From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   March 16th - St. Heribert of Cologne B (RM)   
   (Also known as Herbert)   
      
   Born in Worms, Germany; died in Cologne on March 16, 1022.   
   As a boy, Saint Heribert was sent to the monastery at Gorze in Lorraine for   
   his   
   studies. Upon his return to Worms, he was given a canonry and was ordained.   
   Like   
   so many prelates of his time, he was actively engaged in secular as well as   
   church affairs and not much is known of his personal life. Heribert   
   developed   
   into one of the strongest and most distinguished German statesman of the   
   age: by   
   994, he had become chancellor to Emperor Otto III.   
      
   Heribert was elected archbishop of Cologne in 998. In the depths of winter   
   he   
   took off his shoes and walked into the city where he was consecrated on   
   Christmas Eve 999, and from that time on he always wore a hair shirt   
   underneath   
   the rich robes of an archbishop.   
      
   Even as archbishop his duties as chancellor did not end. As imperial   
   chancellor,   
   he traveled to Italy with Otto and after he died brought back the dead   
   Otto's   
   body to Aachen for burial.   
      
   He incensed the ambitious men who wanted to succeed Otto by refusing to hand   
   over the imperial insignia until a new emperor had been properly appointed.   
   Heribert was even imprisoned for a time by Duke Henry of Bavaria for his   
   obstinacy. This man, who became Emperor Saint Henry II, bore a grudge   
   against   
   Heribert for many years, but in the end came to acknowledge the saint's   
   wisdom   
   and probity to the point that Heribert became Henry's chancellor, too.   
      
   At a time when many clerical statesmen forgot or neglected their spiritual   
   duties under the pressure of serving the state, Heribert was a devoted chief   
   pastor of his flock. As archbishop he was a rich man; but his entire income   
   was   
   divided between the church and the poor, save for the little that was   
   absolutely   
   necessary for his own needs.   
      
   Heribert built the Benedictine monastery at Deutz (outside Cologne) on the   
   Rhine   
   (where he was buried on his death in 1021), was an active peacemaker,   
   maintained   
   strict clerical discipline, and is reputed to have performed miracles, one   
   of   
   which caused a heavy rainfall ending a severe drought and that causes him to   
   be   
   invoked for rain. Already during his lifetime Heribert was looked upon as a   
   saint; after his death, his cultus was encouraged by the monks of Deutz. But   
   the   
   bull of formal canonization, attributed to Pope Saint Gregory VII, is now   
   known   
   to be a forgery, produced in the 17th century (Attwater, Attwater2,   
   Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney).   
      
   In art, Saint Heribert is an archbishop calling down rain by his prayers.   
   Sometimes he is shown with Emperor Saint Henry, kneeling before him   
   (Roeder).   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   "The more one mortifies his natural inclinations, the more he becomes   
   capable of   
   receiving the divine inspirations, and the more he gains in virtue"   
    -St. Francis de Sales   
      
    The celebrated Father Laynez, one of the companions of St. Ignatius, by   
   means   
   of this practice arrived at great purity of mind and imperturbable   
   tranquillity   
   of soul.   
      
   (Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". February - Humility)   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   17. But he seeing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided   
   against   
   itself, shall be brought to desolation, and house upon house shall fall.   
   (Luke   
   11:17)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   A POWERFUL NOVENA TO ST. JOSEPH   
      
   This novena has proven to be highly efficacious. It seems to be pleasing to   
   St.   
   Joseph and helpful to souls. This form of novena was originally devised by   
   the   
   celebrated Fr. Louis Lallemant, S.J. (1587-1633). It has proved particularly   
   effective in obtaining favors through the intercession of St. Joseph. In the   
   Life of this saintly priest and great master of the spiritual life, to whom   
   St.   
   Joseph never refused anything he asked, the story is told that on one   
   occasion   
   he urged two young priests to make this novena, promising that they would   
   obtain   
   everything they asked through the intercession of St. Joseph if, in turn,   
   they   
   would show him special honor and spread devotion to him among others. Both   
   did   
   as Fr. Lallemant suggested. One of them asked for grace to speak and write   
   worthily of Our Lord. But the next day he came to Fr. Lallemant to tell him   
   that, upon reflection, he wished to ask for a different grace, which he   
   considered more conducive to his perfection. Fr. Lallemant replied, "It is   
   too   
   late now to ask for another grace. The first one has already been granted."   
   This   
   grace was conspicuously displayed throughout the whole course of the   
   priest's   
   life, as he became one of the most noted preachers and writers of his day.   
      
   How to Make this Novena   
   No particular prayers need be said for this novena. Every day for nine days,   
   turn to St. Joseph in spirit four times during the day and honor him in the   
   following four points. (These "visits" may be made anywhere-at home, at   
   work, on   
   the street, in the car or bus-and at any time.)   
      
   1. During the first visit, consider St. Joseph's fidelity to grace. Reflect   
   upon   
   the action of the Holy Ghost in his soul. At the conclusion of this brief   
   meditation, thank God for so honoring St. Joseph, and ask, through his   
   intercession, for a similar grace.   
   2. Later in the day, consider St. Joseph's fidelity to the interior life.   
   Study   
   his spirit of recollection. Think, thank God, and ask.   
   3. Later still, consider St. Joseph's love for Our Lady. Think, thank God,   
   and   
   ask.   
   4. Finally, in a fourth visit, reflect upon St. Joseph's love for the Divine   
   Child. Think, thank God, and ask.   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   The third joyful mystery prayer of the Eucharistic Rosary, to be offered   
   before the Blessed Sacrament:   
      
   The Nativity of our Lord, offered for the spirit of poverty, and detachment   
   from worldly goods:   
      
   O King of kings! poor indeed, yet most lovely in the crib of Bethlehem,   
   Thou callest the simple and the poor to be Thy first adorers: poorer and   
   no less amiable to the eyes of faith in the Sacrament of Thy love, Thou art   
   still delighted to see around Thy person the humble and the little.   
      
   O Jesus, in Thy destitution we adore Thee, to Whom belong all the treasures   
   of the Godhead, and we beg of Thee, through the intercession of Thy holy   
   Mother, detachment from the goods of this world.   
      
   Imprimatur: + John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York, Sept 19, 1908.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)