Thought for the Day – 24 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Progress in the Love of God
“They are in the first grade of perfection in the love of God, who desire to love Him but still feel an attachment to sin. How is it possible to love God and, at the same time, to offend Him by yielding to unlawful desires and to the attraction of the world? This is a mystery of the human heart which can experience, simultaneously, the desire to love God and the disturbance of the flesh.
People like this, must humbly persevere in praying for the grace which they need. They must eradicate their major vices, one by one, so that they may be free to love God. Since their course will be difficult and full of obstacles, they will need the courage of mountaineers but, far above the white and sun-kissed summit, God awaits them. Only toil and sacrifice can bring them there but when they arrive, they will know real happiness, for they will see God. “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:81).”
Quote/s of the Day – 24 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – St Christina of Bolsena (3rd Century) Virgin Martyr – Romans 6:19-23, Matthew 7:15-21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven but only the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven.”
Matthew 7:21
“We recognise a tree by its fruit and we ought to be able to recognise a Christian by his action. The fruit of faith should be evident in our lives, for being a Christian is more than making sound professions of faith. It should reveal itself in practical and visible ways. Indeed, it is better to keep quiet about our beliefs and live them out, than to talk eloquently about what we believe but fail to live by it!”
St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108) Martyr Apostolic Father of the Church
“God is Good but He is also Just… So do not underestimate God – His love for men should not become a pretext, for negligence on our part.”
St Basil the Great (329-379) Father and Doctor of the Church
“If anyone who calls upon the Name of the Lord, resists the Lord’s Commands by living perversely, it is evident, that the good, which the tongue has spoken, has NOT emanated from the good treasure in his heart. It was not the root of a fig tree but that of a thorn bush, which produced the fruit of such a confession — a conscience, which is, bristling with vices and not one filled, with the sweetness of the love of the Lord!”
St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 24 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – St Christina of Bolsena (3rd Century) Virgin Martyr – Romans 6:19-23, Matthew 7:15-21
“By their fruits you will know them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?”- Matthew 7:16
REFLECTION – ““It does not seem to me that “false prophets” here refers to the heretics but rather to persons who live morally corrupt lives, while wearing a mask of virtue. They are usually called ‘frauds’ by most people. For this reason, Jesus continued by saying, “By their fruits you will know them.” For it is possible to find some virtuous persons, living among heretics. But among the corrupted of whom I speak, it is in not possible. “So what difference does it make,” Jesus says in effect, “if even among these false prophets some do put on a hypocritical show of virtue? Certainly, they will soon be detected.”
The nature of this road upon which He commanded us to walk, is toilsome and hard. The hypocrite would seldom choose to toil but would prefer only to make a show. For this very reason, the hypocrite is easily detected. When Jesus notes that “there are few who find it,” He distinguishes these, from those who do not find the way, yet pretend to find it. So do not look to the mask but to the behavioural fruits, of those who pursue the narrow way.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (The Gospel of Matthew Homily 23).
PRAYER – O God, Who among the other miracles of Thy power have bestowed the victory of martyrdom even upon the weaker sex, graciously grant that we, who commemorate the anniversary of the death of blessed Christina, Your Virgin and Martyr, may come to Thee by the path of her example.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).
Our Morning Offering – 24 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Virgin Full of Goodness, Mother of Mercy By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor angelicus Doctor communis
Virgin full of goodness, Mother of mercy, I entrust to you my body and my soul, my thoughts and my actions, my life and my death. My Queen, come to my aid and deliver me from the snares of the devil. Obtain for me the grace of loving my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, with a true and perfect love, and after Him, O Mary, of loving you with all my heart and above all things. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 24 July – Our Lady, Mother of Mercy (Saturday after the 4th Sunday of July).
As part of the Traditional Missal, the Feast of our Lady under the title Mother of Mercy occurs each year the 4th Sunday of July. This Feast day is kept also, by various religious Orders in the Church.
The following is taken from the Seasonal Devotions Page of Salve Maria Regina: After the fall, man became subject to sin, misery, disease and death. God, Who is rich in mercy, gave us two persons, animated with tenderest sentiments of compassion and mercy – Jesus and Mary . Jesus willed to become like one of us and chose to know the profoundest depths of sorrow. Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, became the loving Mother of mankind beneath the Cross. She is full of compassionate mercy. Let us entreat her help for suffering mankind. Let us especially show this consideration for those commended to us, in a particular way, by Our Divine Lord: the poor, the sick, the suffering and the outcasts. Let us always show mercy and the Immaculate Mother of God, will show herself a Mother of mercy to us.
“And His mercy is from generation unto generation, to those who fear Him.” (Luke 1:50)
O noblest Queen of the world, Mary ever Virgin, who didst bring forth Christ the Lord, the Saviour of all, pray in our name for peace and salvation. Hail Mary…
Mary speaks: “Come over to me, all you who long for me and be filled with my fruits, for my spirit is sweeter than honey and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb.” (Ecclus. 24:26-27).
16th Century German
Salve Regina Hail Holy Queen By Bl Herman of Reichenau (1013–1054)
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, Poor banished children of Eve; To thee do we send up our sighs, Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, Thine eyes of mercy toward us; And after this our exile, Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
℣ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, ℟ that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us Pray.O God, Whose compassion is without limit, show us Thy mercy on earth through the most holy intercession of Mary, the Mother of Thy Son, that we may merit to attain eternal glory. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
St Aliprandus of Pavia St Antinogenes of Merida St Aquilina the Martyr St Arnulf of Gruyere Bl Balduino of Rieti St Boris of Kiev St Capito
St Christina Mirabilis/the Astonishing (1150-1224) Virgin, mendicant, Penitent, Mystic. St Christina the Astonishing has been recognised as a Saint since the 12th century. She was placed in the calendar of the saints by at least two bishops of the Catholic Church in two different centuries (17th & 19th Her Amazing Life: https://anastpaul.com/2019/07/24/saint-of-the-day-24-july-saint-christina-mirabilis-1150-1224/
St Cyriacus of Ziganeus St Declan of Ardmore Bl Diego Martinez Bl Donatus of Urbino
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