From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Love God with one's whole self   
      
   "Human life consists in a threefold unity. We are taught similarly by   
   the apostle in what he says to the Ephesians, praying for them that   
   the complete grace of their 'body and soul and spirit' may be   
   preserved at the coming of the Lord. We use the word 'body,' for the   
   nutritive part, the word for the vital, 'soul,' and the word 'spirit'   
   for the intellective dimension. In just this way the Lord instructs   
   the writer of the Gospel that he should set before every commandment   
   that love to God which is exercised with all the heart and soul and   
   mind (Mark 12:30; Matthew 22:37; Luke 10:27). This single phrase   
   embraces the human whole: the corporeal heart, the mind as the higher   
   intellectual and mental nature, and the soul as their mediator."   
   --Gregory of Nyssa, 330-395 AD(excerpt from ON THE MAKING OF MAN 8.5.10)   
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   December 3rd - St. Berinus of Dorchester   
   Also known as Birinus of Genoa   
   Apostle of Wessex   
   Berin of….   
   Birin of….   
      
   Frankish priest, born c.600. Died 3 December 650 at Dorchester.   
      
   Birinus was probably a Frank, consecrated a bishop by Archbishop   
   Asterius in Genoa. In 634, he was sent by Pope Honorius I to convert   
   the pagan people of Mercia. He landed at Portchester (Hampshire) and   
   moved up through the Christian Celts of Hampshire to Silchester   
   (Hampshire). Before he reached Mercia though, he encountered the pagan   
   Saxons of the Thames Valley. Finding them greatly in need of Christian   
   teaching, he decided to stay and was directed to the King's estate on   
   the Berkshire Downs, probably at Cholsey (Berkshire). Here he met King   
   Cynegils of Wessex who chose Churn Knob (Blewbury, Berkshire) as the   
   site for the saint's first sermon. He must have thought this ancient   
   pagan place to be a fine spot to intimidate the newcomer. However,   
   Birinus was unperturbed and even managed to persuade the King of the   
   merits of Christianity. Cynegils allowed Birinus to preach throughout   
   his Kingdom, but it took a while before he himself was totally   
   converted.   
      
   The King was, at the time, desperately trying to finalise an alliance   
   with the powerful King Oswald of Northumbria. Together he hoped they   
   could defeat the hated Mercians. Cynegils arranged negotiations at his   
   palace in Easthampstead (Berkshire), and the King of Northumbria   
   traveled down to meet him. On reaching Finchampstead (Berkshire), the   
   King became thirsty and prayed for water. The Holy Dozell's (or St.   
   Oswald's) Well instantaneously sprang up and flowed fresh water. At   
   the Royal talks, the only sticking point was that Oswald was a   
   Christian and would not ally himself to any pagan. So the King of   
   Wessex decided it was time to be baptised into this new church. Oswald   
   agreed the alliance could then be cemented by the marriage of his   
   daughter and the southern King. Birinus was sent for and, at the   
   nearby Fountain Garth (Bracknell, Berkshire), Cynegils was baptised   
   immediately.   
      
   The bishop was given the old Roman town of Dorcic   
   (Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire) in which to build himself a   
   cathedral, and the Royal party travelled north to examine the site. On   
   the way many of the Royal courtiers also expressed a desire to become   
   Christian, so at the Brightwell (Berkshire) crossing of the Thames   
   near Dorchester, Birinus arranged for a large proportion of his Court   
   to be baptised en mass. The King's son, Cwichelm, resisted at first,   
   but he was eventually converted to Christianity the following year.   
   King Cynegils died in 643 and, about five years later, the new King,   
   Cenwalh, invited Birinus to establish an important minster at   
   Winchester. Other churches in Wessex have a lesser claim to a Birinian   
   foundation: St. Mary's, Reading (Berkshire); St. Helen's, Abingdon   
   (Berkshire) and the parish church of Taplow (Buckinghamshire), where   
   the saint is said to have baptised the local Saxons in Bapsey Pond.   
   These were the beginnings of the See of Wessex. Birinus became its   
   first Bishop and remained so until his death in 649. His shrine at   
   Dorchester became a great place of pilgrimage, but controversy later   
   arose when the Bishop moved his seat to Winchester and claimed to have   
   taken the body of Birinus with him. Winchester Cathedral still has his   
   relics.   
      
   Birinus had great devotion for the Body of Our Lord, as is shown in   
   the account of his walking on the sea to procure the corporal given   
   him by Pope Honorius, wherein he ever carried the Blessed Eucharist.   
   Many miracles took place at the discovery of Birinus's relics, and   
   Huntingdon among others speaks of "the great miracles of Birin". At   
   present, there is a growing devotion to him in the Established Church,   
   due probably to the connection of the British royal family with   
   Cedric, a side branch of whose stock was Cynegils.   
      
   Saint Quote:   
    Sometimes the devil inspires souls with an inordinate zeal for a   
   certain virtue or some special pious exercise, so that they will be   
   motivated by their passion to practice it more and more. This   
   temptation is more to pride rather than virtue....Sometimes, on the   
   other hand, the devil coaches souls to do less than they can really   
   do. This temptation is more to false humility...In both cases, the   
   devil's goal is to make the soul discouraged when the virtue is found   
   to be unattainable; and to be wearied and disgusted if his efforts are   
   below his abilities. The soul ends up neglecting everything. It is as   
   necessary to overcome the one snare as the other.   
   -- Saint Catherine of Bologna, from On the Seven Spiritual Weapons   
      
   <><><><>   
   Daily Thoughts and Prayers for Our Beloved Dead   
      
   "Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends, because   
   the hand of the Lord hath touched me" Job. 19-21.   
      
   12th DAY   
      
   They are not strangers who implore our help--they are our own; our   
   parents, brothers and friends. They are the devoted hearts who loved   
   us so tenderly and for us so earnestly toiled and suffered. Now that   
   they are gone from our midst, does not our heart reproach us for not   
   having sufficiently shown our affection in the past?   
      
   Prayers:  Our Father, Three Hail Marys, Gloria, De Profundis.   
      
   De Profundis   
      
      Out of the depths, I have cried to Thee,   
   O Lord, Lord, hear my voice.   
      Let Thine ears be attentive to the   
   voice of my supplication.   
      If Thou, O Lord, shalt mark my iniquities,   
   O Lord, who shall stand it?   
      For with Thee there is merciful   
   forgiveness: and by reason of Thy   
   law I have waited for Thee, O Lord.   
   My soul hath relied on His word;   
   my soul hath hoped in the Lord.   
      From the morning watch even until   
   night; let Israel hope in the Lord.   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)