Quote/s of the Day – 17 May – The Memorial of St Paschal Baylon OFM (1540-1592) Confessor, “Seraph of the Eucharist,” “Saint of the Blessed Sacrament,” “Servant of the Blessed Sacrament.” Franciscan Lay Brother.
“Meditate well on this – Seek God above all things! It is right for you to seek God, before and above, everything else because the Majesty of God wishes you to receive what you ask for. This will also make you more ready to serve God and will enable you to love Him more perfectly.”
Alone With None but Thee, My God Attri. St Columban (543-615)
Alone with none but Thee, my God I journey on my way, what need I fear when Thou art near, O King of night and day? More safe am I within Thy hand than if a host should round me stand.
My destined time is known to Thee, and death will keep his hour; did warriors strong around me throng, they could not stay his power. No walls of stone can man defend when Thou Thy messenger dost send.
My life I yield to Thy decree and bow to Thy control in peaceful calm, for from Thine arm no power can wrest my soul, could earthly omens e’er appal a man that heeds the heavenly call?
The child of God can fear no ill, His chosen, dread no foe; we leave our fate with Thee and wait Thy bidding when to go, ’tis not from chance our comfort springs, Thou art our Trust, O King of kings.
One Minute Reflection – 29 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – St Peter Martyr/ of Verona OP (1205–1252) Martyr, Priest – 2 Timothy 2:8-10; 3:10-12, John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4
REFLECTION – “[Jesus] is our only Master, who must teach us; our only Lord, on Whom we must depend; our only Head, to Whom alone we should belong; our only Model, Whom we should imitate; our only Physician, Who must heal us; our only Shepherd, Who must feed us; our only Way, Who must lead us; our only Truth, Whom we must believe; our only Life, Who must be our life and our sole sufficiency in all things that in Him, we may have all in All. Except the Name of Jesus, there is no other name given under Heaven, whereby we must be saved and apart from Jesus Christ,
God has given us no other foundation of our salvation, our perfection and our glory: “for other foundation no man can lay but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 3:11). Every house which is not built upon this firm Rock, is founded on the shifting sands and will inevitably fall, sooner or later. Every soul who is not united with Christ, as a branch to the stem of the vine, will fall off, wither and become fit only for the fire. If we are in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in us, we need not fear damnation; neither Angels in Heaven, nor men on earth, neither demons in hell, nor any other creature, can harm us because they cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (cf. Rm 8:38-39).” – St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716) Priest, Renowned Preacher, Founder of Religious Communities [Treatise on the true devotion to the Blessed Virgin (Article one; First Truth)]
PRAYER – Grant us grace, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, to follow with zeal, conformable thereto after the pattern of that great example of faith, Thy blessed Martyr Peter, who, for the spreading of the same faith, did so run as to obtain the Palm of Martyrdom. 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).
Quote/s of the Day – 28 April – St Paul of the Cross (1604-1775) Confessor, Founder
“Happy the soul which detaches itself from its own pleasure, from its own will, from its own understanding. A sublime lesson is this and God will teach it, to all those who place their happiness in the Cross of Jesus Christ.”
“Whatever may happen to us, we ought not to be disturbed. Let us calmly and quietly say: ‘the will of God be done’– let us leave all to God – the Lord be blessed forever – what He wills, I will, in time and in eternity.”
Our Morning Offering – 28 April – The Memorial of St Paul of the Cross (1604-1775) Confessor, Priest, Founder
Oh Jesus, My Love By St Paul of the Cross (1604-1775)
Oh Jesus, my Love, may my heart be consumed in loving Thee. Make me humble and holy, giving me childlike simplicity, transform me into Thy holy Love. O Jesus, Life of my life, Joy of my soul, God of my heart, accept my heart as an altar, on which I will sacrifice to Thee, the gold of ardent charity, the incense of continual, humble and fervent prayer and the myrrh of constant sacrifices! Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 27 April – St Peter Canisius (1521-1597) Confessor, Doctor of the Church
This 16th Century Saint, known as the second Apostle of Germany, followed in the giant footsteps of St Boniface, who evangelised Germany a thousand years earlier. He was also active at the Council of Trent and wrote much on the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The first half of the Hail Mary, of course, comes from Scripture. What many Catholics do not know, is that the second half of this Catholic prayer is due to the intervention of St Peter Canisius at the Council of Trent. St Peter began adding onto the scriptural part of the Hail Mary the second half of this familiar prayer: “Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.” It was the Fathers of Trent who officially accepted this addition and included it in their famous Catechism of the Council of Trent in 1566.
“For the sake of obtaining that eternal life, no works of piety, ought to seem too difficult to a true believer, no toil too heavy, no pain too bitter, no time spent in labour and suffering, too long or too wearisome. For, if nothing is sweeter, or more desirable, than this present life which is so full of calamities, how much more desirable, must that other life be deemed which is so far removed from all sense of evil, or fear of it, which will, in every conceivable way, always abound in the unspeakable and unending joys, delight and happiness of Heaven.”
Thought for the Day – 26 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Only Remedy for All Our Ills
“We should not stop short at doing the will of God with resignation but should aim at doing it from the motive of love. We should perform all our most ordinary actions and accept physical and moral suffering, purely for the love of God. Then we shall have peace, both in joy and in sorrow and we shall be happy.
Only the Saints fully understood this great principle of doing and enduring everything for the love of God alone. They made it their basic rule of life. If Jesus granted them consolation and favours, they thanked Him. If He sent them severe suffering and spiritual desolation, they were equally grateful. “To me to live, is Christ” (Phil 1:21) said St Paul. Jesus Christ must reign supreme in my will and in my heart and in all my actions. Then sorrow and suffering will be all the same to me and I shall possess the peace and happiness of the Saints.”
Quote/s of the Day – 25 April – Feast of St Mark Evangelist
The Gospel of Saint Mark was written in Greek around the 60s. He was Martyred in 68 and his Relics are preserved in the St Mark Cathedral of Venice. He is represented by a Winged Lion, one of the four living creatures of the Apocalypse, for he begins his Gospel by narrating St John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness, like a roaring lion.
By Alexander Sytov 1995
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed …”
Mark 4:30-31
“And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. He said to them: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
Mark 4:39-40
“Take courage: It is I, do not be afraid. And He got into the boat with them and the wind fell”
Mark 6:50-51
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ …, will surely not lose his reward.”
Mark 9:41
“Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God, like a little child, shall not enter it.”
Mark 10:15
“For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His Life as a ransom for many …”
Quote/s of the Day –24 April – Wisdom 5:1-5, John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“I am the Vine, you the branches; whoever remains in Me and I in him, the same bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
“For patience is necessary for you that, doing the Will of God, you may receive the promise. For yet a little and a very little while and He that is to come, will come and will not delay.”
Hebrews 10:36-37
“The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on Himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in Him and in our love for Him, we win the victory that He has won, we receive what He has promised.”
St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Perfection consists in one thing alone, which is doing the will of God. For, according to Our Lord’s words, it suffices for perfection to deny self, to take up the cross and to follow Him. Now who denies himself and takes up his cross and follows Christ better, than he who seeks not to do his own will but always that of God? Behold, now, how little is needed to become a Saint? Nothing more than to acquire the habit of willing, on every occasion, what God wills.”
St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)
“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
Quote/s of the Day –23 April –The Second Sunday after Easter – 1 Peter 2:21-25, John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Those who are My sheep hear My Voice and follow Me”
John 10:27
“I am like the sick sheep which strays from the rest of the flock. Unless the Good Shepherd takes me on His shoulders and carries me back to His fold, my steps will falter and, in the very effort of rising, my feet will give way!”
St Jerome (343-420) Father and Doctor of the Church
“With good reason Christ declares: I am the Good Shepherd, I seek out the lost sheep, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal (Ez 34:16). I have seen the flock of mankind struck down by sickness; I have witnessed my lambs wander about where demons dwell; I have seen my flock ravaged by wolves. All this I have seen and have not witnessed it from on high. That is why I took hold of the withered hand, gripped by pain, as if by a wolf; I have unbound those whom fever had bound; I taught him to see, whose eyes had been shut from his mother’s womb; I brought Lazarus out from the tomb where he had lain for four days (Mk 3:5; 1:31; Jn 9; 11). For I am the Good Shepherd and the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.”
Basil of Seleucia (Died 448) Bishop of Seleucia, Writer Oratio 26
“Christ said that the shepherd enters through the gate and that He is Himself the Gate, as well as the Shepherd. Then, it is necessary, that He enter through Himself. By so doing, He reveals Himself and through Himself, He knows the Father. But we enter through Him because through Him. we find happiness.”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus Doctor Communis
“Those with pride are not Christ’s sheep but the devil’s goats!”
One Minute Reflection – 23 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” –The Second Sunday after Easter and the Memorial of St George (Died c 303) Martyr – 1 Peter 2:21-25, John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“I am the Good Shepherd and I know Mine and Mine know Me.”- John 10:14
REFLECTION – “I am the good shepherd. I know My Own—by which I mean, I love them—and My Own know Me. In plain words – those who love Me are willing to follow Me, for anyone who does not love the Truth, has not yet come to know it.
My dear brethren, you have heard the test we shepherds have to undergo. Turn now to consider, how these words of our Lord, imply a test for yourselves also. Ask yourselves whether you belong to His flock, whether you know Him, whether the Light of His Truth shines in your minds. I assure you that it is not by faith that you will come to know Him but, by love, not by mere conviction but, by action. John the Evangelist is my authority, for this statement. He tells us that anyone who claims to know God, without keeping His commandments, is a liar.
Consequently, the Lord immediately adds: ‘As the Father knows Me and I know the Father and I lay down My life for My sheep.‘ Clearly, He means that laying down His life for His sheep, gives evidence of His knowledge of the Father and the Father’s knowledge of Him. In other words, by the love with which He dies for His sheep, He shows, how greatly He loves His Father.
Again He says: ‘My sheep hear My voice and I know them; they follow Me,and I give them eternal life.’ Shortly before this He had declared – ‘If anyone enters the sheepfold through Me, he shall be saved, he shall go freely in and out and shall find good pasture.‘ He will enter into a life of faith; from faith, he will go out to vision, from belief to contemplation and will graze in the good pastures of everlasting life.
So our Lord’s sheep will finally reach their grazing ground, where all who follow Him in simplicity of heart, will feed on the green pastures of eternity. These pastures are the spiritual joys of Heaven. There, the elect look upon the Face of God with unclouded vision and feast at the banquet of life, forever more.
Beloved brothers, let us set out for these pastures ,where we shall keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow citizens. May the thought of their happiness urge us on! Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith and long eagerly for what Heaven has in store for us. To love thus, is to be already on our way. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that heavenly feast. Anyone who is determined to reach his destination, is not deterred by the roughness of the road that leads to it. Nor must we allow the charm of success to seduce us, or we shall be like a foolish traveller who is so distracted by the pleasant meadows through which he is passing that he forgets where he is going.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Bishop of Rome and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Sermon 14).
PRAYER – O God, Who dost gladden us through the worthy deeds and prayers of thy blessed Martyr George, mercifully grant that all they, who seek Thy mercy through him, may effectually obtain the gift of Thy grace. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Quote/s of the Day – 22 April – St Pope Soter (Died c174) Martyr and St Pope Caius I (Died 296) Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16
“Then go and learn, neither to be moved with injuries nor flatteries. If you die to the world and to yourself, you will begin to live to Christ.”
St Macarius of Egypt (c 300-390)
“He who abides in Me and I in Him, the same bears much fruit”
John 5:5
“We are preserved in being, if we grow onto Him and cling fast to the holy commandment, which has been handed down to us and, if we are eager to keep the blessing of nobility, that is to say, if we never consent, in any way, to “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph 4:30), Who has come to dwell in us and, through Whom, we believe, God has made His home in us. … For just as the vine-stock supplies and distributes, the virtue of its own inherent natural quality to the shoots, so, too, the Only-Begotten Word of God, implants, in His people, a sort of affinity with His own nature and that of the Father. By the gift of the Spirit, they are united with Him by every kind of holiness. He nourishes them, so that they become devout and He moves them to knowledge of all virtue and good works.”
St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Let us detach ourselves in spirit from all that we see and cling to that which we believe. This is the Cross which we must imprint on all our daily actions and behaviour.”
Quote/s of the Day – 21 April – The Memorial of St Anselm (1033-1109) Archbishop of Canterbury, Confessor, Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church
“For I do not seek to understand, in order that I may believe but I believe, in order to understand. For this also I believe – that unless I believe, I shall not understand.”
“Teach me to seek Thee and reveal Thyself to me as I seek because I can neither seek Thee, if Thou doea not teach me how, nor find Thee, unless Thou reveal Thyself.”
“God does not delay to hear our prayers because He has no mind to give but that, by enlarging our desires, He may give us the more largely.”
Mother of Salvation, Blessed Lady By Anselm (1033-1109) Magnificent Doctor Marian Doctor
Mother of Salvation, Blessed Lady, you are the Mother of Justification and those who are justified; the Mother of Reconciliation and those who are reconciled; the Mother of Salvation and those who are saved. What a blessed trust and what a secure refuge! The Mother of God is our Mother. The Mother of the One in Whom alone, we hope and Whom alone, we fear, is our Mother! … The One Who partook of our nature and by restoring us to life, made us children of His Mother, invites us by this grace, to proclaim that we are His brothers and sisters. Therefore, our Judge, is also our Brother. The Saviour of the world, is our Brother. Our God has become – through Mary – our Brother! Anen
Our Morning Offering – 21 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – The Memorial of St Anselm (1033-1109) Bishop, Confessor Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church
Complete Us, O Lord Jesus Christ By St Anselm (1033-1109) Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church
O Lord Jesus Christ, our Redemption and our Salvation, we praise You and give You thanks. Although we are unworthy of Your benefits and cannot offer to You, the devotion You deserve, let Your loving-kindness complete whatever our weakness tries to do. Before You, O Lord, we lay all our desires and whatever our heart rightly wishes, it is because of Your gifts. Help us to love You as You command. Do not let Your gifts be unfruitful in us. Complete what You have begun, give what You have made us desire, convert our lukewarmness into fervent love of You, for the glory of Your Holy Name. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 20 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Glory of God
“Holiness consists in love – not earthly love, of course but supernatural love. It consists in seeking God in all things, in doing His will without reservation, in aiming at His glory alone. All else, is dust and ashes!
So it will appear to us at the end of life when we shall be able to view ourselves and the world around us, in the light of eternity. Herein lies the explanation of the lives of the Saints, lives of sacrifice dedicated to God and to the salvation of souls. “Everything for the greater glory of God,” was the motto of St Ignatius Loyola. “Everything in the Name of God,” said St Vincent de Paul. “My God is my All” said St Catherine of Genoa. “Love God, serve God, everything is in that!” exclaimed St Clare of Assisi.
How do my thoughts, desires and ambitions compare with these? Are they sincerely directed towards God and towards His glory?”
Quote/s of the Day – 20 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Feria Day, Thursday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Who is he who overcomes the world? but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
1 John 5:5
“This people honours Me with their lips but their heart is far from Me.”
Matthew 15:8
“He who believes and is Baptised, shall be saved but he who believes not, shall be condemned.”
Mark 16:16
“Man believes with his heart and so, he is justified. He confesses with his lips and so, he is saved. In the beginning of his speech, the just man is his own accuser, next he gives glory to God and thirdly, if his wisdom extends that far, he edifies his neighbour.”
St Bernard (1090-1153) The “Last Father” and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
“Get up tomorrow early in the morning and earlier than you did today and do the best that you can!”
St Joan of Arc (1412-1431)
“The very prince of the universe, is man; the crowning point of man, is his heart; of the heart, is love and the perfection of love, is charity. That is why the love of God is the goal, the crowning point, the be-all and end-all of the universe.”
(Treatise on the Love of God, Book 10, Chapter 1)
“But as a general thing, what is the state of your heart with regard to your neighbour? Do you love him from your heart and for the love of God? In order to prove this, you must call to mind certain disagreeable, troublesome individuals, for with such, it is that we practice the love of God towards our neighbour and still more, towards those who do us any injury, either in word or deed. Consider whether your heart is clear with regard to such and whether you have to force it to love them? Are you slow to speak evil of your neighbour, especially of those whom you do not like?” Do you never injure him, either directly or indirectly?”
(Introduction to the Devout Life).
“HOW IS YOUR HEART TOWARDS GOD HIMSELF? Do you take delight in thinking about Him? … Imitate little children who, with one hand hold fast to their father, while with the other, they gather strawberries or blackberries from the hedges. So too if you gather and handle the goods of this world with one hand, you must always hold fast with the other to your Heavenly Father’s Hand and turn toward Him, from time to time, to see if your actions or occupations, are pleasing to Him.”
(Introduction to the Devout Life, Part 3, Chapter 10)
Quote/s of the Day – 19 April – Feria Day, Wednesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed.”
St Ignatius of Antioch (c35–c107) Bishop, Martyr, Apostolic Father
“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 (c 580-662) Monk and Theologian
“If we wish to make any progress in the service of God, we must begin everyday of our life, with new eagerness. We must keep ourselves, in the presence of God, as much as possible and have no other view or end, in all our actions but the Divine honour.”
St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)
“Keep, O Lord, my heart at peace, always close to Thee. Thou Who calms the wild waves of the sea.”
One Minute Reflection – 19 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Feria Day, Wednesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed.” – John 20:29
REFLECTION – “The disciples’ weakness was so unsteady that, not content with seeing the Risen Lord, they still wanted to touch Him if they were to believe in Him. It was not enough for them to see Him with their eyes, they wanted to put out their hands to His limbs and touch the marks of His recent Wounds. It was after he had touched and acknowledged his scars that the unbelieving disciple cried out: “My Lord and my God!” Those scars revealed the One Who, where other people were concerned, healed every wound. Could the Lord not have Risen without scars? Yet He saw, within His disciples’ hearts, wounds which those scars He had preserved in His Body ,would heal.
And what does the Lord answer that confession of faith of His disciple, who says: “My Lord and my God”? “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Who is He talking about, my friends, if not of us? And not just of us but of those, too, who will follow us. For shortly afterwards, when He had disappeared from mortal sight, so as to strengthen faith in the heart, all those who became believers, believed without seeing and their faith had great merit. To acquire it they reached out to Him, not a hand with which to touch Him but only a loving heart.” – St Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 88).
PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body and, by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness. Through 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 – 19 April – Feria Day, Wednesday in the Second Week of Easter
How Great is Your Goodness, Lord! By Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury (c 1125-1190)
How great is Your goodness, Lord, Who does not shrink from letting Your servant, place You upon his heart! How great my own worth, since You have chosen me to have part in Yours, to have You abiding in me, to love You as You deserve, above myself. Lord, take from me this hard heart and give me a new, clean heart of flesh and blood. You Who make my heart pure, take possession of mine and make it Your home. Hold it and fill it, You, Who are higher than my topmost height, more inward than my inward being. You, the Seal of Holiness, Beauty of beauties, engrave on my heart, Your Image and the imprint of Your mercy. Be, O God, my eternal love and my inheritance. Amen
Thought for the Day – 18 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
A Life of Fervour
“The fervent Christian will never miss an opportunity of advancing in perfection. When he feels that he is growing negligent, he combats the signs of spiritual retrogression and makes a new beginning, by telling God that he wishes to belong entirely to Him. It is his motto that no day must ever pass without a further step towards perfection. To decide to stand still is fatal, for it leads, inevitably, to a decline. It is true, that the constant effort to advance costs great sacrifices but, sanctity cannot be achieved without sacrifice and everlasting happiness cannot be gained without perseverance in virtue. Moreover, difficult though the ascent towards perfection may be, it eases the heaviness of our hearts and brings us the fundamental peace which God alone can give.”
Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Tuesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20. 19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“My Lord and my God.”
John 20:28
“Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?”
Matthew 20:22
“Embrace, then, Jesus Crucified, raising to Him the eyes of your desire! Consider His burning love for you which made Jesus pour out His Blood from every part of His body! Embrace Jesus Crucified, loving and beloved and in Him, you will find true life because He is God made Man. Let your heart and your soul burn with the fire of love drawn from Jesus on the Cross! … You will have no other desire than to follow Jesus! Run, … do not stay asleep because time flies and does not wait one moment! Dwell in God’s sweet love!”
St Catherine of Sienna (1347-1380) Doctor of the Church
“Alas, how the faith of Jesus’ Apostles is shaken after His Crucifixion! Assembled in a room with closed doors, they are filled with fear. Then Jesus enters, stands in their midst and greets them: ‘Peace be with you.’ … Without the presence of our Saviour, they felt timid and lacked strength. Such is the case when one is without God. They were afraid. Like a ship tossed in a storm without a pilot, such was this poor boat. Our Lord appears to His disciples to bring relief to their fear.”
Quote/s of the Day – 17 April – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16
“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
“If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.”
Matthew 9:21-22
“… A tree is known by its fruit. So those who profess to belong to Christ will be known, by what they do. For the work we are about, is not a matter of words, here and now but depends on the power of faith and on being found faithful, to the end!”
St Ignatius of Antioch (c35–c107) Bishop, Martyr, Apostolic Father
O Lord, Our God, We Believe in Thee, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. By St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
O Lord, our God, we believe in Thee, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. As far as I have been able, as much as Thou hast given me the power to do so, I have sought for Thee. I have desired to see that in which I believe; much have I striven and laboured.
Lord, my God, my only hope, let me never tire of seeking Thee but make me seek Thy Face with constant ardour. Give me the strength to seek after Thee – Thou Who hast made me, Who hast given me, more and more, the hope of finding Thee.
Thou seest my strength and my weakness; do Thou sustain the one and heal the other; Thou seest my strength and my ignorance. Where Thou hast opened to me, come make me welcome; where Thou hast closed to me, open to my plea. Give me to remember, understand and love Thee. Amen
“May Christ be heard in our language, may Christ be seen in our life, may He be perceived in our hearts”
St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Doctor of the Church
“Faith is like a bright ray of sun light. It enables us to see God in all things, as well as all things in God.”
Thought for the Day – 14 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Divided Heart
“Remember Our Lord’s warning that it is impossible to serve two masters. We cannot serve God and at the same time be preoccupied eith self-love, worldly pleasure and sin. Look at the Saints. Their hearts were never divided but belonged wholly to God. They did everything in their power to keep their hearts pure and burning with love for Him. They suffered because of their slightest imperfections and longed to remain always close to God. We should imitate them. We have to look after our daily duties, it is true but everything should be done for the love and glory of God. All our actions should constitute a spiritual ladder which brings us closer and closer to God.”
Quote/s of the Day –14 April – Easter Friday – 1 Peter 3:18-22, Matthew 28:16-20 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And behold, I Am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.”
Matthew 28:20
“Never separate yourself from the Church. No institution has the power of the Church. The Church is your hope. The Church is your salvation. The Church is your refuge.”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church
Act of Spiritual Communion By St Bernard O. Cist (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
As I cannot this day enjoy the happiness of assisting at the Holy Mysteries, O my God, I transport myself in spirit to the foot of Your Altar. I unite with the Church, which, by the hands of the Priest, offers You, Your adorable Son in the Holy Sacrifice. I offer myself with Him, by Him and in His Name. I adore, I praise and thank You, imploring Your mercy, invoking Your assistance and presenting to You, the homage I owe You as my Creator and the love due to You, as my Saviour.
Apply to my soul, I beseech You, O Merciful Jesus, Your infinite merits; apply them also to those for whom I particularly wish to pray. I desire to communicate spiritually, that Your Blood, may purify, Your Flesh, strengthen and Your Spirit, sanctify me. May I never forget that You, my divine Redeemer, died for me. May I die to all that is not You, that hereafter, I may live eternally with You. Amen.
“No tongue is able to declare the greatness of the love which Jesus bears to every soul and, therefore, this Spouse, when He would leave this earth, in order that His absence might not cause us to forget Him, left us, as a memorial, this Blessed Sacrament, in which He Himself remained; for He would not, that there should be any other pledge to keep alive, our remembrance of Him, than He Himself!”
St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)
“My dear souls, let us recognise, I pray you, Christ’s infinite charity towards us in the institution of this Sacrament of the Eucharist. In order that our love be a spiritual love, He wills a new heart, a new love, a new spirit for us. It is not with a carnal heart but with a spiritual one, that Christ has loved us with a gratuitous love, a supreme and most ardent love, by way of pure grace and charity. Ah! One needs to love Him back with one’s whole, whole, whole, living, living, living and true, true, true heart!”
“ … Have perfect faith and love for Jesus Christ. These are the beginning and the end of life – faith the beginning, love the end. When these two are found together, there is God and everything else concerning right living follows from them. …”
“Nothing is hidden from the Lord but even our secrets are close to Him. Let us then, do everything, in the knowledge that He is dwelling within us that we may be His temples and He ,God within us.”
St Ignatius of Antioch (c35–c107) Bishop, Martyr, Apostolic Father
“If we follow Christ closely we shall be allowed, even on this earth, to stand, as it were, on the threshold of the heavenly Jerusalem and enjoy the contemplation, of that everlasting feast, like the blessed Apostles, who, in following the Saviour as their leader, showed and still show, the way to obtain the same gift from God. They said – See, we have left all things and followed You. We too follow the Lord and we keep His feast by deeds rather than by words.”
St Athanasius (297-373) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Is it possible that I have been loved and loved so tenderly, by my Saviour? That He thought of me personally in all these little events by which He has drawn me to Himself? How much then should we love, cherish and make good use of all this for our benefit! This is extremely kind. this loving Heart of my God thought of me, loved me and obtained for me a thousand means of salvation. This He did as though there was no other soul in the world He could think of!”
Thought for the Day –11 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Our Desires
“What desires have we? Are they all directed towards holiness and towards Jesus, our Lord and our Redeemer? Or are they all for useless worldly things? In times of physical or spiritual affliction, do we make sure that our desires are in conformity with and subject to, the will of God?
Let us examine ourselves seriously. If we find that any of our desires are vain or sinful, let us change this state of affairs at once. Let us make God the object of all the longing in our hearts. Let us ask Him always for those virtues which are really necessary for us, especially for an increase in our love for Him and in our readiness to do His will.”
Thought for the Day – 10 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Easter: The Herald of Peace
“At the close of this meditation, let us ask the risen Christ to give us His peace which is the only true peace. “My peace I give to you” (Jn 14:27). Although it comes from Jesus, however, this peace requires an effort on our part too. We must build it up carefully within ourselves with the help of God’s grace. The foundations of interior peace, must be laid down, by controlling our passions, by avoiding the slightest trace of sin, by living the the life of prayer and of union with God, by loving Him above all things and creatures and by living and working for Him alone!”
Quote/s of the Day – 10 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Easter Monday – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“I Am the Resurrection and the Life”
John 11:25
“The Lord has turned all our sunsets into sunrises.”
St Clement of Alexandria (150-215) Father of the Church
“The people who sat in darkness, have seen a great light”
Matthew 4:16
Hymn I on the Resurrection
“Our Lord Jesus Christ Has appeared to us from the bosom of the Father. He has come and drawn us out of the shadows And enlightened us with His joyful Light.
Day has dawned for humankind, Cast out the power of darkness. For us, a Light from His Light has arisen That has enlightened our darkened eyes.
Over the world He has made His glory arise And has lit up the deepest depths. Death is no more, darkness has ended, The gates of hell are shattered.
He has illumined every creature, All the shades from times long past. He has brought about salvation and given us life; Next He will come in glory.
Our King is coming in His great glory: Let us light our lamps and go out to meet Him (Mt 25,6); Let us be glad in Him, as He has been glad in us And gives us gladness, with His glorious Light.
My friends, arise! make yourselves ready To give thanks to our Saviour King, Who will come in His glory and make us joyful With His joyous Light in the Kingdom.”
Quote/s of the Day –9 April – Easter Sunday and “The Month of the Resurrection”
“O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Christ is Risen and you are overthrown. Christ is Risen and the demons are fallen. Christ is Risen and the Angels rejoice. Christ is Risen and Life reigns. Christ is Risen and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being Risen from the dead, is become the First Fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages.”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Church
“For Christ is our Salvation. For He is our Salvation, Who was wounded for us and fastened with nails to the Wood and taken down from the Wood and laid in the sepulchre. But He rose from the sepulchre and although His Wounds were healed, the Scars remained. For this He judged expedient for His Disciples that He should keep His Scars, to heal the wounds of their soul.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“All I want to know is Christ and the power flowing from His Resurrection!”
AnaStpaul 
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