Category: QUOTES of the SAINTS

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 June – ‘He sets His image within you …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 2 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Tuesday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 2 Peter 3:12-15, 17-18, Psalm 90:2-4, 10, 14, 16, Mark 12:13-17

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God, the things that are God’s.” … John 12:17

REFLECTION – “Oh man! why do you despise yourself so, seeing that you are so precious to God?   And why do you demean yourself in this way when God honours you by Christ’s birth in our flesh?   Why search out how you were made and not enquire what you were made for?   Was not this whole dwelling, this world that you see, made for you?   For your sake, light spreads abroad and causes darkness to fade;  for your sake, night is ruled and day measured;  for you, heaven shines with the varied splendours of sun and moon and stars;  for you, the earth is spangled with flowers, trees and fruits;  for you, was created this amazing mass of animal life, in the air, the fields, the loveliness of water, so that no dismal solitude should spoil the new world’s joy….

Besides this, the Creator seeks out what else He can add to your dignity – He sets His image within you (Gen 1:27) so that your visible image, might make present upon earth, the invisible Creator and, to you, He entrusts the care of earthly goods, so that so vast a domain as this is, should not be lacking a representative from the Lord. … And what God accomplished in you by His power, He graciously assumed into Himself – He wanted to be truly manifested in the man in whom, hitherto, He had only appeared in image.   He enabled us to become in reality what had only been a mere likeness before. …  And so Christ is born, to restore all its integrity to fallen nature.” … St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) Father and Doctor of the Church – Sermon 148, On the mystery of the Incarnationjohn 12 17 render to caesar - why search out how you were made and not enquire what you were made for st peter chrysologus 2 june 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, true light and creator of light, grant us the grace to see clearly by the light who is Light, Your only Son.   Lead us in His path and send us Your Spirit.   Grant us the strength to grow in holiness so that our struggle against the powers of darkness may we a victory over temptation.   May the prayers of the Mother of Your Son, the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother too, be a balm of enduring succour, as we fulfil Your commandments in this world and strive to reach our eternal home.   We make our prayer through Christ Your divine Son, Whom You sent to make us like unto Himself, in the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.blessed virgin mother pray for us 2 june 2020 (1)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, POETRY, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

Quote/s of te Day – 1 June – Mater Ecclesiae and St Annibale Maria di Francia

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Quote/s of te Day – 1 June – The Memorial of Mary, the Mother of the Church/Mater Ecclesiae and St Annibale Maria di Francia (1851-1927)

“…She is clearly the Mother
of his members;
that is, of ourselves,
because she cooperated
by her charity,
so that faithful Christians,
members of the Head,
might be born in the Church.
As for the body,
she is the Mother of its Head…
Mary gave birth to our Head;
the Church gave birth to you.
Indeed, the Church also,
is both virgin and mother,
mother, because of her
womb of charity,
virgin, because of the integrity
of her faith and piety.”

she-is-clearly-the-mother-of-his-members-st-augustine-first-memorial-of-mother-of-the-church-21-may-2018 and 1 june 2020

“Gracious Lady,
you are a Mother and Virgin,
you are the Mother
of the body and soul
of our Head and Redeemer,
you are also truly Mother
of all the members of Christ’s Mystical Body.
For through your love,
you have co-operated
in the begetting of the faithful in the Church.
Unique among women,
you are Mother and Mirgin,
Mother of Christ and Mirgin of Christ.
You are the beauty and charm of earth, O Virgin.
You are, forever, the image of the holy Church.
Through a woman came death,
through a woman came life,
yes, through you, O Mother of God.“

St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of Grace

gracious lady you are a mother and virgin - mater ecclesiae 1 june 2020 st augustine

“He had one other to send, a beloved son”

Mark 12:6

“So bread upon the table might not lack,
I brave the cold, the dripping sweat on back…
Oh, here it is today the food my children need,
Tomorrow’s dole our Father sure will speed.
I’ve often knocked on doors, a scant welcome bidden
My sentence stiff has scarce been hidden –
“Beware of him, the pest, he’s lost his mind.
Now let him suffer fate unkind!”
Discern My martyrdom, My flaming core,
No father loved His children more…
For You, I, God and man implore!”

St Annibale Maria di Francia (1851-1927)

he had one other to sen mark 12 6 - so bread upon the table - st annibale di francia 1 june 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 June – “He had one other to send, a beloved son”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 1 June – The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – Monday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Peter1:2-7, 20 or Acts 1:12-14, Psalm 91(90):1-2.14-15, Mark 12:1-12 and the Memorial of Mater Ecclesiae and St Annibale Maria di Francia (1851-1927)

“He had one other to send, a beloved son” … Mark 12:6

REFLECTION – “Christ has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18). Paul brings out the apostles’ greatness by showing us what kind of ministry has been given them, while showing us at the same time the love with which God has loved us.   When people had refused to listen to the one He had sent, God did not give vent to His rage, He did not spurn them but went on calling them both on His own account and through the apostles (…)

God has put into our mouths “the message of reconciliation” (v.19).   And so we come, not for some difficult work but to make everyone friends of God.   When they did not listen, the Lord told us to continue to urge them until they come to faith.   Hence Paul adds: “We are ambassadors of Christ, it is God himself who is appealing through us.   We implore you in Christ’s name, be reconciled to God” (v.20) (…)

What could be compared to so great a love as this?   When we had repaid his blessings with insults, far from punishing us He gave us His Son to reconcile us with Himself.  Yet, far from wanting to be reconciled, we put Him to death.   God sent other ambassadors to urge us and, after that, Himself became our suppliant.   Always it was He who appealed – “Be reconciled to God.”   He did not say: “Reconcile God to yourselves.”   It was not He who turned us away, it was we who refused to become His friends.   Can God experience feelings of hatred?” … St John Chrysostom (c 345-407) Father and Doctor of the Church – 11th homily on the 2nd letter to the Corinthiansmrk 12 6 - he had one other to send -when we had repaid his blessings with insults - the ungrateful tenants - st john chrysostom 1 june 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, You bestowed the Holy Spirit on Your Apostles while they were at prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.   Fill us too with the gift of Your grace in the Holy Spirit, that we may live our lives both in prayer and action and grant, that by Mary’s prayer and the prayer of Your servant, St Annibale Maria di Francia, we may give You faithful service and spread abroad the glory of Your name, by word and example.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, Your divine Son, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, amen.mary mater ecclesiae pray for 10 july 2019

 

st annibale di francia 1 june 2020 pray for us

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, OPEN HOUSE...Conversations with..., QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, To JESUS through MARY

Thoughts of Mary – 31 May – Look to Mary

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Thoughts of Mary – 31 May – “Mary’s Month”

In the last General Audience, held by St Pope John in the Vatican Basilica (15 May 1963) before his death. He exhorted us to:

Look to Mary
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“Is it possible for a Christian not to love the holy Mother of Jesus, whom He has regarded with affection since His childhood, to whom He prayed with the first words He ever uttered and to whom He has trustfully turned for help in the difficult moments of His life?
All find in her and for her, a tender expression of confidence and gentleness – this is a great comfort to us, a great comfort at all times.

In this month of May, good Christians, increase a hundredfold, their tributes of profound veneration for Mary ….

We must cherish in our hearts, a fervour that will strengthen us and enable us, to look to Jesus and to Our Lady with great confidence, so that we may not only await but, hasten the triumph of the Lord’s charity and grace, by our enthusiasm and virtuous living and through our apostolate.
This fervour, must promote brotherly love and induce us to reject all motives for division among us.
We must be impelled, in short, to love all that unites us, because the Lord came to redeem the whole world and He is always continuing His work of salvation, mercy and peace.”

look to mary - st john XXIII 31 may 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES of the SAINTS, St PAUL!, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 31 May – Come, O Holy Spirit, come!

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Quote/s of the Day – 31 May – The Solemnity of Pentecost

“But it is God,
who establishes us, with you in Christ
and has anointed us,
by putting his seal on us
and giving us his Spirit in our heart,
as a first instalment.”

St Paul
2 Corinthians 1:21

2-cor-1-21-but-it-is-god-who-establishes-us-6-june-2019 and 31 may 2020 pentecost

“Accordingly, in the Church,
one God is preached,
one God who is above all things
and through all things and in all things.
God is above all things as Father,
for He is principle and source,
He is through all things through the Word
and He is in all things in the Holy Spirit.”

St Athanasius (c 295-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

accordingly in the church one god is preached - st athanasius 31 may 2020 pentecost

“Remember, then, that you received a spiritual seal,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of knowledge and reverence,
the spirit of holy fear.
Keep safe what you received.
God the Father sealed you,
Christ the Lord strengthened you
and sent the Spirit into your hearts
as the pledge of what is to come.”

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

remember-then-that-you-received-a-spiritual-seal-st-ambrose-5-june-2019 and 31 may 2020

“O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart.
Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling
and scatter there Your cheerful beams.”

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

o-holy-spirit-descend-plentifully-st-augustine-3-june-2019 and 31 may 2020

“As the soul
is the life of the body,
so the Holy Spirit
is the life of our souls.”

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

as the soul is the life of the body so the holy spirit is the life of our souls st peter damian 31 may 2020 pentecost

“Enrich your soul in the great goodness of God –
The Father is your table,
the Son is your food
and the Holy Spirit waits on you
and then makes His dwelling in you.”

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

enrich your soul - st catherine of siena 31 may 2020 pentecost

“The Holy Spirit leads us like a mother.
He leads His child by the hand…
as a sighted person leads a blind person.”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

the holy spirit leads us like a mother - st john vianney 31 may 2020

“We ought to pray and invoke the Holy Spirit,
for each one of us greatly needs His protection and His help.
The more we are lacking in wisdom,
weak in strength,
burdened with trouble,
prone to sin,
the more we should turn to Him,
Who is the never-ceasing fount
of light, strength, consolation and holiness.”

Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

we-ought-to-pray-and-invoke-the-holy-spirit-pope-leo-xiii-31-may-2019 and 2020 pentecost

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HOLY SPIRIT, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HOPE, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY GHOST

Sunday Reflection – 31 May – “…We have only to say “yes” – St John Vianney

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Sunday Reflection – 31 May – The Solemnity of Pentecost

Wishing Holy Mother Church
and you all a Blessed and Holy Birthday!

wishing-holy-mother-church-and-you-all-pentecost-20-may-2018 and 31 may 2020

“…We have only to say “yes” to let Him take us there.“
St John Vianney (1786-1859)

“If the damned were asked – Why are you in Hell? they would answer:
‘For having resisted the Holy Spirit.’
And if the saints were asked – Why are you in Heaven? they would answer: ‘For having listened to the Holy Spirit.’
When good thoughts come into our minds,
it is the Holy Spirit who is visiting us.
The Holy Spirit is a power.
The Holy Spirit …. sustained the martyrs. Without the Holy Spirit, the martyrs would have fallen like the leaves from the trees. When the fires were lighted under them, the Holy Spirit extinguished the heat of the fire by the heat of divine love.
The good God, in sending us the Holy Spirit, has treated us like a great king who should send his minister to guide one of his subjects, saying, “You will accompany this man everywhere and you will bring him back to me safe and sound.”
How beautiful it is, my children, to be accompanied by the Holy Spirit!
He is indeed a good Guide and to think that there are some who will not follow Him!
The Holy Spirit is like a man with a carriage and horse, who should want to take us to Pans. We should only have to say “yes,” and to get into it. It is indeed an easy matter to say “yes”!…
Well, the Holy Spirit wants to take us to Heaven,
we have only to say “yes” and to let Him take us there.“

“O Divine Spirit, draw us to the highest heaven
where Jesus lives forever, interceding for us.
Come, fill our hearts with Your fire,
show us the way to the Lord, that we may find Him
shining with beauty and love.
Amen”

pentecost-9-june-2019-o-divine-spirit-draw-us-to-the-highest-heaven- 31 may 2020

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, OPEN HOUSE...Conversations with..., QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thoughts of Mary – 30 May – The Bible of the Poor

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Thoughts of Mary – 30 May – “Mary’s Month”

The Bible of the Poor
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“When our forefathers built their churches, they adorned them with sacred imagery, paintings or stained glass illustrating the mysteries of the life of Jesus and Mary.
It was like having a Gospel open for everyone to read, easily understood by all and rightly called, “the Bible of the Poor.”

This is just what the Rosary of Mary has been to us for seven hundred years, a joy to our eyes and hearts in the contemplation, in so many images, of the chief episodes in the life and mission of Jesus and of Mary – of Jesus, the Son of God, our Redeemer, of Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother too.
It is a prayer that rises from our lips and our innermost hearts, begging for the divine gifts that may satisfy the needs of individuals and of the whole Church.

What a great and mysterious thing is human life too, Christian life! a sequence and interwoven pattern of it’s own joys, sorrows and triumphs.
Is this not so, my brothers?
And so, in the Rosary, we combine the little bibles of our lives with the Great and True Mysteries of the bible of the lives of our souls! Amen.”

the rosary the bible of the poor - st john XXIII 30 may 2020

Posted in PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 30 May – St Joan of Arc (1412-1431)

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Quote/s of the Day – 30 May – The Memorial of St Joan of Arc (1412-1431)

“Act and God will act.”

act and god will act - st joan of arc 30 may 2020

“Since God had commanded it,
it was necessary that I do it.
Since God commanded it,
even if I had a hundred fathers and mothers,
even if I had been a King’s daughter,
I would have gone nevertheless.”

since god has commanded it - st joan of arc 30 may 2020

“In God’s name let us go on bravely.”

St Joan of Arc (1412-1431)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/05/30/quote-s-of-the-day-30-may-the-memorial-of-st-joan-of-arc-1412-1431/

in god's name - st joan of arc 30 may 2020

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 May –  ‘Jesus loves the one who follows Him.’

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One Minute Reflection – 30 May – “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31, Psalm 11:4-5, 7, John 21:20-25 and the Memorial of St Ferdinand III King (1199-1252)

Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper”  … John 21:20

REFLECTION – “The love of Jesus for His faithful disciple is shown by the words:  “Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper” (Jn 21:20).

Someone who truly follows the Lord wants everyone to follow Him, which is why He turns to his neighbour with kind attentions, prayers and proclamation of the Gospel. Peter’s turning around, signifies all those things.   In the book of Revelation we find the same idea:  “The bridegroom and the bride – Christ and the Church – say:  ‘Come!’   Let him who hears say: ‘Come!'” (Rv 22:17).   Christ, through interior inspiration and the Church, by preaching, say:  “Come!”   And whoever hears these words says to his neighbour: “Come!” which is to say:  “Follow Jesus!”   Then Peter, turning round, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following after.   Jesus loves the one who follows Him.

Although his name is not mentioned, John stands out from the others, not because Jesus only loved him but because He loved him more than the others.   He loved all the others but this man was closer to Him. …  It was he who “reclined upon His chest during the supper” (Jn 21:20).   This was a great sign of love, the fact that he alone could have leaned on the chest of Jesus, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3). …

And so, during the Supper in heaven, we shall be satisfied for eternity, we shall take our rest together with John on the chest of Jesus.   The heart is in the chest;  love is in the heart.   We shall rest in His love because, we shall love Him with all our heart and all our soul and shall discover in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. … So to Him be the praise and the glory for endless ages. Amen. … St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctorjohn 21 20 - peter turned and saw the disciple following whom jesus loved-someone who truly follows the lord - st anthony of padua 30 may 2020

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, Your ways are not our ways, teach us to willingly agree to them, for You know which way we should go.   Help us to say “yes” always to Your plan and to render ourselves, as a sacrament of Your divine love to all we meet.   Fill us with the grace to be your tools, to bring glory to Your kingdom.   Our Father, who art in heaven, may Your Will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.   Mary Mother of God, pray for us!   St Ferdinand, you who with the earthly power which rested on you, showed forth only the Love, Power and Will of God, Pray for Us!   Through our Our Lord Jesus Christ with You, in the union of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.blessed virgin merciful mother pray for us 30 oct 2019

st ferdinand III pray for us 30 may 2020

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, OPEN HOUSE...Conversations with..., QUOTES of the SAINTS

Thoughts of Mary – 29 May – Mary’s Visit to Her Cousin, Elizabeth

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Thoughts of Mary – 20 May – “Mary’s Month”

Mary’s Visit to Her Cousin, Elizabeth
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“What gentleness and charm in this three months’ visit made by Mary to her beloved cousin!
Each of them is about to bear a child but, for the Virgin Mother, this is the most sacred maternity that it is possible to imagine on earth.
Their two souls mingle and respond in a sweet harmony:  “Blessed are you among women” (Lk 1:42), on the one hand and, on the other, “God, my Saviour, has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden, for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed” (Lk 1:48).

What takes place here, at Ain-Karim on the hill of Hebron, sheds a light, both very human and divine, on the relations that bind Christian families, brought up in the ancient tradition of the Holy Rosary – the Rosary recited every evening at home, in the family circle, the Rosary recited not just in or or a hundred or a thousand families but by every family, by everyone, everywhere in the world, wherever the is one of us “Suffering, fighting and praying” (A Manzoni, La Pentecost v 6) someone who has answered a call to the Priesthood or to Missionary service or to a dream which will turn out to be an apostolate, or wherever men are constrained by those legitimate, if obligatory demands of labour or trade, military service, study, teaching or any other occupation.

There is a beautiful reunion, during the ten Hail Marys of the Mystery, of so many countless souls, linked together by blood or by domestic ties, in a relationship which hallows and, thereby strengthens, the love that binds our dearest ones together – parents and children, brothers and relations, people from the same locality, people of the same race.
All this, with the purpose and intention of sustaining, increasing and irradiating that universal charity, the exercise of which, is the most profound joy and supreme honour, of our lives.”

What gentleness and charm - st john XXIII mary's visit to Elizabeth

Posted in MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, OPEN HOUSE...Conversations with..., QUOTES of the SAINTS, THE ASSUMPTION

Thoughts of Mary – 28 May – The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

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Thoughts of Mary – 28 May – “Mary’s Month”

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

the mystery of the assumption St John XXIII 28 may 2020

“The queenly figure of Mary is illuminated and glorified in the highest dignity which a creature may attain.
What grace, sweetness and solemnity in the scene of Mary’s “falling asleep,” as the Christians of the East imagine it!
She is lying in the serene sleep of death, Jesus stands beside her and clasps her soul, as if it were a tiny child, to His Heart, to indicate the miracle of her immediate resurrection and glorification.

The Christians of the West, raising their eyes and hearts to heaven, choose to portray Mary borne body and soul to the eternal Kingdom.
The greatest artist saw her thus, incomparable in her divine beauty.
Oh let us too go with her, borne aloft by her escort of angels!
This is the source of consolation and faith, in days of grief or pain, for those privileged souls – such as we can all become, if only we respond to grace – whom God is silently preparing for the most beautiful victory of all, the attainment of holiness.

The mystery of the Assumption, brings home to us the thought of death, of our own death and gives us a sense of serene confidence;  it makes us understand and welcome the thought, that the Lord will be, as we wish Him to be, near us in our last agony, to gather into His own Hands, our immortal soul.

“May your grace be always with us, Immaculate Virgin.”

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 May – St Alphonsus Liguori’s “50 Maxims for Attaining Perfection” Part Three

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 May – Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11, Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11, John 17:20-26

“Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us”

John 17:21

joh 17 21 - just as you father are in me and I in you that they also may be in us 28 may 2020

St Alphonsus Liguori’s
“50 Maxims for Attaining Perfection in the Love of Jesus Christ”
Part Three

21.   To suffer crosses patiently, saying, “Thus it pleases Jesus Christ.”

22.   To renounce your own pleasures for the love of Jesus Christ.

23. To pray as much as possible.

24.   To practice all the mortifications that obedience permits.

25.   To do all your spiritual exercises as if it were for the last time.

26.   To persevere in good works in the time of aridity.

27.   Not to do, nor yet to leave undone, anything through human respect.

28.   Not to complain in sickness.

29.   To love solitude, to be able to converse alone with Jesus Christ.

30.   To drive away melancholy.

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor

ST ALPHONSUS LIGUORI 50 MAXIMS FOR ATTAINING PERFECTION PART THREE 28 MAY 2020

Part One – https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/thought-for-the-day-20-april-friday-of-the-third-week-of-eastertide/st alphonsus - for attaining perfection - part one - 20 april 2018

Part Two – https://anastpaul.com/2018/05/28/quote-s-of-the-day-28-may-monday-of-the-8th-week-of-ordinary-time-year-b/st alphonsus - for attaining perfection - part two - 28 may 2018

Posted in BAPTISM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY COMMUNION, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 May – ‘… Your treasure hidden within us…’

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One Minute Reflection – 28 May – “Mary’s Month” – Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter, Readings:  Acts 22:30; 23:6-11, Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11, John 17:20-26 and The Memorial of Blessed Lanfranc of Canterbury (c 1005-1089)

“And I have given them the glory you gave me …” … John 17:22

REFLECTION – “… Through our unremitting zeal for you, Lord, set upon us the sign of Your day that is not measured by the sun. … In Your sacrament we daily embrace You and receive You into our bodies;  make us worthy to experience the resurrection for which we hope.   We have had Your treasure hidden within us, ever since we received baptismal grace, it grows ever richer at Your sacramental table.   Teach us to find our joy in Your favour!   Lord, we have within us Your memorial, received at Your spiritual table; let us possess it in its full reality when all things shall be made new.

We glimpse the beauty that is laid up for us, when we gaze upon the spiritual beauty Your immortal will, now creates within our mortal selves.   Saviour, Your Crucifixion marked the end of Your mortal life;  teach us to crucify ourselves and make way for our life in the Spirit.   May Your Resurrection, Jesus, bring true greatness to our spiritual self and may Your sacraments be the mirror, wherein we may know that self.   Saviour, Your divine plan for the world is a mirror for the spiritual world – teach us to walk in that world as spiritual men.

Lord, do not deprive our souls, of the spiritual vision of You, nor our bodies of Your warmth and sweetness.   The mortality lurking in our bodies spreads corruption through us;  may the spiritual waters of Your love cleanse the effects of mortality from our hearts. Grant, Lord, that we may hasten to our true city and, like Moses on the mountaintop, possess it now in vision.” … St Ephrem (306-373) Father and Doctor of the Church – (Sermo 3, De fine et admonitione 2. 4-5)john 17 22 - and i have given them the glory you gave me - we have had our treasure - st ephrem 28 may 2020

PRAYER – God of mercy, You have filled us with the hope of resurrection by restoring man to his original dignity.   May we who relive this mystery each year come to share it in perpetual love.   May the Mother of Our Lord stand with us as we gaze upward to her Son and may the prayer of Bl Lanfranc, be a support in our troubles.   Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.blessed virgin queen and mother pray for us 5 may 2019

bl lanfranc of canterbury pray for us 28 may 2020

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The ANNUNCIATION

Thoughts of Mary – 27 May – The Annunciation

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Thoughts of Mary – 27 May – “Mary’s Month”

The Annunciation
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

this is the first shining point of union between heaven and earth - st john XXIII the annunciation 27 may 2020

“This is the first shining point of union between heaven and earth – the first of those events which were to be the greatest of all time.
The Son of God, Word of the Father, “without whom was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3), in the order of creation, in this mystery takes on human nature and becomes a man, in order to save and redeem all men, all mankind.

When Mary Immaculate, the finest and most fragrant flower of all creation, said in answer to the angel’s greeting:  “Behold the handmaid of the Lord” (Luke 1:38), she accepted the honour of divine motherhood, which was, in that moment, realised within her.
And we, born once in our father Adam, formerly the adopted sons of God but fallen from that high estate, are now once more brothers, adopted sons of the Father, restored to His adoption by the redemption which was already begun.
At the foot of the Cross, we shall all be children of Mary, with that same Jesus, whom she has conceived on that day.
From that day onwards, she will be Mother of God (Mater Dei) and our Mother (Mater Nostra) too.

What sublimity, what tender love is this first mystery!

When we reflect on this, we see that our chief and constant duty is, to thank the Lord who deigned to come to save us and for this purpose, made Himself man, our brother man;  He has joined us by becoming the Son of a woman and by making us, at the foot of the Cross, the adopted sons of this woman.   He wanted us, who were the adopted sons of His Heavenly Father, to be the sons of His own Mother.

Let the intention of our prayer, as we contemplate this first picture offered to our thoughts, be, besides a constant feeling of gratitude, a real and sincere effort to acquire humility, purity and ardent love for the Blessed Virgin, who provides the most precious example of all these virtues.”

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Quote/s of the Day -– 27 May – St Augustine of Canterbury

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Quote/s of the Day -– 27 May – The Memorial of St Augustine of Canterbury
OSB (Died c 605)

“God, in His promises to hear our prayers,
is desirous to bestow Himself upon us;
if you find anything better than Him, ask it
but if you ask anything beneath Him,
you put an affront upon Him
and hurt yourself, by preferring to Him,
a creature which He created.

god in his promises to hear our prayers - st augustine of canterbury 27 may 2020

Pray in the spirit and sentiment of love,
in which the royal prophet said to Him,
‘Thou, O Lord, are my portion.’
Let others choose to themselves,
portions among creatures,
for my part, You are my portion,
You alone I have chosen for my whole inheritance.”

pray in the spirit and sentiment of love you alone I have chosen - st augustine of canterbury 27 may 2020

St Augustine of Canterbury (Died c 605)
“The Apostle to the English”

you alone i have chosen for my whle inheritance st augustne of canterbury 27 may 2020

“Ask God to lead you by Faith,
Only God, seek only Him.”

Bl Nicolas Roland (1642-1678)

ask god to lead you by faith only god, seek only him - bl nicolas roland 27 april 2020

“God alone!”

St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)GOD ALONE - st louis de montfort 28 april 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection -– 27 May – ‘He will be with me always …’

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One Minute Reflection -– 27 May – “Mary’s Month” Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 20:28-38, Psalm 68:29-30, 33-36, John17:11-19 and the Memorial of St Augustine of Canterbury (Died c 605)

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one. … As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.” … John 17:15,18

REFLECTION – “Well, that God who saved me then, will be with me again in this journey and if I do not abandon Him, He will be with me always and while He is with me, everything that can happen to me will always be a grace, a blessing for which I should thank Him.   If in danger, He wants to withdraw, or pretends to be asleep on the bow of the ship, like the Apostle, I will go to wake Him and let Him see my danger.   And then if He does not want to listen, I will say – Lord, command me to come to You and my soul will walk on the waters, it will go to His feet and be content forever.

I do not know what He is preparing for me in the journey I begin tomorrow.   I know one thing only, He is good and loves me immensely, everything else – calm or storm, danger or safety, life or death, are merely changeable and passing expressions of the beloved immutable, eternal Love.   Yes, my beloved brethren, we have another country, another home, a kingdom where we must all meet, where there will no longer be separations or departures, where past sorrows and danger will merely serve to increase our consolation and glory.” … Blessed Giovanni Mazzucconi P.I.M.E. (1826-1855) Martyr – Giovanni Battista Mazzucconi was an Italian priest from the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions.   He was killed in hatred of the faith in Papua New Guinea during his work there amongst the people.   He was 29 years old.   He was beatified in 1984.   His life is here https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/07/saint-of-the-day-7-september-blessed-giovanni-battista-mazzucconi-1826-1855-martyr/ and includes this, his letter before his last journey to Papua New Guinea.john 17-15 and 18 i do not ask that you take them out of the world - well that god who saved me then -bl giovanni mazzucconi 27 may 2020 his mem 7 sept

PRAYER – Give us the grace Holy God to ever serve You and be faithful to You alone. Nothing of this world is worthy of our love and alone in You do we have life and light. May Your divine Son be our Guide and our Hope and may He always be with us as we make our way to our home country, together with His Mother and ours, the Blessed Virgin.   Listen too, we pray, to the prayers of St Augustine of Canterbury, who we ask to intercede for our needs.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.mary mother - pray for us - 15 MAY 2018

st augustine of canterbury pray for us 27 may 2020

 

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, OPEN HOUSE...Conversations with..., QUEENSHIP of MARY, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Thoughts of Mary – 26 May – Mary, Mother and Queen

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Thoughts of Mary – 26 May – “Mary’s Month”

Mary, Mother and Queen
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“We crown you, together with your divine Son, O Mother, we crown you as our Queen and may the golden crown that encircles your brow, glow as a sign of the highest holiness to which a human creature may rise, as an “ornament of honour that surpasses all other dignity and merit in the Church, both militant and triumphant and, finally, as a symbol of your most powerful intercession with your Son, for our needs.   These are the individual needs of everyone of us and of our families…”

The crown is of purest gold, like the hearts of your children who offer it to you:  ” … a crown of gold upon her head.”

We beg you for two special graces – peace of mind and the spirit of peace in our families, in our parishes and in this Diocese, which loves and honour you, peace in our own blessed land and in all her endeavours to achieve the loftiest ideals of human and social life in the light of the Gospel and in faithfulness to the teaching of the apostles, today, yesterday and always, the shining beacon of truth, justice and true Christian brother hood.

Ah, my brothers!   I speak of true Christian brotherhood and, after peace, this is the second grace for which I intend to pray and for which, I ask you all to pray to Jesus …. under the auspices and with the help of the prayers of our newly crowned Queen.”mary our queen and mother - st john XXIII 26 may 2020

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, OPEN HOUSE...Conversations with..., QUEENSHIP of MARY, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Thoughts of Mary – 25 May – Queen of the World

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Thoughts of Mary – 25 May – “Mary’s Month”

Queen of the World
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“An eloquent passage written by St Peter Canisius, as a commentary on the Gospel of St Luke, contains these admirable reflections: “Oh blessed day that saw the humble Handmaid of the Lord raised and borne aloft to such great glory, made Queen of Heaven and Mistress of the world! She could rise no higher than this, being destined to reign in glory by the side of Christ, enthroned in the Kingdom of the blessed.”

…. This is one of the characteristic conceptions of the Christian faith.
When we think of the Mother, we know we are all brothers of the Son;  we know that the Spirit, the divinity of our Brother, passes mysteriously into us and enables us to understand these hidden and wonderful truths, with the help of the sublime and magnificent indications of the sacred liturgy.

We must, therefore, try in every way we can, to foster these feelings in ourselves and make them more profound, ever adding new warmth to our love for Mary.
This helps us to love our Lord Jesus Christ, the beginning, the continuation and the end of all and, also, to love His Gospel and His Church.

Everything must always be placed in the light of this supernatural doctrine and under the protection of the Mother of God, who, having risen to eternal glory, has not withdrawn herself from us and does not lose sight of us.
She is always willing and anxious to listen to our prayers and receive the trustful petitions we offer to her, with profound humility, so that she may present them to her Son.”

she is always willing and anxious to listen to our prayers - st john XXIII - queen of the world 25 may 2020

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 May – St Maria Magdalena de’ Pazzi

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 May – The Memorial of St Maria Magdalena de’ Pazzi O.Carm (1566-1607)

“Trials are nothing else
but the forge
that purifies the soul
of all its imperfections.”

trials are nothing else but the forge - st maria magdalena de pazzi 25 may 2020

“O Sisters, if we would only comprehend the fact
that while the Eucharistic Species remain within us,
Jesus is there and working in us inseparably
with the Father and the Holy Spirit
and, therefore, the whole Holy Trinity is there.”

if we would only comprehend the fact that while the eucharistic species - st maria magdalena de pazzi 25 may 2020

“The last thing I ask of you —
and I ask it in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ —
is that you love Him alone,
that you trust implicitly in Him
and, that you encourage one another continually,
to suffer for the love of Him.”

St Maria Magdalena de’ Pazzi (1566-1607)

the last thing i ask of you - st maria magdalena de pazzi 25 may 2020

Posted in "Follow Me", MYSTICS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SAINT of the DAY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 May – ‘Who will be crowned without having fought?’

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One Minute Reflection – 25 May – “Mary’s Month” – Monday of the Seventh week of Easter, Readings: Acts 19:1-8, Psalm 68:2-7, John 16:29-33 and the Memorial of St Maria Magdalena de’ Pazzi O.Carm (1566-1607)

“In the world you will have tribulation.
But take heart, I have conquered the world.” ... John 16:33

REFLECTION – “Let nothing intervene to hinder the progress of any who travel alongside each other, in this evangelical life but let us walk with agile step though the road be rough and hard, let us show a brave and manly spirit, overcome obstacles, pass along from pathway to pathway, from hill to hill, until we climb onto the mountain of the Lord and make a home for ourselves in the holy place of His impassibility.

Now, companions assist each other on the way;  so then, my brothers, as the apostle says: “Bear one another’s burdens” (Gal 6:2) and make up for whatever is lacking to others (cf. 2 Cor 8:14 ; Phil 2:30).   To the negligence that perhaps holds sway today, noble courage will succeed tomorrow, now one is in gloom and then suddenly one rises to the surface and discovers joy again, at one moment our passions rise up but soon God comes to help us, they are broken and calm returns.   For you will only be seen like this yesterday and the day before but, dear friend, you will not always remain the same but the grace of God will draw near you, the Lord will fight for you and perhaps, like the great Antony, you will say:  “Where were you just now?” and he will answer: “I wanted to see your combat.”

For now, let us persevere, children, dear children, let us be patient for a little, brothers, dear brothers.…   Who will be crowned without having fought?   Who will go to rest if he is not tired (cf. 2 Tim 2:5-6)?   Who will gather the fruits of life without having planted virtues in his soul?   Cultivate them, prepare the earth with the greatest care, take trouble over it, sweat over it, children, God’s workers, imitators of the angels, competitors with incorporeal beings, lights for those who are in the world (cf. Phil 2:15)!” … St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Monk – Catechesis 28john 16 33 in the world you will have tribulation- who will be crowned without having fought - st theodore the studite 25 may 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, as You brought joy to the world, through the resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, grant that through His Virgin Mother, we may constantly seek and recognise our Lord and Saviour and turn to Him in complete trust and love.   May we ever live in confidence and share our joy with our neighbour.   St Maria Magdalena de’ Pazzi, pray that we may know the courage of our Saviour.   Through Jesus Christ our Lord, with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

BLESSED VIRGIN MARY PRAY FOR US 25 MAY 2020

st maria magdalena de pazzi pray for us 25 may 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, OPEN HOUSE...Conversations with..., QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Thoughts of Mary – 24 May – The Light Comes from the Altar

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Thoughts of Mary – 24 May – “Mary’s Month”

The Light Comes from the Altar
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“When He ascended into Heaven, the majestic flow of the Blood of Jesus did not cease on this earth;  it still flows in a ever-widening stream through untold centuries of grace – the vision which began with the Immaculate Conception, ends in the Blessed Sacrament!

In this way, one mystery corresponds to the other, the one illuminates, completes and confirms the other.
From the Eucharist, back to the Passion, from the Passion to the public life and, further back, to the hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth, from this hidden life to His Birth – from far beyond the Annunciation to the heights of the [Immaculate] Conception and back to us again – it is a continual rising re-descending, unutterable, divine.
Because of this, we see Mary Immaculate present at every Mass and in every Communion.
The light of the Immaculate which streams upon us comes from the Altar, from the Tabernacle and, in the same way, when we draw near to the Altar and the Tabernacle, it is almost as if we hear Mary’s voice inviting us:  “Eat, O friends and drink, drink deeply, O lovers” (Song 5:1).

This, my brothers, is the doctrine.
On this foundation is built the reality, the great and thrilling reality which re-assumes so fully, in all ages, the best Christian piety of the whole world.

In fact, when persecution rages, the Christians draw strength to resist and to extend their conquering apostolate and, if need be, even to die, from the Bread of the strong, from the inebriating Chalice offered over the tombs of martyrs in our ancient cemeteries, under the kind eyes of Mary, whose roughly drawn images smiles among the symbols and ornaments of primitive Christian art.”from the eucharist back to the passion - the light comes from the altar st john XXIII 24 may 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SPEAKING of ....., The ASCENSION of the LORD, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 May – ‘That they may be one’

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Seventh Sunday of Easter, Readings: Acts 1:12-14, 1 Peter 4:13-16, Psalm 27(26):1.4.7-8a, John 17:1-11

“I pray for them.
I do not pray for the world
but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours.
All mine are yours and all yours are mine
and I am glorified in them.
… Holy Father, keep them in your name,
which you have given me,
that they may be one,
even as we are one.”

John 17:9-11

john 17 9-11 i pray for them i do not pray for the world - 24 may 2020

“… Rather, we pray in public as a community
and not for one individual but for all.
For the people of God are all one.
… The urgency and the unity of their prayer declares that God,
who fashions a bond of unity among those who live in His home,
will admit into His divine home, for all eternity,
only those who pray in unity.
…Profess your belief that you are sons of God by giving thanks.
Call upon God who is your Father in heaven.”

we-pray-in-public-as-a-community-st-cyprian-on-the-lords-prayer-part-one-20-june-2019 and 24 may 2020 ascension in the name of the father

“The Lord’s words were spoken about His own Church
and addressed to members of the Church.
If they are agreed, if, as He commanded
but two or three are gathered together
and pray with one mind, then, 
although they are but two or three,
they can obtain from the divine majesty what they ask.
… That means, of course,
with the single-hearted and peaceable,
with those who fear God
and keep His commandments.”

St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200-258)
Bishop, Father of the Church and Martyr

the lord's words were spoke about his own church - st cyprian of carthage 24 may 2020

“Out of compassion for us He descended from heaven
and although He ascended alone,
we also ascend, because we are in Him by grace.
Thus, no-one but Christ descended
and no-one but Christ ascended,
not because there is no distinction
between the head and the body
but because the body, as a unity,
cannot be separated from the head.”

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

out of compassion for us he descended - st augustine on ascension day 24 may 2020

“A Christian has
a union with Jesus Christ –
more noble,
more intimate
and more perfect
than the members of a human body
have with their head!”

St John Eudes (1601-1680)

a christian has a union with jesus christ - more noble - st john eudes 24 may 2020

“Let us consider that mosaic
of Jesus in Monreale Cathedral.
Each of us is like a little glass tile in that great mosaic.
Therefore, each of us must understand our role
and help others understand theirs,
so that together,
we can make up the unique face of Christ.”

Blessed Giuseppe “Pino” Puglisi (1937-1993)

let-us-consider-that-mosaic-of-jesus-bl-pino-puglisi-21-oct-2019 and 24 may 2020 ascension on unity

Posted in QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

Sunday Reflection– 24 May – “We shall not be left orphans …”

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Sunday Reflection– 24 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Seventh Sunday of Easter, Readings: Acts 1:12-14, 1 Peter 4:13-16, Psalm 27(26):1.4.7-8, John 17:1-11 and the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians

“Arise, make haste, my love, my dove,
my beautiful one and come.
For the winter is now past, the rain is over and gone.
The flowers have appeared in our land.”

Cant 2:10-12

“One thing alone I know – that, according to our need, so will be our strength.
One thing I am sure of, that the more the enemy rages against us, so much the more, will the Saints in Heaven, plead for us;
the more fearful are our trials from the world, the more present to us will be our Mother Mary and our good Patrons and Angel Guardians;
the more malicious are the devices of men against us, the louder cry of supplication will ascend from the bosom of the whole Church of God, for us.
We shall not be left orphans;
we shall have within us, the strength of the Paraclete, promised to the Church and to every member of it.
My Fathers, my Brothers in the Priesthood, I speak from my heart when I declare my conviction, that there is no-one among you here present but, if God so willed, would readily become a martyr for His sake.
I do not say you would wish it;
I do not say that the natural will would not pray that that chalice might pass away,
I do not speak of what you can do by any strength of yours – but, in the strength of God, in the grace of the Spirit, in the armour of justice, by the consolations and peace of the Church, by the blessing of the Apostles Peter and Paul and, in the name of Christ, you would do what nature cannot do.
By the intercession of the Saints on high, by the penances and good works and the prayers of the people of God on earth, you would be forcibly borne up as upon the waves of the mighty deep and carried on out of yourselves by the fullness of grace, whether nature wished it or no.
I do not mean violently, or with unseemly struggle but calmly, gracefully, sweetly, joyously, you would mount up and ride forth to the battle, as on the rush of Angels’ wings, as your fathers did before you and gained the prize.
You, who day by day, offer up the Immaculate Lamb of God, you who hold in your hands the Incarnate Word under the visible tokens which He has ordained, you who again and again drain the Chalice of the Great Victim;
who is to make you fear?
what is to startle you?
what to seduce you?
who is to stop you, whether you are to suffer or to do, whether to lay the foundations of the Church ‘n tears, or to put the crown upon the work in jubilation?”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

1852 – “The Second Spring”
at the first Provincial Synod of the newly restored
Roman Catholic hierarchy in England.

(John Henry Newman – Spiritual Writings – Selected by John T Ford)

one thing I know that according to our need so will be our strength - st john henry newman 24 may 2020 coronavirus

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MARIAN TITLES, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 May – With Jesus, to the Father

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One Minute Reflection – 24 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Seventh Sunday of Easter, Readings: Acts 1:12-14, 1 Peter 4:13-16, Psalm 27(26):1.4.7-8a, John 17:1-11 and the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians

“Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” … John 17:11

REFLECTION – “In this seeking after God, the principle of our holiness, we cannot find a better model than Christ Jesus Himself.   But, you will at once say, how is this?   Can Christ be our model?   How could He “seek God” since He was God Himself?   It is true that Jesus is God, true God come forth from God, Light arising from the uncreated Light, Son of the living God, equal to the Father (cf. Creed of the Mass).   But, He is likewise man, He is authentically one of us through His human nature. …   And we see Christ Jesus, like a giant, rejoice to run the way in the pursuit of the glory of His Father.   This is His primal disposition.

Let us hear how, in the Gospel, He clearly tells us so:  “I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me” (Jn 5:30).   To the Jews, He proves that He comes from God, that His doctrine is divine, because He seeks the glory of Him that sent Him (cf. Jn 7:18).   He seeks it to such a degree, that He has no solicitude for His own (cf. Jn 8:50).   He has ever these words upon His lips: “My Father,” His whole life is but the magnificent echo of this cry:  “Abba, Father!”   All for Him is summed up in seeking the will and the glory of His Father.   And what constancy in this search!   He Himself declares to us that He never deviated from it:   “I do always the things that please [my Father]” (cf. Jn 8:29).   At the supreme hour of His last farewell, at the moment when about to deliver Himself up to death, He tells us, that all the mission He had received from His Father was accomplished (cf. Jn 17:4). …

If, as God, Jesus is the term of our seeking, as Man, He is the unique Exemplar, wherefrom we ought never to turn our gaze.” … Bl Columba Marmion (1858-1923) Abbot – To seek God (Christ, the Ideal of the Monk)

john 17 11 holy father, keep them in your name - if as god jesus is the term of our seeking, as man he is the unique Exemplar - bl columba marmion 24 may 2020

PRAYER – Since it is from You, God our Father, that redemption comes to us, Your adopted children, look with favour on the family You love, grant us to seek You and to to find You in Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.,, May our whole being become a copy of Your Son’s obedience and thus follow Him to You in our eternal heritage.   We entreat Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and Help of Christians to offer her prayers to You to strengthen us in our trials.   Through Christ, Our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.

our lady help of christians pray for us 24 may 2020

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thoughts of Mary – 23 May – Our Striving After Perfection With Our Mother’s Help

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thoughts of Mary – 23 May – “Mary’s Month”

Our Striving After Perfection With Our Mother’s Help
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“To have a special devotion to Mary, means, that we are trying to perfect our own spiritual lives, in imitation of our heavenly Mother and with the help of her grace.
In this effort, which we must all make, we must strive to obtain purity and be constant in our search for what is best and in our endeavour to improve our conduct.
We must find the sure and decisive way of attaining the bright goal of our desires, with the sure hope of finally sharing, with Mary, in the joy of Jesus Christ, the fountain of eternal life.

We turn to you, O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother too.
How could we, with trembling hearts, concern ourselves with the greatest problem of all, that of life and death, now overshadowing all mankind, without trusting ourselves to your intercession to preserve us from all dangers?

This is your hour, O Mary, Our Blessed Jesus entrusted us to you in the final hour of His bloody Sacrifice.
We are sure that you will intervene.

And now, indeed, we beseech you for peace, O most sweet Mother and Queen of the world.
The world does not need victorious wars or defeated peoples but renewed and strengthened health of mind and peace, which brings prosperity and tranquillity;  this is what it needs and what it is crying out for – the beginning of salvation and lasting peace. Amen, Amen.”we turn to you o blessed virgin mary - st john XXIII 23 may 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYER WARRIORS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SPEAKING of ....., The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – Prayer

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 18: 23-28, Psalms 47: 2-3, 8-9, 10, John 16: 23-28

“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father,
in my name, he will give you.”

John 16:23

john 16 23 - whatever you ask the father in my name - 12 may 2018

“Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips
and the world in your heart.” 

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108)

do not have jesus christ on your lips - st ignatius of antioch - 24 sept speaking of living the light

“Prayer is the light of the soul,
giving us true knowledge of God.
It is a link mediating between God and man.
By prayer the soul is borne up to heaven
and in a marvellous way embraces the Lord.
This meeting is like that of an infant
crying on its mother’s breast
and seeking the best of milk.
The soul longs for its own needs
and what it receives,
is better than anything
to be seen in the world.”

prayer is the light of the soul - st john chrysostom 23 may 2020

“You can set up an altar to God
in your minds by means of prayer.
And so, it is fitting to pray at your trade,
on a journey,
standing at a counter
or sitting at your handicraft.”

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

you can set up an altar to god in your minds - st john chrysostom 23 may 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

“How many things Jesus tells us in our heart,
when we stand at His feet,
if we are careful to listen to His Voice!”

how-many-things-jesus-tells-us-in-our-heart-bl-giovanni-boccardo-30-dec-2019 and 8 feb 2020

“In silence, in listening to His Word,
the Lord waits for us
to make His Voice heard.
To take it with us
as we walk the streets …”

Blessed Giovanni Maria Boccardo (1848-1913)

in silence in listening to his word - bl giovanni boccardo 30 dec 2019

“Prayer is the rest of the soul,
the refreshment of those who are hungry
and thirsty for justice;
it is the sweet conversation of a son
with the most tender of fathers;
of a friend with the most fond of friends;
prayer is the strength,
the comfort,
the happiness of life on earth. “

Blessed Edoardo Giuseppe Rosaz (1877-1903)

prayer is the rest of the soul, the refreshment - bl edoardo giuseppe rosaz - 23 may 2020

“The stillness of prayer
is the most essential condition
for fruitful action.
Before all else,
the disciple kneels down.”

St Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962)

the stillness of prayer is the most essential condition for fruitful action, before all else the disciple kneels down st gianna molla 23 may 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD the FATHER, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on The SOUL, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – ‘…A beautiful task’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 18: 23-28, Psalms 47: 2-3, 8-9, 10, John 16: 23-28

“Until now you have not asked anything in my name,
ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
… For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me.” … John 16:24,27

REFLECTION – “You see, my children, the Christian’s treasure is not on earth, it is in heaven (Mt 6:20).   So our thinking must go to where our treasure is.   The human person has a beautiful task, to pray and to love.   You pray, you love – that is the human being’s happiness on earth.the human person has a beautiful task, to pray and to love - st john vianey 23 may 2020

Prayer is nothing other than union with God.   When our heart is pure and united with God, we feel within ourselves a balm, an intoxicating sweetness, a dazzling light.   In this intimate union, God and the human person are like two pieces of wax that have melted together, you can no longer separate them.   This union of God with his little creature is something beautiful.   It is a happiness that we cannot understand.   We had deserved not to pray but God in His goodness allows us to speak to Him.   Our prayer is incense, which He receives with tremendous pleasure.

My children, your heart is small but prayer expands it and makes it able to love God. Prayer is a foretaste of heaven, an outflowing of paradise.   It never leaves us without sweetness.   It is honey, which descends into the soul and sweetens everything.   Sorrows melt in a prayer, that is well prayed, like snow in the sun.” … St John-Mary Vianney (1786-1859) – Catechism on Prayerjohn 16 24,27 ask and you will receive for the father himself loves you-prayer is nothing other than union with god - st john vianney 23 may 2020

PRAYER – – Since it is from You, God our Father, that redemption comes to us, Your adopted children, look with favour on the family You love, hear our prayer as we unite our voices in the name of Your Son, our Lord and Redeemer.   May our faith, love and joy in Christ bring us all alike to our eternal heritage and may the prayer of His blessed Mother and ours lead us safely home.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God with You, loving Father, forever, amen.bl-mother-of-our-lord-pray-for-us-27-oct-2018

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, PAPAL Apostolic EXHORTATIONS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SPEAKING of ....., The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 May – Speaking of Joy

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 22 May – “Mary’s Month” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 18: 9-18, Psalms 47: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, John 16: 20-23

Speaking of Joy

“You will be sorrowful
but your sorrow will turn into joy.”

John 16:20

john 16 20 you will be sorrowful but your sorrow will turn into joy 22 may 2020

“Let us remain unafraid in all dangers,
trusting calmly, in the Divine
Providence, that watches over us day and night.”

St Joseph Freinademetz (1852-1908)
“Fu Shenfu” – Lucky Priest

let-us-remain-unafraid-st-joseph-freinademetz-28-jan-2020 and 6 feb 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.”

Blessed Paolo Manna PIME (1872-1952)
“A Burning Soul”

Priest, Missionary in Burma (Myanmar),
Superior General of PIME,
Founder of the Pontifical Missionary Union

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

“Jesus is with me.
I have nothing to fear.”

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925)

jesus is with me i have nothing to fear bl pier giorgio frassati 4 july 2019

“Christian joy is, essentially,
a spiritual participation in the boundless joy,
at the same time both divine and human,
in the heart of Jesus Christ glorified…”

St Paul VI (1897-1978)

– Apostolic exhortation on Christian joy
‘Gaudete in Domino’ (PE 4; cf Lk 4:10)

christian joy is - st paul vi - gaudete in domino 5 oct 2019

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SAINT of the DAY, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 May – ‘… The Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything.’ – St Augustine

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 22 May – “Mary’s Month” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 18: 9-18, Psalms 47: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, John 16: 20-23

“Your hearts will rejoice and no-one will take your joy from you.” … John 16:22

REFLECTION – “You may object – I am in the world, if I rejoice I certainly rejoice where I am.   What is this?   Do you mean that because you are in the world you are not in the Lord?   Listen again to the Apostle, speaking now to the Athenians in the Acts of the Apostles, he says this is of God and the Lord our creator, In him we live and move and have our being.   If He is everywhere, where is he not?   Surely this was what He was exhorting us to realise.   The Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything.
This is a great truth, that He ascended above all the heavens, yet is near to those on earth.   Who is this stranger and neighbour if not the one who became our neighbour out of compassion?
The man lying on the road, left half-dead by robbers, the man treated with contempt by the priest and the levite who passed by, the man approached by the passing Samaritan to take care of him and help him, that man is the whole human race.   When the immortal one, the holy one, was far removed from us because we were mortal and sinners, He came down to us, so that He, the stranger, might become our neighbour.
He did not treat us as our sins deserved.   For we are now sons of God.   How do we show this?   The only Son of God died for us, so that He might not remain alone.   He who died as the only Son, did not want to remain as the only Son.   For the only Son of God made many sons of God.   He bought brothers for Himself by His blood, He made them welcome by being rejected, He ransomed them by being sold, He honoured them by being dishonoured, He gave them life by being put to death.
So, brethren, rejoice in the Lord, not in the world.   That is, rejoice in the truth, not in wickedness, rejoice in the hope of eternity, not in the fading flower of vanity.   That is the way to rejoice.   Wherever you are on earth, however long you remain on earth, the Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything.” … St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Great Western Father and Doctor of Grace – An excerpt from his Sermon 171john 16 22 your hearts will rejoice - he bought brothers for himself - st augustine 22 may 2020

PRAYER – Holy God and Father, help us to discern through prayer and meditation what You truly want of us.   Then enable us to offer it to You and indeed, to offer ourselves and all we have and all we are, to You.   When You bring us sufferings to mould us closer and make us more like You, help us to accept them and offer them back to You and to do all we do for You in joy at Your nearness.   Following Your divine Son, let us pick up those crosses in peace and love.   Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.   St Rita of Cascia, you prayed so earnestly to give yourself totally to the Lord and suffer for Him, please pray for us, amen.mother of god and our mother - mary pray for us - 14 may 2018

st rita pray for us

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thoughts of Mary – 21 May – The Source of Comfort

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thoughts of Mary – 21 May – “Mary’s Month”

The Source of Comfort
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

Motives for melancholy are never in short supply – and when were they ever lacking in the history of the world? – because of the inexorable alternation in human life of sadness and joy.
Sometimes, these mix and merge together and when that happens, we would try in vain to separate them.

A wise man, a wise Christian, must do all he can to free himself from sad thoughts and, at all times, have recourse to those sources of comfort, which transform suffering into motives of love, of merit, of present and eternal joy.

The Mother of Jesus, who is our Mother too – oh how I love to associate these two titles! – is one of the richest sources of our consolation, the richest after Jesus, who is, of His very nature, Light and Life! – she, is rich in comfort and joy and encouragement, for all the children of Eve, who have become her own children through the redemptive sacrifice and will of Christ.

This explains, the whole world’s devotion to the Virgin, whom her saintly cousin, Elizabeth, truly hailed as “Blessed,” in reply to Mary’s confession of humility in the Magnificat, which remains the everlasting canticle of mankind redeemed, the song of the past, present ad future.the mother of jesus - source of consolation - st john XXIII 21 may 2020