Iwene Tansi was born in Aguleri near Onitsha, Nigeria, in 1903. He was
baptised
when he was 9 years old with the Christian name, Michael. His baptism
affected
him deeply even at such a young age and he shocked his non-Christian parents
by
daring to destroy his own personal idol, traditionally given to every male
child
at birth.

 At the age of 22, after several years of working as catechist and school
teacher, he entered the seminary and was ordained a priest for the Onitsha
diocese in 1937, when he was 34. As parish priest he worked zealously in
Eastern
Nigeria for 13 years, selflessly serving the religious and material needs of
his
people.

He had to travel on foot to visit his widely scattered parishes, would spend
whole days hearing confessions and was always available to the people in
their
needs, day and night. He was particularly eager to give young people a good
preparation for marriage and to counteract the tradition of "trial
marriages"
which prevailed among the pagans at that time. The large Christian
populations
of many Igbo villages are a present witness to his zeal.

However, in spite of all he was doing, he felt the call to serve God in a
more
direct way in a life of contemplation and prayer and, if possible to bring
the
contemplative monastic life to Nigeria. In 1950 his Bishop was able to free
him
to try his vocation at Mount Saint Bernard Abbey, near Nottingham, England,
and
to be trained in view of founding a contemplative monastery in the diocese
of
Onitsha. His new name in the monastery was Father Cyprian. The complete
change
of lifestyle, particularly living under obedience when he had been a leader
of
people, the change of climate, food and most of all the culture shock were
severe tests, but he was convinced that this is where God wanted him to be.
Father Mark Ulogu, who later became Abbot of Bamenda, joined him a year
later.

In 1962 Mount Saint Bernard decided to make the foundation in Africa, but
for
various reasons it was made in the neighbouring country of Cameroon, near
Bamenda, rather than in Nigeria. Although he was appointed as Novice Master
of
the foundation, Father Cyprian was too sick to go. He died on January 20,
1964,
a few months after the departure of the founders.

The reputation for holiness that he had left in Nigeria before going to
Mount
Saint Bernard never ceased to grow. After his death, many people claimed to
have
received favours through his intercession. The process for his beatification
was
opened in the diocese of Nottingham, then transferred in 1986 to the
Archdiocese
of Onitsha, whose Archbishop was the present Cardinal Francis Arinze, who
had
been among the first children baptised by Father Tansi when the latter was a
young parish priest. On March 22, 1998, at Onitsha, during a trip to Nigeria
made for that very purpose, Pope John Paul II beatified Father Cyprian
Michael
Tansi, proclaiming him to be a model of priestly zeal and prayer.

This version taken from:
http://www.ocso.org/HTM/net/stnsi-en.htm

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These were the first words of the Apostle St. Paul as he recognized the
Lord:
"Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" And they were uttered by him with so
much
sincerity of affection, and with such submission of will, that from that day
forward he had no other desire and no other aim than to fulfill the Divine
Will
in all and through all. Nor in all the adversities, labors, sufferings, and
torments which he encountered was there ever a thing sufficient to diminish,
or
even in the least to shake, his constancy and fidelity.

     St. Jane Frances de Chantal had so great a desire to know and follow
the
Divine Will that on merely hearing those words, "Divine Will" she felt all
on
fire, as if a torch had been applied to her heart, and she remained in a
kind of
torture until she knew how she was to understand them.

     The venerable Mother Seraphina di Dio testifies of herself that the
Lord
showed her plainly, by an interior illumination, how good a thing it is to
live
without any will of one's own and to commit one's self entirely to His holy
will. "I remained:" she says, "fully persuaded that on account of His
greatness
and perfection it was the most suitable thing for all His creatures to have
no
other will than that of their most loving God; and that when one has reached
this point, he belongs wholly to God and enjoys Paradise upon earth."

(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". January - Perfection)

Bible Quote
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave
thyself
in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and
ground of the truth. (1 Tim 3:15)

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Saint Anthony, Guide of Pilgrims

Dear St. Anthony, we are all pilgrims. We came from God and
we are going to Him. He who created us will welcome us at
journey's end. The Lord Jesus is preparing a place for all His
brothers and sisters. St. Anthony, Guide of Pilgrims, direct my
steps in the straight path. Protect me until I am safely home in
heaven. Help me in all my needs and difficulties.
 (Name them.)