Posted in MORNING Prayers, ON the SAINTS, PAPAL SERMONS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY SOULS

Quote/s of the Day – 9 February – The Memorial of Bl Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824)

Quote/s of the Day – 9 February – The Memorial of Bl Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824)

“The prayer most pleasing to God is that
made for others and particularly for the poor souls.
Pray for them, if you want your prayers to bring high interest.”

Bl Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824)the prayer most pleasing - bl anne c emmerich - 9 feb 2018

“As much as by her patience to endure her physical weaknesses, we are impressed by the strength of character of the new blessed and her firmness in the faith.   She received this strength from the Holy Eucharist.   In this way, her example opened the hearts of poor and rich men, educated and humble people, to complete loving passion toward Jesus Christ.   Still today she communicates to all the salvific message: ‘By his wounds you have been healed’ (see 1 Peter 2:24).”

St Pope John Paul II, homily at the beatification of Blessed Anne, 3 October 2004as much as by her - st john paul - 9 feb 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, ON the SAINTS, PAPAL PRAYERS, PAPAL SERMONS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY

Second Thought for the Day – 6 February – The Memorial of St Alfonso Maria Fusco (1839-1910)

Second Thought for the Day – 6 February – The Memorial of St Alfonso Maria Fusco (1839-1910)

“At the start of today’s celebration, we addressed this prayer to the Lord: “Create in us a generous and steadfast heart, so that we may always serve you with fidelity and purity of spirit” (Collect).

By our own efforts, we cannot give ourselves such a heart. Only God can do this and so in the prayer we ask him to give it to us as his “creation”.   In this way, we come to the theme of prayer, which is central to this Sunday’s scriptural readings and challenges all of us who are gathered here for the canonisation of new Saints.   The Saints attained the goal.   Thanks to prayer, they had a generous and steadfast heart.   They prayed mightily, they fought and they were victorious.

The saints are men and women who enter fully into the mystery of prayer.  Men and women who struggle with prayer, letting the Holy Spirit pray and struggle in them.   They struggle to the very end, with all their strength and they triumph but not by their own efforts:  the Lord triumphs in them and with them.   The seven witnesses who were canonised today also fought the good fight of faith and love by their prayers.   That is why they remained firm in faith, with a generous and steadfast heart.   Through their example and their intercession, may God also enable us to be men and women of prayer. May we cry out day and night to God, without losing heart.   May we let the Holy Spirit pray in us and may we support one another in prayer, in order to keep our arms raised, until Divine Mercy wins the victory.”

Homily of HH Pope Francis – St Peter’s Square – Sunday 16 October 2016 – HOLY MASS AND CANONISATION OF THE BLESSEDS:  Salomon Leclercq, José Sánchez del Río, Manuel González García, Lodovico Pavoni, Alfonso Maria Fusco, José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero, Elisabeth of the Holy Trinity Catez

Holy Saints in Heaven, Pray for us!holy saints pray for us - 6 FEB 2018

Posted in franciscan OFM, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 3 February – The Memorial of St Blaise – Martyr (Died c 316)

Quote of the Day – 3 February – The Memorial of St Blaise – Martyr (Died c 316)

“Speaking of Prayer”

The heart-rending and beautiful words of another Martyr, St Maximillian Kolbe (1894-1941), on the power of prayer.

The day was long,
The burden I had borne
Seemed heavier than I could longer bear
And then it lifted but I did not know
Some one had knelt in prayer;
Had taken me to God, that very hour,
And asked the easing of the load and He,
In infinite compassion, had stooped down
And taken it from me.
We cannot tell how often, as we pray
For some bewildered one,
Hurt and distressed,
The answer comes,
But many times those hearts,
find sudden peace and rest.
Someone had prayed and Faith,
a reaching hand,
Took hold of God
and brought Him down, that day!
So many, many hearts have need of prayer.
Oh, let us pray!

St Maximillian Kolbe (1894-1941)the day was long - st maximillian kolbe - 3 feb 2018

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER

Quote/s of the Day – 30 January – “Speaking of Prayer”

Quote/s of the Day – 30 January

“Speaking of Prayer”

“Prayer is the place of refuge
for every worry,
a foundation for cheerfulness,
a source of constant happiness,
a protection against sadness.”

“It is simply impossible, to lead,
without the aid of prayer,
a virtuous life.”

“What prayer, could be more true
before God the Father,
than that, which the Son,
who is Truth, uttered with His own lips?”prayer is - st john chrysostom - 30 jan 2018

“You can set up an altar to God
in your minds, by means of prayer.
And so it is fitting,
to pray at your trade,
on a journey,
standing at a counter
or sitting at your handcraft.”

St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctoryou can set up an altar - st jophn chrysostom - 30 jan 2018

“Faith furnishes prayer with wings,
without which it cannot soar to heaven.”

St John Climacus (579-649)faith furnishes prayer - st john climacus - 30 jan 2018

“It is an old custom of the saints of God,
to have some little prayers ready
and to be frequently, darting them
up to heaven, during the day,
lifting their minds to God,
out of the mire of this world.
He who adopts this plan,
will obtain great fruits with little pain.”

St Phillip Neri (1515-1595)it is an old custom - st philip neri - 30 jan 2018

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

“He who
prays most
receives most.”

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Churchwithout prayer - st alphonsus - 30 jan 2018

“In order to succeed in prayer,
it should be done when we first awaken,
when our whole being is calm and recollected.
We need to make our meditation
before anything else.”in order to succeed in prayer - st peter julian eymard - 30 jan 2018

“As far as possible,
you should pray in quiet silent devotion.
Try to have a favourite topic of prayer,
such as a devotion to the passion of Jesus,
the Blessed Sacrament,
awareness of the divine presence,
go directly to Jesus without too much fuss.”

St Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868)as far as possible you should pray - st peter julian eymard - 30 jan 2018

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FRIENDSHIP, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, Uncategorized

Quote/s of the Day – 24 January – The Memorial of St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church: Doctor caritatis (Doctor of Charity)

Quote/s of the Day – 24 January – The Memorial of St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church: Doctor caritatis (Doctor of Charity)

“Do not look forward
to the changes and chances
of this life in fear;
rather look to them
with full hope that,
as they arise, God,
whose you are,
will deliver you out of them.
He is your keeper.
He has kept you hitherto.
Do you but hold fast
to His dear hand
and He will lead you
safely through all things;
and, when you cannot stand,
He will bear you in His arms.
Do not look forward to
what may happen tomorrow.
Our Father will either
shield you from suffering,
or He will give you
strength to bear it.”do not look forward - st francis de sales - 24 jan 2018

“Anxiety is the greatest evil
that can befall a soul, except sin.
God commands you to pray
but He forbids you to worry.”anxiety is the greatest evil - st francis de sales - 24 jan 2018

“Great occasions for serving God
come seldom but little ones,
surround us daily.”great occasions - st francis de sales - 24 jan 2018

“Half an hour’s meditation
each day is essential,
except, when you are busy.
Then a full hour is needed.”

“Let us think only
of spending
the present day well.
Then, when tomorrow
shall have come,
it will be called
TODAY
and then,
we will think about it.”

“Every morning,
prepare your soul
for a tranquil day.”half an hour - st francis de sales - 24 jan 2018

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

“A quarrel between friends,
when made up,
adds a new tie to friendship.”

“Friendships begun in this world
will be taken up again,
never to be broken off. “what we need - st francis de sales - 24 jan 2018

“Don’t get upset
with your imperfections.
It’s a great mistake
because it leads nowhere –
to get angry
because you are angry,
upset at being upset,
depressed at being depressed,
disappointed because
you are disappointed.
So don’t fool yourself.
Simply surrender
to the Power of God’s Love,
which is always greater
than our weakness.”dont get upset with your imperfections-st francis de sales - 24 jan 2018

“Don’t sow your desires
in someone else’s garden;
just cultivate your own as best you can;
don’t long to be other than what you are
but desire to be thoroughly what you are.
Direct your thoughts, to being very good at that
and to bearing the crosses, little or great,
that you will find there.
Believe me, this is the most important
and least understood point to the spiritual life.
We all love according to what is our taste;
few people like what is according to their duty
or to God’s liking.
What is the use of building castles in Spain
when we have to live in France?”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Churchdont sow your desires - st francis de sales - 24 jan 2018

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER

Quote/s of the Day – Speaking of Prayer

Quote/s of the Day – Speaking of Prayer

“Virtues are formed by prayer.
Prayer preserves temperance.
Prayer suppresses anger.
Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy.
Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit
and raises man to Heaven.”

St Ephrem of Syria (306-373) Father & Doctor of the Churchvirtues are formed by prayer - st ephrem - 12 jan 2018

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

St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Doctor of the Churchwhen we pray - st bonaventure - 12 jan 2018

“We do not have to talk very much
in order to pray well.
We know that God is there,
in His holy tabernacle;
let us open our hearts to Him;
let us rejoice in His Presence –
this is the best prayer.”

St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859) Patron of Priestswe do not have to talk - st john vianney - 12 jan 2018

“Without Prayer nothing good is done.
God’s works are done with our hands joined
and on our knees.
Even when we run,
we must remain spiritually
kneeling before Him.”

Blessed Luigi Orione (1872-1940)without prayer - bl luigi orione - 12 jan 2018

“You go to pray;
to become a bonfire,
a living flame,
giving light and heat.”

“You don’t know how to pray?
Put yourself in the presence of God
and as soon as you have said,
‘Lord, I don’t know how to pray!’
you can be sure you have already begun.”

St Josemaria Escrivá (1902-1975)you go to pray - st josemaira - 12 jan 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 January – The Memorials of St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) and St Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620-1700)

One Minute Reflection – 12 January – The Memorialsof St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) and St Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620-1700)

And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.   And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours…1 John 5:14-151 john 5 - 14 15

REFLECTION – “It seems to me, that we do not pay enough attention to prayer, for unless it arises from the heart, which ought to be its centre, it is no more than a fruitless dream. Prayer ought to carry over into our thoughts, our words and our actions…..It is true that all I have ever desired most deeply and what I still most ardently wish, is that the great precept of the love of God, above all things and of the neighbour as oneself, be written in every heart.”… St Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620-1700)
“Charity may be a very short word but with its tremendous meaning of pure love, it sums up man’s entire relation to God and to his neighbour.”…St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) it seems too me - st amarguerite bourgeoys - 12 jan 2018charity may be - st aelred - 12 jan 2018

PRAYER – Loving Father, grant me the grace to strive after perfect love.   Help me to bring forth frequent acts of love towards my neighbour, which flow from You, the summit of my prayer and the teacher of all that is good and in this, to grow each day in love for You and for all your creatures….St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167), St Marguerite Bourgeoys Pray for us, amen.

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

One Minute Reflection – 6 January – The Memorial of Sts André Bessette C.S.C. (1845-1937) and St Charles of Sezze O.F.M. (1613-1670)

One Minute Reflection – 6 January – The Memorial of Sts André Bessette C.S.C. (1845-1937) and St Charles of Sezze O.F.M. (1613-1670)

When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home…..Matthew 1:24matthew 1 - 24 - 2018

REFLECTION – “When you invoke St Joseph, you don’t have to say much.
Say, “if you were in my place, St Joseph, what would you do? Well, pray for this on my behalf.”……..St André Bessettewhen you invoke st jospeh - st andre bessette - 6 jan 2018

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, You constantly provide us with examples of holy life. St André Bessette and St Charles of Sezze were both wonderful examples of service, as was St André’s  hero, the Foster Father of Your Divine Son, St Joseph.   May they be intercessors and examples to me, to give to You my all.   St André Bessette, St Charles of Sezze and St Joseph. Pray for us, amen!st andre bessette pray for us -6 jan 2018-no. 2

ST CHARLES OF sezze pray for us no 2 - 6 jan 2018st joseph pray for us - 6 jan 2018

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 4 January – The Memorial of St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)

Quote/s of the Day – 4 January – The Memorial of St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)

“Faith lifts the soul,
Hope supports it,
Experience says it must
and Love says…let it be!”faith lifts the soul - st e a seton - 4 jan 2018

“God is everywhere, in the very air I breathe,
yes everywhere
but in His Sacrament of the Altar
He is as present actually and really
as my soul within my body;
in His Sacrifice daily offered
as really as once offered on the Cross!”

“Our Lord Himself I saw in this venerable Sacrament . . .
I felt as if my chains fell, as those of St Peter,
at the touch of the Divine messenger.”

“How sweet, the presence of Jesus
to the longing, harassed soul!
It is instant peace and balm to every wound.”god is everywhere - st e a seton - 4 jan 2018

“We must pray without ceasing,
in every occurrence and employment
of our lives – that prayer which is rather
a habit of lifting up the heart to God
as in a constant communication with Him.”we must pray - seton - 4 jan 2018

“What was the first rule of our dear Saviour’s life?
You know it was to do his Father’s will.
Well, then, the first purpose of our daily work
is to do the will of God;
secondly, to do it in the manner He wills;
and thirdly, to do it because it is His will.
We know certainly that our God
calls us to a holy life.
We know that He gives us every grace,
every abundant grace
and though we are so weak of ourselves,
this grace is able to carry us through
every obstacle and difficulty.”what was the first rule - st e a seton - 4 jan 2018

“Afflictions are the steps to heaven.”

“Can you expect to go to heaven for nothing?
Did not our Saviour track the whole way to it
with His tears and blood?
And yet you stop at every little pain?”

“The gate of heaven is very low;
only the humble can enter it.”

St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)AFFLICTIONS ARE THE STEPS TO HEAVEN - ST SETON 4 JAN 2018