Category: QUOTES on DEATH

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on The SOUL

Thought for the Day – 26 March – The Human Soul

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

The Human Soul

“Remember that every mortal sin means death to the soul, for it robs it of the supernatural life of grace, making it incapable of every good action and deserving of hell.
If you committed one mortal sin, God could tire of you, as if you were an unproductive tree and put an end to your life, without giving you time to repent!
Then, you would be lost for all eternity.
This thought should never leave your mind, particularly in time of temptation.
At such a time, turn to God with confidence, tell Him that you love Him and do not wish to offend Him at any price.
Face death rather than sin.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/27/thought-for-the-day-27-march-the-human-soul/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/10/thought-for-the-day-27-march-the-human-soul-2/

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2022, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION, The WORD

Friday of the Third Week of Lent – 25 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – ‘ … By Obeying His Word …’

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Friday of the Third Week of Lent – 25 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – The Annunciation – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38

“Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” – Luke 1:28,42

“And Mary said,
‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be to me according to your word.’”

Luke 1:38

“SO THE LORD NOW manifestly came to His own. Born by His own created order that He Himself bears, He by His obedience on the tree, renewed and reversed what was done by disobedience, in connection with a tree.

THE POWER of that seduction, by which the virgin Eve, already betrothed to a man, had been wickedly seduced, was broken when the Angel in truth brought good tidings to the Virgin Mary, who already, by her betrothal belonged to a man. For as Eve was seduced by the word of an Angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His Word, so Mary by the word of an Angel, received the glad tidings that she would bear God, by obeying His Word.

THE FORMER WAS SEDUCED to disobey God and so fell but the latter, was persuaded to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of Eve.

AS THE HUMAN RACE was subjected to death through the act of a virgin, so was it saved by a virgin, was precisely balanced by the obedience of Another. Then indeed, the sin of the first formed man was amended by the chastisement of the First Begotten, the wisdom of the serpent was conquered by the simplicity of the dove and the chains were broken, by which we were in bondage to death.” – St Irenaeus (130-202) Bishop of Lyons, Martyr, Father of the Church (Against Heresies, 5)

Posted in QUOTES on DEATH, St JOSEPH

Second Thought for the Day – 19 March – Do Not Forget St Joseph!

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Second Thought for the Day – 19 March – St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

One of the long-standing Follower/Benefactor on Breathing Catholic, who lives in Canada, shared the following with me on St Joseph’s day last year – many of you will remember that, at that time, I had recently moved from the area in the story to where I live now – AND had never heard about Fr O’Hare there:

Do Not Forget St Joseph!

Father O’Hare, a Missionary in South Africa, relates the following story:

“During my residence of twelve years in Africa, I had charge of a territory as large as all England. From time to time I visited my scattered flock. On one of these tours I lost my way and wandered about, without having any idea whence I came or whither I was going.

No trace of a human being could be seen. It was in the dry season and my thirsty ponies could hardly draw my cart. Eventually I arrived in an unknown valley wherein was located the farm of a Boer Afrikaner. The land was scorched by the heat of the sun but I saw a pond near the house. I presented myself to the farmer, told him my story and requested permission to water my horses. This he permitted.

Then I told him that I was a Catholic Priest. I noticed that he was a Calvinist. ‘Oh,’ said he, ‘that is fortunate – for, in the rear of the house there lies a workman; he is a Catholic. Perhaps you can go to see him.’

I hurried there and found a poor boy with death written on his forehead. When I told him that I was the Catholic Priest from the District of Oudtshoorn, 150 miles away, the sunken and pale man raised himself in his bed and cried out with emotion in a tone of genuine thanks: ‘Oh, St Joseph! I knew you would send me a Priest before my death, who would assist me in my last hour’.

What is that about St. Joseph? I asked inquisitively.

Then the dying man told me the following story: “When I was yet a boy at home, my good and pious mother taught me to say every day, ‘Oh, St. Joseph obtain for me the grace of a happy death.‘ From that day on, I never omitted that prayer a single day. I made my first Holy Communion when ten years old, served Holy Mass until my fifteenth birthday and entered the army when I was twenty-one. The Zulu war brought me to Africa. Before leaving Ireland I went to take leave of my poor old mother in my uniform. When we parted she added: ‘Do not forget the little prayer to St Joseph.’

“The Zulu war ended and my service expired; I received my honourable discharge and stayed in the Colony. The nearest Priest to me lived in Capetown, 500 miles distant. After a time I came to this Dutch farmer and have been here for years . Not long ago, I heard that a Priest was at Oudtshoorn, 150 miles away and although sickly, I went there that I might again approach the Sacraments, go to Confession and receive Holy Communion.” When I arrived at the presbytery, I was told that you had already left on your tour. ‘Yesterday I arrived back here, sick unto death and now you see, today St Joseph sends me a priest!’

I remained overnight with him, prepared him, heard his Confession and the next morning gave him the Holy Viaticum and shortly afterwards anointed him and gave him the last blessing.

A little while later he died and the last prayer that fell from his lips was: ‘St Joseph, obtain for me the grace of a happy death! ”

Posted in BAPTISM, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GRACE, Quotes on SALVATION, SACRAMENTS

Thought for the Day – 11 March – The Growth of Jesus

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Thought for the Day – 11 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Growth of Jesus

“It is impossible to stand still in life.
This is true, whether we are speaking of the natural or of the supernatural order of life..
Life is motion and activity; there can be no cessation.
In the natural order, life begins in the womb and passes through the various stages of infancy, adolescence, maturity and old age.

The supernatural life begins in Baptism, matures in Confirmation and is made entirely holy in the Eucharistic union with Jesus
But, if this life begins to fail, the result can be everlasting ruin.
It is true that in His infrinite goodness, Jesus has provided the Sacrament of Penance for those who fall and extinguish in themselves, the supernatural life of grace.
The Sacrament of Penance, has been instituted for their salvation.

At the hour of death moreover, the Sacrament of Extreme Unction heals the soul of sin and soothes the worn-out body with a refreshing ray of the spiritual life.

But woe betide those who abuse God’s gifts!
If anyone repeatedly rejects His favours and appears, instead of advancing in goodness, to be sliding backwards into ruin, he will be engulfed in the languor of spiritual death!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/11/thought-for-the-day-11-march-the-growth-of-jesus/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HOPE

Our Morning Offering – 5 March – Shelter Me Under Thy Mantle, Refuge of Sinners

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Our Morning Offering – 5 March – The First Saturday of Lent

Shelter Me Under Thy Mantle,
Refuge of Sinners
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Most holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary,
to thee, who art the Mother of my Lord,
the Queen of the Universe, the Advocate,
the Hope, the Refuge of sinners,
I, who am the most miserable of all sinners,
have recourse this day.
I venerate thee, great Queen
and I thank thee for the many graces
thou hast bestowed upon me, even unto this day,
in particular, for having delivered me from the hell
which I have so often deserved by my sins.
I love thee, my dearest Lady
and because of that love,
I promise to serve thee willingly forever
and to do what I can to make thee loved by others.
I place in thee all my hopes for salvation,
accept me as thy servant
and shelter me under thy mantle,
thou, who art the Mother of Mercy.
And since thou are so powerful with God,
deliver me from all temptations,
or at least, obtain for me the strength
to overcome them until death.
From thee, I implore, a true love for Jesus Christ.
Through thee, I hope to die a holy death.
My dear Mother, by thy love for Almighty God,
I pray thee to assist me always
but most of all, at the last moment of my life.
Forsake me not then,
until thou shalt see me safely in Heaven,
there to bless thee and sing of thy mercies,
throughout all eternity.
Such is my hope.
Amen

Posted in LENT 2022, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The HOLY FACE, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 1 March – May we be Christ’s!

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 March – Feast of the Holy Face
and Shrove Tuesday

“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

“Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me
by sacrifice!”

Psalm: 50:5

“Each and everyone of us,
at the end of the journey of life,
will come, face to face
with either one,
or the other
of two faces…
And one of them,
either, the
merciful face of Christ
or the
miserable face of Satan,
will say,
“Mine, mine.”

May we be Christ’s!”

Ven Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Thought for the Day – 25 February – Fervour and Tepidity

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Thought for the Day – 25 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Fervour and Tepidity

“The ONLY choice in the life of a Catholic is between fervour and sin!
The tepid or negligent soul cannot remain long in the grace of God and, when God’s grace is removed, it means the death of the soul.

The spiritual life resembles a steep hill.
A man cannot stay still.
He must keep going upwards or begin to slip downwards.
Whoever struggles on, up the hill is approaching perfection and Heaven; whoever slips backwards, is approaching sin, a dead soul and Hell.

There us NO MIDDLE WAY!
Those who are lukewarm are an object of DISGUST to their Creator, Who casts them away from Himself – “Because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot,” the Holy Spirit says, “I am about to vomit thee out of my mouth” (Apoc 3:16).

So, it is not enough to be mediocre Catholic.
The half-hearted and indifferent are already travelling along the slippery path of sin and are on the waiting list for hell!
It is dangerous for anyone to remain thoughtlessly in this state of spiritude ineptitude.
A man who never thinks of his own salvation, is suffering from a serious illness.
He is running a very great risk of eternal damnation.
He has one foot in Hell here on this earth!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 10 February – The One Thing Necessary By St Alphonsus

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Our Morning Offering – 10 February

The One Thing Necessary
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

O my God,
help me to remember,
that time is short, eternity long.
What good is all the greatness of this world
at the hour of death?
To love You, my God
and save my soul is the one thing necessary.
Without You, there is no peace of mind or soul.
My God, I need fear only sin
and nothing else in this life,
for to lose You, my God, is to lose all.
O my God, help me to remember,
that I came into this world with nothing
and shall take nothing from it, when I die.
To gain You, I must leave all.
But in loving You,
I already have all good things,
the infinite riches of Christ and His Church in life,
Mary’s motherly protection and perpetual help
and the eternal dwelling place
Jesus has prepared for me.
Eternal Father, Jesus has promised
that whatever we ask
in His Name will be granted us.
In His Name, I pray,
give me a burning faith,
a joyful hope,
a holy love for You.
Grant me perseverance in doing Your will
and never let me be separated from You.
My God and my All,
make me a Saint!
Amen

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES on DEATH, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 31 January – St John Bosco

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Quote/s of the Day – 31 January – The Memorial of St John Bosco (1815-1888)

“Do not try to excuse your faults;
try to correct them.”

“Ask your Angel to console
and assist you
in your last moments.”

“Be ever more convinced
that your Guardian Angel
is really present,
that he is ever at your side.
St Frances of Rome
always saw him standing before her,
his arms clasped at his breast,
his eyes uplifted to Heaven
but, at the slightest failing,
he would cover his face,
as if in shame
and at times,
turn his back to her!”

“Entrust everything to Jesus
in the Blessed Sacrament
and to Mary, Help of Christians
and you will see
what miracles are!”

St John Bosco (1815-1888)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/31/quote-s-of-the-day-31-january-st-john-bosco/

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The HEART, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quotes of the Day – 28 January – Treasure

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Quotes of the Day – 28 January – Memorial of St Peter Nolasco (c 1182–c 1256) Confessor – 1 Cor. 4:9-14, Luke 12:32-34

“For where your treasure is,
there also will your heart be.”

Luke 12:34

“ For where thy treasure is,
there is thy heart also.”

Matthew 6:21

“We have had Your treasure
hidden within us,
ever since we received baptismal grace,
it grows ever richer
at Your sacramental table.”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“You have made us for Yourself
and our hearts are restless
until they rest in You.”

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

“ He who finds Jesus, finds a rare treasure,
indeed, a good above every good,
whereas he who loses Him,
loses more than the whole world.
The man who lives without Jesus,
is the poorest of the poor,
whereas no-one is so rich,
as the man who lives in His grace.
… Let all things be loved, for the sake of Jesus
but Jesus, for His own sake.”

“Love Him, then, keep Him as a friend.
He will not leave you as others do,
or let you suffer lasting death.
Sometime, whether you will or not,
you will have to part with everything.
Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death,
trust yourself to the glory of Him,
Who alone can help you
when all others fail.“

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Who lives in Love
By St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595)
Martyr

Who lives in Love, loves least to live
and long delays doth rue,
if Him he love by Whom he lives,
to Whom all praise is due,
Who for our love did choose to live
and was content to die,
Who loved our love more than His life
and love with Life did buy.
Let us in life, yea with our life
requite His Living Love,
for best we live when least we live,
if Love our life remove.
Mourn, therefore, no true lover’s death,
life only him annoy
and when he taketh leave of life
then Love begins his joys.

“You leave the land just as it is
when you depart,
you do not carry anything away.
Our first aim
is to go to God,
we are not on earth
for anything but this!”

St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)

“If Jesus is not there,
death comes into our souls.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The HEART, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The LAST THINGS, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 23 January – Stay With Me, O Lord

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Our Morning Offering – 23 January – The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Stay With Me, O Lord
By Padre Pio (1887-1968)

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my Life
and without You, I am without fervour.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my Light
and without You, I am in darkness.
Stay with me, Lord,
so that I hear Your Voice and follow You.
Stay with me, Lord,
for I desire to love You very much
and always be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord,
if You wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is,
I want it to be a place of consolation for You,
a nest of Love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late
and the day is coming to a close
and life passes, death, judgement
and eternity approach.
It is necessary to renew my strength,
so that I will not stop
along the way and for that, I need You.
It is getting late and death approaches,
I fear the darkness, the temptations,
the dryness, the cross, the sorrows.
O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!
Stay with me tonight, Jesus,
in life with all its dangers, I need You.
Let me recognise You as Your disciples did,
at the breaking of the bread,
so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light
which disperses the darkness,
the force which sustains me,
the unique joy of my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death,
I want to remain united to You,
if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for,
Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will,
Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You
and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.
With a firm love, I will love You
with all my heart while on earth
and continue to love You perfectly, during all eternity.
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

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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 CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, JESUIT SJ, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 January – Poor

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 January – Hebrews 11:33-39; Luke 6:17-23

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.”

Luke 6:20

“… Anyone of you
who does not renounce
all his possessions,
cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:33

“The Kingdom of Heaven, says the gospel,
is like a mustard seed …
Christ is the Kingdom of Heaven!
Sown like a mustard seed
in the garden of the Virgin’s womb,
He grew up into the Tree of the Cross,
whose branches,
stretch across the world …
Christ is the Kingdom
because all the glory of His Kingdom,
is within Him.
Christ is a Man
because all humanity is restored in Him.
Christ is a Mustard Seed
because the infinitude of divine greatness,
is accommodated to
the littleness of flesh and blood!”

St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450)
“Golden Words”
Father & Doctor of the Church

“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 (c 1181-1226)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:3

“This death … has already levelled
his bow to strike me.
Is it not prudent to prevent its stroke,
by dying now to the world,
that at my death,
I may live to God?”

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)

“Do not live any longer in yourself
but let Jesus Christ live in you in such a way
that the virtue of this Divine Saviour may be resplendent
in all your actions, in order that all may see in you
a true portrait of the Crucified and sense,
the sweetest fragrance of the holy virtues of the Lord,
in interior and exterior modesty,
in patience,
in gentleness,
suffering,
charity,
humility
and in all others that follow.”

St Paul of the Cross (1604-1775)

“It was God Who created the fruits of the earth
and gave them to men.
… Evil consists in the abuse of these goods,
which, in themselves, are intended
to be aids to perfection.
It is necessary, therefore, to preserve
the proper hierarchical order of all that is good.
We must guard against riveting
our ambitions on earthly objects,
as if tbey were capable of constituting
the goal of our lives.
God has given us these things as possessions,
not as ends in themselves.
He has ordered us to be masters of the world,
not it’s slaves.
Detachment is essential but not a complete surrender of our possessions.
The latter was never commanded but simply indicated, as an evangelical counsel of perfection.
The observance of this counsel, however,
is valueless, if it is not accompanied by detachment.
Worldly possessions, such as money,
are good servants but bad masters!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Thought for the Day – 16 January – The Help of God

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Thought for the Day – 16 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Help of God

“There are several passages in Sacred Scripture which emphasise clearly and effectively, our utter weakness and dependence on God.
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves,” says St Paul, “to think anything, as from ourselves but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Cor 3:5).

Jesus warns us, that without Him, we can do nothing: “Without me, you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).
He uses the allegory of the vine and the branches as an illustration of this.
I am the vine, He says and you are the branches.
So it is necessary for you to remain united to me and I to you.
In the same way as a branch that does not live on, in the vine, can yield no fruit of itself, so you can do nothing, if you do not live on in Me.
If anyone does not remain united to Me, he will be like a withered branch which is thrown into the fire to be burned (Jn 15),

We must remain united to Jesus, therefore, if we wish to do anything good and to merit everlasting life.
Otherwise, the supernatural life of grace will not be transmitted to us.
If Jesus is not there, death comes into our souls.
Let us remain close to our Divine Redeemer.
If we continue to live in Him, He will give us everything we ask, as He has promised: “If you abide in me and, if my words abide in you, ask whatever you will and it shall be done to you” (Jn 15:7).

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on SIN, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 12 January – HELL 1

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

HELL 1

“In whatever you do, remember your last days and you will never sin.” (Eccl 7:36)

“The meditation considered, by the masters of the spiritual life, to be the most useful for rousing the soul from sin, or from a state of torpor, is that on the last things, in other words, on what will happen to us at the end of life.
Amongst these last things, hell is the most terrifying.
Yet, if the mercy of God did not sustain us, we could fall into hell at any moment.
St John Chrysostom meditated on hell everyday.
All the Saints have found in this meditation, the first steps on the way to perfection.
Remember, that a single mortal sin, would merit hell for us!
In that moment, the sinner could have been already hurled into the abyss of torments.
Let us imagine, that we are there …. and, that the goodness and mercy of God has released us from those everlasting, all-devouring flames.   If this should happen, all the sacrifices, which virtue demands, would seem so easy and pleasant.
How ready we should be to do anything, sooner than return to that chasm of eternal sorrow!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TIME, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 11 January – The Particular and General Judgements

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Thought for the Day – 11 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Particular and General Judgements

“How consoling, on the other hand, the last judgement will be for those who have led good lives.
They will see God looking upon them with love and mercy and will hear from Him the wonderful invitation: “Come, blessed of my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Mt 25:35).

On the day of the general judgement, these words willl be repeated for the confusion of the wicked and the consolation of the good.

Now that we have considered both sides of the picture, let us think deeply about it.
We shall have to render an account for all the evil we have done, of all the good things we did badly or from distorted motives, of all the good actions we omitted to do and of all the time we wasted.
Let us examine our consciences carefully before God, our supreme Judge.
Let us form whatever firm and worthwhile resolutions which seem to be demanded by the circumstances of our lives.
Remember that, as we have lived, so shall we die and we shall be judged accordingly.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/07/24/thought-for-the-day-24-july-the-particular-and-general-judgements/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 10 January – The Death of the Just as Opposed to the Death of the Sinner

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

The Death of the Sinner as Opposed
to the Death of the Just

“Now that we have witnessed these contrasting scenes, let us examine ourselves in the presence of God.
Let each of us ask: What will be my fate?
If we can rank ourselves amongst the just, let us thank God.
We are not there on our own merits.
“By the grace of God, I am what I am” (1 Cor 15:10).

Perhaps we need only reproach ourselves with some deficiency or weakness but, have at the same times, a strong desire to serve God and a great love for Him.
In this case, we can take heart.
We can cast ourselves into the merciful arms of God.
But, if on the other hand, we are hardened and habitual sinners, then woe betide us!
Perhaps this meditation is the last grace which God will bestow on us!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE – The Death of the Sinner:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/11/thought-for-the-day-11-january-the-death-of-the-sinner/
PART TWO HERE – The Death of the Just:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/12/thought-for-the-day-12-january-the-death-of-the-just/

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING

Thought for the Day – 9 January – Death

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Thought for the Day – 9 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Death

“Death, like suffering, is the result of sin: “Through sin death” (Rom 5:12).
But, it is more than a punishment for sin.
It is also a liberation for the just who, like St Francis of Assisi, look upon death as the good sister, who will come one day to set them free and unite them with Christ in everlasting happiness.
“Desiring to depart and to be with Christ …” (Phil 1:33).

Death is certainly a fearful thing.
It is the violent separation of the soul from the body.
The mere thought makes us tremble, for our eternal happiness, or misery, depends on this moment.
But, if we lead good Christian lives, if we strive with the help of divine grace to avoid sin and to do what is good, death is no longer terrible.
Death is now reward.
It is the paradise which awaits us.
Even in the mystery of death, the Justice of God is interwoven with His Mercy.
As He punishes us in order to correct us, so, He makes us die, in order to bestow on us, the joys of Heaven.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/08/thought-for-the-day-8-january-death/

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The HEART, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 5 January – Love one another. – 1 John 4:11

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – Christmas Weekday, Readings: 1 John 4:7-10, Psalms 72:1-2, 3-4,7-8, Mark 6:34-44

“Beloved, since God loved us so much,
we also ought to love one another.”

1 John 4:11

“So if I, your Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet,
you also ought to wash
one another’s feet.”

John 13:14

“It is by the path of love,
which is charity,
that God draws near to man
and man to God.
But where charity is not found,
God cannot dwell.
If, then, we possess charity,
we posses God,
for ‘God is Charity’
(1 John 4:8).”

St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

“At the end of your life,
you will be judged by your love.”

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

“The Gospel showed me
that the first commandment is to love God
with all one’s heart
and that, we should enfold everything in love;
everyone knows,
that the first effect of love is imitation.”

Bl Charles of Jesus de Foucauld (1858-1916)

“Before the cave at Bethelehm then,
we should learn two great lessons.
We should learn to love Jesus intensely,
as our highest and only good
and we should learn to love,
in an effective and practical way,
those who are poverty-stricken
or suffering, in whom we should be able
to see Jesus Christ Himself.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in INGRATITUDE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The REDEMPTION

Thought for the Day – 4 January – Sin

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Thought for the Day – 4 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Sin

“In order to understand more clearly, the gravity of sin, it is helpful at this stage, to consider three things:

(a) The world with all its evils – sorrows, diseases, wars, plagues and death.
All these things do not come directly from the Will of God, Who is the highest good but happen, with His permission.”
They are the effect of original sin and of the continuing transgressions of men.

(b) Hell, which is the handiwork of sin, God, infinitely good but also infintely just, has ordained this terrible and everlasting punishment for the rebellious sinner.

(c) The Crucifix.
To save us from sin, the God-Man has suffered the cruellest of torments and death but, men go on offending Him with unbelievable ingratitude!

Now, let us turn the spotlight on ourselves and think of our past lives.
So many sins and abuses of God’s grace!
Such coldness and ingratitude!
Where has all this brough us?
Spiritually, sin has deprived us of God and of the supernatural life, which His grace gives us.
Intellectually, it is an absurdity, a dishonour and a degradation.
Physically, it is an inversion of the right order and often means total ruin.

Let us humbly repent, therefore and make resolutions so firm, that we shall be ready to face any sacrifice, even death, in order to put them into practice.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/09/13/thought-for-the-day-13-september-sin/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for the NEW YEAR, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on MEDIOCRITY, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on TIME

Thought for the Day – 31 December – The Last Day of the Year

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Thought for the Day – 31 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Last Day of the Year

“Now that the year is almost over, cast your mind back to the good resolutions which you made at the beginning of it.
Have you put these resolutions into effect?
Has there been any improvement in your spiritual life during these twelve months, or must you confess, that it has deteriorated?
How often have you committed sin, perhaps even grave sin, during the year?
When God appealed to you to perform some good action, how often did you refuse Him?

Your future outlook is very dark if your life has developed into a gradual descent towards evil.
Anyday, God could grow tired of your ingratitude and obstinacy and send death to end your infidelity.
Then you would almost certainly, be damned forever.
If you have surrendered to spiritual languor and mediocrity, therefore, it is time for you to stir yourself.
It is time to become more generous with God, to display a greater spirit of self-sacrifice in responding to His appeals and to form further resolutions.

Virtue cannot co-exist with spiritual tepidity, which leads inevitably, towards sin.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/31/thought-for-the-day-31-december-the-last-day-of-the-year/

Posted in "Follow Me", FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on The SOUL, The HEART, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 November – ‘ … Install a bolt on your door, … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 28 November – The First Sunday of Advent – Readings: Jeremiah 33: 14-16; Psalm 25: 4-5, 8-10, 14; First Thessalonians 3: 12 – 4: 2; Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy, from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life and that day catch you by surprise, like a trap.”- Luke 21:34-35

REFLECTION – “Why is the date of an individual’s death hidden from him? Clearly, it is so that he might always do good, since he can expect to die at any moment.

The date of Christ’s second advent is withheld from the world for the same reason, namely, so that every generation might live in the expectation of Christ’s return. This is why when His disciples asked Him, “Lord, will you restore the kingdom to Israel at this time?” Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know the times and the seasons, which the Father has established by his authority. But know this, that if the head of the household had known the hour at which the thief would arrive, he would have been vigilant and would never have allowed his house to be burglarised.”

The head of the household represents the human soul, the thief is the devil, the house is the body, the doors are the mouth and ears and the windows are the eyes.
Like the thief who gains access through the doors and windows, to despoil the householder, the devil also finds easy access to the soul of a man, through his mouth, ears and eyes, to take him captive. This is why Jeremiah wrote, “For death entered through our windows .. ”

If you wish to be secure, install a bolt on your door, which is to say, put the law of the fear of God in your mouth, so that you can say with the psalmist, “I will guard my ways that I might not sin with my tongue. I will put a guard at my mouth.” – Anonymous ancient Christian writer. The ancient work is known as the ‘Incomplete Work on Matthew’ – (Homily 51)

PRAYER – Holy God, Father Almighty, grant we pray, by the true Light of the world, Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who enlightens all men for their salvation, give us grace to herald His coming, by preparing the ways of justice, love and peace. May the Holy Spirit fill us with all His gifts and virtues, so that we may await the coming of Your Son, guided by His Light and may Mary, the blessed Virgin, accompany us, guarding and giving us her prayerful help. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

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 DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PRAYER, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 8 November – Forgive him …

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 November – Readings: Wisdom 1: 1-7; Psalm 139: 1b-10; Luke 17: 1-6

“If your brother sins, rebuke him
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times
in one day and returns to you
seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’
you should forgive him.”

Luke 17:3-4

“Judge not and you will not be judged;
condemn not and you will not be condemned;
forgive and you will be forgiven;
give and it will be given to you,
good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, running over,
will be put into your lap.
For the measure you give,
will be the measure you get back.“

Luke 6:37-38

“Then Peter came up and said to him,
“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus said to him,
“I do not say to you seven times
but seventy times seven.”

Matthew 18:21-22

“Gloriously has God slain enmity,
in order to save us,
may we never risk the life of our souls
by being resentful
or by bearing grudges.”

St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–c 395)
Father of the Church

(Excerpt from his treatise,
On Christian Perfection)

“In conformity with
the philosophy of Christ,
let us make of our life,
a training for death.”

“To harbour no envy, no anger,
no resentment against an offender,
is still not to have charity for him.
It is possible, without any charity,
to avoid rendering evil for evil.
But, to render, spontaneously, good for evil –
such belongs to a perfect spiritual love.”

St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662)
Father of the Church

“We must show love
for those who do evil to us
and pray for them.
Nothing is dearer
or more pleasing to God than this.”

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303-1373)

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, Gerard MANLEY HOPKINS SJ, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JESUIT SJ, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MARIAN POETRY, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MODESTY, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, SACRED HEART QUOTES, SAINT of the DAY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – Jesuits

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – The Memorial of All Jesuit Saints and Blesseds

“Hate what the world seeks
and seek, what it avoids.”

“God’s love calls us to move beyond fear.
We ask God for the courage
to abandon ourselves unreservedly,
so that we might be moulded
by God’s grace,
even as we cannot see
where that path may lead us.”

“Act as if everything depended on you;
trust as if everything depended on God.”

St Ignatius Loyola SJ (1491-1556)

I Beg of You, My Lord
By St Peter Faber (1506-1546)

I beg of You, my Lord,
to remove anything which separates
me from You
and You from me.
Remove anything that makes me unworthy
of Your sight,
Your control,
Your reprehension;
of Your speech and conversation,
of Your benevolence and love.
Cast from me every evil
that stands in the way of my seeing You,
hearing, tasting, savouring and touching You,
fearing and being mindful of You,
knowing, trusting, loving and possessing You;
being conscious of Your Presence
and, as far as may be, enjoying You.
This is what I ask for myself
and earnestly desire from You.
Amen

“What a tragedy,
how many souls
are being shut out of heaven
and falling into hell,
thanks to you!”

St Francis Xavier SJ (1506-1552)

“This death … has already levelled
his bow to strike me.
Is it not prudent to prevent its stroke,
by dying now to the world,
that at my death,
I may live to God?”

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)

“We ought to instruct with meekness
those whom heresy has made bitter and suspicious
and has estranged from orthodox Catholics,
… Thus, by whole-hearted charity and goodwill,
we may win them over to us in the Lord.”

St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1397)
Doctor of the Church

“We … are under an obligation
to be the light of the world
by the modesty of our behaviour,
the fervour of our charity,
the innocence of our lives
and the example of our virtues.
Thus shall we be able
to raise the lowered prestige
of the Catholic Church
and, to build up again,
the ruins that others by their vices have caused.
Others, by their wickedness,
have branded the Catholic Faith
with a mark of shame,
we must strive,
with all our strength, to cleanse it
from its ignominy
and to restore it
to its pristine glory!”

The Burning Babe,

As I in hoary winter’s night
stood shivering in the snow,
Surprised I was with sudden heat
which made my heart to glow;
And lifting up a fearful eye to view
what fire was near,
A pretty babe all burning bright
did in the air appear;
Who, scorchëd with excessive heat,
such floods of tears did shed
As though His floods should quench His flames
which with His tears were fed.
Alas, quoth He but newly born in fiery heats I fry,
Yet none approach to warm their hearts
or feel my fire but I!
My faultless breast the furnace is,
the fuel wounding thorns,
Love is the fire and sighs the smoke,
the ashes shame and scorns;
The fuel justice layeth on
and mercy blows the coals,
The metal in this furnace wrought
are men’s defiled souls,
For which, as now on fire I am
to work them to their good,
So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood.
With this He vanished out of sight
and swiftly shrunk away,
And straight I called unto mind
that it was Christmas day.

St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595)
Priest and Martyr

“When He takes away
what He once lent us,
His purpose is to
store our treasure elsewhere,
more safely and bestow on us,
those very blessings,
that we ourselves
would most choose to have.”
(From A Letter to His Mother)

St Aloysius Gonzaga SJ (1568-1591)

“The Catholic religion was the religion of your forefathers
and the only one Jesus Christ founded; –
the one which He promised would endure
till the end of time.
It is in the Catholic religion alone
that you can save your soul.”

“How long are you going to be deaf to His call?
Or are you going to lose your soul,
which Jesus Christ bought at the price
of His Precious Blood?”

St John Francis Régis SJ (1597-1640)

“… Make use of Our Lord
as an armour which covers [us] all about,
by means of which [we] shall resist
every device of [our] enemies.
You shall then be my Strength, O my God!
You shall be my Guide,
my Director,
my Counsellor,
my Patience,
my Knowledge,
my Peace,
my Justice
and my Prudence.”

“He promises to be [our] strength,
in proportion to the trust
which [we] place in Him.”

St Claude de la Colombiere SJ (1641-1682)
“Apostle of the Sacred Heart”

The May Magnificat
By Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

May is Mary’s month and I
Muse at that and wonder why:
Her feasts follow reason,
Dated due to season-

Candlemas, Lady Day:
But the Lady Month, May,
Why fasten that upon her,
With a feasting in her honour?
Ask of her, the mighty Mother:
Her reply puts this other
Question: What is Spring?
Growth in everything-
All things rising, all things sizing
Mary sees, sympathising
With that world of good,
Nature’s motherhood.

Well but there was more than this:
Spring’s universal bliss
Much, had much to say
To offering Mary May.

Posted in GOD is LOVE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PURGATORY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on SIN, The HOLY SOULS

Thought for the Day – 3 November – The Pain of Purgatory

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Thought for the Day – 3 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Pain of Purgatory

“The Tradition of the Fathers and the ordinary teaching of the Church, describe the pains of Purgatory in such a fashion, that they should prompt us to avoid even the smallest sin, not only because it is an offence against the most amiable God but also because, it will be severely punished by Him.
This teaching, moreover, should move us to pity for the poor suffering souls, who are enduring such torments.

St Cyril of Jerusalem states, that the sum total of the sufferings of this world, is nothing in comparison to the sufferings of Purgatory.
He adds, moreover, that the pain of Purgatory is equal to the severity of the torments of Hell; the only difference is that the latter are everlasting, whereas the former, will have an end.
St Athanasius assures us that the least pang of suffering in Purgatory, is sharper than all the torments which it is possible to undergo on earth.
Moreover he adds, in comparison with the fire which afflicts the suffering souls, earthly fire is hardly even real!
St Bede the Venerable tells us, that even if we could imagine all the tortures to which tyrants subjected the Martyrs, such as iron hooks, red-hot pincers, roasting gridirons and boiling pitch, we should still have failed to form any idea of the pains of Purgatory!

But what is the reason for such severe torments?
It is that God loves these souls and desires that they be purified of sins, as soon as possible and be made worthy of infinite happiness.

The fires of Purgatory are nourished by a twofold love – the love of God, Who desires the purification of souls and, the love of these souls, who desire to expiate their faults in order to become worthy of being united to Him forever.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOOD FRIDAY, HOLY WEEK, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 2 November – ‘Death is then no cause for mourning … ‘

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 2 November – All Souls Day – Readings: Wisdom 3: 1-9; Romans 5: 5-11 or Romans 6: 3-9; Gospel: John 6: 37-40

“We should have a daily
familiarity with death,
a daily desire for death.
By this kind of detachment,
our soul must learn to free itself
from the desires of the body.
It must soar above earthly lusts,
to a place where they cannot come near,
to hold it fast.
It must take on the likeness of death,
to avoid the punishment of death!”

“Death is then no cause for mourning,
for it is the cause of mankind’s salvation.
Death is not something to be avoided,
for the Son of God
did not think it beneath His dignity,
nor did He seek to escape it.”

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

“We should consider how much good
our Lord did us,
by His first coming
and how much more He will do for us,
by His second.
This thought will help us,
to have a great love
for that first coming of His
and a great longing for His return.”

St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)

“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 (c 1181-1226)

“Do now,
what you wish to have done,
when your moment
comes to die.”

St Angela Merici (1474-1540)

Sabbatum Sanctum
By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

I look at You, my Lord Jesus
and think of Your most holy Body
and I keep it before me,
as a pledge of my own resurrection.
Though I die, as die I certainly shall,
nevertheless, I shall not forever die,
for I shall rise again.
O You, who are the Truth,
I know and believe with my whole heart,
that this very flesh of mine will rise again.
I know, base and odious as it is at present,
that it will one day, if I be worthy,
be raised incorruptible
and altogether beautiful and glorious.
This I know,
this by Your grace,
I will ever keep before me.
Amen

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, THE ASSUMPTION, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thought for the Day – 31 October – “Pray for Us … at the Hour of Our Death”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 31 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Pray for Us … at the Hour of Our Death”

“Our divine Redeemer, although He was God and did not except Himself from the law of death.
It was appropriate, therefore, that His divine Mother should have been no exception either.
But Mary had shared in the torments of her Son’s death upon Calvary and so obtained from Him, the privilege of a death so sweet and gentle, as hardly to justify the name at all.
Her soul was separated from her body as if in an ecstasy of love and was united even more indissolubly with God.
She did not die of a natural disease but, out of love for God.
She had always loved God with all the ardour of the noblest of creatures and her life ended in a final outpouring of love.
It was the climax of a continuous ascent towards God.

Death should be like this for us too.
It can be like this if we follow her example, especially in the boundlessness of her love for God.

O Mary, my tender Mother, be at my side throughout my life but especially at the hour of death.
Shelter me beneath your maternal mantle and never let me be far apart from you.
Grant that I may have a calm and peaceful death like yours, a death made easy by a great love for Jesus and for you, as well as by the reception of the Holy Sacraments and by your special blessing, amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/31/thought-for-the-day-31-october-pray-for-us-at-the-hour-of-our-death/

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on WATCHING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 October – “You also must be prepared … ” Luke 12:40

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 20 October – “Month of the Most Holy Rosary” – Readings: Romans 6: 12-18; Psalm 124: 1-8; Luke 12: 39-48

“You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”

Luke 12:40

“Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day
nor the hour.”

Matthew 24:13

“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”

Mark 1:3

“The business of a Christian
is nothing else,
than to be ever
preparing
for death.”

St Irenaeus (130-202)
Father of the Church

“We must make our way towards eternity,
never regarding what men think of us,
or of our actions,
studying only to please God.”

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)

“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)

“Man must always be ready,
for death comes when
and where God wills it.”

St John Neumann (1811-1860)

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DESPAIR, QUOTES on MERIT, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE, The SIN of PRESUMPTION

Thought for the Day – 17 October – The Fourth Glorious Mystery – The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 17 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fourth Glorious Mystery
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven

“Because we are wretched sinners, death for us is a punishment.
Let us accept it with resignation.
We should frequently offer to God whatever death He has in store for us, with all its sorrows and sufferings.

We can gain great merit in this way.
As a result of our daily offering, God will surely grant us a more peaceful death.
There are many people who long for death.
Some desire it in moments of discouragement as a release from the sorrows of life.
Others long for it, to bring to an end their struggle against their sinful inclinations and to assure them of an everlasting reward, to gain which, they may not even have made many sacrifices.
The first kind of desire is unworthy of a true soldier of Christ, while the second, is presumptuous and self-interested.
The only legitimate yearning for death, is the desire to be united, at last, with Jesus.

This was the nature of Mary’s death, as well as that of St Paul, who wrote that he desired “to depart and to be with Christ” (Phil 1:23).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/16/thought-for-the-day-16-october-the-fourth-glorious-mystery-the-assumption-of-the-blessed-virgin-into-heaven/