From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

July 11th - St Benedict of Nursia, Father of Western Monasticism
(480-543 )

-From the Rule of Benedict, Office of Readings for the Day

=E2=80=9CWhenever you begin any good work you should first of all make a mo=
st
pressing appeal to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection; that He,
Who has honored us by counting us among His children, may never be
grieved by our evil deeds. For we must always serve Him with the good
things He has given us in such a way that He may never =E2=80=93 as an angr=
y
father disinherits his sons or even like a master who inspires fear =E2=80=
=93
grow impatient with our sins and consign us to everlasting punishment,
like wicked servants who would not follow Him to glory.

So we should at long last rouse ourselves, prompted by the words of
Scripture: Now is the time for us to rise from sleep. Our eyes should
be open to the God-given light, and we should listen in wonderment to
the message of the Divine voice as It daily cries out: Today, if you
shall hear His voice, harden not your hearts; and again: If anyone has
ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the
churches. And what does the Spirit say? Come My sons, listen to Me; I
will teach you the fear of the Lord. Hurry, while you have the light
of life, so that death's darkness may not overtake you.

And the Lord as He seeks the one who will do His work among the throng
of people to whom He makes that appeal, says again: Which of you wants
to live to the full; who loves long life and the enjoyment of
prosperity? And, if when you hear this you say, =E2=80=9CI DO!=E2=80=9D, Go=
d says to
you: If you desire true and everlasting life, keep your tongue from
evil and your lips from deceit; turn away from evil and do good; seek
peace and pursue it. And when you have done these things My eyes will
be upon you and My ears will be attentive to your prayers; and before
you call upon My Name, I shall say to you: Behold, I AM here. What
could be more delightful, dearest brothers, than the voice of our
Lord's invitation to us? In His loving kindness He reveals to us th=
e
Way of Life.

And so, girded with faith and the performance of good works, let us
follow in His paths by the guidance of the Gospel; then we shall
deserve to see Him who has called us into His kingdom. If we wish to
attain a dwelling-place in His kingdom we shall not reach it unless we
hasten there by our good deeds.

Just as there exists an evil fervor, a bitter spirit, which divides us
from God and leads us to Hell, so there is a good fervor which sets us
apart from evil inclinations and leads us toward God and eternal life.
Monks should put this fervor into practice with an overflowing love:
that is, they should surpass each other in mutual esteem, accept their weaknesses, either of body or of behavior, with the utmost patience;
and vie with each other in acceding to requests. No one should follow
what he considers to be good for himself, but rather what seems good
for another. They should display brotherly love in a chaste manner;
fear God in a spirit of love; revere their abbot with a genuine and
submissive affection. Let them put Christ before all else; and may He
lead us all to everlasting life.=E2=80=9D
--by Matthew

Saint Quote:
=E2=80=9CRenounce yourself in order to follow Christ; discipline your body;=
do
not pamper yourself, but love fasting.=E2=80=9D -St. Benedict

=E2=80=9CPrefer nothing, absolutely nothing, to the love of Christ.=E2=80=
=9D -St. Benedict

=E2=80=9CBe careful to be gentle, lest in removing the rust, you break the whole instrument.=E2=80=9D
--St. Benedict

=E2=80=9CHe who labours as he prays,
lifts his heart to God with his hands.=E2=80=9D
=E2=80=9CWhenever you begin any good work
you should first of all,
make a most pressing appeal
to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection.=E2=80=9D
--St Benedict

<><><><>
Shine through me Lord!

Dear Lord, help me to spread Your fragrance wherever I go.
Flood my soul with Your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being
so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
Shine through me
and be so in me, that every soul I come in contact with,
may feel Your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me
but only You, O Lord!
Stay with me and then I will begin to shine as You do;
so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Lord, will be all from You;
none of it will be mine.
It will be You shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise You in the way which You love best,
by shining on those around me.
Let me preach You without preaching,
not by words but by example,
by the catching force,
the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You. Amen.
--Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)