Category: JULY – The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 June – Corpus Christi

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” and the Feast of Corpus Christi – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“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

Source of all we have or know,
feed and lead us here below.
Grant that with Your saints above,
Sitting at the feast of love,
We may see You face to face.

Amen Alleluia!

Lord Jesus Christ,
in the Most Blessed Sacrament,
we Adore and Love You!

( The last Verse of the Lauda Sion,
the Eucharistic Hymn/Sequence
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

“The Saviour has instituted
the most glorious Sacrament
of the Eucharist,
which truly contains His Body and His Blood,
so that, whoever eats it will live forever.
Therefore, those who receive it frequently,
with devotion, strengthen their spiritual life
and well-being, to such an extent,
that it is almost impossible for them
to be poisoned by any kind of evil attachment.”

(Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, Chapter 20)

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

Act of Spiritual Communion
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

I desire, good Jesus,
to receive Thee in Holy Communion
and since I cannot now receive Thee
in the Blessed Sacrament,
I beseech Thee to come to me spiritually
and to refresh my soul with Thy sweetness.
Come, my Lord, my God and my All!
Come to me
and never let me ever again
be separated from Thee by sin.
Teach me Thy blessed ways,
help me with Thy grace to imitate Thy example,
to practise meekness, humility,
charity and all the virtues of Thy Sacred Heart.
My divine Master, my one desire is to do Thy will
and to love Thee, more and more.
Help me, that I may be faithful to the end, in Thy service.
Bless me in life and in death,
that I may praise Thee, forever in heaven,
Amen

“It is enough for us to love Him
and to be ready to keep His commandments.
Such an act of sincere
and effective love for Jesus,
will cause Him to enter
and to remain in our hearts,
even after the Sacramental Species
has been consumed.
This is Spiritual Communion,
which consists mainly in the yearning for Jesus.
“I have come to cast fire upon the earth
and what will I but, that it be kindled”
(Lk 12:49).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

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Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 June – ‘ … An indelible remembrance of our Redemption. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 8 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Feast of Corpus Christi – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood, abides in Me and I in him. ” – John 6:57

REFLECTION – “The heavenly sacrifice which Christ instituted is indeed the inheritance bequeathed to us through His new covenant. He left it to us on the night He was delivered up to be Crucified, as a token of His Presence. It is viaticum for our journey, food on our life’s path, until we come to it upon leaving this world. That is why our Lord said: “Unless you eat My Flesh and drink My Blood, you do not have life within you.” He wished His deeds of kindness to remain among us and the souls He redeemed, by His Precious Blood, always to be made holy in the image of His own Passion. This is why He commanded His faithful disciples, instituted as the first Priests of His Church, to celebrate these mysteries of eternal life, in perpetuity… Thus all the faithful would have before their eyes, day-by-day, a representation of Christ’s Passion. Taking Him in our hands, receiving Him in our mouths and hearts, we will hold fast to an indelible remembrance of our Redemption.

The bread should be made with the flour of innumerable grains of wheat mixed with water and finished off in the fire. Thus we shall find a close likeness of the Body of Christ in it for, as we know, He forms a single body with the multitude of humankind, brought to completion, by the fire of the Holy Spirit… In the same way, the wine of His Blood, is taken from many grapes – that is to say, the fruit of the vine he planted – is crushed beneath the press of His Cross, poured into the hearts of the faithful and ferments within them, by means of His own power. This is the Passover Sacrifice bringing salvation to all those set free from the bondage of Egypt and Pharaoh which is to say, the devil. Receive it in union with us, with all the eagerness of a pious heart.” – St Gaudentius of Brescia (Died 410) Bishop , Father, renowned Preacher, Theologian, Diplomatic Mediator (An Excerpt from a Paschal Homily no 68:30).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who in this wondrous Sacrament have left us a memorial of Thy Passion, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to venerate the Sacred Mysteries of Thy Body and Blood that we may ever experience, within us, the effect of Thy Redemption.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).
All praise, honour and glory to the divine HEART of JESUS. – Indulgence 50 Days, Once a day. Raccolta 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901.

Posted in GOD is LOVE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 3 June – The Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Revealed in the Gospel

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Thought for the Day – 3 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Revealed in the Gospel

“If we meditate on the pages of the Gospel, we shall find that they are vibrant with the infinite love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Let us, in imagination, enter the cave of Bethlehem and kneel before the crib where the Divine Infant is lying.
Darkness is all around, darkness over the earth, darkness in the minds and hearts of the majority of men.
But, now, the heavens open and from the brightness the voices of angels ring out, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among men of goodwill.”
Who is this infant?
He is the Eternal Word, the substantial image of God, Who, for love of us, has been made man.
He is the Infinite One Who has willed to unite Himself with the finite, in order to lift us towards Himself.
This little heart is throbbing like that of any baby but, in this throb, is expressed the love of the God-Man.
It is a profound mystery, that God should have loved man so much, that He became a tiny infant.
Yet, He did this so that we might love Him more easily and in order to show us His own immeasurable love.
There is about this Infant, a fascination, at once human and divine, which compels us to love Him, even as Mary, Joseph and the simple shepherds loved Him.
He is asking us for love, adoration and complete surrender.
Can we refuse Him?

Now let us take ourselves in imagination to Calvary and kneel at the foot of the Cross.
The heart which began to beat with the sacred love in the manger at Bethlehem, has given everything for us, has poured forth it’s precious blood for our salvation and, has bestowed on us, as a final gift, the Blessed Mother of God.
Now, this heart is consumed with love for us and ceases to beat only when it has give us everything.
“It is consummated” (Jn 19:30).
At Bethlehem we have experienced a joyful ecstasy of love.
Here, at the foot of the Cross, we should experience a deep sorrow, which will cause us to weep for our sins and to transform our lives after the model of Jesus Christ.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, GOD ALONE!, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, OUR Cross, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, SAINT of the DAY, The LORD'S PRAYER, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Quote/s of the Day –26 May – St Philip Neri

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Quote/s of the Day –26 May – The Memorial of St Philip Neri (1515-1595) Confessor

When summoned to hear Confessions
or to see someone who had called,
St Philip came down instantly, with the words:

“We must leave Christ for Christ.”.  

“It is an old custom with the servants of God,
always to have some little prayers ready
and to be darting them up to Heaven
frequently during the day,
lifting their minds to God
out of the filth of this world.
He who adopts this plan,
will get great fruit, with little pains.”

“Watch me, O Lord, this day –
for, abandoned to myself,
I shall surely betray Thee!”

“He who wishes for anything but Christ,
does not know what he wishes;
he who asks for anything but Christ,
does not know what he is asking;
he who works and not for Christ,
does not know what he is doing.”

“If a man finds it very difficult to forgive injuries,
let him look at a Crucifix
and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him
and not only forgave His enemies
but, even prayed His Heavenly Father,
to forgive them too.
Let him remember,
that when he says the Pater Noster, everyday,
instead of asking pardon for his sins,
he is calling down VENGEANCE UPON HIMSELF!”

“We are generally,
the carpenters
of our own crosses.”

Rather old images below
but great words from our Saint, of course:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/05/26/quote-s-of-the-day-26-may-marys-month-the-memorial-of-st-philip-neri-1515-1595/

St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

Posted in CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DIVINE MERCY, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

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

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

This prayer to our Lady of Good Counsel, like many other Marian prayers, asks for Our Blessed Mother’s help in obtaining our salvation.
Note the reference to our earthly existence as being a “vale of tears,”
an expression we find too in the Salve Regina, the Hail Holy Queen.

Prayer to Our Mother of Good Counsel

Most Glorious Virgin
chosen by the Eternal Counsel
to be the Mother
of the Eternal Word made flesh,
thou, who art the Treasurer of Divine Graces
and the Advocate of Sinners,
I, thy most unworthy servant,
have recourse to thee;
be thou pleased to be my Guide
and Counsellor in this vale of tears.
Obtain for me,
through the Most Precious Blood
of thy Divine Son,
the forgiveness of my sins,
the salvation of my soul
and the means necessary to obtain it.
In like manner,
obtain for Holy Mother the Church,
victory over her enemies
and the spread of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ
upon the whole earth.
Amen

Pope Paul II sent two Bishops to investigate the image of Our Lady of Good Counsel and the numerous miracles that took place, following its appearance at this Church (by one account 171 alone in the period from 27 April to 14 August 1467)!

The fresco is still there to this day, having survived earthquakes over the Centuries and even aerial bombardment during World War II which destroyed much of the Church.

Many Popes have been great champions of Our Lady of Good Counsel
and her image. Pope Paul II first approved devotion to her. Popes Urban VIII and Pius IX made visits to the Church in Genazzano to honour her.
In 1753 Pope Benedict XIV established the Pious Union of Our Lady of Good Counsel which has included, among its members, the Popes Pius VIII, Pius IX, Leo XIII and Pius XII,the last, who placed his Papacy under her maternal care. He later composed this prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel which can be used as a novena:

O Mother of Good Counsel
By Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

O Holy Virgin, to whose feet we are led
by our anxious uncertainty in our search for
and attainment of, what is true and good,
invoking thee by the sweet title of Mother of Good Counsel,
we beseech thee to come to our assistance,
when, along the road of this life,
the darkness of error and of evil
conspire towards our ruin,
by leading our minds and our hearts astray.
O Seat of Wisdom and Star of the Sea,
enlighten the doubtful and the erring
that they, be not seduced,
by the false appearances of good;
render them steadfast in the face of the hostile
and corrupting influences, of passion and of sin.
O Mother of Good Counsel,
obtain for us from thy Divine Son,
a great love of virtue and,
in the hour of uncertainty and trial,
the strength to embrace the way
which leads to our salvation.
If thy hand sustains us,
we shall walk unmolested,
along the path indicated to us,
by the Life and Words of Jesus, our Redeemer
and, having followed freely and securely,
even in the midst of this world’s strife,
the Sun of Truth and Justice,
under thy maternal Star,
we shall come to the enjoyment of full
and eternal peace, with thee,
in the Haven of Salvation.
Amen

It is also worth noting, especially in these uncertain times for the Church as for the world (and in many ways, the two may be said to be linked together!) that Our Blessed Mother is ready, willing and more than able,
to help us i“in the midst of this world’s strife.”
We need only to approach her for assistance, in drawing closer to Jesus with fervent, humble prayer and devotion.

Keep in mind too, regarding the line in the first of our prayers above about our Church’s “victory over her enemies” that, in 1571, St Pius V credited Our Lady of Good Counsel with having assisted the Holy League of forces from Catholic maritime states, to defeat the Muslim Ottoman Empire in the famous Battle of Lepanto. This was a decisive victory which kept Italy from being overrun by the Muslims. Let us also pray to Mary for help, as Pope Pius V did, in the midst of our own battles! Amen.

Our Lady of Genazzano (1467) / Our Lady of Good Counsel (Memorial) – 26 April:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/26/our-lady-of-genazzano-1467-our-lady-of-good-counsel-and-memorials-of-the-saints-26-april/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TIME, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – Embrace, then, Jesus Crucified …

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Tuesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20. 19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My Lord and my God.”

John 20:28

“Are you able to drink the cup
that I am to drink?”

Matthew 20:22

“Embrace, then, Jesus Crucified,
raising to Him the eyes of your desire!
Consider His burning love for you
which made Jesus pour out His Blood
from every part of His body!
Embrace Jesus Crucified,
loving and beloved and in Him,
you will find true life because He is God made Man.
Let your heart and your soul burn
with the fire of love drawn from Jesus on the Cross!
… You will have no other desire than to follow Jesus!
Run, … do not stay asleep
because time flies and does not wait one moment!
Dwell in God’s sweet love!”

St Catherine of Sienna (1347-1380)
Doctor of the Church

“Alas, how the faith of Jesus’ Apostles
is shaken after His Crucifixion!
Assembled in a room with closed doors,
they are filled with fear.
Then Jesus enters, stands in their midst
and greets them: ‘Peace be with you.’ …
Without the presence of our Saviour,
they felt timid and lacked strength.
Such is the case when one is without God.
They were afraid.
Like a ship tossed in a storm without a pilot,
such was this poor boat.
Our Lord appears to His disciples
to bring relief to their fear.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOOD FRIDAY, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 7 April – The Word of the Cross

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 April – Good Friday

The Word of the Cross

Look on thy God, Christ hidden in our flesh.
A bitter word, the Cross and bitter sight:
Hard rind without, to hold the heart of Heaven.
Yet sweet it is, for God upon that tree
Did offer up His Life upon that rood
My Life hung, that my Life might stand in God.
Christ, what am I to give Thee for my life?
Unless take from Thy Hands the cup they hold,
To cleanse me with the precious draught of death.
What shall I do? My body to be burned?
Make myself vile? The debt’s not paid out yet.
Whate’er I do, it is but I and Thou,
And still do I come short, still must Thou pay
My debts, O Christ, for debts Thyself hadst none.
What love may balance Thine? My Lord was found
In fashion like a slave, that so His slave
Might find himself in fashion like his Lord.
Think you the bargain’s hard, to have exchanged
The transient for the eternal, to have sold
Earth to buy Heaven? More dearly God bought me!

St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431)
Father of the Church

Faithful Cross! Above All Other
By St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)

Faithful Cross! above all other,
one and only noble tree!
None in foliage, none in blossom,
none in fruit thy peer may be;
sweetest wood and sweetest iron,
sweetest weight is hung on thee.

Bend thy boughs, O tree of glory!
Thy relaxing sinews bend;
for awhile the ancient rigour
that thy birth bestowed, suspend
and the King of heavenly beauty
gently on thine arms extend.

Praise and honour to the Father,
praise and honour to the Son,
praise and honour to the Spirit,
ever Three and ever One:
One in might and One in glory
while eternal ages run.

In Your Hour of Holy Sadness
By St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father & Doctor of the Church

In Your hour of holy sadness
could I share with You, what gladness
should Your Cross to me be showing.
Gladness past all thought of knowing,
bowed beneath Your Cross to die!
Blessed Jesus, thanks I render
that in bitter death, so tender,
You now hear Your supplicant calling,
Save me Lord
and keep from falling from You,
when my hour is nigh.
Amen.

“When you are alone in your room,
take your Crucifix,
kiss Its Five Wounds reverently,
tell It to preach you a little sermon
and then listen to the words of eternal life
that It speaks to your heart.
Listen to the pleading of the Thorns,
the Nails, the Precious Blood.
Oh, what an eloquent sermon!”

St Paul of the Cross CP (1694-1775)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY NAME, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 3 April – ‘… The sweetness and perfume of His Name.’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 3 April – Monday in Holy Week – Isaias 50:5-10, John 12:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The house was filled
with the odour of the ointment.”

John 12:3

“As you know, as long as perfume is preserved
inside its flask, it keeps its fragrance
but, as soon as is poured out or emptied,
it spreads out its fragrant scent.
Even so, as long as our Lord and Saviour
reigned with His Father in Heaven,
the world was unaware of Him,
He was unknown here below.
But when, for our salvation,
He deigned to humble Himself,
by descending from Heaven,
to take on a human body,
then He spread abroad in the world,
the sweetness and perfume of His Name.”

St Chromatius of Aquilaea (Died c 407)
Bishop of Aquileia, Italy, Father

“People who associate the name of Christian
with a dishonest life, injure Christ! …
If God’s Name, is blasphemed by bad Christians,
it is praised and honoured,
on the other hand,
by the good:
“For in every place, we are the aroma of Christ”
(2 Cor,14-15).
And it is said in the Song of Songs:
“Your name is oil poured out” (1,3).”

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

“Nothing so curbs the onset of anger,
so allays the upsurge of pride.
It cures the wound of envy,
controls unbridled extravagance
and quenches the flame of lust.
It cools the thirst of covetousness
and banishes the itch of unclean desire…
For when I Name Jesus,
I set before myself,
a Man Who is meek and humble of heart,
kind, prudent, chaste, merciful,
flawlessly upright and holy
in the eyes of all
and this same Man, is the all-powerful God
Whose way of life heals me,
Whose support is my strength.”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LENT 2023, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, Quotes on SALVATION, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 29 March – WEDNESDAY IN PASSION WEEK – “He has become all ours, to make us all His.”

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Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 29 March – Wednesday in Passion Week

“He has become all ours,
to make us all His.”
St Francis de Sales

WEDNESDAY IN PASSION WEEK
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“Since Our Lord has so much loved us, that He has equally redeemed all, bedewed us with His Divine Blood and called us to Himself, without excluding anyone; since He has become all ours, to make us all His, giving us His Death and His Life to deliver us from eternal death and to procure us the joys of eternal life, that we may belong to Him in this mortal life and yet more perfectly, in the next.

What remains, what conclusion have we to draw, unless that living, we should no longer live for ourselves but for Jesus Christ, Who died for us; that is, we should Consecrate to Him, every moment of our life, referring to His glory our works, our thoughts and our affections?” – (Consoling Thoughts of St Francis de Sales).

Posted in INDULGENCES, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Our Morning Offering – 24 March – Indulgenced prayer, By the Merit of the Precious Blood of Jesus

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Our Morning Offering – 24 March – Feast of the Most Precious Blood for the Friday after Laetare Sunday

By the Merit of the
Precious Blood of Jesus
By Servant of God Pope Pius VII (1742-1823)
Papacy from 1800 to 1823
Indulgenced Act of Oblation to Our Father

Eternal Father!
I offer Thee the merit
of the Precious Blood of Jesus,
Thy well-beloved Son,
my Saviour and my God,
for all my wants,
spiritual and temporal,
in aid of the Holy Souls in Purgatory
and chiefly for those
who most loved this Precious Blood,
the price of our redemption
and who were most devout
to the sorrows and pains
of most Holy Mary,
our dear Mother.

Glory be to the Blood of Jesus,
now and forever
and throughout all ages.
Amen.

Indulgence of 300 days, each time this prayed is offered
22 September 1817 with a Plenary Indulgence, once a month,
under the usual conditions.

Note of Interest: On 15 August 1811 – the Feast of the Assumption – it is recorded that the Pope celebrated Mass and was said to have entered a trance and began to levitate in a manner that drew him to the Altar. This particular episode aroused great wonder and awe among attendants, which included the French soldiers guarding him, who were awestruck at what had occurred and left records of it.

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LENT, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Friday of the Fourth Week in Lent – FAST AND ABSTINENCE, FEAST OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS, The Archangel Saint Gabriel, / Our Lady of the Flowering Thorn, France and Memorials of the Saints – 24 March

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Friday of the Fourth Week in Lent – FAST AND ABSTINENCE

FEAST OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS is a Feast for the Fridays of Lent, which has been in the General Roman Calendar from 1849 to 1969 with the same Office as that of the Solemnity of the Precious Blood in July..
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/07/10/the-solemnity-of-the-most-precious-blood-of-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-and-the-litany/
For many Diocese, there were two days to which the Office of the Precious Blood was assigned, the Office for both being the same. The reason was that the Office was at first granted only to the Fathers of the Most Precious Blood. Later, as one of the Offices of the Fridays of Lent, it was assigned to the Friday after the Fourth Sunday in Lent (Laetare Sunday) in some Diocese, including, by decision of the Fourth Provincial Council of Baltimore (1840), those in the United States.

The Solemnity in July is again the same Office and both Feasts (during Lent and in July) are kept in some Diocese. On 10 August of the same year, (1849) Pope Pius IX officially included the Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the General Roman Calendar, for celebration on the first Sunday in July, that is the first Sunday after 30 June, which is the anniversary of the liberation of the City of Rome from the insurgents.

In reducing the number of Feasts fixed for Sundays, Pope Pius X assigned the date of 1 July to this Feast. In 1933, Pope Pius XI raised the Feast to the rank of Double of the 1st Class to mark the 1,900th anniversary of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Archangel Saint Gabriel
The Feast of Saint Gabriel was included by Pope Benedict XV in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, for celebration on 24 March.
The Archangel Saint Gabriel whose name means “the Power of God. ” He appeared to the prophet Daniel (Dan 8:16; 9:21), to the priest Zachary to announce the forthcoming birth of Saint John the Baptist (Luke 1:11, 19) and to the Blessed Virgin Mary to announce the birth of Our Saviour (Luke 1:26.).
St Gabriel!
https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/24/saint-of-the-day-24-march-the-archangel-saint-gabriel/

Notre-Dame de L’épine Fleurie / Our Lady of the Flowering Thorn, France – 24 March:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/24/our-lady-of-the-flowering-thorn-and-memorials-of-the-saints-24-march/

St Agapitus of Synnada
St Aldemar the Wise OSB (985-c1080) Priest, Abbot
St Bernulf of Mondov
Bl Bertha de’Alberti of Cavriglia
Bl Bertrada of Laon
Bl Brian O’Carolan
St Caimin of Lough Derg
St Cairlon of Cashel

St Catherine of Sweden (1331-1381) Widow, Nun of the Brigittine Order. Catherine was Canonised in 1484 (cultus confirmed) by Pope Innocent VIII.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/03/24/saint-of-the-day-24-march-st-catherine-of-sweden-1331-1381/

Blessed Diego José of Cádiz/Blessed Didacus Joseph of Cadiz OFM Cap (1743–1801) Spanish Capuchin Priest Friar, renowned Preacher, Missionary. He was Beatified on 22 April 1894 by Pope Leo XIII.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/24/saints-of-the-day-24-march-blessed-didacus-joseph-of-cadiz-ofm-cap-1743-1801/

St Domangard of Maghera
St Epicharis of Rome
St Epigmenius of Rome
St Hildelith of Barking

Blessed John dal Bastone OSB Silv. (c 1200-1290) Priest, Priest, Monk. He was Beatified on 29 August 1772 by Pope Clement XIV (cultus confirmed).
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/24/saint-of-the-day-24-march-blessed-john-dal-bastone-c-1200-1290/

St Latinus of Brescia
St Macartan of Clogher
St Mark of Rome
St Pigmenius of Rome
St Romulus of North Africa
St Secundus of North Africa
St Seleucus of Syria
St Severo of Catania
St Timothy of Rome

Martyrs of Africa – 9 Saints: A group of Christians murdered for their faith in Africa, date unknown. The only details about their that survive are the names – Aprilis, Autus, Catula, Coliondola, Joseph, Rogatus, Salitor, Saturninus and Victorinus. .

Martyrs of Caesarea – 6 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. We know little else but six of their names – Agapius, Alexander, Dionysius, Pausis, Romulus and Timolaus. They were martyred by beheading in 303 at Caesarea, Palestine.

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

The Feast of the Five Holy Wounds – 17 March

Posted on by AnaStpaul

The Feast of the Five Holy Wounds – 17 March – Celebrated on Friday after the Third Sunday in Lent

The Tudor Banner of the Five Holy Wounds which led the Pilgrimage of Grace against Henry VIII, which took place from October 1536-February 1537

The revival of religious life and the zealous activity of St. Bernard and St. Francis in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, together with the enthusiasm of the Crusaders returning from the Holy Land, gave a wonderful impulse to devotion to the Passion of Jesus Christ and, particularly, to practices in honour of the Wounds in His Sacred Hands, Feet and Side. The reason for this devotion was well expressed at a later period in the memorial of the Polish Bishops to Pope Clement XIII:

“Moreover, the Five Wounds of Christ are honoured by a Mass and an Office and, on account of these Wounds, we venerate also the Feet, Hands and Side of the most loving Redeemer, these parts of Our Lord’s Most Holy Body being held more worthy of a special cult than the others, precisely because they suffered special pains for our salvation and because they are decorated with these wounds as with an illustrious mark of love. Therefore, with living faith they cannot be looked upon, without a special feeling of religion and devotion.” (Nilles, “De rat. fest. SS. Cord. Jesu et Mariae” I 126).

Plague Cross featuring the Sacred Heart of our Lord and the Five Holy Wounds

Many beautiful medieval prayers in honour of the Sacred Wounds, including some attributed to St Clare of Assisi (Indulgenced on 21 November 1885), have been preserved. St Mechtilde and St Gertrude the Great of Helfta, were devoted to the Holy Wounds, the latter Saint reciting daily, a prayer in honour of the 5466 Wounds, which, according to tradition, were inflicted on Jesus during His Passion. In the Fourteenth Century, it was customary in southern Germany, to recite fifteen Pater Nosters each day (which thus amounted to 5475 in the course of a year) in memory of the Sacred Wounds.

In his 1761 book, The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Founder of the Redemptorist Fathers, listed, among various pious exercises, the Little Chaplet of the Five Wounds of Jesus Crucified. St Alphonsus wrote the devotional as a Meditation on the Five Piercing Wounds that Christ suffered during His Crucifixion.

The earliest evidence of a Feast in honour of the Wounds of Christ comes from the Monastery of Fritzlar, Thuringia, where in the Fourteenth Century, a Feast was kept on the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi.
In the Fifteenth Century it had spread to different countries, to Salisbury (England), Huesca and Jaca (Spain), Vienna, and Tours and was included in the Breviaries of the Carmelites, Franciscans, Dominicans and other orders

The Feast of the Five Wounds, celebrated since the Middle Ages at Evora and elsewhere in Portugal on 6 February (at Lisbon on the Friday after Ash-Wednesday) is of historical interest. It commemorates the founding of the Portuguese kingdom in 1139, when, before the battle on the plains of Ourique, Christ appeared to Alfonso Henriquez, promising victory over the Moors and commanding him to insert into the coat of arms of the new kingdom the emblem of the Five Wounds. This feast is celebrated today in all Portuguese-speaking countries. In parts of France the Feast is celebrated on for the Friday after Ash Wednesday, on which day it is still kept in many dioceses

Since 1831, when the Feasts in honour of the Passion were adopted at Rome by the Passionists and the City, this Feast was assigned to the Friday after the Third Sunday in Lent. The Office is one of those bequeathed to us by the Middle Ages. As this Feast is not celebrated in the entire Church, the Office and Mass are placed in the appendix of the Breviary and the Missal.

COLLECT:
O God, Who by the Passion of Thine Only Son
and by the pouring out of the Blood of His Five Wounds,
hast restored human nature lost by sin,
grant unto us, we beseech Thee
that by venerating the protective Wounds on earth,
we may, thereby, merit the fruits
of the same Precious Blood in Heaven.
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ,
Who liveth and reigneth with Thee
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
One God, world without end.
Amen.

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL

Thought for the Day – 5 March – Mortification and Penance

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Thought for the Day – 5 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mortification and Penance

“In Christian teaching, death is the beginning of life.
“Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies,” Jesus said, “it remains alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. He who loves his life, loses it and he, who hates his life in this world, keeps it unto life everlasting” (Jn 12:24-25).
This paradox of dying to this life in order to live in Heaven, was enacted in a wonderful way in the lives of Jesus and of the Saints.
It must be put into effect in our lives also, if we are to be genuine Christians.
Jesus shed His precious blood for us and His death was the beginning of His triumph.
The Apostles, Martyrs and Saints, gave their lives for Christ and received, as their reward, the happy and eternal life of Heaven.
By dying to our own ego and to our passions, we shall find the true life of Christ.
We must die to ourselves, so that Christ may live in us, as He lived in St Paul.
We must die to pride, so that Christian humility may live in us;
we must die to anger, so that patience may live in us;
we must die to lust, so that purity and innocence may live in us
and, we must die to selfishness, so that charity may live in us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The REDEMPTION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 January – Behold, the Bridegroom is coming, go forth to meet Him! – Matthew 25:6

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One Minute Reflection – 30 January – St Martha (1st Century) Virgin Martyr – Sirach 51:1-8; 5:12, Matthew 25:1-13. – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Behold, the Bridegroom is coming, go forth to meet Him!” – Matthew 25:6

REFLECTION – “When it seemed to God that the right time had come and He took pity on His beloved in her suffering, He sent His Only-begotten Son to earth into a magnificent palace and a glorious temple, that is, into the body of the glorious Virgin Mary. There the Son wedded this bride, our nature and united her with His Own Person through the purest blood of the noble Virgin. The priest who witnessed the bride’s marriage was the Holy Spirit. The Angel Gabriel brought the message. The glorious Virgin gave her consent. Thus did Christ, our faithful Bridegroom, unite our nature with Himself. He came to us in a strange land and taught us through a heavenly way of life and with perfect fidelity.

He worked and struggled as our champion against our enemies, broke open the bars of our prison, won the struggle, vanquished our death through His Own, redeemed us through His Blood, freed us through His water in Baptism and made us rich, through His Sacraments and His gifts, so that, as He says in the Gospel (Mt 25,6), we might “go out” with all virtues to, “meet him” in the palace of His glory and enjoy Him forever in eternity.” – Bl Jan van Ruysbroeck (1293-1381) Canon Regular (The Spiritual Espousals, Prologue).

PRAYER – O God, Who among the other miracles of Thine power have bestowed the victory of Martyrdom even upon the weaker sex, graciously grant that we, who commemorate the anniversary of the death of blessed Martha, Thy Virgin and Martyr, may come to Thee by the path of her example. ThroughJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Blessed Jan van Ruysbroeck’s life:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/12/02/saint-of-the-day-2-december-blessed-john-van-ruysbroeck/

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CONSECRATION Prayers, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MARIAN PRAYERS, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, PURGATORY, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FRIENDSHIP, QUOTES on HERESY, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on the POPE, QUOTES on TRUST in GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SAINT of the DAY, ST FRANCIS de SALES, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY NAME, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church

“The measure of love,
is to love without measure.”

“Since God often sends us His inspirations
by means of His Angels,
we ought frequently to offer Him,
our aspirations, through the same channel.
… Call on them and honour them frequently
and ask their help in all your affairs,
temporal, as well as spiritual.”

“Anxiety is the greatest evil
that can befall a soul, except sin.
God commands you to pray
but He forbids you to worry.”

“Friendships begun in this world
will be taken up again,
never to be broken off. ”

“Have patience with all things
but chiefly, have patience with yourself.
Do not lose courage
in considering your own imperfections
but instantly set about remedying them,
everyday begin the task anew.”

“Do not look forward
to the changes and chances
of this life in fear –
rather look to them with full hope that,
as they arise, God, whose you are,
will deliver you out of them.
He is your keeper.
He has kept you hitherto.
Do you but hold fast to His dear hand
and He will lead you safely through all things
and, when you cannot stand,
He will bear you in His arms.
Do not look forward to
what may happen tomorrow.
Our Father will either shield you from suffering,
or He will give you strength to bear it.”

“Thus we do not say that the Pope
cannot err in his private opinions,
as did John XXII;
or be altogether a heretic,
as perhaps Honorius was.
Now, when he, [the Pope],
is explicitly a heretic,
he falls ipso facto, from his dignity
and OUT of the Church! …”

“During the night
we must wait for the Light.”

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.

Most Holy Mary,
Virgin Mother of God
Act of Consecration
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Indulgence of 300 days, for each recitation
St Pius X, 17 November 1906

Most Holy Mary,
Virgin Mother of God,
I ………., most unworthy though I am to be thy servant,
yet touched by thy motherly care for me
and longing to serve thee,
do, in the presence of my Guardian Angel
and all the Court of Heaven,
choose thee this day to be my Queen,
my Advocate and my Mother
and I firmly purpose to serve thee evermore myself
and, to do what I can, that all may
render faithful service to thee.
Therefore, most devoted Mother,
through the Precious Blood thy Son poured out for me,
I beg thee and beseech thee,
deign to take me among thy clients
and receive me as thy servant forever.
Aid me in my every action
and beg for me the grace never,
by word or deed or thought,
to be displeasing in thy sight
and that of thy most holy Son.
Think of me, my dearest Mother
and desert me not at the hour of death.
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/01/29/quote-s-of-the-day-29-january-st-francis-de-sales/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, I BELIEVE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, St PAUL!, The HOLY NAME, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 November – Putting on our Lord Jesus Christ

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 29 November – Vigil of the Feast of St Andrew – Romans 13:11-14, Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Let us walk becomingly, as in the day,
not in revelry and drunkenness,
not in debauchery and wantonness,
not in strife and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 13:13-14

“And Jesus, seeing their faith,
said to the paralytic,
Take courage, son,
your sins are forgiven you.”

Matthew 9:2

“Perhaps, your own faith is feeble.
Nevertheless, the Lord, who is love
will stoop down to you,
provided only that you are penitent
and can say sincerely,
from the depths of your soul:
“Lord, I believe.
Help thou mine unbelief,”
(Mark 9:23)……”

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

“He who is immortal, voluntarily shed His Blood.
He who created the Host of Angels,
was bound at the hands of soldiers
and He who is to judge the living and the dead,
was dragged to justice (cf. Acts 10:42; 2 Tm 4:1).
Truth was exposed to false witnesses,
was slandered, struck, covered with spittle,
hung on the Wood of the Cross –
the Lord of Glory (cf. 1 Cor 2:8)
endured every outrage and suffering
without Himself needing these trials. …

So there is nothing surprising about it,
if we submit to even one of these trials,
since such is our condition …
Therefore, we too have to be offended and tempted,
afflicted by the cutting off of our wills.”

St Theodore the Studite (759- 826)
Monk at Constantinople, Father

(Catecheses 1)

“Nothing so curbs the onset of anger,
so allays the upsurge of pride.
It cures the wound of envy,
controls unbridled extravagance
and quenches the flame of lust.
It cools the thirst of covetousness
and banishes the itch of unclean desire…
For when I Name Jesus,
I set before myself,
a Man Who is meek and humble of heart,
kind, prudent, chaste, merciful,
flawlessly upright and holy
in the eyes of all
and this same Man, is the all-powerful God
Whose way of life heals me,
Whose support is my strength.”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

Lord Jesus, Bind Me to Yourself

Lord Jesus, Bind Me to Yourself
Lord Jesus, bind me to Yourself
and to my neighbour, with love.
May my heart not be turned away from You.
May my soul not be deceived,
nor my talent or mind,
enticed by allurements of error,
so that I may never
distance myself from Your love.
Thus may I love my neighbour as myself,
with strength, wisdom and gentleness,
with Your help,
You who are blessed
throughout all ages.
Amen.

St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Evangelical Doctor of the Church

“… How can anyone put on Jesus Christ
and imitate His example,
if he does not study this Jesus,
who must inspire and perfect our faith?
He must run the race to which he is challenged,
the glorious race in which,
he overcomes the enemy of the human family
and follows the Way of the Cross.
Under the lordly banner of that Cross,
he will attain eternal life.”

St Vincent Strambi CP (1745-1824)

(From his first Pastoral Letter as Bishop)

Hear Me, O Lord
By St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

Hear me, O Lord,
my soul’s delight,
joy of my heart,
not because of my merits
but because of Thy boundless goodness.
Teach me, enlighten me, direct me,
help me in all things
that I may never say
or do anything
but that which I know
to be pleasing in Thou sight.
Guide me, O God,
my Love, my Light and my Life!
Amen.

St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The REDEMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 23 November – St Clement I and St Columban

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 November – St Clement I (c 88–c 101) Pope Martyr and St Columban (543-615) Monk, Missionary

“Follow the Saints
because those who follow them,
will become Saints.”

“This world and the world to come, are two enemies.
We cannot. therefore. be friends to both
but, we must decide which we will forsake
and which, we will enjoy.”

“Who can describe the bond of God’s love?
Who is able to explain the majesty of its beauty?
The height to which love leads is indescribable.
… In love the Master received us,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
in accordance with God’s will
gave His Blood for us and His Flesh for our flesh
and His Life for our lives.”

St Clement I (c 88–c 101) Pope Martyr

MORE By St Pope Clement I:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/23/quote-s-of-the-day-23-november-st-pope-clement-i/

“We are all fellow members of one body,
whether Franks or Britons or Irish or whatever our race.
Thus, let all our races rejoice,
in knowledge of the faith
and in recognising the Son of God …
In Him, let us love one another,
praise one another,
correct one another,
encourage one another,
pray for one another.”

(Letter 2, to the French bishops)

Lord, Kindle our Lamps
By St Columban (543-615)

Lord, kindle our lamps,
Saviour most dear to us,
that we may always shine
in Your presence
and always receive Light
from You,
the Light Perpetual,
so that our own
personal darkness,
may be overcome
and the world’s darkness
driven from us.
Amen

(This is an excerpt from a much longer prayer and is taken from the wonderful Sermon XII by St Columban/us)

MORE By St Columban:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/23/quote-s-of-the-day-23-november-the-memorial-of-st-columban-543-615/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Quote/s of the Day – 29 October – The Mystical Body

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 October – The Mystical Body

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

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

“It is not surprising if,
despite being far apart,
we are present to each other
and without being acquainted,
know each other
because, we are members of One Body,
we have One Head,
we are steeped in One Grace,
we live on One Loaf,
we walk on One Road
and we dwell in the Same House!”

St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431)

“In adoring our Saviour’s birth,
it is our origin that 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

“For nothing more glorious,
nothing nobler,
nothing surely, more honourable
can be imagined, than to belong
to the One, Holy Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church,
in which we become members of one Body
as venerable as it is unique;
are guided by one supreme Head;
are filled with one divine Spirit;
are nourished during our earthly exile
by one doctrine and one heavenly Bread,
until at last, we enter into
the one, unending blessedness of heaven.
But lest we be deceived,
by the angel of darkness,
who transforms himself into an angel of light,
let this be the supreme law of our love –
to love the Spouse of Christ,
as Christ willed her to be
and as He purchased her with His Blood.”

Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)
“Mystici Corporis Christi” 1943

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on WATCHING, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 October – ‘ …This Sacred Household is the Holy, Catholic Church …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” and the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima: The Sixth & Final Apparition – Sirach 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed are those servants whom the Master, on His return, shall find watching.” – Luke 12:37

REFLECTION – “Wishing to emphasise the special office of the servants, whom He has placed in charge of His people, the Lord says, ‘Who, do you think, is the faithful and wise steward, whom the Lord sets over His household, to give to them their measure of wheat at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his Master will find so doing when he comes.” Who is that Master, brethren? Without a doubt, it is Christ, Who says to His disciples: “You call me Teacher and Lord and you are right, for so I am” (Jn 13,13). What, too, is the Master’s Household? Doubtless it is the one which the Lord Himself ransomed… This Sacred Household is the Holy, Catholic Church, which is spread through the whole earth with abundant fertility and glories in the fact, that she has been redeemed by the Precious Blood of her Master. As He Himself says: “The Son of Man came, not to be served but to serve and to give His Life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10,45).

He is, too, the Good Shepherd ”Who laid down His Life for His sheep” (Jn 10,11)…As to who the steward is, who ought to be faithful, as well as wise, the Apostle Paul shows us, when, speaking of himself and his companions, he says: “This is how one should regard us, as the servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy” (1Cor 4,1-2).

Now, lest anyone of us should think that it is only the Apostles who have been made stewards…, the blessed Apostle Paul shows us that the Bishops also are stewards, when he says: “For a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless” (Tt 1,7)…We, therefore, who are the servants of the Master of the Household, we are the stewards of the Lord, we have received the measure of wheat to disburse to you.” – St Fulgentius of Ruspe (467-532) Bishop in North Africa (Homily 1, on the Lord’s servants) (trans. Breviary Common of Pastors).

PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee and by the intercession of blessed and gloriosus ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God,and all the Saints, graciously grant us, safety and peace that all adversities and errors being overcome, thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. 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 JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS for PRIESTS, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on WATCHING, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 August– ‘ …This Sacred Household is the Holy, Catholic Church …’

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One Minute Reflection – 19 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Memorial of St John Eudes (1601-1680) Confessor, “The Apostle of Two Hearts”– Sirach 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40

“Blessed are those servants whom the Master, on His return, shall find watching.” – Luke 12:37

REFLECTION – “Wishing to emphasize the special office of the servants, whom He has placed in charge of His people, the Lord says, ‘Who, do you think, is the faithful and wise steward, whom the Lord sets over His household, to give to them their measure of wheat at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his Master will find so doing when he comes.” Who is that Master, brethren? Without a doubt, it is Christ, Who says to His disciples: “You call me Teacher and Lord and you are right, for so I am” (Jn 13,13). What, too, is the Master’s Household? Doubtless it is the one which the Lord Himself ransomed… This Sacred Household is the Holy, Catholic Church, which is spread through the whole earth with abundant fertility and glories in the fact, that she has been redeemed by the Precious Blood of her Master. As He Himself says: “The Son of Man came, not to be served but to serve and to give His Life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10,45).

He is, too, the Good Shepherd ”Who laid down His Life for His sheep” (Jn 10,11)…As to who the steward is, who ought to be faithful as well as wise, the Apostle Paul shows us, when, speaking of himself and his companions, he says: “This is how one should regard us, as the servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy” (1Cor 4,1-2).

Now, lest anyone of us should think that it is only the Apostles who have been made stewards…, the blessed Apostle Paul shows us that the Bishops also are stewards, when he says: “For a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless” (Tt 1,7)…We, therefore, who are the servants of the Master of the Household, we are the stewards of the Lord, we have received the measure of wheat to disburse to you.” – St Fulgentius of Ruspe (467-532) Bishop in North Africa (Homily 1, on the Lord’s servants) (trans. Breviary Common of Pastors).

PRAYER – O God, Who wondrously enkindled St John, Thy Confessor, to promote the religious veneration of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and through him, willed to found new religious families in the Church, grant, we beseech Thee that we may honour his holy merits and may learn from the example of his virtues. ThroughJesus 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 JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Thought for the Day – 16 August – Lapsing into Sin

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

Lapsing into Sin

“When we have spent many years fighting our evil inclinations, praying and forming resolutions, it saddens us when we fall into grave sin once again.
A lapse like this can be very discouraging and can make us feel that it is impossible to resist temptation.
We may even feel that we are not destined by God to enjoy everlasting happiness!
This is a very dangerous temptation which could lead us into ruin.
It is part of the tactics of the devil, to tempt us to sin and, when we have fallen, to persuade us that our fall was unavoidable and, that we may as well resign ourselves to sinning because, we are predestined to hell!

Predestination is a gigantic theological problem which has tormented the minds and consciences of many.
It is a difficult question but, in practice, it can be answered in a few words.
It is certain that “God … wishes us all to be saved” (1 Tim 2:4).
It is certain that God became Man and shed His Precious Blood for our salvation.
How then could we be predestined to hell?
How could we be denied the graces necessary for salvation?
Our constant falls do not indicate that God has abandoned us but rather show that we have abandoned Him!
If we sincerely do everythingof which we are capable, God will not deny us His assistance.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in FRANCISCAN OFM, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 12 August – I Pray Thee, O Most Gentle Jesus By St Clare

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Our Morning Offering – 12 August – St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253) Virgin

Excerpt from the Prayer
to the Five Wounds of Jesus
By St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

I pray Thee, O most gentle Jesus,
that having redeemed me
by Baptism from original sin,
so now, by Thy Precious Blood,
which is offered and received,
throughout the world,
deliver me from all evils,
past, present and to come.
And by Thy most bitter Death,
give me a lively faith,
a firm hope
and perfect charity,
so that I may love Thee
with all my heart and all my soul
and all my strength.
Make me firm and steadfast in good works
and grant me perseverance in Thy service,
so that I may be able to please Thee always.
Amen.

Posted in DIVINE MERCY, EUCHARISTIC, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, INDULGENCES, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUARANTINES, The HOLY EUCHARIST

Our Morning Offering – 7 August – Look Down, O Lord by St Cajetan

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Our Morning Offering – 7 August – The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost and the Memorial of St Cajetan (1480-1547) Confessor

Look Down, O Lord
By St Cajetan (1480-1547)

Look down, O Lord, from Thy sanctuary
and from the high habitation of Heaven
and behold this Sacred Oblation
which our great High Priest,
Thy Holy Servant, the Lord Jesus,
immolates unto Thee, for the sins of His brethren
and be propitious to the multitude of our iniquities.
Behold, the Voice
of the Blood of Jesus, our Brother,
cries to Thee from the Cross.
Graciously hear, O Lord,
be appeased, O Lord, hearken and do.
Delay not for Thy own sake, my God
because Thy Name is invoked upon this city
and upon Thy people
and do with us,
according to Thy mercy.
Amen

Plenary Indulgence on the First Thursday of each month for Communicants visiting the Blessed Sacrament and reciting this prayer.
Partial indulgence of seven years and seven Quarantines, on all other Thursdays. –Pope Pius VII.
“Quarantines” signifies a strict Ecclesiastical penance of forty days, performed according to the practice of the early Church. Hence an Indulgence of “Seven Quarantines,” for instance, implies. the remission of as much temporal punishment, as would be blotted out by the corresponding amount of Ecclesiastical Penance i.e. 7 x 40 = 280 days.

Posted in EUCHARISTIC, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, JESUIT SJ, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, The HOLY EUCHARIST, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Our Morning Offering – 31 July – Anima Christi

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Our Morning Offering – 31 July – The Eight Sunday after Pentecost – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” and the Memorial of St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) Confessor

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
Good Jesus, hear me
Within Your wounds, shelter me
from turning away, keep me
From the evil one, protect me
At the hour of my death, call me
Into Your presence lead me
to praise You with all Your saints
Forever and ever,
Amen

For many years the Anima Christi was popularly believed to have been composed by Saint Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) , as he puts it at the beginning of his Spiritual Exercises and often refers to it. In the first edition of the Spiritual Exercises Ignatius merely mentions it, evidently supposing that the reader would know it. In later editions, it was printed in full. It was by assuming that everything in the book was written by Ignatius that it came to be looked upon as his composition. On this account the prayer is sometimes referred to as the Aspirations of St. Ignatius Loyola and so my image shows St Ignatius at prayer.

However, the prayer actually dates to the early fourteenth century and was possibly written by Pope John XXII but its authorship remains uncertain. It has been found in a number of prayer books printed during the youth of Ignatius and is in manuscripts which were written a hundred years before his birth. The English hymnologist James Mearns found it in a manuscript of the British Museum which dates to about 1370. In the library of Avignon there is preserved a prayer book of Cardinal Pierre de Luxembourg (died 1387), which contains the prayer in practically the same form as we have it today. It has also been found inscribed on one of the gates of the Alcázar of Seville, which dates to the time of Pedro the Cruel (1350–1369).

The invocations in the prayer have rich associations with Catholic concepts that relate to the Eucharist (Body and Blood of Christ), Baptism (water) and the Passion of Jesus (Precious Blood and Holy Wounds). And yes – that is St Ignatius in my image.

Posted in CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, FATHERS of the Church, GOOD FRIDAY, HOLY WEEK, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 29 July – A Prayer of the Passion

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Our Morning Offering – 29 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”

A Prayer of the Passion
By St Melito of Sardis (Died 180)
Bishop of Sardis, Apologist, Father

Lord Jesus Christ,
You were bound as a ram,
You were shorn like a lamb,
You were led to the slaughter like a sheep,
You bore the wood of the Cross on Your shoulders,
You were led up the hill of Calvary,
You were displayed naked on the Cross,
You were nailed to the bitter Cross by three spikes,
You delivered Your last Seven Words from the Cross
You died on the Cross, with a shout of victory,
You were buried in noble Joseph’s rock-hewn tomb,
By Your boundless suffering on our behalf,
fix our eyes unceasingly on Your broken Body
and the Blood that poured from Yout Hands, Feet and Side.
By the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
that renews each day Your Sacrifice
of the Cross on our Altars,
apply the merits of the Cross to all humanity
and, especially to those who worship it daily
and who offer themselves back to You,
our great High Priest
and perpetually Intercessor,
before the Eternal Throne of God.
You live and reign,
through all the ages of ages.
Amen.

Posted in CARMELITES, DIVINE MERCY, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The REDEMPTION

Our Morning Offering – 21 July – Heal Us Lord God

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Our Morning Offering – 21 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”

Heal Us Lord God
By St Albert of Trapani O.Carm. (c 1240-1307)

O my God,
You have created the human race
by Your wonderful power.
It is an act of Your clemency that has called us
to share Your glory and eternal life.
When the first sin condemned us to suffer death,
out of Your goodness,
You wished to redeem us
through the Blood of Your Son,
To unite us to Yourself
through our faith
and Your great mercy.
You have brought us back
from the shame of our sin,
You have veiled our dishonour
in the brightness of Your glory.
Look now and see that what You have created,
giving it subtle limbs and joints
and made beautiful through its immortal soul,
is now subject to the attack of Satan.
Be pleased Lord
to reconstitute Your work and heal it.
May Your power be glorified
and may the malice of the enemy be stunned.
Amen

Posted in DIVINE MERCY, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 July – St Camillus

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – St Camillus de Lellis MI (1550-1614) Confessor, Priest and Founder the Order of the Ministers of the Sick, or simply as the “Camillians,” known as “The Giant of Charity.”

“My hope is placed
in Your Divine Mercy
through Your Precious Blood.”

“I do not put a penny’s value on this life
if only our Lord will give me
a tiny corner in Paradise.”

“The happiness to which I aspire
is greater than anything on earth.
Therefore, I regard with extreme joy,
whatever pains and sufferings
may befall me here.”

St Camillus de Lellis (1550-1614)

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/07/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-july-st-camillus-de-lellis/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 18 July – Pardon Lord, I Ask By St Ambrose

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Our Morning Offering – 18 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”

Pardon Lord, I Ask
By St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Lord Jesus Christ,
Who stretched out Your Hands
on the Cross
and redeemed us by Your Blood,
forgive me, a sinner ,
for none of my thoughts
are hidden from You.
Pardon I ask,
Pardon I hope for,
Pardon I trust to have.
You, Who are full of pity and mercy,
spare me and forgive.
Amen

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on WATCHING, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The REDEMPTION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 July – ‘ …This Sacred Household is the Holy, Catholic Church …’

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One Minute Reflection –15 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” and the Memorial of Saint Henry II (972-1024) Confessor, Holy Roman Emperor and Emperor of Germany – Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40

“Blessed are those servants whom the Master, on His return, shall find watching.” – Luke 12:37

REFLECTION – “Wishing to emphasize the special office of the servants, whom He has placed in charge of His people, the Lord says, ‘Who, do you think, is the faithful and wise steward, whom the Lord sets over His household, to give to them their measure of wheat at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his Master will find so doing when he comes.” Who is that Master, brethren? Without a doubt, it is Christ, Who says to His disciples: “You call me Teacher and Lord and you are right, for so I am” (Jn 13,13). What, too, is the Master’s Household? Doubtless it is the one which the Lord Himself ransomed… This Sacred Household is the Holy, Catholic Church, which is spread through the whole earth with abundant fertility and glories in the fact, that she has been redeemed by the Precious Blood of her Master. As He Himself says: “The Son of Man came, not to be served but to serve and to give His Life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10,45).

He is, too, the Good Shepherd ”Who laid down His Life for His sheep” (Jn 10,11)…As to who the steward is, who ought to be faithful as well as wise, the Apostle Paul shows us, when, speaking of himself and his companions, he says: “This is how one should regard us, as the servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy” (1Cor 4,1-2).

Now, lest anyone of us should think that it is only the Apostles who have been made stewards…, the blessed Apostle Paul shows us that the Bishops also are stewards, when he says: “For a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless” (Tt 1,7)…We, therefore, who are the servants of the Master of the Household, we are the stewards of the Lord, we have received the measure of wheat to disburse to you.” – St Fulgentius of Ruspe (467-532) Bishop in North Africa (Homily 1, on the Lord’s servants) (trans. Breviary Common of Pastors)

PRAYER – O God, Who on this day took Henry, Your Confessor, to the everlasting Kingdom from the throne of an earthly empire; we humbly beseech Thee, that as Thou enabled him, protected by the abundance of Thy grace, to overcome the temptations of the world, so grant that we, in emulation of him, may shun the allurements of this world and come to Thee with pure hearts.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 JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS

Our Morning Offering – 12 July – O Most Compassionate Jesus!

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Our Morning Offering – 12 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”

O Most Compassionate Jesus!
By Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day
6 October 1870

O Most compassionate Jesus!
Thou alone art our salvation,
our life and our resurrection.
We implore Thee, therefore,
do not forsake us
in our needs and afflictions
but by the agony of
Thy Most Sacred Heart
and by the sorrows of
Thy Immaculate Mother,
succour Thy servants,
whom Thou hast redeemed
by Thy most Precious Blood.
Amen