--James 4:6-10--

[Weedy]

--James 4:6-10--

But he giveth greater grace. Wherefore he saith: God resisteth the
proud and giveth grace to the humble. Be subject therefore to God.
But resist the devil: and he will fly from you. Draw nigh to God: and
he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify
your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted and mourn and weep: let
your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into sorrow.
Be humbled in the sight of the Lord: and he will exalt you. [Jas 4:6-10] DRB
========================
Have you let adversity or failure pull you away from God instead of toward
Him? To put distance between you and Jesus, Satan will misuse the very
situations that the Lord can utilize to draw you to Himself. Don't let the
Enemy win the battle. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you"

<<>><<>><<>>
October 21st - Blessed Josephine Leroux
1748-1794

Josephine entered the convent of the Poor Clares at Valenciennes when
she was 22 years old. In 1770 she made her vows. Then the French
Revolution broke out, and the religious were rudely driven from their
convents. Josephine at first returned to her family. But when
Valenciennes was captured by the Austrians, Josephine could not resist
the impulse to return to the enclosure. However, the convent of the
Poor Clares at Valenciennes had not yet been rebuilt, and she took
refuge in the convent of the Ursulines, where her own sister lived.

But the victorious revolutionary army retook the city, and Josephine
was placed under arrest as having been disloyal to her country.
Without being in any way perturbed, she confronted the band of
soldiers who came to arrest her and she said, "It was hardly necessary
to make so much ado for the purpose of taking a weak woman captive!"
Then, having served her captors with refreshments, she followed them
to prison.

Because she had resumed the life of a religious contrary to the laws,
Josephine was condemned to death. With holy serenity and perfect
resignation to God's holy will she accepted the death sentence and
prepared for it by receiving the Bread of Heaven for her journey to
the Divine Bridegroom. With a cheerful countenance she went out to the
place of execution, singing sacred hymns along the way. She declared
herself truly fortunate at being deemed worthy to give her life for
the Catholic Faith. "Could anyone fear to leave this place of exile,"
she said, "when he reflects on the beauty of Paradise?"

At the scaffold she gratefully kissed the hand of the executioner, and
in a clear voice forgave everybody. Then she placed her head on the
block. Her sister, Mary Scholastic, and four other companions died a
martyr's death with her. This occurred on October 23, 1794. Pope
Benedict XV enrolled her among the blessed.


Saint Quote:
Fight all error, but do it with good humor, patience, kindness, and
love. Harshness will damage your own soul and spoil the best cause.
-- Saint John Cantius

Bible Quote:
Dearly beloved, follow not that which is evil: but that which is
good. He that doth good is of God: he that doth evil hath not seen
God. [3 Jn 1:11] DRB

<><><><>
ON THE TEST OF LOVE
1. The test of love is sacrifice. Christ met the test in the sacrifice
of the Cross, and He demands of those who love Him that they prove
their love by the test of the cross. Blessed Josephine knew this and
desired to show her loyalty to her Lord. So, after being forced to
leave her convent by the evil authorities, she returned to the
enclosure of a convent despite the risk it involved. She was arrested
and willingly made the sacrifice of her life for the love of Christ.
-- Are we as ready and as courageous in showing our love for Christ?
2. We can and must make sacrifices in this life. There are thousands
of opportunities offered for making small sacrifices for which we need
no permission. Let us make them with love and generosity, for it is
love that gives value to sacrifice. Each time we deprive ourselves of
anything for Jesus' sake, we are thinking of Him and loving Him. --
Does He not deserve that much from us?
3. One of the noblest acts of sacrifice is the conquest of self-love.
Our Lord builds His sanctuary on the ruins of self-love. "He must
increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). But to decrease is not
enough in this matter. Self must disappear, so that we can say: "I
live, now not I, but Christ lives in me" (Gal 2:20). The secret of
sanctity consists in loving much, but this love presupposes interior
and daily warfare. Let us be generous, let us be valiant, so that,
like Blessed Josephine, we may in the end also be victorious by
passing the test of love.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Pour into our hearts, Lord Jesus, fear and love for Thee, so that
through the merits and example of the holy virgin Josephine, we may
rather choose death than ever consent to offend Thee. Who livest and
reignest forever and ever. Amen.