Category: QUOTES on REPARATION

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 13 March – Morning Offering By St Thérèse

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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.

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Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on VANITY, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 10 March – The Hidden Life of Jesus

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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.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/10/thought-for-the-day-10-march-the-hidden-life-of-jesus/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/10/thought-for-the-day-10-march-the-hidden-life-of-jesus-2/

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, DEVOTIO, GOD the FATHER, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES on REPARATION, The HOLY FACE

Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – Devotion to The Holy Face

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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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. By offering My Face to My Eternal Father, nothing will be refused and the conversion of many sinners will be obtained.
  4. By My Holy Face, they will work wonders, appease the anger of God and draw down mercy on sinners.
  5. 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.
  6. Those who, on earth, contemplate the wounds of My Face shall, in Heaven, behold it radiant with glory.
  7. 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.
  8. I will defend them, I will preserve them and I assure them of Final Perseverance.
Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 3 February – WORK

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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.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/02/03/thought-for-the-day-3-february-work/

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on REPARATION

Thought for the Day – 7 December – Fasting and Abstinence

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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.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MODESTY, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on WATCHING, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The LAST THINGS, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 November – “Consider now the Way of Light … St Barnabas

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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).

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 23 November – The Blessedness of Those Who Mourn

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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.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/30/thought-for-the-day-30-november-the-blessedness-of-those-who-mourn/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PURGATORY, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 November – The Holy Souls in Purgatory

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”

“Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.
Rend your hearts, not your garments
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger,
rich in kindness
and relenting in punishment.”

Joel 2:12-13

“ … Yet only grant me repentance here below
That I may make reparation for my sins, …
That these tears may extinguish the blazing furnace
With its burning flames. …

And, instead of acting like the merciless,
Set merciful compassion within me,
That, by showing mercy to the poor,
I may obtain Your mercy.”

St Nerses Chnorhali (1102-1173)
Armenian Bishop

“The more one longs for a thing,
the more painful does deprivation of it become.
And because, after this life,
the desire for God, the Supreme Good,
is intense in the souls of the just –
(because this impetus toward Him,
is not hampered by the weight of the body
and that time of enjoyment,
of the Perfect Good, would have come)
had there been no obstacle.
The soul suffers enormously,
from the delay.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Angelic Doctor

“If, during life, we have been kind
to the suffering Souls in Purgatory,
God will ensure that help be not denied us,
after death.”

St Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PURGATORY, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPARATION, The HOLY EUCHARIST

Thought for the Day – 7 November – How We Can Help the Faithful Departed

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

How We Can Help the Faithful Departed

“There are many ways in which we can come to the assistance of the faithful departed.

(a) We can help them by prayer.
This is the simplest way and one which is possible for everyone.
When we pray for our dead, we feel that we are close to them and are consoled in our sorrow.
Moreover, we can be sure of gaining a great deal in return, for the prayers which they offer on our behalf, are very pleasing to God.

(b) We can offer Holy Mass for them.
When we do this, it is not only we who pray but Jesus joins with us and offers Himself as a victim of reparation on behalf of the suffering souls.
The Mass has an infinite value and one Mass alone would be enough to empty Purgatory.
But the application of its infinite merits are always limited, in accordance with the hidden designs of God.
Ir is certain, however, that there is no more effective means of helping the faithful departed.

(c) We can offer our good works on their behalf.
Every good action has power to satisfy God for some of the debts which we or others have contracted in His regard.
Among the good works which we can offer for the souls in Purgatory, are Holy Communion, voluntary mortifications, meek acceptance of the unavoidable sorrows of life, acts of patience and of compassion, spiritual and corporal works of mercy, Indulgences and almsgivine.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/07/thought-for-the-day-7-november-how-we-can-help-the-faithful-departed/

Posted in "Follow Me", CONFESSION/PENANCE, DIVINE MERCY, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 4 November – St Charles Borromeo

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 November – St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

“We have only one life
and we should spend it
for Jesus Christ and souls,
not as we wish
but, at the time and in the way, God wishes.
It would show presumption
and neglect of our duty and God’s service,
to fail to do this.”

“If a tiny spark of God’s love
already burns within you,
do not expose it to the wind,
for it may get blown out…
Stay quiet with God.
Do not spend your time in useless chatter…
Do not give yourself to others, so completely,
that you have nothing left for yourself.”

“Behold Jesus Christ Crucified,
Who is the only foundation of our hope;
He is our Mediator and Advocate;
the Victim and Sacrifice for our sins.
He is goodness and patience itself;
His mercy is moved
by the tears of sinners
and He never refuses pardon and grace,
to those who ask it,
with a truly contrite and humbled heart.”

“The best way not to find the bed too cold,
is to go to bed colder, than the bed already is.”

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/04/quote-s-of-the-day-4-november-st-charles-borromeo/

St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, ROSARY QUOTES, The 5th Sorrowful Mystery - The CRUCIFIXION, The LORD'S PRAYER, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Thought for the Day – 23 October – “Forgive Us Our Debts”

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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.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/22/thought-for-the-day-22-october-forgive-us-our-debts/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/23/thought-for-the-day-23-october-forgive-us-our-debts/

Posted in "Follow Me", CONFESSION/PENANCE, JESUIT SJ, OUR Cross, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST

Quote/s of the Day – 10 October – St Francis Borgia

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 October – St Francis Borgia SJ (1510-1572) Confessor

“He who desires to consecrate
himself to God must, in the first place,
trample under his feet,
all regard for what others will say of him.
O my God, why do we not ask
what Jesus Christ or His holy Mother,
will think of our conduct?”

“Wherever our brethren may be,
let their first care be,
for those already converted.
Their first aim must be,
to strengthen these in the faith
and to help them save their souls.
After this, they may convert others
not yet Baptised.”

(Excerpt from his correspondence,
as Master General of the Order,
to the Jesuit Missionaries he had sent
to the Spanish colonies in Florida,
Mexico and Peru.)

“This beast, (so he often called his body)
“must suffer ,to expiate
the delight it formerly took,
in immoderately flattering its palate
and can I forget,
that Christ drank gall
for me on His Cross!”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/10/quote4-s-of-the-day-10-october-st-francis-borgia/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OUR Cross, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST

Thought for the Day – 23 July – The Royal Road of the Cross

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Thought for the Day – 23 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Royal Road of the Cross

“We all have our own cross.
When we reject it, we fashion one for ourselves by our defects and sins, which leave us discontented and restless and draws God’s punishment upon us.

It is useless to flee from the Cross, for it follows us everywhere.
If we refuse to accept the cross which God has given us, we take upon ourselves, one which is heavier than the first.
Worldlingscan bask for a moment in their pleasures but, it soon passes and is replaced by bitterness and sorrow.
Their suffering is deeper than that of a good Christian, who places his trust in God.
There is only one way of making our cross easier to bear and that is to embrace it as Jesus did.
We should love the Cross because it is suffering which shows us how to become like Jesus, to make reparation for our sins and to co-operate by our own passion with the Passion of Christ (Cf Col 1:24).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/22/thought-for-the-day-21-july-the-royal-road-of-the-cross/

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on SCANDAL

Thought for the Day – 8 July – Uncharitableness

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Thought for the Day – 8 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Uncharitableness

“The tendency to complain about others, is a most insidious cancer which can corrode all that is good in our conversation, making it harmful and even gravely sinful.
Grumbling is always, more or less sinful, according to the circumstances.
It may be a sin against charity, which demands that we love our neighbour as ourselves and help him as much as possible, by word and by deed.
It may be a sin of scandal because the person to whom we are complaining maybe provoked to throw stones in his turn at the subject of our detraction.
It maybe a sin of theft because it takes away the reputation of the person whom we are criticising.
This could carry with it, the obligation to make restitution by withdrawing what we have said, if it is false or doubtful or by speaking charitably of the person whom we have wronged in order to restore his good name.
Uncharitableness in speech, is also a sin of injustice, when it involves calumny, in which case, there is an obligation to repair the damage done in the best way possible.

Since criticism of others can be such an evil thing, we should take care not to form the habit of employing it as a means of making our conversation more lively and acceptable.
The life of a Catholic, should be governed by charity and grumbling about others, is always an offence against charity!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/07/thought-for-the-day-7-july-uncharitableness/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, The HOLY EUCHARIST

Thought for the Day – 19 June – The Four Ends of the Holy Mass

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Thought for the Day – 19 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

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 other people 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

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS

Thought for the Day – 7 June – Our Response to the Love of the Sacred Heart

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

Our Response to the Love of the Sacred Heart

“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.

Aspiration: All for You, O Sacred Heart of Jesus! ”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/08/thought-for-the-day-8-june-our-response-to-the-love-of-the-sacred-heart/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/08/thought-for-the-day-8-june-our-response-to-the-love-of-the-sacred-heart-2/

Posted in ARMOUR of CHRIST, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, SAINT of the DAY, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The HOLY SPIRIT, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 May – ‘ … Offer your whole self, your whole life …’

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One Minute Reflection – 29 May – Sunday within the Octave of Ascension – 1 Peter 4:7-11, John 15:26-27; 16:1-4 and the Memorial of St Maria Magdalena de’ Pazzi O.Carm (1566-1607)

“Yes, the hour is coming, for everyone who kills you, to think he is offering worship to God.” – John 16:2

REFLECTION – “I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Rm 12,1). With this plea the Apostle Paul raises all men to participation in the priesthood… We do not look outside ourselves for something to offer God but bring with us and within us, something to sacrifice to God for our own advantage… “I urge you by the mercies of God.” Brothers, this sacrifice is in Christ’s image, He Who laid down His life here below and offered it for the life of the world. Indeed He made a living sacrifice of His Body, Who yet lives after being killed. In so great a sacrifice, death was destroyed, removed by the sacrifice… Hence martyrs are born at the time of their death and begin to live as their life ends; they live when they are killed and shine in Heaven when people on earth think they have been snuffed out…

The prophet sang: “You did not ask for sacrifice or oblation but a body you have prepared for me” (Ps 39[40],7). Become both the sacrifice that is offered and the one who offers it to God. Do not lose what God’s power has granted you. Put on the cloak of holiness. Take up the belt of chastity. May Christ be the veil over your head; the cross, the breastplate that gives you perseverance. Keep in your heart the sacrament of Holy Scripture. May your prayer burn constantly, like a sweet-smelling fragrance to God. Take up “the sword of the Spirit” (Eph 6,17), may your heart be the altar where, without fear, you may offer your whole self, your whole life…

Offer your faith, to make reparation for unbelief; offer your fasting, to put an end to voraciousness; offer your chastity, that sensuality may die; be fervent, that wrongdoing may cease; exercise mercy, to end avarice and to suppress foolishness, offer your holiness. Thus will your life become your offering, if it has not been wounded by sin. Your body lives, yes, it lives, each time that, putting evil to death within you, you offer living virtues to God. ” – St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) “Doctor of Homilies,” Bishop of Ravenna, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 108)

PRAYER – O God, lover of chastity, Who endowed with heavenly gifts, blessed Mary Magdalena, a virgin on fire with love for You, grant that we, who keep this feast-day in her honour, may imitate her by purity and love. 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).

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2022, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on REPARATION

Our Morning Offering – 22 March – A Lenten Offering By St Thérèse

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Our Morning Offering – 22 March – Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

A Lenten Offering
By St Thérèse of the Child Jesus
and the Holy Face of Lisieux (1873-1897)
Doctor of the Church

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

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, OUR Cross, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 13 March – The Second Sunday of Lent – Let us be Transfigured!

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 March – The Second Sunday of Lent – Let us be Transfigured!

“And when I hear it said,
that God is good and He will pardon us
and then see, that men cease not from evil-doing,
oh, how it grieves me!
The infinite goodness
with which God communicates with us,
sinners as we are,
should constantly make us love and serve Him better
but we, on the contrary,
instead of seeing in His goodness
an obligation to please Him,
convert it into an excuse for sin,
which will, of a certainty,
lead in the end,
to our deeper condemnation.”

St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)

“Aspire to God with short
but frequent outpourings of the heart,
admire His bounty,
invoke His aid,
cast yourself in spirit at the foot of His Cross,
adore His goodness,
treat with Him of your salvation,
give Him your whole soul –
a thousand times in the day.”

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

“Mortification and suffering
are necessary for two reasons.
They are particularly necessary
because, we are all sinners
and must expiate our sins.
Secondly, they are necessary
because, without penance
and suffering, we become attached
to the world and forget all about Heaven,
which is our real home.
In His love for us, therefore,
God commands us to do penance.
What are we doing in the way of penance?
Let us remember the command of Jesus
and His precursor, St John the Baptist:
“Unless you repent, you will all perish!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, NOVENAS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on REPARATION, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FACE, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Lenten Preparation Novena to the HOLY FACE – Day Five – 24 February

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Lenten Preparation Novena
in Reparation to the Holy Face
Day Five

“All those who, attracted by My Love and venerating My Countenance, shall receive, by virtue of My Humanity, a brilliant and vivid impression of My Divinity. This splendour shall enlighten the depths of their souls, so that in eternal glory the celestial court shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features, with My Divine Countenance.” … Our Lord Jesus Christ to St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)

DAILY PREPARATORY PRAYER

O Most Holy and Blessed Trinity,
through the intercession of Holy Mary,
whose soul was pierced through
by a sword of sorrow
at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son,
we ask Your help,
in making a perfect Novena of Reparation with Jesus,
united with all His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We now implore all the Angels and Saints
to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena
to the Most Holy Face of Jesus
and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen

(Console Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer)

Psalm 51,10-11:
Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,
that the bones you have crushed may revive.
From my sins turn away your Face
and blot out all my guilt.

Holy Face of Jesus,
Sacred Countenance of God,
how great is Your patience with humankind,
how infinite Your forgiveness.
We are sinners, yet You love us.
This gives us courage.
For the glory of Your Holy Face
and of the Blessed Trinity,
hear and answer us.
Mary our Mother, intercede for us,
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Through the merits of Your Precious Blood
and your Holy Face,
O Jesus, grant us our petition ………………
Pardon and mercy.
Amen

Prayer to Saint Joseph
– Adopt Us a Thy Children

Dear Saint Joseph!
Adopt us as thy children,
take charge of our salvation;
watch over us day and night,
preserve us from occasions of sin,
obtain for us purity of body and soul
and the spirit of prayer,
through thy intercession with Jesus,
grant us a spirit of sacrifice, of humility and self-denial,
obtain for us a burning love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
and a sweet, tender love for Mary, our Mother.
Saint Joseph, be with us in life,
be with us in death
and obtain for us a favourable judgement from Jesus,
our merciful Saviour.
Amen

Pray (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Marys, one (1) Glory Be.

O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine,
be every Adoration Thine
(Three times)

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, DIVINE MERCY, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, NOVENAS, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The HEART, The HOLY FACE, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Lenten Preparation Novena to the HOLY FACE of JESUS – Day Three

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Lenten Preparation Novena
in Reparation to the Holy Face
Day Three

“All those who, attracted by My Love and venerating My Countenance, shall receive, by virtue of My Humanity, a brilliant and vivid impression of My Divinity. This splendour shall enlighten the depths of their souls, so that in eternal glory the celestial court shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features, with My Divine Countenance.” … Our Lord Jesus Christ to St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)

DAILY PREPARATORY PRAYER

O Most Holy and Blessed Trinity,
through the intercession of Holy Mary,
whose soul was pierced through
by a sword of sorrow
at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son,
we ask Your help,
in making a perfect Novena of Reparation with Jesus,
united with all His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We now implore all the Angels and Saints
to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena
to the Most Holy Face of Jesus
and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen

(Console Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer)

Psalm 5:6b-7:
You are just when you pass sentence on me,
blameless, when you give judgment.
You know I was born guilty,
a sinner from the moment of conception.

Prayer to The Holy Face
By Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)

O Jesus!
Cast upon us a look of mercy,
turn Thy Face towards each of us
as Thou did to Veronica,
not that we may see It, with our bodily eyes,
for this we do not deserve
but turn It towards our hearts,
so that, remembering Thee,
we may ever draw
from this Fountain of Strength,
the vigour necessary,
to sustain the combats of life.
Amen

Mary, our Mother and Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Through the merits of Your Precious Blood
and Your Holy Face,
O Jesus, grant us our petition ………………
Pardon and mercy.
Amen

Prayer to the Angels and Saints
We salute you,
through the Holy Face and Sacred Heart of Jesus,
O all you Holy Angels and Saints of God.
We rejoice in your glory
and we give thanks to our Lord
for all the benefits which He has
showered upon you,
we praise Him and glorify Him
and, for an increase of your joy and honour,
we offer Him the most Holy Face
and gentle Heart of Jesus.
Pray that we may become formed
according to the Heart of God.
Amen.

Pray (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Marys, one (1) Glory Be.

O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine,
be every Adoration Thine
(Three times)

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, The HEART, The SIGN of the CROSS

Thought for the Day – 14 February – The Early Hours of the Day

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Thought for the Day – 14 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Early Hours of the Day

“Unfortunately, there are many who never give the slightest thought to God when they rise in the morning.
Or perhaps they think that a quick mechanical Sign of the Cross satisfies all their religious obligations.

A good Catholic could not behave in this fashion.
He kneels to say his morning prayers and raises his mind and heart to God in acts of thanksgiving, reparation and love.
Only in this way, can he begin the day with peace and confidence, knowing that during it, he will have continual need of God’s assistance.

If hitherto you have not behaved like this, make up your mind to begin everyday in future, by offering yourself to God, along with all your work, plans and worries.
This offering will be a wonderful spiritual advantage throughout the day.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/14/thought-for-the-day-14-february-the-early-hours-of-the-day/

Posted in "Follow Me", CONFESSION/PENANCE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The DIVINE INFANT, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Thought for the Day – 20 December – The Swaddling Clothes of the Divine Infant

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Thought for the Day – 20 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

A Christmas Novena V
The Swaddling Clothes of the Divine Infant

“Mary, like other mothers in those days, wrapped the Infant Jesus in swaddling clothes.
The Divine Child quietly offered this new humiliation to His heavenly Father.
He saw prefigured in these bands, the ropes with which He would be bound in the garden of Gethsemane, even after He had given sinful humanity, His celestial teaching, example and miracles and finally, His own Body inthe Sacrament of the Eucharist.
He saw in them too, the chains with which He would be secured to the pillar, in order to be scourged in the Praetorium of Pilate among the jeers and insults of the onlookers.
He saw in them, finally, the cords with which, after having been condemned to the ignominious death of the Cross, He would be tied, while being led to the place of execution on Mount Calvary.
Filled with infinite love for stricken humanity, the Heart of the Divine Infant offered all this, in advance, to His Father in heaven.

Are we making any effort to return such great love?
Like Jesus, we are often obliged to endure, both physical and moral anguish.
Have we the resignation to offer it all to Jesus, or do we squander our opportunities in useless complaining or in acts of impatience and rebellion?
We shall have to go on suffering anyway but, in the latter case, we may have to suffer even more and shall lose all merit in the sight of God.

Let us kneel down before the Holy Infant wrapped in His swaddling clothes and, let us promise to endure everything for His sake and in reparation for our sins.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on DESPAIR, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 30 November – The Blessedness of Those Who Mourn

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

The Blessedness of Those Who Mourn

“Blessed are they who mourn” (Mt 5:5), says Jesus Christ, in direct contrast to the opinion of the world, which believes, that happiness is to be found in merrymaking.
Who is correct?
The Gospel does not forbid us to rejoice, indeed, a blessing was given to the wedding celebration in Cana.
This, however, was a manifestation of good and honest joy.
It is the immoderate revelling of irresponsible worldlings and sinners, which is condemned in the Gospel.
God does not promise these any of His consolations but, only remorse and perhaps despair.
On the other hand, those who suffer are called blessed by Jesus Christ, Who has promised to console them.
The consolations which they will receive are those which spring from their repentance, from the forgiveness which they obtain for their sins and from the expectation of everlasting life, which is promised to those who choose the royal road of the Cross.
They will also enjoy, the consolations of contemplation and of the love of God.

The Catholic sheds tears of sadness, of repentance and of joy.
He is sometimes sad because he is sensitive to the evil which exists in the world.
When he sees so many of his fellowmen going from sin to sin, on the downward slope towards damnation, he is saddened and longs to remedy this situation, as much as possible, by prayer, good example and penance.

Perhaps you are indifferent to the evil which is being perpetrated in the world?
Perhaps nothing has power to upset you, apart from yur own petty troubles and frustrated ambitions?
This kind of sadness is not pleasing to God.

Another motive for sadness, is the great physical and moral suffering which afflicts so many of our brethren.
We should be generous in tendering whatever assistance we can, generous also in our understanding and in our sympathy.
Very often, a single gesture of compassion towards a man who is suffering, is of greater value than a substantial alms, which is offered with coldness and indifference.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ACT of PERFECT CONTRITION, DIVINE MERCY, I BELIEVE!, INDULGENCES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PURGATORY, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HERESY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The HOLY SOULS

Thought for the Day – 9 November – INDULGENCES

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Thought for the Day – 9 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

INDULGENCES

“Indulgences are among the means by which we can help to satisfy the Divine Justice for our own offences and for those of the faithful depared.

Unfortunately, very few Christians understand the true nature of indulgences.
As a result, they neglect to fulfil the conditions necessary to gain them.

Canon Law defines an indulgence as “the remission in the sight of God of the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven, which, the proper ecclesiastical authority concedes from the treasury of the Church, for the living, by way of absolution and for the dead, by way of suffrage” (Canon 911).
The main requirement is to be in the state of grace, which sinners can attain by means of the Sacrament of Penance, or by an Act of PERFECT CONTRITION.
If properly made, Confession takes away sin and eternal punishment but, not temporal punishment.
This may be cancelled by means of penance, prayer and good works.
In the early days of the Church, the penitential system was most severe (I wish it were so again!)
According to the degree of gravity, different sins drew penances of days, weeks or months of fasting on bread and water.
As times changed, the Church reduced these penalties and granted indulgences instead.

What we may ask, is the theological basis for these indulgences?
It is the spiritual treasury which is at the disposal of the Church, made up of the infinite merits of our Redeemer and added to, by the merits of the Blessed Virgin and the Saints.
These merits are communicated to us by the Church by reason of the consoling Dogma of the Communion of Saints, according to which, the Church Militant, Suffering and Triumphant, constitutes one Mystical Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head.

The Church has power to dispose of this immense treasure by reason of the injunction given to her by her Founder, when He said to St Peter: “Whatever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:19).
There are no reservations – the injunction applies, not only to sin but, also to its punishment.
It is clear that indulgences are not merely a dispensation from the penitential discipline in the eyes of the Church, as certain heretics held and still hold but also, in the sight of God.
Indulgences reflect, both the mercy and the justice of God.
They reflect His justice because complete satisfaction is rendered by the merits of Jesus Christ.
They reflect His mercy because these merits are applied to us poor sinners and also, by way of suffrage, to the souls of our departed friends.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PURGATORY, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 4 November – More About the Sufferings of Purgatory

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Thought for the Day – 4 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

More About the Sufferings of Purgatory

“Apart from the physical pain which we have considered in the preceding meditation, the souls in Purgatory suffer a much greater torment, which theologians call “the pain of loss.“
St John Chrysostom writes, that the pain of loss, which is the unsatisfied yearning to be united with the Supreme Good, is a far more agonising torment, than the flames of a hundred hells!
This is because, the souls in Purgatory, having been set free from the bodily confinement which prevented them from seeing the Eternal Truths in all their clarity, now experience an unceasing and irresistible need, to be united with God.
Being aware of their own imperfection, however, they undergo a terrible anguish at their inability to satisfy this burning desire.
They love God with an immense love and long to enjoy His intimate friendship but, they realise, that they will be rejected by His divine justice as long as they have not perfectly expiated their faults.

If we would have a faint idea of the cruel agony of this unsatisfied desire, let us recall the keen anguish experienced by the Saints, whenever they remembered the sins which they had committed before their conversion.
They shed tears of repentance before the Crucifix and inflicted terrifying penances upon themselves in reparation for their misdeeds.

What are we doing in order to avoid offending God and to wash away our past transgressions?
Let us remember, that the divine justice must be satisfied, either in this life, or in the next.
If we fail to make satisfaction now, we shall do so with much greater suffering in Purgatory, where we shall no longer have the benefit of the Sacraments and of Indulgences.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, DIVINE MERCY, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PURGATORY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on SIN, The HOLY SOULS

Thought for the Day – 2 November – “Purgatory”

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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.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, DIVINE MERCY, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 12 August – The Blessedness of the Merciful

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Thought for the Day – 12 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of the Merciful

“Let us meditate now on the mercy of God, which is infinite, even as His justice is infinite.
“His mercy,” says St Thomas Aquinas, “does not subtract from His justice but, is the fullness and the perfection of that justice” (Summa Theologica 1,q 21, a 3 ad 2).
All the merits which we can acquire in the sight of God derive from His gratuitous gift of grace.
God’s mercy and justice, therefore, are fused together in a wonderful harmony which claims our gratitude and fidelity.

References to the mercy of God are numerous in Sacred Scripture.
“You, Lord, are good and forgiving,” says the Psalmist, “abounding in kindness to all who call upon you” (Ps 85:5).
“Blessed be the Lord,” we read elsewhere, “my rock, … my refuge and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer …” (Ps 143:2).
“Goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come” (Ps 22:6).

When we leave the Old Testament and open the Gospel, we discover tht it is a record of the goodness and mercy of God.
We have only to recall Christ’s forgiveness of the Magdalene when she wept at His feet for her faults; the merciful judgement which He passed on the poor adulteress; His loving glance in the direction of St Peter, who had denied Him; the grace so miraculously granted to St Paul on the road to Damascus and, the parables of the good Samaritan, the prodigal son and the good shepherd who went in search of the lost sheep.
Finally, there are the consoling words to the repentant thief: “This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.”
When we read this chronicle of infinite goodness and mercy, we should experience a boundless hope and confidence.
Even our great sins and gross ingratitude, should not stop us from repenting with true and heartfelt sorrow and with deeds of penance and reparation.
God is ready then to forgive us and to receive us with open arms.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PURGATORY, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Thought for the Day – 31 July – Little Things

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

Little Things

“Just as there are ordinary acts of virtue, so there are very ordinary sins.
But it would be rash to regard acts of deception, vanity and impatience, as insignificant.
Every deliberate sin is an offence against God our highest good and our Redeemer.

How can God be indifferent to these ungrateful violations of His law?
After all, even as He has assured us, that a cup of cold water given in His Name to a thirsty man, will have its reward (Cf Mt 10:42), so He has assured us, that not even the slightest trace of sin can enter into eternal glory!
We shall not be condemned to Hell for venial sins alone but, we shall suffer a decline in grace and shall be obliged to expiate our sins, either in this life, or in Purgatory.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/14/thought-for-the-day-14-august-little-things/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 15 June – Steadfastness in Suffering

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Thought for the Day – 15 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Steadfastness in Suffering

“We are all obliged to suffer in soul and body.
Suffering begins at birth and ends at death.
“The whole life of a Christian is a cross,” (Sermon 31) says St Augustine.
For this reason, we have to develop the virtue of patience.
“Let patience have it’s perfect work,” says St James, “that you may be perfect and entire” (Js 1:4).
If we are to be perfect, we must accept suffering and trials from the hands of God and offer them to Him in a spirit of harmony with His holy will.
In this way, all our actions become valuable, for they are acts of reparation and of love, which will be rewarded in Heaven.
Both our joys and our sorrows are sanctified, if we offer them to God, Who arranges everything for our own good.
The Saints longed to suffer because, they loved God and knew that suffering is the only true way in which we can prove our love.
Suffering is the best medicine for the soul, for when it is endured with patience, it purifies us and prepares us for Heaven.
“If God does not punish you for our sins,” says St Augustine, “it is a sign that you are no longer counted among His sons” (De Pastoribus liber unus, c 5).
“Whom the Lord loves, he chastises,” St Paul writes “and, he scourges every son whom he receives” (Heb 12:6).

Suffering is, in fact, a gift from God.
It reminds us that we have not been created for this world but for Heaven, in preparation for which, we must carry our cross with patience in the footsteps of Jesus.
No matter what we do, we must suffer.
Either we bear trials patiently and gain an increase of merit, or we rebel against them and gain no merit at all.
When we suffer, let us think of the two thieves, both of whom were tortured in the same way.
But the good thief accepted his torments with patience in reparation for his sins and was saved, while the bad thief, rebelled against his sufferings and was most probably damned forever!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci