From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   September 28th - St. Lioba of Bischoffsheim, Abbess, Virgin   
   Also known as (Liobgytha)   
      
   Born at Wimborne, Dorsetshire, England; died at Schornsheim (near Mainz),   
   Germany, c. 779.   
      
   Saint Lioba's mother, descended of an illustrious family and closely related   
   to   
   Saint Boniface (f.d. June 5), had been barren for a long time before the   
   saint   
   was born. Nevertheless, Ebba immediately offered her to God and raised her   
   in   
   piety. She received her first education at Minster-in-Thanet. While Lioba   
   was   
   still young, she was placed in the care of the king's sister Saint Tetta   
   (f.d.   
   today) at the Benedictine convent in Wimborne (Winburn or "fountain of   
   wine").   
   Lioba matured spiritually and emotionally under Tetta's tutelage, and   
   eventually   
   took the religious veil.   
      
   Tetta also ensured that she had a good education. Letters to Boniface reveal   
   that Lioba understood and wrote verse in Latin. She limited her reading,   
   however, to books that would stir her spirit to love of God. She knew by   
   heart   
   the divine precepts of the Old and New Testaments, the principal canons of   
   the   
   Church, the holy maxims of the Fathers, and the rules of the monastic life.   
      
   Boniface kept in touch with his young relative through frequent   
   correspondence.   
   Recognising her virtue and abilities, in 748, he requested of her bishop and   
   abbess that she be sent to him with about 30 pious companions to undertake   
   charitable work with women in Germany. Although Tetta regretted the loss of   
   her   
   protege, she could not refuse.   
      
   Upon their arrival in Germany, Boniface settled the women religious at   
   Tauberbischofsheim ("bishop's home," possibly his own previous residence).   
   Lioba's zeal attracted so many vocations that her convent was populating   
   many   
   other foundations throughout the country. Lioba's convents were one of the   
   most   
   powerful factors in the conversion of Germany.   
      
   The saint organized her convents in the true monastic tradition with a   
   combination of manual labour (in scriptorium, kitchen, bakery, brewery, and   
   garden), intellectual study (all had to learn Latin), community devotions,   
   and   
   leisure. No extreme austerities were permitted to interfere with the   
   corporate   
   life established by the Rule.   
      
   Her love of God was so appealing. She was always ready to set her hand to   
   any   
   task she might ask of others and did it with cheer and modesty. It is said   
   that   
   she was beautiful, that her countenance was angelic, and that her nuns loved   
   her. Perhaps this is so because Lioba took to heart Saint Paul's advice: "Do   
   nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others   
   as   
   more important than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3) and "anticipate one   
   another in   
   showing honour" (Romans 12:9b). Thus, Lioba often washed the feet of her   
   sisters   
   in emulation of her Lord. The corporal acts of mercy were her delight,   
   especially extending hospitality to strangers and caring for the poor. She   
   was   
   always patient, kind, and accessible to all who needed her.   
      
   Nevertheless, kings and princes honoured and respected her, especially Pepin   
   the   
   Short, Blessed Carloman (f.d. August 17) and Charlemagne. Charlemagne often   
   called her to court at Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen) to seek her advice. His   
   wife,   
   Blessed Hildegard (f.d. April 30), loved her deeply and always heeded her   
   advice, as did some of the bishops.   
      
   Before his martyrdom, Saint Boniface commended Lioba and her community to   
   the   
   care of Saint Lullus (f.d. October 16) and his monks at Fulda, and requested   
   that her bones be buried next to his at their deaths that they might be   
   raised   
   at the resurrection and spend eternity together. It is said that the tender   
   affection uniting Boniface and Lioba forms one of the most charming episodes   
   in   
   church history. Following Boniface's death in 754, Lioba frequently visited   
   Fulda. By special dispensation, she would be allowed with two elder sisters   
   to   
   join in the choir.   
      
   Upon the advice of Lullus, Lioba resigned her offices in her old age and   
   retired   
   to the convent at Schornsheim, where she redoubled her prayer and penance.   
   Occasionally she would answer Empress Hildegard's plea to visit her, but   
   return   
   to her cell as quickly as she could. On her last visit, she embraced the   
   queen,   
   kissed her on her garment, forehead, and mouth, then said: "Farewell,   
   precious   
   part of my soul; may Christ, our Creator and Redeemer, grant that we may see   
   each other without confusion in the day of judgement."   
      
   After her death, Lioba was interred at Fulda, on the north side of the high   
   altar, near the tomb of Saint Boniface. Her tomb was honoured with miracles;   
   her   
   biographer, Rudolph of Fulda, assures us he was himself an eyewitness to   
   several. Her relics were translated in 819 and again in 838 to the church of   
   Mount Saint Peter. Her name was first inserted into a martyrology by   
   Hrabanus   
   Maurus c. 836 (Attwater2, Benedictines, Bonniwell, Coulson, Farmer,   
   Husenbeth).   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   There is a beauty of form, a dignity of language, a sublimity of diction   
   which   
   are, so to speak, spontaneous, and are the natural outcome of great   
   thoughts,   
   strong convictions, and glowing feelings.  The Fathers [of the Church] often   
   attain to this eloquence without intending to do so, without   
   self-complacency   
   and all unconsciously.   
   -St. Augustine (354-430)   
      
   Bible Quote   
   1 An ancient man rebuke not, but entreat him as a father: young men, as   
   brethren: 2 Old women, as mothers: young women, as sisters, in all chastity.   
   3   
   Honour widows, that are widows indeed.  (1 Tim 5:1-3)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Ablutions   
      
   Grant, O Lord, that what we have taken with our mouth, we may receive with a   
   pure mind; and that from a temporal gift it may become for us an everlasting   
   remedy.   
      
   May Your Body, O Lord, which I have received and Your Blood which I have   
   drunk, cleave to my inmost parts, and grant that no stain of sin remain in   
   me; whom these pure and holy Sacraments have refreshed. Who lives and reigns   
   world without end. - Amen.   
      
   From Lamb of God Prayer Book   
      
   <><><><>   
   O burning mountain, O chosen sun,   
   O perfect moon, O fathomless well,   
   O unattainable height, O clearness beyond measure,   
   O wisdom without end, O mercy without limit,   
   O strength beyond resistance, O crown of all majesty,   
   the humblest you created sings your praise.   
      
   Mechtild of Magdeburg (1207-1294)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)