Day: April 15, 2024

Posted in QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, The PASSION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 15 April – On Meditation 

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Thought for the Day – 15 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

XLVI: … On Meditation

“When a considerable length of time [as a half-hour, hour, or an even longer period] is to be spent in prayer, it is advisable to make a meditation on some feature of our Saviour’s Life or Passion; the reflections naturally arising from such meditation, should then be applied to the particular virtue we are striving to attain.

If, for instance, you need patience, contemplate the Mystery of your Saviour Scourged at the Pillar.
Consider firstly, the blows and revilements hurled at Him by the soldiers as they brutally drag their innocent victim to the appointed place as ordered.
Secondly, consider Him stripped of His garments, exposed to the piercing cold.
Thirdly, picture those innocent hands, bound tightly to the pillar.
Fourthly, consider His Body, torn with whips until His Blood moistened the earth.
And finally, envision the frequency of the blows, creating new wounds, re-opening others on that Sacred Body.

Dwelling on these or similar details, calculated to inspire in yourself, a love of patience, you should try to feel within your very soul the inexpressible anguish so patiently borne by your Divine Master.
Then consider the excruciating agony of His spirit and the patience and mildness with which that agony was endured by Him, Who was ready to suffer even more for God’s glory and your welfare.

Behold, then, your Master, covered with Blood, desiring nothing more earnestly than your patient acceptance of affliction and, be assured, that He implores for you, the assistance of the Heavenly Father that you may bear, with resignation, not only the cross of the moment but the crosses to come.

Strengthen, therefore, by frequent acts, your resolution to suffer, with joy and, raising your mind to Heaven, give thanks to the Father of mercies, Who didst send His Only Son into this world to suffer indescribable torments and, to intercede for you in your necessities.

Conclude your meditation by beseeching Him to grant you the virtue of patience, through the merits and intercession of this beloved Son, in Whom He is well pleased.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, St PAUL!, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – ‘Our Shepherd,Who guides everything from Heaven above …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Good Shepherd,
I know My Own
and My Own know Me.”

John 10:14

“He cries out, saying:
See, I am with you all the days of this age.
He is Himself the Shepherd,
the High Priest,
the Way and the Door
and has become all things at once for us.”

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“So Saul was led to Ananias –
the ravaging wolf is led to the sheep.
But the Shepherd,
Who guides everything from Heaven above,
reassures him…
“Do not fear, I will show him
what he will have to suffer, for My Name’s sake”
(Acts 9:16).
What wonder is this!
The wolf is led, a captive, to the sheep…
The Lamb who died for the sheep,
teaches it not to be afraid any more!”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“With good reason Christ declares:
I am the Good Shepherd,
I seek out the lost sheep,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal (Ez 34:16).
I have seen the flock of mankind
struck down by sickness;
I have witnessed my lambs
wander about where demons dwell;
I have seen my flock ravaged by wolves.
All this I have seen
and have not witnessed it from on high.
That is why I took hold of the withered hand,
gripped by pain, as if by a wolf;
I have unbound those whom fever had bound;
I taught him to see,
whose eyes had been shut from his mother’s womb;
I brought Lazarus out from the tomb
where he had lain for four days (Mk 3:5; 1:31; Jn 9; 11).
For I am the Good Shepherd
and the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.”

Basil of Seleucia (Died 448)
Bishop of Seleucia

(Oratio 26)

“The measure of love,
is to love without measure.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The LAMB of GOD, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 April – ‘Let us consider Christ, our Shepherd …’

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One Minute Reflection – 15 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I Am the Good Shepherd, I know My Own and My Own know Me.”- John 10:14

REFLECTION – “Let us consider Christ, our Shepherd … He rejoices in those sheep of His who are around Him and goes in search of those who stray. Mountains and forests cause Him no fear; He crosses ravines to reach the sheep who is lost. Even if He finds it in a piteous state, He is not angry but touched with pity; He takes it on His shoulders and, from His own weariness, heals the exhausted sheep (Lk 15:4 ) …

With good reason, Christ declares: “I am the Good Shepherd, I seek out the lost sheep, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal (Ez 34:16). I have seen the flock of mankind struck down by sickness; I have witnessed My lambs wander about where demons dwell; I have seen My flock ravaged by wolves. All this I have seen and have not witnessed it from on high. That is why I took hold of the withered hand, gripped by pain as if by a wolf; I have unbound those whom fever had bound; I taught him to see whose eyes had been shut from his mother’s womb; I brought Lazarus out from the tomb where he had lain for four days (Mk 3:5; 1:31; Jn 9; 11). For I am the Good Shepherd and the Good Shepherd lays down His Life for His sheep.” …”

The Prophet knew this Shepherd when, long before His Passion, he declared what would take place: “Like a sheep led to the slaughter or a sheep, dumb before the shearers, He opened not His mouth” (Is 53:7). Like a sheep, the Shepherd has offered His neck for His flock … By His death, He heals from death; by His tomb He empties the tomb … The tombs are full and the prison shut so long as the Shepherd, come down from the Cross, has not come to bring His captive sheep the joyful news of their liberation. We see Him in hell where He gives the order for their release (1 Pt 3:19); we see Him call His sheep once more, giving them the call to life from the dwellings of the dead. “The Good Shepherd lays down His Life for HIs sheep.” This is how He intends to win the affection of His sheep and those who know how to listen to His Voice love Christ.” – Basil of Seleucia (Died c468) ArchBishop and Father of the Church (Oratio 26).

PRAYER – O God, Who, by the humility of Thy Son, didst lift up a fallen world, grant unending happiness to Thy faithful, that those whom Thou hast snatched from the perils of endless death, Thou mayest cause to rejoice in everlasting days. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR

Our Morning Offering – 15 April – O God of Love, Give Me Thy Love and Thy Grace By St Alphonsus Liguori

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Our Morning Offering – 15 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day

O God of Love,
Give Me Thy Love and Thy Grace
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

O God of Love,
Thou art
and shall be forever,
the only delight of my heart
and the sole object of my affections.
Since Jesus said:
‘Ask and you shall receive,’
I do not hesitate to say:
‘Give me Thy Love and Thy Grace.’
Grant that I may love Thee
and be loved by Thee.
I want for nothing else.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 15 April – Saint Ortarius of Landelles (Died c580) Priest, Abbot

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Saint of the Day – 15 April – Saint Ortarius of Landelles (Died c580) Priest, Abbot of Landelles, near Vire in Normandy, France. A man of great wisdom, austerity and devotion, a renowned and rivetting Preacher, a skilled and beloved leader as well as the benefactor of all the poor and the sick within his reach. Also known as “The Apostle of Normandy,” Ortario. Additional Memorial – 21 May in Normandy.

The Roman Martyrology states: “In the Monastery of Landelles in the territory of Bayeux in Normandy, France, Saint Ortarius, the Abbot, dedicated to a life of austerity and prayer and assiduous in caring for the sick and assisting the poor.”

The figure of Saint Ortarius, the Abbot of Landelles in Normandy, emerges from the mists of the 6th Century as a beacon of holiness and dedication to others. His life, although shrouded in the patina of time and enriched by popular legends, nevertheless offers us a portrait of a deeply religious man and a charismatic leader.

We know nothing about his precedents or his life before becoming a Monk of great religious fervour was appointed as the Abbot of the Monastery of Landelles, located near today’s Vire. Under his leadership, the monastic community flourished, becoming a centre of spiritual learning and culture in the region. The holiness and wisdom of Ortarius spread rapidly, attracting disciples and the faithful from all over the region.

Ortarius is considered “The Apostle of Normandy,” for his fundamental role in the spread of Christianity in the region. His fiery preaching and his example of virtuous life converted many pagans and strengthened the faith of the Christians. His evangelisation work left an indelible mark on the history of Normandy, helping to shape its Christian identity.

In addition to his dedication to prayer and preaching, Ortarius stood out for his profound charity towards the poor and the sick. He did his utmost in charitable works, treating the sick with his own hands and giving relief to the suffering. His compassion and generous and kind heart, made him a shining example of Christian charity.

The remains of Saint Ortarius rested for centuries in the Monastery of Landelles, a destination for pilgrimages and a place of veneration. The cult of the Saint spread around Normandy and the surrounding regions, with his Feast celebrated on 21 May, the anniversary of a translation of the Relics. In some calendars, his memory is also commemorated on 15 April.

Landelles Church
Posted in MARIAN TITLES, MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Lady of Kieff (1010) and the Saints for 15 April

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Monday in the Third Week of Easter

Our Lady of Kieff (1010) – 15 April:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/15/our-lady-of-kieff-1010-and-memorials-of-the-saints-15-april/

St Abbo II of Metz Bishop of Metz, France from 697 to 707.

St Abbondio of Como (Died c564) The Fourth Bishop of Como, Italy, Confessor, Theologian, Papal Legate.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/15/saint-of-the-day-15-april-saint-abbondio-of-como-died-c-564/

St Acuta

Saint Anastasia of Rome (Died c 68) Martyr, Spiritual Student of St Peter the Apostle AND:
St Basilissa of Rome (Died c 68) Martyr, Spiritual Student of St Peter the Apostle. put to death during the reign of Nero. They were among the first converts to Christianity in the 1st century after Christ.
The Roman Martyrology states today: “At Rome, the Saints Basilissa and Anastasia. Of noble families, they were disciples of the Apostles and, as they persevered courageously in the profession of their faith, in the time of the Emperor Nero, they had their tongues and feet cut off, were put to the sword and thus obtained the Crown of Martyrdom.”
Their Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/04/15/saint-s-of-the-day-15-april-saints-anastasia-and-st-basilissa-died-c-68-martyrs/

St Crescens of Myra
St Eutyches of Rome
St Eutychius of Ferentino

St Hunna (of Strasbourg) (died 679) Known as the Holy Washerwoman,
The life of St Hunna:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/15/saint-of-the-day-15-april-st-hunna-died-679/

Bl Laurentinus Sossius
St Maro of Rome
St Maximus of Persia
St Mundus
St Nidger of Augsburg
St Olympiades of Persia
St Ortarius of Landelles(Died c580) Priest, Abbot

St Paternus of Avranches (c482-c565) Bishop, Abbot, Monk, Hermit, Miracle-worker, Founder of Monasteries, local Missionary to the pagans. B
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/15/saint-of-the-day-15-april-st-paternus-of-avranches-c482-565-bishop/

St Paternus/Padarn of Wales (c482-c 568) Bishop, Monk, Hermit, renowned Preacher – he built a Monastery of Llanbadarn Fawr in Wales.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/15/saint-of-the-day-15-april-st-paternus-of-wales-c-482-c-568/

St Pausilopo of Thrace

St Ruadhan of Lorrha (Died 584) Irish Priest, Monk, Abbot. He was known for his prophesies
About St Ruadhan:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/04/15/saint-of-the-day-15-april-st-ruadan-died-584/

St Sylvester of Réome
St Theodore of Thrace
St Victorinus of Rome
St Waltmann of Cambrai O.Praem. (Died 1138) Abbot

Mercedarian Martyrs of Africa: A group of Mercedarian Monks sailing to Africa as on a mission to redeem capture Christians. Captured by Moors, they were tortured and executed for their faith. Martyrs. 1393.