Category: QUOTES on HEAVEN

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One Minute Reflection – 14 April – “I am the Good Shepherd and I know Mine and Mine know Me.”- John 10:14

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One Minute Reflection – 14 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – The Second Sunday of Easter – Commemoration of St Justin Martyr (c100-165) – 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Good Shepherd and I know Mine and Mine know Me.”- John 10:14

REFLECTION – “I am the good shepherd. I know My Own—by which I mean, I love them—and My Own know Me. In plain words – those who love Me are willing to follow Me, for anyone who does not love the Truth, has not yet come to know it.

My dear brethren, you have heard the test we shepherds have to undergo. Turn now to consider, how these words of our Lord, imply a test for yourselves too. Ask yourselves whether you belong to His flock, whether you know Him, whether the Light of His Truth shines in your minds. I assure you that it is not by faith that you will come to know Him but, by love, not by mere conviction but, by action. John the Evangelist is my authority, for this statement. He tells us that anyone who claims to know God, without keeping His commandments, is a liar.

Consequently, the Lord immediately adds: ‘As the Father knows Me and I know the Father and I lay down My life for My sheep.‘ Clearly, He means that laying down His life for His sheep, gives evidence of His knowledge of the Father and the Father’s knowledge of Him. In other words, by the love with which He dies for His sheep, He shows, how greatly He loves His Father.

Again He says: ‘My sheep hear My voice and I know them; they follow Me,and I give them eternal life.’ Shortly before this He had declared – ‘If anyone enters the sheepfold through Me, he shall be saved, he shall go freely in and out and shall find good pasture.‘ He will enter into a life of faith; from faith, he will go out to vision, from belief to contemplation and will graze in the good pastures of everlasting life.

So our Lord’s sheep will finally reach their grazing ground, where all who follow Him in simplicity of heart, will feed on the green pastures of eternity. These pastures are the spiritual joys of Heaven. There, the elect look upon the Face of God with unclouded vision and feast at the banquet of life, forever more.

Beloved brothers, let us set out for these pastures ,where we shall keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow citizens. May the thought of their happiness urge us on! Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith and long eagerly for what Heaven has in store for us. To love thus, is to be already on our way. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that heavenly feast. Anyone who is determined to reach his destination, is not deterred by the roughness of the road that leads to it. Nor must we allow the charm of success to seduce us, or we shall be like a foolish traveller who is so distracted by the pleasant meadows through which he is passing that he forgets where he is going.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Bishop of Rome and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Sermon 14).

PRAYER – O God, Who through the preaching of the Cross,which is to them who perish, foolishness, didst wonderfully teach, unto thy blessed Martyr Justin, the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus Our Lord, grant unto us we beseech Thee, at his prayer,s the grace to cast off all false teaching and ever to hold fast to the Faith. 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 "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUTH, The HOLY NAME, The WORD, THOMAS a KEMPIS

Quote/s of the Day – 13 April – Self-denial

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Wisdom 5:1-5; Luke 14:26-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“If anyone comes to Me
without hating his father
and mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters
and even his own life,
he cannot be My disciple.”

Luke 14:26

“So likewise, everyone of you,
who does not renounce all
that he possesses,
cannot be My disciple.”

Luke 14:33

“Take nothing for your journey,
neither staff, nor bag,
nor bread, nor money;
neither have two tunics.”

Luke 9:3

“He seems to demand of us
the most entire renunciation …
So, if we keep back for ourselves ,
any earthly goods or any perishable supplies,
our minds will remain sunk in them,
as though in mud.
Then, inevitably, our souls will become unable
to contemplate God and will be unmoved
by desire for the splendours of Heaven
and for the good things promised us.
We shall only be able to acquire those good things,
if we ask for them unceasingly,
with a burning desire that will, besides,
make easy the effort needed to gain them.”

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

“If you wish to enter into life,
keep My commandments.
If you will know the truth,
believe in Me.
If you will be perfect,
sell all.
If you will be My disciple,
deny yourself.
If you will possess the blessed life,
despise this present life.
If you will be exalted in Heaven,
humble yourself on earth.
If you wish to reign with Me,
carry the Cross with Me.
For only the servants of the Cross
find the life of blessedness
and of true Light.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

The Imitation of Christ Chapter 56

“True spiritual life consists in this:
that man keep his eyes on God, constantly,
long for nothing but for God,
keep nothing in mind but God
and begin every single action,
in God’s Name
and direct it to Him.”

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MARRIAGE, MARRIED LOVE, The KINGDOM of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 April – ‘ … In the Kingdom these relationships are transcended …’

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One Minute Reflection – 13 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Hermenegild (Died 585) Martyr, Confessor – Wisdom 5:1-5; Luke 14:26-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“If anyone comes to Me, without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:26

REFLECTION – “On another occasion, the Lord says, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children and brothers and sisters and even his own soul, cannot be my disciple.” As a rule, this is more upsetting to the mind of new Christians, who are eager to begin at once, to live in accordance with the precepts of Christ. To those who do not fully grasp its meaning, it would seem contradictory …. He has condescended to call His disciples to the eternal Kingdom. He also called them brothers. In the Kingdom these relationships are transcended because, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither slave nor freeman but Christ, is all things and in all.” The Lord says, “For in the resurrection, they will neither be married nor marry but will be as the Angels of God in Heaven.”

Whoever wishes to prepare himself now, for the life of that Kingdom, must not hate people but those earthly relationships, through which the present life is sustained, the temporary life that begins at birth and ends with death. Whoever does not hate this necessity, does not yet love that other life, in which there will be no condition of birth and death, the condition which makes marriages natural on earth.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father, Doctor of Grace (Sermon on the Mount,15).

PRAYER – OGod, Who didst teach Thy blessed Martyr Hermenegild to choose a heavenly, rather than an earthly crown, grant, we beseech Thee, that we, like him, may so pass through temporal things that we finally miss not those which are eternal. 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 "Follow Me", CARMELITES, CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, ST FRANCIS de SALES, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The LAMB of GOD, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 April – Take God for your Spouse and Friend …

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – Wednesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10; John 20:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My Lord and my God.”

John 20:28

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I Am meek and humble of heart
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For My yoke is easy and My burden light.”

Matthew 11:29-30

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

St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

“Take God for your Spouse and Friend
and walk with Him continually
and you will not sin and will learn to love
and the things you must do
will work out prosperously for you.”

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

“You will begin to taste, even in this life,
a foretaste of eternal life,
for the principal beatitude of the soul in Heaven,
is to be confirmed forever in the Will of the Father.
Thus, it tastes the divine sweetness.
But it will never taste it in Heaven,
if it is not clothed with it on earth,
where we are pilgrims and travellers.
When it is clothed with it, it tastes God
by grace in its troubles; its memory will be full
of the Blood of the Lamb without blemish;
its mind will be opened and contemplate
the ineffable love that God has made known
in the Wisdom of His Son and the love it finds,
in the Holy Spirit’s goodness, casts out self-love
and love for created things, to love only God.
So do not be afraid … but suffer with joy,
so as to conform yourself to the Will of God.””

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 April – The Sun of Justice … today rises and shines on the whole creation. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 6 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Easter Saturday – 1 Peter 2:1-10, John 20:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“This is the day which the Lord has made: let us be glad and rejoice therein.” – Psalm 117:24.

REFLECTION – “The Sun of Justice (Mal 3:20) which had disappeared for three days, today rises and shines on the whole creation. Christ was in the tomb for three days but He existed before the ages! He comes up like a vine and fills the earth with joy. Let us behold the Rising Sun which will never set, let us anticipate the day and be filled with the joy of this Light!

The gates of Hell have been broken by Christ, the dead awake from sleep. Christ rises, He, the Resurrection of the dead and comes to awaken Adam. Christ, the Resurrection of all who have died, rises and comes to free Eve from malediction. Christ rises, He Who is the Resurrection and He transforms, in all its beauty, what had “no stately bearing to make us look at Him” (Is 53:2). As a sleeper, the Lord awoke and confounded all the deceitfulness of the enemy. He was raised and gave joy to the whole creation; He was raised and the prison-house of Hell was emptied; He was raised and transformed, what is corruptible into incorruptibility (1 Cor 15:53). The Risen Christ clothed Adam with incorruptibility, his original dignity.

Today, through Christ, the Church becomes a new heaven (Apoc 21:1), a more beautiful vault to contemplate, than the visible sun. The sun which we see everyday, cannot compare with this Sun – as a servant filled with respect, it eclipsed before Him, when it saw Him hanging on the Cross (Mt 27:45). It is of this Sun that the Prophet said: “For you, who fear My Name, there will arise the Sun of Justice with its healing rays” (Mal 3:20)… Through Him, Christ, the Sun of Justice, the Church becomes a beautiful heaven filled with a multitude of stars which emerge from the Baptismal waters in their new Light. “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad” (Ps 117:24), filled with the joy that comes from God.” – St Epiphanius of Salamis (Died 403) Bishop

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God that we, who have devoutly kept the Easter solemnities, may at last worthily pass from keeping Feasts, unto Thee here below, to the everlasting jubilation above. 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 CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD

 Our Morning Offering – 6 April – The Mater Christi

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 Our Morning Offering – 6 April – Easter Saturday

The Mater Christi
Unknown Author

Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
What shall I ask of thee?
I do not sigh for the wealth of earth
For the joys that fade and flee,
But, Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
This do I long to see —
The bliss untold which thy arms enfold,
The Treasure upon thy knee.

Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
He was All-in-All to thee,
In the winter’s cave, in Nazareth’s home,
In the hamlets of Galilee,
So, Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
He will not say nay to thee,
When He lifts His Face to thy sweet embrace,
Speak to Him, Mother, of me.

Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
The world will bid Him flee,
Too busy to heed His gentle Voice,
Too blind His charms to see,
Then, Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
Come with thy Babe to me,
Tho’ the world be cold, my heart shall hold
A shelter for Him and thee.

Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
What shall I do for thee?
I will love thy Son with the whole of my strength,
My only King shall He be.
Yes! Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
This will I do for thee,
Of all that are dear or cherished here,
None shall be dear as He.

Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
I toss on a stormy sea,
O lift thy Child as a Beacon Light,
To the Port where I fain would be!
And, Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
This do I ask of thee —
When the voyage is o’er, oh! stand on the shore
And show Him at last to me.

The Author is unclear – The 1920 St Gregory Hymn book (editor Nicola A. Montani) credits it to Nicola A Montani.
The 1914 American Catholic Hymn book credits it to “S. N. D. ” – most likely meaning a Sister of Notre Dame

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 April – ‘… We are caught like fish in the net of the faith and brought to shore.’

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One Minute Reflection – 3 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Easter Wednesday – Acts 3:13-15; 3:17-19, John 21:1-14 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Simon Peter … drew the net to land …” – John 21:11

REFLECTION – “After catching such a large catch of fish, “Simon Peter went overboard and dragged the net ashore.” I believe that you, dear listeners, now perceive why it was Peter who brought the net to land. Our holy Church had been entrusted to him; it was to him individually that it was said: “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Feed my sheep.” What was afterwards disclosed to him in words, was now indicated to him by an action.

Because the Church’s preacher was to part us from the waves of this world, it was surely necessary that Peter bring the net full of fish to land. He dragged the fish to the firm ground of the shore because, by his preaching, he revealed to the faithful the stability of our eternal home. He accomplished this by his words and by his letters and, he accomplishes it daily, by his miraculous signs. As often as he serves us from the uproar of earthly affairs, what occurs, is that we are caught like fish in the net of the faith and brought to shore.” – St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospel No 24).

PRAYER – O God, Who dost every year fill us with holy gladness through the rising of the Lord, mercifully grant that these Feast-days which we are now keeping here in time, may be to us, a means whereby, in the end, we may worthily attain unto those pleasures which are at Thy Right Hand, for evermore.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 CONFESSION/PENANCE, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on VICE, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SELF-DISTRUST, The HEART, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 18 March –Instructions for Mortifying Passions,to Attain the Necessary Virtues (Part Two)

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Thought for the Day – 18 March – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

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

XXXIII: … Instructions for Mortifying Passions,
to Attain the Necessary Virtues (Part Two)

“And a last 3 points of advice:

+++ 4. Let your whole heart desire nothing, think of nothing, crave nothing, long for nothing but to conquer that passion with which you are struggling and to attain its contrary virtue.
Be this your world, your Heaven, your earth, your whole treasure and all with
the sole view of pleasing God.
Whether eating or fasting, labouring, or resting, watching or sleeping, at home or abroad, whether engaged in devotion or in manual labour, let all be directed to the conquest and extinction of this passion and, to the attainment of the contrary virtue.

+++ 5. Wage unceasing war against earthly pleasures and comforts, so will no vice have much power to assail you.
For all vices spring from this one root of pleasure – when this, therefore, is cut away by hatred of self, they lose their strength and power.
For, if with one hand you will try to fight against some particular sin, or pleasure and, with the other dally, with other earthly enjoyments, although their guilt be not mortal but only venial, your battles will be difficult and bloody, your victories infrequent and uncertain.
Keep, therefore, constantly in mind these Divine words:
“He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth
his life in this world keepeth it unto life eternal.” John 12:25.

“Brethren, we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die. ”

+++ 6. Lastly, it would be well, it maybe even necessary, for you to make, in the first place, a general Confession, with all the necessary conditions that you may be the better assured of your Lord’s favour, to Whom Alone you must look for all grace and victory!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/03/17/thought-for-the-day-17-march-instructions-for-mortifying-passionsto-attain-the-necessary-virtues-part-one/

Posted in "Follow Me", CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – ‘…Begin to live to Christ. …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 March –Saturday of the Fourth Week in Lent – Ferial Day – Isaias 49:8-15; John 8:12-20 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I Am the Light of the world.
He who follows Me
does not walk in the darkness
but will have the Light of Life. ”

John 8:12

“Then go and learn,
neither to be moved with injuries nor flatteries.
If you die to the world and to yourself,
you will begin to live to Christ.”

St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390)

“We must follow Christ, cleaving to Him,
nor should we forsake Him until we die.
As Elisha said to his master:
“ As the Lord lives and as you yourself live,
I will not leave you ” (2 Kgs 2:2) …
So, let us follow Christ and stay close to Him!
“To be near God is my good” says the Psalmist (72:28).
“ My soul clings fast to Thee;
Thy right hand upholds me ” (Ps 62:9).
And Saint Paul adds :
“ Whoever is joined to the Lord
becomes One Spirit with Him ” (1 Cor 6:17).
Not just One Body but One Spirit.
His whole body, lives from the Spirit of Christ,
through the Body of Christ,
we attain to the Spirit of Christ.”

Guigo II “The Angelic” O.Cart. (Died c1188)
The 9th Prior of Grande Chartreuse, from 1174 to 1180
(Meditation 10).

“The one who walks in the love of God
seeks neither gain nor reward
but seeks only, with the will,
to lose self and all things, for God
and this loss, the lover judges to be a gain! ”

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

“Let us not strive for the rewards of Heaven,
valuable though they may be
but live, so as to please the God of Heaven.
If God were not in Heaven,
all its beauty, riches and sweetness,
would be dull rather than delightful.
By faith, we know, God already dwells within us.
But in Heaven, we will see God face-to-face.
May we so live that one day,
we will be in Heaven praising
and praying eternally,
before our Lord and Saviour!”

St Jane Frances de Chantal VHM (1572-1641)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LENT 2024, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 16 March – Faithful Sheep or Foolish Travellers?

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Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 16 March – Saturday of the Fourth Week in Lent – Ferial Day – Isaias 49:8-15; John 8:12-20 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Lord is my Shepherd;
I shall not want.”
Psalm 22:1

“I am the light of the world.
He who follows Me
does not walk in the darkness
but will have the light of life. .”
John 8:12

Faithful Sheep or Foolish Travellers?

St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“… . I know My Own — by which I mean, I love them — and My own know Me. In plain words, those who love Me are willing to follow Me, for anyone who does not love the Truth has not yet come to know it.

… Ask yourselves whether you belong to His flock, whether you know Him, whether the Light of His Truth shines in your minds.
I assure you that it is not by faith that you will come to know Him but by love; not by mere conviction but by action.
John the Evangelist is my authority for this statement.
He tells us that anyone who claims to know God without keeping His commandments is a liar. …

Again He says: My sheep hear My Voice and I know them; they follow Me and I give them eternal life.
Shortly before this, He had declared – If anyone enters the sheepfold through Me, he shall be saved; he shall go freely in and out and shall find good pasture. He will enter into a life of faith; from faith, he will go onto vision, from belief to contemplation and will graze in the good pastures of everlasting life.

So Our Lord’s sheep, will finally reach their grazing ground, where all who follow Him, in simplicity of heart, will feed on the green pastures of eternity. These pastures are the spiritual joys of Heaven.
There, the elect look upon the Face of God with unclouded vision and feast at the Banquet of Life for evermore.

BELOVED, … let us set out for these pastures where we shall keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow citizens.
May the thought of their happiness urge us on!
Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith and long eagerly for what Heaven has in store for us.
To love thus, is to be already on our way.
No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that Heavenly Feast.
Anyone who is determined to reach his destination, is not deterred by the roughness of the road, that leads to it.
Nor must we allow the charm of success to seduce us, or we shall be like a foolish traveller who is so distracted by the pleasant meadows through which he is passing, that he forgets where he is going!” – (An excerpt from his Homily 14).

Posted in CATECHESIS, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, LENT 2024, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, ST FRANCIS de SALES, The KINGDOM of GOD, The SECOND COMING

Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 9 March – Heaven or Hell?

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Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 9 March – Saturday of the Third Week in Lent – Proverbs 31:10-31, Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thou hast loved justice
and hated iniquity;
therefore God, thy God,
hath anointed thee
with the oil of gladness,
above thy fellows.”
Psalm 44:8

“So shall it be at the end of the world.
The Angels shall go out
and shall separate the wicked
from among the just.
And shall cast them into the furnace of fire:
there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 13:49-50

HEAVEN or HELL?

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“CONSIDER THAT THE CHOICE you make in this life will last forever in the next!
Consider too, that while both are open to receive you, according to your choice, yet God, Who is prepared to give the one by reason of His Justice, the other by reason of His Mercy, all the while desires, unspeakably that you should select Paradise. offering you countless graces on God’s part, countless assistance to attain to it.
Consider that Jesus Christ, enthroned in Heaven, looks down upon you in loving invitation – ‘O beloved one, come unto Me and joy forever in the eternal blessedness of My Love!’
Behold His mother yearning over you with maternal tenderness, ‘Courage, my child, do not despise the Goodness of my Son, or my earnest prayers for thy salvation.‘ …

O Hell, I abhor thee now and forever; I abhor thy griefs and torments, thine endless misery, the unceasing blasphemies and maledictions which thou pourest out upon my God and turning to thee, O blessed Paradise, eternal glory, unfading happiness, I choose thee forever as my abode, thy glorious mansions, thy precious and abiding tabernacles.

O my God, I bless Thy Mercy which gives me the power to choose, O Jesus, Saviour, I accept Thine Eternal Love and praise Thee for the promise Thou hast given me, of a place prepared for me, in that blessed New Jerusalem, where I shall love and bless Thee forever. ” (Excerpt – ‘Introduction to the Devout Life’ 9th Meditation).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SIN, The KINGDOM of GOD, The LAST THINGS, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 March –The least in the Kingdom of Heaven – Matthew 5:19

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One Minute Reflection – 7 March – “The Month of St Joseph” – – St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274) Confessor, Doctor – Wisdom 7:7-14; Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so, will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments, will be called greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” – Matthew 5:19

REFLECTION – “For what reason then does He call some of these commandments “least,” although they are so magnificent and lofty? Jesus spoke this way because He was about to introduce His own teaching, as a new law . As He humbles Himself and speaks of Himself with great modesty, so He refers to His own teaching in the same manner. In this way, Jesus teaches us to practice humility in everything. And besides, since some suspected His teaching to be a new departure, He temporarily taught it in a more reserved way.

But when you hear “least in the Kingdom of Heaven,” you are to think of nothing but hell and punishment. For it was His practice to speak, not only of the joy the Kingdom brings but also, of the time of the resurrection and the fearful event of the Second Coming.

Think of one who calls a brother a fool. That one, transgresses only one commandment, maybe even the slightest one and falls into hell. Compare that one with another, who breaks all the commandments and instigates others to break them too. Do both have the same relationship to the Kingdom? This is not the argument Jesus is making. Rather, He means, that one who transgresses only one of the commands will, on the final day, be the least—that is, cast out—and last and will fall into hell!” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Homily 16).

PRAYER – O God, Who enlightened Thy Church with the wondrous learning of blessed Thomas, Thy Confessor and enriched her through his holy life, grant us, we beseech Thee, both to understand what he taught and by following his example, to do what he did. Through tJesus 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, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, GUARDIAN ANGELS - Prayers etc, HYMNS, LENT 2024, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on SIN, The KINGDOM of GOD, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 6 March – Sweet Angel of Mercy!

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Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 6 March – Wednesday of the Third Week in Lent – Ecclesiasticus Sirach 51:13-17; Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“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!”

“The Kingdom of Heaven
is like a treasure hidden in a field.”
Matthew 13:44

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 7 GIFTS of the HOLY SPIRIT, CATECHESIS, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GOSSIP, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, ST FRANCIS de SALES, The HOLY SPIRIT, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 4 March – Wisdom for Lent and for Life

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 March – Wisdom for Lent and for Life

“Abide in Me and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
unless it abide in the vine,
so neither can you,
unless you abide in Me.”

John 15:4

“Strive to preserve your heart in peace;
let no event of this world, disturb it.”

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

“If, when stung by slander
or ill-nature,
we wax proud
and swell with anger,
it is a proof that our gentleness
and humility
are unreal
and mere artificial show!”

“Do not look forward to the changes and chances
of this life in fear – rather look to them
with full hope that, as they arise,
God, Whose you are, will deliver you out of them.
He is your keeper. He has kept you hitherto.
Do you but hold fast to His dear Hand
and He will lead you safely through all things
and, when you cannot stand, He will bear you in His arms.
Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow.
Our Father will either shield you from suffering,
or He will give you strength to bear it.”

“The truly patient man
neither complains of his hard lot,
nor desires to be pitied by others.
He speaks of his sufferings
in a natural, true and sincere way,
without murmuring, complaining,
or exaggerating them.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“If we live good lives, hoping for a Heavenly reward
and guided by the action of the Holy Spirit,
dwelling within us, we shall possess this spiritual joy.
Once we possess it, it will be erased,
neither by temptation, nor by suffering,
nor by persecution, as long, as our faith,
remains firm and steadfast.
The sincere Christian accepts pleasure and pain
with equal readiness because he places
everything in God’s hands.
… We must try, at least, to achieve
that spirit of complete resignation to God’s will
which is always rewarded by peace of soul!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 27 February – Most Holy Trinity, Godhead IndIvisible,

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Our Morning Offering – 27 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity” –

Morning Prayer
To Be Conformed to the Divine Will
Unknown Author
Breviary Prayer

Most Holy Trinity, Godhead IndIvisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
our first beginning and our last end,
Thou hast made us in accord
with Thine Own Image and likeness.

Grant that all the thoughts of our minds,
all the words of our tongues,
all the affections of our hearts
and all the actions of our being
may always be conformed to Thine Holy Will.

So may we, having seen Thee veiled
in appearance here below,
by means of faith,
come at last to contemplate
Thee face-to-face,
in the perfect possession of Thee,
forever in Heaven.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, ON the SAINTS, OUR Cross, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PURITY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The ANNUNCIATION, The HOLY CROSS, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 25 February – Of Using the Senses to Advantage in Diverse Situations (Part Three)

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Thought for the Day – 25 February – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

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

XXIII: … Of Using the Senses to Advantage
in Diverse Situations
(Part Three)

“+++ When reading, behold your Lord in the words and receive them as from His Divine Lips!

+++ When you look upon the Holy Cross, consider that it is the Standard of your warfare – that, by forsaking it, you will fall into the hands of cruel enemies but that, by following it, you will enter Heaven laden with glorious spoils.

++ + When you see the dear image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let your heart turn to her ,who reigns in Paradise, thanking her that she was ever ready to do the will of God that, she brought forth and nourished the Redeemer of the world and,that her favour and assistance, never fail us in our spiritual conflict.

+++ The images of the Saints represent to you, so many champions, who, having courageously run their course, have opened a way for you, wherein, if you will press onward, you also shall, with them, be crowned with immortal glory.

+++ When you see a Church, you may, amid other devout reflections, consider that your soul is the temple of God and, therefore, to be kept pure and spotless as His dwelling-place.

+++ When you hear the triple sound of the Angelus [even if these days, the sound is only in your heart and mind] make the following brief meditations, in conformity with the words which are said before each recitation of the Ave Maria.
At the first stroke of the bell, thank God for that embassy from Heaven to
earth which was the beginning of our salvation.
At the second, rejoice with the Blessed Mary at the sublime dignity to which she was exalted by her singular and most profound humility.
At the third, adore, together with the most Blessed Mother and the Angel Gabriel, the Divine Child just now conceived and forget not, reverently, to bow your head at each signal, especially the last, even to genuflect if possible!

These meditations will serve for all seasons.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/02/23/thought-for-the-day-23-february-of-using-the-senses-to-advantage-in-diverse-situations-part-one/

PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/02/24/thought-for-the-day-24-february-of-using-the-senses-to-advantage-in-diverse-situations-part-ywo/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, ST FRANCIS de SALES, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The TRANSFIGURATION, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 February – Transfigured!

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 February – The Second Sunday in Lent – Thessalonians 4:1-7; Matthew 17:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Lord, it is good for us to be here …”

Matthew 17:4

“I know a man in Christ—
whether he was in or outside the body,
I do not know, God knows—
who was snatched up to the third heaven. . .
and heard secret words,
words which it is not granted to man to utter.”

2 Corinthians 12:2-4

“They shall see God.”
Matthew 5:8

“You will surely not be allowed to see
with an impure heart
what one can only see with a pure heart.
You will be moved away,
put at a distance, you will not see!
The vision of God is promised ONLY
to people with a pure heart.
This is not without a reason, since the eyes
which allow us to see God are in the heart.
Those are the eyes the Apostle Paul was talking about
when he said: “May He enlighten your innermost vision”
(Eph 1:18).
So, at the present time because of their weakness,
those eyes are enlightened by faith;
later, because of their strength,
they will be enlightened by vision…
“Now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror;
then we shall see face-to-face.”

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

“You will begin to taste, even in this life,
a foretaste of eternal life,
for the principal beatitude of the soul in Heaven,
is to be confirmed forever in the Will of the Father.
Thus, it tastes the divine sweetness.
But it will never taste it in Heaven,
if it is not clothed with it on earth,
where we are pilgrims and travellers.
When it is clothed with it, it tastes God
by grace in its troubles; its memory will be full
of the Blood of the Lamb without blemish;
its mind will be opened and contemplate
the ineffable love that God has made known
in the Wisdom of His Son and the love it finds,
in the Holy Spirit’s goodness, casts out self-love
and love for created things, to love only God.
So do not be afraid … but suffer with joy,
so as to conform yourself to the Will of God.””

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“At His Transfiguration
Christ showed His disciples,
the splendour of His Beauty,
to which He will shape and colour,
those who are His :
‘He will reform our lowness
configured to the Body of His Glory.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 25 February – On Heaven

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Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 25 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity” – The Second Sunday in Lent – Thessalonians 4:1-7; Matthew 17:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Remember us, O Lord,
in the favour of Thy people;
visit us with Thy salvation.”
Psalm 105:4

“Lord it is good for us to be here”
Matthew 17:4

ON HEAVEN

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor Zelantissimus

“IN this day’s Gospel we read that, wishing to give His disciples a glimpse of the glory of Paradise, in order to animate them to labour for the Divine Honour, the Redeemer was transfigured and allowed them to behold the splendour of His Countenance. Ravished with joy and delight, St Peter exclaimed: “Lord, it is good for us to be here.”
Lord, let us remain here; let us never more depart from this place; for, the sight of Thine Beauty consoles us more than all the delights of the earth!

Brethren, let us labour during the remainder of our lives to gain Heaven. Heaven is so great a good that, to purchase it for us, Jesus Christ has sacrificed His Life on the Cross. Be assured, that the greatest of all the torments of the damned in hell, arise from the thought of having lost Heaven through their own fault.
The blessings, the delights, the joys, the sweetness of Paradise may be acquired but, they can be described and understood, only by those blessed souls who enjoy them. But let us, with the aid of the holy Scripture, explain the little that can be said of them here below.

… In this life we cannot have an idea of any other pleasures than those which we enjoy by means of the senses. … Speaking of Paradise, St Bernard says: “O man, if you wish to understand the blessings of Heaven, know that in that happy country, there is nothing which can be disagreeable and everything which you can desire.”
… In Paradise, death and the fear of death are no more: in that place of bliss there are no sorrows, no infirmities, no poverty, no inconveniencies, no vicissitudes of day or night, of cold or of heat. In that Kingdom there is a continual day, always serene, a continual Spring, always blooming. In Paradise there are no persecutions, no envy, for all love each other with tenderness and each, rejoices at the happiness of the others, as if it were his own. There is no more fear of eternal perdition – for the soul confirmed in grace, can neither sin nor lose God.

… Justly, then, has St Augustine said, that to gain the eternal glory of Paradise, we should cheerfully embrace eternal labour. … The saints have done but little to acquire Heaven. So many kings, who have abdicated their thrones and shut themselves up in a cloister; so many holy anchorets, who have confined themselves in a cave; so many martyrs, who have cheerfully submitted to torments to the rack and to red-hot plates, have done but little. “The sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared to the glory to come.” (Rom 8:18) To gain Heaven, it would be but little to endure all the pains of this life.

Let us, then, brethren, courageously resolve to bear patiently with all the sufferings which shall come upon us during the remaining days of our lives: to secure Heaven, they are all little and nothing.
Rejoice then, for all these pains, sorrows and persecutions shall, if we are saved, be to us a source of neverending joys and delights.
“Your sorrows shall be turned into joy.” (John 16:20)
When, then, the crosses of this life afflict us, let us raise our eyes to Heaven and console ourselves with the hope of Paradise.
At the end of her life, St Mary of Egypt was asked, by the Abbot St Zozimus, how she had been able to live for forty seven years in the desert, where he found her dying. She answered: “With the hope of Paradise.”
If we be animated with the same hope, we shall not feel the tribulations of this life.

Have courage! Let us love God and labour for Heaven. There the Saints expects us, Mary expects us, Jesus Christ expects us – He holds in His Hand a Crown, to make each of us a king in that eternal Kingdom!” [Extracts from Sermons for all the Sundays in the Year – Lent II (1, part 2, 3, 9 & 10)]

Posted in QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LUST, QUOTES on MEDIOCRITY, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 23 February – Of Using the Senses to Advantage in Diverse Situations (Part One)

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Thought for the Day – 23 February – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

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

XXIII: … Of Using the Senses to Advantage
in Diverse Situations
(Part One)

“Having now seen, by what means, we may raise the mind from sensible objects to the contemplation of the Divinity and of the Mysteries of the Incarnate Word, I will here add some aids for various subjects of meditation, that, as the tastes of souls are many and varied, so too, may their nourishment be.
This maybe *awful, not only to simple persons but also to those of higher
intellect and more advanced in the spiritual life, who, nevertheless, may not at all times be equally disposed and ready for higher contemplations.
Nor need you fear to be perplexed by the variety of the methods described, if you will only observe the Rule of Discretion and attend to the advice of others which I wish you to follow with all humility and confidence, not in this instance alone but, with regard to all other counsels which you shall receive from me.

+++ At the sight of all the things which please the eyes and are prized in the world, consider tha, all these are vile as dust, compared with heavenly riches, after which heavenly beauty do you aspire, with undivided affections, despising the whole world.

+++ When looking upon the sun, consider that your soul is brighter and more beautiful if it be in your Creator’s favour; if not, that it is blacker and more hateful than the darkness of hell.

+++ When your bodily eyes are lifted to the heavens above you, let the eyes of your mind penetrate even to the Heaven of heavens and there, fix yourself in thought, as if you are in the place prepared for your eternal and blessed abode, if you shall live a holy life on the earth.

+++ On hearing the songs of birds, or other melodious sounds, lift up your heart to the songs of Paradise, where resounds a ceaseless Alleluia and pray the Lord to make you worthy to praise Him together with those celestial spirits, forever and ever.

If you are conscious of taking delight in the beauty of the creature, remember that there, the deadly serpent lies hidden, ready and eager to wound, if not to enslaye you and say to him:
“O accursed serpent, you insidiously lie in wait to devour me!”
Then turning to your Lord God, say:
“Blessed be Thou, O my God, Who has revealed to me the hidden enemy, and delivered me from his ravenous jaws.”
Then FLY at once, from the allurement, to the Wounds of your Crucified Lord, letting your mind rest on them, considering how acutely He suffered in His most Sacred Flesh, to free you from sin and make you detest all carnal delights.
Another way of escape from this perilous allurement is, to consider what will be the condition of that object, after death, which now delights you so!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

*Proper and original meaning of “awful” – “full of awe” or “worthy of respect” or “striking with reverential awe.”

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOMINICAN OP, LENT 2024, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LUST, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PRAYER, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The KINGDOM of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 15 February – Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 February – Ash Thursday

“… Now is the time in this life of suffering,
when we journey apart from Him.
… So let us fast and pray now
because, we are in the days of childbirth!”

“Fasting cleanses the soul,
raises the mind,
subjects one’s flesh to the spirit,
renders the heart contrite and humble,
scatters the clouds of concupiscence,
quenches the fire of lust
and kindles the true light of chastity.
Enter again into yourself!”

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

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

St Dominic OP (1170-1221)

“What great profit you gain from God
when you are generous!
You give a coin
and receive a Kingdom;
you give bread from wheat
and receive the Bread of Life;
you give a transitory good
and receive an everlasting one.
You will receive it back,
a hundred times more
than you offered.”

St Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555)

“The soul which is quick to turn
to speaking and conversing,
is slow to turn to God.”

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

“All evangelical perfection is attained,
by the continual exercise of prayer.”

St Aloysius Gonzaga SJ (1568-1591)

“As well as the corporal works,
there are the spiritual works of mercy.
Everyone is not obliged to undertake the former,
that would be impossible, for instance,
for the desitute, the sick, the aged.
But, everyone is OBLIGED to undertake the latter.
Sometimes a kind word
is more valuable than money!”
… Remember, however, that the practice
of the spiritual works of mercy,
does not excuse us from the exercise
of material works of charity,
wherever that is possible for us (Cf Js 2:16).

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 8 February – The Soldier of Christ Must Prepare for Battle, Early in the Morning (Part One)

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Thought for the Day – 8 February – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

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

XVI: … The Soldier of Christ Must Prepare
for Battle, Early in the Morning (Part One)

‘Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.’ – Zechariah 4:6,

“On awaking in the morning, the first thing to be observed by your inward sight, is the field of battle in which you are enclosed, facing the enemy and bound by the law of the combat – either fight or die!

Here picture to yourself, on one side, your enemy (that evil inclination which you are already pledged to conquer) now standing before you, ready armed to wound and slay you.
See also, on the right hand, your victorious Captain, Jesus Christ, with His most holy Mother the Virgin Mary and her beloved Spouse Saint Joseph and innumerable hosts of Angels, especially Saint Michael the Archangel and, on the left hand, the infernal demon, with all his armies, ready to excite this passion and to persuade you to yield to it.

Then shall you seem to hear a voice as of your Guardian Angel addressing you:

“You are to fight this day against this and your other enemies.
Let not your heart fail, nor your spirit faint.
Yield not on any account, neither for fear nor any other cause; for our Lord, your Leader, stands beside you with all His glorious hosts and will do battle for you against all your enemies and will not suffer them to prevail against you or to overcome you.

Only stand firm – do violence to yourself and endure the pain such violence will cause you.
Cry unceasingly from the depths of your heart and call upon the Lord and so assuredly, shalt you gain the victory.
If you are weak and inexperienced, if your enemies are strong and manifold, manifold more, are the succours of Him Who created and redeemed you and mightier beyond all measure and comparison, is your God and more willing to save you, than are all your enemies to destroy you.

Fight valiantly then and be not loathe to suffer; for it is this toilsome resistance to your evil inclinations, this painful struggle against evil habits which shall gain you the victory and win for you a treasure wherewith to purchase the Kingdom of Heaven and unite your soul to God forever.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, St PAUL!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 January – ‘… He is there and … He is also here? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 25 January – Feast of the Conversion of St Paul , Apostle, Acts 9:1-22, Matthew 19,27-29.

“He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” – Acts 9:4.

REFLECTION – “How can we show that He is there and that He is also here? Let Paul answer for us, who was previously Saul. First of all, the Lord’s own Voice from Heaven shows this: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Had Paul climbed up to Heaven then? Had Paul even thrown a stone at Heaven? It was Christians he was persecuting, them he was tying up, them he was dragging off to be put to death, them he was everywhere hunting out of their hiding places and never sparing, when he found them. To him the Lord said, “Saul, Saul.” Where is He crying out from? Heaven. So He’s up above. “Why are you persecuting Me?” So He’s down below.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 122).

PRAYER – O God, Who taught the whole world by the preaching of Thy blessed Apostle Paul, grant, we beseech Thee that we, who today celebrate his conversion, may draw closer to Thee, by way of hia example.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 "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MARRIAGE, MARRIED LOVE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The KINGDOM of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 January – ‘ … In the Kingdom these relationships are transcended …’

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One Minute Reflection – 24 January – St Timothy (1st Century) Disciple of St Paul, Bishop and Martyr – 1 Timothy 6:11-16, Luke 14:26-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“If anyone comes to Me, without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:26

REFLECTION – “On another occasion, the Lord says, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children and brothers and sisters and even his own soul, cannot be my disciple.” As a rule, this is more upsetting to the mind of new Christians, who are eager to begin at once, to live in accordance with the precepts of Christ. To those who do not fully grasp its meaning, it would seem contradictory…. He has condescended to call His disciples to the eternal Kingdom. He also called them brothers. In the Kingdom these relationships are transcended because, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither slave nor freeman but Christ, is all things and in all.” The Lord says, “For in the resurrection, they will neither be married nor marry but will be as the Angels of God in Heaven.”

Whoever wishes to prepare himself now, for the life of that Kingdom, must not hate people but those earthly relationships, through which the present life is sustained, the temporary life that begins at birth and ends with death. Whoever does not hate this necessity, does not yet love that other life, in which there will be no condition of birth and death, the condition which makes marriages natural on earth.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father, Doctor of Grace (Sermon on the Mount,15).

PRAYER – Be mindful of our weakness, Almighty God and because the burden of our sins weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of blessed Timothy, Your Martyr and Bishop, sustain us. 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 is LOVE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275)

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – St Raymond of Peñafort OP (1175-1275) Confessor, “Father of Canon Law”

“May you never be numbered
among those whose house
is peaceful, quiet
and free from care,
those on whom
the Lord’s chastisement
does not descend,
those who live out their days
in prosperity and in the
twinkling of an eye,
will go down to hell!”

“Your purity of life, your devotion,
deserve and call for a reward
because you are acceptable
and pleasing to God.
Your purity of life must be made purer still,
by frequent buffetings,
until you attain perfect sincerity of heart.
If, from time to time, you feel the sword
falling upon you with double or treble force,
this also should be seen as sheer joy
and the mark of love!”

“Look then on Jesus,
the Author and Preserver of faith —
in complete sinlessness, He suffered
and, at the hands of those who were His own
and was numbered among the wicked.
As you drink the cup of the Lord Jesus
(how glorious it is!), give thanks to the Lord,
the Giver of all blessings.
May the God of love and peace
set your hearts at rest
and speed you on your journey;
may He meanwhile, shelter you
from disturbance by others
in the hidden recesses of His Love,
until He brings you, at last,
into that place of complete plenitude,
where you will repose forever in the vision of peace,
in the security of trust
and in the restful enjoyment of His riches. ”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-january-st-raymond-of-penafort/

St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275)

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), GOOD FRIDAY, HOLY WEEK, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on SIMPLICITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 14 January – St Hilary

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 January – St Hilary (315-368) Confessor, Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church

“The Son of God,
is nailed to the Cross
but on the Cross,
God conquers human death.
Christ, the Son of God, dies
but all flesh is made alive in Christ.
The Son of God is in hell
but man is carried back to Heaven!”

(On the Trinity Book II)I

“When I look at Thine heavens,
according to my own lights,
with these weak eyes of mine,
I am certain, with reservation,
that they are Thine heavens.
The stars circle in the heavens,
reappear year after year,
each with a function and service to fulfil.
And, although I do not understand them,
I know that Thou, O God, are in them.”

“Little children follow and obey their father.
They love their mother.
They know nothing of covetousness,
ill-will, bad temper, arrogance and lying.
This state of mind opens the road to Heaven.
To imitate our Lord’s own humility,
we must return to the simplicity
of God’s little ones.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/01/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-january-st-hilary-2/

St Hilary (315-368)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, THE EPIPHANY of the LORD, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 January – Following His Star

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 January – Within the Octave of The Epiphany – Isaias 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“We have seen His Star in the East
and have come, with gifts,
to worship the Lord.
Alleluia!”

Matthew 2:2

“Behold, the star
which they had seen in the east,
went before them
until it came and stood
over where the Child was…”

Matthew 2:9

“I implore you to live with me and,
by believing, to run with me;
let us long for our Heavenly Country,
let us sigh for our Heavenly Home,
let us truly feel that here, we are strangers.
What shall we then see?
Let the gospel tell us:
In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
You will come to the fountain,
with whose dew you have already been sprinkled.
Instead of the ray of Light
which was sent through slanting
and winding ways, into the heart of your darkness,
you will see the Light Itself,
in all its purity and brightness.
It is to see and experience this Light
that you are now being cleansed. …
It has been good for us to share
the common Light,
good to have enjoyed ourselves,
good to have been glad together.
When we part from one another,
let us not depart from Him!”

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

“The obedience of the Star
calls us to imitate its humble service:
to be servants, as best we can,
of the grace which invites all men
to find Christ.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“… For this day, I must abide in thy house.”
Luke 19:5

“But He says to all:
“Come down quickly, for the exalted
freedom of the spirit cannot be maintained,
except through lowly obedience of mind.
You must know and love Me,
as both God and a human being,
higher than all and lower than all!
You will savour Me when I raise you up
above all things and above yourself to Myself
and, when you lower yourself beneath all things
and beneath yourself, to Me and for My sake.
Then, I will have to come to your house
and remain living with you and in you
and you with Me and in Me!”

Bl Jan van Ruysbroeck (1293-1381)

(A Mirror of Eternal Blessedness)

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The DIVINE INFANT, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 January – ‘ … Why did the newborn heavenly King abandon these companions in innocence …?’

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One Minute Reflection – 4 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”– Octave of the Holy Innocents – Apocalypse 14:1-5; Matthew 2:13-18 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“When Herod realised that he had been deceived by the Magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity, two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the Magi.” – Matthew 2:16

REFLECTION – “Where does this jealousy lead?… The crime committed today shows us. Fear of a rival to his earthly kingdom fills Herod with anxiety, he plots to suppress “the newborn King” (Mt 2:2), the Eternal King; he fights against his Creator and puts innocent children to death … As for those children, what fault had they committed? Their tongues were dumb, their eyes had seen nothing, their ears heard nothing, their hands done nothing. They accepted death who had not known life! … Christ reads the future and knows the secrets of the heart, He weighs our thoughts and probes our intentions (cf. Ps 138[139]): why did He forsake them? … Why did the newborn heavenly King abandon these companions in innocence, forget the sentinels watching around His crib, to such an extent that the foe, who wanted to get at the King, ravaged His whole army?

My brethren, Christ did not forsake His soldiers but covered them with honour, by allowing them to conquer, before they had lived and to carry away the prize, without a fight. … He wanted them to possess Heaven, rather than earth. … He sent them before Him as His heralds. He did not abandon them but saved those who went on ahead. He did not forget them. …

Blessed are they who have exchanged their travail for repose, their pains for ease, their suffering for joy. They are alive! Yes, they are alive, they live indeed who have undergone death for Christ’s sake. … Happy the tears their mothers shed for these infants, they have won them the grace of Baptism. … May He who deigned to rest in a stable, be pleased to lead us too, to the heavenly pastures.” – St Peter Chrysologus (400-450) Bishop of Ravenna, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 152 PL 52, 604).

PRAYER – O God, Whose praise the Innocents, Thy Martyrs, this day proclaimed, not by speaking but by dying, put to death in us all the wickedness of sin, so that Thy faith which our tongue professes, may be proclaimed also by our life.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 GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SLOTH, QUOTES on THE WORLD

Thought for the Day –30 December – Dissipation

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

Dissipation

“Imagine the death of the dissipated man.
When he reaches the end of his earthly journey, it will seem to him as if he has awakened from a dream.
Everything is over now.
Gone forever are the objects of desire which he exerted himself so feverishly to acquire.
He is alone before God.
Money, ease and pleasure, have vanished, like snow melting in the sun.

Please God, we shall never experience this fearful re-awakening.
Let us rouse ourselves now, from our spiritual torpor, while there is still time, .
May God be our first thought and our first desire.
May constant prayer, detachment from the world and steady progress in perfection, win for us the everlasting happiness of Heaven.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/30/thought-for-the-day-30-december-dissipation/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/30/thought-for-the-day-30-december-dissipation-2/

Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, CATHOLIC Quotes, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, JESUIT SJ, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SPIRITUAL WORKS of MERCY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Quote/s of the Day – 23 December – Prepare the way of the Lord

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 December – Ember Saturday of Advent – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Luke 3:1-6 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Prepare the way of the Lord”
Luke 3:4

“I speak out in order to lead Him
into your hearts but He does not choose to come
where I lead Him, unless you prepare the way for Him.”

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

“He came from Him,
from Whom He did not depart,
going forth from Him,
with Whom He stayed,
so that without intermission,
He was wholly in eternity,
wholly in time,
wholly was He found in the Father
when wholly in the Virgin,
wholly in His own Majesty
and in His Father’s,
at the time
when He was wholly in our humanity. ”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1110-1159)

O God, We Love Thee
Prayer inspired by St Louis’ Last Instructions
to his Eldest Son, Philip
(Perhaps Philip prayed thus)

O God, we love Thee.
We wish to do nothing to displease Thee.
If we have troubles, let us thank Thee.
If we do not, we also humbly thank Thee.
Let us pray diligently
and be compassionate and generous to the poor.
May we hold fast all that is good
and all that is bad, discard.
We thank Thee for friends,
who help us bear our burdens
and help us grow in holiness.
Let us turn away from calumniators and slanderers
and lend a willing ear to those who speak of God.
Let us always do what is right and just for those we serve
and promote peace among our neighbours.
Let us be quick to defend our Faith.
O Holy Lord, all Thy holy Saints,
defend us from all evils.
Grant us Thy grace to fulfil always,
Thy Holy Will,
so that Thou may be glorified and honoured
and so we may be with Thee forever.
Amen

St Louis IX (1214-1270) Confessor, King of France

“For the sake of obtaining that eternal life,
no works of piety,
ought to seem too difficult to a true believer,
no toil too heavy,
no pain too bitter,
no time spent in labour and suffering,
too long or too wearisome.
For, if nothing is sweeter, or more desirable,
than this present life which is so full of calamities,
how much more desirable,
must that other life be deemed
which is so far removed from all sense of evil,
or fear of it, which will, in every conceivable way,
always abound in the unspeakable
and unending joys, delight and happiness of Heaven.”

St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1597)
Confessor, Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT QUOTES, CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, OPEN HOUSE...Conversations with..., PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUTH, St PETER!, The DIVINE INFANT, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 December – ‘Let us become like Christ, …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Monday of the Second Week of Advent – 1 Peter 5:1-4, 10-11; Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But the God of all grace,
Who hath called us into His eternal glory
in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little,
will Himself perfect you and confirm you
and establish you.
To Him be glory and empire
forever and ever. Amen.”

1 Peter 5:10-11

“Then go and learn,
neither to be moved with injuries nor flatteries.
If you die to the world and to yourself,
you will begin to live to Christ.”

St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390)

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

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

“Let us always belong to God,
unreservedly and without interruption.
May He ever live and reign in our hearts.”

(Letter to Madame de Chantal)

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

“Each one of us has a thirst
for all that is infinite, eternal and perfect.
God alone can satisfy this thirst.
Just as we are created by God,
so we are created for Him.
Just as we came from God,
so we are gradually travelling back towards Him,
for He is the final goal of our earthly journey.
We should meditate on this great truth
which we were first taught in the Catechism,
namely, that we were created
to know, love and serve God
on this earth and to be happy with Him
forever in Heaven.
God alone is the eternal beauty
which will satisfy our hearts.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)