Our Morning Offering – 29 April
Morning Offering
By St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)
My God,
just as I wish to love
nothing more than You,
so I wish to live,
only for You.
I offer You
all my thoughts,
all my words,
all my actions
and all my sufferings of this day;
please bestow
Your holy blessing,
upon them all.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 28 April – The Memorial of St Paul of the Cross CP (1604-1775), St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716) and St Peter Chanel SM (1803-1841)
“The world lives,
unmindful of the sufferings of Jesus,
which are the Miracle of Miracles,
of the Love of God!”
“The Passion of Jesus,
is a sea of sorrows
but, it is also, an ocean of love.
Ask the Lord to teach you
to fish in this ocean.
Dive into its depths.
No matter how deep you go,
you will never reach the bottom.”
“Entrust yourself entirely to God.
He is a Father
and a most loving Father at that,
Who would rather let Heaven
and earth collapse,
than abandon anyone
who trusted in Him.”
“The ‘Our Father’
contains,
all the duties
we owe to God,
the acts of all the virtues
and the petitions
for all our spiritual
and corporal needs.”
“Both Saint Bernard and Saint Bonaventure say,
that the Queen of Heaven is certainly
no less grateful and conscientious,
than gracious and well-mannered people of this world.
Just as she excels in all other perfections,
she surpasses us all in the virtue of gratitude –
therefore, she would never let us honour her,
with love and respect,
without repaying us one hundred fold.
Saint Bonaventure says,
that Mary will greet us with grace,
if we greet her with the Hail Mary.”
MORE St Paul HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/19/quote-s-of-the-day-19-october-st-paul-of-the-cross/
MORE St Louis and St Peter Chanel HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/28/quote-s-of-the-day-28-april-st-louis-marie-grignion-de-montfort/
Our Morning Offering – 28 April – The Memorial of St Paul of the Cross CP (1604-1775)
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
Our Morning Offering – 27 April – The Memorial of St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1397) Doctor of the Church
I Beg You, O Lord
By St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1597)
Doctor of the Church
I beg You, O Lord
to remove anything
which separates me from You,
or You from me
Remove anything
that makes me unworthy of Your sight,
Your control,
Your reprehension,
of Your speech and conversation,
of Your benevolence and love.
Cast from me,
every evil that stands in the way
of my seeing You,
hearing, tasting,
savouring and touching You,
fearing and being mindful of You,
knowing, trusting, loving
and possessing You,
being conscious of Your Presence
and as far as maybe, enjoying You.
This is what I ask for myself
and earnestly desire from You.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 16 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Jesus had now come to the last morning of His earthly life.
The Blood had been drained from His Body as a result of His fatal Wounds and He felt a great thirst, “I thirst,” He murmured in a weak voice.
He expressed in these words, not only His physical thirst but also, His spiritual thirst for souls.
He had given everything for the eternal salvation of men, yet, He realised with Divine foresight, that many would refuse to co-operate with His infinite love,
His thirst was a burning love for us and it was answered, on the physical level, by the vinegar which was given to Him to drink and in the moral order, by our ingratitude.
Seeing that His mission was fulfilled with His last breath, Jesus entrusted His soul to His Heavenly Father, “Father, into Thy Hands, I commend My spirit” (Lk 23:46).
Then, in order to show that His Death was voluntary, He cried out in a loud Voice, “It is consummated!” (Jn 19:30).
Jesus was dead!
Let us prostrate ourselves before His lifeless Body covered with sores and furrowed with blood.
Let us vow, never to offend Him again.
Let us give Him our minds, our hearts, our souls, our whole being.
Let us love Him more and more!”
PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/14/thought-for-the-day-14-april-the-death-of-our-saviour/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/03/thought-for-the-day-3-april-the-death-of-our-saviour/
Quote/s of the Day – 11 April – Monday of Holy Week – Isaias 50:5-10, John 12:1-9
“However, in the allegorical
or mystical sense,
this woman prefigured the Church,
which offered the full and entire devotion
of it’s faith to Christ …
There are twelve ounces to a pound
and this is the amount of perfume
the Church possesses, having received
the teaching of the twelve Apostles,
as if it were a precious perfume.
Indeed, what more precious
is there than the Apostles’ teaching,
which contains both faith in Christ
and the glory of the Kingdom of heaven? ”
“People who associate the name of Christian
with a dishonest life, injure Christ! …
If God’s Name, is blasphemed by bad Christians,
it is praised and honoured,
on the other hand,
by the good:
“For in every place, we are the aroma of Christ”
(2 Cor,14-15).
And it is said in the Song of Songs:
“Your name is oil poured out” (1,3).”
One Minute Reflection – 8 April – Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows – Friday of Passion Week, the Fifth Week in Lent – Jeremiah 17:13-18, John 11:47-54
“ … It is expedient for us, that one man die for the people, instead of the whole nation perishing.” – John 11:50
REFLECTION – “God, the Word of the all-good Father, did not disregard the human race, His own creation, when it was sinking back into corruption but rather, by the offering of His own Body, He destroyed the death men had incurred and by His teaching, He corrected their negligence. So, He restored by His power, all that belongs to man’s estate.
Anyone can find confirmation of this from the Saviour’s own disciples who spoke of Him, for in their writings one reads: The charity of Christ constrains us as we judge that if one died on behalf of all, then all died and He died for all, in order that we may live, no longer for ourselves but for Him Who died for us and rose from the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ. And again: We see Jesus, Who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour because He suffered death, that by God’s grace He might taste death for everyone. Then the writer goes onto show why it had to be God, the Word and no other Who became Man: Indeed it was fitting that in bringing many sons to glory, God, for Whom and through Whom all things exist, should make perfect the One Who leads them to salvation. By this He means, that the task of bringing men back from the corruption into which they had fallen, belonged to no other save God the Word, Who had made them in the beginning. Further, Scripture shows, that the Word assumed a Body for the purpose of offering It in sacrifice on behalf of other bodies like His own, for the writer continues: Since the children have blood and flesh in common, He likewise, shared in them Himself ,so that, by His own Death, He might destroy the one who had power over death, that is, the devil and might deliver those, who all their life long, were enslaved by fear of death.
For by the sacrifice of His own Body, He both put an end to the law that stood against us and made a new beginning of life for us, by giving us the hope of resurrection. Hence Paul, the Christbearer, declares: As through a man came death, so through a Man has come the Resurrection of the dead. For as all died in Adam, so also in Christ all shall be made to live.
No longer, then, do we die as men condemned but as men being raised even now, we await the general resurrection of all, which God, Whose work and gift it is, will reveal at the appointed time. – St Athanasius (297-373) Archbishop of Alexandria, Great Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his “On the Incarnation of the Word” 10).
PRAYER – O God, in Whose Passion the sword, according to the prophecy of blessed Simeon, pierced through the soul of Mary, the glorious Virgin and Mother, mercifully grant that we, who reverently commemorate her piercing through and her suffering, may, by the interceding glorious merits of all the saints faithfully standing by the Cross, obtain the abundant fruit of Your Passion. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 7 April – Thursday in Passion Week, the Fifth Week of Lent
O Holy Lord
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church
O Holy Lord,
Father Almighty, everlasting God,
for the sake of Your bounty
and that of Your Son,
Who for me,
endured suffering and death;
for the sake of the most excellent
holiness of His Mother
and the merits of all His Saints,
grant unto me, a sinner,
unworthy of Your blessings,
that I may love You only,
may ever thirst for Your love,
may have continually
in my heart the benefits of
Your Passion,
may acknowledge my own wretchedness
and, may desire to be trampled upon
and to be despised by all men.
Let nothing grieve me, save my guilt.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 6 April – Wednesday of Passion Week, the Fifth Week of Lent Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-19, 25, John 10:22-38
“My sheep hear My Voice;
I know them and they follow Me.”
“The mark of Christ’s sheep
is their willingness to hear and obey,
just as disobedience
is the mark of those who are not His.
We take the word ‘hear’
to imply obedience
to what has been said.”
“My sheep follow me,” says Christ.
By a certain God-given grace,
believers follow in the footsteps of Christ.
No longer subject to the shadows of the Law ,
they obey the commands of Christ,
and guided by His words,
rise through grace,
to His own dignity,
for they are called children of God.
When Christ ascends into heaven,
they also follow Him.”
“Chosen soul, how will you bring this about?
What steps will you take to reach the high level
to which God is calling you?
The means of holiness and salvation,
are known to everybody,
since they are found in the Gospel,
the masters of the spiritual life have explained them,
the Saints have practised them…
These means are –
sincere Humility,
unceasing Prayer,
complete Self-denial,
abandonment to Divine Providence
and obedience to the Will of God.”
“Peace in us is the result
of two kinds of necessary obedience,
the obedience to right reason
of the lower faculties
and the obedience of right reason
to God, our Creator.
“This is the peace which God
gives on earth to men of goodwill;
this is the most perfect wisdom,”
St Augustine.”
Our Morning Offering – 6 April – Wednesday of Passion Week, the Fifth Week of Lent
I Will Love and Follow You
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Oh my Lord,
Let my heart expand in Your love.
Let me learn to know
how sweet it is, to serve You,
how joyful it is, to praise You
and to be absorbed in Your love.
Oh, I am possessed by love
and rise above myself
because of the great fervour I feel,
through Your infinite goodness.
I will sing the canticle of love to You
and I will follow You, my Beloved,
wherever You go
and may my soul never weary of praising You,
rejoicing in Your love.
I will love You more than myself
and myself, only for Your sake.
I will love all others in You
and for You,
as Your law of love commands.
Amen
(Book 3 Ch 5:6)
Quote/s of the Day – 5 April – Tuesday in Passion Week – and the Memorial of St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)
“Whatever you do,
think NOT of yourself
but OF God.”
“Once humility is acquired,
charity will come to life
like a burning flame devouring
the corruption of vice
and filling the heart so full,
that there is no place for vanity.”…
“A vain question deserves nothing
but silence.
So learn to be silent for a time;
you will edify your brethren
and silence will teach you,
to speak when the hour is come.”
One Minute Reflection – 2 April – Saturday of the Fourth Week in Lent – Isaias 49:8-15, John 8:12-20 and the Memorial of St Francis of Paola OM (1416-1507)
“You know neither Me nor My Father. If you knew Me, you would then know My Father also.” – John 8:19
REFLECTION – “[Christ speaks:]
I became useless to those who knew Me not
because I shall hide Myself, from those who possessed Me not.
And I will be with those who love Me.
All my persecutors have died
and they, who trusted in Me, sought Me because I am living!
I arose and am with them and will speak by their mouths.
For they have rejected those who persecute them
and I threw over them, the yoke of My love.
Like the arm of the bridegroom over the bride (cf Sg 2,6),
so is My yoke over those who know Me.
And as the bridal feast is spread out by the bridal pair’s home,
So is My love, by those who believe in Me.
I was not rejected,
although I was considered to be so
and I did not perish,
although they thought it of Me.
Sheol saw Me and was shattered
and Death ejected Me and many with Me.
I have been vinegar and bitterness to it
and I went down with it as far as its depth.
Death was released
because it was not able to endure My Face.
And I made a congregation of living, among his dead (1P 3,19; 4,6)
and I spoke with them, by living lips;
in order that My word may not fail.
And those who had died ran toward Me
and they cried out and said, “Son of God, have pity on us.
And deal with us according to Your kindness
and bring us out from the chains of darkness.
And open for us, the door
by which we may go forth to You,
for we perceive, that our death does not approach You.
May we also be saved with You
because You are our Saviour.”
Then I heard their voice
and placed their faith in My Heart.
And I placed My Name upon their forehead (Rv 14,1)
because they are free and they are Mine! – Odes of Solomon (Hebrew Christian text from the beginning of the 2nd century) N° 42
PRAYER – O God, the greatness of the humble, Who raised blessed Francis, Your Confessor, to the glory of Your Saints, grant, we beseech You, that, by his merits and our imitation of his life, we may happily attain the rewards promised to the humble.
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).
Friday of the Fopurth Week of Lent – 1 April – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – 3 Kings 17:17-24, John 11:1-45
“O Lord, remember not, against u,s the iniquities of the past, may Your compassion, quickly come to us, for we are brought very low.” – Psalm 78:8-9
“WHEN HE ASKED: “Where have you laid him?” tears came to our Lord’s eyes. His tears were like rain, Lazarus was like seed and the tomb like the earth. He cried out in a Voice like thunder and death trembled at His Voice. Lazarus sprang up like the seed, came out and worshiped the Lord Who had raised him up.
JESUS… RESTORED LIFE to Lazarus and died in his place, for, when He drew him out of the tomb and sat down at his table, He Himself was symbolically buried by the oil Mary poured over His head (Mt 26,7). The power of the death, which had overcome Him for four days, was wiped out… that death might know, how easy it was for the Lord to overcome it, on the Third Day… His Promise is truthful – He had promised that He Himself would come to life again, on the Third Day (Mt 16,21)… Therefore the Lord restored their joy to Mary and Martha by treading down death, to demonstrate, that He Himself would not be held by death forever… From now on, every time someone says that rising on the third day is impossible, let the,m consider him who was raised on the fourth day…
“GO AND TAKE AWAY THE STONE” What is this? He who raised a dead man and restored him to life, couldn’t he have opened the tomb and overturned the stone? He who said to his disciples: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain: ‘Move from here to there’” (Mt 17,20), could He not move aside the stone, shutting the entrance to the tomb, with one word? Certainly He could! He whose Voice, when He hung on the cross, split rocks and sepulchers, could have taken away the stone with His Word (Mt 27,51-52). But because He was Lazarus’ friend, He said: “Open it that the smell of decay may hit you and you who wrapped him in his winding sheet, unbind him, that you may surely recognise the one you buried.” – St Ephrem (306-373) Deacon in Syria, Great Father & Doctor of the Church (Commentary on the Diatessaron, 17, 7-10 ; SC 121).
Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent – 3 Kings 17:17-24, John 11:1-45
“I Am
the Resurrection
and the
Life”
“We have had Your treasure
hidden within us,
ever since we received baptismal grace,
it grows ever richer
at Your sacramental table.”
“Love Him, then, keep Him as a friend.
He will not leave you as others do,
or let you suffer lasting death.
Sometime, whether you will or not,
you will have to part with everything.
Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death,
trust yourself to the glory of Him,
Who alone can help you
when all others fail.“
“This death … has already levelled
his bow to strike me.
Is it not prudent to prevent its stroke,
by dying now to the world,
that at my death,
I may live to God?”
Our Morning Offering – 1 April – Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent
My God, I Love Thee
By St Francis Xavier (1506-1552) (Attri)
Transr: Fr Edward Caswall CO (1814-1878)
My God, I love Thee, not because
I hope for heav’n thereby,
nor yet for fear, that loving not,
I might forever die
but for that Thou didst all mankind
upon the Cross embrace;
for us didst bear the nails and spear
and manifold disgrace.
And griefs and torments numberless
and sweat of agony;
e’en death itself and all for man,
who was Thine enemy.
Then why, most loving Jesus Christ,
should I not love Thee well?
Not for the sake of winning heav’n,
nor any fear of hell.
Not with the hope of gaining aught,
nor seeking a reward
but as Thyself hast loved me,
O ever loving Lord!
E’en so I love Thee and will love
and in Thy praise will sing,
solely because Thou art my God
and my eternal King!
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 31 March – Thursday of the Fourth week in Lent
“For one Lamb died for all,
to restore the whole flock on earth
to God the Father;
“one died for all”
to make all subject to God;
“one died for all”
to gain all, so that
“all might live,
no longer for themselves
but for Him who died
and was raised to life for them”
(2 Cor 5:14-15).”
“Listen! the reason He is called Saviour
is because, for all those
to whom He is united,
He gains salvation.
Now salvation means,
to be delivered from all ills and,
at the same time,
to find all blessings forever –
Life instead of death,
Light in place of darkness
and, instead of the slavery
of the passions and unworthy deeds,
the complete freedom granted
to all those, who are united to Christ,
Saviour of all beings.
Thus they will possess,
without being able to lose it,
all joy, all happiness, all blessedness (…)
that that none can ever know,
or conceive, or see,
if not sincerely and ardently
attached to Christ.”
“True spiritual life consists in this:
that man keep his eyes on God, all the time,
long for nothing but for God,
keep nothing in mind but God,
begin every single action, in God’s Name
and direct it to Him.”
“O God, fullness of goodness,
You do not forsake any,
except those who forsake You.
You never take away Your gifts,
except when we take away our hearts.
We rob the goodness of God,
if we claim the glory of our salvation for ourselves.
We dishonour His mercy,
if we say He has failed us.
… We blaspheme His goodness,
if we deny that He has helped and assisted us.
In short, O God, cry loud and clear into our ears:
“your destruction comes from you, O Israel.
In me alone is found your help” (Hos 13:9).
Quote/s of the Day – 30 March – Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent – Isaias 1:16-19, John 9:1-38
“I Am the Light of the world.”
“I am the Light of the world;
he who follows me will not walk in darkness
but will have the light of life.”
“The Light of Christ
is an endless day
that knows no night.”
Lord, Kindle our Lamps
By St Columban (543-615)
Lord, kindle our lamps,
Saviour most dear to us,
that we may always shine
in Your presence
and always receive Light
from You,
the Light Perpetual,
so that our own
personal darkness,
may be overcome
and the world’s darkness
driven from us.
Amen
“He is the origin of all wisdom.
The Word of God in the heights,
is the source of wisdom.
Christ is the source of all true knowledge,
for He is “the way, the truth and the life.” (Jn 14:6). …
As way, Christ is the teacher
and origin of knowledge …
Without this Light,
which is Christ,
no-one can penetrate
the secrets of faith.”
Thought for the Day – 27 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“In times of temptation, it is especially necessary for us to place ourselves in the presence of God.
We are courting disaster, if we do not raise our minds and hearts to God to implore His help, when temptation assails us.
Like the Apostles on the lake of Genesareth, when their frail boat was battered by the storm tossed waves and was in danger of being wrecked, let us cry out with the same faith and confidence, when we are assaulted by the devil: “Lord save us! We are perishing!” (Mt 8:25).
God knows our weakness and will certainly have mercy on us.
Let us not lose courage if He seems to be slow in granting His enlightenment and His grace and leaves us prey to the onslaughts of our passions.
Like the Canaanite woman in tbe Gospel, let us continue to pray with constancy and with faith and the merciful God will take pity on us at last.”
PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/30/thought-for-the-day-30-march-the-presence-of-god/
Thought for the Day – 25 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“We should ask the reason for everything which comes from the Hand of God.
Have you ever seriously considered WHY you are in this world?
It is certainly not for the sake of this passing earthly existence, for the sake of earning your living, or enjoying yourself.
You know well, that the passing pleasures of this life do not satisfy the human heart and cannot be the final goal of life.
Each one of us has a thirst for all that is infinite, eternal and perfect.
God alone can satisfy this thirst.
Just as we are created by God, so we are created for Him.
Just as we came from God, so we are gradually travelling back towards Him, for He is the final goal of our earthly journey.
We should meditate on this great truth which we were first taught in the Catechism, namely, that we were created to know, love and serve God on this earth and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven.
Let us not allow ourselves to be dazzled by earthly beauty.
God alone is the eternal beauty which will satisfy our hearts.”
PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/26/thought-for-the-day-26-march-why-god-created-us/
Apologies – the Dear Cardinal went missing yesterday , without leave- due to an Operator error, ‘Moi‘ 🙄
Wednesday day of the Third Week of Lent – 23 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Exodus 20:12-24, Matthew 15:1-20
“Have pity on me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord.” – Psalm 6:3
“GREAT IS THE MERCY that Jesus Christ has shown us. The first benefit that we owe to His mercy, is that we, who are living, do not sacrifice to dead gods or worship them but have, through Christ, attained a knowledge of the Father. What else is knowledge of the Father but the recognition of His Son, through Whom this knowledge comes to us? He Himself declares: – Everyone who acknowledges Me, I in My turn will acknowledge in the presence of the Father. This then will be our reward if we acknowledge Him through Whom we have been saved. But how shall we show that we acknowledge Him? By doing what He says, by not disobeying His commands and by honouring Him. not only with our lips but with our whole heart and our whole mind. For He says in Isaiahs This people pays me lip service but its heart is far from me.
LET US NOT ONLY CALL HIM LORD, for that will not save us. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will be saved, He warns but only the man who does what is right. So then, brothers, let us show our faith in Him by our deeds, by loving one another, by not committing adultery, by not finding fault with one another, or being envious. Instead, let us be chaste, merciful and kind. We should also have compassion for one another and, not be covetous. We have to prove that we believe in Him by performing such actions as these and by avoiding whatever is contrary to them, since we fear God rather than men. Should we fail to do so, we have the Lord’s warning:- If you do not keep my commandments, even though I had pressed you to my heart, I will thrust you away from me and say to you: Out of my sight, you whose deeds are evil; you are complete strangers to me.
THEREFORE, MY BROTHERS, let us enter the lists in the knowledge that the contest is imminent. Many men travel far to contend for a crown that soon fades, yet not all of them win but only those who have strained every nerve and competed fairly. Let us so contend, that we may all be crowned. Let us run a straight course in the race of the Christian life, setting out in great numbers to take part in it and then striving for the crown with all our might. Even if we are not all able to win, at least let us draw near to victory.
NOW, WE MUST SURELY KNOW, that even when the contest is for a wreath that lasts but a day, if anyone is found to be breaking the rules, he is flogged and driven off the racecourse. What do you suppose, then, will be the fate of the man who breaks the rules in the contest of the Christian life? Of those who have not kept the seal of their Baptism unbroken, Scripture says: The worm does not die and the fire is never extinguished. They will be a spectacle to all men.” – Anonymous Ancient Christian Writer – ACW (An excerpt from a Second Century Homily).
Quote/s of the Day – 21 March – Monday of the Third Week of Lent – The Memorial of St Benedict OSB (c 480-547)
“Girded with faith
and the performance of good works,
let us follow in His paths
by the guidance of the Gospel.”
“There exists an evil fervour,
a bitter spirit, which divides us from God
and leads us to hell.
Similarly, there is a good fervour,
which sets us apart from evil inclinations
and leads us toward God and eternal life.”
“For at all times, we must so serve Him,
with the good things He has given us,
that he may not, as an angry Father,
disinherit his children,
nor as a dread Lord,
provoked by our evil deeds,
deliver us to everlasting punishment,
as wicked servants,
who refuse to follow Him to glory.”
“The first degree of humility,
is prompt obedience.”
MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/11/quote-s-of-the-day-11-july-st-benedict-2/
One Minute Reflection – 21 March – Monday of the Third Week of Lent – 4 Kings, 5:1-15, Luke 4:23-30 and the Memorial of St Benedict OSB (c 480-547)
“There were many widows in Israel” – Luke 4:25
REFLECTION – “My wretched soul is naked and cold and benumbed, it longs to warm itself at the fIre of Your love… Out of my wide wilderness and the great emptiness of my heart, I have collected only these few tiny twigs like the widow of Sarepta; so that,, when I do come to the tabernacle of my house, I may have a handful of flour and a vessel of oil to eat before I die (1Kgs 17,10f.). Or maybe, Lord, I shall not die as quickly as all that! It may be rather that “I shall not die at al, but live, and declare the works of the Lord” (Ps 117[118],17).
So I stand in the house of solitude… I open my mouth in Your direction, Lord; I breathe in the Spirit. And sometimes, Lord,… You do put something in my heart’s mouth but You do not permit me to know just what it is. A savour I perceive, so sweet, so gracious, and so comforting that… I should seek nothing more. But when I receive this thing, neither by bodily sight, nor by spiritual sense, nor by understanding of the mind, do You allow me to discern what it is. When I receive it, then I want to keep it, and think about it and assess its flavour but forthwith, it has gone… But every time this happens I hear the Lord say to me: “The Spirit blows whither he will. ” And I know, even in myself, that He breathes not, when I will but when He Himself wills…
I know that it is to You alone, O Fount of Life, that I must lift up my eyes, that “in your light I may see light” (Ps 35:10). Towards You, then, Lord, are all things turned… But in the meantime, Lord, how much longer are You going to put me off? How often must my wretched, harassed, gasping soul trail after You? “Hide me,” I beseech you, “in the secret place of Your Face away from the troubles of men, protect me in Your tabernacle from the strife of congues!” (Ps 30[31],21).” – William of Saint-Thierry (c 1085-1148) Cistercian Monk, Theologian (The Contemplation of God 12).
PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech You, in Your mercy, pour forth Your grace into our hearts, that, as we abstain from material food, so may we restrain our senses from sin. May the intercession of the blessed Abbot Benedict, commend us to You, O Lord, so that through his merits we may obtain that which we cannot accomplish by our own. 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 – 20 March – The Third Sunday of Lent – Ephesians 5:1-9, Luke 11:14-28
“Whoever does not gather
with me, scatters.”
“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.”
The waters have risen
and severe storms are upon us
but we do not fear drowning,
for we stand firmly upon a rock.
Let the sea rage,
it cannot break the rock.”
Let the waves rise,
they cannot sink the Boat of Jesus.”
“Without the Way, there is no going,
Without the Truth, there is no knowing,
Without the Life, there is no living.”
Quote/s of the Day – 18 March – The Memorial of St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386) Bishop of Jerusalem, Confessor and Father & Doctor of the Church
“For His body, has been given to you
under the appearance of bread
and His blood, under the appearance of wine,
so that, when you have partaken
of the body and blood of Christ,
you might be one body and one blood with Him.
So shall we become Christ-bearers [“Christophers”].
His body and blood are diffused through all our members – see, then,
how we become participants
in the divine nature!”
“Do not rejoice in the Cross only in times of peace,
preserve the same faith in times of persecution.
Do not be a friend to Jesus in times of peace alone,
only to become His enemy in times of war.
You are now receiving forgiveness for your sins
and the spiritual gifts lavishly bestowed by your King so,
when war breaks out, fight valiantly for your King.”
“Our actions have a tongue of their own,
they have an eloquence of their own,
even when the tongue is silent.
For deeds prove the lover more than words.”
“His action is preceded
by the beaming rays of His light and knowledge.
He comes with the truth of the real Protector;
for He comes to save, to lead, to teach, to counsel,
to strengthen, to console,
to illumine in the first place the mind of the person
who receives Him
and through that person‘s works,
the minds of others.”
MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/18/quote-s-of-the-day-18-march-st-cyril-of-jerusalem/
“On the Twofold Coming of Christ”
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/12/01/thought-for-the-day-1-december-on-the-twofold-coming-of-christ-st-cyril-of-jerusalem/
“The Holy Catholic Church”
Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – Wednesday of the Second week of Lent – Esther 13:8-11; 15-17, Matthew 20:17-28
“Are you able to drink the cup
that I am to drink?”
“… Now is the time in this life of suffering,
when we journey apart from Him.
… So let us fast and pray now
because, we are in the days of childbirth!”
“Only let it be in the name of Jesus Christ,
that I may suffer together with Him!
I endure everything
because He Himself,
Who is perfect man, empowers me.”
“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!”
“To labour and to suffer
for the One we love,
is the greatest proof of our love.”
Thought for the Day – 13 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“The Saints loved to pray.
Prayer was the source of their strength and consolation.
They prayed with enthusiasm and for as long as they were able.
They would have liked to spend their lives in intimate conversation with Jesus.
They loved God so much, that they lived and worked only for Him.
For this reason, they regarded prayer as a pleasure.
The hours of prayer passed like seconds because love does not feel the passing of time, nor does it notice discomfort.
Our Lord gave us an example of this in His own life.
When He prayed to His Heavenly Father, “He continued all night in prayer to God” (Lk 6:12).
In spite of the fact that He was God, He gave Himself in prayer to His Heavenly Father before He worked any of His miracles and in Gethsemane, before He went to His Passion.
It must be the same with us.
A man who does not love prayer, does not love God.
If anyone works without praying, his work is useless.
We should feel the need to pray, just as much as we feel the need of God’s assistance.
The happiest hours of our lives, should be those which we spend in prayer.”
PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/13/thought-for-the-day-13-march-prayer/
One Minute Reflection – 13 March – The Second Sunday of Lent – Daniel 3:47-51, Matthew 17:1-9 and “The Month of St Joseph”
“Lord, it is good for us to be here” – Matthew 17:4
REFLECTION – “Rejoice and be happy! Persevere to the end and prefer to die rather than abandon the post to which God has called you!
But embrace the Cross with patience and hide in God’s breast with your troubles: fix your eyes on the Lamb immolated for your sake and always be content with what God gives you and destines for you. We must act like this because we are sure that God is calling us and has chosen for us ,what will make us the most pleasing in His sight. Thus you will go from light to light and the pains endured for the sake of Jesus Crucified will be delightful to you, whereas the pleasures and consolations of the world ,will become bitter.
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.” – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church (Sermon for the Second Sunday of Lent [20 Feb 1622])
PRAYER – O God, Who tempered the flames of fire for the three young men, mercifully grant that the flames of sin may not burn us, Your servants.
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).
Thought for the Day – 12 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“This is not the same as saying that we should have no interest in worldly affairs.
Far from it.
It is our duty to think about them and make provision for the future.
We cannot and should not, look for miracles from God.
We may have obligations to ourselves or to our family, or to our position in life.
We are in this world to work, not to surrender to apathy or inactivity.
We must engage in worldly activity insofar as our circumstances demand it.
Nevertheless, our hearts should not be engrossed in earthly things, for they belong to God.
In the midst of our other preoccupations, we should adore, love and thank God, the Giver of every good, our Creator and Redeemer.
St John Bosco said, that we should work as if we never had to die.
But, we should also be as detached from worldly things, as if we had to die in one hour.
A man who works like this, can accomplish wonders because, he is not working for himself but, for God.
We should work and pray with our feet on the earth and our minds in Heaven.
We should seek God, not ourselves, in everything which we do.
Let us remember, that one moment in Heaven, is worth infinitely more than all the pleasure, love and vanity of this world!”
PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/12/thought-for-the-day-12-march-detachment-from-the-world/
Thought for the Day – 9 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Consider that you have only one soul, which belongs entirely to God and has Heaven for its true home.
God has given you two hands, two feet, two ears and two eyes but, He has given you only one soul.
What a disaster, if you should lose it, for you would then be damned forever!
When God made you to be free, He placed your fate in your own hands.
“When God, in the beginning, created man, He made him subject to his own free choice” (Ecclus 15:14).
Remember that the salvation of your soul is the most necessary work which you have to do!
It is more precious to you than gold or silver.
“More precious than gold is health and well-being, contentment of spirit, than coral” (Ecclus 30:15).
All our attention should be devoted to keeping our soul free from sin and endowing it with every virtue.”
Part One Here:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/27/thought-for-the-day-27-march-the-human-soul/
Quote/s of the Day – 9 March – Wednesday of the First Week of Lent, Ember Wednesday and the Memorial of St Dominic Savio (1842-1857)
“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.”
“I need nothing in this world
in order to be happy.
I only need to see Jesus in Heaven,
Whom I now see
and adore on the Altar
with the eyes of faith.”
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.