Posted in MARIAN Aspirations and Ejaculations, MARIAN NOVENAS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, The 4th Glorious Mystery - The ASSUMPTION, THE ASSUMPTION

Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption, the Eighth Day – 13 August

Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption

The Eighth Day:
Mary, the Queen of Mercy

Preparatory Prayer
by St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

O Mary, Virgin most Blessed
and Mother of Our Lord
and Redeemer Jesus Christ,
through thy mercy I beseech thee,
to come to my aid
and to inspire me
with such confidence in thy power
that I may have recourse to thee,
pray to thee
and implore thy aid,
in all needs of soul and body.
Amen

Meditation:
Mary is, then, a Queen and what a consolation to know it!–
a Queen always mild and gentle, always willing to confer benefits upon us.
Hence the Church teaches us, to call her the Mother of mercy.
The pious and learned Poet and Writer, Jean Charlier de Gerson (1363-1429) says:
“God’s dominion comprises Justice and mMrcy. He divided it, retaining the administration of Justice for Himself and relinquishing, in a certain sense, the dispensation of mercy to Mary, by conferring through her hands, all graces He grants to mankind.”
H,ow consoling, then, the assurance that our merciful Mother is so mighty and so loving a queen!

Practice:
So great is the tenderness of Mary’s maternal heart: “that never was it known that anyone who fled to her protection, implored her help and sought her intercession, was left unaided. How many prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, ascend daily to the throne of this our exalted and merciful protectress!
There is not a cry of an afflicted, struggling and suffering soul that she does not graciously hear. Join, therefore, confidently in the prayer of Holy Church, “Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy.” Approach her with filial trust.
Neglect not to honour her yourself and do all in your power, to lead others to do her honour.

Prayer of the Church: We beseech Thee, O Lord, pardon the shortcomings of Thy servants that we who, by our own works, are not able to please Thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Novena Prayer: Day Eight

Glorious Virgin and Mother of God, Mary!
Holy Church teaches me
that despite the glory to which thou wast exalted,
thou didst not forget thy miserable clients
and that, in Heaven,
thy mercy is still greater
than it was during thy life on earth.
Therefore, I come to thee
and trustingly lay at thy feet,
all my needs, miseries and petitions.
My Queen, my Mother,
turn not thy gracious eyes from me.
Remember me to thy Divine Son;
cease not to pray for me
and take me under thy protection,
so that I may finally have
the happiness to see and praise thee
in thy glory forever and ever.
And once more, at thy feet,
I beg thee to hear and grant,
my special petition …………………….

Hail Mary …….

Ejaculation: Sweet heart of Mary be my salvation!

Indulgence. (1) 100 days, every time. (2) A Plenary Indulgence, once a month, on any day, to all who shall have said it everyday for a month, under the usual conditions.

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Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 13 August – Work and Worry

Thought for the Day – 13 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Work and Worry

There are many people who claim that they are working for God and for souls.
In fact, they do work hard and make great sacrifices but, at the first sign of failyre, they are disappointed and discouraged.

Why is that?
It is because, they only believed that they were working for God and for His Church, whereas, in their heart and soul, they were more influenced by self-love and by a desire fore the praise and approval of others.
Their motives were not completely disinterested and their sacrifices were not made entirely for God.
Therefore, they were disturbed by visions of success in human terms and were agitated at the prospect of failure.

The Saints worked hard too but they never worried.
They were always calm because, their attention was focused on Heaven, rather than on themselves.

As long as we work entirely for God and accept, as His Will, the outcome of our efforts, everything will go well for us, even when it seems to be going badly!

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/16/thought-for-the-day-16-august-work-and-worry/

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on GOSSIP, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SCANDAL, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on ZEAL

Quote/s of the Day – 13 August – St Maximus the Confessor and Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners

Quote/s of the Day – 13 August – Feast of Our Lady, Refuge of Sinner and the Memorial of St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Father of the Church

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

Theology without practice,
is the theology of demons!

The demons that wage war on us,
through our shortcomings in virtue,
are those which teach —
impurity, drunkenness, avarice and envy.
Those that wage war on us,
through our excessive zeal for virtue,
teach — conceit, self-esteem and pride.
They [the demons] secretly pervert,
what is commendable,
into what is reprehensible!

St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662)
Father of the Church

MORE ST MAXIMUS QUOTES:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/08/13/quote-s-of-the-day-13-august-st-maximus/

Shelter Me Under Your Mantle,
O Refuge of Sinners
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Most holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary,
to you who are the Mother of my Lord,
the Queen of the Universe, the Advocate,
the hope, the refuge of sinners,
I, who am the most miserable of all sinners,
have recourse this day.
I venerate you, great Queen
and I thank you for the many graces
you have bestowed upon me even unto this day,
in particular for having delivered me from the hell
which I have so often served by my sins.
I love you, my dearest Lady
and because of that love,
I promise to serve you willingly forever
and to do what I can,
to make you loved by others also.
I place in you all my hopes for salvation,
accept me as your servant
and shelter me under your mantle,
you who are the Mother of Mercy.
And since you are so powerful with God,
deliver me from all temptations,
or at least obtain for me the strength
to overcome them until death.
From you I implore a true love for Jesus Christ.
Through you I hope to die a holy death.
My dear Mother, by your love for Almighty God,
I pray you to assist me always
but most of all, at the last moment of my life.
Forsake me not then,
until you shall see me safe in heaven,
there to bless you
and sing of your mercies through all eternity.
Such is my hope.
Amen

Posted in BAPTISM, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, THE ASSUMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 August – Firstborn of many brothers ….

One Minute Reflection – 13 August – Anticipated Vigil of the Assumption and the Feast of Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners – Ecclesiasticus 24:23-31, Luke 11:27-28

Blessed is the womb that bore you ’” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION –By the Spirit, from the womb of the Virgin, was born our Head, the Son of Man and, by the same Spirit, in the waters of Baptism, we are reborn as His Body and as sons of God. And just as He was born without any sin, so we are reborn in the forgiveness of all our sins. As on the Cross, He bore the sum total of the whole Body’s sins in His own physical Body, so He gave His members the grace of rebirth, in order that no sin might be imputed to His Mystical Body. It is written: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sin. The blessed man of this text is undoubtedly Christ, Who forgives sins, insofar as God, is His Head. Insofar as this Man is the Head of the Body, no sin is forgiven Him. But, insofar as the Body that belongs to this Head, consists of many members, sin is not imputed to it.

Just as in Himself, it is He Who justifies Himself. He alone is both Saviour and saved. In His own Body on the Cross, He bore what He had washed from His Body by the waters of Baptism. Bringing salvation through wood and through water, He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world which He took upon Himself. Himself a Priest, He offers Himself as sacrifice to God and He Himself, is God. Thus, through His own self, the Son is reconciled to Himself as God, as well as to the Father and to the Holy Spirit.” – Blessed Isaac of Stella O.Cist. (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (An excerpt from his Sermon 42),

PRAYER – O God, Who chose for Thy dwelling the virginal womb of the blessed Mary, grant, we beseech Thee, that, with the help of her protection, we may with joym take part in her festival. Through the same 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 CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN NOVENAS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 13 August – The Memorare

Our Morning Offering – 13 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – –

The Memorare
By St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor

REMEMBER,
O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known,
that anyone who fled
to thy protection,
implored thy help,
or sought thy intercession
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins,
my Mother,
to thee do I come,
before thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions
but in thy mercy
hear and answer me.
Amen

(The Express Novena you will recall,
is 9 times the Memorare within one day
).

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 13 August – St Wigbert of Fritzlar (c 675-c 746)

Saint of the Day – 13 August – St Wigbert of Fritzlar (c 675-c 746) a learned Scholar and Abbot, Missionary, Miracle-worker, gifted with a penetrating understanding of Sacred Scripture as well as the gift of prophecy, companion of St Boniface, the Apostle of Germany. Born in c 518 in Erfurt, Saxony (England) and died on 13 August c 587 in Poitiers, France of natural causes. Wigbert was known as a quiet and gentle man and a great teacher. Both St Alcuin and St Bede knew and mentioned him in their historical writings of the times and of the Church. St Bede admired his contempt of this world and his learning. Patronages – against drowning, against fever, against leprosy, against scabies, against scabs, against the death of parents, against ulcers, difficult marriages, of potters, weavers, Poitiers, France.

Wigbert was born in England about 675 of noble parents. He was known for the purity of his morals, his zeal for the salvation of souls, his boundless love, his penetrating knowledge and familiarity with the Sacred Scriptures.

Wigbert became a Monk, working with great piety to increase his sanctity in the monastic environment, to live the Rule in its entirety and to help others to do the same. He spent many years in Ireland, there using his great skill in teaching to help others in their search for knowledge and wisdom. St Boniface summoned him from England to Germany and, in about the year 734 Wigbert went to Germany to join the great Missionary. , There he was made Abbot of the Monastery of Hersfeld in Hesse. Among his pupils was St Sturmi, first Abbot of Fulda.

In about 737, Boniface transferred Wigbert to Thuringia as Abbot of Ohrdruf, where he worked with the same success as in Hersfeld. Later, Wigbert obtained Boniface’s permission to return to Hersfeld to spend his remaining days in stillness and to prepare for the hour of death.

Even in old age and in illness, he continued his austere mode of life, until the very end. The Saint reposed at Hersfeld in about 746. He was buried at Fritzlar in an inconspicuous grave but during an incursion of Saxons (774), his remains were taken for safety to Buraburg and from there, in 780, his sacred relics were transferred by Abbot St Lullus to Hersfeld.

In the year 850 a beautiful Church was built and dedicated to St Wigbert but it was razed by fire in 1037. A new Church replaced it and dedicated in 1144 but it burned in 1761 in a great fire. Thereafter, St Wigbert’s sacred relics were never found again by men.

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

Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners / Refugium Peccatorum and Memorials of the Saints – 13 August

Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners / Refugium Peccatorum – St John Damascene calls Mary a City of Refuge to all who flee to Her.

Blessed Antonio Baldinucci SJ (1665-1717) had a particular devotion to the Refugium Peccatorum image of Virgin Mary in the Church of the Gesu (Frascati) in Italy. He commissioned a copy which he considered miraculous and carried with him in his travels.

The Jesuits spread copies of the image of the Madonna of Refuge in Mexico by the 19th century and it began to be depicted in missions there, often with clouds surrounding the lower portion of the image of the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus.
The term “Refugium Pstjohnberchmanseccatorum” is also used other works of Roman Catholic Marian art. For instance, there is a marble statue representing the Virgin Mary, on the grand staircase of the old municipal palace in Venice, Italy. The name came from the fact that the convicts were allowed to stop in front of the Virgin Mary’s statue to pray for their soul on the way to the scaffold.
The traditional feast day of Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners is today, 13 August.

St Hippolytus Bishop Martyr
St Cassian (of Imola) Martyr

St John Berchmans SJ (1599-1621) Jesuit Novice – born Jan Berchmans on 13 March 1599 at Driest, Brabant, Belgium and died on 13 August 1621 at Rome, Italy of natural causes. Patronages – Altar Servers, Jesuit novices and students. He had a special devotion to God’s Mother and to him is owed the Little Rosary of the Immaculate Conception.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/08/13/saint-of-the-day-13-august-saint-john-berchmans-sj-1599-1621/

St Anastasius the Monk
St Anastasius the Priest
St Benildus
St Cassian of Todi
St Concordia
St Conn O’Rourke
Bl Gertrude of Altenberg
St Helen of Burgos
St Herulph of Langres
Bl John of Alvernia
St Junian of Mairé
St Ludolph

St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Father of the Church, Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Confessor, Scholar, Writer. Also known as St Maximus of Constantinople and St Maximus the Theologian. St Maximus, a man of fearless courage in witnessing to – “confessing” – even while suffering, the integrity of his faith in Jesus Christ, true God and true man, Saviour of the world and of His Holy Catholic Church.
His Life:

https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/13/saint-of-the-day-13-august-saint-maximus-the-confessor-c-580-662-father-of-the-church/

St Nerses Glaietsi
St Patrick O’Healy

St Radegunde (c 518-587) Queen, Nun, Abbess, Ascetic, Founder of a female Convent of enclosed Nuns,named and dedicated to the Holy Cross of which a relic was enshrined, Sainte-Croixwho also cared for the sick within their Convent.
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2021/08/13/saint-of-the-day-13-august-saint-radegunde-c-518-587/

St Wigbert of Fritzlar (c 675-c 746) Abbot, Missionary, Miracle-worker, Companion of St Boniface.
Bl William Freeman