From: "Waldtraud" 

March 23rd - St. Aethelwold, Hermit at Farne (also known as Ethelwald or
Edelwald or Oidilwald the Hermit) (Died AD 699)

St. Aethelwold was, for some time, a monk at Ripon, "where having
received the priestly office," says Bede, "he sanctified it by a
life worthy of that degree. After the death of that man of God, Cuthbert,
this venerable priest succeeded him in the exercise of a solitary life, in
the cell which the saint had inhabited in the Islet of Farne, before he was
made bishop." He found Cuthbert's little oratory so rudely put
together, that the sea-wind shrieked in through the joints of the planks.
Though patched up with clay and stubble, the chapel was so full of draughts
that Aethelwold felt obliged to obtained a calf's skin, which he nailed
against the wall where he was wont to pray, in order to keep the wind from
blowing in his ear.

Bede says, "I will relate one miracle of Ethelwold, which was told me
by one of the brothers who was concerned and for whose sake it was wrought,
Guthfred, the venerable servant and priest of Christ, who afterwards
presided in quality of abbot over the church of Lindisfarne, in which he
was educated. I came, said he, to the Islet of Farne, with two other
brothers, desiring to speak with the most reverent father, Aethelwold, and,
when we had been comforted by his discourses, and having asked his
blessing, were returning home when, on a sudden, as we were in the sea, the
fair weather that was wafting us over changed and so great and furious a
storm fell on us that neither sail nor oars availed, and we despaired of
life."

"Having a good while struggled in vain with the wind and waves, we
looked back at last to see if by any means we might return to the island,
but found that we were equally beset with the tempest on all sides; but we
could perceive Aethelwold at the mouth of his cavern, contemplating our
danger. For, hearing the howl of the wind and the roar of the sea, he came
forth to see how we fared. And, when he saw our desperate condition, he
bent his knees to the Father of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, to pray for our
life and safety. As he finished his prayer, the swelling sea immediately
abated its violence and the rage of the winds ceased, and a fair gale,
springing up, bore us over the smooth waters to the shore. But no sooner
had we arrived and drawn our boat out of the water, than the same storm
began to rage again and ceased not all that day; to the end that it might
plainly appear that this small intermission had been granted from heaven,
at the prayer of the man of God, that we might escape."

Aethelwold spent twelve years on Farne and died there on 23rd March (or
21st April) AD 699. He was buried on Lindisfarne, in the Priory Church of
St. Peter, near the bodies of SS. Cuthbert and Edbert. His bones were
afterwards taken up, in the time of the Danish ravages of AD 875, and,
after numerous wanderings around northern England, were translated to
Durham in AD 995 and more honourably enshrined in 1160.

Edited from S. Baring-Gould's "The Lives of the Saints" (1877).

See longer version found at:
http://www.newmanreader.org/works/saints/edelwald.html



Saint Quote:
"If we do not pay great attention to mortifying our own will, there
are many things that can take from us that holy liberty of spirit, which we
seek in order to be able to mount freely towards our Creator, without being
always weighed down with earth and lead. Besides, in a soul that belongs to
itself, and is attached to its own will, there can never be solid
virtue"
-St. Teresa

 St. Mary Magdalen de' Pazzi said one day that she asked nothing of the Lord
except that He would take her own will from her; for she knew that through
the vivacity of her disposition, she did not advance so much as she desired
in those virtues which render a soul most pleasing to the Lord. After
saying this, she raised her eyes to Heaven and fell into an ecstasy, in
which she was shown by God how much harm is done to souls, especially those
of religious, when they are guided by their own will which they once
consecrated to God by vow. In the course of the ecstasy, she took her
Superior by the hand and led her to the oratory, where she knelt and prayed
the Virgin to enlighten her Superior also, that she might take pains to
despoil her of her will; and after prostrating herself three times upon the
ground, she recovered from her trance. She was so much in earnest in this
matter that she once said she did not remember ever to have tried, either
secretly or openly, to incline the will of her Superior to her own.

(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints".  March - Mortification)

Bible Quote:
19 Jesus answered, and said to them: Destroy this temple, and in three days
I will raise it up. 20 The Jews then said: Six and forty years was this
temple in building; and wilt thou raise it up in three days?   21 But he
spoke of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was risen again from
the dead, his disciples remembered, that he had said this, and they
believed the scripture, and the word that Jesus had said.    (John 2:19-22)



The fifth sorrowful mystery prayer of the Eucharistic Rosary, to be offered
before the Blessed Sacrament:

The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord, offered for self- sacrifice for God,
and our neighbor, forgiveness of injuries:

O good and merciful Saviour! Thy love, more than iron nails, keeps Thee
riveted to the cross whereon Thou atonest for our sins in the midst of
unspeakable torments; we find Thee also riveted by the same love in the
Sacrament of the Altar, continuing Thy sacrifice to the end of ages in
order to apply to us the fruits thereof.

Sweet Lamb, perpetually immolated for us, we adore Thee, and we beg of
Thee, through the intercession of Thy holy Mother, such a hatred of sin as
will make us prefer the death of the body to the staining of the soul.

Imprimatur:  + John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York, Sept 19, 1908.




A Prayer for Fighting Pornography

O Lord Jesus Christ, protector of souls, mercifully hear our prayers for
protection against the purveyors of evil, against the wiles of Satan and
his followers who seek to entrap us with the snares of pornography and lust
and vice. O Jesus, grant that we may boldly step forward to defeat these
enemies of men's souls, through the power and protection of Your most
precious Blood, offered for us on the Cross.

Lord Jesus, we beg the conversion of all who pander to the weakness of men
and women through pornography. Bring these and all Your people to their
final home in Heaven.
Virgin most pure, pray for Your children here on earth who must face
temptations thrust on them by evil men.

Saint Maria Goretti, model of purity, help us to follow Your example in
forgiveness of others and love of God; pray to God that we will be
successful in our daily fight against the evil forces of pornography and
temptations of the flesh; and ask God to give strength and wisdom to those
who battle against the satanic forces of evil, that they may triumph for
God and the salvation of souls. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, protect us and
have mercy on us. Virgin most pure, pray for us. Saint Maria Goretti, pray
for us. - Amen.


**Don't forget to pray the Stations of the Cross on Fridays

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