From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   May 14th - St. Mary Mazzarello, Don Bosco's Lieutenant   
      
   Born in 1837, Mary Mazzarello grew up in a hard-working, God-fearing peasant   
   family in northern Italy. She was a normal teenager of her   
   times-intelligent,   
   enterprising, hard working, fun-loving and always in the height of local   
   fashion.   
      
   As she grew into young adulthood, she began to sense that God was calling   
   her to   
   belong totally to Himself and she responded by consecrating herself   
   completely   
   to Him. She did not understand immediately what this meant nor how it would   
   unfold. It was a response of unconditional love.   
      
   Mary was often impulsive but in the matter of discovering a direction for   
   her   
   life she sought advice from those who knew her well and whose judgement she   
   trusted. Her father was a great source of homespun wisdom and the leader of   
   the   
   apostolic group she had joined was a woman of spiritual insight and   
   intelligence. She confided, above all, in Fr. Pestarino who had guided her   
   for   
   several years and who knew her inside out. Slowly she came to distinguish   
   the   
   way ahead in the events of everyday life.   
      
   She weighed up her inclinations and physical strength, took stock of   
   situations   
   around her and considered what she might do to share Christ's passion for   
   the   
   world.   
      
   An event that had a particular bearing on her life and future mission came   
   in   
   the form of illness. When assisting some sick members of her family during   
   the   
   epidemic of typhoid fever that struck her village in 1860, Mary contracted   
   the   
   disease. After several months hovering between life and death she recovered   
   but   
   no longer had the strength to work in the fields and vineyards as she had   
   formerly done.   
      
   What was she to do? At twenty-three she had her life before her but lacked   
   skills beyond those acquired in helping her father on the farm. Together   
   with   
   her closest friend, Petronilla, she set about learning dressmaking from the   
   village tailor so as not to be a burden to her family and with the declared   
   aim   
   of setting up sewing classes for the village girls. Once their training was   
   finished, the pair did indeed begin their work for the good of the girls,   
   teaching them a life skill and encouraging them to live their Christian life   
   joyfully.   
      
   Hers was not initially a choice for religious life, but one of a life   
   consecrated to God by vow while living and working in her village   
   environment.   
   Associations of young women sharing the same desires and aims as Mary were   
   appearing in several parts of northern Italy at this time and Mary became   
   part   
   of one of them, receiving support from others to live the life she had   
   chosen.   
      
   But God had further plans for her. She met Don Bosco and they perceived in   
   each   
   other a shared passion for the good of the young. Here was a woman who   
   experienced his apostolic ideals for the young and who was the perfect   
   choice to   
   become the founding member his new religious congregation of the Salesian   
   Sisters. Mary did not hesitate but once again said her wondering but joyful   
   'Yes' to God-wherever that would lead her.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   A joyful heart is more easily made perfect than one that is cast down.   
   --Saint Philip Neri   
      
   Bible Quote   
   1 An ancient man rebuke not, but entreat him as a father: young men, as   
   brethren: 2 Old women, as mothers: young women, as sisters, in all chastity.   
   3   
   Honour widows, that are widows indeed.  (1 Tim 5:1-3)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Prayer to the Holy Ghost   
      
   Cardinal Mercier said about this prayer: "I am going to reveal to you the   
   secret   
   of sanctity and happiness. Every day for five minutes control your   
   imagination   
   and close your eyes to the things of sense and your ears to all the noises   
   of   
   the world, in order to enter into yourself. Then, in the sanctity of your   
   baptized soul (which is the temple of the Holy Ghost) speak to that Diving   
   Spirit, saying to Him:   
      
   "Holy Ghost, beloved of my soul, I adore Thee. Enlighten me, guide me,   
   strengthen me, console me. Tell me what to say and do. Give me Your orders.   
   I   
   promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept all that   
   You   
   permit to happen to me. Let me only know Your Will. Amen."   
      
   If you do this, your life will flow along happily, serenely, and full of   
   consolation, even in the midst of trials. Grace will be proportioned to the   
   trial, giving you the strength to carry it and you will arrive at the Gate   
   of   
   Paradise, laden with merit. This submission to the Holy Spirit is the secret   
   of   
   sanctity.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)