In The Name Of The Whole Christian People The Universal Prayer of St Clement I (c88–c101) Pope and Martyr, Apostolic Father of the Church
We beg Thee, Master, be our help and strength. Save those among us who are oppressed, have pity on the lowly and lift up the fallen. Heal the sick, bring back the straying and feed the hungry. Release those in prison, steady those who falter and strengthen the fainthearted. Let all nations come to know Thee, the One God, with Thy Son Jesus Christ and ourselves, Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture. Do not keep count of the sins of Thy servants but purify them, through the bath of Thine Truth and direct our steps. Help us to walk in holiness of heart and to do what is good and pleasing in Thine eyes and in the eyes of our rulers. Master, let Thine Face shine on us to grant us every good in peace, protect us by Thine powerful Hand, deliver us from every evil, by the might of Thine Arm. Grant us and all who dwell on this earth, peace and harmony, O Lord. Amen
Thought for the Day – 1 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Virginal Purity of Mary
“Purity is the most beautiful of virtues.
It is a virtue which is admired by God and by men, even by the most corrupt. It is often said, that it makes us like the Angels but in fact, looking at it in a particular way, it makes us superior to the Angels. Since they have no bodies, the angels cannot sin against purity, while we have to fight many battles and overcome many temptations, in order to preserve our chastity. Jesus had a very special love for this virtue. He chose to be born of a Virgin and, He showed a particular affection for St John, who was a dedicated celibate. On one occasion, He placed His Hands on the head of a little child and said: “Unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of Heaven “(Mt:18.3)
Unfortunately, the virtue of purity is as fragile as it is beautiful. It can be lost in a single moment of weakness. We must love this virtue as Mary loved it. We must be prepared to make any sacrifice, even the most heroic, rather than lose it. Worldly charm and beauty attract us and the devil works hard to control our imagination and our affections. On account of the disturbance of original sin, the flesh is like a terrible weight retarding our spiritual advancement. Sometimes it seems as if it is irresistibly drawing us towards the abyss of impurity. But we need not be dragged down, if we are prepared to fly from the occasions of sin and to pray to God and to our heavenly Mother for her intercession. We must always act at once, for there is no time to dally. It is fatal to remain inactive and to allow temptation to make its way into our soul. This kind of battle, said St Francis de Sales, is won only by soldiers who flee. We must fly from the occasions of sin, no matter what sacrifice this entails. Jesus has warned us, that it is better to enter Heaven without a hand or a foot, than to be cast into hell.
We know the remedies – instant flight, heroic sacrifice and constant prayer. We can leave the rest to the grace of God and to the maternal protection of Mary.”
One Minute Reflection – 30 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – St Abdon and St Senen (Died c250) Martyrs – 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 – Matthew 5:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“They shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8
REFLECTION – “We want to see God, we seek to see Him, we ardently desire to see Him. Who does not desire this? But note what the Gospel says: “Blest are the pure of heart, they shall see God.” Do what is necessary in order to see Him! To compare it with something from material reality, how can you want to contemplate the rising sun if your eyes are sick? If your eyes are healthy that light will be a pleasure for you; if they are sick, it will be torture for you. You will surely not be allowed to see, with an impure heart, that which one can only see with a pure heart. You will be moved away, put at a distance, you will not see!
How often did the Lord proclaim people to be ‘blest‘? What reasons for eternal happiness did He cite, what good works, what gifts, what merits and what rewards? No other! the beatitude says, “They shall see God.” This is what the others say: “How blest are the poor in spirit, the reign of God is theirs. Blest are the lowly; they shall inherit the land. Blest are the sorrowing; they shall be consoled. Blest are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they shall have their fill. Blest are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs.” So none other asserts, “They shall see God.”
The vision of God is promised ONLY to those with a pure heart. This is not without a reason, since the eyes which allow us to see God are in the heart. Those are the eyes the Apostle Paul was speaking of when he said: “May He enlighten your innermost vision” (Eph 1:18). So, at the present time because of their weakness, those eyes are enlightened by faith; later, because of their strength, they will be enlightened by vision… “Now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face.” (1 Cor 13:12).” (1 Cor 13:12).” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 53).
PRAYER – O God, Who bestowed upon Thy Saints, Abdon and Sennen, an abundance of grace to bring them to this glory, grant to Thy servants forgiveness of their sins, so they may be found worthy to be freed from all harm, through the interceding merits of Thy Saints. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 30 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Lord Jesus, Think on Me By St Synesius of Cyrene (375-430) Bishop of Ptolemais, Father
Lord Jesus, think on me and purge away my sin, from earth-born passions set me free, and make me pure within. Lord Jesus, think on me, With care and woe oppressed, let me Thy loving servant be and taste Thy promised rest. Lord Jesus, think on me, nor let me go astray, through darkness and perplexity point Thou the heav’nly way. Lord Jesus, think on me, that, when the flood is past, I may eternal brightness see and share Thy joy at last. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 29 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
O Good Jesus, Make Me Live in Thee and for Thee By Pope Benedict XV (1854-1922)
O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus! O fount of every good! I adore Thee, I love Thee and sincerely repenting of my sins I present to Thee my poor heart. Give it back to me humble, patient, pure and in everything, conformed to Thy wishes. Make me, O good Jesus, live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in dangers, comfort me in afflictions, grant me health of body, succour in my temporal needs, Thy blessing in all my works and the grace of a holy death. Amen
Thought for the Day – 19 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Progress in the Love of God
“The entire Christian system is based on the love of God. This, is “the greatest and first commandment” (Mt 22:38) of Jesus, from which the second commandment, to love our neighbour, naturally flows. A man who does not observe this first commandment is not a Christian, whereas a man who endeavours to increase, everyday, his love for God, is a saint. There are may grades of ascent in this love but, the basic step is indicated in the words of our Divine Master: “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he is is who loves me” (Jn 14:15,21).
The love of God should not consist of an empty and ineffective sentimentality but, should comprise a sincere determinations to please God by carrying out His will, without reserve and by becoming more closely united to Him, by the help of His holy grace. Progress in the love of God is divided by the masters of the spiritual lfe into three stages: (1) the period of purification; (2) the period of illuminations and; (3) the period of union with God. We may have advanced no farther than the first stage because there is still so much to be purified in our souls. Nevertheless, let us ask God’s grace, to help us to begin this work immediately!”
One Minute Reflection – 17 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – The Feast of The Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary – St Alexius –1 Timothy 6:6-12 – Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29
REFLECTION – “There is a kind of wealth which is deadly to all – the loss of it, unwelcome. Which, when it makes the soul pure – that is, poor and bare – hears the Saviour speaking thus: “Come, follow Me.” For to the pure in heart, He now becomes the Way. But into the impure soul the grace of God finds no entrance because that soul is unclean which is rich in lusts and enthrall to many worldly posessions.
For whoever holds possessions, gold, silver and houses, as gifts of God, witnesses his thanksgiving to God by coming to the aid of the poor. He knows that he possesses them more for the sake of others than his own and is superior to the possession of them, not the slave of the things he possesses. He does not carry them about in his soul, nor bind and circumscribe his life within them but is ever labouring at some good and divine work. Even should he be necessarily, at some time or other, deprived of them, he is able, with cheerful mind, to bear their removal equally with their abundance. This is someone who is blessed by the Lord and called “poor in spirit”a fitting heir of the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 5:3)…
But someone who carries his riches around enclosed within his soul and, bears in his heart, instead of God’s Spirit, gold or land and is always acquiring possessions without end and is perpetually on the lookout for more, never looking up to Heaven, such a one is fettered in the toils of the world, being earth and destined to return to the earth (Gn 3:19). How can someone like that be able to desire the Kingdom of Heaven who, instead of a heart, carries land or metal and who is due to be surprised by death in the midst of his uncontrolled desires? For “where your heart is, there also will your treasure be” (Mt 6:21).” – St Clement of Alexandria (150-215) Father of the Church, Theologian (Sermon “What rich man can be saved?” )
PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants, that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness both of mind and body and, by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, maybe delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness.ThroughJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – The Feast of the the “Divisio Apostolorum – The Division of the Apostles” also known as (‘Dispersion’)
“… It was their vocation to call sinners to repentance, to heal those who were sick, whether in body or spirit, to seek in all their dealing, never to do their own will but the Will of Him who sent them and, as far as possible, to save the world by their teaching.”
St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Bishop, Father & Doctor of the Church
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen
“Day by day follow God’s path, keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise. In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His Apostles, to all those who seek His will and His testimonies that He would be with them until the end of the world (Mt 28:20) where paths and footsteps will be unknown (cf Ps 76:20), as the divine David said in his songs. Yet, in an invisible way, He is present to the eyes of the mind, making Himself seen by those who have a pure heart and conversing with them. So pursue your path …. ”
St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church
Prayer of St Patrick
I bind unto myself today the power in the love of the Seraphim, in the obedience of the Angels, in the ministration of the Archangels, in the hope of Resurrection unto reward, in the prayers of the Patriarchs, in the predictions of the Prophets, in the preaching of the Apostles, in the faith of the Confessors, in the purity of the holy Virgins, in the deeds of Righteous men. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 4 July – The Feast of St Andrew of Crete (c660-c740) Bishop, Father of the Church
“Then, let us run with Him as He presses on to His Passion. Let us imitate those who have gone out to meet Him, not scattering olive branches or garments or palms in His path but spreading ourselves before Him as best we can, with humility of soul and upright purpose. So may we welcome the Word as He comes (Jn 1:9); so may God, Who cannot be contained within any bounds, be contained within us. For He is pleased to have shown us this gentleness, He, Who is gentle and who “rides upon the setting sun” (Ps 56:12) which refers to our extreme lowliness. He is pleased to come and live with us and to raise us up or bring us back to Himself.”
“Arise my soul and review your deeds which have preceded you. Scrutinize them closely and shed the rain of your tears, declaring openly to Christ, our thoughts and deeds so that you may be justified.”
“Being thy servant, O Mary, is a surety of salvation which God grants solely, to those He will save!”
One Minute Reflection – 25 June – “The Month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Within the Corpus Christi Octave – St William (1085-1142) Abbot – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6 – Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29
REFLECTION – “There is a kind of wealth which is deadly to all – the loss of it, unwelcome. Which, when it makes the soul pure – that is, poor and bare – hears the Saviour speaking thus: “Come, follow Me.” For to the pure in heart, He now becomes the Way. But into the impure soul the grace of God finds no entrance because that soul is unclean which is rich in lusts and enthrall to many worldly posessions.
For whoever holds possessions, gold, silver and houses, as gifts of God, witnesses his thanksgiving to God by coming to the aid of the poor. He knows that he possesses them more for the sake of others than his own and is superior to the possession of them, not the slave of the things he possesses. He does not carry them about in his soul, nor bind and circumscribe his life within them but is ever labouring at some good and divine work. Even should he be necessarily, at some time or other, deprived of them, he is able, with cheerful mind, to bear their removal equally with their abundance. This is someone who is blessed by the Lord and called “poor in spirit”a fitting heir of the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 5:3)…
But someone who carries his riches around enclosed within his soul and, bears in his heart, instead of God’s Spirit, gold or land and is always acquiring possessions without end and is perpetually on the lookout for more, never looking up to Heaven, such a one is fettered in the toils of the world, being earth and destined to return to the earth (Gn 3:19). How can someone like that be able to desire the Kingdom of Heaven who, instead of a heart, carries land or metal and who is due to be surprised by death in the midst of his uncontrolled desires? For “where your heart is, there also will your treasure be” (Mt 6:21).” – St Clement of Alexandria (150-215) Father of the Church, Theologian (Sermon “What rich man can be saved?” )
PRAYER – O God, Who made Thy Saints an example and a help for our weakness, grant us, as we walk the path of salvation, so to venerate the virtues of the blessed Abbot William that we may obtain his intercession and follow in his footsteps. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
“JESUS, meek and humble of HEART, make my heart like unto Thine.” – 300 Days, EVERYTIME. (Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) St Pope Pius X, 15 September 1905.
Quote/s of the Day – 12 June – Ecclesiasticus i 31:8-11; Luke 12:35-40– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org
“Let your loins be girt about and your lamps burning …”
Luke 12:35
“ … The Bridegroom came and they, who were ready, went in with Him … ”
Matthew 25:10
“If you wish to rid yourself of self-love, purify your intentions and, in every action, seek what is pure and what alone, will give honour to God.”
St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)
“Lord, forgive this great sinner. Give me time to do penance. No more world, no more sins!”
St Camillus de Lellis MI (1550-1614)
“If they, must regard themselves as useless servants, who have done all their duty, what must I do, who have done so small a part of what I ought to have done?”
Quote/s of the Day – 11 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Feast of St Barnabas the Apostle, Martyr, The “Son of Encouragement” – Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3; Matthew 10:16-22.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be, therefore, wise as serpents and simple as doves. ”
Matthew – 10:16
“Go you also into My Vineyard.”
Matthew 20:7
“You did not choose Me but I chose you…”
John 15:16
“That is amazing grace! For what were we before Christ had chosen us besides being wicked and lost? What then has He chosen in those who are not good? You cannot say, I am chosen because I believed. For if you believed in Him, you had already chosen Him. Nor can you say, before I believed I did good works and, therefore, was chosen. For what good work is there before faith when the Apostle says, “Whatever is not of faith is sin?” What is there for us to say, then but that we were wicked and were chosen, that by the grace of having been chosen, we might become good?”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“Day by day follow God’s path, keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise. In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His Apostles, to all those who seek His will and His testimonies that He would be with them until the end of the world (Mt 28:20) where paths and footsteps will be unknown (cf Ps 76:20), as the divine David said in his songs. Yet, in an invisible way, He is present to the eyes of the mind, making Himself seen by those who have a pure heart and conversing with them. So pursue your path …. ”
St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church
Our Morning Offering – 16 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
O Purest of Creatures, Sweet Mother, Sweet Maid By Fr Frederick W Faber C.Orat. (1814-1863)
O Purest of creatures, sweet Mother, sweet maid, The one spotless womb wherein Jesus was laid! Dark night hath come down on us, Mother! and we Look out for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!
Deep night hath come down on this rough-spoken world, And the banners of darkness are boldly unfurled; And the tempest-tossed Church,— all her eyes are on thee; They look to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!
He gazed on thy soul, it was spotless and fair, For the empire of sin—it had never been there; None ever had owned thee, dear Mother but He. And He blest thy clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea!
Earth gave Him one lodging; t’was deep in thy breast, And God found a home where the sinner finds rest; His home and His hiding-place, both were in thee, He was won by thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!
Lenten Meditations – 19 April – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” “Short Meditations for Lent” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Easter Eve The Entombment
Read St Luke xxiii:50-56
[50] And behold there was a man named Joseph, who was a counsellor, a good and just man, [51] (the same had not consented to their counsel and doings;) of Arimathea, a city of Judea; who also himself looked for the kingdom of God. [52] This man went to Pilate and begged the Body of Jesus. [53] And taking Him down, he wrapped Him in fine linen and laid Him in a sepulchre which was hewed in stone, wherein never yet any man had been laid. [54] And it was the day of the Pasch-eve and the sabbath drew on. [55] And the women who were come with him from Galilee, following after, saw the sepulchre and how hhs body was laid. [56] And returning, they prepared spices and ointments and, on the sabbath day, they rested, according to the commandment. [Luke 23:50-56]
+1. When Our Lady’s mournful task was finished, the Body of Jesus was laid in the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, there to remain until the hour of its joyful Resurrection. Let us contemplate It as it lies there – disfigured by countless wounds and scars so apparently helpless, yet, nonetheless, the joy of God and worthy of our highest adoration. Passive and cold and motionless – but soon to be radiant with the most dazzling beauty; dead – but living with a Divine Life. Learn from this (a ) the glory of suffering; (b) the power of apparent helplessness when God is with us; (c) the beauty of passive obedience; (d) the true life of those who are dead to the world!
+2. What was Our Lord doing while thus apparently inactive in the silent tomb? He was beginning His Work of triumph, delivering countless souls from purgatory and from limbo, consoling the Patriarchs and Prophets, fulfilling His promise of Paradise to the good thief, trampling upon Satan and changing the kingdoms of this world into the Kingdoms of God and of His Christ. So it is with us. When we seem useless and doing nothing, we are often really doing the greatest things for God.
+3. The tomb where Christ is laid is to be the model of my soul when I receive Holy Communion, silent from all the din of earthly things, cleansed from all stain of sin by a good Confession and firm resolution to amend, dedicated to Him alone, His Sacred Body embalmed by my love and wrapped in the clean winding-sheet of purity of intention. Thus will His Presence there be the pledge of my Resurrection with Him.
Quote/s of the Day – 6 April – Passion Sunday – Hebrews 9:11-15, John 8:46-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Amen, amen, I say to you, if anyone keep My word, he will never see death.”
John 8:51
“Your purity of life, your devotion, deserve and call for a reward because you are acceptable and pleasing to God. Your purity of life must be made purer still, by frequent buffetings, until you attain perfect sincerity of heart. If, from time to time, you feel the sword falling upon you with double or treble force, this also should be seen as sheer joy and the mark of love!”
St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275)
“We must live a dying life and we must die a living death in the life of our Lord.” (The Spirit of St. François de Sales, XV, 6 )
“Unhappy is death, without the love of Christ; unhappy is love, without the Death of Christ!”
(Treatise on the Love of God, Book 12, Chapter 13)
“We are dying, little by little; so, we are to make our imperfections die with us, day by day. ”
(Letters to Persons in the World I:5)
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritas
“Consider the shortness of time, the length of eternity and reflect, how everything here below comes to an end and passes by. Of what use is it then, to lean upon that which cannot give support?”
Quote/s of the Day – 2 April – Feastday of St Francis of Paola OM (1416-1507) –Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Lent – Isaias 1:16-19 – John 9:1-38 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your deeds from My Eyes …”
Isaias 1:16
“Little children follow and obey their father. They love their mother. They know nothing of covetousness, ill-will, bad temper, arrogance and lying. This state of mind opens the road to Heaven. To imitate our Lord’s own humility, we must return to the simplicity of God’s little ones.”
St Hilary (315-368) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Prayer, appeases the anger of God; He pardons the sinner when he prays with humility.”
St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455)
“We must be very sorry for faults with a repentance which is strong, constant, tranquil but not troubled, unquiet or fainthearted.”
(Treatise on the Love of God, Book 9, Chapter 7).
“Christ was more concerned with St. Peter’s repentance and remorse, than with his sin.”
Our Morning Offering – 2 April – On the First Wednesday of the Month, Wednesday being St Joseph’s day, we especially invoke his aid in all our needs
An Indulgenced Prayer to St Joseph for Holy Purity (Indulgence of 100 days, Once a Day – Pope Pius IX,4 February 1877)
Guardian of virgins holy virgin and father, Joseph, to whose faithful custody Christ Jesus, Innocence itself and Mary, virgin of virgins, were committed; I pray and beseech thee, by these dear pledges, Jesus and Mary that, being preserved from all uncleanness, I may, with spotless mind, a pure heart and chaste body, ever serve Jesus and Mary, most chastely all the days of my life. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Lent
“Day by day follow God’s path, keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise. In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His Apostles, to all those who seek His will and His testimonies that He would be with them until the end of the world (Mt 28:20) where paths and footsteps will be unknown (cf Ps 76:20), as the divine David said in his songs. Yet, in an invisible way, He is present to the eyes of the mind, making Himself seen by those who have a pure heart and conversing with them. So pursue your path …. ”
St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church
“May the God of love and peace, set your hearts at rest and speed you on your journey, may He meanwhile, shelter you from disturbance by others, in the hidden recesses of His Love, until He brings you, at last, into that place of complete plenitude, where you will repose forever, in the vision of peace, in the security of trust and in the restful enjoyment of His riches.”
St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275)
“If, then, you looking for the way by which you should go, take Christ for He, Himself is the Way.”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church
Thought for the Day – 27 March – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
“Short Meditations for March, St Joseph” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
27th Day – St Joseph’s Purity of Heart
“Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.” One might almost think that Our Lord, in uttering these words, was thinking of His foster-father. It was because of his purity of heart that he had the privilege of seeing God face-to-face under the veil of flesh, for nearly thirty years. Let us see what this meant.
+1. It meant that St Joseph must have been free from all sin, as far as was possible, to one who did not possess, Our Lady’s singular privilege. The authority over the sinless Lamb of God, would scarcely have been entrusted to one who was sinful. The constant association, the exchange of endearing love, implied that His father was the purest of all men. To me, too, Christ commits Himself in Holy Communion to be my guest and the food of my soul. What ought I to be!?
+2. Purity of heart involves too, a knowledge of God. Who, save His Mother, knew Jesus as Joseph did? Who watched so intensely each movement, each look, each word? Who sought to imitate them and drink in His spirit, as Joseph did? Who was modelled so perfectly after the likeness of Christ? How distant is my likeness to Christ? Nay, how unlike am I, alas to Him?!
+3. St Joseph had the extraordinary privilege of ministering, with his own hands, to Jesus, a privilege which the Angels must needs have envied him. His ministry to Jesus was a source of continual grace. His acts of love to Jesus, were acts of love to God. All was done for Jesus, knowing, he was doing it for God. O happy Joseph! Teach me to minister to others for Jesus’ Sake !
Quote/s of the Day – 26 March – Wednesday of the Third Week in Lent – Exodus 20:12-24, Matthew 15:1-1-1
“But the things which proceed out of the mouth, come from the heart and it is they which defile a man.”
Matthew 15:18
“Our hearts were made for Thee, O God And restless must they be Until, O God, this grace accord, Until they rest in Thee!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Govern my heart O Lord, lest it drift into useless and disordered thoughts. Do not permit me to become excessively preoccupied with anything at all, even matters and concerns which are useful and good in themselves. Temper the affections of my soul, so that I may neither love, nor hate anything, in a way which exceeds due proportions. Let me neither rejoice, nor be saddened, beyond the measure which is fitting and rational.”
St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Universal Doctor of the Church
“Do not fix your longings on anything which you do not possess; do not let your heart rest in that which you have; do not grieve overmuch, at the losses which may happen to you – and then, you may reasonably believe that although rich in fact, you are not so in affection but that you are poor in spirit and, therefore, blessed, for the Kingdom of Heaven is yours.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritatis
“Be brave and try to detach your heart from worldly things. Do your utmost to banish darkness from your mind and come to understand what true, selfless piety is. Through confession, endeavour to purify your heart of anything which may still taint it. Enliven your faith which is essential to understand and achieve piety.”
Quote/s of the Day – 19 March – “The Month and Feastday of Saint Joseph”
“Saint Joseph was the just man: by his constant fidelity -an effect of justice; by his perfect discretion – a sister to prudence; by his upright conduct – a mark of strength and by his inviolable chastity – a flower of temperance.”
St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church
Indulgenced Holy Family Aspiration
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give Thee my heart and my soul; Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony; Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with Thee.”
(Indulgence of 300 days, Each Time. Pope Pius VII, 26 August 1814)
“To all fathers of families, Joseph is verily the best model of paternal vigilance and care. In the most holy Virgin Mother of God, mothers may find an excellent example of love, modesty, resignation of spirit and the perfecting of faith. And in Jesus, Who was subject to His parents, the children of the family, have a Divine Pattern of obedience which they can admire, reverence and imitate.”
Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)
Apostolic Letter, “Breve Neminem Fugit” 1892
“It is impossible, that he could be denied the favours for which he asks and which we should request him to obtain for us. Let us go to him trustingly but, let us remember, that the surest way of being heard by him, is to imitate his wonderful virtues, especially his humility, his spirit of prayer, his purity and his calm desire always, to do God’s Will.”
Our Morning Offering – 13 March – Thursday of the 1st Week in Lent
Lord Jesus, Think on Me By St Synesius of Cyrene (375-430) Bishop of Ptolemais, Father
Lord Jesus, think on me and purge away my sin, from earth-born passions set me free, and make me pure within. Lord Jesus, think on me, With care and woe oppressed, let me Thy loving servant be and taste Thy promised rest. Lord Jesus, think on me, nor let me go astray, through darkness and perplexity point Thou the heav’nly way. Lord Jesus, think on me, that, when the flood is past, I may eternal brightness see and share Thy joy at last. Amen
Thought for the Day – 11 March – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
“Short Meditations for March, St Joseph” From “The Devout Year” By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
11th Day – St Joseph’s Second Joy: The Birth of Jesus
+1. Although St Joseph knew, the time of Our Lady’s delivery was drawing near, yet the birth of Jesus came upon him as a joyful surprise. He anticipated the lot of his Foster-Son. “He came to His own and His own received Him not.” The reward of Joseph’s purity, chastity, patience, submission, gentleness and sorrow, was the visible Presence of the Son of God, the privilege of being the first of all the sons of men, to behold Him. “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God,” was literally fulfilled for the first time in the person of St Joseph.
+2. It was but fitting that the coming of Christ Jesus into the world should be surrounded by celestial wonders. A choir of Angels sang angelic melodies and a brightness, dazzling beyond the brightness of the sun, illumined the cave and settled around the new -born Infant and His Virgin Mother. St Joseph saw the Holy Child and the sight was Heaven begun on earth! What was all the preceding sorrow compared with the unspeakable joy of that happy moment?
+3. Joseph was recalled to earthly things by hearing voices outside the cave and seeing a group of shepherds coming to adore the newborn King. It was not a dream then but a happy reality. God was really come to dwell among men and was born in that humble cave. What mattered it if it was bare and poor and rough? How much happier to be there, sitting on the hard cold ground, poor and despised of men, than to be lounging on perfumed couches, in the Palace of Herod! Where Jesus is, there is happiness! What are outward things if we enjoy His Peace!
One Minute Reflection – 7 March – “The Month of Saint Joseph” –First Friday – Feast of the Crown of Thorns – St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274) Confessor, Doctor – Wisdom 7:7-14 – Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Jesus said to His disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. … You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:13, 14
REFLECTION – “You are the salt of the earth. It is not for your own sake, He says but for the world’s sake that the word is entrusted to you. I am not sending you into two cities only or ten or twenty, not to a single nation, as I sent the Prophets of old but, across land and sea, to the whole world. And that world is in a miserable state. For when He says: You are the salt of the earth, He is indicating that, all mankind had lost its savour and had been corrupted by sin. Therefore, He requires of these men, those virtues which are especially useful and even necessary, if they are to bear the burdens of many. For the man who is kindly, modest, merciful and just, will not keep his good works to himself but, will see to it that, these admirable fountains, send out their streams, for the good of others. Again, the man who is clean of heart, a peacemaker and ardent for truth, will order his life so, as to contribute to the common good. …
Then He passes onto a more exalted comparison – You are the light of the world. Once again, “of the world,” not of one nation or twenty cities but of the whole world. The light He means, is an intelligible light, far superior to the rays of the sun we see, just as the salt is a spiritual salt. First salt, then light, so that you may learn how profitable sharp words may be and how useful, serious doctrine. Such teaching holds in check and prevents, dissipation, it leads to virtue and sharpens the mind’s eye. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do men light a lamp and put it under a basket. Here again, He is urging them to a careful manner of life and teaching them, to be watchful, for they live under the eyes of all and have the whole world for the arena of their struggles.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Homily on Matthew).
PRAYER – O God, Who enlightened Thy Church with the wondrous learning of blessed Thomas, Thy Confessor and enriched her through his holy life, grant us, we beseech Thee, both to understand what he taught and by following his example, to do what he did. Through tJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Quote/s of the Day – 3 March – Ferial Day – Quinquagesima Sunday –1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – Luke 18:31-43.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And immediately he saw and followed Him, glorifying God.”
Luke 18:43
“I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness, of what you have seen and what you will be shown. I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those, who have been consecrated by faith in me.”
Acts 26:16-18
“So that our minds might be free of these illusions, the Word invites us to shake this deep sleep from the eyes of our soul, so that we might not slip away from the true realities, by becoming attached to that which has no consistency. That is why He suggests that we be watchful when He says: “Let your loins be girt about and your lamps burning …” (Lk 12:35) For when the light shines before our eyes, it chases sleep away and, when our loins are held tight by a belt, they prevent the body from succumbing to it… The person who has fastened on the belt of temperance lives in the light of a pure conscience; the trust of a child illuminates his life like a lamp… If we live in this way, we will enter a life like that of the Angels!”
St Gregory of Nyssa (c335–c395) Father of the Church (Brother of St Basil the Great)
“I was in the world like someone blind and as though without God, since I did not know my God. Then Thou, in person, pitied me and looked upon me, when Thou shone Thine Light into my darkness, Thou converted me and drew me to Thyself, O my Creator. And when Thou had snatched me out of the depths of the pit … of this life’s pleasures and desires, then Thou showed me the way and gave me a guide who would lead me to Thy commandments.”
Quote/s of the Day – 27 February – St Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin/Gabriel Possenti CP (1838-1862) Confessor
“The Infinite Mercy of God has been able to arrange all things sweetly and today, the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, our Protectress and our Mother, I have put on, with unutterable joy, this holy religious Habit and taken the name of Confrater Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows.”
(Letter to his Father, From Morrovalle on 21 September 1856)
“What caution, in fact, does it not require, to live as a good Christian in the world!”
(Letter to his Father, From Morrovalle on 21 September 1856)
“May the Holy Infant Jesus and Mary, His Immaculate Mother, grant you all every happiness and crown you with blessings. Let us pray often to Him, Who came from the Right Hand of His Father, … to be born between two beasts in a poor stable. Let us beg Our Saviour Who so willingly exposed Himself to the insults and outrages of His creatures, in order to snatch us from everlasting hell to which we were hopelessly condemned; let us beg of Him, to purify our hearts by a holy Communion and to inflame us with His Divine Love.”
(Letter to his Father, From Morrovalle on 2 December 1856)
One Minute Reflection – 27 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – St Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin/Gabriel Possenti CP (1838-1862) Confessor – 1 John 2:14-17. – Mark 10:13-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“One thing is lacking to thee; go, sell whatever thou has and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven and come, follow Me.” – Mark 10:21
REFLECTION – “Blessed is the poor man who cried and whom the Lord heard. Blessed is the man poor in offence. Blessed is the man poor in vices. Blessed is the poor man, in whom the prince of this world finds nothing. Blessed is the poor man who, is like that Poor Man Who, although He was rich, became poor for our sake. Matthew fully revealed this when he said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” One poor in spirit is not puffed up, is not exalted in the mind of his own flesh. This Beatitude is first, when I have laid aside every sin and I have taken off all malice and I am content with simplicity, destitute of evils. All that remains is that I regulate my conduct. For what good does it do me to lack worldly goods, unless I am meek and gentle?
Although there are many charms of delights in riches, yet there are more incentives to practice virtues. Although virtue does not require assistance and the contribution of the poor person, is more commended, than the generosity of the rich, yet with the authority of the heavenly saying, He condemns, not those who have riches but those who do not know how to use them. The pauper is more praiseworthy who gives with eager compassion and is not restrained, by the bolts of looming scarcity. He thinks that he who has enough for nature, does not lack. So the rich person is the more guilty, who does not give thanks to God, for what he has received but vainly hides wealth given for the common use and conceals it, in buried treasures. Then the offence consists, not in the wealth but in the attitude.
Purify yourself with your tears. Wash yourselves with mourning. If you weep for yourself, another will not weep for you . One who is a sinner weeps for himself and rebukes himself, that he may become righteous, for just people accuse themselves of sin. Let us pursue order because, it is written, “Set in order love in me.” I have laid down sin. I have tempered my conduct. I have wept for my transgressions. I begin to hunger. I hunger for righteousness. The sick, when he is seriously ill, does not hunger because, the pain of the illness excludes hunger. What is the hunger for righteousness? What is the bread of which it is said, “I have been young and am old and I have not seen the righteous man forsaken, nor his seed begging bread?” Surely, one who is hungry, seeks increase of strength. What greater increase of virtue is there, than the rule of righteousness?” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church( Exposition on the Gospel of Luke, 5).
PRAYER – O God, Who taught blessed Gabriel to meditate continually on the sorrows of Thy most sweet Mother and Who, through her, exalted him by the glory of a holy life and miracles; grant us, we beseech Thee, through his intercession and example so to share in the sorrows of Thy Mother that her motherly protection may save us. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 25 February – Sexagesima Week
Lord Jesus, Think on Me By St Synesius of Cyrene (375-430) Bishop of Ptolemais, Father
Lord Jesus, think on me and purge away my sin, from earth-born passions set me free, and make me pure within. Lord Jesus, think on me, With care and woe oppressed, let me Thy loving servant be and taste Thy promised rest. Lord Jesus, think on me, nor let me go astray, through darkness and perplexity point Thou the heav’nly way. Lord Jesus, think on me, that, when the flood is past, I may eternal brightness see and share Thy joy at last. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 20 February – Ferial Day – Septuagesima – 1 Corinthians 9,24-27.10; 1-5 – Matthew 20,1-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Go you also into My Vineyard.”
Matthew 20:7
“Day by day follow God’s path, keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise. In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His Apostles, to all those who seek His will and His testimonies that He would be with them until the end of the world (Mt 28:20) where paths and footsteps will be unknown (cf Ps 76:20), as the divine David said in his songs. Yet, in an invisible way, He is present to the eyes of the mind, making Himself seen by those who have a pure heart and conversing with them. So pursue your path …. ”
St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church
“But what shall we offer, brothers, what shall we give Him for all the benefits He has given us? He offered the most precious Victim He possessed for our sake; in truth, He could not have had anything more precious. So let us, too, do what we can, let us offer Him the best we have, that is to say, ourselves! He offered Himself, so who are you, to hesitate to offer yourself?”
St Bernard (1090-1153) Father & Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
“We should strive to keep our hearts open to the sufferings and wretchedness of others and pray continually, that God may grant us that spirit of compassion which is truly the Spirit of God.”
Quote/s of the Day – 19 February – – Ferial Day – Septuagesima – 1 Corinthians 9,24-27.10; 1-5 – Matthew 20,1-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Know you not that they, who run in the race, all run indeed but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain.”
St Paul – 1 Corinthians 9:24
“What determines that the gifts of God dwells in us, is the measure of each one’s faith. Because, it is to the extent that we believe that the enthusiasm to act is given us. And so, those who act, reveal the measure of their faith proportionate to their action, they receive their measure of grace according to what they have believed. …”
St Maximus the Confessor (c580-662) Father of the Church
“Since happiness is nothing else than the enjoyment of the Supreme Good and the Supreme Good is above us, no-one can enjoy happiness, unless he rises above himself.”
St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Franciscan Seraphic Doctor of the Church
“Be brave and try to detach your heart from worldly things. Do your utmost to banish darkness from your mind and come to understand what true, selfless piety is. Through confession, endeavour to purify your heart of anything which may still taint it. Enliven your faith which is essential to understand and achieve piety.”
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