The First Electronic Church of America
S A I N T S &
B I R T H D A Y P A G E
March 8, 1997
Saint Of The Day:
St. John of God
St. John of God, whose given name was John Cuidad, was born in Portugal on March 8, 1495, three years after Columbus discovered America. He was first a soldier. As such, he lived a dissolute life, drinking and whoring around Spain and Morocco. He became an overseer of slaves, and a shepherd until the age of 40, when he found a religious conversion. A sermon by Blessed John of Avila triggered a bout of insanity, but John of Avila helped him by paying a number of visits to his asylum, where he soon found his health and a purpose that would dominate the rest of his life. From 1539 on, he built hostels for the relief of the poor, the sick, and the neglected. He founded a group to help him in this work, later called the Brothers Hospitallers. In a sense, John of God was a founder of the modern institution known as "a hospital." He died in Granada in Spain, and was canonized in 1690. In 1886, he was made patron of hospitals and the sick, and, in 1930, of nurses.
Model: John's ability to bounce back -- from a usesless and wasted life to a life of great devotion to those most in need of others' help. He found meaning in life by serving others. That's probably a good prescription for most of us.
Your Birthday Today:
March 8
Day of the Rebel
Pisces
Pros
Distinct, Magnetic, Intuitive
Cons
Solitary, Difficult, Disagreeable
Different. If you were born on March 8, as Sinatra sings, you do it your way. The way you dress, act, think, speak--it's all rather non-conformist. Ruled by the number 8 and the planet Saturn, you are expressive but may turn people off.
Break away. You may be an admirer of tradition and cultures past, but you feel the need to break away from your roots to mold yourself as an individual. Because of your critical, difficult nature, this break is easy, since may tell you to take a hike. By the time you're a young adult, you may have realized that your life will be a stormy, lonely one.
Aggressively anti-social. You have a zest for life, but your idea of fun does not always jibe with those around you. Your intensity and an unrelenting opinions grate against the values society holds dear. Shunning religious icons and other traditional beliefs (at least outwardly), your rebelliousness doesn't win you many friends. But you are extremely loyal to those you do call friends.
Secret agent. You can be a role player, working quietly at the same job for many years while secretly fueling the engines of change. You may even appear a pillar of society, a keeper of the status quo.
Magnetism. You may have a power over certain individuals due to your intelligence and intuition. As a young person, this power was more volatile and undisciplined, but as you mature, you learn to control it and focus it to a subtle, mesmerizing charm.
Some advice:
Try to achieve balance, emotionally. Weigh the possibility of hurting others
before you open your big mouth. Avoid the trap of self-pity. Lighten up
so you can fit in with society
Also born on this day:
Otto Hahn (discover of nuclear fission) Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
(Supreme Court Justice, 30 yrs) Kenneth Grahame (Scottish children's writer)
Anselm Kiefer (German modern painter) Alan Hovhaness (modern composer)
Cyd Charisse (actress, dancer) Aidan Quinn (actor) Sir Anthony Caro (sculptor)
Lynn Redgrave (actress) Douglas Hurd (British foreign minister) Lynn Seymour
(ballet dancer) Mississippi John Hurt (blues, folk singer-songwriter) Jim
Rice (Boston Red Sox outfielder)
