From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   April 26th - Our Lady of Good Counsel   
      
   (1467)   
      
   The apparition of Our Lady of Good Counsel is so celebrated, Her picture so   
   well   
   known and so honored in the Church, that it is very fitting to allot a place   
   to   
   this devotion. The little city of Gennazano, situated on the mountains of   
   the   
   former Sabina province, about ten leagues from Rome, for a thousand years   
   already had honored the Blessed Virgin as Our Lady of Good Counsel. In the   
   15th   
   century, the church of that city was dilapidated and about to collapse. A   
   pious   
   woman of advanced age named Petruccia desired to provide for its   
   reconstruction,   
   but the gift of her entire fortune, which she made for this purpose, proved   
   insufficient. Petruccia foretold that the Blessed Virgin would Herself   
   finish   
   the work.   
      
   Then on April 25, 1467, at the hour of Vespers, a celestial harmony was   
   heard in   
   the air, and the crowd saw a brilliant cloud coming down through the air,   
   which   
   came to rest over the altar in the Chapel of Saint Blaise in the Gennazano   
   Church, where the restoration had begun. At the same time, all the church   
   bells   
   began to ring joyously. The cloud disappeared, and the marveling crowd saw a   
   picture of Mary holding the Child Jesus, painted on a prepared surface,   
   suspended in the air over the altar near the wall, without any natural   
   support.   
   It was duly verified that this picture had been miraculously transported   
   from a   
   church of Scutari, a city of Albania. Providence, wishing to preserve it   
   from   
   profanation by the Turks who were controlling that land, sent it as a reward   
   for   
   the faith of Petruccia and her fellow citizens of Gennazano.   
      
   A history of the marvels of all kinds which have been wrought since that   
   time   
   near this miraculous picture, suspended in the air, would require volumes.   
   Often   
   the picture has been seen to change its expression, the eyes of the Blessed   
   Virgin taking on an appearance of joy or sorrow. How many illnesses and   
   infirmities have been cured! How many spiritual graces have been obtained!   
   Gennazano in Italy is still a venerated pilgrimage site, much frequented by   
   the   
   people of that land, and many pious pilgrims from other nations, when time   
   permits it for them, arrange to visit this blessed sanctuary. The Sovereign   
   Pontiffs have granted many indulgences to devotion to Our Lady of Good   
   Counsel,   
   and the title Mother of Good Counsel was included in the Litany of the   
   Blessed   
   Virgin by Pope Leo XIII.   
      
   Source: Vie des Saints pour tous les jours de l'année, by Abbé L. Jaud   
   (Mame:   
   Tours, 1950).   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   I die the King's good servant, but God's first.   
   --Saint Thomas More at his execution   
      
   Bible Quote   
   36 Now whilst they were speaking these things, Jesus stood in the midst of   
   them,   
   and saith to them: Peace be to you; it is I, fear not.  (Luke 24:36)   
      
      
   <><><><><>   
   The Power of the Mass   
      
   At the hour of death the Holy Masses   
   you have heard devoutly will be your greatest consolation.   
      
   Every Mass will go with you to Judgement and will plead for   
   pardon for you.   
      
   By every Mass you can diminish the temporal punishment due   
     to your sins, more or less, according to your fervour.   
      
   By devoutly assisting at Holy Mass you render the greatest   
     homage possible to the Sacred Humanity of Our Lord.   
      
   Through the Holy Sacrifice, Our Lord Jesus Christ supplies   
   for many of your negligences and omissions.   
      
   He forgives you all the venial sins which you are determined   
   to avoid. He forgives you all your unknown sins which you never   
   confessed. The power of Satan over you is diminished.   
      
   By piously hearing Holy Mass you afford the Souls in   
     Purgatory the greatest possible relief.   
      
   Through Holy Mass you are preserved from many dangers and   
   misfortunes which would otherwise have befallen you. You shorten   
   your Purgatory by every Mass.   
      
   Through the Holy Mass you are blessed in your temporal goods   
   and affairs.   
      
   When you hear Holy Mass devoutly, offering it to Almighty   
   God in honour of any particular Saint or Angel, thanking God for   
   the favours bestowed on him, etc., you afford that Saint or   
   Angel a new degree of honour, joy and happiness, and draw his   
   special love and protection on yourself.   
      
   Every time you assist at Holy Mass, besides other   
   intentions, you should offer it in honor of the Saint of the Day.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)