QUOTES on PRAYER – Page 19

DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ANGELS, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY SOULS, The SIGN of the CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 28 August – Wonderful Augustine

Posted on August 28, 2019August 28, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 28 August – The Memorial of St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“God in his omnipotence
could not give more,
in His wisdom –
He knew not how to give more,
in His riches: –
He had not more to give,
than the EUCHARIST!”

“I will suggest a means whereby
you can praise God all day long, if you wish.
Whatever you do,
do it well
and you have praised God.”

“One of the holiest works,
one of the best exercises of piety
which we can practice in this world,
is to offer sacrifices,
alms
and prayer
for the dead.”

“It was pride,
that changed angels
into devils;
it is humility
that makes men
as angels.”

“

“He need not fear anything
nor be ashamed of anything,
who bears the
Sign of the Cross
on his brow.”

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

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/28/quote-s-of-the-day-28-august-the-memorial-of-st-augustine-354-430-father-and-doctor-of-grace/

ON the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on MOTHERHOOD, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the FAMILY, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 27 August -St Monica’s ‘Nunc Dimittis”

Posted on August 27, 2019August 27, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 27 August – Tuesday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time, Year C and The Memorial of St Monica (322-387)

Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Sermons preached on various occations

“Many a mother, who is anxious for her son’s bodily welfare, neglects his soul.
So, did NOT the Saint of today – her son might be accomplished, eloquent, able and distinguished – all this was nothing to her, while he was dead in God’s sight, while he was the slave of sin, while he was the prey of heresy.
She desired his true life.
She wearied heaven with prayer
and wore out herself,
with praying –
she did not at once prevail.
He left his home,
he was carried forward by his four bearers –
ignorance,
pride,
appetite
and ambition –
he was carried out into a foreign land,
he crossed over from Africa to Italy.
She followed him,
she followed the corpse,
the chief,
the only mourner-
she went where he went, from city to city.
It was nothing to her to leave her dear home and her native soil, she had no country below; her sole rest, her sole repose, her Nunc dimittis, was his new birth.
So while she still walked forth in her deep anguish and isolation
and her silent prayer,
she was at length rewarded by the long-coveted miracle.
Grace melted the proud heart
and purified the corrupt breast of Augustine
and restored
and comforted
his mother!”

“How many difficulties there are also today in family relationships
and how many mothers are anguished because their children choose mistaken ways!
Monica, a wise and solid woman in the faith, invites us not to be discouraged
but to persevere in our mission of wives and mothers,
maintaining firm our confidence in God and clinging with perseverance to prayer.”

Pope Benedict XVI (27 August 2006)

St Monica, Pray with us for our sons, Pray for Us!

CONTEMPLATIVE Prayer, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 21 August – St Bernard

Posted on August 20, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 21 August – Tuesday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) “Doctor of Light”

“The measure of love
is love without measure.”

“Action and contemplation are very close companions;
they live together in one house on equal terms.
Martha and Mary are sisters.”

“The three most important virtues are:
humility,
humility
and humility.”

“If the hurricanes of temptation rise against you,
or you are running upon the rocks of trouble,
look to the star – call on Mary!”

“Let us not imagine that we obscure
the glory of the Son by the great praise
we lavish on the Mother –
for the more she is honoured,
the greater is the glory of her Son.
There can be no doubt that whatever we say
in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Doctor of the Church

MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 August – “Let the children come to me”

Posted on August 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 18 August – Saturday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 19:13–15 and the Memorial of St Clare of the Cross of Montefalco (c 1269-1308)

“Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”…Matthew 19:14

REFLECTION – “Begin and end the day with prayer. Go to God as a child turns to its mother. If words don’t come spontaneously to you then say, for example: “Come, Holy Spirit, guide me, protect me, enlighten my thoughts so I can pray.” Or even better, if you speak to the Virgin Mary, say – “Mary, Mother of Jesus, be a mother to me now and help me to pray.” … Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

PRAYER – God almighty Father, grant that we may be instruments of welcome and of that love with which Jesus, Your Son, embraces the littlest ones. May we be a society of love and of holy parenting of all children, especially those most in need. Holy Mother, teach us and guide us in prayer and love of God and neighbour. St Clare of the Cross, pray for us. We make our prayer through Christ, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. st clare of the cross of montefalco pray for us 17 aug 2019

FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – “There am I in the midst of them.”

Posted on August 14, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – Wednesday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time Year C, Gospel: Matthew 18:15–20 and the Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” … Matthew 18:20

REFLECTION – “The Lord said: “If two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
These words prove that much is given not to the mere number but to the unanimity of those who pray. “If two of you agree on earth,” He says, putting unanimity and peaceful concord first, teaching us to agree firmly and loyally. But how can one man agree with another when he disagrees with the body of the Church itself, with the whole brotherhood?… The Lord’s words were spoken about His own Church and addressed to members of the Church. If they are agreed, if, as He commanded but two or three are gathered together and pray with one mind, then, although they are but two or three, they can obtain from the divine majesty what they ask.

“Where two or three are gathered, I (he said) am with them.” That means, of course, with the single-hearted and peaceable, with those who fear God and keep His command-ments. With these, though but two or three, He declared His presence, as He was present also with the Three Children in the fiery furnace and, because they continued single-hearted and of one mind, refreshed them with the breath of dew as the flames surrounded them (Dn 3,50); or as He was present with the two apostles in prison, because they were single-hearted and of one mind and Himself opened the prison gates (Acts 25,25)… So when Christ lays down with authority: “Where two or three are gathered, I am with them,” He is not separating men from the Church which He founded and created. But He rebukes the faithless for their discord and with His own voice commends peace to the faithful.” … Saint Cyprian of Carthage, (c 200- c 258) Bishop and Martyr, Father of the Church – On the Unity of the Church

PRAYER – My Lord and my God, You who are the fruit of Mary’s blessed womb and the most Divine Son of our Father, grant that we may always have recourse to You, through her who bore You and through Your Holy Church. Grant that she may help and comfort us me and lead us to You. Mary, Holy and loving Mother of God, pray for us all. Grant O Lord, that through the intercession of St Maximillian, we may entrust ourselves to You through Your and our blessed Mother, amen. st-maximillian-pray-for-us-14-aug-2017 2018 2019

DOMINICAN OP, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on HERESY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 8 August – Go forth …

Posted on August 8, 2019August 8, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 8 August – The Memorial of St Dominic (1170-1221)

“We must sow
the seed,
not hoard it.”

“Heretics are to be converted
by an example of humility
and other virtues
far more readily,
than by any external
display or verbal battles.
So let us arm ourselves with
devout prayers
and set off,
showing signs of genuine humility
and go barefooted
to combat
Goliath.”

St Dominic (1170-1221)

DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYER WARRIORS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 1 August – St Alphonsus Liguori on Prayer

Posted on August 1, 2019August 2, 2021 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 1 August – Thursday of the Seventeenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church

“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.”

“Know also that you will probably gain more
by praying fifteen minutes
before the Blessed Sacrament
than by all the other spiritual exercises of the day.
True, Our Lord hears our prayers anywhere,
for He has made the promise, ‘Ask, and you shall receive,’
but He has revealed to His servants,
that those who visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament
will obtain a more abundant measure of grace.”

“Without prayer,
we have neither light nor strength,
to advance in the way which leads to God.”

“He who prays most receives most.”

“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.”

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church

JESUIT SJ, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

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

Posted on July 31, 2019July 31, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 31 July – The Memorial of St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

“We must speak to God as a friend speaks to his friend,
servant to his master – now asking some favour,
now acknowledging our faults
and communicating to Him all that concerns us,
our thoughts, our fears, our projects,
our desires and in all things seeking His counsel.”

“If our church is not marked by caring for the poor,
the oppressed, the hungry, we are guilty of heresy.”

“What seems to me white,
I will believe black,
if the hierarchical Church,
so defines.”

“If God gives you an abundant harvest of trials,
it is a sign of great holiness which He desires you to attain.
Do you want to become a great saint?
Ask God to send you many sufferings.
The flame of Divine Love never rises higher than when fed
with the wood of the Cross, which the infinite charity
of the Saviour used to finish His sacrifice.
All the pleasures of the world are nothing compared
with the sweetness found in the gall and vinegar offered to
Jesus Christ. That is, hard and painful things endured
for Jesus Christ and with Jesus Christ…..If God causes you
to suffer much, it is a sign that He certainly
intends to make you a saint.”

“Go forth and set the world on fire.”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 30 July – Let your Heart be an Altar, our universal Priesthood

Posted on July 30, 2019July 30, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 30 July – The Memorial of St Peter Chrysologus “Golden Words” (c 400-450) Father & Doctor

Present your Bodies as a Living Sacrifice

Let your Heart be an Altar

Saint Peter Chrysologus

From a Sermon

I appeal to you by the mercy of God.

This appeal is made by Paul, or rather, it is made by God through Paul, because of God’s desire to be loved rather than feared, to be a father rather than a Lord. God appeals to us in His mercy to avoid having to punish us in His severity.

Listen to the Lord’s appeal.
In Me, I want you to see your own body, your members, your heart, your bones, your blood. You may fear what is divine but why not love what is human?
You may run away from Me as the Lord but, why not run to Me, as your Father?

Perhaps you are filled with shame for causing My bitter passion. Do not be afraid. This cross inflicts a mortal injury, not on me but on Death.
These nails no longer pain Me but only deepen your love for Me.
I do not cry out because of these wounds but through them, I draw you into My heart.
My body was stretched on the cross as a symbol, not of how much I suffered but of My all-embracing love.
I count it no less to shed my blood – it is the price I have paid for your ransom.
Come, then, return to Me and learn to know Me as your Father, who repays good for evil, love for injury and boundless charity for piercing wounds.

Listen now to what the Apostle urges us to do. I appeal to you, he says, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice. By this exhortation of his, Paul has raised all men to priestly status. How marvellous is the priesthood of the Christian, for he is both the victim that is offered on his own behalf and the priest who makes the offering. He does not need to go beyond himself to seek what he is to immolate to God – with himself and in himself, he brings the sacrifice he is to offer God for himself. The victim remains and the priest remains, always one and the same. Immolated, the victim still lives, the priest who immolates cannot kill. Truly it is an amazing sacrifice in which a body is offered without being slain and blood is offered without being shed.
The Apostle says – I appeal to you by the mercy of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice.
Brethren, this sacrifice follows the pattern of Christ’s sacrifice by which He gave His body as a living immolation for the life of the world. He really made His body a living sacrifice, because, though slain, He continues to live. In such a victim death receives its ransom but the victim remains alive. Death itself suffers the punishment. This is why death for the martyrs is actually a birth and their end a beginning. Their execution is the door to life and those who were thought to have been blotted out from the earth shine brilliantly in heaven.
Paul says: I appeal to you by the mercy of God to present your bodies as a sacrifice, living and holy. The prophet said the same thing – Sacrifice and offering You did not desire but You have prepared a body for me.

Each of us is called to be both a sacrifice to God and His priest. Do not forfeit what divine authority confers on you. Put on the garment of holiness, gird yourself with the belt of chastity. Let Christ be your helmet, let the cross on your forehead be your unfailing protection. Your breastplate should be the knowledge of God that He Himself has given you. Keep burning continually the sweet smelling incense of prayer. Take up the sword of the Spirit. Let your heart be an altar. Then, with full confidence in God, present your body for sacrifice. God desires not death but, faith. God thirsts not for blood but, for self-surrender. God is appeased not by slaughter but, by the offering, of your free will.

Saint Peter Chrysologus, Pray for Us!

PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 28 July – St Pedro Poveda (1874-1936) Martyr

Posted on July 28, 2019July 28, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 28 July – The Memorial of St Pedro Poveda (1874-1936) Martyr

“Lord, may I think, what you want me to think.
May I desire, what you want me to desire.
May I speak, as you want me to speak.
May I work, as you want me to work.”

When the Civil War broke out, he was identified as an enemy by those who wished to dechristianse the schools. A few days before his death he wrote:

“Now more than ever,
we must study the lives of the first Christians
so as to learn from them, how to behave
in times of persecution.
See how they obeyed the Church,
how they confessed Christ,
how they prepared for martyrdom,
how they prayed for their persecutors
and forgave them…”

his last words:

“I am a priest of Christ”

St Pedro Poveda (1874-1936) Martyr

FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 July – ‘Before all else …’

Posted on July 28, 2019July 28, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 28 July – Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 11:1–13 and the Memorial of St Pedro Poveda (1874-1936) Martyr

“For everyone who asks, receives and he who seeks, finds and to him who knocks, it will be opened.” … Luke 11:10

REFLECTION – “The attitude of prayer is one and the same for all but there are many kinds of prayer and many different prayers. Some converse with God as with a friend and master, interceding with praise and petition not for themselves but for others. Some strive for more (spiritual) riches and glory and for confidence in prayer. Others ask for complete deliverance from their adversary. Some beg to receive some kind of rank, others for complete forgiveness of debts. Some ask to be released from prison, others for remission of accusations.
Before all else, let us list sincere thanksgiving, first on our prayer-card. On the second line we should put confession and heartfelt contrition of soul. Then let us present our petition to the King of all. This is the best way of praying.” … St John Climacus (c 575-c.650) The Ladder of Divine Ascent 28, 6-7

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. By our baptism in Your Son, we are Your children, grant us Your protection. Listen, to the prayers of Saint Pedro Poveda, as we ask for his intercession, through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen. st pedro poveda pray for us 28 july 2019.jpg

ArchAngels and Angels, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, SACRAMENTS, SPEAKING of ....., The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 27 July – “Speaking of: Temptation”

Posted on July 27, 2019July 27, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 27 July – Saturday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: 13:24-30

“Speaking of: Temptation”

‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?
How then has it weeds?’

Matthew 13:27

“As we do battle and fight, in the contest of faith,
God, His angels and Christ Himself, watch us.
How exalted is the glory,
how great the joy of engaging in a contest with God presiding,
of receiving a crown,
with Christ as judge.”

St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258)
Bishop, Martyr, Father of the Church

“The dragon sits by the side of the road,
watching those who pass.
Beware lest he devour you.
We go to the Father of Souls
but it is necessary to pass by the dragon.”

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“So let us not be afraid of temptations.
Rather, let us glory in them saying:
“When I am weak, then am I strong.”
[2 Cor. 12:10]”

St Ambrose (339-397 AD)
Doctor of the Church

“He could have kept the devil from Himself
but if He were not tempted,
He could not teach you
how to triumph over temptation.”

Saint Augustine (354-430)
Bishop and Great Western Father
and Doctor of the Church

“Three things are absolutely
necessary against temptation –
prayer to enlighten us,
the sacraments to strengthen us
and vigilance to preserve us.
Happy are souls that are tempted!
It is when the devil discerns
that a soul is tending towards
union with God
that he redoubles his rage!”

St John Marie Vianney (1786-1859)

“God will never permit anything,
to happen to us, that is not for our greater good.”

“The storms that are raging around you,
will turn out to be for God’s glory,
your own merit
and the good of many souls.”

“We have close to us, an angelic spirit,
who never leaves us for an instant,
from the cradle to the grave,
who guides and protects us,
like a friend or a brother.”

St Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968)

CONFESSION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 July – “A sower went out to sow”

Posted on July 24, 2019July 24, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 24 July – Wednesday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9

“A sower went out to sow”

Matthew 13:3

“Jesus invites us today to look inside ourselves –
to give thanks for our good soil
and to tend the soil that is not yet good.
Let us ask ourselves if our heart is open
to welcome the seed of the Word of God with faith.
Let us ask ourselves if our rocks of laziness
are still numerous and large,
let us identify our thorns of vice
and call them by name.
Let us find the courage to reclaim the soil,
to effect a conversion of our heart,
bringing to the Lord in Confession
and in prayer, our rocks and our thorns.”

Pope Francis

(Angelus, 16 July 2017)

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD is LOVE, GOD the FATHER, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SILENCE

Quote/s of the Day – 20 July – Cardinal Robert Sarah

Posted on July 20, 2019July 20, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 20 July – The 50th anniversary of Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect, Congregation of Divine Worship

“The most important moments in life
are the hours of prayer and adoration.
They give birth to a human being,
fashion our true identity;
they root our existence in mystery.”

“True charity is neither almsgiving
nor humanistic solidarity
nor a form of philanthropy –
charity is the expression of God
and an extension of Christ’s
presence in our world.”

“The foundation of the liturgy
must remain the search for God.
We can only be dismayed by the fact
that this intention of Saints Popes John XXIII
and Paul VI, and of the Council Fathers as well,
is often obscured and, worse yet, betrayed. . . .”

God or Nothing

“The Father waits
for His children
in their own hearts.”

The Power of Silence

Robert Sarah

CATHOLIC Quotes, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 19 July – Pope Francis

Posted on July 19, 2019July 19, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 19 July – Friday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 12:1-8

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice” … Matthew 12:7

”If our heart is closed,
if our heart is made of stone,
then the stones will end up
in our hands and, then,
we will be ready
to throw them at someone.”

“Think of your own history when you pray
and there you will find much mercy.
This will also increase your awareness
that the Lord is ever mindful of you,
He never forgets you.
So it makes sense to ask Him,
to shed light on the smallest details of your life,
for He sees them all.”

Gaudete et Exsultate

“Christianity is not an ideal to follow,
a philosophy to adhere to,
or a moral to be applied
but is an encounter with Jesus Christ,
that makes us recognise,
in the flesh of brothers and sisters,
His very presence.”

June 2018

“So let me ask you:
Are there moments when you place yourself quietly i
n the Lord’s presence, when you calmly spend time
with Him, when you bask in His gaze?
Do you let His fire inflame your heart?
Unless you let Him warm you, more and more,
with His love and tenderness,
you will not catch fire.
How will you then be able to,
set the hearts of others on fire,
by your words and witness?”

General audience, 13 April 2016

Pope Francis

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 11 July – St Benedict

Posted on July 11, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 11 July – The Memorial of St Benedict of Nursia OSB (c 480-547)

“Ora et labora.”

“Before all
and above all,
attention shall be paid
to the care of the sick,
so that they shall be served,
as if they were Christ Himself.”

“Be careful to be gentle,
lest in removing the rust,
you break the whole instrument.”

“He should first
show them,
in deeds,
rather than words,
all that is good and holy.”

“Let them put
Christ
before all else
and may He lead us all,
to everlasting life.”

St Benedict (c 480-547)

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN Saturdays, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 July – ‘then they will fast …’

Posted on July 6, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 6 July – Saturday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 9:14–17 – Marian Saturdays

And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them and then they will fast” ...Matthew 9:15

REFLECTION – “However, our mourning is right if we burn with desire to see Him. How happy they were who were able to enjoy His presence before His Passion, to question Him as they wished and listen to Him as necessary… As for us, we see the fulfilment of what He said: “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it” (Lk 17:22)…A little while and you will no longer see me and again a little while and you will see me” (Jn 16:19). But now this is the hour of which He said: “You will weep and mourn but the world will rejoice… But, He added, I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from you” (v.22). The hope thus given us by Him, who is faithful in His promises, never now leaves us, without a certain joy — until that overwhelming joy comes on the day when we will be like Him because we will see Him as he is (1Jn 3:2)… “When a woman is in labour, she has pain because her hour has come,” says the Lord, “but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world”(Jn 16:21). This is the joy no-one can take away from us and with which we will be satisfied when we pass to eternal light from our present conception in faith. So let us fast and pray since we are still on the threshold of birth.“…St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor

PRAYER – Let our worship give You glory Lord, we ask You, in Your mercy, for the grace always to ponder in our hearts what we proclaim with our lips. For our salvation, You looked upon the lowliness of Mary, Your handmaid, raise us up to share with her, the fullness of redemption. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of te Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen. mary our hope handmaid of the lord - pray for us - 26 june 2018

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

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

Posted on July 5, 2019July 5, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 5 July – Friday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year Cand 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……
We should keep running steadily in the race we have started,
not losing sight of Jesus,
who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection.”

“If you want to obtain what you pray for,
adapt yourself to it, that is,
if you want humility,
do not avoid humiliations.”

“Let them keep in mind, therefore,
that there can be no humility
without reproaches and mockery
and anyone who feels ashamed of them …
may as well abandon all hope,
of being able to achieve perfection.”

“What good thing could God deny us
when He is the one who invites us to ask?”

“That which God commands
seems difficult and a burden.
The way is rough,
you draw back,
you have no desire to follow it.
Yet DO SO – and you will attain glory.”

“The centre and the source
from which everything begins
and to which everything returns.”

“The Eucharist is
the living Crucifix!”

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 26 June – Blessed Jacques Ghazir Haddad OFM Cap (1875-1954) “The Apostle of Lebanon” “The Apostle of the Cross”

Posted on June 26, 2019June 26, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 26 June – Wednesday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of Blessed Jacques Ghazir Haddad OFM Cap (1875-1954) “The Apostle of Lebanon” “The Apostle of the Cross”

“How I would prefer to take You
in procession throughout the streets,
rather than closing You up
n the tabernacle!”

“One ounce of a Cross
is much better
than a ton of books
of prayer.”

“Anyone who seeks heaven
but without suffering,
is like someone
who wants to buy goods,
without paying.”

“Prayer without trust,
is like a letter in one’s pocket.
It never reaches its destination!”

“Honouring Mary,
no matter how sacred,
is only the door
leading to Jesus.
Mary is the means,
Jesus is the end.
Mary is the road,
Jesus is the destination.”

Blessed Jacques Ghazir Haddad (1875-1954)

honouring mary - bl jacques ghazir haddid 26 june 2019

mary is the road jesus is the destination - 26 june 2019

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FATHERS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, The LORD'S PRAYER, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 20 June – Part One “Treatise on the Lord’s Prayer” St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258)

Posted on June 20, 2019June 20, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 20 June – Thursday Eleventh Week of Ord Time Year C – Today’s Gospel Matthew 6:7-15 – Part One “Treatise on the Lord’s Prayer” St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258)

Our prayer is communal

Saint Cyprian of Carthage (c 200-258)
Bishop, Father of the Church and Martyr

An excerpt from his Treatise On the Lord’s Prayer

Above all, he who preaches peace and unity, did not want us to pray by ourselves in private or for ourselves alone. We do not say “My Father, who art in heaven,” nor “Give me this day my daily bread.” It is not for himself alone, that each person asks to be forgiven, not to be led into temptation or to be delivered from evil. Rather, we pray in public as a community and not for one individual but for all. For the people of God are all one.

God is then the teacher of harmony, peace and unity and desires each of us to pray for all men, even as he bore all men in Himself alone. The three young men shut up in the furnace of fire observed this rule of prayer. United in the bond of the Spirit, they uttered together the same prayer. The witness of holy Scripture describes this incident for us, so that we might imitate them in our prayer. Then all three began to sing in unison, blessing God. Even though Christ had not yet taught them to pray, nevertheless, they spoke as with one voice.

It is for this reason, that their prayer was persuasive and efficacious. For their simple and spiritual prayer of peace merited the presence of the Lord . So too, after the ascension we find the apostles and the disciples praying together in this way. Scripture relates – They all joined together in continuous prayer, with the women including Mary, the mother of Jesus and his brothers. They all joined together in continuous prayer. The urgency and the unity of their prayer declares that God, who fashions a bond of unity among those who live in His home, will admit into His divine home, for all eternity, only those who pray in unity.

My dear friends, the Lord’s Prayer contains many great mysteries of our faith. In these few words there is great spiritual strength, for this summary of divine teaching contains all of our prayers and petitions. And so, the Lord commands us, Pray then like this: Our Father, who art in heaven.

We are new men, we have been reborn and restored to God by His grace. We have already begun to be His sons and we can say “Father.” John reminds us of this – He came to His own home and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who received Him, who believe in His name, He gave the power to become children of God. Profess your belief that you are sons of God by giving thanks. Call upon God who is your Father in heaven.

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FATHERS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, The WORD

Quote of the Day – 20 June – ‘…let Him hear the prayer of Christ ringing in His ears!’

Posted on June 20, 2019June 20, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 20 June – Thursday Eleventh Week of Ord Time Year C – Today’s Gospel Matthew 6:7-15

“So, my brothers, let us pray as God our master has taught us.
To ask the Father in words His Son has given us,
to let Him hear the prayer of Christ ringing in His ears,
is to make our prayer one of friendship, a family prayer.
Let the Father recognise the words of His Son.
Let the Son who lives in our hearts, be also on our lips.
We have Him as an Advocate for sinners, before the Father,
when we ask for forgiveness for ours sins,
let us use the words given by our Advocate.
He tells us –
Whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you.
What more effective prayer could we then make,
in the name of Christ, than in the words of His own prayer?”

Saint Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258)
Bishop, Father of the Church and Martyr

An excerpt from his “On the Lord’s Prayer”

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 June – Prayer is a petition for what God gives

Posted on June 20, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 20 June – Thursday Eleventh Week of Ord Time Year C – Today’s Gospel Matthew 6:7-15

“Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”…Matthew 6:7

REFLECTION – Prayer is a petition for what God gives – “The Lord’s prayer, as I have said, contains a petition for each of these things. First, it speaks of the Father, His name and His kingdom. Second, it shows us that the person who prays, is by grace the Son of this Father. It asks that those in heaven and those on earth may be united in one will. It tells us to ask for our daily bread. It lays down that people should be reconciled with one another and it unites our nature with itself when we forgive and are forgiven, for then it is not split asunder by differences of will and purpose. It teaches us to pray against entering into temptation, since this is the law of sin. And it exhorts us to ask for deliverance from the evil one.

For the author and giver of divine blessings could not but be our teacher as well, providing the words of this prayer, as precepts of life, for those disciples who believe in Him and follow the way He taught in the flesh. Through these words, He has revealed the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3) that exist in Him as pure form. And in all who offer this prayer, He kindles the desire to enjoy such treasures.

It is for this reason, I think, that Scripture calls this teaching “prayer”, since it contains petitions for the gifts that God gives to us by grace. Our divinely inspired Fathers have explained prayer in a similar way, saying that prayer is petition for that which God naturally gives us, in the manner that is appropriate.”…St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Monk and Theologian – Interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer (Philokalia, Volume Two) matthew 6 7 your father knows before you ask - for the author and giver of - st maximus the confessor on the lord's prayer 20 june 2019

PRAYER – Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us,
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
Amen the Lord's Prayer - matthew 6 9-13 - 20 june 2019

CARMELITES, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SILENCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 19 June – “When you pray, go to your inner room”

Posted on June 19, 2019June 19, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 19 June – Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 6:1–6 and the Memorial of St Romuald (c 951-1027)

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.”...Matthew 6:6

“When you pray, go to your inner room”

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein OCD (1891-1942)
Martyr, co-patron of Europe

The Prayer of the Church (trans. Darlington Carmel)

In those who have entered into the unity of the divine inner life, everything is one – rest and activity, contemplation and action, silence and speech, listening and communicating, loving receptiveness, and loving gift of self in thanksgiving and praise… We need hours of silent listening, when we allow the divine Word to work in us, until it craves to become fruitful in the sacrifice of praise and of action.

We need the traditional forms and participation in the set forms of acts of regular worship, so that the inner life can be awakened and guided and find a suitable expression. The solemn divine praise must have its homes on earth, where it is developed, to the greatest perfection possible, to human beings. From these, it ascends to heaven, for the whole Church and becomes effective in the members of the Church, quickening their interior life, inviting their participation. But, it must itself be quickened from within, even in these places, by leaving space for silence and depth. Otherwise it would degenerate into mere lip-service. Contemplative houses where souls stand in solitude and silence before the face of God, are a protection against this danger. They wish to be, in the heart of the Church, the love that vivifies all. we need hours of silent listening - st teresa benedicta edith stein 19 june 2019.jpg

St Romuald, Pray for Us!

St Teresa Benedicta, Pray for Us!

FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 19 June – How to pray… St Romuald

Posted on June 19, 2019June 19, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 19 June – Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Romuald (c 951-1027)

“Better to pray one psalm
with devotion and compunction,
than a hundred with distraction.”

“Sit in your cell as in paradise.
Put the whole world
behind you and forget it.
Watch your thoughts
like a good fisherman
watching for fish.”

St Romuald (c 951-1027)

MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on HUMAN DIGNITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUTH, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 June – ‘Love your enemies…’

Posted on June 18, 2019June 18, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 18 June – Tuesday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 5:43–48 and the Memorial of Blessed Osanna Andreasi OP (1449-1505)

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”…Matthew 5:44 matthew-5-44-but-i-say-to-you-love-your-enemies-16-march-2019

REFLECTION – “You have often heard it said that we are living through a marvellous time, a time of great men… It is easy to understand why people long for a strong and capable leader to arise… This kind of neo-paganism [Nazism] believes all nature to be an emanation of the divine…; it admires a race that is nobler and purer than any other… From this comes the cult of race and blood, the cult of its own people’s heroes.

By starting out from so mistaken an idea, this view of things can lead to capital errors. It is tragic to see how much enthusiasm, how many efforts are placed at the service of such an erroneous and baseless ideal! However, we can learn from our enemy. We can learn from his deceitful philosophy how to purify and improve our own ideal, we can learn how to develop great love for this ideal, how to arouse immense enthusiasm and even a readiness to live and die for it, how to strengthen our hearts to incarnate it in ourselves and in others…

When we talk about the coming of the Kingdom and pray for its coming, we are not thinking of a discrimination according to race or blood but of the brotherhood of all, for all men are our brothers – not excluding even those who hate and attack us – in a close bond with the One, who causes the sun to rise on the good and the bad alike (Mt 5:45).”…Blessed Titus Brandsma (1881-1942) Martyr

PRAYER – Almighty God, to whom this world, with all it’s goodness and beauty belongs, give us grace joyfully, to begin this day for Christ Your Son, in Him and with Him and to fill it, with an active love for all Your children, even those who may not like or who do us harm. Help us to love as You do so that we may become like You. Blessed Osanna Andreasi, you who spread your charity far and wide, pray for us. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever, amen. bl osanna andreasi pray for us 18 june 2019.jpg

MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 April – “I will not mistrust Him…”

Posted on May 17, 2019May 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 27 April – Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter C, – Gospel: John 14:1-6 and the Memorial of St Paschal Baylon and St Giulia Salzano

“Let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me.“…John 14:1 john-14-1 let not your hearts be troubled - 17 may 2018.jpg

REFLECTION – “I will not mistrust Him, Meg, although I shall feel myself weakening and on the verge of being overcome with fear. I shall remember how St Peter at a blast of wind, began to sink, because of his lack of faith and I shall do as he did – call upon Christ and pray to Him for help. And then I trust, He shall place His holy hand on me and in the stormy seas, hold me up from drowning.”…St Thomas More (1478-1535) i-will-not-distrust-him-meg-st-thomas-more-11-jan-2018 27 april 2018

PRAYER – “[Lord God] I believe in You, increase my faith. All my hopes are in You, secure my trust. I love You, teach me to love You more each day… I adore You as my first beginning, I long for You as my final end. I praise You as my constant helper and call on You as my loving protector. Guide me by Your Wisdom, correct me with Your Justice, comfort me with Your Mercy, protect me by Your Power… Lord, enlighten my understanding, enflame my will, purify my heart, sanctify my soul. Help me to repent of my past sins and to rise above my human weaknesses and to grow stronger as a Christian…”(from the Universal Prayer by Pope Clement XI (1649-1721)

DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD is LOVE, MYSTICS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TRUTH, SAINT of the DAY, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Quote/s of the Day – 13 May – Revelations of Divine Love

Posted on May 13, 2019May 13, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 13 May – Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter, C and the Memorial of Blessed Julian of Norwich (c 1342-c 1430) – “Revelations of Divine Love”

“He [ Jesus] is our clothing,
that for love wraps us and winds us,
embraces us and totally encloses us,
hanging about us in tender love.”

“Prayer is not
overcoming
God’s reluctance.
It is laying hold
of His willingness.”

“Despite all our feelings of woe or of well-being,
God wants us to understand and to believe,
that we are more truly in heaven than on earth.
…for God is never out of the soul,
in which He will dwell blessedly without end.”

“The fullness of Joy
is to behold God
in everything.”

“Truth sees God
and wisdom contemplates God
and from these two comes a third,
a holy and wonderful delight in God,
who is love.”

“In You, Father almighty, we have
our preservation and our bliss.
In You, Christ,
we have our restoring and our saving.
You are our mother, brother and Saviour.
In You, our Lord the Holy Spirit,
is marvelous and plenteous grace.
You are our clothing,
for love You wrap us and embrace us.
You are our maker, our lover, our keeper.
Teach us to believe,
that by Your grace
all shall be well,
and all shall be well,
and all manner of things
shall be well.
Amen”

Blessed Julian of Norwich (c 1342-c 1430)

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, SPEAKING of .....

Quote/s of the Day – 6 May – Dangerous Affections

Posted on May 6, 2019May 6, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 6 May – Monday of the Third week of Easter, Gospel: John 6:22–29

Speaking of – Dangerous Affections – St Augustine

“Do not love the world
or the things of the world.
If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father, is not in him.”

1 John 2:15

“The honours of this world,
what are they but puff
and emptiness
and peril of falling?”

“What do you possess
if you possess not God?”

“The love of worldly possessions
is a sort of bird line,
which entangles the soul
and prevents it flying to God.”

“This is the business of our life –
by labour and prayer,
to advance in the grace of God,
till we come to that height of perfection
in which, with clean hearts,
we may behold God.”

“Daily advance,
then, in this love,
both by praying
and by well-doing,
that through the help of Him
who enjoined it on you
and whose gift it is,
it may be nourished
and increased,
until, being perfected,
it render you perfect.”

“God does not
command impossibilities
but by commanding,
admonishes you do what you can
and to pray for what you cannot
and aids you,
that you may be able.”

“This very moment,
I may,
if I desire,
become the friend
of God.”

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

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 2 May – Athanasius and Antoninus

Posted on May 2, 2019May 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 2 May – Thursday of the Second week of Easter, Gospel: John 3:31–36 and the Memorial of St Athanasius (297-373) – Father and Doctor of the Church and St Antoninus of Florence OP (1389-1459)

“For the Son of God became man
so that we might become God.”

“Christians, instead of arming themselves with swords,
extend their hands in prayer.”

“But what is also to the point, let us note that the very tradition, teaching and faith of the Catholic Church from the beginning was preached by the Apostles and preserved by the Fathers. On this the Church was founded – and if anyone departs from this, he neither is, nor any longer ought to be called, a Christian.”

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

“While other martyrs suffered
by sacrificing their own lives,
the Blessed Virgin suffered,
by sacrificing her Son’s life.”

St Antoninus OP (1389-1459)

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER

Jesus Christ Prays For Us and In Us and IS the Object of Our Prayers – St Augustine

Posted on April 10, 2019April 10, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Lenten Thoughts – 10 April – Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent, Year C

Jesus Christ Prays For Us and In Us and IS the Object of Our Prayers

Saint Augustine (354-430)
Bishop and Great Western Father of the Church

An excerpt from his Commentary on the Psalms (Psalm 85)

God could give no greater gift to men than to make His Word, through whom He created all things, their head and to join them to Him as His members, so that the Word might be both Son of God and son of man, one God with the Father and one man with all men. The result is that when we speak with God in prayer we do not separate the Son from Him and when the body of the Son prays, it does not separate its head from itself, it is the one Saviour of His body, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who prays for us and in us and is Himself the object of our prayers.

He prays for us as our priest, He prays in us as our head, He is the object of our prayers as our God.

Let us then recognise both our voice in His and His voice in ours. When something is said, especially in prophecy, about the Lord Jesus Christ that seems to belong to a condition of lowliness unworthy of God, we must not hesitate to ascribe this condition to one who did not hesitate to unite Himself with us. Every creature is His servant, for it was through Him that every creature came to be.

We contemplate His glory and divinity when we listen to these words: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made. Here we gaze on the divinity of the Son of God, something supremely great and surpassing all the greatness of His creatures. Yet in other parts of Scripture we hear Him as one sighing, praying, giving praise and thanks.

We hesitate to attribute these words to Him because our minds are slow to come down to His humble level when we have just been contemplating Him in His divinity. It is as though we were doing Him an injustice, in acknowledging in a man the words of one, with whom we spoke, when we prayed to God; we are usually at a loss and try to change the meaning. Yet our minds find nothing in Scripture that does not go back to Him, nothing that will allow us to stray from Him.

Our thoughts must then be awakened to keep their vigil of faith. We must realise that the one whom we were contemplating, a short time before, in his nature as God took to Himself the nature of a servant, He was made in the likeness of men and found to be a man like others, He humbled Himself by being obedient even to accepting death, as He hung on the cross He made the psalmist’s words His own: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

We pray to Him as God, He prays for us as a servant. In the first case, He is the Creator, in the second a creature. Himself unchanged, He took to Himself our created nature in order to change it and made us one man, with Himself, head and body. We pray then to Him, through Him, in Him and we speak along with Him and He along with us. we pray then to him and in him and with him 10 april 2019 st augustine lenten thoughts.jpg

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

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Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Pope Benedict XVI (27 August 2006)

St Monica, Pray with us for our sons, Pray for Us!

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St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Doctor of the Church

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St Dominic (1170-1221)

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St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church

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St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

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Present your Bodies as a Living Sacrifice

Let your Heart be an Altar

Saint Peter Chrysologus

Saint Peter Chrysologus, Pray for Us!

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St Pedro Poveda (1874-1936) Martyr

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“Speaking of: Temptation”

Matthew 13:27

St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258) Bishop, Martyr, Father of the Church

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387) Father & Doctor of the Church

St Ambrose (339-397 AD) Doctor of the Church

Saint Augustine (354-430) Bishop and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church

St John Marie Vianney (1786-1859)

St Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968)

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Matthew 13:3

Pope Francis

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God or Nothing

The Power of Silence

Robert Sarah

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Pope Francis

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St Benedict (c 480-547)

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St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

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Blessed Jacques Ghazir Haddad (1875-1954)

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Our prayer is communal

Saint Cyprian of Carthage (c 200-258) Bishop, Father of the Church and Martyr

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Saint Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258) Bishop, Father of the Church and Martyr

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“When you pray, go to your inner room”

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein OCD (1891-1942) Martyr, co-patron of Europe

St Romuald, Pray for Us!

St Teresa Benedicta, Pray for Us!

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St Romuald (c 951-1027)

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Blessed Julian of Norwich (c 1342-c 1430)

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Speaking of – Dangerous Affections – St Augustine

1 John 2:15

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

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

St Antoninus OP (1389-1459)

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Jesus Christ Prays For Us and In Us and IS the Object of Our Prayers

Saint Augustine (354-430) Bishop and Great Western Father of the Church

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

St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258)
Bishop, Martyr, Father of the Church

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387)
Father & Doctor of the Church

St Ambrose (339-397 AD)
Doctor of the Church

Saint Augustine (354-430)
Bishop and Great Western Father
and Doctor of the Church

Saint Cyprian of Carthage (c 200-258)
Bishop, Father of the Church and Martyr

Saint Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258)
Bishop, Father of the Church and Martyr

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein OCD (1891-1942)
Martyr, co-patron of Europe

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

Saint Augustine (354-430)
Bishop and Great Western Father of the Church