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.
Preparatory Prayer by St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
O Mary, Virgin most Blessed and Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, through thy mercy I beseech thee, to come to my aid and to inspire me with such confidence in thy power that I may have recourse to thee, pray to thee and implore thy aid, in all needs of soul and body. Amen
Meditation: Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, was conceived without original sin. She never dimmed by actual sin, the lustre of sanctifying grace which beautified her soul. Nevertheless, she had to pass through the dark prtal of death, before she was assumed, body and soul, into Heaven. She had not been endowed with the privilege of immortality, with which God had invested our first parents in paradise. It was meet that she should be like unto her Divine Son in everything, even in death. But as she had drained, the bitter cup of suffering during her whole life and especially, when standing beneath the Cross, her death was to be free from pain and suffering. She quietly passed away, yielding up her spirit, in a yearning desire to be united forever, with her Divine Son in Heaven.
Practice: If you have dispossessed your heart of all unruly attachment to the goods and enjoyments of this earth, you, too, may hope for a happy and tranquil transition, from this land of exile, to your home in Heaven. Therefore, if you are still attached to the transitory things of this life, disengage your heart from them now. The voluntary renouncement of earthly goods, alone is meritorious before God. The separation from them, enforced by the strong hand of death, is of no supernatural value.
Prayer of the Church:We beseech Thee, O Lord, pardon the shortcomings of Thy servants that we who, by our own works, are not able to please Thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Novena Prayer: Day One
O Most benign Mother Mary! I rejoice that by thy happy and tranquil death, the yearning of thy heart was appeased and thy life, so rich in merit and sacrifice, received its crown. I rejoice that after passing from this life, thou, O most loving Mother, was made the glorious and powerful Queen of Heaven and dost exercise thy influence as such, for the benefit of thy frail, exiled children on earth. Obtain for me, I beseech thee, this my special petition ……………….. and a happy death that I may praise and glorify thy might and kindness, forever in Heaven. Amen
Hail Mary …….
Ejaculation:Sweet heart of Mary be my salvation!
Indulgence. – (1) 100 days, every time. (2) A Plenary Indulgence, once a month, on any day, to all who shall have said it everyday for a month, under the usual conditions.
Quote/s of the Day – 5 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Santa Mariæ ad Nives, Dedication of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows
“Mary, Mother of Grace, it becomes you to be mindful of us, as you stand near Him who granted you all graces, for you are the Mother of God and our Queen. Help us for the sake of the King, the Lord God and Master, Who was born of you.”
St Athanasius (297-373) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Mary was placed by God in the centre of history and we can say that everything was made through her and with her and in her.”
St Bernard (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
“Mary is the divine Page on which God the Father wrote the Word of God, His Son. Let us draw near to her and read her!”
St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church
“Mary seeks for those who approach her devoutly and with reverence, for such she loves, nourishes, and adopts as her children. ”
St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
Blessed Shall be Her Name Anonymous Author
Praise we the Lord this day, This day so long foretold, Whose promise shone with cheering ray On waiting saints of old.
The prophet gave the sign That those with faith might read; A Virgin, born of David’s line Shall bear the promised Seed.
Ask not how this should be, But worship and adore; Like her whom Heaven’s majesty Came down to shadow o’er.
She meekly bowed her head To hear the gracious word, Mary, the pure and lowly maid, The favoured of the Lord.
Blessed shall be her name In all the Church on earth, Through whom that wondrous Mercy came, The Incarnate Saviour’s Birth.
Jesus, the Virgin’s Son, We praise You and adore, Who are with God the Father One And Spirit evermore. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 3 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”
Hymn to Mary the Virgin By St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church.
Virgin adored and clothed with the sun, grant me thine aid. Virgin most beautiful, mystical rose, take abode in my heart. Virgin most chaste, all undefiled, grant me true peace. Virgin deserving of all honour and praise, give me thy love. Virgin elect and full of all grace, lead me to God. Virgin most blessed, star of the sea, dispel the storms besetting me. Virgin most virtuous, holy and sweet, show me the way. Virgin illustrious, with thy burning light, enlighten thou my mind. Virgin more precious than jewels or gold, make reparation for me. Virgin most worthy of all praise, mother, daughter and immaculate spouse. Virgin and Mother, make me more pleasing to Jesus thy Son. Virgin most innocent of any stain or fault, make me more worthy of God. Virgin enriched with every gift and grace, obtain the remission of my sins. Virgin most pure, grant me to enjoy the bliss of heavenly love. Virgin, thou lily among thorns, I pray thee for the grace of a happy death. Virgin more rare than the rarest dream, bring joy to my heart. Virgin so great, there is none like thee on earth, bring peace to my soul. Virgin most true, loving Mother too, Virgin Mary. Amen.
St Robert Bellarmine’s Hymn to Mary the Virgin: Among St Robert’s extant writing, there is a short poem of twenty stanzas which he composed in the nature of a Litany to the Blessed Virgin. The text was first published in Italian some fifty years ago and to the best of the writer’s knowledge, has never been translated into English. Each verse-line begins with the name “Virgin,” joined to a title and petition to Our Lady, starting with the letter “A” and going down the Italian alphabet to “V.” Thus the first seven verses begin with the invocation: “Vergine adorna … Vergine Bella …Vergine casta … Vergine degna … Vergine eletta … Vergine felice … Vergine gradita …”
A translation to this tribute to the Virgin Mother reads as follows: – Servant of God Fr John A Hardon SJ (1914-2000).
August – The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Devotion to the Heart of Mary
Devotion to the Heart of Mary is but the consequence of the devotion due to the Heart of Jesus. It is a consequence of that boundless love of Jesus for His Most Holy Mother, which leads Him, to share with her ,all the riches and honours, as far as they can be communicated to a creature.
The Church never disassociates the Mother from her Divine Son, in the festivals which she celebrates in His honour. If she celebrates the Mysteries of the Saviour, from His Incarnation to His Ascension, she celebrates, likewise, all the Mysteries of Mary, from her Conceptions to her Assumption. The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Mary (Immaculate Heart of Mary) is, therefore, but the natural consequence of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Let us love and honour these Two Hearts, so intimately united; let us go to the Father through the Heart of Jesus; let us go to the Saviour through the Heart of Mary. Let us render to God the Father, through the Heart of Jesus, what we owe to His infinite justice and goodness and let us render to God, the Son, through the Heart of Mary what we owe to His Mercy and all His benefits to us. We shall obtain everything from the Father and the Holy Ghost through the Heart of Jesus and we shall obtain everything, through the Heart of Mary.
It is customary with many pious persons, to dedicate the Five First Saturdays of the month to the particular honour of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as the Nine First Friday are devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Quote/s of the Day – 1 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”
“This Virgin Mother of the Only begotten of God is called Mary, worthy of God, Immaculate of the Immaculate, one of the One.”
Origen (c 185-253)
“In the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I trust. Look to the Star, call upon Mary! In danger, in difficulty or in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Keep her name on your lips, never let it pass out of your heart.”
St Bernard (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
“Do you not know, that not only is Jesus, resting and dwelling continually in the Heart of Mary but that He is, Himself the Heart of Mary … “
St John Eudes (1601-1680) Apostle of the Two Holy Hearts
“The most efficacious means to foster devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690 Visionary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Thou art inviolate, undefiled and chaste, O Mary. Thou has been made the resplendent Gate of Heaven,
O loving and dearest Mother of Christ, Accept our devout acclamations in praise of thee.
That our minds and bodies may be pure, Devoted hearts and lips now implore thee.
Through thy sweet sounding prayers, Gain us pardon forever. O kind one, who alone didst remain inviolate.
The Hymn Inviolata has been claimed by the Carmelite Order, as a Traditional Hymn originating within their ranks. The Hymn is also used by Dominican Friars in the chanting of Compline. Its origins trace to the 11th century. It appears in Hymnals from 1860 to 1920.
Inviolata, integra, et casta es Maria, quae es effecta fulgida caeli porta.
O Mater alma Christi carissima, suscipe pia laudum praeconia.
Te nunc flagitant devota corda et ora, nostra ut pura pectora sint et corpora.
Tua per precata dulcisona, nobis concedas veniam per saecula.
O benigna! O Regina! O Maria, quae sola inviolata permansisti.
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.
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.
Quote/s of the Day – 28 July – Wisdom 10:17-20, Luke 21:9-19
“And you shall be hated by all men,
for My Name’s sake …”
Luke 21:17
“In that day, you will ask in My Name”
John 16:26
“Wake up then, believer and note what is stated here: “In my Name.” That [Name] is Christ Jesus. Christ signifies King, Jesus signifies Saviour. Therefore, whatever we ask for that would hinder our salvation, we do not ask in our Saviour’s Name and yet, He is our Saviour, not only when He does what we ask but also, when He does not. When He sees us ask anything to the disadvantage of our salvation, He shows Himself our Saviour by not doing it. The physician knows whether what the sick person asks for, is to the advantage or disadvantage of his health. And [the physician] does not allow what would be harmful to him, although the sick person himself, desires it. But the physician looks to his final cure.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace of the Church
“The Name of Jesus is the purest and holiest, the noblest and most indulgent of names, the Name of all blessings and of all virtues, it is the Name of the God-Man, of sanctity itself.”
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Father and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
“The eternal God asks a favour of His bride: “Hold Me close to your heart, close as locket or bracelet fits.” No matter whether we walk or stand still, eat or drink, we should at all times wear the golden locket “Jesus” upon our heart.”
One Minute Reflection – 28 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – St Pope Innocent I (Died 417) Confessor – Wisdom 10:17-20, Luke 21:9-19
“But you will be delivered up by your parents and brothers and relatives and friends and some of you, they will put to death. And you will be hated by all, for My Name’s sake …” – Luke 21:16-17
REFLECTION – “I must give thanks to my God continuously. He has helped me to keep my faith, through difficult times, so that I can fearlessly offer myself as a kind of living sacrifice to Christ. The Lord has rescued me from so many dangers that sometimes I just have to ask: “God, who am I?… “From where did I get such wisdom?” It certainly wasn’t from inside myself. “I didn not know my future” and I had no great knowledge of God. And later on, Who was it, Who gave me such a wonderful and life-giving gift, the gift to know and love God? But to receive such things, I had to leave behind my home and family… I came to Ireland to preach the good news and to suffer abuse from unbelievers and… to have my mission shamefully criticised. I have had many hard times, even to the point of being enslaved again but I traded in my free birth for the good of others.
If I am worthy, I am even ready to lay down my life willingly and without hesitation for His Name. Here, in Ireland, is where I wish to live out my final days, if God will permit me. I owe so much to God, Who allowed so many people to find a new life in Him through me. I confirmed them in our Faith and Ordained Clergy for them everywhere, for a people just coming to a belief in God. The Master chose them from the ends of the earth, just as He said He would through the prophets: “The gentiles will come to you from the ends of the earth” and… “I will place you like a lamp among the nations so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” – St Patrick (c 380-461) Bishop. Missionary Monk (Confession, 34-38).
PRAYER – May the Martyrdom of Your Saints Nazarius, Celsus, Victor and Innocent, give us courage, O Lord and may it give us a help to counter- our weakness.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).
Our Morning Offering – 27 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Prayer for Five Graces By St Alphonsus de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Eternal Father, Thy Son has promised that Thou would grant, all the graces we ask of Thee in His Name. Trusting in this promise and in the Name of and through the Merits of Jesus Christ, I ask of Thee five special graces: First, I ask pardon, for all the offenses I have committed, for which I am sorry with all my heart because I have offended Thine infinite goodness. Second, I ask for Thy Divine Light, which will enable me to see the vanity of all things of this earth and see also, Thy Infinite greatness and goodness. Third, I ask for a share in Thy love, so that I may detach myself from all creatures, especially from myself and love only Thy Holy Will. Fourth, grant me the grace to have confidence in the Merits of Jesus Christ and in the intercession of Mary. Fifth, I ask for the grace of perseverance, knowing that, whenever I call on Thee for assistance, Thou will answer my call and come to my aid. I fear only, that I will neglect to turn to Thee in time of need and thus bring myself to ruin. Grant me the grace to pray always, O Eternal Father, in the Name of Our Lord Jesus. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 24 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Progress in the Love of God
“They are in the first grade of perfection in the love of God, who desire to love Him but still feel an attachment to sin. How is it possible to love God and, at the same time, to offend Him by yielding to unlawful desires and to the attraction of the world? This is a mystery of the human heart which can experience, simultaneously, the desire to love God and the disturbance of the flesh.
People like this, must humbly persevere in praying for the grace which they need. They must eradicate their major vices, one by one, so that they may be free to love God. Since their course will be difficult and full of obstacles, they will need the courage of mountaineers but, far above the white and sun-kissed summit, God awaits them. Only toil and sacrifice can bring them there but when they arrive, they will know real happiness, for they will see God. “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:81).”
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
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.”
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
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).
Our Morning Offering – 15 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
To Christ Crucified Traditional Irish Prayer Trans. Brendan Devlin
May the sweet Name of Jesus Be written deeply on my heart and mind. Through the power of His Passion, Through the force of His Prayer, Through the shedding of His Blood, Through the sweetness of His Sweetness, Through His cruel Death on the Cross, for the sake of us all. O Lord Jesus Christ, be the Saviour of our souls. O Mary, Mother of Jesus and Jesus, be with me, the bond of love, binding us together and never be loosed. Amen
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
Our Morning Offering – 11 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Daily Offering to the Father Attri To St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home, and in my family. Amen
You might see fantastic claims for this prayer, especially printed on Holy Cards, such as the release of 1000 souls from Purgatory, each time it is prayed. Nowhere in St Gertrude’s writings, is this wild promise made so be careful of treating prayers and devotions as amulets or magical charms. And further, this prayer is claimed to have been written by heer but this is very uncertain. The Church has summarily condemned prayer cards containing a promise to release one or more souls from Purgatory, or any other ‘miraculous’ claims. Such an easy way to release 1,000 souls seems inconsistent with the Church’s understanding of Purgatory and, given all the means the Church employs to help the dead, such as special Masses or Indulgences applicable only to the dead.
Quote/s of the Day – 10 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost and the Solemnity of the Most Precious Blood
“Many indeed are the wondrous happenings of that time: God hanging from a Cross, the sun made dark and again flaming out; for it was fitting, that creation should mourn with its Creator. The temple veil rent, Blood and Water flowing from His side – the one as from a Man, the other as from what was above man; the earth shaken, the rocks shattered because of the Rock; the dead risen to bear witness to the final and universal resurrection of the dead. The happenings at the sepulchre and after the sepulchre, who can fittingly recount them? Yet not one of them, can be compared, to the Miracle of my Salvation. A few drops of Blood renews the whole world and do, for all men, what the rennet does for the milk – joining us and binding us together!”
St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Father & Doctor of the Church
“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
“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)
One Minute Reflection – 10 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost and the Solemnity of the Most Precious Blood – Hebrews 9:11-15, John 19:30-35
“But one of the soldiers opened His side with a lance and immediately there came forth, Blood and water.” – John 19:34
REFLECTION – “Take thought now, redeemed man and consider how great and worthy is He, Who hangs on the Cross for you… Arise, then, beloved of Christ! Imitate the dove ‘that nests in a hole in the cliff’ (Jr 48:28), keeping watch at the entrance ‘like the sparrow that finds a home’(Ps 84:4). There, like the turtledove, hide your little ones, the fruit of your chaste love. Press your lips to the Fountain, draw water from the wells of your Saviour; for this is the spring flowing out of the middle of paradise, dividing into four rivers, inundating devout hearts, watering the whole earth and making it fertile.
Run with eager desire to this Source of Life and Light, all you who are vowed to God’s service. Come, whoever you maybe and cry out to Him, with all the strength of your heart. O indescribable Beauty of the most high God and purest Radiance of Eternal Light! Life that gives all life, Light that is the Source of every other light, preserving, in everlasting splendour, the myriad flames that have shone before the throne of Your Divinity from the dawn of time!
Eternal and inaccessible Fountain, clear and sweet stream, flowing from a hidden spring, unseen by mortal eye! None can fathom Your depths nor survey Your boundaries, none can measure Your breadth, nothing can sully Your purity. From You flows ‘the river which gladdens the city of God’ (Ps 46:5) and makes us cry out with joy and thanksgiving, in hymns of praise to You, for we know, by our own experience, that ‘with You is the Source of Life and in Your Light we see light’ (Ps 36:10).” – St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Doctor of the Church (The Tree of Life, 29-30, 47, – Breviary)
PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who made Thy Only Begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and willed to be reconciled by His Blood, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to worship in this Sacred rite the price of our salvation and to be so protected by its power against the evils of the present life on earth, that we may enjoy its everlasting fruit in Heaven. 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). Aspiration:Precious Blood, ocean of Divine Mercy, Flow upon us.
Our Morning Offering – 10 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” and the Solemnity of the Most Precious Bloodof our Lord Jesus Christ
Glory Be to Jesus, Who in Bitter Pains By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori 1696–1787) [Attrib] Transl. Fr Edward Caswell CO (1814-1878) (An Indulgence of 100 days)
Glory be to Jesus, Who in bitter pain Poured for me the life-Blood From His sacred veins.
Grace and life eternal In that Blood I find; Blest be His compassion, Infinitely kind.
Blest through endless ages Be the precious stream, Which from endless torments Dost the world redeem.
Abel’s blood for vengeance Pleaded to the skies; But the Blood of Jesus For our pardon cries.
Oft as it is sprinkled On our guilty hearts, Satan in confusion Terror-struck departs.
Oft as earth exulting Wafts its praise on high, Angel-hosts rejoicing Make their glad reply.
Lift ye then your voices; Swell the mighty flood; Louder still and louder Praise the Precious Blood.
The Solemnity of the Most Precious Blood of of Our Lord Jesus Christ
By Servant of God Abbot Prosper Guéranger OSB (1805-1875)
John the Baptist has pointed out the Lamb, Peter has firmly fixed His throne, Paul has prepared the Bride; this their joint work, admirable in its unity, at once suggests the reason for their feasts occurring almost simultaneously on the cycle. The alliance being now secured, all three fall into shade; whilst the Bride herself, raised up by them to such lofty heights, appears alone before us, holding in her hands the sacred cup of the nuptial-feast.
This gives the key of today’s Solemnity; revealing how its illumining the heavens of the holy Liturgy, at this particular season, is replete with Mystery. The Church, it is true, has already made known to the sons of the New Covenant, and in a much more solemn manner, the price of the Blood that redeemed them, its nutritive strength and the adoring homage which is its due. Yes, on Good Friday, earth and Heaven beheld all sin drowned in the saving stream, whose eternal flood-gates, at last gave way, beneath the combined effort of man’s violence and of the love of the Divine Heart.
The festival of Corpus Christi witnessed our prostrate worship before the aAtars whereon is perpetuated the Sacrifice of Calvary and where, the outpouring of the Precious Blood affords drink to the humblest little ones, as well as to the mightiest potentates of earth, lowly bowed in adoration before it. How is it, then, that Holy Church is now inviting all Christians to hail, in a particular manner, the stream of life ever gushing from the Sacred Fount? What else can this mean but, that the preceding Solemnities have, by no means exhausted the Mystery? The peace which the Blood has made to reign in the high places, as well as in the low, the impetus of its wave-bearing back, the sons of Adam, from the yawning gulf, purified, renewed and dazzling white in the radiance of their heavenly apparel; the Sacred Table outspread before them, on the waters’ brink and the Chalice, brimful of inebriation; all this preparation and display would be objectless, all these splendours would be incomprehensible, if man were not brought to see therein, the wooings of a love which could never endure its advances to be outdone, by the pretensions of any other. Therefore, the Blood of Jesus is set before our eyes, at this moment, as the Blood of the Testament; the pledge of the alliance proposed to us by God (Exod. xxiv. 8; Heb. ix. 20); the dower stipulated upon by Eternal Wisdom for this Divine union to which He is inviting all men and whereof, the consummation in our soul is being urged forward with such vehemence, by the Holy Ghost.
“Having therefore, Brethren, a confidence in the entering into the Holies by the Blood of Christ,” says the Apostle, “a new and living way which He hath dedicated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh, let us draw near with a pure heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with clean water, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He is faithful that hath promised. Let us consider one another to provoke unto charity and to good works (Heb. x. 19-24). And may the God of peace, Who brought again from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Blood of the everlasting Testament, fit you in all goodness, that you may do His will: doing in you, that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom is glory forever and ever. Amen!” (Ibid. xiii. 20, 21)
Nor must we omit to mention here, that this Feast is a monument of one of the most brilliant victories of Holy Church, in our own age. Pius IX. had been driven from Rome in 1848, by the triumphant revolution but, the following year, just about this very season, his power was re-established. Under the aegis of the Apostles on 28 June and the two following days, the eldest daughter of the Church, faithful to her past glories, swept the ramparts of the Eternal City; and on 2 July, Mary’s festival, the victory was completed. Not long after this, a twofold decree notified to the City and to the world, the Pontiff’s gratitude and the way in which he intended to perpetuate, in the Sacred Liturgy, the memory of these events. On 10 August, from Gaeta itself, the place of his exile in the evil day, Pius IX, before returning to re-assume the government of his States, addressing himself to the invisible Head of the Church, confined her in a special manner to His Divine care, by the institution of this day’s Festival; reminding Him that it was for His Church that He vouchsafed to shed all His Precious Blood.
Then, when the Pontiff re-entered his Capital, turning to Mary, just as Pius V and Pius VII. had done under other circumstances, he, the Vicar of Christ, solemnly attributed the honour of the recent victory to Her who is ever the “Help of Christians,” for, on the Feast of Her Visitation it had been gained and he now decreed that this said Feast of 2 July should be raised from the rite of double-major to that of second class throughout the whole world. This was but a prelude to the definition of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which the immortal Pontiff had already in project, whereby the crushing of the serpent’s head would be completed.
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
God our Father in heaven
have mercy on us
God the Son, Redeemer of the world
have mercy on us
God the Holy Spirit
have mercy on us
Holy Trinity, one God
have mercy on us
Blood of Christ, only Son of the Father
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, incarnate Word
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, of the new and eternal covenant
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, that spilled to the ground
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, that flowed at the scourging
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, dripping from the thorns
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, shed on the cross
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, the price of our redemption
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, our only claim to pardon
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, our blessing cup
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, in which we are washed
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, torrent of mercy
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, that overcomes evil
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, strength of the martyrs
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, endurance of the saints
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, that makes the barren fruitful
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, protection of the threatened
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, comfort of the weary
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, solace of the mourner
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, hope of the repentant
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, our peace and refreshment
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, our pledge of life
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, by which we pass to glory
be our salvation
Blood of Christ, most worthy of honor
be our salvation
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
have mercy on us
Lord, you redeemed us by your blood.
You have made us a kingdom to serve our God.
Let us pray.
Almighty and Eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine Only Begotten Son, the Redeemer of the world and willed to be appeased by His Blood. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may worthily adore this Price of our Salvation,and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of this present life, so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in Heaven. Through the same Christ Our Lord. R/. Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 9 July – Our Holy Mother’s Saturday and the Feast of Our Lady Queen of Peace
“No matter how sinful one may have been, if he has devotion to Mary, it is impossible that he be lost.”
St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
“O Mary, you give assistance to everyone endeavouring to rise to God!”
St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)
“Let us run to Mary and, as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
The Holy Rosary By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)
Accept, mighty Maid, we beseech thee, This prayer with its fragrance of flowers; With one soul we seek thus to reach thee And hail thee, God’s Mother and ours.
Thy heart is made glad by our praying; Thy bounty is generous and wise; Thy hands are enriched for conveying What God’s tender Mercy supplies.
We kneel at thy Shrines in the Churches; Oh, gently look down from above, And welcome the heart that then searches For worthy expressions of love.
Let others present precious caskets Of gems, or heap Altars with gold; Slight prayer-beads shall serve us for baskets To bring thee the garland they hold.
With violets lowly we fashion This wreath and with these combined Red roses–our faith in the Passion With Chastity’s lilies entwined.
Our minds, as the Mysteries vary, Are active, our hands play their part; And always thy name, Holy Mary, Oft-uttered, rejoices the heart.
Be with us, we trust thee to guide us Through life and when labouring breath At the last, seeks thine aid, be beside us To help at the hour of our death.
“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom of His most chaste Mother, Christ took to Himself flesh and united to Himself, the spiritual Body formed by those who were to believe in Him. Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour within her, may be said, to have also carried, all those. whose life was contained in the life of the Saviour. Therefore, all we, who are united to Christ and, as the Apostle says, are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30), have issued from the womb of Mary, like a body united to it’s Head.”
St Pius X (1835-1914) Pope from 1903 to 1914 Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11
Our Morning Offering – 8 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood”
An Old Morning Prayer – Excerpt From The Blossoms of the Cross — 1894 The Sisters of St Joseph
I rise In God’s strength, In God’s power, In the Agony of Christ, In the Cross of Christ, In Christ’s Precious Blood, These will sustain me against my enemies, visible and invisible. I rise in the blessing of Christ which my dearest Jesus left to the whole world. Protect me, All-Holy Trinity, God the Father, Who created me, God, the Son, Who redeemed me in His Precious Blood, God, the Holy Ghost, Who sanctified me in Holy Baptism. God, the Father, I give myself to Thee! God, the Son, I commend myself to Thee! God, the Holy Ghost, teach me! Mary, Mother of God, assist me! All you Saints of God, pray for me! All you Holy Angels, protect me! The Cross of Christ preserve me! Amen
Our Morning Offering – 6 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Your Blood, The Fire of Love! By St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) Doctor of the Church
O sweet Jesus, my Love, to strengthen my soul and to rescue it from the weakness into which it has fallen, You have built a wall around it and have mixed the mortar with Your Blood, confirming my soul and uniting it to the sweet will and charity of God! Just as lime mixed with water is placed between stones to cement them together, so You, O God, have placed between Your creature and Yourself, the Blood of Your only-begotten Son, cemented with the divine lime of the fire of ardent charity, in such a way that there is no Blood without fire, nor fire without Blood. Your Blood was shed, O Christ, by the fire of love! Amen.
Indulgenced Novena in Honour of The Seven Offerings of the Precious Blood of Jesus
(An Indulgence of 3 years–Pius VII, 1817)
THE FOURTH DAY
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Merits of the Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, f or all my relatives, friends and enemies, for those in need, in sickness, in tribulation and for all those, for whom Thou knowest that I am bound to pray and willest that I should pray.
Glory be to the Father, etc.
Blessed and praised for evermore be Jesus Who hath saved us with His Blood!
One Minute Reflection – 24 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” and the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19, John 19:31-37.
“And to have Christ dwelling, through faith, in your hearts, so that, being rooted and grounded in love, you may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know Christ’s Love, which surpasses knowledge,” – Ephesians 3:17-19
REFLECTION – “When once I shall be united to You with my whole being, I shall at last be free of sorrow and toil. Then my life will be alive, filled entirely with You. When You fill someone, You relieve him of his burdens but because, I am not yet filled with You, I am a burden to myself. My joy when I should be weeping, struggles with my sorrows, when I should be rejoicing. I know not where victory lies.
Woe is me! Lord, have mercy on me! My evil sorrows and good joys are at war with one another. I know not where victory lies. Woe is me! Lord, have mercy! Woe is me! I make no effort to conceal my wounds. You are my Physician, I Your Patient. You are merciful; I stand in need of mercy.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (An excerpt from: The Confessions Book 10).
PRAYER – O God, Who in the Heart of Thy Son, wounded by our sins, mercifully lavish upon us the infinite riches of Love, grant, we beseech Thee, that as we offer Him the faithful service of our devotion, we may also show forth fitting reparation. 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). SACRED Heart of JESUS, Thy Kingdom come! – Indulgence 300 Days – Every time – Raccolta 179 St Pius X, 6 November 1906.
“For this cause I bow my knees to the Father, that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth of this Mystery.” – Ephesians 3:14,18.
“To me, the least of all the saints, is given this grace to preach among the Gentiles and to enlighten all men, what is the dispensation of the Mystery which hath been hidden from eternity in God, Who created all things. For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom all paternity in heaven and earth is named, That He would grant you the grace to be strengthened by the power of His Spirit, unto the inward man. That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts, that being rooted and founded in charity, you may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth of this mystery. To know also, the charity of Christ, which surpasseth all human knowledge.”
“With these words to the Ephesians and similar assurance,s in many passages of the Epistles, which St Paul wrote – not only for the faithful of his own day but for those of all future time – the Apostle of Nations exhorts us, in the most expressive manner, to advance in the knowledge of Christ. And, if we wish to comprehend the total height and depth, the entire breadth and length, of the Love of Jesus, we can only do so, by looking into the depths of His Sacred Heart and to make this clear, will be the object of my words today. O Mary, Mother of the Divine Heart, obtain for us the grace to enter into the full knowledge of Christ’s Love for us, that we may meet it with faithful reciprocal love! I speak in the Holy Name of Jesus, for the greater honour and glory of God!
To contemplate in its entire extent the Love of Jesus Christ and to open our hearts, in true reciprocal love to the Lord, that He may dwell therein, we must go to the Sacred Heart and look into its depths. There, ah! there, we can behold, in all its immensity, a Love so mighty, that it drew Him away from the Throne of His Glory in Heaven to earth and urged Him, not only to assume human nature but, by so doing, as St Paul assures us, to annihilate Himself and take the form of a slave. For, appearing as a Man among men, He concealed His Divinity before them and, although He wrought miracles, other men, with the Divine assistance, performed wonders still greater – Moses, for instance, at the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt.
Men, in general, acknowledged Him so little as God, that they threatened to stone Him when He declared that He was! They persecuted ,at every occasion, this meek Lamb of God and at last nailed Him to the Cross. And what brought to such depths of humility, the King of kings and Lord of lords? Because He chose not to appear as a powerful monarch, as a ruler over the whole universe, before whom all nations would tremble but ,as a slave, for He entered this world as the subject of an emperor, who governed only the Romans as free men, while those nations he had conquered, were held in subjection. And, therefore, Christ suffered the Death of the slave – Crucifixion.
Why did He humble Himself so deeply? One glance into the Divine Heart will tell us that it was His Merciful Love to us. Great God! what misery overwhelmed the human race and, what would have become of us, if the Arm of Thy infinite Justice had not been stayed! But Christ the Son of God, equal in essence and nature to His eternal Father, wished, through Love, to celebrate the triumph of His Infinite Mercy and this Love, urged Him,not only to grant pardon to penitent sinners but to make satisfaction for them and take upon Himself, the justification for sin.
Not only, beloved in Christ, did He mean to pardon this or that sin, to forgive this or that sinner but for every sin, that would ever be committed and, for every sinner, if he were truly contrite, a gracious pardon would be found. Christ requires but one thing of the sinner – that he avails himself of those efficacious means of salvation, to be found in the True Church and takes refuge in His Sacred Heart.
Dearly beloved Catholic souls, redeemed by the Blood of God, reflect upon this precious truth and, that you may realise the depth of His Love for you, look at the Sacred Heart – look into Its Bleeding Wound. The Almighty, the Omnipotent God, the gracious and merciful Saviour, comes from the Heaven of His glory to afford us a certain refuge therein – to save us from that pit, which the malice of sin, has prepared for us in hell.
The Deluge prefigured the spiritual ruin which overwhelmed the whole human race. Now, Holy Scripture testifies, that the waters thereof rose to the height of fifteen cubits above the loftiest mountains. This indicates the degree of malice which characterised the wickedness of mankind, it being greater than that of the fallen angels. Their sin was that pride, which led them to wish to be like God; while man, on the contrary, committed Deicide, as St.Peter, in his first sermon, called the Crucifixion, when he said: “The Author of life you have killed.“
This reproach applies, not only to those Jews who personally laid hands on Christ but, to all men as sinners; for St Paul asserts: “Whosoever sins, Crucifies God in his heart, tramples His Precious Blood under foot.” And yet God forgives on account of the merits of Christ! Whom? – The greatest sinner, if he but repent! And what means does He choose for this? Let us adore and wonder, for the commission of the greatest possible si – attempted Deicide – became for us, the source of every grace. What a triumph of Infinite Mercy!
Glance at the Heart of Jesus, opened after His Death: – by this, He opened His Arms to every soul, with the loving words: “I have loved thee unto death and presented the last drop of My Heart’s Blood for thee to draw thee from the abyss of destruction, which thy sins prepared for thee in hell.” Oh, what a depth and, at the same time, what a height of Love! The work of Redemption as consummated by this Love, made fast the gates of hell and rescued us from that fiery pit but, not content with this, our loving Saviour would open the portals of a Heaven, more beautiful, than the one which would have been our portion had Adam never sinned.
And now, as brothers of the Son of God, we may enter that region of bliss,and become, as precious stones, set in the celestial crown of the world of Angels. We may, by our zeal, in the exercise of good works and their union with the Merits of Christ, ascend higher and higher, through new and more brilliant merits, to an immeasurable degree of glory! Look at Mary, whose throne is next to that of Jesus: she was, like us, a child of man and her glory, by far outshines that of the brightest Angel. We, as her children, may hope to attain a place in Heaven, near that of our gracious Queen – for from the Heart of Jesus, came forth the cry: “To him that shall overcome, I will grant to sit with Me on My Throne.”
And how shall we learn the breadth of this love? I answer: By contemplating the generosity which marked Its course and so animated the Sacred Heart in the Breast of the Infant Saviour, in the crib and of the Redeemer, on the Cross. Even now, it beats for us in the Most Holy Sacrament over the whole globe. Think of the generosity of that Love, by which Jesus has communicated to us, the whole Merit of His Life, Passion, and Death.
The words of St Augustine, refer to this in the explanation and answer, given by him, of the words of Christ: “What price could man give for his soul?” “Remember,” exclaims St Augustine, “the price which Christ paid for you through the work of Redemption; you have been purchased by the Life, Passion and Death of Christ, the Son of God.” What He gave for you, He did not give even for the Angels. Oh, how sweetly are we reminded of all this by one loving glance at the Sacred Heart of Jesus! It beats indeed today on earth, for each one of us. Go before the Tabernacle and ask what is that which Jesus confers upon you in every Holy Communion. It is Himself.
And the length of this enduring Love, may be discerned by the unwearied forbearance He shows to man. From the first moment of your conception, Christian soul, He has loved you with an everlasting Love. He has thought of you and longed to bless you for all eternity. And it will be your own fault, if He does not remain, until your very latest breath, the same faithful, loving Jesus, Who will assist you in that last dread passage where time is merged into eternity.
Yes, it is an Article of Faith, that when the greatest sinner turns, with a repentant heart to Jesus, even in his dying hour, he will still be saved through Him. And is this really so? Christian, look at the wounded Heart in the Breast of your Redeemer. It has ceased to beat – it is dead! Yet, from the Wound came Blood and Water, the symbol of the Church, to which Christ gave power to pardon the dying sinner whose heart cries out for mercy – for forgiveness through the Merits of Christ.
Dearly beloved, who have listened to my words today, reflect upon what I have told you of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – of the height, depth, breadth and length of the Love of Christ. Consider it daily and the wish of St Paul, of which I have already spoken to you, will certainly be fulfilled in you. You will become so strengthened in the love of God, through the Spirit of Christ, that He will abide in your heart and, finding therein, so firm a faith, earnest a hope and ardent a love, will there take up His abode forever. Amen! – Fr Francis Xavier Weninger SJ (1805-1888) (Excerpt -The Feast of the Sacred Heart).
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