From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   --- Isaiah 44:8-10 --   
      
   Fear ye not, neither be ye troubled from that time I have made thee to   
   hear, and have declared: you are my witnesses. Is there a God besides   
   me, a maker, whom I have not known? The makers of idols are all of   
   them nothing, and their best beloved things shall not profit them.   
   They are their witnesses, that they do not see, nor understand, that   
   they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, and made a graven thing   
   that is profitable for nothing?  [Isaiah 44:8-10]  DRB   
   =======================   
    Isaiah tells us, "Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can   
   profit him nothing?" We think of idols as statues of wood or stone,   
   but in reality an idol is anything natural that is given sacred value   
   and power. If your answer to any of the following questions is   
   anything or anyone other than God, you may need to check out who or   
   what you are worshipping:   
   — Who created me?   
   — Whom do I intimately trust?   
   — Whom do I look to for ultimate truth?   
   Who is in charge of my future?   
      
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   October 25th - St. Chrysanthus and St. Daria, Martyrs   
   (by Father Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876)   
      
   PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS   
      
   I. St. Chrysanthus shut his eyes and closed his ears with both hands,   
   that he might not see nor hear those who had been sent to tempt him.   
   Oh! how wisely he acted! Numberless persons have fallen into vice and   
   have been precipitated into hell, because they did not guard their   
   eyes from gazing on dangerous persons and objects; or because they   
   listened to flatteries or to impure words and songs. Death came upon   
   them through eyes and ears, like a thief through the window. If they   
   had turned their eyes away and closed their ears, if they had left   
   those who spoke immodestly and sang lascivious songs, they would not   
   have become guilty, of sin, and would not have been cast into the   
   depth of hell. The pious king David would not have fallen, if he had   
   not been careless in the use of his eyes. And where would he be, if he   
   had not done penance? The beginning of the misfortunes which assailed   
   the strong Samson, and which ended in his death, was his gazing upon   
   Delilah. Sichem, a noble prince, was tempted to sin, as we are told in   
   Holy Writ, by looking upon the imprudent Dina, and being soon after   
   murdered, was cast into hell. We omit innumerable others whose ruin   
   began in the same manner. Each of these shall cry out, during all   
   eternity: "My eye," (my ear) "has wasted my soul" (Lament iii.).   
   Imprudent looking about and listening robbed them of their innocence,   
   their piety, the grace and friendship of God, and at last, of   
   salvation. If you do not wish to experience the same, keep your eyes,   
   your ears, and in fact all your senses under control. "Hedge in thy   
   ears with thorns," admonishes the Wise Man, "hear not a wicked   
   tongue." (Eccl., xxviii.) " Those who listen voluntarily to sinful   
   speeches, give death permission to enter through the window," writes   
   St. Theodore. " The eyes are the leaders of sin," says St. Jerome. "To   
   preserve purity of heart, it is necessary to keep a guard over our   
   exterior senses," says St. Gregory.   
      
   II. St. Chrysanthus and St. Daria were thrown into the greatest danger   
   to sin. They were tempted, but without their fault. They resisted,   
   called on God, and did all in their power not to yield, and God   
   protected them from consenting to do wrong. As these Saints were   
   subjected to exterior temptations, so are many souls tempted   
   interiorly; some through their own fault, others without the reproach   
   of the slightest guilt. To the former belong those who spend their   
   time in idleness; who are intemperate in eating and drinking; who   
   neglect prayer and other good works; who, without reason, seek   
   dangerous company, assist at indecent plays, read unchaste or   
   sensational books; who look at persons immodestly dressed or at   
   unclean pictures; who like to listen to, or indulge in improper jests,   
   or songs; who play indecent games; delight in wanton dances and   
   amusements; make friends and acquaintances of persons of little or no   
   virtue; in short, those who in their manners and actions, dispense   
   with Christian modesty. All these can blame only themselves when they   
   suffer from unclean temptations; they themselves give occasion to   
   them. But there are many who, though they avoid all this, are still   
   violently tempted, as was the case with many Saints in this world.   
   These are not to be blamed for their temptations, as they have not, by   
   their conduct, occasioned them. The former have every reason to fear   
   that they will commit great sins in consequence of the temptations   
   which they themselves have caused; for it is written: "He that loveth   
   the danger, shall perish in it" (Eccl., iii.). No one will believe   
   such people when they say that they are sorry to be troubled by such   
   temptations. If this is the truth, why then do they give occasion to   
   them? To imagine that these temptations can easily be overcome,   
   without the divine assistance, is presumption; for, God has nowhere   
   promised His aid to those who throw themselves into danger. They are   
   not worthy of it. What else then, can they expect but that they will   
   frequently fall into sin, and finally into hell? Quite differently   
   must those be judged who are tempted without their own fault. If they   
   do all they can, and pray to God for help, they will not be overcome,   
   but may be assured that the Almighty will assist them, as they   
   manifest their love and fidelity to Him by avoiding everything that   
   may lead them into temptation. And who can believe that God will   
   forsake His faithful servants in their fight?   
      
   For the two Saints, whose festival we celebrate to-day, and for many   
   others, He worked miracles to protect them in their danger. Hence,   
   never give occasion to temptations ; and if they nevertheless assail   
   you, trust in God; call on Him, and resist bravely. The whole of hell   
   will be unable to conquer you; for, the Almighty will be your   
   protector. "He is a protector of all who trust in Him (Psalm xvii.)."   
   "He is a protector in the time of trouble, and the Lord will help and   
   deliver them." (Psalm xxxvi.)   
      
   See more at:   
   http://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/St.%20Chrysanthus%20an   
   %20St.%20Daria.html   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   No one, not even a sinner, who devoutly recommends himself to her   
   shall ever become the prey of Hell.   
   --St. Catherine of Siena   
      
   Bible Quote   
   "But Yahweh's faithful love for those who fear him is from eternity   
   and for ever; and his saving justice to their children's children; as   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)