From: hildegard8@excite.com   
      
   August 31st - St. Raymond Nonnatus   
      
   St. Raymond Nonnatus was born in Portella in the Diocese of Urgel,   
   Catalonia, around the year 1203. He received the name of Raymond at his   
   Baptism and the nickname of Nonnatus [non natus in Latin means not born]   
   because he was not born normally, but was delivered by a caesarian   
   operation. His father was a shepherd according to some, and a member of the   
   noble family of Cardona, according to others.   
      
   From the time he was very young, he manifested a great devotion to the Most   
   Holy Virgin. He prayed the Rosary every day in the hermitage of St. Nicholas   
   of Mira. Once Our Lady appeared to him and promised him her protection.   
   Afterward he was strongly tempted to sin against chastity, but did not fall.   
   He went to thank his Patroness and consecrated his virginity to her. Mary   
   appeared to him again, showing her satisfaction and advising him to enter   
   the Order of the Mercedarians, whose foundation she had inspired St. Peter   
   Nolasco to make only shortly before, in 1218.   
      
   He was ordained a priest and dedicated himself to the redemption of captives   
   until 1231. He liberated 140 captives in Valencia, 250 in Argel, and 28 in   
   Tunis. It was in this last city that he had the occasion to fulfill the   
   special fourth vow of the Mercedarians to offer themselves to remain in   
   captivity in the place of Catholic prisoners. Since he was unable to pay the   
   ransom demanded by the slave dealers in Tunis, Raymond offered himself to   
   take the place of some prisoners.   
      
   The trade was made, and he began a hard captivity. To prevent him from   
   speaking about Our Lord, for his engaging words were converting numerous   
   Muslims, the Arabian slave masters pierced his lips with a red-hot iron and   
   closed them with a padlock. This padlock was only opened for him to eat.   
   After eight months of this torment, other Mercedarians arrived from Spain   
   bringing the demanded ransom.   
      
   The last ten years of his life were spent in Rome, where he became the   
   representative of his Order and in traveling throughout different countries   
   to preach the Crusade. As a cardinal representative of Pope Gregory IX he   
   was sent to meet with St. Louis of France and encourage him to go on the   
   Crusade, which actually took place 10 years later.   
      
   St. Raymond Nonnatus died in Cardona, a Spanish village close to Barcelona,   
   on August 31, 1240. He was only 37-years-old.   
      
      
   Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)   
      
   The life of St. Raymond Nonnatus is a life filled with extraordinary facts.   
   Among them, let me note first the sign Our Lady gave him that led him to the   
   Order of the Mercedarians.   
      
   Second, you can see that the epopee of his action in the redemption of   
   slaves reached its apex with his offer to deliver himself as a slave to   
   ransom Catholic prisoners.   
      
   Third, consider the torment he suffered of having a padlock perforating his   
   lips. Imagine the enormous pain and discomfort of having a padlock cutting   
   through one's lips even in sleep. Think how this would bother a man and   
   disturb his nervous system! Then, each time that he had to eat, a Moor would   
   come and open the padlock, breaking the wounds anew and causing new   
   sufferings. Closing it would produce additional torments. Was he allowed to   
   drink water during the day? Can you imagine the discomfort of drinking   
   anything in this situation? He endured this life for the period of eight   
   months.   
      
   What did he do when he was freed? Did he have a psychological breakdown?   
   Become discouraged? Feel sorry for himself? No. He took an extraordinarily   
   manly attitude and returned to a life of intense activity. You see how he   
   resisted the temptations to feel sorry for himself and stop fighting for the   
   Catholic cause. His attitude demanded a highly supernatural spirit and a   
   strong virile personality. You see the astonishing fortitude of soul such a   
   man had. He returned and continued an active life for another ten years or   
   so.   
      
   He traveled throughout Europe as an ambassador of the Pope and a preacher of   
   the Crusade. What a powerful impression the word of his sermons delivered by   
   his wounded lips must have made on the people!   
      
   He was a character worthy to preach a Crusade. You understand why the   
   Crusades were so well accepted in the Middle Ages when you know that men   
   like St. Raymond Nonnatus preached them. Their audiences accepted the great   
   sacrifice of going on the Crusades following the examples of the sacrifice   
   of the Saints that preached them.   
      
   Imagine such a scene. St. Raymond Nonnatus arriving in a city; the bells   
   ringing and the word spreading that Fr. Raymond - the one with the wounded   
   lips - is in town to preach a Crusade on behalf of the Pope. All the nobles   
   and people of the area gather around with their families and he begins to   
   speak.   
      
   He speaks about the meaning of the Sepulcher of Our Lord Jesus Christ and   
   what its profanation represents. How it is necessary to re-conquer it for   
   the glory of God and Catholic honor. He speaks with the voice and prestige   
   of a saint, with the supernatural power of communication that only the   
   saints have.   
      
   The hearts of the knights begin to be touched, the ladies weep and give   
   their consent for their husbands to go and fight for the Holy Land. Everyone   
   goes to Confession and the date of the Crusade is announced. The practical   
   preparations start. All this happens because a saint passes through that   
   area.   
      
   This imaginary scene may help you to understand what the Middle Ages was.   
   The influence of the saints and the good reception the people gave them is   
   what really explains why the Middle Ages had so many wonderful things and   
   our epoch does not. The key is the presence of the saints and the openness   
   people had for them. How few saints there are today! Knowing this, we   
   understand the tragedy of the contemporary situation of the Church and the   
   world.   
      
   Let us ask St. Raymond Nonnatus to give us more saints to regenerate the   
   Church and the world, and make the modern man recognize them and be   
   receptive to their message.   
      
   This version taken from:   
   http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j144sd_RaymondNonnatus_8-31.shtml   
      
      
   Quote:   
   The crown of victory is promised only to those who engage in the struggle.   
   -St. Augustine   
      
   Bible Quote   
   Then Jesus said to them: My time is not yet come; but your time is always   
   ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth: because I give testimony   
   of it, that the works thereof are evil.  (John 7:6-7)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   O MOTHER OF MERCY   
      
   O MOTHER of mercy, help of Christians, most faithful   
   minister of Divine Providence, treasurer of all graces,   
   remember that never in the world has it been heard that thou   
   hast left him without comfort who has come to thee with true   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)