Category: CATHOLIC Quotes

Posted in CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 December – “Well done, good and faithful servant … Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”- Matthew 25:21

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One Minute Reflection – 11 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Within the Octave – St Pope Damasus I (c305-384) Confessor – Ecclesiasticus Sirach 4 – Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Well done, good and faithful servant … Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”- Matthew 25:21

REFLECTION – “The Word of the Father, Only-begotten Son of God, Sun of Justice (Mal 3:20), is the great Merchant Who has brought us the price of our redemption. It is a truly precious exchange which we can never value sufficiently, when a King, Son of the King Most High, has become the Coin, the Gold has paid our dues, the Just Man is given for the sinner. Truly unmerited mercy, perfectly disinterested love, astonishing goodness … it is a completely disproportionate purchase, in which the Son of God is delivered up for the servant, the Creator is put to death for the one He has created, the Lord is condemned for His slave.

O Christ, these are Thine Works, Thou Who descended from Heaven’s brightness into our hellish darkness, to bring Light to our gloomy prison. Thou came down from the Right Hand of the Divine Majesty, into our human misery, to redeem the human race, Thou Who descended from the Father’s glory, to death on the Cross, to triumph over death and its author. Thou art the only One and there is no other but Thee Who could have been drawn to redeem us through Thine Own Goodness…

Let all the merchants of Teman (Bar 3:23) withdraw from this place … it is not they but Israel [Thy] beloved whom [Thou hast] chosen, Thou Who hide these mysteries from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to those babes and humble servants of Thine (Lk 10:21) … O Lord, I willingly embrace this purchase since it concerns me! … I remember all the things Thou hast done, Thou Who desire that I should keep them alive … Therefore, I shall profit by this talent which Thou hast lent to me until Thy return and will stand before Thee with great joy. O God, grant that I may then hear these sweet words: “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Mt 25:21).” – St Bernard O.Cist. (1091-1153) Cistercian Monk, known as the Last Father and the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church (Selected sermons, no 42: The Five Purchases).

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

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, FATHERS of the Church, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PURITY, The ANNUNCIATION, THE ASSUMPTION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 11 December – O Gloriosa Femina, O Glorious Maid, Exalted Far

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Our Morning Offering – 11 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Within the Octave

O Gloriosa Femina
O Glorious Maid, Exalted Far
By St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609)
Bishop, Father o the Church

O Glorious Maid, exalted far
Beyond the light of burning star,
From Him who made thee, thou hast won
Grace to be Mother of His Son.

That which was lost in hapless Eve
Thy holy Scion did retrieve:
The tear-worn sons of Adam’s race
Through thee have seen the heavenly place.

Thou wast the gate of Heaven’s high Lord,
The door through which the Light hath poured.
Christians rejoice, for through a Maid
To all mankind is life conveyed!

All honour, laud and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born, to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
Amen.

This Hymn was used for Lauds in the Sarum Breviary for the Feasts of the Immaculate Conception, the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation, the Assumption and the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The above is the original text of this Hymn as it appears in The English Hymnal (1906), where it is listed as a Morning Office Hymn for Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
Chant Tone: “O Gloriosa Domina” Gregorian Chant, Mode II, traditional.

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SACRAMENTS, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 10 December – Holy Purity

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Thought for the Day – 10 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception

Holy Purity

“Since Mary excelled so much in this virtue and had so great a love for it, she will obtain for us from God, the grace necessary for us to preserve it, as long as we pray humbly to her, especially in times of temptation.

Let us remember, that at Baptism, we became members of the Mystical Body of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit (Cf 1 Cor 6:15-20).
We are obliged to avoid defiling this temple and making the Mystical Body of Christ a dwelling-place for the devil!
It is not true to say, that this is an impossible fight.
We know, from our own experience, that we can win.
We have often battled with, or fled from occasions of sin.
We have prayed and made sacrifices, in order to avoid sin and, with the help of God and the protection of the Blessed Virgin, we have won!
After our victory, we have felt elated and have experienced that peace, which only God’s grace can bestow.
If we have succeeded so many times, why cannot we do the same always?
There is no need to be afraid.
If we do all that we can, God’s grace will do the rest.
“I can do all things in Him, Who strengthens me,” Phil 4:12) says St Paul.
“God is faithful,” he writes elsewhere “and will not permit you to be tempted beyond your strength but, with the temptation, will also give you a way out, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor 10:13).

If we remain pure, we shall see God.
We shall see Him in the work of His creation in this world and we shall see and enjoy Him forever in Heaven.
“Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/21/thought-for-the-day-21-may-holy-purity/

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, DOGMA, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GRACE, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

One Minute Reflection – 10 December – ‘… Mary is the new tree of life …’

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One Minute Reflection – December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Within the Octave – Proverbs 8:22-35 – Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “Son of God, grant me your own admirable Gift that I may celebrate the wondrous beauty of Thy beloved Mother! The Virgin gave birth to a Son while preserving her virginity; she suckled Him Who gives nourishment to the peoples; in her immaculate breast, she bore Him Who carries the whole world in His Hands. She is Virgin and Mother, what will she not be hereafter? Holy in body, all beautiful in soul, pure of mind, upright in intelligence, perfect in feeling, chaste and faithful, pure of heart and filled with virtue.

May the hearts of virgins rejoice in Mary, since of her was born the One Who set humankind free from dreadful slavery. May the old Adam, wounded by the serpent, rejoice in Mary; it is Mary who gives Adam a posterity which allows Him to crush the accursed serpent and Who cures him of his mortal wound (Gen 3:15). Let Priests rejoice in the blessed Virgin; she has brought the High Priest into the world, Who gave Himself as a Victim, putting an end to the sacrifices of the Old Covenant. … Let the Prophets rejoice in Mary, since in her were fulfilled their visions, in her were realised their prophecies, in her were confirmed their oracles. Let all the Patriarchs rejoice in Mary, since she received the blessing promised to them, she, who, in her Son, has brought them to completion. …

Mary is the new tree of life who, instead of the bitter fruit picked by Eve, gives to mankind that sweet fruit on which the whole world is fed!” – St Ephrem (306-373) Deacon in Syria, Father and Doctor of the Church (Marian Hymn).

PRAYER – Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of Thy only-begotten Son, so that through His coming we may be able to serve Thee with purified minds. Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on PURITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 9 December – Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception, The Virginal Purity of Mary

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Thought for the Day – 9 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception

The Virginal Purity of Mary

“Purity is the most beautiful of virtues.

It is a virtue which is admired by God and by men, even by the most corrupt.
It is often said, that it makes us like the Angels but in fact, looking at it in a particular way, it makes us superior to the Angels.
Since they have no bodies, the angels cannot sin against purity, while we have to fight many battles and overcome many temptations, in order to preserve our chastity.
Jesus had a very special love for this virtue.
He chose to be born of a Virgin and, He showed a particular affection for St John, who was a dedicated celibate.
On one occasion, He placed His Hands on the head of a little child and said: “Unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of Heaven “(Mt:18.3)

Unfortunately, the virtue of purity is as fragile as it is beautiful.
It can be lost in a single moment of weakness.
We must love this virtue as Mary loved it.
We must be prepared to make any sacrifice, even the most heroic, rather than lose it.
Worldly charm and beauty attract us and the devil works ferociously to control our imagination and our affections.
On account of the disturbance of original sin, the flesh is like a terrible weight retarding our spiritual advancement.
Sometimes it seems as if it is irresistibly drawing us towards the abyss of impurity.
But we need not be dragged down, if we are prepared to fly from the occasions of sin and to pray to God and to our heavenly Mother for her intercession.
We must always act at once, for there is no time to dally.
It is fatal to remain inactive and to allow temptation to make its way into our soul.
This kind of battle, said St Francis de Sales, is won only by soldiers who flee.
We must fly from the occasions of sin, no matter what sacrifice this entails.
Jesus has warned us, that it is better to enter Heaven without a hand or a foot, than to be cast into hell.

We know the remedies – instant flight, heroic sacrifice and constant prayer.
We can leave the rest to the grace of God and to the maternal protection of Mary.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on GRACE, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 December – ‘ … Thou enabled the world to read the Word, the Father’s Son!’

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One Minute Reflection – 9 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Proverbs 8:22-35 – Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace …” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “How can I speak? What praises could I possibly make of the holy and glorious Virgin? She surpasses all other beings except for God Himself. She is by nature more beautiful than the Cherubim and Seraphim and the whole Angelic Host. No language, whether of Heaven or earth, or even of the Angels, is enough to praise her. Blessed Virgin, spotless dove, heavenly bride… temple and throne of the Godhead! Christ, the Sun Who shines resplendently in Heaven and on earth, belongs to thee. Thou art the luminous cloud which brought Christ down to earth, He Who is the bright streak of lightening, Who shines across the world.

Rejoice, full of grace, gate of Heaven! It was of thee, the author of the Song of Songs speaks… when he cries aloud: “A garden enclosed is my sister, my bride; an enclosed garden, a fountain sealed” (4:12)… Holy Mother of God, spotless ewe – thou gave birth to Christ, the Lamb, the Word made flesh in thee … How amazing a wonder in the heavens – a woman clothed with the sun (Apoc 12:1), carrying the Light in her arms! … How amazing a wonder in the heavens – the Lord of Angels becomes the Virgin’s Child. Angels judged Eve; now they fill Mary with glory, since it was she who raised Eve from her fall and brought Adam, expelled from Paradise, into Heaven.

Vast is the grace given to this Holy Virgin. Hence Gabriel, first addresses her with this greeting: “Hail, full of grace” resplendent as the Heaven. “Hail, full of grace” Virgin adorned with countless virtues… “Hail, full of grace” thou quench our thirst at the sweetness of the everlasting stream. Hail, holy and Immaculate Mother, thou conceived the Christ Who existed before thee. Hail, royal purple, thou clothed the King of Heaven and earth. Hail, O sealed book, thou enabled the world to read the Word, the Father’s Son!” – St Epiphanius of Salamis (c315-403) Bishop of Salamis,  known as the Oracle of Palestine and Father of the Church (Sermon No 5)

PRAYER – Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of Thy only-begotten Son, so that through His coming we may be able to serve Thee with purified minds. Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOGMA, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on PURITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 9 December– Tota Pulchra Es, Maria

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Our Morning Offering – 9 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Within the Octave

Tota Pulchra Es, Maria
You Are All Beautiful, Mary
Unknown Author – 4th Century

You are all beautiful, Mary,
and the original stain is not in you.
You are the glory of Jerusalem,
you are the joy of Israel,
you give honour to our people.
You are an advocate of sinners.
O Mary, O Mary,
Virgin most intelligent,
Mother most merciful.
Pray for us,
Plead for us,
To the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tota pulchra es, Maria.
Et macula originalis non est in Te.
Tu gloria Ierusalem.
Tu laetitia Israel.
Tu honorificentia populi nostri.
Tu advocata peccatorum.
O Maria, O Maria,
Virgo prudentissima.
Mater clementissima.
Ora pro nobis.
Intercede pro nobis.
Ad Dominum Iesum Christum.

This prayer used by the Church since the 4th Century for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Purity of the Blessed Virgin. It takes some text from the book of Judith and other text from Song of Songs, specifically 4:7. Many composers have set this prayer to music over the centuries.

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOGMA, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MOTHER of GOD, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on MEDITATION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 8 December – THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

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Thought for the Day – 8 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

“Let us read the first chapter of St Luke’s Gospel in order to try and understand, as far as possible, the Immaculate Conception and the sublime holiness of Mary.
“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David and the virgin’s name was Mary. And when the angel had come to her, he said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women’” (Lk 1:26-28).
The Blessed Virgin was troubled when she heard these words but the Angel reassured her.
He told her that she had found favour with God and added, that she would become the Mother of God, for the Word would become flesh in her womb through the power of the Holy Ghost, in such a manner that in her nature, the privileges of virginity and of the divine motherhood, would be miraculously united.
Mary then gave her assent to the Will of God and, her ‘Fiat’ placed her on a pedestal, high above all the generations of humanity and all the choirs of the angelic kingdom.

It is on this passage of the Gospel that the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, chiefly depends.
She was full of grace and the supremely beloved of God.
How then could she have been subject to the rule of sin which we inherited from Adam?
If her soul had been stained with sin at the first moment of her conception, she would not have enjoyed the special favour of God and the plenitude of grace.
She was, moreover, predestined to become the Mother of God.
Was it possible that the Divine Word, Who was to become her Son, could have permitted her soul to have been sullied, even for a single instant, by sin, which deprives us of grace and makes us enemies of God?
It was on good grounds, therefore, that the Church defined, that from the first moment of her conception, Mary was free from all taint of sin, by a singular privilege conferred on her by God and through the merits of her Divine Son, Jesus Christ.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTRINE, DOGMA, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, PAPAL DECREE, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, St Francis de Sales, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION

Quote/s of the Day – 8 December – The Feast of the Immaculate Conception

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of the Immaculate Conception

“Hail, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee,
blessed art thou among women”

Luke 1:28

On 8 December 1854, Pope Pius IX promulgated Ineffabilis Deus, the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.
On 25 March 1858, at Lourdes, when asked by St Bernadette, who she was, Our Lady replied:

“I am the Immaculate Conception”

Our Lady to St Bernadette
at Lourdes on 25 March 1858

“She saw herself raised to the highest dignity
that ever was or will be, for although
it should please God to create anew many worlds,
He could never make a pure creature be greater
than the Mother of God.

Our Lady humbled herself
and acknowledged herself
unworthy of being raised
to the high dignity of Mother of God, therefore,
she was made to be His Mother,
for she had no sooner uttered the protestation of her littleness,
than, having abandoned herself to Him,
by an act of incomparable charity,
she became the Mother of the Most High,
Who is the Saviour of our souls!”

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

“The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity
had also been waiting for one, whose immaculate purity should make her fit, as far as any child of Adam could be fit, to be His Mother.
There had been many holy women among
the daughters of Abraham but none, without sin and, therefore, none in whose womb the Son of God
could find repose.
If Christ thus could not come to dwell
with one who was stained with sin,
what must be the purity He requires now,
of those whose Guest He becomes in Holy Communion
O Jesus, forgive me all my careless receptions of Thee,
my want of careful preparation,
my faults innumerable!”

Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
The Fulfilment of the Decree

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on PURITY, Quotes on SALVATION, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 December ‘ … Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 8 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of the Immaculate Conception – Proverbs 8:22-35 – Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “The degeneration caused by sin had obscured the beauty of our original nobility. But when the mother of Supreme Beauty is born, our nature finds its purity once more and sees itself moulded according to the perfect model, worthy of God (Gn 1:26)… We had all preferred the world below, to that above. There no longer remained any hope of salvation. The state of our nature cried aloud to Heaven to come to the rescue… Then at last, in His good pleasure, the world’s Divine Artificer determined to make a new world appear, a different world full of harmony and youth.

Now was it not fitting, that a most pure virgin without stain, should place herself at the service of this mysterious plan first of all?… And where was this virgin to be found, if not in this woman, alone of her kind, chosen by the world’s Creator before all generations? Yes, she indeed is Mother of God, divinely named Mary, whose womb gave birth to God Incarnate and whom, He Himself had supernaturally prepared, as His Temple…

In this way then, the design of the Redeemer of our race was to bring about a birth and, as it were, a new creation to replace the one that went before. Therefore, just as in Paradise, He had taken a little clay out of the pure and spotless earth, to fashion the first Adam (Gn 2:7), so, at the moment of bringing about His Own Incarnation, He made use of another earth, so to speak, namely, this Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings He had created. It is in her that He, Adam’s Creator, has remade us in our very substance and become a new Adam (1 Cor 15:45), that the old might be saved by the new and eternal.” – St Andrew of Crete (660-740) Bishop (Sermon 1 for the Nativity of the Mother of God ; PG 97, 812).

PRAYER – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Thy Son, and Who, by Thy Son’s death, foreseen by Thee, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee, through her intercession that we too, may come to Thee, unstained by sin. T 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 WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), QUOTES on WISDOM, The HEART, The HOLY GHOST, The IMITATION of CHRIST, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 7 December –TRUE WISDOM

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Thought for the Day – 7 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

TRUE WISDOM

“According to Christian teaching, both knowledge and wisdom, properly understood, are gifts of the Holy Ghost.
Only the Light and Grace of the Holy Ghost, can enable us to comprehend the Truth which, in its plenitude, is God Himself and to appreciate the vanity of human things, as long as they are not ordained to their final end which is God and the everlasting life of happiness.

St Thomas Aquinas holds that human and earthly things are the proper object of science, insofar however, as they ought to be directed towards God.
“The man who has a correct approach to science, regards creatures as ordained to God, does not value them for more than they are worth and does not permit them to constitute the purpose of his life” (Summa Theologiae II-II q9 a4).
“All creatures are ordained to God and to His glory,” he writes elsewhere, “in that they manifest the Divine Goodness in themselves; they are, moreover, the means to everlasting happiness” (Quaestiones disputate, De Caritate q1 a7).

Nature maybe said to be a sacrament which enables us to gain experience of God (Summa Theologiae III q60 a2 ad1).
This is how knowledge becomes wisdom which is not content merely to have a proper estimation of human objects but, proceeds to penetrate, with the assistance of Revelation and of Grace, into the transcendent Mysteries of the Divinity.
Wisdom, moreover, guides the will and the heart, as well as the intellect.
It is practical, as well as speculative, for it directs our actions, as well as our thoughts towards God.
Like the Saints, we should be guided entirely by this true intellectual and practical wisdom.
“Grant me, O Lord, celestial wisdom,” we should pray with the Author of The Imitation of Christ, “that I may learn, above all things, to seek Tbee and to find Thee; above all things, to relish Thee and to love Thee and to understand, all other things, as they are, according to the order of Thy Wisdom!” (Bk III c27).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 7 December – St Ambrose

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Ambrose (340-397) Confessor, Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church

“O, that the soul of Mary were in us,
to glorify the Lord!
That the spirit of Mary were in us,
to rejoice in God.
May the life of Blessed Mary
be ever present to our awareness.
In her, as in a mirror,
the form of virtue
and beauty of chastity, shine forth.
She was Virgin, not only in body
but in mind and spirit.
She never sullied the pure affection of her heart
by unworthy feelings.
She was humble of heart.
She was serious in her conversations.
She was prudent in her counsels.
She preferred to pray rather than to speak.
She united in her heart the prayers of the poor
and avoided the uncertainty of worldly riches.
She was ever faithful to her daily duties,
reserved in her conversations
and always accustomed to recognise God
as the witness of her thoughts.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus!”

(On Virginity II 2.7)

“Our own evil inclinations
are far more dangerous,
than any external enemies. ”

“Up you get, then and hurry along to the Church —
there is the Father, there the Son, there the Holy Ghost.
He, Who hears you speaking
in the intimate depths of your soul,
is coming to meet you and, when you are still far off,
He sees you and starts running.
He sees your heart; He runs up lest anyone delay you
and embraces you … He flings His arms around your neck
to raise you up, you who were prostrate,
burdened with sins, face to the ground.
He turns you over to face Heaven,
so that you can seek your Creator there.
He causes a Robe, a Ring and Sandals to be brought.
The Robe is the garment of wisdom…
spiritual clothing — the wedding garment.
What is the Ring if not the seal of a genuine faith
and the imprint of truth?
And as for the Sandals —
these are the preaching of the Gospel.”

“Come, then and search out Thy sheep,
not through Thy servants or hired men
but do it Thineself.
Lift me up bodily and in the flesh,
which is fallen in Adam.
Lift me up, not from Sarah but from Mary,
a Virgin, not only undefiled
but a Virgin, whom grace had made inviolate,
free of every stain of sin.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/12/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-december-st-ambrose-5/

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

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, St PAUL!, The LAST THINGS, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 December – ‘My brethren, do not let us remain in carelessness … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 7 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Advent II – St Ambrose (340-397) – Confessor, Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church – Romans15:4-13 – Matthew 11:2-10 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Brethren, what things soever were written, were written for our learning: that, through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures, we might have hope. ” – Roman 15:4

REFLECTION – “My brethren, do not let us remain in carelessness and ease, or lightly put off for tomorrow, or even later, a start to our work. “Now is the favourable time,” the Apostle Paul says, “this is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2). The present moment is the time for repentance, later on will be that of reward; now is the time of perseverance, our day of comforting is yet to come. Now God is helping those who turn away from evil, later He will judge our deeds and words and thoughts. Today we are profiting from his patience; at the resurrection, when each of us receives according to our deeds, we shall know the justice of His Judgments.

Oh, how much longer will we delay from obeying Christ, Who calls us into His heavenly Kingdom? Are we not going to purify ourselves? Will we not firmly decide to forsake our customary way of life, so as to follow the Gospel to the end?” – St Basil the Great (330-379) Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, Father and Doctor of the Church (Prologue to the Great Rules)

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who have given blessed Ambrose to Thy people as a help for eternal salvation, grant, we beseech Thee that we may be worthy to have him as our intercessor in Heaven, whom we have had as a teacher of life, on earth. ThroughJesus 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 WORD and WISDOM, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, Quotes on SALVATION, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 6 December – The Word of God

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Thought for the Day – 6 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Word of God

“It is especially important for us to acquire the dispositions necessary to enable us to listen attentively to the Word of God and to put it into practice in our lives.
We are all acquainted with the parable of the sower.
The seed, of course, represents the Word of God.
Some of the seed fell by the wayside and was trampled into the earth or carried away by the birds.
Some fell on rocky ground and because of the lack of moisture, it withered away.
Some fell among thorns which choked it and prevented it from springing up.
Finally, the rest of the seed fell on good ground and yielded fruit more or less abundantly (Mt 13:3-8).

How do we receive the Word of God?
Perhaps we are constantly dissipated and distracted?
In that case, the Divine seed will not bear fruit but, will be trampled down or wither away.
It may be, however, that we hear the Word of God with pleasure and joy until our first enthusiasm is strangled by our fondness for money, ease and earthly pleasures which prevents us from laying up merit for everlasting life.

Let us remember that the Word of God is a very precious gift which ought not to be neglected or abused.
Our eternal salvation depends on the manner in which we receive it!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MODESTY, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on HOSPITALITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on TRUTH, The BEATITUDES, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 December – ‘ O God, grant that whatever good things I have,I may share generously with those who have not …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 December – Hebrews 13:7-17; Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“To one He gave five talents;
to another, two; to a third, one—
to each according to his ability. …”

Matthew 25:15

“And he who had received the five talents
went and traded with them,
and gained five more.

Matthew 25:16

“God is Good but He is also Just…
So do not underestimate God –
His love for men
should not become a pretext,
for negligence on our part.”

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

“For the man who is kindly,
modest, merciful and just,
will not keep his good works to himself
but will see to it
that these admirable fountains,
send out their streams,
for the good of others.
Again, the man who is clean of heart,
a peacemaker and ardent for truth,
will order his life, so as to contribute
to the common good.”

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

“Whatever He receives on earth,
He returns in Heaven.”

St Caesarius of Arles (470-543)

“O God, grant that whatever good things I have,
I may share generously with those who have not
and whatever good things, I do not have,
I may request humbly, from those who do.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 December – ‘ … Do as much as you can … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 6 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The First Saturday of the Month – St Nicholas (270-343) Confessor, Bishop – Hebrews 13:7-17 – Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But he who had received the one talent, went away and dug in the earth and hid his Master’s money. ” – Matthew 25:18

REFLECTION – “You too, if you wish it, can deserve the exalted quality of the name of God’s Angel. Each one of you, insofar, as he can, insofar, as he receives an inspiration from on high, if he recalls his neighbour from his wickedness, takes care to encourage him to do good, proclaims the eternal Kingdom, or eternal punishment, to one astray – each one of you is truly an Angel of Jesus’ holy words. No-one should say, I am unable to give counsel, I am not qualified to encourage anyone. Do as much as you can, lest you be tormented for having badly kept, what you received! He who was given only one talent was more eager to hide it than to distribute it (Mt 25:14)…

Draw others, as far as you consider you have advanced; desire to have comrades on your way toward God.  If any of you, my friends, is going to the market, or perhaps to the public baths, he will invite someone whom he sees to have nothing else to do, to come with him. That earthly kind of action is habitual among you. So, if you are going toward God, take care not to go to Him alone! The one who has already received, in his heart, a word of heavenly love, may also return to his neighbours an external word of encouragement.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on the Gospels No 5).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who made the holy Bishop Nicholas renowned for countless miracles, grant, we beseech Thee that by his merits and prayers, we may be saved from the fires of hell. 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 AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, QUOTES on PEACE, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The FIVE FIRST Saturdays, THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 6 December – Prayer for Peace to the Immaculate Virgin By Pope Paul IV

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Our Morning Offering – 6 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The First Saturday of December in honour of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Pope Paul IV was a friend of St Cajetan and also a member
of his Order, the Theatines, named after Paul IV’s See as Bishop).

Prayer for Peace to the Immaculate Virgin
By Pope Paul IV CR (1476-1559)

Look down with maternal clemency,
most Blessed Virgin,
upon all your children.
Consider the anxiety of Bishops
who fear that their flocks will be tormented
by a terrible storm of evils.
Heed the anguish of so many people,
fathers and mothers of families
who are uncertain about their future
and beset by hardships and cares.
Soothe the minds of those at war
and inspire them with ‘thoughts of peace.’
Through your intercession,
may God, the avenger of injuries,
turn to mercy.
May He give back to nations
the tranquility they seek
and bring them to a lasting age
of genuine prosperity.
Amen

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 5 December – Peace of Soul

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

Peace of Soul

“True peace consists in doing the will of God constantly and, with love.
When God gives us consolation and joy, we thank Him for His Infinite Goodness towards us.
When He sends us suffering and privation, we bless and thank Him nonetheless.
Let us recall the example of Job.
When he had lost his children, his health and all his possessions and, was derided by his wife and distrusted by his friends, he exclaimed in a spirit of resignation: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21).

All this may seem too difficult to us but, it is only on these conditions that we can obtain interior peace.
By surrendering our will entirely to God, in all the circumstances of our lives, we can raise ourselves above all the sorrows and vain desires of this earthly existence and, we will find in God, a lasting peace and tranquillity.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/12/thought-for-the-day-12-december-peace-of-soul/

Posted in CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 December – … Know that the Kingdom of God is near. – Luke 21:29-31

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One Minute Reflection – 5 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – – The First Week of Advent – Ferial Day Romans 13:11-14 – Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

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

REFLECTION – “Look at the fig tree and all the trees, when they produce their fruit you know that summer is near. So too, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near.” He means that just as the coming of summer is recognised by the fruit on the trees, so is the nearness of the Kingdom of God recognised by the destruction of the world. These words show that the fruit of the world is destruction – it increases only to fall, it produces, only to destroy by its disasters whatever it produces. The Kingdom of God is aptly compared to summer because, it is then that the clouds of our sorrow pass away and the days of life shine with the brightness of the Eternal Sun. …

“Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will not pass away.” Nothing among material realities is more lasting than the heavens and the earth and nothing among realities, passes away, as quickly as an utterance. … Therefore, the Lord declares: “Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will not pass away.” He means: “Nothing that is lasting in your world lasts for eternity without change and everything which in Me, is perceived as passing away, is kept firm, without passing away. My utterance, which passes away, expresses thoughts which endure without change.” …

Therefore, my friends, do not love what you see cannot long exist. Keep in mind the Apostle John’s precept, in which he counsels us not “to love the world or the things in the world because, if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn 2:15). – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on the Gospels No 1 )

PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant we, Thou suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, maybe aided by her intercession with Thee. 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, GOD is LOVE, INGRATITUDE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, St Alphonsus de Liguori,, The NINE FIRST FRIDAYS

Our Morning Offering – 5 December – O Adorable Heart of my Jesus!

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Our Morning Offering – 5 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The First Friday of November

O Adorable Heart of my Jesus!
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

O Adorable Heart of my Jesus,
Heart yearning expressly. for the love of men!
Until now, I have shown towards Thee
only ingratitude.
Pardon me, O my Jesus.
Heart of my Jesus,
Abyss of Love and of Mercy,
how is it possible,
that I do not die of sorrow,
when I reflect on Thy Goodness to me
and my ingratitude to Thee?
Thou, my Creator, after having created me,
hast given Thy Blood and Thy Life for me
and, not content with this,
Thou hast invented a means of offering
Thyself everyday for me,
in the Holy Eucharist,
exposing Thyself to a thousand insults and outrages!
Ah, Jesus, do Thou wound my heart
with a great contrition for my sins
and a lively love for Thee.
Through Thy Tears and Thy Blood,
give me the grace of perseverance
in Thy fervent love, until I breathe my last sigh.
Amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Love of Self

Thought for the Day – 4 December – TRUE LOVE of SELF

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Thought for the Day – 4 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

TRUE LOVE of SELF

“St Thomas Aquinas writes that man genuinely loves himself, when he directs all his activities towards God (Summa Theologiae I-II, q 100 a 5 ad 1).
True self-love, then, consists in dedicating all our thoughts and actions to God, Who is our highest and only true good.

Anything which does not lead us to God, is vain and useless.
Anything which keeps us away from God, separates us from our true good and, therefore, leads us towards everlasting spiritual ruin.
We should love ourselves then, by loving ourselves in God and for God.
If we fail to do this, we hate, rather than love ourselves because, we make folly, sin and eternal damnation, the objects of our lives.
Christianity, we may now conclude, cannot be said to condemn self-love.
It does not condemn it but simply purifies it.

The Church has always been opposed to any form of Quietism or Puritanism which would advocate the pure and disinterested love of God to the extent, of excluding, any thought of our own happiness, as the reward of our actions.
As if it would be possible to love God, when one had lost Him!
On the contrary, if we love God in Himself and above all things, we love ourselves too because, only in loving God, can we achieve our own perfect happiness.
The pure love of God does not exclude self-love but, elevates and completes it.”

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/04/thought-for-the-day-4-december-true-love-of-self/

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC ADORATION and Nocturnal, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on HELL, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The INCARNATION, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 4 December – St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450) “Golden Words”

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 December – St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450) “Golden Words” Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church

“He is The Bread sown in the virgin,
leavened in the Flesh,
moulded in His Passion,
baked in the furnace of the Sepulchre,
placed in the Churches
and set upon the Altars,
which daily supplies Heavenly Food to the faithful.”

“For he who touches
the Body of Christ unworthily
receives his damnation!”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/12/04/quote-s-of-the-day-4-december-saint-golden-words/

St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450)
“Golden Words”
Father & Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, BAPTISM, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St PAUL!, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The RESURRECTION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 December – “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 13:14

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One Minute Reflection – 4 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450) “Golden Words” Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church – Romans 13:11-14 – Luke 21:25-33 – – – – – – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 13:14

REFLECTION – “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh and its desires, so that you may be clothed with the Life of Him, Whom you have put on in this Sacrament. You have all been clothed with Christ by your Baptism in Him. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female, you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Such is the power of this Sacrament: it is a Sacrament of new life which begins here and now, with the forgiveness of all past sins and will be brought to completion, in the resurrection of the dead. You have been buried with Christ by Baptism into death, in order that, as Christ has risen from the dead, you also may walk in newness of life.

You are walking now by faith, still on pilgrimage in a mortal body away from the Lord but He, to Whom your steps are directed, is Himself the sure and certain Way for you – Jesus Christ, Who, for our sake became man. For all who fear Him, He has stored up abundant happiness which He will reveal to those who hope in Him, bringing it to completion, when we have attained the reality which, even now, we possess, in hope.

This is the octave day of your new birth. Today is fulfilled in you, the sign of faith that was prefigured in the Old Testament by the circumcision of the flesh, on the eighth day after birth. When the Lord rose from the dead, He put off the mortality of the flesh; His Risen Body was still the same Body but it was no longer subject to death. By His Resurrection, He consecrated Sunday, or the Lord’s Day. Though the third after His Passion, this day is the eighth after the Sabbath and thus also, the first day of the week.

And so, your own hope of resurrection, though not yet realised, is sure and certain because you have received the Sacrament or sign of this reality and have been given the pledge of the Spirit. If, then, you have risen with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is seated at the Right Hand of God. Set your hearts on heavenly things, not the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your Life, appears, then you too will appear with Him in glory.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (An excerpt from: Sermon 8 – On the Paschal Octave).

PRAYER – O God, Who willed to foreshow divinely that blessed Peter Chrysologus would be a great Doctor to rule and teach Thy Church, grant, we beseech Thee that we may be worthy to have him as our intercessor in Heaven, who on earth was a teacher of life. 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 ADVENT, CHRIST the JUDGE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, PRAYERS to the DIVINE INFANT JESUS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The DIVINE INFANT, The HOLY INFANCY

Our Morning Offering – 4 December – Daily Prayers to the Infant Jesus

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Our Morning Offering – 4 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

Daily Prayers to the Infant Jesus

O Almighty God, in the form of a little Child!
Make me worthy to meditate upon
Thy Greatness and Power,
Thy Goodness and Mercy
and Thy Majesty as God and Man.

O Divine Infant!
With the most profound reverence,
I contemplate Thy Divine Countenance,
shedding its gentle and forgiving Light like the sun,
on good and bad.
Deign, O friendly Eyes of my Jesus,
to cast one look of grace upon me
and to give to my eyes, sincere tears of repentance
that on my judgement day, they need not fear
Thy look of righteous anger.

O Sweetest Jesus!
Fervent with admiration,
I praise Thy Holy Lips, filled with heavenly wisdom
and uttering words of grace for the remission of sin.
Lest, however, Thy Divine Lips might one day
be forced to pronounce the sentence
of condemnation upon me on account of my own words,
I beseech Thee, O Lord,
place a seal upon my lips, so that they may never
be opened to utter an uncharitable opinion
or a sinful word; may I ever preserve Thy Truth
and Thy Love in my heart and upon my tongue.
Amen

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, Quotes on SALVATION

Thought for the Day – 3 December – The Salvation of Souls

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

The Salvation of Souls

“Remember the countless conversions effected by the Saints as a result of their prayers, mortifications and heroic sacrifices.
No-one can call himself a Christian who does not love, in a practical manner, his fellowmen, especially unfortunate heretics and sinners.

Make up your mind, to offer your prayers and sacrifices for their conversion.
Include them in your daily offering, daily Mass and daily Rosary too.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EDUCATION, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 3 December – St Francis Xavier

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 December – St Francis Xavier SJ (1506-1552) Confessor

“Are we in the habit of seeing all thing in God
and God in all things?
Do we accept all things from His Holy Hands
and do His Will cheerfully and lovingly?
Do we try to control ourselves when God sends
us sorrows, in addition to joy?
If we find we are in need of reform in this matter,
we should make good resolutions and fulfil them!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“His Lord said to him:
Well done, good and faithful servant
because thou has been faithful over a few things,
I will place thee over many thing.
Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Matthew 25:21

“ Ah! If only those who look for knowledge in study,
took as much trouble in looking
for the consolations of the apostolate,
as they give day and night to the pursuit of knowledge!
If only those joys which the scholar seeks
in what he is learning, he were to seek
in making his neighbour feel,
what he is in need of – to know and serve God,
how much more consoled he would
find himself to be and better prepared,
to give an account of himself,
when Christ returns and asks him:
“Give me an account of your stewardship”

 (Letter of 15/01/1544).

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/12/03/quote-s-of-the-day-3-december-st-francis-xavier-sj-1506-1552/

St Francis Xavier (1506-1552)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, JESUIT SJ, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on MISSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 December – “Go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15

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One Minute Reflection – 3 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Francis Xavier SJ (1506-1552) Confessor – Romans 10:10-18 – Mark 16:15-18 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15

REFLECTION – “You have heard what the Lord said to His disciples after the Resurrection. He sent them out to preach the Gospel and they did so. Listen: “Through all the earth their voice resounds and to the ends of the world, their message” (Ps 18:5). Step by step, the Gospel has reached even to us and the ends of the earth. In a few words the Lord, addressing Himself to His disciples, set out what we are to do and what we have to hope for. Just as you have heard, He said: “Whoever believes and is Baptised will be saved.” 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.

“The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings, O my God… from Thy delightful stream, Thou gives them to drink, for with Thee, is the Fountain of Life” (Ps 35[36],8f.). Jesus Christ is the Fountain of Life. Before the Fountain of Life came to us, we had only a human salvation like that of the beasts, of which the psalm speaks: “Man and beast you save, O Lord” (Ps 35[36],7). But now the Fountain of Life has come even to us, the Fountain of Life died for our sakes. Will He refuse us His Life,Who, for our sakes, gave His Death? He is salvation and this salvation is not worthless, like the other one. Why? Because it does not pass away. The Lord has come. He died but He killed death. In Himself, He brought an end to death. He assumed it and He killed it. Where is death now, then? Look for it in Christ and it is no longer there. It used to be there but there it died. O Life, Death of death! Take heart: it will also die in us. What was fulfilled in the Head will also be fulfilled in the members and death will die in us, too!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 233).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who were pleased to gather into Thy Church the peoples of the Indies by the preaching and miracles of blessed Francis, mercifully grant that we, who honour his glorious merits, may also imitate the example of his virtues. 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 GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 3 December – I Love Thee, God, I Love Thee By St Francis Xavier

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 3 December – The Memorial of St Francis Xavier SJ (1506-1552) Confessor

I Love Thee, God, I Love Thee
By St Francis Xavier (1506-1552)
Translated by Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

I love Thee, God, I love Thee—
Not out of hope for Heaven for me
Nor fearing not to love and be
in the everlasting burning.
Thou, my Jesus, after me
Didst reach Thine arms out dying,
For my sake suffered nails and lance,
Mocked and marred countenance,
Sorrows passing number,
Sweat and care and cumber,
Yea and death and this for me,
And Thou could see me sinning.
Then I, why should not I love Thee,
Jesu so much in love with me?
Not for Heaven’s sake, not to be
Out of hell by loving Thee,
Not for any gains I see,
But just the way that Thou didst me
I do love and will love Thee.
What must I love Thee, Lord, for then?
For being my King and God.
Amen

Posted in GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on PEACE

Thought for the Day – 2 December – Recollection

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Thought for the Day – 2 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Recollection

“We may imagine that all this applies only to Monks but that is not so.
We all need interior recollection and we can find it even during our work and in the midst of turmoil and confusion.
If we fail to find it, moreover, it is too bad for us, as The Imitation of Christ warns us.
“Peace is not in the heart of the carnal man, nor in the man who is devoted to outward things but, in the fervent and spiritual man” (Bk 1 Ch 6:2).

Let us make sure, therefore, that we shall not be distracted by worldly affairs.
In the midst of all our occupations, let us preserve a spirit of detachment and live in the presence of God.
May God be our first thought and our first desire and may He be the true goal of all our actions!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/03/thought-for-the-day-3-december-recollection/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/30/thought-for-the-day-30-november-recollection/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, St Francis de Sales, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 2 December – Our Treasure, our Pearls

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 2 December – Sirach 51:13-17; Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Jesus said in parables:
The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure,
hidden in a field. … Again, the Kingdom of Heaven
is like unto a merchant seeking good pearls. ”

Matthew 13:44, 45

“The two parables of the treasure and the pearl,
both teach us the same thing –
we should prefer the Gospel before all earthly treasures. …
However, there is something
even more praiseworthy than this –
we should delight to give it preference,
joyfully, unhesitatingly.
Let us never forget this, to abandon all else,
so as to follow God, is to gain more, than one loses.
The preaching of the Gospel is hidden in this world
like a hidden treasure, a treasure without price!”

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

“Whoever thinks well on eternity,
troubles himself little about what happens
in these three or four moments of mortal life.”

“The love of God is the end,
the perfection and the excellence,
of the universe. ”

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

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