One Minute Reflection – 14 October – “The Month of The Most Holy Rosary and The Holy Angels” – St Callistus I (c218- c223) Confessor, Pope, Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11 – Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Upon this rock I will build My Church … – Matthew 16:18
REFLECTION – “ You have undertaken the office of a Bishop and now, seated in the stern of the Church, you are steering it in the teeth of the waves. Hold the rudder of faith fast that you may not be shaken by the heavy storms of this world. The sea, indeed, is vast and deep but fear not, for He hath founded it upon the seas and prepared it upon the floods. Rightly then, the Church of the Lord, amid all the seas of the world, stands immoveable, built as it were, upon the Apostolic rock and her foundation remains unshaken, by all the force of the raging surge. The waves lash but do not shake it and, although this world’s elements often break against it with a mighty sound, still, it offers a secure harbour of safety to receive the distressed.
Yet, although it is tossed upon the sea, it rides upon the floods and perhaps chiefly, upon those floods of which it is said, “The floods have lifted up their voice. For there are rivers which shall flow out of his belly, who has received, to drink from Christ and partaken of the Spirit of God.” These rivers then, when they overflow with spiritual grace, lift up their voice. There is a river too which runs down upon His Saints like a torrent. And there are the rivers of the flood which make glad the peaceful and tranquil soul. He who receives, the fulness of this stream, as did John the Evangelist, as did Peter and Paul, lifts up his voice and, like as the Apostles, loudly heralded forth to the farthest limits of the world, the Gospel message, so he also begins to preach the Lord Jesus.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan, Father & Doctor of the Church (Letter 2: 1-2)
PRAYER – O God, Who behold how we fail in our weakness, mercifully restore us to Thy love, through the examples of Thy Saints. 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).
AnaStpaul 