Day: October 26, 2024

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 26 October –CONSIDERATION XXIV, The Particular Judgement

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Thought for the Day – 26 October – 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 XXIV

The Particular Judgement
“For we must all appear
before the judgement-seat of Christ”
(2 Cor v: 10)

FIRST POINT:
LET us now consider the soul’s appearance before God – the accusation, the examination and, the sentence.

And, in the first place, speaking of the appearance of the soul before the Judge, it is the general opinion of theologians that, the Particular Judgment takes place at the very moment when man expires and, at the same place in which the soul is separated from the body, it is judged by Jesus Christ, Who will not send but, will come Himself to judge its cause, “for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” (Luke xii: 40).)
St Augustine observes, “He will come with love for us, with terror for the ungodly!”

Oh, what fear will that one feel, when he beholds the Redeemer for the first time and beholds Him in wrath!
“Who can stand before His indignation?” (Nah i: 6). To see the wrath of the Judge will be the forerunner of condemnation.
“The wrath of a king is as messengers of death.” (Prov xvi: 14).
St Bernard remarks, the soul will suffer more in seeing Jesus wrathful, than in being even in hell itself.

… What grief is it to a son to see his father really offended ; or, to a subject, to see his prince deeply annoyed! But what greater punishment can a soul experience to see Jesus Christ, Whom all his life long has been despised? “they shall look upon Me, Whom they ha e pierced.” (Zech xii: 10).
That Lamb, Who during life has shown so much patience, the souls will behold very wrathful, without the hope of ever again being able to appease Him.
… St Luke, speaking of the judgement, says: “And then shall they see the Son of Man.” (Luke xxi: 27).
Oh, what anguish will it bring to the sinner, when he beholds the Judge in the form of a man! Because the sight of Him, Who as Man once died for his salvation, will reproach him very deeply for his ingratitude.

When the Saviour ascended into Heaven, the Angels said to His disciples, “This same Jesus, Who is taken up from you into Heaven, shall come, in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven.” (Acts i: 11).

Therefore, the Judge will come to judge, with those same wounds with which He departed …. Those wounds will console the just but they will affright the sinners. When Joseph said unto his brethren: “I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold,” (Gen xlv: 4), Holy Scripture tells us that they “could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.” (Gen xlv: 3).
But what will the sinner answer Jesus Christ? Perhaps he will take courage to entreat His mercy, when he will first of all have to render to Him, an account of the contempt which he has shown for the mercies granted to him? St Augustine inquires, What will the sinner do, whither will he fly, when he beholds the Judge, Who will be very wrathful, sitting above him – underneath him, hell already open on the one side, the sins which will accuse him; oh the other, the devils ready to execute the sentence and within, the conscience which will attack him

Affections andPrayers

O my Jesus, I wish ever to call Thee my Jesus.
Thy Name consoles me and gives me courage, reminding me that Thou art My my Saviour, Who didst die to save me. Behold me at Thy feet; I confess that I have been guilty of hell each time I have offended Thee by committing deadly sin. I do not deserve pardon but Thou hast died to pardon me. Therefore, my Jesus, do Thou quickly pardon me before Thou dost come to judge me. For then I could no longer beg for mercy but now, I can beg for i, and hope to receive it. Then will Thy wounds affright me but now, they give me confidence.

My dear Redeemer, I repent more than for any other evil, that of having offended Thy Infinite Goodness. I would wish to accept every chastisement, every loss, rather than lose Thy grace. I love Thee with all my heart. Have mercy upon me.
“Have mercy upon me, O God, after Thy great goodness.”

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 26 October – Abide in Me

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 October – Vigil of Saints Simon and Jude (Anticipation) – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14, John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Abide in Me and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
unless it abide in the vine,
so neither can you,
unless you abide in Me.”

John 15:4

“If, because of your preaching,
men lay aside enmities,
forgive injuries,
avoid occasions of sin
and scandals
and reform their conduct,
you may say that the seed
has fallen on good ground.
But to God alone, give all the glory
and acknowledge yourselves,
ever unprofitable servants.”

St Louis Bertrand (1526-1581)

“[Jesus] is our only Master, Who must teach us;
our only Lord, on Whom we must depend;
our only Head, to Whom alone we should belong;
our only Model, Whom we should imitate;
our only Physician, Who must heal us;
our only Shepherd, Who must feed us;
our only Way, Who must lead us;
our only Truth, Whom we must believe;
our only Life, Who must be our life
and our sole sufficiency in all things
that, in Him, we may have all in All.
Except the Name of Jesus,
there is no other name given under Heaven,
whereby we must be saved
and apart from Jesus Christ,
God has given us no other foundation of our salvation,
our perfection and our glory! ”

St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

“For the branch,” says St Augustine,
“there can be no half-measures.
Either it remains united with the vine,
or it is thrown into the fire.”
The same holds true for each one of us.
We must choose, either close union with Jesus,
or separation and spiritual death.
We must decide between a life of fervour in Christ,
or a life of tepidity and sin.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The HOLY GHOST, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 October – “I am the vine, you the branches.” – John 15:5

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One Minute Reflection – 26 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – St Evaristus – (c44–c107) Martyr, Pope Evaristus is the fifth Bishop of Rome, holding office from c99 until his death in c108 – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14; John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I Am the vine, you the branches; he who abides in me and I in him, the same bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

REFLECTION – “The Lord calls Himself the Vine and those united to Him, branches, in order to teach us how much we shall benefit from our union with Him and, how important it is for us, to remain in His Love. By receiving the Holy Spirit, Who is the bond of union between us and Christ our Saviour, those who are joined to Him, as branches are to a vine, share in His own nature.

On the part of those who come to the Vine, their union with Him depends upon a deliberate act of the will, on his part, the union is effected by grace. Because we had goodwill, we made the act of faith that brought us to Christ and received from Him, the dignity of adoptive sonship which made us His own kinsmen, according to the words of Saint Paul: He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.

The Prophet Isaiah calls Christ the Foundation because it is upon Him that we, as living and spiritual stones, are built into a holy priesthood to be a dwelling place for God in the Spirit. Upon no other Foundation than Christ can this temple be built. Here Christ is teaching the same Truth, by calling Himself the Vine, since the Vine is the parent of its branches and provides their nourishment.

From Christ and in Christ, we have been reborn through the Spirit, in order to bear the fruit of life; not the fruit of our old, sinful life but, the fruit of a new life, founded upon our faith in Him and our love for Him. Like branches growing from a vine, we now draw our life from Christ and we cling to His holy commandment, in order to preserve this life. Eager to safeguard the blessing of our noble birth, we are careful not to grieve the Holy Ghost Who dwells in us and Who makes us aware of God’s Presence in us.

Let the wisdom of John teach us how we live in Christ and Christ lives in us: The proof that we are living in Him and He is living in us, is that He has given us a share in His Spirit. Just as the trunk of the vine gives its own natural properties to each of its branches, so, by bestowing on them the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the only-begotten Son of the Father, gives Christians a certain kinship with Himself and with God the Father because they have been united to Him by faith and determination to do His will in all things. He helps them to grow in love and reverence for God and teaches them, to discern right from wrong and to act with integrity.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Known as “The Pillar of Faith” Archbishop of Alexandria, Father & Doctor of the Church, Doctor Incarnationis (Doctor of the Incarnation) [Commentary on the Gospel of John].

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in Thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Evaristus Thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church. 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 Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Our Morning Offering – 26 October – Prayer to Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles

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Our Morning Offering – 26 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Vigil of Sts Simon and Jude (Anticipation)

Prayer to Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles
By St Vincent Pallotti SAC (1795-1850)

Immaculate Mother of God,
Queen of the Apostles,
we know that God’s commandment of love
and our vocation to follow Jesus Christ,
impels us to co-operate
in the mission of the Church.
Realising our own weakness,
we entrust the renewal of our personal lives
and our Apostolate, to your intercession.
We are confident,
that through God’s mercy
and the infinite merits of Jesus Christ,
you, who are our Mother,
will obtain the strength of the Holy Spirit,
as you obtained it for the Apostles,
gathered in the Upper Room.
Therefore, relying on your
maternal intercession,
we resolve, from this moment,
to devote our talents,
learning, material resources,
our health, sickness and trials
and every gift of nature and grace,
for the greater glory of God
and the salvation of all.
We wish to carry on those activities,
(which especially promote
the Catholic Apostolate,)
for the revival of faith
and love of the people of God
and so, bring all men and women,
into the faith of Jesus Christ.
(And if a time should come
when we have nothing more to offer,
serviceable to this end,)
we will never cease to pray,
that there will be one fold
and one Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
In this way, we hope to enjoy
the results of the Apostolate of Jesus Christ)
for all eternity.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 26 October – Saint Rusticus of Narbonne (Died 461) Bishop

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Saint of the Day – 26 October – Saint Rusticus of Narbonne (Died 461) Bishop of Narbonne from 3 October 427 (or 430) until his death and Confessor, Monk. Born either at Marseilles or at Narbonnaise, died on 26 Ocober 461 of natural causes. Also known as – Rustique, Rustico, Rustus.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Narbonne, St Rusticus, Bishop and Confessor, who flourished in the time of the Valentinian and Leo.”

An unknown Bishop Saint – it might be St Rusticus

Rusticus was the son of a Bishop named Bonose and the nephew, on his mother’s side, of another Bishop named Arator, the seats of both being unknown.

According to trecords, when he had completed his education in France, Rusticus went to Rome, where he soon gained a reputation as a public speaker but, he wished to embrace the religious life and detract himself from worldly persuits.

He wrote to St Jerome, who advised him to continue his studies, commending him to imitate the virtues of St Exuperius of Toulouse and to follow the advice of Proculus, then the Bishop of Marseille. Thus Rusticus entered the Lérins Abbey.

He was Ordained at Marseilles and on 3 October 427 (or 430) was Consecrated as the Bishop of Narbonne. He was present at the First Council of Ephesus in 431. With all his zeal, he could not prevent the progress of the Arian heresy which, the Goths were spreading abroad; there is evidence that an Arian rival Bishop was established in Narbonn too.

The siege of Narbonne by the Goths in 436 and dissensions among the Catholics so disheartened him that he wrote to Pope Leo I, renouncing the Bishopric but Pope Leo dissuaded him (Epistle CLXVII).

Rusticus then endeavoured to consolidate the Catholics. In 444–450, he rebuilt the Cathedral in Narbonne, destroyed by fire in 441, dedicated to Saint Genesius of Arles. The first stone was laid on 18 November 444, and the new building iConsecrated on 29 November 445 (inscription dated this dayis preserved in the Narbo Via Museum) – see below.

Lintel with dedicatory inscription of Bishop St Rusticus, dated 29 November 445

Rusticus named his Archdeacon, Hermes as the Bishop of Béziers but the latter could not take possession of his seat; he then wanted to designate him as his successor but Pope Leo, to whom he wrote on this subject, refused. Hermes succeeded him but the matter was referred to Pope Hilary, Leo’s successor, who held a Council in Rome on this matter. Finally, by a letter of 3 December 462, the Pope confirmed Hermes in Narbonne but with diminished powers over the Province.

In 451, he assisted at the convocation of forty-four Bishops of Gaul and approved Pope Leo’s letter to Flavian, concerning Nestorianism. Rusticus was present too at a Council of Arles, with thirteen Bishops, to decide the debate between Theodore, Bishop of Fréjus and the Abbey of Lérins. In 449, Rusticus was one of the twelve Bishops who assembled to elect Ravennius as the new Bishop of Arles. In fact, a letter from Ravennius to Rusticus, proves the high esteem in which he was held. Rusticus’ own letters are lost, with the exception of the one to St Jerome and a long letter written in reply by St Jerome and two others to Pope Leo, written either in 452 or 458.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Vigil of Sts Simon & Jude (Anticipation), Notre-Dame de la Victoire / Our Lady of Victory, France (1225), St Evaristus Pope Martyr and the Saints for 26 October

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VIGIL of Saints SIMON and JUDE (Anticipation)

Notre-Dame de la Victoire / Our Lady of Victory, near Senlis, France (1225) – 26 October:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/26/notre-dame-de-la-victoire-our-lady-of-victory-near-senlis-france-1225-and-memorials-of-the-saints-26-october/

St Evaristus (c44–c107) Martyr, Pope Evaristus is the fifth Bishop of Rome, holding office from c99 until his death c108.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/26/saint-of-the-day-26-october-st-pope-evaristus-c-44-c-108/

St Adalgott of Einsiedeln
St Alanus of Quimper
St Albinus of Buraburg

St Alfred the Great (849-899) King of Wessex, Confessor, Scholar, Writer and Translator, negotiator. He administered justice with insight and fairness, protected the poor, and encouraged art and the crafts. He tried in all that he did, to rule as a model Christian King. For all this, he alone among the rulers of England is called “the Great.”
This Great Saint’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/26/saint-of-the-day-26-october-saint-alfred-the-great-849-899/

St Alorus of Quimper
St Amandus of Strasburg
St Amandus of Worms
St Aneurin
St Aptonius of Angouleme
St Arnold of Queralt
St Bean of Mortlach
St Bernard de Figuerols

Blessed Bonaventura of Potenza OFM Conv (1651-1711) Priest and Religious of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, Miracle-worker, blessed with the gift of prophecy. Pope Pius VI Beatified him in 1775.
His Story:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/26/saint-of-the-day-26-october-blessed-bonaventura-of-potenza-ofm-conv-1651-1711/

St Cedd (Died 664) Monk , Missionary, Evangelist, Founder of Monasteries and many Churches.
About St Cedd:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/10/26/saint-of-the-day-26-october-saint-cedd-died-664-bisho/

St Cuthbert of Canterbury (Died 761)
NOT to be confused with the renowned
St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne (c 634-687) “The Wonder-Worker of England,” Bishop of Lindisfarne, Monk, Hermit, Miracle-worker.
St Cuthbert’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/20/saint-of-the-day-20-march-saint-cuthbert-of-lindisfarne-c-634-687-the-wonder-worker-of-england/

Blessed Damian dei Fulcheri OP (Died 1484) Priest of the Order of Preachers, Friar, renowned Preacher. Blessed Damian was Beatified on 4 August 1848 by Blessed Pope Pius IX.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/26/saint-of-the-day-26-october-blessed-damian-dei-fulcheri-op-died-1484/

St Eadfrid
St Eata of Hexham

St Felicissimus of Carthage
St Florius Martyr of Nicomedia and Companions

St Fulk of Pavia (1164-1229) Bishop, Confessor, Peacemaker, Protector of the poor and educator of their children, Religious Reformer and Social Reformer, Defender of the Church and its rights.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “In Pavia, Saint Fulk, Bishop, man of peace, full of zeal and charity”
St Fulk’s Life of Grace:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/10/26/saint-of-the-day-26-october-saint-fulk-of-pavia-1164-1229-bishop-confessor/

St Gaudiosus of Salerno
St Gibitrudis
St Gwinoc
St Humbert
St Lucian Martyr of Nicomedia and Companions
St Marcian
St Quadragesimus of Policastro
St Quodvultdeus
St Rogatian of Carthage
St Rusticus of Narbonne (Died 461) Bishop and Confessor
St Sigibald of Metz