-- Proverbs 15:13,15 --

-- Proverbs 15:13,15 --

    A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
    but heartache crushes the spirit.

    All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
    but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. "
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
A smile is a little curve that can straighten out a lot of things."

<<>><<>><<>>
September 24th - St. Pacificus (Pacifico) of San Severino

A little Italian boy born in 1653 was named Charles Anthony. He was
just five years old when his loving parents died. He was sent to live
with his uncle. This uncle was a cross, mean man. He treated Charles
worse than a servant. Yet the boy took this hard treatment quietly and
patiently. When he was seventeen, Charles entered a monastery. He
chose the name Pacificus, which means "peaceful." After he became a
priest, he was made a teacher, but his great desire was to become a
preacher. How happy he was when his superior sent him on a preaching
mission to many little towns and villages.

St. Pacificus was very popular with people in the country because his
talks were simple and gentle. Besides that, he had the marvelous gift
of reading consciences. Once, he reminded a man in confession that he
had been unkind to his mother. He had also kept impure thoughts in his
mind. What Father Pacificus said was true. The man was very sorry for
his sins. Everywhere the priest went to preach and hear confessions,
he did much good.

But when he had been preaching only about six years, Pacificus had to
give it up because of ill health. He became blind, deaf and crippled.
He spent his time praying and doing penance in his monastery. He
helped others in any way he could. God was always very close to him.
He gave him the gift of prophecy. St. Pacificus foretold the great
victory of the Christian armies over the Turks at Belgrade. He also
said to a bishop, "Your Excellency-heaven! Heaven! And I will follow
you soon!" About two weeks later, the bishop died. Not long after,
just as he had said, St. Pacificus died, too. It was the year 1721.
Many miracles took place at his grave. Father Pacificus was proclaimed
a saint by Pope Gregory XVI in 1839.
St. Pacificus had a sad childhood. He could have let himself become an
angry, frustrated adult. Instead, he prayed to Jesus for a forgiving,
patient heart. His hard times were turned into moments of growing in
his love for God and people. Because he had suffered, he could
sympathize with the hurts of others and help them to find God in their
lives.

Pacificus devoted his life to preaching, and to sharing the gifts he
had received from God. Each of us has been blessed by God in different
ways. How am I called to share my gifts with others?


Saint Quote:
Not one of those who love her can perish; not one of those who try to
imitate her can fail to attain eternal salvation.
--St. John Eudes

Bible Quote:
 But, as it is written: That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard: neither
hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared
for them that love him. (I Cor. 2:9) DRB


<><><><>
A hymn of contrition, from the Office of Matins:

THE DUSKY veil of night hath laid, the varied hues of earth in shade;
before Thee, righteous Judge of all, we contrite in confession fall.

Thou, when the fourth day was begun, didst frame the circle of the sun,
and set the moon for ordered change, and planets for their wider range:

To night and day, by certain line, their varying bounds Thou didst assign;
and gav=C3=ADst a signal, known and meet, for months begun and months compl=
ete.

Enlighten Thou the hearts of men; polluted souls make pure again:
unloose the bands of guilt within; remove the burden of our sin.

Grant this, O Father, ever One, with Christ, Thy sole-begotten Son,
Whom, with the Spirit we adore, one God, both now and evermore.