Category: APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT

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One Minute Reflection – 16 April – Shut doors!

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One Minute Reflection – 16 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Low Sunday, The Octave Day of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20. 19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“We have seen the Lord.” – John 20:25

REFLECTION – “While hiding in a house, the Apostles see Christ; He entered, all the doors being shut. But Thomas, who was absent at that time… shuts his ears and wants to open his eyes… He bursts out with his incredulity, hoping, in this way, his desire will be answered. “My doubts are not going to disappear until I see Him,” he says. “I shall put my finger in the marks of the nails and embrace this Lord of mine Whom I long for so much. Let Him reproach my lack of faith but let Him satisfy me with sight of Him. For now, I am unbelieving but, when I see Him, I shall believe. I shall believe when I clasp Him in my arms and gaze on Him. I wish to see the holes in those Hands which have healed the hands of Adam’s wrongdoing. I wish to see the Side which cast out death from mankind’s side. I wish, be my own witness, to see the Lord and another’s testimony is not enough for me. Your tales aggravate my impatience. The joyful news you bring does nothing but stir up my turmoil. I shall not be cured of this sickness, unless I touch its medicine with my own hands.”

The Lord appeared again and dispelled both the sadness and the doubt of His disciple. What am I saying? He did not dispel his doubts, he fulfilled his expectation! He entered, all the doors being shut!” – Basil of Seleucia (Died c468) Archbishop (Sermon for the Resurrection).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who have celebrated the Paschal Feast, may, by Thy bounty, retain its fruits in our daily habits and behaviour. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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Our Morning Offering – 16 April – At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing

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Our Morning Offering – 16 April – Low Sunday, The Octave Day of Easter – “The Month of the Resurrection”

At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing
By Robert Campbell (1814-1868)
Scottish Catholic Convert, Hymnist

At the Lamb’s high feast we sing
Praise to our victorious King,
Who hath washed us in the tide
Flowing from His pierced side.
Praise we Him, Whose love Divine,
Gives His Sacred Blood for wine,
Gives His Body for the feast,
Christ the Victim, Christ the Priest.

Where the Paschal Blood is poured,
Death’s dark Angel sheathes his sword
Israel’s hosts triumphant go
Through the wave that drowns the foe.
Praise we Christ, Whose Blood was shed,
Paschal Victim, paschal Bread.
With sincerity and love
Eat we manna from above.

Mighty Victim from the sky!
Hell’s fierce powers beneath Thee lie;
Thou hast conquer’d in the fight,
Thou hast brought us Life and Light.
Now no more can death appal,
Now no more the grave enthral.
Thou hast opened paradise,
And in Thee Thy saints shall rise.

Easter triumph, Easter joy,
Sin alone can this destroy;
From sin’s power do Thou set free
Souls new-born, O Lord, in Thee.
Hymns of glory and of praise,
Risen Lord, to Thee we raise.
Holy Father, praise to Thee,
With the Spirit, ever be.

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One Minute Reflection – 15 April – The Sun of Justice … today rises and shines on the whole creation.

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One Minute Reflection – 15 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Easter Saturday – 1 Peter 2:1-10, John 20:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“This is the day which the Lord has made: let us be glad and rejoice therein.” – Psalm 117:24.

REFLECTION – “The Sun of Justice (Mal 3:20) which had disappeared for three days, today rises and shines on the whole creation. Christ was in the tomb for three days but He existed before the ages! He comes up like a vine and fills the earth with joy. Let us behold the Rising Sun which will never set, let us anticipate the day and be filled with the joy of this Light!

The gates of Hell have been broken by Christ, the dead awake from sleep. Christ rises, He, the Resurrection of the dead and comes to awaken Adam. Christ, the Resurrection of all who have died, rises and comes to free Eve from malediction. Christ rises, He Who is the Resurrection and He transforms, in all its beauty, what had “no stately bearing to make us look at Him” (Is 53:2). As a sleeper, the Lord awoke and confounded all the deceitfulness of the enemy. He was raised and gave joy to the whole creation; He was raised and the prison-house of Hell was emptied; He was raised and transformed, what is corruptible into incorruptibility (1 Cor 15:53). The Risen Christ clothed Adam with incorruptibility, his original dignity.

Today, through Christ, the Church becomes a new heaven (Apoc 21:1), a more beautiful vault to contemplate, than the visible sun. The sun which we see everyday, cannot compare with this Sun – as a servant filled with respect, it eclipsed before Him, when it saw Him hanging on the Cross (Mt 27:45). It is of this Sun that the prophet said: “For you, who fear My Name, there will arise the Sun of Justice with its healing rays” (Mal 3:20)…Through Him, Christ, the Sun of Justice, the Church becomes a beautiful heaven filled with a multitude of stars which emerge from the Baptismal waters in their new Light. “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad” (Ps 117:24), filled with the joy that comes from God.” – St Epiphanius of Salamis (?-403) Bishop

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God that we, who have devoutly kept the Easter solemnities, may at last worthily pass from keeping Feasts, unto Thee here below, to the everlasting jubilation above. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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Our Morning Offering – 14 April – Easter Prayer of Praise

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Our Morning Offering – 14 April – “The Month of the Resurrection”

Easter Prayer of Praise
By St Gregory the Great (540-604)
Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church

It is only right, with all the powers
of our heart and mind,
to praise Thee Father
and Thine Only-Begotten Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear Father, by Thy wondrous condescension
of Loving-Kindness toward us, Thy servants,
Thou gave us Thy Son.
Dear Jesus Thou paid the debt of Adam for us,
to the Eternal Father by Thy Blood
poured forth in Loving-Kindness.
Thou cleared away the darkness of sin
by Thy magnificent and radiant Resurrection.
Thou broke the bonds of death
and rose from the grave as a Conqueror.
Thou reconciled Heaven and earth.
Our life had no hope of Eternal Happiness
before Thou Redeemed us.
Thy Resurrection has washed away our sins,
restored our innocence
and brought us joy.
How inestimable is the tenderness of Thy Love!
Amen

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, The RESURRECTION

Thought for the Day – 12 April – The Resurrection

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Thought for the Day – 12 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Resurrection

“Our resurrection must begin in this life, however.
Day-by-day, we must work hard for our spiritual resurrection.
We should give this matter our special attention during Paschal time.

Our resurrection must be real and not apparent, like that of many people who celebrate Easter without any sincere intention of changing their lives.
It should not be imperfect like that of Lazarus (Cf Jn 11:43) who rose for a while and died again but, perfect, like that of Jesus, over Whom death no longer has dominion (Cf Rom 6:9).

In other words, we must rise never again to die to sin which is the real death of the soul.
We must rise also, to ascend higher and higher on the way of perfection and to carry out Our Lord’s command: “You, therefore, are to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/15/thought-for-the-day-15-april-the-resurrection/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/05/thought-for-the-day-5-april-the-resurrection/

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Quote of the Day – 12 April – The Greatest Story Ever Told and The Greatest Easter Painting Ever Made!

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Quote of the Day – 12 April – Easter Wednesday

The Greatest Story Ever Told
The Greatest Easter Painting Ever Made!

“Look into Peter’s wide open eyes and John’s intense gaze.
Their eyes contain a mix of anxiousness and hope, the way a parent or grandparent’s eyes look at the news of an impending birth.
A new life is about to emerge but there is still uncertainty because it is a mystery beyond full human comprehension or control.
Peter and John’s faces capture the same sense of anticipation.
Burnand created a sparse, simple painting capturing two of the most important players in the greatest story ever told.
Meditate upon their faces, as Burnand intended you to do and through them, discover the empty tomb.”
(Elisabeth Ehrhard-Crises Magazine).

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One Minute Reflection – 12 April – ‘ …How odd, my brethren! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 12 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Easter Wednesday – Acts 3:13-15; 3:17-19, John 21:1-14 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, girt his coat about him (for he was naked) and cast himself into the sea.. …” – John 21:7

REFLECTION – “The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter: ‘It is the Lord!’” The one who loved was the first to see! love casts a keener sight over everything; whosoever loves, always feels with greater vivacity. … What difficulty made Peter’s spirit so slow and prevented him from recognising Jesus first, as he had already done? Where is that unique witness which caused him to exclaim: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God?” (Mt 16:16) Where is it? Peter had entered the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, where he had heard the whispering of a servant without difficulty, yet, he delayed to acknowledge his Lord!?

“When he heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic, for he had nothing on.” How odd, my brethren! … Peter gets into the boat without anything on and jumps into the sea fully clothed!? … Those who are guilty always cover themselves, so as to disguise themselves. Like Adam, then, Peter wants to hide his nakedness after his sin; the two of them, before fishing, were only clothed with a holy nakedness. “He put on his tunic and jumped into the sea.” He was hoping that the sea would wash the dirty garment that was his betrayal. He jumped into the sea because he, who had been entrusted with the greatest responsibilities (Mt 16:18) wanted to be the first to return. He girded himself with his tunic because he was to be girded for the combat of martyrdom, according to the Lord’s words: “Another will gird you and take you where you do not want to go” (Jn 21:18). …

The others came with the boat, dragging their net full of fish. With a great deal of difficulty, they brought the Church back with them, tossed about in the winds of the world. This is what those men bore in the net of the Gospel to the Light of Heaven and which they pulled out of the deep, so as to lead it to the Lord.” – St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450) Bishop of Ravenna, Father and “Doctor of Homilies” (Sermon 78).

PRAYER – O God, Who dost every year fill us with holy gladness through the rising of the Lord, mercifully grant that these Feast-days which we are now keeping here in time, may be to us, a means whereby, in the end, we may worthily attain unto those pleasures which are at Thy Right Hand, for evermore.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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Quote/s of the Day –11 April – Behold your dear Jesus alive!

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Quote/s of the Day –11 April – The Month of the Resurrection” – Easter Tuesday

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!!!
For with thee is the fountain of life
and in Thy Light, we shall see light.

Psalm 36:9

“Do we, then, regard it as a great
and marvellous thing,
for the Creator of all things,
to bring about the resurrection of those,
who have served Him with holiness,
in the assurance of a good faith?…
With this hope, then, let our souls be bound to Him
Who is faithful, to His promises
and upright in His judgements.
He, Who has commanded us not to lie
will much more not lie Himself.
For nothing is impossible to God
except lying (Jn 32:17; Lk 1:37; 6:18).”
(Letter to the Corinthians, #24-28)

St Pope Clement I (c 35-c 99)
Pope from about 90 to 99
Apostolic Father

“Consider that after a deluge of sorrow,
of torments and of anguish,
Our Saviour rose from the tomb by His own power;
He came forth by His own might.
Behold your dear Jesus, more triumphant than ever;
behold the sign of Jonah come to pass;
behold your dear Jesus alive!

With what gladness, was the company
of the Apostles ravished,
when they saw, once more among them,
the Holy Humanity of our Saviour,
raised to life again and glorious.
Consider how needful it was
that the kind Saviour
should go and visit His disciples.
Their faith, their hope, their charity were all wavering.
Our Saviour came to strengthen them.
“It is I, Myself, My dear disciples,
see My Hands and My Feet
and the Wound in My Side.”
(Meditation and Conferences)

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

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One Minute Reflection – 11 April – The Bride of this Divine Bridegroom

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One Minute Reflection – 11 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Easter Tuesday – Acts 13:16; 13:26-33; Luke 24:36-47 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And He said to them: Why are you troubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?” – Luke 24:38

REFLECTION – “This Gospel passage… shows us in truth, Who the Messiah is and who the Church…, that we might understand well which Bride it is that this Divine Bridegroom has chosen and Who is the Bridegroom of this holy Bride… On this page we can read their deed of espousals…

You have learnt that Christ is the Word, God’s Utterance, united to a human soul and human body… Here, the disciples thought they were seeing a ghost; they did not believe that the Lord had a real body. But since the Lord understood the danger of such thoughts, He made haste to snatch them out of their hearts… “Why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at My Hands and My Feet; touch Me and see because a ghost does not have flesh and bone, as you can see I have.” Yet you, with these same questioning thoughts, strongly oppose the rule of faith you have received…

Christ is truly the Word, the Only-begotten Son equal to the Father, united to a truly human soul and a real body, clean of all sin. This is the Body which died, the Body which rose again, this Body was fastened to the Cross, this Body laid in the tomb, this Body is seated in the Heavens. Our Lord wished to persuade His disciples that what they were seeing was truly bone and flesh… Why did He want to convince me of this truth? Because He knew, just how much it was to my own good, to have faith in it and how much I had to lose ,if I did not. You too, then, have faith – it is He, the Bridegroom!

Now listen to what was said about the Bride… “The Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, is to be preached in His Name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” This is the Bride… the Church is spread all over the earth and has taken all peoples to her heart… The Apostles saw Christ and believed in what they did not see, the Church. We, on our part, see the Church; so let us believe in Jesus Christ, Whom we do not see and so, by holding onto what we see, we shall come to Him Whom, as yet, we do not see.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 238).

PRAYER – O God, Who art ever multiplying the children of Thy Church, grant unto the same, Thy servants that they may lead the rest of their lives, according to this beginning, wherein Thou hast given them faith to receive the Sacrament of the New Birth. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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Our Morning Offering – 11 April – He is Risen, Tell the Story

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Our Morning Offering – 11 April – Easter Monday and “The Month of the Resurrection”

He is Risen, Tell the Story
By Father Willard F Janusch (1930-2018)

He is risen, tell the story
to the nations of the night;
from their sin and from their blindness,
let them walk in Easter light.
Now begins a new creation,
now has come our true salvation.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

Mary goes to tell the others
of the wonders she has seen;
John and Peter come a’running
what can all this truly mean?
O Rabboni, Master holy,
to appear to one so lowly!
Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

He has cut down death and evil,
He has conquered all despair;
He has lifted from our shoulders,
all the weight of anxious care.
Risen Brother, now before you,
we will worship and adore You.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

Now get busy, bring the message,
so that all may come to know
there is hope for saint and sinner,
for our God has loved us so.
Ev’ry church bell is a’ringing,
ev’ry Christian now is singing.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

A Parish Priest, Seminary Professor and prolific Musician and Hymnist, Fr Willard wa Ordained in 1956 and died at the age of 88 in 2018.

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 April – “I Am the Resurrection and the Life

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Easter Monday – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I Am
the Resurrection
and the
Life”

John 11:25

“The Lord has turned all our sunsets into sunrises.”

St Clement of Alexandria (150-215)
Father of the Church

“The people who sat in darkness,
have seen a great light”

Matthew 4:16

Hymn I on the Resurrection

“Our Lord Jesus Christ
Has appeared to us from the bosom of the Father.
He has come and drawn us out of the shadows
And enlightened us with His joyful Light.

Day has dawned for humankind,
Cast out the power of darkness.
For us, a Light from His Light has arisen
That has enlightened our darkened eyes.

Over the world He has made His glory arise
And has lit up the deepest depths.
Death is no more, darkness has ended,
The gates of hell are shattered.

He has illumined every creature,
All the shades from times long past.
He has brought about salvation and given us life;
Next He will come in glory.

Our King is coming in His great glory:
Let us light our lamps
and go out to meet Him (Mt 25,6);
Let us be glad in Him, as He has been glad in us
And gives us gladness, with His glorious Light.

My friends, arise! make yourselves ready
To give thanks to our Saviour King,
Who will come in His glory and make us joyful
With His joyous Light in the Kingdom.”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father of the Church

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One Minute Reflection – 10 April – It all began from Galilee … Acts 10:37

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One Minute Reflection – 10 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Easter Monday – Acts 10:37-43, Luke 24:13-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“You know the word which hath been published through all Judea; for it began from Galilee …” – Acts 10:37

REFLECTION – “It is aptly said of our Redeemer that: “He is going on ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, as He said to you.” Galilee is interpreted: “the passing has been completed.” In truth our Redeemer had now passed from His Passion to His Resurrection, from His Death to Life, from punishment to glory, from corruption to incorruption. After His Resurrection, He was first seen by His disciples in Galilee because we will happily see the glory of His Resurrection later, if we now pass from vice to the height of virtue. There is a “passing” to be accomplished because, He, Who was proclaimed at the sepulchre, has to be seen in another place…

There were two lives. One we know about, of the other we are ignorant; One is mortal, the other immortal; One is corruptible, the other incorruptible; One ends in Death, the other in Resurrection. But the Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1Tim 2,5), came. He took upon Himself, the One and revealed to us, the other; the One He bore by Dying and the other He revealed by Rising. If He had promised resurrection of the body to us, who knew this mortal life but did not visibly manifest it, who would have believed His promises?” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospels 21, 6-7).

PRAYER – O God, Who dost heal the sick world by the solemn gladness of the Passover, continue, we beseech Thee, to pour forth Thine heavenly gifts upon Thy people, until the same shall bring them into perfect liberty and finally, avail them unto life everlasting .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).

Artwork above by Guido Reni
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Quote/s of the Day –9 April – Easter Sunday

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Quote/s of the Day –9 April – Easter Sunday and “The Month of the Resurrection”

“O Death, where is your sting?
O Hell, where is your victory?
Christ is Risen and you are overthrown.
Christ is Risen and the demons are fallen.
Christ is Risen and the Angels rejoice.
Christ is Risen and Life reigns.
Christ is Risen and not one dead remains in the grave.
For Christ, being Risen from the dead,
is become the First Fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages.”

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

“For Christ is our Salvation.
For He is our Salvation,
Who was wounded for us
and fastened with nails to the Wood
and taken down from the Wood
and laid in the sepulchre.
But He rose from the sepulchre
and although His Wounds were healed,
the Scars remained.
For this He judged expedient for His Disciples
that He should keep His Scars,
to heal the wounds of their soul.”

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

“All I want to know is Christ
and the power flowing
from His Resurrection!”

St Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226)

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One Minute Reflection – 8 April – , He is not here, for He is risen, as He said – Matthew 28:6

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One Minute Reflection – 8 April – Holy Saturday – The Lord’s Vigil Mass of Easter, Blessing of the Fire, Prophecies, Blessing of the Font, First Mass of Easter – Matthew 28,1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And the Angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you, for I know that you seek Jesus Who was Crucified, He is not here, for He is risen, as He said.” – Matthew 28:5-6

REFLECTION – “Every vigil celebrated in the Lord’s honour is pleasing to God and acceptable to Him but this particular Vigil more than all the rest. That is why this night, in particular, holds the title “The Lord’s Vigil.” Indeed, what we read is: “All the Israelites must keep a vigil for the Lord” (Ex 12:42). And this night, well merits the title, since the Lord awoke in life that we might not remain asleep in death. For He suffered death’s sleep for our sakes, in the Mystery of His Passion, yet this sleep of the Lord, has become the Vigil of the whole world because, the Death of Christ, has removed from us, the sleep of eternal death. He Himself says it through the prophet: “I lie down in sleep, I wake again and My sleep was sweet to me” (Ps 3:6; Jer 31:26). This sleep of Christ which we have called to mind, from the bitterness of Death to the sweetness of Life, cannot be anything but sweet.

Solomon wrote: “I sleep but my heart is awake” (Sg 5:2). These words seemingly show the Mystery of the Divinity and flesh of the Lord. He slept according to the flesh but His Divinity kept watch, since the Divinity cannot sleep… “He neither slumbers nor sleeps, the guardian of Israel” (Ps 120:4)… He slept according to the flesh but His Divinity visited hell in order to draw out the man whom it had held captive. Our Lord and Saviour desired to enter into every place to have mercy on everyone. He came down from Heaven to the earth to visit the world and again, He descended from earth to hell, to carry light to those held captive there, as spoken by the prophet: “Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom, a light has shone” (Is 9:1).

Hence Angels in Heaven, men on earth and the souls of the faithful in the dwelling place of the dead, celebrate this Vigil of the Lord… If one sinner’s repentance, as the Gospel says, gives joy to the Angels in Heaven, (Lk 15:7.10) how much more, the Redemption of the whole world?… And so, this Vigil is not just a feast for men and Angels but also for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit because the world’s Salvation is the Trinity’s happiness!” – St Chromatius of Aquilaea (Died c407) Bishop and Father of the Church (1st Sermon for the Paschal Vigil).

PRAYER – O God, Who dost illuminate this most holy night by the glory of the Lord’s Resurrection, preserve in the new children of Thy family, the spirit of adoption which Thou hast given, that renewed in body and mind, they may render to Thee a pure service. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, 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, The RESURRECTION

Traditional Devotion for the Month of April – The Resurrection

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Devotion for the Month of April

TRADITIONAL – The Resurrection

Since Easter Sunday falls most frequently in April, the faithful have traditionally celebrated this month as the most joyous month of the year, by assigning the entire month to the Resurrection, the foundation of our Faith.

“I am the Resurrection and the Life,
he who believes in Me,
although he be dead, shall live.”
John 11:25

“Haec dies quam fecit Dominus”
“This is the day which the Lord has made.”

Throughout the Octave we shall sing of the unequaled joy which throws open eternity to us. Every Sunday will furnish a reminder of it and from Sunday to Sunday, from year to year, the Easters of this earth will lead us, to that blessed day, on which Christ has promised that He will come again with glory, to take us with Him into the Kingdom of His Father.

“If we follow Christ closely we shall be allowed,
even on this earth,
to stand, as it were,
on the threshold of the heavenly Jerusalem
and enjoy the contemplation,
pf that everlasting feast,
like the blessed Apostles,
who, in following the Saviour as their leader,
showed and still show,
the way to obtain the same gift from God.
They said – See, we have left all things and followed You.
We too follow the Lord
and we keep His feast
by deeds rather than by words.”

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE, The RESURRECTION

Thought for the Day – 14 October – The First Glorious Mystery, The Resurrection of Our Lord

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Thought for the Day – 14 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The First Glorious Mystery
The Resurrection of Our Lord

“The Resurrection of Christ demands a resurrection on our part too.
If, we are in sin, we must rise again.
Or, it maybe, that we must rise from a state of torpor to one of fervour, or from a life of worldly pleasure to an interior life nourished by grace, or from a life of selfishness, to one of sacrifice.

In which state do we find ourselves?
In the presence of the risen Christ and of His Blessed Mother, happy in the contemplation of His glory, let us resolve to rise from sin and from spiritual tepidity, in order to set out on the way of Christ and of perfect sanctity.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/13/thought-for-the-day-13-october-the-first-glorious-mystery-the-resurrection-of-our-lord/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/14/thought-for-the-day-14-october-the-first-glorious-mystery-the-resurrection-of-our-lord/

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, The HOLY EUCHARIST, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The RESURRECTION

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Devotions for the Month of April

The Resurrection and The Blessed Sacrament

“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

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.
In the Holy Eucharist, the Sacrament of Love, Jesus gives us the sustenance needed in this life to help us on our pilgrimage to that Eternal Life with Him in Heaven.
This tradition has developed because Easter Sunday often falls in April and when it does fall in March, the Easter Season continues on through all of April.

In essence, April is a Month of Life and, during the Easter celebrations, we celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice Christ gave us and the destruction of death by that Sacrifice and by Jesus’ Resurrection. “Christ chose to foreshadow us, who are His Body, by means of His Body, in which He has died, risen and ascended into Heaven, so that the Members of His Body, may hope to follow where their Head has gone before.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father, Doctor of Grace

St Gregory the Great (540-604)
Father & Doctor

It is only right,
with all the powers of our heart and mind,
to praise You Father
and Your Only-Begotten Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear Father,
by Your wondrous condescension
of loving-kindness toward us, Your servants,
You gave up Your Son.
Dear Jesus,
You paid the debt of Adam for us
to the Eternal Father by Your Blood
poured forth in loving-kindness.
You cleared away the darkness of sin
by Your magnificent and radiant Resurrection.
You broke the bonds of death
and rose from the grave as a Conqueror.
You reconciled Heaven and earth.
Our life had no hope of eternal happiness
before You redeemed us.
Your Resurrection has washed away our sins,
restored our innocence and brought us joy.
How inestimable is the tenderness
of Your Love!
Amen

“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 APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2021, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

Friday of the Fopurth Week of Lent – 1 April – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – ‘ … Death trembled at His Voice. …’

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Friday of the Fopurth Week of Lent – 1 April – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – 3 Kings 17:17-24, John 11:1-45

“O Lord, remember not, against u,s the iniquities of the past, may Your compassion, quickly come to us, for we are brought very low.” – Psalm 78:8-9

“I Am the Resurrection and the Life:
he that believes in Me,
although he be dead, shall live. ”

John 11:25

“WHEN HE ASKED: “Where have you laid him?” tears came to our Lord’s eyes. His tears were like rain, Lazarus was like seed and the tomb like the earth. He cried out in a Voice like thunder and death trembled at His Voice. Lazarus sprang up like the seed, came out and worshiped the Lord Who had raised him up.

JESUS… RESTORED LIFE to Lazarus and died in his place, for, when He drew him out of the tomb and sat down at his table, He Himself was symbolically buried by the oil Mary poured over His head (Mt 26,7). The power of the death, which had overcome Him for four days, was wiped out… that death might know, how easy it was for the Lord to overcome it, on the Third Day… His Promise is truthful – He had promised that He Himself would come to life again, on the Third Day (Mt 16,21)… Therefore the Lord restored their joy to Mary and Martha by treading down death, to demonstrate, that He Himself would not be held by death forever… From now on, every time someone says that rising on the third day is impossible, let the,m consider him who was raised on the fourth day…

“GO AND TAKE AWAY THE STONE” What is this? He who raised a dead man and restored him to life, couldn’t he have opened the tomb and overturned the stone? He who said to his disciples: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain: ‘Move from here to there’” (Mt 17,20), could He not move aside the stone, shutting the entrance to the tomb, with one word? Certainly He could! He whose Voice, when He hung on the cross, split rocks and sepulchers, could have taken away the stone with His Word (Mt 27,51-52). But because He was Lazarus’ friend, He said: “Open it that the smell of decay may hit you and you who wrapped him in his winding sheet, unbind him, that you may surely recognise the one you buried.” – St Ephrem (306-373) Deacon in Syria, Great Father & Doctor of the Church (Commentary on the Diatessaron, 17, 7-10 ; SC 121).

Posted in "Follow Me", APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, QUOTES on DEATH, The RESURRECTION, The WORD, THOMAS a KEMPIS

Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – I Am the Resurrection and the Life – John 11:25

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent – 3 Kings 17:17-24, John 11:1-45

“I Am
the Resurrection
and the
Life”

John 11:25

“We have had Your treasure
hidden within us,
ever since we received baptismal grace,
it grows ever richer
at Your sacramental table.”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Love Him, then, keep Him as a friend.
He will not leave you as others do,
or let you suffer lasting death.
Sometime, whether you will or not,
you will have to part with everything.
Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death,
trust yourself to the glory of Him,
Who alone can help you
when all others fail.“

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

“This death … has already levelled
his bow to strike me.
Is it not prudent to prevent its stroke,
by dying now to the world,
that at my death,
I may live to God?”

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The HEART, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 11 May – The Search for God

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Thought for the Day – 11 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Search for God

“All men are looking for God, whether they are aware of it or not.
They are discontented and cannot understand why.
They do not realise, that the real source of their discontent, is that they have not found God and God alone can make men happy.
The Blessed Virgin had to put up with many sorrows but, she never had to bear the pain which afflicts the rest of us, to a greater or a lesser degree, the pain of separation from God.
Even when she lost the Child Jesus, she still possessed God in her soul, for she had surrendered herself completely to Him.
Throughout her life, she remained united to God in joy and in sorrow.
God’s will was her will, His desires were her desires.

If we wish to be worthy sons of Mary, we must imitate her in this.
Let us consider the nature of our most intimate thoughts and desires.
How often we forget God!
How little we really think of Him.
We are absorbed in so many other affairs, that we forget Him, Who should be the centre of our plans.
We are too fond of ourselves and of our own comfort and interests.
As a result, we forget Him, to Whom we owe everything and Who should be the final goal of our lives.
Our hearts are very small.
If we fill them with worldly desires, there is no room for God.
But God should be the absolute master of our souls.

Let us empty ourselves of useless worldly preoccupations and make room for spiritual aims.
Let us make room for God.
Like Mary, let God be our only preoccupation,
If we look for Him in everything, we shall find Him.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/11/thought-for-the-day-11-may-the-search-for-god/

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 6 May – Mother of Mercy

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Our Morning Offering – 6 May – “Mary’s Month” – Thursday of the Fifth week of Easter

Mother of Mercy
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Seraphic Doctor

Virgin full of goodness,
Mother of Mercy,
I entrust to you my body and soul,
my thoughts, my actions,
my life and my death.
O my Queen, help me,
and deliver me from all
the snares of the devil.
Obtain for me the grace
of loving my Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son,
with a true and perfect love,
and after Him, O Mary,
to love you with all my heart
and above all things.
Amen

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, HOLY COMMUNION, The HOLY EUCHARIST

Devotion for the Month of April – The Blessed Sacrament

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Devotion for the Month of April

The Blessed Sacrament

“The masterpiece of Jesus Christ’s love for humanity is the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is within our reach.
We can all get close to Christ the guest and talk with Him
and perceive the warmth of His word.
The word! How it inflames the spirits!
How will the word of Christ inflame them!
We can all get to the altar when He immolates Himself and shouts at us:
Look how much I have loved and loved you!
And we can all sit at His table
and eat the bread
and drink the intoxicating wine of charity. “

Blessed Marcelo Spínola y Maestre (1835-1906)
Cardinal-Priest