Category: QUOTES on CONVERSION

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, OUR Cross, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 13 March – The Second Sunday of Lent – Let us be Transfigured!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 13 March – The Second Sunday of Lent – Let us be Transfigured!

“And when I hear it said,
that God is good and He will pardon us
and then see, that men cease not from evil-doing,
oh, how it grieves me!
The infinite goodness
with which God communicates with us,
sinners as we are,
should constantly make us love and serve Him better
but we, on the contrary,
instead of seeing in His goodness
an obligation to please Him,
convert it into an excuse for sin,
which will, of a certainty,
lead in the end,
to our deeper condemnation.”

St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)

“Aspire to God with short
but frequent outpourings of the heart,
admire His bounty,
invoke His aid,
cast yourself in spirit at the foot of His Cross,
adore His goodness,
treat with Him of your salvation,
give Him your whole soul –
a thousand times in the day.”

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

“Mortification and suffering
are necessary for two reasons.
They are particularly necessary
because, we are all sinners
and must expiate our sins.
Secondly, they are necessary
because, without penance
and suffering, we become attached
to the world and forget all about Heaven,
which is our real home.
In His love for us, therefore,
God commands us to do penance.
What are we doing in the way of penance?
Let us remember the command of Jesus
and His precursor, St John the Baptist:
“Unless you repent, you will all perish!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE

Our Morning Offering – 10 March – My God, Do Not Abandon Me

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 10 March – Thursday of the First Week of Lent

My God, Do Not Abandon Me
By St Arsenius the Great (c 354-c 449)

My God,
do not abandon me,,
although I have done nothing good
in Your sight
but because You are compassionate,
grant me the power
to make a start.
Amen

About St Arseniuse:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/07/19/saint-of-the-day-19-july-saint-arsenius-the-great-(c-354-c-449)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 March – “The sign of Jonah” – Matthew 12:39

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 9 March –Wednesday of the First Week of Lent, Ember Wednesday – 3 Kings 19:3-8, Matthew 12:38-50 and the Memorial of St Dominic Savio (1842-1857)

“The sign of Jonah” – Matthew 12:39

REFLECTION – “God showed patience in the face of man’s weakness because He saw beforehand, the victory He would eventually give him, through His Word. For, when “power was made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9), the Word caused God’s goodness and tremendous power, to be made manifest.
Indeed, it was the same with man, as it was with the prophet Jonah. God permitted Jonah to be swallowed by a sea-monster, not to make him altogether vanish away and die but, so that when he had been vomited out by the monster, he would become more subject to God and would give all the more glory to Him who had given him this unexpected deliverance.
It was, too, to lead the Ninevites to firm repentance and to convert them to Him, Who would deliver them from death, amazed as they were by the sign accomplished in Jonah …
In the same way, God permitted man to be swallowed by that great monster, the author of disobedience, not so that he should altogether vanish away and die but because God, had prepared beforehand, the salvation fulfilled by His Word by means of the “sign of Jonah.”
This salvation has been prepared, for those who have the same feelings for God as Jonah did and, who confess Him in the same words: “I am the servant of the Lord and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (Jon 1:9).
God desired that man, by receiving an unanticipated salvation from Him, would rise from the dead and worship God, saying with Jonah: “Out of my distress I called to the Lord; from the midst of the nether world he heard my voice” (Jon 2:2). God desired, too, that man would always remain faithful in giving Him worship and unceasing thanks for the salvation he has received from Him.” – St Irenaeus (130-208) Bishop of Lyons, Martyr, Theologian – Against the heresies III, 20, 1

PRAYER – Infinite Lord, help me to serve You always in accord with Your holy will. Show us how to make You our Lord and our All. St Dominic Savio, you the little giant showed us all the way of holiness within the confines of our lives, always joyfully doing the will of God. Please pray for us all. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
Amen.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2022, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The WORD

First Thursday of Lent – 3 March – ‘Put your house in order … ’ Isaiah 38:1

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First Thursday of Lent – 3 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Isaiah 38:1-6, Matthew 8:5-13

To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul:
in You, O my God, I trust …

Psalm 24:1

“In those days, when Hezekiah was mortally ill,
the prophet Isaiah … came and said to him;
Thus says the Lord:
‘Put your house in order,
for you are about to die;
you shall not recover.’

Isaiah 38:1

BEHOLD, NOW IS THE APPOINTED TIME, in which you must confess your sins to God and to the priest and by prayer and by fasting, by tears and by almsgiving, wipe them away.
Why should a sinner be ashamed to make known his sins, since they are already known and manifest to God and to His angels and even to the blessed in heaven?

CONFESSION delivers the soul from death.
Confession opens the door to heaven.
Confession brings us hope of salvation.
Because of this, the Scripture says: First tell thy iniquities that you may be justified (Is. xliii.
Here we are shown, that the man will not be saved, who, during his life, does not confess his sin.
Neither will that confession deliver you, which is made without true repentance.
For true repentance is grief of heart and sorrow of soul because of the evils a man has committed.
True repentance causes us to grieve over our offences and to grieve over them with the firm intention of never committing them again.

And although, everyday, a man lives may rightly be a day of repentance, yet it is in these days more becoming, more appropriate, to confess our sins, to fast and to give elms to the poor; since in these days you may wash clean the sins of the whole year.
Therefore, I counsel all of you and I exhort each one of you singly, to repair, whatever you know within your soul, is blameworthy.
Whosoever among you discerns, within himself, what is unworthy in a Christian, let him correct it. … St Athanasius (297-373) Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Church (The Season of Lent).

Posted in LENT 2022, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ANGELS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Second Thoughts for our immanent entry into Lent – Planting a Lenten Garden

Posted on by AnaStpaul

A few last-minute sowing plans
for the garden of our souls.
Planting virtue and good habits
and ascending that steep hill,
day-by-day, with love, faithfulness
and perseverance.
Accompanying our Saviour on His
Journey of our Redemption:

Five Rows of Squash:

  1. Squash gossip
  2. Squash indifference
  3. Squash unkindness
  4. Squash temper
  5. Squash the idols of greed and lust

Six Rows of Peas:

  1. Prayer
  2. Penance
  3. Perseverance
  4. Purity
  5. Patience
  6. Politeness

Seven Heads of Lettuce:

  1. Let us be unselfish
  2. Let us be charitable
  3. Let us be obedient
  4. Let us be truthful
  5. Let us be gentle and kind
  6. Let us be repentant
  7. Let us be renewed

No garden is complete without Turnips:

  1. Turn up for Daily Mass
  2. Turn up fo Eucharistic Adoration
  3. Turn up for Daily Morning and Night Prayer
  4. Turn up for Spiritual reading on Breathing Catholic 🤗🙏💘

Conclude with Thyme:

Thyme with God, thyme for fasting, thyme for generosity and care of the poor, the sick, the suffering.

Water daily with patience
Feed with love
The Beloved Saviour will provide the growth.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, OUR Cross, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 27 February – Let us begin anew

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Quote/s of the Day – 27 February – Quinquagesima Sunday – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 18:31-43

“Open wide your door
to the One who comes.
Open your soul,
throw open the depths of your heart
to see the riches of simplicity,
the treasures of peace,
the sweetness of grace.
Open your heart and run to meet
the Sun of eternal Light
that illuminates all men.”

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

“He who calls us, came here below,
to give us the means of getting there.
He chose the wood
that would enable us to cross the sea –
indeed, no-one can cross the ocean of this world,
who is not borne by the Cross of Christ.
Even the blind can cling to this Cross.
If you can’t see where you are going very well,
don’t let go of it, it will guide you by itself. ”

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

“O heavenly Father, have compassion for my cry
as You did for the prodigal son,
for I, too, am throwing myself at Your feet
and crying aloud as he cried:
“Father, I have sinned!”
Do not reject me Your unworthy child,
O my Saviour but cause Your angels
to rejoice also on my behalf,
O God of goodness You,
Who desire that all should be saved.”

St Romanos Melodios (c 490-c 556)
Monk, Composer of hymns, Poet

“Each day then, we ought to renew our resolutions
and arouse ourselves to fervour,
as though it were the first day
of our turning back to God.
We ought to say: “Help me, O Lord God,
in my good resolution
and in Your holy service.
Grant me now, this very day,
to begin perfectly,
for thus far I have done nothing.”
… Just men depend on the grace of God
rather than on their own wisdom
in keeping their resolutions.
In Him they confide every undertaking …”

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 10 February – “Our lamps are going out.” – Matthew 25:8

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 February – The Memorial of St Scholastica (c482-547) Virgin – 2 Cor 10:17-18; 11:1-2, Matthew 25:1-13

“Our lamps are going out.”

Matthew 25:8

“I have not become as wise
as those five wise Virgins.
… But I have become the most wretched of the foolish ones
by failing to keep some oil for my lamp,
namely, mercy together with virginity
or, still more, the anointing from Baptism’s Sacred fount…

Therefore, the doors of the wedding hall
are closed to me too, in my negligence.
But, O my Bridegroom,
while I am still in my body here below,
listen to my soul, Your Bride…
From now on, I will cry aloud piteously,
“Oh, open to me Your Heavenly Door,
bring me into Your Wedding Chamber on high,
make me worthy of Your Holy Kiss,
Your pure and spotless Embrace.
Oh let me not hear the Voice saying
it does not know me!
I am blind; set alight with Your own Light
my spirit’s extinguished flame!”

St Nerses Chnorhali (1102-1173)
Armenian Bishop

“If we wish to make any progress
in the service of God,
we must begin everyday of our life,
with new eagerness.
We must keep ourselves,
in the presence of God,
as much as possible
and have no other view or end,
in all our actions
but the divine honour.”

St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

“Come, O come, for without Thee,
there will be no happy day,
or hour because Thou art my happiness
and without Thee, my table is empty.
I am wretched, as it were, imprisoned
and weighted down with fetters,
until Thou fills me
with the Light of Thy Presence,
restore me to liberty
and show me a friendly Countenance.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

(Book 3 Ch 21:1,4-6)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 February – ‘ … It depends on your own wills …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 February – The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany – Readings: Colossians 3:12-17, Matthew 13:24-30

“A sower went out to sow”

Matthew 13:30

“Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?
How then has it weeds?”

Matthew 13:27

“It is better to be cured
within the Church’s community
than to be cut off from its Body
as incurable members.
As long as a member still forms
part of the Body,
there is no reason to despair of its cure;
once it has been cut off,
it can be neither cured nor healed.”

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

“Brethren, the just man shall scarcely be saved.
What, then, will become of the sinner?”

St Arsenius s the Great (c 354-c 449)

“… [The Kingdom of God] … is within you.
That is, it depends on your own wills
and is in your own power,
whether or not you receive it.
Everyone, that has attained
to justification, by means of faith in Christ
and decorated by every virtue,
is counted worthy,
of the Kingdom of Heaven.”

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

“And like the little grain of mustard seed …
we should set it in the garden of our soul,
all weeds being pulled out
for the better feeding of our faith.
Then shall it grow and …
through the true belief of God’s word …
we shall be well able to command
a great mountain of tribulation
to void from the place
where it stood in our hearts,
whereas with a very feeble faith
and faint, we shall scarcely
be able to remove a little hillock.”

St Thomas More (1478-1535)

“My child, it is indeed
the Voice of God you have heard.
He has given you a great grace
in thus calling you into His one true Church.
While you live,
never cease to thank Him
and bless Him for it.”

St John Francis Régis (1597-1640)

Posted in CONFESSION, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 February – “Until the harvest” – – Matthew 13:30

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One Minute Reflection – 6 February – The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany – Readings: Colossians 3:12-17, Matthew 13:24-30

“Suffer both to grow until the harvest” – Matthew 13:30

REFLECTION – “Nor must one imagine that the Body of the Church, just because it bears the name of Christ, is made up during the days of its earthly pilgrimage, only of members conspicuous for their holiness, or, that it consists only of those whom God has predestined to eternal happiness. It is owing to the Saviour’s infinite mercy, that place is allowed in His Mystical Body here below, for those whom, of old, He did not exclude from the banquet (cf. Mt 9:11). For not every sin, however grave it may be, is such as of its own nature to sever a man from the Body of the Church, as does schism or heresy or apostasy. Men may lose charity and divine grace through sin, thus becoming incapable of supernatural merit and yet, not be deprived of all life, if they hold fast to faith and Christian hope and if, illumined from above, they are spurred on, by the interior promptings of the Holy Spirit to salutary fear and are moved to prayer and penance for their sins.

Let everyone then abhor sin, which defiles the mystical members of our Redeemer but,, if anyone unhappily falls and his obstinacy has not made him unworthy of communion with the faithful, let him be received with great love and let eager charity see in him a weak member of Jesus Christ. For, as the Bishop of Hippo remarks –
“it is better to be cured within the Church’s community than to be cut off from its Body as incurable members. As long as a member still forms part of the Body, there is no reason to despair of its cure; once it has been cut off, it can be neither cured nor healed.’”- Venerable Pius XII (1876-1958) – Pope from 1939 to 1958 – Encyclical – Mystici Corporis Christi, 1943.

PRAYER – All-powerful and ever-living God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, chase away the night of sin and fill our minds with the glory of Your coming. Take away our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh, help us in our battle with sin and the devil. By our prayers, Your holy sacraments and the strength of the Holy Spirit, may we be ever vigilant of the evil one. Hear the prayers of our Queen and Mother, the Blessed Virgin of Mercy on our behalf dear Lord. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on WATCHING, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 January – “Our lamps are going out.” – Matthew 25:8

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 21 January – The Memorial of St Agnes (c 291- c 304) Virgin and Martyr – Ecclus 51:1-8, 12; Matthew 25:1-13

“Our lamps are going out.”

Matthew 25:8

“I have not become as wise
as those five wise Virgins.
… But I have become the most wretched of the foolish ones
by failing to keep some oil for my lamp,
namely, mercy together with virginity
or, still more, the anointing from Baptism’s Sacred fount…

Therefore, the doors of the wedding hall
are closed to me too, in my negligence.
But, O my Bridegroom,
while I am still in my body here below,
listen to my soul, Your Bride…
From now on, I will cry aloud piteously,
“Oh, open to me Your Heavenly Door,
bring me into Your Wedding Chamber on high,
make me worthy of Your Holy Kiss,
Your pure and spotless Embrace.
Oh let me not hear the Voice saying
it does not know me!
I am blind; set alight with Your own Light
my spirit’s extinguished flame!”

St Nerses Chnorhali (1102-1173)
Armenian Bishop

(Jesus, the Father’s beloved Son 688-693, SC 203)

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

St Thomas More (1478-1535)
Martyr

My Lord Jesus Christ,
You have made this journey
to die for me, with love unutterable
and I have so many times unworthily abandoned You
but now I love You with my whole heart
and because I love You,
I repent sincerely for having ever offended You.
Pardon me, my God
and permit me to accompany You on this journey.
You go to die for love of me,
I wish also, my beloved Redeemer,
to die for love of Thee.
My Jesus, I will live
and die always united to You.”
Amen

St Alphonsus Mary Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for the NEW YEAR, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on TIME

Thought for the Day – 28 December – The Value of An Hour

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Thought for the Day – 28 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Value of An Hour

“There are twenty four hours in a day, eight thousand seven hundred and sixty, in a year.
How have you spent all the hours which God has given you in the past?
How do you intend to use the hours which He will give you in the future?

When you examine the past, you will find much to regret.
Perhaps you have spent many hours in sin, in idle gossp, in useless or dangerous pastimes, or in innumerable business transactions, all of which will contribute NOTHING towards your eternal salvation, which should be our main concern in this life.

How much time have you spent thinking of God, your Creator and Redeemer?
How many hours have you devoted to prayer, thanksgiving and penance.
How many have you spent in apostolic work on behalf of your neighbour?
It may be that the service of God and your spiritual welfare have, so far, been the least of your worries, on which you have expended no more than the few odd moments left over from your other preoccupations.
You are well aware, nevertheless, that the purpose of life is to know, love and serve God.
You know that you ought to offer Him all your thoughts, affections and actions, for He alone can make your happy – or do you NOT know and believe this?”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SUFFERING, St PAUL!

Thought for the Day – 26 December – St Stephen, the First Martyr

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Thought for the Day – 26 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

St Stephen, the First Martyr

“Saul was a member of the band which led Stephen to his death.
He did not actually take part in the stoning of the saintly Deacod but, he co-operated with the executioners.
It is possible that, as he lay dying, Stephen looked up at Saul and uttered his last prayer for this sincere and honest young Jew, who had been led astray by the prejudice and passion of the mob.
In God’s plan, the Martyrdom of Stephen was, in some way connected with the conversion of St Paul, who was soon afterward dramatically won over by the grace of God on the road to Damascus.

Let us endeavour too, to suffer, pray and work for the conversion of our fellowmen, so many of whom, are wandering in the darkness of error or struggling in the clutches of vice.
Let us try, by our sufferings, prayers and good example, to draw down God’s grace on our unhappy brothers.
If we succeed, we shall share in the merits of their good actions and we shall have ensured our own everlasting salvation.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/26/thought-for-the-day-26-december-st-stephen-the-first-martyr/

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT REFLECTIONS, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVENAS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, The DIVINE INFANT, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 23 December – What Jesus Wants From Us

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Thought for the Day – 23 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

A Christmas Novena VIII
What Jesus Wants From Us

“Let us contemplate Jesus lying on a rough pallet of straw in the manger.
When we see Him looking at us, let us ask ourselves what it is that He requires of us.
In fact, He wants many things from us.
First of all, He wants us to weep for our sins and to promise, never to fall again, as long as we have the assistance of His grace, for which we should pray continually.
For this, He has become man and has entered into the world.
For this He will work miracles, preach His doctrine and shed His Precious Blood on the Cross.
All this He will do to redeem us from sin and to win Heaven for us.

If we return to the path of sin, we destroy the divine work of redemption, inasfar as it applies to ourselves.
We make Christ’s passion, death and resurrection useless in our case.
We brush aside the chain of favours with which His love has girdled us – the Gospel, the Sacraments and the Church, our good mother who is always at our side to instruct and direct us, to rescue us from peril and, to distribute to us, the gifts of her divine Founder.
When we sin, we commit an act of base ingratitude to Jesus and accomplish our own eternal ruin.

The Infant Jesus longs for us to give our hearts to Him.
Since He has given us His own, why should we be unwilling to give ours to Him?
Who or what can we love, if we do not love Jesus?
Nothing else is capable of giving us peace of soul and resignation in suffering.
Jesus alone can bestow these gifts on us, as long as we love and follow Him and abandon ourselves completely to His Holy Will.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT QUOTES, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

Quote/s of the Day – 11 December – Sweeping and cleaning our hearts

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 December – Saturday of the Second week of Advent

“Let us become like Christ,
since Christ became like us.
He assumed the worse,
that He might give us the better;
He became poor,
that we through His poverty,
might be rich.”

St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Those who refuse to be humble cannot be saved.
They cannot say with the prophet:
See, God comes to my aid;
the Lord is the helper of my soul.
But anyone who makes himself humble,
like a little child,
is greater in the kingdom of heaven.”

St Bede the Venerable (673-735)

“Let all your desires then be,
directed toward Him,
the Infinite One,
the Giver of all Good.”

Bl Jacopone da Todi (1230-1306)

“Who could ever soften this heart of mine
but YOU alone O Lord!”

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)

“Unreasoning and stupid
that you look for God where He is not!
Listen and be filled with awe –
God is in our hearts, I know it.
God lives in the human heart
when this heart lives withdrawn
from all that is not Him,
when this heart heeds God’s knock
at it’s door (Rv 3,20) and,
sweeping and cleaning all its rooms,
makes itself ready to welcome Him
who alone truly satisfies.”

St Raphael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938)

Spanish Trappist monk (Spiritual writings)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SACRAMENTS, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Thought for the Day – 10 December – Those Who Will to be Damned

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Thought for the Day – 10 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Those Who Will to be Damned

“Only those who will it themselves, are damned.
God wishes all men to be saved.
It was for this, that He came into the world and shed His Precious Blood.
Moreover, He has given us the means necessary for salvation.
“God our Saviour, wishes all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4).

What can be wanting to us, therefore, in order to obtain salvation?
Divine grace is certainly not lacking, for God gives it to us without reserve.
“I come that they may have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10).
Nor are we lacking in strength, for, as St Paul says, “I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).
We have the Sacraments, good inspirations and the example of the Saints.
All that we can be deficient in, then, is our own goodwill and co-operation with the grace of God.
We must be prepared to play our part in our own salvation.

Our first thought and purpose, therefore, must be our own salvation.
The treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great price (Cf Mt 13:44-46) are symbols of the Kingdom of God and of everlasting happiness.
We should be prepared to sacrifice everything else, in order to find this treasure an to acquire this pearl!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Part One here:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/27/thought-for-the-day-27-august-those-who-will-to-be-damned/

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 December – “Thy sins are forgiven thee …Arise and walk.” – Luke 5:23

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 December – Monday of the Second Week of Advent, Readings: Isaiah 35:1-10, Psalms 85:9 and 10, 11-12, 13-14, Luke 5:17-26

“Thy sins are forgiven thee …
Arise and walk.”

Luke 5:23

“Rise, you who were lying fast asleep…
Rise and hurry to the Church:
here is the Father,
here is the Son,
here is the Holy Spirit.”

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

“Then the righteous shall shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.”

Matthew 13:43

“So from now on, run well (cf. Gal 5:7)
and may the devil not bewitch you (cf. Gal 3:1)
nor hinder you! …
May mercy, peace, charity,
freedom from envy,
from jealousy and ostentation
come upon you, docility, friendly speech,
solidarity, compassion
towards each other, humility.”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)

“What are you afraid of, you men of little faith?
That He will not pardon your sins?
But with His own hands He has nailed them to the cross.
That you are used to soft living
and your tastes are fastidious?
But He knows the clay of which we are made (Gn 2:7).
That a prolonged habit of sinning binds you like a chain?
But the Lord loosens the shackles of prisoners.
Or perhaps that angered by the enormity
and frequency of your sins,
He is slow to extend a helping hand?
But where sin abounded,
grace became superabundant (Rom 5,20).
Are you worried about clothing
and food and other bodily necessities
so that you hesitate to give up your possessions?
But He knows that you need all these things (Mt 6,32).
What more can you wish?
What else is there to hold you back
from the way of salvation? ”

St Bernard (1091-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

My Lord Jesus Christ,
You have made this journey
to die for me, with love unutterable
and I have so many times unworthily abandoned You
but now I love You with my whole heart
and because I love You,
I repent sincerely for having ever offended You.
Pardon me, my God
and permit me to accompany You on this journey.
You go to die for love of me,
I wish also, my beloved Redeemer,
to die for love of Thee.
My Jesus, I will live
and die always united to You.”
Amen

By St Alphonsus Mary Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The HEART, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 5 December – Prepare the way of the Lord … Luke 3:4

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 December – The Second Sunday of Advent – Readings: Baruch 5: 1-9; Psalm 126: 1-6; Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11; Luke 3: 1-6

“Prepare the way of the Lord
make his paths straight” …

Luke 3:4

“There is still time for endurance,
time for patience,
time for healing,
time for change.
Have you slipped?
Rise up!
Have you sinned?
Cease!
Do not stand among sinners
but leap aside!”

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

“Open wide your door
to the One who comes.
Open your soul,
throw open the depths of your heart
to see the riches of simplicity,
the treasures of peace,
the sweetness of grace.
Open your heart and run to meet
the Sun of eternal Light
that illuminates all men.”

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

“If we wish to make any progress
in the service of God,
we must begin everyday of our life,
with new eagerness.
We must keep ourselves,
in the presence of God,
as much as possible
and have no other view or end,
in all our actions
but the divine honour.”

St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

“Come, O come, for without You
there will be no happy day
or hour because You are my happiness
and without You my table is empty.
I am wretched, as it were imprisoned
and weighted down with fetters,
until You fill me with the Light of Your Presence,
restore me to liberty
and show me a friendly countenance.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
(Book 3 Ch 21:1,4-6)

Posted in BAPTISM, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on TIME, The LAST THINGS, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 November – ‘Life is passing. … ‘

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 November – Readings: Wisdom 13: 1-9; Psalm 19: 2-5; Luke 17: 26-37

“On that day, …
a person in the field,
must not return
to what was left behind.”

Luke 17:31

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

Matthew 13:41-43

“Then the righteous shall shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.”

Matthew 13:43

“So from now on, run well (cf. Gal 5:7)
and may the devil not bewitch you (cf. Gal 3:1)
nor hinder you! …
May mercy, peace, charity,
freedom from envy,
from jealousy and ostentation
come upon you, docility, friendly speech,
solidarity, compassion
towards each other, humility.”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)

“Ah Jesus, Sun of Justice,
make me clothe myself with You,
so that I may be able to live
according to Your will.
Make me, under Your guidance,
preserve my robe of baptismal innocence,
white, holy and spotless
and present it undefiled,
before Your tribunal,
so that I may wear it,
for eternal life.”

St Gertrude the Great of Helfta (1256-1301)

“Let everyone who has
the grace of intelligence,
fear that because of it,
he will be judged more heavily,
if he is negligent.”

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)

“Life is passing.
The days chase one another; time is flying.
Do not say, therefore, that you will change tomorrow, that tomorrow you will
turn away from the path of sin
and begin to lead a holy life.
For not alone does time pass
but, it often betrays us!
Our Lord tells us that
the judgement will come at a time
when we least expect it.
The time that is gone will never return;
the future is uncertain;
there remains, only the present.
But the present is equally uncertain;
it is something that passes and,
every moment could be the last of our lives.
How many whom we have known,
were taken away suddenly
in the flower of their youth …
Is that not a warning to us?”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on SIN, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thought for the Day – 29 October – “Mary, Our Hope”

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Thought for the Day – 29 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Mary, Our Hope”

“These expressions of confidence in Mary’s powerful intercession, should not lead us astray, however.
They hold good with absolute certainty, only for those who have true devotion to Mary.
Even if they are sinners, such clients of Mary, must have at least the good intention of changing their lives and never offending God again.
Sin and sincere devotion to Our Lady, cannot co-exist!
“Relinquish every intention of sinning.” St Gregory VII wrote to the Princess Matilde, “and you will find Mary more eager to help you than any earthly mother” (Lib 1, Ep 47).

We should ask, furthermore, for spiritual favours first of all.
Later we can ask for temporal favours, if they are to our spiritual advantage.

Finally, if we are to have a true devotion to Mary, we must love and imitate her. as well as pray to her.
Anyone who sincerely tries to do all this, is certain of salvation!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/29/thought-for-the-day-25-october-mary-our-hope-our-life-our-sweetness-and-our-hope/

Posted in CARMELITES, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The HOLY NAME, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 22 October – On Pilgrimage

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 October – On Pilgrimage

“Let Your Name, not mine, be praised.
Let Your Work, not mine, be magnified.
Let Your Holy Name be blessed
but let no human praise be given to me.
You are my glory.
You are the joy of my heart.
In You I will glory and rejoice
all the day and for myself
I will glory in nothing but my infirmities. … ”

Thomas `a Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

The Imitation of Christ – Book 3 Chapter 40

“And like the little grain of mustard seed …
we should set it in the garden of our soul,
all weeds being pulled out
for the better feeding of our faith.
Then shall it grow and …
through the true belief of God’s word …
we shall be well able to command
a great mountain of tribulation
to void from the place
where it stood in our hearts,
whereas with a very feeble faith
and faint, we shall scarcely
be able to remove a little hillock.”

St Thomas More (1478-1535)

“Never listen to those,
who are speaking evil of another
and never say anything evil of anyone,
excepting of yourself
and when you take pleasure in doing this,
you will be advancing rapidly.”

St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of the Church

“All our goodness is a loan;
God is the owner;
God works
and His work is God.”

St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – – 8 October – ‘If it neglects the grace …’

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One Minute Reflection – – 8 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Joel 1: 13-15; 2: 1-2; Psalm 9: 2-3, 6 & 8-9; Luke 11: 15-26

“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came…” – Luke 11:24

REFLECTION – “The unclean spirit dwelt in us before we believed, before we came to Christ when our soul was still committing fornication against God and was with its lovers, the demons. Afterward it said, “I will return to my first husband,” and came to Christ, who “created” it from the beginning “in his image.” Necessarily the adulterous spirit gave up his place when it saw the legitimate husband.

Christ received us and our house has been “cleansed” from its former sins. It has been “furnished” with the furnishing of the Sacraments of the faithful, that they who have been initiated know. This house does not deserve to have Christ as its resident immediately, unless its life and conduct are so holy, pure and incapable of being defiled, that it deserves to be the “temple of God.” It should not still be a house but a temple in which God dwells. If it neglects the grace that was received and entangles itself in secular affairs, immediately, that unclean spirit returns and claims the vacant house for itself. “It brings with it seven other spirits more wicked,” so that it may not be able again to be expelled “and the last state of that kind of person is worse than the first.” It would be more tolerable that the soul would not have returned to its first husband once it became a prostitute, than having gone back after confession to her husband, to have become an adulteress again. There is no “fellowship,” as the Apostle says, “between the temple of God and idols,” no “agreement between Christ and Belial.” – Origen of Alexandria (c 185-253) Priest, Theologian, Exegist, Writer, Apologist, Father (Homilies on Exodus, 8)

PRAYER – Lord God and Father, who entrusted the earth to men and each to the other, grant us the grace this day, to see Your Face. Grant us the grace to work faithfully for Your glory, for the salvation of our souls through the light of faith and by the grace which You have given us. We beg the grace of Your love and mercy and the light of love You send with Your Holy Spirit. May the prayers of Mary our Holy Mother, keep us ever in her guiding care. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DESPAIR, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, The HEART, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 29 September – The Death of the Sinner

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Thought for the Day – 29 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Death of the Sinner

“The Sinner must also die.
For him death is really terrible.
Imagine him lying on his deathbed, instinctively aware, that his life is over.
The past will rise up to reproach him, a past full of sin and of ingratitude towards his Creator and Redeemer.
The plans which he has centred around profit, ambition and honour, will have vanished like smoke.
His friends, will have either deserted him, or will be at hand, to utter useless words, which will have no power to comfort him.
Now he must stand alone, alone before God!

What will happen, at that moment?
Perhaps, despair will overcome his soul, as it overcame the soul of Judas?
Perhaps, the innumerable graces which he has despised, will tip the balance of Divine Justice towards the abyss of damnation?
Or, will a final ray of mercy pierce his tired mind, burning with remorse, so that, with it’s last throb, his poor heart will torn towards God and implore His pardon?
Who can say?
It is certain, however, that of the two thieves dying beside the Cross of our Redeemer, only one heard Him say:
“This day, you will be with me in Paradise!”
The other, remained obdurate in his sin.
It is the height of stupidity, to wait to be converted, at the hour of death!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONVERSION

Thought for the Day – 14 August – The New Life

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Thought for the Day – 14 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The New Life

“Anyone who takes life seriously in the Christian sense, will regard it as a difficult journey towards perfection and towards God.
This journey will be, at the same time, painful and joyful.
On the way, there will be trouble, which will sadden us and vices, which will impede our progress.
Our falls and defeats will cause us to be disheartened.
But, there will also be the grace of God to enlighten and encourage us.
It is our own loss if we sit down lazily on the side of the road, which should lead us to Heaven.
It is even more disastrous if we acknowledge defeat and lay down the spiritual weapons of prayer and renunciation, in order to surrender ourselves to sin or to indifference.
Everyday we should say to ourselves in the presence of God – A new life is beginning … in You, by Your grac and for You! Amen”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/07/03/thought-for-the-day-4-july-the-new-life-2/

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 12 August – The Blessedness of the Merciful

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Thought for the Day – 12 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of the Merciful

“Let us meditate now on the mercy of God, which is infinite, even as His justice is infinite.
“His mercy,” says St Thomas Aquinas, “does not subtract from His justice but, is the fullness and the perfection of that justice” (Summa Theologica 1,q 21, a 3 ad 2).
All the merits which we can acquire in the sight of God derive from His gratuitous gift of grace.
God’s mercy and justice, therefore, are fused together in a wonderful harmony which claims our gratitude and fidelity.

References to the mercy of God are numerous in Sacred Scripture.
“You, Lord, are good and forgiving,” says the Psalmist, “abounding in kindness to all who call upon you” (Ps 85:5).
“Blessed be the Lord,” we read elsewhere, “my rock, … my refuge and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer …” (Ps 143:2).
“Goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come” (Ps 22:6).

When we leave the Old Testament and open the Gospel, we discover tht it is a record of the goodness and mercy of God.
We have only to recall Christ’s forgiveness of the Magdalene when she wept at His feet for her faults; the merciful judgement which He passed on the poor adulteress; His loving glance in the direction of St Peter, who had denied Him; the grace so miraculously granted to St Paul on the road to Damascus and, the parables of the good Samaritan, the prodigal son and the good shepherd who went in search of the lost sheep.
Finally, there are the consoling words to the repentant thief: “This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.”
When we read this chronicle of infinite goodness and mercy, we should experience a boundless hope and confidence.
Even our great sins and gross ingratitude, should not stop us from repenting with true and heartfelt sorrow and with deeds of penance and reparation.
God is ready then to forgive us and to receive us with open arms.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY

Thought for the Day – 30 July – Daily Progress

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Thought for the Day – 30 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Daily Progress

“There are two ways in which we should make constant daily progress.
The first is in the removal of our defects and imperfections.
As the Imitation of Christ insists, we should soon become holy if we were to conquer, at least one sin, every year.
It is opportune, at this stage, to ask ourselves how many years we have already spent on earth.
During these years, how many personal defects can we claim to have remedied?
Perhaps there was a time when we were better than we are now?
If we have wasted time and have abused our Creator’s gifts and favours, we should humble ourselves and do penance before God.

Finally, we should resolve to do our best to remedy, at least, one Defect everyday.
We should select first of all, whatever imperfection we know to be the most dangerous.
This will be difficult and even heroic work but, it is very necessary.
We must work on our own character as a sculptor works on a block of marble, hammering, cutting and chiselling patiently and perseveringly.
With the help of God, we shall be successful.
Even as the Saints succeeded, so we shall succeed if we depend on God’s grace and make the necessary sacrifices.”

Antonio Cardinal BaccI

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/05/thought-for-the-day-5-december-daily-progress/

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 July – ‘ … So from now on, run well …’

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One Minute Reflection – 27 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Exodus 33: 7-11; 34: 5b-9, 28; Psalms 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13; Matthew 13: 36-43

“Then the righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” – Matthew 13:43

REFLECTION – “In your imagination see our Lord Jesus Christ seated on a throne of glory; beside Him stand the seraphim, cherubim and each angelic order, serving Him with fear and trembling. Then those who will have finished the combat, without allowing themselves to be drawn by any worldly pleasures or seduced by the attractions of this vain world, will hear the blessed voice of the Master. “Then, he says, “the righteous will shine like the sun” (Mt 13:43) when they have come from east and west, north and south to take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (cf. Mt 8:11) in an indescribable joy (cf. 1 Pt 1:8), when our King and Lord, will distribute gifts according to their merits. Ah! my brothers and children. ah! how great and beautiful is the glory which the thrice blessed will enjoy and the saints who practised asceticism! Yes, most certainly, each will receive the blessings promised, according to the degree to which they have pleased God. …
So from now on, run well (cf. Gal 5:7) and may the devil not bewitch you (cf. Gal 3:1) nor hinder you! … May mercy, peace, charity, freedom from envy, from jealousy and ostentation come upon you, docility, friendly speech, solidarity, compassion towards each other, humility. Live like this, act like this, praying, too, with all your heart for my humble self that I may not be thrown into the eternal fire. May we all escape it, having been judged worthy of the kingdom of heaven, in Christ Himself, our God, to whom belongs all glory, honour, adoration, magnificence, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, world without end. Amen.” … St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Monk and Theologian – Catechesis 42

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

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 July – “Until the harvest” – – Matthew 13:30

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One Minute Reflection – 24 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Exodus 24: 3-8; Psalms 50: 1b-2, 5-6, 14-15; Matthew 13: 24-30

“Suffer both to grow until the harvest” – – Matthew 13:30

REFLECTION – “Nor must one imagine that the Body of the Church, just because it bears the name of Christ, is made up during the days of its earthly pilgrimage, only of members conspicuous for their holiness, or, that it consists only of those whom God has predestined to eternal happiness. It is owing to the Saviour’s infinite mercy, that place is allowed in His Mystical Body here below, for those whom, of old, He did not exclude from the banquet (cf. Mt 9:11). For not every sin, however grave it may be, is such as of its own nature to sever a man from the Body of the Church, as does schism or heresy or apostasy. Men may lose charity and divine grace through sin, thus becoming incapable of supernatural merit and yet, not be deprived of all life, if they hold fast to faith and Christian hope and if, illumined from above, they are spurred on, by the interior promptings of the Holy Spirit to salutary fear and are moved to prayer and penance for their sins.

Let everyone then abhor sin, which defiles the mystical members of our Redeemer but,, if anyone unhappily falls and his obstinacy has not made him unworthy of communion with the faithful, let him be received with great love and let eager charity see in him a weak member of Jesus Christ. For, as the Bishop of Hippo remarks –
“it is better to be cured within the Church’s community than to be cut off from its Body as incurable members. As long as a member still forms part of the Body, there is no reason to despair of its cure; once it has been cut off, it can be neither cured nor healed.’”- Venerable Pius XII (1876-1958) – Pope from 1939 to 1958 – Encyclical – Mystici Corporis Christi, 1943

PRAYER – All-powerful and ever-living God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, chase away the night of sin and fill our minds with the glory of Your coming. Take away our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh, help us in our battle with sin and the devil. By our prayers, Your holy sacraments and the strength of the Holy Spirit, may we be ever vigilant of the evil one. Hear the prayers of our Queen and Mother, the Blessed Virgin of Mercy on our behalf dear Lord. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 19 July – Nineveh

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Exodus 14: 5-18; Exodus 15: 1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6; Matthew 12: 38-42 and the Memorial of St Arsenius s the Great (c 354-c 449)

“The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgement
with this generation and condemn it, for they repented …”

Matthew 12:41

“If you will, you can make me clean.”

Mark 1:40

“I have come, to warn the faithful,
to amend their lives
and ask pardon for their sins.
They must not continue to offend Our Lord,
Who is already too much offended.”

Our Lady of Fatima
1917

There is still time for endurance,
time for patience,
time for healing,
time for change.
Have you slipped?
Rise up!
Have you sinned?
Cease!
Do not stand among sinners
but leap aside!”

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

“Today, for those who will not repent
at the approach of the kingdom of heaven,
the reproof of the Lord Jesus is the same…
As for when the end of the world will be,
that is God’s concern…
Even so, the time is very near for each of us,
for we are mortal.”

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

“Brethren, the just man shall scarcely be saved.
What, then, will become of the sinner?”

St Arsenius s the Great (c 354-c 449)

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 July – “Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness.”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 July – “Month of the Precious Blood” – Readings: Exodus 2: 1-15a; Psalms 69: 3, 14, 30-31, 33-34; Matthew 11: 20-24

“Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, for their failure to repent.” – Matthew 11:20

REFLECTION – “Let us cry out with David; let us hear him weep and let us shed tears with him. Let us see how he rises up again and let us rejoice with him: “Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness.” (Ps 51:3)

Let us place before the eyes of our soul a man who is seriously injured, almost on the point of breathing his last breathe and who is lying naked in the dust. In his desire to see a doctor arrive, he is moaning and begging the person who understands his condition, to have pity. Now sin is a wound to the soul. You who are this wounded person, learn that your Doctor is within you and show Him the wounds of your sins. May He, to whom every secret thought is known, hear the moaning of your heart. May your tears move Him and, if you have to seek Him with some insistence, let deep sighs rise up to Him from the bottom of your heart. May your pain come to Him and may you also be told, like David: “The Lord… has forgiven your sin.” (2 Sam 12:13)…

“Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness.” The people who belittle their fault because they do not know this great tenderness, only draw a little tenderness to themselves. As for me, I fell far, I sinned with full knowledge. But You, Almighty Doctor, correct those who scorn You; You teach those who do not know their fault and You forgive those who admit it to You.” – St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father and Doctor of the Church – Presentation on the seven penitential Psalms

PRAYER – God our Father, we are Your children and You have set us aside to come home to You by the light of the way of Your divine Son. Fill us with knowledge of our need to turn to You in sorrow and repentance, that we may one day attain our final home with You. Grant we pray, that by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, we may too become lights announcing Your Glory and our great need for repentance. and penance. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DESPAIR, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The REDEMPTION

Thought for the Day – 5 July – Faith and Hope

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 5 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Faith and Hope

“Christian hope derives from faith.
When we believe in the infinitely good and merciful God, Who was made man for us and Who shed His Precious Blood, for our salvation, we experience a great hope and a great confidence.
No matter how numerous our sins and our defects, as long as we are sincerely repentant, we should continue to hope for the forgiveness of God.
Despair, which led Judas to commit suicide, should never be allowed to enter our minds.
Like the penitent Magdalen, like the prodigal son, like the lost sheep and, like the good thief, let us trust in Jesus with faith, hope and sorrow for our sins.
Let us remember, that He is infinitely good and merciful and ardently desires to pardon us.
Together with this hope of God’s forgiveness, we should nurture the hope of gaining Heaven, which the Lord, in His infinite goodness, has promised, not only to innocent souls but, also to repentant sinners.
In order that this hope may not be in vain, however, we should include, in our repentance for our sins, a firm purpose of amendment.

Let us remember, that the more we hope for, the more we shall obtain!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/07/04/thought-for-the-day-4-july-faith/