Category: GOD ALONE!

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD

Thought for the Day – 18 September – Seeing God in All Things

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Thought for the Day – 18 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Seeing God in All Things

“Sometimes we fail to see God in all the events of life because we lack faith and absolute confidence in the Lord.
We must try to increase this faith and live always in the presence of God and, we must regard the honour and glory of this world as worth absolutely nothing without God.
“What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world but suffer the loss of his own soul?” (Mt 16:26).

We often attach too much importance to the things of this world, which, viewed in the light of eternity are worth very little.
When we find ourselves at the point of death and think back over the events of life, how small these things will seem to us!
Then, we shall marvel at our folly and regret that we worried so much about them, while we allowed ourselves to forget the only Being really necessary to us, God Himself!
St Francis de Sales said, that when we arrive at the end of life, the affairs with which we have been preoccupied, will seem about as important, as the sand-castles we built as children, castles which cost us a lot of trouble to build and a great deal of sorrow afterwards, when they had been destroyed!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/27/thought-for-the-day-27-september-seeing-god-in-all-things/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD

Thought for the Day – 17 September – The Divine Counsellor

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Thought for the Day – 17 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Divine Counsellor

“Nobody can speak to our souls with greater efficacy than Jesus Christ, “Listen to the interior Master,” wrote St Margaret Mary Alacoque, “Never do anything without seeking His advice.”

Certain conditions are necesaary, however, before we can hear the Voice of God in the intimacy of our hearts.
First of all, there must be silence and recollection.
Jesus does not speak where there is noise and dissipation and, even if He were to speak, His Voice would not be heard.

It is necessary, now and again – especially in moments of difficulty – to remove ourselves from the external confusion of life, so that we shall be able to hear the Voice of God.
Then, it is true, we shall hear two voices and we shall hesitate …
One is the voice of nature.
When we feel that we have been offended, it urges us to seek revenge or, at least, to let our attitude be known.
When temptation assails us and upsets our peace of mind, we hear a pleasant voice urging us to satisfy our sinful inclinations.
But there is another Voice within us – it is gentle and sweet like Jesus Himself; it is calm, serene and lofty, like all that is eternal.
We must listen to this, not to the other; this we must accept and follow with full deliberation, even if it entails grave sacrifice.

There must be sacrifice, for it is not sufficient to enter an atmosphere of silence and recollection, in order to listen to the Voice of Jesus, our Divine Counsellor.
We must also have the courage and the Christian fortitude to put His advice and teaching into practice!

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE;
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/10/thought-for-the-day-10-december-the-divine-counsellor/

Posted in DEVOTIO, GOD ALONE!, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS, STATIONS of the CROSS, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 14 September – The Cross of Christ

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Thought for the Day – 14 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Crucifix

“The Crucifix is a simple meditation manual, open and intelligible to all, even to the most illiterate.
Anyone who turns to it, can study the sorrowful gaze of Jesus, His heart pierced with love for men.
His head crowned with thorns, His hands and feet transfixed with nails which support His divine body, streaming blood and writhing in anguish.
The Crucifix should be dear and sacred to every Catholic.
It should stand at the head of his bed, hang around his neck and hold a prominent position in his place of work or study.

Above all, however, the Crucifix should have its place in the heart of every fervent Catholic.
At every moment of his life, in time of sadness and of joy, he should remember, that God became man and suffered and died for him.
He should remember also, that this implies an obligation on his part, to work, suffer and die, for the love of God alone!

Many people meditate on the Crucifix.
They kiss it and claim to love it.
But while they love the Crucifix, they have no love for their particular cross, which they try, by every means in their power, to fling far away from them.
Now, it is very certain, that anyone who does not love his own cross, does not really love the Crucifix, for Jesus has told us that, “if anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mt 16:24).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – ‘The death of death is there and the life of life….’

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

“How precious the gift of the Cross,
how splendid to contemplate!
In the Cross there is no mingling of good and evil,
as in the tree of paradise;
it is wholly beautiful to behold
and good to taste.
The fruit of this tree is not death but life,
not darkness but light.
This tree does not cast us out of paradise
but opens the way for our return.”

St Theodore the Studite (750–826)


“Let us then learn from the Cross of Jesus our proper way of living.
Should I say ‘living’ or, instead, ‘dying’?
Rather, both living and dying.
Dying to the world, living for God.
Dying to vices and living by the virtues.
Dying to the flesh, but liv­ing in the spirit.
Thus in the Cross of Christ, there is death
and in the Cross of Christ there is life.
The death of death is there and the life of life.
The death of sins is there and the life of the virtues.
The death of the flesh is there and the life of the spirit.”

St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)

“There is no better wood
for feeding the fire of God’s love
than the wood of the Cross.”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

“We ought to glory in nothing
other than, the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! …”

St Paul of the Cross CP (1604-1775)

A Prayer to Seek the Consolation of the Cross
By St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

Jesus, love of my soul,
centre of my heart!
Why am I not more eager to endure pains
and tribulations for love of You,
when You, my God,
have suffered so many for me?
Come, then, every sort of trial in the world,
for this is my delight, to suffer for Jesus.
This is my joy, to follow my Saviour
and to find my consolation
with my Consoler on the Cross.
This is my happiness,
this my pleasure:
to live with Jesus,
to walk with Jesus,
to converse with Jesus,
to suffer with and for Him,
this is my treasure.
Amen

St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-september-the-blessed-cross-of-christ/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 11 September – The Commandments and the Desires of Jesus Christ

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Thought for the Day – 11 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Commandments and the Desires of Jesus Christ

“Sanctity consists, in doing the will of God, in all things.
We can become perfect by doing His will, from the motive of love alone.
“He who has my commandments and keeps them,” said Jesus, “he it is who loves me. But he who loves me, will be loved by my Father and I will love him and manifest myself to him. If anyone love me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our abode with him” (Jn 14:21-23).

Do we wish to know if we love God sincerely?
The proof is this.
If we do His will and obey His precepts, it is a sign that we love him but, if we do not observe His commandments, we lie when we say we love Him.
We must, therefore, show our love, by observing in all things, the commandments of God.
He gave us these commandments our of love for us, so that, by observing them, we should be saved and should be happy with Him.
Even as He has given them out of love, we should observe them out of love, for He is our supreme and only good.
Just as Jesus lovingly did the will of His heavenly Father, from Bethlehem to Nazareth, from Nazareth to Calvary and from Calvary to Heaven, so we should follow in His footsteps, by doing the adorable will of God in all the circumstances of our lives, both joyful and sorrowful.
But, we must obey the divine will out of love, that is, because we love God whole-heartedly and above all created things.

Everything is easy to him who loves.
“When we love him who gives us orders,” says St Francis de Sales, “even the hardest of actions becomes easy.”

Let us examine ourselves.
Are we always ready to obey the commandments of God at any cost and would we die rather than offend Him?
Let us examine ourselves also, to see, if we do all this out of love for Jesus.
“He who does not love,” writes St John, “abides in death” (1 Jn 3:14).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 11 September – And why do you call me,‘Lord, Lord’and not do what I say?” – Luke 6:46

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Readings: Timothy 1: 15-17; Psalm 113: 1b-2-5a and 6-7; Luke 6: 43-49

“And why do you call me,
‘Lord, Lord’
and not do what I say?”

Luke 6:46

“If anyone serves me,
he must follow me
and where I am,
there will my servant be also.”

John 12:26

“Let it be understood,
that those who are not found living
as He taught,
are NOT Christian- even though they profess
with the lips, the teaching of Christ.”

St Justin Martyr (c 100-165)
Father of the Church

“It is not that we keep His commandments first
and that then He loves
but, that He loves us
and then we keep His commandments.
This is that grace
which is revealed to the humble
but hidden from the proud.”

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

“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.”

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

“If you wish to enter into life,
keep My commandments.
If you will know the truth,
believe in Me.
If you will be perfect,
sell all.
If you will be My disciple,
deny yourself.
If you will possess the blessed life,
despise this present life.
If you will be exalted in heaven,
humble yourself on earth.
If you wish to reign with Me,
carry the Cross with Me.
For only the servants of the Cross
find the life of blessedness
and of true light.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ Chapter 56

“ True spiritual life consists in this:
that man keep his eyes on God, constantly,
long for nothing but for God,
keep nothing in mind but God,
and begin every single action,
in God’s Name
and direct it to Him.”

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 September – Being the Lord’s disciple

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Readings: First Timothy 1: 1-2, 12-14; Psalm 16: 1b-2a and 5, 7-8, 11; Luke 6: 39-42

“A disciple is not above his teacher…”

Luke 6:40

“Do whatever he tells you.”

John 2:5

“A person who wishes
to become the Lord’s disciple
must repudiate a human obligation,
however honourable it may appear,
if it slows us, ever so slightly,
in giving the wholehearted obedience
we owe to God.”

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Let us then learn from the Cross of Jesus our proper way of living.
Should I say ‘living’ or, instead, ‘dying’?
Rather, both living and dying.
Dying to the world, living for God.
Dying to vices and living by the virtues.
Dying to the flesh, but liv­ing in the spirit.
Thus in the Cross of Christ, there is death
and in the Cross of Christ there is life.
The death of death is there and the life of life.
The death of sins is there and the life of the virtues.
The death of the flesh is there and the life of the spirit.”

St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)

“… God is to be served
chiefly for Himself alone,
for He is the fountain of all goodness
and merits all our devotion,
without any hope of reward.”

Bl Charles Spinola SJ (1564-1622)
Priest, Martyr

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEDIOCRITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SILENCE, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 September – Prayer

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Readings: Colossians 2: 6-15; Psalm 145: 1b-2, 8-9-11; Luke 6: 12-19

“Jesus departed to the mountain to pray
and he spent the night in prayer to God”

Luke 6:12

“Prayer is the wing,
wherewith the soul flies to heaven
and meditation,
the eye,
wherewith we see God.”

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

“Ask with tears,
seek with obedience,
knock with patience.”

St John Climacus (c 525-606)
Father of the Church

“[Prayer] is the one means for our purification,
the one way to union with God,
the one channel by which God may unite Himself with us,
that He may do anything with us, for His glory.
To obtain the virtues of an apostle,
we must pray;
to make them of use to our neighbour,
we must pray;
to prevent our losing them,
while we use them in His service,
we must pray.
The counsel, or rather the commandment:
Pray always, seems to me extremely sweet
and by no means impossible.
It secures the practice of the presence of God …”

St Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682)
“Apostle of the Sacred Heart”

“In silence, He listens to us,
in silence He speaks to our souls,
in silence we are granted the privilege
of hearing His voice –

Silence of the eyes,
Silence of the ears,
Silence of our mouths,
Silence of our minds.
In the silence of the heart
God will speak.”

Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

‘No Greater Love’

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The HEART

Thought for the Day – 5 September – My Life is Christ

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Thought for the Day – 5 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

My Life is Christ

“St Paul reached such a degree of union with Christ that he could exclaim” “To me to live is Christ” (Phil 1:21).
Elsewhere he says” “It is now no longer I that live but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
This is a characteristic of the Saints.
They live their own lives no longer, for they live the life of Christ.
That is to say, their minds and hearts are always fixed on Jesus.
They love the Lord, more than all things and, more than themselves.
God is the object of all their desires, affections and actions.
As a result, the soul is transfigured and is infused with divine life, so that it does nothing which is not activated by grace.
In the Saints, then, there is reflected something heavenly which attracts and stimulates one to virtue.

The Saints preached effectively in simple, unadorned language, as in the case of the Cure of Ars.
But, their most effective sermon was the example of their lives.
They could say with St Paul: “To me to live is Christ.”
They could repeat the thought of St Jerome: “Christ is the breath of my lips.”
Like St John Chrysostom, they could say: “My heart is the heart of Christ.”
They could say with St Augustine: “I am only an instrument in the service of Christ” and, with St Anselm: “My eyes are the eyes of Christ.”

When we meditate on these words, which signify the height of sanctity, we feel very small, shabby and far from the Christian perfection to which we should aspire.
Perhaps we are still immersed in sin, or perhaps, we are wavering between the things of this world and the things of God, or perhaps, as yet, we have not given up our egoism and complacent mediocrity in order to offer ourselves entirely to God.
Real Christianity demands that we renounce ourselves, live the life of Christ and, make every effort to acquire perfection.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 5 September – A new life

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Readings: Colossians 1: 21-23; Psalm 54: 3-4, 6 and 8; Luke 6: 1-5, 19-21

“The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Luke 6:5

“ … The Lord calls on us to rest,
telling us: “Come to me, all you who labour
and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28)
And He gives rest to all souls who trust Him
and come to Him by delivering them from painful, oppressive and impure thoughts.
Then they completely stop indulging in evil, celebrating a true, a delightful and holy Sabbath,
a feast of the Spirit in inexpressible joy
and rejoicing.
They offer a pure and acceptable worship to God, coming from a pure heart.
That is the true and holy Sabbath.”

St Macarius of Egypt (c 300- c 390)
Desert Father, Monk

(Spiritual Homilies, no. 35)

“I say to you,
something greater
than the temple is here …”

Matthew 12:6

“Evangelical faith lived in Christ,
transcends the law.”

St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368)
Father and Doctor of the Divinity of Christ

“And He departed from our sight
that we might return to our heart
and find Him there.
For He left us
and behold,
He is here!”

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

“He who carries God in his heart
bears heaven with him,
wherever he goes.”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

“Nothing is anything, anymore to me;
everything is nothing to me
only Jesus!
Neither things nor persons,
neither ideas nor emotions,
neither honour nor sufferings.
Jesus is for me honour, delight, heart and soul.”

St Bernadette Soubirous/of Lourdes (1844-1879)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 2 September – “Leaving all things, they followed him.”

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – Readings: Colossians 1: 9-14; Psalms 98: 2-3ab, 3cd-4-6; Luke 5: 1-11

“Leaving all things,
they followed him.”

Luke 5:11

“I am the light of the world;
he who follows me will not walk in darkness
but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

“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

“We will follow You, Lord Jesus.
But in order for us to follow You,
call us because without You,
no-one will ascend towards You.
For You are the way, the truth, the life.
You are also our help,
our trust, our reward.
Welcome those who belong to You,
You who are the way;
strengthen them, You who are the truth;
give them life, You who are the life.”

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

“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.”

St Cyril of Alexandria (380-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“There are two ways of keeping God’s word,
namely, one, whereby we store in our memory
what we hear and the other,
whereby we put into practice,
what we have heard
(and none will deny that the latter
is more commendable, inasmuch,
as it is better to sow grain,
than to store it in the barn).”

Blessed Jordan of Saxony OP (1190-1237)

“Place all your trust in God,
let Him be your fear and your love.
He will answer for you,
He will do what is best for you.
You have here no lasting home.
You are a stranger and a pilgrim
wherever you may be
and you shall have no rest,
until you are wholly united with Christ.
Why do you look about here
when this is not the place of your repose?”

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE

Our Morning Offering – 30 August – O God of Love

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Our Morning Offering – 30 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart”

O God of Love,
Give Me Thy Love and Thy Grace
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

O God of Love,
Thou art
and shall be forever,
the only delight of my heart
and the sole object of my affections.
Sinee Jesus said:
‘Ask and you shall receive,’
I do not hesitate to say:
‘Give me Thy Love and Thy Grace.’
Grant that I may love Thee
and be loved by Thee.
I want for nothing else.
Amen

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 17 August – Doing Everything for the Love of God

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Thought for the Day – 17 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Doing Everything for the Love of God

“In one of his letters, Luther wrote that he was so busy that he had no time to read his Breviary, nor to offer Holy Mass.
There is no doubt that it was this estrangement from prayer and from the love of God, which caused him to finish up as he did.
Our work must be based on charity and the interior life, so that we may be always united with God.
Otherwise, every action of ours, no matter how good it may appear, is sterile and valueless in the sight of God.

Today also, there are many people busily engaged in apostolic work but they have no interior life nourished by charity.
This is what is known as the heresy of action.

Everything we do is useless and even harmful, if our external activity is not accompanied by a flourishing interior life, enriched by divine grace.
St Gregory the Great paraphrases the words of the Gospel as follows: “Our Lord says: If anyone loves Me, let him keep my commandments. Love is proved by action. This is why St John (1 Jn 2:4) says, that the man who claims to love God and does not keep His commandments, is a liar. We love God sincerely if we keep His commandments and avoid the immoderate pleasures of our age.
Anyone who surrenders without reserve to the unlawful desires of this world, certainly does not love God because, he is acting contrary to His will.” (Homil 30 in Ev).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/05/thought-for-the-day-5-february-doing-everything-for-the-love-of-god/
PART TWO HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/05/thought-for-the-day-5-february-doing-everything-for-the-love-of-god/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on TRUTH, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 17 August – ‘The only One I wish to love.’

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart” – Readings: Judges 6: 11-24a; Psalm 85: 9-14; Matthew 19: 23-30

“Behold we have left all things,
and have followed thee”

Matthew 19:27

“For where your treasure is,
there also will your heart be.”

Matthew 6:21

“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”

John 14:6

“Let us listen to the Lord:
“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6).
If you are looking for the Truth,
follow the Way which is also the Truth.
This is where you are going and it is how you go.
It is not by another thing that you go to something;
it is not by anything else that you come to Christ;
it is through Christ that you come to Christ.
How to Christ through Christ?
To Christ God through Christ man;
through the Word made flesh,
to the Word who was with God, from the beginning;
through what we have eaten to what the angels eat daily.
In fact it is what is written:
“He gave them bread from heaven; man ate the bread of angels” (Ps 77[78]:24-25).
What is the bread of angels?
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was in God and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1-3). How has man eaten the bread of angels?
“And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”

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

“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)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“… It is Him you should love and no other.
Of Him you could and should say
“My Beloved is mine and I am his” (Sg 2:16);
my God has given Himself without reserve
and, without reserve, I give myself to Him;
He has chosen me as the object of His tenderness
and He, among thousands,
He, the radiant and ruddy one (Sg 5:10),
so loveable and so loving,
He is the chosen of my heart,
the only one I wish to love.”

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

Posted in CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 August – ‘Seek for nothing … [save] love of Jesus’

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One Minute Reflection – 17 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart” – Readings: Judges 6: 11-24a; Psalm 85: 9-14; Matthew 19: 23-30

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

REFLECTION – “Seek for nothing, desiring to enter for love of Jesus, with detachment, emptiness and poverty in everything in this world. You will never have to do with necessities greater than those to which you made your heart yield itself – for the poor in spirit are most happy and joyful in a state of privation and he who has set his heart on nothing, finds satisfaction everywhere.

The poor in spirit (Mt 5:3) give generously all they have and their pleasure consists in being thus deprived of everything for God’s sake and out of love to their neighbour … Not only do temporal goods – the delights and tastes of the sense – hinder and thwart the way of God but spiritual delights and consolations also, if sought for or clung to eagerly, disturb the way of virtue.” – St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Carmelite, Doctor of the Church – Spiritual maxims, nos. 352, 355,356, 364; 1693 edition

PRAYER – Father of might and power, every good and perfect gift comes to us from You. Implant in our hearts the love of Your Name and Your creatures. Increase our zeal for Your service by following behind Your Son with determination and joy. Nourish in us what good and tend it with watchful care. Grant that the prayers and caring love of the Blessed Virgin, our Mother, may help us to follow Jesus our Saviour unreservedly and thus attain eternal life. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord in the union of the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THE WORLD

Thought for the Day – 16 August – Renouncing All Things

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Thought for the Day – 16 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Renouncing All Things

“If we want God to take possession of our souls, we must drive out every inordinate affection to earthly things.
It is not possible for God to dwell within us, if we are still attached to sin or preoccupied with worldly aims.

God should reign supreme in us and inspire all our desires and actions.
This can never happen if we retain an attachment to deliberate sin, even if it is not grave sin.
In the case of venial sin, it is not so much the sin which prevents God from ruling us absolutely, as the attachment to sin.

It is possible for anybody to fall through human weakness, “for the just man falls seven times and rises again” (Prov 24:16).
It is when we remain willingly in the state of sin, that we offend God and weaken our faith and charity.
At such times, it is as if Jesus were asleep within us, as He slept in the boat during the storm on the lake of Galilee, when the terrified Apostles cried out:   “Lord save us! We are perishing!” (Mt 8:25).
We must keep ourselves free from all trace of sin, if we wish to remain intimately united with God and to be governed only by Him!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FRUITS of the SPIRIT, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 August – “Come, follow me”

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart” – Readings: Judges 2: 11-19; Psalm 106: 34-7, 39-40, 43ab and 44; Matthew 19: 16-22

“Come, follow me”

Matthew 19:21

“You are my friends,
if you do the things
that I command you.”

John 15:14

“I have chosen you
and have appointed you,
that you should go
and should bring forth fruit
and your fruit should remain,
says the Lord.”

John 15:16

“This is the glory of man –
to persevere and remain
in the service of God.
For this reason,
the Lord told His disciples:
‘You did not choose Me but I chose you.’
He meant that His disciples
did not glorify Him by following Him
but, in following the Son of God,
they were glorified by Him.
As He said:
‘I wish that where I am
they also may be,
that they may see My glory.’”

St Irenaeus (c 130 – c 202)
Bishop & Martyr, Father of the Church

“A person who wishes
to become the Lord’s disciple
must repudiate a human obligation,
however honourable it may appear,
if it slows us, ever so slightly,
in giving the wholehearted obedience
we owe to God.”

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Neither do I condemn you
but, having been made secure
concerning the past,
be on your guard in the future.
I, for My part, will not condemn you,
I have blotted out what you have done;
keep what I have commanded,
that you may gain
what I have promised.”

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

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, GOD the FATHER, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The HOLY NAME, The LORD'S PRAYER, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The SIGN of the CROSS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 14 August – God, Our Father

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Readings: Joshua 24: 14-29; Psalm 16: 1-2a and 5-8, 11; Matthew 19: 13-15

God, Our Father

“Let the children come to me,
do not prevent them”

Matthew 19:14

“Whoever has seen me, has seen the Father.”

John 14:9

“So, my brothers, let us pray as God our master has taught us.
To ask the Father in words His Son has given us,
to let Him hear the prayer of Christ ringing in His ears,
is to make our prayer one of friendship, a family prayer.
Let the Father recognise the words of His Son.
Let the Son who lives in our hearts, be also on our lips.
We have Him as an Advocate for sinners, before the Father,
when we ask for forgiveness for ours sins,
let us use the words given by our Advocate.
He tells us –
Whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you.
What more effective prayer could we then make,
in the name of Christ, than in the words of His own prayer?”

St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258)
Bishop, Father of the Church and Martyr

An excerpt from his “On the Lord’s Prayer”

“Immediately after rising
and throughout the day,
all make the Sign of the Cross
and renew their trust in God:
to be strengthened by the power of the Father,
to be enlightened by the wisdom of the Son
and to be sanctified by the love of the Holy Spirit.
And as they bless themselves, they may say:
Of myself I can do nothing,
with God I can do everything,
I want to do everything for love of God.”

From the Rule of the Pallottines

Our life is:
“To breathe God in and out.
To find God in everything.
To reveal God to all.
To radiate the presence of God.”

My God, In Your Infinite Love
By St Vincent Pallotti (1795-1850)

“My God,
in Your infinite love
You created me
according to Your image and likeness.
You gave me a free will.
Help me to use Your gifts
and improve myself
so as to become totally Your living image,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
an image of Your infinite
qualities and perfections.
Amen

St Vincent Pallotti (1795-1850)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WISDOM, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 10 August – We seek You, we follow You,

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 August – Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr, Readings: Second Corinthians 9:6-10, Psalms 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9, John 12:24-26

“If anyone serves me,
he must follow me
and where I am,
there will my servant be also.”

John 12:26

“Love one another as I have loved you”

John 15:12

“Behold, my servant
whom I have chosen”

Matthew 12:18

“ When we stand in the light
it is not we who illumine the light and cause it to shine
but we are illuminated and made shining by the light…
God grants His blessings on those who serve Him
because they are serving Him
and on those who follow Him
because they are following Him
but He receives no blessing from them
because He is perfect and without need.”

St Irenaeus (c 130 – c 202)
Bishop & Martyr, Father of the Church

“My brothers, Christ made love the stairway
that would enable all Christians
to climb to heaven.
Hold fast to it, therefore, in all sincerity,
give one another practical proof of it
and by your progress in it,
make your ascent together.”

St Fulgentius of Ruspe (460-533)

Our Lord, King of All
By St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

We pray to You, O Lord,
who are the supreme Truth,
and all truth is from You.
We beseech You, O Lord,
who are the highest Wisdom,
and all the wise depend on You
for their wisdom.
You are the supreme Joy,
and all who are happy
owe it to You.
You are the Light of minds
and all receive
their understanding from You.
We love, we love You above all.
We seek You, we follow You,
and we are ready to serve You.
We desire to dwell under Your power
for You are the King of all.
Amen.

“If you wish to enter into life,
keep My commandments.
If you will know the truth,
believe in Me.
If you will be perfect,
sell all.
If you will be My disciple,
deny yourself.
If you will possess the blessed life,
despise this present life.
If you will be exalted in heaven,
humble yourself on earth.
If you wish to reign with Me,
carry the Cross with Me.
For only the servants of the Cross
find the life of blessedness
and of true light.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ Chapter 56

Posted in GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TIME, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 9 August – St John Vianney

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 August – St John Vianney

“When the heart is pure and simple,
it cannot help loving
because it has discovered,
the source of love,
which is God.”

“Do not try to please everybody.
Try to please God, the Angels and the Saints –
they are your public.”

“All that we do
without offering it to God,
is wasted!”

“God commands you to pray
but forbids you to worry!”

St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859

LOTS MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/04/quote-s-of-the-day-4-august-st-john-vianney/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on NATURE - GOD'S CREATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on THE WORLD

Thought for the Day – 5 August – Mary, a Light in the Darkness

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Thought for the Day – 5 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, a Light in the Darkness

“Let us imagine for a moment, that we have grown blind and are forever plunged in darkness.
It is an unhappy thought.
Never again to see those who are dear to us, never to see the light of the sun nor any of the splendour of the universe.
We should feel as if were alone, for we should have to depend only on sounds and on the voices of others for communication with the external world.
As St Augustine points out, however, in his commentary on the miracle of the man who had been blind from birth, we are all more or less blind in the supernatural order.
The world is the image of God but, do we see His Presence in everything which surrounds us?
Is it not more often the case that created things distract us and lead us to forget their Creator because, we regard them as a means of satisfying our own comfort and our own ego?
We should look on creatures as go-betweens which help us to ascend to God, the beginning and end of all creation.

Unfortunately, instead of climbing this mystical ladder which leads us to God, we often descend it.
We forget God and become excessively wrapped up in worldly affairs.
Sometimes matters may be even worse, not only do we forget God through our love of creatures but, we use them, to offend Him.
God has given us eyes to admire His works and, as a result, to lead us to praise, thank and love Him.
Instead, we often use this wonderful gift in order to commit sin.
He has given us the gift of speech, the gift of hearing and other senses.
But how do we employ them?
The tongue is a marvellous invention but, as St James writes, “if anyone does not offend in the word, he is a perfect man, able also to lead round by the bridle, the whole body … With it we bless God the Father and, with it, we curse men, who have been made after the likeness of God.   Out of the same mouth, proceed blessing and cursing.   These things, my brethren ought not to be so” (Js 3:2-10).
What can be said of vision and of speech can be said of all the senses and faculties of body and soul.
They are all God’s gifts and should, therefore, be used as means of bringing ourselves closer to Him.
If creatures lead us away from God and cause us to forget Him, or if, worse still, they cause us to offend Him, then we are spiritually blind and far more unfortunate than those who have lost their natural vision.

Most Holy Mary, during your earthly pilgrimage, you never once lost sight of God.
Grant that I may not be lost in the darkness of this world.
Grant that I may not be ensnared by the passing charm and false beauty of these created things which surround me.
Grant that I may see, in all things, the Presence and Beauty of God, so that I may always continue to advance, nearer and nearer to Him.   Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 4 August – St Dominic de Guzman

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 August – The Memorial of St Dominic de Guzman OP(1170-1221)

“Arm yourself with prayer,
instead of a sword;
be clothed with humility,
instead of fine raiment.”

“You are my companion
and must walk with me.
For if we hold together,
no earthly power can withstand us.”

— Upon meeting St Francis of Assisi.

“I am not capable of doing big things
but I want to do everything,
even the smallest things,
for the greater glory of God.”

St Dominic de Guzman (1170-1221)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/08/quote-s-of-the-day-8-august-the-memorials-of-st-dominic-1170-1221-and-st-mary-of-the-cross-mackillop-1842-1909/

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD

Thought for the Day – 3 August – Depending Always on Jesus

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Thought for the Day – 3 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Depending Always on Jesus

“When we abandon ourselves to Jesus, we must do so cheerfully, as well as trustingly.
St Basil calls the devil, the angel of sadness.
The evil spirit is, in fact, sad, for this is the lot of one who has lost God forever.
He wishes, moreover, to communicate that sadness to us also when he has drawn us into sin.

We should be happy in the Lord, as St Paul exhorts.
Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
He who possesses Jesus and His grace, is touched by that holy joy which radiates from Him.
The Saints were joyful in persecution and in martyrdom, as the Apostles were before the Sanhedrin because, “they had been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus” (Acts 5:41).
It is related of St Romuald that in spite of great austerities, he was always smiling, so that he communicated happiness to those who saw him.

Let us, therefore, rely always on Jesus; let us remain close to Him and the path to Heaven will seem smooth, in spite of the many obstacles which we are sure to encounter.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/27/thought-for-the-day-27-june-depending-always-on-
jesus/
PART TWO HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/30/thought-for-the-day-30-january-depending-always-on-jesus/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, JESUIT SJ, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The HOLY NAME, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 3 August – Trust

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Readings: Numbers 12: 1-13; Psalm 51: 3-7, 12-13; 14: 22-36

Trust

“Lord, save me.”

Matthew 14:30

“Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid.”

John 14:27

May We Confess Your Name to the End
By St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258)
Bishop and Martyr
Father of the Church

Good God,
may we confess Your Name to the end.
May we emerge unmarked
and glorious from the traps
and darkness of this world.
As You have bound us together
by charity and peace
and as together
we have persevered under persecution,
so may we also rejoice together
in Your heavenly kingdom.
Amen

St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258)

“We implore You,
O All-Holy, Long-Suffering
Life and Restoration,
Source of goodness,
look down from heaven
and visit all those
who ever trust in You;
rescue our life, Lord,
from all constraint and affliction,
and, in the faith of truth, guide us all.
At the prayers of the
Immaculate Mother of God and Virgin,
Save your world
and those in the world
and spare us all,
You who, for us,
became man without change,
only Lover of mankind.”

St Romanos the Melodios (c 490-c 556)

“Place all your trust in God,
let Him be your fear and your love.
He will answer for you,
He will do what is best for you.
You have here no lasting home.
You are a stranger and a pilgrim
wherever you may be
and you shall have no rest,
until you are wholly united with Christ.
Why do you look about here
when this is not the place of your repose?”

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

“Act as if everything depended on you;
trust as if everything depended on God.”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

“Throw yourself
into God’s arms.
He will carry you
when the road is rough.”

St John Baptiste de La Salle (1651-1719)

Posted in Act of SPIRITUAL COMMUNION, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FRIENDSHIP, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 2 August – St Alphonsus

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 August – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“If you wish to charm the loving Heart of your God,
set yourself to talk to Him,
as often as you can
and, after a fashion,
continually, together with the fullest
and most confident liberty.
He will not hold aloof from answering you
and participating in the conversation on His part.”

“On the journey of this life to eternity,
let me carry You in my heart,
following Mary’s example,
who bore You in her arms,
during the flight to Egypt.”

“… It is Him you should love and no other.
Of Him you could and should say
“My Beloved is mine and I am his” (Sg 2:16);
my God has given Himself without reserve
and, without reserve, I give myself to Him;
He has chosen me as the object of His tenderness
and He, among thousands,
He, the radiant and ruddy one (Sg 5:10),
so loveable and so loving,
He is the chosen of my heart,
the only one I wish to love.”

“Were you to ask,
‘what are the means of overcoming temptations’,
I would answer:
the first means is prayer,
the second is prayer,
the third is prayer
and should you ask me a thousand times,
I would repeat the same.”

“Sacrilegious tongues blaspheme the God
who preserves their existence!
… you should be damned forever
and, instead of thanking Him for His goodness,
you, at the very time
that He bestows His favours upon you,
YOU blaspheme His Holy Name!”

“Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus
in the Blessed Sacrament
is the greatest, after the sacraments,
the one dearest to God
and the one most helpful to us.”

Act of Spiritual Communion
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

I desire, good Jesus,
to receive Thee in Holy Communion
and since I cannot now receive Thee
in the Blessed Sacrament,
I beseech Thee to come to me spiritually
and to refresh my soul with Thy sweetness.
Come, my Lord, my God and my All!
Come to me
and never let me ever again
be separated from Thee by sin.
Teach me Thy blessed ways,
help me with Thy grace to imitate Thy example,
to practise meekness, humility,
charity and all the virtues of Thy Sacred Heart.
My divine Master, my one desire is to do Thy will
and to love Thee, more and more.
Help me, that I may be faithful to the end, in Thy service.
Bless me in life and in death,
that I may praise Thee, forever in heaven,
Amen

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

Posted in GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on ZEAL, SAINT of the DAY, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 31 July – St Ignatius Loyola

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Quote/s of the Day – 31 July – “Month of the Precious Blood” and the Memorial of St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) –

“Go Forth, Set the World on Fire!”

“He who carries God in his heart
bears heaven with him,
wherever he goes.”

“Act as if everything depended on you;
trust as if everything depended on God.”

“True, I am in love with suffering
but I do not know,
if I deserve the honour!”

“There is no better wood
for feeding the fire of God’s love
than the wood of the Cross.”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on SIN, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 July – ‘… It draws all the dough to itself … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 26 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Exodus 32: 15-24, 30-34; Psalms 106: 19-20, 21-22, 23; Matthew 13: 31-35 and the Memorial of Saints Anne and Joachim – Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Grandparents of Jesus

“Until the whole was leavened” – Matthew 13:33

REFLECTION – “If someone kneads bread without mixing leaven into it, they may well apply themselves to the task, knead and work at it, the dough will not rise and cannot be used as food. But when leaven has been mixed in, it draws all the dough to itself and makes it all rise, as in the parable the Lord applied to the Kingdom… It is the same with meat – no matter how much care you take, if you neglect to put in salt to preserve it,… it will smell badly and become inedible
In the same sort of way, imagine the whole of humanity as meat or dough and that the divine nature of the Holy Spirit is salt and leaven from another world. If the heavenly leaven of the Spirit and good salt of the divine nature… are not added to our lowly human nature and mixed into it, the soul will never lose its bad odour of sin and will not rise by losing the heaviness and impurities of the “leaven of wickedness” (1Cor 5,7)…

If a soul only relies on its own strength and thinks itself able to achieve complete success of itself, without the help of the Holy Spirit, it is greatly deceived. It is not made for the dwelling places of Heaven nor made for the Kingdom… If sinful man does not draw near to God, does not renounce the world, does not await in hope and patience a good that is foreign to its own nature, namely, the strength of the Holy Spirit; if the Lord does not instil His own divine life from on high into that soul, that person will never taste the true life… On the other hand, if he has received the Spirit’s grace, if he does not turn away from it, if he does not offend Him by his negligence and wrongdoing, if, after persevering a long time like this in the fight, he does not “grieve the Spirit” (Eph 4,30), he will have the happiness of winning eternal life.” – Attri to St Macarius of Egypt (c 300-390) Monk

PRAYER – True light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ, as You enlighten all men for their salvation, give us grace, we pray, to herald Your coming by preparing the ways of justice and of peace. Help us Lord, that we may sprout and bear fruit, fitting to grow and be a home of comfort to our neighbour. By the prayers of Sts Anne and Joachim, may we too be beacons of Your Light and of the glory of Your Kingdom. Through Jesus our Lord, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on NATURE - GOD'S CREATION, QUOTES on THE WORLD

Thought for the Day – 25 July – The Love of God, The One Thing Necessary!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 25 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Love of God
The One Thing Necessary!

“If we really know God, we should love Him above all created things.
“I have loved you too little, My God,” said St Augustine in his Confessions, “because I have not known You well enough.”
If we knew God, we should recognise, that He is infinite beauty, goodness and wisdom.
We should realise, that the beauty of creatures is like a passing cloud, for it is a vague and distant reflection of the eternal beauty of God.
We should realise, that the wisdom of men, is only a ray of God’s light which comes from Him and must return to Him.
Finally, we should perceive that men are good, only insofar, as they do their best to respond to the inspirations of grace which God has placed in their hearts.
God alone is in Himself and of Himself, supremely true, beautiful, good, wise and holy.
Created things are only an invitation to love God, their Creator.
God alone, therefore, is supremely lovable in Himself.
In the apt words of St Bernard, “God Himself is the reason why we should love God and, the measure of our love should be measureless.”

Let us not allow ourselves to become entangled in the empty passing things of this world but, let us raise our minds and hearts to God alone.
There is only one thing necessary!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Part One Here:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/10/thought-for-the-day-10-february-the-love-of-god/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HEART, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The REDEMPTION

Thought for the Day – 23 July – The Divided Heart

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 23 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Divided Heart

“Even if your heart has not become the property of the devil and retains a horror of mortal sin, it is still possible, that you have not given it completely to God.
Your heart is divided.
Part of it belongs to God and part of it to the world.
You are distracted by your own self-love and earthly desires.
A heart which is divided in its affections between God and the world, is dazzled by everything around it and tends to forget God, more and more.

We protest that we belong entirely to God but, in practice, we are so absorbed by work, ambition and pleasure, that we neglect God.

A man who is torn between love of God and love of the world is like Cain who, unlike Abel, did not offer God, the best part of his flock but kept this for himself and offered God whatever he had rejected.
God was pleased with Abel’s sacrifice but had no regard for that of Cain, who finally became a murderer and was cursed by his Creator.

Do we offer God the leavings of life while we keep the best part of it for our selves?
Do we think of ourselves nearly all the time and give very little thought to God?
This is not the way in which God has dealt with us.
Not only has He created us but, He loves us with an everlasting love.
He came down to earth and lived as our fellow man.
He redeemed us by His Precious Blood and gave Himself to us as our food!

Why are we not willing to give ourselves to Him forever in return?
Gratitude demands that we should do so.
God, moeover, is our supreme and only good.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/30/thought-for-the-day-30-april-the-divided-heart/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 23 July – Good ground

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 23 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Exodus 20: 1-17; Psalms 19: 8, 9, 10, 11; Matthew 13: 18-23

“But he that received the seed upon good ground”

Matthew 13:23

“ If you would rise,
shun luxury,
for luxury lowers and degrades.“

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

“You have made us for Yourself
and our hearts are restless
until they rest in You.”

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

“Let us then learn from the Cross of Jesus
our proper way of living.
Should I say ‘living’ or, instead, ‘dying’?
Rather, both living and dying.
Dying to the world, living for God.
Dying to vices and living by the virtues.
Dying to the flesh but living in the spirit.
Thus in the Cross of Christ,
there is death
and in the Cross of Christ, there is life.
The death of death is there
and the life of life.
The death of sins is there
and the life of the virtues.
The death of the flesh is there
and the life of the spirit.
… It was fitting, that we,
who had fallen because of a tree,
might rise up because of a tree.”

St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)
“St Bernard of the North”