Day: April 20, 2023

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 20 April – The Glory of God

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 20 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Glory of God

“Holiness consists in love – not earthly love, of course but supernatural love.
It consists in seeking God in all things, in doing His will without reservation, in aiming at His glory alone.
All else, is dust and ashes!

So it will appear to us at the end of life when we shall be able to view ourselves and the world around us, in the light of eternity.
Herein lies the explanation of the lives of the Saints, lives of sacrifice dedicated to God and to the salvation of souls.
“Everything for the greater glory of God,” was the motto of St Ignatius Loyola.
“Everything in the Name of God,” said St Vincent de Paul.
“My God is my All” said St Catherine of Genoa.
“Love God, serve God, everything is in that!” exclaimed St Clare of Assisi.

How do my thoughts, desires and ambitions compare with these?
Are they sincerely directed towards God and towards His glory?”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/26/thought-for-the-day-26-november-the-glory-of-god/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/21/thought-for-the-day-21-november-the-glory-of-god/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, Of PILGRIMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, St Francis de Sales, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 April – ‘… Man believes with his heart …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 20 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Feria Day, Thursday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Who is he who overcomes the world?
but he who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God.”

1 John 5:5

“This people honours Me with their lips
but their heart is far from Me.”

Matthew 15:8

“He who believes and is Baptised,
shall be saved but he who believes not,
shall be condemned.”

Mark 16:16

“Man believes with his heart
and so, he is justified.
He confesses with his lips
and so, he is saved.
In the beginning of his speech,
the just man is his own accuser,
next he gives glory to God
and thirdly, if his wisdom extends that far,
he edifies his neighbour.”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
The “Last Father”
and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

“Get up tomorrow early in the morning
and earlier than you did today
and do the best that you can!”

St Joan of Arc (1412-1431)

“The very prince of the universe, is man;
the crowning point of man, is his heart;
of the heart, is love
and the perfection of love, is charity.
That is why the love of God is the goal,
the crowning point,
the be-all and end-all of the universe.”

(Treatise on the Love of God, Book 10, Chapter 1)

“But as a general thing,
what is the state of your heart
with regard to your neighbour?
Do you love him from your heart
and for the love of God?
In order to prove this,
you must call to mind
certain disagreeable, troublesome individuals,
for with such, it is that we practice
the love of God towards our neighbour
and still more, towards those who do us any injury,
either in word or deed.
Consider whether your heart is clear
with regard to such and whether
you have to force it to love them?
Are you slow to speak evil of your neighbour,
especially of those whom you do not like?”
Do you never injure him, either directly or indirectly?”

(Introduction to the Devout Life).

“HOW IS YOUR HEART TOWARDS GOD HIMSELF?
Do you take delight in thinking about Him? …
Imitate little children who, with one hand hold fast to their father,
while with the other, they gather strawberries
or blackberries from the hedges.
So too if you gather and handle
the goods of this world with one hand,
you must always hold fast with the other
to your Heavenly Father’s Hand
and turn toward Him, from time to time,
to see if your actions or occupations,
are pleasing to Him.”

(Introduction to the Devout Life, Part 3, Chapter 10)

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on TRUTH, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART QUOTES, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 April – ‘ … Thanks to this Heart … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 20 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” –Feria Day, Thursday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My Lord and my God.” – John 20:28

REFLECTION – “Thomas said: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in His Hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into His Side, I will not believe.” What an astonishing hardness of heart on this disciple’s part: not even the witness of so many of the brethren, nor even the sight of their joy, were enough to give him faith. Yet, the Lord appeared to take care of him. The good Shepherd does not allow the loss of His sheep (Mt 18:12) having said to His Father: “Thou gave them to me and none of them was lost” (Jn 17:6.12). Let the shepherds learn, then, what care they should show towards their sheep, since the Lord came for a single one. Any care and labour are a small thing, compared with the importance of one soul…

“Put your finger here and see My Hands, and bring your hand and put it into My Side, and do not be unbelieving but believe.” O blessed hand that penetrated the secrets of the Heart of Christ! What riches did they not find in it? It was while resting on this Heart that John drew out the Mysteries of Heaven (Jn 13:25), while penetrating It that Thomas found great treasures – what a wonderful school which forms such disciples! Thanks to this Heart, the former expressed marvellous things, higher than the stars, concerning the Divinity when he said: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1). And the latter, touched by the Light of Truth, cried out this sublime cry: “My Lord and my God!” – St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1486-1555) Hermit of Saint Augustine, Bishop (Sermon for Low Sunday (in Homiliarius Breviarii Romani).

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 DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Holy Name PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 20 April – Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee! By St Bernard

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 20 April – “The Month of the Resurrection”

Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee!
By St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father and the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus’ Name,
The Saviour of mankind.

O hope of every contrite heart!
O joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

But what to those who find?
Ah! this nor tongue, nor pen, can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.

Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shall be;
In Thee be all our glory now
And through eternity.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 20 April – Blessed Hildegun of Schönau O.Cist. (Died 1188) Virgin

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Saint of the Day – 20 April – Blessed Hildegun of Schönau O.Cist. (Died 1188) Virgin, Cistercian Monk – yes! she was disguised as a boy as a child, for her own safety and after many frightening trials, decided to retain the identity in order to enter the Cistercian Monastery as Brother Joseph. Her true identity remained a secret until her death. Born in the Rhineland, Germany and died in 1188 in Schönau, Germany of natural causes. Also known as – Joseph, Brother Joseph, Hildegun of Neuss, Hildegunda of…. Hildegunde of…. Hildegund of…. (Hildegund should not be confused with Saint Hildegund (c1130–1178), whose Feast day is 6 February.)

Born to a noble family, her father Harper, took her on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1182, when she was 12 years old. However, after landing at Tyre, Lebanon, Harper took ill and knew he would die. He entrusted her to the care of his manservant and, realising the dangers that could meet the girl on her return journey, her father dressed her as a boy.

No sooner was Harper buried, however, than the servant absconded with the money given him for expenses and abandoned Hildegun. Still dressed as a boy, she took the name Joseph for the patron of families and children. Left to beg on the streets, a well-connected German pilgrim saw her and offered to return her to her home but failed to fulfil his plans.

By 1187, Hildegun was moved by a call to the religious life. Thus she entered the Cistercian Monastery at Schönau — without mentioning that she was a young woman.

After a year’s novitiate and three days before she was to take her monastic vows, she took ill, dying on 20 April 1188. Only while preparing her for burial did the Monks discover her actual sex.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Our Lady of Schier, Bavaria and Memorials of the Saints – 20 April

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Feria Day
Thursday in the Second Week of Easter

Our Lady of Schier, Bavaria – 20 April:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/20/our-lady-of-schier-bavaria-and-memorials-of-the-saints-20-april/

St Agnes of Montepulciano OP (1268-1317) Virgin, Sister and Abbess of the Order of Preachers, Mystic, known as “The Miracle Worker” – her body is incorrupt. Agnes was Beatified in 1534 and Canonised in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII.
About St Agnes:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/20/saint-of-the-day-20-april-st-agnes-of-montepulciano/

St Caedwalla of Wessex
Bl Catwallon
St Domninus of Digne
Bl Gerald of Salles
Bl Harduin
Blessed Hildegun of Schönau (Died 1188) Virgin
St Hugh of Anzy-le-Duc
Bl John of Grace-Dieu

St Marcellinus – Bishop of Embrun (born in North Africa- died 374)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/saint-of-the-day-20-april-st-marcellinus-of-embrun-born-in-north-africa-died-374/

St Marcian of Auxerre
St Margaret of Amelia
Bl Maurice MacKenraghty
St Michel Coquelet
Bl Oda of Rivreulle
St Sara of Antioch
St Secundinus of Córdoba
St Servilian

Blessed Simon Rinalducci OSA (Died 1322) Priest, Friar of the Order of the Hermits of St Augustine, noted for his theological studies, Prior of several houses, renowned Preader, Miracle-worker. Blessed Simon was a model of humility and obedience, even in the face of great trials and obvious injustices. Simon was Beatified on 19 March 1833 by Pope Gregory XVI (cultus confirmed).
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/20/saint-of-the-day-blessed-simon-rinalducci-osa-died-1322/

St Sulpicius
St Theodore Trichinas
St Theotimus of Tomi
St Vincent of Digne
St Wiho of Osnabrück