Wednesday 13 July 2016 Saint Henry

From the ancient Life of Saint Henry

He provided the Church with the benefits of peace and tranquillity

After the most blessed servant of God had been anointed king, he was not satisfied with the anxieties of his realm; so, in order to attain the crown of immortality, he determined to campaign for the King of all, for to serve him is to rule. Accordingly, he applied the utmost energy to the extension of religious worship and began to enrich the churches with property and to furnish them with extensive adornment. He re-established the see of Bamberg in his own domain, dedicating it to Peter and Paul, the princes of the apostles, and to the most revered Saint George, the martyr; by a special law he submitted it to the holy Church of Rome, to pay the honor due by divine right to the first see and also to secure his foundation under Rome’s patronage. But to show more clearly how carefully this holy man provided his church with the benefits of peace and tranquillity even after his death, we here include his letter of establishment.

  “Henry, king by the preordained mercy of God, to all the sons of the Church, both future and present. By the most salutary instructions of sacred eloquence we are taught and advised to abandon temporal riches, to lay aside earthly goods, and to strive to reach the eternal and everlasting dwelling-places in heaven. For present glory is fleeting and meaningless, while it is possessed, unless in it we can glimpse something of heaven’s eternity. But God’s mercy toward the human race provided a useful remedy when he made the reward for earthly existence a share in our heavenly country.

  “Therefore, not unmindful of this clemency and aware that by the gratuitous consideration of divine mercy we were raised up to a position of regal dignity, we think it fitting not only to enlarge the churches constructed by our ancestors, but for the greater glory of God to build new ones and to raise them up as the most grateful gifts of our devotion. Furthermore, not turning a deaf ear to the Lord’s commandments and obediently following divine urgings, we desire to take the treasures of divine generosity bestowed on us by his bounty and store them in heaven, where thieves cannot dig them up or steal them and rust or moth may not destroy them. Moreover, when we reflect upon all that we have now stored up, our heart will be often drawn with longing and love.

  “Accordingly we wish to make known to all the faithful that we have designated a portion of our paternal heritage called Babenberch to be raised to the dignity of an episcopal see so that there we ourselves and our parents may be held in glorious memory, and that the sacrifice of salvation may be offered constantly for all the faithful.”

 PLEASE HELP

Tuesday, June 28……It is 12:45 in the morning and the lightning is flashing, the thunder is thundering, the wind is blowing and the rain is pouring down. This is pretty early for the rains and perhaps it is just a warning of what will be happening over the next three months. The mosquitoes are here already but soon there will be hordes of them after the rain forms puddles everywhere. They breed in discarded bottles, broken pots and in old sardine cans that folks often just toss into the bush; in potholes in the dirt roads or even in the holes in the cement blocks used in construction and anywhere else where water collects and there is no drainage.
BUT...I believe it is also a warning for me to swallow my pride and let you know that we are seriously needing your help in order to procure the medicine so necessary for the cure of Malaria .Just last Thursday we treated 6 patients with malaria and this; even before the rains began.
 In Africa, over a million people die each year because malaria is a killer. When folks having malaria come to Nazareth hermitage and we have the curative medicine, the malaria attack will be over during the 3 day dosage period. Usually after the day 1 the patient will feel much better but malaria parasites remain in the body until the last dosage is taken on day 3. I can certainly attest to this as I nearly died from malaria last year which put me into the hospital for a week. 
People were so generous when I went to the U.S. for a 3 week retreat and during the remaining time, because of your kindness, I was able to purchase medicines
and supplies which are not available here. For this reason I felt ashamed to ask for your kind help again but I must as the sick poor need our help…instructions follow below:

1. People make checks payable to "Monastery of Christ in the Desert"

2. Memo must read: Nazareth Hermitage - sick poor or Nazareth Hermitage
 Gambia sick poor

3. Address envelope to: Monastery of Christ in the Desert,
                                     St. Paul's Hermitage
                                      P.O. Box 270
                                     Abiquiu NM 87510

 4. My name should not appear anywhere on the check.

Thus the Monastery receives the donation and will send you an acknowledgement for tax purposes (should you need it) and then the check will be taken over to to St. Paul's hermitage and your donation for medicines for the sick poor will be deposited in my bank account in Santa Fe by the hermit at Christ in the Desert.

May our merciful Lord bless your kindness and shine His face upon you,

brother dismas Mary