From: hildegard8@excite.com   
      
   February 19th - St. Lucy Yi Zhenmei & Comp., Martyrs   
   1815 - 1862   
      
   Lucy Yi Zhenmei, a native of Mainyang in Sichuan, was born a Catholic on   
   December 9, 1815, and was the youngest member in her family. Even as a child   
   she   
   was very pious, making a vow of chastity at the age of 12. She loved to read   
   classics and at the age of 20, she fell gravely ill, but quickly recovered   
   with   
   a remedy her brother prescribed. Continuing her studies, she became more   
   spiritually devout, spending hours in daily prayer, much like a religious.   
   Her   
   mother taught her how to spin, which also became part of her daily life.   
   After   
   her father died, she lived with her brother and mother, using part of her   
   leisure time to teach the faith to children nearby. The parish priest, who   
   asked   
   her to teach at the school in Mianyang, noticed her devotion and reliable   
   knowledge of her faith. After four years, her brother went to Chongqing to   
   practice medicine, and Lucy and her mother moved with him. In Chongquing,   
   the   
   priest also asked her to help teach the women in the parish. When she was   
   offered money for her work, she refused to take it and offered her work to   
   God.   
      
   A few years later, her brother moved back to Guiyang, and soon after her   
   mother   
   died. Full of enthusiasm for spreading the Gospel, she went on doing   
   missionary   
   work. However, for her own safety she decided to stay at the convent of lay   
   virgins. Shortly after, her failing health forced her to move back home   
   again.   
   In 1861, Bishop Hu asked her to teach once more at the convent. In spite of   
   opposition from relatives, she returned to work there.   
      
   In 1862, she went with Fr. Wen Nair to open a mission in Jiashanlong, but   
   just   
   then the administrator of Guizhou Province, Tian Xingshu, began to stir up   
   hatred against Christians, which the local magistrate supported. As a   
   result,   
   Zhang Tienshen, Wu Shuesheng, Chen Xianheng and Father Wen were all   
   imprisoned   
   and sentenced to death without a formal trial. On February 18, the day of   
   their   
   execution, they met Yi Zhenmei on the road. She was also jailed and put on   
   trial   
   that very day and sentenced to death as she refused to renounce her faith.   
   The   
   following day at noon, February 19, 1862, she was beheaded. Brave believers   
   took   
   the bodies of all five martyrs to the Liuchonnguan seminary grounds for   
   burial.   
      
   Pope Pius X proclaimed all five of them "Blessed" on May 2nd, 1909 and Pope   
   John   
   Paul II canonized them on October 1st, 2000.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Humility is the mother of many virtues.  From it spring obedience, holy   
   fear, reverence, patience, modesty, mildness, and peace; for, whoever is   
   humble easily obeys all, fears to offend any, maintains peace with all,   
   shows himself affable to all, is submissive to all, does not offend or   
   displease any, and does not feel the insults which may ensue.   
   -St. Thomas of Villanova   
      
   Bible Quote   
   /16. And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure   
   their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they   
   have received their reward. /17. But thou, when thou fastest anoint thy   
   head, and wash thy face; /18. That thou appear not to men to fast, but to   
   thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay   
   thee.  (Matthew 6:16-18)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   The Litany of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, composed by Pope Pius VII:   
      
   Lord, have mercy on us.                 Christ, have mercy on us.   
   Lord, have mercy on us.   
   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 Mary, Mother of God,                   pray for us.   
   Holy Virgin of virgins,                            pray for us.   
   Mother of the Crucified,                        pray for us.   
   Sorrowful Mother,                                 pray for us.   
   Mournful Mother,                                  pray for us.   
   Sighing Mother,                                    pray for us.   
   Afflicted Mother,                                   pray for us.   
   Forsaken Mother,                                 pray for us.   
   Desolate Mother,                                  pray for us.   
   Mother most sad,                                 pray for us.   
   Mother set around with anguish,          pray for us.   
   Mother overwhelmed by grief,              pray for us.   
   Mother transfixed by a sword,              pray for us.   
   Mother crucified in thy heart,                pray for us.   
   Mother bereaved of thy Son,                pray for us.   
   Sighing Dove,                                       pray for us.   
   Mother of Dolors,                                  pray for us.   
   Fount of tears,                                      pray for us.   
   Sea of bitterness,                                 pray for us.   
   Field of tribulation,                               pray for us.   
   Mass of suffering,                                pray for us.   
   Mirror of patience,                               pray for us.   
   Rock of constancy,                              pray for us.   
   Remedy in perplexity,                          pray for us.   
   Joy of the afflicted,                              pray for us.   
   Ark of the desolate,                             pray for us.   
   Refuge of the abandoned,                  pray for us.   
   Shield of the oppressed                      pray for us.   
   Conqueror of the incredulous,             pray for us.   
   Solace of the wretched,                       pray for us.   
   Medicine of the sick,                            pray for us.   
   Help of the faint,                                  pray for us.   
   Strength of the weak,                           pray for us.   
   Protectress of those who fight,            pray for us.   
   Haven of the shipwrecked,                  pray for us.   
   Calmer of tempests,                             pray for us.   
   Companion of the sorrowful,                pray for us.   
   Retreat of those who groan,                pray for us.   
   Terror of the treacherous,                    pray for us.   
   Standard-bearer of the Martyrs,           pray for us.   
   Treasure of the Faithful,                       pray for us.   
   Light of Confessors,                             pray for us.   
   Pearl of Virgins,                                    pray for us.   
   Comfort of Widows,                              pray for us.   
   Joy of all Saints,                                   pray for us.   
   Queen of thy Servants,                         pray for us.   
   Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, pray for us.   
      
   V. Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin,   
   R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)