From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Resentment   
      
   Resentment doesn't just happen, it grows like a poisonous plant that   
   grows entwined in our hearts. The weed increases in size until it   
   chokes the fruitful vine that should be growing there instead. It is   
   something that we can control, for if we don't it will invade all of   
   our thinking. Jesus forbids us bear anger in our heart if we are to   
   approach God with our prayers of petition, adoration, contrition or   
   thanksgiving.   
      
   ==============   
   August 22nd - St. Emilian of Autun   
      
   Muslim invasions, which began taking over Spain in 711, soon began to   
   spread across the Pyrenees into various regions of France. In 725, an   
   attack was planned against the city of Autun, rich in abbeys and   
   monasteries. A reaction of the French Catholics rose in Bretagne, led   
   by St. Emilian, Bishop of Nantes.Born in a noble family of Armonica,   
   he was famous for his courage and honor. Magnanimous, with keen   
   discernment and a noble character, he had great intelligence as well   
   as a faith worthy of a martyr and an ardent zeal for the interests of   
   the Church. So, when he heard the news that the Muslims would invade   
   Autun, the Bishop considered it his duty to take up the sword. He   
   judged that it was necessary to fight rather than flee and see the   
   things he loved the most destroyed: Catholicism and France.   
      
   He called the people to the Cathedral and made this appeal, which   
   became legendary in the Middle Ages:   
      
       “O! All you strong men of war who are still stronger in the faith:   
   take into your hands the shield of this divine Faith, mark on your   
   foreheads the sign of the Cross, cover your heads with the helmet of   
   salvation, and protect your chests with the armor of the Lord. Then   
   after taking up this religious armor, soldiers of Jesus Christ, do yet   
   more.   
      
       “Take your strongest weapons of war, your sharpest swords of the   
   best steel, and come together to combat and smash the miserable   
   enemies who like furious beasts slaughter our Catholic brothers. It is   
   the moment to say with Judas Macabeus: 'Be strong and make yourself   
   ready that you may fight with these people, which are agreed together   
   to destroy us and our sanctuary. Better is it for us to die in battle,   
   than to see our people and our sanctuary in such a miserable state.'”   
      
   Touched by the Holy Ghost and filled with enthusiasm, the crowd   
   shouted: “Lord and Venerable Pastor, give the order and command, and   
   where you go, we will follow.”   
      
   The Saint answered: “On this spot we shall gather and from the foot of   
   this altar we will start out against the enemy. And I will have the   
   honor to march at the head of the soldiers of Jesus Christ.”   
      
   On the arranged date, wearing his sacred vestments the Bishop said   
   Holy Mass and gave Communion to the men who would fight with him.   
   Then, they started their march to Autun. A series of marvelous   
   victories followed the Breton army. They saved Autun at the great   
   battle of Saint Forjand, and defeated the infidel army at the pass of   
   Crès d’Aussi.The enemy made another attack but was defeated at the   
   battle of St. Jean de Louis. The Muslim chief, however, made another   
   maneuver to reconquer Autun. To cut off his path, St. Emilian gathered   
   a number of his subjects and said: “Dear and brave companions, I   
   congratulate you for your great faith. The number of combatants is not   
   important; the victory comes from Heaven.” Then, making a sign of the   
   Cross, he said, “Lord, into Thy hands I commend my spirit,” and   
   entered into the thick of the fight.   
      
   Tradition says that St. Emilian severely wounded the Muslim chief   
   during the fight. When the Saracens saw their chief so near to death,   
   many rallied to help him. The Saint Bishop fell to the ground, fatally   
   wounded by many sword thrusts. He continued to shout encouraging his   
   soldiers, but finally expired. It was August 22, 725. The Muslim chief   
   ordered St. Emilian beheaded. Later the Catholics gathered his relics,   
   which were treasured as objects of great veneration. His cult was   
   confirmed by Pope Pius IX.   
      
       [Seven years after the sack of Autun in 725, Charles Martel met   
   Abd-er-Rahman outside of Tours and defeated and slew him. The Battle   
   of Poitiers of 732 is considered one of the great turning points in   
   History, which stopped the Islamic advance into Western Europe.]   
      
      
   Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira:   
      
   The decree of Pope Pius IX is very valuable because it confirms the   
   legitimacy of St. Emilian’s initiative to go into battle, leading his   
   warriors against the Moors, engaging in the fight, and finally reining   
   his horse to the center of battle, where he died from wounds inflicted   
   by the enemies.   
      
   There is a principle of Canon Law that states that ecclesiastics   
   should not shed blood with their own hands. Ecclesia abhorrit   
   sanguine, the Church has a horror of blood. She is the mother who   
   doesn’t want to see the blood of her children shed. This is why she   
   forbade her ecclesiastics to enter into combat.But that principle   
   doesn’t go so far as to affirm that bloodshed is never permitted.   
   There were the Crusades, for example, that were called by the Church.   
   What is the wise criteria behind this rule and its exceptions?   
      
   Let us imagine a village where a certain villain became famous for his   
   crimes and evil behavior. The man is justly condemned to death, and   
   the judge needs someone to execute the sentence. Let us suppose that   
   the men who would normally do this had gone to war, and the only one   
   left who could execute the sentence was the father of the bandit. Must   
   the father hang the son? What does Catholic Morals says about such a   
   situation? The Church teaches that even if the son is clearly guilty   
   and deserves death, the father is dispensed from executing the   
   sentence. According to Natural Law a father should not kill his own   
   son. The father can agree that his son is guilty and deserves to die,   
   he can encourage others to execute the sentence, but he should not   
   have to do it. The judge should wait for another person to execute the   
   sentence.   
      
   An analogous situation governs Church policy regarding the shedding of   
   blood. She can agree that bloodshed is necessary, she can encourage   
   it, she can canonize those who do so; but since she is the mother, she   
   does not do so. There is no contradiction, it is a refinement of moral   
   sensitivity. This is the extremely beautiful rule.   
      
   So, Bishops and priests did not shed the blood of others. But it is   
   also very beautiful that some exceptions existed to this rule. One   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)