From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   On the Great Goodness and Love of God in this Sacrament [I]     
      
      In confidence of Thy goodness and great mercy, O Lord, I draw near,   
   sick to the Healer, hungry and thirsty to the Fountain of life (Ps.   
   36:9), needy to the King of Heaven, a servant to his Lord, a creature   
   to the Creator, desolate to my own tender Comforter. "But whence is   
   this to me," that Thou comest unto me (Luke 1:43)? What am I, that   
   Thou shouldest grant me Thine own self? how dare a sinner appear   
   before Thee?   
      And how is it that Thou dost vouchsafe to come unto a sinner? Thou   
   knowest Thy servant, and art well aware that he hath in him no good   
   thing, for which Thou shouldest grant him this. I confess therefore   
   mine own vileness, I acknowledge Thy goodness, I praise Thy tender   
   mercy, and give Thee thanks for Thy transcendent love.   
   --Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Bk 4 Ch 2   
      
      
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   August 6th - SS. Justus and Pastor   
   † 304   
      
    Alcala and Madrid in Spain share two child patrons saints, the   
   brothers Justus and Pastor. When they were executed, Justus was   
   thirteen; Pastor was nine.   
      
   The story of their martyrdom, as it comes down to us (perhaps   
   imperfectly), is as follows: Diocletian and Maximian Hercules, Roman   
   co-emperors around 300 AD, authorized the last great Roman persecution   
   of Christians. Their prefect (governor) in Spain, a man named Dacian,   
   carried out the imperial edicts with pagan zeal, touring Spain in   
   search of Christians so that he might convert or erase them.   
      
   The governor’s tour brought him to Complutum, an old Roman city called   
   today Alcala de Henares, which is not far from the present Madrid. The   
   Complutensian Christians were rooted out by the police and brought   
   before his tribunal for judgement.   
      
   Among the Christian children of Alcala there were two little brothers,   
   Justus and Pastor. Their family background is unknown, but they must   
   have come from educated and devoutly Christian stock. They were in   
   class at the elementary school at the time of Dacian’s arrival.   
   Learning of what was happening at the governor’s court to their   
   grown-up fellow Christians, they burned with a desire to share in   
   their witness to the faith. So they threw down their books and writing   
   tablets and ran off to the place where Dacian had set up his public   
   tribunal. With boyish enthusiasm they elbowed their way up to where   
   the adult Christians were on trial, caught the eye of the civil   
   officials, and made it quite clear to them that they, too, where   
   Christians and not afraid to suffer for it.   
      
   The police eventually brought the lads up in front of where Dacian   
   sat. Had he been a man of heart, he could have been touched at the   
   sight of the innocent heroism of the young brothers. Being without   
   compassion, he was simply annoyed with the boys for their intrusion.   
   Sassy kids who trivialized the dignity of an imperial prefect deserved   
   punishment. A good whipping, he thought, would destroy their   
   “courage;” so he ordered them to be given a beating. The whippers laid   
   on brutally, but with the strokes the boys’ commitment to their faith   
   grew stronger, rather than weaker. Amazed at their steadfastness, the   
   adult Christians, some of whom had been weakening, took inspiration,   
   and began to encourage each other to be firm in faith. Embarrassed by   
   his inability to master Justus and Pastor, Dacian ordered the pair   
   beheaded.   
      
   The thought may occur to us, could children nine and thirteen really   
   deserve to be crowned as saints by the Church? The answer is, Why not?   
   It might be difficult to prove that children of that age had achieved   
   heroic virtues apart from martyrdom, but a number of children have   
   been proclaimed saints or blesseds who died in defense of Christian   
   faith and virtue. Ordinarily, the basic requirement would be that they   
   had reached the age of reason, were able to discern right from wrong,   
   and chose to die rather than betray their consciences. In their   
   innocence, young children can often see issues like this more clearly   
   than adults, and follow through. I should think that the main problem   
   with a persecuted child would be his or her natural fear. But God’s   
   grace can take care of that.   
      
   May the spiritual courage of Ss. Justus and Pastor inspire us as it   
   inspired the wavering adult Christians of Alcala. Their story reminds   
   us of the truth that if we stand by Him, He will always stand by us.   
      
   Prudentius numbers them among the most glorious martyrs of Spain.   
   Their names also are recorded in the “Hieronymianum”, on August 25.   
   See the Acta Sanctorum, August, vol. ii.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Blessed the one who loves truth continually and has not lent his mouth   
   as an instrument of impiety by lying, for he fears the commandment   
   about idle speech.   
   --St. Ephrem of Syria   
      
      
   In Ephesians 1:4-5 Paul writes, "Thus he chose us in Christ before the   
   world was made to be holy and faultless before him in love, marking us   
   out for himself beforehand, to be adopted sons, through Jesus Christ."   
   Paul expresses this same teaching of God's plan of salvation for   
   humanity   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Little Acts of Love   
      
   Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.   
      
   My loving Jesus, out of the grateful love I bear Thee and to   
   make reparation for my unfaithfulness to grace, I give Thee   
   my heart, and I consecrate myself wholly to Thee, and with   
   Thy help I purpose never to sin again.   
      
   Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who,   
   glorifying in the most Sacred Heart of Thy Beloved Son,   
   cherish within us the especial benefits of that love, may be   
   equally gladdened both by their action and by their fruit.   
   Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)