From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Apply thy whole mind to know Jesus   
      
   Apply thy whole mind to know Jesus Christ, thy whole heart to love   
   Him, and all thy care to follow Him, since for this alone thou art a   
   Christian. What difficulty canst thou have in loving a Man God, who   
   assumed humanity only for love of thee and for thy salvation! Be then   
   resolved to study and to contemplate Him in all His actions, to   
   penetrate into His designs, to enter into His dispositions and the   
   purport of His mysteries; and endeavor to do, to suffer, and to live   
   as He did; for the whole merit of a Christian in this life consists in   
   conformity in all things with Jesus Christ; and, in the next, it will   
   constitute his never-ending happiness. If he endeavor to participate   
   here in the humble and suffering life of his Redeemer, he will   
   hereafter partake of His glorious immortality.   
   --Thomas à Kempis, From the Imitation of Christ   
      
      
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   November 1st – St. Benignus of Dijon M (RM)   
   3rd Century.   
      
    The cultus of this martyr began in the early 6th century with the   
   discovery of an ancient tomb at Dijon. Subsequently, a Passio of Saint   
   Benignus made its appearance; it was said to have had its origin in   
   Italy, but the story it tells is manifestly spurious in all its   
   versions. There is a remote possibility that Benignus was a missionary   
   priest from Lyons, martyred at Epagny, near Dijon, in the late 2nd   
   century (probably under Aurelian, 270-275).   
      
   According to the 6th century legend, Saint Benignus, along with   
   another priest and a deacon, were sent by Saint Polycarp to preach the   
   Gospel in Gaul. Their adventures included being shipwrecked at   
   Corsica, landing at Marseilles and making their way perilously up the   
   rivers Rhone and Saone. They reached Autun, where Benignus converted a   
   nobleman who later was martyred (Saint Symphorianus).   
      
   He and his companions separated, to evangelize different parts of   
   Gaul. He worked openly, despite the danger to Christians. Inevitably   
   Benignus was denounced to the authorities and put on trial. He refused   
   to sacrifice to pagan idols or to Caesar. He refused to deny Christ.   
   Attempts were made to make him change his mind by savage tortures.   
   Eventually he was put to death.   
      
   His impressive sarcophagus can still be seen in the crypt under the   
   cathedral at Dijon in what was a large Roman cemetery. In the 6th   
   century, Saint Gregory of Langres built a basilica and monastery on   
   the site. William of Volpiano built a larger church there for his   
   Cluniac monastery, which revived monasticism in Normandy in the 11th   
   century. The church and the tomb of Saint Benignus have survived an   
   earthquake (1280) and the French Revolution (Attwater, Benedictines,   
   Bentley, Farmer).   
      
   Roeder says there it is difficult to sort out the graphic attributes   
   of several Benignus's. It appears, however, the Benignus of Dijon, on   
   the seal of the abbey, is represented as having a dog by him and   
   holding a key (Roeder). A late medieval carved cantor's staff of   
   Benignus, depicting his fingers as damaged during his martyrdom,   
   remains at Dijon (Farmer).   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   We are preparing ourselves for the time, which will come very soon,   
   when we shall find ourselves at the end of our journey and shall be   
   drinking of living water from the fountain I have described. Unless we   
   make a total surrender of our will to the Lord, and put ourselves in   
   His hands so that He may do in all things what is best for us in   
   accordance with His will, He will never allow us to drink of it.   
   --St. Teresa of Jesus   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;   
   10 love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in   
   showing honor.  [Romans 12:9-10]  RSVCE   
      
      
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   Prayer From the Imitation of Christ   
      
    As, O Jesus, I can have no pretensions to Heaven but through Thy   
   virtues and merit, I beseech Thee to inspire me with an ardent desire   
   of knowing and following Thee. Grant, O my most amiable Saviour, that   
   I may follow Thy maxims, practice Thy virtues and form myself upon   
   Thine example, that my resemblance to Thee may make me worthy of Thy   
   love, and cause me to find grace in the sight of Thy heavenly Father,   
   who loves us only in proportion as we resemble Thee. Help me then to   
   become imbued with Thy sentiments and conformed to Thine inclinations.   
   Grant that, after Thy example, I may become meek, humble, patient,   
   charitable, and submissive in all things to Thy Father’s will. I hope   
   that, presenting myself to Him in and by Thee, I shall not be   
   rejected, and that the attachment which I desire to have for Thee may   
   secure Thy love for me, and my ultimate salvation. Amen.   
   --Thomas à Kempis, From the Imitation of Christ   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)