Today according to the old calendar (Feb 11), we remember St. Caedmon of Whitby, the father of English sacred poetry. A lay brother at Whitby abbey who cared for the animals, he received the gift of poetry from an angel who appeared to him at night. Only one of his hymns remain:
Please pray for the departed servant of God Mark.
He struggled with many challenges, but was always willing share his experience strength and hope - if it could be of help to others.
I am deeply saddened by this loss. I pray for his soul and those who loved him. Memory eternal.
"All passions develop in a person as a result of yielding to them; as this yielding occurs more and more frequently, the sinful inclination turns into a habit, and the habit makes the passion a tyrannical master over the person. “Fear bad habits more than demons,” said Saint Isaac the Syrian. When a sinful desire or impulse works within you, you must reject it. The next time, it will act more weakly, and eventually, it will fade completely; but if you indulge it, each time it will act with greater force, as it gains more control over your will, and ultimately gives rise to the habit."
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov