Thought for the Day – 5 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Mortification and Penance
“In Christian teaching, death is the beginning of life. “Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies,” Jesus said, “it remains alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. He who loves his life, loses it and he, who hates his life in this world, keeps it unto life everlasting” (Jn 12:24-25). This paradox of dying to this life in order to live in Heaven, was enacted in a wonderful way in the lives of Jesus and of the Saints. It must be put into effect in our lives also, if we are to be genuine Christians. Jesus shed His precious blood for us and His death was the beginning of His triumph. The Apostles, Martyrs and Saints, gave their lives for Christ and received, as their reward, the happy and eternal life of Heaven. By dying to our own ego and to our passions, we shall find the true life of Christ. We must die to ourselves, so that Christ may live in us, as He lived in St Paul. We must die to pride, so that Christian humility may live in us; we must die to anger, so that patience may live in us; we must die to lust, so that purity and innocence may live in us and, we must die to selfishness, so that charity may live in us.”
Quote/s of the Day – 5 March – The Second Sunday in Lent – Thessalonians 4:1-7, Matthew 17:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Lord, it is good for us to be here”
Matthew 17:4
“And a cloud overshadowed them and a Voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him.”
Mark 9:7
“Eternal life flows from this Sacrament because God, with all sweetness, pours Himself out upon the blessed.”
St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church
“At His Transfiguration Christ showed His disciples, the splendour of His Beauty, to which He will shape and colour, those who are His : ‘He will reform our lowness configured to the Body of His Glory.”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church
“Aspire to God with short but frequent outpourings of the heart, admire His bounty, invoke His aid, cast yourself in spirit at the foot of His Cross, adore His goodness, treat with Him of your salvation, give Him your whole soul – a thousand times in the day.”
Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 5 March – The Second Sunday in Lent – Thessalonians 4:1-7, Matthew 17:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Lord, it is good for us to be here …” Matthew 17:4
“I know a man in Christ— whether he was in or outside the body, I do not know, God knows— who was snatched up to the third heaven. . . and heard secret words, words which it is not granted to man to utter.” 2 Corinthians 12:2-4
ETERNAL HAPPINESS St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritas
“REJOICE AND BE HAPPY! Persevere to the end and prefer to die, rather than abandon the post to which God has called you!
But embrace the Cross with patience and hide in God’s breast, with your troubles; fix your eyes on the Lamb immolated for your sake and always be content with what God gives you and destines for you. We must act like this because we are sure that God is calling us and has chosen for us ,what will make us the most pleasing in His sight . Thus, you will go from Light to Light and the pains endured, for the sake of Jesus Crucified, will be delightful to you, whereas the pleasures and consolations of the world, will become bitter.
You will begin to taste, even in this life, a foretaste of eternal life, for the principal beatitude of the soul in Heaven, is to be confirmed forever in the Will of the Father. Thus, it tastes the divine sweetness. But it will never taste it in Heaven, if it is not clothed with it on earth, where we are pilgrims and travellers. When it is clothed with it, it tastes God by grace in its troubles; its memory will be full of the Blood of the Lamb without blemish; its mind will be opened and contemplate the ineffable love that God has made known in the Wisdom of His Son and the love it finds, in the Holy Spirit’s goodness, casts out self-love and love for created things, to love only God.
So do not be afraid … but suffer with joy, so as to conform yourself to the Will of God.” – (Sermon for the Second Sunday of Lent, 20 February 1622).
One Minute Reflection – 5 March – The Second Sunday in Lent – Thessalonians 4:1-7, Matthew 17:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“His face shone like the sunand His garments became white as snow.” – Matthew 17:2
REFLECTION – “The Lord displays His glory before chosen witnesses and makes illustrious that bodily shape which He shared with others, with such splendour that His countenance shone like the sun and His garments were as white as snow. In this Transfiguration, the chief object was to remove the scandal of the Cross from the hearts of the disciples and, to prevent their faith being disturbed, at the humiliation of His voluntary Passion, by revealing the excellence of His hidden dignity. But with no less foresight, the foundation was laid of the hope of holy Church that the whole Body of Christ, might realise, with what a change it was to be endowed and that the members, might promise themselves, a share in that honour which had shone forth in their Head.
But to confirm the Apostles and to lead them onto all knowledge, still further, instruction was conveyed by this miracle. For Moses and Elias, that is, the law and the prophets, appeared talking with the Lord, so that, in the presence of these five men, might most truly be fulfilled, what was said – In two or three witnesses every word stands. What more stable, what more steadfast, than the word, in the proclamation of which, the trumpet of the old and of the new TestamentS, sounds forth and the records of ancient witnesses, agree with the teaching of the Gospel? For the pages of both Covenants corroborate each other and He, Whom, under the veil of Mysteries, the types that went before, had promised, is displayed clearly and manifestly by the splendour of His present glory.
The Apostle Peter, therefore, being stirred by the revelation of these Mysteries, despising things worldly and scorning things earthly, was carried away by a certain excess of mind, to the desire of things eternal and, being filled with rapture at the whole vision, longed to make his abode with Jesus, in the place where he was gladdened by the sight of His glory. And so also he says: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if Thou wilt, let us set up here, three tents, one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias. But to this proposal the Lord made no reply, signifying that what he asked was not indeed wicked, but irregular, since the world could not be saved, except by Christ’s Death and by the Lord’s example in this, the faithful were called upon to believe that, although there ought not to be any doubt about the promises of happiness, yet, we should understand that, amid the trials of this life, we must ask for power to endure, rather than for glory.” – St Leo the Great (400-461) Pope, Father and Doctor (Sermon on the Transfiguration – excerpt).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who sees how we are deprived of all strength, guard us inwardly and outwardly that in body, we may be protected against all misfortunes and in mind, cleansed of evil thoughts and by the intercession of blessed and gloriosus ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, be assisted on this earthly pilgrimage. 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 – 5 March – The Second Sunday in Lent
How Great is Your Goodness, Lord! By Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury (c 1125-1190)
How great is Your goodness, Lord, Who does not shrink from letting Your servant, place You upon his heart! How great my own worth, since You have chosen me to have part in Yours, to have You abiding in me, to love You as You deserve, above myself. Lord, take from me this hard heart and give me a new, clean heart of flesh and blood. You Who make my heart pure, take possession of mine and make it Your home. Hold it and fill it, You, Who are higher than my topmost height, more inward than my inward being. You, the Seal of Holiness, Beauty of beauties, engrave on my heart, Your Image and the imprint of Your mercy. Be, O God, my eternal love and my inheritance. Amen
Saint of the Day – 5 March – St Virgilius of Arles (Died c618)Archbishop of Arles, Abbot, Papal Vicar in Gaul, Born in the 6th Century at Gascony, France and diedin c618 of natural causes at Arles. Also known as – Virgil, Virgile.
According to a Vita written in the eighth Century, he was born in a village of Aquitaine, France. He was educated at the Lerins Monastery on the Island of Saint Honorat. After his studies there, he entered the same Monastery and became a Monk and then was appointed as the Abbot.
According to St Gregory of Tours, Virgilius later became the first Abbot of the Abbey of St Symphorian, at Autun. Later, Virgilius was appointed as the Bishop of Autun and then succeeding Lizier, he was appointed by Pope Saint Gregory the Great, as the Archbishop of Arles and as the Papal Vicar in Gaul.
In his zeal for the conversion of the numerous Jews whose trading attracted them to the area, Virgilius employed coercion. In 591, St Gregory the Great wrote to Virgilius, and to Theodore, Bishop of Marseille, praising their good intentions but recommending them to confine their zeal to prayer and preaching.
On 1 August 595, St Gregory extended to Virgilius, the title of Pontifical Vicar, granted to the Bishops of Arles by Pope Zosimus (519). This dignity effectively conferred upon him the position of acting as an intermediary between the Gallic Episcopate and the Apostolic See. At the same time, King Childebert was urged by the Pope to assist Virgilius in exterminating simony from the Churches of Gaul and Germania.
Gregory several times requested Virgilius (in 596 and 601) to extend a welcome to St Augustine of Canterbury and his Monks, whom he was sending to England. On another occasion he recommended, to his protection, a Monastery belonging to the Patrimony of the Roman Church, of which Lizier had taken possession. In a letter to Virgilius and to Syagrius, the Bishop of Autun, the Pope complains (July, 599) of their negligence in not preventing the marriage of a woman who, having embraced the religious life, had been violently given in marriage. In 601 Gregory advised Virgilius to assemble a Council against simony and to induce the Bishop of Marseilles to reform his house.
On 23 August 613, Pope Boniface IV sent the Pallium to Virgilius successor, Florian.
St Adrian of Caesarea St Caron St Carthach the Elder Bl Christopher Macassoli of Vigevano St Clement of Santa Lucia St Colman of Armagh St Conon of Pamphylia Bl Conrad Scheuber St Eusebius of Cremona St Eusebius the Martyr St Gerasimus Bl Giovanna Irrizaldi
Bl Roger Bl Romeo of Limoges St Theophilus of Caesarea St Virgilius of Arles (Died c618) Archbishop, Abbot.
Martyrs of Africa – A group of 304 Christians Martyred together for their faith. We know nothing else about them but five of their names Eusebius, Evolus, Hadrian, Julian and Octavian. They Died in 254 in Africa, exact location and date unknown.
AnaStpaul 
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