Category: CATHOLIC Quotes

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, QUOTES on HEAVEN, THE 4 LAST THINGS : HEAVEN By Fr Martin von Cochem, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 23 April – On the Number of the Saved 3

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Thought for the Day – 23 April – During this Season of Alleluias and Joy, we will consider Fr von Cochem’s Reflections upon our Heavenly Homeland.

Excerpts from THE FOUR LAST THINGS —- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN
FR MARTIN VON COCHEM (1625-1712) OSFC

Nihil Obstat: Thomas L Kinkead, Censor Liborium
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine — Archbishop of New York (New York 5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

IV:3 On the Number of the Saved

… What object in life have the great majority of mankind?
What is it they strive after and crave for?

They desire to be rich, to be prosperous, to live in luxury and to be praised by their fellowmen. Nobody considers this to be a sin.
And yet Our Lord declares that everlasting death will be the doom of such persons and He denounces them in forcible language.

From these and similar passages which abound in Holy Scripture, thou seest that God is more strict than thou dost imagine and, it is a more easy matter to lose thy soul than thou perhaps thinkest. Wherefore do not any longer live so heedlessly but work out thy salvation with fear and trembling, as the Apostle exhorts thee.
The Saints did so at all times, having the fear of God’s judgements ever be fore their eyes.
The Godless, on the contrary, are ever wont to say, as many do at the present day: God is merciful, He will not condemn us so lightly to eternal damnation.
But remember what is said in Holy Scripture: “Be not without fear about sin forgiven and add not sin to sin. And say not, The Mercy of the Lord is great, He will have mercy upon the multitude of my sins. For mercy and wrath come quickly from Him and His wrath looketh upon sinners” (Ecclus v. 5-7).

We also find St Catharine of Siena saying: “O unhappy sinners, do not rely upon the greatness of God’s Mercy; believe me, the more you provoke the anger of this merciful God by willful sin, the deeper you will be cast into the abyss of perdition.”

It is undoubtedly true that we ought to place our trust in God’s Mercy but what the nature of our confidence should be, we are taught by St Gregory.
He says: “Let him who does all that he can, rely firmly upon the Mercy of God. But for him who does not do all that lies within his power to rely upon the Mercy of God would be simple presumption.”
To each and all of us the Apostle Peter says: “Labour the more, that by good works you may make your calling and election sure” (2 Pet.i. 10).

Several of the Fathers of the Church consider that from the fact that at the time of the deluge only eight persons were saved, at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,
only four namely, Lot, his wife and his two daughters escaped with their lives and of the six hundred thousand able men who departed out of Egypt, not more than two reached the Promised Land, the others all dying in the desert, it may be concluded that the number of the Elect amongst Christians will be proportionately small.
This agrees with what St John Chrysostom said on one occasion when he was preaching in the City of Antioch: “What think you, my hearers, how many of the inhabitants of this City may perhaps be saved? What I am about to say is very terrible, yet I will not conceal it from you. Out of this thickly populated City with its thousands of inhabitants, not a hundred will be saved; I even doubt whether there will be as many as that. For what indifference we see amongst the aged, what wickedness amongst the young, what impiety amongst all classes of people.”

Such words as these may well make us tremble.
We should hesitate to believe them, did they not come from the lips of so great a Saint and Father of the Church.
And if it is true that in the first five centuries, when the zeal and devotion of Christians was much more fervent than it is now, so small a number attained everlasting salvation, what will it be in our own day, when crime and vice prevail to so fearful an extent?

Since it is impossible for anyone to deny, or even to doubt that the number of the Elect is small in proportion to that of the reprobate, I beseech thee, O Christian reader, exert thyself to the utmost to accomplish the work of thy salvation.
Thou knowest what an awful thing it is to be damned eternally!

Posted in franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY

Quote/s of the Day – 23 April – The Wisdom of Blessed Giles of Assisi

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 April – On the Feast Day of Blessed Giles of Assisi OFM (c1190-1262) Friar and Missionary of the Order of Friars Minor, Friend and the 3rd follower of St Francis.

A Brother said to Brother Giles:
“ Father, I have seen other men who received from God
the grace of devotion and of tears in their prayers
and I cannot feel in myself any such grace,
when I go to worship God.”
To whom Brother Giles answered:
“My Brother, I counsel thee to persevere humbly
and faithfully in thy prayers;
for the fruits of the earth cannot be had without toil
and labour applied beforehand
and even after we have laboured,
the desired fruit does not follow immediately
but only in its season, when the fullness of time has come.”

“Happiness is to do bodily labour
for the love of the Most High
and not to take any lesser wages than Paradise,
for the good work one does.”

“If thou wouldst see well, pluck out thine eyes and be blind;
if thou wouldst hear well, be deaf
and if thou wouldst speak well, become dumb;
if thou wouldst advance, stand still
and advance with thy mind;
if thou wouldst work well, cut off thy hands
and work with thy heart;
if thou wouldst love much, hate thyself;
if thou wouldst live well, mortify thyself;
if thou wouldst gain much and be rich,
first lose all and become poor
and if thou wouldst enjoy peace, afflict thyself
and be ever in fear and suspect thine own self;
if thou wouldst be exalted and have great honour,
humble and abase thyself;
if thou wouldst be held in great reverence, despise thyself
and do reverence to him who reviles thee;
if thou wouldst that it should be well with thee,
suffer all evil things and if thou wouldst be blessed,
desire that all should speak ill of thee
and if thou wouldst have true and eternal rest,
then toil and suffer and desire to have every temporal affliction.
O what great wisdom it is to know how to do
and to work out these things.”

Blessed Giles of Assisi (c1190-1262)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 April – “Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4

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One Minute Reflection – 23 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St George (Died c 303) Martyr – 2 Timothy 2:8-10; 3:10-12; John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4

REFLECTION – “ [Jesus] is our only Master, Who must teach us; our only Lord, on Whom we must depend; our only Head, to Whom alone we should belong; our only Model, Whom we should imitate; our only Physician, Who must heal us; our only Shepherd, Who must feed us; our only Way, Who must lead us; our only Truth, Whom we must believe; our only Life, Who must be our life and our sole sufficiency in all things that in Him, we may have all in All. Except the Name of Jesus, there is no other name given under Heaven, whereby we must be saved and apart from Jesus Christ,

God has given us no other foundation of our salvation, our perfection and our glory: “for other foundation no man can lay but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 3:11). Every house which is not built upon this firm Rock, is founded on the shifting sands and will inevitably fall, sooner or later. Every soul who is not united with Christ, as a branch to the stem of the vine, will fall off, wither and become fit only for the fire. If we are in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in us, we need not fear damnation; neither Angels in Heaven, nor men on earth, neither demons in hell, nor any other creature, can harm us because they cannot separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus (cf. Rm 8:38-39).” – St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716) Priest, Renowned Preacher, Founder of Religious Communities [Treatise on the true devotion to the Blessed Virgin (Article one; First Truth)]

PRAYER – O God, Who dost gladden us through the worthy deeds and prayers of thy blessed Martyr George, mercifully grant that all they, who seek Thy mercy through him, may effectually obtain the gift of Thy grace. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 22 April – St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 April – The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph Confessoris

“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

“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.”

“Behold, the Angel of the Lord
appeared to him in his sleep …”
Matthew 1:20

“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)
Doctor of the Church

“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)

Posted in franciscan OFM, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, MARIAN QUOTES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 April – ‘Is he not a man chosen and set apart?’

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One Minute Reflection – 22 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph Confessoris – Genesis 49:22-26;  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 DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FREEDOM, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The WILL of GOD

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

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Quote/s of the Day – 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

“For I do not seek to understand
in order to believe
but I believe in order to understand.
For I believe this – unless I believe,
I will not understand.”

“Remove Grace and you have nothing
whereby to be saved.
Remove free will and you have nothing
which could be saved.”

“God does not delay to hear our prayers
because He has no mind to give
but that, by enlarging our desires,
He may give us the more abundantly!”

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

What Can I Say?
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Magnificent Doctor
Marian Doctor

My most merciful Lady,
what can I say about the fountains
which flowed from thy most pure eyes
when thou saw thy only Son before thee,
bound, beaten and suffering?
What do I know of the flood
which drenched thy matchless face,
when thou beheld thy Son,
thy Lord and thy God,
stretched on the Cross without guilt,
when the flesh of thy flesh
was cruelly butchered by wicked men?
How can I judge, what sobs,
troubled thy most pure breast,
when thou heard,
“Woman, behold thy son,”
and the disciple, “Behold, thy Mother,”
when thou received as a son,
the disciple, in place of the Master,
the servant, for the Lord?
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/21/quote-s-of-the-day-21-april-st-anselm-3/

St Anselm (1033-1109)
Archbishop of Canterbury
Doctor of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SAINT of the DAY, St PAUL!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 April – “You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14

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“You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14

REFLECTION – “I shall always love and reverence the Apostles sent by Christ and their successors, in sowing the seed of the Gospel, those zealous and tireless co-operators in propagating the Word, who may justly say of themselves: Let a man so account of us as the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the Mysteries of God. For Christ, like a most watchful and most faithful householder, wished that the Gospel lamp should be lit by such ministers and delegates, with fire sent down from Heaven and once lit, should not be put under a measure but set upon a candlestick, so that it may spread its brightness far and wide and put to flight, all darkness and error, rife among both Jews and Gentiles.

Now it is not enough for the Gospel teacher to be a brilliant speaker in the eyes of the people; he must also be as a voice crying in the desert and endeavour, by his eloquence, to help many to lead good lives, lest, if he omit his duty of speaking, he be called the dumb dog that is not able to bark, spoken of by the prophet. Yes, he should also burn, in such a way, that, equipped with good works and love, he may adorn his evangelical office and follow the leadership of Paul. He indeed was not satisfied with bidding the Bishop of the Ephesians: This command and teach: conduct thyself in work as a good soldier of Christ Jesus but he unflaggingly preached the Gospel to friend and foe alike and, said with a good conscience to the Bishops gathered at Ephesus: You know how I have kept back nothing that was for your good but have declared it to you and taught you in public and from house to house, urging Jews and Gentiles to turn to God in repentance and to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Such should be the shepherd in the Church who, like Paul, becomes all things to all men, so that the sick may find healing in him; the sad, joy; the desperate, hope; the ignorant, instruction; those in doubt, advice; the penitent, forgiveness and comfort and finally, everyone, whatever is necessary for salvation. And so Christ, when He wished to appoint the chief teachers of the world and of the Church, did not limit Himself to saying to His disciples: You are the light of the world but also added these words: A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a measure but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all who are in the house. Those churchmen err, who imagine that it is by brilliant preaching, rather than by holiness of life and all-embracing love, they fulfil their office.” – St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church (Sermon excerpt).

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", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE

Our Morning Offering – 21 April – O Lord Our God, Grant Us Grace By St Anselm

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Our Morning Offering – 21 April – St Anselm (1033-1109) ArchBishop of Canterbury, Confessor, Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church

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.

Posted in QUOTES on HEAVEN, THE 4 LAST THINGS : HEAVEN By Fr Martin von Cochem

Thought for the Day – 20 April – On the Spiritual Joys of Heaven 4: The Beatific Vision

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Thought for the Day – 20 April – During this Season of Alleluias and Joy, we will consider Fr von Cochem’s Reflections upon our Heavenly Homeland.

Excerpts from THE FOUR LAST THINGS —- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN
FR MARTIN VON COCHEM (1625-1712) OSFC .

Nihil Obstat: Thomas L Kinkead, Censor Liborium
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine — Archbishop of New York (New York 5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

III.4 On the Spiritual Joys of Heaven: The Beatific Vision

There is no greater happiness upon earth than to love and be loved in return and the more tender, pure and ardent this love be, the greater the joy and delight it affords us.

Now, the love of Heaven, the love of the Redeemed for God and for each other, is the most tender, the most pure, the most ardent affection, an affection infinite and boundless; consequently it is a source of immense delight and happiness unspeakable.
May the God of all Grace make us partakers of this love and we shall then know, by experience, that of which words fail to convey an idea.
No-one will be privileged to partake in this love, unless here below, he lives in the love of God and dies in His Friendship.
Let us, therefore, strive to increase within ourselves, this Divine Charity, in order that we may be admitted hereafter into the full enjoyment of His Love.

The Beatific Vision of the Divine Countenance is a joy above all joys, a delight far surpassing all the Celestial pleasures of which we have spoken.
Without this, all other joys would lose their savour, they would be changed to bitterness.

On one occasion, when the devil was speaking by the mouth of a person who was possessed, he said: “If the whole Heavens were a sheet of parchment, if the whole ocean were ink, if every blade of grass were pens and every man on earth a scribe, it would not suffice to describe the intense, immeasurable delight which the Vision of God affords to the blessed.”
And at another time he said that if God would but vouchsafe to grant him the privilege of beholding His Divine Countenance for a few moments, he would, if it were possible, gladly bear in his own person, all the torments of Hell until the Day of Judgement.

This teaches us that if a man spent his whole life in works of most severe penance and, after his death were permitted only for one instant to gaze on the Face of God, he would have received an ample recompense for all his mortifications.

Now, consider how transcendent must be the bliss which the Saints derive from the contemplation, the enjoyment, the possession of the Supreme God!
If to gaze on the Divine Countenance for one passing moment is a joy beyond all that which a life of pleasure offers to the worldling, what rapture will it be to gaze for evermore, with undimmed eyes, on His Infinite Beauty, what rapture to call this Supreme Good one’s own, for all eternity!

God is a being in Whom all that is most admirable and desirable exists in the highest degree.
In Him is all that which is most attracts and fascinating to us; clemency, beauty, justice, compassion, wisdom, majesty, every sweet and sublime attribute in its fullest perfection.
From God proceeds all Grace, all we need for our spiritual and temporal welfare, all the happiness, the joy, the repose, the consolation, all the benefits and blessings which His creatures enjoy in Heaven and on earth.
And when the Redeemed enter upon the contemplation of this Infinite Good, upon the possession of this source of all that is to be loved and admired and longed for, their joy will indeed be full.
What unspeakable delight it will afford them to understand the Mystery of the Incarnation, the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist!

What unspeakable delight it will be to them to comprehend how God can be invisible Himself,and yet, see everything; how He can Himself be unmoved and yet the source of all motion; how He can be Himself immutable and yet the Author of all change.
These and many other Mysteries will be made clear to the blessed in the Light of God and this fount of knowledge will not be exhausted to all eternity.
The more they know God, the more will their desire to know Him better increase and of this knowledge there will be no limit and no defect.

Thus they will ever hunger and yet be perfectly satisfied; this rich treasury will ever be open to them and never will they exhaust all the wealth it contains.

Meditate frequently upon this subject, O reader and excite within thy soul an earnest desire to enjoy God forever and ever.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on WATCHING, St Francis de Sales, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 April – ‘ … See, I am with you all the days of this age …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”– Easter II – Feroal Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25 – John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ I lay down My Life for My sheep.”

John 10:15

“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

“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", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on WATCHING, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 April – “ I lay down My Life for My sheep.” – John 10:15

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One Minute Reflection – 20 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”– Easter II – Feroal Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25 – John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ I lay down My Life for My sheep.” – John 10:15

REFLECTION – “The service of the Good Shepherd is Love. That is why Jesus says He “lays down His Life for His sheep.” For we must know what distinguishes Him – the Good Shepherd watches over the needs of His flock, the bad one seeks his own interest. That is what the Prophet said: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who seek only to feed themselves! Should they not feed their flock?” (Ezek 34:2). Those who only use the flock for their own interest are not good shepherds … A good shepherd, in the natural sense, bears with much for the sake of the flock over which he watches, as Jacob testified: “By day the heat consumed me and the cold by night.” (Gen 31:40)…

But the spiritual flock’s salvation, is more important, than even the life of the shepherd. That is why, when the flock is in danger, its shepherd must accept to lose his physical life for the salvation of the flock. The Lord said: “The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep” his physical life in the loving exercise of authority … Christ gave us an example: “He laid down His Life for us – and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” (1 Jn 3:16).” – St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Dominican Priest and Friar, Theologian, Doctor of the Church (Lectura super Ioannem, X lect 3, 1-20).

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 GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HEAVEN, THE 4 LAST THINGS : HEAVEN By Fr Martin von Cochem

Thought for the Day – 19 April – On the Spiritual Joys of Heaven 3

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Thought for the Day – 19 April – During this Season of Alleluias and Joy, we will consider Fr von Cochem’s Reflections upon our Heavenly Homeland.

Excerpts from THE FOUR LAST THINGS —- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN
FR MARTIN VON COCHEM (1625-1712) OSFC

Nihil Obstat: Thomas L Kinkead, Censor Liborium
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine — Archbishop of New York (New York 5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

III.3 On the Spiritual Joys of Heaven

Thirdly, the will of each one of the blessed will be crowned with felicity and kindled with the love of God and of the blessed, in whose company he is.

The noblest pleasures a man can enjoy come from his will.
A man is happy when all succeeds with him according to his wishes; when he acquires and possesses all that which his heart can desire; when he is generally esteemed and praised by his fellow-men; when he loves and is loved, by the object of his affections.
This and much more besides, is the portion of the
blessed but in the highest degree and in the greatest possible perfection.

The Love of God for them and, their love of Him, is so profound, they are enflamed and consumed, with Divine Charity, their will resembles a live coal, glowing with light and heat, until it is absorbed by the fire of which it is a part.
So it is with the Saints in Heaven; imbued with Divine Charity, they burn and shine in the Light of God and
reflect His Image more and more.
St John says: “We know that when He shall appear we shall be like to Him because we shall see Him as He is” (i John iii. 2).

In the Love of God and in union with Him, they find such ineffable delight that, inebriated by the sweetness of Divine Charity, they lose themselves in Him!

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 TRUTH, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 April – ‘ … These pastures are the spiritual joys of Heaven. … ‘John 10:14

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One Minute Reflection – 19 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Easter II – 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 which 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 – Grant us, Thy servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and by the intercession of glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake of the fullness of eternal happiness. 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, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC, EUCHARISTIC ADORATION and Nocturnal, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY COMMUNION, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of PETITION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 19 April –Prayer Before Holy CommunionBy St Anselm

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Our Morning Offering – 19 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Easter II

Prayer Before Holy Communion
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Doctor of the Church

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of the living God,
Who according to the Will of the Father
and with the co-operation of the Holy Ghost,
has, by Thy Death. given Life to the world,
I adore and revere this, Thy Holy Body
and this, Thy Holy Blood
which was given up
and poured forth, for the many,
unto remission of sins.
O merciful Lord,
I beg of Thee Mercy,
that through the power of this Sacrament,
Thou will make me one of that many.
Through faith and love, make me feel
the power of these Sacraments,
so I may experience their saving power.
Absolve and free from all sin
and punishment of sin, Thy servants,
Thy handmaidens, myself,
all who confessed their sins to me,
those whom I have promised,
or am obliged, to pray for
and so too, those who themselves hope
or beg, to be helped, by my prayers to Thee.
Make our Church rejoice
in Thy constant protection and consolation.
Amen

Posted in QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on JOY, THE 4 LAST THINGS : HEAVEN By Fr Martin von Cochem

Thought for the Day – 18 April – On the Spiritual Joys of Heaven 2

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Thought for the Day – 18 April – During this Season of Alleluias and Joy, we will consider Fr von Cochem’s Reflections upon our Heavenly Homeland.

Excerpts from THE FOUR LAST THINGS —- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN
FR MARTIN VON COCHEM (1625-1712) OSFC .

Nihil Obstat: Thomas L Kinkead, Censor Liborium
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine — Archbishop of New York (New York 5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

III.2 On the Spiritual Joys of Heaven

Secondly, inasfar as their memory is concerned, the blessed will also find fullness of joy in Heaven, for it will, like the understanding, be enlightened by God and all the events of their past life, will be as fresh and as distinct to their remembrance, as if they beheld them inscribed on tablets before their eyes.

Then they perceive by what a marvellous way, God led them to their eternal goal, how mercifully He pardoned their transgressions, how He succoured them in the hour of temptation and how He made all things work together for their good.

This retrospect will arouse in the heart of each one, the holiest gratitude towards God and, oft-times they will give expression to it thus:
O my God, Whom I love above all things, how great are the gifts and graces Thou hast bestowed upon me, how generous Thou hast been towards me, how often Thou hast rescued me from the danger of falling into sin, how mercifully Thou hast preserved me from eternal damnation and how wonderfully Thou hast guided me in the way of salvation! How can I sufficiently praise and magnify Thine Infinite Bounty? How can I sufficiently thank Thee and adore Thee for the benefits Thou hast lavished upon me?

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, In the PRESENCE of GOD, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES

Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – Our Sweetest Mother ‘… my protectress and my consoler!’

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Saturday of the Blessed Virgin (Salve Sancta Parens – Eastertide ) – Sirach 24:9-12. – John 19:25-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Woman, behold thy son.
… Behold thy mother”

John 19:26

“You are more to be valued than the entire creation,
for from you alone the Creator received
a share in the first-fruits of our humanity.
His Flesh was made of your flesh,
His Blood of your blood;
God was nourished by your milk
and your lips kissed the lips of God. …
In His foreknowledge of your dignity,
the God of all the world, has loved you
and, in accordance with His Love for you,
He predestined you and called you into being ”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Through a woman, [Eve]
a curse fell upon the earth;
through a woman, [Mary]
there returned to the earth,
a blessing!”

St Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church

“May the Blessed Virgin,
unique in her merits,
stand in the Presence of her Creator
interceding always in our favour.
She will be radiant in the fullness of glory,
she who brought forth,
from her virginal womb,
the King of glory.”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) 

“And thou, Immaculate Virgin Mary,
my only joy, be thou my protectress
and my consoler!
Be ever my advocate with God
that I may put into practice,
my good resolutions.”

St Gerard Majella (1726-1755)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Quotes on SALVATION, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 April – “Woman, behold thy son. … Behold thy mother” – John 19:26

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One Minute Reflection – 18 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Saturday of the Blessed Virgin (Salve Sancta Parens – Eastertide ) – Sirach 24:9-12. – John 19:25-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Woman, behold thy son. … Behold thy mother” – John 19:26

REFLECTION – “Mary, the Mother of the Lord, stood by her Son’s Cross. No-one has taught me this but the holy Evangelist John. Others have related how the earth was shaken at the Lord’s Passion, the sky was covered with darkness, the sun withdrew itself and how, the thief was, after a faithful confession, received into Paradise. John tells us what the others have not told, how the Lord, while fixed on the Cross called to His Mother. He thought it was more important that, victorious over His sufferings, Jesus gave her the offices of piety, than that He gave her a Heavenly Kingdom. For if it is the mark of religion to grant pardon to the thief, it is a mark of much greater piety, that a mother is honoured with such affection, by her Son. “Behold,” He says, “thy son.” “Behold thy mother.” Christ testified from the Cross and divided the offices of piety, between the mother and the disciple.

Nor was Mary below what was becoming the Mother of Christ. When the Apostles fled, she stood at the Cross and with pious eyes beheld her Son’s wounds. For she did not look to the death of her offspring but to the salvation of the world. Or perhaps, because that “royal heart knew, that the redemption of the world would be through the death of her Son, she thought that by her death, she also might add something to that universal gift. But Jesus did not need a helper, for the redemption of all, Who saved all without a helper. This is why He says, “I am counted among those who go down to the pit. I am like those who have no help.” He received indeed, the affection of His Mother but sought not another’s help. Imitate her, holy mothers, who in her only dearly beloved Son, set forth so great an example of maternal virtue. For neither have you sweeter children, nor did the Virgin seek the consolation of being able to bear another son.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Archbishop of Milan, Great Western Father and Doctor (Letter 63)

PRAYER – Almighty, everlasting God, Who in the Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, prepared a dwelling place worthy of the Holy Ghost, graciously grant, that we, who are devoutly keeping the Feast of her Immaculate Heart, may be able to live according to Thy Heart. 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 QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, THE 4 LAST THINGS : HEAVEN By Fr Martin von Cochem

Thought for the Day – 17 April – On the Spiritual Joys of Heaven

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Thought for the Day – 17 April – During this Season of Alleluias and Joy, we will consider Fr von Cochem’s Reflections upon our Heavenly Homeland.

Excerpts from THE FOUR LAST THINGS —- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN
FR MARTIN VON COCHEM (1625-1712) OSFC

Nihil Obstat: Thomas L Kinkead, Censor Liborium
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine — Archbishop of New York (New York 5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

III. On the Spiritual Joys of Heaven

WITH regard to the spiritual joys of the Redeemed in Heaven, they are in such great abundance that in speaking of them, one does not know where to begin or where to end!
Think of the spiritual consolations granted to eminent servants of God in this world.
We know concerning some Saints that their life on earth was more akin to the Angels than of men, so frequently were they favoured with ecstasies, visions, interior lights and Divine consolations of all kinds.
And yet, all these favours were but as a drop out of the boundless ocean of Celestial Sweetness.
What rapture it will be for holy souls in Heaven to drink from the fountainhead and draw freely from the inexhaustible Source of all felicity!

All the powers of the mind, the understanding, the memory, the will, the imagination, every thought, every desire, the whole intellectual being, elevated and perfected by God Himself, will be fully satisfied and will add to and heighten the joys of the soul.

With the understanding the blessed will behold all created things in the Light of God and thoroughly penetrate the secrets of nature.
It is recorded of King Solomon that “God gave to Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, as the sand that is on the seashore. And the wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the Orientals and of the Egyptians and he was wiser than all men.
He also spoke three thousand parables and his poems were a thousand and five. And he treated about trees from the cedar that is in Lebanon unto the hyssop which cometh out of the wall and he discoursed of beasts and of fowls and of creeping things and of fishes. And they came from all nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon and from all the Kings of the earth, who heard of his wisdom“ (3 Kings iv. 29-34).

We have never heard of wisdom equal to this, nor can we cease to wonder at the wide range and astuteness of this great King’s understanding.
Yet compared with the wisdom of the least of the Saints in Heaven, it ranks no higher than does the knowledge possessed by a child of 3 years old, beside the erudition and wisdom of the most learned of men.

For all the operations of nature, all the powers of the universe are open and revealed to the least of the Saints in Heaven.
Nothing is hidden or mysterious in his eyes. He knows all that the Holy Trinity has accomplished from all eternity, in how marvellous a manner the Heavens and the earth were created out of nothing, how wisely all has been ordered and maintained from the beginning to the end of time. He knows how the Son of God was begotten of the Father before all ages; he knows how the Holy Ghost proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son.

He knows how Christ was born of an earthly Mother without violation of her virginity; he knows all Our Lord accomplished and suffered throughout His whole Life and how each Saint and Servant of God lived for God and laboured in His service.

All which is mysterious and incomprehensible to us in the Holy Scriptures, the Mysteries of our Religion and of nature, he understands without a moment’s reflection.

Hadst thou been on earth but a simple, illiterate peasant, on thy entrance into Heaven thy eyes would be opened and thou wouldst see clearly and understand all things perfectly.
What joy, what happiness this knowledge and clear insight will be to thee.
What grateful thankfulness thou wilt render to God forever and ever!

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on TRUTH, St PETER!, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 17 April – On the Bride of Christ

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 April –“The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Pope Anadletus (c25-c89) 3rd Bishop of Rome and Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4 – Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build My Church”

Matthew 16:18

“Behold, thy mother”
John 19:27

“His Mother is the entire Church
because by God’s grace,
she brings forth the members of Jesus Christ,
that is to say, those who are faithful to Him.
His Mother is also every holy soul
who does the Will of His Father
and whose fruitful charity is made manifest
in those whom it brings forth for Him
until He Himself is formed in them (Gal 4:19)…”

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

My Dear Jesus
Return Thy Spouse to Apostolic Sanctity
By St Jerome Emiliani (1486–1537)

Our sweet Father Lord Jesus Christ,
because of Thine Infinite Goodness,
we ask Thee to return Thy Spouse, the Church
to tha state of sanctity as of the time of the Apostles.
Hear us, O Lord because Thou art kind and merciful.
In Thy bountiful compassion look upon us.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God,
have mercy upon us.
May the power of God the Father,
the Wisdom of the Son
and the Strength of the Holy Ghost
and too, the glorious Virgin Mary,
guide and protect us
on the way to peace, love and prosperity.
May the Angel Raphael,
who always assisted Tobias,
be with me in every place I stop
and on every road I travel.
My dear Jesus, my dear Jesus, my dear Jesus,
my love and my God, I trust in Thee.
Amen

St Jerome Emiliani (1486–1537)

“The Church alone, being the Bride of Christ
and having all things in common
with her Divine Spouse,
is the depository of the Truth.”

St Pius X (1835-1914)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 April – “Upon this rock I will build My Church” – Matthew 16:18

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One Minute Reflection – 17 April –“The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Pope Anadletus (c25-c89) 3rd Bishop of Rome and Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4 – Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build My Church” – Matthew 16:18

REFLECTION – “Brothers, when it comes to fulfilling my duties as Bishop, I discover that I am weak and slack, weighed down by the weakness of my own condition, while at the same time, I want to act generously and courageously. However, I draw my strength from the untiring intercession of the Almighty and Eternal Priest, Who, like us but equal to the Father, lowered His divinity to the level of man and raised humankind to the level of God. The decisions He made, give me a just and holy joy. For, when He delegated many shepherds to care for His flock, He did not abandon watching over His beloved sheep. Thanks to that fundamental and eternal assistance, I in turn, have received the protection and support of the Apostle Peter, who also does not abandon his function. This solid foundation, on which the whole of the Church is built, never grows tired of carrying the whole weight, of the building which rests on it.

The firmness of faith, for which the first of the Apostles was praised, never fails. Just as everything which Peter professed in Christ remains, so that which Christ established in Peter, remains… The order willed by God’s Truth remains. Saint Peter perseveres in the solidity which he received; he has not abandoned the governance of the Church which was placed in his hands. That, my brothers, is what that profession of faith, inspired by God the Father, obtained in the heart of the Apostle. He received the solidity of a rock which no assault can shake. In the entire Church, Peter says everyday: “Thou art the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” – St Leo the Great (400-461) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon on the anniversary of his Consecration as Bishop).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly upon Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in Thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Anciet Thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, whom Thou didst constitute the Shepherd of the whole Church. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, The HOLY NAME, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 17 April –Glory, Honour and Praise, To Our Lord Jesus Christ!

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Our Morning Offering – 17 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”

Glory, Honour and Praise,
To Our Lord Jesus Christ!
A devout Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ,
to be said both Morning and Evening
By St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)
Doctor of the Church
(From His “A Brief Christian Doctrine”)

GLory, Honour and Praise Be,
May all the world adore Thee,
blessed be Thy Holy Name,
Who for us sinners,
vouchsafest to be born of a humble Virgin
and blessed be Thine Infinite Goodness,
Who died upon the Cross for our Redemption.
O Jesu, Son of God
and Saviour of mankind,
have mercy upon us
and so dispose our lives here,
by Thy Grace
that we may, hereafter,
rejoice with Thee forever
in Thy Heavenly Kingdom,
Amen.

Posted in QUOTES on HEAVEN, THE 4 LAST THINGS : HEAVEN By Fr Martin von Cochem

Thought for the Day – 16 April – On the Joys of Heaven 2

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Thought for the Day – 16 April – During this Season of Alleluias and Joy, we will consider Fr von Cochem’s Reflections upon our Heavenly Homeland.

Excerpts from THE FOUR LAST THINGS —- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN
FATHER MARTIN VON COCHEM (1625-1712) OSFC .

Nihil Obstat: Thomas L Kinkead, Censor Liborium
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine — Archbishop of New York (New York 5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

II:2 On the Joys of Heaven

… In fact, what can be wanting to the glorified body in Heaven?
It is in the enjoyment of perpetual health, perpetual rest, perpetual happiness, so that in the super-abundance of joy and satisfaction, it can scarce realise how enviable is its condition.

Finally, the Redeemed will take very great pleasure in beholding one another, in conversing with one another, in kindly exchanges and friendly communication.
Think how beautiful a sight it will be, to see hundreds of thousands of beings in all the splendour of their glorified state. If on earth we esteem it a pleasure to look upon a handsome face, we can appreciate, in some slight degree, what it will be in Heaven, the lowliest of whose inhabitants is possessed of a beauty far exceeding the personal attractions of any mortal man.

Moreover, the Redeemed are united together by the bond of mutual charity, for they love one another more dearly than the most affectionate of brothers and sisters. If they have never met on earth, yet they know one another better than if they had been brought up together.
Each one will know the incidents of his earthly career.

Each one will be able to see into the other’s heart, and know how great is the affection he feels for him.
Each one will rejoice in the other’s glory as much as if it were his own and the lowliest in the Kingdom of Heaven exults, as much in the glory of the highest as the latter can possibly do.
This was explained to St Augustine by St John the Baptist in a vision. “Know,” he said to him, “on account of the inexpressible charity which the blessed have towards one another, each takes no less pleasure in the exaltation of another than if it were his own. Nay, more, he who is greater, wishes that the lower were equal to him and even more honoured than himself; for in his triumph he, too, would triumph.
In like manner, those who are in a lowly place rejoice in the glory of those who are in the highest place; they do not envy them, far from it.
They would not desire the high position if the others had it not; they would rather give them a part of their own glory, were this possible. ”

Hence it may be seen, the Saints take pleasure in the splendour wherewith their fellows are crowned and entertain for each and all of them, a heartfelt affection. More especially do they love one who has, by word or example, helped them on their way to Heaven; to such a one they know not how they can sufficiently testify their gratitude.

Each one will also feel a particular affection for the Saint whom he chose as his Patron upon earth and whom he honoured with a special devotion and this affection will be reciprocated by the object of it.
Those who stood in this relationship to one another, will meet together more often; they will converse on holy subjects and mutually relate their experiences on earth, telling how marvellously the providence of God saved them from eternal perdition.
In a word, the pleasures afforded to the Redeemed by this intercourse, will be innumerable and they will do everything in their power to gratify and show kindness to one another.

O God of All Mercies!
who would not desire to enter into this Land
of eternal peace, where are joys
beyond all which mortal man can conceive,
joys so many and so manifold,
so wondrous and so sweet!
Sometimes, the pleasures of this world
have such a fascination for a man,
he cannot renounce them,
even though he sees Hell open before him.
And yet those pleasures are less than nothing
in comparison to the joys of Heaven;
in fact, all the joys one can picture
or desire for oneself, cannot equal the least
and the lowest of the joys which will be ours
for all eternity!

O my God, how unspeakable will be
the bliss of Heaven! May it be my happy lot to share
in that felicity!
Urged by this desire, I will give Thee no rest,
everyday I will implore Thee to take me to Thyself.
I will detach my heart from this world,
I will entirely renounce all earthly pleasures;
all my aspirations, all my affections
shall be fixed upon the heavenly treasures
and I will hold myself ready everyday
to leave this earthly scene.
The sooner death comes to fetch me hence,
the more welcome will it be,
for I shall leave this land of exile
and enter into my true country.
God grant that so it may be!
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CARMELITES, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, Of PILGRIMS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FRIENDSHIP, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, St Francis de Sales, The LAMB of GOD, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 April – Take God for your Spouse and Friend …

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – Wednesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10; John 20:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My Lord and my God.”

John 20:28

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I Am meek and humble of heart
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For My yoke is easy and My burden light.”

Matthew 11:29-30

“If we wish to make any progress
in the service of God,
we must begin everyday of our life,
with new eagerness.
We must keep ourselves,
in the presence of God,
as much as possible
and have no other view or end,
in all our actions
but the Divine honour.”

St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

“Take God for your Spouse and Friend
and walk with Him continually
and you will not sin and will learn to love
and the things you must do
will work out prosperously for you.”

St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Doctor of the Church

“You will begin to taste, even in this life,
a foretaste of eternal life,
for the principal beatitude of the soul in Heaven,
is to be confirmed forever in the Will of the Father.
Thus, it tastes the divine sweetness.
But it will never taste it in Heaven,
if it is not clothed with it on earth,
where we are pilgrims and travellers.
When it is clothed with it, it tastes God
by Grace in its troubles; its memory will be full
of the Blood of the Lamb without blemish;
its mind will be opened and contemplate
the ineffable love that God has made known
in the Wisdom of His Son and the love it finds,
in the Holy Spirit’s goodness, casts out self-love
and love for created things, to love only God.
So do not be afraid … but suffer with joy,
so as to conform yourself to the Will of God.””

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 16 April – ‘ … He touched the Man, he recognised the God! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 16 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – Wednesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10; John 20:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“This is the day the Lord has made” – Psalm 117:24

REFLECTION – “This is the day the Lord has made” (Psalm 117:24). Call to mind what the world was like in the beginning: “Darkness covered the abyss while God’s Spirit swept over the waters. Then God said: ‘Let there be light’ and there was light. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness he called ‘night’” (Gn 1:2) … “This is the day the Lord has made.” It is the day the Apostle Paul spoke of: “You were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord” (Eph 5:8)…

Is it not true to say that Thomas was a man, one of the disciples, one of the crowd so to speak? His brethren said to him: “We have seen the Lord.” But he said: “Unless I touch Him, unless I put my hand into His side, I shall not believe.” The Evangelists bring you the news and you do not believe it? The world believed but a disciple did not believe?… The day the Lord has made had not yet happened; darkness still covered the abyss, the depths of darkness of the human heart. Let Him come Who is the Sign of Day, let Him come and, without anger, let Him, Who brings healing patiently, gently say: “Come. Come, touch and believe. You declared that: ‘Unless I touch Him, unless I put my hand into His side, I shall not believe.’ Come, touch, put in your hand and do not be unbelieving but believe. I understand your wounds; it is for you I have kept my scars.”

In putting out his hand this disciple is able to bring his faith to full completion. Indeed, what is faith’s completion? Not to believe that Christ is only Man, not even to believe that Christ is only God but to believe that He is Man and God … And so, the disciple whom the Saviour granted to touch His Bodily members and scars, cried out: “My Lord and my God.” He touched the Man, he recognised the God! He touched the Flesh, he turned towards the Word, for “the Word became Flesh and made His dwelling amongst us” (Jn 1:14). The Word permitted His Flesh to be hung on the wood … the Word permitted His Flesh to be placed in the tomb. The Word raised up His Flesh, showed it to the disciples, offered it to their touch. They touched, they cried out: “My Lord and my God!

This is the day the Lord has made!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 258).

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

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, The GOOD SHEPHERD

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” –Monday in the Second Week of Easter

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 ETERNAL LIFE, THE 4 LAST THINGS : HEAVEN By Fr Martin von Cochem

Thought for the Day – 15 April – On the Joys of Heaven

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Thought for the Day – 15 April – During this Season of Alleluias and Joy, we will consider Fr von Cochem’s Reflections upon our Heavenly Homeland.

Excerpts from THE FOUR LAST THINGS —- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN
FR MARTIN VON COCHEM (1625-1712) OSFC

Nihil Obstat: Thomas L Kinkead, Censor Liborium
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine — Archbishop of New York (New York 5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

I.1 On the Joys of Heaven

Now that we have meditated upon the Heavenly Jerusalem, the City of God, we will proceed to consider the happiness which the Saints, who dwell therein enjoy, both in regard to body and soul.
It is true as yet they have not their bodies, as a general rule but at the Last Day, they will all have them again and those bodies will then be so beauteous, nothing in the world can compare with them.
And this will principally be because every member will be endowed with four qualities or attributes, namely: beauty, impassibility, agility and subtlety.

By reason of its beauty or glory the body of each one of the Elect will shine like a star, yet, as one star differs from another in glory, so the Saints will shine with greater or lessser splendour according as their lives upon earth have been more or less holy.

In these glorified and radiant bodies, the blessed will be so inexpressibly beautiful, that if a mortal man were now to behold one of these resplendent beings, he would be dazzled by its brilliance and be ready to expire for joy of heart.

In her revelations to St Bridget, the Blessed Mother of God once said: “The Saints stand around my Son like countless stars, whose glory is not to be compared with any temporal light. Believe me, if the Saints could be seen shining with the glory they now possess, no human eye could endure their light, all would turn away, dazzled and blinded.”

Think what happiness it will be for thee, when thy body shines like the sun at midday. Everything which lives and moves, rejoices in the light and warmth of the sun, it gladdens all the face of nature.
In like manner, thy body will be a joy and delight to thyself and all around thee in Heaven because of its beauty and its glory.

The second attribute is impassibility, for the glorified body is incapable of suffering.
It will never be sick or infirm, it will not grow old or unsightly.
It will never again be inconvenienced by hunger or thirst, by heat or cold, by draught or dampness.
It can nevermore be burned by fire, drowned in water, wounded by the sword or crushed beneath a weight; it will be immortal, unchangeable, eternally endowed with perfect health and unfailing strength.
If anyone on earth could purchase this gift of impassibility, how gladly would he give all he possessed to obtain it!

The third attribute is agility.
The glorified body will be able to traverse the greatest distance with the speed of thought.
In one moment it can come down from Heaven to earth; in one moment it can pass from one end of the Heavens to the other, without labour, without fatigue, without difficulty.
We often wish we could fly like the birds, that we could speed on our way like clouds on the wings of the wind, that we could follow thought in its rapid flight.
If it were possible to purchase this power, everyone would part with all his worldly wealth for it, if only to obtain it for one single year.
How is it, then, that thou dost take so little trouble to ensure for thyself, the possession of this gift for all eternity?

The fourth attribute of the glorified body is subtlety which consists in the faculty of penetrating all matter, of passing in and out wheresoever it will.
No wall is too thick, no iron gate too massive, no mountain too great to form an obstacle to the glorified body.
As the sun’s rays pass through glass, so the bodies of the redeemed as they are in Heaven, penetrate all matter, however dense and solid it may be.
They can also make themselves visible or invisible at will.
What wouldst thou not give to become possessed of such a faculty?

How great is Thy bounty, Almighty God, towards Thine Elect!
Thou bestowest upon them precious and sublime gifts which no amount of this world’s riches can purchase.
Who would not gladly spend his life in Thy Service and suffer afflictions in this world, in order to possess these inestimable gifts to all eternity?!

Ask this poor frail body if it would not fain shine as the light, be exempt from suffering, move with the speed of thought, be unfettered as a spirit?
To own such powers would indeed, be a joy and a consolation unspeakable.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, I BELIEVE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY GHOST, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – Who is he who overcomes the world?

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Wednesday after the Octave of Easter – Ferial Day – 1 John 5:4 -10 – John 20:19-31– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Who is he who overcomes the world?
but he who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God.”

1 John 5:5

“He wants you to become
a living force for all mankind,
lights shining in the world.
You are to be radiant lights
as you stand beside Christ,
the Great Light,
bathed in the glory of Him
who is the Light of Heaven.”

St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“The very prince of the universe, is man;
the crowning point of man, is his heart;
of the heart, is love
and the perfection of love, is charity.
That is why the love of God is the goal,
the crowning point,
the be-all and end-all of the universe.”

(Treatise on the Love of God, Book 10, Chapter 1)

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

“If we live good lives, hoping for a Heavenly reward
and guided by the action of the Holy Spirit,
dwelling within us, we shall possess this spiritual joy.
Once we possess it, it will be erased, neither by temptation,
nor by suffering, nor by persecution,
as long as our faith remains firm and steadfast.
The sincere Christian accepts pleasure
and pain with equal readiness
because he places everything in God’s Hands.
… We must try, at least, to achieve that spirit
of complete resignation to God’s Will
which is always rewarded by peace of soul!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on TRUTH, SACRED HEART QUOTES, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 April – ‘ … Thanks to this Heart!… ‘

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 15 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – 1 John 5:4 -10 – John 20:19-31– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My Lord and my God.” – John 20:28

REFLECTION – “Thomas said: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in His Hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into His Side, I will not believe.” What an astonishing hardness of heart on this disciple’s part: not even the witness of so many of the brethren, nor even the sight of their joy, were enough to give him faith. Yet, the Lord appeared to take care of him. The good Shepherd does not allow the loss of His sheep (Mt 18:12) having said to His Father: “Thou gave them to me and none of them was lost” (Jn 17:6.12). Let the shepherds learn, then, what care they should show towards their sheep, since the Lord came for a single one. Any care and labour are a small thing, compared with the importance of one soul…

“Put your finger here and see My Hands, and bring your hand and put it into My Side, and do not be unbelieving but believe.” O blessed hand that penetrated the secrets of the Heart of Christ! What riches did they not find in it? It was while resting on this Heart that John drew out the Mysteries of Heaven (Jn 13:25), while penetrating It that Thomas found great treasures – what a wonderful school which forms such disciples! Thanks to this Heart, the former expressed marvellous things, higher than the stars, concerning the Divinity when he said: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1). And the latter, touched by the Light of Truth, cried out this sublime cry: “My Lord and my God!” – St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1486-1555) Hermit of Saint Augustine, Bishop (Sermon for Low Sunday (in Homiliarius Breviarii Romani).

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

Posted in 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, St Alphonsus de Liguori,

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

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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 QUOTES on HEAVEN

Thought for the Day – 14 April – Concerning the Size of Heaven (b)

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Thought for the Day – 14 April – During this Season of Alleluias and Joy, we will consider Fr von Cochem’s Reflections upon our Heavenly Homeland.

Excerpts from THE FOUR LAST THINGS —- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN
FATHER MARTIN VON COCHEM (1625-1712) OSFC .

Nihil Obstat: Thomas L Kinkead, Censor Liborium
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine — Archbishop of New York (New York 5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

1.2 Concerning the Size of Heaven:

(b) Who shall describe the majesty and glory of these heavenly mansions? If the Kings and Princes of this world build grand and costly palaces for themselves, what must be the splendour and beauty of the Celestial City which the King of kings has built for Himself and those who love Him and are His friends?
Hear what St John says concerning this City: “An Angel showed me the Holy City Jerusalem, having the glory of God. The light thereof was like to a precious stone, as to the jasper stone, even as crystal. The City itself was of pure gold, like unto glass and the foundations of the wall of the City were adorned with all manner of precious stones” (Apoc xxi. u, 18, 19).

Speaking of the size of the City, the same Apostle writes : “The Angel who spoke with me had a measure of a reed of gold, to measure the City and the Gates thereof and the wall. And the City lieth in a four-square and the length thereof is as great as the breadth and he measured the City with the golden reed for twelve thousand furlongs and the height and the breadth thereof, are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred forty-four cubits, the measure of a man and used by the Angel.”

A furlong is two hundred and twenty yards and eight furlongs make a mile. It must be observed that the Angel did not measure the circumference of the City, but only the length of the wall which was twelve thousand furlongs. When this is multiplied by four, it gives forty-eight thousand furlongs, as the circumference of the City, that is equivalent to six thousand miles. To people a City of this size many thousand millions of inhabitants would be needed.

From the information given by St John, who tells us that the length, the breadth, and the height of the City are equal, we form some idea of the imposing height of this Celestial structure. This City does not constitute the whole of the Heavenly Jerusalem, it is the special dwelling place of the most high God, wherein the sacred humanity of Christ abides, together with many companies of Angels and of the most eminent Saints.
For besides this august City, there are others innumerable in the heavenly plains, wherein the Redeemed dwell in the society of Angels.
The more good which a Saint has achieved on earth, the grander is the residence assigned him in Heaven.
These palaces and mansions are transparent as crystal and built of precious stones of the costliest kind.
And we may add on the authority of a learned theologian that the blessed hold intercourse with one another and meet together to laud and magnify the Omnipotence of the Most High, Who prepared for them such glorious abodes and join in extolling His Wisdom and His Love.

Dost thou not, O my soul, feel an intense longing to behold this Heavenly City, and, what is more, to dwell therein for evermore?
We esteem it a pleasure to visit a fine city, renowned for its architectural and other attractions and many are the travellers who journey all over the world to see foreign towns and feast their eyes on their beauty.
What are these cities of earth in comparison with the Celestial Cities?
Could we but look into it for a few moments only, what wondrous things we should behold!
We should assuredly exclaim, in the words of King David: “How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God. Blessed are they who dwell in Thy House, O Lord; they shall praise Thee forever and ever. For better is one day in Thy Courts above thousands; I have chosen to be an abject in the House of my God rather than to dwell in the tabernacles of sinners” (Ps Ixxxiii.).

If we may venture to speak of the interior of the Celestial realm, we may assume that the vast, immeasurable space of Heaven does not only contain these Heavenly Cities but, much more besides, all of which enhances the delights of that blissful land. For as Kings and Princes on earth, have gardens and pleasure grounds laid out beside their palaces, where they amuse themselves in the summer season, so, many theologians assert, there are Heavenly Paradises which afford increased delight to the blessed.

For not only the souls of the saved but their glorified bodies too, will be conducted by the Angels of God into Heaven after the Day of JudgEment.

St Augustine, St Anselm and many other Saints do not hesitate to maintain, there are, in Heaven, real trees, real fruits and real flowers, indescribably attractive and delightful to the sight, taste, smell and touch, different from anything we can imagine!

In the revelations of the Saints mention, is made of the gardens in Heaven and the flowers which blossom there and we know it is recorded in the legend of St Dorothea, that she sent to Theophilus by the hands of an Angel, a basket of flowers culled in the gardens of the Celestial Paradise, of such surpassing beauty that the sight of them led him to become a Christian and lay down his life for the Faith of Christ.

We also read in the life of St Didacus that on coming to himself after a trance into which he fell shortly before his death, he cried aloud “O what flowers there are in Paradise! what flowers there are in Paradise!”
Similar incidents are frequently to be met with in the legends of the Saints.

Consider how delightful it will be for the happy ones who are saved, to wander in the Celestial gardens and contemplate those fair flowers. How pleasing the lovely blossoms are to the eye, how delicious is the fragrance they exhale! Of a truth, if a man were to obtain possession of a single one of these heavenly flowers, it would produce the same effect as on Theophilus. He would be spoiled for all the beauty of earth and would strive with his whole soul after the perfect beauty of Heaven.

Meditate often, therefore, upon the things of Heaven; raise thine eyes and thy heart to the bright firmament above and awaken within thy heart,by this or other means, a keen desire to behold the mansions of the Eternal Fatherand to dwell in them forevermore.

O God, Who hast enriched the Heavenly Jerusalem with such beauty in order that we, poor children of earth, might have a greater longing to behold it, I beseech Thee, inflame my heart with an ardent affection and longing for the Celestial Abode which Thou hast prepared for us.
For blessed are they, O Lord, who dwell in Thy House, they shall enjoy consummate felicity forevermore and forevermore, they will praise the Power, the Wisdom, the Bounty of our God.
Would that I were worthy to be associated with that sinless company, to behold that fair City, to become one of its happy denizens. Grant me this Grace, O God, I pray Thee; let me not be excluded from the number of Thine Elect.

O blessed Saints of God, you who dwell within the Courts of the Heavenly Jerusalem, I humbly entreat you to intercede for me that in His Infinite Clemency the God of Mercy may grant me so to live, that I may be found worthy to be admitted to your blissful company.
Hear the prayers of Thy Saints, O most compassionate God and through the Merits of Jesus Christ, give me a share in that inheritance which He purchased for us with His Precious Blood.
May the things of this world lose all value in my eyes and do Thou make my heart to glow with the burning desire to behold Thee and the City Thou hast built, the Heavenly Jerusalem. Amen.