Month: November 2023

Posted in ADVENT, ADVENT PRAYERS, CHRISTMASTIDE!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

The St Andrew’s Christmas Novena- The Christmas Anticipation Prayer

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The St Andrew’s Christmas Novena
The Christmas Anticipation Prayer

The Novena is not actually addressed to Saint Andrew but to God Himself, asking Him to grant our request in honour of the birth of His Son at Christmas. You can say the prayer all 15 times, all at once; or divide up the recitation as necessary (perhaps five times at each meal). We say ours after the Family Rosary each day, with each member saying it a number of times to total 15.

Prayed as a family, the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena is a very good way to help focus the attention of your family and children on the Advent season. nd the reason for the festivities to come.

Pray 15 Times each day, until Christmas Day

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment,
in which the Son of God was born,
of the most pure Virgin Mary,
at midnight, in Bethlehem,
in the piercing cold.
In that hour vouchsafe,
I beseech Thee, O my God,
to hear my prayer and grant my desires,
…………………
[here mention your request]
through the merits of Our Saviour, Jesus Christ
and of His Blessed Mother.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN NOVENAS

Novena in Honour of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – DAY TWO – 30 November

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

THE SECOND DAY – 30 November:
The Blessed Virgin’s Immaculate Conception

A simple short Novena DAY TWO here (which also attracts Indulgences):
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/30/immaculate-conception-novena-day-two-30-november/
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 (Pope Pius VI, 21 November

MEDITATION:
According to the definition of Pope Pius IX, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is that privilege by which she was preserved, in view of the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ, from Original Sin in the first moment of her conception.

By solemnly proclaiming the Dogma of Mary’s Immaculate Conception, the Church confirmed anew, the fundamental principles of Christianity which, in our times, are so frequently attacked, derided, or forgotten.
God reserved the solemn proclamation of this Dogma which seemingly, has no practical bearing on the Christian life, for our age, to recall to our mind the Doctrines resulting from it.

PRACTICE:
The most important of these Doctrines, is that of Original Sin, which today is rejected by many as a debasement of human nature and is forgotten by others, as having no practical influence on our moral state. By the promulgation of the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church solemnly declares and defines, as an article of faith, that the Blessed Virgin Mary is conceived without the stain of Original Sin, by a special privilege and grace of God. If, then, Mary’s sinlessness is an exception, the general rule remains in force and all other human beings enter this world in the state of Original Sin.
Thus, by the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, the Church combats human pride and sensuality, the foremost vices of the age.

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
Mary, unsullied lily of heavenly purity,
I rejoice with thee
because, at thy conception’s earliest dawn,
thou wast full of grace
and endowed with the perfect use of reason.
I thank and adore the ever-blessed Trinity,
Who gave thee such high gifts.
I am overwhelmed with shame in thy presence,
to see myself so poor in grace.
O thou who wast filled with heavenly grace,
impart some portion of it to my soul
and make to me share the treasures
of thy Immaculate Conception.

Hail Mary, Glory Be …

LITANY of LORETO: Novena in Honour of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – DAY ONE – 29 November

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 30 November – The Blessedness of the Meek

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Thought for the Day – 30 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of the Meek

“St John Climacus notes that there are three levels of meekness (Dcala Paradist pp 296-298).
The first grade, he says, consists in enduring with difficulty, the injuries done to us.
The second, consists in enduring them without displeasure and the third, in regarding them as an honour.

Those who reach the first level are to be congratulated, those who reach the second are to be applauded but, those in the third and highest category, are really blessed by God.

“One day,” he says, “I saw three Monks receiving the same insult.
The first was offended but said nothing, the second was not displeased on his own account but regretted the offence against Almighty God and the third wept for the fault of his neighbour.”
The first Monk, the Saint comments, feared God, the second loved God and the third loved both God and his fellow-man.

At What stage of perfection in this virtue can we claim to have arrived?
If we desire to be sincere Christians, we must realise that we ought to have achieved, at least the first level and should hope to advance eventaully, as far as the third and most perfect grade.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/28/thought-for-the-day-28-november-the-blessedness-of-the-poor/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/22/thought-for-the-day-22-november-the-blessedness-of-the-poor/

Posted in OUR Cross, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY CROSS

Quote of the Day – 30 November – The Passion of Andrew:

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Quote of the Day – 30 November – The Feast of St Andrew, Apostle of Christ, Martyr on the Cross for Christ

It is claimed, that the words below were spoken by St Andrew, according to an ancient account (which dates to the beginning of the 6th Century), entitled –

The Passion of Andrew

“Hail, O Cross, inaugurated by the Body of Christ
and adorned with His limbs
as though they were precious pearls.
Before the Lord mounted you,
you inspired an earthly fear.
Now, instead, endowed with heavenly love,
you are accepted as a gift.

Believers know of the great joy that you possess
and of the multitude of gifts you have prepared.
I come to you, therefore,
confident and joyful,
so that you too may receive me,
exultant as a disciple of the One
Who was hung upon you….

O blessed Cross, clothed in the majesty
and beauty of the Lord’s limbs!…

Take me, carry me far from men
and restore me to my Teacher,
so that, through you,
the One who redeemed me by you,
may receive me.

Hail, O Cross, yes, hail indeed!”

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 November – ”We have found the Messiah”

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One Minute Reflection – 30 November – The Feast of St Andrew, Apostle of Christ – Readings: Romans 10: 9-18; Matthew 4: 18-22

“At once they left their nets and followed him.” – Matthew 4:20

REFLECTION – “After Andrew had remained with Jesus (Jn 1:39) and had learned what he did learn, he did not keep his treasure concealed for himself but hastened to run quickly to his brother, Simon Peter, to share with him, the good things that he had received.
Consider what he told his brother: “We have found the Messiah (which interpreted is Christ)” (Jn 1:41). Do you perceive, in these words, the fruit of what he had learned in such a short time? It shows, at once, the authority of the Teacher who taught His disciples and their own enthusiasm and will to learn from Him, since the very beginning.

Indeed Andrew’s eagerness, his zeal in wanting to spread immediately such a good news, supposes a soul who was longing to see the accomplishment of the many prophecies concerning Christ. It is a mark of brotherly kindness, of loving kinship, of genuine goodwill, to hasten to stretch out a helping hand to one another in spiritual matters. … ”We have found the Messiah” he says – not any messiah but “the Messiah,” the one Christ they were awaiting.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homely on the Gospel of Saint John, 19:1).

PRAYER – Lord, in Your kindness hear our petitions. You called Andrew the Apostle, to preach the Gospel and guide Your Church in faith. May he always be our friend in Your Presence, to help us with his prayers. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. (Collect)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Our Morning Offering – 30 November – St Andrew, Once a Fisherman. Captator olim piscium

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Our Morning Offering – 30 November – The Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

St Andrew, Once a Fisherman
Captator olim piscium
Attrib. to Saint Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Doctor of the Church

Saint Andrew, who once cast your nets
Upon the lake of Galilee,
Show now your skill in catching souls,
And save us from the world’s wild sea.

Saint Peter’s brother during life,
Not even death your souls could part,
Since both endured the bitter cross
With patient and courageous heart.

True brothers in your work on earth,
Your crown of glory is the same,
Both fathers of the infant Church,
Both crucified for Jesus’ Name.

You were the first to find Our Lord,
And led your brother to his feet,
So help us on life’s weary way,
Befriend us in its dust and heat.

Companion of your brother’s toil,
Preserve the Church in charity,
That with Saint Peter, shepherd true,
We may serve God in unity.

Beloved Saint, so dear to Christ,
Help us to run the path of love,
That we may all God’s praises sing,
United in full joy above.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 30 November – Saint Galganus Guidotti (1148-1181) Hermit of The Sword in the Stone fame

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Saint of the Day – 30 November – Saint Galganus Guidotti (1148-1181) Hermit of The Sword in the Stone fame. Born in Chiusdino, Siena) in 1148 and died in 1181 at Monte Siepe, Tuscany, Italy of natural causes. Also known as – Galgano. Our Saint was Canonised only 3 years after his death in 1185, by Pope Lucius III.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “Near Mount Siepi in Tuscany, Saint Galganus Guidotti, a Hermit, who, having converted to God after a dissipated youth, spent the rest of his life in voluntary mortification of the body.”

About 30 km (20 miles) southwest of Siena, in beautiful Tuscany, Italy, stands the ruins of a Cistercian Abbey. In a nearby Chapel is one of the strangest Relics ever – the sword of Saint Galganus, seemingly thrust into the bedrock to the hilt. How did it end up there?

Galganus Guidotti was born in 1148, the son of a minor noble and one of those dissipated young knights constantly seeking worldly pleasures. One day when he least expected it, Archangel Michael appeared before him and showed him the way to salvation and kindly provided him with directions. The next day, Galganus announced that he was going to become a Hermit and took up residence in a cave. His friends and relatives ridiculed him and Dionisia, his mother, bade him to wear his expensive nobleman’s clothes and at least, pay a last visit to his fiancée. On his way there, his horse reared, throwing Galganus. Spitting road dust, he suddenly felt as if he was being lifted to his feet by an invisible force and a seraphic voice and a will he was unable to resist, led him to Monte Siepi, a rugged hill close to his home town of Chiusdino.

The voice bade him stand still and look at the top of the hill. Galganus saw a round Church with Jesus and Mary surrounded by the Apostles. The voice told him to climb the hill and while doing so, the vision faded away. When he reached the top the voice spoke again, inviting him to renounce his loose, easy living. Galganus replied that it was easier said than done, about as easy as splitting a rock with a sword. To prove his point, he drew his blade and thrust at the rocky ground. With miraculous ease, the sword penetrated the living bedrock to the hilt! Galganus immediately prostrated himself in awe and took up permanent residence on that hill as a humble Hermit.

There he led a life of poverty, visited by the occasional peasant looking for a blessing. He befriended wild animals and once, when the Devil sent an assassin in the guise of a Monk, the wild wolves living with Galganus attacked the killer, sending him speedily running with them after him – it is said and “his bones were gnawed.”

Galganus Guidotti died in 1181, at the age of 33 years and was Canonised four years later. His funeral was a major event, attended by Bishops and three Cistercian Abbots, including one who had been lost while on his way to Rome. The next year, the Bishop of Volterra gave Monte Siepi to the Cistercian Monks, aware that they would build a Shrine to Galganus’ memory. They began building in 1185, erecting a round Chapel that became known as the Cappella di Monte Siepi, on the hill above the main Abbey, with the sword forming the centrepiece.

The Sword “Excalibur”

The Cappella offers a breathtaking view of the Abbey, the neighbouring buildings and the beautiful surrounding countryside. Galganus’ body was for some reason lost after the funeral, although his head, which is said to have grown golden curls for many years following his death, was placed in one side Chapel and the chewed bones of the arms of the assassin in another.

The beautiful Capella

Saint Galganus’ head is now preserved as a Relic in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo in Siena, while the skeletal arms are still in place. The crowds of pilgrims were so numerous that the Cistercians were authorised to build another Monastery named after the Saint a short distance away. It was to be one of the most beautiful Gothic buildings in Italy and one of the Cistercians’ two largest Italian foundations. The Monastery soon became both powerful and respected. Monks from San Galganus were appointed to high offices throughout Tuscany.

In the 14th Century, a Gothic side Chapel was added to the original Romanesque Cappella and in the 18th Century, a rectory was added. The side Chapel has the remains of some frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, including a faint picture of Galganus offering the sword in the stone to Saint Michael. The Abbey was sacked by the (in)famous English mercenary Captain Sir John Hawkwood and his White Company and by 1397 the Abbot was its only inhabitant. The Abbey deteriorated over the Centuries, becoming the impressive ruins seen today.

It is often argued that the legend of Saint Galganus formed the inspiration for the medieval legends about King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone, with which he proved his birthright. A story like that of Saint Galganus could travel all over Europe and, it is interesting to note that the first story about Arthur pulling a sword from a stone, (or more exactly an anvil on top of the stone), appears in the decades following Saint Galganus’ Canonisation in one of the poems by the Burgundian poet Robert de Boron. So, in the ever-changing legends of Arthur, it is it not unlikely that him pulling the sword out of the stone. was inspired by the act of a reformed Italian knight who became a Saint!

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, franciscan OFM, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Feast of St Andrew the Apostle, Virgen de la Concepción / Mary Immaculate, Mexico (1524) and Memorials of the Saints for 30 November

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Feast of St Andrew the Apostle
St Andrew!
https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/30/saint-of-the-day-30-november-st-andrew-apostle-of-christ-martyr/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/11/30/feast-of-st-andrew-apostle-of-christ-martyr-30-november/

Virgen de la Concepción, San Juan de los Lagos / Mary Immaculate of Saint John of the Lakes, Mexico) (1524) – 30 November, 2 February, 24 June, 15 August, 8 December:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/30/feast-of-st-andrew-the-apostle/

St Abraham of Persia
St Anders of Slagelse
Bl Andrew of Antioch
Bl Arnold of Gemblours

St Castulus of Rome (c288) Martyr, married to Saint Irene of Rome (the woman who assisted St Sebastian after he had been wounded by the Imperial archers) and father of 2 children, Military Officer and he was the Chamberlain (or officer, valet) of Emperor Diocletian. His Feast day was moved to 26 March in 1969.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/26/saint-of-the-day-26-march-saint-castulus-of-rome-died-c-288-martyr/
St Constantius of Rome
St Crider of Cornwall

Blessed Cuthbert Mayne (1544-1577) Priest Martyr. Additional Memorials – • 25 October as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, • 29 October as one of the Martyrs of Douai, • 1 December as one of the Martyrs of Oxford University.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/30/saint-of-the-day-30-november-blessed-cuthbert-mayne-1544-1577-priest-martyr/

St Domninus of Antioch
St Euprepis of Rome
Bl Everard of Stahleck

Blessed Frederick of Regensburg OSA (Died 1329) Lay Friar of the Hermits of St Augustine, devotee of the Blessed Sacrament. St Pius X Beatified him on 12 May 1909.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/30/saint-of-the-day-30-november-blessed-frederick-of-regensburg-osa-died-1329/

St Galganus Guidotti (1148-1181) Hermit
St Isaac of Beth Seleucia

Blessed John of Vercelli OP (1205-1283) Priest and Friar, Sixth Master General of the Order of Preachers, Founder of the The Society of the Holy Name, Canon lawyer, Professor. Beatified in 1903 by Pope Pius X.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/12/01/saint-of-the-day-1-december-blessed-john-of-vercelli-op-c-1205-1283/

Bl Joscius Roseus
St Justina of Constantinople
St Mahanes the Persian
St Maura of Constantinople
St Merola of Antioch
St Mirocles of Milan
St Sapor
St Simeon of Persia
St Trojan
St Tudwal of Tréguier
Bl William de Paulo
Zosimus the Wonder Worker

Martyrs of Saxony – 6 Saints: Missionaries who worked with Saint Willehad of Bremen. Martyrs. – Attroban, Benjamin, Emmingen, Folkard, Gerwald and Grisold. They were martyred on 30 November 782 at River Weser, Lawer Saxony, Germany.

Posted in LITANIES, MARIAN Aspirations and Ejaculations, MARIAN NOVENAS

Novena in Honour of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – DAY ONE – 29 November

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

THE FIRST DAY – 29 November
Predestination of the Blessed Virgin Mary

To All the Faithful who, by themselves or with others, in Church or at home, with at least contrite hearts and devotion, shall make this novena:
(1) 300 days Indulgence for each of the nine days;
(2) a Plenary Indulgence on one day of the novena or of the eight days following it. (Pius IX, 5 January 1849.) Conditions – Confession, Communion and prayer, according to the intentions of the Holy Father.
Whenever, in the following pages, an Indulgence is said to be granted “under the usual conditions,” these conditions are the same as above.
*Note – The above Indulgences may also be gained by making the novena at any other time of the year and are not attached to any prescribed formula of prayer. The same applies to all other Novenas in honour of the Blessed Virgin.

[A simple short Novena here AND REMEMBER * ABOVE APPLIES:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/29/immaculate-conception-novena-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 1793).

MEDITATION:
Holy Church, our Mother, purposely gathered into the Season of Advent, everything which might contribute to assist us in preparing for the coming of the Redeemer. Purity of heart is the most necessary and helpful requirement for receiving God worthily and for participating in the fruits of our Redemption through Christ. To remind us of this, Holy Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this primary Feast of purity, in Advent.

The Church, moreover, intends to remind us that the coming of Christ, our promised Redeemer, depended on the consent of the Blessed Virgin. The Redeemer could not appear before she was born, of whom He was to be born. The aurora must precede the rising sun. Thus also, Mary, the spiritual aurora, had to be conceived and born, before the appearance of the Sun of Justice in this world.

PRACTICE:
In Mary appeared the woman who was to crush the serpent’s head, who was to repair, by her willing co-operation with God’s designs, the damage wrought by the disobedience of our first parents and who was to become our Mother and mighty Advocate with God.

The designs of God concerning Mary were fully accomplished. God also has designs concerning us. Our life was planned by Him from all eternity and we were destined to co-operate with Him harmoniously and conscientiously, in working out our salvation. Have we corresponded with God’s designs? Did we not oppose them by yielding to our evil inclinations and passions? What a disparity between God’s intentions concerning us and our own co-operation, between His merciful designs and our cowardly resistance to them!

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:
Behold, Virgin Immaculate,
at thy sacred feet I bow,
while my heart overflows with joy
in union with thine own
because, from eternity,
thou wast the Mother-elect
of the eternal Word
and was preserved stainless
from the taint of Adam’s sin.
Forever praised, forever blessed
by the Most Holy Trinity,
Who, in thy conception,
poured out upon thy soul,
the riches of that matchless privilege.
I humbly pray thee, most gracious Mother,
obtain for me the grace,
to overcome the bitter results of original sin.
Make me victorious over them
that I may never cease to love my God.
Amen

Hail Mary, Glory Be …

LITANY of LORETO:

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.*
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Saviour, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honour, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.
Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the Covenant, pray for us.
Gate of Heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Queen of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of Prophets, pray for us.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Queen of Martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of Confessors, pray for us.
Queen of Virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all Saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us.
Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God,
unto us Thy servants
that we may rejoice in continual health of mind and body
and, by the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin,
may be delivered from present sadness
and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

Posted in JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, The BEATITUDES, The HOLY NAME

Thought for the Day – 29 November – The Blessedness of Those Who Suffer Persecution

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 29 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of Those
Who Suffer Persecution

“Let us implore the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and to grant us this serene joy which is a reflection of the happiness of Heaven.
Oh by Thy Name we shall live in peaceful and fearless anticipation!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/06/thought-for-the-day-6-december-the-blessedness-of-those-who-suffer-persecution/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/29/thought-for-the-day-29-november-the-blessedness-of-those-who-suffer-persecution/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 November – “What are you looking for?”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 29 November – Vigil of St Andrew Apostle – Ecclesiasticus 44:25-27; 45:2-4; 45:6-9; John 1:35-51 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Jesus turned and saw them following Him
and said to them, “What are you looking for?”

John 1:38

“Then, let us run with Him as He presses on to His Passion.
Let us imitate those who have gone out to meet Him,
not scattering olive branches
or garments or palms in His path
but spreading ourselves before Him as best we can,
with humility of soul and upright purpose.
So may we welcome the Word as He comes (Jn 1:9);
so may God, Who cannot be contained within any bounds,
be contained within us.
For He is pleased to have shown us this gentleness,
He, Who is gentle and who “rides upon the setting sun”
(Ps 56:12) which refers to our extreme lowliness.
He is pleased to come and live with us
and to raise us up or bring us back to Himself.”

St Andrew of Crete (660-740)
Bishop, Father of the Church

“But seek first the Kingdom of God
and His righteousness
and all these things shall be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33

“But, [you will tell me],
there is so much to do, so many household jobs,
so much business in town, in the fields –
work everywhere! Do we have to abandon it all, then,
so as to think of nothing but God?”
No – but these occupations have to be sanctified
by seeking God in them and doing them
to find Him in them, rather than, to see them done.
What our Lord wants, is for us to seek His glory,
His Kingdom, His righteousness, before all else
and, for this, to make our foundation the interior life,
faith, trust, love, religious exercises…, labours and sufferings,
with God our Sovereign Lord in view…
Once we are firmly set in the search for God’s glory,
we can be assured that the rest will follow.”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 November – ‘… Let us, too, build a dwelling in our hearts …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 29 November – The Vigil of St Andrew Apostle – Ecclesiasticus 44:25-27; 45:2-4; 45:6-9; John 1:35-51 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying and they stayed with Him that day.” – John 1:39

REFLECTION – “John was there and two of his disciples with him.” John was such “a friend of the Bridegroom” that he did not seek his own glory, he simply bore witness to the truth (Jn 3:29,26). Did he dream of keeping back his disciples and preventing them from following the Lord? Not in the least. He, himself, showed them the One they were to follow … He declared: “Why cling to me? I am not the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God … Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.”

At these words the two disciples who were with John, followed Jesus. “Jesus turned and saw that they were following Him and said to them: ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to Him: ‘Rabbi, where are you staying?” As yet they were not following Him definitively, as we know, they joined themselves to Him, when He called them to leave their boat … when He said to them: “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). That was the moment they joined Him definitively, no longer to leave Him. But for now they wanted to see where Jesus was living and put into practice the words of Scripture: “If you see an intelligent man, seek him out at daybreak; let your feet wear away his doorstep! Learn from him the precepts of the Lord” (cf. Sir 6:36). So Jesus showed them where He was living, they went and stayed with Him. What a happy day they spent! What a blessed night! Who can say what it was they heard from the Lord’s mouth? Let us, too, build a dwelling in our hearts, construct a house where Christ can come to teach and converse with us.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on Saint John’s Gospel No 7).

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 CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, GOD is LOVE, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for the SOULS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The BEATITUDES, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 28 November – Daily Prayer to the Most Holy Name

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Our Morning Offering – 28 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”

Daily Prayer to the Most Holy Name
By St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)
Apostle of the Most Holy Name

Jesus,
Name full of glory, grace, love and strength!
Thou art the Refuge of those who repent,
our Banner of warfare in this life,
the Medicine of souls,
the Comfort of those who mourn,
the Delight of those who believe,
the Light of those who preach the true faith,
the Wages of those who toil,
the Cure of the sick.
To Thou, our devotion aspires;
by Thee, our prayers are received;
we delight in contemplating Thee.
O Name of Jesus,
Thou art the glory
of all the Saints for eternity.
Amen.

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint/s of the Day – 29 November – Saint Saturninus of Rome, Priest Martyr and Saint Sisinius of Rome, Deacon Martyr (Died c304)

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Saint/s of the Day – 29 November – Saint Saturninus of Rome (Died c304) + Priest and Martyr and Saint Sisinius of Rome (Died c304) + Deacon and Martyr. Both our Saints were born in Carthage and died by being finally beheaded in c304 on the Via Nomentana, 2 miles outside Rome, during the persecutions of Diocletian and Maximian and after years of slave labour and horrific tortures. Saturninus is also known as – Saturninus of Carthage, Saturninus the Elderly. Sisinius is also known as Sysinnius. Their Feast is celebrated on the day of the final translation of their Relics – 29 November. NB – (not to be confused with Saint Saturninus of Toulouse, a Bishop and Martyr in France, whose Feast is also today).

The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Rome, on the Salarian road, the birthday of the holy Martyr Saturninus, an aged man and the Deacon Sisinius, in the time of the Emperor Maximian. After a long imprisonment, they were, by order of the Prefect of the City, placed on the rack, distended with ropes, scourged with rods and whips garnished with metal, then exposed to the flames, taken down from the rack and beheaded.”

According to legend, Saturninus came from Carthage in North Africa and served as a Priest in Rome. He is described as an old man. Together with his Deacon Sisinnius, he was arrested and tortured during Christian persecutions. They were buried in the Cemetery of Saint Thraso on Via Salaria.

From the 1640 ‘General Legend of the Saints’ we read their story as follows:

“When the Emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (284-305) perceived that no torture or capital punishment could exterminate the Christians, nay, that the blood of the Martyrs was like seed, in which the life of one victim was in turn a hundred new believers, they invented a new way to oppress the Christians with long and painful tortures.

They had to carry stones and dig sand and do all the work necessary for the construction of public buildings. It was officially forbidden to sentence members of the nobility and soldiers to slave labour. But, precisely to humiliate the Christian faith even more, all Christians were sentenced, without respect to persons, to the slave labour of construction.

For example, Saturninus was among those in Rome who contributed to the construction of the bathhouses which Emperor Maximian had built for Diocletian because he had made him equal in rank to himself. Saturninus was already an elderly man and he was simply unable to do the heavy workwhich the overseers imposed on him. That is why he was helped by fellow Christians, especially by the Deacon Sisinnius. In his zeal, in addition to the burden imposed on himself, he also shouldered the burden of Saturninus. So he trudged to and fro, happily singing his Psalms to the Lord.

The imperial officials watched with great amazement at the great love and joy radiating from Sisinnius during his painful labours. They reported it to their Commander Espurius, who in turn, reported it to Emperor Maximian. He had Sisinnius and Saturninus brought before him. In vain he tried to have them sacrifice to idols under threats. When this came to nothing, he entrusted them to the Commander Landicius, with orders to force them to make sacrifices or else put them to death with his own hands. The Ruler threw them into prison. There they sat for several days, converting many pagans who came to visit them to the Christian faith. After thirty-three days the superior had them appear before him with their hands shackled and their feet bare. He perceived that they were still as steadfast and that they would rather die a thousand deaths, than deny Jesus Christ. He had an idol set up for them to worship. But Saturninus said, raising his voice:
“May the Lord put to shame the gods of the heathen.”
Immediately the statue fell to smithereens on the ground. At the same time two soldiers, named Papias and Maurus, began to shout that the Jesus Christ whom Saturninus and Sisinnius worshiped must be the true God!

The superior condemned the two Saints to the rack – then he had them lifted up, beaten with sharp scourges and torn their bodies apart with the instrument of torture, called the scorpion. But they sang with great joy, “Glory to Thee, Jesus Christ because Thou hast given us part in the glory of Thy servants.” When Papias and Maurus saw all this, they too began to long for the Martyr’s crown. They flew into a holy rage against the executioners and shouted, “How is it possible that the devil has such great power over you that he makes you so cruel to these two holy men?”

This angered Commander Landicius. He had them struck in the mouth with stones and then thrown into prison. In the days following, they were subjected to all kinds of torture. Meanwhile, he had the sides of Saturninus and Sisinnius scorched with flaming torches. But when he saw that this did nothing to their perfect faith either and that they were undergoing all this with joy, praising the Lord, he decided to have them taken half a mile outside Rome, to be beheaded along the road to Nomentana.

Their bodies were recovered by a rich, powerful and very devoted man named Thrassus; he spent all his possessions to support the Christians and assist the workers at the bathhouses. He buried them in his own yard. That happened on the twenty-ninth day of November. The Catholic Church has commemorated them on this day ever since. They were Martyred five years after the start of work on the construction of the bathhouses.‘”

The Altar of St Saturinus at the Basilica of Sts John and Paul

The only definitive information which can be said with historical certainty is that Saturninus is a Martyr of the first Centuries of Christianity and that his feast was traditionally celebrated on 29 November at his grave on Via Salaria. On their grave stood a Church that fell into ruins in the Middle Ages.

Their Relics were re-enshrined in the Church of Saints John and Paul (the ones mentioned in the Roman Canon). Finally, on 29 November 1987, most of the Relics were moved to the Church of St Gregory the Great and St Saturninus, in Rome, to an Altar newly dedicated in his honour. The image above resides above the Altar where some his Relics remain at Sts John and Paul.

The Church of St Gregory the Great and Saturinus in Rome
Posted in franciscan OFM, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Vigil of the Feast of St Andrew, Notre Dame au Coeur d’Or / Our Lady of the Golden Heart of Beauraing, Belgium (1932) and Memorials of the Saints – 29 November

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Vigil of the Feast of St Andrew

The First Day of the Immaculate Conception Novena

Notre Dame au Coeur d’Or / Our Lady of the Golden Heart of Beauraing, Belgium (1932) – 29 November:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/29/notre-dame-au-coeur-dor-our-lady-of-the-golden-heart-of-beauraing-belgium-1932-and-memorials-of-the-saints-29-november/

All Saints of the Seraphic Order (Franciscan): the Church celebrates the many Franciscan Saints who followed in the footsteps of St Francis. It is a special day for all Franciscans to celebrate the Feast of ‘All the Saints of the Seraphic Order.’
Also on this day in 1223, the final Rule of life for Franciscan Friars was approved. To commemorate this and all the saintly examples produced in the Franciscan Order, on this day all the Saints of the Seraphic order are remembered at Franciscan Churches throughout the world.

Blessed Bernardo Francisco de Hoyos Seña SJ (1711-1735) Priest of the Society of Jesus, Mystic, Apostle of the Sacred Heart.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/11/29/saint-of-the-day-29-november-blessed-bernardo-francisco-de-hoyos-sj-1711-1735/

St Blaise of Veroli

St Brendan of Birr (Died c573) Abbot, known as “Prophet of Ireland,” Founder of the Monastery at Birr in Central Ireland. Brendan is one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland and a friend and disciple of Saint Columba.
St Brendan’s Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/29/saint-of-the-day-29-november-saint-brendan-of-birr-died-c-573/

St Demetrius of Veroli
Blessed Denis of the Nativity OCD (1600-1638) Priest Martyr

St Francesco Antonio Fasani OFM Conv (1681 – 1742) Priest and Friar of the Order of Conventual Friars Minor, Teacher, Confessor, Preacher, Mystic.
His story:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/29/saint-of-the-day-29-november-st-francesco-antonio-fasani-1681-1742-29-november/

Bl Frederick of Ratisbon
St Hardoin of Brittany
St Illuminata of Todi
St James of Saroug
Bl Jutta of Heiligenthal
St Paphnutius of Heracleopolis
St Paramon
St Philomenus of Ancyra
St Radbod of Utrecht

Blessed Redemptorus of the Cross OCD (1598-1638) Martyr,, Portugeuse Lay Brother of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, Missionary. Died by torture in 1638, aged 40, on the Malay Archipelago.
Beatified on 10 June 1900 by Pope Leo XIII together with Blessed Denis of the Nativity, who was Martyred with Redemptorus.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/29/saint-of-the-day-29-november-blessed-redemptorus-of-the-cross-ocd-1598-1638-martyr/

St Sadwen of Wales
St Saturninus of Rome (Died c304) + Priest and Martyr
St Saturninus of Toulouse
St Sisinius of Rome (Died c304) + Deacon and Martyr
St Walderic of Murrhardt

Posted in ADVENT, NOVENAS

St Andrew’s Christmas Novena – Begins on St Andrew’s Feast Day – 30 November

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Just a reminder of this beautiful Catholic tradition

Prepare for the arrival of our King!

Posted in GOD the FATHER, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PEACE

Thought for the Day – 28 November – The Blessedness of the Peacemakers

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Thought for the Day – 28 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of the Peacemakers

“Blessed are the peacemakers,” said Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, “for they shall be called children of God” (Mt 5:9).

True Christian peace which accompanies the perfect control of the passions and complete dedication to God’s cause, makes us like God and enables us, by His grace, to become His adopted children.
He is the God of peace, in Whom there is no conflict but only perfect order and harmony.
Since He is pure act, He understands Himself fully in all His beauty and perfection and, knowing Himself, He loves Himself.
He is peace, in an active and not in a passive sense.
For this reason, the peacemakers are singled out in a special way as the children of God.
In other words, they become like God, when they acquire that interior tranquility which is the fruit of virtue and of victory over the flesh.
With the help of Divine grace, we should do our utmost to gain this peace.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/05/thought-for-the-day-5-december-the-blessedness-of-the-peracemakers/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/28/thought-for-the-day-28-november-the-blessedness-of-the-peracemakers/

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 November – St Catherine Labouré

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 November – St Catherine Labouré DC (1806-1876) Visionary of the Miraculous Medal

“When I go to the Chapel,
I place myself before the good God and I say to Him:
‘Lord, I am here.
Tell me what Thou would have me do.’
If He gives me some task I am content and I thank Him.
If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him
Since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that,
and then, I tell God everything that is in my heart.
I tell hHm about my pains and my joys and then I listen.
… God always speaks to you
when you approach Him plainly and simply.”

More:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/28/quote-s-of-the-day-28-november-st-catherine-laboure-and-our-lady/

St Catherine Labouré (1806-1876)
Visionary of the Miraculous Medal

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The SECOND COMING, The SIGN of the CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 November – ‘… What we shall need to discover, is whether He comes with His Cross! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 28 November – St Catherine Labouré DC (1806-1876) Virgin, Religious Sister of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and the Marian Visionary of the Miraculous Medal. – Feria Day of the Last Sunday after Pentecost – Colossians 1:9-14; Matthew 24:15-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Then the Sign of the Son of Man will appear in Heaven” – Matthew 24:30

REFLECTION – “Would you like to learn that the Cross can be a Sign of the Kingdom? This is the Sign with which the Lord is to come at His second, glorious coming! That you might learn just how worthy of veneration the Cross is, He has made it His Title of Glory …

As we know, His first coming was effected secretly and, that discretion was justified, for He came to seek out what was dead. But this second coming is not to happen like that … He will appear suddenly to all and no-one will need to ask if Christ is here or there (Mt 24:26) … we shall not need to investigate, whether Christ is indeed present. What we shall need to discover, is whether He comes with His Cross!

When the Son of Man comes “the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light” (Mt 24:29). The splendour of His Light will be so great that the most brilliant of the stars must dim before it. “Then the stars will fall from the sky … and the sign of the Son of Man will appear in Heaven.” Do you see the power of this Sign of the Cross? “The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light” but the Cross will shine, clearly visible, so that you might know that its splendour is greater than that of the sun and the moon. Just as soldiers heave the royal standards to their shoulders at the king’s coming and bear them before him, to announce his arrival, so the cohort of Angels and Archangels, bearing this Sign on their shoulders, will warn us of the arrival of that King, Who is Christ at the Lord’s descent from Heaven! Alleluia!” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Great Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon on the Cross and the thief).

PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body, defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee and by the intercession of blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and of blessed Catherine Labouré and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace that all adversities and errors, being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. 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 INDULGENCES, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS for the SOULS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, The HOLY SOULS

Our Morning Offering – 28 November – Indulgenced Act of Oblation to Our Father

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Our Morning Offering – 28 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”

By the Merit of the
Precious Blood of Jesus
By Pope Pius VII (1742-1823)
Papacy from 1800 to 1823
Indulgenced Act of Oblation to Our Father

Eternal Father!
I offer Thee the merit
of the Precious Blood of Jesus,
Thy well-beloved Son,
my Saviour and my God,
for all my wants,
spiritual and temporal,
in aid of the Holy Souls in Purgatory
and chiefly for those
who most loved this Precious Blood,
the price of our redemption
and who were most devout
to the sorrows and pains
of most Holy Mary,
our dear Mother.

Glory be to the Blood of Jesus,
now and forever
and throughout all ages.
Amen.

Posted in SAINT of the DAY, St PAUL!

Saint of the Day – 28 November – St Sosthenes (1st Century) Bishop

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Saint of the Day – 28 November – St Sosthenes (1st Century) the first Bishop of Colophon, Asia Minor, probably a Martyr, Jewish Ruler in Corinth, converted by St Paul and became his disciple, who is mentioned by him in his First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:1–2) and by St Luke in Acts 18:12–17. Also known as –
Sosthenes of Corinth, Sosthenes of Colophon, Sostene…

The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Corinth, the birthday of St Sosthenes, fisciple of the blessed Apostle Paul, who is mentioned by that Apostle in his first Epistle to the Corinthians. He was chief of the synagogue when converted to Christ and, as a glorious beginning, consecrated the first fruits of his faith by being scourged in the presence of the Proconsul, Gallio.”

St Paul

During the long stay of the Apostle St Paul in Corinth, an event occurred which was not only sensational but, at least for us, difficult to explain, although reported with the usual clarity by St Luke, the Chronicler of the Acts of the Apostles:

“Gallio, being then Proconsul of Achaia (i.e. of the region in which Corinth was located) – we read – “the Jews, all in agreement, rose up against Paul and took him to the Tribunal, saying:
‘This man persuades the people to give God a cult, contrary to the law.’
And as Paul was there ready to speak, Gallio said to the Jews:
‘If it were a question of some crime, of some serious misdeed, I, Jews, would listen to you as reason dictates but, since it is a question of questions of words and names and they belong to your law, think about it – I do not want to be judge of these things!’ And he sent them away from the court.
They all then took Sosthenes, the Ruler of the Synagogue and beat him before the tribunal and Gallio did not care at all. ”

St Sosthenes

The first part of the episode is quite clear – the Roman Proconsul, in a City which, after all, was in Greece and not in Palestine, cleverly refuses to be the judge of a doctrinal question which interests and concerns, only a minority of his subjects.

It is, again, the tactic of washing one’s hands, adopted by Pilate towards Jesus, with the difference that Corinth was not Jerusalem and, therefore, the “abstaining, so to speak, of the Roman Governor, saves Paul from accusations and threats of his enemies, without the Apostle even opening his mouth.

Except, here’s the unexpected fact – instead of Paul, his accusers, in that same Court, take and beat our Saint Sosthenes, who had nothing to do with Paul and who was, indeed, the Ruler of the local Synagogue.
Why did this happen? Why was Sosthenes beaten instead of Paul? Scholars have failed to give a convincing answer to this question. Probably, the head of the Synagogue was the one who had incited his fellow Jews to demonstrate against Pau, and the Jews released their fury upon him when they saw that their entire design to attach St Paul had been destroyed by the Governor.

According to some, however, the resentment of the Jews related to the fact that Sosthenes’ converssion by St Paul had alreay taken place and was known by his fellow Jews.

But the Acts do not mention the conversion of Sosthenes, Ruler of the Synagogue of Corinth. Shortly afterwards, however, his name appears again in the address of the letter twhich St Paul wrote from Ephesus to the restless Christians of Corinth and, of which, Sosthenes seems to have been the bearer.

“Paul, called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Sosthenes, a brother, To the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in every place of theirs and ours.” – 1 Corinthians 1:1-2

It was so natural to think that the ancient leader of the Synagogue, beaten by his fellow believers, was actually converted by Saint Paul, becoming his disciple, responsible for maintaining contacts between the Apostle and the community of Corinth, where he was well known and respected.

This hypothesis, is probable but not certain, was accepted by the compilers of the Martyrologies, who today remember Sosthenes among the Saints, as a disciple of Saint Paul and former Ruler of the Synagogue of Corinth. With the beatings before the tribunal, he would have “consecrated the first fruits of his faith with a glorious beginning”, and then matured that faith as Bishop of Colophonia, in Asia Minor. But this is traditional understanding which no historical testimony is completely able to confirm.

Posted in franciscan OFM, INCORRUPTIBLES, SAINT of the DAY

St Catherine Labouré and all the Saints for 28 November

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St Catherine Labouré DC (1806-1876) Virgin, Religious Sister of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and the Marian visionary of the Miraculous Medal. St Catherine was Canonised on 27 July 1947 by Pope Pius XII. Her body is Incorrupt
St Catherine’s Story:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/28/saint-of-the-day-28-november-st-catherine-laboure-dc-1806-1876/

Bl Calimerius of Montechiaro
St Fionnchu of Bangor

St Pope Gregory III (Died 741) Bishop of Rome 11 February 731 until his death on 28 November 741. (His Feast was moved to 10 December in 1969), The Roman Martyrology states: “St Rome, the blessed Pope Gregory III, who departed for Heaven with a reputation for great sanctity and miracles.“
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/28/saint-of-the-day-28-november-saint-pope-gregory-iii-died-741/

St Hilary of Dijon
St Hippolytus of Saint Claude
St Honestus of Nimes
St Irenarcus

St James of the Marches OFM Conv. (1391-1476) Priest of the Friars Minor Conventional, Confessor, brilliant Preacher, Penitent, Reformer, Writer, Papal legate, Inquisitor, founder of several monasteries in Bohemia, Hungary and Austria. St James was Canonised on 10 December 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII. His body is Incorrupt.
About St James:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/11/28/saint-of-the-day-28-november-saint-james-of-the-marches-ofm-1391-1476/

Blessed James Thompson (Died 1582) Priest Martyr.
He was Beatified on 29 December 1886 by Pope Leo XIII. Additional Memorial – 29 October as one of the Martyrs of Douai.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/28/saint-of-the-day-28-november-blessed-james-thompson-died-1582-priest-martyr/

St Papius
St Quieta of Dijon
St Rufus
St Simeon the Logothete
St Sosthenes (1st Century) Bishop, Martyr, Jewish Ruler in Corinth, Converted by St Paul.
St Stephen the Younger
Bl Theodora of Rossano

Martyrs of Constantinople – 8 Saints: A group of over 300 Christians Martyred during the persecutions of the Iconoclast Emperors. We have a lot of information on Saint Stephen the Younger, but for the others we have nothing but seven of their names – Andrew, Auxentius, Basil, Gregor, John, Peter and Stefan. They were
scourged, stoned and/or dragged to death through the streets of Constantinople in 764.

Martyrs of North Africa – 13 Saints: A group of thirteen Clerics killed or exiled in the persecutions of Arian Vandals in North Africa – Crescens, Crescentian, Cresconius, Eustace, Felix, Florentian, Habetdeum, Hortulanus, Mansuetus, Papinianus, Quodvultdeus, Urban and Valerian.

Martyrs of Tiberiopolis – 14 Saints: A group of fourteen Christian Laymen, Deacons, Priests and Bishops who were Martyred together in the persecutions of Julian the Apostate – Basil, Chariton, Comasios, Daniel, Etymasius, Hierotheos, John, Nicephorus, Peter, Sergius, Socrates, Theodore, Thomas and Timothy.
361 at Tiberiopolis, Phyrgia (in modern Turkey)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on WATCHING, The BEATITUDES, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART

Thought for the Day – 27 November – The Blessedness of the Pure of Heart

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 27 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of the Pure of Heart

“Let us conclude this meditation with an appropriate prayer of St Thomas Aquinas.

“Make my heart watchful, O God,
so that no vain thoughts may distract it from Thee.
Make it noble,
so that it may never be seduced by any base affection.
Make it steadfast,
so that troubles may not dismay it.
Make it free,
so that it may not yield to the onslaughts of passion.
Grant me, my God,
the intelligence, to understand Thee,
the love, to seek Thee,
the wisdom, to find Thee,
words, to please Thee,
the perseverance, to wait faithfully for Thee
and, the hope of embracing Thee, at last.
Grant that I, a repentant sinner,
may bear Thy chastisements with resignation.
Poor pilgrim which I am,
may I draw on the treasury of Thine grace
and may I one day,
be eternally happy with Thee in Heavnely glory!
Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/04/thought-for-the-day-4-december-the-blessedness-of-the-pure-of-heart/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/27/thought-for-the-day-27-november-the-blessedness-of-the-pure-of-heart/

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FAITH, The ASCENSION of the LORD, The LAST THINGS, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 27 November – He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 27 November – Feria of the Last Sunday after Pentecost – Colossians 1:9-14; Matthew 24:15-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“They will see the Son of man
coming in the clouds of Heaven
with much power and majesty.”

Matthew 24:30

“From that time onward,
He was to remain at the Father’s Right Hand,
until the completion of the period,
ordained by God, for the Church’s children
to increase and multiply, after which,
in the same Body with which He ascended,
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
And so, our Redeemer’s Visible Presence
has passed into the Sacraments.
Our faith is nobler and stronger because,
empirical sight has been replaced by a reliable teaching,
whose authority is accepted by believing hearts,
enlightened from on high.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
Great Father and Doctor of the Church

“Fool that I am to offend God
for the sake of such trifling vanities.
I have forsaken God and for what – for nothing!
On the other hand, devotion and good deeds
will be seen as desirable and delightful
and you will ask yourself –
why did I not take this beautiful
and pleasant path of everlasting joy?
At that hour, your sins –
which at the time seemed so small –
will appear as vast as mountains
and your devotions truly small. …

Pray to God and cast yourself into His arms.
O my God, take me into Thy care on that terrible day;
may all other days be sad, if only that single day
will be a happy one!”

“Let the world turn upside down,
let everything be in darkness,
in smoke, in uproar – God is with us!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 November – ‘ …Now then, we do not just rest only on His first advent but look forward to His second too …’

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One Minute Reflection – 27 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal – Feria of the Last Sunday after Pentecost – Colossians 1:9-14; Matthew 24:15-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“They will see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with much power and majesty.” – Matthew 24:30

REFLECTION – “We do not preach only one advent of Christ but a second also, far more glorious than the first. For the first gave us a glimpse of His patience but the second brings with it, the Crown of a Divine Kingdom… In His former advent, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger; in his second, “He covers Himself with Light as with a garment” (Ps 103:2). In His first coming, He endured the Cross, despising shame (Heb 12:2); in His second, He comes attended by a host of Angels, receiving glory.

Now then, we do not just rest only on His first advent but look forward to His second too, when, meeting our Master with the Angels, we may worship Him and say: “Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord” (Mt 21:9). The Saviour will come, not to be judged again but to judge those who judged Him … He came the first time because of a Divine dispensation, teaching people with persuasion but on that day, they will of necessity have Him for their King.” – St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387) Bishop of Jerusalem, Father and Doctor of the Church (Catechetical lectures 15, 1).

PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that we, Thy suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with You. 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 MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES on DEATH

Our Morning Offering – 27 November – Prayer to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 27 November – Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal – Patronages : … Special graces, miracles of healing, for conversions, for believers.

Our Blessed Lady and her Miraculous Medal are the solution to the difficulties we are facing. Now, more than ever, we need our Blessed Mother’s comfort and protection. Now, more than ever, we need to discover her peace. Now, more than ever, we need to know that our Mother is with us.

Prayer to Our Lady
of the Miraculous Medal

Virgin Mother of God, Mary Immaculate,
we unite ourselves to thee
under thy title of Blessed Mother,
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.
May this medal be, for each one of us,
a sure sign of thy motherly affection for us
and a constant reminder
of our filial duties towards thee.
While wearing it, may we be blessed
by thy loving protection
and preserved in the grace of thy Son.
Most powerful Virgin,
Mother of our Saviour,
keep us close to thee,
every moment of our lives
so that like thee, we may live and act
according to the teaching
and example of thy Son.
Obtain for us, thy children,
the grace of a happy death,
so that in union with thee
we may enjoy
the happiness of heaven forever.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 27 November – Saint Maximus of Riez (Died 460) Bishop, Confessor

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Saint of the Day – 27 November – Saint Maximus of Riez (Died 460) Bishop of Riez, France, Confessor, Abbot, Hermi, zealous and highly efficient leader, Miracle-worker. Born in Decom, Provence (modern Châteauredon, France) and died in Reiz in 460 of natural causes. Patronages – children, the dying, Agliè, Italy, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.

The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Riez, in France, St Maximus, Bishop and Confessor, who, from his tender years, was endowed with every grace and virtue. Being first the Superior of the Monastery of Lérins and afterwards, Bishop of the Church of Riez, he was celebrated for the working of miracles and prodigies.”

Saint Maximus was born in Decomer in Provence in France and was duly Baptised as a very young infant by deeply pious parents. He was thus brought up in a similar manner observing all the devotions and duties of a Christian home. There, at home, he began to live as a kind of recluse, to mortify his senses and practice self-deniel, solitude and prayer.

When he was an adult, he chose the religious life and became a Monk in the Monastery of Lérins, where he was under the Founder, Saint Honoratius.

When, in 426, St Honoratus became the Archbishop of Arles, Maximus was elected as the Monastery’s second Abbot. Saint Sidonius writes that the Monastery received a new spiritual gift due to Saint Maximus’ wise leadership and shining example. The Monks obeyed him with joy and did not complain about the rigour of the religious life.

Maximus was also known for numerous miracles which naturally only increased his reputation as a saint. So many came to ask him for advice and to seek his spiritual counsel that finally, he had to find a home in the forest to concela himself from unwanted renown and to hide from those who wanted him to appoint him as the Bishop of Fréjus.

But later he still, in humble obedience, accepted the elevated role of a Bishop but of Riez in Provence. In 434 he was Ordained by Saint Hilarius (he had been tracked down, after he had first fled along the coast and into Italy, to escape appointment). He became one of the most prominent of the French Bishops, of the time. Even as a Bishop, he continued to wear a hair shirt and Monk’s Habit and followed the Monastic Rule as far as was compatible with his Episcopal obligations.

Some of the sermons formerly attributed to Eusebius of Emesa are now believed to have been by Saint Maximus. He attended the Synods of Riez in 439, Orange I in 441 and Arles in 454. Our Saint died in 460 and is buried in Riez.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal / The Medal of the Immaculate Conception (1830) and Memorials of the Saints – 27 November

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Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal / The Medal of the Immaculate Conception (1830) (the correct title is the latter):
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/27/memorial-of-our-lady-of-the-miraculous-medal-and-memorials-of-the-saints-27-november/

St Catherine Labouré DC (1806-1876) – Celebrated tomorrow:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/28/saint-of-the-day-28-november-st-catherine-laboure-dc-1806-1876/
AND:
The Miraculous Medal:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/28/thought-for-the-day-28-november-the-memorial-of-st-catherine-laboure-dc-1806-1876/

Two of the most famous conversions due to the Miraculous medal was that of Fr Alphonse Ratisbonne NDS (1814-1884), an anti-Catholic Jewish banker and Claude Newman (1923-1944).
Fr Alphonse Ratisbonne received a vision of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. After his conversion, he became a Priest and worked for the conversion of the Jewish people.

St Acacius of Sebaste
St Acharius of Noyon
St Apollinaris of Monte Cassino
St Barlaam

Blessed Bernardine of Fossa OFM (1420-1503) Priest, Friar of the Friars Minor, Missionary in Italy and a renowned Preacher, noted Historian, Lawyer, Ascetical Writer, rising within the Order to important positions. His cult was later confirmed by the Beatification of Pope Leo XII on 26 March 1828.
The Roman Martyrology states: “At L’Aquila, blessed Bernardino da Fossa (Giovanni) Amici, Priest of the Order of Minors, who preached the Catholic Faith in many Provinces of Italy.“
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/27/saint-of-the-day-27-november-blessed-bernardine-of-fossa-ofm-1420-1503/

St Bilhild of Altmünster
St Eusician
St Facundus
St Fergus the Pict
St Gallgo of Wales
St Gregory of Sinai
St Gulstan
St Hirenarchus of Sebaste
St James Intercisus
St John Angeloptes
St John of Pavia
St Laverius

St Maximus of Riez (Died 460) Bishop, Confessor, Abbot, Hermit
St Primitivus of Sahagun

St Secundinus of Ireland (c 373-448) Bishop, Missionary, Founder, first Bishop and Patron Saint of Domhnach Sechnaill, Co. Meath, who is traditionally believed to have been as a disciple of St Patrick and one of the first Bishops of Armagh, Poet and Hymnist.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/27/saint-of-the-day-27-november-st-secundinus-of-ireland-c-373-448-bishop/

St Severinus the Hermit
St Siffred of Carpentras
St Valerian of Aquileia

St Virgilius of Salzburg (c 700-784) Bishop, Abbot, early Astronomer, Architect, Writer, Poet, Patron of the Arts – he was called “the Apostle of Carinthia” and “the Geometer.”
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/11/27/saint-of-the-day-27-november-saint-virgilius-of-salzburg-c-700-784/

Martyrs of Antioch – 3 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred together for their faith. Little information has survived except for their names – Auxilius, Basileus and Saturninus.

Martyrs of Nagasaki – 11 Beati: A group of eleven Christians Martyred together for their faith during a period of official persecution in Japan. They are:
Blessed Alexius Nakamura
Blessed Antonius Kimura
Blessed Bartholomaeus Seki
Blessed Ioannes Iwanaga
Blessed Ioannes Motoyama
Blessed Leo Nakanishi
Blessed Matthias Kozasa
Blessed Matthias Nakano
Blessed Michaël Takeshita
Blessed Romanus Motoyama Myotaro
Blessed Thomas Koteda Kyumi
They were Martyred on 27 November 1619 in Nagasaki, Japan and Beatified on 7 May 1867 by Pope Pius IX.

Posted in DOGMA, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, NOTES to Followers, NOVENAS

Reminder: The Novena in Honour of the Immaculate Conception begins on 29 November

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Novena in honour of the Immaculate Conception
Begins 29 November
Feast 8 December

The Dogma was promulgated by Blessed Pius IX in 1854 in the Bull Ineffabilis Deus.
This Dogma is rejected by all Protestants including the Orthodox – another reason why we cannot interact with these the way some do and the Vatican II church endorses.

Let us Pray to our Mother, the Immaculate and Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on SPIRITUAL WORKS of MERCY, The BEATITUDES, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 26 November – The Blessedness of the Merciful

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Thought for the Day – 26 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of the Merciful

“Let us remember that we have often made ourselves God’s enemies, by our sins.
We were often in need, when we were deprived of Divine grace.
On these occasions, God was merciful to us, for He granted us His forgiveness and His friendship.
These gifts of God, place an obligation on us, to behave in the same way to those who are in need, by assisting them willingly and generously and, to those who are unhappy, by consoling them as far as possible.

Let us remember, the great principle which Jesus Christ has given us.
“Even as you wish men to do to you, so also, do you unto them … Do good to those who hate you … Do not judge and you shall not be judged; do not condemn and you shall not be condemned. Forgive and you shall be forgiven, give and it shall be given to you …” (Cf Lk 6:30-38).
“With what judgement you judge, you shall be judged and with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you” (Mt 7:1).
So it shall be on the day of death, when we shall appear before the Supreme Judge!

Let us be generous throughout life in giving help and consolation to others.
It is more blessed to give, than to receive, as the Gospel says.
By giving, we shall find a little happiness, even in this world and shall be certain that one day, the most merciful Judge will pardon and embrace us!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/03/thought-for-the-day-2-december-the-blessedness-of-the-merciful/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/26/thought-for-the-day-26-november-the-blessedness-of-the-merciful/