CATHOLIC Quotes – Page 210

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 January – Speaking of: The devil

Posted on January 14, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 14 January – Tuesday of the First week in Ordinary Time, Year A

Speaking of: The devil

“The most powerful weapon
to conquer the devil is humility.
For, as he does not know at all,
how to employ it,
neither does he know
how to defend himself from it.”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

“Not only the devil is involved in spiritual warfare
but the Holy Spirit is equally involved, or more involved in it,
bringing men and women of goodwill,
the ability to overcome evil in their lives,
so that they too can say:
“Where evil abounded, grace super-abounded!” (Rom 5:20).”

St John Paul II

(The Holy Spirit (Dominum Et Vivificantem – 1986)

“It is not enough for a Christian
to condemn evil, cowardice, lies
and use of force, hatred and oppression.
He must at all times be a witness to
and defender of justice, goodness, truth, freedom and love.
He must never tire of claiming these values
as a right both for himself and others.”

Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko (1947-1984) Martyr

ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

One Minute Reflection – 14 January – Have you come to destroy us?

Posted on January 14, 2020January 14, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 January – Tuesday of the First week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 1 Samuel 1:9-20, Responsorial psalm 1, Samuel 2:1, 4-8, Mark 1:21-28

“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” … Mark 1:24

REFLECTION – “Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church’s Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called “Satan” or the “devil”. The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: “The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God but they became evil by their own doing.”
Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels (2 Pt 2:4). This “fall” consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and His reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter’s words to our first parents: “You will be like God” (Gn 3:5). The devil “has sinned from the beginning” (1 Jn 3:8), he is “a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44). It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes the angels’ sin unforgivable. “There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death” (St. John Damascene).

Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls “a murderer from the beginning” (Jn 8:44), who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father (Mt 4:1-11). “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 Jn 3:8). In its consequences the gravest of these works was the mendacious seduction that led man to disobey God.

The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God’s reign.” … Catechism of the Catholic Church #391-395

PRAYER – King of heaven and earth, Lord God, rule over our hearts and bodies this day. Sanctify us and guide our every thought, word and deed, according to the commandments of Your law, so that now and forever, Your grace may free and save us. Sanctify our hearts, minds and actions with Your power, that all we are may speak of Your Light. May the prayers of the Blessed Virgin our Mother and all your Angels and Saints, bring us to peace and confidence. We make our prayer through Your Son, our Lord Jesus, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen. blessed virgin mother mary pray for us - 27 oct 2019.jpg

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Thought for the Day – 13 January – HELL 1

Posted on January 13, 2020January 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 13 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Monday of the First week in Ordinary Time, Year A

HELL 1

remember that a singel mortal sin - bacci - hell 1 13 jan 2020

“In whatever you do, remember your last days and you will never sin.” (Eccl 7:36)

“The meditation considered, by the masters of the spiritual life, to be the most useful for rousing the soul from sin, or from a state of torpor, is that on the last things, in other words, on what will happen to us at the end of life.
Amongst these last things, hell is the most terrifying.
Yet, if the mercy of God did not sustain us, we could fall into hell at any moment.
St John Chrysostom meditated on hell everyday.
All the Saints have found in this meditation, the first steps on the way to perfection.
Remember, that a single mortal sin, would merit hell for us.
In that moment, the sinner could have been already hurled into the abyss of torments.
Let us imagine, that we are there …. and, that the goodness and mercy of God has released us from those everlasting, all-devouring flames. If this should happen, all the sacrifices, which virtue demands, would seem so easy and pleasant.
How ready we should be to do anything, sooner than return to that chasm of eternal sorrow!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 January – St Hilary

Posted on January 13, 2020January 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 13 January – Monday of the First week in Ordinary Time, Year A and the Memorial of St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father and Doctor of the Church

“The privilege of our Church is such
that it is never stronger,
than when it is attacked,
never better known,
than when it is accused,
never more powerful,
than when it
appears forsaken.”

(Treatise on the Trinity)

“The Church is the Ship
outside which
it is impossible to understand
the Divine Word,
for Jesus spoke from the boat
to the people gathered
on the shore.”

“God only knows,
how to be love
and He only knows,
how to be Father.
And the one who loves is not envious
and one who is Father is so totally.
This name does not permit compromises,
as if God were only father
in some aspects
and not in others.”

St Hilary of Poitiers
(315-368)
Father & Doctor of the Church

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One Minute Reflection – 13 January – You too, run after Him.

Posted on January 13, 2020January 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 January – Monday of the First week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 1 Samuel 1:1-8, Psalm 116:12-14, 17-19, Mark 1:14-20

And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him…Mark 1:17-18

REFLECTION – “Follow me!” Jesus says these words (…) to every Christian. Follow me, naked as I am naked, free from every hindrance as I myself am. Jeremiah said: “You will call me ‘My Father’ and never turn away from me” (Jer 3:19). So follow Me and put down the burdens you are bearing. For, laden as you are, you cannot follow Me who am running ahead. “I ran in thirst” says the psalmist about me (Ps 61:5 LXX), the thirst to save humanity. And where is He running? To the Cross. You too, run after Him. As He bore His cross for you, take up your own for your good. From whence these words of Saint Luke’s gospel: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself” by renouncing his own will, “take up his cross” by mortifying his passions, “daily”, that is all the time, “and follow me.” (Lk 9:23) (…)

Jesus speaks to us like a mother who, wanting to teach her child to walk, shows him apiece of bread or an apple and says to him: “Come with me and I’ll give it to you.” And when the child is so close that he can almost catch hold of it, she draws away a little, showing the thing to him and repeating: “Follow me if you want it.” Some kinds of birds lead their little ones out of their nest and, by flying, teach them to fly and to follow them. Jesus does the same. He shows Himself as an example and promises us His reward in the kingdom so that we might follow Him.

So “follow me” for I know the right way and will guide you. We read in the book of Proverbs: “I will show you the way of wisdom; I will lead you by the ways of equity. When you have entered, your steps will not be constrained and when you run you shall not meet a stumbling block” (cf. Prv 4:11-12 LXX). (…) Therefore, “follow me”.” … St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Franciscan, Doctor of the Church – Sermon for the feast of Saint John the Evangelist mark-1-17-18-and-jesus-says these words to every christian st anthony of padua 13 jan 2020.jpg

PRAYER – Holy Lord God, grant that we may live constantly in Your presence. Grant that we may possess a spirit of joy and gladness because of the firm knowledge that You are always with us and in You and through You and with You, the extraordinary is commonplace! And turn around Lord and call us, for we are behind You. Be with us Lord, always, we pray! Hear the prayers on our behalf, of St Mungo of Glasgow, whom we ask for intercession. Through the Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, God forever for all eternity, amen st kentigern mungo pray for us 13 jan 2020.jpg

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Thought for the Day – 12 January – The Death of the Just

Posted on January 12, 2020January 10, 2023 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 12 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

The Death of the Just

“Consider now the death of the just man.
Through his dying tears, he also will see the world slipping away from him. But, one thing will remain to comfort him, namely, the memory of his good actions, of the virtues he acquired, of his fervent prayers and of his voluntary mortifications.
Above all, there will remain his great love of God, for Whom he has lived, worked and drawn breath.
In that moment, this love will even increase the flaming desire consuming his poor, frail body, to be united to God.
He will be able to say, as some of the Saints have said – “I never thought it would be so sweet to die.”
With St Louis, he will be able to say: “I am going joyfully to meet my God.”
He will be able to exclaim with St Charles: “I long for my body to be dissolved, so that I may be with Christ!” (Phil 1:23)

In the sight of God, the death of the good man is a very precious thing. “Precious in the eyes of the Lord, is the death of His faithful ones” (Ps 115:6).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 January – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Posted on January 12, 2020January 11, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 12 January – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

“He wants you to become
a living force for all mankind,
lights shining in the world.

You are to be radiant lights
as you stand beside Christ,
the great light,
bathed in the glory of Him
who is the light of heaven.”

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

(An excerpt from Oration 39 – On Holy Light)

“O Lord, wishing to fulfil all things
that You ordained before the ages,
You received the servants of Your mystery,
from among the Angels, Gabriel,
from among Men, the Virgin,
from among the Heavens, the Star
and from among the Waters, the Jordan,
in which You washed away the sin of the world,
O our Saviour, glory to You.”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father & Doctor of the Church

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One Minute Reflection – 12 January – ‘..The Father reveals, that His Son is to be worshipped by all the nations.’

Posted on January 12, 2020January 11, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 12 January – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord,
Readings: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7, Psalm 29:1-4, 9-10, Acts 10:34-38, Matthew 3:13-17

And when Jesus was baptised, he went up immediately from the water and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw, the Spirit of God, descending like a dove and alighting on him... Matthew 3:16 matthew 3 16 behold the heavens were opened - 12 jan 2020.jpg

REFLECTION – “At Christmas, He was born a man, today, He is reborn sacramentally. Then He was born from the Virgin, today, He is born in mystery.
When He was born a man, His mother Mary held Him close to her heart; when He is born in mystery, God the Father embraces Him with His voice when He says: ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, listen to him.’
The mother caresses the tender baby on her lap, the Father serves His Son by His loving testimony. The mother holds the child for the Magi to adore, the Father reveals, that His Son is to be worshipped by all the nations.
That is why the Lord Jesus went to the river for baptism, that is why He wanted His holy body, to be washed with Jordan’s water. at christmas he was born a man today he is bor sacramentally st maximus of turin 5 jan 2019.jpg

Someone might ask, “Why would a holy man desire baptism?” Listen to the answer: Christ is baptised, not to be made holy by the water but to make the water holy and by His cleansing, to purify the waters which He touched. For the consecration of Christ involves a more significant consecration of the water.
For when the Saviour is washed, all water for our baptism is made clean, purified at its source for the dispensing of baptismal grace to the people of future ages.
Christ is the first to be baptised then, so that Christians will follow after Him with confidence.” … St Maximus of Turin (c 380-c 465) christ is baptised not to be made holy but to make the water holy - st maximus of turin 12 jan 2020.JPG

PRAYER – Father, keep us from vain strife of words.
Grant to us constant profession of the Truth!
Preserve us in a true and undefiled faith
so that we may hold fast to that
which we professed when we were baptised
in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
that we may have You for our Father,
that we may abide in Your Son
and in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen…St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father and Doctor of the Church o-holy-trinity-prayer-for-perseverance-in-truth-st-hilary-of-poitiers-13-jan-2018 and 12 jan 2020.jpg

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Sunday Reflection – 12 January – This Body He gave to us

Posted on January 12, 2020January 12, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Sunday Reflection – 12 January – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

“When you see (the Most Blessed Sacrament) exposed, say to yourself –

‘Thanks to this Body, I am no longer dust and ashes, I am no more a captive but a freeman, hence, I hope to obtain heaven and the good things that are there in store for me… eternal life, the heritage of the angels, companionship with Christ; death has not destroyed this Body which was pierced by nails and scourged . . . this is that Body which was once covered with blood, pierced by a lance, from which issued saving fountains upon the world, one of blood and the other of water. . . This Body He gave to us to keep and eat, as a mark of His intense love’.”

St John Chrysostom (347 to 407)
Father & Doctor

this-bodty-he-gave-to-us-st-john-chrysostom-1-sept-2019 and 12 jan 2020.jpg

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Thought for the Day – 11 January – The Death of the Sinner

Posted on January 11, 2020January 11, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 11 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Saturday after Epiphany

The Death of the Sinner

“The Sinner must also die.
For him death is really terrible.
Imagine him lying on his deathbed, instinctively aware, that his life is over.
The past will rise up to reproach him, a past full of sin and of ingratitude towards his Creator and Redeemer.
The plans which he has centred around profit, ambition and honour, will have vanished like smoke.
His friends, will have either deserted him, or will be at hand, to utter useless words, which will have no power to comfort him.
Now he must stand alone, alone before God!

What will happen, at that moment?
Perhaps, despair will overcome his soul, as it overcame the soul of Judas?
Perhaps, the innumerable graces which he has despised, will tip the balance of Divine Justice towards the abyss of damnation?
Or, will a final ray of mercy pierce his tired mind, burning with remorse, so that, with it’s last throb, his poor heart will torn towards God and implore His pardon?
Who can say?
It is certain, however, that of the two thieves dying beside the Cross of our Redeemer, only one heard Him say:
“This day, you will be with me in Paradise!”
The other, remained obdurate in his sin.
It is the height of stupidity, to wait to be converted, at the hour of death!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 January – ‘Then Jesus is born within us…’

Posted on January 11, 2020January 11, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 11 January – Saturday after Epiphany, Readings: 1 John 5:14-21, Psalm 149:1-6, 9, John 3:22-30

“He must increase
but I must decrease.”

John 3:30

“Christ is born, God from His Father,
man through His mother.
He was born from His Father’s immortality
and His mother’s virginity.
From the Father, without the aid of a mother,
from the mother, without that of a father.
From His Father, without time,
from His mother, without seed.
According to His Father,
He is the principle of life,
according to His mother,
the ending of death.
According to His Father,
He was born to determine the order of days,
according to His mother,
to consecrate the day that is here.”

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

“When His place becomes our place,
when His time becomes our time,
when His person becomes our life,
then the prophecies come to fulfilment in us.
Then Jesus is born within us.
He becomes the living God for me.
Today we are asked to imitate the Magi.
They do not debate – they set out.
They do not stop to look but enter the house of Jesus.
They do not put themselves at the centre
but bow down before the One who is the centre.
They do not remain glued to their plans
but are prepared to take other routes.
Their actions reveal a close contact with the Lord,
a radical openness to Him,
a total engagement with Him.
With Him, they use the language of love,
the same language that Jesus, though an infant, already speaks.
Indeed, the Magi go to the Lord not to receive but to give.

Let us ask ourselves this question –
at Christmas, did we bring gifts to Jesus for His party,
or did we only exchange gifts among ourselves?

In this Christmas season, now drawing to its close,
let us not miss the opportunity
to offer a precious gift to our King,
who came to us,
not in worldly pomp
but in the luminous poverty of Bethlehem.
If we can do this,
His light will shine upon us.”

Pope Francis

6 January 2019

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One Minute Reflection – 11 January – My Words are Spirit and Life

Posted on January 11, 2020January 11, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 11 January – Saturday after Epiphany, Readings: 1 John 5:14-21, Psalm 149:1-6, 9, John 3:22-30

“No-one can receive anything, except what is given him from heaven. “ … John 3:27

REFLECTION – “My son, says the Lord, listen to my words, the most delightful of all words, surpassing all the knowledge of the philosophers and wise men of this world. My words are spirit and life and cannot be comprehended by human senses alone. They are not to be interpreted according to the vain pleasure of the listener but they must be listened to, in silence and received with all humility and great affection. And I said – Blessed is the man whom you teach, Lord and whom you instruct in your law, for him you soften the blow of the evil day and you do not desert him on the earth. The Lord says, I have instructed My prophets from the beginning. Even to the present time, I have not stopped speaking to all men but many are deaf and obstinate in response.

Many hear the world more easily than they hear God – they follow the desires of the flesh more readily than the pleasure of God. The world promises rewards that are temporal and insignificant and these are pursued with great longing. I promise rewards that are eternal and unsurpassable, yet the hearts of mortals respond sluggishly. Who serves and obeys me in all matters, with as much care as the world and its princes, are served? Blush, then, you lazy, complaining servant, for men are better prepared for the works of death than you are for the works of life. They take more joy in vanity than you in truth. Yet they are often deceived in their hope, while my promise deceives no-one and leaves empty-handed no-one who confides in Me. What I have promised, I shall give, what I have said I will fulfil for any man, who remains faithful in my love unto the very end. I am the Rewarder of all good men, the one who rigorously tests the devoted.

Write my words in your heart and study them diligently, for they will be absolutely necessary in the time of temptation. Whatever you fail to understand, in reading my words, will become clear to you on the day of your visitation. I am accustomed to visit my elect in a double fashion, that is, with temptation and with consolation. And I read to them two lessons each day – one to rebuke them for their faults, the other to exhort them to increase their virtue. He who possesses my Words yet spurns them, earns His own judgement on the last day.” … Thomas á Kempis (1380-1471), Priest – My Words are Spirit and Life, The Imitation of Christ

PRAYER – “[Lord God] I believe in You, increase my faith. All my hopes are in You, secure my trust. I love You, teach me to love You more each day… I adore You as my first beginning, I long for You as my final end. I praise You as my constant helper and call on You as my loving protector. Guide me by Your Wisdom, correct me with Your Justice, comfort me with Your Mercy, protect me by Your Power… Lord, enlighten my understanding, enflame my will, purify my heart, sanctify my soul . Help me to repent of my past sins and to rise above my human weaknesses and to grow stronger as a Christian…” … (from the Universal Prayer by Pope Clement XI (1649-1721)

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Thought for the Day – 10 January – The Apostolate of Suffering

Posted on January 10, 2020January 7, 2022 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 10 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Fifth Day after Epiphany

The Apostolate of Suffering

In God’s plan, suffering has a special mission.
One might even call it a kind of apostolate.
Suffering reminds us continually, that we have not been made for this world but are on a journey towards eternity.
“Here we have no permanent city but we seek for the city that is to come” (Heb 13:14)

Suffering is a spur which lifts our gaze towards Heaven, our real home, in which we shall find a happiness, which will have no end.
It would be disastrous if there were no suffering in this world!
It is the salt which preserves from corruption, our poor, fallen nature, tainted by sin.

When everything is going well and the passing pleasures of this life hold us fascinated, it is too easy to set our hearts on things below and to forget God.
But, when our bodies are racked with pain and our minds are troubled and lonely, then an inward turmoil seems to detach us from this earth and causes us to raise our tear-filled eyes, towards Heaven. Purified and almost renovated, our hearts turn towards God, our one, true and supreme good.

This is why the Saints loved suffering. Not only did they accept it with complete resignation but, they desired and requested it from God.
“Either to suffer or to die,” was the please of St Therese of the Child Jesus.
St Mary Magdalene del Pazzi, even added: “To suffer and not to die.”

How well the Saints understood the mission which God has entrusted to suffering!
If it is accepted with faith, resignation and love, it can make us living images of Jesus, Who suffered beneath the weight of the Cross and died upon it, His Hands and Feet pierced with nails, His Head crowned with thorns, while He prayed for us and for all those who had crucified Him.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 January – St Léonie Françoise De Sales Aviat

Posted on January 10, 2020January 10, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 10 January – Fifth day after Epiphany and The Memorial of St Léonie Françoise De Sales Aviat OSFS (1844-1914)

“Go often to rest your heart
near the tabernacle;
you will find there,
the necessary strength
and graces
to go more surely
along the path of fidelity.”

“Let us love
to give our heart anew,
each morning.”

“Pray to your good angels,
use them as messengers
in your little joys
and sufferings.”

“Do not be afraid!
God will show you,
to the hour and moment,
what you should say
and what you should do.”

“Do not be preoccupied
with the future,
God is in charge of it.”

St Léonie Françoise De Sales Aviat

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One Minute Reflection – 10 January – ‘Can it be true ….?’

Posted on January 10, 2020January 10, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 10 January – Fifth Day after Epiphany and the Memorial of Bl Dolores Rodríguez Sopeña (1848-1918), Readings: 1 John 5:5-13, Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20, Luke 5:12-16

“Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him” … Luke 5:13 luke 5 13 jesus stretched out his hand and touched him - can it be true - st alphonsus liguori 10 jan 2020.jpg

REFLECTION – “Christ said when He came into the world: ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire but a body you prepared for me (…) Then I said: Behold I come to do your will’ ” (Heb 10:5.7; Ps 40:7-9 LXX). Can it be true that God wanted to become man to save us from our wretchedness (…) and conquer our love? Yes, it is so true that it is an article of faith: “Who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven… and was made man” (Creed) (…) Yes, this is what God has done, so to be loved by us! (… ) This is how He wanted to make known the immensity of His love for us: “the grace of God our saviour has appeared to all” (Ti 2:11). It is, as though, our Lord said: “Man does not love Me because he cannot see me, I am going to make Myself visible and talk to him, in that way I shall surely make Myself loved”: “He has appeared on earth and spoken with us” (cf. Bar 3:38).

God’s love for humankind is vast, vast from all eternity: “with age-old love I have loved you; so in mercy I have drawn you to myself” (cf. Jer 31:3). But we have not yet seen how great and incomprehensible He is. When the Son of God was seen in the form of a child lying on the straw in a stable then He was made known indeed: “the kindness and generous love of God our saviour appeared” (Ti 3:4). As Saint Bernard observed: “The creation of the world made God’s power shine out, the ordering of the world, His wisdom but the incarnation of the Word, caused His mercy to break forth in the sight of all.” (…)

“By showing disdain towards God,” Saint Fulgentius said, “man was separated from Him forever and, since man could no longer return to God, God deigned to come to find him on earth.” And as Saint Augustine had already said: “We were unable to go to the doctor, therefore the doctor had the graciousness to come to us.” … St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) – Bishop and Doctor of the Church – 1st address for the Octave of Christmas

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, by the guidance of a star, You revealed the Birth of the Saviour of the world. Open our minds and hearts to that revelation and may it bear fruit in our lives. May Your nearness, be understood in our hearts and minds, ‘may the Lord Jesus touch our eyes, as He did those of the blind’ and may the prayers of Bl Dolores Rodríguez Sopeña, grant us strength on our journey. We make our prayer, through Christ, our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen. bl dolores sopena pray for us 10 jan 2020.jpg

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Thought for the Day – 9 January – Good wishes and resolutions?

Posted on January 9, 2020January 9, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 9 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Fourth Day after Epiphany

Good wishes and resolutions?

“During these days, it is customary to exchange, verbally or in writing, good wishes for the New Year.
But these poor greetings are often nothing more than conventional phrases.
Men lack the power to transmute such good wishes into reality.
God alone is the source of every material and spiritual good, therefore, He alone can ensure that these benevolent expressions are translated into deeds of Christian renovation.
Since we are at the beginning of a new year, it is especially important for us to ask God more fervently and insistently, to bless the resolutions which are making for ourselves and the good wishes, which we are showering on our friends.

These wishes have no meaning and these resolutions have no force, if they are not accompanied by fervent and persevering prayer!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY GHOST

Quote of the Day – 9 January – The Spirit of the Lord

Posted on January 9, 2020January 9, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 9 January – The Memorial of Blessed Alix le Clerc/Teresa of Jesus CND (1576-1622) known as Mother Alix and the Fourth Day after Epiphany

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed…”

Luke 4:18

“My God and Lord,
send me the light
of Your Holy and Blessed Spirit,
that I may find the path of peace
which You declared to us
on the day of Your holy Nativity…
I implore You,
my God and Saviour,
to grant us all such grace,
that we may walk
by the road
it has pleased You
to tread for us…”

Blessed Alix le Clerc/Teresa of Jesus (1576-1622)

“He is the Gospel of God,
He is the Mercy of God,
He is the liberation of God,
He is the One who became poor
so as to enrich us
with His poverty.”

Pope Francis

Angelus, 24 January 2016

MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on DEATH, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 8 January – Death

Posted on January 8, 2020January 8, 2023 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 8 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Third Day after Epiphany

Death

In theory, everybody believes in death.
In practice, many live as if they did not believe in it.
So, it is necessary and helpful, for us to meditate on death.
We begin to die on the day when we were born.
People say: “I have lived twenty, thirty or forty years.” But, if they said, “I have used up twenty or thirty or forty years of my life,” how many would then be left? We do not know, we only know that death will come at the very moment when we least expect it.
Let us always be prepared.
“You also must be ready, because at an hour that you do not expect, the Son of Man is coming.” (Lk 12:40)

We must always be ready.
Let our faith be lively and active and our minds turned towards God, Who is waiting for us.
There is no need to be afraid.
He is good and merciful.
He desires our salvation.
This is a wonderfully consoling thought. God desires my salvation!
Let us surrender ourselves to Him, therefore, as if we had to die this very moment!

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 January – “Take courage, it is I” and Bl Titus Zeman

Posted on January 8, 2020January 8, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 8 January – Third day after Epiphany, Readings: 1 John 4:11-18, Psalm 72:1-2, 10-13, Mark 6:45-52 and the Memorial of Blessed Titus Zeman SDB (1915-1969) Priest and Martyr

“They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, be not afraid!” (Mark 6:50)

Prudentius (c 348 – c 413) (formally known as Aurelius Clemens Prudentius) comments on this verse from the Gospel proclaimed during today’s Mass:

Thus I by my loquacious tongue
From the heaven of silence am led
Into perils unknown and dark.

Not as Peter, disciple true,
Confident in his virtue and faith,
I am as one whose unnumbered sins
Have shipwrecked on the rolling seas.

How easily can I be shipwrecked,
One untaught in seafaring arts,
Unless you, almighty Christ,
Stretch forth Your hand with help divine.

(Against Symmachus, 2)

Aurelius Prudentius Clemens was a Roman Christian poet, born in the Roman province of Tarraconensis (now Northern Spain) in 348. He probably died in the Iberian Peninsula some time after 405, possibly around 413.
Prudentius practised law with some success and was twice provincial governor, perhaps in his native country. Towards the end of his life (possibly around 392) Prudentius retired from public life to become an ascetic, fasting until evening and abstaining entirely from animal food and writing poems, hymns and controversial works in defence of Christianity. Prudentius later collected the Christian poems written during this period and added a preface, which he himself dated 405.
The poetry of Prudentius is influenced by early Christian authors, such as Tertullian and St. Ambrose, as well as the Bible and the acts of the martyrs. His hymn Da, puer, plectrum (including “Corde natus ex parentis” – “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”) and the hymn for Epiphany O sola magnarum urbium (“Earth Has Many A Noble City”), both from the Cathemerinon, are still in use today.

“Even if I lose my life,
I do not consider it a waste,
knowing that at least one of those
whom I have saved,
has become a Priest
to take my place.”

Blessed Titus Zeman

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One Minute Reflection – 8 January – “Take courage, it is I, be not afraid!”

Posted on January 8, 2020January 7, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 8 January – Third day after Epiphany and the Memorial of Blessed Titus Zeman SDB (1915-1969) Priest and Martyr, Readings: 1 John 4:11-18, Psalm 72:1-2, 10-13, Mark 6:45-52

“Take courage, it is I, be not afraid!” … Mark 6:50 mark 6 50- it is I be not afraid 4 may 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “All ships have a compass which, when touched by the magnet, always turns towards the polar star. And even when the boat is making its way in a southward direction, yet the compass does not cease turning towards its north at all times.

In the same way, let the fine point of your spirit always turn towards God, its north. ( … ) You are about to take to the high seas of the world, do not on this account, alter dial or mast, sail or anchor or wind. Keep Jesus Christ as your dial, at all times, His Cross for mast on which to hoist your resolutions, as a sail. Let your anchor be, profound trust in Him and set out early. May the propitious wind of heavenly inspirations ever fill the sails of your vessel more and more and cause you, to speed forward, to the harbour of a holy eternity. ( … ) keep jesus christ as your dial at all times his cross for mast - st francis de sales 8 jan 2020.jpg

Should everything turn upside down, I do not say around us but within us, that is to say, should our soul be sad, happy, in sweetness, in bitterness, peaceful, troubled, in light, in darkness, in temptation, in rest, in enjoyment, in disgust, in dryness, in gentleness, should the sun burn it or the dew refresh it, ah!, this point of our heart, our spirit, our higher will, which is our compass, should, nevertheless, always and at all times turn unceasingly, tend perpetually towards the love of God.” … St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) – Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – God and Father, light of all mankind, make our hearts radiant with the splendour of that light which long ago You shed on our fathers in the faith and give Your people the joy of lasting peace.,, May the prayers of Your blessed saints and martyrs be a comfort on our journey. ,,Blessed Titus Zeman please pray for us all. Through Christ, our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. bl titus zeman pray for us 8 jan 2020.jpg

GOD is LOVE, HOLY WEEK, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The HOLY CROSS

Thought for the Day – 7 January – The Problem of Suffering

Posted on January 7, 2020January 6, 2022 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 7 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Second Day after Epiphany

The Problem of Suffering

“Christianity, alone, offers an adequate explanation of the mystery of suffering. Why is there such a thing as suffering?
The problem is a profound one and the explanations suggested by various schools of philosophy, fail to satisfy the human heart and leave the mind in doubt.
Christian doctrine tells us, that God is infinitely good but also infinitely just.
Being infinitely good, He created man without suffering.
He also gave man the wonderful gift of liberty, which man abused by committing sin.
Once the sin had been committed, God, in His infinite justice, demanded expiation.
Hence, suffering and death … “and through sin, death and thus death has passed unto all men because all have sinned” (Rom 5:12).
Together with death, came the never-ending series of misfortunes, of physical and moral sufferings, which beset humanity.

Suffering then, does not come directly from God. It is a consequence of and, a punishment for, sin.
But, there is also the aspect of expiation and redemption.
God, in His infinite justice, demands from man a penalty for his sin … but, He does not cease to be infinitely good. Hence, to the mystery of suffering, there is added, the mystery of Redemption. The Son of God Himself, is made man and takes upon Himself, all our sins. For the full expiation of our sins, He, the “Man of Sorrows,” offers to the Eternal Father, His own sufferings of infinite value.

It would not be right, however, if we were to remain inactive in this work of redemption. Like Jesus, we must bow our heads before our Cross and embrace it, with resignation and love. We must unite our sufferings with those of our Redeemer, for the expiation of our sins.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

HOLY WEEK, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for the NEW YEAR, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, St PAUL!, The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 7 January – St Raymond of Peñafort

Posted on January 7, 2020January 21, 2024 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 7 January – St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275) “Father of Canon Law”

“This is that enviable
and blessed Cross of Christ . . .
the Cross in which alone,
we must make our boast,
as Paul,
God’s chosen instrument,
has told us.”

this is that enviable and blessed cross of christ - st raymond of penafort 7 jan 2019

“May the God of love and peace,
set your hearts at rest
and speed you on your journey,
may He meanwhile,
shelter you from disturbance by others,
in the hidden recesses of His love,
until He brings you, at last,
into that place of complete plenitude,
where you will repose forever,
in the vision of peace,
in the security of trust
and in the restful enjoyment of His riches.”

St Raymond of Peñafort
(1175-1275)

CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SACRAMENTS, SAINT of the DAY, THE EPIPHANY of the LORD, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 January – ‘What is heaven’s most precious possession?’

Posted on January 7, 2020January 7, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 7 January – Second day after Epiphany, Readings: 1 John 4:7-10, Psalm 72:1-4, 7-8, Mark 6:34-44 and the Memorial of St Raymond of Peñafort OP (1175-1275)

And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people ... Mark 6:41

REFLECTION – “Christ gave us His flesh to eat in order to deepen our love for Him. When we approach Him, then, there should be burning within us, a fire of love and longing… The wise men paid homage to Christ’s body even when it was lying in a manger… They only saw Christ in a manger, they saw nothing of what you now see and yet they approached Him with profound awe and reverence.

You see Him, not in a manger but on an altar, not carried by a woman but offered by a priest and you see the Spirit bountifully poured out upon the offerings of bread and wine. Unlike the wise men, you do not merely see Christ’s body, you know His power as well and the whole divine plan for our salvation… Let us then awaken in ourselves a feeling of awe and let us show a far greater reverence than did those foreigners so that we do not approach this sacrament casually, without thinking of what we do…

This food strengthens us, it emboldens us to speak freely to our God, it is our hope, our salvation, our light and our life. mark 6 41 he looked up to heaven, blessed and broke - this food strengthens us - st john chrysostom 7 jan 2019.jpg

If we go to the next world fortified by this sacrifice, we shall enter its sacred portals with perfect confidence, as though protected all over, by armour of gold. But why do I speak of the next world? Because of this sacrament earth becomes heaven for you. Throw open the gates of heaven, look through and you will see the proof of what I say. What is heaven’s most precious possession? I will show you it here on earth. I do not show you angels or archangels, heaven or the heaven of heavens but I show you the very Lord of all these. Do you not see how you gaze, here on earth, upon what is most precious of all? You not only gaze on it but touch it as well. You not only touch it but eat it. So cleanse your soul from sin and prepare your mind to receive these mysteries.” … St John Chrysostom (345-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church

because of this sacrament earth becomes heaven fo ryou -st john chrysostom 7 jan 2020.jpg

PRAYER – Almighty God, our Father, when Your only-begotten Son revealed Himself in flesh and blood, we came to know Him as our fellow-man . Now He feeds us by His mysteries and cleanses us by His Blood to transform us inwardly, until we bear His likeness. As You inspired St Raymond of Peñafort with an immense compassion for sinners and captives, grant us, through his prayer, freedom from sin and the grace to do Your will. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever with You, amen. st raymond of penafort pray for us 7 jan 2020

MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, THE EPIPHANY of the LORD, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Thought for the Day – 6 January – Giving Ourselves, Our Prayer, Our Mortification

Posted on January 6, 2020January 6, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 6 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – First Day after Epiphany

Giving Ourselves, Our Prayer, Our Mortification

The Magi gave Jesus material gifts also, as symbols of their complete dedication to Him.
They gave Him gold, because He was a king,
incense, because He was God
and myrrh, because He was man.
We often say that we love God and wish to serve and obey Him in all things.
But when we see that this entails sacrifice, we forget our promises!

We must ask ourselves if we are prepared to offer Jesus gold, that is, to offer Him everything we possess for the promotion of His glory, for the spread of His Kingdom and for the relief of His poor, in whom we ought, always, to see and love Christ Himself.
We must examine ourselves thoroughly on this.
It is easy to find excuses for not giving to God and to His poor in accordance with our means.

We should offer also, the incense of our adoration and unceasing prayer.
There can be no sanctity without prayer.
There can be no real Christians without sanctity.

Finally, we must offer the myrrh of our mortification.
Mortification, as St Vincent de Paul has said, is the ABC of Christian perfection.
St Paul exhorts us, to carry always in ourselves the mortification of Jesus.
If we are not mortified, we can never be holy and can never share the joy which the Magi experienced as they lay prostrate before the cradle of our Divine Redeemer.

Definition of Mortification:
Mortification is the feeling of being completely humiliated.
The word mortification has its roots in the Latin word for “death,” mors.

The original meaning of mortification is religious, in Christianity the meaning is “putting your sin to death”.
In Christian practice, this has varied from denying oneself pleasurable things, like certain foods, to inflicting physical pain on oneself.
The religious reason for this kind of mortification is to cause the “death” of sins — or desires — of the body.

GOD the FATHER, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, St JOSEPH

Quote/s of the Day – 6 January – St André Bessette

Posted on January 6, 2020January 6, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 6 January – First Day after Epiphany and the Memorial of St André Bessette (1845-1937)

“When you invoke St Joseph,
you don’t have to say much.
Say, “if you were in my place,
St Joseph, what would you do?
Well, pray for this on my behalf.”

“When you say to God, ‘our Father’,
He has His ear right next to your lips.”

“It is with the smallest brushes
that the Artist paints
the best paintings.”

St André Bessette (1845-1937)

CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE

Thought for the Day – 5 January – Epiphany of the Lord – It was Love

Posted on January 5, 2020January 4, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 5 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

The Epiphany

“Let us consider the faith of the Magi, a faith which was willing, lively and active.
They saw in the sky, the star which heralded the Infant Jesus and experienced the divine inspiration in their hearts.
Immediately, they went in search of Him.
They were not even deterred by the long and hazardous journey, which lay before them.

When they arrived at Jerusalem, they found Herod, who did not know what they were talking about. The star disappeared and the priests replied coldly to the questions they asked.
But all the time, their trust in the divine call continued to grow.
Eventually, they reached a poor barn, where they found, not an earthly King but a little child, who was crying on the straw bed of a manger.
As a reward for their trouble and perseverance, a voice in their hearts told them, that this was Jesus, the King of Kings and Saviour of the world.

Unfortunately, when we hear the divine call, no matter how clear and simple it is, we find a thousand excuses for delaying and perhaps for not responding to it at all.

Let us humbly promise to be more generous in listening for it and more energetic in complying with it, regardless of the cost!

It was love which inspired the Magi.
Love sustained them on their journey and made them fall prostrate in adoration before the Infant Jesus.
Even before they offered Him material gifts, they offered Him, their hearts!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The INCARNATION

Sunday Reflection – 5 January – ‘Today He is born in mystery.’

Posted on January 5, 2020January 4, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Sunday Reflection – 5 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

“At Christmas He was born a man, today He is reborn sacramentally.

Then He was born from the Virgin, today He is born in mystery.

When He was born a man, His mother Mary held Him close to her heart, when He is born in mystery, God the Father embraces Him with His voice when He says: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, listen to Him.

The mother caresses the tender baby on her lap, the Father serves His Son by His loving testimony.

The mother holds the child for the Magi to adore, the Father reveals that His Son is to be worshipped by all the nations.”

St Maximus Of Turin (380 to 465)
Bishop of Turin, Theologian

at christmas he was born a man today he is bor sacramentally st maximus of turin 5 jan 2019.jpg

CHRIST the KING, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 January – Give me, therefore, I pray Thee, this gold, this incense and this myrrh.

Posted on January 5, 2020January 4, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 5 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13, Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6, Matthew 2:1-12

“… They fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” … Matthew 2:11 matthew 2 11 they fell down and worshipped him then opening their treasures 5 jan 2020.jpg

REFLECTION – “But if with careful thought we wish to see how their threefold kind of gift is also offered by all who come to Christ with the foot of faith, is not the same offering repeated in the hearts of true believers? For he that acknowledges Christ the King of the universe brings gold from the treasure of his heart, he that believes the Only-begotten of God to have united man’s true nature to Himself, offers myrrh and he that confesses Him in no wise inferior to the Father’s majesty, worships Him in a manner with incense.” … St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father and Doctor of the Church but if with careful thought we wish to see - st pope leo the great 5 jan 2019.jpg

PRAYER – “Give me, therefore, I pray Thee, this gold, this incense and this myrrh. Give me the gold of Thy holy love, give me the spirit of holy prayer, give me the desire and strength to mortify myself in everything that displeases Thee. I am resolved to obey Thee and to love Thee but Thou knowest my weakness, oh, give me the grace to be faithful to Thee!” … St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church give me therefore i pray thee this gold, this franckinsense - st alphonsus liguori 5 jan 2020.jpg

MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on SIN

Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Sin

Posted on January 4, 2020January 4, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 4 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Sin

In that we prefer our own wayward whims to the law of God, sin is an abuse of liberty.
It is a revolt against right reason, the dictates of which, we refuse to obey.
It is an offence against our Creator and Redeemer, whose commandments we despise and whose redeeming grace, we reject by our actions.
It is moreover, an act of supreme folly, for it extinguishes, not only the supernatural splendour of grace but, also, the natural light of reason.
Through sin, man is brutalised and experiences in himself, as his first punishment, the confusion of his whole being.

In practice, the sinner denies God, Who has created and redeemed him.
He upsets the natural order of things and is violently separated from the source of all truth, beauty and goodness. As a result, he experiences, in himself, the hell which he has constructed with his own hands – a hell of emptiness, disgust and remorse.
Unless the helping hand of God reaches out to rescue him from the abyss, all this is simply a bitter foretaste of eternal despair.
God, as St Augustine has written, has ordained from all eternity, that every dissolute soul will be it’s own punishment.
For the sinner, hell begins on this earth! There can be no peace for the wicked.

When we realise, the gravity, stupidity and dire consequences of sin, it seems impossible, that a rational being, enlightened and enriched by divine grace, should continue to sin.
Nevertheless, sad experience teaches us that the lives of individuals, families and human society in general, are often distorted by this evil, which is the root of all other evils.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

MYSTICS, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 4 January – Pope Benedict and St Angela of Foligno

Posted on January 4, 2020January 4, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 4 January – Saturday of Christmas – the Memorial of Saint Angela of Foligno (1248-1309)

“Dear brothers and sisters, Blessed Angela’s life began with a worldly existence, rather remote from God. Yet her meeting with the figure of St Francis and, finally, her meeting with Christ Crucified, reawakened her soul to the presence of God, for the reason that with God alone life becomes true life, because, in sorrow for sin, it becomes love and joy. And this is how Blessed Angela speaks to us.

Today we all risk living as though God did not exist, God seems so distant from daily life. However, God has thousands of ways of His own for each one, to make Himself present in the soul, to show that He exists and knows and loves me. And Blessed Angela wishes to make us attentive to these signs with which the Lord touches our soul, attentive to God’s presence, so as to learn the way with God and towards God, in communion with Christ Crucified.

Let us pray the Lord that He make us attentive to the signs of His presence and that He teach us truly to live.”

Pope Benedict XVI
A talk on Angela of Foligno – October, 2010

“O children of God,
transform yourselves totally
in the human-God who so loved you
that He chose to die for you,
a most ignominious and altogether
unutterably painful death
and in the most painful and bitterest way.
And this was solely for love of you,
O human being.”

	Santas e Santos do d… on Nuestra Señora de la Palabra /…
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Speaking of: The devil

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

St John Paul II

Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko (1947-1984) Martyr

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HELL 1

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

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St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church

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The Death of the Just

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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

St John Damascene (675-749) Father & Doctor of the Church

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St John Chrysostom (347 to 407) Father & Doctor

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The Death of the Sinner

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John 3:30

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

Pope Francis

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The Apostolate of Suffering

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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St Léonie Françoise De Sales Aviat

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Good wishes and resolutions?

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Luke 4:18

Blessed Alix le Clerc/Teresa of Jesus (1576-1622)

Pope Francis

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Death

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Blessed Titus Zeman

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The Problem of Suffering

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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St Raymond of Peñafort(1175-1275)

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Giving Ourselves, Our Prayer, Our Mortification

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St André Bessette (1845-1937)

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The Epiphany

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Sin

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Pope Benedict XVI A talk on Angela of Foligno – October, 2010

Saint Angela of Foligno (1248-1309)

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St Hilary of Poitiers
(315-368)
Father & Doctor of the Church

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

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father & Doctor of the Church

St John Chrysostom (347 to 407)
Father & Doctor

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

St Raymond of Peñafort
(1175-1275)

Pope Benedict XVI
A talk on Angela of Foligno – October, 2010