From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   — Ephesians 1:18-22 —   
      
   The eyes of your heart enlightened that you may know what the hope is   
   of his calling and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance   
   in the saints.  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power   
   towards us, who believe according to the operation of the might of his   
   power,  Which he wrought in Christ, raising him up from the dead and   
   setting him on his right hand in the heavenly places.  Above all   
   principality and power and virtue and dominion and every name that is   
   named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And   
   he hath subjected all things under his feet and hath made him head   
   over all the church, .[Ephesians 1:18-22] DRB   
   __________________________   
      
   Having been raised from the dead, Christ is now the head of the   
   church, the ultimate authority over the world. Jesus is the Messiah,   
   God’s anointed one, the one Israel longed for, the one who would set   
   their broken world right. As Christians we can be confident that God   
   has won the final victory and is in control of everything. We need not   
   fear any dictator or nation or even death or Satan himself. The   
   contract has been signed and sealed; we are waiting just a short while   
   for delivery. Paul says, in Romans 8:37-39, that nothing can separate   
   us from God and his love.   
      
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   May 14th - St. Mary Mazzarello, Don Bosco's Lieutenant   
      
   Born in 1837, Mary Mazzarello grew up in a hard-working, God-fearing   
   peasant family in northern Italy. She was a normal teenager of her   
   times--intelligent, enterprising, hard working, fun-loving and always   
   in the height of local fashion.   
      
   As she grew into young adulthood, she began to sense that God was   
   calling her to belong totally to Himself and she responded by   
   consecrating herself completely to Him. She did not understand   
   immediately what this meant nor how it would unfold. It was a response   
   of unconditional love.   
      
   Mary was often impulsive but in the matter of discovering a direction   
   for her life she sought advice from those who knew her well and whose   
   judgement she trusted. Her father was a great source of homespun   
   wisdom and the leader of the apostolic group she had joined was a   
   woman of spiritual insight and intelligence. She confided, above all,   
   in Fr. Pestarino who had guided her for several years and who knew her   
   inside out. Slowly she came to distinguish the way ahead in the events   
   of everyday life.   
      
   She weighed up her inclinations and physical strength, took stock of   
   situations around her and considered what she might do to share   
   Christ’s passion for the world.   
      
   An event that had a particular bearing on her life and future mission   
   came in the form of illness. When assisting some sick members of her   
   family during the epidemic of typhoid fever that struck her village in   
   1860, Mary contracted the disease. After several months hovering   
   between life and death she recovered but no longer had the strength to   
   work in the fields and vineyards as she had formerly done.   
      
   What was she to do? At twenty-three she had her life before her but   
   lacked skills beyond those acquired in helping her father on the farm.   
   Together with her closest friend, Petronilla, she set about learning   
   dressmaking from the village tailor so as not to be a burden to her   
   family and with the declared aim of setting up sewing classes for the   
   village girls. Once their training was finished, the pair did indeed   
   begin their work for the good of the girls, teaching them a life skill   
   and encouraging them to live their Christian life joyfully.   
      
   Hers was not initially a choice for religious life, but one of a life   
   consecrated to God by vow while living and working in her village   
   environment. Associations of young women sharing the same desires and   
   aims as Mary were appearing in several parts of northern Italy at this   
   time and Mary became part of one of them, receiving support from   
   others to live the life she had chosen.   
      
   But God had further plans for her. She met Don Bosco and they   
   perceived in each other a shared passion for the good of the young.   
   Here was a woman who experienced his apostolic ideals for the young   
   and who was the perfect choice to become the founding member his new   
   religious congregation of the Salesian Sisters. Mary did not hesitate   
   but once again said her wondering but joyful ‘Yes’ to God—wherever   
   that would lead her.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   "A man is not saved by having once shown mercy to someone, although,   
   if he scorns someone but once, he merits eternal fire. For 'hungered'   
   and 'thirsty' is said not of one occasion, not of one day, but of the   
   whole life. In the same way 'ye gave me meat', 'ye gave me drink', 'ye   
   clothed me', and so on, does not indicate one incident, but a constant   
   attitude to everyone. Our Lord Jesus Christ said that He Himself   
   accepts such mercy from His slaves (in the person of the needy)."   
   --St. Simeon   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, For they are the   
   rejoicing of my heart.  (Psalm 119:111)   
      
   Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you.   
      
      
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   Prayer to Our Lady   
      
   O Mother of Mercy, Help of Christians, most faithful minister of   
   Divine Providence, treasurer of all graces, remember that never in the   
   world has it been heard that thou hast left him without comfort who   
   has come to thee with true devotion. Wherefore, I, trusting in thy   
   tender pity and in thy most generous providence, bend low before thee,   
   praying that thou wouldst hear my prayer.   
      
   Obtain for me a holy provision for the future, namely, graces for all   
   my spiritual and temporal needs.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)