Quote/s of the Day – 6 May – The Feast of St John Before the Latin Gate – Wisdom 5:1-5, Matthew 20:20-23
“Can you Drink the Chalice which I Shall Drink?”
Matthew 20:22
“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
“Let us then, my brethren, endure in hope. Let us devote ourselves, side-by-side with our hoping, so that the God of all the universe, as He beholds our intention, may cleanse us from all sins, fill us with high hopes from what we have in hand and grant us the change of heart which saves. God has called you and you have your calling!”
St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387) Father and Doctor of the Church
“You do not, in your enemies, love what they are but what you would have them become, by your prayers!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Be strengthened in Almighty God and in the power of His might, for with His help, nothing is difficult. Throw off the heavy load of your own will, cast aside the burden of sin and gird yourselves as valiant warriors! Forget what you are leaving behind; strain forward to the great things before you. I tell you that every place where you set foot, shall be yours. For the Spirit, Who goes before your face is Christ the Lord. He will carry you to the topmost peak in the arms of His Love.”
Our Morning Offering – 27 April – St Peter Canisius (1521-1597) – Confessor, Doctor of the Church, Dutch Priest of the Society of Jesus, Reformer, Teacher, Writer, Apostle of Charity.
The Universal Prayer By St Peter Canisius (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church
Almighty, Eternal God, Lord, heavenly Father, look with Thine eyes of undeserved compassion on our sorrow, misery and need. Have mercy on all the Christian faithful, for whom Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, was content to give Himself into the hand of sinners and shed His Precious Blood on the wood of the Holy Cross. For the sake of the Lord Jesus, most gracious Father, avert our well-deserved punishments, present danger and future threats, harm and outrage, arms and warfare, dearth and misfortune, sickness and sorrowful, miserable times. Enlighten and strengthen, in all goodness, our spiritual leaders and earthly rulers that they may do everything to further Thine honour as God, our salvation, the common peace, and the welfare of all Thy people. Grant us, O God of peace, a true unity in faith, free of all division and separation. Convert our hearts to true repentance and amendment of life. Kindle in us the fire of Thy love; give us hunger and zeal for justice in all things, so that we, as obedient children through life unto death, may be pleasing to Thee and find favour in Thy sight. We pray too, O God, as Thou willed that we should pray, for our friends and enemies, for the healthy and the sick, for all Christians in sadness and distress, for the living and the dead. To Thee, O Lord, be entrusted, whatever we do, whatever our path, our work and our dealings, our living and dying. Let us delight in Thy grace, here in this world and attain the next, with all Thy chosen ones, to praise, honour and extol Thee, in unending joy and blessedness. Grant us this, O Lord, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Thy Beloved Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee and the Holy Ghost, One God, forever and ever. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 2 November – “The Month of The Holy Souls in Purgatory” – All Souls Day – Ephesian 6:10-17 –,– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“‘Thou wicked servant! I forgave thee all thy debt because thou entreated Me. Should not thou then, have had compassion also on thy fellow-servant, even as I had compassion on thee?’ ” – Matthew 18:32-33
REFLECTION – “Every man is God’s debtor and each has his brother in debt to him. Indeed, who could be without debt towards God, if not Him, in Whom is found no sin? And who could not have a debtor in his brother, if not he, whom no-one has ever offended? Thus every man is both debtor and creditor… A beggar asks you for alms but you, too, are God’s beggar, for when we pray we are all beggars of God. We stand – or rather, prostrate ourselves – at our Father’s door (cf Lk 11:5); we beseech Him with groans, anxious to receive a grace from Him and this grace is God Himself. What does the beggar ask of you? Bread. And what is it that you are asking of God but Christ, Who said: “I am the Living Bread come down from Heaven” (Jn 6:51). Do you want to receive pardon? Then, show pardon. “Forgive and you will be forgiven.” Do you want to receive? “Give and gifts will be given to you” (Lk 6:37-38) …
Thus, we ought to be ready to forgive all the wrongs done to us, if we wish God to forgive us too. Truly, if we consider our sins and think over the offences we have committed, I do not know how we can sleep, without feeling the burden of our debt weighing down upon us! And this is why we make our requests to God each day. Each day our prayers strike His ears; each day we prostrate ourselves, saying: “Forgive us our debts, as we ourselves forgive those who are in debt to us.” Which of your debts would you like to have remitted? All of them or only some? You are going to reply – All! So do the same for your debtor then!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 83).
PRAYER – O God, Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Thy servants and handmaids, the remission of all their sins, that they may obtain, by our loving prayer,s the forgiveness which they have always desired. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Thought for the Day – 24 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” “As We Also Forgive Our Debtors”
“If thou art offering thy gift at the altar,” Jesus tells us “and thou remember that thy brother has anything against thee, leave thy gift before the altar and go first to be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift” (Mt 5:23-24). Prayer is futile, therefore, unless we have first forgiven our enemies!
“Learn from me,” Jesus said when He proposed Himself as a model to be imitated, “for I am meek and humble of heart.” Then He added, “you will find rest for your souls” (Cf Mt 11:29). The foundation of our hatred, anger and resentment, is always our wounded pride. We need Christlike gentleness and humility, if we are to forgive sincerely and generously. Only when we have this gentleness and humility, moreover, shall we find joy in forgiving and only then, shall we have peace. As long as there is room in our hearts for pride and hatred, we can never enjoy peace of soul!”
Thought for the Day – 23 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” “Forgive Us Our Debts”
“Finally, we owe God a great deal on account of our sins. Unfortunately, our only return for God’s continual favours, has been negligence, ingratitude and sin! How many failings we have been guilty of throughout our lives? Since it is an offence against God, Who is infinitely good and amiable, even venial sin cannot properly be atoned for by the merits of all the Angels and of all the Saints of Heaven. Therefore, it was necessary for the Son of God, made Man, to offer Himself as a Victim of Expiation, on our behalf.
Remembering His infinite merits, we should humbly ask God – ‘forgive us our debts.‘ that is, our many sins and failings and, whatever punishment is owing to us, for every sin demands some expiation, either in this life or in the next!
Meanwhile, we should accept, with resignation, all the sufferings which God sends us in reparation for our sins and, we should promise never to offend Him again.”
Quote/s of the Day – 22 October – Ferial Day – Ephesians 4:23-28 – Matthew22:1-14 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“ Friend how did you come in here without a wedding garment?”
Matthew 22:12
“So then, have faith with love. This is the “wedding garment!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Totally love Him, Who gave Himself totally, for your love.”
St Clare (1194-1253)
“Do much for God and do nothing without love: refer everything to this love; eat and drink with it in mind!”
(Letter to Madame de Chantal)
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of Charity
“What is it to serve God and to go to Heaven? Nothing else but to love!”
St Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591)
“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)
Daily Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Prayers to the Sacred Heart 1936 – 15th Edition, Dublin
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, filled with infinite love, broken by our ingratitude and pierced by our sins, yet loving us still, accept the Consecration we make to Thee, of all that we are and all that we have. Take every faculty of our souls and bodies, only day by day draw us, nearer and nearer to Thy Sacred Heart, and there, as we shall hear the lesson, teach us Thy Holy Way. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 4 October – St Francis of Assisi (c1181–1226) Confessor, Founder
“But I say to you, Love your enemies …” Matthew 5:44
“Let us pay attention, all my brothers, to what the Lord says: “Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you,” for our Lord Jesus Christ, Whose footprints we must follow (cf 1 Pt 2:21), called His betrayer “friend” (Mt 26:50) and gave Himself willingly to those who crucified Him. Our friends, then, are all those who, unjustly afflict upon us, trials and ordeals, shame and injuries, sorrows and torments, martyrdom and death! We must love them greatly for we will possess eternal life because of what they bring upon us.”
“Alms are an inheritance and a justice which is due to the poor and which Jesus has levied upon us!”
Be strengthened in Almighty God and in the power of His might, for with His help, nothing is difficult. Throw off the heavy load of your own will, cast aside the burden of sin and gird yourselves as valiant warriors! Forget what you are leaving behind; strain forward to the great things before you. I tell you that every place where you set foot, shall be yours. For the Spirit, Who goes before your face is Christ the Lord. He will carry you to the topmost peak in the arms of His Love.”
“In beautiful things St Francis saw Beauty itself and through His vestiges imprinted on creation, he followed his Beloved everywhere, making, from all things, a ladder, by which he could climb up and embrace Him, Who is utterly desirable.”
St Bonaventure OFM (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
Quote/s of the Day – 26 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – St Jean de Brébeuf (1593-1649) Priest, Martyr, and St Isaac Jogues SJ (1607-1646) Priest, Martyr, Missionary and Companions – Hebrews 10:32-38 – Luke 12:1-8 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more they can do. … be afraid of him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell. ”
Luke 12:4-5
“It is He Who is our peace.”
St Paul Ephesians 2:14
“The world … hates Me because I bear witness concerning it, that its works are evil.”
John 7:7
“… THE WORLD HATES Christians, so why give your love to it, instead of following Christ, Who loves you and has redeemed you? A man cannot love the Father and love the world at the same time. All that the world offers is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and earthly ambition. The world and its allurements will pass away but the man who has done the Will of God shall live forever. Our part, my dear brothers, is to be single-minded, firm in faith and steadfast in courage, ready for God’s will, whatever it may be. Banish the fear of death and think of the eternal life which follows it. That will show people that we really live our Faith.”
St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258) Bishop of Carthage, Martyr Father of the Church
(An excerpt from On Man’s Mortality).
“You do not, in your enemies, love what they are but what you would have them become, by your prayers!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Father, forgive them.” With this prayer, He wanted to make us understand the love He bore us, undiminished by any suffering and to teach us how our heart should be toward our neighbour.”
Quote/s of the Day – 16 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – The Feast of Saint Corneliu, Pope & Martyr and Saint Cyprian, Bishop & Martyr
May We Confess Thy Name to the End By St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258) Bishop and Martyr Apostolic Father of the Church
Good God, may we confess Thy Name to the end. May we emerge unmarked and glorious from the traps and darkness of this world. As Thou hast bound us together by charity and peace and, as together, we have persevered under persecution, so may we also rejoice together in Thy Heavenly Kingdom. Amen
“He not only receives and pardons , those adversaries, those blasphemers, those persistent enemies of His Name, provided they do PENANCE for their offences and acknowledge the CRIIMES committed BUT, He admits them to the reward of the Kingdom of Heaven!”
“God’s Merciful Design has warned us that the day of our own struggle, our own contest, is at hand! By that shared love which binds us close together, we are doing all we can, to exhort our congregation, to give ourselves unceasingly to fastings, vigils and prayers in common. These are the heavenly weapons which give us the strength to stand firm and endure; they are the spiritual defences, the God-given armaments which protect us.”
One Minute Reflection – 3 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – 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/
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them” – Acts 7:60
REFLECTION – “Let us imitate our Lord and pray for our enemies … He was Crucified yet, at the same time, prayed to His Father for the sake of those who were crucifying Him. But how could I possibly imitate our Lord, one might ask? If you wish to, you will be able to. If you were not able to do it, how could He have said: “Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart”? (Mt 11:29) …
If you have difficulty in imitating our Lord, at least imitate him who is also His servant, His Deacon – I would speak of Stephen. Just as Christ, in the midst of those crucifying Him, without considering the Cross, without considering His own predicament, pleaded with the Father on behalf of His tormentors (Lk 23:34), so His servant, surrounded by those who were stoning him, attacked by all, crushed beneath a hail of stones and, without taking any account of the suffering they were causing him, said: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). Do you see how the Son spoke and how His servant prayed? The former said: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” and the latter said: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Moreover, to make us better realise, the fervour with which he was praying, he did not just pray, as he stood beneath the blows of the stones but, he spoke on his knees with sincerity and compassion …
Christ said: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Stephen cried out: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Paul, in his turn, said: “I offer up this sacrifice for my brethren, my kin according to race” (cf.Rm 9:3). Moses said: “If you would only forgive their sin! And if you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written!” (Ex 32:32). David said: “May your hand fall on me and my kindred,” (2 Sam 24:17). … What kind of forgiveness do we think we shall receive if we ourselves do the opposite of what is asked of us and pray against our enemies, when the Lord Himself and His servants of both Old and New Testaments, direct us to pray on their behalf?” – St John Chrysostom (345-407) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon for Good Friday “The Cross and the bandit”).
PRAYER – Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to imitate what we celebrate, so that we may learn to love even our enemies because we keep the anniversary of the death of him, who knew how to plead, even for his persecutors with our Lord, Jesus Christ, Thy Son. 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).
Quote/s of the Day – 13 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – –
“Leave there thy offering before the Altar and go first to be reconciled to thy brother and then, coming, thou shalt offer thy gift.”
Matthew 5:24
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”
Acts 7:60
“No-one heals himself by wounding another.”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church
“… Every man is both debtor and creditor… A beggar asks you for alms but you, too, are God’s beggar, for when we pray we are all beggars of God. We stand – or rather, prostrate ourselves – at our Father’s door (cf Lk 11:5); we beseech Him with groans, anxious to receive a grace from Him and this grace is God Himself! What does the beggar ask of you? Bread. And what is it that you are asking of God but Christ, Who said: “I am the Living Bread come down from Heaven” (Jn 6:51).”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“To the extent that you pray, with all your soul, for the person who slanders you, God will make the truth known to those who have been scandalised by the slander.”
One Minute Reflection – 13 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” –Pentecost V – St Anacletus (c25-c89) 3rd Bishop of Rome and Martyr – 1 Petet 3:8-15; 5:10-11 – Matthew 5:20-24 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Leave there thy offering before the Altar and go first to be reconciled to thy brother and then, coming, thou shalt offer thy gift.” – Matthew 5:24
REFLECTION – “The measure with which you measure shall be measured out to you” (Mt 7:2). And the servant who, after having had all his debt forgiven him by his master, would not forgive his fellow-servant, is confined to prison. Because he was unwilling to forgive his fellow-servant, he lost the forgiveness which had been granted him by the Lord (Mt 18:23f). And these things Christ sets forth still more strongly in his precepts by the greater force of his censure. He says: “When you stand praying, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your transgressions” (Mk 11:25) …
For God commands us to be peacemakers and of one heart and of one mind, in His House. And such as He has made us by a second birth, so by a second birth He wishes to preserve us that we, who are the children of God, may abide in the peace of God and that we ,who have one spirit, may have one heart and mind. Thus God does not receive the sacrifice of a person who is in disagreement but commands him to go back from the Altar and first be reconciled to his brother that so God also, may be appeased by the prayers of the peacemaker. The greater sacrifice to God is our peace and fraternal concord and a people united in the unity of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” – St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258) Bishop of Carthage, Martyr, Father of the Church (The Lord’s Prayer, 23).
PRAYER – Look forgivingly on thy flock, Eternal Shepherd, and keep it in thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Anacletus thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, whom thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church.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).
Quote/s of the Day – 12 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – St John Gualbert (c985-1073) Abbot – Ecclesiasticus Sirach 31:8-11 – Matthew 5:43-48 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But I say to you, love your enemies …”
Matthew 5:44
St John Gualbert said to his enemy, “I cannot refuse what you ask in Christ’s Name. I grant you your life and I give you my friendship. Pray that God may forgive me my sin.”
St John Gualbert (c985-1073) “The Merciful Knight”
“You do not, in your enemies, love what they are but what you would have them become, by your prayers!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 12 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – St John Gualbert (c985-1073) Abbot – Ecclesiasticus Sirach 31:8-11 – Matthew 5:43-48 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But I say to you, Love your enemies …” – Matthew 5:44
REFLECTION – “Let us pay attention, all my brothers, to what the Lord says: “Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you,” for our Lord Jesus Christ, Whose footprints we must follow (cf 1 Pt 2:21), called His betrayer “friend” (Mt 26:50) and gave Himself willingly to those who crucified Him. Our friends, then, are all those who, unjustly afflict upon us, trials and ordeals, shame and injuries, sorrows and torments, martyrdom and death! We must love them greatly for we will possess eternal life because of what they bring upon us.” – St Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226) Founder of the Friars Minor (Earlier Rule, #22).
PRAYER – May the intercession of the blessed Abbot John commend us to Thee, O Lord, so that through his merits we may obtain that which we cannot accomplish by our own. 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).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).
One Minute Reflection – 11 June – “The Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Pentecost Wednesday – Ember Wednesday, Fast & Abstinence – The Feast of St Barnabas the Apostle, Martyr, The “Son of Encouragement” – Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3 – Matthew 10:16-22 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be, therefore, wise as serpents and simple as doves. ” – Matthew – 10:16
REFLECTION – “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His Footsteps,” (1Pt 2:21). Which of the Lord’s examples will we have to follow? Is it His raising of the dead? Is it to walk on the sea? Not in the least. But it is that of being meek and humble of heart (Mt 11:29) and of loving not only our friends but even our enemies (Mt 5:44).
“So that you might follow in His Footsteps,” writes St Peter. The blessed Evangelist John also says the same thing: “Whoever claims to abide in Christ ought to walk as He has walked,” (1 Jn 2:6). And how has Christ walked? He prayed for His enemies on the Cross, saying: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” (Lk 23:34). They have actually lost their senses and are possessed by an evil spirit and while they are persecuting us, they themselves are undergoing a far greater persecution from the devil. Hence, we should be praying more for their deliverance than for their condemnation.
That is indeed what Blessed Stephen did, he who was the first so gloriously to follow in the Footsteps of Christ. For, when he was struck by a hail of stones, he prayed standing for himself but, falling to his knees, he cried out with all his strength for his enemies: “Lord Jesus Christ, do not hold this sin against them,” (Ac 7:60). So even if we think we cannot imitate our Lord, let us at least imitate him who was just as much His servant as we are.” – St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Father of the Church, Bishop (Sermons to the people, No 37).
PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us by the merits and intercession of blessed Barnabas, Thy Apostle, mercifully grant that we, who ask of Thee favours through him, may obtain them by the gift of Thy grace.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).
SACRED Heart of JESUS, I trust in Thee. 300 Days Indulgence Once a Day – Plenary, Once a month. Raccolta 175 – St Pius X, 19 August 1905 and 27 June 1906.
“So also, you now indeed have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice. And your joy, no man shall take from you.”
John 16:22
“It is He Who is our peace.”
St Paul Ephesians 2:14
“What is that joy which no-one can take from you, other than your Lord Himself, Whom no man can take from you? … So examine your conscience, brethren – if righteousness reigns there, if you want, desire and wish the same thing for everyone as for yourself, if there is peace in you, not only with your friends but equally with your enemies, then know that the Kingdom of Heaven, which is to say Christ the Lord, abides in you.”
St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Bishop, Father of the Church
“Be imitators of God, as very dear children and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and delivered Himself up for us …”
St Paul … Ephesians 5:1-2
“But I say to you, Love your enemies …”
Matthew 5:44
“But the wise took oil in their vessels”
Matthew 25:4
“The wise ones’ lamps were burning, from the oil inside them, from the assurance of their consciences, from their inner boast, from their deepest charity.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace
“Father, forgive them.” With this prayer, He wanted to make us understand the love He bore us, undiminished by any suffering and to teach us how our heart should be toward our neighbour.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritas
“He loves you as though He had no-one else to love but you alone. You, too, should love Him alone and all others for His Sake. Of Him you may say and, indeed, you should say: My Beloved to me and I to Him (Cant, 2:16). My God has given Himself all to me and I give myself all to Him; He has chosen me for His beloved and I choose Him, above all others, for my only Love.”
“How to Pray at All Times” By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
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.”
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where rust and moth consume and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves, treasures in Heaven …”
Matthew 6:19-20
“Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. Let no-one try to separate them; they cannot be separated. If you have only one of them, or not all together, you have nothing. So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others you open God’s ear to yourself!”
St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450) Bishop of Ravenna “Doctor of Homilies” Father and Doctor of the Church
“Fasting is the death of sin, the destruction of our crimes and the remedy of our salvation.”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor of the Church
“For the devil may tempt the good but he cannot find rest in them; for he is shaken violently and upset and driven out – now by their prayers, now by their tears of repentance and now. by their almsgiving and similar good works.”
St Bruno (c1030-1101)
“If a man finds it very difficult to forgive injuries, let him look at a Crucifix and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him and not only forgave His enemies but, even prayed His Heavenly Father, to forgive them too. Let him remember, that when he says the Pater Noster, everyday, instead of asking pardon for his sins, he is calling down VENGEANCE UPON HIMSELF!”
St Philip Neri (1515-1595)
“The sacred gift of prayer is already in the Right Hand of the Saviour; as soon as ever you shall have emptied yourself of self, He will pour it into your heart!”
(Letters to Persons in Religion III 19)
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritatis
“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.”
One Minute Reflection – 24 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Saints Chrysanthus and Daria (Died c 282) Martyrs, Married Couple – Wisdom 3:1-8: Luke 11:47-51 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“I will send to them prophets and apostles and some of them they will kill and persecute. ” – Luke 11:49
REFLECTION – “One of you will say: “I’m not able to love my enemies at all.” All through Holy Scripture God has said to you that you can and do you answer Him that, to the contrary, you cannot!? Now think about it – who are we to believe? God or you? Since He who is Truth itself cannot lie, let human weakness leave off its futile excuses forthwith! He who is just, cannot demand something impossible and He who is merciful, will not condemn someone for something that person could not avoid. So why these evasions then? There is no-one who knows better, what we are capable of, than He who has given us the ability. Such numbers of men, women, children, tender young girls, have borne flames, fire, sword and the wild beasts for Christ’s sake, without flinching and we, do we say that we cannot bear the insults of unintelligent persons?…
Indeed, if only the good are to be loved, what are we to say of the action of our God, of whom it is written: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son?” (Jn 3,16). For what good deeds are they, that the world had done, for God to love it so? Christ our Lord, found us all to be, not only evil but even dead, on account of original sin and yet… “he loved us and handed himself over for us” (Eph 5,2). In so acting, He loved even those who did not love Him, as the Apostle Paul also says: “Christ died for the guilty” (Rm 5,6). And in his inexpressible mercy, He gave this example to all humankind, saying: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart” (Mt 11,29).” – St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Bishop and Monk (Sermons to the people, no 37).
PRAYER – May the prayer of Your blessed Martyrs, Chrysanthus and Daria, defend us, O Lord, that we may ever enjoy the loving help of those whom we honour by this celebration.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).
Quote/s of the Day – 3August – 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/
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”
Acts 7:60
“Leave there thy offering before the Altar and go first to be reconciled to thy brother and then, coming, thou shalt offer thy gift.”
Matthew 5:24
“But I say to you, love your enemies …”
Matthew 5:44
“Whoever says he abides in Christ, ought to walk, even as Christ walked …”
1 John 2:6
“Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be, therefore, wise as serpents and simple as doves. ” Matthew – 10:16
“So that you might follow in His Footsteps,” writes St Peter. The blessed Evangelist John also says the same thing: “Whoever claims to abide in Christ ought to walk as He has walked,” (1 Jn 2:6). And how has Christ walked? He prayed for His enemies on the Cross, saying: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” (Lk 23:34). They have actually lost their senses and are possessed by an evil spirit and while they are persecuting us, they themselves are undergoing a far greater persecution from the devil. Hence, we should be praying more for their deliverance, than for their condemnation.”
St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Father of the Church, Bishop
“To the extent that you pray, with all your soul, for the person who slanders you, God will make the truth known to those who have been scandalised by the slander.”
One Minute Reflection – 3 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – 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/
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them” – Acts 7:60
REFLECTION – “Let us imitate our Lord and pray for our enemies … He was Crucified yet, at the same time, prayed to His Father for the sake of those who were crucifying Him. But how could I possibly imitate our Lord, one might ask? If you wish to, you will be able to. If you were not able to do it, how could He have said: “Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart”? (Mt 11:29) …
If you have difficulty in imitating our Lord, at least imitate him who is also His servant, His Deacon – I would speak of Stephen. Just as Christ, in the midst of those crucifying Him, without considering the Cross, without considering His own predicament, pleaded with the Father on behalf of His tormentors (Lk 23:34), so His servant, surrounded by those who were stoning him, attacked by all, crushed beneath a hail of stones and, without taking any account of the suffering they were causing him, said: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). Do you see how the Son spoke and how His servant prayed? The former said: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” and the latter said: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Moreover, to make us better realise, the fervour with which he was praying, he did not just pray, as he stood beneath the blows of the stones but, he spoke on his knees with sincerity and compassion …
Christ said: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Stephen cried out: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Paul, in his turn, said: “I offer up this sacrifice for my brethren, my kin according to race” (cf.Rm 9:3). Moses said: “If you would only forgive their sin! And if you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written!” (Ex 32:32). David said: “May your hand fall on me and my kindred,” (2 Sam 24:17). … What kind of forgiveness do we think we shall receive if we ourselves do the opposite of what is asked of us and pray against our enemies, when the Lord Himself and His servants of both Old and New Testaments, direct us to pray on their behalf?” – St John Chrysostom (345-407) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon for Good Friday “The Cross and the bandit”).
PRAYER – Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to imitate what we celebrate, so that we may learn to love even our enemies because we keep the anniversary of the death of him, who knew how to plead, even for his persecutors with our Lord, Jesus Christ, Thy Son. 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).
Thought for the Day – 17 July – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
HUMILITY Meditations for a Month
Humility under Correction
To be forced to recognise defects in ourselves, is always painful to human nature. We should like to think ourselves perfect, or at any rate, free from any very serious faults. In spite of all our efforts, the knowledge of our many imperfections and blemishes, thrusts itself upon us and the difference between the man of goodwill and the lover of self is, that one turns himself with all his energy to cure his defects and, the other, seeks to palliate them, excuse them and hide them, as best he can from himself and others.
One of the best means of exterminating our faults, is to be told of them by others. Here again, another signal difference is seen between the proud man and the humble. The one is grateful for the correction and turns at once to avail himself of it. The other, resents it and is more inclined to think how he can revenge himself on his reprover, than how he may remedy his own defect. Judged by this test, am I among the proud or the humble? When reproved, is my first impulse vexation and anger, or sorrow and a wish to amend?
There is still another test. The proud sometimes avail themselves of a reproof and correct their faults because of that reproof. Yet, they seek to conceal from their reprover, the fact that they are following his counsel. They will not acknowledge, that they are being guided by the reprover. Those who are truly humble, rejoice in letting others see that they are adopting their advice in submitting themselves to reproof, with gratitude, as coming from God and as a favour bestowed on them. Can I stand this test?
Quote/s of the Day – 12 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – St John Gualbert (c985-1073) Abbot, “The Merciful Knight”– Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6, Matthew 5:43-48 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But I say to you, love your enemies …” Matthew 5:44
St John Gualbert said to his enemy, “I cannot refuse what you ask in Christ’s Name. I grant you your life and I give you my friendship. Pray that God may forgive me my sin.”
St John Gualbert (c985-1073) “The Merciful Knight”
“What is the surest kind of witness? “Anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ came among us in the flesh” (cf 1 Jn 4:2) and who keeps the commands of the Gospel… How many there are, each day, of these hidden martyrs of Christ who confess the Lord Jesus! … So be faithful and courageous in interior persecutions, so that you may also win the victory in exterior persecutions.”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor of the Church
“… Every man is both debtor and creditor… A beggar asks you for alms but you, too, are God’s beggar, for when we pray we are all beggars of God. We stand – or rather, prostrate ourselves – at our Father’s door (cf Lk 11:5); we beseech Him with groans, anxious to receive a grace from Him and this grace is God Himself! What does the beggar ask of you? Bread. And what is it that you are asking of God but Christ, Who said: “I am the Living Bread come down from Heaven” (Jn 6:51).”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“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.”
One Minute Reflection – 12 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St John Gualbert (c985-1073) Abbot – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6, Matthew 5:43-48 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But I say to you, Love your enemies …” Matthew 5:44
REFLECTION – “Let us pay attention, all my brothers, to what the Lord says: “Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you,” for our Lord Jesus Christ, Whose footprints we must follow (cf 1 Pt 2:21), called His betrayer “friend” (Mt 26:50) and gave Himself willingly to those who Crucified Him. Our friends, then, are all those who, unjustly afflict upon us, trials and ordeals, shame and injuries, sorrows and torments, martyrdom and death! We must love them greatly, for we will possess eternal life because of what they bring upon us.” – St Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226) Founder of the Friars Minor (Earlier Rule, #22).
PRAYER – May the intercession of the blessed Abbot John commend us to Thee, O Lord, so that through his merits we may obtain that which we cannot accomplish by our own. 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).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).
Quote/s of the Day – 23 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” –The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – 1 Peter 3:8-15; Matthew 5:20-24. – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Leave there thy offering before the Altar and go first to be reconciled to thy brother and then, coming, thou shalt offer thy gift.”
Matthew 5:24
“Remember not our former iniquities, let Thy mercies speedily prevent us, for we are become exceeding poor. Help us, O God, our Saviour and for the glory of Thy Name, O Lord, deliver us and forgive us our sins, for Thy Name’s sake.”
Psalm 78:8-9
“Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times but seventy times seven.”
Matthew 18:21-22
“If your brother sins, rebuke him and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.”
Luke 17:3-4
“No-one heals himself by wounding another.”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church
“If a man finds it very difficult to forgive injuries, let him look at a Crucifix and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him and not only forgave His enemies but, even prayed His Heavenly Father, to forgive them too. Let him remember, that when he says the Pater Noster, everyday, instead of asking pardon for his sins, he is calling down VENGEANCE UPON HIMSELF!”
One Minute Reflection – 11 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Feast of St Barnabas the Apostle, Martyr, The “Son of Encouragement” – Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3; Matthew 10:16-22.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be, therefore, wise as serpents and simple as doves. ” – Matthew – 10:16
REFLECTION – “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His Footsteps,” (1Pt 2:21). Which of the Lord’s examples will we have to follow? Is it His raising of the dead? Is it to walk on the sea? Not in the least. But it is that of being meek and humble of heart (Mt 11:29) and of loving not only our friends but even our enemies (Mt 5:44).
“So that you might follow in His Footsteps,” writes St Peter. The blessed Evangelist John also says the same thing: “Whoever claims to abide in Christ ought to walk as He has walked,” (1 Jn 2:6). And how has Christ walked? He prayed for His enemies on the Cross, saying: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” (Lk 23:34). They have actually lost their senses and are possessed by an evil spirit and while they are persecuting us, they themselves are undergoing a far greater persecution from the devil. Hence, we should be praying more for their deliverance than for their condemnation.
That is indeed what Blessed Stephen did, he who was the first so gloriously to follow in the Footsteps of Christ. For, when he was struck by a hail of stones, he prayed standing for himself but, falling to his knees, he cried out with all his strength for his enemies: “Lord Jesus Christ, do not hold this sin against them,” (Ac 7:60). So even if we think we cannot imitate our Lord, let us at least imitate him who was just as much His servant as we are.” – St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Father of the Church, Bishop (Sermons to the people, No 37).
PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us by the merits and intercession of blessed Barnabas, Thy Apostle, mercifully grant that we, who ask of Thee favours through him, may obtain them by the gift of Thy grace.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).
SACRED Heart of JESUS, I trust in Thee. 300 Days Indulgence Once a Day – Plenary, Once a month. Raccolta 175 – St Pius X, 19 August 1905 and 27 June 1906.
One Minute Reflection – 31 May – Within the Octave of Corpus Christi – Mamorial of St Petronilla of Rome (1st Century) Virgin Martyr – 1 Corinthians 23-29; John 6:56-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“ … For he who eats and drinks unworthily, … eats and drinks judgement upon himself.”- 1 Corinthians 29
REFLECTION – “Christ has hidden enemies. All those who live unjust and irreligious lives are Christ’s enemies, even if they are signed with His Name and are called ‘Christians’ – I mean the ones to whom he is going to say, “I do not know you” and they say to Him, “Lord, in Thy Name we ate and drank. In Thy Name, we performed many deeds of power. What did we eat and drink in Thy Name?”
You see that they did not value their food very highly and yet, it was with reference to It that they said they belonged to Christ. Christ is the Food that is eaten and drunk. Even Christ’s enemies eat and drink Him! The faithful know the Lamb without spot on which they feed, if only they fed on It in such a way that they are not liable to punishment! The Apostle says, “Whoever eats and drinks unworthily, is eating and drinking judgement upon himself.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 308).
PRAYER – Graciously hear us, O God our Saviour, that as we rejoice in the festival of blessed Petronilla, Thy Virgin, so may we be nourished by the food of her heavenly teaching that we may be enlightened by the fervour of her dedicated holiness.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).
One Minute Reflection – 25 April – St Mark Evangelist – Ezekiel 1:10-14; … Luke 10:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them forth …” – Luke 10:1
REFLECTION – “As He sent out disciples into His harvest – which had, in truth, been sown by the Father’s Word but which required, to be worked over, cultivated and carefully tended, if the birds were not to ravage the seed – Jesus said to them: “Behold, I send you out like lambs among wolves”. … The Good Shepherd could not but fear wolves amongst His flock: these disciples were sent to spread grace abroad, not to become a prey. But the Good Shepherd’s care prevented the wolves from doing anything against the lambs he sends out. He sends them that Isaiah’s prophecy might be fulfilled: “The wolf and the lamb shall graze alike” (Is 65:25) … And besides, were not the disciples who were sent ordered not even to carry a staff? …
What our humble Lord laid down, His disciples also accomplished by practicing humility. For He sends them out to announce the faith, not by force but by their teaching; not by exerting force of will but by exalting the doctrine of humility. And He thought well to link patience to humility, since, according to Peter’s testimony: “When He was insulted, He returned no insult; when He suffered, He did not threaten” (1 Pet 2:23).
This amounts to saying: “Be imitators of Me, let go of your thirst for revenge, respond to the blows of pride, not by returning evil for evil but, with the patience that forgives. No-one should perform, on their own account, what they reprehend in others – gentleness confronts the arrogant with far greater strength!” – St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor of the Church (Commentary on St Luke’s Gospel 7:45,59).
PRAYER – O God, Who didst exalt Thy blessed Evangelist Mark, by giving him grace to preach Thine Evangel, grant unto us, we beseech Thee, ever to follow more and more what he teaches and ever to be shielded from all evil by his prayers. 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).
AnaStpaul 
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