From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   April 8th - St. Julie Billiart   
      
   Marie Rose Julie Billiart was born July 12, 1751 at Cuvilly, Picardy,   
   France. Her moderately well to do father was a peasant farmer and   
   shopkeeper. The attempted murder of her father while she was sitting next to   
   him produced a mysterious and very painful illness, which made her an   
   invalid for many years. The failure of her father's business and the   
   political and economic crises of France caused great suffering to her and   
   her family.   
      
   Despite all these tragedies, Julie, as family and friends knew her, grew in   
   prayerfulness and peacefulness of heart. In 1791, Julie's influence   
   encouraged the people of the town to boycott the constitutional priest who   
   had replaced the curé of Cuvilly. Because she was known to help fugitive   
   priests find hiding places, Julie was taken to Compiègne where she continued   
   to be a fugitive herself.   
      
   During the first cessation of the Reign of Terror, Julie was rescued and   
   taken to Amiens where she first met Françoise Blin de Bourdon, who would   
   become her life long friend and assistant. When the Reign of Terror resumed   
   she and her friend fled to Bettencourt for safety and it was here that they   
   met Father Varin d'Ainville.   
      
   He recognized Julie's great abilities and encouraged her and it was under   
   the direction of Father Varin that the foundations of the Institute of Notre   
   Dame developed at Amiens.. Its focus was the care of poor children and the   
   Christian education of girls of all classes. Its Rule departed from that of   
   women's communities of the time, by abolishing the distinction between lay   
   sisters and choir sisters.   
      
   In 1804, at the close of a mission retreat with the Fathers of the Faith,   
   Julie was healed of her 22-year infirmity. Now able to be fully active, she   
   put forth great effort to consolidate and expand the new Institute. She also   
   helped the Fathers of the Faith with their missions, until the secular   
   government obstructed this work.   
      
   The educational work of the sisters expanded rapidly and convents were   
   founded in Namur, Ghent and Tournai. In 1809 the motherhouse was moved to   
   Namur because of unfortunate judgements by Father Varin's replacement, a   
   young inexperienced priest. The difficulties were resolved, but Julie chose   
   to keep the motherhouse at Namur. In all, Julie founded seven houses and two   
   other congregations in Amersfoort, Netherlands and Coësfield Germany, which   
   consider her their founder. Today the Sisters of Notre Dame have houses on   
   nearly every continent.   
      
   Julie died at the age of sixty-four on April 8, 1816, and was canonized in   
   1969. Her early life was one of tragedies which could have caused her to   
   become embittered and cynical, but her faith gave her the courage and inner   
   peace to rise above calamity and physical suffering and enabled her to give   
   hope, love and concern for those in need. Having lived through the terrors   
   of prejudice, hatred, injustice and inhumanity she learned compassion and   
   instead of fighting back with anger and hatred she chose to heal with   
   education and love.   
      
   Patronage:  against poverty, bodily ills, impoverishment, poverty, sick   
   people, sickness   
      
      
   Saint Quote   
   "O ye souls who wish to go on with so much safety and consolation, if you   
   knew how pleasing to God is suffering, and how much it helps in acquiring   
   other good things, you would never seek consolation in anything; but you   
   would rather look upon it as a great happiness to bear the Cross after the   
   Lord"   
    -St. John of the Cross   
      
   Blessed William the Abbot saw, one night in a dream, some angels who were   
   weaving a crown of marvelous richness and beauty; and when he asked them for   
   whom they were making it, they said that it was for him, and would be   
   finished when he had suffered enough.   
      
   (Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints".  April - Patience)   
      
   Bible Quote   
   47 Wherefore I say to thee: Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath   
   loved much. But to whom less is forgiven, he loveth less.  (Luke 7:47)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   An Office of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ   
      
   At that time, Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers platted a   
   crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and they put on him a purple robe,   
   and said, "Hail, King of the Jews." And they smote Him with their hands. And   
   they spat upon Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head.   
      
   And the soldiers took Jesus, and He, bearing His Cross, went forth into a   
   place called the place of the skull, where they crucified Him, and two   
   others with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.   
      
   After this, Jesus, knowing all things which should come to pass, said, "I   
   thirst." And they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and   
   put it to His mouth.   
      
   And when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink, but said, "It is   
   finished." And He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.   
      
   And immediately the earth did quake, and the sun was darkened. And the veil   
   of the Temple was rent, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened, and   
   those who slept arose. Which things, when the centurion saw, he said,   
   "Truly, this was the Son of God."   
      
   At length one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith   
   came thereout blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and we know   
   that his record is true.   
      
   V. The Lord be with you.   
      
   R. And with thy spirit.   
      
   Let us pray   
      
   Lord Jesus Christ, who for us sinners didst place Thy hands and Thy feet and   
   Thy whole body upon the wood of the Cross; and didst bear the crown of   
   thorns, set upon Thy head by the soldiers in dishonor of Thy most holy body;   
   and hanging upon the Cross didst suffer five wounds for the sake of us   
   sinners, and hast redeemed us by Thy sacred Blood, grant us we beseech Thee,   
   O Lord, this day, and every day, the practice of penitence, abstinence,   
   patience, humility, and chastity, and light, sense, understanding, and   
   knowledge of the truth, even unto the end. Through Thee, Jesus Christ,   
   Saviour of the world, King of glory, who, together with the Father and the   
   Holy Spirit, livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen.   
      
   POPE JOHN XXII   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)