Month: May 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOGMA, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION

Marian Thought for the Day – 14 May – Mary’s Month!” – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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Marian Thought for the Day – 14 May – Mary’s Month!” – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

Mary is the “Mater Creatoris,” the Mother of the Creator
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

THIS is a title which, of all others, we should have thought it impossible for any creature to possess.   At first sight we might be tempted to say that it throws into confusion our primary ideas of the Creator and the creature, the Eternal and the temporal, the Self-subsisting and the dependent and yet, on further consideration, we shall see that we cannot refuse the title to Mary, without denying the Divine Incarnation—that is, the great and fundamental truth of revelation, that God became man.

And this was seen from the first age of the Church. Christians were accustomed from the first to call the Blessed Virgin “The Mother of God,” because they saw that it was impossible to deny her that title without denying St John’s words, “The Word” (that is, God the Son) “was made flesh.”

And in no long time it was found necessary to proclaim this truth by the voice of an Ecumenical Council of the Church.   For, in consequence of the dislike which men have of a mystery, the error sprang up that our Lord was not really God but a man, differing from us in this merely—that God dwelt in Him, as God dwells in all good men, only in a higher measure; as the Holy Spirit dwelt in Angels and Prophets, as in a sort of Temple, or again, as our Lord now dwells in the Tabernacle in church.   And then, the bishops and faithful people found there was no other way of hindering this false, bad view being taught but by declaring distinctly and making it a point of faith, that Mary was the Mother, not of man only but of God.   And since that time the title of Mary, as Mother of God, has become what is called a dogma, or article of faith, in the Church.

But this leads us to a larger view of the subject.   Is this title as given to Mary more wonderful than the doctrine that God, without ceasing to be God, should become man?  Is it more mysterious that Mary should be Mother of God, than that God should be man? Yet the latter, as I have said, is the elementary truth of revelation, witnessed by Prophets, Evangelists and Apostles all through Scripture.   And what can be more consoling and joyful than the wonderful promises which follow from this truth, that Mary is the Mother of God?—the great wonder, namely, that we become the brethren of our God, that, if we live well and die in the grace of God, we shall all of us hereafter be taken up by our Incarnate God to that place where angels dwel, that our bodies shall be raised from the dust and be taken to Heaven, that we shall be really united to God, that we shall be partakers of the Divine nature, that each of us, soul and body, shall be plunged into the abyss of glory which surrounds the Almighty, that we shall see Him and share His blessedness, according to the text, “Whosoever shall do the will of My Father that is in Heaven, the same is My brother and sister, and mother.”mary mater creatoris, mother of the creator - pray for us - 14 may 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PAPAL SERMONS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 14 May – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide – Feast of St Matthias, Apostle

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Thought for the Day – 14 May – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide – Feast of St Matthias, Apostle – Today’s Readings: Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17.20-26, Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 15:9-17

Pope Benedict XVI, (Holy Father from 2005 to 2013)
Homily of the 14 May 2010 (Apostolic journey to Portugal – trans. © Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

Be witnesses!

“One of these men, then […] must become a witness with us to his resurrection” (Acts 1:20-22).

These were the words of Peter… My brothers and sisters, you need to become witnesses… to the resurrection of Jesus.   In effect, if you do not become His witnesses in your daily lives, who will do so in your place?   Christians are, in the Church and with the Church, missionaries of Christ sent into the world.   This is the indispensable mission of every ecclesial community, to receive from God the Father and to offer to the world the Risen Christ, so that every situation of weakness and of death may be transformed, through the Holy Spirit, into an opportunity for growth and life.

We impose nothing, yet we propose ceaselessly, as Peter recommends in one of his Letters:  “In your hearts, reverence Christ as Lord.   Always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet 3:15).   And everyone, in the end, asks this of us, even those who seem not to.   From personal and communal experience, we know well that it is Jesus whom everyone awaits.   In fact, the most profound expectations of the world and the great certainties of the Gospel meet in the ineluctable mission which is ours, for “without God man neither knows which way to go, nor even understands who he is.”   In the face of the enormous problems surrounding the development of peoples, which almost make us yield to discouragement, we find solace in the sayings of our Lord Jesus Christ, who teaches us:  ‘Apart from me you can do nothing’ (Jn 15:5) and who encourages us:  ‘I am with you always, to the close of the age’ (Mt 28:20)” (cf.Caritas in Veritate, 78)…

Yes!  We are called to serve the humanity of our own time, trusting in Jesus alone, letting ourselves be enlightened by His word:  “You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide” (Jn 15:16).   How much time we have lost, how much work has been set back, on account of our lack of attention to this point!   Everything is to be defined starting with Christ, as far as the origins and effectiveness of mission is concerned, we receive mission always from Christ, who has made known to us what He has heard from His Father and we are appointed to mission, through the Spirit, in the Church.   Like the Church herself, which is the work of Christ and His Spirit, it is a question of renewing the face of the earth, starting from God, God always and alone!you did not choose me - how much time has been lost - pope benedict - 14 may 2018

So we say, St Matthias, today we call on you for your intercession!st-matthias-pray-for-us-14 may 2018-2

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The ASCENSION of the LORD

Quote of the Day – 14 May – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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Quote of the Day – 14 May – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

This Faith, increased by the Lord’s Ascension and established by the gift of the Holy Ghost, was not terrified by bonds, imprisonments, banishments, hunger, fire, attacks by wild beasts, refined torments of cruel persecutors.   For this Faith throughout the world, not only men but even women, not only beardless boys but even tender maids, fought to the shedding of their blood.
This Faith cast out spirits, drove off sicknesses, raised the dead and through it, the blessed Apostles themselves also, who after being confirmed by so many miracles and instructed by so many discourses, had yet been panic-stricken by the horrors of the Lord’s Passion and had not accepted the truth of His resurrection without hesitation, made such progress after the Lord’s Ascension, that everything which had previously filled them with fear was turned into joy.
For they had lifted the whole contemplation of their mind to the Godhead of Him, that sat at the Father’s right hand and were no longer hindered by the barrier of corporeal sight from directing their minds’ gaze to He (That Which) had never left the Father’s side in descending to earth and had not forsaken the disciples in ascending to heaven.
….Let us then, dearly-beloved, resist this pestilential evil and follow after charity, without which no virtue can flourish, that by this path of love whereby Christ came down to us, we too may mount up to Him, to Whom with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, is honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Doctor of the Churchhe had never left the father's side - st pope leo the great - 14 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN QUOTES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The CHRIST CHILD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 May – Mary’s Month!” – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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One Minute Reflection – 14 May – Mary’s Month!” – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions...Luke 2:46after three days they found - luke 2 46 - 14 may 2018

REFLECTION – “MARY: LOSING AND FINDING THE CHILD JESUS – “The Mother of God, who looked for her Son so anxiously when he was lost (through no fault of her own) and experienced such great joy in finding him, will help us retrace our steps and put right, whatever may be necessary when, because of our carelessness or our sins, we have been unable to recognise Christ.   With her help, we will know the happiness of holding Him in our arms once more and telling Him we will never lose Him again.”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “Mother of God and Our Mother,” Friends of God, 278
Let us offer to our Mother today:
A good, sincere, sorrowful confession of our sins and failures, in the sacrament of Penance.the mother of god who looked for her son - st josemaria - 14 may 2018

PRAYER – Lord God, as You brought joy to the world, through the resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, grant that through His Virgin Mother, we may constantly seek and recognise our Lord and Saviour and turn to Him in complete trust and love.   Mary, Mother of our Lord, bring your holy child to us.   Through Jesus Christ with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mother of god and our mother - mary pray for us - 14 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 14 May – Mary’s Month!” – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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Our Morning Offering – 14 May – Mary’s Month!” – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

Mary Immaculate, My Solace
By Bl John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

What shall bring me forward in the narrow way,
as I live in the world,
but the thought and patronage of Mary?
What shall seal my senses,
shall tranquilise my heart,
when sights and sounds of danger
are around me but Mary?
What shall give me patience and endurance,
when I am wearied out
with the length of the conflict with evil,
with the unceasing necessity of precautions,
with the irksomeness of observing them,
with the tediousness of their reception,
with the strain upon my mind,
with my forlorn and cheerless condition,
but a loving communion with you!
You will comfort me in my discouragements,
solace me in my fatigues,
raise me after my falls,
reward me for my successes.
You will show me your Son,
my God and my all.
When my spirit within me is excited,
or relaxed,
or depressed,
when it loses its balance,
when it is restless and wayward,
when it is sick of what it has
and hankers after what it has not,
when my eye is solicited with evil
and my mortal frame trembles
under the shadow of the tempter,
what will bring me to myself,
to peace and health,
but the cool breath
of the Immaculate
and the fragrance of the Rose of Sharon?  Amenmary immaculate my solace - bl john henry newman no 2- 14 may 2018

Posted in Against ALCOHOLISM, of ALCOHOLICS, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Saint of the Day – 14 May – Feast of St Matthias Apostle

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Saint of the Day – 14 May – Feast of St Matthias Apostle – Patron of alcoholics,  carpenters, against smallpox,  tailors,  hope,  perseverance,  various Diocese and Cities.   Attributes – lance, spear.Header - rubens_apostel_mattias

St Matthias was one of the first to follow our Saviour and he was an eye-witness of all His divine actions up to the very day of the Ascension.   He was one of the seventy-two disciples but our Lord had not conferred upon him the dignity of an apostle.   And yet, he was to have this great glory, for it was of him that David spoke, when he prophesied that another should take the bishopric, left vacant by the apostasy of Judas the traitor.   In the interval between Jesus’ Ascension and the descent of the Holy Ghost, the apostolic college had to complete the mystic number fixed by our Lord Himself, so that there might be the twelve on that solemn day, when the Church, filled with the Holy Ghost, was to manifest herself to the Synagogue.   The lot fell on Mathias, he shared with his brother-apostles the persecution in Jerusalem and, when the time came for the ambassadors of Christ to separate, he set out for the countries allotted to him.   Tradition tells us that these were Cappadocia and the provinces bordering on the Caspian Sea.

the election of st matthias
The Election of St Matthias
the election of st matthias.2
The Election of St Matthias

435px-St._Matthias,_from_'Christ,_Mary,_and_the_Apostles'_MET_DP857456

The virtues, labour and sufferings of St Mathias have not been handed down to us.   This explains the lack of proper lessons on his life, such as we have for the feasts of the rest of the apostles.   St Clement of Alexandria (150-215), records in his writings several sayings of our holy apostle.   One of these is so very appropriate to the spirit of the present season, that we consider it a duty to quote it.   ‘It behooves us to combat the flesh and make use of it, without pampering it by unlawful gratifications.   As to the soul, we must develop her power by faith and knowledge.’   How profound is the teaching contained in these few words!   Sin has deranged the order which the Creator had established.   It gave the outward man, such a tendency to grovel in things which degrade him, that the only means left us, for the restoration of the image and likeness of God, unto which we were created, is the forcible subjection of the body to the spirit.   But the spirit itself, that is, the soul, was also impaired by original sin and her inclinations were made prone to evil, what is to be her protection?   Faith and knowledge.   Faith humbles her and then exalts and rewards her and the reward is knowledge.

— Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

For more about St Matthias –  https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/05/14/saint-and-feast-of-the-day-14-may-st-matthias-apostle-of-christ/

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Feast of St Matthias, Apostle and Memorials of the Saints 14 May

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St Matthias the Apostle (Feast)

St Ampelio
St Boniface of Ferentino
St Boniface of Tarsus
St Carthage the Younger
St Corona the Martyr
St Costanzo of Capri
St Costanzo of Vercelli
Bl Diego of Narbonne
St Dyfan
St Engelmer
St Erembert of Toulouse
St Felice of Aquileia
St Fortunatus of Aquileia
St Gal of Clermont-Ferrand
Bl Giles of Santarem
St Henedina of Sardinia
St Justa of Sardinia
St Justina of Sardinia
St Maria Domenica Mazzarello
St Maximus
St Michael Garicoïts
St Pons of Pradleves
St Pontius of Cimiez
St Tuto of Regensburg
St Victor the Martyr
—
Martyrs of Seoul – 5 Beata: A group of lay people martyred together in the apostolic vicariate of Korea.
• Petrus Choe Pil-je
• Lucia Yun Un-hye
• Candida Jeong Bok-hye
• Thaddeus Jeong In-hyeok
• Carolus Jeong Cheol-sang
14 May 1801 at the Small West Gate, Seoul, South Korea – Beatified: 15 August 2014 by Pope Francis

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MORNING Prayers, NOTES to Followers, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

13 May – Wishing all the Mothers a very Blessed and Happy Mother’s Day

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13 May – Wishing all the Mothers a very Blessed and Happy Mother’s Dayblessed mothers day 2018 - 13 may - mary holy mother pray for us

I extend my wishes for a Blessed and Happy Mothers’ Day to all mothers who labour unceasingly, that their children gain eternal joy in Heaven and most especially offer thanks and praise to the Holy Trinity for the greatest creature ever conceived, the Great Mother of Our Saviour, Mary Most Holy!
Of her we can never say enough, well enough, often enough, for not only is every day Mary’s Mother’s Day, as it should be but because we, her spiritual children, have learned the lesson, from sitting on her lap in the recitation of the Hail Mary, that as she is our true Mother, every day is also our day, her children, the children of God and the siblings of her Divine Son.

To our Holy Mother of us all, we pray:

Mary, on this day, when we honour all mothers, we turn to you.
We thank the Lord, whom you serve, for the great gift of motherhood.
Never has it been known, that anyone who sought your intercession, was left unaided by grace.
Dear Mother, thank you for your “Yes”, to the invitation of the angel
which brought heaven to earth and changed human history.
You opened yourself,to God’s word
and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
Dear mother, intercede for all of our mothers.
Ask your Divine Son, to give them the grace of surrendered love
so that they could join with you, in giving their own “Fiat.”
May they find daily strength to say “yes”, to the call to the sacrificial love-
the very heart, of the vocation of motherhood.
May their love and witness, be a source of great inspiration
for all of us, called to follow your Son.
God Bless Mothers on this Mothers day,
Mother of the Word Incarnate,
pray for us who have recourse to you.
In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen

Mary, Holy Mother, pray for us!a mother's day prayer to Mary - no 2 - pink - 13 may 2018

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, Uncategorized

Sunday Reflection – 13 May – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord – “O Blessed Host”

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Sunday Reflection – 13 May – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord “O Blessed Host”

” Blessed Host” Eucharistic Prayer before Holy Communion
By St Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938)
Diary 159

O Blessed Host, in golden chalice enclosed for me,
That through the vast wilderness of exile I may pass –
pure, immaculate, undefiled;
Oh, grant that through the power of Your love
This might come to be.

O Blessed Host, take up Your dwelling within my soul,
O Thou my heart’s purest love!
With Your brilliance the darkness dispel.
Refuse not Your grace to a humble heart.

O Blessed Host, enchantment of all heaven,
Though Your beauty be veiled
And captured in a crumb of bread,
Strong faith tears away that veil.eucharistic prayer before holy comm - st faustina - o blessed host - 13 may 2018 - sunday reflection.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The HOLY GHOST

Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts: Day Three – 13 May 2018

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Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts

Day Three – 13 May 2018

Thou, of all consolers best,
Visiting the troubled breast,
Dost refreshing peace bestow.

THE GIFT OF PIETY
The gift of Piety begets in our hearts a filial affection for God as our most loving
Father.   It inspires us to love and respect for His sake, persons and things
consecrated to Him, as well as those who are vested with His authority, His Blessed
Mother and the Saints, the Church and its visible Head, our parents and superiors,
our country and its rulers.   He who is filled with the gift of Piety, finds the
practice of his religion, not a burdensome duty but a delightful service.   Where
there is love, there is no tabor.

Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart.   Enkindle therein, such a love for
God, that I may find satisfaction only in His service and for His sake lovingly
submit, to all legitimate authority.   Amen.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts

Act of Consecration and Prayer for the Seven Gifts: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/05/11/pentecost-novena-to-the-holy-spirit-for-the-seven-gifts-day-one-11-may-2018/

day three - pentecost novena - 13 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION, Thomas a Kempis, Uncategorized

Marian Thought for the Day – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

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Marian Thought for the Day – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord and the Feasts of Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Help, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Memorial of the Dedication of the Minor Basilica of Saint Mary of the Martyrs (Pantheon)

Mary is the “Janua Cœli,” the Gate of Heaven

Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)MARY JANUA COELI - GATE OF HEAVEN - BL JOHN HENRY NEWMAN - PRAY FOR US - 13 MAY 2018

MARY is called the Gate of Heaven, because it was through her, that our Lord passed from heaven to earth.   The Prophet Ezechiel, prophesying of Mary, says, “the gate shall be closed, it shall not be opened and no man shall pass through it, since the Lord God of Israel has entered through it—and it shall be closed for the Prince, the Prince Himself shall sit in it.”

Now this is fulfilled, not only in our Lord having taken flesh from her and being her Son, but, moreover, in that she had a place in the economy of Redemption;  it is fulfilled in her spirit and will, as well as in her body.   Eve had a part in the fall of man, though it was Adam who was our representative and whose sin made us sinners.   It was Eve who began and who tempted, Adam.   Scripture says: “The woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and delightful to behold; and she took of {37} the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave to her husband, and he did eat.”   It was fitting then in God’s mercy that, as the woman began the destruction of the world, so woman should also begin its recovery and that, as Eve opened the way for the fatal deed of the first Adam, so Mary should open the way, for the great achievement of the second Adam, even our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to save the world by dying on the cross for it.   Hence Mary is called by the holy Fathers a second and a better Eve, as having taken that first step in the salvation of mankind which Eve took in its ruin.

How, and when, did Mary take part and the initial part, in the world’s restoration?   It was when the Angel Gabriel came to her to announce to her the great dignity which was to be her portion.   St Paul bids us “present our bodies to God as a reasonable service.” We must not only pray with our lips and fast and do outward penance and be chaste in our bodies but we must be obedient and pure in our minds.   And so, as regards the Blessed Virgin, it was God’s will that she should undertake willingly and with full understanding, to be the Mother of our Lord and not to be a mere passive instrument, whose maternity would have no merit and no reward.   The higher our gifts, the heavier our duties.   It was no light lot to be so intimately near to the Redeemer of men, as she experienced afterwards when she suffered with Him.   Therefore, weighing well the Angel’s words before giving her answer to them—first she asked whether so great an office would be a forfeiture of that Virginity which she had vowed.   When the Angel told her no, then, with the full consent of a full heart, full of God’s love to her and her own lowliness, she said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word.”   It was by this consent that she became the Gate of Heaven.and so, as regards the Blessed Virgin Mary - bl john henry newman - 13 may 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, MYSTICS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote of the Day – 13 May – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

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Quote of the Day – 13 May – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

“I heard these words from the Host:

I desired to rest in your hands,
not only in your heart.”

Jesus to St Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938)
Diary 160

i heard these words from the host - st faustina diary 160 - 13 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN QUOTES, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, St JOSEPH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

One Minute Marian Reflection – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

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One Minute Marian Reflection – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord and the Feasts of Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Help, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Memorial of the Dedication of the Minor Basilica of Saint Mary of the Martyrs (Pantheon)

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and the favour of God was upon him...Luke 2:40

REFLECTION – “MARY:  HER HIDDEN LIFE WITH JESUS:   I like to go back in my imagination, to the years Jesus spent close to his mother, years which span almost the whole of His life on earth.   I like to picture Him as a little child, cared for by Mary, who kisses Him and plays with Him. I like to see Him growing up, before the loving eyes of His mother and of Joseph, His father on earth.   What tenderness and care Mary and the holy Patriarch must have shown toward Jesus, as they looked after Him during His childhood, all the while, silently, learning so much from Him.   Their souls, would become more and more like the soul of that Son, who was both man and God.   This is why His mother and after her St Joseph, understand better than anyone, the feelings of the heart of Christ and the two of them. are thus, the best way, I would say the only way, to reach the Saviour.”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “Mother of God and Our Mother,” Friends of God, 281

Let us offer to our Mother today:
The effort of doing our ordinary work well, on time, with competence and finesse.what tenderness and care - st josemaria - 13 may 2018

PRAYER – Let us praise You, Lord, with voice and mind and deed and since life itself is Your gift, may all we have and are be Yours.   May Your Mother Lord Jesus, teach us as You taught her.   Grant we pray that Mary, Your Mother and ours and Mother of all the Church, Your Mystical Body,  will take us all to Your heart, with St Joseph by her side.   Mary, most Holy, pray for us.   We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus, the Christ in union with You, Holy Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.holy mary mother of god - pray for us - 13 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

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Our Morning Offering – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord and the Feasts of Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Help, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Memorial of the Dedication of the Minor Basilica of Saint Mary of the Martyrs (Pantheon)

O Mary, Immaculate Virgin
By St Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938)

O Mary, Immaculate Virgin,
Pure crystal for my heart,
You are my strength, O sturdy anchor!
You are the weak heart’s shield and protection.
Mary you are pure, of purity incomparable;
At once both Virgin and Mother,
You are beautiful as the sun, without blemish,
And your soul is beyond all comparison.

Your beauty has delighted the eye of the Thrice-Holy One.
He descended from heaven, leaving His eternal throne,
And took Body and Blood of your heart
And for nine months lay hidden in a Virgin’s Heart.

O Mother, Virgin, purest of all lilies,
Your heart was Jesus’ first tabernacle on earth.
Only because no humility was deeper than yours
Where you are raised above the choirs of Angels
and above all Saints.

O Mary, my sweet Mother,
I give you my soul, my body and my poor heart.
Be the guardian of my life,
Especially at the hour of death, in the final strife.”

(Diary, 161)o mary immaculate vifgin by st faustina - 13 may 2018

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The ASCENSION of the LORD

13 May – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

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13 May – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

We, the members of Christ’s body, ascended to heaven with the Lord, through love…. a Sermon by St Augustine(354-430)- Father and Doctor of Grace , delivered on the Solemnity of the Ascension of our LordHEADER ASCENSION

Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven;  let our hearts ascend with Him. Listen to the words of the Apostle:  If you have risen with Christ, set your hearts on the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God;  seek the things that are above, not the things that are on earth.   For just as he remained with us even after His ascension, so we too are already in heaven with Him, even though what is promised us, has not yet been fulfilled in our bodies.

Christ is now exalted above the heavens but He still suffers on earth all the pain that we, the members of His body, have to bear.    He showed this when He cried out from above: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? and when He said:  I was hungry and you gave me food.

Why do we on earth not strive to find rest with Him in heaven even now, through the faith, hope and love that unites us to Him?   While in heaven, He is also with us and we while on earth, are with Him.   He is here with us by His divinity, His power and His love. We cannot be in heaven, as He is on earth, by divinity but in Him, we can be there, by love.

28107_Salvador-Dali-Ascension-of-Christ_t800
Salvator Dali
ASCENSION - Gustave Doré
Gustave Dore
ASCENSION 1
Unknown
Ascension of Christ, Rembrandt Van Rijn
Rembrandt

He did not leave heaven when He came down to us, nor did He withdraw from us when He went up again into heaven.   The fact that He was in heaven even while He was on earth is borne out, by His own statement:  No one has ever ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.

These words are explained by our oneness with Christ, for He is our head and we are His body.   No one ascended into heaven except Christ, because we also are Christ:  He is the Son of Man by His union with us and we by our union with Him are the sons of God.   So the Apostle says:  Just as the human body, which has many members, is a unity, because all the different members make one body, so is it also with Christ.   He too has many members, but one body.

Out of compassion for us He descended from heaven and although He ascended alone, we also ascend, because we are in Him by grace.   Thus, no one but Christ descended and no one but Christ ascended, not because there is no distinction between the head and the body but because the body, as a unity, cannot be separated from the head.Ascension-of-Jesus-Picture-20-732x1024

This reading, used in the Roman Liturgy’s office of readings for the Solemn Feast (Solemnity) of the Ascension, is taken from a homily by St Augustine (Sermo de Ascensione Domini, Mai 98, 1-2, PLS 2, 494-495).   The Ascension is the second glorious mystery of the Rosary.

Ascension of Christ - Jan Matejko
Ascension of Christ – Jan Matejko
Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Feast of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament – 13 May

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Feast of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament – 13 May

History of the Title of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament

St Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868), of France, had a strong devotion to the Holy Eucharist and Our Lady and began his priestly life in the Society of Mary.   “But his heart burned with the desire to establish perpetual adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament exposed upon a royal throne and surrounded by a large court of adorers.”  On 2 February 1851, at the shrine of Fourvière, the most Blessed Virgin had made him understand its necessity.   ‘All the mysteries of my Son have a religious order of men to honour them. The Eucharist alone has none . . . .’

After several years of prudent reflection and interior combat, encouraged by Pope Pius IX, he founded the Congregation of the Most Blessed Sacrament at Paris on 13 May 1856

The title of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament was first given to Mary by St Peter Julian Eymard in May 1868, while speaking to his novices.   A few years later he described what her statue should look like:  “The Blessed Virgin holds the Infant in her arms and He holds a chalice in one hand and a Host in the other.”   He exhorted them to invoke Mary: “Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us who have recourse to thee!”

Later, Pius IX enriched the invocation with indulgences.   Twice, St  Pius X did the same. On 30 December 1905, he granted a 300 days indulgence to the faithful who pray:  “Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, pray for us.”
“This title, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, is perhaps the most meaningful of all,” said St. Pius X.

In 1921 the Sacred Congregation of Rite authorised the Blessed Sacrament Congregations to celebrate each year, on 13 May, a “solemn commemoration of the Blessed Virgin,” with the intention of honouring Mary under the title of “Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament.”   And of course this Feast is still celebrated today with great joy by all the spiritual sons and daughters of St Peter Julian Eymard.

St Pope John XXIII codified the title of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament when he declared St Peter Julian Eymard a saint on 9 December 1962, at the end of the last session of the Second Vatican Council.

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

13 May – Ascension Sunday, Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Help, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Dedication of Saint Mary of the Martyrs and Memorials of the Saints

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Ascension Sunday (2018)

Our Lady of Fatima 101st Anniversary of the First Apparition pray-for-us-mother-of-god - 14 may 2017

Our Lady of Help:   Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under this title began in Palermo, Sicily in the 14th century, and has since spread throughout the Augustinians.   It began when Father Nicola Bruno, who suffered from severe and long-term pains in his side, prayed to Our Lady for healing while meditating on a painting of Mary in which she used a stick or club to chase away the dragon and protect the infant Jesus;  the artist was making reference to passages in Genesis and Revelations that referred to the eternal enmity between The Woman and the serpent.   That night, Father Nicola received a vision of Mary and was healed.   The painting received the title “Our Lady of Help” and the devotion began.   Since 1804 the celebration has had its own liturgy.

Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament:   The title of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament was first given to Mary by St Peter Julian Eymard in May 1868, while speaking to his novices.   A few years later he described what her statue should look like: “The Blessed Virgin holds the Infant in her arms and He holds a chalice in one hand and a Host in the other.”   He exhorted them to invoke Mary: “Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us who have recourse to thee!”our lady of the blessed sacrament - 13 may feast day

Dedication of Saint Mary of the Martyrs:   Commemorates and celebrates the dedication of Minor Basilica of Saint Mary of the Martyrs, formerly a temple of all the pagan Roman gods called the Pantheon, in Rome, Italy by Pope Boniface IV in 609.audio-guided-tour-of-the-pantheon-in-rome-basilica-of-st-mary-of-the-angels-and-the-martyrs-hSAzUyPKXzour lady of martyrs - pantheonour lady of martyrs - pantheon.2our lady of martyrs - pantheon.3

St Abban of Abingdon
St Agnes of Poitiers
St André-Hubert Fournet
St Anno of Verona
St Argentea of Cordoba
St Euthymius the Illuminator
Bl Fortis Gabrielli
Bl Gerard of Villamagna
Bl Gemma of Goriano
St Glyceria of Trajanopolis
St John the Silent
Bl Julian of Norwich
St Lucius of Constantinople
St Mael of Bardsey
Bl Magdalen Albrizzi
St Merewenna of Rumsey
St Mucius of Byzantium
St Natalis of Milan
St Onesimus of Soissons
St Servatus of Tongres
St Valerian of Auxerre
—
Martyrs of Alexandria: A group of Catholic Christians martyred in the church of Theonas, Alexandria, Egypt by order of the Arian Emperor Valens. Their names have not come down to us. 372 in Alexandria, Egypt.

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The HOLY GHOST

Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts: Day Two – 12 May 2018

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Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts
Day Two – 12 May 2018

Come, Thou Father of the poor!
Come, with treasures which endure!
Come, Thou Light of all that live!

THE GIFT OF FEAR
The gift of Fear fills us with a sovereign respect for God and makes us dread
nothing so much as to offend Him by sin.   It is a fear that arises, not from the
thought of hell but from sentiments of reverence and filial submission to our
heavenly Father.   It is the fear that is the beginning of wisdom, detaching us from
the worldly pleasures that could in any way separate us from God. “They that fear the
Lord will prepare their hearts and in His sight will sanctify their souls.”

Prayer
Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set You,
my Lord and God, before my face forever, help me to shun all things that can offend
You and make me worthy to appear before the pure eyes of Your Divine Majesty in
heaven, where You live and reign in the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God,
world without end.   Amen.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)

Act of Consecration and Prayer for the Seven Gifts: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/05/11/pentecost-novena-to-the-holy-spirit-for-the-seven-gifts-day-one-11-may-2018/day two - pentecost novena - 12 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Marian Thought for the Day – 12 May “Mary’s Month!” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

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Marian Thought for the Day – 12 May “Mary’s Month!” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertidemary mirror of justice - speculum justitiae - pray for us - 12 may 2018 - bl john henry newman

Mary is the “Speculum Justitiæ,” the Mirror of Justice
Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

HERE first we must consider what is meant by justice, for the word as used by the Church has not that sense which it bears in ordinary English.   By “justice” is not meant the virtue of fairness, equity, uprightness in our dealings;  but it is a word denoting all virtues at once, a perfect, virtuous state of soul—righteousness, or moral perfection;  so that it answers very nearly to what is meant by sanctity.   Therefore when our Lady is called the “Mirror of Justice,” it is meant to say that she is the Mirror of sanctity, holiness, supernatural goodness.

Next, what is meant by calling her a mirror?   A mirror is a surface which reflects, as still water, polished steel, or a looking-glass.   What did Mary reflect?   She reflected our Lord—but He is infinite Sanctity.   She then, as far as a creature could, reflected His Divine sanctity and therefore she is the Mirror of Sanctity, or, as the Litany says, of Justice.

Do we ask how she came to reflect His Sanctity? —it was by living with Him.   We see every day how like people get to each other who live with those they love.   When they live with those whom they don’t love, as, for instance, the members of a family who quarrel with each other, then the longer they live together the more unlike each other they become but when they love each other, as husband and wife, parents and children, brothers with brothers or sisters, friends with friends, then in course of time they get surprisingly like each other.   All of us perceive this;  we are witnesses to it with our own eyes and ears—in the expression of their features, in their voice, in their walk, in their language, even in their handwriting, they become like each other and so, with regard to their minds, as in their opinions, their tastes, their pursuits.   And again doubtless in the state of their souls, which we do not see, whether for good or for bad.

Now, consider that Mary loved her Divine Son with an unutterable love and consider too, she had Him all to herself for thirty years.   Do we not see that, as she was full of grace before she conceived Him in her womb, she must have had a vast incomprehensible sanctity, when she had lived close to God for thirty years?—a sanctity of an angelical order, reflecting back the attributes of God, with a fullness and exactness, of which no saint upon earth, or hermit, or holy virgin, can even remind us.   Truly then she is the Speculum Justitiæ, the Mirror of Divine Perfection.now consider that, - bl john henry newman - mary the mirror of justice - 12 may 2018

Posted in CATECHESIS, EASTER, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 12 May – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide – Today’s Gospel John 16:23-28.

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Thought for the Day – 12 May – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide – Today’s Gospel John 16:23-28.

Saint John-Mary Vianney (1786-1859) Curé of Ars

“Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you” (Jn 16:23)

Children, your heart is small but prayer expands it and make is capable of loving God. Prayer is a foretaste of heaven, an outflow from paradise.  Never does it leave us without sweetness.   It is a honey that comes into the soul and sweetens everything.   All our troubles melt away before a well-made prayer like snow before the sun.   Prayer makes the time pass speedily and with such enjoyment that we don’t notice its length…

You can tell well enough who they are who lose themselves in prayer like a fish in water because they belong entirely to God.   There is no division in their hearts.   How I love generous souls like those!   Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Collette saw our Lord and talked to him as we talk to each other.   But as for us, how often do we come to church not knowing what we’ve come for and what we want to ask!   And yet, when we visit someone’s house we know perfectly well why we’re going there.   There are some people who appear to be saying to the good God:  “I’ve just come to say a word or two so that I can be done with you.”   How often I have thought that we would obtain everything we want if, when we come to worship our Lord, we were to ask him for it with a truly living faith and pure heart.john 16 23 - whatever you ask the father in my name - 12 may 2018

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SILENCE, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote of the Day – 12 May – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

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Quote of the Day – 12 May – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

“My TV is the tabernacle.”

St Mother Teresa (1910-1997)my tv is the tabernacle - st mother teresa - 12 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

One Minute Marian Reflection – 12 May “Mary’s Month!” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

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One Minute Marian Reflection – 12 May “Mary’s Month!” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

…he has looked on his servant in her lowliness…Luke 1:48

REFLECTION – MARY:  HE HAS LOOKED ON HIS SERVANT IN HER LOWLINESS :   “The mystery of Mary helps us to see that in order to approach God, we must become little. Christ said to his disciples:  ‘Believe me, unless you become like little children again, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.’   To become children, we must renounce our pride and self-sufficiency, recognising that we can do nothing by ourselves.   We must realise that we need grace and the help of God our Father to find our way and keep to it.” … St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “To Jesus through Mary” Christ is Passing By, 143.
Let us offer to our Mother today:
A visit to a lonely person to share the joy of trusting in God alone.the mystery of mary helps us to see - st josemaria - 12 may 2018

PRAYER – Grant us, Lord, we pray, that through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may become like little children, trusting in You, our Father, following Your Son and finally arriving safely home with by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.   Mary, Immaculata pray for us.   Through Jesus Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mary, immaculata - pray for us - 12 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 12 May “Mary’s Month!” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

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Our Morning Offering – 12 May “Mary’s Month!” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Mary, I Beg You
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Doctor magnificus (Magnificent Doctor);
Doctor Marianus (Marian Doctor)

Mary, I beg you,
by that grace through which,
the Lord is with you
and you will to be with Him,
let your mercy be with me.
Let love for you always be with me,
and the care for me, be always with you.
Let the cry of my need,
as long as it persists,
be with you,
and the care of your goodness,
as long as I need it,
be with me.
Let joy in your blessedness
be always with me,
and compassion for my wretchedness,
where I need it,
be with you.
Amenmary I eg you by st anselm - 12 may 2018 - no 2

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Saints of the Day – 12 May – Sts Nereus and Achilleus

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Saints of the Day – 12 May – Sts Nereus and Achilleus

Little is known about Saints Nereus and Achilleus but we know is engraved in stone. Damasus, one of the first popes and later a saint himself, wrote the epitaph for the tombstone of Saints Nereus and Achilleus.   In this epitaph he proclaimed that it was love for Christ and a desire to witness to their new faith that inspired Nereus and Achilleus to “throw away their shields, their armour and their bloody spears.”

Saints Nereus and Achilleus with St Flavia Domitilla by Peter Paul Rubens

It seems that both men were Roman soldiers who obeyed orders in the persecution of Christians until they themselves were converted to Christianity.   Because Christians were not allowed to bear arms, they resigned from the emperor’s army and escaped from Rome.   Eventually Nereus and Achilleus were captured and were removed to the island of Terracina, where they were martyred.   Their bodies were buried in a family vault, later known as the cemetery of Domitilla.      They were among the first martyrs to be venerated as saints.   Excavations by De Rossi in 1896 resulted in the discovery of their empty tomb in the underground church built by Pope Siricius in 390.

Two hundred years after their deaths, St Pope Gregory the Great  (540-604)  Doctor of the Church, delivered his 28th homily on the occasion of their feast.   “These saints, before whom we are assembled, despised the world and trampled it under their feet when peace, riches and health gave it charms.”

“O miracle of faith!” wrote Damasus. “Suddenly they cease from their fury, they become converted, they flee from the camp of their wicked leader.   Professing the faith of Christ, they are happy to witness to its triumph.   Learn from the words of Damasus what great things the glory of Christ can accomplish.”

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 12 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St Achilleus of Terracina (Optional Memorial)
St Nereus of Terracina (Optional Memorial)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkuAL0lfInE

St Pancras of Rome (Optional Memorial)
—
St Crispoldus
St Cyril of Galatz
St Dedë Malaj
St Diomma of Kildimo
St Dionysius of Asia
St Dominic de la Calzada
St Ejëll Deda
St Ephrem of Jerusalem
St Epiphanius of Salamis
St Erc Nasca of Tullylish
St Ethelhard of Canterbury
St Euphrosyna of Terracina
Bl Francis Patrizzi of Siena
Bl Gemma of Goriano
St Germanus of Constantinople
Bl Jane of Portugal
Bl Juan de Segalars
St Lucien Galan
St Modoald of Trier
St Palladius of Rome
St Philip of Agira
St Richrudis of Marchiennes
St Theodora of Terracina
St Thomas Khampheuane Inthirath

Posted in CONSECRATION Prayers, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, The HOLY GHOST

Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts Day One – 11 May 2018

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Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts
Day One – 11 May 2018

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
To be recited daily during the Novena

On my knees, I before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God.   I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice and the might of Your love.   You are the Strength and Light of my soul.   In You I live and move and am.   I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, listen to Your voice and follow Your gracious inspirations.   I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion, to watch over me in my weakness.   Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus, looking at His Five Wounds and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You.   Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, “Speak Lord for Your servant hears.” Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
To be recited daily during the Novena

O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me, that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love.

Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding, to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit on Counsel, that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude, that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge, that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety, that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable and the Spirit of Fear, that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him.   Mark me, dear Lord with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.

FIRST DAY (Friday after Ascension or Friday of 6th Week of Easter)
Holy Spirit!   Lord of Light!   From Your clear celestial height, Your pure beaming radiance give!

The Holy Spirit

Only one thing is important — eternal salvation.   Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared–sin.   Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness and indifference.    The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light, of Strength and of Love.   With His sevenfold gifts, He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will and inflames the heart, with love of God.   To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for “The Spirit helps our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought.   But the Spirit Himself asks for us.”

Prayer

Almighty and eternal God, Who has vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Spirit and has given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us, your sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.

Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Giftday one - pentecost novena - 11 may 2018

Info on the Novena:  https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/05/09/announcing-a-novena-to-the-holy-spirit-for-the-seven-gifts-from-ascension-to-pentecost-begins-friday-11-may/

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Marian Thought for the Day – 11 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

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Marian Thought for the Day – 11 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Mary is the “Regina Angelorum,” The Queen of Angels
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

THIS great title may be fitly connected with the Maternity of Mary, that is, with the coming upon her of the Holy Ghost at Nazareth after the Angel Gabriel’s annunciation to her and with the consequent birth of our Lord at Bethlehem.   She, as the Mother of our Lord, comes nearer to Him than any angel;  nearer even than the Seraphim who surround Him and cry continually, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

The two Archangels who have a special office in the Gospel are St Michael and St Gabriel—and they both of them are associated in the history of the Incarnation with Mary:  St Gabriel, when the Holy Ghost came down upon her and St Michael, when the Divine Child was born.

St. Gabriel hailed her as “Full of grace” and as “Blessed among women” and announced to her that the Holy Ghost would come down upon her and that she would bear a Son who would be the Son of the Highest.

Of St Michael’s ministry to her, on the birth of that Divine Son, we learn in the Apocalypse, written by the Apostle St John.   We know our Lord came to set up the Kingdom of Heaven among men and hardly was He born, when He was assaulted by the powers of the world, who wished to destroy Him.   Herod sought to take His life but he was defeated by St Joseph’s carrying His Mother and Him off into Egypt.   But St John in the Apocalypse tells us that Michael and his angels, were the real guardians of Mother and Child, then and on other occasions.

First, St John saw in vision “a great sign in heaven” (meaning by “heaven” the Church, or Kingdom of God), “a woman clothed with the sun and with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and when she was about to be delivered of her Child, there appeared “a great red dragon,” that is, the evil spirit, ready “to devour her son” when He should be born.   The Son was preserved by His own Divine power but next the evil spirit persecuted her;  St Michael, however and his angels, came to the rescue and prevailed against him.

“There was a great battle,” says the sacred writer; “Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon and the dragon fought and his angels and that great dragon was cast out, the old serpent, who is called the devil.”

Now, as then, the Blessed Mother of God has hosts of angels, who do her service and she is their Queen.

Mary, Regina Angelorum – The Queen of the Angels, Pray for us!mary regina angelorum - queen of the angels - pray for us - 11 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MARIAN QUOTES, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 11 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

“Who, more than Mary, could be, a star of hope for us?
With her “yes”, she opened the door of our world,
to God Himself;  she became the living Ark of the Covenant,
in whom God took flesh, became one of us
and pitched His tent among us.”

Spe Salvi 49who, more than mary - pope benedict XVI - 11 may 2018

“Consequently, every time we approach
the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharistic liturgy,
we also turn to her who, by her complete fidelity,
received Christ’s sacrifice for the whole Church.
The Synod Fathers rightly declared that
“Mary inaugurates the Church’s participation
in the sacrifice of the Redeemer.”
She is the Immaculata, who receives God’s gift
unconditionally and is thus associated with His work of salvation.
Mary of Nazareth, icon of the nascent Church,
is the model for each of us, called to receive the gift
that Jesus makes of Himself in the Eucharist.”

Sacramentum Caritatis 33

Pope Benedict XVIevery time we approach the body and blood of christ - pope benedict - 11 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Marian Reflection 11 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Marian Reflection 11 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out.   And suddenly the star they had seen rising went forward and halted over the place where the child was…Matthew 2:9

REFLECTION – “MARY:  WELCOMING THE MAGI: “‘Going into the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother.’   Our Lady is always near her Son.   The Magi are not received by a king on a high throne but by a child in the arms of His mother.   Let us ask the Mother of God, who is our mother, to prepare for us the way that leads to the fullness of love …. Her sweet heart knows the surest path for finding Christ.” …St Josemaria Escrivá (1902-1975) “The Epiphany of Our Lord,” Christ is Passing By, 38.
Let us offer to our Mother today:
A visit to a poor person to communicate
our Lady‘s concern for that person.going into the house they saw the child with Mary - st josemaria - 11 may 2018

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, Your plans are always the Truth.   So in Your wisdom, You gave us Mary as our Mother, to help us home to You.   Grant that by her prayers we finally arrive with You in Your eternal Kingdom.   Through Jesus our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mary mothr of god - pray for us - 11 may 2018

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 11 May “Mary’s Month” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 11 May “Mary’s Month” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Alma Redemptoris Mater
Loving mother of the Redeemer
Prayers of the Church from the Breviary

Loving mother of the Redeemer,
gate of heaven, star of the sea,
assist your people who have fallen,
yet strive to rise again.
To the wonderment of nature
you bore your Creator,
Yet remained a virgin after as before.
You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,
have pity on us poor sinners.

Alma Redemptoris Mater,
quae pervia caeli porta manes,
et stella maris, succurre cadenti,
surgere qui curat, populo:
tu quae genuisti, natura mirante,
tuum sanctum Genitorem,
Virgo prius ac posterius,
Gabrielis ab ore,
sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

This is one of four Marian antiphons, with following versicles and prayers, traditionally said or sung after night prayer, immediately before going to sleep.   It is said from the beginning of Advent (from night before the fourth Sunday before Christmas) through 1 February.alma redemptoris mater - loving mother of the redeemer - 11 may 2018