Category: CATHOLIC Quotes

Posted in "Follow Me", EASTER, NOTES to Followers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The RESURRECTION

EASTER SUNDAY – 4 April – Jesus Christ is risen! He is truly risen! Alleluia!

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EASTER SUNDAY – 4 April

A Blessed and Holy Easter to you all!
Alleluia!
Christós anésti!
Jesus Christ is risen!
He is truly risen!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Amen

[Easter is the Anglo- Saxon word for April, and was derived, as Venerable Bede tells us, (in his book De temporum ratione c. 13,) from Easter, a goddess of our pagan ancestors. Others derive Easter from Oest, Oost the Saxon for rising, or the east: and hence, Osteren, the Resurrection. Tr. from Butler’s Moveable Feasts.]

THIS IS THE DAY WHICH THE LORD HATH MADE;
LET US BE GLAD AND REJOICE THEREIN!

The night between Saturday and Sunday has well nigh run its course and the day-dawn is appearing. The Mother of sorrows is waiting, in courageous hope and patience, for the blissful moment of her Jesus’ return.

… But Jesus is not to tarry in the gloomy sepulchre. Quicker than a ray of light through a crystal, He passes through the stone that closes the entrance of the cave. Pilate had ordered his seal to be put upon this stone and a guard of soldiers is there, to see that no-one touches it. Untouched it is and unmoved and yet, Jesus is free!

Thus, as the holy Fathers unanimously teach us, was it at His birth: -He appeared to the gaze of Mary, without having offered the slightest violence to her maternal womb. The birth and the resurrection, the commencement and the end of Jesus’ mission, these two mysteries bear on them, the seal of resemblance – in the first, it is a Virgin Mother; in the last, it is a sealed tomb giving forth its captive God.

And while this Jesus, this Man-God, thus breaks the sceptre of death, the stillness of the night is undisturbed. His and our victory has cost Him no effort. 0 death! where is now thy kingdom? Sin had made us thy slaves; thy victory was complete and now, lo! thou thyself art defeated! Jesus, whom thou didst exultingly hold under thy law, ( 1 Apec. 1, 5. 2 I. Cor xv, 26. ‘Ibid. 56) has set Himself free and we, after thou hast domineered over us for a time, we too shall be free from thy grasp. The tomb thou makest for us, will become to us the source of a new life, for He that now conquers thee is ‘the First-born among the dead ~ and to-day is the Pasch, the Passover, the deliverance, for Jesus and for us, His brethren.

He has led the way, we shall follow and the day will come, when thou, the enemy, that destroys all things, shalt thyself be destroyed by immortality. Thy defeat dates from this moment of Jesus’ Resurrection,and, with the great Apostle, we say to thee:

‘O death! where is thy victory?

O death! where is thy sting?‘

Servant of God Abbot Dom Prosper Guéranger OSB (1805-1875)
Abbot of Solesmes

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOOD FRIDAY, HOLY WEEK, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Thought for the Day – 3 April – The Death of our Saviour

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Thought for the Day – 3 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Death of our Saviour

“Quite apart from the most fearful physical torments, such as the Scourging, the Crowning with Thorns and the Crucifixion, Jesus willed to endure extreme moral sufferings, such as the betrayal by Judas, the desertion by His Apostles in His hour of trial and the denial by the Head of the Apostles himself.
He willed to endure an even greater spiritual affliction than these, which was so mysterious as to be almost beyond our understanding.
This, was His abandonment by His heavenly Father.
“My God, my God,” He cries out in His last agony, “why hast thou forsaken me.”
His human heart elected to experience, at that moment, the removal of the inmost consolations and joys, which flowed from His continual union with His heavenly Father.
He was both Man and God.
His human nature was hypostatically united to the Word and in this way, even His human nature participated in His infinite happiness.
As Man, however, He chose to be deprived of this happiness.
Being burdened with all our sins, He wished to endure the most frightful sufferings and even abandonment by His heavenly Father.

We shall be able to understand this, if we ever experience moral affliction, which can be much worse than physical pain.
On these occasions, we should we should console ourselves with the reflection, that Jesus has walked this way of sorrows before us.
Then we shall remain united in these tials to Him, Who is the only source of comfort and resignation.
Let us prostrate ourselves before His lifeless Body, covered with sores and furrowed with blood!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/14/thought-for-the-day-14-april-the-death-of-our-saviour/

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, HOLY SATURDAY, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The REDEMPTION

Quote of the Day – 3 April – ‘By nothing else except the CROSS …’

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Quote of the Day – 3 April – Holy Saturday

“By nothing else except the CROSS
of our Lord Jesus Christ
has death been brought low.
The sin of our first parent destroyed,
hell plundered,
resurrection bestowed,
the power given us to despise the things of this world,
even death itself,
the road back to the former blessedness made smooth,
the gates of paradise opened,
our nature seated at the right hand of God
and we made children and heirs of God.
By the CROSS, all these things have been set aright…
It is a seal that the destroyer may not strike us,
a raising up of those who lie fallen,
a support for those who stand,
a staff for the infirm,
a crook for the shepherded,
a guide for the wandering,
a perfecting of the advanced,
salvation for soul and body,
a deflector, of all evils,
a cause of all goods,
a destruction of sin,
a plant of resurrection
and a tree of eternal life!”

St. John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor

Posted in EASTER, HOLY SATURDAY, QUOTES on DEATH, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 April – Holy Saturday – Lumen Christi …. Deo Gratias!

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One Minute Reflection – 3 April – Holy Saturday, The Easter Vigil of the Holy Night, Readings: First Reading: Genesis 1: 1 – 2: 2 or 1: 1, 26-31a, Psalm: Psalms 104: 1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35 Second Reading: Genesis 22: 1-18 or 22: 1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18, Gospel: Mark 16: 1-7

“But go, tell his disciples and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee; there you shall see him, as he told you” – Mark 1:7

REFLECTION – “Solomon says, there is a time for joy and a time for grief. Grief has departed, the time for joy has come, that true joy which proceeds from Christ’s Resurrection. …
For you, the Victor rose from hell; He wore down the gates of brass and broke the bars of iron. He occupied hell’s fortresses and crushed the dragon’s head. He inflicted great slaughter upon His enemies and bound the prince of hell. He slew death and cast into chains, the author of death. … Then He brought back His own, from the darkness and broke their chains. He united with Himself, the souls of all the just, walking in the light of His Countenance and rejoicing in His Name. Raised high by His justice, were they, who were brought low, through injustice.
For him: “I am alone until I pass over.” (cf. Ps 140[141]:10) Alone when He entered but by no means alone, as He went forth, for He brought back with Him, countless thousands of the saints. He fell to the earth and died, that He might bear much fruit. (Jn 12:24) He laid Himself down at seed time, that He might, at the harvest, gather the human race. … For at the baptismal font, dead to the sins within ourselves, we are born again to Christ through the cleansing of regeneration, that we may live to Him, Who died for all. So the Apostle Paul says: “As many of you as were baptised in ChristM have put on the person of Christ.” (Gal 3:27) Therefore, from one grain come many harvests. …
Of Him also the Apostle says: “Therefore, God has exalted him and given him a name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, things on earth and of things under the earth.” (Phil 2:9-10) In truth, the knee of those in hell, bend before him in dread, the knee of those on earth, through self-interest, of those in heaven, through their blessedness.” – Saint Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Cistercian Monk, then Bishop – Homily VI on the Blessed Virgin Mary, SC 72 (Magnificat: Homilies in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, Whose only-begotten Son descended to the realm of the derad and rose from there to glory, grant that Your faithful people who were buried with Him in Baptism, may by His Resurrection, obtain eternal life. Lumen Christi …. Deo Gratias! Amen

Posted in HOLY SATURDAY, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, The LAST THINGS, The RESURRECTION

Our Morning Offering – 3 April – Sabbatum Sanctum

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Our Morning Offering – 3 April – Holy Saturday

Sabbatum Sanctum
By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

I look at You, my Lord Jesus
and think of Your most holy Body
and I keep it before me,
as a pledge of my own resurrection.
Though I die, as die I certainly shall,
nevertheless, I shall not forever die,
for I shall rise again.
O You, who are the Truth,
I know and believe with my whole heart,
that this very flesh of mine will rise again.
I know, base and odious as it is at present,
that it will one day, if I be worthy,
be raised incorruptible
and altogether beautiful and glorious.
This I know,
this by Your grace,
I will ever keep before me.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOOD FRIDAY, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Thought for the Day – 2 April – The Crucifixion

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Thought for the Day – 2 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Crucifixion

“After a painful and exhausting journey, Jesus reaches Calvary, where He is to be Crucified.
Once again, He is stripped of His garments, which, by this time, have become stuck to His swollen sores.
Then, He is stretched upon the wooden Cross, to which, one of the brutal executioners fastens His Hands and Feet, with blows from a hammer.
The sharp nails are driven through His flesh into the hard wood.
Jesus looks upwards and offers Himself in silence, as a Victim of Expiation, on behalf of His tormentors and of all of us.
His Mother Mary, is standing a few paces away in the company of the holy women and of the beloved Disciple.
The blows of the hammer pierce the maternal heart of the Blessed Virgin but,she remains silent also and prays.

When we have been afflicted by misfortune or sorrow and our hearts are racked with grief, how do we behave?
Have we the resignation, the trust in God and the spirit of prayer, which Jesus and Mary had on Calvary?
Let us remind ourselves, that we are members of the Mystical Body of Christ.
If Jesus our Head, has suffered, how much more, do miserable sinners like the rest of us ,deserve to suffer!?
Jesus wishes us to participate in the work of redemption by uniting our sufferings to His.
“I rejoice now,” says St Paul, “in the suffering I bear … and what is lacking of the suffering of Christ, I fill up in my flesh…” (Col 1:24).

Let us face adversity with courage, therefore and keep our eyes hopefully towards Heaven.
Let us remember, as St Paul also says, that even as we share in the sufferings of Christ, so we shall share in His triumph (Cf 2 Cor 1:7).
Jesus had to ascen Mount Calvary, before He could ascend to Heaven.
If we are to walk in His footsteps, we shall have to do the same.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOOD FRIDAY, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Good Friday Refletion – 2 April – CONTEMPLATING THE LORD’S PASSION

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Good Friday Refletion – 2 April

CONTEMPLATING THE LORD’S PASSION

From a Sermon by St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
Father and Doctor unitatis Ecclesiae

True reverence for the Lord’s passion means, fixing the eyes of our heart on Jesus crucified and recognising in Him our own humanity.

The earth – our earthly nature – should tremble at the suffering of its Redeemer. The rocks – the hearts of unbelievers – should come forth, the massive stones now ripped apart. Foreshadowings of the future Resurrection, should appear in the holy city, the Church of God, what is happening to our bodies, should now take place in our hearts.

No-one, however weak, is denied a share in the victory of the Cross. No-one is beyond the help of the prayer of Christ. His prayer brought benefit to the multitude that raged against Him. How much more, does it bring, to those who turn to Him in repentance.

Ignorance has been destroyed, obstinacy has been overcome. The Sacred Blood of Christ, has quenched the flaming sword that barred access to the tree of life. The age-old night of sin has given place, to the true light.

The Christian people are invited to share the riches of paradise. All who have been reborn have the way open before them, to return to their native land, from which they had been exiled. Unless, indeed ,they close off for themselves, the path that could be opened before the faith of a thief.

The business of this life should not preoccupy us with its anxiety and pride, so that we no longer strive, with all the love of our heart, to be like our Redeemer and to follow His example. Everything that He did, or suffered, was for our salvation – He wanted His Body to share the goodness of its Head.

First of all, in taking our human nature, while remaining God, so that the Word became man, He left no member of the human race, the unbeliever excepted, without a share in His mercy. Who does not share a common nature with Christ, if he has welcomed Christ, who took our nature and is reborn in the Spirit, through whom Christ was conceived?

Again, who cannot recognise in Christ, his own infirmities? Who would not recognise that Christ’s eating and sleeping, His sadness and His shedding tears of love, are marks of the nature of a slave?

It was this nature of a slave, that had to be healed of its ancient wounds and cleansed of the defilement of sin. For that reason, the only-begotten Son of God, became also the Son of Man. He was to have both the reality of human nature and the fullness of the Godhead.

The Body, that lay lifeless in the tomb, is ours. The Body that rose again on the third day, is ours. The Body, that ascended above all the heights of heaven, to the right hand of the Father’s glory, is ours. If then we walk in the way of His commandments and are not ashamed to acknowledge, the price He paid for our salvation in a lowly Body, we too are to rise to share His glory. The promise He made will be fulfilled, in the sight of all: –“whoever acknowledges Me before men, I too will acknowledge him before My Father who is in heaven.”

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOOD FRIDAY, HYMNS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 2 April – Good Friday

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 April – Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord

“O SACRED HEAD”
By St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor

O Sacred Head surrounded
By a crown of piercing thorn!
O bleeding Head, so wounded,
Reviled and put to scorn!
Death’s pallid hue comes o’er Thee,
The glow of life decays,
Yet angel hosts adore Thee
And tremble as they gaze.

I see Thy strength and vigour
All fading in the strife,
And death, with cruel vigour,
Bereaving Thee of life;
O agony and dying!
O love to sinners free!
Jesus, all grace supplying,
O turn Thy face on me!

In this Thy bitter Passion,
Good Shepherd, think of me,
With Thy most sweet compassion,
Unworthy though I be.
Beneath Thy Cross abiding,
‘Forever would I rest,
In Thy dear love confiding,
And will Thy presence blest.

“Do not pass one day without devoting a half hour,
or at least a quarter of an hour,
to meditation on the sorrowful Passion of your Saviour.
Have a continual remembrance
of the agonies of your crucified Love
and know, that the greatest saints,
who now, in heaven,
triumph in holy love,
arrived at perfection in this way.”

St Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, GOOD FRIDAY, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 April – Good Friday – The Precious and Life-giving Cross of Christ

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One Minute Reflection – 2 April – Good Friday, Readings: First: Isaiah 52: 13 — 53: 12.salm: Psalms 31: 2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25. Second: Hebrews 4: 14-16; 5: 7-9
Gospel: John 18: 1 — 19: 42

“But one of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came out blood and water.”– John 18:34

REFLECTION – “How precious the gift of the Cross, how splendid to contemplate! In the Cross there is no mingling of good and evil, as in the tree of paradise, it is wholly beautiful to behold and good to taste. The fruit of this tree is not death but life, not darkness but light. This tree does not cast us out of paradise but opens the way for our return.

This was the tree upon which, Christ, like a king on a chariot, destroyed the devil, the lord of death and freed the human race from his tyranny. This was the tree upon which the Lord like a brave warrior wounded in hands, feet and side, healed the wounds of sin that the evil serpent had inflicted on our nature. A tree once caused our death but now, a tree brings life. Once deceived by a tree, we have now repelled the cunning serpent, by a tree. What an astonishing transformation! That death should become life, that decay should become immortality, that shame should become glory! Well might the holy Apostle exclaim – Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world! The supreme wisdom that flowered on the Cross has shown the folly of worldly wisdom’s pride. The knowledge of all good, which is the fruit of the Cross, has cut away the shoots of wickedness.

The wonders accomplished through this tree were foreshadowed clearly, even by the mere types and figures that existed in the past. Meditate on these, if you are eager to learn. Was it not the wood of a tree that enabled Noah, at God’s command, to escape the destruction of the flood, together with his sons, his wife, his sons’ wives and every kind of animal? And surely the rod of Moses prefigured the Cross, when it changed water into blood, swallowed up the false serpents of Pharaoh’s magicians, divided the sea at one stroke and then restored the waters to their normal course, drowning the enemy and saving God’s own people? Aaron’s rod, which blossomed in one day, in proof of his true priesthood, was another figure of the Cross and did not Abraham foreshadow the Cross, when he bound his son Isaac and placed him on the pile of wood?

By the Cross, death was slain and Adam was restored to life. The Cross is the glory of all the Apostles, the crown of the Martyrs, the sanctification of the Saints. By the Cross, we put on Christ and cast aside our former self. By the Cross we, the sheep of Christ, have been gathered into one flock, destined for the sheepfold of heaven.” – St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Father, Abbot, Theologian, Writer

PRAYER – Be mindful Lord, of this Your family, for whose sake, our Lord Jesus Christ, when betrayed, did not hesitate to yield Himself into His enemies hands and undergo the agony of the Cross – He Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.

Posted in MAUNDY THURSDAY, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, SACRED HEART QUOTES, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 1 April – The Betrayal of Judas

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Thought for the Day – 1 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Betrayal of Judas

“Ingratitude is a very cruel thing.
It imprints a deep wound on the human heart and the heart of Jesus, was infinitely more sensitive than ours.
He had raised Judas to the high rank of the Apostolate;  He had made him one of His closest friends and had entrusted him with the secrets of His infinite love.
Now Judas betrays Him for the wretched sum of thirty pieces of silver.
Worse is to follow, however.
While Jesus is praying and perspiring blood at the thought of the ingratitude of men and of the nearness of His passion and death, the Garden of Gethsemane becomes suddenly aglow with torches and reverberates with the shouting of the hired ruffians, whom Judas has brought with him to arrest Jesus.
The treacherous Apostle comes forward.
He embraces our divine Redeemer, hails Him as his Master and greets Him with a sacrilegious kiss upon the cheek.
Jesus neither repulses nor rebukes him but, with a gesture of infinite mercy, He addresses him as a friend.
“Friend,” He says, “for what purpose hast thou come?” (Mt 26:50).
“Dost thou betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Lk 22:28).
If only Judas could have heeded this last appeal and begged for forgiveness at Jesus’ feet with tears of repentance!
Jesus would certainly have taken him to His heart and returned his kiss with a kiss of pardon and divine friendship.
Perhaps, we have also stood at times on the brink of sin and have been aware of a higher appeal to go back!
But, have we heeded it?
If ever we are in danger again, let us listen to this quiet voice which speaks to our conscience.
Let us fall on our knees before Jesus and earnestly implore Him: “Be not silent, Lord, be not far from me!” (Ps 34:22).
Let us ask Him to have pity on our weakness and to come to our assistance.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, MAUNDY THURSDAY, QUOTES for CHRIST, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Journey to the Cross – Maundy Thursday – 1 April – The Lamb That Was Slain, Has Delivered Us from Death and has Given Us Life

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Journey to the Cross – Maundy Thursday – 1 April

The Lamb That Was Slain, Has Delivered Us from Death

and has Given Us Life

Today we leave dear Thomas à Kempis and read instead a reflection by Saint Melito, Bishop of Sardis (Died c 180) Father of the Church, whose Feast day it is today.

“There was much proclaimed by the prophets about the mystery of the Passover – that mystery is Christ and to Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

For the sake of suffering humanity He came down from heaven to earth, clothed Himself in that humanity in the Virgin’s womb and was born a man. Having then a body capable of suffering, He took the pain of fallen man upon Himself; He triumphed over the diseases of soul and body, that were its cause, and by His Spirit, which was incapable of dying, He dealt man’s destroyer, death, a fatal blow.

He was led forth like a lamb; He was slaughtered like a sheep. He ransomed us from our servitude to the world, as He had ransomed Israel from the hand of Egypt; He freed us from our slavery to the devil, as He had freed Israel from the hand of Pharaoh. He sealed our souls with His own Spirit and the members of our body, with His own Blood.

He is the One, Who covered death with shame and cast the devil into mourning, as Moses cast Pharaoh into mourning. He is the One, Who smote sin and robbed iniquity of offspring, as Moses robbed the Egyptians of their offspring. He is the One, Who brought us out of slavery into freedom, out of darkness into light, out of death into life, out of tyranny into an eternal kingdom; who made us a new priesthood, a people chosen to be His own forever. He is the Passover that is our salvation.

It is He who endured every kind of suffering, in all those who foreshadowed Him. In Abel, He was slain, in Isaac bound, in Jacob exiled, in Joseph sold, in Moses exposed to die. He was sacrificed in the Passover lamb, persecuted in David, dishonoured in the prophets.

It is He who was made man of the Virgin, He who was hung on the tree; it is He who was buried in the earth, raised from the dead and taken up to the heights of heaven. He is the mute Lamb, the slain Lamb born of Mary, the fair ewe. He was seized from the flock, dragged off to be slaughtered, sacrificed in the evening, and buried at night. On the tree no bone of His was broken; in the earth His body knew no decay. He is the One, Who rose from the dead and who raised man from the depths of the tomb.”

From an Easter homily by St Melito of Sardis

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, MAUNDY THURSDAY, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – ‘He is all things’

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – Maundy Thursday, Evening Vigil Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Gospel: John 13:1-15 and the Memorial of Saint Melito Bishop of Sardis (Died c 180) Early Church Father

“He loved them unto the end.”

John 13:1

“Born as a Son,
led forth as a Lamb,
sacrificed as a sheep,
buried as a man,
He rose from the dead as a God,
for He was by nature God and man.

He is all things –
He judges and so, He is Law.
He teaches and so, He is Wisdom.
He saves and so, He is Grace.
He begets and so, He is Father.
He is begotten,and so, He is Son.
He suffers and so, He is Sacrifice.
He is buried and so, He is Man.
He rises again and so, He is God.
This is Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs glory for all ages.”

St Melito of Sardis (Died c 180)
Bishop, Early Church Father

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MAUNDY THURSDAY, QUOTES on The SOUL, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 April – Maundy Thursday – ‘ … Place all your trust in the Blood of Christ Crucified …’

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One Minute Reflection – 1 April – Maundy Thursday, Evening Vigil Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Readings: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14, Psalms 116:12-13, 15-18, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-15

“Jesus, knowing that his hour was come, … he loved them unto the end.” – John 13:1

REFLECTION – “Be obedient to the death, following the example of the spotless Lamb who obeyed His Father even to a shameful death on the Cross. Reflect that He is the way and the rule you are to follow. Always hold Him present before the eyes of your spirit. See how obedient He is, this Word, this Utterance of God! He does not refuse to take up the burden of suffering laid on Him by His Father; to the contrary, He throws Himself into it, spurred on by His great desire. Isn’t this what He reveals during the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, when He says: “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Lk 22:15)? By “eat this Passover” He means, the accomplishment of the Father’s will and His desire. Seeing that scarcely any time lies before Him (He was already looking ahead to the end, when He would sacrifice His body for our sake), He rejoices, He is glad and joyfully says: “I have greatly desired.” Here is the Passover He is speaking about – that which consists in giving His own self as food, in laying down His own body in obedience to the Father.

Jesus had celebrated many another Passover with His disciples but never this one, O unspeakable, sweet and burning charity! You think neither of Your suffering nor of Your humiliating death – if You had thought of them, You would not have been so joyful, You would not have called it a Passover. The Word sees ,that it is He Himself Who has been chosen, He Himself Who has received all our humanity as His spouse. He has been asked to give us His own Blood so that God’s will might be accomplished in us, so that it might be His Blood that sanctifies us. This is, indeed, the sweet Passover, this Lamb without blemish accepts (cf. Ex 12:5) and it is with great love and great desire that He fulfils the Father’s will and wholly carries out His design. What unspeakably sweet love! …

That is why, my beloved, I beg you never to entertain the least dread and to place all your trust in the Blood of Christ Crucified … May all servile fear be banished from your spirits. You will say with Saint Paul …: “I can do all things through Christ crucified, since he is within me by desire and love and he strengthens me” (cf. Phil 4:13; Gal 2:20). Love, love, love! By His Blood, the gentle Lamb has made an unassailable rock of your soul.” – St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) Dominican tertiary, Doctor of the Church, Co-patron of Europe – Letter 129

PRAYER – Love of You, with our whole heart, Lord God, is holiness. Increase then Your gifts of divine grace in us, so that, as in Your Son’s Death, You made us hope for what we believe, You may likewise, in His Resurrection, make us come to You, our final end. Listen we beg, to the prayers of Your holy ones and may the Blessed Mother walk along with us and keep our hand, ever in hers. Through Jesus Himself, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God with You, forever and ever, amen.

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Thought for the Day – 31 March– The Mercy of God

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Thought for the Day – 31 March– Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Mercy of God

“Remember, that if God’s mercy is infinite, so also is His justice.

When we realise that we have fallen into serious sin, we should not give way to despair as Judas did but, should turn to Jesus trustingly and contritely, saying with the Psalmist, “My refuge and my fortess, my stonghold, my deliverer, my shield, in whom I trust” (Ps 143:2).
We shall certainly be forgiven.

It would be the highest form of ingratitude and even blasphemous, to abuse God;s goodness and mercy.
Let our repentance be sincere and effective.
In return for the infinite goodness of God, let us give Him our love, limited indeed but willing and constant.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/19/thought-for-the-day-19-april-the-mercy-of-god/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, LENT 2021, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, Thomas a Kempis

Lenten Journey Day Forty-one – 31 March – What is this one thing?

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Lenten Journey Day Forty-one – 31 March – Wednesday in Holy Week, Readings: First: Isaiah 50: 4-9a, Psalm: Psalms 69: 8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34, Gospel: Matthew 26: 14-25

Imitating Christ with Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

In You is the source of life
and in Your Light Lord, we see light
Psalm 35(36)

“My appointed time draws near. I am to celebrate the Passover in your house” – Matthew 26:18

JESUS has always many who love His heavenly kingdom but few, who bear His cross.

He has many who desire consolation but few, who care for trial. He finds many to share His table but few, to take part in His fasting.

All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him.

Many follow Him to the breaking of bread but few, to the drinking of the chalice of His passion.

Many revere His miracles; few approach the shame of the Cross.

Many love Him as long as they encounter no hardship; many praise and bless Him, as long as they receive some comfort from Him. But if Jesus hides Himself and leaves them for a while, they fall either into complaints or into deep dejection.

Those, on the contrary, who love Him for His own sake and not for any comfort of their own, bless Him in all trial and anguish of heart as well as in the bliss of consolation. Even if He should never give them consolation, yet they would continue to praise Him and wish always to give Him thanks.

What power there is in pure love for Jesus – love that is free from all self-interest and self-love!

If a man give all his wealth, it is nothing; if he do great penance, it is little; if he gain all knowledge, he is still far afield; if he have great virtue and much ardent devotion, he still lacks a great deal and especially, the one thing that is most necessary to him.

What is this one thing? That leaving all, he forsake himself, completely renounce himself, and give up all private affections. Then, when he has done all that he knows ought to be done, let him consider it as nothing, let him make little of what may be considered great; let him in all honesty call himself an unprofitable servant. For truth itself has said: “When you shall have done all these things that are commanded you, say: ‘we are unprofitable servants.'” (Luke 17:10)

Then he will be truly poor and stripped in spirit, and with the prophet may say: “I am alone and poor.”(Ps 25:16) No-one, however, is more wealthy than such a man; no0one is more powerful, no-one freer, than he who knows how to leave all things and think of himself as the least of all.
(Book 2 Ch 11)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, The HEART, The UNFORGIVEABLE SIN, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 31 March – “Is it I, Lord?”

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Quote/s of the Day – 31 March – Wednesday in Holy Week, Readings: First: Isaiah 50: 4-9a, Psalm: Psalms 69: 8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34, Gospel: Matthew 26: 14-25

“Is it I, Lord?”

Matthew 26:22

“O God, fullness of goodness,
You do not forsake any,
except those who forsake You.
You never take away Your gifts,
except when we take away our hearts.
We rob the goodness of God,
if we claim the glory of our salvation for ourselves.
We dishonour His mercy,
if we say He has failed us.
… We blaspheme His goodness,
if we deny that He has helped and assisted us.
In short, O God, cry loud and clear into our ears:
“your destruction comes from you, O Israel.
In me alone is found your help” (Hos 13:9).

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Treatise on the Love of God, Ch 9

“Sacrilegious tongues blaspheme the God
who preserves their existence!
… you should be damned forever
and, instead of thanking Him for His goodness,
you, at the very time
that He bestows His favours upon you,
YOU blaspheme His Holy Name!”

St Alphonsus Maria de Ligouri (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Posted in LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 31 March – Sonnet to our Lord Crucified

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Our Morning Offering – 31 March – Wednesday in Holy Week

Sonnet to our Lord Crucified
Anonymous, of Spanish origen

I am not moved to love Thee, O my God,
That I might hope in promised heaven to dwell,
Nor am I moved by fear of pain in hell,
To turn from sin and follow where Thou trod.
Thou move me, Lord, broken beneath the rod,
Or stretched out on the Cross, as nails compel
Thy hand to twitch.
It moves me that we sell,
To mockery and death, Thy Precious Blood.
It is, O Christ, Thy love which moves me so,
That my love rests not on a promised prize,
Nor holy fear or threat of endless woe,
It is not milk and honey but the flow
Of Blood from blessed wounds before my eyes,
That waters my buried soul and makes it grow.
Amen

Spanish:
No me mueve, mi Dios, para quererte,
Elcielo que me tienes prometido,
Mi me mueve el infierno tan temido,
para dejar por eso de ofenderte.
Tu me mueves, Senor, mueveme el verte
Clavado en una cruz y escarnecido,
Mueveme el ver tu cuerpo tan herido,
Muevenme tus afrentas y tu muerte.
Mueveme, en fin, tu amor de tal manera,
que aunque no hubiera cielo, yo te amara,
Y aunque no hubiera infierno, te temiera.
No me tienes que dar porque Te quiera,
Porque, aunque lo que espero no esperara,
Lo mismo que te quiero Te quisiera.

Who wrote it? Who knows?
The names fell from the pages,
Lost and never
To return to where
The eyes of the reader
Might ever see them.
‘I am no-one,
Constructing eternity so,
I can live forever’

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS

Thought for the Day – 30 March –The Hour of Trial

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Thought for the Day – 30 March – A Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Hour of Trial

“Whether they are physical, moral or spiritual, these severe trials affect us greatly.
We feel crushed and abandoned, lacking in the power to resist and tend to yield to temptation or to despair.
At these times, we should take the Crucifix in our hands and remember the suffering of Jesus.
Let us recall His terrible physical suffering, as He was dying upon the Cross.
Let us remember the suffering of His Heart, when He was betrayed by Judas, deserted by the Apostles, denied by St Peter and rejected by his own people.
Finally, let us recall His spiritual sufferings, for He, Who was innocence itself, willed to carry the weight of our sins and to experience, in a mysterious manner, the sense of abandonment by His heavenly Father.

No matter what our trial may be, let us ask Jesus for the grace of resignation, of perseverance aganst temptation and for Christian hope.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/18/thought-for-the-day-18-february-the-hour-of-trial/

Posted in CONFESSION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, LENT 2021, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, St PETER!, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Lenten Journey Day Forty – 30 March – I confess that I am deserving of all scorn and contempt.

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Lenten Journey Day Forty – 30 March – Tuesday of Holy Week, Readings: First: Isaiah 49: 1-6, Psalm: Psalms 71: 1-2, 3-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15 and 17, Gospel: John 13: 21-33, 36-38

Imitating Christ with Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

In You is the source of life
and in Your Light Lord, we see light
Psalm 35(36)

“The cock will not crow before you deny me three times.” – John 13:38

Truly, my sins have deserved nothing but hell and everlasting damnation.
I confess that I am deserving of all scorn and contempt.
Neither is it fitting that I should be remembered among Your devoted servants. And although it is hard for me to hear this, yet for truth’s sake I will accuse my sins against myself, so that I may more easily deserve to beg Your mercy.
What shall I say, guilty as I am and full of all confusion?
My tongue can say nothing but this alone: “I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned; have mercy on me and pardon me. Suffer me a little that I may pour out my grief, before I go to that dark land that is covered with the shadow of death.” (Job 10:20-21)

What do you especially demand of a guilty and wretched sinner, except that he be contrite and humble himself for his sins?
In true sorrow and humility of heart, hope of forgiveness is born, the troubled conscience is reconciled, grace is found, man is preserved from the wrath to come and God and the penitent meet with a holy kiss.

To You, O Lord, humble sorrow for sins is an acceptable sacrifice, a sacrifice far sweeter than the perfume of incense. This is also the pleasing ointment which You would have poured upon Your sacred feet, for a contrite and humble heart You will not spurn (Ps 51:19). There is the place of refuge from the wrath of the enemy, there, watever has been defiled, is washed away.
(Book 3 Ch 52:2b-4)

Posted in CONFESSION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 30 March – St John Climacus

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Quote/s of the Day – 30 March – The Memorial of St John Climacus (c 525-606) Father of the Church

“A servant of the Lord
stands bodily before men
but mentally,
he is knocking at the gates of heaven.
with prayer.”

“Confession is like a bridle
that keeps the soul,
which reflects on it,
from committing sin
but anything left unconfessed,
we continue to do without fear,
as if in the dark.”

St John Climacus (c 525-606)
Father of the Church

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/30/quote-s-of-the-day-30-march-st-john-climacus-humility/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, St PETER!, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 March – ‘So Peter wept …’ St Ambrose

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One Minute Reflection – 30 March – Tuesday of Holy Week, Readings: First: Isaiah 49: 1-6, Psalm: Psalms 71: 1-2, 3-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15 and 17, Gospel: John 13: 21-33, 36-38

“The cock will not crow before you deny me three times.” – John 13:38

REFLECTION – “The first time Peter denied, he did not weep because the Lord had not looked at him. He denied a second time and did not weep because the Lord still did not look at him. He denied a third time; Jesus looked at him and he wept very bitterly (Lk 22:62). Look at us, Lord Jesus, so that we might know how to weep for our sins. This shows us that even the fall of the saints may be useful to us. Peter’s denial has done me no wrong, on the contrary, I have gained from his repentance – I have learned to be beware of faithless companions. …

So Peter wept and wept bitterly; he wept so hard that he washed away his offence with his tears. And you, too, if you would win pardon, wipe out your guilt with tears. At that very moment, in that same hour, Christ will look at you. If some kind of fall happens to you, then He, the ever-present witness of your intimate life, looks at you to call you back and cause you to confess your lapse. Then do as Peter did, who thrice said: “Lord, you know that I love you” (Jn 21:15). He denied three times and three times he also confessed. But he denied by night; he confessed in broad daylight.

All this has been written, to make us understand, that no-one should be puffed up. If Peter fell for having said: “Though all may have their faith in you shaken, mine will never be” (Mt 26:33), who is there to count on himself? … From whence then, Peter, shall I call you to mind, to teach me your thoughts as you wept? From heaven where you have already taken your place among the choirs of angels, or from the grave? For that death, from which the Lord was raised, did not reject you in your turn. Teach us what use your tears were to you. But you taught it without delay for having fallen before you wept, your tears caused you to be chosen to guide others, you who, to begin with, did not know how to guide yourself.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church – Commentary on St Luke’s Gospel, 10,89f.

PRAYER – Almighty Father, we are slow to understand. In that love that You have for us and the grace, mercy and forgiveness You grant us. You gave Your only Son to save us from ourselves, help our lowly hearts, that we may understand Your love and in our smallness, offer all of our hearts, minds and souls, back to You in total submission and love. May Your saints and angels, help us on our way by their prayers and may Mary, the Sorrowful Mother of our Saviour, grant us, her heart, to love You in return. We make our prayer through our Saviour, Your Son, Jesus Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 30 March –Lord, Kindle our Lamps By St Columban

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Our Morning Offering – 30 March – Tuesday of Holy Week

Lord, Kindle our Lamps
By St Columban (543-615)

Lord, kindle our lamps,
Saviour most dear to us,
that we may always shine
in Your presence
and always receive light
from You, the Light Perpetual,
so that our own personal darkness,
may be overcome
and the world’s darkness
driven from us.
Amen

(This is an excerpt from a much longer prayer and is taken from the wonderful Sermon XII by St Columban)

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on MEDIOCRITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Thought for the Day – 29 March – Holiness

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Thought for the Day – 29 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Holiness

“It is not true to say, that holiness can be attained only by a few select souls, so that ordinary goodness is sufficient for people like ourselves, who have so many other things to think about and to do.
Such an attitude, leads to tepidity, from which it is a short and easy step to sin itself!

Anyway, there is no such thing as mediocre virtue, for if virtue is not aiming at perfection, it is not genuine!
A sincere Catholic, cannot be satisfied with mediocrity, for he is obliged to be holy, or at least, to fight hard, with the help of God’s grace, to become holy.

Even in the Old Testament we read: “I, the Lord, am your God and you shall make and keep yourselves holy because I am holy” (Lev 11:44; 19:2).
This exhortation is repeated by St Peter in his first Epistle (1 Pet 1:15-16) and in the Gospel, Jesus Himself commands us to be perfect even as our heavenly Father is perfect (Mt 5:48).
Holiness, then, is a goal towards which, all sincere Catholics must strive.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/19/thought-for-the-day-19-july-holiness/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, LENT 2021, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Lenten Journey Day Thirty nine – 29 March – ‘Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death …’

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Lenten Journey Day Thirty nine – 29 March – Monday of Holy Week, Readings: First: Isaiah 42: 1-7, Psalm: Psalms 27: 1, 2, 3, 13-14, Gospel: John 12: 1-11

Imitating Christ with Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

In You is the source of life
and in Your Light Lord, we see light
Psalm 35(36)

“The house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” – John 12:3

BLESSED is he who appreciates what it is to love Jesus and who despises himself for the sake of Jesus. Give up all other love for His, since He wishes to be loved alone above all things.

Affection for creatures is deceitful and inconstant but the love of Jesus, is true and enduring. He who clings to a creature will fall with its frailty but he who gives himself to Jesus, will ever be strengthened.

Love Him, then, keep Him as a friend. He will not leave you as others do, or let you suffer lasting death. Sometime, whether you will or not, you will have to part with everything. Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death, trust yourself to the glory of Him who alone can help you when all others fail.

Your Beloved is such that He will not accept what belongs to another- He wants your heart for Himself alone, to be enthroned therein, as King in His own right. If you but knew how to free yourself entirely from all creatures, Jesus would gladly dwell within you.

You will find, apart from Him, that nearly all the trust you place in men is a total loss. Therefore, neither confide in, nor depend upon, a wind-shaken reed, for “all flesh is grass”(Is 40:6) and all its glory, like the flower of grass, will fade away.

You will quickly be deceived if you look only to the outward appearance of men and you will often be disappointed, if you seek comfort and gain in them. If, however, you seek Jesus in all things, you will surely find Him. Likewise, if you seek yourself, you will find yourself – to your own ruin. For the man who does not seek Jesus does himself much greater harm, than the whole world and all his enemies, could ever do.
(Book 2 Ch 7)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES for CHRIST, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 March – “Your name is oil poured out”

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 March – Monday of Holy Week, Readings: First: Isaiah 42: 1-7, Psalm: Psalms 27: 1, 2, 3, 13-14, Gospel: John 12: 1-11

“The house was filled
with the odour of the ointment.”

John 12:3

“People who associate the name of Christian
with a dishonest life, injure Christ…
If God’s Name, is blasphemed by bad Christians,
it is praised and honoured, on the other hand,
by the good:
“For in every place, we are the aroma of Christ”
(2 Cor,14-15).
And it is said in the Song of Songs:
“Your name is oil poured out” (1,3).”

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

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 March – “The house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” – John 12:3

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One Minute Reflection – 29 March – Monday of Holy Week, Readings: First: Isaiah 42: 1-7, Psalm: Psalms 27: 1, 2, 3, 13-14, Gospel: John 12: 1-11

“The house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” – John 12:3

REFLECTION – “When she had anointed the Lord’s feet this woman did not wipe them with a cloth but with her own hair, to show Him greater honour … Like a thirsty person drinking from a fresh waterfall, this holy woman drank in grace full of delights, from the Springs of Holiness, to quench the thirst of her faith.

However, in the allegorical or mystical sense, this woman prefigured the Church, which offered the full and entire devotion of it’s faith to Christ …There are twelve ounces to a pound and this is the amount of perfume the Church possesses, having received the teaching of the twelve Apostles, as if it were a precious perfume. Indeed, what more precious is there than the Apostles’ teaching, which contains both faith in Christ and the glory of the Kingdom of heaven? Furthermore, it is related that the whole house was filled with the scent of that perfume because, the whole world has been filled with the Apostles’ teaching. As it is written: “Through all the earth their voice resounds and to the ends of the world, their message” (Ps 19[18]:5).

In the Song of Songs we read the following words addressed through Solomon, to the Church: “Your name spoken is a spreading perfume” (1,2). Not without cause, is the Lord’s name called a “spreading perfume.” As you know, so long as perfume is preserved inside it’s flask, it keeps it’s fragrance but, as soon as is poured out or emptied, it spreads out its fragrant scent. Even so, so long as our Lord and Saviour reigned with His Father in heaven, the world was unaware of Him, He was unknown here below. But when, for our salvation, He deigned to humble Himself, by descending from heaven, to take on a human body, then He spread abroad in the world, the sweetness and perfume of His Name.“ – St Chromatius of Aquilaea (c 407) – Bishop of Aquileia, Italy, Theologian, Exegete – Sermon 11

PRAYER – Lord our God, Your Son so loved the world that He gave Himself up to death for our sake. Strengthen us by Your grace and give us a heart willing to live by that same love. With Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mother of Jesus and our Mother, may we stand at His Cross. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever, amen.

Saint of the Day – 2 December – Saint Chromatius of Aquileia (Died c 407) Bishop of Aquileia, Theologian, Exegete, Writer and friend of St Ambrose and Jerome, defender of St John Chrysostom. Chromatius opposed Arianism with much zeal and rooted it out in his Diocese.
His life here – https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/02/saint-of-the-day-2-december-saint-chromatius-of-aquileia-died-c-407/

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HOLY WEEK, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The SIGN of the CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 29 March – O Cross of Christ

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Our Morning Offering – 29 March – Monday of Holy Week

O Cross of Christ
Stanbrook Abbey

O Cross of Christ, immortal tree
On which our Saviour died,
The world is sheltered by your arms
That bore the Crucified.

From bitter death and barren wood
The tree of life is made;
Its branches bear unfailing fruit
And leaves that never fade.

O faithful Cross, you stand unmoved
While ages run their course,
Foundation of the universe,
Creation’s binding force.

Give glory to the risen Christ
And to His Cross give praise,
The sign of God’s unfathomed love,
The hope of all our days.
Amen

Posted in HOLY WEEK, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The LAMB of GOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 28 March – The Lamb of God

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Thought for the Day – 28 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Lamb of God

“Jesus had only one consolation in the midst of His terrible sufferings.
His mother, Mary was beside the Cross along with His beloved Apostle and the holy women who had always followed Him.
Mary loved her Son with a love greater than that of any mother, which is the greatest love possible on earth.
She loved Jesus with the heart of a Mother and of a Virgin – He was her only treasure.
Moreover, she loved Him, not only as her Son but, also as her God.
Precisely because she loved Him as her God, her love was in perfect harmony with the divine will.

She understood the mystery which led Jesus to accept death on the Cross – the mystery of the Redemption.
“He was offered because it was his own will” (Isa 53:7).
He was offered on our behalf, as a voluntary victim to His heavenly Father.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 March – Palm Sunday

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 March – Palm Sunday

“See, your king shall come to you,
meek and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.”

Zechariah 9:9

“Yesterday, Christ raised Lazarus from the dead;
today, He is going to His own death.
Yesterday, He tore off the strips of cloth that bound Lazarus;
today, He is stretching out His Hand,
to those who want to bind Him.
Yesterday, He tore that man away from darkness;
today, for humankind,
He is going down into darkness
and the shadow of death.
And the Church is celebrating.
She is beginning the feast of feasts,
for she is receiving her King as a spouse,
for her King is in her midst.”

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

“Hosanna!”—which means : “Save!”
“Hosanna to You Who are in the highest.
O Almighty, save those who are humbled.
Have mercy on us,
in consideration of our palms,
may the palms we wave move Your Heart,
You who come to call Adam”…

St Romanus the Melodist (c 490-c 556)
Composer of Hymns

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, HOLY WEEK, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST

Our Morning Offering – 28 March – To You, O Jesus, Hosanna! By St Bonaventure

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Our Morning Offering – 28 March – Palm Sunday

To You, O Jesus, Hosanna!
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

To You, O Jesus,
do I turn as my true and last end.
You are the River of Life
which alone can satisfy my thirst.
Without You, all else is barren and void.
Without all else, You alone are enough for me.
You are the Redeemer of those that are lost,
the sweet Consoler of the sorrowful,
the Crown of Glory of the victors,
the recompense of the Blessed.
One day I hope to receive of Your fullness
and to sing the song of praise, in my true home.
Give me only on earth, some few drops of consolation
and I will patiently await Your coming,
when I hope to enter into the joy of my Lord.
Hosanna!
Amen