From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   On Contempt for Worldly Honors  [II]   
      
      But because I have so often and grievously sinned against Thee,   
   every creature is rightly in arms against me. Shame and contempt are   
   my just due; but to Thee, O Lord, be praise, honor and glory. Unless I   
   am ready, willing and glad to be despised and abandoned by all   
   creatures and to be regarded as of no consequence, I cannot obtain   
   inward peace and stability, nor can I become spiritually enlightened   
   and fully united to You.   
   --Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Bk 3 Ch 41   
      
   ==============   
   December 14th - St. Spiridion   
   (Fourth Century)   
      
   Not much is know in detail about St. Spiridion, a native of Cyprus who   
   lived in the early fourth century. Certainly he was a married man   
   (still frequently the case at that time among Catholic bishops); his   
   means of support was raising sheep and, while he was not a learned   
   man, he was gifted with courage, devotion and common sense.   
      
   One story has come down to us from his lay days that is a little   
   fabulous but does reflect his character.   
      
   One night a gang of thieves invaded Spiridion’s property to steal some   
   of his sheep. Before they could seize the sheep, however, they were   
   themselves seized by some invisible power, so that they could neither   
   grab the animals nor take flight. Spiridion found them thus   
   immobilized the next morning. He said a prayer and their unseen bonds   
   immediately fell away. The saint did nothing to punish these robbers.   
   Indeed, feeling a little sorry that they had wasted a whole night, he   
   gave them a ram to take with them!   
      
   After some years, the people of Tremithus chose this decent   
   sheep-raiser as their bishop. They doubtless knew that he was a simple   
   man and no genius. Tremithus was a small and impoverished diocese, but   
   Bishop Spiridion saw to it that his little flock of Christians was   
   well provided for spiritually. Recompense for his own support didn’t   
   worry him. He just continued to raise sheep for his livelihood.   
      
   In the year 303, the Roman co-emperor Galerius urged Emperor   
   Diocletian to declare open war on Christians. Luckily, Spiridion did   
   not become a martyr during this wholesale persecution. He was   
   arrested, however; they put out one of his eyes, hamstrung his left   
   leg and sent him off to do hard labor in the mines. Eventually he was   
   set free, perhaps because the persecution was halted.   
      
   Some have said that Bishop Spiridion took in the first ecumenical   
   council, held at Nicaea in Asia Minor in 325. This does not seem to be   
   correct. However, a delightful legend arose out of his supposed   
   attendance.   
      
   En route to the council, he is said to have encountered several other   
   bishops bound for Nicaea. Because the Bishop of Tremithus was such a   
   simple soul, these sophisticated bishops were afraid that he might   
   make a mess of things in the council chamber. To prevent his reaching   
   there, they told their servants to cut off the heads of the mules of   
   the saint and his companion, a deacon. When Spiridion arose before   
   dawn the next day, ready to set out, he saw the dead animals. At once   
   he ordered his deacon to reattach the severed heads. When this was   
   done, the animals promptly returned to life. Unfortunately, as the sun   
   rose, it became evident that the deacon had put the brown head of his   
   own mule on the bishop’s white mule, and vice versa. It didn’t seem to   
   trouble the mules, so Spiridion was not worried. The two churchmen   
   rode off at a good clip on their two-toned steeds.   
      
   If St. Spiridion was not well educated in many matters, he was at   
   least deeply acquainted with the scriptures, which he held in the   
   greatest reverence. Once in a gathering of bishops, St. Triphyllius of   
   Ledra, preaching on Christ’s healing the paralytic, quoted the   
   scripture passage, “Take up thy bed and walk,” a little more elegantly   
   (he thought): “Take up thy couch and walk.” Spiridion asked him,   
   pointedly, whether the word Our Lord himself had used was not good   
   enough.   
      
   Our saint had shown similar good judgment many years before. As a   
   layman, he and his family had a custom at the beginning of the Lenten   
   fast, of eating no food at all for the first few days. Early one Lent,   
   a tired, hungry traveler stopped by and asked for hospitality.   
   Spiridion’s family, fasting, had no bread to offer. The bishop did   
   have some salt pork, however, and he ordered this to be cooked and   
   served to the guest. The guest declined to eat it. “I am a Christian,”   
   he said, “and I am unwilling to break Lent.” “So am I,” said the   
   shepherd. “Come, I’ll eat with you.”   
      
   It was a good point. Church rules are to be interpreted reasonably.   
   Fasting is pleasing to God, but charity to neighbor pleases him still   
   more.   
   –Father Robert   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   It ought to be our principal object to conquer ourselves, and from day   
   to day to go on increasing in spiritual strength and perfection. But,   
   above all, it is necessary that we should study to overcome our little   
   temptations to anger, suspicion, jealousy, envy, duplicity, vanity,   
   foolish attachments, evil thoughts, and so on: for, by so doing, we   
   shall gain strength to resist more violent temptations.   
   --St. Francis of Sales   
      
   Bible Quote:   
    Let no temptation take hold on you, but such as is human. And God is   
   faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you   
   are able: but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be   
   able to bear it  (1 Cor. 10:13) DRB   
      
      
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   God alone is enough.   
      
   Let nothing upset you,   
   let nothing startle you.   
   All things pass;   
   God does not change.   
   Patience wins   
   all it seeks.   
   Whoever has God   
   lacks nothing:   
   God alone is enough   
   --St Teresa Avila   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)