Category: CATHOLIC Quotes

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, St PAUL!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 January – ‘… He is there and … He is also here? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 25 January – Feast of the Conversion of St Paul , Apostle, Acts 9:1-22, Matthew 19,27-29.

“He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” – Acts 9:4.

REFLECTION – “How can we show that He is there and that He is also here? Let Paul answer for us, who was previously Saul. First of all, the Lord’s own Voice from Heaven shows this: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Had Paul climbed up to Heaven then? Had Paul even thrown a stone at Heaven? It was Christians he was persecuting, them he was tying up, them he was dragging off to be put to death, them he was everywhere hunting out of their hiding places and never sparing, when he found them. To him the Lord said, “Saul, Saul.” Where is He crying out from? Heaven. So He’s up above. “Why are you persecuting Me?” So He’s down below.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 122).

PRAYER – O God, Who taught the whole world by the preaching of Thy blessed Apostle Paul, grant, we beseech Thee that we, who today celebrate his conversion, may draw closer to Thee, by way of hia example.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 GRATITUDE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), QUOTES on Will (Sensual or Inferior), SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 24 January – Of the Diverse Wills in Man and the Warfare Between Them (Part Two)

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Thought for the Day – 24 January – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

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

The Third Weapon
of the Spiritual Combat

XII: … Of the Diverse Wills in Man
and the Warfare Between Them (Part Two)

“But let no-one imagine it possible to persevere in the exercise of true Christian virtues, or to serve God as He ought to be served, unless he will, in good earnest, do violence to himself and endure the pain of parting with all pleasant things whatsoever, whether great or small, around which his earthly affections are entwined!

Hence it is that so few attain to perfection; for after having, with much toil, overcome the greater vices, they will not persevere in doing violence to themselves, by struggling against the promptings of self-will and an infinity of lesser desires.
They grow weary of so unremitting a struggle; they suffer these insignificant enemies to prevail against them and so to acquire an absolute mastery over their hearts!

To this class belong men who, if they do not take what belongs to others, cleave with inordinate affection, to that which is lawfully their own.
If they do not obtain honours by unlawful means, yet they do not, as they should, shun them but, on the contrary, cease not to desire and sometimes, even to seek them in various ways.
If they observe fasts of obligation, yet they do not mortify their palate in the matter of superfluous eating, or the indulgence in delicate morsels.
If they live continently, yet they do not renounce many indulgences which much impede union with God and the growth of the spiritual life and which, as they are very dangerous, even to the holiest persons, and most dangerous to those, who fear them least, should be as much as possible avoided by all.
Hence all their good works are performed in a lukewarm spirit and accompanied by much self-seeking, by many lurking impefections, by a certain kind of self-esteem and by a desire to be praised and valued by the world.

Such persons not only fail to make any progress in the way of salvation but rather, go backwards and are, therefore, in danger of relapsing into their former sins because they have no love of true holiness and show little gratitude to their Lord, Who rescued them from the tyranny of the devil.

They are, moreover, too blind and ignorant to see the peril in which they stand and so, falsely persuade themselves, of their own security.
And here we discover a delusion which is the more dangerous because, it is little apprehended.

Many who aspire to the spiritual life, unconsciously love themselves far more than they ought to do and, therefore, practice for the most part, those exercises which suit their taste and neglect others, which touch to the quick those natural inclinations and sensual appetites, against which they ought, in all reason, to direct the full strength of the battle.

Therefore, I exhort and counsel you, to be in love with pain and difficulty — for they will bring with them, that which is the end and object of the whole struggle — victory over self!

The more deeply you shall be in love with the difficulties encountered by beginners in virtue and in war, the surer and the speedier shall be the victory and, if your love be to the difficult and the toilsome struggle, rather than to the victory and the virtue to be attained, you shall, the more speedily obtain, all you desire!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/01/23/thought-for-the-day-23-january-of-the-diverse-wills-in-man-and-the-warfare-between-them/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 January – My disciples?

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 January – St Timothy (1st Century) Disciple of St Paul, Bishop and Martyr – 1 Timothy 6:11-16, 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

“Pursue justice, godliness,
faith, charity, patience, mildness.
Fight the good fight of the faith,
lay hold on the life eternal,
to which you have been called …”

1 Timothy 6:11-12

“… Anyone of you
who does not renounce
all his possessions,
cannot be my disciple.”
Luke 14:33

“The tradition and the authority
of Holy Scripture, show us three renunciations …
The first is that, by which,
as far as the body is concerned,
we make light of all the wealth
and goods of this world.
By the second,
we reject the fashions and vices
and former affections of soul and flesh.
By the third,
we detach our soul from all present
and visible things and contemplate only
things to come and set our heart
on what is invisible.
We have to do all these three at once,
as the Lord charged Abraham to do,
when he said to him
“Go out from your country
and your kinsfolk
and your father’s house.”(Gn 12:1).”

St John Cassian (c360-435)
Monk, Founder of Monasteries,
Father of the Church

(Conference 3, 6-7)

“Let us trust in Him. Who has
placed this burden upon us.
What we ourselves cannot bear,
let us bear, with the help of Christ.
For He is All-powerful
and He tells us:
‘My yoke is easy and my burden light.’”

St Boniface (c672-754)
Martyr, Confessor, Bishop

“I will go anywhere and do anything,
in order to communicate the love of Jesus
to those who do not know Him,
or have forgotten Him.”

St Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MARRIAGE, MARRIED LOVE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 January – ‘ … In the Kingdom these relationships are transcended …’

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One Minute Reflection – 24 January – St Timothy (1st Century) Disciple of St Paul, Bishop and Martyr – 1 Timothy 6:11-16, 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 – Be mindful of our weakness, Almighty God and because the burden of our sins weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of blessed Timothy, Your Martyr and Bishop, sustain us. 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 LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), QUOTES on Will (Sensual or Inferior), The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 23 January – Of the Diverse Wills in Man and the Warfare Between Them

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Thought for the Day – 23 January – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

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

The Third Weapon
of the Spiritual Combat

XII: … Of the Diverse Wills in Man
and the Warfare Between Them (Part One)

“Although in this combat, we may be said to have within us, two wills, the one of the reason which is called rational and superior, the other of the senses, called sensual and inferior and commonly described, by the words — appetite, flesh, sense and passion; yet, as it is the reason which constitutes us men, we cannot be said to will anything which is willed by the senses, unless we be also inclined thereto, by the superior will.

And herein does our spiritual conflict principally consist.
The Reasonable Will. being placed, as it were, midway between the Divine Will which is above it — and, the Inferior Will, or Will of the Senses which is beneath it, is continually assaulted by both — each seeking, in turn, to attract and subdue and bring it into obedience.
Much hard toil and trouble must, however, be undergone by the unpracticed, especially at the outset, when they resolve to amend their evil lives and, renouncing the world and the flesh, to give themselves up to the love and service of Jesus Christ.

For the opposition encountered by the Superior Will, from the continual warfare between the Divine and Sensual Will, is sharp and severe and accompanied by acute suffering.
It is not so with those who are well practiced in the way of virtue or of vice — they pursue, without difficulty, the path on which they have entered — the virtuous yielding readily to the Divine Will and the vicious yielding, without resistance, to the will of the senses.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275)

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – St Raymond of Peñafort OP (1175-1275) Confessor, “Father of Canon Law”

“May you never be numbered
among those whose house
is peaceful, quiet
and free from care,
those on whom
the Lord’s chastisement
does not descend,
those who live out their days
in prosperity and in the
twinkling of an eye,
will go down to hell!”

“Your purity of life, your devotion,
deserve and call for a reward
because you are acceptable
and pleasing to God.
Your purity of life must be made purer still,
by frequent buffetings,
until you attain perfect sincerity of heart.
If, from time to time, you feel the sword
falling upon you with double or treble force,
this also should be seen as sheer joy
and the mark of love!”

“Look then on Jesus,
the Author and Preserver of faith —
in complete sinlessness, He suffered
and, at the hands of those who were His own
and was numbered among the wicked.
As you drink the cup of the Lord Jesus
(how glorious it is!), give thanks to the Lord,
the Giver of all blessings.
May the God of love and peace
set your hearts at rest
and speed you on your journey;
may He meanwhile, shelter you
from disturbance by others
in the hidden recesses of His Love,
until He brings you, at last,
into that place of complete plenitude,
where you will repose forever in the vision of peace,
in the security of trust
and in the restful enjoyment of His riches. ”

St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ANGELS, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on WATCHING, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 January – ‘… Let us not sleep, as the rest do but let us stay awak and sober … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 23 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”– St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275) – Sirach 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed are those servants whom the Master, on His return, shall find watching.” – Luke 12:37

REFLECTION – “We must sleep in such a way as to be easily awakened. For Scripture says, “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when He comes and knocks.” (Lk 12:35-36). For a sleeping man is of no more use than a dead man. Therefore, we ought often to get up at night and bless God!

Blessed are those who watch for Him and so, make themselves like the Angels, whom we call “Watchers.” A man asleep is worth nothing, no more than if he were dead. But whoever has the light keeps watch and “darkness does not overcome him” (Jn 1:5) neither does sleep. Whoever has been illumined is, therefore, wakened to God and such a person is alive, “for what came to be in him was life.” (Jn 1:4) “Happy the man,” says Wisdom,“who obeys me and happy those who keep my ways, happy the man watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts” (Pr 8:34).

Therefore, “let us not sleep, as the rest do but let us stay alert and sober” as Scripture says. “For those who sleep, go to sleep at night and those who are drunk, get drunk at night,” that is, in the darkness of ignorance. “But since we are of the day, let us be sober.” (1Th 5:6-8) “For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness.” (1Th 5:5).” – St Clement of Alexandria (c150- c215) Father of the Church, Theologian and Philosopher, Professor who taught at the Catechetical School of Alexandria (The Instructor II:9).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who chose blessed Raymond to be a renowned minister of the Sacrament of Penance and miraculously brought him through the waves of the sea, grant that, by his intercession, we may produce good results from our penance and reach the Heaven of eternal salvation 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 Holy Name PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HOLY NAME, Thomas a Kempis

Our Morning Offering – 23 January – The Love of Thy Name

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Our Morning Offering – 23 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”

The Love of Thy Name
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ
(Book 3 Ch 26:1-4)

My God, Sweetness beyond words,
make bitter all the carnal comfort
which draws me from love of the eternal
and lures me to its evil self,
by the sight of some delightful good
in the present.
Let it not overcome me, my God.
Let not flesh and blood conquer me.
Let not the world and its brief glory
deceive me, nor the devil trip me by his craftiness.
Give me courage to resist,
patience to endure
and constancy to persevere.
Give me the soothing unction of Thy spirit,
rather than all the consolations of the world
and in place of carnal love,
infuse into me,
the love of Thy Name.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The REDEMPTION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 22 January – Of Inclining the Will to Please God in All Things

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

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

The Third Weapon
of the Spiritual Combat

XI: … Of some Considerations which May Incline
the Will to Seek to Please God in All Things

“Furthermore, to incline the Will more readily to seek God’s honour
and glory in all things, always remember that, in many and various ways, He has first loved and honoured you!

In creation: — by creating you out of nothing after His Own Likeness and all other creatures for your service.
In Redemption: — by sending, not an Angel but, His Only-begotten Son, to redeem you, not with the corruptible price of silver and gold but with His Precious Blood and, by His most painful and ignominious death.
Remember, that every hour, nay, every moment, He protects you from your enemies, fights for you by His grace, offers you continually, in the Sacrament of the Altar, His well-beloved Son, to be your food and your defence; are not all these tokens of the inestimable regard and love borne for you by the Infinite God?

It is not in man to conceive, on the one hand, how great is the value which so great a Lord sets upon us poor creatures, in our loneliness and misery and, on the other, how great the return we are bound to make to His Supreme Majesty, Who has done so many and such great things for us.

For if earthly lords, when honoured even by poor and lowly men, feel bound to honour them in return, how should our vile nature demean itself towards the Supreme King of Heaven and earth, by Whom we are so dearly loved and so highly prized?

And besides all this and before all things, keep ever vividly in mind that the Divine Majesty is infinitely worthy to be loved for Himself alone and to be served, purely for His own good pleasure.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 January – ‘… Always persevere …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” – St Vincent of Saragossa (Died 304) Protomartyr of Spain and St Anastasius the Persian (Died 628) Martyr – Wisdom 3:1-8; Luke 21:9-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And you shall be hated by all men,
for My Name’s sake.”

Luke 21:17

“The fruits of the earth
are not brought to perfection immediately
but by time, rain and care.
Similarly, the fruits of men ripen
through ascetic practice,
study, time, perseverance,
self-control and patience.”

St Anthony Abbot (251-356)

“Rejoice and be happy!
Persevere to the end
and prefer to die
rather than abandon the post,
to which God has called you!”

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

“Love consists,
not in feeling great things
but, in having great detachment
and in suffering for the Beloved.”

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

“Now, you must always persevere
in firmly placing all your trust in our Lord,
in the troublesome business you have in hand.
It will give you a fine opportunity
of laying a good foundation of submission
to God’s will and peace of soul.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Excerpt from the Prayer
to the Five Wounds of Jesus
By St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

I pray Thee, O most gentle Jesus,
that having redeemed me
by Baptism from original sin,
so now, by Thy Precious Blood,
which is offered and received,
throughout the world,
deliver me from all evils,
past, present and to come.
And by Thy most bitter Death,
give me a lively faith,
a firm hope
and perfect charity,
so that I may love Thee
with all my heart and all my soul
and all my strength.
Make me firm and steadfast in good works
and grant me perseverance in Thy service,
so that I may be able to please Thee always.
Amen.

Posted in CARMELITES, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOOD RESOLUTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WATCHING, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 January – O strong love of God!

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One Minute Reflection – 22 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” – St Vincent of Saragossa (Died 304) Protomartyr of Spain and St Anastasius the Persian (Died 628) Martyr – Wisdom 3:1-8; Luke 21:9-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Resolve, therefore, in your hearts, not to meditate beforehand, how you are to make your defence. For I Myself, will give you utterance and wisdom …” – Luke 21:14-15

REFLECTION – “O strong love of God! I really think, nothing seems impossible, to one who loves. O happy soul which has obtained this peace, from its God! For it has become mistress over all the trials and perils of the world. If only it can serve its good Spouse and Lord, it fears none of them – and, with good reason … Think of something which occurs to me now and which, is applicable to those who are naturally pusillanimous and have little courage … Although, in actual fact, their soul has been raised up to this state, the weakness of their nature makes them afraid. We must be on the watch, or this natural weakness, will deprive us of a great crown. When you find yourselves as pusillanimous as this, my daughters, have recourse to faith and humility and do not fail to go forward with faith, for nothing is impossible to God (Lk 1:37). He has thus been able to give many holy Saints, the courage to endure all the cruel tortures which they had resolved to suffer for His sake!

It is of this resolution and this free-will that the soul wishes to make Him Master, though He has no need of our efforts. Indeed, His Majesty is pleased that His works should shine forth in those who are weak, since in these, there is more scope for His power and, for the fulfilment of His desire, to grant us favours…

Pay no heed to the arguments adduced by your mind and your own weakness – this weakness will only grow, if you begin to imagine, what will and what will not happen …This is no time to think about your sins, leave them alone, humility is out of place now, it comes at the wrong time… Be assured that the Lord never forsakes those who love Him and risk everything for His sake!” – St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582) Carmelite, Doctor of the Church (Conceptions of the Love of God Ch 3:4-6).

PRAYER – Give heed to our humble prayers, O Lord, that we who know we are guilty of our own sin, may be saved by the intercession of Thy blessed Martyrs Vincent and Anastasius.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 FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HOPE, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 22 January – To Thee, O Master

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Our Morning Offering – 22 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”

To Thee, O Master
Morning Offering
By St Macarius the Wonder-Worker (Died 850)

To Thee, O Master,
who loves all mankind
I hasten on rising from sleep.
By Thy mercy,
I go out to do Thy work
and I make my prayer to Thee.
Help me at all times and in all things.
Deliver me from every evil thing of this world
and from pursuit by the devil.
Save me and bring me,
to Thy Eternal Kingdom,
For Thou art my Creator,
Thou inspire all good thoughts in me.
In Thee is all my hope
and to Thee I give glory,
now and forever.
Amen

Posted in GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 21 January – Of the Exercise of the Will (Part Three)

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

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

The Third Weapon
of the Spiritual Combat

X: … Of the Exercise of the Will and the End to
which all our Actions, whether Interior
or Exterior, Should Tend (Part Three)

“… For he, who acts only as moved by God and with a view to please Him alone, desires not one thing above another.
He wishes only to have, what it pleases God he should have and, at the time and in the way which may be most agreeable to Him and, whether he have it or not, he is equally tranquil and content because, in either case, he obtains his wish and fulfils his intention which is, nothing else but simply, to please God.

Therefore, recollect yourself seriously and be careful always, to direct every action to this perfect end.

And although the bent of your natural disposition should move you to do good through fear of the pains of hell or hope of the joys of paradise, you may even here ,set before you, as your ultimate end, the will and pleasure of God, Who is pleased that you should enter into His Kingdom and not into hell.
It is not in man, fully to apprehend the force and virtue of this motive; — for the most insignificant action, done with a view to please God alone and for His sole glory, is (if we may so speak) of infinitely greater value than many others, of the greatest dignity and importance, done without this motive.
Hence a single penny given to a poor man, with the sole desire to please His Divine Majesty, is more acceptable to God, than the entire renunciation of all earthly goods — for any other end, even for the attainment of the bliss of Heaven; an end in itself, not only good but supremely to be desired.

This exercise of doing all things with the single aim to please God alone, seems difficult at first but, will become simple and effortless by practice, if, with the warmest affections of the heart, we desire God alone and long for Him as our only and most perfect good; Who deserves that all creatures should seek Him for Himself and serve Him and love Him above all things.

The deeper and more continual our meditations are upon His infinite excellence, the more fervent and the more frequent will be these exercises of the will and we shall thus, acquire more easily and more speedily, the habit of performing every action from pure love for that gracious Lord, Who alone is worthy of our reverence and love.

Lastly, in order to achieve the attainment of this divine motive, I advise you to seek it of God by importunate prayer and to meditate frequently upon the innumerable benefits which He, of His pure and disinterested love, has bestowed upon us.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/01/19/thought-for-the-day-19-january-of-the-exercise-of-the-will-part-one/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/01/20/thought-for-the-day-20-january-of-the-exercise-of-the-will-part-two/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, St Francis de Sales, THE EPIPHANY of the LORD, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 January – It is in the heart …

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 January – St Agnes (c 291- c 304) Virgin and Martyr – Romans 12:16-21; Matthew 8:1-13 – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy
to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word
and my servant will be healed.”

Matthew 8:8

“By viewing himself as unworthy,
he showed himself worthy,
for Christ to come,
not merely into his house
but also into his heart.”

“For the Master of humility,
both by word and example,
sat down also, in the house
of a certain proud Pharisee, Simon
and although He sat down in his house,
there was no place in his heart.
For in his heart.
the Son of Man could not lay His head.”

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

“The obedience of the Star
calls us to imitate its humble service:
to be servants, as best we can,
of the grace which invites all men
to find Christ.”

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

“To receive the grace of God
into our hearts,
we ought to empty them
of our own glory.”

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

“Keep your heart in peace
and let nothing trouble you,
not even your faults.
You must humble yourself
and amend them peacefully,
without being discouraged or cast down,
for God’s dwelling, is in peace.”

St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WATCHING, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The LAST THINGS, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 January –  “Many will come … ” – Matthew 8:11

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One Minute Reflection – 21 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” – St Agnes (c 291- c 304) Virgin and Martyr – Romans 12:16-21; Matthew 25:1-13 –Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Many will come from the east and the west and will recline… at the banquet in the Kingdom of Heaven” – Matthew 8:11

REFLECTION – “I have seen our Lord in the Gospel accomplish many miracles and, reassured by them, have strengthened my fearful words. I have seen the centurion throw himself at the Lord’s feet, nations send their firstfruits to Christ. The Cross has not yet been erected and already, pagans hasten towards their Master. The words “Go, teach all nations” have not yet been heard (Mt 28,19) but the nations are already hastening. Their race precedes their call, they are burning with desire for the Lord. The sound of preaching has not yet been heard but they are hurrying towards the One Who preaches. Peter… has now been instructed and they gather around the One Who is teaching him; the light of Paul has not yet blazed beneath Christ’s standard and nations are coming with incense to adore the King (Mt 2:1).

And now, see how a centurion begs Him and says to him: “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralysed, suffering dreadfully.” Here is a new miracle indeed! The servant, whose limbs are paralysed leads his master to the Lord; the slaves’ sickness gives health to his owner. Seeking his servant’s healing, he finds our Lord and while he is seeking for his slave’s cure, he becomes Christ’s conquest!” – Basil of Seleucia (Died c 468) Archbishop (Homily 19 on the centurion, PG 85, 235f).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Thou Who choose the weak things of the world to confound the strong, mercifully grant that we, who are celebrating the feast of blessed Agnes, Thy Virgin and Martyr, may reap the benefit ofher patronal intercession with Thee. 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 Act of SPIRITUAL COMMUNION, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 21 January – Give me Thyself, O My God

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Our Morning Offering – 21 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” – The Third Sunday after Epiphany

Give me Thyself, O My God
By St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

Give me Thyself, O my God,
give Thyself to me.
Behold I love Thee
and if my love is too weak a thing,
grant me to love Thee more strongly.
I cannot measure my love, to know
how much it falls short of being sufficient
but let my soul hasten to Thine embrace
and never be turned away,
until it is hidden in the secret shelter
of Thine presence.
This only do I know,
that it is not good for me
when Thou art not with me,
when Thou art only outside me.
I want Thee in my very self.
All the plenty in the world
which is not my God,
is utter want!
Amen

Posted in GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The BEATITUDES, The HEART, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 20 January – Of the Exercise of the Will (Part Two)

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

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

The Third Weapon
of the Spiritual Combat

X: … Of the Exercise of the Will and the End to
which all our Actions, whether Interior
or Exterior, Should Tend (Part Two)

“I will now show you a way to avoid this way which would impede you in the path of perfection and to accustom yourself to Will and to Do all things as moved by the Spirit of God and with the pure intention of honouring and pleasing Him alone, Who desires to be the one End and Principle, of our every word and action.

When anything presents itself to you as if willed by God, do not permit yourself to will it until you have first raised your thoughts to Him, to discover whether He wills you to will it and because, He so wills it and to please Him alone.
Let your will, then, being thus moved and attracted by His, be impelled to will it because He wills it and solely to please and honour Him.

In like manner, if you would refuse things which are contrary to God’s will, refuse them, not until you have first fixed the eye of your mind upon His divine will, Who wills that you should refuse them ,solely to please Him.
Know, however that the frauds and deceits of wily nature are but little suspected; for, ever secretly seeking self, it often leads us to fancy that our end and motive, is to please God when in reality, it is far otherwise.
Thus, when we choose or refuse anything for our own interest and satisfaction, we often imagine that we are choosing or refusing it, in the hope of pleasing, or in the fear of displeasing God.
The true and effectual remedy for this delusion, is purity of heart which consists in this — which is indeed the aim and object of all this spiritual warfare — the putting off the old man and the putting on the new.

And to this end, seeing you are full of self, take care in the beginning of every action, to free yourself, as much as possible, from all additions of anything which seems to be your own will.
Choose nothing, do nothing, refuse nothing, unless you first feel yourself moved and drawn thereto, by the pure and simple Will of God!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/01/19/thought-for-the-day-19-january-of-the-exercise-of-the-will-part-one/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE WORLD, St PAUL!, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 January – Faith in Christ Jesus

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 January – St Fabian, Pope and St Sebastian, Martyrs – Hebrews 11:33-39, Luke 6:17-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“They were stoned,
they were sawed asunder,
they were tempted,
they were put to death by the sword.
They went about in sheepskins
and goatskins, destitute,
distressed, afflicted –
of whom the world was not worthy –
wandering in deserts, mountains, caves
and holes in the earth.
And all these, approved by the testimony
of faith, were found in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Hebrews 11:37-39

“And all who wish to live
piously in Christ Jesus,
will suffer persecution.”

2 Timothy 3:12

“What is the surest kind of witness?
“Anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ
came among us in the flesh” (cf 1 Jn 4:2)
and who keeps the commands of the Gospel…
How many there are, each day,
of these hidden martyrs of Christ
who confess the Lord Jesus!
… So be faithful and courageous
in interior persecutions,
so that you may also win
the victory in exterior persecutions.”

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

“Do not love your life in this world!
If you truly love yourselves,
do not thus love your life
and then, you will save your life!”…

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

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The BEATITUDES, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 January – Blessed are you … – Luke 6:20

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One Minute Reflection – 20 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”– St Fabian, Pope and St Sebastian, Martyrs – Hebrews 11:33-39, Luke 6:17-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And He, lifting up His eyes on His disciples, said:
Blessed are you …” – Luke 6:20

REFLECTION – “Lord Jesus Christ, to teach us the summit of virtue, You ascended the mountain with Your disciples and taught them the Beatitudes and highest virtues, promising them the rewards applicable to each. Grant that my weakness may hear Your Voice, that I may apply myself, through their practice, to acquire the merit of the virtues, so that by Your Mercy, I may receive the promised reward. As I consider the payment, do not let me refuse the effort of the labour. Make my hope of eternal salvation, sweeten the bitterness of the cure, inflaming my soul with the splendour of Your work. Out of the wretched person I am, create one of the blessed; from the blessedness here below, lead me, by Your Grace, to the blessedness of the homeland.

Come, Lord Jesus Christ, in search of Your servant, seeking Your erring and exhausted sheep. Come, Spouse of the Church, in search of Your lost coin. Come, Father of mercies, welcome the prodigal son returning to You. Come, then, Lord, for You are the only One, able to call back the sheep that has strayed, to find the lost drachma, to reconcile the runaway son. Come, that there may be salvation on earth and joy in Heaven! Turn me towards You and grant that I may carry out a true and perfect repentance, so that I may become an occasion for joy, among the Angels. Sweetest Jesus, I pray Thee, by the immensity of Thine Love for me, a sinner, grant that I may love Thee alone, above all things, that I may be consoled by none but Thee, my sweetest God!” – Ludolph of Saxony (c1300-1378) Monk, Theologian, Writer, Dominican then a Carthusian (Prayers to Jesus Christ).

PRAYER – Be mindful of our weakness, Almighty God and since the burden of our sins weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of Thy holy Martyrs, Fabian and Sebastian sustain us. 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!, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 19 January – Of the Exercise of the Will (Part One)

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

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

The Third Weapon
of the Spiritual Combat

X: … Of the Exercise of the Will and the End to
which all our Actions, whether Interior
or Exterior, Should Tend (Part One)

“Besides this necessary exercise of the Understanding, you must so
regulate your Will that it may not be left to follow its own desires but, may, in all things, be conformed to the Divine pleasure.
And remember that, it is not enough only to strive after those things which are most pleasing to God but you must so will them and so do them, as moved thereto. by Him and with a view to please Him alone.

In this exercise of the Will, even more than in that of the Understanding, we shall meet with strong opposition from nature which seeks itself and its own ease and pleasure in all things but especially, in such as are holy and spiritual.
It delights itself in these, feeding greedily upon them as upon wholesome food.
As soon, therefore, as they are presented to us we look wistfully upon them and desire them, not because such is the will of God, nor with the sole view to please Him but, for the sake of the satisfaction and benefit to be derived from willing those things which God wills.

This delusion is the more subtle from the very excellence of the thing desired.
Hence, even in the desire after God Himself, we are exposed to the delusions of self-love which often leads us to look more to our own interests and to the benefits we expect from God, than to His will which is, that we should love and desire and obey Him for His own glory alone.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT QUOTES, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, EVENING and NIGHT Prayers, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on VANITY, QUOTES on WATCHING, QUOTES on WISDOM, The BEATITUDES, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 19 January – ‘In the hours of the night, think always on Christ …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” – St Marius and Family of Persia, (Died c 270) Martyrs – Hebrews 10:32-38, Matthew 24:3-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Tell us when shall these things be?
and what shall be the sign of Thy Coming
and of the consummation of the world? ”

Matthew 24:3

“Watch, therefore because you know not
the day, nor the hour.”
Matthew 25:13

“ In the hours of the night, think always on Christ
and hope for His coming at every moment. …
Christ enters at the open door.
He will not fail to do so, for He has promised to enter.
Embrace Him, Whom you have sought.
Approach Him and be illumined.
Hold Him and ask Him not to go away quickly.
Beg Him not to depart.
For “His Word runs swiftly” (Ps 147:15)
and will not be held by the slothful
or negligent soul.
Let your soul run to His call and follow closely,
the sound of His heavenly Voice,
for His passing is swift. …”

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

“… In fact, according to the merit
and fervour of each one,
there is a frequent and familiar advent of the Lord
that, in this intermediary period,
between His First and Last Coming,
models us on one and prepares us to the other.
The Lord comes to us now,
so that His First Coming to us, may not be in vain
and that the Last One, may not be that of wrath.
Through His Present Coming, in fact,
He works at reforming our pride,
in the image of the humility of His first advent,
to then remodel our humble body,
in the image of the glorified body He will show us,
when He will return. This is why we should desire
and fervently ask this personal coming –
which gives us the grace of this first advent
and promises us the glory of the last. …”

Bl Guerric of Igny (c1080-1157)
Cistercian Abbot

(2nd sermon for Advent, 2-4)

Grant Me, My God
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Angelic Doctor, Common Doctor

Make my heart watchful, O God,
so that no vain thoughts may distract it from Thee.
Make it noble,
so that it may never be seduced by any base affection.
Make it steadfast,
so that troubles may not dismay it.
Make it free,
so that it may not yield to the onslaughts of passion.
Grant me, my God,
the intelligence, to understand Thee,
the love, to seek Thee,
the wisdom, to find Thee,
words, to please Thee,
the perseverance, to wait faithfully for Thee
and, the hope of embracing Thee, at last.
Grant that I, a repentant sinner,
may bear Thy chastisements with resignation.
Poor pilgrim which I am,
may I draw on the treasury of Thine grace
and may I one day,
be eternally happy with Thee in Heavnely glory!
Amen.

Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 January  – The Third coming …

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One Minute Reflection – 19 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”– St Marius and Family of Persia, (Died c270) Martyrs – Hebrews 10:32-38, Matthew 24:3-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“For yet a very little while and He, Who is to come, will come …” – Hebrews 10:37

REFLECTION – “ It is only right, my brothers, to celebrate our Lord’s coming with all possible devotion, so greatly does His comfort gladden us… and His love burn within us. But do not just think about His first coming, when He came “to seek and save the lost” (Lk 19:10); think, too, of that other coming when He will come to take us with Him. I should like to see you constantly occupied in meditating on these two comings… “resting among the sheepfolds” (Ps 67:14), for they are the two arms of the Bridegroom, in which the Bride of the Song of Songs took her rest: “His left arm is under my head and His right arm embraces me” (2:6)…

But, there is a third coming between the two, to which I have just referred and those who know of it, can rest in it, for their greater happiness. The other two are visible but this one is not. In the first, “ the Lord has appeared on earth and has spoken to us” (Bar 3:38)… in the last, “all mankind shall see the salvation of God” (Lk 3:6; Is 40:5)… But the one that comes between them is secret – it is that in which the elect alone see the Saviour within themselves and their souls find salvation.

In His first coming, Christ came in our flesh and in our weakness; in His coming in the midst of time, He comes in Spirit and power; in His final coming, He will come in His glory and majesty. But it is by the strength of the virtues that we attain to glory, as it is written: “The Lord, the King of armies, He is the King of glory” (Ps 23:10) and, in the same book: “That I may see Thy power and Thy glory” (Ps 62:3). And so, the second coming is like a road leading from the first to the last. In the first, Christ has been our Redemption; in the last, He will appear as our Life; in His coming between, He is our Rest and our Consolation!” – St Bernard (1091-1153) Cistercian Monk, The Last Father and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church (Sermons 4 and 5 for Advent).

PRAYER – O Lord, hear Thy people as they humbly pray, in union with the patronal intercession of Thy Saints that Thou wouldst grant us to enjoy peace, during our life on earth and to find help for life eternal. 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, INDULGENCES, Our MORNING Offering, PARTIAL Indulgence, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, St Alphonsus de Liguori,

Our Morning Offering – 19 January – Indulgenced Act of Reparation

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Our Morning Offering – 19 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” –

Act of Reparation
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
Indulgence of 3 Years – Once a Day

O Jesus, my Saviour and Redeemer,
Son of the living God,
behold we kneel before Thee and offer Thee our reparation;
we would make amends,
for all the blasphemies uttered against Thy Holy Name,
for all the injuries done to Thee in the Blessed Sacrament,
for all the irreverence shown toward Thine Immaculate Virgin Mother,
for all the calumnies and slanders, spoken against Thy Spouse,
the Holy Catholic and Roman Church.
O Jesus, Who hast said:
“If you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will give it you,”
we pray and beseech Thee,
for all our brethren who are in danger of sin;
sheld them from every temptation to fall away from the true faith;
save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss;
to all of them, give light and knowledge of the truth,
courage and strength, for the conflict with evil,
perseverance in faith and active charity!
For this do we pray, most merciful Jesus,
in Thy Name, unto God the Father,
with Whom Thou livest and reignest
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
world without end.
Amen.

Posted in QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 18 January – Of another Danger from which the Understanding must be Guarded

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Thought for the Day – 18 January – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

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

The Third Weapon
of the Spiritual Combat

IX: … Of another Danger from which
the Understanding must be Guarded,
that it may Exercise a True Judgement (Part Two)

“By following these instructions you will avoid many dangers; for when the wily serpent sees the will of those, who are aiming at the spiritual life, to be strong and resolute, he attacks their Understanding, that so he may master both the one and the other.
He often, therefore, infuses lofty and curious speculations into their minds, especially if they be of an acute and intellectual order and easily inflated with pride and he does this, in order that they may busy themselves in the enjoyment and discussion of such subjects, wherein, as they falsely persuade themselves, they enjoy God and, meanwhile neglect to purify their hearts and to apply themselves to self-knowledge and true mortification.
So, falling into the snare of pride, they make an idol of their own understanding!

Hence, being already accustomed to have recourse, in all circumstances, to their own judgement, they come gradually and imperceptibly to believe that they have no need of advice or control from others.
This is a most perilous case and very difficult to cure, the pride of the understanding being more dangerous than that of the will; for when the pride of the will is once perceived by the understanding, it may, in course of time, be easily remedied by submission to those to whom it owes obedience.
But how, or by whom, can he be cured, who obstinately believes his own opinion and judgement, to be worth more than that of others?
How shall he submit to other men’s judgement, which he accounts to be far inferior to his own!

The Understanding is the eye of the soul, by which the wound of the proud Will, should be discovered and cleansed; if that eye, then, itself be weak and blind and swollen with pride, by whom shall it be healed?
And if the light become darkness and the rule faulty, what will become of the rest?

Therefore, resist this dangerous pride betimes, before it penetrate into the marrow of your bones.
Blunt the acuteness of your intellect, willingly submit your own opinion to that of others, become a fool for the love of God and you shall be wiser than Solomon!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/01/17/thought-for-the-day-17-january-of-another-danger-from-which-the-understanding-must-be-guarded/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PETER!, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 January – ‘Peter alone was chosen to stand at the head …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 January – Feast of the Chair of the Apostle, St Peter at Rome – 1 Peter 1:1-7, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:16

“Upon this rock
I will build My Church”

Matthew 16:18

“I decided to consult the Chair of Peter,
where that faith is found
exalted by the lips of an Apostle;
I now come to ask for nourishment
for my soul there,
where once I received the garment of Christ.
I follow no leader save Christ,
so I enter into communion with Your beatitude,
that is, with the Chair of Peter,
for this, I know, is the rock
upon which the Church is built.”
(cf Le lettere I, 15, 1-2)

St Jerome (343-420)
Father & Doctor od rhw Church

“He gave way to sin so that,
remembering his own failure
and the kindness of the Lord,
he might testify to others,
a grace of philanthropy in accord
with the divine design conceived by God.
The fall had been permitted to the one
who was going to see himself
entrusted with the Church,
the Pillar of the Church,
the Harbour of the Faith;
the fall had been permitted to Peter,
the Doctor of the Universe,
in order that, the forgiveness received,
might remain the foundation of love for others.”

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

“Nothing escaped the Wisdom and Power of Christ,
the elements of nature lay at His service,
spirits obeyed Him, Angels served Him. …
And yet, out of all the world,
Peter alone was chosen to stand at the head,
for the calling of all the peoples
and the oversight of all the Apostles
and Fathers of the Church.”

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

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 January – ‘… [Thou] didst boldly set up the trophy of the Cross of Christ, upon those Roman walls …’

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One Minute Reflection – 18 January – Feast of the Chair of the Apostle, St Peter at Rome – 1 Peter 1:1-7, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And I say to thee: That thou art Peter and upon this rock, I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” – Matthew 16:18

REFLECTION – “When the twelve holy Apostles had received from the Holy Ghost the power to speak all languages, they divided the regions of the earth amongst themselves, as fields for their Gospel labours. Then was Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, sent to the Capital City of the Roman Empire that he might make the Light to shine, from the head, to the whole body of the civilised nations. At that time, what nation was there which had no representative in Rome? What nations would be ignorant of what Rome had learned?

Here were to be refuted the theories of philosophers, here dissolved the vanities of earthly wisdom, here overthrown the worship of devils, here destroyed the impiety of every sacrilege; here, where superstitious zeal had collected all the error and vanity of the world. Therefore, to this City, O most blessed Peter, thou dost not fear to come and, while thy companion in glory, the Apostle Paul, is still occupied with the government of other Churches, thou dost enter this forest of savage beasts, this deep and turbulent ocean, with more boldness than when thou didst walk upon the water!

Thou hadst already taught those, of the circumcision who had been converted, thou hadst founded the Church of Antioch, the first that bore the noble name of Christian; thou hadst published the law of the Gospel throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia and, thou didst not fear for the difficulty of thy work, nor turn back because of thine old age but didst boldly set up the trophy of the Cross of Christ, upon those Roman walls, where the Providence of God had appointed the throne of thine honour and the glorious scene of thy passion.” – St Leo the Great (400-461) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon on the Feast of St Peter’s Chair at Rome).

PRAYER – O God, Who together with the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven didst bestow on thy blessed Apostle Peter the pontifical power of binding and loosing, grant that by the aid of his intercession, we may be released from the bonds of our sins. 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!, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 17 January – Of another Danger from which the Understanding must be Guarded

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

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

The Third Weapon
of the Spiritual Combat

IX: … Of another Danger from which
the Understanding must be Guarded,
that it may Exercise a True Judgement (Part One)

“The second thing from which the Understanding must be guarded is curiosity; for by filling it with hurtful, vain and impertinent thoughts, we incapacitate and disable it from apprehending that, which most nearly affects our true mortification and perfection.

To this end, you must be as one dead to all needless investigation of even lawful earthly things.
Always restrain your intellect as much as possible and love to keep it low.
Let the news and the changes of the world, whether great or small, be to you as though, they were not and, should they intrude themselves, reject and drive them from you.

Be sober and humble even in the desire to understand heavenly things, wishing to know nothing but Christ Crucified, His Life, His Death and what He requires of thee.
Cast all other things far from you and so shall you be very pleasing unto God.
For He loves and delights in those, who desire and seek of Him such things alone, as serve to the love of His Divine Goodness and the fulfilment of His will.
All other petitions and inquiries belong to self-love, pride and the snares of the devil!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on PHYSICAL SICKNESS, ILLNESS, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SCANDAL, QUOTES on SLOTH, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The SIGN of the CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 17 January – St Anthony Abbot

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 January – St Anthony Abbot (251-356)

“The illusions of this world soon vanish,
especially if a man arms himself
with the Sign of the Cross.
The devils tremble
at the Sign of the Cross of our Lord,
by which He triumphed over and disarmed them.”

“If we make every effort to avoid
death of the body,
still more should it be our endeavour,
to avoid death of the soul!
There is no obstacle for a man
who wishes to be saved,
other than negligence and laziness of soul.”

“ What is slander?
It is every sort of wicked word
we would dare not speak
in front of the person whom
we are complaining about.”

MORE and MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/01/17/quote-s-of-the-day-17-january-st-anthony-abbot-2/

St Anthony Abbot (251-356)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRESUMPTION, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on WATCHING, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 January –  ‘ … So keep watch with vigilant soul and you will see the pure Truth with open eyes! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 17 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” – St Anthony Abbot (251-356) – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6; Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” – Luke 12:40

REFLECTION – “These words mean – you are to be awake and vigilant because you do not know the hour when the Lord will come from the wedding … Because, as soon as some feeling of pride, self-satisfaction or self-will enters a man, the Enemy is there, cutting the precious bag, of all his good works from him. Oh, children! How many people like these, will you see, who have done great works … and thus gained great renown … but, presumption has stripped them of all … They will be placed after the poor and simple fellows, whom no-one values because of their outward appearance and work. Because they humbly take a lowly place, these latter, will be set above the others … So keep watch with vigilant soul and you will see the pure Truth with open eyes …

“Let your loins be girt about and your lamps alight.” Here there are three points to notice. First – the loins are to be girded like someone firmly bound with a rope, so as to be led, against his will … Second – you are to carry lighted lamps in your hands which is to say, works of love. Your hands should never stop doing the true, ardent work of charity … Third – you should wait for the Lord when He returns from the wedding … “The Lord will set them over all His goods; He will gird Himself and will serve them.” This wedding from which the Lord comes, takes place in the most interior part of the soul, in its depths, where the noble image is found. O what intimate contact the soul has with God and God with it, in this depth and what a marvellous work God does there! What rejoicing and joy He finds there! It surpasses all feeling and thought and yet, man knows nothing and feels nothing of it.” – Fr Johannes Tauler OP (c1300-1361) Dominican Priest and Friar, renowned Preacher and Theologian (Sermon 77 for the Feast of a Confessor).

PRAYER – May the intercession of the Blessed Abbot Anthony, commend us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, so that what we do not deserve by any merits of our own, we may obtain by his patronage. Through tJesus 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 OUR Cross, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, St Francis de Sales, The HEART, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 17 January – O My God, I Thank Thee

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Our Morning Offering – 17 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”

O My God, I Thank Thee
An Act of Abandonment
to the Divine Will
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

O my God, I thank Thee
and I praise Thee
for accomplishing Thy Holy and all-lovable Will
without any regard for mine.
With my whole heart,
in spite of my heart,
do I receive this cross I feared so much!
It is the cross of Thy choice,
the cross of Thy Love.
I venerate it;
nor for anything in the world
would I wish it had not come,
since Thou hast willed it.
I keep it with gratitude and with joy,
as I do everything which comes from Thy Hand
and I shall strive to carry it
without letting it drag,
with all the respect
and all the affection
which Thy works deserve.
Amen.