Day: March 9, 2021

Posted in "Follow Me", DIVINE MERCY, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on MERCY, The BEATITUDES, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 9 March – Blessed are the Merciful – Matthew 18:21-35

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 9 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Blessed are the Merciful

If we want God to show mercy to us, we must be merciful to those who are in material or spiritual distress.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7)

Let us recall the Gospel parable about the king who was making out the accounts of all his servants.
One man was brought before him who owed him the enormous sum of ten thousand talents.
He had no means of paying the debt.
In order to obtain at least some compensation, the king ordered that this servant should be sold, together with his wife and children.
But the servant wept and implored, so that the king was moved with pity and pardoned him completely.
When the servant had left the king’s presence, he met a fellow servant who owed him a small sum, namely, one hundred pieces of silver.
He threw himself angrily upon him immediately.
The unfortunate fellow began begging for mercy with tears in his eyes but, it was no use.
He was flung into prison and condemned to forced labour until such time as the debt would be paid.
Soon afterwards, the king came to hear of this incident.
He was furious with the cruel servant and ordered him to be put in prison and severely punished (Mt 18:23-25).

This parable refers to all of us.
What debts we have contracted before God!
Nevertheless, He is prepared to forgive us everything, provided that we are also merciful towards our fellowmen.
This should be a comforting assurance.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Advertisement
Posted in "Follow Me", DIVINE MERCY, LENT 2021, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on MERCY, The WORD, THOMAS a KEMPIS

Day Twenty-one of our Lenten Journey – 9 March – Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Matthew 18:21

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Day Twenty-one of our Lenten Journey – 9 March – The Third Sunday of Lent, Readings: Daniel 3:25, 34-43, Psalms 25:4-5, 6 and 7, 8 and 9, Matthew 18:21-35

Imitating Christ with Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

In You is the source of life
and in Your Light Lord, we see light
Psalm 35(36)

“Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” – Matthew 18:21

CHRIST: MY CHILD, stand firm and trust in Me. For what are words but words? They fly through the air but hurt not a stone.
If you are guilty, consider how you would gladly amend and repair the damage you have caused.
If you are not conscious of any fault, think that you wish to bear this for the sake of God. It is little enough for you occasionally to endure words, since you are not yet strong enough to bear hard blows.

And why do such small matters pierce you to the heart, unless because you are still carnal and pay more heed to men than you ought? You do not wish to be reproved for your faults and you seek shelter in excuses because you are afraid of being despised.
But look into yourself more thoroughly and you will learn that the world is still alive in you, in a vain desire to please men.
For when you shrink from being abased and confounded for your failings, it is plain indeed that you are not truly humble or truly dead to the world, and that the world is not crucified in you.

Listen to My word and you will not value ten thousand words of men. Behold, if every malicious thing that could possibly be invented were uttered against you, what harm could it do if you ignored it all and gave it no more thought than you would a blade of grass?
Could it so much as pluck one hair from your head?

He who does not keep his heart within him and who does not have God before his eyes, is easily moved by a word of disparagement.
He who trusts in Me, on the other hand and who has no desire to stand by his own judgement, will be free from the fear of men.
For I am the judge and discerner of all secrets.
I know how all things happen. I know who causes injury and who suffers it. From Me that word proceeded and with My permission it happened, that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed.
I shall judge the guilty and the innocent but I have wished beforehand to try them both by secret judgement.

The testimony of man is often deceiving but My judgement is true — it will stand and not be overthrown. It is hidden from many and made known to but a few. Yet it is never mistaken and cannot be mistaken even though it does not seem right in the eyes of the unwise.

To Me, therefore, you ought to come in every decision, not depending on your own judgement.
For the just man will not be disturbed, no matter what may befall him from God. Even if an unjust charge be made against him he will not be much troubled. Neither will he exult vainly, if through others, he is justly acquitted.
He considers that it is I Who search the hearts and inmost thoughts of men, that I do not judge according to the face of things or human appearances.
For what the judgement of men considers praiseworthy, is often worthy of blame in My sight.

DISCIPLE: O Lord God, just Judge, strong and patient, You Who know the weakness and depravity of men, be my strength and all my confidence, for my own conscience is not sufficient for me.
You know what I do not know and, therefore, I ought to humble myself whenever I am accused and bear it meekly, forgiving them who utter such.

Forgive me, then, in Your mercy for my every failure in this regard and give me once more, the grace of greater endurance.
Better to me is Your abundant mercy in obtaining pardon, than the justice which I imagine in defending the secrets of my conscience.
And though, I am not conscious to myself of any fault, yet I cannot thereby justify myself because without Your mercy, no man living will be justified in Your sight.
(Book 3 Ch 46)

Posted in QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SCANDAL, The LORD'S PRAYER, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 9 March – Forgive

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 9 March – Tuesday of the Third week of Lent, Readings: Daniel 3:25, 34-43, Psalms 25:4-5, 6 and 7, 8 and 9, Matthew 18:21-35

“Then Peter came up and said to him,
“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me
and I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus said to him,
“I do not say to you seven times
but seventy times seven.”

Matthew 18:21-22

“Forgive and you will be forgiven.”

Luke 6:37

“There are three things, my brethren,
by which faith stands firm,
devotion remains constant
and virtue endures.
They are prayer, fasting and mercy.
Prayer knocks at the door,
fasting obtains,
mercy receives.
Prayer, mercy and fasting,
these three are one
and they give life to each other.”

St Peter Chrysologus (400-450)
Bishop of Ravenna, Father & Doctor of the Church

“To the extent that you pray, with all your soul,
for the person who slanders you,
God will make the truth known
to those who have been scandalised
by the slander.”

St Maximus the Confessor (c 580–662)

“If a man finds it very difficult to forgive injuries,
let him look at a Crucifix
and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him
and not only forgave His enemies
but, even prayed His Heavenly Father,
to forgive them also.
Let him remember,
that when he says the Pater Noster, everyday,
instead of asking pardon for his sins,
he is calling down VENGEANCE UPON HIMSELF!”

St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

Posted in DIVINE MERCY, FATHERS of the Church, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on MERCY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 March – ‘A poor man is begging from you and you are begging from God …’ Matthew 18:21-35

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 9 March – Tuesday of the Third week of Lent, Readings: Daniel 3:25, 34-43, Psalms 25:4-5, 6 and 7, 8 and 9, Matthew 18:21-35 and the Memorial of St Frances of Rome (1384-1440)

“Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?” …Matthew 18:33

REFLECTION – “What is human mercy like? It makes you concerned for the hardship of the poor. What is divine mercy like? It forgives sinners…
In this world God is cold and hungry in all the poor, as He Himself said (Mt 25:40)… What sort of people are we? When God gives, we want to receive, when He asks, we refuse to give? When a poor man is hungry, Christ is in need, as He said Himself: “I was hungry and you gave me no food” (v. 42). Take care not to despise the hardship of the poor, if you would hope, without fear, to have your sins forgiven…
What He receives on earth He returns in heaven.
I put you this question, dearly beloved – what is it you want, what is it you are looking for, when you come to Church? What indeed if not mercy? Show mercy on earth and you will receive mercy in heaven. A poor man is begging from you and you are begging from God, he asks for a scrap, you ask for eternal life… And so, when you come to Church, give whatever alms you can to the poo,r in accordance with your means.” – St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Sermon 25

PRAYER – Infinite Lord, help me to serve You always in accord with Your holy will. Show us how to make You our Lord and our All. St Frances of Rome, you showed us all the way of holiness within the confines of our lives, always seeking to do the will of God and serve all His children, most especially those in need but remaining always true to the vows of your marriage. Please pray for us all, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, The HEART

Our Morning Offering – 9 March – For the Sake of Your Only Son By St Augustine

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 9 March – Tuesday of the Third week of Lent

Hear us, O Heavenly Father,
For the Sake of Your Only Son
By St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Almighty Father, come into our hearts
and so fill us with Your love
that forsaking all evil desires,
we may embrace You, our only good.
Show us, O Lord our God, what You are to us.
Say to our souls, I am your salvation,
speak so, that we may hear.
Our hearts are before You,
open our ears,
let us hasten after Your Voice.
Hide not Your Face from us,
we beseech You, O Lord.
Open our hearts, so that You may enter in.
Repair the ruined mansions,
that You may dwell therein.
Hear us, O Heavenly Father,
for the sake of Your only Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 9 March – Saint Bosa of York OSB (Died c 705) Bishop

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 9 March – Saint Bosa of York OSB (Died c 705) Fourth Bishop of York, Benedictine Monk, ecclesiastical reformer St Bosa was highly regarded by the Venerable St Bede who praised his humility and sanctity.

A window in York Minster showing various Bishops, one of whom is St Bosa.

Nothing is known of the birth or early life of Bosa. Bosa was a Northumbrian, educated at Whitby Abbey under the Abbess St Hilda. He subsequently joined the Monastery as a Monk and became one of five men educated at Whitby who went on to become Bishops. The other four were Oftfor, Ætla, St John of Beverley, and St Wilfrid II.

In 678, after Wilfrid was removed from the Bishopric of York and banished from Northumbria, the Diocese of York was divided into three. Bosa was appointed to the now greatly reduced Diocese of York, which included the sub-kingdom of Deira, thanks to the support of King Ecgfrith of Northumbria and St Theodore of Tarsus, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Bosa was Consecrated in his Cathedral at York in 678 by Theodore but Wilfrid declared that he was unable to work with Bosa because he did not consider him to be a member of the Catholic Church. Bosa’s episcopate lasted nine years but with Wilfrid back in favour, in 687, Bosa was removed just as his predecessor had been. He returned to York in 691, after Wilfrid was once again expelled. While Bishop, Bosa introduced a communal life for the clergy of the Cathedral and set up a continuous liturgy in the Cathedral.

York Minster

The date of Bosa’s death is unknown; he was still alive in 704 but must have died before 706, when his successor was named. His successor at York was St John of Beverley, the Bishop of Hexham. A contemporary writer, the Venerable St Bede, praised Bosa as a man of “singular merit and sanctity.” St Bede also praised Bosa’s humility. Bosa was also responsible for the early education of St Acca, later Bishop of Hexham, who grew up in his household.

Bosa appears as a saint in an 8th-century liturgical calendar of York, the only sign that he was venerated as a saint before the Norman Conquest of England. The 16th-century English antiquary John Leland included Bosa in his list of saint’s resting places in England, giving it as York.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Notre-Dame de Savigny / Our Lady of Savigny, France (1112) and Memorials of the Saints – 9 March

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Notre-Dame de Savigny / Our Lady of Savigny, France (1112) – 9 March:

The Abbot Orsini wrote: “Foundation of Savigny, in the Diocese of Avranches, in Normandy, in honour of the Blessed Virgin, about the year 1112, by the blessed Vitalis, hermit, who was its first Abbot.”
About the year 1112, in the Diocese of Avranches, the Blessed Vitalis (Vital de Mortain) established the foundation of the Abbey of Savigny (Abbaye de Savigny) in honour of the Blessed Mother. This day commemorates the event.
The Abbey was founded near the village of Savigny-le-Vieux in the north of France and Blessed Vitalis became the first Abbot. It was initially Benedictine but soon was given over to Cistercian Monks. Within only thirty years it had over thirty daughter houses.
Initially, Vitalis had gone into the forest of Savigny to become a hermit. His fame for sanctity, however, drew disciples to him. These disciples needed shelter from the elements and soon Vitalis found those crude structures had become a kind of Monastery requiring a rule of life. When the Lord of Fougeres granted the land to Vital, the Monastery was founded, and the hermit became the reluctant Abbot. In 1119 Pope Celestine II took the Abbey under his protection.
Serlo, also known as Serlon, was the third Abbot of Savigny. During his period of office, one of the monks was known to have a deep and tender devotion to the Blessed Mother and while he was saying Mass in honour of Our Lady, he beheld the Virgin’s hand making the Sign of the Cross over the Chalice at the consecration of the wine. At the same time, a deliciously sweet odour surrounded the Monk. Thereafter, as often as he recalled this, he was refreshed by the sweetness of the scent which had encompassed him at the time.
Mary’s presence was frequently experienced at this Shrine, particularly during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and numerous miracles were wrought, prayers answered and graces bestowed for the asking.
During the 16th century the Abbey was pillaged and burned by Calvinists but it was not until the French Revolution that the Abbey was reduced to a pile of ruins.

Unlike the Abbey, the Church Our Lady of Savigny, still stands. According to an inscription on one of the capitals in the choir, the Church was dedicated to our Lady in 1128 and it is believed, that there is no Church in the district, that is older. It was restored in the year 1869 and serves the surrounding areas to this day..

__
St Frances of Rome Obl.S.B. (1384-1440) (Optional Memorial)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/03/09/saint-of-the-day-9-march-st-frances-of-rome/

St Antony of Froidemont
St Bosa of York OSB (Died c 705) Bishop

St Candidus
St Catherine of Bologna OSC (1413-1463)
St Catherine’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/03/09/saint-of-the-day-9-march-st-catherine-of-bologna-osc-1413-1463/

St Constantine of Cornwall
St Cyrion
St Mary of Seyne
St Pacian of Barcelona (c 310–391)
St Pacian’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/09/saint-of-the-day-9-march-saint-pacian-of-barcelona-c-310-391-bishop-and-father-of-the-church/
—
Martyrs of Korea: – Ioannes Baptista Chon Chang-un, Petrus Ch’oe Hyong