{"id":142617,"date":"2024-10-29T05:00:30","date_gmt":"2024-10-29T09:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.regnumchristi.com\/en\/?p=142617"},"modified":"2024-10-29T05:00:30","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T09:00:30","slug":"st-mary-of-edessa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.regnumchristi.com\/en\/st-mary-of-edessa\/","title":{"rendered":"St Mary of Edessa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear Edie,<\/span><\/p>\n

I am in a terrible rush. \u00a0It seems that there\u2019s been some kind of outbreak of voodoo among the guards here, and I am to be brought as a witness to a trial that begins tonight. \u00a0Thus, I don\u2019t know when I\u2019ll be back, and I wanted to answer your last note as soon as possible. I am sure you\u2019ll forgive any traces of incoherence left by my forced brevity.<\/span><\/p>\n

I would advise you not to leave college just yet, rather, add another half hour of prayer (Christian meditation, you know what I mean) to your daily schedule, preferably in the evening, so that you are starting and ending the days in heart-to-heart conversation with the Lord. \u00a0That will gradually confirm you in what he is asking of you \u2013 either to take a semester off in order to serve the Church more directly, or continue your studies and serve him that way. Your heart seems to be in the right place \u2013 you\u2019re not trying to escape or anything, so the extra time in prayer will, I am certain, give you the light and strength you need.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just watch out for subtle temptations. \u00a0It seems God has a wonderful and extraordinary vocation for you, so the devil will by sly and devious in trying to ruin it, as he was with today\u2019s saint. \u00a0She was St Abraham\u2019s niece (you remember the Mesopotamian wonder-worker who converted whole towns with his tears, who spent his life in a stone cell on a mountain, refusing even to take possession of the immense riches he inherited, don\u2019t you?). \u00a0When her father died, Abraham took her under his wing, built a cell for her near him, and taught her the deep and wonderful ways of prayer and penance. She advanced quickly in the spiritual life, and became known for her piety and wise advice. Then the devil struck. \u00a0A bad monk (a wolf in sheep\u2019s clothing, really) began to frequent St Abraham\u2019s cell pretending to seek spiritual guidance. In fact, however, he was using his frequent visits to confuse and seduce Maria. Unfortunately, he succeeded. After he fall, she gave in to yet another temptation \u2013 despair. \u00a0Thinking herself unforgivable, she fled her hermitage and took up residence in an Inn near a big city, where she gave herself over completely to dissolute and dishonorable living. St Abraham heard of her plight, prayed and did penance for her, and eventually went out to rescue her. He disguised himself as a native townsman and solicited her at the Inn. \u00a0When they were alone, he revealed his true identity and encouraged her to come back to her Lord. She was filled with remorse, threw herself on her knees, repented, and placed her soul under his care. He put her on his own horse and led her back to her cell, where he joined fervent prayers and penances to wise advice, such that she soon reformed and regained her previous holiness. \u00a0For the last years of her life, she prayed in seclusion and obtained from God\u2019s goodness many miraculous favors for the benefit of the people living nearby.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even those well advanced on the road to holiness, you see, can fall into the most degrading sins. \u00a0So keep your prayer light on, and stay close to Christ, and beware the deceptions of the devil \u2013 God will take care of the rest. \u00a0Gotta go.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your devoted uncle, Eddy<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Edie, I am in a terrible rush. \u00a0It seems that there\u2019s been some kind of outbreak of voodoo among the guards here, and I am to be brought as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":145992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[3719],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-142617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncle-eddy"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"","pp_force_visibility":null,"pp_subpost_visibility":null,"pp_inherited_force_visibility":null,"pp_inherited_subpost_visibility":null,"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSt Mary of Edessa - Regnum Christi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.regnumchristi.com\/en\/st-mary-of-edessa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"St Mary of Edessa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dear Edie, I am in a terrible rush. \u00a0It seems that there\u2019s been some kind of outbreak of voodoo among the guards here, and I am to be brought as […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.regnumchristi.com\/en\/st-mary-of-edessa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Regnum Christi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RegnumChristiEn\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-10-29T09:00:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.regnumchristi.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Uncle-Eddy-Header.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Fr. 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