Quote of the Day – 22 February
“He who deserts the chair of Peter,
upon whom the Church was founded,
does he trust himself to be in the Church?”
~~~~~ Saint Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage and Martyr
De Catholicae Ecclesiae Unitate, 251
Category: QUOTES of the SAINTS
One Minute Reflection – 22 February
One Minute Reflection – 22 February
“On this rock I will build my Church’,,,,,,,,,,Matthew 16:18
REFLECTION – “How blessed is the Church of Rome, on which the Apostles poured forth all their doctrine along with their blood!” (De Praescriptione Hereticorum, 36)…….Tertullian
“I decided to consult the Chair of Peter,
where that faith is found exalted by
the lips of an Apostle;
I now come to ask for nourishment for my soul there,
where once I received the garment of Christ.
I follow no leader save Christ,
so I enter into communion with Your beatitude,
that is, with the Chair of Peter,
for this I know is the rock upon which the Church is built”
(cf. Le lettere I, 15, 1-2)…………..St Jerome
PRAYER – Holy Father, send Your Divine Enlightener into the hearts of all Your faithful, filling us with the strength to fulfil our mission as the followers of the Chair of St Peter. And most of all, we pray Lord Holy God to inspire and light the way of our Holy Father, Francis. Sustain and guide him, keep him in health and strength, to lead Your people by the Light of the Way and the Truth. Holy Father, have mercy on us, Holy Spirit guide and lead us, Lord Jesus Christ be our intercessor and teacher, amen.
Lenten Preparation Novena
Reflection – Do I despise the great gift of God’s Love?
“Is it not, I say, quite a common case for men and for women to neglect religion in their best days? They have been baptised, they have been taught their duty, they have been taught to pray, they know their Creed, their conscience has been enlightened, they have opportunity to come to Church. This is their birthright, the privileges of their birth of water and of the Spirit; but they sell it, as Esau did. They are tempted by Satan with some bribe of this world and they give up their birthright in exchange for what is sure to perish and to make them perish with it. Esau was tempted by the mess of pottage which he saw in Jacob’s hands. Satan arrested the eyes of his lust and he gazed on the pottage, as Eve gazed on the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve sold their birthright for the fruit of a tree—that was their bargain. Esau sold his for a mess of lentils—that was his. And men now-a-days often sell theirs, not indeed for any thing so simple as fruit or herb but for some evil gain or other, which at the time they think worth purchasing at any price; perhaps for the enjoyment of some particular sin, or more commonly for the indulgence of general carelessness and spiritual sloth because they do not like a strict life and have no heart for God’s service. And thus they are profane persons, for they despise the great gift of God.” – (Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman)
Lenten Preparation Novena
DAY TWO
Lord, during this Lenten Season,
nourish me with Your Word of life
and make me one
with You in love and prayer.
Fill my heart with Your love
and keep me faithful to the Gospel of Christ.
Give me the grace to rise above my human weakness.
Give me new life by Your Sacraments, especially the Mass.
Father, our source of life,
I reach out with joy to grasp Your hand;
let me walk more readily in Your ways.
Guide me in Your gentle mercy,
for left to myself I cannot do Your Will.
Father of love, source of all blessings,
help me to pass from my old life of sin
to the new life of grace.
Help me to repent of my sins now and make reparation throughout
this Lenten season and each day thereafter.
United with your Son,
who makes His way to Calvary,
I offer You my intentions
(Mention your special intention)
Prepare me for the glory of Your Kingdom.
I ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever. Amen
Quote/s of the Day
Quote/s of the Day
“He pours light into our minds, arouses our desire and gives us strength…
As the soul is the life of the body, so the Holy Spirit is the life of our souls.”
“The best penance is to have patience with the sorrows God permits.
A very good penance is to dedicate oneself to fulfill the duties of everyday
with exactitude and to study and work with all our strength.”
“Through a woman [Eve] a curse fell upon the earth;
through a woman [Mary] as well there returned
to the earth, a blessing.”
St Peter Damian
One Minute Reflection – 21 February
One Minute Reflection – 21 February
For whom the Lord loves he reproves,
he chastises the one he favours………….Proverbs 3:12
REFLECTION – “When you are scorned by others and lashed by God, do not despair.
God lashes us in this life to shield us from the eternal lash in the next.”………..St Peter Damian
PRAYER – Infinitely just God, help me to accept Your corrections and turn them to my benefit. Let me never despair about my weaknesses but entrust myself to Your goodness and mercy. Help me Lord! St Peter Damian, pray for us, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 20 February
Quote/s of the Day – 20 February
“We were burning in that light
which is God and we were not consumed.
What is God like?
It is impossible to say.
In fact we will never be able to tell people”
~~~~~ Blessed Francisco Marto of Fatima
“Speak ill of no one and avoid the company
of those who talk (bad) about their neighbours.”
~~~~~ Blessed Jacinta Marto of Fatima
One Minute Reflection – 20 February
One Minute Reflection – 20 February
“Father, … to you I offer praise; for what you have hidden from the learned and the clever you have revealed to the merest children” ………….Mt 11: 25
REFLECTION – “Francisco bore without complaining the great sufferings caused by the illness from which he died. It all seemed to him so little to console Jesus: he died with a smile on his lips. Little Francisco had a great desire to atone for the offences of sinners by striving to be good and by offering his sacrifices and prayers.
The life of Jacinta, his younger sister by almost two years, was motivated by these same sentiments……………….In her motherly concern, the Blessed Virgin came here to Fátima to ask men and women “to stop offending God, Our Lord, who is already very offended”. It is a mother’s sorrow that compels her to speak; the destiny of her children is at stake. For this reason she asks the little shepherds: “Pray, pray much and make sacrifices for sinners; many souls go to hell because they have no one to pray and make sacrifices for them”. …St Pope John Paul on the Beatification of the siblings, 13 May 2000
PRAYER – “Father, to You I offer praise, for what You have hidden from the learned and the clever you have revealed to the merest children”.
Father, to you I offer praise for all Your children, from the Virgin Mary, Your humble Servant, to the little shepherds, Francisco and Jacinta.
May the message of their lives live on for ever to light humanity’s way! Blessed Francisco and Jacinta, pray for us! Amen. (Prayer by St Pope John Paul)
One Minute Reflection – 19 February
One Minute Reflection – 19 February
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain…….1 Cor 15:58
REFLECTION – “Keep a clear eye toward life’s end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God’s creature. What you are in His sight is what you are
and nothing more. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received…but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.”…………St Francis of Assisi
PRAYER – God of mercy, teach me to live as You have ordained. Help me to follow Your commandments with courage and steadfast devotion. As St Conrad learnt courage through adversity, help me too to use the events of my life, both good and bad, to give only my best to all I meet. St Conrad of Piacenza, pray for us, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 18 February
One Minute Reflection – 18 February
Well done you are an industrious
and reliable servant…… Come share
your master’s joy…………Matthew 25:21
REFLECTION – “In God’s house we must try to
accept whatever job he gives us:
cook, kitchen boy, waiter, stable boy or baker.
For we know that our reward depends not
on the job itself but on the faithfulness
with which we serve God.”……..Pope John Paul I
Fra Angelico’s painting was the fruit of the great harmony between a holy life and the creative power with which he had been endowed………St John Paul
PRAYER – O God, in Your providence You inspired blessed Fra Angelico to portray the beauty and sweetness of heaven. By his prayers and the example of his virtues, grant that we may manifest this splendour to our brothers and sisters. Blessed Angelico, pray for us! Through Christ our Lord, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 17 February
Quote/s of the Day – 17 February
“Mary means enlightener, because She brought forth the Light of the world. In the Syriac tongue, Mary signifies Lady.”
~~~~~ St Isidore of Seville
“Let me say something concerning this name also, which is interpreted to mean Star of the sea, and admirably suits the Virgin Mother.”
~~~~~ St Bernard
“Mary means Star of the sea, for as mariners are guided to port by the ocean star, so Christians attain to glory through Mary’s maternal intercession.”
~~~~~St Thomas Aquinas
“God the Father gathered all the waters together
and called them the seas or maria [Latin, seas].
He gathered all His grace together
and called it Mary or Maria . . .
This immense treasury is none other than Mary
whom the Saints call the ‘treasury of the Lord.’
From Her fullness all men are made rich.”
~~~~~ St Louis de Montfort
“This most holy, sweet and worthy name was ’eminently fitted to so holy, sweet and worthy a virgin. For Mary means a bitter sea, star of the sea, the illuminated or illuminatrix. Mary is interpreted Lady. Mary is a bitter sea to the demons; to men She is the Star of the sea; to the Angels She is illuminatrix, and to all creatures She is Lady .”
~~~~~St Bonaventure
“When you find yourself tossed by the raging storms on this great sea of life, far from land, keep your eyes fixed on this Star to avoid disaster. When the winds of temptation or the rocks of tribulation threaten, look up to the Star, call upon Mary!”
~~~~~ St Bernard
One Minute Reflection – 17 February
One Minute Reflection – 17 February
O children, listen to me; instruction and wisdom do not reject!…………Proverbs 8:32-33
REFLECTION – “Let Mary never be far from your lips
and from your heart.
Following her, you will never lose your way.
Praying to her, you will never sink into despair.
Contemplating her, you will never go wrong.”
……St Bernardine of Siena
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, grant me the grace to have Mary as my constant intercessor. Allow me to reach out to her as my mother, to lead me to her Son, for she is Your beloved Daughter, who carried Your Son to us in order that we might see our way and be able to reach our home in heaven. Holy Founders of the Servites, pray for us all that we may be blessed by the intercession and protection of Mary our Mother and please pray for us all, amen.
Quote of the Day – 16 February
Quote of the Day – 16 February
“We show our adoration by going to visit Christ
in the tabernacle or exposed in the monstrance.
Would it not indeed be a failing in respect
to neglect the divine Guest who awaits us?
He dwells there, really present,
He who was present in the crib,
at Nazareth,
upon the mountains of Judea,
in the supper-room,
upon the Cross.
It is the same Jesus who said to the Samaritan woman,
‘If thou didst know the gift of God!’
~~~~~ Blessed Columba Marmion
One Minute Reflection – 16 February
One Minute Reflection – 16 February
(Jesus) said to Peter,
“Put out into deep waters
and lower your nets for a catch.”……………….Luke 5:4
REFLECTION – “The bark of Peter laughs at the winds and the waves.
She has the Saints as her passengers, the Cross as her mast, the Gospel teachings as her sails, the Angels as her rowers and God as her pilot.” ……………..St John Chrysostom
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, teach me to trust Your Church as the Bark of Salvation in this world. Grant that I may work and pry to remain afloat with her amid the storms of Life. St Gilbert, you experienced great storms and upheavals in every facit of your life but your eyes remained fixed on the pilot, you embraced the Cross and persevered with the saints until you too became one. St Gilbert of Sempringham, please pray for us, that will follow our friends in heaven too, amen!
Thought for the Day – 15 February
Thought for the Day – 15 February
St Claude was an amazingly gifted man and he recognised that his gifts should be put at the service of others. He spent himself in the service of Christ and was chosen to direct someone with an important mission to the whole Church of Christ. He is recognised for his important decisions, decisions that may be helpful to contemplate as we enter the Lenten season: 1) to sacrifice his earthly desires to serve the Lord; 2) to honour his call to the vows of the Jesuits; 3) to recognise the truth in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and propagate the devotion; 4) to go where the Lord would have him, suffering without complaint; and 5) to continue unafraid and undeterred in preaching the Good News. Saint Claude la Colombière never lost sight of the Lord, never gave up hope, never let his confidence be shaken in the total love and mercy of God. How often can we say the same of ourselves?
At his Canonisation, St John Paul said “A true companion of Saint Ignatius, Claude learned to master his strong sensitivity. He humbly maintained a sense of “his wretchedness” so as to rely only on his hope in God and his trust in grace. He resolutely took the way of holiness. He adhered with all his being to the Constitutions and Rules of the Society, rejecting all tepidness. Fidelity and obedience were expressed, before God, by the “desire … for trust, love, resignation and perfect sacrifice”
Aspiration to Jesus, my Friend by St Claude
Jesus! You are my true Friend, my only Friend. You take a part in all my misfortunes, You take them on Yourself; You know how to change them into blessings.
You listen to me with the greatest kindness when I relate my troubles to You, and You have always balm to pour on my wounds. I find You everywhere. You never go away! If I have to change my dwelling, I find You there wherever I go. You are never weary of listening to me. You are never tired of doing me good. I am certain of being beloved by You if I love You; my goods are nothing to You, and by bestowing Yours on me You never grow poor; however miserable I may be, no one more noble or holier can come between You and me and deprive me of Your friendship; and Death, which tears us away from all other friends, will unite me forever to You. All the humiliations attached to old age, or to the loss of honor, will never detach You from me; on the contrary, I shall never enjoy You more fully, and You will never be closer to me than when everything seems to conspire against me, to overwhelm me, and to cast me down.
You bear with all my faults with extreme patience, and even my want of fidelity and my ingratitude do not wound You to such a degree as to make You unwilling to receive me back when I return to You, or to come to me when I call on You. O Jesus! grant that I may die praising You, that I may die for the love of You.
Amen.
St Claude Pray for us!
Quote/s of the Day – 15 February
Quote/s of the Day – 15 February
“God is in the midst of us, or rather, we are in the midst of Him; wherever we are, He sees us and touches us: at prayer, at work, at table, at recreation.”
“God is more honoured by a single Mass
than He could be by all the actions of angels
and men together, however fervent and heroic they might be.
Yet, how FEW hear Mass with the intention of giving God
this sublime honour!
How FEW think with joy on the glory a Mass gives to God.
How FEW rejoice to possess the means of honouring Him
as He deserves! . . .
If we only knew the treasure we hold in our hands!”
~~~ St Claude de la Colombiere.
St Claude has been a dear friend of mine since I discovered his writings quite some years ago. . I count on his intercession. I turn to him when I feel my heart is tired and a little cold and distressed. This Saint of Hearts is a most willing guide leading us to the warmest Heart of Christ full of Mercy and Love.
The Franciscan Saint John Wall O.F.M. (Joachim of Saint Anne), who was martyred for the crime of being a Catholic priest near Redhill, Corcester, England on August 22nd, 1679, knew Saint Claude. After having spent a night in spiritual conversation with him, the soon–to–be martyr said, “When I was in his presence I thought that I was dealing with Saint John returned to earth to rekindle that fire of love in the Heart of Christ.”
One Minute Reflection – 15 February
One Minute Reflection – 15 February
Cast me not out of your presence
and your Holy Spirit take not from me……….Psalm 51:13
REFLECTION – “When the Holy Spirit is in a soul, He communicates Himself in one way or another. We can say that He makes virtue contagious and turns a simple faithful into an apostle.”………St Claude de la Colombiere
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, grant that Your Holy Spirit may inspire me to be a true follower of Your Son, Jesus the Christ. May He dwell in me always and keep me ever on the path of holiness. Holy God, may He turn me too into an apostle like St Claude! St Claude de la Colombiere, please pray for us all, amen!
Quote of the Day – 14 February
Quote of the Day – 14 February
“From your Valentine.”
~~~ St Valentine
One Minute Reflection – 14 February
One Minute Reflection – 14 February
On that day you will know that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you……….John 14:20
REFLECTION – “Jesus Christ must live in us and we must live only in Him.
His life must be our life and our life must be a continuation and expression of His life.”………….St John Eudes
PRAYER – Lord Jesus, make me realise that You are living in me and I am in You. Enable me to readiate You in my outward life by being consciously generous, loving, humble, kind. By being consciously united to You in every thought, word and deed. I pray that Your purpose may be mine too, do the Father’s Will. That the Saints who walk before me, Sts Cyril and Methodius, St Valentine, may pray for us all, amen!
Quote of the Day – 13 February
Quote of the Day – 13 February
“There are two ways of keeping God’s word, namely, one whereby we store in our memory what we hear and the other whereby we put into practice what we have heard (and none will deny that the latter is more commendable, inasmuch as it is better to sow grain than to store it in the barn).”
~~~Blessed Jordan of Saxony
One Minute Reflection – 13 February
One Minute Reflection – 13 February
Find your delight in the LORD
who will give you your heart’s desire………….Psalm 37:4
REFLECTION – “Happiness is secured through virtue;
it is a good attained by man’s own will.” ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, St Thomas Aquinas
PRAYER – All-provident Lord, my God, You are my Father and in You is all my hope and trust. Teach me to live according to Your precepts, knowing that through them I will attain virtue and thus be filled with true joy. Blessed Jordan of Saxony, you were filled with love for your fellowman and through your virtue you assisted many to achieve holiness and happiness. Pray for us that we may too be filled with virtue, love and the true happiness of God which is joy, amen.
Quote of the Day – 12 February
Quote of the Day – 12 February
De Verazze (author of the Golden Legend) writes of St Julian : “The enemy conspired again to ruin Julian—disguised as a weak pilgrim, he was let in by Julian with the others. At midnight he woke up and made a mess of the house.” The following morning Julian saw the damage and swore never to let in anyone else in his home. He was so furious he had everyone leave. “And Jesus went to him, again as a pilgrim, seeking rest. He asked humbly, in the name of God, for shelter. But Julian answered with contempt: ‘I shall not let you in. Go away, for the other night I had my home so vandalized that I shall never let you in.’ And Christ told him ‘Hold my walking-stick, please’. Julian, embarrassed, went to take the stick and it stuck to his hands. And Julian recognized him at once and said:
‘He tricked me, the enemy who does not want me to be Your faithful servant. But I shall embrace You, I do not care about him and for Your love I shall give shelter to whoever needs.’
He knelt and Jesus forgave him and Julian asked, full of repentance, forgiveness for his wife and parents.
One Minute Reflection – 12 February
One Minute Reflection – 12 February
I was ill and you comforted me…..
As often as you did it for one
of my least brothers, you did it for me…….Matthew 25:26,40
REFLECTION – “Before all things and above all things,
care must be taken of the sick.
They must be served in every deed
as Christ Himself.”…………….St Benedict
PRAYER – Jesus, infinite Healer, teach me to visit and comfort the sick. Help me always to see You in them and not count the cost. St Julian, you were a perfect example of giving your utmost love to the sick, please pray for us, amen!
The Memorial of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes/Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and the 25th WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE SICK
Blessed Memorial of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes/Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception – 11 February 1858 – Patron of the ill and infirm, protection from disease, France, 6 cities and a Diocese.
On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in the apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus. A little more than three years later, on February 11, 1858, a young lady appeared to Bernadette Soubirous. This began a series of visions. During the apparition on March 25, the lady identified herself with the words: “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
Bernadette was a sickly child of poor parents. Their practice of the Catholic faith was scarcely more than lukewarm. Bernadette could pray the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Creed. She also knew the prayer of the Miraculous Medal: “O Mary conceived without sin.”
During interrogations Bernadette gave an account of what she saw. It was “something white in the shape of a girl.” She used the word aquero, a dialect term meaning “this thing.” It was “a pretty young girl with a rosary over her arm.” Her white robe was encircled by a blue girdle. She wore a white veil. There was a yellow rose on each foot. A rosary was in her hand. Bernadette was also impressed by the fact that the lady did not use the informal form of address (tu), but the polite form (vous). The humble virgin appeared to a humble girl and treated her with dignity.
Through that humble girl, Mary revitalized and continues to revitalize the faith of millions of people. People began to flock to Lourdes from other parts of France and from all over the world. In 1862 Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions and authorized the cult of Our Lady of Lourdes for the diocese. The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes became worldwide in 1907.
Quote of the Day – 10 February
Quote of the Day – 10 February
St. Gregory the Great said of Scholastica,
“She could do more because she loved more.”
One Minute Reflection – 10 February
One Minute Reflection – 10 February
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…..Galatians 5:22-23
REFLECTION – “Be careful to be gentle, lest in removing the rust, you break the whole instrument.”……………St Benedict
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help me to curb my impatience no matter the circumstances. Teach me to remain calm and gentle and to strive to return good for evil in all inflammatory situations. St Scholastica and St Benedict pray for us, amen.
Quote of the Day – 9 February
Quote of the Day – 9 February
“The heart is rich when it is content
and it is always content when it’s desires
are fixed on God.”
~~~ Saint Miguel Febres Cordero Muñoz
One Minute Reflection – 9 February
One Minute Reflection – 9 February
By patient endurance you will save your lives……Luke 21:19
REFLECTION – “Practice patience toward everyone and especially toward yourself.
Never be disturbed because of your imperfections but always get up bravely after a fall.”………..St Francis de Sales
PRAYER – God of Patience, let me endure my imperfections without rebelling. Help me to be patient with myself as well as with others. St Miguel, from your spiritual father, St Francis de Sales, you learnt the patience and joy of teaching and following the path of love, please pray for us all, amen.
Thought for the Day – 8 February
Thought for the Day – 8 February
At her canonisation ceremony on October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II said of St. Josephine: “In today’s world, countless women continue to be victimized, even in developed modern societies. In St. Josephine Bakhita we find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from oppression and violence and to return them to their dignity in the full exercise of their rights.”
Bakhita knew the reality of being a slave, an immigrant and a spiritual seeker. Even while she was outwardly denied freedom and human dignity, her spirit was free. It was that freedom of spirit that allowed her to follow her heart and live her true vocation. Her body was mutilated by those who enslaved her but they could not touch her spirit. Her Baptism set her on an eventual path toward asserting her civic freedom and then service to God’s people as a Canossian Sister. She who worked under many “masters” was finally happy to address God as “master” and carry out everything that she believed to be God’s will for her.
St Josephine Bakhita Pray for us and for the whole world!
Quotes of the Day – 8 February
Quote/s of the Day – 8 February
“When a person loves another dearly,
he desires strongly to be close to the other:
therefore, why be afraid to die?”
“The Lord has loved me so much:
we must love everyone…
we must be compassionate!”
“If I were to meet the slave-traders
who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me,
I would kneel and kiss their hands,
for if that did not happen,
I would not be a Christian and Religious today.”
~~~ Saint Josephine Bakhita
“Rejoice, all of Africa!
Bakhita has come back to you:
the daughter of the Sudan,
sold into slavery as a living piece of merchandise
and yet still free:
free with the freedom of the saints.”
~~~ St Pope John Paul II
Quote of the Day – 7 February
“Lord Jesus, I am not worthy to suffer for Thee, much less to receive those rewards which Thou hast promised to those who confess Thee.”
~~~ Blessed Thomas Sherwood before his torture and execution in the Tower of London on this day in 1579
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