Category: CATHOLIC Quotes

Posted in QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The PASSION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 22 April – Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ (Part Three)

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Thought for the Day – 22 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LI: … Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ
(Part Three)

“Moreover, as this Divine Saviour loved mankind to an ineffable degree, such an ardent and tender love must have caused Him much sorrow for the sins which would tear men from Him.
For He knew that no-one could sin mortally, without destroying that sanctifying grace which is the bond between Himself and the just.
And this separation would cause Jesus greater anguish of soul than dislocated limbs caused His body.
For the soul, altogether spiritual and immeasurably superior to the body, is much more delicately attuned to pain.
But of all the afflictions of our blessed Saviour, the most grievous, doubtless, was the sight of the damned, incapable of repentance, who must inevitably be banished, from His presence, for all eternity.

If the contemplation of such suffering moves you to compassion for your dying Jesus, meditate further and you will find that His excessive suffering was not caused by your sins alone; for His Precious Blood was shed, not only to cleanse you from the sins you have committed, but to preserve you from those you might have committed were you unaided by Heaven.

It is a fact that you will never be without motives for taking part in the sufferings of Jesus Crucified.
Know, moreover, that human nature never was and never will be, subject to any affliction which was unknown to Him.
He suffered from injuries, reproaches, temptations, pains, loss of goods, voluntary austerities, more acutely, than those who groan under.
For, as this tender Saviour had a perfect comprehension of any affliction of mind or body to which we are prone, even to the least pain or headache.
He must certainly have been moved with great compassion for us.

Who, however, can express what He felt at the sight of His Blessed Mother’s pain and grief?
For she shared in all the pangs and outrages which attended His Passion and, with the same views and from the same motives.
And although her sufferings were infinitely short of His, they were excruciating beyond expression.
The awareness of our Lady’s agony redoubled the sorrows of Jesus and pierced His heart still deeper.
Hence it was that a certain devout soul compared the heart of Jesus to a burning furnace in which He voluntarily suffered from the ardent flames of Divine love.

And after all, what is the cause of such unspeakable agony?
Nothing but our sins – this is the answer.
Therefore, the greatest compassion and gratitude we can possibly show towards Him, Who has suffered so much for us, is to be truly sorry for our past offences, out of pure love for Him; to detest sin with all the fervour of our soul because it is displeasing to Him and to wage ceaseless war against our evil inclinations because, they are His greatest enemies.

Thus divesting ourselves of the old man and putting on the new, we adorn our souls with virtue, in which alone, their beauty consists.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/20/thought-for-the-day-20-april-meditation-on-the-sufferings-of-christ-part-
PART TWO:

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, St PETER!, The KINGDOM of GOD, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 April – But seek first the Kingdom of God

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 April – St Pope Soter (Died c174) Martyr and St Pope Caius I (Died 296) Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11; … Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And I say to thee: That thou art Peter
and upon this rock, I will build My Church
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Matthew 16:18

“But the God of all grace,
Who hath called us into His eternal glory
in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little,
will Himself perfect you and confirm you
and establish you.
To Him be glory and empire
forever and ever. Amen.”

1 Peter 5:10-11

“Look at the fig tree and all the trees,
when they produce their fruit you know that summer is near.
So too, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.”
Luke 21:29-31

“He means that just as the coming of summer
is recognised by the fruit on the trees,
so is the nearness of the Kingdom of God recognised
by the destruction of the world.
These words show that the fruit of the world is destruction –
it increases only to fall, it produces, only to destroy
by its disasters whatever it produces.
The Kingdom of God is aptly compared to summer,
because it is then that the clouds of our sorrow pass away
and the days of life shine
with the brightness of the Eternal Sun. …
Therefore, my friends, do not love
what you see cannot long exist.
Keep in mind the Apostle John’s precept,
in which he counsels us not “to love the world
or the things in the world because,
if anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn 2:15).”

St Gregory the Great (540-604)
Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church

“But seek first the Kingdom of God
and His righteousness
and all these things shall be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33

“But, [you will tell me],
there is so much to do, so many household jobs,
so much business in town, in the fields –
work everywhere! Do we have to abandon it all, then,
so as to think of nothing but God?”
No – but these occupations have to be sanctified
by seeking God in them and doing them
to find Him in them, rather than, to see them done.
What our Lord wants, is for us to seek His glory,
His Kingdom, His righteousness, before all else
and, for this, to make our foundation the interior life,
faith, trust, love, religious exercises…, labours and sufferings,
with God our Sovereign Lord in view…
Once we are firmly set in the search for God’s glory,
we can be assured that the rest will follow.”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on HOPE, The KINGDOM of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 April – ‘ … And can the hope of this great happiness be without happiness, even now?!’

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One Minute Reflection – 22 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Pope Soter (Died c174) Martyr and St Pope Caius I (Died 296) Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11; … Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And I shall give to thee, the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.” – Matthew 16:19

REFLECTION – “They went forth, sowing their seeds.” But why? Shall they always weep? God forbid! “They shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves” (Ps 125:8). And so rightly do they shout for joy, since they bring back sheaves of glory. But you say – “that is for the resurrection on the last day; a long time to wait!”

Do not permit your will to be broken, do not yield to pusillanimity; you have, in the meantime “the first-fruits of the Spirit” (2 Cor 1:22) which, even now, you may reap with joy. Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the hope of life. These words do not postpone your triumph until the last day, when the object of your desire will be possessed, not hoped for; they refer to the time now, at your disposal. But when eternal life does come, what great gladness there will be, what joy beyond imagining! And can the hope of this great happiness be without happiness, even now?!” – St Bernard (1090-1153) Father and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church (Sermons on the Song of Songs No 37).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Soter and Caius, Thy Martyrs and Sovereign Pontiffs, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherds of the whole Church. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, HYMNS, PARTIAL Indulgence, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Our Morning Offering – 22 April – Glory Be to Jesus – Indulgenced

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Our Morning Offering – 22 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”

Glory Be to Jesus,
Who in Bitter Pains
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori 1696–1787) [Attrib]
Transl. Fr Edward Caswell CO (1814-1878)
(An Indulgence of 100 days)

Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pain
Poured for me the life-Blood
From His sacred veins.

Grace and life eternal
In that Blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind.

Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream,
Which from endless torments
Dost the world redeem.

Abel’s blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies;
But the Blood of Jesus
For our pardon cries.

Oft as it is sprinkled
On our guilty hearts,
Satan in confusion
Terror-struck departs.

Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Angel-hosts rejoicing
Make their glad reply.

Lift ye then your voices;
Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
Praise the Precious Blood.

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, GOD the FATHER, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The PASSION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 21 April – Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ (Part Two)

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Thought for the Day – 21 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LI: … Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ
(Part Two)

“If you would have a lively sorrow for your sins, let your meditation convince you that if Jesus Christ suffered so much, it was to inspire you with wholesome self-contempt and a hatred of your disorderly passions, particularly your greatest faults which are naturally most offensive to Almighty God.

And if you would excite sentiments of admiration, you need only consider that nothing is more shocking than the sight of the Creator of the universe, the Fountain of Life, butchered by His own creatures, the right of the Supreme Majesty, as it were, annihilated, Justice condemned, Beauty defiled and lost in filth, the Beloved of the Eternal Father become the hated of sinners.
Light inaccessible is overwhelmed by the powers of darkness; Uncreated glory and felicity are buried under ignominy and wretchedness!

To arouse compassion in your heart for the sufferings of your Saviour and God, exclusive of His exterior pains, consider the most acute of His sufferings, His interior anguish.
For if you are moved by the first, you will be pierced with grief at the sight of the second.
The soul of Christ beheld the Divinity in Heaven, then as clearly as it does now.
It knew how much God deserved to be honoured and, as it infinitely loved Him, desired that all creatures should love Him with all the power of their souls.
Seeing Him, therefore, so horribly dishonoured throughout the world by countless, abominable crimes, it was overwhelmed with grief that the Divine Majesty was not loved and served by all men.
As the greatness of this desire of the soul of Christ that His Father be loved, was beyond imagination, it is futile to try to comprehend the depths of His interior sufferings in the agonies of death.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/20/thought-for-the-day-20-april-meditation-on-the-sufferings-of-christ-part-one/

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of PETITION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 April – St Anselm

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 April – St Anselm (1033-1109) ArchBishop of Canterbury, Confessor, Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church

“No-one will have any other desire in Heaven
than what God wills and the desire of one,
will be the desire of all and the desire of all
and of each one, will also be the desire of God.”

O Lord Our God, Grant Us Grace
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Archbishop of Canterbury
Doctor of the Church

O Lord our God,
grant us grace to desire Thee
with our whole heart;
that, so desiring, we may seek
and, seeking, find Thee
and so finding Thee,
may love Thee
and loving Thee,
may hate those sins
from which Thou hast redeemed us.
Amen.

A Prayer for All in Need
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Archbishop of Canterbury
Doctor of the Church

O Lord,
we bring before Thee,
the distress and dangers
of peoples and nations,
the pleas of the imprisoned
and the captive,
the sorrows of the grief-stricken,
the needs of the refugee,
the impotence of the weak,
the weariness of the despondent
and the diminishments of the aging.
O Lord, stay close to them all.
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/21/quote-s-of-the-day-21-april-st-anselm-2/

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on JOY, The KINGDOM of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 April – ‘ … And what is the Kingdom of Heaven ? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 21 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – The Third Sunday after Easter – St Anselm (1033-1109) Bishop, Confessor, Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church – 1 Peter 2:11-19; John 16:16-22 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“So also you now indeed have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice. And your joy no man shall take from you.” – John 16:22

REFLECTION – “What is true joy, brethren, other than the Kingdom of Heaven? And what is the Kingdom of Heaven other than Christ our Lord? I know that everyone wants to have true joy. But the person who wants to be happy with his harvest, without cultivating his field, is deluding himself; the person who wants to harvest fruit without planting trees is mistaken. We cannot have true joy, without righteousness and peace … At present, respecting righteousness and having peace, we work hard for a short time like people bent over good work. But afterwards, we will rejoice without end because of the fruit of that work.

Listen to the Apostle Paul, who said of Christ: “It is He Who is our peace.” (Eph 2:14) … And speaking to His disciples, the Lord told them: “I shall see you again, then your hearts will rejoice with a joy no one can take from you.” What is that joy which no-one can take from you, other than your Lord Himself, Whom no man can take from you?

So examine your conscience, brethren – if righteousness reigns there, if you want, desire and wish the same thing for everyone as for yourself, if there is peace in you, not only with your friends but equally with your enemies, then know that the Kingdom of Heaven, which is to say Christ the Lord, abides in you.” – St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Bishop, Father (Sermon 166).

PRAYER – O God, Who didst give blessed Anselm to be Thy people’s minister in eternal salvation, grant we pray, that we, who have him for teacher of life here on earth, may also deserve now that he is in Heaven, to have him for an advocate. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 21 April – The Joy of My Lord By St Anselm ‬

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Our Morning Offering – 21 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Anselm (of Canterbury) OSB (1033-1109) Bishop, Confessor, Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church

The Joy of My Lord
By St Anselm ‬(1033-1109)
Doctor of the Church

I beseech Thee, O my God,
that I may know Thee, love Thee,
and rejoice in Thee.
If in this life, I cannot do these things fully,
grant that I may, at the least,
progress in them, from day to day.
Advance in me, the knowledge of Thee, now
that in the life to come, it may be complete.
Increase in me, the love of Thee, here
that there, it may be overflowing.
O God of Truth,
I pray, that I may obtain
that which Thou promise
that my joy may be complete.
And in the meantime,
let my mind meditate on it,
let my soul hunger after it
and my whole being long for it,
till at last, I enter into the joy of my Lord,
Who is God, blessed forever.
Amen

Posted in GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 20 April – Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ (Part One)

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Thought for the Day – 20 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LI: … Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ
(Part One)

“That which I previously prescribed concerning the method of praying and meditating on the sufferings of our Lord and Saviour, regarded only the petition of those things of which we stand in need – now, we are to proceed to the adoption of the proper sentiments from our considerations.
For instance, if you have chosen the Crucifixion and its attendant circumstances, as the subject of your Meditation, you may dwell on the following considerations.

Consider firstly, the arrival of Jesus on Mount Calvary.
His executioners rudely stripped Him, tearing the garments off which
adhered to the torn flesh of His lacerated body.
Consider next the fresh wounds made in His Sacred Head by the Crown of Thorns, removed and reset by his barbarous executioners.
Next,visualise Him nailed to the Cross with spikes, driven through the flesh and bone into the wood with a large hammer.
Consider that His hands, not reaching the places designed for them, were stretched so violently that all His bones were dislocated, enabling the onlookers to count His very bones [Psalm XXL:18].
Then think of the actual elevation of the Cross,and the weight of Christ’s body resting on nails which tore gaping wounds in His hands and feet, giving Him excruciating pain.

If, by these and similar considerations you wish to enkindle the flames of Divine love within your heart, try to attain, by meditation, a sublime knowledge of the Infinite Goodness of your Saviour, Who, for you, condescended to suffer so much.
For the more you advance in the knowledge of His love for you, the greater will be your love and affection for Him.
Being convinced of His extraordinary charity, you will naturally conceive a sincere sorrow for having, so often and so heinously, offended Him, Who offered Himself as a sacrifice for your offences.

Proceed then to make acts of hope, considering that this great God on the Cross, had no other plan than to extirpate sin from the world, to free you from the devil, to expiate your crimes, to reconcile you to His Father and to provide a resource for you in all your necessities.
But if, after contemplating His passion, you consider its effects, your sorrow will be turned into joy.
For observe that by Christ’s Death, the sins of humanity were blotted
out, the anger of a Sovereign Judge appeased, the powers of Hell
defeated, death itself vanquished and the places of the fallen Angels filed in Heaven.
And the joy arising from such reflections will be increased by thinking of the joy with which the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin, the Church Militant and Triumphant received the glad, tidings of the Redemption of Mankind.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 April – ‘ … This Son, however, adopted (fore)fathers whom He chose for Himself. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 20 April – Within the Octave of the Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph – Genesis 49:22-26; Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “This is the miracle – He Who adopted and begot fathers, was born from their sons! They were made His fathers whose Son He was not! He did them a favour by being their Son. They, however, offered Him nothing by being His forefathers. Among men, fathers adopt whomever they wish to be their sons. This Son, however, adopted fathers whom He chose for Himself. Among men, sons receive the honour of birth from their fathers. But in Christ’s case, the fathers received honour from the Son!

The text reads, “Although His Mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they married, she was found to be with child by the Holy Ghost.” Subsequently, all Saints would be born from the virgin Church which is betrothed to Christ. … Sons often imitate the example of their father. Note that Mary was betrothed to a carpenter. Christ, betrothed to the Church, was about to fashion for humanity, salvation in its entirety and his entire Work from the Wood of the Cross!” – ACW (Ancient Christian Writer) (Extract from Incomplete Work on Matthew, Homily 1).

PRAYER – God, Who in thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph, to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant that now that he is in Heaven with Thee, we who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be helped by the succour of his prayers to Thee on our behalf. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on MEDITATION, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 19 April – Meditation and Prayer through the Intercession of the Saints and the Angels

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Thought for the Day – 19 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

L: … Meditation and Prayer through the
Intercession of the Saints and the Angels

“The TWO following METHODS of obtaining the protection of the Saints and Angels, maybe of great assistance.

The first method is to address yourself to the eternal Father, laying before Him the hymns of Heavenly choirs, the labours, persecutions and torments suffered by the Saints on earth for love of Him.
Then, in recalling their fidelity and love, beseech Him to grant your petitions.

The second method is to invoke the Angels, those blessed spirits, earnestly desirous, not only of our earthly perfection but, of our greater Heavenly perfection.
Earnestly beseech them to assist you in subduing your evil inclinations and conquering the enemies of your salvation and beg a particular remembrance at the hour of death.

Sometimes think over the extraordinary graces God has granted to the Saints and Angels and rejoice as if they had been bestowed upon yourself.– rather, let your joy be even greater, for His having bestowed such favours upon them, rather than upon yourself, for such was His Will and you should bless and praise God in the accomplishment of His Divine Plan.

To facilitate the regularity and performance of this exercise, it would be well to assign the different days of the week to the different orders of the blessed.
On Sunday, implore the intercession of the nine Angelic choirs; on Monday, invoke Saint John the Baptist; on Tuesday, the Patriarchs and Prophets; on Wednesday, the Apostles; on Thursday, the Martyrs; on Friday, Bishops and Confessors; on Saturday, the Virgins and other Saints.
But let no day pass without imploring the assistance of Our Lady, the Queen of all the Saints, your Guardian Angel, the glorious Archangel Saint Michael, or any other Saint to whom you have any particular devotion.
Moreover, beseech daily the eternal Father, His Divine Son and the Blessed Virgin that you may be particularly under the protection of Saint Joseph, the worthy spouse of the most chaste of virgins.
Then addressing yourself to this loving protector, ask with great humility, to be received into his care.
For innumerable are the instances of assistance afforded to those who have called upon St Joseph in their spiritual or temporal necessities.
Particularly, has he aided them when they stood in need of Light from Heaven and direction in their prayers.

And if God shows so much regard for the other Saints who have loved and served Him here below, how much consideration and deference will He not show, for the person He so honoured, as to pay him filial homage and obedience?”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in QUOTES on the FAMILY, The HOLY FAMILY

Quote of the Day – 19 April – ‘ … he saw himself so honoured …’

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Quote of the Day – 19 April – Within the Octave of the Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph

“Observe the order which is kept in this holy family. …
O God! how beautiful it was to see the respect
and reverence with which he treated
both the Mother and the Son!
If he had wished to leave the Mother
when he was not quite aware of the greatness
of her dignity, into what admiration
and profound abasement was he not afterwards plunged,
when he saw himself so honoured
that our Lord and our Lady became obedient
to his will and did nothing but by his command?!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Lady POVERTY, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on WISDOM, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, ST FRANCIS de SALES, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 April– ‘… God gave him his most glorious Son to care for …’

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One Minute Reflection – 19 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Within the Octave of the Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph – Genesis 49:22-26; Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “How faithful in humility was the great Saint we are celebrating! That cannot be said in all its perfection for, in spite of what he was, in what poverty and lowliness he lived, all the days of his life – a poverty and lowliness beneath which. he kept hidden and concealed, his great virtues and dignity! … Truly, I am free of doubt that the Angels came, beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank, to behold and wonder at his humility, while he sheltered that dearest Child in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment, so as to feed the little Boy and the Mother entrusted to him.

There is no doubt at all that St Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon [who were his ancestors]. Nevertheless, seeing him reduced to the exercise of carpentry, who could have discerned this, unless they were enlightened by a heavenly light, so hidden did he keep the remarkable gifts with which God had favoured him? And what wisdom did he not have? For God gave him his most glorious Son to care for … the universal Prince of Heaven and earth … Nevertheless, you can see how low and humbled he was brought, more than can be said or imagined … he went to his own Country and Town of Bethlehem and none but he was turned away from all those inns … Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands. He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes; he orders him to return and he returns. God wants him to be always poor … and he submits to it with love and, not only for a while, for he was poor his whole life long!” – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church (Conferences No 20)

PRAYER – O God, Who in Thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant that now that he is in heaven with Thee, we ,who on earth, do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be assisted by the succour of his prayers to Thee on our behalf. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on CHASTITY, ST FRANCIS de SALES, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – Within the Octave of the Patronage of St Joseph

“So, taking Christ’s genealogy from Joseph –
a husband in chastity,
he was father in the same way. …
Are you saying that he did not conceive Jesus
through the operation of nature?
Well then, what the Holy Spirit operated,
He did for them both.
For Joseph was “a just man,” Matthew tells us (1:19).
Both husband and wife were just.
The Holy Spirit dwelt within their mutual justice
and gave each of them, a Son!”

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

“God, to Whom Angels submit themselves
and Who Principalities and Powers obey,
was subject to Mary
and not only to Mary
but Joseph too, for Mary’s sake …
God obeyed a human creature;
this is humility without precedent.
A human creature commands God!
it is sublime beyond measure!

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father & Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

“Since God could choose for the Guardian of His Son,
the man in the world, the most accomplished
in all sorts of perfections,
according to the dignity
and excellence of his Charge,
Who was His most Glorious Son,
the universal Prince of Heaven and earth,
how could it be that being able,
He did not will it and did not do it?
There is, then, NO DOUBT that St Joseph
was endowed with all the graces
and all the gifts that were required
for the care which the Eternal Father
willed to give him,
of the temporal and domestic economy
of our Lord and of the guidance of his family … ”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, Quotes on SALVATION, St JOSEPH, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 April – ‘ …  The assistant for His plan of salvation. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 18 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Within the Octave of the Patronage of St Joseph – Genesis 49:22-26; … Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the Son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “There is no doubt that Joseph was a very holy and trustworthy man, since the Mother of the Saviour was to be his wife. He was the “faithful and prudent servant” (Mt 24:45), for God established him to be His Mother’s support, the foster father of His flesh and the assistant for His plan of salvation.

We must recall, that he was of the House of David. He was son of David, not only by bonds of the flesh but even more because of his faith, holiness and piety. God found in him, a second David, to whom He could confidently entrust His plans, even the most hidden. He revealed to him, as to another David, the Mysteries of His Wisdom and disclosed to him, what no teacher in the world, could know. He allowed him to see and listen, to things that so many Kings and Prophets had wished to see and hear but which,, in spite of their desire, they had not been able to see or to hear (Mt 13:7), even more, He made him carry and guide, embrace, nurture and protect Him. Both Mary and Joseph belonged to David’s race; in Mary was fulfilled the promise once made by the Lord to David, while Joseph was the witness of this fulfilment.” – St Bernard (1090-1153) (Surname de Fontaine) Priest, Cistercian Monk, The Last Father and Doctor Mellifluus (Mellifluous Doctor) (Homily on the “Missus est”, 2, 16).

RRAYER – O God, Who in thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph, to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant that now that he is in Heaven with Thee, we who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be helped by the succour of his prayers to Thee on our behalf. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in GOD the FATHER, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on MEDITATION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 17 April – A Method of Prayer Based on the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin

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Thought for the Day – 17 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

XLVIII: … A Method of Prayer Based on
the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin

“Besides the Methods of Meditation already mentioned, there is another which is addressed particularly to the Blessed Virgin Mother.
We firstly consider the eternal Father, then Jesus Christ Our Lord and finally, the Blessed Mother.

With regard to the eternal Father, there are two considerations.
The first is the singular affection He cherished, from all eternity for this most chaste Virgin whom He chose to be the Mother of His Divine Son.
The second is the eminent sanctity He was pleased to bestow upon her and the many virtues she practiced in her lifetime.
Meditating on the affection of the eternal Father for our Lady, you must begin by raising your mind above all created beings – look forward to the vast expanses of eternity, enter into the Heart of God and see, with what delight He viewed the person destined one day, to become the Mother of His Son; beseech Him, by that delight, to give you sufficient strength against your enemies, especially those who most grievously afflict you.

Contemplate, then, the virtues and heroic actions of this incomparable Virgin.
Make an offering of each or all of them to God, as they are of such efficacy, as to obtain for you, divine assistance in your particular necessities.

After this address yourself to Jesus, begging Him to be mindful of that loving Mother who, for nine months carried Him in her womb, and, from the moment of His birth, paid Him the most profound adoration.
For this was her acknowledgment that this Child was at once God and Man, her Creator and her Son.
With compassion she saw Him poorly accommodated in a humble stable, nourished Him with her pure milk, kissed and embraced Him a thousand times, with maternal fondness and throughout His Life and at His Death, suffered for Him beyond expression.
Present this picture to the Saviour that He may be compelled, as it were, by such powerful motives, to hear your prayers.

Appeal to the Blessed Virgin herself, reminding her of her commission ,from all eternity, to be the Mother of Mercy and the Refuge of sinners and that, after her Divine Son, you place your
greatest confidence in her intercession.
Present to her the fact, asserted by the learned and confirmed by miracles that no-one ever called upon her with a lively faith and love, was left unaided.

Finally, remind her of the sufferings of her Son for your salvation that she may obtain of Him, the grace necessary to make proper use of His sufferings for the greater glory of that loving Saviour!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 17 April – The Patronage of St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 April – Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph Confessoris

“We also should have recourse to St Joseph
in our spiritual and bodily necessities.
St Joseph had to endure a great deal
in order to provide for the wants of the Holy Family
and to protect them from the many dangers
which threatened them.
For this reason, he is especially attentive
to requests of any kind, as long as they are made
with a lively faith and submission to the Will of God.”

“St Joseph is the Universal Patron of the Church.
We, who are loved children of the Church
should invoke his special intercession,
therefore, for the triumph and expansion
of the Kingdom of God upon earth.
… If we are loyal sons of the Church,
we should pray that She may triumph.
We should ask for the special intercession
of St Joseph, Her Heavenly Patron.”

“We shall come to the end of our lives too,
perhaps sooner than we imagine.
Let us ask the Holy Patriarch
for the favour of a happy death.
Let us ask him to ensure that Jesus and Mary
will help us too, when we are leaving this world.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/20/thought-for-the-day-20-march-the-patronage-of-st-joseph/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/03/20/thought-for-the-day-20-march-the-patronage-of-saint-joseph/
PART THREE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/03/19/thought-for-the-day-19-march-the-patronage-of-st-joseph/

Posted in FRANCISCAN OFM, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 April – ‘Is he not a man chosen and set apart?’

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One Minute Reflection – 17 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” –Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph Confessoris – Genesis 49:22-26; Luke 3:21-23– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “There is a general rule, concerning all special graces granted to any human being. Whenever the Divine favour chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen, with all the gifts of the Spirit, needed to fulfil the task at hand.

This general rule is especially verified in the case of Saint Joseph, the Foster-Father of our Lord and the husband of the Queen of our world, enthroned above the Angels. He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy Guardian and Protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his Divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.

What then is Joseph’s position in the whole Church of Christ? Is he not a man chosen and set apart? Through him and, yes, under him, Christ was fittingly and honourably introduced into the world. Holy Church, in its entirety, is indebted to the Virgin Mother because through her, it was judged worthy to receive Christ. But after her, we undoubtedly owe special gratitude and reverence to Saint Joseph.

In him the Old Testament finds its fitting close. He brought the noble line of Patriarchs and Prophets to its promised fulfilment. What the Divine Goodness had offered as a promise to them, he held in his arms. Obviously, Christ does not now deny to Joseph that intimacy, reverence and very high honour which He gave him on earth, as a son to his father. Rather, we must say that in Heaven, Christ completes and perfects, all that He gave at Nazareth.

Now, we can see ,how the last summoning words of the Lord appropriately apply to Saint Joseph – Enter into the joy of your Lord. In fact, although the joy of eternal happiness enters into the soul of a man, the Lord preferred to say to Joseph – Enter into joy. His intention was, that the words should have a hidden spiritual meaning for us. They convey, not only that this holy man possesses an inward joy but also, that it surrounds him and engulfs him, like an infinite abyss.

Remember us, Saint Joseph and plead for us to your Foster-Child. Ask your most holy bride, the Virgin Mary, to look kindly upon us, since she is the Mother of Him, Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, lives and reigns eternally. Amen.” – St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444) (An excerpt on his Sermon 2 of St Joseph).

PRAYER – God, Who in thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph, to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant that now that he is in Heaven with Thee, we who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be helped by the succour of his prayers to Thee on our behalf. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in QUOTES on MEDITATION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 16 April – Another Method of Meditation 

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Thought for the Day – 16 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

XLVII: … Another Method of Meditation

“There is another method of prayer and meditation besides
the one to which we have referred.

In this latter method, having considered the poignant sufferings of your Saviour and His patient endurance of them, you proceed to two other considerations of equal importance.
The one, is the consideration of Christ’s Infinite merits and , the other, of that satisfaction and glory which the eternal Father received from His obedience – an obedience unto death, even the Death of the Cross.
You must represent these two considerations to the Divine Majesty, as two powerful means of obtaining the grace you seek.

This method is applicable, not only to all the Mysteries of Our Lord’s Passion but, to every exterior or interior act He performed in the course of His Passion.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 April – My sheep hear My Voice;

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – – Ferial Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My sheep hear My Voice;
I know them and they follow Me.”

John 10:27

“I am like the sick sheep which strays
from the rest of the flock.
Unless the Good Shepherd
takes me on His shoulders
and carries me back to His fold,
my steps will falter
and, in the very effort of rising,
my feet will give way!”

St Jerome (343-420)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Christ said that the shepherd
enters through the gate
and that He is Himself the Gate,
as well as the Shepherd.
Then, it is necessary,
that He enter through Himself.
By so doing, He reveals Himself
and through Himself, He knows the Father.
But we enter through Him
because through Him. we find happiness.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus
Doctor Communis

“It is never really God Who is silent.
He is forever appealing to us to lead good lives.
He is never really far from us
but is always ready to bestow His gifts on us.
Even when we have sinned,
we hear His Voice prompting us to thoughts of remorse.
Even when we stray away from Him,
He follows and asks us to return to Him.
It is we, who must ensure that the noise of the world,
will not prevent us from hearing His Fatherly appeal
and that sinful temptations
will not destroy His influence over us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS for PRIESTS, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on PURITY, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY SPIRIT, THEOLOGICAL

One Minute Reflection – 16 April – The Prayer of a shepherd

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One Minute Reflection – 16 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”– Ferial Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Good Shepherd, I know My Own and My Own know Me.”- John 10:14

REFLECTION – “O Jesus, Good Shepherd, a Shepherd who is truly good, Shepherd full of loving kindness and gentleness, the cry of a poor and wretched shepherd rises up to Thee: a weak and clumsy shepherd, an unprofitable shepherd (cf. Lk 17:10) and yet, in spite of all, a shepherd of Thyine flock. Yes, Good Shepherd, the cry of this shepherd who is far from being good rises up to Thee. He cries to Thee, uneasy for himself, uneasy for Thine flock … Thou knows my heart, Lord, Thou knows my wish is to spend entirely, for those Thou has entrusted to me ,all Thou has given to Thy servant …, and more than anything, to spend myself for them without counting the cost (2 Cor 12:15)…

Even Thou Thyself, did not disdain to spend Thyself for them. Therefore, teach me, Lord, even me Thy servant, teach me through Thine Holy Ghost, how to expend myself for them … By Thine inexpressible grace, grant me, Lord, to bear their weaknesses with patience, to sympathise with kindness, to help them with discretion. May Thine Spirit’s instruction teach me to console the afflicted, strengthen the fearful, raise up those who fall, to be weak with the weak, to share the shame of those who stumble, to make myself all things to all, to gain them all (2 Cor 11:29; 1 Cor 9:19.22). Put true words on my lips, words which are upright and just, so that they may grow in faith, hope and love, in chastity and humility, in patience and obedience, fervour of spirit and purity of heart. Since it is Thou Who has given them this blind guide (Mt 15:14), this ignorant teacher, this incapable leader, teach him, whom Thou has installed as their professor, guide the one, Thou has commanded to guide others.” – St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) Cistercian Monk (The Prayer of a shepherd 1,7)

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness. Through the Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, DOCTORS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The GOOD SHEPherd Prayers

Our Morning Offering – 16 April – Guide Me Lord By St Albert the Great

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Our Morning Offering – 16 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”

Guide Me Lord
By St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Who seeks those who stray
and receives them when returning,
make me approach Thee
through the frequent hearing of Thy Word,
lest I sin against my neighbour,
by the blindness of human judgement,
through the austerity of false justice,
through comparing his inferior status,
through too much trust in my merits
or through ignorance of the Divine Judgement.
Guide me to search diligently,
each corner of my conscience,
lest the flesh dominate the spirit!
Amen

Posted in QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, The PASSION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 15 April – On Meditation 

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Thought for the Day – 15 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

XLVI: … On Meditation

“When a considerable length of time [as a half-hour, hour, or an even longer period] is to be spent in prayer, it is advisable to make a meditation on some feature of our Saviour’s Life or Passion; the reflections naturally arising from such meditation, should then be applied to the particular virtue we are striving to attain.

If, for instance, you need patience, contemplate the Mystery of your Saviour Scourged at the Pillar.
Consider firstly, the blows and revilements hurled at Him by the soldiers as they brutally drag their innocent victim to the appointed place as ordered.
Secondly, consider Him stripped of His garments, exposed to the piercing cold.
Thirdly, picture those innocent hands, bound tightly to the pillar.
Fourthly, consider His Body, torn with whips until His Blood moistened the earth.
And finally, envision the frequency of the blows, creating new wounds, re-opening others on that Sacred Body.

Dwelling on these or similar details, calculated to inspire in yourself, a love of patience, you should try to feel within your very soul the inexpressible anguish so patiently borne by your Divine Master.
Then consider the excruciating agony of His spirit and the patience and mildness with which that agony was endured by Him, Who was ready to suffer even more for God’s glory and your welfare.

Behold, then, your Master, covered with Blood, desiring nothing more earnestly than your patient acceptance of affliction and, be assured, that He implores for you, the assistance of the Heavenly Father that you may bear, with resignation, not only the cross of the moment but the crosses to come.

Strengthen, therefore, by frequent acts, your resolution to suffer, with joy and, raising your mind to Heaven, give thanks to the Father of mercies, Who didst send His Only Son into this world to suffer indescribable torments and, to intercede for you in your necessities.

Conclude your meditation by beseeching Him to grant you the virtue of patience, through the merits and intercession of this beloved Son, in Whom He is well pleased.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, St PAUL!, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – ‘Our Shepherd,Who guides everything from Heaven above …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Good Shepherd,
I know My Own
and My Own know Me.”

John 10:14

“He cries out, saying:
See, I am with you all the days of this age.
He is Himself the Shepherd,
the High Priest,
the Way and the Door
and has become all things at once for us.”

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“So Saul was led to Ananias –
the ravaging wolf is led to the sheep.
But the Shepherd,
Who guides everything from Heaven above,
reassures him…
“Do not fear, I will show him
what he will have to suffer, for My Name’s sake”
(Acts 9:16).
What wonder is this!
The wolf is led, a captive, to the sheep…
The Lamb who died for the sheep,
teaches it not to be afraid any more!”

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

“With good reason Christ declares:
I am the Good Shepherd,
I seek out the lost sheep,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal (Ez 34:16).
I have seen the flock of mankind
struck down by sickness;
I have witnessed my lambs
wander about where demons dwell;
I have seen my flock ravaged by wolves.
All this I have seen
and have not witnessed it from on high.
That is why I took hold of the withered hand,
gripped by pain, as if by a wolf;
I have unbound those whom fever had bound;
I taught him to see,
whose eyes had been shut from his mother’s womb;
I brought Lazarus out from the tomb
where he had lain for four days (Mk 3:5; 1:31; Jn 9; 11).
For I am the Good Shepherd
and the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.”

Basil of Seleucia (Died 448)
Bishop of Seleucia

(Oratio 26)

“The measure of love,
is to love without measure.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The LAMB of GOD, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 April – ‘Let us consider Christ, our Shepherd …’

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One Minute Reflection – 15 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I Am the Good Shepherd, I know My Own and My Own know Me.”- John 10:14

REFLECTION – “Let us consider Christ, our Shepherd … He rejoices in those sheep of His who are around Him and goes in search of those who stray. Mountains and forests cause Him no fear; He crosses ravines to reach the sheep who is lost. Even if He finds it in a piteous state, He is not angry but touched with pity; He takes it on His shoulders and, from His own weariness, heals the exhausted sheep (Lk 15:4 ) …

With good reason, Christ declares: “I am the Good Shepherd, I seek out the lost sheep, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal (Ez 34:16). I have seen the flock of mankind struck down by sickness; I have witnessed My lambs wander about where demons dwell; I have seen My flock ravaged by wolves. All this I have seen and have not witnessed it from on high. That is why I took hold of the withered hand, gripped by pain as if by a wolf; I have unbound those whom fever had bound; I taught him to see whose eyes had been shut from his mother’s womb; I brought Lazarus out from the tomb where he had lain for four days (Mk 3:5; 1:31; Jn 9; 11). For I am the Good Shepherd and the Good Shepherd lays down His Life for His sheep.” …”

The Prophet knew this Shepherd when, long before His Passion, he declared what would take place: “Like a sheep led to the slaughter or a sheep, dumb before the shearers, He opened not His mouth” (Is 53:7). Like a sheep, the Shepherd has offered His neck for His flock … By His death, He heals from death; by His tomb He empties the tomb … The tombs are full and the prison shut so long as the Shepherd, come down from the Cross, has not come to bring His captive sheep the joyful news of their liberation. We see Him in hell where He gives the order for their release (1 Pt 3:19); we see Him call His sheep once more, giving them the call to life from the dwellings of the dead. “The Good Shepherd lays down His Life for HIs sheep.” This is how He intends to win the affection of His sheep and those who know how to listen to His Voice love Christ.” – Basil of Seleucia (Died c468) ArchBishop and Father of the Church (Oratio 26).

PRAYER – O God, Who, by the humility of Thy Son, didst lift up a fallen world, grant unending happiness to Thy faithful, that those whom Thou hast snatched from the perils of endless death, Thou mayest cause to rejoice in everlasting days. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR

Our Morning Offering – 15 April – O God of Love, Give Me Thy Love and Thy Grace By St Alphonsus Liguori

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Our Morning Offering – 15 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day

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.
Since 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 Holy Name PRAYERS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The HOLY NAME, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 14 April – On Mental Prayer 

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Thought for the Day – 14 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

XLV: … On Mental Prayer

“MENTAL PRAYER is the elevation of our minds to God, asking of Him, either expressly or tacitly, those things of which we stand in need.
We ask for them expressly, when we say in our hearts:
“O my God, grant me this request
for the honour of Thy holy Name”
OR
“Lord, I am firmly convinced
that this petition is Thy Will
and, for Thy greater honour,
I ask this petition.
Accomplish, therefore, Thy Divine Will in me.”

When harassed by the attacks of the enemy, let us say:
“Come swiftly, O Lord, to my assistance
lest I fall a prey to my enemy.”
OR
“O God, my refuge and my strength,
help me speedily, lest I perish.”

When temptation continues, we must continue the same prayer, courageously resisting the foe and, when the fury of the combat has passed, let us address ourselves to the Almighty, imploring Him to consider our weakness in the face of the enemy’s strength:
“Behold, my God, Thy creature,
the work of Thy hands, a man redeemed
by Thy Precious Blood.
And behold, Satan trying to carry him
from Thee to utterly destroy him.
It is to Thee I fly for aid and it is in Thee
that I place my entire confidence,
for I know that Thou alone art Infinitely good and powerful.
Have pity on a miserable creature who stumbles
blindly, though willfully, into the path of his enemies,
as do all who forsake the assistance of Thy grace.
Help me, therefore, my only hope,
O sole strength of my soul!”

We tacitly ask favours of God when we present to Him our necessities, without making any particular request.
Placing ourselves in His Divine presence, we acknowledge our incapacity to avoid evil or do good, without His aid.
We are, nevertheless, inflamed with a desire of serving Him.
Thus we must fix our eyes upon Him, waiting for His assistance with unbounded confidence and utter humility.
The confession of our weakness and the desire to serve Him, this act of faith so performed, is a silent prayer which will infallibly obtain our request from Heaven.
The more sincere the confession, the more ardent the desire and the more lively the faith, the greater will be the efficacy of the prayer before the throne of God.

There is another method of prayer similar to this but more concise, consisting as it does, in but a single act of the soul.
The soul presents her requests to the Almighty, adverting to a favour already asked and still sought, although not formally expressed.

Let us endeavour to cultivate this kind of prayer and employ it on all occasions; for experience will convince us that nothing is easier, yet nothing more excellent and efficacious!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on THE WORLD

Quote/s of the Day – 14 April – St Justin Martyr

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 April – St Justin Martyr (c100-165)

“The world suffers nothing from Christians
but hates them, because they reject its pleasures.”

“We have strayed from the Immortal’s ways
and worship IDOLS,
with a dull and senseless mind,
the workmanship of our own hands!”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/01/quote-s-of-the-day-1-june-st-justin-martyr/

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

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!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on TRUTH, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 April – “I am the Good Shepherd and I know Mine and Mine know Me.”- John 10:14

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One Minute Reflection – 14 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – The Second Sunday of Easter – Commemoration of St Justin Martyr (c100-165) – 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Good Shepherd and I know Mine and Mine know Me.”- John 10:14

REFLECTION – “I am the good shepherd. I know My Own—by which I mean, I love them—and My Own know Me. In plain words – those who love Me are willing to follow Me, for anyone who does not love the Truth, has not yet come to know it.

My dear brethren, you have heard the test we shepherds have to undergo. Turn now to consider, how these words of our Lord, imply a test for yourselves too. Ask yourselves whether you belong to His flock, whether you know Him, whether the Light of His Truth shines in your minds. I assure you that it is not by faith that you will come to know Him but, by love, not by mere conviction but, by action. John the Evangelist is my authority, for this statement. He tells us that anyone who claims to know God, without keeping His commandments, is a liar.

Consequently, the Lord immediately adds: ‘As the Father knows Me and I know the Father and I lay down My life for My sheep.‘ Clearly, He means that laying down His life for His sheep, gives evidence of His knowledge of the Father and the Father’s knowledge of Him. In other words, by the love with which He dies for His sheep, He shows, how greatly He loves His Father.

Again He says: ‘My sheep hear My voice and I know them; they follow Me,and I give them eternal life.’ Shortly before this He had declared – ‘If anyone enters the sheepfold through Me, he shall be saved, he shall go freely in and out and shall find good pasture.‘ He will enter into a life of faith; from faith, he will go out to vision, from belief to contemplation and will graze in the good pastures of everlasting life.

So our Lord’s sheep will finally reach their grazing ground, where all who follow Him in simplicity of heart, will feed on the green pastures of eternity. These pastures are the spiritual joys of Heaven. There, the elect look upon the Face of God with unclouded vision and feast at the banquet of life, forever more.

Beloved brothers, let us set out for these pastures ,where we shall keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow citizens. May the thought of their happiness urge us on! Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith and long eagerly for what Heaven has in store for us. To love thus, is to be already on our way. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that heavenly feast. Anyone who is determined to reach his destination, is not deterred by the roughness of the road that leads to it. Nor must we allow the charm of success to seduce us, or we shall be like a foolish traveller who is so distracted by the pleasant meadows through which he is passing that he forgets where he is going.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Bishop of Rome and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Sermon 14).

PRAYER – O God, Who through the preaching of the Cross,which is to them who perish, foolishness, didst wonderfully teach, unto thy blessed Martyr Justin, the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus Our Lord, grant unto us we beseech Thee, at his prayer,s the grace to cast off all false teaching and ever to hold fast to the Faith. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 13 April – On Prayer (Part Four)

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Thought for the Day – 13 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

The Fourth Weapon of the Spiritual Combat
XLIV: … On Prayer (Part Four)

“Continue perseveringly in prayer; for humble perseverance vanquishes the invincible.
And, if the importunity of the widow in the Gospel, inclined to her request the unjust judge, laden with iniquity, shall a like perseverance fail to incline to our petitions that Good God, Who is Himself the plenitude of goodness?!

And, although the Lord should delay to hear and even seem to reject your prayer, pray on still and still hold fast firm and lively confidence in His aid; for, in Him, there is no lack but an Infinite superabundance of all things needful for the grace we ask.

Therefore, unless there be some fault on your part, you may rest assured either of obtaining all your petition, or something which will be more profitable to you, or, it may be, both together and the more He seems to repulse you, the more do you humble yourself in your own sight, considering your own de-merits and fixing your eyes steadfastly on the mercy of God.

Establish thus, more and more, your confidence in Him which will be most acceptable to your Lord, if you maintain it more lively and entire, the more it is assailed.

Lastly, give thanks always to God, acknowledging Him to be no less good and wise and loving, when some things are denied, than if all were granted you.
Happen what may, do you remain ever steadfast and joyful in humble submission to His Divine Providence.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/10/thought-for-the-day-10-april-on-prayer-part-one/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/11/thought-for-the-day-11-april-on-prayer-part-two/
PART THREE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/12/thought-for-the-day-12-april-on-prayer-part-three/