Category: QUOTES on PRAYER

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 7 September – How We Should Pray

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Thought for the Day – 7 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

How We Should Pray

“We must pray with deep humility.
Once again we find, that the Man-God Jesus, has given us an example.
In Gethsemane He fell prostate on the ground and begged that, if it were possible, the bitter chalice might be taken away from Him.
Immediately He added. with full submission to the will of His Heavenly Father – “Yet, not my will but thine be done” (Lk 22:42).
Let us remember, moreover, the parable of the Pharisee and the publican.
The former appeared to be full of virtue but he was proud and was rejected.
The latter, recognised in all humility, that he was a poor sinner and he was exalted.
“Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled and he who humbles himself shall be exalted” (Lk 14:11).
“God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Js 4:6).
“The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest, until t reaches its goal” (Ecclus 35:17).

When we kneel down to pray, therefore, we should make an act of humility.
We are poor beggars, as St Augustine puts it, before the throne of God.
Let us pray with confidence in God’s goodness but also with a proper realisation of our own helplessness.
Then God will take pity on us.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/16/thought-for-the-day-16-march-how-we-should-pray/

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEDIOCRITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SILENCE, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 September – Prayer

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Readings: Colossians 2: 6-15; Psalm 145: 1b-2, 8-9-11; Luke 6: 12-19

“Jesus departed to the mountain to pray
and he spent the night in prayer to God”

Luke 6:12

“Prayer is the wing,
wherewith the soul flies to heaven
and meditation,
the eye,
wherewith we see God.”

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

“Ask with tears,
seek with obedience,
knock with patience.”

St John Climacus (c 525-606)
Father of the Church

“[Prayer] is the one means for our purification,
the one way to union with God,
the one channel by which God may unite Himself with us,
that He may do anything with us, for His glory.
To obtain the virtues of an apostle,
we must pray;
to make them of use to our neighbour,
we must pray;
to prevent our losing them,
while we use them in His service,
we must pray.
The counsel, or rather the commandment:
Pray always, seems to me extremely sweet
and by no means impossible.
It secures the practice of the presence of God …”

St Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682)
“Apostle of the Sacred Heart”

“In silence, He listens to us,
in silence He speaks to our souls,
in silence we are granted the privilege
of hearing His voice –

Silence of the eyes,
Silence of the ears,
Silence of our mouths,
Silence of our minds.
In the silence of the heart
God will speak.”

Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

‘No Greater Love’

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on PRAYER, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 September – ‘A model is given to you. …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 7 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Readings: Colossians 2: 6-15; Psalm 145: 1b-2, 8-9-11; Luke 6: 12-19

“Jesus departed to the mountain to pray and he spent the night in prayer to God”– Luke 6:12

REFLECTION – “So the Lord prays, not to entreat for Himself but to intercede for me. Although the Father placed all things in the power of His Son, yet the Son, in order to fulfill the form of a man, thinks that the Father must be entreated for us because He is our Advocate. If He is an Advocate, He must intercede on account of my sins.

It says, “He passed the whole night in prayer.” A model is given to you. A form is prescribed which you must imitate. Unless I am mistaken, it is nowhere found that He prayed with the Apostles. Everywhere He entreats alone, for human prayers do not grasp the counsels of God, nor can anyone share with Christ in the inward mysteries.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan, Father, Doctor of the Church – (Exposition on the Gospel of Luke, 5.)

PRAYER – Our Father who art in heaven, almighty and eternal God, teach us to pause often during our active lives and recollect ourselves. Let us put away the problems of life and commune with You in prayer and meditation. Mary, Holy and Sorrowful Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, teach us the how to pray and how to imitate your courage and strength in silence. Pray for us that we may be inspired to turn to our God for strength, in this vale of tears. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Advocate, with the Holy Spirit, one God now and for all eternity, amen.

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY NAME of MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 5 September – St Lawrence Justinian

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 September – The Memorial of St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455) Bishop

“There is no prayer or good work
so great, so pleasing to God,
so useful to us,
as the Holy Mass.”

“The name of Mary
is a tower of strength,
which saves sinners from punishment
and defends the just
from the assaults of hell.”

“By the practice of prayer
we can construct an impregnable citadel,
in which we shall be securely protected
against all the snares of the enemy.”

St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455)

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 31 August – Prayer and Our Lady

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Thought for the Day – 31 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Prayer and Our Lady

“He told them a parable – that they must always pray and not lose heart” (Lk 18:1).
Nobody else on earth ever carried out this command of Our Lord as perfectly as Our Lady.
St Albert the Great says that, after Jesus Christ, the spirit of prayer is to be found at it’s most perfect, in Our Lady (Sup Miss 80).
It was because of her immense love for her divine Son that Mary was able to put into practice, throughout her life, that Gospel precept of unceasing prayer.
Prayer in it’s fullest sense, is in fact, an act of love rather than supplication.
It is defined as an elevation of soul to God, to adore and praise Him, to thank Him and to ask Him for His favours.
It leads to lasting and intimate union with God, who should be regarded as our only good and as the final end of our lives.
Since Mary was full of grace, she was always closest to God.
Even before she became His Mother, she constantly enjoyed His intimacy.
Despite the many sorrows of her life, this intimacy became still greater and more beautiful, when she became the Mother of Jesus.
From that time, she was able to hold Him to her immaculate bosom and to live in close familiarity with Him.
She was able, too, to follow Him on His apostolic journeys, until He reached Calvary and the Cross and, finally, to see Him gloriously risen from the dead.
After Jesus had ascended into Heaven, her soul expanded with a nostalgic love for her divine Son, until her earthly journey was over and she was taken up into Heaven.
There, she reigns supreme among the Saints and Angels and never ceases to pray for us, her exiled children, who need her help so much.
Let us learn from Mary, how to pray with love and perseverance.
Then, we shall be able to follow her along the difficult way of perfection, which leads towards Heaven.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

On this last day of the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, let us call upon her in all our great needs.

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin
By St Paschasius Radbertus (785–865)

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin,
Mother most pure,
to accept the loving cry of praise
which we send up to you
from the depths of our hearts.
Though they can but add little to your glory,
O Queen of Angels,
you do not despise, in your love,
the praises of the humble
and the poor.
Cast down upon us a glance of mercy,
O most glorious Queen,
graciously receive our petitions.
Through your immaculate purity of body and mind,
which rendered you so pleasing to God,
inspire us with a love of innocence and purity.
Teach us to guard carefully the gifts of grace,
striving ever after sanctity, so that,
being made like the image of your beauty,
we may be worthy to become the sharers
of your eternal happiness.
Amen

St Paschasius Radbertus was a Theologian and the Benedictine Abbot of Corbie.
Read about him here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2019/04/26/saint-of-the-day-26-april-saint-paschasius-radbertus-785-865/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 30 August – Perseverance

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

Perseverance

“Perseverance may be a difficult virtue but nothing is really difficult to a person of strong resolution.
When the sister of St Thomas Aquinas asked him how to become holy, he replied that it needed only one thing – a firm act of the will, for God will certainly supply the necessary grace.

Think of how much work and sacrifice is required to achieve worldly success.
Cicero wrote that it required constant and tireless labour in order to become a great orator (Cf De Oratore, 1:39).
St Paul cited the example of athletes who are prepared to make such great sacrifices, in order to train themselves to win.
If they are prepared to do so much to gain a perishable crown, he comments, we should be prepared to do much more to gain an imperishable one (Cf 1 Cor 9:25).

The grace of God is the principal weapon upon which we must depend in order to gain our victory.
We should pray for it humbly and perseveringly.
There will be victors and losers in the battle for Heaven as well as in earthly contests.
We must make sure that we are on the winning side!
For this purpose, we should combine fervent and constant prayer with generous co-operation with the grace of God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/30/thought-for-the-day-30-august-perseverance/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TIME, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 9 August – St John Vianney

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 August – St John Vianney

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

“Do not try to please everybody.
Try to please God, the Angels and the Saints –
they are your public.”

“All that we do
without offering it to God,
is wasted!”

“God commands you to pray
but forbids you to worry!”

St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859

LOTS MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/04/quote-s-of-the-day-4-august-st-john-vianney/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on MEDIOCRITY, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Thought for the Day – 7 August – Spiritual Languor

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Thought for the Day – 7 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Spiritual Languor

“Sometimes we become tired and sleepy.
The love of God no longer warms our hearts nor prompts us to perform good works.
We experience a kind of disgust for spiritual things and prayer becomes a burden.
We no longer feel any pleausre in speaking with God, for our souls have grown arid and cold.
We neglect our spiritual exercises and are careless about mediation and the Sacraments.
We go on living on the edge of the abyss and never consider the fact, that it is a very short step from spiritual inactivity to actual sin.

This kind of languor is not always sinful, however.
Sometimes God permits dryness of spirit to test our humility and to make us understand, that without Him, we are capable of nothing.
Saints, like St Theresa and St Francis de Sales, were tried by spiritual aridity.
In such cases, the only remedy is to be patient and humble and to trust in God.
We must ask God to let us die rather than be separated from Him and to restore to us, our former fervent love for Him.

Most often this languor and inertia is caused by our neglect of the means necessary to preserve our spiritual life.
We begin by omitting the prayers and penances which it is our duty to perform and by postponing Confession and Holy Communion.
Without frequent Confession, our sins increase like noxious weeds, which stifle the good grain.
Without Holy Communion, we lack the protection and grace of God.

Let us examine ourselves and make good resolutions.
Fervour of soul, the love of God and a strong and effective inclination to virtue, cannot be attributed purely to ourselves.
They are the result of God’s grace, for which we should pray without ceasing!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 4 August – St Dominic de Guzman

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 August – The Memorial of St Dominic de Guzman OP(1170-1221)

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

“You are my companion
and must walk with me.
For if we hold together,
no earthly power can withstand us.”

— Upon meeting St Francis of Assisi.

“I am not capable of doing big things
but I want to do everything,
even the smallest things,
for the greater glory of God.”

St Dominic de Guzman (1170-1221)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/08/quote-s-of-the-day-8-august-the-memorials-of-st-dominic-1170-1221-and-st-mary-of-the-cross-mackillop-1842-1909/

Posted in Act of SPIRITUAL COMMUNION, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FRIENDSHIP, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 2 August – St Alphonsus

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 August – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“If you wish to charm the loving Heart of your God,
set yourself to talk to Him,
as often as you can
and, after a fashion,
continually, together with the fullest
and most confident liberty.
He will not hold aloof from answering you
and participating in the conversation on His part.”

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

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

“Were you to ask,
‘what are the means of overcoming temptations’,
I would answer:
the first means is prayer,
the second is prayer,
the third is prayer
and should you ask me a thousand times,
I would repeat the same.”

“Sacrilegious tongues blaspheme the God
who preserves their existence!
… you should be damned forever
and, instead of thanking Him for His goodness,
you, at the very time
that He bestows His favours upon you,
YOU blaspheme His Holy Name!”

“Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus
in the Blessed Sacrament
is the greatest, after the sacraments,
the one dearest to God
and the one most helpful to us.”

Act of Spiritual Communion
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

I desire, good Jesus,
to receive Thee in Holy Communion
and since I cannot now receive Thee
in the Blessed Sacrament,
I beseech Thee to come to me spiritually
and to refresh my soul with Thy sweetness.
Come, my Lord, my God and my All!
Come to me
and never let me ever again
be separated from Thee by sin.
Teach me Thy blessed ways,
help me with Thy grace to imitate Thy example,
to practise meekness, humility,
charity and all the virtues of Thy Sacred Heart.
My divine Master, my one desire is to do Thy will
and to love Thee, more and more.
Help me, that I may be faithful to the end, in Thy service.
Bless me in life and in death,
that I may praise Thee, forever in heaven,
Amen

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

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 July – “Until the harvest” – – Matthew 13:30

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One Minute Reflection – 24 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Exodus 24: 3-8; Psalms 50: 1b-2, 5-6, 14-15; Matthew 13: 24-30

“Suffer both to grow until the harvest” – – Matthew 13:30

REFLECTION – “Nor must one imagine that the Body of the Church, just because it bears the name of Christ, is made up during the days of its earthly pilgrimage, only of members conspicuous for their holiness, or, that it consists only of those whom God has predestined to eternal happiness. It is owing to the Saviour’s infinite mercy, that place is allowed in His Mystical Body here below, for those whom, of old, He did not exclude from the banquet (cf. Mt 9:11). For not every sin, however grave it may be, is such as of its own nature to sever a man from the Body of the Church, as does schism or heresy or apostasy. Men may lose charity and divine grace through sin, thus becoming incapable of supernatural merit and yet, not be deprived of all life, if they hold fast to faith and Christian hope and if, illumined from above, they are spurred on, by the interior promptings of the Holy Spirit to salutary fear and are moved to prayer and penance for their sins.

Let everyone then abhor sin, which defiles the mystical members of our Redeemer but,, if anyone unhappily falls and his obstinacy has not made him unworthy of communion with the faithful, let him be received with great love and let eager charity see in him a weak member of Jesus Christ. For, as the Bishop of Hippo remarks –
“it is better to be cured within the Church’s community than to be cut off from its Body as incurable members. As long as a member still forms part of the Body, there is no reason to despair of its cure; once it has been cut off, it can be neither cured nor healed.’”- Venerable Pius XII (1876-1958) – Pope from 1939 to 1958 – Encyclical – Mystici Corporis Christi, 1943

PRAYER – All-powerful and ever-living God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, chase away the night of sin and fill our minds with the glory of Your coming. Take away our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh, help us in our battle with sin and the devil. By our prayers, Your holy sacraments and the strength of the Holy Spirit, may we be ever vigilant of the evil one. Hear the prayers of our Queen and Mother, the Blessed Virgin of Mercy on our behalf dear Lord. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Thought for the Day – 18 July – Intimacy with Jesus

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Thought for the Day – 18 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Intimacy with Jesus

“The union of love which should exist between Jesus and ourselves, is modelled on the mysterious union between Jesus and His Heavenly Father.

(1) This intimacy between ourselves and Jesus should be, first of all, in the mind.
Our thoughts will be good when we think like God and with the mind of Jesus, “Who is the true light that enlightens every man who comes into the world” (Jn 1:9).
If we stray away from that light, darkness overwhelms us, even as it pervaded the earth during the agony of Jesus Christ.
Our intelligence is a ray of light which comes from God, we should take care not to allow this ray to be separated from its divine source.
This heavenly ray always shone on the faces of the saints because they were clean of heart and close to God.
That is how we should all be.

(2) In the second place, we should be united intimately with Jesus in our sentiments.
“Have this mind in you which was also in Jesus Christ” (Phil 2:5) says St Paul.
Our love must not be abstract or partial but must be all-absorbing.
Jesus calls us friends and friendship unites two hearts as one.
We must give ourselves completely to Jesus without reserving anything for ourselves.
True holiness is found when God and man are united like two faithful constant friends.

(3) In the third place, there must be intimacy in action.
It is not possible for a man who truly loves God to do anything which would offend Him.
Jesus compares the love which we should have for Him with the love which He has for His Heavenly Father, so we should model our lives continuously on the life of Jesus.
Jesus must work in us, as He did in St Paul and all the Saints.

St Francis de Sales writes, that Jesus should always be in our minds, in our hearts, in our eyes and on our tongue.
We should be living images of Jesus and we must, therefore, live and act for Him, with Him and in Him.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CONTEMPLATIVE Prayer, DOCTORS of the Church, HOLY SPIRIT, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on SOLITUDE, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 July – “Come away by yourselves ” – Mark 6:31

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Jeremiah 23: 1-6; Psalms 23: 1-3, 3-4, 5, 6 (1); Ephesians 2: 13-18
Gospel: Mark 6: 30-34

“Come away by yourselves ,
o a deserted place and rest awhile”

Mark 6:31

“What benefits
What divine exultation
The solitude and silence of the desert
Hold in store for those who love it!”

St Bruno (c 1030-1101)

“Alas, such are the passions of the flesh
and the turmoil of thoughts,
coming and going in our hearts,
that we have no time
to eat the food of everlasting sweetness,
nor perceive the taste of interior contemplation.
That is why our Lord says:
“Come away” from the noisy crowd
“to a deserted place,”
to solitude of mind and heart,
“and rest awhile.”

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

“Until I was alone I never really lived.
Until I was alone, I was not with myself.
Until I was alone, I never drew near to my creator.”

Bl Paolo Giustiniani (1476-1528)

“Recall yourself sometimes to the interior solitude of your heart
and there, removed from all creatures,
treat of the affairs of your salvation
and your perfection with God,
as a friend would speak heart to heart with another.”

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

“The great method of prayer is to have none.
If, in going to prayer,
one can form in oneself,
a pure capacity for receiving the spirit of God,
that will suffice for all method.”

St Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SAINT of the DAY, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – St Bonaventure

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” and the Memorial of St Bonaventure OFM (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church

“As “pride is the beginning of all sin,” (Eccl. 10:15)
so humility is the foundation of all virtue.
Learn to be really humble and not,
as the hypocrite, humble merely in appearance.”

“Run with eager desire
to this Source of Life and Light,
all you who are vowed
to God’s service.”

St Bonaventure’s Sermon of 4 October 1255

“When we pray,
the voice of the heart
must be heard ,
more than that proceeding
from the mouth.”

“Have Mercy on Me, O Lady

Have mercy on me, O Lady,
for thou art called the Mother of Mercy.
And according to thy mercy,
cleanse me from all my iniquities.
Pour forth thy grace upon me
and withdraw not from me
thine accustomed clemency.
For I will confess my sins to thee
and I will accuse myself of all my crimes before thee.
Reconcile me to the Fruit of thy womb:
and make peace for me with Him,
Who has created me.
Amen.”

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure

“Mary seeks for those
who approach her devoutly and with reverence,
for such she loves, nourishes,
and adopts as her children. ”

MORE HERE:

Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – St Bonaventure

AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/07/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-july-the-wisdom-of-st-bonaventure/

St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PRAYER

Our Morning Offering – 14 July – St Alphonsus Liguori’s Prayer for the Gift of Prayer

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Our Morning Offering – 14 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood”

Prayer for the Gift of Prayer
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

O Incarnate Word,
You have given Your Blood and Your Life
to confer on our prayers that power by which,
according to Your promise,
they obtain for us all that we ask.
And we, O God,
are so careless of our salvation,
that we will not even ask You for the graces
that we must have, if we should be saved!
In prayer You have given us the key
of all Your Divine treasures
and we, rather than pray,
choose to remain in our misery.
Alas! O Lord, enlighten us,
and make us know the value of prayers,
offered in Your name and by Your merits,
in the eyes of Your Eternal Father.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, GOD is LOVE, GOD the FATHER, I BELIEVE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The LORD'S PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 10 July – “Give Us this Day Our Daily Bread”

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

“Give Us this Day Our Daily Bread”

“In the second part of the Lord’s Prayer, we ask the universal Father, on behalf of ourselves and of our brethren, for all things necessary for soul and body.
Since we have already paid homage to God, our Creator and our Redeemer and, have prayed for the triumph of His kingdom and for the accomplishment of His will in Heaven and on earth, Our Lord does not forbid us to think now of ourselves and to pray for our own needs.
“Give us this day our daily bread,” we ask, intending to pray, both for our spiritual and material requirements.

We should not delude ourselves into imagining that it is we who produce the fruits of the earth.
A grain of wheat dies beneath the soil but God has infused into it, a mysterious force as a result of which, in dying, it generates new life.

The moisture of the soil, the warmth of the air and the light of the sun combine to develop this mysterious life-force, which produces the green stalk and then the flaxen ear of corn which provides us with bread.
It is God Who has given this vital power to this tiny seed, as well as to all the other seeds of the soil.
It is He Who has endowed the soil with the nutritive elements from which the seeds draw life and it is He, Who sends the dew, the rain and the sunshine, which cause the flowers to blossom and the plants to bear fruit.

We should ask God humbly, therefore, to “give us this day our daily bread.”
Our own labours would be futile without the intervention of the all-powerful Creator.
We are capable, neither of producing, nor of destroying a single atom nor a single seedling.
Without God, we are incapable of achieving anything, either inthe natural or in the supernatural order.
Therefore, we must ask Him to provide us with what we need.
He is supremely good and loves us very much.
His Providence will not leave us in want, even if we are often obliged to work hard in co-operation with Him to procure the necessaries of life.
The birds have no granary, yet they manage to find enough seed to keep them alive because God is watching over them.
How could we suppose, that He will not look after us, if we turn to Him with trust and perseverance?”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, FRUITS of the SPIRIT, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on THE WORLD, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 5 July – St Anthony Mary Zaccaria

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – the Memorial of St Anthony Mary Zaccaria CRSP (1502-1539)

“In His mercy, God has chosen us,
unworthy as we are,
out of the world,
to serve Him and thus, to advance in goodness
and to bear the greatest possible
fruit of love in patience.”

“If you want to pray well,
first detach yourself from things of the world,
purify yourself from your passions,
which deprive your soul of your trust in God,
then prepare yourself for prayer through meditation.”

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

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/05/quote-s-of-the-day-5-july-st-anthony-mary-zaccaria-2/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 2 July – The Grace of God

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

The Grace of God

“God has endowed us with wonderful corporal and spiritual gifts, creating us after His own image with powers of intellect and of will.
More than this, He has raised us to the supernatural order by communicating to us, His grace, which enables us to live His own life and to share in His divine nature, as His adopted sons.

Grace is the greatest gift which God has given us.
It enlightens our minds and moves our will to obey His commands and to perform actions which merit an everlasting reward.
It is an entirely supernatural and gratuitous gift.
For this reason, we cannot merit it but, we should continually pray for it because, it is absolutely necessary if we are to do good and to merit Heaven.
Our first ancestor, Adam, was endowed with this gift by our Creator.
Unfortunately, by original sin, he lost it for himself and for his descendants.

We cannot complain to God about this loss, since grace is an entirely supernatural gift which is in no way, due to our human nature.
For the same reason, we cannot merit it on our own.
But God, being infinitely good, as well as, infinitely just, sent His only-begotten Son to redeem us from sin and to grant us His friendship once more.

We should be very grateful to God for this extraordinary favour and should unite our efforts to the divine action of grace, in the performance of good works, which will enable us to merit everlasting life.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST

Quote/s of the Day – 2 July – I am a sinner

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Genesis 23: 1-4, 19; 24: 1-8, 62-67, Psalms 106: 1b-2, 3-4a, 4b-5, Matthew 9: 9-13

“It is not the healthy
who are in need of the physician
but those who are sick”

Matthew 9:12

“… Veiled in a human body,
He was able to communicate with humans.
He who wanted to assist the guilty
hides the fact that He is a Judge.
He who did not deny dignity to faithful servants,
conceals his Lordship.
He who desired the weak
to be embraced by a parent’s love,
covers His Majesty.”

St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450)
“Doctor of Homilies”
Father and Doctor of the Church

” Indeed, the instant you say:
“I have sinned against the Lord”,
the response is given you:
“Your sins are forgiven” (Mt 9:2).
… Only do not keep away, or distance yourself,
from He who has chosen you to sing
and pray but all your life long,
remain close to Him,
either through pure confidence,
or by a holy audacity and courageous confession.”

John of Karpathos (7th Century) Bishop

“My beloved Redeemer,
how much did it cost You to raise me from the ruin,
which I brought on myself through my sins?
What can I do without Your grace?
I can do nothing but pray
that You will help me
but even this prayer comes
from the merits of Your suffering and death!
O my Jesus, help me!”

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most zealous Doctor

“Even if we are unfaithful servants
and are covered with the leprosy of sin,
let us go to Him and He will heal us.
Even if we have deserved Hell a thousand times,
let us shed tears of repentance at His feet
as Magdalen did and,
He will give us His forgiveness and His peace.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Lord Jesus Christ,Son of God,
Have Mercy on me, a sinner.”

(Cf Luke 18:13)

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, JESUIT SJ, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 21 June – St Aloysius Gonzaga

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Thought for the Day – 21 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

St Aloysius Gonzaga

“St Aloysius Gonzaga is one of the outstanding models of holy purity, for young and old alike.
We are told, that when he was nine years of age and went to the City of Florence, he went to the Church of the Annunziata, to pray before the picture of our Blessed Lady.
It was then, that he experienced the ardent desire to consecrate himself to God.
He was the eldest son of Prince Ferdinand de Gonzaga and, therefore, heir to his father’s title.
But, from this moment, he was determined to spend his life in the service of God.
He made a vow of perpetual chastity and placed himself under the protection of the Blessed Virgin.

Now, his life became a continual ascent towards perfection.
Hs chastity, which he had offered to Our Lady, remained spotless until his death.
The spirit of evil could make no headway against his angelic virtue.
This was a grace which he merited as a result of his prayers and penances.
He often spent three or four hours, kneeling in prayer and contemplation.
Even at night, he rose from his bed, in order to pray.
His mind and heart where in Heaven, rather than upon earth.
His prayer was an intimate conversation with Jesus, Mary and the Saints.
Innocent though he was, he practised servere mortifications.
Believing himself to be a great sinner, he scourged his body until his blood flowed freely and deprived himself of food and sleep.

Do we wish to preserve our purity and to become saints?
If so, let us remember that without prayer and mortification, this is impossible.
Jesus said to His disciples “that they must always pray and not lose heart” (Lk 18:1) “Pray” He said again, “that you may not enter into temptation” (Lk 22:40) and further, “Unless you repent, you will all perish” (Lk 13:5).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on PRAYER, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, The LORD'S PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 17 June – The “Our Father”

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Thought for the Day – 17 Juner– Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The “Our Father”

“Our Lord exhorted His disciples on many occasions to pray often and with confidence, if they wished to be heard.
Everything which they asked His heavenly Father, in His name, He said, they would obtain.
Ask, He said and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you.
Finally, He insisted that we ought to pray and never to give up.
In other words, life can be a continuous prayer if we offer to God all our thoughts, words and actions.

The ideal Christian prayer is to do the will of God at all times from the motive of pure love.
The Apostles, however, who had not made that much progress in the spiritual life, asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (Lk 11:1).
It was then that Our Lord composed the most beautiful of prayer, the “Our Father” (Mt 6:9-13).
When we recite it, we speak to God, in the words of Jesus Christ Himself and unite our weak voices, with the powerful voice of the Son of God!
We address the Eternal God, moreover, by the name of Father.
Even in the Old Testament, God is often referred to in this way.
Then, however, He figured as the Father of the chosen people, whereas now, He is the Father of all.
He is our Father, the Father of all mankind and of all races, whom He has willed to redeem from the slavery of sin.
The term “Our Father” has taken on a new and fuller meaning.
Our weak prayer becomes united to that of Jesus, our first-born Brother and to the prayers of the Apostles, Martyrs, Virgins and Confessors, who form and have formed, throughout the centuries, the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the Church.
We need no longer feel that we are on our own, for through the Communion of Saints, our entreaties are joined to those of the entire Church, militant, suffering and triumphant.
We can be confident, therefore, that our prayer will be heard!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The LORD'S PRAYER, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 17 June – “Thy will be done”

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Gospel: Matthew 6: 7-15

“Thy will be done
on earth as it is
in heaven.”

Matthew 6:10

“I want to advise you and remind you, what His will is.
Do not fear that it means He will give you riches,
or delights, or honours, or all these earthly things.
His love for you is not that small!
and He esteems highly what you give Him.
He wants to repay you well,
for He gives you His kingdom
while you are still on earth …
See … what He gave to the One He loved most.
By that we understand what His will is.
For these are His gifts in this world.”

“He gives according to the love He bears us …,
according to the courage He sees in each
and the love each has for His Majesty.
He will see, that whoever loves Him much,
will be able to suffer much for Him;
whoever loves Him little,
will be capable of little.
I myself hold,
that the measure for being able to bear,
a large or small cross, is love …”

St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of Prayer of the Church

Way of Perfection, Ch 32

“If you wish to charm the loving Heart of your God,
set yourself to talk to Him,
as often as you can
and, after a fashion,
continually, together with the fullest
and most confident liberty.
He will not hold aloof from answering you
and participating in the conversation on His part.”

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

What should one converse about with God?

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 15 June – “But I say to you, love your enemies”

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Readings: Second Corinthians 8: 1-9, Psalms 146: 2, 5-6ab, 6c-7, 8-9a, Gospel: Matthew 5: 43-48

“But I say to you, love your enemies”

Matthew 5:44

“You don’t love in your enemies
what they are
but what you would have them become,
by your prayers!”

St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor

“BE NOT troubled about those who are with you or against you
but take care that God be with you in everything you do.
Keep your conscience clear and God will protect you,
for the malice of man cannot harm one whom God wishes to help.
If you know how to suffer in silence,
you will undoubtedly experience God’s help.
He knows when and how to deliver you,
therefore, place yourself in His hands,
for it is a divine prerogative to help men
and free them from all distress.
… It is the humble man, whom God protects and liberates;
it is the humble, whom He loves and consoles.
To the humble, He turns and upon them bestows great grace,
that after their humiliation,
He may raise them up to glory.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

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

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303-1373)

“ … All men are our brothers –
not excluding even those
who hate and attack us. … ”

Bl Titus Brandsma (1881-1942) Martyr

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HOLY SPIRIT, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST

Quote/s of the Day – 13 June – St Anthony of Padua

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 June – – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Memorial of St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor of the Church

“The breadth of charity,
widens the narrow heart,
of the sinner.”

“Charity is the soul of faith and makes it alive;
without love, faith dies.”

“He prays best ,
who does not know
that he is praying.”

“The life of the body,
is the soul,
the life of the soul,
is Christ.”

“Attribute to God,
every good that you have received.
If you take credit for something
that does not belong to you,
you will be guilty of theft!”

O God, send forth Your Holy Spirit
By St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Doctor of the Church

O God,
send forth Your Holy Spirit
into my heart
that I may perceive,
into my mind,
that I may remember,
and into my soul,
that I may meditate.
Inspire me to speak
with piety,
holiness,
tenderness
and mercy.
Teach, guide and direct my thoughts
and senses, from beginning to end.
May Your grace,
ever help and correct me,
and may I be strengthened now
with wisdom from on high,
for the sake of Your infinite mercy.
Amen

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

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/13/quote-s-of-the-day-13-june-st-anthony-of-padua/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/13/quote-s-of-the-day-13-june-the-memorial-of-st-anthony-of-padua-1195-1231-doctor-of-the-church/

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GOSSIP, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 June – ‘If you want God to know …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Readings: First: Second Corinthians 3: 15 — 4: 1, 3-6, Psalm: Psalms 85: 9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14, Gospel: Matthew 5: 20-26

“Go first and be reconciled with your brother”

Matthew 5:24

“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

“There are three things, my brethren,
by which faith stands firm,
devotion remains constant
and virtue endures.
They are prayer, fasting and mercy.
Prayer knocks at the door,
fasting obtains,
mercy receives.
Prayer, mercy and fasting,
these three are one
and they give life to each other.”

“If you want God to know that you are hungry,
know that another is hungry.
If you hope for mercy, show mercy.
If you look for kindness, show kindness.
If you want to receive, give.
If you ask for yourself what you deny to others,
your asking is a mockery.”

St Peter Chrysologus (400-450)
Bishop of Ravenna, Father & Doctor of the Church

“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.”

St Maximus the Confessor (c 580–662)

“See to it that you refrain from harsh words.
But if you do speak them,
do not be ashamed to apply the remedy
from the same lips, that inflicted the wounds.”

St Francis of Paola OM (1416-1507)

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on SIN, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS

Thought for the Day – 9 June – The Sacred Heart of Jesus Pierced by a Crown of Thorns

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Thought for the Day – 9 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Crown of Thorns Which Surrounds the Sacred Heart

“There are many ways of showing our love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of making reparation for our sins and for the sins of mankind.
We can console ourselves with the reflection, that by these acts of love and reparation, we are removing the thorns which encircle and pierce the Heart of Jesus.
The simplest ways of doing this, are by prayers, aspirations and expressions of love, directed towards the adorable Heart of our Redeemer and, by visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
In silence and recollection, before the Tabernacle, we shall feel the Heart of Jesus, beating with love and, shall offer in return, for His infinite love, the affection of our poor hearts.

We can also receive Holy Communion in reparation.
When Jesus is in us and we are in Jesus, it will be easier and more pleasant, to offer Him our love and expiation.
We can make reparation also, by practising the devotion of the First Fridays of the month.
This pious practice, so pleasing to the Heart of Jesus, aims at being a mass offering of love and reparation, for the sins of the entire human race.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/09/thought-for-the-day-9-june-the-crown-of-thorns-which-surrounds-the-sacred-heart/

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 May – “You shall love the Lord your God”

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 May – “Mary’s Month” Readings: Acts 20:17-27, Psalm 68:10-11, 20-21, John 17:1-11

“I pray for them … because they are thine
and everything of mine is thine
and everything of thine is mine.”

John 17:9-10

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

Matthew 22:36,39

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

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Bishop and Doctor of the Church

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

Bl Charles of Jesus de Foucauld (1858-1916)

The Christopher Prayer

Father, grant that we may be, bearers of Christ Jesus, Your Son.
Allow us to fill with Your light, the world around us.
Strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit to carry out our mission
of living and following the path of Jesus, our Lord.
Help us to understand, that by Your grace
our gifts are Your blessings, to be shared with others.
Fill us with Your Spirit of love to give glory to You
in loving all and preaching by our love.
Nourish in us the desire to go forth as the bearers of Your Son
fearless and gentle,
loving and merciful.
Make us true Christ bearers,
that in seeing us only He is visible.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 16 May – Prayer and Our Lady

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 16 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Prayer and Our Lady

“Mary’s was a life of constant prayer.
It is a thousand tmes more necessary, that ours, should be the same.
We are so weak and so prone to temptation, that we are always in danger of falling into sin.
“Without me, you can do nothing,” (Jn 15:5) Jesus tells us.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. If anyone does not abide in me, he shall be cast outside as the branch and wither.” (Ibid).
“Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you ” (Mt 7:7).
In short, Jesus asks us to pray.
He wants us to pray because He wants to give us His graces.

We cannot object that it is impossible for us to pray all the time because we have to work and fulfil other obligations.
The work, which has first claim on us, is the service of God, which is prayer.
Secondly, we can pray in tbe course of our daily work and of our different occupations, by offering to God, everything which we do.
No matter what we are doing, we can raise our minds to God in an act of love and so remain always, close to Him.

It is not our work which prevents us from praying constantly but our attachment to worldly things, our excessive love for ourselves and of other creatures.
We must avoid these distractions, if we wish to live like Mary in a continual state of prayer. ”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/16/thought-for-the-day-16-may-prayer-and-our-lady/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day -15 May – ‘Ask the Father anything in my name …’ Let us pray

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 15 May – “Mary’s Month” – Readings: Acts 18: 23-28, Psalms 47: 2-3, 8-9, 10, John 16: 23-28

“Amen, amen I say to you,
if you ask the Father anything in my name,
he will give it you.”

John 16:27

“Prayer is the wing,
wherewith the soul flies to heaven
and meditation,
the eye,
wherewith we see God.”

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

“ Lift up and stretch out your hands,
not to heaven but to the poor…
if you lift up your hands in prayer
without sharing with the poor,
it is worth nothing.”

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

“A servant of the Lord
stands bodily before men
but mentally,
he is knocking at the gates of heaven.
with prayer.”

“Ask with tears,
seek with obedience,
knock with patience.”

St John Climacus (c 525-606)
Father of the Church

Prayer for the Gift of Prayer
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

O Incarnate Word,
You have given Your Blood and Your Life
to confer on our prayers that power by which,
according to Your promise,
they obtain for us all that we ask.
And we, O God,
are so careless of our salvation,
that we will not even ask You for the graces
that we must have, if we should be saved!
In prayer You have given us the key
of all Your Divine treasures;
and we, rather than pray,
choose to remain in our misery.
Alas! O Lord, enlighten us,
and make us know the value of prayers,
offered in Your name and by Your merits,
in the eyes of Your Eternal Father.
Amen

“My children, your heart is small
but prayer expands it
and makes it able to love God.
Prayer is a foretaste of heaven,
an outflowing of paradise.
It never leaves us without sweetness.
It is honey, which descends into the soul
and sweetens everything.
Sorrows melt in a prayer,
that is well prayed,
like snow in the sun.”

St John-Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)

Posted in CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on PRAYER, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 May – “In that day you will ask in my name” – John 16:26

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 15 May – “Mary’s Month” – Readings: Acts 18: 23-28, Psalms 47: 2-3, 8-9, 10, John 16: 23-28

“In that day, you will ask in My Name” – John 16:26

REFLECTION – “At the end of our prayers we say: “Through Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord” and not “Through the Holy Spirit.” This practice of the Universal Church is not without reason. At its root lies the Mystery according to which, Jesus Christ is the Mediator between God and humanity (1 Tim 2:5), a Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek, He who, with His own Blood, entered into the Holy of Holies, not that which was only a copy but, into Heaven itself, where He is at the Right Hand of God and intercedes for us (Heb 6:20; 9:24).

It was in His consideration of Christ’s Priesthood, that the Apostle said: “Through Him let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which confess His Name” (Heb 13:15).
It is through Him that we offer the sacrifice of praise and prayer because it is His death that reconciled us while we were still enemies (Rom 5:10).
He willed to offer Himself in sacrifice for our sakes and, since then, it is through Him, that our offerings can be acceptable in God’s sight. This is why Saint Peter warns us in these words: “Like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, through Jesus Christ” (1 Pt 2:5). This is the reason why we say to God the Father: “Through Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord.” – Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe (467-532) – Bishop in North Africa (Letter 14,36).

PRAYER – Since it is from You, God our Father, that redemption comes to us, Your adopted children, look with favour on the family You love, hear our prayer as we unite our voices in the name of Your Son, our Lord and Redeemer. May our faith, love and joy in Christ bring us all alike to our eternal heritage and may the prayer of His blessed Mother and ours lead us safely home. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God with You, loving Father, forever, amen.