Category: CATHOLIC Quotes

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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?

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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!… ‘

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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.

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on SIN, 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/2025/04/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-april-st-justin-martyr-2/

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

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on WATCHING, SACRED HEART QUOTES, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 April – ‘… He is constantly caring for and keeping watch over us …’

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One Minute Reflection – 14 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Justin Martyr (c100-165) – 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 1:30; – Luke 12:2-8 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Yea, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.” – Luke12:7

REFLECTION – “Our beloved Saviour assures us in many places of His Holy Scriptures that He is constantly caring for and keeping watch over us, that He carries and will Himself, always carry us in His breast, His heart, His bowels. Nor is He content to say, just once or twice, that He will carry us in this way but He asserts and reasserts it, as many as five times in the same place.

Furthermore, He assures us that even if a mother were to be found who would go so far as to forget the child she had borne in her womb, yet He will never forget us; He has written us on His Hands so as to have us always under His Eyes; that whoever touches us, touches the Apple of His eye; that we should never be anxious about what we need to live and to clothe ourselves, that He knows well we need these things and takes care of them for us; that He has numbered the hairs on our head and not one of them will perish; that His Father Loves us as He Loves Him and that He Loves us as His Father Loves Him; that He Wills we should be where He is, that is to say that we should be at rest with Him in the breast and heart of His Father.” – St John Eudes (1601-1680) Apostle of the Two Holy Hearts Priest, Preacher, Founder (The Kingdom of Jesus, II, 30).

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 DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of PETITION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, Quotes on SALVATION, The HOLY NAME, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 14 April – Complete Us, O Lord Jesus Christ, For the Glory of Thy Holy Name – By St Anselm

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Our Morning Offering – 14 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”

Complete Us, O Lord Jesus Christ,
For the Glory of Thy Holy Name.
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Magnificent and Marian
Doctor of the Church

O Lord Jesus Christ,
our Redemption and our Salvation,
we praise Thee and give Thee thanks.
Although we are unworthy of Thy benefits
and cannot offer to Thee,
the devotion Thou deserves,
let Thy loving-kindness complete,
whatever our weakness attempts.
Before Thee, O Lord,
we lay all our desires
and whatever our heart rightly wishes,
it is because of Thy gifts.
Help us to love Thee as Thou commands.
Do not let Thy gifts be unfruitful.
Complete what Thou hast begun,
give what Thou hast made us desire,
convert our lukewarmness
into fervent love of Thee,
for the glory of Thy Holy Name.
Amen

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

Thought for the Day – 13 April – Concerning the Size of Heaven

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Thought for the Day – 13 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:

(a) All we know is that it is immeasurable, inconceivable, incomprehensible!

A learned man, speaking on this subject, says : “If God were to make every grain of sand into a new world, all these innumerable spheres would not fill the immensity of Heaven.”
St Bernard too says, we are warranted in the belief that everyone of the saved will have a place and an inheritance of no narrow limits assigned him in the Celestial Country.

How immeasurably vast in extent must Heaven then be! Well may the Prophet Baruch exclaim: “O Israel, how great is the House of God and how vast is the place of His possession. It is great and hath no end; it is high and immense” (Baruch iii. 24, 25).

We can readily believe this, for we have before our eyes the boundless realms of space. But of the nature of the Infinite realms of Heaven, we know nothing and yet, we can to some extent, picture them in our imagination. It would be against common sense to think that these vast celestial domains are empty and bare, that the great Artificer, to whom the creation of worlds is a very little thing, would leave them unbeautified and unadorned.

If Princes and Lords fill every space and leave no corner in their palaces or their grounds unembellished and unadorned, shall we suppose that the great King of Heaven would permit His Regal Palace, His Celestial Paradise, to be lacking in magnificence and in beauty? What would there be to delight the senses of the Saints, if Heaven were a large empty space? What enjoyment, except the Beatific Vision of God, would there be for them, if they stood all together in a barren plain, like sheep in a penfold? Are we not justified in believing that there are splendid and spacious mansions in Heaven constructed of incorruptible materials?

Nay more, a learned expositor of Holy Scripture considers it probable that by the wondrous skill and wisdom of the great Creator, these fair palaces and dwellings are of varied form and size, some being lower, others higher, some more richly adorned than others. Towering above all and surpassing all in grandeur and magnificence, the Palace of the great King, Jesus Christ stands pre-eminent and next in splendour and dignity ranks the abode of our Sovereign Lady, the Queen of Heaven. Then come the twelve palaces of the Twelve Apostles which are so rich and beautiful that Heaven itself marvels at their magnificence.
Besides these are mansions and dwellings innumerable which render the heavenly Jerusalem indescribably imposing and attractive. These splendid abodes were created when Heaven itself was made and destined to be the dwellings of the redeemed.

The Church teaches us, in the Office for Martyrs that each one of the Elect will have his own place in the Kingdom of Heaven. … “I will give to My Saints an appointed place in the Kingdom of My Father.”
And the Royal Psalmist says: “The Saints shall rejoice in glory; they shall be joyful in their beds” (Ps cxlix. 5).

We have also Christ’s Own Words: “Make unto you friends of the mammon, of iniquity that when you shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings” that is to say, spend what you have over and above on works of charity and benevolence that these may prove as friends to you, who will obtain for you admittance into the eternal and Celestial dwellings (Luke xvi. 9).

Again : “In My Father’s House there are many mansions.”
Hence it may be inferred that each one of the redeemed has his separate abode in Heaven. For as a just and prudent father divides his real and personal property amongst his children, assigning to each one his particular share, so our Heavenly Father apportions to each of His Elect a part of His Celestial Treasures, both visible and invisible, giving to each one more or less, according to the amount he deserves to receive.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, Quotes Self-Oblation, SELF-DISTRUST, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 13 April – ‘… Clothing ourselves with the Lord …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Wisdom 5:1-5; Luke 14:26-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“If anyone comes to Me
without hating his father
and mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters
and even his own life,
he cannot be My disciple.”

Luke 14:26

“So likewise, everyone of you,
who does not renounce all
that he possesses,
cannot be My disciple.”

Luke 14:33

“Take nothing for your journey,
neither staff, nor bag,
nor bread, nor money;
neither have two tunics.”

Luke 9:3

“That is why all the faithful who love God
and their neighbour, truly drink the Cup
of the Lord’s Love, even though,
they may not drink the cup of His Bodily Suffering.
And becoming inebriated from it,
they put to death, whatever in their nature
is rooted in earth.
They clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ
and do not indulge fleshly desires.
They do not fix their gaze on visible things
but contemplate things, which the eye cannot see.
Thus they drink the Lord’s Cup
by preserving the holy bond of love –
without it, even if a man should deliver his body
to be burned, he gains nothing.
But the gift of love enables us to become,
in reality, what we celebrate
as Mystery in the Sacrifice.”

St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c462–533)
Bishop, Father

“What is not pleasing to God,
is anxiety and disquiet of mind.
The Lord wants our limitations
and weaknesses, to find their support
in His Strength; He wants us
to hope that His Goodness will complete
and perfect the imperfectness of our means.”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
Priest, Founder of the Society of Jesus

(Letter of 17 November 1555)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on the FAMILY, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 April – ‘ … In the Kingdom these relationships are transcended …’

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One Minute Reflection – 13 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Hermenegild (Died 585) Martyr, Confessor – Wisdom 5:1-5; Luke 14:26-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“If anyone comes to Me, without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:26

REFLECTION – “On another occasion, the Lord says, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children and brothers and sisters and even his own soul, cannot be my disciple.” As a rule, this is more upsetting to the mind of new Christians, who are eager to begin at once, to live in accordance with the precepts of Christ. To those who do not fully grasp its meaning, it would seem contradictory …. He has condescended to call His disciples to the eternal Kingdom. He also called them brothers. In the Kingdom these relationships are transcended because, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither slave nor freeman but Christ, is all things and in all.” The Lord says, “For in the resurrection, they will neither be married nor marry but will be as the Angels of God in Heaven.”

Whoever wishes to prepare himself now, for the life of that Kingdom, must not hate people but those earthly relationships, through which the present life is sustained, the temporary life that begins at birth and ends with death. Whoever does not hate this necessity, does not yet love that other life, in which there will be no condition of birth and death, the condition which makes marriages natural on earth.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father, Doctor of Grace (Sermon on the Mount,15).

PRAYER – O God, Who didst teach Thy blessed Martyr Hermenegild to choose a heavenly, rather than an earthly crown, grant, we beseech Thee, that we, like him, may so pass through temporal things that we finally miss not those which are eternal. Through esus 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 JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, Quotes Self-Oblation

Our Morning Offering – 13 April – Suscipe “Receive” By St Ignatius

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Our Morning Offering – 13 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Wisdom 5:1-5; Luke 14:26-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Suscipe
“Receive”
By St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

Receive, O Lord,
all my liberty.
Take my memory, understanding
and entire will.
Whatsoever I have or hold,
Thou hast given it – I give all back to Thee
and commit it wholly to be governed by Thy Will.
Thy Love and Thy Grace give unto me
and I am rich enough
and ask for nothing more!
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, THE 4 LAST THINGS : HEAVEN By Fr Martin von Cochem, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 12 April – On the Nature of Heaven

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Thought for the Day – 12 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 (5 Oct 1899)

PART IV
ON HEAVEN

I.1 On the Nature of Heaven:

WE must not, as some do, picture Heaven to ourselves as a purely spiritual realm. For Heaven is a definite place, where not only God and the Angels are but where Christ is also in His Sacred Humanity and Our Lady with her human body. There too, all the blessed will dwell with their glorified bodies after the Last Judgement.

If Heaven is a definite locality, it must accordingly be a visible, not a spiritual Kingdom; for a place must, in its nature be to some extent conformable to those who abide in it.

Besides, we know that after the Last Judgement the Saints will behold Heaven with their bodily eyes and consequently it must be a visible Kingdom. We are ignorant of what the material structure of Heaven will be composed, we know only that it will be something infinitely superior to and more costly than, the matter of which the other spheres, the sun, the moon and other heavenly bodies, are formed.

For since God has created Heaven for Himself and for His Elect, He has made it so beautiful and so glorious that the blessed will never tire of the contemplation of its splendours for all eternity!

Yet, I repeat, it is not within the power of the writer to describe, nor within that of the reader, to comprehend, of what Heaven is actually composed of. Something may perhaps be learned concerning this from what St Teresa writes. Speaking of herself, she says :
“The Blessed Mother of God gave me a jewel and hung around my neck, a superb golden chain, to which a Cross of priceless value was attached. Both the gold and the precious stones thus given to me, are so unlike those which we have here in this world that no comparison can be instituted between them. They are beautiful beyond anything which can be conceived and the matter whereof they are composed, is beyond our knowledge. For what we call gold and precious stones, beside them appear dark and lustreless as charcoal! ”

From these words we may form some idea of the beauty, the rarity, the costly nature of the stones wherewith the walls of Heaven are built. We gather from them that the Light of Heaven is so dazzling as not only to eclipse the sun and stars but to cause all earthly brightness to appear as darkness. We have besides every reason to believe that in the Light of Heaven, all the colours of the rainbow are seen to flash, giving an indescribable charm to the eyes of the blessed. Moreover, the bodies of the redeemed are resplendent with light and the more Saintly their life on earth has been, the more brilliantly do they shine in Heaven.

What must be the glory of that celestial firmament, glittering with the radiance of many thousand stars! Nothing is more pleasing to the eye than light ; how brilliant, how beautiful must the light of Heaven be since, compared with it, the sun s bright rays are but darkness.

How the redeemed must delight in the contemplation of this clear and dazzling brightness!

O my God, grant me grace that on earth I may love the Light and eschew the works of darkness, in order that I may attain to the contemplation of the Eternal and Perpetual Light! Amen

Posted in CHILDREN / YOUTH, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 April – “We are not alone!”

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Low Sunday, The Octave Day of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20. 19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ Blessed are they who have not seen
and have believed.”

John 20:29

“He asks for our faith and offers us salvation.
What He offers us, is so precious
that what He asks of us, is as nothing!”

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

“I shall reflect the image of God
in that I feed on love;
grow certain on faith and hope;
strengthen myself, on the virtue of patience;
grow tranquil by humility;
grow beautiful by chastity;
am sober by abstention;
am made happy by tranquillity
and am ready for death,
by practising hospitality.”

ACW – Ancient Christian Writer
Incomplete Work on Matthew
(Homily 40)

“True piety admits no other rule than that,
whatsoever things have been faithfully received
from our fathers, the same are to be
faithfully consigned to our children
and that, it is our duty,
not to lead religion whither we would
but rather, to follow religion whither it leads
and that, it is the part of Christian modesty
and gravity, not to hand down our own beliefs
or observances to those who come after us
but, to preserve and keep what we have received,
from those who went before us.”

St Vincent of Lérins (Died c445)
Author of the ‘Commonitorium.’

“We should also have great confidence
in the continual assistance which God offers us
in the temptations, troubles and trials of life.
When pain torments us,
when humiliations are difficult to bear,
when all is dark. we fear each moment
and we feel abandoned, let us trust in Him,
Who is the Way, the Truth and Life.
He says to us, as He said to Peter floundering in the waves:
“O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?” (Mt 14:31).
He is always ready to console and comfort.
He is always there waiting for our call.
We are not alone!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 April – ‘ … He entered, all the doors being shut!’

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One Minute Reflection – 12 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Low Sunday, The Octave Day of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20. 19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“We have seen the Lord.” – John 20:25

REFLECTION – “While hiding in a house, the Apostles see Christ; He entered, all the doors being shut. But Thomas, who was absent at that time… shuts his ears and wants to open his eyes … He bursts out with his incredulity, hoping, in this way, his desire will be answered. “My doubts are not going to disappear until I see Him,” he says. “I shall put my finger in the marks of the nails and embrace this Lord of mine Whom I long for so much. Let Him reproach my lack of faith but let Him satisfy me with sight of Him. For now, I am unbelieving but, when I see Him, I shall believe. I shall believe when I clasp Him in my arms and gaze on Him. I wish to see the holes in those Hands which have healed the hands of Adam’s wrongdoing. I wish to see the Side which cast out death from mankind’s side. I wish, be my own witness, to see the Lord and another’s testimony is not enough for me. Your tales aggravate my impatience. The joyful news you bring does nothing but stir up my turmoil. I shall not be cured of this sickness, unless I touch its medicine with my own hands.”

The Lord appeared again and dispelled both the sadness and the doubt of His disciple. What am I saying? He did not dispel his doubts, He fulfilled his expectation! He entered, all the doors being shut!” – Basil of Seleucia (Died c468) Archbishop (Sermon for the Resurrection).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who have celebrated the Paschal Feast, may, by Thy bounty, retain its fruits in our daily habits and behaviour. 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 CHRIST the KING, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The RESURRECTION

Our Morning Offering – 12 April – “Victimae Paschali Laudes” The Easter Sequence

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Our Morning Offering – 12 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – The Octave Day of Easter or Low Sunday

“Victimae Paschali Laudes”
The Easter Sequence
By Father Wipo of Burgundy (c995– c1050) (Attrib)

Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer your thankful praises!

A Lamb the sheep redeems,
Christ, Who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.

Death and life have contended
in that combat stupendous.
The Prince of Life, Who died,
reigns immortal.

Speak, Mary, declaring
What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, Who is living,
the glory of Jesus’ Resurrection”

“Bright Angels attesting,
The shroud and napkin resting. ”
“Yes, Christ my Hope is arisen;
To Galilee He goes before you. ”

Christ indeed
from death is risen,
our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, Victor King,
ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia!

Before the Gospel is proclaimed, the ancient Sequence “Victimae Paschali Laudes” of Easter Sunday is read or sung.
The Sequence (Sequentia) is the Liturgical Hymn of the Mass which occurs on four Feasts:– Easter, Pentecost, Corpus Christi and Our Lady of Sorrows.
This sequence, “Victimae Paschali Laudes” is attributed to Wipo of Burgundy (c995– c1050) who was a Priest, Poet and Historian, the Chaplain of the Holy Roman Emperor Conrad II during the 11th Century and possibly the Tutor of his son Emperor Henry III.

Posted in GOD ALONE!, HOLY SATURDAY, HOLY WEEK, In the PRESENCE of GOD, LENT 2026, PURGATORY, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, Thomas Aquinas

Holy Saturday – 4 April – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas – Why Our LordDescended into Limbo

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Holy Saturday – 4 April – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church

Holy Saturday
Why Our Lord Descended into Limbo

“Wisdom forsook not the just when he was sold but delivered him from sinners; she went down with him into the pit and in bands, she left him not.
Wis x. 13-14

From the descent of Christ to hell, we may learn, 4 lessons for our instruction:

  1. Firm hope in God.
    No matter what the trouble in which a man finds himself, he should always put trust in God’s assistance and rely on it.
    There is no trouble greater than to find oneself in hell.
    If then, Christ freed those who were in hell, any man who is a friend of God, cannot but have great confidence that he too shall be freed from whatever anxiety holds him captive.
    “Wisdom forsook not the just when he was sold but delivered him from sinners; she went down with him into the pit and in bands, she left him not”(Wis x. 13-14).
    And since, to His servants, God gives a special assistance, he who serves God should have still greater confidence.
    “He who fearth the Lord shall tremble at nothing and shall not be afraid: for He is his Hope” (Ecclus xxxiv. 16).
  2. We ought to conceive the fear of God and to rid ourselves of presumption.
    For although Christ suffered for sinners and descended into hell to set them free, He did not set all sinners free but only those who were free of mortal sin.
    Those who had died in mortal sin, He left there. Wherefore, for those who have gone down to hell in mortal sin, there remains no hope of pardon.
    They shall be in hell as the holy Fathers are in Heaven, that is, forever!
  3. We ought to be full of care.
    Christ descended into hell for our Salvation and we should be careful to go down there frequently too, meditating in our minds on hell’s pain and penalties, as did the holy King Ezechias as we read in the prophecy of Isaias, “I said, In the midst of my days, I shall go to the gates of hell” (Isaias xxxviii. 10).

Those, who in their meditations, often descend to hell during life, will not easily succomb at death.
Such meditations are a powerful arm against sin and a useful aid to protect a man and convert him from sin.
Daily we see men kept from evildoing by the fear of the law’s punishments.
How much greater care should they not take, on account of the punishment of hell, greater in its duration, in its bitterness and in its variety.
“Remember thy last end and thou shalt never sin” (Ecclus vii. 40).

  1. The fact is an example of Love for us.
    Christ descended into hell to set those who were His Own free.
    We too, therefore, should descend there to help our own. For those who are in Purgatory are themselves unable to do anything and, therefore, we ought to help them. Truly he would be a harsh man indeed, who failed to come to the aid of a kinsman who lay in prison, here on earth.
    How much harsher then, the man who will not aid the friend who is in Purgatory, for there is no comparison between the pain there and the pains of this world.
    “Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends because the Hand of the Lord hath touched me” (Job xix. 21).

We assist the souls in Purgatory, chiefly by these three means, by Holy Masses, by prayers and by almsgiving.
Is it not wonderful that we can do so, in this world – a friend can make satisfaction for a friend.

ST THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274)
Priest, Theologian, Dominican
Doctor Angelicus (Angelic Doctor)
Doctor Communis (Common Doctor)
Added by Pope Saint Pius V in 1568

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, EASTER, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, The HOLY NAME, The RESURRECTION

Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – Lumen Christi – Deo Gratias!

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament – Holy Saturday – The Lord’s Vigil Mass of Easter – Matthew 28:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Today a great silence reigns on earth,
a great silence and a great stillness.
A great stillness because the King is asleep.
The earth trembled and is still
because God has fallen asleep in the flesh
and has raised up all who have slept,
since the world began…

I order you, O sleeper, to awake.
I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell.
Rise from the dead, for I am the Life of the dead.”

Ancient Christian Writer (ACW)

“It was very necessary that Christ
should rise during the night because,
His Resurrection has enlightened our darkness! …
Just as our faith,
strengthened by Christ’s Resurrection,
dispels all sleep, so this night,
lightened by our vigils, is filled with brightness.
He, Who has given us the glory of His Name (Ps 28:2)
has also illumined this night.
He to Whom we say “Thou lighten my darkness”
(Ps 18:28) sheds His brightness in our hearts.
Just as our dazzled eyes behold
these shining torches, so our enlightened spirits
enable us to see how luminous is this night,
this holy night in which our Lord
initiated, in His own flesh,
the Life which knows neither sleep nor death!”

“…He Slept,
so that We might be
Awakened,
He Died,
so that We might Live.”

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

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HOPE, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 April – He is not here, for He is risen, as He said.

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One Minute Reflection – 4 April – Holy Saturday – The Lord’s Vigil Mass of Easter, Blessing of the Fire, Prophecies, Blessing of the Font, First Mass of Easter – Matthew 28:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And the Angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you, for I know that you seek Jesus Who was Crucified, He is not here, for He is risen, as He said.” – Matthew 28:5-6

REFLECTION – “When the third day dawned of the Lord’s Sacred repose in the tomb … Christ, the “power and Wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:24), with the author of death lying prostrate, conquered even death itself and opened to us access to eternity, when He raised Himself from the dead by His Divine Power in order to make known to us the paths of Life.

Then there was a great earthquake, for an Angel of the Lord came down from Heaven, with raiment like snow and his countenance like lightening.   He appeared attractive to the devout and severe to the wicked – for he terrified the soldiers and comforted the timid women, to whom the Lord Himself first appeared after rising because, their intense devotion, so merited.   Then He was seen by Peter, then by the disciples going to Emmaus, then by all the Apostles except Thomas.   Later He presented Himself to be touched by Thomas, who proclaimed his faith:  “My Lord and my God.”   And thus, during forty days, He appeared in many ways to His disciples, both eating and drinking with them.

He enlightened our faith with proofs and lifted up our hope with promises, so as finally, to enkindle our love with gifts from Heaven!” … St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – O God, Who dost illuminate this most holy night by the glory of the Lord’s Resurrection, preserve in the new children of Thy family, the spirit of adoption which Thou hast given, that renewed in body and mind, they may render to Thee a pure service. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).