Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, QUOTES on HEAVEN, THE 4 LAST THINGS : HEAVEN By Fr Martin von Cochem, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 23 April – On the Number of the Saved 3

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Thought for the Day – 23 April – During this Season of Alleluias and Joy, we will consider Fr von Cochem’s Reflections upon our Heavenly Homeland.

Excerpts from THE FOUR LAST THINGS —- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN
FR MARTIN VON COCHEM (1625-1712) OSFC

Nihil Obstat: Thomas L Kinkead, Censor Liborium
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine — Archbishop of New York (New York 5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

IV:3 On the Number of the Saved

… What object in life have the great majority of mankind?
What is it they strive after and crave for?

They desire to be rich, to be prosperous, to live in luxury and to be praised by their fellowmen. Nobody considers this to be a sin.
And yet Our Lord declares that everlasting death will be the doom of such persons and He denounces them in forcible language.

From these and similar passages which abound in Holy Scripture, thou seest that God is more strict than thou dost imagine and, it is a more easy matter to lose thy soul than thou perhaps thinkest. Wherefore do not any longer live so heedlessly but work out thy salvation with fear and trembling, as the Apostle exhorts thee.
The Saints did so at all times, having the fear of God’s judgements ever be fore their eyes.
The Godless, on the contrary, are ever wont to say, as many do at the present day: God is merciful, He will not condemn us so lightly to eternal damnation.
But remember what is said in Holy Scripture: “Be not without fear about sin forgiven and add not sin to sin. And say not, The Mercy of the Lord is great, He will have mercy upon the multitude of my sins. For mercy and wrath come quickly from Him and His wrath looketh upon sinners” (Ecclus v. 5-7).

We also find St Catharine of Siena saying: “O unhappy sinners, do not rely upon the greatness of God’s Mercy; believe me, the more you provoke the anger of this merciful God by willful sin, the deeper you will be cast into the abyss of perdition.”

It is undoubtedly true that we ought to place our trust in God’s Mercy but what the nature of our confidence should be, we are taught by St Gregory.
He says: “Let him who does all that he can, rely firmly upon the Mercy of God. But for him who does not do all that lies within his power to rely upon the Mercy of God would be simple presumption.”
To each and all of us the Apostle Peter says: “Labour the more, that by good works you may make your calling and election sure” (2 Pet.i. 10).

Several of the Fathers of the Church consider that from the fact that at the time of the deluge only eight persons were saved, at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,
only four namely, Lot, his wife and his two daughters escaped with their lives and of the six hundred thousand able men who departed out of Egypt, not more than two reached the Promised Land, the others all dying in the desert, it may be concluded that the number of the Elect amongst Christians will be proportionately small.
This agrees with what St John Chrysostom said on one occasion when he was preaching in the City of Antioch: “What think you, my hearers, how many of the inhabitants of this City may perhaps be saved? What I am about to say is very terrible, yet I will not conceal it from you. Out of this thickly populated City with its thousands of inhabitants, not a hundred will be saved; I even doubt whether there will be as many as that. For what indifference we see amongst the aged, what wickedness amongst the young, what impiety amongst all classes of people.”

Such words as these may well make us tremble.
We should hesitate to believe them, did they not come from the lips of so great a Saint and Father of the Church.
And if it is true that in the first five centuries, when the zeal and devotion of Christians was much more fervent than it is now, so small a number attained everlasting salvation, what will it be in our own day, when crime and vice prevail to so fearful an extent?

Since it is impossible for anyone to deny, or even to doubt that the number of the Elect is small in proportion to that of the reprobate, I beseech thee, O Christian reader, exert thyself to the utmost to accomplish the work of thy salvation.
Thou knowest what an awful thing it is to be damned eternally!

Posted in franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY

Quote/s of the Day – 23 April – The Wisdom of Blessed Giles of Assisi

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 April – On the Feast Day of Blessed Giles of Assisi OFM (c1190-1262) Friar and Missionary of the Order of Friars Minor, Friend and the 3rd follower of St Francis.

A Brother said to Brother Giles:
“ Father, I have seen other men who received from God
the grace of devotion and of tears in their prayers
and I cannot feel in myself any such grace,
when I go to worship God.”
To whom Brother Giles answered:
“My Brother, I counsel thee to persevere humbly
and faithfully in thy prayers;
for the fruits of the earth cannot be had without toil
and labour applied beforehand
and even after we have laboured,
the desired fruit does not follow immediately
but only in its season, when the fullness of time has come.”

“Happiness is to do bodily labour
for the love of the Most High
and not to take any lesser wages than Paradise,
for the good work one does.”

“If thou wouldst see well, pluck out thine eyes and be blind;
if thou wouldst hear well, be deaf
and if thou wouldst speak well, become dumb;
if thou wouldst advance, stand still
and advance with thy mind;
if thou wouldst work well, cut off thy hands
and work with thy heart;
if thou wouldst love much, hate thyself;
if thou wouldst live well, mortify thyself;
if thou wouldst gain much and be rich,
first lose all and become poor
and if thou wouldst enjoy peace, afflict thyself
and be ever in fear and suspect thine own self;
if thou wouldst be exalted and have great honour,
humble and abase thyself;
if thou wouldst be held in great reverence, despise thyself
and do reverence to him who reviles thee;
if thou wouldst that it should be well with thee,
suffer all evil things and if thou wouldst be blessed,
desire that all should speak ill of thee
and if thou wouldst have true and eternal rest,
then toil and suffer and desire to have every temporal affliction.
O what great wisdom it is to know how to do
and to work out these things.”

Blessed Giles of Assisi (c1190-1262)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 April – “Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4

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One Minute Reflection – 23 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St George (Died c 303) Martyr – 2 Timothy 2:8-10; 3:10-12; John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4

REFLECTION – “ [Jesus] is our only Master, Who must teach us; our only Lord, on Whom we must depend; our only Head, to Whom alone we should belong; our only Model, Whom we should imitate; our only Physician, Who must heal us; our only Shepherd, Who must feed us; our only Way, Who must lead us; our only Truth, Whom we must believe; our only Life, Who must be our life and our sole sufficiency in all things that in Him, we may have all in All. Except the Name of Jesus, there is no other name given under Heaven, whereby we must be saved and apart from Jesus Christ,

God has given us no other foundation of our salvation, our perfection and our glory: “for other foundation no man can lay but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 3:11). Every house which is not built upon this firm Rock, is founded on the shifting sands and will inevitably fall, sooner or later. Every soul who is not united with Christ, as a branch to the stem of the vine, will fall off, wither and become fit only for the fire. If we are in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in us, we need not fear damnation; neither Angels in Heaven, nor men on earth, neither demons in hell, nor any other creature, can harm us because they cannot separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus (cf. Rm 8:38-39).” – St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716) Priest, Renowned Preacher, Founder of Religious Communities [Treatise on the true devotion to the Blessed Virgin (Article one; First Truth)]

PRAYER – O God, Who dost gladden us through the worthy deeds and prayers of thy blessed Martyr George, mercifully grant that all they, who seek Thy mercy through him, may effectually obtain the gift of Thy grace. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 23 April –Caelitum, Ioseph, decus, Joseph, the Praise and Glory of the Heavens

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Our Morning Offering – 23 May – Dau 2 Within the Octave of the Patronage of St Joseph

Caelitum, Ioseph, decus
Joseph, the Praise and Glory of the Heavens
By Fr Juan Escollar (Died 1700)

Joseph, the praise and glory of the heavens,
Sure pledge of life and safety of the wide world,
as in our joy we sing to thee, in kindness
listen to our praises.

Thou by the world’s Creator wert appointed
Spouse of the Virgin, thee He willed to honour.
Naming thee father of the Word and guardian
of our salvation.

Thou, thy Redeemer, lying in a stable,
whom long ago foretold the choir of Prophets,
sawest rejoicing and thy God adorest
Humble in childhood.

God, King of Kings and Governor of the ages,
He at Whose word the powers of hell do tremble,
He Whom the adoring heavens ever worship,
called thee protector.

Praise to the Triune Godhead everlasting,
Who with such honour mightily hath blest thee.
O may He grant us at thy blest petition
Joys everlasting.
Amen

Translation by Alan G McDougall (1895-1964).

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 23 April – Saint Marolus (Died 423) Bishop and Confessor of Milan.

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Saint of the Day – 23 April – Saint Marolus (Died 423) Bishop and Confessor of Milan. A learned and erudite man of deep charity and ascetric and penential devotions. His fasting and penances he presented as a means of assisting his flock. He zealously taught and guided them and ensured he assisted by all means possible, those in need, thus earninmg the title of ‘Apostle of Charity’ Born and raised in Mesopotanua and died in Milan, Italy. Also known as – Marole, Marolo.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Milan, St Marolus, Bishop and Confessor.”

Today, in Milan especially, the Ambrosian Church celebrates the memory of Saint Marolus, the 14th Bishop of Milan, who distinguished the 5th Century by his example of erudition and sanctity.

His Eastern origins are shrouded in mystery, as his name itself suggests which refers to a marine etymology (“one who comes from the sea” or “dweller on the coast”).

St Ennodius (c473-521), a Milanese Deacon and later Bishop of Pavia, in his “Life of Saint Marolus” describes him as a native of the region of Babylon, a land “kissed by the Tigris” and among the first “illuminated” by the Gospel and the blood of Martyrs.

Perhaps to escape the persecutions of Shapur II, St Marolus took refuge in Antioch in Syria and, later, in Rome, where he befriended Pope Innocent I.

His reputation as a cultured and zealous man preceded him to Milan, where in 408, he was Consecrated as the Bishop of that great City.

St Ennodius paints a vivid portrait of his Episcopate, emphasising Marolus’ attention to his pastoral mission, his tireless commitment and his dedication to fasting and penance as instruments of intercession for his flock. His apostolic zeal was combined with a profound charity for the poor, so much so that, Ennodius states: “He was ardent in his provision for the poor.”

His charitable works proved providential in a period marked by barbarian invasions, particularly of the Visigoths. As a testament to his concern for the vulnerable, Marolus promoted the construction of a a place of welcome for the needy.

After his death in 423, Saint Marolus’ body was buried in the Basilica of San Nazaro in Milan, where it remains to this day. His memory is highly preserved by the Ambrosian Church, which venerates him as a model of a learned and saintly Bishop, capable of combining doctrine with charity, a love of culture with dedication to his beloved sheep.

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

St George and all the Saints for 23 April

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Day 2 Within the Octave of the Patronage of St Joseph

St George (died c 303) Martyr Soldier. St George is commemorated and remembered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers and one of the most prominent military Saints, he is immortalised in the myth of Saint George and the Dragon.
St George!
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/23/saint-of-the-day-23-april-st-george-died-c-303-martyr/

St Adalbert of Prague (c 957-997) Bishop and Martyr, Missionary, Apostle of Bohemia, Apostle of the Prussians, Apostle of the Slavs. Patronages – of Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, Czech Republic, Archdiocese of Prague, Prussia.
About St Adalbert:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/23/saint-of-the-day-23-april-st-adalbert-of-prague/

St Achilleus of Vienne
Bl Adalbert III of Salzburg
St Felix of Vienne
St Fortunatus of Vienna
St George of San Giorio
St Gerard of Orchimont

St Gerard (c 935–994) Bishop of Toul, France, from 963 until his death in 994. St George is commemorated and remembered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.
About St Gerard:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/23/saint-of-the-day-23-april-saint-gerard-of-toul-c-935-994/

Blessed Giles of Assisi OFM (c1190-1262) Friar and Missionary of the Order of Friars Minor, Friend and the 3rd follower of St Francis. Giles held a leading place among the original Franciscans and St Francis called him “The Knight of our Round Table.” Giles was unlearned but a man of great wisdom, so much so, that all social classes came to learn aat his feet., he was a Mystic and man of deep contemplation and prayer.
Wonderful Giles “The Knight of our Round Table:”
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/23/saint-of-the-day-23-april-blessed-giles-of-assisi-ofm-c1190-1262-the-third-follower-of-st-francis/

Bl Giles of Saumur

St Giorgio di Suelli (Died 1117) Italian Bishop of Suelli, Apostle of the poor, Miracle-worker. For the Diocese he was a true shepherd, a lover of the poor whom he helped and of whom he had a list. He was devoted to prayer and fasting and lived a life of penitence and poverty.
A Shepherd’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/23/saint-of-the-day-23-april-saint-giorgio-di-suelli-died-1117/

Blessed Helen del Cavalanti (Died 1458) Widow, Mother, Third Order Augustinian. Mystic, Miracle-worker. Helen was known for her spirit of penance, obedience, humility, devotion to the Passion of Christ and to the Eucharist and for her love of neighbour.
Holy Helen:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/23/saint-of-the-day-23-april-blessed-helen-del-cavalanti-osa-1396-1458-widow/

St Ibar of Meath
St Marolus (Died 423) Bishop and Confessor of Milan
St Pusinna of Champagne

Martyrs of Africa: A group of Christians murdered for their faith in northern Africa. Little information has survived but their names. The ones we know are – Catulinus, Chorus, Faustinus, Felicis, Felix, Nabors, Plenus, Salunus, Saturninus, Silvius, Solutus, Theodora, Theodorus, Theon, Ursus, Valerius, Venustus, Victorinus, Victurus, Vitalis.

Posted in THE 4 LAST THINGS : HEAVEN By Fr Martin von Cochem, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 22 April – On the Number of the Saved 2

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Thought for the Day – 22 April – During this Season of Alleluias and Joy, we will consider Fr von Cochem’s Reflections upon our Heavenly Homeland.

Excerpts from THE FOUR LAST THINGS —- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN
FR MARTIN VON COCHEM (1625-1712) OSFC .

Nihil Obstat: Thomas L Kinkead, Censor Liborium
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine — Archbishop of New York (New York 5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

IV:2 On the Number of the Saved

Now because Christ knew that these words of His would be misinterpreted and understood in a false sense by both believers and unbelievers, on another occasion He accentuated and emphasised what He had already said concerning the small number of the Elect.
For when one of the disciples asked Him: “Lord, are they few who shall be saved?”
He answered and said: “Strive to enter by the narrow gate; for I say unto you, many shall seek to enter and shall not be able” (Luke xiii. 24).

Listen to the Words of the Divine Teacher. He bids us strive, take trouble, make use of all our powers, in order to enter unto the narrow gate.
And what is still more calculated to appal, He adds that many shall seek to enter and shall not be able!

If those who desire and endeavour to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, fail to do so, what will become of those who lead a careless, perhaps an Godless life and manifest no zeal, no interest in what concerns their eternal salvation?

We have already heard Christ declare 3 times, the number of the Elect is small; that in proportion to the great mass of mankind only a few will be saved.
And because He was aware that we should not take this weighty truth to heart, as we ought,, He reiterates it in yet more explicit language.

After He had told a rich man who came to Him, to leave all his possessions and follow Him and the man had gone away sorrowful, He said, addressing His disciples: “How hardly shall they who have riches enter into the Kingdom of God!?
And the disciples were astonished at His words.
But Jesus again answering saith: Children, how hard it is for them who trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God. Then the disciples wondered the more, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
And Jesus looking on them saith: With men it is impossible but not with God; for all things are possible unto God” (Mark x. 23-27).

Truly these words, coming from the lips of our Divine Master, are enough to inspire us with profound alarm; they are almost enough to cause us to despair.
For they expressly tell us that the work of our salvation is a work of immense difficulty, an almost miraculous achievement and it is well-nigh impossible for poor humanity to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is in reality, as much of a miracle for a man to escape everlasting perdition and to attain eternal felicity, as it would be for one man, single-handed, to vanquish and put to flight, a whole army.

For all the powers of Hell are leagued, together with the wicked world, against us; all the powers of Hell put their forces in array in order to conquer and enslave everyone of us mortals.
And with the awful powers of darkness, the evil, crafty world makes common cause and the concupiscences of the flesh, do the same, for the purpose of completing our ruin!

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 22 April – St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 April – The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph Confessoris

“So, taking Christ’s genealogy from Joseph –
a husband in chastity,
he was father in the same way. …
Are you saying that he did not conceive Jesus
through the operation of nature?
Well then, what the Holy Spirit operated,
He did for them both.
For Joseph was “a just man,” Matthew tells us (1:19).
Both husband and wife were just.
The Holy Spirit dwelt within their mutual justice
and gave each of them, a Son!”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“How faithful in humility was the great Saint
we are celebrating!
That cannot be said in all its perfection,
for, in spite of what he was,
in what poverty and lowliness he lived,
all the days of his life – a poverty and lowliness
beneath which. he kept hidden and concealed,
his great virtues and dignity! …
Truly, I am free of doubt that the Angels came,
beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank,
to behold and wonder at his humility,
while he sheltered that dearest Child
in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment,
so as to feed the little Boy and the Mother entrusted to him.”

“Behold, the Angel of the Lord
appeared to him in his sleep …”
Matthew 1:20

“And what wisdom did he not have? 
For God gave him his most glorious Son to care for …
the universal Prince of Heaven and earth …
Nevertheless, you can see how low
and humbled he was brought,
more than can be said or imagined …
he went to his own Country and Town of Bethlehem
and none but he was turned away from all those inns …
Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands.
He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes;
he orders him to return and he returns.
God wants him to be always poor …
and he submits to it with love and, not only for a while,
for he was poor his whole life long!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

“St Joseph is the Universal Patron of the Church.
We, who are loved children of the Church
should invoke his special intercession,
therefore, for the triumph and expansion
of the Kingdom of God upon earth.
… If we are loyal sons of the Church,
we should pray that She may triumph.
We should ask for the special intercession
of St Joseph, Her Heavenly Patron.”

“We shall come to the end of our lives too,
perhaps sooner than we imagine.
Let us ask the Holy Patriarch
for the favour of a happy death.
Let us ask him to ensure that Jesus and Mary
will help us too, when we are leaving this world.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in franciscan OFM, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, MARIAN QUOTES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 April – ‘Is he not a man chosen and set apart?’

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One Minute Reflection – 22 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph Confessoris – Genesis 49:22-26;  Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “There is a general rule, concerning all special graces granted to any human being. Whenever the Divine favour chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen, with all the gifts of the Spirit, needed to fulfil the task at hand.

This general rule is especially verified in the case of Saint Joseph, the Foster-Father of our Lord and the husband of the Queen of our world, enthroned above the Angels. He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy Guardian and Protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his Divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.

What then is Joseph’s position in the whole Church of Christ? Is he not a man chosen and set apart? Through him and, yes, under him, Christ was fittingly and honourably introduced into the world. Holy Church, in its entirety, is indebted to the Virgin Mother because through her, it was judged worthy to receive Christ. But after her, we undoubtedly owe special gratitude and reverence to Saint Joseph.

In him the Old Testament finds its fitting close. He brought the noble line of Patriarchs and Prophets to its promised fulfilment. What the Divine Goodness had offered as a promise to them, he held in his arms. Obviously, Christ does not now deny to Joseph that intimacy, reverence and very high honour which He gave him on earth, as a son to his father. Rather, we must say that in Heaven, Christ completes and perfects, all that He gave at Nazareth.

Now, we can see ,how the last summoning words of the Lord appropriately apply to Saint Joseph – Enter into the joy of your Lord. In fact, although the joy of eternal happiness enters into the soul of a man, the Lord preferred to say to Joseph – Enter into joy. His intention was, that the words should have a hidden spiritual meaning for us. They convey, not only that this holy man possesses an inward joy but also, that it surrounds him and engulfs him, like an infinite abyss.

Remember us, Saint Joseph and plead for us to your Foster-Child. Ask your most holy bride, the Virgin Mary, to look kindly upon us, since she is the Mother of Him, Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, lives and reigns eternally. Amen.” – St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444) (An excerpt on his Sermon 2 of St Joseph).

PRAYER – God, Who in thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph, to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant that now that he is in Heaven with Thee, we who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be helped by the succour of his prayers to Thee on our behalf. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 22 April – Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail! By Fr Faber

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Our Morning Offering – 22 April – The Solemnity of St Joseph, Spouse of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Patron of the Universal Church.

Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail!
By Father Frederick William Faber CO (1814-1863)

Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Chaste spouse of Mary hail!
Pure as the lily flow’r
In Eden’s peaceful vale.
Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Prince of the house of God!
May His best graces be
By thy sweet hands bestowed.

Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Comrade of Angels, hail!
Cheer thou the hearts that faint,
And guide the steps that fail.
Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
God’s choice wert thou alone!
To thee the Word made flesh,
Was subject as a Son.

Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Teach us our flesh to tame
And, Mary, keep the hearts
That love thy husband’s name.
Mother of Jesus! bless,
And bless, ye Saints on high,
All meek and simple souls
That to Saint Joseph cry.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 22 April – St Leo (Died c547) Bishop and Confessor of Sens

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Saint of the Day – 22 April – St Leo (Died c547) Bishop and Confessor of Sens, in France. A shepherd of great wisdom and graced with diplomatic skills, he protected and defender his flock in Sens, reformed the Clergy and refused to allow even the King and fellow Bishops to deny the rights of the Church and his faithful sheep. This zealous Prelate served within his See for around 22 years.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Sens, St Leo, Bishop and Confessor.”

Sens Cathedral Stained Glass

Leo was the 16th Bishop of Sens after Paul and was a a prominent figure in 6th Century Gaul. Leo emerges from the mists of time as a wise and zealous Prelate.

His presence at the Councils of Orléans in 533 and 538 testifies to the authority he enjoyed while his impassioned letter to King Childebert I, aimed at preventing the creation of a Diocese in Melun at the expense of Sens, reveals his diplomatic skill and concern for the good of his Church.

An intriguing letter of remonstrance to Saint Remigius of Reims, co-signed by 2 further Bishops, offers a glimpse of his intransigence in the face of internal disciplinary issues within the Clergy.

His death which occurred around 547, is commemorated today, a date found in the Roman and and in the Hieronymian Martyrologies and too, in ancient litanies of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, St JOSEPH

The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph, Notre-Dames de Betharam / Our Lady of Betharam, France (1503), St Pope Soter, St Pope Vaius – Martyrs and the Saints for 22 April

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The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph
Wednesday preceding the Third Sunday after Easter:
Few Catholics are likely familiar with the Eastertide Solemnity of St Joseph.
According to Father Francis Xavier Lasance (1860-1946) it was instituted during the hostile occupation of Rome by the Troops of the Italian King, Victor Emmanuel II. The Pope proclaimed St Joseph the Patron of the oppressed Household of the Faith, entrusting to St Joseph, the defence of Holy Mother Church.In the beginning, this Feast Day was observed on the Third Sunday after Easter but when Pope St Pius X reformed the Liturgical Calendar to restore the Sunday Offices to prominence over those of the Saints, the second Feast of St Joseph was moved to the Wednesday preceding the Third Sunday after Easter.
In 1911, the Feast was raised to a Double of the First Class and it was assigned an Octave after it was moved to the Wednesday before the Third Sunday after Easter.
It is a Common Octave, so the Octave may or may not be commemorated on the intra Octave days depending on the rank of the Feasts which occur during the Octave.
While this Feast day is not in the 1962 Missal, it is still kept by Priests who celebrate Holy Mass according to the pre-1955 reforms.

Notre-Dames de Betharam / Our Lady of Betharam, France (1503) – 22 April:
Saint Bernadette Soubirous frequently visited the Shrine of Betharram. In fact, the rosary beads that Bernadette used when praying with the Blessed Virgin during the first apparition at Lourdes had come from the Betharram Shrine and the priest to whom she was sent after the apparitions, was Saint Michel Garicoïts (1797-1863) the Priest of Betharram. He it was who alone believed Bernadette’s accounts of the apparitions at Lourdes. He was Canonised in 1947. About St Michel Garicoits here: https://anastpaul.com/2019/05/14/saint-of-the-day-14-may-saint-michel-garicoits-1797-1863/
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/22/notre-dames-de-betharam-our-lady-of-betharam-france-1503/

St Pope Caius I (Died 296) Martyr, Bishop of Rome from 17 December 283 to his death in 296. Christian tradition makes him a native of the Dalmatian city of Salona, today Solin near Split, the son of a man also named Caius and a member of a noble family related to the Emperor Diocletian.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/04/22/saint-of-the-day-22-april-saint-pope-caius-i-died-613/

St Pope Soter (Died c174) Martyr, Bishop of Rome from c167 to his death c 174. The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Rome, on the Appian Way, the birthday of St Soter, Pope and Martyr.”
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/22/saint-of-the-day-st-pope-soter-died-c-174/

St Abel McAedh
St Aceptismas of Hnaita

Saint Altfried (Died 849) the Third Bishop of Münster from (839–849) and Abbot of Essen-Werden and Helmstedt. Born in the 9th Century, n Friesland (in modern Netherlands) and died on 22 April 849 of natural causes. Altfried was a nephew of St Ludger (c 742-809) and his second successor in the See of Münster, as well as a successor as Abbot of the Abbey of Essen-Werden (founded by St Ludger). The second successor was also a close relative, St Gerfried of Münster. Altfried also wrote a comprehensive Vita of St Ludger.
St Altfried’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/22/saint-of-the-day-22april-saint-altfried-of-munster-died-849/

St Apelles of Smyrna
St Arwald
St Epipodius of Lyon
St Euflamia

Blessed Francis OFM (1251-1322) Priest of Fabriano of the Order of the Friars Minor, Theologian, Spiritual Writer, renowned Preacher. He was Beatified on 1 April 1755 after Pope Pius VI.
His Fervent Life of Love:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/22/saint-of-the-day-22-april-blessed-francis-of-fabriano-ofm-1251-1322-priest/

St Helimenas
St Joseph of Persia
St Leo (Died c547) Bishop and Confessor of Sens

St Leonides Adamantius (Died 202) Martyr of Alexandria – Layman – Father of Origen (Adamantius) Philosopher, Rhetorician, a great scholar. Died by beheading in 202 at Alexandria, Egypt.
His Life and Death
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/22/saint-of-the-day-22-april-saint-leonides-adamantius-of-alexandria-died-202-martyr/

St Lucius of Laodicea
Blessed Maria Gabriella Sagheddu
St Opportuna of Montreuil
St Senorina

St Theodore of Sykeon (Died 613)
About St Theordore:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/22/saint-of-the-day-22-april-st-theodore-of-sykeon/

St Virginio

Blessed Wolfhelm (c1020-1091) Abbot of Brauweiler Abbey, near Cologne, Theologian, Writer, Defender of the Doctrine of the Church and of the property of the Church, Miracle-worker.
His Zealous Faith:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/22/saint-of-the-day-22-april-blessed-wolfhelm-of-brauweiler-c1020-1091-abbot-o/

Martyrs of Persia: Bishops, Priests, Deacons and Laity who were Martyred in Persia and celebrated together. Several of them have their stories related in the Acta of Saints Abdon and Sennen.

Posted in THE 4 LAST THINGS : HEAVEN By Fr Martin von Cochem, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 21 April – On the Number of the Saved

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 21 April – During this Season of Alleluias and Joy, we will consider Fr von Cochem’s Reflections upon our Heavenly Homeland.

Excerpts from THE FOUR LAST THINGS —- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN
FR MARTIN VON COCHEM (1625-1712) OSFC

Nihil Obstat: Thomas L Kinkead, Censor Liborium
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine — Archbishop of New York (New York 5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

IV.1 On the Number of the Saved

IN the 3 previous Chapters it has been our pleasurable task to point out how beauteous the Celestial Paradise is, the size thereof and how great is the happiness enjoyed by the Redeeed.
And doubtless in the heart of each one of our readers, a fervent desire has arisen to gain admission to the realms of eternal light and become a partaker of its joys. Perhaps each one will feel sure that his hopes in this respect will be fulfilled.

It is, however, greatly to be feared that many will … forever be excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven, as this Chapter is intended to demonstrate. …
My only motive in writing this Chapter is to open the eyes of the reader and show him his danger. For were I not to do this, he might go blindly on the incorrect road and only become aware that it is the road to perdition, when it is too late to retrace his steps, when the hand of death draws the veil over his eyes.
Thereupon, I consider that I shall do the wanderer a service if I enlighten him as to the risk he is incurring and endeavour to direct his steps into the path to Heaven.

What does Christ say about the number of the Elect? His Words are these:
“Many are called but few are chosen.”
He repeats these words when He speaks of the guest who had not worn a wedding garment:
“Bind his hands and his feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness. For many are called but few chosen.”
Were nothing further to be found to this intent in the whole of the Scriptures, this passage could not fail to alarm us.
But there are many other similar instances of which I will quote a few.

In the Gospel of St Matthew, we read that Our Lord said:
“Enter ye in at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way which leadeth unto destruction and many there are, who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate and straight is the way, which leadeth unto life and few there are who find it” (Matt vii. 13).

Are not these words calculated to inspire us with anxiety and apprehension?
May we not be amongst those who go in at the wide gate, who walk on the broad road which ends in everlasting perdition?

In order that thou mayst better appreciate the meaning of Our Lord’s Words and perceive more clearly how few are the Elect, observe that Christ did not say that those were few in number who walked in the path to Heaven but there were but few, who found that narrow way.
“How narrow is the gate which leadeth unto life and few there are who find it.”

It is as if the Saviour intended to say: The path leading to Heaven is so narrow and so rough, it is so overgrown, so dark and difficult to discern that there are many who never find it, their whole life long. And those who do find it are exposed constantly to the danger of deviating from it, of mistaking their way and unwittingly wandering away from it because it is so irregular and over grown.
This St Jerome says, in his commentary on the passage in question. Again, there are some who when they are on the right road, hasten to leave it because it is so steep and toilsome.

There are also many who are enticed to leave the narrow way by the wiles and deceits of the devil and thus, almost imperceptibly to themselves, are led downwards to Hell.
From all that has been said we may gather that those are but few in number who find the way to Heaven and yet, fewer are those, who persevere in following it unto the end!

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FREEDOM, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 April – St Anselm

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Anselm (of Canterbury) OSB (1033-1109) Bishop, Confessor, Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church

“For I do not seek to understand
in order to believe
but I believe in order to understand.
For I believe this – unless I believe,
I will not understand.”

“Remove Grace and you have nothing
whereby to be saved.
Remove free will and you have nothing
which could be saved.”

“God does not delay to hear our prayers
because He has no mind to give
but that, by enlarging our desires,
He may give us the more abundantly!”

The Joy of My Lord
By St Anselm ‬(1033-1109)
Doctor of the Church

I beseech Thee, O my God,
that I may know Thee, love Thee,
and rejoice in Thee.
If in this life, I cannot do these things fully,
grant that I may, at the least,
progress in them, from day to day.
Advance in me, the knowledge of Thee, now
that in the life to come, it may be complete.
Increase in me, the love of Thee, here
that there, it may be overflowing.
O God of Truth,
I pray, that I may obtain
that which Thou promise
that my joy may be complete.
And in the meantime,
let my mind meditate on it,
let my soul hunger after it
and my whole being long for it,
till at last, I enter into the joy of my Lord,
Who is God, blessed forever.
Amen

What Can I Say?
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Magnificent Doctor
Marian Doctor

My most merciful Lady,
what can I say about the fountains
which flowed from thy most pure eyes
when thou saw thy only Son before thee,
bound, beaten and suffering?
What do I know of the flood
which drenched thy matchless face,
when thou beheld thy Son,
thy Lord and thy God,
stretched on the Cross without guilt,
when the flesh of thy flesh
was cruelly butchered by wicked men?
How can I judge, what sobs,
troubled thy most pure breast,
when thou heard,
“Woman, behold thy son,”
and the disciple, “Behold, thy Mother,”
when thou received as a son,
the disciple, in place of the Master,
the servant, for the Lord?
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/21/quote-s-of-the-day-21-april-st-anselm-3/

St Anselm (1033-1109)
Archbishop of Canterbury
Doctor of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SAINT of the DAY, St PAUL!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 April – “You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14

Posted on by AnaStpaul

“You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14

REFLECTION – “I shall always love and reverence the Apostles sent by Christ and their successors, in sowing the seed of the Gospel, those zealous and tireless co-operators in propagating the Word, who may justly say of themselves: Let a man so account of us as the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the Mysteries of God. For Christ, like a most watchful and most faithful householder, wished that the Gospel lamp should be lit by such ministers and delegates, with fire sent down from Heaven and once lit, should not be put under a measure but set upon a candlestick, so that it may spread its brightness far and wide and put to flight, all darkness and error, rife among both Jews and Gentiles.

Now it is not enough for the Gospel teacher to be a brilliant speaker in the eyes of the people; he must also be as a voice crying in the desert and endeavour, by his eloquence, to help many to lead good lives, lest, if he omit his duty of speaking, he be called the dumb dog that is not able to bark, spoken of by the prophet. Yes, he should also burn, in such a way, that, equipped with good works and love, he may adorn his evangelical office and follow the leadership of Paul. He indeed was not satisfied with bidding the Bishop of the Ephesians: This command and teach: conduct thyself in work as a good soldier of Christ Jesus but he unflaggingly preached the Gospel to friend and foe alike and, said with a good conscience to the Bishops gathered at Ephesus: You know how I have kept back nothing that was for your good but have declared it to you and taught you in public and from house to house, urging Jews and Gentiles to turn to God in repentance and to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Such should be the shepherd in the Church who, like Paul, becomes all things to all men, so that the sick may find healing in him; the sad, joy; the desperate, hope; the ignorant, instruction; those in doubt, advice; the penitent, forgiveness and comfort and finally, everyone, whatever is necessary for salvation. And so Christ, when He wished to appoint the chief teachers of the world and of the Church, did not limit Himself to saying to His disciples: You are the light of the world but also added these words: A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a measure but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all who are in the house. Those churchmen err, who imagine that it is by brilliant preaching, rather than by holiness of life and all-embracing love, they fulfil their office.” – St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church (Sermon excerpt).

PRAYER – O God, Who didst give blessed Anselm to be Thy people’s minister in eternal salvation, grant we pray, that we, who have him for teacher of life here on earth, may also deserve now that he is in Heaven, to have him for an advocate. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE

Our Morning Offering – 21 April – O Lord Our God, Grant Us Grace By St Anselm

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Our Morning Offering – 21 April – St Anselm (1033-1109) ArchBishop of Canterbury, Confessor, Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church

O Lord Our God, Grant Us Grace
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Archbishop of Canterbury
Doctor of the Church

O Lord our God,
grant us grace to desire Thee
with our whole heart;
that, so desiring, we may seek
and, seeking, find Thee
and so finding Thee,
may love Thee
and loving Thee,
may hate those sins
from which Thou hast redeemed us.
Amen.

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 21 April – Saint Anastasius Sinaita (Died c700) Abbot

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 21 April – Saint Anastasius Sinaita (Died c700) Abbot, Exegesis, writer, a staunch Defender of the One True Faith in all its Truths. Born in Alexandria and died at his Monastery on Mount Sinai. Also known as – Anastasius the Sinaite, … of Sinai.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Antioch, St Anastasius Sinaita, Abbot.”

Anastasius’ life, between the 7th and 8th Centuries, unfolded between Alexandria and Mount Sinai, where he led a community of Monks on the path to perfection.

His tireless pen gave rise to works of polemical and exegetical discourse, combating the heresies of the time with the wisdom of the patristic tradition.

Among his writings, his ‘Guide Against Monophysitism’ is highly esteemed, rich in quotations, which testify to his vast erudition. The ‘Commentary of the Hexameron’ of which only the last book has survived intact, offers an allegorical interpretation of Genesis from a Christological perspective.

The ‘Questions and Answers’ although not in their original form, offer a glimpse of his profound knowledge of Sacred Scripture and the Church Fathers.

Five surviving Sermons allow us to grasp his eloquence and pastoral fervour.

On 20 April, in the Emperor Basil’s Calendar, St Anastasius is mentioned who, overcome by the love of Christ, left the world and, having gone, firstly to Jerusalem, then retired to Mount Sinai, where he lived humbly until his death, after having guided many Hermit Monks on the path of virtue. This Eulogy is passed into the Martyrology of Constantinople on 21 April.

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Institution of the Confraternity of the Immaculate conception, Toledo, Spain (1484), St Anselm and the Saints for 21 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Institution of the Confraternity of the Immaculate conception, Toledo, Spain (1484) – The Conceptionists (1506) – 21 April:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/21/institution-of-the-confraternity-of-the-immaculate-conception-toledo-spain-the-conceptionists-1506-and-memorials-of-the-saints-21-april/

St Anselm (of Canterbury) OSB (1033-1109) Bishop, Confessor, Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church
Wonderful St Anselm!
https://anastpaul.com/2017/04/21/saint-of-the-day-21-april-st-anselm-of-canterbury-doctor-of-the-church/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/21/saint-of-the-day-21-april-st-anselm-1033-1109-bishop-confessor-doctor/

St Abdechalas
St Anastasius I of Antioch Bishop
St Anastasius Sinaita (Died c700) Abbot
St Apollo of Nicomedia
St Arator of Alexandria

St Beuno Gasulsych (c 545-c 640) Monk, Abbpt, Miracle-worker.
The Life of St Beuno:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/21/saint-of-the-day-21-april-saint-beuno-gasulsych-c-545-c-640/

St Conrad of Parzham OFM Cap (1818-1894) Franciscan Religious Lay Friar, Devotee of Blessed Sacrament and Marian, Apostle of Charity, Miracle worker with the charism of prophecy.
His heroic virtues and the miracles he performed won for him the distinction to be ranked among the Blessed by Pope Pius XI in 1930. Four years later, the same pope, approving additional miracles which had been performed, solemnly inscribed his name in the list of Saints.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/04/21/saint-of-the-day-21-april-st-conrad-of-parzham-ofm-cap-1818-1894/

St Crotates of Nicomedia
St Cyprian of Brescia
St Felix of Alexandria
St Fortunatus of Alexandria
St Frodulphus
St Isacius of Nicomedia
St Maelrubba of Applecross

St Silvius of Alexandria
St Simeon of Ctesiphon
St Vitalis of Alexandria
Bl Vitaliy Bayrak

St Wolbodó (c950-1021) Bishop of Liège, Chaplain to the Emperor, supporter of Monasteries and the Founder of the Monastery of St Lawrence, which became his heir and where he is buried.
His Holy Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/21/saint-of-the-day-21-april-saint-wolbodo-of-liege-c950-1021-bishop/

Posted in QUOTES on HEAVEN, THE 4 LAST THINGS : HEAVEN By Fr Martin von Cochem

Thought for the Day – 20 April – On the Spiritual Joys of Heaven 4: The Beatific Vision

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 20 April – During this Season of Alleluias and Joy, we will consider Fr von Cochem’s Reflections upon our Heavenly Homeland.

Excerpts from THE FOUR LAST THINGS —- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN
FR MARTIN VON COCHEM (1625-1712) OSFC .

Nihil Obstat: Thomas L Kinkead, Censor Liborium
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine — Archbishop of New York (New York 5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

III.4 On the Spiritual Joys of Heaven: The Beatific Vision

There is no greater happiness upon earth than to love and be loved in return and the more tender, pure and ardent this love be, the greater the joy and delight it affords us.

Now, the love of Heaven, the love of the Redeemed for God and for each other, is the most tender, the most pure, the most ardent affection, an affection infinite and boundless; consequently it is a source of immense delight and happiness unspeakable.
May the God of all Grace make us partakers of this love and we shall then know, by experience, that of which words fail to convey an idea.
No-one will be privileged to partake in this love, unless here below, he lives in the love of God and dies in His Friendship.
Let us, therefore, strive to increase within ourselves, this Divine Charity, in order that we may be admitted hereafter into the full enjoyment of His Love.

The Beatific Vision of the Divine Countenance is a joy above all joys, a delight far surpassing all the Celestial pleasures of which we have spoken.
Without this, all other joys would lose their savour, they would be changed to bitterness.

On one occasion, when the devil was speaking by the mouth of a person who was possessed, he said: “If the whole Heavens were a sheet of parchment, if the whole ocean were ink, if every blade of grass were pens and every man on earth a scribe, it would not suffice to describe the intense, immeasurable delight which the Vision of God affords to the blessed.”
And at another time he said that if God would but vouchsafe to grant him the privilege of beholding His Divine Countenance for a few moments, he would, if it were possible, gladly bear in his own person, all the torments of Hell until the Day of Judgement.

This teaches us that if a man spent his whole life in works of most severe penance and, after his death were permitted only for one instant to gaze on the Face of God, he would have received an ample recompense for all his mortifications.

Now, consider how transcendent must be the bliss which the Saints derive from the contemplation, the enjoyment, the possession of the Supreme God!
If to gaze on the Divine Countenance for one passing moment is a joy beyond all that which a life of pleasure offers to the worldling, what rapture will it be to gaze for evermore, with undimmed eyes, on His Infinite Beauty, what rapture to call this Supreme Good one’s own, for all eternity!

God is a being in Whom all that is most admirable and desirable exists in the highest degree.
In Him is all that which is most attracts and fascinating to us; clemency, beauty, justice, compassion, wisdom, majesty, every sweet and sublime attribute in its fullest perfection.
From God proceeds all Grace, all we need for our spiritual and temporal welfare, all the happiness, the joy, the repose, the consolation, all the benefits and blessings which His creatures enjoy in Heaven and on earth.
And when the Redeemed enter upon the contemplation of this Infinite Good, upon the possession of this source of all that is to be loved and admired and longed for, their joy will indeed be full.
What unspeakable delight it will afford them to understand the Mystery of the Incarnation, the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist!

What unspeakable delight it will be to them to comprehend how God can be invisible Himself,and yet, see everything; how He can Himself be unmoved and yet the source of all motion; how He can be Himself immutable and yet the Author of all change.
These and many other Mysteries will be made clear to the blessed in the Light of God and this fount of knowledge will not be exhausted to all eternity.
The more they know God, the more will their desire to know Him better increase and of this knowledge there will be no limit and no defect.

Thus they will ever hunger and yet be perfectly satisfied; this rich treasury will ever be open to them and never will they exhaust all the wealth it contains.

Meditate frequently upon this subject, O reader and excite within thy soul an earnest desire to enjoy God forever and ever.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on WATCHING, St Francis de Sales, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 April – ‘ … See, I am with you all the days of this age …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 20 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”– Easter II – Feroal Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25 – John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ I lay down My Life for My sheep.”

John 10:15

“He cries out, saying:
See, I am with you all the days of this age.
He is Himself the Shepherd,
the High Priest,
the Way and the Door
and has become all things at once for us.”

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“With good reason Christ declares:
I am the Good Shepherd,
I seek out the lost sheep,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal (Ez 34:16).
I have seen the flock of mankind
struck down by sickness;
I have witnessed my lambs
wander about where demons dwell;
I have seen my flock ravaged by wolves.
All this I have seen
and have not witnessed it from on high.
That is why I took hold of the withered hand,
gripped by pain, as if by a wolf;
I have unbound those whom fever had bound;
I taught him to see,
whose eyes had been shut from his mother’s womb;
I brought Lazarus out from the tomb
where he had lain for four days (Mk 3:5; 1:31; Jn 9; 11).
For I am the Good Shepherd
and the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.”

Basil of Seleucia (Died 448)
Bishop of Seleucia

(Oratio 26)

“The measure of love,
is to love without measure.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on WATCHING, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 April – “ I lay down My Life for My sheep.” – John 10:15

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 20 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”– Easter II – Feroal Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25 – John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ I lay down My Life for My sheep.” – John 10:15

REFLECTION – “The service of the Good Shepherd is Love. That is why Jesus says He “lays down His Life for His sheep.” For we must know what distinguishes Him – the Good Shepherd watches over the needs of His flock, the bad one seeks his own interest. That is what the Prophet said: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who seek only to feed themselves! Should they not feed their flock?” (Ezek 34:2). Those who only use the flock for their own interest are not good shepherds … A good shepherd, in the natural sense, bears with much for the sake of the flock over which he watches, as Jacob testified: “By day the heat consumed me and the cold by night.” (Gen 31:40)…

But the spiritual flock’s salvation, is more important, than even the life of the shepherd. That is why, when the flock is in danger, its shepherd must accept to lose his physical life for the salvation of the flock. The Lord said: “The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep” his physical life in the loving exercise of authority … Christ gave us an example: “He laid down His Life for us – and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” (1 Jn 3:16).” – St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Dominican Priest and Friar, Theologian, Doctor of the Church (Lectura super Ioannem, X lect 3, 1-20).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness. Through the Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, St Francis de Sales

Our Morning Offering – 20 April – Daily Morning Prayer Of St Francis de Sales

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 20 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Easter II

Daily Morning Prayer
Of St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Lord, I lay before Thee my weak heart,
which Thou fills with good desires.
Thou knows that I am unable
to bring the same to good effect,
unless Thou bless and prosper them
and, therefore, O Loving Father,
I entreat Thee to help me
by the merits and Passion of Thy dear Son,
to Whose honour I would devote this day
and my whole life.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 20 April – St Theodore Trichinas (5th Century) Confessor,

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 20 April – St Theodore Trichinas (5th Century) Confessor, Hermit and Monk of Constantinople (modern Istanbul), Miracle-worker, graced with the charims of dispelling demons. After his death, a holy oil secreted from his tomb, had the property of curing illness.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “The same day, St Theodore, Confessor, surnamed Trichinas, from the rough hair garment which he wore. He was renowned for many miracles but especially for his power over the demons. From his body issued a liquid which imparts health to the sick.”

Theodore is one of the great Saints of the first centuries of Christianity in the East. Although there are no dates whic confirm the lifetime of St Theodore Trichinas it is known that he lived in the 5th Century.

Theodore, a young man from Constantinople, was attracted by the austere and intense spiritual life of Monks, who, following the example of the St Anthony Abbot (250-356), were increasingly abandoning their hermitage in the desert, to live in prayerful communities, hosted in permanent Monasteries.

Tradition reports that our Saint led an austere life, dedicating much of his time to prayer. He left the world and retired to a Monastery located at the foot of Mount St Absinthe beyond Chalcedon on the Bosphorus.

This Monastery later took its name from his nickname ‘Trichinas.’ This name was given to Theodore because of the long-haired tunic which was his only clothing.

Theodore’s sanctity soon enabled him to cast out demons and perform many miracles. After his death, his tomb became a place of pilgrimage, also because a miraculous ointment supposedly leaked from his tomb and his body, had the power to curing illnesses.

The cult of St Theodore Trichinas was completely unknown until the 16th Century, when the learned hagiographer, Cardinal Cesare Baronio, introduced him into the Roman Martyrology, on 20 April.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Our Lady of Schier, Bavaria and the Saints celebrated today – 20 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

FERIAL DAY

Our Lady of Schier, Bavaria – 20 April:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/20/our-lady-of-schier-bavaria-and-memorials-of-the-saints-20-april/

St Agnes OP (1268-1317) Virgin, Sister and Abbess of the Order of Preachers of Montepulciano, Mystic, known as “The Miracle Worker” – her body is incorrupt. Agnes was Beatified in 1534 and Canonised in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII.
About St Agnes:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/20/saint-of-the-day-20-april-st-agnes-of-montepulciano/

St Peter Caedwalla (c658-689) Layman, King of Wessex. Venerable St Bede wrote of him in his History of the English Church.
An Interesting Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/20/saint-of-the-day-20-april-saint-peter-caedwalla-of-wessex-c658-689-king-of-wessex/

Bl Catwallon
St Domninus of Digne
Bl Gerald of Salles
Bl Harduin

Blessed Hildegun O.Cist. (Died 1188) Virgin, Cistercian Monk of Schönau – yes! she was disguised as a boy as a child, for her own safety and after many frightening trials, decided to retain the identity in order to enter the Cistercian Monastery as Brother Joseph. Her true identity remained a secret until her death.
Or Brother Joseph!:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/20/saint-of-the-day-20-april-blessed-hildegun-of-schonau-died-1188-virgin/

St Hugh of Anzy-le-Duc
Bl John of Grace-Dieu

St Marcellinus – Bishop of Embrun (born in North Africa- died 374)
St Marcellinus:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/saint-of-the-day-20-april-st-marcellinus-of-embrun-born-in-north-africa-died-374/

St Marcian of Auxerre
St Margaret of Amelia
Bl Maurice MacKenraghty
St Michel Coquelet
Bl Oda of Rivreulle
St Sara of Antioch
St Secundinus of Córdoba
St Servilian

Blessed Simon Rinalducci OSA (Died 1322) Priest, Friar of the Order of the Hermits of St Augustine, noted for his theological studies, Prior of several houses, renowned Preader, Miracle-worker. Blessed Simon was a model of humility and obedience, even in the face of great trials and obvious injustices. Simon was Beatified on 19 March 1833 by Pope Gregory XVI (cultus confirmed).
His Ardent Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/20/saint-of-the-day-blessed-simon-rinalducci-osa-died-1322/

St Sulpicius
St Theodore Trichinas (5th Century) Confessor
St Theotimus of Tomi
St Vincent of Digne
St Wiho of Osnabrück

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Posted in GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HEAVEN, THE 4 LAST THINGS : HEAVEN By Fr Martin von Cochem

Thought for the Day – 19 April – On the Spiritual Joys of Heaven 3

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Thought for the Day – 19 April – During this Season of Alleluias and Joy, we will consider Fr von Cochem’s Reflections upon our Heavenly Homeland.

Excerpts from THE FOUR LAST THINGS —- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN
FR MARTIN VON COCHEM (1625-1712) OSFC

Nihil Obstat: Thomas L Kinkead, Censor Liborium
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine — Archbishop of New York (New York 5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

III.3 On the Spiritual Joys of Heaven

Thirdly, the will of each one of the blessed will be crowned with felicity and kindled with the love of God and of the blessed, in whose company he is.

The noblest pleasures a man can enjoy come from his will.
A man is happy when all succeeds with him according to his wishes; when he acquires and possesses all that which his heart can desire; when he is generally esteemed and praised by his fellow-men; when he loves and is loved, by the object of his affections.
This and much more besides, is the portion of the
blessed but in the highest degree and in the greatest possible perfection.

The Love of God for them and, their love of Him, is so profound, they are enflamed and consumed, with Divine Charity, their will resembles a live coal, glowing with light and heat, until it is absorbed by the fire of which it is a part.
So it is with the Saints in Heaven; imbued with Divine Charity, they burn and shine in the Light of God and
reflect His Image more and more.
St John says: “We know that when He shall appear we shall be like to Him because we shall see Him as He is” (i John iii. 2).

In the Love of God and in union with Him, they find such ineffable delight that, inebriated by the sweetness of Divine Charity, they lose themselves in Him!

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, MARIAN QUOTES, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

Quote/s of the Day – 19 April – The Good Shepherd

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Easter II – 1 Peter 2:21-25 – John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Good Shepherd,
I know Mine and Mine know Me.”

John 10:14

“Come, then and search out Thy sheep,
not through Thy servants or hired men
but do it Thineself.
Lift me up bodily and in the flesh,
which is fallen in Adam.
Lift me up, not from Sarah but from Mary,
a Virgin, not only undefiled
but a Virgin, whom grace had made inviolate,
free of every stain of sin.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Christ acts like a loving mother.
To induce us to follow Him,
He gives us Himself as an example
and promises us a reward in His Kingdom.”

St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Evangelical Doctor

“Christ said that the shepherd
enters through the gate
and that He is Himself the Gate,
as well as the Shepherd.
Then, it is necessary,
that He enter through Himself.
By so doing, He reveals Himself
and through Himself, He knows the Father.
But we enter through Him
because through Him. we find happiness.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus / Doctor Communis

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on TRUTH, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 April – ‘ … These pastures are the spiritual joys of Heaven. … ‘John 10:14

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 19 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Easter II – 1 Peter 2:21-25 – John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Good Shepherd and I know Mine and Mine know Me.”- John 10:14

REFLECTION – “I am the good shepherd. I know My Own—by which I mean, I love them—and My Own know Me. In plain words – those who love Me are willing to follow Me, for anyone who does not love the Truth, has not yet come to know it.

My dear brethren, you have heard the test we shepherds have to undergo. Turn now to consider, how these words of our Lord, imply a test for yourselves too. Ask yourselves whether you belong to His flock, whether you know Him, whether the Light of His Truth shines in your minds. I assure you that it is not by faith that you will come to know Him but, by love, not by mere conviction but, by action. John the Evangelist is my authority, for this statement. He tells us that anyone who claims to know God, without keeping His commandments, is a liar.

Consequently, the Lord immediately adds: ‘As the Father knows Me and I know the Father and I lay down My life for My sheep.‘ Clearly, He means that laying down His life for His sheep, gives evidence of His knowledge of the Father and the Father’s knowledge of Him. In other words, by the love with which He dies for His sheep, He shows, how greatly He loves His Father.

Again He says: ‘My sheep hear My voice and I know them; they follow Me,and I give them eternal life.’ Shortly before this He had declared – ‘If anyone enters the sheepfold through Me, he shall be saved, he shall go freely in and out and shall find good pasture.‘ He will enter into a life of faith; from faith, he will go out to vision, from belief to contemplation and will graze in the good pastures of everlasting life.

So our Lord’s sheep will finally reach their grazing ground, where all who follow Him in simplicity of heart, will feed on the green pastures of eternity. These pastures are the spiritual joys of Heaven. There, the elect look upon the Face of God with unclouded vision and feast at the banquet of life, forever more.

Beloved brothers, let us set out for these pastures ,where we shall keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow citizens. May the thought of their happiness urge us on! Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith and long eagerly for what Heaven has in store for us. To love thus, is to be already on our way. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that heavenly feast. Anyone who is determined to reach his destination, is not deterred by the roughness of the road which leads to it. Nor must we allow the charm of success to seduce us, or we shall be like a foolish traveller who is so distracted by the pleasant meadows through which he is passing that he forgets where he is going.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Bishop of Rome and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Sermon 14).

PRAYER – Grant us, Thy servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and by the intercession of glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake of the fullness of eternal happiness. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC, EUCHARISTIC ADORATION and Nocturnal, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY COMMUNION, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of PETITION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 19 April –Prayer Before Holy CommunionBy St Anselm

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Our Morning Offering – 19 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Easter II

Prayer Before Holy Communion
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Doctor of the Church

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of the living God,
Who according to the Will of the Father
and with the co-operation of the Holy Ghost,
has, by Thy Death. given Life to the world,
I adore and revere this, Thy Holy Body
and this, Thy Holy Blood
which was given up
and poured forth, for the many,
unto remission of sins.
O merciful Lord,
I beg of Thee Mercy,
that through the power of this Sacrament,
Thou will make me one of that many.
Through faith and love, make me feel
the power of these Sacraments,
so I may experience their saving power.
Absolve and free from all sin
and punishment of sin, Thy servants,
Thy handmaidens, myself,
all who confessed their sins to me,
those whom I have promised,
or am obliged, to pray for
and so too, those who themselves hope
or beg, to be helped, by my prayers to Thee.
Make our Church rejoice
in Thy constant protection and consolation.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day –19 April – St Ursmar (644-713) Bishop and Abbot of Lobbes

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Saint of the Day –19 April – St Ursmar (644-713) Bishop and Abbot of Lobbes in Belgium, Ascetic and Penitent, renowned Preacher which led him to be appointed as an itinerant missionary Bishop In France, Belfgum and Germany. Born in 644 in Belgium and died there at his See on 18 April 713. Patronages – Binche, Lobbes and Luxembourg.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At the Monastery of Lobbes, St Ursmar, Bishop.”

St Ursmarwas born near Avesne, in Haynault (in the Fremch-speaking region of Belgium) and grew up from his cradle, a model of all virtues, in which he made continual progress by a life of humility, patience and penance and by an assiduous application to prayer, in which he usually shed abundance of tears.

What he most earnestly asked of God was the gift of an ardent charity, in order that all his thoughts and actions, and those of all men, might, with the most pure and fervent intention and in the most perfect manner, be directed in all things, to fulfil His Holy and adorable Will.

In his conversation it was his earnest desire to induce persons of a secular life to fix their thoughts, as much as the condition of their state would allow, on heavenly things. Also, to accompany even their worldly business with such aspirations and thoughts and to study to withdraw their hearts from all attachment to creatures.

St Landelin had then lately founded the Abbey of Lobes, on the Sambre, in a territory which is now subject to the Prince of Liege, although in the diocese of Cambray. Ursmar here put on the monastic habit. When, in 686, St Landelin retired into a closer solitude, where he soon after built the Monastery of Crespin, he left Ursmar as the Abbot of Lobes.

Our Saint redoubled his fervour in all the exercises of penance in this dignity. He never tasted any flesh-meat or fish and for 10 years never once touched bread, not even in a dangerous illness.

He finished the building of his Abbey and Church and founded several other Monasteries. He often left his dear cell to preach the Faith to idolaters and sinners. He became the apostle of several districts in Cambrai, Arras, Tournay, Noyon, Terouanne, Laon, Metz, Triers, Cologne and Maestricht.

By virtue of a commission from the Holy See, he exercised the functions of a Bisho,: his predecessor, St Landelin and his 2 successors, Sts Ermin and Theodulph, were invested with the same character.

St Ursmar receives holy orders as Abbot of Lobbes Abbey in 691, probably by Saint Lambertus, the Bishop of Maastricht (19th Century relief in the Church of Saint Ursmar in Lobbes)

In his old age he resigned his Abbacy to St Ermin and died in retirement in 713, being almost sixty-nine years old, on the 18th day of April, on which he is honoured as principal Patron at Binche, Lobbes and Luxembourg but is named today, on the 19th which was the day of his burial, in the Roman and several other Martyrologies.

His Relics are venerated at Binche, 4 leagues from Mons. See his original life by a disciple, with the notes of Henschenius, also in 981, Folcuin, Abbot of Lobbes, in his accurate history of The Gests of the Abbots of Lobbes.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Easter II, Notre-Dame de Fourvière Basilica / Our Lady of Lyons, France (1643) and the Saints for 19 April

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THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

Notre-Dame de Fourvière Basilica / Our Lady of Lyons, France (1643) – 19 April:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/19/notre-dame-de-fourviere-basilica-our-lady-of-lyons-france-1643-and-memorials-of-the-saints-19-april/

St Alphege (c953–1012) ArchBishop of Winchester and Martyr, Monk, Hermit, Abbot, Teacher, Apostle of charit, His body is incorrupt.
The Life and Death of St Alphege:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/19/saint-of-the-day-19-april-st-alphege/

St Apollonius the Priest
St Aristonicus of Melitene

Blessed Bernard (Died 1182) Penitent, Pilgrim, Hermit. Patronages – of sinners, convicts, prisoners, penitents, pilgrims.
The Roman Martyrology: “At the Monastery of Saint-Bertin in the territory of France in Thérouanne, lies the tomb of Blessed Bernard, penitent, who, eager to atone for the sins of his youth with an austere penitence, voluntarily chose exile and, barefooted, wearing rough garments, was a tireless pilgrim to the holy places.”
Dear Blessed Bernard, pray for us!:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/19/saint-of-the-day-19-april-blessed-bernard-of-sithiu-died-1182-layman-penitent/

Blessed Conrad OFM (1234-1289) Priest, Friar of the Friars Minor, Missionary, Evangeliser, Penitent, zealous Preacher, Cardinal-elect.
Bl Conrad’s Fervent Service:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/19/saint-of-the-day-19-april-blessed-conrad-of-ascoli-ofm-1234-1289/

St Crescentius (Died c396)Deacon and Confessor of Florence, Italy. The image below shows St Zenobius seated with his Deacons, St Crescentius and St Eugenius kneeling at either side. Painting on a pillar in the Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Florence, Crescent, Confessor, disciple of the blessed Bishop St Zenobius.”
His Holy Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2025/04/19/saint-of-the-day-19-april-saint-crescentius-died-c396-deacon-and-confessor/

St Expeditus (Died 303) Roman Centurion, Martyr. Patron of emergencies – of “just and urgent causes” – hence his name.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/04/19/saint-of-the-day-19-april-st-expeditus-died-303-martyr/

Prayer to St Expeditus in Urgent Need

Our dear Martyr and protector, Saint Expeditus,
You who know what is necessary
and what is urgently needed.
I beg you to intercede
before the Blessed Trinity
that by your intercession,
my request will be granted.
……………………
(Clearly express your needs
and ask him to find a way to help you.)
May I receive your blessings and favours.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
One God with the Almighty Father.
Amen.

If Saint Expeditus grants your request, place an advertisement in the local Catholic newspaper and/or your Parish Bulletin or Notice Board, thanking Saint Expeditus, so that his name and fame will grow

St Gaius of Melitene
St Galata of Melitene
St George of Antioch

St Gerold (c900-c978) Hermit. Born in in Rhaetia, in the lower part of the Alps (part of modern Austria/Switzerland) and died on 16 April 978 of natural causes in Frisun, today the Town of St Gerold.
St Gerold’s Life of Prayer:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/19/saint-of-the-day-19-april-saint-gerold-of-saxony-c900-c978-hermit/

Blessed James Duckett (Died 1602) Layman Martyr.
James Duckett was Beatified by Pope Pius XI on 15 December 1929.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/19/saint-of-the-day-19-april-blessed-james-duckett-died-1602-layman-martyr/

St Pope Leo IX (1002-1054) known as “The Apostolic Pilgrim”
When the German Pope Damasus II died in 1048, Bishop Bruno was selected by the Emperor, Henry III, to succeed him. Bruno agreed to go to Rome and to accept the Papacy if freely elected thereto by the Roman people. He wished, at least, to rescue the See of Peter from its servitude to the German Emperors. When, in company with Hildebrand, he reached Rome and presented himself to its people clad in pilgrim’s guise and barefooted but still tall and fair to look upon, they cried out with one voice that him and no other would they have as Pope. Assuming the name of Leo, he was solemnly enthroned on 12 February, 1049.
The Apostolic Pilgrim:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/19/saint-of-the-day-19-april-st-pope-leo-ix-1002-1954/

St Martha of Persia
St Rufus of Melitene
St Timon Deacon Martyr
St Ursmar (644-713) Bishop and Abbot of Lobbes in Belgium


St Vincent of Collioure

Martyrs of Carthage – 17 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred in the persecutions of Decius. We know little more than the names – Aristo, Basso, Credula, Donato, Ereda, Eremio, Fermo, Fortunata, Fortunio, Frutto, Julia, Mappalicus, Martial, Paul, Venusto, Victorinus and Victor. Died in the year 250 in prison in Carthage, North Africa (modern Tunis, Tunisia).