Thought for the Day – 28 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Night of the Passion
“Picture Jesus during this long and sorrowful night. Abandoned by everyone, betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, unjustly judged worthy of death by the Hight Priest, buffered and mocked by the soldiers, He suffers and prays and offers Himself as a victim of reparation, especially for all those sins which are being committed and will be committed by night! – throughout the ages and all over the world.
Let us bow low before Him in spirit. Let us tell Him with penitent hearts that we shall never offend Him again and that we love and adore Him. Let us promise to offer the prayers and sufferings of this day in reparation for the sins which men commit under cover of darkness.”
Our Morning Offering – 4 March – Monday of the Third Week in Lent
Morning Offering By St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873 – 1897)
O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to It’s infinite merits and I wish to make reparation for my sins, by casting them into the furnace of It’s Merciful Love. O my God! I ask Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfil perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee, the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in Heaven for all Eternity. Amen.
One Minute Reflection – 28 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and 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 – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity” – The Second Sunday in Lent
The Golden Arrow
This prayer was revealed by Jesus Himself to a Carmelite Nun of Tours in 1843 as a Reparation for Blasphemy. “This Golden Arrow will wound My Heart delightfully” He said “and heal the wounds, inflicted by blasphemy.”
May the Most Holy, Most Sacred, Most Adorable, Most Mysterious and Unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in Heaven. on earth and under the earth, by all the creatures of God and by the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – 21 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity” – Ember Wednesday – 3 Kings 19:3-8; Matthew 12:38-50 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The sign of Jonah”
Matthew 12:39
“It was, too, to lead the Ninevites to firm repentance and to convert them to Him, Who would deliver them from death, amazed as they were by the sign accomplished in Jonah … In the same way, God permitted man to be swallowed by that great monster, the author of disobedience, not so that he should altogether vanish away and die but because God, had prepared beforehand, the salvation fulfilled by His Word by means of the “sign of Jonah.”
St Irenaeus (130-208) Bishop of Lyons, Martyr and Father
“To do penance is to bewail the evil we have done and to do no evil to bewail.”
“But He still follows behind us and counsels us, although we have despised Him, He still does not cease to call us. We turn our backs on His face, so to speak, when we reject His Words, when we trample His Commandments underfoot but He, Who sees that we reject Him, still calls out to us by His Commandments and waits for us by His patience, stands behind us and calls us back when we have turned away.”
St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father & Doctor of the Church
“What are we doing? If we really love the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we should offer penance and sacrifices in order to make reparation for our sins and the sins of others and, to propitiate this adorable Heart, Which ardently desires to bestow new favours upon us.”
Our Morning Offering – 13 February – Feast of the Hoily Face of Jesus and Shrove Tuesday
As part of the preparations for Lent, it is appropriate to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Face by spending some time before the Blessed Sacrament and reciting the prayers of reparation. In addition, the repetition of this Devotion each Tuesday in Lent maybe a means of drawing closer to Our Lord during this time of more intense prayer and conversion.
TAKEN FROM THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SR MARY OF ST PETER OCD (1816-1848).
“Do you see how I suffer? Yet, very few understand Me. Those who say they love Me are very ungrateful! I have given My Heart as the sensible object of My great love to men and I give My Face as the sensible object of My sorrow for all the sins of men. I wish that it be venerated by a special Feast on Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. I wish that the Feast be preceded by a Novena in which the faithful make reparation with Me, joining together and sharing in My sorrow.”
Offering in Reparation, of the Holy Face of Our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father
Eternal Father, turn away Thy angry gaze from Thou guilty people whose face has become unsightly in Thy eyes. Look instead upon the Face of Thy beloved Son, in Whom Thou art well pleased. We now offer Thee, this Holy Face, covered with shame and disfigured by bloody wounds, in reparation for the crimes of our age, in order to appease Thy anger, justly provoked against us. Because, Thy Divine Son, our Redeemer, hast taken upon His Head all the sins of His members that they might be spared, we now beg Thee, Eternal Father, to grant us mercy. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 19 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” –
Act of Reparation By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church Indulgence of 3 Years – Once a Day
O Jesus, my Saviour and Redeemer, Son of the living God, behold we kneel before Thee and offer Thee our reparation; we would make amends, for all the blasphemies uttered against Thy Holy Name, for all the injuries done to Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, for all the irreverence shown toward Thine Immaculate Virgin Mother, for all the calumnies and slanders, spoken against Thy Spouse, the Holy Catholic and Roman Church. O Jesus, Who hast said: “If you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will give it you,” we pray and beseech Thee, for all our brethren who are in danger of sin; sheld them from every temptation to fall away from the true faith; save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss; to all of them, give light and knowledge of the truth, courage and strength, for the conflict with evil, perseverance in faith and active charity! For this do we pray, most merciful Jesus, in Thy Name, unto God the Father, with Whom Thou livest and reignest in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 1 December – The First Friday of December
Consecration and Reparation to the Sacred Heart By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903) Pope from 1878-1903
Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thine altar. We are Thine and Thine we wish to be but, to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us, freely consecrates himself today to Thy most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known Thee, many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful, who have never forsaken Thee but also of the prodigal children, who have abandoned Thee, grant that they may quickly return to Thy Father’s house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger. Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof and call them back to the harbour of truth and unity of faith, so that there may be but one flock and one Shepherd. Be Thou, King of all those. who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism and refuse not, to draw them into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of the race, once Thy chosen people – of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Saviour; may it now descend upon them, a laver of redemption and of life. Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church, assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations and make the earth resound from pole to pole, with one cry: “Praise be to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to It be glory and honour forever.” Amen
The above prayer, composed by Pope Leo XIII was included in the 1899 Encyclical, Annum Sacrum, issued by Leo XIII as he Consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Consecration was influenced by two letters written to the Holy Father by Blessed Sister Mary of the Divine Heart, who stated that in visions of Jesus Christ, she had been told to request the Consecration.
Thought for the Day – 2 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Purgatory”
“Purgatory is the masterpiece of God’s justice and mercy. St John tells us in the Apocalypse, that nothing defiled can enter into the Heavenly Jerusalem (Apoc 21:27).
There are very few, however, who are privileged to arrive at the supreme moment of death, still wearing their Baptismal robe of innocence. Even the just man falls very often as the Holy Spirit warns us (Prov 24:16). We all possess many failings and have been guilty of many sins, either mortal or venial. It is true, that we can obtain forgiveness by penance and by receiving the Sacraments but, there still remains the temporal punishment due to our sins. Neither the small penances imposed by the confessor, nor our own tiny acts of voluntary mortification, are sufficient to satisfy our debt. We cannot be certain, moreover, that we shall be able, at the hour of our death, to cleanse ourselves of all our sins, by means of one good Confession. Even if we appear before the judgement seat of God without any grave faults, there will still, unfortunately, be many debts to be paid and many imperfections to be purified.
What then will happen to us? The justice of God cannot admit us, imperfect and defiled as we are, into the everlasting happiness of the Beatific Vision. Will He reject us, therefore, even as He rejects those who die in mortal sin and are condemned to eternal punishment? This is unthinkable, for the mercy of God is as infinite as His justice. And so, there is Purgatory, where the souls of those who have died in the state of grace but, still scarred with imperfections and burdened with debts to be paid, can find a way of purifying themselves and, of making themselves worthy of an everlasting reward.
Let us thank God for this gift, the last link in the chain of His mercies, which enables us to prepare ourselves for our entry into the Beatific Vision.”
Thought for the Day – 23 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” “Forgive Us Our Debts”
“Finally, we owe God a great deal on account of our sins. Unfortunately, our only return for God’s continual favours, has been negligence, ingratitude and sin! How many failings we have been guilty of throughout our lives? Since it is an offence against God, Who is infinitely good and amiable, even venial sin cannot properly be atoned for by the merits of all the Angels and of all the Saints of Heaven. Therefore, it was necessary for the Son of God, made Man, to offer Himself as a Victim of Expiation, on our behalf.
Remembering His infinite merits, we should humbly ask God – ‘forgive us our debts.‘ that is, our many sins and failings and, whatever punishment is owing to us, for every sin demands some expiation, either in this life or in the next!
Meanwhile, we should accept, with resignation, all the sufferings which God sends us in reparation for our sins and, we should promise never to offend Him again.”
Thought for the Day – 13 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery The Crucifixion
“At last, Jesus reaches Calvary, breathless and reduced to utter exhaustion. The instrument of torture is taken from Him and laid upon the ground. Our divine Redeemer suffers acute pain as Her is again stripped of His garments, which have stuck to His wounds. Now, He is stretched, an innocent victim, on the altar of sacrifice, the Cross. One of the executioners grasps His hand, pierces it with a large nail and attaches it to the wood. Then, he does the same with the other hand and with the two feet. His Mother is close at hand. She feels in her heart the blows of the hammer which lacerate the living flesh of Jesus. Jesus remains silent “as a meek lamb that is carried to be a victim” (Jer 11:19).
Now, the executioners raise up the Cross and fix it in the hold already prepared for it. The shock of this impact sends a shudder of terrible pain through the Victim’s members and entire frame. Behold Him now, suspended between Heaven and earth, the Mediator between God and humanity, the Victim of Expiation for the innumerable sins of men.
Come near to the Cross and kiss the bloodstained feet. While the Jews are insulting Him and most of the Apostles have abandoned Him, let us tell Him how much we love Him. Let us tell Him of our sorrow for our sins and of our determination to make amends for our faults and for our ingratitude, by living in accordance with His teachings and example.”
Quote/s of the Day – 13 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Our Lady of Fatima: The Sixth & Final Apparition – Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (the name she gave herself when Lucia asked her name).
“The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying.”
Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)
“If there were one million families praying the Rosary everyday, the entire world would be saved.”
St Pope Pius X (1835-1914)
“There is no surer means of calling down God’s blessing upon the family, than the daily recitation of the Rosary.”
“We put great confidence in the Holy Rosary, for the healing of evils which afflict our times.”
Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)
Act of Consecration and Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth and tender Mother of men, in accordance with thy ardent wish made known at Fatima, I consecrate to thee, myself, my brethren, my country and the whole human race. Reign over us and teach us how to make the Heart of Jesus reign and triumph in us and around us, as It has reigned and triumphed in thee. We wish to atone for the many crimes committed against Jesus and thee. We wish to call down upon our country and the whole world, the peace of God in justice and charity. We promise to imitate thy virtues, by the practice of a Christian life without regard to human respect. We resolve to receive Holy Communion on the first Saturday of every month and to offer thee five decades of the Rosary on this day, together with our sacrifices in the spirit of reparation and penance. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 21 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Heart of Judas
“Even after his betrayal, Judas still had time to make amends. It would have sufficed if he had gone to Jesus and asked Him for forgiveness. He would certainly have received the kiss of peace. He was overcome by despair, however and decided that his sin was too great to be forgiven. So, throwing away his money, the reward of his betrayal, he took a rope and “hanged himself with a halter” (Mt 27:5).
If we should ever have the misfortune to fall into sin, we should remember that the mercy of God is infinite.
It is enough to go to Him and to ask for pardon and for the grace not to offend Him any more under any circumstances. We should then resolve to love Him with all the power of our poor hearts, to atone for our sins and to serve Him faithfully for the rest of our lives.”
Quote/s of the Day – 10 September – The 15th Sunday after Pentecost – Galatians 5:25-26; 6:1-10, Luke 7:11-16 – Scripture search here:
“Young man, I say to thee, arise!” Luke 7:14
“The young man’s mother, this widow, was transported with joy at seeing her son rise. Our Mother, the Church, also rejoices when she sees her children’s spiritual resurrection everyday. The widow’s son was dead with the death of the body but these latter, are dead with the death of the soul. People wept tears over the visible death of the former but people were not concerned by the invisible death of the latter – they did not even see it. The only One Who did not remain indifferent, is the One Who knew these deaths – only the One, Who could give life back to them, knew these deaths. For if the Lord had not come to raise the dead, the Apostle Paul would not have said: “Awake, O sleeper, arise from the dead and Christ will give you Light.” (Eph 5:14).”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“O my brethren, if only we wanted to, if only we all wanted to perceive our soul’s paralysis in all its depth! Then we would see that it is lying on a stretcher of sins, deprived of strength. Christ’s action within us, would be a source of light and we would understand that each day He sees our lack of faith, harmful as it is, that He draws us towards healing remedies and sharply presses our rebellious wills. “My son” He says, “your sins are forgiven you.”
St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) “Golden Words” Father & Doctor of the Church
“If thou art bound down by sickness, if sorrows weary thee, if thou art trembling with fear, invoke the name of Jesus!”
St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1456)
“A person who is conscious of his misery, can certainly have great confidence in God. In fact, he cannot have true confidence in Him, without this consciousness of his misery. This knowledge and acknowledgement of our misery, leads us to the presence of God.”
St Francis de Sales 91567-1622) Doctor of the Church
Quote/s of the Day – 4 September – Feria – Galatians 5:16-24, Matthew 6:24-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“No man can serve two masters.”
Matthew 6:24
“Penance is a needful thing to the sinner, who desires to recover health of his soul. And, in doing penance, there be three things to be considered: serious compunction of heart, confession of mouth and satisfaction by deed.”
St John Fisher (1469-1535)
“Worldly love aims at pleasing everyone and saddening no-one. Many call this politeness! but, it is simply self-praise and flattery!”
“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)
“To advance well, we must apply ourselves to make good way on the road nearest to us and do, the first day’s journey.”
“We fight the monsters of Africa in imagination but, from lack of attention, we allow ourselves, in reality, to be killed by the little serpents which lie in our way!”
(Intro to the Devout Life III:37)
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of Charity of the Church
“Let us be humble like Mary. Let us make God’s glory, rather than our own satisfaction, the object of our actions. Only one thing should count with us and that is, the testimony of a good conscience before God. Everything else is passing and futile.”
Thought for the Day – 22 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Patience
“If we are patient from the motive of the love of God, we can gain merit in His sight.
There are three grades of perfection in the virtue. (2) The first is the acceptance, with Christian resignation, of every kind of misfortune, offering it in expiation of our sins. (2) The second consists in a cheerful and willing acceptance of these misfortunes because they come from God. (3) The third stage is reached, when we actually desire them out of our love for Jesus Christ.
Which grade have we attained? If we wish to please God, it is essential that we should have made the first grade at least. “A patient man is better than a warrior and he, who rules his temper, than he who takes a city (Prov 26:22).”
Our Morning Offering – 16 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”
Act of Consecration and Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth and tender Mother of men, in accordance with thy ardent wish made known at Fatima, I consecrate to thee, myself, my brethren, my country and the whole human race. Reign over us and teach us how to make the Heart of Jesus reign and triumph in us and around us, as It has reigned and triumphed in thee. We wish to atone for the many crimes committed against Jesus and thee. We wish to call down upon our country and the whole world, the peace of God in justice and charity. We promise to imitate thy virtues, by the practice of a Christian life without regard to human respect. We resolve to receive Holy Communion on the first Saturday of every month and to offer thee five decades of the Rosary on this day, together with our sacrifices in the spirit of reparation and penance. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 2 August – The Feast of St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
Act of Reparation By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church Indulgence of 3 Years Once a Day
O Jesus, my Saviour and Redeemer, Son of the living God, behold we kneel before Thee and offer Thee our reparation; we would make amends, for all the blasphemies uttered against Thy Holy Name, for all the injuries done to Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, for all the irreverence shown toward Thine Immaculate Virgin Mother, for all the calumnies and slanders, spoken against Thy Spouse, the Holy Catholic and Roman Church. O Jesus, Who hast said: “If you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will give it you,” we pray and beseech Thee, for all our brethren who are in danger of sin; sheld them from every temptation to fall away from the true faith; save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss; to all of them, give light and knowledge of the truth, courage and strength, for the conflict with evil, perseverance in faith and active charity! For this do we pray, most merciful Jesus, in Thy Name, unto God the Father, with Whom Thou livest and reignest in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 9 July – St John Fisher (1469-1535) Martyr, Bishop and St Thomas More (1478-1535) Martyr, Confessor
“I reckon in this realm, no one man, in wisdom, learning and long approved virtue together, meet to be matched and compared with him.”
St Thomas More speaking of St John Fisher
“Penance is a needful thing to the sinner, who desires to recover health of his soul. And, in doing penance, there be three things to be considered: serious compunction of heart, confession of mouth and satisfaction by deed.”
“Beware of those prophets who speak unto you and deceive you! They prophecy nothing but the imaginations and forgings of their own minds and not the truth of Holy Scripture!”
St John Fisher (1469-1535)
Give Me Thy Grace, Good Lord! A Prayer of Hope By St Thomas More (1478-1535)
Give me Thy grace, good Lord. To set the world at naught. To set the mind firmly on Thee and not to hang upon the words of men’s mouths. To be content to be solitary. Not to long for worldly pleasures. Little by little, utterly to cast off the world and rid my mind of all its business. Not to long to hear of earthly things but that the hearing of worldly fancies, may be displeasing to me. Gladly to be thinking of God, piteously to call for His help. To lean into the comfort of God. Busily to labour to love Him. To know mine own vileness and wretchedness. To humble myself under the mighty Hand of God. To bewail my sins past, for the purging of them, patiently to suffer adversity. Gladly to bear my purgatory here. To be joyful in tribulations. To walk the narrow way that leads to life. To bear the Cross with Christ. To have the last thing in remembrance. To have ever before mine eyes, my death that is ever at hand. To make death no stranger to me. To foresee and consider, the everlasting fire of Hell. To pray for pardon before the Judge come. To have continually in mind, the Passion that Christ suffered for me. For His benefits, unceasingly to give Him thanks. To buy the time again, that I before have lost. To abstain from vain conversations. To shun foolish mirth and gladness. To cut off unnecessary recreations. Of worldly substance, friends, liberty, life and all, to set the loss at naught, for the winning of Christ. To think my worst enemies, my best friends, for the brethren of Joseph could never have done him so much good with their love and favour, as they did him, with their malice and hatred. These minds are more to be desired of every man, than all the treasures of all the princes and kings, Christian and heathen, were it gathered and laid together, all in one heap. Amen
Thought for the Day – 12 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Holy Mass The Four Ends of the Holy Mass
“Let us meditate on the fact, that the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, was instituted for four ends, namely:
1. TO HONOUR GOD All the Angels and Saints of Heaven and all the human beings upon earth, could not possibly honour God, as He ought to be honoured because, they are creatures who derive everything which they possess from God. Only Jesus the God-Man, could offer the Eternal Father, the infinite honour due to Him, by offering Himself.
2. TO MAKE ADEQUATE SATISFACTION FOR ALL OUR SINS Insofar, as they are a revolt against God, our sins are, in a certain way, infinite. This is because they offend an Infinite Being. Only Jesus, being at the same time man and God, could offer for us, His brothers, an infinite satisfaction to the Eternal Father. Only He, could redeem us from the debt of crime and punishment, which we had contracted, by offering Himself, without reserve, in the Eucharistic Sacrifice. It must be explained, however, that although the Mass is of infinite value in itself, God applies this value to us in a finite way only, according to His good pleasure and according to our dispositions. For this reason, we should do well to attend Mass, as often as possible and with the maximum fervour.
3. TO GIVE THANKSGIVING TO GOD for all the benefits which we have received from Him.
4. Finally, TO OBTAIN ALL THE GRACES AND FAVOURS of which we and others stand in need. The Mass is an extraordinary gift. Let us attend at Mass with recollection and devotion. It will be for us, the source of every grace and virtue!” Amen
Thought for the Day – 17 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
SCANDAL!
“Some people are careful to avoid giving grave scandal but do not give it a thought in matters which they regard as trivial. They have no scruples about imprudent gestures, malicious innuendoes, double-meaning conversations, acts of impatience, lack of understanding or constant grumbling. Such things may seem trivial in themselves but can cause a great deal of harm in certain circumstances and in certain types of company.
We should keep control over ourselves and examine our behaviour in these matters every evening. If we examine ourselves properly, we shall realise that we have failed to a greater or lesser degree. Consequently, we shall recognise our obligation to make reparation, as far as possible, for any scandal which we have given. This can be done especially by giving good example. We have a strict obligation in conscience, to make reparation for all sin – never forgetting or disregarding any occasions when we were the instruments of the devil and have caused (sometimes GRAVE) scandal [these days maybe to 1000s on social media!].”
Thought for the Day – 29 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
ALMSGIVING
“We must be detached from the goods of this world because they are corruptible and cause us to forget God. Even if we have been placed in easy circumstances, let us be poor in spirit. We can be poor in spirit by giving alms from motives of Christian charity. We need the mercy of God and Our Lord has told us that He will be merciful only to those who show mercy to others.
We need God’s forgiveness for all our sins and the Holy Spirit assures us that our iniquities are redeemed by almsgiving. “Redeem thou thy sins with alms and thy iniquities, with works of mercy to the poor” )Dan 4:24). Almsgiving is a means of our personal sanctification!”
Our Morning Offering – 29 March – Wednesday in Passion Week
A Lenten Offering By St Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face of Lisieux (1873-1897)
O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this Lent for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its Infinite Merits and I wish to make reparation for my sins, by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love. O my God! I ask of Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfil perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee, the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in Heaven, for all eternity. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 13 March – Monday of the Third Week in Lent
Morning Offering By St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873 – 1897)
O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to It’s infinite merits and I wish to make reparation for my sins, by casting them into the furnace of It’s Merciful Love. O my God! I ask Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfil perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee, the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in Heaven for all Eternity. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 10 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Hidden Life of Jesus
“There are many who complain that their work is degrading or heavy or unsatisfying. This is an indication that they are working for themselves, rather than for God.
We should sanctify our work by prayer. We should meditate on the example of Jesus and remeber that there are many sins for which we must make reparation. If we offer our work to God, it will not only become meritorious but, much easier to bear.
To work purely for profit is avarice, to work for the good opinion and praise of others, is vanity and to work in order to pass the time – is a waste of time! The perfect Christian approach, is to work in order to do our duty, to please God, to atone for our sins and to gain Heaven.”
Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – Feast of the Holy Face
As part of the preparations for Lent, it is appropriate to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Face by spending some time before the Blessed Sacrament and reciting the prayers of reparation. In addition, the repetition of this Devotion each Tuesday in Lent maybe a means of drawing closer to Our Lord during this time of more intense prayer and conversion.
TAKEN FROM THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SR MARY OF ST PETER OCD (1816-1848).
“Do you see how I suffer? Yet, very few understand Me. Those who say they love Me are very ungrateful! I have given My Heart as the sensible object of My great love to men and I give My Face as the sensible object of My sorrow for all the sins of men. I wish that it be venerated by a special Feast on Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. I wish that the Feast be preceded by a Novena in which the faithful make reparation with Me, joining together and sharing in My sorrow.”
Offering of the Holy Face of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in Reparation to God the Father
Eternal Father, turn away Thy angry gaze from Thou guilty people whose face has become unsightly in Thy eyes. Look instead upon the Face of Thy beloved Son, in Whom Thou art well pleased. We now offer Thee, this Holy Face, covered with shame and disfigured by bloody wounds, in reparation for the crimes of our age, in order to appease Thy anger, justly provoked against us. Because, Thy Divine Son, our Redeemer, hast taken upon His Head all the sins of His members that they might be spared, we now beg Thee, Eternal Father, to grant us mercy. Amen.
An Aspiration to the Eternal Father to be Frequently Recited During the Day …
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Holy Face of Jesus, covered with blood, sweat, dust and spittle, in reparation for our sins and the sins of the whole world.
The Eight Promises of Jesus To Those Who Honour His Holy Face
All those who honour My Face in a spirit of reparation, will by so doing, perform the office of the pious Veronica. According to the care they take in making reparation to My Face, disfigured by blasphemers, so will I take care of their souls which have been disfigured by sin. My Face is the seal of the Divinity, which has the virtue of reproducing in souls, the image of God.
Those, who by words, prayers or writing, defend My cause in this Work of Reparation, I will defend before My Father and will give them My Kingdom.
By offering My Face to My Eternal Father, nothing will be refused and the conversion of many sinners will be obtained.
By My Holy Face, they will work wonders, appease the anger of God and draw down mercy on sinners.
As in a kingdom, they can procure all that is desired with a coin stamped with the King’s effigy, so, in the Kingdom of Heaven, they will obtain all they desire, with the precious coin of My Holy Face.
Those who, on earth, contemplate the wounds of My Face shall, in Heaven, behold it radiant with glory.
They will receive in their souls, a bright and constant irradiation of My Divinity, that by their likeness to My Face, they shall shine with particular splendour in Heaven.
I will defend them, I will preserve them and I assure them of Final Perseverance.
Thought for the Day – 3 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
WORK
“Since the fall of Adam. work is not only a pleasure but, a burden and an atonement too. It is deceitful to hold forth the promise, of a paradise of workers, a possibility in which no intelligent person could be expected to believe. The so-called social plan for workers, designed to create a paradise upon earth, produces only a system of regimentation, in which men cease to be free and become insignificant cogs of the all-powerful state mechanism. We MUST oppose this degradingly materialistic conception of labour. Work is a command of God, Who, after the sin of Adam, told him and his sons: “In the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread.” (Gen 3:19).
Let us accept from God this high responsibility of co-operation with Him, in His work of creation and redemption. Let us accept it alike, when it is a pleasure and when it is a sacrifice. Let us accept it with the cheerfulness of the Saints, or at least, with resignation. Let us realise that by working, we purify our souls and atone for our sins. We also make ourselves useful to our brothers on earth because, the work of our hands and of our minds, exercises a social function, especially on behalf of the abandoned classes. It is an apostolate of expiation and redemption for large numbers of souls who are sunk in ignorance and sin.”
Thought for the Day – 7 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Fasting and Abstinence
“Nowadays, fast and abstinence, takes the form of precepts of the Church which binds us under pain of mortal sin. Before, they were commanded by the Church, however, they had been commanded by God. God made the first law of this kind when He ordered Adam to obstain from the forbidden fruit. Moses made particular laws of fast and abstinence for the Jewish people. He also fasted himself, as did the Prophet Elias. “My knees totter from my fasting, writes King David, “and my flesh is wasted of its substance.” (Ps 108:24). “Prayer is good with fasting and alms,” (Tob 12:8) says Tobias. Jesus fasted for forty days as an example to us and He waqrned us that the devil can be conquered only by prayer and fasting (Mt 17:20). In a more general way, He warned us that: “Unless you repent, you will all perish” (Lk 13:5). One of the means of doing penance most often recommended in Sacred Scripture, is fasting and abstinence.
Why, you may ask, should Our Lord and the Church, command us to mortify ourselves in regard to food? There are powerful reasons. It is an act of obedience to God, our absolute Master, Who does not demand anything of us, save for our own welfare. Secondly, it is an act of reparation for our sins. In the third place, it enables us to subdue our carnal impulses and in this way, makes us more obedient to the law of God.
A man who cannot mortify his appetite for food, will certainly not be able to resist the temptations of the flesh. There is a connection between all these things. If we cannot subordinate our bodily appetites to our spiritual faculties and to the Divine law, we shall not be able to raise ourselves from the level of an animal existence, to contact with God, through prayer and the practice of virtue.”
One Minute Reflection – 25 November – St Catherine of Alexandria (Died c 305) Virgin Martyr – Sirach 51:1-8; 5:12, Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” – Matthew 25:13
REFLECTION – “Consider now the Way of Light – any man who is bent on reaching his appointed goal, must be very careful in all he does. Now these are the directions that have been given to us for this journey,- love your Creator, reverence your Maker; give glory to Him Who redeemed you when you were dead; be single-minded but rich in spiritual treasure; avoid those who travel down death’s highway; hate whatever is displeasing to God; detest all hypocritical pretence; do not abandon God’s commandments. Do not put on airs but be modest in whatever you do; claim no credit for yourself. Plot no evil against your neighbour and do not give pride an entrance into your heart.
Love your neighbour more than your own life. Do not kill an unborn child through abortion, nor destroy it after birth. Do not refrain from chastising son or daughter,but bring them up from childhood in the fear of the Lord. Do not set your heart on what belongs to your neighbour and do not give in to greed. Do not associate with the arrogant but cultivate those who are humble and virtuous.
Accept as a blessing whatever comes your way, in the knowledge, that nothing ever happens without God’s concurrence. Avoid duplicity in thought or in word, for such deception is a deadly snare. Share with your neighbor whatever you have and do not say of anything, this is mine. If you both share an imperishable treasure, how much more must you share what is perishable. Do not be hasty in speech – the mouth is a deadly snare. For your soul’s good, make every effort to live chastely. Do not hold out your hand for what you can get, only to withdraw it when it comes to giving. Cherish as the apple of your eye anyone who speaks to you of the word of the Lord.
Night and day you will bear in mind the hour of judgement; everyday you will seek out the company of God’s faithful, either by preaching the word, earnestly exhorting them, ever considering how you can save souls, by your eloquence, or else by working with your hands, to make reparation for your past sins.
Never hesitate to give and when you do give, never grumble; then you will know the One Who will repay you. Preserve the traditions you have received, adding nothing and taking nothing away. The evildoer will ever be hateful to you. Be fair in your judgments. Never stir dissension but act as peacemaker and reconcile the quarrelsome. Confess your sins and do not begin to pray with a guilty conscience. Such the,n is the Way of Light.” – An excerpt from The Letter of Saint Barnabas (Chapter 19).
PRAYER – O God, Who gave the law to Moses on Sinai’s height and through Thy holy Angels, miraculously placed there, the body of blessed Catherine, Thy Virgin and Martyr, grant, we beseech Thee that by her merits and intercession, we may reach that towering eminence which is Christ our Lord. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Thought for the Day – 23 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Blessedness of Those Who Mourn
“As well as regretting the evils which beset humanity, the Christian should also shed tears of repentance for his sins. Our sins are so many that they demand penance and reparation. St Aloysius Gonzaga wept whenever he recalled the peccadilloes of his childhood, which were hardly serious enough to be real sins. We have sinned and maybe sinners still but do we weep for our transgressions?
A sincere Christian is not content merely to regret his sins and to pray for forgiveness but he imposes, on himself, voluntary penances in expiation of his own offences and of the offences of others. Tears of repentance are blessed by God, Who forgives and pardons those who mourn for their transgressions.”
AnaStpaul 
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