Day: July 24, 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, YouTube VIDEOS

Thought for the Day – 24 July – The Memorial of St Charbel Makhluf

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 24 July – The Memorial of St Charbel Makhluf

Joseph Makhluf was born in 1828 at Beqa-Kafra, Lebanon.   His peasant family lived a strong faith, were attentive to the Divine Liturgy and had a great devotion to the Mother of God.

At the age of 23, Charbel (the name he chose when entering Novitiate) left his closely knit family to enter the Lebanese-Maronite Monastery called Notre-Dame de Mayfouk. Following studies and profession at St Cyprian de Kfifane Monastery, he was ordained in 1859.

For the next seven years, Charbel lived in the mountainous community of Anaya.   After that he spent the next twenty-three years in complete solitude at Sts Peter and Paul Hermitage near Anaya.   He died there on Christmas Eve, 1898.

Charbel had a reputation for his austerity, penances, obedience and chastity.   At times, Charbel was gifted with levitations during prayer and he had great devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament.

In all things, Charbel maintained perfect serenity.   He was beatified in 1965 by Blessed Pope Paul VI and canonised by him in 1977.

The spirit of Charbel still lives in many people.   His miracles include numerous healings of the body and of the spirit.   Thomas Merton, the American Hermit, wrote in his journal:  “Charbel lived as a hermit in Lebanon—he was a Maronite.   He died.   Everyone forgot about him.   Fifty years later, his body was discovered incorrupt and in short time he worked over 600 miracles.   He is my new companion.   My road has taken a new turning.   It seems to me that I have been asleep for 9 years—and before that I was dead.”

At the closing of the Second Vatican Council, on 5 December 1965 when St Charbel was beatified by Pope Paul VI, he said:

“…a hermit of the Lebanese mountain is inscribed in the number of the blessed…a new eminent member of monastic sanctity is enriching, by his example and his intercession, the entire Christian people… May he make us understand, in a world largely fascinated by wealth and comfort, the paramount value of poverty, penance, and asceticism, to liberate the soul in its ascent to God…”

St Charbel Makhluf, Pray for us!

The Chaplet of St Charbel here:   https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/07/24/the-chaplet-of-st-charbel-makhluf/
And listen to this special song too:

and the lyrics here:   https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/07/24/thought-for-the-day-24-july-the-memorial-of-st-charbel-of-makhluf/st charbel makhluf pray for us - 24 july 2018

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Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WORD

Quote of the Day – 24 July – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 12:46-50

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 24 July – Tuesday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 12:46-50

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven,
is my brother and sister and mother.”…Matthew 12:50

It is a matter of real sorrow when God has given us strength to break stronger fetters, those of vanity and sin, that we neglect our own progress and the attainment of such great blessings, because we will not detach ourselves from trifles.
Not only do we not advance, we fall back.
For it is well known, that on the spiritual road, not to go on overcoming self, is to go backwards and not to increase our gain, is to lose.
As wood can never be transformed into fire, if one necessary degree of heat is missing, so the soul, that has even one imperfection, can never be perfectly transformed in God.

St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Churchas wood can never be transformed - st john of the cross - 24 july 2018 - in regard to matthew 12 50

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 July 2018 – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 12:46-50

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 24 July 2018 – Tuesday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 12:46-50 and the Memorial of St Charbel Makhluf (1828-1898)

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, is my brother and sister and mother.”…Matthew 12:50

REFLECTION – “His mother is the whole Church, since it is she, who, by God’s grace, gives birth to Christ’s members, that is to say, those who are faithful to Him.   Again, His mother is every holy soul who does the Father’s will and whose fruitful charity is made known in those, to whom she gives birth for Him, “until he has been formed in them” (cf Gal 4:19)…St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctorfor whoever does the will of my father - matthew 12 50 - his mother is the whole church - st augustine - 24 july 2018

PRAYER – Almighty Father, You made us Your children, You called us from all ages and You formed us by Holy Mother Church.   Grant, we pray, that by Your grace, we may be ever faithful to her and be guided by Your Holy Spirit of love.   O God may Your holy Saint Charbel Makhluf intercede for us that, being made imitators of the Lord’s Passion, we may merit to be co-heirs of His Kingdom.   Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever, amen.st-charbel-pray-for-us 24 july 2017(1)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY SPIRIT

Our Morning Offering – 24 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 24 July

Morning Prayer to the Holy Spirit
By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor

Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
enlighten our minds
to perceive the mysteries
of the universe in relation to eternity.
Spirit of right judgment and courage,
guide us and make us firm
in our baptismal decision
to follow Jesus’ way of love.
Spirit of knowledge and reverence,
help us to see the lasting value
of justice and mercy
in our everyday dealings
with one another.
May we respect life
as we work to solve problems
of family and nation,
economy and ecology.
Spirit of God,
spark our faith, hope and love
into new action each day.
Fill our lives with wonder and awe
in Your presence
which penetrates all creation.
Amenspirit of wisdom and understanding - morning prayer to the holy spirit - st augustine - 24 july 2018

Posted in FRANCISCAN OFM, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 24 July – Bl Cristobal of St Catherine T.O.S.F. (1638-1690)

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Saint of the Day – 24 July – Bl Cristobal of St Catherine T.O.S.F. (1638-1690) Priest, Founder of the Franciscan Hospitallers of Jesus of Nazareth, Franciscan Tertiary – born Cristóbal López de Valladolid Orea on 25 July 1638 at 8 Calle Baños, Mérida, Badajoz, Spain and died on 21 July 1690 in Córdoba, Spain of cholera.   Patronage – the Franciscan Hospitallers of Jesus of Nazareth.bl cristobel of st catherine

Cristóbal López de Valladolid Orea was born in 1638 as the son of poor labourers (he had five brothers) and was baptised in the church of Santa Eulalia.   In either 1645 or 1646 he fled from his home in an effort to join the Order of Friars Minor but he soon returned home after his worried mother sent his brothers to bring him home.   He served as an altar server and worked as a nurse in a hospital that the Order of Saint John of God managed.

bl cristobal - improved and enlarged

He was ordained to the priesthood on 20 March 1663 in Badajoz and after was made a chaplain to armed services fighting in Portugal though he had to return home after falling ill.   In 1667 he retired to a hermitage in the mountains of El Bañuelo but his desire to follow the Rule and the teachings of Saint Francis of Assisi prompted him to pursue the Franciscan charism in a concrete manner.   It was for this reason he became a professed member of the Third Order of Saint Francis in 1671 and he assumed the religious name of “Cristóbal of Saint Catherine”.   He established the Franciscan Hospitallers of Jesus of Nazareth in Córdoba on 11 February 1673 which pushed the boundaries of a range of both religious and social issues.st cristobal - my video snip

He died in 1690 clutching a Crucifix, a victim of the cholera epidemic in which he tended to the victims.    It was said not long after his death, several miracles were attributed to his direct intercession.   His order received papal approval from Pope Benedict XIV in 1746.

The cause of beatification commenced on 27 June 1770 under Pope Clement XIV and the late priest was declared a Servant of God.   Pope Benedict XVI declared him to have lived a life of heroic virtue on 28 June 2012 and named him Venerable.

On 20 December 2012 the pope approved a decree that recognised a miracle attributed to his intercession which would allow for him to be beatified.   The beatification was held on 7 April 2013 and Cardinal Angelo Amato presided over the celebration on the behalf of Pope Francis.bl cristobal of st catherine - pray for us - 24 july 2018

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 24 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St Charbel Makhluf O.L.M. (1828-1898) (Optional Memorial)

https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/07/24/saint-of-the-day-24-july-st-charbel-makhluf-o-l-m-the-holy-monk-whose-dead-body-radiated-white-light/

St Aliprandus of Pavia
St Antinogenes of Merida
St Aquilina the Martyr
St Arnulf of Gruyere
Bl Balduino of Rieti
St Boris of Kiev
St Capito
St Christiana
St Christina of Bolsena
St Christina of Tyre
St Christina the Astonishing
Bl Cristobal of St Catherine T.O.S.F. (1638-1690)

St Cyriacus of Ziganeus
St Declan of Ardmore
Bl Diego Martinez
Bl Donatus of Urbino
Bl Giovanni Tavalli
St Gleb
Bl Godo of Oye
St John Boste
Bl Joseph Fernandez
Bl Joseph Lambton
Bl Juan Solorzano
St Kinga
St Lewina of Seaford
Bl Louise of Savoy
Bl Menefrida
St Meneus
St Niceta
Bl Nicholas Garlick
Bl Paulus Yi Do-gi
Bl Pierre de Barellis
St Rainofle
Bl Richard Simpson
Bl Robert Ludlam
Rufinus of Mercia
St Sigolena of Trocar
St Stercatius of Merida
St Ursicinus of Sens
St Victor of Merida
St Victorinus of Amiterno
St Vincent of Rome
St Wulfhad of Mercia
—
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
Bl Cándido Castán San José
Bl Cecilio Vega Domínguez
St Ignacio González Calzada
St Jaime Gascón Bordas
Bl José Joaquín Esnaola Urteaga
Bl José Máximo Moro Briz
St Josep Guillamí Rodo
St Marcos Morón Casas
Bl Maria Angeles of Saint Joseph
Bl Maria Mercedes Prat
Bl Maria Pilar of Saint Francis Borgia
Bl Teresa of the Child Jesus and of Saint John of the Cross
St Xavier Bordas Piferrer