From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   March 10th - Blessed Peter de Geremia, OP (AC)   
      
   Born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, in 1381; died 1452; cultus approved in 1784.   
   God has a mission for each of us and has given us the gifts to successfully   
   complete the purpose for which He created us. Our job is to discern our role   
   in His creation. The gifts He has given us can be the instrument of our   
   damnation when used against His purposes; when we discern correctly through   
   prayer and spiritual direction these same talents and abilities can sanctify   
   us and those around us. It's not too late to seek God's will for your   
   life-in fact, we should attempt to understand His will for our every action,   
   each day, using all the gifts his has given us.   
      
   Peter Geremia was unusually gifted. He was sent early to the University of   
   Bologna, where he passed his studies brilliantly, and attracted the   
   attention and praise of all. On the brink of a successful career as a   
   lawyer, he experienced a sudden and total conversion.   
      
   Having retired one night, he was pleasantly dreaming of the honors that   
   would soon come to him in his work, when he heard a knock at the window. As   
   his room was on the third floor, and there was nothing for a human to stand   
   on outside his window, he sat up, in understandable fright, and asked who   
   was there.   
      
   A hollow voice responded that he was a relative who had just died, a   
   successful lawyer who had wanted human praise so badly that he had lied to   
   win it, and now was eternally lost because of his pride. Peter was   
   terrified, and acted at once upon the suggestion to turn, while there was   
   still time, from the vanity of public acclaim. He went the next day to a   
   locksmith and bought an iron chain, which he riveted tightly about him. He   
   began praying seriously to know his vocation.   
      
   Soon thereafter, God made known to him that he should enter the Dominican   
   Order. He did so as soon as possible. His new choice of vocation was a   
   bitter blow to his father, who had gloried in his son's achievements, hoping   
   to see him become the most famous lawyer in Europe. He angrily journeyed to   
   Bologna to see his son and demanded that he come home. The prior, trying to   
   calm the excited man, finally agreed to call Peter. As the young man   
   approached them, radiantly happy in his new life, the father's heart was   
   touched, and he gladly gave his blessing to the new undertaking.   
      
   Peter's brilliant mind and great spiritual gifts found room for development   
   in the order, and he became known as one of the finest preachers in Sicily.   
   He was so well known that Saint Vincent Ferrer asked to see him, and they   
   conversed happily on spiritual matters. He always preached in the open air,   
   because there was no church large enough to hold the crowds that flocked to   
   hear him.   
      
   Being prior of the abbey, Peter was consulted one day when there was no food   
   for the community. He went down to the shore and asked a fisherman for a   
   donation. He was rudely refused. Getting into a boat, he rowed out from the   
   shore and made a sign to the fish; they broke the nets and followed him.   
   Repenting of his bad manners, the fisherman apologized, whereupon Peter made   
   another sign to the fish, sending them back into the nets again. The records   
   say that the monastery was ever afterwards supplied with fish.   
      
   Peter was sent as visitor to establish regular observance in the monasteries   
   of Sicily. He was called to Florence by the pope to try healing the Greek   
   schism. A union of the opposing groups was affected, though it did not last.   
   Peter was offered a bishopric (and refused it) for his work in this matter.   
      
   At one time, when Peter was preaching at Catania, Mount Etna erupted and   
   torrents of flame and lava flowed down on the city. The people cast   
   themselves at his feet, begging him to save them. After preaching a brief   
   and pointed sermon on repentance, Peter went into the nearby shrine of Saint   
   Agatha, removed the veil of the saint, which was there honored as a relic,   
   and held it towards the approaching tide of destruction. The eruption ceased   
   and the town was saved.   
      
   This and countless other miracles he performed caused him to be revered as a   
   saint. He raised the dead to life, healed the crippled and the blind, and   
   brought obstinate sinners to the feet of God. Only after his death was it   
   known how severely he had punished his own body in memory of his youthful   
   pride (Benedictines, Dorcy).   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   "But some one may say, 'What harm is there in reading [and clearly also   
   watching/listening on TV and radio] romances and profane poetry when they   
   contain nothing immodest? Do you ask what harm?   
      
   "Behold the harm: the reading of such works kindles the concupiscence   
   [desires] of the senses, and awakens the passions [emotions: irrational but   
   irresistible motives for a belief or action]; these easily gain the consent   
   of the will, or at least render it so weak that when the occasion of any   
   dangerous affection occurs the devil finds the soul already prepared to   
   allow itself to be conquered.   
      
   "By the reading of such pernicious books heresy has made, and makes every   
   day, great progress; because such reading has given and gives increased   
   strength to libertinism [Libertarianism: belief/opinion, that it is good for   
   people to practice in their lives complete freedom of thought and speech and   
   whatever these lead to].   
      
   "The poison of these books enters gradually into the soul; it first makes   
   itself master [the basis] of the understanding, then infects [becomes taken   
   up by] the will, [the consent of which leads to grievous/mortal sin and   
   thus] in the end kills the soul.   
      
   "The devil finds no means more efficacious and secure of sending a young   
   person [people] to perdition [often to mortal sin and condemnation to Hell   
   by God] than the reading of such poisoned works."   
   -St. Alphonsus de Liguori (Doctor, 1696-1787)-"The True Spouse Of Jesus   
   Christ"   
      
   Bible Quotes:   
   "Fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness, let it not so much as be   
   named among you, as becometh saints or obscenity or foolish talking or   
   scurrility, which is to no purpose; but rather giving of thanks. For know   
   you this and understand: that no fornicator or unclean or covetous person   
   (which is a serving of idols) hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and   
   of God"  (Eph 5:3-5)   
      
   "But shun profane and vain babblings"  (2 Tim. 2:16)   
      
      
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   Admonition:   
      
    Remember that Jesus Christ, in instituting the Blessed   
   Sacrament, and leaving this precious pledge of His infinite   
   love, desired that, as often as the Divine Mysteries should be   
   celebrated, and His most Holy Body received therein, a   
   particular remembrance should be had of Him and of all He   
   has done and suffered for us.   
      
   When, therefore, you desire to receive Jesus in the Blessed   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)