Quote/s of the Day – 16 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”
Mary, Mother of Grace St Athanasius (297-373) Father & Doctor of the Church
It becomes you to be mindful of us, as you stand near Him who granted you all graces, for you are the Mother of God and our Queen. Help us for the sake of the King, the Lord God and Master, Who was born of you. For this reason, you are called full of grace. Remember us, most holy Virgin, and bestow on us gifts from the riches of your graces, Virgin full of graces. Amen
“Go to Mary and sing her praises and you will be enlightened. For it is through her, that the true Light shines on the sea of this life.”
St Ildephonsus (607-670)
“… The design of the Redeemer of our race was to bring about a birth and, as it were, a new creation to replace the one that went before. Therefore, just as in Paradise, He had taken a little clay out of the pure and spotless earth, to fashion the first Adam (Gn 2,7), so, at the moment of bringing about His Own Incarnation, He made use of another earth, so to speak, namely, this Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings He had created. It is in her that He, Adam’s Creator, has remade us in our very substance and become a new Adam (1Cor 15,45) that the old might be saved by the new and eternal.”
Quote/s of the Day – 15 August –“The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – The Assumption
“In what possible way could you be acceptable to death, O Immaculate one? You are the bridge of life and the Ladder to Heaven: you are a boat over the sea of death reaching to immortality!”
St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Now, behold, Mary leaves the earth and calling to mind the many graces she had there received from her Lord, she looks on it affectionately. And now, Jesus offers her His Hand and the Blessed Mother rises in the air, passes beyond the clouds and arrives at the Gates of Heaven.”
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Thought for the Day – 14 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Christian Joy
“In his letters, St Paul frequently exhorts the early Christians to be joyful. “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice” (Phil 4:4). “The fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, kindliness” (Cf Gal 5:22). But we are to remember that “The Kingdom of God does not consist in food and drink but, in justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17).
St Paul emphasises that this joy need not be lost in times of tribulation. “I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our troubles” (2 Cor 7:4). In the life of a Christian, joy andsorrow are not mutually exclusive but, complement and perfect one another.
This does not mean that Christianity essentially transforms human nature and banishes the pangs of suffering. It means simply that everything in human nature, is purified and elevated, so that, it may be deserving of Heaven, where true and lasting happiness is to be found. “Be fervent in spirit,” says St Paul, “serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope,” (Rom 12:12)“and as sorrowful, always rejoicing” (2 Cor 6:10.”
Quote/s of the Day – 14 August – The 10th Sunday after Pentecost – 1 Cor.inthians 12:2-11, Luke 18:9-14
“… For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.”
Luke 18:14
“Let him who is greatest among you, become as the youngest and he who is the leader, as the servant.”
Luke 22:25
“As “pride, is the beginning of all sin,” (Eccl. 10:15) so humility, is the foundation of all virtue. Learn to be really humble and not, as the hypocrite, humble merely in appearance.”
St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
“Once humility is acquired, charity will come to life like a burning flame devouring the corruption of vice and filling the heart so full, that there is no place for vanity.”
St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)
“True humility scarcely ever utters words of humility.”
One Minute Reflection – 14 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – The 10th Sunday after Pentecost – 1 Cor.inthians 12:2-11, Luke 18:9-14
“I tell you, this man went back to his home, justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled but he who humbles himself, will be exalted” – Luke 18:14
REFLECTION – “The stern Pharisee, who in his overweening pride, not only boasted of himself but also discredited the tax collector, in the Presence of God, made his justice void by being guilty of pride. Instead of the Pharisee, the tax collector went down justified because he had given glory to God, the Holy One. He did not dare lift his eyes but sought only to plead for mercy. He accused himself by his posture, by striking his breast and by entertaining no other motive, except propitiation.
Be on your guard, therefore and bear in min, this example of severe loss, sustained through arrogance. The one guilty of insolent behaviour suffered the loss of his justice and forfeited his reward, by his bold self-reliance. He was judged inferior to a humble man and a sinner because, in his self-exaltation, he did not await the judgement of God but pronounced it himself.
Never place yourself above anyone, not even great sinners. Humility often saves a sinner, who has committed many terrible transgressions!” – St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Father and Doctor of the Church (On Humility)
PRAYER – O God, Thou manifest Thy power, particularly in forbearance and pity, show us Thy mercy again and again, so that hastening toward Thy promises, we may become partakers of the blessings of Heaven. 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).
Thought for the Day – 13 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Work and Worry
“There are many people who claim that they are working for God and for souls. In fact, they do work hard and make great sacrifices but, at the first sign of failyre, they are disappointed and discouraged. Why is that? It is because, they only believed that they were working for God and for His Church, whereas, in their heart and soul, they were more influenced by self-love and by a desire fore the praise and approval of others. Their motives were not completely disinterested and their sacrifices were not made entirely for God. Therefore, they were disturbed by visions of success in human terms and were agitated at the prospect of failure.
The Saints worked hard too but they never worried. They were always calm because, their attention was focused on Heaven, rather than on themselves.
As long as we work entirely for God and accept, as His Will, the outcome of our efforts, everything will go well for us, even when it seems to be going badly!”
Quote/s of the Day – 13 August – Feast of Our Lady, Refuge of Sinner and the Memorial of St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Father of the Church
“To the extent that you pray with all your soul for the person who slanders you, God will make the truth known, to those, who have been scandalised by the slander.”
“Theology without practice, is the theology of demons!”
“The demons that wage war on us, through our shortcomings in virtue, are those which teach — impurity, drunkenness, avarice and envy. Those that wage war on us, through our excessive zeal for virtue, teach — conceit, self-esteem and pride. They [the demons] secretly pervert, what is commendable, into what is reprehensible!”
St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Father of the Church
Shelter Me Under Your Mantle, O Refuge of Sinners By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Most holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary, to you who are the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the Universe, the Advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I, who am the most miserable of all sinners, have recourse this day. I venerate you, great Queen and I thank you for the many graces you have bestowed upon me even unto this day, in particular for having delivered me from the hell which I have so often served by my sins. I love you, my dearest Lady and because of that love, I promise to serve you willingly forever and to do what I can, to make you loved by others also. I place in you all my hopes for salvation, accept me as your servant and shelter me under your mantle, you who are the Mother of Mercy. And since you are so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the strength to overcome them until death. From you I implore a true love for Jesus Christ. Through you I hope to die a holy death. My dear Mother, by your love for Almighty God, I pray you to assist me always but most of all, at the last moment of my life. Forsake me not then, until you shall see me safe in heaven, there to bless you and sing of your mercies through all eternity. Such is my hope. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 13 August – Anticipated Vigil of the Assumption and the Feast of Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners – Ecclesiasticus 24:23-31, Luke 11:27-28
“Blessed is the womb that bore you ’” – Luke 11:27
REFLECTION – “By the Spirit, from the womb of the Virgin, was born our Head, the Son of Man and, by the same Spirit, in the waters of Baptism, we are reborn as His Body and as sons of God. And just as He was born without any sin, so we are reborn in the forgiveness of all our sins. As on the Cross, He bore the sum total of the whole Body’s sins in His own physical Body, so He gave His members the grace of rebirth, in order that no sin might be imputed to His Mystical Body. It is written: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sin. The blessed man of this text is undoubtedly Christ, Who forgives sins, insofar as God, is His Head. Insofar as this Man is the Head of the Body, no sin is forgiven Him. But, insofar as the Body that belongs to this Head, consists of many members, sin is not imputed to it.
Just as in Himself, it is He Who justifies Himself. He alone is both Saviour and saved. In His own Body on the Cross, He bore what He had washed from His Body by the waters of Baptism. Bringing salvation through wood and through water, He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world which He took upon Himself. Himself a Priest, He offers Himself as sacrifice to God and He Himself, is God. Thus, through His own self, the Son is reconciled to Himself as God, as well as to the Father and to the Holy Spirit.” – Blessed Isaac of Stella O.Cist. (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (An excerpt from his Sermon 42),
PRAYER – O God, Who chose for Thy dwelling the virginal womb of the blessed Mary, grant, we beseech Thee, that, with the help of her protection, we may with joym take part in her festival. 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).
Thought for the Day – 12 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Renouncing All Things
“Another necessary condition for Christ’s reign in our souls, is that we should destroy our love of self. Our Lord charges us: “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up is cross and follow me” (Mt16:24). It is easier to renounce the goods of this world than it is to deny ourselves. It is so difficult to renounce one’s own ego that, at first sight, it seems impossible. Nevertheless, God demands this of us, if we intend to be perfect Christians and to be completely free to dedicate ourselves to Him.
God wishes to be absolute master of our souls because, this is His right as our Creator and Redeemer. If we succeed in conquering our self-love and in desiring only whatever is pleasing to God, we shall find liberty and peace. We shall be able to claim with St Paul: “It is now, no longer I that live but Christ lives in me” (Gl 2:20).”
Quote/s of the Day – 12 August – St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253) Virgin
“O wondrous blessed clarity of Clare! In life she shone to a few; after death, she shines on the whole world! On earth she was a clear light. Now in Heaven, she is a brilliant sun. O how great the vehemence of the brilliance of this clarity! On earth this light was indeed kept within cloistered walls, yet shed abroad its shining rays. It was confined within a convent cell, yet spread itself through the wide world.”
Pope Innocent IV (c 1195-1254) Papal reign 25 June 1243-1254
One Minute Reflection – 12 August – St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253) Virgin – 2 Cor inthians 10:17-18; 11:1-2 , Matthew 25:1-13
“But the wise took oil in their vessels” – Matthew 25:4
REFLECTION – “It is some great thing, some exceedingly great thing, that this oil signifies. Do you think it might be charity? If we try out this hypothesis, we hazard no precipitate judgement. I will tell you why charity seems to be signified by the oil. The Apostle says, “I will show you a still more excellent way.” “If I speak with the tongue of mortals and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” This is charity. It is “that way above the rest,” which is, with good reason, signified by the oil. For oil swims above all liquids. Pour in water and pour in oil upon it, the oil will swim above. If you keep the usual order, it will be uppermost, if you change the order, it will be uppermost. “Charity never fails!” … St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor (Sermon 93).
PRAYER – Hear us, O God, our Saviour that as we are gladdened by the festival of blessed Clare Thy virgin, so we may learn from it piety and devotion. ThroughJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Thought for the Day – 11 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Divine Providence
“How can we reconcile with this concept of Divine Providence, the confusion and injustice which also exists in the world? Why does God sometimes permit the evil to prosper and the good to be oppressed? Why does He not crush iniquity, as soon as it raises its head, instead of allowing the wicked to enjoy the pleasures of this earth, while the good are suffering?
The designs of God are hidden and mysterious but, it is certain, that He arranges everything justly and for the best. God never hurries, for He contemplates all creatures and events, in the light of eternity. The devil may hurry, “knowing that he has but a short time” (Apoc 12:12) but God is the Master of time!
God waits for men at the last threshold of life, in order to do justice to them all. His patience and mercy endure until the final moment of death because, He has said: “I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Cf Ez 33:11). This is the Mystery of God’s Mercy.
St Augustine offers another explanation as to why evil men often seem to be happy and victorious in this world. His suggestion is quite frightening. Even the worst of men, he says, do a certain amount of good during life. Nevertheless, if they die unrepentant, they will be punished for all eternity. Therefore, the justice of God concedes to them as a small reward in this life, for any good which they may have accomplished.”
Quote/s of the Day – 11 August – Saint Susanna of Rome (Died c 295) Virgin Martyr and and St Philomena (Died 304) Virgin Martyr – Hebrews 11:33-39, Luke 21:9-19
“But others were racked, not accepting deliverance that they might find a better resurrection.”
Hebrews 11:35
The Passion of Andrew: Hail, O Cross, yes, hail indeed!
“Hail, O Cross, inaugurated by the Body of Christ and adorned with His limbs as though they were precious pearls. Before the Lord mounted you, you inspired an earthly fear. Now, instead, endowed with heavenly love, you are accepted as a gift.
Believers know of the great joy that you possess and of the multitude of gifts you have prepared. I come to you, therefore, confident and joyful, so that you too may receive me, exultant as a disciple of the One Who was hung upon you….
O blessed Cross, clothed in the majesty and beauty of the Lord’s limbs!…
Take me, carry me far from men and restore me to my Teacher, so that, through you, the One who redeemed me by you, may receive me.
Hail, O Cross, yes, hail indeed!”
“Without the Cup of the Lord preserving the holy bond of love, even if a man should deliver his body to be burned, he gains nothing!”
St Fulgentus of Ruspe (c 462 – 533)
“We should not forget, that the devil has his martyrs and that he infuses into them a false constancy. It is not the punishment but the cause, that makes the Martyr; that is – the confession of the True Faith.”
St Alphonsus de Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church
Our Morning Offering – 11 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”
Hail, O Mother! By St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church
Hail, O Mother! Virgin, heaven, throne, glory of our Church, it’s foundation and ornament. Earnestly pray for us to Jesus, your Son and Our Lord, that through your intercession, we may have mercy on the day of judgement. Pray that we may receive, all those good things which are reserved for those who love God. Through the grace and favour of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, to Whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be power, honour and glory, now and forever. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 10 August – St Lawrence (Died 258) Martyr “Keeper of the Treasures of he Church” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-10, John 12:24-26
“If it dies, it produces much fruit”
John 12:24
“Through the glorious achievements of the holy Martyrs with which the Church blossoms everywhere, we are ourselves, proving to our own eyes, how true are the words we have been singing that: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Ps 116[115]:15). For it is precious both in our sight and in the sight of Him, in Whose Name. the death took place.”
“And all who wish to live piously in Christ Jesus, will suffer persecution.”
2 Timothy 3:12
“Do not love your life in this world! If you truly love yourselves, do not thus love your life and then, you will save your life!”…
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
“In conformity with the philosophy of Christ, let us make of our life, a training for death.”
St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Father of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 10 August – St Lawrence (Died 258) Martyr “Keeper of the Treasures of he Church” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-10, John 12:24-26
“He who loves his life, loses it and he who hates his life in this world, keeps it unto life everlasting. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me and where I Am ,there also shall My servant be.” – John 12:25-26
REFLECTION – “… We are being towed along by a world that passes away, forgetting the world to come. We are greedy for present things but do not take into account the coming judgement. We will not run to meet the Lord as He comes…
Let us turn back, brethren, let us turn back… By the very fact of His delay, of His still waiting, our Lord proves His desire to see us come back to Him, His desire that we should not perish. In His great goodness, He continues addressing these words to us: “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked but would rather he would change his ways and live ”(Ez 33,11). So let us turn back to Him, brethren, not fearing that time is running short. The time that belongs to time’s Author cannot be shortened. The proof of it lies in the criminal in the Gospel, who, at the moment of dying on the cross, got away with his pardon, grabbed hold of life and, breaking into paradise like a burglar, managed to make his way into the Kingdom (cf. Lk 23,43)!” – St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) Bishop of Ravenna, Father and “Doctor of Sermons” of the Church (Excerpt from Sermon 167).
PRAYER – Grant us, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, to extinguish the flames of our sins, as Thou granted St Lawrence to overcome the fires of his tortures. 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).
Thought for the Day – 9 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Parable of the Talents
“Let us meditate on the parable concerning the talents. A lord was preparing to go abroad and before he departed he called together his servants. He distributed his assets among them in proportion to their abilities, giving five talents to the first, two to the second and one to the third.
After a long time, the master returned and asked his servants to render an account of the money entrusted to them Those who had received respectively, the five and the two talents, returned the capital to their lord along with the profits which they had made, so that, in fact, each was able to hand back double the sum originally entrusted to him. Their master praised their fidelity and zeal and rewarded them more handsomely than they could ever have expected.
Finally, the man who had received only one talent approached and said, “Master, I know that thou art a stern man; thou reapest where thou hast not sowed and gatherest where thou hast not winnowed and, as I was afraid, I went away and hid the talent in the earth. Behold thou hast what is thine. The master’s reply was stern. Wicked and slothful servant. Thou didst know that I reap where I do not sow and gather where I have not winnowed! Thou shouldst, therefore, have entrusted my money to the bankers and on my return, I should have received back my own with interest. Take away, therefore, the talent from him and …. cast him forth into the darkness outside, where there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth” (Cf Mt 25:14-30).
The meaning of this parable is clear. We are all servants, to whom our heavenly Father has entrusted various talents. Some have been given more than others. By our own labour and industry, we must all make profitable use of the talents which we have received. The ungrateful and slothful servant, who does not make good use of his talents, will be severely punished. But a happy reward awaits the good and faithful servant, who has worked zealously all his life, for his Master’s interests until the talents which he has received, have produced an increase of sanctity in himself and in others.”
Quote/s of the Day – 9 August – The Memorial of St John Marie Vianney (1786-1859) Confessor
“To be saved, we must know, love,and serve God. Oh, what a beautiful life! How good, how great a thing it is, to know, to love and serve God! We have nothing else to do in this world. All that we do, besides this, is lost time! ”
“This is a good rule of conduct – to do nothing but that which we can offer to the good God. Now, we cannot offer to Him – slanders, calumnies, injustice, anger, blasphemy, impurity … yet that is all that people do in the world!”
“When death shall come upon us, of what use, will three-quarters of our life have been to us? With what are we occupied, the greatest part of our time? Are we thinking of the good God, of our salvation, of our soul?”
One Minute Reflection – 9 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and The Memorial of St John Marie Vianney (1786-1859) Confessor – Sirach 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40
“You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” – Luke 12:40
REFLECTION – “The Lord was looking to our days when He said, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8) We see that what He foretold has come to pass. There is no faith in the fear of God, in the law of righteousness, in love, in good works …. That which our conscience would fear if it believed, it does not fear because it does not believe at all. If it believed, it would also take heed and if it took heed, it would be saved.
Therefore ,beloved brothers, let us arouse ourselves as much as we can and break the slumber of our listlessness. Let us be watchful to observe and to do the Lord’s precepts. Let us be like He Himself, has bidden us to be, saying, “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately, when He comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants, whom the Master finds vigilant on His arrival“.
We ought to be dressed for work, lest, when the day of setting forth comes, it should find us burdened and entangled. Let our light shine, in good works and glow, in such a way, as to lead us from the night of this world, to the daylight of eternal brightness. Let us always wait with solicitude and caution for the sudden coming of the Lord, so that when he knocks, our faith may be on the watch and receive from the Lord, the reward of our vigilance. If these commands be observed, if these warnings and precepts be kept, we will not be overtaken in slumber, by the deceit of the devil. But we shall reign with Christ in His Kingdom, as servants on the watch.” – St Cyprian (c 200-258) Bishop of Carthage and Martyr, Father of the Church (Treatise on the unity of the Church, 26-27).
PRAYER – Almighty and merciful God, Who made St John Marie glorious by priestly zeal and untiring fervoru in prayer and penance, grantP we beseech Thee that by his example and intercession, we may have strength to win for Christ, the souls of our brethren and, with them, attain everlasting glory. 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).
Our Morning Offering – 9 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Memorial of St John Vianney (1786-1859) Confessor
O Thou, Most Holy Virgin Mary By St John Vianney (1786-1859)
O thou, Most Holy Virgin Mary, who dost evermore stand before the Most Holy Trinity and to whom it is granted, at all times to pray for us to thy Most Beloved Son; pray for me in all my necessities; help me, combat for me and obtain for me, the pardon of all my sins. Help me especially at my last hour and when I can no longer give any sign of the use of reason, then do thou encourage me, make the Sign of the Cross for me and fight for me against the enemy. Make in my name, a profession of faith; favour me with a testimony of my salvation and never let me despair of the mercy of God. Help me to overthrow the wicked enemy. When I can no longer say: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I place my soul in your hands,” do thou say it for me; when I can no longer hear human words of consolation, do thou comfort me. Leave me not before I have been judged and if I have to expiate my sins in Purgatory, Oh! pray for me earnestly and admonish my friends, to procure for me a speedy enjoyment of the Blessed Sight of God. Lessen my sufferings, deliver me speedily and lead my soul into Heaven with thee that, united with all the elect, I may there bless and praise my God and thee, for all eternity. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 8 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Mystery of Life
“We know that the past can never return and that the future is so uncertain that it may not even exist for us. We realise that our life is nothing more than a passing moment. If we meditate on these truths, how can we be attached to worldly objects? Even if we could attain the objects of our desire, they would soon be snatched away from us!
Let us aim at those lasting values which are not passing, which can remain with us during life, comfort us at death and accompany us into eternity. We know what these substantial values are – holiness, the grace of God, the conquest of our sensible appetites and the final enjoyment of God in Heaven. These things do not pass away but will remain with us forever.”
Quote/s of the Day – 8 August – The Memorial of the Fourteen Holy Helpers – On the Saints
“Let listening to worldly news be BITTER FOOD for you and let the words of Saintly men be as combs filled with honey.”
St Basil the Great (329-379) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Instead of speaking saintly words, we must act them.”
St Jerome (343-420) “The Man of the Sacred Scripture” Father and Doctor of the Church
“Perfection consists in one thing alone, which is doing the will of God. For, according to Our Lord’s words, it suffices for perfection to deny self, to take up the cross and to follow Him. Now who denies himself and takes up his cross and follows Christ better, than he who seeks not to do his own will but always that of God? Behold, now, how little is needed to become as Saint? Nothing more than to acquire the habit of willing, on every occasion, what God wills.”
St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)
“All a person’s holiness, perfection and profit lies in doing God’s will perfectly…. Happy are we, if we succeed in pouring out our heart into God’s, in uniting our desires and our will to His, to the point, that one heart and one will are formed, wanting, what God wants, wanting, in the way, in the time and in the circumstances, what He desires and willing it all, for no other reason, than that God wills it.”
One Minute Reflection – 8 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – The Memorial of the Holy Martyrs Saints Cyriacus, Largus and Smaragdus – 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16, Mark 16:15-18
“He who believes and is baptised, shall be saved ...” – Mark 16:16
REFLECTION – “When He says, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me,” He touches on their unbelief, showing, that whoever does not believe in Him transgresses the Will of the Father. He covertly shows, that unbelievers are not only at variance with Him but also, with the Father. For if this is [the Son’s] Will and if this is the reason He came, that is, that He might save the entire world, then those who do not believe transgress His Will.
When, therefore, He says, the Father guides someone, there is nothing that hinders that person from coming to [Jesus]. And Paul says, that [the Son] delivers them up to the Father. Now, just as the Father, when He gives, does not take from Himself, so neither does the Son take from Himself when He gives up. The Son is said to give up to the Father because we are brought to the Father by Him. And at the same time, we read that it was the Father “by whom you were called to the fellowship of His Son,” that is, by the Will of the Father.
Faith in Me, He intimates here, is no ordinary thing or one that comes from human reason but [it] needs a revelation from above. And this He establishes throughout His discourses, showing, that this faith requires a noble sort of soul and one drawn on by God. The expression “that the Father gives Me” shows, that it is no accident whether a person believes or not. It shows, that belief is not the work of human reasoning but requires a revelation from on high and a mind devout enough to receive the revelation. “Whoever then,” our Lord says, “comes to Me, shall be saved,” meaning they shall be greatly cared for. For to save such as these, I took up flesh and the form of a servant.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospel of John 45)
PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us with the annual festival of Thy holy Martyrs, Cyriacus, Largus and Smaragdus, mercifully grant, that we, who celebrate the anniversary of their death, may also strive to equal the courage of their Martyrdom. 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).
Thought for the Day – 7 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Rash Judgement
“Rash judgements are sometimes formed quite thoughtlessly. At other times they are produce of malice, envy, pride or hatred. Even when they are lightly arrived at, they are sinful because they are opposed to the law of charity. When they are the result of one of the passions mentioned, they are far more gravely sinful because, they presuppose the intention of injuring our neighbour. Rash judgements like this, rarely remain enclosed in the mind but are expressed openly, with consequent damage to the character of the victim!
It is easy to progress from lighter faults to grave sin in this matter. A rash judgement soon becomes slander and, a sin against charity, soon becomes a sin against justice involving an obligation to make reparation.”
Quote/s of the Day – 7 August – The Memorial of St Cajetan (1480-1547) Confessor
“I am a sinner and do not think much of myself. I have recourse, to the greatest Servants of the Lord that they may pray for me to the blessed Christ and His Mother. But do not forget, that all the Saints cannot endear you to Christ as much as you can yourself. It is entirely up to you!”
At his last hours, St Cajetan’s doctors tried to get him to rest on a softer bed then the boards he slept on but Cajetan answered:
“My Saviour died on a Cross. let me die on wood at least.”
One Minute Reflection – 7 August – The Memorial of St Cajetan (1480-1547) Confessor – 1 Corinthians 10:6-13, Luke 19:41-47
“And He entered the temple and began to cast out those who were selling and buying in it, saying to them, it is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer’ but you have made it a den of thieves.” – Luke 19:45-46
REFLECTION – “God does not want His temple to be a trader’s lodge but the home of sanctity. He does not preserve the practice of the Priestly service by the dishonest duty of religion but by voluntary obedience. Consider what the Lord’s actions impose on you, as an example of living. He taught in general that worldly transactions must be absent from the temple but He drove out the moneychangers in particular. Who are the moneychangers, if not those, who seek profit from the Lord’s money and cannot distinguish between good and evil? Sacred Scripture is the Lord’s money!” – St Ambrose (340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church (Exposition on the Gospel of Luke, 9).
PRAYER – O God, Who bestowed upon St Cajetan, Thy Confessor, the grace to follow the apostolic way of life; grant us by his intercession and example, ever to trust in Thee and to long only for the things of Heaven.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).
Thought for the Day – 6 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Almsgiving
“Even if it is not very great, wealth is a dangerous thing. It is a burden which hampers us spiritually, unless it is enriched by charity. Of itself, wealth is opposed to the spirit of the Gospel. In the Church of God, therefore, the only fitting role which rich men can assume, is to place their abundance at the service of charity and become the servants of the poor.
St Thomas Aquinas says that wealth can be an instrument of virtue and that, it is only in this sense that it can be called good. If it impedes the practice of virtue, then it is evil (Summa Contra Gentiles, 111:134). Let us make good use of our assets, therefore and give generously to those who are in need, without allowing our motives to become tainted with self-interest.
“Sell what you have and give alms,” said Christ, “Make for ourselves purses that do not grow old, a treasure unfailing in Heaven, where neither thief draws near nor moth destroys” (Lk 12:33). It is the possession of this kind of treasure, which will comfort us at the hour of death.”
Quote/s of the Day – 6 August – The Transfiguration of Our Lord
“And a cloud overshadowed them and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
Mark 9:7
“By His loving foresight, He allowed them to taste for a short time, the contemplation of eternal joy, so that they might bear persecution bravely.”
The Venerable St Bede (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
“At His Transfiguration Christ showed His disciples, the splendour of His Beauty, to which He will shape and colour, those who are His : ‘He will reform our lowness configured to the Body of His Glory.’”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274) Angelic Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 6 August – The Transfiguration of Our Lord – 2 Peter 1:16-19, Matthew 17:1-9..
“His face shone like the sunand His garments became white as snow.” – Matthew 17:2
REFLECTION – “The Lord displays His glory before chosen witnesses and makes illustrious that bodily shape which He shared with others, with such splendour that His countenance shone like the sun and His garments were as white as snow. In this Transfiguration, the chief object was to remove the scandal of the Cross from the hearts of the disciples and, to prevent their faith being disturbed, at the humiliation of His voluntary Passion, by revealing the excellence of His hidden dignity. But with no less foresight, the foundation was laid of the hope of holy Church that the whole Body of Christ, might realise, with what a change it was to be endowed and that the members, might promise themselves, a share in that honour which had shone forth in their Head.
But to confirm the Apostles and to lead them onto all knowledge, still further, instruction was conveyed by this miracle. For Moses and Elias, that is, the law and the prophets, appeared talking with the Lord, so that, in the presence of these five men, might most truly be fulfilled, what was said – In two or three witnesses every word stands. What more stable, what more steadfast, than the word, in the proclamation of which, the trumpet of the old and of the new TestamentS, sounds forth and the records of ancient witnesses, agree with the teaching of the Gospel? For the pages of both Covenants corroborate each other and He, Whom, under the veil of Mysteries, the types that went before, had promised, is displayed clearly and manifestly by the splendour of His present glory.
The Apostle Peter, therefore, being stirred by the revelation of these Mysteries, despising things worldly and scorning things earthly, was carried away by a certain excess of mind, to the desire of things eternal and, being filled with rapture at the whole vision, longed to make his abode with Jesus, in the place where he was gladdened by the sight of His glory. And so also he says: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if Thou wilt, let us set up here, three tents, one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias. But to this proposal the Lord made no reply, signifying that what he asked was not indeed wicked, but irregular, since the world could not be saved, except by Christ’s Death and by the Lord’s example in this, the faithful were called upon to believe that, although there ought not to be any doubt about the promises of happiness, yet, we should understand that, amid the trials of this life, we must ask for power to endure, rather than for glory.” – St Leo the Great (400-461) Pope, Father and Doctor (Sermon on the Transfiguration – excerpt).
PRAYER – O God, Who in the glorious Transfiguration of Thy Only-begotten Son strengthened the Mysteries of faith, by the testimony of the fathers and, by the Voice coming down in a shining cloud, miraculously betokened the complete adoption of Thy children, mercifully grant that we, be made co-heirs with that King of glory and sharers in that same glory .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).
Thought for the Day – 5 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Riches and Poverty
“We must face this unfortunate fact. One half of the world is living in luxury while the other half lives in squalor. Worse still, both the inanity and arrogance of the wealthy and the degradation and abjection of the destitute, extinguish the light of the Gospel and drown the voice of conscience.
Who is at fault? We must all share the blame, for nobody has ever fully implemented the Gospel teaching, which alone contains a complete solution for the problems of the human race. A great deal of want and misery would disappear, if all those whose assets exceed what they need for themselves, remembered that they are obliged to love their neighbour as themselves. They would then take heed of the precept: “Give that which remains as alms” (Lk 11:41), We should all examine ourselves rigidly on this point because, we could all do far more to help the needy, whom we do not love, unfortunately, as much as we love ourselves!”
AnaStpaul 
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