From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   September 24th - St. Rusticus   
      
   Born either at Marseilles or at Narbonnaise, Gaul; died 26 Oct., 461.   
   According   
   to biographers, Rusticus is the one to whom St. Jerome (about 411) addressed   
   a   
   letter, commending him to imitate the virtues of St. Exuperius of Toulouse   
   and   
   to follow the advice of Procule, then Bishop of Marseilles.   
      
      When he completed his education in Gaul, Rusticus went to Rome, where he   
   soon   
   gained a reputation as a public speaker, but he wished to embrace the   
   contemplative life. He wrote to St. Jerome, who advised him to continue his   
   studies. Thus Rusticus entered the monastery of St. Vincent of Lérins. He   
   was   
   ordained at Marseilles, and on 3 Oct., 430 (or 427) was consecrated Bishop   
   of   
   Narbonne. With all his zeal, he could not prevent the progress of the Arian   
   heresy which the Goths were spreading abroad.   
      
   The siege of Narbonne by the Goths and dissensions among the Catholics so   
   disheartened him that he wrote to St. Leo, renouncing the bishoporic, but   
   St.   
   Leo dissuaded him. He then endeavoured to consolidate the Catholics. In   
   444-448,   
   he built the church in Narbonne; in 451, he assisted at the convocation of   
   forty-four bishops of Gaul and approved St. Leo's letter to Flavian,   
   concerning   
   Nestorianism; he was present also at the Council of Arles, with thirteen   
   bishops, to decide the debate between Theodore, Bishop of Fréjus, and the   
   Abbey   
   of Lérins. A letter from Ravennius, Bishop of Arles, sent to Rusticus,   
   proves   
   the high esteem in which he was held. His letters are lost, with the   
   exception   
   of the one to St. Jerome and two others to St. Leo, written either in 452 or   
   458.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   O Lord of my soul, who can find words to tell what Thou givest to those who   
   trust in Thee, and how much, on the other hand those lose, who though they   
   may   
   have attained to ecstasies and rapture, yet confide in themselves!   
   -St. Teresa   
      
   Bible Quote   
   8 He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the   
   cross. 9 For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a   
   name   
   which is above all names: 10 That in the name of Jesus every knee should   
   bow, of   
   those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth:   (Philippians   
   2:8-10)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   +Novena to the Holy Ghost+   
      
   First Day: The Holy Ghost   
      
   Holy Spirit! Lord of light!   
   From Thy clear celestial height,   
   Thy pure beaming radiance give!   
      
   Only one thing is important-eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore,   
   is to be feared-sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness, and   
   indifference. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Light, of Strength, and of   
   Love.   
   With   
   His sevenfold gifts, He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will, and   
   inflames   
   the heart with love of God. To ensure our salvation, we ought to invoke the   
   Divine Spirit daily, for "The Spirit helpeth our infirmity. We know not what   
   we   
   should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself asketh for us.   
      
   Almighty and eternal God, Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and   
   the Holy Ghost, and hast given us forgiveness of all our sins, vouchsafe to   
   send forth from heaven upon us Thy sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom   
   and   
   Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge   
   and   
   Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.   
      
   (Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father 7 TIMES. Act of   
   Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts)   
      
      
   Act of Consecration   
      
    On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer   
   myself,   
   soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your   
   purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love.   
   You   
   are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I   
   desire   
   never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart   
   to   
   be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought   
   and   
   grant that I may always watch for Your light and listen to Your voice and   
   follow   
   Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask   
   You,   
   by Your compassion, to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced   
   Feet of   
   Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds and trusting in His Precious Blood and   
   adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit,   
   Helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin   
   against   
   You. Give me grace, O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say   
   to   
   You always and everywhere, "Speak, Lord, for Your servant heareth." Amen.   
      
      
   Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost   
      
   O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, didst promise to   
   send   
   the Holy Ghost to finish Thy work in the souls of Thy Apostles and   
   Disciples,   
   deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me, that He may perfect in my soul   
   the   
   work of Thy grace and Thy love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may   
   despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things   
   that   
   are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light   
   of Thy divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest   
   way of pleasing God and gaining Heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may   
   bear   
   my cross with Thee, and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles   
   that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and   
   know   
   myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety   
   that I   
   may find the service of God sweet and amiable, the Spirit of Fear that I may   
   be filled with a loving reverence towards God, and may dread in any way to   
   displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Thy true disciples and   
   animate me in all things with Thy Spirit. Amen.   
      
   See entire prayer at:   
   http://www.truecatholic.org/hgnovena.htm   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)