From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
    God is good   
      
    God is good. You can often tell whether or not a thing is of God. If   
   it is of God, it must be good. Honesty, purity, unselfishness, and   
   love are all good, unselfish helpfulness is good, and these things all   
   lead to the abundant life. Leave in God's hands the present and the   
   future, knowing only that He is good. The hand that veils the future   
   is the hand of God. He can bring order out of chaos, good out of evil,   
   and peace out of turmoil. We can believe that everything really good   
   comes from God and that He shares His goodness with us. I pray that I   
   may reach out for the good. I pray that I may try to choose the best   
   in life.   
   --From Twenty-Four Hours a Day   
      
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   October 29th - St. Chef, Abbot   
      
   [In Latin, Theuderius.]  CHEF, a young gentleman of one of the best   
   families of the city of Vienne, by the interior call of the Holy   
   Ghost, forsook the world; and having long exercised himself in the   
   most perfect practices of a monastic life under the direction of St.   
   Cæsarius at Arles, returned to his own country, and being joined by   
   several disciples, built for them first cells, and afterwards a   
   monastery near the city of Vienne in Dauphine. It was anciently a   
   custom in the most regular monasteries, that the hebdomadarian* priest   
   who said the community mass, spent the week in which he discharged   
   that function, in the closest retirement in his cell, and in holy   
   contemplation and austere penance, [1] both that he might be better   
   prepared to offer daily the tremendous sacrifice, and that he might   
   more faithfully acquit himself of his mediatorship between God and his   
   people. [2]   
      
    It was also a peculiar custom at Vienne in the sixth century, that   
   some monk, of whose sanctity the people entertained a high opinion,   
   was chosen, who should voluntarily lead the life of a recluse, being   
   walled up in a cell, and spending his whole time in fasting, praying,   
   and weeping to implore the divine mercy in favour of himself and his   
   country. This practice would have been an abuse and superstition, if   
   any person relying on the prayers of others, were themselves more   
   remiss in prayer or penance. St. Chef was pitched upon for this   
   penitential state, which obligation he willingly took upon himself,   
   and discharged with so much fervour as to seem desirous to set no   
   bounds to his tears and mortifications. An extraordinary gift of   
   miracles made his name famous in the whole country. He died about the   
   year 575, and was buried in the monastery of St. Laurence. His relics   
   were translated to a collegiate church of which he is the titular   
   patron, and which gives the name of St. Chef to the town where it   
   stands, in Dauphine, eight leagues from Vienne. This saint is named in   
   the Roman Martyrology. See his life written by Ado, archbishop of   
   Vienne, in Mabill. Sæc. 1. Ben. p. 678.   
      
   Note 1. Le Brun, Explic. des Cérém. de la Messe, Tr. Prelim. Rubr. 1,   
   p. 73, et Pratiques pour honorer les Sacr. Prat. 28.   
   Note 2. Every priest receives the charge of being a common   
   intercessor, and by divine right is bound to offer the holy sacrifice   
   and his earnest prayers, not only for the remission of his own sins,   
   but also for those of the people, for whom, by his office, he is   
   appointed the intercessor. (Heb. v. l. 3; S. Chrys. de Sacerdot. l. 6,   
   p. 424, t. 1, ed. Ben.) And theologians and canonists agree that every   
   curate of a parish is obliged to offer up his mass, at least every   
   Sunday and festival, for those souls in particular that are committed   
   to his charge. Conc. Trid. sess. 23, de Reform. c. 1. Gavant, Soto,   
   Bonacina, several answers of the Congr. of the Council at Rome quoted   
   by Pasqualig. qu. 851. Reiffenstuel, Barbosa, de Offic. Parochi, the   
   Constitution of Bened. XIV. which begins, Cum semper oblatas, &c.   
      
   * hebdomadarian   
   The priest or religious officiating for a week in a monastery or   
   church. A hebdomadarian sings the conventual Mass each day, intones   
   the various canonical hours in the Divine Office, sings the orations,   
   and gives all the necessary blessings. (Etym. Greek hebdomos,   
   seventh.)   
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Oh! happy is he who can say, "I have despised the kingdom of the   
   world, and all the glory of the time, for the love of my Lord Jesus   
   Christ.   
   --St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori   
      
   Bible Quote   
   And answering, he said to them: Go and relate to John what you have   
   heard and seen: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are made   
   clean, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, to the poor the gospel is   
   preached: And blessed is he whosoever shall not be scandalized in me.   
   (Luke 7:22-23)   
      
      
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   You and God...   
      
   People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered;   
   Forgive them anyway.   
   If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;   
   Be kind anyway.   
   If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends   
   and some genuine enemies;   
   Succeed anyway.   
   If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you;   
   Be honest and sincere anyway.   
   What you spend years creating others could destroy overnight;   
   Create anyway.   
   If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous;   
   Be happy anyway.   
   The good you do today will often be forgotten.   
   Do good anyway.   
   Give the best you have and it may never be enough;   
   Give your best anyway.   
   In the final analysis, it is between you and God;   
   It was never between you and them anyway.   
      
   --Mother Teresa   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)