Day: June 25, 2019

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, NOVENAS

Novena in honour of the Sacred Heart – Day Seven – 25 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Novena to the Sacred Heart
Day Seven – 25 June

Seventh Day – What strange friends you have, Lord!

Today’s Scripture
‘But I say to you listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you….Luke 6: 27-28

Reflection for the Seventh Day
You know the old saying, ‘Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are’ ? Well, Jesus had the strangest set of friends Levi (a hated tax-collector) Simon the Zealot (a revolutionary), women in prostitution and other ‘public sinners’.   Maybe I’m not such bad company for Jesus, after all!

Today’s Prayer
Jesus, You once said,
‘I’ve come not to call the virtuous
but sinners to repentance.’
During Your mission,
You sat and ate with sinners.
This practice of Yours
gives me great hope
that Your love will bid me welcome too!
Amen

Daily Invocation
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

Novena Prayer
Lord Jesus, the needs of Your people,
open Your Sacred Heart in love for each of us.
You care for us when we are lost,
sympathise with us in loneliness
and comfort us in mourning.
You are closest to us when we are weakest.
You love us most, when we love ourselves least,
You forgive us most, when we forgive ourselves least
and You call us to spread Your love
in whatever way we can.
Lord Jesus, Your Sacred Heart
is moved with compassion
when we are suffering,
when we need Your help
and when we pray for each other.
I ask You to listen to my prayer during this Novena
and grant what I ask.
—————————-
(Mention your intention silently.)
If what I ask is not for my own good
and the good of others,
grant me what is best,
that I may build up Your kingdom
of love in our world.
AmenDAY SEVEN - NOVENA SACRED HEART - 25 june 2019.jpg

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 25 June -Manifesting Christ by St Gregory of Nyssa

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 25 June – Tuesday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 7:6,12=14

Christ should be Manifest in our Whole Life

Saint Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–C 395)
Bishop and Father of the Church –
Brother of St Basil the Great (Father & Doctor)

An excerpt from his treatise On Christian Perfection

The life of the Christian has three distinguishing aspects –  deeds, words and thought. Thought comes first, then words, since our words express openly the interior conclusions of the mind.   Finally, after thoughts and words, comes action, for our deeds carry out what the mind has conceived.  So when one of these results in our acting or speaking or thinking, we must make sure that all our thoughts, words and deeds are controlled by the divine ideal, the revelation of Christ.   For then our thoughts, words and deeds will not fall short of the nobility of their implications.

What then must we do, we who have been found worthy of the name of Christ?   Each of us must examine his thoughts, words and deeds, to see whether they are directed toward Christ or are turned away from Him.   This examination is carried out in various ways. Our deeds or our thoughts or our words are not in harmony with Christ if they issue from passion.   They then bear the mark of the enemy who smears the pearl of the heart with the slime of passion, dimming and even destroying the lustre of the precious stone.

On the other hand, if they are free from and untainted by every passionate inclination, they are directed toward Christ, the author and source of peace.   He is like a pure, untainted stream.   If you draw from Him the thoughts in your mind and the inclinations of your heart, you will show a likeness to Christ, your source and origin, as the gleaming water in a jar resembles the flowing water from which it was obtained.if you draw from him - st gregory of nyssa - 25 jun 2019.jpg

For the purity of Christ and the purity that is manifest in our hearts are identical.  Christ’s purity, however, is the fountainhead, ours has its source in Him and flows out of Him.   Our life is stamped with the beauty of His thought.   The inner and the outer man are harmonised in a kind of music.   The mind of Christ is the controlling influence that inspires us to moderation and goodness in our behaviour.   As I see it, Christian perfection consists in thiS – sharing the titles which express the meaning of Christ’s name, we bring out this meaning in our minds, our prayers and our way of life.

I am the Way and the Truth and the Life…John 14:8

i am the way the truth and the life jon 14 8 31 march 2019 laetare sunday.jpg

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 25 June – The endless day

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 25 June – Tuesday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Maximus of Turin (? – c 420)

“The light of Christ
is an endless day
that knows no night.”

St Maximus of Turin (? – c 420)the-light-of-christ-st-maximus-of-turin-25-june-2018.jpg

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 June – Christ, the narrow door

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 25 June – Tuesday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 7:6,12-14

“Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life and those who find it are few.”…Matthew 7:13-14enter through the narrow gate - matthew 7 - 13 - 14

REFLECTION – “Of course Jesus’ door is a narrow one but not because it is a torture chamber.   No, not for that reason!   Rather, because He asks us to open our hearts to Him, to recognise that we are sinners in need of His salvation, His forgiveness and His love in order to have the humility to accept His mercy and to let ourselves be renewed by Him.

Jesus tells us in the Gospel that being Christians does not mean having a “label!”    I ask you, are you Christians by label or by the truth?   And let each one answer within him- or herself!   Not Christians, never Christians by label!   Christians in truth, Christians in the heart.   The whole of our life must pass through the narrow door which is Christ.”…Pope Francis (Angelus, 25 August 2013)

PRAYER – Increase in us, Lord, Your gift of faith, so that the praise we offer You, may ever yield it’s fruit from heaven,   May the Spirit pour into our hearts, that we may walk in Your light and become like You.   May the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Grace and all Your Saints, help us in our striving for holiness.   Through Christ, our Lord in union with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.our lady of grace pray for us 25 june 2019

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, Our MORNING Offering, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 25 June – Be my Strength, O Sacred Heart!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 25 June – Tuesday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – June the Month of the Sacred Heart

Be my Strength, O Sacred Heart!
By St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)

O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
I fly to You,
I unite myself with You,
I enclose myself in You!
Receive my call for help,
O my Saviour,
as a sign of my horror
of all within me
contrary to Your holy love.
Let me die rather a thousand times,
than consent to sin against You!
Be my strength, O God –
defend me,
protect me.
I am Yours
and desire forever to be Yours!
Amenbe my strength o sacred heart - 25 june 2019 st margaret mary alacoque.jpg

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 25 June – Saint Prosper of Reggio (Died c 466)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 25 June – Saint Prosper of Reggio (Died c 466) Bishop.   Patronage – Reggio.

Tradition and documents attest that he was indeed the bishop of Reggio for 22 years in the fifth century.   He is remembered for his strong sense of charity and to this day – his Feast Day is celebrated in Reggio, Italy with large festivals and celebrations.

513px-AMR_Kirche_-_Fresko_ Saint Prosper of Reggio.4 (1)
This fresco is in a Church in Germany

His strongest following was up until the fourteenth century, before devotion to him has slowed down.   He has 31 churches and chapels that are dedicated to him today in Parma, Bologna, Lucca and other cities surrounding Reggio, Italy – most being built in the Middle Ages.   He personally built a church in San Prospero and it is dedicated to Saint Apollinaris.   To this day in Reggio, they celebrate his feast locally on 24 November but 25 June is his feast day on general liturgical calendars.   Giovanni Soncini did a painting of St Prosper and St Bernard, see below.Virginmarysaintbernardsaintprosper

In the tenth century, Reggio being vunerable to attacks from the sea, Bishop Ermenaldo transported Prosper’s relics to the Cathedral of Santa Maria in the centre of the city while the church dedicated to Prosper was being built.   This was completed by his successor Tenzone.   Pope Gregory V, consecrated the church in 997.   In the 16th century the church was rebuilt and Prosper’s body lies under the great altar.  And fittingly enough he is the principal Patron of the city.church of st prosper in reggio

Saint Prosper was a very humble and charitable bishop and the people of Reggio celebrate his life, seeking his intercession and having festivals on his Feast Day.   St Prosper took Jesus litterally when Jesus said, “Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come follow me”. Tradition holds that Prosper, a true follower of Jesus, took His command seriously.   He distributed his goods to the poor.st prosper snip

St Prosper is a saint that shows us by his life and love for the church, that only by clearing ourselves of material things in this world, can we become Disciples of Christ.  He sold his belongings and distributed it to the poor.   His overwhelming gift of Charity was so prominent, that 17 centuries later – the faithful celebrate his Feast Day with festivals and celebrations!   We too, as faithful, can impact those around us by our Charity of time, talent and treasures – as our means permit.st proper statue

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Feast of Our Lady of Grace and Memorials of the Saints – 25 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Lady of Grace/Our Lady of the Bowed Head –

About:  https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/06/25/25-june-the-feast-of-our-lady-of-grace/our lady of grace.jpg

St Adalbert of Egmond
St Amand of Coly
Bl Burchard of Mallersdorf
St Cyneburga of Gloucester
St Domingo Henares de Zafra Cubero
Bl Dorothy of Montau
St Eurosia of Jaca
St Febronia of Nisibis
Bl Fulgentius de Lara
St Gallicanus of Embrun
St Gallicanus of Ostia
St Gohard of Nantes
Bl Guy Maramaldi
Bl Henry Zdick
Bl John the Spaniard
St Luceias and Companions
St Maximus of Turin (? – c 420)
Biography:   https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/25/saint-of-the-day-25-june-st-maximus-of-turin-c-420-father-of-the-church/

St Moloc of Mortlach
St Molonachus of Lismore
St Phanxicô Ðo Van Chieu
St Prosper of Reggio (Died c 466)
St Selyf of Cornwall
St Solomon I
St Solomon III of Bretagne
St William of Vercelli (1085-1142) – Biography:  https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/06/25/saint-of-the-day-25-june-st-william-of-vercelli/