Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CHRIST the LIGHT, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEEKNESS, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SIMPLICITY, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on VIRTUE, St Alphonsus de Liguori,, The DIVINE INFANT, The HEART, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 December – The Lord is near

Quote/s of the Day – 18 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of Our Lady of Expectation

The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety …”

Philippians 4:5-6

Let your door stand open
to receive Him,
unlock your soul to Him,
offer Him a welcome in your mind
and then you will see
the riches of simplicity,
the treasures of peace,
the joy of grace.
Throw wide the gate of your heart,
stand before the Sun of the Everlasting Light!

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

He became small because you were small –
understand how great He is
and you will become great along with Him.
This is how houses are built,
how the solid walls of a building are raised.
The stones brought to construct the building increase,
you too, increase, understanding how great Christ is
and how He, Who appeared to be small, is great,
very great indeed! …

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

In adoring our Saviour’s birth,
it is our origin we celebrate.
Christ’s temporal generation
is the source of the Christian people,
the birth of His Mystical Body.
All of us encounter in this Mystery,
a new birth in Christ.

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
Father & Doctor of the Church

If we would please this Divine Infant,
we too must become children,
simple and humble.
We must carry to Him, flowers of virtue,
of meekness, of mortification, of charity.
We must clasp Him in the arms of our love.

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 10 Decenber – INVIOLATA! INVIOLATE!

Our Morning Offering – 10 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Within the Octave

INVIOLATA!
INVIOLATE!
Unknown Author
(11th Century)

Thou art inviolate, undefiled
and chaste, O Mary.
Thou has become the resplendent
Gate of Heaven,
O loving and dearest Mother of Christ,
Accept our devout acclamations
in praise of thee.
That our minds and bodies
may be pure,
Devoted hearts and lips
now implore thee.
Through thy sweet sounding prayers,
Gain us pardon forever.
O kind one, who alone
didst remain inviolate.
Amen

The Hymn Inviolata has been claimed by the Carmelite Order, as a Traditional Hymn originating within their ranks. The Hymn is also used by Dominican Friars in the chanting of Compline. Its origins trace to the 11th Century. It appears in Hymnals from 1860 to 1920.

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, QUOTES on PEACE, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The FIVE FIRST Saturdays, THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 6 December – Prayer for Peace to the Immaculate Virgin By Pope Paul IV

Our Morning Offering – 6 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The First Saturday of December in honour of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Pope Paul IV was a friend of St Cajetan and also a member
of his Order, the Theatines, named after Paul IV’s See as Bishop
).

Prayer for Peace to the Immaculate Virgin
By Pope Paul IV CR (1476-1559)

Look down with maternal clemency,
most Blessed Virgin,
upon all your children.
Consider the anxiety of Bishops
who fear that their flocks will be tormented
by a terrible storm of evils.
Heed the anguish of so many people,
fathers and mothers of families
who are uncertain about their future
and beset by hardships and cares.
Soothe the minds of those at war
and inspire them with ‘thoughts of peace.’
Through your intercession,
may God, the avenger of injuries,
turn to mercy.
May He give back to nations
the tranquility they seek
and bring them to a lasting age
of genuine prosperity.
Amen

Posted in IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 20 October – O Purest of Creatures, Sweet Mother, Sweet Maid

Our Morning Offering – 20 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Feast of Mater Admirabilis / Mother Most Admirable

O Purest of Creatures,
Sweet Mother, Sweet Maid

By Fr Frederick W Faber C.Orat. (1814-1863)

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

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

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

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

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, EUCHARISTIC ADORATION and Nocturnal, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, SACRED HEART QUOTES, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 17 October – St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)“Visionary and Apostle of the Sacred Heart“

Quote/s of the Day – 17 October – St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) Virgin

Keep your heart in peace
and let nothing trouble you,
not even your faults.
You must humble yourself
and amend them peacefully,
without being discouraged or cast down,
for God’s dwelling, is in peace.

You will be consoled
according to the greatness
of your sorrow and affliction;
the greater the suffering,
the greater will be the reward.

I think He intends to try you
like gold in the crucible,
so as to number you
amongst His most faithful servants.
Therefore, you must lovingly embrace
all occasions of suffering,
considering them
as precious tokens of His love.
To suffer in silence
and without complaint,
is what He asks of you.”

The most efficacious means
to foster devotion
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

In Thy Divine Heart
By St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)
Visionary of the Sacred Heart

Lord Jesus,
let my heart never rest
until it finds Thee,
Who are its Source,
its love and its happiness.
By the wound in Thy Heart
pardon the sins I have committed,
whether out of weakness,
or out of evil desires.
Place my weak heart
in Thy own Divine Heart,
continually under Thy
protection and guidance,
so that I may persevere in doing good
and in fleeing evil,
until my last breath.
Amen

Prayer in Adoration of the Sacred Heart
in the Blessed Sacrament
By St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)

Visionary and Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God,
Whom I believe to be really present
in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar,
receive this most profound Act of Adoration
to supply for the desire I have,
to adore Thee unceasingly
and in thanksgiving,
for the sentiments of love
which Thy Sacred Heart
has for me in this Sacrament.
I cannot better acknowledge them,
than by offering Thee,
all the Acts of Adoration,
resignation, patience and love
which this same Heart has made
during its mortal life
and which it makes still
and which it shall make eternally in Heaven,
in order that through it,
I may love Thee, praise Thee
and adore Thee worthily,
as much as it is possible for me.
I unite myself to this Divine Offering
which Thou dost make to Thy Divine Father
and I consecrate to Thee,
my whole being,
praying Thee, to destroy in me,
all sin and not to permit
that I should be separated from Thee,
in time and eternally.
Amen.

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/10/17/quote-s-of-the-day-17-octoberber-st-margaret-mary-alacoque/

St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)
“Visionary and Apostle of the Sacred Heart“

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CONSECRATION Prayers, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Our Morning Offering – 13 October – Act of Consecration and Reparationto the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Our Morning Offering – 13 October – “The Month of The Most Holy Rosary and The Holy Angels” and The Holy Angels” and Our Lady of Fatima: The Sixth & Final Apparition – Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (the name she gave herself when Lucia asked her name).

Act of Consecration and Reparation
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Queen of Heaven and Earth
and tender Mother of men,
in accordance with thy ardent wish
made known at Fatima,
I consecrate to thee, myself, my brethren,
my country and the whole human race.
Reign over us and teach us
how to make the Heart of Jesus reign
and triumph in us and around us,
as It has reigned and triumphed in thee.
We wish to atone for the many crimes
committed against Jesus and thee.
We wish to call down upon our country
and the whole world,
the peace of God in justice and charity.
We promise to imitate thy virtues,
by the practice of a Christian life
without regard to human respect.
We resolve to receive Holy Communion
on the first Saturday of every month
and to offer thee five decades
of the Rosary on this day,
together with our sacrifices
in the spirit of reparation and penance.
Amen.

Posted in CARMELITES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION

Our Morning Offering – 13 October – Daily Offering to the Sacred Heart By St Thérèse

Our Morning Offering – 3 October – “The Month of The Most Holy Rosary and The Holy Angels” – The Feast of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873–1897) and A First Friday of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Daily Offering to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
By St Thérèse of the Child Jesus
and the Holy Face (of Lisieux) OCD (1873-1897)

O my God!
I offer Thee all my actions of this day
for the intentions and for the glory
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I desire to sanctify
every beat of my heart,
my every thought,
my simplest works,
by uniting them
to His Infinite Merits
and I wish to make reparation for my sins,
by casting them into the furnace
of His Merciful Love.
O my God!
I ask of Thee for myself
and for those whom I hold dear,
the grace to fulfil perfectly
Thine Holy Will,
to accept for love of Thee,
the joys and sorrows of this passing life,
so that we may one day, be united together
in Heaven for all Eternity.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CONSECRATION Prayers, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION

Our Morning Offering – 31 August – An Act of Consecration and Reparationto the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Our Morning Offering – 31 August – “The Month of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary” on this the last day of August let us pray ab Act of Consecration and Repration to our Mother’s Immacylate Heart

An Act of Consecration and Reparation
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Queen of Heaven and Earth
and tender Mother of men,
in accordance with thy ardent wish
made known at Fatima,
I consecrate to thee, myself, my brethren,
my country and the whole human race.
Reign over us and teach us
how to make the Heart of Jesus reign
and triumph in us and around us,
as It has reigned and triumphed in thee.
We wish to atone for the many crimes
committed against Jesus and thee.
We wish to call down upon our country
and the whole world,
the peace of God in justice and charity.
We promise to imitate thy virtues,
by the practice of a Christian life
without regard to human respect.
We resolve to receive Holy Communion
on the first Saturday of every month
and to offer thee five decades
of the Rosary on this day,
together with our sacrifices
in the spirit of reparation and penance.
Amen.

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HOPE, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The LAST THINGS

Our Morning Offering – 23 August – Hail Mary! Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Our Morning Offering – 23 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Our Lady’s Day

Hail Mary!
Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
By St John Eudes (1601-1680)
The Apostle of Two Hearts

Hail Mary! Mother of God the Son.
Hail Mary! Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary! Temple of the Most Blessed Trinity.
Hail Mary! Pure Lily of the Effulgent Trinity.
Hail Mary! Celestial Rose
of the Ineffable Love of God.
Hail Mary! Virgin pure and humble,
of whom the King of Heaven willed to be born
and, with thy milk to be nourished.
Hail Mary! Virgin of Virgins,
Hail Mary! Queen of Martyrs,
whose soul a sword transfixed.
Hail Mary! Lady most blessed!
unto whom all power in Heaven
and earth is given.
Hail Mary! My Queen and my Mother!
my Life, my Sweetness and my Hope,
Hail Mary! Mother Most Amiable,
Hail Mary! Mother of Divine Love,
Hail Mary! Immaculate!
Conceived Without Sin!
Hail Mary! Full of Grace!
The Lord is with Thee!
Blessed art thou among women!
And blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
Blessed be thy spouse, Saint Joseph,
Blessed be thy father, Saint Joachim,
Blessed be thy mother, Saint Anne,
Blessed be thy guardian, Saint John,
Blessed be thy holy Angel, Saint Gabriel,
Glory be to God the Father, Who chose thee,
Glory be to God the Son,
Who loved thee,
Glory be to God the Holy Spirit,
Who espoused thee. AMEN,

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, MARIAN Aspirations and Ejaculations, MARIAN TITLES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, ROSARY QUOTES, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Quote/s of the Day – 22 August – Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners, Pray for Us!

Quote/s of the Day – 22 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Octave Day of the Assumption – Ecclesiasticus 24:23-31, John 19:25-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Woman, behold thy son. …
Behold thy mother.”

John 19:26-27

Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners, Pray for Us!

(Indulgence 300 days)

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

St Antoninus (1389-1459)

Commend your children
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
When parents pray the Rosary,
at the end of each Decade,
they should hold the Rosary aloft
and say to her:
‘with these beads, bind our children
to thy Immaculate Heart’ 
our Holy Mother will attend to their souls!

St Louise de Marillac DC (1591-1660)

A son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary …
is a man who unceasingly expends himself
to light the fire of divine love in the world.
Nothing stops him!

St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

Posted in IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 22 August – O Immaculate Heart of Mary

Our Morning Offering – 22 August – “The Feast and the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”

O Immaculate Heart of Mary
By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)

O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I have nothing in myself to offer thee
which is worthy of thee
but what thankgiving I ought I to pay thee,
for all the favours which thou hast obtained for me
from the Heart of Jesus!
What reparation ought I to make thee
for all my tepidity in thy service!
I desire to return thee love for love,
the only good which I possess,
is the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
which thou, thyself hast given me.
I offer thee this Treasure of Infinite Price,
I cannot do more
and thou dost not deserve less, at my hand
but, receiving from me,
this Gift most Precious in thy sight,
be pleased, I beseech thee,
to accept too, my poor heart
which I here offer to thee
and I shall be forever blessed!
Amen.

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, franciscan OFM, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Octave Day of the Assumption) and Memorials of the Saints – 22 August

The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Octave Day of the Assumption) – Pope Pius XII instituted the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1944 to be celebrated on 22 August, coinciding with the traditional Octave Day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin.
(In 1969, after Vatican II, the Feast was moved to the Saturday, immediately after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.).
https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/24/the-feast-of-the-immaculate-heart-of-mary-24-june-2017-the-saturday-following-the-feast-of-the-sacred-heart/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/09/feast-of-the-immaculate-heart-of-mary-8-june/

St Timothy and Companions – they were + St Hippolytus of Porto and + St Symphorian of Autun. The three died at different times in different places – Martyrs:
Their Lives and Deaths:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/08/22/sain-s-of-the-day-22-august-st-timothy-and-companions-st-hippolytus-and-symphorian/

The Martyrdom of Saint Symphorian, by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ing

St Andrew of Fiesole (Died c880) Archdeacon, Monk, Missionary, Miracle-worker. Andrew was the Irish-born disciple and assistant of St Donatus (Died c874). He served as Archdeacon of Fiesole, Italy under Bishop Donatus – about St Donatus here: https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/22/saint-of-the-day-22-october-st-donatus-of-fiesole-died-874/:
His body is incorrupt.
A life of Boundless Charity:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/08/22/saint-of-the-day-22-august-st-andrew-of-fiesole-died-c880-archdeacon/

St Anthusa of Seleucia
St Antoninus of Rome
St Arnulf (9th Century) Hermit of Eynesbury Information regarding this Saint have been lost but he has long been venerated in Arnulphsbury, Cambridgeshire, England.
St Athanasius of Tarsus

Blessed Bernard Perani OFM. Cap (1604-1694) Lay Brother

St Dalmau Llebaría Torné
St Epictetus of Ostia
St Ethelgitha of Northumbria
St Fabrician of Toledo
St Felix of Ostia

Blessed Giacomo/James Bianconi OP (1220–1301) Confessor, Priest and Friar of the Order of Preachers, Spiritual Advisor, founder and restorer of Convents and Churches. Pope Urban VIII Beatified the Blessed Giacomo in 1641.
Holy Giacomo:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/08/22/saint-of-the-day-22-august-blessed-giacomo-bianconi-op-1220-1301/

St Gunifort
St Joan Farriol Sabaté

St John Kemble (1599 – 1679) Martyr, Priest. Ordained in 1625, he returned to Monmouthshire and served more than 50 years as an itinerant Priest, winning admirers even among Protestants. After being dragged on a hurdle to Widemarsh Common, Kemble declared on the scaffold that he died for the religion that had made this country Christian and that he forgave all his enemies. He was then obliged to encourage the executioner, who had no stomach for his task. The hanging was horribly botched, so that Kemble took half an hour to die.  Subsequently he was beheaded and his left hand cut off, this may still be seen at the church of St Francis Xavier in Hereford.
Life and Death:

https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/22/saint-of-the-day-22-august-st-john-kemble-1599-1679-martyr/

Blessed Timoteo da Monticchio OFM (1444-1503) Priest of the Order of the Friars Minor, he ws endowed with mystical gifts, especially of the Blessed Virgin and of St Francis of Assisi. On 10 March 1870, his Beatification was confirmed by Pope Pius IX. His body is incorrupt.
His Holy Life of Miracles:

https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/22/saint-of-the-day-22-august-blessed-timoteo-da-monticchio-ofm-1444-1503/

St Thomas Percy
Bl William Lacey

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, REDEMPTIVE Suffering, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The HEART, To JESUS through MARY, To JESUS through MARY

Thought for the Day – 18 August – The Apostolate of Prayer

Thought for the Day – 18 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Apostolate of Prayer

“Everybody cannot be an Apostle in the strict sense of the word.
Not everyone can dedicate his whole life to the expansion of God’s Kingdom upon earth and to the conversion of pagans, heretics and sinners.
Everyone can, however, do a little in this cause.
Perhaps you cannot leave your family as the missionaries do and travel to distant lands to extend the Kingdom of God.
Perhaps you cannot enter a Convent or dedicate yourself to God as a Priest or a Religious because you have not received this high vocation from God.
We know, however, that each one of us has some responsibility for his neighbour and must help him whenever possible.
Go surety for your neighbour according to your means ” (Eccles 29:20).

Now, the ‘Apostleship of Prayer’ offers everybody a simple way of doing exactly this.
Its object is to promote the glory of God and the salvation of souls, especially by means of prayer in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Besides prayer, we must offer the actions and sufferings of each day.
Let us decide to become one, with all the faithful, in offering the prayers and actions and sufferings of each day to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of His Mother Mary.

We shall certainly receive showers of graces, both for ourselves and for the salvation of the souls of our neighbours.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, To JESUS through MARY

Our Morning Offering – 18 August – O Immaculate Heart of Mary

Our Morning Offering – 18 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Within the Octave of the Assumption

O Immaculate Heart of Mary
By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)

O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I have nothing in myself to offer thee
which is worthy of thee
but what thanksgiving I ought I to pay thee,
for all the favours
which thou hast obtained for me
from the Heart of Jesus!
What reparation ought I to make thee
for all my tepidity, in thy service!
I desire to return thee love for love,
the only good which I possess,
is the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
which thou, thyself hast given me.
I offer thee this Treasure of Infinite Price,
I cannot do more
and thou dost not deserve less, at my hand
but, receiving from me,
this Gift most Precious in thy sight,
be pleased, I beseech thee,
to accept too, my poor heart
which I here offer to thee
and I shall be forever blessed.
Amen.

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on the FAMILY, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 7 August – Prayer for Peace to the Immaculate Virgin By Pope Paul IV

Our Morning Offering – 7 August – “The Month of theI mmaculate Heart of Mary” – Feastday of St Cajetan (1480-1547) Known as the “Father of Providence” and the “Huntsman of Souls” – Confessor, Founder of the Theatine Order

(Pope Paul IV was a friend of St Cajetan and also a member
of his Order, the Theatines, named after Paul IV’s See as Bishop
).

Prayer for Peace to the Immaculate Virgin
By Pope Paul IV CR (1476-1559)

Look down with maternal clemency,
most Blessed Virgin,
upon all your children.
Consider the anxiety of Bishops
who fear that their flocks will be tormented
by a terrible storm of evils.
Heed the anguish of so many people,
fathers and mothers of families
who are uncertain about their future
and beset by hardships and cares.
Soothe the minds of those at war
and inspire them with ‘thoughts of peace.’
Through your intercession,
may God, the avenger of injuries,
turn to mercy.
May He give back to nations
the tranquility they seek
and bring them to a lasting age
of genuine prosperity.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PHYSICAL SICKNESS, ILLNESS, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING

Our Morning Offering – 5 August – O Mary, Immaculate Virgin 

Our Morning Offering – 5 August – “The Month of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Feast of the Dedication of Our Lady of the Snows

O Mary, Immaculate Virgin
Prayer for Health of Soul and Body

O Mary, Immaculate Virgin,
our salvation lies in thy hands.
Cleanse our souls,
we beseech thee,
from the leprosy of sin
and assist us in our corporal infirmities.
And, if it be the will of God
that we must be acquainted
with sickness and suffering,
obtain for us, at least,
perfect patience and resignation,
in whatsoever God may dispose.
Amen.

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DOCTORS of the Church, HYMNS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on MERCY, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The FIVE FIRST Saturdays, THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION

Our Morning Offering – 2 August – O Mother Blest By St Alphonsus

Our Morning Offering – 2 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – The Feastday of St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor

O Mother Blest
By St Alphonsus Maira Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
Trans. Fr Edmund Vaughn C.SS.R. (1827 – 1908 )

O Mother blest, whom God bestows
On sinners and on just,
What joy, what hope thou givest those
Who in thy mercy trust.
Thou are clement, thou are chaste,
Mary thou art fair,
Of all mothers, sweetest best,
none with thee compare.

O heavenly Mother, mistress sweet!
it never yet was told
that suppliant sinner left thy feet,
unpitied, unconsoloed.
Thou are clement, thou are chaste, …

O Mother, pitiful and mild,
Cease not to pray for me;
For I do love thee as a child,
And sigh for love of thee.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …

Most powerful Mother, all men know
Thy Son denies thee nought;
Thou askest, wishest it and lo!
His power thy will hath wrought.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …

O Mother blest, for me obtain,
Ungrateful though I be,
To love that God who first could deign
To show such love for me.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste,
Mary, thou art fair.
Of all mothers, sweetest, best,
None with thee compare.

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, MARIAN TITLES, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

1 August – The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

August – The Month of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary

In 1944, Pope Pius XII set the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be celebrated on 22 August as the Octave of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin on 15 August. Two years earlier, on the 25th Anniversary of the Fatima apparitions, Pope Pius XII, Consecrated the Catholic family and whole human race, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

August also celebrates the Marian Feast of Our Lady of the Snows (St Mary Major) on 5 August, Our Lady Refuge of Sinners on 13 August, Our Lady of Knock on 21 August, Our Lady of Czestochowa and Our Lady Health of the Sick on 24 August.

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 1 August – The Virginal Purity of Mary

Thought for the Day – 1 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Virginal Purity of Mary

Purity is the most beautiful of virtues.

It is a virtue which is admired by God and by men, even by the most corrupt.
It is often said, that it makes us like the Angels but in fact, looking at it in a particular way, it makes us superior to the Angels.
Since they have no bodies, the angels cannot sin against purity, while we have to fight many battles and overcome many temptations, in order to preserve our chastity.
Jesus had a very special love for this virtue.
He chose to be born of a Virgin and, He showed a particular affection for St John, who was a dedicated celibate.
On one occasion, He placed His Hands on the head of a little child and said: “Unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of Heaven “(Mt:18.3)

Unfortunately, the virtue of purity is as fragile as it is beautiful.
It can be lost in a single moment of weakness.
We must love this virtue as Mary loved it.
We must be prepared to make any sacrifice, even the most heroic, rather than lose it.

Worldly charm and beauty attract us and the devil works hard to control our imagination and our affections.
On account of the disturbance of original sin, the flesh is like a terrible weight retarding our spiritual advancement.
Sometimes it seems as if it is irresistibly drawing us towards the abyss of impurity.
But we need not be dragged down, if we are prepared to fly from the occasions of sin and to pray to God and to our heavenly Mother for her intercession.
We must always act at once, for there is no time to dally.

It is fatal to remain inactive and to allow temptation to make its way into our soul.
This kind of battle, said St Francis de Sales, is won only by soldiers who flee.
We must fly from the occasions of sin, no matter what sacrifice this entails.
Jesus has warned us, that it is better to enter Heaven without a hand or a foot, than to be cast into hell.

We know the remedies – instant flight, heroic sacrifice and constant prayer.
We can leave the rest to the grace of God and to the maternal protection of Mary.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 August – Sweet Heart of Mary

Quote/s of the Day – 1 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”

Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

(1943 Raccolta – Indulgence 300 days)

May the Blessed Virgin,
unique in her merits,
stand in the presence of her Creator
interceding always in our favour.
She will be radiant in the fullness of glory,
she who brought forth,
from her virginal womb,
the King of glory.

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) 

The Blessed Virgin was chosen
to be the Mother of God
and, therefore, it is not to be doubted,
but that God fitted her for it
by His graces.

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus / Doctor Communis

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

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

St Antoninus (1389-1459)

Posted in HYMNS, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 1 August – I’ll Sing a Hymn to Mary

Our Morning Offering – 1 August – “The Month of the Immqculate Heart of Mary”

I’ll Sing a Hymn to Mary
By Father John Wyse (1825-1898)
Irish Priest and Hymn writer

I’ll sing a hymn to Mary,
The Mother of my God,
The Virgin of all virgins,
Of David’s royal blood.
O teach me, Holy Mary,
A loving song to frame,
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
To love and bless thy name.

O Lily of the Valley,
O Mystic Rose, what tree,
Or flower, e’en the fairest,
Is half so fair as thee?
O let me, tho’ so lowly
Recite my Mother’s fame.
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.

O noble Tower of David,
Of gold and ivory.
The ark of God’s own promise,
The gate of Heav’n to me.
To live and not to love thee
Would fill my soul with shame.
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.

When troubles dark afflict me
In sorrow and in care,
Thy light doth ever guide me
O beauteous Morning Star.
Lo, I’ll be ever ready
Thy goodly help to claim,
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
To love and bless thy name.

The saints are high in glory,
With golden crowns so bright;
But brighter far is Mary,
Upon her throne of light.
Oh that which God did give thee,
Let mortal ne’er disclaim;
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.

But in the crown of Mary,
There lies a wonderous gem,
As Queen of all the Angels,
Which Mary shares with them;
No sin hath e’er defiled thee,
So doth our faith proclaim;
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.

And now O Virgin Mary
My mother and my Queen,
I’ve sung thy praise so bless me,
And keep my heart from sin.
When others jeer and mock thee,
I’ll often think how I
To shield my Mother, Mary,
Would lay me down and die.

Verses 4, 5 and 6 omitted on image.

Posted in JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MARIAN PRAYERS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MOTHER of GOD, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION

Our Morning Offering – 5 July – Mother of Love, of Sorrow and of Mercy

Our Morning Offering – 5 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – First Saturday

Mother of Love, of Sorrow and of Mercy
By St Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373)

O Blessed Virgin Mary,
Immaculate Mother of God,
who endured a martyrdom of love and grief,
beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus!
Thou didst co-operate in the benefit of my redemption
by thy innumerable afflictions
and by offering to the Eternal Father,
His only-begotten Son, as a holocaust
and victim of propitiation for my sins.
I thank thee for the unspeakable love
which led thee to deprive thyself
of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus,
true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner.
Oh! make use of the unfailing intercession
of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son,
that I may steadfastly amend my life
and never again crucify
my loving Redeemer by my sins
and that, persevering till death in His grace,
I may obtain eternal life
through the merits of His Cross and Passion.
Amen

Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us!

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, INDULGENCES, MARIAN Aspirations and Ejaculations, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 15 February – Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners, Pray for Us!

Quote/s of the Day – 15 February – Feast of The Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners

Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners, Pray for Us!

(Indulgence 300 days)

Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

(1943 Raccolta – Indulgence 300 days)

Mary will certainly save repentant sinners
who have recourse to her
but she cannot pay any attention to hardened sinners, who pray to her with their lips,
while their hearts remain steeped in sin.
We must have complete confidence in her
but, we must also have a sincere intention
of raising ourselves under her protection,
from the slavery of sin,
to the friendship of God.

Mary, my merciful Mother,
you see how wretched I am
and how often I have fallen.
I wish to reform and sanctify myself
but I am not able without your powerful assistance, the weakness of my nature
is an insurmountable obstacle.
Come to my aid, O Mother of mercy.
Obtain for me, forgiveness f
rom your Divine Son.
Obtain for me too, the grace
of a complete change of heart,
so that I may be truly your child
here upon the earth and share
in your glory in Heaven.
Amen.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DOCTORS of the Church, HYMNS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES

Our Morning Offering – 15 February – O Mother Blest By St Alphonsus

Our Morning Offering – 15 February – Feast of The Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners

O Mother Blest
By St Alphonsus Maira Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
Trans. Fr Edmund Vaughn C.SS.R. (1827 – 1908 )

O Mother blest, whom God bestows
On sinners and on just,
What joy, what hope thou givest those
Who in thy mercy trust.
Thou are clement, thou are chaste,
Mary thou art fair,
Of all mothers, sweetest best,
none with thee compare.

O heavenly Mother, mistress sweet!
it never yet was told
that suppliant sinner left thy feet,
unpitied, unconsoloed.
Thou are clement, thou are chaste, …

O Mother, pitiful and mild,
Cease not to pray for me;
For I do love thee as a child,
And sigh for love of thee.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …

Most powerful Mother, all men know
Thy Son denies thee nought;
Thou askest, wishest it, and lo!
His power thy will hath wrought.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …

O Mother blest, for me obtain,
Ungrateful though I be,
To love that God who first could deign
To show such love for me.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste,
Mary, thou art fair.
Of all mothers, sweetest, best,
None with thee compare.

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CONSECRATION Prayers, Hail MARY!, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Our Morning Offering – 31 October – The Holy Rosary

Our Morning Offering – 31 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Goodbye October

The Holy Rosary
By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

Accept, mighty Maid, we beseech thee,
This prayer with its fragrance of flowers;
With one soul we seek thus to reach thee
And hail thee, God’s Mother and ours.

Thy heart is made glad by our praying;
Thy bounty is generous and wise;
Thy hands are enriched for conveying
What God’s tender Mercy supplies.

We kneel at thy Shrines in the Churches;
Oh, gently look down from above,
And welcome the heart that then searches
For worthy expressions of love.

Let others present precious caskets
Of gems, or heap Altars with gold;
Slight prayer-beads shall serve us for baskets
To bring thee the garland they hold.

With violets lowly we fashion
This wreath and with these combined
Red roses–our faith in the Passion
With Chastity’s lilies entwined.

Our minds, as the Mysteries vary,
Are active, our hands play their part
And always thy name, Holy Mary!
Oft-uttered, rejoices the heart.

Be with us, we trust thee to guide us
Through life and when labouring breath
At the last, seeks thine aid, be beside us
To help at the hour of our death.
Amen

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, QUOTES on CHILDREN, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on the FAMILY, QUOTES/PRAYERS on THE FAMILY, ROSARY QUOTES, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Quote/s of the Day – 29 October – Let not even one day pass …

Quote/s of the Day – 29 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels”

The Rosary is the scourge of the devil.

Pope Adrian VI (1459-1523)

Commend your children
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
When parents pray the Rosary,
at the end of each Decade,
they should hold the Rosary aloft
and say to her:
‘with these beads, bind our children
to thy Immaculate Heart’
our Holy Mother will attend to their souls!

St Louise de Marillac DC (1591-1660)

If there were one million families
praying the Rosary everyday,
the entire world would be saved.

St Pope Pius X (1835-1914)

The Rosary is a powerful weapon
to put the demons to flight
and to keep oneself from sin…
If you desire peace in your hearts,
in your homes
and in your country,
assemble each evening to recite the Rosary.
Let not even one day pass without saying it,
no matter how burdened you may be
with many cares and labours.

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.

Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, For FAITH in the BLESSED SACRAMENT, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, MARIAN QUOTES, OUR Cross, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 23 October – St Anthony Mary Claret

Quote/s of the Day – 23 October – St Anthony Mary Claret CMF (1807-1870) Archbishop and Founder of the Claretians

The faith I have, when I am in the
Presence of the Blessed Sacrament,
is so strong, I find it impossible
to express what I feel…
When the time comes to leave,
I must force myself to overcome, the inclination
to prolong my stay with Jesus.”

A son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary …
is a man who unceasingly expends himself
to light the fire of divine love in the world.
Nothing stops him!

The Christian, who desires to follow Jesus,
carrying His Cross, must bear in mind
that the name “Christian” means,
“learner or imitator of Christ”
and that, if he wishes to bear
that noble title worthily,
he must, above all, do as Christ
charges us in the Gospel:
We must oppose or deny ourselves,
take up the cross and follow Him.

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St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 16 October – Tota Pulchra Es, Maria – You Are All Beautiful, Mary

Our Morning Offering – 16 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Feast of the Purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Tota Pulchra Es, Maria
You Are All Beautiful, Mary
Unknown Author – 4th Century

You are all beautiful, Mary,
and the original stain is not in you.
You are the glory of Jerusalem,
you are the joy of Israel,
you give honour to our people.
You are an advocate of sinners.
O Mary, O Mary,
Virgin most intelligent,
Mother most merciful.
Pray for us,
Plead for us,
To the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tota pulchra es, Maria.
Et macula originalis non est in Te.
Tu gloria Ierusalem.
Tu laetitia Israel.
Tu honorificentia populi nostri.
Tu advocata peccatorum.
O Maria, O Maria,
Virgo prudentissima.
Mater clementissima.
Ora pro nobis.
Intercede pro nobis.
Ad Dominum Iesum Christum.

This prayer used by the Church since the 4th Century for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Purity of the Blessed Virgin. It takes some text from the book of Judith and other text from Song of Songs, specifically 4:7. Many composers have set this prayer to music over the centuries.

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on The SOUL, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 September – ‘ … Everyone without God has a dead soul. ‘

One Minute Reflection – 26 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – St Isaac Jogues SJ (1607-1646) Priest, Martyr, Missionary and Companions – Hebrews 10:32-38; Luke 12:1-8 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do. … be afraid of him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell. ” – Luke 12:4-5

REFLECTION – “The Gospel is life. Impiety and infidelity are the death of the soul. So then, if the soul can die, how then is it yet immortal? Because, there is always a dimension of life in the soul which can never be extinguished. And how does it die? Not in ceasing to be life but by losing its proper life. For the soul is both life to something else and it has it own proper life. Consider the order of the creatures. The soul is the life of the body. God is the Life of the soul. As the life that is the soul, is present with the body that the body may not die, so the Life of the soul (God), ought to be with the soul that it may not die.

How does the body die? By the departure of the soul. I say, by the departure of the soul, the body dies and it lies there as a mere carcass, what was a little before, a lively, not a contemptible object. There are in it still, its several members, the eyes and ears. But these are merely the windows of the house – its inhabitant is gone. Those who bewail the dead, cry in vain at the windows of the house. There is no-one there within it to hear. Why is the body dead? Because the soul, its life, is gone. But at what point is the soul itself dead? When God, its Life, has forsaken it. This then we can know and hold for certain – the body is dead without the soul and the soul is dead without God. Everyone without God has a dead soul. You who bewail the dead rather, should bewail sin! Bewail ungodliness! Bewail disbelief! – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 65).

PRAYER – May the continual protection of the blessed Martyrs comfort us, O Lord, for Thou do not cease to behold with favour those whom You have granted the grace of such assistance. 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 AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, INDULGENCES, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MOTHER of GOD, Prayers to the SORROWFUL MOTHER, QUOTES on MOTHERHOOD, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – The Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin

Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” and The Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin

The glorious Virgin paid our ransom
as a courageous woman who loved
with the compassionate love of Christ.
In Saint John it is said:
“When a woman is in labour she is sad
that her time has come.” (Jn 16:21)
The Blessed Virgin did not feel the pain
which precedes childbirth
because she did not conceive following
the sin of Eve, against whom the curse was spoken.
She felt her pain later –
she gave birth under the Cross!
Other women know bodily pain,
she felt that of the heart.
Others suffer from physical change;
she, from compassion and love.

St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

Bid me bear, O Mother Blest,
On my heart, the wounds imprest,
Suffered by the Crucified!

An Indulgence of 50 days each time.
Plenary Indulgence once a month
under the usual conditions.

The heart of Mary became,
as it were, a mirror of the
Passion of the Son,
in which might be seen,
faithfully reflected,
the spitting, the blows and wounds
and all which Jesus suffered.

St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455)

O Quot Undis Lacrimarum
What A Sea Of Tears And Sorrow
Breviary Hymn for the
Feast of the Seven Sorrow
Attrib. Bishop Callisto Palumbella OSM (1687-1749)

Trans. Fr Edward Caswell COrat (1814–1878)

What a sea of tears and sorrow
Did the soul of Mary toss
To and fro upon its billows,
While she wept her bitter loss;
In her arms her Jesus holding,
Torn so newly from the Cross.

Oh, that mournful Virgin-Mother!
See her tears how fast they flow
Down upon His mangled body,
Wounded side, and thorny brow;
While His hands and feet she kisses—
Picture of immortal woe.

Oft and oft, His arms and bosom
Fondly straining to her own;
Oft her pallid lips imprinting
On each wound of her dear Son;
Till at last, in swoons of anguish,
Sense and consciousness are gone.

Gentle Mother, we beseech thee
By thy tears and troubles sore;
By the death of thy dear Offspring,
By the bloody wounds He bore;
Touch our hearts with that true sorrow
Which afflicted thee of yore.

To the Father everlasting,
And the Son Who reigns on high,
With the Co-eternal Spirit,
Trinity in Unity,
Be salvation, honour, blessing
Now and through eternity.
Amen

Attrib. to the Servite Bishop Callisto Maria Vincenzo Antonio Palumbella OSM (1687-1749), who also composed the Office for the Feast inserted in the Breviary in 1720. He was the Bishop of Terracina, Priverno e Sezze, Italy.
This Translation by Fr Edward Caswell COrat (1814–1878)

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