From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

November 2nd - St. Marcian

Born in Cyrrhus, Syria; died 387. Marcian was a patrician who left the emperor's court and gave up a brilliant military career in order to
lead the solitary life in the desert of Chalcis, which lies between
Antioch and the Euphrates. He chose the most remote regions of the
desert in order to hide himself away in a cell so narrow and low that
he could neither stand nor lie in it without doubling over. As hard as
he tried to hide his singular struggle for holiness, his reputation
grew. First he attracted two illustrious disciples, Eusebius and
Agapitus, but more and more followed. Marcian thereupon appointed
Eusebius as abbot over the desert monks who came seeking Marcian.
Marcian was a wonder-worker, though he again tried to hide it. He
would not listen to requests for miraculous intercession. When a
hermit came to him on behalf of a Beroean to get some oil blessed for
the man's sick daughter, Marcian refused peremptorily. At that same
hour, however, the girl recovered.

One other item of note. As Marcian grew older, he felt that the
vultures were indecently awaiting his death in hope of claiming his
relics. Some, including his nephew Alipius, actually built chapels in
which to house his future remains. Marcian coerced Eusebius to pledge
to bury him secretly. Eusebius kept his promise. Marcian's relics were
not discovered until fifty years after his death. At that time they
were solemnly translated and became an object of pilgrimage
(Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Walsh).

From:=C2 http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1102.shtml




=C2 Today is the Feast of All Souls. The practice of recommending to God
the souls in Purgatory that we may mitigate the great pains they
suffer, and that He may soon bring them to His glory, is most pleasing
to God, and most profitable to us. For those blessed souls are His
eternal spouses, and they are most grateful to those who obtain their deliverance from prison, or even a mitigation of their torments.
Hence, when they shall enter into Heaven, they will certainly not
forget those who prayed for them. It is a pious belief that God
manifests to them our prayers for them, that they also may pray for
us. Let us recommend to Jesus Christ, and to His holy mother, all the
souls in Purgatory, but especially those of our relatives,
benefactors, friends, and enemies, and, still more particularly, the
souls of those for whom we are bound to pray; and let us consider the
great pains which these holy spouses of Jesus Christ endure, and offer
to God for their relief the Masses of this day.


Saint Quote: Let us strive to be amiable, sweet, and humble with all,
but especially with those whom God has placed near us, such as our
servants. And let us not be of those who seem angels abroad, but
demons at home.
--St. Francis de Sales

Bible Quote:
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there
are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties
of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one.
(1 Corinthians 12:4-6) RSVCE


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=C2 On this Feast of All Souls, a prayer of supplication for the Holy
Souls of Purgatory:

O Holy Souls, as one truly devoted to thee I promise never to forget
thee, and continually to pray to the Most High for thy release. I
beseech thee to respond to this offering which I make to thee, and
obtain for me from God, with Whom thou art so powerful on behalf of
the living, that I may be freed from all dangers of soul and body.

I beg for myself and for my relations and benefactors, friends and
enemies, pardon for our sins, and the grace of perseverance in good,
whereby we may save our souls. Obtain for us peace of heart; assist us
in all our actions; succor us promptly in our spiritual and temporal
needs; console and defend us in our dangers. Pray for the supreme
Pontiff, for the exaltation of Holy Church, for peace between nations,
for Christian princes, and for tranquillity amongst peoples; and
obtain that we may one day all rejoice together in paradise. Amen.

--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)