,   
   received an excellent education as was common for those of such noble birth.   
   He   
   was trained as a soldier and sent to the court of King Philip Augustus II.   
      
   Theobald had other ideas however, and spent much of his time in prayer. He   
   would   
   often go to the Church of Port Royal which was founded by Matthew de   
   Monmorency   
   and which was greatly supported by Theobald's father Bouchard. Finally in   
   1220   
   he entered the Cistercian abbey at Vaux-de-Cernay.   
      
   He lived a very simple life and was known as one who was servant to all. His   
   reputation for a great love of poverty, silence and prayer was well known.   
   Theobald was chosen abbot in 1235 and died on December 8, 1247. He was   
   acquainted with and much revered by St. Louis, King of France, whom we will   
   meet   
   in August.   
      
   While we don't have a great deal of factual data about this saint, we do   
   know   
   that he was much revered and loved for his imitation of Christ. As Matthew   
   tells   
   us in 20:28, "...the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve..."   
   Theobald took this Scripture to heart and his life became total service to   
   God   
   through serving humanity.   
      
   Theobald's shrine at Vaux-de- Cernay is visited by many people on   
   Whitsundays.   
   His solemn feast is kept there July 8 and in some places on July 9, which is   
   probably the day on which his relics were first translated (Benedictines,   
   Husenbeth, Walsh).   
      
   In art, Saint Theobald is a knight bearing the arms of Thann. He may, at   
   times,   
   wear armor under his Cistercian habit with his miter at his feet (Roeder).   
   He is   
   venerated in Thann (Alsace) and Hemel Hempstead (Roeder).   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break   
   them,   
   but bend them with gentleness and time.   
   -St Francis de Sales   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   31. Then Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said to them: Behold, we go up   
   to   
   Jerusalem, and all things shall be accomplished which were written by the   
   prophets concerning the Son of man. 32. For he shall be delivered to the   
   Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and scourged, and spit upon: 33. And after   
   they   
   have scourged him, they will put him to death; and the third day he shall   
   rise   
   again.  (Luke 18:31-33)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   A prayer promulgated by the Josephites, the only Order in the Church that   
   ministers exclusively to Americans of African decent. It is a very powerful   
   prayer for asking Joseph's intercession   
      
   Thirty Days Prayer in Honor of Saint Joseph:   
      
   Ever blessed and glorious Joseph, kind and loving father, and compassionate   
   friend of all in sorrow! Take pity, I beg you on my poverty and necessity,   
   counsel me in my doubts and console me in all my anxieties. You are the good   
   father and protector of orphans, the defender of the defenseless, the patron   
   of   
   those in need and sorrow. Look kindly on my request. My sins have drawn down   
   on   
   me the just displeasure of my God and so I am surrounded with sorrows. To   
   you,   
   loving guardian of the Family of Nazareth, do I go for shelter and   
   protection.   
      
   Listen, then, I beg you, with fatherly concern to my earnest prayers and   
   obtain   
   for me the favor I ask.   
      
   I ask it by the infinite mercy of the eternal Son of God, which moved Him to   
   take our nature and to be born into this world of sorrow.   
      
   I ask it by the weariness and suffering you endured when you found no   
   shelter at   
   the inn of Bethlehem for the holy Virgin, nor a place where the infant God   
   could   
   be born. Then being everywhere refused, you had to allow the Queen of Heaven   
   to   
   give birth to the world's Redeemer in a cave.   
      
   I ask it by the loveliness and power of that Sacred name, Jesus, which you   
   conferred on the adorable Infant.   
      
   I ask it by that painful torture you felt at the prophecy of holy Simeon,   
   which   
   declared the child Jesus and his holy Mother future victims of our sins and   
   of   
   their great love for us. I ask it through your sorrow and anguish which   
   filled   
   your soul when the Angel declared to you that the life of the child Jesus   
   was   
   sought by His enemies. From their evil plan you had to flee with Him and His   
   Blessed Mother into Egypt.   
      
   I ask it by all the suffering, weariness, and labors of that long and   
   dangerous   
   journey. I ask it by all the sorrows you endured in Egypt, when sometimes   
   you   
   could not put food on the table for your family.   
      
   I ask it by all your care to protect the Sacred Child and His Immaculate   
   Mother   
   during your second journey, when you were ordered to return to your native   
   country. I ask it by your peaceful life in Nazareth where you met with so   
   many   
   joys and sorrows.   
      
   I ask it by your great distress when the adorable Child was lost to you for   
   three days. I ask it by your joy at finding Him in the Temple, and by the   
   comfort you found at Nazareth, while living in the company of the Child   
   Jesus. I   
   ask it by the wonderful submission He showed in His obedience to you.   
      
   I ask it by the perfect love and conformity you showed in accepting the   
   Divine   
   order to depart from this life, and from the company of Jesus and Mary. I   
   ask it   
   by that great joy which filled your soul when the Redeemer of the world,   
   triumphant over death and Hell, entered into the possession of His kingdom   
   and   
   led you into it with special honor.   
      
   I ask it through Mary's glorious Assumption, and through that endless   
   happiness   
   you share with her by the presence of God.   
      
   Oh good father! I beg you by all your sufferings, sorrows, and joys to hear   
   me   
   and obtain for me what I ask. (Here name your petitions or think of them.)   
      
   Obtain for all those who have asked my prayers everything that is useful to   
   them   
   in the plan of God. Finally, my dear patron and father, be with me and all   
   who   
   are dear to me in our last moments, that we may eternally sing the praises   
   of   
   JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH.   
      
   "A blameless life, St. Joseph, may we lead, by thy kind patronage from   
   danger   
   freed."   
      
      
   **Don't forget to pray the Stations of the Cross on Fridays   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)