Subj : =?UTF-8?B?NiBOb3ZlbWJlciDigJMgU2FpbnQgSmVhbi1UaMOpb3BoYW5lIFbDqW5hcmQsI To : All From : rich Date : Thu Nov 05 2020 08:44:29 From: rich 6 November ' Saint Jean-Th=C3=A9ophane V=C3=A9nard, M.E.P. Martyr, Missionary ' born on 21 November1829 at Saint-Loup-sur-Thou= et, Diocese of Poitiers, France ' martyred on 2 February 1861 in Tonkin= , Vietnam. St=C2 Th=C3=A9ophane was a French Catholic missionary to Indo-C= hina. He was a member of the Paris Foreign Missions Society. He was Beatified in company with 33 other Catholic martyrs, most of whom were natives of Tonkin, Cochin-China, or China.=C2 St Pope John Paul II Canonised him, with nineteen other martyrs, in 1988 (their combined memorial is 24 November). Th=C3=A9ophane V=C3=A9nard studied at the College of Dou=C3=A9-la-Fontaine, Montmorillon, Poitiers, and at the Paris Seminary for Foreign Missions which he entered as a sub-deacon. Ordained a priest on 5 June 1852, he departed for the Far East on 19 Sept. After fifteen months at Hong Kong he arrived at his mission in West Tonkin (northern Vietnam). At the time, it was illegal to proselytise in Vietnam. Shortly after Father V=C3=A9nard's arrival, a new royal edict was i= ssued against Christians and bishops and priests were obliged to seek refuge in caves, dense woods and elsewhere. Father V=C3=A9nard continued to exercise his ministry at night and, more boldly, in broad day. On 30 November 1860, he was betrayed and captured. Tried before a mandarin, he refused to apostatise and was sentenced to be beheaded. He remained a captive until 2 February and during this interval lived in a cage, from which he wrote to his family beautiful and consoling letters, joyful in anticipation of his crown. His bishop, Monsignor Retord, wrote of him at this time:=C2 =E2=80=9CThough in chains, he is as gay as= a little bird=E2=80=9D. He wrote these words in a farewell to his father: =E2=80=9CAll those around me are civil and respectful and a good number lov= e me. From the great mandarin down to the last soldier, they all regret that the laws of the country condemn me to death. I have not had to endure any torture, like so many of my brothers. One light saber blow will separate my head from my body, like a spring flower that the master of the garden picks for his pleasure. Let us all try to please our sovereign Lord and Master by the gift and the fragrance He has given us. I wish you, dear father, a long, quiet and virtuous life. Carry gently the cross of this life, like Jesus did, until the day of the peaceful passing. Father and son will meet again in paradise. I, little ephemeral, I will go there first. Goodbye. Your very devoted and respectful son J Th=C3=A9ophane V=C3=A9nard=E2=80=9D On the way to martyrdom Father V=C3=A9nard chanted psalms and hymns. To his executioner, who coveted his clothing and asked what he would give to be killed promptly, he answered: =E2=80=9CThe longer it lasts the better it will be=E2=80=9D. His head, after exposure at the top of a pole, was secure= d by the Christians and is now venerated in Tonkin. The body rests in the crypt at the motherhouse of the Paris Foreign Mission Society in Paris, France. The cause of his beatification was introduced at Rome in 1879 and he was declared Blessed, 2 May 1909. He was Canonised on 19 June 1988 by St Pope John Paul II. from Anastpaul 2018 Saint Quotes: =E2=80=9CBe merry, really merry. The life of a true Christian should be a perpetual joy, a prelude to the festival of eternity.=E2=80=9D --St Th=C3=A9ophane V=C3=A9nard =E2=80=9CCarry gently the cross of this life, like Jesus did, until the day of the peaceful passing.=E2=80=9D --St Th=C3=A9ophane V=C3=A9nard Bible Quote: Bear ye one another's burdens: and so you shall fulfil the law of Christ. For if any man think himself to be some thing, whereas he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.=C2 [Galatians 6:2-3] DRB <><><><> What our Lord says, 'Give alms' "What our Lord says, 'Give alms, and behold, all things are clean to you,' applies to all useful acts of mercy. It does not apply just to the one who gives food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, hospitality to the wayfarer or refuge to the fugitive. It also applies to one who visits the sick and the prisoner, redeems the captive, bears the burdens of the weak, leads the blind, comforts the sorrowful, heals the sick, shows the erring the right way, gives advice to the perplexed, and does whatever is needful for the needy. Not only does this person give alms, but the person who forgives the trespasser also gives alms as well. He is also a giver of alms who, by blows or other discipline, corrects and restrains those under his command. At the same time he forgives from the heart the sin by which he has been wronged or offended or prays that it be forgiven the offender. Such a person gives alms not only because he forgives and prays but also because he rebukes and administers corrective punishment, since in this he shows mercy... There are many kinds of alms. When we do them, we are helped in receiving forgiveness of our own sins." --St. Augustine--(excerpt from ENCHIRIDION 19.72) --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .