Category: CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on TRUTH, To JESUS through MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 1 May – Mary

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 May – “The Month of The Blessed Virgin Mary”

“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

“We may seek graces
but shall never find them
without the intercession of Mary.”

St Cajetan (1480-1547)

“Truly we are passing through disastrous times,
when we may well make our own,
the lamentation of the Prophet:
“There is no truth and there is no mercy
and there is no knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1).
Yet in the midst of this tide of evil,
the Virgin Most Merciful rises before our eyes
like a rainbow, as the arbiter of peace
between God and man.”

St Pope Pius X (1835-1914)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY SATURDAY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 16 April – My Most Sorrowful Lady

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Our Morning Offering – 16 April – Easter Saturday

My Most Sorrowful Lady
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Marian Doctor
Magnificent Doctor

My most sorrowful Lady,
what can I say about the fountains,
that flowed from your most pure eyes,
when you saw your only Son before you,
bound, beaten and suffering?
What do I know of the flood,
that drenched your matchless face,
when you beheld your Son,
your Lord and your God,
stretched on the Cross without guilt,
when the flesh of your flesh,
was cruelly butchered by wicked me?
How can I judge
what sobs troubled your most pure breast
when you heard,
“Woman, behold your son,”
and the disciple,
“Behold, your Mother,”
when you received, as a son,
the disciple, in place of the Master,
the servant, for the Lord?
Amen

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

Our Morning Offering – 15 April – A Prayer of the Passion

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Our Morning Offering – 15 April – Good Friday

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 "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MAUNDY THURSDAY, QUOTES on The SOUL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 April – ‘… Place all your trust in the Blood of Christ Crucified …’

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One Minute Reflection – 14 April – Maundy Thursday – 1 Corinthians 11:20-32, John 13:1-15

“Jesus, knowing that his hour was come, … he loved them unto the end.” – John 13:1

REFLECTION – “Be obedient to the death, following the example of the spotless Lamb who obeyed His Father even to a shameful death on the Cross. Reflect that He is the way and the rule you are to follow. Always hold Him present before the eyes of your spirit. See how obedient He is, this Word, this Utterance of God! He does not refuse to take up the burden of suffering laid on Him by His Father; to the contrary, He throws Himself into it, spurred on by His great desire. Isn’t this what He reveals during the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, when He says: “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Lk 22:15)? By “eat this Passover” He means, the accomplishment of the Father’s will and His desire. Seeing that scarcely any time lies before Him (He was already looking ahead to the end, when He would sacrifice His body for our sake), He rejoices, He is glad and joyfully says: “I have greatly desired.” Here is the Passover He is speaking about – that which consists in giving His own self as food, in laying down His own body in obedience to the Father.

Jesus had celebrated many another Passover with His disciples but never this one, O unspeakable, sweet and burning charity! You think neither of Your suffering nor of Your humiliating death – if You had thought of them, You would not have been so joyful, You would not have called it a Passover. The Word sees ,that it is He Himself Who has been chosen, He Himself Who has received all our humanity as His spouse. He has been asked to give us His own Blood so that God’s will might be accomplished in us, so that it might be His Blood that sanctifies us. This is, indeed, the sweet Passover, this Lamb without blemish accepts (cf. Ex 12:5) and it is with great love and great desire that He fulfils the Father’s will and wholly carries out His design. What unspeakably sweet love! …

That is why, my beloved, I beg you never to entertain the least dread and to place all your trust in the Blood of Christ Crucified … May all servile fear be banished from your spirits. You will say with Saint Paul …: “I can do all things through Christ crucified, since he is within me by desire and love and he strengthens me” (cf. Phil 4:13; Gal 2:20). Love, love, love! By His Blood, the gentle Lamb has made an unassailable rock of your soul.” – St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) Dominican tertiary, Doctor of the Church, Co-patron of Europe – Letter 129

PRAYER – O God, from whom Judas received the punishment of his guilt and the thief the reward of his confession: grant unto us the full fruit of Thy clemency, that even as in His Passion, our Lord Jesus Christ gave to each a retribution according to his merits, so having taken away our old sins, He may bestow upon us the grace of His Resurrection. Who with Thee lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, The HEART, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 13 April – Betrayal!

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 April – Spy Wednesday in Holy Week – Isaias 53:1-12, Luke 22:39-71; 23:1-53

“And Jesus said to him:
Judas, dost thou betray
the Son of man with a kiss?”

Luke 22:48

“O God, fullness of goodness,
You do not forsake any,
except those who forsake You.
You never take away Your gifts,
except when we take away our hearts.
We rob the goodness of God,
if we claim the glory of our salvation for ourselves.
We dishonour His mercy,
if we say He has failed us.
… We blaspheme His goodness,
if we deny that He has helped and assisted us.
In short, O God, cry loud and clear into our ears:
“your destruction comes from you, O Israel.
In me alone is found your help” (Hos 13:9).

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis
Treatise on the Love of God, Ch 9

“Sacrilegious tongues blaspheme the God
who preserves their existence!
… you should be damned forever
and, instead of thanking Him for His goodness,
you, at the very time
that He bestows His favours upon you,
YOU blaspheme His Holy Name!”

St Alphonsus Maria de Ligouri (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

“Quote/s of the Day – 11 April – ‘ … We are the aroma of Christ.’

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 April – Monday of Holy Week – Isaias 50:5-10, John 12:1-9

“However, in the allegorical
or mystical sense,
this woman prefigured the Church,
which offered the full and entire devotion
of it’s faith to Christ …
There are twelve ounces to a pound
and this is the amount of perfume
the Church possesses, having received
the teaching of the twelve Apostles,
as if it were a precious perfume.
Indeed, what more precious
is there than the Apostles’ teaching,
which contains both faith in Christ
and the glory of the Kingdom of heaven? ”

St Chromatius of Aquilaea (Died c 407)

“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

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 9 April – O Afflicted Virgin! By St Alphonsus Liguori

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Our Morning Offering – 9 April – Saturday in Passion Week, the Fifth Week in Lent

O Afflicted Virgin!
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

O afflicted Virgin!
O soul, great in virtues
and great also in sorrows!
for both arise from that great fire of love
thou hast for God;
thou “whose heart can love nothing but God.”
O Mother, have pity on me,
for I have not loved God
and I have so much offended Him.
Thy sorrows give me great confidence
to hope for pardon.
But this is not enough;
I wish to love my Lord
and who can better obtain this for me
than thou,
thou who art the Mother of fair love?
O Mary, thou dost console all,
comfort me also.
Amen.

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 8 April – Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 April – Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows – Friday of Passion Week, the Fifth Week in Lent

“Whoever you are, who love the Mother of God,
take note and reflect
with all your innermost feelings,
upon her, who wept for the Only-Begotten as He died…
The grief she felt in the Passion of her Son,
goes beyond all understanding.”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)

“During the entire course of her life,
the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
never deviated in the slightest
from the precepts and examples of her Divine Son.
This was true both in the most sweet joys Mary experienced
and in the cruel sufferings she underwent,
which made the the Queen of Martyrs.”

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

“If you want to assist at Mass,
with devotion and with fruit,
think of the sorrowful Mother
at the feet of her Son on Calvary.”

St Pio of Pietrelcina OFM Cap (1887-1968)
Padre Pio

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The PASSION, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 April – “The Jews sought to kill Him.” – John 7:1

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One Minute Reflection – 5 April – Tuesday in Passion Week – Daniel 14:27-42, John 7:1-13 and the Memorial of St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)

“The Jews sought to kill Him.” – John 7:1

REFLECTION – “I am the true vine,” Jesus says (Jn 15,1)… People dig trenches around this vine; that is to say, cunningly dig traps. When they plot to make someone fall into a snare. it is as if they dug a pit in front of Him. That is why He mourns about it, saying: “They have dug a pit before me” (Ps 56[57],7)…

However, they discovered that these traps caused no harm to the vine. To the contrary, in digging these pits they themselves fell into them (Ps 56[57],7)… Then they kept on digging: not just His Hands and His Feet (Ps 21[22],17) but they pierced His side with a lance (Jn 19,34) and uncovered the interior of that Sacred Heart, which had already been wounded by the spear of love. The Bridegroom says in the song of His love that: “You have wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse” (Sg 4,9 Vg.). O Lord Jesus, Your Heart has been wounded with love by Your spouse, Your friend, Your sister. Why, then, was it necessary for your enemies to wound you again? O you enemies, what are You doing?… Do You not know that this Heart of our Lord Jesus’,already pierced, is already dead, already open and cannot be touched by any other suffering? The Heart of the Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus, has already received the wound of love, the death of love. What other death could touch Him?… The martyrs also laugh when they are threatened, rejoice when they are struck, triumph, when they are killed. Why? Because they have already died through love in their hearts, “dead to sin” (Rm 6,2) and to the world!

Thus Jesus’ Heart has been wounded and put to death for our sake… Physical death triumphed for a moment but only to be conquered forever. It was blotted out when Christ rose from the dead because “death has no power over Him anymore” (Rm 6,9). – St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Doctor of the Church (The Mystical Vine, ch. 3, § 5-10).

PRAYER – O God, Who graciously enlightened Your Church by the virtues and preaching of blessed Vincent, Your Confessor, grant that we, Your servants, may be taught by his example and delivered from all harm by his intercession. 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 APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The RESURRECTION

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

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Devotions for the Month of April

The Resurrection and The Blessed Sacrament

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

John 11:25

“I am the Living Bread
Who came down from Heaven.
If any man eat of this Bread,
he shall live forever
and the Bread that I will give,
is My Flesh, for the Life of the world.”

John 6:51-52

The Month of April is dedicated both to devotion to the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Holy Eucharist – the proof of the promise of the love of God and of ETERNAL LIFE.
In the Holy Eucharist, the Sacrament of Love, Jesus gives us the sustenance needed in this life to help us on our pilgrimage to that Eternal Life with Him in Heaven.
This tradition has developed because Easter Sunday often falls in April and when it does fall in March, the Easter Season continues on through all of April.

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

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

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

“For His Body, has been given to you
under the appearance of bread
and His Blood, under the appearance of wine,
so that, when you have partaken
of the Body and Blood of Christ,
you might be One Body and One Blood with Him.
So shall we become Christ-bearers [“Christophers”].
His Body and Blood are diffused through all our members – see, then,
how we become participants
in the Divine Nature!”

St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386)
Father and Doctor of theChurch

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

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

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

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

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

John 11:25

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I Am
the Resurrection
and the
Life”

John 11:25

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

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

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

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

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

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, Quotes on SALVATION, The HEART, The HOLY NAME, The LAMB of GOD, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 31 March – Fullness of goodness

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Quote/s of the Day – 31 March – Thursday of the Fourth week in Lent

“For one Lamb died for all,
to restore the whole flock on earth
to God the Father;
“one died for all”
to make all subject to God;
“one died for all”
to gain all, so that
“all might live,
no longer for themselves
but for Him who died
and was raised to life for them”
(2 Cor 5:14-15).”

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Listen! the reason He is called Saviour
is because, for all those
to whom He is united,
He gains salvation.
Now salvation means,
to be delivered from all ills and,
at the same time,
to find all blessings forever –
Life instead of death,
Light in place of darkness
and, instead of the slavery
of the passions and unworthy deeds,
the complete freedom granted
to all those, who are united to Christ,
Saviour of all beings.
Thus they will possess,
without being able to lose it,
all joy, all happiness, all blessedness (…)
that that none can ever know,
or conceive, or see,
if not sincerely and ardently
attached to Christ.”

St Symeon the New Theologian (c 949-1022)

“True spiritual life consists in this:
that man keep his eyes on God, all the time,
long for nothing but for God,
keep nothing in mind but God,
begin every single action, in God’s Name
and direct it to Him.”

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

“O God, fullness of goodness,
You do not forsake any,
except those who forsake You.
You never take away Your gifts,
except when we take away our hearts.
We rob the goodness of God,
if we claim the glory of our salvation for ourselves.
We dishonour His mercy,
if we say He has failed us.
… We blaspheme His goodness,
if we deny that He has helped and assisted us.
In short, O God, cry loud and clear into our ears:
“your destruction comes from you, O Israel.
In me alone is found your help” (Hos 13:9).

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2022, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, OUR Cross, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 26 March – My Sorrowful Mother,Help Me to Bear My Crosses By St Alphonsus

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Our Morning Offering – 26 March – Saturday of the Third Week of Lent

My Sorrowful Mother,
Help Me to Bear My Crosses
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church

My sorrowful Mother,
by the merit of that grief
which you felt
at seeing your beloved Jesus
led to death,
obtain for me the grace
to bear with patience,
those crosses which God sends me.
I will be fortunate
if I also shall know how
to accompany you
with my cross until death.
You and Jesus,
both innocent,
have borne a heavy cross
and shall I,
a sinner who has merited hell,
refuse mine?
Immaculate Virgin,
I hope you will help me
to bear my crosses with patience.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The ANNUNCIATION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 March – The Annunciation – ‘ … Chosen from among all other beings …’

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One Minute Reflection – 25 March – The Annunciation – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38

“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “The degeneration caused by sin had obscured the beauty of our original nobility. But when the mother of supreme Beauty is born, our nature finds its purity once more and sees itself moulded according to the perfect model, worthy of God (Gn 1,26)… We had all preferred the world below to that above. There no longer remained any hope of salvation. The state of our nature cried aloud to Heaven to come to the rescue… Then at last, in His good pleasure, the world’s Divine Artificer determined to make a new world appear, a different world full of harmony and youth.

Now was it not fitting, that a most pure virgin without stain, should place herself at the service of this mysterious plan first of all?… And where was this virgin to be found, if not in this woman, alone of her kind, chosen by the world’s Creator before all generations? Yes, she indeed is Mother of God, divinely named Mary, whose womb gave birth to God Incarnate and whom, He Himself had supernaturally prepared, as His Temple…

In this way, then, the design of the Redeemer of our race was to bring about a birth and, as it were, a new creation to replace the one that went before. Therefore, just as in Paradise, He had taken a litle clay out of the pure and spotless earth, to fashion the first Adam (Gn 2,7), so, at the moment of bringing about His Own Incarnation, He made use of another earth, so to speak, namely, this Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings He had created. It is in her that He, Adam’s Creator, has remade us in our very substance and become a new Adam (1Cor 15,45), that the old might be saved by the new and eternal.” – St Andrew of Crete (660-740) Bishop (Sermon 1 for the Nativity of the Mother of God ; PG 97, 812).

PRAYER – The Angelus
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee;
Blessed art thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. And the Word was made Flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LET US PRAY
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, Holy Name PRAYERS, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 24 March – Behold Me, O Sweet Lord, Behold Me! By St Aelred

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Our Morning Offering – 24 March – Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

Behold Me, O Sweet Lord, Behold Me!
By St Aelred of Rievaulx O.Cist. (1110-1167)

Behold me, O Sweet Lord, behold me!
For I hope. that in Your Loving Kindness,
O Most Merciful One,
You will behold me,
either as a loving Physician to heal,
a kind Teacher to correct,
or an indulgent Father to pardon…
confident in Your Sweet Powerful Mercy
and most Merciful Power,
I ask, in virtue of Your Sweet Name
and of the Mystery of Your Sacred Humanity
that, mindful of Your Kindness
and unmindful of my ingratitude,
You forgive me my sins
and heal the languors of my soul.
Amen

Posted in LENT 2022, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, St JOSEPH, The WORD

Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers on the Feast of St Joseph Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 19 March

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Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers on the Feast of St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 19 March

“Happy the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commands.” – Psalm 111:1-3

“Behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
fear not to take to you, Mary
your wife, for that which is begotten in her
is of the holy Spirit.”

Matthew 1:20

“HOW THEN DID the Angel assure Joseph? Hear and marvel at the wisdom of these words: “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife.” The angel instantly puts him in mind of David, from whose seed the Anointed One would spring. He did not allow him to be confused by the exalted title of his forefather, or remind him that the promise was made to the whole race. Rather, he addresses him personally as “Joseph, Son of David.” … By saying “fear not,” he indicates that Joseph had been afraid, lest he might give offence to God by retaining an adulteress under the law. If it had not been for this, he would not have even thought of casting her out. The Angel came from God to bring forward and set before him clearly, what he thought to do and what he felt in his mind.

THE ANGEL did not only mention her by name but also simply called her “your wife.” He would not have called her so, if she had been unfaithful. Even as espoused, he speaks of her as “your wife,” just as Scripture commonly calls betrothed husbands sons-in-law, even before marriage.

BUT WHAT IS MEANT by “[Do not fear] to take Mary your wife”? It means to retain her in his house. For he was intending to put her away. It is as if the angelic voice prompted: “Retain her just as if she has been committed to you by God, not by her parents alone. God is committing her, not for marriage but to dwell with you. By my voice, He is committing her to you.” Just as Christ would later commit Mary to his disciple, so now he commits her to Joseph.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father amd Doctor (The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 4)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, St JOSEPH

Quote/s of the Day – 19 March – St Joseph,

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 March – St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“I cannot call to mind
that I have ever asked him,
at any time for anything,
which he has not granted
and I am filled with amazement
when I consider the great favours
which God has given me,
through this blessed Saint;
the dangers from which he has delivered me,
both of body and of soul!”

St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of the Church

“… You can see how low and humbled
he was brought,
more than can be said or imagined…
he went to his own country
and town of Bethlehem
and none but he, was turned away
from all those inns…
Notice how the Angel turns him about
with both hands.
He tells him he has to go to Egypt
and he goes, he orders him to return
and he returns.
God wants him to be always poor…
and he submits to it with love
and not only for a while,
for he was poor his whole life long.””

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

Blessed Joseph, Remember Us
By St Bernadine of Siena (1380-1444)

Blessed Joseph,
remember us,
intercede with the help of your prayers
to your adopted Son
and may you likewise,
make the blessed Virgin,
your Spouse,
to be favourable towards us,
for she is the Mother of Him,
who, with the Father
and the Holy Spirit,
lives and reigns
world without end.
Amen

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/19/quote-s-of-the-day-19-march/

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, ONE Minute REFLECTION, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 March – “Joseph, son of David ” – Matthew 1:20

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One Minute Reflection – 19 March – St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6, Matthew 1:18-21

“Joseph, son of David ” – Matthew 1:20

REFLECTION – “There is no doubt that Joseph was a very holy and trustworthy man, since the Mother of the Saviour was to be his wife. He was the “faithful and prudent servant” (Mt 24:45), for God established him to be His Mother’s support, the foster father of His flesh and the assistant for His plan of salvation.

We must recall, that he was of the House of David. He was son of David, not only by bonds of the flesh but even more, because of his faith, holiness and piety. God found in him, a second David, to whom He could confidently entrust His plans, even the most hidden. He revealed to him, as to another David, the mysteries of His Wisdom and disclosed to him, what no teacher in the world, could know. He allowed him to see and listen, to things that so many kings and prophets had wished to see and hear but which,, in spite of their desire, they had not been able to see or to hear (Mt 13:7), even more,, He made him carry and guide, embrace, nurture and protect Him. Both Mary and Joseph belonged to David’s race; in Mary was fulfilled the promise once made by the Lord to David, while Joseph was the witness of this fulfilment.” – St Bernard (1090-1153) (Surname de Fontaine) Priest, Cistercian Monk, The Last Father and Doctor Mellifluus (Mellifluous Doctor) (Homily on the “Missus est”, 2, 16).

PRAYER – May the merits of Your most holy Mother’s spouse help us, we beseech You, O Lord, that through his intercession, we may receive what we cannot obtain by our own efforts. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in HYMNS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 19 March – Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail!

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Our Morning Offering –19 March – St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail!
By Father Frederick William Faber CO (1814-1863)

Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Chaste spouse of Mary hail!
Pure as the lily flow’r
In Eden’s peaceful vale.
Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Prince of the house of God!
May His best graces be
By thy sweet hands bestowed.

Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Comrade of Angels, hail!
Cheer thou the hearts that faint,
And guide the steps that fail.
Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
God’s choice wert thou alone!
To thee the Word made flesh,
Was subject as a Son.

Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Teach us our flesh to tame
And, Mary, keep the hearts
That love thy husband’s name.
Mother of Jesus! bless,
And bless, ye Saints on high,
All meek and simple souls
That to Saint Joseph cry.
Amen.

Posted in CHRIST the KING, GOD ALONE!, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY GHOST, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 March – St Cyril of Jerusalem

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 March – The Memorial of St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386) Bishop of Jerusalem, Confessor and Father & Doctor of the Church

“For His body, has been given to you
under the appearance of bread
and His blood, under the appearance of wine,
so that, when you have partaken
of the body and blood of Christ,
you might be one body and one blood with Him.
So shall we become Christ-bearers [“Christophers”].
His body and blood are diffused through all our members – see, then,
how we become participants
in the divine nature!”

“Do not rejoice in the Cross only in times of peace,
preserve the same faith in times of persecution.
Do not be a friend to Jesus in times of peace alone,
only to become His enemy in times of war.
You are now receiving forgiveness for your sins
and the spiritual gifts lavishly bestowed by your King so,
when war breaks out, fight valiantly for your King.”

“Our actions have a tongue of their own,
they have an eloquence of their own,
even when the tongue is silent.
For deeds prove the lover more than words.”

“His action is preceded
by the beaming rays of His light and knowledge.
He comes with the truth of the real Protector;
for He comes to save, to lead, to teach, to counsel,
to strengthen, to console,
to illumine in the first place the mind of the person
who receives Him
and through that person‘s works,
the minds of others.”

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/18/quote-s-of-the-day-18-march-st-cyril-of-jerusalem/

“On the Twofold Coming of Christ”
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/12/01/thought-for-the-day-1-december-on-the-twofold-coming-of-christ-st-cyril-of-jerusalem/

“The Holy Catholic Church”

St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386)
Father and Doctor of theChurch

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 March – “They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.”- Matthew 21:39

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One Minute Reflection – 18 March – Friday of the Second Week of Lent – Genesis 37:6-22Matthew 21:33-46 and the Memorial of St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386) Bishop of Jerusalem, Confessor and Father & Doctor of the Church

“They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.”– Matthew 21:39

REFLECTION – “I am the true vine,” Jesus says (Jn 15,1)… People dig trenches around this Vine, that is to say, cunningly dig traps. When they plot to make someone fall into a snare, it is as if they dug a pit in front of him. That is why He mourns about it, saying: “They have dug a pit before me” (Ps 56[57],7)… Here is one example of these snares: “They brought a woman who had been caught in adultery” to our Lord Jesus, “saying: ‘Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?’ ” (Jn 8,3f.)… And here is another: “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to the Emperor or not?” (cf. Mt 22,17)…

However, they discovered, that these traps caused no harm to the Vine. To the contrary, in digging these pits, they themselves fell into them (Ps 56[57],7)… Then they kept on digging, not just His Hands and His Feet (Ps 21[22],17) but they pierced His Side with a lance (Jn 19,34) and uncovered the interior of that Sacred Heart, which had already been wounded by the spear of love. The Bridegroom says in the song of His love that: “You have wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse” (Sg 4,9 Vg.). O Lord Jesus, Your Heart has been wounded with love by Your spouse, Your friend, Your sister. Why, then, was it necessary for Your enemies to wound You again? O you enemies, what are you doing?… Do you not know that this Heart of Our Lord Jesus,’,already pierced, is already dead, already open and cannot be touched by any other suffering? The Heart of the Bridegroom, Our Lord Jesus, has already received the wound of love, the death of love. What other death could touch Him?… The Martyrs also laugh when they are threatened, rejoice when they are struck, triumph when they are killed. Why? Because they have already died through love in their hearts, “dead to sin” (Rm 6,2) and to the world…

Thus Jesus’ Heart has been wounded and put to death for our sake… Physical death triumphed for a moment but only to be conquered forever. It was blotted out when Christ rose from the dead because “death has no power over him any more” (Rm 6,9). – St Bonaventure (1221-1274), Franciscan, Doctor of the Church (The Mystical Vine, ch. 3, § 5-10)

PRAYER – Grant us, we beseech You, Almighty God, through the intercession of the blessed Bishop Cyril, so to acknowledge You, the only true God,and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent, that we may be found worthy to be forever numbered among the sheep who hear His Voice. 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).

Posted in Holy Name PRAYERS, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, The HOLY NAME, Thomas a Kempis

Our Morning Offering – 18 March – O Sweet Name of Jesus

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Our Morning Offering – 18 March – Friday of the Second week of Lent

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

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

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – The Proof of our Love

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – Wednesday of the Second week of Lent – Esther 13:8-11; 15-17, Matthew 20:17-28

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

Matthew 20:22

“… Now is the time in this life of suffering,
when we journey apart from Him.
… So let us fast and pray now
because, we are in the days of childbirth!”

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

“Only let it be in the name of Jesus Christ,
that I may suffer together with Him!
I endure everything
because He Himself,
Who is perfect man, empowers me.”

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35–107) Martyr

“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

“To labour and to suffer
for the One we love,
is the greatest proof of our love.”

St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 March – Persevere to the end and prefer to die rather than abandon the post to which God has called you!

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One Minute Reflection – 13 March – The Second Sunday of Lent – Daniel 3:47-51, Matthew 17:1-9 and “The Month of St Joseph”

“Lord, it is good for us to be here” – Matthew 17:4

REFLECTION – “Rejoice and be happy! Persevere to the end and prefer to die rather than abandon the post to which God has called you!

But embrace the Cross with patience and hide in God’s breast with your troubles: fix your eyes on the Lamb immolated for your sake and always be content with what God gives you and destines for you. We must act like this because we are sure that God is calling us and has chosen for us ,what will make us the most pleasing in His sight. Thus you will go from light to light and the pains endured for the sake of Jesus Crucified will be delightful to you, whereas the pleasures and consolations of the world ,will become bitter.

You will begin to taste, even in this life, a foretaste of eternal life, for the principal beatitude of the soul in Heaven is to be confirmed forever in the Will of the Father. Thus it tastes the divine sweetness. But it will never taste it in Heaven, if it is not clothed with it on earth, where we are pilgrims and travellers. When it is clothed with it, it tastes God by grace in its troubles; its memory will be full of the Blood of the Lamb without blemish; its mind will be opened and contemplate the ineffable love that God has made known in the Wisdom of His Son and the love it finds in the Holy Spirit’s goodness, casts out self-love and love for created things, to love only God.

So do not be afraid … but suffer with joy, so as to conform yourself to the Will of God.” – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church (Sermon for the Second Sunday of Lent [20 Feb 1622])

PRAYER – O God, Who tempered the flames of fire for the three young men, mercifully grant that the flames of sin may not burn us, Your servants.
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 NOVENAS, QUOTES on the FAMILY, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY

NOVENA FOR THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOSEPH, DAY THREE – 12 March

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NOVENA FOR THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOSEPH

DAY THREE

PROTECT OUR HOMES

Saint Joseph, you are the faithful protector
and intercessor
of all who love and venerate you.
O most prudent Guardian of the Holy Family,
protect our home.
Pour forth from heaven.
blessings on our family.
Remain in our midst.
Help us to live in love and harmony,
in peace and joy.
May the wholesome fear of God, strengthen us,
that virtue may adorn our lives and lead us to heaven.
To you this day we give the key to our dwelling place.
Lock out all things that could do us harm.
Lock our home and our loved ones,
in the hearts of Jesus and Mary.
And for this special grace we now implore you:
……………. (Mention your request)
We humbly beg you to look graciously upon
the beloved inheritance which Jesus Christ
purchased by His blood
and to aid us in our necessities
with your power and strength.
Guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel confident that your prayers
on our behalf, will be graciously heard
before the throne of God.
St Joseph Most Loving Husband and Guardian, Pray for us!
Amen

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, NOVENAS, St JOSEPH

NOVENA FOR THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOSEPH – DAY TWO – 11 March

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NOVENA FOR THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOSEPH

DAY TWO

Prudent Guardian of the Holy Family

To you, O Blessed Joseph, we come in our trials
and having asked the help of your most holy spouse,
we confidently ask your patronage too.
Through that sacred bond of charity,
which united you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God
and through the fatherly love,
with which you embraced the Child Jesus,
we humbly beg you to look graciously upon
the beloved inheritance which Jesus Christ
purchased by His Blood
and to aid us in our necessities
with your power and strength
and the special grace we now implore:
……………. (Mention your request)

O most prudent Guardian of the Holy Family,
defend the chosen family of Jesus Christ.
Most beloved father,
dispel the evil of falsehood and sin.
Our most mighty protector,
graciously assist us from Heaven
in our struggle with the powers of darkness.
And just as you once saved the Child Jesus from mortal danger,
so now, defend God’s Holy Church
from the snares of her enemies
and from all adversity.
Shield each one of us by your constant protection,
so that, supported by your example and your help,
we may be able to live a virtuous life,
to die a holy death
and to obtain eternal happiness in Heaven.
St Joseph Most Prudent, Pray for us!
Amen

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LENT 2022, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

Friday of the First Week of Lent – 11 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – “The Lord has had pity on us”

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Friday of the First Week of Lent – 11 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Ezechiel 18:10-28, John 5:1-15

“Bring me out of distress, O Lord; put an end to my affliction and my suffering
and take away all my sins.” – Psalm 24:17-18

“Now a certain man was there
who had been thirty-eight years
under his infirmity.
When Jesus saw him lying there
and knew that he had been
in this state a long time, He said to him,
Do you want to get well?”

John 5:5-6

“The Lord has had pity on us”

“HAPPY ARE WE if we do the deeds of which we have heard and sung. Our hearing of them means having them planted in us, while our doing them, shows that the seed has borne fruit. By saying this, I wish to caution you, dearly beloved, not to enter the Church fruitlessly, satisfied with mere hearing of such mighty blessings and failing to do good works. For we have been saved by His grace, says the Apostle and not by our works, lest anyone may boast; for it is by His grace that we have been saved. It is not as if a good life of some sort came first and that thereupon, God showed His love and esteem for it from on high, saying: “Let us come to the aid of these men and assist them quickly because they are living a good life.” No, our life was displeasing to Him. He will, therefore, condemn what we have done but He will save, what He Himself has done in us.

WE WERE NOT GOOD but God had pity on us and sent His Son to die, not for good men but for bad ones, not for the just but for the wicked. Yes, Christ died for the ungodly. Notice what is written next: One will hardly die for a righteous man, although perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. Perhaps someone can be found who will dare to die for a good man but for the unjust man, for the wicked one, the sinner, who would be willing to die except Christ alone, Who is so just, that He justifies even the unjust?

AND SO, MY BROTHERS, we had no good works, for all our works were evil. Yet although men’s actions were such, God in His mercy did not abandon men. He sent His Son to redeem us, not with gold or silver but at the price of His Blood poured out for us. Christ, the Spotless Lamb, became the Sacrificial Victim, led to the slaughter for the sheep that were blemished — if indeed one can say that they were blemished and not entirely corrupt. Such is the grace we have received! Let us live so as to be worthy of that great grace and not do injury to it. So mighty is the Physician Who has come to us, that He has healed all our sins! If we choose to be sick once again, we will not only harm ourselves,but show ingratitude to the Physician as well.

LET US THEN FOLLOW Christ’s paths which He has revealed to us, above all, the path of humility, which He Himself became for us. He showed us that path by His precepts, and He Himself followed it by His suffering on our behalf. In order to die for us —because as God, He could not die — the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The immortal One took on mortality, that He might die for us and by dying, put to death our death. This is what the Lord did, this the gift He granted to us. The mighty one was brought low, the lowly one was slain and after He was slain, He rose again and was exalted. For He did not intend to leave us dead in hell but to exalt, in Himself, at the Resurrection of the Dead, those whom He had already exalted and made just by the faith and praise they gave Him. Yes, He gave us the path of humility. If we keep to it we shall confess our belief in the Lord and have good reason to sing: We shall praise You, God, we shall praise You and call upon Your Name.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from a Homily 23).

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, NOVENAS, St JOSEPH

NOVENA FOR THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOSEPH – Day One -10 March

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NOVENA FOR THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOSEPH

DAY ONE

Foster Father of Jesus

Saint Joseph, you are the faithful protector and intercessor
of all who love and venerate you.
You know that I have confidence in you
and that, after Jesus and Mary,
I come to you as an example of holiness,
for you are especially close to God.
Therefore, I humbly commend myself,
with all who are dear to me
and all for whom I pray,
to your intercession.
I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary,
not to abandon me during life
and to assist me at the hour of my death.
Glorious Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Immaculate Virgin,
pray for me to have a pure, humble, charitable heart
and perfect resignation to the divine Will.
Be my guide, my father
and my model throughout life,
that I may die as you did,
in the arms of Jesus and Mary.
Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces
necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly the grace of a happy death,
and the special grace I now implore:
…………….. (Mention your request)
Guardian of the Word Incarnate,
I feel confident that your prayers on my behalf
will be graciously heard before the throne of God
St Joseph Most Just, Pray for us!
Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.

Posted in CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, NOVENAS, St JOSEPH

Reminder – Novena for the Intercession of Saint Joseph

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Novena for the Intercession of Saint Joseph

St Joseph, we ask for your assistance in all our needs. The Novena begins on Thursday 10 March. Please pray for us!

St Teresa of Avila’s Plea

“Would that I could persuade all men to be devoted to this glorious Saint, for I know, by long experience, what blessings he can obtain for us from God.
I have never known anyone who was truly devoted to him and honoured him, by particular services, who did not advance greatly in virtue, for he helps in a special way, those souls who commend themselves to him. It is now very many years since I began asking him for something on his feast and I have always received it.
If the petition was in any way amiss, he rectified it for my greater good . . .

I ask for the love of God, that he who does not believe me, will make the trial for himself—then he will find out by experience, the great good that results from commending oneself to this glorious Patriarch and in being devoted to him.”