From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   There are two Classes of Hearers   
      
   The two classes Jesus has now in view are not the two great classes   
   who walk, the one in the broad and the other in the narrow way. There   
   are two classes of hearers. Most of those that throng the broad way   
   are not hearers at all; they have no desire or intention of seeking   
   any other than the broad way--they would as little think of going up   
   into a mountain(the Mount of Beatitudes) and listening to a discourse   
   on righteousness, as they would of wearing a hair shirt or doing any   
   other kind of penance; but those our Lord has now in view all have the   
   idea of seeking the right way: their very attitude as hearers shows   
   it--they are all of the churchgoing class, to translate into modern   
   phrase; and what He fears is that some of them may deceive themselves   
   by imagining that because they hear with interest and attention,   
   perhaps admiration, therefore they are in the narrow way. Accordingly   
   He solemnly warns them that all this may amount to nothing: there may   
   be attention, interest, admiration, full assent to all; but if the   
   hearing is not followed by doing, all is in vain.   
   --Excerpt from sermon of Matthew   
      
      
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   March 31st - Saint Balbina of Rome   
   (Also known as Balbina the Virgin)   
      
   IN the Roman Martyrology today we read the following notice: “At Rome,   
   of St. Balbina, Virgin, daughter of blessed Quirinus, Martyr, who was   
   baptized by Pope Alexander and chose Christ as her spouse in holy   
   virginity; after completing the course of this world she was buried on   
   the Appian Way near her father.” This account was unfortunately   
   dependent upon a wholly gratuitous insertion of the martyrologist Ado,   
   who borrowed certain details from the Acts of St. Acacius is called a   
   martyr but there is no evidence that he was. Eventually Pope Alexander   
   which Bede had prudently ignored, and used the names Quirinus,   
   Theodora and Balbina to fill three successive blank days in the month   
   of March. The so-called Acts of Balbina are merely a late plagiarism   
   from the Acts of Alexander. All that is known to us is that midway   
   between the Via Appia and the Via Ardeatina there was a cemetery of   
   Balbina, probably so called because it was constructed on the estate   
   of a Christian lady named Balbina. On the other hand there seems to   
   have been a Balbina, called daughter of Quirinus, but she cannot have   
   been identical with the first-named Balbina because she lived at a   
   much earlier date, and was buried in the catacomb of Praetextatus.   
   Balbina was honoured in a little fourth-century church on the Aventine   
   which bore her name, but it is difficult to decide which Balbina was   
   intended.   
      
   The fabulous story of St. Balbina is printed in the Acta Sanctorum,   
   March, vol. iii, but it is all extracted from the Acts of Alexander,   
   in one version of which Balbina is represented as a martyr. See also   
   Dom Quentin, Lee martyrologes historiques, especially pp. 153 and 490   
   Leclercq in DAC., vol. ii, pp. 137-157; and J. P. Kirsch, Die   
   Römischen Titelkirchen im Altertum, Pp. 94-96.   
      
   The daughter of Quirinus the martyr (St. Quirinus the Jailer), Balbina   
   died for the faith and was buried on the Appian Way. Her relics were   
   later enshrined in St. Balbina's Church on the Aventine.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Nor did demons crucify him; it is you who have crucified him and   
   crucify him still, when you delight in your vices and sins.   
    -- Saint Francis of Assisi   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he   
   who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of   
   life.” [John 8:12]  RSVCE   
      
      
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   A Prayer For Healing   
      
   Lord, You invite all who are burdened to come to you.   
   Allow Your healing Hand to heal me.   
   Touch my soul with Your compassion for others;   
   touch my heart with Your courage   
   and infinite Love for all;   
   touch my mind with Your Wisdom,   
   and may my mouth always proclaim Your praise.   
   Teach me to reach out to You in all my needs,   
   and help me to lead others to You by my example.   
      
   Most loving Heart of Jesus,   
   bring me health in body and spirit   
   that I may serve You with all my strength.   
   Touch gently this life which you have created,   
   now and forever.   
      
   Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)