From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   June 24th - St. Bartholomew of Farne, Hermit.   
   (also known as Bartholomew of Durham)   
      
   Born at Whitby, England; died c. 1193. Of the many pious men who were led by   
   the example of Saint Cuthbert to become solitaries on the island of Farne,   
   off the Northumbrian coast, not the least remarkable was this Bartholomew,   
   for he spent no less than 42 years upon that desolate haunt of birds. His   
   parents, who may have been of Scandinavian origin, called him Tostig, but   
   because the name made him a laughing-stock it was changed to William. He   
   determined to go abroad, and his wanderings led him to Norway, where he   
   remained long enough to receive ordination as a priest. He returned home,   
   and went to Durham, where he took the monastic habit and took the name   
   Bartholomew. A vision he had of Saint Cuthbert inspired him to dedicate the   
   rest of his life to God in the cell which Cuthbert had once occupied at   
   Farne.   
      
   Upon his arrival he found another hermit already installed-a certain Brother   
   Ebwin, who strongly resented his intrusion and who strove by petty   
   persecution to drive him away. Bartholomew attempted no reprisals, but made   
   it quite clear that he had come to stay. Ebwin eventually retired, leaving   
   him in solitary possession.   
      
   The mode of life he embraced was one of extreme austerity, modeled upon that   
   of the desert fathers. Later he was joined by a former prior of Durham   
   called Thomas; but they could not agree. Their chief cause of dissension-sad   
   to relate-was the amount of food ration. Thomas could not manage with as   
   little as Bartholomew, and he went so far as to question the authenticity of   
   what appeared to be his brother's extraordinary abstemiousness. Bartholomew,   
   who seems to have been sensitive to criticism, was so offended at being   
   charged with hypocrisy that he left the island and returned to Durham. There   
   he remained in spite of the apologies of Thomas, until the bishop, a year   
   later, ordered him back to Farne, when a reconciliation took place.   
   Forewarned of his approaching death, Bartholomew announced it to some monks,   
   who were with him when he died, and buried him on the island. He left a   
   reputation for holiness and miracles, but there is no evidence of a   
   liturgical cultus (Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Walsh).   
      
   "From ancient time long past, this island has been inhabited by certain   
   birds whose name and race miraculously persists. At the time of year for   
   building nests, they gather here. And such gracious gentleness have they   
   learned from the holiness of the place, or rather from those who made the   
   place holy by their way of living there, that they have no shrinking from   
   the handling or the gaze of men. They love quiet, and yet no clamor disturbs   
   them. Their nests are built everywhere. Some brood above their eggs beside   
   the altar. No man presumes to molest them or touch the eggs without leave. .   
   . . And they in turn do harm to no man's store for food. They seek it with   
   their mates upon the waves of the seas. The ducklings, once they are reared,   
   follow behind their mothers who lead the way, and once they have entered   
   their native waters, come no more back to the nest.   
      
   "The mothers too, their mild and gentle way of life forgotten, receive their   
   ancient state and instinct with the sea. This is the high prerogative of the   
   island, which, had it come to the knowledge of the scholars of old time,   
   would have had its fair fame blazoned through the earth.   
      
   "But at one time it befell, whilst a mother was leading her brood, herself   
   going on before that one of the youngsters fell down a cleft of a creviced   
   rock. The mother stood by in distress, and let no one doubt but that she was   
   then endowed with human reason. For she forthwith turned about, left her   
   youngsters behind, came to Bartholomew, and began tugging at the hem of his   
   cloak with her beak, as if to say plainly: 'Get up and follow me and give me   
   back my son.'   
      
   "He rose at once for her, thinking that he must be sitting on her nest. But   
   as she kept on tugging more and more, he perceived at last that she was   
   asking something from him that she could not come at by voice. And indeed   
   her action was eloquent, if not her discourse. On she went, she first and he   
   after, till coming to the cliff she pointed to the place with her bill, and   
   gazing at Bartholomew, intimated with what signs she could that he was to   
   peer inside.   
      
   "Coming closer, he saw the duckling, with its small wings clinging to the   
   rock, and climbing down he brought it back to its mother, who in high   
   delight seemed by her joyous look to give him thanks. Whereupon she took to   
   the water with her sons, and Bartholomew, dumb with astonishment, went back   
   to his oratory" (Geoffrey).   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Do not let any occasion of gaining merit pass without taking care to draw   
   some   
   spiritual profit from it; for example, from a sharp word which someone may   
   say   
   to you; from an act of obedience imposed against your will; from an   
   opportunity   
   which may occur to humble yourself, or to practice charity, sweetness, and   
   patience.  All these occasions are gain for you, and you should seek to   
   procure   
   them; and at the close of that day when the greatest number of them has come   
   to   
   you, you should go to rest most cheerful and pleased, as the merchant does   
   on   
   the day when he has had most chance for making money; for on that day   
   business   
   has prospered with him.   
   -St. Ignatius Loyola   
      
   Bible Quote   
   I have no greater grace than this, to hear that my children walk in truth.   
   (3   
   John 1:4)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Since we are about to conclude the month of the Sacred   
   Heart, the following is a communal Consecration to the   
   Sacred Heart of Jesus:   
      
   O Lord Jesus, holy and sweet love of our souls who hast   
   promised that wherever two or three are gathered together in   
   Thy name Thou wilt be there in their midst, behold, O Divine   
   and most amiable Jesus, our hearts united in one common   
   accord to adore, praise, love, bless and please Thy most Holy   
   and Sacred Heart, to which we dedicate ourselves and   
   consecrate our hearts for time and eternity. We renounce   
   forever all love and affection which are not in the love and   
   affection of Thy adorable Heart; we desire that all the desires,   
   longings and aspirations of our hearts may be always   
   according to the good pleasure of Thy Heart, which we wish   
   to please as much as we are able.  But as we can do nothing   
   good of ourselves, we beseech Thee, O most adorable Jesus,   
   by the infinite goodness and meekness of Thy most Sacred   
   Heart, to sustain our hearts and confirm them in the resolution   
   of loving and serving Thee, with which Thou dost inspire   
   them in order that nothing may ever separate us or disunite us   
   from Thee, but that we may be always faithful and constant in   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)