From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Do not lose the key of knowledge   
      
   Jesus in the key of knowledge that opens God's kingdom for us   
   What does Jesus mean when he says they have taken away the key of   
   knowledge? The religious lawyers and scribes held the "office of the   
   keys" since they were the official interpreters of the Scriptures.   
   Unfortunately their interpretation of the Scriptures became so   
   distorted and difficult to understand that others were "shut off" to   
   the Scriptures. They not only shut themselves to heaven--they also   
   hindered others from understanding God's word. Through pride and envy,   
   they rejected not only the prophets of old, but God's final prophet   
   and Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the "key of David" (see   
   Isaiah 22:22; Revelations 3:7) who opens heaven for those who accept   
   him as Lord and Savior. He is the "Wisdom of God" and source of   
   everlasting life. [Luke 11:47-54]   
      
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   June 24th - Saint Bartholomew of Farne, Miracle Worker   
      
   Born at Whitby, England; died c. 1193.   
      
   Of the many pious men who were led by the example of Saint Cuthbert to   
   become solitaries on the island of Farne, off the Northumbrian coast,   
   not the least remarkable was this Bartholomew, for he spent no less   
   than 42 years upon that desolate haunt of birds. His parents, who may   
   have been of Scandinavian origin, called him Tostig, but because the   
   name made him a laughing-stock it was changed to William. He   
   determined to go abroad, and his wanderings led him to Norway, where   
   he remained long enough to receive ordination as a priest. He returned   
   home, and went to Durham, where he took the monastic habit and took   
   the name Bartholomew. A vision he had of Saint Cuthbert inspired him   
   to dedicate the rest of his life to God in the cell which Cuthbert had   
   once occupied at Farne.   
      
   Upon his arrival he found another hermit already installed--a certain   
   Brother Ebwin, who strongly resented his intrusion and who strove by   
   petty persecution to drive him away. Bartholomew attempted no   
   reprisals, but made it quite clear that he had come to stay. Ebwin   
   eventually retired, leaving him in solitary possession.   
      
   The mode of life he embraced was one of extreme austerity, modeled   
   upon that of the desert fathers. Later he was joined by a former prior   
   of Durham called Thomas; but they could not agree. Their chief cause   
   of dissension--sad to relate--was the amount of food ration. Thomas   
   could not manage with as little as Bartholomew, and he went so far as   
   to question the authenticity of what appeared to be his brother's   
   extraordinary abstemiousness. Bartholomew, who seems to have been   
   sensitive to criticism, was so offended at being charged with   
   hypocrisy that he left the island and returned to Durham. There he   
   remained in spite of the apologies of Thomas, until the bishop, a year   
   later, ordered him back to Farne, when a reconciliation took place.   
   Forewarned of his approaching death, Bartholomew announced it to some   
   monks, who were with him when he died, and buried him on the island.   
   He left a reputation for holiness and miracles, but there is no   
   evidence of a liturgical cultus (Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Walsh).   
      
   There is a medieval life which gives Bartholomew's history in some   
   detail, and which was apparently written by a contemporary. It is   
   printed in the Acta Sanctorum, June, vol. v. See also Stanton's   
   Menology, pp. 287-288; T. D. Hardy, Catalogue of Materials (Rolls   
   Series), vol. ii, pp. 226-227, where a very different date is   
   suggested for his death; and a short life in the Hermit Saints in the   
   Anglican series edited by J. H. Newman (1844). The Latin text of the   
   saint's miracles is given in Analecta Bollandiana, vol. lxx (1952),   
   pp. 5-19.   
      
   Saint Quote:   
   I have never seen a compassionate and charitable man die a bad death.   
   --St. Augustine   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according   
   to his great mercy hath regenerated us unto a lively hope, by the   
   resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  (1 Peter 1:3)   
      
      
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   PRAYER OF SUPPLICATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT   
      
   Holy Spirit, you who solve all problems, who light all roads so that I   
   can attain my goals, you who give me the divine gift to forgive and to   
   forget all evil against me and that in all instances of my life you   
   are with me. I want in this short prayer to thank you for all things   
   and to confirm once again that I never want to be separated from you,   
   even in spite of all material illusion I wish to be with you in   
   eternal glory. Thank you for your mercy toward me and mine.   
      
   =================================   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)