Category: CATHOLIC Quotes

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 May – “What dost thou have that thou hast not received?”

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 May – Sirach 44:16-17.22-23:45,3.7.15 – Matthew 25,14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And he who had received the five talents
went and traded with them,
and gained five more.

Matthew 25:16

“ Well done, good and faithful servant
… Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Matthew 25:23

“The parable of the talents is about
all those who, instead of providing assistance
to their brethren with their goods,
their advice or, in some other way,
live only for themselves …
Jesus wants to show us, our Lord’s long patience
in this parable but, He also alludes, it seems to me,
to the final resurrection …
In the first place, the servants who give
an account of their dealings unequivocally acknowledge that which comes from their Master’s gift
and, that which is the fruit of their stewardship.
Someone who, for the sake of the other,
has received the grace of word and teaching
but does not put it to use, will have this grace taken away. But someone, who uses wisely and zealously,
the grace received, will receive
an even more abundant grace!”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“What dost thou have that thou hast not received?”

St Paul – 1 Corinthians 4:7

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One Minute Reflection – 16 May – ‘ … I shall profit by this talent which Thou hast lent to me until Thy return … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 16 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Ubaldus Baldassini (c1085-1160) Bishop and Confessor –Sirach 44:16-17.22-23:45,3.7.15 – Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Well done, good and faithful servant … Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”- Matthew 25:21

REFLECTION – “The Word of the Father, Only-begotten Son of God, Sun of Justice (Mal 3:20), is the great Merchant Who has brought us the price of our redemption. It is a truly precious exchange which we can never value sufficiently, when a King, Son of the King Most High, has become the Coin, the Gold has paid our dues, the Just Man is given for the sinner. Truly unmerited mercy, perfectly disinterested love, astonishing goodness … it is a completely disproportionate purchase, in which the Son of God is delivered up for the servant, the Creator is put to death for the one He has created, the Lord is condemned for His slave.

O Christ, these are Thine Works, Thou Who descended from Heaven’s brightness into our hellish darkness, to bring Light to our gloomy prison. Thou came down from the Right Hand of the Divine Majesty, into our human misery, to redeem the human race, Thou Who descended from the Father’s glory, to death on the Cross, to triumph over death and its author. Thou art the only One and there is no other but Thee, Who could have been drawn to redeem us through Thine Own Goodness…

Let all the merchants of Teman (Bar 3:23) withdraw from this place … it is not they but Israel [Thy] beloved whom [Thou hast] chosen, Thou Who hide these mysteries from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to those babes and humble servants of Thine (Lk 10:21) … O Lord, I willingly embrace this purchase since it concerns me!… I remember all the things Thou hast done, Thou Who desire that I should keep them alive … Therefore, I shall profit by this talent which Thou hast lent to me until Thy return and will stand before Thee with great joy. O God, grant that I may then hear these sweet words: “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Mt 25:21).” – St Bernard O.Cist. (1091-1153) Cistercian Monk, known as the Last Father and the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church (Selected sermons, no 42: The Five Purchases).

PRAYER – Mercifully give us Thine help, we beseech Thee, O Lord and by the intercession of blessed Ubaldus, ThyConfessor, stretch over us the Right Hand of Thy mercy against all wickedness of the devil. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION

Our Morning Offering – 16 May – O Purest of Creatures by Fr Faber

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Our Morning Offering – 16 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

O Purest of Creatures,
Sweet Mother, Sweet Maid
By Fr Frederick W Faber C.Orat. (1814-1863)

O Purest of creatures, sweet Mother, sweet maid,
The one spotless womb wherein Jesus was laid!
Dark night hath come down on us, Mother! and we
Look out for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

Deep night hath come down on this rough-spoken world,
And the banners of darkness are boldly unfurled;
And the tempest-tossed Church,—
all her eyes are on thee;
They look to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

He gazed on thy soul, it was spotless and fair,
For the empire of sin—it had never been there;
None ever had owned thee, dear Mother but He.
And He blest thy clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

Earth gave Him one lodging; t’was deep in thy breast,
And God found a home where the sinner finds rest;
His home and His hiding-place, both were in thee,
He was won by thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 15 May – St John Baptiste de la Salle

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 May – St John Baptiste de la Salle (1651-1719) “The Father of Modern Education,” Confessor, Priest, Founder

“Walk along God’s path.”

“Show the great love
you have for Jesus,
by being eager
to talk with Him in prayer.”

Prayer for the Intercession
of St John Baptist de La Salle

O Glorious Saint Jean Baptiste de la Salle,
Apostle of Children and Youth,
be thou, from the heights of Heaven,
our guide and our patron.
Offer thy prayers fo us and help us,
that we may be kept free
from every stain of error and corruption
and remain ever faithful to Jesus Christ
and to His Church.
Grant that we, practising the virtues
of which thou has been
so wondrous an example,
may be made partakers
of the glory in Heaven, our true country.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CHILDREN, The DIVINE INFANT, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 May –  “And whoever receives one such little child for My sake, receives Me.” – Matthew 18:5

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One Minute Reflection – 15 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St John Baptiste de la Salle (1651-1719) “The Father of Modern Education,” Confessor, Priest, Founder – Sirach 31:8-11 – Matthew 18:1-5 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And whoever receives one such little child for My Sake, receives Me.” – Matthew 18:5

REFLECTION – “Could God not have made the human person perfect right from the beginning? For God, Who has always been identical with Himself and Who is not created, everything is possible. But because the existence of the created beings began after God’s, they are necessarily inferior to God, Who made them … Thus, since they are created, they are not perfect. When they have just been born, they are small children and as small children, they are neither accustomed to, nor have they had practice in, perfect conduct … Thus, God could give perfection to the human person right from the beginning but, the human person was incapable of receiving this perfection, for he was only a small child.

And that is why, in the last times, when our Lord gathered up all things in Himself (Eph 1:10), He came to us, not in His power but, in such a way, we were able to see Him. For He could have come to us in His inexpressible glory but, we were not yet able to bear the greatness of His glory. … Although, the Word of God was perfect, with humankind He became a small Child, not for Himself but because of the state of childhood, in which was humankind.” – St Irenaeus (c130-202) Bishop of Lyons, Martyr, Father of the Church (Against the Heresies IV 38, 1-2).

PRAYER – God, Who raised up the holy Confessor John Baptiste for the Christian education of the poor and to strengthen youth in the way of truth and through him, formed a new family in the Church, graciously grant, by his intercession and example, that we, striving to save souls out of zeal for Your glory, may be found worthy to share his heavenly crown. T hrough Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on TIME, St Francis de Sales, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 14 May – The Eminent Dignity of the Mother of God

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Thought for the Day – 14 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

SERMON
The Eminent Dignity of the Mother of God

I. The dignity of a person or of a being, is measured by its
function.
There is not on earth, nor even in Heaven, a function equal to that of the Divine Maternity of Mary.
Mary is truly Theotokos, Mother of God and, at the same time, Mother of the Saviour because, in Jesus, the Divinity and the Humanity are substantially united.
There is, therefore, no dignity superior to the dignity of Mary.

II. This eminent maternal dignity confers, on Mary, divine
prerogatives, at the same time, it infuses into her, human
tenderness superior to the most exquisite tenderness of mothers on earth.
Even from the viewpoint of the physical function, of the beauty of the woman and of the mother, Mary is, above all those who have been outstanding in the world by their charms and attractions.
St Dennis, the Areopagite, a refined Athenian and disciple of St Paul, having gone to Jerusalem and having seen Mary, found her so beautiful, he wished to prostrate himself before her, as before a goddess.
Thus should we do in spirit!

III. It is what the disciple promises enthusiastically in the prayer addressed to Mary.

MEDITATION
The Use of Time

Between the past which escapes us and the future which does not belong to us, there is the present which alone we possess.
This is the time of action and of duty.
To employ the present well, is to enrich your life; to waste it, is to die with it.
The first rule to use time well, is to use it and not to lose it!
Next, to use it in time and not to act at random.
Finally, to use it profitably and not without goal and rule; put off nothing, delay nothing until later!
This is the secret, par excellence, of success.
Mary, here again, can serve us as model.
She was undoubtedly, the valiant and diligent woman of whom the Gospel speaks.
She fulfilled, with perfection, the motto of the noble Romans.
Mary, indeed, was at once Israelite by birth and Roman by adoption.
She is the perfect type of woman in the double sense of: fernina et mulier.
Let us reproduce this model and this type.

Practice:
St Francis de Sales purchased by an alms, each hour
which he thought to have lost or misused – imitate
him!

Thought:
The thought of Mary is a consolation and a protection: “Solamen et dictarnen – Comfort and diration.”

Fr & Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris (1947)
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 May – St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 May – The Octave Day of the Patronage of St Joseph

“Saint Joseph was the just man:
by his constant fidelity -an effect of justice;
by his perfect discretion – a sister to prudence;
by his upright conduct – a mark of strength
and by his inviolable chastity – a flower of temperance.”

St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

“To all fathers of families,
Joseph is verily the best model
of paternal vigilance and care.
In the most holy Virgin Mother of God,
mothers may find an excellent example of love,
modesty, resignation of spirit
and the perfecting of faith.
And in Jesus, Who was subject to His parents,
the children of the family, have a Divine Pattern
of obedience which they can admire,
reverence and imitate.”

Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

Apostolic Letter,
“Breve Neminem Fugit” 1892

“As the Church of Christ is prefigured
in the rites and ceremonies of the Old Law,
so too, the chief personages who centre
around Our Lord in the Redemption of the world,
are foreshadowed in the Old Testament .
We trace the outlines of Our Lady’s graces
in Esther, Jahel, Bethsabee, Judith.
So too, St Joseph’s place in the new dispensation,
is anticipated in the place of the Patriarch Joseph
at the Court of Pharaoh.
Thus it is that, God, in His Love for His chosen ones, paves the way for them centuries before.
From the beginning, He has prepared their work
and the throne they are to earn in Heaven
by their labours and sufferings for Him.”

Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HOSPITALITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on WISDOM, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 May –  ‘ … There is no doubt at all, that Saint Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon …’

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One Minute Reflection – 14 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” –The Octave Day of St Joseph – Feast of St Boniface (Died c307), Martyr – Genesis 49:22-26 – Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “How faithful in humility was the great Saint we are celebrating! That cannot be said in all its perfection for, in spite of what he was, in what poverty and lowliness he lived all the days of his life, a poverty and lowliness beneath which he kept hidden and concealed his great virtues and dignity!… Truly, I have no doubt at all, that the angels came, beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank, to behold and wonder at his humility, while he sheltered that dearest Child, in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment, so as to feed the little Boy and the mother entrusted to him.

There is no doubt at all, that Saint Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon, [who were his ancestors]. Nevertheless, seeing him reduced to the exercise of carpentry, who could have discerned this, unless they were enlightened by a heavenly light, so hidden did he keep the remarkable gifts, with which God had favoured him?

And what wisdom did he not have? For God gave him, His most glorious Son to care for… the universal Prince of heaven and earth… Nevertheless, you can see how low and humbled he was brought, more than can be said or imagined… he went to his own country and town of Bethlehem and none but he, was turned away from all those inns…

Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands. He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes, he orders him to return and he returns. God wants him to be always poor… and he submits to it with love and not only for a while, for he was poor his whole life long.”- St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church – Conferences, no. 19) .

PRAYER – God, Who in Thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose thy blessed servant Joseph, to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant now that he is in Heaven with Thee, we who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be aided by the succour of his prayers, to Thee on our behalf. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 May – St Robert Bellarmine

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 May – St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church

“It is granted to few,
to recognise the true Church,
amidst the darkness,
of so many schisms and heresies
and, to fewer still,
so to love the Truth
which they have seen,
as to fly to it’s embrace!”

“A Pope who is a manifest heretic
automatically (per se),
ceases to be Pope and Head,
just as he ceases, automatically,
to be a Catholic and a Member of the Church.
Wherefore, he can be judged
and punished by the Church.
This is too, the teaching of all the ancient Fathers.”

“Charity is that, with which no man is lost
and without which, no man is saved.”

“Freedom of belief is pernicious,
it is nothing but the freedom
to be mistaken.”

“It seems unbelievable
that a man should perish
in whose favour Christ said to His Mother:
‘Behold thy son’,
provided that he has not turned a deaf ear
to the words, which Christ addressed to him:
‘Behold thy Mother!’”

“When we appeal to the throne of grace,
we do so through Mary,
honouring God by honouring His Mother,
imitating Him, by exalting her,
touching the most responsive chord
in the Sacred Heart of Christ,
with the sweet name of Mary!”

Custodes Hominum Psallimus Angelos
Praise We the Guardian Angels of Men
By St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621)
Archbishop of Capua, Theologian
Doctor of the Church

Angel-guardians of men,
spirits and powers we sing,
Whom our Father hath sent,
aids to our weakly frame,
Heavenly friends and guides,
help from on high to bring,
Lest we fail through the foeman’s wile.

He, the spoiler of souls,
Angel-traitor of old,
Cast in merited wrath
out of his honoured place,
Burns with envy and hate,
seeking their souls to gain
Whom God’s mercy invites to Heaven.

Therefore, come to our help,
watchful ward of our lives:
Turn aside from the land,
God to thy care confides
Sickness and woe of soul,
yea and what else of ill
Peace of heart to its folk denies.

Now to the Holy Three
praise evermore resound:
Under Whose Hand Divine
resteth the triple world
Governed in wondrous wise,
glory be Theirs and Might
While the ages unending run.
Amen

This Hymn by St Robert Bellarmine,was added to the Roman Breviary in 1608, by command of Pope Paul V. It is for Vespers in the Office for “the Holy Guardian Angels. Double of the second class,” 2 October..

St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)
Doctor of the Church

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One Minute Reflection – 13 May – The Lamp and the Lampstand

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One Minute Reflection – 13 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church – Wisdom 7:7-14 – Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But he who shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” – Matthew 5:19

REFLECTION – “The Lamp on the lampstand is our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Father’s true Light “Who enlightens everyone coming into the world” (Jn 1:9) in other words, the Father’s Wisdom and Word. Having accepted our flesh, He truly became and was called, the “Light of the world.” By our faith and devotion, He is honoured and exalted in the Church. In this way, He is made visible to all nations and shines out for “all the people in the house,” namely the whole world, as He said: “They do not light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand where it gives light to all in the house” (Mt 5:15).

As we have seen, Christ calls Himself a Lamp. God by nature, He became flesh according to the plan of salvation – a Light held within the flesh, as if in a vase… This is what David was thinking when he said: “Your Word is a Lamp to my feet and a Light for my path” (Ps 118:105). Since He causes the darkness of ignorance and the evil of men to vanish, my Saviour and my God, is called a Lamp in Scripture. And since He is the only one able to obliterate the darkness of ignorance and disperse the shadows of sin, He has become the way of salvation for all. He leads towards the Father, all those who, through understanding and virtue, walk with Him along the path of the commandments, as on a road of righteousness.

The Lampstand is Holy Church because the Word of God shines out through her preaching. This is how the beams of its Truth, can enlighten the whole world… On one condition, however, as long as it is not hidden under the letter of the Law. Anyone who clings to Scripture according to the letter only, is living according to the flesh; he is placing the Lamp under a bushel basket. But when, to the contrary, the Church is set on the lampstand, it enlightens everyone.” – St Maximus the Confessor (580-662) Abbot and Theologian, Father (Question 63 to Thalassius)

PRAYER – O God, Who endowed blessed Robert, Your Bishop and Doctor, with wondrous learning and virtue to repel the deceits of error and to defend the rights of the Apostolic See, grant, by his merits and intercession, that we may ever grow in love of truth and that the hearts of the erring may return to the unity of Your Church. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 12 May – The Active Life

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Thought for the Day – 12 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

SERMON
The Virtues a Good Servant of Mary
Ought to Practice
and the Offices He Ought to Fulfil

I. The Latins have two words to designate the good actions
to be accomplished in life. The word “virtus” in order to designate an action made with effort and goodwill and, the word “officium” in order to characterise an action accomplished as a duty but, without attachment of the heart.
That which is required here of a good servant of Mary, are virtues, which is to say, meritorious acts, élan of the heart and not only works which, domestics themselves can fulfil. There are firstly, the interior virtues – humility, patience and purity.

II. Afterwards there are the exterior virtues or virtues of action – effort in work, elevation of the mind, union in mental prayer, zeal in vocal prayer.

III. These united virtues ought to animate all practices of
devotion, if we wish these practices become spiritual acts of meritorious virtue and not only material offices of remunerated work.
Thus Mary acted; thus we ourselves should act.

IV. The servant, therefore, asks of Mary, who is a mother and a model, to aid him in this work and to console him amid the difficulties of the work.

MEDITATION
The Active Life

Life is like fire – it only preserves itself, while communicating itself.
The ancients used to represent it by a flame and that is, indeed, the truth.
To live it is necessary to act. The active life supposes –will and effort.
Mary has known and practiced this life, as all the Saints have practiced it.
Life which passes selfishly by, disillusions and engenders boredom; “taedium vitae.”
Unfortunate is the soul who permits himself to live, without rising! He will have lived most, who will have acted most, through his heart, through his soul and through his body, through love, through the mind and through works.
Is there a more beautiful model than Mary, in the Temple, at Nazareth, on Calvary, with St. John?
Such a one has lived long, who has lived little, said a wise man. Let us live like Mary and with Mary.

Practice: Do not allow a single day to pass without having
made an effort in at least one small thing.

Thought: A lukewarm life is a dull one; live as Mary did.
“Look at Mary, contemplate and marvel!
Aspice Mariam, contemplare et mirare!”

Fr and Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris (1947)
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WATCHING, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Quote/s of the Day – 12 May – Chosen to believe!

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 May – Wisdom 5:1-5; John 4:46-53.

“And himself believed
and his whole house.”

John 4:53

“You did not choose Me
but I chose you…”

John 15:16

“That is amazing grace!
For what were we before Christ had chosen us
besides being wicked and lost?
What then has He chosen in those who are not good?
You cannot say, I am chosen because I believed.
For if you believed in Him,
you had already chosen Him.
Nor can you say, before I believed I did good works
and, therefore, was chosen.
For what good work is there
before faith when the Apostle says,
“Whatever is not of faith is sin?”
What is there for us to say, then
but that we were wicked and were chosen,
that by the grace of having been chosen,
we might become good?”

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

“So that our minds might be free of these illusions,
the Word invites us to shake this deep sleep
from the eyes of our soul, so that we might not slip away
from the true realities, by becoming attached
to that which has no consistency.
That is why He suggests that we
be watchful when He says:
“Let your loins be girt about
and your lamps burning …” (Lk 12:35)
For when the light shines before our eyes,
it chases sleep away and, when
our loins are held tight by a belt,
they prevent the body from succumbing to it…
The person who has fastened on
the belt of temperance
lives in the light of a pure conscience;
the trust of a child illuminates his life like a lamp…
If we live in this way, we will enter
a life like that of the Angels!”

St Gregory of Nyssa (c335–c395)
Father of the Church
(Brother of St Basil the Great)

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One Minute Reflection – 12 May – Faith is required of you and sincerity of life – not high intelligence, nor penetrating knowledge of the Mysteries of God.

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One Minute Reflection – 12 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Nereus & Companions, Martyrs – Wisdom 5:1-5 – John 4:46-53 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Unless you see signs and wonders, you believe not.” – John 4:48

REFLECTION – “Whoever examines the majesty of God will be crushed by His glory” (Prv 25:27). God can do works which surpass man’s understanding… Faith is required of you and sincerity of life – not high intelligence, nor penetrating knowledge of the mysteries of God. If you do not understand, nor grasp what is below you, how will you comprehend what is above you? Be subject to God, submit yourself to the faith and the light of knowledge will be given to you, as much as you need and can use.

Some have grave temptations concerning faith and sacraments, which are not to be imputed to them but rather, to the enemy. Take no notice, do not argue with your thoughts, nor answer the doubts with which the devil attacks you; believe God’s word, believe His saints and prophets and the wicked enemy will be routed. It is often most profitable to God’s servant, to endure such things. For the devil does not tempt the infidel or sinner, of whom he has already secure possession but, he uses various means, to tempt and harass the devout faithful.

Go on then with simple unquestioning faith and approach the Sacrament with reverent beseeching. Anything you cannot understand, commit it surely to God, Who is omnipotent. God does not deceive you – the over-confident person deceives himself. God walks in step with the simple ones, He shows Himself to the humble ones, He grants understanding to the little ones; “He reveals hidden meanings to little ones” and hides away His grace from the inquisitive and the proud. Human reason is feeble and fallible but true faith cannot be deceived. All use of reason, all human inquiry should walk in the footsteps of faith; it should not go on in front of it, nor call it in question.” – Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471) (The Imitation of Christ IV, 18).

PRAYER – May the holy feast of Your Martyrs, Nereus, Achilles, Domitilla and Pancras, ever comfort us, we beseech You, O Lord and make us worthy to serve You.
And grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants, that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on MEEKNESS, QUOTES on MERCY, The IMITATION of MARY

Thought for the Day – 11 May – VIRTUES and TASKS of a GOOD SERVANT of MARY

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Thought for the Day – 11 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

Chapter III
VIRTUES AND TASKS OF
A GOOD SERVANT OF MARY

i. Do you always wish to do what is pleasing to Mary?
Be humble, patient, chaste, reserved in everything, full of mildness, an interior man, filled with zeal, little versed in exterior matters, recollected.
Read often, write often but most often, pray.
The service of Mary should seem, neither long nor laborious but, on the contrary always delightful, always full of happiness, always eager.
To serve with your heart and mind, such a mistress, is always a work pious and useful for salvation.
The most lowly offerings are acceptable to her, as equivalent to the most solemn, when they are proffered with love, with spontaneity and with devotion.
She knows how little we are able to give and she requires not the impossible from her children.
A merciful sovereign and queen of mildness, she is, above all, a mother. As a mother, she knows only how to be compassionate to the little and the poor, she who has given to the world, Mercy in Jesus.

ii. Learn then to call upon Jesus in everything and you will be aided, both in perils of the soul and of the body.
Have Jesus always in your heart, in happiness, and you will never be overcome by human distress.
Say the Hail Mary often – you will find joy and peace in it – no prayer is more beautiful than the Our Father – none is sweeter and gentler, than the Hail Mary.
Pray as the Angel prayed before Mary – work as a faithful servant works and you shall have, your crown and mansion in Heaven.
He who knows how to nourish his soul with prayer, he who knows how to pray with the sacred texts, will never know aridity in devotion.
Strive thus constantly, to honour the Names of Jesus and Mary in your heart and with your lips.

III. Wherever you may go, or wherever you may be, implore Jesus and call upon Mary.
Have, as a rule of life and, as a help in time ot need, this pious invocation –
“Guide, O my Lord, always guide my way in Thy presence.”
He who bears Jesus and Mary in his heart, always works well, always conducts himself well.
Sing these two Names, sing them in your heart, sing them with your lips, sing them with your hands.
Let your looks seek them, let your eyes implore them, let your arms embrace them, let your knees adore them.

iv. Prayer: O Mary, O Mother Full of Mercy,

O Mary, O Mother full of mercy,
receive close to thee,
thy servant wandering without consolation,
in the midst of his trials.
Look, O my Queen, look at my affliction
and open to me, thine heart full of consolation.
Here I am, praying and saying in my distress
that I shall not cease, nor leave thee,
until thou hast had pity on me.
I know, O Mother,
thine incomparable sweetness,
I know the maternal flame of thy noble heart,
I know the fullness of love which fils it
and that I may have full hope in thee.
I take refuge with thee too, O my Mother,
so that in joy as in sorrow,
I may receive thy watchful succour
and listen to thy maternal consolation.

(Thomas à Kempis, The Valley of Lilies,ChapterXIII)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St PAUL!, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

Quote/s of the Day – 11 May – Abide Lord, our Joy and our Peace

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 May – Easter III

“So also, you now indeed have sorrow
but I will see you again
and your heart shall rejoice.
And your joy,
no man shall take from you.”

John 16:22

“It is He Who is our peace.”

St Paul
Ephesians 2:14

“What is that joy which no-one
can take from you, other than
your Lord Himself,
Whom no man can take from you?
… So examine your conscience, brethren –
if righteousness reigns there,
if you want, desire and wish the same thing
for everyone as for yourself,
if there is peace in you, not only with your friends
but equally with your enemies,
then know that the Kingdom of Heaven,
which is to say Christ the Lord,
abides in you.”

St Caesarius of Arles (470-543)
Bishop, Father of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FAITH, Quotes on SALVATION, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 May – ‘ … Is this not an entire world which is begun for your sake …’

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One Minute Reflection – 11 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Easter III – Within the OIctave of St Joseph – 1 Peter 2:11-19 – John 16:16-22 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“A little while and you shall not see Me and again, a little while and you shall see Me …” – John 16:17

REFLECTION – “Now the reign of life has come and the power of death overturned. Another birth has appeare, together with another life, another way of being, a transformation of our very nature. This birth is not the result of “the will of man, nor the desire of the flesh but of God” (Jn 1:13)…

“This is the day the Lord has made!” (Ps 117:24). It is a very different day from those in the beginning because, on this day, God creates a new heaven and a new earth, as the Prophet says (Is 65:17). Which heaven? The firmament of faith in Christ. Which earth? A true heart, as the Lord says, earth which is saturated with the rain which falls on it and brings forth an abundant harvest (Lk 8:15). In this creation the sun equals the pure life; the stars are the virtues; the air is transparent behaviour; the sea is the rich depths of wisdom and knowledge; the grass and herbage are God’s solid doctrine and teachings where the flock – that is, the people of God – finds pasture; the fruit-bearing trees are the practice of the commandments. On this day true man was created, made in the image and likeness of God (Gn 1,27).

Is this not an entire world which is begun for your sake in “the day the Lord has made” … The greatest privilege of this day of grace is that, it has destroyed the sufferings of death and given birth to the firstborn from the dead (Col 1:18)… He Who says: “I am going to your Father and to My Father, to My God and to your God” (Jn 20:17). O what excellent, what good news! He Who, for our sakes became like us, to make us His brothers, carries His Own humanity to the Father so as to bear all humankind along with Him!” – St Gregory of Nyssa (c335-c395) Bishop, Brother of St Basil the Great, Father & Doctor of the Church (First address on the Resurrection ).

PRAYER – God, Who in Thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant that now he is in Heaven with Thee, we who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be helped by the succour of his prayers to Thee on our behalf. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, ROSARY QUOTES, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE, The IMITATION of MARY

Thought for the Day – 10 May – The Titles and Functions of Mary

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Thought for the Day – 10 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

PART ONE
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
Chapter II
OUR DUTIES TO MARY

SERMON
The Titles and Functions of Mary

I. Our duties toward Mary flow from the titles and functions of Mary herself. Her titles are the most beautiful and the most sweet – firstly, that of mother which one lovingly says at any age;
next, the title of model which one considers with admiration and joy.

II. Her functions are, in relation to her titles – the names
given by God are, at once, an evocation and a creation of the qualities signified by the names and titles themselves. Thus Mary, in virtue of her titles, exercises her functions of mother
who consoles, supports and nourishes, of advocate who counsels, directs and defends and lastly, of model, who exalts and attracts.

III. In a prayer exultant with joy and full of love, the faithful beg Mary to teach them to pray, as the Angels pray.
Prayer, here on earth, cries, weeps or is silent; prayer, in Heaven, is a vision, a contemplation and an ecstasy.

MEDITATION
The Supernatural Life

To live is to rise, it is to rise above the earth – see the flowers which live and those which are dead. Man loves to live so fully that he wishes to live a double life – hence, arises love which is the most beautiful possession on the earth.
This earthly existence is not, however, all of life.
There is the life of the soul, without which love itself is nothing.
Love which seems not to be immortal, does not satisfy the heart. The life which does not die is the supernatural life, the life of grace.
Mary has been given to us for a model and for a mother in this new life added to the earthly life.
He, who has not known this desire to rise still higher, has not as yet lived.
Let us live then, not in order to die but in order to attain immortality.

Practice: Reciting the Rosary, or simply carrying it, is a practice which aids the soul to rise to heavenly thoughts.

Thought: To live with Mary is to live in the security and the happiness of Heaven.
“He walks well and securely, who carries Mary in his heart.
Bene et secure ambulat qui Mariam in corde portal.”

Fr and Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris (1947)
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HERESY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on the POPE

Quote/s of the Day – 10 May – St Antoninus

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 May – St Antoninus OP (1389-1459) Archbishop of Florence

“In the case, in which,
the Pope would become a heretic,
he would find himself,
by that fact, alone
and, without any other sentence,
separated from the Church.
A head separated from a body
cannot, as long as it remains separated,
be head of the same body
from which it was cut off.
A Pope, who would be
separated from the Church by heresy,
therefore, would,
by that very fact itself,
cease to be head of the Church.
He could not be a heretic
and remain Pope
because, since he is outside of the Church,
he cannot possess the keys of the Church.”

“Whoever imagines himself without defect
has an excess of pride.
God alone is perfect!”

“To ask favours without interposing Mary
is to attempt to fly without wings!”

“The prayers of Mary,
have the force of command with Jesus Christ.
Hence, it is impossible for the Son
not to grant a grace
for which the Mother asks.”

St Antoninus (1389-1459)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 May – ‘ … it is also the person who fails to do good! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 10 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Antoninus OP (1389-1459) – – Sirach 44:16-27; 45:3-20 – Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“To one He gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately …” – Matthew 25:15

REFLECTION – “One of the servants said: “Lord, Thou entrusted to me five talents” and another mentioned two. They acknowledge that they had received, from Him, the means to carry out their duties well; they give witness to their great gratitude and render their accounts to Him. What does the Master reply? “Well done, My good and faithful servant (for it is the property of kindness to notice one’s neighbour); you have been faithful in small matters, I will set you over great; enter into the joy of your Lord.” Thus Jesus refers to entire blessedness.

As for him who only received one talent, he went off and buried it. “This good for nothing servant, throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.” So you see, it is not just the thief, the miser, the wrongdoer, who will be punished at the end, it is also the person who fails to do good!… Indeed, what are those talents? They are the power each one holds, the authority one enjoys, the fortune one possesses, the teaching one is able to give and anything else of a similar kind. So let no-one come and say, I have nothing but one talent, I cannot do anything. For even with only one talent you can act in a praiseworthy manner!” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father & Doctor of the Church (Sermons on St Matthew’s Gospel No 78:2-3)

PRAYER – O Lord, may the merits of Antoninus, Your Confessor and Bishop, help us and just as we praise You for the wonders You have wrought in him, so may we glory in Your mercy toward us. T hrough Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD the FATHER, Hail MARY!, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on JOY, The ANNUNCIATION, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The IMITATION of CHRIST, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 9 May – OUR DUTIES TO MARY

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Thought for the Day – 9 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947
Translated from the French
Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)

PART ONE
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
Chapter II
OUR DUTIES TO MARY

i. Choose, O my son, Mary for mother, for advocate and for model, before all things.
Greet her everyday with the Angelic Salutation. This salutation pleases her above all others.
If sometimes, the devil tempts you and turns you from your duties as a devout servant of Mary, do not permit that to stop you from invoking her always.
Think always of Mary; repeat the name of Mary, over and over.
Honour Mary; glorify Mary in everything; prostrate yourself before Mary; give yourself again to Mary.
Live with Mary; meditate with Mary; rejoice with Mary; weep with Mary; work with Mary; watch with Mary; act with Mary; rest with Mary.
With Mary, bear Jesus in your arms; live at Nazareth with Mary.
Go to Jerusalem, go with Mary; search, as Mary did, for Jesus.
Remain near the Cross with Mary, weep for Jesus; weep for Him with Mary; with Mary bury Jesus in the tomb; rise with Jesus and with Mary.
Rise to Heaven with Jesus and with Mary! Live always with Mary in life and in death.

ii. If you know how to think and act in this way, you will advance rapidly in perfection.
Mary will protect you with all her power and, Jesus will hear you in His gentle mercy.
What we do is very little. It is nothing. Nevertheless, if we do it with Mary, we shall rise, little by little, to God our Father.
We shall always find, consolation and joy, near Him.
Happy is he, who knows how to keep Jesus and Mary near him always, as hosts of his table, consolers in his troubles, aid in his danger, counsel in his doubt, protectors at his death.
Happy is he who, considering himself as a wayfarer in this world and, as a stranger, keeps Jesus for a Companion and Mary for a hostess.

iii. Prayer:
Ave Maria, Full of Grace!

O Mother, I come to you filled with hope.
I come to you recalling the exultant joy
which the Archangel Gabriel once brought to you,
when, falling on his knees before you,
he saluted your virginity, saying respectfully:
Hail, Mary, the Lord is with thee!
This greeting I say to you again,
O Mother, with the heart,
and, if I could, with the voice of all the faithful,
so that thus all creatures may sing with me
from the depth of their souls and their being:
Ave Maria, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,
thou art blessed, O Mother, among all women
and Jesus the fruit of thy womb,
is blessed on earth and in Heaven,
today and always.

(By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Soliloquy of the Soul, Chapter XVIII)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the POOR, The DIVINE INFANT, The INCARNATION

Quote/s of the Day – 9 May – St Gregory Nazianzen

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 May – St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

“Let us become like Christ,
since Christ became like us.
He assumed the worse
that He might give us the better;
He became poor
that we, through His poverty,
might be rich.”

“The very Son of God,
Older than the ages,
the Invisible,
the Incomprehensible,
the Incorporeal,
the Beginning of beginning,
the Light of light,
the Fountain of Life and Immortality,
the Image of the Archetype,
the Immovable Seal,
the Perfect Likeness,
the Definition and Word of the Father:
He it is, Who comes to His Own Image
and takes our nature, for the Good of our nature
and unites Himself to an intelligent soul
for the good of the soul,
to purify like by Like.”

“Grace is given,
not to those who speak [their faith]
but to those, who live their faith!”

“Remember God more often
than you breathe.”

“Give something, however small,
to the one in need.
For it is not small to one, who has nothing.
Neither is it small to God,
if we have given what we could.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/05/09/quote-s-of-the-day-9-may-st-gregory-nazianzen/

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

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 May – ‘ … Love is the fulfilment of the Law …’

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One Minute Reflection – 9 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church – Sirach 39:6-14 – Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am not come to destroy but to fulfil.” – Matthew 5:17

REFLECTION – “Grace which was formerly veiled, so to speak, in the Old Testament, has been fully revealed in the Gospel of Christ by a harmonious disposition of the times, just as God usually disposes of everything with harmony … But within this wonderful harmony, we notice a great difference between the two ages. On Sinai, the people did not dare draw near the place where the Lord was giving His Law; in the Upper Room, the Holy Ghost comes down on all those assembled there, while waiting for the fulfilment of the promise (Ex 19:23; Acts 2:1). In the first instance, the Finger of God inscribed the laws on tablets of stone but now, it is in human hearts where He writes it (Ex 31:18; 2 Cor 3:3). Formerly the Law was written without and brought fear to sinners but now, it has been given to them within, to make them righteous …

Indeed, as the Apostle Paul says, everything written on the stone tablets, “you shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill. .. you shall not covet” and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this saying: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself. Love does no evil to the neighbour; hence, love is the fulfilment of the Law” (Rm 13:9f.; Lv 19:18) … This charity has been “poured into our hearts through the Holy Ghost Who is given to us” (Rm 5:5).” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (On the spirit and the letter, 28-30).

PRAYER – O God, Who gave to Your people, blessed Gregory, as a minister of salvation, grant, we beseech You, that we, who cherished him on earth as a teacher of life, may be found worthy to have him as an intercessor in Heaven. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on VICE, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The IMITATION of CHRIST, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 8 May – The Model and Imitation – The Work of Sanctification

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Thought for the Day – 8 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

PART ONE
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
Chapter I

SERMON
The Model and Imitation

I. To imitate is to reproduce a model – but, the model can be larger or smaller than the reproduction. Thus, it is in the imitation of Jesus, of Mary and of the Saints.
The models in this case are greater than nature.
We can, nevertheless, succeed in resembling them by reproducing their life.

II. Life is a complexity of virtues and of faults, of forces and of instincts. Nothing is evil by nature but, according as one rises or falls, one becomes good or bad. It can be said that a middle way does not exist. One must choose vice or virtue.
To practice virtue an effort must be made; such is the meaning of the Latin word – “virtus.”

III. The Christian soul, in the face of the Divine model, Mary, exalts itself to the practice of the virtues which it admires in her, who is, at the same time, a sublime model and an admirable mistress, an example and a mother.

MEDITATION
The Work of Sanctification

It is a science, to know how to regard a model; it is an art, to be able to reproduce it. This art and this work, contain the whole secret of the spiritual life.
Consideration is meditation or contemplation, the study of Divine harmonies. We emulate the Saints and, in order to do so, we must suffer. That is why, grief teaches, more than joy. He who has not suffered, what does he know?!
A heart which loves has already been half-opened by a sword!
Strike the heart, for in it is genius, said the poet and there too, is sanctity!

Practice: To wear a medal of Mary, as beautiful as possible, is an easy means of recalling that, to imitate her, one must make an effort.

Thought: To one who loves Mary, everything seems sweet and light.
“Bitter things become sweet, heavy things become light.
Amara dulcia fiunt, gravia levia veniunt.”

Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GUARDIAN ANGELS - Prayers etc, JESUIT SJ, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRIDE

Quote/s of the Day – 8 May – Angels, Archangels

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 May – The Apparition of St Michael the Archangel at Monte Gargano, Italy (492)

“It was pride which changed Angels into devils;
it is humility which makes men as Angels!”

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

“In every lodging, at every corner,
have reverence for thy Angel.
Do not dare to do, in his presence,
what you would not dare to do, if I were there.
Or do you doubt that he is present
whom you do not behold?
What if you should hear him?
What if you should touch him?
What if you should scent him?
Remember, that the presence of something
is not proved only by the sight of things.”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

O Victorious Prince,
Guardian of the Church of God
By St Aloysius de Gonzaga SJ (1568-1591)
Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

O Victorious Prince,
most humble guardian of the Church of God
and of faithful souls,
who, with such charity and zeal,
took part in so many conflicts
and gained such great victories over the enemy,
for the conservation and protection
of the honour and glory, we all owe to God,
and for the promotion of our salvation.
Come, we pray Thee, to our assistance,
for we are continually besieged
with such great perils by our enemies,
the flesh, the world and the devil
and as Thou wast a leader
for the people of God, through the desert,
so also, be our faithful leader
and companion through the desert of this world,
until Thou conduct us safely,
into the happy land of the living,
in that blessed fatherland from which
we are all exiles.
Amen.

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, GUARDIAN ANGELS - Prayers etc, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on MEEKNESS, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on WATCHING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 May – ‘ … To protect them from all evil, I have placed My Angels at their service. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 8 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Apparition of St Michael the Archangel at Monte Gargano, Italy (492) – Apocalypse 1:1-5 – Matthew 18:1-10 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Watch, that you despise not, one of these little ones, for I say to you, their Angels in Heaven, always see the Face of My Father, Who is in Heaven.” – Matthew 18:10

REFLECTION – “Watch that you do not despise one of these little ones for, I say to you, their Angels in Heaven, always see the Face of My Father, Who is in Heaven.” With these words, Christ is saying to us something like this: « “Be vigilant, take care that you do not despise people who are simple, poor or weak. As for Me, I esteem them greatly to the extent that, to protect them from all evil, I have placed My Angels at their service. And what Angels! Do not think they are to be compared to the scullery boys working in My kitchen. No. They are equal to the officers in My Own palace, for: ‘they constantly see the Face of My heavenly Father’”…

Now, these Angels see the Face of God for several reasons.
Firstly, Angels must offer and present our good works to God. To this we have a testimony in the words Raphael addressed to Tobias: “I have presented your prayer before the Lord” (Tb 12:12). In the Book of The Apocalypse, too, we read: “An Angel with a golden censer came and stood before the altar. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer with the prayers, of all the saints on the golden altar that is, before the throne of God,” (8:3). Let us note that this altar is the heart of whoever is truly faithful to God; before this altar, the Angels stand. Their censer represents the feelings of joy, with which they gather up our thoughts, prayers, words and actions, so as to offer them, all aflame with the fire of charity, on the golden altar which stands before the throne of God. And the offering rises up to the Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father. Therefore, it would be good for us always to have some good thing to place in the Angels’ censer.” – St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Dominican, Doctor of the Church (Sermon for the Feast of Saint Michael).

PRAYER – O God, Who has ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order, mercifully grant that as Thy holy angels always do Thee service in Heaven, so, by Thy appointment, they may succour and defend us on earth. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SIMPLICITY, QUOTES on WATCHING, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HEART, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis, To JESUS through MARY

Thought for the Day – 7 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Thought for the Day – 7 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

PART ONE
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
Chapter I
The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

i. Many young girls, says the Author of Wisdom, have amassed riches but thou, O Mary, thou surpass them all greatly.
Children, be faithful imitators of Jesus and perfect imitators of Mary.
It matters a great deal, it matters for your salvation, for the honour of Jesus and the glory of Mary, that you always be devout in your prayers, sober in your words, discreet in your looks.
In brief, be scrupulously disciplined in all your deeds.

ii. Do you wish to praise Mary worthily; do you wish to praise her in all magnificence?
Be simple, like the simple children of God, without deception, without envy, without criticism, without murmuring and without any suspicion.
Support all adverse things with charity, with great patience and great humility.
For Jesus, for Mary and, in order to imitate the Saints, watch here below, watch and be yourselves saints!
To one who knows how to offer his life to the Divine Trinity, all which is bitter here on earth appears sweet and all which seems heavy, appears very light.
Such is the fruit of the remembrance of Mary and Jesus.

iii. Prayer: When the Heart Says: Ave Maria!

O Mary, O sweet Mother of my Jesus,
I beg you, deign to open to thy poor servant,
both thy maternal compassion and thy love,
laden with sweetness.
Pour into my heart, one drop of thy tenderness
so that I may love thee with a pure heart,
thee, O Mother, the sweetest of all mothers,
so that I may imitate thee and Jesus.
Listen to me, Mother, listen to me, Mary,
kneeling I salute thee: Ave Maria!
The sky rejoices and the earth smiles
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
Satan flies afar and all hell shudders
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
The world seems small and the flesh trembles,
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
Sadness flees and happiness reigns,
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
Lukewarmness disappears and love reappears
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
Devotion grows and compunction is born,
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
Hope gushes forth and consolation increases,
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
The whole soul rekindles and love grows tender,
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
So rich and so great is the sweetness of this prayer
that it could not be expressed in words.
Thus, again I kneel before thee,
O Mary, O Virgin, O Mother
filled with goodness and I say to thee,
over and over, with reverence and devotion:
Hail, Mary, Hail!
Receive this pious salutation and with it receive me,
O Mother, within your bosom.

(Thomas à Kempis– Discourse XXV)

Posted in ABOUT - Meditations with Fr RICHARD F CLARKE SJ, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on DEATH, St JOSEPH, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Quote/s of the Day – 7 May – The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 May – The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph

“The Almighty has concentrated in St Joseph,
as in a sun of unrivalled lustre,
the combined light and splendour
of all the other Saints.”

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

“Since we all must die,
we should cherish a special devotion to St Joseph
that he may obtain for us a happy death.”

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

“ St Joseph is also the protector of all his clients.
In their temporal affairs how trusty a friend,
saving them in circumstances apparently hopeless!
In spiritual necessities how prompt to aid,
how unfailing in resource!
Oh, trust in St Joseph, wait patiently for him
and he will obtain for thee
the desires of thy heart.”

Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 May – ‘ … Every soul who is not united with Christ, as a branch to the stem of the vine, will fall off, wither and become fit only for the fire. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 7 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph – Genesis 49:22-26 – Wisdom 5:1-5 – John 15:1-7 – Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4

REFLECTION – “ [Jesus] is our only Master, Who must teach us; our only Lord, on Whom we must depend; our only Head, to Whom alone we should belong; our only Model, Whom we should imitate; our only Physician, Who must heal us; our only Shepherd, Who must feed us; our only Way, Who must lead us; our only Truth, Whom we must believe; our only Life, Who must be our life and our sole sufficiency in all things that in Him, we may have all in All. Except the Name of Jesus, there is no other name given under Heaven, whereby we might be saved and apart from Jesus Christ, God has given us no other foundation of our salvation, our perfection and our glory: “for other foundation no man can lay but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 3:11). Every house which is not built upon this firm Rock, is founded on the shifting sands and will inevitably fall, sooner or later. Every soul who is not united with Christ, as a branch to the stem of the vine, will fall off, wither and become fit only for the fire. If we are in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in us, we need not fear damnation; neither Angels in Heaven, nor men on earth, neither demons in hell, nor any other creature, can harm us because they cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (cf. Rm 8:38-39).” – St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716) Priest, Renowned Preacher, Founder of Religious Communities [Treatise on the true devotion to the Blessed Virgin (Article one; First Truth)]

PRAYER – God, Who in Thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose thy blessed servant Joseph, to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant now that he is in Heaven with Thee, we who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be aided by the succour of his prayers, to Thee on our behalf. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SELF-DISTRUST, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 6 May – ‘ … Thus they drink the Lord’s Cupby preserving the holy bond of love … ‘

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 May – The Feast of St John Before the Latin Gate – Wisdom 5:1-5, Matthew 20:20-23

“Can you Drink
the Chalice
which I Shall Drink?”

Matthew 20:22

“And you shall be hated by all men,
for My Name’s sake.
But, not a hair of your head shall perish.”

Luke 21:17-18

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

St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c462–533)
Bishop, Father

“What is not pleasing to God,
is anxiety and disquiet of mind.
The Lord wants our limitations
and weaknesses, to find their support
in His Strength; He wants us
to hope that His Goodness will complete
and perfect the imperfectness of our means.”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
Priest, Founder of the Society of Jesus

(Letter of 17 November 1555)

Posted in "Follow Me", 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, OUR Cross, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 May – Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink?

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One Minute Reflection – 6 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Tthe Feast of St John Before the Latin Gate – Wisdom 5:1-5 – Matthew 20:20-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“You know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink?” – Matthew 20:22

REFLECTION – “Through their mother’s mediation, the sons of Zebedee press Christ as follows in the presence of their fellow Apostles:  “Command that we may sit, one at your right side and one at your left” (cf. Mk 10:35f.)… Christ hastens to free them from their illusions, telling them they must be prepared to suffer insults, persecutions, even death. “You do not know what you are asking.  Are you able to drink the chalice that I shall drink?” 

Let no-one be surprised to see the Apostles displaying such imperfect dispositions.   Wait until the Mystery of the Cross has been fulfilled and the strength of the Holy Spirit given to them.   If you want to see the strength of their souls, take a look at them later and you will see them to be above all human weakness.   Christ does not conceal their pettiness, so that you will be able to see what they become later by the power of the grace which will transform them! …”… St John Chrysostom (c 345-407) Father & Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – O God, Who sees that sins and sufferings do, on every side rise up to trouble us, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may find a shield in times of need, through the glorious intercession of Thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist beloved Saint John. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).