Category: GOD ALONE!

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:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/01/29/quote-s-of-the-day-29-january-st-francis-de-sales-2/

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).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 January – ‘ … Would you follow Christ? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 24 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – St Timothy (1st Century) Disciple of St Paul, Bishop and Martyr – 1 Timothy 6:11-16; Luke 14:26-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“So likewise, everyone of you, who does not renounce all
he possesses, cannot be My disciple.” – Luke 14:33

REFLECTION – “When the Lord tells us in the Gospel that anyone who wants to be His follower must renounce himself, the injunction seems harsh; we think He is imposing a burden on us. But an order is no burden when it is given by One Who helps in carrying it out.

To what place are we to follow Christ, if not where He has already gone? We know that He has Risen and Ascended into Heaven, there, then, we must follow Him. There is no cause for despair — by ourselves we can do nothing but we have Christ’s promise. Heaven was beyond our reach before our Head ascended there (Col 1:18) but now, if we are His Members, why should we despair of arriving there ourselves? Is there any reason? True, many fears and afflictions confront us in this world but if we follow Christ, we shall reach a place of perfect happiness, perfect peace and everlasting freedom from fear.

Yet, let me warn anyone bent on following Christ, to listen to Saint John the Apostle: “One who claims to abide in Christ, ought to walk as He walked” (1 Jn 2:6). Would you follow Christ? Then be humble as He was humble; do not scorn His lowliness if you want to reach His exaltation!” – St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Bishop, Father of the Church (Sermon 159 1:4-6).

PRAYER – Be mindful of our weakness, Almighty God and because the burden of our sins weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of blessed Timothy, Your Martyr and Bishop, sustain 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 DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, St PAUL!, The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – St Raymond of Peñafort

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – St Raymond of Peñafort OP (1175-1275) Confessor, “Father of Canon Law” Dominican Priest, Co-Founder of the Mercedarian Friars with St Peter Nolasco, Miracle-Worker. – Patronages – Lawyers, Canonists, Medical Record Librarians, Barcelona, Spain, Navarre, Spain.

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

this is that enviable and blessed cross of christ - st raymond of penafort 7 jan 2019

“May the God of love and peace,
set your hearts at rest
and speed you on your journey,
may He meanwhile,
shelter you from disturbance by others,
in the hidden recesses of His Love,
until He brings you, at last,
into that place of complete plenitude,
where you will repose forever,
in the vision of peace,
in the security of trust
and in the restful enjoyment of His riches.”

MORE:
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St Raymond of Peñafort
(1175-1275)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SIMPLICITY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, QUOTES on WATCHING, SELF-DISTRUST, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 January –  ‘ … Open the door to Him at once, when He Comes and knocks. Luke 12:35

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One Minute Reflection – 23 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275) – Sirach 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to Him at once, when He Comes and knocks.” – Luke 12:35-36

REFLECTION – “God is the Supreme Being, therefore, direct the thoughts of your mind to Him and do not think of anything else, except to watch for His Coming. Let the soul gather together its thoughts, dispersed by sin, as though it were gathering together children romping about! Let it take them back to the house of its body and there, wait for the Lord, at all times with fasting and love, until He Comes and gathers them up in truth…

If our hearts are not swollen with pride and, if we do not send our thoughts out to feed in the pastures on the mad weeds of sin and if, to the contrary, we lift up our minds and lead our thoughts into the Lord’s Presence with fervent wills, then, in His good Will, the Lord shall certainly Come to us and truly unite us to Himself …

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) (Attrib) Monk, Father (Sermon 31).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who chose blessed Raymond to be a renowned minister of the Sacrament of Penance and miraculously brought him through the waves of the sea, grant that, by his intercession, we may produce good results from our penance and reach the Heaven of eternal salvation Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, In the PRESENCE of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 23 January – Lord, Kindle our Lamps

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Our Morning Offering – 23 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family”

Lord, Kindle our Lamps
By St Columban (543-615)

Lord, kindle our lamps,
Saviour most dear to us,
that we may always shine
in Thy Presence
and always receive Light
from Thee,
the Light Perpetual,
so that our own
personal darkness,
may be overcome
and the darkness
of the word driven from us.
Amen

Posted in CARMELITES, CATECHESIS, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 22 January – Roses and thorns

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – St Vincent of Saragossa (Died 304) Protomartyr of Spain and St Anastasius the Persian (Died 628) Martyr – Wisdom 3:1-8; Luke 21:9-19

“And you shall be hated by all men,
for My Name’s sake.
But, not a hair of your head shall perish.”

Luke 21:17-18

“Pray in the spirit and sentiment of love,
in which the royal Prophet said to Him,
‘Thou, O Lord, art my portion.’
Let others choose to themselves,
portions among creatures,
for my part, Thou art my portion,
Thou alone I have chosen
for my whole inheritance.”

St Augustine of Canterbury (Died c605)
“The Apostle to the English”

“O strong love of God!
I really think, nothing seems impossible,
to one who loves. O happy soul
which has obtained this peace, from its God! ”

St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582)
Carmelite Reformer

“You must choose – is it better
that there should be thorns in your garden,
in order to have roses,
or that there should be no roses
in your garden,
in order to have no thorns?”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“Prayer is the inner bath of love
into which the soul plunges itself.”

St Jean-Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)

Posted in BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, CHRIST the KING Prayers, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, GOD the FATHER, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 22 January – Prayer in Praise of God By St Francis

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Our Morning Offering – 22 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family”

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 AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, The IMITATION of CHRIST, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 January – You too, then, have faith – it is He, the Bridegroom!

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 January – St Agnes (c 291- c 304) Virgin and Martyr –

“And He said to them:
Why are you troubled and why
do thoughts arise in your hearts?”
Luke 24:38

“Christ is truly the Word,
the Only-begotten Son equal to the Father,
united to a truly human soul
and a real body, clean of all sin.
This is the Body which died,
the Body which rose again,
this Body was fastened to the Cross,
this Body laid in the tomb,
this Body is seated in the Heavens.
Our Lord wished to persuade His disciples
that what they were seeing was truly bone and flesh…
Why did He want to convince me of this truth?
Because He knew, just how much it was to my own good,
to have faith in it and how much
I had to lose, if I did not.
You too, then, have faith – it is He, the Bridegroom!”

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

“Behold, the Bridegroom is coming,
go forth to meet Him!”
Matthew 25:6

“He worked and struggled
as our Champion against our enemies,
broke open the bars of our prison,
won the struggle, vanquished our death
through His Own, redeemed us through His Blood,
freed us through His water in Baptism
and made us rich, through His Sacraments
and His gifts, so that, as He says in the Gospel (Mt 25:6), we might “go out” with all virtues to, “meet Him”
in the palace of His glory and enjoy
Him forever in eternity.”

Bl Jan van Ruysbroeck (1293-1381)

(The Spiritual Espousals, Prologue)

“Come, O come, for without Thee,
there will be no happy day,
or hour because Thou art my happiness
and without Thee, my table is empty.
I am wretched, as it were, imprisoned
and weighted down with fetters,
until Thou fills me
with the Light of Thy Presence,
restore me to liberty
and show me a friendly Countenance.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

(Imitation of Christ, Book 3 Ch 21:1,4-6)

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One Minute Reflection – 21 January – ‘ … Keep going, persevere, bear and accept this delay and you have carried His Cross!’ … – (Matthew 25:10)

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One Minute Reflection – 21 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – St Agnes (c 291- c 304) Virgin and Martyr – Ecclesiasticus 51:1-8, 12; Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ … The Bridegroom came and they, who were ready, went in with Him … ” – Matthew 25:10

REFLECTION – “In this world, which is to say, in the Church, wholly following Christ, He says to all of us: “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself.” This command is not being directed to virgins but not married women, to widows but not wives, to Monks but not husbands, to Priests but not laity. It is the whole Church, the whole Body of Christ with all its members, differentiated and divided according to their proper functions which is, to follow Christ. May she wholly follow Him, she who is one alone, the dove, the bride (Sg 6:9); may she follow Him, she who has been redeemed and endowed with the Blood of her Bridegroom. Virginal purity has its place here; the continence of widows has its place here; wedded chastity has its place here…

These members who have their place here should follow Christ, each according to their category, each according to their status, each after its fashion. Let them deny themselves, that is to say, let them not rely on themselves. Let them carry their cross that is to say, bear, for Christ’s sake in the world, all that the world inflicts on them. May they love Him, He, the Only One, Who never deceives or is deceived, the Only One ,Who is not mistaken. May they love Him because, what He promises is true. Yet because, He does not give it to us now, our faith falters. Keep going, persevere, bear and accept this delay and you have carried His Cross!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 96:9)

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 Agnes, 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 HOLY COMMUNION, In the PRESENCE of GOD, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on Will (Sensual or Inferior), The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY INFANCY

Thought for the Day – 19 January – “The Arrival in Egypt”

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Thought for the Day – 19 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Christmastide
“The Holy Infancy”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“The Arrival in Egypt”

+1. At length they reached the spot which God designed for their sojourn in a land full of idols and idolaters. What uncongenial surroundings for the Holy Family, alone in the midst of those who worshipped a false god!
So many a Catholic has to dwell in a most uncongenial atmosphere – perhaps among heretics, or bad Catholics, or those whose words and looks and actions continually jar and cause pain. Patience! Jesus and Mary know, by experience, what such have to suffer!

+2. When the Holy Family arrived in Egypt, in the Town where they came to dwell, all the idols in the temples fell prostrate to the ground and were shattered into pieces. Thus, when Christ comes to dwell within the soul, all that opposes itself to God is destroyed by His Sacred Presence. If Jesus dwells with us , we shall no longer allow pride, envy, bitterness, self-will, discontent, to reign in our hearts.

+3. The presence of the Holy Family in Egypt hallowed the spot where they sojourned. In early Christian times it was covered with the cells of the Monks and Hermits. Thus Jesus always leaves a blessing behind Him.
When He comes to me in Holy Communion, if only I put no obstacle in the way my soul will flourish with virtues and good works, as the effect of His Presence.

Posted in "Follow Me", CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, St Francis de Sales, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 19 January – ‘… Confess the Lord Jesus! …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 January – Romans 12:6-16; John 2:1-11 -13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Do whatever He tells you.”

John 2:5

“Whosoever shall do the Will of My Father, …
he is My brother and sister and mother.”

Matthew 12:50

“What is the surest kind of witness?
“Anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ
came among us in the flesh” (cf 1 Jn 4:2)
and who keeps the commands of the Gospel…
How many there are, each day,
of these hidden martyrs of Christ
who confess the Lord Jesus!
… So be faithful and courageous
in interior persecutions,
so that you may also win
the victory in exterior persecutions.”

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

“Obedience is a short cut to perfection.”

St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

“ It is necessary, therefore, to obey
the Eternal Father by following Our Lord
in order to hear His Word.
And behold, how we are taught that all
persons, whatever their condition may be,
must pray and meditate,
for it is there, principally,
where this Divine Master speaks to us.
… But, it will not do us any good to listen,
if we do not DO what He says to us,
observing His commandments
and His wishes faithfully,”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

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!, I BELIEVE!, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on ZEAL, St PETER!, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 January – Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona …

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 January – Feast of the Chair of the Apostle, St Peter at Rome – 1 Peter 1:1-7, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona
because flesh and blood
hath not revealed it to thee
but My Father Who is in Heaven.”

Matthew 16:17

“We recognise a tree by its fruit
and we ought to be able to recognise
a Christian by his action.
The fruit of faith
should be evident in our lives,
for being a Christian,
is more than making
sound professions of faith.
It should reveal itself
in practical and visible ways.
Indeed, it is better to keep quiet
about our beliefs
and live them out,
than to talk eloquently
about what we believe
but fail, to live by it.”

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108)
Father of the Church

“Do you desire security?
Here you have it.
The Lord says to you,
“I will never abandon you,
I will always be with you.”
If a good man made you such a promise,
you would trust him.
God makes it and do you doubt?
Do you seek a support, more sure
than the Word of God, which is infallible?
Surely, He has made the promise,
He has written it,
He has pledged His Word for it,
it is most certain!”

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

“What determines that the gifts of God dwells in us,
is the measure of each one’s faith.
Because, it is to the extent that we believe
that the enthusiasm to act is given us.
And so, those who act,
reveal the measure of their faith
proportionate to their action,
they receive their measure of grace
according to what they have believed. …”

St Maximus the Confessor (c580-662)
Father of the Church

“For God, …
does not work in those
who refuse to place all their confidence
and hope in Him alone.
But He does impart
the fullness of His love
upon those who possess
a deep faith and hope;
for them He does great things!”

St Jerome Emiliani (1486–1537)

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TIME, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 15 January – St Macarius of Egypt

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 January –The Feast of St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390) Priest, Abbot, Hermit, Desert Father of the Church, Spiritual student of Saint Anthony Abbot, Ascetic, Miracle-worker , known as “The Glowing Lantern.”

“As the Lord put on the body,
leaving behind all principality and power,
so Christians put on the Holy Ghost
and are at rest.”

“When you do not have a lot of time for prayer,
use the time which you do have.
God will accept your will;
remember the publican’s repentance in prayer
is pleasing unto God.
Be careful not to put a price
on your prayer,
it is God’s business, not ours.”

“Reading spiritual books enlightens our minds
and shows us the road to salvation.
It nurtures the soul, in the same manner,
as physical food, nurtures the body.”

“The soul who really loves God and His Christ,
even if it has done thousands of good works,
thinks he has done nothing
because of his insatiable hunger for God.
Even if he has exhausted the body
through fasting and vigils,
he believes that he has not yet begun to be virtuous.
In spite of the gifts of the Holy Ghost,
the heavenly revelations and mysteries,
he believes that he has not yet done anything
because of his immense
and insatiable love of the Lord.
In faith and in love, he is always hungry and thirsty!”

MORE:
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St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390)

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 13 January – ‘ … let us offer Him all our hearts.’

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – Octave Day of Epiphany – Feria Major – Isaias 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ –

“We have seen His Star in the east
and are come to adore Him.”

Matthew 2:2

Grant me, O my God
By St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)

Good Jesus,
let me be penetrated with love
to the very marrow of my bones,
with fear and respect toward Thee.
Let me burn with zeal for Thy honour,
so that I may deeply resent,
all the outrages committed against Thee,
especially those of which,
I myself have been guilty.
Grant further, O my God,
that I may humbly adore
and acknowledge Thee,
as my Creator and penetrated with gratitude
for all Thy benefits,
I may never cease to render Thee thanksgiving.
Grant that I may bless Thee in all things,
praise and glorify Thee,
with a heart full of joy and gladness
and obeying Thee with docility
in every respect, I may one day,
despite my ingratitude and unworthiness,
be seated at Thine table
together with Thine Holy Angels and Apostles,
to enjoy ineffable delights for all eternity!
Amen

“Do much for God
and do nothing without love:
refer everything to this love;
eat and drink with it in mind!”

(Letter to Madame de Chantal)

“The love of God,
is the end, the perfection
and the excellence of the universe.”

(Treatise on the Love of God
Book 10, Chapter 1)​

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

“See too, how, out of reverence,
they adore Him in silence
and acknowledge Him for their God,
kissing His Feet and offering Him
their gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
Let us too, with the holy Magi,
adore our little King Jesus
and let us offer Him all our hearts.”

St Alphonsus de Liguori (1696-1787) 
Most Zealous Doctor

(The Adoration of the Magi),

Posted in GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on PRAYER, The DIVINE INFANT, THE EPIPHANY of the LORD, The HOLY INFANCY

Thought for the Day – 12 January – “Their Gifts (2) Frankincense”

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Thought for the Day – 12 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Christmastide
“The Holy Infancy”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“Their Gifts (2) Frankincense”

+1. The offering of Frankincense to anyone has always been regarded, by the common consent of mankind, as an acknowledgment of inherent Deity. When the Christians were commanded to throw a grain of incense on the altar of Jupiter or Minerva, it was in acknowledgment of their divinity. The Magi, then, by this offering to Christ of Incense, were the first Gentile witnesses to His Divinity. They made thereby, an implicit Act of Faith in His Godhead and proved the honour they paid Him to be that highest honour which belongs to God alone.

+2. Frankincense is, moreover, a symbol of all which is sweetest and most fragrant.
What is so sweet to Jesus, as the complete offering of ourselves to Him, implied in the homage paid to Him as God! Jesus, my God, my all, I offer Thee my heart, my soul, myself!

+3. Frankincense is the material symbol under which prayer is indicated in Holy Scripture.
In the Apocalypse, the Angel offers the prayers of the Saints in a golden censer and there continually appears, from earth, the cloud of prayers as a cloud of Incense. Among them, my prayers arise. Are they such as will be fragrant and pleasing to God?

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, St PAUL!, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 January – Rejoice!

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” – Within the Octave of Epiphany – Isaias 60:1-6, Matthew 2:1-12

“And seeing the Star they rejoiced
with exceeding great joy.”

Matthew 2:10

“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.”

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

“What is not pleasing to God,
is anxiety and disquiet of mind.
The Lord wants our limitations
and weaknesses, to find their support
in His Strength; He wants us
to hope that His Goodness will complete
and perfect the imperfectness of our means.”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
Priest, Founder of the Society of Jesus

(Letter of 17 November 1555)

“What does St Paul mean by rejoicing in the Lord?
He means the joy which is the result of such a love of God as makes us simply wish that His Will should be done
in all things and, which feels positive joy,
in seeing the accomplishment of the Divine Will,
quite apart from any personal advantage or disadvantage which may accrue to ourselves.
This is the secret of true joy, for then,
that which befalls ourselves, is a matter
of indifference to us.
Be it wealth or woe, success or failure,
we rejoice in it simply because it is
what God has ordained for us .
This is the meaning of Our Lord’s words –
“ Your joy, no man taketh from you.”

Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, In the PRESENCE of GOD, MARIAN QUOTES, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 January – Thy Light is Come!

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 January – Within the Octave– Isaias 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

This day a great Light has descended upon the earth!
Alleluia!

“Arise, be enlightened, …
for thy Light is Come!”

Isaias 60:1

“ 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

Eternal Light, Shine into our Hearts
By St Alcuin of York (735-804)

Eternal Light, shine into our hearts,
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil,
Eternal Power, be our support,
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the
darkness of our ignorance,
Eternal Pity, have mercy on us
that with all our heart
and mind
and soul
and strength,
we may seek Thy Face
and be brought,
by Thine Infinite Mercy
to Thy Holy Presence;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord
Amen

“Taking up the newborn Emmanuel,
Mary beheld a Light incomparably fairer
than the sun and saw a Fire,
which water cannot quench.
She received, in the covering of Flesh
Whom she had borne,
the Light, Who enlightens all things
and she was worthy,,
to carry in her arms,
the Word, Who carries the universe!”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)
Bishop, Cistercian Monk

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on TRUTH, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, St Alphonsus de Liguori,, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 9 January – In the Name of the Lord Jesus

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family”

“In the Name of the Lord Jesus
and protected only
by the Sign of the Cross,
without shield or helmet,
I shall penetrate the enemy’s ranks
and not be afraid.”

St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)

“Faith in Jesus and in the power of His Holy Name
is the greatest spiritual force in the world today.
It is a source of joy and inspiration in our youth;
of strength in our manhood,
when only His Holy Name and His grace,
can enable us to overcome temptation;
of hope, consolation
and confidence at the hour of our death,
when more than ever before,
we realise, that the meaning of Jesus is
‘Lord, the Saviour.’
We should bow in reverence to His Name
and submission to His Holy Will.”

Bl Henry Suso OP (1290-1365)

“[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! ”

St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

“The Holy Name of Jesus is,
first of all,
an all-powerful prayer.
Our Lord, Himself, solemnly promises,
that whatever we ask the Father in His Name,
we shall receive.
God never fails to keep His Word.
Each time we say “Jesus,”
it is an act of perfect love,
for, we offer to God,
the Infinite love of Jesus.”

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

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MODESTY, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, St Francis de Sales, THE EPIPHANY of the LORD, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 8 January – Obedience

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 January – Within the Octave of the Epiphany

“Rather blessed are those
who hear the Word of God
and keep it.’”

Luke 11:28

“I Am the Light of the world.
Whoever follows Me
will never walk in darkness
but will have the Light of Life.”

John 8:12

“Our hearts were made for Thee, O God
And restless must they be
Until, O God, this grace accord,
Until they rest in Thee!”

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

“The obedience of the Star
calls us to imitate its humble service:
to be servants, as best we can,
of the grace which invites all men
to find Christ.”

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

“Humility is the mother of many virtues
because, from it are born:
obedience, fear, reverence, patience,
modesty, meekness and peace.
He who is humble easily obeys everyone,
fears to offend anyone,
is at peace with everyone,
is kind to all!”

St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1488-1555)

“When God puts inspirations into a heart,
the first He gives, is obedience. ”

“To find the Saviour outside obedience,
is to lose Him altogether.”

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

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOOD RESOLUTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOTES to Followers, QUOTES for the NEW YEAR, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SILENCE, The HEART

A New Life is Beginning … May 2025 be the ONE which Makes Us All Saints!

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May 2025 be the ONE which Makes Us All Saints!

A RESOLVE
For Every Morning of the New Year

I will this day, try to live a simple,
sincere and serene life, repelling
promptly, every thought of
discontent, anxiety, discouragement,
impurity and self-seeking;
cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity,
charity and the habit of holy silence,
exercising economy in expenditure,
carefulness in conversation,
diligence in appointed service,
fidelity in every trust
and a child-like trust in God.

Bishop John H Vincent 1900

“What we need most,
in order to make progress,
is to be silent before this great God
with our appetite and with our tongue,
for the language He best hears
is silent love.”

“Strive to preserve your heart in peace;
let no event of this world, disturb it.”

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

“Anyone who takes life seriously
in the Christian sense,
will regard it as a difficult journey
towards perfection and towards God.
This journey will be, at the same time,
painful and joyful.
… It is our own loss if we sit down lazily
on the side of the road,
which should lead us to Heaven.
It is even more disastrous,
if we acknowledge defeat
and lay down the spiritual weapons
of prayer and renunciation,
in order to surrender ourselves to sin or to indifference.
Everyday we should say to ourselves,
in the presence of God –
A new life is beginning …
in You, by Your grac and for You!
Amen”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on the FAMILY, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY NAME

JANUARY 2025 – The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family

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JANUARY – The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus
and the Holy Family

The Second Council of Lyons in 1274 decreed that “at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow; whenever that glorious Name is recalled, especially during the Sacred Mysteries of the Mass, everyone should bow the knees of his heart, which he can do even by a bow of his head.”

It may very well be that the custom of bowing the head at the Name of Jesus has passed out of general use, as have other laudable customs, in recent times but, that does not prevent us personally, from continuing to live it and passing on to our children this ancient custom.

The Holy Family – The Hidden Life

The life of each member of the Holy Family was, from the first, a hidden life, for it was a life hidden with God and concealed from the busy world. The life of Jesus in Mary’s womb, was thus the model of the lives of all, who desire to give themselves entirely to God; a life completely withdrawn from all which could interfere with a continual thought of God and, a continual union with Him, by acts of adoration and of love. This should be my aim, at least during such portions of the day as I am able to give to prayer and to spiritual things.

But a life of complete removal from external things, is not possible on earth. It is reserved for the Blessed in Heaven. Even Joseph and Mary had sometimes to turn their thoughts to earthly things and to the cares of life. Yet, they never lost sight of God and, amid the most distracting occupations, the remembrance of Him, was ever in their hearts. This should be my constant endeavour; thus, to lead a hidden life, by having ever hidden in my heart, the precious treasure of the love of God.

But the hidden life of Mary and Joseph, was from the very beginning, much more than this; they, in the midst of the most distracting cares, had the gift of always having the thought of God, actually present to them. Their conscious intercourse with Him, never ceased. This is the nearest approach to the life of the Angels possible for mortal man on earth. What a contrast to my life, so often absorbed in worldly trifles!

Posted in ADVENT, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRISTMASTIDE!, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, Meditations for ADVENT, QUOTES for CHRIST, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The O ANTIPHONS

Thought for the Day – 27 December – “O Emmanuel”

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Thought for the Day – 27 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“O Emmanuel”

“O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver,
the expectation of the nations and their Saviour,
Come to save us, O Lord our God!”

+1. Emmanuel, God with us, is a Name which in every way belongs to Christ Our Lord. He is with His people in all their needs, ever ready to help and console them. He is with us on every Altar, waiting for us to come and pour out our sorrow and our needs before Him. He is with us, above all, in Holy Communion, when He Comes to dwell in our heart and to bring with Him every grace we need. He is with us in the hour of death and He will be with us forever in Heaven.

+2. He Who thus Comes to dwell with us in familiar friendship is our King; He Who thus condescends to be our companion, is the God Who has an absolute right to our obedience. He is our Lawgiver and the statutes He enacts for us have but one end and aim and object, to lead His subjects into the ways of happiness and the paths of peace .

+3. Come then, O God, our Lord and our Saviour. Come and save us from all the perils of the Evil One and from our own weakness and frailty.
Come and save us in the hour of temptation, for Thou alone art our King and none save Thee shalt rule over us.
Come and bring us safely through this vale of tears to Thy Eternal Kingdom, where we shall dwell forever, O sweet Jesus, in the everlasting delights of Thy blissful Company.