From: trudie.Miller@cox.net   
      
   November 7th - Saint Willibrord   
   Apostle of the Frisons, of Holland, Zealand, Flanders and Brabant   
      
    (657 - ca. 738)   
      
   Saint Willibrord was born in Northumberland (northeastern England) in 657. His   
   father left the world to enter a monastery, and is honored as a Saint in the   
   monastery of Echternach in the diocese of Treves, and named in the English   
   calendar. When his son was twenty years old he was already wearing the   
   religious   
   habit. Being accustomed to bearing the yoke of the Lord, and finding it light   
   and sweet, he went to Ireland to seek greater perfection and study under Saint   
   Egbert.   
      
   When he was thirty years old he desired, with Saint Swidbert and ten other   
   monks   
   of England, to preach the faith in the land of the Frisons, or Vriesland, a   
   province of the Low Countries surrounding the mouth of the Rhine. The Frisons   
   were warriors and had maintained their liberty against the Romans. The Gospel   
   had been preached among them in 678 by Saint Wilfrid, but those efforts had   
   borne little fruit, and the true God was almost entirely unknown among them   
   when   
   the monks arrived.   
      
   Willibrord afterwards went on to Rome to ask the papal benediction and   
   authorization to preach the Gospel to the idolatrous nations; he was amply   
   blessed with powers and relics for the churches he would construct. His   
   companion, Saint Swidbert, became the bishop of a group residing near Cologne.   
   The other eleven missionaries preached in the part of Vriesland belonging to   
   the   
   French. Saint Willibrord was recommended for episcopal consecration by Pepin,   
   royal Palace Steward of France; Pope Sergius changed his name to Clement and   
   consecrated him Archbishop of the Frisons in Saint Peter's Church in Rome.   
      
   He then returned to Utrecht, where he established his residence and built the   
   Church of the Saviour. He repaired the Church of Saint Martin, which later   
   became the Cathedral of Utrecht. He built and governed until his death the   
   abbey   
   of Echternach in Luxembourg. He baptized the son of Charles Martel, named   
   Pepin,   
   who later became king of France. Charles Martel was a benefactor of the   
   churches   
   founded by Saint Willibrord, and conferred on him sovereignty of the city of   
   Utrecht.   
      
   Saint Willibrord preached also in Denmark, where a cruel king reigned at that   
   time; the Saint, seeing invincible obstacles to the propagation of the Gospel,   
   merely bought thirty children of the land, whom he baptized and took back with   
   him to Utrecht. He preached on the island of Walcheren, converted many and   
   established several churches. A blow from a saber which an idolatrous priest   
   gave him there made no wound; and the idolatrous priest became possessed by the   
   demon.   
      
   Saint Boniface joined him in 720 and spent three years with him before going to   
   Germany. Saint Bede, English historian, wrote of Saint Willibrord, saying he   
   was   
   a venerable old man who had for thirty-six years been a bishop and was   
   "awaiting   
   the rewards of life in heaven, after the generous battles he waged in the   
   spiritual combat." At Utrecht Saint Willibrord founded schools which became   
   famous. He wrought many miracles, and had the gift of prophecy. He labored   
   unceasingly as bishop for more than fifty years, beloved alike of God and of   
   man, and died full of days and good works. This amiable Saint, noted for his   
   gaiety in conversation and his wisdom in counsel, was buried in the monastery   
   of   
   Echternach in Luxembourg.   
      
   Reflection: True zeal has its roots in the love of God. It can never be idle;   
   it   
   must labor, toil, be doing great things. It glows as fire; it is, like fire,   
   insatiable. Reflect whether this spirit exists in you!   
      
   Sources: Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud   
   et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 13; Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a   
   compilation based on Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources by John   
   Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894).   
      
      
   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)   
      
      
   <><><><><>   
   Memorial Tablet of the Suffering Souls in PURGATORY   
      
       V. God Almighty, Father of Goodness and Love, have mercy on the poor   
   suffering souls, and grant your aid:   
      
       To my dear parents and ancestors,   
      
         My Jesus, mercy.     (To be repeated after each petition)   
      
      To my brothers and sisters and other near relatives,   
      
       To my benefactors, spiritual and temporal,   
      
       To my former friends and subjects,   
      
       To all for whom love or duty bids me to pray,   
      
       To those who have suffered disadvantage or harm through me,   
      
       To those who have offended me,   
      
       To all those who are especially beloved by you,   
      
       To those whose release is at hand,   
      
       To these who desire most to be united with you,   
      
       To those who endure the greatest suffering   
      
       To those whose release is most remote,   
      
       To those who are least remembered,   
      
       To those who are. most deserving on account of their services to the   
   Church,   
      
       To the rich, who now are the most destitute,   
      
       To the mighty, who now are as lowly servants,   
      
       To the blind, who now see their folly,   
      
       To the frivolous, who spent their time in idleness,   
      
       To the poor, who did not seek the treasure of heaven,   
      
       To the tepid, who devoted little time to prayer,   
      
       To the indolent, who were negligent in performing good works,   
      
       To those of little faith, who neglected the frequent reception of the   
   Sacraments,   
      
       To the habitual sinners, who owe their salvation to a miracle of grace,   
      
       To parents who failed to watch over their children,   
      
       To superiors who were not solicitous for the salvation of these entrusted   
   to   
   them,   
      
       To the worldly-minded, who failed to use their wealth and talents in the   
   service of God,   
      
       To those who witnessed the death of others, but would not think of their   
   own,   
      
       To those who did not provide for the great journey beyond, and the days of   
   tribulation,   
      
       To those whose judgment is so severe because of the great things entrusted   
   to them.   
      
       To the popes, kings, and princess,   
      
       To the bishops and their counselors,   
      
       To my teachers and spiritual advisers,   
      
       To the deceased priests of this diocese,   
      
       To all the priests and religious of the whole Catholic Church,   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)