Category: QUOTES of the SAINTS

Posted in CARMELITES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 17 July

Although you have not seen him, you love him;  even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls…..1 Peter 8-9

1 peter 8 9

REFLECTION – “Let us rejoice, my dear Mother and Sisters, in the joy of the Lord, that we shall die for our holy religion, our faith, our confidence in the Holy Roman Catholic Church.”……Sister Henrietta O.C.D. (one of the 16 Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne)

let us rejoice-sister henrietta

PRAYER – Holy God and Father, help us to not only love our Holy Faith but to follow Your Divine Son, happily and with complete trust to the Cross.   Blessed Martyrs of Compiegne, pray for us that we may be graced with your courage and conviction at every moment of our lives, that we may live and die for Christ our Lord, amen.

blessed martyrs of compiegne - pray for us

Posted in DEVOTIO, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 16 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 16 July

In Hebrew Carmel means “garden” and expresses
not only the richness of the natural verdure which covers the mountain like a multicolored tapestry but also the grace and excellence of the many saints who flourished and flowered on its mystical summit…
Tall, majestic, strong and spacious, this Palestinian promontory,
rising out of the edge of the blue Mediterranean, was the site of many Biblical events.
It was the place of seclusion for early Christian monks who lived and prayed in its caves.
It was also the scene of battle and bloodshed for marauding armies:
-Saracens, Turks, and even Napoleon’s French troops-
who climbed its heights and left their destructive mark.
Both mountain and symbol, it stands as an enduring and tangible
testimony that the spirit of the great realities enacted there
will never be lost.

It was to St. Simon Stock, in a moment of ardent petition
for the preservation of the Order, that “the most glorious Mother of God appeared…
holding in her blessed hand the Scapular of Carmel and assured him of her predilection for those who would wear it piously.

In her appearance to Friar Stock, Mary entrusted him
with the Brown Scapular.

“Those who die devotedly clothed with this scapular
shall be preserved from eternal fire.”

“The brown scapular is a badge of salvation.
The brown scapular is a shield in time of danger.
The brown scapular is a pledge of peace
and special protection, until the end of time.”

our lady to st simon stock

“Wear the Scapular devoutly and perseveringly.
It is my garment.
To be clothed in it means you are continually
thinking of me, and I in turn,
am always thinking of you
and helping you to secure eternal life.”

Our Lady to St Simon Stock

mt carmel - quote

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 15 July by Pope Benedict XVI – 10 March 2010 on St Bonaventure

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 15 July by Pope Benedict XVI – 10 March 2010 on St Bonaventure

“Of these his writings, which are the soul of his government and show the way to follow either as an individual or a community, I would like to mention only one, his masterwork, the “Itinerarium mentis in Deum,” which is a “manual” of mystical contemplation.

This book was conceived in a place of profound spirituality: the hill of La Verna, where St. Francis had received the stigmata.   In the introduction, the author illustrates the circumstances that gave origin to his writing:

“While I meditated on the possibility of the soul ascending to God, presented to me, among others, was that wondrous event that occurred in that place to Blessed Francis, namely, the vision of the winged seraphim in the form of a crucifix. And meditating on this, immediately I realised that such a vision offered me the contemplative ecstasy of Father Francis himself and at the same time the way that leads to it” (Journey of the Mind in God, Prologue, 2, in Opere di San Bonaventura. Opuscoli Teologici / 1, Rome, 1993, p. 499).

The six wings of the seraphim thus became the symbol of six stages that lead man progressively to the knowledge of God through observation of the world and of creatures and through the exploration of the soul itself with its faculties, up to the satisfying union with the Trinity through Christ, in imitation of St. Francis of Assisi.

The last words of St. Bonaventure’s “Itinerarium,” which respond to the question of how one can reach this mystical communion with God, would make one descend to the depth of the heart:

“If you now yearn to know how that happens (mystical communion with God), ask grace, not doctrine;  desire, not the intellect; the groaning of prayer, not the study of the letter;  the spouse, not the teacher;  God, not man; darkness not clarity;  not light but the fire that inflames everything and transport to God with strong unctions and ardent affections. … We enter therefore into darkness, we silence worries, the passions and illusions;  we pass with Christ Crucified from this world to the Father, so that, after having seen him, we say with Philip: that is enough for me” (Ibid., VII, 6).

Dear friends, let us take up the invitation addressed to us by St. Bonaventure, the Seraphic Doctor, and let us enter the school of the divine Teacher.   We listen to his Word of life and truth, which resounds in the depth of our soul.    Let us purify our thoughts and actions, so that He can dwell in us, and we can hear His divine voice, which draws us toward true happiness”.        Pope Benedict XVI – 10 March 2010 on St Bonaventure

St Bonaventure, pray for us!

st bonaventure pray for us 2

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 15 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 15 July

“Christ is both the way and the door.
Christ is the staircase and the vehicle,
like the “throne of mercy over the Ark of the Covenant,”
and “the mystery hidden from the ages.”
A man should turn his full attention to this throne of mercy
and should gaze at Him hanging on the cross,
full of faith, hope and charity, devoted,
full of wonder and joy, marked by gratitude
and open to praise and jubilation.
Then such a man will make with Christ a “pasch,”
that is, a passing-over.
Through the branches of the cross.
he will pass over the Red Sea,
leaving Egypt and entering the desert.
There he will taste the hidden manna
and rest with Christ in the sepulcher,
as if he were dead to things outside.
He will experience, as much as is possible for one who is still living,
what was promised to the thief who hung beside Christ:
‘Today you will be with me in paradise.'”
– from Journey of the Mind to God by Saint Bonaventure

“The life of God — precisely because God is triune —
does not belong to God alone.
God who dwells in inaccessible light and eternal glory
comes to us in the face of Christ and the activity of the Holy Spirit.
Because of God’s outreach to the creature,
God is said to be essentially relational, ecstatic, fecund,
alive as passionate love. Divine life is therefore also our life.
The heart of the Christian life is to be united
with the God of Jesus Christ by means of communion with one another.
The doctrine of the Trinity is, ultimately, therefore,
a teaching not about the abstract nature of God,
nor about God in isolation from everything other than God
but a teaching about God’s life with us and our life with each other.”

“God might have created a more beautiful world;
He might have made heaven more glorious;
but it was impossible for Him to exalt a creature
higher than Mary in making her His Mother.”

god might have created-st bonaventure

 

“If there is anyone who is not enlightened
by this sublime magnificence of created things,
he is blind.
If there is anyone who, seeing all these works of God,
does not praise Him,
he is dumb;
if there is anyone who, from so many signs,
cannot perceive God,
that man is foolish.”

if there is anyone who is not enlightened-st bonaventure

 

St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Seraphic Doctor

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 15 July

With knowledge and understanding he filled them……….Sirach 17:7

REFLECTION – “Do all your actions in accord with the right light of your reason.
In all things, seek your salvation, the edification of others and the praise and glory of God.”…..St Bonaventure

do all yur actions-st bonaventure

 

PRAYER – God of goodness and reason, grant me the gift of right reasoning and Christian understanding. Let me act always in accord with the dictates of that reason and so be pleasing to You. St Bonaventure , pray for us that we may always be graced with the gifts of Holy Spirit, amen.

st bonaventure pray for us

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 July

Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love him………1 Cor 2:9

1 cor 2 9

REFLECTION – “The happiness to which I aspire is greater than anything on earth. Therefore, I regard with extreme joy whatever pains and sufferings may befall me here.”………St Camillus de Lellis

the happiness to which I aspire - st camillus de lellis

PRAYER – Heavenly Father. keep my mind fixed on the surpassing joys stored up for me in heaven. And let me be willing to put up with all sufferings and pains that may come upon me. St Camillus de Lellis, pray for us, amen.

st camillus de lellis pray for us

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS
Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 13 July

“Do not say,
this happened by chance,
while this came to be of itself.”
In all that exists’
there is nothing disorderly,
nothing indefinite,
nothing without purpose,
nothing by chance …
How many hairs are on your head?
God will not forget one of them.
Do you see how nothing,
even the smallest thing,
escapes the gaze of God?”
Saint Basil the Great (329-379)
Father & Doctor of the Church

do not say, this happened by chance-st basil the great

 

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 July

Not on bread alone is man to live but on every utterance that comes from the mouth of God………….Matthew 4:4

Matthew 4 4

REFLECTION – “These are fountains of salvation that they who thirst may be satisfied with the living words they contain. In these is proclaimed the doctrine of godliness.  Let no man add to these, neither let him take out from these.”…….St Athanasius of Alexandria

these are fountains of salvation - St Athanasius of Alexandria

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, inspire me to meditate on Your holy words every day and fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I might not only understand them but be filled with the desire to follow and live their instructions.   May they be a consolation, a strength and an assistance on my journey to You.   St Henry – you were inspired and strove to live by the Holy Scriptures, please pray for us all, amen.

st henry pray for us

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DEVOTIO, MORNING Prayers, POETRY, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 12 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 12 July

“Veronica?”

“Bernice Veronica” – both names referring to the Woman who wiped the Face of Jesus, commonly depicted in every Catholic church, at the Sixth Station of the Cross.
Did she exist?   And what does it mean to be “a Veronica?”   The Catholic Church tells us that a veil bearing a miraculous image of the Face of Jesus has existed since the earliest centuries, recorded in history and in art.   About the time this miraculous veil first appeared in Rome, in the Middle Ages, the name “Veronica” referred to the veil itself–“Veronica” meaning “vera” or true, and “icon” meaning image, or even more precisely, “to be present.”   Those who gazed upon the veil bearing the true Face of Jesus stood in God’s presence.   They were turned toward His Face.
Legends sprang up sometime later about a woman named “Veronica,” who was sometimes associated with the woman “Berenice” or “Bernice,” the bleeding woman who touches the hem of Jesus’s garment in the Gospel.
“These pious traditions cannot be documented, but there is no reason why the belief that such an act of compassion did occur should not find expression in the veneration paid to one called Veronica.” —The Catholic Encyclopedia.
Pope St. John Paul II expressed the answer to the question of Veronica most beautifully in his poem,

“Name”

In the crowd walking towards the place

[of the Agony]–

did you open up a gap at some point or were you

[opening it] from the beginning?

And since when? You tell me, Veronica.

Your name was born in the very instant

in which your heart

became an effigy: the effigy of truth.

Your name was born from what you gazed upon.

–Karol Wojtyla

name by karol wojtyla-st john paul

When a soul performs an “act of compassion,” Jesus leaves His image on the “veil” of the soul.   In other words, while contemplating the Face of Jesus in an image, in the Word of God in the Scriptures, in a person made in the image and likeness of God, or above all, in the Eucharist, the soul places itself in the Presence of God.   When we are turned completely toward the Face of God, through a daily face-to-face encounter in prayer–by the power of the Holy Spirit–God gradually transforms the soul into the “True Image” of His Son, Jesus Christ.   As Pope St. John Paul II says, our hearts must become an “effigy of truth,” a “true icon.”   Then our name too will be born from what we gaze upon. It will be “Veronica.”

St Veronica pray for us!

st veronica pray for us.2

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote of the Day – 12 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 12 July

“….in the Blessed Sacrament Our Lord Himself is the light which manifests Him as our model and reveals His beauties to us.    He is Himself His light, His means of being known, just as the sun is itself its own proof.   To make Himself known, He has only to show Himself.   Recognition of Him need not come from its being reasoned out.   A child does not have to discourse with himself to recognize his parents.   Our Lord reveals Himself through His presence, just as parents do.   But as we grow to know His voice better and as our hearts become more sympathetic to Him in emptying themselves of what is not Him, our Lord manifests Himself in a clearer and more intimate manner, which only those know, who love Him.   He gives the soul a divine conviction which overshadows the light of human reason.   Look at Magdalene:  one word from Jesus and she recognises Him.   He acts the same way in the Blessed Sacrament:  He says one word only but it rings in our very hearts:  “It is I!….”   We sense His Presence; we believe in it more firmly than if we were to see Him with bodily eyes.”

St Peter Julian Eymard

he is himself his light-st peter julian eymard

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 12 July

You have said, “Seek my face”. My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek”.   Hide not your face from me.  Turn not your servant away in anger, you who have been my help.   Cast me not off, forsake me not, O God of my salvation………Psalm 27:8-9

REFLECTION – “Veronica- ‘Bernice’ in the Greek tradition, embodies the universal yearning of the devout men and women of the Old Testament, the yearning of all believers to see the Face of God.   On Jesus’ Way of the Cross, though, she at first did nothing more than perform an act of womanly kindness: she held out a facecloth to Jesus.   She did not let herself be deterred by the brutality of the soldiers or the fear which gripped the disciples.   She is the image of that good woman, who, amid turmoil and dismay, shows the courage born of goodness and does not allow her heart to be bewildered. “Blessed are the pure in heart”, the Lord had said in his Sermon on the Mount, “for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8).   At first, Veronica saw only a buffeted and pain-filled Face.   Yet her act of love impressed the true image of Jesus on her heart: on His human Face, bloodied and bruised, she saw the Face of God and His goodness, which accompanies us even in our deepest sorrows.  Only with the heart can we see Jesus. Only love purifies us and gives us the ability to see.   Only love enables us to recognize the God who is love itself.”…………..Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (24 March 2005)

at first, veronica saw only a ...- joseph card ratzinger 24 march 2005

PRAYER – Lord God, grant us restless hearts, hearts which seek Your Face. Keep us from the blindness of heart which sees only the surface of things.   Give us the simplicity and purity which allow us to recognise Your presence in the world.   When we are not able to accomplish great things, grant us the courage which is born of humility and goodness. Impress Your Face on our hearts.   May we encounter You along the way and show Your image to the world. St Veronica, Pray for us! Amen.

st veronica pray for us

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 11 July

Do not grow slack but be fervent in spirit; he whom you serve is the Lord…….Romans 12:11

romans 12 11

REFLECTION – “There exists an evil fervour, a bitter spirit, which divides us from God and leads us to hell.
Similarly, there is a good fervour, which sets us apart from evil inclinations and leads us toward God and eternal life.”

st benedict - there exists an evil fervour

PRAYER – Loving Father, grant me to have a true fervour in Your service. Let me never tire of following Your Son’s example and avoiding evil. St Benedict, pray for us! Amen

st benedict - pray for us 2

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 10 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 10 July

In today’s gospel reading, (Mt 9:18-26) we read of two different miracles performed by Jesus.    We read of the cure of the woman with a hemorrhage and we read of the raising back to life of the official’s daughter.   While both of these miracles leave us in awe and amazement of God’s power, what is also amazing is the faith of the official and the woman.   Both of them demonstrated an unshakable faith.   Unshakable faith, both the official and the woman had it and because of it they found miraculous cures for insurmountable problems.   May we always remember to look to God for comfort, answers and restoration;  not only when things are good but especially when they seem their worst.   As Christians we are called to have a faith that is unshakable, one that is built upon solid rock, not shifting sand.

“We believe an honourable man on his word.   Why should we put less faith in that of Our Lord?   When a friend desires to prove to his friend that he loves him, he tells him so and he presses his hand affectionately.   When Our Lord wants to show His love for us, He does so in person, discarding the intervention of any third person, whether angelic or human.  Love suffers no intermediate agents.   He remains in the Holy Eucharist that He may repeat to us incessantly: I love you! You must see that I love you!”

St Peter Julian Eymard

our lord wants to show his love for us - st peter julian eymard

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote/s of the Day – 10 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 10 July

“Somebody should tell us,
right at the start of our lives, that we are dying.
Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day.
Do it! I say.
Whatever you want to do, do it now!
There are only so many tomorrows.”

somebody should tell us........bl pope paul VI

“Every mother is like Moses.
She does not enter the promised land.
She prepares a world she will not see.”

Blessed Pope Paul VI

every mother is like moses - bl pope paul vi

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 10 July

My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God……….Psalm 84:3

REFLECTION – “To adore Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament is first of all to acknowledge Him truly, really and substantially present therein by the humble sentiment of a lively and spontaneous faith:  humbly surrendering our feeble reason to the divinity of this sublime Mystery; asking neither to see or touch, like the unbelieving Apostle, before accepting the truth of Jesus Hostia;  merely waiting, to prostrate ourselves at His feet, for the infallible and gentle word of the Church telling us like Saint John the Baptist:  ‘Look, this is the Lamb of God; look, this is He who takes away the sin of the world.’ …………………..St Peter Julian Eymard

PRAYER – Living God, let me desire to see You as often as possible and make use of evey opportunity to visit You and to attend Holy Mass. Grant that I may live in such a way, atoning here on earth for the sins against Your Eucharistic Heart and that I may gain the blessed vision of You in the Holy Eucharist here and now and one day attain the joy of seeing You in Heaven. Amen

PSALM 84 3 - look this is the lamp of god - st p j eymard

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote of the Day – 9 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 9 July

“You ask what you might offer to God,
Offer yourself!
What does God expect from you –
except yourself?”

St Augustine (354-430)

you ask what you might offer to god - st augustine

 

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 9 July

Because the loaf of (Eucharist) bread is one,
we, many though we are,
are one body,
for we all partake of the one loaf…………1 Cor 10:17

1 cor 10 17

REFLECTION – “In the Eucharist, all is love. Jesus comes to us and dwells in us.
In doing so, He teaches us how we are to love one another.”………….St Augustine (354-430)

in the eucharist all is love - st augustine

PRAYER – Most loving Father, grant that every Eucharistic Celebration may unit me more closely to Your Divine Son. May it also unite me to all Christians and help me to show greater love for them every day. St Veronica Giuliani, you truly experienced total and supreme love in Holy Communion, pray for us that we might come to understand this immense and ineffable love of our Saviour for us all, as He becomes our food of life, amen.

st veronica giuliani - pray for us

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote of the Day – 8 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 8 July

“Know also that you will probably gain more by praying fifteen minutes before the Blessed Sacrament than by all the other spiritual exercises of the day. True, Our Lord hears our prayers anywhere, for He has made the promise, ‘Ask, and you shall receive,’ but He has revealed to His servants that those who visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament will obtain a more abundant measure of grace.”

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor

know alsos tha you will - st alphonsus liguori

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 8 July

I bear with all of this for the sake of those whom God has chosen..2 Timothy 2:10

2 timothy 2 10

REFLECTION – “Patience has distinctive qualities that discourses do not possess. All who bear their cross with patience, eloquently proclaim Jesus Christ.”………….St Alphonsus Liguori

patience-st alphonsus liguori

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, teach me to be patient under the crosses that come my way. Let my silent example speak vlumes to others and lead them to faith in Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. St Killian, you worked tirelessly and patiently for the glory of the Kingdom, please intercede for us all, amen.

st killian pray for us

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 7 July – Memorial of Blessed Peter To Rot “Defender of the Sacrament of Marriage” – a Saint for our times!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 7 July – Memorial of Blessed Peter To Rot “Defender of the Sacrament of Marriage” – a Saint for our times!

“Blessed Peter understood the value of suffering.   Inspired by his faith in Christ, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and a dedicated catechist known for his kindness, gentleness and compassion.   Daily Mass and Holy Communion and frequent visits to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, sustained him, gave him wisdom to counsel the disheartened and courage to persevere until death.   In order to be an effective evangeliser, Peter To Rot studied hard and sought advice from wise and holy “big men”. Most of all he prayed – for himself, for his family, for his people, for the Church. His witness to the Gospel inspired others, in very difficult situations, because he lived his Christian life so purely and joyfully.   Without being aware of it, he was preparing throughout his life for his greatest offering: by dying daily to himself, he walked with his Lord on the road which leads to Calvary (Cf. Mt. 10: 38-39).

During times of persecution the faith of individuals and communities is “tested by fire” (1Pt. 1: 7).   But Christ tells us that there is no reason to be afraid.   Those persecuted for their faith will be more eloquent than ever:  “it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you” (Mt. 10: 20).   So it was for Blessed Peter To Rot. When the village of Rakunai was occupied during the Second World War and after the heroic missionary priests were imprisoned, he assumed responsibility for the spiritual life of the villagers.   Not only did he continue to instruct the faithful and visit the sick, he also baptised, assisted at marriages and led people in prayer.

When the authorities legalised and encouraged polygamy, Blessed Peter knew it to be against Christian principles and firmly denounced this practice.   Because the Spirit of God dwelt in him, he fearlessly proclaimed the truth about the sanctity of marriage.   He refused to take the “easy way” (Cf. ibid. 7: 13) of moral compromise.  “I have to fulfil my duty as a Church witness to Jesus Christ”, he explained.   Fear of suffering and death did not deter him.   During his final imprisonment Peter To Rot was serene, even joyful. He told people that he was ready to die for the faith and for his people.”  EXCERPT from the HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER ST JOHN PAUL II (Sir John Guise Stadium, Port Moresby, Tuesday, 17 January 1995 on the Beatification of Blessed Peter To Rot)

Blessed Peter To Rot – Pray for us that we too may, in all circumstances and at every opportunity defend the sanctity of the sacrament of marriage without fear and without moral compromise!

bl peter to rot - pray for us 2

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote of the Day – 7 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 7 July

“Let us understand that God is a physician
and that suffering is a medicine for salvation,
not a punishment for damnation.”

St. Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor

let us understand-st augustine

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 7 July

Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being. Do it for the Lord………..Colossians 3:23

colossians 3-23

REFLECTION -“We do not cease praying so long as we continue to do good.
The prayer of the heart and of good deeds has more value than the prayer of the lips.”…………….St Augustine

we do not cease praying-st augustine

PRAYER – Dear God, move me to make a morning offering to You with total sincerety each day and then grant that all my deeds may be a devout continuation of that prayer. Open my eyes to those who need me in any way, let me see as You do and do as You do. Blessed Peter To Rot, you never failed to help each and every person in whatever way you could, you defended the Church and the Faith and your neighbour, please pray for us all, amen.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 5 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 5 July

“That which God commands
seems difficult and a burden.
The way is rough;
you draw back;
you have no desire to follow it.
Yet DO SO –  and you will attain glory.”

that which god commands st anthony mary zaccaria

“What good thing could God deny us
when He is the one who invites us to ask?”

what good thing-st am zaccaria

“If you want to obtain what you pray for,
adapt yourself to it, that is,
if you want humility,
do not avoid humiliations.”

if you want to obtain what you pray for - st am zaccaria

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 5 July

But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances;  put up with hardship;  perform the work of an evangelist;  fulfill your ministry……2 Timothy 4:5

2 timothy 4-5

REFLECTION – “In His mercy God has chosen us, unworthy as we are, out of the world, to serve Him and thus to advance in goodness and to bear the greatest possible fruit of love in patience……We should keep running steadily in the race we have started, not losing sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection.”……….St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (An excerpt from a letter of Saint Anthony to his congregation).

in his mercy God has chosen us-st anthony mary zaccaria

PRAYER – Lord, enable us to grasp in the spirit of Saint Paul, the sublime wisdom of Jesus Christ, the wisdom which inspired Saint Anthony Zaccaria to preach the message of salvation in Your church.   Grant this, we pray, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. St Anthony Mary Zaccaria, pray for us amen.

st anthony mary zaccaria pray for us

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 4 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 4 July

The secret of Blessed Pier’s personality was his constant joy.   “My life is monotonous, he once said, but each day I understand a little better the incomparable grace of being a Catholic.   Down, then, with all melancholy.   That should never find a place except in the heart which has lost faith. I am joyful.   Sorrow is not gloom.   Gloom should be banished from the Christian soul.”

As a teenager the saint made friends of the poor in Turin’s filthy backstreets and gave them whatever he had—his money, his shoes, his overcoat. “Jesus comes to me every morning in Holy Communion,” he replied to a friend who asked why the hovels did not repulse him. “I repay Him in my very small way by visiting the poor.   The house may be sordid but I am going to Christ.”

At school Pier ­Giorgio became the leader of groups that organised outreach to the needy. He set a high standard, his investment of time and money far exceeding that of his friends.   On Sunday, galoshes for a barefoot child;   Monday, a room for a homeless woman;   Tuesday, boots for an unemployed labourer;   Wednesday, payment of a girl’s school bill;   Thursday, relocation for a blind veteran;   Friday, groceries for a hungry family;   Saturday, medicine for an old man with bronchitis.   The catalogue of his giving seems endless.   At the same time he was the organiser of student parties, games and fund raisers to finance ski trips to the Alps—Pier ­Giorgio was addicted to mountain climbing!

Once after visiting a badly disfigured leper he explained to a friend his rationale for his selfless giving:

“How rich we are to be in good health. The deformation of that young man will disappear in a few years when he enters Paradise.   But we have the duty of putting our health at the service of those who haven’t it.   To act otherwise would be to betray the gift of God.
No human being should ever be left abandoned.   But the best of all charities is that consecrated to the sick.   That is an exceptional work:  few have the courage to face its difficulties and dangers;  to take on themselves the sufferings of others, in addition to their own needs and their own precautions and cares.”

Pier ­Giorgio was famous in Turin but his family regarded him as a problem.   His father, Alfredo Frassati, editor of the daily La Stampa, seems to have resented his largesse.   And his mother was inconvenienced by his frequent absences and his lateness to meals.   Only after his death did they come to appreciate their son.

A virulent form of poliomyelitis attacked Pier ­Giorgio in July 1925, and he died within a week. He was twenty-­four years old.

Once a friend observed that when Pier Giorgio finished praying in church, he waved a little farewell towards the tabernacle.   I like to imagine the scene when this jovial saint said hello to Christ in heaven.

My thought is this, on the Memorial of his beautiful saint, Bl Pier Giorgio, that the greatest gift and the only glory of my life is being a Catholic and striving each day, to grow in those greatest of all commandments, to love God above all and to love my neighbour as myself.    St Edmund Campion, put it so well, “to be a Catholic is my greatest glory.”

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us!

jesus comes to me -bl pier pray for us

LET US PRAY:

PRAYER FOR THE CANONISATION
OF BLESSED PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI

O merciful God,
Who through the perils of the world
deigned to preserve by Your grace
Your servant the blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
pure of heart and ardent of charity,
listen, we ask You, to our prayers, and
if it is in Your designs that he be glorified by the Church,
show us Your will,
granting us the graces we ask of You,
through his intercession,
by the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord,
in union with the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever. Amen

prayer for the canonisation of bl pier

 

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 3 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 3 July

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

~St John Eudes

faith is a beam-st john eudes

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote of the Day – 2 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 2 July

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

St John Climacus

whoever has become a servant of the lord - st john climacus

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 2 July

“No one who prefers father or mother to me is worthy of me….”……..Mathew 10:37

REFLECTION – “To believe in God – for Christians does not mean simply to believe that God exists, nor merely to believe that He is truth.   It means to believe by loving, to believe by abandoning oneself to God completely, uniting and conforming oneself to Him.”…………..St Anthony of Padua

to believe in God - st anthony of padua

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, grant me an operative faith – a faith that will move mountains and is strong enough to know that absolutely nothing and no-one here on earth can compare to You.   Let me show that faith by lively love and by loving deeds and by conforming myself to Your will in all things – teach me that only YOU are first in line. This is how you lived your life St Bernardino Realino – turning your back on success, money and power to put only the God who created us first and now you are a Saint. Please pray for us, amen.

st bernardino realino - pray for us

 

 

 

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote of the Day – 1 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 1 July

“Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent.”

St John of the Cross – Doctor of the Church

 

 

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 1 July

“I have betrayed innocent blood!”………..Matthew 27:4

REFLECTION – “The Blood of Christ is His sacrifice applied to us; it enters the souls of the redeemed; it is the inextinguishable source of all heroism!”……St John XXIII

PRAYER – Lord Jesus, You became Man in order by your Passion and Death and the draining of your Blood on the Cross, might prove to us how much You, our God, love us. Protect us, dear Jesus, from ever running away from the sight of blood. Strengthen our weak human wills so that we will not only not run away from the cross but welcome every opportunity to shed our blood in spirit in union with your Precious Blood, so that, dying to ourselves in time we might live with You in Eternity. Amen

the blood of christ-st john XXIII