From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   God's mercy is our only hope   
      
   "Driven out of paradise by You and exiled in a distant land, I cannot   
   return by myself unless You, O Lord, come to meet me in my wandering.   
   My return is based on hope in your mercy during all of my earthly   
   life. My only hope, the only source of confidence, and the only solid   
   promise is your mercy."   
   --St. Augustine--(excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 24,5)   
      
      
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   March 18th - Saint Cyril of Jerusalem   
   (313-386)   
      
   Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, early catechist, and Doctor of the Church   
   lived in a time of great strife and conflict within the Church, a time   
   of heresy, faction, and political influence which questioned the   
   Divinity of Jesus Christ (known as Arianism). Saint Cyril, a man of   
   peaceful and conciliatory temperament, opposed this movement, aligning   
   himself with those true to Christ, and teaching Nicene doctrine. For   
   this, he suffered exile multiple times, due to the power and political   
   connections of the Arians at that time. Following the eventual   
   acceptance of the Nicene Doctrine, Cyril served the Church with   
   jurisdiction over all of Jerusalem for the last 5 years of his life.   
      
   Little is known about the early life of Saint Cyril. It is not until   
   his exile, historically recorded, that the event of his life are made   
   clear. During a great depression, Cyril was accused of selling church   
   property to feed the poor, and thus exiled. Theologians and historians   
   agree that his exile had less to do with service to the poor, and more   
   to do with differences in doctrine, failure to conform to the Arian   
   teachings, and continued preaching of the Nicene doctrine. The Nicene   
   Creed, which we still recite today, is believed to have had its   
   origins in the teachings of Saint Cyril:   
      
   I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth   
   and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ,   
   the only-begotten Son of God, begotten by the Father true God before   
   all ages, God of God, Life of Life, Light of Light, by Whom all things   
   were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down, and was   
   incarnate by the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary, and was made man. He   
   was crucified and buried. He rose again on the third day according to   
   the Scriptures, and sat at the right hand of the Father. And He cometh   
   in glory to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no   
   end. And in one Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, Who spake by the prophets;   
   and in one baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, and in one   
   holy Catholic Church, and in the resurrection of the body, and in life   
   everlasting.   
      
   Saint Cyril is known for his catechetical writings, including 23   
   homilies he delivered to those preparing for baptism during Lent, and   
   then mystagogical reflections for the week after Easter. In these   
   writings, Cyril clearly outlines the liturgy of the Mass used at that   
   time, including elements we continue celebrating today. Saint Cyril   
   states a fairly strong doctrine of the Eucharist both in symbolic and   
   realistic terms, addressing transubstantiation of elements, and   
   proclaiming the bread and wine received to be the actual body and   
   blood of Christ. He affirms the true authority of the one Catholic   
   Church, and provides instructions to the newly welcomed regarding how   
   to receive the Holy Eucharist:   
      
   "Approaching do not come with thy palms stretched flat nor with   
   fingers separated. But making thy left hand a seat for thy right, and   
   hollowing thy palm, receive the Body of Christ, responding Amen. And   
   having with care hallowed thine eyes by the touch of the Holy Body,   
   take it, vigilant lest thou drop any of it. For shouldst thou lose any   
   of it, it is as though thou wast deprived of a member of thy own   
   body." "Then after Communion of the Body of Christ, approach the   
   Chalice of His Blood, not extending thy hands, but bending low, and   
   with adoration and reverence saying Amen, sanctify thyself by   
   receiving also the Blood of Christ. And while thy lips are yet wet,   
   touch them with thy hands, and sanctify thy eyes and thy forehead and   
   thy other senses"   
      
   Saint Cyril worked tirelessly to defend the doctrine of the Church and   
   the divinity of Jesus throughout his life, suffering exile,   
   humiliation, accusation, and conviction of false crimes. Throughout,   
   despite the dangerous political climate, his beliefs never wavered,   
   and instead, his preaching grew stronger and more definitive. Cyril’s   
   faith and love for God is made clear in his writings: “We are to make   
   the sign of the cross when we eat and drink, sit, go to bed, get up,   
   talk, walk, in short, in every action.” And his love for the Church is   
   stated plainly: "If thou should be in foreign cities, do not simply   
   ask where is the church, but where is the Catholic Church, for this is   
   the proper name of this holy Mother of all." During this Lenten   
   season, we reflect upon our beliefs, and as Easter approaches, we   
   renew our baptismal vows, using the words that Saint Cyril used. Is   
   our faith strong enough to endure accusation and exile? How can we   
   commit ourselves more fully to our Lord, our Church, and our Creed?   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   God assesses our action according to our intention; for it is said   
   that the Lord will "reward you according to your heart" (Ps. 20:4)   
   --St. Mark the Ascetic   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   Then after he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, being set   
   down again, he said to them: Know you what I have done to you? 13 You   
   call me Master, and Lord; and you say well, for so I am. 14 If then I   
   being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to   
   wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that as I   
   have done to you, so you do also.  (John 13:12-15)  DRB   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   O MOTHER OF MERCY   
      
   O MOTHER of mercy, help of Christians,   
   most faithful minister of Divine Providence,   
   treasurer of all graces,   
   remember that never in the world has it been   
   heard that thou hast left him without comfort who   
   has come to thee with true devotion.   
   Wherefore I, trusting in thy tender pity   
   and in thy most generous providence,   
   bend low before thee,   
   praying that thou wouldst hear my prayer.   
   Obtain for me a holy provision for the future,   
   namely graces for all my spiritual and temporal needs.   
   I fervently recommend to thy loving motherly Heart our Holy Church,   
   the Sovereign Pontiff,   
   the conversion of sinners,   
   the spread of the Catholic Faith,   
   and those Souls chosen by our Lord,   
   who are suffering the tormenting flames of Purgatory,   
   that they may soon be comforted   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)