From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   December 23rd - Saint Servulus of Rome, Invalid and Beggar   
   (d. 670)   
      
   Saint Servulus was a perfect model of submission to the divine Will; it   
   would be difficult to offer a more consoling example to persons afflicted by   
   poverty, illnesses and the other miseries of life. It is Saint Gregory the   
   Great who narrates for us his edifying story:   
      
   "We have seen under the portico of the Church of Saint Clement, a poor man   
   named Servulus, who is known to all the people of Rome as to Us. He was   
   deprived of all the goods of this world; a long illness had reduced him to a   
   pitiful state. From his youth he was paralyzed in all his members. Not only   
   could he not stand up, but he was unable to rise from his bed; he could   
   neither sit down nor turn himself from one side to the other, nor bring his   
   hand to his mouth. Nothing in him was sound except his eyes, ears, tongue,   
   stomach and entrails.   
      
   "This unfortunate man, who had learned the mysteries of religion, meditated   
   unceasingly on the sufferings of the Saviour, and never did he complain. He   
   was surrounded by the loving care of his mother and brother. Neither the   
   mother nor the children had ever studied, yet the paralytic had pious books   
   bought for himself, in particular the Psalms and the Holy Gospels, and he   
   would ask the religious who came to visit him on his cot to read from them   
   to him. In this way he learned these books by heart; he spent days and part   
   of the nights in singing or reciting them, and meditating them, and he   
   constantly thanked the Lord for having taken him to be a victim associated   
   with the pains and sufferings of Jesus Christ.   
      
   "Many alms came to the little house of the paralytic, to such an extent that   
   he became rich in his poverty. After having taken from these what was   
   necessary for his subsistence and that of his mother, he gave the rest to   
   the indigent, who often assembled around him to be edified by his words and   
   his virtues. His bed of pain was a pulpit of preaching, from which he   
   converted souls.   
      
   "When the time came which was decreed by God to reward his patience and put   
   an end to his painful life, Servulus felt the paralysis spreading to the   
   vital parts of his body, and he prepared for death. At the final moment, he   
   asked those in attendance to recite Psalms with him. Suddenly he cried out:   
   'Ah! Don't you hear that melody resounding in heaven?' At that moment his   
   soul escaped from his body, which until his burial gave forth a marvelous   
   fragrance."   
      
   Source: Vie des Saints pour tous les jours de l'année, by Abbé L. Jaud   
   (Mame: Tours, 1950).   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no conflict   
   without an enemy, no victory without strife.   
   -Pope St. Leo the Great   
      
   Bible Quote   
   He that speaketh of himself, seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh the   
   glory of him that sent him, he is true, and there is no injustice in him.   
   (John 7:18)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   We thank you, O Master, lover of mankind, King of the ages and giver of   
   all good things, for destroying the dividing wall of enmity and granting   
   peace to those who seek your mercy. We appeal to you to awaken the longing   
   for a peaceful life in all those who are filled with hatred for their   
   neighbors, thinking especially of those at war or preparing for war. Grant   
   peace to your servants. Implant in them the fear of you and confirm in them   
   love one for another. Extinguish every dispute and banish all temptations to   
   disagreement. For you are our peace and to you we ascribe glory: to the   
   Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto ages   
   of ages. Amen.   
      
     Three-fold Litany:   
     We pray, O Lord our God, for all those who suffer from acts of war,   
   especially for the victims and all those in the struggle in [.............].   
   We pray for your peace and your mercy in the midst of the great suffering   
   that people are now inflicting on each other. Accept the prayers of your   
   Church, so that by your goodness peace may return to all peoples. Hear us   
   and have mercy on us.   
     Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.   
      
     O Lord our God, remember and have mercy on our brothers and sisters who   
   are involved in civil conflict. Remove from their midst all hostility,   
   confusion and hatred. Lead everyone along the path of reconciliation and   
   peace, we pray you, hear us and have mercy on us.   
     Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.   
      
     Let all believers turn aside from violence and do what makes for peace. By   
   the strength of your mighty arm save your people and your Holy Church from   
   all evil oppression; hear the supplications of all who call to you in sorrow   
   and affliction, day and night. O merciful God, let their lives not be lost,   
   we pray you, hear us and have mercy.   
     Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.   
      
     But grant, O Lord, peace, love and speedy reconciliation to your people   
   whom you have redeemed with you precious blood. Make your presence known to   
   those who have turned away from you and do not seek you, so that none of   
   them may be lost, but all may be saved and come to the knowledge of the   
   truth, so that everyone, in true love and harmony, O long-suffering Lord,   
   may praise your all holy Name. Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)