Category: QUOTES on GRATITUDE

Posted in GOD ALONE!, HUMILITY-Fr Richard Clarke, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL

Thought for the Day – 19 July –Humility under Failures

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Thought for the Day – 19 July – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

HUMILITY
Meditations for a Month

Humility under Failures

It may seem comparatively easy to be humble when we fail and are disappointed but, in fact, it is a very difficult task.
Failures wound our pride and wounded pride, is wont to resent the smart. Either anger, rage, or a desire for revenge on those who have caused our failure supervenes, or else, we are utterly cast down and dispirited and ready to give up all further effort.
Ask yourself how failures affect you.

Yet, even when they are not borne altogether as they should be, failures are very useful to the soul. Under their influence, we can scarcely keep from having a lower opinion of ourselves and learning the necessary lesson of endurance of that which we dislike. It yields, almost without any co-operation on our part, the peaceable fruit of justice, to those who are exercised thereby (Hebrews 12:11).
Although failure may bring out evil tendencies which are more powerful to us and of which we cannot help being conscious, yet the unconscious pride which success engenders, is far more dangerous to the soul.
Thank God, then, for your failures!

What would be our spirit under failure or apparent failure?
+++ We must not be cast down or dispirited but begin again cheerily.
+++ We must beware of blaming others who have caused or contributed to it.
+++ We must attribute it to our own defects or to the just judgement of God, punishing our sins in the past.
+++ We must thank God for it, offer it up to Him and beg that it may make us more humble.
+++ We must remember that, for those who love God, there is no failure!
All is success under the guise of failure, for, to those who love God, all things work together for good. Amen!

Posted in HUMILITY-Fr Richard Clarke, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, SELF-DISTRUST

Thought for the Day – 17 July – Humility under Correction

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Thought for the Day – 17 July – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

HUMILITY
Meditations for a Month

Humility under Correction

To be forced to recognise defects in ourselves, is always painful to human nature. We should like to think ourselves perfect, or at any rate, free from any very serious faults. In spite of all our efforts, the knowledge of our many imperfections and blemishes, thrusts itself upon us and the difference between the man of goodwill and the lover of self is, that one turns himself with all his energy to cure his defects and, the other, seeks to palliate them, excuse them and hide them, as best he can from himself and others.

One of the best means of exterminating our faults, is to be told of them by others. Here again, another signal difference is seen between the proud man and the humble. The one is grateful for the correction and turns at once to avail himself of it. The other, resents it and is more inclined to think how he can revenge himself on his reprover, than how he may remedy his own defect.
Judged by this test, am I among the proud or the humble? When reproved, is my first impulse vexation and anger, or sorrow and a wish to amend?

There is still another test.
The proud sometimes avail themselves of a reproof and correct their faults because of that reproof. Yet, they seek to conceal from their reprover, the fact that they are following his counsel. They will not acknowledge, that they are being guided by the reprover.
Those who are truly humble, rejoice in letting others see that they are adopting their advice in submitting themselves to reproof, with gratitude, as coming from God and as a favour bestowed on them.
Can I stand this test?

Posted in CHARITY - Fr Richard Clarke SJ, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FRIENDSHIP, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD

Thought for the Day – 14 July – Charity, a Love of Friendship

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Thought for the Day – 14 July – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

CHARITY
Meditations for a Month

Charity, a Love of Friendship

Charity is primarily a love for God and a love of friendship which is the highest kind of love.
All true friendship implies that the love exists on both sides. Men are not friends unless each of them possesses and recognises the love of the other.
If we are really the friends of God, we shall recognise His Love and find, in all which happens to us, a proof of His Love and Friendship, not complaining nor wishing He had acted otherwise but, being fully convinced that He never does anything, nor permits anything which is not intended for our good.
Until we do this, our friendship is an imperfect one.

Friendship also requires that we declare our love to God. He knows if we have declared our love for Him and the exact degree in which it is present in our hearts. However, He likes to listen to our assurance of the love we bear Him. Our love is prone to wax cold unless it finds expression in words and, it is a pleasure to those who are close friends, to share their mutual sentiments of friendship. God does not spare, in His written Word, to give us the strongest assurances of His undying love to man.
Do we in return, assure Him of our grateful love for Him, the best and dearest Friend we have in Heaven or on earth?!

Whatever words we use, they cannot surpass God’s Messages of Love to us. He says, ‘if a woman can forget the son of her womb, He will not forget us‘ (Isaias 49:1). He says ‘He loves us so dearly that He spared not even His own Son but delivered Him up for us‘ (Romans 8:32) and, therefore, can ‘refuse us nothing for which we ask.’ (John 16:23,24)
What have we to say to Him, as a counterpart of loving words like these?

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOOD FRIDAY, INGRATITUDE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 July – ‘ … While He is judged, Wisdom remains silent and the Word says nothing. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 1 July – “The Feast and Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Hebrews 9:11-15,; John 19:30-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But one of the soldiers opened His side with a lance and immediately there came forth, Blood and water.” – John 19:34

REFLECTION – “Today the Cross is advancing, creation exults. The Cross, path for those who have gone astray, hope of Christians, the Apostles’ preaching, security of the universe, foundation of the Church, fountain for those who are thirsty… In great gentleness, Jesus is led to the Passion – He is brought to Pilate’s judgement seat; at the sixth hour, people mock Him; until the ninth hour, He bears the pain of the nails, then His Death ends His Passion. At the twelfth hour, He is taken down from the Cross. You could say, He is a sleeping lion …

While He is judged, Wisdom remains silent and the Word says nothing. His enemies despise and Crucify Him … Those, to whom yesterday, He gave His Body as food, watch from a distance as He dies. Peter, the first of the Apostles, is the first to flee. Andrew also took flight and John, who rested at His side, did not prevent the soldier from piercing that side with a lance. The Twelve fled – they did not say one word in His favour, they, for whom He is giving His Life. Lazarus is not there, he, whom He called back to life. The blind man did not weep for Him Who opened his eyes to the light and the crippled man, who could walk thanks to Him, did not run to Him.

Only a bandit who was crucified next to Him confessed Him and called Him his King! O thief, precocious blossom from the tree of the Cross, first fruit of the wood from Golgotha! … The Lord reigns, creation rejoices. The Cross triumphs and all nations, tribes, languages and peoples (Apoc 7:9) come to adore Him … The Cross gives Light to the whole universe, it chases away the darkness and gathers the nations … into one single Church, one single Faith, one single Baptism in charity. It stands at the centre of the world and is made firm on Calvary.” – St Ephrem (306-373) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homily attributed to St Ephrem from the Lectionary).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who made Thine Only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and, willed to be reconciled by His Blood, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to worship in this Sacred rite the price of our salvation and to be so protected, by its power against the evils of the present life on earth, that we may enjoy its everlasting fruit in Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Aspiration:  Precious Blood, ocean of Divine Mercy, Flow upon us.

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SELF-DISTRUST, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 7 May – Concerning Sensible Devotion and Dryness (Part Three)

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Thought for the Day – 7 May – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

Final Remarks on Prayer and the Combat
LIX: … Concerning Sensible Devotion and Dryness
(Part Three)

“If the multitudes of those, who profess piety would measure advancement in the spiritual life by this true standard [see Part Two], rather than by the saccharine effervescences of a purely sensible devotion, they would be deceived, neither by the devil, nor by themselves; nor would they be so abominably ungrateful as to murmur against their Lord and unjustly complain of the gift He bestows upon them.
For such situations in which the virtue of patience may be developed and strengthened, are truly gifts.
On the contrary, these multitudes would exert themselves in serving Him with greater fidelity than ever, being convinced that He permits
everything for the greater advancement of His glory and our salvation.

There is another dangerous illusion to which women especially are frequently subject, detesting vice as they do and being sedulously watchful in avoiding occasions of sin.
At times, as they are molested by impure and frightful thoughts and even loathsome visions, they become despondent, thinking that God has forsaken them.
They cannot conceive of the Holy Ghost dwelling in a soul filled with impure thoughts and imagine themselves inevitably banished from the Divine Presence.

Being thus disheartened, they are ready to despair and half-conquered by the temptation, they think of forsaking their exercises of devotion entirely and returning to Egypt.
Blind as they are, they do not see God’s goodness in permitting them to be tempted as a preventive measure against human negligence and also, a coercive measure designed to bring prodigal man to closer union with his loving Father.
Actually, therefore, it is most thoughtless for them to complain, of that which should occasion their unceasing gratitude!

On such occasions, we should consider well the perverse propensities of our wounded nature.
For God, Who knows best what is to our ultimate advantage, would make us aware that, of ourselves, we tend to nothing but sin and, when unaided by Him, fall into innumerable miseries.

After this, we must cultivate within ourselves a loving confidence in His Divine Mercy, realising that since He has been pleased to open our eyes to our danger, He also wishes to free us from it and join us to Himself in prayer and confidence – for this, we owe Him our most humble gratitude and thanksgiving.

To revert again to those vile thoughts which are involuntary – it is certain that they are put to flight, much sooner, by a patient resignation to the anxiety they occasion and, a speedy application of the mind, to something else, than by a tumultuous and overanxious resistance.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/05/05/thought-for-the-day-5-may-concerning-sensible-devotion-and-dryness-part-one/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/05/06/thought-for-the-day-6-may-concerning-sensible-devotion-and-dryness-part-two/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, HOLY SATURDAY, INGRATITUDE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The SEVEN LAST WORDS of CHRIST, The SEVEN PASSION Feasts

Thought for the Day – 30 March – The Death of our Saviour

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

The Death of our Saviour

“Jesus had now come to the last morning of His earthly life.
The Blood had been drained from His Body as a result of His fatal Wounds and He felt a great thirst, “I thirst,” He murmured in a weak voice.
He expressed in these words, not only His physical thirst but also, His spiritual thirst for souls.
He had given everything for the eternal salvation of men, yet, He realised with Divine foresight, that many would refuse to co-operate with His infinite love,
His thirst was a burning love for us and it was answered, on the physical level, by the vinegar which was given to Him to drink and in the moral order, by our ingratitude.

Seeing that His mission was fulfilled with His last breath, Jesus entrusted His soul to His Heavenly Father, “Father, into Thy Hands, I commend My spirit” (Lk 23:46).
Then, in order to show that His Death was voluntary, He cried out in a loud Voice, “It is consummated!” (Jn 19:30).
Jesus was dead!

Let us prostrate ourselves before His lifeless Body covered with sores and furrowed with blood.
Let us vow, never to offend Him again.
Let us give Him our minds, our hearts, our souls, our whole being.
Let us love Him more and more!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/14/thought-for-the-day-14-april-the-death-of-our-saviour/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/03/thought-for-the-day-3-april-the-death-of-our-saviour/

Posted in QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), QUOTES on Will (Sensual or Inferior), SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 24 January – Of the Diverse Wills in Man and the Warfare Between Them (Part Two)

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Thought for the Day – 24 January – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

The Third Weapon
of the Spiritual Combat

XII: … Of the Diverse Wills in Man
and the Warfare Between Them (Part Two)

“But let no-one imagine it possible to persevere in the exercise of true Christian virtues, or to serve God as He ought to be served, unless he will, in good earnest, do violence to himself and endure the pain of parting with all pleasant things whatsoever, whether great or small, around which his earthly affections are entwined!

Hence it is that so few attain to perfection; for after having, with much toil, overcome the greater vices, they will not persevere in doing violence to themselves, by struggling against the promptings of self-will and an infinity of lesser desires.
They grow weary of so unremitting a struggle; they suffer these insignificant enemies to prevail against them and so to acquire an absolute mastery over their hearts!

To this class belong men who, if they do not take what belongs to others, cleave with inordinate affection, to that which is lawfully their own.
If they do not obtain honours by unlawful means, yet they do not, as they should, shun them but, on the contrary, cease not to desire and sometimes, even to seek them in various ways.
If they observe fasts of obligation, yet they do not mortify their palate in the matter of superfluous eating, or the indulgence in delicate morsels.
If they live continently, yet they do not renounce many indulgences which much impede union with God and the growth of the spiritual life and which, as they are very dangerous, even to the holiest persons, and most dangerous to those, who fear them least, should be as much as possible avoided by all.
Hence all their good works are performed in a lukewarm spirit and accompanied by much self-seeking, by many lurking impefections, by a certain kind of self-esteem and by a desire to be praised and valued by the world.

Such persons not only fail to make any progress in the way of salvation but rather, go backwards and are, therefore, in danger of relapsing into their former sins because they have no love of true holiness and show little gratitude to their Lord, Who rescued them from the tyranny of the devil.

They are, moreover, too blind and ignorant to see the peril in which they stand and so, falsely persuade themselves, of their own security.
And here we discover a delusion which is the more dangerous because, it is little apprehended.

Many who aspire to the spiritual life, unconsciously love themselves far more than they ought to do and, therefore, practice for the most part, those exercises which suit their taste and neglect others, which touch to the quick those natural inclinations and sensual appetites, against which they ought, in all reason, to direct the full strength of the battle.

Therefore, I exhort and counsel you, to be in love with pain and difficulty — for they will bring with them, that which is the end and object of the whole struggle — victory over self!

The more deeply you shall be in love with the difficulties encountered by beginners in virtue and in war, the surer and the speedier shall be the victory and, if your love be to the difficult and the toilsome struggle, rather than to the victory and the virtue to be attained, you shall, the more speedily obtain, all you desire!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/01/23/thought-for-the-day-23-january-of-the-diverse-wills-in-man-and-the-warfare-between-them/

Posted in OUR Cross, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, St Francis de Sales, The HEART, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 17 January – O My God, I Thank Thee

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Our Morning Offering – 17 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”

O My God, I Thank Thee
An Act of Abandonment
to the Divine Will
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

O my God, I thank Thee
and I praise Thee
for accomplishing Thy Holy and all-lovable Will
without any regard for mine.
With my whole heart,
in spite of my heart,
do I receive this cross I feared so much!
It is the cross of Thy choice,
the cross of Thy Love.
I venerate it;
nor for anything in the world
would I wish it had not come,
since Thou hast willed it.
I keep it with gratitude and with joy,
as I do everything which comes from Thy Hand
and I shall strive to carry it
without letting it drag,
with all the respect
and all the affection
which Thy works deserve.
Amen.

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, INGRATITUDE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The DIVINE INFANT, THE EPIPHANY of the LORD, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 January – ‘For they are dead who sought the life of the Child.’ Matthew 2:20

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One Minute Reflection – 5 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”– Vigil of the Epiphany – Galatians 4:1-7, Matthew 2:19-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Arise and take the Child and His Mother and go into the land of Israel. For they are dead who sought the life of the Child.” – Matthew 2:20

REFLECTION – “My dear Jesus, Thou art the King of Heaven
but now I behold Thee as an Infant wandering over the earth –
tell me, whom dost Thou seek?
I pity Thee when I see Thee, so poor and humbled but I pity Thee more when I see Thee treated with such ingratitude by the same men whom Thou came to save. Thou dost weep but I also weep because I have been one of those, who in times past, have despised and persecuted Thee. But now I value Thy grace more than all the kingdoms of the world; forgive me, O my Jesus, all the evil I have committed against Thee and permit me to carry Thee always in my heart during the journey of my life to eternity, even as Mary carried Thee in her arms during the flight into [and return from] Egypt.” – St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church”

PRAYER – O Almighty and everlasting God, do Thou order all our actions in conformity with Thy good pleasure that through the name of Thy well-beloved Son, we may worthily abound in all good works. Through the same Jesus 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 DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the POOR, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The SEVEN LAST WORDS of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 December – ‘ … We do not even belong to ourselves! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 6 December – St Nicholas (270-343) Confessor, Bishop – Hebrews 13:7-17; Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“To one He gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then, he went away, immediately …” – Matthew 25:15

REFLECTION – “What do thou have that thou hast not received?” St Paul says to us (1 Cor 4:7). So, let us not be greedy of our goods, as though they belonged to us …They have been entrusted to our care; we have the use of a wealth in common, not the eternal possession of a personal good. If you acknowledge that this good is yours only for a time here below, you will be able to gain a possession in Heaven which will never end. Remember the servants in the Gospel who had received some talents from their master and what the master, on his return, rendered to each of them. You will then understand that to place your money on the Lord’s table, to make it bear fruit, is far more profitable, than to preserve it in fruitless faithfulness without its returning anything back to its creditor, to the great loss of the useless servant whose punishment will be all the more heavy …

Let us then lend to the Lord, the goods we have received from Him. Indeed, we possess nothing which is not a gift from the Lord and we exist only because He wills it! What is there we could think of as our own, since, by reason of an enormous and exceptional debt, we do not even belong to ourselves! For God created us but He has also redeemed us. Let us be thankful, then; redeemed at great price, the price of the Lord’s Blood, we are no longer worthless things … Let us return to the Lord what He has given us. Let us give to Him, Who receives in the person of every poor man. Let us give with joy that we may receive from Him in gladness, as He has promised!” – St Paulinus of Nola (354-431) Bishop, Father of the Church (Letter 34: 2-4).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who made the holy Bishop Nicholas renowned for countless miracles, grant, we beseech Thee that by his merits and prayers, we may be saved from the fires of hell. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 November – St Catherine Labouré

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 November – St Catherine Labouré DC (1806-1876) Visionary of the Miraculous Medal

“When I go to the Chapel,
I place myself before the good God and I say to Him:
‘Lord, I am here.
Tell me what Thou would have me do.’
If He gives me some task I am content and I thank Him.
If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him
Since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that,
and then, I tell God everything that is in my heart.
I tell hHm about my pains and my joys and then I listen.
… God always speaks to you
when you approach Him plainly and simply.”

More:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/28/quote-s-of-the-day-28-november-st-catherine-laboure-and-our-lady/

St Catherine Labouré (1806-1876)
Visionary of the Miraculous Medal

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on ZEAL, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 November – St Dominic and his OPs

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 November – The Feast of All Saints of the Order of Preacher

“A man who governs his passions
is master of his world.
We must either command them
or be enslaved by them.
It is better to be a hammer than an anvil!”

“Arm yourself with prayer
instead of a sword;
be clothed with humility
instead of fine raiment.”

St Dominic OP (1170-1221) Confessor

Guide Me Lord
By St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Who seeks those who stray
and receives them when returning,
make me approach Thee
through the frequent hearing of Thy Word,
lest I sin against my neighbour,
by the blindness of human judgement,
through the austerity of false justice,
through comparing his inferior status,
through too much trust in my merits
or through ignorance of the Divine Judgement.
Guide me to search diligently,
each corner of my conscience,
lest the flesh dominate the spirit!
Amen

“Christ said that the shepherd
enters through the gate
and that He is Himself the Gate,
as well as the Shepherd.
Then, it is necessary,
that He enter through Himself.
By so doing, He reveals Himself
and through Himself, He knows the Father.
But we enter through Him
because through Him. we find happiness.”

St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus
Doctor Communis

“Speak the truth in a million voices.
It is silence that kills!”

“You are rewarded,
not according to your work,
or your time
but according to the measure
of your love.”

“Embrace, then, Jesus Crucified,
raising to Him the eyes of your desire!
Consider His burning love for you
which made Jesus pour out His Blood
from every part of His body!
Embrace Jesus Crucified,
loving and beloved and in Him,
you will find true life because He is God made Man.
Let your heart and your soul burn
with the fire of love drawn from Jesus on the Cross!
… You will have no other desire than to follow Jesus!
Run, … do not stay asleep
because time flies and does not wait one moment!
Dwell in God’s sweet love!”

St Catherine of Sienna (1347-1380)
Doctor of the Church

“Those with pride
are not Christ’s sheep
but the devil’s goats!”

St Vincent Ferrer OP 1350-1419)

“Apart from the cross
there is no other ‘ladder’
by which we might get to Heaven.”

St Rose of Lima OP (1586-1617)

Grant me, O my God
By St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)

Good Jesus,
let me be penetrated with love
to the very marrow of my bones,
with fear and respect toward Thee.
Let me burn with zeal for Thy honour,
so that I may deeply resent,
all the outrages committed against Thee,
especially those of which,
I myself have been guilty.
Grant further, O my God,
that I may humbly adore
and acknowledge Thee,
as my Creator and penetrated with gratitude
for all Thy benefits,
I may never cease to render Thee thanksgiving.
Grant that I may bless Thee in all things,
praise and glorify Thee,
with a heart full of joy and gladness
and obeying Thee with docility
in every respect, I may one day,
despite my ingratitude and unworthiness,
be seated at Thine table
together with Thine Holy Angels and Apostles,
to enjoy ineffable delights for all eternity!
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-november-st-dominic-and-friends-ops/

Posted in CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PURGATORY, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, The HOLY SOULS, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 2 November – “Purgatory”

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Thought for the Day – 2 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Purgatory”

“Purgatory is the masterpiece of God’s justice and mercy.
St John tells us in the Apocalypse, that nothing defiled can enter into the Heavenly Jerusalem (Apoc 21:27).

There are very few, however, who are privileged to arrive at the supreme moment of death, still wearing their Baptismal robe of innocence.
Even the just man falls very often as the Holy Spirit warns us (Prov 24:16).
We all possess many failings and have been guilty of many sins, either mortal or venial.
It is true, that we can obtain forgiveness by penance and by receiving the Sacraments but, there still remains the temporal punishment due to our sins.
Neither the small penances imposed by the confessor, nor our own tiny acts of voluntary mortification, are sufficient to satisfy our debt.
We cannot be certain, moreover, that we shall be able, at the hour of our death, to cleanse ourselves of all our sins, by means of one good Confession.
Even if we appear before the judgement seat of God without any grave faults, there will still, unfortunately, be many debts to be paid and many imperfections to be purified.

What then will happen to us?
The justice of God cannot admit us, imperfect and defiled as we are, into the everlasting happiness of the Beatific Vision.
Will He reject us, therefore, even as He rejects those who die in mortal sin and are condemned to eternal punishment?
This is unthinkable, for the mercy of God is as infinite as His justice.
And so, there is Purgatory, where the souls of those who have died in the state of grace but, still scarred with imperfections and burdened with debts to be paid, can find a way of purifying themselves and, of making themselves worthy of an everlasting reward.

Let us thank God for this gift, the last link in the chain of His mercies, which enables us to prepare ourselves for our entry into the Beatific Vision.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, INGRATITUDE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, ROSARY QUOTES, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The LORD'S PRAYER, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Thought for the Day – 23 October – “Forgive Us Our Debts”

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Forgive Us Our Debts”

“Finally, we owe God a great deal on account of our sins.
Unfortunately, our only return for God’s continual favours, has been negligence, ingratitude and sin!
How many failings we have been guilty of throughout our lives?
Since it is an offence against God, Who is infinitely good and amiable, even venial sin cannot properly be atoned for by the merits of all the Angels and of all the Saints of Heaven.
Therefore, it was necessary for the Son of God, made Man, to offer Himself as a Victim of Expiation, on our behalf.

Remembering His infinite merits, we should humbly ask God – ‘forgive us our debts.‘ that is, our many sins and failings and, whatever punishment is owing to us, for every sin demands some expiation, either in this life or in the next!

Meanwhile, we should accept, with resignation, all the sufferings which God sends us in reparation for our sins and, we should promise never to offend Him again.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/22/thought-for-the-day-22-october-forgive-us-our-debts/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/23/thought-for-the-day-23-october-forgive-us-our-debts/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, GOOD FRIDAY, INGRATITUDE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, REDEMPTIVE Suffering, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Thought for the Day – 13 October – The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery – The Crucifixion

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Thought for the Day – 13 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery
The Crucifixion

“At last, Jesus reaches Calvary, breathless and reduced to utter exhaustion.
The instrument of torture is taken from Him and laid upon the ground.
Our divine Redeemer suffers acute pain as Her is again stripped of His garments, which have stuck to His wounds.
Now, He is stretched, an innocent victim, on the altar of sacrifice, the Cross.
One of the executioners grasps His hand, pierces it with a large nail and attaches it to the wood.
Then, he does the same with the other hand and with the two feet.
His Mother is close at hand.
She feels in her heart the blows of the hammer which lacerate the living flesh of Jesus.
Jesus remains silent “as a meek lamb that is carried to be a victim” (Jer 11:19).

Now, the executioners raise up the Cross and fix it in the hold already prepared for it.
The shock of this impact sends a shudder of terrible pain through the Victim’s members and entire frame.
Behold Him now, suspended between Heaven and earth, the Mediator between God and humanity, the Victim of Expiation for the innumerable sins of men.

Come near to the Cross and kiss the bloodstained feet.
While the Jews are insulting Him and most of the Apostles have abandoned Him, let us tell Him how much we love Him.
Let us tell Him of our sorrow for our sins and of our determination to make amends for our faults and for our ingratitude, by living in accordance with His teachings and example.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OUR Cross, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, ROSARY QUOTES, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 12 October – The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery – The Road to Calvary

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery
The Road to Calvary

“Scourged, crowned with thorns and derided, Jesus is finally condemned to death.
Burdened with the Cross, He sets out for the place of execution in the midst of a crowd of enemies, blasphemers and idle speculators.
Among them , there is only a tiny group which sympathises with Jesus, namely, Mary His Mother, the devout women and the beloved Apostle, St John.

The divine Redeemer goes forward laboriously beneath the heavy weight of the Cross.
He has already lost a large quantity of blood in Gethsemane and during the scourging and crowning with thorns.
His strength seems to be failing but love sustains Him.
Looking feebly around Him, He sees the mocking Jews, the indifferent and disrespectful Roman soldiers and a throng of curious spectators looking for something to amuse them.
Is there nobody else?
Where are those whom He cured miraculously and those whom He comforted and forgave?
Has nobody any pity for Him?
Suddenly the crowd falls silent.
A woman, pale and tearful, is approaching Him, supported by her friends.
She defies the commands of soldiers and the scowls of the executions and comes close to Him.

Here and there, a murmur is heard – It must be His Mother, poor woman!
Jesus and Mary gaze at one another.
It would be impossible for us to guess at the immense depths of love contained in that loving exchange of glances.
Neither utters a word, for no words could express their anguish, nor manifest their love.
They look and understand one another, offering themselves as a holocaust for the redemption of wayward humanity.

Nevertheless, in this silent meeting, there was great consolation for the Heart of Jesus, for He had found someone who loved and understood Him, amongst those malicious throngs.
Why do we not sympathise with Him too and love Him with all our hearts?”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL

Our Morning Offering – 12 October – Sweet Angel of Mercy!

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Our Morning Offering – 12 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels”

Sweet Angel of Mercy!
By Fr Edward Caswell C.Orat. (1814-1878)

Sweet Angel of mercy!
By Heaven’s decree
Benignly appointed
To watch over me!
Without thy protection,
So constant and nigh,
I could not well live;
I should tremble to die.

All thanks for thy love,
Dear companion and friend!
Oh may it continue
With me to the end!
Oh cease not to keep me,
Blest guide of my youth,
In the ways of religion
And virtue and truth.

Support me in weakness,
My spirit inflame;
Defend me in danger,
Secure me from shame,
That safe from temptation,
Or sudden surprise,
I may mount the straight path
That ascends to the skies.

When Satan his snares
For my ruin shall lay,
Be thou, gentle comrade,
My comfort and stay
And in every event
Which may happen to me,
Make all my desires
With thine to agree.

When I wander in error,
My footsteps recall,
Remove from my path
What might cause me to fall.
Preserve me from sin
And in all that I do,
May God and His glory
Be ever in view.

O thou who didst witness
My earliest breath,
Be with me, I pray,
In the hour of death.
Console me in sadness,
Refresh me in pain
And teach me how best
I may mercy obtain.

That, cleansed by confession
Complete and sincere,
From every defilement
Afflicting me here,
All glowing with love,
I may gladly depart.
With faith on my lips
And with hope in my heart.

Nor then do thou leave me,
Angelical friend!
But at the tribunal
Of Judgement attend
And cease not to plead
For my soul, till, forgiven,
Thou bear it aloft
To the Palace of Heaven!

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, ROSARY QUOTES

Thought for the Day – 4 October – The Second Joyful Mystery – Mary’s Visit to St Elizabeth

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Second Joyful Mystery
Mary’s Visit to St Elizabeth

“But are we as grateful to God as we ought to be!
Do we correspond with His graces?
Are we prepared to make any sacrifice in order to share with others the gifts with which He has enriched us?

Let us remember that gratitude is a virtue which is very pleasing to God and draws down on us other graces and gifts.

In his panegyric on Trajan, the younger Pliny observes that the best means of soliciting new favours, is to show gratitude for those which we have already received.
On the other hand, as St Bernard points out, ingratitude is like a scorching wind, which dries up the dew of Divine Mercy (Sermon 5 in Cant).
Let us be grateful to God, therefore and do our best to share with others the gifts which we have received.
“Because He Who is mighty has done great things for me and Holy is His Name!” (Lk 1:46-55).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/04/thought-for-the-day-4-october-the-second-joyful-mystery-marys-visit-to-st-elizabeth/

Posted in "Follow Me", ArchAngels and Angels, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING

One Minute Reflection – 2 October – See, I am sending My Angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. – Exodus 23:20

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One Minute Reflection – 2 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels – Exodus 23:20-23; Matthew 18:1-10 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“See, I am sending My Angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you, to the place I have prepared.” – Exodus 23:20

REFLECTION – “To His Angels He has given command about you that they guard you in all your ways” (Ps 90:11). What respect these words should arouse in you, to what fervour they should give birth, what trust they should inspire! Respect on account of their presence, fervour on account of their watchfulness, trust on account of their vigilance… They are there at your side, then, not just with you but for you. They stand beside you to protect and help you. What return will you make to the Lord for all the good He has done for you? (Ps 115:31). It is to Him, alone, we should give thanks and honour for their aid; it is He, Who has commanded them. “Every perfect gift,” (Jas 1:17) comes from Him alone. But we are, on no account, to fail in thanksgiving regarding the Angels, in view of the great charity, with which they obey Him and the great need we have of their assistance!

So let us be full of respect and thanksgiving for such vigilance on their part; let us love them in return and honour them as best we are able, as much as we ought… In God, let us love the Angels, knowing that one day we shall be sharers in the inheritance and that between then and now, the Father allows and arranges that they may be our guides and instructors. For “we are God’s children now” even though it has not yet been clearly revealed, (1 Jn 3:2) since we are still children subject to stewards and tutors and, for the present, we seem no different from servants.

Nevertheless, small though we be and long and dangerous though the road may be which remains for us to travel, what do we have to fear under so good a guardian?… The Angels are faithful, wise and powerful – what have we to fear? Let us only follow them and hold fast to them and we shall abide under the protection of the God of Heaven!” – St Bernard (1090-1153) Cistercian Abbot, called the Last Father and the Doctor of Light of the Church (12th sermon on Psalm 90).

PRAYER – O God, Who in Thy wondrous providence graciously send Thy Angels to watch over us, grant that we, who pray to Thee maybe ever under their protection and may rejoice in their unending companionship. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, The HEART

Our Morning Offering – 26 September – St Vincent Ferrer’s Prayer of Petition, Grant Me, O My God

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Our Morning Offering – 26 September – “Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross”

Grant me, O my God
By St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)

Good Jesus,
let me be penetrated with love
to the very marrow of my bones,
with fear and respect toward Thee.
Let me burn with zeal for Thy honour,
so that I may deeply resent,
all the outrages committed against Thee,
especially those of which,
I myself have been guilty.
Grant further, O my God,
that I may humbly adore
and acknowledge Thee,
as my Creator and penetrated with gratitude
for all Thy benefits,
I may never cease to render Thee thanksgiving.
Grant that I may bless Thee in all things,
praise and glorify Thee,
with a heart full of joy and gladness
and obeying Thee with docility
in every respect, I may one day,
despite my ingratitude and unworthiness,
be seated at Thine table
together with Thine Holy Angels and Apostles,
to enjoy ineffable delights for all eternity!
Amen

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 5 September – I Am Not Able

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

I Am Not Able

“The last question which we must ask ourselves, is the most difficult.
Should we choose honour or humiliation?
It is very difficult in this case to say to God: “Thy will be done.”
Yet, say it we must!

If honour, high position and success redound t0 the glory of God and to our spiritual advantage, then, let us accept them with humble gratitude.
But, if Divine Providence ordains that it is better for us to be humiliated and forgotten, we must accept this with cheerful resignation.
“Do with me what Thou will, O Lord,” we should pray.

“Grant me whatever pleases Thee, sickness or health, poverty or riches, honour or disgrace.”
We must always accept the will of God simply because, we love Him and wish to serve Him more faithfully.
Let us perform all our actions for His glory, for our eternal salvation and for the salvation of all mankind!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/05/thought-for-the-day-5-september-i-am-not-able/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/16/thought-for-the-day-16-january-i-am-not-able/

Posted in "Follow Me", INGRATITUDE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OUR Cross, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Thought for the Day – 5 August – THE CRUCIFIX

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

THE CRUCIFIX

“Let us weep for our sins and increase in love for our Divine Redeemer.
When we are oppressed by the weight of our own cross, we shall look at the Crucifix and find comfort.
When we are tempted, we shall grasp the Crucifix and turn away with horror from thoughts of sin and ingratitude.

The Crucifix will teach us, as it taught the Saints, the lesson of charity towards God and towards our neighbour.
It will teach us to hate sin and to love virtue.
If we cherish it during life, it will be our consolation to kiss the Crucifix at the moment of death.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/04/thought-for-the-day-4-august-the-crucifix/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/09/25/thought-for-the-day-25-september-the-crucifix/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on VOCATIONS, The HEART, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 19 July – St Vincent de Paul

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 July – St Vincent de Paul CM (1581-1660) Confessor, “Holy Hero of Divine Charity.”

“If God is the centre of your life,
no words are necessary.
Your mere presence will touch hearts!”

“We should strive to keep our hearts open
to the sufferings and wretchedness of others
and pray continually,
that God may grant us that spirit of compassion
which is truly the Spirit of God.”

“We should spend as much time,
in thanking God for His benefits,
as we do, in asking Him for them!”

“Perfection consists in one thing alone
which is doing the will of God.
For, according to Our Lord’s words,
it suffices for perfection to deny self,
to take up the cross and to follow Him.
Now, who denies himself and takes up his cross
and follows Christ better than he, who seeks
not to do his own will but always that of God?
Behold, now, how little is needed, to become as Saint?
Nothing more than to acquire the habit of willing,
on every occasion, what God wills.”

“Humility and charity
are the two master-chords:
one, the lowest;
the other, the highest;
all the others are dependent upon them.
Therefore, it is necessary, above all,
to maintain ourselves in these two virtues;
for observe well, that the preservation
of the whole edifice
depends on the foundation and the roof.”

Prayer for Vocations
By St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

O Lord,
send good workers to Thy Church,
but may they be good!
Send good missionaries
to work in Thy vineyard,
labourers, O my God,
such as they ought to be –
utterly detached from themselves,
their own comfort
and worldly goods.
Let them even be few in number,
provided that they are good!
O Lord, grant this grace
to Thy Church.
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/07/19/quote-s-of-the-day-19-july-st-vincent-de-pau/

St Vincent de Paul CM (1581-1660)

Posted in JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 1 July – The Passion of Our Lord

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Thought for the Day – 1 July – “The Feast and Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Passion of Our Lord

“Meditation on the Passion of Jesus” writes St Albert the Great, “is more profitable than fasting on bread and water or than scourging ourselves.”

This is because, when we meditate with love and gratitude on the Passion of our Redeemer, we have the experience of being transformed and set aglow with charity.
We realise the truth of St Paul’s words, “The sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that will be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18)).

Let us cast ourselves, therefore, into the merciful arms of God and be prepared to suffer everything, even death, for the love of Jesus.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/04/09/thought-for-the-day-9-april-the-passion-of-our-lord/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/07/01/thought-for-the-day-1-july-the-passion-of-our-lord/

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, ROSARY QUOTES, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 5 April – St Vincent Ferrer

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 April – St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419) Confessor, called “The Angel of the Apocalypse” and of “The Last Judgement” and the “Mouthpiece of God.”

“Whoever observes this practice,
[the Daily Rosary],
is beyond the reach of adversity!”

“Those with pride
are not Christ’s sheep
but the devil’s goats!”

Grant me, O my God
By St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)

Good Jesus,
let me be penetrated with love
to the very marrow of my bones,
with fear and respect toward You.
Let me burn with zeal for Your honour,
so that I may resent terribly,
all the outrages
committed against You,
especially those of which
I myself have been guilty.
Grant further, O my God,
that I may adore and acknowledge You humbly,
as my Creator and that,
penetrated with gratitude
for all Your benefits,
I may never cease to render You thanks.
Grant that I may bless You in all things,
praise and glorify You
with a heart full of joy and gladness
and that, obeying You with docility
in every respect, I may one day,
despite my ingratitude and unworthiness,
be seated at Your table
together with Your Holy Angels and Apostles,
to enjoy ineffable delights.
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/04/05/quote-s-of-the-day-5-april-st-vincent-ferrer/

St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)

Posted in HOLY WEEK, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 3 April – The Betrayal of Judas

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

The Betrayal of Judas

“Failure to comply with the extraordinary graces which Jesus had granted him was responsible for the fall of Judas.
Whoever receives a great deal must give as much!
Judas had been called to the dignity of the Apostolate.
At the Last Supper, he received the fullness of the Priesthood along with the other Apostles and received Jesus Himself into his soul, under the species of the Consecrated bread.
In spite of all this, he deserted and betrayed his Master.

What about us?
Let us consider how many spiritual and temporal graces God has bestowed on us, throughout our lives.
Have we been thankful for them?
If we have not corresponded generously with all these favours, or if we have done worse and have rejected them by sin, let us repent and resolve to do better.
The example of Judas should, at the least, teach us this lesson!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/09/thought-for-the-day-9-april-the-betrayal-of-judas/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/04/08/thought-for-the-day-8-april-the-betrayal-of-judas/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING

Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – The Annunciation

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ By a woman,
came the flood of our ills
and by a woman too,
our blessings,
have their spring.”

St Gregory Thaumaturgus (c213-c270)
“the Wonder-Worker,” Bishop, Confessor

Blessed Virgin Mary,
Receive Our Gratitude!
By St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor of Grace

Blessed Virgin Mary,
who can worthily repay you
with praise and thanks
for having rescued a fallen world
by your generous consent!
Receive our gratitude
and by your prayers,
obtain the pardon of our sins.
Take our prayers into the Sanctuary of Heaven
and enable them to make our peace with God.
Holy Mary, help the miserable,
strengthen the discouraged,
comfort the sorrowful,
pray for your people,
plead for the clergy,
intercede for all women consecrated to God.
May all who venerate you
feel now your help and protection.
Be ready to help us when we pray
and bring back to us,
the answers to our prayers.
Make it your continual concern
to pray for the people of God,
for you were blessed by God
and were made worthy
to bear the Redeemer of the world,
Who lives and reigns forever.
Amen

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

Luke 1:38

“The price of our salvation
is offered to you.
We shall be set free at once, if you consent.
In the eternal Word of God, we all came to be
and behold, we die.
In your brief response,
we are to be remade.
in order to be recalled to life.

… Answer quickly, O Virgin.
Reply in haste to the Angel,
or rather, through the Angel to the Lord.
Answer with a word,
receive the Word of God.
Speak your own word,
conceive the Divine Word.
Breathe a passing word,
embrace the Eternal Word!”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
The Last Father and the Mellifluous Doctor

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on THE WORLD

Thought for the Day – 12 March – Detachment from the World

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

Detachment from the World

“This is not the same as saying that we should have no interest in worldly affairs.
Far from it.
It is our duty to think about them and make provision for the future.
We cannot and should not look for miracles from God.
We must have obligations to ourselves, or to our family, or to our position in life.
We are in this world to work, not to surrender to apathy or inactivity.
We must engage in worldly activity insofar as our circumstances demand it.

Nevertheless, our hearts should not be engrossed in earthly things, for they belong to God.
In the midst of our other preoccupations, we should adore, love and thank God, the Giver of every good, our Creator and our Redeemer.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/12/thought-for-the-day-12-march-detachment-from-the-world/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/12/thought-for-the-day-12-march-detachment-from-the-world-3/

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, MODESTY, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on ZEAL, THE EPIPHANY of the LORD, The HEART, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 12 January – The love of Jesus is noble and generous

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 12January – Within the Octave of Epiphany – Isaias 60:1-6, Matthew 2:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And seeing the star they rejoiced
with exceeding great joy.”

Matthew 2:10

“When it is dark,
we do not see how dusty and dirty
our house is.
Only when the place
is flooded with sunlight,
do we realise its awful condition.
So, we need the light of God’s grace
to show us the real state of our soul
and to induce us
to clean up our hearts!”

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

Grant me, O my God
By St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)

Good Jesus,
let me be penetrated with love
to the very marrow of my bones,
with fear and respect toward You.
Let me burn with zeal for Your honour,
so that I may resent terribly,
all the outrages
committed against You,
especially those of which
I myself have been guilty.
Grant further, O my God,
that I may adore and acknowledge You humbly,
as my Creator and that,
penetrated with gratitude
for all Your benefits,
I may never cease to render You thanks.
Grant that I may bless You in all things,
praise and glorify You
with a heart full of joy and gladness
and that, obeying You with docility
in every respect, I may one day,
despite my ingratitude and unworthiness,
be seated at Your table
together with Your Holy Angels and Apostles
to enjoy ineffable delights.
Amen

“The love of Jesus is noble and generous,
it spurs us on to do great things
and excites us to desire always,
that which is most perfect.
Love will tend upwards
and is not to be detained by things beneath.
Love will be at liberty
and free from all worldly affections…
for love proceeds from God
and cannot rest but in God,
above all things created.
The lover flies, runs and rejoices,
he is free and not held.
He gives all for all and has all in all,
because he rests in One Sovereign Good above all,
from Whom all good flows and proceeds.”

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
(Book III, Chapter V, 3-4)

“Where is the heart that loves?
On the thing it loves.
Therefore, where our love is,
there our heart is held captive.
It cannot leave it;
it cannot be lifted higher,
it cannot go either to the right or the left;
see, it is fixed.
Where the miser’s treasure is,
there is his heart
and where our heart is,
there is our treasure.”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

“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)

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, 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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/11/thought-for-the-day-11-january-the-death-of-the-sinner/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/12/thought-for-the-day-12-january-the-death-of-the-just/