Category: AUGUSTINIANS OSA

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 May – Abide in Me …

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 May – The Memorial of St Stanislas (1030-1079) Bishop and Martyr –Wisdom 5:1-5 – John 15,1-7

“Abide in Me and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
unless it abide in the vine,
so neither can you,
unless you abide in Me.”

John 15:4

“Without Me
you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

“… 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

“Truly blessed is he who cleaves,
with his thought, to the Prayer of Jesus,
constantly calling to Him in his heart,
just as air cleaves to our bodies,
or the flame to the candle.”

St Hesychius of Jerusalem (Died c450)
Priest, Exegete, Father

“May He,
Who is the Track of the runners
and the Reward of the winners,
lead and guide you along it –
He, Christ Jesus!”

Blessed 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.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, Quotes Self-Oblation, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 May – Can you drink the Chalice which I shall Drink?

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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

“Let us then, my brethren, endure in hope.
Let us devote ourselves, side-by-side with our hoping,
so that the God of all the universe,
as He beholds our intention,
may cleanse us from all sins,
fill us with high hopes from what we have in hand
and grant us the change of heart which saves.
God has called you and you have your calling!”

St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“You do not, in your enemies,
love what they are
but what you would have them become,
by your prayers!”

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

“Be strengthened in Almighty God
and in the power of His might,
for with His help, nothing is difficult.
Throw off the heavy load of your own will,
cast aside the burden of sin
and gird yourselves as valiant warriors!
Forget what you are leaving behind;
strain forward to the great things before you.
I tell you that every place where you set foot,
shall be yours.
For the Spirit, Who goes before your face
is Christ the Lord.
He will carry you to the topmost peak
in the arms of His Love.”

St Francis of Assisi (c1181–1226) 

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Nuestra Señora de Europa / Our Lady of Europe, Gibraltar (1492), St Pius V OP (1504-1573) Pope and Confessor, The Conversion of Saint Augustine (354-430) and Memorials of the Saints – 5 May

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St Pius V OP (1504-1573) changed in 1969 this Feast which had been celebrated on this day of his birth into Heaven since 1713.
Bishop of Rome, Ruler of the Papal States, Pope of the Council of Trent, the Counter-Reformation, the Battle of Lepanto, the Holy Rosary and the Pope who declared St Thomas Aquinas as a Doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial)
The Roman Martyrology states of St Pius V today: “At Rome, Pope St Pius V, of the Order of Preachers, who laboured zealously and successfully for the re-establishment of Ecclesiastical discipline, the extirpation of heresies, the destruction of the enemies of the Christian name and, governed the Catholic Church by holy laws and the example of a saintly lfe.”
His Most Arfdent Life of Grace:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/04/30/saint-of-the-day-saint-pope-pius-v-1504-1572/
Lepanto by G K Chesterton:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/04/30/lepanto-30-april/

Nuestra Señora de Europa / Our Lady of Europe, Gibraltar (1492) – 5 May:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/05/05/nuestra-senora-de-europa-our-lady-of-europe-gibraltar-1492-and-memorials-of-the-saints-5-may/

The Conversion of Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
https://anastpaul.com/2021/05/05/saint-of-the-day-5-may-feast-of-the-conversion-of-st-augustine-354-430/
ALSO HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/28/the-memorial-of-saint-augustine-servant-of-god-28-august/

St Angelus O.Carm (1185-1220) Priest, Martyr, Hermit, Mystic, Reformer, Thaumaturge, Missionary, convert from Judaism and a professed Priest of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel – The 800th Anniversary of his death – 5 MAY 2020..
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/05/saint-of-the-day-5-may-the-800th-anniversary-of-the-martyrdom-of-saint-angelus-of-jerusalem-o-carm-1185-1220-priest-martyr/

St Avertinus of Tours
Bl Benvenuto Mareni
St Britto of Trier

St Crescentiana
St Echa of Crayke
St Eulogius (Died c387) Bishop and Confessor of Edessa
St Euthymius of Alexandria
St Geruntius of Milan
St Godehard of Hildesheim
Bl Grzegorz Boleslaw Frackowiak

St Hilary (c400-449) Bishop of Arles, Monk, learned Scholar and Writer, Reformer and although extremely gentle and kind, Hilary was also a strict leader of his flock, Miracle-worker. Born in c 400 at Lorraine, France and died in 449 of natural causes.
The Roman Martyrology states: “At Arles in France, the blessed Bishop Hilary, noted for his great learning and holiness.”
His Holy Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/05/05/saint-of-the-day-5-may-saint-hilary-of-arles-c-400-449-hilary-of-holy-memory/

St Hydroc
St Irenaeus of Thessalonica
St Irenes of Thessalonica
Bl John Haile
St Jovinian of Auxerre
St Jutta Kulmsee
St Leo of Africo
St Maurontius of Douai

St Maximus (Died c350) Bishop of Jerusalem and Confessor, Defender of the Faith. He was the third Maximus to become the Bishop of the See of Jerusalem.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Jerusalem, the Bishop and confessor, whom the Caesar, Maximian Galerius, condemned to work in the mines, after having plucked out one of his eyes and branded him on the foot with a redhot iron.”
His Zealous Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2025/05/05/saint-of-the-day-5-may-st-maximus-died-c350-bishop-of-jerusalem-and-confessor/

St Nectarius of Vienne
St Nicetas (Died c449) Bishop of Vienne

St Peregrinus of Thessalonica
St Sacerdos of Limoges
St Sacerdos of Saguntum
St Silvanus of Rome
St Theodore of Bologna
St Waldrada of Metz

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOMINICAN OP, OUR Cross, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 4 May – ‘…The only true stairway to Paradis …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 May – The Feast of St Monica (322-387) Mother of St Augustine – 1 Timothy 5:3-10, Luke 7:11-16

“Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight.
I do not know what there is now for me to do
or why I am still here,
all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.”

Saint Monica,
on the conversion
of St Augustine

“Our Lord and Saviour lifted up His Voice
and said with incomparable majesty:
“Let all men know that Grace comes after tribulation.
Let them know that without the burden of afflictions,
it is impossible to reach the height of Gace.
Let them know,
that the gifts of Grace increase,
as the struggles increase.
Let men take care not to stray and be deceived.
This is the only true stairway to Paradise
and without the cross,
they can find no road to climb to Heaven.”

St Rose of Lima (1586-1617)

Late Have I Loved Thee!
By St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

Late have I loved Thee,
Beauty ever ancient and ever new,
late have I loved Thee!
Lo, Thou were within
but I outside,
seeking there for Thee
and upon the shapely things
Thou hast made
I rushed headlong – I, misshapen.
Thou wast with me
but I was tnot with Thee.
They held me back far from Thee,
those things which would have no being,
were they not in Thee.
Thou called, shouted,
broke through my deafness.
Thou flared, blazed,
banished my blindness.
Thou lavished Thy fragrance,
I gasped
and now I pant for Thee.
I tasted Thee
and now I hunger and thirst.
Thou touched me
and I burned for Thy peace.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, St Francis de Sales, St PAUL!, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 1 May – “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” – John 14:6

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” –The Feast of St James the Lesser and St Philip Apostles – Wisdom 5:1-5 – John 14:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”

John 14:6

“Be imitators of God, as very dear children
and walk in love, as Christ also Loved us
and delivered Himself up for us …”

St Paul … Ephesians 5:1-2

“… There is one Road
and one only,
well secured against all possibility
of going astray
and, this Road is provided
by One, Who is Himself
both God and Man.
As God, He is the Goal,
as Man, He is the Way.”

“But the wise took oil
in their vessels”

Matthew 25:4

“The wise ones’ lamps were burning,
from the oil inside them,
from the assurance of their consciences,
from their inner boast,
from their deepest charity.”

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

“Father, forgive them.”
With this prayer, He wanted to make us understand
the Love He bore us, undiminished
by any suffering and to teach us how
our heart should be toward our neighbour.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, OUR Cross, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS

One Minute Reflection – 30 April – ‘ … Keep going, persevere, bear and accept this delay and you have carried His Cross!’ … – (Matthew 25:10)

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One Minute Reflection – 30 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Catherine of Siena OP (1347-1380) Virgin – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18; 11:1-2 – Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ … The Bridegroom came and they, who were ready, went in with Him … ” – Matthew 25:10

REFLECTION – “In this world, which is to say, in the Church, wholly following Christ, He says to all of us: “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself.” This command is not being directed to virgins but not married women, to widows but not wives, to Monks but not husbands, to Priests but not laity. It is the whole Church, the whole Body of Christ with all its members, differentiated and divided according to their proper functions which is, to follow Christ. May she wholly follow Him, she who is one alone, the dove, the bride (Sg 6:9); may she follow Him, she who has been redeemed and endowed with the Blood of her Bridegroom. Virginal purity has its place here; the continence of widows has its place here; wedded chastity has its place here…

These members who have their place here should follow Christ, each according to their category, each according to their status, each after its fashion. Let them deny themselves, that is to say, let them not rely on themselves. Let them carry their cross that is to say, bear, for Christ’s sake in the world, all that the world inflicts on them. May they love Him, He, the Only One, Who never deceives or is deceived, the Only One ,Who is not mistaken. May they love Him because, what He promises is true. Yet because, He does not give it to us now, our faith falters. Keep going, persevere, bear and accept this delay and you have carried His Cross!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 96:9)

RAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, that we which do keep the birthday of Thy blessed Virgin Catherine and do year by year renew her memorial with solemn gladness in Thy presence, may likewise be conformed to the pattern of her saintly walk 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).

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, REDEMPTIVE Suffering, The BEATITUDES, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The REDEMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 26 April – Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel – “Let not your heart be disturbed…”

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 April – Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel

“Let not your heart be disturbed.
Do not fear that sickness,
nor any other sickness or anguish.
Am I not here, who is your Mother?
Are you not under my protection?
Am I not your health?
Are you not happily within my fold?
What else do you wish?
Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything!”

Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego
1531

“O, that the soul of Mary were in us,
to glorify the Lord!
That the spirit of Mary were in us,
to rejoice in God.
May the life of Blessed Mary
be ever present to our awareness.
In her, as in a mirror,
the form of virtue
and beauty of chastity, shine forth.
She was Virgin, not only in body
but in mind and spirit.
She never sullied the pure affection of her heart
by unworthy feelings.
She was humble of heart.
She was serious in her conversations.
She was prudent in her counsels.
She preferred to pray rather than to speak.
She united in her heart the prayers of the poor
and avoided the uncertainty of worldly riches.
She was ever faithful to her daily duties,
reserved in her conversations
and always accustomed to recognise God
as the witness of her thoughts.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus!”

(On Virginity II 2.7)

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Mary, having merited to give flesh
to the Divine Word
and thus, supply the price
of our redemption
that we might be delivered
from eternal death, therefore,
she is more powerful
than all others,
to help us gain eternal life.”

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

“If you are in danger,
if your hearts are confused, turn to Mary;
she is our comfort, our help;
turn towards her
and you will be saved.”

St Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, BAPTISM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, Quotes on SALVATION, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 April – “Go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”- St Mark Evangelist

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 April – St Mark Evangelist

“For the Son of Man came not to be served
but to serve and to give His Life
as a ransom for many …”

Mark 10:45

“Go into the whole world
and preach the Gospel
to every creature.”
Mark 16:15

“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[19],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.”

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

“At that time, the Lord appointed
seventy-two others
and sent them forth …”
Luke 10:1

“By saying that He is sending them
as the Father has sent Him, therefore,
He summarised, in a few words,
the character of the Apostles’ mission.
In this way, they would know that they were bound
to call sinners to repentance,
to heal the sick, whether of body or soul
and in all their dealings as stewards,
not by any means to follow their own will
but the will of Him Who sent them and,
finally, to save the world,
insofar as it received the teachings of the Lord.”

St Cyril of Alexandria (380-444)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Love is the most necessary of all virtues.
Love in the person who preaches the Word of God
is like fire in a musket.
If a person were to throw a bullet with his hands,
he would hardly make a dent in anything
but, if the person takes the same bullet
and ignites some gunpowder behind it, it can kill.
It is much the same with the Word of God.
If it is spoken by someone who is filled
with the fire of charity-
the fire of love of God and neighbor-
it will work wonders!”

St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

“It is above all, the Gospel
which supports me during my prayer.
There, I find all which
my poor little soul needs.
There, I always discover new lights,
hidden and mysterious meaning.
… Just when I need it, I discover lights
which I had not seen before.”)

St Thérèse of the Child Jesus
and the Holy Face (1873 – 1897)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 22 April – St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 April – The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph Confessoris

“So, taking Christ’s genealogy from Joseph –
a husband in chastity,
he was father in the same way. …
Are you saying that he did not conceive Jesus
through the operation of nature?
Well then, what the Holy Spirit operated,
He did for them both.
For Joseph was “a just man,” Matthew tells us (1:19).
Both husband and wife were just.
The Holy Spirit dwelt within their mutual justice
and gave each of them, a Son!”

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

“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 am free of doubt 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.”

“Behold, the Angel of the Lord
appeared to him in his sleep …”
Matthew 1:20

“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)
Doctor of the Church

“St Joseph is the Universal Patron of the Church.
We, who are loved children of the Church
should invoke his special intercession,
therefore, for the triumph and expansion
of the Kingdom of God upon earth.
… If we are loyal sons of the Church,
we should pray that She may triumph.
We should ask for the special intercession
of St Joseph, Her Heavenly Patron.”

“We shall come to the end of our lives too,
perhaps sooner than we imagine.
Let us ask the Holy Patriarch
for the favour of a happy death.
Let us ask him to ensure that Jesus and Mary
will help us too, when we are leaving this world.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on TRUTH, St PETER!, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 17 April – On the Bride of Christ

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 April –“The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Pope Anadletus (c25-c89) 3rd Bishop of Rome and Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4 – Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build My Church”

Matthew 16:18

“Behold, thy mother”
John 19:27

“His Mother is the entire Church
because by God’s grace,
she brings forth the members of Jesus Christ,
that is to say, those who are faithful to Him.
His Mother is also every holy soul
who does the Will of His Father
and whose fruitful charity is made manifest
in those whom it brings forth for Him
until He Himself is formed in them (Gal 4:19)…”

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

My Dear Jesus
Return Thy Spouse to Apostolic Sanctity
By St Jerome Emiliani (1486–1537)

Our sweet Father Lord Jesus Christ,
because of Thine Infinite Goodness,
we ask Thee to return Thy Spouse, the Church
to tha state of sanctity as of the time of the Apostles.
Hear us, O Lord because Thou art kind and merciful.
In Thy bountiful compassion look upon us.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God,
have mercy upon us.
May the power of God the Father,
the Wisdom of the Son
and the Strength of the Holy Ghost
and too, the glorious Virgin Mary,
guide and protect us
on the way to peace, love and prosperity.
May the Angel Raphael,
who always assisted Tobias,
be with me in every place I stop
and on every road I travel.
My dear Jesus, my dear Jesus, my dear Jesus,
my love and my God, I trust in Thee.
Amen

St Jerome Emiliani (1486–1537)

“The Church alone, being the Bride of Christ
and having all things in common
with her Divine Spouse,
is the depository of the Truth.”

St Pius X (1835-1914)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 16 April – ‘ … He touched the Man, he recognised the God! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 16 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – Wednesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10; John 20:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“This is the day the Lord has made” – Psalm 117:24

REFLECTION – “This is the day the Lord has made” (Psalm 117:24). Call to mind what the world was like in the beginning: “Darkness covered the abyss while God’s Spirit swept over the waters. Then God said: ‘Let there be light’ and there was light. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness he called ‘night’” (Gn 1:2) … “This is the day the Lord has made.” It is the day the Apostle Paul spoke of: “You were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord” (Eph 5:8)…

Is it not true to say that Thomas was a man, one of the disciples, one of the crowd so to speak? His brethren said to him: “We have seen the Lord.” But he said: “Unless I touch Him, unless I put my hand into His side, I shall not believe.” The Evangelists bring you the news and you do not believe it? The world believed but a disciple did not believe?… The day the Lord has made had not yet happened; darkness still covered the abyss, the depths of darkness of the human heart. Let Him come Who is the Sign of Day, let Him come and, without anger, let Him, Who brings healing patiently, gently say: “Come. Come, touch and believe. You declared that: ‘Unless I touch Him, unless I put my hand into His side, I shall not believe.’ Come, touch, put in your hand and do not be unbelieving but believe. I understand your wounds; it is for you I have kept my scars.”

In putting out his hand this disciple is able to bring his faith to full completion. Indeed, what is faith’s completion? Not to believe that Christ is only Man, not even to believe that Christ is only God but to believe that He is Man and God … And so, the disciple whom the Saviour granted to touch His Bodily members and scars, cried out: “My Lord and my God.” He touched the Man, he recognised the God! He touched the Flesh, he turned towards the Word, for “the Word became Flesh and made His dwelling amongst us” (Jn 1:14). The Word permitted His Flesh to be hung on the wood … the Word permitted His Flesh to be placed in the tomb. The Word raised up His Flesh, showed it to the disciples, offered it to their touch. They touched, they cried out: “My Lord and my God!

This is the day the Lord has made!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 258).

PRAYER – 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 (Collect).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on TRUTH, SACRED HEART QUOTES, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 April – ‘ … Thanks to this Heart!… ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 15 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – 1 John 5:4 -10 – John 20:19-31– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My Lord and my God.” – John 20:28

REFLECTION – “Thomas said: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in His Hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into His Side, I will not believe.” What an astonishing hardness of heart on this disciple’s part: not even the witness of so many of the brethren, nor even the sight of their joy, were enough to give him faith. Yet, the Lord appeared to take care of him. The good Shepherd does not allow the loss of His sheep (Mt 18:12) having said to His Father: “Thou gave them to me and none of them was lost” (Jn 17:6.12). Let the shepherds learn, then, what care they should show towards their sheep, since the Lord came for a single one. Any care and labour are a small thing, compared with the importance of one soul…

“Put your finger here and see My Hands, and bring your hand and put it into My Side, and do not be unbelieving but believe.” O blessed hand that penetrated the secrets of the Heart of Christ! What riches did they not find in it? It was while resting on this Heart that John drew out the Mysteries of Heaven (Jn 13:25), while penetrating It that Thomas found great treasures – what a wonderful school which forms such disciples! Thanks to this Heart, the former expressed marvellous things, higher than the stars, concerning the Divinity when he said: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1). And the latter, touched by the Light of Truth, cried out this sublime cry: “My Lord and my God!” – St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1486-1555) Hermit of Saint Augustine, Bishop (Sermon for Low Sunday (in Homiliarius Breviarii Romani).

PRAYER – 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 (Collect).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on the FAMILY, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 April – ‘ … In the Kingdom these relationships are transcended …’

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One Minute Reflection – 13 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Hermenegild (Died 585) Martyr, Confessor – Wisdom 5:1-5; Luke 14:26-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“If anyone comes to Me, without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:26

REFLECTION – “On another occasion, the Lord says, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children and brothers and sisters and even his own soul, cannot be my disciple.” As a rule, this is more upsetting to the mind of new Christians, who are eager to begin at once, to live in accordance with the precepts of Christ. To those who do not fully grasp its meaning, it would seem contradictory …. He has condescended to call His disciples to the eternal Kingdom. He also called them brothers. In the Kingdom these relationships are transcended because, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither slave nor freeman but Christ, is all things and in all.” The Lord says, “For in the resurrection, they will neither be married nor marry but will be as the Angels of God in Heaven.”

Whoever wishes to prepare himself now, for the life of that Kingdom, must not hate people but those earthly relationships, through which the present life is sustained, the temporary life that begins at birth and ends with death. Whoever does not hate this necessity, does not yet love that other life, in which there will be no condition of birth and death, the condition which makes marriages natural on earth.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father, Doctor of Grace (Sermon on the Mount,15).

PRAYER – O God, Who didst teach Thy blessed Martyr Hermenegild to choose a heavenly, rather than an earthly crown, grant, we beseech Thee, that we, like him, may so pass through temporal things that we finally miss not those which are eternal. Through esus 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 APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, EASTER, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, The HOLY NAME, The RESURRECTION

Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – Lumen Christi – Deo Gratias!

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament – Holy Saturday – The Lord’s Vigil Mass of Easter – Matthew 28:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Today a great silence reigns on earth,
a great silence and a great stillness.
A great stillness because the King is asleep.
The earth trembled and is still
because God has fallen asleep in the flesh
and has raised up all who have slept,
since the world began…

I order you, O sleeper, to awake.
I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell.
Rise from the dead, for I am the Life of the dead.”

Ancient Christian Writer (ACW)

“It was very necessary that Christ
should rise during the night because,
His Resurrection has enlightened our darkness! …
Just as our faith,
strengthened by Christ’s Resurrection,
dispels all sleep, so this night,
lightened by our vigils, is filled with brightness.
He, Who has given us the glory of His Name (Ps 28:2)
has also illumined this night.
He to Whom we say “Thou lighten my darkness”
(Ps 18:28) sheds His brightness in our hearts.
Just as our dazzled eyes behold
these shining torches, so our enlightened spirits
enable us to see how luminous is this night,
this holy night in which our Lord
initiated, in His own flesh,
the Life which knows neither sleep nor death!”

“…He Slept,
so that We might be
Awakened,
He Died,
so that We might Live.”

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

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, St Francis de Sales, St PAUL!, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 2 April – Maundy Thursday

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 April – Maundy Thursday

“Be imitators of God, as very dear children
and walk in love, as Christ also Loved us
and delivered Himself up for us …”

St Paul … Ephesians 5:1-2

“But I say to you,
Love your enemies …”

Matthew 5:44

“But the wise took oil
in their vessels”

Matthew 25:4

“The wise ones’ lamps were burning,
from the oil inside them,
from the assurance of their consciences,
from their inner boast,
from their deepest charity.”

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

“Father, forgive them.”
With this prayer, He wanted to make us understand
the Love He bore us, undiminished
by any suffering and to teach us how
our heart should be toward our neighbour.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“He Loves you as though He had
no-one else to love but you alone.
You, too, should love Him alone
and all others for His Sake.
Of Him you may say and, indeed, you should say:
My Beloved to me and I to Him (Cant, 2:16).
My God has given Himself all to me
and I give myself all to Him;
He has chosen me for His beloved
and I choose Him, above all others,
for my only Love.”

“How to Pray at All Times”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

Posted in "Follow Me", APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY COMMUNION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

Devotions for the Month of April – The Resurrection and The Blessed Sacrament

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Devotions for the Month of April

The Resurrection and The Blessed Sacrament

The Month of April is dedicated both to devotion to the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Holy Eucharist – the proof of the promise of the love of God and of ETERNAL LIFE.

“My brethren, when was it that the Lord made Himself recognised? — When He broke the bread. — So, we ourselves are convinced, too, that when we break the bread, we recognise the Lord. — If He had not wanted to be recognised until that moment, it was for our sakes, we, who were not to see Him in the flesh but who were yet to eat Him in the flesh. ” – St Augustine (354-430) Father, Doctor of Grace

“I am the Resurrection and the Life,
he who believes in Me,
although he be dead, shall live.”

John 11:25

“I am the Living Bread
Who came down from Heaven.
If any man eat of this Bread,
he shall live forever
and the Bread that I will give,
is My Flesh, for the Life of the world.”

John 6:51-52

“For His Body, has been given to you
under the appearance of bread
and His Blood, under the appearance of wine,
so that, when you have partaken
of the Body and Blood of Christ,
you might be One Body and One Blood with Him.
So shall we become Christ-bearers [“Christophers”].
His Body and Blood are diffused through all our members – see, then,
how we become participants
in the Divine Nature!”

St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386)
Father and Doctor of theChurch

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, LENT 2026, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 1April – “Jesus remember me” Luke 23:42

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – Spy Wednesday in Holy Week – Isaias 53:1-12, Luke 22:39-71; 23:1-53

“Jesus remember me”

Luke 23:42

“Blessed are those who have not seen
and have believed.”
John 20:29

“Blessed, therefore, is everyone
who believes the message
of the holy Apostles who, as Saint Luke says,
were eyewitnesses of Christ’s actions
and “ministers of the word” (Lk 1,2).”

St Cyril of Alexandria (380-444)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“… 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

“Because it is not by raising a dead man,
commanding the sea and wind,
or casting out demons that He is able
to change the thief’s sinful soul
but, by being Crucified,
pinned down by nails,
covered with insults, spitting, mockery and torture,
so that you might see the two sides
of His Sovereign Power.
He shook all creation,
split the rocks (Mt 27:51)
and drew to Himself the brigand’s soul,
hard as stone, to cover it with honour…”

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

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on WISDOM, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH

Quote/s of the Day – 19 March – Glorious St Joseph!

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 March – The Month and Feast of St Joseph

“So, taking Christ’s genealogy from Joseph –
a husband in chastity,
he was father in the same way. …
Are you saying that he did not conceive Jesus
through the operation of nature?
Well then, what the Holy Ghost operated,
He did for them both.
For Joseph was “a just man,” Matthew tells us (1:19).
Both husband and wife were just.
The Holy Spirit dwelt within their mutual justice
and gave each of them, a Son!”

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

“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 am free of doubt 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.”

“Behold, the Angel of the Lord
appeared to him in his sleep …”
Matthew 1:20

“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)
Doctor of the Church

Glorious St Joseph!
Prayer for the Intercession
of St Joseph in All Our Needs
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Glorious St Joseph, Spouse of Mary,
grant us thy paternal protection,
we beseech thee, by the Heart of Jesus Christ.
O thou, whose power extends
to all our necessities
and can render possible for us,
the most impossible things.
Open thy fatherly eyes
to the needs of thy children.
In the trouble and distress
which afflicts us,
we confidently have recourse to thee.
Deign to take under thy charitable charge
this important and difficult matter,
cause of our worries.
Make its happy outcome
be for God’s glory
and for the good of His devoted servants.
Amen

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, St Francis de Sales, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – Help us, O God, our Saviour

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent – 3 Kings 3:16-28; John 2:13-25 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Remember not our former iniquities,
let Thy mercies speedily prevent us,
for we are become exceeding poor.
Help us, O God, our Saviour
and for the glory of Thy Name, O Lord,
deliver us and forgive us our sins,
for Thy Name’s sake.”

Psalm 78:8-9

“… There is one Road
and one only,
well secured against all possibility
of going astray
and, this Road is provided
by One, Who is Himself
both God and Man.
As God, He is the Goal,
as Man, He is the Way.”

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

“Prayer, appeases the anger of God;
He pardons the sinner
when he prays with humility.”

St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455)

“Our misery.
is the throne
of God’s mercy.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on PRAYER, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 15 March – ‘… you will collapse along the way…’

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 March – Laetare Sunday / The Fourth Sunday in Lent

“When, therefore, Jesus had lifted up His eyes
and seen, that a very great crowd
had come to Him, He said to Philip,
“Whence shall we buy bread
that these may eat?”
John 6:5

“AND SO CHRIST shares the foodstuffs and,
there is no question, He wants to give it to all.
He withholds it from no-one,
for He provides for everyone.
Nevertheless, when He breaks the loaves
and gives them to the disciples,
unless you hold out your hands
to receive your portion,
you will collapse along the way…”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“… Every man is both debtor and creditor…
A beggar asks you for alms but you, too,
are God’s beggar, for when we pray
we are all beggars of God.
We stand – or rather, prostrate ourselves –
at our Father’s door (cf Lk 11:5);
we beseech Him with groans,
anxious to receive a grace from Him
and this grace is God Himself!
What does the beggar ask of you?
Bread. And what is it that you are asking of God
but Christ, Who said:
“I am the Living Bread come down from Heaven”
(Jn 6:51).”

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

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2026, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL

Quote/s of the Day – 14 March – From NOW on …

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 March – Saturday of the 3rd Week in Lent – Ferial Day – Daniel 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62 – John 8:1-11

“Go and from now on,
sin no more”

John 8:11

“The Lord did condemn, therefore
but He condemned the sin, not the sinner…
Let them be careful, then, those who love
the goodness in the Lord
but who fear His truthfulness …
The Lord is gracious, t
he Lord is slow to anger,
the Lord is merciful BUT the Lord is also JUST
and the Lord is abounding in TRUTH (Ps 85:15).
… This, then, is the meaning of the words
He addresses to this woman,
“Neither do I condemn you but, having been
made secure concerning the past,
be on your guard in the future.
I, for My part, will not condemn you,
I have blotted out what you have done;
keep what I have commanded
that you may gain what I have promised!”

“You do not know
when your last day may come.
You are an ingrate!
Why not use the day, today,
that God has given you
to repent?”

“The sky and the earth and the waters
and the things which are in them, the fishes
and the birds and the trees are not evil.
All these are good;
it is evil men who make this evil world.”

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

“Our God, … being good and merciful,
wants us to confess [our sins] in this world,
so that we may not be ashamed
because of them in the next.
So if we confess them then,
He, on His part,
shows Himself to be merciful;
if we acknowledge them,
then He forgives … ”

St Caesarius of Arles (470-543)
Bishop and Monk

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), Quotes Self-Oblation, SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 March – From the heart

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 March – Wednesday of the Third Week in Lent – Exodus 20:12-24, Matthew 15:1-20

“But the things which proceed
out of the mouth,
come from the heart
and it is they which defile a man.”

Matthew 15:18

“Our hearts were made for Thee, O God
And restless must they be
Until, O God, this grace accord,
Until they rest in Thee!”

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

“Govern my heart O Lord,
lest it drift into useless and disordered thoughts.
Do not permit me to become excessively preoccupied
with anything at all, even matters and concerns
which are useful and good in themselves.
Temper the affections of my soul,
so that I may neither love, nor hate
anything, in a way which exceeds due proportions.
Let me neither rejoice, nor be saddened,
beyond the measure which is fitting and rational.”

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

“Do not fix your longings on anything
which you do not possess;
do not let your heart rest in that which you have;
do not grieve overmuch,
at the losses which may happen to you –
and then, you may reasonably believe
that although rich in fact,
you are not so in affection
but that you are poor in spirit
and, therefore, blessed,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is yours.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“Be brave and try to detach your heart
from worldly things.
Do your utmost to banish darkness
from your mind and come to understand
what true, selfless piety is.
Through confession, endeavour
to purify your heart of anything
which may still taint it.
Enliven your faith which is essential
to understand and achieve piety.”

St John Bosco (1815-1888)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, LENT 2026, Of BEGGARS, the POOR, against POVERTY, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the POOR, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 5 March – ‘ … Give earth and receive Heaven! …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 March – Ferial Day – Thursday of the Second Week in Lent – Jeremias 17:5-10 – Luke 16:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“There was a rich man,
who was clothed in purple
and fine linen
and who feasted sumptuously everyday.
And at his gate lay a poor man,
named Lazarus…”

Luke 16:19–20

“Amen I say to you,
as long as you did NOT do it
for one of these least ones,
you did NOT do it for Me.”

Matthew 25:45

“Give of your earthly goods
and receive eternal ones;
give earth and receive Heaven!”

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

“What is a man’s treasure
but the heaping up of profits
and the fruit of his toil?
For, whatever a man sows,
this too will he reap and each man’s gain,
matches his toil and where delight
and enjoyment are found,
there the heart’s desire is attached.
Now, there are many kinds of wealth
and a variety of grounds for rejoicing –
every man’s treasure is that, which he desires.
If it is based on earthly ambitions,
its acquisition makes men not blessed but wretched.
… By distributing what might be superfluous
to support the poor, they are amassing
imperishable riches, so that what they have
discreetly given, cannot be subject to loss.
They have properly placed those riches,
where their heart is – it is a most blessed thing,
to work to increase such riches,
rather than to fear that they may pass away.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
ather and Doctor of the Church

“If thou wouldst see well, pluck out thine eyes and be blind;
if thou wouldst hear well, be deaf
and if thou wouldst speak well, become dumb;
if thou wouldst advance, stand still
and advance with thy mind;
if thou wouldst work well, cut off thy hands
and work with thy heart;
if thou wouldst love much, hate thyself;
if thou wouldst live well, mortify thyself;
if thou wouldst gain much and be rich,
first lose all and become poor
and if thou wouldst enjoy peace, afflict thyself
and be ever in fear and suspect thine own self;
if thou wouldst be exalted and have great honour,
humble and abase thyself;
if thou wouldst be held in great reverence, despise thyself
and do reverence to him who reviles thee;
if thou wouldst that it should be well with thee,
suffer all evil things and if thou wouldst be blessed,
desire that all should speak ill of thee
and if thou wouldst have true and eternal rest,
then toil and suffer and desire to have every temporal affliction.
O what great wisdom it is to know how to do
and to work out these things.”

Blessed Giles of Assisi (c1190-1262)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on HUMILITY

Quote of the Day – 28 February – If you wish to reach high, then begin at the lowest level.

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Quote of the Day – 28 February – Ember Saturday

“If you wish to reach high, then begin at the lowest level.
If you are trying to construct some mighty edifice in height,
you will begin with the lowest foundation.
This is humility.
However great the mass of the building
you may wish to design or erect,
the taller the building is to be,
the deeper you will dig the foundation.
The building in the course of its erection,
rises up high but he who digs its foundation,
must first go down very low.
So then, you see even a building is low
before it is high and the tower is raised,
only after humiliation.”

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

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 February – Feast of St Matthias “Thou has Chosen”

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 February – Feast of St Matthias, Apostle – Acts 1:15-26, Matthew 11:25-30 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And praying, they said:
Thou, Lord, Who knows the hearts of all men,
show which of these two Thou hast chosen,
to take the place of this ministry and apostleship,
from which Judas hath, by transgression, fallen …”

Acts 1:24-25

“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

“Day by day follow God’s path,
keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise.
In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His Apostles,
to all those who seek His will and His testimonies
that He would be with them
until the end of the world (Mt 28:20)
where paths and footsteps
will be unknown (cf Ps 76:20),
as the divine David said in his songs.
Yet, in an invisible way,
He is present to the eyes of the mind,
making Himself seen by those
who have a pure heart
and conversing with them.
So pursue your path …. ”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)
Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2026, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The WORD, Thomas Aquinas

The First Sunday of Lent – 22 February – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas – Christ willed to be tempted

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The First Sunday of Lent – 22 February – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Doctor of the Church

The First Week of Lent – Sunday

It was fitting that Christ should be tempted

“Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert,
to be tempted by the devil.”
Matt iv. i

Christ willed to be tempted:

  1. That He might assist us against our own temptations.
    St Gregory says: “That our Redeemer, Who had come to earth to be killed, should will to be tempted, was not unworthy of Him. It was. indeed but just that He should overcome our temptations by His own, in the same way that He had come to overcome our death by His death.”
  2. To warn us that no man, however holy he be, should think himself safe and free from temptation.
    Whence again, His choosing to be tempted after His Baptism, about which St Hilary says: “The devil’s wiles are especially directed to trap us at times when we have recently been made holy because the devil desires no victory as much as a victory over the world of Grace.”
    Whence too, the Scripture warns us, “Son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear and prepare thy soul for temptation” (Ecclus ii. i).
  3. To give us an example of how we should overcome the temptations of the devil, St Augustine says: “Christ gave Himself to the devil to be tempted that, in the matter of our overcoming those same temptations, He might be of service, not only by His assistance but too, by His example.”
  4. To fill and saturate our minds with confidence in His Mercy.
    “For we have not a High Priest Who cannot have compassion on our infirmities but One , without sin but ttempted in all things, like as we are, (Heb iv. 15).

ST THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274)
Priest, Theologian, Dominican
Doctor Angelicus (Angelic Doctor)
Doctor Communis (Common Doctor)
Added by Pope Saint Pius V in 1568

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOMINICAN OP, LENT 2026, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRAYER, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

Quote/s of the Day – 19 February – Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 February –Ash Thursday

“Fasting cleanses the soul,
raises the mind,
subjects one’s flesh to the spirit,
renders the heart contrite and humble,
scatters the clouds of concupiscence,
quenches the fire of lust
and kindles the true light of chastity.
Enter again into yourself!”

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

“Arm yourself with prayer
instead of a sword;
be clothed with humility
instead of fine raiment.”

St Dominic OP (1170-1221)

“What great profit you gain from God
when you are generous!
You give a coin
and receive a Kingdom;
you give bread from wheat
and receive the Bread of Life;
you give a transitory good
and receive an everlasting one.
You will receive it back,
a hundred times more
than you offered.”

St Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, LENT 2026, NOVENAS, The HOLY FACE

Lenten Preparation Novena to the Holy Face – The First Day – 9 February

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Lenten Preparation
Novena to the Holy Face
To end on Shrove Tuesday, 17 February this year,
The Feast of the Holy Face

For so many, Shrove Tuesday is a date on the calendar that is often overshadowed by Ash Wednesday that memorable day we wear the outward sign of repentance and recall our mortality. How much more meaningful will our Ash Wednesday be, if we first mark Shrove Tuesday as a Feast of the Holy Face, concluding the Novena we began in the time of preparation and beginning Lent more in love with the Countenance of Christ and, through Him, made more beautiful in our own soul. AMEN,
Let us Pray ………….

“I firmly wish that My Face reflecting the intimate pains of My Soul, the suffering and love of My Heart, be more honoured! Whoever gazes upon Me already consoles Me.” – (Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)

“All those who, attracted by My Love and venerating My Countenance, shall receive, by virtue of My Humanity, a brilliant and vivid impression of My Divinity. This splendour shall enlighten the depths of their souls, so that in eternal glory the Celestial Court shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features, with My Divine Countenance.” … (Our Lord Jesus Christ to St Gertrude)

This Novena prayer may be said at any time but especially in the nine days leading up to the Feast of the Holy Face on Shrove Tuesday. The first Medal of the Holy Face was offered to Pope Pius XII who approved the Devotion and the Medal. In 1958, he formally declared the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus as Shrove Tuesday.

(Console the Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer) below.
Psalm 51:3-4.
Have mercy on me, O God in Thy goodness,
in Thy great tenderness wipe away my faults,
wash me clean of my guilt, purify me from my sin.

DAILY PREPARATORY PRAYER

O Most Holy and Blessed Trinity,
through the intercession of Holy Mary,
whose soul was pierced through
by a sword of sorrow
at the sight of the Passion of her Divine Son,
we ask Thy assistance,
in making a perfect Novena of Reparation with Jesus,
united with all His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We now implore all the Angels and Saints
to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena
to the Most Holy Face of Jesus
and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen

THE FIRST DAY:

PRAYER:
O most Holy Face of Jesus,
look with tenderness on us who are sinners.
Thou art a merciful God,
full of love and compassion.
Keep us pure of heart,
so that we may see Thee always.
Mary, our Mother,
intercede for us,
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Through the merits of Thy Precious Blood
and Thine Holy Face, O Jesus,
grant us our petition ………………
and Thy pardon and mercy.

Almighty Father, Come Into Our Hearts
By St Augustine (354-430)

Almighty Father, come into our hearts
and so fill us with Thy Love
that forsaking all evil desires,
we may embrace Thee, our only good.
Show us, O Lord our God,
what Thou art to us.
Say to our souls, I Am your salvation,
speak so, that we may hear.
Our hearts are before Thee,
open our ears,
let us hasten after Thy Voice.
Hide not Thy Face from us,
we beseech Thee, O Lord.
Open our hearts, so that Thou may enter in.
Repair the ruined mansions,
that Thou may dwell therein.
Hear us, O Heavenly Father,
for the sake of Thy Only Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who lives and reigns with Thee
and the Holy Ghost,
one God, now and forever.
Amen

Pray (1) Our Father, (3) Hail Marys, (1) Glory Be.

O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine,
be every Adoration Thine
(Three times)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 December – “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow Me.” – John 21:22

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One Minute Reflection – 27 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St John, the Apostle and Evangelist, the Beloved – St John the Apostle and Evangelist – Ecclesiasticus 15:1-6 – John 21:19-24 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow Me.” – John 21:22

REFLECTION – “The Church knows of two lives advocated and recommended by God . One in faith, the other in vision; one in our pilgrimage through time, the other in the abode of eternity; one in working, the other in repose; one on the way, the other in our homeland; one in the labour of action, the other in the reward of contemplation. … The first is represented by the Apostle Peter, the second, by John. The first wholly takes place here below, until the end of the world and then comes to an end. The second only reaches its fulfilment after the world’s end; in the world to come, it will never end.

“What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow Me” …. Let your action follow Me, perfect and modelled on the example of My Passion; let the contemplation which has begun, remain until My return: I will perfect it when I come again. For this persevering fervour which stands firm to the death, is a following of Christ and this knowledge, which will then be manifested in fullness, remains until the return of Christ. Here, in the country of mortal men, we must undergo the afflictions of this world; there, we shall contemplate the Lord’s blessings, in the land of the living (Ps 26:13). …

So let no-one divide one from the other of these two, glorious Apostles, for both are contained in what Peter symbolises and both, will be in what John represents.” – St Augustine (354-320) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermons on Saint John’s Gospel No 124: 5-7).

PRAYER – O Lord, graciously shed light upon Thy Church, so that, enlightened by the teachings of blessed John, ThyApostle and Evangelist, she may gain YThy everlasting rewards.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 AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on FAITH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 December – “Blessed are they who have not seen and yet, have believed.” – John 20:29

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One Minute Reflection – 22 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of St Thomas, Apostle of Christ (Delayed) – Ephesians 2:19-22 – John 20:24-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed are they who have not seen and yet, have believed.” – John 20:29

REFLECTION – “The disciples’ weakness was so unsteady that, not content with seeing the risen Lord, they still wanted to touch Him if they were to believe in Him. It was not enough for them to see Him with their eyes, they wanted to put out their hands to His limbs and touch the marks of His recent wounds. It was after He had touched and acknowledged His scars that the unbelieving disciple cried out: “My Lord and my God!” Those scars revealed the One Who, where other people were concerned, healed every wound! Could the Lord not have risen without scars? Yet, He saw within His disciples’ hearts, wounds which those scars which He had preserved in His Body, would heal.

And what does the Lord answer that confession of faith of His disciple, who says: “My Lord and my God”? “Have you come to believe because you have seen Me? Blessed are they who have not seen and yet, have believed.” Who is He talking about, my friends, if not of us? And not just of us but of those, too, who will follow us. For shortly afterwards, when He had disappeared from mortal sight so as to strengthen faith in the heart, all those who became believers, believed without seeing and their faith had great merit. To acquire it they reached out to Him, not a hand with which to touch Him but only, a loving heart! ” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 88).

PRAYER – O Lord, grant us, we beseech Thee, to glory in the Feast-day of blessed Thomas, Thy Apostle, that we maybe helped continually by his patronage and imitate his faith with a devotion like his. 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).