Category: QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Posted in GOD ALONE!, HOLY SATURDAY, HOLY WEEK, In the PRESENCE of GOD, LENT 2026, PURGATORY, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, Thomas Aquinas

Holy Saturday – 4 April – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas – Why Our LordDescended into Limbo

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Holy Saturday – 4 April – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church

Holy Saturday
Why Our Lord Descended into Limbo

“Wisdom forsook not the just when he was sold but delivered him from sinners; she went down with him into the pit and in bands, she left him not.
Wis x. 13-14

From the descent of Christ to hell, we may learn, 4 lessons for our instruction:

  1. Firm hope in God.
    No matter what the trouble in which a man finds himself, he should always put trust in God’s assistance and rely on it.
    There is no trouble greater than to find oneself in hell.
    If then, Christ freed those who were in hell, any man who is a friend of God, cannot but have great confidence that he too shall be freed from whatever anxiety holds him captive.
    “Wisdom forsook not the just when he was sold but delivered him from sinners; she went down with him into the pit and in bands, she left him not”(Wis x. 13-14).
    And since, to His servants, God gives a special assistance, he who serves God should have still greater confidence.
    “He who fearth the Lord shall tremble at nothing and shall not be afraid: for He is his Hope” (Ecclus xxxiv. 16).
  2. We ought to conceive the fear of God and to rid ourselves of presumption.
    For although Christ suffered for sinners and descended into hell to set them free, He did not set all sinners free but only those who were free of mortal sin.
    Those who had died in mortal sin, He left there. Wherefore, for those who have gone down to hell in mortal sin, there remains no hope of pardon.
    They shall be in hell as the holy Fathers are in Heaven, that is, forever!
  3. We ought to be full of care.
    Christ descended into hell for our Salvation and we should be careful to go down there frequently too, meditating in our minds on hell’s pain and penalties, as did the holy King Ezechias as we read in the prophecy of Isaias, “I said, In the midst of my days, I shall go to the gates of hell” (Isaias xxxviii. 10).

Those, who in their meditations, often descend to hell during life, will not easily succomb at death.
Such meditations are a powerful arm against sin and a useful aid to protect a man and convert him from sin.
Daily we see men kept from evildoing by the fear of the law’s punishments.
How much greater care should they not take, on account of the punishment of hell, greater in its duration, in its bitterness and in its variety.
“Remember thy last end and thou shalt never sin” (Ecclus vii. 40).

  1. The fact is an example of Love for us.
    Christ descended into hell to set those who were His Own free.
    We too, therefore, should descend there to help our own. For those who are in Purgatory are themselves unable to do anything and, therefore, we ought to help them. Truly he would be a harsh man indeed, who failed to come to the aid of a kinsman who lay in prison, here on earth.
    How much harsher then, the man who will not aid the friend who is in Purgatory, for there is no comparison between the pain there and the pains of this world.
    “Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends because the Hand of the Lord hath touched me” (Job xix. 21).

We assist the souls in Purgatory, chiefly by these three means, by Holy Masses, by prayers and by almsgiving.
Is it not wonderful that we can do so, in this world – a friend can make satisfaction for a friend.

ST THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274)
Priest, Theologian, Dominican
Doctor Angelicus (Angelic Doctor)
Doctor Communis (Common Doctor)
Added by Pope Saint Pius V in 1568

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOOD FRIDAY, HOLY WEEK, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, POETRY, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, Quotes Self-Oblation, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS

Quote of the Day – 3 April – GOOD FRIDAY The Word of the Cross (Christ,What am I to Give Thee for my life?)

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Quote of the Day – 3 April – Good Friday – The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

GOOD FRIDAY
The Word of the Cross
(Christ,What am I to Give Thee for my life?)

St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431)
Father of the Church

“Look on thy God, Christ hidden in our flesh.
A bitter word, the Cross and bitter sight –
Hard rind without, to hold the Heart of Heaven.
Yet, sweet it is, for God upon that tree
Did offer up His Life upon that rood –
My Life hung, that my Life might stand in God.
Christ, what am I to give Thee for my life?
Unless, take from Thy Hands, the cup they hold,
To cleanse me with the precious draught of death.
What shall I do? My body to be burned?
Make myself vile? The debt is not paid out yet.
Whate’er I do, it is but I and Thou,
And still do I come short, still must Thou pay
My debts, O Christ, for debts Thyself had’st none.
What love may balance Thine? My Lord was found
In fashion like a slave that so His slave
Might find himself in fashion like his Lord.
Think you the bargain’s hard, to have exchanged
The transient for the eternal, to have sold,
Earth to buy Heaven? More dearly God bought me!”

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!, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, St Francis de Sales, St PAUL!, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 2 April – Maundy Thursday

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 April – Maundy Thursday

“Be imitators of God, as very dear children
and walk in love, as Christ also Loved us
and delivered Himself up for us …”

St Paul … Ephesians 5:1-2

“But I say to you,
Love your enemies …”

Matthew 5:44

“But the wise took oil
in their vessels”

Matthew 25:4

“The wise ones’ lamps were burning,
from the oil inside them,
from the assurance of their consciences,
from their inner boast,
from their deepest charity.”

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

“Father, forgive them.”
With this prayer, He wanted to make us understand
the Love He bore us, undiminished
by any suffering and to teach us how
our heart should be toward our neighbour.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“He Loves you as though He had
no-one else to love but you alone.
You, too, should love Him alone
and all others for His Sake.
Of Him you may say and, indeed, you should say:
My Beloved to me and I to Him (Cant, 2:16).
My God has given Himself all to me
and I give myself all to Him;
He has chosen me for His beloved
and I choose Him, above all others,
for my only Love.”

“How to Pray at All Times”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 31 March – My God, I Love Thee By St Francis Xavier

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Our Morning Offering – 31 March – Tuesday in Holy Week

My God, I Love Thee
By St Francis Xavier (1506-1552) (Attri)
Transr: Fr Edward Caswall CO (1814-1878)

My God, I love Thee, not because
I hope for heav’n thereby,
nor yet for fear, that loving not,
I might forever die
but for that Thou didst all mankind
upon the Cross embrace;
for us didst bear the nails and spear
and manifold disgrace.

And griefs and torments numberless
and sweat of agony;
e’en death itself and all for man,
who was Thine enemy.
Then why, most loving Jesus Christ,
should I not love Thee well?
Not for the sake of winning heav’n,
nor any fear of hell.

Not with the hope of gaining aught,
nor seeking a reward
but as Thyself hast loved me,
O ever loving Lord!
E’en so I love Thee and will love
and in Thy praise will sing,
solely because Thou art my God
and my eternal King!
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD is LOVE, HOLY WEEK, LENT 2026, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, St Francis de Sales, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 30 March – ‘… For love of Thy Love …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 30 March – Monday of Holy Week

I Beg Thee, Lord
By St Francis of Assisi (c1181–1226)

I beg Thee, Lord,
let the fiery, gentle power
of Thy Love
take possession of my soul
and snatch it away,
from everything under Heaven,
that I may die,
for love of Thy Love,
as Thou saw fit, to die
for love of mine!
Amen

“Now it is that we are to show
an invincible courage towards our Saviour,
serving Him purely for the love of His Will,
not only without pleasure
but amid this deluge of sorrows,
horrors, distresses and assaults,
as did His glorious Mother and St John,
upon the day of His Passion.
Amongst so many blasphemies,
sorrows and deadly distresses,
they remained constant in love …”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, In the PRESENCE of GOD, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 26 March – ‘Forgiven … Because she has loved much …’ Luke 7:47

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 March – Thursday in Passion Week –Ferial Day – Daniel 3:25, 34-45 – Luke 7:36-50 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“She began to bathe His feet with her tears
and wiped them with the hair of her head
and kissed His feet
and anointed them with ointment.”

Luke 7:38

“Wherefore I say to you,
her sins, many as they are,
shall be forgiven her
because she has loved much.
But he, to whom little is forgiven,
loves little.”

Luke 7:47

“A servant of the Lord
stands bodily before men
but mentally,
he is knocking at the Gates of Heaven.
with prayer.”

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

“For, just as water extinguishes a fire,
just so, does charity blot out our sins.”

St John of God (1495-1550)

“ I shall spend every moment loving.
One who loves, does not notice her trials;
or perhaps, more accurately,
she is able to love them.
I shall do everything for Heaven, my true home.
There, I shall find my Mother,
in all the splendour of her glory.
I shall delight with her
in the joy of Jesus Himself,
in perfect safety.”

St Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879)

Posted in "Follow Me", CARMELITES, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 20 March – Life for those who die.

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 March – The Lenten FEAST of the MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD of JESUS is a Feast for the Fridays of Lent

“Carry me, O Christ,
on Thy Cross
which is salvation to the wanderer,
rest for the wearied
and, in which alone,
is Life for those who die.”

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

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

St Catherine of Sienna (1347-1380)

“O souls!
Seek a refuge, like pure doves,
in the shadow of the Crucifix.
There, mourn the Passion
of your Divine Spouse
and drawing from your hearts,
flames of love and rivers of tears,
make of them a precious balm
with which to anoint
the Wounds of your Saviour.”

St Paul of the Cross CP (1694-1775)

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, LENT 2026, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on FRIENDSHIP, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, Thomas Aquinas

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent – 18 March – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas – The Divine Friend

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Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent –18 March – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church

Wednesday of the Fourth Week
The Divine Friend

“His sisters sent to Him saying :
Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest, is ill.”
John xi. 3

Three things here call for thought.

  1. God’s friends are afflicted from time to time in the body.
    It is not, therefore, in any way a proof that a man is not a friend of God if he is ill and ailing.
    Eliphaz argued falsely against Job when he said, “Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent?or when were the just destroyed?” (Job iv. 7).

The Gospel corrects this when it says, “Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is ill” and the Book of Proverbs, too, where we read, “For whom the Lord loveth, He chastiseth and as a father in the son, He pleaseth Himself” (Prov. iii. 12).

  1. The sisters do not say, “Lord, come and heal him.”
    They merely explain that Lazarus is ill, they say, he is sick. This is to remind us that, when we are dealing with a friend, it is enough to make known our necessity, we do not need to add a request.
    For a friend, since he wills the welfare of his friend, as he wills his own, is as anxious to ward off evil from his friend as he is to ward it off from himself.
    This is true, most of all in the case of Him Who, of all friends, Loves most truly.
    “The Lord keepeth all those who love Him”(Ps cxliv. 20).
  2. These two sisters, who so greatly desire the cure of their ill brother, do not come to Christ personally, as did the centurion and the man ill of the palsy.
    From the special Love and familiarity which Christ had shown them, they had a special confidence in Him.
    And, possibly, their grief kept them at home, as St Chrysostom thinks.
    “A friend, if he continue steadfast, shall be to thee, as thyself, and shall act with confidence among those of thy household” (Ecclus vi. 11).

ST THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274)
Priest, Theologian, Dominican
Doctor Angelicus (Angelic Doctor)
Doctor Communis (Common Doctor)
Added by Pope Saint Pius V in 1568

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY

Quote/s of the Day – 12 March – St Gregory the Great (540-604)

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 March – St Gregory the Great (540-604), Pope, Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church, “Father of the Fathers”

“And immediately he saw
and followed Him, glorifying God.”
Luke 18:43

“We must understand the miracles
of our Lord and Saviour, dearly beloved,
so as to believe that they have been truly effected
and that their meaning, nevertheless, still signifies something else too.
We do not know the historical identity of the blind man
but we do know whom he mystically denotes.
The blind man is the human race.
In our first parents it was driven from the joys of paradise and ignorant of the brightness of the Divine Light,
it suffered the darkness of its condemnation.
But yet, it is enlightened by the presence of its Redeemer,
to see already, the joys of inward light,
by desire and to direct the footsteps of its good works,
in the way of Life.”

“Friend, how did you come in here
without a wedding garment?”
Matthew 22:12

“But you, my friends, since you have already
come into the house of the marriage feast,
our holy Church, as a result of God’s generosity,
be careful lest, when the King enters,
He finds fault with some aspect
of your heart’s clothing!”
… He may have faith but he does not have love.
We are correct when we say
that love is the wedding garment
because this, is what our Creator Himself possessed,
when He came to the marriage feast,
to join the Church to Himself.
Only God’s Love brought it about,
that His Only-Begotten Son,
united the hearts of His chosen, to Himself.”

“The branches of this mysterious tree
are the holy preachers of the Gospel,
of whom the Psalmist indicates the reach:
“Their report goes forth through all the earth,
their message, to the ends of the world”
(Ps 19:5; cf Rom 10:18).
The birds rest on these branches
while the souls of the just,
who have been raised above earth’s attractions
on the wings of holiness,
find, in the words of these preachers of the Gospel,
the consolation they need in the sorrows
and difficulties of this life.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2025/03/12/quote-s-of-the-day-12-march-st-gregory-the-great-3/

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

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the FAMILY, Quotes Self-Oblation

Quote/s of the Day – 9 March – St Gregory of Nyssa, St Frances of Rome, St Dominic Savio

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 March – St Gregory of Nyssa (c335–c395) Bishop, Father of the Church – St Frances of Rome (1384-1440) Widow – St Dominic Savio (1842-1857)

“As no darkness can be seen
by anyone surrounded by light,
so, no trivialities can capture,
the attention of anyone,
who has his eyes on Christ.”

St Gregory of Nyssa (c335–c395)
Father of the Church

“It is most laudable, in a married woman,
to be devout but, she must never forget
that she is a home-keeper.
And sometimes, she must
leave God at the Altar
to find Him in her household affairs.”

St Frances of Rome (1384-1440)

“Nothing seems tiresome or painful
when you are working
for a Master Who pays well;
Who rewards, even a cup of cold water,
given for love of Him.”

St Dominic Savio (1842-1857)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 February – Feast of St Matthias “Thou has Chosen”

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 February – Feast of St Matthias, Apostle – Acts 1:15-26, Matthew 11:25-30 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And praying, they said:
Thou, Lord, Who knows the hearts of all men,
show which of these two Thou hast chosen,
to take the place of this ministry and apostleship,
from which Judas hath, by transgression, fallen …”

Acts 1:24-25

“You did not choose Me
but I chose you…”

John 15:16

“That is amazing grace!
For what were we before Christ had chosen us
besides being wicked and lost?
What then has He chosen in those who are not good?
You cannot say, I am chosen because I believed.
For if you believed in Him,
you had already chosen Him.
Nor can you say, before I believed I did good works
and, therefore, was chosen.
For what good work is there
before faith when the Apostle says,
“Whatever is not of faith is sin?”
What is there for us to say, then
but that we were wicked and were chosen,
that by the grace of having been chosen,
we might become good?”

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

“Day by day follow God’s path,
keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise.
In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His Apostles,
to all those who seek His will and His testimonies
that He would be with them
until the end of the world (Mt 28:20)
where paths and footsteps
will be unknown (cf Ps 76:20),
as the divine David said in his songs.
Yet, in an invisible way,
He is present to the eyes of the mind,
making Himself seen by those
who have a pure heart
and conversing with them.
So pursue your path …. ”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)
Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LENT 2026, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on WATCHING, QUOTES on WISDOM, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, Thomas Aquinas

Our Morning Offering – 19 February – Grant Me, My God By St Thomas Aquinas

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Our Morning Offering – 19 February – Ash Thursday

Grant Me, My God
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Angelic Doctor, Common Doctor

Make my heart watchful, O God,
so that no vain thoughts may distract it from Thee.
Make it noble,
so that it may never be seduced by any base affection.
Make it steadfast,
so that troubles may not dismay it.
Make it free,
so that it may not yield to the onslaughts of passion.
Grant me, my God,
the intelligence, to understand Thee,
the love, to seek Thee,
the wisdom, to find Thee,
words, to please Thee,
the perseverance, to wait faithfully for Thee
and, the hope of embracing Thee, at last.
Grant that I, a repentant sinner,
may bear Thy chastisements with resignation.
Poor pilgrim which I am,
may I draw on the treasury of Thine grace
and may I one day,
be eternally happy with Thee in Heavenly glory!
Amen.

Posted in GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, Quotes Self-Oblation

Our Morning Offering – 29 December – Please Lord, Make me Worthy! By St Thomas à Becket

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Our Morning Offering – 29 December – St Thomas à Becket (1118-1170) Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury

Please Lord, Make me Worthy!
Prayer of Supplication and Repentance
By St Thomas à Becket (1118-1170)
Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury

My Lord,
I find it difficult to talk to Thee.
What can I say?
I, who have turned away from Thee
so often with indifference.
I have been a stranger to prayer,
undeserving of Thy friendship and love.
I have been without honour
and feel unworthy.
I am a weak and shallow creature,
clever only in the second-rate and worldly arts,
seeking my comfort and pleasure.
I gave my love, such as it was, elsewhere,
putting service to my earthly King,
before my duty to Thee.
Please Lord, teach me how to serve Thee
with all my heart, to know at last,
what it really is, to love, to adore.
So that I may worthily minister to
Thine Kingdom, here on earth
and find my true honour,
in observing Thine divine will.
Please Lord, make me worthy!
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Thought for the Day – 27 December – St John, the Apostle and Evangelist

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Thought for the Day – 27 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

St John, the Apostle and Evangelist

“Both in his Gospel and in his letters, St John continually emphasises the virtue of charity.
He stresses the need for love of God and love of our neighbour, “God is love,” he says, “and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him” (1 Jn 4:16).
According to St Jerome, when the Apostle John was almost a hundred years old and lacked the strength to speak for very long, he was accustomed to go, supported by his disciples, to gatherings of the faithful.
There he prepared, on every occasion, the same exhortation: “My children, love one another.”
His followers grew tired of this and finally asked him why he kept repeating the same phrase.
“Because that is God’s command,” he replied, “and if we do no more than obey it, that is sufficient!”

Let us meditate upon his words and let us remember, that our love for God is futile, unless it is accompanied by a practical love for our neighbour.
The love of God cannot be separated, from the love of our fellow-men.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on STRENGTH, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 December – ‘… Now Paul rejoices with Stephen, with Stephen he enjoys the brightness of Christ; he exults with Stephen, he reigns with Stephen! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 26 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Stephen the ProtoMartyr (c05-c34) – The Second Day in the Christmas Octave – Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59 –Matthew 23:34-39 –Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” – Acts 7:59

REFLECTION – “Yesterday we celebrated the birth in time, of our eternal King; today we celebrate the triumphant death of a soldier… Our King, although He is most high, came for our sake, in great humility but He could not come empty-handed. He brought with Him, as it were, a great bonus for His soldiers which not only made them abundantly rich but also gave them, strength to fight and conquer. The gift He brought was love, which brings men into fellowship with the Godhead …

The love, then, which brought Christ down from Heaven to earth, lifted Stephen from earth to Heaven … And Stephen, so as to deserve to win the crown— which is what his name means — had love as his weapon and by it was everywhere victorious. Through love of God, he did not yield to the raging of his enemies and through love of his neighbour, he prayed for those who were stoning him. Through love, he accused those, who were in the wrong that they might be corrected. Through love, he prayed for those stoning him, to save them from punishment. Trusting in the strength of love, he overcame the cruel raging of Saul and so, won for himself, as a companion in men, the man who had been his persecutor on earth , This holy and untiring love, ardently desired to acquire as converts by his prayers, those whom he had been unable to convert by argument.

Now Paul rejoices with Stephen, with Stephen he enjoys the brightness of Christ; he exults with Stephen, he reigns with Stephen! There, where Stephen arose, the first, stoned under Paul’s very eyes, there too, Paul has risen with the help of Stephen’s prayers.” – St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c 462 – 533) Bishop in North Africa (Sermon 3, 1-3, 5-6).

PRAYER – Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to imitate what we celebrate, so that we may learn to love, even our enemies; because we keep the anniversary of the invention of Him, Who knew how to plead even for His persecutors with our Lord, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with |Thee. lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRISTMAS Quotes, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIMPLICITY, The DIVINE INFANT, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Thought for the Day – 25 December – The Feast of the Nativity

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

The Feast of the Nativity

“The first people to pay homage to Jesus Christ, are not men of exalted rank but humble shepherds.
They come to offer their poor gifts but, above all else, they offer Him their simple and innocent hearts.

We also should approach the manger with humility and simplicity.
Foremost among the gifts which we offer, should be the renunciation of sin, a firm resolution to resist our lower inclinations and a great love for Him, Who has loved us so much.
There are no more pleasing gifts which we could offer Jesus Christ on His Birthday.
Let us go now to Him!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The HOLY FAMILY

Thought for the Day – 24 December – The Holy Family – Joseph

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Thought for the Day – 24 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

A Christmas Novena IX
The Holy Family – Joseph

“The third member of the Holy Family is St Joseph, the most just of men, faithful to his vocation as the foster-father of the Child Jesus and chaste spouse o the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Let us imitate his purity, his utter dedication to the service of God and his burning love for Jesus, Whom he was privileged to clasp to his breast before any other man.
Let us ask him to obtain for us the grace to be able to imitate him in his life so that we may also imitate him in his holy death.
May he, who died with Jesus and Mary by his side, obtain peace for us in our final agony, so that we may expire with the names of Jesus and Mary on our lips and in our hearts.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/24/thought-for-the-day-24-december-the-holy-family-jesus-2/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/24/thought-for-the-day-24-december-the-holy-family-mary/

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT QUOTES, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIMPLICITY, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The DIVINE INFANT, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 23 December – What Jesus Wants From Us

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

A Christmas Novena VIII
What Jesus Wants From Us

“Unless you turn and become like little children,” the Infant Jess says to us, “you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 18:2).
He wishes us to be humble, simple and innocent, like children.
As we grow older, unfortunately, many of us become proud, complicated and vain.
We lose the honest candour of childhood

Worldly pretentiousness cannot possibly appeal to Jesus, since He, Who is truly great, chose to become a tiny Infant.
He wishes us to renounce the self-important airs and the intricate methods which we employ, in order to conceal the truth, to disguise our lack of virtue and to assume the appearances of learning and of authority, regardless of the fact that the highest achievement of which we are capable, is to be humble, the most necessary knowledge of all, is to know Jesus Crucified and the best kind of authority, is the ability to control our passions and to subject ourselves to the will of God.

It is, in this sense, that we must become little children before God and before man.
Then Jesus Christ will love us and will grant us His favours.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, The DIVINE INFANT, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 22 December – Prayer and Dedication

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Thought for the Day – 22 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

A Christmas Novena VII
Prayer and Dedication

“As we kneel before the Infant Jesus, let us beseech Him to enable us to grasp the truth of these reflections.
Let us take more care of our soul than we do, as of our external talents and possessions.
May God occupy the foremost place in our minds and may He be the principal object of our thoughts, desires and affections.

Let us imitate the humble recollection and ardent love for God, of the Holy Infant.
Like Him, let us offer ourselves entirely to God.
Let us ask Him to make us like Himself, in complete acceptance of the Divine Will, especially when we are in trouble or in pain, for in this way, we shall be able to show God how sincerely we love Him.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, GOD ALONE!, INGRATITUDE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The DIVINE INFANT

Thought for the Day –19 December – The First Hours of the Childhood of Jesus Christ

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Thought for the Day –19 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

A Christmas Novena IV
The First Hours of the
Childhood of Jesus Christ

“When we contemplate the Mystery of Love which caused God-made-man, to weep for our sins, we may not be moved to shed actual tears.
But, we should at least, shed spiritual tears of repentance and of love and of longing for holiness and for complete dedication to Jesus Christ.
We should love Jesus for the countless numbers who do not love Him, or who blaspheme and ignore Him.
We should yearn to make reparation for so much ingratitude and neglect, by our prayers and penances.
The Infinite Love of the God Child, demands all our love in return!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CHRIST the LIGHT, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEEKNESS, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SIMPLICITY, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on VIRTUE, St Alphonsus de Liguori,, The DIVINE INFANT, The HEART, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 December – The Lord is near

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of Our Lady of Expectation

“The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety …”

Philippians 4:5-6

“Let your door stand open
to receive Him,
unlock your soul to Him,
offer Him a welcome in your mind
and then you will see
the riches of simplicity,
the treasures of peace,
the joy of grace.
Throw wide the gate of your heart,
stand before the Sun of the Everlasting Light!”

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

“He became small because you were small –
understand how great He is
and you will become great along with Him.
This is how houses are built,
how the solid walls of a building are raised.
The stones brought to construct the building increase,
you too, increase, understanding how great Christ is
and how He, Who appeared to be small, is great,
very great indeed! …”

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

“In adoring our Saviour’s birth,
it is our origin we celebrate.
Christ’s temporal generation
is the source of the Christian people,
the birth of His Mystical Body.
All of us encounter in this Mystery,
a new birth in Christ.”

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

“If we would please this Divine Infant,
we too must become children,
simple and humble.
We must carry to Him, flowers of virtue,
of meekness, of mortification, of charity.
We must clasp Him in the arms of our love.”

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRISTMAS Quotes, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The DIVINE INFANT, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Thought for the Day – 17 December – Preparation for the Nativity

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

A Christmas Novena II
Preparation for the Nativity

“The better to celebrate this Mystery of the Word of God made Man for love of us, it is necesary to make some preparation.
Then, we shall be able to derive real spiritual benefit from the Feast of the Nativity.

We can prepare our minds for the celebration of this great Mystery, by meditation on the Infinite Goodness of God, Who was so moved by compassion for our misery that He came down from Heaven and became an Infant, whimpering on a bed of straw in a manger.
He offered His first sufferings for our sake, even as He later offered Himself on the Cross, as a Victim for our redemption.
This meditation should elicit from us, an act of profound humility.
If God so abased Himself, how can such sinful and ungrateful creatures, as we are, carry ourselves proudly and boastfully in the presence of God and of men?

This humble act of adoration on the part of our intellect, should be accompanied by an act of heartfelt love.
If we do not love Jesus, whom else are we capable of loving?
He alone is worthy of all ou affections; only He can satisfy the desires our our hearts!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on WATCHING, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 December – ‘ … But the cost of your love is you, yourself! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 13 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Within the Octave – St Lucy, Virgin Martyr – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18; 11:1-2 – Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; he who finds it, hides it and in his joy, goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” – Matthew 13:44

REFLECTION – “Brethren, carefully inspect the place where you dwell interiorly; open your eyes and consider the capital of your love; then increase whatever sum you discover within yourselves. Keep watch over this treasure so that you may become wealthy within. Goods of great price are called ‘dear’ and with good reason … But what could be more dear than love, my brothers? What is its cost, in your opinion? And how are you to pay it? The cost of land or wheat is your silver; the cost of a pearl is your gold but the cost of your love is you, yourself! If you want to buy a field, a jewel, an animal, you seek the necessary means, you look around you. But if you want to possess love, look no further than yourself – it is yourself you must find.

What are you afraid of in giving yourself? Of losing yourself? To the contrary, it is by refusing to give yourself that you lose yourself! Love itself speaks through the mouth of Wisdom and with one word, calms the confusion into which this saying threw you: “Give of your own self!” If someone had wanted to sell you a piece of land, he would say to you: “Give me your silver” or, for some other thing: “Give me your cash.” Now listen to what Love says to you through the Mouth of Wisdom: “My child, give me your heart” (Pr 3:26). Your heart was in a bad way when it was your own, when it was in your own hands. You were a prey to emptiness, not to speak of evil passions. Remove it from all such things! Where will you take it? Where offer it? “My son, give Me your heart!” says Wisdom. Let it only come to Me and you will not lose it…

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind,” (Mt 22:37) … He Who created you, desires the whole of you!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 34 on Ps 149).

PRAYER – Hear us, O God our Saviour, that, as we rejoice on the feast of blessed Lucy, YThy Virgin and Martyr, so we may grow in love and devotion. 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 GOD ALONE!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 11 December – Mary, the Source of Holiness

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

Mary, the Source of Holiness

“Since we are Mary’s children, we should try and reproduce her holiness in ourselves.
Although, it is higher than that of the Angels, her sanctity is easy to imitate.
There is no record that she ever had ecstasies or worked miracles.
Her’s was a perfect internal sanctity, consisting of total conformity with the Will of God and an intense love for Him.
We must aspire to this kind of holiness and model our lives upon it.
There is no point in arguing that it is sufficient to be good Catholics and, that it is not necessary to be holy.
A Catholic, to be truly such, MUST be holy!

St Paul referred to the early faithful as saints (Eph 1:1).
“You are a chosen race,” said St Peter, “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people,” (1 Peter 1:16, Lev 11:44)
“You are to be perfect,” Jesus Himself had commanded, “even as your heavenly Father is perfect,” (Mt 5:48),
This was the reason, He indicated why He had come into the world – “that they may have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10).
This is the purpose of the Gospel and this must be the purpose of our lives.
Some day, we shall either be holy in Heaven, or we shall be damned.
We shall either be saints in Heaven or condemned forever in Hell.
This truth merits careful though – everything else is passing but this is something which will never pass away.
This command to sanctify ourselves is a reality which is present at every moment of our lives.
Let us do our best to obey it, at any cost!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/05/20/thought-for-the-day-20-may-mary-the-source-of-holiness-2/

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MODESTY, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on HOSPITALITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on TRUTH, The BEATITUDES, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 December – ‘ O God, grant that whatever good things I have,I may share generously with those who have not …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 December – Hebrews 13:7-17; Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“To one He gave five talents;
to another, two; to a third, one—
to each according to his ability. …”

Matthew 25:15

“And he who had received the five talents
went and traded with them,
and gained five more.

Matthew 25:16

“God is Good but He is also Just…
So do not underestimate God –
His love for men
should not become a pretext,
for negligence on our part.”

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

“For the man who is kindly,
modest, merciful and just,
will not keep his good works to himself
but will see to it
that these admirable fountains,
send out their streams,
for the good of others.
Again, the man who is clean of heart,
a peacemaker and ardent for truth,
will order his life, so as to contribute
to the common good.”

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

“Whatever He receives on earth,
He returns in Heaven.”

St Caesarius of Arles (470-543)

“O God, grant that whatever good things I have,
I may share generously with those who have not
and whatever good things, I do not have,
I may request humbly, from those who do.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Love of Self

Thought for the Day – 4 December – TRUE LOVE of SELF

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

TRUE LOVE of SELF

“St Thomas Aquinas writes that man genuinely loves himself, when he directs all his activities towards God (Summa Theologiae I-II, q 100 a 5 ad 1).
True self-love, then, consists in dedicating all our thoughts and actions to God, Who is our highest and only true good.

Anything which does not lead us to God, is vain and useless.
Anything which keeps us away from God, separates us from our true good and, therefore, leads us towards everlasting spiritual ruin.
We should love ourselves then, by loving ourselves in God and for God.
If we fail to do this, we hate, rather than love ourselves because, we make folly, sin and eternal damnation, the objects of our lives.
Christianity, we may now conclude, cannot be said to condemn self-love.
It does not condemn it but simply purifies it.

The Church has always been opposed to any form of Quietism or Puritanism which would advocate the pure and disinterested love of God to the extent, of excluding, any thought of our own happiness, as the reward of our actions.
As if it would be possible to love God, when one had lost Him!
On the contrary, if we love God in Himself and above all things, we love ourselves too because, only in loving God, can we achieve our own perfect happiness.
The pure love of God does not exclude self-love but, elevates and completes it.”

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/04/thought-for-the-day-4-december-true-love-of-self/

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 3 December – I Love Thee, God, I Love Thee By St Francis Xavier

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Our Morning Offering – 3 December – The Memorial of St Francis Xavier SJ (1506-1552) Confessor

I Love Thee, God, I Love Thee
By St Francis Xavier (1506-1552)
Translated by Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

I love Thee, God, I love Thee—
Not out of hope for Heaven for me
Nor fearing not to love and be
in the everlasting burning.
Thou, my Jesus, after me
Didst reach Thine arms out dying,
For my sake suffered nails and lance,
Mocked and marred countenance,
Sorrows passing number,
Sweat and care and cumber,
Yea and death and this for me,
And Thou could see me sinning.
Then I, why should not I love Thee,
Jesu so much in love with me?
Not for Heaven’s sake, not to be
Out of hell by loving Thee,
Not for any gains I see,
But just the way that Thou didst me
I do love and will love Thee.
What must I love Thee, Lord, for then?
For being my King and God.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, St Francis de Sales, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 2 December – Our Treasure, our Pearls

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 December – Sirach 51:13-17; Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Jesus said in parables:
The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure,
hidden in a field. … Again, the Kingdom of Heaven
is like unto a merchant seeking good pearls. ”

Matthew 13:44, 45

“The two parables of the treasure and the pearl,
both teach us the same thing –
we should prefer the Gospel before all earthly treasures. …
However, there is something
even more praiseworthy than this –
we should delight to give it preference,
joyfully, unhesitatingly.
Let us never forget this, to abandon all else,
so as to follow God, is to gain more, than one loses.
The preaching of the Gospel is hidden in this world
like a hidden treasure, a treasure without price!”

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

“Whoever thinks well on eternity,
troubles himself little about what happens
in these three or four moments of mortal life.”

“The love of God is the end,
the perfection and the excellence,
of the universe. ”

(Treatise on the Love of God,
Book 10, Chapter 1)

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

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEEKNESS, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 30 November – The Blessedness of the Meek

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

The Blessedness of the Meek

“St John Climacus notes that there are three levels of meekness (Dcala Paradist pp 296-298).
The first grade, he says, consists in enduring with difficulty, the injuries done to us.
The second, consists in enduring them without displeasure and the third, in regarding them as an honour.

Those who reach the first level are to be congratulated, those who reach the second are to be applauded but, those in the third and highest category, are really blessed by God.

“One day,” he says, “I saw three Monks receiving the same insult.
The first was offended but said nothing, the second was not displeased on his own account but regretted the offence against Almighty God and the third wept for the fault of his neighbour.”
The first Monk, the Saint comments, feared God, the second loved God and the third loved both God and his fellow-man.

At What stage of perfection in this virtue can we claim to have arrived?
If we desire to be sincere Christians, we must realise that we ought to have achieved, at least the first level and should hope to advance eventaully, as far as the third and most perfect grade.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/28/thought-for-the-day-28-november-the-blessedness-of-the-poor/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/22/thought-for-the-day-22-november-the-blessedness-of-the-poor/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 November – ‘ … Can we be said to love our Lord if we dread His Coming?! …’ St Augustine

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One Minute Reflection – 28 November – “The Month of The Holy Souls in Purgatory” – St Catherine Labouré DC (1806-1876) Virgin, Religious Sister of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and the Marian Visionary of the Miraculous Medal – Ferial Day – Colossians 1:9-14 – Matthew 24:15-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“So you also, when you shall see all these things, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.” – Matthew 24:33

REFLECTION – “Then, all the trees of the forest shall leap for joy before the Lord, for He Comes, He Comes to rule the earth” (Ps 95:12-13). Our Lord came the first time and will come again anew. He came into His Church to begin with “on the clouds” (Mt 26:64). What are those clouds which bore Him? Apostles, preachers… He came, borne by His preachers to begin with and He filled the whole earth. Let us not resist His First Coming if we would not fear the Second…

What, then, should Christians do? Take advantage of this world but do not serve this world. What does that mean? “Possess as if one did not possess.” This is what Saint Paul said … “Brothers, the time is growing short. From now on… let those who weep act like those who do not weep, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning, those using the world as not using it fully, For the world in its present form is passing away. I should like you to be free of anxieties” (1 Cor 7:29-32). Someone who is free of anxiety awaits the Lord’s Coming with assurance, for can we be said to love our Lord if we dread His Coming?! My brethren, are we not ashamed? Do we love Him and yet dread His Coming? Is it He we truly love or do we not rather prefer our sins? Therefore, let us hate our sins and love Him Who is to Come …

“All the trees of the forest shall leap for joy before the Lord, for He has Come” for the first time… “All the trees of the forest shall leap for joy” when He Comes again to judge the earth. Then, “because He has Come” He will find rejoicing, all those who believed in His Coming on the first occasion.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church (Discourses on the Psalms Ps 95).

PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body, defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee and by the intercession of blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and of blessed Catherine Labouré and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace that all adversities and errors, being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. 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).