Posted in DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on VANITY, SAINT of the DAY

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

Quote/s of the Day – 5 April – Tuesday in Passion Week – and the Memorial of St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)

“Whatever you do,
think NOT of yourself
but OF God.

Once humility is acquired,
charity will come to life
like a burning flame devouring
the corruption of vice
and filling the heart so full,
that there is no place for vanity
.”…

A vain question deserves nothing
but silence.
So learn to be silent for a time;
you will edify your brethren
and silence will teach you,
to speak when the hour is come.

St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, POETRY, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 March – Persevere

Quote/s of the Day – 10 March –Thursday of the First Week of Lent – Ezechiel 18:1-9, Matthew 15:21-28

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

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

Then steer your ship with steady arm,
Trust Me and rest your soul.
Your little boat I’ll keep from harm,
I’ll guide it toward its goal. …
Be therefore, steadfast, calm and true,
Your God is at your side.
Through storm and night
He’ll see you through
With conscience as your guide.”

St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross OCD.(1891-1942
Edith Stein
“At the Helm”

“I think He intends to try you
like gold in the crucible,
so as to number you
amongst His most faithful servants.
Therefore, you must lovingly embrace
all occasions of suffering,
considering them
as precious tokens of His love.
To suffer in silence
and without complaint,
is what He asks of you.

Go courageously to God,
along the way He has traced out for you,
steadfastly embracing the means
He offers you
.”

St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)

“When the sister of St Thomas Aquinas
asked him how to become holy,
he replied that it needed only one thing –
a firm act of the will,
for God will certainly supply
the necessary grace.
The grace of God is the principal weapon
upon which we must depend
in order to gain our victory.
We should pray for it humbly and perseveringly.
There will be victors and losers
in the battle for Heaven,
as well as in earthly contests.
We must make sure,
that we are on the winning side!
For this purpose, we should combine
fervent and constant prayer
with generous co-operation
with the grace of God.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, SAINT of the DAY

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

Quote/s of the Day – 8 March – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent and the Memeorial of St John of God (1495-1550)

Labour without stopping,
do all the good works you can,
while you still have the time!

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)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/08/quote-s-of-the-day-8-march-st-john-of-god-2/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quotes of the Day – 7 March – St Thomas Aquinas

Quotes of the Day – 7 March – Monday of the First Week of Lent and the Memorial of St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus and Doctor Communis

Charity is
the form,
mover,
mother
and root
of all
the virtues
.”

To love is to
will the good
of the other.

The greatest kindness
one can render
to any man
consists in leading him
from error to truth.”

The celebration of Holy Mass
is as valuable, as the death
of Jesus on the cross.

Believing is:
an act of the intellect
assenting to the divine truth,
by command of the will,
moved by God through grace.

He who is NOT angry
when there is just cause
for anger, is IMMORAL.
WHY?
Because anger looks to
the good of Justice.
And if you can live amid Injustice
without anger,
you ARE IMMORAL
as well as UNJUST!”

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

Posted in LENT 2022, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ANGELS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Second Thoughts for our immanent entry into Lent – Planting a Lenten Garden

A few last-minute sowing plans
for the garden of our souls.
Planting virtue and good habits
and ascending that steep hill,
day-by-day, with love, faithfulness
and perseverance.

Accompanying our Saviour on His
Journey of our Redemption:

Five Rows of Squash:

  1. Squash gossip
  2. Squash indifference
  3. Squash unkindness
  4. Squash temper
  5. Squash the idols of greed and lust

Six Rows of Peas:

  1. Prayer
  2. Penance
  3. Perseverance
  4. Purity
  5. Patience
  6. Politeness

Seven Heads of Lettuce:

  1. Let us be unselfish
  2. Let us be charitable
  3. Let us be obedient
  4. Let us be truthful
  5. Let us be gentle and kind
  6. Let us be repentant
  7. Let us be renewed

No garden is complete without Turnips:

  1. Turn up for Daily Mass
  2. Turn up fo Eucharistic Adoration
  3. Turn up for Daily Morning and Night Prayer
  4. Turn up for Spiritual reading on Breathing Catholic 🤗🙏💘

Conclude with Thyme:

Thyme with God, thyme for fasting, thyme for generosity and care of the poor, the sick, the suffering.

Water daily with patience
Feed with love
The Beloved Saviour will provide the growth.

Posted in GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MODESTY, ON the SAINTS, POETRY, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, THE EPIPHANY of the LORD, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE

Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – St Robert Southwell

Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595)

We … are under an obligation
to be the light of the world
by the modesty of our behaviour,
the fervour of our charity,
the innocence of our lives
and the example of our virtues.
Thus shall we be able
to raise the lowered prestige
of the Catholic Church
and, to build up again,
the ruins that others by their vices have caused.
Others, by their wickedness,
have branded the Catholic Faith
with a mark of shame,
we must strive,
with all our strength, to cleanse it
from its ignominy
and to restore it
to its pristine glory!

Christianity is warfare
and Christians are spiritual soldiers
.”

Not where I breathe
but where I love,
I live.”

When Fortune smiles,
I smile to think,
how quickly she will frown
.”

Where sin was hatched,
let tears now wash the nest
.”

The path to Heaven is narrow,
rough and full of wearisome
and trying ascents,
nor can it be trodden without great toil
and, therefore, wrong is their way,
gross their error
nd assured their ruin,
who, after the testimony
of so many thousands of Saints,
will not learn where to settle their footing!

“The Epiphany”
By St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595)
Martyr

To blaze the rising of this glorious sun
A glittering star appeareth in the east
Whose sight to pilgrim toil three sages won
To seek the light they long had in request,
And by this star to nobler star they pace
Whose arms did their desired sun embrace.

Still was the sky wherein these planets shined
And want the cloud that did eclipse their rays,
Yet through this cloud their passage they did find,
And pierced these sages’ hearts by secret ways,
Which made them know, the Ruler of the skies
By Infant tongue and looks of babish eyes.

Heaven at her light, earth blusheth at her pride
And of their pomp these peers ashamed be,
Their crowns, their robes, their train they set aside
When God’s poor cottage, clouts and crew they see,
All glorious things their glory now despise
Since God contempt doth more than glory prize.

Three gifts they bring, three gifts they bear away,
For Incense, Myrrh and Gold, Faith, Hope and Love
And with their gifts the givers’ hearts do stay,
Their mind from Christ, no parting can remove,
His humble state, His stall, His poor retinue
They fancy more than all their rich revenue.

St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595)
Priest and Martyr

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, The HEART, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 14 February – LOVE!

Quote/s of the Day – 14 February – The Memorial of St Valentine (176-273) Bishop and Martyr

LOVE!

Many sins are forgiven her
because she has loved much.

Luke 7:42

Whatever you do, do from the heart,
as for the Lord and not for others,
knowing that you will receive
from the Lord
the due payment of the inheritance;
be slaves of the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24

Without love,
there is only faith,
which the devil has.

Once for all, then,
a short precept is given you –
Love and do what you will,
whether you hold your peace,
through love, hold your peace;
whether you cry out,
through love cry out;
whether you correct,
through love correct;
whether you spare,
through love do you spare.
Let the root of love be within,
of this root, can nothing spring

but what is good.”

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

“Love[ing] one another
with the charity of Christ,
let the love you have in your hearts,
be shown outwardly in your deeds
…”

St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

Nothing is sweeter than love,
nothing stronger or higher or wider;
nothing is more pleasant, nothing fuller
and nothing better in heaven or on earth,
for love is born of God

and cannot rest except in God,
Who is above all created things.

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

… It is Him you should love and no other.
Of Him you could and should say

“My Beloved is mine and I am his” (Sg 2:16);
my God has given Himself without reserve
and, without reserve, I give myself to Him;
He has chosen me as the object of His tenderness
and He, among thousands,
He, the radiant and ruddy one (Sg 5:10),
so loveable and so loving,
He is the chosen of my heart,
the only one I wish to love.

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

I Love You, O My God
By St Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)

I love You,
O my God
and my only desire is to love You
until the last breath of my life.
I love You,
O my infinitely lovable God
and I would rather die loving You,
than live without loving You.
I love You, Lord
and the only grace I ask,
is to love You eternally
My God,
if my tongue cannot say
in every moment that I love You,
I want my heart to repeat it to You
as often as I draw breath.
Amen

Posted in GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Thought for the Day – 10 February – The Love of God

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

The Love of God

“We must love God, not only as our Creator and Lord but also, as our Redeemer and Saviour.
God’s goodness in having created us, is immense.
Being infinite, He had no need of us.
He created us, in order to give us a participation in His infinite power, wisdom and beauty.

The goodness of God in having become man and shedding His Blood for our salvation, however, is such a tremendous Mystery that only the infinite Love of God for us, could provide any kind of an explanation.
But this infinite Love demands equal love on our part.
Obviously, it cannot be equal, since we are poor, limited creatures.
So we should love God as the Gospel says, above all things and with the whole strength of our souls.
We have come to know and have believed, the love that God has in our behalf .” (1 Jn 4:16), says St John.
We must believe firmly and completely, to the point of charity.
Charity works miracles.
It has worked miracles in the Saints.
It will do the same for us in our spiritual life and in our eternal apostolic work.

There is only one thing necessary and that one thing is for us to have this ardent charity, which is the bond of perfection (Col 3:14).

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/10/thought-for-the-day-10-february-the-love-of-god/
PART TWO HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/09/thought-for-the-day-9-february-the-love-of-god/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, SAINT of the DAY, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The LAMB of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 9 February – St Cyril of Alexandria

Quote/s of the Day – 9 February – The Memorial of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

“Christ has dominion
over all creatures,
a dominion not seized
by violence
nor usurped but His,
by essence and by nature
.”

For one Lamb died for all,
to restore the whole flock on earth
to God the Father;
“one died for all”
to make all subject to God;
“one died for all”
to gain all, so that
“all might live,
no longer for themselves
but for Him who died
and was raised to life for them

(2 Cor 5:14-15).”

The mark of Christ’s sheep
is their willingness to hear and obey,
just as disobedience
is the mark of those who are not His.
We take the word ‘hear’
to imply obedience
to what has been said
.”

If the poison of pride is swelling up in you,
turn to the Eucharist and that Bread,
Which is your God humbling and disguising Himself,
will teach you humility.

If the fever of selfish greed rages in you,
feed on this Bread and you will learn generosity.

If the cold wind of coveting withers you,
hasten to the Bread of Angels and charity
will come to blossom in your heart
.

If you feel the itch of intemperance,
nourish yourself with the Flesh and Blood of Christ,
Who practiced heroic self-control during His earthly life
and you will become temperate.

If you are lazy and sluggish about spiritual things,
strengthen yourself with this heavenly Food
and you will grow fervent.

Lastly, if you feel scorched by the fever of impurity,
go to the banquet of the Angels
and the spotless Flesh of Christ,
will make you pure and chaste.

“My sheep follow me,” says Christ.
By a certain God-given grace,
believers follow in the footsteps of Christ.
No longer subject to the shadows of the Law ,
they obey the commands of Christ,
and guided by His words,
rise through grace,
to His own dignity,
for they are called children of God.
When Christ ascends into heaven,
they also follow Him.”

That anyone could doubt the right
of the holy Virgin
to be called the Mother of God,
fills me with astonishment.
Surely she must be the Mother of God,
if our Lord Jesus Christ is God
and she gave birth to him
!”

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin and Mother!
Morning Star, perfect vessel.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Holy Temple in which God Himself was conceived.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Chaste and pure dove.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
who enclosed the One Who cannot be encompassed
in your sacred womb.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you the Conqueror
and triumphant Vanquisher of hell, came to us.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
You have saved every faithful Christian.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The HEART, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 5 February – Chastity

Quote/s of the Day – 5 February – St Agatha (c 231- c 251) Virgin and Martyr – 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Matthew 19:3-12

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

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

If the poison of pride is swelling up in you,
turn to the Eucharist and that Bread,
Which is your God humbling and disguising Himself,
will teach you humility.

If the fever of selfish greed rages in you,
feed on this Bread and you will learn generosity.

If the cold wind of coveting withers you,
hasten to the Bread of Angels and charity
will come to blossom in your heart
.

If you feel the itch of intemperance,
nourish yourself with the Flesh and Blood of Christ,
Who practiced heroic self-control during His earthly life
and you will become temperate.

If you are lazy and sluggish about spiritual things,
strengthen yourself with this heavenly Food
and you will grow fervent.

Lastly, if you feel scorched by the fever of impurity,
go to the banquet of the Angels
and the spotless Flesh of Christ,
will make you pure and chaste.

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father and Doctor

Be HUMBLE in this life,
that God may raise you up in the next.
Be truly MODERATE
and do not punish or condemn anyone immoderately.
Be GENTLE,
so that you may never oppose justice.
Be HONOURABLE,
so that you may never voluntarily
bring disgrace upon anyone.
Be CHASTE,
so that you may avoid all the foulness of lust
like the pangs of death.

St Stephen of Hungary (c 975- 1038)

(King of Hungary, to his son, St Emeric.
Sadly St Emeric died aged 24 but had
taken a private vow of Celibacy.
)

“Chastity depends on the heart,
as its source
but, it is concerned with the body,
as its matter
and, therefore, it maybe lost,
by all the external senses of the body
and by the thoughts and desires of the heart.
It is immodesty to behold,
to hear, to speak, to smell, to touch,
impure things,
when the heart occupies itself with them
and takes pleasure in them.

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

(Introduction to the Devout Life
Part Three Chap 13
).

“To defend his purity,
Saint Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow,
Saint Benedict threw himself into a thorn bush
and Saint Bernard plunged into an icy pond…
You – what have you done?

Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on The SOUL

Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales

Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop, Confessor and Doctor – “The Gentle Christ of Geneva,” “The Gentleman Saint”

Nothing makes us
so prosperous in this world,
as to give alms
.”

We must fear God out of love,
not love Him out of fear.

“In the royal galley of Divine Love,
there is no galley slave:
all rowers are volunteers.

“Perfection of life
is the perfection of love.
For love is the life of the soul.”

Let us run to Mary
and, as her little children,
cast ourselves into her arms
with a perfect confidence.

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/24/quote-s-of-the-day-24-january-the-gentle-christ-of-geneva/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/24/quote-s-of-the-day-24-january-st-francis-de-sales/

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

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The HOLY NAME, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 24 January – ‘A person who wishesto become the Lord’s disciple …’

Quote/s of the Day – 24 January – Saint Timothy, Bishop and Martyr, 1 Timothy 6:11-16, Luke 14:26-33.

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

Luke 14:26

“Pursue justice, godliness,
faith, charity, patience, mildness.
Fight the good fight of the faith,
lay hold on the life eternal,
to which you have been called …

1 Timothy 6:11-12

Are you able to drink the cup
that I am to drink?

Matthew 20:22

“Leaving all things,
they followed him.

Luke 5:11

I am the light of the world;
he who follows me will not walk in darkness
but will have the light of life.

John 8:12

A person who wishes
to become the Lord’s disciple
must repudiate a human obligation,
however honourable it may appear,
if it slows us, ever so slightly,
in giving the wholehearted obedience
we owe to God
.”

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

… Anyone of you
who does not renounce
all his possessions,
cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:33

The tradition and the authority
of Holy Scripture, show us three renunciations …
The first is that, by which,
as far as the body is concerned,
we make light of all the wealth
and goods of this world.
By the second,
we reject the fashions and vices
and former affections of soul and flesh.
By the third,
we detach our soul from all present
and visible things and contemplate only
things to come and set our heart
on what is invisible.
We have to do all these three at once,
as the Lord charged Abraham to do,
when he said to him
“Go out from your country
and your kinsfolk
and your father’s house.
”(Gn 12:1).”

St John Cassian (c 360-435)
Monk, Founder of Monasteries,
Father of the Church
(Conference 3, 6-7)

The Love of Your Name

“My God, Sweetness beyond words,
make bitter all the carnal comfort
that draws me from love of the eternal
and lures me to its evil self,
by the sight of some delightful good
in the present.
Let it not overcome me, my God.
Let not flesh and blood conquer me.
Let not the world and its brief glory
deceive me, nor the devil trip me by his craftiness.
Give me courage to resist,
patience to endure
and constancy to persevere.
Give me the soothing unction of Your spirit,
rather than all the consolations of the world
and in place of carnal love,
infuse into me the love of Your Name.

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ
(Book 3 Ch 26:1-4)

Posted in "Follow Me", MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OUR Cross, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS

Thought for the Day – 22 January – Carrying our Cross

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

Carrying our Cross

“When we have renounced ourselves in order to do the will of God in every detail, we must embrace our cross everyday.
We must carry it with resignation and love, in the footsteps of Jesus.
Each of us has his cross.
It might be, ill health or financial distress.
It might be, some person whom we feel to be intolerable and with whom we hve to live.
It might be, humiliation or calumny.
It might be, some temptation, which we find hard to fight and which is continually causing us to fall.
It might be, all of these things together.
Whatever it is, it is our cross.

To rebel, would be to make things far worse.
Our cross would only become heavier and more unbearable.
Jesus tells us to embrace it, as He did.
He tells us to bow beneath it’s weight and follow Him.
If we accept His invitation, at once our cross will seem lighter.
A man who is in love, does not feel fatigue.
We must carry our cross out of love of God and in the hope of a heavenly reward.
Then we can say with St Francis de Sales – “Suffering passes but the experience of having suffered for the love God remains.”

We shall understand how true were Our Lord’s words – “Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).

The cross, which we accept, from the hands of Jesus and out of love for Him, is a sweet burden.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 January – “But the wise took oil in their vessels” – Matthew 25:4

One Minute Reflection – 21 January – The Memorial of St Agnes (c 291- c 304) Virgin and Martyr – Ecclus 51:1-8, 12; Matthew 25:1-13

But the wise took oil in their vessels” – Matthew 25:4

REFLECTION – “It is some great thing, some exceedingly great thing, that this oil signifies. Do you think it might be charity? If we try out this hypothesis, we hazard no precipitate judgement. I will tell you why charity seems to be signified by the oil. 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!” … St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor (Sermon 93).

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, You choose what is weak in the world to shame what is strong. Grant that, as we celebrate the Martyrdom of St Agnes, we may follow her example of steadfast love for You and trust in faith. We pray that through her intercession, we may grow in holiness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, JESUIT SJ, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 January – Poor

Quote/s of the Day – 20 January – Hebrews 11:33-39; Luke 6:17-23

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.

Luke 6:20

“… Anyone of you
who does not renounce
all his possessions,
cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:33

“The Kingdom of Heaven, says the gospel,
is like a mustard seed …
Christ is the Kingdom of Heaven!
Sown like a mustard seed
in the garden of the Virgin’s womb,
He grew up into the Tree of the Cross,
whose branches,
stretch across the world …
Christ is the Kingdom
because all the glory of His Kingdom,
is within Him.
Christ is a Man
because all humanity is restored in Him.
Christ is a Mustard Seed
because the infinitude of divine greatness,
is accommodated to
the littleness of flesh and blood!

St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450)
“Golden Words”
Father & Doctor of the Church

“Keep a clear eye toward life’s end.
Do not forget your purpose
and destiny as God’s creature.
What you are in His sight,
is what you are and nothing more.
Remember that when you leave this earth,
you can take nothing that you have received…
but only what you have given – a full heart
enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage
.”

St Francis of Assisi (c 1181-1226)

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

Matthew 5:3

“This death … has already levelled
his bow to strike me.
Is it not prudent to prevent its stroke,
by dying now to the world,
that at my death,
I may live to God?

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)

“Do not live any longer in yourself
but let Jesus Christ live in you in such a way
that the virtue of this Divine Saviour may be resplendent
in all your actions, in order that all may see in you
a true portrait of the Crucified and sense,
the sweetest fragrance of the holy virtues of the Lord,
in interior and exterior modesty,
in patience,
in gentleness,
suffering,
charity,
humility
and in all others that follow.

St Paul of the Cross (1604-1775)

“It was God Who created the fruits of the earth
and gave them to men.
… Evil consists in the abuse of these goods,
which, in themselves, are intended
to be aids to perfection.
It is necessary, therefore, to preserve
the proper hierarchical order of all that is good.
We must guard against riveting
our ambitions on earthly objects,
as if tbey were capable of constituting
the goal of our lives.
God has given us these things as possessions,
not as ends in themselves.
He has ordered us to be masters of the world,
not it’s slaves.
Detachment is essential but not a complete surrender of our possessions.
The latter was never commanded but simply indicated, as an evangelical counsel of perfection.
The observance of this counsel, however,
is valueless, if it is not accompanied by detachment.
Worldly possessions, such as money,
are good servants but bad masters!

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 January – If we do what He commands …

Quote/s of the Day – 16 January – Second Sunday after Epiphany, Readings: John 2:1-11.

Do whatever he tells you.”

John 2:5

You are my friends,
if you do the things
that I command you.

John 15:14

Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, …
he is my brother and sister and mother.

Matthew 12:50

“We must note, therefore,
that he that does things pleasing to God,
serves Christ but he that follows his own wishes,
is a follower, rather of himself and not of God.”

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor

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

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

“You see, my children,
the Christian’s treasure is not on earth,
it is in heaven (Mt 6:20).
So our thinking must go to where our treasure is.
The human person has a beautiful task,
to pray and to love.
You pray, you love –
that is the human being’s happiness on earth.

St John-Marie Vianney (1786-1859)

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, THE ASSUMPTION, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE

Quote/s of the Day – 12 January – St Aelred

Quote/s of the Day – 12 January – The Memorial of St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) “St Bernard of the North”

If Saul, who “breathed murderous threats
against the disciples of the Lord” …
was the object of such mercy …
that he was “caught up to the third heaven,
whether in the body or out of the body,”
it is not surprising,
that the holy Mother of God –
who stayed beside her Son
through all the trials He endured,
from His cradle onwards –
should have been lifted up to Heaven,
even in her body
and exalted high above the Choirs of Angels.

“Charity may be
a very short word
but with its tremendous
meaning of pure love,
it sums up man’s
entire relation to God
and to his neighbour.

“Faith is not even a virtue,
unless it is expressed by love;
nor is hope,
unless it loves what it hopes for.

And if we look more closely,
do we not see,
that temperance is only love,
that no pleasure can seduce
?

that prudence, is only love,
that no error can mislead
;

that fortitude is only love,
courageously enduring adversity

and that justice, is only impartial love.
mitigating the injustices of this life?

Charity, therefore, begins with faith,
is exercised through the other virtues
but achieves perfection in itself
.”

St Aelred of Rievaulx O. Cist. (1110-1167)
St Bernard of the North

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/12/quote-s-of-the-day-12-january-st-aelred-of-rievaulx/

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The HEART, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 5 January – Love one another. – 1 John 4:11

Quote/s of the Day – 5 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – Christmas Weekday, Readings: 1 John 4:7-10, Psalms 72:1-2, 3-4,7-8, Mark 6:34-44

Beloved, since God loved us so much,
we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:11

“So if I, your Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet,
you also ought to wash
one another’s feet.

John 13:14

“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).”

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

At the end of your life,
you will be judged by your love
.”

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

The Gospel showed me
that the first commandment is to love God
with all one’s heart
and that, we should enfold everything in love;
everyone knows,
that the first effect of love is imitation
.”

Bl Charles of Jesus de Foucauld (1858-1916)

Before the cave at Bethelehm then,
we should learn two great lessons.
We should learn to love Jesus intensely,
as our highest and only good
and we should learn to love,
in an effective and practical way,
those who are poverty-stricken
or suffering, in whom we should be able
to see Jesus Christ Himself.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 1 December – St Edmund Campion, Bl Charles of Jesus de Foucauld

Quote/s of the Day – 1 December – The Memorial of St Edmund Campion SJ (1540-1581) and Bl Charles of Jesus de Foucauld (1858-1916) Both Martyrs

“To be a Catholic
is my greatest glory.

St Edmund Campion (1540-1581
Martyr

“The Gospel showed me
that the first commandment is to love God
with all one’s heart
and that, we should enfold everything in love;
everyone knows,
that the first effect of love is imitation
.”

“Every person is a child of God,
who loves them infinitely:
it is, therefore, impossible to want to love God,
without loving human beings –
the more one loves God,
the more one loves people.
The love of God, the love of people,
is my whole life;
it will be my whole life, I hope.

“When you love,
you feel like speaking the whole time
with the one you love,
or at least, you want to look at Him without ceasing.
Prayer is nothing else.
It is the familiar meeting with our Beloved.
We look at Him,
we tell Him we love Him,
we rejoice to be at His feet.

“I would like to be
sufficiently good
that people would say:
‘If such is the servant,
what must the Master be like
.’”

From the (Auto)Biography of

Blessed Charles of Jesus de Foucauld (1858-1916)
Martyr

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The BEATITUDES, The HOLY GHOST

Thought for the Day – 29 November – The Blessedness of the Meek

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

The Blessedness of the Meek

“Charity, as St Thomas Aquinas says, is the source of all the virtues (Summa Theologiae, II-II, q 157, a 2).
This includes meekness, or that quality of moderation by which a Christian ought to govern his passions, especially anger and keep them subject to the control of reason.
This virtue is opposed to pride and to vanity, in that these passions, when wounded, culminate in outbursts of anger and in quests for revenge.

Meekness is not simply a form of apathy or of good natured affability.
On the contrary, it is based both on humility and on fortitude.

It feels insults and ingratitude and does not remove the suffering which accompanies them but it demands the heroism of silence and of charitable behaviour towards those who hurt us.
For this reason it is not identical with weakness but, requires spiritual fortitude because, it makes a man complete master of himself (Cf Summa Theologiae II-II, 1 157 a 4).
Anger is not always sinful, as the Holy Spirit indicates (Ps 4-5).
If it remains subject to the control of reason and of charity, indeed, it is only a reaction against evil and can exist alongside Christian meekness.

It is fatal, however, to allow anger to become blind and tyrannical, for it will then betray a man into hatred and vengefulness.
It will grow noisy and vulgar, give scandal to others and leave, in the soul, a sense of restlessness and of vexation (Cf St Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Bk III, ch 9).
If the Holy Spirit may be called, the peace of the soul, uncontrolled anger may be called, its disturber. Nothing is more hostile than anger to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us” (St John Climacus Scala Paradisi p 286).

Let us resolve never to allow ourselves to be led away by immoderate anger but, to preserve, at all times, our meekness and peace of soul.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PEACE, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 November – St John of the Cross

Quote/s of the Day – 24 November – The Memorial of St John of the Cross OCD (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church

O blessed Jesus,
give me stillness of soul in You.
Let Your mighty calmness reign in me.
Rule me, O King of Gentleness,
King of Peace.

Never before has anyone spoken
like this One.

John 7:46

God could answer:
“My Son is My entire Locution
and Response, Vision and Revelation,
which I have already spoken,
answered, manifested and revealed to you,
by giving Him to you as a Brother,
Companion, Master, Ransom and Reward…

“A soul makes room for God
by wiping away all the smudges
and smears of creatures,
by uniting its will perfectly to God’s,
for to love is to labour,
to divest and deprive oneself for God, of
all that is not God
When this is done,
the soul will be illumined by
and transformed in God.”

Now that I no longer desire all,
I have it all, without desire.

All our goodness is a loan;
God is the owner;
God works
and His work is
God.

At the end of your life,
you will be judged by your love.

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

Posted in CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on JEALOUSY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SAINT of the DAY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HEART, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Quote/s of the Day – 23 November – St Pope Clement I

Quote/s of the Day – 23 November – The Mmemorial of St Pope Clement I (Died c 101) Martyr, Apostolic Father

Through Him, our gaze penetrates
he heights of heaven
and we see, as in a mirror,
the most holy Face of God.
Through Christ,
the eyes of our hearts are opened
and our weak and clouded understanding,
reaches up toward the light.

This, beloved, is the way
in which we found our salvation,
Jesus Christ, the High Priest
Who offers our gifts,
the Patron and Helper
in our weakness (Heb 10:20; 7:27; 4:15).
It is through Him,
that we look straight at the heavens above.
Through Him, we see mirrored,
God’s faultless and transcendent countenance.
Through Him, the eyes of our heart were opened.
Through Him, our unintelligent
and darkened mind
shoots up into the light.
Through Him, the Master was pleased
to let us taste the knowledge
that never fades …”

Charity unites us to God.
There is nothing unkind in charity,
nothing arrogant.
Charity knows no schism,
does not rebel,
does all things in concord.
In charity all the elect of God
have been made perfect.

Look at the holy Apostles.
It was by sinful jealousy
that Peter was subjected to tribulation,
not once or twice but many times;
it was in that way, that he bore his witness
before leaving us for his well-earned place in glory.
And Paul, because of jealousy and contention,
has become the very type of endurance rewarded.
… In him we have one of the greatest
of all examples of endurance.
… [And] we too, are in the same arena
and have the same conflict before us.

Let us fix our thoughts
on the Blood of Christ
and reflect how Precious that Blood is,
in God’s eyes,
inasmuch, as its outpouring
for our salvation,
has opened the grace of repentance
to all mankind.

St Pope Clement I (c 35 – c 99)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 10 November – Love Him

Quote/s of the Day – 10 November

Many sins are forgiven her
because she has loved much.

Luke 7:42

Without love,
there is only faith,
which the devil has.

Once for all, then,
a short precept is given you –
Love and do what you will,
whether you hold your peace,
through love, hold your peace;
whether you cry out,
through love cry out;
whether you correct,
through love correct;
whether you spare,
through love do you spare.
Let the root of love be within,
of this root, can nothing spring
but what is good.

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

… It is Him you should love and no other.
Of Him you could and should say
“My Beloved is mine and I am his” (Sg 2:16);
my God has given Himself without reserve
and, without reserve, I give myself to Him;
He has chosen me as the object of His tenderness
and He, among thousands,
He, the radiant and ruddy one (Sg 5:10),
so loveable and so loving,
He is the chosen of my heart,
the only one I wish to love.

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

Nothing is sweeter than love,
nothing stronger or higher or wider;
nothing is more pleasant, nothing fuller
and nothing better in heaven or on earth,
for love is born of God
and cannot rest except in God,
Who is above all created things
.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

I Love You, O My God
By St Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)

I love You,
O my God
and my only desire is to love You
until the last breath of my life.
I love You,
O my infinitely lovable God
and I would rather die loving You,
than live without loving You.
I love You, Lord
and the only grace I ask,
is to love You eternally
My God,
if my tongue cannot say
in every moment that I love You,
I want my heart to repeat it to You
as often as I draw breath.
Amen

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PRAYER, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 8 November – Forgive him …

Quote/s of the Day – 8 November – Readings: Wisdom 1: 1-7; Psalm 139: 1b-10; Luke 17: 1-6

If your brother sins, rebuke him
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times
in one day and returns to you
seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’
you should forgive him.

Luke 17:3-4

Judge not and you will not be judged;
condemn not and you will not be condemned;
forgive and you will be forgiven;
give and it will be given to you,
good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, running over,
will be put into your lap.
For the measure you give,
will be the measure you get back.

Luke 6:37-38

Then Peter came up and said to him,
“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

Gloriously has God slain enmity,
in order to save us,
may we never risk the life of our souls
by being resentful
or by bearing grudges
.”

St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–c 395)
Father of the Church

(Excerpt from his treatise,
On Christian Perfection
)

“In conformity with
the philosophy of Christ,
let us make of our life,
a training for death.”

To harbour no envy, no anger,
no resentment against an offender,
is still not to have charity for him.
It is possible, without any charity,
to avoid rendering evil for evil.
But, to render, spontaneously, good for evil –
such belongs to a perfect spiritual love.

St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662)
Father of the Church

We must show love
for those who do evil to us
and pray for them.
Nothing is dearer
or more pleasing to God than this.

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303-1373)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MARIAN PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The DIVINE INFANT, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Quote/s of the Day – 7 November – The Order of Preachers

Quote/s of the Day – 7 November – The Memorial of
All Saints of the Order of Preachers

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

We must sow the seed,
Not hoard it
.”

St Dominic’s Blessing
By St Dominic de Guzman (1170-1221)

May God the Father,
who made us, bless us.
May God the Son,
send His healing among us.
May God the Holy Spirit,
move within us
and give us eyes to see with,
ears to hear with,
and hands, that Your work,
might be done.
May we walk and preach
the word of God to all.
May the angel of peace
watch over us
and lead us at last,
by God’s grace,
to the Kingdom.
Amen

St Dominic de Guzman OP (1170-1221)

“I send you a very little word,
THE WORD,
made little in the crib,
THE WORD,
made flesh for us ….
THE WORD,
of salvation and grace
THE WORD,
of sweetness and glory
THE WORD
Who is good and gentle –
JESUS CHRIST!

Blessed Jordan of Saxony OP (1190-1237)

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).

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

To convert somebody,
go and take them by the hand
and guide them
.”

Charity is
the form,
mover,
mother
and root
of all
the virtues.

To love is to
will the good
of the other.

The greatest kindness
one can render
to any man
consists in leading him
from error to truth.

O Jesus, Mary’s Son!
By St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus, Doctor communis

Hail to Thee! True body sprung
From the Virgin Mary’s womb!
The same that on the cross was hung
And bore for man the bitter doom.
Thou Whose side was pierced and flowed
Both with water and with blood.
Suffer us to taste of Thee
In our life’s last agony.
O kind, O loving One!
O Jesus, Mary’s Son!
Amen

St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274)

Be strong and kill yourself
with the sword of hate and love,
then you will not hear the insults
and abuse. which the enemies
of the Church throw at you.
Your eyes will not see anything,
which seems impossible,
or the sufferings,
which may follow
but only the light of faith
and in that light ,
everything is possible
and remember ,
God never lays greater burdens
on us than we can bear.

What is it you want to change?
Your hair, your face, your body?
Why? For God is in love with all those things
and He might weep when they are gone!

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

Compassion, my dear Brother,
is preferable to cleanliness.
Reflect that with a little soap,
I can easily clean my bed covers
but even with a torrent of tears,
I would never wash from my soul,
the stain, that my harshness toward
the unfortunate would create
.”

St Martin de Porres OP (1579-1639)

Just a few of the great Dominicans – Ana OP – with Love

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 November – The price …

One Minute Reflection – 7 November – Readings: Kings 17: 10-16; Psalm 146: 7-10; Hebrews 9: 24-28; Mark 12: 38-44

“For they all contributed out of their abundance but she, out of her poverty, has put in everything she had, her whole living.” – Mark 12:44

REFLECTION – “Now, if someone is wondering what the cost is, here is their answer – He does not give it to someone who does not value it.   For indeed, nobody gives away something they hold dear without placing some kind of value on it.
From now on, then, if God has no need of your goods, neither does He have to give you this great thing, if you refuse to love Him, all He requires is love, without which nothing constrains His giving.   Love, then, and you will receive the Kingdom, love and you will possess it…
Love God more than yourself and already, you begin to have what it is you desire to possess fully, in heaven.”… St Anselm (1033-1109) Father and Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – Lord God, Your Son has shown us the way. As we follow in His steps, may we never wander from the path that leads to life. Renew the wonders of Your grace in our hearts so that neither death nor life may separate us from Your love. Holy Father, as You were glorified by the life and death of all the Dominican Saints and Blesseds, grant that by their prayers, we may receive Your grace to give first to You and then to our neighbour in complete love and service. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, with You in union with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOOD FRIDAY, HOLY WEEK, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 2 November – ‘Death is then no cause for mourning … ‘

Quote/s of the Day – 2 November – All Souls Day – Readings: Wisdom 3: 1-9; Romans 5: 5-11 or Romans 6: 3-9; Gospel: John 6: 37-40

We should have a daily
familiarity with death,
a daily desire for death.
By this kind of detachment,
our soul must learn to free itself
from the desires of the body.
It must soar above earthly lusts,
to a place where they cannot come near,
to hold it fast.
It must take on the likeness of death,
to avoid the punishment of death!

Death is then no cause for mourning,
for it is the cause of mankind’s salvation.
Death is not something to be avoided,
for the Son of God
did not think it beneath His dignity,
nor did He seek to escape it.

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

We should consider how much good
our Lord did us,
by His first coming
and how much more He will do for us,
by His second.
This thought will help us,
to have a great love
for that first coming of His
and a great longing for His return.

St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)

Keep a clear eye toward life’s end.
Do not forget your purpose
and destiny as God’s creature.
What you are in His sight,
is what you are and nothing more.
Remember that when you leave this earth,
you can take nothing that you have received…
but only what you have given – a full heart
enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.

St Francis of Assisi (c 1181-1226)

Do now,
what you wish to have done,
when your moment
comes to die.

St Angela Merici (1474-1540)

Sabbatum Sanctum
By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

I look at You, my Lord Jesus
and think of Your most holy Body
and I keep it before me,
as a pledge of my own resurrection.
Though I die, as die I certainly shall,
nevertheless, I shall not forever die,
for I shall rise again.
O You, who are the Truth,
I know and believe with my whole heart,
that this very flesh of mine will rise again.
I know, base and odious as it is at present,
that it will one day, if I be worthy,
be raised incorruptible
and altogether beautiful and glorious.
This I know,
this by Your grace,
I will ever keep before me.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 October – ‘For love calls for love in return. …’

One Minute Reflection – 15 October – Readings: Romans 4: 1-8; Psalms 32: 1b-2, 5, 11; Luke 12: 1-7 – The Memorial of St Teresa of Jesus of Avila OCD (1515-1582) Doctor of the Church

Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not, you are of more value than many sparrows
.”…Luke 12:7

REFLECTION – “What more do we desire from such a good friend at our side? Unlike our friends in the world, He will never abandon us when we are troubled or distressed. Blessed is the one who truly loves Him and always keeps Him near. Let us consider the glorious Saint Paul – it seems, that no other name fell from his lips, than that of Jesus because, the name of Jesus, was fixed and embedded in his heart. Once I had come to understand this truth, I carefully considered the lives of some of the Saints, the great contemplatives and found, that they took no other path – Francis, Anthony of Padua, Bernard, Catherine of Siena. A person must walk along this path in freedom, placing himself in God’s hands. If God should desire to raise us to the position of one who is an intimate and shares His secrets, we ought to accept this gladly.

Whenever we think of Christ, we should recall, the love that led Him to bestow on us, so many graces and favours and also, the great love God showed in giving us, in Christ, a pledge of His love – for love calls for love in return. Let us strive to keep this always before our eyes and to rouse ourselves to love Him. For if, at some time the Lord should grant us the grace, of impressing His love on our hearts, all will become easy for us and we shall accomplish great things quickly and without effort.” – St Teresa of Jesus (1515-1582) Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from her On the Book of Life)

PRAYER – Lord Jesus Christ, You wondrously revealed all of the deep treasures of Your Heart to St Teresa. May her merits and example win us the grace to love You above all things and in all things so that we may make our abode in Your own Sacred Heart. Through You, Lord Jesus, who live and reign forever, in union with God our Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 14 October – Love

Quote/s of the Day – 14 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Romans 3: 21-30; Psalms 130: 1b-6ab; Luke 11: 47-54

Whatever you do, do from the heart,
as for the Lord and not for others,
knowing that you will receive
from the Lord
the due payment of the inheritance;
be slaves of the Lord Christ.”

Colossians 3:23-24

Love[ing] one another
with the charity of Christ,
let the love you have in your hearts,
be shown outwardly in your deeds …

St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

“Love is watchful.
Sleeping, it does not slumber.
Wearied, it is not tired.
Pressed, it is not straitened.
Alarmed, it is not confused
but like a living flame,
a burning torch,
it forces its way upward
and passes unharmed
through every obstacle.”

“Nothing is sweeter than love,
nothing stronger or higher or wider;
nothing is more pleasant, nothing fuller
and nothing better in heaven or on earth,
for love is born of God
and cannot rest except in God,
Who is above all created things.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

On the journey of this life to eternity,
let me carry You in my heart,
following Mary’s example,
who bore You in her arms,
during the flight to Egypt.

… It is Him you should love and no other.
Of Him you could and should say
“My Beloved is mine and I am his” (Sg 2:16);
my God has given Himself without reserve
and, without reserve, I give myself to Him;
He has chosen me as the object of His tenderness
and He, among thousands,
He, the radiant and ruddy one (Sg 5:10),
so loveable and so loving,
He is the chosen of my heart,
the only one I wish to love.

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

When the heart is pure and simple,
it cannot help loving
because it has discovered,
the source of love,
which is God.

St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)

I Want to Love You, My God
By St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

I want to love You, my God,
with all my heart,
with all my being,
with all my strength.
I consecrate to You,
my thoughts,
desires,
words
and actions,
whatever I have
and whatever I can be.
Let me use what I have
for Your greater honour
and glory,
according to Your will.
Amen

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 October – ‘ … love Christ as much as humans are able to hate Him.’

One Minute Reflection – 14 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Romans 3: 21-30; Psalms 130: 1b-6ab; Luke 11: 47-54

And they began to act with hostility toward himfor they were plotting to catch him at something he might say. ” – Luke 11:53-54

REFLECTION – “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16). This only Son “was offered”, not because His enemies overcame Him but because “he surrendered himself” (cf. Is 53:12). “He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end” (Jn 13:1). This “end” was the death He accepted on behalf of those whom He loved; this was the end of all perfection, the end of perfect love, for “there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13).

This love of Christ, was stronger in the death of Chris, than His enemies’ hatred – for hatred could only do what love permitted it to do. Judas – or the enemies of Christ – delivered Him up to death through wicked hatred. The Father delivered His Son and the Son delivered Himself to death, through love (Rom 8:32; Gal 2:20). Love, however, is by no means guilty of betrayal; it is innocent even when Christ dies of it. Since love alone, is able to carry out with impunity, whatever it pleases. Only love can constrain God and, as it were, give Him orders! This it was, that caused Him to descend from Heaven and placed Him on the Cross; this it was, that shed Christ’s Blood for the remission of sins, in an act that was as innocent as it was salutary. All our thanksgiving for the salvation of the world ,is thus owing to love. And it constrains us, with inescapable logic, to love Christ as much as humans are able to hate Him! – Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury (c 1125-1190) also Baldwin of Forde Cistercian abbot, then Bishop (The Sacrament of the Altar, II, 1 ).

PRAYER I Love You, O My God – By St Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
I love You,
O my God
and my only desire is to love You
until the last breath of my life.
I love You,
O my infinitely lovable God
and I would rather die loving You,
than live without loving You.
I love You, Lord
and the only grace I ask,
is to love You eternally
My God,
if my tongue cannot say
in every moment that I love You,
I want my heart to repeat it to You
as often as I draw breath.
Amen