From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   On the Corruption of Nature and the Efficacy of Divine Grace [V]   
      
   O most blessed grace, that makes the poor in spirit rich in virtues,   
   and the richly blessed humble in heart! Come, descend on me! Fill me   
   with your comfort, (Ps 40:14) lest my soul faint from weariness and   
   dryness of mind I pray, Lord, that I may find favour in Thy sight, for   
   Thy grace is sufficient for me,(2 Cor. 12:9) even if I obtain none of   
   those things that nature desires. However often I am tempted and   
   troubled, I will fear no evil (Ps.23:4) so long as Thy grace remains   
   with me.   
   --Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Bk 3 Ch 55   
      
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   31 December – Blessed Alain de Solminihac OSA   
   Also known as   
   Alain de Solminihac   
   Alamus de Solminihac   
   Alan av Solminihac   
   Alan of Solminihac   
   Alanus av Solminihac   
      
   Memorial   
   31 December   
   3 January (Augustinians)   
      
   Bishop of Cahors from 1636 until his death, religious of the Order of   
   the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine of Chancelade in Périgueux (now   
   the Confederation of St Augustine).  Blessed Alain was Abbot,   
   Reformer, Marian devotee most especially to Our Lady of Rocamadour,   
   Apostle of the Holy Eucharist especially by his promotion of   
   Adoration, he was also a member of the Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement.   
   Born on 25 November 1593 in the family castle at Belet, Dordogne,   
   France and died on 31 December 1659, aged 66, at Mercues, Lot, France   
   of natural causes. Patronage – the Diocese of Cahors.   
      
   Alain was born into an aristocratic family in castle Belet near   
   Perigueux in France.   
   He wanted to become a member of the Knights of Malta in order to serve   
   God but felt a strong call to the Priesthood and to the religious life   
   so joined the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine of Chancelade in 1613   
   as a postulant.  The completion of his theological studies soon saw   
   him Ordained to the Priesthood on 22 September 1618.  While still a   
   young man he became the Abbot of Chancelade, which had fallen into   
   disrepair as a result of the turmoil of the times. He strove with   
   great effort and effect to reform his brothers in the Congregation of   
   the Canons Regular of Chancelade.   
      
   In 1636 he became Bishop of Cahors. He was as a zealous shepherd of   
   the flock with which he was entrusted. As Bishop he visited each of   
   his 800 parishes at least nine times during the course of his   
   episcopate and he held an episcopal consecration on one occasion.   
   His great devotion to the Holy Eucharist prompted him to promote   
   Eucharistic Adoration as well as restoring many pastoral devotions   
   within his Diocese.   
      
   He attended the Council of Trent and followed the lead of Saint   
   Charles Borromeo in enforcing it’s decrees in his diocese. During this   
   time, he met Saint Francis de Sales during Lent in 1619 and the two   
   became friends and had many more meetings following this. Another   
   friendship was his close relationship with Saint Vincent de Paul.   
      
   His reform work not only blessed his Diocese but influenced other   
   parts of France.   
   Moreover, he remained always faithful to the Holy See. Misconceptions,   
   which surrounded him, were resolved in his favour. His convincing love   
   of neighbour made him a brilliant light of faith in 17th Century   
   France. After a long, zealous, faithful and strenuous life he died on   
   31 December 1659.   
      
   He was declared a Servant of God after Pope Pius VI opened his cause   
   for sainthood on 6 August 1783 and Pope Pius XI declared him to be   
   Venerable on 19 June 1927. St Pope John Paul II Beatified him on 4   
   October 1981. The miracle required for his Beatification involved the   
   cure of Marie Ledoux on 29 June 1661 in France.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   “You must follow the good pleasure of God   
   as soon as you know it and accomplish it   
   by immediately turning your eyes to God,   
   remaining in a simple expectation,   
   to receive another sign or command,   
   without wasting time,   
   delight in the satisfaction of having accomplished   
   this adorable Will of God.”   
   --Blessed Alain de Solminihac (1593-1659)   
      
   Bible Quote   
   His disciples say to him: Behold, now thou speakest plainly, and   
   speakest no proverb. 30 Now we know that thou knowest all things, and   
   thou needest not that any man should ask thee. By this we believe that   
   thou camest forth from God. (John 16:29-30)   
      
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   He came to his own home and his own people received him not. But to   
   all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to   
   become children of God…. John 1:11-12   
      
   REFLECTION – “Lord, we have heard Your works and we have been   
   astounded. We have pondered Your marvels and we have fainted.   
   As Your Word descended, our heart has been melted and all our   
   innermost being, trembling, has been laid bare to Him. For while   
   silence, held all things and night, in her journey reached her   
   mid-course, Your Almighty Word came from its royal abode (cf. Wis   
   18:14-15). You poured out, O Father, the tenderness of Your love upon   
   us and You could no longer contain the multitude of Your mercies. You   
   shed light in the darkness, dew upon the dryness and in the bitter   
   frost, You kindled a raging fire. Your Son appeared to us as an   
   abundance of food when grievous famine threatened, as a spring of   
   living water, to a life in distress and fainting from thirst in the   
   heat. Or surely, just as there is wont to appear, a strong helper and   
   deliverer for men besieged, who are about to rush out into battle,   
   with death before their eyes and with the enemy’s threatening sword   
   (…): so He appeared for us and became our Salvation.   
   Yet it is an excellent and salutary thing to recount again the   
   beginning of our Salvation and to treat of His incarnation, to recall   
   whence He came and in what sort He descended.” \   
   … St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Cistercian Monk, Bishop – On the   
   praises of the Blessed Mary, homily III, SC 72.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)