-- Philippians 1:6 --

 -- Philippians 1:6 --

   Being confident of this very thing: that he who hath begun a good
work in you will perfect it unto the day of Christ Jesus. DRB
========================
    Do you sometimes feel as though you aren't making progress in your
spiritual life? When God starts a project, he completes it! He will
help you grow in grace until he has completed his work in your life.
    When you are discouraged, remember that God won't give up on you.
He promises to finish the work he has begun. When you feel incomplete,
unfinished or distressed by your shortcomings, remember God's promise
and provision. Don't let your present condition rob you of the joy of
knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to him.

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August 10th - St. Equitius, Abbot

d. 560
  St. Equitius flourished in the Abruzzi at the time when St. Benedict
was establishing his rule at Monte Cassino, and in his youth suffered
greatly from temptations of the flesh. He sought solitude in the
province of Valeria, where by prayer and discipline he brought his
body into subjection and attained the virtues of the spirit. When he
had learned to govern himself he undertook the direction of others and
founded first a monastery at Terni (Amiternum) and then other houses,
both of men and women. St. Gregory the Great describes Equitius from
accounts he had received from Albinus, Bishop of Rieti, and others who
knew him personally:

  "Zeal for the salvation of souls so burned in his heart that, in
spite of his responsibility for so many monasteries, he travelled
about diligently, visiting churches, towns, villages, and particularly
men's houses, to stir up the hearts of those that heard him to a love
of heavenly joys.  His clothes were so poor and shabby that those who
did not know who he was would not deign to salute him, even if he
greeted them first.  He rode on the most forlorn beast he could find,
with a halter for bridle and a sheep's skin for saddle. He carried
his books of divinity in leather bags, hung on either side of his
horse, and to what place soever he came he opened there the spring of
Sacred Scripture and refreshed the souls of his hearers with the
heavenly water of his words. His grace in preaching was so great the
fame thereof reached Rome itself."

   Like many of the early abbots St. Equitius was not in holy orders,
and a patrician called Felix challenged him for presuming to preach
when he was neither ordained nor licensed thereto by the bishop of
Rome.

 "I myself have seriously considered the matter on which you speak,"
replied Equitius, "but on a certain night a young man stood by me in a
vision and touched my tongue with such an instrument as is used in
letting blood, and said to me:  Behold I have put my word into your
mouth. Go your way and preach.'  And since that day I can talk only of
God, whether I would or no."  This did not satisfy some of the Roman
clergy, who complained to the pope that "this countrified fellow has
taken on himself authority to preach and, ignorant as he is, usurps
the office of our apostolic ruler", and asked that he be sent for to
be dealt with.  A cleric called Julian was therefore sent to his
monastery to fetch Equitius, and he found the abbot in hobnailed
boots, mowing grass, who, when he received the pope's message,
prepared to set out at once. Julian was tired with his journey and
wanted to stay there the night, and St. Equitius agreed, but, "I am
very sorry", he said, "for if we go not to-day, to-morrow we shall
not".  And so it fell out, for the next morning a messenger arrived
from the pope to tell Julian that he had had a vision from God about
Equitius and the holy man was not to be disturbed.  St. Equitius died
on March 7 about the year 560, and on this day his body was translated
to the church of St. Laurence at Aquila.

The Bollandists have dealt with St. Equitius on March 7 (Acta
Sanctorum, March, vol. i) there is a similar collection of fragmentary
data in Mabillon, vol. i, pp. 655-658 .


Saint Quote:
Control desire and you will dominate anger; for desire gives rise to anger.
--St. Thalassios the Libyan

Bible Quote
Jesus said to them: Because of your unbelief. For, amen I say to you,
if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this
mountain, Remove from hence hither, and it shall remove; and nothing
shall be impossible to you.  (Matthew 17:19)  DRB

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Prayer for Enlightenment

O Holy Ghost, divine Spirit of light and love,
I consecrate to Thee my intellect, my heart, my will,
my whole being for time and for eternity.
May my intellect be ever docile to Thy heavenly
inspirations and to the teaching of the Holy Catholic
Church, of which Thou art the infallible Guide.
May my heart be ever inflamed with the love of God
and my neighbour; may my will be ever in conformity
with the divine will, and may my whole life be a faithful
imitation of the life and virtues of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ, to whom, with the Father and thee,
Holy Spirit, be honour and glory for ever. Amen.