Posted in JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, NOVENA, NOVENAS

DAY NINE – 30 June – NOVENA of DEVOTION to the PRECIOUS BLOOD of JESUS

DAY NINE – NOVENA of DEVOTION to the PRECIOUS BLOOD of JESUS

Opening Prayer for each Day:

Grant me the grace to know You, to love You
and to be truly sorry that I have offended You.
I ask this grace by Your Precious Blood –
By that Precious Blood, which bathed Your Sacred Body
and trickled down to the ground in the Garden of Olives.
By that Precious Blood, which poured forth
from Your Sacred Body during the scourging.
By that Precious Blood, which which covered
Your Sacred Face when You were crowned with thorns.
By that Precious Blood, which burst
from Your hands and feet on Calvary.
By that Precious Blood, which came forth from Your Sacred Heart
after Your death.
By that Precious Blood, which we drink
in Holy Communion and of which You said:
“He who feeds on My Flesh
and drinks My Blood has life eternal.”
Amen.

Day Nine : Blood of the New and Eternal Covenant,
Blood of Eucharist

Final prayer: :

Eternal Father,
we offer You the Precious Blood of Jesus,
poured out on the Cross
and offered daily on the Altar.
Father, for Your glory and our salvation,
You appointed Jesus Christ
eternal High Priest.
May the people He gained for You
by His Blood, come to share
in the power of His Cross and Resurrection.
Grant that all Priests be faithful in their ministry
to You and to Your people.
We ask this, through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Our Father …
Glory be …

V. Praise and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus.
R. Who with His Blood has saved us.
V. Glory to the Blood of Jesus!
R. Now and forever. Amen

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Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS

Thought for the Day – 30 June – Devotion to the Sacred Heart

Thought for the Day – 30 June – “The Last Day of Month of the Sacred Heart” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Devotion to the Sacred Heart

“We should have a very high regard for devotion to the Sacred Heart.
We should excite in our hearts, acts of love, which will compensate, in some way, for the infinite love which Jesus has for us.

Finally, we should try and make our lives correspond with our love by emulating, as far as possible, the holy and immaculate life of Jesus Christ. It is not a waste of time to constantly think to ourselves, “What would Jesus do in this situation?”

Ejaculation: May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere, known and loved! Amen”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/01/thought-for-the-day-1-june-devotion-to-the-sacred-heart/

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SACRED HEART QUOTES

Quote/s of the Day – 30 June – “… Dwell in the Heart of Jesus!…”

Quote/s of the Day – 30 June – “The last day of the Month of the Sacred Heart”

“ For where thy treasure is,
there is thy heart also.”

Matthew 6:21

“We, Christians,
are the true Israel which springs from Christ,
for we are carved out of His Heart,
as from a Rock!”

St Justin Martyr (100-165)
Father of the Church and Martyr

“How good and pleasant it is
to dwell in the Heart of Jesus!
Who is there who does not love a heart so wounded?
Who can refuse a return of love
to a Heart so loving?
Amen.”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor

“By giving yourself to God,
you not only receive Himself in exchange
but, eternal life as well!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“Where is the heart that loves?
On the thing it loves.
Therefore, where our love is,
there our heart is held captive.
It cannot leave it;
it cannot be lifted higher,
it cannot go either to the right or the left;
see, it is fixed.
Where the miser’s treasure is,
there is his heart
and where our heart is,
there is our treasure.”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

“The well-being of souls is only in Christ.
Therefore, let the love of Jesus
be our perfection and our profession,
let us light our hearts
from the eternal flames of love
that radiate from the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

Bl Paolo Manna PIME (1872-1952)

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, The WORD, THOMAS a KEMPIS

One Minute Reflection – 30 June – “They besought him, that he would depart from their coasts.” – Matthew 8:32,34

One Minute Reflection – 30 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Readings: Genesis 21: 5, 8-20a, Psalms 34: 7-8, 10-11, 12-13, Matthew 8: 28-34 and the Commermoration of St Paul

“And he said to them: Go. But they going out went into the swine and behold, the whole herd ran violently down a steep place, into the sea and they perished in the waters. And behold the whole city went out to meet Jesus and when they saw him, they besought him, that he would depart from their coasts.” – Matthew 8:32,34

REFLECTION – “LORD, what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You visit him? What has man deserved that You should give him Your grace? What cause have I, Lord, to complain, if You desert me, or what objection can I have, if You do not do what I ask? This I may think and say in all truth: “Lord, I am nothing, of myself I have nothing that is good; I am lacking in all things and I am ever tending toward nothing. And unless I have Your help and am inwardly strengthened by You, I become quite lukewarm and lax.”

But You, Lord, are always the same. You remain forever, always good, just and holy, doing all things rightly, justly and holily, disposing them wisely. I, however, who am more ready to go backward than forward, do not remain always in one state, for I change with the seasons. Yet my condition quickly improves when it pleases You and when You reach forth Your helping hand. For You alone, without human aid, can help me and strengthen me so greatly that my heart shall no more change but be converted and rest solely in You. Hence, if I knew well how to cast aside all earthly consolation, either to attain devotion or because of the necessity which, in the absence of human solace, compels me to seek You alone, then I could deservedly hope for Your grace and rejoice in the gift of new consolation.

Thanks be to You from Whom all things come, whenever it is well with me. In Your sight I am vanity and nothingness, a weak, unstable man. In what, therefore, can I glory and how can I wish to be highly regarded? Is it because I am nothing? This, too, is utterly vain. Indeed, the greatest vanity is the evil plague of empty self-glory because it draws one away from true glory and robs one of heavenly grace. For when a man is pleased with himself he displeases You, when he pants after human praise, he is deprived of true virtue. But it is true glory and holy exultation to glory in You and not in self, to rejoice in Your name rather than in one’s own virtue and not to delight in any creature except for Your sake.

Let Your Name, not mine, be praised. Let Your work, not mine, be magnified. Let Your Holy Name be blessed but let no human praise be given to me. You are my glory. You are the joy of my heart. In You I will glory and rejoice all the day and for myself I will glory in nothing but my infirmities. … ” – Thomas `a Kempis CRSA (1380-1471) – The Imitation of Christ – Book 3 Chapter 40 –Man Has No Good In Himself And Can Glory In Nothing

PRAYER – All-powerful God, to serve You is to reign. Your love gave Your Saint Paul the courage to proclaim the truth of Christ and to preach and live in the light of the Kingdom. Grant that by the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Paul, our lives may bear witness to the faith we profess and our love bring others, to the peace and joy of Your gospel. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, INDULGENCES, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS

Our Morning Offering – 30 June – Sacred Heart Indulgenced Ejaculations – O DIVINE Heart of JESUS

Our Morning Offering – 30 June – “The last day of the Month of the Sacred Heart” – Sacred Heart Indulgenced Ejaculations

Today as we officially close the Month of the Sacred Heart, let us take with us these Ejaculations (AND, at the same time, earn Indulgences for our sins). Ejaculations (or aspirations) are simply short prayers, “short, ardent movements of the heart,” which can be recited with one’s lips or prayed in one’s heart. St Francis de Sales says that “the great fabric of devotion leans upon this exercise.”

I have posted each below for all this Month of June, except where a Solemnity or Feast was celebrated. The images are below in a slideshow.

All praise, honour and glory to the Divine Heart of JESUS. (This Ejaculation is Indulgenced – 50 Days, Once a Day. This Ejaculation is Indulgenced – 50 Days, once a day. (See Instructions: – Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901).

HEART of JESUS burning with love of us, inflame our hearts with love of Thee. – 100 Days, Once a Day. (See Instructions. – Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “Once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) 169 Raccolta or Collection of Indulgences, 1910] Pope Leo XIII, 16 July 1893.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.” – 300 Days, EVERYTIME. (Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) St Pope Pius X, 15 September 1905.

Heart of Jesus, be my love. 300 days ONCE A DAY – Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) Pope Leo XIII 21 May 1892.

Sweet Heart of my JESUS, make me love Thee ever more and more! 300 Days Once a Day. ii. Plenary, Once a month. Raccolta – 162. Blessed Pope Pius IX, 26 November 1876.

MAY the HEART of JESUS be loved everywhere. 100 Days, Indulgence Once a day – Bl Pope Pius IX 23 September 1860.

SACRED Heart of JESUS, I trust in Thee. 300 Days Indulgence Once a Day – Plenary, Once a month. Raccolta 175 – St Pius X, 19 August 1905; 27 June 1906.

MAY the Heart of JESUS in the most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the Tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen. Indulgence 100 Days, Once a day. Raccolta 161 Blessed Pius IX, 29 February 1868.

OUR Lady of the Sacred Heart, pray for us! Indulgence 100 Days. Raccolta 174 St Pius X, 9 July 1904.

SACRED Heart of JESUS, Thy Kingdom come! – Indulgence 300 Days – Every time – Raccolta 179 St Pius X, 6 November 1906.

DIVINE Heart of JESUS, convert sinners, save the dying, set free the holy souls in Purgatory. Indulgence 300 Days Everytime – St Pius X, 11 September, 1907

EUCHARISTIC Heart of JESUS, model of the priestly heart, have mercy on us.
COR JESU Eucharisticum, cordis sacerdotalis exemplar, miserere nobis. – Indulgence 300 Days, Everytime – Raccolta 177St Pius X, 11 September 1907
20 June

O HEART of love, I place all my trust in Thee; for though I fear all things from my weakness, I hope all things from Thy mercies. – Ejaculation of Saint Margaret Mary – Indulgence 300 Days, Everytime – Raccolta 180 St Pius X, 3 June 1908.

MAY the Heart of JESUS in the most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the Tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. – Indulgence 100 Days, Once a Day. Raccolta 161 Blessed Pius IX, 29 February 1868.

And this Indulgenced Prayer to round it off.

O DIVINE Heart of JESUS
Pope Leo XIII

Indulgence 100 Days, Once a day
Raccolta 167
13 March 1901.

O DIVINE Heart of JESUS,
grant, we beseech Thee,
eternal rest to the souls in purgatory,
the final grace to those who shall die today,
true repentance to sinners,
the light of the faith to pagans
and Thy Blessing to me and mine.
To Thee, O most compassionate Heart of JESUS!
I commend all these souls
and I offer to Thee, on their behalf,
all Thy merits,
together with the merits
of Thy most Holy Mother
and of all the Saints, Angels
and all the Sacrifices of the Holy Mass,
Communions, prayers and good works,
which shall be accomplished today,
throughout the Christian world.
Amen

Posted in MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 30 June – St Donatus of Münstereifel (c 140-c 180) Martyr

Saint of the Day – 30 June – St Donatus of Münstereifel (c 140-c 180) Martyr, Roman Soldier , Confessor.. miracle-worker. Born in c 140 in Rome, Italy and died in c 180 in modern Hungary. He was buried by his mother in the Saint Agnes Catacomb outside Rome. Patronages – against lightning, against storms, against fire, bakers, wine makers, Buda, Hungary, Saint Donatus, Iowa (named in his honour by Luxembourgish immigrants). Additional Memorials – 2nd Sunday in May (Euskirchen, Germany during which a fair is held), 2nd Sunday in July (Archdiocese of Cologne, Germany during which a pilgrimage to his relics is held), 7 August (Balaton wine region in Hungary during which his intercession is asked for the wine harvest). Also known as – Donato.

Saint Donatus was a 2nd-century Roman soldier and Martyr. His parents were named Faustus and Flaminia. When Faustus was deathly ill, his wife Flaminia sought the intercession of Saint Gervasius, who assured her that her husband would recover and beget a son . This came to pass and Flaminia named the boy Donatus, which means “gift.” She educated him in the Christian faith. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the famed 12th Legion “Fulminatrix”, i.e., the “Thundering Legion.”. He rapidly rose through the ranks and soon became a personal bodyguard to the Emperor, Marcus Aurelius.

In the year 173, the 12th Legion was engaged in the Marcomannic Wars in Moravia along the Danube frontier. According to the contemporary writer Dio Cassius, part of the legion was surrounded and nearly overwhelmed when it was miraculously saved by a divine thunderstorm. Cassius attributed the thunderstorm to the invocation of Mercurius by Aurelius’ Egyptian sorcerer, Arnuphis but Tertullian and other Christian writers, ascribed the miracle to the prayers of the many Christians in that Legion. Later legend credited Donatus as the leader of the Christians’ prayers. After the miracle, Donatus gave thanks to God and he was Martyred by the Emperor.

He was buried by his mother in the Catacombs of Saint Agnes. Over the centuries, access to the Catacombs was lost. In 1646, the Catacombs were re-opened and the relics of Donatus and many other Saints were re-discovered. Pope Innocent X bequeathed Donatus’s relics to the Jesuit Church in Muenster Eifel and they were carried in procession from Rome to the Rhineland. On 30 June 1652 the relics were at St Martin’s Church in Euskirchen. as a Jesuit priest, Fr Heerde, was saying Mass in the morning, at the conclusion of Benediction, lightning struck the Church and set the Altar and the Priest on fire. He immediately invoked the aid of Saint Donatus and was miraculously restored unharmed. This miracle spread the fame of the Roman Martyr throughout the region.

Saint Donatus is a Patron against lightning strikes. His cultus is closely linked to that of Saint Florian, who is the protector against May frost. The two together are often invoked to protect the wine harvest, particularly in Hungary. Although he is not in the Roman Martyrology, he shares an additional feast day with his namesake, Saint Donatus of Arezzo, on 7 August. He is also commonly venerated today, the anniversary of his miracle in Euskirchen. There is an annual fair in his honour in Euskirchen on the 2nd Sunday of May. The Archdiocese of Cologne sponsors an annual pilgrimage to Bad Muenstereifel on the 2nd Sunday of July. In Hungary, where he has a widespread cult in the Balaton wine region, his protection for the vintage is asked on7 August He is depicted in art wearing Roman armor, and armed with a thunderbolt.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY, St PAUL!, YouTube VIDEOS

Commemoration of St Paul. Apostle and Martyr, Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours / Our Lady of Good Help, Montréal, Québec, Canada (1672) and Memorials of the Saints – 30 June

Commemoration of St Paul. Apostle and Martyr

Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours / Our Lady of Good Help, Montréal, Québec, Canada (1672) – 30 June:

Dedicated to Our Lady of Good Help, Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, has been for 350 years the Sanctuary for seamen leaving Montreal for the seven seas. A wooden Chapel was built in 1657, replaced in 1675 by a building whose foundations serve the present Church which was erected in 1771.

Over the entrance is an inscribed message: “If the love of Mary is graven in your heart, forget not a prayer in passing.”

Our Lady of Good Help is a beautiful little Church, with fine paintings. On the walls are mosaics of St Marguerite Bourgeoys, who inspired the first Chapel and of Maisonneuve, Founder of Montreal, said to have felled the first oak for the Chapel.
A narrow stairway, lined with pilgrims’ acknowledgments, leads to an aerial Chapel set in the roof. Here is a facsimile of the Santa Casa, the house of the Virgin carried by angels from Nazareth to Loreto.
Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys was the Founder of the Congregation of Notre Dame. When she returned from France in 1673 she brought back with her a wooden statue of Our Lady of Good Help. It can still be seen in the reliquary on the gospel side of the altar, for when the Church burned in 1754, the statue was saved from the fire. This is not to say that someone took the statue from the Church, for after the fire had ravaged the original Chapel, the statue was found uninjured among the smouldering embers that remained.
The mortal remains of Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys were interred in the Sanctuary of the Church in the year 2005, the 350th anniversary of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours. She rests now at the feet of the statue she herself had brought from France.

In 1849 the Bishop of Montreal placed a statue of the Blessed Virgin, Star of the Sea, atop the tower facing the harbour. For this reason, the Chapel is also known as the Sailor’s Church. There are votive offerings, carved ships, models of sailing ships suspended from the vault of the Chapel in thanksgiving to the Blessed Virgin for her assistance in their safe return from the sea.

First Holy Martyrs of the Church of Rome (Optional Memorial) Christians Martyred in the City of Rome during Nero’s persecution in 64.
About:

https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/30/saints-of-the-day-30-june-the-first-martyrs-of-the-church-of-rome/

St Adolphus of Osnabrück
St Alpinian of Limoges
St Alrick the Hermit
Bl Ambrose de Feis
Bl Anthony de Tremoulières
Bl Arnulf of Villers
St Austriclinian of Limoges
St Basilides of Alexandria
St Bertrand of Le Mans
St Clotsindis of Marchiennes
St Donatus of Münstereifel (c 140-c 180) Roman Soldier and Martyr
Bl Elisabeth Heimburg

St Emiliana of Rome
St Erentrude
St Eurgain
St Gaius

Blessed Gennaro Maria Sarnelli C.Ss.R. (1702–1743) Redemptorist Priest, Lawyer, Writer, Preacher, Apostle of the Charity, Social Reformer, he also initiated a fervent movement against the spread of prostitution.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/06/30/saint-of-the-day-30-june-blessed-gennaro-maria-sarnelli-c-ss-r-1702-1743/

Bl Jacob Clou
St Leo the Deacon
St Lucina of Rome
St Lucina of the Callistus Catacombs
St Marcian of Pampeluna
St Martial of Limoges
St Ostianus
St Otto of Bamberg
St Peter of Asti
St Petrus Li Quanhui

Blessed Philip Powell OSB (1594 – 1646) Priest and Martyr, Benedictine Monk.
His Life and Death:

https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/30/saint-of-the-day-30-june-blessed-philip-powell-osb-1594-1646-priest-martyr-benedictine-monk/

St Raimundus Li Quanzhen

Blessed Raymond Lull TOSF (c 1232 – c 1315) Martyr – known as “Doctor Illuminatus,” Raymond was a Philosopher, Logician, Writer, Poet, Pioneer in computation theory, Franciscan tertiary. Within the Franciscan Order he is honoured as a Martyr.
His Life:

https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/30/saint-of-the-day-30-june-blessed-raymond-lull-t-o-s-f-c-1232-c1315-martyr/

St Theobald of Provins
St Vihn Son Ðo Yen
Bl Zenon Kovalyk

Martyrs of Africa – 7 saints: Seven Christians martyred together. No detail about them have surived but the names – Cursicus, Gelatus, Italica, Leo, Timotheus, Zoilus, and Zoticus. Date and precise location in Africa unknown.

Posted in JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, NOVENA, NOVENAS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

DAY EIGHT – 29 June – NOVENA of DEVOTION to the PRECIOUS BLOOD of JESUS

DAY EIGHT – NOVENA of DEVOTION to the PRECIOUS BLOOD of JESUS

Opening Prayer for each Day:

Grant me the grace to know You, to love You
and to be truly sorry that I have offended You.
I ask this grace by Your Precious Blood –
By that Precious Blood, which bathed Your Sacred Body
and trickled down to the ground in the Garden of Olives.
By that Precious Blood, which poured forth
from Your Sacred Body during the scourging.
By that Precious Blood, which which covered
Your Sacred Face when You were crowned with thorns.
By that Precious Blood, which burst
from Your hands and feet on Calvary.
By that Precious Blood, which came forth from Your Sacred Heart
after Your death.
By that Precious Blood, which we drink
in Holy Communion and of which You said:
“He who feeds on My Flesh
and drinks My Blood has life eternal.”
Amen.

Day Eight : Jesus Sheds Blood in the Piercing of His Sacred Heart

Final prayer:

Eternal Father,
we offer You the Precious Blood of Jesus,
shed in the piercing of the Sacred Heart of Your Son.
Open our hearts to share His life
and continue to bless us with His love.
Help us renew and live our Baptismal promises.
Father of mercy, sanctify Your Church.
May the opening of the heart of Your Son
be an invitation to all the peoples of the world
to live in harmony, peace,and love
and to see the only way to eternal life
is through the Church,
given birth, by the Precious Blood of Christ.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Our Father …
Glory be …

V. Praise and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus.
R. Who with His Blood has saved us.
V. Glory to the Blood of Jesus!
R. Now and forever. Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Thought for the Day – 29 June – St Peter, Prince of the Apostles, St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles

Thought for the Day – 29 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

St Peter, Prince of the Apostles
St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles

“Jesus was walking one day along the shoe of the Sea of Galilee, when He saw two fishermen casting their nets into the water.
He approached them and said: “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mk 1:17).
These two fishermen were brothers named, Simon and Andrew.
The divine Master won their hearts immediately, so that they left their boat and their nets and followed Jesus.
Simon was later called Peter and became the leader of the Apostles.

Peter’s generosity and great love for Jesus are evident in the pages of the Gospel.
When Our Lord foretold the institution of the Blessed Eucharist, many of His disciples were scandalised and left Him.
“Do you also wish to go away?”   Jesus asked His Apostles.
St Peter answered Him without delay.   “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of everlasting life and we have come to believe and to know, that Thou are the Christ, the Son of God” (Jn 6:69).
On another occasion, Jesus asked His disciples – “Who do men say the Son of Man is?”   The Apostles hesitated and began to suggest the names of various Prophets.
But St Peter was inspired to make the reply: “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Then Our Lord appointed him Head of the Church.
“Blessed are thou, Simon Bar-Jona … thou are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell, shall not prevail against it. And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven” (Mt 16:15-19).
By these words there was instituted the loftiest and most ancient of the dynasties, the Papacy.
The successor of St Peter will rule the Church to the end of time and no power, neither persecution nor heresy, neither human tyranny nor false civilisation, will ever succeed in destroying this citadel of truth and goodness!”

St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles

“St Paul was by nature, fiery and zealous.
Once he discovered the truth, he was ready to die for it.
Originally he was convinced that Judaism contained the whole truth and, for this reason he hated the Christians, whom he regarded as a sect which had corrupted the sacred Hebrew tradition.
The deacon Stephen was the first victim of his persecuting zeal.
As he was being stoned and beaten to death this saintly young man prayed for his persecutors.
It may be that in this moment his eyes, shining with faith and love, encountered those of the man who hated him.
Soon afterwards, Saul (this was Paul’s real name), left Jerusalem for Damascus, carrying letters investing him with new powers for the persecution of the infant Church.
On the way, this headstrong but sincere enemy of Christianity was suddenly dazzled by a light from Heaven.
He fell to the ground and heard a mysterious voice saying:  “Saul, Saul, why do thou persecute me?”
Terrified he answered:  “Who are thou, Lord?”
“I am Jesus,” the voice said, “whom thou are persecuting” (Acts 9:1-15).
From that day, Saul was changed completely.
Under the influence of divine grace, he became the Apostle to the Gentiles.

Before he set out on his missionary journeys, Paul wet apart into the desert of Arabia (Cf Gal 1:17), where, he remained sometime in prayer and recollection.
Then he went to Jerusalem to pay homage to the Prince of the Apostles, St Peter (Gal 1:18).
After this, he began his apostolic travels, in the course of which, he encountered all kinds of hardships and dangers.
The Jews frequently hunted him, in order to put him to death.
He was often cruelly scourged and flung into prison and, several times, he was shipwrecked and had miraculous escapes from death (CF 2 Cor 11:23-27).
He bore everything joyfully however, in order to prove his liove for Jesus Christ.
Charity was always his main incentive.   “The love of Christ impels us” (2 Cor 5:14).
Charity, he said himself, “Believes all things, hopes all things,edues all things” (Cf 1 Cor 13:4-13).
His charity was so great, that he could truthfully say:  “Who is weak and I am not weak?   Who is made to stumble and I am not inflamed?” (2 Cor 11:29).

St Paul could make this claim because his heart had become identified with the Heart of Jesus.
Therefore, he could say:  “It is now no longer I that live but Christ lives in me,” (Gal 2:20) and:  “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain,” (Phil 1:21) and:  “I am hard pressed from both sides, desiring to depart and to be with Christ, a lot by far the better;  yet, to stay on in the flesh is necessary, for your sake” (Phil 1:23-24).

Let us meditate on this ardent love of God.
Let us cast aside our coldness and indifference and ask St Paul, to set us on fire with divine charity.”  Amen

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Quote/s of the Day – 29 June – Saints Peter and Paul

Quote/s of the Day – 29 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

“Look at the holy Apostles.
It was by sinful jealousy
that Peter was subjected to tribulation,
not once or twice but many times;
it was in that way, that he bore his witness
before leaving us for his well-earned place in glory.
And Paul, because of jealousy and contention,
has become the very type of endurance rewarded.
… In him we have one of the greatest
of all examples of endurance.
… [And] we too, are in the same arena
and have the same conflict before us.”

St Pope Clement I of Rome (c 35-99)

Letter to the Corinthians, 5-7

“Nothing escaped the wisdom and power of Christ,
the elements of nature lay at His service,
spirits obeyed Him, angels served Him.
… And yet, out of all the world,
Peter alone was chosen to stand at the head,
for the calling of all the peoples
and the oversight of all the apostles
and Fathers of the Church. .”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Peter and Paul are our teachers –
they learned the way of life fully
from the One Teacher of all
and continue to teach us today.”

St Bernard (1091-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

MANY MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/29/quote-s-of-the-day-29-june-peter-and-paul/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

One Minute Reflection – 29 June – ‘ … They are the two pillars who support the Church …’

One Minute Reflection – 29 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Readings: Acts 12:1-11, Psalm 34:2-9, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18, Matthew 16:13-19

Upon this rock I will build my church” – Matthew 16:18

REFLECTION – “Though the earth and all who dwell in it quake, I have set firm its pillars” (Ps 74[75],40). All the Apostles are pillars of the earth but, at their head, the two whose feast we are celebrating. They are the two pillars who support the Church with their teaching, their prayer and the example of their steadfastness. The Lord Himself strengthened these pillars. For at first they were weak, completely incapable of supporting either themselves or others. And in this, the Lord’s great design appears – if they had always been strong, people could have thought their strength came from themselves. That is why the Lord wanted to show, what they were capable of, before strengthening them, so that all might know their strength came from God… Peter was thrown to the ground by the voice of a mere servant… and the other pillar was very weak too: “I was once a blasphemer and persecutor and an arrogant man” (1Tm 1,13)…

Hence, we ought to praise these Saints with all our heart – our fathers who bore such trials for the Lord’s sake and who persevered with such determination. It is nothing to persevere in joy, happiness and peace. But this is what is great – to be stoned, scourged, struck for Christ (2Cor 11,25) and in all this, to persevere with Christ. With Paul it is a great thing to be cursed and to bless, to be persecuted and to endure, to be slandered and to console, to be like the world’s rubbish and to draw glory from it (1Cor 4,12-13)… And what shall we say of Peter? Even if he had undergone nothing for Christ, it would be sufficient to celebrate him today in that he was crucified for him… He well knew where, He Whom he loved, He whom he longed for was…: his cross has been his road to heaven.” – St Aelred of Rielvaux (1110-1167), Cistercian Monk – Sermon 18, for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul – PL 195, 298

PRAYER – Almighty ever-living God, You give us the great joy of devoting this day to the honour of the great Apostles Peter and Paul. Grant Your Church may follow their teachings fully because these are the men who first taught us to worship You in Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, MARTYRS, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, St PAUL!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Our Morning Offering – 29 June – St Ambrose’s Apostolorum Passio

Our Morning Offering – 29 June – The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

Apostolorum Passio
By St Ambrose (c 340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

This happy day is sanctified
As Martyr’s glory we recall,
The cross bedewed with Peter’s blood,
The sword that won a crown for Paul.

The triumph of their Martyrdom
United these great souls in death,
Whose faith in Christ had crowned their lives
In service to their latest breath.

Saint Peter held the primacy,
Saint Paul would equal him in grace,
When once, as chosen instrument
The cause of Christ, he would embrace

Once, Simon, leaving Rome, turned back
To give, by death, full praise to God,
That by the cross he too should tread
The self-same path his Master trod.

Now Rome exults, as well she may
And strives to give devotion’s due
To one who sealed with his own blood
His work as Priest and Shepherd true.

And who can count the crowds that come
As loving children to her gate,
Where nations’ teacher, holy Paul
Once dwelt and gladly met his fate.

Grant us, O Lord, the final grace
Of sharing in their joy above,
That with such Princes we may praise
Your bounty and undying love.
Amen

Translation: The Benedictines of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, SAINT of the DAY, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Apostles and Martyrs – 29 June

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Apostles and Martyrs – 29 June

After the great Solemnities of the movable cycle, and the Feast of St John the Baptist, none is more ancient, nor more universal in the Church, than that of the two Princes of the Apostles. From the beginning, Rome celebrated their triumph on the very day itself which saw them go up from earth to heaven, 29 June. Her practice prevailed, at a very early date, over the custom of several other countries, which put the Apostles’ feast towards the close of December. It was, no doubt, a fair thought which inspired the placing of these Fathers of the Christian people in the cortege of Emmanuel at His entry into this world. But, as we have already seen, today’s teachings have intrinsically an important preponderance in the economy of Christian dogma; – they are the completion of the whole Work of the Son of God – the cross of Peter fixes the Church in her stability and marks out for the Divine Spirit, the immutable centre of His operations. Rome, therefore, was well inspired when, leaving to the Beloved Disciple the honour of presiding over his brethren at the Crib of the Infant God, she maintained the solemn memory of the Princes of the Apostles upon the day chosen by God Himself to consummate their labours and to crown, at once, both their life and the whole cycle of mysteries.

Fully today, do the heavens declare the glory of God, as David expresses it, today do they show us the course of the Spouse completed on the eternal hills (Ps. xviii. 2-6). Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night revealeth the deep secret (Ibid. 3). From north and south of the new Sion, from either side of her stream, Peter and Paul waft one to other, as a farewell song, as a sacred Epithalamium, the good Word (Ps. xliv. 2); sublime that echo, sonorous its power, vocal still throughout the whole earth (Ibid. xviii. 4, 5), and yet, to resound as long as the world lasts. These two torches of salvation blend their flames above the palaces of ancient Rome; the passing darkness of their death, that night of which the Psalmist sings, now concentrates light, forever, in the midst of the Queen City. Beside the throne of the Bridegroom fixed forever and ever, on yonder seven hills (Ps. xliv. 7-10), the Gentile world, now become the Bride, is resplendent in glory (Eph. v. 27), all fair in that peerless purity which she derives from their blood united, as it is, to that of the Son of God.

But seemly is it, not to forget, on so great a day, those other messengers sent forth by the divine householder and who watered earth’s highways with their sweat and with their blood, the while they hastened the triumph and the gathering in of the guests invited to the Marriage feast (St.Matth. xxii. 8-10). To them is it due, if now the law of grace is definitively promulgated throughout all nations and if, in every language and upon every shore, the good tidings have been sounded (Ps. xviii. 4, 5). Thus the festival of St Peter, completed by the more special memory of St Paul his comrade in death, has been from earliest times regarded as the festival likewise of the whole Apostolic college. In those primitive times it seemed impossible to dream of separating from their glorious leader any of those whom Our Lord had so intimately joined together in the responsibility of one common work. But in course of time, however, particular solemnities were successively consecrated to each one of the Apostles and so, the feast of 29 June was more exclusively attributed to the two Princes whose Martyrdom rendered this day illustrious. (from the Liturgical Year, 1904).

the Virgin and Child with Saints Peter and Paul by Girolamo Figino
Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN TITLES

Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul Apostles and Martyrs, Notre-Dame de Buglose / Our Lady of Buglose, France (1634) and Memorials of the Saints – 29 June

Sts Peter and Paul Apostles (Solemnity)

https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/29/a-blessed-and-holy-solemnity-of-saints-peter-and-paul-the-pillars-of-the-church/
https://anastpaul.com/2019/06/29/solemnity-of-saints-peter-and-paul-29-june/
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/29/the-solemnity-of-saints-peter-and-paul-29-june/
https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/29/blessed-and-holy-solemnity-of-sts-peter-and-paul-29-june/

Notre-Dame de Buglose / Our Lady of Buglose, France (1634) – 29 June:

Located about two leagues from Acqe in Glascony is the Shrine containing a miraculous image of Our Lady of Buglose. The original Shrine of Notre-Dame de Buglose was burned and completely destroyed by the Huguenots, and the Statue of Our Lady was hidden in a marsh. The exact location of the Statue was eventually forgotten, as was the memory even that the place had once been the location of a Shrine in honour of the Blessed Virgin.
Years later, a shepherd led his herd into the marshes and observed that one of his oxen did not go with the others but went into an area of the marsh alone and began to bellow in a strange manner. The shepherd climbed a tree to see what was happening, and saw the ox licking an unknown object that was half buried in the mud. Not understanding the mystery, he ran into Town to bring others back with him to see what had happened.
When the shepherd returned, the Statue of the Blessed Virgin holding the baby Jesus in her arms had been revealed. It was respectfully removed from the water and the Bishop of Dax desired to take the image to his Church in Pouy. He placed the Statue in a cart that was pulled by oxen to transport it back to Pouy. The procession began with hymns and prayers but had only gone a short distance, when the oxen stopped and would not move any further. It was understood that the Blessed Virgin desired that her image should stay near the fountain.
The Bishop accepted the revelation as a divine order and thanks to the zeal and enthusiastic support of the people living in the region, a new Church was built with prodigious speed. The Shrine was, for a long time, popular as a place of pilgrimage in France – now it is further renowned as the birthplace of Saint Vincent de Paul. The house where he was born and where he spent his boyhood, is still visited as a Museum of the Saint.

|The Basilica of St Vincent de Paul and Our Lady of Buglose

There have been many miracles at the Shrine, as indeed Buglose had become known as a land of miracles. There were 19 miracles recorded in the year 1622 alone.
There is a fountain near the Chapel marking the place where the Statue of Our Lady of Buglose was found buried. In 1623, a man named Bernard Ducassou came to the shrine seeking a cure for the seven boils that covered his left leg. He spent the entire night in prayer and the next day bathed at the fountain. The ulcers that would not heal were suddenly closed.
Pilgrims still travel to the famous Shrine of Our Lady where miracles are continuously granted to pious devotees.

St Anastasius of Bourges
St Benedicta of Sens
St Cassius of Narni
St Ciwg ap Arawn
St Cocha
St Ilud Ferch Brychan
St Judith of Niederaltaich
St Marcellus of Bourges
St Mary, the Mother of John Mark
St Salome of Niederaltaich
St Syrus of Genoa
Bl William of Sann

Martyrs of China
Ioannes Baptista Wu Mantang
Magdalena Du Fengju
Maria Du Tianshi
Paulus Wu Anju
Paulus Wu Wanshu

Posted in JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, NOVENA, NOVENAS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

DAY SEVEN – 28 June – NOVENA of DEVOTION to the PRECIOUS BLOOD of JESUS

DAY SEVEN – NOVENA of DEVOTION to the PRECIOUS BLOOD of JESUS

Opening Prayer for each Day:

Grant me the grace to know You, to love You
and to be truly sorry that I have offended You.
I ask this grace by Your Precious Blood –
By that Precious Blood, which bathed Your Sacred Body
and trickled down to the ground in the Garden of Olives.
By that Precious Blood, which poured forth
from Your Sacred Body during the scourging.
By that Precious Blood, which which covered
Your Sacred Face when You were crowned with thorns.
By that Precious Blood, which burst
from Your hands and feet on Calvary.
By that Precious Blood, which came forth from Your Sacred Heart
after Your death.
By that Precious Blood, which we drink
in Holy Communion and of which You said:
“He who feeds on My Flesh
and drinks My Blood has life eternal.”
Amen.

Day Seven : Jesus Sheds Blood in the Crucifixion

Final prayer:

Eternal Father,
we offer You the Precious Blood of Jesus
shed in the Crucifixion.
Permit that, in perfect union
with Your only begotten Son,
we offer You our lives as a gift of sacrifice.
As participants in the eternal redemption,
we celebrate the memory of our Redemption
at the foot of the Cross.
With Mary our Mother,
we glorify You in the abundance of Your grace
and enjoy the victory of salvation.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Our Father …
Glory to the Father …

V. Praise and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus.
R. Who with his blood has saved us.
V. Glory to the Blood of Jesus!
R. Now and forever. Amen

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 28 June – Blessed are the Poor

Thought for the Day – 28 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Blessed are the Poor

“Blessed are the rich.”
This, is the judgement of the world.
But Jesus says: “Blessed are you poor” (Lk 6:20).
Whom are we to believe?
Naturally, we must believe Jesus.
A certain amount of confusion could arise, however, in our understanding of this maxim.
It becomes clear from the context of St Luke and still clearer in the words of St Matthew, who writes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Mt 5:3).
It is necessary, therefore, as St Jerome and others have commented, to be poor in our detachment from our possessions.

If a poor man longs for riches and envies and hates the wealthy because of their possessions, he is NOT poor in spirit.
So he cannot receive the blessing of which Our Lord spoke.
In the same way, a rich man may be attached to his great wealth.
Perhaps he aims at nothing else but to increase it and, because he is thinking of it all the time, neglects his duty to God and to his neighbour.
Above all, love of riches may causes him to be lacking in justice and charity.
The behaviour of such a man is contrary to the law of God!
Meditate carefully on this point and do not neglect to make, whatever resolutions, seem necessary.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, MARTYRS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The LAMB of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 June – St Irenaeus

Quote/s of the Day – 28 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Memorial of St Irenaeus of Lyons (c 130 – c 202) Martyr, Father of the Church, Bishop, Theologian, Writer, Confessor, Defender of the Faith, Apologist.

“He is the Word of God
who dwelt with man
and became the Son of Man,
to open the way for man, to receive God,
for God to dwell with man,
according to the will of the Father.”

“This is the glory of man –
to persevere and remain
in the service of God.
For this reason,
the Lord told His disciples:
‘You did not choose Me but I chose you.’
He meant that His disciples
did not glorify Him by following Him
but, in following the Son of God,
they were glorified by Him.
As He said:
‘I wish that where I am
they also may be,
that they may see My glory.’”

“When we stand in the light
it is not we who illumine the light and cause it to shine
but we are illuminated and made shining by the light…
God grants His blessings on those who serve Him
because they are serving Him
and on those who follow Him
because they are following Him
but He receives no blessing from them
because He is perfect and without need.”

O Lamb of God
By St Irenaeus (c 130 – c 202)

O Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world,
look upon us and have mercy upon us,
You who art Yourself, both victim and Priest,
Yourself, both Reward and Redeemer,
keep safe from all evil
those whom You have redeemed,
O Saviour of the world.

Amen

St Irenaeus (c 130 – c 202)
Bishop & Martyr, Father of the Church

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, PARTIAL Indulgence, QUOTES on FAITH, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 June – The greatest gift!

One Minute Reflection – 28 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Readings: Genesis 18: 16-33, Psalms 103: 1b-2, 3-4, 8-9, 10-11, Matthew 8: 18-22

“Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head” – Matthew 8:20

REFLECTION – “Hence the blessed Apostle Peter, when he was going up to the temple and was asked for alms by a lame man, said, “I have neither silver nor gold but what I do have I give you, in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, rise and walk” (Acts 3:6)…

And Peter, that poor man, who did not have anything to give him who asked for alms, bestowed so great a gift of divine grace that, not content with setting one man upright on his feet, he healed those many thousands of believers in their hearts. by giving them faith!”…St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father & Doctor

PRAYER – Lord God, be the beginning and the end of all that we are and do and say. Prompt our actions with Your grace, may Your light be our only way, may Your commands be our only need and complete all, with Your all-powerful help. Blessed Peter of Luxembourg, who was the rich young man made poor, pray for us! We make our prayer through Christ our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever and ever, amen.
SWEET HEART of JESUS, be my LOVE. – Indulgence 300 Days, Once a Day – Pope Leo XIII 21 May 1802.

Posted in CONSECRATION Prayers, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, PAPAL PRAYERS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS

Our Morning Offering – 28 June – Consecration to the Sacred Heart By Pope Leo XIII

Our Morning Offering – 28 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart”

Consecration to the Sacred Heart
By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

Pope from 1878-1903

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race,
look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thine altar.
We are Thine and Thine we wish to be
but, to be more surely united with Thee,
behold each one of us,
freely consecrates himself today to Thy most Sacred Heart.
Many indeed have never known Thee,
many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee.
Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus
and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart.
Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful,
who have never forsaken Thee
but also of the prodigal children, who have abandoned Thee,
grant that they may quickly return to Thy Father’s house
lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions,
or whom discord keeps aloof
and call them back to the harbour of truth and unity of faith,
so that there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.
Be Thou, King of all those.
who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism
and refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God.
Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of the race,
once Thy chosen people – of old they called down upon themselves
the Blood of the Saviour;
may it now descend upon them,
a laver of redemption and of life.
Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church,
assurance of freedom and immunity from harm;
give peace and order to all nations
and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry:
“Praise be to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation;
to It be glory and honour forever.”
Amen

The above prayer, composed by Pope Leo XIII was included in the 1899 Encyclical Annum Sacrum issued by Leo XIII as he Consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The consecration was influenced by two letters written to the Holy Father by Blessed Sister Mary of the Divine Heart, who stated that in visions of Jesus Christ, she had been told to request the Consecration.

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 28 June – Saint Pope Paul I (Died 767)

Saint of the Day – 28 June – Saint Pope Paul I (Died 767) Papacy 29 May 757-28 June 767., Confessor. He first served as a Roman Deacon and was frequently employed by his brother, Pope Stephen II, in many delicate negotiations and ecclesiastica. -matters. Born at Rome, Italy and died on 28 June 767 at Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls, Rome, Italy of natural causes.

Paul was a Roman aristocrat. He and his brother, Stephen had been educated for the Priesthood at the Lateran Palace. Stephen, became Pope in 752. Stephen entrusted his brother, who approved of the Pope’s course in respect to King Pepin of the Franks, with many important ecclesiastical affairs, among others – with the restoration to the Roman States of the Cities which had been seized by the Lombards.

While Paul was with his dying brother at the Lateran, a party of the Romans gathered in the house of Archdeacon Theophylact in order to secure the latter’s succession to the papal see. However, immediately after the burial of Stephen (died 26 April, 757), Paul was elected by a large majority and received episcopal Consecration on 29 May. Paul continued his predecessor’s policy towards the Frankish King, Pepin and thereby, continued the Papal supremacy over Rome and the districts of central Italy in opposition to the efforts of the Lombards and the Eastern Empire.

Pepin sent a letter to the Roman people, exhorting them to remain steadfast to St Peter. In the reply sent by the Senate and the people of Rome, he was urged to complete the enlargement of the Roman province which he had wrested from the barbarians and to persevere in the work he had begun.

In 758 a daughter was born to Pepin and the King sent the pope the cloth used at the Baptism as a present, renewing, in this way, the Papal sponsorship. Paul returned thanks and informed Pepin of the hostile action of Desiderius, who had failed to deliver, as agreed, to Rome, the occupied Cities . A major crises ensued, with the Pope seeking assistance from King Pepin and the Lomba\rd King threatening war against Rome. King Pepin gave the Pope some support and acted as arbiter between the Roman and Lombard claims.

In 765, Papal privileges were restored in the duchies of Benevento and Tuscany and partially in Spoleto. Meanwhile, the alienation from Eastern Roman Empire grew greater. Several times, especially in 759, Paul feared that the Emperor would send an armament against Rome. Paul lived in continual dread lest Eastern Roman ambitions turn the Frankish influence in favour of the Lombards. This was actually attempted but Pepin held to his original foreign policy regarding Italy.

In 767 a Frankish synod was held at Gentilly, near Paris, at which the Church Doctrines concerning the Trinity and the veneration of images were maintained. Paul showed great activity and zeal in encouraging religious life at Rome. He turned his paternal home into a Monastery and built nearby the |Church of San Silvestro in Capite. The founding of this Church led to his holding a Synod at Rome in 761. To this Church and other Churches of Rome, Paul transferred the bones of numerous Martyrs from the decayed Sanctuaries in the Catacombs, devastated by the Lombards in 756. He transferred the relics of St Petronilla from the Catacomb of St Domitilla to a Chapel in St.Peter’s erected by his predecessor for this purpose. The legend of St Petronilla caused her, at that era, to be regarded as a daughter of St Peter and as such, she became the special Roman Patroness of the Frankish rulers.

Paul also built an Oratory of the Blessed Virgin in St Peter’s and a Church in honour of the Apostles on the Via Sacra beyond the Roman Forum. He died near the Church of St Paul’s Outside the Walls, where he had gone during the heat of summer. He was buried in this Church but after three months, his body was transferred to St Peter’s.

The “Liber Pontificalis” also praises the Christian charity and benevolence of the Pope which he united with firmness. His feast is celebrated today and he is listed in today’s Martyrology as Pope and Confessor.

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARTYRS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The ANNUNCIATION

Institution of the Angelus of Our Lady, Europe, (1456) and Memorials of the Saints – 28 June

The Vigil of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ / Institution of the Angelus of Our Lady, Europe, (1456) – 28 June:

The institution of the Angelus occurred on 28-29 June about 1456 by Pope Callistus. The Turks had been threatening Europe and it was the Pope’s request that the Faithful recite the Angelus for the safety of Christendom against the Turks and for peace. The Angelus was first recited about sunset, a general practice throughout Europe in the first half of the 14th century, recommended by Pope John XXI. The morning Angelus seems to have started somewhat later, again, for peace. The recitation of the midday Angelus began sometime in the 14th or 15th century; it was called the “Peace Bell.”
This present-day custom of reciting the Angelus is a short practice of devotion in honour of the Incarnation, repeated three times each day, morning, noon, and evening, at the sound of the Church bell.

It is curious how the Angelus is associated historically with the invasion of the Turks, again, in 1683, when they laid siege to Vienna. Emperor Leopold of Austria fled and begged for assistance and help from John Sobieski, a great Polish general, who gathered his army and hastened to the rescue, stopping at one of Our Lady’s Shrines in Poland, for blessing.
On 11 September Sobieski was on the heights of Kahlenberg, near Vienna and the next day engaged in battle with the Turks. Brilliantly leading his troops, he forced the Turks into a trap but the number of the foe was so great, that he could not penetrate their ranks; then Sobieski’s cavalry turned in retreat, interpreted by the Turks as flight. The Turks rushed forward but were re-attacked. The shouts and cries of Sobieski’s men threw terror into the Turks, when they learned that Sobieski himself, “The Northern Lion,” was on the battlefield, for he had defeated the Turks in Poland on previous occasions and they feared him, therefore, the Turks fled panic-stricken. The battle raged for a time; all along the front was Sobieski commanding, fighting, encouraging his men and urging them forward. The Turks were finally defeated, Vienna and Christendom saved and the news was sent to Pope Innocent XI at Rome.
Sobieski was a humble man, for in the height of his greatest victory, in a letter to Pope Innocent XI, he said it was God’s cause he was fighting for and Mary’s honour. His message to the Pope on the victory read: “I came, I saw but God and Mary conquered.”
The day after the Battle, Sobieski entered Vienna victoriously. Later, he pursued the Turks into Hungary, again attacking and defeating them. The Turkish threat to Europe had been vanished forever, or at least until the 21st century.

Pope Innocent XI, after the battle of Vienna, requested the whole Christian world to recite the Angelus for peace. In our own time, we see the peaceful Moslem invasion of Europe, which once again, Poland is resisting.

The 500th anniversary of the Institution of the Angelus by Pope Callistus III, was a reminder to recite the centuries old prayer for peace and for the protection of the Christian world. Let us renew this pious practice if we have become lax in our devotion and let us pray the Angelus, for the protection of the Church in our own times, from the many menaces, on all fronts, internally and exteriorly facing the Faith and the world and the whole existence of the Catholic Church.

St Irenaeus of Lyons (c 130 – c 202) (Memorial) Father of the Church, Bishop, Theologian, Writer, Confessor, Defender of the Faith, Apologist.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/28/saint-of-the-day-28-june-st-irenaeus/
AND Pope Benedict’s Catechesis:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/28/saint-of-the-day-28-june-st-irenaeus-of-lyons-c-130-c-202-father-of-the-church/

Bl Almus of Balmerino
St Argymirus of Córdoba
St Attilio of Trino
St Austell of Cornwall
St Benignus of Utrecht
St Crummine
Bl Damian of Campania
St Egilo
St Heimrad
St Lupercio
St Papias the Martyr

Blessed Paolo Giustiniani ECMC (1476-1528) Priest, Monk and Founder of the Congregation of the Camaldolese Hermits of Monte Corona, Reformer.
About Blessed Paolo:

https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/28/saint-of-the-day-28-june-blessed-paolo-giustiniani-ecmc-1476-1528/

St Pope Paul I (Died 767) Papacy 29 May 757-28 June 767
St Theodichildis

St Vincenza Gerosa (1784–1847) Italian professed religious and the co-Foundress of the Sisters of Charity of Lovere that she founded alongside Saint Bartolomea Capitanio (1807–1833). Canonised on 18 May 1950 by Pope Pius XII.
Her life:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/06/28/saint-of-the-day-28-june-st-vincenza-gerosa-1784-1847/

Martyrs of Africa – 27 saints: 27 Christians martyred together. The only details about them to survive are the names – Afesius, Alexander, Amfamon, Apollonius, Arion, Capitolinus, Capitulinus, Crescens, Dionusius, Dioscorus, Elafa, Eunuchus, Fabian, Felix, Fisocius, Gurdinus, Hinus, Meleus, Nica, Nisia, Pannus, Panubrius, Plebrius, Pleosus, Theoma, Tubonus and Venustus. Unknown location in Africa, date unknown.

Martyrs of Alexandria – 8 saints: A group of spiritual students of Origen who were martyred together in the persecutions of emperor Septimius Severus – Heraclides, Heron, Marcella, Plutarch, Potamiaena the Elder, Rhais, Serenus and Serenus. They were burned to death c.206 in Alexandria, Egypt.

Posted in JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, NOVENA, NOVENAS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

DAY SIX – 27 June – NOVENA of DEVOTION to the PRECIOUS BLOOD of JESUS

DAY SIX – NOVENA of DEVOTION to the PRECIOUS BLOOD of JESUS

Opening Prayer for each Day:

Grant me the grace to know You, to love You
and to be truly sorry that I have offended You.
I ask this grace by Your Precious Blood –
By that Precious Blood, which bathed Your Sacred Body
and trickled down to the ground in the Garden of Olives.
By that Precious Blood, which poured forth
from Your Sacred Body during the scourging.
By that Precious Blood, which which covered
Your Sacred Face when You were crowned with thorns.
By that Precious Blood, which burst
from Your hands and feet on Calvary.
By that Precious Blood, which came forth from Your Sacred Heart
after Your death.
By that Precious Blood, which we drink
in Holy Communion and of which You said:
“He who feeds on My Flesh
and drinks My Blood has life eternal.”
Amen.

Day Six : Jesus Sheds Blood Carrying the Cross

Final prayer:

Eternal Father,
we offer You the Precious Blood of Jesus
shed on the way to Calvary,
for all those in the world
who suffer the consequences of sin.
Grant them repentance and conversion,
health to the sick
and feed those who suffer from hunger,
free from injustice the persecuted
and ransom the imprisoned,
give salvation to the dying.
Do not forget the work
that You have begun in us,
so that our life is willingly given,
in obedience and sacrifice,
to Your Truth,
Your Service and Your Will.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Our Father …
Glory be …
V. Praise and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus.
R. Who with his blood has saved us.
V. Glory to the Blood of Jesus!
R. Now and forever. Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", ARMOUR of CHRIST, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST in GOD, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES

Thought for the Day – 27 June – Depending Always on Jesus

Thought for the Day – 27 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Depending Always on Jesus

“Virtue is difficult and life holds more trials than consolations.
Sometimes, we feel discouraged because virtue seems impossible and we fall so often, in spite of our best resolutions or because, our cross seems too heavy and we feel that we are overburdened.

Where will we find comfort in our sufferings and strength in our weakness?
“Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).
Go to Jesus and depend always on Him.

Difficulties will be overcome, the cross will grow lighter, the pain will be less severe, if we rely always on Jesus.
Isaias, the Prophet, placed these words on the lips of God: “I have made you and I will bear-I will carry and I will save” (Is 46:3).
At that time, Jesus had not yet come; He was not yet present among us with His doctrine, with His consoling spirt and with His Divine Eucharist.
Now things are different; we have Emmanuel, God with us!
Why, therefore, do we not allow ourselves to be carried by Him?
It is necessary for us to allow ourselves to be “Carried by the grace of God,” (Bk II, Ch 9) as The Imitation of Christ puts it.

If God is with us, who or what can prevail against us?

We must, as St Francis de Sales writes, lean on the arm of Jesus, as the child leans securely on the arm of it’s mother.
“It matters little,” he adds, “where she walks, on a grassy plain or on a steep path surrounded by precipices.”
She, is his mother and she carries him; that is enough to make him happy and content.
We must trust Jesus in this way, relying always on His support in joy and in sorrow, in moments of trial and in moments of satisfaction, in life and in death.
Let us not be afraid; Jesus is better and stronger than our earthly mother.
If He guides and supports us, we can be sure of Heaven, no matter what happens!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, I BELIEVE!, MARIAN PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SAINT of the DAY, The 2nd Glorius Mystery - The ASCENSION, The ASCENSION of the LORD, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY SPIRIT, The KINGDOM of GOD, The LAST THINGS, The RESURRECTION, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – St Cyril of Alexandria

Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Memorial of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Church ) – “The Pillar of Faith” & “Seal of all the Fathers” – Doctor Incarnationis (Doctor of the Incarnation)

Christ has dominion
over all creatures,
a dominion not seized
by violence
nor usurped but His,
by essence and by nature.”

“Our lives are all controlled
by the Spirit now
and are not confined to this physical world
that is subject to corruption.
The light of the Only-begotten
has shone on us
and we have been transformed
into the Word,
the source of all life.”

“We must note, therefore,
that he that does things pleasing to God,
serves Christ but he that follows his own wishes,
is a follower, rather of himself and not of God.”

“My sheep follow me,” says Christ.
By a certain God-given grace,
believers follow in the footsteps of Christ.
No longer subject to the shadows of the Law ,
they obey the commands of Christ,
and guided by His words,
rise through grace,
to His own dignity,
for they are called children of God.
When Christ ascends into heaven,
they also follow Him.”

“The mark of Christ’s sheep
is their willingness to hear and obey,
just as disobedience
is the mark of those who are not His.
We take the word ‘hear’
to imply obedience
to what has been said.”

…[The Kingdom of God] … is within you.
That is, it depends on your own wills
and is in your own power,
whether or not you receive it.
Everyone, that has attained
to justification, by means of faith in Christ
and decorated by every virtue,
is counted worthy,
of the kingdom of heaven.”

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin and Mother!
Morning Star, perfect vessel.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Holy Temple in which God Himself was conceived.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Chaste and pure dove.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
who enclosed the One Who cannot be encompassed
in your sacred womb.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you the Conqueror
and triumphant Vanquisher of hell, came to us.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
You have saved every faithful Christian.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, INDULGENCES, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PAPAL PRAYERS, PARTIAL Indulgence, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 June – ‘ … He is aware of all those who touch His clothes …’

One Minute Reflection – 27 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Readings: Wisdom 1: 13-15; 2: 23-24, Psalms 30: 2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13 (2a), Corinthians 8: 7, 9, 13-15, Mark 5: 21-43

If I but touch his garments, I shall be whole”…Mark 5:28

REFLECTION – “It is our faith that touches Christ; it is our faith that sees Him. It isn’t our body that touches Him; the eyes of our nature cannot seize Him. For seeing without perceiving, is not seeing; hearing without understanding, is not hearing, neither is touching if one doesn’t touch with faith…

If we consider the size of our faith and if we understand the greatness of the Son of God, we realise, that, in relation to Him, we only touch the fringe; we cannot reach the top of His garment. Therefore, if we too want to be healed by Him, let us touch, in faith, the fringe of Christ. He is aware of all those who touch His clothes, who touch Him while He has His back turned. For God doesn’t need eyes to see; He doesn’t have physical senses but He has, in Himself, the knowledge of all things. Happy then those who are able to touch at least the borders of the Word: for who can seize it entirely?” – St Ambrose (340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church – Commentary on St. Luke, 6, 57-59 ( SC 45)

PRAYER – Almighty Father, grant that our trust and faith may grow each day. Help us to be secure in Your unfailing love and help. Even in our times of fear, pain and distress, give us the trust to know that You are always with us and that Your healing grace does indeed work miracles in our lives. Grant us strength, O Lord, to overcome all our fears with confidence in Your loving care. Through Jesus Christ in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
MAY the Heart of JESUS in the most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the Tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. – Indulgence 100 Days, Once a Day. Raccolta 161 Blessed Pius IX, 29 February 1868.

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The HOLY EUCHARIST

Our Morning Offering – 27 June – O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament

Our Morning Offering – 27 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
By The League of the Sacred Heart
1929 (Ireland)

O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament,
overflowing with gentleness,
tenderness and charity,
I bury in the abyss of The Mercy,
all my iniquities and all my negligence.
I offer Thee
my labours and my sufferings,
my sorrows and my miseries,
I recommend to Thee
my life and my death.
Solace my doubts, Sweet Jesus,
calm my fears
and grant, that day by day,
I may become more united to Thy Sacred Heart,
learning Thy love and Thy holiness.
Amen

Posted in FRANCISCAN OFM, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 27 June – Blessed Benvenutus of Gubbio OFM ) (Died 1232)

Saint of the Day – 27 June – Blessed Benvenutus of Gubbio OFM ) (Died 1232) Lay Brother of the Order of the Friars Minor of St Francis, ex-Soldier, apostle of the sick and of lepers. Benvenutus was graced with an ardent and mystical devotion to the Blessed Eucharist and to the Mother of God. So ardent was his faith and contemplation that he was seen to hold the Divine Infant in his arms. Born in the 12th-century Gubbio, Italy and died in 1232 in Corneto, Italy of natural causes. Also known as – Benvenuto.

In the Umbrian town of Gubbio, north of Assisi, there lived a Knight named Benvenutus, who had achieved great martial fame for his valour. When St Francis came to Gubbio in 1222 in order to preach in that vicinity, Benvenutus saw him and listened to him with astonishment. His martial spirit took great pleasure in the Saint’s perfect mortification and contempt of the world.

The grace of God so touched his heart, that, after a few days, Benvenutus presented himself to St Francis in complete knightly attire and entreated him humbly to admit him as a lay brother. Francis always had great esteem for soldiers who distinguished themselves in obedience, self-denial and fearless courage, for he considered such training a very good preparation for the religious life. Since Benvenutus evinced, in addition to these good qualities, a very profound humility, Francis recognised in him, the true soldier of Jesus Christ and gladly received him among his brethren.

Clad in a poor garment and girded with a cord, the stately warrior was now seen heroically overcoming himself. The poorest in clothing, dwelling and food was his choice. The purity of his heart shone in his countenance and in his entire external appearance. He seemed to have no will whatsoever of his own, so perfect in obedience was he at all times.

St Francis charged him with the care of the sick in a leper hospital. There he had, in truth, daily and hourly opportunities to practice heroic charity and self-denial. But Benvenutus was always seen, to wait upon the patients, even the most repulsive among them, with such cheerful devotion and care, as if he were serving his Divine Lord. Jesus Himself. Otherwise very serious and reserved, he was very sociable when he spoke to the sick and the depressed in order to cheer them up.

Benvenutus was also favoured by God with a high degree of contemplation. Sometimes he spent whole nights in prayer, pleading with God with burning tears ,for the conversion of sinners. Towards the Blessed Sacrament he entertained an ardent devotion filled with lively faith and frequently, our Diving Lord descended into his arms in the form of a charming child. He also had a very special devotion to Mary, the Blessed Mother of God.

The more completely, to purify his soul and increase his merit, God allowed Blessed Benvenutus to be seized with a severe illness, after he had himself tended the sick for many years. As his active charity formerly edified everybody, so his patience and perfect resignation to God’s holy will did so now in a greater degree. Blessed Benvenutusof Gubbio died ten years after his entrance into the Order, in 1232, in the City of Corneto.

Astonishing miracles wrought at the grave of Blessed Benvenutus gave evidence of his holiness, and attracted a great concourse of pilgrims, so that only a few years after his death, Pope Gregory IX sanctioned his public veneration in Corneto and the surrounding country. Pope Innocent XI extended the devotion to the entire Franciscan Order in the year 1697.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, YouTube VIDEOS

Madre del Perpetuo Soccorso / Mother of Perpetual Succour (Help), Matka Boża / Mother of God of Gietrzwald and Memorials of the Saints – 27 June

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Traditional Calendar) +2021
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time +2021

Madre del Perpetuo Soccorso / Mother of Perpetual Succour (Help) – Feast 27 June:
Patronage: Porto Cesareo, Italy, Haiti, Labrador City, Labrador, Yorkton, Saskatchewan, 8 Diocese.https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/27/thought-for-the-day-27-june-the-feast-of-our-lady-of-perpetual-succour/

Matka Boża / Mother of God of Gietrzwald, Gietrzwałd, Olsztyński, Warmia, Poland, 1877 – 27 June, 8 September;

Our Lady appeared for the first time to Justyna Szafrynska (13) when she was returning home with her mother after having taken an examination prior to receiving the First Holy Communion. The next day, Barbara Samulowska (12) also saw the ‘Bright Lady’ sitting on the throne with Infant Christ among Angels over the maple tree in front of the church while reciting the rosary. The girls asked “Who are you?” she answered, “I am the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception!“What do you require, Mother of God?” they asked, the answer was: “I wish you recite the Rosary everyday!” There were 13 more apparitions from 27 June 1877 to 16 September 1877.
2 February 1970 – Pope Paul VI elevated the Church in Gietrzwald to the rank of Basilica Minor.

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Church ) – “The Pillar of Faith” & “Seal of all the Fathers” – Doctor Incarnationis (Doctor of the Incarnation) – (Optional Memorial
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/27/saint-of-the-day-27-june-st-cyril-of-alexandria-376-444-father-and-doctor-of-the-church/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/27/saint-of-the-day-27-june-st-cyril-of-alexandria-doctor-father-of-the-church-the-pillar-of-faith-seal-of-all-the-fathers-doctor-incarnationis-doctor-of-the-incarnation/

St Adeodato of Naples
St Aedh McLugack
St Anectus of Caesarea
St Arialdus of Milan
St Arianell of Wales
Blessed Benvenutus of Gubbio OFM ) (Died 1232) Lay brother of the Order of the Friars Minor of St Francis
St Brogan
St Crescens of Galatia
St Crescentius of Mainz
Bl Daniel of Schönau
Bl Davanzato of Poggibonsi
St Desideratus of Gourdon
St Dimman
St Felix of Rome
St Ferdinand of Aragon
St Gudene of Carthage

Bl Hemma of Gurk
St Joanna the Myrrhbearer
St John of Chinon

St Ladislaus I – (c 1040-1095) King of Hungary, Apostle of Charity, Defender of the Faith.
His Life:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/06/27/saint-of-the-day-st-ladislaus-i-c-1040-1095/

Blessed Louise-Thérèse de Montaignac de Chauvance OSHJ (1820-1885) Religious Sister and Founder of the Pious Union of Oblates of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
An Apostle of the Sacred Heart:

https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/27/saint-of-the-day-27-june-blessed-louise-therese-de-montaignac-de-chauvance-oshj-1820-1885/

Blessed Maria Pia Mastena
St Sampson of Constantinople
St Spinella of Rome
St Tôma Toán
St Zoilus of Cordoba

Martyrs Killed Under Communist Regimes in Eastern Europe: Among the thousands of Christians murdered by various Communist regimes in their hatred of the faith, there were 25 members of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Russian Byzantine Catholic Church, priests, bishops, sisters and lay people, whose stories are sufficiently well documented that we know they were murdered specifically for their faith in eastern Europe and whose Causes for Canonization were opened. Their Causes were combined and they were beatified together. They have separate memorials but are remembered together today. They are –
• Andrii Ischak • Hryhorii Khomyshyn • Hryhorii Lakota • Ivan Sleziuk • Ivan Ziatyk • Klymentii Sheptytskyi • Leonid Feodorov • Levkadia Harasymiv • Mykola Konrad • Mykola Tsehelskyi • Mykolai Charnetskyi • Mykyta Budka • Oleksa Zarytskyi • Ol’Ha Bida • Ol’Ha Matskiv • Petro Verhun • Roman Lysko • Stepan Baranyk • Symeon Lukach • Vasyl Vsevolod Velychkovskyi • Volodomyr Bairak • Volodymyr Ivanovych Pryima • Yakym Senkivsky • Yosafat Kotsylovskyi • Zenon Kovalyk. Beatified – 27 June 2001 by Pope John Paul II in Ukraine.

Posted in JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, NOVENA, NOVENAS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

DAY FIVE – 26 June – NOVENA of DEVOTION to the PRECIOUS BLOOD

DAY FIVE – NOVENA of DEVOTION to the PRECIOUS BLOOD of JESUS

Opening Prayer for each Day:

Grant me the grace to know You, to love You
and to be truly sorry that I have offended You.
I ask this grace by Your Precious Blood –
By that Precious Blood, which bathed Your Sacred Body
and trickled down to the ground in the Garden of Olives.
By that Precious Blood, which poured forth
from Your Sacred Body during the scourging.
By that Precious Blood, which which covered
Your Sacred Face when You were crowned with thorns.
By that Precious Blood, which burst
from Your hands and feet on Calvary.
By that Precious Blood, which came forth from Your Sacred Heart
after Your death.
By that Precious Blood, which we drink
in Holy Communion and of which You said:
“He who feeds on My Flesh
and drinks My Blood has life eternal.”
Amen.

Day Five : Jesus Sheds Blood in the Crowing of the Thorns

Final prayer:

Eternal Father,
we offer You the Precious Blood of Jesus
shed in the Crowning with Thorns.
Make all creation, liberated from
the slavery of sin,
serve Your majesty
and glorify You without end.
Grant to all peoples the gift of peace and unity.
Help us to recognise the Thorn-Crowned Jesus
in those who suffer
because of race, religion or the colour of their skin.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Our Father
Glory be
V. Praise and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus.
R. Who with his blood has saved us.
V. Glory to the Blood of Jesus!
R. Now and forever. Amen

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 26 June – The Only Remedy for All Our Ills

Thought for the Day – 26 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Only Remedy for All Our Ills

The first stage consists in doing God’s Will generously on all occasions.
Will God give us a little happiness and satisfaction in the present life?
Let us accept whatever He allows us without becoming excessively attracted by it.
Let us never lose our hearts in earthly pleasures but let us preserve them intact for Jesus.
Then the joys and the honours of this world will not disturb our souls, nor keep them apart from God.

Will God send us suffering and privation?
Let us accept these with resignation to His holy Will.
Our final end, which is eternal life, can be achieved equally well by means of joy or sorrow, as long as we accept everything from God’s Hands and offer it back to Him in accordance with His Will.

Let us remember, that we have to do the Will of God in any case, whether willingly or unwillingly.
The only difference is that if we do it willingly, we shall gain peace and merit in the sight of God.
If we do it unwillingly, we can expect no reward and shall increase the weight of sin upon our shoulders.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/28/thought-for-the-day-28-april-the-only-remedy-for-all-our-ills/