From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   October 19th - St. Paul of the Cross, Priest, Visionary   
      
   Born at Ovada, Piedmont, Italy, in 1694; died in Rome, Italy, October 18,   
   1775; canonized in 1867; feast day formerly on April 28.   
   Paolo Francesco Danei was well brought up by devout, middle-class parents   
   (a.k.a. impoverished nobility). At 15, while still living with his parents   
   in Castellazzo, Lombardy, Paul adopted a lifestyle of rigorous austerity and   
   great mortifications. When he was 20 he volunteered for the Venetian army to   
   fight against the Turks, but he soon found he was not meant to be a soldier.   
   After his discharge, he resumed his life of prayer and penance. He refused   
   marriage, and spent several years in retreat at Castellazzo.   
      
   In 1720, had a vision of our Lady in a black habit with the name Jesus and a   
   cross in white on the chest. In the vision, the Blessed Virgin told him to   
   found a religious order devoted to preaching the Passion of Christ (hence   
   their name, Passionists). Paul experienced such mystical communications all   
   his life, and came to distrust them; however, he acted promptly on these   
   first ones.   
      
   The bishop of Alessandria discerned that Paul's visions were authentic, and   
   gave him permission to proceed to draw up a rule for the new order. Thus,   
   Paul wrote the Passionist rule during a 45- day retreat. With his brother,   
   Giovanni Baptista, who became his inseparable companion and closest   
   confidant, he went to Rome to seek papal approval, which was refused at   
   first. On their return to Rome in 1725, they were granted permission by Pope   
   Benedict XIII to accept novices. Two years later (1727), the holy father   
   ordained the two brothers as priests in the Vatican basilica.   
      
   After their ordination he and his brother started the first Passionist   
   house, on the Monte Argentaro peninsula (near Orbitello) in Tuscany. The   
   first ten years were difficult, for both internal and external reasons. Many   
   of their first novices left because of the severity of the rule.   
   Perseverance won. In the end austere life of the missioners and the fervent   
   preaching of their founder made their mark.   
      
   The first monastery was opened in 1737. In 1741, Pope Benedict XIV approved   
   a modified rule, and the "Barefoot Clerks of the Holy Cross and Passion"   
   began to spread throughout Italy. They were in great demand for their   
   missions, which became famous.   
      
   Paul was elected first superior general, against his will, at the first   
   general chapter at Monte Argentaro and held that position the rest of his   
   life. He preached all over the Papal States to tremendous crowds, raised   
   them to a fever pitch as he scourged himself in public, and brought back to   
   the faith the most hardened sinners and criminals   
      
   He was blessed with supernatural gifts-prophecy, miracles of healing,   
   appearances to people in visions at a distance-and was one of the most   
   celebrated preachers of his day. People fought to touch him and to get a   
   piece of his tunic as a relic. Though the two main objectives of the order   
   were service to the sick and the dying, Paul's special concern was the   
   conversion of sinners, for which he prayed for 50 years.   
      
   The Passionists received final approbation from Pope Clement XIV in 1769.   
   Two years later, Paul's efforts to create an institute of nuns came into   
   being with the opening of the first house of Passionist nuns at Corneto.   
   Paul lived to see the congregation firmly established. After a three-year   
   illness, Paul died and was buried in the Basilica of SS John and Paul, given   
   to the order by Pope Clement.   
      
   Saint Paul of the Cross was always interested in the religious state of   
   England. Thus, it is heartening to note that the leader of the first   
   Passionists to work there, Father Dominic Barberi (d. 1849), who received   
   John Henry Newman into the Catholic Church, was also beatified in 1963   
   (Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney, White).   
      
      
   Quote:   
   "On December 8, 1869, the International Congress of Freemasons imposed it as   
   a duty on all its members to do all in their power to wipe out Catholicity   
   from the face of the earth. Cremation was proposed as a suitable means to   
   this end, since it was calculated to gradually undermine the faith of the   
   people in 'the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.'"   
   -Fr. John Laux, Catholic Morality (Imprimatur 1932), p. 106   
      
   Bible Quote   
   26 But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,   
   he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever   
   I shall have said to you.  (John 14:26)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   STAR-BRIGHT FOREVER   
      
   From now to eternity,   
   A star shines so bright,   
   The filament never grows dim,   
   Be it day or night.   
   The light is of love   
   And of goodness sublime   
   That's passed down to us   
   Through the shadows of time.   
   Her hands send the rays   
   Of hope and assurance   
   That just to believe   
   Will need love and endurance.   
   But all so worthwhile,   
   We will find as we try   
   To keep our minds here,   
   But our hearts in the sky.   
   To follow the road   
   That leads to Our Lord,   
   To ask for His grace-   
   That He'll never hoard-   
   To join all the saints   
   In the light of their glory.   
   For here you will find,   
   There's the truth to this story:   
   A little time spent,   
   Through we suffer and toil   
   On an earth filled with sadness   
   And trials that do foil.   
   But keep just above it-   
   Just say that you'll love it,   
   For the sake of Our Jesus,   
   Who rose all above it.   
   For there in His heart   
   Was a wish for us all   
   To join Him in paradise   
   When He makes His call.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)