Category: CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRIDE, Quotes on SALVATION, St JOSEPH, The HOLY NAME, The HOLY NAME of MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 20 August – St Bernard

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Memorial of St Bernard (1090-1153) Abbot, Confessor, “Doctor Mellifluus” of the Church and the Last Father of the Church,“The Bard of Mary

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

“The soul must grow and expand
so as to be capable of God.
And its largeness is its love,
as the Apostle says,
“widen yourselves in love”
(2 Cor 6:13).
It grows and extends spiritually,
not in substance but in virtue.
The greatness of each soul is judged
by the measure of love that it has-
he who has great love, is great-
he who has little love is little,
while he who has no love at all –
is nothing!”

“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.”

“O great, O gentle, O most lovable Mary,
thy Holy Name cannot be spoken
without inflaming the heart.
To those who love thee,
it is unspeakable consolation
and joy even to think of thee;
thou art a sweet memory
to those who honour thee.”

“In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties,
think of Mary, call upon Mary.
Let not her name depart from your lips,
never suffer it to leave your heart.
And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer,
neglect not to walk in her footsteps.
With her for guide, you shall never go astray;
while invoking her, you shall never lose heart;
so long as she is in your mind,
you are safe from deception;
while she holds your hand, you cannot fall;
under her protection you have nothing to fear;
if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary;
if she shows you favour, you shall reach the goal.”

“O Mary, I have not doubt
that whenever we run to you,
we shall obtain all that we desire.
Let those then who have no hope,
hope in you!”

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

Posted in JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS for PRIESTS, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on WATCHING, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The WORD

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

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

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

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

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

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

PRAYER – O God, Who wondrously enkindled St John, Thy Confessor, to promote the religious veneration of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and through him, willed to found new religious families in the Church, grant, we beseech Thee that we may honour his holy merits and may learn from the example of his virtues. ThroughJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS

Our Morning Offering – 19August – To the Two Loving Hearts By St John Eudes

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Our Morning Offering – 19August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Memorial of St John Eudes (1601-1680) Confessor, “The Apostle of Two Hearts.”

To the Two Loving Hearts
By St John Eudes (1601-1680)

O Jesus, only Son of God, only Son of Mary,
I offer You the most loving Heart
of Your divine Mother
which is more precious
and pleasing to You than all hearts.

O Mary, Mother of Jesus,
I offer you the most adorable Heart
of your well-beloved Son,
who is the life and love and joy of your Heart.

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart
and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ
and the most glorious
Virgin Mary, His Mother,
in eternity and forever.
Amen

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 18 August – Let us run to Mary

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Within the Octave of the Assumption

“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

“The very fact
that God has elected her,
proves, that none was ever
holier than Mary;
if any stain had disfigured her soul,
if any other virgin
had been purer and holier,
God would have selected her
and rejected Mary.”

St Jacob of Sarug (c 451-521)
Bishop, Theologian, Poet, Writer

“At the mention of this name
[the Blessed Virgin Mary],
the Angels rejoice
and the devils tremble.
Through this invocation,
sinners obtain
grace and pardon.”

St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1397)
Doctor of the Church

“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

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 17 August – Deign, O Immaculate Virgin

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Our Morning Offering – 17 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin
By St Paschasius Radbertus (785–865)

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin,
Mother most pure,
to accept the loving cry of praise
which we send up to you
from the depths of our hearts.
Though they can but add little to your glory,
O Queen of Angels,
you do not despise, in your love,
the praises of the humble and the poor.
Cast down upon us a glance of mercy,
O most glorious Queen,
graciously receive our petitions.
Through your immaculate purity of body and mind,
which rendered you so pleasing to God,
inspire us with a love of innocence and purity.
Teach us to guard carefully the gifts of grace,
striving ever after sanctity, so that,
being made like the image of your beauty,
we may be worthy to become,
the sharers of your eternal happiness.
Amen

St Paschasius Radbertus was a Theologian
and the Abbot of Corbie.
Read about him here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2019/04/26/saint-of-the-day-26-april-saint-paschasius-radbertus-785-865/

Posted in JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Thought for the Day – 16 August – Lapsing into Sin

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

Lapsing into Sin

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

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

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES on GRACE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 August – Mary, Mother of Grace

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”

Mary, Mother of Grace
St Athanasius (297-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

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.
For this reason,
you are called full of grace.
Remember us, most holy Virgin,
and bestow on us gifts
from the riches of your graces,
Virgin full of graces.
Amen

“Go to Mary and sing her praises
and you will be enlightened.
For it is through her,
that the true Light
shines on the
sea of this life.”

St Ildephonsus (607-670)

“… 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 little 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)

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, DOGMA, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, THE ASSUMPTION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 15 August – The Assumption

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 August –“The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – The Assumption

“In what possible way
could you be acceptable to death,
O Immaculate one?
You are the bridge of life
and the Ladder to Heaven:
you are a boat
over the sea of death
reaching to immortality!”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Now, behold, Mary leaves the earth
and calling to mind the many graces
she had there received from her Lord,
she looks on it affectionately.
And now, Jesus offers her His Hand
and the Blessed Mother rises in the air,
passes beyond the clouds
and arrives at the Gates of Heaven.”

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/08/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-august-the-assumption-2/

Posted in FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, The HOLY NAME, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Our Morning Offering – 14 August – Now that the Daylight Fills the Sky, We Lift our Hearts to God on High

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Our Morning Offering – 14 August – The 10th Sunday after Pentecost

Now that the Daylight Fills the Sky,
We Lift our Hearts to God on High
By St Ambrose (340-397)
Great Latin Father and Doctor of the Church
Trans J M Neale (1818-1866)

Now that the daylight fills the sky,
We lift our hearts to God on high
That He, in all we do or say,
Would keep us free from harm today,

Would guard our hearts and tongues from strife,
From angry words, would shield our life,
From evil sights, would turn our eyes
And close our ears to vanities.

So we, when this new day is gone
And night in turn is drawing on,
With conscience by the world unstained,
Shall praise His Name for vict’ry gained.

“All praise to You, Creator Lord!
All praise to You, eternal Word!
All praise to You, O Spirit wise!”
We sing as daylight fills the skies.
Amen

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on THE WORLD, St PAUL!, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 August – ‘Do not love your life … ‘

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 August – St Lawrence (Died 258) Martyr “Keeper of the Treasures of he Church” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-10, John 12:24-26

“If it dies, it produces much fruit”

John 12:24

“Through the glorious achievements
of the holy Martyrs with which
the Church blossoms everywhere,
we are ourselves, proving to our own eyes,
how true are the words we have been singing that:
“Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints” (Ps 116[115]:15).
For it is precious both in our sight
and in the sight of Him, in Whose Name.
the death took place.”

“And all who wish to live
piously in Christ Jesus,
will suffer persecution.”

2 Timothy 3:12

“Do not love your life in this world!
If you truly love yourselves,
do not thus love your life
and then, you will save your life!”…

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

“In conformity with
the philosophy of Christ,
let us make of our life,
a training for death.”

St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662)
Father of the Church

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PURGATORY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The LAST THINGS, The SIGN of the CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 9 August – O Thou, Most Holy Virgin Mary by St John Vianney

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Our Morning Offering – 9 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Memorial of St John Vianney (1786-1859) Confessor

O Thou, Most Holy Virgin Mary
By St John Vianney (1786-1859)

O thou, Most Holy Virgin Mary,
who dost evermore stand
before the Most Holy Trinity
and to whom it is granted, at all times
to pray for us to thy Most Beloved Son;
pray for me in all my necessities;
help me, combat for me
and obtain for me,
the pardon of all my sins.
Help me especially at my last hour
and when I can no longer give
any sign of the use of reason,
then do thou encourage me,
make the Sign of the Cross for me
and fight for me against the enemy.
Make in my name, a profession of faith;
favour me with a testimony of my salvation
and never let me despair of the mercy of God.
Help me to overthrow the wicked enemy.
When I can no longer say:
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
I place my soul in your hands,”
do thou say it for me;
when I can no longer hear
human words of consolation,
do thou comfort me.
Leave me not before I have been judged
and if I have to expiate my sins in Purgatory,
Oh! pray for me earnestly
and admonish my friends,
to procure for me a speedy enjoyment
of the Blessed Sight of God.
Lessen my sufferings,
deliver me speedily and lead my soul
into Heaven with thee
that, united with all the elect,
I may there bless and praise my God
and thee, for all eternity.
Amen.

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, EUCHARISTIC, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, INDULGENCES, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUARANTINES, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, INDULGENCES, MARIAN Aspirations and Ejaculations, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN NOVENAS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, PARTIAL Indulgence, PLENARY Indulgences, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, THE ASSUMPTION

Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption – The First Day

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Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption

First Day: Mary’s Death Was Without Pain

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.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTRINE, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, Hail MARY!, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN QUOTES, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, QUOTES on GRACE, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY NAME of MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 5 August – Mary!

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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

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DOCTORS of the Church, Hail MARY!, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, Ven Servant of God John A Hardon

Our Morning Offering – 3 August – Hymn to Mary the Virgin By St Robert Bellarmine

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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).

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION, To JESUS through MARY

August – The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

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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.

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN QUOTES, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, To JESUS through MARY

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

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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

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 1 August – INVIOLATA!

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

INVIOLATA!
INVIOLATE!
Unknown Author
(11th Century)

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.

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

Our Morning Offering – 31 July – Anima Christi

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

Anima Christi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on PRAYER, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The HEART, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 July – “For My Name’s sake …”

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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.”

Bl Henry Suso (1295-1366)

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 July – ‘I must give thanks to my God continuously. …’

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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).

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VANITY, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The HOLY NAME, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 27 July – St Alphonsus’ Prayer for Five Graces

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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.

Posted in JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HEART

Thought for the Day – 24 July – Progress in the Love of God

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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).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/24/thought-for-the-day-24-july-progress-in-the-love-of-god/

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

Our Morning Offering – 21 July – Heal Us Lord God

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

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

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

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

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

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

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

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

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

St Camillus de Lellis (1550-1614)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PRAYER – O God, Who on this day took Henry, Your Confessor, to the everlasting Kingdom from the throne of an earthly empire; we humbly beseech Thee, that as Thou enabled him, protected by the abundance of Thy grace, to overcome the temptations of the world, so grant that we, in emulation of him, may shun the allurements of this world and come to Thee with pure hearts.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in Holy Name PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, The HOLY NAME, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 15 July – To Christ Crucified

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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