Thought for the Day – 6 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Word of God
“It is especially important for us to acquire the dispositions necessary to enable us to listen attentively to the Word of God and to put it into practice in our lives. We are all acquainted with the parable of the sower. The seed, of course, represents the Word of God. Some of the seed fell by the wayside and was trampled into the earth or carried away by the birds. Some fell on rocky ground and because of the lack of moisture, it withered away. Some fell among thorns which choked it and prevented it from springing up. Finally, the rest of the seed fell on good ground and yielded fruit more or less abundantly (Mt 13:3-8).
How do we receive the Word of God? Perhaps we are constantly dissipated and distracted? In that case, the Divine seed will not bear fruit but, will be trampled down or wither away. It may be, however, that we hear the Word of God with pleasure and joy until our first enthusiasm is strangled by our fondness for money, ease and earthly pleasures which prevents us from laying up merit for everlasting life.
Let us remember that the Word of God is a very precious gift which ought not to be neglected or abused. Our eternal salvation depends on the manner in which we receive it!”
Quote/s of the Day – 6 December – Hebrews 13:7-17; 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. …”
Matthew 25:15
“And he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more.
Matthew 25:16
“God is Good but He is also Just… So do not underestimate God – His love for men should not become a pretext, for negligence on our part.”
St Basil the Great (329-379) Father and Doctor of the Church
“For the man who is kindly, modest, merciful and just, will not keep his good works to himself but will see to it that these admirable fountains, send out their streams, for the good of others. Again, the man who is clean of heart, a peacemaker and ardent for truth, will order his life, so as to contribute to the common good.”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Whatever He receives on earth, He returns in Heaven.”
St Caesarius of Arles (470-543)
“O God, grant that whatever good things I have, I may share generously with those who have not and whatever good things, I do not have, I may request humbly, from those who do.”
One Minute Reflection – 6 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The First Saturday of the Month – St Nicholas (270-343) Confessor, Bishop – Hebrews 13:7-17 – Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But he who had received the one talent, went away and dug in the earth and hid his Master’s money. ” – Matthew 25:18
REFLECTION – “You too, if you wish it, can deserve the exalted quality of the name of God’s Angel. Each one of you, insofar, as he can, insofar, as he receives an inspiration from on high, if he recalls his neighbour from his wickedness, takes care to encourage him to do good, proclaims the eternal Kingdom, or eternal punishment, to one astray – each one of you is truly an Angel of Jesus’ holy words. No-one should say, I am unable to give counsel, I am not qualified to encourage anyone. Do as much as you can, lest you be tormented for having badly kept, what you received! He who was given only one talent was more eager to hide it than to distribute it (Mt 25:14)…
Draw others, as far as you consider you have advanced; desire to have comrades on your way toward God. If any of you, my friends, is going to the market, or perhaps to the public baths, he will invite someone whom he sees to have nothing else to do, to come with him. That earthly kind of action is habitual among you. So, if you are going toward God, take care not to go to Him alone! The one who has already received, in his heart, a word of heavenly love, may also return to his neighbours an external word of encouragement.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on the Gospels No 5).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who made the holy Bishop Nicholas renowned for countless miracles, grant, we beseech Thee that by his merits and prayers, we may be saved from the fires of hell. 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).
Our Morning Offering – 6 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The First Saturday of December in honour of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Pope Paul IV was a friend of St Cajetan and also a member of his Order, the Theatines, named after Paul IV’s See as Bishop).
Prayer for Peace to the Immaculate Virgin By Pope Paul IV CR (1476-1559)
Look down with maternal clemency, most Blessed Virgin, upon all your children. Consider the anxiety of Bishops who fear that their flocks will be tormented by a terrible storm of evils. Heed the anguish of so many people, fathers and mothers of families who are uncertain about their future and beset by hardships and cares. Soothe the minds of those at war and inspire them with ‘thoughts of peace.’ Through your intercession, may God, the avenger of injuries, turn to mercy. May He give back to nations the tranquility they seek and bring them to a lasting age of genuine prosperity. Amen
Thought for the Day – 5 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Peace of Soul
“True peace consists in doing the will of God constantly and, with love. When God gives us consolation and joy, we thank Him for His Infinite Goodness towards us. When He sends us suffering and privation, we bless and thank Him nonetheless. Let us recall the example of Job. When he had lost his children, his health and all his possessions and, was derided by his wife and distrusted by his friends, he exclaimed in a spirit of resignation:“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21).
All this may seem too difficult to us but, it is only on these conditions that we can obtain interior peace. By surrendering our will entirely to God, in all the circumstances of our lives, we can raise ourselves above all the sorrows and vain desires of this earthly existence and, we will find in God, a lasting peace and tranquillity.”
One Minute Reflection – 5 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – – The First Week of Advent – Ferial Day Romans 13:11-14 – Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Look at the fig tree and all the trees, when they produce their fruit you know that summer is near. So too, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near.” – Luke 21:29-31
REFLECTION – “Look at the fig tree and all the trees, when they produce their fruit you know that summer is near. So too, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near.” He means that just as the coming of summer is recognised by the fruit on the trees, so is the nearness of the Kingdom of God recognised by the destruction of the world. These words show that the fruit of the world is destruction – it increases only to fall, it produces, only to destroy by its disasters whatever it produces. The Kingdom of God is aptly compared to summer because, it is then that the clouds of our sorrow pass away and the days of life shine with the brightness of the Eternal Sun. …
“Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will not pass away.” Nothing among material realities is more lasting than the heavens and the earth and nothing among realities, passes away, as quickly as an utterance. … Therefore, the Lord declares: “Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will not pass away.” He means: “Nothing that is lasting in your world lasts for eternity without change and everything which in Me, is perceived as passing away, is kept firm, without passing away. My utterance, which passes away, expresses thoughts which endure without change.” …
Therefore, my friends, do not love what you see cannot long exist. Keep in mind the Apostle John’s precept, in which he counsels us not “to love the world or the things in the world because, if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn 2:15). – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on the Gospels No 1 )
PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant we, Thou suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, maybe aided by her intercession with Thee. 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).
Our Morning Offering – 5 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The First Friday of November
O Adorable Heart of my Jesus! By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
O Adorable Heart of my Jesus, Heart yearning expressly. for the love of men! Until now, I have shown towards Thee only ingratitude. Pardon me, O my Jesus. Heart of my Jesus, Abyss of Love and of Mercy, how is it possible, that I do not die of sorrow, when I reflect on Thy Goodness to me and my ingratitude to Thee? Thou, my Creator, after having created me, hast given Thy Blood and Thy Life for me and, not content with this, Thou hast invented a means of offering Thyself everyday for me, in the Holy Eucharist, exposing Thyself to a thousand insults and outrages! Ah, Jesus, do Thou wound my heart with a great contrition for my sins and a lively love for Thee. Through Thy Tears and Thy Blood, give me the grace of perseverance in Thy fervent love, until I breathe my last sigh. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 4 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
TRUE LOVE of SELF
“St Thomas Aquinas writes that man genuinely loves himself, when he directs all his activities towards God (Summa Theologiae I-II, q 100 a 5 ad 1). True self-love, then, consists in dedicating all our thoughts and actions to God, Who is our highest and only true good.
Anything which does not lead us to God, is vain and useless. Anything which keeps us away from God, separates us from our true good and, therefore, leads us towards everlasting spiritual ruin. We should love ourselves then, by loving ourselves in God and for God. If we fail to do this, we hate, rather than love ourselves because, we make folly, sin and eternal damnation, the objects of our lives. Christianity, we may now conclude, cannot be said to condemn self-love. It does not condemn it but simply purifies it.
The Church has always been opposed to any form of Quietism or Puritanism which would advocate the pure and disinterested love of God to the extent, of excluding, any thought of our own happiness, as the reward of our actions. As if it would be possible to love God, when one had lost Him! On the contrary, if we love God in Himself and above all things, we love ourselves too because, only in loving God, can we achieve our own perfect happiness. The pure love of God does not exclude self-love but, elevates and completes it.”
Quote/s of the Day – 4 December – St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450) “Golden Words” Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church
“He is The Bread sown in the virgin, leavened in the Flesh, moulded in His Passion, baked in the furnace of the Sepulchre, placed in the Churches and set upon the Altars, which daily supplies Heavenly Food to the faithful.”
“For he who touches the Body of Christ unworthily receives his damnation!”
One Minute Reflection – 4 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450) “Golden Words” Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church – Romans 13:11-14 – Luke 21:25-33 – – – – – – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 13:14
REFLECTION – “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh and its desires, so that you may be clothed with the Life of Him, Whom you have put on in this Sacrament. You have all been clothed with Christ by your Baptism in Him. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female, you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Such is the power of this Sacrament: it is a Sacrament of new life which begins here and now, with the forgiveness of all past sins and will be brought to completion, in the resurrection of the dead. You have been buried with Christ by Baptism into death, in order that, as Christ has risen from the dead, you also may walk in newness of life.
You are walking now by faith, still on pilgrimage in a mortal body away from the Lord but He, to Whom your steps are directed, is Himself the sure and certain Way for you – Jesus Christ, Who, for our sake became man. For all who fear Him, He has stored up abundant happiness which He will reveal to those who hope in Him, bringing it to completion, when we have attained the reality which, even now, we possess, in hope.
This is the octave day of your new birth. Today is fulfilled in you, the sign of faith that was prefigured in the Old Testament by the circumcision of the flesh, on the eighth day after birth. When the Lord rose from the dead, He put off the mortality of the flesh; His Risen Body was still the same Body but it was no longer subject to death. By His Resurrection, He consecrated Sunday, or the Lord’s Day. Though the third after His Passion, this day is the eighth after the Sabbath and thus also, the first day of the week.
And so, your own hope of resurrection, though not yet realised, is sure and certain because you have received the Sacrament or sign of this reality and have been given the pledge of the Spirit. If, then, you have risen with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is seated at the Right Hand of God. Set your hearts on heavenly things, not the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your Life, appears, then you too will appear with Him in glory.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (An excerpt from: Sermon 8 – On the Paschal Octave).
PRAYER – O God, Who willed to foreshow divinely that blessed Peter Chrysologus would be a great Doctor to rule and teach Thy Church, grant, we beseech Thee that we may be worthy to have him as our intercessor in Heaven, who on earth was a teacher of life. 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).
Our Morning Offering – 4 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Daily Prayers to the Infant Jesus
O Almighty God, in the form of a little Child! Make me worthy to meditate upon Thy Greatness and Power, Thy Goodness and Mercy and Thy Majesty as God and Man.
O Divine Infant! With the most profound reverence, I contemplate Thy Divine Countenance, shedding its gentle and forgiving Light like the sun, on good and bad. Deign, O friendly Eyes of my Jesus, to cast one look of grace upon me and to give to my eyes, sincere tears of repentance that on my judgement day, they need not fear Thy look of righteous anger.
O Sweetest Jesus! Fervent with admiration, I praise Thy Holy Lips, filled with heavenly wisdom and uttering words of grace for the remission of sin. Lest, however, Thy Divine Lips might one day be forced to pronounce the sentence of condemnation upon me on account of my own words, I beseech Thee, O Lord, place a seal upon my lips, so that they may never be opened to utter an uncharitable opinion or a sinful word; may I ever preserve Thy Truth and Thy Love in my heart and upon my tongue. Amen
Thought for the Day – 3 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Salvation of Souls
“Remember the countless conversions effected by the Saints as a result of their prayers, mortifications and heroic sacrifices. No-one can call himself a Christian who does not love, in a practical manner, his fellowmen, especially unfortunate heretics and sinners.
Make up your mind, to offer your prayers and sacrifices for their conversion. Include them in your daily offering, daily Mass and daily Rosary too.”
Quote/s of the Day – 3 December – St Francis Xavier SJ (1506-1552) Confessor
“Are we in the habit of seeing all thing in God and God in all things? Do we accept all things from His Holy Hands and do His Will cheerfully and lovingly? Do we try to control ourselves when God sends us sorrows, in addition to joy? If we find we are in need of reform in this matter, we should make good resolutions and fulfil them!”
Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“His Lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant because thou has been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many thing. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Matthew 25:21
“ Ah! If only those who look for knowledge in study, took as much trouble in looking for the consolations of the apostolate, as they give day and night to the pursuit of knowledge! If only those joys which the scholar seeks in what he is learning, he were to seek in making his neighbour feel, what he is in need of – to know and serve God, how much more consoled he would find himself to be and better prepared, to give an account of himself, when Christ returns and asks him: “Give me an account of your stewardship”
One Minute Reflection – 3 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Francis Xavier SJ (1506-1552) Confessor – Romans 10:10-18 – Mark 16:15-18 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15
REFLECTION – “You have heard what the Lord said to His disciples after the Resurrection. He sent them out to preach the Gospel and they did so. Listen: “Through all the earth their voice resounds and to the ends of the world, their message” (Ps 18:5). Step by step, the Gospel has reached even to us and the ends of the earth. In a few words the Lord, addressing Himself to His disciples, set out what we are to do and what we have to hope for. Just as you have heard, He said: “Whoever believes and is Baptised will be saved.” He asks for our faith and offers us salvation. What He offers us, is so precious that what He asks of us, is as nothing.
“The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings, O my God… from Thy delightful stream, Thou gives them to drink, for with Thee, is the Fountain of Life” (Ps 35[36],8f.). Jesus Christ is the Fountain of Life. Before the Fountain of Life came to us, we had only a human salvation like that of the beasts, of which the psalm speaks: “Man and beast you save, O Lord” (Ps 35[36],7). But now the Fountain of Life has come even to us, the Fountain of Life died for our sakes. Will He refuse us His Life,Who, for our sakes, gave His Death? He is salvation and this salvation is not worthless, like the other one. Why? Because it does not pass away. The Lord has come. He died but He killed death. In Himself, He brought an end to death. He assumed it and He killed it. Where is death now, then? Look for it in Christ and it is no longer there. It used to be there but there it died. O Life, Death of death! Take heart: it will also die in us. What was fulfilled in the Head will also be fulfilled in the members and death will die in us, too!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 233).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who were pleased to gather into Thy Church the peoples of the Indies by the preaching and miracles of blessed Francis, mercifully grant that we, who honour his glorious merits, may also imitate the example of his virtues. 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).
Our Morning Offering – 3 December – The Memorial of St Francis Xavier SJ (1506-1552) Confessor
I Love Thee, God, I Love Thee By St Francis Xavier (1506-1552) Translated by Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)
I love Thee, God, I love Thee— Not out of hope for Heaven for me Nor fearing not to love and be in the everlasting burning. Thou, my Jesus, after me Didst reach Thine arms out dying, For my sake suffered nails and lance, Mocked and marred countenance, Sorrows passing number, Sweat and care and cumber, Yea and death and this for me, And Thou could see me sinning. Then I, why should not I love Thee, Jesu so much in love with me? Not for Heaven’s sake, not to be Out of hell by loving Thee, Not for any gains I see, But just the way that Thou didst me I do love and will love Thee. What must I love Thee, Lord, for then? For being my King and God. Amen
Thought for the Day – 2 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Recollection
“We may imagine that all this applies only to Monks but that is not so. We all need interior recollection and we can find it even during our work and in the midst of turmoil and confusion. If we fail to find it, moreover, it is too bad for us, as The Imitation of Christ warns us. “Peace is not in the heart of the carnal man, nor in the man who is devoted to outward things but, in the fervent and spiritual man” (Bk 1 Ch 6:2).
Let us make sure, therefore, that we shall not be distracted by worldly affairs. In the midst of all our occupations, let us preserve a spirit of detachment and live in the presence of God. May God be our first thought and our first desire and may He be the true goal of all our actions!”
Quote/s of the Day – 2 December – Sirach 51:13-17; Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Jesus said in parables: The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure, hidden in a field. … Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant seeking good pearls. ”
Matthew 13:44, 45
“The two parables of the treasure and the pearl, both teach us the same thing – we should prefer the Gospel before all earthly treasures. … However, there is something even more praiseworthy than this – we should delight to give it preference, joyfully, unhesitatingly. Let us never forget this, to abandon all else, so as to follow God, is to gain more, than one loses. The preaching of the Gospel is hidden in this world like a hidden treasure, a treasure without price!”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Whoever thinks well on eternity, troubles himself little about what happens in these three or four moments of mortal life.”
“The love of God is the end, the perfection and the excellence, of the universe. ”
(Treatise on the Love of God, Book 10, Chapter 1)
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 2 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Bibiana (Died c 361) Virgin Martyr – Sirach 51:13-17; Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure, hidden in a field.” – Matthew 13:44
REFLECTION – “Some of the brethren think that they are excluded from the Holy Ghost’s gifts of grace. Because they neglect to practise the commandments, they do not know that he who has an unadulterated faith in Christ, has within himself, the sum total of all the Divine gifts. Since, through our laziness, we are far from having an active love for Him — a love which shows us the Divine Treasures within us — we naturally think that we are excluded from these gifts.
If, as St Paul says: “Christ dwells in our hearts through faith” (Eph 3:17) and, “all the treasures of wisdom and spiritual knowledge are hidden in Him” (Col 2:3), then, all the treasures of wisdom and spiritual knowledge are hidden in our hearts! They are revealed to the heart, in proportion to our purification by means of the commandments. This is the treasure, hidden in the field of your heart which you have not yet found because of your laziness! Had you found it, you would have sold everything and bought that field. But now, you have abandoned that field and give all your attention to the land nearby, where there is nothing but thorns and thistles! It is for this reason that the Saviour says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8) for He is hidden in the hearts of those who believe in Him.They shall see Him and the riches in Him, when they have purified themselves, through love and self-control. And, the greater their purity, the more they will see!” – St Maximus the Confessor (c580-662) Abbot and Theologian (Centuries of love 4:69).
PRAYER – O God, giver of all good gifts, Thou Who in Thy servant, Bibiana, joined the flower of virginity with the palm of Martyrdom, by her intercession unite our hearts to Thee in charity, so that, saved from all dangers, we may obtain the rewards of eternal life. 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).
Thought for the Day – 1 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Blessedness of the Poor
“We have established the principle that wealth is, in itself, good and is a gift from God but that, “it is good, insofar, as it leads us towards virtue and evil, insofar, as it leads us towards vice” (Summa Contra Gentiles III 134). We must now insist, once more, on the necessity of remaining detached from worldly goods and of concentrating our attention primarily on God. It is an unfortunate fact that only too often, wealth is a spiritual obstacle, for it diverts our attention away from Heaven and towards worldly objects. If this happens, some of its worse results can be the worship of money, the destruction of high ideals, indifference to the poverty of others, the vain and selfish search for happiness on this earth and complete spiritual blindness. This is why it is more difficult for the rich man than for the poor man, to save his soul.
“If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell what thou hast and give to the poor” (Mt 19:21). This is an evangelical counsel which we may have neither the courage, nor the vocation to pursue. At least, however, let us seek to purify ourselves of all attachments to wealth. If we have riches, moreover, let us do our best to use them as instruments of virtue.”
Quote of the Day – 1 December – The Feast of St Andrew, Apostle of Christ, Martyr on the Cross for Christ
It is claimed, that the words below were spoken by St Andrew, according to an ancient account (which dates to the beginning of the 6th Century), entitled –
The Passion of Andrew
“Hail, O Cross, inaugurated by the Body of Christ and adorned with His Limbs as though they were precious pearls. Before the Lord mounted you, you inspired an earthly fear. Now, instead, endowed with heavenly love, you are accepted as a gift.
Believers know of the great joy that you possess and of the multitude of gifts you have prepared. I come to you, therefore, confident and joyful, so that you too may receive me, exultant as a disciple of the One Who was hung upon you….
O blessed Cross, clothed in the majesty and beauty of the Lord’s Limbs!…
Take me, carry me far from men and restore me to my Teacher, so that, through you, the One Who redeemed me by you, may receive me.
One Minute Reflection – 1 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of St Andrew, Apostle of Christ – Romans 10: 10-18 – Matthew 4: 18 -22 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“At once they left their nets and followed him.” – Matthew 4:20
REFLECTION – “After Andrew had remained with Jesus (Jn 1:39) and had learned what he did learn, he did not keep his treasure concealed for himself but hastened to run quickly to his brother, Simon Peter, to share with him, the good things he had received. Consider what he told his brother: “We have found the Messiah (which interpreted is Christ)” (Jn 1:41). Do you perceive, in these words, the fruit of what he had learned in such a short time? It shows, at once, the authority of the Teacher Who taught His disciples and, their own enthusiasm and will, to learn from Him, since the very beginning.
Indeed Andrew’s eagerness, his zeal in wanting to immediately spread such a good news, supposes a soul who was longing to see the accomplishment of the many prophecies concerning Christ. It is a mark of brotherly kindness, of loving kinship, of genuine goodwill, to hasten to stretch out a helping hand to one another in spiritual matters. … ”We have found the Messiah” he says – not any messiah but “the Messiah,” the One Christ they were awaiting.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homely on the Gospel of Saint John, 19:1).
PRAYER – Lord, in Your kindness hear our petitions. You called Andrew the Apostle, to preach the Gospel and guide Your Church in faith. May he always be our friend in Your Presence, to help us with his prayers. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. (Collect)
Thought for the Day – 30 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Blessedness of the Meek
“St John Climacus notes that there are three levels of meekness (Dcala Paradist pp 296-298). The first grade, he says, consists in enduring with difficulty, the injuries done to us. The second, consists in enduring them without displeasure and the third, in regarding them as an honour.
Those who reach the first level are to be congratulated, those who reach the second are to be applauded but, those in the third and highest category, are really blessed by God.
“One day,” he says, “I saw three Monks receiving the same insult. The first was offended but said nothing, the second was not displeased on his own account but regretted the offence against Almighty God and the third wept for the fault of his neighbour.” The first Monk, the Saint comments, feared God, the second loved God and the third loved both God and his fellow-man.
At What stage of perfection in this virtue can we claim to have arrived? If we desire to be sincere Christians, we must realise that we ought to have achieved, at least the first level and should hope to advance eventaully, as far as the third and most perfect grade.”
Quote/s of the Day – 30 November –The First Sunday of Advent – Romans 13:11-14 – Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org
“But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads because your redemption is at hand.”
Luke 21:28
“Watch, therefore because you know not the day, nor the hour.” Matthew 25:13
“ In the hours of the night, think always on Christ and hope for His Coming at every moment. … Christ enters at the open door. He will not fail to do so, for He has promised to enter. Embrace Him, Whom you have sought. Approach Him and be illumined. Hold Him and ask Him not to go away quickly. Beg Him not to depart. For “His Word runs swiftly” (Ps 147:15) and will not be held by the slothful or negligent soul. Let your soul run to His call and follow closely, the sound of His heavenly Voice, for His passing is swift. …”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church
“It is only right, my brothers, to celebrate our Lord’s Coming with all possible devotion, so greatly does His comfort gladden us… and His love burn within us. But do not just think about His First Coming, when He Came “to seek and save the lost” (Lk 19:10); think, too, of that other Coming, when He will come to take us with Him. I should like to see you constantly occupied in meditating on these two Comings… for they are the two arms of the Bridegroom …”
St Bernard (1091-1153) Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 30 November – “The Month of The Holy Souls in Purgatory” – The First Sunday of Advent – Romans 13:11-14 – Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“When you shall see these things come to pass, know that the Kingdom of God is at hand.” – Luke 21:31
REFLECTION – “In Him we live and move and have our being”(Acts 17:28). But blessed is He, in Whom he has his being, who lives for Him and is moved by Him. You ask then how I knew He was present, He Whose Ways cannot be traced (Rom 11: 3 3). He is Life and Power (Heb 4:12) and as soon as He enters in, He stirs my sleeping soul. He moves and soothes and pierces my heart which was as hard as stone and riddled with disease (Ez 36:26). And He begins to root up and destroy, to build and to plant, to water the dry places and light the dark corners (cf Jer 1:10), to open that which was closed, set on fire, that which was cold, “to make the crooked straight and the rough places smooth” (Is 40:4), so that my soul may bless the Lord and all that is within me praise His Holy Name (Ps 102:1)!
And so, when the Bridegroom, the Word, came to me, He did not make any sign that He was on His way … Only by the warmth of my heart, as I said before, did I know that He was there and, I knew the power of His Might because my faults were purged and my body’s yearnings brought under control. And when my secret faults were revealed and made visible, I have been amazed at the depth of His Wisdom, At the slightest amendment of my life, I have experienced the goodness of His Mercy. In the making and renewing of the spirit of my mind, (2 Cor 4:16; Eph 4:23) that is, the inner man, I perceived the excellence of His glorious Beauty and when, I contemplate all these things, I am filled with awe of His manifold greatness.” – St Bernard (1090-1153) Cistercian Abbot at Clairvaux, the last Father and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church (Sermons on the Song of Songs no 74).
PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant we, Thou suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, maybe aided by her intercession with Thee. 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).
Thought for the Day – 29 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Blessedness of Those Who Suffer Persecution
“Let us implore the Holy Ghost to enlighten us and to grant us this serene joy which is a reflection of the happiness of Heaven. Oh by Thy Name we shall live in peaceful and fearless anticipation!”
Quote/s of the Day – 29 November – Vigil of St Andrew Apostle – Ecclesiasticus 44:25-27; 45:2-4; 45:6-9; John 1:35-51 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Jesus turned and saw them following Him and said to them, “What are you looking for?”
John 1:38
“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!”
Matthew 16:16
“It is He Who is our peace.”
St Paul Ephesians 2:14
“… He effected a wonderful exchange with us, through mutual sharing – we gave Him the power to die, He will give us the power to Live!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“Grace is given, not to those who speak [their faith] but to those, who live their faith!”
St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Father and Doctor of the Church
“May He, Who is the Track of the runners and the Reward of the winners, lead and guide you along it – He, Christ Jesus!”
Bl Guerric of Igny O.Cist (c1080-1157)
“Let us go to Jesus when we are worn out by conflict and have no strength left. Let us go to Him when we feel that we can walk no further along the stony path to perfection. He will help us and restore our courage; He will grant us an increase of grace which is the source of the spiritual life. It is essential, however, that we should have a spirit of recollection. If we are dissipated, we shall be unable to hear the Voice of God. We must speak with God and open our hearts to Him; we must tell Him that we love Him and wish to learn to love Him more and to conform more completely to His designs for us.”
One Minute Reflection – 29 November – “The Month of The Holy Souls in Purgatory” – The Vigil of the Feast of St Andrew Apostle – Ecclesiasticus Sirach 44:25-27; 45:2-4; 45:6-9 – John 1:35-51 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying and they stayed with Him that day.” – John 1:39
REFLECTION – “John was there and two of his disciples with him.” John was such “a friend of the Bridegroom” that he did not seek his own glory, he simply bore witness to the truth (Jn 3:29,26). Did he dream of keeping back his disciples and preventing them from following the Lord? Not in the least! He, himself, showed them the One they were to follow … He declared: “Why cling to me? I am not the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God … Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.”
At these words the two disciples who were with John, followed Jesus. “Jesus turned and saw that they were following Him and said to them: ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to Him: ‘Rabbi, where are you staying?” As yet they were not following Him definitively, as we know, they joined themselves to Him, when He called them to leave their boat … when He said to them: “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). That was the moment they joined Him definitively, no longer to leave Him. But for now they wanted to see where Jesus was living and put into practice the words of Scripture: “If you see an intelligent man, seek him out at daybreak; let your feet wear away his doorstep! Learn from him the precepts of the Lord” (cf. Sir 6:36). So Jesus showed them where He was living, they went and stayed with Him. What a happy day they spent! What a blessed night! Who can say what it was they heard from the Lord’s mouth? Let us, too, build a dwelling in our hearts, construct a house where Christ can come to teach and converse with us.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on Saint John’s Gospel No 7).
PRAYER – We humbly pray Thy majesty, O Lord, that, as blessed Andrew was a preacher and ruler in Thy Church, so he may always intercede for us with Thee. 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).
Thought for the Day – 28 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Blessedness of the Peacemakers
“Blessed are the peacemakers,” said Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, “for they shall be called children of God” (Mt 5:9).
True Christian peace which accompanies the perfect control of the passions and complete dedication to God’s cause, makes us like God and enables us, by His grace, to become His adopted children. He is the God of peace, in Whom there is no conflict but only perfect order and harmony. Since He is pure act, He understands Himself fully in all His beauty and perfection and, knowing Himself, He loves Himself. He is peace, in an active and not in a passive sense. For this reason, the peacemakers are singled out in a special way as the children of God. In other words, they become like God, when they acquire that interior tranquility which is the fruit of virtue and of victory over the flesh. With the help of Divine grace, we should do our utmost to gain this peace.”
Quote/s of the Day – 28 November – The Memorial of St Catherine Labouré DC (1806-1876) Virgin, Religious Sister of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and the Marian visionary of the Miraculous Medal.
THE PROMISES OF THE MEDAL When Our Lady appeared to Saint Catherine Labouré on 27 November 1830, rays of light flowed from the rings (made of precious stones) on her fingers. However, some of the stones on the rings did not shine.
Our Lady explained:
“These rays symbolise the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls omit to ask.”
“Graces will be poured out on all those, small, or great, who ask for them with confidence and fervour. … ”
The Blessed Virgin Mary to Saint Catherine Labouré DC (1806-1876) November 1830
One Minute Reflection – 28 November – “The Month of The Holy Souls in Purgatory” – St Catherine Labouré DC (1806-1876) Virgin, Religious Sister of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and the Marian Visionary of the Miraculous Medal – Ferial Day – Colossians 1:9-14 – Matthew 24:15-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“So you also, when you shall see all these things, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.” – Matthew 24:33
REFLECTION – “Then, all the trees of the forest shall leap for joy before the Lord, for He Comes, He Comes to rule the earth” (Ps 95:12-13). Our Lord came the first time and will come again anew. He came into His Church to begin with “on the clouds” (Mt 26:64). What are those clouds which bore Him? Apostles, preachers… He came, borne by His preachers to begin with and He filled the whole earth. Let us not resist His First Coming if we would not fear the Second…
What, then, should Christians do? Take advantage of this world but do not serve this world. What does that mean? “Possess as if one did not possess.” This is what Saint Paul said … “Brothers, the time is growing short. From now on… let those who weep act like those who do not weep, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning, those using the world as not using it fully, For the world in its present form is passing away. I should like you to be free of anxieties” (1 Cor 7:29-32). Someone who is free of anxiety awaits the Lord’s Coming with assurance, for can we be said to love our Lord if we dread His Coming?! My brethren, are we not ashamed? Do we love Him and yet dread His Coming? Is it He we truly love or do we not rather prefer our sins? Therefore, let us hate our sins and love Him Who is to Come …
“All the trees of the forest shall leap for joy before the Lord, for He has Come” for the first time… “All the trees of the forest shall leap for joy” when He Comes again to judge the earth. Then, “because He has Come” He will find rejoicing, all those who believed in His Coming on the first occasion.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church (Discourses on the Psalms Ps 95).
PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body, defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee and by the intercession of blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and of blessed Catherine Labouré and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace that all adversities and errors, being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. 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).
AnaStpaul 
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