QUOTES on HUMILITY – Page 19

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 June – “Beware of practising your piety before men …”

Posted on June 17, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 17 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14, Psalm 31:20, 21, 24, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of practising your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 6:1

“Christianity is not a matter
of persuading people of particular ideas
but of inviting them to share
in the greatness of Christ.
So pray, that I may never fall into the trap,
of impressing people,
with clever speech but instead,
I may learn, to speak with humility,
desiring only to impress people
with Christ Himself.”

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35 – 107)
Father of the Church, Martyr

“Do not boast of yourself
if you have served well,
as you should have done.
The sun obeys,
the moon complies
and the angels serve.
Let us not require praise for ourselves…”

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

”Vainglory can find a place,
not only, in the splendour and pomp of worldly wealth
but even in the sordid garment of sackcloth as well.
It is then all the more dangerous
because it is a deception,
under the pretence of service to God.”

“Do you wish to RISE?
Begin by DESCENDING.
You plan a tower
that will pierce the CLOUDS?
Lay first the foundation
of HUMILITY.”

do you wish to rise, begin by descending - st augustine - 28 aug 2018

“God looks at what is within,
it is there He assesses,
there He examines.”

St Augustine (354-430)
Doctor of Grace

“True humility
scarcely ever
utters words
of humility.”

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

“The truly humble
reject all praise for themselves
and refer it all to God.”

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

“God who is infinite, all powerful,
has become man,
the least of men.
My way is always to seek the lowest place,
to be as little as my Master,
to walk with Him,
step-by-step as a faithful disciple.
My way, is to live with my God
who lived this way all His life
and, who has given me,
such an example,
from His very birth.

Blessed Charles of Jesus de Foucauld

(1858-1916)

“I sought to hear the voice of God
And climbed the topmost steeple.
But God declared
“Go down again –
I dwell among the people.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

“The humble man receives praise,
the way a clean window
takes the light of the sun.
The truer and more intense the light is,
the less you see of the glass.”

Thomas Merton OCSO (1915-1968)

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One Minute Reflection – 17 June – ‘Purity of intention…’

Posted on June 17, 2020June 18, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 17 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14, Psalm 31:20, 21, 24, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

“Beware of practising your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” … Matthew 6:1

REFLECTION – “Our Lord, so the early Fathers say, used to tell His disciples to be well-proved bankers, proving all things, holding fast what is of value. No coin finds acceptance commercially if the gold is below standard, underweight, of it the piece is illegally struck; nor can our actions have any value spiritually, unless they are suitable, graced with charity and have a pious motive.

Take fasting, for instance – if I fast simply for the purpose of slimming, my fasting is for debased spiritual coinage; if temperance underlies it but I am not in a state of grace, it is still deficient, for charity alone gives weight to what we do; if I do it merely out of courtesy for the company in which I find myself, it lacks the stamp of right intention. Let my fasting be based on temperance, my soul in a state of grace, my intention solely to please God, then my efforts will ring true, fit to enlarge my store of charity.

Given utmost purity of intention and a firm resolve to please God, little actions are well done. In these circumstances they lead to great holiness. Some people, in spite of eating all they can, remain only skin and bone, weak, listless, their powers of digestion are poor. Others may eat next to nothing yet be fit as fiddles, full of energy — nothing is wrong with their digestion! Some folk there are, in the same way, who do many good things, yet have little extra charity to show for it – coldness and carelessness, or instinct and inclination rather than grace or zeal, is where the blame lies. On the other hand, there are those who accomplish little but to perfect is their will, their intention, however, that their growth in charity is great. They have only a little talent but they make such careful use of what they have that the Lord rewards them for it generously.” … St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva, Doctor Caritatis matthew 6_1 - beware of practising - let my fasting be based on temperance my soul in a state of grace - st francis de sales 17 june 2020

PRAYER – Litany of Humility
By Servant of God Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930) – who was accustomed to recite this prayer daily after the celebration of Holy Mass.

O Jesus meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honoured, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver, me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That in the opinion of the world, others may increase
and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
Amen litany of humility by card merry del val 17 june 2020

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 June – St Anthony of Padua

Posted on June 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 13 June – The Memorial of St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor of the Church

“Damned money!
Alas! …
Money is the ‘droppings of birds’
that blinded the eyes of Tobit.”

“Christ, who is your life, is hanging before you,
so that you may look at the Cross, as in a mirror.
There you will be able to know, how mortal were your wounds,
that no medicine other, than the Blood of the Son of God, could heal.
If you look closely, you will be able to realise,
how great your human dignity and your value are….
Nowhere other than looking at himself,
in the mirror of the Cross,
can man better understand how much he is worth”

(Sermones Dominicales et Festivi III, pp. 213-214)

“The devil is afraid of us
when we pray and make sacrifices.
He is also afraid when we are humble and good.
He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much.
He runs away when we make the Sign of the Cross.”

“The spirit of humility
is sweeter than honey
and those, who nourish themselves
with this honey
produce sweet fruit.”

The Praises of Mary
“Assumption”
Poem by Saint Anthony

O how wondrous is the dignity of the glorious Virgin!
She merited to become the mother of Him
who is the strength and beauty of the angels
and the grandeur of all the saints.

Mary was the seat of our sanctification,
that is to say,
the dwelling place of the Son
who sacrificed Himself for us.

“And I shall glorify the place where my feet have stood.”
The feet of the Saviour signify His human nature.
The place where the feet of the Saviour stood
was the Blessed Mary,
who gave Him His human nature.

Today the Lord glorifies that place,
since He has exalted Mary
above the choirs of the angels.
That is to say,
the Blessed Virgin,
who was the dwelling of the Saviour,
has been assumed bodily into heaven.

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

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Thought for the Day – 12 June – “Unless You Turn and Become Like Little Children, You Will Not Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”

Posted on June 12, 2020June 16, 2021 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day -12 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Unless You Turn and Become Like Little Children, You Will Not Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”

“At the beginning of their ministry, before they had been strengthened and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the Apostles were as ambitious as most other men.
One day, the mother of John and James, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and asked Him, if her two sons could have precedence over the other Apostles and sit on the highest thrones in His kingdom, one at His right hand and the other at His left.
Jesus disapproved of this desire to predominate. “Whoever wishes to become great among you,” He said, “shall be your servant and, whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; even as the Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:26-28).

On another occasion, the Apostles came to Jesus and asked Him, which of them would be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus’ only answer was to call a little child and to place him in the centre of the group.
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whoever, therefore, humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3-4).

This is the lofty teaching of the Gospel.
If we wish to be great and pleasing in the eyes of God, we must be unimportant in our own regard and in our relations with men.
The Gospel involves an overthrow of human values.
Anyone who makes himself insignificant, will become great.
Anyone who tries to make himself out to be a great man, becomes of little account in the eyes of God.
“God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Cf Js 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
If we wish to please the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the first thing we must do, is become as little children.
In other words, we shall have to suppress our ambition and vanity and destroy our self-love, so that, the Sacred Heart may fill our hearts with the love of God alone!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 11 June – Learn From Me, For I Am Meek and Humble of Heart

Posted on June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 11 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Learn From Me, For I Am Meek and Humble of Heart”

“Jesus is perfection itself.
In Him, therefore, every virtue is to be found.
He could truly claim that He fulfilled in Himself the precept: “You are to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).
Throughout His life, He performed in a perfect manner, the will of His heavenly Father: “I do always the things that are pleasing to Him” (Jn 8:29).

Jesus Christ provided us with an example of every virtue.
As the foundation of all the virtues, He insisted on the great precept of loving God above all things and our neighbour as ourselves.
In proposing Himself as a model, however, this is what He said: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart and ou will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:29).
The outstanding example which Jesus gave us for our imitation, was this meekness and humility of heart.
We shall have peace of soul only, if we are meek and humble.

In what did the humility of Jesus consist?
He was God and He became man.
He Who possessed everything was born poor in a wretched stable and lived as a lowly workman for thirty years.
He allowed Himself to be betrayed by one of His Apostles, to be sentenced to death as an evildoer and, finally, to be executed on the Cross.

He combined humility with gentleness.
He was happy when He could receive back penitent sinners and grant them forgiveness and peace.
Let us recall the examples of Mary Magdalen, the adulteress, the lost sheep, the prodigal son and, finally, the repentant thief, to whom He promised the reward of Heaven.
What greater gentleness and mercy could we ever find?

To the present day, moreover, Jesus Christ is hidden in the Blessed Eucharist under the consecrated species and appeals to us to imitate and love Him.

When we are disturbed by pride, ambition, or worldly desires, let us go to Jesus and kneel in silence before the Tabernacle.
“Learn from me,” He will say to us once more, “for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 June – Part One: The Beatitudes

Posted on June 8, 2020June 8, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 8 June – Month of the Sacred Heart” – Monday of the Tenth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 1 Kings 17:1-6, Psalm 121:1-8, Matthew 5:1-12

Part One: The Beatitudes (a tiny beginning)

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

Matthew 5:3

“…For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled but he who humbles himself, will be exalted.”

Luke 18:14

“Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues,
hence, in the soul in which this virtue does NOT exist,
there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.”

“Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending.
You plan a tower, that will pierce the clouds?
Lay first, the foundation of humility.”

” There never can have been
and never can be
and there never shall be,
any sin without pride.”

St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of the Church

st augustine - 22 march 2018 - speaking of humility -humility is the foundation, do you wish to rise, there never can be

“Humility is the only virtue
that no devil can imitate.
If pride made demons out of angels,
there is no doubt,
that humility could
make angels out of demons.”

“The one who requests less than he deserves from God
will surely obtain more than he deserves.
This is clearly shown by the tax-collector
who requested forgiveness but obtained justification.
And the thief merely requested
to be remembered in His Kingdom
but he inherited Paradise.”

St John Climacus (c 525-606)
Father of the Church

“‘… Choose the same things as Himself…’”
That which is small and despised,
that is what He has chosen,
my Saviour and God,
who put on our flesh
to confound human fame and wealth.”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)
Monk and Theologian at Constantinople

Catechesis 78

“Your Master is not disturbed by mockery and do you get upset?
He bears spittle, blows, strokes of the lash
and can you not take a harsh word?
He accepts the cross, a humiliating death,
the torture of the nails
and can you not undertake to carry out the lowliest of tasks?
How can you become a sharer in His glory (1 Pt 5:1)
if you will not consent to become a sharer in His humiliating death?”

St Simeon the New Theologian (949-1022)

Catechesis 27

“We are ever but beginning,
the most perfect Christian,
is to himself but a beginner,
a penitent prodigal
who has squandered God’s gifts
and comes to Him,
to be tried over again,
not as a son
but as a hired servant.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

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Thought for the Day – 7 May – The Humility of Mary

Posted on May 7, 2020May 5, 2022 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 7 May – “Mary’s Month” Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Humility of Mary

“The profound humility of Mary was commensurate with her high dignity.
As Dante put it, she was the humblest and noblest of creatures. “Umile ed altra piu che creatura” (Paradiso 33:2)
None of the saints was humbler than Mary, just as none of them was greater.
It was an Archangel who came down from Heaven and bowed before her as he praised her in the highest terms as “full of grace” and announced the unique dignity she was to receive as Mother of God.
She bowed her head in turn and declared herself to be the handmaid of the Lord, ready to do His will in all things.
Then she went to visit and congratulate her cousin, Elizabeth, because she had heard from the Angel that she was to be the mother of the Precursor.
When she arrived at the house, she was greeted by Elizabeth with the words: “How have I deserved that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
Far from being flattered, however, Mary attributed all her glory to God and replied with the Magnificat, a hymn of praise and gratitude in God’s honour.
It was the same when Jesus was born in the manger at Bethlehem.
There was a sudden brightness in the sky and the angels sang “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among men of goodwill.”
But even though she held the Lord of Heaven and earth, in her arms, the Blessed Virgin asked for nothing for herself.
Her only desire was to do the will of God.
The love of Jesus was enough for her.
She did not seek her own glory but the glory of God.
Likewise, on the weary journey into Egypt, she was content because, she was with Jesus and in the obscure life of Nazareth, she desired no other treasure but Her divine Son.
During His public life, she followed Him in silence.
Once only she spoke in a submissive tone, in order to ask a favour for others but not for herself.
It was at the wedding celebrations in Cana, when she asked for the first miracle, in such a way, that it was not even apparent that it was she who had wrung the favour from the filial heart of Jesus.
It was always like that, up to the time of Calvary and the Resurrection, the Ascension and Pentecost.
She remained humbly in the background all the time.
Now, after her departure from this earth, her humility has been gloriously crowned in the dogma of the Assumption and in her Coronation as Queen of Angels and of Saints.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 May – “A servant is not greater than his master…”

Posted on May 7, 2020May 7, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 7 May – Thursday Fourth week of Easter, Readings: Acts 13:13-25, Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27, John 13:16-20

“A servant is not greater than his master…”

John 13:16

“It is not that I want merely,
to be called a Christian
but to actually be one.
Yes, if I prove to be one,
then I can have the name.”

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108)
Martyr, Father of the Church

“Do not follow any road
but that which Christ trod.
This road seems hard but it is safe.”

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

“There is a difference between renouncing all things and leaving all things.
For it is the way of few perfect men to leave all things,
that is, to cast behind them the cares of the world
but it is the part of all the faithful, to renounce all things,
that is, so to hold the things of the world
instead of by them being held in the world.”

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

“‘… Choose the same things as Himself…”
That which is small and despised,
that is what He has chosen,
my Saviour and God,
who put on our flesh
to confound human fame and wealth.”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)
Monk and Theologian at Constantinople

Catechesis 78

“When it comes to following Jesus,
it’s usually not more information that we need
but more guts.”

Father Mike Schmitz

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One Minute Reflection -– 7 May – ‘… Choose the same things as Himself…”

Posted on May 7, 2020May 7, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection -– 7 May – “Mary’s Month” – Thursday Fourth week of Easter, Readings: Acts 13:13-25, Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27, John 13:16-20 and the Memorial of Nlessed Alberto of Bergamo OP (1214-1279)

“A servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” … John 13:16

REFLECTION – “Remember the wonders He has done for us (Ps 104[105]:5) in the past and those he does still. … In response to what He has done for us let us do even more and return what we owe Him, most venerable brethren. And what He wants from us is surely that we should fear Him, love Him with all our heart and all our mind (cf. Mt 22:37) and imitate His life in the flesh insofar as we can?

He made Himself a stranger by leaving heaven for earth so that we too might become strangers to thoughts that come from self-will. He obeyed His father so that you too should unhesitatingly obey …. He humbled Himself even to death (cf. Phil 2:8) so that you too should share this sentiment, abasing and humbling yourselves in thought, deed, word and act. Where is divine and true glory to be found, if not in becoming, without glory amongst men for God’s sake? … That which is small and despised, that is what He has chosen, my Saviour and God, who put on our flesh to confound (1 Cor 1:27-28) human fame and wealth.

This is why He was born in a cave, was laid in a manger, was called the son of a carpenter, called a Nazarene. He was clothed in one poor tunic and a single cloak; He went by foot, suffered, was stoned by the Jews (cf. Jn 10:31), insulted, arrested, crucified, pierced with a lance, placed in the tomb, after which He rose again. And so, He wishes to persuade us, brethren, to choose the same things as Himself before the angels, so that we may be crowned in the Kingdom of Heaven, into Christ our Lord Himself, to whom belongs glory and power, together with the Father and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.” … St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Monk and Theologian at Constantinople – Catechesis 78

PRAYER – Lord God, stand by us in Your saving work and stay with us in Your gifts of grace. You have rescued us from the darkness, keep us ever in Your light. May the ways of truth and life which Jesus Christ Your Son taught us, be our anchor and our light. We ask that You hear the intercession of Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mother and Bl Alberto of Bergamo, whom we beseech for help as we work to reach our heavenly home. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen IMM MARY MOTHER OF GOD PRAY FOR US 7 MAY 2020

bl alberto of bergamo pray for us 7 may 2020

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 May – God alone!

Posted on April 28, 2020April 28, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 28 May – Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter and the Memorial of St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716), St Peter Chanel (1803-1841) Priest and Martyr, St Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962), Blessed María Felicia of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament OCD (1925-1959)

“God alone!”

“Chosen soul, how will you bring this about?
What steps will you take to reach the high level
to which God is calling you?
The means of holiness and salvation,
are known to everybody,
since they are found in the Gospel,
the masters of the spiritual life have explained them,
the Saints have practised them…
These means are –
sincere Humility,
unceasing Prayer,
complete Self-denial,
abandonment to Divine Providence
and obedience to the Will of God.”

“Since grace enhances our human nature
and glory adds a still greater perfection to grace,
it is certain, that our Lord remains in heaven,
just as much the Son of Mary as He was on earth.
Consequently, He has retained the submissiveness
and obedience of the most Perfect of all Children,
towards the Best of all Mothers.”

True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, #27

“The greatest saints,
those richest in grace and virtue,
will be the most assiduous in praying
to the most Blessed Virgin,
looking up to her,
as the perfect model to imitate
and as a powerful helper to assist them. “

St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

“It does not matter, whether or not I am killed,
the religion has taken root on the island,
it will not be destroyed by my death,
since it comes not from men but from God.”

St Peter Chanel (1803-1841) Priest and Martyr

“The stillness of prayer
is the most essential condition
for fruitful action.
Before all else,
the disciple kneels down.”

“Our body is a cenacle,
a monstrance –
through its crystal,
the world should see God.”

St Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962)

“Father, for Your glory,
accept the total surrender of my being,
in union with the perfect sacrifice of Your divine Son.
In Him, through Him and with Him,
I live, love, believe, suffer and die….”

Blessed María Felicia of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament (1925-1959)

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Thought for the Day – 23 April – Faith and Charity

Posted on April 23, 2020April 26, 2022 by AnaStpaul

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

Faith and Charity

“Faith is a gift from God (Summa Theologiae, II-II, q 45).
We should, therefore, ask for it in our prayers.
Faith cannot enter into a proud soul, because, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Js 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
If a man does not pray, his faith grows weaker and he may lose it altogether.
Faith must be nourished continually by grace, which is obtained through prayer.
A man who is in a state of mortal sin, loses his faith, ‘especially if he is a slave to impurity, because, only the clean of heart can see God’ (Cf Mt 5:8).
St Thomas Aquinas knew what he was talking about when he said, that “faith is the foundation of the entire spiritual edifice of the Christian life” (Summa Theologiae III, q 73, a 3).
It is faith, nourished by grace, which raises us to the supernatural level, where everything which we do, say or think, becomes meritorious in the sight of God. “My just one lives by faith” (Heb 10:38).
The keener and stronger our faith is, the firmer is the foundation of our spiritual life and the more numerous are our good works.
This is not to say, that faith excludes all study and investigation.
In fact, the more lively is our faith, the more earnest will be our desire to understand better the terms in which our faith is expressed and to explore the intimate connection, between divine revelation and human knowledge.
Study of this kind, will prove, a refreshing experience because, it will bring us to the threshold of the contemplation of eternal truth.
Reason is not humiliated but ennobled by the light of revelation, which raises it to a higher plane.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Thought for the Day – 3 April – Our Martyrdom

Posted on April 3, 2020July 22, 2025 by AnaStpaul

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

Our Martyrdom

“St Ambrose describes virtue, as a slow martyrdom.
In this sense, we must all be martyrs.
There is only one difference.
The Martyrs of the Church shed their blood and gave up their lives for Jesus, within one hour or one day and gained their reward immediately.
Our martyrdom, on the other hand, will be prolonged.
It will last all our lives and will end only when we accept death with resignation from the hands of God.
Ours is the martyrdom of virtue.
Let us clearly understand, that solid Christian virtue is a slow and continual martyrdom, which will end with death.
It is not a flower, which springs up spontaneously in the garden of the soul.
It is like a seed which is thrown on the damp earth and must die there slowly, so that it can generate young shoots, which will produce the ears of corn.
“Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But, if it dies, it brings forth much fruit” (Jn 12:24-25).
It is necessary, then, to descend into the mire of humility and to remain there until we die.
Only after we have died to ourselves, shall we rise again in God (Cf ibid).
After the death of our lower instincts and vices, we shall find a new life.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 30 March – St John Climacus – “Humility”

Posted on March 30, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 30 March – The Memorial of St John Climacus (c 525-606) Father of the Church

“Humility is the only virtue
that no devil can imitate.
If pride made demons out of angels,
there is no doubt,
that humility could
make angels out of demons.”

“Obedience is the burial of the will
and the resurrection of humility.”

“Repentance lifts a man up.
Mourning knocks at heaven’s gate.
Holy humility opens it.”

“… A proud soul is the slave of fear,
hoping in itself, in comes to such a state,
that it is startled by a small noise
and is afraid of the dark.”

St John Climacus (c 525-606)
Father of the Church

MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY

Thought for the Day – 29 March – Jesus Lost in the Temple

Posted on March 29, 2020March 24, 2023 by AnaStpaul

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

Jesus Lost in the Temple

The Gospel of St Luke relates that when Jesus was twelve years of age, He went with Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem to celebrate the Pasch.
When the feast was over, Our Lady and St Joseph set out on the return journey and, as was the custom, they went in separate caravans, one being for men and the other for women.
Each believed that the Child Jesus was in the other group but, at the end of the first day’s journey, they failed to find Him in either.
They were stricken with worry and sorrow and returned immediately to Jerusalem, where they searched anxiously for Him.
At last they found Him in the Temple.
There He was, carrying on a discussion in the midst of a gathering of doctors of the Law, who were amazed at the wisdom of His answers.
When the Blessed Virgin gently reproved Him, Jesus replied: “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Cf Lk 2:41-51)
After this, He went back readily with them to Nazareth “and was subject to them.”
We have a great deal to learn from this chapter of the Gospel.
Above all, let us learn the humility and mildness of Jesus, Who quietly replied, in answer to Mary’s gentle reproach, that it was His special mission to look after the work of His Heavenly Father, for He owed obedience, in the first place, to God and then to men (Cf Acts 5:29).
What is our attitude when we are rebuked or criticised?
Are we humble in the manner of Jesus Christ?
Or, are we angry and resentful?
Let us earnestly examine ourselves in this matter.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2020, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The PASSION

Quote of the Day – 28 March – ‘… Do you get upset?’

Posted on March 28, 2020March 28, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 28 March – Saturday of the Fourth week of Lent

St Simeon the New Theologian (949-1022)

Catechesis 27

MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Thought for the Day – 25 March – Mortification and Penance

Posted on March 25, 2020June 24, 2021 by AnaStpaul

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

Mortification and Penance

“In Christian teaching, death is the beginning of life.
“Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies,” Jesus said, “it remains alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. He who loves his life, loses it and he, who hates his life in this world, keeps it unto life everlasting” (Jn 12:24-25).
This paradox of dying to this life in order to live in Heaven, was enacted in a wonderful way in the lives of Jesus and of the Saints.
It must be put into effect in our lives also, if we are to be genuine Christians.
Jesus shed His precious blood for us and His death was the beginning of His triumph.
The Apostles, Martyrs and Saints, gave their lives for Christ and received, as their reward, the happy and eternal life of Heaven.
By dying to our own ego and to our passions, we shall find the true life of Christ.
We must die to ourselves, so that Christ may live in us, as He lived in St Paul.
We must die to pride, so that Christian humility may live in us;
we must die to anger, so that patience may live in us;
we must die to lust, so that purity and innocence may live in us
and, we must die to selfishness, so that charity may live in us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, The LAST THINGS

Quote of the Day – 21 March – ‘Keep nothing in your heart but charity”

Posted on March 21, 2020March 21, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 21 March – Saturday of the Third Week of Lent

“You must be reconciled with your enemies,
speak to them as if they had never done you anything but good all your life,
keeping nothing in your heart but the charity,
which the good Christian should have for everyone,
so that we can all appear with confidence before the tribunal of God.”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

LENT 2020, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 March – ‘…The basis for holiness…’

Posted on March 21, 2020March 21, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 21 March – Saturday of the Third Week of Lent, Readings: Hosea 6:1-6, Psalm 51:3-4, 18-21, Luke 18:9-14 and the Memorial of St Enda of Aran

“…For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled but he who humbles himself, will be exalted.”… Luke 18:14 luke-18-14-everuone-who-exalts-himself-shall-be-humbled 21 March 2020

REFLECTION – “It is of capital importance that you emphasise what is the basis for holiness and the foundation of goodness. I mean, to talk about the virtue of which Jesus presents himself explicitly as the model – humility (cf. Mt 11:29).
Inner humility, more inner than outward.
Recognise who you truly are – a nothing, something quite miserable, weak, full of defects, capable of turning good into bad, to let go the good, for the bad, to attribute to yourself the good and to justify yourself in doing bad and for love of evil, to despise the One who is the Supreme Good.
Never go to bed before having first examined your conscience to consider how you spent your day. Turn all your thoughts towards the Lord and consecrate to Him your own person, as well as all Christians. Then offer to His glory, the sleep you will get, without ever forgetting your guardian angel, who is always at your side.” … Saint Pio of Pietralcina “Padre Pio” (1887-1968) – Buona Giornata

PRAYER – We turn to You our God and Father and seek Your comfort and assurance. Jesus, our Lord, Your Son, taught us how to pray in humility and all we need to be and do, to reach You. Be patient good Father, as we grow by Your grace. May the prayers of St Enda, be heard together with the Mother of Christ and of Humility, as they pray on our behalf. Through Jesus our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen. st enda of aran pray for us 21 march 2020

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2020, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 16 March – “No prophet is accepted in his own country”

Posted on March 16, 2020March 16, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 16 March – Monday of the Third week of Lent, Readings: 2 Kings 5:1-15, Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3-4, Luke 4:24-30

“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.” … Luke 4:24 luke 4 24 i say to you no prophet is accepted in his own country 16 march 2020

REFLECTION – “A doctor came amongst us to restore us to health – our Lord Jesus Christ. He discovered blindness in our hearts and promised the light that “eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered the heart of man” (1Cor 2:9).
The humility of Jesus Christ is the cure for your pride. Don’t scorn what will bring you healing, be humble, you for whom God humbled Himself. Indeed, He knew that the medicine of humility would cure you, He who well understood your sickness and knew how to cure it. While you were unable to run to the doctor’s house, the doctor in person came to your house… He is coming, He wants to help you, He knows what you need.
God has come with humility precisely in order that man might imitate Him. If He had remained above you, how would you have been able to imitate Him? And, without imitating Him, how could you be healed? He came with humility because He knew the nature of the remedy He had to administer – a little bitter, it is true but healing. And do you continue to scorn Him? He who holds out the cup to you and you say: “But what sort of God is this God of mine? He was born, suffered, was covered with spittle, crowned with thorns, nailed on the cross!” O miserable soul! You see the doctor’s humility and not the cancer of your pride. That is why humility displeases you…
It often happens that mentally ill people end up by beating their doctor. When that happens, the unfortunate doctor is not only not distressed by the one who beat him but attempts to treat him… As for our doctor, He did not fear being killed by sick people afflicted with madness, He turned His own death into their remedy. Indeed, He died and rose again.”…St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church a doctor came amongst us - st augustine 16 march 2020

PRAYER – Lord our God, make us love You above all things and all our fellow-men, with a love that is worthy of You. May we look to Your Divine Son in love and imitation. Grant we pray, that by the prayers of the Mother of our Lord and our Mother, we too may be granted the grace to follow Your only Son, no matter our sufferings. We make our prayer, through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever amen. ianua caeli heaven's gate pray for us mary - 25 aug 2019

LENT 2020, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE

Quote of the Day – 14 March – We are ever but beginning

Posted on March 14, 2020March 14, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 14 March – Saturday of the Second Week of Lent

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The PASSION

Quote of the Day – 13 March – ‘O man, when the world hates you …’

Posted on March 13, 2020March 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 13 March – Friday of the Second Week of Lent

“O man, when the world hates you and is faithless toward you,
think of your God, how He was struck and spat upon.
You should not accuse your neighbour of guilt
but pray to God, that He be merciful to you both.”

St Nicholas of Flue (1417-1487)

GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD

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

Posted on March 12, 2020March 10, 2023 by AnaStpaul

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

Detachment from the World

“It is very difficult to detach ourselves from worldly affairs and remain always united to God.
Nevertheless, St Ignatius Loyola often exclaimed: “How ugly the earth seems when I look towards Heaven!”
The Saints saw the things of this world in the light of God.
They recognised how insignificant this world is, beside the infinite splendour of God.
They realised that earthly things cannot satisfy the human heart, nor assuage the restlessness of the soul, which was created for God.
We, on the other hand, become too attached to worldly goods.
It may happen that our hearts become absorbed in them.
Let us reflect on the unimportance of this world.
There are myriad of stars in the firmament, many of which are far larger than our earth or sun.
Some, like Andromeda, are 250,000 light years distant from us; others, like the Triangle, are 280,000 light years away, while still others, are probably much farther.
All obey exactly the plan of their Creator.
How tiny our earth is by comparison!
How insignificant we ourselves are!
Why should we become so attached to the things of this earth?
God alone is great.
He alone should occupy our minds and hearts.
We have been made for Him alone.“

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2020, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE

One Minute Reflection –12 March – “God resists the proud”

Posted on March 12, 2020March 3, 2021 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection –12 March – Thursday of the Second week of Lent, Readings: Jeremiah 17:5-10, Psalm 1:1-4, 6, Luke 16:19-31

The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. … Luke 16:22-23 luke 16 22-23 the poor man died - 29 sept 2019

REFLECTION – “Was that poor man welcomed by the angels solely on account of his poverty? And the rich man, was he delivered up to torment by fault of his wealth alone? No. Let us clearly understand that it was humility that was honoured in the poor man and pride condemned in the rich.

This is the proof, briefly, that it was not his wealth but his pride for which the rich man deserved his punishment. So then, the poor man was carried into the bosom of Abraham, yet Scripture says of Abraham that he had much gold and silver and was rich on earth (Gn 13:2). If every rich man is sent into torment, how is it that Abraham could precede the poor man so as to welcome him into his bosom? It was because, in the midst of his wealth, Abraham was poor, humble, respectful and obedient to all God’s commands. He held his riches in so little esteem that, when God asked it of him, he consented to offer in sacrifice the son for whom these riches were destined (Gn 22:4).

Learn to be poor and needy, then, whether you possess something in this world or whether you don’t possess anything. Because we find beggars full of pride and rich people who confess their sins. “God resists the proud” whether they are covered with silk or with rags but “he gives grace to the humble” (Jas 4:6) whether or not, they have possessions in this world. God looks at what is within, it is there He assesses, there He examines.” … Saint Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church – Discourses on the psalms, Ps 85 [86]; CCL 39, 1178 god-resists-the-proud-god-looks-at-what-is-within-st-augustine-29-sept-2019 and 12 March 2020

PRAYER – Dear and Holy God, let us offer You all our daily struggles against sin and evil. Grant us the strength to resist all forms of idolatry, to seek only You and never to allow the material goods of this world to seduce us. Sustain us ever more with Your word and help us to find in it, the source of life. Grant that by the intercession of our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, may defend us during our life on earth and protect us from evil. Grant this, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen mother-mary-trusted-guide-pray-for-us-1-nov-2018and 2019

LENT 2020, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 11 March – What did you say, woman?

Posted on March 11, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Lenten Reflection – 11 March – Wednesday of the Second week of Lent, Readings: Jeremiah 18:18- 20; Psalms 31:5-6, 14, 15-16; Matthew 20:17-28

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Daily Meditation:
“Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom”…Matthew 20:21

The importance of Humility”
(Extract from a Sermon on St Philip Neri)

By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

“But I would beg for you this privilege, that the public world might never know you for praise or for blame, that you should do a good deal of hard work in your generation and prosecute many useful labours and effect a number of religious purposes and send many souls to heaven and take men by surprise, how much you were really doing, when they happened to come near enough to see it but that by the world you should be overlooked, that you should not be known out of your place, that you should work for God alone, with a pure heart and single eye, without the distractions of human applause and should make Him your sole hope and His eternal heaven your sole aim and have your reward, not partly here but fully and entirely, hereafter.”

“The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:28 wed-of-the-second-week-matthew-20-28-the-sone-of-man-came-not-to-serve-20-march-2019 and 11 march 2020

Intercessions:
Let us give thanks to God, our Father:
through the power of the Spirit He purifies our heart and strengthens us in love.
Let us humbly ask Him:
Lord, give us Your Holy Spirit.

Help us to receive good things from Your bounty with a deep sense of gratitude;
-and to accept with patience the evil that comes to us.
Teach us to be loving not only in great and exceptional moments,
-but above all in the ordinary events of daily life.
May we abstain from what we do not really need
-and help our brothers and sisters in distress.
May we bear the wounds of Your Son,
-for through His body He gave us life.

Closing Prayer:
God of Love,
through this Lenten journey,
purify my desires to serve You.
Free me from any temptations
to place myself above others.
Please let me surrender even my impatience with others,
that with Your love and Your grace,
I might be less and less absorbed with myself
and more and more full of the desire
to follow You, in laying down my life
according to Your example.
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

“What did you say, woman?
You hear Him talking about the cross
and you ask for a throne?”

Basil of Seleucia (Died c 468) Bishop
Sermon 24

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, LENT 2020, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The WORD, Uncategorized

One Minute Reflection – 11 March – Imitation of the Lord.

Posted on March 11, 2020March 11, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 11 March – Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent, Readings: Jeremiah 18:18-20, Psalm 31:5-6, 14-16, Matthew 20:17-28

“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” … the Son of Man came not to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” ... Matthew 20:22,28 matthew 20 22, 28 the sone of man came not to serve 11 march 2020

REFLECTION – “It is our task and, in our case, an obligation, to make of you the object of all our care, our zeal, our ministrations, by word and deed, by warnings, encouragement, admonitions and incitement, (…) so that, in this way, we might insert you into the rhythm of the divine will and face you towards the goal set before us – to give pleasure to God. …

He who is immortal, voluntarily shed His blood. He who created the host of angels, was
bound at the hands of soldiers and He who is to judge the living and the dead, was dragged to justice (cf. Acts 10:42; 2 Tm 4:1). Truth was exposed to false witnesses, was slandered, struck, covered with spittle, hung on the wood of the cross – the Lord of glory (cf. 1 Cor 2:8) endured every outrage and suffering without Himself needing these trials. How could this have happened to Him who, even as man, was without sin and who, to the contrary, snatched us away from the tyranny of the sin through which death came into the world and falsely took possession of our first father?

So there is nothing surprising about it, if we submit to even one of these trials since such is our condition (…). Therefore, we too have to be offended and tempted, afflicted by the cutting off of our wills. According to the interpretation of our Fathers, there is in this, a shedding of blood for this is what it means to be a monk. And we must gain the Kingdom of heaven in that way, by spending our lives in imitation of the Lord. (…) Apply yourselves zealously to your duties in the thought that by means of them, far from being slaves of men, you are serving God.” … St Theodore the Studite (759- 826) Monk at Constantinople – Catecheses 1 (load shedding about to happen – image to follow and rest of posts).

PRAYER – Protect Your family, Lord, trained as it is by the constant exercise of good works. Renew our spirit with the grace that teaches us how to imitate You, strengthen us with Your consoling presence and lead us, to the joys of heaven. May the intercession of our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary keep us on the path of Your kingdom’s glory. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. mary most holy pray for us - 9 nov 2018

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on SILENCE

Thought for the Day – 10 March – The Hidden Life of Jesus

Posted on March 10, 2020March 9, 2022 by AnaStpaul

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

The Hidden Life of Jesus

“It is an amazing thought, that Jesus, the eternal wisdom of the Father, should have chosen to live quietly for thirty years in a carpenter’s workshop, along with his supposed father Joseph.
He could have confounded the philosophers of Greece and Rome with His infinite wisdom.
He could have attracted crowds by His miracles and drawn the attention of the whole world.
But He preferred silence and a busy hidden life.
Why?
Because men needed to learn one thing before anything else.
It was a simple thing but difficult to practise.
It was humility they needed to hear, for humility was to be the foundation of the giant structure which He had come to raise up and whose spire, was to reach to Heaven!
If this edifice, the Church, was to be so high, it’s foundation would have to be very deep.
Let us learn this lesson of humility and silence from the hidden life of Jesus.

The tendency in modern times, even in regard to spiritual projects, is to try and draw attention and admiration.
Perhaps this is why these projects are so often unsuccessful.
Like the seed, thrown by the sower upon the hard ground, they wither away, because, they have no moisture. (Cf Lk 8:6).
Without humility, a great deal of noise can be made but nothing supernatural is achieved.
The first lesson we must learn from Jesus, is the silence and recollection of the interior life.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2020, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, The INCARNATION, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 10 March – God’s Sign

Posted on March 10, 2020March 10, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Lenten Reflection – 10 March – Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent, Readings: Isaiah 1:10, 16-20, Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23, Matthew 23:1-12

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Daily Meditation:
The eyes of the Lord look on the lowly to make them glad. But the face of the Lord turns away from the proud to humble them. The lowly always receive pity from God… Make yourself small before everyone and you will be raised up higher than this world’s princes. Make all creatures go before you, embrace them, humble yourself before them, and you will be honoured more than those who make an offering of gold. Descend lower than your own self and you will see God’s glory within you.
For where humility sprouts, God’s glory spreads… If you have humility in your heart, God will reveal His glory to you in it… St Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh (c 613-c 700) Bishop of Nineveh, Monk at Mosul

But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite my statutes,
or take my covenant on your lips?
For you hate discipline
and you cast my words behind you.
Psalm 50:16-17 tuesday of the second week of lent 10 march 2020

Intercessions:
God the Father has given us His only Son, the Word made man,
to be our food and our life. Let us thank him and pray:
May the word of Christ dwell among us in all its richness.

Help us in this Lenten season to listen more frequently to Your word,
-that we may celebrate the solemnity of Easter with greater love for Christ, our paschal teacher,
-that we may encourage those in doubt and error to follow what is true and good.
Enable us to enter more deeply into the mystery of the Anointed One,
-that our lives may reveal Him more effectively.
Lift us out of the mire of pride and honour
-that we may seek only Christ’s Cross as our mantle of humility.
Purify and renew Your Church in this time of salvation,
-that it may give an even greater witness to You.

Closing Prayer:
God in heaven and in my life,
guide me and protect me.
I so often believe I can save myself
and I always end in failure.
Lead me with Your love away from pride
and guide me on the right path.
May Your Spirit inspire the Church
and make us an instrument of your love and guidance.
Thank You for Your care for me,
for Your example which teaches me the way of humility
and self-abnegation.
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen

God’s Sign

“God’s sign is His humility.
God’s sign is that He makes himself small.
He becomes a child.
He lets us touch him and He asks for our love.
How we would prefer a different sign,
an imposing, irresistible sign of God’s power and greatness!
But His sign summons us to faith and love
and thus it gives us hope – this is what God is like.
He has power, He is Goodness itself.
He invites us to become like Him.
Yes indeed, we become like God,
if we allow ourselves
to be shaped by this sign,
if we ourselves learn humility
and hence true greatness;
if we renounce violence
and use only the weapons
of truth and love.”

Pope Benedict XVI (2009)

LENT 2020, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRAYER

One Minute Reflection – 10 March – ‘The greatest humiliation …’

Posted on March 10, 2020March 9, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 10 March – Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent, Readings: Isaiah 1:10, 16- 20, Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23, Matthew 23:1-12

“Whoever exalts himself will be humble
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” … Matthew 23:12

REFLECTION – “I don’t think there is anyone who needs God’s help and grace as much as I do. Sometimes I feel so helpless and weak. I think that is why God uses me. Because I cannot depend on my own strength, I rely on Him twenty-four hours a day. If the day had even more hours, then I would need His help and grace during those hours as well. All of us must cling to God through prayer. My secret is very simple – I pray. Through prayer I become one in love with Christ. I realise that praying to Him is loving Him. (…)

People are hungry for the Word of God that will give peace, that will give unity, that will give joy. But you cannot give what you don’t have. That’s why it is necessary to deepen your life of prayer. Be sincere in your prayers. Sincerity is humility and you acquire humility only by accepting humiliations.
All that has been said about humility, is not enough to teach you humility. All that you have read about humility, is not enough to teach you humility. You learn humility only by accepting humiliations. And you will meet humiliation all through your life. The greatest humiliation is to know that you are nothing. This you come to know, when you face God in prayer.

Often a deep and fervent look at Christ is the best prayer. I look at Him and He looks at me. When you come face to face with God, you cannot but know that you are nothing, that you have nothing.” … St Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997) – No Greater Love

PRAYER – God our Father, help us to teach others about You by our example as well as our words. Teach us Lord to accept the humiliations we suffer, to take the lowest place, to offer our nothingness to You, that we may become like Your divine Son. May His Mother and ours, the Blessed Virgin Mary clothe us in her gentleness and humility. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen. blessed virgin holy mother mary pray for us 14 oct 2018

MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE

Thought for the Day – 9 March – The Obedience of Jesus

Posted on March 9, 2020March 2, 2022 by AnaStpaul

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

The Obedience of Jesus

“Many people are anxious to be in a position to give orders but few wish to have to obey them.
This is because there are so few humble men and so many, who love to make a display.
The moral of the Gospel in this regard, is completely opposed to worldly standards.
The Gospel shows us how the Word of God came down from the glory of Heaven in order to become a man like us and to live for thirty years subject to Mary and Joseph.
He became, moreover, “obedient to death, even to death on a cross” (Phil 2:8).
“Therefore, God also has exalted him and has bestowed upon him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess, that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9-11).
If we wish to follow Jesus, we must not aim at seeming important but, at becoming humble.
We must not seek to command but to obey.
Then, we shall also be taken up into the glory of God the Father, where we shall be rewarded for our humility and obedience.
If we are placed by Divine Providence in a position of authority, let us accept it as a cross, as St Pius X did when he was elected Pope.
But let us remain essentially humble.
Let us give orders pleasantly and gently and act sternly, only when it is absolutely necessary.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on MISSION, SAINT of the DAY, The LAST THINGS

Quote/s of the Day – 18 February – Saint Francis Regis Clet Martyr Missionary

Posted on February 18, 2020February 18, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 18 February – The Memorial of Saint Francis Regis Clet CM (1748-1820) Priest and Martyr

“What a great treasure is a good Missionary
and how few people in this world, are willing
to serve God and His Church in purity of faith,
detachment from creatures and self-abnegation.”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

“My brother, you judge me now,
in a short time my Lord Himself will judge you.”

	Santo Guntramnus… on Saint of the Day – 28 Ma…
	Santa Maria Alfonsin… on Saint of the Day – 25 Ma…
	Santa Katarina dari… on Saint of the Day – 24 Ma…
	AnaStpaul on Saint of the Day – 22 March –…
	Stacy A. on Saint of the Day – 22 March –…

Matthew 6:1

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35 – 107) Father of the Church, Martyr

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

St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of Grace

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

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

Blessed Charles of Jesus de Foucauld

(1858-1916)

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Thomas Merton OCSO (1915-1968)

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

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“Unless You Turn and Become Like Little Children, You Will Not Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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“Learn From Me, For I Am Meek and Humble of Heart”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Part One: The Beatitudes (a tiny beginning)

Matthew 5:3

Luke 18:14

St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of the Church

St John Climacus (c 525-606) Father of the Church

St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Monk and Theologian at Constantinople

St Simeon the New Theologian (949-1022)

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

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The Humility of Mary

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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John 13:16

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108) Martyr, Father of the Church

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

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

St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Monk and Theologian at Constantinople

Father Mike Schmitz

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St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

St Peter Chanel (1803-1841) Priest and Martyr

St Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962)

Blessed María Felicia of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament (1925-1959)

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Faith and Charity

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Our Martyrdom

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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St John Climacus (c 525-606) Father of the Church

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Jesus Lost in the Temple

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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St Simeon the New Theologian (949-1022)

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Mortification and Penance

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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St John Vianney (1786-1859)

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St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

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St Nicholas of Flue (1417-1487)

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Detachment from the World

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Basil of Seleucia (Died c 468) Bishop Sermon 24

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The Hidden Life of Jesus

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35 – 107)
Father of the Church, Martyr

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

St Augustine (354-430)
Doctor of Grace

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

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

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

St John Climacus (c 525-606)
Father of the Church

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)
Monk and Theologian at Constantinople

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108)
Martyr, Father of the Church

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

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

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)
Monk and Theologian at Constantinople

St John Climacus (c 525-606)
Father of the Church

Basil of Seleucia (Died c 468) Bishop
Sermon 24