Posted in "Follow Me", JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, LENT 2021, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The HOLY NAME, Thomas a Kempis

Ash Wednesday – 17 February- Day One of our Lenten Journey

Ash Wednesday – 17 February- Day One of our Lenten Journey

Imitating Christ with Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

In Your Light Lord, we see light

“HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness,” (John 8:12) says the Lord.
By these words of Christ, we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart.
Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.
(Book 1, Ch 1:1)

DISCIPLE: IT IS the mark of a perfect man, Lord, never to let his mind relax in attention to heavenly things and to pass through many cares as though he had none; not as an indolent man does but, having by the certain prerogative of a free mind, no disorderly affection for any created being.

Keep me, I beg You, most merciful God, from the cares of this life, lest I be too much entangled in them.
Keep me from many necessities of the body, lest I be ensnared by pleasure.
Keep me from all darkness of mind, lest I be broken by troubles and overcome.
I do not ask deliverance from those things, which worldly vanity desires so eagerly but, from those miseries which, by the common curse of humankind, oppress the soul of Your servant, in punishment and keep him from entering into the liberty of spirit as often as he would.

My God, Sweetness beyond words, make bitter all the carnal comfort that draws me from love of the eternal and lures me to its evil self, by the sight of some delightful good in the present.
Let it not overcome me, my God.
Let not flesh and blood conquer me.
Let not the world and its brief glory deceive me, nor the devil trip me by his craftiness.
Give me courage to resist, patience to endure and constancy to persevere.
Give me the soothing unction of Your spirit, rather than all the consolations of the world and in place of carnal love, infuse into me the love of Your Name.

Behold, eating, drinking, clothing and other necessities that sustain the body are burdensome to the fervent soul.
Grant me the grace to use such comforts temperately and not to become entangled in too great a desire for them.
It is not lawful to cast them aside completely, for nature must be sustained but Your holy law forbids us to demand superfluous things and things that are simply for pleasure, else the flesh would rebel against the spirit.
In these matters, I beg, let Your hand guide and direct me, so that I may not overstep the law in any way.
(Book 3 Ch 26:1-4)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOMINICAN OP, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Quote/s of the Day – 13 February – Bl Jordan of Saxony

Quote/s of the Day – 13 February – The Memorial of Blessed Jordan of Saxony OP (1190-1237)

“I send you a you a very little word,
THE WORD,
made little in the crib,
THE WORD,
made flesh for us ….
THE WORD,
of salvation and grace
THE WORD,
of sweetness and glory
THE WORD
Who is good and gentle –
JESUS CHRIST.”

“There are two ways of keeping God’s word,
namely, one, whereby we store in our memory
what we hear and the other,
whereby we put into practice,
what we have heard
(and none will deny that the latter
is more commendable, inasmuch,
as it is better to sow grain,
than to store it in the barn).”

“Virtue –
humility and patience,
kindness and obedience,
charity also and sobriety –
can never grow to excess.”

Meeting a vagabond upon the road who feigned sickness and poverty, Blessed Jordan gave him one of his tunics, which the fellow at once carried straight to a tavern for drink. The brethren, seeing this done, taunted him with his simplicity:

‘There now, Master, see how wisely you have bestowed your tunic.’

I did so,’ said he,
‘because I believed him to be in want,
through sickness and poverty
and it seemed, at the moment,
to be a charity to help him.
Still, I reckon it better, to have parted
with my tunic than with charity.”

Blessed Jordan of Saxony (1190-1237)

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the FAMILY, QUOTES/PRAYERS on THE FAMILY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 1 February – The Holy Family – The Blessed Virgin Mary

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

The Holy Family – The Blessed Virgin Mary

“The Blessed Vigin Mary is the second model proposed for our imitation in the Holy Family.
She is the purest and most beautiful creature ever fashioned by the Hand of God.
As Mother of the Word Incarnate, her dignity touches the divine.
Peserved from all stain of sin from the moment of her conception, she is full of grace.
Except in God Himself, no greater beauty and holiness can be found elsewhere, than in Mary.

We do not read that Mary worked miracles, had ecstasies, or possessed any extraordinary external gifts.
Her sanctity was completely internal.
She trod the ordinary way of perfection, therefore, the way most easily imitated by us and, nevertheless, reached the highest peak of holiness.
Since we are her devoted and affectionate children, let us ask her for the grace to follow her in the way of perfection and of complete resignation to the Will of God.
Although, we may have to follow her from afar, let us follow with enthusiasm.
As parents, let us imitate her holy, loving and obedient hand in the growth of our Saviour.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Part One – Jesus – here:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/24/thought-for-the-day-24-december-the-holy-family-jesus/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the FAMILY, QUOTES/PRAYERS on THE FAMILY, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The HEART, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Quote/s of the Day – 1 February – “Month of the Holy Family of Nazareth”

Quote/s of the Day – 1 February – “Month of the Holy Family of Nazareth”

“Thus, parents, I say, are more vicious,
more cruel than child-murderers;
for, a murderer of children, as Herod was,
separates only the body from the soul;
while the others, give the souls and bodies of their children
to eternal flames!
Further, those who are killed
would have died in the course of time,
though they had not been murdered;
while children, neglected by their parents,
might have avoided eternal death,
had not the wickedness of their parents
prepared it for them.
Besides this, the general resurrection
would have compensated for the bodily death,
while the death and destruction of the soul,
nothing can restore.
A child, condemned by the parent’s fault,
has no hope of salvation
but has to suffer eternal pains.
Hence I am right in saying,
that such parents are worse than child-murderers.”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father & Doctor

“We become what we love
and who we love,
shapes what we become.”

St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

“On the journey of this life to eternity,
let me carry You in my heart,
following Mary’s example,
who bore You in her arms,
during the flight to Egypt.”

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Bishop and Doctor of the Church

“To hand onto your children.
the faith you received from your parents,
is your first duty
and your greatest privilege as parents.
The home should be the first school of religion,
as it must be the first school of prayer.”

Bl Louise-Thérèse de Montaignac de Chauvance (1820-1885)
“Apostle of the Sacred Heart”

“The family is the basis in the Lord’s plan
and all the forces of evil
aim to demolish it.
Uphold your families
and guard them
against the grudges
of the evil one,
by the Presence of God.

St Charbel Makhlouf OLM (1828-1898)

“ … The family is not made for society;
rather, it is society, which is made for the family.”

“God did not create a human family
made up of segregated, dissociated,
mutually independent members.
No; He would have them all united
by the bond of total love of Him
and consequent self-dedication
to assisting each other
to maintain that bond intact.”

“There is no surer means
of calling down God’s blessing
upon the family,
than the daily recitation
of the Rosary.”

Ven Servant of God Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

Posted in PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

FEBRUARY – THE MONTH OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF NAZARETH

The Month of the Holy Family of Nazareth

Do we not need to honour and imitate the Holy Family in today’s culture and society which attacks families in so many ways? We know why, too. Back in 1981 Sister Lucia of Fatima wrote to Cardinal Carlo Caffarra who was commissioned to establish the Pontifical Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. In 2008 he revealed the dire warning she gave him in that letter, which turned out to be true, as proven by the events we have seen rapidly unfolding in the world.

Lucia wrote, “The final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about Marriage and the Family.
Do not be afraid…because, whoever works for the sanctity of Marriage and the Family, will always be fought against and opposed, in every way because this is the decisive issue.”

“In our day the very foundations of family life have been shaken by the failure of so many marriages. For this reason the devotion to the Holy Family of Nazareth takes on a new meaning and a new importance. The modern family must again be rejuvenated and filled with the spirit of the Holy Family of Nazareth. It must recapture the spirit of faith, the spirit of subjection to the will of God. It is for this intention that we should offer our prayers and sacrifices during the month.” — The Light of the World by Benedict Baur, OSB.

Prayer for the Protection of the Holy Family

Grant unto us, Lord Jesus,
ever to follow the example
of Your Holy Family,
that in the hour of our death
Your glorious Virgin Mother
together with blessed Joseph
may come to meet us
and we may be worthily,
received by You
into everlasting dwellings,
who lives and reigns,
world without end.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – Blessed Henry Suso

Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” and The Memorial of Blessed Henry Suso OP (1295-1366)

“Faith in Jesus and in the power of His Holy Name
is the greatest spiritual force in the world today.
It is a source of joy and inspiration in our youth;
of strength in our manhood,
when only His Holy Name and His grace,
can enable us to overcome temptation;
of hope, consolation
and confidence at the hour of our death,
when more than ever before,
we realise, that the meaning of Jesus is
‘Lord, the Saviour.’
We should bow in reverence to His Name
and submission to His Holy Will.”

“Suffering is the ancient law of love;
there is no quest without pain;
there is no lover who is not also a martyr.”

“Remember, that you will derive strength
by reflecting, that the saints yearn
for you to join their ranks;
desire to see you fight bravely
and, that you behave like true knights
in your encounters with the same adversities
which they had to conquer.
That
breath-taking joy is theirs
and your eternal reward
for having endured a few years of temporal pain.
Every drop of earthly bitterness
will be changed into an ocean
of heavenly sweetness!”

“I have often repented of having spoken.
I have never repented of silence.”

“Let each look to himself
and see what God wants of him
and attend to this,
leaving all else alone.”

Blessed Henry Suso (1295-1366)

Posted in JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 14 January – Jesus, Name Full of Glory By St Bernardine of Siena

Our Morning Offering – 14 January – Month of the Most Holy Name

Jesus, Name Full of Glory
By St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

Jesus,
Name full of glory,
grace, love and strength!
You are the refuge of those who repent,
our banner of warfare in this life,
the medicine of souls,
the comfort of those who morn,
the delight of those who believe,
the light of those
who preach the true faith,
the wages of those who toil,
the healing of the sick.
To You our devotion aspires,
by You our prayers are received;
we delight in contemplating You.
O Name of Jesus,
You are the glory of all the saints for eternity.
Amen

Posted in JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 4 January – Daily Prayer to the Most Holy Name

Our Morning Offering – 4 January – Christmas Weekday “Month of the Most Holy Name”

Daily Prayer to the Most Holy Name
by St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)
Apostle of the Most Holy Name

Jesus,
Name full of glory, grace, love and strength!
You are the refuge of those who repent,
our banner of warfare in this life,
the medicine of souls,
the comfort of those who mourn,
the delight of those who believe,
the light of those who preach the true faith,
the wages of those who toil,
the healing of the sick.
To You, our devotion aspires;
by You, our prayers are received;
we delight in contemplating You.
O Name of Jesus,
You are the glory
of all the saints for eternity.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, I BELIEVE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The HOLY NAME, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 3 January – The Power of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

Quote/s of the Day – 3 January – Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

“Faith in Jesus and in the power of His Holy Name
is the greatest spiritual force in the world today.
It is a source of joy and inspiration in our youth;
of strength in our manhood,
when only His Holy Name and His grace,
can enable us to overcome temptation;
of hope, consolation
and confidence at the hour of our death,
when more than ever before,
we realise, that the meaning of Jesus is
‘Lord, the Saviour.’
We should bow in reverence to His Name
and submission to His Holy Will.”

Bl Henry Suso (1290-1365)

“Was it not through the brilliance
and sweet savour of this Name,
that God called us into
His marvelous light?”

St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

“If thou are bound down by sickness,
if sorrows weary thee,
if thou are trembling with fear,
invoke the name of Jesus.”

St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1456)

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/03/quote-s-of-the-day-3-january-the-feast-of-the-most-holy-name-of-jesus/

Posted in "Follow Me", Archbishop Alban GOODIER SJ, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on MISSION, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 January – ‘He was called Jesus’ Luke 2:21

One Minute Reflection – 3 January – Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, Readings: Epistle Acts 4:8-12, Psalm 105:47, Isa 63:16, Ps 144:21, Gospel Luke 2:21-24

“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus”…Luke 2:21

REFLECTION – “The Name stands as a complete summary and description of our Lord’s character and office and it is under this aspect that it has been regarded by thousands of Saints, whose hearts have melted at its mere sound. To them Jesus is their God, Jesus is their King, Jesus is their Redeemer, Jesus is their Mediator, Jesus is their Saviour, Jesus is their great Priest, Jesus is their Intercessor, Jesus is the Captain under Whom they fight, Jesus is the Leader Whom they follow, Jesus is their Teacher, Jesus is the Giver of their law, Jesus is the Spouse and Shepherd of their souls, Jesus is their Light, Jesus is their Life, Jesus is the Judge before Whom they rejoice to think, that they must one day stand, Jesus is their final and eternal Reward, for which alone they live.

But He is also to them the Mirror of all the most glorious and winning virtues. He is, and His Name tells them that He is, unbounded Charity, infinite Mercy, extremest Kindness, deepest Humility, most devoted Piety, transparent Simplicity, uttermost Poverty, Chastity without a stain. It is the prerogative of love to transform those who love into the likeness of Him Whom they love and as the mere name of one who is loved cannot sound in the ear or be thought of in the mind, without adding to the love which is already there, so the thought of the Holy Name and the mention of the Holy Name have a kind of sacramental power in the hearts of His Saints. The [name] seems to convey the grace which enables men to think like Him, to speak like Him, to act like Him, to sacrifice themselves like Him and to Him, and for Him, and along with Him, to make Him known to others, not by word only but also by reproduction of Him in themselves, and to win all men to love Him.” – Fr Alban Goodier SJ (1869-1939) Archbishop – Excerpted from The Prince of Peace

PRAYER – O God, who founded the salvation of the human race on the Incarnation of Your Word, give Your people the mercy they implore, so that all may know there is no other Name to be invoked but the Name of Your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 3 January – O Sweet Name of Jesus

Our Morning Offering – 3 January – Month and Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

O Sweet Name of Jesus
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

O sweet Name of Jesus,
holy above all names
in heaven and on earth
and to which every knee,
both of men
and of angels in heaven,
on earth and in hell bends.
You are the Way of the just,
the Glory of the saints,
the Hope of those in need,
the Balm of the sick,
the Love of the devout
and the Consolation
of those that suffer.
O, Jesus be to me a help
and a protector
so that Your Name
may be blessed for all times.
Amen

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, JESUIT SJ, SAINT of the DAY

Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and Memorials of the Saints – 3 January

Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Optional Memorial)
The Holy Name of Jesus:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/3-january-feast-of-the-most-holy-name-of-jesus/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/03/feast-of-the-most-holy-name-of-jesus-3-january/

The Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus
https://anastpaul.com/2017/01/03/the-titular-feast-of-the-jesuits/

St Pope Antherus (Died 235) Martyr
Bl Arnold Wala
St Athanasius of Cilicia
St Bertilia of Mareuil
St Bertille of Thuringia
St Blitmund of Bobbio
St Constant of Gap
St Cyrinus of Cyzicus
St Daniel Himmerod the Younger
Bl Daniel of Padua
St Eustadius
St Finlugh
St Fintan of Doon
St Florentius of Vienne
St Florentius of Vienne the Martyr
St Genevieve (c 419-c 502)
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/03/saint-of-the-day-3-january-saint-genevieve-c-419-c-502/

Bl Gerard Cagnoli
St Gordius of Cappadocia
St Imbenia
St Kuriakose Elias Chavara
St Lucian of Lentini
St Melorius
St Peter of Palestine
St Primus of Cyzicus
St Salvator of Belluno
St Theogenes of Cyzicus
St Theonas
St Theopemptus of Nicomedia
St Wenog
Bl Bl William Vives
St Zosimus of Cilicia

Martyrs of Africa – 12 saints: A group of Christians martyred together in Africa, date unknown, exact location unknown. We know nothing more than their names – Acuta, Candidus, Constantius, Eugenia, Firmus, Hilarinus, Lucida, Martial, Poenica, Possessor, Rogatianus and Statutianus.

Martyrs of Tomi – 7 saints: A group of Christians martyred together, date unknown. We know nothing more than their names – Claudon, Diogenius, Eugene, Eugentus, Pinna, Rhodes and Rhodo. They were martyred at Tomi, Exinius Pontus, Moesia (modern Constanta, Romania).

Posted in JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, The HOLY NAME

January is the Month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS

Catholic Devotions
JANUARY
is the Month of
THE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS

Given the widespread misuse of the names of God and Jesus today in ordinary life, as well as on television, in films and in other forms of entertainment, it is especially important to do all we can to restore respect for the name of God.
Bowing our head when we pronounce or hear the name of Jesus is a good way to do this.
Also important is to make an internal act of reparation whenever we hear the name of God or Jesus blasphemed.
It should hurt us that the object of our love is mistreated in this way.

By way of concretising respect for the name of Jesus in a formal way, the Second Council of Lyons in 1274 decreed that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow; whenever that glorious name is recalled, especially during the sacred mysteries of the Mass, everyone should bow the knees of his heart, which he can do even by a bow of his head.”

It may very well be that the custom of bowing the head at the name of Jesus has passed out of general use, as have other laudable customs, in recent times but, that does not prevent us personally, from continuing to live it and passing on to our children this ancient custom.

At the mention of the Most Holy Name, BOW YOUR HEAD and in private prayer, make an ACT of REPARATION, at the misuse of the MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, GOOD FRIDAY, Holy Name PRAYERS, HOLY WEEK, LENT, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 11 April – Hail, Sweet Jesus! Prayer to Christ in His Passion and Death

Our Morning Offering – 11 April

 

Hail, Sweet Jesus!
Prayer to Christ
in His Passion and Death

By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

Hail, sweet Jesus!
Praise, honour and glory be to Thee, O Christ,
Who, of Thou own accord, embraced death,
and recommending Thyself to Thy heavenly Father,
bowing down Thy venerable Head,
did yield up Thy Spirit.
Truly thus giving up Thy life for Thy sheep,
Thou hast shown Thyself, to be the Good Shepherd.
Thou died, O Only-begotten Son of God.
Thou died, O my beloved Saviour,
that I might live forever.
O how great hope,
how great confidence have
I reposed in Thy Death and Thy Blood!
I glorify and praise Thy Holy Name,
acknowledging my infinite obligations to Thee.
O good Jesus,
by Thy bitter Death and Passion,
give me grace and pardon.
Give unto the faithful departed,
rest and life everlasting.
Amen