February is traditionally the Month of the Blessed Trinity, with the Holy Family being celebrated together with the Holy Name of Jesus in January.
The Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
(50 Days. 100 Days if made with Holy Water Blessed Pope Pius IX, 1865.)
WHENE’ER across this sinful flesh of mine I draw the Holy Sign, All good thoughts stir within me and renew Their slumbering strength divine, Till there springs up a courage high and true To suffer and to do.
And who shall say but hateful spirits around, For their brief hour unbound, Shudder to see and wail their overthrow? While on far heathen ground Some lonely Saint hails the fresh odour, though Its source he cannot know.
John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Oxford – 25 November 1832
Quote/s of the Day – 2 October – The Holy Guardian Angel
“See that you despise not one of these little ones, for I say to you that their Angels in Heaven, always see the face of My Father.”
Matthew 18:10
“Be good! This will make your angel happy. When sorrows and misfortunes, physical or spiritual, afflict you, turn to your Guardian Angel, with strong trust and he will help you.”
St John Bosco (1815-1888)
“O Angel of God, whom God hath appointed to be my Guardian, enlighten and protect, direct and govern me. Amen.”
(Indulgence of one hundred days each time. Plenary once a month if said daily)
My Oldest Friend By John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
My oldest friend, mine from the hour When first I drew my breath, My faithful friend, that shall be mine, Unfailing, till my death….
Mine when I stand before the Judge, And mine, if spared to stay Within the golden furnace, till My sin is burn’d away.
And mine, O Brother of my soul, When my release shall come, Thy gentle arms shall lift me then, Thy wings shall waft me home.”
Our Morning Offering – 12 April – Tuesday of Holy Week
Thy Grace A Lenten Prayer By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
O my God, suffer me still, bear with me in spite of my waywardness, perverseness and ingratitude! I improve very slowly but really, I am moving onto Heaven, or at least, I wish to move. Only give me Thy grace meet me with Thy grace, I will, through Thy grace, do what I can and Thou shall perfect it for me. Then shall I have happy days, in Thy Presence and in the sight and adoration of Thy five Sacred Wounds. Amen
Saint of the Day – 24 March – The Archangel Saint Gabriel. The name GABRIEL is a Hebrew name generally translated “strength of God” more accurately “my strength is in God” or “God is my strength.” Gabriel appeared to the prophet Daniel (Dan 8:16; 9:21), to the priest Zachary to announce the forthcoming birth of Saint John the Baptist (Luke 1:11, 19) and to the Blessed Virgin Mary to announce the birth of Our Saviour (Luke 1:26.). His Feast Day is celebrated today 24 March. PATRONAGES – Ambassadors, Telecommunication workers, Radio and Television Broadcasters, Messengers and Couriers, Postal workers, Clerical workers, Diplomats, Stamp Collectors, Portugal, Santander in the Cebu Province in the Philippines.
Saint Gabriel, the Archangel Abbot Prosper Guéranger OSB (1805-1875)
So far in the Church’s Calendar, we have not met with any Feast in honour of the Holy Angels. Amidst the ineffable joys of Christmas Night, we mingled our timid but glad voices with the Hymns of these heavenly Spirits, who sang around the Crib of our Emmanuel. The very recollection brings joy to our hearts, saddened as they now are by penitential feelings and by the near approach of the mournful anniversary of our Jesus’ Death. Let us, for a moment, interrupt our sadness, and keep the Feast of the Archangel Gabriel. Later on, we shall have Michael, Raphael, and the countless host of the Angel Guardians but today, it is just that we should honour Gabriel. Yes, a day hence and we shall see this heavenly Ambassador of the Blessed Trinity coming down to the Virgin of Nazareth, let us, therefore, recommend ourselves to him and beseech him to teach us how to celebrate, in a becoming manner, the grand Mystery of which he was the Messenger.
Gabriel is one of the first of the Angelic Kingdom. He tells Zachary, that he stands before the Face of God (St. Luke 1:11,19.). He is the Angel of the Incarnation because it is in this Mystery, which apparently is so humble, that the power of God is principally manifested and, Gabriel signifies the strength of God. We find the Archangel preparing for his sublime office, even in the Old Testament. First of all, he appears to Daniel, after this Prophet had had the vision of the Persian and Grecian Empires and, such was the majesty of his person, that Daniel fell on his face trembling (Dan 7:17). Shortly afterwards, he appears again to the same Prophet, telling him the exact time of the coming of the Messias: Know thou and take notice: that from the going forth of the word to build up Jerusalem again, unto Christ the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks (Ibid. 9:25), that is, sixty-nine weeks of years.
Follower Francesco Solimena The Archangel Saint Gabriel appears to the Prophet Daniel
When the fulness of time had come and Heaven was about to send the last of the Prophets, he, who after preaching to men the approach of the Messias, is to show him to the people, saying: Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, Gabriel descends from Heaven to the temple of Jerusalem and prophesies to Zachary the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:13), which was to be followed by that of Jesus Himself.
St Gabriel appears to Zachary – Fra Angelico
Six months later on, the holy Archangel again appears on the earth and this time it is Nazareth that he visits. He brings the great message from Heaven. Angel as he is, he reveres the humble Maid, whose name is Mary. He has been sent to her by the Most High God, to offer her the immense honour of becoming the Mother of the Eternal Word. It is Gabriel that receives the great Fiat, the consent of Mary and when he leaves this earth, he leaves it in possession of Him, for Whom it had so long prayed, in those words of Isaias: Drop down Dew, O ye Heavens (Is. 14:8.)!
The hour at length came, when the Mother of the Emmanuel was to bring forth the Blessed Fruit of her virginal Womb. Jesus was born amidst poverty but Heaven willed that His Crib should be surrounded by fervent adorers. An Angel appeared to some Shepherds, inviting them to go to the Stable near Bethlehem. He is accompanied by a multitude of the heavenly army, sweetly singing their hymn: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will! Who is this Angel that speaks to the Shepherds and seems, as the chief of the other blessed Spirits that are with him? In the opinion of several learned writers, it is the Archangel Gabriel, who is keeping up his ministry as Messenger of the Good Tidings (St. Luke 2:10).
Lastly, when Jesus is suffering His Agony in the Garden of Gethsemani, an Angel appears to Him, not merely as a witness of His suffering but that He might strengthen Him, under the fear his Human Nature felt at the thought of the Chalice of the Passion He was about to drink (Ibid. 22:42, 43.). Who is this Angel? It is Gabriel, as we learn, not only from the writings of several holy and learned authors,but also, from a Hymn which the Holy See has permitted to be used in the Liturgy. …
These are the claims of the great Archangel to our veneration and love; these are the proofs he gives of his deserving his beautiful name, the Strength of God. God has employed him in each stage of the great work, in which he has chiefly manifested his power, for Jesus, even on his Cross, is the Power of God (1 Cor. 1:21.), as the Apostle tells us. Gabriel prepares the way for Jesus. He foretells the precise time of His Coming; He announces the birth of His Precursor; he is present at the solemn moment when the Word is made Flesh; he invites the Shepherds of Bethlehem to come to the Crib and adore the Divine Babe and when Jesus, in his Agony, is to receive Strength from one of His own creatures, Gabriel is found ready in the Garden of Gethsemani, as he had been at Nazareth and Bethlehem.
The Angel of the Agony John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Jesu! by that shuddering dread which fell on Thee; Jesu! by that cold dismay which sicken’d Thee; Jesu! by that pang of heart which thrill’d in Thee; Jesu! by that mount of sins which crippled Thee; Jesu! by that sense of guilt which stifled Thee; Jesu! by that innocence that girded Thee; Jesu! by that sanctity that reign’d in Thee; Jesu! by that Godhead which was one with Thee; Jesu! spare those souls which are so dear to Thee; Who in prison, calm and patient, wait for Thee; Hasten, Lord, their hour and bid them come to Thee; To that glorious Home, where they shall ever gaze on Thee. Amen
O holy Angel who didst strengthen Jesus Christ our Lord, come and strengthen us also, come and tarry not!
Our Morning Offering – 15 February – The Commermoration of Sts Faustinus and Jovinus (Died c 120) Martyrs – 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 10:1-5, Matthew 20:1-16
Nunc, Sancte, nobis Spiritus Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One By St Ambrose (340-397) Trans John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Trans 1836
Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One Art with the Father and the Son. Come, Holy Ghost, our souls possess With Thy full flood of holiness.
In will and deed, by heart and tongue, With all our powers, Thy praise be sung. And love light up our mortal frame, Till others catch the living flame.
Almighty Father, hear our cry Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high, Who with the Holy Ghost and Thee Doth live and reign eternally.
February is traditionally the Month of the Blessed Trinity, with the Holy Family being celebrated together with the Holy Name of Jesus in January.
The Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
(50 Days. 100 Days if made with Holy Water Blessed Pope Pius IX, 1865.)
WHENE’ER across this sinful flesh of mine I draw the Holy Sign, All good thoughts stir within me and renew Their slumbering strength divine, Till there springs up a courage high and true To suffer and to do.
And who shall say but hateful spirits around, For their brief hour unbound, Shudder to see and wail their overthrow? While on far heathen ground Some lonely Saint hails the fresh odour, though Its source he cannot know.
John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Oxford – 25 November 1832
One Minute Reflection – 26 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Readings: Daniel 7: 2-14; Daniel 3: 75-81; Luke 21: 29-33 – The Memorial of St Sylvester Gozzolini OSB Silv. (1177– 1267)
“Consider the fig tree” – Luke 21:29
REFLECTION – “The earth that we see does not satisfy us; it is but a beginning; it is but a promise of something beyond it; even when it is gayest, with all its blossoms on and shows most touchingly what lies hid in it, yet it is not enough. We know much more lies hid in it than we see. A world of Saints and Angels, a glorious world, the palace of God, the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, the heavenly Jerusalem, the throne of God and Christ, all these wonders, everlasting, all-precious, mysterious, and incomprehensible, lie hid in what we see. What we see is the outward shell of an eternal Kingdom and on that Kingdom we fix the eyes of our faith.
Shine forth, O Lord, as when, on Thy Nativity, Thine Angels visited the shepherds; let Thy glory blossom forth, as bloom and foliage on the tree,; change with Thy mighty power this visible world into that divine world, which, as yet we see not, destroy what we see, that it may pass and be transformed into what we believe. Bright as is the sun and the sky and the clouds; green as are the leaves and the fields; sweet as is the singing of the birds – we know that they are not all and we will not take up with a part, for the whole. They proceed from a centre of Love and Goodness, which is God Himself but they are not His Fullness; they speak of Heaven but they are not Heaven; they are but as stray beams and dim reflections of His Image; they are but crumbs from the table!” – St John Henry Newman C.O. (1801-1890),Priest, Theologian (The Invisible World » PPS, vol. 4, no.13)
PRAYER – Lord God, creator of all Light and creator of all good, grant that we may look up to You always and know that by Your Light and your goodness we are safe in this world of corruption. May the Light of our Lord Jesus, make the path He has set out bright and clear and may the prayers of St Sylvester Gozzolini be a help in our struggle. Lead us, Lord, in Your kindness and mercy to our heavenly home. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 25 November – Readings: Daniel 6: 12-28; Psalm: Daniel 3: 68-74; Luke 21: 20-28
“Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”
Luke 21:28
“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father, who is in heaven…”
Matthew 10:32
“Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Matthew 24:13
“Sheltered under the name of Jesus Christ, I do not fear these pains ….”
St Lawrence (Died 258) Martyr
“When insults have no effect on us, when persecutions and penalties, have no terror for us, when prosperity or adversity, has no influence on us, when friend and foe, are viewed in the same light… do we not come close, to sharing, the serenity of God?”
St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) “St Bernard of the North”
“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:36
“Life is short, Death is certain and the world to come is everlasting.”
Our Morning Offering – 25 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”
Prayer for the Faithful Departed By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
O God of the Spirits of all flesh, O Jesu, Lover of souls, we recommend unto Thee, the souls of all those Thy servants, who have departed with the sign of faith and sleep the sleep of peace. We beseech Thee, O Lord and Saviour, that, as in Thy mercy to them, Thou became man, so now, Thou would hasten the time and admit them to Thy Presence above… May the heavens be opened to them and the Angels rejoice with them … May all the Saints and elect of God, who in this world suffered torments for Thy Name, befriend them, that, being freed from the prison beneath, they may be admitted into the glories of that Kingdom, where, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, Thou lives and reigns, one God, world without end … Eternal rest give to them, O Lord. And may perpetual light shine upon them. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 2 November – All Souls Day – Readings: Wisdom 3: 1-9; Romans 5: 5-11 or Romans 6: 3-9; Gospel: John 6: 37-40
“We should have a daily familiarity with death, a daily desire for death. By this kind of detachment, our soul must learn to free itself from the desires of the body. It must soar above earthly lusts, to a place where they cannot come near, to hold it fast. It must take on the likeness of death, to avoid the punishment of death!”
“Death is then no cause for mourning, for it is the cause of mankind’s salvation. Death is not something to be avoided, for the Son of God did not think it beneath His dignity, nor did He seek to escape it.”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church
“We should consider how much good our Lord did us, by His first coming and how much more He will do for us, by His second. This thought will help us, to have a great love for that first coming of His and a great longing for His return.”
St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)
“Keep a clear eye toward life’s end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God’s creature. What you are in His sight, is what you are and nothing more. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received… but only what you have given – a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.”
St Francis of Assisi (c 1181-1226)
“Do now, what you wish to have done, when your moment comes to die.”
St Angela Merici (1474-1540)
Sabbatum Sanctum By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
I look at You, my Lord Jesus and think of Your most holy Body and I keep it before me, as a pledge of my own resurrection. Though I die, as die I certainly shall, nevertheless, I shall not forever die, for I shall rise again. O You, who are the Truth, I know and believe with my whole heart, that this very flesh of mine will rise again. I know, base and odious as it is at present, that it will one day, if I be worthy, be raised incorruptible and altogether beautiful and glorious. This I know, this by Your grace, I will ever keep before me. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 9 October – The Memorial of St Louis Bertrand OP (1526-1581) “Apostle of South America”, St John Leonardi OMD (1541-1609), Founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God and St John Henry Newman C.Orat (1801-1890)
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.”
“Those who want to work for moral reform in the world, must seek the glory of God before all else. Because He is the source of all good, they must wait for His help and pray for it, in this difficult and necessary undertaking.”
“Children should be entrusted only to good and God-fearing teachers.”
One Minute Reflection – 9 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: : Joel 4: 12-21; Psalm 97: 1-2, 5-6, 11-12; Luke 11: 27-28
“He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” – Luke 11:28
REFLECTION – “Mary was more blessed in accepting the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ. To someone who said, “Blessed is the womb that bore you,” He replied, “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” Finally, for His brothers, His relatives according to the flesh, who did not believe in Him, of what advantage was that relationship? Even her maternal relationship would have done Mary no good unless she had borne Christ, more happily in her heart, than in her flesh.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace (Holy Virginity, 3).
PRAYER – “O my God, whatever is nearer to me than You, things of this earth and things more naturally pleasing to me, will be sure to interrupt the sight of You, unless Your grace interfere. Keep You my eyes, my ears, my heart, from any such miserable tyranny. Keep my whole being fixed on You. Let me never lose sight of You and while I gaze on You, let my love of You grow more and more every day.” … St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) May we run the race in obedience and love of the Will of our God, always seeking Your Face in those who are the leastg. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 7 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Memorial of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary/Our Lady of Victory
“The greatest method of praying, is to pray the Rosary.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
“The salvation of the whole world began with the “Hail Mary.” Hence, the salvation of each person is also attached to this prayer.”
St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)
“Those who say the Rosary daily and wear the Brown Scapular and who do a little more, will go straight to Heaven.”
St Alphonsus Ligouri (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church
“And so we contemplate all the great mysteries of His life and His birth in the manger and so too, the mysteries of His suffering and His glorified life. But even Christians, with all their knowledge of God, have usually more awe than love of Him and the special virtue of the Rosary, lies in the special way, in which it looks at these mysteries, for with all our thoughts of Him are mingled thoughts of His Mother and in the relations between Mother and Son, we have set before us the Holy Family, the home in which God lived.”
St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
“If our age in its pride laughs at and rejects Our Lady’s Rosary, a countless legion of the most saintly men of every age and of every condition, have not only held it most dear and have most piously recited it but, have also used it at all times, as a most powerful weapon to overcome the devil, to preserve the purity of their lives, to acquire virtue more zealously, in a word, to promote peace among men.”
Pope Pius XI (1857-1939)
“There is no surer means of calling down God’s blessing upon the family, than the daily recitation of the Rosary.”
Quote/s of the Day – 27 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Exodus 33: 7-11; 34: 5b-9, 28; Psalms 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13; Matthew 13: 36-43
“The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom, all causers of sin and all law-breakers and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Matthew 13:41-43
“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?”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“Ah Jesus, Sun of Justice, make me clothe myself with You, so that I may be able to live according to Your will. Make me, under Your guidance, preserve my robe of baptismal innocence, white, holy and spotless and present it undefiled, before Your tribunal, so that I may wear it, for eternal life.”
St Gertrude the Great of Helfta (1256-1301)
“This then is to watch – to be detached from what is present and to live in what is unseen, to live in the thought of Christ as He came once and as He will come again, to desire His second coming, from our affectionate and grateful remembrance, of His first. ”
Sabbatum Sanctum
I look at You, my Lord Jesus and think of Your most holy Body and I keep it before me, as a pledge of my own resurrection. Though I die, as die I certainly shall, nevertheless, I shall not forever die, for I shall rise again. O You, who are the Truth, I know and believe with my whole heart, that this very flesh of mine will rise again. I know, base and odious as it is at present, that it will one day, if I be worthy, be raised incorruptible and altogether beautiful and glorious. This I know, this by Your grace, I will ever keep before me. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 6 July – “Month of the Precious Blood” – Readings: Genesis 32: 23-33, Psalms 17: 1b, 2-3, 6-7ab, 8b and 15, Matthew 9: 32-38 and the Memorial of St Maria Goretti
“And seeing the multitudes, he had compassion on them because they were distressed and living like sheep without a shepherd.” – Matthew 9:36
REFLECTION – “Look around you, my brethren, on every side … Look around, I say and answer why it is that there is so much change, so much strife, so many parties and sects, so many creeds? because men are dissatisfied and restless; and why restless, with everyone his psalm, his doctrine, his tongue, his revelation, his interpretation? they are restless because they have not found … It has not yet brought them into the Presence of Christ, in which “is fulness of joy” and “pleasure for evermore” (Ps 16[15]:11).
Had they been fed with the bread of life (Jn 6:35) and tasted of the honeycomb, their eyes, like Jonathan’s (1 Sam 14:27), had been enlightened, to acknowledge the Saviour of men but having no such real apprehension of things unseen, they have still to seek and are at the mercy of every rumour from without.
O sad and pitiable spectacle, when the people of Christ wander on the hills as “sheep which have no shepherd;” and instead of seeking Him in His ancient haunts and His appointed home, busy themselves in human schemes, follow strange guides, are taken captive by new opinions, become the sport of chance, or of the humour of the hour, or the victims of self-will, are full of anxiety and perplexity,and jealousy and alarm, “tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” (Eph 4:14) —and all because, they do not seek the “one body” and the “one Spirit,” and the “one hope of their calling,” the “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,” (Eph 4:5-6) and “find rest for their souls” (Mt 11:29)! – St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Cardinal, Founder of the Oratory in England, Theologian, Writer, Poet, Hymnist – Sermon “Invisible Presence of Christ” Sermons on Subjects of the Day, no 21
PRAYER – True Light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ, as You enlighten all men for their salvation, give us grace, we pray, to herald Your coming, by preparing Your ways of justice and of peace. We lift our hearts and eyes in prayer and beg of You that we may always offer You the souls of those in need of You. And may the prayers of Bl At Maria Goretti, strengthen us on our journey. Who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – The Third Suday of Easter, Readings: First: Acts 3: 13-15, 17-19,salm: Psalms 4: 2, 4, 7-8, 9 (7a), Second: First John 2: 1-5a Gospel: Luke 24: 35-48
“It is I, Myself.”
Luke 24:39
“Elizabeth says: ‘Blessed are you because you have believed.’ You also are blessed, because you have heard and believed. A soul that believes, both conceives and brings forth the Word of God and acknowledges His works.”
St Ambrose of Milan (340-397) Great Latin Father and Doctor of the Church
“Have faith and the One you cannot see, is with you.”
“The Lord is near do not be anxious about anything.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Jesus is happy to come with us, as Truth is happy to be spoken, as Life to be lived, as Light to be lit, as Love is to be loved, as Joy to be given, as Peace to be spread.”
St Francis of Assisi (1181/2–1226)
“Only by faith is He known to be present… He removed His visible presence and left but a memorial of Himself. He vanished from sight, that He might be present in the Sacrament and in order to connect His visible presence with His presence invisible … ”
Our Morning Offering – 16 April – Friday of the Second Week of Easter
I Will Put Myself In Your Hands By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
O my God, I will put myself without reserve ,into Your hands. Wealth or woe, joy or sorrow, friends or bereavement, honour or humiliation, good report or ill report, comfort or discomfort. Your presence or the hiding of Your Countenance, all is good, if it comes from You. You are Wisdom and You are Love – what can I desire more. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 15 April – Thursday of the Second Week of Easter
Nunc, Sancte, nobis Spiritus By St Ambrose (340-397) Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One Trans St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Trans 1836
Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One Art with the Father and the Son. Come, Holy Ghost, our souls possess With Thy full flood of holiness.
In will and deed, by heart and tongue, With all our powers, Thy praise be sung. And love light up our mortal frame, Till others catch the living flame.
Almighty Father, hear our cry Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high, Who with the Holy Ghost and Thee Doth live and reign eternally.
Sabbatum Sanctum By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
I look at You, my Lord Jesus and think of Your most holy Body and I keep it before me, as a pledge of my own resurrection. Though I die, as die I certainly shall, nevertheless, I shall not forever die, for I shall rise again. O You, who are the Truth, I know and believe with my whole heart, that this very flesh of mine will rise again. I know, base and odious as it is at present, that it will one day, if I be worthy, be raised incorruptible and altogether beautiful and glorious. This I know, this by Your grace, I will ever keep before me. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 2 April – Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord
The Angel of the Agony St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Jesu! by that shuddering dread which fell on Thee; Jesu! by that cold dismay which sicken’d Thee; Jesu! by that pang of heart which thrill’d in Thee; Jesu! by that mount of sins which crippled Thee; Jesu! by that sense of guilt which stifled Thee; Jesu! by that innocence that girded Thee; Jesu! by that sanctity that reign’d in Thee; Jesu! by that Godhead which was one with Thee; Jesu! spare those souls which are so dear to Thee; Who in prison, calm and patient, wait for Thee; Hasten, Lord, their hour and bid them come to Thee; To that glorious Home, where they shall ever gaze on Thee. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 3 March – Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Thy Grace A Lenten Prayer By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
O my God, suffer me still, bear with me in spite of my waywardness, perverseness and ingratitude! I improve very slowly but really, I am moving onto heaven, or at least, I wish to move. Only give me Thy grace meet me with Thy grace, I will, through Thy grace, do what I can and Thou shall perfect it for me. Then shall I have happy days, in Thy Presence and in the sight and adoration of Thy five Sacred Wounds. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 14 February – Readings: Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46, Psalms 32:1-2, 5, 11, 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1, Mark 1:40-45
LENTEN THOUGHTS
“You can make me clean”
Mark 1:40
“It is the greatest punishment to commit sin, though we may remain unpunished – it is the greatest honour and repose to live virtuously, though we may be punished.”
St John Chrysostom (345-407) Father & Doctor of the Church
“I have hidden My glory and, out of My great love for you, have freely made My richness poor. For you, I suffered hunger, thirst, fatigue. I roamed the mountains, ravines and valleys looking for you, my lost sheep. I took the name of Lamb, to bring you back, calling you with My shepherd’s voice. And I want to give My life for you, to tear you away from claws of the wolf. I bear everything so that you may cry out : “Blessed are You, the one who comes to call Adam.”
St Romanus the Melodist (c 490-c 556)
“But He still follows behind us and counsels us, that we have despised Him but He still does not cease to call us. We turn our backs on His face, so to speak, when we reject His words, when we trample His commandments underfoot but He who sees that we reject Him, still calls out to us by His commandments and waits for us by His patience, stands behind us and calls us back when we have turned away.”
St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father & Doctor of the Church
Cast Upon Us a Look of Mercy By Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)
O Jesus! Cast upon us a look of mercy, turn Your Face towards each of us as You did to Veronica, not that we may see it with our bodily eyes, for this we do not deserve but turn it towards our hearts, so that, remembering You, we may ever draw from this fountain of strength, the vigour necessary to sustain the combats of life. Amen
“… Recollect, that heavy Cross is the weight of our sins. As it fell upon His neck and shoulders, it came down with a shock. Alas! what a sudden, heavy weight have I laid upon Thee, O Jesus. … Ah! how great a misery is it that I have lifted up my hand against my God.”
Quote/s of the Day – 26 October – “Month of the Most Holy Rosary”
“The Rosary is a treasure of graces”
Pope Paul V (1550-1621)
“The Rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who loves His Mother.”
-St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)
“And so we contemplate all the great mysteries of His life and His birth in the manger and so too, the mysteries of His suffering and His glorified life. But even Christians, with all their knowledge of God, have usually more awe than love of Him and the special virtue of the Rosary, lies in the special way, in which it looks at these mysteries, for with all our thoughts of Him are mingled thoughts of His Mother and in the relations between Mother and Son, we have set before us the Holy Family, the home in which God lived.”
St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Praise of the Rosary From a sermon of St Francisco Coll
… Oh Rosary! You are a book, brief yes but that teaches the holiest and most sacred of our Religion. You are an ark, that conceals a very rich treasure worthy of all men seeking it with great eagerness. You are a gift from Heaven, that you reveal to us the elements of religion, the principles, the motives and the practice of all the virtues, you light us in charity and love towards that God Who so deigned to do and suffer for us. You wake up the drowsy, enflame the lukewarm, you push the lazy, you embrace the righteous, you convert sinners, you reduce or confuse heretics, you frighten the devil, you tremble to hell or, to put it better, you are a devotion that includes and contains all the devotions.”
“Is this not a work of God and admirable in our eyes? Yes, yes, it is the work of God and given to the world, by the merits of my Father Saint Dominic.”
St Francisco Coll y Guitart OP (1812-1875) “The Apostle of Modern Times”
“There is no surer means of calling down God’s blessing upon the family, than the daily recitation of the Rosary.”
Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)
“The Rosary is the best therapy for these distraught, unhappy, fearful and frustrated souls, precisely because it involves, the simultaneous use of three powers – the physical, the vocal and the spiritual and in that order.”
Quote/s of the Day – 21 October – Wednesday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ephesians 3:2-12, Responsorial Psalm: Isaiah 12:2-3, 4,5-6, Luke 12:39-48
“Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Matthew 24:13
“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:36
“Life is short, Death is certain and the world to come is everlasting.”
“If we would God discern The world we must despise, His love and hate must learn, See all things with His eyes. And we must self forgo If God we would attain, His grace must in us grow And ease us from all pain. So shall we sing His praise And be at one with Him, In peace our voices raise In the celestial hymn, That with quadruple harmony And all mellifluous melody, In Heaven resounds eternally.”
(The Seven Steps of the Ladder of Spiritual Love)
Bl John van Ruysbroeck (c 1293-1382)
“This then is to watch – to be detached from what is present and to live in what is unseen, to live in the thought of Christ as He came once and as He will come again, to desire His second coming, from our affectionate and grateful remembrance, of His first. ”
“He watches with Christ, whoever commemorates and renews, in his own person, Christ’s Cross and Agony and gladly takes up that mantle of affliction which Christ wore here and left behind Him, when He ascended.”
St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Watch over your thoughts because they become words.
Watch over your words because they become actions.
Watch over your actions because they become habits.
Watch over your habits because they become your character.
Watch over your character because it becomes your destiny.
One Minute Reflection – 21 October – Wednesday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ephesians 3:2-12, Responsorial Psalm: Isaiah 12:2-3, 4,5-6, Luke 12:39-48 and the Memorial of Blessed Karl of Austria (1887 – 1922)
“You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” – Luke 12:40
REFLECTION – “Watch!” Our Saviour gave this warning when He was leaving this world—leaving it, that is, as far as His visible presence is concerned. He looked forward to the many hundred years which were to pass before He came again. He knew His own purpose and His Father’s purpose gradually to leave the world to itself, gradually to withdraw from it the tokens of His gracious presence. He contemplated, as contemplating all things, the neglect of Him, which would spread, even among his professed followers … He foresaw the state of the world and the Church, as we see it this day, when His prolonged absence has made it practically thought, that He never will come back in visible presence.
Today, He mercifully whispers into our ears, not to trust in what we see, not to share in that general unbelief, not to be carried away by the world but to “take heed, watch and pray,” (Lk 21:34.36) and look out for His coming. Surely this gracious warning should be ever in our thoughts, being so precise, so solemn, so earnest.
Our Saviour foretold His first coming, yet He took His Church by surprise when He came; much more will He come suddenly the second time and overtake men, now that He has not measured out the interval before it, as then He did but left our watchfulness to the keeping of faith and love … We are not simply to believe but to watch; not simply to love but to watch; not simply to obey but to watch; to watch for what? for that great event, Christ’s coming … we seem to see a special duty enjoined on us … – most of us have a general idea what is meant by believing, fearing, loving and obeying but, perhaps we do not contemplate or apprehend what is meant by “watching.” – St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Cardinal, Founder of the Oratory in England, Theologian – Sermon “ Watching ” PPS, t. 4, n° 22
PRAYER – Holy Father, grant me an operative faith, a faith that will move mountains. Enlighten my soul with Your Light, Goodness, Power and Wisdom. Let my faith be an image of You by lively deeds and love and by conforming myself to Your Will in all things. Blessed Karl of Austria, amidst the fineries of your earthly kingship, you longed only to serve the God of all and searched for complete closeness and abandonment to Him, teach us by your prayer, to serve God alone with upright hearts and thus manifest a true faith, through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 16 October – Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ephesians 1:11-14, Psalms 33:1-2, 4-5,12-13, Luke 12:1-7 and the Memorial of St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) “Apostle of the Sacred Heart” and St Gall (c 550–c 646) Missionary to Switzerland
“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ” … Luke 12:1
REFLECTION – “Christ told His friends, that is, His disciples, to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and scribes, meaning, by leaven, their false pretense. Hypocrisy is hateful to God and humanity. It does not bring a reward and it is utterly useless for the salvation of the soul. It is rather the cause of its damnation. Although sometimes it may escape detection for a little while, before long, it is sure to be uncovered and bring disgrace on them. It is like an unattractive woman when she is stripped of that external embellishment which she produced by artificial means.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Known as ‘The Pillar of Faith,”Archbishop of Alexandria (Commentary on Luke, Homily 86)
“How sensible is Our Lord’s warning to us … to be beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy – professing without practising. He warns us against it, as leaven, as a subtle insinuating evil which will silently spread itself throughout the whole character … He warns us that the pretence of religion never deceives beyond a little time … Let us remember, that all who follow God with but a half heart, strengthen the hands of His enemies, … perplex inquirers after truth and bring reproach upon their Saviour’s name …. Woe unto the deceiver and self-deceived! …. God give us grace to flee from this woe while we still have time! Let us examine ourselves, to see if there be any wicked way in us. … And, let us pray God to enlighten us and to guide us and, to give us the will to please Him and the power.” – St John Henry Newman C.Orat (1801-1890)
PRAYER – Lord Jesus Christ, You wondrously revealed all of the deep treasures of Your Heart to St Margaret Mary. May her merits and example win us the grace to love You above all things and in all things so that we may make our abode in Your own Sacred Heart. St Margaret Mary, pray for us that we may live in the Sacred Heart of Christ our Lord and may the prayer of St Gall lead us to be lights of the truth. Through You, Lord Jesus, who live and reign forever, in union with God our Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 12 October – Monday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31, 5:1, Psalms 113:1-2, 3-4, 5 and 6-7, Luke 11:29-32
“Behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”
Luke 11:32
Born as a son, led forth as a lamb, sacrificed as a sheep, buried as a man, He rose from the dead as a God, for He was by nature God and man.
He is all things: He judges and so He is Law, He teaches and so He is Wisdom, He saves and so He is Grace, He begets and so He is Father, He is begotten and so He is Son, He suffers and so He is Sacrifice, He is buried and so He is man, He rises again and so He is God. This is Jesus Christ, to whom belongs glory for all ages.
Saint Melito, Bishop of Sardis (Died c 180) Early Church Father In Praise of Christ
Firmly I Believe and Truly By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Firmly I believe and truly God is three and God is One And I next acknowledge duly Manhood taken by the Son. And I trust and hope most fully In that Manhood crucified And each thought and deed unruly Do to death, as He has died. Simply to His grace and wholly Light and life and strength belong And I love, supremely, solely, Him the holy, Him the strong.
And I hold in veneration, For the love of Him alone, Holy Church, as His creation, And her teachings, as His own. And I take with joy whatever Now besets me, pain or fear And with a strong will I sever All the ties which bind me here. Adoration aye be given, With and through the angelic host, To the God of earth and heaven, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Quote/s of the Day – 9 October – The Memorial ofSt Louis Bertrand OP (1526-1581) “Apostle of South America”, St John Leonardi OMD (1541-1609), Founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God and St John Henry Newman C.Orat (1801-1890)
“If, because of your preaching, men lay aside enmities, forgive injuries, avoid occasions of sin and scandals and reform their conduct, you may say that the seed has fallen on good ground. But to God alone give all the glory and acknowledge yourselves ever unprofitable servants.”
St Louis Bertrand (1526-1581)
“The medicine of God, is Jesus Christ, Crucified and Risen, the measure of all things.”
“Christ first of all, Christ in the centre of the heart, in the centre of history and of the cosmos. Humanity needs Christ intensely because, He is our “measure.” There is no realm, that cannot be touched by His strength; there is no evil, that cannot find remedy in Him, there is no problem, that cannot be solved in Him. Either Christ or nothing!”
Our Morning Offering – 9 October – Friday of the Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St John Henry Newman C.Orat (1801-1890)
O Heart of Jesus, All Love By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
O Heart of Jesus all love, I offer You these humble prayers for myself and for all those, who unite themselves with me in spirit to adore You. O holiest Heart of Jesus most lovely, I intend to renew and to offer to You, these acts of adoration and these prayers, for myself, a wretched sinner and for all those, who are associated with me in Your adoration, through all moments which I breathe, even to the end of my life. I recommend to You, O my Jesus, Holy Church, Your dear spouse and our true Mother, all just souls and all poor sinners, the afflicted, the dying and all mankind. Let not Your Blood be shed for them in vain. Finally, deign to apply it in relief of the souls in Purgatory and of these in particular …………………..…. Amen
AnaStpaul 
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