From: hildegard8@excite.com   
      
   January 2nd - Saint Macarius Of Alexandria, Hermit   
   (d. 394)   
      
   Saint Macarius when a youth left his fruit-stall at Alexandria to join the   
   great Saint Anthony; that patriarch, advised by a miracle of his disciple's   
   sanctity, named him the heir to his virtues. For a time he remained in the   
   Thebaid with his fellow hermits, but later he went to the desert of Scete.   
   He had a cell there and others in two distinct places, but his principal   
   dwelling place was the desert of the Cells. All of these cells were for him   
   a source of mortification, being without window, or too short for him to lie   
   down.   
      
   The life of this solitary was one long conflict with himself and with the   
   demons. "I am tormenting my tormentor," he replied to a hermit who met him   
   in the heat of the day, bent double with a basket of sand. "Whenever I am   
   slothful and idle, I am pestered by desires for distant travel." When he was   
   quite worn out he returned to his cell. Since sleep at times overpowered   
   him, he kept watch standing for twenty days and nights; then, being about to   
   faint, he entered his cell and slept, but thereafter slept only at will.   
      
   When for six months the demons tormented him with temptations, he would go   
   to a marsh and remain naked in the water until his body was covered with   
   noxious insect bites and boils, and he was recognized only by his voice.   
   Once, when being thirsty he received a present of grapes, he passed them   
   untouched to a hermit who was toiling in the heat. This one gave them to a   
   third, who handed them to a fourth; in this way the grapes went the round of   
   the desert and finally returned to Macarius, who thanked God for his   
   brethren's self-denial.   
      
   Macarius saw demons assailing the hermits at prayer. They put their fingers   
   into the mouths of some and made them yawn. They closed the eyes of others,   
   and walked upon them with contempt when they fell asleep. They placed vain   
   and sensual images before many of the brethren, and then mocked those who   
   were captivated by them. None vanquished the devils effectively save those   
   who by constant vigilance repelled them at once. He called some of the   
   solitaries to come to him and asked them if they had not thought about   
   buildings, journeys or other such things. They acknowledged their fault,   
   seeing he had perceived the vain thoughts which distract souls during   
   prayer, caused by the illusion of the devils, and which the vigilant reject   
   as foreign to their purpose.   
      
   After being many years Superior, Macarius, desiring humiliation and   
   spiritual progress, fled in disguise to Saint Pachomius to begin religious   
   life over again as his novice. Soon the brethren were going to their   
   Superior to tell them of the extraordinary mortifications of the newcomer.   
   Saint Pachomius prayed, and then, instructed by a vision, addressed Macarius   
   by his name, saying he had long wanted to know him. And he thanked him for   
   having given such excellent examples to his religious. Then he bade him   
   return to his former brethren in religion, who loved him as their father, to   
   pray for Pachomius' monks as well.   
      
   At the age of seventy-three, Saint Macarius was driven into exile and   
   brutally outraged by Arian heretics. He died in the year 394.   
      
   Reflection. Prayer is the breath of the soul. But Saint Macarius teaches us   
   that both mind and body must be brought to subjection before the soul is   
   free to pray efficaciously.   
      
   Sources: Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin   
   (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 1; Little Pictorial Lives of the   
   Saints, a compilation based on Butler's Livesof the Saints and other sources   
   by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894).   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   People who keep themselves low in their own estimation and love to be   
   considered of little account and despised by others please God in the   
   highest degree.   
   -St. Thomas a Kempis   
      
   Bible Quote   
   13. And they brought to him young children, that he might touch them. And   
   the disciples rebuked them that brought them. 14. Whom when Jesus saw, he   
   was much displeased, and saith to them: Suffer the little children to come   
   unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15. Amen I   
   say to you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little   
   child, shall not enter into it.  (Mark 10:13-15)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Litany of January Saints   
      
   Note: The following is a follow-up to an original concept submitted by Jacob   
   Michael as a follow-up to his article Assisting in the Restoration. Need a   
   little extra devotional prayer to add to your daily Rosary? Need some   
   impetus to prepare for this coming Lent early next month? What follows is a   
   litany to all of the saints whose feast days are celebrated in the month of   
   January. Many of these saints are little-known and often are not, for that   
   reason, invoked in our prayers.   
      
            If you add this short litany to your daily Rosary, you will have   
   the benefit of invoking the prayers of some of these lesser-known saints for   
   January.   
      
   Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.   
   Lord, have mercy, Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.   
   God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.   
   God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.   
   God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.   
   Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.   
   Jesus Christ, King of glory, to whom the noblest of kings bowed their knees   
   to Thee, have mercy on us   
   O Most Holy Name of Jesus, have mercy on us.   
   Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us.   
   St. Gaspar del Bufalo, Holy Confessor *   
   St. Genevieve, Holy Virgin *   
   St. Priscus, Holy Martyr* Pope St. Telesphorus, Holy Martyr *   
   St. Balthasar, Holy King *   
   St. Gaspar, Holy King *   
   St. Melchior, Holy King *   
   St. Lucian of Antioch, Holy Martyr *   
   St. Apollinaris, Holy Bishop and Confessor *   
   St. Severin, Holy Bishop *   
   St. Adrian of Canterbury, Holy Abbott *   
   St. William of Bourges, Holy Bishop *   
   St. Nicanor, Holy Deacon *   
   St. John Camillus Bonus, Holy Bishop *   
   O Most Holy Family, *   
   Pope St. Hyginus, Holy Martyr *   
   St. Paulinus, Holy Bishop *   
   St. Theodosius, Holy Abbot *   
   St. Arcadius, Holy Martyr *   
   St. Benedict Biscup, Holy Abbot *   
   St. Aelred, Holy Abbot *   
   St. John the Baptist, Baptizer of the Lord *   
   St. Hilary of Poitiers, Holy Bishop and Doctor of the Church *   
   St. Felix, Holy Priest and Martyr *   
   St. Sava, Holy Bishop and Patron of the Serbs *   
   St. Paul the First Hermit of the Church *   
   St. Maurus, First Disciple of St. Benedict *   
   St. Ida (Ita), Holy Virgin *   
   Holy Mary, Our Lady of Prompt Succor *   
   Holy Mary, Our Lady of Refuge *   
   Pope St. Marcellus, Holy Martyr *   
   St. Antony, Holy Abbot *   
   St. Peter, Holy First Keeper of the Keys *   
   St. Prisca, Holy Virgin and Martyr *   
   St. Volusian, Holy Bishop *   
   St. Marius, Holy Martyr, Husband and Father *   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)