-- Ephesians 3:12 --
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and
confidence.
_____________________________________________________________________
He answered prayers - not in the way I sought,
Not in the way that I had thought He ought,
But in His own good way, and I could see
He answered in the fashion best for me.
-- Unknown
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January 8th - St. Wulsin of Sherborne, OSB B (AC)
(also known as Wulfsin, Wulfsige)
Died January 8, 1005. Saint Wulsin is described as "a loyal and trusty
monk
whom Saint Dunstan loved like a son with pure affection." When Dunstan
restored Westminster Abbey, he appointed Wulsin superior there (c. 960)
and
finally abbot in 980. In 992, Wulsin was consecrated bishop of Sherborne,
but he also continued to serve as abbot of Westminster. The following year
Bishop Wulsin introduced a monastic chapter within his see. Wulsin rebuilt
the church at Sherborne and improved its endowment. He was a great
Benedictine prelate even in that age of distinguished monks.
Several pieces of correspondence with Wulsin are still extant. There is a
letter from the scholar Aelfric (then abbot of Cerne) introducing his
collection of canons for the instruction of priests. William of Malmesbury
records that Wulsin warned his monks that having the bishop as their abbot
would cause difficulty in the future.
Wulsin's pastoral staff and other pontificalia survived at Sherborne and
were notable for their simplicity, which matched his general austerity.
Another second-degree relic not mentioned by William of Malmesbury is the
famous Sherborne Pontifical, which belonged to him and is a rich example
of
Winchester illumination. Wulsin's bodily remains, together with those of
Saint Juthwara, were translated to Sherborne c. 1050. Wulsin is venerated
at
Sherborne, Westminster, Abbotsbury, and Worcester (Benedictines, Farmer).
Saint Quote:
"Our greatest fault is that we wish to serve God in our way, not in His
way-according to our will, not according to His will. When He wishes us to
be sick, we wish to be well; when He desires us to serve Him by
sufferings,
we desire to serve Him by works; when He wishes us to exercise charity, we
wish to exercise humility; when He seeks from us resignation, we wish for
devotion, a spirit of prayer, or some other virtue. And this is not
because
the things we desire may be more pleasing to Him, but because they are
more
to our taste. This is certainly the greatest obstacle we can raise to our
own perfection, for it is beyond doubt that if we wish to be Saints
according to our own will, we shall never be so at all. To be truly a
Saint,
it is necessary to be one according to the will of God.
-St. Francis de Sales
St. Mary Magdalen de' Pazzi knew this most important truth; and,
with
the guidance of so clear a light, she knew how to submit her will to that
of
God so perfectly that she was always contented with what came to her day
by
day, nor did she aver desire anything extraordinary. She was even
accustomed
to say that she would consider it a marked defect to ask of the Lord any
grace for herself or others, with any greater importunity than simple
prayers, and that it was her joy and glory to do His will, not that He
should do hers. Even as to the sanctity and perfection of her own soul,
she
wished that it might be not according to her own desire, but to the will
of
God. And so, we find among her writings this resolution: To offer myself
to
God, and to seek all that perfection and only that perfection which He is
pleased that I should have, and in the time and way that He shall wish,
and
not otherwise. In conversation with an intimate friend, she once said: The
good which does not come to me by this way of the Divine Will, does not
seem
to me good. I would prefer having no gift at all except that of leaving my
will and all my desires in God, to having any gift through desire and
will.
Yes, yes, in me sint, Deus, vota tua, et non vota mea-Thy will, not mine,
be
done. The grace which she asked most frequently and most earnestly of the
Lord was this: that He would make her remain till death entirely subject
and
submissive to His Divine Will and pleasure; thus it is no wonder that she
became so holy.
Even among the heathens, there are to be found those who by the light
of reason alone clearly understood this truth. Plutarch disapproved of the
common prayer of the people: May God give you all that good which you
desire. No, he says, we ought rather to say, May God grant that you shall
desire what He desires. And what is more, Epictetus practiced it; for he
said: "I am always content with whatever happens, it all happens by the
disposal of God, and I am certain that what God wills is better than what
I
can ever will."
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". January - Perfection)
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Canticle 1 Samuel 2
The song of Hannah, mother of Samuel
My heart rejoices in the Lord,
my strength is raised up in the name of my God.
I cry out in triumph over my enemies
as I rejoice in your deliverance.
No-one is like the Lord, for he is holy;
no-one is like our God, for he is strong.
Do not pile boasting upon boasting:
keep proud words far from your mouth,
for the Lord is the God of all knowledge
and the judge of all actions.
The bow of the mighty is broken,
and the weak are clothed in strength.
Those who fed well must hire themselves out, for bread;
but the hungry are hungry no longer.
The barren woman has given birth to many;
but she who had many sons is left desolate.
The Lord brings death and brings life;
he leads down to the underworld and rescues from it.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
he lays low and raises up.
He lifts the needy from the dust and the poor from the dunghill
to sit among princes
to sit on the throne of glory.
To the Lord belong the poles of the earth;
from them he has suspended the world.
He will keep safe the feet of his chosen,
but the impious will be silent in the darkness
- for it is not by his own strength that a man becomes strong.
The Lord grinds down his enemies:
he will thunder on them from the heavens.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth,
give dominion to his king,
and raise up the standard of his anointed one.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
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