Bloom With the Spirit
- From: "Traudel" <richarra@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 11:51:01 -0600
Bloom With the Spirit
A life sharing the fruits of the spirit with the world is whole, holy
and a healing balm. Within each of us are moments of peace, kindness,
generosity, forgiveness
and faithfulness. In order for our life to fully bloom with graces of the
Holy
Spirit, we know
that time must be spent in prayer, silence and communion with God.
-from Your Spiritual Garden: Tending to the Presence of God
The world would sooner be brought close to God. His will would sooner be
done on
earth, if all
who acknowledge Him gave themselves unreservedly to being used by Him. God
can
use every
human being as a channel for divine love and power. What delays the bringing
of
the world closer
to God is the backwardness of His followers. If each one lived each day for
God
and allowed
God to work through him, then the world would soon be drawn much closer to
God,
its Founder
and Preserver.
I pray that I may be used as a channel to express the Divine Love.
I pray that I may so live as to bring God's spirit closer to the world.
--From Twenty-Four Hours a Day
<><><><><>
December 2nd - St. Bibiana, Virgin and Martyr
(d. 363)
Saint Bibiana was a native of Rome, born in the fourth century, the daughter
and sister of martyrs. Flavian, her Christian father, was apprehended during
the reign of Julian the Apostate, branded on the face as a slave, and
banished to Tuscany, where he died of his wounds a few days later. Her
mother, Dafrosa, was beheaded two weeks later. Their two daughters, Bibiana
and Demetria, after the death of their parents were stripped of all they had
in the world, and then imprisoned with orders to give them no food. The
Roman praetorian offered them rewards if they would abandon their faith, and
threatened a cruel death if they would not conform, but they replied
courageously that the goods and advantages of this world had no attraction
for them, and that they would endure a thousand deaths rather than betray
their faith and their Saviour. Demetria, after having pronounced this ardent
defense, fell to the ground and expired at her sister's side; she is
inscribed in the Roman Martyrology on June 21st.
The officer gave orders that Bibiana be placed in the custody of a woman
named Rufina, who was commanded to corrupt her or mistreat her. But the
martyr made prayer her shield and remained invincible. Enraged at the
courage and perseverance of the young virgin, the persecutor ordered her to
be tied to a pillar and whipped until she expired, with scourges tipped with
leaden plummets. The Saint underwent this punishment cheerfully, and died at
the hands of the executioners. She was buried by a holy priest at a site
where afterwards a chapel and then a church were built above her tomb. In
1628 the church was splendidly rebuilt by Pope Urban VIII, and in it he
placed the relics of the two sisters and of Saint Dafrosa, their mother.
Reflection: Pray for fidelity and patience like Bibiana's under all trials,
that neither convenience nor any worldly advantage may ever prevail upon you
to transgress the laws of God.
Sources: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on
Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources, by John Gilmary Shea
(Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894); Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des
Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 14.
Saint Quote:
An innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of the just; - we dwell
under their shadow; we are baptized into their fellowship; we are allotted
their guardianship; we are remembered, as we trust, in their prayers. We
dwell in the very presence and court of God himself, and of his eternal Son
our Savior, who died for us, and rose again, and now intercedes for us
before the throne. We have privileges surely far greater than Elisha's; but
of the same kind. Angels are among us, and are powerful to do anything. And
they do wonders for the believing, which the world knows nothing about.
According to our faith, so it is done unto us. Only believe, and all things
are ours. We shall have clear and deeply-seeded convictions in our minds of
the reality of the invisible world, though we cannot communicate them to
others, or explain how we come to have them.
-St. John Henry Newman
Bible Quote
That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they
also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
(John 17:21)
<><><><>
Litany of December Saints
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy, Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Jesus Christ, King of glory, born in Bethlehem of the Immaculate Virgin
Mary, have mercy on us
Holy Mary, pray for us.
* say pray for us after each saint
St. Edmund Campion, Holy Martyr and Priestly Patron of the Press Pray for us
St. Florence *
St. Eligius * St. Bibiana, Virgin and Holy Martyr *
St. Francis Xavier, Holy Confessor and Missionary *
St. Peter Chrysologos, Holy Bishop and Doctor of the Church *
St. Barbara, Virgin and Holy Martyr *
St. Sabbas, Holy Abbot *
St. Gerald, Holy Bishop *
St. Nicholas, Holy Bishop and Patron of Children *
St. Ambrose, Holy Bishop and Doctor of the Church *
Holy Mary, Immaculate Ark of the Covenant *
Pope St. Melchiades, Successor of Peter and Holy Martyr *
St. Romaric, Holy Abbot *
Holy Mary, Our Lady of Loretto *
Pope St. Damasus I, Holy Successor of Peter *
Holy Mary, Queen of the Angels *
Holy Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe *
St. Odilia, Holy Virgin and Patron invoked against blindness *
St. Lucy, Virgin and Holy Martyr and Patroness of the blind *
St. Nicasius, Holy Archbishop *
St. Eutropia *
St. Venantius Fortunatus, Holy Bishop *
St. Christiana, Holy Virgin *
St. Eusabius of Vercelli, Bishop and Holy Martyr *
St. Adelaide, Holy Queen of Italy *
Sts. Ananias, Azarius & Misael, Companions of Daniel *
St. Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead *
St. Olympias, Holy Widow *
St. Gatian, Holy Bishop *
Blessed Urban V, Holy Sovereign Pontiff *
Sts. Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, Old Covenant Patriarchs *
St. Dominic of Silos, Abbot and Patron of Captives *
St. Thomas, Holy Apostle who baptized the Magi *
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin and Religious, Patron of Immigrants *
Sts. Chaeremon & Ischyrion, Holy Martyrs *
St. Servulus, Holy Beggar *
St. Yvo of Chartres, Holy Bishop *
Sts. Adam and Eve, First Parents *
St. Adele, Holy Widow *
St. Chrysogonus, Martyr *
St. Anastasia, Holy Martyr *
St. Stephen, Holy Protomartyr and Patron of Stonemasons *
St. John the Evangelist, Holy Apostle *
Holy Innocents, Blessed Martyrs *
St. Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury and Holy Martyr *
St. David, Holy King of the Old Testament *
St. Sabinus, Bishop and Holy Martyr *
St. Anysius, Holy Bishop of Thessalonica *
Pope St. Sylvester I, Holy Successor of Peter *
All you holy saints and angels, pray for us.
.
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