From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   March 22nd - St. Basil of Ancyra, Martyr   
      
   Died June 29, 362. Saint Basil suffered and died for his confession of the   
   true   
   faith in opposition to the Arians, who denied the divinity of Jesus. He was   
   a   
   priest of Ancyra, Galatia (now Ankara, Turkey), who loyally supported his   
   Catholic bishop, Marcellus, against the heretics, even after the latter's   
   banishment in 336 by Emperor Constantius. In 360, the Arians tried to stop   
   Saint   
   Basil even from leading Christian worship; but he despised the unjust order;   
   and   
   boldly defended the Catholic faith before Constantius himself. Basil's   
   refusal   
   to give way to the Arians (and the fact that he was running through the   
   streets   
   urging Christians to remain steadfast), under severe threats, led the   
   authorities to claim that he was unfaithful to the emperor Julian the   
   Apostate.   
   He was captured, tried, and tortured at Ancyra. At Caesarea in Palestine he   
   was   
   hung up, first by the wrists, and then upside down from his ankles. His body   
   was   
   torn with rakes and finally he was slaughtered. His acta appear to be   
   authentic.   
   This is the longer version of what they say:   
      
   Julian the Apostate was traveling from Constantinople to Antioch in   
   preparation   
   for his Persian expedition. He stopped en route at the famous temple of   
   Cibele   
   in Galatia to offer sacrifice. "When Julian arrived at Ancyra, Basil was   
   presented before him, and the crafty emperor, putting on an air of   
   compassion,   
   said to him: 'I myself am well skilled in your mysteries; and I can inform   
   you,   
   that Christ, in whom you place your trust, died under Pilate, and remains   
   among   
   the dead.'   
      
   "The martyr answered: 'You are deceived; you have renounced Christ at a time   
   when he conferred on you the empire. But he will deprive you of it, together   
   with your life. As you have thrown down his altars, so will he overturn your   
   throne: and as you have violated his holy law, which you had so often   
   announced   
   to the people [Julian had been a reader in the church], and have trodden it   
   under your feet, your body shall be cast forth without the honor of a   
   burial,   
   and shall be trampled upon by men.'   
      
   "Julian replied: 'I intended to let you go, but your impudent manner of   
   rejecting my advice . . . force me to do you ill. It is therefore my   
   command,   
   that every day your skin be torn off in seven different places, till you   
   have no   
   more left.'. . ."   
      
   Julian went on his way; Basil endured the torture several days then asked to   
   speak to the emperor. Julian ordered that the two should meet in the temple   
   of   
   Esculapius. Julian "pressed him to join him in sacrifices. But the martyr   
   replied that he could never adore blind and deaf idols. And taking a piece   
   of   
   his flesh which had been cut out of his body that day, and still hung to it   
   by a   
   bit of skin, he threw it upon Julian. The emperor went out in great   
   indignation:   
   and count Frumentinus, fearing his displeasure, studied how to revenge an   
   insult   
   . . . He therefore mounted his tribunal, and ordered the torments of the   
   martyr   
   to be redoubled; and so deep were the incisions made in his flesh, that his   
   bowels were exposed to view, and the spectators wept for compassion. The   
   martyr   
   prayed aloud all the time, and at evening was carried back to prison.   
      
   "Next morning Julian set out for Antioch, and would not see Frumentinus. The   
   count resolved to repair his disgrace, or at least to discharge his   
   resentment   
   by exerting his rage upon the servant of Christ. But to his thundering   
   threats   
   Basil answered: 'You know how many pieces of flesh have been torn from my   
   body:   
   yet look on my shoulders and sides; see if any wounds appear? Now that Jesus   
   Christ this night hath healed me. Send this news to your master Julian that   
   he   
   may know the power of God whom he has forsaken. He has overturned his   
   altars,   
   who was himself concealed under them when he was sought by Constantius to be   
   put   
   to death. But God hath informed me that his tyranny shall be shortly   
   extinguished with his life.'   
      
   "Frumentinus seemed no longer able to contain his rage, and Frumentinus   
   commanded the saint to be laid upon his belly, and his back to be pierced   
   with   
   red-hot iron spikes. The martyr expired under these torments" (Attwater2,   
   Benedictines, Bentley, Encyclopedia, Husenbeth). Saint Basil is depicted in   
   art   
   with a lioness by his side, sometimes he is torn by the lioness (Roeder).   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   "Some pursue their own taste and satisfaction in spiritual things in   
   preference   
   to the way of perfection which consists in denying their own wishes and   
   tastes   
   for the love of God, If such persons perform some exercise through   
   obedience,   
   even though it suit their inclination, they soon lose the wish for It, and   
   all   
   devotion in It, because their only pleasure is in doing what their own will   
   directs, which ordinarily would be better left undone. The Saints did not   
   act   
   thus"   
   -St. John of the Cross   
      
    The blessed Seraphino, a Capuchin lay-brother, said to a friend that he   
   would   
   be glad to be in the house of Loretto or at Rome, that he might serve as   
   many   
   Masses as possible. When it was suggested that he might ask this favor of   
   the   
   Superiors, who would have readily granted it, he replied: ''Oh, not that!   
   Any   
   holy desire would he profaned by one's own will, and every good intention   
   ought   
   to be subject to obedience, the only true directress of all holy thoughts."   
      
   (Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints".  March - Mortification)   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   14. Now those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said:   
   This   
   is of a truth the prophet, that is to come into the world. (John 6:14)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   The fourth sorrowful mystery prayer of the Eucharistic   
   Rosary, to be offered before the Blessed Sacrament:   
      
   The Carrying of the Cross, offered for patience:   
      
   Curses, outrages, ill-treatments, anguish of heart, sufferings   
   of all kinds, nothing can, O dear Redeemer, alter the mildness   
   and patience with which Thou carriest Thy heavy cross; with   
   like sweetness and patience dost Thou bear in the long   
   course of ages...doubts, want of confidence, murmurs,   
   insults, discouragement on the part of Thy children.   
      
   O Jesus! we adore Thee carrying with love the cross   
   prepared for Thee by Thy Father, and we beg of Thee,   
   through the intercession of Thy holy  Mother, patience in the   
   trials of this life.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)