Category: LOVE of NEIGHBOUR

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2023, LENTEN THOUGHTS, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PERSECUTION

Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 14 March – CHARITY in INJURY

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Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 14 March – Tuesday of the Third Week in Lent – 4 Kings 4:1-7, Mattew 18:15-22 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone
who is indebted to us.”
Luke 11:4

“Then Peter came up to him and said,
“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me
and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times
but seventy times seven.”
Matthew 18:21-22

CHARITY in INJURY
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“THE CHRISTIAN SHOULD LOVE husband or wife with a calm, tranquil, firm and constant love, chiefly because God desires and enjoins us to do so. The same reason holds good as to children and other relatives and friends, each one according to
his rank.

But as a general thing, what is the state of your heart with regard to your neighbour? Do you love him from your heart and for the love of God?
In order to prove this, you must call to mind certain disagreeable, troublesome individuals, for with such, it is that we practice the love of God towards our neighbour and still more, towards those who do us any injury, either in word or deed.
Consider whether your heart is clear with regard to such and whether you have to force it to love them?
Are you slow to speak evil of your neighbour, especially of those whom you do not like?
Do you never injure him, either directly or indirectly?
A very little reflection will easily satisfy you on these points.” – (Introduction to the Devout Life).

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Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, LENT 2023, LENTEN THOUGHTS, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 13 March – TRUE AND LIVING DEVOTION

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Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 13 March – Monday of the Third Week in Lent – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“O Lord, deal with us,
not according to our sins,
nor requite us according to our iniquities.”
Psalm 102:10

“Hear, O God, my prayer,
and despise not my supplication.
Be attentive to me and hear me.
I am grieved in my exercise
and am troubled,”
Psalm 54:2-3

TRUE AND LIVING DEVOTION
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“ONE MAN SETS GREAT VALUE on fasting and believes himself to be leading a very devout life, as long as he fasts rigorously, although, the while, his heart is full of bitterness — and while he will not moisten his lips with wine, perhaps not even with water, in his great abstinence, he does not scruple to steep them in his neighbour’s blood, through slander and detraction.

Another man reckons himself as devout because he repeats many prayers dai­ly, although. at the same time. he does not refrain from all man­ner of angry, irritating, conceited or insulting speeches among his family and neighbours.
This man freely opens his purse in almsgiving but closes his heart to all gentle and forgiving feelings towards those who are opposed to him, while that one is ready enough to forgive his enemies but will never pay his rightful debts, save under pressure.

Meanwhile, all these people are conventionally called religious but, nevertheless, they are in no true sense really devout. …

But, in fact, all true and living devotion presupposes the love of God — and indeed, it is neither more, nor less, than a very real love of God, … And forasmuch as devotion consists in a high degree of real love, it not only makes us ready, active and diligent, in following all God’s Com­mands but, it also excites us to be ready and loving, in performing as many good works as possible … Devotion is simply a spiritual activity and liveliness, by means of which, Divine Love works in us.” – ( Intro­duc­tion to the Devout Life, Chapter 1: What true devotion is.)

Posted in "Follow Me", CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2023, LENTEN THOUGHTS, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The WORD

Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 12 March – MUTUAL CHARITY

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Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 12 March – The Third Sunday in Lent – Ephesians 5:1-9, Luke 11,14-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“To Thee have I lifted up my eyes,
Who dwells in Heaven.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.”
Psalm 122:1,3

“Every kingdom divided
against itself is laid waste.”
Luke 11:17

MUTUAL CHARITY
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“IN TODAY’S GOSPEL[Lk. 11:14-28], Our Lord insists that every kingdom divided against itself, (not united in itself) is brought to desolation.
On the other hand, the converse is true, too – all kingdoms united in concord, not permitting any division to enter, will surely be filled with consolation. For if the propositions are opposite, the consequences must be, too.
These words are among the most remarkable, noteworthy and important that our Divine Master ever spoke. For this reason the ancient Fathers carefully interpreted them.

They agree that our Saviour had three kinds of concord or union in mind when He spoke, where division in any of them, results in desolation.
The first is the concord which should exist between a king and his subjects, making subjects submissive and obedient to his laws.
The second is the union which we ought to have within, in our inner kingdom, where reason must be the king to whom are subject, all the faculties of our spirit, all our senses and even our bodies. … (Without this obedience and submission we cannot avoid having desolation and trouble, any more than there could be peace in a kingdom in which the subjects are not obedient to the laws of the king.)

… The third, is that which we ought to have with each other. This union or concord, has been earnestly preached, recommended and taught to us by Our Lord, equally in word and example. … Nothing is so stressed, nothing stated so completely as the observance of this Commandment [the Commandment of love[. He does so with good reason, for the beloved of the Beloved, the great Apostle St John, assures us that anyone who says that he loves God and does not love his neighbour, is a liar [1 Jn.4:20-21]. On the other hand, he who says he loves his neighbour but does not love God also contradicts the truth. That simply cannot be. To love God without loving the neighbour, who is created in His Image and Likeness [Gen. 1:26-27], is im­possible.

But what should this union and concord be which we all ought to have? Oh! What should it be indeed! It must be such that if Our Lord Himself had not explained it, no-one would have been so daring as to use the same terms as His.
At the Last Supper, after He had given the incomparable pledge of His love for us men, the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, He said:
“Father, My very dear Father, I beseech Thee that all those whom Thou hast given Me may be one, as Thou and I, Father, are One ” [Jn 17:11-12, 21-22].
To show that He was not speaking only for the Apostles but for all the rest of us, He added: “I do not pray for them alone (that is, those He had just mentioned) but for all those who will believe in Me, through their word” [Jn 17:20].
Who would have dared, I repeat, to make such a comparison, or to ask that we might be united as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are united? – (Sermon for the Third Sunday of Lent, 27 February 1622).

Posted in DYING / LAST WORDS, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 8 March – St John of God OH (1495-1550)

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 March – The Memorial of St John of God OH (1495-1550) Confessor, Founder of the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God

“Lord, Thy Thorns are my Roses
and Thy Suffering, my Paradise.”

After receiving the Last Rites
St John said:

“There are three things which make me uneasy:
The first is that I have received
so many graces from God
and have not recognised them
and have repaid them with so little of my own.
The second is that after I am dead,
I fear lest the poor women I have rescued
and the poor sinners I have reclaimed,
may be illtreated.
The third is that those
who have trusted me with money
and whom I have not fully repaid,
may suffer loss on my account.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/08/quote-s-of-the-day-8-march-st-john-of-god-1495-1550/

St John of God (1495-1550)

Posted in CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2023, LENTEN THOUGHTS, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The WORD

Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 8 March – THE GREAT COMMANDMENT

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Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 8 March – Wednesday in the Second Week of Lent – Ecclesiasticus Sirach 31:8-11, Matthew 22:34-46 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
he shall delight exceedingly
in His commandments. …”
Psalm 111:3

“‘You shall love the Lord your God
with your whole heart
and with your whole soul
and your whole mind.’
This is the greatest and first commandment.
And the second is like it,
‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ ”
Matthew 22:37-39

THE GREAT COMMANDMENT
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“CHARITY, while it is alive in the soul, reigns supreme and holds sway over all the emotions, leading the will to put God before everything else without delay, without exception, without reserve. … But why does charity include love of ourselves? Why, because we are wearing God’s Image and Likeness and, since all men enjoy the same noble dignity, we love them too as we love ourselves – in other words, as devoted living likenesses of the Godhead. … So it is, then, that the same charity which gives rise to acts of love of God, also breeds love of our neighbour.

When we see our neighbour, created to the Image and Likeness of God, should we not say to one another, ‘Stop, do you see this created being, do you see how he resembles the Creator? should we not cast ourselves upon him and weep over him with love? Should we not give him a thousand, thousand blessings?

It is for love of God Who made him in His Own Image and Likeness and, therefore, capable of sharing in His goodness in grace and glory. I say it is for love of God, from Whom he is, Whose he is, by Whom he is, in Whom he is, for Whom he is, Whom he resembles in a most particular manner.” – (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 10).

Posted in CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The WILL of GOD

One Minute Reflection – 8 March – The great commandment

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One Minute Reflection – 8 March – Wednesday in the Second Week of Lent – The Memorial of St John of God OH (1495-1550) Confessor, Founder of the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God – Ecclesiasticus Sirach 31:8-11, Matthew 22:34-46 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul, and your whole mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ ” – Matthew 22:37-39

REFLECTION – “The Lord asks of us only two things – love of His Majesty and love of our neighbour. These are what we must work for. By observing them with perfection, we do His will and so will be united with Him.

But how far, … we are from doing these two things, for so great a God, as we ought! May it please His Majesty to give us His grace so that we might merit, if we wish, to reach this state that lies within our power. The most certain sign, in my opinion, as to whether or not we are observing these two laws, is whether we observe well the love of neighbour.

We cannot know whether or not we love God, although there are strong indications for recognising that we do love Him but, we can know whether we love our neighbour. And be certain that the more advanced you see you are, in love for your neighbour, the more advanced you will be in the love of God, for the love His Majesty has for us, is so great that to repay us for our love of neighbour, He will,, in a thousand ways, increase the love we have for Him. I cannot doubt this. That is why it is important for us to walk, with careful attention to how we are proceeding in this matter, for if we practice love of neighbour with great perfection, we will have done everything. I believe that, since our nature is weak, we will not reach perfection in the love of neighbour, if that love does not rise from love of God as its root.” – St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), Carmelite, Doctor of the Church (Interior Castle, Fifth Dwelling Places Ch 3).

PRAYER – O God, Who caused blessed John, when burning with love for Thee, to walk unharmed through the midst of flames and through him, enriched Thy Church with a new religious family; grant by the help of his merits, our sins may be burned away by the fire of Thy love and eternal remedies may come to us. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2023, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on The HUMAN SOUL

Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 6 March – HEAVENLY TREASURE

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Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 6 March – Ecclesiasticus Sirach 51:13-17, Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure …”
Matthew 13:44

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven
is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
When he finds a single pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”
Matthew13:45-46

HEAVENLY TREASURE
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“The first difficulty seen in the question is: Can the souls of the blessed, separated from their bodies, see, hear, consider and understand? Can they, in short, exercise the functions of the mind, as freely as when they were united to their bodies?
I answer that not only can they act as before but much more perfectly. And to support this theory I shall give you a story from St Augustine, an author in whom one can place complete trust.
He relates that he was acquainted with a physician from Carthage who was as famous in Rome as in that City, both because he excelled in the art of medicine and because, he was a very good man, one who did many charitable works and served the poor gratis.

His charity towards his neighbour, moved God to lift him out of an error into which he had fallen as a young man. God always greatly favours those who practise charity toward their neighbour; indeed, there is nothing that draws down His mercy upon us more abundantly. Our Lord has declared it His own special commandment [Jn. 15:12], the one He loves and cherishes most. For after that of the love of God, there is none greater [Matt 22:37-40].

St Augustine recounts how this physician told him that when young, he began to doubt whether the soul, separated from the body, can see, hear, or understand anything.
One day, while in this error, he fell asleep. Suddenly, a handsome young man appeared to him in his sleep and said: “Follow me.”
The physician did so and his guide led him into a large and spacious field where, on one side he showed him incomparable beauties and on the other allowed him to hear a concert of delightful music.
Then the physician awoke.

Some time after, the same young man again appeared to him in sleep and asked: “Do you recognise me?” The physician answered that he did indeed recognise him distinctly, that it was he who had conducted him to the beautiful field where he had heard such pleasing music.
“But how can you see and recognise me?” asked the youth. “Where are your eyes?” “My eyes,” he replied, “are in my body.” “And where is your body?”
“My body is lying in my bed.”
“And are your eyes open or closed?”
“They are closed.”
“If they are closed, they can see nothing. Admit, then, since you see me even with your eyes closed, recognise me distinctly and have heard the music, even though your senses slept, that the functions of the mind do not depend on the corporal senses and that the soul, even when separated from the body, can neverthe­less see, hear, consider and understand. ”
Then the sacred dream ended and the youth left the physician, who never after doubted this truth.” – (Sermon for the Second Sunday of Lent, 20 February 1622).

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 6 March – Prayer of Dedication to the Lord By St Francis de Sales

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Our Morning Offering – 6 March – Monday of the Second Week in Lent

Prayer of Dedication to the Lord
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

Lord,
I am Yours
and I must belong to no-one but You.
My soul is Yours
and I must live only by You.
My will is Yours
and must love only for You.
I must love You as my first cause,
since I am from You.
I must love You as my end and rest,
since I am for You.
I must love You more than my own being,
since my being subsists by You.
I must love You more than myself,
since I am all Yours
and all in You.
Amen

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MARIAN HYMNS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 4 March – St Casimir

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 March – The Memorial of St Casimir (1458-1484) Confessor, Prince

“I would rather die than not live as a virgin.
If I had a thousand lives,
I would sacrifice them all to remain a virgin.”

“But above all these things have charity,
which is the bond of perfection …”

Colossians 3:14

“By the power of the Holy Ghost,
Casimir burned with a sincere
and unpretentious love for Almighty God
which was almost unbelievable in its strength.
So rich was his love
and so abundantly did it fill his heart
that it flowed out from his inner spirit
toward his fellow men.
As a result, nothing was more pleasant,
nothing more desirable for him,
than to share his belongings
and even to dedicate and give, his entire self,
to Christ’s poor, to strangers, to the sick,
to those in captivity and all who suffer.
To widows, orphans and the afflicted,
he was not only a guardian and patron
but a father, son and brother!”

From the Biography of Saint Casimir,
written by a contemporary.

St Casimir called the Blessed Virgin his dear mother and he loved her as a child. In her honour he sang frequently a touching Hymn which is in use even at the present day. It begins thus: “Daily, Daily Sing to Mary.”
He repeated this many times everyday and asked to have it placed in the grave with him.
When his grave was opened after 120 years, both his body and this written Hymn, were untainted by any sign of corruption.

Daily, Daily, Sing to Mary
By Bernard of Cluny (12th Century)
Trans. Fr Henry Bittleshon C.Orat. (1818-1886)

Daily, daily sing to Mary,
Sing, my soul, her praises due.
All her glorious actions cherish,
With the heart’s devotion true.
Lost in wond’ring contemplation,
Be her majesty confessed!
Call her Mother, call her Virgin,
Happy Mother, Virgin blest!

She is mighty to deliver,
Call her, trust her lovingly.
When the tempest rages round thee,
She will calm the troubled sea.
Gifts of Heaven she has given,
Noble Lady, to our race;
She, the Queen, who clothes her subjects,
With the Light of God’s own grace.

Sing, my tongue, the Virgin’s honours,
Who for us, her Maker bore,
For the curse of old inflicted,
Peace and blessings to restore.
Sing in songs of praise unending,
Sing the world’s majestic Queen;
Weary not nor faint in telling,
All the gifts that earth has seen.

All my senses, heart, affections,
Strive to sound her glory forth.
Spread abroad the sweet memorials
Of the Virgin’s priceless worth.
Where the voice of music thrilling,
Where the tongues of eloquence,
That can utter hymns befitting
All her matchless excellence?

All our joys do flow from Mary,
All then join her praise to sing.
Trembling, sing the Virgin Mother,
Mother of our Lord and King.
While we sing her awesome glory,
Far above our fancy’s reach,
Let our hearts be quick to offer
Love the heart alone can reach.

Bernard of Morlaix, or of Cluny, for he is equally well known by both titles, was an Englishman by extraction, both his parents being natives of this country. He was, however, born in France very early in the 12th Century, at Morlaix, Bretagne. Little or nothing is known of his life, beyond the fact that he entered the Abbey of Cluny, of which at that time Peter the Venerable, was the Abbot, who filled the post from 1122 to 1156. There, as far as we know, he spent his whole life and there he probably died, although the exact date of his death, as well as of his birth, is unrecorded.

St Casimir (1458-1484) Confessor, Prince

Posted in DIVINE MERCY, LENT, LENT 2023, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on the POOR

Quote of the Day – 28 February – ‘… If we share with the poor …’

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Quote of the Day – 28 February – Tuesday of the First Week in Lent

“If we look forward to receiving God’s mercy,
we can never fail to do good,
as long as we have the strength.
For if we share with the poor,
out of love for God,
whatever He has given to us,
we shall receive according to His promise,
a hundredfold in eternal happiness.
What a fine profit, what a blessed reward!
With outstretched arms He begs us
to turn toward Him, to weep for our sins
and to become the servants of love,
first for ourselves, then for our neighbours.
Just as water extinguishes a fire,
so love wipes away sin.”

St John of God (1495-1550)

Posted in ARMOUR of CHRIST, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD

Thought for the Day – 23 February – The Order of the Day

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

The Order of the Day

“Once we have decided on our manner of behaviour towards God, it is necessary to determine how we shall act in regard to our neighbour.
We can have quite a number of unexpected matters to which we must attend during the day but normally, we have a good idea what kind of people we shall be dealing with.

There will be people who are an occasiuon of sin.
We must try to avoid these but, if that is not possible, we must be on our guard and rely on the weapons of divine grace to protect us.
There will be troublesome and annoying people with whom we must be patient and restrained.
There will be people who are in want, either materally or spiritually, whom we must enlighten and assist.
We shall meet difficulies and complicated problems to deal with which we must ask God for insight and prudence.

If we live in intimate union with Our Lord, we shall be competent to deal with all the business of the day, especially with the unexpected and even the shocking.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/15/thought-for-the-day-15-february-the-order-of-the-day/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/02/15/thought-for-the-day-15-february-the-order-of-the-day-2/

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on POVERTY

Thought for the Day – 9 February – The Love of Our Neighbour

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

The Love of Our Neighbour

“A few hundred yards from the centre of a big City, one often finds groups of hovels in which large numbers of families are living, herded together in poverty.
There, in the wintertime, these poor people suffer from the cold and damp and, in hot areas, from the burning heat in summer.
Often their hovels are badly roofed and protect from neither the cold nor the heat.
They are hungry and have not even a loaf of bread to kill the pangs of their deprived bodies.

Not very far away, there are luxurious mansions and expensive villas and up and down the streets, drift splendidly upholstered cars, carrying men and women for whom the only thing in life that matters, is pleasure and comfort.

“Love your neighbour as yourself” the Gospel says.
How far we still are from the realisation of this command!
Men would need to go to these poor hovels to do the Spiritual Exercises.
They would need to live in these places for at least a month.
Many ideas would be changed and many hearts transformed if this were done.
The slums, shacks, caves, shipping and even cardboard boxes and other hovels in which men have to live, bear sad testimony to the fact that the Gospel has not yet been understood by many and that Christian charity has still a long way to go.

Consider before God, if you are responsible, even in some small way, for this wretched state of affairs.
Form the resolution of contributing, as far as possible, to the relief of so much want and suffering.
Now is the time – Lent is nearly here!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/11/thought-for-the-day-11-february-the-love-of-our-neighbour/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/02/11/thought-for-the-day-11-february-the-love-of-our-neighbour-2/

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS for PRIESTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 February – ‘… His very deeds are our commands and whenever He acts silently, He is teaching us what we should do. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 6 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinitys” – St Titus (Died c96) Bishop, Confessor – Ecclesiasticus
44:16-27; 45:3-20, Luke 10:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them forth two-by-two, before Him into every town and place, where He, Himself, was about to come.” – Luke 10:1

REFLECTION – “Beloved brothers, our Lord and Saviour sometimes gives us instruction by Words and sometimes by Actions. His very Deeds are our commands and whenever He acts silently, He is teaching us what we should do. For example, He sends His disciples out to preach, two-by-two because the precept of charity is twofold—love of God and of one’s neighbour.

The Lord sends His disciples out to preach in twos, in order to teach us, silently, that whoever fails in charity toward his neighbour, should by no means take upon himself the office of preaching.

Rightly is it said, that He sent them ahead of Him into every city and place, where He ,Himself was to go. For the Lord follows after the preachers because preaching goes ahead to prepare the way and then, when the words of exhortation have gone ahead and established Truth in our minds, the Lord comes to live within us. To those who preach ,Isaiah says: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. And the psalmist tells them: Make a way for Him who rises above the sunset. The Lord rises above the sunset because, from that very place where He slept in death, He rose again and manifested a greater glory. He rises above the sunset because, in His Resurrection, He trampled underfoot the death, which He endured. Therefore, we make a way for Him who rises above the sunset ,when we preach His glory to you, so that when He, Himself follows after us, He may illumine you with His Love.

Let us listen now to His words as He sends His preachers forth: The harvest is great but the labourers are few. Pray, therefore, the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into His harvest. That the harvest is good but the labourers are few cannot be said without a heavy heart, for although there are many to hear the good news there are only a few to preach it. Indeed, see how full the world is of Priests but yet, in God’s harvest, a true labourer is rarely to be found;,although we have accepted the Priestly office, we do not fulfil its demands!

Think over, my beloved brothers, think over His Words: Pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into His harvest. Pray for us, so that we may be able to labour worthily on your behalf, that our tongue may not grow weary of exhortation, that after we have taken up the office of preaching, our silence may not bring us condemnation from the Just Judge! ” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Homily 17, On the Gospels).

PRAYER – O God, Who adorned blessed Titus, Thy Confessor and Bishop, with the virtues of an apostle, grant, through his merits and intercession that by living justly and piously in this world, we may be found worthy to enter Heaven. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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

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

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

“Prepare the way of the Lord
make His paths straight” …

Luke 3:4

“There is still time for endurance,
time for patience,
time for healing,
time for change.
Have you slipped?
Rise up!
Have you sinned?
Cease!
Do not stand among sinners
but leap aside!”

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

“Then the righteous shall shine like the sun
in the Kingdom of their Father.”

Matthew 13:43

“So from now on, run well (cf. Gal 5:7)
and may the devil not bewitch you (cf. Gal 3:1)
nor hinder you! …
May mercy, peace, charity,
freedom from envy,
from jealousy and ostentation
come upon you, docility, friendly speech,
solidarity, compassion
towards each other, humility.”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)

My Lord Jesus Christ,
You have made this journey
to die for me, with love unutterable
and I have so many times unworthily abandoned You
but now I love You with my whole heart
and because I love You,
I repent sincerely for having ever offended You.
Pardon me, my God
and permit me to accompany You on this journey.
You go to die for love of me,
I wish also, my beloved Redeemer,
to die for love of Thee.
My Jesus, I will live
and die always united to You.”
Amen

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

“Each and everyone of us,
at the end of the journey of life,
will come, face to face
with either one,
or the other
of two faces…
And one of them,
either, the
merciful face of Christ
or the
miserable face of Satan,
will say,
“Mine, mine.”

May we be Christ’s!”

Ven Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 4 February – “Ora et labora” – Work and Sanctity

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

“Ora et labora” – Work and Sanctity

“Everyone imagines that there are innumerable problems in the world to be solved.
As a matter of fact, there are but they can all be reduced to one in the end – the problem of sanctity.
If we were all saints, or at any rate sincerely trying to put into practice the maxims of the Gospel – all the other questions would be answered.

For a Christian, work should mean the employment of his bodily and spiritual energies for the glory of God, for his own benefit and for the common good.
He can work to earn his daily bread, for personal satisfaction, for the advancement of science, art, or society.
These are all good motives.
But the Christian must also have a higher motive.
Even as he is living for eternity, so must he work for eternity.
He must realise that God will admit us to Heaven if we have worked for love of Him and in union with Him.
Like everything else in our lives, work must be raised to a supernatural level.
We must work patiently because it is our duty and the will of God.
In this way, we shall make use of the talents which God has given us, not only for our own benefit but also, as a means of helping so many of our fellowmen, who are dependent on us.

Then work will be something other besides an expenditure of energy and an atonement for our sins.
It will be a pleasure because we shall know that God is counting every moment of sacrifice which we are willingly enduring for His sake.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/04/thought-for-the-day-4-february-ora-et-labora-work-and-sanctity/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/02/04/thought-for-the-day-4-february-ora-et-labora-work-and-sanctity-2/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

St John Bosco (1815-1888)

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The LAST THINGS, The SECOND COMING

Thought for the Day – 30 January – The Most Terrifying Passage in the Gospel

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

The Most Terrifying Passage
in the Gospel

“Why should the Eternal Judge punish or reward us in accordance with our own deeds of charity and of mercy towards our unfortunate fellowmen?
Simply because Christianity consists mainly of charity, since God Himself is charity.
“God is love and he who abides in love, abides in God and God in him” (1 Jn 4:16).
When charity is genuine, being the love of God above all things and of our neighbour as ourselves, it is “the bond of perfection” (Col 3:14) and “bears with all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor 13:7).

True love, in the Christian sense, presupposes faith, hope and all other virtues, whereas faith without charity is, as St Paul says, as futile as “a tinkling cymbal” (1 Cor 13:1).
Even the devils have faith but their faith will not save them.
“He who does not love,” St John tells us, “abides in death” (1 Jn 3:14).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/24/thought-for-the-day-24-november/

Posted in "Follow Me", LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 28 January – Blessed are Those who Love Peace

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Thought for the Day – 28 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Blessed are Those who Love Peace

“Peace is especially opposed to sentiments of anger and hatred against our brothers.
It commands us to love and help them.
Hatred is the heritage of Cain because God says that “he who does not love, abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murdere. And you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 Jn 3:15).
A man who hates his brother may not actually kill him but, he is guilty of murdering him in his heart!
As a result, he loses peace of soul because, as St Augustine points out (Sermon 82), by hating someone, you create disorder in yourself and destroy that Divine harmony which was the gift of Divine grace and charity.

If we wish to preserve interior peace, we must cast out from our hearts, every vestige of hatred for our neighbour and entertain love, understanding and forgiveness, for all.
By loving our enemies, we place ourselves above them by an act of true Christian nobility.
We imitate Jesus, Who forgave His executioners and prayed for them from the Cross.

A fit of anger is like a moment of madness.
It is a great misfortune for anyone to yield to it.
He speaks and acts like a man who has lost his reason and allows himself to be carried away by blind passion.
When the moment of insanity is over, he will be ashamed of himself and of all that he has said and done.

It is necessary to be masters of ourselves and of our feelings.
Never speak or act until anger has subsided within you.
By persevering in co-operation with the grace of God, we presercve that inward calmness which is a reflection of the peace of God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/31/thought-for-the-day-31-january-blessed-are-those-who-love-peace/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/01/29/thought-for-the-day-29-january-blessed-are-those-who-love-peace/

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD the FATHER, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM

Quote/s of the Day – 26 January – St Polycarp

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 January – St Polycarp (69-155) Martyr, Bishop of Smyrna (Asia Minor), Apostolic Father

“Eighty and six years have I served Christ,
nor has He ever done me any harm.
How, then, could I blaspheme my King, Who saved Me?
…. I bless Thee for deigning me worthy
of this day and this hour
that I may be among Thy Martyrs
and drink the cup of my Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Beware of greed and remain pure and just.
Restrain yourself from every vice.
He who cannot restrain himself,
how will he be able to teach others restraint?”

“Help one another with the generosity of the Lord
and despise no-one.
When you have the opportunity to do good,
do not let it go by.”

Prayer Before His Martyrdom
By St Polycarp (69–155)

Lord God Almighty,
Father of Jesus Christ,
Thy dear Son,
through Whom we have come to know Thee,
God of the Angels and Powers,
God of all creation,
God of those who live in Thy Presence,
the race of the just,
I bless Thee.
Thou hast considered me worthy
of this day and hour,
worthy to be numbered with the Martyrs
and to drink the cup of Thy Anointed One,
and thus to rise and live forever,
body and soul,
in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/02/23/quote-s-of-the-day-23-february-the-memorial-of-st-polycarp-c-69-c-155-martyr-and-father-of-the-church/

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 10 January – The Death of the Just as Opposed to the Death of the Sinner

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

The Death of the Sinner as Opposed
to the Death of the Just

“Now that we have witnessed these contrasting scenes, let us examine ourselves in the presence of God.
Let each of us ask: What will be my fate?
If we can rank ourselves amongst the just, let us thank God.
We are not there on our own merits.
“By the grace of God, I am what I am” (1 Cor 15:10).

Perhaps we need only reproach ourselves with some deficiency or weakness but, have at the same times, a strong desire to serve God and a great love for Him.
In this case, we can take heart.
We can cast ourselves into the merciful arms of God.
But, if on the other hand, we are hardened and habitual sinners, then woe betide us!
Perhaps this meditation is the last grace which God will bestow on us!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES for the NEW YEAR, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 3 January – For a New Year

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 January – For a New Year

“You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your mind.
And the second is like it:
You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

Matthew 22:36,39

“If we would God discern
The world we must despise,
His love and hate must learn,
See all things with His eyes.
And we must self forgo
If God we would attain,
His grace must in us grow
And ease us from all pain.
So shall we sing His praise
And be at one with Him,
In peace our voices raise
In the celestial hymn,
That with quadruple harmony
And all mellifluous melody,
In Heaven resounds eternally.”

Bl Jan van Ruusbroec (1293-1381)

“We must make our way towards eternity,
never regarding what men think of us,
or of our actions,
studying only to please God.”

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)

“Let us go forward in peace,
our eyes upon Heaven,
the only one goal of our labours.”

St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873-1897)

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, 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,” je replied, “and if we do no more than obey it, that is sufficient!”

Let us meditate on 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

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/27/thought-for-the-day-26-december-st-john-the-apostle-and-evangelist/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/27/thought-for-the-day-26-december-st-john-the-apostle-and-evangelist-2/

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

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

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

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

Romans 13:13-14

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

Matthew 9:2

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

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

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

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

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

(Catecheses 1)

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

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

Lord Jesus, Bind Me to Yourself

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

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

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

St Vincent Strambi CP (1745-1824)

(From his first Pastoral Letter as Bishop)

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

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

St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

Posted in ARMOUR of CHRIST, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 28 November – The Blessedness of the Peracemakers

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Thought for the Day – 28 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of the Peracemakers

“We should not imagine, however, that the peace which Jesus brought to us, is a lifeless peace, like that of a cemetery.
On the contrary, it is the peace of conquest, a living peace.
It cannot be attained by the sluggard, who is aiming at an easy and comfortable existence but, by the generous warrior who is always prepared to throw himself into the fight for virtue, for the glory of God and for the salvation of souls.

The peace of Jesus Christ is a victory over the evil which is rampant within us and around us.
It demands vigilance, strifc and perseverance in fidelity to Our Lord.
It requires the spirit of sacrifice, the love of God and dedication to the welfare of our fellowmen.
It is the fruit of internal and external combat.
It excludes all rancour, envy, detraction and malice, which is why it costs so much hardship and conflict.
When a man has gained the victory, however, he experiences that wonderful spiritual tranquility which God alone can give.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/05/thought-for-the-day-5-december-the-blessedness-of-the-peracemakers/

Posted in "Follow Me", DIVINE MERCY, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on MERCY, The BEATITUDES, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 26 November – The Blessedness of the Merciful

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Thought for the Day – 26 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of the Merciful

“Since God is so merciful to us, however, He requires us to be good and merciful to our neighbour.
“Blessed are the merciful,” Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, “for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7).
St James adds a stern warning.
“Judgement” he says, “is without mercy to him who has not shown mercy but mercy triumphs over judgement” (Js 2:12).

If we hope to receive God’s mercy, we must show compassion to those who are poor or unfortunate in any way, even to the greatest sinner.
In the presence of so much need and misfortune in the world – avarice, miserliness, selfishness or indifference – cry out to God for retribution.

If we are not prepared to give, nothing will be given to us.
If we refuse to forgive, neither shall we be forgiven.
If we do not love, neither shall we be loved!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/03/thought-for-the-day-2-december-the-blessedness-of-the-merciful/

Posted in "Follow Me", CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The BEATITUDES, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 November – ‘ … For love of Jesus …’

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One Minute Reflection – 26 November – St Sylvester Gozzolini OSB Silv. (1177– 1267) Priest, Abbot – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29

REFLECTION – “Seek for nothing, desiring to enter for love of Jesus, with detachment, emptiness and poverty in everything in this world. You will never have to do with necessities greater than those to which you made your heart yield itself – for the poor in spirit are most happy and joyful in a state of privation and he who has set his heart on nothing, finds satisfaction everywhere.

The poor in spirit (Mt 5:3) give generously all they have and their pleasure consists in being thus deprived of everything for God’s sake and out of love for their neighbour … Not only do temporal goods – the delights and tastes of the senses – hinder and thwart the way of God but spiritual delights and consolations also, if sought for or clung to eagerly, disturb the way of virtue.” – St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Carmelite, Doctor of the Church (Spiritual maxims, nos. 352, 355,356, 364; 1693 edition).

PRAYER – Most merciful God, Who when the holy Abbot Sylvester was devoutly meditating upon the vanity of this world beside an open grave, graciously willed to call him into the desert and enrich him with unusual merits, we humbly pray that, following his example, despising the things of earth, we may thoroughly enjoy Thy everlasting presence.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE MERCY, DOCTORS of the Church, FRANCISCAN OFM, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on TRUST in GOD, QUOTES on WATCHING, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 November – Our journey to sanctity

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 November – Sirach 51:1-8; 5:12, Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Watch, therefore,
for you know neither the day
nor the hour.”

Matthew 25:13

Lord Jesus, Bind Me to Yourself

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

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

“The medicine of God,
is Jesus Christ,
Crucified and Risen,
the measure of all things.”

St John Leonardi (1541-1609)
Confessor, Priest, Founder

“Master, which commandment
in the law is the greatest?”

Matthew 22:36

“That first and great commandment
is not only profitable for the man
who keeps it. or for God Who commands it –
the other commandments of God
also make perfect, him who obeys them,
improves him, instructs him
and makes him illustrious;
in a word, they make him good and holy.
If you understand this,
realise that you have been created
for the glory of God
and for your own eternal salvation;
this is your end, this is the object of your soul
and the treasure of your heart.
You will be blessed if you reach this goal
but miserable if you are cut off from it.”

St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)
Doctor of the Church

“O God, fullness of goodness,
You do not forsake any,
except those who forsake You.
You never take away Your gifts,
except when we take away our hearts.
We rob the goodness of God,
if we claim the glory of our salvation for ourselves.
We dishonour His mercy,
if we say He has failed us.
… We blaspheme His goodness,
if we deny that He has helped and assisted us.
In short, O God, cry loud and clear into our ears:
“your destruction comes from you, O Israel.
In Me alone is found your help” (Hos 13:9).

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“Entrust yourself entirely to God.
He is a Father
and a most loving Father at that,
Who would rather let Heaven
and earth collapse,
than abandon anyone
who trusted in Him.”

St Paul of the Cross (1604-1775)

“50 Maxims for Attaining Perfection” – all on the link below

Quote/s of the Day – 2 August – “50 Maxims for Attaining Perfection in the Love of Jesus Christ”

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MODESTY, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on WATCHING, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The LAST THINGS, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 November – “Consider now the Way of Light … St Barnabas

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One Minute Reflection – 25 November – St Catherine of Alexandria (Died c 305) Virgin Martyr – Sirach 51:1-8; 5:12, Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” – Matthew 25:13

REFLECTION – “Consider now the Way of Light – any man who is bent on reaching his appointed goal, must be very careful in all he does. Now these are the directions that have been given to us for this journey,- love your Creator, reverence your Maker; give glory to Him Who redeemed you when you were dead; be single-minded but rich in spiritual treasure; avoid those who travel down death’s highway; hate whatever is displeasing to God; detest all hypocritical pretence; do not abandon God’s commandments. Do not put on airs but be modest in whatever you do; claim no credit for yourself. Plot no evil against your neighbour and do not give pride an entrance into your heart.

Love your neighbour more than your own life. Do not kill an unborn child through abortion, nor destroy it after birth. Do not refrain from chastising son or daughter,but bring them up from childhood in the fear of the Lord. Do not set your heart on what belongs to your neighbour and do not give in to greed. Do not associate with the arrogant but cultivate those who are humble and virtuous.

Accept as a blessing whatever comes your way, in the knowledge, that nothing ever happens without God’s concurrence. Avoid duplicity in thought or in word, for such deception is a deadly snare. Share with your neighbor whatever you have and do not say of anything, this is mine. If you both share an imperishable treasure, how much more must you share what is perishable. Do not be hasty in speech – the mouth is a deadly snare. For your soul’s good, make every effort to live chastely. Do not hold out your hand for what you can get, only to withdraw it when it comes to giving. Cherish as the apple of your eye anyone who speaks to you of the word of the Lord.

Night and day you will bear in mind the hour of judgement; everyday you will seek out the company of God’s faithful, either by preaching the word, earnestly exhorting them, ever considering how you can save souls, by your eloquence, or else by working with your hands, to make reparation for your past sins.

Never hesitate to give and when you do give, never grumble; then you will know the One Who will repay you. Preserve the traditions you have received, adding nothing and taking nothing away. The evildoer will ever be hateful to you. Be fair in your judgments. Never stir dissension but act as peacemaker and reconcile the quarrelsome. Confess your sins and do not begin to pray with a guilty conscience. Such the,n is the Way of Light.” – An excerpt from The Letter of Saint Barnabas (Chapter 19).

PRAYER – O God, Who gave the law to Moses on Sinai’s height and through Thy holy Angels, miraculously placed there, the body of blessed Catherine, Thy Virgin and Martyr, grant, we beseech Thee that by her merits and intercession, we may reach that towering eminence which is Christ our Lord. 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 AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HUMAN DIGNITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The HOLY EUCHARIST

Quote/s of the Day – 22 November – “Charity never fails!”

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 November – St Cecilia Died 3rd Century) Virgin Martyr – Ecclesiasticus 51:13-17, Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But the wise took oil in their vessels”

Matthew 25:4

“The Apostle says,
“I will show you a still more excellent way.”
“If I speak with the tongue of mortals
and of angels but do not have love,
I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
This is charity.
It is “that way above the rest,” which is,
with good reason, signified by the oil.
For oil swims above all liquids.
Pour in water and pour in oil upon it,
the oil will swim above.
If you keep the usual order, it will be uppermost,
if you change the order, it will be uppermost.
“Charity never fails!”

“Love the Lord and so,
learn to love yourselves
that when, by loving the Lord,
you shall have loved yourselves,
you may securely love
your neighbour as yourselves. …
So then, have faith with love.
This is the “wedding garment!”

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

“Charity is the sweet and holy bond
which links the soul
with its Creator;
it binds God with man
and man with God.”

St Catherine of Siena OP (1347-1380)
Doctor of the Church

“My dear souls, let us recognise, I pray you,
Christ’s infinite charity towards us
in the institution of this Sacrament of the Eucharist.
In order that our love be a spiritual love,
He wills a new heart, a new love, a new spirit for us.
It is not with a carnal heart but with a spiritual one,
that Christ has loved us with a gratuitous love,
a supreme and most ardent love,
by way of pure grace and charity.
Ah! One needs to love Him back
with one’s whole, whole, whole,
living, living, living
and true, true, true heart!”

St Lawrence of Brindisi(1559-1619)

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

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

“A word or a smile,
is often enough,
to put fresh life
into a despondent soul.”

St Therese of the Child Jesus
and the Holy Face (1873-1897)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY SPIRIT, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, St JOSEPH, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 15 November – St Albert the Great

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 15 November – St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church

“It is by the path of love, which is charity,
that God draws near to man and man to God.
But where charity is not found, God cannot dwell.
If, then, we possess charity, we posses God,
for ‘God is Charity’ (1 John 4:8).”

“Banish, therefore, from thy heart,
the distractions of earth
and turn your eyes to spiritual joys
that you may learn at last,
to repose in the light
of the contemplation of God.”

“Saint Joseph was the just man:
by his constant fidelity -an effect of justice;
by his perfect discretion – a sister to prudence;
by his upright conduct – a mark of strength
and by his inviolable chastity – a flower of temperance.”

St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

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