Day: January 20, 2025

Posted in JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY INFANCY, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 20 January – “The Long Waiting”

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Thought for the Day – 20 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Christmastide
“The Holy Infancy”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“The Long Waiting”

+I. For seven long years the Holy Family remained in the land of Egypt . From day-to-day, they knew not whether they were to spend all their days in banishment, far from the dear land of Israel, or to return thither it might be on the morrow; yet, no shade of impatience ever marred the perfection of their peace and resignation to the Will of God.
How different from myself, who am oftentimes so anxious and troubled about the future!

+2. During all this time, St Joseph supported his holy spouse and the Divine Infant Jesus, by working at his trade of a carpenter. They often felt the pinch of poverty but never wanted for bread.
God forsakes not His own, though He sometimes tries them to the very edge of their powers of endurance. He will not forsake me if I put my trust in Him.

+3. How little the people of Egypt knew Who it was Who dwelt ,for these long years, amongst them! If they had known it , they would eagerly have cast aside their idols , and thrown themselves at the feet of the King of Heaven and Earth.
So, if those outside the Catholic Church knew that on every Altar God Himself dwells in the Blessed Sacrament how they would come in crowds to make their humble submission to Him!
Hence teach the great charity to those outside the Church of Christ. It is often ignorance, not malice whicht stands in the way of their conversion.

Posted in CATECHESIS, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on the POOR, St Francis de Sales, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

Quote/s of the Day – 20 January – Riches and Poverty

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 20 January – St Fabian, Pope and St Sebastian, Martyrs – Hebrews 11:33-39: Luke 6:17-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And He, lifting up His eyes
on His disciples, said:
Blessed are you poor,
for yours is the Kingdom of God.”

Luke 6:20

“Whatever riches and all other transitory
things you may possess,
you must keep your heart free
from the slightest affection for them.
Your heart may be surrounded by riches;
however, riches must never master your heart!”

“Do not let that mind
which is the likeness of God,
cleave to mere earthly goods;
let it always be raised above them,
not sunk in them.”

“Do not fix your longings on anything
which you do not possess;
do not let your heart rest in that which you have;
do not grieve overmuch,
at the losses which may happen to you –
and then, you may reasonably believe
that although rich in fact,
you are not so in affection
but that you are poor in spirit
and, therefore, blessed,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is yours.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on the POOR, The BEATITUDES, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 January – ‘ … What could be more wretched for God, than to take the form of a slave? …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 20 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – St Fabian, Pope and St Sebastian, Martyrs – Hebrews 11:33-39: Luke 6:17-23 – – – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.” – Luke 6:20

REFLECTION – “As almost all men have a natural tendency to pride, the Lord begins the Beatitudes by casting aside the original sin of self-sufficiency and by counseling our imitation of Him, Who is truly blessed, the genuinely voluntary Poor Man … so, we might become like Him in a voluntary poverty which is according to our means, so as to share His blessedness, His happiness. “Have among you the same attitude which is also yours in Christ Jesus. Who, although He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave,” (Phil 2:5-7).

What could be more wretched for God, than to take the form of a slave? What lowlier for the King of the Universe, than to share our human nature? The King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Judge of the world, pays taxes to Caesar (1 Tim 6:17; Heb 12:23; Mk 12:17)! Creation’s Lord embraces this world, enters a cave, finds no place in an inn and takes refuge in a stable, in the company of irrational beasts. He, Who is pure and spotless, takes upon Himself, the stains of human nature and, after sharing all our poverty, goes as far as to experience our death. Consider the excessiveness of His voluntary poverty! Life tastes death; the Judge is dragged before the court; the Master of the lives of us all submits to a magistrate; the King of the Heavenly Powers does not escape the hands of torturers! This is the pattern, says the Apostle Paul, against which His humility is measured.” – St Gregory of Nyssa (c335-395) Bishop, Father of the Church, Brother of St Basil the Great (The Beatitudes 1).

PRAYER – Be mindful of our weakness, Almighty God and since the burden of our sins weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of Thy holy Martyrs, Fabian and Sebastian sustain us. 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 ACT OF FAITH, HOPE & CHARITY, ACT of LOVE, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, OUR Cross, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, St Francis de Sales, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 20 January – O My God, I Thank Thee

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 20 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”

O My God, I Thank Thee
An Act of Abandonment
to the Divine Will
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

O my God, I thank Thee
and I praise Thee
for accomplishing Thy Holy and all-lovable Will
without any regard for mine.
With my whole heart,
in spite of my heart,
do I receive this cross I feared so much!
It is the cross of Thy choice,
the cross of Thy Love.
I venerate it;
nor for anything in the world
would I wish it had not come,
since Thou hast willed it.
I keep it with gratitude and with joy,
as I do everything which comes from Thy Hand
and I shall strive to carry it
without letting it drag,
with all the respect
and all the affection
which Thy works deserve.
Amen.

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 20 January – Blessed Benedict Ricasoli OSB Vall (Died 1107) Monk, Hermit

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Saint of the Day – 20 January – Blessed Benedict Ricasoli OSB Vall (Died 1107) Monk, Hermit of the Vallumbrosan Benedictines, Penitent, Ascetic. Born in Montegrossi, Fiesole, Italy and died on 20 January 1107 in Gaiole in Chianti, Siena of natural causes. Also known as – Benedict of Coltiboni.

Benedict was born in the Village of Montegrossi, in the Diocese of Fiesole, around 1040 and after having lived for a long time in the world, in around 1093, he entered the Monastery of Coltibuono, recently donated to the Vallombrosans by his own family.

Later, with the consent of the Abbot, he went to live in a Hermitage not far away, called Castellaccio, where, amid great penance, he died on 20 January 1107. He was buried in the cloister of the Monastery of Coltibuono, from where his body, on 20 May 1430, was translated to the Church, under the High Altar.

His cult, already celebrated in the Diocese of Fiesole and within the Vallombrosan Order, was approved by St Pope Pius X on 14 May 1907, on the occasion of the eightieth Centenary of his death.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Notre-Dame-des-Tables / Our Lady of the Tables, Montpellier, France (1198), St Pope Fabian, St Sebastian, St Henry of Uppsala, Martyrs and the rest for 20 January

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Notre-Dame-des-Tables / Our Lady of the Tables, Montpellier, France “Arms of the City of Montpellier” (1198) – 20 January:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/20/our-lady-of-the-tables-montpellier-france-and-memorials-of-the-saints-20-january/

St Pope Fabian (c200 – c 250) Martyr, Confessor, Peacemaker, Administrator and Reformer, Apostle of Charity. Bishop of Rome from 10 January 236 until his death in 250, succeeding Anterus. He is famous for the miraculous nature of his election, in which a dove is said to have descended on his head to mark him as the Holy Spirit’s unexpected choice. He was succeeded by Cornelius.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/20/saint-of-the-day-20-january-st-pope-fabian-c-200-c-250-martyr/

St Sebastian (Died c288) Martyr, Roman Soldier.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/01/20/saint-of-the-day-20-january-st-sebastian-died-c-288/

St Henry of Uppsala (Died c1156) Martyr, Bishop of Uppsala, (then in eastern Sweden), Missionary. Born in England and died struck with an axe in c 1156 at Nousis, Finland.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/01/20/saint-of-the-day-20-january-saint-henry-of-uppsala-died-c-1156-martyr/

St Ascla of Antinoe
St Bassus the Senator

Blessed Benedict Ricasoli OSB Vall (Died 1107) Monk, Hermit
Bl Bernardo of Poncelli
St Daniel of Cambron
Bl Didier of Thérouanne
St Eusebius the Senator

St Euthymius (c377–473) Abbot, Hermit, Ascetic, Founder of Monasteries, Spiritual teacher.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/20/saint-of-the-day-20-january-saint-euthymius-c-377-473/

St Eustochia Smeraldo Calafato OSC (1434-1485) Nun of the Second Franciscan Order of the Poor Clares, Reformer, Founder of a reformed Monastery, Abbess, Ascetic.
Her Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/20/saint-of-the-day-20-january-st-eustochia-smeraldo-calafato-osc-1434-1485/

St Eutyches the Senator

St Féchín of Fore (Died 665) Abbot, Priest, Founder of several Irish Monasteries, Féchín name is particularly connected with that of Fobhar (Fore or Foure) in Westmeath which was his first Monastic foundation and an important one for its renowned Manuscripts.
A Dedicated Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/01/20/saint-of-the-day-20-january-saint-fechin-of-fore-died-665-abbot-priest-founder/

St Maurus of Cesena (Died 946) Bishop Monk, Abbot. nephew of Pope John IX. Born in Rome, Italy and died on 21 November 946 in Cesena, Flaminia, Italy of natural causes. Patronage – against blindness.
His Holy Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/21/saint-of-the-day-21-november-saint-maurus-of-cesena-died-946-bishop/
St Molagga of Fermoy

St Molagga of Fermoy

St Neophytus of Nicaea (Died c303) Martyr, Confessor, Lay Youth.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/01/20/saint-of-the-day-20-january-saint-neophytus-of-nicaea-died-c-303-martyr-confessor/

St Wulfsi