Category: QUOTES on OBEDIENCE

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection –15 December – ‘ … So Mary, by the word of an Angel …’

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One Minute Reflection –15 December – Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Proverbs 8:22-35, Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “So the Lord now manifestly came to His own. Born by His own created order that He Himself bears, He by His obedience on the tree, renewed and reversed what was done by disobedience, in connection with a tree.

The power of that seduction, by which the virgin Eve, already betrothed to a man, had been wickedly seduced, was broken when the Angel in truth brought good tidings to the Virgin Mary, who already, by her betrothal belonged to a man.  For as Eve was seduced by the word of an Angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His Word, so Mary, by the word of an Angel, received the glad tidings that she would bear God, by obeying His Word.

The former was seduced to disobey God and so fell but the latter, was persuaded to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of Eve.

As the human race was subjected to death through the act of a Virgin, so was it saved by a Virgin, was precisely balanced by the obedience of Another. Then indeed, the sin of the first formed man was amended by the chastisement of the First Begotten, the wisdom of the serpent was conquered by the simplicity of the Dove and the chains were broken, by which we were in bondage to death.” – St Irenaeus (130-202) Bishop of Lyons, Martyr, Father of the Church (Against Heresies, 5)

PRAYER – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Thy Son, and Who, by Thy Son’s death, foreseen by You, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee through her intercession that we too may come to Thee unstained by sin. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WILL of GOD

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

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

Mary, the Source of Holiness

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

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

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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

Posted in CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on FREEDOM, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The LORD'S PRAYER, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 20 October – The First Part of the “Our Father”

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Thought for the Day – 20 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The First Part of the “Our Father”

“Our second aspiration is: “Thy Kingdom come.”
It is true, that God reigns over Heaven, earth and the infernal regions.
Everything is subject to His Will – the sun, the stars, the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea and the tiniest insects carry out His commands.
Even the demons of Hell, who He has condemned to eternal punishment, are obedient to His Will.
But what about the human race?

Man possesses the precious but dangerous privilege of free will which he has power to abuse by rebelling against God.
We should pray that the sovereignty of God may be triumphant in all hearts, beginning with our own and, that all men may willingly subject themselves to His commandments and to His grace.
This is the only way in which they can find peace.
“Take my yoke upon you and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:29).

We should pray, moreover, for the Church, which is the Kingdom of God upon earth.
We should pray for her peaceful victory over her enemies, who persecute her and impede her work for the salvation of souls.
We should love the Church even as we love Jesus Christ, for the Church is His handiwork and the fruit of His Precious Blood.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SILENCE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 September – ‘ … Learning in silence, in the school of the Word … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 24 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – Our Lady of Ransom – Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16 – Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“… Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it.” – Luke 11:28

REFLECTION – “Truly it is “a trustworthy word and deserving of every welcome” (1 Tm 1:15) your Almighty Word, Lord, which, in such deep Silence, made His way down from the Father’s royal throne (Wis 18:14f) into the mangers of animals and meanwhile, speaks to us better by His Silence. “Let him who has ears to hear, hear” what this loving and mysterious Silence of the eternal Word speaks to us …

For what recommends the discipline of silence with such weight and such authority, what checks the evil of restless tongues and the storms of words, as the Word of God, Silent in the midst of men. “There is no word on My tongue” (Ps 138:4), the Almighty Word seems to confess while He is subject to His Mother. What madness then will prompt us to say: “With our tongues we can do great things; our lips are good friends to us; we own no master” (Ps 11:5). If I were allowed, I would gladly be dumb and be brought low and be silent, even of good things that I might be able, the more attentively and diligently, to apply my ear to the secret utterances and sacred meaning of this Divine Silence, learning in silence, in the school of the Word, if only for as long as the Word Himself was Silent under the instruction of His Mother …

“The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us” (Jn 1:14). With complete devotion, then, let us think of Christ in the swaddling clothes with which His Mother wrapped Him, so that, with eternal happiness, we may see the glory and beauty with which His Father has clothed Him.” – Blessed Guerric of Igny O.Cist. (c1080-1157) Cistercian Abbot (The 5th sermon for Christmas).

PRAYER – O God, Who for the deliverance of Christians from the power of the pagans, graciously willed to enrich Thy Church by a new religious offspring through the most glorious Mother of Thy Son; grant, we beseech Thee, that by the merits and intercession of her, whom we piously venerate, as the founder of so great a work, we may be delivered from all our sins and from the captivity of the devil. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, St Francis de Sales, St PAUL!

Quote/s of the Day – 18 September – ‘ … But have not charity, I am nothing!’

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – St Joseph of Cupertino OFM Conv (1603-1663) Confessor – 1 Corinthians 13:1-8; Matthew 22:1-14 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“If I speak with the tongues
of men and of Angels
and have not charity,
I am become as sounding brass,
or a tinkling cymbal.
And if I should have prophecy
and should know all mysteries
and all knowledge
and if I should have all faith,
so that I could remove mountains
but have not charity,
I am nothing!”

St Paul
1 Corinthians 13:1-2

“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

“ It is necessary, therefore, to obey
the Eternal Father by following Our Lord
in order to hear His Word.
And behold, how we are taught that all
persons, whatever their condition may be,
must pray and meditate,
for it is there, principally,
where this Divine Master speaks to us.
… But, it will not do us any good to listen,
if we do not DO what He says to us,
observing His commandments
and His wishes faithfully,”

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

“But who really loves his neighbour
as if he were himself?
Only the Saints.
… The example of St Paul will suffice, however.
He said that his life was so much the life of Christ,
that it was not he himself, who was living
any longer but Christ in him. (Rom 9:3).
Do we possess this sincere and active love
of our neighbour?
Let us examine ourselves in this regard.
Let us remember that if we are lacking in this charity towards our brothers in Jesus, we are not genuine Christians!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OUR Cross, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD

Thought for the Day – 11 September – Following Jesus, the Divine Model

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

Following Jesus, the Divine Model

“Jesus is the Divine Model, Whom we ought to follow and imitate.
In Him, the virtues possess both the Infinite splendour of the Divinity and the gentle appeal of glorified Humanity.
Jesus does not dazzle us with His brightness but kindly invites us to love and follow Him.
“Learn from me” He says, “for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:29).
After He has indicated humility, meekness and interior peace, as the foundations of the spiritual life, He invites us to take up the yoke of His law and assures us, that we shall find it light (Mt 11).

If we follow Jesus, even though we are bowed with Him, beneath the weight of the Cross, we shall experience, even in this life, a reflection of the peace and joy which will be our reward in Heaven.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 September – ‘ … Do not worry … but entrust to Divine Providence … 

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One Minute Reflection – 11 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – St Protus and St Hyacinth (Died c257) Brother Martyrs – Hebrews 10:32-38 – Luke 12:1-8 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? And yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Yes, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore, do not be afraid, you are of more value than many sparrows.” – Luke 12:6-7

REFLECTION – “It seems to me you ought to resolve to carry out peacefully what you can. Do not worry about all the rest but entrust to Divine Providence that which you are unable to accomplish on your own. What is pleasing to God, is the reasonable care and attention we give, to accomplishing well, whatever business we must undertake through duty. What is not pleasing to God, is anxiety and disquiet of mind. The Lord wants our limitations and weaknesses, to find their support in His Strength; He wants us to hope that His Goodness will complete and perfect the imperfectness of our means.

Those who take on numerous responsibilities, even with an upright and pure intention, must resolve to do simply what lies within their power … If it is necessary to set certain things aside, arm yourselves with patience and do not think that God expects of us what we are unable to do. He does not want a man to distress himself on account of his limitations … there is no need to tire ourselves out excessively. More, if we have laboured to do our best, we can abandon all the rest to Him ,Who has the power to accomplish whatever He will.

May the Divine Goodness always be pleased to communicate His Light of Wisdom to us, so that we may clearly see and firmly accomplish, His good pleasure, for ourselves and for others … so that we may accept from His Hand, whatever He sends us, taking due note of what is the most important – patience, humility, obedience and charity!” – St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) Priest, Founder of the Society of Jesus (Letter of 17 November 1555)

PRAYER – May the precious witness of Thy blessed Martyrs, Protus and Hyacinth, comfort us, O Lord and may their kind intercession, continually protect 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 "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The INCARNATION

Thought for the Day – 30 August– The Incarnation

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

The Incarnation

“The Incarnation, which is the coming of God amongst men, in order that He might be loved more, requires that man, in return, love God and be obedient to His commandments.

Since the Infinite God could do no more for us than give us His entire Self, it is only right that we should be prepared to make any sacrifice, in order to prove our love for Him.
The Mystery of the Incarnation not only demands our love, it also requires that this love should induce us to lead better lives.
Jesus, God made Man, should be the model which will encourage us to obey His laws and to follow His example.
There is no other way to eternal joy.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PHYSICAL SICKNESS, ILLNESS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 August – St Augustine – ‘Your health is Christ!’ Mark 7:33

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One Minute Reflection – 26 August – “The Month of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Resumed Mass of Sunday – St Pope Zephyrinus (Died 217) Martyr and Our Lady of Czestochowa, Queen of Poland – 1 Corinthians 15:1-10 – Mark 7:31-37 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And taking him from the multitude apart, He put His fingers into his ears and spitting, he touched his tongue.” – Mark 7:33

REFLECTION – “The Lord heals all your ills” (Ps 102:3). Never fear, all your ills will healed. You say they are big ones but the Doctor is even greater. For an all-powerful Doctor there is no such thing as an incurable sickness. Simply let yourself be cared for, do not push away His hand, He knows what to do. Do not be happy only when He acts with gentleness but bear with it, too, when He prunes. Accept the unpleasantness of the cure, by thinking of the healing it will bring you.
Notice all those things, brethren, that people put up with in their physical ills, so as to prolong their lives a few days… You, at least, are not suffering for an uncertain result – He, who has promised you, your health, cannot be mistaken. Why is it that doctors are sometimes mistaken? Because they have not created the body they are treating. But God has made your body, God has made your soul. He knows how to re-create what He has created;, He knows how to re-fashion what He has formed. You have only to abandon yourself into His Doctor’s hands… Endure His hands, then, O soul that “blesses him and forgets not all his benefits – he heals all your ills” (P2 102[103]:2-3).
He Who had made you never to become sick, if you would keep His precepts, will He not heal you? He Who made the Angels and, in re-creating you, will make you equal to the Angels – will He not heal you? He Who made Heaven and earth, will He not heal you, after having made you, in His image? (Gn 1:26) He will heal you but you must consent to be healed. He heals every sickness perfectly but He does not heal it, in spite of Himself … Your health is Christ!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church – Sermon on the Psalms, Ps 102[103]: 5-6; PL 37, 1319

PRAYER – Grant us, Thy servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and, by the intercession of the glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake to the full of eternal happiness.ThroughJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on SILENCE, The ANNUNCIATION, THE ASSUMPTION, The DIVINE INFANT, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – “ … Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it.” – Luke 11:28

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One Minute Reflection – 14 August – “The Month of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Vigil of the Assumption – Ecclesiasticus 24:23-31 – Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“… Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it.” – Luke 11:28

REFLECTION – “Truly it is “a trustworthy word and deserving of every welcome” (1 Tm 1:15) your Almighty Word, Lord, which, in such deep Silence, made His way down from the Father’s royal throne (Wis 18:14f) into the mangers of animals and meanwhile, speaks to us better by His Silence. “Let him who has ears to hear, hear” what this loving and mysterious Silence of the eternal Word speaks to us …

For what recommends the discipline of silence with such weight and such authority, what checks the evil of restless tongues and the storms of words, as the Word of God, silent in the midst of men. “There is no word on My tongue” (Ps 138:4), the Almighty Word seems to confess while He is subject to His Mother. What madness then will prompt us to say: “With our tongues we can do great things; our lips are good friends to us; we own no master” (Ps 11:5). If I were allowed, I would gladly be dumb and be brought low and be silent, even of good things that I might be able, the more attentively and diligently, to apply my ear to the secret utterances and sacred meaning of this Divine Silence, learning in silence, in the school of the Word, if only for as long as the Word Himself was Silent under the instruction of His Mother …

“The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us” (Jn 1:14). With complete devotion, then, let us think of Christ in the swaddling clothes with which His Mother wrapped Him, so that, with eternal happiness, we may see the glory and beauty with which His Father has clothed Him.” – Blessed Guerric of Igny O.Cist. (c1080-1157) Cistercian Abbot (The 5th sermon for Christmas).

PRAYER – O God, Who chose for Thy dwelling the virginal womb of the blessed Mary, grant, we beseech Thee that, with the help of her protection, we may with joy, take part in her festival.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 DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 4 August – O Merciful God By St Thomas Aquinas

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Our Morning Offering – 4 August – On the Feastday of St Dominic, a prayer by a Dominican

O Merciful God
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus
Doctor Communis

O merciful God,
grant that I may ever perfectly
do Thy Will in all things.
Let it be my ambition to work
only for Thy honour and glory.
Let me rejoice in nothing
but that which leads to Thee,
nor grieve for anything,
which leads away from Thee.
May all passing things be as nothing in my eyes
and may all which is Thine be dear to me
and Thou, my God, dear above them all.
May all joy be meaningless without Thee
and may I desire nothing apart from Thee.
May all labour and toil delight me, when it is for Thee.
Make me, O Lord, obedient without complaint,
poor without regret,
patient without murmur,
humble without pretence,
joyous without frivolity,
and truthful without disguise.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, St Francis de Sales, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 3 August – ‘We are to become vessels of God’s compassionate love for others.’

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 August – The Finding of the Relics of St Stephen, Protomartyr: – Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59; Matthew 23:34-39 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And you shall be hated by all men,
for My Name’s sake.
But, not a hair of your head shall perish.”

Luke 21:17-18

“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”

Acts 7:60

“We are to become vessels
of God’s compassionate love for others.”

St Clare (1194-1253)

“ It is necessary, therefore, to obey
the Eternal Father by following Our Lord
in order to hear His Word.
And behold, how we are taught that all
persons, whatever their condition may be,
must pray and meditate,
for it is there, principally,
where this Divine Master speaks to us.
… But, it will not do us any good to listen,
if we do not DO what He says to us,
observing His commandments
and His wishes faithfully,”

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

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

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 2 August – The Intercession of Our Lady

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Thought for the Day – 2 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Intercession of Our Lady

“Holy Mary, my loving Mother, hear my supplications and obtain for me, from your Divine Son, all the graces of which I am in need.
Obtain for me, more of all the grace to become holy.
Grant that I may do always and in all circumstances, whatever Jesus tells me to do.
Grant that my will may be in harmony with His most Holy Will and, that my actions may be in accordance with His Divine Commandments,
Amen”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, JESUIT SJ, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WISDOM, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY

Quote/s of the Day – 31 July – St Ignatius Loyola

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Quote/s of the Day – 31 July – St Ignatius Loyola SJ (1491-1556) Priest, Confessor, Founder, Theologian, Spiritual Writer, Mystic.

Suscipe
“Receive”
By St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

Receive, O Lord,
all my liberty.
Take my memory, understanding
and entire will.
Whatsoever I have or hold,
Thou hast given it – I give all back to Thee
and commit it wholly to be governed by Thy Will.
Thy Love and Thy Grace give unto me
and I am rich enough
and ask for nothing more!
Amen

“God takes special care
to detach from the passing pleasures of this world,
those whom He Loves with special predilection,
by sending them desires after heavenly bliss
and, by the sorrows and bitterness
of the present life.”

“A precious crown is reserved in Heaven
for those who endow their actions with
all the diligence of which they are capable,
for, it is not enough to do good,
we must do it well!”

“Truth, always shines with the brightness
which belongs to it, while falsehood,
is wrapped in darkness –
to dispel this darkness, it is enough,
to put falsehood in the presence of truth!”

“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings?
And yet not one of them is forgotten before God.
Yes, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Therefore, do not be afraid, you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Luke 12:6-7

“It seems to me you ought to resolve to carry out
peacefully what you can.
Do not worry about all the rest
but entrust to Divine Providence
that which you are unable to accomplish on your own.
What is pleasing to God, is the reasonable care and attention
we give, to accomplishing well, whatever business
we must undertake through duty.
What is not pleasing to God,
is anxiety and disquiet of mind.
The Lord wants our limitations and weaknesses,
to find their support in His Strength;
He wants us to hope that His Goodness
will complete and perfect, the imperfectness of our means.
… May the Divine Goodness always be pleased
to communicate His Light of Wisdom to us,
so that we may clearly see and firmly accomplish,
His good pleasure, for ourselves and for others …
so that we may accept from His Hand,
whatever He sends us, taking due note
of what is the most important – patience,
humility, obedience and charity!”

(Letter of 17 November 1555)

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/07/31/quote-s-of-the-day-31-july-st-ignatius-loyola-2/

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

Posted in QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 26 July – Good Inspirations

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

Good Inspirations

“These good inspirations are a wonderful gift from God but, it can be disastrous to refuse to hear them
Are we being called to reform our lives?
Let us begin immediately the difficult task of changing ourselves.
Are we being called to Christian perfection?
Let us be generous!
Remember the words of Bossuet who said perfection is like a high mountain which must be conquered, step by step.
So begin the ascent right away in obedience to God’s wishes.
Remember that to ignore a holy inspiration, is an insult to God and a deviation from the straight and narrow path of perfection.
It is a proof that we do not love Jesus and are not prepared to be faithful to Him.
In fact, we are risking our own eternal salvation!
Remember, the case of the young man in the Gospel who was asked to leave everything and to follow Jesus along the way of perfection.
He did not do so and we cannot say with certainty whether or not, his soul was saved.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/19/thought-for-the-day-19-february-good-inspirations/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/16/thought-for-the-day-19-february-good-inspirations-2/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 23 July – The Duties of Our State

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

The Duties of Our State

“Everyone finds himself in a certain position in life.
He may be there, either through force of circumstances, or, through somebody else’s desire, or through some secret inspiration from God,
In any case, each of us is in a certain place and God, either wills it or permits it.
We should not complain about our state in life.
No matter what that state is, we can either be saved or damned for all eternity.
In any position, we can do a great deal of good or a great deal of evil, according to the way in which we co-operate with the grace of God.
We should not envy the positions of others.
This would be unjust because, it would be tantamount to questioning the arrangements of Providence, which gives everyone the graces necessary, in his particular state.
It would also be injurious, insofar, as we should be worried and disturbed, instead of working peacefully and earnestly, in the place assigned to us by God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 19 July – Progress in the Love of God

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

Progress in the Love of God

“The entire Christian system is based on the love of God.
This, is “the greatest and first commandment” (Mt 22:38) of Jesus, from which the second commandment, to love our neighbour, naturally flows.
A man who does not observe this first commandment is not a Christian, whereas a man who endeavours to increase, everyday, his love for God, is a saint.
There are may grades of ascent in this love but, the basic step is indicated in the words of our Divine Master:  “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he is is who loves me” (Jn 14:15,21).

The love of God should not consist of an empty and ineffective sentimentality but, should comprise a sincere determinations to please God by carrying out His will, without reserve and by becoming more closely united to Him, by the help of His holy grace.
Progress in the love of God is divided by the masters of the spiritual lfe into three stages:
(1) the period of purification;
(2) the period of illuminations and;
(3) the period of union with God.
We may have advanced no farther than the first stage because there is still so much to be purified in our souls.
Nevertheless, let us ask God’s grace, to help us to begin this work immediately!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 July – ‘ … At the Lord’s Voice …’

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One Minute Reflection – 9 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Ferial Day – Our Lady Queen of Peace –St John Fisher (1469-1535) Bishop, Martyr, Cardinal – St Thomas More (1478-1535) Martyr, Confessor – Romans 8:18-23 – Luke 5:1-11 A – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Now when He had ceased to speak, He said to Simon: Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught. …” … Luke 5:4

REFLECTION – “Launch out into deep” that is to say, into the high seas of debate. Is there any depth which is comparable to the abyss of “the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge” of the Son of God, (Rom 11:33), to the proclamation of His Divine Sonship? … The Church is led by Peter to the high seas of the testimony, so as to contemplate the risen Son of God and the Holy Ghost Who is poured forth.

What are those nets of the Apostles which Christ orders them to lower? Are they not the linking of words, the twists in discourse, the depth of arguments which do not allow those whom they have caught to escape? This fishing tackle of the Apostles does not render the fish they have caught to perish – rather, it preserves them, drawing them out of the abyss towards the light, leading them from the lowest depths to the heights …

“Master, Peter said, “we have laboured all the night and have taken nothing:but at Thy Word, I will let down the net.” I too, Lord, know it is night for me, when Thou do not command me. I have not yet converted anyone through my words; it is still night. I spoke on the day of Epiphany – I lowered the net but I have not caught anything yet. I lowered the net during the day. I am waiting for Thee to give me the order. Upon Thy Word, I will lower it again. Self-confidence is empty but humility is fertile. Those who had not caught anything until then, have now, at the Lord’s Voice, caught an enormous catch of fish.” – St Ambrose (340-397)
Father & Doctor of the Church (Treatise on the Gospel of Luke IV, 71-76).

PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee,and by the intercession of blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and of blessed Martyrs St John Fisher, St Thomas More, St Maria Goretti and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace that all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Love of Self, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 June – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.” 

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One Minute Reflection – 21 June – “The Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Within the Cor[us Christi Octave –St Aloysius de Gonzaga SJ (1568-1591) Confessor – Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11 – Matthew 22:29-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Master, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” … Matthew 22:36

REFLECTION – “O Lord, what is it that you require of Your servants? “Take my yoke upon you,” you say. And what sort of yoke is this? “My yoke is easy and my burden light.” Now who would not willingly bear a yoke that does not press down but gives strength; a burden that does not weigh heavily but refreshes? As You rightly added: “And you will find rest” (Mt 11:29). And what is this yoke of Yours that does not tire but gives rest? It is the first and greatest of the commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.” What could be easier, better or more agreeable than to love the goodness, beauty and love that is most perfectly Yours, O Lord my God?

Do You not offer a reward to those who keep the com­mandments, which are “more desirable than a heap of gold and sweeter than honey from the comb?” (Ps 19[18]:11) So in every way You offer a very ample reward, as James the Apostle says: “The Lord has prepared, the crown of life, for those who love Him” (Jas 1:12) (…) And Paul quotes these words from Isaiah: “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor 2:9).

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 (The Ascent of the Mind to God, 1).

PRAYER – O God, bestower of heavenly gifts, Who in the angelic youth Aloysius joined wondrous innocence of life to an equally wondrous love of penance; grant, by his merits and prayers, that we who have not followed him in his innocence may imitate him in his penance. 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).

OUR Lady of the Sacred Heart, Pray for Us! – Indulgence 100 Days. Everytime – Raccolta 174 St Pius X, 9 July 1904.

Posted in FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), GOD is LOVE, GOD the FATHER, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 15 June – Our Relationship with the Most Holy Trinity

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Thought for the Day – 15 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Our Relationship with the Most Holy Trinity

“The bonds of love between God and man which had been broken by sin, were restored by the Redemption.
The bonds of love between our soul and the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity are described by St Bonaventure in this manner. (1) The soul is the daughter of the Divine Father. (2) It is the spouse of Jesus Christ. (3) It is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

The concept of our divine sonship can be found even in the Old Testament. “As one whom the mother caresseth,” God promises, “so will I comfort you” (Is 66:13).
But Jesus insisted in a special way on this concept of our divine sonship, so that we might love our heavenly Father more.
He told us to address God as Father in our prayers.
He described Him as a loving Father, waiting with love and forgiveness for His prodigal sons.
When leaving this earth, He told us: “I go to my Father and to your Father.”

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us.” writes St John, “that we should be called children of God and so we are” (1 Jn 3:1).
“You have not received a spirit of bondage,” explains St Paul, “so as to be again in fear but, you have received a spirit of adoption as sons, by virtue of which, we cry: “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15).
This divine paternity is the result of the elevation of our souls to the supernatural order by means of grace, which flows into our souls and makes us partakers of the very life of God.
It is necessary, therefore, to nourish this grace in ourselves by praying to our heavenly Father with humility and with perseverance.
It is equally essential for us to keep this grace alive by being obedient always to the commandments of God and to His holy Will.

Let us examine our behaviour and see if we can honestly claim that we are one with God in mind and in heart, in intention and action.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HOLY GHOST, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Quote/s of the Day – 14 June – St Basil the Great

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 June – St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church.

“No Christian should think of himself
as his own master
but each should rather so think and act,
as though given by God,
to be slave to his fellow brothers and sisters.”

“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.”

“I tell you, this man went back to his home justified,
rather than the other;
for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled
but he who humbles himself,
will be exalted”
Luke 18:14

“Be on your guard, therefore
and bear in mind, this example
of severe loss, sustained through arrogance.
… Never place yourself above anyone,
not even great sinners.
Humility often saves a sinner,
who has committed many terrible transgressions!”

“Through the Holy Spirit
comes our restoration to paradise,
our ascension into the Kingdom of Heaven,
our return to the adoption of sons,
our liberty to call God, Our Father,
our being made partakers of the grace of Christ,
our being called children of Light,
our sharing in eternal glory
and, in a word, our being brought
into a state of all “fulness of blessing,”
both in this world and in the world to come,
of all the good gifts that are in store for us,
by promise hereof, through faith,
beholding the reflection of their grace,
as though they were already present,
we await the full enjoyment.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/06/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-june-st-basil-the-great-3/

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

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS

Thought for the Day – 10 June – The Necessity of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

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

The Necessity of Devotion
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

“It is necessary to develop and meditate on these words of Pius XI, (see Part One) from which, it is clear, that the cult of the Sacred Heart, not only contains the synthesis of Christianity, the religion of love but, contains the most effective guide to the knowledge, love and imitation of Jesus Christ.
From the first moment of His life, when He was an infant in the cold, damp cave of Bethlehem, to the final moment, when He breathed His last upon the Cross, the Heart of Jesus was overflowing with love for us.
We can learn from this, to know our Divine Saviour better, so that appreciating more fully His infinite love for us, we shall feel an upsurge of gratitude and, of love.
We shall feel determined to live entirely for Him, as He lived entirely for us, to obey His commandments with generosity and, to imitate His example with the assistance of His grace.
This should be the result of our devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, especially during this month, which is consecrated to Him.

O my Jesus, Thou Who art Love itself, enkindle in my heart the divine fire which consumed and transformed the Saints!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/02/thought-for-the-day-1-june-the-necessity-of-devotion-to-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 May – The Lamp and the Lampstand

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One Minute Reflection – 13 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church – Wisdom 7:7-14 – Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But he who shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” – Matthew 5:19

REFLECTION – “The Lamp on the lampstand is our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Father’s true Light “Who enlightens everyone coming into the world” (Jn 1:9) in other words, the Father’s Wisdom and Word. Having accepted our flesh, He truly became and was called, the “Light of the world.” By our faith and devotion, He is honoured and exalted in the Church. In this way, He is made visible to all nations and shines out for “all the people in the house,” namely the whole world, as He said: “They do not light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand where it gives light to all in the house” (Mt 5:15).

As we have seen, Christ calls Himself a Lamp. God by nature, He became flesh according to the plan of salvation – a Light held within the flesh, as if in a vase… This is what David was thinking when he said: “Your Word is a Lamp to my feet and a Light for my path” (Ps 118:105). Since He causes the darkness of ignorance and the evil of men to vanish, my Saviour and my God, is called a Lamp in Scripture. And since He is the only one able to obliterate the darkness of ignorance and disperse the shadows of sin, He has become the way of salvation for all. He leads towards the Father, all those who, through understanding and virtue, walk with Him along the path of the commandments, as on a road of righteousness.

The Lampstand is Holy Church because the Word of God shines out through her preaching. This is how the beams of its Truth, can enlighten the whole world… On one condition, however, as long as it is not hidden under the letter of the Law. Anyone who clings to Scripture according to the letter only, is living according to the flesh; he is placing the Lamp under a bushel basket. But when, to the contrary, the Church is set on the lampstand, it enlightens everyone.” – St Maximus the Confessor (580-662) Abbot and Theologian, Father (Question 63 to Thalassius)

PRAYER – O God, Who endowed blessed Robert, Your Bishop and Doctor, with wondrous learning and virtue to repel the deceits of error and to defend the rights of the Apostolic See, grant, by his merits and intercession, that we may ever grow in love of truth and that the hearts of the erring may return to the unity of Your Church. 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 QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The PASSION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 16 April – Another Method of Meditation 

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Thought for the Day – 16 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

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

XLVII: … Another Method of Meditation

“There is another method of prayer and meditation besides
the one to which we have referred.

In this latter method, having considered the poignant sufferings of your Saviour and His patient endurance of them, you proceed to two other considerations of equal importance.
The one, is the consideration of Christ’s Infinite merits and, the other, of that satisfaction and glory which the eternal Father received from His obedience – an obedience unto death, even the Death of the Cross.
You must represent these two considerations to the Divine Majesty, as two powerful means of obtaining the grace you seek.

This method is applicable, not only to all the Mysteries of Our Lord’s Passion but, to every exterior or interior act He performed in the course of His Passion.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Quote/s of the Day – 11 April – St Leo I, the Great (c400-461) Pope, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 April – St Leo I, the Great (c400-461) Pope, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

Grant to Us, O Lord
By St Leo I, the Great (c400-461)
Pope, Confessor,
Father and Doctor of the Church

Grant to us, O Lord,
not to mind
earthly things
but rather, to love
heavenly things
that while, all things
around us pass away,
we may even now,
hold fast to those things
which last forever.
Amen

“Our Saviour, dearly beloved,
is born today;
let us rejoice!
It is not right to be sad today,
the natal day of Life –
He Who has dispelled the fear of mortality
and brought us to the joy of promised eternity.
Let no man be cut off from a share in this rejoicing.
The cause of our joy is common to every man
because, our Lord, the destroyer of sin and death,
Who finds none guiltless, Comes to free all.
Let the holy exult, he draws near his palm;
let the sinner rejoice, he is invited to pardon;
let the Gentile be quickened, he is called to Life!”

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

“No-one, however weak, is denied
a share in the victory of the Cross.
No-one is beyond the help
of the prayer of Christ.”

“What is a man’s treasure
but the heaping up of profits
and the fruit of his toil?
For, whatever a man sows,
this too will he reap and each man’s gain,
matches his toil and where delight
and enjoyment are found,
there the heart’s desire is attached.
Now, there are many kinds of wealth
and a variety of grounds for rejoicing –
every man’s treasure is that, which he desires.
If it is based on earthly ambitions,
its acquisition makes men not blessed but wretched.
… By distributing what might be superfluous
to support the poor, they are amassing
imperishable riches, so that what they have
discreetly given, cannot be subject to loss.
They have properly placed those riches,
where their heart is – it is a most blessed thing,
to work to increase such riches,
rather than to fear that they may pass away.”

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

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/11/quote-s-of-the-day-11-april-st-pope-leo-the-great/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, St Francis de Sales, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 9 April – Christ, the Word, the Voice, the Message …

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 April – Wednesday in Passion Week – Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-19, 25; John 10:22-38 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My sheep hear My Voice;
I know them and they follow Me.”

John 10:27

“And as for that in the good ground
they are those who, hearing the Word,
hold it fast in an honest and good heart
and bring forth fruit with patience.”

Luke 8:15

“… Blessed are they who hear
the Word of God and keep it.”

Luke 11:28

“For just as from the Heavens,
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there,
until they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to him who sows
and bread to him who eats.”
Isaias 55:11

“So the Word that He shall send through His Christ,
Who is Himself, the Word and the Message,
shall return to Him with great power.
For when He shall come and bring it,
He shall come down like rain and snow
and through Him all that is sown shall spring up
and bear righteous fruit …
And this is the Voice through which
the dead shall live.”

St Aphraates “the Sage” (Died c 345)
Abbot, Father of the Church

“What a happy day they spent!
What a blessed night!
Who can say what it was they heard
from the Lord’s mouth?
Let us, too, build a dwelling in our hearts,
construct a house
where Christ can come
to teach and converse with us.”

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

“Always (read and) listen to it (the Scriptures)
with attention and reverence;
make good use of it;
do not let it fall to earth
but take it into your heart
like a precious balm.
Do all this after the example
of the most holy Virgin,
for she carefully kept in her heart
all the words spoken in praise of her Child.
Remember that our Lord gathers up
the words we speak to Him in prayer,
in measure with the way
we gather up those He speaks to us
by His preaching.”

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

(Introduction to the Devout Life
Part 2 Chapter 17)

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on TRUTH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 March – “Go and from now on, sin no more” – John 8:11

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One Minute Reflection – 29 March – “The Month of Saint Joseph” –Saturday of the 3rd Week in Lent – Ferial Day – Daniel 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62 – John 8:1-11 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Go and from now on, sin no more” – John 8:11

REFLECTION – “One after another all withdrew.”
The two were left alone, the woman in need of mercy and Mercy.
But the Lord, having struck them through with that dart of justice, deigned not to heed their fall but, turning His eyes away from them, “again He wrote with His Finger on the ground.”

But when that woman remained alone and all had gone, He raised His eyes to her. We have heard the Voice of Justice; let us listen too to the voice of clemency…
This woman expected to be punished by Him, in Whom sin could not be found.
But He, Who had driven back her adversaries, with the Voice of Justice, lifting the eyes of mercy to her, asked her: “Has no-one condemned you?” She answered, “No-one, Lord.”
And He said: “Neither do I condemn thee. I, by Whom, perhaps, thou wast afraid of being condemned because thou hast found no sin in Me; neither do I condemn thee.”

What is this, O Lord?
Do you favour sins, then?
Certainly not!
But take note of what follows: “Go, henceforth, sin no more.”
The Lord did condemn, therefore but He condemned the sin, not the sinner … Let them be careful, then, those who love the goodness in the Lord but who fear His truthfulness…
The Lord is gracious, the Lord is slow to anger, the Lord is merciful BUT the Lord is also just and the Lord is abounding in truth (Ps 85:15).
He gives you time for amendment but you prefer to take advantage of the delay, rather than to reform your ways.
Did you act wickedly yesterday? Be good today. Have you spent today in evil? At any rate change your behaviour tomorrow!

This, then, is the meaning of the words He addresses to this woman,  “Neither do I condemn you but, having been made secure concerning the past, be on your guard in the future. I, for My part, will not condemn you, I have blotted out what you have done; keep what I have commanded, that you may gain what I have promised.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father, Doctor of Grace –Tractate 33 on the Gospel of John, 5-8

PRAYER – O Infinite Goodness – Act of Contrition
By St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) – Doctor of the Church

O my God,
I am exceedingly grieved,
for having offended Thee
and with my whole heart,
I repent of the sins I have committed.
I hate and abhor them above every other evil,
not only because, by so sinning,
I have lost heaven and deserved hell
but still more because I have offended Thee,
O infinite Goodness,
who art worthy to be loved above all things.
I most firmly resolve,
by the assistance of Thy grace,
never more to offend Thee for the time to come
and to avoid those occasions
which might lead me into sin.
Amen

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SIN, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 March –  ‘… By the word of an Angel …’

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One Minute Reflection – 24 March – “The Month of Saint Joseph” –Feast of St Gabriel the Archangel – Daniel 9:21-26 – Luke 1:26-38 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “So the Lord now manifestly came to His own. Born by His own created order which He Himself bears, He, by His obedience on the tree, renewed and reversed that which was done by disobedience, in connection with a tree.

The power of that seduction, by which the virgin Eve, already betrothed to a man, had been wickedly seduced, was broken, when the Angel in truth, brought good tidings to the Virgin Mary, who already, by her betrothal, belonged to a man.  For as Eve was seduced by the word of an Angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His Word, so Mary by the word of an Angel, received the glad tidings that she would bear God, by obeying His Word.

The former was seduced to disobey God and so fell but, the latter, was persuaded to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of Eve.

As the human race was subjected to death through the act of a Virgin, so was it saved by a Virgin, was precisely balanced by the obedience of Another. Then indeed, the sin of the first formed man was amended by the chastisement of the First Begotten, the wisdom of the serpent was conquered by the simplicity of the Dove and the chains were broken, by which we were in bondage to death.” – St Irenaeus (130-202) Bishop of Lyons, Martyr, Father of the Church (Against Heresies, 5)

PRAYER – O God, Who, out of all the Angels, chose the Archangel Gabriel to announce the Mystery of Thy Incarnation, mercifully grant that we who keep his feast on earth, may have him as our patron in Heaven.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 MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, Meditations on ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

Thought for the Day – 22 March – St Joseph as Head of the Holy Family

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Thought for the Day – 22 March – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“Short Meditations for March, St Joseph”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

22nd Day – St Joseph as Head of the Holy Family

+1. The dignity of any Office of Authority, is in proportion to the excellence of those over whom such authority is exercised.
What then must have been the dignity and perfection of St Joseph? To rule over the Angels would be a small privilege compared with the privilege of ruling God Himself and His holy Mother!
What prudence, what discretion, what purity of intention, what perfect unselfishness, what intense love of God and of men, must have been found in St Joseph! How humble he must have been, how thoughtful, how kind, how considerate, how wise, how faithful to God’s holy inspirations! Next to Our Lady, it is impossible to suppose that any Saint could approach the dignity of St Joseph!

+2. Watch St Joseph as a superior.
Notice how he gives his orders, firmly and decidedly, without hesitation but yet, kindly and gently and considerately. St Joseph had to command others besides Jesus and Mary. To all he showed the same thoughtful, tender, watchful affection and respect.
Am I like St Joseph in dealing with those over whom I am placed?

+3. Our Lord obeyed St Joseph with the most perfect , unquestioning obedience. He, as Man, was St Joseph’s natural superior; He , in His Sacred Humanity, had Authority over all creation. He, therefore, the Lord of all, raised St Joseph to be lord over Himself. This, exalts still
more, the position of St Joseph, who derived his authority over Jesus by Our Lord’s own choice of him.
Thus Jesus teaches us the happiness of obedience. To be subject is no degradation but rather, a privilege, since Jesus Himself chose it!

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE

Quote/s of the Day – 21 March – St Benedict

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 March – St Benedict OSB (c 480-547) Abbot, Patron of Europe and Founder of Western Monasticism.

“The first degree of humility
is prompt obedience.”

“Run, while you have the light of life,
lest the darkness of death, overtake you.”

“Girded with faith
and the performance of good works,
let us follow in His Paths,
by the guidance of the Gospel.”

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St Benedict (c480-547)