Are there any blind-spots in your life

Are there any blind-spots in your life that keep you from recognizing
God's power and mercy? When two blind men heard that Jesus was passing
their way, they followed him and begged for his mercy. The word mercy
literally means "sorrowful at heart". But mercy is something more than compassion, or heartfelt sorrow at another person's misfortune.
Compassion empathizes with the sufferer. But mercy goes further; it
removes suffering. A merciful person shares in another person's
misfortune and suffering as if it were their own. [Matthew 9:27-31]

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March 30th - ST ZOSIMUS, BISHOP OF SYRACUSE
d. 660

THE parents of St Zosimus were Sicilian landowners, who dedicated
their little boy to the service of St Lucy and placed him, when he was
7 years old, in the monastery that bore her name near Syracuse, not
far from their home. There his main occupation seems to have been to
watch near the relics of the saint. The duty was not altogether
congenial to the little lad, accustomed as he was to a free open-air
life on a farm, and once, when the abbot Faustus had set him a
particularly distasteful task, he ran away and went home. He was
brought back in disgrace, and the enormity of his offence impressed
upon him. That night, in his dreams, he saw St Lucy rise from her
shrine and stand over him with a menacing countenance. As he lay in
terror, there appeared beside her the gracious figure of our Lady
interceding for him, and promising in his name that he would never do
such a thing again. As time went by, Zosimus became more reconciled to
the life of the cloister, his visits home became fewer and shorter,
and he settled down to the regular round of prayer, praise and
contemplation with the other monks.

For thirty years he lived almost forgotten. Then the abbot of Santa
Lucia died, and there was great uncertainty and discussion over the
choice of a successor. Finally the monks went in a body to the bishop
of Syracuse and begged him to make the appointment for them. The
prelate, after scrutinizing them all, asked if there was no other monk belonging to the convent. Thereupon they remembered Brother Zosimus,
whom they had left to mind the shrine and to answer the door. He was
sent for, and no sooner had the bishop set eyes upon him than he
exclaimed, “Behold him whom the Lord hath chosen”. So Zosimus was
appointed abbot, and a few days later the bishop ordained him a
priest. His biographer says that he ruled the monastery of Santa Lucia
with such wisdom, love and prudence that he surpassed all his
predecessors and all his successors. When the see of Syracuse fell
vacant in 649, the people elected Zosimus, who, however, did not wish
to be raised to the dignity, whilst the clergy chose a priest called
Vanerius, a vain and ambitious man. Appeal was made to Pope Theodore,
who decided for Zosimus and consecrated him. In his episcopate the
holy man was remarkable for his zeal in teaching the people and for
his liberality to the poor; but it is difficult to judge of the
historical value of the anecdotes which purport to have been recorded
by a contemporary biographer. At the age of nearly ninety St Zosimus
died, about the year 660.

There is a short and fragmentary Latin life printed in the Acta
Sanctorum, March, vol. iii. See also Cajetan, Vitae Sanctorum Sicul.,
vol. i, pp. 226-231, and animad. 181-183. Gams describes him as a
Benedictine, but he is not noticed by Mabillon; he was perhaps a “Basilian”.


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"Thou oughtest not to let a day pass in which thou hast not trampled
upon thy will; and if such a thing should happen, consider that on
that day thou hast not been a religious"
--St. John Climacus

St Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi was extremely fond of not doing her own
will, and made a study of it, so that she regarded that day as utterly
lost in which she had not in some manner broken and denied it.

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


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Prayer.

We entreat you, O most holy martyrs, who cheerfully suffered
most cruel torments for God our Saviour and His love, on
which account you are now most intimately and familiarly
united to Him, that you pray to the Lord for us, poor sinners.
May He infuse into us the grace of God, to enlighten our
souls to love Christ as you loved Him!

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