From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   January 2nd - Saint Gregory Nazianzen   
   Archbishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church   
   (312-390)   
      
   Saint Gregory was born in 312 near Caesarea of Cappadocia, of parents who   
   are   
   both honored as Saints, and the infant was immediately consecrated to God.   
   After   
   learning all that he could in his native land, he journeyed to Caesarea in   
   Palestine to study at the famous school founded by Origen, then went to   
   Alexandria in Egypt to rejoin his brother there. After some time he embarked   
   for   
   Athens, the metropolis of the sciences and the humanities. During the   
   voyage, a   
   storm of twenty days' duration nearly caused the loss of the ship and all   
   passengers; their safe arrival in Athens was attributed to Saint Gregory's   
   prayers, and all aboard adopted Christianity.   
      
   In Athens he met and became the close friend of Saint Basil, and these noble   
   souls turned away together from the most attractive worldly prospects. For   
   some   
   years they lived in seclusion, self-discipline, and studious labor, knowing   
   only   
   two roads, Gregory wrote, "one to church, the other to school." Only after   
   thirty years of studies and good works in Athens did they leave that city   
   and   
   separate. They would meet again in the year 358, to live in solitude for a   
   time   
   in the Province of Pont.   
      
   Saint Gregory was raised to the priesthood almost by force, preaching his   
   first   
   sermon, after a ten-weeks' retreat, on the dangers and responsibilities of   
   the   
   priesthood. In 372, when he was sixty years old, he was consecrated a bishop   
   by   
   his dear friend Saint Basil, who had become Archbishop of Caesarea in   
   Cappadocia. All their lives they would correspond; many of Saint Gregory's   
   noble   
   and eloquent letters to Saint Basil can still be read among the 212 pieces   
   of   
   his correspondence which are still conserved.   
      
   Saint Gregory's rare gifts and conciliatory disposition had become well   
   known.   
   In the year 379, when he was sixty-seven years old, he was chosen to be   
   Patriarch of Constantinople. That city was distracted and laid waste in   
   those   
   times by Arian and other heretics. After a reception which was at best   
   lukewarm,   
   the new Patriarch labored there successfully, from his base in a small   
   church   
   named the Anastasia (Resurrection), where he gave instructions and saw the   
   number of his listeners increase daily.   
      
   The Arians were so irritated at the decay of their heresy that they pursued   
   the   
   Saint with outrage, calumny and violence, and at length resolved to take his   
   life. For this purpose they chose an intrepid youth who was willing to   
   undertake   
   the sacrilegious commission. But God did not allow him to carry it out; he   
   was   
   touched with remorse and cast himself at the Saint's feet, avowing his   
   sinful   
   intent. Saint Gregory forgave him at once, treated him with all kindness and   
   received him among his friends, to the wonder and edification of the whole   
   city   
   and to the confusion of the heretics, whose crime had served only as a   
   mirror to   
   the virtue of the Saint.   
      
   Saint Jerome states that he himself learned at the feet of this master, who   
   was   
   his catechist in Holy Scripture. But Saint Gregory's humility, his   
   austerities,   
   the humble appearance of his aging and worn person, and above all his very   
   success in Constantinople, did not cease to draw down upon him the hatred of   
   every enemy of the Faith. He was persecuted by the magistrates, stoned by   
   the   
   rabble, and thwarted and deserted even by his brother bishops. During the   
   second   
   General Council, hoping to restore peace to his tormented city, the eloquent   
   bishop, whom the Church calls Saint Gregory the Theologian, resigned his see   
   and   
   retired to his native town, where he died in the year 390.   
      
   Reflection. "We must overcome our enemies," said Saint Gregory, "by   
   gentleness,   
   and win them over by forbearance. Let them be punished by their own   
   conscience,   
   not by our wrath. Let us not at once fell the fig tree, from which a more   
   skillful gardener may yet entice fruit."   
      
   Sources: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Perfection of life is the perfection of love. For love is the life of the   
   soul.   
   -- St. Francis de Sales   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   ... if we have received good things at the hand of God,   
   why should we not receive evil?"  (Job 2:10 )   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Litany of January Saints   
      
   Note: The following is a follow-up to an original concept submitted by Jacob   
   Michael as a follow-up to his article Assisting in the Restoration. Need a   
   little extra devotional prayer to add to your daily Rosary? Need some   
   impetus to   
   prepare for this coming Lent early next month? What follows is a litany to   
   all   
   of the saints whose feast days are celebrated in the month of January. Many   
   of   
   these saints are little-known and often are not, for that reason, invoked in   
   our   
   prayers.   
      
            If you add this short litany to your daily Rosary, you will have   
   the   
   benefit of invoking the prayers of some of these lesser-known saints for   
   January.   
      
   Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.   
   Lord, have mercy, 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 Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.   
   Jesus Christ, King of glory, to whom the noblest of kings bowed their knees   
   to   
   Thee, have mercy on us   
   O Most Holy Name of Jesus, have mercy on us.   
   Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us.   
   St. Gaspar del Bufalo, Holy Confessor *   
   St. Genevieve, Holy Virgin *   
   St. Priscus, Holy Martyr* Pope St. Telesphorus, Holy Martyr *   
   St. Balthasar, Holy King *   
   St. Gaspar, Holy King *   
   St. Melchior, Holy King *   
   St. Lucian of Antioch, Holy Martyr *   
   St. Apollinaris, Holy Bishop and Confessor *   
   St. Severin, Holy Bishop *   
   St. Adrian of Canterbury, Holy Abbott *   
   St. William of Bourges, Holy Bishop *   
   St. Nicanor, Holy Deacon *   
   St. John Camillus Bonus, Holy Bishop *   
   O Most Holy Family, *   
   Pope St. Hyginus, Holy Martyr *   
   St. Paulinus, Holy Bishop *   
   St. Theodosius, Holy Abbot *   
   St. Arcadius, Holy Martyr *   
   St. Benedict Biscup, Holy Abbot *   
   St. Aelred, Holy Abbot *   
   St. John the Baptist, Baptizer of the Lord *   
   St. Hilary of Poitiers, Holy Bishop and Doctor of the Church *   
   St. Felix, Holy Priest and Martyr *   
   St. Sava, Holy Bishop and Patron of the Serbs *   
   St. Paul the First Hermit of the Church *   
   St. Maurus, First Disciple of St. Benedict *   
   St. Ida (Ita), Holy Virgin *   
   Holy Mary, Our Lady of Prompt Succor *   
   Holy Mary, Our Lady of Refuge *   
   Pope St. Marcellus, Holy Martyr *   
   St. Antony, Holy Abbot *   
   St. Peter, Holy First Keeper of the Keys *   
   St. Prisca, Holy Virgin and Martyr *   
   St. Volusian, Holy Bishop *   
   St. Marius, Holy Martyr, Husband and Father *   
   St. Martha, Holy Martyr, Wife and Mother *   
   St. Audifax, Holy Martyr, Son of Marius and Martha *   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)