Subj : =?UTF-8?B?wqAtLSAyIFBldGVyIDE6NS05IOKAkw==?= To : All From : rich Date : Sun Aug 15 2021 10:17:42 From: rich =C2 -- 2 Peter 1:5-9 =E2=80=93 And you, employing all care, minister in your faith, virtue: And in virtue, knowledge: And in knowledge, abstinence: and in abstinence, patience: and in patience, godliness: And in godliness, love of brotherhood: and in love of brotherhood, charity. For if these things be with you and abound, they will make you to be neither empty nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he that hath not these things with him is blind and groping, having forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.=C2 [2 Pe. 1:5-9] DRB = Faith must be more than belief in certain facts; it must result in action, growth in Christian character and the practice of moral discipline, or it will die away. Peter lists several faith actions: learning to know God better, developing perseverance, doing God's will, loving others. These actions do not come automatically -- they require hard work. They are not optional; all of them must be a continual part of the Christian life. We don't finish one and start on the next, but we work on them all together. God empowers and enables us, but he also gives us the responsibility to learn and grow. We should not be surprised at or resentful of the process. <<>><<>><<>> August 16th - Blessed Maria Sagrario of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Carmelite Virgin And Martyr BL. MARIA SAGRARIO of ST ALOYSIUS GONZAGA (in the world: Elvira Moragas Cantarero) was born in Lillo, Spain, on 8 January 1881, to Ricardo Moragas and Isabel Cantarero. She was the third child of four. In 1886 her father became the pharmaceutical purveyor to the royal household and the family moved to Madrid. She completed her studies with distinction and was one of the first women in Spain to obtain a degree in pharmacy. After her father's death, her professional ability became evident. She also became aware of her religious vocation, but, on the advice of her spiritual director and at the insistence of her younger brother who still needed her help, she was obliged to postpone her plans. In 1915 she was admitted as a postulant to the Carmel of St Anne and St Joseph in Madrid. On 21 December she began her novitiate and received the name Maria Sagrario of St Aloysius Gonzaga. She made her temporary profession on 24 December 1916 and her solemn profession on 6 January 1920. In April 1927 she was elected prioress and used her mandate to serve the community. In 1930 she became novice mistress and frequently told her novices of her desire to be a martyr. She was elected prioress for the second time on 1 July 1936, two weeks before the Spanish Civil War broke out with a wave of religious persecution. On 20 July the convent was attacked by a violent crowd. She provided for the safety of her sisters and took refuge with one of them at the home of that sister's parents, where she remained until her arrest, despite her brother's pleas that she move to his home. On 14 August the "soldiers" arrested her and the other sister. Her serene attitude and total surrender to God's will is well-documented by her daughters' testimony. She was interrogated by the secret police and an effort was made to force her to reveal the whereabouts of the convent's valuables. She resisted the questioning in silence and refused to betray anyone. On 15 August she was taken to the Pradera of San Isidro and shot. Given the increasing fame of her martyrdom, the process for her canonization was begun in 1962 and closed in 1965. On 8 April 1997 Pope John Paul II approved the decree establishing her martyrdom. Bible Quote: "Do not let your hand be stretched out to receive and closed when it is time to give." [Sirach 4:31] Saint Quote: =C2 Jesus is working on the ups and downs of human existence: preparing his three leaders for the trials of the Passion by giving them something to remember, a moment of glory. Peter wants it to go on for ever, to settle down there where it felt so good. Instead Jesus brings them down the mountain, bracing them for the bad times ahead. =C2 We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not depend on material success, but on Jesus alone. --St. Frances Xavier Cabrini <><><><> Daily Prayer to the Sacred Heart Sacred Heart of Jesus, today I wish to live in You, in Your Grace, in which I desire at all costs to persevere. Keep me from sin and strengthen my will by helping me to keep watch over my senses, my imagination, and my heart. Help me to correct my faults which are the source of sin. I beg You to do this, O Jesus, through Mary, Your Immaculate Mother. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .