Category: GOD ALONE!

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 February – ‘ … In exchange for her rags and ashes …’

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One Minute Reflection – 12 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (1233) – Ecclesiasticus 44:1-15; Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“At that time, Peter said to Jesus: Behold we have left all things and have followed Thee: what, therefore, shall we have? ” – Matthew 19:27

REFLECTION – “For forty years, to use the analogy made by Saint Paul (1 Cor 9:24), Clare had now run the race in the stadium of very great poverty. She was drawing close to the goal of her heavenly vocation and, to the reward promised to the victor … Divine Providence hastened to fulfil what it had in mind for Clare – Christ desired to bring His little, poor one into His Royal Palace at the close of her pilgrimage. She, on her part, longed with all the impulse of her desire … to behold, reigning on high in His Glory, the Christ Whose poverty she had imitated on earth …

All her daughters had gathered around their mother’s bed … Then, speaking to herself, Claire said to her soul: “Go in all safety; you have a good Guide for the road. Go, for He Who created you, has also sanctified you. He has always kept you and loved you with tender love, as a mother loves her child. Blessed are you, O Lord, Who have created me!” One of the Sisters asked her, to whom she was speaking. Clare answered: “To my blessed soul.” Her guide for the journey was not far off. Indeed, turning towards one of her daughters, she said: “Do you see what I can see? – The King of Glory!” …

Blessed be her departure from this vale of sorrow, a departure which was, for her, the entry into the life of blessedness! As a reward for her fasts here below, she now knows the joy which reigns at the table of the Saints. In exchange for her rags and ashes, she has entered into possession of the blessedness of the heavenly Kingdom, where she is clothed in the robe of eternal glory!” – Thomas of Celano OFM (c1185-1260) Franciscan Friar and close assistant to St Francis, Biographer of Saint Francis and Saint Clare (Life of Saint Clare).

PRAYER – O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, to keep alive the memory of Your most holy Mother’s sorrows, through the Seven holy Fathers enriched your Church with a new family of her Servants, graciously grant that we may be so united with them in their sorrows, as also to share their joys. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Love of Self, St Francis de Sales

Quote/s of the Day – 10 February – That Oil, that Wedding Garment …

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 February –2 Corinthians 10:17-18; 11:1-2, Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But the wise took oil
in their vessels”

Matthew 25:4

“The wise ones’ lamps were burning,
from the oil inside them,
from the assurance of their consciences,
from their inner boast,
from their deepest charity.”

“Love the Lord and so,
learn to love yourselves
that when, by loving the Lord,
you shall have loved yourselves,
you may securely love
your neighbour as yourselves. …
So then, have faith with love.
This is the “wedding garment!”

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

“We should always love our neighbour,
as in the breast of Christ”

(The Spirit of St François de Sales II, 1)

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

“He loves you as though He had
no-one else to love but you alone.
You, too, should love Him alone
and all others for His Sake.
Of Him you may say and, indeed, you should say:
My Beloved to me and I to Him (Cant, 2:16).
My God has given Himself all to me
and I give myself all to Him;
He has chosen me for His beloved
and I choose Him, above all others,
for my only Love.”

“How to Pray at All Times”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

Posted in GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on Love of Self, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The GREAT TRUTHS, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 9 February – The Necessary Dispositions

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Thought for the Day – 9 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

9th Day –The Necessary Dispositions

If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome.
(St Matthew vi:22)

In order to make a good use of the various means afforded us, of making progress towards true happiness, we must consider what should be our state of mind, respecting them.

+1. We must be on the watch, that our inclinations do not run away with us. Most of the foolish things we do are the result of acting on impulse, of being led by our inclinations, of being influenced by wounded self-love.
How many a golden opportunity of merit, we have missed because, we would not patiently accept that which wounded or hurt our self-esteem!

+2. We must try to make ourselves ready, to accept, whatever God sends, whether painful or pleasant. We must take willingly and cheerfully, sickness, pain, unkindness, neglect, failure, poverty and, although nature may cry out against it, yet, we must keep our will united to God’s, so as to be always able to say – ‘Not my will be done, O my God but Thine.‘

+3. We must try to look on the bright side of everything. There is nothing in the world which does not possess a bright side!
This will make us always patient and, what is more, always happy. We shall acquire a facility for ignoring or passing over the painful side of things, to look at the joyful and hopeful.
Do I try to do this, or do I often grumble and repine?
Offer to God your willingness to endure whatever He sees to be good for your soul.

Posted in "Follow Me", 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, FRUITS of the SPIRIT, GOD ALONE!, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY GHOST, The UNFORGIVEABLE SIN, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 9 February – St Cyril of Alexandria

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 February – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) “The Pillar of Faith” “Doctor of the Incarnation,” Bishop,Confessor, Father and Doctor, of the Church

“Young man, I say to thee, arise!”
Luke 7:14

“Even for restoring the dead to life,
the Saviour did not stop at acting by Word alone,
although it was the bearer of Divine Commands.
For such a surpassing work,
He took His own Flesh as His assistant –
if one might put it that way –
that He might show, that it has the power
to give life and, that He might cause it
to be seen that it is entirely One with Him.
… Thus, He not only conferred to His Word
the power to raise the dead
but He even touched the dead,
to show that His Body is Life-giving and,
through His Flesh, He caused life
to pass into their corpses.
If the touch alone of His Sacred Flesh
restores life to a corrupting body,
what profit shall we not discover
in His Life-giving Eucharist
when we make of it our food?
It will wholly transform into its own property
which is immortality, those who participate in it.”

“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.”

“He who abides in Me and I in Him,
the same bears much fruit”
John 5:5

“We are preserved in being, if we grow onto Him
and cling fast to the holy commandment,
which has been handed down to us
and, if we are eager to keep the blessing of nobility,
that is to say, if we never consent, in any way,
to “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph 4:30),
Who has come to dwell in us and, through Whom,
we believe, God has made His home in us. …
For just as the vine-stock supplies and distributes,
the virtue of its own inherent natural quality to the shoots,
so, too, the Only-Begotten Word of God,
implants, in His people, a sort of affinity
with His own nature and that of the Father.
By the gift of the Spirit, they are united with Him
by every kind of holiness.
He nourishes them, so that they become devout
and He moves them to knowledge of all virtue
and good works.”

“That anyone could doubt the right
of the holy Virgin
to be called the Mother of God,
fills me with astonishment.
Surely she must be the Mother of God,
if our Lord Jesus Christ is God
and she gave birth to Him!”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/02/09/quote-s-of-the-day-9-february-st-cyril-of-alexandria-3/

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

Posted in GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, In the PRESENCE of GOD, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The GREAT TRUTHS

Thought for the Day – 8 February – 8th Day – The Means Provided

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Thought for the Day – 8 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

8th Day – The Means Provided

Thou hast subjected all things. under His feet.
(Ps viii:8)

We are all inclined to overlook our own importance in God’s sight. So dearly does He love us, so anxious is He that we should attain our End, that we should succeed in life, that He has heaped around us all kinds of means and aids thereto.

+1. All which is lovely and beautiful in the world, is intended by Almighty God ,to assist me on my road to Heaven, to remind me of Himself and of His Infinite Beauty.
God cares more for me than all the material universe together, all irrational creatures. I can give Him more glory by one act of love, than by all their natural perfections!

+2. God has also given me my parents, companions, superiors – all as means to assist me in serving Him alone. They were all created for me; even those, who cause me pain, are in God’s design to be sources of merit and even of happiness to me. They may be my best friends.
If, for instance, I am patient towards those who are trying my patience, kind towards those who treat me unkindly, I derive from them, a solid gain – they help me on the way to Heaven.

+3. All the various circumstances of my life are, moreover, ordained by Almighty God to aid me in serving and praising Him as He wishes. If they are pleasant, they must teach me gratitude; if painful, resignation. Even if they are a source of temptation to me, by fighting bravely against them, I can gain great merit before God.
Pray for the grace to carry out God’s intentions, by correctly using all the circumstances around you.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on WATCHING, The HEART, The LAST THINGS, The RESURRECTION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 8 February – ‘So make haste to please the Lord …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 February – Sirach 31:8-11; Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ … Open the door to Him at once,
when He Comes and knocks.”
Luke 12:35

“So make haste to please the Lord,
wait for Him in your heart without ceasing,
seek Him in your thoughts,
stir up your will and your love,
to reach out towards Him
at every moment!
Then you will see how He Comes to you
and makes His home within you.”

St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390)
Monk, Father (Attrib)

“The fire of the Lord is Light Eternal;
the lamps of believers are lit at this fire:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps,”
(Lk 12:35).
It is because the days of our life
are still night that a lamp is necessary.
This is the fire which,
according to the testimony
of the disciples at Emmaus,
the Lord Himself set within them:
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while He spoke to us on the way
and opened the scriptures to us?” (Lk 24:32).
He gives us evident proof of this fire’s action,
enlightening man’s inmost heart.
That is why the Lord will Come in fire (Is 66,15)
so as to devour our faults at the resurrection,
fulfil each one’s desires with His Presence
and cast His Light over their merits and mysteries.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“ Well done, good and faithful servant
because thou hast been faithful over a few things,
I will place thee over many things.
Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Matthew 25:23

“The parable of the talents is about all those
who, instead of providing assistance to their brethren
with their goods, their advice or, in some other way,
live only for themselves …
Jesus wants to show us, our Lord’s long patience
in this parable but, He also alludes, it seems to me,
to the final resurrection …
In the first place, the servants who give
an account of their dealings
unequivocally acknowledge that which
comes from their Master’s gift
and, that which is the fruit of their stewardship.
… Someone who, for the sake of the other,
has received the grace of word and teaching
but does not put it to use,
will have this grace taken away.
But someone, who uses wisely and zealously,
the grace received, will receive
an even more abundant grace!”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The HOLY FACE, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Our Morning Offering – 8 February – Almighty Father, Come Into Our Hearts By St Augustine

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Our Morning Offering – 8 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity”

Almighty Father, Come Into Our Hearts
By St Augustine (354-430)

Almighty Father, come into our hearts
and so fill us with Thy love
that forsaking all evil desires,
we may embrace Thee, our only good.
Show us, O Lord our God,
what Thou art to us.
Say to our souls, I Am your salvation,
speak so, that we may hear.
Our hearts are before Thee,
open our ears,
let us hasten after Thy Voice.
Hide not Thy Face from us,
we beseech Thee, O Lord.
Open our hearts, so that Thou may enter in.
Repair the ruined mansions,
that Thou may dwell therein.
Hear us, O Heavenly Father,
for the sake of Thy Only Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with Thee
and the Holy Ghost,
one God, now and forever.
Amen

Posted in GOD ALONE!, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, The GREAT TRUTHS, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 7 February – The Models for Imitation

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Thought for the Day – 7 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

7th Day – The Models for Imitation

They are before the throne of God
and they serve Him, day and night in His temple.
(Apoc vii:15)

Example is better than precept and, we shall often learn more from watching those, who perfectly achieve, that which we are attempting to acquire, than by any set of rules.
Let us watch the Saints in Heaven in order that we may learn from them.

+1. Their continual occupation is the praise of God, the tranquil delight of basking in the Light of God. This satisfies every longing of their hearts, this fills them with perfect and unfading joy. This is the highest praise they can render to God.
How can I imitate them? By a continual remembrance of God, by visiting the Blessed Sacrament, by a frequent raising of my heart to Heaven.

+2. The Saints find a constant joy too, in showing reverence to God, in falling down in prostrate homage before the throne, in recognising their dependence upon Him and their indebtedness to Him, for all their joy.
This , too, I can copy by great reverence, both of body and soul; reverence before the Altar, reverence in my prayers, reverence and resignation to the Will of God in my thoughts.

+3. The Saints and Angels serve God too, by doing His bidding, whether by their homage in Heaven, or by carrying His graces and messages to men. Their joy is to do the Will of God and finish His work.
I, too, in my feeble way, can serve God I can really be of service to Him by every act of love and especially, by every act of kindness to others.
Pray that your life may prepare you for the company of the Saints in Heaven .

Posted in GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL

Quote/s of the Day – 7 February – St Romuald

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 February – St Romuald (c951-1027) Abbot

“In the Psalms there is one way.
Do not abandon it.
If you, who have come,
with the fervour of a novice,
cannot understand everything,
strive to recite, with understanding
of spirit and mind, now here, now there
and when you begin to wander while reading,
do not stop but hasten to correct yourself
by concentrating.”

“Destroy yourself completely
and sit, like a chick,
content with the grace of God,
for unless its mother gives it something,
it tastes nothing and has nothing to eat.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/02/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-february-st-romuald-3/

St Romuald (c951-1027)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VICE, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 February – ‘… True faith knows no delay. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 7 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – St Romuald (c951-1027) Abbot – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6; – Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29

REFLECTION – “Jesus said to them, ‘Come after Me; I will make you fishers of men.’” Happy transformation of fishing! Simon and Andrew are what Jesus caught fishing … These men are made similar to fish, caught by Christ, before going themselves to catch other people. “They immediately abandoned their nets and became His followers.” True faith knows no delay. As soon as they heard Him, they believed, they followed Him and they became fishers. “They immediately abandoned their nets.” I think that with those nets, they abandoned all the vices of the life of this world …

“Proceeding a little farther along, He caught sight of James, Zebedee’s son and his brother, John … He summoned them on the spot. They abandoned their father Zebedee, who was in the boat with the hired men and went off in His company.” You will tell me — faith is daring. What indication did they have, what sublime characteristic had they noted which made them follow Him, as soon as He called them? We realise that evidently something Divine came forth from Jesus’ gaze, from the expression on His Face which incited those who looked at Jesus to turn towards Him … Why am I saying all this? It is to show you that the Lord’s Word was active and, that through the least of His Words, He was working on His task: “He commanded and they were made.” (Ps 148:5) With the same simplicity, He called and they followed … “Hear, O daughter and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father’s house. So shall the king desire your beauty.” (Ps 45:11-12)

Listen well, brother and follow the path of the Apostles; listen to the Saviour’s Voice, ignore your father according to the flesh and see the true Father of your soul and your mind … The Apostles left their father, left their boat, left all their riches of that time; they abandoned the world and its countless riches; they renounced all that they owned. However, God does not consider the mass of riches but rather, the soul of the person who renounces them. Those people who left only a few things would also have renounced a large fortune, if the need had arisen.” – St Jerome (347-420) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospel of Mark).

RAYER – May the intercession of the Blessed Abbot Romuald, commend us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, so that what we do not deserve by any merits of our own, we may obtain by his patronage. 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 GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, The GREAT TRUTHS

Thought for the Day – 6 February – How to Attain our End

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Thought for the Day – 6 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

6th Day – How to Attain our End

One thing I do; forgetting the things which are behind
and stretching forth myself to those which are before,
I press towards the mark.
(Philipp iii:1,3,14)

+1. Everyone desires to succeed in life.
A man who desired ultimate failure would justly be regarded as a lunatic. If I am to carry out my desire, I must look around myself and see what sort of men succeed.

+2. When I look at successful men, I find in all, three characteristics:
(1) A spirit of cheerfulness and confidence.
They know how to look at everything from its best side.
Hence, I must pray for these attributes.
(2) A spirit of perseverance.
They are not discouraged by failures.
They recover themselves without delay.
What a lesson for me, not to lose heart but to say, when I fall, I will rise again and that, promptly!
(3) A spirit of single-mindedness.
They keep the end in view steadily before them.
If I am to attain, to the End of my life, to succeed in coming to God at last, I must keep Him always before me.

+3. What can make my life as happy as this, to know that
I am drawing nearer to God?
Yet, there will be dark times and days of despondency.
Still, down at the bottom, beneath the surface, there will be hope and peace, even amid the darkness.
Pray for cheerfulness and an earnest purpose to live for God alone!

Posted in GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, The GREAT TRUTHS, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 5 February – God the End of our Life

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Thought for the Day – 5 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

5th Day – God the End of our Life

Seek ye, therefore. first the kingdom of God.
(St Matthew vi:33)

+1. Our life is a circle – whence it first came thither, it must return. As we proceeded from God, so, we must go back to Him, if our life is to be a success.
We can never find repose or lasting satisfaction in anything except God. As long as we do not tend to Him, we shall be fluctuating, inconstant, uncertain. Until we make Him the End of our life, we shall feel that we are wandering about in the dark.

+2. What do we mean by making God the End of our life? We mean that to do His pleasure shall be the motive which shall be first and foremost and, when there is a choice between God’s pleasure and our own, when the two seem to be opposed, our general disposition shall be to do God’s Will and not our own. In spite of the pain involved in giving up his own will, the man who makes God the End of his life, will deny that own will, without hesitation and so, will draw nearer to God, his last End.

+3. Every time we do this, we break down a barrier between God and ourselves; we come nearer to the enjoyment of Him, we get a bit closer to Heaven.
The self-willed man is never satisfied; the man whose will is perfectly subject to God, is always happy. The Angels are always happy because they have no will but God’s.
If I want to find happiness in this world, or the next, the first thing is to learn to submit my will to God.
Pray God to break your self-will at any cost.

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, QUOTES on FRIENDSHIP, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, The GREAT TRUTHS

Thought for the Day – 4 February – God our Best Friend

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Thought for the Day – 4 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

4th Day – God our Best Friend

All are Thine , O Lord , Who lovest souls.
(Wisdom xi:27)

+1. Friendship is one of the consolations of man upon earth. One faithful friend is worth a hundred acquaintances. A friend who values our friendship, for its own sake, is a treasure without price. Such a friend we have in God.
He has nothing to gain from my friendship, His Infinite Happiness is not increased by it. Yet, His Infinite Goodness includes an intense desire to make me happy!

+2. When we have a faithful friend who is possessed of unlimited influence and power, we consult him in all our difficulties. God is, of all friends, the most faithful and the most powerful; He desires to be consulted by us in things small, as well as great, never tiring of our requests, more ready to hear, than we to pray!
Yet, how little have I had recourse to Him hitherto!
How little I have trusted Him!

+3. The best proof of a friend’s love, is a desire for our company. In this, what friend is like God?
He asks us, begs us, commands us, to be always in His Presence – “Walk with God and be thou perfect .”
His one object, in all His advice, is to secure our company forever in Heaven.
Why am I so indifferent about His Presence, so soon weary of God?
Pray that you may appreciate and relish the Divine Friendship of God.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 February – ‘ … I shall profit by this talent which Thou hast lent to me until Thy return …’

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One Minute Reflection – 4 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – St Andrew Corsini O.Carm (1302-1373) Bishop of Fiesole from 1349 until his death,Confessor, known as the “Apostle of Florence” Carmelite Friar – Ecclesiasticus Sir 44:16-27; 45:3-20; Matthew 25:14-23– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Well done, good and faithful servant … Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”- Matthew 25:21

REFLECTION – “The Word of the Father, Only-begotten Son of God, Sun of Justice (Mal 3:20), is the great Merchant Who has brought us the price of our redemption. It is a truly precious exchange which we can never value sufficiently, when a King, Son of the King Most High, has become the Coin, the Gold has paid our dues, the Just Man is given for the sinner. Truly unmerited mercy, perfectly disinterested love, astonishing goodness…, it is a completely disproportionate purchase, in which the Son of God is delivered up for the servant, the Creator is put to death for the one He has created, the Lord is condemned for His slave.

O Christ, these are Thine Works, Thou Who descended from Heaven’s brightness into our hellish darkness, to bring Light to our gloomy prison. Thou came down from the Right Hand of the Divine Majesty, into our human misery, to redeem the human race, Thou Who descended from the Father’s glory to death on the Cross, to triumph over death and its author. Thou art the only One and there is no other but Thee, Who could have been drawn to redeem us through Thine Own Goodness…

Let all the merchants of Teman (Bar 3:23) withdraw from this place … it is not they but Israel [Thy] beloved whom [Thou hast] chosen, Thou Who hide these mysteries from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to those babes and humble servants of Thine (Lk 10:21) … O Lord, I willingly embrace this purchase since it concerns me! … I remember all the things Thou hast done, Thou Who desire that I should keep them alive … Therefore, I shall profit by this talent which Thou hast lent to me until Thy return and will stand before Thee with great joy. O God, grant that I may then hear these sweet words: “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Mt 25:21).” – St Bernard O.Cist. (1091-1153) Cistercian Monk, known as the Last Father and the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church (Selected sermons, no 42: The Five Purchases).

PRAYER – O God, Who establishes ever new examples of virtue in Thy Church, grant that Thy people may follow the footsteps of blessed Andrew, Thy Confessor and Bishop, so that they may also obtain his reward. 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 DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, The GREAT TRUTHS

Thought for the Day – 3 February – God our Preserver

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Thought for the Day – 3 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

3rd Day – God our Preserver

In Him we live and move and are.
(Acts xvii:28)

+1. If God had merely created us and then left us to ourselves, there would have been some excuse for our forgetting how completely we belong to Him.
But, we are not like a picture which the artist finishes and then leaves to itself. God continues throughout our whole life the act of creation, in the shape of preservation. Without this, we should, at once, lapse into our previous nothingness. We depend upon Him for our being, as the rivulet depends on the spring, or the smoke on the fire.

+2. But, we not only live in Him but, we also move in Him. He co-operates with our every action. We cannot lift a hand or move a finger, unless He not only sanctions the act but actually helps us to perform it. Every breath we breathe, every pulsation of our heart, depends on God’s co-operation.
How completely dependent we are on Him! How careful should we be, that our every action is one suitable to the Divine co-operation!

+3. God does more than this.
He not only preserves us but tends us, with watchful care, delivers us from dangers warns us when we are going awry, shows a never-failing interest in us and an unceasing desire for our happiness.
For all this, we are dependent on Him!
What folly then, to neglect One to Whom we owe everything!
Pray for a sense of continual dependenc and trust of God.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 February – ‘ … Today a new Sun is shining …’

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One Minute Reflection – 3 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – Resumed Mass of Sunday – Malachias 3:1-4; – Luke 2:22-32 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My eyes have seen Thy salvation …” – Luke 2:30

REFLECTION – “The “Father of lights” (Jam 1:17) is inviting the children of Light (Lk 16:18) to celebrate the Feast of Light: “Look to Him that you may be radiant with joy” says the Psalm (33:6). In fact, He Who “dwells in unapproachable light” (1Tm 6:16) has condescended to become approachable. He has come down in the cloud of His Flesh that the weak and small might mount up to Him. What a descent of mercy! “He inclined the heavens,” that is to say, the heights of His Divinity, “and came down” by becoming present in the flesh, “with dark clouds under His Feet” (Ps 17:10) …

A necessary darkness to turn us to Light! The true Light was hidden beneath the cloud of His Flesh (cf. Ex 13:21) – a dark cloud by reason of its “likeness to sinful flesh” (Rm 8:3) … Since the true Light has made flesh His hiding place, let us, who are beings of flesh, draw near to the Word made Flesh … that we may learn to pass, by degrees to the spiritual flesh. Let us now draw near, for today a new Sun is shining even more than is its wont. Up until now, he was enclosed in the narrowness of a crib in Bethlehem and was known by hardly anyone but today, at Jerusalem, he is presented in front of a great number of people in the Temple of the Lord … Today, the Sun breaks out to shine over the whole world …

If only my soul could burn with the desire which inflamed Simeon’s heart that I, too, might be worthy of becoming the bearer of so great a Light! But, unless the soul has first of all been purified from its sins, it cannot go “to meet Christ on the clouds” of true freedom (1 Thes 4:17) … Only then, will it be able to rejoice in the true Light with Simeon and, like him, to depart in peace.” – Adam of Perseigne (c1145-1221) Cistercian Abbot (Sermon 4 for the Purification).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, we humbly beseech Thy Majesty that, as Thy Only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in the nature of our flesh, so may Thou grant us to be presented to Thee with purified minds. 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 GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, GOD the FATHER, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The GREAT TRUTHS

Thought for the Day – 2 February – God our Creator

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Thought for the Day – 2 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

2nd Day – God our Creator

Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory
and honour and power because Thou hast created all things.
(Apoc iv:II)

+1. Why is it that God has such an absolute and all-embracing claim to ourselves and to all which is ours? It is because we are made by Him and not only made but created. We are His, not only as the statue is the sculptor’s and the picture the painter’s but, He made, out of nothing, the very materials of which we consist!
There is, therefore, nothing in us which is not God’s. Every sort of excellence, strength, virtue, talent, beauty, skill, energy, affection —all are God’s, not our own.

+2. God created everyone with certain gifts of his own which, He did not give to another and He gave him those gifts, to do a special work which God had appointed to him alone.
He created me with a certain object, from all eternity He had been planning my soul and body and providing me with all that I needed – that both one and the other, might serve Him.
Have I, on the whole, carried out God’s plan? Shall I be able to say, when I come to die: “I have completed the work Thou hast tasked me with?”

+3. What a serious thought this is – God had a plan for my life! He meant me to occupy a certain position in society and to have certain employments; to influence certain persons for good, to overcome certain temptations, to practice certain virtues beyond the rest, to attain a certain place in Heaven.
Has my life been ordered by God’s holy inspirations? has not my own self-will too, often had a part in it?
Pray that you may not fail in fulfilling God’s intentions concerning yourself and the works He requires of you!🙏

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on LOVE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 February – We must be burning with love and radiant with good deeds

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One Minute Reflection – 2 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – The Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, Candlemas – Malachias 3:1-4; Luke 2:22-32 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Lord, Whom you are seeking, will suddenly enter His Temple” – Malachias 3:1

REFLECTION – “Your lamps must be burning in your hands” (Lk 12:35). By this outward sign let us remind ourselves of the joy of Simeon, carrying the Light in his hands … We must be burning with love and radiant with good deeds and so, take up Christ in our hands with Simeon … Let us discuss this charming custom of the Church of bearing lights aloft on this Feast day … Could anyone hold up a lighted candle in his hands on this day, without at once remembering that old man, who on this same day, took up in his arms, Jesus, God’s Word, clothed in flesh like a candle-flame clothed in wax and affirmed Him to be “the Light which would be a beacon for the Gentiles.” Surely he was that “burning and radiant lamp” (Jn 5:35; 1,7) which bore witness to the Light. For this purpose he came in the Spirit, who had filled him, into the temple, that he might “receive, O God, your loving-kindness in the midst of your temple” (Ps 48[47]:10) and declare him to be loving-kindness indeed and the light of your own people.

Truly, O holy Simeon, in the quiet contentment of old age, you carried this Light not simply in your hands but in the very dispositions of your heart. You were like a lamp-standard, seeing so clearly how much the Gentiles would one day be lit up, while reflecting … the bright rays of our faith. Old, yet still sincere, you can now be happy, in that, you really see what once you but foresaw. Gone is the world’s gloom, “the Gentiles bask in this light of yours,” “the whole earth is full of his glory” (Is 60:3; 6:3).” … Blessed Guerric of Igny O.Cist. (c 1080-1157) Cistercian Abbot

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, we humbly beseech Thy Majesty that, as Thy Only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in the nature of our flesh, so may Thou grant us to be presented to Thee with purified minds. 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). 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 GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, The GREAT TRUTHS

Thought for the Day – 1 February – God our Lord

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Thought for the Day – 1 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Ist Day – God our Lord

The Lord hath made all things for Himself.
(Prov xvi:4)

+I. We are all of us jealous of that which belongs to ourselves. We resent it if anyone interferes with it, or deprives us of any portion of it Yet, no-one owns anything by a title, so absolute as that by which God is the Lord and Owner of all creatures in the universe. My body and my soul are His; everything I possess is His; every action, every thought belongs to Him.
He has given all these in charge to me to use for Him alone. Do I do so?

+2. God is, moreover, a God Infinite in knowledge and in power. His All-seeing Eye overlooks nothing, forgets nothing, passes nothing by. No-one shall escape who takes anything from Him and does not give Him His due.
Have I not, therefore, cause to tremble when I think how often I have behaved as if I were my own master, independent of God?

+3. Yet, in the end, I must recognise God’s ownership; if I do not do so, willingly and with joyful loyalty, I shall have to do so unwillingly and in misery and pain. Everything I have taken from God and appropriated to myself will have to be given back to Him. I shall have to pay the penalty for each misuse of what was entrusted to me. How much wiser and happier to recognise Him now, in all things, as my Lord and Master!
Offer yourself to God with loyal submission as your God and Lord!

Posted in "Follow Me", CONFESSION/PENANCE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on TIME, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 1 February – St Ignatius of Antioch

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 February – – St Ignatius of Antioch (c35 – c107) Martyr, Bishop of Antioch, Apostolic Father of the Church

“It is impossible for a man to be freed
from the habit of sin,
before he hates it, just as it is impossible
to receive forgiveness,
before confessing his trespasses.”

“Take heed, often, to come together,
to give thanks to God
and show forth His praise.
For when you assemble frequently,
in the same place,
the powers of Satan are destroyed
and the destruction at which he aims,
is prevented, by the unity of your faith.”

“A Christian is not his own master,
since all his time belongs to God.”

“I would rather die and come to Jesus Christ
than be king over the entire earth.
Him I seek, Who Died for us;
Him I love, Who Rose again because of us.”

“Pray without ceasing
on behalf of other men…
For cannot he who falls
rise again?”

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St Ignatius of Antioch (c35–c107)
Bishop, Martyr, Apostolic Father

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 February – ‘… We are greedy for present things but do not take into account the coming judgement. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 1 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinitys” – St Ignatius of Antioch (c35–107) Martyr, Bishop of Antioch, Apostolic Father of the Church. – Romans 8:35-39; John 12:24-26 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“He who loves his life, loses it and he who hates his life in this world, keeps it unto life everlasting. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me and where I Am ,there also shall My servant be.” – John 12:25-26

REFLECTION – “… We are being towed along by a world which passes away, forgetting the world to come. We are greedy for present things but do not take into account the coming judgement. We will not run to meet the Lord as He Comes …

Let us turn back, brethren, let us turn back… By the very fact of His delay, of His still waiting, our Lord proves His desire to see us come back to Him, His desire that we should not perish. In His great goodness, He continues addressing these words to us: “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked but would rather he would change his ways and live ”(Ez 33,11). So let us turn back to Him, brethren, not fearing that time is running short. The time that belongs to time’s Author cannot be shortened. The proof of it lies in the criminal in the Gospel, who, at the moment of dying on the cross, got away with his pardon, grabbed hold of life and, breaking into paradise like a burglar, managed to make his way into the Kingdom (cf. Lk 23,43)!” – St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) Bishop of Ravenna, Father and “Doctor of Sermons” of the Church (Excerpt from Sermon 167).

PRAYER – Be mindful of our weakness, O aAmighty God and since the burden of our deeds is grievous to us, grant that the glorious intercession of blessed Ignatius Thy Martyr and Bishop, may protect us. 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 AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on WATCHING, The HEART, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 January – ‘ … So you, then, mind you carry it with you, carry it inside, where God can see … ‘ St Augustine

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One Minute Reflection – 30 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – Feast of St Martina (Died c228) Virgin and Martyr, Patron of Rome – Sirach 51:1-8.12 – Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.” – Matthew 25:7

REFLECTION – “There has come a shout at midnight. What can this shout be, if not what the Apostle speaks of – ‘in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.’ For the trumpet will sound and the dead will rise up, imperishable and as for us, we shall be changed (1 Cor 15:52). Once the shout has been raised at midnight, what happens next? They all arose. What is the meaning of “They all arose?” The hour is coming, says the Lord Himself, when all who are in the tombs will hear His Voice and come forth (Jn 5:28-29).

… What is the meaning of “They did not take oil in their flasks?” In their hearts … I mean, look at these foolish virgins who did not carry oil with them; by their self-denial which earns them the name of virgins and by their good works, represented by the lamps they bring, they are intent on pleasing other people. And, if they are intent on pleasing others and that is why they do these admirable things, they are not carrying oil with them. So you, then, mind you carry it with you, carry it inside, where God can see; carry the testimony of your conscience there. … So if you refrain from unlawful things and perform good works, in order to be admired by other people, there is no oil inside you! …

Before those virgins went to sleep, it does not say that their lamps were going out. The wise ones’ lamps were burning, from the oil inside them, from the assurance of their consciences, from their inner boast, from their deepest charity. But those of the foolish ones, were also burning. Why were they burning then? Because there was no dearth of admiration from other people. But after they had risen, that is to say, in the resurrection from the dead, they began to trim their lamps that is, to prepare to give God an account of their works. And because there is no-one then expressing admiration … they were asking for what they had always been used to, that is to say, to shine with someone else’s oil, to live in dependence on others’ admiration. Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 93).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Thou Who choose the weak things of the world to confound the strong, mercifully grant that we, who are celebrating the feast of blessed Martina, Thy Virgin and Martyr, may reap the benefit ofher patronal intercession with 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 DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St JOSEPH, The DIVINE INFANT, The HOLY CROSS, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church

“What we need is
a cup of understanding,
a barrel of love
and an ocean of patience.”

“Our greatest fault is, that
we wish to serve God in our way,
not in His way — according to our will,
not according to His Will….
To be truly a Saint, it is necessary
to be one according to the Will of God.”

“Do everything calmly and peacefully.
Do as much as you can, as well as you can.
Strive to see God in all things
without exception and consent
to His Will joyously.
Do everything for God,
uniting yourself to Him in word and deed.
Walk very simply with the Cross of the Lord
and be at peace with yourself.”

“If, when stung by slander
or ill-nature,
we wax proud
and swell with anger,
it is a proof that our gentleness
and humility
are unreal
and mere artificial show!”

“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.”

“We must fear God out of love,
not love Him out of fear.”

O Glorious St Francis
Prayer to St Francis de Sales

O Glorious St Francis,
model of the interior life
and full of zeal for the salvation of souls!
Obtain for me the grace
to employ all my faculties,
not for my own sanctification alone
but for that of my neighbour too
that continually spreading abroad,
the sweet odour of Jesus Christ,
by my words and works,
I may attain, with thee, the blessedness
promised to the merciful:
“Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy”
and that I may one day have a share
in the glory which thou dost enjoy
in Paradise with the Angels and Saints,
where those who edify
and instruct to justice,
shall shine as stars
for all eternity (Dan 12:3).
Amen

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

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 January – ‘Make for yourselves purses which do not grow old, a treasure unfailing in Heaven …’

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One Minute Reflection – 28 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – St Peter Nolasco OdeM (c 1182–c1256) Confessor, Founder – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14; Luke 12:32-34 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Sell what you possess and give alms. Make for yourselves purses which do not grow old, a treasure unfailing in Heaven, where neither thief draws near, nor moth destroys.” – Luke 12:33

REFLECTION – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5:3) … Of this generous poverty, the Apostles first, after the Lord, have given us example. Unhesitatingly leaving all they had, at the Voice of the Heavenly Master, they were joyfully converted and abandoned the catching of fish, to become fishers of men (Mt 4:18). Among the latter, many became like themselves, by imitating their faith; for with those first children of the Church, “the community of believers was of one heart and mind” (Acts 4:32). Stripped of all their possessions, they were enriched with eternal goods, thanks to holy poverty. Welcoming the Apostles’ preaching, they rejoiced to have nothing in this world and yet, possess all things in Christ. (2 Cor 6:10).

Hence, the blessed Apostle Peter, when he was going up to the temple and was asked for alms by a lame man, said, “I have neither silver nor gold but what I do have I give you; in the Name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk” (Acts 3:6)… Peter healed him with a word and he, who did not have a coin with Cæsar’s image upon it, restored upon the man, the Image of Christ. And by the riches of this treasure, not only was that one person aided, whose power of walking was restored but too, the five thousand men who then believed the Apostle’s preaching because of this miracle (Acts 4:4). And Peter, that poor man, who did not have anything to give him, who asked for alms, bestowed so great a gift of Divine Grace that, not content with setting one man upright on his feet, he healed, those many thousands of believers in their hearts, by giving them faith.” – St Leo the Great (400-461) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 95 2-3).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who, as an example of Thy love, divinely taught St Peter to enrich Thy Church with new offspring, a family of Religious devoted to the ransom of the faithful, grant by his intercession that we may be released from the slavery of sin and rejoice in lasting freedom in Heaven. 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 GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, Meditations on the HIDDEN LIFE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS

Thought for the Day – 27 January – Meditation 4, Part Two – Of the Presence of God Considered in the Hidden Life

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Thought for the Day – 27 January – Meditations on the Hidden Life: From the 1906 Edition of The Heart of Jesus of Nazareth; it has the Imprimatur of Bishop John Baptist Butt, Diocese of Southwark, England, 5 February 1890. Author’s name known simply as Author of “The Voice of the Sacred Heart.” 
(We return to Fr Clarke for February with his Meditations on The Great Truths.)

Meditation 4, Part Two – Of the Presence of God
Considered in the Hidden Life

Let us now consider the fruits of constant attention to the Divine Presence which are first produced in the heart and from thence, reflected throughout the whole life.

The Soul of Jesus looked ever upon the Father’s Face and, as He looked, the flames of love rose ever higher within His Sacred Heart. This is the testimony which He gives of Himself: “He Who sent Me, is with Me and He hath not left Me alone; for I do always, the things which please Him.” (John 8:29)

If a servant, from the motive of fear, performs with care and attention those things which please his master, when he is conscious of that master’s presence, how much more will the faithful soul, do this from a motive of love in the Presence of our Father in Heaven. Such will be the first result of this holy exercise. The more habitually it is practiced, the more constant too, will be the practice of virtue, since the soul’s first desire will be ,to “do always the things which please” the Divine object of its love, of Whose Presence, it is so conscious.

It must be remarked, however, the actions which flow from this holy recollection in God, have, in them, nothing forced, nothing constrained.
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)
The heart and mind are really where their treasure is, that is, in God and in those things which refer to His honour and glory and, this is true recollection, widely different from that studied and simply external modesty which is often exaggerated, maintained with effort and which is perhaps, sometimes assumed, through spiritual vanity.

When the interior eye has been really attracted by the Divine Beauty, exterior objects lose their charm and are held in regard, only as far as duty and charity demand. When the inward ear habitually listens to the Divine Whisper, silence is then a joy and no longer a constraint. Habitual reverence will manifest itself in the whole exterior – a gentle, spontaneous and unconscious reverence flowing from the union of the soul with God and from the tranquil happiness which it experiences in the Presence of its Treasure.

Let us, then, beg a lively faith in the Divine Presence and the grace to acquire the sanctifying habit of walking constantly within It, so that, with truth, we may say to God:
“I am always with Thee.”
Then will virtues flourish in our souls, beneath that genial influence, like flowers beneath the sun.
Thus shall we grow in likeness to Jesus and make advance in our union with His Sacred Heart.

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2025/01/26/thought-for-the-day-26-january-meditation-4-part-one-of-the-presence-of-god-considered-in-the-hidden-life/

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, QUOTES on ZEAL, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 27 January – St John Chrysostom

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Quote/s of the Day – 27 January – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church “Golden Mouthed.”

“Do you possess a pearl?
Then you know your wealth, it is clenched
in the palm of your hand,
no-one is aware of your fortune.
So it is with the Gospel, if you embrace it with faith,
if it remains enclosed in your heart,
what a treasure you have
You alone know it is there.
Unbelievers, who know neither what it is,
nor what value it has, have no idea
of your incredible wealth!”

“As water is required
to keep plants from withering,
so also, prayer is necessary
to save us from destruction.”

“Without prayer it is impossible
to lead a good life;
for no-one
can practice virtue unless
he humbly implores God for it,
Who alone can give him the necessary strength.
Who ceases to love and practice prayer,
no longer processes the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
But he who perseveres in the service of God
and deems it an irreparable loss
to be not in constant prayer,
possesses every virtue and is a friend of God.”

“Indeed Andrew’s eagerness,
his zeal in wanting to immediately spread
such a good news, supposes a soul
who was longing to see the accomplishment
of the many prophecies concerning Christ.
It is a mark of brotherly kindness,
of loving kinship, of genuine goodwill,
to hasten to stretch out a helping hand
to one another in spiritual matters. …
“We have found the Messiah” he says –
not any messiah but “The Messiah,”
the One Christ they were awaiting.”

“We too, then, when we suffer anything
for Christ’s sake,
should do so, not simply with courage
but even with joy.
If we have to go hungry, let us be glad,
as if we were at a banquet.
If we are insulted, let us be elated,
as though we had been showered with praises.
If we lose all we possess,
let us consider ourselves the gainers of all.
If we provide for the poor,
let us regard ourselves as the recipients! …
Above all, remember, that your struggles,
are for the sake of the Lord Jesus.
Then, you will easily rise above them
and live out your lifetime in happiness;
for nothing brings more happiness
than a good conscience.”

“Are we going to neglect our own salvation?
Let us show great compassion
towards the poor
so as to be made worthy of possessing
good things to come for all eternity!”

O Lord and Lover of Men
By St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor of the Church

O Lord and Lover of men,
make shine in our hearts
the pure Light of Thy Divine Knowledge
and open the eyes of our mind
to the understanding of Thy Gospel teaching.
Instill in us the fear
of Thy Blessed Commandments
that trampling upon all carnal desires,
we may enter upon a spiritual life,
willing and doing all that is Thy Good Pleasure.
For Thou art the Light of our souls
and of our bodies, Christ O God
and we give glory to Thee
together with Thine Eternal Father
and Thine All-holy, Good and Life-giving Spirit,
now and forever, world without end.
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/01/27/quote-s-of-the-day-27-january-st-john-chrysostom-2/

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Posted in GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, Meditations on the HIDDEN LIFE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SACRED HEART QUOTES, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS

Thought for the Day – 26 January – Meditation 4, Part One – Of the Presence of God Considered in the Hidden Life

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Thought for the Day – 26 January – Meditations on the Hidden Life: From the 1906 Edition of The Heart of Jesus of Nazareth; it has the Imprimatur of Bishop John Baptist Butt, Diocese of Southwark, England, 5 February 1890. Author’s name known simply as Author of “The Voice of the Sacred Heart.” 
(We return to Fr Clarke for February with his Meditations on The Great Truths.)

Meditation 4, Part One – Of the Presence of God
Considered in the Hidden Life

If there is one exercise which conduces more efficaciously than another, to our sanctification, it is assuredly that of the Presence of God. If one means be more conducive than another, to attain that holy exercise, it would seem to be, a true and solid devotion, to the Heart of Jesus.
His most holy Soul, being united to the Word, never lost the view of the Beatific Vision, although, the beatitude and the joy of that Vision, were by a miracle, withheld from overflowing into the lower functions of His Soul, in order that He might be able to suffer, in His Humanity.

The nearest resemblance to our Lord which some of the Saints have attained, in this respect, may be found in such transient glimpses of the Divine Beauty, as we find revealed in their lives.
With those extraordinary ways, by which God sometimes vouchsafes to visit a few favoured souls, we have nothing to do at present. When we speak, therefore, in this meditation, of the habitual Presence of God, we refer but to that union of the soul, with Him, which was ordinary in the Saints and which may be attained – in more or less degree – by faithful correspondence with grace.

Our facility in maintaining the Divine Presence, will be measured, by the extent of our knowledge of God, since, in proportion to our knowledge of Him, will be our love and, it is love which keeps us in the recollection of His Presence and that impels us, to think of Him and of all which relates to Him.
This the Heart of Jesus teaches us. His Soul saw God. It knew Him with a knowledge which no other soul but His, could have supported. His love equalled His knowledge and it was in the mysterious light of such knowledge and such love, that He walked on earth – never alone, even in the midst of the most cruel abandonment on the part of creatures, (John 16:32) – and, He was never forsaken, even when given up to the pangs of supreme agony and dereliction.

That which proved, the consolation of the human Heart of Jesus and, after Him, of all His Saints, maybe the same in the case of each one of us!
Let us but apply ourselves to know God’s Beauty and to hear His Voice and our hearts will quickly learn to turn towards Him, to seek His Face and delight in His Presence. The consciousness of that Presence will then become an abiding source of tranquil devotion and of peace of heart, if not of sensible joy. It will greet us, at our first awakening, with encouragement to commence another day of trial; it will follow us amidst our occupations, console us in our sorrows, support us in our temptations, until we shall sink to rest, when the day is over, in the bosom of that Father Whom we have felt so near to us and Whose Presence will be our last thought, lulling us to sleep in the calm consciousness of His protection.

As the appreciation of the excellence of this holy exercise increases, the soul finds more facility and more charm in occupying itself with God and becomes, by degrees, more familiar with the thought of Him.
It will love to recall the Gospel narratives of the Life of our Blessed Lord. It will, in time, learn to feel at home, as it were, amongst them and thus ,it will be enabled, to make for itself a solitude, a hidden life apart from the material life which externally surrounds it. This habit the Sacred Scripture calls “walking with God” for by it we make Him our Companion here below.

It is of this habitual dwelling in the Divine Presence that Jesus affords us, so perfect a model in the Holy House of Nazareth.

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 January – ‘ … I am inviting you into My Life. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 26 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – St Polycarp (69-155) Martyr, Bishop of Smyrna (Asia Minor), Apostolic Father – Romans 12:16-21; Matthew 8:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Lord, I am not worthy … ”- Matthew 8:8

REFLECTION – “When He came here from another country, Christ found nothing here but what there is in abundance – afflictions, sorrows and death. This is what you have here – this is what there is here in abundance. He has eaten with you that which is to be found in abundance, in the poor house of your misfortune. He has drunk vinegar, He has tasted gall (Jn 19:29) – this is what He has found in your poor house.

Yet, He has invited you to His splendid table, His table in Heaven, to the table of Angels, where He Himself is the bread (Jn 6:35). Coming down to be with you and finding misfortune in your poor house, He was not too proud to be seated at your table, such as it was and promised you His own … He has taken away your misfortune; He will give you His own happiness. Yes indeed, He will give it you, He has promised us His Life!

And what He has accomplished is yet more unbelievable – He has given us His own Death in pledge. As if He were to say to us – “I am inviting you into My Life, to the place where none dies, where true happiness is to be found, where the food never stales, where it revives, where it never lacks but satisfies all. See, this is where I Am inviting you – to the Land of Angels, to friendship with the Father and Holy Ghost, to the meal of eternity, to My brotherly friendship. In sum, I invite you to Myself, to My Qwn Life. Are you unwilling to believe that I will give you My Life? Take My Death as your witness!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 231).

PRAYER – O God, Who gave us joy by the annual solemnity of blessed Polycarp, Thy Martyr and Bishop, mercifully grant that we may rejoice in his protection, whose birthday we celebrate. 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 ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, GOD ALONE!, Meditations on the HIDDEN LIFE, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS

Thought for the Day – 25 January –  Meditation 3 – The Utility and Consolation of the Hidden Life

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Thought for the Day – 25 January – – Meditations on the Hidden Life: From the 1906 Edition of The Heart of Jesus of Nazareth; it has the Imprimatur of Bishop John Baptist Butt, Diocese of Southwark, England, 5 February 1890. Author’s name known simply as Author of “The Voice of the Sacred Heart.” 
(We return to Fr Clarke for February with his Meditations on The Great Truths.)

Meditation 3 – The Utility and Consolation
Which the Hidden Life of Jesus Christ Affords Us

Notwithstanding the magnitude of the external Work for which our Lord came down upon earth, He led the life of a recluse, up to three short years before He closed His mortal career, exercising the lowly trade of a carpenter in the obscurity of Nazareth.
Let us linger longer on this reflection, pregnant with matter for years of meditation and with usefulness and consolation for ourselves.

It discloses to us, in the first place, that no state of life no occupation – no deprivation of those things which the world esteems great and which, the natural man highly values, need form an obstacle to our co-operation with the Divine Mission of Jesus Christ on earth. Had He spent the whole, or the greater part of His Life, in working miracles, in preaching, in bearing testimony to His Divinity, in various ways, during the short time of His Public Ministry, we might indeed have hesitated to associate ourselves with a Work, so far beyond and above us. Had He placed before us but the example of the terrible sufferings of His Passion, we might justly have persuaded ourselves that our frailty could not attain to the imitation of so exalted a model.
But, it is Jesus of Nazareth who invites us to contemplate Him, during the long years of His Hidden Life and, to learn of Him the lessons He will so gently teach us. He asks us but to clothe ourselves with His Spirit, to form our hearts on His, in order to enable us to participate in His Mission, whatever may be our state of life.

It is not simply the exterior Life of our Blessed Lord that we are about to consider. It is, above all, the life of His Sacred Heart in the solitude of Nazareth which forms the chief matter for our meditation and, in this lies abundant consolation and instruction.

Our state of life maybe one with which the Actions we behold Jesus performing in Joseph’s workshop, are not compatible but are, for that reason, precluded from the imitation of His virtues, from appropriating to ourselves, the spirit which animated His Sacred Heart, from adopting as our own, the intentions for which He lived and laboured? Not so. The Heart of Jesus was the same in every phase of His Life and, the object of that Heart’s devotedness never changed. Whether He planed wood at Nazareth, or wrought miracles in Judea, the glory of His Father and the salvation of the world, were the One Aim ever kept in view.
What an immense source of consolation for countless hearts, would this thought be, if only they could be made to grasp it:
“I, too, can live and act for the same great end, regardless of the sphere of life in which Providence has placed me and of the exterior actions which my state of life requires of me.”

We know, it is the spirit which animates our works which renders them precious in the Sight of God, or otherwise. He asks not from us those which are beyond our reach. He does not desire any which would oblige us to do violence to the circumstances with which He has Himself surrounded us. He would fain possess our hearts, He yearns to be the Final End of all their aspirations, of all their intentions, so that His interests may be the main-spring of all our outward acts.
This He seeks throughout the world, amongst rich and poor, learned and ignorant, secular and religious alike and the souls, in whom He finds the closest union of sentiment with the Heart of the Great Solitary of Nazareth, will be found best disposed for receiving His choicest benedictions! And they will not deem it the least of these benedictions that they are enabled to sanctify the duties of their state, whatever it may be?

Yes, dear lovers of the Heart of Jesus, many of whom are perhaps weighed down with the fear that you have it not within your power to do anything great for God, go to Nazareth and learn of the Heart of Jesus, how to render your lives holy, not only with a view to your own sanctification but also, to their fruitfulness, for God’s glory. Your actions, even the most indifferent in themselves, will thus become ennobled, made almost Divine because,, by reason of your union with the Heart of Jesus, the sap of true spiritual life, will be infused into the spirit which animates them.

All praise, honour and glory to the Divine Heart of Jesus!
(Indulgence 50 Days. Once a day, Pope Leo XIII. 14 June 1901).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, St PAUL!, The LAMB of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 January – ‘… At the very moment he no longer saw anything of this world, he saw Jesus! … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 25 January – The Feast of the Conversion of St Paul, Apostle – Acts 9:1-22, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“He fell to the ground and heard a Voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” – Acts 9:4.

REFLECTION – “From Heaven’s height Christ’s Voice overturned Saul. He received a command to carry out his persecutions no more and fell face downwards to the ground. He had first to be knocked down and afterwards raised up – first struck, then healed. For Christ would never have come to live in him, if Saul had not died to his former life of sin. Cast down to the earth in this way, what was it he heard? “Saul, Saul, why are thou persecuting Me? It is hard for thou to kick against the goad” (Acts 9:4-5). And he replied: “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Voice from on high continued: “I am Jesus of Nazareth, Whom thou art persecuting.” The members are still on the ground, while the Head cries out, from the heights of Heaven. He is not saying: “Why art thou persecuting My servants?” but “Why art thou persecuting Me!?”

And Paul, who had put all his energy into his persecutions, is already preparing to obey: “What do Thou want me to do?” The persecutor is already transformed into the preacher, the wolf has become a sheep, the enemy, a defender. Paul learns what he is to do – if he has become blind, if this world’s light is held back from him for a while, it is so as to make the light within shine in his heart. Light is taken away from the persecutor, so that it may be given to the preacher; at the very moment he no longer saw anything of this world, he saw Jesus! This symbolises the believer – those who believe in Christ, must fix the eyes of their soul on Him, without paying attention to outward things…

So Saul was led to Ananias – the ravaging wolf is led to the sheep. But the Shepherd, Who guides everything from Heaven above, reassures him… “Do not fear, I will show him what he will have to suffer, for My Name’s sake” (Acts 9:16). What wonder is this! The wolf is led, a captive, to the sheep… The Lamb who died for the sheep, teaches it not to be afraid any more!” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father and Doctor of Grace of the Church (Sermon 279).

PRAYER – O God, Who taught the whole world by the preaching of Thy blessed Apostle Paul, grant, we beseech Thee that we, who today celebrate his conversion, may draw closer to Thee, by way of hia example.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).