Our Morning Offering – 16 March – Laetare Sunday / The Fourth Sunday in Lent
Be Thou My Vision By St Dallan Forgaill (c530- 598) Martyr
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best thought by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy Presence my Light.
Be Thou my Wisdom and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord. Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my Battle-shield, Sword for my fight, Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight. Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower. Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise, Thou mine inheritance, now and always. Thou and Thou only, First in my heart, High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won, May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Son, Heart of my heart, whatever befall Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Quote/s of the Day – 15 March – Laetare Sunday / The Fourth Sunday in Lent
“When, therefore, Jesus had lifted up His eyes and seen, that a very great crowd had come to Him, He said to Philip, “Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?” John 6:5
“AND SO CHRIST shares the foodstuffs and, there is no question, He wants to give it to all. He withholds it from no-one, for He provides for everyone. Nevertheless, when He breaks the loaves and gives them to the disciples, unless you hold out your hands to receive your portion, you will collapse along the way…”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church
“… Every man is both debtor and creditor… A beggar asks you for alms but you, too, are God’s beggar, for when we pray we are all beggars of God. We stand – or rather, prostrate ourselves – at our Father’s door (cf Lk 11:5); we beseech Him with groans, anxious to receive a grace from Him and this grace is God Himself! What does the beggar ask of you? Bread. And what is it that you are asking of God but Christ, Who said: “I am the Living Bread come down from Heaven” (Jn 6:51).”
Quote/s of the Day – 11 March – Wednesday of the Third Week in Lent – Exodus 20:12-24, Matthew 15:1-20
“But the things which proceed out of the mouth, come from the heart and it is they which defile a man.”
Matthew 15:18
“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
“Govern my heart O Lord, lest it drift into useless and disordered thoughts. Do not permit me to become excessively preoccupied with anything at all, even matters and concerns which are useful and good in themselves. Temper the affections of my soul, so that I may neither love, nor hate anything, in a way which exceeds due proportions. Let me neither rejoice, nor be saddened, beyond the measure which is fitting and rational.”
St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Universal Doctor of the Church
“Do not fix your longings on anything which you do not possess; do not let your heart rest in that which you have; do not grieve overmuch, at the losses which may happen to you – and then, you may reasonably believe that although rich in fact, you are not so in affection but that you are poor in spirit and, therefore, blessed, for the Kingdom of Heaven is yours.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritatis
“Be brave and try to detach your heart from worldly things. Do your utmost to banish darkness from your mind and come to understand what true, selfless piety is. Through confession, endeavour to purify your heart of anything which may still taint it. Enliven your faith which is essential to understand and achieve piety.”
Quote/s of the Day – 9 March – St Gregory of Nyssa (c335–c395) Bishop, Father of the Church – St Frances of Rome (1384-1440) Widow – St Dominic Savio (1842-1857)
“As no darkness can be seen by anyone surrounded by light, so, no trivialities can capture, the attention of anyone, who has his eyes on Christ.”
St Gregory of Nyssa (c335–c395) Father of the Church
“It is most laudable, in a married woman, to be devout but, she must never forget that she is a home-keeper. And sometimes, she must leave God at the Altar to find Him in her household affairs.”
St Frances of Rome (1384-1440)
“Nothing seems tiresome or painful when you are working for a Master Who pays well; Who rewards, even a cup of cold water, given for love of Him.”
Our Morning Offering – 7 March – The Feast of St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis
O Merciful God By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus Doctor Communis
O merciful God, grant that I may ever perfectly do Thy Will in all things. Let it be my ambition to work only for Thy honour and glory. Let me rejoice in nothing but that which leads to Thee, nor grieve for anything, which leads away from Thee. May all passing things be as nothing in my eyes and may all which is Thine be dear to me and Thou, my God, dear above them all. May all joy be meaningless without Thee and may I desire nothing apart from Thee. May all labour and toil delight me, when it is for Thee. Make me, O Lord, obedient without complaint, poor without regret, patient without murmur, humble without pretence, joyous without frivolity, and truthful without disguise. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 5 March – Ferial Day – Thursday of the Second Week in Lent – Jeremias 17:5-10 – Luke 16:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously everyday. And at his gate lay a poor man, named Lazarus…”
Luke 16:19–20
“Amen I say to you, as long as you did NOT do it for one of these least ones, you did NOT do it for Me.”
Matthew 25:45
“Give of your earthly goods and receive eternal ones; give earth and receive Heaven!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
“What is a man’s treasure but the heaping up of profits and the fruit of his toil? For, whatever a man sows, this too will he reap and each man’s gain, matches his toil and where delight and enjoyment are found, there the heart’s desire is attached. Now, there are many kinds of wealth and a variety of grounds for rejoicing – every man’s treasure is that, which he desires. If it is based on earthly ambitions, its acquisition makes men not blessed but wretched. … By distributing what might be superfluous to support the poor, they are amassing imperishable riches, so that what they have discreetly given, cannot be subject to loss. They have properly placed those riches, where their heart is – it is a most blessed thing, to work to increase such riches, rather than to fear that they may pass away.”
St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) ather and Doctor of the Church
“If thou wouldst see well, pluck out thine eyes and be blind; if thou wouldst hear well, be deaf and if thou wouldst speak well, become dumb; if thou wouldst advance, stand still and advance with thy mind; if thou wouldst work well, cut off thy hands and work with thy heart; if thou wouldst love much, hate thyself; if thou wouldst live well, mortify thyself; if thou wouldst gain much and be rich, first lose all and become poor and if thou wouldst enjoy peace, afflict thyself and be ever in fear and suspect thine own self; if thou wouldst be exalted and have great honour, humble and abase thyself; if thou wouldst be held in great reverence, despise thyself and do reverence to him who reviles thee; if thou wouldst that it should be well with thee, suffer all evil things and if thou wouldst be blessed, desire that all should speak ill of thee and if thou wouldst have true and eternal rest, then toil and suffer and desire to have every temporal affliction. O what great wisdom it is to know how to do and to work out these things.”
Our Morning Offering – 3 March – Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent –
Merciful Jesus! Stretch Forth Thy Hand of Mercy (Excerpt – Prayer in a Time of Anguish) By St Jerome (347-419) Father and Doctor of the Church
Merciful Jesus! Thou art my strength, my refuge and my deliverer; in Thee I have believed and hoped; in Thee have I loved. Call me now, I beseech Thee and I will answer. Stretch forth Thy Hand of mercy, to the work of Thy Hands and let me not perish, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood. It is now time for dust to return to dust and my spirit to Thee Who gavest it. Open then, Lord, the Gate of Life and receive me. Receive me most merciful Lord, according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, Who receivedst the thief on the cross and now prepare my soul for hearing the same promise of mercy which he did. I am ill, O Lord and Thee my Physician. Heal me then, my God and I shall be healed, let me not be confounded, for I put my trust in Thee. In Thee have I hoped – let me not be cast off forever! … Deal not with me, according to what I deserve, nor chastise me, according to my iniquities but help me, O God, my Saviour and for the glory of Thy Name deliver me. Now, at this hour, show mercy to me and whenever I depart, receive me into the number of Thy family that I, may be one of those, who are to praise Thee forever. Amen
Quote of the Day – 1 March – The Second Sunday in Lent – Thessalonians 5:14-23, Matthew 17:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“You will begin to taste, even in this life, a foretaste of eternal life, for the principal beatitude of the soul in Heaven, is to be confirmed forever in the Will of the Father. Thus, it tastes the Divine sweetness. But it will never taste it in Heaven, if it is not clothed with it on earth, where we are pilgrims and travellers. When it is clothed with it, it tastes God by grace in its troubles; its memory will be full of the Blood of the Lamb without blemish; its mind will be opened and contemplate the ineffable Love that God has made known in the Wisdom of His Son and the love it finds, in the Holy Spirit’s goodness, casts out self-love and love for created things, to love only God. So do not be afraid … but suffer with joy, so as to conform yourself to the Will of God.””
Our Morning Offering – 26 February – Thursday of the First Week of Lent – Ferial Day
To Thee, O Master Morning Offering By St Macarius the Wonder-Worker (Died 850)
To Thee, O Master, Who loves all mankind I hasten Mn rising from sleep. By Thy Mercy, I go out to do Thy Work and I make my prayer to Thee. Help me at all times and in all things. Deliver me from every evil thing of this world and from pursuit by the devil. Save me and bring me to Thy eternal Kingdom, For Thou art my Creator, Thou inspire all good thoughts in me. In Thee is all my hope and to Thee I give glory, now and forever. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 24 February – Feast of St Matthias, Apostle – Acts 1:15-26, Matthew 11:25-30 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And praying, they said: Thou, Lord, Who knows the hearts of all men, show which of these two Thou hast chosen, to take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas hath, by transgression, fallen …”
Acts 1:24-25
“You did not choose Me but I chose you…”
John 15:16
“That is amazing grace! For what were we before Christ had chosen us besides being wicked and lost? What then has He chosen in those who are not good? You cannot say, I am chosen because I believed. For if you believed in Him, you had already chosen Him. Nor can you say, before I believed I did good works and, therefore, was chosen. For what good work is there before faith when the Apostle says, “Whatever is not of faith is sin?” What is there for us to say, then but that we were wicked and were chosen, that by the grace of having been chosen, we might become good?”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“Day by day follow God’s path, keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise. In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His Apostles, to all those who seek His will and His testimonies that He would be with them until the end of the world (Mt 28:20) where paths and footsteps will be unknown (cf Ps 76:20), as the divine David said in his songs. Yet, in an invisible way, He is present to the eyes of the mind, making Himself seen by those who have a pure heart and conversing with them. So pursue your path …. ”
St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church
Quote/s of the Day – 22 February – The First Sunday of Lent – 2 Corinthians 6:1-10, Matthew 4:1-11
“Begone, Satan! for it is written: The Lord thy God shalt thou adore and Him only shalt thou serve.”
Matthew 4:10
“Do not, therefore, lose your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of patience that, doing the Will of God, you may receive the promise. For yet a very little while and He Who is to come, will come and will not delay.”
Hebrews 10:35-37
“It might even be said that we are fortunate to have temptations, for these are the times of spiritual harvest when we gather up for Heaven. … If we were thoroughly saturated with God’s Holy Presence, it would be easy for us to resist the enemy. With the thought ‘God sees you!’ we would never sin!
There was a Saint who complained to our Lord after being tempted and said to Him: “Where were Thou, my most loveable Jesus, during that awful storm?” Our Lord answered: “I was in the centre of thou heart…”
St John-Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859) The Curé of Ars
“When tempted, turn immediately to your Guardian Angel and ask him, with all your heart, “My Guardian Angel help me now. Do not let me offend my God!”
Our Morning Offering – 21 February – Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Lord be Blessed! (A Prayer of Thanksgiving and Self-oblation) By St John of God (1495-1550)
Lord be blessed! for in Thy great kindness to me, who art such a great sinner, having performed so many wicked things, yet Thou seest fit to set me free, from such a tremendous temptation and deception into which I fell, through my own sinfulness. Thou hast brought me into a safe harbour, where I shall endeavour to serve Thee with all my strength. My Lord, I beg Thee, with all my might, give me the strength of Thine grace and always let me see Thine clemency. I wish to be Thy slave, so kindly show me what I should do. Give peace and quiet to my soul which greatly desires this. O most worthy Lord, may this creature of Thine, serve and praise Thee. May I give my whole heart and mind, to Thee. Amen
Grant Me, My God By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Angelic Doctor, Common Doctor
Make my heart watchful, O God, so that no vain thoughts may distract it from Thee. Make it noble, so that it may never be seduced by any base affection. Make it steadfast, so that troubles may not dismay it. Make it free, so that it may not yield to the onslaughts of passion. Grant me, my God, the intelligence, to understand Thee, the love, to seek Thee, the wisdom, to find Thee, words, to please Thee, the perseverance, to wait faithfully for Thee and, the hope of embracing Thee, at last. Grant that I, a repentant sinner, may bear Thy chastisements with resignation. Poor pilgrim which I am, may I draw on the treasury of Thine grace and may I one day, be eternally happy with Thee in Heavenly glory! Amen.
One Minute Reflection – 16 February – “The Month of the Most Blessed Trinity” – Ferial Day – Quinquagesima Sunday –1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – Luke 18:31-43.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And immediately he saw and followed Him, glorifying God.” – Luke 18:43
REFLECTION – “Our Redeemer foresaw that the hearts of His disciples would be greatly disturbed by His Passion. He foretold to them, far ahead, of both the agony of His Passion and the glory of His Resurrection (Lk 18:31-33). Then, when they beheld Him dying, as had been foretold, they would not doubt that He was to rise again. But since the disciples, still worldly as they were, were entirely unable to grasp, the Words of the Mystery (v.34), there was need of a miracle! A blind man received the Light before their eyes, so that a heavenly deed might strengthen the faith of those, who failed to grasp the Words of the heavenly Mystery.
We must understand the miracles of our Lord and Saviour, dearly beloved, so as to believe that they have been truly effected and that their meaning, nevertheless, still signifies something else too … We do not know the historical identity of the blind man but we do know whom he mystically denotes. The blind man is the human race. In our first parents it was driven from the joys of paradise and ignorant of the brightness of the Divine Light, it suffered the darkness of its condemnation. But yet, it is enlightened by the presence of its Redeemer, to see already, the joys of inward light, by desire and to direct the footsteps of its good works, in the way of Life.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on the Gospels).
PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech Thee, mercifully hear our prayers; loose us from the chains of our sins and keep us from all adversity. 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).
One Minute Reflection – 2 March – “The Month of the Most Blessed Trinity” – Quinquagesima Sunday –1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – Luke 18:31-43. – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And he cried out, saying, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” – Luke 18:38
REFLECTION – The blind man must have understood, that the sight of the blind cannot be restored by human means but requires, on the contrary, a divine power and an authority such as God only possesses. With God nothing, whatsoever, is impossible. The blind man came near to Him, as to the omnipotent God. How then does he call Him, the Son of David? What can one answer to this? The following is perhaps the explanation. Since He was born and raised in Judaism, of course, the predictions contained in the law and the holy Prophets, concerning Christ, had not escaped his knowledge. He heard them chant that passage in the book of the Psalms, “The Lord has sworn in truth to David and will not annul it, saying: ‘of the fruit of your loins I will set a king upon your throne.’” The blind man also knew that the blessed Prophet Isaiah said, “There will spring up a shoot from the root of Jesse and from his root a flower will grow up.” Isaiah also said, “Behold, a virgin will conceive and bring forth a son,and they will call his name Emmanuel, which, being interpreted is, God with us.” He already believed that the Word, being God, of His own will, had submitted to be born in the flesh of the holy Virgin. He now comes near to Him, as to God and says, “Have mercy on me, Son of David.” Christ testifies, that this was his state of mind in offering his petition. He said to him, “Your faith has saved you.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Incarnation (Commentary on Luke, Homily 126)
PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech Thee, mercifully hear our prayers; loose us from the chains of our sins and keep us from all adversity. 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).
Our Morning Offering – 15 February – Quinquagesima Sunday
Grant Us This Day, O Lord By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus Doctor Communis
Grant us this day, O Lord a vigilant heart, that no alien thought can lure away from Thee, a pure heart. that no unworthy love can soil, an upright heart, that no crooked intentions can lead astray. And give us Lord, understanding to know Thee, zeal to seek Thee, wisdom to find Thee and a hope, that will one day take hold of Thee. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 29 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Thomas à Becket (1118-1170) Martyr – Hebrews 5:1-6 – John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“I am the Good Shepherd, I know My Own and My Own know Me.”- John 10:14
REFLECTION – “He shows in what manner a shepherd may be proved good and, He teaches that, he must be prepared to give up his life, fighting in defence of his sheep which was fulfilled in Christ. For man has departed from the love of God and fallen into sin and, because of this was, I say, excluded from the divine abode of paradise. And when he was weakened by that disaster, he yielded to the devil tempting him to sin and death, following that sin, he became the prey of fierce and ravenous wolves. But after Christ was announced as the True Shepherd of all men, He laid down His life for us (1 John 3:16), fighting for us against that pack of inhuman beasts. He bore the Cross for us that by His own death, He might destroy death. He was condemned for us that He might deliver all of us, from the sentence of punishment – the tyranny of sin being overthrown by our faith -fastening to the Cross, the decree that stood against us, as it is written (Colossians 2:14).
Therefore, as the father of sin had, as it were, shut up the sheep in hell, giving them to death to feed on, as it is written in the Psalms (Ps. 48:16), He died for us, as truly Good and truly our Shepherd, so that the dark shadow of death is driven away, He might join us to the company of the blessed in Heaven and, in exchange for abodes which lie far in the depths of the pit …grants us mansions in His Father’s House above. Because of this, He says to us in another place: Fear not, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you a Kingdom (Luke 12:32). Do you listen attentively to the Voice of the Good Shepherd and obey His Word? – ” – St Cyril of Alexander (376-444) Known as “The Pillar of Faith” Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Church. (Commentary on the Good Shepherd).
PRAYER – O God, for Whose Church Bishop Thomas, now in glory, fell by the swords of wicked men, grant, we beseech Thee, that the prayers of all who implore his assistanc, may be effective and may lead to 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).
Our Morning Offering – 29 December – St Thomas à Becket (1118-1170) Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury
Please Lord, Make me Worthy! Prayer of Supplication and Repentance By St Thomas à Becket (1118-1170) Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury
My Lord, I find it difficult to talk to Thee. What can I say? I, who have turned away from Thee so often with indifference. I have been a stranger to prayer, undeserving of Thy friendship and love. I have been without honour and feel unworthy. I am a weak and shallow creature, clever only in the second-rate and worldly arts, seeking my comfort and pleasure. I gave my love, such as it was, elsewhere, putting service to my earthly King, before my duty to Thee. Please Lord, teach me how to serve Thee with all my heart, to know at last, what it really is, to love, to adore. So that I may worthily minister to Thine Kingdom, here on earth and find my true honour, in observing Thine divine will. Please Lord, make me worthy! Amen
Thought for the Day – 28 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Value of An Hour
“There are twenty four hours in a day, eight thousand seven hundred and sixty, in a year. How have you spent all the hours which God has given you in the past? How do you intend to use the hours which He will give you in the future?
When you examine the past, you will find much to regret. Perhaps you have spent many hours in sin, in idle gossp, in useless or dangerous pastimes, or in innumerable business transactions, all of which will contribute NOTHING towards your eternal salvation, which should be our main concern in this life.
How much time have you spent thinking of God, your Creator and Redeemer? How many hours have you devoted to prayer, thanksgiving and penance. How many have you spent in apostolic work on behalf of your neighbour? It may be that the service of God and your spiritual welfare have, so far, been the least of your worries, on which you have expended no more than the few odd moments left over from your other preoccupations. You are well aware, nevertheless, that the purpose of life is to know, love and serve God. You know that you ought to offer Him all your thoughts, affections and actions, for He alone can make your happy – or do you NOT know and believe this?”
Quote/s of the Day – 28 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of the Holy Innocents
“O Clavis David”
“ O Key of David and Sceptre of the house of Israel, Who openest and no man shutteth and shuttest and no man openeth; Ccome and deliver from the prisonhouse, the captive who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.”
“The Key and the Sceptre, are the symbols of supreme authority; they indicate the sway which the Saviour is to hold over His faithful people and the right which He alone possesses of opening the Gate of Heaven to the children of men and of extending to them the golden sceptre of His mercy and forgiving love. To me, O Key of David, unworthy though I am, open in Thy Mercy the Door of Heaven; stretch forth to me, all undeserving, the sceptre of Thy favour and Thy love.”
Quote/s of the Day – 27 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
“O Emmanuel”
“O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the expectation of the nations and their Saviour, Come to save us, O Lord our God!”
“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.”
One Minute Reflection – 27 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St John, the Apostle and Evangelist, the Beloved – St John the Apostle and Evangelist – Ecclesiasticus 15:1-6 – John 21:19-24 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow Me.” – John 21:22
REFLECTION – “The Church knows of two lives advocated and recommended by God . One in faith, the other in vision; one in our pilgrimage through time, the other in the abode of eternity; one in working, the other in repose; one on the way, the other in our homeland; one in the labour of action, the other in the reward of contemplation. … The first is represented by the Apostle Peter, the second, by John. The first wholly takes place here below, until the end of the world and then comes to an end. The second only reaches its fulfilment after the world’s end; in the world to come, it will never end.
“What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow Me” …. Let your action follow Me, perfect and modelled on the example of My Passion; let the contemplation which has begun, remain until My return: I will perfect it when I come again. For this persevering fervour which stands firm to the death, is a following of Christ and this knowledge, which will then be manifested in fullness, remains until the return of Christ. Here, in the country of mortal men, we must undergo the afflictions of this world; there, we shall contemplate the Lord’s blessings, in the land of the living (Ps 26:13). …
So let no-one divide one from the other of these two, glorious Apostles, for both are contained in what Peter symbolises and both, will be in what John represents.” – St Augustine (354-320) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermons on Saint John’s Gospel No 124: 5-7).
PRAYER – O Lord, graciously shed light upon Thy Church, so that, enlightened by the teachings of blessed John, ThyApostle and Evangelist, she may gain YThy everlasting rewards.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).
One Minute Reflection – 26 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Stephen the ProtoMartyr (c05-c34) – The Second Day in the Christmas Octave – Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59 –Matthew 23:34-39 –Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” – Acts 7:59
REFLECTION – “Yesterday we celebrated the birth in time, of our eternal King; today we celebrate the triumphant death of a soldier… Our King, although He is most high, came for our sake, in great humility but He could not come empty-handed. He brought with Him, as it were, a great bonus for His soldiers which not only made them abundantly rich but also gave them, strength to fight and conquer. The gift He brought was love, which brings men into fellowship with the Godhead …
The love, then, which brought Christ down from Heaven to earth, lifted Stephen from earth to Heaven … And Stephen, so as to deserve to win the crown— which is what his name means — had love as his weapon and by it was everywhere victorious. Through love of God, he did not yield to the raging of his enemies and through love of his neighbour, he prayed for those who were stoning him. Through love, he accused those, who were in the wrong that they might be corrected. Through love, he prayed for those stoning him, to save them from punishment. Trusting in the strength of love, he overcame the cruel raging of Saul and so, won for himself, as a companion in men, the man who had been his persecutor on earth , This holy and untiring love, ardently desired to acquire as converts by his prayers, those whom he had been unable to convert by argument.
Now Paul rejoices with Stephen, with Stephen he enjoys the brightness of Christ; he exults with Stephen, he reigns with Stephen! There, where Stephen arose, the first, stoned under Paul’s very eyes, there too, Paul has risen with the help of Stephen’s prayers.” – St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c 462 – 533) Bishop in North Africa (Sermon 3, 1-3, 5-6).
PRAYER – Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to imitate what we celebrate, so that we may learn to love, even our enemies; because we keep the anniversary of the invention of Him, Who knew how to plead even for His persecutors with our Lord, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with |Thee. lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Thought for the Day – 25 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Feast of the Nativity
“The first people to pay homage to Jesus Christ, are not men of exalted rank but humble shepherds. They come to offer their poor gifts but, above all else, they offer Him their simple and innocent hearts.
We also should approach the manger with humility and simplicity. Foremost among the gifts which we offer, should be the renunciation of sin, a firm resolution to resist our lower inclinations and a great love for Him, Who has loved us so much. There are no more pleasing gifts which we could offer Jesus Christ on His Birthday. Let us go now to Him!”
Thought for the Day – 24 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
A Christmas Novena IX The Holy Family – Joseph
“The third member of the Holy Family is St Joseph, the most just of men, faithful to his vocation as the foster-father of the Child Jesus and chaste spouse o the Blessed Virgin Mary. Let us imitate his purity, his utter dedication to the service of God and his burning love for Jesus, Whom he was privileged to clasp to his breast before any other man. Let us ask him to obtain for us the grace to be able to imitate him in his life so that we may also imitate him in his holy death. May he, who died with Jesus and Mary by his side, obtain peace for us in our final agony, so that we may expire with the names of Jesus and Mary on our lips and in our hearts.”
Thought for the Day – 23 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
A Christmas Novena VIII What Jesus Wants From Us
“Unless you turn and become like little children,” the Infant Jess says to us, “you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 18:2). He wishes us to be humble, simple and innocent, like children. As we grow older, unfortunately, many of us become proud, complicated and vain. We lose the honest candour of childhood
Worldly pretentiousness cannot possibly appeal to Jesus, since He, Who is truly great, chose to become a tiny Infant. He wishes us to renounce the self-important airs and the intricate methods which we employ, in order to conceal the truth, to disguise our lack of virtue and to assume the appearances of learning and of authority, regardless of the fact that the highest achievement of which we are capable, is to be humble, the most necessary knowledge of all, is to know Jesus Crucified and the best kind of authority, is the ability to control our passions and to subject ourselves to the will of God.
It is, in this sense, that we must become little children before God and before man. Then Jesus Christ will love us and will grant us His favours.”
One Minute Reflection – 23 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 – Luke 3:1-6 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Let a man so account of us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the Mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy …” – 1 Corinthians 4:1-2
REFLECTION – “Wishing to emphasise the special office of the servants whom He has placed in charge of His people, the Lord says, “Who, do you think, is the faithful and wise steward, whom the Lord sets over His household, to give to them their measure of wheat at the proper time? Blessed is that servant, whom his Master will find so doing, when He comes.” Who is that Master, brethren? Without a doubt it is Christ, who says to His disciples: “You call me Teacher and Lord and you are right, for so I am” (Jn 13,13). What, too, is the Master’s Household? Doubtless it is the one which the Lord Himself ransomed… This Sacred Household is the Holy, Catholic Church, which is spread throughout the whole earth, with abundant fertility and glories, in the fact, that she has been redeemed by the Precious Blood of her Master.
As He Himself says: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10,45). He is, too, the Good Shepherd, Who laid down His life for His sheep” (Jn 10,11)…
As to who the steward is, who ought to be faithful, as well as wise, the Apostle Paul shows us, when, speaking of himself and his companions, he says: “This is how one should regard us, as the servants of Christ and stewards of the Mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy” (1Cor 4:1-2). Now, lest anyone of us should think that it is only the Apostles who have been made stewards… the blessed Apostle Paul shows us that the Bishops also are stewards, when he says: “For a Bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless” (Tt 1,7)…We, therefore, who are the servants of the Master of the household, we are the stewards of the Lord, we have received the measure of wheat to disburse to you.” – St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c 462-533) Bishop, Father (Homily 1, on the Lord’s servants).
PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that we, Thy suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with Thee. Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Thought for the Day – 22 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
A Christmas Novena VII Prayer and Dedication
“As we kneel before the Infant Jesus, let us beseech Him to enable us to grasp the truth of these reflections. Let us take more care of our soul than we do, as of our external talents and possessions. May God occupy the foremost place in our minds and may He be the principal object of our thoughts, desires and affections.
Let us imitate the humble recollection and ardent love for God, of the Holy Infant. Like Him, let us offer ourselves entirely to God. Let us ask Him to make us like Himself, in complete acceptance of the Divine Will, especially when we are in trouble or in pain, for in this way, we shall be able to show God how sincerely we love Him.”
Quote/s of the Day – 22 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast Day of St Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917)
“I trust in Thee, my Jesus. I place my poor soul in Thy Hands – mould me according to Thy Divine Will.”
“Work in me, oh adorable Heart of Jesus because Thou knowest well, how incapable I am of doing perfectly everything which Thou wishes of me.”
“My God, Thou hast created me for Thyself and I must serve Thee with all my being.”
AnaStpaul 
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