From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   The Lord's 3 visits to the Patriarchs, Prophets, and the Gospel   
      
       "The Lord also has something very fitting to say about a fruitless   
   tree, 'Look, it is now three years that I have been coming to it.   
   Finding no fruit on it, I will cut it down, to stop it blocking up my   
   field.' The gardener intercedes... This tree is the human race. The   
   Lord visited this tree in the time of the patriarchs, as if for the   
   first year. He visited it in the time of the law and the prophets, as   
   if for the second year. Here we are now; with the gospel the third   
   year has dawned. Now it is as though it should have been cut down, but   
   the merciful one intercedes with the merciful one. He wanted to show   
   how merciful he was, and so he stood up to himself with a plea for   
   mercy. 'Let us leave it,' he says, 'this year too. Let us dig a ditch   
   around it.' Manure is a sign of humility. 'Let us apply a load of   
   manure; perhaps it may bear fruit.' Since it does bear fruit in one   
   part, and in another part does not bear fruit, its Lord will come and   
   divide it. What does that mean, 'divide it'? There are good people and   
   bad people now in one company, as though constituting one body."   
   --St. Augustine--(excerpt from Sermon 254.3)   
      
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   November 21st - Our Lady of Quinche   
   Also known as La Pequeñita, Virgen de Monte del Sol, Virgin of the Rock   
      
   Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the image of a cedar statue in   
   Quinche, Ecuador. About two foot tall, it was carved in 1586 by Don   
   Diego de Robles, an artist who created many other images of Mary. He   
   carved it on order from the Lumbici Indians, who were unable to pay   
   for it at delivery. Diego traded the statue to the Oyacachi Indians in   
   exchange for a large load of cedar for future projects.   
      
   Legend says that the vision of Our Lady appeared in a cave to some of   
   the Oyacachi, promising to the protect their children; the image Diego   
   brought for trade looked just like the lady in the vision. The   
   Oyacachi asked Diego to stay and help them build a shrine for the   
   statue; he declined and started home. His horse threw him as they   
   crossed a bridge, and Diego was miraculously saved after he had prayed   
   for Our Lady‘s intervention; he understood that this was a sign, went   
   back to the Indians, and built an altar for the statue.   
      
   In 1604 the statue was moved to the local village of Quinche and a   
   chapel was built for it. A new sanctuary was built in 1630 where the   
   statue stayed until the church was destroyed in an earthquake in 1869.   
   The church was re-built, and housed the image until moved to another   
   new church in 1928; in 1985 the Vatican proclaimed the chapel to be a   
   national sanctuary of Ecuador. Many miracles, especially healings,   
   have been associated with the image, and there is a huge catalog of   
   songs in several languages that have been written in devotion over the   
   centuries.   
      
   The statue is on display here and taken out of the Basilica on the   
   feast day of November 21 and processed though the town.   
      
   Patronage Ecuador   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   The Devil writes down our sins-- our Guardian   
    Angel all our merits.  Labor that the Guardian   
    Angel's book may be full, and the Devil's empty.   
   -- Saint John Vianney   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   "The surviving remnant of the House of Judah will bring forth new   
   roots below and fruits above; for a remnant will issue from Jerusalem,   
   and survivors from Mount Zion. Yahweh Sabaoth's jealous love will   
   accomplish this."  Isaiah 37:31-32   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Salutation to the Blessed Virgin Mary   
      
   Hail, holy Lady, Most holy Queen,   
   Mary, Mother of God, Ever Virgin;   
   Chosen by the most holy Father in heaven,   
   Consecrated by Him,   
   With his most holy beloved Son   
   On you descended and in you still remains   
   All the fullness of grace and every good.   
   Hail, His palace.   
   Hail, His tabernacle.   
   Hail, His robe.   
   Hail, His handmaid.   
   Hail, His Mother.   
   And hail, all holy virtues,   
   Who, by the grace and inspiration of the Holy Spirit   
   Are poured into the hearts of the faithful   
   So that, faithless no longer,   
   They may be made faithful servants of God   
   Through you. Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)