July 10, 2020 – AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 10 July – Vanity

Posted on July 10, 2020July 10, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 10 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Vanity

“God was perfectly happy in Himself from all eternity and did not need any creature to add to His glory.
Nevertheless, in order to diffuse His Power and Goodness, He created our world in which is reflected the harmony of His Divine Essence.
Even as all things have their origin in Him, they have Him, as their final end.
He is the eternal harbour towards which all created things flow, even as the rivers roll continually onwards until they reach the peace of the sea.
In this vast world of solar systems rotating in the firmament,of mineral and vegetable wealth and of animal creation, you are only a very tiny being, who has received everything from God.
Nevertheless, you are often convinced, that you are important.
You glory in your talents, as if they belonged to you and were not a gift which God has given to you.

Vanity is a form of theft.
God has given us everything, including life itself and, we act as if His gifts were our rightful possession.
We boast about them, show them off in the company of others and, are delighted when we receive praise or respect.
Let us imagine that we are dying and shall soon be alone in the presence of God.
At that supreme moment, what will earthly glory matter to us?
Of what account will be human flattery and transitory success?
When we are alone before God, nothing will matter except humlity and the merits which we have gained.
These will make us worthy of God’s friendship and of a heavenly reward.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

ARMOUR of CHRIST, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, MARTYRS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 July – “Sheep Amidst the Wolves”

Posted on July 10, 2020July 10, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 10 July – “Month of the Precious Blood” – Friday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Hosea 14:2-10, Psalm 51:3-4, 8-9, 12-14, 17, Matthew 10:16-23

“Sheep Amidst the Wolves”

“You shall not hate your brother in your heart
but you shall reason with your neighbour,
lest you bear sin because of him.
You shall not take vengeance
or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people
but, you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord”

Leviticus 19:17-18

“But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you…”

Matthew 5:44

“We are treated as deceivers and yet, are truthful,
as unrecognised and yet, acknowledged,
as dying and behold we live,
as chastised and yet, not put to death,
as sorrowful yet, always rejoicing,
as poor yet, enriching many,
as having nothing and yet, possessing all things.”

2 Corinthians 8-10

“What is the surest kind of witness?
“Anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ
came among us in the flesh” (cf. 1Jn 4,2)
and who keeps the commands of the Gospel…
How many there are each day
of these hidden martyrs of Christ
who confess the Lord Jesus!
… So be faithful and courageous
in interior persecutions
so that you may also win
the victory in exterior persecutions.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“You don’t love in your enemies
what they are
but what you would have them become,
by your prayers!”

St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor

“When he has begun to follow me,
according to My teaching and precepts,
he will find many people contradicting him
and standing in his way,
many who not only deride but even persecute him.
Moreover, this is true,
not only of pagans who are outside the church
but also of those, who seem to be in it visibly
but are outside of it because of the perversity of their deeds.
Although these glory,
in merely the title of Christian,
they continually persecute faithful Christians.”

St Caesarius of Arles (470-543)

“We must show love
for those who do evil to us
and pray for them.
Nothing is dearer
or more pleasing to God than this.”

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303-1373)

“… I declare to you,
that there is no other way of salvation
than the one followed by Christians.
Since this way teaches me to forgive my enemies
and all who have offended me,
I willingly forgive the king
and all those who have desired my death.
And I pray that they will obtain
the desire of Christian Baptism.”

St Paul Miki SJ (1564-1597) Martyr

“Visit me not, O my loving Lord –
if it be not wrong so to pray –
visit me not those trying visitations
which saints alone can bear!
Still, I leave all in Thy hands, my dear Saviour –
I bargain for nothing.
Only, if Thou shall bring heavier trial on me,
give me more grace –
flood me with the fullness of Thy strength and consolation,
that they may work in me,
not death but life and salvation.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

“Catholics are part of the Church Militant.
They struggle and they suffer for the triumph of Christ.
They must never lose sight of their Divine Model,
so that their trials will be turned into joy.”

St Pius X (1835-1914)

“To live without faith,
without a heritage to defend,
without battling constantly for truth,
is not to live
but to ‘get along,’
we must never just ‘get along’.”

Bl Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925)
“Man of the Beatitudes”

“When I feel overwhelmed by misfortune,
the greatest joy that the Lord can give me,
is to go to the altar, to put my forehead against it
(as on the day of my ordination to the priesthood)
and to feel the presence of the only reality.
Not only does calm return
but my body seems to be annihilated,
the only true life begins,
the life of that which is intangible.”

Bl Leonid Feodorov (1879-1935) Martyr

“Let us love our enemies,
bless those who curse us,
pray for Those who persecute us.
For love will conquer
and will endure for all eternity.
And happy are they who live
and die in God’s love.”

” …We need no rifles or pistols for our battle
but instead, spiritual weapons –
and the foremost among these is prayer….
Through prayer,
we continually implore new grace from God,
since without God’s help and grace,
it would be impossible for us to preserve the Faith
and be true to His commandments….”

“Since the death of Christ,
almost every century
has seen the persecution of Christians,
there have always been heroes
and martyrs who gave their lives –
often in horrible ways –
for Christ and their faith.
If we hope to reach our goal some day,
then we, too, must become heroes of the faith.”

Blessed Franz Jägerstätter (1907-1943)
Martyr of Conscientious Objection

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on VIOLENCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 July – ‘Citizens of Heaven.’

Posted on July 10, 2020July 10, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 10 July – “Month of the Precious Blood” – Friday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Hosea 14:2-10, Psalm 51:3-4, 8-9, 12-14, 17, Matthew 10:16-23 and the Memorial of St Canute of Denmark (c 1042-1086) Martyr

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” … Matthew 10:16 matthew 10 16 behold i send you out as sheep - 12 july 2019 and 10 july 2020

REFLECTION – “They live in the flesh but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law. Christians love all men but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death but raised to life again. They live in poverty but enrich many; they are totally destitute but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonour but that is their glory. They are defamed but vindicated. A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult. For the good they do they receive the punishment of malefactors but even then they, rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life. They are attacked by the Jews as aliens, they are persecuted by the Greeks, yet no one can explain the reason for this hatred.

To speak in general terms, we may say that the Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body. As the soul is present in every part of the body, while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities of the world but cannot be identified with the world. As the visible body contains the invisible soul, so Christians are seen living in the world but their religious life remains unseen. The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any injury the soul has done it but because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures. Similarly, the world hates the Christians, not because they have done it any wrong but because they are opposed to its enjoyments.

Christians love those who hate them just as the soul loves the body and all its members despite the body’s hatred. It is by the soul, enclosed within the body, that the body is held together and, similarly, it is by the Christians, detained in the world as in a prison, that the world is held together. The soul, though immortal, has a mortal dwelling place and Christians also live for a time amidst perishable things, while awaiting the freedom from change and decay that will be theirs in heaven. As the soul benefits from the deprivation of food and drink, so Christians flourish under persecution. Such is the Christian’s lofty and divinely appointed function, from which he is not permitted to excuse himself.” … Ancient Christian writer – From a letter to Diognetus (Nn. 5-6; Funk, 397-401) matthew 10 16 as sheep amidst the wolves - they suffer dishonour but that is their glory - diogenes 10 july 2020

PRAYER – Father of all holiness, guide our hearts to You. Keep in the light of Your truth, all those You have freed from the darkness of unbelief. May our lives be the source of enlightenment to others and our faith and love every remain strengthened by Your grace. Listen to the prayers of Your saint and angels on our behalf, as we long for our eternal home. St Canute, we beg for your prayers. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen st canute of denmark pray for us 10 july 2020

Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 10 July – My God, Do Not Abandon Me

Posted on July 10, 2020July 9, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 10 July – “Month of the Precious Blood” – Friday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time

My God, Do Not Abandon Me
By St Arsenius the Deacon (Died c 450)

My God,
do not abandon me,
though I have done nothing good
in Your sight
but, because You are compassionate,
grant me the power
to make a start.
Amen

Saint Arsenius the Deacon, sometimes known as Arsenius of Scetis and Turah, Arsenius the Roman or Arsenius the Great, was a Roman imperial tutor who became an anchorite in Egypt, one of the most highly regarded of the Desert Fathers, whose teachings were greatly influential on the development of asceticism and the contemplative life.
His contemporaries so admired him as to surname him “the Great.” His feast day is celebrated on 8 May.

MARTYRS, SPEAKING of .....

Saint of the Day – 10 July– St Canute IV of King of Denmark (c 1042-1086) Martyr

Posted on July 10, 2020July 9, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 10 July– St Canute IV of King of Denmark (c 1042-1086) Martyr – known as “Canute the Holy” – also known as Canute, Canute IV, Canutus, Cnut, Knud IV, Knut, Knute. He was King of Denmark from 1080 until 1086. Born c 1042, one of the many sons of Sweyn II Estridsson and he died by the sword in 1086 in the Church of Saint Alban on the island of Fünen, Denmark. Canute was an ambitious king who sought to strengthen the Danish monarchy, devotedly supported the Roman Catholic Church and had designs on the English throne. Slain by rebels in 1086, he was the first Dane to be Canonised. He was recognised as Patron of Denmark in 1101. st canute of denmark

He was born in c 1042 and ascended to the throne in 1080. He was ambitious and devout—he appropriated land for the Church and arranged for the support of clergy by tithes. He was generous in building churches and schools.

Canute was a strong, wise king of Denmark. He was a great athlete, an expert horseman and a marvellous general. At the beginning of his reign, he led a war against the barbarians who were threatening to take over the civilised world. King Canute and his army defeated them. He loved the Catholic faith so much that he introduced it to people who had never heard of Christianity. st cunute svendsson kng of denmark

St Canute knelt in Church at the foot of the altar and offered his crown to the King of kings, Jesus. King Canute was very charitable and gentle with his people. He tried to help them with their problems. Most of all, he wanted to help them be true followers of Christ.

However, a rebellion broke out in his kingdom because of the laws he had made about supporting the Church. On 10 July 1086, Canute and his men took refuge inside the wooden St Alban’s Priory in Odense. While his enemies were still outside, King Canute received the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. He felt compassion for those who were upset enough to kill him. With all his heart he forgave his enemies. The rebels stormed into the Church and slew Canute, along with his brother Benedict and seventeen of their followers, before the altar. According to chronicler Ælnoth of Canterbury, Canute died following a lance thrust in the side.

697px-christian-albrecht-von-benzon_the_death_of_canute_the_holy — Martyrdom of Canute the Holy by Christian Albrecht von Benzon, 1843

He was succeeded by Olaf as Olaf I of Denmark.

The story of King Canute and the tide illustrates the piety or humility of King Canute the Great, recorded in the 12th century by Henry of Huntingdon.

In the story, Canute demonstrates to his flattering courtiers that he has no control over the elements (the incoming tide), explaining that secular power is vain compared to the supreme power of God. The episode is frequently alluded to in contexts where the futility of “trying to stop the tide” of an inexorable event is pointed out but usually misrepresenting Canute as believing he had supernatural powers, when Huntingdon’s story in fact relates the opposite.

In Huntingdon’s account, Canute set his throne by the sea shore and commanded the incoming tide to halt and not wet his feet and robes. Yet “continuing to rise as usual [the tide] dashed over his feet and legs without respect to his royal person. Then the king leapt backwards, saying: ‘Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings, for there is none worthy of the name but He whom heaven, earth and sea obey by eternal laws.'” He then hung his gold crown on a Crucifix and never wore it again “to the honour of God the almighty King.”

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Because of his Martyrdom and advocacy of the Church, Canute quickly began to be considered a saint. Under the reign of Olaf, Denmark suffered from crop failure, which was seen as divine retribution for the sacrilege killing of Canute. Miracles were soon reported as taking place at his grave and his Canonisation was already being sought during the reign of Olaf. On 19 April 1101, persuaded by the envoys from Eric III of Denmark, Pope Paschal II confirmed the “cult of Canute” that had arisen and King Canute IV was Canonised as a Saint under the name San Canuto. He was the first Dane to be Canonised.

In 1300, his remains and those of his brother Benedict were interred in Saint Canute’s Cathedral, built in his honour, where his bones are on display. st canute's bones

img-Saint-Canute-Lavard-1 sml

MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 10 July

Posted on July 10, 2020July 9, 2020 by AnaStpaul

St Amalberga of Mauberge (Died 690)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/07/10/saint-of-the-day-10-july-st-amalberge-of-mauberg/

St Anatolia & Victoria (Died 250) Martyrs
Their Story:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/07/10/saints-of-the-day-st-anatolia-victoria-died-250-martyrs-sisters-who-gave-their-lives-for-christ/

St Antôn Nguyen Huu Quynh
St Apollonius of Sardis
Bl Arnold of Camerino
St Bianor of Pisidia
St Canute IV of King of Denmark (c 1042-1086) Martyr
St Cuán of Airbhre
St Elilantus
St Etto
Bl Euménios
St Lantfrid
Bl Marie-Gertrude de Ripert d’Alauzier
Bl Parthenios
St Pascharius of Nantes
St Peter Vincioli
St Phêrô Nguyen Khac Tu
St Rufina of Rome
St Secunda of Rome
Seven Holy Brothers and their mother, St Felicitas (Died c 165) Martyrs
Their Story:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/07/10/saints-of-the-day-st-felicitas-c-101-c-165-and-her-seven-holy-sons-died-c-165-martyrs/
St Sylvanus of Pisidia
Bl Sylvie-Agnès de Romillon
St Waltram
—
Martyrs of Africa – 4 saints: A group of Christians martyred together in Africa. The only information that has survived are four of their names – Felix, Januarius, Marinus and Nabor.

Martyrs of Antioch – 10 saints: A group of ten Christians martyred together. We have no details about them but the names – Diogenes, Domnina, Esicius, Macarius, Maxima, Maximus, Rodigus, Timoteus, Veronia and Zacheus. They were martyred in Antioch, date unknown.

Martyrs of Damascus – 11 beati: A group of Franciscans and laymen ordered by Druz Muslims to convert to Islam. They refused and were hacked to pieces.
• ‘Abd Al-Mu’ti Masabki
• Carmelo Bolta Bañuls
• Engelbert Kolland
• Francisco Pinazo Peñalver
• Fransis Masabki
• Juan Jacobo Fernández y Fernández
• Manuel Ruiz López
• Nicanor Ascanio de Soria
• Nicolás María Alberca Torres
• Pedro Soler Méndez
• Rufayil Masabki
They were cut to pieces on 9-10 July 1860 in Damascus, Syria.
Beatified on 10 October 1926 by Pope Pius XI.

Martyrs of Nicopolis – 45 saints: A group of 45 Christians tortured and martyred together in the persecutions of emperor Licinius. We know nothing else but six of their names – Anicetus, Anthony, Daniel, Leontius, Mauritius and Sisinno. c 329 in Nicopolis, Armenia (modern Koyulhisar, Turkey).

Martyrs of Nitria – 5 saints: Fathers of Nitria – Four monks and the bishop of Alexandria, Egypt who were martyred by heretics. Saint John Chrysostom wrote about them but their names have not come down to us. They were martyred in the 4th century in Nitria, Egypt.

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Vanity

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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“Sheep Amidst the Wolves”

Leviticus 19:17-18

Matthew 5:44

2 Corinthians 8-10

St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor of the Church

St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor

St Caesarius of Arles (470-543)

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303-1373)

St Paul Miki SJ (1564-1597) Martyr

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

St Pius X (1835-1914)

Bl Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925) “Man of the Beatitudes”

Bl Leonid Feodorov (1879-1935) Martyr

Blessed Franz Jägerstätter (1907-1943) Martyr of Conscientious Objection

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St Ambrose (340-397)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Bl Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925)
“Man of the Beatitudes”

Blessed Franz Jägerstätter (1907-1943)
Martyr of Conscientious Objection