From: trudie.Miller@cox.net   
      
   September 8th - Pope St. Sergius I   
   687 - 701 AD   
      
   Sergius was a compromise choice for the papacy, an excellent one. The   
   archdeacon Paschal had bribed John, the exarch of Ravenna. The exarch   
   obligingly ordered his minions at Rome to put Paschal in as pope, but a   
   large party supported the archpriest Theodore. Once more, just when things   
   looked bad, the common sense of the majority led to a compromise. Sergius   
   was elected. Theodore at once submitted. Paschal was forced to do so, but he   
   sent to the exarch at Ravenna, promising him a hundred pounds of gold if he   
   would come to Rome and make him pope. The greedy exarch came swiftly, but he   
   was realistic enough to see the folly of overriding the majority. He coolly   
   dropped Paschal and agreed to the choice of Sergius, but he insisted on the   
   payment of the huge sum Paschal had promised. In vain did Sergius and the   
   Romans protest against this outrageous demand. Not until the money was paid   
   did the rapacious exarch allow the consecration of Sergius to take place.   
   Sergius was a Syrian from Antioch. Probably his family had fled from the   
   Moslem invasion, for he was educated at Palermo. He went to Rome, joined the   
   school for sacred music, was ordained priest, and was placed in charge of   
   the Church of St. Susanna. Noted for his devotion to the martyrs, he often   
   said Mass in the catacombs.   
      
   Sergius received much consolation from the West. In 688 Caedwalla, the   
   mighty king of the West Saxons, came a pilgrim to Rome seeking baptism from   
   the Pope. St. Willibrord, an Anglo-Saxon monk, came to seek the Pope's   
   blessing on a mission to the Frisians. Sergius consecrated him bishop and   
   sent him off to fruitful labor among the barbarians. Then too, the old Three   
   Chapters schism finally ended with the submission of the bishop and clergy   
   of Aquileia-Grado.   
      
   From the East came trouble. At Constantinople, Emperor Justinian II decided   
   that since the last two general councils, the fifth and sixth, had issued no   
   disciplinary decrees, he would hold one to supply the deficiency.   
   Justinian's council is, therefore, called the Quinisext (fifth-sixth). It is   
   also called the Trullan Council because it was held in the same domed hall,   
   the Trullus, in which the Sixth Ecumenical Council had been held. The   
   Westerners called it the erratic synod, and with reason. For this gathering   
   of Eastern bishops presumed to issue 102 canons, some of which were quite   
   objectionable, notably the one which stated that Constantinople had the same   
   rights in the Church as Rome. When Pope Sergius refused to confirm these   
   decrees, Justinian acted to force him. He sent Zacharias, captain of the   
   bodyguard, to bring back the decrees signed or the Pope a prisoner. It was   
   to be Constans II and St. Martin over again. But times had changed. The   
   imperial forces in Italy, now more Italian home guards than regulars from   
   the East, refused to cooperate. Indeed, the army from Ravenna marched on   
   Rome to attack not Sergius but Zacharias. Zacharias pleaded with Sergius to   
   save him and when the army of Ravenna approached, the bold captain went to   
   cover under the Pope's bed! Sergius calmed the soldiers, who spared the   
   captain's life but drove him from the city. Since Justinian himself was   
   driven into exile by a rebellion at home, there was nothing he could do   
   about it.   
      
   It was this pious and firm Pope who ordered the beautiful prayer Agnus Dei   
   to be added to the Mass.   
      
   St. Sergius died, and was buried in St. Peter's on September 8, 701   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Disorder in society is the result of disorder in the family.   
   -- St Angela Merici   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   "Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide   
   yourselves for a little while until the wrath is past. For behold, the LORD   
   is coming forth out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for   
   their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed upon her, and   
   will no more cover her slain." (Cf. Isa 26:20-21)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Today is also the feast of the Nativity of Our Blessed Mother   
      
   At the time of Mary's birth the world was plunged in darkness.  The heathen   
   nations were steeped in vice and pride.  The Jews, too, had corrupted their   
   ways and departed from God.  Everywhere there was sin and gloom, scarcely   
   any bright spot on the face of the earth.  But when Mary was born a light   
   arose amid the darkness: the dawn of the glorious day that would usher in   
   the Redeemer.   
      
   So, too, the darkness of the sinner's soul is dispersed by Mary's holy   
   influence.  Where the love of her is born in the soul, all becomes full of   
   light, and Jesus comes to make his habitation there.  Mary, in her first   
   hour of life, brought more glory to God than all the saints of the Old   
   Testament.  In her was made perfect the obedience of Abraham; the chastity   
   of Joseph; the patience of Job; the meekness of Moses; and the prudence of   
   Josue.   
      
   It is because she is the model and pattern of these and all other virtues   
      
      
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   Hymn of the Annunciation, and prayer in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed   
   Virgin Mary:   
      
   Be still, ye clouds of Heaven!   
   Be silent, Earth!   
   And hear an Angel tell   
   Of Jesus' birth.   
      
   While she, whom Gabriel hails   
   As full of grace,   
   Listens with humble faith   
   In her sweet face.   
      
   Hail Mary! Lo, it rings   
   Through ages on;   
   Hail Mary! It shall sound,   
   Till time is done.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)