Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 August – “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31

One Minute Reflection – 9 August – Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Readings: 1 Kings 19:911-13Psalms 85:9-14Romans 9:1-5Matthew 14:22-33 and the Memorial of St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942) Martyr

“O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” … Matthew 14:31

REFLECTION – “Once again the disciples are a plaything of the waves and a storm, similar to the first one (Mt 8:4), hurls itself against them. The first time, however, they had Jesus with them, whereas this time they are alone and left to themselves. …  I think this was because our Saviour wanted to stir their sleeping hearts and, by throwing them into a panic, he inspired in them a strong desire for His presence and kept the remembrance of Him constantly in their mind.   Hence, He did not come to their help at once but “during the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on the sea”. …

Peter, ever volatile, always getting in before the other disciples, said: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” …   He didn’t say, “Command me to walk on the water” but “come to you,” for there was none who loved Jesus so much as he.   He did the same thing after the Resurrection – unable to bear moving as slowly as the others in the boat, he jumped into the water to get there before them and satisfy his love for Christ. …  Getting out of the boat, then, Peter went towards Jesus, more delighted to be going towards Him than to be walking on the water.   But after confronting the greatest danger, that of the sea, he was to give in to a lesser, that of the wind.   Such is human nature!   Often, having overcome serious dangers we are conquered by lesser ones …  Peter had not yet been set free from all his fear … in spite of Christ’s presence beside him.   For it is of no use to be beside Christ if one is not close to him by faith.   This is what emphasises the distance separating master from the disciple …

o man of little faith why did you doubt matthew 14 31 - getting out of the boat, then - st john chrysostom 9 aug 2020

“O man of little faith, why did you doubt?”   So if Peter’s faith had not faltered he would have resisted the wind without difficulty.   And the proof of this is that Jesus grasped Peter while leaving the wind to continue blowing …   Just as the mother bird supports with her wings, as it is about to fall, the fledgling that has prematurely left the nest and draws it back into the nest, so does Christ with regard to Peter.” … St John Chrysostom (345-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church – Homilies on Saint Matthew’s Gospel, no. 50, 1-2

st teresa benedicta pray for us.2

PRAYER – Lord our God, the Light and Creator of Light, grant that faithfully pondering on all that is holy, we may ever live in the splendour of Your presence.   May we live in Your Presence, withstand the winds of the world and grow daily in faith.   By the help and intercession of St Teresa Benedicta, You may never permit us to separate ourselves from You and thus we may come, to completion in You, Through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 8 August – “If you have faith” – Matthew 17:20

Quote/s of the Day – 8 August – Saturday of the Eighteenth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Habakkuk 112-2, 4, Psalm 9:8-13, Matthew 17:14-20

“If you have faith” – Matthew 17:20

“If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”
Jesus turned, and seeing her he said,
“Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.”
And instantly the woman was made well.”

Matthew 9:21-22

matthew 9 21-22 if I only touch his garment i will be made well - 6 july 2020

Jesus said to him,
“Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

John 20:28-29

john-20-29-blessed-are-those-who-have-not-seen-and-have-believed-3-july-2020 and 8 aug 2020

“Elizabeth says:
‘Blessed are you because you have believed.’
You also are blessed,
because you have heard and believed.
A soul that believes,
both conceives and brings forth
the Word of God
and acknowledges His works.”

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

elizabeth says blessed are you because you have believed - you also are blessed - st ambrose 6 july 2020

“Do you desire security?
Here you have it.
The Lord says to you, “I will never abandon you,
I will always be with you.”
If a good man made you such a promise,
you would trust him.
God makes it and do you doubt?
Do you seek a support, more sure
than the word of God, which is infallible?
Surely, He has made the promise,
He has written it,
He has pledged His word for it, it is most certain!”

do you desire security - st augustine faith or doubt 3 july 2020

“To one who has faith,
no explanation is necessary.
To one without faith,
no explanation is possible.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communisto one who has faith no explanation is necessary - st thomas aquinas 3 july 2020

“Paul says: I appeal to you by the mercy of God,
to present your bodies as a sacrifice, living and holy.
The prophet said the same thing:
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire
but you have prepared a body for me.
Each of us is called to be both a sacrifice to God and His priest.
Do not forfeit what divine authority confers on you.
Put on the garment of holiness, gird yourself with the belt of chastity.
Let Christ be your helmet, let the cross on your forehead be your unfailing protection.
Your breastplate, should be the knowledge of God, that He Himself has given you.
Keep burning continually, the sweet smelling incense of prayer.
Take up the sword of the Spirit.
Let your heart be an altar.
Then, with full confidence in God, present your body for sacrifice.
God desires, not death but faith.
God thirsts, not for blood but for self-surrender.
God is appeased, not by slaughter
but by the offering of your free will.”

St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450)
Bishop, Father & Doctor of the Church
“Doctor of Homilies”

the armour of christ - sat peter chrysologus do not forfeit - 8 aug 2020

“All things are possible for him who believes,
more to him who hopes,
even more to him who loves.”

St Lawrence of Brindisi(1559-1619)
Apostolic Doctor of the Church

all things are possible - st lawrence of brindisi 21 july 2020

“Faith is like a bright ray of sunlight.
It enables us to see God in all things,
as well as, all things in God.”

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

faith is like a bright ray of sunlight - st francis de sales 6 july 2020

“Bad Christians lack faith
and do not deny it
but they claim to be excused,
in that they have no reasons for believing.
Because of this, there is nothing as common
as this speech in the mouths of many people:
“If I had witnessed a miracle I should be a saint!”
“Evil and unfaithful generation!  It seeks a sign!” (Mt 12:39).
The wicked look for signs.”

St Claude la Colombière SJ (1641-1682)
Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

bad christians lack faith - st claude de la colombiere 8 aug 2020

Posted in CARMELITES, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MARIAN QUOTES, ON the SAINTS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 August – St Albert of Trapani and St Cajetan

Quote/s of the Day – 7 August – The Memorial of St Albert of Trapani O.Carm. (c 1240-1307) and St Cajetan (1480-1547)

Heal us Lord God
Prayer of St Albert of Trapani O.Carm. (c 1240-1307)

O my God,
You have created the human race
by Your wonderful power.
It is an act of Your clemency that has called us
to share Your glory and eternal life.
When the first sin condemned us to suffer death,
out of Your goodness,
You wished to redeem us
through the blood of Your Son,
To unite us to You through our faith
and Your great mercy.
You have brought us back
from the shame of our sin,
You have veiled our dishonour
in the brightness of Your glory.
Look now and see that what You have created,
giving it subtle limbs and joints
and made beautiful through its immortal soul,
is now subject to the attack of Satan.
Be pleased Lord
to reconstitute Your work and heal it.
May Your power be glorified
and may the malice of the enemy be stunned.
Amen

St Albert of Trapani (c 1240-1307)

heal us lord god - prayer of st albert of trapani 7 aug 2019

“My desire is not my way
but Your way.”

my desire is not my way but your way - st cajetan 7 aug 2020

“I am a sinner and do not think much of myself;
I have recourse to the greatest servants of the Lord,
that they may pray for me to the blessed Christ and His Mother.
But do not forget,
that all the saints cannot endear you to Christ
as much as you can yourself.
It is entirely up to you!”

but do not forget that all the saints cannot endear you to christ - st cajetan

“May all praise and thanks
be continually given
to the Most Holy
and Most August Sacrament.”

may all praise and thanks be continually given - st cajetan 7 aug 2020

“We may seek graces
but shall never find them
without the intercession of Mary.”

St Cajetan (1480-1547)

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-august-the-memorial-of-st-cajetan-1480-1547/

we may seek graces but shall never find them - st cajetan 7 aug 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The LAST THINGS, The TRANSFIGURATION

Quote/s of the Day – 6 August – The Transfiguration and Sts Justus and Pastor

Quote/s of the Day – 6 August – Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Memorial of Justus and Pastor – The Holy Martyred Children of Alcala de Henares in Spain (Died 304)

“Do not fear death of the body nor the torments, little brother.
Calmly receive the strike of the sword.
The God who has seen fit to call us to such a great grace,
will give us the necessary strength,
to endure the sufferings that await us.”

St Justus to his Brother St Pastor (Died 304)
Holy Children Martyrs

do not fear death of the body - st justus to st pastor 6 aug 2020

“No-one should fear to suffer
for the sake of justice,
no-one should lose confidence in the reward
that has been promised.
The way to rest is through toil,
the way to life is through death.
Christ has taken on Himself
the whole weakness of our lowly human nature.
If then we are steadfast in our faith in Him
and in our love for Him,
we win the victory that He has won,
we receive what He has promised.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)

Father and Doctor of the Church

no-one should fer to suffer - st pope leo - transfiguration 6 aug 2020

“By His loving foresight,
He allowed them to taste for a short time,
the contemplation of eternal joy,
so that they might bear persecution bravely.”

The Venerable St Bede (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church

by his loving foresight - st bede transfiguration 6 aug 2020

“Jesus goes before us to show us the way,
both up the mountain and into heaven and —
I speak boldly — it is for us now,
to follow him with all speed . . .
Let us run with confidence and joy
to enter into the cloud like Moses and Elijah,
or like James and John.
Let us be caught up like Peter
to behold the divine vision
and to be transfigured by that glorious transfiguration.
Let us retire from the world,
stand aloof from the earth,
rise above the body,
detach ourselves from creatures
and turn to the Creator,
to whom Peter in ecstasy exclaimed:
‘Lord, it is good for us to be here.’”

St Anastasius (Died 628)

jesus goes before us to show us the way - st anastasius 6 aug 2019 transfiguration

“At His Transfiguration
Christ showed His disciples,
the splendour of His beauty,
to which He will shape and colour
those who are His:
‘He will reform our lowness
configured to the body of his glory.’

St Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SAINT of the DAY, The TRANSFIGURATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 August – ‘Mould yourself on this figure ….’

One Minute Reflection – 6 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”- Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Readings: Daniel 7:9-1013-14 or 2 Peter 1: 16-19Psalm 97:1-25-69Matthew 17:1-9

” … His face shone like the sun” ... Matthew 17:2

REFLECTION“He was transfigured before them” (Mt 17:2).    Mould yourself on this figure as though with soft wax so to imprint the image of Christ on it, of whom it is said:  “His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as snow.”   In this passage you should keep in mind four things – the face, the sun, the clothing and the snow.   In the front of the head, which is called a man’s face, there are three senses that are ordered and disposed in a wonderful way.   These are sight, smell, taste.   In the same sort of way, in the face of our souls, there are the vision of faith, the smell of discretion and the taste of contemplation. (…)

In the sun there is brightness, whiteness and heat.   The brightness of the sun accords perfectly with the vision of faith that, together with the clarity of its light, perceives and believes invisible realities.   May the countenance of our souls shine like the sun!   May what we see by faith shine in our deeds!   May the good we perceive through our interior eyes be brought to fruition externally in the purity of our actions, may what we taste of God in contemplation, be transformed to heat, in love of neighbour.   So, like that of Jesus, our faces “will shine like the sun.”St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Doctor of the Church – Sermon for Septuagesima Sundayhis face shone like the sun matthew 17 2 - mould yourself - st anthony of padua 6 aug 2020

PRAYER – Father, at the Transfiguration in glory of Your only-begotten Son, You confirmed the mysteries of faith by the witness to Jesus of the prophets Moses and Elijah.   You foreshadowed what we shall be when You bring our sonship to its perfection.   Grant that by listening to the voice of Jesus, we may become heirs with Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and may Mary, our tender and caring Mother, help us to be bright rays of the saving light of her Son Jesus. Amentransfiguration - listen to him 17 march 2019

Posted in QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 July – The Last Day

Quote/s of the Day – 28 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Tuesday of the Seventeenth week in Ordinary Time, year A, Readings: Jeremiah 14:17-22, Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13, Matthew 13:36-43

“Then the righteous shall shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.
He who has ears, let him hear.”

Matthew 13:43

“Christ shall minister to us
and show us His radiant Face
and His glorious Body
with all the marks of faithfulness
and love therein impressed.
And we shall see all the glorious bodies
clothed with all the many tokens of love
won in the service of God
since the beginning of the world…
And our living hearts
shall flame with burning love for God
and all His saints…”

Bl Jan van Ruusbroec (1293-1381)

Canon Regular, “Doctor Divinus Ecstaticus,”
Mystic, Spiritual Writer –
The seven steps of the ladder of spiritual love

matthew 13 43 then the righteous shall shine - christ shall minister to us and show us his radiant face - bl jan van ruusbroec 28 july 2020

“Give me grace to amend my life
and to have an eye to mine end,
without grudge of death,
which to them that die in You,
good Lord,
is the gate of a wealthy life.”

St Thomas More (1478-1535) Martyr

give-me-grace-good-lord-st-thomas-more-31-aug-2018 and 2019

“We will not be proclaimed blessed
on the altars in all probability
but if we are faithful,
in Heaven we will be proclaimed ‘blessed’
and that is enough for us.
Let us try to merit this hour of eternal delights.”

Bl Mary of the Passion (1839-1904)

we-will-not-be-proclaimed-blessed-bl-mary-of-the-passion-15-nov-2019-pray-for-us- and 28 july 2020

“Work always with the same spirit of Christ.
Keep Jesus before your eyes.
He is the model of all called to glory.”

work-always-with-the-same-spirit-of-christ-st-guido-maria-conforti-5-nov-2019 and 28 july 2020

“On the last day, we will not be asked
if we accomplished great deeds,
or been acclaimed by men,
rather we will be asked
if we followed His will,
in the state and condition,
to which we were called.”

St Guido Maria Conforti (1865-1931)

on-the-last-day-st-guido-maria-conforti-5-nov-2019 and 28 july 2020

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 July – ‘So from now on, run well …’

One Minute Reflection – 28 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Tuesday of the Seventeenth week in Ordinary Time, year A, Readings: Jeremiah 14:17-22Psalm 79:8-91113Matthew 13:36-43

“The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom, all causers of sin and all law-breakers and throw them into the fiery furnace.   In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.   Then the righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.   He who has ears, let him hear.” … Matthew 13:41-43matthew 13 40-43 the sone of man will send his angels 28 july 2020

REFLECTION – “In your imagination see our Lord Jesus Christ seated on a throne of glory;   beside Him stand the seraphim, cherubim and each angelic order, serving Him with fear and trembling.   Then those who will have finished the combat, without allowing themselves to be drawn by any worldly pleasures or seduced by the attractions of this vain world, will hear the blessed voice of the Master.   “Then, he says, the righteous will shine like the sun” (Mt 13:43) when they have come from east and west, north and south to take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (cf. Mt 8:11) in an indescribable joy (cf. 1 Pt 1:8), when our King and Lord, will distribute gifts according to their merits.   Ah! my brothers and children. ah! how great and beautiful is the glory which the thrice blessed will enjoy and the saints who practised asceticism!   Yes, most certainly, each will receive the blessings promised, according to the degree to which they have pleased God. …

So from now on, run well (cf. Gal 5:7) and may the devil not bewitch you (cf. Gal 3:1) nor hinder you! …   May mercy, peace, charity, freedom from envy, from jealousy and ostentation come upon you, docility, friendly speech, solidarity, compassion towards each other, humility.   Live like this, act like this, praying, too, with all your heart for my humble self that I may not be thrown into the eternal fire.   May we all escape it, having been judged worthy of the kingdom of heaven, in Christ Himself, our God, to whom belongs all glory, honour, adoration, magnificence, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, world without end.   Amen.” … St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Monk and Theologian – Catechesis 42

so from now on run well and may the devil - st theodore the studite 28 july 2020

PRAYER – All-powerful and ever-living God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, chase away the night of sin and fill our minds with the glory of Your coming.   Take away our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh, help us in our battle with sin and the devil.   By our prayers, Your holy Sacraments and the strength of the Holy Spirit, may we be ever vigilant of the evil one.   By our Baptism in Your Son, we are Your children, grant us Your protection.   Kindly listen to the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints and angels, whose prayers we beg, through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.

bl virgin mother pray for us 28 july 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST

Quote/s of the Day – 24 July – “Good Soil”

Quote/s of the Day – 24 July – Friday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Jeremiah 3:14-17, Responsorial psalm Jeremiah 31:10-13, Matthew 13:18-23

“Good Soil”

“This, beloved, is the way in which we found our salvation,
Jesus Christ, the High Priest who offers our gifts,
the patron and helper in our weakness (Heb 10:20; 7:27; 4:15).
It is through Him, that we look straight at the heavens above.
Through Him, we see mirrored, God’s faultless
and transcendent countenance.
Through Him, the eyes of our heart were opened.
Through Him, our unintelligent and darkened mind shoots up into the light.
Through Him, the Master was pleased to let us taste
the knowledge that never fades,
He who is “the radiance of His splendour,
who towers as much above the angels,
as the title He has inherited, is superior to theirs.”

St Pope Clement I (c 35 – c 99)

matthew-7-14-the-road-that-leads-to-life-this-beloved-is-the-way-in-which-we-st-pope-clement-i-23-june-2020-and 24 july 2020

O Lord and Master of My Life
Prayer of Saint Ephrem the Syrian (306-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

O Lord and Master of my life,
give me not a spirit of sloth, vain curiosity,
lust for power and idle talk.
But give to me, Thy servant,
a spirit of soberness, humility, patience and love.
O Lord and King,
grant me to see my own faults
and not to condemn my brother.
For blessed art Thou to the ages of ages.
Amen
O God, be merciful to me a sinner.
O God, cleanse me, a sinner.
O God, my Creator, save me
and for my many sins forgive me!

o-lord-and-master-of-my-life-st-ephrem-17-march-2020 and 24 july 2020

“A Christian is:
a mind through which Christ thinks,
a heart through which Christ loves,
a voice through which Christ speaks
and a hand through which Christ helps.”

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

a-chrisitan-is-a-mind-through-which-christ-thinks-st-augustine-14-april-2020-easter-tuesday 24 july 2020

“You have the words of eternal life”

John 6:68

“These words surely make quite obvious to us
the necessity for sitting at the feet of Christ,
taking Him as our one and only teacher
and giving Him our constant and undivided attention. …
Keeping with their guide was the Israelites’ salvation then,
just as not leaving Christ is ours now.
… We will stay with You always and hold fast to Your commandments.
We will receive Your words without finding fault,
or thinking Your teaching hard,
as the ignorant do but thinking rather:
“How sweet are Your words to my throat!
Sweeter to the mouth are they, than honey or the honeycomb!”

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father and Doctor of the Church

john 6 68 you have the words - these words sure - st cyril of alex 24 july 2020

“Paul says: I appeal to you by the mercy of God,
to present your bodies as a sacrifice, living and holy.
The prophet said the same thing:
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire
but you have prepared a body for me.
Each of us is called to be both a sacrifice to God and His priest.
Do not forfeit what divine authority confers on you.
Put on the garment of holiness, gird yourself with the belt of chastity.
Let Christ be your helmet, let the cross on your forehead be your unfailing protection.
Your breastplate, should be the knowledge of God, that He Himself has given you.
Keep burning continually, the sweet smelling incense of prayer.
Take up the sword of the Spirit.
Let your heart be an altar.
Then, with full confidence in God, present your body for sacrifice.
God desires, not death but faith;
God thirsts, not for blood but for self-surrender;
God is appeased, not by slaughter but by the offering, of your free will.”

St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450)
Bishop, Father & Doctor of the Church
“Doctor of Homilies”

each-of-us-is-called-to-beoth-a-sacrifice-to-god-and-his-priest-st-peter-chrysologus-5-may-2020 and 24 july 2020

“Fix your minds on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Inflamed with love for us, He came down from heaven to redeem us.   For our sake He endured every torment of body and soul
and shrank from no bodily pain.
He Himself gave us an example of perfect patience and love.
We, then, are to be patient in adversity.”

St Francis of Paola OM (1416-1507)

fix-your-minds-on-the-passion-st-francis-of-paola-2-april-2019 and 24 july 2020

“There is One very near you
Who knocks at your door every hour of the day,
Who begs you to listen to Him
and to keep silence in order to hear Him.”

St Simon-Marie-Just Ranfer de Bretenières (1838-1866)
Martyr

there-is-one-very-near-you-st-simon-ranfer-de-bretenieres-14-nov-2019 and 7 july 2020

Posted in "Follow Me", JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LENTEN THOUGHTS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The STATIONS of the CROSS

Thought for the Day – 21 July – The Royal Road of the Cross

Thought for the Day – 21 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Royal Road of the Cross

the royal road of the cross - bacci 22 july 2020

“The way of the Cross is the only road that leads to Heaven.
Consequently, a man who refuses to take this road cannot reach Heaven.
If there were another way, Jesus would have told us about it.
Instead, He insisted that if anyone wished to go after Him, he would have to deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Him (Lk 9:23).

Our Lord did more than preach this way to us, for He gave us an example of the manner in which to follow it.
Jesus could have redeemed us by a single act of His human-divine will, simply by offering Himself to the Eternal Father in expiation of our sins.
But He chose to carry the weight of the Cross, to climb the Hill of Calvary and, to die in agony.

We must ascend our own Calvary, if we wish to imitate and follow Jesus.
Our divine Redeemer fulfilled perfectly, in His Passion, all the works of perfection which He had preached in the Gospel.
Let the Passion of Christ be our rule of life.
Let us be glad, when we seem to be more like Him and sorrowful, whenever we seem to be departing from the example which He set us.

Suffering should be a source of consolation for us, for it makes us more like Jesus, as long as we endure it with resignation and with love.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SAINT of the DAY, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 July – “Mary – Recognise Me as I recognise you”

One Minute Reflection – 22 July – Feast of St Mary of Magdala, Readings:  Song of Solomon 3:1-4 or 2 Corinthians 5:14-17Psalm 63:2-68-9John 20:1-211-18

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?  Whom are you seeking?”   Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away.”  Jesus said to her, “Mary.”   She turned and said to him in Aramaic,“Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). … John 20:15-16john 2016 - jesus said to her mary 22 july 2020

REFLECTION – “When Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and did not find the Lord’s body, she thought it had been taken away and so informed the disciples.   After they came and saw the tomb, they too believed what Mary had told them.   The text then says:  The disciples went back home, and it adds:  but Mary wept and remained standing outside the tomb.

We should reflect on Mary’s attitude and the great love she felt for Christ;  for though the disciples had left the tomb, she remained.   She was still seeking the One she had not found and while she sought she wept;  burning with the fire of love, she longed for Him who she thought had been taken away.   And so it happened that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ, was the only one to see Him.   For perseverance is essential to any good deed, as the voice of truth tells us:  Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved.

At first she sought but did not find but when she persevered, it happened that she found what she was looking for.   When our desires are not satisfied, they grow stronger and becoming stronger they take hold of their object.   Holy desires likewise grow with anticipation and if they do not grow they are not really desires.  Anyone who succeeds in attaining the truth has burned with such a great love.   As David says:   My soul has thirsted for the living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God?   And so also in the Song of Songs the Church says:   I was wounded by love and again:  My soul is melted with love.

Woman, why are you weeping?   Whom do you seek?   She is asked why she is sorrowing so that her desire might be strengthened, for when she mentions whom she is seeking, her love is kindled all the more ardently.

Jesus says to her – Mary.   Jesus is not recognised when He calls her “woman,” so He calls her by name, as though He were saying: Recognise Me as I recognise you, for I do not know you as I know others, I know you as yourself.    And so Mary, once addressed by name, recognises who is speaking.   She immediately calls Him Rabboni, that is to say, teacher, because the One whom she sought outwardly, was the One who inwardly taught her to keep on searching.” … St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father and Doctor – (Hom. 25, 1-2, 4-5:PL 76, 1189-1193)and so it happened that the woman who stayed behind - st pope gregory 22 july 2020

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ made Mary of Magdala the first herald of Easter joy.   Grant that, following her example and helped by her prayers, we may, in this life, proclaim The living Christ and come to see Him reigning with You in glory.   Through our Lord Jesus Christ, in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever, amen.st-mary-of-magdala-pray-for-us-3-22-july-2017

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, franciscan OFM, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ANGELS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on HUMAN DIGNITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY GHOST, The TEN COMMANDMENTS

Quote/s of the Day – 21 July – St Lawrence of Brindisi

Quote/s of the Day – 21 July – The Memorial of St Lawrence of Brindisi OFM Cap (1559-1619) Doctor of the Church

“God is love
and all His operations
proceed
from
LOVE…”

god is love and all his operations proceed from love - st lawrence of brindisi 21 july 2020

“For Him all things were created
and to Him all things must be subject
and God loves all creature,
in and because of Christ.”

for-him-all-things-were-created-and-in-him-st-lawrence-of-brindisi-21-july-2018 and 21 July 2020

“Christ is the first-born of every creature
and the whole of humanity.
as well as the created world,
finds its foundation and meaning in Him.”

christ is the first born of every creature -st lawrence of brindisi 21 july 2020

“My dear souls, let us recognise, I pray you,
Christ’s infinite charity towards us
in the institution of this Sacrament of the Eucharist.
In order that our love be a spiritual love,
He wills a new heart, a new love, a new spirit for us.
It is not with a carnal heart but with a spiritual one,
that Christ has loved us with a gratuitous love,
a supreme and most ardent love,
by way of pure grace and charity.
Ah! One needs to love Him back
with one’s whole, whole, whole,
living, living, living and true, true, true heart!!”

my dear souls let us recognise i pray you - st lawrence of brindisi 21 july 2020

“The Angels in Heaven were created,
to be servants of Christ;
man was formed from the earth,
in order to be the image of Christ.”

the angels in heaven - st lawrence of brindisi 21 july 2020

“The Holy Spirit sweetens the yoke
of the divine law and lightens its weight,
so that we may observe God’s commandments
with the greatest of ease and even with pleasure.”

the holy spirit - st lawrence of brindisi 21 july 2020

“…The word of God
is a light to the mind
and a fire to the will.”

the word of god is a light to the mind and a fire to the will - st lawrence of brindisi 21 july 2020

“All things are possible for him who believes,
more to him who hopes,
even more to him who loves.”

St Lawrence of Brindisi(1559-1619)

Apostolic Doctor of the Church

all things are possible - st lawrence of brindisi 21 july 2020

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One Minute Reflection – 18 July – “In his name the Gentiles will hope” … Matthew 12:21

One Minute Reflection – 18 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings:  Micah 2:1-5Psalm 10:1-47-814Matthew 12:14-21and the Feast of Our Lady of Good Deliverance

“In his name the Gentiles will hope” … Matthew 12:21

REFLECTION – “Who among us can know all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Christ and buried within the poverty of His flesh?   For, “for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty, you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9).   Since He came in order to assume our mortal condition and lay low death itself, He appeared as one who was poor.   But He who has promised us distant riches has by no means lost those, from which He is kept away.   “How great is his abundant goodness which he keeps in store for those who fear him, he satisfies those who hope in him” (cf. Ps 31[30]:20). …

So that we might be able to lay hold of it, He who is equal to the Father, having the nature of God, became like us by taking the nature of a servant and recreates us in God’s likeness.   Having become son of man, the only Son of God transforms numberless men into sons of God. And after having sustained His servants by His own visible nature of a servant, He sets them free to contemplate the nature of God.   For “we are God’s children; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.   We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is” (1 Jn 3:2).   For in what do these treasures of wisdom and knowledge and these divine riches consist?   In what is this abundant goodness?   All we know is, that it is this, that satisfies us.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace – Sermon 194 ; PL 38, 1016matthew 12 21 - in his name the gentiles will hope - so that we might be able to lay hold of it, He who is equal - st augustine - 18 july 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, in Your wisdom You created us, by Your Providence, You rule us.   Penetrate our inmost being with Your holy light so that our way of life may always be one of faithful service and childlike trust in You.   Grant that by the intercession of Our Lady of Good Deliverance, we may always follow behind Your Son and grasp His hand, to lead us to You, Through Jesus Christ our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever, amen.our lady of good deliverance pray for us 18 july 2020

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis, Uncategorized

Quote/s of the Day – 7 July – ‘Take Christ’

Quote/s of the Day – 7 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8, Responsorial psalm Isaiah 38:10-12, 16, Matthew 12:1-8

‘Take Christ’

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you,
I have called you by name, you are mine.”

Isaiah 43:1

isaiah 43 1 fear not for i have redeemed you i have called you by name you are mine 14 april 2020 easter tuesday

Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
…The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all
but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God,
that surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4, 5d,6-7

philippians-4-4-5d-6-7-1-jan-2020 and 17 july 2020

“The Christian should be an
‘alleluia’
from head to foot.

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

the-christian-should-be-an-alleluia-st-augustine-10-april-2018-speaking-of-evangelisation

“May Christ be heard in our language,
may Christ be seen in our life,
may He be perceived in our hearts”

St Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Doctor of the Church

(Sermo VIII, 5)

may-christ-be-heard-st-peter-damian-21-feb-2019 and 17 july 2020

“The one you are looking for,
is the One who is looking.”

the one you are looking for is the one who is looking - st francis assisi 17 july 2020

“Jesus is happy to come with us,
as Truth is happy to be spoken,
as Life to be lived,
as Light to be lit,
as Love is to be loved,
as Joy to be given,
as Peace to be spread.”

St Francis of Assisi (1181/2–1226)

jesus-is-happy-to-come-with-us-st-francis-of-assisi-4-oct-2018 and 17 july 2020

“Love God, serve God,
everything is in that.”

love-god-serve-god-everything-is-in-that-st-clare-1-jan-2019 and 2020

“Totally love Him,
who gave Himself totally,
for your love.”

St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

totally loe hm who game hmself totally for your love - st clare of assisi 17 july 2020

“If, then, you seek to know what path to follow,
take Christ because He is the way.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor of the Church

if the you seek to know what path to follow take christ - st thomas aquinas 17 july 2020

“He will be with you also, all the way, that faithful God.
Every morning when you awaken to the old and tolerable pain,
at every mile of the hot uphill dusty road of tiring duty,
on to the judgement seat, the same Christ there as ever,
still loving you, still sufficient for you, even then.
And then, on through all eternity.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

he will e with you also - thomas a kempis 17 july 2020 new

“Every Christian must be a living book
wherein one can read the teaching of the gospel.
This is what St Paul says to the Corinthians.
Our heart is the parchment;
through my ministry
the Holy Spirit is the writer because
‘my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe’
(Psalm 45:1).”

St Joseph of Leonissa OFM CAP (1556-1612)

every-christian-must-be-a-living-book-st-joseph-of-leonissa-4-feb-2018 17 july 2020

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One Minute Reflection – 17 July – “I say to you, something greater than the temple is here …” … Matthew 12:6

One Minute Reflection – 17 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings:  Isaiah 38:1-621-227-8, Responsorial psalm Isaiah 38:10-1216Matthew 12:1-8 and the Feast of The Madonna of Humility

“I say to you, something greater than the temple is here …” … Matthew 12:6

REFLECTION – ““Christ also reminded them of another prophecy, so that they might learn, that all things that were spoken of previously, were accomplished in Him through the law, that the priests in the temple broke the sabbath without offence, clearly revealing that Jesus Himself was the temple.
In Him, salvation was given to the Gentiles, through the teaching of the apostles, while the people who were bound by the law, wandered about faithlessly, so that He Himself might be greater than the sabbath.
Evangelical faith lived in Christ, transcends the law.” … St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) – Father and Doctor of the Divinity of Christ – On Matthew, 12mmatthew 12 8 something greater than the temple is here - evangelical faith lived in christ-st hilary 17 july 2020

PRAYER – Almighty God, to whom this world with all its goodness and beauty belongs, give us grace joyfully to begin this day in Your name and to fill it, with an active love for You and for our neighbour.   Grant us the grace to repent of our sins, to turn to the Cross of Your Son and to beg Him in His great love and suffering to forgive us again!   Mary, the Madonna of Humility, intercede for us in our weakness and help us become humble and look only at the face of Christ. Amenmadonna of humility pray for us 17 july 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on HUMAN DIGNITY, QUOTES on NATURE - GOD'S CREATION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on TRUTH, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – St Bonaventure

Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – The Memorial of St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Doctor of the Church

“Bonaventure so united holiness and theological knowledge that he rose to the heights of mysticism, while remaining a very active preacher and teacher, one beloved by all who met him.  To know him was to love him; to read him is still for us today to meet a true Franciscan and a gentleman.”

“If you learn everything, except Christ, you learn nothing.
If you learn nothing, except Christ, you learn everything.”

if you learn everything except christ you learn nothing - st bonaventure 15 july 29020

“When we pray,
the voice of the heart must be heard,
more than the proceedings,
from the mouth.”

when we pray - st bonaventure 15 july 2020

“Men do not fear a powerful hostile army,
as the powers of hell,
fear the name and protection of Mary.”

men do not fear a powerful hostile army - st bonaventure 15 july 2020

“If you do not know
your own dignity and condition,
you cannot value anything
at its proper worth.”

if you do not know your own dignity - st bonaventure - 15 july 2020

“In everything,
whether it is a thing sensed,
or a thing known,
God Himself is hidden within.”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/07/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-july-the-wisdom-of-st-bonaventure/

in everything whether it is a thing sensed - st bonaventure 15 july 2020

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 13 July – “Whoever loses his life, for my sake, will find it.” Matthew 10:39

Quote/s of the Day – 13 July – “Month of the Precious Blood” – Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Isaiah 1:10-17, Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23, Matthew 10:34–11:1

“Whoever finds his life, will lose it
and whoever loses his life, for my sake, will find it.”

Matthew 10:39

matthew 10 29 whoever finds hislife will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake - 13 july 2020

“Do not say,
this happened by chance,
while this came to be of itself.”
In all that exists’
there is nothing disorderly,
nothing indefinite,
nothing without purpose,
nothing by chance …
How many hairs are on your head?
God will not forget one of them.
Do you see how nothing,
even the smallest thing,
escapes the gaze of God?”

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

do-not-say-this-happened-by-chance-st-basil-the-great-13-july-2019-no-2 and 13 july 2020

“The Lord is near,
do not be anxious
about anything!”

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

An excerpt from his Sermon 171

the lord is near do not be anxious about anything - st augustine 13 july 2020

“In God’s name let us go on bravely.”

St Joan of Arc (1412-1431)

in-gods-name-st-joan-of-arc-30-may-2020 and 13 july 2020

“We must offer ourselves to God,
like a clean, smooth canvas
and not worry ourselves,
about what God
may choose to paint on it
but at each moment,
feel only the stroke of His brush.”

Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751)

we must offer ourselves to god like a clean smooth canvas - st jean pierre de causade abandonment div prov-11may 2020

“Consider the shortness of time,
the length of eternity
and reflect how everything here below
comes to an end and passes by.
Of what use is it, to lean upon,
that which cannot give support?”

St Gerard Majella (1726-1755)

consider-the-shortness-of-time-st-gerard-majella-16-oct-2019 and 13 july 2020

“We are blind,
left to ourselves,
we should take the wrong way, 
we must leave it to Him.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

we are blind - st john henry newman 13 july 2020

“I trust in God
and wish nothing else
but His will.”

St Zygmunt Szcesny Felinski (1822-1895)

i-trust-in-god-st-zygmunt-felinski-17-sept-2019-1 and 13 july 2020

“Do not be preoccupied
with the future,
God is in charge of it.”

St Léonie Françoise De Sales Aviat (1844-1914)

do-not-be-preoccupied-with-the-future-st-leonie-aviat-10-jan-2020 and 13 July 2020

“The glance of God is like a fortifying dew,
a luminous ray, which fertilises and expands –
let us work without noise and without rest,
let us work before God’s eyes,
before God alone!”

Bl Luigi Orione (1872-1940)

the glance of god - bl luigi orione 13 july 2020

“My past, O Lord, to Your mercy,
my present, to Your love,
my future, to Your Providence.”

St Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968)

my-past-o-lord-to-your-mercy-st-pio-23-sept-2019 and 13 july 2020

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Sunday Reflection – 12 July – The Sacrament that You Receive is Effected by the Words of Christ – St Ambrose

Sunday Reflection – 12 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – The Fifteenth Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalm 65:10-14, Romans 8:18-23, Matthew 13:1-23

“But blessed are your eyes, for they see
and your ears, for they hear.
For truly, I say to you,
many prophets and righteous people,
longed to see what you see and did not see
and to hear what you hear and did not hear it.”

Matthew 13:16-17

The Sacrament that You Receive is Effected by the Words of Christ

Saint Ambrose (340-397)
Bishop and Great Latin Father and Doctor of the Church

An excerpt from his work, On the Mysteries

and this body which we make present - sun reflection 12 july 2020 st ambrose

We see that grace can accomplish more than nature, yet so far we have been considering instances of what grace can do through a prophet’s blessing.   If the blessing of a human being had power even to change nature, what do we say of God’s action in the Consecration itself, in which the very words of the Lord and Saviour are effective?   If the words of Elijah had power even to bring down fire from heaven, will not the words of Christ have power to change the natures of the elements?   You have read that in the creation of the whole world He spoke and they came to be;  He commanded and they were created.   If Christ could by speaking create out of nothing what did not yet exist, can we say that His words are unable to change existing things into something they previously were not?   It is no lesser feat to create new natures for things than to change their existing natures.

What need is there for argumentation?   Let us take what happened in the case of Christ Himself and construct the truth of this mystery from the mystery of the incarnation.   Did the birth of the Lord Jesus from Mary come about in the course of nature?   If we look at nature we regularly find that conception results from the union of man and women.    It is clear then, that the conception by the Virgin was above and beyond the course of nature.   And this Body, which we make present, is the Body born of the Virgin.   Why do you expect to find in this case, that nature takes its ordinary course in regard to the Body of Christ, when the Lord Himself was born of the Virgin in a manner above and beyond the order of nature?   This is indeed the true flesh of Christ, which was crucified and buried.   This is then, in truth, the Sacrament of His Flesh.

The Lord Jesus Himself declares – This is my Body.   Before the blessing contained in these words, a different thing is named;   after the Consecration a Body is indicated.   He Himself speaks of His Blood. Before the Consecration something else is spoken of;  after the Consecration Blood is designated.   And you say: “Amen,” that is: “It is true.”   What the mouth utters, let the mind within, acknowledge, what the word says, let the heart ratify.

So the Church, in response to grace so great, exhorts her children, exhorts her neighbours, to hasten to these mysteries – Neighbours, she says, come and eat;  brethren, drink and be filled.   In another passage the Holy Spirit has made clear to you what you are to eat, what you are to drink.   Taste, the prophet says and see, that the Lord is good;  blessed is the man who puts his trust in Him.   Christ is in that sacrament, for it is the Body of Christ.   It is, therefore, not bodily food but spiritual.   Thus the Apostle too says, speaking of its symbol – Our fathers ate spiritual food and drank spiritual drink.   For the body of God is spiritual;  the body of Christ is that of a divine spirit, for Christ is a spirit.   We read – The spirit before our face is Christ the Lord.   And in the letter of Saint Peter we have this – Christ died for you.   Finally, it is this food that gives strength to our hearts, this drink which gives joy to the heart of man, as the prophet has written.

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Thought for the Day – 11 July – The Good Odour of Christ

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

The Good Odour of Christ

you can see a reflection of heaven in the eyes of a saint - bacci the good odour of christ - 11 july 2020

“Everyone has an attractive side to his personality which can draw others towards good or towards evil, for a man’s behaviour, countenance and conversation, reflect his inner spirit.
Charm is very often a mysterious and undefinable quality.
Sometimes you may meet a man of the world who has forgotten that he has an immortal soul and lives purely for pleasure.
Even before he speaks to you, you can read on his lips and in his eyes, the kind of man he is.
If you fail to resist and to do your best to remain on a higher plane, you will be overwhelmed by the charm of his personality.

Your can also encounter charm, however, in a privileged soul, who is in constant contact with God.
You can find it in the monk who has left the world, in order to meditate on God and to pay for his own salvation and for the salvation of his brothers in Christ.
You can meet it in a Saint, one of those rare men, who lives in the world but thinks all the time of God.
When you encounter this supernatural charm, you experience a longing to be good and holy also.

You can see a reflection of Heaven in the eyes of a Saint.
When he speaks to you, words, which if uttered by somebody else, would have no force, stir you and urge you towards all that is good.
What exactly is this quality of attractiveness?
It is “the sweet odour of Christ,” the spiritual fragrance of virtue.
Anyone who met St Aloysius Gonsaga, felt a yearning to be pure.
Anyone who heard the unadorned sermons of the Cure d’Ars, wept for his sins and was set on fire with the love of God and the desire of everlasting happiness.
It was the same with all the Saints.
Do we influence others in this way?”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 9 July – ‘… For the love of Jesus’

Quote/s of the Day – 9 July – The Memorial of Blessed Marija of Jesus Crucified Petković (1892-1966)

“Love infinitely,
the most sweet Lord Jesus Christ,
do everything for Him alone
and spend your life,
in works of mercy and of love.”

Bl Marija of Jesus Crucified Petković (1892-1966)

love infinitely the most sweet lord jesus christ - bl marija of jesus crucified opetkovic 9 july 2020

“Through Him, our gaze
penetrates the heights of heaven
and we see, as in a mirror,
the most holy face of God.
Through Christ, the eyes of our hearts are opened
and our weak and clouded understanding,
reaches up toward the light.”

St Pope Clement I (c 35-99)
Apostolic Father, Bishop of Rome and Martyr

john-14-9-he-who-has-seen-me-has-seen-the-father-through-him-our-gaze-st-pope-clement-of-rome-9-may-2020 and 9 July 2020

“In the morning let your first act be
to greet My Heart and to offer Me your own.
Whoever, breathes a sigh toward Me,
draws Me to himself.”

Jesus to St Matilda/Mechtilde of Hackeborn
(c 1241-1298)

in-the-morning-let-your-first-act-be-jesus-to-st-matilda-of-hackeborn-19-nov-2019-and-26-april-2020 and 9 july 2020

“O blessed Jesus, give me stillness of soul in You.
Let Your mighty calmness reign in me.
Rule me, O King of Gentleness,
King of Peace.”

St John of the Cross (1542-1591)

Doctor of the Churcho-king-of-gentleness-st-john-of-the-cross-14dec2018-and-14dec2019-and-26-april-2020 and 9 july 2020

“You leave the land
just as it is when you depart,
you do not carry anything away.
Our first aim is to go to God,
we are not on earth for anything but this!”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

you-leave-the-land-just-as-it-is-stjohn-vianney-6-may-2019 and 9 july 2020

“Do everything
out of love for God,
for God,
with God,
to get to God.”

Bl Maria Rosa Flesch (1826-1906)

do-everything-out-opf-love-for-god-for-god-with-god-to-get-to-god-blmaria-rosa-flesch-19-june-2020-sacred-heart and 9 july 2020

“The well-being of souls is only in Christ.
Therefore, let the love of Jesus
be our perfection and our profession,
let us light our hearts
from the eternal flames of love
that radiate from the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

the-well-being-of-souls-is-only-in-christ-bl-paolo-manna-7-feb-2020 and 9 july 2020

“Go for the love of Jesus,
for the interests of Jesus
and Jesus will always be at your side,
always in your heart.”

Bl Paolo Manna (1872-1952)

go for the love of jesus - bl paolo manna 9 july 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYER WARRIORS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, SPEAKING of .....

Quote/s of the Day – 7 July – “Pray, hope and don’t worry.”

Quote/s of the Day – 7 July – “Month of the Precious Blood” – Tuesday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13, Psalm 115:3-10, Matthew 9:32-38

“And will not God vindicate his elect,
who cry to him day and night?”

Luke 18:7

luke-18-7-and-will-not-god-vindicate-his-elect-who-cry-to-him-day-and-night-16-nov-2019 and 7 july 2020

“Prayer is an act of love,
words are not needed.
Even if sickness distracts from thoughts,
all that is needed is the will to love.”

St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582)

prayer-is-an-act-of-love-st-teresa-of-jesus-of-avila-15-oct-2019 and 7 july 2020

“Give yourself to prayer
and try by it, to procure,
first the amendment
of your fault,
then the practice of Christian virtues
and finally a great love of God.”

Bl Sebastian Valfre (1629-1710)

give-yourself-to-prayer-bl-sebastian-valfre-30-jan-2020 and 7 july 2020

“Do not neglect prayer,
however busy you may be.”

Bl William Joseph Chaminade (1761-1850)

do not neglect prayer however busy you may be bl william joseph chaminade 7 july 2020

“O holiest Heart of Jesus most lovely,
I intend to renew and to offer to You,
these acts of adoration and these prayers,
for myself, a wretched sinner
and for all those,
who are associated with me in Your adoration,
through all moments which I breath,
even to the end of my life.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

o holiest heart of jesus - st john henry newman 7 july 2020

“There is One very near you
Who knocks at your door every hour of the day,
Who begs you to listen to Him
and to keep silence in order to hear Him.”

St Simon-Marie-Just Ranfer de Bretenières (1838-1866) Martyr

there-is-one-very-near-you-st-simon-ranfer-de-bretenieres-14-nov-2019 and 7 july 2020

“Prayer is our strength,
our sword,
our consolation
and the key to paradise.”

St Joseph Freinademetz (1852-1908)

prayer is our strength our sword our consolation and the key to paradise st joseph freinadametz 7 july 2020

“To pray,
is to think about Jesus
and love Him.
The more we love,
the better we pray.”

Bl Charles of Jesus de Foucauld (1858-1916)

to-pray-is-to-think-about-jesus-and-to-love-him-bl-charles-de-foucauld-1-dec-2019 and 7 july 2020

“Prayer is an aspiration of the heart.
It is a simple glance directed to Heaven.
It is a cry of gratitude and love
in the midst of trial as well as joy.”

St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (1873-1897)
Doctor of the Church

prayer-is-an-aspiration-of-the-heart-st-therese-child-jesus-6-march-2020 and 7 july 2020

“The means to obtain
grace and glory,
is PRAYER.”

Bl Maria Esperanza de Jesus (1893-1983)

the means to obtain grace and glory is prayer - bl maria esperanza de jesus 7 july 2020

Pray, hope and don’t worry.”

St Pius of Pietrelcina/Padre Pio (1887-1968)

pray hope and dont worry - st padre pio 6 dec 2019

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SACRED HEART QUOTES, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 30 June – ‘I put all my trust in Thee …’

Quote/s of the Day – 30 June – “The Last day of the Month of the Sacred Heart” – Tuesday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time Year A, Readings: Amos 3:1-8; 4:11-12, Psalm 5:5-8, Matthew 8:23-27

And they went and woke him, saying,
“Save us, Lord, we are perishing.”

Matthew 8:25

matthew 8 25 and they went and woke him saying save us lord - 30 june 2020

“It is I, be not afraid”

John 6:20

john 6 20 - it is I be not afraid 4 may 2019

“Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid.”

John 14:27

john 14 27 let not your hearts be troubled - 12 may 2020

“The waters have risen
and severe storms are upon us
but we do not fear drowning,
for we stand firmly upon a rock.
Let the sea rage, it cannot break the rock.
Let the waves rise,
they cannot sink the boat of Jesus.”

the-waters-have-risen-but-they-cannot-break-the-rock-st-john-chrysostom-13-sept-2019 and 30 june 2020

“Let the world be in upheaval.
I hold to His promise and read His message,
that is my protecting wall and garrison.
What message?
‘Know that I am with you always,
until the end of the world!'”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor of the Churchlet the world be in upheaval i hold to his opromise -st john chrysostom 30 june 2020

“It is not a calm sky, beloved
but the storm which tests a pilot’s skill.
When the breeze is mild,
even the poorest sailor,
can manage the ship.
But in the crosswinds of a tempest,
we want the best pilot with all His skill.”

St Peter Chrysologus (c 406 – c 450)
Father and Doctor of the Church

it is not a calm sky beloved but the storm which tests a pilot's skill - st peter chrysologus 30 june 2020

“Whoever has become a servant of the Lord,
fears only his Master.
But whoever is without the fear of God,
is often afraid of his own shadow.
Fearfulness is the daughter of unbelief.
A proud soul is the slave of fear,
hoping in itself,
it comes to such a state,
that it is startled by a small noise
and is afraid of the dark.”

St John Climacus (579-649)
Father of the Church

whoever-has-become-a-servant-of-the-lord-st-john-climacus-2-july-2019 and 30 june 2020

“O Heart of love,
I put all my trust in Thee,
for I fear all things,
from my own weakness,
but I hope for all things,
from Thy Goodness.”

St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)

o-heart-of-love-i-put-all-my-trust-in-thee-16-oct-2019 and 30 June 2020

“…Therefore, never allow yourself to start brooding again
but always be brave and trust.
Serve your good Master with an open heart full of joy.
The right way is to see all events and all obstacles
in the spirit of faith as being in the hands of Our Lord
and to hear Him say to you, on every occasion,
as He did to the disciples
‘It is I.   Do not fear.   Have faith.’”

St Michael Garicoïts (1797-1863)

therefore-never-allow-yourself-to-start-brooding-st-michel-garicoits-14-may-2019 and 30 june 2020

“We need not be afraid
because even while He sleeps,
He watches over us.
Jesus does not save us FROM storms,
He saves us IN storms.
DO NOT WAKE Jesus.
Let Him sleep.
He is still in control!”

Msgr Alex Rebello

Daily Reflections

we need not be afraid because even while he sleeps - msgr alex rebello 30 june 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, I BELIEVE!, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SOLITUDE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 28 June – Holy Solitude and Blessed Paolo Giustiniani

Quote/s of the Day – 28 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Memorial of Blessed Paolo Giustiniani ECMC (1476-1528) – Monk, Hermit and Founder of the Congregation of the Camaldolese Hermits of Monte Corona

“The supreme goal to which the monk tends,
the summit of the perfection of his heart,
is indeed the union of his heart with his Lord.”

St John Cassian (c 360-435)

Monk, Father of the Church
and Founder of Monasteries
Disciple of St John Chrysostom

te supreme goal to which the monk tends - st john cassian 28 june 2020

“O Hermitage, only those who know you,
who rest sweetly in your arms,
can tell of your grandeur
and chant your praises.
As for me, I only know this
and affirm it in all sincerity –
Whoever forces himself with perseverance
to enter more and more
into the desire to love You,
will finally enter Your mystery and,
at the same time,
the mystery of God.”

St Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Benedictine Monk
Doctor of the Church

o hermitage, only those who know you, who rest sweetly in your arms - st peter damian 28 june 2020

“Go to Church for the work of God,
not by habit or duty,
but rather driven,
by the interior desire
to praise our Creator.”

go to church for the work of god - bl paolo giustiniani 28 june 2020

“Celebrate holy Mass in the joy of the Spirit.”

celebrate holy mass in the joy of the spirit - bl paolo giustiniani 28 june 2020 (1)

“I desire to serve my Lord Jesus Christ.
However, I blindly entrust the manner of service
to His decision – in action or in contemplation,
in peace and quiet
or in suffering and tribulation,
in the quiet of the cell
or else in wearisome wanderings.
So long as I am serving Him,
I have no preference or taste of my own.”

i desire to serve my lord Jesus Christ - bl paolo giustiniani 28 june 2020

“To me it appears incontrovertible,
that, above the light and discourse of reason,
there is another light.
It is clearer and more evident,
given by God to those human minds
that do not refuse to receive it
and by means of it, God can be properly understood. ….
This is the light of faith.

this is the light of faith bl paolo giustiniani 28 june 2020

Prayer of Blessed Paolo Giustiniani
“Lord, I dare not say to You:
“Show me the light that I may believe in Your Light”
but it is enough for me,
that You make me see my darkness …
Bring me back to myself.
In my misery I have distanced myself
not only from You but from myself,
becoming a stranger to myself.
Make me know my darkness,
that then I may look at the light.
Yes, I tell You and repeat to You incessantly,
Show me to myself,
so that I may know my sins.”

prayer of bl paolo biustiniani lord i dare not say to you - 28 jue 2020

“Until I was alone I never really lived.
Until I was alone, I was not with myself.
Until I was alone, I never drew near to my creator.”

Blessed Paolo Giustiniani (1476-1528)

until i was alone i never really lived - bl paolo giustiniani 28 june 2020

Posted in DEVOTIO, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 27 June – The Sacred Heart of Jesus Pierced by a Crown of Thorns

Thought for the Day – 27 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Pierced by a Crown of Thorns

there are many ways of showing our love for the sacred heart - bacci - pierced by thorns 27 june 2020

“There are many ways of showing our love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of making reparation for our sins and for the sins of mankind.
We can console ourselves with the reflection, that by these acts of love and reparation, we are removing the thorns which encircle and pierce the Heart of Jesus.
The simplest ways of doing this, are by prayers, aspirations and expressions of love, directed towards the adorable Heart of our Redeemer and, by visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
In silence and recollection, before the Tabernacle, we shall feel the Heart of Jesus, beating with love and, shall offer in return, for His infinite love, the affection of our poor hearts.

We can also receive Holy Communion in reparation.
When Jesus is in us and we are in Jesus, it will be easier and more pleasant, to offer Him our love and expiation.
We can make reparation also, by practising the devotion of the First Fridays of the month.
This pious practice, so pleasing to the Heart of Jesus, aims at being a mass offering of love and reparation, for the sins of the entire human race.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

we can also receive holy comm in reparation - sacred pierced by thorns bacci 27 june 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 23 June – Remain in Him

Quote/s of the Day – 23 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Tuesday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36, Psalm 48:2-4, 10-11, Matthew 7:6, 12-14 and The Memorial of St Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860)

“Enter by the narrow gate.
For the gate is wide
and the way is easy
that leads to destruction
and those who enter by it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted
the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few.”

Matthew 7:13-14

matthew 7 13-14 enter by the narrow gate 23 june 2020

“I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him
will bear much fruit
because without me,
you can do nothing.”

John 15:5-6

john 15 5-6 i am the vine - 23 june 2020

“We give glory to You, Lord,
who raised up Your Cross to span the jaws of death
like a bridge by which souls might pass
from the region of the dead to the land of the living. ..
You are incontestably alive.
Your murderers sowed Your living body in the earth
as farmers sow grain but it sprang up
and yielded an abundant harvest of men
raised from the dead.”

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

we-give-glory-to-you-lord-st-ephrem-30-march-2018-good-friday and 9 june 2020

“God is not a deceiver,
that He should offer to support us
and then, when we lean upon Him,
should slip away from us.”

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

god is not a deceiver, that he should offer to support us - st augustine - 23 june 2020

“He is the one who teaches
the truth of prophecy
through His presence
and makes obedience
to the commandments possible,
through grace.”

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

he is the one who teaches the truth of prophecy - st pope leo the great 10 june 2020

“He who trusts in himself is lost.
He who trusts in God can do all things.”

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

he who trust in himself is lost - st alphonsus liguori 23 june 2020

“Celebrate the feast of Christmas everyday,
even every moment in the interior temple of your spirit,
remaining like a baby in the bosom
of the heavenly Father,
where you will be reborn, each moment,
in the Divine Word, Jesus Christ.”

St Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

celebrate the feast of christmas everyday - 23 june 2020 st paul of the cross

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 June – “The road that leads to life”

One Minute Reflection – 23 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Tuesday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36, Psalm 48:2-4, 10-11, Matthew 7:6, 12-14

“The road that leads to life” … Matthew 7:14

REFLECTION – “This, beloved, is the way in which we found our salvation, Jesus Christ, the High Priest who offers our gifts, the patron and helper in our weakness (Heb 10:20; 7:27; 4:15).   It is through Him, that we look straight at the heavens above.   Through Him, we see mirrored, God’s faultless and transcendent countenance.   Through Him, the eyes of our heart were opened.   Through Him, our unintelligent and darkened mind shoots up into the light.   Through Him, the Master was pleased to let us taste the knowledge that never fades, He who is “the radiance of His splendour, who towers as much above the angels, as the title He has inherited, is superior to theirs” (He 1:3-4) (…)

Let us take our body.   The head is nothing without the feet and the feet are nothing without the head.   The smallest organs of our body are necessary and valuable to the whole body, in fact, all parts conspire and yield the same obedience, toward maintaining the whole of the body (cf.1 Co 12:12f.).
Therefore, let the whole of our body be maintained in Christ Jesus and let each submit to their neighbour’s rights in the measure determined by the special gift bestowed on them.   Let the strong care for the weak and the weak respect the strong;  let the rich support the poor and the poor render thanks to God for giving them the means of supplying their needs;   let the wise show their wisdom, not in words but in active help;  the humble must not testify to themselves but leave it to another to testify in their behalf.   Those who are continent must not boast, knowing that it is another who confers on them the ability to remain continent.

Let us, therefore reflect, brethren, of what clay we were made, what and who we were when we entered the world, out of what grave and darkness, our Maker and Creator has brought us into the world, where He has prepared His benefits before our birth.   Since, then, we owe all these blessings to Him, we are obliged to thank Him in every way.” … St Pope Clement I (c 35 – c 99)- Pope from c 90 to c 99 – Letter to the Corinthians, § 36-38matthew 7 14 the road that leads to life - this beloved is the way in which we - st pope clement I 23 june 2020

PRAYER – The Elder Brother’s Prayer

Teach me, my Lord,
to be sweet and gentle in all the events of life,
in disappointments,
in the thoughtlessness of those I trusted,
in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied.
Let me put myself aside,
to think of the happiness of others,
to hide my little pains and heartaches,
so that I may be the only one to suffer from them.
Teach me to profit by the suffering
that comes across my path.
Let me so use it that it may make me
patient, not irritable.
That it may make me broad in my forgiveness,
not narrow, haughty and overbearing.
May no one be less good
for having come within my influence.
No one less pure, less true, less kind,
less noble for having been a fellow traveller
in our journey toward Eternal Life.
As I go my rounds from one distraction to another,
let me whisper from time to time,
a word of love to Thee.
May my life be lived in the supernatural,
full of power for good,
and strong in its purpose of sanctity.
Amenthe elder brother's prayer - new - 23 june 2020

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, SAINT of the DAY, The PASSION, Uncategorized

Quote/s of the Day – 22 June – St John Fisher

Quote/s of the Day – 22 June – The Memorial of St John Fisher (1469-1535) Bishop, Martyr

“I reckon in this realm, no one man,
in wisdom, learning
and long approved virtue together,
meet to be matched and compared with him.”

St Thomas More speaking of St John Fisher

 

“A good man is not a perfect man;
a good man is an honest man,
faithful and unhesitatingly responsive
to the voice of God in his life.”

_a good man is not a perfect man - 22 june 2020

“Contrition is to have sorrow at heart
and great repentance of all his sins
and to have steadfast purpose to keep
and abstain him from all deadly sins.
For who has intention to return him to deadly sin,
his confession avails him nothing!”

“Penance is a needful thing to the sinner,
who desires to recover health of his soul.
And, in doing penance, there be three things
to be considered:
serious compunction of heart,
confession of mouth
and satisfaction by deed.”

penance is a needful thing to the sinner - st john fisher 22 june 2020

“As St Paul has said,
for our justification,
He [Christ], gave to man
all that was necessary –
His Blood to wash us,
His Body to redeem us.
In His Passion,
Justice and peace
have met each other.”

as st paul has said, for our justification - st john fisher 22 june 2020

“Beware of those prophets who speak unto you
and deceive you!
They prophecy nothing
but the imaginations and forgings
of their own minds
and not the truth of Holy Scripture!”

St John Fisher (1469-1535) Bishop, Martyr

beware of those prophets - st john fisher 22 june 2020

 

Posted in DEVOTIO, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 20 June – The Immaculate Heart of Mary

Quote/s of the Day – 20 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

“I want My Church to…put the devotion
to this Immaculate Heart
beside the devotion to
My Sacred Heart.”

Jesus to Lúcia of Fatima

i want my church to put the devotion - jesus to lucia of fatima 20 june 2020

“Look, my Daughter,”
Our Lady said to Lúcia on 10 December 1925,
“at my heart, surrounded with thorns,
with which ungrateful men pierce me. “

look-my-daughter-at-my-heart-ou-rlady-of-fatima-to-lucia-13-may-2020 and 20 june 2020 imm heart

Our Lady assured Lúcia:
“My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge
and the way that will lead you to God.”
Thus, if we devote ourselves to her Immaculate Heart,
Mary will lead us to her Son, Jesus Christ
and we will be on the way to Heaven.

Our Lady of Fatima

my-immaculate-heart-will-be-your-refuge-our-lady-to-bl-lucia-13-may-2020 and 20 june 2020 imm heart

“This Virgin Mother of the Only begotten of God is called Mary,
worthy of God, Immaculate of the Immaculate, one of the one.”

Origen (c 185-253)

this virgin mother of the only begotten of god is called mary - origen 20 june 2020

“Do you not know,
that not only is Jesus,
resting and dwelling continually
in the Heart of Mary
but that He is, Himself the Heart of Mary … “

St John Eudes
Apostle of the Two Holy Hearts

do you not know that not only is jesus resting and dwelling - st john eudes - imm heart 20 june 2020

“If you put all the love, of all the mothers into one heart,
it still would not equal the love
of the Heart of Mary for her children.”

St Louis de Montfort (1673-1716)

if you put all the love of all the mothers - st louis de montfort - 20 june 2020 imm heart

“…Let us continue
Immaculate Mary’s mission.
All is included in it.
May [we].. follow her example
and be the handmaid of the Lord
in everything,
everywhere
and always.”

Blessed Mary of the Passion (1839-1904)

let us continue immaculate mary's mission - bl mary of the passion - 20 june 2020 imm heart

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, SACRED HEART QUOTES, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 19 June –

Quote/s of the Day – 19 June – Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests and the Memorial of Bl Maria Rosa Flesch FSMA (1826-1906)

“We, Christians,
are the true Israel which springs from Christ,
for we are carved out of His Heart,
as from a Rock!”

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

we-christians-are-the-true-israel-st-justin-martyr-28-june-2019-sacrd-heart05 and 19 june 2020

Looking forward to never-ending communion,
St Gertrude ended her earthly life on 17 November 1301 or 1302,
at the age of about 46.
In the seventh Exercise, that of preparation for death, St Gertrude wrote:

“O Jesus, You who are immensely dear to me,
be with me always,
so that my heart may stay with You
and that Your love may endure with me, 
with no possibility of division
and bless my passing,
so that my spirit,
freed from the bonds of the flesh,
may immediately find rest in you.
Amen”

St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)

prayer to the sacred heart for our death - st gertrude the great 19 june 2020 sacred heart

“If the Jewish High priest carried the names
of the twelve tribes of Israel
written on his shoulders and on his breast,
how much more Christ, our High Priest,
carries our names
written on His Heart”

St John of Avila (1500-1569)
Doctor of the Church

if-the-jewish-high-priests-st-john-of-avila-28-june-2019-sacred-heart and 19 june 2020

“Do everything
out of love for God,
for God,
with God,
to get to God.”

Bl Maria Rosa Flesch FSMA (1826-1906)

do everything out opf love for god, for god, with god, to get to god - blmaria rosa flesch 19 june 2020 sacred heart

“The priesthood
is the love
of the heart of Jesus”

St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
Patron of Priests

the-priesthood-is-the-love-st-john-vianney-28-june-2019-sacred-heart and 19 june 2020

“Ah! Beside You I am not afraid of anything!
I snuggle up against You and,
like the lost sheep,
hear the beating of Your Heart.
Jesus, yet again I am Yours,
Yours forever.
With You, I am truly great,
without You, nothing but a weak reed. 
Upheld by You,
I am a pillar!”

St John XXIII (1881-1963)

Journal of a soul, 1901-1903

ah beside you i am not afraid - st john XXIII 19 june 2020 sacred heart

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 June – ‘I am your Light, your Salvation and your King.’

One Minute Reflection – 10 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Wednesday of the Tenth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 1 Kings 18:20-39, Psalm 16:1-2, 4-5, 8, 11, Matthew 5:17-19

“I have come, not to abolish but to fulfil.” … Matthew 5:17

REFLECTION – “The sacrifice of the lamb, the Passover rite and the letter of the Law, have reached their term in Jesus Christ, in view of Whom, everything in the ancient Law took place – and, even more so, in the new dispensation.   For the Law became the Word;  from being old it became new …  the commandments have been transformed into Grace and the foreshadowing into truth;  the lamb has become the Son, the sheep has become man and man has become God. …matthew 5 17 i have come not toa bolish but to fulfil - the sacrifice of the lamb, the passover rit and the letter of the law - st melitos of sardis 10 june 2020

God though He was, the Lord put on our humanity;  He suffered for him who was suffering, was bound for him who was captive, was judged for the guilty, was buried for him who was buried.   He was raised from the dead and cried out in a loud voice:  “If anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together” (Is 50,8).   It is I who delivered the condemned man;  I who restored life to the dead;  I who raised up those in the grave.   “Who disputes my right?”   It is I, He says, I, who am the Christ, I, who destroyed death, who triumphed over the enemy, who bound the mighty enemy and carried off man to the heights of heaven;  it is I, He says, who am the Christ.

Come along then, every human family, full of sin as you are and receive the forgiveness of your sins.   For I Myself, am your forgiveness, I am the Passover of salvation, the Lamb slain for your sakes, your redemption, life and resurrection;  I am your Light, your Salvation and your King.   It is I, who lead you to the heights of heaven, I, who will raise you up;  it is I, who will bring you to see the Father who is from all eternity;  it is I, who will raise you up by My all-powerful Hand.” … St Melito of Sardis (Died c 180) Bishop, Apologist – Paschal Homilymatthew 5 17 i have come not to abolish but to fulfil - come along then every human family - st melitos of sardis 10 june 2020

PRAYER – Shed your clear light on our hearts, Lord, so that walking continually in the way of Your commandments, we may never be deceived or misled. May your Angels and Saints, pray for us. May the Mother of Our God and our Mother, be at our side and guide our way. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.blessed mother mary ora pro nobis pray for us 10 june 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, THE ASSUMPTION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The SIGN of the CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 9 June – St Ephrem

Quote/s of the Day – 9 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A and the Memorial of St Ephrem of Syria (306-373) Father & Doctor of the Church

“We give glory to You, Lord,
who raised up Your Cross to span the jaws of death
like a bridge by which souls might pass
from the region of the dead to the land of the living. ..
You are incontestably alive.
Your murderers sowed Your living body in the earth
as farmers sow grain but it sprang up
and yielded an abundant harvest of men
raised from the dead.”

we-give-glory-to-you-lord-st-ephrem-30-march-2018-good-friday and 9 june 2020

“Jesus, who feared nothing,
experienced fear
and asked to be freed from death –
although He knew it was impossible.
How much more,
must we persevere in prayer
before temptation assails us –
so that we may be freed
when the test has come!”jesus-who-feared-nothing-st-ephrem1 - 9 june 2017 and 9 june 2020

“She bore within herself, as a child,
Him by whom the world was filled.
He descended to become the model
that would renew Adam’s ancient image.”

she bore within herself, as a child, Him - st ephrem 9 june 2020 his memorial

“You gave us so many gifts on the day of Your birth,
a treasure chest of spiritual medicines for the sick.
spiritual light for the blind,
the cup of salvation for the thirsty,
the bread of life for the hungry.”

you gave us so many gifts on the day of your birth - st ephrem 9 june 2020

“We have had Your treasure
hidden within us,
ever since we received baptismal grace,
it grows ever richer
at Your sacramental table.”

john-17-22-and-i-have-given-them-the-glory-you-gave-me-we-have-had-our-treasure-st-ephrem-28-may-2020 and 9 june 2020

“Mary’s titles are numberless…
she is the palace in which the mighty King of kings abode,
yet He did not cast her out when He came,
because it was from her that He took flesh and was born.
She is the new heaven in which dwelt the King of kings,
in her, Christ arose and from her, rose up to enlighten creation,
formed and fashioned in His image.
She is the stock of the vine that bore the grape,
she yielded a fruit greater than nature
and He, although other than her in His nature,
ripened in colour on being born of her.
She is the spring from which living waters
sprang up for the thirsty
and all those who drank them,
yielded fruit a hundredfold.”

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

marys-titles-are-numberless-st-ephrem-annunciation-sermon-25-march-2019 and 9 june 2020