-- James 1:13-15 --

-- James 1:13-15 --

Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God
is not a tempter of evils: and he tempteth no man. But every man is
tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured. Then,
when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. But sin,
when it is completed, begetteth death.=C2=A0 [James 1:13-15]=C2=A0 DRB
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
It is easy to blame others and make excuses for evil thoughts and
wrong actions. Excuses include (1) it's the other person's fault; (2)
I couldn't help it; (3) everybody's doing it; (4) it was just a
mistake; (5) nobody's perfect; (6) the devil made me do it; (7) I was
pressured into it; (8) I didn't know it was wrong; (9) God is tempting
me. A person who makes excuses is trying to shift the blame from
himself or herself to something or someone else. A Christian, on the
other hand, accepts responsibility for his or her wrongs, confesses
them, and asks God for forgiveness.

<<>><<>><<>>
September 9th - St. Kieran
(Sixth Century)

Kieran of Clonmacnois was born in the province of Connaught, Ireland.
The son of a cartwright, he attended the monastic school conducted by
St. Finnian at Clonard, in County Westmeath. St. Finnian=E2=80=99s school w=
as
so noted for its instruction in literature and art that he is said to
have had 3,000 students enrolled at one time.

Of all the students at Clonard, the most notable were 12 men who
became monks and founded monasteries elsewhere: the =E2=80=9CTwelve Apostle=
s
of Erin.=E2=80=9D One of them was St. Kieran. Determined to set up a monast=
ery
of his own, Kieran set out on a journey with several companions to
find the best spot.

At one point they came to a very beautiful place called Ard Manttain.
The companions favored this as a site. But Kieran rejected it
precisely because it was so beautiful. =E2=80=9CIf we live here,=E2=80=9D h=
e said, =E2=80=9Cwe
shall have much of the riches of the world, and few souls will go from
us to Heaven.=E2=80=9D

Finally they arrived at a locale in County Offaly on the banks of the
River Shannon. This site pleased him, so it was here on January 25,
545, that he founded the monastery of Clonmacnois. The monastery
became noted for its literary undertakings and for the beauty of its
art works. But the saint himself witnessed only its beginnings. He
died seven months later, apparently still less than 40 years old.

It seems that the more popular a saint, the more stories are told--or
invented--about him. Kieran of Clonmacnois was one of those very
legendary people.

Even as a boy, the legends tell us, Kieran worked many rather odd
miracles, like raising a horse from the dead and changing water into
honey. Once he used his miraculous power to tease his mother, Darerca.
Darerca was dyeing some cloth blue, and he apparently got in her way,
so she sent him out of the house. May there be a dun stripe on them,=E2=80=
=9D
he wished rather vengefully. Lo and behold, when the cloths came out
of the dye, the blue was striped with murky brown. Darerca put the
material back into the dye. This time it came out all white! Then
Kieran called a halt to the miracle, but with one last trick. When his
mother dipped the fabric the third time, it was indeed all blue.

St. Kieran had a lesser dispute with Darerca when aged fifteen. He
told his parents that he wanted to go to St. Finnian=E2=80=99s school, and
asked them to give him a cow for his support. Darerca refused. So
Kieran made the sign of the cross over a brownish gray cow in the
family herd. The cow followed him the rest of his life, no matter
where he went. She became known as the =E2=80=9CDun Cow of Kieran.=E2=80=9D

The real Kieran developed into a spiritual giant. When the time came
for his death, we are told, Kieran asked to be carried out-of-doors
and laid on the earth of a certain hill. From there he looked up to
heaven and said, =E2=80=9CAwful is this road upward!=E2=80=9D The monks wit=
h him tried
to reassure him: =E2=80=9CNot for you is it awful.=E2=80=9D

Kieran came back, =E2=80=9CIndeed I do not know that I have transgressed an=
y
of the commandments of God, yet even David the son of Jesse and Paul
the Apostle dreaded this way.=E2=80=9D

He happened to be lying on a stone, which was naturally uncomfortable.
The monks wanted to take it away so that their abbot could rest
easier. Instead, he asked them to put it under his shoulders. =E2=80=9CHe t=
hat
shall persevere to the end,=E2=80=9D he said, =E2=80=9Cshall save his soul.=
=E2=80=9D He died
moments later.

Yes, we can=E2=80=99t trust ourselves to the very moment we die. Only if we
hold the faith to the last breath will the angels carry us up, as they
did young Kieran of Clonmacnois.

=E2=80=93Father Robert F. McNamara


Saint Quote:
"What we gain by fasting is not so great as the damage done by anger;
nor is the profit from spiritual reading as great as the harm done
when we scorn or grieve a brother."
--St. John Cassian

Bible Quote:
"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in
necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake for when
I am weak, then am I strong."=C2=A0 (2 Cor 12:10 )


<><><><>
We must always pray, and not faint.--Luke 18:1-- September: Prayer

20. It is well to imagine sometimes in prayer that insults or affronts
are inflicted upon us, or that misfortunes fall upon us, and then to
strive to accustom our hearts to pardon them and bear them all with
patience, in imitation of our Saviour; for in this, much spiritual
strength is gained.
--St. Philip Neri

When St. Ignatius was once confined to his bed by illness, he began to
think whether anything could happen which could disturb him. After
having imagined many troubles and trials, he found that nothing could
afflict him and take away his peace, except to see the destruction of
his Society. But after meditating several times upon the point, he
gained the mastery over himself to such a degree that he thought if
this should happen, a quarter of an hour spent in praying would
suffice to make him tranquil and resigned.
=C2=A0 =C2=A0 ( "A Year with the Saints")