From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   December 10th - Saint Eulalia, Child Martyr   
   (d. 303)   
      
   Saint Eulalia was a native of Merida, in Spain. The daughter of Christian   
   parents, she was taught in her childhood by a very holy priest of that city.   
   She   
   was but twelve years old when the bloody edicts of Diocletian were issued.   
   Her   
   parents, knowing of her vow of virginity and fearing that her zeal would   
   cause   
   her to be a victim of the persecutions, sent her to their house in the   
   country.   
   Eulalia indeed escaped, as they feared, and returned to the city to present   
   herself, with her young companion and Christian friend, Julie, before the   
   cruel   
   Calpurnianus, representing the viceroy of Diocletian. She reproached him for   
   attempting to destroy souls, by compelling them to renounce the only true   
   God.   
      
   The officer commanded that she be seized, and at first tried to win her over   
   by   
   flattery. Failing in this, he had her flogged and resorted to threats,   
   causing   
   the most dreadful instruments of torture to be placed before her eyes, and   
   saying to her: "All this you shall escape, if you will but touch a little   
   salt   
   and frankincense with the tip of your finger." Provoked by these seducing   
   flatteries, our Saint threw down the idol before her, and trampled upon the   
   cake   
   placed there for the sacrifice. At the judge's order, two executioners tore   
   her   
   tender sides with iron hooks, so as to leave the very bones bare, then   
   tortured   
   her with burning torches, and dragged her by her hair to the site of   
   execution.   
   She said to the cruel persecutor, "Calpurnianus, look well at me so that you   
   may   
   recognize me on the day of the Final Judgment, when both of us will appear   
   before Jesus Christ, our common Lord, I to receive the reward of my   
   torments,   
   and you, the chastisement of your inhumanity toward the Christians." She was   
   covered with hot coals; the fire caught in her hair and surrounded her head   
   and   
   face, and she suffocated amid the smoke and flames. The persecutor commanded   
   that her body be left untended for three days, but Providence covered it   
   with a   
   blanket of snow, which seemed to whiten it and give it a marvelous beauty.   
      
   The Christians buried Saint Eulalia in Merida. Later her body was   
   transported to   
   Oviedo, Spain, where it was placed in a chapel dedicated to her memory,   
   within   
   the large church. She is the patroness of that city, and many graces have   
   been   
   received when her relics are transported in processions in times of public   
   necessity.   
      
   Reflection: The Apostles rejoiced "that they were accounted worthy to suffer   
   reproach for the name of Jesus." (Acts 4:41) Do we bear our crosses with the   
   same spirit?   
      
   Sources: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on   
   Butler's   
   Lives of the Saints and other sources, by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger   
   Brothers:   
   New York, 1894); Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul   
   Guérin   
   (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 14.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Let us endeavor to show ourselves full of compassion towards the faulty and   
   the   
   sinful.  If we do not show compassion and charity to these, we do not   
   deserve to   
   have God show it towards us.   
   -St. Vincent de Paul   
      
   Bible Quote   
   1 But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the torment of death   
   shall not touch them. 2 In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and   
   their   
   departure was taken for misery: 3 And their going away from us, for utter   
   destruction: but they are in peace.  (Wisdom 3:1-3)   
      
      
   <><><><><>   
   The Litany of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows,   
   composed by Pope Pius VII:   
      
   Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.   
   Lord, have mercy on us.   
   Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.   
   God, the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us.   
   God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.   
   God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.   
   Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.   
   Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.   
   Mother of the Crucified, pray for us.   
   Sorrowful Mother, pray for us.   
   Mournful Mother, pray for us.   
   Sighing Mother, pray for us.   
   Afflicted Mother, pray for us.   
   Forsaken Mother, pray for us.   
   Desolate Mother, pray for us.   
   Mother most sad, pray for us.   
   Mother set around with anguish, pray for us.   
   Mother overwhelmed by grief, pray for us.   
   Mother transfixed by a sword, pray for us.   
   Mother crucified in thy heart, pray for us.   
   Mother bereaved of thy Son, pray for us.   
   Sighing Dove, pray for us.   
   Mother of Dolors, pray for us.   
   Fount of tears, pray for us.   
   Sea of bitterness, pray for us.   
   Field of tribulation, pray for us.   
   Mass of suffering, pray for us.   
   Mirror of patience, pray for us.   
   Rock of constancy, pray for us.   
   Remedy in perplexity, pray for us.   
   Joy of the afflicted, pray for us.   
   Ark of the desolate, pray for us.   
   Refuge of the abandoned, pray for us.   
   Shield of the oppressed, pray for us.   
   Conqueror of the incredulous, pray for us.   
   Solace of the wretched, pray for us.   
   Medicine of the sick, pray for us.   
   Help of the faint, pray for us.   
   Strength of the weak, pray for us.   
   Protectress of those who fight, pray for us.   
   Haven of the shipwrecked, pray for us.   
   Calmer of tempests, pray for us.   
   Companion of the sorrowful, pray for us.   
   Retreat of those who groan, pray for us.   
   Terror of the treacherous, pray for us.   
   Standard-bearer of the Martyrs, pray for us.   
   Treasure of the Faithful, pray for us.   
   Light of Confessors, pray for us.   
   Pearl of Virgins, pray for us.   
   Comfort of Widows, pray for us.   
   Joy of all Saints, pray for us.   
   Queen of thy Servants, pray for us.   
   Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, pray for us.   
      
   V. Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin,   
   R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.   
      
   Let us pray, O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon,   
   a sword of grief pierced through the most sweet soul of Thy glorious   
   Blessed Virgin Mother Mary: grant that we, who celebrate the memory of her   
   Seven Sorrows, may obtain the happy effect of Thy Passion, Who lives and   
   reigns world without end, AMEN.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)