From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Made Anew   
      
   "See me in these "Confessions," that you may not praise me beyond what   
   I am. Believe what is said of me in these, not by others but by   
   myself. Contemplate me in these, and see what I have been, in myself   
   and by myself.   
      
   For God has made us and not we ourselves. Indeed, we had destroyed   
   ourselves, but he who created us has made us anew."   
   --St. Augustine--Letter 231, 6   
      
   Prayer: Father, make me seek you, and save me from error. As I seek   
   you, let nothing else come in my way in place of you.   
   --St. Augustine--Soliloquies 1, 6   
      
   ================   
   October 29th – St. Colman of Kilmacduagh   
      
   Born at Corker, Kiltartan, Galway, Ireland, c. 550; died 632; cultus   
   approved in 1903. Son of the Irish chieftain Duac, Colman was educated   
   at Saint Enda's monastery in Aran. Thereafter he was a recluse, living   
   in prayer and prolonged fastings, at Arranmore and then at Burren in   
   County Clare. With King Guaire of Connaught he founded the monastery   
   of Kilmacduagh, i.e., the church of the son of Duac, and governed it   
   as abbot-bishop. The "leaning tower of Kilmacduagh," 112 feet high, is   
   almost twice as old as the famous town in Pisa. The Irish round tower   
   was restored in 1880. There is a legend that angels brought King   
   Guaire to him by causing his festive Easter dinner to disappear from   
   his table. The king and his court followed the angels to the place   
   where Colman had kept the Lenten fast and now was without food. The   
   path of this legendary journey is called the "road of the dishes."   
      
   As with many relics, Saint Colman's abbatial crozier has been used   
   through the centuries for the swearing of oaths. Although it was in   
   the custodianship of the O'Heynes of Kiltartan (descendants of King   
   Guaire) and their relatives, the O'Shaughnessys, it can now be seen in   
   the National Museum in Dublin (Attwater, Benedictines, Carty, D'Arcy,   
   Farmer, MacLysaght, Montague, Stokes).   
      
   Other tales are recounted about Saint Colman, who loved birds and   
   animals. He had a pet rooster who served as an alarm clock at a time   
   before there were such modern conveniences. The rooster would begin   
   his song at the breaking of dawn and continue until Colman would come   
   out and speak to it. Colman would then call the other monks to prayer   
   by ringing the bells.   
      
   But the monks wanted to pray the night hours, too, and couldn't count   
   on the rooster to awaken them at midnight and 3:00 a.m. So Colman made   
   a pet out of a mouse that often kept him company in the night by   
   giving it crumbs to eat. Eventually the mouse was tamed and Colman   
   asked its help:   
      
   "So you are awake all night, are you? It isn't your time for sleep, is   
   it? My friend, the cock, gives me great help, waking me every morning.   
   Couldn't you do the same for me at night, while the cock is asleep? If   
   you do not find me stirring at the usual time, couldn't you call me?   
   Will you do that?" It was a long time before Colman tested the   
   understanding of the mouse. After a long day of preaching and   
   travelling on foot, Colman slept very soundly. When he did not awake   
   at the usual hour in the middle of the night for Lauds, the mouse   
   pattered over to the bed, climbed on the pillow, and rubbed his tiny   
   head against Colman's ear. Not enough to awaken the exhausted monk. So   
   the mouse tried again, but Colman shook him off impatiently. Making   
   one last effort, the mouse nibbled on the saint's ear and Colman   
   immediately arose—laughing. The mouse, looking very serious and   
   important, just sat there on the pillow staring at the monk, while   
   Colman continued to laugh in disbelief that the mouse had indeed   
   understood its job. When he regained his composure, Colman praised the   
   clever mouse for his faithfulness and fed him extra treats. Then   
   entered God's presence in prayer. Thereafter, Colman always waited for   
   the mouse to rub his ear before arising, whether he was awake or not.   
   The mouse never failed in his mission.   
      
   The monk had another strange pet: a fly. Each day Colman would spend   
   some time reading a large, awkward parchment manuscript prayer book.   
   Each day the fly would perch on the margin of the sheet. Eventually   
   Colman began to talk to the fly, thanked him for his company, and   
   asked for his help:   
      
   "Do you think you could do something useful for me? You see yourself   
   that everyone who lives in the monastery is useful. Well, if I am   
   called away, as I often am, while I am reading, don't you go too; stay   
   here on the spot I mark with my finger, so that I'll know exactly   
   where to start when I come back. Do you see what I mean?" So, as with   
   the mouse, it was a long time before Colman put the understanding of   
   the fly to the test. He probably provided the insect with treats as he   
   did the mouse—perhaps a single drop of honey or crumb of cake. One day   
   Colman was called to attend a visitor. He pointed the spot on the   
   manuscript where he had stopped and asked the fly to stay there until   
   he returned. The fly did as the saint requested, obediently remaining   
   still for over an hour. Colman was delighted. Thereafter, he often   
   gave the faithful fly a little task that it was proud to do for him.   
   The other monks thought it was such a marvel that they wrote it down   
   in the monastery records, which is how we know about it. But a fly's   
   life is short. At the end of summer, Colman's little friend was dead.   
   While still mourning the death of the fly, the mouse died, too, as did   
   the rooster. Colman's heart was so heavy at the loss of his last pet   
   that he wrote to his friend Saint Columba. Columba responded:   
      
   "You were too rich when you had them. That is why you are sad now.   
   Trouble like that only comes where there are riches. Be rich no more."   
   Colman then realized that one can be rich without any money   
   (Curtayne).   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Beside each believer stands an Angel as protector and shepherd,   
   leading him to life.   
   -- St. Basil the Great   
      
   Bible Quote   
    I had many things to write unto thee: but I would not by ink and pen   
   write to thee. 14 But I hope speedily to see thee, and we will speak   
   mouth to mouth. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Salute the   
   friends by name.  (3 John 1:13-14)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Anima Christi:   
      
   Soul of Christ, sanctify me.   
   Body of Christ, save me.   
   Blood of Christ, inebriate me.   
   Water from the side of Christ, wash me.   
   Passion of Christ, strengthen me.   
   O good Jesus, hear me.   
   Within Thy wounds, hide me.   
   Permit me not to be separated from Thee.   
   From the malignant enemy, defend me.   
   In the hour of my death, call me.   
   And bid me come to Thee,   
   That, with Thy saints, I may praise Thee   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)