Subj : March 16th - Saint Aninus of Syria, the Wonder-Worker To : All From : rich Date : Mon Mar 15 2021 10:03:33 From: rich March 16th - Saint Aninus of Syria, the Wonder-Worker =C2 Little is known about the life of this great saint, a hermit who lived a reverently austere life in Syria, and is remembered for his miracles. What is known was recorded in ancient text, and may be the stuff of pious legend. Aninus was born in Chalcedon, an ancient maritime town of Bithynia in Asia Minor, part of the Roman Empire at the time, and today, part of the modern city of Istanbul. Despite a short stature and young age, Aninus demonstrated a great zeal for God, and was recognized to have pious faith and confidence in the Lord. At the young age of 15, he left his parents' home, moving far away, and settling in a small hu= t near the Euphrates river. There, he spent his days in prayer and penance for his sins, embracing a life of solitude with the Lord. Word of his piety spread, and local residents and those who traveled great distances came to call upon him for spiritual counsel and advice. It is said the through the power of his prayer alone, he worked many miracles. Saint Aninus is said to have replenished a dry well with water in the midst of a great drought, healed the sick of various incurable illnesses, and tamed wild beasts that threatened the lives of man. When her traveled, it is said that a trained lion accompanied him and was at his service at all times. He was also known to discern the future, possessing the gift of prophecy. Despite his hermitage, the charity of Saint Aninus was without limits. He would frequently find himself in position to love others without reserve, giving all that he had, and generally going without himself in the process. A local bishop presented Aninus with a donkey, after observing him struggle to carry water from the river, but Aninus promptly gave the donkey to someone more in need. The bishop presented Aninus with a second donkey, but the same pattern was repeated. Finally, in exasperation, the bishop gave Aninus a third donkey, indicating that he was to care for it and return it to the bishop. Only then did Aninus keep the beast for himself. When Aninus was 110 years old, he had a prophetic vision of his death in which Moses, Arron, and Or called out to him. =E2=80=9CAninus,=E2=80=9D = Moses said, =E2=80=9Cthe Lord is calling you to arise and come with us.=E2=80=9D Saint = Aninus recounted his vision to his disciples and peacefully went to meet his Maker. The life of Saint Aninus may seem somewhat fanciful, as the earliest writings of the lives of the saints frequently due. Looking closer, however, we see the faithfulness and charity of Aninus, which does not seem fanciful at all. Rather, his faith and charity, stemming from the Lord, remind us that we need not have the gift of prophecy or the ability to tame wild animals to do God's will. We need faith in His gifts to us, and charity toward those around us. We need to give away our donkeys. Is this Lenten season the time to make that change in our lives? Saint Quote: Taste the hidden sweetness that lies within your heart which God has kept for those whose lives are tender within. Place your mind in the softness of life's eternal flow. Place your soul in the brilliance of heaven's endless glow; and love him totally who gave himself for your love, and you will hold him who holds all things in truth. --Saint Clare of Assisi Bible Quote: =C2 "On the last day, the great day of the festival, Jesus stood and cried out: 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to me!=C2 Let anyone who believes in me come and drink!"=C2 As Scripture says, 'From his heat shall flow streams of living water.'=C2 He was speaking of the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive; for there was no Spirit as yet because Jesus had not yet been glorified."=C2 [John 7:37-39] <><><><> Domine Sancte, Pater Omnipotens (O Holy Lord, Father Almighty): O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God, for the sake of Thy bounty and that of Thy Son, Who for me endured suffering and death; for the sake of the most excellent holiness of His Mother and the merits of all the Saints, grant unto me a sinner, unworthy of all Thy blessings, that I may love Thee only, may ever thirst for Thy love, may have continually in my heart the benefits of Thy passion, may acknowledge my own wretchedness and may desire to be trampled upon and be despised by all men; let nothing grieve me save guilt. Amen. And strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it. Matt 7:13 A prayer by St. Bonaventure (1218-1274) who was the greatest exponent of Mystical Theology in the Middle Ages. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .