Day: August 21, 2024

Posted in "Follow Me", CHARITY - Fr Richard Clarke SJ, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY

Thought for the Day – 21 August – The Charity of Jesus Christ

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 21 August – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

CHARITY
Meditations for a Month

The Charity of Jesus Christ
“The Charity of Christ surpasseth all knowledge”

(Ephesians 3:19)

In what did the Charity of Christ consist?
(1) In an Infinite self-abasement for our sakes. From the Throne of God, He humbled Himself to the form of sinful man.
(2) In a sacrifice of Himself which passes all comprehension. He gave up the Infinite joy of Heaven, for the sufferings of this vale of tears.
(3) In the endurance of mental and bodily agony, of desolation and dereliction.
One moment of these would have crushed the life out of the strongest of men.

Try to realise those familiar truths and see what a contrast your life is to His.
What are the chief points of contrast?
(1) Christ humbled Himself for the good of others. I seek to exalt myself at their cost.
(2) Christ gave up His life of perfect happiness that He might make others happy.
I am willing to sacrifice little or nothing, my aim is to make myself happy, not others.
(3) Christ endured unspeakable agony to save men from the agony they well deserved.
I complain of the least discomfort. As to giving up my joys and pleasures for others and enduring misery for their sakes, I would not even think of it.

Yet, I consider myself a good Christian and speak glibly of treading in the Footsteps of Christ.
I expect to be admitted to Heaven as one of His friends and followers. What will He say to me when I present myself? Will He recognise in me, any likeness to Himself or any vestige of His Divine Charity?
O my God, I must be very different from what I have been, if I am to present myself with confidence before Thee, as one whose charity is like to the Charity of Christ!

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 21 August – St Jane Frances de Chantal

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 21 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Jane Frances de Chantal VHM (1572-1641) Widow

“With God there is no need for long speeches.
In Heaven the Angels utter no other wor
than this: “HOLY.”
This is their entire prayer
and in paradise they are occupied
with this single word as an act of homage,
to the single Word of God, Who lives eternally….
In prayer, more is accomplished
by listening, than by speaking.”

“May we love and serve the Lord reverently
with a loving, filial fear
of offending our heavenly Father
and of displeasing Jesus, our Divine Beloved.
As long as we are in this life,
we would do well to follow
the well-travelled ways to holiness.
Fear of God is the first step on this path.
We cannot maintain a truly productive desire
of serving God unless we have a holy fear
of displeasing Our Saviour and,
of being negligent in responding to grace
and inspirations. ”

“She was full of faith and yet, all her life long,
she had been tormented, by thoughts against it.
Nor did she once relax, in the fidelity God asked of her.
And so, I regard her, as one of the holiest souls
I have ever met on this earth.”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

(St Jane was a close friend of St Francis de Sales
and St Vincent de Paul, both of whom
guided and assisted her and her foundation,
as Spiritual Advisors and Confessors.)

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/08/21/quote-s-of-the-day-21-august-st-jane-frances-de-chantal-2/

St Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on JOY, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 August– ‘ … For everything lies in the soul’s inner sanctuary. …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 21 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Jane Frances de Chantal VHM (1572-1641) Widow – Proverbs 31:10-31′; Matthew 13:44-52 – – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure  hidden in a field; he who finds it, hides it and in his joy, goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” – Matthew 13:44

REFLECTION – “In my opinion, it would be unworthy of us to withdraw, even for a moment, from the contemplation of Christ. When we have lost sight of Him, even briefly, let us turn our mind’s regard back to Him, directing the eyes of our heart, as by a very straight line. For everything lies in the soul’s inner sanctuary. There, after the devil has been expelled and the vices no longer reign at all, the Kingdom of God can be established in us, as the Evangelist says: “For amen I say to you that the Kingdom of God is within you.”

But within us there can be nothing else than knowledge or ignorance of the truth and the love, of either the vices, or the virtues, by which we make ready a Kingdom in our hearts, either for the devil or for Christ.

The Apostle Paul also describes the characteristics of this Kingdom when he says: “For the Kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Thus, if the Kingdom of God is within us and the Kingdom of God is itself, righteousness and peace and joy, then, whoever abides in these things, is undoubtedly in the Kingdom of God … Let us lift up the eyes of our soul to that Kingdom which is endless joy!” – St John Cassian (c360-435) Monk, Theologian, Founder of Monasteries, Father of the Church, Disciple of St John Chrysostom (Conferences No 1).

PRAYER – Almighty and merciful God, Who endowed St Jane Frances, burning with love of Thee, with a wondrous strength of spirit through all the paths of life, in the way of perfection and willed through her, to ennoble Thy Church, by a new religious family, grant by her merits and prayers, that we who are aware of our weakness, may trust firmly in Thy power and, by the assistance of divine grace, overcome all obstacles in our way. 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 GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 21 August – Prayer of Abandonment

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 21 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Feast of St Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641)

Prayer of Abandonment
By St Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641)

O sovereign goodness
of the sovereign Providence of my God!
I abandon myself forever to Thy arms.
Whether gentle or severe,
lead me henceforth whither Thou will.
I will not regard the way
through which Thou will have me pass
but keep my eyes fixed upon Thee,
my God, who guides me.
My soul finds no rest without the arms
and the bosom of this heavenly Providence,
my true Mother, my strength and my rampart.
Therefore I resolve with Thy Divine assistance,
0 my Saviour,
to follow Thy desires and Thy ordinances,
without regarding or examining
why Thou does this rather than that
but I will blindly follow Thee,
according to Thy Divine will,
without seeking my own inclinations.
Hence I am determined to leave all to Thee,
taking no part therein,
save by keeping myself in peace in Thy arms,
desiring nothing, except as Thou incites me to desire,
to will, to wish.
I offer Thee this desire, 0 my God,
beseeching Thee to bless it.
I undertake all it includes,
relying on Thy goodness,
liberality and mercy,
with entire confidence in Thee,
distrust of myself,
and knowledge of my infinite misery and infirmity.
Amen.

Posted in franciscan OFM, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 21 August – Blessed Conrad Probus of Toul OFM (c1220-1297) Bishop

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 21 August – Blessed Conrad Probus of Toul OFM (c1220-1297) Bishop of Toul, Papal Legate, Defender of the Church against secular interference. Born in c1220 in Tübingen, Wurttemberg (in modern Germany) and died on 2 May 1297 in onstanz, Germany of natural causes. Also known as – Konrad, Probus, … of Tübingen, Conrad Probus.

Conrad, later called Probus, was a Bishop of Toul in France, between 1269 AND 1279.

The central nave completed by Blessed Conrad

In 1245. although his qualities and his life of piety earned him the attention of his Bishop, he decided to become a Religious in the congregation of the Friars Minor.

We know that Pope Nicholas III, his fellow Friar of the Minors and friend, entrusted him with numerous missions, appointing him the Bishop of Toul in Lorraine, on 4 October 1279.

In the list of Bishops of Toul, his name is listed when the Diocese was vacant between the years 1269-1279. Conrad had to defend the rights of the Church against the City Officials. In 1285, having emerged victorious in various disputes, he built the central nave and the smaller ones of the Cathedral of Toul.

He increased the devotion towards the miraculous Notre-Dame-au-Pied-d’Argent / Our Lady with the Silver Foot), Toul, an apparition miracle in which the the Blessed Virgin Mary warned a parishioner of an act of treachery planned against the City of Toul. This Feast Day of Our Lady’s apparition is celebrated on 20 September, the story is explained here: https://anastpaul.com/2021/09/20/notre-dame-au-pied-dargent-our-lady-with-the-silver-foot-toul-meurthe-et-moselle-lorraine-france-1284-and-memorials-of-the-saints-20-september/

Our Lady with the Silver Foot

In 1295 his resignation as Prelate was accepted and it is believed that Conrad died on 2 May 2, 1297 in Constance, Germany.

Blessed Conrad of Toul in the Franciscan Martyrology has always been celebrated and remembered on 21 August.

Toul Cathedral
Posted in franciscan OFM, SAINT of the DAY

Within the Octave of the Assumption, Our Lady of Knock, St Jane Frances de Chantal and the rest of the Saints for 21 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Within the Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven

Our Lady of Knock, Ireland (1879) – 21 August:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/08/21/the-11th-sunday-after-pentecost-our-lady-of-knock-ireland-1879-and-memorials-of-the-saints-21-august/

St Jane Frances de Chantal VHM (1572-1641) – Mother, Widow, Foundress of the Congregation of the Visitation. Close friend of St Francis de Sales and St Vincent de Paul, both of whom guided and assisted her and her foundation, spiritually.
Beatified on 21 November 1751 by Pope Benedict XIV and Canonised on 16 July 1767 by Pope Clement XIII.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/08/12/saint-of-the-day-12-august-st-jane-frances-de-chantal/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/08/21/saint-of-the-day-21-august-st-jane-frances-de-chantal-1572-1641-widow/

https://youtube.com/watch?v=HNR1dOXiGNc%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26fs%3D1%26hl%3Den%26autohide%3D2%26wmode%3Dtransparent

St Abraham of Smolensk (Died c 1222) Monk, Abbot, Priest, apostle of the poor, Preacher, Biblical scholar and spiritual adviser
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/08/21/saint-of-the-day-21-august-saint-abraham-of-smolensk-died-c-1222/

St Agapius of Edessa
St Agathonicus of Constantinople
St Anastasius Cornicularius
St Aria of Rome

St Avitus I of Clermont (c525-c600) Bishop of Clermont, France.
What We Know of St Avitus:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/08/21/saint-of-the-day-21-august-saint-avitus-i-of-clermont-c525-c600-bishop/

St Bassa of Edessa
Bl Beatrice de Roelas
St Bernhard of Lérida
St Bernard de Alziv

St Bernard Tolomei (1272-1348) Founder of the Olivetans, Theologian, Mystic, Hermit, Lawyer, Soldier, Politician .
Take the Time to Know this St Bernard:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/08/21/saint-of-the-day-21-august-st-bernardo-tolomei-1272-1348/

St Bonosus
St Camerinus of Sardinia
St Cameron
St Cisellus of Sardinia
St Cyriaca

Blessed Conrad Probus of Toul OFM (c1220-1297) Bishop
St Euprepius of Verona
St Fidelis of Edessa
St Theogonius of Edessa
St Gracia of Lérida
St Hardulph
St Joseph Nien Vien
St Leontius the Elder
St Luxorius of Sardinia
St Maria of Lérida
St Maximianus the Soldier
St Maximilian of Antioch
St Natale of Casale Monferrato
St Paternus of Fondi
St Privatus of Mende
St Quadratus of Utica

St Sidonius Apollinaris (c430 – 489) Bishop, Copnfessor, Poet, Diplomat, Writer, Scholar, Apostle of the poor and of exiles.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/21/saint-of-the-day-21-august-saint-sidonius-apollinaris-c-430-489/

St Theogonius of Edessa