Category: CATHOLIC Quotes

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The HEART, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 28 April – The Role of the Eucharist in Increasing Our Love of God (Part Two)

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Thought for the Day – 28 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LV: … The Role of the Eucharist in
Increasing Our Love of God (Part Two)

“Meditating on this truth, let each man say within himself:

“Who could have imagined, O Lord, that a God of such Infinite greatness would bestow His affections on such an abject and insignificant creature as myself!
What could be Thy design, O King of glory?
What canst Thou expect of me who am but dust?
I see clearly, O my God, by the Light of Thy burning charity which enlightens me with knowledge and enkindles me with love that Thy design, was one divorced from all self-interest.
For Thy wish in so graciously bestowing this Sacrament, is to transform me into Thee that I may live in Thee and Thou in me.
Such an intimate union will ultimately remake my heart, fashioning from a vessel of earth, a delicate instrument attuned to things Divine!”

Then, full of joy and wonder at the indications of Divine Love given us by Christ and aware that His only purpose is the transformation of our hearts from things of earth, to things of Heaven, let us offer a sacrifice, and consecrate the will, the memory and understanding, to the sole task of pleasing Him in the gracious acceptance of His Holy Will.

After this, recognising our incapacity to dispose ourselves properly, unaided by His grace for proper reception of the Eucharist, let us strive earnestly to obtain that grace by ejaculations such as the following:

“O heavenly food, when shall I be united to Thee, to be consumed joyfully in the fire of Divine Love?
O Divine charity, when shall I live in Thee, by Thee and for Thee alone?
O heavenly manna, Sovereign good, joy of my heart, when shall I, loathing all other food, seek Thee alone?
O life of eternal joy, when shall I dwell in Thee alone?
O my Loving And almighty Lord, free my heart from the tyranny of its passions and vicious attachments; adorn it with Thy heavenly virtues and with gentle compulsion, force it to rejoice in loving and pleasing Thee.
Then O Lord, will I open my heart and bid Thee enter; then shalt Thou come, my only Treasure, to transform my heart by Thy Divine Presence.”

Such are the tender and affectionate sentiments which we should form on the evening before and, on the morning of, reception of Holy Communion.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/27/thought-for-the-day-27-april-the-role-of-the-eucharist-in-increasing-our-love-of-god-part-one/

Posted in HOLY COMMUNION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Thought for the Day – 27 April – The Role of the Eucharist in Increasing Our Love of God (Part One)

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Thought for the Day – 27 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LV: … The Role of the Eucharist in
Increasing Our Love of God (Part One)

“If our motive in receiving Holy Communion be a desire of increasing our love of God, we should recall the Love which God has for us.
The preparation consists in an attentive contemplation of this Sovereign Lord of boundless Power and Majesty, Who, not satisfied with creating us to His image and likeness, nor with the immolation of His only Son on our behalf, left this Son to us in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, to be our food and support in all our necessities.
Consider well the greatness and uniqueness of this Love in the following manner:

  1. In its duration we find that God’s Love for us is eternal and unceasing; for, as He is eternal in His Divinity, so is He eternal in His Love.
    Before time was, God determined to give His Son to mankind in this marvellous manner.
    Let these words, then, echo joyfully within your heart: “In the abyss of eternity, my littleness was so loved by the most high God that He thought of me and with Love ineffable, wished to give me His Son to be my food and my nourishment!”
  2. Our strongest passions for earthly things recognise certain limits which they cannot exceed but, the Love of God for us, is limitless.
    The advent of His Son, equal to Himself in Majesty and Perfection, was a testimony to that boundless Love.
    Thus is the Gift equal to the Love and the Love to the Gift and both are Infinite, beyond the borders of human understanding.
  3. In Loving us God was not constrained by any power or necessity but heaped innumerable benefits upon us out of the magnitude of Divine Love.
  4. Neither have human merit or previous good works, rendered us worthy of this remarkable Gift.
    If God has loved to excess or given of Himself unstintingly, it is rather to be attributed to the immensity of Divine charity.
  5. God’s Love for us is untainted by the blemish of the self-interest present in human affections.
    For what is the totality of human greatness to Him, the Source of all happiness and glory?
    How could we possibly add glory to Glory itself?
    The advantages, then, are all on the side of man.    ”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PAUL!, St PETER!

One Minute Reflection – 26 April – ‘… Yes, the Apostle chosen to be his co-worker merited to share the same Name as Christ. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 26 April – St Pope Cletus (c25-c89) The 3rd Bishop of Rome and Martyr and St Pope Marcellinus (Died 304) Martyr and the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel –1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11; Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And I say to thee that thou art Peter and upon this rock I sgall build My Church …” – Matthew 16:18

REFLECTION – “Thou art Peter and upon this rock I shall build My Church.” He was given this name of ‘Peter’ because he was the first to set the foundations of the faith among the nations and because, he is the indestructible rock on which rests the judgement seat and the whole edifice, belonging to Christ Jesus. It was on account of his faithfulness that he was called Peter, whereas our Lord receives the same name on account of his power according to Saint Paul’s words: “They drank from a spiritual rock which followed them and that rock ,was the Christ” (1 Cor 10:4). Yes, the Apostle chosen to be his co-worker merited to share the same Name as Christ. They built the same building together – Peter does the planting, the Lord gives the increase and it is the Lord, too, Who sends those who will do the watering (cf 1 Cor 3:6).

As you know, my beloved, it was following on from his own failure, when our Saviour suffered that blessed Peter was raised up. It was after he had denied the Lord that he became the first next to Him. Rendered more faithful when he wept over the faith he had betrayed, he received a still greater grace than the one he had lost. To him, Christ confided his flock, so that he might guide it like a good shepherd and he, who had been so weak, would now become the support of all. He, who had fallen, when questioned about his faith, must now establish the others on the unshakeable foundations of faith. Hence, he is called the foundation-stone of the piety of the Church.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon attributed to Saint Augustine).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of thine eternal gladness. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Our Morning Offering – 26 April – O Mother of Good Counsel By Pope Pius XII (

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Our Morning Offering – 26 April – Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel

O Mother of Good Counsel
By Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

O Holy Virgin, to whose feet we are led
by our anxious uncertainty in our search for
and attainment of, what is true and good,
invoking thee by the sweet title of Mother of Good Counsel,
we beseech thee to come to our assistance,
when, along the road of this life,
the darkness of error and of evil
conspire towards our ruin,
by leading our minds and our hearts astray.
O Seat of Wisdom and Star of the Sea,
enlighten the doubtful and the erring
that they, be not seduced,
by the false appearances of good;
render them steadfast in the face of the hostile
and corrupting influences, of passion and of sin.
O Mother of Good Counsel,
obtain for us from thy Divine Son,
a great love of virtue and,
in the hour of uncertainty and trial,
the strength to embrace the way
which leads to our salvation.
If thy hand sustains us,
we shall walk unmolested,
along the path indicated to us,
by the Life and Words of Jesus, our Redeemer
and, having followed freely and securely,
even in the midst of this world’s strife,
the Sun of Truth and Justice,
under thy maternal Star,
we shall come to the enjoyment of full
and eternal peace, with thee,
in the Haven of Salvation.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, HOLY COMMUNION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on SIN, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 25 April – The Manner in which We Oughtto Receive the Blessed Sacrament (Part One)

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Thought for the Day – 25 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LIV: … The Manner in which We Ought
to Receive the Blessed Sacrament (Part One)

“The Motives for approaching this Divine Sacrament are many, from which it follows that there are various requirements to be observed at three different times:
Before Communion
At the moment of reception of Communion
After Communion

  1. BEFORE COMMUNION: Whatever be our motive, we must, if stained with mortal sin, cleanse ourselves in the Sacrament of Penance.
    And with all sincerity of heart, we must offer ourselves to Jesus Christ, consecrating our souls and all their faculties to His service.
    For, it is in this Sacrament that He bestows to mankind, His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, together with the immense and inexhaustible treasure of His Infinite merits.
    And as all of our gifts to Him are insignificant, when compared to His gifts to us, we should desire nothing less, than the totality of merits gained by the created beings of the universe, to offer as a gift deserving His regard.
    If our desire is victory over spiritual adversaries, we should meditate for some time previous to the reception of Communion on the incomprehensibly ardent desire, of our Saviour to be one with us in suppressing our inordinate appetites.

In order, however, to formulate some idea of this Divine wish in our regard, we might consider two things.
The first is the ineffable joy with which Wisdom Incarnate dwells among us, for He calls it His delight [Prov VIII:31].
The second is the implacable hatred He bears toward mortal sin, inasmuch as it is both an insuperable obstacle to that much-desired intimate union with Him and in utter opposition to His Divine perfections.
For as God is sovereignly good, a Light undimmed and Beauty inviolate, He must inevitably hate sin which is all malice, all darkness and all corruption.
So burning indeed is this hatred of God for sin that the entire dispensation of the Old and New Testaments, has been ordained for its destruction.
Several of God’s Saints have said that Divinity would have suffered a thousand deaths on a thousand Golgothas, if the smallest faults could be annihilated within us.
These considerations, rudimentary as they are, may enable you to see ,how much our Saviour desires to dwell within our hearts to expiate therefrom, our common enemies; thus we should welcome Him with all the fervour of which we are capable.
The joyful expectancy of His arrival will raise our courage and inspire us to war anew on our predominant passion, by performing many
acts of the contrary virtue.
Particularly should this be so on the evening before and on the morning of our reception of Holy Communion.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on MISSION, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Da y – 25 April – “Go into the whole world and preach the Gospelto every creature.”- Mark 16:15

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 April – St Mark Evangelist

“For the Son of Man came not to be served
but to serve and to give His Life
as a ransom for many …”

Mark 10:45

“Go into the whole world
and preach the Gospel
to every creature.”
Mark 16:15

“You have heard what the Lord said
to His disciples after the Resurrection.
He sent them out to preach the Gospel
and they did so.
Listen: “Through all the earth their voice resounds
and to the ends of the world, their message” (Ps 18[19],5).
Step by step, the Gospel has reached even to us
and the ends of the earth.
In a few words the Lord, addressing Himself
to His disciples, set out what we are to do
and what we have to hope for.
Just as you have heard, He said:
“Whoever believes and is Baptised will be saved.”
He asks for our faith and offers us salvation.
What He offers us, is so precious
that what He asks of us, is as nothing.”

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

“At that time, the Lord appointed
seventy-two others
and sent them forth …”
Luke 10:1

“By saying that He is sending them
as the Father has sent Him, therefore,
He summarised, in a few words,
the character of the Apostles’ mission.
In this way, they would know that they were bound
to call sinners to repentance,
to heal the sick, whether of body or soul
and in all their dealings as stewards,
not by any means to follow their own will
but the will of Him Who sent them and,
finally, to save the world,
insofar as it received the teachings of the Lord.”

St Cyril of Alexandria (380-444)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 April – ‘… Gentleness confronts the arrogant with far greater strength!’

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One Minute Reflection – 25 April – St Mark Evangelist – Ezekiel 1:10-14; … Luke 10:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them forth …” – Luke 10:1

REFLECTION – “As He sent out disciples into His harvest – which had, in truth, been sown by the Father’s Word but which required, to be worked over, cultivated and carefully tended, if the birds were not to ravage the seed – Jesus said to them: “Behold, I send you out like lambs among wolves”. … The Good Shepherd could not but fear wolves amongst His flock: these disciples were sent to spread grace abroad, not to become a prey. But the Good Shepherd’s care prevented the wolves from doing anything against the lambs he sends out. He sends them that Isaiah’s prophecy might be fulfilled: “The wolf and the lamb shall graze alike” (Is 65:25) … And besides, were not the disciples who were sent ordered not even to carry a staff? …

What our humble Lord laid down, His disciples also accomplished by practicing humility. For He sends them out to announce the faith, not by force but by their teaching; not by exerting force of will but by exalting the doctrine of humility. And He thought well to link patience to humility, since, according to Peter’s testimony: “When He was insulted, He returned no insult; when He suffered, He did not threaten” (1 Pet 2:23).

This amounts to saying: “Be imitators of Me, let go of your thirst for revenge, respond to the blows of pride, not by returning evil for evil but, with the patience that forgives. No-one should perform, on their own account, what they reprehend in others – gentleness confronts the arrogant with far greater strength!” – St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor of the Church (Commentary on St Luke’s Gospel 7:45,59).

PRAYER – O God, Who didst exalt Thy blessed Evangelist Mark, by giving him grace to preach Thine Evangel, grant unto us, we beseech Thee, ever to follow more and more what he teaches and ever to be shielded from all evil by his prayers. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in Act of SPIRITUAL COMMUNION, HOLY COMMUNION, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 24 April – Concerning the Most Holy Sacramentof the Eucharist

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Thought for the Day – 24 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LIII: … Concerning the Most Holy Sacrament
of the Eucharist

“Thus far, I have tried, as perhaps you have observed, to furnish you with four kinds of spiritual weapons and the methods by which they may profitably be employed.
It remains to present to you the invaluable aids to be derived from the Holy Eucharist in subduing the enemies of perfection and salvation.

As this sublime Sacrament towers above the others in dignity and efficacy, it is the most terrible of all weapons to the infernal powers.
The methods previously treated have no force but through the merits of Jesus Christ and by the grace He has purchased for us by His Precious Blood but the Eucharist is Jesus Christ Himself, His Body, His Blood, His Soul and Divinity.

The former methods are bestowed upon us by God that we may use them in subduing the enemy through Jesus Christ but, the Eucharist is given that we may fight against the enemy with Him!
For by eating the Body of Jesus and drinking His Blood we dwell in Him and He in us.

We may eat His Body and drink His Blood in reality every day and spiritually every hour, both of which are highly profitable and holy.
The latter should be practiced as often as possible, the former as often as shall be judged expedient.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY SPIRIT, CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY, St JOSEPH, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 April – St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 April – The Octave Day of the Patronage of St Joseph

“Saint Joseph was the just man:
by his constant fidelity -an effect of justice;
by his perfect discretion – a sister to prudence;
by his upright conduct – a mark of strength
and by his inviolable chastity – a flower of temperance.”

St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

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

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

“It is impossible, that he could be denied
the favours for which he asks
and which we should request him
to obtain for us.
Let us go to him trustingly
but, let us remember,
that the surest way of being heard by him,
is to imitate his wonderful virtues,
especially his humility,
his spirit of prayer,
his purity and his calm desire always,
to do God’s will.”

“This holy Patriarch was as resigned
to the poverty of the manger
and the discomforts of exile,
as he was grateful to God for the wonderful gifts
and joys which he had been granted.
He knew that God could have solved,
by a single act of His Divine Will,
all the problems which he encountered throughout life.
But he never asked for such a favour.
His only desire was to do God’s Will perfectly.
Let this be our desire too and let us never cease
to ask God for this grace.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on WISDOM, ST FRANCIS de SALES, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 April – ‘ … There is no doubt at all, that Saint Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon …’

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One Minute Reflection – 24 April – The Octave Day of the Patronage of St Joseph – St Fidelis of Sigmaringen OFM Cap (1577-1622) Martyr – Genesis 49:22-26; Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “How faithful in humility was the great Saint we are celebrating! That cannot be said in all its perfection for, in spite of what he was, in what poverty and lowliness he lived all the days of his life, a poverty and lowliness beneath which he kept hidden and concealed his great virtues and dignity!… Truly, I have no doubt at all, that the angels came, beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank, to behold and wonder at his humility, while he sheltered that dearest Child, in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment, so as to feed the little Boy and the mother entrusted to him.

There is no doubt at all, that Saint Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon, [who were his ancestors]. Nevertheless, seeing him reduced to the exercise of carpentry, who could have discerned this, unless they were enlightened by a heavenly light, so hidden did he keep the remarkable gifts, with which God had favoured him?

And what wisdom did he not have? For God gave him, His most glorious Son to care for… the universal Prince of heaven and earth… Nevertheless, you can see how low and humbled he was brought, more than can be said or imagined… he went to his own country and town of Bethlehem and none but he, was turned away from all those inns…

Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands. He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes, he orders him to return and he returns. God wants him to be always poor… and he submits to it with love and not only for a while, for he was poor his whole life long.”- St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church – Conferences, no. 19

PRAYER – God, Who didst vouchsafe to enkindle in blessed Fidelis, the fire of Thy Seraphim and to glorify his toil, to give men a true knowledge of Thee, didst by the Palm-branch of Martyrdom and by great signs and wonders, be entreated, we beseech Thee, for his sake and by his prayers and so, establish us in the knowledge and love of thee, that we also, like him, may be found faithful even unto death, in serving of Thee.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in GOOD RESOLUTIONS, OUR Cross, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 23 April – The Benefits derived from Meditations on the Cross and the Imitation of the Virtues of Christ Crucified

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Thought for the Day – 23 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LII: … The Benefits derived from Meditations on the Cross
and the Imitation of the Virtues of Christ Crucified

“GREAT are the ADVANTAGES to be derived from meditating on the Cross, the first of which is, not only a detestation of past sins but also, the firm resolution to fight against our ever-present disorderly appetites which, Crucified our Saviour.
The second advantage is, the forgiveness of sins, obtained from Jesus Crucified and, a wholesome self-contempt which inspires us, forever to forsake offending Him and continually to love and serve Him with all our heart, in acknowledgment of that which He suffered for our sakes.

The third, is the unceasing labour with which we root out all depraved habits, however trivial they may appear.
The fourth consists in our ardent efforts to imitate our Divine Master, Who died, not only to expiate our sins but, to bequeath to us, the sublime example of a life of sanctity and perfection.

The following method of meditation will be highly serviceable, assuming, as I do, that you particularly wish to imitate the patience of your Saviour in carrying your crosses.
Consider well these several points:

What the Soul of Christ suffered for God.
What God did for the Soul of Jesus.
What the Soul of Jesus did, for itself and its Body.
What Jesus did for us.
What we ought to do for Jesus.

  1. Consider in the first place that the Soul of Jesus engulfed in the ocean of Divinity, contemplated that Infinite and Incomprehensible Being, before Whom, even the most exalted of creatures is utterly insignificant – contemplated, I say, in a state so debased as to suffer the vilest indignities of ungrateful man, without the least diminution of its essential glory and splendour.
    And from the depths of its suffering, the Soul of Christ adored its Sovereign Majesty, giving it myriad thanks and accepting all for its sake.
  2. Behold, on the other hand, what God bestowed on the Soul of Jesus – consider that the Divine Will decreed the scourgings, spittle, blasphemies, buffetings, crown of thorns, for love of us and the crucifixion which were meted out to Jesus, the Only and Beloved Son of God.
    See with what delight God, knowing the admirable end to which it was all directed, beheld His Divine Son, loaded with infamy and overwhelmed with affliction.
  3. Contemplate next, the Soul of Jesus and observe with what alacrity it submitted itself to the Will of God, either because of the immensity of its Divine Perfection, or the Infinity of Divine Favour bestowed upon it.
    Who can describe the ardent affection of this Soul for crosses?
    This was a Soul which sought, even new ways of suffering,and failing in this, abandoned itself and the innocent Body to the mercy of miscreants and the powers of Hell.
  4. Turn, then, your eyes to Jesus, Who, from the midst of His Agony, addresses you in this affectionate manner:
    “See to what depths of misery I am reduced by thy ungovernable will, which refuses the least constraint in compliance with mine.
    Behold the horrible pains I endure, with no other purpose than to teach thee a lesson of patience.
    And let me persuade you, by all these sufferings, to accept with resignation, this cross I here present and those which I shall send in the future.
    Surrender your reputation to calumny and your body to the fury of the persecutors whom I shall choose for your trial, however vile and inhuman they may be.
    Oh, that you didst know what delight your patience and resignation afford me!
    But then, how can you be ignorant of it, when you behold these wounds received to purchase for you, those virtues with which I would adorn your soul, more dear to me, than life itself?
    If I have suffered this debasement for you, can you not bear a light affliction, in order to lessen My Agony to some degree?
    Can you refuse to heal those Wounds, I have received, through your impatience, Wounds more cruel to me than physical anguish    ?”
  5. Consider who it is who speaks thus to you – consider that it is Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, true God and true Man.
    Consider too, the magnitude of His torments and humiliations, greater than that deserved by the most vicious of criminals. Be
    astonished to behold Him in the midst of these agonies, not only firm and resolute but even replenished with joy, as if the day of His Passion was a day of triumph.
    Just as a few drops of water sprinkled upon a flame, only adds a fresh intensity to its glow, so did His torments, embraced in a charity which made the burden seem light, serve to augment his joy and desire of suffering still greater affliction.
    Moreover, reflect that throughout His entire life, He was motivated, not by compulsion or self-interest but rather, by pure love alone that you may learn from Him, the manner of practicing patience.
    Endeavour, therefore, to attain a perfect knowledge of what He demands of you and consider His delight at your practice of patience. Then form an ardent desire of carrying this cross and heavier ones, not only with patience but with joy, that you may more exactly imitate Christ Crucified and render yourself more acceptable to Him!

Picture to yourself all the torments and indignities of His Passion and amazed at His constancy, blush at your own weakness.
Look upon your sufferings as merely imaginative, when compared to His and regard your patience as not even the faintest anticipation of His.
Dread nothing so much as an unwillingness to suffer for your Saviour, rejecting such unwillingness as a suggestion from Hell.

Consider Jesus on the Cross as you would a devout book, worthy of your unceasing study and, by which you may learn the practice of the most heroic virtues.
This is the book which may truly be called the “Book of Life” [Apocalypse, III, 5], which, at once enlightens the mind by its doctrines and inflames the will by its examples.
The world is full of books but were it possible for man to read them all, he would never be so well instructed, to hate vice and embrace virtue, as by contemplating a Crucified God!

But remember that there are those who spend hours lamenting the Passion of our Lord and admiring His patience and yet, on the first occasion, betray as great an impatience, in suffering, as if they had never thought of the Cross.
Such men are like untried soldiers, who, in their barracks breathe nothing but conquest but on the first appearance of the enemy, beat
a hasty and inglorious retreat!
What is more despicable after considering, admiring and extolling the virtues of our Redeemer, than to forget them all, in an instant, when an opportunity of practicing them presents itself!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in FRANCISCAN OFM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, SELF-DISTRUST

Quote/s of the Day – 23 April – Blessed Giles of Assisi

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 April – Blessed Giles of Assisi OFM (c1190-1262) Friar and Missionary of the Order of Friars Minor, Friend and the 3rd follower of St Francis.

A Brother said to Brother Giles:
“ Father, I have seen other men who received from God
the grace of devotion and of tears in their prayers
and I cannot feel in myself any such grace,
when I go to worship God.”
To whom Brother Giles answered:
“My Brother, I counsel thee to persevere humbly
and faithfully in thy prayers;
for the fruits of the earth cannot be had without toil
and labour applied beforehand
and even after we have laboured,
the desired fruit does not follow immediately
but only in its season, when the fullness of time has come.”

“Happiness is to do bodily labour
for the love of the Most High
and not to take any lesser wages than Paradise,
for the good work one does.”

“If thou wouldst see well, pluck out thine eyes and be blind;
if thou wouldst hear well, be deaf
and if thou wouldst speak well, become dumb;
if thou wouldst advance, stand still
and advance with thy mind;
if thou wouldst work well, cut off thy hands
and work with thy heart;
if thou wouldst love much, hate thyself;
if thou wouldst live well, mortify thyself;
if thou wouldst gain much and be rich,
first lose all and become poor
and if thou wouldst enjoy peace, afflict thyself
and be ever in fear and suspect thine own self;
if thou wouldst be exalted and have great honour,
humble and abase thyself;
if thou wouldst be held in great reverence, despise thyself
and do reverence to him who reviles thee;
if thou wouldst that it should be well with thee,
suffer all evil things and if thou wouldst be blessed,
desire that all should speak ill of thee
and if thou wouldst have true and eternal rest,
then toil and suffer and desire to have every temporal affliction.
O what great wisdom it is to know how to do
and to work out these things.”

Blessed Giles of Assisi (c1190-1262)

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 April – “Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4

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One Minute Reflection – 23 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St George (Died c 303) Martyr – 2 Timothy 2:8-10; 3:10-12; John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4

REFLECTION – “ [Jesus] is our only Master, who must teach us; our only Lord, on Whom we must depend; our only Head, to Whom alone we should belong; our only Model, Whom we should imitate; our only Physician, Who must heal us; our only Shepherd, Who must feed us; our only Way, Who must lead us; our only Truth, Whom we must believe; our only Life, Who must be our life and our sole sufficiency in all things that in Him, we may have all in All. Except the Name of Jesus, there is no other name given under Heaven, whereby we must be saved and apart from Jesus Christ,

God has given us no other foundation of our salvation, our perfection and our glory: “for other foundation no man can lay but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 3:11). Every house which is not built upon this firm Rock, is founded on the shifting sands and will inevitably fall, sooner or later. Every soul who is not united with Christ, as a branch to the stem of the vine, will fall off, wither and become fit only for the fire. If we are in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in us, we need not fear damnation; neither Angels in Heaven, nor men on earth, neither demons in hell, nor any other creature, can harm us because they cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (cf. Rm 8:38-39).” – St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716) Priest, Renowned Preacher, Founder of Religious Communities [Treatise on the true devotion to the Blessed Virgin (Article one; First Truth)]

PRAYER – O God, Who dost gladden us through the worthy deeds and prayers of thy blessed Martyr George, mercifully grant that all they, who seek Thy mercy through him, may effectually obtain the gift of Thy grace. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, FRANCISCAN OFM, GOD is LOVE, GOD the FATHER, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PEACE

Our Morning Offering – 23 April – Prayer in Praise of God By St Francis of Assisi

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Our Morning Offering – 23 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”

Prayer in Praise of God
By St Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226)

Thou art Holy, Lord, the only God
and Thine Deeds art wonderful.
Thou art Strong.
Thou art Great.
Thou art the Most High.
Thou art Almighty.
Thou, Holy Father art King of Heaven and earth.
Thou art Three and One, Lord God, all Good.
Thou art Good, all Good, Supreme Good,
Lord God, Living and True.
Thou art Love. Thou art Wisdom.
Thou art Humility. Thou art Endurance.
Thou art Rest. Thou art Peace.
Thou art Joy and Gladness.
Thou art Justice and Moderation.
Thou art all our Riches and Thou art Suffice for us.
Thou art Beauty. Thou art Gentleness.
Thou art our Protector.
Thou art our Guardian and Defender.
Thou art our Courage.
Thou art our Haven and our Hope.
Thou art our Faith, our great Consolation.
Thou art our Eternal Life,
Great and Wonderful Lord, God Almighty,
Merciful Saviour.
Amen

Posted in QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The PASSION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 22 April – Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ (Part Three)

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Thought for the Day – 22 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LI: … Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ
(Part Three)

“Moreover, as this Divine Saviour loved mankind to an ineffable degree, such an ardent and tender love must have caused Him much sorrow for the sins which would tear men from Him.
For He knew that no-one could sin mortally, without destroying that sanctifying grace which is the bond between Himself and the just.
And this separation would cause Jesus greater anguish of soul than dislocated limbs caused His body.
For the soul, altogether spiritual and immeasurably superior to the body, is much more delicately attuned to pain.
But of all the afflictions of our blessed Saviour, the most grievous, doubtless, was the sight of the damned, incapable of repentance, who must inevitably be banished, from His presence, for all eternity.

If the contemplation of such suffering moves you to compassion for your dying Jesus, meditate further and you will find that His excessive suffering was not caused by your sins alone; for His Precious Blood was shed, not only to cleanse you from the sins you have committed, but to preserve you from those you might have committed were you unaided by Heaven.

It is a fact that you will never be without motives for taking part in the sufferings of Jesus Crucified.
Know, moreover, that human nature never was and never will be, subject to any affliction which was unknown to Him.
He suffered from injuries, reproaches, temptations, pains, loss of goods, voluntary austerities, more acutely, than those who groan under.
For, as this tender Saviour had a perfect comprehension of any affliction of mind or body to which we are prone, even to the least pain or headache.
He must certainly have been moved with great compassion for us.

Who, however, can express what He felt at the sight of His Blessed Mother’s pain and grief?
For she shared in all the pangs and outrages which attended His Passion and, with the same views and from the same motives.
And although her sufferings were infinitely short of His, they were excruciating beyond expression.
The awareness of our Lady’s agony redoubled the sorrows of Jesus and pierced His heart still deeper.
Hence it was that a certain devout soul compared the heart of Jesus to a burning furnace in which He voluntarily suffered from the ardent flames of Divine love.

And after all, what is the cause of such unspeakable agony?
Nothing but our sins – this is the answer.
Therefore, the greatest compassion and gratitude we can possibly show towards Him, Who has suffered so much for us, is to be truly sorry for our past offences, out of pure love for Him; to detest sin with all the fervour of our soul because it is displeasing to Him and to wage ceaseless war against our evil inclinations because, they are His greatest enemies.

Thus divesting ourselves of the old man and putting on the new, we adorn our souls with virtue, in which alone, their beauty consists.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/20/thought-for-the-day-20-april-meditation-on-the-sufferings-of-christ-part-
PART TWO:

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, St PETER!, The KINGDOM of GOD, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 April – But seek first the Kingdom of God

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 April – St Pope Soter (Died c174) Martyr and St Pope Caius I (Died 296) Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11; … Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And I say to thee: That thou art Peter
and upon this rock, I will build My Church
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Matthew 16:18

“But the God of all grace,
Who hath called us into His eternal glory
in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little,
will Himself perfect you and confirm you
and establish you.
To Him be glory and empire
forever and ever. Amen.”

1 Peter 5:10-11

“Look at the fig tree and all the trees,
when they produce their fruit you know that summer is near.
So too, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.”
Luke 21:29-31

“He means that just as the coming of summer
is recognised by the fruit on the trees,
so is the nearness of the Kingdom of God recognised
by the destruction of the world.
These words show that the fruit of the world is destruction –
it increases only to fall, it produces, only to destroy
by its disasters whatever it produces.
The Kingdom of God is aptly compared to summer,
because it is then that the clouds of our sorrow pass away
and the days of life shine
with the brightness of the Eternal Sun. …
Therefore, my friends, do not love
what you see cannot long exist.
Keep in mind the Apostle John’s precept,
in which he counsels us not “to love the world
or the things in the world because,
if anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn 2:15).”

St Gregory the Great (540-604)
Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church

“But seek first the Kingdom of God
and His righteousness
and all these things shall be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33

“But, [you will tell me],
there is so much to do, so many household jobs,
so much business in town, in the fields –
work everywhere! Do we have to abandon it all, then,
so as to think of nothing but God?”
No – but these occupations have to be sanctified
by seeking God in them and doing them
to find Him in them, rather than, to see them done.
What our Lord wants, is for us to seek His glory,
His Kingdom, His righteousness, before all else
and, for this, to make our foundation the interior life,
faith, trust, love, religious exercises…, labours and sufferings,
with God our Sovereign Lord in view…
Once we are firmly set in the search for God’s glory,
we can be assured that the rest will follow.”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on HOPE, The KINGDOM of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 April – ‘ … And can the hope of this great happiness be without happiness, even now?!’

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One Minute Reflection – 22 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Pope Soter (Died c174) Martyr and St Pope Caius I (Died 296) Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11; … Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And I shall give to thee, the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.” – Matthew 16:19

REFLECTION – “They went forth, sowing their seeds.” But why? Shall they always weep? God forbid! “They shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves” (Ps 125:8). And so rightly do they shout for joy, since they bring back sheaves of glory. But you say – “that is for the resurrection on the last day; a long time to wait!”

Do not permit your will to be broken, do not yield to pusillanimity; you have, in the meantime “the first-fruits of the Spirit” (2 Cor 1:22) which, even now, you may reap with joy. Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the hope of life. These words do not postpone your triumph until the last day, when the object of your desire will be possessed, not hoped for; they refer to the time now, at your disposal. But when eternal life does come, what great gladness there will be, what joy beyond imagining! And can the hope of this great happiness be without happiness, even now?!” – St Bernard (1090-1153) Father and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church (Sermons on the Song of Songs No 37).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Soter and Caius, Thy Martyrs and Sovereign Pontiffs, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherds of the whole Church. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, HYMNS, PARTIAL Indulgence, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Our Morning Offering – 22 April – Glory Be to Jesus – Indulgenced

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Our Morning Offering – 22 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”

Glory Be to Jesus,
Who in Bitter Pains
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori 1696–1787) [Attrib]
Transl. Fr Edward Caswell CO (1814-1878)
(An Indulgence of 100 days)

Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pain
Poured for me the life-Blood
From His sacred veins.

Grace and life eternal
In that Blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind.

Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream,
Which from endless torments
Dost the world redeem.

Abel’s blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies;
But the Blood of Jesus
For our pardon cries.

Oft as it is sprinkled
On our guilty hearts,
Satan in confusion
Terror-struck departs.

Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Angel-hosts rejoicing
Make their glad reply.

Lift ye then your voices;
Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
Praise the Precious Blood.

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, GOD the FATHER, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The PASSION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 21 April – Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ (Part Two)

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Thought for the Day – 21 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LI: … Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ
(Part Two)

“If you would have a lively sorrow for your sins, let your meditation convince you that if Jesus Christ suffered so much, it was to inspire you with wholesome self-contempt and a hatred of your disorderly passions, particularly your greatest faults which are naturally most offensive to Almighty God.

And if you would excite sentiments of admiration, you need only consider that nothing is more shocking than the sight of the Creator of the universe, the Fountain of Life, butchered by His own creatures, the right of the Supreme Majesty, as it were, annihilated, Justice condemned, Beauty defiled and lost in filth, the Beloved of the Eternal Father become the hated of sinners.
Light inaccessible is overwhelmed by the powers of darkness; Uncreated glory and felicity are buried under ignominy and wretchedness!

To arouse compassion in your heart for the sufferings of your Saviour and God, exclusive of His exterior pains, consider the most acute of His sufferings, His interior anguish.
For if you are moved by the first, you will be pierced with grief at the sight of the second.
The soul of Christ beheld the Divinity in Heaven, then as clearly as it does now.
It knew how much God deserved to be honoured and, as it infinitely loved Him, desired that all creatures should love Him with all the power of their souls.
Seeing Him, therefore, so horribly dishonoured throughout the world by countless, abominable crimes, it was overwhelmed with grief that the Divine Majesty was not loved and served by all men.
As the greatness of this desire of the soul of Christ that His Father be loved, was beyond imagination, it is futile to try to comprehend the depths of His interior sufferings in the agonies of death.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/20/thought-for-the-day-20-april-meditation-on-the-sufferings-of-christ-part-one/

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of PETITION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 April – St Anselm

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 April – St Anselm (1033-1109) ArchBishop of Canterbury, Confessor, Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church

“No-one will have any other desire in Heaven
than what God wills and the desire of one,
will be the desire of all and the desire of all
and of each one, will also be the desire of God.”

O Lord Our God, Grant Us Grace
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Archbishop of Canterbury
Doctor of the Church

O Lord our God,
grant us grace to desire Thee
with our whole heart;
that, so desiring, we may seek
and, seeking, find Thee
and so finding Thee,
may love Thee
and loving Thee,
may hate those sins
from which Thou hast redeemed us.
Amen.

A Prayer for All in Need
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Archbishop of Canterbury
Doctor of the Church

O Lord,
we bring before Thee,
the distress and dangers
of peoples and nations,
the pleas of the imprisoned
and the captive,
the sorrows of the grief-stricken,
the needs of the refugee,
the impotence of the weak,
the weariness of the despondent
and the diminishments of the aging.
O Lord, stay close to them all.
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/21/quote-s-of-the-day-21-april-st-anselm-2/

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on JOY, The KINGDOM of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 April – ‘ … And what is the Kingdom of Heaven ? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 21 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – The Third Sunday after Easter – St Anselm (1033-1109) Bishop, Confessor, Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church – 1 Peter 2:11-19; John 16:16-22 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“So also you now indeed have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice. And your joy no man shall take from you.” – John 16:22

REFLECTION – “What is true joy, brethren, other than the Kingdom of Heaven? And what is the Kingdom of Heaven other than Christ our Lord? I know that everyone wants to have true joy. But the person who wants to be happy with his harvest, without cultivating his field, is deluding himself; the person who wants to harvest fruit without planting trees is mistaken. We cannot have true joy, without righteousness and peace … At present, respecting righteousness and having peace, we work hard for a short time like people bent over good work. But afterwards, we will rejoice without end because of the fruit of that work.

Listen to the Apostle Paul, who said of Christ: “It is He Who is our peace.” (Eph 2:14) … And speaking to His disciples, the Lord told them: “I shall see you again, then your hearts will rejoice with a joy no one can take from you.” What is that joy which no-one can take from you, other than your Lord Himself, Whom no man can take from you?

So examine your conscience, brethren – if righteousness reigns there, if you want, desire and wish the same thing for everyone as for yourself, if there is peace in you, not only with your friends but equally with your enemies, then know that the Kingdom of Heaven, which is to say Christ the Lord, abides in you.” – St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Bishop, Father (Sermon 166).

PRAYER – O God, Who didst give blessed Anselm to be Thy people’s minister in eternal salvation, grant we pray, that we, who have him for teacher of life here on earth, may also deserve now that he is in Heaven, to have him for an advocate. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 21 April – The Joy of My Lord By St Anselm ‬

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Our Morning Offering – 21 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Anselm (of Canterbury) OSB (1033-1109) Bishop, Confessor, Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church

The Joy of My Lord
By St Anselm ‬(1033-1109)
Doctor of the Church

I beseech Thee, O my God,
that I may know Thee, love Thee,
and rejoice in Thee.
If in this life, I cannot do these things fully,
grant that I may, at the least,
progress in them, from day to day.
Advance in me, the knowledge of Thee, now
that in the life to come, it may be complete.
Increase in me, the love of Thee, here
that there, it may be overflowing.
O God of Truth,
I pray, that I may obtain
that which Thou promise
that my joy may be complete.
And in the meantime,
let my mind meditate on it,
let my soul hunger after it
and my whole being long for it,
till at last, I enter into the joy of my Lord,
Who is God, blessed forever.
Amen

Posted in GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 20 April – Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ (Part One)

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Thought for the Day – 20 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LI: … Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ
(Part One)

“That which I previously prescribed concerning the method of praying and meditating on the sufferings of our Lord and Saviour, regarded only the petition of those things of which we stand in need – now, we are to proceed to the adoption of the proper sentiments from our considerations.
For instance, if you have chosen the Crucifixion and its attendant circumstances, as the subject of your Meditation, you may dwell on the following considerations.

Consider firstly, the arrival of Jesus on Mount Calvary.
His executioners rudely stripped Him, tearing the garments off which
adhered to the torn flesh of His lacerated body.
Consider next the fresh wounds made in His Sacred Head by the Crown of Thorns, removed and reset by his barbarous executioners.
Next,visualise Him nailed to the Cross with spikes, driven through the flesh and bone into the wood with a large hammer.
Consider that His hands, not reaching the places designed for them, were stretched so violently that all His bones were dislocated, enabling the onlookers to count His very bones [Psalm XXL:18].
Then think of the actual elevation of the Cross,and the weight of Christ’s body resting on nails which tore gaping wounds in His hands and feet, giving Him excruciating pain.

If, by these and similar considerations you wish to enkindle the flames of Divine love within your heart, try to attain, by meditation, a sublime knowledge of the Infinite Goodness of your Saviour, Who, for you, condescended to suffer so much.
For the more you advance in the knowledge of His love for you, the greater will be your love and affection for Him.
Being convinced of His extraordinary charity, you will naturally conceive a sincere sorrow for having, so often and so heinously, offended Him, Who offered Himself as a sacrifice for your offences.

Proceed then to make acts of hope, considering that this great God on the Cross, had no other plan than to extirpate sin from the world, to free you from the devil, to expiate your crimes, to reconcile you to His Father and to provide a resource for you in all your necessities.
But if, after contemplating His passion, you consider its effects, your sorrow will be turned into joy.
For observe that by Christ’s Death, the sins of humanity were blotted
out, the anger of a Sovereign Judge appeased, the powers of Hell
defeated, death itself vanquished and the places of the fallen Angels filed in Heaven.
And the joy arising from such reflections will be increased by thinking of the joy with which the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin, the Church Militant and Triumphant received the glad, tidings of the Redemption of Mankind.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 April – ‘ … This Son, however, adopted (fore)fathers whom He chose for Himself. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 20 April – Within the Octave of the Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph – Genesis 49:22-26; Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “This is the miracle – He Who adopted and begot fathers, was born from their sons! They were made His fathers whose Son He was not! He did them a favour by being their Son. They, however, offered Him nothing by being His forefathers. Among men, fathers adopt whomever they wish to be their sons. This Son, however, adopted fathers whom He chose for Himself. Among men, sons receive the honour of birth from their fathers. But in Christ’s case, the fathers received honour from the Son!

The text reads, “Although His Mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they married, she was found to be with child by the Holy Ghost.” Subsequently, all Saints would be born from the virgin Church which is betrothed to Christ. … Sons often imitate the example of their father. Note that Mary was betrothed to a carpenter. Christ, betrothed to the Church, was about to fashion for humanity, salvation in its entirety and his entire Work from the Wood of the Cross!” – ACW (Ancient Christian Writer) (Extract from Incomplete Work on Matthew, Homily 1).

PRAYER – God, Who in thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph, to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant that now that he is in Heaven with Thee, we who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be helped by the succour of his prayers to Thee on our behalf. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on MEDITATION, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 19 April – Meditation and Prayer through the Intercession of the Saints and the Angels

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Thought for the Day – 19 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

L: … Meditation and Prayer through the
Intercession of the Saints and the Angels

“The TWO following METHODS of obtaining the protection of the Saints and Angels, maybe of great assistance.

The first method is to address yourself to the eternal Father, laying before Him the hymns of Heavenly choirs, the labours, persecutions and torments suffered by the Saints on earth for love of Him.
Then, in recalling their fidelity and love, beseech Him to grant your petitions.

The second method is to invoke the Angels, those blessed spirits, earnestly desirous, not only of our earthly perfection but, of our greater Heavenly perfection.
Earnestly beseech them to assist you in subduing your evil inclinations and conquering the enemies of your salvation and beg a particular remembrance at the hour of death.

Sometimes think over the extraordinary graces God has granted to the Saints and Angels and rejoice as if they had been bestowed upon yourself.– rather, let your joy be even greater, for His having bestowed such favours upon them, rather than upon yourself, for such was His Will and you should bless and praise God in the accomplishment of His Divine Plan.

To facilitate the regularity and performance of this exercise, it would be well to assign the different days of the week to the different orders of the blessed.
On Sunday, implore the intercession of the nine Angelic choirs; on Monday, invoke Saint John the Baptist; on Tuesday, the Patriarchs and Prophets; on Wednesday, the Apostles; on Thursday, the Martyrs; on Friday, Bishops and Confessors; on Saturday, the Virgins and other Saints.
But let no day pass without imploring the assistance of Our Lady, the Queen of all the Saints, your Guardian Angel, the glorious Archangel Saint Michael, or any other Saint to whom you have any particular devotion.
Moreover, beseech daily the eternal Father, His Divine Son and the Blessed Virgin that you may be particularly under the protection of Saint Joseph, the worthy spouse of the most chaste of virgins.
Then addressing yourself to this loving protector, ask with great humility, to be received into his care.
For innumerable are the instances of assistance afforded to those who have called upon St Joseph in their spiritual or temporal necessities.
Particularly, has he aided them when they stood in need of Light from Heaven and direction in their prayers.

And if God shows so much regard for the other Saints who have loved and served Him here below, how much consideration and deference will He not show, for the person He so honoured, as to pay him filial homage and obedience?”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in QUOTES on the FAMILY, The HOLY FAMILY

Quote of the Day – 19 April – ‘ … he saw himself so honoured …’

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Quote of the Day – 19 April – Within the Octave of the Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph

“Observe the order which is kept in this holy family. …
O God! how beautiful it was to see the respect
and reverence with which he treated
both the Mother and the Son!
If he had wished to leave the Mother
when he was not quite aware of the greatness
of her dignity, into what admiration
and profound abasement was he not afterwards plunged,
when he saw himself so honoured
that our Lord and our Lady became obedient
to his will and did nothing but by his command?!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Lady POVERTY, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on WISDOM, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, ST FRANCIS de SALES, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 April– ‘… God gave him his most glorious Son to care for …’

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One Minute Reflection – 19 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Within the Octave of the Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph – Genesis 49:22-26; Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “How faithful in humility was the great Saint we are celebrating! That cannot be said in all its perfection for, in spite of what he was, in what poverty and lowliness he lived, all the days of his life – a poverty and lowliness beneath which. he kept hidden and concealed, his great virtues and dignity! … Truly, I am free of doubt that the Angels came, beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank, to behold and wonder at his humility, while he sheltered that dearest Child in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment, so as to feed the little Boy and the Mother entrusted to him.

There is no doubt at all that St Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon [who were his ancestors]. Nevertheless, seeing him reduced to the exercise of carpentry, who could have discerned this, unless they were enlightened by a heavenly light, so hidden did he keep the remarkable gifts with which God had favoured him? And what wisdom did he not have? For God gave him his most glorious Son to care for … the universal Prince of Heaven and earth … Nevertheless, you can see how low and humbled he was brought, more than can be said or imagined … he went to his own Country and Town of Bethlehem and none but he was turned away from all those inns … Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands. He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes; he orders him to return and he returns. God wants him to be always poor … and he submits to it with love and, not only for a while, for he was poor his whole life long!” – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church (Conferences No 20)

PRAYER – O God, Who in Thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant that now that he is in heaven with Thee, we ,who on earth, do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be assisted by the succour of his prayers to Thee on our behalf. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on CHASTITY, ST FRANCIS de SALES, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – Within the Octave of the Patronage of St Joseph

“So, taking Christ’s genealogy from Joseph –
a husband in chastity,
he was father in the same way. …
Are you saying that he did not conceive Jesus
through the operation of nature?
Well then, what the Holy Spirit operated,
He did for them both.
For Joseph was “a just man,” Matthew tells us (1:19).
Both husband and wife were just.
The Holy Spirit dwelt within their mutual justice
and gave each of them, a Son!”

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

“God, to Whom Angels submit themselves
and Who Principalities and Powers obey,
was subject to Mary
and not only to Mary
but Joseph too, for Mary’s sake …
God obeyed a human creature;
this is humility without precedent.
A human creature commands God!
it is sublime beyond measure!

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

“Since God could choose for the Guardian of His Son,
the man in the world, the most accomplished
in all sorts of perfections,
according to the dignity
and excellence of his Charge,
Who was His most Glorious Son,
the universal Prince of Heaven and earth,
how could it be that being able,
He did not will it and did not do it?
There is, then, NO DOUBT that St Joseph
was endowed with all the graces
and all the gifts that were required
for the care which the Eternal Father
willed to give him,
of the temporal and domestic economy
of our Lord and of the guidance of his family … ”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, Quotes on SALVATION, St JOSEPH, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 April – ‘ …  The assistant for His plan of salvation. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 18 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Within the Octave of the Patronage of St Joseph – Genesis 49:22-26; … Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the Son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

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

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

RRAYER – O God, Who in thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph, to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant that now that he is in Heaven with Thee, we who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be helped by the succour of his prayers to Thee on our behalf. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in GOD the FATHER, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on MEDITATION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 17 April – A Method of Prayer Based on the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin

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Thought for the Day – 17 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

XLVIII: … A Method of Prayer Based on
the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin

“Besides the Methods of Meditation already mentioned, there is another which is addressed particularly to the Blessed Virgin Mother.
We firstly consider the eternal Father, then Jesus Christ Our Lord and finally, the Blessed Mother.

With regard to the eternal Father, there are two considerations.
The first is the singular affection He cherished, from all eternity for this most chaste Virgin whom He chose to be the Mother of His Divine Son.
The second is the eminent sanctity He was pleased to bestow upon her and the many virtues she practiced in her lifetime.
Meditating on the affection of the eternal Father for our Lady, you must begin by raising your mind above all created beings – look forward to the vast expanses of eternity, enter into the Heart of God and see, with what delight He viewed the person destined one day, to become the Mother of His Son; beseech Him, by that delight, to give you sufficient strength against your enemies, especially those who most grievously afflict you.

Contemplate, then, the virtues and heroic actions of this incomparable Virgin.
Make an offering of each or all of them to God, as they are of such efficacy, as to obtain for you, divine assistance in your particular necessities.

After this address yourself to Jesus, begging Him to be mindful of that loving Mother who, for nine months carried Him in her womb, and, from the moment of His birth, paid Him the most profound adoration.
For this was her acknowledgment that this Child was at once God and Man, her Creator and her Son.
With compassion she saw Him poorly accommodated in a humble stable, nourished Him with her pure milk, kissed and embraced Him a thousand times, with maternal fondness and throughout His Life and at His Death, suffered for Him beyond expression.
Present this picture to the Saviour that He may be compelled, as it were, by such powerful motives, to hear your prayers.

Appeal to the Blessed Virgin herself, reminding her of her commission ,from all eternity, to be the Mother of Mercy and the Refuge of sinners and that, after her Divine Son, you place your
greatest confidence in her intercession.
Present to her the fact, asserted by the learned and confirmed by miracles that no-one ever called upon her with a lively faith and love, was left unaided.

Finally, remind her of the sufferings of her Son for your salvation that she may obtain of Him, the grace necessary to make proper use of His sufferings for the greater glory of that loving Saviour!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli