Day: September 22, 2024

Posted in DYING / LAST WORDS, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM

Thought for the Day – 22 September – CONSIDERATION IX, Second Point – The Peace Felt by a Just Man When Dying – ‘O beloved death! …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 22 September – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“Preparation for Death”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

CONSIDERATION IX

The Peace Felt by a Just Man When Dying
“The souls of the just are in the Hands of God
and the torment of death, shall not touch them.
In the sight of the unwise, they seemed to die,
…. but they are at peace.”
(Wisd iii: 1-3)

SECOND POINT:
“The souls of the just are in the Hands of God and the torment of death shall not touch them. In the sight of the unwise, they seemed to die … but they are at peace.”
It seems, in the sight of the unwise that the servants of God die with sorrow and unwillingly, even as the worldly do but no, for God knows well how to comfort His children when they are dying and amidst the pains of their death, He makes them feel a certain incomparable sweetness, as a foretaste of Paradise which, within a short time, He will bestow upon them.
Like those who die in sin, who even upon their death-bed experience certain foretastes of hell, such as remorse, fear and
despair; so, on the contrary, do the Saints, by the acts of love
which, at that time they often make to God, by the desire
and by the hope which is within them, of very soon enjoying God, begin even before death, to feel that peace which they will afterwards fully enjoy in Heaven.

Death to the Saints is not a punishment but a reward. “For so He giveth His beloved sleep.” (Ps cxxvii: 3).
The death of him, who loves God, is not called death but sleep, so he can truly say: “I. will lay me down in peace and take my rest.” (Ps iv: 9).
Father Saurez died in such peace that whilst dying he was
able to say: “I did not think it was so sweet to die.”
Cardinal Baronius having been advised by his physician not to think so much about death, replied: “And why? Is it perchance that I fear it? I do not fear but I love it!”

Cardinal St Fisher, as Saunders relates, when about to die for the Faith, put on the best clothes he had, saying, he was going to a wedding.
When he came in sight of the scaffold he cast away his staff,
saying: “Make haste my feet, make haste, for we are not far from Paradise.” And before dying he sang Te Deum, in returning thanks to God, Who had allowed him to die a Martyr’s death, for the holy Faith and thus being filled with joy, he placed his head under the axe.

St Francis of Assisi sang while dying and invited the others to sing too. One, Brother Elias, made answer saying: “We ought to weep, Father and not to sing when we are dying.” But the Saint replied: “I cannot do less than sing, seeing that, within so short a time, I am going to enjoy God.”

A Teresian Nun dying when she was young and seeing the
other Nuns begin to weep, she said to them: “ O God, wherefore do you weep, I am going to find my Jesus; if you love me rejoice with me!”
Father Granada relates that a certain hunter found a solitary leper singing when dying: “Why is it,” said the hunter, “that thou canst sing when, in this condition?” The hermit answered, saying: “Brother, between me and God there is only the wall of this my body, now I can see falling into pieces that which was my prison and I am going to see God and, therefore, I comfort myself and sing.”

This longing to see God, made St Ignatius the Martyr say, that if the wild beasts did not come to take away his life, he would irritate them and thus, provoke them to devour him.

St Catherine of Genoa would not allow anyone to consider death a misfortune, for she said: “O beloved death! how ungraciously art thou welcomed! and why do thou not come to me, when I call upon thee day and night?”
St Teresa desired death so much that she considered it death, not to die and accordingly she composed the celebrated Hymn: “I die because 1 do not die”
Even such is death to the Saints!

Affections andPrayers

Ah my Sovereign Good, my God! if during the years that are
past, I have not loved Thee, now will I be converted to Thee. I
bid farewell to every creature and I choose to love Thee alone,
my sweetest Saviour.
Tell me what Thou wishest me to do that I may do it.
I have already committed offences enough against Thee. The life remaining to me, I would wish to spend it all in pleasing Thee.
Give me strength, in some way to atone, with my love, for the ingratitude which, until now, I have shown Thee.
I have deserved, all these years, to be cast into everlasting punishment. Thou hast sought me so many tunes, now at last, Thou hast drawn me to Thee; let me now burn with the fire of Thy holy love.

I love Thee, O Thou Infinite Good,
Thou wishest me to love Thee only and with reason, for Thou
hast loved me more than all and Thou alone art worthy to be
loved and I will love Thee only, for I would do all I can to
please Thee. Do with me as Thou wilt. It is enough that I
love Thee and that Thou lovest me.

In the Tower by TPS
Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, MODESTY, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on the POOR, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE

Quote/s of the Day – 22 September – St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1488-1555) Archbishop, Confessor.

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 September – St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1488-1555) Archbishop, Confessor.

“Humility is the mother of many virtues
because, from it are born:
obedience, fear, reverence, patience,
modesty, meekness and peace.
He who is humble easily obeys everyone,
fears to offend anyone,
is at peace with everyone,
is kind to all!”

“If you wish God to anticipate your wants,
provide those of the needy
without waiting for them to ask you.
Especially anticipate the needs of those
who are ashamed to beg.
To make them ask for alms
is to make them buy it.”

“Rejoice, then, you poor folks;
shout for joy, you needy ones
for even if the world
holds you in contempt,
you are highly valued
by your Lord God and the Angels.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/09/22/quote-s-of-the-day-22-september-st-thomas-of-villanova/

St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1488-1555)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 September – ‘ … Here He gives us a complete image of the Resurrection …’

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One Minute Reflection – 22 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1488-1555) Archbishop, Confessor – 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; Matthew 9:1-8 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic,
Take courage, son, thy sins are forgiven thee.” – Matthew 9:2

REFLECTION – “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic: ‘Thy sins are forgiven thee,‘” The Lord is great! for the sake of the former he forgives the latter! He answers the prayer of the first and pardons the sins of the second.
O men, why is it that today your fellow traveller is unable to do anything for you, when, with the Lord, His servant has the right to intervene and to receive?

You who judge, learn to pardon and you who are ill, learn to beseech. If you have no hope of immediate pardon for grave sins, turn to intercessors, turn to the Church who will pray for you. Then, for her sake, the Lord will grant you the pardon He might have denied you. We do not ignore the historical truth of the paralytic’s cure but, above all, we acknowledge the healing of his interior self, whose sins are forgiven. …

The Lord wants to save sinners; He demonstrates His Divinity by His knowledge of what is secret and, by the wonders of His deeds. “Which is easier to say,” he asks: “’Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Rise and walk’?” Here He gives us a complete image of the Resurrection since, in curing the wounds of soul and body … the whole man is healed!” – St Ambrose (340-397) ArchBishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church (Commentary on Saint Luke’s Gospel V, 11-13).

PRAYER – O God, Who endowed blessed Bishop Thomas with the virtue of special pity for the poor, we beseech Thee, through his intercession, generously to pour forth the riches of Thy mercy upon all those who pray to Thee.ThroughJesus 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 ACT of LOVE, ACT of REPARATION, EUCHARISTIC, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, EUCHARISTIC ADORATION and Nocturnal, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, Our MORNING Offering, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 22 September – Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to make amends for the outrages He suffers in the Blessed Sacrament

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Our Morning Offering – 22 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – Pentecost XVIII

Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
to make amends for the outrages He suffers
in the Blessed Sacrament
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Grant me, O Sacred Heart,
by Thine own sweetness
and boundless mercy,
the pardon which I ask for,
and give me grace to keep
the resolution, which I now make,
to do all I can in the future ,
to pay Thee, in the Sacrament of Thy Love,
the profound adoration which I owe Thee
and to show Thee that gratitude
and love which are justly due to Thee.
I resolve to repair my past faults
by the modesty of my deportment
in Thy churches,
by my constancy in visiting Thee,
my devotion and fervo.r in receiving Thee
and, in fulfilment of Thy desire,
I impose upon myself the duty of often
repeating Acts of Reparation
in Thy Presence, as Thou hast deigned to direct,
in order, as far as I can, to atone
for the injuries done Thee by others
and of which Thy very love
makes Thee the Victim in this Divine Sacrament.

Bless, I beseech Thee, this resolve
and give me grace to keep it faithfully.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 22 September – St Emmeramus of Regensburg, Bishop Martyr

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Saint of the Day – 22 September – St Emmeramus of Regensburg (also historically known as Ratisbon) (Died c690) Bishop Martyr, Missionary Born in Poitiers, France and died on 22 September c652 in Feldkirchen near Munich in Bavaria by being murdered. Patronages – of Poitiers in France and of the City and Diocese of Regensburg in Germany. Also known as – Emmeran, Emmeranus, Emmerano, Emeran, Heimrammi, Haimeran, Haimhramm,or Heimeran.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Ratisbon, in Bavaria, St Emmeramus, Bishop and Martyr, who, to deliver others, endured patiently a most cruel death, for the sake of Our Lord.”

Painting in the Parish Church in Aschheim near Munich

Emmeramus was a Monk and Bishop of Poitiers, left the Kingdom of the Franks at the end of the 7th Century to evangelise in Regensburg, Bavaria, where he was received with benevolence by Duke Theodo. The latter wanted to keep him as the Bishop of his territory or, at least, as the Abbot of a Monastery there.

It is not known how long Emmeramus exercised his pastoral ministry at the Duke’s Court or whether he founded a Monastery near the church of St George.

When leaving for Rome, Emmeramus was unjustly accused of having kidnapped Uta, the Duke’s daughter. To avenge this dishonour, Lambert, the girl’s brother, pursued Emmeramus with an armed troop and caught up with him at Klein-helfendorf, near Aibling (Diocese of Freising). Wishing to protect the real culprit, Emmeramus did not defend himself and received numerous wounds. The Clerics who accompanied him carried him to Ascheim where death put an end to his cruel sufferings. His tortures had involved a ladder, different tortures being applied for each rung thereon. At his death, a heavenly ladder was seen being extended to the Martyr for his final climb to his his great Lord.

The body of the Saint was brought back to Regensburg and buried in the Church of St George. The famous Monastery which takes his name, was built on his tomb and his cult eclipsed that of Everard, the oldest Bishop of the City. Bishop Gaubald (739-761) attended to the solemn elevation of the Relics and built a new Church in his honour. In the same way, Bishop Erembert of Freising (739-747) had a Church built on the site of his torture, in Klein-helfendorf.

In 1898, in the Monastery of St Emmeramus a tomb was discovered containing a skeleton that immediately crumbled to dust and some believed that they were in the presence of the ancient Martyr; another tomb had in fact been erected in the upper Church around 1340.

The oldest evidence of veneration is found in the Waldendorff fragment of a Regensburg Sacramentary from the time of St Boniface. Emmeramus’ Feast is celebrated on 22 September the date on which he is mentioned in the oldest Martyrologies. A monastic Office of his own was composed by Arnold of Vohrburg.

Emmeramus’ life and suffering was written around 772 by Arbeo of Freising. According to recent research, Emmeramus fell victim to a massive court intrigue against Duke Theodo. The date of his Martyrdom is also given as either 685, 692 and around 715.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

PENTECOST XVIII, Madonna di Porto Salvo / Our Lady of Porto Salvo, Italy (1843), St Thomas of Villanova, St Maurice and Companions and all the Saints for 22 September

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PENTECOST XVIII

Madonna di Porto Salvo / Our Lady of Porto Salvo, Lampedusa, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy (1843) – 22 September:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/09/22/madonna-di-porto-salvo-our-lady-of-porto-salvo-lampedusa-agrigento-sicily-italy-1843-and-memorials-of-the-saints-22-september/

St Thomas of Villanueva/Villanova OSA (1488-1555) Archbishop, Confessor, Religious Priest of the Order of St Augustine,Writer, Preacher, Teacher, Apostle of Charity, Mystic, Miracle-Worker often called “the Almsgiver” and “the Father of the Poor“, Reformer. Canonised on 1 November 1658 by Pope Alexander VII.
About St Thomas here:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/09/22/saint-of-the-day-22-september-st-thomas-of-villanova-o-s-a/

St Maurice & Companions:
Martyrs of the Theban Legion: + Martyrs (c 287)
A Roman imperial legion of 6,600 soldiers, all of whom were Christians; they had been recruited from the area around Thebes in Upper Egypt, were led by Saint Maurice and served under Emperor Maximian Herculeus. Around the year 287, Maximian led the army across the Alps to Agaunum, an area in modern Switzerland, in order to suppress a revolt by the Bagandre in Gaul. In connection with battle, the army offered public sacrifices to the Roman gods; the Theban Legion refused to participate. For refusing orders, the Legion was decimated – one tenth of them were executed. When the remainder refused to sacrifice to the gods, they were decimated again. When the survivors still refused to sacrifice, Maximinian ordered them all killed. Martyrs.
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/22/saints-of-the-day-22-september-st-maurice-and-the-martyrs-of-the-theban-legion-martyrs-c-287/

Bl Alfonso da Cusco
St Basilia
St Digna of Rome
St Emerita of Rome
St Emmeramus of Regensburg (Died c690) Bishop Martyr
St Florentius the Venerable

St Gunthildis of Suffersheim (Died c 1057) Laywoman,  Apostle of the poor, the sick and the needy.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/09/22/saint-of-the-day-22-september-saint-gunthildis-of-suffersheim-died-c-1057/

St Irais
St Jonas
St Lauto of Coutances
St Lindru of Partois

Blessed Otto of Freising O.Cist. (c1111-1158) Bishop of Freising, Cistercian Priest and Abbot Historian, Reformer, Diplomatic Peace-maker, Defender of the Church, Crusader. Born between 1111 and 1114 in Klosterneuburg near Vienna, Austria and died at Morimond, Champagne, France, on 22 September, 1158 at the young age of 47 at the most.
Holy Man of Many Talents St Otto:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/09/22/saint-of-the-day-22-september-blessed-otto-of-freising-o-cist-c1111-1158-bishop/

St Sadalberga
St Sanctinus of Meaux

St Septimius of Jesi (Died c 307) the first Bishop of Jesi in Italy, Confessor, Martyr., Miracle-worker .
His Lif and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/09/22/saint-of-the-day-22-september-saint-septimius-of-jesi-died-c-307-bishop-confessor-martyr/

St Sigfrid of Wearmouth
St Silvanus of Levroux
St Symphorian