QUOTES of the SAINTS – Page 38

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One Minute Reflection – 27 August – “..Let us each examine our conscience..”

Posted on August 27, 2019August 27, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 27 August – Tuesday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 23:23–26 and The Memorial of St Caesarius of Arles (470-542) Father of the Church

“You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”…Matthew 23:26 matthew 23 26 you blind pharisee first cleanse the inside of the cup - 27 aug 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “And so, dearly beloved brethren, let us each examine his conscience and when he sees that he has been wounded by some sin, let him first strive to cleanse his conscience by prayer, fasting, almsgiving and so dare to approach the Eucharist. If he recognises his guilt and is reluctant to approach the holy altar, he will be quickly pardoned by the Divine Mercy, “for whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:12). If then, as I have said, a man conscious of his sins, humbly decides to stay away from the altar until he reforms his life, he will not be afraid of being completely excluded from the eternal banquet of heaven.
I ask you then, brethren, to pay careful attention. If no-one dares approach an influential man’s table in tattered, soiled garments, how much more should one refrain in reverence and humility from the banquet of the Eternal King, that is, from the altar of the Lord, if one is smitten with poisonous envy, or anger, or is full of rage and fury? For it is written, “Go first and be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift” (Mt 5:24). And again, “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?” And when he kept silent, that man said to the attendants, ‘bind his hands and feet and cast him forth into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” (Mt 22:12,13). The same sentence awaits the man who dares present himself at the wedding feast, that is at the Lord’s table, if he is guilty of drunkenness, or adultery, or retains hatred in his heart.” … St Caesarius of Arles (470-542) Bishop of Arles, Father of the Church i ask you then brethren to pay careful attention - st caesarius bishop and father 20 jan 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord God, renew Your Church with the Spirit of wisdom and love which You gave to St Caesarius. Lead us by that same Spirit, to seek You, the only fountain of true wisdom and the source of everlasting love. May we turn to You in sorrow and true repentance when we fail and strive always and everywhere to live in Your truth and Your love for all. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, in union with the Spirit, one God, forever and ever. St Caesarius, pray for the Church and for us all, amen. st caesarius of arles pray for us 27 aug 2019.jpg

CARMELITES, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY GHOST

Thought for the Day – 26 August – ‘It is in You, that I breathe’ – St Mary of Jesus Crucified

Posted on August 26, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 26 August – The Memorial of St Mary of Jesus Crucified OCD (1846-1878)

From the Writings of St Mary of Jesus Crucified

Holy Spirit, inspire me.
Love of God, consume me.
Along the true road lead me.
Mary, my mother, look upon me.
With Jesus bless me.
From all evil, from all illusion,
from all danger, preserve me.

“Holy Spirit, enlighten me. To find Jesus, what am I to do and how am I to do it? The disciples were very ignorant, they were with Jesus yet did not understand Him. I, too, live in the same house with Jesus yet did not understand Him. The least thing troubles and upsets me. I am too sensitive, I have not generosity enough to make sacrifices for Jesus. O Holy Spirit, when You gave them a ray of light, the disciples disappeared – they were no longer what they were before. They found new strength, they found it easy to make sacrifices. They knew Jesus better than they had ever known Him when with them. Source of peace and light, come and enlighten me. I am hungry, come and feed me; thirsty, come and refresh me; blind, come and give me sight; poor, come and enrich me; ignorant, come and instruct me. Holy Spirit, I abandon myself to You!

Lord, how good You are to hold a weak reed in Your Hand! I am that reed, I am even weaker. But I shall always remain with You, like that reed. I f You dropped it, it would get broken. You carry it, it is not the reed that carries You.

My enraptured spirit contemplates all your works. Who can speak of You, O God so great! Omnipotent One, my soul is carried away! His wonderful beauty delights my soul. Who can tell what the Almighty looks upon? One look! You who gaze at me, come to me, a little nothing. I cannot remain here on earth, my soul longing. Call me close to You, awaken me. You alone, my God, my All. The heavens, the earth, the sun rejoice at your Name so great. I see You, supreme goodness, Your gaze is maternal. My Father, my Mother, it is in You, that I sleep. It is in You, that I breathe. Awaken! My soul is mad with yearning, it can do no more, take it! When will we see Him forever world without end!

What are You like , my God? The ocean? That comparison is too feeble. One single raindrop is not enough to refresh the whole earth, so. too, the love of all hearts is not enough for You, my God. The drop of water is myself, the ocean is You, I wish to have a heart greater than earth.

Lord, if You abandon me , I am like a cinder. The cinder will not produce any fruit It hinders vegetable growth. But if You Lord look down on me, I become a good earth, a fertile soil that brings forth good fruits and plants producing flowers. O Lord, look down on me always!

Thank You, My God, for making me aware of what I am. I prefer to know my weakness than to perform miracles. That is better for me, for when people see me fall I have nothing then to nourish my pride upon. It is better for me because it makes me see You are my only strength, better for me to fall a thousand times, if it makes me say to You two thousand times ” “I hope in You, O Lord. Thank You, thank You, Lord.”

Inscribed on Blessed Mary’s tombstone

“Here in the peace of the Lord reposes Sister Mary of Jesus Crucified, professed religious of the white veil.
A soul of singular graces, she was conspicuous for her humility,
her obedience and her charity.
Jesus, the sole love of her heart called her to Himself
in the 33rd year of her age and the 12th year of her religious life at Bethlehem, 26 August 1878.”

St Mary of Jesus Crucified, Pray for Us!

CARMELITES, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRIDE, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 26 August – St Mary of Jesus Crucified

Posted on August 26, 2019August 26, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 26 August – The Memorial of St Mary of Jesus Crucified OCD (1846-1878)

“Everything passes here on earth.
What are we?
Nothing but dust, nothingness
and God is so great,
so beautiful,
so lovable
and He is not loved.”

“The proud person is like a grain of wheat
thrown into water – it swells, it gets big.
Expose that grain to the fire – it dries up, it burns.
The humble soul, is like a grain of wheat,
thrown into the earth –
it descends, it hides itself,
it disappears, it dies
but to revive
in heaven.”

St Mary of Jesus Crucified (1846-1878)

FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 August – ‘It is from the heart…..’

Posted on August 26, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 26 August – Monday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 23:13–22 and The Feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa

“And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.” … Matthew 23:18

REFLECTION – “Consider this analogy. Think of the altar as the heart and the temple as the whole of Scripture. The temple of God’s glory, spiritually understood, is the divinely inspired Scripture. The gold refers to the meanings it conveys. To swear is to witness to the Scriptures, as a validation and confirmation of the word we speak. Therefore, we ought to profess the whole sense of Scripture, as a confirmation of the sense which we invoke, in all of our words.
…The temple, that is, the reading of the Scriptures, makes a great and venerable sense, just as consecrated gold is valuable. So we ought not to swear by our own intellects to confirm our beliefs, as if we were creating witnesses that could judge according to the truth. But let us explore further the analogy of the temple, the gold and the altar. The altar is the place where a vow is sanctified. The altar in this passage is the heart of a man. What happens in the heart happens deeply within a person. Vows and gifts placed on the altar are clearly those placed upon the human heart. When you begin to pray, you place the vow of your prayer upon your heart, as if you had placed something upon the altar, so that you might offer your prayer to God.
Suppose you are ready to place an offering of psalms upon your heart, so as to offer to God an offering of psalms, accompanying yourself with a harp. Or suppose you are ready to give alms. You make an offering of alms upon your heart, just as if you had placed something on the altar, as you would offer your alms to God . Suppose you have proposed to fast, in order to make an offering of your fasting upon your heart, as if you had placed something upon the altar.
In this way the heart of a man makes vows in a holy and venerable way. It is from the heart, that is, the altar, that the vow is offered to God. Therefore, it is not possible for the offering of a man to be more honourable than his heart, from which the offering is sent up.” … Origen (c 185-253) (Commentary on Matthew, 2) matthew 23 18 if one swears by the altar - it is from the altar that is from the heart - origen 26 aug 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord, be the beginning and the end of all that we do and say. Prompt our actions with Your grace and complete them with Your all-powerful help. Fill us with the grace of Your true love, that our hearts may be made of flesh and not of stone. May our hearts, minds and souls belong to You alone. May the guiding hand of the Mother of Your Son lead us, with unfailing tenderness, to You. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit, ‘totus tuus’ Maria – please pray for us, amen.

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN TITLES, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 25 August – May our Mother, take us to the path that leads to ‘Heaven’s Gate.’

Posted on August 25, 2019August 25, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 25 August – 21st Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 13:22–30

“Strive to enter in by the narrow door.”

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor strive-to-enter-luke-13-24-whoever-would-enter-st-cyril-of-alex-31-oct-2018

This reply may seem perhaps to wander from the scope of the question. The man wanted to learn whether there would be few who are saved but He explained to him the way whereby he might be saved himself. He said, “Strive to enter in by the narrow door.” What do we answer to this objection? … It was a necessary and valuable thing to know how a man may obtain salvation. He is purposely silent to the useless question. He proceeds to speak of what was essential, namely, of the knowledge necessary for the performance of those duties by which people can enter the narrow door.
I now consider it my duty to mention why the door to life is narrow. Whoever would enter must first, before everything else, possess an upright and uncorrupted faith and then a spotless morality, in which there is no possibility of blame, according to the measure of human righteousness. One who has attained to this in mind and spiritual strength will enter easily by the narrow door and run along the narrow way.
“Wide is the door and broad the way that brings down many to destruction.” What are we to understand by its broadness? It means an unrestrained tendency toward carnal lust and a shameful and pleasure-loving life. It is luxurious feasts, parties, banquets and unrestricted inclinations to everything that is condemned by the law and displeasing to God. A stubborn mind will not bow to the yoke of the law. This life is cursed and relaxed in all carelessness. Thrusting from it the divine law and completely unmindful of the sacred commandments, wealth, vices, scorn, pride and the empty imagination of earthly pride spring from it. Those who would enter in by the narrow door must withdraw from all these things, be with Christ and keep the festival with Him.”

(Commentary on Luke, Homily 9)

May we call upon our Mother Mary as Ianua Caeli, Heaven’s Gate, to guide us in our daily choices and take us to the path that leads to ‘Heaven’s Gate.’ Amen ianua caeli heaven's gate pray for us mary - 25 aug 2019

JESUIT SJ, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 August – “The Narrow Door”

Posted on August 25, 2019August 24, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 25 August – 21st Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 13:22–30

“The Narrow Door”

“In the difficulties which are placed before me,
why should I not act like a donkey?
When one speaks ill of him – the donkey says nothing.
When he is mistreated – he says nothing.
When he is forgotten – he says nothing.
When no food is given him – he says nothing.
When he is made to advance – he says nothing.
When he is despised – he says nothing.
When he is overburdened – he says nothing.
The true servant of God must do likewise
and say with David:
“Before Thee I have become like a beast of burden.”

St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

“All, can enter eternal life but for everyone,
the door is narrow. They are not privileged.
The path to the eternal life is open to all
but it is narrow because it’s demanding,
asks for commitment, abnegation
and the mortification of selfishness.”

“To pass through the narrow gate, means
we must commit ourselves to being small,
that is humble of heart like Jesus,
like Mary, His and our mother.”

“True friendship with Jesus
is expressed in how one lives,
in the goodness of one’s heart,
in one’s humility, kindness and mercy,
in one’s love for justice and truth,
in one’s sincere commitment
to peace and reconciliation.
This, we might say, is the ‘identity card’
that qualifies us as true ‘friends,’
it is the ‘passport’
that will let us enter eternal life.”

Pope Benedict XVI

Angelus, 26 August 2007

“The whole of our life
must pass through the narrow door
which is Christ.”

Pope Francis

Angelus, 25 August 2013

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Thought for the Day – 24 August – “God has given”

Posted on August 24, 2019August 24, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 24 August – The Feast of St Bartholomew, Apostle of Christ – Today’s Gospel: John 1:45–51

The name “Nathanael” means “God has given”

“The apostles’ glory is so indistinguishable and so bonded together by the cement of so many graces that in celebrating the feast of one of them the common greatness of all is called to our interior attention. For they share together the same authority of supreme judge, the same honourable rank and they hold the same power to bind and loose (Mt 19:28; 18:18). They are those precious pearls that Saint John tells us he beheld in the Book of Revelation out of which are constructed the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem (Rv 21:21.14)… And indeed, whenever the apostles beam divine light through their signs or miracles, they open up the heavenly glory of Jerusalem, to all those peoples who have been converted to the christian faith…

Of them, too, the prophet says: “Who are these who fly along like clouds?” (Is 60:8)… God raises the minds of His preachers to contemplation of truths on high… so that they can abundantly pour down the rain of God’s word into our hearts. Thus they drink water from the spring, so as to give drink to us too.

Saint Bartholomew drew from the fullness of this spring, when the Holy Spirit came upon him, as on the other apostles, in the form of tongues of fire (Acts 2:3).”

St Peter Damian (1007-1072) – Bishop, Doctor of the Church (Sermon 42, 2nd for Saint Bartholomew, PL 144, 726)

St Bartholomew, Pray for Us!

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 August – St Rose of Lima

Posted on August 23, 2019November 10, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 23 August – Friday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Rose of Lima (1586-1617)

“If only we would learn how great it is
to possess divine grace and how many riches it has within itself,
how many joys and delights.
We would devote all our concern to winning for ourselves
pains and afflictions,
in order to attain the unfathomable treasure of grace.”

“Apart from the Cross
there is no other ‘ladder’
by which we might get to heaven.”

“We must not fail
to help our neighbours,
because in them we serve Jesus.”

St Rose of Lima (1586-1617)

DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS for SEASONS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 August – Love the Lord, Love your neighbour

Posted on August 23, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 23 August – Friday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Today’s Gospel: Matthew 23:34-40 and the Memorial of St Rose of Lima (1586-1617)

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart … You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” … Matthew 22:37,40 matthew 22 37 and 40 you shall the lord your god you shall yourneighbour - 23 aug 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “Thus, then, the obedient man,with the light of faith, in the truth burning in the furnace of charity … receives his end from Me, his Creator.”…St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) Doctor of the Church thus-then-the-obedient-man-no 2 - st-catherine-of-siena-23-aug-2018.jpg

PRAYER – “God our Father, for love of You, St Rose of Lima left the world and gave herself to a life of penitence, austerity and charity. Help us by her prayers, so to follow the path of life on earth, in complete love of You and thus of Your children, that we may obtain the fullness of joy in Your presence in heaven and be clothed fit for the wedding feast. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. st-rose-of-lima-pray-for-us-23-aug-2017

MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, QUEENSHIP of MARY, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ANGER

Thought for the Day – 22 August – Queen of the World and of Peace

Posted on August 22, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 22 August – Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Queen of the World and of Peace

Saint Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)
Bishop

An excerpt from a Sermon

Observe how fitting it was that even before her assumption, the name of Mary shone forth wondrously throughout the world. Her fame spread everywhere even before she was raised above the heavens in her magnificence. Because of the honour due her Son, it was indeed fitting for the Virgin Mother to have first ruled upon earth and then be raised up to heaven in glory. It was fitting that her fame be spread in this world below, so that she might enter the heights of heaven on overwhelming blessedness. Just as she was borne from virtue to virtue by the Spirit of the Lord, she was transported from earthly renown to heavenly brightness.

So it was, that she began to taste the fruits of her future reign while still in the flesh. At one moment she withdrew to God in ecstasy, at the next, she would bend down to her neighbours with indescribable love. In heaven angels served her, while here on earth she was venerated by the service of men. Gabriel and the angels waited upon her in heaven. The virgin John, rejoicing that the Virgin Mother was entrusted to him at the cross, cared for her with the other apostles here below. The angels rejoiced to see their queen, the apostles rejoiced to see their lady and both obeyed her with loving devotion.

Dwelling in the loftiest citadel of virtue, like a sea of divine grace or an unfathomable source of love that has everywhere overflowed its banks, she poured forth her bountiful waters on trusting and thirsting souls. Able to preserve both flesh and spirit from death, she bestowed health-giving salve on bodies and souls. Has anyone ever come away from her troubled or saddened or ignorant of the heavenly mysteries? Who has not returned to everyday life gladdened and joyful because his request had been granted by the Mother of God?

She is a bride, so gentle and affectionate and the mother of the only true bridegroom. In her abundant goodness, she has channelled the spring of reason’s garden, the well of living and life-giving waters, that pour forth in a rushing stream from divine Lebanon and flow down from Mount Zion, until they surround the shores of every far-flung nation. With divine assistance, she has redirected these waters and made them into streams of peace and pools of grace. Therefore, when the Virgin of virgins was led forth by God and her Son, the King of kings. amid the company of exulting angels and rejoicing archangels, with the heavens ringing with praise, the prophecy of the psalmist was fulfilled, in which he said to the Lord:

At your right hand stands the queen, clothed in gold of Ophir.

Mary Queen of our Hearts, Pray for Us!

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 August – From the Fathers on the Queenship of Mary

Posted on August 22, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 22 August – The Memorial of The Queenship of Mary, Holy Mother of God

“Let Heaven sustain me in its embrace,
because I am honoured above it.
For heaven was not thy mother
but Thou hast made it thy throne.
How much more honourable
and venerable than the throne of a king
is His mother.”

St Ephrem (306-373) Doctor of the Church

“Be enthroned, Lady,
for it is fitting that you should sit
in an exalted place since you are a Queen
and glorious above all kings.”

St Germanus (378-448)

“O my Lady, my Sovereign,
You who rule over me,
Mother of my Lord . . .
Lady among handmaids,
Queen among sisters.”

St Ildephonsus (607-670)

“Just as Mary surpassed in grace all others on earth,
so also in heaven is her glory unique.
If eye has not seen or ear heard or the human heart conceived
what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9),
who can express what He has prepared
for the woman who gave Him birth
and who loved Him,
as everyone knows, more than anyone else?”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) – Doctor of Light – Mellifluous Doctor

More here from the Saints:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/22/quote-s-of-the-day-22-august-the-memorial-of-the-queenship-of-mary-holy-mother-of-god/ just-as-mary-surpassed-in-grace-st-bernard-22 aug 2017

MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, QUEENSHIP of MARY, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD, VATICAN Documents

One Minute Reflection – 22 August – ‘She stands high above all created things’

Posted on August 22, 2019August 22, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Mi nute Reflection – 22 August – The Memorial of The Queenship of Mary, Holy Mother of God – Today’s Gospel: Luke 1:26–38

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be to me, according to your word.” And the angel departed from her...Luke 1:38 luke-1-38-mary-said-behold-i-am-the-heandmaid-of-the-lord-4-may-2018.jpg

REFLECTION – “With the certainty of faith we know that Jesus Christ is king in the full, literal and absolute sense of the word; for He is true God and man. This does not, however, prevent Mary from sharing His royal prerogatives, though in a limited and analogous manner; for she was the Mother of Christ and Christ is God and she shared in the work of the divine Redeemer, in His struggles against enemies and in the triumph He won over them all. From this union with Christ the King she assuredly obtains so eminent a status that she stands high above all created things and upon this same union with Christ is based that royal privilege, enabling her to distribute the treasures of the kingdom of the divine Redeemer. And lastly, this same union with Christ is the fountain of the inexhaustible efficacy of her motherly intercession, in the presence of the Son and of the Father.
Without doubt, then, does our holy Virgin possess a dignity that far transcends all other creatures. In the eyes of her Son, she takes precedence over everyone else. In order to help us understand the pre-eminence that the Mother of God enjoy,s over all creation, it would help to remember that from the first moment of her conception, the holy Virgin was filled with such a plenitude of grace as to surpass the graces, enhancing all the saints. Recall what our predecessor Pius IX, of blessed memory, wrote in his Bull Ineflabilis Deus: “More than all the angels and all the saints has God ineffable freely endowed Mary with the fullness of the heavenly gifts that abound in the divine treasury and she, preserving herself ever immaculately clean, from the slightest taint of sin, attained a fullness of innocence and holiness, so great, as to be unthinkable apart from God Himself, a fullness that no one other than God will ever possess.”…Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958) – Excerpted from Ad Caeli Reginam

PRAYER – Almighty God, our Father, You have given us Mary, the Mother of Your Son, to be our Mother and our Queen. Grant that, supported by her prayers, we may come to the kingdom of heaven and to the glory destined for Your children. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. mary queen - pray for us.jpg

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Thought for the Day – 21 August – The Song of the Church

Posted on August 21, 2019August 21, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 21 August – Wednesday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and The Memorial of St Pope Pius X (1835-1914

The Song of the Church

Saint Pius X
Bishop of Rome

An excerpt from his Apostolic Constitution, Divino afflatu

The collection of psalms found in Scripture, composed as it was under divine inspiration, has, from the very beginnings of the Church, shown a wonderful power of fostering devotion among Christians, as they offer to God a continuous sacrifice of praise, the harvest of lips blessing His name. Following a custom already established in the Old Law, the psalms have played a conspicuous part in the sacred liturgy itself and, in the divine office. Thus was born what Basil calls the voice of the Church, that singing of psalms, which is the daughter of that hymn of praise (to use the words of our predecessor, Urban VIII) which goes up, unceasingly, before the throne of God and of the Lamb and which teaches those especially charged with the duty of divine worship, as Athanasius says, the way to praise God and the fitting words in which to bless Him. Augustine expresses this well when he says: God praised himself so that man might give him fitting praise, because God chose to praise himself man found the way in which to bless God.

The psalms have also a wonderful power to awaken in our hearts the desire for every virtue. Athanasius says: Though all Scripture, both old and new, is divinely inspired and has its use in teaching, as we read in Scripture itself, yet the Book of Psalms, like a garden enclosing the fruits of all the other books, produces its fruits in song and in the process of singing, brings forth its own special fruits to take their place beside them. In the same place Athanasius rightly adds: The psalms seem to me to be like a mirror, in which the person using them can see himself and the stirrings of his own heart, he can recite them against the background of his own emotions. Augustine says in his Confessions: How I wept when I heard your hymns and canticles, being deeply moved by the sweet singing of your Church. Those voices flowed into my ears, truth filtered into my heart and from my heart surged waves of devotion. Tears ran down and I was happy in my tears.

Indeed, who could fail to be moved by those many passages in the psalms which set forth so profoundly the infinite majesty of God, His omnipotence, His justice and goodness and clemency, too deep for words and all the other infinite qualities of His that deserve our praise? Who could fail to be roused to the same emotions by the prayers of thanksgiving to God for blessings received, by the petitions, so humble and confident, for blessings still awaited, by the cries of a soul in sorrow for sin committed? Who would not be fired with love as he looks on the likeness of Christ, the redeemer, here so lovingly foretold? His was the voice Augustine heard in every psalm, the voice of praise, of suffering, of joyful expectation, of present distress.

St Pope Pius X, Pray for Us!

QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Quote of the Day – 21 August – St Pius X

Posted on August 21, 2019August 21, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 21 August – Wednesday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and The Memorial of St Pope Pius X (1835-1914

“If there were one million families
praying the Rosary every day,
the entire world would be saved.”

St Pius X

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/21/quote-s-of-the-day-21-august-the-memorial-of-st-pope-pius-x-1835-1914/ if there were one million families - st pius X 21 aug 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 21 August – I love because I love, I love that I may love

Posted on August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 21 August – Tuesday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) “Doctor of Light”

I love because I love, I love that I may love

Saint Bernard
Abbot and Doctor of the Church

An excerpt from Sermon 83

Love is sufficient of itself, it gives pleasure by itself and because of itself. It is its own merit, its own reward. Love looks for no cause outside itself, no effect beyond itself. Its profit lies in its practice. I love because I love, I love that I may love. Love is a great thing so long as it continually returns to its fountainhead, flows back to its source, always drawing from there the water which constantly replenishes it. Of all the movements, sensations and feelings of the soul, love is the only one in which the creature can respond to the Creator and make some sort of similar return, however unequal, though it be. For when God loves, all He desires is to be loved in return, the sole purpose of His love is to be loved, in the knowledge that those who love Him are made happy by their love of Him.

The Bridegroom’s love, or rather the love which is the Bridegroom, asks in return nothing but faithful love. Let the beloved, then, love in return. Should not a bride love, and above all, Love’s bride? Could it be that Love not be loved?

Rightly then does she give up all other feelings and give herself wholly to love alone, in giving love back, all she can do is to respond to love. And when she has poured out her whole being in love, what is that in comparison with the unceasing torrent of that original source? Clearly, lover and Love, soul and Word, bride and Bridegroom, creature and Creator, do not flow with the same volume, one might as well equate a thirsty man with the fountain.

What then of the bride’s hope, her aching desire, her passionate love, her confident assurance? Is all this to wilt just because she cannot match stride for stride with her giant, any more than she can vie with honey for sweetness, rival the lamb for gentleness, show herself as white as the lily, burn as bright as the sun, be equal in love with Him who is Love? No. It is true that the creature loves less because she is less. But if she loves with her whole being, nothing is lacking where everything is given. To love so ardently then is to share the marriage bond, she cannot love so much and not be totally loved and it is in the perfect union of two hearts that complete and total marriage consists. Or are we to doubt that the soul is loved by the Word first and with a greater love?

St Bernard, Pray for Us!

CONTEMPLATIVE Prayer, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 21 August – St Bernard

Posted on August 20, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 21 August – Tuesday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) “Doctor of Light”

“The measure of love
is love without measure.”

“Action and contemplation are very close companions;
they live together in one house on equal terms.
Martha and Mary are sisters.”

“The three most important virtues are:
humility,
humility
and humility.”

“If the hurricanes of temptation rise against you,
or you are running upon the rocks of trouble,
look to the star – call on Mary!”

“Let us not imagine that we obscure
the glory of the Son by the great praise
we lavish on the Mother –
for the more she is honoured,
the greater is the glory of her Son.
There can be no doubt that whatever we say
in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Doctor of the Church

FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 August – “..we are illuminated and made shining by the light…”

Posted on August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 21 August – Tuesday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 19:23–30 and the Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) “Doctor of Light”

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life...Matthew 19:29 and-everyone-who-has-left-matthew-19-29-21-aug-2018

REFLECTION – “Abraham became “the friend of God” (Jam 2,23) because he freely and generously followed the Word of God, his call. It was not due to any lack on His part that God’s Word gained Abraham’s friendship. He is perfect from the beginning; “Before Abraham was, I am” (Jn 5,58). But it was that He, who is good, might give Abraham eternal life… Likewise, in the beginning, it was not because He had any need of man that God formed Adam but that He might have someone on whom to bestow His blessings.

Still less was it because He needed our service that He commanded us to follow Him but to win salvation for us. For to follow our Saviour is to have a share in His salvation, just as following the light is to participate in the light. When we stand in the light it is not we who illumine the light and cause it to shine but we are illuminated and made shining by the light… God grants His blessings on those who serve Him because they are serving Him and on those who follow Him because they are following Him but He receives no blessing from them because He is perfect and without need.

If God asks for our service it is that He who is good and merciful might bestow His blessings on those who persevere in His service. Because, if God has no need of anything, yet we have need of communion with God. The glory of man is to persevere in the service of God. That is why our Lord said to His disciples: “You did not choose me, it was I who chose you” (Jn 15,16), thus indicating that… for having followed the Son of God they had been glorified by Him: “Father, I will that where I am they also may be, that they may see my glory” (Jn 17,24). … St Irenaeus of Lyons (c.130-c.208) Bishop, theologian and Martyr – Against the heresies, IV, 14,1 ; SC 100 when we stand in the light - st irenaeus 20 aug 2019.jpg

PRAYER – All-knowing God, let me be able to stand in Your presence with a good conscience. Help me to avoid anything that would sully my conscience and do all I can to remain united with You . You made St Bernard burn with zeal for Your house and gave him the grace to enkindle and enlighten others in Your Church. Grant that by his prayer, we may be filled with the same spirit and always live as children of the Light. Through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. st bernard pray for us 2

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY FACE

Quote/s of the Day – 19 August – St John Eudes

Posted on August 19, 2019August 19, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 19 August – The Memorial of St John Eudes Orat. (1601-1680) “Apostle of Two Hearts”

“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!”

“The Christian life is a continuation
and completion of the life of Christ in us.
We should be so many Christs here on earth,
continuing His life and His works,
labouring and suffering in a holy
and divine manner in the spirit of Jesus.”

“Our wish, our object,
our chief preoccupation
must be to form Jesus in ourselves,
to make His spirit,
His devotion,
His affections,
His desires
and His disposition,
live and reign there.
All our religious exercises
should be directed to this end.
It is the work which God
has given us to do unceasingly. “

“Faith is a beam,
radiating from
the face of God.”

St John Eudes (1601-1680)

DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 August – “If you would be perfect…”

Posted on August 19, 2019August 19, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 19 August – Monday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Gospel: Matthew 19:16–22 and The Memorial of St John Eudes Orat. (1601-1680) “Apostle of Two Hearts”

Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come, follow me.” … Matthew 19:21

REFLECTION – “O Jesus! can anyone declare that he does not desire this great blessing, especially after he has passed through the chief difficulties? No, no-one can! We all say we desire it but there is need of more than that, for the Lord to possess entire dominion over the soul. It is not enough to say so, any more than it was enough for the young man when our Lord told him what he must do if he desired to be perfect…

Enter then, enter, my daughters, into your interior, pass beyond the thought of your own petty works, which are no more, nor even as much, as Christians are bound to perform, let it suffice, that you are God’s servants, do not pursue so much as to catch nothing. Think of the saints, who have entered the Divine Presence and you will see the difference between them and ourselves. Do not ask for what you do not deserve, nor should we ever think, however much we may have done for God, that we merit the reward of the saints, for we have offended Him. Oh, humility, humility! I know not why but I am always tempted to think, that persons who complain so much of aridity in prayer, must be a little wanting in this virtue… Let us try ourselves, my sisters, or let our Lord try us, He knows well how to do so, although we often pretend to misunderstand Him…

If we turn our backs on Him and go away sorrowfully, like the youth in the Gospel, when He tells us what to do to be perfect, what can God do? for He must proportion the reward to our love for Him. This love, my daughters, must not be the fabric of our imagination, we must prove it by our works. Yet do not suppose that our Lord has need of any works of ours, He only expects us to manifest our goodwill… if we continue in it… doubtless, by persevering in this poverty and detachment of soul, we shall obtain all for which we strive. But, mark this – it must be on one condition – that we `hold ourselves for unprofitable servants.’ (Lk 12:48) … St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) Doctor of the Church – Interior Castle, Mansion 3, Chapter 1

PRAYER – Father of mercies and God of all consolation, You gave us the loving Heart of Your own beloved Son, because of the boundless love by which You have loved us, which no tongue can describe. May we render You a love that is perfect with hearts made one with His. Grant, we pray, that our hearts may be brought to perfect unity, each heart with the other and all hearts with the Heart of Jesus….and may the rightful yearnings of our hearts find fulfilment through Him, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. – Collect from Saint John Eudes’ Mass, Gaudeamus, 1668 St John Eudes, Pray for us! amen. st john eudes pray for us 19 aug 2019.jpg

JESUIT SJ, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 18 August – “Christ roams the streets …”

Posted on August 18, 2019August 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 18 August – The Memorial of St Alberto Hurtado SJ (1901-1952)

“I hold that every poor man,
every vagrant,
every beggar,
is Christ carrying His cross.
And as Christ,
we must love
and help him.”

St Alberto Hurtado

ON the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SANCTITY

Quote of the Day – 17 August – Become a Saint!

Posted on August 17, 2019August 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 17 August – Saturday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C

“Follow the saints,
because those who follow them
will become saints!”

Saint Pope Clement I (c 35-99)

MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 August – “Let the children come to me”

Posted on August 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 18 August – Saturday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 19:13–15 and the Memorial of St Clare of the Cross of Montefalco (c 1269-1308)

“Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”…Matthew 19:14

REFLECTION – “Begin and end the day with prayer. Go to God as a child turns to its mother. If words don’t come spontaneously to you then say, for example: “Come, Holy Spirit, guide me, protect me, enlighten my thoughts so I can pray.” Or even better, if you speak to the Virgin Mary, say – “Mary, Mother of Jesus, be a mother to me now and help me to pray.” … Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

PRAYER – God almighty Father, grant that we may be instruments of welcome and of that love with which Jesus, Your Son, embraces the littlest ones. May we be a society of love and of holy parenting of all children, especially those most in need. Holy Mother, teach us and guide us in prayer and love of God and neighbour. St Clare of the Cross, pray for us. We make our prayer through Christ, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. st clare of the cross of montefalco pray for us 17 aug 2019

MARIAN PRAYERS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 16 August – St Stephen’s letter to St Emeric

Posted on August 16, 2019November 10, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 16 August – Friday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and The Memorial of St Step hen of Hungary (c 975- 1038)

At the turn of the second millenniu m, St Stephen succeeded his father as leader of the Magyars in Hungary. Looking to strengthen his authority, he determined to consolidate the state and extend Christianity throughout the land. In 1001 he arranged to have Pope Sylvester II name him king of Hungary. The pope obliged. As an additional sign of support, Sylvester had a special crown fashioned for Stephen that has become world famous.

Stephen extended his control over Hungary by restricting the power of the nobles. By creating dioceses and establishing monasteries, Stephen strengthened the church and positioned it for expansion. Politically, he aggressively used his power to establish Christianity as Hungary’s religion. He ruthlessly abolished pagan customs, outlawing adultery and blasphemy. Stephen ordered everyone to marry, except religiou, and forbade marriages between Christians and pagans.

But Stephen had a kinder, gentler side. Like St Louis IX, he made himself accessible to his people. He also took personal concern for the poor . He used to walk the streets in disguise so he could give alms to needy people. Once he barely escaped when some beggars beat and robbed him. But he refused to stop the practice. Stephen was a family man. In 1015 he had married Gisela, the sister of emperor St Henry II. The couple had one son, Emeric, whom Stephen groomed as his successor. In the following letter to his son, Stephen lays out his vision of what a Christian monarch must be. His counsel remains a letter to us all. For this and your intercession, we bless and thank you St Stephen!

“My dearest son, if you desire to honour the royal crown, I advise, I counsel, I urge you above all things to maintain the Catholic and apostolic faith with such diligence and care that you may be an example for all those placed under you by God and that all the clergy may rightly call you a man of true Christian profession. Failing to do this, you may be sure that you will not be called a Christian or a son of the Church. Indeed, in the royal palace – after the faith itself – the Church holds second place, first propagated as she was by our head, Christ, then transplanted, firmly constituted and spread through the whole world by His members, the apostles and holy fathers. And though she always produced fresh offspring, nevertheless in certain places she is regarded as ancient.

However, dearest son, even now in our kingdom, the Church is proclaimed as young and newly planted and for that reason, she needs more prudent and trustworthy guardians, lest a benefit which the divine mercy bestowed on us undeservedly, should be destroyed and annihilated, through your idleness, indolence or neglect.

My beloved son, delight of my heart, hope of your posterity, I pray, I command, that at every time and in everything, strengthened by your devotion to me, you may show favour not only to relations and kin, or to the most eminent, be they leaders or rich men or neighbours or fellow-countrymen but also to foreigners and to all who come to you. By fulfilling your duty in this way you will reach the highest state of happiness. Be merciful to all who are suffering violence, keeping always in your heart the example of the Lord who said: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” Be patient with everyone, not only with the powerful but also with the weak.

Finally be strong, lest prosperity lift you up too much or adversity cast you down. Be humble in this life, that God may raise you up in the next. Be truly moderate and do not punish or condemn anyone immoderately. Be gentle so that you may never oppose justice. Be honourable so that you may never voluntarily, bring disgrace upon anyone. Be chaste so that you may avoid all the foulness of lust, like the pangs of death.

All these virtues I have noted above make up the royal crown and without them no one is fit to rule here on earth or attain to the heavenly kingdom.”

Sadly, Emeric died in a hunting accident, leaving Stephen no successor.

In 1038, on the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Stephen delivered his final words to leaders of the Church and state, telling them to protect and spread the Catholic faith.

To the Virgin Mary, the king directed one of his final prayers:
“To thee, O Queen of heaven
and to thy guardianship,
I commend the holy Church,
all the bishops and the clergy,
the whole kingdom, its rulers and inhabitants
but before all, I commend my soul to thy care.”

St Stephen of Hungary died on Aug. 15, 1038. He was buried alongside his son St Emeric and the two were Canonised together in 1083.

St Stephen the Great, King of Hungary, Pray for us!

DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD is LOVE, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN

Quote of the Day – 16 August – “We are ever but beginning…”

Posted on August 16, 2019August 16, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 16 August – Friday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and The Memorial of St Stephen of Hungary (c 975- 1038)

“We are ever but beginning,
the most perfect Christian,
is to himself but a beginner,
a penitent prodigal
who has squandered God’s gifts
and comes to Him,
to be tried over again,
not as a son
but as a hired servant.”

Bl John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, THE ASSUMPTION

Thought for the Day – 15 August -You have Borne for us the Clothing of Immortality

Posted on August 15, 2019August 15, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 15 August – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven

You have Borne for us the Clothing of Immortality

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

An excerpt from his Homily 9 – On the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Once indeed God ejected the mortals and first parents of the human race from the paradise of Eden, when they had drunk deeply, from the wine of disobedience and had become so affected by the hangover of sin, through the intoxication of that transgression, which led to the sleepiness of the mind’s eye. Now, however, shall not paradise receive her who repelled the onslaught of all sin, producing the seed of obedience to God and Father and bringing forth life, for all races of mortal men? How can death devour this truly blessed woman, who gave birth to the whole person of the Word of God through union with God? How can hell receive her? When Christ, who is the way and the truth, said Where I am, there will my servant be also, why would there not be a dwelling for His own mother with Him with an even greater justification? It is well said that precious in the sight of the Lord God of Hosts, is the death of His saints but even more precious, is the passing of the Mother of God from this life.

Then Adam and Eve, the founders of our race, exclaimed with a loud voice in great rejoicing: “Blessed are you, O daughter, who bore for us the penalties of the commands that had been broken. When you had gained a mortal body from us, you gave birth to a covering of immortality for us. You repaid us so that it might be well with us, since you received birth from our loins. From beyond the grave you have called us back to our ancient seat, we closed paradise for ourselves but you made open the way of the tree of life. Through our actions, sadness came forth from happiness, through you even more joyful things have returned from sorrow. In what possible way could you be acceptable to death, O Immaculate one? You are the bridge of life and the ladder to heaven, you are a boat over the sea of death reaching to immortality.”

But the woman herself, as she did not shrink from the truth, said: “Into Your hands, my Son, I commend my spirit. Receive this soul which is dear to You, which You have preserved free from any sin. I hand over my body, not to the earth but to You. Take me to Yourself, that where You are, You, the child of my womb, so there I also may be Your companion. I am hastening to You, who have often come to me on this side of that long distance.”

When she had said this, she heard in reply: “Come to my rest, my blessed Mother, arise, come, my beloved, most blessed among all women. Behold, the winter is ended. You are all fair, my beloved and there is no spot of stain found in you, the odour of your ointments are more precious than all other aromas.” you are the bridge of life and the ladder to heaven 15 aug 2019 assumption.jpg

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There is an invocation in a Litany to Our Lord in which we ask: ut ad celestia desideria erigas, te rogamus, audi nos – that our souls be raised to the desire for celestial things, we pray Thee, hear us. This invocation should be the conclusion of our meditation on the Assumption of Our Lady. We should ask, that we may love the celestial happiness of Our Lady, to give her glory and that we may one day be with her in Paradise. We should also love and meditate on her joys, as a way to accept with peace and resignation the sorrows and sufferings God sends us, so that we might prove our love for Him.

Our Lady Assumed into Heaven, Pray for Us!

franciscan OFM, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 14 August – ‘Let us love our loving Father with all our hearts.’

Posted on August 14, 2019August 14, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 14 August – Memorial of Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”

Apostolic Zeal for the Salvation and Sanctification of Souls

An excerpt from the Letters of Saint Maximilian Kolbe

“The burning zeal for God’s glory that motivates you fills my heart with joy. It is sad for us to see in our own time that indifferentism in its many forms is spreading like an epidemic not only among the laity but also among religious. But God is worthy of glory beyond measure and, therefore, it is of absolute and supreme importance, to seek that glory with all the power of our feeble resources. Since we are mere creatures we can never return to Him all that is His due.

The most resplendent manifestation of God’s glory is the salvation of souls, whom Christ redeemed by shedding His blood. To work for the salvation and sanctification of as many souls as possible, therefore, is the preeminent purpose of the apostolic life. Let me, then, say a few words that may show the way toward achieving God’s glory and the sanctification of many souls.

God, who is all-knowing and all-wise, knows best what we should do to increase His glory. Through hHs representatives on earth, He continually reveals His will to us, thus it is obedience and obedience alone, that is the sure sign to us of the divine will. A superior may, it is true, make a mistake but it is impossible for us to be mistaken in obeying a superior’s command. The only exception to this rule is the case of a superior commanding something, that in even the slightest way, would contravene God’s law. Such a superior would not be conveying God’s will.

God alone is infinitely wise, holy, merciful, our Lord, Creator and Father; He is beginning and end, wisdom and power and love, He is all. Everything other than God, has value to the degree, that it is referred to Him, the maker of all and our own redeemer, the final end of all things. It is He who, declaring His adorable will to us through His representatives on earth, draws us to Himself and whose plan is, to draw others to Himself through us and to join us all to Himself in an ever-deepening love.

Look, then, at the high dignity that by God’s mercy belongs to our state in life. Obedience raises us beyond the limits of our littleness and puts us in harmony with God’s will. In boundless wisdom and care, His will guides us to act rightly. Holding fast to that will, which no creature can thwart, we are filled with unsurpassable strength.

Obedience is the one and the only way of wisdom and prudence, for us to offer glory to God . If there were another, Christ would certainly have shown it to us by word and example. Scripture, however, summed up His entire life at Nazareth in the words: He was subject to them, Scripture set obedience as the theme of the rest of His life, repeatedly declaring that He came into the world, to do His Father’s will.

Let us love our loving Father with all our hearts. Let our obedience increase that love, above all, when it requires us to surrender our own will. Jesus Christ crucified is our sublime guide toward growth in God’s love.

We will learn this lesson more quickly through the Immaculate Virgin, whom God has made the dispenser of His mercy. It is beyond all doubt, that Mary’s will represents to us, the will of God Himself. By dedicating ourselves to her, we become in her hands, instruments of God’s mercy even as she was such an instrument in God’s hands. We should let ourselves be guided and led by Mary and rest quiet and secure in her hands. She will watch out for us, provide for us, answer our needs of body and spirit, she will dissolve all our difficulties and worries.”

St Maximillian Kolbe, Pray for Us!

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, franciscan OFM, MARIAN QUOTES, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on INDIFFERENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 14 August – St Maximillian Kolbe

Posted on August 14, 2019August 14, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”

“A man cannot rise any higher than this.
The Immaculate is the highest degree
of perfection and sanctity of a creature.
No man will ever attain this celestial summit of grace,
for the Mother of God is unique.
However, he who gives himself without limits,
to the Immaculate, will in a short time,
attain a very high degree of perfection
and procure for God, a very great glory.”

“We do not limit ourselves in love.
We want to love the Lord Jesus,
with her heart,
or rather, that she would love the Lord,
with our heart.”

“Let us not forget,
that Jesus not only suffered
but also rose in glory;
so, too, we go to the glory
of the Resurrection,
by way of suffering
and the Cross.”

“The most deadly poison of our times is indifference.
And this happens, although the praise of God
should know no limits.
Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him
to the greatest extent of our powers!”

“Be a Catholic!
When you kneel before an altar,
do it in such a way that others
may be able to recognise
that you know before Whom you kneel.”

St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941)

FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – “There am I in the midst of them.”

Posted on August 14, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – Wednesday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time Year C, Gospel: Matthew 18:15–20 and the Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” … Matthew 18:20

REFLECTION – “The Lord said: “If two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
These words prove that much is given not to the mere number but to the unanimity of those who pray. “If two of you agree on earth,” He says, putting unanimity and peaceful concord first, teaching us to agree firmly and loyally. But how can one man agree with another when he disagrees with the body of the Church itself, with the whole brotherhood?… 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.

“Where two or three are gathered, I (he said) am with them.” That means, of course, with the single-hearted and peaceable, with those who fear God and keep His command-ments. With these, though but two or three, He declared His presence, as He was present also with the Three Children in the fiery furnace and, because they continued single-hearted and of one mind, refreshed them with the breath of dew as the flames surrounded them (Dn 3,50); or as He was present with the two apostles in prison, because they were single-hearted and of one mind and Himself opened the prison gates (Acts 25,25)… So when Christ lays down with authority: “Where two or three are gathered, I am with them,” He is not separating men from the Church which He founded and created. But He rebukes the faithless for their discord and with His own voice commends peace to the faithful.” … Saint Cyprian of Carthage, (c 200- c 258) Bishop and Martyr, Father of the Church – On the Unity of the Church

PRAYER – My Lord and my God, You who are the fruit of Mary’s blessed womb and the most Divine Son of our Father, grant that we may always have recourse to You, through her who bore You and through Your Holy Church. Grant that she may help and comfort us me and lead us to You. Mary, Holy and loving Mother of God, pray for us all. Grant O Lord, that through the intercession of St Maximillian, we may entrust ourselves to You through Your and our blessed Mother, amen. st-maximillian-pray-for-us-14-aug-2017 2018 2019

JESUIT SJ, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 13 August – St John Berchmans

Posted on August 13, 2019August 13, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 13 August – Tuesday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St John Berchmans SJ (1599-1621)

“Our true worth,
does not consist, in what
human beings think of us.
What we really are,
consists, in what God
knows us to be.”

As he was dying, he pressed to his heart his Crucifix, his Rosary

and the Book of Rules, saying:

“These are my three treasures,
with these I shall gladly die.”

St John Berchmans (1599-1621)

DOCTORS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 August – The little things in life.

Posted on August 13, 2019August 13, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 August – Tuesday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 and the Memorial of St John Berchmans SJ (1599-1621)

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”…Matthew 18:3 truly i say to you unless you turn and become like little children matthew 18 3 - 1 oct 2018

REFLECTION – “God would never inspire me with desires which cannot be realised, so in spite of my littleness, I can hope to be a saint.”…St Thérèse de Lisieux (1873-1897) Doctor of the Church god-would-never-inspire-me-st-t-of-l-1-oct-2018

PRAYER – God, our Father, Your promised Your Kingdom to the little ones and the humble of heart. Let us ask St John Berchmans to give us some of his great attention to the little things in life being so important in the eyes of God. Lord God, grant us grace to walk confidently in the way of St John Berchmans, so that helped by his prayers, we may see Your eternal glory. Through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. st john berchmans pray for us 13 aug 2019

	Santas e Santos do d… on Notre-Dame-des-Tables / Our La…
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From the Writings of St Mary of Jesus Crucified

Inscribed on Blessed Mary’s tombstone

St Mary of Jesus Crucified, Pray for Us!

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St Mary of Jesus Crucified (1846-1878)

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“Strive to enter in by the narrow door.”

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“The Narrow Door”

St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Francis

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The name “Nathanael” means “God has given”

St Bartholomew, Pray for Us!

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St Rose of Lima (1586-1617)

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Queen of the World and of Peace

Saint Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Bishop

Mary Queen of our Hearts, Pray for Us!

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St Ephrem (306-373) Doctor of the Church

St Germanus (378-448)

St Ildephonsus (607-670)

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) – Doctor of Light – Mellifluous Doctor

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The Song of the Church

Saint Pius X Bishop of Rome

St Pope Pius X, Pray for Us!

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St Pius X

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I love because I love, I love that I may love

Saint Bernard Abbot and Doctor of the Church

St Bernard, Pray for Us!

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St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Doctor of the Church

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St John Eudes (1601-1680)

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St Alberto Hurtado

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Saint Pope Clement I (c 35-99)

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St Stephen the Great, King of Hungary, Pray for us!

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Bl John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

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You have Borne for us the Clothing of Immortality

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

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Our Lady Assumed into Heaven, Pray for Us!

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Apostolic Zeal for the Salvation and Sanctification of Souls

An excerpt from the Letters of Saint Maximilian Kolbe

St Maximillian Kolbe, Pray for Us!

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St Maximillian Kolbe (1894 -1941)

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St John Berchmans (1599-1621)

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Saint Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)
Bishop

Saint Pius X
Bishop of Rome

Saint Bernard
Abbot and Doctor of the Church

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