Day: March 22, 2025

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, Meditations on ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

Thought for the Day – 22 March – St Joseph as Head of the Holy Family

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 22 March – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“Short Meditations for March, St Joseph”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

22nd Day – St Joseph as Head of the Holy Family

+1. The dignity of any Office of Authority, is in proportion to the excellence of those over whom such authority is exercised.
What then must have been the dignity and perfection of St Joseph? To rule over the Angels would be a small privilege compared with the privilege of ruling God Himself and His holy Mother!
What prudence, what discretion, what purity of intention, what perfect unselfishness, what intense love of God and of men, must have been found in St Joseph! How humble he must have been, how thoughtful, how kind, how considerate, how wise, how faithful to God’s holy inspirations! Next to Our Lady, it is impossible to suppose that any Saint could approach the dignity of St Joseph!

+2. Watch St Joseph as a superior.
Notice how he gives his orders, firmly and decidedly, without hesitation but yet, kindly and gently and considerately. St Joseph had to command others besides Jesus and Mary. To all he showed the same thoughtful, tender, watchful affection and respect.
Am I like St Joseph in dealing with those over whom I am placed?

+3. Our Lord obeyed St Joseph with the most perfect , unquestioning obedience. He, as Man, was St Joseph’s natural superior; He , in His Sacred Humanity, had Authority over all creation. He, therefore, the Lord of all, raised St Joseph to be lord over Himself. This, exalts still
more, the position of St Joseph, who derived his authority over Jesus by Our Lord’s own choice of him.
Thus Jesus teaches us the happiness of obedience. To be subject is no degradation but rather, a privilege, since Jesus Himself chose it!

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CARMELITES, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, LENT, LENT- 2025, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LUST, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, SELF-DISTRUST, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 22 March – Make two wings

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 22 March – Saturday of the Second Week in Lent, A Day of Fasting

“Fasting is the death of sin,
the destruction of our crimes
and the remedy of our salvation.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Do you wish your prayer
to fly toward God?
Make for it two wings –
fasting and almsgiving!”

“Fasting cleanses the soul,
raises the mind,
subjects one’s flesh to the spirit,
renders the heart contrite and humble,
scatters the clouds of concupiscence,
quenches the fire of lust
and kindles the true light of chastity.
Enter again into yourself!”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“Be generous to the poor orphans
and those in need.
The man to whom our Lord
has been liberal
ought not to be stingy.
We shall one day find in Heaven,
as much rest and joy
as we ourselves have dispensed in this life.”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

“It is a matter of real sorrow
when God has given us strength
to break stronger fetters,
those of vanity and sin
that we neglect our own progress
and the attainment of such great blessings
because we will not detach ourselves from trifles.
Not only do we not advance, we fall back.
For it is well known, that on the spiritual road,
not to go on overcoming self, is to go backwards
and not to increase our gain, is to lose!”

St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in GOD ALONE!, LENT- 2025, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The PASSION, The SACRED PASSION - Meditations for LENT

Lenten Meditations – 22 March – In the House of Annas

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Lenten Meditations – 22 March – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ”
“Short Meditations for Lent”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Saturday after the Second Sunday in Lent
In the House of Annas

Read St John xviii:19-24

[19] The high priest, therefore, asked Jesus of His disciples and of His doctrine. [20] Jesus answered him: I have spoken openly to the world: I have always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, whither all the Jews resort and, in secret I have spoken nothing.
[21] Why asketh thou Me? ask them who have heard what I have spoken unto them, behold they know what things I have said. [22] And when He had said these things, one of the servants standing by, gave Jesus a blow, saying: Answerest thou the high priest so? [23] Jesus answered him: If I have spoken evil, give testimony of the evil but if well, why strikest thou me? [24] And Annas sent Him bound to Caiphas the high priest. [John 18:19-24]

+1. Try to picture the scene – watch the persons, listen to their words, observe their actions.
Annas, a cunning, bitter, cynical old man, delighted to find his enemy within his power; the Pharisees crowding around in eager excitement; the false witnesses trying to concoct a plausible story and, in their midst, Jesus, sorrowful, bleeding, exhausted; yet calm and full of dignity.
Hear the insulting questions of Annas, the derisive jeers of the Pharisees, the shouts of the mob the firm, quiet, gentle words of Jesus.
See the angry, eager gestures of the enemies of Christ, the assumed indignation of the judge, the cruel blow struck by the mailed hand of the soldier on the face of Jesus, causing the Blood to flow from His Sacred Mouth.

+2. Christ received this blow upon His Face, to atone for our sins of the tongue for the wicked words, the censorious words, the uncharitable words, the impure words which, too often, proceed from our mouth.
Grant, O Lord that I may remember Thee suffering this cruel blow and thus, may learn to hate my sins of the tongue, which inflicted suffering upon Thee.

+3. Our Lord desired to teach us another lesson – to bear with patience and gentleness, all outrage and unkindness all reproaches and ill-usage and especially, such as we endure for His Sake.
“Blessed are you” He says, “when men shall revile you
and persecute you and speak all which is evil against you,
untruly, for My Sake.”
But we must take care to bear it for Christ’s Sake and for love of Him, if we would earn the blessing.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 March –  “I shall arise and shall go to my Father” – Luke 15:18

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 22 March – “The Month of Saint Joseph” – Saturday of the Second Week in Lent –Ferial Day – Genesis 27:6-40 – Luke 15:11-32 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I shall arise and shall go to my Father” – Luke 15:18

REFLECTION – “As the prodigal son, I will return to my Father’s house and I will be welcomed back home. I shall do the same, as he did – will the Father not grant my prayer too? O forgiving Father, here I am at Thy door and I knock, open to me, let me enter, so that I may not ruin myself, go away and die! Thou made me Thy heir and I neglected my inheritance and squandered my goods – from now on, may I be as a mercenary and as a servant to Thee.

As of the tax collector, have mercy on me and I shall live by Thy grace! O Son of God, forgive my sins as Thou did with the adulteress. Save me from the waves, as Thou did with Peter. Have mercy on my lowness, as Thou did for the good criminal and remember me! O Lord, come search for me, like the lost sheep and Thou will find me; carry me on Thy shoulders, Lord, to the house of Thy Father.

As Thou didst, with the blind man, open my eyes that I may see Thy Light! As for the deaf, open my ears, that I may hear Thy Voice! As for the paralytic, heal my disability so that I may praise Thy Name. As for the leper, cleanse me of my sin with Thy hyssop (cf Ps 50:9). As the young girl, the daughter of Jairus, make me live, our Lord. As Peter’s mother-in-law, heal me, for I am sick. As the young boy, the widow’s son, raise me up, that I may stand up again. As Thou did with Lazarus, cry out to me with Thy Own Voice and undo my bandages. For I am dead because of sin, like as for a sickness, raise me up from my ruin that I may praise Thy Name!

I beg Thee, Lord of Heaven and earth, come save me and show me Thy Way, so that I may come towards Thee. Bring me back to Thee, Son of the Good Lord and fill me with Thy Mercy. I will come to Thee and then will I be filled with joy!” – St Jacob of Sarug (c451-521) Bishop, Theologian, Poet, Writer, Father (A poem).

PRAYER – Grant that our fasting may be beneficial to us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, so that by chastising our flesh, we may obtain strength for our souls. Through tJesus 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 CARMELITES, GOD ALONE!, LENT, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 22 March – A Lenten Offering

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 22 March – Saturday of the Second Week in Lent

 Lenten Offering
By St Thérèse of the Child Jesus
and the Holy Face of Lisieux (1873-1897)

O my God!
I offer Thee all my actions of this Lent
for the intentions and for the glory
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart,
my every thought,
my simplest works,
by uniting them to Its Infinite Merits
and I wish to make reparation for my sins,
by casting them into the furnace
of Its Merciful Love.
O my God!
I ask of Thee for myself
and for those whom I hold dear,
the grace to fulfil perfectly Thy Holy Will,
to accept for love of Thee,
the joys and sorrows of this passing life,
so that we may one day
be united together in Heaven,
for all eternity.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY, WIDOWS and WIDOWERS

Saint of the Day – 22 March – Saint Lea (Died 384) Widow

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 22 March – Saint Lea (Died 384) Widow of Rome, a disciple of St Jerome, Nun, Prioress, Died in 384 of natural causes in Ostia, Rome. Patronage – of widows.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Rome, St Lea, a widow, whose virtues and happy death are related by St Jerome.”

A letter which St Jerome wrote to St Marcella, the noblewoman and leader of a female community of a monastic type, who had gathered in her residence on the Aventine Way, provides the only information we have of St Lea.

Lea, herself of a noble and rich family, was a widow, who upon the death of her husband, she instead of re-marrying as had been arranged for her, entered St Marcella’s community, where they studied the Scriptures and fasted and prayed, living in chastity and poverty. Lea ultimately became the Superior.

St Jerome’s correspondence, written after Lea’s death, concentrated on Lea’s final fate in comparison with that of a Consul who had recently died. St Jerome’s words:

“Who will praise the blessed Lea as she deserves? She renounced painting her face and adorning her head with shining pearls. She exchanged her rich attire for sackcloth and ceased to command others, in order to obey all. She dwelt in a corner with a few bits of furniture; she spent her nights in prayer and instructed her companions through her exampl, rather than through protests and speeches. And she looked forward to her arrival in Heaven in order to receive her recompense for the virtues which she practiced on earth.

So it is that thenceforth, she enjoyed perfect happiness. From Abraham’s bosom, where she resides with Lazarus, she sees our consul who was once decked out in purple, now vested in a shameful robe, vainly begging for a drop of water to quench his thirst. Although he went up to the capital, to the plaudits of the people and his death occasioned widespread grief, it is futile for the wife to assert, he has gone to Heaven and possesses a great mansion there. The fact is, he is plunged into the darkness outside, whereas Lea, who was willing to be considered a fool on earth, has been received into the House of the Father,, at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.
Hence, I tearfully beg you to refrain from seeking the favors of the world and to renounce all that is carnal. It is impossible to follow both the world and Jesus.
Let us live a life of renunciation, for our bodies will soon be dust and nothing else will last any longer.”

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

A Day of Fasting, Notre-Dame-de-Citeaux / Our Lady of Citeaux, France built by St Robert (1098), Nostra Signora dei Sette Veli / Our Lady of the Seven Veils, Foggia, Italy (11th Century), St Isidore the Farmer, St Catherine of Genoa and the Saints for 22 March

Posted on by AnaStpaul

SATURDAY of the Second Week in Lent – FAST

Notre-Dame-de-Citeaux / Our Lady of Citeaux, France built by St Robert (1098) – 22 March:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/22/our-lady-of-citeaux-france-built-by-st-robert-1098-our-lady-of-the-seven-veils-11th-century-our-lady-of-sorrows-of-castelpetroso-italy-1888-and-memorials-of-the-saints-22-march/

Nostra Signora dei Sette Veli / Our Lady of the Seven Veils, Foggia, Italy (11th Century) – 22 March:
About:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/03/22/memorial-of-our-lady-of-the-seven-veils-and-memorials-of-the-saints-22-march/

St Isidore the Farmer (c1070 -1130) – Confessor, Farm Worker and Apostle of Charity.
Additional Memorials, 15 May, 25 October.– these occur in local calendars.
About St Isidore:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/05/15/saint-of-the-day-15-may-isidore-the-farmer/

St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) Widow, Mystic, Apostle of the sick, the poor and the needy, Writer.
Her Feast Day was moved after Vatican II to 15 September but today is the date of her death.
Her Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/15/saint-of-the-day-15-september-st-catherine-of-genoa-1447-1510/

St Avitus of Périgord
St Basil of Ancyra
St Basilissa of Galatia

St Benevenuto Scotivoli (c1188-1282) Bishop of Osimo in Italy, Reformer. He was Canonised in 1284 by Pope Martin IV.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/22/saint-of-the-day-22-march-saint-benevenuto-scotivoli-of-osimo-c-1188-1282/

St Callinica of Galatia
St Catherine of Sweden
St Darerca of Ireland
St Deghitche

St Epaphroditus (1st Century) First Bishop of Terracina, Italy, Missionary, Evangelist, Disciple of the Apostles, Friend and Envoy of St Paul Apostle. St Hippolytus’ list of the Seventy Disciples includes “Epaphroditus, Bishop of Andriace.”
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Terracina, St Epaphroditus, a disciple of the Apostles, who was Consecrated Bishop of that City by the blessed Apostle Peter.”
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/22/saint-of-the-day-22-march-saint-epaphroditus-of-terracina-1st-century/

St Failbhe of Iona
St Harlindis of Arland

Blessed Hugolinus Zefferini OSA (c1320-1367) Italian Priest, Friar of the Hermits of St Augustine, Hermit, Miracle-worker. Patronage – Cortona, Italy (chosen by the citizeins in 1508). Blessed Hugolinus was Beatified in 1804 by Pope Pius VII
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/03/22/saint-of-the-day-22-march-blessed-hugolinus-zefferini-osa-c1320-1367-pries/

St Lea (Died 384) Widow of Rome

Blessed Lukarda O.Cist (c1275-1309) Virgin, German Cistercian Nun in Oberweimar , Mystic , Stigmatist, Miracle-worker. Born in c1275, probably in Erfurt, Germany and died on 22 March (Palm Sunday) 1309 at the Oberweimar Abbey, Weimar, Thuringia (in modern Germany) of natural causes, aged 33.
Amazing Lukarda!:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/03/22/saint-of-the-day-22-march-blessed-lukarda-of-oberweimar-o-cist-c1275-1309-virgin/

St Nicholas Owen SJ (1562-1606) – The Priest-Hole Builder, Martyr, Lay Brother of the Society of Jesus
Dear St Nicholas Owen:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/03/22/saint-of-the-day-22-march-st-nicholas-owen-s-j-1562-1606-the-priest-hole-builder-martyr/

St Octavian of Carthage
St Paul of Narbonne
St Saturninus the Martyr