From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   -- Galatians 6:2-3 –   
      
   Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law   
   of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he   
   deceives himself.   
   ________________________________________________________   
      
   No Christian should ever think that he or she is totally independent and   
   doesn't need help from others, and no one should feel excused from the task   
   of helping others. The body of Christ--all believers--the church -   
   functions only when the members work together for the common good. Do you   
   know someone who needs help? Is there a Christian brother or sister who   
   needs correction or encouragement? Humbly and gently reach out to that   
   person.   
      
      
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   May 17th - Saint Restituta   
      
   Il Duomo is one of the primary destinations for any Naples visitor.   
   The patron saint of the city, San Gennaro, is buried here and his   
   blood is kept in an ampoule in a side niche. But, if you are in search   
   of an odious woman, Il Duomo also pays tribute to Saint Restituta.   
      
   Not much is known about her life, except that she was born in North   
   Africa near Carthage and was killed during Emperor Diocletian‘s   
   Christian persecutions. Although some believe that San Gaudioso   
   brought her remains to Naples, the colorful legends surrounding   
   Restituta put her in the odious category.   
      
   Santa Restituta DuomoIn 304, during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, a   
   large number of Christians continued to gather in the city of Abitina   
   to celebrate the Eucharist. Fifty of them, including Restituta, were   
   caught, arrested, and dragged in chains to Carthage. There, they were   
   sentenced to death due to her rebellion against paganism.   
      
   Legend has it that Saint Restituta was tortured and then placed in a   
   blazing boat, but her body was left unharmed by the fire. Her boat   
   landed on the shores of Ischia where a Christian woman named Lucina   
   walked along the beach and found the incorrupt body of Restituta, who   
   was now dead. Still today the Festival of Restituta is celebrated on   
   the island of Ischia every May 16th to 18th and a church in her name   
   also exists there.   
      
   At the Duomo an opulent nave is dedicated to the saint. Tucked away   
   beyond it, the Duomo itself was built above the remnants of a   
   paleo-Christian basilica from the 500's A.D. This older basilica was   
   dedicated to Santa Restituta. Today, you pay an extra fee to get into   
   this one-room vestige where a bulbous dome sparkles with Byzantine   
   tiles and a fresco of Saint Restituta remains intact against the wall.   
      
   A stereotype of women in Naples seems to be that they are expected to   
   be mothers who raise children, remain mostly inside the home, and stay   
   obedient to their husbands. But the large number of female images   
   within the Catholic Churches throughout the city point to another   
   aspect of women’s roles in Neapolitan history. In fact, Naples has   
   over fifty official patron saints, at least twelve of whom are women.   
   Saint Restituta presents a marvelous example of an African woman who   
   stood up for her beliefs and made a strong political statement for her   
   time. Consequently, she was brutally killed, only to be admired   
   centuries later for her courage.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   It is more necessary to love much than to think much; always do that   
   which impels you most to love.   
   --Saint Teresa of Avila   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become   
   children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not   
   of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of   
   God."  (John 1:12-13)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Prepare the soil   
      
       God is always ready to pour His blessings into our hearts in   
   generous  measure. But like the seed sowing, the ground must be   
   prepared before the seed is dropped in.  It is our task to prepare the   
   soil. It is God's to drop the seed. This preparation of the soil means   
    many days of right living, choosing the right and avoiding the wrong.   
   As you go along, each day you  are better prepared for God's planting,   
   until you reach the time of harvest. Then you share the  harvest with   
   God--the harvest of a useful and more abundant life   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)