Day: August 26, 2018

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL SERMONS, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST

Sunday Reflection – 13 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Sunday Reflection – 13 August – 21st Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel: John 6:60–69

Eucharistic Meditation by Pope Benedict XVI (Excerpt)
Lourdes, 14 September 2008

Do Not Refuse His Love
This evening, we do not see them but we hear them saying to us, to every man and to every woman among us:  “Come, let the Master call you! He is here!   He is calling you” (cf. Jn 11:28)!   He wants to take your life and join it to His.   Let yourself be embraced by Him!   Gaze no longer upon your own wounds, gaze upon His.   Do not look upon what still separates you from Him and from others;  look upon the infinite distance that He has abolished by taking your flesh, by mounting the Cross which men had prepared for Him and by letting Himself be put to death so as to show you His love.   In His wounds, He takes hold of you;   in His wounds, He hides you.   Do not refuse His Love!”

Contemplate the Wounds of Christ
The immense crowd of witnesses who have allowed themselves to be embraced by His Love, is the crowd of saints in heaven who never cease to intercede for us.   They were sinners and they knew it but they willingly ceased to gaze upon their own wounds and to gaze only upon the wounds of their Lord, so as to discover there the glory of the Cross, to discover there the victory of Life over death.   Saint Pierre-Julien Eymard (1811-1868) tells us everything when he cries out:  “The holy Eucharist is Jesus Christ, past, present and future” (Sermons and Parochial Instructions After 1856, 4-2.1, “On Meditation”).

Jesus Christ Past
Jesus Christ, past, in the historical truth of the evening in the Upper Room, to which every celebration of holy Mass leads us back.

Jesus Christ Present
Jesus Christ, present, because He said to us:  “Take and eat of this, all of you, this is my Body, this is my Blood.”   “This is”, in the present, here and now, as in every here and now throughout human history.   The Real Presence, the Presence which surpasses our poor lips, our poor hearts, our poor thoughts.   The Presence offered for us to contemplate as we do here, this evening, close to the grotto where Mary revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception.

Jesus Christ Coming
The Eucharist is also Jesus Christ, future, Jesus Christ to come.   When we contemplate the Sacred Host, His glorious transfigured and risen Body, we contemplate what we shall contemplate in eternity, where we shall discover that the whole world has been carried by its Creator during every second of its history.   Each time we consume Him but also each time we contemplate Him, we proclaim Him until he comes again, “donec veniat”. That is why we receive Him with infinite respect.

Remain Silent, Then Speak
Beloved brothers and sisters, day pilgrims and inhabitants of these valleys, brother Bishops, priests, deacons, men and women religious, all of you who see before you the infinite abasement of the Son of God and the infinite glory of the Resurrection, remain in silent adoration of your Lord, our Master and Lord Jesus Christ.   Remain silent, then speak and tell the world:  we cannot be silent about what we know.   Go and tell the whole world the marvels of God, present at every moment of our lives, in every place on earth.   May God bless us and keep us, may He lead us on the path of eternal life, He who is Life, forever and ever. Amen.come, let the master call you - remain silent - pope benedict - 26 aug 2018 sunday reflection

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Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, POETRY, PRAYERS for PRIESTS, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS

Second Thoughts for the Day – 26 August – Pray for our Priests

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Second Thoughts for the Day – 26 August – 21st Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel: John 6:60–69

May we offer our Sunday Communion for all the Priests of the World, who bring us the Sacrament which gives us life.

O my beloved Jesus,
Son of the Father and His Eternal High Priest,
offering Yourself to Him perpetually in the sanctuary of heaven
and here in the Sacrament of Your Redeeming Love,
I adore You.

I praise You that here I find Your Eucharistic Heart,
open, ever-beating with love,
and covering with a flood of Blood and of Water
those who draw near to You in this Sacrament.

I praise You that here I behold Your Eucharistic Face,
filling the shadows of this world with Your deifying light,
and shining into the hearts of those who approach You
in faith, in hope and in love.

I pray to You for Your priests,
without whom this valley of tears would be
devoid of the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar,
without the adorable mysteries of Your life-giving Body and Blood,
and without Your abiding real presence in the tabernacles of the world.

Sanctify Your priests, O Jesus!
Wash them in the Blood and Water gushing at every moment
from Your Sacred Side
Heal them in the light of Your Eucharistic Face and,
to do this, draw them all into Your sacramental presence.

Let Your tabernacles magnetise their souls,
and the desire to abide before Your Eucharistic Face
hold sway over their hearts.
Let Your Sacred Body exposed in the monstrance
exercise over them the most compelling of all attractions.

Look today upon those priests who, for whatever reason,
have forgotten the way to Your tabernacles
and rarely, if ever, stop all else
to rest their tired bodies and still their minds
before Your Eucharistic Face,
and to adore You simply because . . . You are there.

Save Your priests in danger of falling into sin,
and lift those who have fallen,
so that, having confessed their faults and received absolution,
they may return to Your altar and to the joy of their youth.

Let not one of Your priests remain outside the radiance of Your Eucharistic Face.
Draw them all out of this world’s darkness
into Your wonderful light,
that with the psalmist they might say not once,
but again and again:
“Look to Him and be radiant
and on your faces there will be no trace of shame.”
Amen.

I pray especially for my own Priest, Fr Enrico Parry and Catholic Priest Media – https://catholicpriestmedia.com/pray for our priests - i pray to you for your priests - 26 aug 2018sanctify your priests o jesus - 26 aug 2018 pray for our priests

Posted in CONSECRATION Prayers, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL SERMONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 26 August – The Feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Queen of Poland

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 26 August – The Feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Queen of Poland

PRAYER OF JOHN PAUL II (Excerpt)

Czestochowa — 4 June 1997

“O Mother of God, O Blessed Virgin, by God have you been glorified!”

Mother of Jasna Góra and Queen, I come to you today on a pilgrimage of faith to thank you for your ceaseless protection of all the Church and of myself, especially during the fifty years of my priesthood and those of my service in the See of Peter.   With great trust I come to this holy place — on the hill of Jasna Góra, so dear to my heart, to cry out once more:  Mother of God and our Mother, I thank you for being the guiding Star of the building of a better future for the world, for being the Patroness of the attainment of the civilisation of love among the members of the human race.   Mother, I humbly beseech you, surround with your maternal protection the days and years which still separate us from the Year 2000. I entrust to your intercession the preparation for the Great Jubilee of Christianity.   Help all the nations of the world to begin the new millennium in union with Christ, the King of the ages.

Mother of the Church, Blessed Virgin Help of Christians, in the humility of Peter’s faith I bring to your feet the whole Church, all the continents, countries and nations which have believed in Jesus Christ and have recognised in Him the signpost marking their path through history.   I bring here, O Mother, all humanity, including those still searching for the way to Christ.   Be their guide and help them to be open to the God who is coming.   I bring to you in prayer the peoples of East and West, of North and South and I entrust to your motherly care all the families of nations.   Mother of the Church’s faith, just as you persevered in prayer with Jesus’ disciples in the Upper Room, so be with us today in the Upper Room of the Church as she travels towards the third millennium of faith and obtain for us the grace to be open to the gift of God’s Spirit.

Faithful Daughter of the Eternal Father , Temple of the Love that embraces heaven and earth, I entrust to you the service of the Church in the world, a world which so needs love. Mother of God, Mother of the only-begotten Son who gave us as the principle of life the new commandment of love, help us to become builders of a united world, in which peace triumphs over war, and the civilization of death is replaced by love for life.

Mother of Unity and Peace, strengthen the bond of communion within the Church of your Son, enliven ecumenical efforts so that all Christians, by the power of the Holy Spirit, may become one family of sisters and brothers of Jesus Christ, the one Saviour of the world yesterday, today and for ever (cf. Heb. 13:8).

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, accept our trust, strengthen it in our hearts and present it before the face of the one God in the Holy Trinity. Amen.

Our Lady of Czestochowa, Pray for us!our-lady-of-czestochowa-pray-for-us-26 aug 2017

Consecration to Our Lady of Czestochowa

Our Lady of Czestochowa,
Queen of Poland, pray for us.
Holy Mother of Czestochowa,
you are full of grace, goodness and mercy.
I consecrated to you all my thoughts,
words and actions – my soul and body.
I beseech your blessings
and especially prayers for my salvation.
Today I consecrate myself to you, good Mother, totally –
with body and soul amid joy and sufferings,
to obtain for myself and others,
your blessings on this earth
and eternal life in heaven.
Amenprayer-to-our-lady-of-czestochowa-26 aug 2017

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 26 August – The Feat of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Queen of Poland

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 26 August – The Feat of Our Lady of Czestochowa,

Queen of Poland

“Let Mary never be far from your lips
and from your heart.
Following her, you will never lose your way.
Praying to her, you will never sink into despair.
Contemplating her, you will never go wrong.”

St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)let mary never be far from our lips - st bernardine - 26 aug 2018

“… in Mary there is accomplished
the stupendous
and complete victory of good over evil,
of love over hatred,
of grace over sin.”

St John Paul (1920-2005)in-mary-there-is-accomplished-st-john-paul-26 aug 2017

Posted in FRANCISCAN OFM, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL SERMONS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 August – Today’s Gospel: John 6:60–69

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 26 August – 21st Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel: John 6:60–69

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”...John 6:68-69

REFLECTION – “He does not say “where shall we go?” but “to whom shall we go?”   The underlying problem, is not about leaving and abandoning the work undertaken but to whom to go.   From Peter’s question, we understand, that fidelity to God is a question of fidelity to a person, to whom we bind ourselves, to walk together on the same road.   And this person is Jesus.   All that we have in the world does not satisfy our infinite hunger. We need Jesus, to be with Him, to be nourished at His table, on His words of eternal life!”…Pope Francis (Angelus, 23 August 2015)to whom shall we go - john 6 68-69 - he does not say where shall we go - pope francis - 26 aug 2018

“Be patient and persevere in the practice of meditation.   Be content, to start with, to make progress only by degrees.   Later on you will have legs that will ask for nothing but to run or, better, wings for flying with.
Be happy to obey.   It’s never easy but it is God we have chosen as our portion.   Accept that, as yet, you are only a little bee in its nest but, very quickly, it will become one of those wonderful workers so skilful in making honey.   Always remain humble before God and men, in love.   Then our Lord will speak to you in truth and enrich you with His gifts.”…St Pio of Pietrelcina “Padre Pio” (1887-1968)be patient and persevered - st pio - 26 aug 2018

PRAYER – Lord, by Your grace, we are made one in mind and heart.   Give us a love for what You command and a longing for what You promise, so that, amid this world’s changes, our hearts may be set on the world of lasting joy.   May the intercession of Your faithful servant, St Pope Zephyrinus, bring us strength and courage.   As it was Your will heavenly Father, that, at the angel’s message, Your Word should be conceived by the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that as we believe her to be truly the Mother of God, so may we be helped always, by her intercession.   Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit, ‘totus tuus’ Maria – please pray for us, amen.immaculate-mary-pray-for-us-26 aug 2017

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST, THOMAS a KEMPIS

Our Morning Offering – 25 August – A Eucharistic Offering

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 25 August – 21st Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year B

A Eucharistic Offering
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Lord, all things in heaven and earth are Yours.
I desire to offer myself to You
in free and perpetual oblation,
so that I may forever be with You.
Lord, in simpliciy of heart,
I offer myself this day to You,
to be Your servant in service
and sacrifice of perpetual praise.
Accept me with the oblation of Your precious Body,
which this day I offer You in the presence
of Your holy angels, here invisibly present,
so that it may be to my salvation
and to the salvation of all people.
Amena eucharistic offering - thomas a kempis - lord all things in heaven-26 august 2018

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 25 August – St Pope Zephyrinus (died 217) Martyr

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 25 August – St Pope Zephyrinus (died 217) Martyr, he was Bishop of Rome or Pope from 199 to his death in 217. He was born in Rome. His predecessor was Pope Victor I. Upon his death on 20 December 217, he was succeeded by his principal advisor, Pope Callixtus I. He is known for combatting heresies and defending the divinity of Christ.zeph

Saint Zephyrinus, a native of Rome, succeeded Victor I in the pontificate in the year 198. In 202 Septimus Severus, a military despot, raised the fifth and most bloody persecution against the Church, which continued for nine years until the death of the emperor in 211. Until this furious storm ended, the holy pastor remained concealed for the sake of his flock, supporting and comforting the distressed disciples of Christ.   He suffered by charity and compassion, what every confessor underwent.   The triumphs of the martyrs were indeed his joy but his heart received many deep wounds from the fall of apostates and heretics.   Nor did this latter affliction cease, when peace was restored to the Church.Zephyrinus2

The holy Pope had the affliction of witnessing the fall of Tertullian.   He saw to his joy, however, the conversion of Natalis, who had become a heretical bishop when he lapsed into the Theodotian heresy.   God, wishing to bring him back to the Church, sent him a solid correction which opened his eyes and he came to kneel at the feet of the Vicar of Christ, wearing a hair shirt and humbly asking pardon for his revolt.

Eusebius tells us that this holy Pope exerted his zeal so strenuously against the blasphemies of the heretics, that they treated him with the utmost contempt.   To his glory, however, they also called him the principal defender of Christ’s divinity.st pope zephyrius

St Zephyrinus filled the pontifical chair nineteen years, dying in 217  . He was buried in his own cemetery, on the 26th of August.   He is, in some Martyrologies, styled a martyr, which title he might deserve by what he suffered in the persecution, though he perhaps did not die by the executioner.header st pope zephyrinus

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Queen of Poland & Memorials of the Saints – 26 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Lady of Czestochowa, Queen of Poland

Czestochowa
Visit our Mother here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/08/26/blessed-feast-of-our-lady-of-czestochowa-queen-of-poland-26-august/

St Abundius the Martyr
St Alexander of Bergamo
St Anastasius the Fuller
St Bregwin of Canterbury
St Elias of Syracuse
St Eleutherius of Auxerre
St Felix of Pistoia
Bl Herluin
Bl Ioachim Watanabe Jirozaemon
St Irenaeus of Rome
Bl Jacques Retouret
St Jeanne Elizabeth des Bichier des Anges
Bl Jean Bassano
Bl Jean of Caramola
Bl Juan Urgel
Bl Levkadia Herasymiv
Bl Margaret of Faenza
St Mary of Jesus Crucified
St Maximilian of Rome
St Melchizedek the Patriarch
St Orontius of Lecce
St Pandwyna
St Rufinus of Capua
St Secundus the Theban
Bl Stanislaus Han Jeong-Heum
St Teresa de Gesu, Jornet y Ibars
St Victor of Caesarea
St Victor the Martyr
St Vyevain of York
St Pope Zephyrinus (died 217) Martyr
—
Martyrs of Celano – 3 saints: Three Christians, Constantius, Simplicius and Victorinus, martyred in the same area at roughly the same time. That’s really all we know, though it didn’t stop writers in later centuries from inventing colourful histories, making them a father and sons, adding saintly family members, earthquakes, close escapes, etc.
They were martyred in c 159 in the Marsica region of Italy. At some point their relics were interred under the main altar of the San Giovanni Vecchio church in the Collegiata di Celano and were authenticated in 1057 by Pope Stephen IX. The city was depopulated in 1222; when it was re-built, the relics were re-enshrined in the church of San Vittorino on 10 June 1406. Patronage – Celano, Italy.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Emilio Serrano Lizarralde
• Blessed Francesc Casademunt Ribas
• Blessed Josep Maria Tolaguera Oliva
• Blessed Luis Valls Matamales
• Blessed María de Los Ángeles Ginard Martí
• Blessed Pere Sisterna Torrent