Day: May 24, 2022

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on THE WORLD

Thought for the Day – 24 May – The Recollection of Mary

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Thought for the Day – 24 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Recollection of Mary

“We cannot all be Monks or Hermits.
Most have to live in the world and look after their daily business.,
They have to deal with all kinds of people and are subject to the tremendous influences of the modern world.
How can they be recollected?
It is difficult but it is possible.
Most of the Saints lived in the heart of the world, while still maintaining close contact with God.
St Paul the Apostle and St John Bosco, are two examples which come to mind.

St Paul traversed the greater parts of the known world.
He preached in the temple of Jerusalem and on the Areopagus of Athens, in the Synagogues, squares, court rooms and prsisons of countless cities.
Throughout it all, his heart remained united to God, so that he could exclaim: “It is now no longer I who live but Christ lives in me” Gal 2:20).
“For to me to live is Christ,” he said, “and to die is gain. But if to live in the flesh is my lot, this means for me, fruitful labour and I do not know which to choose. Indeed, 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 1:21-23).

The superhuman industriousness of St John Bosco is well known.
He never rested but, his extraordinary activity derived entirely from his close and loving union with God.

We also should try and preserve an oasis of silence in our heart, while we are making our way through the noisy uproar which prevails around us.
We shall draw from this oasis of interior recollection, the power to conquer the temptations of the world and to accomplish all the good work which God wishes us to do.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/24/thought-for-the-day-24-may-the-recollection-of-mary/

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Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DIVINE MERCY, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PRIDE, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 May – ‘That your joy may be full.’ – John 16:24

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – James 1:22-27, John 16:23-30

“Ask and you shall receive,
that your joy may be full.”

John 16:24

“So also, you now indeed have sorrow
but I will see you again
and your heart shall rejoice.
And your joy,
no man shall take from you.”

John 16:22

“This is the time for Confession.
Confess the sins you have committed
in word or deed,
by day or by night.
Confess during this “favourable time”
and on “the day of salvation,”
receive Heaven’s treasure… ”

St Cyril of Jerusalem (313-350),
Father & Doctor of the Church

“Have faith and the One
you cannot see,
is with you.”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Whoever has become a servant of the Lord,
fears only his Master.
But whoever is without the fear of God,
is often afraid of his own shadow.
Fearfulness is the daughter of unbelief.
A proud soul is the slave of fear,
hoping in itself,
it comes to such a state,
that it is startled by a small noise
and is afraid of the dark.”

St John Climacus (579-649)
Father of the Church

O Merciful God
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis

O merciful God,
grant that I may ever perfectly
do Your Will in all things.
Let it be my ambition to work
only for Your honour and glory.
Let me rejoice in nothing but that leads to You,
nor grieve for anything, that leads away from You.
May all passing things be as nothing in my eyes
and may all that is Yours, be dear to me
and You, my God, dear above them all.
May all joy be meaningless without You
and may I desire nothing, apart from You.
May all labour and toil delight me when it is for You.
Make me, O Lord, obedient without complaint,
poor without regret,
patient without murmur,
humble without pretence,
joyous without frivolity,
and truthful without disguise.
Amen

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 May – ‘ … Where is the honey to go? … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 24 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – James 1:22-27, John 16:23-30

“That your joy may be full.” – John 16:24

REFLECTION – “The entire life of a good Christian is, in fact, an exercise of holy desire. You do not yet see what you long for but the very act of desiring, prepares you, so that when He comes, you may see and be utterly satisfied.

Suppose you are going to fill some holder or container and you know you will be given a large amount. Then you set about stretching your sack or wineskin or whatever it is. Why? Because you know the quantity with which you will fill it and your eyes tell you, there is not enough room. By stretching it, therefore, you increase the capacity of the sack and this is how God deals with us. Simply by making us wait, He increases our desire, which in turn, enlarges the capacity of our soul, making it able to receive what is to be given to us.

So, my brethren, let us continue to desire, for we shall be filled. Take note of Saint Paul, stretching as it were, his ability to receive what is to come – ‘Not that I have already obtained this,’ he said, ‘or am made perfect. Brethren, I do not consider that I have already obtained it.’ We might ask him, ‘If you have not yet obtained it, what are you doing in this life?’ ‘This one thing I do,‘ answers Paul, ‘forgetting what lies behind, and stretching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the prize to which I am called in the life above.‘ Not only did Paul say he stretched forward but he also declared that he pressed on toward a chosen goal. He realised, in fact, that he was still short of receiving ‘what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived.‘

Such is our Christian life. By desiring Heaven, we exercise the powers of our soul. Now this exercise will be effective, only to the extent, that we free ourselves from desires leading to infatuation with this world. Let me return to the example I have already used, of filling an empty container. God means to fill each of you with what is good – so cast out what is bad! If he wishes to fill you with honey and you are full of sour wine, where is the honey to go? The vessel must be emptied of its contents and then be cleansed. Yes, it must be cleansed, even if you have to work hard and scour it. It must be made fit for the new thing, whatever it may be!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (An excerpt from his Tractates on «The First Letter of John»)

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants, that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of thine eternal gladness. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 24 May – To the Two Loving Hearts

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Our Morning Offering – 24 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

To the Two Loving Hearts
By St John Eudes (1601-1680)

O Jesus, only Son of God, only Son of Mary,
I offer You the most loving Heart
of Your divine Mother
which is more precious
and pleasing to You than all hearts.

O Mary, Mother of Jesus,
I offer you the most adorable Heart
of your well-beloved Son,
who is the life and love and joy of your Heart.

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart
and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ
and the most glorious
Virgin Mary, His Mother,
in eternity and forever.
Amen

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 24 May – Blessed Philip of Piacenza OSA (Died 1306)

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Saint of the Day – 24 May – Blessed Philip of Piacenza OSA (Died 1306) Priest of the Order of the Hermits of St Augustine. Ascetic, Penitent, Miracle-worker.

Blessed Philip, a contemporary of St Nicholas of Tolentino OSA (1245-1305), was one of those who bore witness to the tradition of holiness, which the Order has had since its very beginnings.

The Anonymous Florentine in A Brief Life of Some Hermit Friars, offers the following information concerning Philip:

Friar Philip, who spent his ministry in the City of Piacenza, Italy, practiced an admirable asceticism. For he used an iron breastplate to subdue his flesh, instead of the wool or haircloth employed by other servants of God. It was, therefore, fitting for God to work miracles on his behalf. I heard what I am narrating from Friar Albertino of Cumi, who actually experienced it. More than once when I was a student at Genoa, he told me how he had recovered from a severe fever by commending himself to both the renowned miracle worker, Friar Philip and our Patron, Saint Augustine.

Friar Philip also freed Master William of Cremona, the present Prior General of the Order, from an infirmity of the leg. And he conferred the blessing of health on many other sick people, especially those suffering from melancholy. All this is well known at the Augustinian Monastery in Piacenza.

Philip lived and worked in the Augustinian Monastery of Saint Lawrence in Piacenza, Italy. After his death on 24 May 1306, the people remembered him and celebrated his memory. Since the suppression of religious houses in 1808, his body has been preserved and venerated, in the Cathedral Church of Piacenza.

Piacenza Cathedral
Piacenza Cathedral Dome
Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, MARIAN TITLES, MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Lady, Help of Christians/Auxilium Christianorum, Our Lady of China and Memorials of the Saints – 24 May

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Rogation Day

Our Lady, Help of Christians/Auxilium Christianorum
About this Marian Feast: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/feast-of-our-lady-help-of-christians-24-may/

Our Lady of China: Our Lady of China is a title for the Virgin Mary in China who is believed to have appear at the small village of Donglu in 1900. In Chinese she is called Zhōnghuá Shèngmǔ. She is also known as Our Lady of Donglu.

St Afra of Brescia
Bl Benedict of Cassino

St David, King of Scotland (1085-1183) King David was a social and religious Reformer, a man of great administrative skills, apostle of charity and of holy piety. He transformed his Kingdom by the widespread introduction of Catholic Churches and Monasteries, thus also assisting in the international diplomatic influence of his country, it’s farming and agricultural wealth and it’s education. He was the main force and instrument of God in Christianising Scotland.
St David’s life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/24/saint-of-the-day-24-may-st-david-king-of-scotland-1085-1183/

Bl Diego Alonso
St Donatian of Nantes
St Gennadius of Astroga
St Hubert of Bretigny
St Joanna the Myrrhbearer
Bl John del Prado
Bl John of Montfort
Bl Juan of Huete
Bl Louis-Zéphirin Moreau
St Manahen
St Marciana of Galatia
St Meletius the Soldier
Bl Nicetas of Pereslav
St Palladia
St Patrick of Bayeux
Blessed Philip of Piacenza OSA (Died 1306) Priest of the Order of the Hermits of St Augustine
St Rogatian of Nantes
St Sérvulo of Trieste
St Simeon Stylites the Younger

St Susanna Martyr (Died 2nd Century) One of a group of wives of 2nd century Martyred soldiers under the command of Saint Meletius. Following the death of the soldiers, the wives and children were Martyred, as well.

Bl Thomas Vasière
St Vincent of Lérins
St Vincent of Porto Romano

Martyrs of Istria: A group of early Martyrs in the Istria peninsula. We know little more than some names – Diocles, Felix, Servilius, Silvanus and Zoëllus.

Martyrs of Plovdiv: 38 Christians Martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian and Maximian. We don’t even known their names. They were beheaded in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.