From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   First Path of Repentance   
      
   A first path of repentance is the condemnation of your own sins: be   
   the first to admit your sins and you will be justified. For this   
   reason, too, the prophet wrote: I said: I will accuse myself of my   
   sins to the Lord and you forgave the weakness of my heart. Therefore,   
   you too should condemn your own sins; that will be enough reason for   
   the Lord to forgive you, for a man who condemns his own sins is slower   
   to commit them again. Rouse your conscience to accuse you within your   
   own house, lest it become your accuser before the judgment seat of the   
   Lord.   
   --Excerpt from sermon of St. John Chrysostom   
      
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   March 24th -  Blessed Didacus Joseph of Cadiz   
      
   1743-1801   
   This humble Capuchin, who could make no progress at school, this   
   "dunce of Cadiz" was later on admired by the world as the savior of   
   the Faith in Spain, as a second Paul, as the apostle of his century.   
   His lineage dated from the Visigoth kings. After he had taken the   
   habit of St. Francis with the Capuchins in Seville, had been ordained   
   to the priesthood, and had prepared himself by a holy life, he was   
   appointed to the task of preaching. Everybody marveled at the singular   
   power and unction of his words, which swayed his audiences and left an   
   impression on their lives. But most astonished of all was the   
   venerable Dominican, Antonio Querero, a fellow student of Didacus, who   
   knew how difficult study had been for him. A child, however, solved   
   the problem one day during a sermon, when he shouted aloud in the   
   church: "Mother, mother, see the dove resting on the shoulder of   
   Father Didacus! I could preach like that too if a dove told me all   
   that I should say!"   
      
   And there was the secret. Because of his humility and virtue, the Holy   
   Spirit had converted this unlearned man into the most celebrated   
   preacher in Spain. But how Father Didacus prayed before his sermons!   
   How he scourged himself even unto blood, in order to draw down God's   
   mercy upon the people!   
      
   Once when his superior chided him because of the austerity of his   
   life, the saint replied: "Ah, Father, my sins and the sins of the   
   people compel me to do it. Those who have been charged with the   
   conversion of sinners must remember that the Lord has imposed upon   
   them the sins of all their clients. By means of our penances we should   
   atone for the sins of our fellowmen and thus preserve ourselves and   
   them from eternal death. It would hardly be too much if we shed the   
   last drop of our blood for their conversion."   
      
   In this disposition he journeyed through all Spain and infused new   
   Catholic life wherever he went. In a very pronounced way he preached   
   the praise of the most Holy Trinity and of the Blessed Virgin Mary.   
      
   Honors did not escape him. He was appointed extraordinary consultor of   
   the Church, synodal examiner in almost all the Spanish dioceses,   
   honorary canon, and honorary doctor of several universities. He died   
   in 1801, in the 58th year of his highly blessed life, and was   
   beatified by Pope Leo XIII.   
      
   Saint Quote:   
   As a mother delights in taking her child on her knees, in caressing   
   and feeding him, so does our God delight in treating with love and   
   tenderness those souls who give themselves entirely to Him, and place   
   all their hopes in His goodness and bounty.   
   -- St. Alphonsus Liguori   
      
      
   Do not grumble, brethren, one against another, that you may not be   
   judged. Behold the judge standeth before the door.   James 5:9  DRB   
      
      
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   ON THE NECESSITY OF PENANCE   
   1. Consider the rigorous penance of Blessed Didacus. We do not need,   
   nor are we permitted to imitate him in it. But it would be well if we   
   strove to cultivate the spirit which prompted him to undertake it. Not   
   without reason does the holy council of Trent explain: "The whole life   
   of a Christian should be one continuous act of penance." We are   
   sinners, and the first requisite of true penance is the acknowledgment   
   and confession of our sinfulness and hearty sorrow for our offenses.   
   -- Do you possess at least this kind of contrition?   
      
   2. Consider the admonition of our Lord: "Except you do penance, you   
   shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:5), that is to say, by sudden   
   death. Our Lord spoke these words after it had been reported to Him   
   that a number of persons had died a sudden death. But who is there who   
   would care to be surprised in his sins by sudden death? Let us,   
   therefore, heed that other word also: "Today, if you hear His voice,   
   harden not your hearts" (Heb 3:8). --Should you not long ago have   
   followed the call to penance?   
      
   3. Consider penance as atonement for the sins of others. What fruitful   
   penance Blessed Didacus took upon himself in order to atone for the   
   sins of the people. Hence, his sermons produced "fruits worthy of   
   penance" (Luke 3:8). He who seriously considers how frequently our   
   good God is offended every day, will count it as a sweet obligation to   
   impose small mortifications upon himself by way of atonement.-- Have   
   you ever thought of doing that? On Fridays? During Lent? During the   
   Ember weeks?   
      
      
   PRAYER OF THE CHURCH   
   Oh God, who did endow Thy blessed confessor, Didacus, with the science   
   of the saints and didst work wonders through him for the salvation of   
   his people, grant us through his intercession to think those things   
   that are right and just, so that we may arrive safely at the kingdom   
   of Thy glory. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.   
      
   From:   
   http://www.paxetbonum.net/saints/march.html#24   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)