Category: QUOTES on ENVY

Posted in CARMELITES, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on JEALOUSY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on VOCATIONS

Quote/s of the Day – 3 October – St Thérèse of the Child Jesus

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 October – St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873–1897)

“A soul, in a state of grace,
has nothing to fear from demons –
who are cowards.”

“Trust and trust alone,
should lead us to love.”

“Love alone, have I ever given to the good God;
with love, He will repay me.”

“Then, overcome by joy, I cried:
‘Jesus, my love.’
At last I have found my vocation.
My vocation is love.
In the heart of the Church,
my mother, I will be love
and then I will be all things!”

“The splendour of the rose
and the whiteness of the lily,
do not rob the little violet of its scent,
nor the daisy of its simple charm.
If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose,
spring would lose its loveliness.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/10/03/quote-s-of-the-day-3-october-st-therese/

St Thérèse of the Child Jesus
and the Holy Face (1873 – 1897)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, QUOTES on VANITY, QUOTES on WISDOM, The HOLY FACE

Quote/s of the Day – 27 May – St Bede the Venerable

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Quote/s of the Day – 27 May – The Feast of St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

“Christ is the Morning Star,
Who, when the night of this world is past,
gives to His saints, the promise of the Light of Life
and opens everlasting day.”

“We abide in God
insofar as we do not sin.”

“All the ways of this world
are as fickle and unstable
as a sudden storm at sea.”

“If one of us has a conscience
polluted by the stain of avarice,
conceit, vain-glory, indignation,
irascibility, or envy and the other vices,
he has “a daughter badly troubled by a demon”
like the Canaanite woman.”

“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.”

“And I pray Thee, loving Jesus
that as Thou hast graciously given me
to drink in with delight,
the words of Thy knowledge,
so Thou wouldst mercifully grant me
to attain one day to Thee,
the Fountain of all Wisdom
and to appear forever before Thy Face.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/05/27/quote-s-of-the-day-27-may-st-bede-the-venerable/

St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St PAUL!, The HEART, The LORD'S PRAYER, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 26 February – Begone, Satan!

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 February – The First Sunday of Lent – 2 Corinthians 6:1-10, Matthew 4:1-11

“Begone, Satan!
for it is written:
The Lord thy God shalt thou adore
and Him only shalt thou serve.”

Matthew 4:10

“Do not, therefore, lose your confidence,
which has a great reward.
For you have need of patience that,
doing the will of God,
you may receive the promise.
For yet a very little while
and He Who is to come,
will come
and will not delay.”

Hebrews 10:35-37

“Expect temptation to your last breath.”

St Anthony Abbot (251-356)

“The demons that wage war on us,
through our shortcomings in virtue,
are those which teach —
impurity, drunkenness, avarice and envy.
Those that wage war on us,
through our excessive zeal for virtue,
teach — conceit, self-esteem and pride.
They [the demons] secretly pervert,
what is commendable,
into what is reprehensible!”

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

“It might even be said that we are fortunate
to have temptations, for these are the times
of spiritual harvest when we gather up for Heaven. …
If we were thoroughly saturated
with God’s Holy Presence,
it would be easy for us to resist the enemy.
With the thought ‘God sees you!’ we would never sin!

There was a saint who complained to our Lord
after being tempted and said to Him:
“Where were Thou, my most loveable Jesus,
during that awful storm?”
Our Lord answered:
“I was in the centre of thou heart…”

St John-Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
The Curé of Ars

“When tempted,
turn immediately to your
Guardian Angel and ask him,
with all your heart,
“My Guardian Angel help me now.
Do not let me offend my God!”

St John Bosco (1815-1888)

“Why, we may ask,
does God permit us to be tempted?
He wishes us to realise, that only with His help,
can we aspire to the supernatural life
and triumph over our enemies.
Apart from Him, we shall be lost
but close to Him, we shall be invincible!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JEALOUSY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 5 February – Septuagesima Sunday – Preparing to Prepare

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 February – Septuagesima Sunday – Preparing to Prepare

“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

“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)

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 de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“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 AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 February – ‘That Denarius is life eternal …’ St Augustine

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One Minute Reflection – 5 February –Septuagesima Sunday – St Agatha (c231- c251) Virgin Martyr – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, 10:1-5; Matthew 20:1-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Even so, the last shall be first and the first last; for many are called but few are chosen.” – Matthew 20:16

REFLECTION – “In that hiring then,we shall all be equal and the first as the last and the last as the first because that Denarius is life eternal and in the life eternal all will be equal.
For although through diversity of attainments, the Saints will shine, some more, some less; yet as to this respect, the gift of eternal life, it will be equal to all.
For that will not be longer to one and shorter to another, which is alike everlasting – that which hath no end, will have no end, either for thee or me. … In respect. to the living forever, this man will not live more than that, nor that one than this one. For alike without end will they live, though each shall live in his own brightness and the Denarius in the parable is that life eternal.

Let not him then who has received, after a long time, murmur against him, who has received after a short time. To the first, it is a payment, to the other a free gift – yet the same thing is given alike to both.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon on Matthew 20).

PRAYER – O God, Who among other wonders of Thy power hast given the victory of mMrtyrdom even to the gentler sex, graciously grant that we, who commemorate the anniversary of the death of blessed Agatha, Thy Virgin and Martyr, may come to Thee, by following her example.Through esus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on THE WORLD, SAINT of the DAY, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

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

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Quote/s of the Day – 31 January – St John Bosco “Don Bosco” SDB (1815-1888) Priest, Confessor, Founder.

“Act today
in such a way,
that you need
not blush
tomorrow.”

“My life experience has been
that only the practice of religion,
can assure concord in families
and the happiness of those,
who live in this vale of tears.”

“What do the pleasures
of this world amount to?
What is not eternal,
is worth nothing!”

“When tempted,
turn immediately to your
Guardian Angel and ask him,
with all your heart,
“My Guardian Angel help me now.
Do not let me offend my God!”

“Love one another,
advise one another,
correct one another and never
be carried away
by envy or rancour,”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/01/31/quote-s-of-the-day-31-january-st-john-bosco-2/

St John Bosco (1815-1888)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, I BELIEVE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, St PAUL!, The HOLY NAME, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 November – Putting on our Lord Jesus Christ

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 November – Vigil of the Feast of St Andrew – Romans 13:11-14, Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Let us walk becomingly, as in the day,
not in revelry and drunkenness,
not in debauchery and wantonness,
not in strife and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 13:13-14

“And Jesus, seeing their faith,
said to the paralytic,
Take courage, son,
your sins are forgiven you.”

Matthew 9:2

“Perhaps, your own faith is feeble.
Nevertheless, the Lord, who is love
will stoop down to you,
provided only that you are penitent
and can say sincerely,
from the depths of your soul:
“Lord, I believe.
Help thou mine unbelief,”
(Mark 9:23)……”

St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“He who is immortal, voluntarily shed His Blood.
He who created the Host of Angels,
was bound at the hands of soldiers
and He who is to judge the living and the dead,
was dragged to justice (cf. Acts 10:42; 2 Tm 4:1).
Truth was exposed to false witnesses,
was slandered, struck, covered with spittle,
hung on the Wood of the Cross –
the Lord of Glory (cf. 1 Cor 2:8)
endured every outrage and suffering
without Himself needing these trials. …

So there is nothing surprising about it,
if we submit to even one of these trials,
since such is our condition …
Therefore, we too have to be offended and tempted,
afflicted by the cutting off of our wills.”

St Theodore the Studite (759- 826)
Monk at Constantinople, Father

(Catecheses 1)

“Nothing so curbs the onset of anger,
so allays the upsurge of pride.
It cures the wound of envy,
controls unbridled extravagance
and quenches the flame of lust.
It cools the thirst of covetousness
and banishes the itch of unclean desire…
For when I Name Jesus,
I set before myself,
a Man Who is meek and humble of heart,
kind, prudent, chaste, merciful,
flawlessly upright and holy
in the eyes of all
and this same Man, is the all-powerful God
Whose way of life heals me,
Whose support is my strength.”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

Lord Jesus, Bind Me to Yourself

Lord Jesus, Bind Me to Yourself
Lord Jesus, bind me to Yourself
and to my neighbour, with love.
May my heart not be turned away from You.
May my soul not be deceived,
nor my talent or mind,
enticed by allurements of error,
so that I may never
distance myself from Your love.
Thus may I love my neighbour as myself,
with strength, wisdom and gentleness,
with Your help,
You who are blessed
throughout all ages.
Amen.

St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Evangelical Doctor of the Church

“… How can anyone put on Jesus Christ
and imitate His example,
if he does not study this Jesus,
who must inspire and perfect our faith?
He must run the race to which he is challenged,
the glorious race in which,
he overcomes the enemy of the human family
and follows the Way of the Cross.
Under the lordly banner of that Cross,
he will attain eternal life.”

St Vincent Strambi CP (1745-1824)

(From his first Pastoral Letter as Bishop)

Hear Me, O Lord
By St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

Hear me, O Lord,
my soul’s delight,
joy of my heart,
not because of my merits
but because of Thy boundless goodness.
Teach me, enlighten me, direct me,
help me in all things
that I may never say
or do anything
but that which I know
to be pleasing in Thou sight.
Guide me, O God,
my Love, my Light and my Life!
Amen.

St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 25 November – The Thirst for Justice

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

The Thirst for Justice

“Many people, unfortunately, hunger and thirst for wealth, for pleasure and for honour.
In practice, if not in tbeory, they forget all about their personal sanctification and the welfare of their neighbour.
They pray, certainly and they go to Church, give alms and carry out the duties of their station in life conscientiously, from morning until night.
They may even engage in many external works of charity, on their neighbour’s behalf but, what is their dominant thought and their principal ambition?
To keep up appearances, to be praised and esteemed, to be successful in their careers.
This, however, is not justice or Christian perfection but corresponds to the attitude of the Scribes and Pharisees, who did not seek the Kingdom of Heaven but their own interests (Cf Mt 5:46-48).
Of these, it is written that “they have received their reward” (Mt 6:21).
They have not sought God but themselves!
Therefore, they can never have God or His everlasting happiness as their reward.
They must be content with the insignificant and passing glory of the world.
Indeed, on many occasions, they will be unable to gain even this much and will find that they have laboured in vain!

The envious man will even find cause for personal sorrow and unhappiness, in the welfare and in the success of others,
He would have nobody wealthy, respected or happy in the world but himself!
Even when the zealous man is working for a good cause, he is not concerned with it but only, with himself.
He identifies his own ego with the cause for which he is fighting!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/02/thought-for-the-day-2-december-the-thirst-for-justice/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRIDE, Quotes on SALVATION, St JOSEPH, The HOLY NAME, The HOLY NAME of MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 20 August – St Bernard

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Memorial of St Bernard (1090-1153) Abbot, Confessor, “Doctor Mellifluus” of the Church and the Last Father of the Church,“The Bard of Mary

“Nothing so curbs the onset of anger,
so allays the upsurge of pride.
It cures the wound of envy,
controls unbridled extravagance
and quenches the flame of lust.
It cools the thirst of covetousness
and banishes the itch of unclean desire…
For when I Name Jesus,
I set before myself,
a Man Who is meek and humble of heart,
kind, prudent, chaste, merciful,
flawlessly upright and holy
in the eyes of all
and this same Man is the all-powerful God
Whose way of life heals me,
Whose support is my strength.”

“The soul must grow and expand
so as to be capable of God.
And its largeness is its love,
as the Apostle says,
“widen yourselves in love”
(2 Cor 6:13).
It grows and extends spiritually,
not in substance but in virtue.
The greatness of each soul is judged
by the measure of love that it has-
he who has great love, is great-
he who has little love is little,
while he who has no love at all –
is nothing!”

“God established him to be His Mother’s support,
the foster father of His flesh
and the assistant for His plan of salvation.
We must recall, that he was of the House of David.
He was son of David, not only by bonds of the flesh
but even more, because of his faith, holiness and piety.
God found in him, a second David,
to whom He could confidently entrust His plans,
even the most hidden.
He revealed to him, as to another David,
the mysteries of His Wisdom
and disclosed to him, what no teacher
in the world, could know.”

“O great, O gentle, O most lovable Mary,
thy Holy Name cannot be spoken
without inflaming the heart.
To those who love thee,
it is unspeakable consolation
and joy even to think of thee;
thou art a sweet memory
to those who honour thee.”

“In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties,
think of Mary, call upon Mary.
Let not her name depart from your lips,
never suffer it to leave your heart.
And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer,
neglect not to walk in her footsteps.
With her for guide, you shall never go astray;
while invoking her, you shall never lose heart;
so long as she is in your mind,
you are safe from deception;
while she holds your hand, you cannot fall;
under her protection you have nothing to fear;
if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary;
if she shows you favour, you shall reach the goal.”

“O Mary, I have not doubt
that whenever we run to you,
we shall obtain all that we desire.
Let those then who have no hope,
hope in you!”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on JEALOUSY, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SCANDAL, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 7 August – Rash Judgement

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Thought for the Day – 7 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Rash Judgement

“Rash judgements are sometimes formed quite thoughtlessly.
At other times they are produce of malice, envy, pride or hatred.
Even when they are lightly arrived at, they are sinful because they are opposed to the law of charity.
When they are the result of one of the passions mentioned, they are far more gravely sinful because, they presuppose the intention of injuring our neighbour.
Rash judgements like this, rarely remain enclosed in the mind but are expressed openly, with consequent damage to the character of the victim!

It is easy to progress from lighter faults to grave sin in this matter.
A rash judgement soon becomes slander and, a sin against charity, soon becomes a sin against justice involving an obligation to make reparation.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/12/thought-for-the-day-12-august-rash-judgement/

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LENT 2022, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART

Wednesday day of the Third Week of Lent – 23 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – ‘… With our whole heart and our whole mind.’

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Wednesday day of the Third Week of Lent – 23 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Exodus 20:12-24, Matthew 15:1-20

“Have pity on me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord.” – Psalm 6:3

“… This people honours me
with their lips but their heart
is far from Me … ”

Matthew 15:7

“GREAT IS THE MERCY that Jesus Christ has shown us. The first benefit that we owe to His mercy, is that we, who are living, do not sacrifice to dead gods or worship them but have, through Christ, attained a knowledge of the Father. What else is knowledge of the Father but the recognition of His Son, through Whom this knowledge comes to us? He Himself declares: – Everyone who acknowledges Me, I in My turn will acknowledge in the presence of the Father. This then will be our reward if we acknowledge Him through Whom we have been saved. But how shall we show that we acknowledge Him? By doing what He says, by not disobeying His commands and by honouring Him. not only with our lips but with our whole heart and our whole mind. For He says in Isaiahs This people pays me lip service but its heart is far from me.

LET US NOT ONLY CALL HIM LORD, for that will not save us. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will be saved, He warns but only the man who does what is right. So then, brothers, let us show our faith in Him by our deeds, by loving one another, by not committing adultery, by not finding fault with one another, or being envious. Instead, let us be chaste, merciful and kind. We should also have compassion for one another and, not be covetous. We have to prove that we believe in Him by performing such actions as these and by avoiding whatever is contrary to them, since we fear God rather than men. Should we fail to do so, we have the Lord’s warning:- If you do not keep my commandments, even though I had pressed you to my heart, I will thrust you away from me and say to you: Out of my sight, you whose deeds are evil; you are complete strangers to me.

THEREFORE, MY BROTHERS, let us enter the lists in the knowledge that the contest is imminent. Many men travel far to contend for a crown that soon fades, yet not all of them win but only those who have strained every nerve and competed fairly. Let us so contend, that we may all be crowned. Let us run a straight course in the race of the Christian life, setting out in great numbers to take part in it and then striving for the crown with all our might. Even if we are not all able to win, at least let us draw near to victory.

NOW, WE MUST SURELY KNOW, that even when the contest is for a wreath that lasts but a day, if anyone is found to be breaking the rules, he is flogged and driven off the racecourse. What do you suppose, then, will be the fate of the man who breaks the rules in the contest of the Christian life? Of those who have not kept the seal of their Baptism unbroken, Scripture says: The worm does not die and the fire is never extinguished. They will be a spectacle to all men.” – Anonymous Ancient Christian Writer – ACW (An excerpt from a Second Century Homily).

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY

Thought for the Day – 11 November – Sensitiveness

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

Sensitiveness

“A single severe glance from our employer or superior, is enough to make us anxious.
If it is accompanied by a word of rebuke, we are thoroughly upset.
Why should this be so?
It is because we are lacking in the fundamental virtue of humility.
We want to keep up appearances and to be held in high regard.
If we are frustrated in this ambition, we suffer inwardly.

All this is quite natural but, on this natural foundation, we must build the virtue of humility and the desire to serve God alone.
If we possess this virtue, we shall continue to be sensitive to insults and humiliations but our suffering will be sanctified and will be meritorious in the sight of God.

We are all pleased when we are praised by others and are hurt when we are criticised because our natural inclinations are never destroyed.
Our sensitivity, however, can be moderated and brought under the control of right reason, whose guide should be the rule of virtue.
It is worth reflecting on what The Imitation of Christ has to say in this regard.

“Whenever a man desires anything inordinately, straight away, he is disquieted within himself.
The proud and the covetous are never at rest; the poor and the humble in spirit, pass their life in abundance of peace.
The man who is not yet perfectly dead to self, is soon tempted and overcome in little and paltry things.
He that is weak in spirit and in a certain manner, as yet carnal and inclined to things of sense, cannot, without difficulty, sever himself wholly from earthly desires.
And, therefore, he is often sad when he does withdraw himself and besides, he is easily moved to anger if anyone thwart him
And, if he has pursued his inclination, forthwith he is burdened with remorse of conscience, for having gone after his passion, which helped him not at all, to the peace he looked for.
It is by resisting the passions, therefore and not by serving them, that true peace of heart is to be found.
Peace, therefore, is not in the heart of the carnal man, nor in the man who is devoted to outward things but, in the fervent and spiritual man” (Bk 1 Ch 6).

“Continual peace dwells with the humble but in the heart of the proud, is frequent envy and indignation” (Ibid Ch 7, V3).

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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 DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on JEALOUSY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 September – JEALOUSY/ENVY!

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Readings: Colossians 1: 24 – 2: 3; Psalm 62: 6-7,9; Luke 6:6-11

JEALOUSY/ENVY!

“Stretch forth your hand.”

Luke 6:10

“While the withered hand was restored,
the withered minds of the onlookers were not.
… Are you debating what you will do?
Worship Him as God.
Worship the Wonder-worker.
Worship One who worked good things
on behalf of another.”

St Athansius (297-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“And I became their abomination
because there was no jealousy in me.
Because I continually did good
to every man
I was hated.
And they surrounded me
like mad dogs (Ps 22[21]:17)
those, who in stupidity,
attack their masters.
Because their mind is depraved
and their sense is perverted.”

Odes of Solomon
(Hebrew Christian text from
the beginning of the 2nd century)
No 28

“Jealousy has no limit;
it is an evil that continually endures
and a sin, without end.
The lies of jealousy
burn hotter in proportion
to the increasing success
of the person who is envied.”

St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258)
Bishop, Martyr, Father of the Church

“ It is ever thus,
the more you envy your brother,
the greater good you confer upon him.
God, who sees all,
takes the cause of the innocent in hand
and, irritated by the injury you inflict,
deigns to raise up him
whom you wish to lower
and will punish you
to the full extent of your crime.”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“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

“The soul that loves Jesus Christ
does not envy the great ones of this world
but only those,
who are greater lovers of Jesus Christ.”

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

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ENVY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 September – There was a man whose right hand was withered. – Luke 6:6

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One Minute Reflection – 7 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Readings: Colossians 1: 24 – 2: 3; Psalm 62: 6-7,9; Luke 6:6-11

“On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching and there was a man whose right hand was withered. ” – Luke 6:6

REFLECTION – “ The miracle sometimes converts to faith those who had disbelieved the word but the Pharisees watched Him to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. The nature of an envious person is such, that he makes the praises of others food for his own disease and is wickedly maddened by their reputation. Once more He spoke thus; “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” And why did He do this? Perhaps it might be to move the cruel and unpitying Pharisee to compassion. The man’s malady [his withered hand] perhaps might shame them and persuade them to dispel the flames of their envy.

This question is most wise indeed and a most suitable statement to meet their folly. If it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath and nothing prevents the sick being pitied by God, cease picking up opportunities for fault-finding against Christ and bringing down on your own head, the sentence which the Father has decreed against those who dishonour the Son. You have heard the Father where He says of the Son by the voice of David, “I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.” But, if it is not lawful to do good on the Sabbath and the law forbids the saving of life, you have made yourself an accuser of the law.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Church. Doctor of the Incarnation (Known a\s the Pillar of Faith) – (Commentary on Luke, Homily 23)

PRAYER – God of mercy and love, You offer all peoples the dignity of sharing in your life. Rule over our hearts and bodies this day. Sanctify us and guide our every thought, word and deed, my our hands be held out to our neighbour in imitation of Your love and mercy. By the intercession of Mary the Sorrowful Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ and our Mother, strengthen us to love each other as brothers and sisters. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, POETRY, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SACRED HEART QUOTES, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 May – Conscience

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 May – “Mary’s Month” – Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter,Readings: Acts 16: 22-34, Psalms 138: 1-2, 2-3, 7-8, John 16: 5-11

“I will send to you the Spirit of truth,
says the Lord;
he will guide you to all truth.”

John 16:7,13

“If one of us has a conscience
polluted by the stain of avarice,
conceit, vain-glory, indignation,
irascibility, or envy and the other vices,
he has “a daughter badly troubled by a demon”
like the Canaanite woman.”

St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“A good man is not a perfect man;
a good man is an honest man,
faithful and unhesitatingly responsive
to the Voice of God in his life.”

St John Fisher (1469-1535) Bishop, Martyr

“Just as speech has been given to men
to be the interpreter of their feelings and desires,
so it is through the conscience,
that God teaches us,
what He judges of everything
and what He expects of each one of us.
This divine Voice forms various interior words,
to express various lessons
and the different orders,
that it pleases God to give to His creature.
It is the bond of communication
that the Lord desires to have with us
and the most usual organ he makes use of,
to touch our hearts and open to us His own.”

St Claude la Colombière SJ (1641-1682)

Christian reflections
(Spiritual writings, coll. Christus no 9,)

“The Heart of Jesus is with me.”

“Three things I cannot escape:
the eye of God,
the voice of conscience,
the stroke of death.
In company, guard your tongue.
In your family, guard your temper.
When alone guard your thoughts.”

Venerable Matthew Talbot (1856 – 1925)

“Then steer your ship with steady arm,
Trust Me and rest your soul.
Your little boat I’ll keep from harm,
I’ll guide it toward its goal. …
Be therefore, steadfast, calm and true,
Your God is at your side.
Through storm and night
He’ll see you through
With conscience as your guide.”

St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross OCD.(1891-1942
Edith Stein
“At the Helm”

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on ENVY, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – – 26 March – ‘I was hated’

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Quote/s of the Day – – 26 March – Friday of Passion Week or the Fifth Week of Lent, Readings: Jeremiah 20:10-13, Psalms 18:2-3,3-4, 5-6, 7, John 10:31-42

“Again they sought to seize Him”

John 10:39

“And I became their abomination
because there was no jealousy in me.
Because I continually did good
to every man
I was hated.
And they surrounded me
like mad dogs (Ps 22[21]:17)
those, who in stupidity,
attack their masters.
Because their mind is depraved
and their sense is perverted.”

Odes of Solomon
(Hebrew Christian text from
the beginning of the 2nd century)
No 28

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GOSSIP, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on HUMAN DIGNITY, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on VANITY, QUOTES on VIOLENCE, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 October – ‘… Let us always reflect the image of God …’ Matthew 22:15-21

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One Minute Reflection – 18 October – Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Readings: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6, Psalms 96:1, 3, 4-5,7-8, 9-10, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, Matthew 22:15-21 and the Feast of St Luke the Evangelist

And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God, the things that are God’s.” – Matthew 22:20-21

REFLECTION – In an ancient work known as the Incomplete Work on Matthew, an anonymous Ancient Christian Writer (ACW) offers the following insight on these verses from today’s Gospel:
“The image of God is not depicted on gold but is imaged in humanity. The coin of Caesar is gold; that of God, humanity. Caesar is seen in his currency; God, however, is known through human beings. And so give your wealth to Caesar but reserve for God the sole innocence of your conscience, where God is beheld. For the hand of Caesar has crafted an image by likenesses and lives each year by renewable decree. However, the divine hand of God has shown His image in ten points.

What ten points? From five carnal ones and five spiritual ones through which we see and understand what things are useful under God’s image. So let us always reflect the image of God in these ways:

I do not swell up with the arrogance of pride;
nor do I droop with the blush of anger;
nor do I succumb to the passion of avarice;
nor do I surrender myself to the ravishes of gluttony;
nor do I infect myself with the duplicity of hypocrisy;
nor do I contaminate myself with the filth of rioting;
nor do I grow flippant with the pretension of conceit;
nor do I grow enamoured of the burden of heavy drinking;
nor do I alienate by the dissension of mutual admiration;
nor do I infect others with the biting of detraction;
nor do I grow conceited with the vanity of gossip.

Rather, instead,

I will reflect the image of God in that I feed on love;
grow certain on faith and hope;
strengthen myself on the virtue of patience;
grow tranquil by humility;
grow beautiful by chastity;
am sober by abstention;
am made happy by tranquillity
and am ready for death, by practicing hospitality.

It is with such inscriptions that God imprints His coins with an impression made neither by hammer nor by chisel but has formed them, with His primary divine intention. For Caesar required his image on every coin but God has chosen man, whom He has created, to reflect His glory.” (Incomplete Work on Matthew, «Homily 40»)

PRAYER – Lord God, You chose St Luke to reveal the mystery of Your love in his preaching and his writings. Grant, we pray, that we may grow in love for the Holy Face of Christ, His words and His directions, revealed to us in the Gospels, in the example of your saints. Today, on his feast, we especially look to St Luke, to guide, teach and pray for us. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever and ever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on INNOCENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 September – ‘… Being like-minded with Him and anxious to walk in His steps.’ – Luke 9:48

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One Minute Reflection – 28 September – Monday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Job 1:6-22, Psalms 17:1, 2-3, 6-7, Luke 9:46-50 and The Memorial of Blessed Bernardine of Feltre OFM (1439-1494)

“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me and whoever receives me, receives him who sent me, for he who is least among you all, is the one who is great.” … Luke 9:48

REFLECTION – “The passion and lust of pride attacked some of the holy apostles. The mere argument about who of them was the greatest is the mark of an ambitious person, eager to stand at the head of the rest. Christ, who did not sleep, knows how to deliver. He saw this thought in the disciple’s mind, springing up, in the words of Scripture, like some bitter plant. He saw the weeds, the work of the wicked sower. Before it grew up tall, struck its root down deep, grew strong and took possession of the heart, He tears up the evil by the very root. In what way does the Physician of souls amputate pride’s passion? How does He deliver the beloved disciple from being the prey of the enemy and from a thing hateful to God and man? “He took a child,” it says, “and set it by him.” He made the event a means of benefiting both the holy apostles themselves and us their successors. This illness, as a rule, preys upon all those who are in any respect superior to other people.

What kind of type and representation did He make the child He had taken? He made the child a representation of an innocent and humble life. The mind of a child is empty of fraud and his heart is sincere. His thoughts are simple. He does not covet rank and does not know what is meant by one man being higher than another is. Christ brought forward the child as a pattern of simplicity and innocence and set him by Him. He showed him as in an object lesson, that He accepts and loves those who are like the child. He thinks they are worthy of standing at His side, as being like-minded with Him and anxious to walk in His steps.” … St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Church – Commentary on Luke, Homily 54

PRAYER – Lord God, You hold out the Light of Your Word to those who do not know You. Strengthen in our hearts, the faith You have given us and the Credo we profess, so that no trials and pride may quench the fire Your Spirit has kindled in us. May the intercession of Blessed Bernardine of Feltre, grant us the grace of following the way of the Cross, to stand beneath it with our Mother, the Mother of God, Ave Maria! We make our prayer through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on GOSSIP, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 September – ‘… Perfume is not to be found in mud…’

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One Minute Reflection – 12 September – Saturday of the Twenty Third week in Ordinary Time, Readings: 1 Corinthians 10:14-22, Psalms 116:12-13, 17-18, Luke 6:43-49 and The Memorial of The Most Holy Name of Mary

“A good person, out of the store of goodness in his heart, produces good” … Luke 6:45

REFLECTION – “Those who conceal their hypocrisy beneath feigned love, bless outwardly with their mouths but curse inwardly.
Those who have acquired love, endure patiently the injuries and sufferings that their enemies inflict on them.
Love alone harmoniously joins all created things with God and with each other.
A person who does not tolerate suspicion or disparagement of others, possesses true love.
Someone who does nothing to dispel love, is precious in the sight of God and the world.
True words from a pure conscience betoken unfeigned love.
If you tell your brother how someone else is denigrating him, you conceal your own envy under the guise of goodwill. (…)
Guard yourself from hatred and dissipation and you will not be impeded at the time of prayer.
Perfume is not to be found in mud nor the fragrance of love in the soul of a rancorous person. (…)
Anyone who does not envy the spiritually mature and is merciful to the wicked, has attained an equal love for all. (…)
Do not trust a thought that would judge your neighbour: for it is the person who is a store of evil who thinks evil thoughts (Mt 6:21; 12:35).” … St Thalassios the Libyan (5th Century) – Priest and Abbot in Libya (see a little biography of him below).

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, assist us at all times we pray, to obtain a spirit of worthy penance, for our sins and that of all the world. To the invocation of Your Divine Son, Jesus, we call on the intercession of His holy Mother, to aid us on our pilgrimage. With great affection and confidence, we honour the Holy Hearts and invoke the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, to be our constant source of pure assistance and succour that we might bear fruits worthy of their Names. Blessed be the Name of Mary! Amen

Saint Thalassius the Libyan undertook the call of God to life as a hermit in the fifth century.
Thalassius is recorded to have entered into solitude at a young age near a village named Targala in Byzantine Syria. He is dwelt there living the ascetic life with no shelter for nearly forty years.
His was a soul filled with humbleness, simplicity and a gentle nature. God manifested in the saint the gifts of powerful intercession and healing for which he gained considerable renown.
In time, many came to join Thalassius in the eremitic life and he welcomed them as he would welcome Christ, building them cells with his own hands.
Saint Thalassius, Hermit of Syria is said to have died peacefully and is commemorated on 22 February.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 September – The log and the speck – Luke 6:39-42

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One Minute Reflection – 11 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Friday of the Twenty Third week in Ordinary Time, Readings: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22b-27, Psalms 84:3, 4, 5-6, 12, Luke 6:39-42

“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye and then you will see clearly, to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” … Luke 6:42

REFLECTION – “The Lord in this passage warns us against rash and unjust judgement. He wants us to act with a heart that is single and intent on God alone. Because there are many things about which, it would be rash to pass judgement, since we do not know with what kind of a heart they are done. For the most part, those who readily judge and condemn, are those who love to find fault and to condemn rather than to reprove and correct – and this is the vice of pride or envy. (…)

So if, for instance, someone sins through anger, you would reprove him through hatred. There is as much difference between anger and hatred, as there is between a speck and a beam. For hatred is an inveterate anger which, in time, has come to such a pitch that it may aptly be called a beam. Even though you are angry with someone, you may nevertheless wish them to amend. But if you hate someone, you cannot wish them to change for the better (…) First rid yourself of hatred, and then you will immediately be able to correct the person you love.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace – Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, 19,63

PRAYER – Lord God, in Your wisdom, You created us, in love. By Your providence, You rule us, in love. Penetrate our inmost being with the holy light of Your Son. Penetrate our hearts with the overwhelming love for Your love, so that we may weep in consolation. May the Light that is Jesus Christ our Lord, enlighten our hearts that we may see clearly the way we should tread. May the prayers of Your holy Angels, Martyrs, Saints and our Sorrowful Martyr Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, be our guiding inspiration. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever amen.

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRAYERS on FAITH, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Quote/s of the Day – 13 August – St Maximus the Confessor

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 August – The Memorial of St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Father of the Church

“For indeed, what is more dire
than the evils
which today afflict the world? …
What is more terrible for the discerning
than the unfolding events?
What is more pitiable and frightening
for those who endure them?
To see a barbarous people of the desert
overrunning another’s lands
as though they were their own,
to see civilisation itself, being ravaged
by wild and untamed beasts
whose form alone is human.”

for indeed what is more dire than the evils which today afflict the world_ - st maximus the confessor 13 aug 2020

“All the ends of the inhabited world …
look directly to the most holy Church
of the Romans and her confession
and faith as to a sun of eternal light,
receiving from her,
the radiant beam of the patristic and holy doctrines.”

all the ends of the inhabited world - st maximus the confessor 13 aug 2020

“Since He causes the darkness of ignorance
and the evil of men to vanish,
my Saviour and my God is called a lamp in Scripture.
And since He is the only one able to obliterate
the darkness of ignorance and disperse the shadows of sin,
He has become the way of salvation for all
… The lampstand is holy Church
because the Word of God shines out through her preaching.
This is how the beams of its truth
can enlighten the whole world…”

luke 8 18 take heed then how you hear - since he causes the darkness - st maximus the confessor 23 sept 2019

“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.”

to harbour no evy no anger no resentment - st maximus the confessor - 13 aug 2020

“He who busies himself
with the sins of others,
or judges his brother on suspicion,
has not yet even begun to repent
or to examine himself
so as to discover his own sins…”

he who busies himself with the sins of others - st maximus the confessor 13 aug 2020

“We adore one Son,
together with the Father
and the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning
before all time,
is now and ever shall be,
for all time
and for the time after time.
Amen!”

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

we adore one son together with the father - st maximus the confessor 13 aug 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2020, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on JUSTICE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 March – ‘O envious one, you injure yourself…’

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One Minute Reflection – 9 March – Monday of the Second Week of Lent, Year A, Readings: Daniel 9:4- 10, Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13, Luke 6:36-38 and the Memorial of St Pacian of Barcelona (c 310–391) Father of the Church.

“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 6:37-38luke 6 37-38 judge not and you will not be judged 9 march 2020

REFLECTION – “O envious one, you injure yourself more than he whom you would injure and the sword with which you wound will recoil and wound yourself.   What harm did Cain do to Abel?   Contrary to his intention he did him the greatest good, for he caused him to pass to a better and a blessed life and he himself was plunged into an abyss of woe.   In what did Esau injure Jacob?   Did not his envy prevent him from being enriched in the place in which he lived and, losing the inheritance and the blessing of his
father, did he not die a miserable death?   What harm did the brothers of Joseph do to Joseph, whose envy went so far as to wish to shed his blood?   Were they not driven to the last extremity and well-nigh perishing with hunger, whilst their brother reigned all through Egypt?   It is ever thus, the more you envy your brother, the greater good you confer upon him. God, who sees all, takes the cause of the innocent in hand and, irritated by the injury you inflict, deigns to raise up him whom you wish to lower and will punish you to the full extent of your crime.   If God usually punishes those who rejoice at the
misfortunes of their enemies, how much more will He punish those who, excited by envy, seek to do an injury to those who have never injured them?”… Saint John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Churchit is ever thus the more you envy your brother the greater good - st john chrysostom luke 6 36-38 9 march 2020

PRAYER – We beseech Your mercy Lord, let Your Spirit come upon us in power and fill us with His gifts, to render our minds and hearts pleasing to You and make us docile and merciful as Your Son has taught us.   May our Lord Jesus, Your Son, guide us and may the prayers of St Pacian of Barcelona teach us Your precepts.   Through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.st pacian of barcelona pray for us 9 march 2020

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY

Thought for the Day – 16 February – The Duties of Our State

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

The Duties of Our State

“Everyone finds himself in a certain position in life.
He may be there, either through force of circumstances, or, through somebody else’s desire, or through some secret inspiration from God,
In any case, each of us is in a certain place and God, either wills it or permits it.
We should not complain about our state in life.
No matter what that state is, we can either be saved or damned for all eternity.
In any position, we can do a great deal of good or a great deal of evil, according to the way in which we co-operate with the grace of God.
We should not envy the positions of others.
This would be unjust because, it would be tantamount to questioning the arrangements of Providence, which gives everyone the graces necessary, in his particular state.
It would also be injurious, insofar, as we should be worried and disturbed, instead of working peacefully and earnestly, in the place assigned to us by God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on HERESY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SIN, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY SPIRIT, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 January – ‘…Blasphemy against the Spirit…’

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One Minute Reflection – 27 January – Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time, Year A – Readings: 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10, Psalm 89:20-22, 25-26, Mark 3:22-30 and the Memorial of Blessed George Matulaitis MIC (1871-1927)

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”...Mark 3:22

REFLECTION – “It is characteristic of evildoers, stirred by envy, to shut their eyes as much as they can, to other people’s merits and when, overcome by the evidence, they cannot do so any longer, to depreciate or undervalue it.   Thus, when the crowd rejoiced in devotion and marvelled at the sight of Christ’s works, the scribes and Pharisees either closed their eyes to what they knew to be true, or minimised what is great, or undervalued what is good.   Once, for example, feigning ignorance, they said to Him who had worked so many wonderful signs: “What sign can you do that we may believe in you?” (Jn 6:30).   In this case, unable to blatantly deny the facts, they wickedly depreciate them… and they devalue them by saying:   “It is by Beelzebub, the prince of devils, that he casts out devils.”
Now this, dear brethren, is the blasphemy against the Spirit that binds all those he has seized with the bonds of an eternal sin.   This is not to say that it would be impossible for the repentant to gain forgiveness for it all if they “produce fruit as evidence of their repentance” (Lk 3:8).   The only thing is that, crushed beneath such a weight of malice, they lack the strength to aspire to that praiseworthy repentance worthy of forgiveness… Those who, perceiving the proofs of grace and the Holy Spirit at work in a brother…, are not afraid to undermine and calumniate and brashly ascribe to the evil spirit what they clearly know to be of the Holy Spirit, such as these have been so forsaken by this Spirit of grace, that they no longer even desire the repentance that would obtain pardon.   They are completely in the dark, blinded by their own malice.   Indeed, what could be more serious than to dare, out of envy for a brother one had been commanded to love as oneself (Mt 19:19), to blaspheme God’s goodness… and insult His majesty by wanting to discredit another?”…Isaac of Stella (c 1100-c.1171) O.Cist. Cistercian monkmark-3-22-he-is-possessed-by-beezlebub-it-is-charactiristic-isaac-of-stella-28-jan-2019 and 27 jan 2020

PRAYER – Lord, our God, keep us free from envy of others, for this is a poison that can destroy all community and love.   Help us to know that to each You have given gifts and all are Your wonder and made to honour You alone.   Help us to appreciate our neighbour’s talents and understand that we are all one in the Mystical Body of Your Son. Grant that by the prayers of Bl George Matulaitis, we may grow in love and sanctity.   We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.bl george matulaitis pray for us 27 jan 2020

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on GOSSIP, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 March – A divided household falls.

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One Minute Reflection – 28 March – Thursday of the Third Week of Lent, Year C, Luke Gospel – 11:14–23

“Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste and a divided household falls.”…Luke 11:17

REFLECTION – “But this episode contains an admonishment which is useful to all of us. Indeed, it can happen that deep envy of a person’s goodness and good works can drive one to falsely accuse him or her.   Here there is true, lethal poison, the malice with which, in a premeditated manner, one wants to destroy the good reputation of the other. May God free us from this terrible temptation!   And if, by examining our conscience, we realise that this weed is sprouting within us, let us go straight away to confess it in the Sacrament of Penance, before it grows and produces its evil effects, which are incurable. Be careful, because this attitude destroys families, friendships, communities and even society.”...Pope Francis – Angelus, 10 June 2018luke 11 17 every kingdom divided - indeed it can happen - pope francis - 28march2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord God, You love innocence of heart and when it is lost, You alone can restore it.   Turn then our hearts to You and kindle in them the fire of Your Spirit.   Lead us to purity of heart, that we may be true radiant lights of Christ and no longer spread the darkness of unkindness, jealousy, gossip and may we atone for our sins.   May Your Word take flesh in our lives and Your Truth shine forth in our actions.   Mary, Blessed and Merciful, the Refuge of Sinners, help us!   Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mary refuge of sinners pray for us 28 march 2019 ora pro nobis.jpg

Posted in PAPAL SERMONS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GOSSIP, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 18 February – “However, you killed at the beginning”

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Thought for the Day – 18 February – Monday of the Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, First Reading – Genesis 4:1-15

“Cain said to Abel his brother, “Let us go out to the field.”   And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.   Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”   He said, “I do not know;  am I my brother’s keeper?”   And the Lord said, “What have you done?   The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.   And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.   When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength;  you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” …Genesis 4:8-12

“Cain favoured instinct – he preferred to let this feeling stew inside him, festering and allowing it to grow. This sin, which he will later commit, which is couching behind the feeling, grows.

This, is how hostilities grow between you – they begin with something small – jealousy, envy and then this grows and I pull away from my brother, saying this person is not my brother, this one is an enemy, this one must be destroyed, driven away… and so people are destroyed -it is thus that animosity destroys families, populations, everything.   It is that eating away at you, that being constantly obsessed with that person.

No!… there is no brother.
It is just me;  there is no brotherhood – it is just me.
What happened at the beginning, can happen to all of us – it is a possibility. For this reason, it is a process which must be stopped immediately, at the beginning, at the first sign of bitterness.   It must be stopped, because bitterness is not Christian – pain, yes, bitterness no.
Indeed, resentment is not Christian – pain yes, resentment no.
Instead, how much hostility and how many cracks exist and it ends in a war that kills.

However, you killed at the beginning.   This is the process of blood and today the blood of many people in the world is crying to God from the ground.

And it is all connected – that blood has some connection, perhaps a small droplet of blood that I caused to ooze out with my envy and jealousy when I destroyed a brotherhood.”

Pope Francis – Santa Marta, 13 February 2017genesis 4 10 and the lord said what have you done - and it is all connected - pope francis 18 feb 2019.jpg

It is not enough to simply “follow the rules” and stay out of trouble.   If that is all we do then we are trying to achieve heaven by our own merits. God wants more from us than that.   God invites us into a relationship of friends and family, a relationship of love.   This type of relationship is a living, dynamic one.   To love Christ and to want to be near Him is to be crucified with Him.

It means standing up for the Truth even when it is unpopular.   It means finding time to pray.   It means that we stay faithful to the teachings of Jesus.   And it means that when we fail, we humbly confess our sins as we would apologise to a friend we have hurt, so that that relationship can be restored.   It means that we must reflect Christ to the whole world, so that when people look at us they do not see us, they see Christ.

But in the end that is what it means to live for Christ and not for ourselves, to love for Christ and not for ourselves, to give of ourselves for Christ!

Blessed Fra Angelico, you gave your all for Christ, please Pray for Us!bl fra angelico pray for us 18 feb 2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on SIN, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 January – Gospel: Mark 3:22-30

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One Minute Reflection – 29 January – Monday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Gospel: Mark 3:22-30 and The Memorial of St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”...Mark 3:22

REFLECTION – “It is characteristic of evildoers, stirred by envy, to shut their eyes as much as they can, to other people’s merits and when, overcome by the evidence, they cannot do so any longer, to depreciate or undervalue it.   Thus, when the crowd rejoiced in devotion and marvelled at the sight of Christ’s works, the scribes and Pharisees either closed their eyes to what they knew to be true, or minimised what is great, or undervalued what is good.   Once, for example, feigning ignorance, they said to Him who had worked so many wonderful signs:  “What sign can you do that we may believe in you?” (Jn 6:30).   In this case, unable to blatantly deny the facts, they wickedly depreciate them… and they devalue them by saying: “It is by Beelzebub, the prince of devils, that he casts out devils.”
Now this, dear brethren, is the blasphemy against the Spirit that binds all those he has seized with the bonds of an eternal sin.   This is not to say that it would be impossible for the repentant to gain forgiveness for it all if they “produce fruit as evidence of their repentance” (Lk 3:8).   The only thing is that, crushed beneath such a weight of malice, they lack the strength to aspire to that praiseworthy repentance worthy of forgiveness… Those who, perceiving the proofs of grace and the Holy Spirit at work in a brother…, are not afraid to undermine and calumniate and brashly ascribe to the evil spirit what they clearly know to be of the Holy Spirit, such as these have been so forsaken by this Spirit of grace, that they no longer even desire the repentance that would obtain pardon.   They are completely in the dark, blinded by their own malice.   Indeed, what could be more serious than to dare, out of envy for a brother one had been commanded to love as oneself (Mt 19:19), to blaspheme God’s goodness… and insult his majesty by wanting to discredit another?”...Isaac of Stella (c 1100-c.1171) O.Cist. Cistercian monkmark 3 22 - he is possessed by beezlebub - it is charactiristic - isaac of stella 28 jan 2019

PRAYER – Lord, our God, keep us free from envy of others, for this is a poison that can destroy all community and love.   Help us to know that to each You have given gifts and all are Your wonder and made to honour You alone.   Help us to appreciate our neighbour’s talents and understand that we are all one in the Mystical Body of Your Son. And since it was by Your gift that St Thomas became so great a saint and theologian, give us grace to understand his teaching and follow his way of life.   May his great love for Jesus Crucified and his pure adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, be our guide to follow in Your Son’s footsteps and take up our cross and follow Him.   Grant that by the prayers of St Thomas, we may grow in love and sanctity.   We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.st thomas aquinas pray for us no 2- corpus christi - 28 jan 2019..jpg