Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth:

Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth:

HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says the Lord (John 8:12).
By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and
habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness
of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of
Jesus Christ. The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the
advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a
hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care
little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever
wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his
whole life on that of Christ.
--The Imitation of Christ-- Thomas À Kempis  Book 1 Ch. 1

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2 April – Saint Urban of Langres

 (c 327-c 390)
 Bishop, the sixth Bishop of Autun and Langres, in Burgundy, France
from 374 until his death, Confessor. Saint Leodegaria was his sister.
Patronages – Langres, Dijon, vine-growers, vine-dressers, gardeners,
vintners, invoked against blight, frost, storms, alcoholism and
faintness. Additional Memorial – 23 January in Langres, France.

Urban was Bishop of the See of Autun and Langres during a time of
political upheaval. At one point, he fell foul of the local Duke, an
unpleasant man by the name of Junius Medellius. Urban found support
from a patron of his, named Maceratius, who owned a vineyard and he
was able to hide among the vines. The vine-dressers in the area
concealed him and he took the opportunity to convert them to
Christianity. Those same vine-dressers then helped him in his covert
ministry, as he moved from one town to another via their vineyards.

There is a legend told that, on one sunny morning, some soldiers had
been tracking the movements of Urban’s followers and they narrowed his
position down to a specific row of vines. By the time they had decided
to apprehend him, a wind picked up and would not subside. The soldiers
took a few steps but heavy rain began falling and they could not get
close to Urban for a massive hailstorm descended upon them, denting
their armour and sending them currying into retreat and back to their
camp. So it was that Urban survived his own storm, coming out of
hiding and eventually becoming the Patron saint of wine and against
storms.

Due to St Urban’s work and to his devotion to the Holy Blood, he
developed a great affection for all the people in the wine industry
and they for him. Urban is thus the Patron saint of all those who work
in the wine industry and is invoked against blight and alcoholism.
The cult of St Urban of Langres spread rapidly, especially among wine
growing areas. The German vineyard owners seemed to have adopted him
as their own. His cult was closely associated with the weather too.
Several old German sayings reflect this:

“The weather on St Urban’s Day, will indicate what the autumn weather will be.“

“If there is sunshine on St Urban’s Day,the wine thrives afterwards, they say.“
“O holy Urban, bring us comfort! Give us this year much noble must.“
“What the weather is like on St Urban’s day, orders the same for 20 days.“

https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/02/

Saint Quote:
Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no
conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife.
-- Pope Saint Leo the Great

Bible Quote:
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross daily and follow me." (Lk. 9:23).

In this brief counsel you will find a summary of His divine doctrine,
and the secret of attaining the perfection taught in the Gospel. Thus,
while the body may be a prey to hardships and labors, the soul will
enjoy a paradise of peace, and this interior sweetness will enable you
cheerfully to embrace all the sufferings of the exterior life.


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My Sorrowful Mother,
Help Me to Bear My Crosses
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church

My sorrowful Mother,
by the merit of that grief which you felt
at seeing your beloved Jesus
led to death, obtain for me the grace
to bear with patience,
those crosses which God sends me.
I will be fortunate
if I also shall know how to accompany you
with my cross until death.
You and Jesus, both innocent,
have borne a heavy cross
and shall I, a sinner who has merited hell,
refuse mine?
Immaculate Virgin, I hope you will help me
to bear my crosses with patience.
Amen