St. Joseph of Leonissa (1556-1612)

Joseph avoided the safe compromises by which people sometimes undercut the gospel. Born at Leonissa in the Kingdom of Naples, Joseph joined the Capuchins in his hometown in 1573. Denying himself hearty meals and comfortable quarters, he prepared for ordination and a life of preaching.
In 1587 he went to Constantinople to take care of the Christian galley slaves working under Turkish masters. Imprisoned for this work, he was warned not to resume it on his release. He did and was again imprisoned and then condemned to death. Miraculously freed, he returned to Italy where he preached to the poor and reconciled feuding families as well as warring cities which had been at odds for years. He was canonized in 1746.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

**First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.**
**They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.***** **
**Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.***** **
**We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.***** **
**As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.***** **
***Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.**** **
***We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. **
**We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.***** **
**We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight. WHY?***** **
**Because we were always outside playing...that's why!**** **
**We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.***** **
**No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were O.K.***** ***
**We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times,***** ****we learned to solve the problem.**** **
***We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. ***
**_WE HAD FRIENDS_**** and we went outside and found them!***** **
**We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. **
**We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.*****
**We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.***** **
***We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them. ***
**Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.***** **
**Imagine that!!**** ***
**The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! ****
**These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.***** **
**The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.***** **
**We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. ***
**If YOU are one of them? CONGRATULATIONS!***** ***
**You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives **//for our own good//**.***** **
**While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.***** **
> //Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it? ///*
***The quote of the month is by Jay Leno: **
**'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' ***
**For those that prefer to think that God is not watching over us...go ahead and delete this.***** ***
**For the rest of us...pass this on.***** **

*VERY **INTERESTING **STUFF*

*In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase...'Goodnight, sleep tight'*
* It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.*
* In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them> 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.'*
* It's where we get the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's'*

* Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. 'Wet your whistle' is the phrase inspired by this practice.*
* In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have 'the rule** **of thumb'.*
* Many years ago in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was ruled 'Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden'...and thus, the word GOLF entered**into the English language.*
* The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.*
* Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?*
*A. All were invented by women.*
* Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?*
*A. Honey* *
Don't delete this just because it looks weird. Believe it or not, you can read it.*
* I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the only iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?*
* Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S. Treasury.*
* Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.*
* Coca-Cola was originally green.*
* It is impossible to lick your elbow.*
* The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work:* *
* Alaska*
* The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...)*
* The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%*
* The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age*
Of **eleven: *
* $ 16,400*
* The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour:* *

61,000* *
> Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.*
> The first novel ever written on a typewriter, Tom Sawyer.*
> The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.*

> Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:*
> Spades - King David
> Hearts - Charlemagne
> Clubs -Alexander, the Great
> Diamonds - Julius Caesar* *

> 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321* *

> If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.*
> Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.*

> Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?*
> A. Their birthplace* *

> Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?*
> A. Obsession* *
> Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter 'A'?*
> A. One thousand* *

> Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year?*
> A. Father's Day

> At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!*

> YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2008 when_*
> 1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.*
> 2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.*
> 3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.*
> 4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.*
> 5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.*
> 6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.*
>7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen*
> 8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.*
> 10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.*
> 11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )*
> 12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.*
> 13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.*
> 14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.*
> 15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

> ~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~~~~~~~~* *
> NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.*

THE SENILITY PRAYER

Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway. Grant me the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

Money Savings on Preparing Meals

Whole Chicken or a roast is the very best buy for any family. Bake a chicken; serve the drumsticks, wings, and thighs first. Save the Breast for sandwiches and the back for soup. A roast, cook until tender and serve it as a roast the first night, next night tacos, next night maybe burritos, or hash. You will find that you not only have wonderful meals but also saving a lot of money, and your family will love your creativeness.

St. John Bosco (1815-1888)

John Bosco’s theory of education could well be used in today’s schools. It was a preventive system, rejecting corporal punishment and placing students in surroundings removed from the likelihood of committing sin. He advocated frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. He combined catechetical training and fatherly guidance, seeking to unite the spiritual life with one’s work, study and play.

Encouraged during his youth to become a priest so he could work with young boys, John was ordained in 1841. His service to young people started when he met a poor orphan and instructed him in preparation for receiving Holy Communion. He then gathered young apprentices and taught them catechism.

After serving as chaplain in a hospice for working girls, John opened the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for boys. Several wealthy and powerful patrons contributed money, enabling him to provide two workshops for the boys, shoemaking and tailoring.

WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND

One day a man saw a old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.

He said, 'I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.'

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, 'And think of me...'

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: 'You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.'

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the
money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard....

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, 'Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.'

There is an old saying 'What goes around comes around.' Today I sent you this story, and I'm asking you t o pass it on. Let this light shine.

Don 't delete it, don't return it. Simply, pass this on to a friend.

Good friends are like stars....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

REMEMBER...WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND!