From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   April 7th - Saint Juliana of Mt. Cornillon, Virgin   
      
   (1193-1258)   
      
   Saint Juliana was born near Liege, Belgium in 1193. At the age of five she   
   lost   
   her parents and was placed in the convent of Mt. Cornillon near Liege. She   
   made   
   rapid progress in virtue, and read with pleasure the writings of Saint   
   Augustine   
   and Saint Bernard. She also cultivated an ardent love of the Blessed Virgin   
   and   
   the Sacred Passion, but especially of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. In   
   1206 she received the veil and devoted herself to the sick in the hospital   
   associated with the convent.   
      
   Taught in repeated visions that Our Lord wanted a feast in honor of the   
   institution of the most precious heritage of the Eucharist, after twenty   
   years   
   in which her humility protested the investiture of such a mission, she   
   addressed   
   herself to many dignitaries to obtain their opinion. The unanimous decision   
   was   
   that nothing in the divine law was opposed to the establishment of a special   
   feast in honor of the Blessed Sacrament.   
      
   But soon opposition arose to her proposed feast of Corpus Christi. Although   
   in   
   1230 she was chosen as Superior of her community, she was accused of being a   
   visionary, and she became the object of harsh persecution by a man who had   
   secured his position as overlord of the community by intrigues and bribery.   
   He   
   aroused the neighboring populations against her, and she was obliged to   
   leave   
   the region. Later she was vindicated in the courts through the influence of   
   the   
   Bishop of Liege; her persecutor was deposed, and she was restored to her   
   position in the community.   
      
   In 1246 the same bishop ordered that the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament be   
   celebrated every year on the Thursday after the octave of the Trinity.   
   Nonetheless, after the death of the worthy bishop, the furious persecutor   
   was   
   reinstated in 1247 and succeeded once more in driving out the Saint. She   
   passed   
   the last years of her life in seclusion at Namur, and was buried in 1258 at   
   Villiers.   
      
   It was Pope Urban IV, formerly archdeacon at Liege, who in 1264, formally   
   instituted this feast day for the entire Church; it was he also who had   
   commissioned Saint Thomas Aquinas to prepare the magnificent text of the   
   Office   
   and Mass. The Pope wrote to the friend and associate of Saint Juliana, a   
   Sister-recluse who had continued her efforts to obtain the request of the   
   Lord:   
   "May this day bring to all Christians the joy of a new feast and be   
   celebrated   
   with great joy, as We recommend fully in the Apostolic Letter We are sending   
   to   
   the entire world." In 1312 the Council of Vienna confirmed the papal bull,   
   and   
   from that time on, the feast day became general.   
      
   Reflection. Saint Juliana never ceased to hope in the help of God amid the   
   most   
   cruel persecutions. In effect, His clearly expressed Will was accomplished   
   only   
   after her death. Let us learn from her patience to practice the holy virtue   
   of   
   hope, and to rely on the divine aid for all that is pleasing to Him.   
      
   Sources: The Catholic Encyclopedia, edited by C. G. Herbermann with numerous   
   collaborators (Appleton Company: New York, 1908); Les Petits Bollandistes:   
   Vies   
   des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 4.   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Whoever taketh not up his cross and followeth Me, is not worthy of   
   Me. -Matt.   
   10:38   
      
   "If anyone, O Lord does Thee a service, Thou repayest him by some trial. Oh,   
   what an inestimable reward is this for those who truly love Thee, if it   
   might be   
   given them to know its value!"   
   --St. Teresa   
      
   When the venerable Marco di Palfox saw that after he had done a good work,   
   some   
   tribulation, reproach, or calumny came upon him, he considered this as a   
   special   
   favor from the Lord; "For" he said, "as I receive no reward in this world,   
   it is   
   a sign that God means to reward me fully in Heaven."   
      
   (Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints".  April - Patience)   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   My sheep hear my voice: and I know them, and they follow me. 28 And I give   
   them   
   life everlasting; and they shall not perish for ever, and no man shall pluck   
   them out of my hand.  (John 10:27-28)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Plea to the Everlasting God for the Unborn   
      
   Lord God, our Eternal Father, we come to Thy Throne full of   
   awe and reverence at Thy saving power. Through our Savior   
   Jesus Christ, we beg Thee to help us stop the widespread   
   slaughter of unborn babies in our land. May our love for our   
   innocent brothers and sisters closely resemble the love that   
   exists in the Holy Family. Help us provide all human life with   
   protection under our civil laws. We know that through the   
   intercession of our Mother Mary, chosen Spouse of the Holy   
   Spirit, our request will be granted. Amen.   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   A PRAYER FOR THE DYING AND A SPECIAL SOUL   
      
   O MOST MERCIFUL JESUS, lover of souls,   
   I beseech Thee, by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart,   
   and by the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother,   
   wash clean in Thy Blood the sinners of the whole world   
   who are to die this day.   
      
   Remember most especially the soul I spiritually adopt   
   with the intention of entrusting him or her to Thy Shepherd's care:   
   I beseech Thee for the grace to move this sinner, who is in   
   danger of going to Hell, to repent. I ask this because of my   
   trust in Thy great mercy.   
      
   If it should please Thy Majesty to send me a suffering this day   
   in exchange for the grace I ask for this soul, then, it, too,   
   shall please me very much, and I thank Thee, Most Sweet Jesus,   
   Shepherd and Lover of Souls; I thank Thee for this   
   opportunity to give mercy in thanksgiving for all the mercies   
   Thou hast shown me. Amen.   
      
   Heart of Jesus, once in agony, have mercy on the dying.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)