Our Morning Offering – 10 August – St Lawrence (Died 258) “Keeper of the Treasures of he Church,” Martyr, Archdeacon.
Holy Deacon Martyr, St Lawrence! Unknown Author
Holy Deacon! by thy yearning For the Martyr’s glorious crown; By thy tortures, by thy burning, By thy death of bright renown; When the world and flesh and devil Tempt our souls to sin and evil, Dear Saint Lawrence, pray for us!
By the love that thou didst ever To thy Pontiff-Father bear, Pray that no base act may sever Us from Peter’s loving care! But when men would once more lead us Into bonds from which Christ freed us, Dear Saint Lawrence, pray for us!
By the Pontiff’s words of warning, Bidding all thy sorrows cease, Words foretelling bitter mourning Leading unto lasting peace! That to Jesus in our sadness We may look for help and gladness, Dear Saint Lawrence, pray for us!
By thy love, which knew no measure, For the needy and the old, Giving them the Church’s treasure Dearer they than gems and gold! Teaching us that alms well given Are but treasures stored in Heaven, Dear Saint Lawrence, pray for us!
By thy fervent love for Jesus, By thy strong and constant faith, Of our sinful burdens ease us! Help us at the hour of death! When the fears of death confound us When the cleansing fires surround us! Dear Saint Lawrence, pray for us!
Our Morning Offering – 6 August – The Transfiguration of Our Lord
Lux Alma, Jesu Light of the Anxious Heart By St Bernard (1091-1153). Father & Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
Light of the anxious heart, Jesus, Thou dost appear, To bid the gloom of guilt depart, And shed Thy sweetness here.
Joyous is he, with whom, God’s Word, Thou dost abide; Sweet Light of our eternal home, To fleshly sense denied.
Brightness of God above! Unfathomable grace! Thy presence be a fount of love Within Thy chosen place.
To Thee, Whom children see, The Father ever blest, The Holy Spirit, One and Three, Be endless praise addrest.
Translation by Cardinal Newman (1800-1890). There are eight translations. Liturgical Use: Hymn for Lauds on the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord. This Hymn is a cento from St Bernard’s Jesu Dulcis Memoria.
Our Morning Offering – 5 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Feast of the Dedication of Our Lady of the Snows
O Mary, Immaculate Virgin Prayer for Health of Soul and Body
O Mary, Immaculate Virgin, our salvation lies in thy hands. Cleanse our souls, we beseech thee, from the leprosy of sin and assist us in our corporal infirmities. And, if it be the will of God that we must be acquainted with sickness and suffering, obtain for us, at least, perfect patience and resignation, in whatsoever God may dispose. Amen.
In The Name Of The Whole Christian People The Universal Prayer of St Clement I (c88–c101) Pope and Martyr, Apostolic Father of the Church
We beg Thee, Master, be our help and strength. Save those among us who are oppressed, have pity on the lowly and lift up the fallen. Heal the sick, bring back the straying and feed the hungry. Release those in prison, steady those who falter and strengthen the fainthearted. Let all nations come to know Thee, the One God, with Thy Son Jesus Christ and ourselves, Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture. Do not keep count of the sins of Thy servants but purify them, through the bath of Thine Truth and direct our steps. Help us to walk in holiness of heart and to do what is good and pleasing in Thine eyes and in the eyes of our rulers. Master, let Thine Face shine on us to grant us every good in peace, protect us by Thine powerful Hand, deliver us from every evil, by the might of Thine Arm. Grant us and all who dwell on this earth, peace and harmony, O Lord. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 1 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.
(1943 Raccolta – Indulgence 300 days)
“May the Blessed Virgin, unique in her merits, stand in the presence of her Creator interceding always in our favour. She will be radiant in the fullness of glory, she who brought forth, from her virginal womb, the King of glory.”
St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)
“The Blessed Virgin was chosen to be the Mother of God and, therefore, it is not to be doubted, but that God fitted her for it by His graces.”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus / Doctor Communis
“To ask favours without interposing Mary is to attempt to fly without wings!”
“The prayers of Mary, have the force of command with Jesus Christ. Hence, it is impossible for the Son not to grant a grace for which the Mother asks.”
Our Morning Offering – 29 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
O Good Jesus, Make Me Live in Thee and for Thee By Pope Benedict XV (1854-1922)
O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus! O fount of every good! I adore Thee, I love Thee and sincerely repenting of my sins I present to Thee my poor heart. Give it back to me humble, patient, pure and in everything, conformed to Thy wishes. Make me, O good Jesus, live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in dangers, comfort me in afflictions, grant me health of body, succour in my temporal needs, Thy blessing in all my works and the grace of a holy death. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 22 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – St Mary Magdalene (1st Century) Penitent –
O Jesus, My Sweet Love! (I too have kept Thee suffering)
Prayer of Contrition By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
O Jesus, my sweet Love! I too have kept Thee suffering through all Thy life. Tell me, then, what I must do in order to win Thy forgiveness. I am ready to do all Thou askest of me. I am sorry, O sovereign Good, for all the offences I have committed against Thee. I love Thee more than myself, or at least, I feel a great desire to love Thee. Since it is Thou Who hast given me this desire, do Thou also give me the strength to love Thee exceedingly.
It is only right that I, who have offended Thee so much, should love Thee very much. Always remind me of the love Thou hast borne me, in order that my soul may ever burn with love of Thee and long to please Thee alone. O God of love, I, who was once a slave of hell, now give myself all to Thee. Graciously accept me and bind me to Thee with the bonds of Thy love. My Jesus, from this day and forever, in loving Thee will I live and in loving Thee will I die.
O Mary, my Mother and my hope, help me to love Thy dear God and mine. This is the only favour I ask of thee and through thee, I hope to receive it. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 17 July – The Feast of The Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“To arrive at the knowledge of the Truth, there are many paths – the first is humility, the second is humility and the third is humility!”
“Humility is a very strange entity. The moment we think we have it, we have already lost it!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace)
“True humility consists in persuading and convincing oneself that without God, we are insignificant and despicable and, in acceptance, to be treated as such!”
St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
“In order to overcome the power of the devil, the soul needs prayer and will not be able to understand his deceptions, without mortification and humility.”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church
The most holy Virgin, Our Lady, gave us an outstanding example of this when she spoke these words: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). When she said she was the handmaid of the Lord, she was performing the greatest act of humility it is possible to do and, all the more so, in that she was contradicting the praise given her by the angel – that she would be mother of God, that the child to be born from her womb would be called Son of the Most High, a greater dignity than any we might imagine – I say, she opposed her lowliness and unworthiness to all these praises and greatness, by saying that she was the handmaid of the Lord.”
Make Me Like Thineself, Mary My Mother By St Louis-Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)
My powerful Queen, thou art all mine, through thy mercy and I am all thine. Take away from me, all which may displease God and cultivate in me, all which is pleasing to Him. May the light of thy faith, dispel the darkness of my mind, thy deep humility, take the place of my pride, thy continual sight of God, fill my memory, with His Presence. May the love of thine heart inflame the lukewarmness, of mine. May thy virtues, take the place of my sins. May thy merits, be my enrichment and reconcile all which is wanting in me, before God. My beloved Mother, grant that I may have, no other spirit but thine, to know Jesus Christ and His Divine Will and to praise and glorify the Lord, that I may love God, with burning love like thine. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 16 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
“The Flos Carmeli The Flower of Carmel” By St Simon Stock (1165-1265)
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendour of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that thou art my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth, I humbly beseech thee from the bottom of my heart, to succour me in this my necessity. There are none that can withstand thy power. O show me herein, that thou art my Mother. Amen.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for those who have recourse to thee. (Repeat three times)
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in thy hands. (Repeat three times)
This prayer, the “Flos Carmeli” (“The Flower of Carmel”), was composed by St Simon Stock (1165-1265), a Carmelite, so-called because he and other members of his Order lived atop Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. St Simon Stock was visited by the Blessed Virgin Mary on 16 July 1251, at which time, she bestowed upon him a scapular, or habit, (commonly called “the Brown Scapular”) which became part of the Liturgical clothing of the Carmelite Order. Oral tradition tells of St Simon Stock praying, with a passionate intensity to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, during a time of great distress and hardship for the Order. With fervour and faith, he prayed his prayer, the Flos Carmeli, for the first time. And Our Lady answered his prayer. Thus, for seven centuries the Flos Carmeli continues to be prayed to the Blessed Mother with the firm faith that she she will answer its petition, with her powerful assistance.
Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – The Feast of the the “Divisio Apostolorum – The Division of the Apostles” also known as (‘Dispersion’)
“… It was their vocation to call sinners to repentance, to heal those who were sick, whether in body or spirit, to seek in all their dealing, never to do their own will but the Will of Him who sent them and, as far as possible, to save the world by their teaching.”
St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Bishop, Father & Doctor of the Church
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen
“Day by day follow God’s path, keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise. In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His Apostles, to all those who seek His will and His testimonies that He would be with them until the end of the world (Mt 28:20) where paths and footsteps will be unknown (cf Ps 76:20), as the divine David said in his songs. Yet, in an invisible way, He is present to the eyes of the mind, making Himself seen by those who have a pure heart and conversing with them. So pursue your path …. ”
St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church
Prayer of St Patrick
I bind unto myself today the power in the love of the Seraphim, in the obedience of the Angels, in the ministration of the Archangels, in the hope of Resurrection unto reward, in the prayers of the Patriarchs, in the predictions of the Prophets, in the preaching of the Apostles, in the faith of the Confessors, in the purity of the holy Virgins, in the deeds of Righteous men. Amen
O My God, I Thank Thee An Act of Abandonment to the Divine Will By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritatis
O my God, I thank Thee and I praise Thee for accomplishing Thy Holy and all-lovable Will without any regard for mine. With my whole heart, in spite of my heart, do I receive this cross I feared so much! It is the cross of Thy choice, the cross of Thy Love. I venerate it; nor for anything in the world would I wish it had not come, since Thou hast willed it. I keep it with gratitude and with joy, as I do everything which comes from Thy Hand and I shall strive to carry it without letting it drag, with all the respect and all the affection which Thy works deserve. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 4 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Octave Day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the First Friday of July
Act of Spiritual Communion By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
I desire, good Jesus, to receive Thee in Holy Communion and since I cannot now receive Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, I beseech Thee to come to me spiritually and to refresh my soul with Thy sweetness. Come, my Lord, my God and my All! Come to me and never let me ever again be separated from Thee by sin. Teach me Thy blessed ways, help me with Thy grace to imitate Thy example, to practise meekness, humility, charity and all the virtues of Thy Sacred Heart. My divine Master, my one desire is to do Thy will and to love Thee, more and more. Help me, that I may be faithful to the end, in Thy service. Bless me in life and in death, that I may praise Thee, forever in heaven, Amen
Thought of the Day – 3 July – Thursday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart and The Feast of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus
A Forgotten Jewel in the Catholic Crown
“Thy most loving Heart of Jesus, dwells in this Sacrament burning with love for us. It is there, continually performing thousands of good deeds towards us.”
St John Eudes (1601-1680) “Apostle of the Two Holy Hearts”
On this date, we celebrate the Feast of The Eucharistic Heart of Jesus which occurs on the Thursday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart.
On 9 November 1921, Pope Benedict XV instituted the Feast of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus to be celebrated on the Thursday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart with a Proper Mass and Office. In instituting the Feast, Pope Benedict XV wrote:
“The chief reason for this Feast, is to commemorate the Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Mystery of the Eucharist. By this means the Church wishes, more and more, to excite the faithful to approach this Sacred Mystery with confidence and, to inflame their hearts with that Divine Charity which consumed the Sacred Heart of Jesus, when, in His Infinite Love, He instituted the Most Holy Eucharist, wherein the Divine Heart guards and loves them by living with them, as they live and abide in Him. For, in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, He offers and gives Himself to us as Victim, Companion, Nourishment, Viaticum and Pledge of our future glory!”
O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus! By Pope Benedict XV (1854-1922)
O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus! O Fount of every good! I adore Thee, I love Thee and sincerely repenting of my sins, I present to Thee my poor heart. Give it back to me humble, patient, pure and in everything, conformed to Thy wishes. Make me, O good Jesus, live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in dangers, comfort me in afflictions, grant me health of body, succour in my temporal needs, Thy blessing in all my works and the grace of a holy death. Amen
Indulgence – 100 days Once a day Pope Benedict XV 4 December 1916
Our Morning Offering – 3 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus”
July Morning Offering
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus, in satisfaction for my sins and for the wants of Holy Church. Blessed be the Precious Blood of Jesus, which renders bearable the thorns of earth, redeems our souls, purifies them from their iniquities and prepares for them, an eternal crown. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 2 July – The Feast of the Visitation
The Magnificat The Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary Luke 1:46-55 Indulgence 100 days
My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid, for behold, from henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed. For He Who is mighty hath done great things unto me: and holy is His Name. And His mercy is from generation to generation unto thos who fear Him. He hath shown strength with His Arm, He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath upheld His servant Israel, being mindful of His Mercy. As He spoke unto our fathers, to Abraham and his seed forever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end! Amen
Our Morning Offering – 1 July – “The Feast and Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus”
Salvete Christi Vulnera Hail, Holy Wounds of Jesus, Hail! Anonymous Latin Hymn, 17th Century
Hail, holy Wounds of Jesus, hail, Sweet pledges of the saving Rood, Whence flow the streams that never fail, The purple streams of His dear Blood.
Brighter than brightest stars ye show, Than sweetest rose your scent more rare, No Indian gem may match Your glow, No honeys taste with Yours compare.
Portals ye are to that dear home Wherein our wearied souls may hide, Whereto no angry foe can come, The Heart of Jesus crucified.
What countless stripes our Jesus bore, All naked left in Pilates hall! From His torn flesh flow red a shower Did round His sacred person fall!
His beauteous brow, oh, shame and grief, By the sharp thorny crown is riven; Through hands and feet, without relief, The cruel nails are rudely driven.
But when for our poor sakes He died, A willing Priest by love subdued, The soldiers lance transfixed His side, Forth flowed the Water and the Blood.
In full atonement of our guilt, Careless of self, the Saviour trod Een till His Hearts best Blood was spilt The wine-press of the wrath of God.
Come, bathe you in the healing flood, All ye who mourn, by sin opprest; Your only hope is Jesus Blood, His Sacred Heart your only rest.
All praise to Him, the Eternal Son, At Gods right hand enthroned above, Whose Blood our full redemption won, Whose Spirit seals the gift of love.
Office Hymn at Lauds on the Feast of the Most Precious Blood. (The Hymn is also used for Lauds on the Friday after the Fourth Sunday in Lent, for the Office of the Instruments of the Passion.) Translated by – Henry Nutcombe Oxenham (1829-1888) for whom I find little information.
Our Morning Offering – 26 June – “The Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” – The Octave Day of Corpus Christi
Lauda Sion Salvatorem Sion, Lift Up thy Voice and Sing (Excerpt) By St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus / Doctor Communis
Sion, lift thy voice and sing, Praise thy Saviour and thy King, Praise with hymns thy Shepherd true, Dare thy most to praise Him well, For He doth all praise excel, None can ever reach His due.
Special theme of praise is Thine, That true living Bread divine, That life-giving flesh adored, Which the brethren twelve received, As most faithfully believed, At the Supper of the Lord.
Let the chant be loud and high, Sweet and tranquil be the joy Felt to-day in every breast; On this festival divine Which recounts the origin Of the glorious Eucharist.
St Thomas Aquinas wrote the Liturgy for Corpus Christi when Pope Urban IV added the Solemnity to the universal Church’s Liturgical Calendar in 1264. He provided a great Sequence, one of the great poems chanted or recited before the proclamation of the Gospel. Lauda Sion is one of only four medieval Sequences which were preserved in the Roman Missal published in 1570 following the Council of Trent (1545–1563)—the others being Victimae Paschali Laudes (Easter), Veni Sancte Spiritus (Pentecost) and Dies irae (requiem masses). (A fifth, Stabat Mater, would later be added in 1727.) Before Trent, many Feasts had their own Sequences. The existing versions were unified in the Roman Missal promulgated in 1570. The Lauda Sion is still sung today as solemn Eucharistic Hymn, although its use is optional in the post-Vatican II Ordinary form. As with St Thomas’s other three Eucharistic Hymns, the last few stanzas of the Lauda Sion are often used alone, in this case, to form the “Ecce Panis Angelorum.”
Our Morning Offering – 24 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Within the Corpus Christi Octave – The Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist
Antra Deserti Thou, in thy Childhood By Paul the Deacon (c720s-c799) “Cassinensis (of Monte Cassino)” Monk, Spiritual Author, Historian, Poet
Thou, in thy childhood, to the desert caverns Fleddest for refuge from the cities’ turmoil, Where the world’s slander might not dim thy luster, Lonely abiding.
Camel’s hair raiment clothed thy saintly members; Leathern the girdle which thy loins encircled; Locusts and honey, with the fountain-water, Daily sustained thee.
Oft in past ages, seers with hearts expectant Sang the far-distant advent of the Day-Star; Thine was the glory, as the world’s Redeemer First to proclaim Him.
Far as the wide world reacheth, born of woman, Holier was there none than John the Baptist; Meetly in water laving Him who cleanseth Man from pollution.
Praise to the Father, to the Son begotton, And to the Spirit, equal power possessing, One God whose glory, through the lapse of ages, Ever resoundeth.
This Hymn, “Ut queant laxis resonare fibris”, is in three parts. The Breviary and Roman Missal list the above for Matins today, on the Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist.
Our Morning Offering – 22 June – “The Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” – he Solemnity of Corpus Christi and Within the Corpus Christi Octave
Soul of My Saviour, Sanctify My Breast Trans. Attri. to Fr John Hegarty (1752-1834)
Soul of my Saviour, sanctify my breast; Body of Christ, be Thou my saving Guest; Blood of my Saviour, bathe me in Thy tide; Wash me with water flowing from Thy side.
Strength and protection, may Thy Passion be; O Blessed Jesus, hear and answer me; Deep in Thy Wounds, Lord, hide and shelter me; So shall I never, never, part from Thee.
Hear me, Lord Jesus, listen as I pray; “Lead me from night, to never-ending day. Fill all the world, with love and grace Divine, And glory, laud and praise, be ever Thine.”
This Hymn is based on the original Latin text of the Anima Christi. Fr Hegarty is attributed with its translation and/or arrangement. He was born in County Derry, Ireland, educated at Dublin University and was Ordained in June 1890 and spent most of active apostolic years in Brisbane, Australia. He died aged 82 years.
Quote/s of the Day – 20 June – “The Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Within the Corpus Christi Octave
“Nowhere do we find our Saviour more tender or more loving, than here [in Adoration] where He, so to speak, annihilates Himself and reduces Himself to Food, in order to penetrate our souls and to unite Himself to the hearts of His friends.”
“The Holy Eucharist is the perfect Communion of Saints, for it is the food common to Angels and Sainted souls in Paradise and ourselves – it is the true Bread of which all Christians participate. The forgiveness of sins, the Author of forgiveness being there, is confirmed; the seed of our resurrection sown, life everlasting bestowed. … This very belief in the Most Holy Sacrament, which, in truth, reality and substance, contains the true and natural Body of Our Lord, is actually the abridgment of our Faith, according to that of the Psalmist: “He had made a memory of His wonderful works.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritatis
“When I go to the Chapel, I place myself before the good God and I say to Him: ‘Lord, I am here. Tell me what Thou would have me do.’ If He gives me some task I am content and I thank Him. If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him Since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that, and then, I tell God everything that is in my heart. I tell hIm about my pains and my joys and then I listen. … God always speaks to you when you approach Him plainly and simply.”
St Catherine Labouré (1806-1876) The Visionary of the Miraculous Medal
Our Morning Offering – 20 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Within the Corpus Christi Octave
O Divine Jesus! Lonely in So Many Tabernacles By St Pope Pius X (1835-1914) “Pope of the Blessed Sacrament”
O Divine Jesus! Lonely today in so many Tabernacles, without visitor or worshipper, I offer Thee my lonely heart. May it’s every beat be a prayer of love to Thee. Thou are ever watching under the Sacramental Veils, in Thou love, Thou never sleeps and Thou are never weary of Thy vigils for sinners. O Loving Jesus! O Lonely Jesus! may my heart be a lamp, the light of which shall burn and beam for Thee alone. Watch, Sacramental Sentinel! Watch for the weary world, for the erring soul and for Thy poor lonely child.
O Jesus, my God, I adore Thee, here present in the Sacrament of Thy love. Amen
Indulgences: 100 days each time before the Tabernacle 300 days each time before the Blessed Sacrament Exposed (St Pope Pius X – 3 July 1908) Prayers to the Sacred Heart 15th Ed 1936
Our Morning Offering – 19 June – “The Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Corpus Christi
Pange Lingua Gloriosi Corporis Mysterium Sing, My Tongue By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Eng trans – Fr Edward Caswell CO (1814-1878) (Excerpt on the image – the 4 last stanzas)
Sing, my tongue, the Saviour’s glory, Of His Flesh, the Mystery sing; Of the Blood, all price exceeding, Shed by our Immortal King, Destined, for the world’s redemption, From a noble Womb to spring.
Of a pure and spotless Virgin Born for us on earth below, He, as Man, with man conversing, Stayed, the seeds of truth to sow; Then He closed in solemn order Wondrously His Life of woe.
On the night of that Last Supper, Seated with His chosen band, He, the Paschal Victim eating, First fulfils the Law’s command; Then as Food to all His brethren Gives Himself with His own Hand.
Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature By His Word to Flesh He turns; Wine into His Blood He changes, What though sense no change discerns. Only be the heart in earnest, Faith her lesson quickly learns.
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, When the feeble senses fail.
To the Everlasting Father And the Son Who comes on high With the Holy Ghost proceeding Forth from each eternally, Be salvation, honour, blessing, Might and endless majesty. Amen. Alleluia.
Written by St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) the Angelic and Common Doctor of the Church, for the very first Solemnity of Corpus Christi, this Hymn is considered the most beautiful of Aquinas’ Hymns and one of the seven great Hymns of the Church.
The last two stanzas make up the Tantum Ergo (Down in Adoration Falling) which is used at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The Hymn is also used on Maundy Thursday during the procession from the Sanctuary to the Altar of Repose, where the Blessed Sacrament is kept until Good Friday.
Our Morning Offering – 18 June – “The Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus”
O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament By The League of the Sacred Heart 1929 (Ireland)
O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, overflowing with gentleness, tenderness and charity, I bury in the abyss of Thy Mercy, all my iniquities and all my negligence. I offer Thee my labours and my sufferings, my sorrows and my miseries, I recommend to Thee my life and my death. Solace my doubts Sweet Jesus, calm my fears and grant, that day-by-day, I may become more united to Thy Sacred Heart, learning Thy love and Thy holiness. Amen
Prayer in Adoration of the Sacred Heart By St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) Visionary and Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God, Whom I believe to be really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, receive this most profound Act of Adoration to supply for the desire I have, to adore Thee unceasingly and in thanksgiving, for the sentiments of love which Thy Sacred Heart has for me in this Sacrament. I cannot better acknowledge them, than by offering Thee, all the Acts of Adoration, resignation, patience and love which this same Heart has made during its mortal life and which it makes still and which it shall make eternally in Heaven, in order that through it, I may love Thee, praise Thee and adore Thee worthily, as much as it is possible for me. I unite myself to this Divine Offering which Thou dost make to Thy Divine Father and I consecrate to Thee, my whole being, praying Thee, to destroy in me, all sin and not to permit that I should be separated from Thee, in time and eternally. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 8 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Feast of Pentecost
“Let us pray fervently to the Holy Ghost. Let us pray with the Church: “Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.”
Let us recollect ourselves in prayer before the Spirit of God on this day of Pentecost. Let us renew our resolutions and entrust them to Him so that He may help us to carry them out.
Aspiration: Come into our hearts, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of Truth.”
Our Morning Offering – 11 February – Apparition of the Immaculate Conception at Lourdes
Hail! all Hail! Great Queen of Heaven, Notre Dame de Lourdes Unknown Author First Published in 1905
Hail! all Hail! great Queen of Heaven, Hail sweet Notre Dame de Lourdes, ‘Neath whose care our weary exile, Is from countless ills secured.
Refrain: Then let men and angels praise thee, Fount of grace to all assured, While in gladsome strains we are singing, Hail! sweet Notre Dame de Lourdes Hail! sweet Notre Dame de Lourdes.
Blessed thou above all others, Mary Mistress of the spheres, Star of hope, serenely beaming Through this darksome vale of tears. Refrain
Happy angels joy to own thee, O’er their choirs exalted high, Throned in blissful light and beauty, Empress of the starry sky. Refrain
As the fount is still unsealing Its pure treasures softly fair, May each drop be fraught with healing, Dearest Mother, at thy prayer. Refrain
The IndulgencedPentecost Novena to the Holy Ghost for the Seven Gifts
“We ought to pray and invoke the Holy Ghost, for, each one of us, greatly needs His protection and His aid. The more we are lacking in wisdom, weak in strength, burdened with trouble, prone to sin, the more we should turn to Him, Who, is the never-ceasing Fount of Light, Strength, Consolation and Holiness!”
The Novena in honour of the Holy Ghost is the oldest of all Novenas, since it was first prayed at the direction of Our Lord Himself, when He sent His Apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Ghost on the first Pentecost. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the Light and Strength and Love, so sorely needed by every Catholic today. To encourage devotion to the Holy Ghost, the Church has granted the following Indulgences:
“The faithful who devoutly assist at the public Novena in honour of the Holy Ghost, immediately preceding the Solemn Feast of Pentecost, may gain a Partial Indulgence for themselves or, as an offering for the intentions of the faithful departed.”
An Indulgence of 10 years on any (and every) day of the Novena. A Plenary Indulgence, if they take part in at least five of the exercises and go to Confession, receive Holy Communion and pray for the Holy Father’s intentions.
“Those who make a private Novena in honour of the Holy Ghost, either before the Solemn Feast of Pentecost or at any other time in the year, may also gain a Partial Indulgence for themselves or, as an offering for the intentions of the faithful departed.”
An Indulgence of 7 years on any (and every) day of the Novena. A Plenary Indulgence under the usual conditions but, if a public Novena is held, this Indulgence is available only to those who are lawfully hindered from being part of the same.
FIRST DAY (Friday after Ascension)
Holy Spirit! Lord of Light! From Thy clear celestial height, Thy pure beaming radiance give!
The Holy Ghost
Only one thing is important — eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared–sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness and indifference. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light, of Strength and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will and inflames the heart with love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for “The Spirit helpeth our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself asketh for us.”
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Ghost and hast given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth upon us from Heaven, Thy sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary – ONCE. Glory be to the Father – SEVEN TIMES.
On my knees, I, before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, offer myself, soul and body to Thee, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Thy purity, the unerring keenness of Thyr justice and the might of Thy love. Thou art the Strength and Light of my soul! In Thee I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve Thee by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against Thee. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Thy Light, listen to Thy Voice and follow Thy gracious Inspirations. I cling to Thee and give myself to Thee and ask Thee, by Thy compassion, to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus, looking at His Five Wounds and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore Thee, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Thy grace, that I may never sin against Thee. Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to Thee always and everywhere, “Speak Lord for Thy servant hears.” Amen
Our Morning Offering – 19 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Tota Pulchra Es, Maria You Are All Beautiful, Mary Unknown Author – 4th Century
You are all beautiful, Mary, and the original stain is not in you. You are the glory of Jerusalem, you are the joy of Israel, you give honour to our people. You are an advocate of sinners. O Mary, O Mary, Virgin most intelligent, Mother most merciful. Pray for us, Plead for us, To the Lord Jesus Christ.
Tota pulchra es, Maria. Et macula originalis non est in Te. Tu gloria Ierusalem. Tu laetitia Israel. Tu honorificentia populi nostri. Tu advocata peccatorum. O Maria, O Maria, Virgo prudentissima. Mater clementissima. Ora pro nobis. Intercede pro nobis. Ad Dominum Iesum Christum.
This prayer used by the Church since the 4th Century for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Purity of the Blessed Virgin. It takes some text from the book of Judith and other text from Song of Songs, specifically 4:7. Many composers have set this prayer to music over the centuries.
Quote/s of the Day – 18 May – Easter IV – James 1:17-21 – John 16:5-14 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“If I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you but if I go, I will send Him to you. ”
John16:7
“This is the order of our faith, the foundation of the edifice and the support of our conduct – God, the Father, uncreated, uncontainable, invisible, One God, the Creator of all – this is the first article of our faith. And the second article – the Word of God, the Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord, Who was revealed by the Prophets according to the character of their prophecy and according to the nature of the economies of the Father, by Whom all things were made and Who, in the last times, to recapitulate all things, became a Man amongst men, visible and palpable, in order to abolish death, to demonstrate life and to effect communion between God and man. And the third article – the Holy Ghost, through Whom the Prophets prophesied and the Patriarchs learnt the things of God and the righteous, were led in the path of righteousness and Who, in the last times, was poured out in a new fashion upon the human race, renewing man, throughout the world, to God.”
St Irenaeus (130-202) Martyr, Father of the Church
“He pours light into our minds, arouses our desire and gives us strength… As the soul is the life of the body, so the Holy Ghost is the life of our souls.”
St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church
“The whole Trinity has marked mankind with Its likeness. With the memory, it resembles the Father; with the understanding, it resembles the Son; by love, it resembles the Holy Ghost … ”
St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor of the Church
Our Morning Offering – 14 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Alma Redemptoris Mater Loving Mother of the Redeemer By Blessed Herman Contractus of Reichenau 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.
Marian Antiphon Traditionally said from Advent to the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. Blessed Herman is the Author of the Salve Regina, the Veni Sancte Spiritus and the Alma Redemptoris Mater amongst others.
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.