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"Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation." (Jn. 5:28-29)

Before the reform of the Roman Calendar this was the feast of St. Gabriel. This feast has been transferred to September 29 which is also the feast of Sts. Michael and Raphael.

This day was called the 'Feria of the great scrutiny,' because in the Church of Rome, after the necessary inquiries and examinations, the list of the catechumens, who were to receive Baptism, was closed. The Station is held in the basilica of St. Paul outside the walls, both because of the size of the building, and also in order to honor the apostle of the Gentiles by offering him these new recruits, which the Church was about to make from paganism. The reader will be interested and edified by a description of this ceremony.

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Meditation - Submission and Christian Obedience
Continual submission to the holy will of God is the most universal of all virtues and its practice should be most familiar to you, since at every moment there arise opportunities of renouncing your own will and submitting to the will of God. His will is always easy to recognize. God has willed that all things that are extremely necessary should also be very easy to obtain. The sun, for instance, and air and water, and the other elements are most necessary for man's natural life; so, also, these things are common and freely available to everyone.

In the same way, since God has placed you in this world only to do His holy will, and your salvation depends upon this, it is, therefore, extremely necessary that you should easily know God's will in all that must be done. So, He has made it easily recognizable, manifesting His holy will in five chief ways which are very certain and evident:

1. by His commandments;
   
   
2. by His counsels;
   
   
3. by the laws, rules and obligations of our state in life;
   
   
4. by the authority of those placed over you or directing you;
   
   
5. by events, since every happening in an infallible sign that God so wills, either by absolute or by permissive will.

So, if you would but open the eyes of faith even a little, you could easily, at all times and in every situation, recognize God's most holy will, and this knowledge would lead you to love Him and to submit yourself to Him. — The Life and Kingdom of Jesus in Christian Souls, St. John Eudes

[NYer]

Martyrology

The Twenty-fourth Day of March

The Feast of St. Gabriel the Archangel, who was sent by God to declare the mystery of the Incarnation of the Divine Word. A totum duplex feast.

At Rome, St. Epigmenius, priest who, in the persecution of Diocletian, under the judge Turpius, was slain with the sword and so gained his martyrdom.

Also at Rome, at the time of Julian the Apostate, the suffering of Blessed Pigmenius, priest. Because of his faith in Christ, he was cast into the Tiber and drowned.

At Rome, the holy martyrs Mark and Timothy, who were crowned with martyrdom under the Emperor Antoninus.

At Caesarea in Palestine, the birthday of the holy martyrs Timolaus, Dionysius, Pausides, Romulus, Alexander, another Alexander, Agapius, and a second Dionysius. In the persecution of Diocletian under the governor Urban, they were beheaded, thus earning crowns of (eternal) life.

In Morocco, the birthday of SS. Romulus and Secundus, brothers, who suffered for the faith of Christ.

At Trent, the suffering of the boy St. Simeon, who was most cruelly murdered by Jews, and afterward glorified with many miracles.

At Synnada in Phrygia, St. Agapitus, bishop.

At Brescia, St. Latinus, bishop.

In Syria, St. Seleucus, confessor.

In Sweden, St. Catherine, virgin, who was the daughter of St. Bridget.