Category: CATHOLIC Quotes

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MOTHER of GOD, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on PURITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 15 December – Octave of the Immaculate Conception

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 15 December – 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

“Thou alone and Thy Mother,
are in all things fair,
there is no flaw in Thee
and no stain in Thy Mother.”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

O Pure and Immaculate Blessed Virgin
By St Ephrem (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

O Pure and Immaculate
and likewise Blessed Virgin,
who art the sinless Mother of thy Son,
the mighty Lord of the universe,
thou who art inviolate and altogether holy,
the hope of the hopeless and sinful,
we sing thy praises.
We bless thee, as full of every grace,
thou who didst bear the God-Man:
we bow low before thee;
we invoke thee and implore thine aid.
Rescue us, O holy and inviolate Virgin,
from every necessity that presses upon us
and from all the temptations of the devil.
Be our intercessor and advocate
at the hour of death and judgement,
deliver us from the fire
that is not extinguished
and from the outer darkness;
make us worthy of the glory of thy Son,
O dearest and most clement Virgin Mother.
Thou indeed art our only hope most sure
and sacred in God’s sight,
to Whom be honour and glory
and majesty and dominion
forever and ever,
world without end.
Amen

St Ephrem of Syria (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“The very fact
that God has elected her,
proves, that none was ever
holier than Mary;
if any stain had disfigured her soul,
if any other virgin
had been purer and holier,
God would have selected her
and rejected Mary.”

St Jacob of Sarug (c 451-521)
Bishop, Theologian, Poet, Writer

“He Who is Infinite, Limitless,
came to dwell in your womb;
God, the Child Jesus,
was nourished by your milk.
You are the ever virginal
Doorway of God;
your hands hold your God;
your lap is a throne raised up above the Cherubim…
You are the wedding chamber of the Spirit,
the “city of the living God,
gladdened by the runlets of the stream”
that is to say, the waves of the Spirit’s gifts.
You are “all fair, the Beloved” of God.”

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

“Free from the concupiscence which has disturbed
our human nature, she was like a snow-white lily,
sparkling in the sunlight.
Her mortal life was a continuous ascent
towards the highest peak of holiness.
… her daily correspondence with God’s gifts
was as remarkable as her dignity.
… The most chaste Virgin Mary,
is a model for our imitation.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, Quotes on SALVATION, The ANNUNCIATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection –15 December – ‘ … So Mary, by the word of an Angel …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection –15 December – 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 – “So the Lord now manifestly came to His own. Born by His own created order that He Himself bears, He by His obedience on the tree, renewed and reversed what was done by disobedience, in connection with a tree.

The power of that seduction, by which the virgin Eve, already betrothed to a man, had been wickedly seduced, was broken when the Angel in truth brought good tidings to the Virgin Mary, who already, by her betrothal belonged to a man. For as Eve was seduced by the word of an Angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His Word, so Mary, by the word of an Angel, received the glad tidings that she would bear God, by obeying His Word.

The former was seduced to disobey God and so fell but the latter, was persuaded to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of Eve.

As the human race was subjected to death through the act of a Virgin, so was it saved by a Virgin, was precisely balanced by the obedience of Another. Then indeed, the sin of the first formed man was amended by the chastisement of the First Begotten, the wisdom of the serpent was conquered by the simplicity of the Dove and the chains were broken, by which we were in bondage to death.” – St Irenaeus (130-202) Bishop of Lyons, Martyr, Father of the Church (Against Heresies, 5)

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 You, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee through her intercession that we too may come to Thee unstained by sin. 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 DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUEENSHIP of MARY, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PURITY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 15 December – Deign, O Immaculate Virgin

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Our Morning Offering – 15 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and the Octave Day of the Feast

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin
By St Paschasius Radbertus (785–865)

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin,
Mother most pure,
to accept the loving cry of praise
which we send up to you
from the depths of our hearts.
Though they can but add little to your glory,
O Queen of Angels,
you do not despise, in your love,
the praises of the humble
and the poor.
Cast down upon us a glance of mercy,
O most glorious Queen,
graciously receive our petitions.
Through your immaculate purity
of body and mind,
which rendered you so pleasing to God,
inspire us with a love of innocence and purity.
Teach us to guard carefully the gifts of grace,
striving ever after sanctity, so that,
being made like the image of your beauty,
we may be worthy to become the sharers
of your eternal happiness.
Amen

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on The SOUL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VANITY, The HEART

Thought for the Day – 14 December – Consolation from God

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Thought for the Day – 14 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Consolation from God

“Even men and other creatures, have some power to comfort and console us.
The comfort which we receive from them, however, cannot completely satisfy our hearts which were made for God alone.
Such consolations, as they can give are short-lived and vanish like snow beneath the sun.

What can men or other worldly creatures give us?
They can give us material wealth but this often turns out to be troublesome and vexatious and is too much inferior to the greatness of the human soul, to be able to satisfy it.
Worldly honour can intoxicate our pride and self-conceit for a little while but this state of inebriation cannot last very long.
We know too well that we are what we are in the sight of God and nothing more.
The praise and flattery of other men adds nothing to our statue and only serves as an incentive to idle vanity.
Then, there are worldly pleasures, some of which are healthy and commendable but how long do thy last?
They are like flowers which open there petals to the morning air and fold them again in the evening.
There are unhealthy pleasures too; not only are these passing and perishable like all created things but, they leave behind a sense of nausea and remorse!

Let us seek, before all other joys, the consolation of God.
These do not decrease as life goes on but, last forever and are completed in the next life.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 December – St Venantius Fortunatus

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 December – Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – The Feast of St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609) Bishop, Poet, Hymnist, Writer. Another “Golden Words.”

“O Mother blest!
And chosen Shrine
wherein the Architect Divine,
Whose Hand contains the earth and sky
vouchsafed in hidden guise to lie;
Blest in the message Gabriel brought;
blest in the work, the Spirit wrought;
Most blest, to bring to human birth,
the long desired of all the earth!”

“See the destined day arise!
See a willing Sacrifice!
Jesus, to redeem our loss,
hangs upon the shameful Cross;
Jesus, Who but Thee could bear
wrath so great and justice fair?
Every pang and bitter throe,
finishing Thine life of woe?”

“Hail, O Altar, Hail, O Victim,
For the glory of Thy Passion,
By which Life endured death
And by death, restored life!”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-december-st-venantius-fortunatus/

St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609)

Posted in CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on GRACE, The ANNUNCIATION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 December – “Hail, full of grace …” – Luke 1:28

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 December –The Second Week of Advent, Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 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 "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on SANCTITY

Thought for the Day – 13 December – The Desire for Perfection

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Thought for the Day – 13 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Desire for Perfection

“Make and keep yourselves holy,” God commands us, “because, I Am Holy.” (Lev 11:44; 19:2).
“You are to be perfect,” adds Jesus Christs, “even as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).

We are obliged, therefore, to make every possible effort, to advance in holiness.
Sad experience teaches us, however, that it is very dfifficult to reach the level of sanctity to which we are called by God and, that it is impossible to achieve the absolute perfection which God alone possesses.
Why then, does God place before us such an inacessible goal?
Simply because, although He knows that we cannot attain the perfect holiness which is to be found in our heavenly Father, He wants us to desire it with all our hearts and to do our best to approach as near to it as we can.

This desire for sanctity should dominate all our actions.
It may be impossible for us to achieve Christian perfection completely but, we should always strive towards it.
All our actions and affections should form a ladder which will enable us to climb nearer to this ideal.
If the desire for perfection dominates our entire lives, it will one day dominate and brighten the supreme moment of death.
If we lack this desire, we shall fall into a state of tepidity and of indifference to spiritual realities which will inevitably end in sin.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 13 December – ‘Where your treasure is,there also will your heart be.’

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 December – Feast of St Lucy, Virgin Martyr – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18, 11:1-2; Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Kingdom of Heaven
is like a treasure
hidden in a field.”

Matthew 13:44

“For the man who loves God,
it is sufficient to please the One he loves
and, there is no greater recompense to be sought,
than the loving itself.
For love is from God, by the very fact
that God Himself is love.
The good and chaste soul
is so happy to be filled with Him
that it desires to take delight in nothing else.
For what the Lord says is very true:
‘Where your treasure is,
there also will your heart be.’”

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

I Will Love Thee, Lord
By St Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555)

I will love Thee, Lord,
in every way
and without setting limits
to my love.
Thou set no limits to what Thou
hast done for me;
Thou hast not measured Thy gifts.
I will not measure my love.
I will love Thee, Lord,
with all my strength,
with all my powers,
as much as I am able.
Amen

“Amongst all loves,
God’s is so to be preferred
that we must always stand prepared in mind
to forsake them all
for that alone. ”

(Treatise on the Love of God,
Book 10, Chapter 7)

“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

​In Thy Divine Heart
By St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)
Visionary of the Sacred Heart

Lord Jesus,
let my heart never rest
until it finds Thee,
Who are its source,
its love and its happiness.
By the wound in Thy Heart
pardon the sins I have committed,
whether out of weakness,
or out of evil desires.
Place my weak heart
in Thy own Divine Heart,
continually under Thy protection and guidance,
so that I may persevere in doing good
and in fleeing evil,
until my last breath.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 December – Our Treasure …

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One Minute Reflection – 13 December – Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent, Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Feast of St Lucy, Virgin Martyr – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18, 11:1-2; Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.” – Matthew 13:44

REFLECTION – “For the man who loves God, it is sufficient to please the One he loves and, there is no greater recompense to be sought, than the loving itself. For love is from God, by the very fact, that God Himself is love. The good and chaste soul is so happy to be filled with Him that it desires to take delight in nothing else. For what the Lord says is very true: – ‘Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.’

What is a man’s treasure but the heaping up of profits and the fruit of his toil? For whatever a man sows, this too will he reap and each man’s gain, matches his toil and where delight and enjoyment are found, there the heart’s desire is attached. Now there are many kinds of wealth and a variety of grounds for rejoicing – every man’s treasure is that which he desires. If it is based on earthly ambitions, its acquisition makes men not blessed but wretched!

But those who enjoy the things that are above and eternal, rather than earthly and perishable, possess an incorruptible, hidden store, of which the Prophet speaks: ‘Our treasure and salvation have come, wisdom and instruction and piety, from the Lord: these are the treasures of justice.’ Through these, with the help of God’s grace, even earthly possessions are transformed into heavenly blessings. It is a fact that many people use the wealth, which is either rightfully left to them or otherwise acquired, as a tool of devotion. By distributing what might be superfluous to support the poor, they are amassing imperishable riches, so that what they have discreetly given, cannot be subject to loss. They have properly placed those riches, where their heart is, – it is a most blessed thing, to work to increase such riches, rather than to fear that they may pass away.” – St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Bishop of Rome and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from Sermon 92).

PRAYER – Hear us, O God our Saviour, that, as we rejoice on the feast of blessed Lucy, YThy Virgin and Martyr, so we may grow in love and devotion. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERIT

Thought for the Day – 12 December – Merit and the Love of God

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 12 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Merit and the Love of God

“It is necessary, therefore, to love God and to do everything for the love of Him and for His glory alone.
If we are to love God, however, we must know Him.
If only we knew God perfectly, not only should we love Him but, we should come near to expiring from excessive love!
We love God too little because, we know Him too little!
Let us endeavour, therefore, to know Him by meditating on His infinite goodness, beauty and perfection.
Any other goodness, beauty or perfection is a faint reflection of that of God, Who is the Source of all true goodness.
We should not allow ourselves to be distracted or disturbed by these fleeting and perishable reflections.

God alone is enough for us.
Let us learn to know Him and, in consequence, to love Him in the splendour of created things which reflect His beauty and power.
The stars and the flowers, the waves of the sea and the trees of the forest, all speak to us of God.
Let us come to know and to love Him, until we lament with St Augustine:
“Too late have I loved Thee!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/15/thought-for-the-day-15-december-merit-and-the-love-of-god/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on PURITY, The ANNUNCIATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 December – ‘… Mary is the new tree of life …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 12 December – Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent, Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 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 – 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.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!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 11 December – Leaving Our Worries in God’s Hands

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Thought for the Day – 11 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Leaving Our Worries in God’s Hands

“We should try to behave with similar serenity.
We should remain close to God and live in complete conformity with His will.
We should perform our duties attentively and whole-heartedly but, we should never worry about them.
As a result, we shall do more and do it more effectively.
Most important of all, we shall be sure that God shall bless our work.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/?s=leaving+our+worries+in+god%27s+hands

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT QUOTES, CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, OPEN HOUSE...Conversations with..., PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUTH, St PETER!, The DIVINE INFANT, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 December – ‘Let us become like Christ, …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 11 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Monday of the Second Week of Advent – 1 Peter 5:1-4, 10-11; Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

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

1 Peter 5:10-11

“Then go and learn,
neither to be moved with injuries nor flatteries.
If you die to the world and to yourself,
you will begin to live to Christ.”

St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390)

“Let us become like Christ,
since Christ became like us.
He assumed the worse,
that He might give us the better;
He became poor,
that we through His poverty,
might be rich.”

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

“Let us always belong to God,
unreservedly and without interruption.
May He ever live and reign in our hearts.”

(Letter to Madame de Chantal)

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

“Each one of us has a thirst
for all that is infinite, eternal and perfect.
God alone can satisfy this thirst.
Just as we are created by God,
so we are created for Him.
Just as we came from God,
so we are gradually travelling back towards Him,
for He is the final goal of our earthly journey.
We should meditate on this great truth
which we were first taught in the Catechism,
namely, that we were created
to know, love and serve God
on this earth and to be happy with Him
forever in Heaven.
God alone is the eternal beauty
which will satisfy our hearts.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DEATH, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 December– Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:16

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One Minute Reflection – 11 December – Monday of the Second Week of Advent, Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – St Pope Damasus I (c305-384) Confessor. – 1 Peter 5:1-4, 10-11; Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:16

REFLECTION – “Peter did not say “Thou are a Christ” or “a son of God” but “the Christ, the Son of God.” For there are many christs by grace, who have attained the rank of adoption [as sons] but [there is] only One Who is by nature the Son of God. Thus, using the definite article, he said, THE Christ, THE Son of God. And in calling Him, Son of the LIVING God, Peter indicates that Christ Himself is Life and that death has no authority over Him. And even if the flesh, for a short while, was weak and died, nevertheless, it rose again, since the Word, Who dwelled in it, could not be held under the bonds of death.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Known as “The Pillar of Faith” Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor Incarnationis (Doctor of the Incarnation) (Fragment 190).

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 DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on PURITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

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)

HOLY PURITY

“Most Pure Virgin, Immaculate Mother of God, thou sees how many dangers and snares surround my soul.
Thou sees how weak I am and how much I need thy help.
Assist me, I beseech thee when I am tempted.
Gran, I cry unto thee, that I may die in the state of grace, rather than fall into sin. Amen”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/21/thought-for-the-day-21-may-holy-purity/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/05/21/thought-for-the-day-21-may-holy-purity-3/

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT QUOTES, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, St Francis de Sales, The HEART, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 December – Preparing for the Lord

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 December – The Second Sunday of Advent

“For this is He of Whom it is written:
Behold. I send My Angel before My face,
who shall prepare Thy way before Thee.”

Matthew 11:10

“For everyone who exalts himself,
will be humbled and he
who humbles himself,
will be exalted.”

Luke 14:11

“We must erect the mystical ladder of Jacob,
where Angels, ascending and descending,
appeared to him.
Ascent and descent means,
that we go downward when we exalt ourselves
and rise, when we are humbled.
The ladder represents our life in this world,
which our Lord erects to Heaven,
when our heart is humbled.
The sides of the ladder represent our soul and body,
sides between which,
God has placed several rungs of humility and, discipline,
whereby we are to ascend
if we would answer His call.”

(Rule of Benedict #7)

St Benedict (480-547)
Father of the Church

“There is no road to Heaven
but that of innocence or penance.”

St Cajetan (1480-1547)

“Worldly love aims at pleasing everyone
and saddening no-one.
Many call this politeness!
but, it is simply
self-praise and flattery!”

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

“What better penance
can a heart do
which commits faults,
than to submit
to a continual abnegation
of self-will?”

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

“Let us be humble like Mary.
Let us make God’s glory,
rather than our own satisfaction,
the object of our actions.
Only one thing should count with us
and that is, the testimony
of a good conscience before God.
Everything else is passing and futile.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CONFESSION/PENANCE, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on VANITY, St Francis de Sales, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 December – Since our Divine Saviour is so near, what are we to do to prepare ourselves for His coming ?

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One Minute Reflection – 10 December – The Second Sunday of Advent, Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 11:2-10 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Behold I send My Angel before My face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee.” – Matthew 11:10

REFLECTION – “Since our Divine Saviour is so near, what are we to do to prepare ourselves for His coming ? Saint John the Baptist teaches us : “Repent!” he says, “bring low those mountains of pride, fill those valleys of laziness and pusillanimity, for salvation is near at hand.” The ‘valleys’ are nothing other than fear which, when it becomes too great, leads to discouragement. The sight of the great sins we have committed, brings with them, a shock and fear which strikes the heart. These are the valleys we have to fill, with trust and hope for the coming of our Lord.

“Bring low mountains and hills:”what are these but presumption, pride and self-esteem, which is a very great hindrance to our Lord’s coming, Who is accustomed to humble and bring low the proud, for He penetrates right to the bottom of our hearts to uncover the pride hidden within them. “Level the highways, the crooked ways make straight to make them a plain.” This is as though He were to say: “Put right all those doubtful intentions, so that you may have none but that of pleasing God, by doing penance, this being the goal to which we should all aim.”

Make straight the path, smooth down your feelings by the mortification of your passions, inclinations and aversions. Oh, what a desirable thing it is, this equanimity of mind and feeling; how faithfully we ought to work to acquire it! For, we are more changing and inconstant, than can be told. People are to be found, who at one moment, being in a good temper, will be of a pleasant and joyful conversation; yet look on the other side and you will find them sad and restless –in sum, the winding and uneven ways, are to be made straight for the coming of our Lord!” – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva, Doctor of the Church (Sermon for the 4th Sunday of Advent).

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.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 AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on STRENGTH, The DIVINE INFANT, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 9 December – ‘Of her was born Jesus …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conceptio of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Saturday of the First Week of Advent Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God

“And Jacob begot Joseph,
the husband of Mary
and of her was born Jesus,
Who is called Christ.”

Matthew 1:16

“Mary, having merited to give flesh
to the Divine Word
and thus, supply the price
of our redemption
that we might be delivered
from eternal death, therefore,
she is more powerful
than all others,
to help us gain eternal life.”

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

“The One Who is the Wisdom of the Father,
put His arms around her neck,
the One Who is the strength,
which gives movement to everything,
sat in her arms.
He, Who is the rest of souls, (Mt 11:29)
rested on her motherly breast.
… Filled with the Holy Spirit,
she held Him close to her heart …
She never had enough
of seeing Him or of hearing Him …
Thus Mary, grew evermore in love
and her mind was unceasingly attached,
to Divine contemplation.”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)

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, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 December ‘ … Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 9 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Saturday of the First Week of Advent Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the 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 – “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 You, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee through her intercession that we too may come to Thee unstained by sin. 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 DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on PURITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 9 December – Tota Pulchra Es Maria, You Are All Beautiful, Mary

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Our Morning Offering – 9 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” Saturday of the First Week of Advent Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God

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, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MOTHER of GOD, ORIGINAL SIN, 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 Spirit, 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, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, St Francis de Sales, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

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

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 December – Feast of the Immaculate Conception and “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception”

“O daughter of King David
and Mother of God,
the universal King.
O Divine and living object
whose beauty has charmed God the Creator;
your whole soul is completely open
to God’s action and attentive to God alone.
… Your womb will be the abode
of the One whom no place can contain.
Your milk will provide nourishment for God,
in the little Infant Jesus.
Your hands will carry God
and your knees will serve
as a throne for Him
that is more noble
than the throne of the Cherubim.
… You are the temple of the Holy Spirit,
the City of the living God,
made joyous by abundant flowers,
the sacred flowers of Divine grace.
You are all-beautiful
and very close to God,
above the Cherubim
and higher than the Seraphim,
right near God Himself!
Amen”

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

“The Blessed Virgin was chosen
to be the Mother of God
and, therefore, it is not to be doubted,
but that God fitted her for it
by His graces.”

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

“It is an axiom in Theology
that when a person is chosen by God
for any state, he receives,
not only the dispositions necessary for it
but, even the gifts which he needs
to sustain that state with decorum.”
(Speaking on the subject of the
Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God).

St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

“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

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/08/quote-s-of-the-day-8-december-rhe-immaculate-conception/

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on VANITY, QUOTES on WISDOM

Thought for the Day – 7 December –

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

TRUE WISDOM

“Today, unfortunately, there is too much emphasis set on material science considered in itself and apart from God.
Many people do not regard earthly things as steps which enable them to climb towards God but, as objects desirable in themselves which possess the power to satisfy them, both intellectually and sensibly.
In fact, they fail to appease their vanity for very long and, if they become attached to them, lead them towards spiritual ruin.

A century ago, the French writer de Maistre, prophesied incalculable evil, if men did not return to the ancient values and subordinate knowledge to goodness once more.
Because of science, he said, men would become more barbarous than the barbarians.
His words have come true in the past few decades.
Unbridled science has brought us two world wars and the weapons which threaten destruction of all!

Let us seek to avert catastrophe in our own individual lives, at least.
Knowledge is desirable but only after goodness and humility.
Let us remember the words of St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians:
“All things are yours and you are Christ’s and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor 3:22-23).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/30/thought-for-the-day-30-april-true-wisdom/

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT QUOTES, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN QUOTES, OUR Cross, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PURITY, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SLOTH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on WATCHING, SAINT of the DAY, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The SECOND COMING

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

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 December – 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)

“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, t
he sound of His heavenly Voice,
for His passing is swift. …”

“Open wide your door to the One who comes.
Open your soul,
throw open the depths of your heart
to see the riches of simplicity,
the treasures of peace,
the sweetness of grace.
Open your heart
and run to meet
the Sun of Eternal Light
Who illuminates all men.”

“No-one heals himself
by wounding another.”

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

“Carry me, O Christ,
on Thy Cross
which is salvation to the wanderer,
rest for the wearied
and, in which alone,
is Life for those who die.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-december-st-ambrose-3/

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

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, Quotes on SALVATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 December – “You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14

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One Minute Reflection – 7 December – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception” – St Ambrose (340-397) – Confessor, Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

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

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

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

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

PRAYER – O God, 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 ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE WORLD

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

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/13/thought-for-the-day-12-december-the-word-of-god/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/06/thought-for-the-day-6-december-the-word-of-god/

Posted in "Follow Me", MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on MERCY, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SPIRITUAL WORKS of MERCY, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the POOR, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 December – What dost thou have that thou hast not received? – 1 Corinthians 4:7

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

“What dost thou have that thou hast not received?”

1 Corinthians 4:7

“Are we going to neglect our own salvation?
Let us show great compassion
towards the poor
so as to be made worthy of possessing
good things to come for all eternity!”

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

“For the devil may tempt the good
but he cannot find rest in them;
for he is shaken violently
and upset and driven out –
now by their prayers,
now by their tears of repentance
and now. by their almsgiving
and similar good works.”

St Bruno (c1030-1101)

“What great profit you gain from God
when you are generous!
You give a coin
and receive a Kingdom;
you give bread from wheat
and receive the Bread of Life;
you give a transitory good
and receive an everlasting one.
You will receive it back,
a hundred times more
than you offered.”

St Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555)

“As well as the corporal works,
there are the spiritual works of mercy.
Everyone is not obliged to undertake the former,
that would be impossible, for instance,
for the desitute, the sick, the aged.
But, everyone is OBLIGED to undertake the latter.
Sometimes a kind word
is more valuable than money!”
… Remember, however, that the practice
of the spiritual works of mercy,
does not excuse us from the exercise
of material works of charity,
wherever that is possible for us (Cf Js 2:16).

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the POOR, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The SEVEN LAST WORDS of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 December – ‘ … We do not even belong to ourselves! …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 6 December – St Nicholas (270-343) Confessor, Bishop – 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. Then, he went away, immediately …” – Matthew 25:15

REFLECTION – “What do thou have that thou hast not received?” St Paul says to us (1 Cor 4:7). So, let us not be greedy of our goods, as though they belonged to us …They have been entrusted to our care; we have the use of a wealth in common, not the eternal possession of a personal good. If you acknowledge that this good is yours only for a time here below, you will be able to gain a possession in Heaven which will never end. Remember the servants in the Gospel who had received some talents from their master and what the master, on his return, rendered to each of them. You will then understand that to place your money on the Lord’s table, to make it bear fruit, is far more profitable, than to preserve it in fruitless faithfulness without its returning anything back to its creditor, to the great loss of the useless servant whose punishment will be all the more heavy …

Let us then lend to the Lord, the goods we have received from Him. Indeed, we possess nothing which is not a gift from the Lord and we exist only because He wills it! What is there we could think of as our own, since, by reason of an enormous and exceptional debt, we do not even belong to ourselves! For God created us but He has also redeemed us. Let us be thankful, then; redeemed at great price, the price of the Lord’s Blood, we are no longer worthless things … Let us return to the Lord what He has given us. Let us give to Him, Who receives in the person of every poor man. Let us give with joy that we may receive from Him in gladness, as He has promised!” – St Paulinus of Nola (354-431) Bishop, Father of the Church (Letter 34: 2-4).

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 ADVENT PRAYERS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, The DIVINE INFANT, The INCARNATION

Our Morning Offering – 6 December – A Great and Mighty Wonder By St Germanus of Constantinople

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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 week of Advent

A Great and Mighty Wonder
By St Germanus (c 640-c 733)

A great and mighty wonder,
a glorious mystery,
a Virgin bears an Infant
who veils His Deity.
Refrain:
Proclaim the Saviour’s birth,
“To God on high be glory
and peace to all the earth!”
The Word becomes incarnate
and yet remains on high,
and Cherubim sing anthems
to shepherds from the sky. … [Refrain]
While thus they sing your monarch,
those bright angelic bands,
rejoice, O vales and mountains
and oceans, clap your hands. [Refrain]
Since all, He comes to ransom,
by all, be He adored,
the Infant born in Bethl’em,
the Saviour and the Lord. [Refrain]
All idols then shall perish
and Satan’s lying cease,
and Christ shall raise His sceptre,
decreeing endless peace. [Refrain]

St Germanus was one of the Greek hymnwriters and one of the grandest among the defenders of the Icons. He was born at Constantinople of a patrician family, was Ordained there and became subsequently, Bishop of Cyzicus. He was present at the Synod of Constantinople in 712, which restored the Monothelite heresy but, in after years, he condemned it.
He was made Archbishop of Constantinople in 715. In 730 he was driven from the See, not without blows, for refusing to yield to the Iconoclastic Emperor, Leo the Isaurian. He died shortly afterwards in exile at a good old age.
His Life below:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/05/12/saint-of-the-day-12-may-saint-germanus-of-constantinople-c-640-733/

Posted in DEVOTIO, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on The SOUL, QUOTES on VIRTUE, Thomas a Kempis

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

“After expounding this doctrine of interior peace, The Imitation of Christ goes onto saw:
“But never to feel any grief at all, nor to suffer any trouble of heart or body, is not the state of this present life but, of everlasting rest.
Think nor, therefore, that thou hast found true peace, if thou feel no burden;
nor that then all is well, if thou have no adversary, nor that thou hast attained to perfection, if all things be done according to thy inclination.
Neither do thou conceive a great notion of thyself, or imagine thyself to be especially beloved, if thou experiences great devotion and sweetness; for it is not in such things as these, that a true lover of virtue is known; nor doth the progress and perfection of man consist in these things!” (Bk III c25).

We can see from this that peace of soul in this life, is alway the product of strife and sacrifice.
We must pay the price, if we desire to acquire it.
Only when we have attained, at last, to everlasting happiness, shall we enjoy perfect peace, as the reward of our perseverance and fidelity on earth.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/12/thought-for-the-day-12-december-peace-of-soul/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/05/thought-for-the-day-5-december-peace-of-soul/