From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   The angels are friends   
      
      The angels are friends of the bridegroom, so they listen to   
    the soul's words, and make them known to the bridegroom.   
   The soul's words are its desires, which the  friends, that is the    
   angels, listen to and delight in. They make them known,    
   and they invite the  soul to come; they console it, and advise    
   it to seek and knock, because anyone who seeks finds,    
   and to anyone who knocks the door is opened.    
      Meanwhile, until the bridegroom comes, they frequently   
    visit such a  fervent soul, and by an increase of grace prepare   
    it more fully for his arrival. They draw its  thoughts toward a    
   perception of their presence, and an awareness of their    
   friendship, so that through this knowledge it may    
   to divine knowledge.     
   —Richard of Saint Victor   
      
      
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   December 16th - Blessed Honoratus Kozminski   
   Commissary General of the Capuchins in Poland, prolific writer for the   
   Congregations he founded   
      
   (1825-1916)   
      
   He was born in Biala Podlaska (Siedlce, Poland) and studied   
   architecture at the School of Fine Arts in Warsaw. When Wenceslaus was   
   almost 16, his father died. Suspected of participating in a rebellious   
   conspiracy, the young man was imprisoned from April 1846 until the   
   following March. In 1848 he received the Capuchin habit and a new   
   name. Four years later he was ordained. In 1855 he helped Blessed Mary   
   Angela Truszkowska establish the Felician Sisters.   
      
   Honoratus served as guardian in a Warsaw friary already in 1860. He   
   dedicated his energies to preaching, to giving spiritual direction and   
   to hearing confessions. He worked tirelessly with the Secular   
   Franciscan Order.   
      
   The failed 1864 revolt against Czar Alexander III led to the   
   suppression of all religious Orders in Poland. The Capuchins were   
   expelled from Warsaw and forced to live in Zakroczym, where Honoratus   
   continued his ministry and began founding 26 male and female religious   
   congregations, whose members took vows but wore no religious habit and   
   did not live in community. They operated much as today’s secular   
   institutes do. Seventeen of these groups still exist as religious   
   congregations.   
      
   The writings of Father Honoratus are extensive: 42 volumes of sermons,   
   21 volumes of letters as well as 52 printed works on ascetical   
   theology, Marian devotion, historical writings, pastoral writings--not   
   counting his many writings for the religious congregations he founded.   
      
   In 1906, various bishops sought the reorganization of these groups   
   under their authority; Honoratus defended their independence but was   
   removed from their direction in 1908. He promptly urged the members of   
   these congregations to obey the Church’s decisions regarding their   
   future.   
      
   He “always walked with God,” said a contemporary. In 1895 he was   
   appointed Commissary General of the Capuchins in Poland. Three years   
   before he had come to Nowe Miasto, where he died and was buried. He   
   was beatified in 1988.   
      
   Comment:   
   The story is told that Francis and Brother Leo, his secretary, were   
   once on a journey and Francis volunteered to tell Leo what perfect joy   
   is. Francis began by saying what it was not: news that the kings of   
   France, England, as well as all the world’s bishops and many   
   university professors had decided to become friars, news that the   
   friars had received the gift of tongues and miracles, or news that the   
   friars had converted all the non-Christians in the world. No, perfect   
   joy for them would be to arrive cold and hungry at St. Mary of the   
   Angels, Francis’ headquarters outside Assisi, and be mistaken by the   
   porter for thieves and beaten by the same porter and driven back into   
   the cold and rain. Francis said that if, for the love of God, he and   
   Leo could endure such treatment without losing their patience and   
   charity, that would be perfect joy (cited in Regis Armstrong, O.F.M.   
   Cap., and Ignatius Brady, O.F.M., Francis and Clare: The Complete   
   Works, pages 165-166).   
      
   Honoratus worked very zealously to serve the Church, partly by   
   establishing a great variety of religious congregations adapted to the   
   special circumstances of Poland in those years. He could have   
   retreated into bitterness and self-pity when the direction of those   
   congregations was taken away from him; that was certainly a “perfect   
   joy” experience. He urged the members of these groups to obey   
   willingly and gladly, placing their gifts at the service of the Good   
   News of Jesus Christ.   
      
   Quote:   
   When the Church removed Honoratus from the direction of his religious   
   congregations and changed their character, he wrote: “Christ’s Vicar   
   himself has revealed God’s will to us, and I carry out this order with   
   greatest faith.... Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that you are   
   being given the opportunity to show heroic obedience to the holy   
   Church.”   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   Above all things have charity, which is the bond of perfection.  (Col. 3:14)   
      
      
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   Always remember that anything we do to help the Holy Souls is an act of charity   
   and it is one done to those who are the most in need of our assistance   
   since they can no longer help themselves, and are utterly dependent   
   on us to help them. If we release a soul from there, it will be   
   eternally grateful, and will intercede with God for us,   
   while we yet live on earth and if, we should go there.   
      
   When praying the Rosary, reserve, if possible, one decade to pray for   
   these Poor Souls.   
   If you are able, say an entire Rosary exclusively for their release,   
   at least in November.   
   Our Lady is the Queen of Heaven and earth, and of the Holy Souls in Purgtaory:   
   The Communion of Saints consists of:   
   The Church triumphant in Heaven,   
   The Church militant on earth,   
   and the Church suffering in Purgatory.   
      
   Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them.   
   May they rest in peace. Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)