Day: May 23, 2020

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARY'S MONTH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thoughts of Mary – 23 May – Our Striving After Perfection With Our Mother’s Help

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thoughts of Mary – 23 May – “Mary’s Month”

Our Striving After Perfection With Our Mother’s Help
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“To have a special devotion to Mary, means, that we are trying to perfect our own spiritual lives, in imitation of our heavenly Mother and with the help of her grace.
In this effort, which we must all make, we must strive to obtain purity and be constant in our search for what is best and in our endeavour to improve our conduct.
We must find the sure and decisive way of attaining the bright goal of our desires, with the sure hope of finally sharing, with Mary, in the joy of Jesus Christ, the fountain of eternal life.

We turn to you, O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother too.
How could we, with trembling hearts, concern ourselves with the greatest problem of all, that of life and death, now overshadowing all mankind, without trusting ourselves to your intercession to preserve us from all dangers?

This is your hour, O Mary, Our Blessed Jesus entrusted us to you in the final hour of His bloody Sacrifice.
We are sure that you will intervene.

And now, indeed, we beseech you for peace, O most sweet Mother and Queen of the world.
The world does not need victorious wars or defeated peoples but renewed and strengthened health of mind and peace, which brings prosperity and tranquillity;  this is what it needs and what it is crying out for – the beginning of salvation and lasting peace. Amen, Amen.”we turn to you o blessed virgin mary - st john XXIII 23 may 2020

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Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUEENSHIP of MARY, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE

Thought for the Day – 23 May – Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth

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Thought for the Day – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth

“Towards the close of his life, St Paul wrote to his well-beloved disciple, St Timothy:  “As for me, I am already being poured out in sacrifice and the time of my deliverance is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.   For the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord, the just judge, will give to me in that day;  yet, not to me only but, also to those who love his coming” (2 Tim 4:6-8).

After all his apostolic labours and difficulties and, after a lifetime of boundless love, St Paul could confidently say, that he would receive the crown which he had earned.
When the Blessed Virgin came to the end of her earthly pilgrimage, during which she had lovingly worked and suffered so much for Jesus, she could have expected, with even greater certainty, to receive the crown of glory, which she had merited.
She was the noblest and holiest of creatures, because, she was the Mother of the eternal Word of God made man.
Therefore, her reward had to be greater than that of any other creature.
She was the Mother of the King of Angels and of Saints, of Heaven and earth.
As such, it was her place to rule over them all.
Seated at the right hand of her divine Son, she has glory and power, which none other could possess.
The Church, therefore, invokes her under the title of Queen of Angels and of Saints, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Virgins, of Confessors and of Martyrs, Queen of Heaven and of earth.
When our Holy Father, Pius XII, solemnly proclaimed her Queenship, in the year 1954, he was only giving voice to the general consensus of tradition, of the Liturgy and of the belief of all the faithful (Cf Encyclical, Ad Coeli Reginum, 11 Oct 1954).

It should be very encouraging to all of us to know that we have so powerful a Queen in Heaven, whose privilege it is, to dispense God’s graces.
She has crushed the poisonous head of Satan.
Now, she is able and eager to help us, her loyal sons and servants, to resist temptation, to frustrate the schemes of our deadly enemy and to perfect ourselves in virtue. Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

mary queen of heaven and earth -bacci 23 may 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYER WARRIORS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SPEAKING of ....., The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – Prayer

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 18: 23-28, Psalms 47: 2-3, 8-9, 10, John 16: 23-28

“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father,
in my name, he will give you.”

John 16:23

john 16 23 - whatever you ask the father in my name - 12 may 2018

“Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips
and the world in your heart.” 

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108)

do not have jesus christ on your lips - st ignatius of antioch - 24 sept speaking of living the light

“Prayer is the light of the soul,
giving us true knowledge of God.
It is a link mediating between God and man.
By prayer the soul is borne up to heaven
and in a marvellous way embraces the Lord.
This meeting is like that of an infant
crying on its mother’s breast
and seeking the best of milk.
The soul longs for its own needs
and what it receives,
is better than anything
to be seen in the world.”

prayer is the light of the soul - st john chrysostom 23 may 2020

“You can set up an altar to God
in your minds by means of prayer.
And so, it is fitting to pray at your trade,
on a journey,
standing at a counter
or sitting at your handicraft.”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father & Doctor of the Church

you can set up an altar to god in your minds - st john chrysostom 23 may 2020

“In the morning let your first act be
to greet My Heart and to offer Me your own.
Whoever, breathes a sigh toward Me,
draws Me to himself.”

Jesus to St Matilda/Mechtilde of Hackeborn
(c 1241-1298)

in the morning let your first act be - jesus to st matilda of hackeborn 19 nov 2019

“How many things Jesus tells us in our heart,
when we stand at His feet,
if we are careful to listen to His Voice!”

how-many-things-jesus-tells-us-in-our-heart-bl-giovanni-boccardo-30-dec-2019 and 8 feb 2020

“In silence, in listening to His Word,
the Lord waits for us
to make His Voice heard.
To take it with us
as we walk the streets …”

Blessed Giovanni Maria Boccardo (1848-1913)

in silence in listening to his word - bl giovanni boccardo 30 dec 2019

“Prayer is the rest of the soul,
the refreshment of those who are hungry
and thirsty for justice;
it is the sweet conversation of a son
with the most tender of fathers;
of a friend with the most fond of friends;
prayer is the strength,
the comfort,
the happiness of life on earth. “

Blessed Edoardo Giuseppe Rosaz (1877-1903)

prayer is the rest of the soul, the refreshment - bl edoardo giuseppe rosaz - 23 may 2020

“The stillness of prayer
is the most essential condition
for fruitful action.
Before all else,
the disciple kneels down.”

St Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962)

the stillness of prayer is the most essential condition for fruitful action, before all else the disciple kneels down st gianna molla 23 may 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD the FATHER, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on The HUMAN SOUL, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – ‘…A beautiful task’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 18: 23-28, Psalms 47: 2-3, 8-9, 10, John 16: 23-28

“Until now you have not asked anything in my name,
ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
… For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me.” … John 16:24,27

REFLECTION – “You see, my children, the Christian’s treasure is not on earth, it is in heaven (Mt 6:20).   So our thinking must go to where our treasure is.   The human person has a beautiful task, to pray and to love.   You pray, you love – that is the human being’s happiness on earth.the human person has a beautiful task, to pray and to love - st john vianey 23 may 2020

Prayer is nothing other than union with God.   When our heart is pure and united with God, we feel within ourselves a balm, an intoxicating sweetness, a dazzling light.   In this intimate union, God and the human person are like two pieces of wax that have melted together, you can no longer separate them.   This union of God with his little creature is something beautiful.   It is a happiness that we cannot understand.   We had deserved not to pray but God in His goodness allows us to speak to Him.   Our prayer is incense, which He receives with tremendous pleasure.

My children, your heart is small but prayer expands it and makes it able to love God. Prayer is a foretaste of heaven, an outflowing of paradise.   It never leaves us without sweetness.   It is honey, which descends into the soul and sweetens everything.   Sorrows melt in a prayer, that is well prayed, like snow in the sun.” … St John-Mary Vianney (1786-1859) – Catechism on Prayerjohn 16 24,27 ask and you will receive for the father himself loves you-prayer is nothing other than union with god - st john vianney 23 may 2020

PRAYER – – Since it is from You, God our Father, that redemption comes to us, Your adopted children, look with favour on the family You love, hear our prayer as we unite our voices in the name of Your Son, our Lord and Redeemer.   May our faith, love and joy in Christ bring us all alike to our eternal heritage and may the prayer of His blessed Mother and ours lead us safely home.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God with You, loving Father, forever, amen.bl-mother-of-our-lord-pray-for-us-27-oct-2018

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 23 May – Mother of my God and my Lady Mary – St Alphonsus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Mother of my God and my Lady Mary
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Mother of my God and my Lady Mary,
as a beggar, all wounded and sore,
presents himself before a great Queen,
so do I present myself before you,
who are Queen of heaven and earth.
From the lofty throne on which you sit,
disdain not, I implore you,
to cast your eyes on me, a poor sinner.
God has made you so rich
that you might assist the poor
and has made you Queen of Mercy
in order that you might relieve the miserable.
Behold me then and pity me,
behold me and abandon me not,
until you see me changed
from a sinner into a saint.
Amen

mother of my god and my lady mary - st alphonsus - 19 may 2018 REDONE FOR 23 MAY 2020

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 23 May – Saint Michael of Synnada (Died 826)

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Saint of the Day – 23 May – Saint Michael of Synnada (Died 826) Monk, Bishop, Confessor, emmissary and diplomat of peace – also known as St Michael the Confessor – his birthplace is unknown but he died in 826 in Eudokiadu, Turkey of natural causes. Patronage – protection of crops from pests.st michael of synnada.lg icon header jpg

Nothing is known about Michael’s early life but we do know, that as a young man he was much influenced by St Tarasios (Bishop of Constantinople in 784–806) and he thereafter longed for the monastic life.   St Tarasios tonsured him and sent him to a Monastery on the coast of the Black Sea, along with St Theophylactus, the future Bishop of Nicomedia.

At the Monastery both Monks became immersed in the holy Gospel and the life of Christ.  As his own sanctity grew so did his love for his neighbour.   It is reported that he worked many miracles, once, during a harvest, when the people were weakened by thirst, an empty metal vessel was filled with water by the prayer of the Monk.   Similarly, during a pestilence of the crops, both Monks prayed that the crops might be saved and, to the great joy of the people, the pestilence, disappeared.

Bishop Tarasius consecrated Saint Michael as Bishop of the City of Synnada, apparently he was not enamoured of becoming a Bishop, but through his holy life, (he continued to live as a Monk) and wisdom, Bishop Michael won the love of his faithful and the notice of the emperors.   He was therefore, requested to assist and was instrumental in negotiating various peace treaties in the areas surrounding his Diocese.

Saint Michael was present at the Seventh Ecumenical Council at Nicea in 787 in which his participation in all sessions of the council is recorded.

When the Iconoclast heretic Emperor Leo the Armenian (813-820) assumed the throne, he began to expel Bishops from their Diocese, appointing heretics in their place.

Bishop Michael bravely defended the teachings of the Church, opposing the heretics and denouncing their error.   Leo the Armenian brought Bishop Michael to trial but not fearing torture he answered resolutely, “I venerate the holy icons of my Saviour Jesus Christ and the Immaculate ever-Virgin, His Mother and all the saints and, it is to them, I bow down.   I shall not obey your decrees to remove icons from our Churches.”

Leo then banished Michael to the city of Eudokiada, where the Confessor died in 826.

The head of Saint Michael is preserved at Saint Athanasius on Mount Athos and part of the relics are at the Iveron Monastery.st michael of synnada

Posted in MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 23 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St Basileus of Braga
St Desiderius of Langres
St Epitacius of Tuy
St Euphebius of Naples
St Euphrosyne of Polotsk
St Eutychius of Valcastoria
St Florentius of Valcastoria
St Goban Gobhnena
St Guibertus of Gorze
Bl Ivo of Chartres
St Jane Antide Thouret
St John Baptist de Rossi (1698-1764)
About St John:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/05/23/saint-of-the-day-23-may-st-john-baptist-de-rossi-1698-1764/

Bl Józef Kurzawa
Bl Leontius of Rostov
St Michael of Synnada (Died 826)
St Onorato of Subiaco
St Spes of Campi
St Syagrius of Nice
St William of Rochester (Died c 1201) Martyr
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/05/23/saint-of-the-day-23-may-st-william-of-rochester-died-c-1201-martyr/
Bl Wincenty Matuszewski
—
Martyrs of Béziers: 20 Mercedarian friars murdered by Huguenots for being Catholic. Martyrs. 1562 at the Mercedarian convent at Béziers, France.

Martyrs of Cappadocia: A group of Christians tortured and martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian and Galerius. Their names and the details of their lives have not come down to us. They were crushed to death in c.303 in Cappadocia (in modern Turkey).

Martyrs of Carthage: When a civil revolt erupted in Carthage in 259 during a period of persecution by Valerian, the procurator Solon blamed it on the Christians, and began a persecution of them. We know the names and a few details about 8 of these martyrs – Donatian, Flavian, Julian, Lucius, Montanus, Primolus, Rhenus and Victorius. They were beheaded in 259 at Carthage (modern Tunis, Tunisia).

Martyrs of Mesopotamia: A group of Christians martyred in Mesopotamia in persecutions by imperial Roman authorities. Their names and the details of their lives have not come down to us. They were suffocated over a slow fire in Mesopotamia.

Martyrs of North Africa: A group of 19 Christians martyred together in the persecutions of the Arian Vandal King Hunneric for refusing to deny the Trinity. We know little more than a few of their names – Dionysius, Julian, Lucius, Paul and Quintian. c 430.