Category: CATHOLIC Quotes

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on TRUTH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 July – – “But I say to you, love your enemies” – Matthew 5:44

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One Minute Reflection – 11 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – The Memorial of St John Gualbert (c 985-1073) Abbot – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6, Matthew 5:43-48

“But I say to you, love your enemies” – Matthew 5:44

REFLECTION – “One of you will say: “I’m not able to love my enemies at all.” All through Holy Scripture God has said to you that you can and do you answer Him that, to the contrary, you cannot!? Now think about it – who are we to believe? God or you? Since He who is Truth itself cannot lie, let human weakness leave off its futile excuses forthwith! He who is just, cannot demand something impossible and He who is merciful, will not condemn someone for something that person could not avoid. So why these evasions then? There is no-one who knows better, what we are capable of, than He who has given us the ability. Such numbers of men, women, children, tender young girls, have borne flames, fire, sword and the wild beasts for Christ’s sake, without flinching and we, do we say that we cannot bear the insults of unintelligent persons?…

Indeed, if only the good are to be loved, what are we to say of the action of our God, of Whom it is written: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son?” (Jn 3,16). For what good deeds are they, that the world had done, for God to love it so? Christ our Lord, found us all to be, not only evil but even dead, on account of original sin and yet… “he loved us and handed himself over for us” (Eph 5,2). In so acting, He loved even those who did not love Him, as the Apostle Paul also says: “Christ died for the guilty” (Rm 5,6). And in His inexpressible mercy, He gave this example to all humankind, saying: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart” (Mt 11,29).” – St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Bishop and Monk – Sermons to the people, no 37

PRAYER – May the intercession of the blessed Abbot John commend us to Thee, O Lord, so that through his merits we may obtain that which we cannot accomplish by our own. 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 MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on VANITY, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 11 July – VANITY

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Thought for the Day – 11 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

VANITY

“Vanity destroys whatever is good in our actions and makes them useless in the sight of God.
It robs our good actions of all merit because they should be done only for the glory of God, whereas we are performing them for our own glory.
We want them to be seen by others so that we shall be honoured by men as noble and holy.

If our actions have been motivated by self-interest, rather than by the desire for the glory of God, we shall hear, at the judgement seat of God the terrible condemnation:
“You have received your reward” (Cf Mt 6:2).

If we have sought our own satisfaction instead of God’s glory during our lifetime, we shall not receive an everlasting reward!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/10/thought-for-the-day-10-july-vanity/

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CREEDS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 July – Blessed art thou

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 July – The Memorial of St Pius I, Pope (Died c 154) Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19

“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona
because flesh and blood
hath not revealed it to thee
but My Father Who is in Heaven.”

Matthew 16:17

“Faith gives rise to prayer
and this prayer obtains
an increase of faith.”

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

“My sheep follow me,” says Christ.
By a certain God-given grace,
believers follow in the footsteps of Christ.
No longer subject to the shadows of the Law ,
they obey the commands of Christ,
and guided by His words,
rise through grace,
to His own dignity,
for they are called children of God.
When Christ ascends into heaven,
they also follow Him.”

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“And like the little grain of mustard seed …
we should set it in the garden of our soul,
all weeds being pulled out
for the better feeding of our faith.
Then shall it grow and …
through the true belief of God’s word …
we shall be well able to command
a great mountain of tribulation
to void from the place
where it stood in our hearts,
whereas with a very feeble faith
and faint, we shall scarcely
be able to remove a little hillock.”

St Thomas More (1478-1535)

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and earth
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was Crucified, died and was buried;
He descended into hell;
on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven
and is seated at the Right Hand
of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 July – ‘… It is no accident whether a person believes or not. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 11 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – The Memorial of St Pius I, Pope (Died c 154) Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19

“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee but My Father Who is in Heaven.” – Matthew 16:17

REFLECTION – “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 – Look forgivingly on thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in Thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Pius thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church.. 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 GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on THE WORLD

Thought for the Day – 10 July – A Ladder Ascending to God

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Thought for the Day – 10 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

A Ladder Ascending to God

“How often, nevertheless, is our mind led astray by the passing beauty of this world.
How often is our heart engrossed in a search for a happiness, which is purely illusory.
God has given us created things so that we may see in them, a reflection of His goodness and beauty and may use them as a ladder, which will lead us to Him.
We shall be lost if we look back and fall beneath the false spell of this earthly fairyland.
Our minds and hearts should look upwards towards Heaven.

God alone can satisfy the infinite desires of the soul.
Let us never lose sight of Him.
Everything else passes but God does not change.
He will be our sure guide in this life and our everlasting happiness in the next.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/06/thought-for-the-day-6-july-a-ladder-ascending-to-god/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/07/06/thought-for-the-day-6-july-a-ladder-ascending-to-god-2/

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MIRACLES, OUR Cross, POETRY, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The HOLY CROSS, The LAST THINGS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 10 July – ‘God hanging from a Cross …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost and the Solemnity of the Most Precious Blood

“Many indeed are the wondrous happenings
of that time:
God hanging from a Cross,
the sun made dark
and again flaming out;
for it was fitting,
that creation should mourn
with its Creator.
The temple veil rent,
Blood and Water flowing
from His side –
the one as from a Man,
the other as from what was above man;
the earth shaken,
the rocks shattered because of the Rock;
the dead risen to bear witness
to the final and universal
resurrection of the dead.
The happenings at the sepulchre
and after the sepulchre,
who can fittingly recount them?
Yet not one of them, can be compared,
to the Miracle of my Salvation.
A few drops of Blood
renews the whole world
and do, for all men,
what the rennet does for the milk –
joining us and binding us together!”

St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“The Word of the Cross
Look on thy God, Christ hidden in our flesh.
A bitter word, the Cross and bitter sight:
Hard rind without, to hold the heart of Heaven.
Yet sweet it is, for God upon that tree
Did offer up His Life upon that rood
My Life hung, that my Life might stand in God.
Christ, what am I to give Thee for my life?
Unless take from Thy Hands the cup they hold,
To cleanse me with the precious draught of death.
What shall I do? My body to be burned?
Make myself vile? The debt’s not paid out yet.
Whate’er I do, it is but I and Thou,
And still do I come short, still must Thou pay
My debts, O Christ, for debts Thyself hadst none.
What love may balance Thine? My Lord was found
In fashion like a slave, that so His slave
Might find himself in fashion like his Lord.
Think you the bargain’s hard, to have exchanged
The transient for the eternal, to have sold
Earth to buy Heaven? More dearly God bought me!

St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431)
Father of the Church

“He who is immortal, voluntarily shed His Blood.
He who created the Host of Angels,
was bound at the hands of soldiers
and He who is to judge the living and the dead,
was dragged to justice (cf. Acts 10:42; 2 Tm 4:1).
Truth was exposed to false witnesses,
was slandered, struck, covered with spittle,
hung on the Wood of the Cross –
the Lord of Glory (cf. 1 Cor 2:8)
endured every outrage and suffering
without Himself needing these trials. …

So there is nothing surprising about it,
if we submit to even one of these trials,
since such is our condition …
Therefore, we too have to be offended and tempted,
afflicted by the cutting off of our wills.”

St Theodore the Studite (759- 826)
Monk at Constantinople, Father
(Catecheses 1)

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 July – ‘ … Run with eager desire to this Source of Life …’

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One Minute Reflection – 10 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost and the Solemnity of the Most Precious Blood – Hebrews 9:11-15, John 19:30-35

“But one of the soldiers opened His side with a lance and immediately there came forth, Blood and water.” – John 19:34

REFLECTION – “Take thought now, redeemed man and consider how great and worthy is He, Who hangs on the Cross for you… Arise, then, beloved of Christ! Imitate the dove ‘that nests in a hole in the cliff’ (Jr 48:28), keeping watch at the entrance ‘like the sparrow that finds a home’(Ps 84:4). There, like the turtledove, hide your little ones, the fruit of your chaste love. Press your lips to the Fountain, draw water from the wells of your Saviour; for this is the spring flowing out of the middle of paradise, dividing into four rivers, inundating devout hearts, watering the whole earth and making it fertile.

Run with eager desire to this Source of Life and Light, all you who are vowed to God’s service. Come, whoever you maybe and cry out to Him, with all the strength of your heart. O indescribable Beauty of the most high God and purest Radiance of Eternal Light! Life that gives all life, Light that is the Source of every other light, preserving, in everlasting splendour, the myriad flames that have shone before the throne of Your Divinity from the dawn of time!

Eternal and inaccessible Fountain, clear and sweet stream, flowing from a hidden spring, unseen by mortal eye! None can fathom Your depths nor survey Your boundaries, none can measure Your breadth, nothing can sully Your purity. From You flows ‘the river which gladdens the city of God’ (Ps 46:5) and makes us cry out with joy and thanksgiving, in hymns of praise to You, for we know, by our own experience, that ‘with You is the Source of Life and in Your Light we see light’ (Ps 36:10).” – St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Doctor of the Church (The Tree of Life, 29-30, 47, – Breviary)

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who made Thy Only Begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and willed to be reconciled by His Blood, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to worship in this Sacred rite the price of our salvation and to be so protected by its power against the evils of the present life on earth, that we may enjoy its everlasting fruit in Heaven. 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).
Aspiration: Precious Blood, ocean of Divine Mercy, Flow upon us.

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DESPAIR, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Thought for the Day – 9 July – Falling into Sin

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Thought for the Day – 9 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Falling into Sin

“The second extreme to be avoided is discouragement, which can lead us to despair, as Judas did.
We know that God is entirely good and merciful.
We know that Jesus died on the Cross for our salvation.
How can we doubt that He will welcome us if we repent and return to Him?

No matter how grave and how numerous our sins may be, let us remember that the Mercy of God is Infinite.
Let us remember that He is waiting for us, as his father waited for the prodigal son and, that He is following us like a shepherd who is searching for his lost sheep.
He allowed us to fall, in order to humble us and help us to realise that we are incapable of doing anything good by ourselves.

Let us go to Him humbly and penitently, trusting He will give us the kiss of peace and forgiveness.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/03/thought-for-the-day-3-september-falling-into-sin/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/07/19/thought-for-the-day-19-july-falling-into-sin/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 July – “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.”

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One Minute Reflection – 9 July – Our Holy Mother’s Saturday and the Feast of Our Lady Queen of Peace – Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16, Luke 11:27-28

“While he was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.’” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “Mary was more blessed in accepting the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ. To someone who said, “Blessed is the womb that bore you,” he replied, “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.”

Finally, for his brothers, his relatives according to the flesh who did not believe in Him, of what advantage was that relationship? Even her maternal relationship would have done Mary no good, unless she had borne Christ more happily in her heart, than in her flesh.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace (Holy Virginity 3).

PRAYER – Grant us, Thy servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and, by the intercession of glorious and Blessed Mary, ever virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake to the full of eternal happiness. 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 HYMNS, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES on PEACE

Our Morning Offering – 9 July – Most Gracious Mary, Queen of Peace

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Our Morning Offering – 9 July – Feast of Our Lady Queen of Peace

Most Gracious Mary, Queen of Peace
Unknown Author

Most gracious Mary, Queen of Peace
Embrace us with your love.
May our desire sincerely be,
To praise our God above.

Implore for us the Spirit’s gifts
To follow in your way;
Let wisdom and humility,
Guide all we do and say.

In confidence we witness Christ,
Whose Truth has set us free.
May we pursue what leads to peace,
For all humanity.
Amen

The Author of this Marian Hymn is unknown. With common meter (ie 8.6.8.6) it is sung to the tune New Britain ie the same tune that is widely used for Amazing Grace.

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on SCANDAL

Thought for the Day – 8 July – Uncharitableness

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Thought for the Day – 8 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Uncharitableness

“The tendency to complain about others, is a most insidious cancer which can corrode all that is good in our conversation, making it harmful and even gravely sinful.
Grumbling is always, more or less sinful, according to the circumstances.
It may be a sin against charity, which demands that we love our neighbour as ourselves and help him as much as possible, by word and by deed.
It may be a sin of scandal because the person to whom we are complaining maybe provoked to throw stones in his turn at the subject of our detraction.
It maybe a sin of theft because it takes away the reputation of the person whom we are criticising.
This could carry with it, the obligation to make restitution by withdrawing what we have said, if it is false or doubtful or by speaking charitably of the person whom we have wronged in order to restore his good name.
Uncharitableness in speech, is also a sin of injustice, when it involves calumny, in which case, there is an obligation to repair the damage done in the best way possible.

Since criticism of others can be such an evil thing, we should take care not to form the habit of employing it as a means of making our conversation more lively and acceptable.
The life of a Catholic, should be governed by charity and grumbling about others, is always an offence against charity!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/07/thought-for-the-day-7-july-uncharitableness/

Posted in BAPTISM, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, The HEART, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 8 July – The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure … Matthew 13:44

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 July – The Memorial of St Elizabeth Queen of Portugal TOSF (1271-1336) – Proverbs 31:10-31, Matthew 13:44-52.

“The Kingdom of Heaven
is like a treasure hidden in a field;
he who finds it, hides it
and in his joy,
goes and sells all that he has
and buys that field.”

Matthew 13:44

“For where your treasure is,
there also will your heart be.”

Luke 12:34

“We have had Your treasure
hidden within us,
ever since we received baptismal grace,
it grows ever richer
at Your sacramental table.”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Let your door stand open
to receive Him,
unlock your soul to Him,
offer Him a welcome in your mind
and then you will see
the riches of simplicity,
the treasures of peace,
the joy of grace.
Throw wide the gate of your heart,
stand before the Sun
of the everlasting Light.”

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

“ He who finds Jesus, finds a rare treasure,
indeed, a good above every good,
whereas he who loses Him,
loses more than the whole world.
The man who lives without Jesus,
is the poorest of the poor,
whereas no-one is so rich,
as the man who lives in His grace.
… Let all things be loved, for the sake of Jesus
but Jesus, for His own sake.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,
for your Father is pleased
to give you the kingdom.
Sell your belongings and give alms.
Provide money bags for yourselves
that do not wear out,
an inexhaustible treasure in heaven
that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.”

St John Leonardi (1541-1609)

“You leave the land just as it is
when you depart,
you do not carry anything away.
Our first aim
is to go to God,
we are not on earth
for anything but this!”

St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The SIN of PRESUMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 July – ‘ … the bad will always be mingled amongst the good in the Church …’

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One Minute Reflection – 8 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood”– The Memorial of St Elizabeth Queen of Portugal TOSF (1271-1336) – Proverbs 31:10-31, Matthew 13:44-52.

“So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels shall go out and shall separate the wicked from among the just. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 13:49-50

REFLECTION – “Our Lord was an example of incomparable patience. He bore with a “devil” among His disciples even to His Passion (Jn 6,70). He said: “Let them grow together until the harvest lest you uproot the wheat when you pull out the weeds” (cf. Mt 13,29f.). As a symbol of the Church, He preached that the net would bring back to shore, namely the end of the world, every kind of fish, both good and bad. And He made it known, in various other ways, whether openly or in parables, that there would always be a mixture of good and bad. But, nevertheless, He stresses, that we have to protect the Church’s discipline when He says: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother” (Mt 18,15)…

Yet today, we see people who think of nothing but stern commandments, who order that troublemakers be reproved, ‘not giving what is holy to the dogs,’ treating, like the publicans, ‘anyone who despises the Church, cutting off the scandalous member from the body‘ (Mt 7,6 ; 18,17 ; 5,30). Their stormy zeal so troubles the Church, that they pull out the weeds before their time and their blindness makes of them enemies, of the unity of Jesus Christ…

Take care not to let these presumptuous thoughts enter our hearts, trying to separate ourselves from sinners, so as not to be soiled by contact with them, wanting to form a band of pure and holy disciples. We will achieve nothing but breaking up our unity, under the pretext of not associating with the wicked. To the contrary, let us remember the parables of Scripture, their inspired words, their striking examples, where we are shown that, until the end of the world and the day of judgement, the bad will always be mingled amongst the good in the Church, without their participation in the Sacraments being harmful to the good, so long as these latter, have not played a part in their sins.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (On Faith and Works – Excerpt ch 3-5)

PRAYER – Most merciful God, Who among other admirable gifts, endowed blessed Queen Elizabeth with the special grace of calming the tumult of war; grant by her intercession that, after the peace for which we humbly pray, we may attain everlasting happiness. 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 BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 8 July – An Old Morning Prayer

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Our Morning Offering – 8 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood”

An Old Morning Prayer – Excerpt
From The Blossoms of the Cross — 1894
The Sisters of St Joseph

I rise In God’s strength,
In God’s power,
In the Agony of Christ,
In the Cross of Christ,
In Christ’s Precious Blood,
These will sustain me against my enemies,
visible and invisible.
I rise in the blessing of Christ
which my dearest Jesus left to the whole world.
Protect me, All-Holy Trinity,
God the Father, Who created me,
God, the Son, Who redeemed me in His Precious Blood,
God, the Holy Ghost, Who sanctified me in Holy Baptism.
God, the Father, I give myself to Thee!
God, the Son, I commend myself to Thee!
God, the Holy Ghost, teach me!
Mary, Mother of God, assist me!
All you Saints of God, pray for me!
All you Holy Angels, protect me!
The Cross of Christ preserve me!
Amen

Posted in LAPSED Catholics, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, Quotes on SALVATION

Thought for the Day – 7 July – THE SALVATION OF SOULS

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Thought for the Day – 7 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

THE SALVATION OF SOULS

“If you still belong to the category of those who desire to be good and virtuous, remember that your obligations do not stop at this.
You are obliged to work as hard as possible, for the return of sinners to the fold and for the reawakening of the faith of the indifferent.

A man who really loves God, cannot remain inactive when he witnesses the desertion of so many of his fellow-men, the corruption of public and private morals and the continuous insults offered to the Creator of the human race.
ANYONE WHO REMAINS INACTIVE BECOMES AN ACCOMPLISH!

Everyone is obliged to do his best to prevent the spread of such errors and evils.
Do NOT make the excuse that there is very little which you can do.
Although the resources of those who are still faithful, may be individually insignificant, they become, when combined, an irresistible force.

Remember that you have three invincible weapons – prayer, mortification and sacrifice.
These are the weapons which can and should be employed in order to convert the world and to establish the Kingdom of God.

Remember the countless conversions effected by the Saints as a result of their prayer, mortications and heroic sacrifices.
No-one can call himself a Catholic, who does not love, in a practical manner, his fellowmen, especially unfortunate sinners.
Make up your mind to offer up your prayers and sacrifices for their conversion.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/07/07/thought-for-the-day-7-july-the-salvation-of-souls/

”

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 7 July – St Lawrence of Brindisi

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 July – The Memorial of St Lawrence of Brindisi OFM Cap (1559-1619) Confessor, The “Franciscan Renaissance Man,” Priest

“For Him all things were created
and to Him, all things must be subject
and God loves all creature,
in and because of Christ.”

“My dear souls, let us recognise, I pray you,
Christ’s infinite charity towards us
in the institution of this Sacrament of the Eucharist.
In order that our love be a spiritual love,
He wills a new heart, a new love, a new spirit for us.
It is not with a carnal heart but with a spiritual one,
that Christ has loved us with a gratuitous love,
a supreme and most ardent love,
by way of pure grace and charity.
Ah! One needs to love Him back
with one’s whole, whole, whole,
living, living, living
and true, true, true heart!”

St Lawrence of Brindisi(1559-1619)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on GRACE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day  – 7 July  – Saint Prosper of Aquitaine (c 390-c 465)

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Saint of the Day  – 7 July  – Saint Prosper of Aquitaine (c 390-c 465) Theologian, Married Layman, Writer, disciple and friend of St Augustine (354-430). St Prosper was the first continuator of St Jerome’s Universal Chronicle. Born in c 390 in Aquitaine, France and died in c 465 in Rome, Italy, of natural causes. Also known as – Tiro Prosper or Prosper Tiro.

Prosper was a native of Aquitaine, France and may have been educated at Bordeaux. By 417 he arrived in Marseilles as a refugee from Aquitaine, in the aftermath of the Gothic invasions of Gaul.

We first meet Prosper definitively around 425 as a participant in the Pelagian controversy which rocked the Church in southern France. Pelagian heretics minimised the role of grace in the first steps of becoming a Christian. Many vigorously opposed St Augustine’s strict views that special grace was required for salvation and thus, many were predestined to damnation. Prosper, a lay theologian, championed St Augustine. And in 428, a letter from Prosper prompted Augustine to write a major work on predestination.

Although a layman, Prosper threw himself with ardour into the religious controversies of his day, defending St Augustine and propagating orthodoxy. In his De vocatione omnium gentium – “The Call of all Nations,”, in which the issues of the call to the Gentiles is discussed, in the light of Augustine’s doctrine of Grace, Prosper appears as the first of the medieval Augustinians.

In 431, Prosper went to Rome and obtained a letter from Pope Celestine I that affirmed Augustine and his views and urged the French Bishops to quell the dispute peacefully. But it raged on. For several more years, Prosper wrote extensively, defending and popularising St Augustine’s teaching.

St Prosper on the right with Baby Jesus above him

In The Call to All Nations, Prosper seems to have mellowed somewhat, allowing that God mercifully made the Grace of Salvation available to all human beings. In the following excerpt Prosper describes the interplay of grace and free will:

“When the Word of God enters the ears through the ministry of preachers, the action of the Divine Power fuses with the sound of the human voice. The soul passes from one will to another will. Although the will that is driven out lingers on for a while, the newborn will claims for itself, all that is better in human beings. Thus the law of sin and the law of God do not dwell in the same way and together in the same person. Then the tempter tries to ambush the person through external things but the mind, strong with God’s help, prevails. For there are occasions for struggle and these greatly benefit the faithful. Their weakness is buffeted so that their holiness may not yield to pride. All good things, especially those conducive to eternal life, are obtained, increased and preserved through God’s favour.”

Prosper spent the last part of his life in Rome where he served as secretary to St Pope Leo the Great. During that tim, he wrote the Chronicle, a universal history from Adam’s fall to the Vandal’s conquest of Rome in 455. He died in Rome around 465.

You will remember yesterday’s Saint Palladius of Ireland, knowledge of whose history, was greatly enhanced by his contemporary’s writings, St Prosper, who speaks of St Palladius, in particular in regard to the Pelagian heresy.

A reflection by St Prosper here: https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/27/one-minute-reflection-27-october-children-of-promise/

Posted in "Follow Me", ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OUR Cross, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on ZEAL, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Thought for the Day – 6 July – St Peter and St Paul

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Thought for the Day – 6 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Octave Day of Saints Peter and Paul

St Peter, Prince of the Apostles
St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles

“It is good to admire the fidelity of St Peter and the designs of Divine Providence in making him the visible Head of the Church but, it is far better, to follow his example.
His love for Jesus, led him to leave his family and his fisherman’s trade, in order to follow Our Lord.
It led him to undertake long voyages, to endure imprisonment and to face martyrdom.
What can we do for the love of Jesus?
Remember that, if love is to be sincere, it must be generous and effective.

Secondly let us meditate on and imitate, the ardent and fearless faith of St Peter.
He was not afraid to preach the teaching of Christ before the Sanhedrin.
He was not afraid of Herod, who cast him into prison.

He was not afraid of the Roman Emperor, who caused him to be crucified.
Our faith should be steadfast and lively, like his!

Finally, let us imitate Peter in his repentance.
Although he loved Jesus very much and had such great faith in Him, in a moment of weakness and of imprudence, he denied Him three times.
All his life, however, be wept bitterly for this sin.
Whenever he heard a cock crowing, it was as if an arrow had pierced his heart.
He was not satisfied, until he was hanging upon the cross like his Divine Master and could prove his love for Jesus by a Martyr’s death.”

St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles

We can learn many other virtues from St Paul, besides his zealous love for God and for his fellowmen.
We can also learn from him, the virtues of humility and of apostolic fervour.
The Apostle of the Gentiles reached such heights of sanctity, as to feel himself transformed into Christ Himself and to deserve to be taken up into the third Heaven, where he enjoyed a foretaste of eternal happiness.
Nevertheless, he considered himself unworthy to be called an Apostle and he realised, that all his gifts came to him from God.
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to think anything as from ourselves but our sufficiency, is from God” (2 Cor 3:5).
Whenever we succeed in any project, we should think on the same lines because, it is only when we are humble and depend on the grace of God, that the success of our actions will redound to the glory of our Creator.
If the cancer of ambition or of self-love, should corrupt our purity of intention, our work would not be blessed by God and would not make us worthy of everlasting life.
Let us repeat often: “All for You, with You and in You, my God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/29/thought-for-the-day-29-june-st-peter-prince-of-the-apostles-st-paul-the-apostle-to-the-gentiles/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, POETRY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 July – Saints Peter and Paul

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 July – Octave Day of Saints Peter and Paul

“Yes, the Apostle chosen
to be His co-worker,
merited to share,
the same Name as Christ.
They built the same Building together –
Peter does the planting,
the Lord gives the increase
and it is the Lord, too,
Who sends those,
who will do the watering (cf 1 Cor 3:6f).”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“Nothing escaped the Wisdom
and Power of Christ,
the elements of nature lay at His service,
spirits obeyed Him, Angels served Him. …
And yet, out of all the world,
Peter alone was chosen
to stand at the head,
for the calling of all the peoples
and the oversight of all the Apostles
and Fathers of the Church.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“There are the gates of our true country,
the two lights of the immense world.
There Paul’s voice is heard like thunder;
there Peter withholds or hurls the bolt .
The former opens the hearts of men,
the latter opens Heaven.
Peter is the Foundation-stone,
Paul the Architect of the temple
where stands the Altar
by which God is propitiated.
Both together form a single Fountain,
which pours out its healing
and refreshing waters.”

St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)
“The Troubadour of Christ”

St Paul’s Prayer – Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason, I bow my knees
before the Father, from Whom
every family in heaven and on earth
takes its name.
I pray that, according to the riches
of His glory, He may grant
that you may be strengthened
in your inner being with power through His Spirit
and that Christ may dwell
in your hearts through faith,
as you are being rooted and grounded in love.
I pray that you may have the power
to comprehend, with all the Saints,
what is the breadth and length
and height and depth
and to know, the love of Christ
that surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled
with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him Who, by the power at work within us,
is able to accomplish abundantly,
far more than all we can ask or imagine.
To Him be glory in the Church
and in Christ Jesus,
to all generations, forever and ever.
Amen.

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 July – ‘The Vessel of life …’

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One Minute Reflection – 6 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Octave Day of Saints Peter and Paul – Romans 8:18-23, Luke 5:1-11

“And getting into one of the boats, the one that was Simon’s, He asked him to put out a little from the land. And sitting down, He began to teach the crowds from the boat.” – Luke 5:3

REFLECTION – “Ordinarily, people are not given life on a boat but transported. Nor are they comforted on a vessel but anxious about its journey. Notice also, that this boat is not a boat that is given to Peter to be piloted — rather, it is the Church, which is committed to the Apostle to be governed. For this is the vessel that does not kill but gives life to those borne along by the storms of this world, as if by waves. Just as a little boat holds the dying fish that have been brought up from the deep, so also the vessel of the Church gives life to human beings who have been freed from turmoil. Within itself, I say, the Church gives life to those who are half-dead, as it were.” – St Maximus of Turin (? – c 420) Bishop, Father (Sermon 110).

PRAYER – O God, Who made this day holy by the Martyrdom of Your Apostles Peter and Paul, grant Thy Church to follow in all things, the teaching of those, from whom she first received the faith. 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 GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD

Thought for the Day – 25 June – Belonging Entirely to God

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Thought for the Day – 25 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Belonging Entirely to God

“What more could He have done in order to merit our love?
If He has loved us as much as to give Himself completely, why are we grudging in our relations with Him?
Why do we share our hearts between Him and the world, or worse still, between Him and sin!

There is nothing to prevent us from loving creatures, as well as God but, they should be loved in God and for God.
They should form a ladder, which enables us to climb towards God.

Every disproportionate affection, whether in regard to ourselves, or to others, is an injury to God.
If we really belong entirely to God, we should be at peace.
Since virtue is difficult, it is difficult to belong completely to God but, the effort gives us a foretaste of the happiness of Heaven.

If we really love God, nothing is difficult but everything seems simple and pleasant.
Perfect union with God, will give us the pure joy, which the Saints experienced.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/18/thought-for-the-day-18-june-belonging-entirely-to-god/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/18/thought-for-the-day-18-june-belonging-entirely-to-god-2/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Thought for the Day – 24 June – The Necessity of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

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Thought for the Day – 24 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Necessity of Devotion
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

“It is necessary to develop and meditate on these words of Pius XI, (see Part One) from which, it is clear, that the cult of the Sacred Heart, not only contains the synthesis of Christianity, the religion of love but, contains the most effective guide to the knowledge, love and imitation of Jesus Christ.
From the first moment of His life, when He was an infant in the cold, damp cave of Bethlehem, to the final moment, when He breathed His last upon the Cross, the Heart of Jesus was overflowing with love for us.
We can learn from this, to know our Divine Saviour better, so that appreciating more fully His infinite love for us, we shall feel an upsurge of gratitude and, of love.
We shall feel determined to live entirely for Him, as He lived entirely for us, to obey His commandments with generosity and, to imitate His example with the assistance of His grace.
This should be the result of our devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, especially during this month, which is consecrated to Him.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/02/thought-for-the-day-1-june-the-necessity-of-devotion-to-the-sacred-heart-

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SACRED HEART QUOTES, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 24 June – The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” and the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

“We, Christians,
are the true Israel
which springs from Christ,
for we are carved out of His Heart,
as from a Rock!”

St Justin Martyr (100-165)
Father of the Church and Martyr

“Be strengthened in Almighty God
and in the power of His might,
for with His help, nothing is difficult.
Throw off the heavy load of your own will,
cast aside the burden of sin
and gird yourselves as valiant warriors.
Forget what you are leaving behind;
strain forward to the great things before you.
I tell you, that every place where you set foot,
shall be yours.
For the Spirit who goes before your face
is Christ the Lord.
He will carry you to the topmost peak
in the arms of His Love.”

St Francis of Assisi (c 1181-1226)

“The Sacred Heart is the symbol
of that boundless love
which moved the Word to take flesh,
to institute the Holy Eucharist,
to take our sins upon Himself
and, dying on the Cross,
to offer Himself as a victim
and sacrifice to the eternal Father.”

“O Heart of love,
I put all my trust in Thee,
for I fear all things,
from my own weakness,
but I hope for all things,
from Thy Goodness.”

The Twelve Promises of Jesus
to Saint Margaret Mary
or those Devoted to His Sacred Heart:

  1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
  2. I will establish peace in their families.
  3. I will console them in all their troubles.
  4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life
    and especially at the hour of their death.
  5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
  6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy.
  7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
  8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
  9. I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart
    shall be exposed and honoured.
  10. I will give to priests the power of touching the most hardened hearts.
  11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names
    written in My Heart, never to be effaced.
  12. The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those
    who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months
    the grace of final repentance;
    they shall not die under my displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments;
    My heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.

From Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque’s Vision of Jesus

St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)
Visionary of the Sacred Heart

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 June – ‘… Then my life will be alive, filled entirely with You. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 24 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” and the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19, John 19:31-37.

“And to have Christ dwelling, through faith, in your hearts, so that, being rooted and grounded in love, you may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know Christ’s Love, which surpasses knowledge,” – Ephesians 3:17-19

REFLECTION – “When once I shall be united to You with my whole being, I shall at last be free of sorrow and toil. Then my life will be alive, filled entirely with You. When You fill someone, You relieve him of his burdens but because, I am not yet filled with You, I am a burden to myself. My joy when I should be weeping, struggles with my sorrows, when I should be rejoicing. I know not where victory lies.

Woe is me! Lord, have mercy on me! My evil sorrows and good joys are at war with one another. I know not where victory lies. Woe is me! Lord, have mercy! Woe is me! I make no effort to conceal my wounds. You are my Physician, I Your Patient. You are merciful; I stand in need of mercy.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (An excerpt from: The Confessions Book 10).

PRAYER – O God, Who in the Heart of Thy Son, wounded by our sins, mercifully lavish upon us the infinite riches of Love, grant, we beseech Thee, that as we offer Him the faithful service of our devotion, we may also show forth fitting reparation. 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).
SACRED Heart of JESUS, Thy Kingdom come! – Indulgence 300 Days – Every time – Raccolta 179 St Pius X, 6 November 1906.

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PARTIAL Indulgence, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HEART, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 June – ‘ … They clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ …’

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One Minute Reflection – 23 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Octave Day of Corpus Christi –1 Corinthians 11:23-29, John 6:56-59.

“For as often as you shall eat this Bread and drink the Cup, you proclaim the Death of the Lord, until He comes.” – 1 Corinthians 11:26

REFLECTION – “In our offering of the Holy Sacrifice we fulfil the Command of our Saviour, as recorded by the Apostle Paul: The Lord Jesus, on the night in which He was betrayed, took bread and after He had given thanks, broke it and said: This is My Body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me. The same way, after the supper, He took the Cup saying: This Cup is the New Covenant in My Blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this Bread and drink this Cup, you shall proclaim the Death of the Lord until He comes.

This Sacrifice is offered, then, to proclaim the Lord’s Death; it is offered in remembrance of Him Who laid down His Life for our sake. As He says: Greater love than this no man has, that he lay down his life for his friends. Because Christ died for us out of love, we ask, when we make remembrance of His Death, at the time of Sacrifice, that we too may be granted love through the coming of the Holy Spirit. We pray, that by the Love which Christ had for us when He braved the Cross, we may receive the grace of the Spirit and be crucified to the world and the world to us. The Death Christ died, He died to sin, once for all but the Life He lives, He lives to God. Let us imitate our Lord’s Death and also live a new life. Strengthened with the gift of His Love, let us die to sin and live for God.

For God’s Love has been poured out in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us. Indeed our sharing in the Lord’s Body and Blood, when we eat His Bread and drink His Cup, teaches us, that we should die to the world and that we should keep our life hidden with Christ in God, crucifying our flesh with its vices and evil desires.

That is why all the faithful who love God and their neighbour, truly drink the Cup of the Lord’s Love even though, they may not drink the cup of His Bodily Suffering. And becoming inebriated from it, they put to death, whatever in their nature is rooted in earth. They clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not indulge fleshly desires. They do not fix their gaze on visible things but contemplate things, which the eye cannot see. Thus they drink the Lord’s Cup by preserving the holy bond of love; without it, even if a man should deliver his body to be burned, he gains nothing. But the gift of love enables us to become, in reality, what we celebrate as Mystery in the Sacrifice.” – St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c 462 – 533) Bishop, Father (An excerpt from Against Fabianus).

PRAYER – Grant, O Lord, that we may always fear and love Thy Holy Name, for Thou never fails to guide those whom Thou firmly establish in Thy love. 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).
MAY the Heart of JESUS in the most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the Tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. – Indulgence 100 Days, Once a Day. Raccolta 161 Pius IX, 29 February 1868.

Posted in HOLY COMMUNION, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, VENIAL SIN

Thought for the Day – 22 June – Frequent Communion

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Thought for the Day – 22 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Frequent Communion

“For the practice of daily Communion, however, we should have the approval of our Confessor.
We should be fully determined to preserve ourselves free from every sin, especially from grave sin, for otherwise, we could not approach the Eucharistic banquet (if anyone receives Jesus with mortal sin on his soul, he commits a terrible sacrilege).
This practice, moreover, should help us to avoid every deliberate imperfection and venial sin and should inspire in us, a lively spirit of Christian charity.
“Receive Communion everyday,” said St Augustine, “because it will help you everyday … but you must live in a manner which will entitle you to communicate daily” (De Verbo Domini – Sermon 28).

Frequent Communion, therefore, will enable us to set out upon the road to perfection, without relaxing in our resolution and without any false scruples.
“Two kinds of people,” wrote st Francis de Sales, “should receive Communion frequently – the perfect and the imperfect; the perfect in order to preserve their holiness; the imperfect, in order to reach perfection.” (Introduction to the Devout Life c 2).

Let us ask the advice of our regular Confessor.
We shall be fortunate if we can approach the Sacred Banquet everyday, or at least very often, for we shall be sure that we are on the path to holiness.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/21/thought-for-the-day-21-august-frequent-communion/

Posted in ART DEI, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, POETRY, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 22 June – St Paulinus of Nola

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Memorial of St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431) Bishop, Confessor, Father.

“To my mind,
the only art, is the Faith
and Christ is my Poetry.”

“It is not surprising if,
despite being far apart,
we are present to each other
and without being acquainted,
know each other
because, we are members of One Body,
we have One Head,
we are steeped in One Grace,
we live on One Loaf,
we walk on One Road
and we dwell in the Same House!”

St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431)

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/22/quote-s-of-the-day-22-june-st-paulinus-of-nola-st-john-fsher-st-thomas-more/

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CHRIST the JUDGE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PARTIAL Indulgence, PLENARY Indulgences, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 June – ‘ … Even if they are signed with His Name

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One Minute Reflection – 22 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Within the Octave of Corpus Christi and the Memorial of St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431) Bishop, Confessor – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59.

“ … For he who eats and drinks unworthily, … eats and drinks judgement upon himself.”- 1 Corinthians 29

REFLECTION – “Christ has hidden enemies. All those who live unjust and irreligious lives are Christ’s enemies, even if they are signed with His Name and are called ‘Christians’ I mean the ones to whom he is going to say, “I do not know you” and they say to him, “Lord, in your name we ate and drank. In your name, we performed many deeds of power. What did we eat and drink in your name?”

You see that they did not value their food very highly and yet, it was with reference to It, that they said they belonged to Christ. Christ is the Food that is eaten and drunk. Even Christ’s enemies eat and drink Him! The faithful know the Lamb without spot on which they feed, if only they fed on It in such a way that they are not liable to punishment! The Apostle says, “Whoever eats and drinks unworthily is eating and drinking judgment upon himself.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 308).

PRAYER – O God, Who promised to those who forsake all things in this world for Thee, a hundred-fold reward in the world to come and life everlasting, mercifully grant that, following closely in the footsteps of the holy Bishop, Paulinus, we may look upon earthly things as nought and long only for those of Heaven. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
SWEET HEART of my JESUS, Make me love Thee ever more and more! – Indulgence 300 Days Everytime – Plenary Once a Month – Raccolta 162 – Pope Pius IX 26 November 1876.

Posted in GOD ALONE!, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on STRENGTH, SACRED HEART PRAYERS

Our Morning Offering – 22 June – Be my Strength, O Sacred Heart!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 22 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus”

Be my Strength, O Sacred Heart!
By St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)
Visionary of the Sacred Heart

O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
I fly to You,
I unite myself with You,
I enclose myself in You!
Receive my call for help, O my Saviour,
as a sign of my horror of all within me,
contrary to Your holy love.
Let me die rather a thousand times,
than consent to sin against You!
Be my strength, O God – defend me, protect me.
I am Yours and desire forever to be Yours!
Amen

Posted in JESUIT SJ, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 21 June – St Aloysius Gonzaga

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Thought for the Day – 21 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

St Aloysius Gonzaga

“One might say, that the life of St Aloysius Gonzaga was a miracle of purity and of heroic penance.
The source of his sanctity was the ardent love of God which he cherished from his childhood days.
He loved God above all things and with all his strength.
Therefore, long hours of prayer were a joy to him, the service of God in the Society of Jesus was his main desire and, mortification, was a loving offering, which he made in expiation of the sins of men.

The heart of St Aloysius, was not closed to men because of its supreme love of God.
His love of God, overflowed, into a vast love for his fellowmen.
He finally fell a victim to his own heroic charity.
When he was only twenty four years old, he devoted himself so earnestly to the care of those who had been stricken down by the Plague, that he caught the infection and died a peaceful death.
In his final moments, he smiled and announced that he was happy to be leaving the world.

Do we desire to merit as peaceful and holy a death as this?
Let us imitate St Aloysius by living lives of purity henceforth, even if we have not always been as faithful as he was in this regard.
Let us imitate also, his love for God and for his neighbour, his spirit of penance and his fervour in prayer.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/21/thought-for-the-day-21-june-st-aloysius-gonzaga/