Category: CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 3 February – THE BLESSING of ST BLAISE

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Quote of the Day – 3 February – The Memorial of St Blaise Bishop Martyr (Died c 316)

The Blessing of the Throats is a Sacramental of the Church, ordinarily celebrated today, the Feast day of Saint Blaise.

Saint Blase was, according to various accounts, a Physician before becoming a Bishop. His cult spread throughout the entire Church in the Middle Ages because he miraculously cured a little boy who nearly died due to a fishbone in his throat. From the eighth century he has been invoked on behalf of the sick, especially those afflicted with illnesses of the throat.

If the Blessing is conferred during Mass, the Blessing follows the homily and general intercessions, or, for pastoral reasons, the Prayer of Blessing may take the place of the final Blessing of the Mass. When the Blessing is given outside Mass, it is preceded by a brief celebration of the Word of God. If the Blessing is to be celebrated at Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer, it is given after the Reading and Responsory (and homily) and before the Gospel Canticle.

The Blessing may be given by touching the throat of each person with two candles which have been Blessed yesterday, on the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. The candles are held together in the form of a Cross.

THE BLESSING of ST BLAISE

Through the intercession
of Saint Blaise,
Bishop and Martyr,
may God deliver you
from ailments of the throat
and from every other evil.
In the name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 3 February – Lord, for Tomorrow and its Needs

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Our Morning Offering – 3 February

Lord, for Tomorrow and its Needs
By Sister Mary Xavier (1877)

Lord, for tomorrow and its needs
I do not pray;
keep me, my God, from stain of sin,
just for today.
Let me both diligently work
and duly pray;
let me be kind in word and deed,
just for today.
Let me no wrong or idle word
unthinking say;
set thou a seal upon my lips,
just for today.
And if today my tide of life
should ebb away,
give me Thy sacraments divine,
sweet Lord, today.
So, for tomorrow and its needs
I do not pray
but keep me, guide me, love me, Lord,
just for today.

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HYMNS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 29 January – Be Thou My Vision By St Dallan Forgaill

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Our Morning Offering – 29 January – The Memorial of St Dallan Forgaill (c 530- 598) Martyr, Monk, Reformer, Poet

Be Thou My Vision
By St Dallan Forgaill (c 530- 598)

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Son,
Heart of my heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, HOLY COMMUNION, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SAINT of the DAY, SPEAKING of ....., The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 28 January – St Thomas speaks on the Holy Eucharist

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 January – The Memorial of St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church

St Thomas speaks on the Holy Eucharist

“O precious and wonderful banquet
that brings us salvation
and contains all sweetness!”

“O how unspeakable is this Sacrament
which sets our affections ablaze with charity.
… It is the fulfillment of Christ’s Mystical Body.”

“The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love.
It signifies Love,
It produces love.
The Eucharist is the consummation
of the whole spiritual life.”

“The proper effect of the Eucharist
is the transformation of man into God.”

“As Christ’s Passion does not produce it’s effect
on those who do not hold Him as they should,
so also, those do not attain heaven
through this Sacrament, who receive Him unworthily.
Accordingly, Augustine writes:
“The Sacrament is one thing, it’s virtue another.
Many receive from the altar and, receiving it, are dead.
Eat, therefore, heavenly bread, carry innocence to the altar.”
So it is not surprising, that those who do not keep a pure heart,
fail to gain the effect of the Sacrament.”

Adoro te Devote
Trans. Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore,
Masked by these bare shadows,
shape and nothing more,
See, Lord, at Thy service low lies here a heart
Lost, all lost in wonder at the God Thou art.

Seeing, touching, tasting are in Thee deceived –
How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed,
What God’s Son has told me, take for truth I do,
Truth Himself speaks truly or there’s nothing true.

On the cross Thy godhead made no sign to men,
Here Thy very manhood steals from human ken –
Both are my confession, both are my belief,
And I pray the prayer of the dying thief.

I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see,
But can plainly call Thee Lord and God as he,
Let me to a deeper faith daily nearer move,
Daily make me harder hope and dearer love.

O Thou our reminder of Christ crucified,
Living Bread, the life of us for whom He died,
Lend this life to me then – feed and feast my mind,
There be Thou the sweetness man was meant to find.

Bring the tender tale true of the Pelican,
Bathe me, Jesu Lord, in what Thy bosom ran—
Blood whereof a single drop has power to win
All the world forgiveness of its world of sin.

Jesu, whom I look at shrouded here below,
I beseech Thee send me what I thirst for so,
Some day to gaze on Thee face to face in light
And be blest forever with Thy glory’s sight.
Amen

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS on FAITH

Our Morning Offering – 20 January – Acts of Faith, Hope and Charity

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Our Morning Offering – 20 January – Acts of Faith, Hope and Charity

ACT of FAITH

O MY GOD,
I firmly believe
that Thou art one God in Three Divine Persons,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
I believe that Thy Divine Son became Man
and died for our sins
and that He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe these and all the truths
which the Holy Catholic Church teaches
because Thou hast revealed them,
Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.
Amen

ACT of HOPE

O MY GOD,
relying on Thy almighty power
and infinite mercy and promises,
I hope to obtain pardon of my sins,
the help of Thy grace
and Life Everlasting,
through the merits of Jesus Christ,
my Lord and Redeemer.
Amen

ACT of CHARITY

O MY GOD,
I love Thee above all things,
with my whole heart and soul
because Thou art all-good
and worthy of all love.
I love my neighbour as myself
for the love of Thee.
I forgive all who have injured me
and ask pardon.
of all whom I have injured.
Amen

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Our Morning Offering – 18 January – Omnipotentia Patris

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Our Morning Offering – 18 January – Monday of the Second week in Ordinary Time

Omnipotentia Patris

O Omnipotence of the Father,
help my frailty
and save me from the depths of misery.

O Wisdom of the Son,
direct all my thoughts,
my words and my deeds.

O Love of the Holy Spirit,
be the source of all the actions of my mind,
that they may always be conformed
to God’s good pleasure.
Amen

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, ArchAngels and Angels, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION

Our Morning Offering – 31 December – The Angelus

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Our Morning Offering – 31 December – The Seventh Day of the Octave of Christmas

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

The Angelus (/ˈændʒələs/; Latin for “angel”) is a Catholic devotion commemorating the Incarnation.
As with many Catholic prayers, the name Angelus is derived from its incipit—the first few words of the text: Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ (“The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary”).
The devotion is practised by reciting as versicle and response three Biblical verses narrating the mystery, alternating with the prayer “Hail Mary.”
The Angelus exemplifies a species of prayers called the “prayer of the devotee.”

The devotion is traditionally recited three times daily: 06:00, 12:00 and 18:00.
The Angelus is usually accompanied by the ringing of the Angelus bell, which is a call to prayer and to spread goodwill to everyone. The angel referred to in the prayer is Gabriel, a messenger of God who revealed to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive a child to be born, the Son of God (Luke 1:26–38) so honouring the Incarnation of the Saviour, Redeemer – our Messiah, Jesus the Christ.

The words of the prayer are arranged above for leader and community but, of course, most of us pray the prayer alone 3 times each day, for we are always united with each other in faith.

Posted in "Follow Me", CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 December – “The servant is not greater than his lord”

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One Minute Reflection – 28 December – The Feast of the Holy Innocents – The Fourth Day of the Christmas Octave, Readings: 1 John 1:5-2:2, Psalm 124:2-5, 7-8, Matthew 2:13-18

When Herod realised that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity, two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. – Matthew 2:16

REFLECTION – “The Apostle John said: “Whoever says he abides in Christ, ought to walk even as Christ walked” (1 Jn 2:6). Moreover, the blessed Apostle Paul exhorts and teaches us, saying: “We are God’s children but if children, then heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified together” (Rm 8:16f.) … Let us, beloved brethren, imitate righteous Abel, who initiated martyrdom, he being the first to be slain for righteousness’s sake (Gn 4:8) …; let us imitate the three children Ananias, Azarias and Misael, who … overcame the king by the power of faith (Dn 3) … What of the prophets whom the Holy Spirit quickened to a foreknowledge of future events? What of the Apostles whom the Lord chose? Since these righteous men were slain for righteousness’ sake, have they not taught us also to die?

The nativity of Christ at once witnessed the martyrdom of infants, so that they who were two years old and under were slain for His name’s sake. An age, not yet fitted for the battle, appeared fit for the crown. That it might be manifest that they who are slain for Christ’s sake are innocent, innocent infancy was put to death for His name’s sake … How grave is the case of a Christian, if he, a servant, is unwilling to suffer when his Master first suffered! … The Son of God suffered that He might make us sons of God and the son of man will not suffer that he may continue to be a son of God! … The Maker and Lord of the world also warns us, saying: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me before you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own but because you are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world … remember the word that I said to you: “The servant is not greater than his lord” (Jn 15:18-20).” – St Cyprian of Carthage (c.200-258) Martyr, Bishop of Carthage, Father of the Church – Letter 55

PRAYER – We praise You, O God, we acclaim You as Lord, the white-robed army of martyrs praise You. (from the Te Deum).

Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The ANNUNCIATION

Quote/s of the Day – 22 December – My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord – Luke 1:46

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 December – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, O Rex Gentium/O King of all Nations, Readings: 1 Samuel 1:24-28, 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8, Luke 1:46-56

“Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.” – Luke 1:46-47

“The Lord has exalted me by a gift so great,
so unheard of, that language is useless to describe it
and the depths of love in my heart can scarcely grasp it.
I offer then all the powers of my soul
in praise and thanksgiving.
As I contemplate His greatness,
which knows no limits,
I joyfully surrender my whole life,
my senses, my judgment,
for my spirit rejoices in
the eternal Godhead of that Jesus,
that Saviour,
whom I have conceived in this world of time.”

“Those who refuse to be humble cannot be saved.
They cannot say with the prophet:
See, God comes to my aid;
the Lord is the helper of my soul.
But anyone who makes himself humble,
like a little child,
is greater in the kingdom of heaven.”

St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRIST the KING, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, The INCARNATION, The O ANTIPHONS, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

Advent Reflection – 22 December – O Rex Gentium/O King of all Nations – ‘ … that we might see Him, touch Him and hear Him speak.”

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Advent Reflection – 22 December – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, O Rex Gentium/O King of all Nations, Readings: 1 Samuel 1:24-28, 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8, Luke 1:46-56

The Lord is at hand, come let us adore Him.

O KING OF ALL NATIONS
and keystone of the Church
come and save man,
whom You formed from the dust!

“…For he who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.” … Luke 1:49

REFLECTION – “Then Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour … He has helped Israel his child (Lk 1:54 Gk), remembering his mercy and the covenant he made with Abraham and his descendants forever.”
Do you observe how the Virgin surpasses the perfection of the patriarch and seals the covenant God made with Abraham when He said to him: “This is to be the covenant between me and you”? (Gn 17:11) … It is the song of this prophecy that the holy Mother of God addressed to God when she said: “My soul magnifies the Lord …, for He who is Mighty has magnified me; holy is His name. In making me the mother of God He preserves my virginity. The full number of every generation is summed up within my womb, that they may be made holy in it. For He has blessed all ages, men and woman, young people, children, the old” (…)

“He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly” (…) The lowly, the gentile peoples hungry for righteousness (Mt 5:6), have been exalted. By making known their lowliness and hunger for God and by begging for God’s word, just as the Canaanite woman asked for crumbs (Mt 15:27), they have been satisfied with the riches concealed within the divine mysteries.
For Jesus Christ our God, son of the Virgin, has handed out to the gentiles the whole inheritance of divine favours.
He has raised up Israel his child: not just any Israel but His child, on whose exalted birth He bestows honour. This is why the Mother of God calls this people her child and her heir. God, who found this people worn out by the letter, wearied by the Law, calls it to His grace. By giving this name to Israel He raises him up, “remembering his mercy, as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.”
These few words sum up the whole mystery of our salvation. Wanting to save humankind and seal the covenant established with our fathers, Jesus Christ then “inclined the heavens and came down” (Ps 18[17]:10).
Thus He manifested Himself to us, putting Himself within our reach so that we might see Him, touch Him and hear Him speak.” – A 4th century homily (Incorrectly attributed to Gregory of Neocaesarea, called “Thaumaturgos”, no. 2)

Prayer – The Magnificat
The Canticle of Mary
Luke 1:46-55

My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour
He looks on His servant in her lowliness
Henceforth, all ages will call me blessed:
The Almighty works marvels for me,
holy is His Name!
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear Him.
He puts forth His arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, His servant,
remembering His mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons forever.
Amen

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, DOCTORS of the Church, Hail MARY!, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 21 December – Hail Mary, the Angelic Salutation

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Our Morning Offering – 21 December and the Memorial of St Peter Canisius (1521-1397) Doctor of the Church

Hail Mary, the Angelic Salutation

The Hail Mary/Ave Maria

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.

Áve María, grátia pléna,
Dóminus técum.
Benedícta tū in muliéribus,
et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus.
Sáncta María, Máter Déi,
óra pro nóbis peccatóribus,
nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstrae.
Ámen.

On today’s Memorial of St Peter Canisius, Catholics may wish to thank this Doctor of the Church for giving us the second half of the Hail Mary prayer.

This 16th-century saint, known as the second Apostle of Germany, followed in the giant footsteps of St Boniface, who evangelised Germany a thousand years earlier. He was also active at the Council of Trent and wrote much on the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The first half of the Hail Mary, of course, comes from Scripture. What many Catholics don’t know, is that the second half of this Catholic prayer is due to the intervention of St Peter Canisius at the Council of Trent. St Peter began adding on to the scriptural part of the Hail Mary, the “Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” It was Trent that officially accepted this addition to the prayer and included it in their famous Catechism of the Council of Trent in 1566.

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The WORD

Our Morning Offering – The Weekdays of Advent – 19 December – The Benedictus, Luke 1:68-79

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Our Morning Offering – The Weekdays of Advent – 19 December

The Benedictus
Canticle of Zechariah
Luke 1:68-79

The Messiah and His forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
He has visited His people and redeemed them.

He has raised up for us a mighty saviour,
in the house of David, His servant,
as He promised by the lips of holy men,
those who were His prophets of old.

A Saviour who would free us from our foes,
from the hands of all who us.
So His love for our fathers is fulfilled
and His holy covenant remembered.

He swore to Abraham, our father, to grant us,
that free from fear and saved from the hands of our foes.
we might worship Him in justice and holiness
all the days of our lives, in His Presence.

As for you, little child,
you shall be called the prophet of God, the Most High.
You shall go ahead of the Lord
to prepare His ways before Him,

to make known to His people their salvation,
through forgiveness of all their sins,
the loving kindness of the heart of our God,
who visits us like the dawn from on high.

He will give light to those in darkness,
those who dwell in the shadow of death
and to guide us into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever.
Amen

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 16 December – Hark, a Herald Voice is Calling

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Our Morning Offering – 16 December – Wednesday of the Third week of Advent

Hark, a Herald Voice is Calling
En Clara Vox Redarguit
Trans. Fr E Caswall, 1695

Hark, a herald voice is calling,
“Christ is nigh,” it seems to say;
“Cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day.”

Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earthbound soul arise;
Christ her Sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines up on the morning skies.

Lo, the Lamb so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heav’n;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiv’n.

So when next He comes with glory,
Shrounding all the earth in fear,
May He then as our defender,
On the clouds of heav’n appear.

Translated from En Clara Vox Redarguit, which is a 5th or 6th century hymn whose author is unknown. It was revised in the 1632 Roman Breviary and the English translation found above, is by Fr E Caswall, 1695.

Posted in ACT of PERFECT CONTRITION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, I BELIEVE!, INDULGENCES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on HERESY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY

Thought for the Day – 7 December – INDULGENCES

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Thought for the Day – 7 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

INDULGENCES

“Indulgences are among the means by which we can help to satisfy the Divine Justice for our own offences and for those of the faithful depared.

Unfortunately, very few Christians understand the true nature of indulgences.
As a result, they neglect to fulfil the conditions necessary to gain them.

Canon Law defines an indulgence as “the remission in the sight of God of the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven, which, the proper ecclesiastical authority concedes from the treasury of the Church, for the living, by way of absolution and for the dead, by way of suffrage” (Canon 911).
The main requirement is to be in the state of grace, which sinners can attain by means of the Sacrament of Penance, or by an Act of PERFECT CONTRITION.
If properly made, Confession takes away sin and eternal punishment but, not temporal punishment.
This may be cancelled by means of penance, prayer and good works.
In the early days of the Church, the penitential system was most severe (I wish it were so again!)
According to the degree of gravity, different sins drew penances of days, weeks or months of fasting on bread and water.
As times changed, the Church reduced these penalties and granted indulgences instead.

What we may ask, is the theological basis for these indulgences?
It is the spiritual treasury which is at the disposal of the Church, made up of the infinite merits of our Redeemer and added to, by the merits of the Blessed Virgin and the Saints.
These merits are communicated to us by the Church by reason of the consoling Dogma of the Communion of Saints, according to which, the Church Militant, Suffering and Triumphant, constitutes one Mystical Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head.

The Church has power to dispose of this immense treasure by reason of the injunction given to her by her Founder, when He said to St Peter: “Whatever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:19).
There are no reservations – the injunction applies, not only to sin but, also to its punishment.
It is clear that indulgences are not merely a dispensation from the penitential discipline in the eyes of the Church, as certain heretics held and still hold but also, in the sight of God.
Indulgences reflect, both the mercy and the justice of God.
They reflect His justice because complete satisfaction is rendered by the merits of Jesus Christ.
They reflect His mercy because these merits are applied to us poor sinners and also, by way of suffrage, to the souls of our departed friends.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 5 December – Alma Redemptoris Mater

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Our Morning Offering – 5 December – Saturday of the First week of Advent

Alma Redemptoris Mater
Loving Mother of the Redeemer
By Blessed Herman of Reichenau/the Cripple OSB (1013–1054)

Loving Mother of the Redeemer!
Hear thou thy people’s cry,
Star of the deep
and portal of the sky!
Mother of Him
Who thee from nothing made,
Sinking we strive
and call to thee for aid;
Oh, by that joy
which Gabriel brought to thee,
Thou Virgin first and last,
let us thy mercy see.

Alma Redemptóris Mater,
quæ pérvia cæli
Porta manes, et stella maris,
succúrre cadénti,
Súrgere qui curat pópulo:
tu quæ genuísti,
Natúra miránte,
tuum sanctum Genitórem
Virgo prius ac postérius, Gabriélis ab ore
Sumens illud Ave,
peccatórum miserére.

Marian Antiphon Traditionally said from Advent to the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. Blessed Herman is the Author of the Salve Regina, the Veni Sancte Spiritus and the Alma Redemptoris Mater amongst others.

Posted in MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on HOPE, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 29 October – Mary, Our Hope – “our life, our sweetness and our hope.”

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Thought for the Day – 29 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Mary, Our Hope”

“In the beautiful prayer, known as the Salve Regina or Hail, Holy Queen, the Church salutes Mary as “our life, our sweetness and our hope.”
Mary is our hope, because, she gave us our Saviour, Jesus and, because, she prays to Him continually for the graces which we need.
Following the example of Luther, modern Protestants raise the objection that Mary cannot be regarded as a source of hope, because, all our trust should be placed in God.
Anyone who places his trust in creatures, draws down God’s curse upon himself, they say and, they go on to quote from Jeremiah: “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man” (Jer 17:5).
But this is true only, when we trust in creatures independently of God, as if we can derive any good from them, without recourse to God.
We invoke Mary, however, as the Mother of God and our mediatrix with Him.
She is our hope, insofar as she obtains for us from God, the graces and favours which we require.
St Bernard assures us, that God has placed in Mary’s hands, all the riches which He wishes to bestow on us (Serm de aquaed).
“He will never experience eternal ruin,” says St Anselm, “for whom Mary has once prayed.”
St Bernard calls upon Mary as the foundation of all his hope (Ibid).
Let us remember, that Mary is our loving Mother who wishes us to pray to her, because, she knows that if she intercedes on our behalf, she will certainly be heard.
It should be most consoling to us to have such a good and powerful Mother in whom, we can safely trust in every peril and in every necessity.
Let us pray to her with love and faith, in the certainty that, we shall be answered in the way that is best for us.
Let us say along with St John Damascene: “O Mother of God, if I place my trust in you, I shall be saved. If I am under your protection, I have nothing to fear, because to be devoted to you, is to possess a weapon of salvation which God grants only to those, whom He desires to redeem” (Serm de Nat, cap 4).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The ANNUNCIATION, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE, The INCARNATION, To JESUS through MARY

Thought for the Day – 26 October – “Hail Mary … Holy Mary”

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Thought for the Day – 26 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Hail Mary … Holy Mary”

“After the Lord’s Prayer, there is no more beautiful prayer than the Hail Mary, which we should recite with particular devotion in the decades of the Holy Rosary.
At the beginning of the Rosary, we can imgine that we are witnesses of the Annunciation to Mary, in her home at Nazareth.
An Angel descends from Heaven and bows before the Blessed Virgin as she kneels, absorbed in prayer.
“Hail, full of grace,” he says, “the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women” (Lk 1:26-28).
We should join with the Angel of God in repeating these words fervently and devoutly.

The constant repetition of this prayer is very pleasing to Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother.
When we greet her with the words of the Angel, we remid her of the great mystery of the Incarnation, which was the beginning of her lofty mission as co-redemptrix and the dawn of Christian civilisation.

Even when we say these words over and over again, they can never become monotonous.
When a son is speaking to his mother, every word possesses an unlimited warmth and meaning because, it is the expression of a boundless love.
When we recite the decades of the Rosary, we should think of the heavenly Mother who is watching over us and listening to us, eager to console and assist us.
She loves us with a maternal love but, she requires us to love her also and to prove that we are her children by imitating her virtues.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE, The LORD'S PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 18 October – The “Our Father”

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Thought for the Day – 18 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The “Our Father”

“Our Lord exhorted His disciples on many occasions to pray often and with confidence, if they wished to be heard.
Everything which they asked His heavenly Father, in His name, He said, they would obtain.
Ask, He said and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you.
Finally, He insisted that we ought to pray and never to give up.
In other words, life can be a continuous prayer if we offer to God all our thoughts, words and actions.

The ideal Christian prayer is to do the will of God at all times from the motive of pure love.
The Apostles, however, who had not made that much progress in the spiritual life, asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (Lk 11:1).
It was then that Our Lord composed the most beautiful of prayer, the “Our Father” (Mt 6:9-13).
When we recite it, we speak to God, in the words of Jesus Christ Himself and unite our weak voices, with the powerful Voice of the Son of God.
We address the Eternal God, moreover, by the name of Father.
Even in the Old Testament, God is often referred to in this way.
Then, however, He figured as the Father of the chosen people, whereas now, He is the Father of all.
He is our Father, the Father of all mankind and of all races, whom He has willed to redeem from the slavery of sin.
The term “Our Father” has taken on a new and fuller meaning.
Our weak prayer becomes united to that of Jesus, our first-born Brother and to the prayers of the Apostles, Martyrs, Virgins and Confessors, who form and have formed, throughout the centuries, the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the Church.
We need no longer feel that we are on our own, for through the Communion of Saints, our entreaties are joined to those of the entire Church Militant, Suffering and Triumphant.
We can be confident, therefore, that our prayer will be heard!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Our Morning Offering – 7 October – Supplication to the Queen of the Holy Rosary

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Our Morning Offering – 7 October – The Memorial of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

Excerpt from the
Petition to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii
also known as
Supplication to the Queen of the Holy Rosary
By Blessed Bartholomew Longo (1841-1926)
Apostle of the Holy Rosary

O Blessed Rosary of Mary,
sweet Chain,
which binds us to God,
Bond of love,
which unites us to the Angels,
Tower of salvation
against the assaults of hell,
safe Port in our universal shipwreck,
we shall never abandon you.
You will be our comfort
in the hour of agony.
To you, the last kiss of our dying life.
And the last word from our lips
will be your sweet name,
O Queen of the Rosary of Pompeii,
O dearest Mother,
O Refuge of Sinners,
O Sovereign Consoler of the Afflicted.
Be Blessed everywhere,
today and always,
on earth and in Heaven.
Amen

Posted in PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on SOLITUDE, SAINT of the DAY, The CREED

Quote/s of the Day – 6 October – Shhhhh….St Bruno

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 October – The Memorial of St Bruno O.Cart (c 1030-1101)

The Order founded by st Bruno — the Carthusians — is one of the strictest in the Church. Carthusians follow the Rule of St Benedict but accord it a most austere interpretation; there is perpetual silence and complete abstinence from flesh meat (only bread, legumes and water are taken for nourishment). Bruno sought to revive the ancient eremitical (hermit) way of life.
His Order enjoys the distinction of never becoming unfaithful to the spirit of it’s founder, never needing a reform.

Saint Bruno’s Profession of Faith,
which he pronounced in the presence
of all his assembled brothers,
when he felt the time was approaching for him
to go the way of all flesh,
because he had urgently requested us
to be witnesses of his faith before God:

  1. I firmly believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: the Father unbegotten, the only begotten Son, the Holy Spirit proceeding from them both and I believe that these three Persons are but one God.
  2. I believe that the same Son of God was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary.
    I believe that the Virgin was chaste before she bore her child, that she remained a virgin while she bore her child and continued a virgin ever after.
    I believe that the same Son of God was conceived among men, a true Man with no sin.
    I believe the same Son of God was captured by the hatred of some of the Jews who did not believe, was bound unjustly, covered with spittle and scourged.
    I believe that He died, was buried and descended into hell to free those of His who were held there.
    He descended for our redemption, He rose again, He ascended into heaven and from there, He will come to judge the living and the dead.
  3. I believe also in the Sacraments that the Church believes and holds in reverence and especially that, which has been consecrated on the altar, is the true Flesh and the true Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we receive for the forgiveness of our sins and in the hope of eternal salvation.

I believe in the resurrection of the flesh and everlasting life.

  1. I acknowledge and believe the holy and ineffable Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to be but only one God, of only one substance, of only one nature, of only one majesty and power.

We profess that the Father was neither begotten nor created but that He has begotten.
The Father takes His origin from no-one; of Him the Son is born and the Holy Spirit proceeds.
He is the source and origin of all Divinity.
And the Father, ineffable by His very nature, from His own substance has begotten the Son ineffably but, He has begotten nothing, except what He is Himself: God has begotten God, light has begotten light and it is from Him that all Fatherhood in heaven and on earth proceeds.
Amen.

The Creed
Every late of the night, in a cell at the end of the Office of Lauds of Our Blessed Virgin Mary, about around 2:30 am, the Carthusians always recite a choice between three catholic creeds:
The Athanasian Creed [QUICUNQUE VULT] |
The Apostle’s Creed
The Nicene Creed.
This is a deep transforming contemplative prayer of our revealed Creed, like a constant heartbeat and is the defining of the heart of the Carthusian souls in Trinitarian life and of Saint Bruno’s followers’ vocation of devoted presence, like the Seraphim before the revealed God, in the Church for the world.

“Rejoice, my dearest brothers,
because you are blessed
and because of the bountiful hand of God’s grace upon you.
Rejoice, because you have escaped
the various dangers and shipwrecks of the stormy world.
Rejoice, because you have reached
the quiet and safe anchorage of a secret harbour.
Many wish to come into this port
and many make great efforts to do so,
yet do not achieve it.
Indeed many, after reaching it,
have been thrust out,
since it was not granted them from above.
By your work you show what you love and what you know.
When you observe true obedience
with prudence and enthusiasm,
it is clear that you wisely pick
the most delightful and nourishing fruit of divine Scripture.”

“What benefits
What divine exultation
The solitude and silence of the desert
Hold in store for those who love it!”

(Saint Bruno to Raoul)

St Bruno (c 1030-1101)

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Devotion for October, The Month of the Holy Rosary

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October, The Month of the Holy Rosary

AVOIDING DESTRACTION WHILE PRAYING THE ROSARY

Use various approaches, depending on disposition and degree of concentration.
Overall principle – don’t let yourself float and slide, carried away by your imagination.
Keep it in check at all times, as much as possible.

When tired and without much focus, “concentrate” on the peaceful repetition of the Hail Marys, entering its rhythm and imaging to be in the company of Mary. Leave it at that.
If in somewhat better disposition, try to focus on images, one or more of Christ, Mary or scenes of their lives as mentioned in the Mysteries.
Look at and contemplate what you see, while saying the different decades.
Don’t even attempt to enter into a more intellectual mood exploring only the imagery.

A different and more demanding mode will lead you to a reflection on the deeper meaning of each one of the Mysteries:
What is their meaning regarding salvation history then and now?
What is the Mystery’s immediate significance for my personal spiritual life?
Entertain some of these considerations while reciting the decade.

Also, don’t forget to make of the Rosary, a prayer of praise and thanksgiving, once in a while at least because it is in the Rosary that we summarise and remember our redemption and the great things God did for Mary and through her.

In a special manner, try to develop a personal habit to say the Rosary in company with Mary.
The Mysteries are stations of a beautiful journey leading to eternal happiness.
Mary leads the way and is our traveling companion.

Be self-critical enough to shift gears when needed.
It may well happen, that all the various modes are methods which need to be applied during one and the same Rosary Prayer.

May your Rosary Prayer be perseverant. Amen

PS – don’t forget to add the “Sub Tuum praesídium” and the St Michael Prayer after the final prayers.

We fly to Thy protection,
O Holy Mother of God.
Do not despise our petitions in our necessities
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.

Saint Michael Archangel,
defend us in battle,
be our protection
against the wickedness
and snares of the devil,
may God rebuke him,
we humbly pray
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
cast into hell Satan
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl throughout the world
seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 28 September – The Day is Filled with Splendour

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Our Morning Offering – 28 September – Monday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time

The Day is Filled with Splendour
Breviary Hymn
Benedictine Nuns of Stanbrook Abbey
(First Published in 1616)

The day is filled with splendour
when God brings light from light,
and all renewed creation
rejoices in His sight.

The Father gives His children
the wonder of the world
in which His power and glory
like banners are unfurled

With every living creature,
awaking with the day,
we turn to God our Father,
lift up our hearts and pray.

O Father, Son and Spirit,
your grace and mercy send,
that we may live to praise you
today and to the end.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 25 September – Alma Redemptoris Mater, Loving Mother of the Redeemer

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Our Morning Offering – 25 September – The Memorial of Blessed Herman of Reichenau/the Cripple OSB (1013–1054) the Author of the Salve Regina, the Veni Sancte Spiritus and the Alma Redemptoris Mater amongst others

Alma Redemptoris Mater
Loving Mother of the Redeemer
By Blessed Herman of Reichenau/the Cripple OSB (1013–1054)

Loving Mother of the Redeemer!
Hear thou thy people’s cry,
Star of the deep
and portal of the sky!
Mother of Him
Who thee from nothing made,
Sinking we strive
and call to thee for aid;
Oh, by that joy
which Gabriel brought to thee,
Thou Virgin first and last,
let we thy mercy see.

Alma Redemptóris Mater,
quæ pérvia cæli
Porta manes, et stella maris,
succúrre cadénti,
Súrgere qui curat pópulo:
tu quæ genuísti,
Natúra miránte,
tuum sanctum Genitórem
Virgo prius ac postérius, Gabriélis ab ore
Sumens illud Ave,
peccatórum miserére.

Let us thank God for Blessed Herman the Cripple. He stands as a shining light reminding us that God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense, in order to shame the wise and He chose what the world considers weak, in order to shame the powerful. He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important.

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, DOCTORS of the Church, LENT, Our MORNING Offering, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 17 September – O Infinite Goodness By St Robert Bellarmine

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Our Morning Offering – 17 September – Thursday of the Twenty Fourth week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church

O Infinite Goodness
Act of Contrition
By St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)
Doctor of the Church

O my God,
I am exceedingly grieved,
for having offended Thee
and with my whole heart,
I repent of the sins I have committed.
I hate and abhor them above every other evil,
not only because, by so sinning,
I have lost heaven and deserved hell
but still more because I have offended Thee,
O infinite Goodness,
who art worthy to be loved above all things.
I most firmly resolve,
by the assistance of Thy grace,
never more to offend Thee for the time to come
and to avoid those occasions
which might lead me into sin.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The LORD'S PRAYER, The WORD

Our Morning Offering – 16 September – The Lord’s Prayer

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Our Morning Offering – 16 September – Wednesday of the Twenty Fourth week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of Sts Cornelius & Cyprian

“So, my brothers, let us pray as God our Master has taught us.
To ask the Father, in words His Son has given us,
to let Him hear the prayer of Christ ringing in His ears,
is to make our prayer one of friendship, a family prayer.
Let the Father recognise the words of His Son.
Let the Son, who lives in our hearts, be also on our lips.
We have Him as an Advocate for sinners, before the Father,
when we ask for forgiveness for ours sins,
let us use the words given by our Advocate.
He tells us –
Whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you.
What more effective prayer could we then make,
in the name of Christ, than in the words of His own prayer?”

St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258)
Bishop and Martyr, Father of the Church

The Lord’s Prayer
Jesus
Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CONFESSION, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, INCORRUPTIBLES, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – Our Lady of Sorrows and of St Catherine of Genoa

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows and of St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)

‘By the cross of our salvation
Mary stood in desolation
While the Saviour hung above
All her human powers failing,
Sorrow’s sword, at last prevailing,
Stabs and breaks her heart of love…
Virgin Mary, full of sorrow,
From your love I ask to borrow
Love enough to share your pain.
Make my heart to burn with fire,
Make Christ’s love my own desire,
Who for love of me was slain.’

Stabat Mater

“The spear which opened His side
passed through the soul of the Virgin,
which could not be torn
from the heart of Jesus.”

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

“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)

“Near the cross stood His mother, speechless;
living she died;
dying she lived.”

St Alphonsus (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

More Sorrowful Mother here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-september-the-memorial-of-our-lady-of-sorrows/

+++++++++++++

“Any time spent before the Eucharistic presence,
be it long or short,
is the best-spent time of our lives.”

“We must not wish anything other
than what happens from moment to moment,
all the while, however, exercising ourselves in goodness.”

“And when I hear it said,
that God is good and He will pardon us
and then see, that men cease not from evil-doing,
oh, how it grieves me!
The infinite goodness
with which God communicates with us,
sinners as we are,
should constantly make us love and serve Him better
but we, on the contrary,
instead of seeing in His goodness
an obligation to please Him,
convert it into an excuse for sin,
which will, of a certainty,
lead in the end,
to our deeper condemnation.”

“The one sole thing, in myself,
in which I glory,
is that I see in myself,
nothing, in which I can glory.”

“Oh, what peril attaches to sin, wilfully committed!
For it is so difficult for man to bring himself to penance
and without penitence,
guilt remains and will ever remain,
so long as man retains unchanged,
the will to sin,
or is intent upon committing it.”

“I see clearly with the interior eye,
that the sweet God loves, with a pure love,
the creature that He has created
and has a HATRED for nothing but SIN,
which is more opposed to Him,
than can be thought or imagined.”

St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)

Posted in "Follow Me", ACT of CONTRITION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – The blessed Cross of Christ

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

“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.”

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

“The way to rest is through toil,
the way to life is through death.
Christ has taken on Himself
the whole weakness of our lowly human nature.
If then we are steadfast in our faith in Him
and in our love for Him,
we win the victory that He has won,
we receive what He has promised.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“This is that enviable
and blessed Cross of Christ . . .
the Cross in which alone,
we must make our boast,
as Paul,
God’s chosen instrument,
has told us.”

St Raymond of Peñafort
(1175-1275)

“Whenever anything disagreeable
or displeasing happens to you,
remember Christ crucified
and be silent!”

St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Doctor of the Church

“Act of Contrition

My Lord Jesus Christ,
You have made this journey
to die for me, with love unutterable
and I have so many times unworthily abandoned You
but now I love You with my whole heart
and because I love You,
I repent sincerely for having ever offended You.
Pardon me, my God
and permit me to accompany You on this journey.
You go to die for love of me,
I wish also, my beloved Redeemer,
to die for love of Thee.
My Jesus, I will live
and die always united to You.”
Amen

By St Alphonsus Mary Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church

“Like Jesus, we must bow our heads
before our Cross
and embrace it,
with resignation and love.
We must unite our sufferings
with those of our Redeemer,
for the expiation of our sins.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-september-the-message-of-the-cross/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC, franciscan OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 13 September – My Lord, I am Unworthy! by St Bonaventure

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Our Morning Offering – 13 September – Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Lord, I am Unworthy!
Prayer before Holy Communion
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Doctor of the Church

My Lord,
Who are You
and who am I,
that I should dare to take You
into my body and soul?
A thousand years
of penance and tears
would not be sufficient
to make me worthy
to receive so royal a Sacrament even once!
How much more am I unworthy of it,
who fall into sin daily,
I, the incorrigible,
who approach You so often
without due preparation!
Nevertheless, Your mercy
infinitely surpasses my unworthiness.
Therefore, I make bold
to receive this Sacrament,
trusting in Your love.
Amen

Posted in DEVOTIO, DOCTORS of the Church, DOGMA, DOMINICAN OP, EUCHARISTIC, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, HYMNS, I BELIEVE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRAYERS on FAITH, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Our Morning Offering – 6 September – Tantum ergo Sacramentum

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 6 September – Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

The hymn Tantum Ergo pays homage to our Lord both in the Eucharist and in His glory in the Trinity. It comprises the last two stanzas of Pange Lingua, a hymn written by Saint Thomas Aquinas for the Feast of Corpus Christi when it was first instituted by the Church in 1264.
This text has been set to music by composers as diverse as Palestrina, Mozart, Bruckner and Faure.

This wonderful miracle, when our Lord comes to give us His grace and support, occurs countless times everyday in Masses all over the world! And everyday, our Lord, like His faithful servant Saint Thomas Aquinas, invites us to see and worship Him in the Blessed Sacrament through the eyes of faith!

Tantum ergo Sacramentum
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus/Doctor Communis

Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernui:
Et antiquum documentum
Novo cedat ritui:
Praestet fides supplementum
Sensuum defectui.

Genitori, Genitoque
Laus et jubilatio,
Salus, honor, virtus quoque
Sit et benedictio:
Procedenti ab utroque
Compar sit laudatio.
Ame.

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail,
Lo! o’er ancient forms departing
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.

To the everlasting Father,
And the Son Who reigns on high
With the Holy Spirit proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honour blessing,
Might and endless majesty.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUEENSHIP of MARY

Our Morning Offering – 22 August – Salve Regina, Hail Holy Queen

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 22 August – Saturday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time and The Memorial of the Queenship of Mary

Salve Regina
Hail Holy Queen
By Blessed Herman the Cripple (1013–1054)

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy
Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
Poor banished children of Eve,
To thee do we send up our sighs,
Mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
Thine eyes of mercy toward us
And after this our exile,
Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus

This line, below, by St Bernard (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

℣ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
℟ that we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ.