• January 19th - St. Nathalan of Aberdeen, Bishop

    From rich@1:396/4 to All on Sat Jan 18 06:49:03 2020
    From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

    January 19th - St. Nathalan of Aberdeen, Bishop

    Born near Aberdeen (Tullicht?), Scotland; died 678.

    Saint Nathalan's name is included in ancient Irish martyrologies, such
    as that of Aengus. The Aberdeen breviary records that Nathalan was a
    nobleman, who possessed a large estate which he gave to the poor in
    order to become an anchorite. Nathalan is especially praised for
    having earned his living by farming, "which approaches nearest to
    divine contemplation." He fed his neighbours from his produce during
    times of famine, and found that farming served him as a type of
    penance.

    During his pilgrimage to Rome, Nathalan was consecrated bishop by the
    pope, because of his holiness and proficiency in profane and sacred
    learning. He took up residence at Tullicht (now in the diocese of
    Aberdeen), where he built a church, but he continued to use all his
    revenues for the relief of the poor as he had previously. He continued
    to earn his livelihood by the work of his hands, while living
    austerely, and preaching the Gospel. He is also credited with founding
    the churches at Bothelim and Colle.

    His story has elements of folklore, which resembles that of several
    other saints from this part of the world=E2=80=94but with a difference. A sudden storm interfered with Nathalan's harvest, and he protested
    against God. When he realized what he had done, he locked his hand and
    leg together in irons and tossed away the key in the River Dee.

    He vowed that his arm would never be free until he had made a
    pilgrimage to Rome. Upon his arrival in the Eternal City, he met a boy
    who offered him a fish for sale. He bought it and recovered the key
    from the belly of the fish. It is said that when the pope heard of
    this miracle, he determined to make him a bishop.

    Many miracles were wrought at his tomb in Tullicht, where his relics
    were preserved until the Reformation. It should be noted that the see
    of Aberdeen had not yet been regularly established; it was first
    erected at Murthlac by Saint Bean (f.d. October 26) at the beginning
    of the 11th century, and transferred to Aberdeen by its fourth bishop,
    Nectan (Attwater2, Benedictines, Coulson, Farmer, Husenbeth).


    Saint Quote:
    A man who has been assiduous in acquiring the fruits of love will not
    cease loving even if he suffers a thousand calamities. Let Stephen,
    the disciple of Christ, and others like him persuade you of the truth
    of this (cf. Acts 7:60). Our Lord Himself prayed for His murderers and
    asked the Father to forgive them because they did not know what they
    were doing (cf. Luke 23:34).
    --St. Maximos the Confessor

    Bible Quote:
    "But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of
    you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (Heb 3:13)


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    The Truth Speaks within Us without Noise of Words

    God speaks to the understanding by the light of His Spirit, and to
    the heart by His holy inspirations. All that the Prophets deliver in
    the Word of God, all the truths which preachers announce to us, cannot enlighten the understanding nor touch the heart, if God Himself speak
    not to us by the motions of His grace. We should therefore entreat the
    Lord to speak to our interior while we exteriorly attend to or read
    divine truths, for fear that hearing the word of God and not keeping
    it, knowing His doctrines and not following them, conscious of His
    will and not doing it we should become more and more culpable in His
    sight.

    Prayer: Speak to me, O Lord, speak in such a manner to my soul that I
    may hear and obey Thee. Make known to me Thy designs for my salvation
    and enable me to execute them. Teach me and all Christians, O Jesus,
    what Thou art to us, and what we ought to be to Thee. Instruct us in
    the sacred maxims of Thy Gospel, and induce us to practice them, for
    what will it avail us to believe Thy heavenly doctrines, if we
    endeavor not to follow them, and to live, as well as to believe, as
    becometh Christians? O eternal Word of the Father, by which He spoke,
    and all things were made, speak to my soul, say to it, I am thy
    salvation. Work in me to will and to do, and consummate my salvation.
    Amen.
    --Thomas =C3 Kempis, From the Imitation of Christ
    --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
    * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)