Posted in HUMILITY-Fr Richard Clarke, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VANITY, SELF-DISTRUST

Thought for the Day – 5 July – Certain Temptations Against Humility

Thought for the Day – 5 July – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

HUMILITY
Meditations for a Month

Certain Temptations Against Humility

It is not easy to be humble when we are praised and flattered. Our self-love swallows, with eagerness, the words of compliment. We think they must be partly true, or at least, we are tempted to exult in the high opinion which others profess of us. Such occasions are very perilous to humility.
We should do well to think of Herod when the people listened to his oration and shouted out, “It is the voice of a god and not of a man.” We read that, because he took the glory to himself instead of giving it to God, he was smitten down by the Angel of the Lord and died miserably (Acts 12).

Yet we cannot help being pleased when others speak kindly of us and we ought to be pleased when our superiors commend us but, we must observe certain precautions.

  • We must take care to rejoice rather in the kindness of others than in their praise.
  • We must strive to forget ourselves, raise our hearts to God and offer Him our success.
  • We must make an act of humility at the thought that, if those who praise us saw us as God sees us, they would despise, not honour us.

If we find we are puffed up by praise, this is fresh proof of our imperfection. The Saints disliked and dreaded praise and, when they were blamed unjustly, thanked God and took it as a mark of His love and favour. Father Lancicius used to consider unjust reproaches as pure gains because they had no drawback of self-reproach or regret.
Which do I accept most gladly, undue praise or undeserved blame?

Posted in GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY

Quote/s of the Day – 5 July–St Anthony Mary Zaccaria

Quote/s of the Day – 5 July–St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539) Confessor, Priest, Founder of the Barnabits – The First Religious Order Named after St Paul The Apostle

Man, my friends, was created
and placed upon this earth,
chiefly and exclusively,
in order to reach God;
the rest of creation helps him
reach that goal.

God has made your neighbour
the road to reach His Majesty.”

Climb up as high as you can,
for you owe Him much, much more!

Strive continuously to increase,
that which you have begun in yourself
and in others because,
the heights of perfection are limitless.

(From Sermon VI – The Way of God)

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/07/05/quote-s-of-the-day-5-july-st-anthony-mary-zaccaria-4/

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, SELF-DISTRUST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 July– “Good Master, what shall I do that I may receive life everlasting?” – Mark 10:17

One Minute Reflection – 5 July– “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539) Confessor, Priest, Founder – 1 Timothy 4:8-16, Mark 10:15-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Good Master, what shall I do that I may receive life everlasting?” – Mark 10:17

REFLECTION –It was no small forwardness which the young man had shown; he was a man with great desires. While others were coming to Jesus to put Him to trial or to ask Him to cure their diseases, or those of other people, this young man comes to Him to talk about eternal life. He was like fertile, rich land but there were thorns there too, ready to choke the seeds (Mt 13:7). Look how he is ready to obey the commandments: “What must I do,” he says, “to inherit eternal life?”… This was not the feeling of any of the Pharisees, they grew furious when their mouths were stopped. But not so this man, he goes away downcast which is no little sign that he had come, not with an evil will but, with one too feeble. He did indeed desire life but was held in subjection by another, most grievous desire …

If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven; then come, follow Me … At this statement, he went away sorrowful.” After this, the evangelist shows why he felt this way, by saying, “He had many possessions.” For those who have little, are not equally held in subjection by their possessions, as those who overflow with affluence, for then the love of it becomes more tyrannical. The increase of acquisitions kindles the flame more and renders those, who possess them, poorer, it puts them in greater desire and makes them feel more their “want”. See what strength this passion exhibited here … “How difficulkt it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!” Not that Christ blames wealth but those who are held in subjection by it.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homily 63 on Matthew).

PRAYER – Grant, O Lord God that in the spirit of Paul the Apostle,
we may learn the knowledge of Jesus Christ which surpasses all understanding, wherein the blessed Anthony Mary was marvelously learned, who gathered together in Thy Church new households of Clerics and of Virgins. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God world without end. Amen (Collect).

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

Our Morning Offering – 5 July– A Morning Offering Of St Alphonsus

Our Morning Offering – 5 July– “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” –

My Most Sweet Lord
A Morning Offering
Of St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

My most sweet Lord,
I offer and consecrate to Thee.
this morning
all that I am and have –
my senses,
my thoughts,
my affections,
my desires,
my pleasures,
my inclinations,
my liberty.
In a word,
I place my whole body and soul
in Thy Hands.
Amen.

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 5 July – Saint Zoe of Rome (Died c286) Married laywoman, Martyr

Saint of the Day – 5 July – Saint Zoe of Rome (Died c286) Married laywoman, Martyr. She lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian and his early persecution of Christians. Also known as – Zoa.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Rome, St Zoe, Martyr, wife of the blessed Martyr Nicostratus. Whilst praying at the tomb of the Apostle, St Peter, during the time of Diocletian, she was seized by the persecutors and cast into a dark dungeon, then, being suspended on a tree by her neck and hair and suffocated by loathsome smoke, she yielded up her soul in the confession of the Lord.

Saint Zoe, Martyr (18th Century, Portuguese)

For six years Zoe had been unable to speak. Saint Sebastian made the Sign of the Coss upon her forehead and she immediately began to speak and glorified the Lord Jesus Christ.

Zoe asked for Baptism brining her husband and family to Christ too.

She became greatly devoted to Saint Peter and was discovered praying at his tomb when she was arrested for her faith.

She died, suffocated by the terrible smoke of a dung fire, lit beneath her suspended body. Her body was tied to arock and thrown into the River Tiber. The following night Zoe appears to St Sebastian and showed him the place where her body might be found. Her Relics are preserved in Rome, in the Basilica of Santa Prassede.

The Basilica of St Prassede
Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

First Friday, Within the Octave of Sts Peter and Paul, Our Lady of Mount Athos, Great Lavra, Greece , 8th Century, St Anthony Mary Zaccaria and the Saints for 5 July

First Friday

Within the Octave of Sts Peter and Paul

St Agatho of Sicily
St Athanasius the Athonite
St Athanasius of Jerusalem
St Cast
St Cyprille of Libya
St Cyrilla of Cyrene
St Domèce
St Domitius of Phrygia
St Edana of West Ireland

St Erfyl
St Fragan
St Grace of Cornwall
St Gwen
St Marinus of Tomi
St Mars of Nantes
St Marthe


St Numerian of Treves
St Philomena of San Severino
St Probus of Cornwall
St Rosa Chen Aijieh
St Sedolpha of Tomi
St Stephen of Reggio
St Teresia Chen Qingjieh
St Theodotus of Tomi
St Thomas of Terreti
St Triphina of Brittany
St Triphina of Sicily
St Zoe of Rome (Died c286) Married laywoman, Martyr