Subj : October 8th - St. Thais To : All From : rich Date : Sat Oct 07 2017 10:09:10 From: rich October 8th - St. Thais (4th Century?) When a saint is canonized today, his or her historical background is first thoroughly investigated. Centuries ago, when it was local bishops who approved the cult of saintly people, the approach was not so scientific. Thus certain persons came to be popularly venerated as saints about whose holiness or even whose existence there have since been some doubts. The traditional story of the conversion of Thais is nevertheless fascinating and deserves to be recounted. Thais, the legend tells us, lived in Egypt in the 4th century. She had been brought up a Christian, but had foregone all standards of Christian morality, shrewdly selling her physical charms, and becoming a woman of wealth and notoriety. Now, this was also the century when Egypt was experiencing its monastic revolution. Thousands of Christian men and women were inspired to flee to the deserts and become monks or nuns. One of these leading Egyptian monks decided to see if Thais could be converted from her life of sin to a life of penance. The monk is usually identified as the aged St. Paphnutius; but some versions of the legend call him Serapion; others, Bessarion. Paphnutius, runs the story, doffed his religious habit for the time being, and donning secular clothes, went to the city (probably Alexandria) and knocked at the prostitute's door. When she let him = in, he said he wanted to speak to her, but in a more private place. =E2=80=9CWhat is it you fear?=E2=80=9D she said. =E2=80=9CIf men, no one ca= n see us here; but if you mean God, no place can hide us from His eye.=E2=80=9D The disguised monk was amazed. =E2=80=9CYou know that there is a God?=E2=80= =9D =E2=80=9CYes,=E2=80=9D she answered, =E2=80=9Cand I moreover know that Heav= en will be the portion of the good and everlasting; Hell, the punishment of the wicked.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CIs it possible,=E2=80=9D he continued, =E2=80=9Cthat you should kn= ow these truths and yet dare to sin and draw so many after you, before Him who knows and will judge all things?=E2=80=9D As he continued to speak with the aid of th= e Holy Spirit, Thais began to see the inconsistency of her situation. She could recite the basics of the Faith, yet her actions contradicted it. Finally, she broke down in tears. Throwing herself on her knees, she begged him, =E2=80=9CFather, tell me what to do.=E2=80=9D He told her he wo= uld return. Meanwhile, she promised to rid herself of her possessions. She hastened to take out into the public square her furniture, jewels, and other items acquired by sin. After inviting all who had given her these presents to join her in penance, she set fire to the pile. Then she hastened to the place of meeting designated by Paphnutius. Paphnutius took her to a monastery of nuns. There he prescribed a stringent penance. She was to be locked into a sealed cell and be given only bread and water. For prayers, he directed that she simply face the east and repeat, again and again, the petition =E2=80=9CThou who h= ast created me, have pity on me.=E2=80=9D It was a painful assignment, but Thais accepted it in good grace, and mourned her way to holiness. After three years, Paphnutius, having consulted with other monastic leaders, released her. =E2=80=9CGod,=E2=80=9D= he now assured her, =E2=80=9Chas blotted out your sins.=E2=80=9D Thais then went t= o join the rest of the nuns who lived the community life, but God took her to Himself two weeks later. Catholic scholars are inclined today to consider the story of Thais, whatever her actual history, more fiction than fact, and to be repelled by the mode of penance imposed on her, however obediently accepted. However, whether parable or fact, or a little of both, the tale of St. Thais simply restates, does it now, the doctrine of the infinite mercy that God is ready to show to His prodigal sons and daughters. =E2=80=93Father Robert Reflection. The knowledge of God is for all, but hidden treasures are reserved for those who have ever followed the Lamb. Saint Quote: Be assured that he who shall always walk faithfully in God's presence, always ready to give Him an account of all his actions, shall never be separated from Him by consenting to sin. -- Saint Thomas Aquinas <><><><> Prayer: O God, Whose bounty is infinite and Whose mercies are proportioned to our miseries, permit us not to be so ungrateful as to forget Thy benefits, nor so unfaithful as to become unworthy of Thy graces. We acknowledge that we deserve only to be abandoned by Thee, we merit but Thy hatred and eternal torments; but we conjure Thee, O Saviour, not to deal with us according to our deserts, but according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, which Thou art ever desirous of imparting to us. Amen. --Thomas =C3 Kempis, From the Imitation of Christ --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .