From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   On Asking God's Help and the Certainty of his Grace  [V]   
      
   CHRIST.   
   If you are wise and have right judgement, you will never despair or be   
   discouraged. On the contrary, if I scourge you with trouble and do not   
   spare you,(Job 6:10) be glad and grateful, and regard it as cause for   
   joy. For, `as My Father has loved Me, so do I love you,(John 15:9)   
   were My words to my well loved disciples, whom I did not send out to   
   enjoy the pleasures of the world, but to fight hard battles; not to   
   win honours, but contempt; not to be idle, but industrious; not to   
   rest, but to bring forth much fruit with patience.(Luke 8:15)   
   --Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ, Bk 3, Ch 30   
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   June 26th - Blessed Andrea Giacinto Longhin   
   (Also known as Andrea of Fiumicello; Andrew Longhin; Andrew of   
   Campodarsego; Bishop of the Catechism; Hyacinth Bonaventure Longhin)   
      
   Born on 22 November 1863 in Fiumicello di Campodarsego, province and   
   diocese of Padua, Italy as Hyacinth Bonaventure Longhin. The only son   
   of Matthew and Judith Marin, poor and pious tenant farmers. He early   
   felt a call to the priesthood. Against the wishes of his father, he   
   became a Capuchin novice, taking the name Andrew of Campodarsego at   
   Bassano del Grappa, Venice on 27 August 1879 at age 16. Studied at   
   Padua and Venice, made his solemn profession on 4 October 1883, and   
   was ordained on 19 June 1886.   
      
   Spiritual director for young religious for 18 years. Taught at the   
   Capuchin seminary at Udine. Director of Capuchin teachers at Padua in   
   1889. Director of theology students in Venice in 1891. Capuchin   
   Provincial Minister at Venice on 18 April 1902 where he came to the   
   attention of the future Pope Saint Pius X. Bishop of Treviso, ordained   
   in Rome on 17 April 1904, a see he would hold for 32 years.   
      
   He entered the see with reform in mind, and spent five years traveling   
   from parish to parish, preaching and becoming close to his   
   parishioners and clergy, many of whom resisted his reforming efforts.   
   He reformed the diocesan seminary, improving the quality of teaching   
   and spiritual formation. He promoted spiritual retreats for the   
   clergy, and worked with lay groups, especially those involved in the   
   Catholic social movement, supporting the right for workers to   
   organize. He encouraged religious orders to work in his diocese; male   
   institutes went from 7 to 12, women's from 10 to 24 during his   
   bishopric, and these included houses of Franciscans, Passionists,   
   Salesians, Carmelites, Somaschi Fathers, Camillians Fathers   
   Giuseppini, and Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Friend of Saint   
   Leopold Mandic.   
      
   During the air and ground attacks that destroyed Treviso in World War   
   I, Bishop Andrew stayed at his post, and told his priests that they   
   could leave if they were ministering to refugees. Andrew became the   
   center of work in the community, organizing help for soldiers, the   
   wounded, the sick and the poor. Because he refused to ally himself   
   with any of the war parties, he was convicted of defeatism, and was   
   imprisoned with several of his priests. Upon his release, he resumed   
   his work of ministering in his diocese, and rebuilding the city and   
   the 47 parishes that had been destroyed, and was eventually awarded   
   the Cross of Merit war decoration.   
      
   During the post-war years, Bishop Andrew worked with many lay groups   
   to help keep the Catholic social movement as Catholic as possible. He   
   insisted on non-violence and loyalty to the Church, which put him at   
   odds with the growing Fascist movement. In 1920 he supported Leghe   
   Bianche, a Christian union movement. Pope Pius X chose him as   
   Apostolic Visitor to Padua 1923 and then Udine in 1927 to 1928 in   
   order to return unity between the priests and bishops of those   
   dioceses.   
      
   Died Friday 26 June 1936 in Treviso, Italy of natural causes following   
   an eight-month illness; interred in the cathedral of Treviso   
      
   Venerated in 21 December 1998 by Pope John Paul II. Beatified 20   
   October 2002 by Pope John Paul II; his Cause began on 21 April 1964;   
   his beatification miracle involved the 1964 cure of Dino Stella from   
   diffuse peritonitis. Canonized pending   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   "The Catholic Church, having received the apostolic teaching and   
   faith, though spread over the whole world, guards it sedulously, as   
   though dwelling in one house; and these truths she uniformly teaches,   
   as having but one soul and one heart; these truths she proclaims,   
   teaches, and hands down as though she had but one mouth."   
   --St. Irenaeus in the second century   
      
   Bible Quote   
   He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth   
   me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.  (Luke   
   10:16)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Meditation:   
      
   Do you recognize the indwelling presence of the Lord Jesus in your   
   life? Blessed are you if you see and recognize the Lord with the "eyes   
   of faith". The word "blessed" [makarios in Greek] literally means   
   "happiness" or "beatitude". It describes a kind of joy which is serene   
   and untouchable, self-contained, and independent from chance and   
   changing circumstances of life.  There is a certain paradox for those   
   "blessed" by the Lord.  Mary was given the "blessedness" of being the   
   mother of the Son of God. That blessedness also would become a sword   
   which pierced her heart as her Son died upon the cross. Anselm, a   
   great teacher and Archbishop of Canterbury (1033-1109), spoke these   
   words in a homily: "Without God's Son nothing could exist; without   
   Mary's son, nothing could be redeemed." To be chosen by God is an   
   awesome privilege and responsibility. Mary received both a crown of   
   joy and a cross of sorrow. Her joy was not diminished by her sorrow   
   because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his   
   promises. Jesus promised his disciples that "no one will take your joy   
   from you" (John 16:22). The Lord gives us a supernatural joy which   
   enables us to bear any sorrow or pain and which neither life nor death   
   can take away. Do you know the joy of a life given over to God in   
   faith and trust?   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)