Category: CATHOLIC Quotes

Posted in GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 16 October – May We Love Only You By St Columban

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Our Morning Offering – 16 October – Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St Gall (c 550–c 646) Missionary to Switzerland with St Columban

May We Love Only You
By St Columban (543-615)

Loving Saviour,
be pleased to show Yourself to us who knock,
so that in knowing You,
we may love only You,
love You alone,
desire You alone,
contemplate only You, day and night
and always think of You.
Inspire in us the depth of love
that is fitting for You to receive as God.
So may Your love pervade our whole being,
possess us completely
and fill all our senses,
that we may know no other love
but love for You,
Who are everlasting.
May our love be so great,
that the many waters of sky, land and sea
cannot extinguish it in us –
many waters could not extinguish love.
May this saying be fulfilled
in us also, at least in part,
by Your gift,
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
to whom be glory forever and ever.
Amen

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, EASTER, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, The HOLY GHOST

Thought for the Day – 15 October – The Third Glorious Mystery – The Descent of the Holy Spirit

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Thought for the Day – 15 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Third Glorious Mystery
The Descent of the Holy Spirit

“Before He left this earth for the glory of Heaven, Jesus promised His Apostles that He would not leave them orphans but would send them the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, “whom the world cannot receive because, it neither sees him, nor knows him” (1 Jn 14:16-18).
This promise was repeated by our divine Redeemer on the day of His Ascension, when He told them not to depart from Jerusalem until the promise would have been fulfilled.
In fact, the Apostles were obedient to His instructions.
They gathered together in the Cenacle, where, they spent the time in constant prayer, along with Mary and a number of the faithful.
On the feast of Pentecost, the house was shaken by a sound from Heaven as of a violent wind blowing and tongues of fire appeared, which settled on each one of them.
Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Cf Act 1:2).

According to a pious tradition, the Holy Spirit descended first on the Blessed Virgin in the form of a ball of flame, from which emerged the tongues of fire, which alighted on the heads of all present.
There is a good deal of significance in this tradition.
As Mary took first place in sharing in the passion of Jesus, so, she ought to be first to share in the glory of the Redemption.
St Bernard compared the Blessed Virgin to an aquaduct, bearing the treasures of grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to all the faithful (Sermo de Aquaeducru).
It is an apt comparison, for the Mother of the Redeemer occupies a position of supremacy in the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ.
Like the Apostles, we should persevere in prayer with Mary (Cf Acts 1:14).
We should ask for the light and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, for we need them very much, if we are to walk always, in the way of truth and goodness.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on The SOUL, SAINT of the DAY

Quotes of the Day – 15 October – St Teresa of Jesus of Avila

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Quotes of the Day – 15 October – The Memorial of St Teresa of Jesus of Avila OCD (1515-1582) Doctor of the Church – “Doctor of Prayer”

“There is more value
in a little study of humility
and, in a single act of it,
than in all the knowledge
in the world.”

“You ought to make every effort
to free yourselves,
even from venial sin
and to do
what is most perfect.”

“There are more tears
shed over answered prayers,
than over unanswered prayers.”

“The surest way to determine.
whether one possesses the love of God,
is to see, whether he or she loves his or her neighbour.
These two loves are never separated.
Rest assured, the more you progress
in love of neighbour,
the more your love of God will increase.”

“Remember that you have only one soul;
that you have only one death to die;
that you have only one life. . . .
If you do this,
there will be many things
about which you care nothing.”

“There is no such thing
as bad weather.
All weather is good
because, it is God’s.”

St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of Prayer

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, HOLY WEEK 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, POETRY, QUOTES for CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 October – The scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard … Luke 11:47-54

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One Minute Reflection – 15 October – Thursday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ephesians 1:1-10, Psalms 98:1, 2-3,3-4, 5-6, Luke 11:47-54 and the Memorial of St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582) Doctor of the Church “Doctor of Prayer”

The scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard … lying in wait for him … Luke 11:53-54

REFLECTION – “With a fear mingled with joy I consider it desirable to say something here about the sufferings you endured for my sake, O God of us all!
Standing before the tribunal of men You Yourself had created
in a nature that was my own
You said nothing, You who give us speech;
You did not speak aloud, You who create the tongue;
You did not shout out, You who shake the earth (…)
You did not give up to shame
the one who gave You up to the terrors of death;
You showed no resistance when You were bound
and when You were struck, you were not outraged.
When they spat on You, You did not swear back
and when they struck You with the fist,
You did not tremble.
When they taunted You, You were not angered
and when they hit You, Your face did not change (…)
Far from giving You a moment of respite,
O source of life,
they at once prepared for carrying
the instrument of death.
You accepted it graciously,
took it gently,
hoisted it patiently.
You took upon Yourself, like a criminal,
the tree of sorrow!” – St Gregory of Narek (c 951-c 1010) Doctor of the Church, Armenian Monk, mystical Philosopher, Theologian and Poet – Book of prayers, no 77

PRAYER – Almighty God, our Father, You sent St Teresa of Jesus to be a witness in the Church to the way of perfection. Sustain us by her spiritual doctrine and kindle in us, the longing for true holiness. Through Christ, our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, God forever. May the intercession of St Teresa be a source of strength, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, The ASCENSION of the LORD

Thought for the Day – 14 October – The Second Glorious Mystery – The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven

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Thought for the Day – 14 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Second Glorious Mystery
The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven

“Forty days after His glorious resurrection, Jesus came, with all His friends, among them His Mother, to the Mount of Olives.
This area had already witnessed the opening phase of His passion, which was all the more poignant, perhaps because in Gethsemane, it was not only His body which was lacerated by scourges and nails but, His soul, which experienced the agonising vision of the sins and ingratitude of the human race.
Now, however, He is here with a glorified body as the Conqueror of sin and of death.
He looks for the last time on His small band of followers, to whom He has entrusted His mission of transforming the entire universe by preaching and putting into practice, the Gospel message, throughout the world.
Now, He promises them the Holy Spirit, Who will give them the power to overcome evil.
Then He is lifted up toward Heaven, until a bright cloud hides Him from their sight.

Perhaps, the Blessed Mother, was the last to take her eyes off the disappearing cloud which had removed Jesus from view.
Her human eyes never saw again the beloved figure of her divine Son but, in her soul, she saw Him entering triumphantly into Heaven among choirs of Angels and sitting at the right hand of the Eternal Father.
She saw and thought with infinite yearnng of the not too distant day, when she would have passed from mortal exile, into the everlasting happiness of Heaven, where she would embrace her divine Son again in an ecstasy of love.

We have all been called to ascend to Heaven with Jesus and Mary.
Let us remember, however, that only the innocent and the repentant can be admitted into Paradise.
If we have been unfortunate enough to have lost our baptismal innocence, only the second way is left to us – the way of penance.
We must purify ourselves of our sins by means of good works.
We must ascend higher and highter, towards the summit of Christian perfection.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SILENCE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 14 October – Faith, Love, Justice – Luke 11:42

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 October – Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 5:18-25, Psalms 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6, Luke 11:42-46

“But woe to you Pharisees!
For you tithe mint and rue and every herb
and neglect justice and the love of God.”

Luke 11:42

“Christianity is not a matter
of persuading people of particular ideas
but of inviting them to share
in the greatness of Christ.
So pray, that I may never fall into the trap,
of impressing people,
with clever speech but instead,
I may learn, to speak with humility,
desiring only to impress people,
with Christ Himself.”

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35 – 107)
Father of the Church, Martyr

“Mint and dill and cumin are only spices for food
but are not themselves, substantial food.
What substantive food would mean in conversion,
would be that which is necessary
for the justification of our souls—faith and love—
unlike these legalisms,
which are more like condiments and flavourings.
It is as if, a meal might be thought to consist,
more of condiments and flavourings,
than the food itself.
The seriousness of judgement is neglected,
while great attention is given to minor matters.”

Origen (c 185-253)
Priest, Theologian, Father

“You hide your heart from man –
hide it from God if you can.
… Where will you go?
Where will you flee?
Do you want to hear some advice?
If you want to flee from Him – flee to Him.
Flee to Him by Confessing, not from Him, by hiding,
for you cannot hide but you can Confess.
Tell Him. “You are my refuge” (Ps 32[31]:7)
and let there be nursed in yo,
the love that alone leads to life.”

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

“It is clear, my brethren,
that we live outside ourselves,
we are forgetful of ourselves
whenever we fritter our lives away
in empty pursuits or distractions,
decked out with trifles.
That is why Wisdom
is more concerned to invite us
to the house of repentance
than the house of feasting,
that is to say to call back into himself,
the man outside himself …”

Blessed Isaac of Stella O.Cist (c 1100 – c 1170)
Sermon 2 for All Saints, 13-20

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SCANDAL, QUOTES on VANITY, QUOTES on ZEAL, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection- 14 October – The bitter zeal of hypocrisy and pride

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One Minute Reflection- 14 October – Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 5:18-25, Psalms 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6, Luke 11:42-46 and the Memorial of St Fortunatus of Todi (Died 537) Bishop

“Woe to you Pharisees! for you love the best seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market places.”…Luke 11:43

REFLECTION – “Forms of zeal, taking the appearance of good, are to be met with. There is, for example, the zeal of the Pharisee, strict observers of the outward law. This bitter zeal (…) has its source, not in the love of God and of our neighbour but in pride. Those who are tainted with it are filled with inordinate esteem for their own perfections; they do not conceive of any other ideal than their own; they want to bend everyone to their own way of seeing and doing; hence arise dissensions. This zeal tends to hatred.

See with what acrimony the Pharisees, moved by this zeal, pursue the Lord Jesus, putting insidious questions to Him, setting snares to entrap Him, seeking not to know the truth but to find Christ in fault. See how they press Him, how they try to induce Him to condemn the woman taken in adultery: “Now Moses in the Law commanded us to stone such a one. But what sayest Thou?” (Jn 8:5). (…) See, too, how they reproach Him for healing on the Sabbath day (Lk 6:7); how they complain of the disciples for rubbing the ears of corn in their hands on the day of rest (Mt 12:2); how they are scandalized at seeing the Divine Master sit down at dinner with the sinners and publicans (Mt 9:2). These are so many manifestation of this bitter zeal into which hypocrisy so often enters.” – Blessed Columba Marmion OSB (1858-1923) Abbot – Good Zeal (Christ the Ideal of the Monk

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, grant that I may believe what I have learned, never presuming to know better than the teachings of Holy Mother Church and that I may put into practice what I believe. Let my commitment be like unto the Bishop, St Fortunatus of Todi, who lived Your Word with joy and great zeal for faith in Christ, Your Son, God with You and the Holy Spirit, amen.

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CONFESSION/PENANCE, CONSECRATION Prayers, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SIN, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Quote/s of the Day – 13 October – Our Lady of Fatima

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 October – The 103rd Anniversary of the Last Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima

Our Lady of Fátima –or Our Lady of the Rosary,
the name the three children called her –
is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as She appeared in apparitions reported by three shepherd children at Fátima in Portugal.
These Apparitions occurred on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, the first on 13 May and the last today, 13 October 1917.
The three children were Lúcia Santos
and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto.
Her message was one of hope, repentance
and conversion for the whole world.

“I have come, to warn the faithful,
to amend their lives
and ask pardon for their sins.
They must not continue to offend Our Lord,
Who is already too much offended.”

“Look, my Daughter,”
Our Lady said to Lúcia on 10 December 1925,
“at my heart, surrounded with thorns,
with which ungrateful men pierce me.”

“Say the Rosary everyday
to obtain peace for the world.
And after each decade,
say the following prayer:
‘O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of Hell,
lead all souls to Heaven,
especially those in most need of Thy mercy.’”

“Pray, pray a great deal
and make sacrifices for sinners,
for many souls go to Hell
because they have no-one
to make sacrifices
and pray for them.”

“In the end,
my Immaculate Heart
will triumph.”

Our Lady assured Lúcia:
“My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge
and the way that will lead you to God.”
Thus, if we devote ourselves to her Immaculate Heart,
Mary will lead us to her Son, Jesus Christ
and we will be on the way to Heaven.

Official Prayer of Consecration
To Our Lady of Fatima
(Issued for the Jubilee in 2017)

Our lady of Fatima Hail,
Mother of the Lord,
Virgin Mary,
Queen of the Rosary of Fatima!
Blessed among all women,
you are the image of the Church dressed in the Paschal light,
you are the honour of our people,
you are the triumph over the mark of evil.
Prophecy of the merciful Love of the Father,
Teacher of the Annunciation of the Good News of the Son,
Sign of the burning Fire of the Holy Spirit,
teach us, in this vale of joys and sorrows,
the eternal truths that the Father reveals to the little ones.
Show us the strength of your mantle of protection.
In your Immaculate Heart,
be the refuge of sinners
and the way that leads to God.
In Faith, Hope and Love,
I surrender myself to you.
Through you, I consecrate myself to God,
O Virgin of the Rosary of Fatima.
And thus surrounded by the Light that comes from your hands,
I will give Glory to the Lord, forever and ever.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on VANITY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 October – ‘Only God fills the soul and fills it wholly.’

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One Minute Reflection – 13 October – Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 5:1-6, Psalms 119:41, 43,44, 45, 47, 48, Luke 11:37-41 and the 103rd Anniversary of the Last Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima

And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness.”…Luke 11:39

REFLECTION – “If the world that seeks my God were to know, if those learned men who seek for God in science and endless discussion were to know, if people did but know where to find God, how many wars would be prevented, what peace there would be in the world, how many souls would be saved! Unreasoning and stupid that you look for God where He is not! Listen and be filled with awe – God is in our hearts, I know it. God lives in the human heart when this heart lives withdrawn from all that is not Him, when this heart heeds God’s knock at it’s door (Rv 3,20) and, sweeping and cleaning all its rooms, makes itself ready to welcome Him who alone truly satisfies.

How sweet it is to live like this, with God in the heart. What sublime peace to find oneself filled with God!… What little trouble it is, rather it should be said, there is no trouble in doing what He wishes, since we love His will and even pain and suffering are His peace, since we suffer for love. Only God fills the soul and fills it wholly. Let scientists go on asking – Where is God? He is where those clever ones, arrogant in their knowledge, cannot reach.” … Saint Raphael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938) – Spanish Trappist monk (Spiritual writings)

PRAYER – Lord God, open our hearts to Your Grace, that we may be filled with Your light and overflow with gratitude for Your merciful love. May we love and adore and worship You in return. Although we are sinners, our hearts long to thank You in total trust and humble thankfulness. Grant that by the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima, our Mother, we may grow in holiness. Through Your only Son, our Saviour and Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, God, forever, amen.

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Mormning Offering – 13 October – St Augustine’s O God of Our Life

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Our Morning Offering – 13 October – Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time

O God of Our Life
By St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor of the Church

God of our life,
there are days
when the burdens we carry
chafe our shoulders
and weigh us down;
when the road
seems dreary and endless,
the skies grey and threatening;
when our lives
have no music in them
and our hearts are lonely
and our souls have lost their courage.
Flood the path with light,
run our eyes
to where the skies are full of promise;
tune our hearts to brave music;
give us the sense of comradeship
with heroes and saints of every age;
and so quicken our spirits
that we may be able
to encourage the souls of all
who journey with us on the road of life,
to your honour and glory.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 12 October – The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery – The Crucifixion

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Thought for the Day – 12 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery
The Crucifixion

“At last, Jesus reaches Calvary, breathless and reduced to utter exhaustion.
The instrument of torture is taken from Him and laid upon the ground.
Our divine Redeemer suffers acute pain as Her is again stripped of His garments, which have stuck to His wounds.
Now, He is stretched, an innocent victim, on the altar of sacrifice, the Cross.
One of the executioners grasps His hand, pierces it with a large nail and attaches it to the wood.
Then, he does the same with the other hand and with the two feet.
His Mother is close at hand.
She feels in her heart the blows of the hammer which lacerate the living flesh of Jesus.
Jesus remains silent “as a meek lamb that is carried to be a victim” (Jer 11:19).

Now, the executioners raise up the Cross and fix it in the hold already prepared for it.
The shock of this impact sends a shudder of terrible pain through the Victim’s members and entire frame.
Behold Him now, suspended between Heaven and earth, the mediator between God and humanity, the victim of expiation for the innumerable sins of men.

Come near to the Cross and kiss the bloodstained feet.
While the Jews are insulting Him and most of the Apostles have abandoned Him, let us tell Him how much we love Him.
Let us tell Him of our sorrow for our sins and of our determination to make amends for our faults and for our ingratitude, by living in accordance with His teachings and example.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HYMNS, I BELIEVE!, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 October – ‘Firmly I Believe..’

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 October – Monday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31, 5:1, Psalms 113:1-2, 3-4, 5 and 6-7, Luke 11:29-32

“Behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

Luke 11:32

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.

Saint Melito, Bishop of Sardis (Died c 180)
Early Church Father
In Praise of Christ

Firmly I Believe and Truly
By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Firmly I believe and truly
God is three and God is One
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the Son.
And I trust and hope most fully
In that Manhood crucified
And each thought and deed unruly
Do to death, as He has died.
Simply to His grace and wholly
Light and life and strength belong
And I love, supremely, solely,
Him the holy, Him the strong.

And I hold in veneration,
For the love of Him alone,
Holy Church, as His creation,
And her teachings, as His own.
And I take with joy whatever
Now besets me, pain or fear
And with a strong will I sever
All the ties which bind me here.
Adoration aye be given,
With and through the angelic host,
To the God of earth and heaven,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ATHEISM, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on FAITH

One Minute Reflection – 12 October – ‘ … Every new doubt is for me, new reason to believe.’ Luke 11:29 The Sign of Jonah

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One Minute Reflection – 12 October – Monday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31, 5:1, Psalms 113:1-2, 3-4, 5 and 6-7, Luke 11:29-32 and the Feast of Our Lady Aparecida, Our Lady Who Appeared

“This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign but no sign will be given to it, except the sign of Jonah.” … Luke 11:29

REFLECTION – “Bad christians lack faith and do not deny it but they claim to be excused, in that they have no reasons for believing. Because of this there is nothing as common as this speech in the mouths of many people: “If I had witnessed a miracle I should be a saint!” “Evil and unfaithful generation! It seeks a sign!” (Mt 12:39). The wicked look for signs.

What is even more remarkable about this, is that, even though they have seen many taking place daily before their eyes, even though they are, so to speak, entirely surrounded, they never stop looking for more like the scribes and Pharisees; they would like to see them in heaven when they have seen them on earth. But neither the dead raised up during the life of the Saviour, nor the eclipse of the sun at death, make them believers; their envy becomes stronger, their hatred more malicious; each goes as far as raging, yet their unbelief is not healed by it. It used to be like this regarding those who, living badly, wait for miracles in order to believe: “They will not be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead” (Lk 16:31). (…)

All the difficulties that halt unbelievers, all the contradictions they encounter in the dogmas of faith, everything they find apparent contradiction, everything that seems new to them, surprising, contrary to common sense, contrary to reason, inconceivable, impossible, all their arguments, all their so-called demonstrations, all of this, far from shaking me, strengthens me even more, makes me immovable in my religion. (…) Every new doubt is for me, new reason to believe.” … St Claude de la Colombière (1641-1682) “Apostle of Sacred Heart” – Christian Reflections

PRAYER – “Dear Lord! It is just when I am in the world
that I have most need of You
because You know it is full of snares
that the devil has set for me.
You must hold my hand, dear Lord,
if You will not abandon me.
A little of the world is not bad for me;
it is even good, for it teaches me how small it is
and I feel the greater happiness
when I come back to You.
But that I may surely do so,
You must only loose Your hold a little,
that it may not try me too far,
You must not entirely leave hold.
Do You see dear Lord?
I wish to clasp Your hand – do not refuse me!” (I Wish to Clasp Your Hand – Do Not Refuse Me! – Prayer of Eugene de Ferronays) Our Lady Aparecida, Pray for Us!

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – St Alexander Sauli

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – The Memorial of St Alexander Sauli CRSP (1534-1592) Bishop “The Apostle of Corsica”

“I offer my whole self to You, to You alone.”

St Alexander’s Motto on the profession of his Vows
as a Barnabite.
“EGO TIBI TOTUS, TOTUS TIBI SOLI”

“I will follow God’s inspiration everyday.”

(From a letter written to St Charles Borromeo after his arrival in Corsica)

“If I should start all over, what I have done,
I would do it over again.
For a shepherd,
it is a duty, to give his life for his flock.”

St Alexander Sauli (1534-1592)

(Said just before his death whilst on pastoral visits to his Diocese)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 October – The Wedding garment – Matthew 22:1-14

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One Minute Reflection – 11 October – The Twenty-eighth Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Readings: Isaiah 25:6-10, Psalms 23:1-3, 34, 5, 6, Philippians 4:12-14,19-20, Matthew 22:1-14 and the Memorial of St Alexander Sauli CRSP (1534-1592) Bishop “The Apostle of Corsica”

“Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?” – Matthew 22:12

REFLECTION – “But you, my friends, since you have already come into the house of the marriage feast, our holy Church, as a result of God’s generosity, be careful lest, when the King enters, He finds fault with some aspect of your heart’s clothing!

What do we think is meant by the wedding garment, dearly beloved? For if we say it is Baptism or faith, is there anyone who has entered this marriage feast without them? A person is outside because he has not yet come to believe. What then must we understand by the wedding garment but love? That person enters the marriage feast but without wearing a wedding garment, who is present in the holy Church. He may have faith but he does not have love. We are correct when we say that love is the wedding garment because this, is what our Creator Himself possessed, when He came to the marriage feast, to join the Church to Himself. Only God’s Love brought it about, that His Only-Begotten Son, united the hearts of His chosen, to Himself. John says “God so Loved the world that He gave His Only-Begotten Son for us.” – St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father and Doctor of the Church – (Sermons on the Gospel No 38).

PRAYER – Lord Holy God and Father, open our hearts o Your grace. Let it go before us and be with us. Open our hearts to Your love. Let it be the foundation of our love, let our love be Your love. Stepping in the footsteps of Your Son, in imitation of His Saints as St Alexander Sauli lived, grant that by his intercession, we too may reach Your eternal Feast. Through Jesus our Lord who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.

Posted in LENTEN THOUGHTS, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 10 October – The Third Sorrowful Mystery – The Crowning with Thorns

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Third Sorrowful Mystery
The Crowning with Thorns

“This new torture was a diabolical invention decreed by no law or authority.
Purely for their own savage entertainment, the soldiers procured a bundle of thorned reeds, which they wound into the shape of a crown and pressed into Jesus’ head.

Mary knew what was going on.
She was there with the holy women when Pilate brought her bloodstained Son before the people and, their blasphemous yells pierced her tender heart.
Her mother’s heart felt the sharp thorns too but, she accepted this affliction with resignation, silently protesting against the insults of the crowd by acts of adoration and of love.
We should behave in this way also.
We should participate in the passion of Jesus, by offering our own sufferings and we should make acts of love and of self-surrender, in reparation for these acts of blasphemy!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 10 October – St Francis Borgia and St Daniel Comboni

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 October – The Memorial of St Francis Borgia SJ (1510-1572) and St Daniel Comboni (1831-1881)

“We must perform all our works in God
and refer them to His glory,
so that they will be permanent and stable.
Everyone—whether kings, nobles, tradesmen or peasants—
must do all things for the glory of God
and under the inspiration of Christ’s example. . . . ”

“We must make our way towards eternity,
never regarding what men think of us,
or of our actions,
studying only to please God.”

“Who could ever soften this heart of mine
but YOU alone O Lord!”

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN QUOTES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 October – “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” Luke 11:28

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One Minute Reflection – 10 October – “Month of the Most Holy Rosary” – Saturday of the Twenty SeventhWeek in Ordinary Time, Readings:Galatians 3: 22-29, Psalms 105: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, Luke 11: 27-28 and the Memorial of St Paulinus of York (c 584-644) and St Francis Borgia SJ (1510-1572)

“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 – Almighty God and Father, you sent St Paulinus and St Francis Borgia to be Your witnesses and to bring Your Church to the pagans for the salvation of souls. Sustain us by their prayers that by our lives we may lead all to You through Holy Mother Church. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.

Posted in JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LENTEN THOUGHTS, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 9 October – The Second Sorrowful Mystery – The Scourging

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Second Sorrowful Mystery
The Scourging

“Think about the manner in which Jesus was scourged.
His chaste body, is stripped by the jeering soldiers, His hands are tied and He is bound to a pillar.
The soldiers come forward with their whips and begin to beat Him mercilessly.
As His Blood flows freely to the ground, Jesus quivers with pain and emits a half-suppressed groan.
But fresh blows continue to rain down on His bruised flesh.
So the prophecy is fulfilled in which Isaias described the punishment of the chosen people, whose sins and whose chastisement, the divine Redeemer has chosen to take on Himself.
“From the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein – wounds and bruises and swelling sores …“ (Is 1:6).

By means of this fearful torment, Jesus willed to offer satisfaction in a special manner, for the sins of the flesh.
In ancient times, sins of impurity provoked the anger of God so much, that they were blotted out by the universal deluge.
Now these sins are still numberless, both in the pagan and, unfortunately, in the Christian world but, they are washed away by the saving Blood of Jesus Christ, Who came on earth to make reparation for all the iniquities of men.

Kiss the wounds of Jesus, bleeding and suffering.
Ask for pardon if you have on occasions, failed to preserve the purity of your body, the dwelling of your immortal soul and the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit.
Resolve to die rather than stain again, with impurity, the soul, which was redeemed and sanctified, by the precious Blood of the Redeemer.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 9 October – St Louis Bertrand OP, St John Leonardi OMD, St John Henry Newman C.Orat

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 October – The Memorial of St Louis Bertrand OP (1526-1581) “Apostle of South America”, St John Leonardi OMD (1541-1609), Founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God and St John Henry Newman C.Orat (1801-1890)

“If, because of your preaching,
men lay aside enmities,
forgive injuries,
avoid occasions of sin and scandals
and reform their conduct,
you may say that the seed has fallen on good ground.
But to God alone give all the glory
and acknowledge yourselves
ever unprofitable servants.”

St Louis Bertrand (1526-1581)

“The medicine of God,
is Jesus Christ,
Crucified and Risen,
the measure of all things.”

“Christ first of all,
Christ in the centre of the heart,
in the centre of history
and of the cosmos.
Humanity needs Christ intensely
because, He is our “measure.”
There is no realm,
that cannot be touched
by His strength;
there is no evil,
that cannot find remedy in Him,
there is no problem,
that cannot be solved in Him.
Either Christ or nothing!”

St John Leonardi (1541-1609)

St John Henry Newman Quotes here:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/10/09/quotes-of-the-day-9-october-the-memorial-of-blessed-john-henry-newman-1801-1890/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/09/quote-s-of-the-day-9-october-the-memorial-of-blessed-john-henry-newman-1801-1890/

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on SCANDAL, QUOTES on SIN, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 October – ‘Neglecting grace’ – Luke 11:15-26

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One Minute Reflection – 9 October – Friday of the Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 3:7-14, Psalms 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, Luke 11: 15-26 and the Memorial of Saint Denis of Paris (Died c 258) and Companions, the First Bishop of Paris, Martyr

“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came…” – Luke 11:24

REFLECTION – “The unclean spirit dwelt in us before we believed, before we came to Christ when our soul was still committing fornication against God and was with it’s lovers, the demons.
Afterward it said, “I will return to my first husband” and came to Christ, who “created” it from the beginning “in his image.”
Necessarily, the adulterous spirit gave up his place when it saw the legitimate husband.
Christ received us and our house has been “cleansed” from it’s former sins. It has been “furnished” with the furnishing of the sacraments of the faithful that they who have been initiated know.
This house does not deserve to have Christ as it’s resident immediately, unless it’s life and conduct are so holy, pure and incapable of being defiled, that it deserves to be the “temple of God.”
It should not still be a house but a temple in which God dwells.
If it neglects the grace that was received and entangles itself in secular affairs, immediately, that unclean spirit returns and claims the vacant house for itself.
“It brings with it seven other spirits more wicked,” so that it may not be able again to be expelled “and the last state of that kind of person is worse than the first.”
It would be more tolerable, that the soul would not have returned to it’s first husband once it became a prostitute, than having gone back after confession, to her husband, to have become an adulteress again.
There is no “fellowship,” as the apostle says, “between the temple of God and idols,” no “agreement between Christ and Belial.” – Origen of Alexandria (c 185-253) (Homilies on Exodus, 8)

PRAYER – Lord God, You sent St Denis and his companions to proclaim Your glory to the nations and gave them the fortitude to die for Your sake. Help us, by their exmple, to meet with a like indifference, the triumphs and afflictions this world has to offer. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, one God with You and the Holy Spirit, now and for all eternity, amen.

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING

Thought for the Day – 8 October – The First Sorrowful Mystery – The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The First Sorrowful Mystery
The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

The life of Mary, like that of her divine Son, was a life of suffering and of sacrifice.

When Simeon held the divine Child in his arms, he had prophesied: “This child is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel and, for a sign that shall be contradicted. And thy own soul, a sword shall pierce” (Cf Lk 2:35).
There was suffering from the very beginning – in the arduous journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to fulfil the obligation of the census; in the refusal of the people of Bethlehem to give shelter to the Holy Family; in the birth of Jesus in a cold cave; in the flight into Egypt to escape from the cruelty of Herod; in the loss of Jesus when He was twelve years old; in the hard life of a humble artisan in Nazareth; in the difficulties of the public life of Jeuse and, in the final tragedy which brought Jesus from Gethsemane to Calvary and, from Calvary to the sepulchre.

When faced with this spectacle of the Man-God and of His Mother Mary suffering for love of us, how can we complain that our own cross is too heavy?
How can we rebel against the merciful God Who afflicts us for our own good, purifies us with suffering and demands, that we should be detached from worldly things, so that we may give more thought to Heaven, for which our souls are destined?
To meditate on all that Jesus and Mary suffered for us, should be enough to make us embrace our cross generously and resign ourselves to the physical or moral afflictions which God sens us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 8 October – ‘Immortality is given to the one who perseveres …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 October – Thursday of the Twenty Seventh week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 3:1-5, Responsorial Psalm: Luke 1:69-70, 71-72,73-75, Luke 11:5-13

“I tell you, if he does not get up
to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him
whatever he needs
because of his persistence.
And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and it will be opened to you.”

Luke 11:8-9

“Immortality is given to the one who perseveres;
everlasting life is offered;
the Lord promises His Kingdom.”

St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258)
Bishop and Martyr

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.”

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

“And so it happened
that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ,
was the only one to see Him.
… At first she sought
but did not find
but when she persevered,
it happened that she found
what she was looking for. …
And so Mary, once addressed by name,
recognises who is speaking.
She immediately calls Him Rabboni,
that is to say, teacher,
because the One whom she sought outwardly,
was the One who inwardly
taught her to keep on searching.”

St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
Father and Doctor

“We must pray incessantly,
for the gift of perseverance.”

St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

“In prayer one must hold fast and never let go,
because the one who gives up, loses all.
If it seems that no-one is listening to you,
then cry out even louder.
If you are driven out of one door,
go back in by the other.”

St Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641)

“Aspire to God with short
but frequent outpourings of the heart,
admire His bounty,
invoke His aid,
cast yourself in spirit at the foot of His Cross,
adore His goodness,
treat with Him of your salvation,
give Him your whole soul –
a thousand times in the day.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 October – ‘… Ask then, unremittingly and without doubting …’ Luke 11:5-13

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One Minute Reflection – 8 October – Thursday of the Twenty Seventh week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 3:1-5, Responsorial Psalm: Luke 1:69-70, 71-72,73-75, Luke 11:5-13

“Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves… If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit, to those who ask him!” – Luke 11:5,13

REFLECTION – “In one place it is said that the Father “will give good things to those that ask him” (Mt 7:11), elsewhere, that he will “give the Holy Spirit to those that ask him” (Lk 11:13).

From this we learn that those who pray to God with steadfast faith in these promises receive, not only remission of sins but also heavenly gifts of grace. The Lord promised these “good things” not to the righteous but to sinners, saying: “If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those that ask him?” (Lk 11:13). Ask then, unremittingly and without doubting, however poor your efforts to gain holiness, however weak your strength, you will receive great gifts, far beyond anything that you deserve. (…)

Struggle to preserve unimpaired the light that shines within your intellect. If passion begins to dominate you when you look at things, this means that the Lord has left you in darkness; He has dropped the reins with which He was guiding you (cf. Jb 30:11) and the light of your eyes is gone from you (cf. Ps 37[38]:10 LXX). Yet even if this happens, do not despair or give up but pray to God with the words of David: “O send out thy light and thy truth” to me in my gloom, “for thou art the salvation of my countenance and my God” (cf. Ps 42[43]:3, 5 LXX).

For “thou shalt send forth thy Spirit and they shall be created and thou shalt renew the face of the earth” (Cf. Ps 103[104]:30 LXX).” – John of Karpathos (Seventh century) Bishop and Monk – One Hundred Texts for the encouragement of the monks in India, nos. 45, 82

PRAYER – Lord God and Father, who entrusted the earth to men and each to the other, grant us the grace this day, to see Your Face in our neighbour and to seek all who need our help. Grant us the grace to work faithfully for Your glory, for the salvation of our souls through the light of faith You have given us. We beg the grace of Your love and mercy and the light of love You send with Your Holy Spirit. May the prayers of Mary our Holy Mother, keep us ever in her guiding care. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.

Posted in OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Quote/s of the Day – 7 October – On the Rosary by the Popes – pre-Vatican II

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 October – The Memorial of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

“The Rosary is the scourge of the devil.”

Pope Adrian VI (1459-1523)

“Among all the devotions
approved by the Church,
none has been favoured
by so many miracles,
as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary.”

Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)

“If there were one million families
praying the Rosary everyday,
the entire world would be saved.”

Saint Pope Pius X (1835-1914)

“The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer
and the most efficacious means
of attaining eternal life.
It is the remedy for all our evils,
the root of all our blessings.
There is no more excellent way of praying.”

Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

“The Rosary is a powerful weapon
to put the demons to flight
and to keep oneself from sin…
If you desire peace in your hearts,
in your homes
and in your country,
assemble each evening to recite the Rosary.
Let not even one day pass without saying it,
no matter how burdened you may be
with many cares and labours.”

Pope Pius XI (1857-1939)

“We put great confidence
in the Holy Rosary,
for the healing of evils
which afflict our times.”

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

More Here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-october-our-lady-of-the-rosary-2/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-october-our-lady-of-the-rosary/

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Hail MARY!, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE, The LORD'S PRAYER, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 October – “Hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come” – Luke 11:2

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One Minute Reflection – 7 October – Wednesday of the Twenty Seventh week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14, Psalms 117:1, 2, Luke 11: 1-4 and The Memorial of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

“He was praying in a certain place and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples. And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.” – Luke 11:1-2

REFLECTION – “If you wish to pray, you have need of God: “who gives prayer to the one who prays” (1 Sam 2:9). Invoke Him, then, saying: “Hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come” (Mt 6:9-10) — that is, the Holy Spirit and Your only-begotten Son. For so He taught us, saying: “Worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:24). (…)

Whoever prays in spirit and truth is no longer dependent on created things when honouring the Creator but, praises Him for and in Himself. (…) The Holy Spirit, out of compassion for our weakness, comes to us (…). And if only He finds our intellect truly praying to Him, He enters it and puts to flight the whole array of thoughts and ideas circling within it and He arouses it to a longing for spiritual prayer. (…)

Know that the holy angels encourage us to pray and stand beside us, rejoicing and praying for us (cf. Tob 12:12). Therefore, if we are negligent and admit thoughts from the enemy, we greatly provoke the angels. For while they struggle hard on our behalf we do not even take the trouble to pray to God for ourselves but we despise their services to us, abandoning their Lord and God. (…)

Pray gently and calmly, sing with understanding and rhythm, then you will soar like a young eagle high in the heavens.” – Evagrius Ponticus (345-399) Desert Monk in Jerusalem and Egypt – Chapters on prayer, nos. 59, 60, 63, 81, 82; wrongly attributed to Neilos the ascetic

PRAYER – Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Teach us Almighty Father to pray, fill us with the love of Your Spirit and guide us always by the Word and Trust of our lives. With the Blessed Mother of God and of the Holy Rosary, we kneel in love and adoration. May her prayers lead us to heaven. Amen


Posted in PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on SOLITUDE, SAINT of the DAY, The CREED

Quote/s of the Day – 6 October – Shhhhh….St Bruno

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 October – The Memorial of St Bruno O.Cart (c 1030-1101)

The Order founded by st Bruno — the Carthusians — is one of the strictest in the Church. Carthusians follow the Rule of St Benedict but accord it a most austere interpretation; there is perpetual silence and complete abstinence from flesh meat (only bread, legumes and water are taken for nourishment). Bruno sought to revive the ancient eremitical (hermit) way of life.
His Order enjoys the distinction of never becoming unfaithful to the spirit of it’s founder, never needing a reform.

Saint Bruno’s Profession of Faith,
which he pronounced in the presence
of all his assembled brothers,
when he felt the time was approaching for him
to go the way of all flesh,
because he had urgently requested us
to be witnesses of his faith before God:

  1. I firmly believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: the Father unbegotten, the only begotten Son, the Holy Spirit proceeding from them both and I believe that these three Persons are but one God.
  2. I believe that the same Son of God was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary.
    I believe that the Virgin was chaste before she bore her child, that she remained a virgin while she bore her child and continued a virgin ever after.
    I believe that the same Son of God was conceived among men, a true Man with no sin.
    I believe the same Son of God was captured by the hatred of some of the Jews who did not believe, was bound unjustly, covered with spittle and scourged.
    I believe that He died, was buried and descended into hell to free those of His who were held there.
    He descended for our redemption, He rose again, He ascended into heaven and from there, He will come to judge the living and the dead.
  3. I believe also in the Sacraments that the Church believes and holds in reverence and especially that, which has been consecrated on the altar, is the true Flesh and the true Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we receive for the forgiveness of our sins and in the hope of eternal salvation.

I believe in the resurrection of the flesh and everlasting life.

  1. I acknowledge and believe the holy and ineffable Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to be but only one God, of only one substance, of only one nature, of only one majesty and power.

We profess that the Father was neither begotten nor created but that He has begotten.
The Father takes His origin from no-one; of Him the Son is born and the Holy Spirit proceeds.
He is the source and origin of all Divinity.
And the Father, ineffable by His very nature, from His own substance has begotten the Son ineffably but, He has begotten nothing, except what He is Himself: God has begotten God, light has begotten light and it is from Him that all Fatherhood in heaven and on earth proceeds.
Amen.

The Creed
Every late of the night, in a cell at the end of the Office of Lauds of Our Blessed Virgin Mary, about around 2:30 am, the Carthusians always recite a choice between three catholic creeds:
The Athanasian Creed [QUICUNQUE VULT] |
The Apostle’s Creed
The Nicene Creed.
This is a deep transforming contemplative prayer of our revealed Creed, like a constant heartbeat and is the defining of the heart of the Carthusian souls in Trinitarian life and of Saint Bruno’s followers’ vocation of devoted presence, like the Seraphim before the revealed God, in the Church for the world.

“Rejoice, my dearest brothers,
because you are blessed
and because of the bountiful hand of God’s grace upon you.
Rejoice, because you have escaped
the various dangers and shipwrecks of the stormy world.
Rejoice, because you have reached
the quiet and safe anchorage of a secret harbour.
Many wish to come into this port
and many make great efforts to do so,
yet do not achieve it.
Indeed many, after reaching it,
have been thrust out,
since it was not granted them from above.
By your work you show what you love and what you know.
When you observe true obedience
with prudence and enthusiasm,
it is clear that you wisely pick
the most delightful and nourishing fruit of divine Scripture.”

“What benefits
What divine exultation
The solitude and silence of the desert
Hold in store for those who love it!”

(Saint Bruno to Raoul)

St Bruno (c 1030-1101)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 October – God does not speak at all, to the soul that does not speak to Him

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 6 October – Tuesday of the Twenty Seventh week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 1:13-24, Psalms 139:1-3, 13-14, 14-15, Luke 10: 38-42 and the Memorial of St Bruno O.Cart. (c 1030-1101)

“As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak…”– Luke 10:38-39

REFLECTION – “Adopt the habit of conversing one to one with God, familiarly, trustingly and with love, as though with the dearest and most affectionate friend you have. (…)

You are not being asked for a continual application of spirit that makes you forget your duties or even your recreational times. Without neglecting your occupations, you are only being asked to behave with God, in the different circumstances that present themselves, as you act with people who love you and whom you love. Your God is always beside you, not to say within you: “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Whoever wishes to speak to Him has no need of setting up an antechamber, far from it! God wants to see you treat Him without ceremony. Converse with Him about your affairs, projects, annoyances, fears and all that interests you. The essential thing, I repeat, is that you do it without embarrassment and with an open heart. Indeed, God does not speak at all, to the soul that does not speak to Him and who, in consequence, only hears His voice with difficulty, not being accustomed to speak to Him. (…)

It is true that we owe God sovereign respect. But when He favours you with the feeling of His presence and encourages you to speak to Him as to the best of your friends, open your heart freely and with all confidence.” – St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop and Doctor of the Church – To converse with God is both pleasant and easy

PRAYER – Lord God, You called St Bruno to serve You in a life of solitude. Amidst this world’s changes, help us, by his prayers, to set out hearts always on You. Heavenly Father, let me realise that You guide our lives through Your Providence, Your Word and Sacraments. Help me to be obedient to the rules for my state in life and so be obedient to Your will for me. Grant that the prayers of St Bruno may assist us as we strive to grow in humility. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thought for the Day – 5 October – The Third Joyful Mystery – The Birth of Jesus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 5 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Third Joyful Mystery
The Birth of Jesus

“When God became man in order to instruct and redeem the lost and erring human race, the gesture would have been deprived of it’s real significance if He had chosen to be born in a palace, surrounded by the splendour of worldly glory and wealth.

It would have been meaningless, not only for God but also, for us, if He had abandoned the imperishable glory of Heaven and the infinite wealth of everlasting happiness, in order to assume the kind of earthly grandeur which, in His eyes is but a vanishing cloud.
What we needed, was to learn the way of humility and of detachment from worldly things, which can so easily lead us to forget the supernatural.
We needed someone to come and sanctify suffering, which purifies and elevates the soul.
We needed someone to appease divine justice on our behalf and to teach us, that the way of the cross, is the only one which can lead to Heaven.
This was why the Eternal Word of God became a poor and lowly infant, choosing a stable, rather than a palace and the little village of Bethlehem in Judea, in preference to the imperial city of Rome.
He wished His extreme poverty and deprivation, to be His first lesson to mankind.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Quote/s of the Day – 5 October – 3 Blesseds

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 5 October – the Memorial of Blessed Raymond of Capua OP (c 1330-1399) “The Second Founder,” Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos CSsR (1819-1867), Blessed Bartholomew Longo (1841-1926) “Apostle of the Holy Rosary”

“My brothers,
keep away from the beast of boasting
and concern for one’s reputation,
for these destroy and weaken,
every good work.”

Bl Raymond of Capua (c 1330-1399)

“It is only through suffering
that we become holy.
And to become holy is our only purpose in life,
our only preparation for heaven.”

TOP 10 Practical Guide to Holiness

  1. Go to Mass with deepest devotion.
  2. Spend a half hour to reflect upon your main failing
    and make resolutions to avoid it.
  3. Do daily spiritual reading for at least 15 minutes,
    if a half hour is not possible.
  4. Say the rosary every day.
  5. Also daily, if at all possible, visit the Blessed Sacrament
    and toward evening, meditate on the Passion of Christ for a half hour.
  6. Conclude the day with evening prayer
    and an examination of conscience over all the faults & sins of the day.
  7. Every month make a review of the month in confession.
  8. Choose a special patron every month
    and imitate that patron in some special virtue.
  9. Precede every great feast with a novena, that is, nine days of devotion.
  10. Try to begin and end every activity with a “Hail Mary.”

Bl Francis Xavier Seelos CSsR (1819-1867)

“The Rosary could very well be called,
the poem of human redemption.”

“The Rosary is the prayer dearest to Mary,
most loved by the Saints,
most frequently used by Christian peoples,
most honoured by God with astounding wonders,
most enriched with great promises,
by the Virgin.”

Bl Bartholomew Longo (1841-1926) “Apostle of the Holy Rosary