Category: CATHOLIC Quotes

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, SACRED HEART QUOTES, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS

Thought for the Day – 19 September – “Unless You Turn and Become Like Little Children, You Will Not Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”

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Thought for the Day – 19 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Unless You Turn and Become
Like Little Children,
You Will Not Enter into
the Kingdom of Heaven”

“At the beginning of their ministry, before they had been strengthened and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the Apostles were as ambitious as most other men.
One day, the mother of John and James, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and asked Him, if her two sons could have precedence over the other Apostles and sit on the highest thrones in His kingdom, one at His right hand and the other at His left.
Jesus disapproved of this desire to predominate. “Whoever wishes to become great among you,” He said, “shall be your servant and, whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; even as the Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:26-28).

On another occasion, the Apostles came to Jesus and asked Him, which of them would be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus’ only answer was to call a little child and to place him in the centre of the group.
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.   Whoever, therefore, humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3-4).

This is the lofty teaching of the Gospel.
If we wish to be great and pleasing in the eyes of God, we must be unimportant in our own regard and in our relations with men.
The Gospel involves an overthrow of human values.
Anyone who makes himself insignificant, will become great.
Anyone who tries to make himself out to be a great man, becomes of little account in the eyes of God.
“God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Cf Js 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
If we wish to please the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the first thing we must do, is become as little children.
In other words, we shall have to suppress our ambition and vanity and destroy our self-love, so that, the Sacred Heart may fill our hearts with the love of God alone!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 September – ‘Christian simplicity makes childhood its own.’

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One Minute Reflection – 19 September – Readings: Wisdom 2: 12, 17-20; Psalm 54: 3-8; James 3: 16 – 4: 3; Mark 9: 30-37 – The Feast of Our Lady of La Salette

“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me.” – Mark 9:37

REFLECTION – “We Christians are Christ’s body and members, the Apostle Paul says (1Cor 12,27). At Christ’s Resurrection all His members were raised with Him and, as He passed from hell to earth, He made us pass from death to life. The word “Pasch” in Hebrew means “passover” or “passage”. Isn’t this mystery, a mystery concerning the passage from evil to good? And what a passing over it is! From sin to righteousness, from vice to virtue, from age to infancy. I’m speaking here about the infancy that pertains to simplicity, not to age. For virtues, too, belong to their age. Yesterday the decrepitude of sin was sending us downhill. But the Resurrection of Christ brings us to rebirth into the innocence of children. Christian simplicity makes childhood its own.

Children are without malice; they do not know deceit; they dare not strike. Thus this Christian child does not fall into a rage if he is insulted, nor defend himself if he is stripped, nor hit back if he is struck. Our Lord even requires him to pray for his enemies, relinquish both tunic and cloak to the thief and turn the other cheek to those who strike him (Mt 5,29f.).

Christ’s infancy surpasses human infancy… The latter owes its innocence to weakness, the former to virtue. Moreover, it is worthy of far greater praise: His hatred of evil comes from His Will, not His powerlessness.” – St Maximus of Turin (?-c 420) – Bishop (Sermon 58 ; PL 57, 363)

PRAYER – Grant us Lord, a true knowledge of salvation, so that, freed from fear and from the power of our foes, we may serve You faithfully in love and sorrow for our sins. May we, through the love You grant us, extend our love to all we meet and may the tears of the Holy Virgin of la Salette and of Sorrows, not reject our prayers but intercede for us, obtain for us the grace to love and follow our Lord Jesus above all else. May we console you by a holy life and so come to share the eternal life Christ gained by His Cross. Our Lady of La Salette, pray for us, through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever,amen.

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 CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on WISDOM, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 September – Being good ground

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 September – Readings: Timothy 6: 13-16; Psalm 100: 1b-2-5; Luke 8: 4-15

“And as for that in the good ground
they are those who, hearing the word,
hold it fast in an honest and good heart
and bring forth fruit with patience.”

Luke 8:15

“For the one whom God sent
speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit…
he who does not obey the Son,
shall not see life.”

John 3:34,36

“And Simon Peter answered him:
Lord, to whom shall we go?
you have the words of eternal life.”

John 6:68

“Scripture brought me to the Gate of Paradise
and the mind stood in wonder as it entered.”

“When you begin to read or listen to the Holy Scriptures,
pray to God thus:
“Lord Jesus Christ,
open the ears and eyes of my heart
so that I may hear Thy words
and understand them
and may fulfill Thy will.”
Always pray to God like this,
that He might illumine your mind
and open to you,
the power of His words.
Many, having trusted in their own reason,
have turned away into deception.”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“When it comes to obeying the commandments
or enduring adversity,
the words uttered by the Father
should always echo in our ears –
“This is my Son, the beloved,
in whom I am well pleased,
listen to Him.”

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

“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.”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor

“Not content with sending His servants,
He came Himself,
He marked out the way we should take,
He came to make known His holy Word.
… Brethren, it is absolutely impossible
to love and please God,
unless we are fed by this divine Word.”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 September – “And some seed fell on good ground” – Luke 8:8

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One Minute Reflection – 18 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – Readings: Timothy 6: 13-16; Psalm 100: 1b-2-5; Luke 8: 4-15

“And some seed fell on good ground” – Luke 8:8

REFLECTION – “In my view it was to Mary that the blessed Prophet Joel was speaking when he exclaimed: “Fear not, O land! Exult and rejoice! For the Lord has done great things in you” (2,21). For Mary is a land – that ground on which Moses, the man of God, heard the command to remove his sandals (Ex 3,5), an image of the Law now replaced by grace. She is also that land on which, through the Holy Spirit, He was built up of whom we sing that He “fixed the earth on its foundations” (Ps 104[103],5). She is a land which, without being sown, brings forth the fruit that feeds all flesh (Ps 136[135],25). A land on which the thorns of sin have never sprung up, to the contrary, she has given birth to Him who pulled it up by the roots. And she is a land that is not cursed as the first one was, to bring forth a harvest of thorns and thistles (Gn 3,18) but on whom rests the Lord’s blessing and who bears in her breast, a “blessed fruit” as sacred scripture says (Lk 1,42)…

Rejoice, O Mary, House of the Lord, earth trodden by the Footsteps of God… Rejoice, O Paradise more happy than the Garden of Eden, where every virtue has been seeded and where the Tree of Life has grown.” – St Theodore the Studite (750-826) Father, Abbot, Theologian, Writer (Homily 2 for the Nativity of Mary, 4, 7; PG 96, 683f)

PRAYER – All-powerful, eternal God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, turn our ears and hearts to Your Word, that we may hear and live by the seed You have sown. May all that grows in us be of Your good seed and yield fruit a hundredfold. Grant us the grace of imitating the virtues of Mary, the Mother of Your only-begotten Son and our Mother and may her prayers intercede on our behalf. May we may be filled with courage and love and spread Your Word by our lives. We make our prayer through Jesus, our Lord and Word, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever, amen.

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 DOCTORS of the Church, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on CREATION, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 17 September – St Hildegard von Bingen

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 September – The Memorial of St Hildegard von Bingen OSB (1098-1179) Doctor of the Church

“Even in a world
which is being shipwrecked,
remain brave and strong.”

“All of creation is a song of praise to God.”

“Holy Spirit, the life that gives life:
You are the Cause of all movement.
You are the Breath of all creatures.
You are the Salve that purifies our souls.
You are the Ointment that heals our wounds.
You are the Fire that warms our hearts.
You are the Light that guides our feet.
Let all the world praise You!”

St Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)
Doctor of the Church

St Robert Bellarmine HERE;
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/17/quote-s-of-the-day-17-september-st-robert-bellarmine/

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HEART

Our Morning Offering – 17 September – May Every Beat of My Heart, Be a Prayer

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Our Morning Offering – 17 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary ”

Morning Offering
May Every Beat of My Heart Be a Prayer
By St Mary Euphrasia Pelletier (1796-1868)

O my God,
may every beat of my heart,
be a prayer, to obtain grace
and pardon for sinners.
May all my sighs
be so many appeals
to Your infinite mercy.
May each look
have the virtue to gain to Your love,
those souls, whom I shall look on.
May the food of my life,
be to work without ceasing
for Your glory
and the salvation of souls.
Amen

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD

Thought for the Day – 16 September – Putting Christianity into Practice

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

Putting Christianity into Practice

“Only the uiversal practice of Christianity, could change the world.
Even after a period of twenty centuries, it is true to say, that for many Christans, the Gospel is an unexplained book, the principles of which, have yet to be fully realised in their ordinary lives.

None of us can change the world on his own but, each of us can accomplish that part of the task, which depends on himself.

Do we really love God whole-heartedly and above all things?
Do we really love our neighbour as ourselves?
Let us examine ourselves earnestly and find out how far we have still to go.
Our love of God may be too feeble and this may be the reason why we have not achieved spiritual perfection.
Our love of our neighbour may not be as generous as it should be.
If this is so, we shall have to answer for it to God ,when He pronounces that terrible sentence on those who have been rejected: “Depart from me, accursed ones, into the everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you did not give me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not take me in, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me” (Mt 26:41-43).
Let us resolve to be charitable and generous to all!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/18/thought-for-the-day-18-april-putting-christianity-into-practice/

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The HEART, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 16 September – ‘Love and do what you will …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary ” – Readings:Timothy 4: 12-16; Psalm 111: 7-10; Luke 7: 36-50

“Many sins are forgiven her
because she has loved much.”

Luke 7:42

“Whatever you do, do from the heart,
as for the Lord and not for others,
knowing that you will receive
from the Lord
the due payment of the inheritance;
be slaves of the Lord Christ.”

Colossians 3:23-24

“Without love,
there is only faith,
which the devil has.”

“Once for all, then,
a short precept is given you –
Love and do what you will,
whether you hold your peace,
through love, hold your peace;
whether you cry out,
through love cry out;
whether you correct,
through love correct;
whether you spare,
through love do you spare.
Let the root of love be within,
of this root, can nothing spring
but what is good.”

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

“You are rewarded,
not according to your work,
or your time
but according to the measure
of your love.”

St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
Doctor of the Church

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)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 16 September – Because you have loved much.

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One Minute Reflection – 16 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary ” – Readings:Timothy 4: 12-16; Psalm 111: 7-10; Luke 7: 36-50 and the Memorial of Sts Cornelius & Cyprian

“… She stood behind him … weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.” – Luke 7:38

REFLECTION – “With her hands of good works, she holds the feet of those who preach His kingdom. She washes them with tears of charity, kisses them with praising lips and pours out the whole ointment of mercy, until He will return to her. This means that He will come back to her and say to Simon, to the Pharisees, to those who deny, to the nation of the Jews, “I came into your house. You gave me no water for my feet.”

When will He speak these words? He will speak them when He will come in the majesty of His Father and separate the righteous from the unrighteous, like a shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats. He will say, “I was hungry and you did not give me to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger and you did not take me in.” This is equivalent to saying, “But this woman, while she was bathing my feet, anointing them and kissing them, did to the servants what you did not do for the Master.” She did for the feet, what you refused to the Head. She expended upon the lowliest members, what you refused to your Creator. Then He will say to the Church, “Your sins, many as they are, are forgiven you because you have loved much.” – St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) Bishop of Ravenna, Father and “Doctor of Homilies”of the Church (Sermon 95)

PRAYER – Look upon us Lord, Creator and Ruler of the whole world, give us the grace to serve You with all our hearts, to take up our cross and follow You, that we may come to know the power of Your love and the forgiveness which You give and You teach. Grant that by the intercession of Sts Cornelius and Cyprian, we may attain the glory of Your kingdom and see You face to face. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 16 September – Jesu, be You my Life!

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Our Morning Offering – 16 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary ”

Jesu, be You my Life!
By Msgr Robert Hugh Benson (1871-1914)

I cannot live alone another hour,
Jesu, be You my Life!
I have not power to strive,
be You my Power
In every strife!
I can do nothing
– hope, nor love, nor fear.
But only fail and fall.
Be You my soul and self,
O Jesu dear.
My God and all!
Amen

Robert Hugh Benson AFSC KCSG KGCHS (18 November 1871 – 19 October 1914) was an English Anglican reverend who in 1903 was received into the Catholic Church in which he was Ordained Priest in 1904. He was a prolific writer of fiction and wrote the notable dystopian novel Lord of the World (1907). His output encompassed historical, horror and science fiction, contemporary fiction, children’s stories, plays, apologetics, devotional works and articles. He continued his writing career at the same time as he progressed through the hierarchy to become a Chamberlain to Pope Saint Pius X in 1911 and gain the title of Monsignor. He was a LaSallian Brother (AFSC) and a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher (KCSG KGCHS).

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 15 September – Mary’s Only Treasure

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Thought for the Day – 15 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary’s Only Treasure

“Jesus had only one consolation in the midst of His terrible sufferings.
His Mother, Mary was beside the Cross along with His beloved Apostle and the holy women who had always followed Him.
Mary loved her Son with a love greater than that of any mother, which is the greatest love possible on earth.
She loved Jesus with the heart of a Mother and of a Virgin – He was her only treasure.
Moreover, she loved Him, not only as her Son but, also as her God.
Precisely because she loved Him as her God, her love was in perfect harmony with the divine will.

She understood the mystery which led Jesus to accept death on the Cross – the mystery of the Redemption.
“He was offered because it was his own will” (Isa 53:7).
He was offered on our behalf, as a voluntary victim to His heavenly Father.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – When Mary Weeps

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and Memorial of the Seven Sorrows of our Mother

“Let my heart languish
and my soul melt away
and be consumed with love of You,
my beloved Saviour Jesus
and my dear Mother Mary!
But because I cannot love You
unless You give me grace,
then give me grace,
O Jesus and Mary —
by Your merits, not mine —
to love You as You deserve to be loved.
O God, lover of humankind,
You loved sinful human beings
to the point of death.
Will You deny Your love and Your Mother’s
to anyone who begs for it?”

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

“During the entire course of her life,
the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
never deviated in the slightest
from the precepts and examples of her Divine Son.
This was true both in the most sweet joys Mary experienced
and in the cruel sufferings she underwent,
which made the the Queen of Martyrs.”

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

When Mary Weeps
By Father Frederick M Lynk (1881-unknown)

When Mary weeps, her mother’s heart
Is full to overflowing.
When Mary weeps, pain’s piercing dart
Stabs Him beyond all knowing,
Who is by sinners Crucified,
Blasphemed, forsaken and denied.

When Mary weeps, God’s holy wrath
Is kindling cruel fires.
When Mary weeps, poor mankind’s path
Leads through war’s blood-soaked mires
And makes all human mothers moan
In love and pity for their own.

When Mary weeps, it’s time to pray
To have our sins forgiven.
When Mary weeps, each night and day
By sorrow must be riven,
Until His and her children will
Once more seek peace on Calvary’s hill.
When Mary weeps, we all must try
To dry her tears of sorrow.
When Mary weeps, we too must cry
To glimpse a brighter morrow,
When her Son’s name is recognised
And all, in love adore the Christ.
Amen

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-september-our-lady-of-sorrows-and-of-st-catherine-of-genoa/

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MOTHER of GOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on MOTHERHOOD, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 September – “Behold, your mother”

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One Minute Reflection – 15 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and Memorial of the Seven Sorrows of our Mother – Readings: First Timothy 3: 14-16; Psalm 111: 1-6; John 19: 25-27 or Luke 2: 33-35

“Behold, thy mother” – John 19:27

REFLECTION – “Woman, this is thy son. This is thy mother.” By what right is the disciple. whom Jesus loved, the son of the Lord’s mother? By what right is she his mother? By the fact that, without pain, she brought into the world the salvation of us all, when she gave birth in the flesh to the God-Man. But now, she is in labour, with great pain as she stands at the foot of the Cross!

At the hour of His Passion, the Lord Himself rightly compared the Apostles to a woman in childbirth, when He said: “When a woman is in labour she is in anguish because a child is born into the world” (cf Jn 16:21). How much more, then, might such a Son compare such a Mother, the Mother standing at the foot of His Cross, to a woman in labour? What am I saying? “Compare?” She is indeed truly a woman and truly a mother and, at this hour, she is truly experiencing the pains of childbirth. When her Son was born she did not experience the anguish of giving birth in pain as other women do; it is now that she is suffering, that she is crucified, that she experiences sorrow; like a woman in labour because her hour has come ( Jn 16:21; cf 13:1; 17:1). …

When this hour has passed, when the sword of sorrow has completely pierced her soul in labour (Lk 2:35), then, no more will she “remember the pain because a child has been born into the world” – the new Man Who renews the entire human race and reigns forever over the whole world, truly born, beyond all suffering, immortal, the Firstborn from the Dead. If the Virgin has thus brought the salvation of us all into the world, in her Son’s Passion, then she is, indeed, the Mother of us all!” – Rupert of Deutz (c1075-1130) Benedictine Monk, Theologian, Exegete and Writer – (Commentary on Saint Johns Gospel, 13).

PRAYER – Our Father, when Jesus Your Son, was raised up on the Cross, it was Your will that Mary, His Mother, should stand there and suffer with Him in her heart. Grant that in union with her, the Church may share in the passion of Christ and so be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Be our intercessor and our consolation, Our Lady of Sorrows, amen.

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 DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, LENT, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The REDEMPTION, The STATIONS of the CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 September – “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?

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One Minute Reflection – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross – Readings: Numbers 21:4-9, Psalms 78:1-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38, Philippians 2:6-11, John 3:13-17

“…And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” – John 3:14-15

REFLECTION – “That brazen serpent was hung up as a remedy for the biting serpents, not as a type of Him that suffered for us but, as a contrast. It saved those that looked upon it, not because they believed it to live but because it was killed and killed with it, were the powers that were subject to it, being destroyed as it deserved. And what is the fitting epitaph for it from us? “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?” You are overthrown by the Cross. you are slain by Him, Who is the Giver of Life. You are without breath, dead, without motion, even though you keep the form of a serpent lifted up high on a pole.” – St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (Oration 45).

PRAYER – O God, who willed that Your Only Begotten Son should undergo the Cross to save the human race, grant, we pray, that we, who have known His mystery on earth, may merit the grace of His redemption in heaven. For You placed the salvation of the human race on the wood of the Cross, so that, where death arose, life might again spring forth and the evil one, who conquered on a tree, might likewise on a tree be conquered through Christ. O Cross, You are the glorious sign of victory. Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus. We adore You O Christ and we praise You, for by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen.

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 14 September – O Cross of Christ

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Our Morning Offering – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cros “”

O Cross of Christ
Stanbrook Abbey

O Cross of Christ, immortal tree
On which our Saviour died,
The world is sheltered by your arms
That bore the Crucified.

From bitter death and barren wood
The tree of life is made;
Its branches bear unfailing fruit
And leaves that never fade.

O faithful Cross, you stand unmoved
While ages run their course,
Foundation of the universe,
Creation’s binding force.

Give glory to the risen Christ
And to His Cross give praise,
The sign of God’s unfathomed love,
The hope of all our days.
Amen

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL

Thought for the Day – 13 September – Sin

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Thought for the Day – 13 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Sin

In that we prefer our own wayward whims to the law of God, sin is an abuse of liberty.
It is a revolt against right reason, the dictates of which, we refuse to obey.
It is an offence against our Creator and Redeemer, whose commandments we despise and whose redeeming grace, we reject by our actions.
It is moreover, an act of supreme folly, for it extinguishes, not only the supernatural splendour of grace but, also, the natural light of reason.
Through sin, man is brutalised and experiences in himself, as his first punishment, the confusion of his whole being.

In practice, the sinner denies God, Who has created and redeemed him.
He upsets the natural order of things and is violently separated from the source of all truth, beauty and goodness.   As a result, he experiences, in himself, the hell which he has constructed with his own hands – a hell of emptiness, disgust and remorse.
Unless the helping hand of God reaches out to rescue him from the abyss, all this is simply a bitter foretaste of eternal despair.
God, as St Augustine has written, has ordained from all eternity, that every dissolute soul will be it’s own punishment.
For the sinner, hell begins on this earth!   There can be no peace for the wicked.

When we realise, the gravity, stupidity and dire consequences of sin, it seems impossible, that a rational being, enlightened and enriched by divine grace, should continue to sin.
Nevertheless, sad experience teaches us that the lives of individuals, families and human society in general, are often distorted by this evil, which is the root of all other evils.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 13 September – ‘But only say the word …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 September – Readings: Timothy 2: 1-8; Psalm 28: 2, 7-9; Luke 7: 1-10

“Lord, … I am not worthy
to have you enter
under my roof…
but only say the word …”

Luke 7:6,7

‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

Luke 18:13

“’You can make me clean.’”

Matthew 8:2

“Christ is the artist,
tenderly wiping away
all the grime of sin
that disfigures the human face
and restoring God’s image
to its full beauty.”

St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–C 395)
Father of the Church

“What are you afraid of, you men of little faith?
That He will not pardon your sins?
But with His own hands He has nailed them to the cross.
That you are used to soft living
and your tastes are fastidious?
But He knows the clay of which we are made (Gn 2:7).
That a prolonged habit of sinning binds you like a chain?
But the Lord loosens the shackles of prisoners.
Or perhaps that angered by the enormity
and frequency of your sins,
He is slow to extend a helping hand?
But where sin abounded,
grace became superabundant (Rom 5,20).
Are you worried about clothing
and food and other bodily necessities
so that you hesitate to give up your possessions?
But He knows that you need all these things (Mt 6,32).
What more can you wish?
What else is there to hold you back
from the way of salvation? ”

St Bernard (1091-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

“Aspire to God with short
but frequent outpourings of the heart,
admire His bounty,
invoke His aid,
cast yourself in spirit at the foot of His Cross,
adore His goodness,
treat with Him of your salvation,
give Him your whole soul –
a thousand times in the day.”

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

Posted in CATHOLIC Quotes, Our MORNING Offering, The HOLY GHOST

Our Morning Offering – 13 September – O God, Send forth Your Holy Spirit

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Our Morning Offering – 13 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

Monday is the day in which we . begin the work week with extra devotion to the Holy Ghost, the Third Person of the Trinity to Whom we pray for enlightenment, for wisdom, for the light of inspiration. We ask the Holy Spirit to work in and through us over the course of the day and the week. To remind us we are instruments and help us to seek only the Will of God..

O God, Send forth Your Holy Spirit
By St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Doctor of the Church

O God,
send forth Your Holy Spirit
into my heart
that I may perceive,
into my mind,
that I may remember,
and into my soul,
that I may meditate.
Inspire me to speak
with piety,
holiness,
tenderness
and mercy.
Teach, guide and direct my thoughts
and senses, from beginning to end.
May Your grace,
ever help and correct me,
and may I be strengthened now
with wisdom from on high,
for the sake of Your infinite mercy.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 12 September – Mary, the Source of Peace

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Thought for the Day – 12 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, the Source of Peace

“Mary is surrounded by an atmosphere of peace.
The countenance of the Virgin Mother, reflects the serenity of her soul.
She was conceived free from original sin and endowed with every grace ad with every supernatural gift.
There was no struggle in her, between good and evil, for this conflict is the effect of concupiscence.
She never experienced the rule of sin of which St Paul complains. “I see another law in my members,” says St Paul, “warning against the law of my mind and making me prisoner to the law of sin that is in my members.   Unhappy man that I am!   Who will deliver me from the body of this death?   The grace of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 7:23-25).
It was quite otherwise with Mary.
Her lower inclinations were completely subject to her spiritual faculties, which were, in their turn, perfectly submissive to the commands and inspirations of God.
Nevertheless, while she enjoyed complete interior harmony, Mary had to endure external conflict and suffering.
Holy Simeon foretold, that the sword of sorrow would pierce her heart.
In fact, her life was altogether interwoven with hardship, want and suffering until, eventually, she knelt at the foot of the Cross on which Jesus was dying for the love of mankind and offered the divine Victim for our salvation.
At the last moment, however, torn with sorrow though she was, she did not depart in the slightest from her spirit of perfect acceptance of God’s will.
Consequently, her peace of soul was never diminished or extinguished.
Let us learn from her to accept everything from God’s hands, both the tiny pleasures which brighten our lives, from time to time and the humiliations, sufferings and death, which it pleases God to keep in store for us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 September – The love of the Cross.

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One Minute Reflection – 12 September – Readings: Isaiah 50: 5-9a; Psalm 116: 1-9; James 2: 14-18; Mark 8: 27-35 and the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary

“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”- Mark 8:34

REFLECTION – “How can I describe what my soul felt when, from the mouth of the holy prelate, I heard the very thing that is my obsession, that which makes me completely happy in my exile, the love of the Cross! … Oh who will give me the command of words which David had,, to describe the wonders of the love of the Cross? …

Oh! the Cross of Christ, what more can one say? I do not know how to pray, I do noy know what it is to be good. I have not a religious spirit, as I am full of the world. One thing I know, one thing which fills my heart with joy: in spite of seeing myself so poor in virtue, so rich in the reverse, I have a treasure which I would not change for anything or anyone – my cross – the Cross of Jesus, that Cross which is my only ease. How can I explain it? Whoever has not felt this, cannot have the remotest idea of what it is.

Would to God that everyone would love the Cross of Christ! Oh, if the world could know what it is to embrace fully, truly, without reservation and with frenzy of love, the Cross of Christ! … How much time is lost in conversations, devotions, exercises that are good and holy but are not the Cross of Jesus and so are not the best forms of worship …

Poor, worthless, useless creature … dragging out your life, following as best you can the austerities of the Rule, be content with keeping your aspirations in silence, love to distraction that which the world counts nothing because it has no knowledge of it. Adore in silence, without telling anyone of it, the Cross which is your treasure. In silence, at its foot, meditate on the greatness of God, the wonders of Mary, the wretchedness of man … Follow your life in silence always, loving, adoring and united with the Cross. What more can you wish? Savour the sweetness of the Cross, as the Lord Bishop said this morning, find delight in the Cross!” – St Raphael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938) – Spanish Trappist Monk – To know how to wait

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, assist us at all times we pray, to obtain a spirit of worthy penance, for our sins and that of all the world. To the invocation of Your Divine Son, Jesus, we call on the intercession of His holy Mother, to aid us on our pilgrimage. With great affection and confidence, we honour the Holy Hearts and invoke the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, to be our constant source of pure assistance and succour that we might bear fruits worthy of their Names. Blessed be the Name of Mary! Amen

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 CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FRUITS of the SPIRIT, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, The HEART

One Minute Reflection – 11 September – Good fruit – Bad fruit

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One Minute Reflection – 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

“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit…” – Luke 6:43

REFLECTION – “Every tree which does not bear fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire.” He is referring to human beings as trees and to their works as the fruit. Do you want to know which are the bad trees and what are the bad fruits? The Apostle teaches us this. He says, “The works of the flesh are manifest – they are fornication, impurity, self-indulgence, idolatry, sorcery, malice, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, conflict, factions, envy, murder, drunkenness, carousing and things of this sort.” Do you want to hear whether trees, which bring forth fruits such as these, belong in the heavenly temple of the eternal King? The Apostle continues: “I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things, will not attain the kingdom of God.” He subsequently lists the fruits of a good tree. He says, “The fruit, however, of the Spirit are charity, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faith, gentleness, self-control. The good man produces good from the good treasure in his heart and the evil man produces evil from the evil treasure.” The treasure in one’s heart is the intention of the thought, from which the Searcher of hearts judges the outcome.

Christ subsequently adds force to His pronouncement by clearly showing, that good speech, without the additional attestation of deeds, is of no advantage at all. He asks, “And why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I say?” To call upon the Lord seems to be the gift of a good treasure, the fruit of a good tree. “For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” If anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord, resists the Lord’s commands by living perversely, it is evident that the good that the tongue has spoken, has not been brought out of the good treasure in his heart. It was not the root of a fig tree but that of a thorn bush that produced the fruit of such a confession — a conscience, that is, bristling with vices and not one filled with the sweetness of the love of the Lord!” – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospels, 2.)

PRAYER – Remember Lord, Your solemn Covenant, renewed and consecrated by the Blood of the Lamb, so that Your people may obtain forgiveness for their sins and continued growth by grace. May the Blessed Virgin, the Sorrowful Mother of Christ, our Treasure, intercede for our salvation. We make our prayer through Jesus Christ Your Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with You Father, now and forever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Thought for the Day – 10 September – The Causes of Discontent

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Thought for the Day – 10 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Causes of Discontent

“It is hard to find anyone, in this world, who is really content.
Some grumble about poor health, others about not having enough to live on, others about an unsuccessful career.
Some complain about the lack of sympathy and the ingratitude of men, others, about constant temptation, spiritual dryness and the discouragement of frequently falling into sin.
Still others, are confined to a bed of pain for weeks, months or even years at a time.
There are some, too, who must endure mental suffering, which is greater than any physical pain.
Perhaps, they have lost a loved one, who was the centre of their own life upon earth, or perhaps they are suffering from a loss of reputation, the result of some calumny or of some moment of weakness, on their own part.
In short, this world can be compared to quote St Therese of the Child Jesus – to an unsatisfactory hotel, in which we must spend the night, while we are waiting for the breaking of an eternal day in which we shall be able to see God.
He is fortunate, who knows how to live contentedly, or, at least resignedly, in this poor boarding-house, until the dawn of that better life, which is the only object of our earthly journey!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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 CATHOLIC TIME, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 10 September – I Rise – An Old Morning Prayer

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 10 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

On Fridays in Catholic Time, we honour the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour – Jesus was Scourged, Mocked and Crucified on a Friday. Because of this, the Church has always set aside Fridays as days of penance and sacrifice. While in South Africa, the Bishops have sadly removed abstinence from meat on Fridays, although many still continued the practice, penance is still required in one form or another. This day should always be a day of repentance and a day in which we recall Christ’s complete self-sacrifice to save us from our sins.

I Rise – An Old Morning Prayer – Excerpt
From The Blossoms of the Cross — 1894
The Sisters of St Joseph

I rise In God’s strength,
In God’s power,
In the Agony of Christ,
In the Cross of Christ,
In Christ’s Precious Blood,
These will sustain me against my enemies,
visible and invisible.
I rise in the blessing of Christ
which my dearest Jesus left to the whole world.
Protect me, All-Holy Trinity,
God the Father, Who created me,
God, the Son, Who redeemed me in His Precious Blood,
God, the Holy Ghost, Who sanctified me in Holy Baptism.
God, the Father, I give myself to Thee!
God, the Son, I commend myself to Thee!
God, the Holy Ghost, teach me!
Mary, Mother of God, assist me!
All you Saints of God, pray for me!
All you Holy Angels, protect me!
The Cross of Christ preserve me!
Amen