From: hildegard8@excite.com   
      
   January 28th - Saint Peter Nolasco, Founder   
   (1189-1256)   
      
   In the early thirteenth century the Moors still held much of Spain, and in   
   sudden raids from the sea they carried off thousands of Christians, holding   
   them as slaves in Granada and in their citadels along the African coast. A   
   hero of these unfortunates was Saint Peter Nolasco, born about the year 1189   
   near Carcassonne in France. When he went to Barcelona to escape the heresy   
   then rampant in southern France, he consecrated the fortune he had inherited   
   to the redemption of the captives taken on the seas by the Saracens. He was   
   obsessed with the thought of their suffering, and desired to sell his own   
   person to deliver his brethren and take their chains upon himself. God made   
   it known to him how agreeable that desire was to Him.   
      
   Because of these large sums of money he expended, Peter became penniless. He   
   was without resources and powerless, when the Blessed Virgin appeared to him   
   and said to him: "Find for Me other men like yourself, an army of brave,   
   generous, unselfish men, and send them into the lands where the children of   
   the Faith are suffering." Peter went at once to Saint Raymond of Pennafort,   
   his confessor, who had had a similar revelation and used his influence with   
   King James I of Aragon and with Berengarius, Archbishop of Barcelona, to   
   obtain approbation and support for the new community. On August 10, 1218,   
   Peter and two companions were received as the first members of the Order of   
   Our Lady of Ransom, dedicated to the recovery of Christian captives. To the   
   three traditional vows of religion, its members joined a fourth, that of   
   delivering their own persons to the overlords, if necessary, to ransom   
   Christians.   
      
   The Order spread rapidly. Peter and his comrades traveled throughout   
   Christian Spain, recruiting new members and collecting funds to purchase the   
   captives. Then they began negotiations with the slave-owners. They   
   penetrated Andalusia, crossed the sea to Tunis and Morocco, and brought home   
   cargo after cargo of Christians. Although Peter, as General of the Order,   
   was occupied with its organization and administration, he made two trips to   
   Africa where, besides liberating captives, he converted many Moors. He died   
   after a long illness on Christmas night of 1256; he was canonized by Pope   
   Urban VIII in 1628. His Order continues its religious services, now devoted   
   to preaching and hospital service.   
      
   Sources: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on   
   Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources by John Gilmary Shea   
   (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894); Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des   
   Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 2.   
      
      
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   St. Fulgentius was so enamored of perfection that whatever he did towards it   
   always seemed to him little, and he was always desiring to do better.   
      
   St. Vincent de Paul every day saw, more of his own faults, yet he   
   continually applied anew all his zeal to amend and perfect himself.   
      
    St. Ignatius constantly compared one day with another, and the gain on one   
   day with the gain on another. Thus he advanced daily and entertained a   
   constant desire of advancing still more, that he might reach the summit of   
   perfection to which God called him.   
      
    St. James the Apostle received great praise because he went on advancing   
   daily in the divine service.   
      
   (Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". January - Perfection)   
      
   Bible Quote:   
    You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its savor, with what   
   shall it be salted? (St. Matthew 5:13)   
      
      
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   Novena to Our Lady of Good Success through the intercession of Mother   
   Marianna   
      
   Hail Mary, Most Holy, Beloved Daughter of God the Father   
   Through the intercession of Mother Marianna de Jesus Torres,   
   grant thy good success to this request (name request)   
   ...Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...   
      
   St Michael, pray for us.   
      
   Hail Mary, Most Holy, Admirable Mother of God the Son   
   Through the intercession of Mother Marianna de Jesus Torres,   
   grant thy good success to this request (name request)   
   ...Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...   
      
   St. Gabriel, pray for us.   
      
   Hail Mary, Most Holy, Most Faithful Spouse of God the Holy Ghost   
   Through the intercession of Mother Marianna de Jesus Torres,   
   grant thy good success to this request (name request)   
   ...Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...   
      
   St. Raphael, pray for us.   
      
   Hail Mary, Most Holy Temple and Sacrarium of the Most Holy Trinity.   
      
   St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, pray for us.   
      
   Our Lady of Good Success, thou who art the all-powerful intercessor before   
   the Most Holy Trinity, deign to hear and answer my request - so long as it   
   contributes to the salvation of my soul and the glory and exaltation of Holy   
   Mother the Church.   
      
   Salve Regina   
   (Hail Holy Queen)   
      
   Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness and our   
   hope!  To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve!  To thee do we send   
   up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears!  Turn then, most   
   gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our   
   exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!   
   O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!   
   Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,   
   R:  That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)