From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   August 28th - St. Julian of Auvergne   
   (Also known as Julian of Brioude)   
      
   Officer in the imperial Roman army. Closet Christian. Retired from the army and   
   fled to Auvergne during the persecutions of Decius. At one point he was hidden   
   by Saint Ferreolus. Later surrendered to pursuing Christian-hunters, and made a   
   public announcement of his faith. Martyr. At least 80 French townships have   
   some   
   variant of his name.   
      
   Born at Vienne, Dauphiny, Gaul (modern France). Died. Beheaded near Brioude,   
   Gaul; water from a spring that grew nearby was later believed to cure   
   headaches;   
   relics enshrined at the monastery of Saint Julian until destroyed by Norse   
   invaders; the site of the relics became known for miraculous cures, especially   
   in the family of Saint Gregory of Tours, who wrote about them   
      
   Canonized   
   Pre-Congregation   
      
   Additional Information   
      
   Miracles of Saint Julian   
   by Saint Gregory of Tours   
      
   At that time my father's brother Gallus was bishop of Auverxne, and I do not   
   think I should fail to tell how he was aided in his youth by a miracle of the   
   saint. Now I have often described the ruin king Theodoric brought upon   
   Auvergne,   
   when none of their property was left to either old or young except the bare   
   land   
   which the barbarians were unable to carry off. [note: Cf. p. 58. (Bk 3:11-13)   
   This punishment of Auvergne took place in 532, 6 years before Gregory's birth.]   
   In those days, then, my uncle of glorious memory who afterwards, as I have   
   told,   
   governed the church of Auvergne in the high office of bishop, was a ward; and   
   his property was so plundered by the soldiers that there was nothing at all   
   left   
   that was available; and he himself used often to go on foot with only one   
   attendant to the village of Brioude. [note: The site of St. Julian's church.   
   Brioude is situated about 40 miles up the valley of the Allier from Clermont.]   
   It happened once when he was trudging along on this journey, that he took his   
   shoes off on account of the heat, and as he walked in his bare feet he stepped   
   on a sharp thorn. This by chance had been cut, but was still lying on the   
   ground   
   and was concealed point upward in the green grass. It entered his foot and went   
   clear through and then broke off and could not be drawn out. The blood ran in   
   streams and as he could not walk he begged the blessed martyr's aid and after   
   the pain had grown a little less he went on his way limping. But the third   
   night   
   the wound began to gather and there was great pain. Then he turned to the   
   source   
   from which he had already obtained help and threw himself down before the   
   glorious tomb; when the watch was finished he returned to bed and was overcome   
   by sleep while awaiting the miraculous help of the martyr. On arising later he   
   felt no pain and examining his foot he could not see the thorn which had   
   entered   
   it; and he perceived it had been drawn from his foot. He looked carefully for   
   it   
   and found it in his bed and saw with wonder how it had come out. When bishop he   
   used to exhibit the place, where a great hollow was still to be seen, and to   
   testify that this had been a miracle of the blessed martyr.   
      
   A long time after, when the festival of the blessed martyr came, my father with   
   all his household made haste to attend the joyful celebration. As we were on   
   the   
   way, my older brother Peter was seized by a fever and became so ill that he   
   could not move about or take food. We journeyed on in great grief and it was   
   doubtful whether he would recover or die. In this state of distress we at   
   length   
   arrived; we entered the church and worshipped at the holy martyr's tomb. The   
   sick boy cast himself down on the pavement, praying for a cure by the glorious   
   martyr. Finishing his prayer he returned to his lodging and the fever went down   
   a   
   little. When night came we hastened to keep watch and he asked to be carried   
   along, and lying before the tomb he begged the martyr's favor all night long.   
   When the watch was over he asked them to gather dust from the blessed tomb and   
   give it to him in a drink, and hang it about his neck. This was done, and the   
   heat of the fever went down so that on the very same day he took food without   
   suffering and walked about wherever his fancy took him.   
      
      
   Reflection:   
   To honor the martyrs and duly celebrate their feasts, we must learn their   
   spirit   
   and study to imitate them according to our state of life. We must, like them,   
   resist evil, subdue our passions, suffer afflictions with patience, and bear   
   with others without murmuring or complaining. The cross is the ladder by which   
   we must ascend to heaven.   
      
   Saint Quote:   
   "It is more perfect to bear adversity bravely and patiently, than to pour out   
   your sweat in doing good works"   
   -St. Bonaventure (Doctor, 1221-74) - "Instructions On Christian Morality"   
      
   Bible Quotes:   
   " count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations [sickness,   
   afflictions]"  (James 1:2 )   
      
   "In your patience you shall possess your souls"  (Luke 21:19)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   A prayer of St. Louis De Montfort -a prayer to our Lord :   
      
   O most loving Jesus, deign to let me pour forth my gratitude before Thee, for   
   the grace Thou hast bestowed upon me in giving me to Thy holy Mother through   
   the   
   devotion of Holy Bondage, that she may be my advocate in the presence of Thy   
   majesty and my support in my extreme misery.  Alas, O Lord! I am so wretched   
   that without this dear Mother I should be certainly lost.  Yes, Mary is   
   necessary for me at Thy side and everywhere that she may appease Thy just   
   wrath,   
   because I have so often offended Thee; that she may save me from the eternal   
   punishment of Thy justice, which I deserve; that she may contemplate Thee,   
   speak   
   to Thee, pray to Thee, approach Thee and please Thee; that she may help me to   
   save my soul and the souls of others; in short, Mary is necessary for me that I   
   may always do Thy holy will and seek Thy greater glory in all things. Ah, would   
   that I could proclaim throughout the whole world the mercy that Thou hast shown   
   to me!  Would that everyone might know I should be already damned, were it not   
   for Mary! Would that I might offer worthy thanksgiving for so great a blessing!   
   Mary is in me. Oh, what a treasure!  Oh, what a consolation! And shall I not be   
   entirely hers?  Oh, what ingratitude!  My dear Saviour, send me death rather   
   than such a calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging   
   entirely to Mary. With St. John the Evangelist at the foot of the Cross, I have   
   taken her a thousand times for my own and as many times have given myself to   
   her; but if I have not yet done it as Thou, dear Jesus, dost wish, I now renew   
   this offering as Thou dost desire me to renew it.  And if Thou seest in my soul   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)