Day: December 2, 2022

Posted in IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Novena, MARIAN NOVENAS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Novena in Honour of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – DAY FOUR – 2 December

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Novena in Honour of the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary

THE FOURTH DAY – 2 December
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Without Actual Sin

A simple short Novena DAY FOUR here (which also attracts Indulgences):
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/02/90764/
NOTE on Indulgences HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/29/novena-in-honour-of-the-immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-day-one-29-november/

PREPARATORY PRAYER:
In thy conception, O Virgin Mary,
thou wast immaculate;
pray for us to the Father, Whose Son Jesus,
conceived in thy womb by the Holy Ghost,
thou didst bring forth.

Indulgence. 200 days, every time. (Pius VI, 21 November

MEDITATION:
The Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, is the most blessed daughter of the eternal Father, the real and true Mother of the Divine Son, the elect spouse of the Holy Ghost. But in the world, in what condition do we behold her? She dwells not in a splendid palace; she is not surrounded by a retinue of servants, ready at every moment to do her bidding; she is not exempt from trials and suffering. On the contrary, she is poor; she lives in obscurity and suffered so much on earth that, without shedding her blood, she merits to be styled – the Queen of Martyrs.
Her heart was transfixed with the sword of sorrow. Mary is not exempt from tribulations and adversity but one thing God does not permit to touch her, – SIN.
Hence Holy Church applies to her the words, “Thou art all fair, O my love and there is not a spot in thee” (Cant iv 7).

PRACTICE:
Although we were not preserved from sin like Mary, yet God, in His ineffable goodness and mercy, granted us the grace to be cleansed from sin and to be clothed with the garment of sanctifying grace in Baptism.
No treasure of the world can be compared with this prerogative.
But as we bear this grace in a fragile vase, we must be most careful to protect and preserve it in ourselves and others, from all danger.
Let the Blessed Virgin Mary be our example.
Well knowing the inestimable value of the grace conferred upon her, she guarded it with the greatest care.
Although exempt from concupiscence and “full of grace,” she was so distrustful of herself, as if she were in continual danger.
How much more, then, must we use precaution, to preserve in ourselves and in others, this treasure of grace, since we feel in ourselves constantly, the law of the flesh which resists the law of the spirit and urges us onto evil, whilst the world and the devil, never weary in placing snares for us, in order to accomplish our ruin.
Therefore, let us have recourse to Mary and invoking her aid, bravely resist all temptations!

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH:
O God, Who through the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin didst prepare a worthy dwelling-place
for Thy Divine Son; grant that, as in view of Thy Son,
Thou didst preserve her from all taint,
so Thou wouldst vouchsafe unto us
that cleansed from all sin by her intercession,
we too may arrive at Thine eternal glory.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER:
Mirror of holy purity,
Blesed Mary, Virgin Immaculate,
great is my joy while I consider that,
from thy Immaculate Conception,
the most sublime and perfect virtues
were infused into thy soul
and, with them all, the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
I thank and praise the Most Holy Trinity,
Who bestowed on thee these high privileges.
I pray thee, gentle Mother,
obtain for me grace to practise virtue
and to make me worthy
to become partaker of the gifts
and graces of the Holy Ghost.

Hail Mary, Glory be … etc.

LITANY of LORETO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/29/novena-in-honour-of-the-immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-day-one-29-november/

Aspiration: O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to thee!
Indulgence. 100 days, once a day. (Pope Leo XIII, 25 March 1884).

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Posted in "Follow Me", CONTEMPLATIVE Prayer, DOCTORS of the Church, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP

Thought for the Day – 2 December – The Contemplative and the Active Life

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Thought for the Day – 2 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Contemplative and the Active Life

“There have always been, in the Church, both contemplatives and active apostles and there have always been people who combined both kinds of life.
The contemplatives seek solitude, avoid contact with the external world and preserve a constant intimacy with God.
The men of action, on the other hand, fight for the glory of God and for the salvation of their neighbour.
Finally, there are those who strive to unite both both forms of spirituality in their work for God.
The first group lead the life of Mary, the second that of Martha, while the third imitate both Mary and Martha.

It is this last group which St Thomas Aquinas prefers.
It is better, he says, to enlighten, than merely to shine; it is better to pass onto others the fruits of our contemplation, than merely to contemplate. (Summa Theologiae II-II q 188 a 6,3).
If we understand and practise his teaching, we can achieve both our own sanctification and the welfare of our neighbour and, can combine the interior life with the external apostolate.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/07/thought-for-the-day-7-december-the-contemplative-and-the-active-life/

Posted in "Follow Me", ARMOUR of CHRIST, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on the ANTI-christ, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 2 December – St Chromatius of Aquileia

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 2 December – The Memorial of St Chromatius of Aquileia (Died c 407) Bishop of Aquileia, Theologian, Exegete, Writer and friend of Saints Ambrose and Jerome, defender of Saint John Chrysostom.

Let us pray to the Lord with all our heart
and with all our faith, let us pray to Him
to deliver us from all enemy incursions,
from all fear of adversaries. …
The Lord will fight to defend you
and you will be silent.
It is He who fights,
it is He who wins the victory….
And so that He may condescend to do so,
we must pray as much as possible.
He Himself said, in fact,
through the mouth of the prophet –
Call on Me on the day of tribulation;
I will set you free and you will give Me glory.

“However, in the allegorical or mystical sense,
this woman prefigured the Church,
which offered the full and entire devotion
of it’s faith to Christ …
There are twelve ounces to a pound
and this is the amount of perfume
the Church possesses, having received
the teaching of the twelve Apostles,
as if it were a precious perfume.
Indeed, what more precious
is there, than the Apostles’ teaching,
which contains both faith in Christ
and the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven? ”

“No man lights a candle
and puts it in a hidden place,
nor under a bushel but upon a candlestick,
that they who come in, may see the light.”

Luke 11:33

“If we fail to live in the Light,
we shall, to our condemnation
and that of others,
be veiling over and obscuring,
by our infidelity, the Light men so desperately need.
As we know from Scripture,
the man who received the talent
should have made it produce a heavenly profit
but instead, he preferred to hide it away
rather than put it to work
and was punished as he deserved.
Consequently, that brilliant Lamp
which was lit for the sake of our salvation
should always shine in us.
For we have the lamp
of the heavenly commandments
and spiritual grace, to which David referred:
Your law is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

St Chromatius of Aquileia (Died c 407)
Father of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The SECOND COMING, The SIN of PRESUMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 December – ‘Let them grow together until the harvest’

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One Minute Reflection – 2 December – St Bibiana (Died c 361) Virgin Martyr – Sirach 51:13-17, Matthew 13:44-52.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“So shall it be at the end of the world. The Angels shall go out and shall separate the wicked from among the just. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 13:49-50

REFLECTION – “Our Lord was an example of incomparable patience. He bore with a “devil” among His disciples even to His Passion (Jn 6,70). He said: “Let them grow together until the harvest lest you uproot the wheat when you pull out the weeds” (cf. Mt 13,29f.). As a symbol of the Church, He preached that the net would bring back to shore, namely the end of the world, every kind of fish, both good and bad. And He made it known, in various other ways, whether openly or in parables, that there would always be a mixture of good and bad. But, nevertheless, He stresses, that we have to protect the Church’s discipline when He says: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother” (Mt 18,15)…

Yet today, we see people who think of nothing but stern commandments, who order that troublemakers be reproved, ‘not giving what is holy to the dogs,’ treating, like the publicans, ‘anyone who despises the Church, cutting off the scandalous member from the body‘ (Mt 7,6 ; 18,17 ; 5,30). Their stormy zeal so troubles the Church, that they pull out the weeds before their time and their blindness makes of them enemies, of the unity of Jesus Christ…

Take care not to let these presumptuous thoughts enter our hearts, trying to separate ourselves from sinners, so as not to be soiled by contact with them, wanting to form a band of pure and holy disciples. We will achieve nothing but breaking up our unity, under the pretext of not associating with the wicked. To the contrary, let us remember the parables of Scripture, their inspired words, their striking examples, where we are shown that, until the end of the world and the day of judgement, the bad will always be mingled amongst the good in the Church, without their participation in the Sacraments being harmful to the good, so long as these latter, have not played a part in their sins.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (On Faith and Works – Excerpt ch 3-5)

PRAYER – O God, giver of all good gifts, Thou Who in Thy servant, Bibiana, joined the flower of virginity with the palm of Martyrdom, by her intercession unite our hearts to Thee in charity, so that, saved from all dangers, we may obtain the rewards of eternal life. 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 ADVENT PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering

Our Morning Offering – 2 December – Awaiting Baby Jesus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 2 December – “The Divine Infancy and The Immaculate Conception”

Awaiting Baby Jesus
Traditional Catholic Advent Prayer

My heart is beating,
filled with joy,
awaiting Mary’s Baby Boy.
For with this Child, we embrace
the birth of God’s
most precious grace.
Baby Jesus, soon to come!
For us comes the Promised One.
Baby Jesus, God’s own Son,
Thou will be the Chosen One
to lead Thy flock unto salvation.
Our eternal life awaits.
The birth of Jesus brings us nearer
Heaven’s Holy Gates.
Sing with joy
and count the days,
for soon to come,
the Lord we’ll praise.
Rejoice that Jesus
will soon arrive,
the Messiah and our faith alive.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 2 December – Saint Avitus of Rouen (Died c 325) Bishop

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Saint of the Day – 2 December – Saint Avitus of Rouen (Died c 325) the 3rd Bishop of Rouen i Normandy, modern France. Also known as – Avidien, Avinziano, Avinzio, Avit, Avitianus, Avitien, Avito, Evincianus.

Ancient Bishop

Avitus succeeded Bishop Mellonius and settles in Rouen from 314. Avitus is the first historically attested Bishop by his presence, with Materne II, Bishop of Cologne, at the first Council of Gaul in Arles in 314, where he signed and supported the Decrees promulgated by this Council.

The Acta Archiepiscoporum Rotomagensium tell us that “This blessed pontiff was an honest spirit, impeccable in his manners and attentive to the salvation of souls under his charge.”

He is buried in the crypt of the Church of Saint-Gervais in Rouen, and his feast day is celebrated on 2 December.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY

First Friday, Our Lady of Didinia, Cappadocia, Turkey (363) and Memorials of the Saints – 2 December

Posted on by AnaStpaul

First Friday

Our Lady of Didinia, Cappadocia, Turkey (363) – 2 December:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/02/our-lady-of-didinia-cappadocia-turkey-363-and-memorials-of-the-saints-2-december/

St Bibiana (Died c 361) Virgin Martyr
Biography:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2016/12/02/saint-of-the-day-2-december/

St Athanasius of the Caves (Died c 1176) Hermit, Miracle-worker and healer.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/02/saint-of-the-day-2-december-saint-athanasius-of-the-caves-died-c-1176/

St Avitas of Rouen (Died c 325) Bishop

St Chromatius of Aquileia (Died c 407) Bishop of Aquileia, Theologian, Exegete, Writer and friend of Saints Ambrose and Jerome, defender of Saint John Chrysostom.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/02/saint-of-the-day-2-december-saint-chromatius-of-aquileia-died-c-407/

St Evasius of Brescia
St Habakkuk the Prophet
Bl John Amero

Blessed Jan van Ruysbroec (c 1293-1382) Known as John “the Admirable,” “the Ecstatic Doctor,” “the Divine Doctor.” Priest, Hermit, Mystic, Spiritual Director and Spiritual Writer. Beatified on 1 December 1908 by Pope Pius X.
About Blessed Jan:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/12/02/saint-of-the-day-2-december-blessed-john-van-ruysbroeck/
St Lupus of Verona
St Nonnus of Edessa
St Oderisius de Marsi OSB (Died c 1105) Italian Cardinal, Abbot of Monte Cassino, Mediator and Peacemaker.
St Pimenio in Rome
St Pontian

Bl Robert of Matallana
St Silvanus

Greek Martyrs of Rome – (9 Saints): Several Greek Christians Martyred in the persecutions of Valerian – Adria, Aurelia, Eusebius, Hippolytus, Marcellus, Mary Martana, Maximus, Neon and Paulina. They were martyred by various means between 254 and 259 in Rome, Italy and are buried in the Callistus catacombs, Rome.

Martyrs of Africa – (4 Saints): Four Christians Martyred in Africa in the persecutions of Arian Vandals – Januarius, Securus, Severus and Victorinus.