Day: November 4, 2024

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, EUCHARISTIC ADORATION and Nocturnal, GOD is LOVE, HOLY COMMUNION, PREPARATION for DEATH

Thought for the Day – 4 November – CONSIDERATION XXXIII, The Holy Communion

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 4 November – 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 XXXIII

The Holy Communion
“Take, eat; This is My Body.”
(Matt xxvi: 26)

FIRST POINT:
LET us observe how great a gift is this Holy Sacrament;  how great is the Love which Jesus has shown to us in this gift and, how great is His desire, of our reception of this, His GREAT GIFT.

Let us consider, in the first place, the great Gift, Jesus Christ procured for us, in giving Himself to be wholly Food in the Holy Communion.
St Augustine says that our Blessed Lord: “although He is omnipotent, was not able to give us more than this.”
St Bernardine of Sienna asks: “What greater treasure can the heart of man possess, than the most holy Body of Christ?”
… If our Redeemer had not given us this gift, whoever would have been able to ask for it, who would ever have dared to say to Him, Lord, if Thou desiredst to make us know Thy Love, conceal Thyself under the form of Bread and permit us to feed on Thee!? It would have been esteemed madness! even to think of this.
St Augustine asks: “Would it not seem madness to say, Eat My Flesh and drink My Blood!?”

When our Blessed Lord revealed to His disciples this gift of the Holy Sacrament which He wished to leave them, many of them could not attain to the belief of it and they parted from Him, saying: “How can this Man give us His Flesh to eat? …. This is a hard saying; who can hear it? (John vi: 52,60).
But what men were not able, at any time to conceive, the great Love of our Lord Jesus Christ, both intended and wrought.
St Bernardine says that our Blessed Lord left us “this Sacrament to be a memorial of His Love” and the record which St Luke has left of our Lord’s words, agrees with this statement: “Do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke xxii: 19).
St Bernardine adds, the love of our Lord was not satisfied with sacrificing His Life for us: “In that excess of fervour, when He was ready to die for us, He was impelled, by this ocean of love, to do a greater work than ever had been wrought, to give to us His Body for food.”
Abbot Guerric says, in this Sacrament, Jesus “poured out upon His friends, the last strength of His Love” and the same sentiment is expressed more forcibly, when it was said of old that, in the Eucharist, our Blessed Lord, “as it were, poured out upon men, the riches of His Love.”

… Our Blessed Lord, in Holy Communion, gives us, for food, not only a part of His own table, not only a part of His own Body but His whole Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity!: “Take, eat; this is My Body” and, together with His Body, He gives us even His Soul and His Divinity. In short, says St John Chrysostom, in this Holy Communio, Jesus Christ “gave Himself to thee wholly and left nothing for Himself.”
St Thomas Aquinas adds: “God, in the Eucharist, has given to us, all He Is and all He has.”
St Bonaventure exclaims with wonder of our Blessed Lord’s Presence in the Eucharist: “Behold, He Whom the world cannot contain, is our prisoner!”

And, if the Lord in the Eucharist gives us His whole Self, how can we ear He will deny us any grace we ask of Him:  “How shall He not, freely give us all things!?” (Rom viii: 32).

Affections and Prayers

O my Jesus!
What has ever led Thee to give Thy whole Self for our food? And what remains, after Thou hast given us this gift, to compel us to love Thee?
Oh ! Lord, give usThine Light and make us to understand, how excessive is the love which caused Thee to reduce Thyself to food, to unite Thyself to ourselves, poor sinners!
But if Thou givest Thyself wholly to us, it is a reason why we also should give ourselves wholly to Thee.

O my Redeemer, how have I been able to offend Thee, Who hast so loved me and Who hast had nothing more Thou couldst do to gain my love? Thou hadst become Man for me; Thou didst die for m ; Thou hast made Thyself my food; tell me what more it remains for Thee to do?

I love Thee, O Infinite Goodness; I love Thee, O Infinite Love! Lord, come often into my soul: inflame me wholly with Thy holy Love and cause me to forget all else, that I may neither think of, nor love any other than Thee.

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, GUARDIAN ANGELS - Prayers etc, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of PETITION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH

Quote/s of the Day – 4 November – Saint Charles Borromeo

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 4 November – Saint Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

Thy Instrument
By St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

Almighty God,
Thou hast generously made known
to human beings,
the Mysteries of Thine Life
through Jesus Christ
Thy Son in the Holy Ghost.
Enlighten my mind
to know these Mysteries
which Thy Church
treasures and teaches.
Move my heart to love them
and my will, to live in accord with them.
Give me the ability
to teach this Faith to others,
without pride,
without ostentation
and without personal gain.
Let me realise tha,
I am simply Thy instrument,
for bringing others to the knowledge
of the wonders Thou hast done
for all Thy creatures.
Help me to be faithful to this task
Thou hast entrusted to me.
Amen

O My Good Angel
Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel
Appointing him Intercessory at the hour of Death
By St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

My good Angel –
I know not when or how I shall die.
It is possible I may be carried off suddenly
and before my last sigh,
I may be deprived of all intelligence.
Yet, how many things I would wish to say to God,
on the threshold of eternity.
In the full freedom of my will today,
I come to charge thee to speak for me
at that fearful moment.
Thou will say to Him, then, O my good Angel –
That I wish to die
in the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church,
in which all the Saints, since Jesus Christ, have died
and, out of which, there is no salvation.
That I ask the grace, of sharing
in the Infinite Merits of my Redeemer
and that I desire to die, in pressing to my lips,
the Cross which was bathed in His Blood!
That I detest my sins because they displease Him
and that I pardon, through love of Him,
all my enemies, as I wish myself to be pardoned.
That I die willingly because He orders it
and, I throw myself, with confidence,
into His adorable Heart, awaiting all His Mercy.
That, in my inexpressible desire to go to Heaven,
I am disposed to suffer everything,
it may please His Sovereign Justice, to inflict upon me.
I love Him before all things,
above all things and for His own sake;
I wish and hope, to love Him with the elect,
His Angels and the Blessed Mother,
during all eternity.
Do not refuse, O my Angel,
to be my interpreter with God
and to protest to Him, these,
my sentiments and my will.
Amen.

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/11/04/quote-s-of-the-day-4-november-st-charles-borromeo-3/

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on SLOTH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 November – Talents – Matthew 25:14-23.

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One Minute Reflection – 4 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Saint Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) – Sirach 44:16-27; 45:3-20; Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately …” – Matthew 25:15

REFLECTION – “The man who is the landowner is actually the Creator and Lord of all. The Word compares, in the parable, the time the landowner spends away from home, to either the Ascension of Christ into Heaven, or, at any rate, to the unseen and invisible character of the Divine Nature.   Now, one must conceive of the property of God, as those in each country and city, who believe in Him. He calls His servants, those who, according to the times, Christ crowns with the glory of the Priesthood. For the holy Paul writes, “No-one takes this honour upon himself; he must be called by God.”

He hands over [His property] to those who are under Him, to each giving a spiritual gift, so that he might have character and aptitude. We think that this distribution of the talents, is not supplied to the household servants in equal measure because, each is quite different from the other, in their understanding. Immediately they head out for their labours, He says, directly, indicating to us here, that apart from the procrastination of one, they are fit to carry out the work of God.

Surely those who are bound by fear and laziness will evolve into the worst evils. For he buried in the earth, Jesus says, the talent given to him. He kept the gift hidden, making it unprofitable for others and useless for himself. For that very reason, the talent is taken away from him and will be given to the one who is already rich. The Spirit has departed from such as these and the gift of the Divine Gifts. But to those who are industrious, an even more lavish gift will be presented!” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Church (Fragment 283)

PRAYER – Safeguard Thy Church, O Lord, under the continual protection of St Charles, Thy Confessor and Bishop, so that just as his concern for his flock made him glorious, so his intercession may make us ever fervent in loving Thee. 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, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for PRIESTS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, PRIESTS, all CLERGY

Our Morning Offering – 4 November – O Holy Mother of God, A Prayer for our Priests

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Our Morning Offering – 4 November – Saint Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) He is known as the “Father of the Clergy” – Some of his Patronages: Bishops, Priests, Seminarians • Catechists • Catechumens • Spiritual Directors • Spiritual leaders

O Holy Mother of God
A Prayer for our Priests
to the Most Blessed Virgin
By St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

O Holy Mother of God,
pray for the Priests
thy Son has chosen to serve His Church.
Help them by thy intercession,
to be holy,
zealous and chaste.
Make them models of virtue,
in the service of God’s people.
Help them to be prayerful in meditations,
effective in preaching
and enthusiastic in the daily offering
of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Help them to administer
the Sacraments with joy,
O Holy Mother of God.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 4 November – Saint Amantius of Rodez (Died c440) Bishop

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Saint of the Day – 4 November – Saint Amantius of Rodez (Died c440) The 1st Bishop of Rodez, Miracle-worker. Also known as – Amand, Amans, Amandus, Amatius. Additional Memorials – 1 and 13 November.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Rodez, in France, the blessed Saint Amantius, the Bishop, whose life was resplendent with sanctity and miracles.”

The Bibliotheca Hagiographica Latina recalls a Life of Saint Amantius and a narrative collection of the miracles he performed.

The Life, erroneously attributed to St Venantius Fortunatus, has an eminently legendary character. It is believed to have been written by a cleric of the Church of Rodez towards the second half of the 6th Century.

Altarpiece in the Chapel of the Penitents of Espalion .

According to this report, Amantius was born in Rodez where he professed the Christian Faith since childhood. He was a Priest and Bishop of his hometown, leading an exemplary life, for which, he was endowed by the Lord, with the gift of miracles.

According to some scholars, Amantius was the 1st Bishop of Rodez, living in apostolic times; according to others, he lived between the 5th and 6th Centuries, and another group believe it was at the end of the 13th Century and the 14th Century. The second hypothesis has, in its favour, the testimony of Saint Gregory of Tours, who reports that Quintianus, successor of Amantius, transferred his body to the Basilica built by the Saint. Bishop Quintianus participated in the Councils of Agde (506) and Orléans (511).

The Roman Martyrology commemorates Saint Amantius on 4 November, while in the main Codices of St Jerome, he is remembered on 1 and 13 November. Amantius was venerated not only in the Diocese of Rodez but also in numerous other French Diocese.

The Nave of the Church of St Amantius in Rodez – a pity it was so ruines by VII

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Santa Maria alla Porta Luigi / Our Lady of Port Louis, Milan, Italy, St Charles Borromeo, Sts Vitalis and Agricola, Martyrs and the Saints for 4 November

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Santa Maria alla Porta Luigi / Our Lady of Port Louis, Milan, Italy – 4 November:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/04/89085/

St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) Confessor Archbishop of Milan, Cardinal, Doctor of Theology, Civil and Canon Law, Reformer, Founder of Seminaries. He is known as the “Father of the Clergy” Born Count Carlo Borromeo .
About St Charles:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/11/04/saint-of-the-day-st-charles-borromeo-1538-1584/

St Vitalis (Died c 304) Martyr and St Agricola (Died c 304) Latmen Martyrs. Martyrs, Laymen. They died in c 304 in Bologna, Italy in the persecution of Diocletian. Patronage – Bologna.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “In Bologna, Saints Vitalis and Agricola, Martyrs, of whom, according to what Saint Ambrose recounts, the first was first a slave to the other, then a companion in Martyrdom: Vitalis, in fact, suffered such torments that there was no longer any part of his body without wound. Agricola, not at all terrified by the torture of his slave, imitated him in Martyrdom by undergoing crucifixion.”
Their Lives and Deaths:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/04/saints-of-the-day-4-november-st-vitalis-died-c-304-and-st-agricola-died-c-304-martyrs/

St Amandus of Avignon
St Amantius of Rodez (Died c440) Bishop
St Birstan
St Clarus the Hermit
St Clether

St Emeric of Hungary (c 1007-1031) Confessor, Prince and heir to the Hungarian Throne, Son of St Stephen, King of Hungary.
His Short Life of Chastity and Devotion:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/04/saint-of-the-day-4-november-saint-emeric-of-hungary-c-1007-1031/

Bl Frances d’Amboise
St Gerard de Bazonches
St Gregory of Burtscheid
Bl Helen Enselmini
Bl Henry of Zweifalten
St Hermas of Myra
St Joannicus of Mount Olympus
St John Zedazneli
St Modesta of Trier
St Nicander of Lycia
St Patrobas
St Perpète
St Philologus

St Pierius (Died c309) Priest, Co-Director of the Catechetical School of Alexandria, Scholar, renowned Preacher and Exegetical Writer.. He died in Rome in c309 of natural causes which St Jerome assures us of.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “The birthday of St Pierius, Priest of Alexandria, who, being deeply versed in the Sacred Scriptures, leading a very pure life and freed from all impediments in order to apply to Christian philosophy, taught the people with great renown and published various treatise, under the Emperors Carus and Diocletian, when St Theonas governed the Church of Alexandria. After the persecutions, he spent the remainder of his life at Rome, where he rested in peace in the Lord.”
His Life of Grace:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/11/04/saint-of-the-day-4-november-st-pierius-died-c309-priest-confessor/

St Proculus of Autun