From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
December 28th - St. Anthony of Lerins
(Also known as St. Anthony the Hermit)
Saint Anthony of Lerins was born in Valeria in Lower Pannonia (in what
is now the area between Austria/Hungary/Croatia) during the time of
the barbarian invasions. When Anthony was eight, his father entrusted
his care to Saint Severinus, the apostle of Noricum (lower Austria).
Anthony spent his youth in a monastery founded by Severinus at
Faviana, and witnessed Odoacer(1) march on Rome.
Severinus died in 482 and at that time Anthony went on to the care of
his uncle, Constantius the bishop of Lorch in Bavaria. Soon after
Anthony retired to the monastery, and in 488 went with some other
Romans out of Noricum into Italy. He was at this time about twenty
years old.
Anthony settled under the guidance of the monk Marius, on Lake Como,
in northern Italy. Marius thought much of our saint, and wished him to
be ordained to aid in continuing the work, but Anthony desired the
solitary life. With this decision Anthony joined two hermits at the
other end of the lake, near the tomb of St. Felix. Here he lived in a
cave, prayed much and cultivated his garden. However, this recluse was
visited often.
These distractions caused much consternation for the saint, because it
broke his pattern of life and the acclaim his visitors heaped upon him
made the saint worry about becoming vain. Anthony decided to venture
over the Alps, where he settled with some other monks in southern Gaul
at Lerins. Saint Anthony of Lerins died there in 520, revered for both
his virtue and numerous miracles.
(1) Odoacer was a Germanic warrior who worked his way up through the
ranks of the Roman army. When the western emperor Julius Nepos was
overthrown by the Roman general Orestes, Odoacer defeated Orestes,
deposed and exiled Orestes' son Romulus Augustus, and refused to
acknowledge any new western emperor, officially putting an end to the
Western Roman Empire in 476. He styled himself King of Italy and
conquered parts of present-day Croatia and Austria.
Saint Quote:
Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to
construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations
of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be
its foundation.
--St. Augustine
Bible Quote:
And because you are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into
your hearts, crying: Abba, Father.
Therefore now he is not a servant, but a son. And if a son, an heir
also through God.=C2 (Galatians 4:6-7)
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Hymn to the Holy Ghost
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator come, From Thy bright heavenly
throne; Come take possession of our souls And make them
all Thine own.
Thou who art called the Paraclete, Best gift of God above;
The living spring, the living fire, Sweet unction and true love.
Thou who art sevenfold in Thy grace, Finger of God's right
hand; His promise, teaching little ones To speak and
understand.
O guide our minds with Thy blest light With love our hearts
inflame; And with Thy strength which ne'er decays Confirm
our mortal frame.
Far from us drive our hellish foe, True peace unto us bring;
And through all perils lead us safe, Beneath Thy sacred wing.
Through Thee may we the Father know; Through Thee the
eternal Son, And Thee the Spirit of them both; Thrice blessed
three in one.
Now to the Father and the Son, Who rose from death, be
glory given, With Thee O holy Comforter, Henceforth by all in
earth and heaven. Amen.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
LET US PRAY:
O GOD, who didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful by the light
of Thy Holy Spirit, grant us by the same Spirit, to have a right
judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy
comfort, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)