Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, REDEMPTIVE Suffering, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The HEART, To JESUS through MARY, To JESUS through MARY

Thought for the Day – 18 August – The Apostolate of Prayer

Thought for the Day – 18 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Apostolate of Prayer

“Everybody cannot be an Apostle in the strict sense of the word.
Not everyone can dedicate his whole life to the expansion of God’s Kingdom upon earth and to the conversion of pagans, heretics and sinners.
Everyone can, however, do a little in this cause.
Perhaps you cannot leave your family as the missionaries do and travel to distant lands to extend the Kingdom of God.
Perhaps you cannot enter a Convent or dedicate yourself to God as a Priest or a Religious because you have not received this high vocation from God.
We know, however, that each one of us has some responsibility for his neighbour and must help him whenever possible.
Go surety for your neighbour according to your means ” (Eccles 29:20).

Now, the ‘Apostleship of Prayer’ offers everybody a simple way of doing exactly this.
Its object is to promote the glory of God and the salvation of souls, especially by means of prayer in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Besides prayer, we must offer the actions and sufferings of each day.
Let us decide to become one, with all the faithful, in offering the prayers and actions and sufferings of each day to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of His Mother Mary.

We shall certainly receive showers of graces, both for ourselves and for the salvation of the souls of our neighbours.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, THE ASSUMPTION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 August – My soul doth magnify the Lord …

Quote/s of the Day – 18 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – 4th Day Within the Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin – Judith 13:22-25; 13:15; 13:10 – Luke 1:41-50 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

And Mary said:
My soul doth magnify the Lord …
… my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

Luke 1:46-47

The Magnificat
The Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Luke 1:46-55
Indulgence 100 days

My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced
in God my Saviour.
For He hath regarded the humility
of His handmaid,
for behold, from henceforth,
all generations shall call me blessed.
For He Who is mighty hath done
great things unto me: and holy is His Name.
And His mercy is from
generation to generation
unto thos who fear Him.
He hath shown strength with His Arm,
He hath scattered the proud
in the imagination of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat
and hath exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good things
and the rich He hath sent empty away.
He hath upheld His servant Israel,
being mindful of His Mercy.
As He spoke unto our fathers,
to Abraham and his seed forever.

Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost
as it was in the beginning,
is now and ever shall be,
world without end!
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, THE ASSUMPTION

One Minute Reflection – 18 August –The Assumption Sequence from the XIVth – XVth Centuries.

One Minute Reflection – 18 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – 4th Day Within the Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin – Judith 13:22-25; 13:15; 13:10 – Luke 1:41-50 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
” – Luke 1:46-47

REFLECTION – “O Virgin! Temple of the Trinity! the God of all Goodness and Mercy … is declared to have been born of thee. The message is brought to thee by the Angel who hails thee full of grace … and thou art told.
Thou consent and the King of Glory instantly becomes Incarnate in thy womb. By this joy, we pray, make us pleasing to this great King. …

Thy second Joy is that thou, the Star, gives birth to the Sun … This birth causes neither alteration nor pain in thee; thou remains a Virgin as before. As a flower loses not its beauty by sending forth its fragrance; so neither do thou lose the bloom of virginity by giving birth to thy Creator.
O Mary, gracious Mother! be for us the way which leads to thy Son. …

A star tells thee of thy third Joy.
Thou sees a star resting over thy Child, the Magi adoring Him and offering their varied gifts ….
O Mary, the world’s Star! pray for us, that we may be cleansed from our sins. …

The fourth Joy, O holy Virgin! was given to thee when Jesus rose from the tomb … hope was restored and death was put to flight. And thou, O full of grace (Lk 1:28), had thy share in effecting these wonders. The enemy is conquered … we, who had been made captive are set free and raised up from earth to Heaven.
O Mother of our Creator! pray for us earnestly, that by this Paschal Joy we may be joined with the heavenly choirs after this life’s labours are over.

Thou received thy fifth Joy, O Mary!, when thou were present at thy Son’s Ascension into Heaven. Then thou clearly saw that He, Whose Mother thou art, was thy Creator.
His Ascension shows us the path whereby we are to ascend to Heaven …
We beseech thee, by this Joy, may we also ascend to Heaven, where, with thee, together with thy Son, we may rejoice for all eternity …

The sixth Joy was when the Holy Paraclete descended from Heaven in the form of fiery tongues, strengthening … and inflaming the Apostles to heal those whose tongues had brought them to perdition and to purify their souls from sin.
By this holy Joy, intercede for us we pray, O Virgin!, to thy Son that He may pardon us the stain of our sins lest there be found guilt upon us at the great Judgement.

Jesus invited thee to the seventh Joy when He called thee out of this world to Heaven, placed thee on thy throne and honoured thee with special favours. The honour given to thee is such, as none of the blessed in Heaven enjoy …
O Virgin Mother of Mercy! may we feel the proofs of thy loving intercession …
By this Joy, pray that we may be purified from our sins and, being made fruitful in good works, take us with thee, O fruitful Mother, into the blissful joys of Heaven. Amen.
” – Latin Liturgy – The Assumption Sequence from the XIVth – XVth Centuries.

PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech Thee, forgive the transgressions of Thy servants and, forasmuch as by our own deeds, we cannot please Thee, may we find safety through the prayers of the Mother of Thy Son and our Lord. Through the same 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 SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 18 August – Saint Eonus (Died c502) Bishop

Saint of the Day – 18 August – Saint Eonus (Died c502) Bishop of Arles. Of French birth where he died in his Diocese of Arles in c502. Also known as – Eolnius, Aeonius.

Unknown Bishop

Eonus was related to the renowned Saint Caesarius (470-542) and a fellow citizen of Arles. Eonus succeeded Saint Leontius, as the Bishop of Arles, who was still alive in 475.

Pope Saint Gelasius I addressed a letter to our Saint to be shared with the Eiscopate of Gaul. Pope Anastasius II (496-498) had determined the respective rights of the Provinces of Vienne and Arles, in a way prejudicial to the latter and Eonus asserted his point of view. In 499, Pope Symmachus ordered him to send a representative to Rome, together with that of Vienne. In 500, the outcome of this meeting in Rome was successful for Eonus, as Arles recovered its rights.

Eonus corresponded with Saint Ruricius, the Bishop of Limoges, three of whose letters addressed to him have come down to us.

Eonus involved himself in monastic life and placed St Caesarius, who had left Lérins for health reasons, at the head of one of his Monasteries. He Ordained St Caesarius to the Priesthood and chose him as his successor. This choice Eonus expressed this to his Clergy, to the best of his faithful and to the King of Toulouse, Alaric.

He likely died in 502. The Diocese of Arles and Aix, celebrate the Feast of Saint Eonus with us all today.

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Within the Octave of the Assumption of Our Lady. St Agapitus, Martyr, St Helena and all the Saints for 18 August

Within the Octave of the Assumption of Our Lady

St Agapitus (c259- c274) Martyr, Roman Youth aged 15: Born in c259 in Palestrina, Italy and died in c 274 by being thrown to wild animals in the arena. When the animals would not touch him, he was beheaded at Palestrina, Italy.
His Short Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/08/18/saint-of-the-day-18-august-st-agapitus-the-martyr-c-259-c-274/

St Helena (c250 – c 330) Empress, Mother of Saint Constantine, Founder of the True Cross of Christ. 
St Helena’s Life of Grace:

https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/18/saint-of-the-day-18-august-st-helena-c%e2%80%89250-c-%e2%80%89330/

St Macarius the Wonder-Worker (Died 850) Abbot, Defender of Icons, Miracle worker
Miraculous St Macarius:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/08/18/saint-of-the-day-18-august-saint-macarius-the-wonder-worker-died-850/

St Crispus of Rome
St Daig Maccairaill
Bl Domenico de Molinar
St Eonus (Died c502) Bishop of Arles
St Ernan
St Evan of Ayrshire

St Firminus (Died c496) Bishop and Confessor in Metz, France.
His Life of Holy Service:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/08/18/saint-of-the-day-18-august-saint-firminus-of-metz-died-c496-bishop-and-conmfessor/

St Florus of Illyria
Bl Francis of Francavilla
Bl Gaspar di Salamanca
St Hermas of Rome
St John of Rome
St Juliana of Myra
St Juliana of Stobylum
St Laurus of Illyria
St Leo of Myra

Blessed Leonard of Cava (1232-1255) Abbot of the renowned Cava Monastery. An Administrator par excellence, a Peace-maker, a Monk devoted to the Rule of St Benedictine. He was known as a man of extraordinary gentleness and peace.
Blessed Leonard’s Holy Life:

https://anastpaul.com/2023/08/18/saint-of-the-day-18-august-blessed-leonard-of-cava-1232-1255-abbot/

Cava Monastery

St Maximus of Illyria
St Polyaenus of Rome
St Proculus of Illyria

Blessed Rinaldo (c1245 – 1321) Bishop of Vicenza from 1296 until his 1303 appointment as the Archbishop of Ravenna-Cervia holding that until his death, Doctor of Canon Law, Papal envoy, Arbitrator and Peace-maker. Archbishop Rinaldo was also a close friend of Dante Alighieri.
His Courageous Life:

https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/18/saint-of-the-day-18-august-blessed-rinaldo-of-concorezzo-c-1245-1321/

St Ronan of Iona
St Serapion of Rome

Massa Candida: Also known as Martyrs of Utica and the White Company: Three hundred 3rd Century Christians at Carthage, who were ordered to burn incense to Jupiter or face death by fire. Martyrs. Saint Augustine of Hippo and the poet Prudentius wrote about them. They were forced to cast themselves into a pit of burning lime c 253 at Carthage, North Africa.

Posted in IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, To JESUS through MARY

Our Morning Offering – 18 August – O Immaculate Heart of Mary

Our Morning Offering – 18 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Within the Octave of the Assumption

O Immaculate Heart of Mary
By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)

O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I have nothing in myself to offer thee
which is worthy of thee
but what thanksgiving I ought I to pay thee,
for all the favours
which thou hast obtained for me
from the Heart of Jesus!
What reparation ought I to make thee
for all my tepidity, in thy service!
I desire to return thee love for love,
the only good which I possess,
is the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
which thou, thyself hast given me.
I offer thee this Treasure of Infinite Price,
I cannot do more
and thou dost not deserve less, at my hand
but, receiving from me,
this Gift most Precious in thy sight,
be pleased, I beseech thee,
to accept too, my poor heart
which I here offer to thee
and I shall be forever blessed.
Amen.