From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Be converted with a sincere heart   
      
      Fix your minds on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Inflamed   
   with love for us, he came down from heaven to redeem us. For our sake   
   he endured every torment of body and soul and shrank from no bodily   
   pain. He himself gave us an example of perfect patience and love. We,   
   then, are to be patient in adversity. Put aside your hatred and   
   animosity. Take pains to refrain from sharp words. If they escape your   
   lips, do not be ashamed to let your lips produce the remedy, since   
   they have caused the wounds. Pardon one another so that later on you   
   will not remember the injury. The recollection of an injury is itself   
   wrong. It adds to our anger, nurtures our sin, and hates what is good.   
   It is a rusty arrow and poison for the soul. It puts all virtue to   
   flight. It is like a worm in the mind: it confuses our speech and   
   tears to shreds our petitions to God. It is foreign to charity: it   
   remains planted in the soul like a nail. It is wickedness that never   
   sleeps, sin that never fails. It is indeed a daily death.   
   --Francis de Paola   
      
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   April 6th - Blessed Zefirino Agostini   
      
   BL. ZEFIRINO AGOSTINI, the elder of two sons, was born on 24 September   
   1813 in Verona, Italy, to Antonio Agostini and Angela Frattini. Their   
   father was a doctor and they grew up in a true Christian family. He   
   was baptized an 28 September 1813 in the Church of SS Nazarius and   
   Celsus, which would later become his place of work.   
      
   After his father's death they were raised by their mother, whose   
   wisdom and gentleness would make a lasting impression on Zefirino.   
   Zefirino wanted to be a priest; he attended the local schools and   
   studied philosophy at the seminary as a day student, always showing   
   love for his vocation and attention to the problems of his time. He   
   was ordained on 11 March 1837 by Bishop Grasser of Verona and   
   celebrated his first Mass in St. Nazarius Church. Here he was a curate   
   for eight years, in charge of the boys' recreational programme and the   
   teaching of Christian doctrine.   
      
   In 1845 he was named parish priest. Given its size, poverty and   
   problems, some said his acceptance of this post was "truly heroic".   
   With deep devotion to God and ardent love for his people, Fr Agostini   
   could accept people and their sufferings with a fatherly heart and   
   discern the signs of the times with prophetic vision. His first   
   commitment was to find time for the Lord and cultivate familiarity   
   with him in daily prayer.   
      
   His openness to God produced an ardent apostolic zeal, which made him   
   tirelessly attentive to all his parishioners. Among his many   
   activities for the poor and needy, he showed his concern for the   
   education of women by establishing an after-school programme for girls   
   and attending to the religious instruction of their mothers. The moral   
   and material poverty of young girls prompted him to take a special   
   interest in them. He discovered St. Angela Merici and her ideals. He   
   spoke enthusiastically about her to young women and celebrated her   
   feast-day as early as 1855. The Holy Spirit and the need to rescue and   
   educate girls spurred him to accept an offer made by three young   
   members of the after-school programme to devote themselves, like St.   
   Angela, to the neediest.   
      
   After patient waiting and much prayer, Fr Agostini realized that   
   following St. Angela's example was the Lord's will. Trusting in   
   Providence, although he lacked the means, he succeeded in founding the   
   Pious Union of Sisters Devoted to St. Angela Merici. Their rule was   
   approved by Bishop Ricabona in 1856. That same year, on 2 November, he   
   opened his first charitable school for poor girls. The first women to   
   assist him lived with their families. After 1860 some chose community   
   life and Fr Agostini prepared the first rule for the Ursuline   
   community, which was approved that year. On 24 September 1869 the   
   first 12 Ursulines made their profession; on 18 November, the   
   Congregation of Ursulines, Daughters of Mary Immaculate was founded.   
   Some continued to help in the parish while living at home.   
      
   Fr Agostini cared for all with respect seeking nothing but God's will   
   and the good of souls. Those who knew him described him as humble and   
   persevering full of pastoral zeal. In 1874 he made revealing remark to   
   his sisters: "Do no be dismayed by toil or suffering, nor by the   
   meager fruit of your labours. Remember that God rewards not according   
   to results, but effort". He worked tirelessly for the glory of God,   
   irresistibly drawn to the crucified Lord. He died on 6 April 1896.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Mary was raised to the dignity of Mother of God rather for sinners   
   than for the just, since Jesus Christ declares that he came to call   
   not the just, but sinners.   
   --St. Anselm   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they   
   shall.walk and not faint.  (Isaiah 40:31)   
      
      
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   May I Love You More Dearly   
   St Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)   
      
   Thanks be to You,   
   my Lord Jesus Christ   
   For all the benefits   
   You have bestowed upon me,   
   For all the pains and insults   
   You have borne for me.   
   O most merciful Redeemer,   
   friend and brother,   
   May I know You more clearly,   
   Love You more dearly,   
   Follow You more nearly.   
   Amen   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)