Category: QUOTES on PEACE

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on FREEDOM, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The IMITATION of CHRIST, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 3 April – Self-Denial

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

Self-Denial

“This denial of ourselves to the extent of identifying our will with the Will of God, produces in us, a profound peace.
The Saints scaled this height and found there that tranquility of spirit which led them to rejoice in martyrdom and dishonour.

It was this peace of soul which made the dying St Aloysius Gonzaga smile and say: “I am happy to be going.”
It was this which enabled the saintly, Cardinal Fisher, when he was going to the scaffold, to behold a light which does not fail and say: “Commit to the Lord your way … He will make justice dawn for you like the light (Ps 36:5-6).
This too, is why, the Imitation of Christ tells us that nobody is as free, as he, who knows how to deny himself!””

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/22/thought-for-the-day-22-january-self-denial/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/01/21/thought-for-the-day-21-january-self-denial/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – Day by day follow God’s path …

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Lent

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

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

“May the God of love and peace,
set your hearts at rest
and speed you on your journey,
may He meanwhile,
shelter you from disturbance by others,
in the hidden recesses of His Love,
until He brings you, at last,
into that place of complete plenitude,
where you will repose forever,
in the vision of peace,
in the security of trust
and in the restful enjoyment of His riches.”

St Raymond of Peñafort
(1175-1275)

“If, then, you looking for the way by which you should go,
take Christ for He, Himself is the Way.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, QUOTES on WISDOM, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, REDEMPTIVE Suffering, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day –20 March – ‘ … Give earth and receive Heaven! …’

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Quote/s of the Day –20 March – Ferial Day – Thursday in the Second Week in Lent – Jeremias 17:5-10 – Luke 16:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“There was a rich man,
who was clothed in purple
and fine linen
and who feasted sumptuously everyday.
And at his gate lay a poor man,
named Lazarus…”

Luke 16:19–20

“Amen I say to you,
as long as you did NOT do it
for one of these least ones,
you did NOT do it for Me.”

Matthew 25:45

“Give of your earthly goods
and receive eternal ones;
give earth and receive Heaven!”

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

“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

“If thou wouldst see well, pluck out thine eyes and be blind;
if thou wouldst hear well, be deaf
and if thou wouldst speak well, become dumb;
if thou wouldst advance, stand still
and advance with thy mind;
if thou wouldst work well, cut off thy hands
and work with thy heart;
if thou wouldst love much, hate thyself;
if thou wouldst live well, mortify thyself;
if thou wouldst gain much and be rich,
first lose all and become poor
and if thou wouldst enjoy peace, afflict thyself
and be ever in fear and suspect thine own self;
if thou wouldst be exalted and have great honour,
humble and abase thyself;
if thou wouldst be held in great reverence, despise thyself
and do reverence to him who reviles thee;
if thou wouldst that it should be well with thee,
suffer all evil things and if thou wouldst be blessed,
desire that all should speak ill of thee
and if thou wouldst have true and eternal rest,
then toil and suffer and desire to have every temporal affliction.
O what great wisdom it is to know how to do
and to work out these things.”

Blessed Giles of Assisi (c1190-1262)

Posted in Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The PASSION, The SACRED PASSION - Meditations for LENT, The WILL of GOD

Lenten Meditations – 12 March – Jesus’ Farewell Discourse

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Lenten Meditations – 12 March – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ”
“Short Meditations for Lent”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Wednesday of the First Week in Lent
Jesus’ Farewell Discourse

Read St John xiv:1-3, 27-31
(Posted at the end)

+1. Our Lord’s farewell to His Apostles begins and ends with words of encouragement. He knew the importance of courage and confidence and, without these, they would never do great things for God. He knew too, how liable all men are to be discouraged and cast down when troubles and trials arise; how difficult it is to struggle on, when all seems dark around one.
To us too, as to the Twelve, He says – “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
Why do not we believe more in Christ, trust Him more, appeal more to Him in times of darkness?
He will always have a word of comfort for us.
“Let not your heart be troubled. I go to prepare a place for you.”

+2. Amid all the troubles Our Lord foretells to His Apostles, He promises them one gift which will enable them to rise above all their difficulties and all their sorrows. He promises to leave His Peace with them. What gift is there which is like this in the world? If we are at peace, we can bid defiance to all our foes; if we are not at peace, we might be lords of the universe, yet, we should be miserable. No wonder we pray in Holy Mass, “Dona nobis pacem – Give us peace.”

+3. The peace Our Lord promises, is His Peace :
“My Peace I give unto you.”
What sort of peace is this?
It is the peace He enjoyed all through His Life – the peace of perfect union of His Will with God’s. If we are thus united to God by perfect resignation, we too shall have unalterable and eternal peace

1] Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. [2] In My Father’s House there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you because, I go to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I shall go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself that where I Am, you also may be. [John 14:1-3]

[27] Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [28] You have heard that I said to you: I go away and I come unto you. If you loved Me, you would indeed be glad because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. [29] And now I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it shall come to pass, you may believe. [30] I will not now speak many things with you. For the prince of this world cometh and in Me he hath not any thing.
[31] But that the world may know that I love the Father and as the Father hath given me commandment, so do I: Arise, let us go hence. [John 14:27-31]

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MODESTY, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WATCHING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 March – Salt and Light – Matthew 5:13, 14

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One Minute Reflection – 7 March – “The Month of Saint Joseph” –First Friday – Feast of the Crown of Thorns – St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274) Confessor, Doctor – Wisdom 7:7-14 – Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Jesus said to His disciples: “You are the salt of the earth.
… You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:13, 14

REFLECTION – “You are the salt of the earth. It is not for your own sake, He says but for the world’s sake that the word is entrusted to you. I am not sending you into two cities only or ten or twenty, not to a single nation, as I sent the Prophets of old but, across land and sea, to the whole world. And that world is in a miserable state. For when He says: You are the salt of the earth, He is indicating that, all mankind had lost its savour and had been corrupted by sin. Therefore, He requires of these men, those virtues which are especially useful and even necessary, if they are to bear the burdens of many. For the man who is kindly, modest, merciful and just, will not keep his good works to himself but, will see to it that, these admirable fountains, send out their streams, for the good of others. Again, the man who is clean of heart, a peacemaker and ardent for truth, will order his life so, as to contribute to the common good. …

Then He passes onto a more exalted comparison – You are the light of the world. Once again, “of the world,” not of one nation or twenty cities but of the whole world. The light He means, is an intelligible light, far superior to the rays of the sun we see, just as the salt is a spiritual salt. First salt, then light, so that you may learn how profitable sharp words may be and how useful, serious doctrine. Such teaching holds in check and prevents, dissipation, it leads to virtue and sharpens the mind’s eye.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do men light a lamp and put it under a basket.  Here again, He is urging them to a careful manner of life and teaching them, to be watchful, for they live under the eyes of all and have the whole world for the arena of their struggles.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Homily on Matthew).

PRAYER – O God, Who enlightened Thy Church with the wondrous learning of blessed Thomas, Thy Confessor and enriched her through his holy life, grant us, we beseech Thee, both to understand what he taught and by following his example, to do what he did. Through tJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, GOD ALONE!, MODESTY, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on MEEKNESS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

Quote/s of the Day – 6 March – Lord, I am not worthy …

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 March – Ash Thursday – Isaias 38:1-6 – Matthew 8:5-13

“And the centurion, making answer, said:
Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst
enter under my roof but only say the word
and my servant shall be healed.”

Matthew 8:8

“Whoever exalts himself
will be humbled
and whoever humbles himself
will be exalted.”

Matthew 23:12

“Those who refuse to be humble cannot be saved.
They cannot say with the prophet:
See, God comes to my aid;
the Lord is the helper of my soul.
But anyone who makes himself humble,
like a little child,
is greater in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

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

“Humility is the mother of many virtues
because, from it are born:
obedience, fear, reverence, patience,
modesty, meekness and peace.
He who is humble easily obeys everyone,
fears to offend anyone,
is at peace with everyone,
is kind to all!”

St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1488-1555)

“Humility is not just about self-mistrust
but about the entrusting of ourselves to God.
Distrusting ourselves and our own strength
produces trust in God
and from that trust,
generosity of soul is born.”

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

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, In the PRESENCE of GOD, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – Preparing to Prepare

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – Preparing to Prepare

“For he who would save his life
will lose it but he who loses his life,
for My sake will find it.”

Matthew 16:25

“Destroy yourself completely
and sit, like a chick,
content with the grace of God,
for unless its mother gives it something,
it tastes nothing and has nothing to eat.”

St Romuald (c951-1027)

“May the God of love and peace,
set your hearts at rest
and speed you on your journey,
may He meanwhile,
shelter you from disturbance by others,
in the hidden recesses of His Love,
until He brings you, at last,
into that place of complete plenitude,
where you will repose forever,
in the vision of peace,
in the security of trust
and in the restful enjoyment of His riches.”

St Raymond of Peñafort
(1175-1275)

“When I look at successful men,
I find in all, three characteristics:
(1) A spirit of cheerfulness and confidence.
They know how to look at everything
from its best side.
Hence, I must pray for these attributes.
(2) A spirit of perseverance.
They are not discouraged by failures.
They recover themselves without delay.
What a lesson for me, not to lose heart
but to say, when I fall, I will rise again
and that, promptly!
(3) A spirit of single-mindedness.
They keep the end in view steadily before them.
If I am to attain, to the End of my life,
to succeed in coming to God at last,
I must keep Him always before me.”

Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Posted in CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), franciscan OFM, GOD the FATHER, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on Love of Self, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PURITY, The HOLY GHOST, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Quote/s of the Day – 13 February – The Most Holy and Blessed Trinity

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity”

“I shall reflect the image of God
in that I feed on love;
grow certain on faith and hope;
strengthen myself, on the virtue of patience;
grow tranquil by humility;
grow beautiful by chastity;
am sober by abstention;
am made happy by tranquillity
and am ready for death,
by practising hospitality.”

ACW – Ancient Christian Writer
Incomplete Work on Matthew

(Homily 40)

“This is the order of our faith,
the foundation of the edifice
and the support of our conduct –
God, the Father, uncreated, uncontainable, invisible,
One God, the Creator of all –
this is the first article of our faith.
And the second article – the Word of God,
the Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord,
Who was revealed by the Prophets
according to the character of their prophecy
and according to the nature
of the economies of the Father,
by Whom all things were made
and Who, in the last times, to recapitulate all things,
became a Man amongst men,
visible and palpable, in order to abolish death,
to demonstrate life and to effect communion
between God and man.
And the third article – the Holy Ghost,
through Whom the Prophets prophesied
and the Patriarchs learnt the things of God
and the righteous, were led in the path
of righteousness and Who, in the last times,
was poured out in a new fashion
upon the human race, renewing man,
throughout the world, to God.”

St Irenaeus (130-202)
Martyr, Father of the Church

“The likeness of Wisdom has been stamped
upon creatures, in order that the world
may recognise the Word, Who was its Maker
and, through the Word, come to know the Father. ”

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“The whole Trinity
has marked mankind
with Its likeness.
With the memory, it resembles the Father;
with the understanding, it resembles the Son;
by love, it resembles the Holy Ghost … ”

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

Posted in GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, The GREAT TRUTHS

Thought for the Day – 6 February – How to Attain our End

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Thought for the Day – 6 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

6th Day – How to Attain our End

One thing I do; forgetting the things which are behind
and stretching forth myself to those which are before,
I press towards the mark.
(Philipp iii:1,3,14)

+1. Everyone desires to succeed in life.
A man who desired ultimate failure would justly be regarded as a lunatic. If I am to carry out my desire, I must look around myself and see what sort of men succeed.

+2. When I look at successful men, I find in all, three characteristics:
(1) A spirit of cheerfulness and confidence.
They know how to look at everything from its best side.
Hence, I must pray for these attributes.
(2) A spirit of perseverance.
They are not discouraged by failures.
They recover themselves without delay.
What a lesson for me, not to lose heart but to say, when I fall, I will rise again and that, promptly!
(3) A spirit of single-mindedness.
They keep the end in view steadily before them.
If I am to attain, to the End of my life, to succeed in coming to God at last, I must keep Him always before me.

+3. What can make my life as happy as this, to know that
I am drawing nearer to God?
Yet, there will be dark times and days of despondency.
Still, down at the bottom, beneath the surface, there will be hope and peace, even amid the darkness.
Pray for cheerfulness and an earnest purpose to live for God alone!

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on TRUTH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 February – Into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house … Luke 10:5

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

“Into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house.
And, if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him but if not, it shall return to you.” – Luke 10:5-7

REFLECTION – “As you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house,‘” (Lk 10:5) so that the Lord Himself might enter and remain there, as with Mary. … This greeting is the Mystery of Faith which shines forth in the world. Through it, enmity is stifled, war is ended and people acknowledge one another. The effect of that greeting was hidden by a veil in spite of the fact that it prefigures the Mystery of the Resurrection … when the light rises and dawn chases night away. From the moment Christ sent out His disciples, people began to give and receive this greeting, a source of healing and blessing. …

This greeting with its hidden power … is amply sufficient for us all. That is why Our Lord sent it out, together with His disciples, as forerunner, so that it might bring about peace and, carried by the voice of the Apostles whom He sent, prepare the way before them. It was sown in every dwelling … it entered into all who heard it, so as to separate and set apart, the children it recognised as its own. It remained in them but it denounced those who were alien to it, for they did not welcome it.

This greeting of peace did not dry up; it began in the Apostles and then sprang up in their brethren, revealing the Lord’s inexhaustible treasures. … Present in those who offered greetings in this way and in those who welcomed the greeting, this announcement of peace was neither diminished nor divided. It announced that the Father is near and is in everyone; it revealed that the Son’s mission is bound up with all, even if its object is to be with His Father. It will not cease to proclaim that images are now brought to completion and Truth will cast all shadows away at last.” – St Ephrem (306-373) Father and Doctor of the Church (Diatessaron 8: 3-4).

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

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St JOSEPH, The DIVINE INFANT, The HOLY CROSS, The WILL of GOD

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

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church

“What we need is
a cup of understanding,
a barrel of love
and an ocean of patience.”

“Our greatest fault is, that
we wish to serve God in our way,
not in His way — according to our will,
not according to His Will….
To be truly a Saint, it is necessary
to be one according to the Will of God.”

“Do everything calmly and peacefully.
Do as much as you can, as well as you can.
Strive to see God in all things
without exception and consent
to His Will joyously.
Do everything for God,
uniting yourself to Him in word and deed.
Walk very simply with the Cross of the Lord
and be at peace with yourself.”

“If, when stung by slander
or ill-nature,
we wax proud
and swell with anger,
it is a proof that our gentleness
and humility
are unreal
and mere artificial show!”

“How faithful in humility was the great Saint
we are celebrating!
That cannot be said in all its perfection,
for, in spite of what he was,
in what poverty and lowliness he lived,
all the days of his life – a poverty and lowliness
beneath which. he kept hidden and concealed,
his great virtues and dignity! …
Truly, I am free of doubt that the Angels came,
beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank,
to behold and wonder at his humility,
while he sheltered that dearest Child
in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment,
so as to feed the little Boy and the Mother entrusted to him.”

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

O Glorious St Francis
Prayer to St Francis de Sales

O Glorious St Francis,
model of the interior life
and full of zeal for the salvation of souls!
Obtain for me the grace
to employ all my faculties,
not for my own sanctification alone
but for that of my neighbour too
that continually spreading abroad,
the sweet odour of Jesus Christ,
by my words and works,
I may attain, with thee, the blessedness
promised to the merciful:
“Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy”
and that I may one day have a share
in the glory which thou dost enjoy
in Paradise with the Angels and Saints,
where those who edify
and instruct to justice,
shall shine as stars
for all eternity (Dan 12:3).
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/01/29/quote-s-of-the-day-29-january-st-francis-de-sales-2/

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

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, St PAUL!, The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – St Raymond of Peñafort

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – St Raymond of Peñafort OP (1175-1275) Confessor, “Father of Canon Law” Dominican Priest, Co-Founder of the Mercedarian Friars with St Peter Nolasco, Miracle-Worker. – Patronages – Lawyers, Canonists, Medical Record Librarians, Barcelona, Spain, Navarre, Spain.

“This is that enviable
and blessed Cross of Christ . . .
the Cross in which alone,
we must make our boast,
as Paul,
God’s chosen instrument,
has told us.”

this is that enviable and blessed cross of christ - st raymond of penafort 7 jan 2019

“May the God of love and peace,
set your hearts at rest
and speed you on your journey,
may He meanwhile,
shelter you from disturbance by others,
in the hidden recesses of His Love,
until He brings you, at last,
into that place of complete plenitude,
where you will repose forever,
in the vision of peace,
in the security of trust
and in the restful enjoyment of His riches.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/01/23/quote-s-of-the-day-23-january-st-raymond-of-penafort-1175-1275/

St Raymond of Peñafort
(1175-1275)

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One Minute Reflection – 23 January –  ‘ … Open the door to Him at once, when He Comes and knocks. Luke 12:35

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One Minute Reflection – 23 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275) – Sirach 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to Him at once, when He Comes and knocks.” – Luke 12:35-36

REFLECTION – “God is the Supreme Being, therefore, direct the thoughts of your mind to Him and do not think of anything else, except to watch for His Coming. Let the soul gather together its thoughts, dispersed by sin, as though it were gathering together children romping about! Let it take them back to the house of its body and there, wait for the Lord, at all times with fasting and love, until He Comes and gathers them up in truth…

If our hearts are not swollen with pride and, if we do not send our thoughts out to feed in the pastures on the mad weeds of sin and if, to the contrary, we lift up our minds and lead our thoughts into the Lord’s Presence with fervent wills, then, in His good Will, the Lord shall certainly Come to us and truly unite us to Himself …

So make haste to please the Lord, wait for Him in your heart without ceasing, seek Him in your thoughts, stir up your will and your love, to reach out towards Him at every moment!Then you will see how He Comes to you and makes His home within you.” – St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390) (Attrib) Monk, Father (Sermon 31).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who chose blessed Raymond to be a renowned minister of the Sacrament of Penance and miraculously brought him through the waves of the sea, grant that, by his intercession, we may produce good results from our penance and reach the Heaven of eternal salvation 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 DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, St JOSEPH, The DIVINE INFANT, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The HOLY INFANCY

Thought for the Day – 17 January – “Joseph’s Obedience”

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Thought for the Day – 17 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Christmastide
“The Holy Infancy”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“Joseph’s Obedience”

+1. No such questioning as we have supposed in our previous meditation ever occurred to St Joseph’s mind. His duty, his pleasure, was to hear and to obey. Not a moment did he lose. He roused his virgin-spouse and told her what they had to do and ere morning dawned, they had left Bethlehem far behind.

+2. Yet there was no hurry or bustle or undue haste in the preparations they made; no rushing to and fro, no impatience, not a movement but such as was calm and deliberate, modest and dignified. It is one of the marks of sanctity to have thus, under control, every look and every
action.
How can I stand this test When time presses, or my indignation is aroused, or my patience tried, am I gentle and peaceful and calm?

+3. Observe, moreover, how there is not a single word of complaint or of grumbling, no expression of annoyance or word of mutual commiseration. Each seeks to lighten the work of the other. How cheerful both Mary and Joseph
are Almost joyous. It is a trial; yes but, more for the sake of the Divine Child than for their own. Even the thought of what Jesus may have to suffer never destroys their peace.
O happy Joseph! O blessed Mary! make me more like
youselves!

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Family PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, PAPAL DECREE, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on the FAMILY, QUOTES on the POOR, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 January – Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – Within the Octave – Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph – Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 2:42-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And He went down with them
and came to Nazareth
and was subject to them.”

Luke 2:51

“EVERY FAMILY
should have a room where
CHRIST is welcome in the person
of the hungry and thirsty STRANGER.”

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

“So, taking Christ’s genealogy from Joseph –
a husband in chastity,
he was father in the same way. …
Are you saying that he did not conceive Jesus
through the operation of nature?
Well then, what the Holy Spirit operated,
He did for them both.
For Joseph was “a just man,” Matthew tells us (1:19).
Both husband and wife were just.
The Holy Spirit dwelt within their mutual justice
and gave each of them, a Son!”

“Peace in Society
depends on peace
in the Family.”

(Marriage and concupiscence 1,11; Sermon 51)

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

“God, to whom Angels submit themselves
and who principalities and powers obey,
was subject to Mary
and not only to Mary
but Joseph atoo, for Mary’s sake.
God obeyed a human creature –
this is humility without precedent.
A human creature commands God;
it is sublime beyond measure!”

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

“To all fathers of families,
Joseph is verily the best model
of paternal vigilance and care.
In the most holy Virgin Mother of God,
mothers may find an excellent example of love,
modesty, resignation of spirit
and the perfecting of faith.
And in Jesus, Who was subject to His parents,
the children of the family, have a Divine Pattern
of obedience which they can admire,
reverence and imitate.”

Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

Apostolic Letter,
“Breve Neminem Fugit” 1892

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOOD RESOLUTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOTES to Followers, QUOTES for the NEW YEAR, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SILENCE, The HEART

A New Life is Beginning … May 2025 be the ONE which Makes Us All Saints!

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May 2025 be the ONE which Makes Us All Saints!

A RESOLVE
For Every Morning of the New Year

I will this day, try to live a simple,
sincere and serene life, repelling
promptly, every thought of
discontent, anxiety, discouragement,
impurity and self-seeking;
cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity,
charity and the habit of holy silence,
exercising economy in expenditure,
carefulness in conversation,
diligence in appointed service,
fidelity in every trust
and a child-like trust in God.

Bishop John H Vincent 1900

“What we need most,
in order to make progress,
is to be silent before this great God
with our appetite and with our tongue,
for the language He best hears
is silent love.”

“Strive to preserve your heart in peace;
let no event of this world, disturb it.”

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

“Anyone who takes life seriously
in the Christian sense,
will regard it as a difficult journey
towards perfection and towards God.
This journey will be, at the same time,
painful and joyful.
… It is our own loss if we sit down lazily
on the side of the road,
which should lead us to Heaven.
It is even more disastrous,
if we acknowledge defeat
and lay down the spiritual weapons
of prayer and renunciation,
in order to surrender ourselves to sin or to indifference.
Everyday we should say to ourselves,
in the presence of God –
A new life is beginning …
in You, by Your grac and for You!
Amen”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on PEACE, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

Thought for the Day – 30 December – The Holy Family – Mary and Joseph

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

As Fr Clarke has left us in the lurch for the last 3 days of December, I am revisiting dear Cardinal Bacci to come to our aid. I pray you, like myself, never tire of his wisdom.

The Holy Family – Mary

“The Blessed Virgin Mary, is the second model proposed for our imitation in the Holy Family.
… We do not read that Mary worked miracles, had ecstasies, or possessed any extraordinary external gifts.
Her sanctity was completely internal.
She trod the ordinary way of perfection, therefore, the way most easily imitated by us and, nevertheless, reached the highest peak of holiness.
Since we are her devoted and affectionate children, let us ask her for the grace to follow her in the way of perfection and of complete resignation to the will of God.
Although we may have to follow her from afar, let us follow with enthusiasm and love..”

The Holy Family – Joseph

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

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, CATECHESIS, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, St JOSEPH, The DIVINE INFANT, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 1 December – ‘Open your heart and run to meet the Sun of Eternal Light …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The First Sunday of Advent

“Open wide your door to the One who comes.
Open your soul,
throw open the depths of your heart
to see the riches of simplicity,
the treasures of peace,
the sweetness of grace.
Open your heart
and run to meet
the Sun of Eternal Light
Who illuminates all men.”

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

“And the Lord God shall give unto Him
the throne of David, His father
and He shall reign in the house of Jacob forever.
And of His Kingdom there shall be no end.”

Luke 1:32-33

“What is said of the House of David
applies, not only to Joseph but also to Mary.
It was a precept of the law that each man should marry
a wife from his own tribe and kindred.”

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

“The day will come when this Child
will no longer be offered in the Temple,
nor in Simeon’s arms
but outside the City
in the arms of the Cross.
The day will come when He
will not be redeemed
by the blood of a sacrifice
but redeem others ,
with His own Blood. …”
That will be the evening sacrifice;
this is the morning sacrifice;
this one is the happiest
but that one is the most complete;
for this one was offered
at the time of birth
and that one will be offered
in the fullness of time,..”

St Bernard (1091-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, HOW to PRAY at ALL TIMES, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The HEART

Thought for the Day – 17 November – How God Answers the Soul

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Thought for the Day – 17 November – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

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

How God Answers the Soul
Excerpt from Chapter Four

In a word, if you wish to please the loving Heart of God, endeavour to speak to Him as often as you can and, with the fullest confidence which He will answer and speak to you in return.
When you withdraw yourself from conversation with creatures to speak to God alone, He will not speak in a Voice which strikes the ear but, in a Voice which reaches the heart

… He will speak by inspiration, by interior light, by manifestations of His Goodness, by a tenderness which touches the heart, by assurance of pardon, by a feeling of peace, by the hope of Heaven, by intimate happiness, by the sweetness of His Grace, by loving and tender embraces of the soul – in a word, He will speak in a Voice easily understood by those whom He Loves and who have given their hearts to Him alone.”

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 November – ‘ …In this way, stand firm in peace, certain that “no-one has hoped in the Lord and been confounded ” …’

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One Minute Reflection – 3 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Within the Octave of All Saints – Pentecost XXIV – Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 8:23-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying: Lord, save us, we perish.” – Matthew 8:25

REFLECTION – “God is not at all displeased when, on occasion, you quietly complain to Him. Do not be afraid to say to Him: “Lord, why dost Thou stand afar off?” (cf Ps 9:22 LXX) Thou knowest well I love Thee and only long for Thy Love. Graciously come to my aid and do not abandon me.”

If your desolation continues and your anguish is unbearable, unite your voice to that of Jesus, Jesus dying in affliction on the Cross; say, as you beg the Divine pity: “My God, my God, why hast Thou abandoned me?” (Mt 27:46) But profit from this trial, firstly so as to humble yourself even more, while reminding yourself that we are not worthy of any consolations when we have offended God and then, so as to revive your confidence even more by reminding yourself that, whatever He may do or permit, God only has your wellbeing in mind and that, in this way, “all things work together for the good” (cf Rm 8:28) of your soul. The more trouble and discouragement besiege you, the more you should arm yourself with courage and cry out: “The Lord is my Light and my help, who should I fear?” (Ps 26:1). Yes, Lord, it is Thou Who enlightens me, Thou Who will save me; in Thee I entrust myself, “in Thee I place my hope: I shall never be confounded” (Ps 30:2 LXX).

In this way, stand firm in peace, certain that “no-one has hoped in the Lord and been confounded ”(Sir 2:11 Vg.), none have been lost after having placed their trust in God.” – St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop and Most Zealous Doctor of the Church (What Should We Speak About With God? – from: ‘How to Converse Continually and Familiarly with God’).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who granted us to honour the merits of all Thy Saints in a single solemn festival, bestow on us, we beseech Thee, through their manifold intercession, that abundance of Thy mercy for which we yearn. 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 AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, QUOTES on CHILDREN, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on the FAMILY, QUOTES/PRAYERS on THE FAMILY, ROSARY QUOTES, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Quote/s of the Day – 29 October – Let not even one day pass …

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels”

“The Rosary is the scourge of the devil.”

Pope Adrian VI (1459-1523)

“Commend your children
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
When parents pray the Rosary,
at the end of each Decade,
they should hold the Rosary aloft
and say to her:
‘with these beads, bind our children
to thy Immaculate Heart’ –
our Holy Mother will attend to their souls!”

St Louise de Marillac DC (1591-1660)

“If there were one million families
praying the Rosary everyday,
the entire world would be saved.”

St Pope Pius X (1835-1914)

“The Rosary is a powerful weapon
to put the demons to flight
and to keep oneself from sin…
If you desire peace in your hearts,
in your homes
and in your country,
assemble each evening to recite the Rosary.
Let not even one day pass without saying it,
no matter how burdened you may be
with many cares and labours.”

Pope Pius XI (1857-1939)

“There is no surer means
of calling down God’s blessing
upon the family,
than the daily recitation
of the Rosary.”

Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, franciscan OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DESPAIR, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PEACE

Our Morning Offering – 25 October – Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace.

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Our Morning Offering – 25 October

Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace.
“The Peace Prayer”
By St Francis of Assisi (c1181–1226)

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving
that we receive;
it is in pardoning
that we are pardoned
and it is in dying,
that we are born to eternal life.
Amen

Posted in PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on PEACE

Thought for the Day – 23 October –CONSIDERATION XXI, The Unhappy Life of the Sinner and the Happy Life of the Saint

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Thought for the Day – 23 October – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“Preparation for Death”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

CONSIDERATION XXI

The Unhappy Life of the Sinnder
and the Happy Life of the Saint
“There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.”
(Ps cxix: 165)

FIRST POINT:
ALL men in this life weary themselves to find peace – the
merchant, the soldier and he who has a lawsuit –;they all
try to find peace, thinking, by winning that gain, obtaining
that post, gaining that lawsuit, to make a fortune and thus, to find peace.

Poor worldly ones, who seek peace in this world which cannot give it to them! God alone can give us peace, as the Church prays, “Give unto Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give.”
No! the world with all its riches cannot satisfy the heart of man because man was not created for these riches but for God alone, therefore, it is God alone Who can satisfy him.

Animals are created for the delights of sense only; these find their happiness in earthly things. Give a horse a bundle of grass; give a dog a bone; they are both content and desire nothing more. But the soul which is created to love and to be united to God alone, will never be able to find peace in all the pleasures which sense can give. God alone can render it truly happy.
That rich man whom St Luke records, whose ground brought forth plentifully, said within himself: “Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry.” (Luke xii: 19). But this unhappy one was called a fool and with reason, as St Bernard observes. “Hast thou the soul of a hog? Ah, wretched one,” exclaims the Saint, “perhaps thou art like a beast, so that thou canst be satisfied with eating, with drinking, with sensual pleasures?”
He observes, that a man may be filled with the good things of this world but not satisfied. “Ye eat but ye have not enough.” (Hag i: 6). And for this reason, the more the avaricious man acquires, the more does he seek to acquire. St Augustine observes, increased riches do not close but rather extend, the jaws of avarice!

When Alexander the Great had acquired many kingdoms, he wept because he could conquer no more.
If the riches of this world could satisfy a man, the rich and
those who govern, would be fully happy but experience teaches us the contrary. Solomon observes the same thing, even he asserts that he never denied his senses one thing.
“And whatsoever mine eyes desired, I kept not from them.” (Eccles ii: 10). But notwithstanding, what does he say? “Vanity of vanities; …. all is vanity.” (Eccles i: 2).
As if he had said, all which is in the world is mere vanity, deceit and folly!

Affections and Prayers

Ah, my God! what is there remaining to me of all the offences I have committed against Thee but trouble, bitterness and the horror that I deserve hell!? The bitterness which I feel does not displease me; nay, it rather consoles me, for it is the gift of Thy grace and causes me to hope, since Thou dost give it to me that Thou art willing to pardon me.

That which does displease me, is the bitterness I have caused Thee, my Redeemer, Thou Who hast loved me so much. My Lord, I deserved to be abandoned by Thee then but, instead of leaving me, Thou dost offer me pardon; nay, Thou art the first to ask for peace.

Yes, my Jesus, I would be at peace with Thee and I desire Thy grace more than any other good. I repent, O Thou Infinite Goodness, for having offended Thee. I would die of grief.
Ah, through that love which Thou didst bear for me when dying on the Cross, pardon me and take me to Thinr Heart and change my heart in such a way that I may please Thee in the time to come, as much as I have displeased Thee in the time that is past. …
Grant me Lord, Thine grace and help and then do with me what Thy wilt.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 October – I shall reflect the image of God …

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 October – Feria –Philippians 1:6-11; Matthew 22:15-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I shall reflect the image of God
in that I feed on love;
grow certain on faith and hope;
strengthen myself, on the virtue of patience;
grow tranquil by humility;
grow beautiful by chastity;
am sober by abstention;
am made happy by tranquillity
and am ready for death,
by practising hospitality.”

ACW – Ancient Christian Writer
Incomplete Work on Matthew

(Homily 40)

“The likeness of Wisdom has been stamped
upon creatures, in order that the world
may recognise the Word, Who was its Maker
and, through the Word, come to know the Father. ”

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“The whole Trinity
has marked mankind
with Its likeness.
With the memory, it resembles the Father;
with the understanding, it resembles the Son;
by love, it resembles the Holy Ghost … ”

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

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 October – “For My yoke is sweet and My burden light.” – Matthew 11:30

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One Minute Reflection – 17 Octoberber – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) Virgin – Ephesians 3:8-9, 14-19, Matthew 11:25-30 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“For My yoke is sweet and My burden light.” – Matthew 11:30

REFLECTION – “People who complain about the roughness of the Lord’s yoke have possibly not completely rejected, the heavy load of the lusts of the world, or, if they did reject them, they have enslaved themselves to them again, to their greater shame! Outwardly, they carry the yoke of the Lord but inwardly, they submit their shoulders to the burden of the world’s cares. They set on the balance of the Lord’s yoke, the hardships and difficulties which they inflict on themselves… As for the yoke of the Lord – it is “sweet and its burden light”.

Indeed, what is sweeter, what more glorious, than to see oneself lifted up above the world by the scorn one shows it and, seated at the summit of a conscience at peace, to have the whole world at one’s feet? Then, one sees nothing to desire, nothing to fear, nothing to envy, nothing of one’s own which might be taken away, no evil which might be caused one, by another. The eyes of the heart turn towards “an inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled and unfading which is kept for us in Heaven” (1 Pt 1:4). With a sort of greatness of soul, one gives little importance to this world’s goods – they pass away; to the pleasures of the flesh – they are contaminated; to the world’s pomp – it fades and, in one’s joy, one repeats the words of the Prophet: “All mankind is grass and all its glory like the flower of the field; the grass withers, the flower fades but the Word of the Lord remains forever” (Is 40:6-8)… In charity – and nowhere but in charity – dwells true tranquillity and true sweetness, for, it is the yoke of the Lord!” – St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) Cistercian Monk (The Mirror of charity I:30-31).

PRAYER – O Lord Jesus Christ, Who wondrously revealed the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart to blessed Margaret Mary, the Virgin, grant us, by her merits and through imitating her, to love Thee, in all things and above all things, so that we may be found worthy to possess a lasting dwelling place in Thou Heart itself. 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 EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TIME, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, SAINT of the DAY, The HEART, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 16 October – St Gerard Majella

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 October – St Gerard Majella CSsR (1726-1755) Religious Lay Brother of the Redemptorists

“The Most Blessed Sacrament
is Christ made visible.
The poor sick person
is Christ again made visible.”

“Who except God can give you peace?
Has the world ever been able
to satisfy the heart?”

“Consider the shortness of time,
the length of eternity
and reflect, how everything here below
comes to an end and passes by.
Of what use is it then, to lean upon that
which cannot give support?”

St Gerard Majella (1726-1755)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PEACE, The HEART, The HOLY GHOST, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 August– ‘ … For everything lies in the soul’s inner sanctuary. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 16 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Feast of the Purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of St Hedwig of Andechs (1174-1243) Widow – Proverbs 31:10-31, Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

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

REFLECTION – “In my opinion, it would be unworthy of us to withdraw, even for a moment, from the contemplation of Christ. When we have lost sight of Him, even briefly, let us turn our mind’s regard back to Him, directing the eyes of our heart, as by a very straight line. For everything lies in the soul’s inner sanctuary. There, after the devil has been expelled and the vices no longer reign at all, the Kingdom of God can be established in us, as the Evangelist says: “For amen I say to you that the Kingdom of God is within you.”

But within us there can be nothing else than knowledge or ignorance of the truth and the love, of either the vices, or the virtues, by which we make ready a Kingdom in our hearts, either for the devil or for Christ.

The Apostle Paul also describes the characteristics of this Kingdom when he says: “For the Kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Thus, if the Kingdom of God is within us and the Kingdom of God is itself, righteousness and peace and joy, then, whoever abides in these things, is undoubtedly in the Kingdom of God … Let us lift up the eyes of our soul to that Kingdom which is endless joy!” – St John Cassian (c360-435) Monk, Theologian, Founder of Monasteries, Father of the Church, Disciple of St John Chrysostom (Conferences No 1).

PRAYER – O God, Who taught blessed Hedwig to forsake worldly vanities that she might, humbly follow Thy Cross, with her whole heart, grant through her merits and example, we may learn to renounce the perishable delights of the world and, by embracing Thy Cross, overcome all things opposed to our salvation. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, MODESTY, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on the POOR, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE

Quote/s of the Day – 22 September – St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1488-1555) Archbishop, Confessor.

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 September – St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1488-1555) Archbishop, Confessor.

“Humility is the mother of many virtues
because, from it are born:
obedience, fear, reverence, patience,
modesty, meekness and peace.
He who is humble easily obeys everyone,
fears to offend anyone,
is at peace with everyone,
is kind to all!”

“If you wish God to anticipate your wants,
provide those of the needy
without waiting for them to ask you.
Especially anticipate the needs of those
who are ashamed to beg.
To make them ask for alms
is to make them buy it.”

“Rejoice, then, you poor folks;
shout for joy, you needy ones
for even if the world
holds you in contempt,
you are highly valued
by your Lord God and the Angels.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/09/22/quote-s-of-the-day-22-september-st-thomas-of-villanova/

St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1488-1555)

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 21 September – CONSIDERATION IX, The Peace Felt by a Just Man When Dying

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Thought for the Day – 21 September – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“Preparation for Death”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

CONSIDERATION IX

The Peace Felt by a Just Man When Dying
“The souls of the just are in the Hands of God
and the torment of death, shall not touch them.
In the sight of the unwise, they seemed to die,
…. but they are at peace.”
(Wisd iii: 1-3)

FIRST POINT:
“The souls of the just are in the Hand of God.”
If God holds the souls of the just in His Hand, who is it that can pluck them out of it? It is true that hell never ceases to tempt and to insult the Saints, even when they are dying but God never ceases to assist them and, when, as St Ambrose observes, His faithful servants are placed in more danger, then. does He give them more assistance.

When the servant of Elisha saw the City surrounded by enemies, he was affrighted but the Saint encouraged him, saying: “Fear not, for they who be with us, are more than they who be with them.” (2 Kings vi: 16). And Elisha then prayed and the young man’s eyes were opened and he saw an army of Angels sent by God to defend them!
The devil will indeed come to tempt the dying man but his Guardian Angel will also come to comfort him. St Michael, who is appointed by God to defend His faithful servants in this their last combat with hell but, above all, Jesus Christ will come to keep this His penitent and innocent sheep, for whose salvation He once gave up His life. He will give thy soul that confidence and strength which, in such a combat, it will stand in need of, so that He will exclaim with all courage: “Lord, be Thou my helper.” (Ps xxx: 10).

“The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom then shall I fear?” (Ps xxvii: I) God, as Origen observes, cares much more about our eternal salvation than the devil does about our eternal ruin because, God Loves us much more than the devil hates us.
God is faithful, observes the Apostle and will not suffer us to be tempted above that which we are able (i Cor x: 13).
But you will say: “Many Saints have died in great fear concerning their eternal salvation.” I answer, few are the examples of those who, having led a holy life, have afterwards died in great fear.

Belluacensis observes, the Lord permits this in some Saints, in order to purge them when dying from some defect. Besides, do we not read that almost all God’s servants have died with a smile upon their lips?
To all, the Divine Judgment gives fear of death but where sinners pass from fear to desperation, the Saints pass to assurance.
St Antoninus narrates that St Bernard, being ill, was tempted to fear but, thinking upon the merits of Jesus Christ, he dismissed every fear, saying: “My merits are Thy Wounds.”
St Hilarion at first was afraid but later he said, rejoicing: “Go forth, my soul, of what art thou afraid? For well nigh seventy years thou hast served Christ and dost thou now fear death?” As if he wished to say, my soul, what dost thou fear after having served a God Who is faithful and
Who will never abandon him, who has been faithful to Him in life?

Father Joseph Scamacca being asked if he felt he was dying with confidence, answered: “What! have I been serving Mahomet all my life that I should now doubt the goodness of my God as to whether He may wish me to be saved?”
If the thought of having once offended God at any time should torment us in death, we know the Lord has promised to remember no more, the sins of the penitent.
“If the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed, … they shall not be mentioned unto Him.” (Ezelc xviii: 21, 22).
But some will say, how can we be sure that God has pardoned us? St Basil even, asks this question and replies: “If we can say, I hate and abominate my sin because he who hates sin, may rest secure that God has pardoned him already.”

The heart of man cannot exist without love; it either loves the creature, or it loves God; if it does not love the creature, then it loves God. And who is it that loves God? Even he who keeps His commandments.
“He who hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is who loveth Me.” (St John xiv: 21).
He, therefore, who dies, observing God’s commands, dies loving God and he who loves God shall not fear for “perfect love casteth out fear.” (i St John iv: 18).

Affections andPrayers.

Ah, my Jesus, when will that day come when I shall be able
to say, “My God, never more shall I be able to lose Thee?”
When will that day come when I shall see Thee face-to-face,
and shall rest secure of loving Thee, with all my strength for all eternity?

Ah my Sovereign Good, my only love, as long as I live I shall stand in danger of offending Thee and of losing Thy blessed grace!
There was once an unhappy time when I loved Thee not and when I despised Thy Love but now, I repent with all my heart and hope Thou hast already pardoned me; for now I love Thee with all my heart and I desire to do all I can, to love Thee and to please Thee but I am still in danger of not loving Thee, and of again turning away from Thee.
Ah, my Jesus, my Life, my Treasure, do not permit me to do this. Rather than allow this dreadful misfortune to befall
me, let me now die the most painful death it may please Thee to send me. I am content with it and I pray for it.

Eternal Father, for the love of Jesus Christ, give me not over to this
great ruin. Punish me as Thou wilt, I deserve it and I accept
it but deliver me from the punishment of ever beholding myself deprived of Thy grace and of Thy Love.
My Jesus, for Thine own sake have mercy upon me!

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, franciscan OFM, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of PETITION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, The SECOND COMING, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 19 September – Patience, Perseverance, Prayer

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – Hebrews 10:32-38; Matthew 24:3-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But he who shall persevere
to the end,
he shall be saved.”

Matthew 24:13

“For patience is necessary for you
that, doing the Will of God,
you may receive the promise.
For yet a little and a very little while
and He that is to come, will come
and will not delay.”

Hebrews 10:36-37

A Brother said to Brother Giles:
“ Father, I have seen other men who received from God
the grace of devotion and of tears in their prayers
and I cannot feel in myself any such grace,
when I go to worship God.”
To whom Brother Giles answered:
“My Brother, I counsel thee to persevere humbly
and faithfully in thy prayers;
for the fruits of the earth cannot be had without toil
and labour applied beforehand
and even after we have laboured,
the desired fruit does not follow immediately
but only in its season, when the fullness of time has come.”

Blessed Giles of Assisi (c1190-1262)

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

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

“But, it is not all suffering
which has this wholesome effect
but only suffering borne with patience.
If we are impatient, rebellious, unresigned –
our suffering maybe an occasion of fresh trouble,
rather than of peace. I must accept it
from the Hand of God, if it is to bring with it
that quiet tranquillity which I have never yet attained
as I fight. I must bow my head and place myself
in God’s Hands to suffer, as He pleases,
whatever He pleases, as long as He pleases.
This is the only road to solid peace!”

Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
(The First Fruit of Patience: – Peace)