Our Morning Offering – 11 March – Ember Friday of the First Week of Lent
Have Mercy, Lord
By St Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Doctor of the Church
Have mercy, Lord,
on all my friends and relatives,
on all my benefactors,
on all who pray to Thee for me
and on all who have asked me
to pray to Thee, for them.
Give them the spirit of fruitful penance,
mortify them in all vices
and make them flower
in all Thy virtues.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 10 March – Thursday of the First Week of Lent
My God, Do Not Abandon Me
By St Arsenius the Great (c 354-c 449)
My God,
do not abandon me,,
although I have done nothing good
in Your sight
but because You are compassionate,
grant me the power
to make a start.
Amen
About St Arseniuse:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/07/19/saint-of-the-day-19-july-saint-arsenius-the-great-(c-354-c-449)
Wednesday of the First Week of Lent – 9 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – 3 Kings 19:3-8, Matthew 12:38-50
“Relieve the troubles of my heart
and bring me out of distress, O Lord.” – Psalm 24:17-18
“ LET US FIX OUR ATTENTION on the Blood of Christ and recognise how precious it is to God His Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all the world.
If we review the various ages of history, we will see ,that in every generation the Lord has offered the opportunity of repentance to any who were willing to turn to Him. When Noah preached God’s message of repentance, all who listened to him were saved. Jonah told the Ninevites they were going to be destroyed,but when they repented, their prayers gained God’s forgiveness for their sins and they were saved, even though they were not of God’s people.
UUNDER THE INSPIRATION of the Holy Spirit, the ministers of God’s grace have spoken of repentance; indeed, the Master of the whole universe Himself, spoke of repentance with an oath: As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the death of the sinner but his repentance. He added this evidence of His goodness: House of Israel, repent of your wickedness. Tell the sons of my people – If their sins should reach from earth to heaven, if they are brighter than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, you need only turn to Me with your whole heart and say, “Father” and I will listen to you as a holy people.
IN OTHER WORDS. God wanted all His beloved ones to have the opportunity to repent and He confirmed this desire, by His own Almighty Will. That is why we should obey His Sovereign and Glorious Will and prayerfully entreat His mercy and kindness. We should be suppliant before Him and turn to His compassion, rejecting empty works and quarreling and jealousy which only lead to death.
BROTHERS, WE SHOULD BE HUMBLE in mind, putting aside all arrogance, pride and foolish anger. Rather, we should act in accordance with the Scriptures, as the Holy Spirit says: The wise man must not glory in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches. Rather, let him who glories, glory in the Lord by seeking Him and doing what is right and just. Recall especially what the Lord Jesus said when He taught gentleness and forbearance. Be merciful, He said, so that you may have mercy shown to you. Forgive, so that you may be forgiven. As you treat others, so you will be treated. As you give, so you will receive. As you judge, so you will be judged. As you are kind to others, so you will be treated kindly. The measure of your giving, will be the measure of your receiving.
LET THESE COMMANDMENTS AND PRECEPTS strengthen us to live in humble obedience to his sacred words. As Scripture asks: Whom shall I look upon with favour, except the humble, peaceful man who trembles at my words?
Sharing then in the heritage of so many vast and glorious achievements, let us hasten toward the goal of peace, set before us from the beginning. Let us keep our eyes firmly fixed on the Father and Creator of the whole universe and hold fast to His splendid and transcendent gifts of peace and all His blessings.” – St Clement of Rome (c 35-c 101) Apostolic Father, Pope, Martyr (An excerpt from his Letter to the Corinthians).
One Minute Reflection – 9 March –Wednesday of the First Week of Lent, Ember Wednesday – 3 Kings 19:3-8, Matthew 12:38-50 and the Memorial of St Dominic Savio (1842-1857)
“The sign of Jonah” – Matthew 12:39
REFLECTION – “God showed patience in the face of man’s weakness because He saw beforehand, the victory He would eventually give him, through His Word. For, when “power was made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9), the Word caused God’s goodness and tremendous power, to be made manifest.
Indeed, it was the same with man, as it was with the prophet Jonah. God permitted Jonah to be swallowed by a sea-monster, not to make him altogether vanish away and die but, so that when he had been vomited out by the monster, he would become more subject to God and would give all the more glory to Him who had given him this unexpected deliverance.
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.”
This salvation has been prepared, for those who have the same feelings for God as Jonah did and, who confess Him in the same words: “I am the servant of the Lord and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (Jon 1:9).
God desired that man, by receiving an unanticipated salvation from Him, would rise from the dead and worship God, saying with Jonah: “Out of my distress I called to the Lord; from the midst of the nether world he heard my voice” (Jon 2:2). God desired, too, that man would always remain faithful in giving Him worship and unceasing thanks for the salvation he has received from Him.” – St Irenaeus (130-208) Bishop of Lyons, Martyr, Theologian – Against the heresies III, 20, 1
PRAYER – Infinite Lord, help me to serve You always in accord with Your holy will. Show us how to make You our Lord and our All. St Dominic Savio, you the little giant showed us all the way of holiness within the confines of our lives, always joyfully doing the will of God. Please pray for us all. 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.
Our Morning Offering – 9 March – Wednesdayof the First Week of Lent, Ember Wednesday – FAST & PARTIAL ABSTINENCE
Act of Contrition
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
My Lord Jesus Christ,
You have made this journey
to die for me, with love unutterable
and I have so many times unworthily abandoned You
but now I love You with my whole heart
and because I love You,
I repent sincerely for having ever offended You.
Pardon me, my God
and permit me to accompany You on this journey.
You go to die for love of me,
I wish also, my beloved Redeemer,
to die for love of Thee.
My Jesus, I will live
and die always united to You.”
Amen
Thought for the Day – 5 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“There are many simple acts of mortification which we can all do for our spiritual welfare.
For example, we can remain silent when there is no need to speak; we can deprive ourselves of dainties at table and we can act humbly, when oyer pride is hurt or patiently when we think we have been offended.
These are easy ways in which men of goodwill can practise mortification.
But, there are times when we must be ready, like the Martyrs and the Saints, to make heroic sacrifices, rather than offend God.
When we are tempted, for example, we must be determined, even to die, rather than fall into sin.
Let us think about this, strengthen our resolutions and praying for the grace of total commitment to our Crucified Saviour.”
PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/25/thought-for-the-day-25-march-mortification-and-penance/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/13/thought-for-the-day-13-march-mortification-and-penanc/
One Minute Reflection – 5 March – The First Saturday of Lent – Isaiah 58:9-14, Mark 6:47-56
“And wherever He went, into village or hamlet or town, they laid the sick in the market places, and entreated Him to let them touch but the tassel of His cloak and as many as touched. Him were saved. ” – Mark 6:56
REFLECTION – “Let us set before our interior consideration, someone gravely wounded who is about to breathe his last. … Now, the soul’s wound is sin, of which Scripture speaks in these terms: “Wound and welt and gaping gash, not drained or bandaged or eased with salve” (Is 1:6). Oh you who are wounded, recognise your Physician within you and show Him the wounds of your sins. May He understand your heart’s groaning, Who already knows its secret thoughts. May your tears move Him. Go as far as a little shamelessness in your beseeching (cf. Lk 11:8). Bring forth deep sighs to Him, without ceasing, from the depth of your heart.
May your grief reach Him so that He may say to you also : “The Lord has pardoned your sin” (2 Sam 12:13). Cry out with David, who said: “Have mercy on me, O God, in … the greatness of your compassion” (Ps 50[51]:3). It is as though one were to say: “I am in great danger because of an enormous wound, that no doctor can cure, unless the all-powerful Physician comes to help me.” For this all-powerful Physician, nothing is incurable. He heals without charge, with one word, He restores to health. I would have despaired of my wound, were it not that I placed my trust in the Almighty.” – St Pope Gregory the Great (c 540-604) Father and Doctor of the Church (Commentary on Psalm 50[51])
PRAYER – Hear, O Lord, our humble prayers and grant that we may devoutly keep this fast that has been established to cure our souls and bodies. 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).
First Thursday of Lent – 3 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Isaiah 38:1-6, Matthew 8:5-13
To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul:
in You, O my God, I trust …
Psalm 24:1
“In those days, when Hezekiah was mortally ill,
the prophet Isaiah … came and said to him;
Thus says the Lord:
‘Put your house in order,
for you are about to die;
you shall not recover.’
BEHOLD, NOW IS THE APPOINTED TIME, in which you must confess your sins to God and to the priest and by prayer and by fasting, by tears and by almsgiving, wipe them away.
Why should a sinner be ashamed to make known his sins, since they are already known and manifest to God and to His angels and even to the blessed in heaven?
CONFESSION delivers the soul from death.
Confession opens the door to heaven.
Confession brings us hope of salvation.
Because of this, the Scripture says: First tell thy iniquities that you may be justified (Is. xliii.
Here we are shown, that the man will not be saved, who, during his life, does not confess his sin.
Neither will that confession deliver you, which is made without true repentance.
For true repentance is grief of heart and sorrow of soul because of the evils a man has committed.
True repentance causes us to grieve over our offences and to grieve over them with the firm intention of never committing them again.
And although, everyday, a man lives may rightly be a day of repentance, yet it is in these days more becoming, more appropriate, to confess our sins, to fast and to give elms to the poor; since in these days you may wash clean the sins of the whole year.
Therefore, I counsel all of you and I exhort each one of you singly, to repair, whatever you know within your soul, is blameworthy.
Whosoever among you discerns, within himself, what is unworthy in a Christian, let him correct it. … St Athanasius (297-373) Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Church (The Season of Lent).
Our Morning Offering – 2 March – Ash Wednesday
Pardon Lord, I Ask
By St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church
Lord Jesus Christ,
Who stretched out Your Hands on the Cross
and redeemed us by Your Blood,
forgive me, a sinner ,
for none of my thoughts
are hidden from You.
Pardon I ask,
Pardon I hope for,
Pardon I trust to have.
You, Who are full of pity and mercy,
spare me and forgive.
Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 27 February – Quinquagesima Sunday – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 18:31-43
“Open wide your door
to the One who comes.
Open your soul,
throw open the depths of your heart
to see the riches of simplicity,
the treasures of peace,
the sweetness of grace.
Open your heart and run to meet
the Sun of eternal Light
that illuminates all men.”
“He who calls us, came here below,
to give us the means of getting there.
He chose the wood
that would enable us to cross the sea –
indeed, no-one can cross the ocean of this world,
who is not borne by the Cross of Christ.
Even the blind can cling to this Cross.
If you can’t see where you are going very well,
don’t let go of it, it will guide you by itself. ”
“O heavenly Father, have compassion for my cry
as You did for the prodigal son,
for I, too, am throwing myself at Your feet
and crying aloud as he cried:
“Father, I have sinned!”
Do not reject me Your unworthy child,
O my Saviour but cause Your angels
to rejoice also on my behalf,
O God of goodness You,
Who desire that all should be saved.”
“Each day then, we ought to renew our resolutions
and arouse ourselves to fervour,
as though it were the first day
of our turning back to God.
We ought to say: “Help me, O Lord God,
in my good resolution
and in Your holy service.
Grant me now, this very day,
to begin perfectly,
for thus far I have done nothing.”
… Just men depend on the grace of God
rather than on their own wisdom
in keeping their resolutions.
In Him they confide every undertaking …”
One Minute Reflection – 27 February – Quinquagesima Sunday – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 18:31-43
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” – Luke 18:39
REFLECTION – “My friend, you have learned that the Kingdom of Heaven is within you, if that is what you want and that every blessing of eternity lies within your hands. So make haste to see, grasp and win these blessings stored up for you… Call to God; bow down before Him.
Like the blind man of old, you, too, should say: “Have pity on me, Son of God and open the eyes of my soul, that I may see that Light of the world which You Are, O my God and may become, likewise, a child of that Divine Light. O good and generous One: send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, even on me to teach me all about You, all about what is Yours, God of the universe. Dwell also in me, as you have said that I, in my turn, may become worthy of dwelling in You. Make me know how to enter into You and know, that I possess You within me. O Thou, Invisible One, deign to take shape in me, that, seeing Your inaccessible Beauty, I may bear Your image, O You Who dwell in the heavens and may I forget all visible things. Grant to me, the glory the Father has given to You, O merciful One, so that, resembling You as all Your servants do, I may share in Your Divine Life, by grace and may constantly remain with You, now and always, forever and ever!” – St Symeon the New Theologian (949-1022) Greek Monk (Ethics 5).
PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech You, mercifully hear our prayers, loose us from the chains of our sins and keep us from all adversity. 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 – 23 February – The Memorial of St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Doctor of the Church
Have Mercy, Lord
By St Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Doctor of the Church
Have mercy, Lord,
on all my friends and relatives,
on all my benefactors,
on all who pray to Thee for me
and on all who have asked me
to pray to Thee, for them.
Give them the spirit of fruitful penance,
mortify them in all vices
and make them flower
in all Thy virtues.
Amen
“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)
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
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.
Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595)
“We … are under an obligation
to be the light of the world
by the modesty of our behaviour,
the fervour of our charity,
the innocence of our lives
and the example of our virtues.
Thus shall we be able
to raise the lowered prestige
of the Catholic Church
and, to build up again,
the ruins that others by their vices have caused.
Others, by their wickedness,
have branded the Catholic Faith
with a mark of shame,
we must strive,
with all our strength, to cleanse it
from its ignominy
and to restore it
to its pristine glory!”
“Christianity is warfare
and Christians are spiritual soldiers.”
“Not where I breathe
but where I love,
I live.”
“When Fortune smiles,
I smile to think,
how quickly she will frown.”
“Where sin was hatched,
let tears now wash the nest.”
“The path to Heaven is narrow,
rough and full of wearisome
and trying ascents,
nor can it be trodden without great toil
and, therefore, wrong is their way,
gross their error
nd assured their ruin,
who, after the testimony
of so many thousands of Saints,
will not learn where to settle their footing!”
“The Epiphany”
By St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595)
Martyr
To blaze the rising of this glorious sun
A glittering star appeareth in the east
Whose sight to pilgrim toil three sages won
To seek the light they long had in request,
And by this star to nobler star they pace
Whose arms did their desired sun embrace.
Still was the sky wherein these planets shined
And want the cloud that did eclipse their rays,
Yet through this cloud their passage they did find,
And pierced these sages’ hearts by secret ways,
Which made them know, the Ruler of the skies
By Infant tongue and looks of babish eyes.
Heaven at her light, earth blusheth at her pride
And of their pomp these peers ashamed be,
Their crowns, their robes, their train they set aside
When God’s poor cottage, clouts and crew they see,
All glorious things their glory now despise
Since God contempt doth more than glory prize.
Three gifts they bring, three gifts they bear away,
For Incense, Myrrh and Gold, Faith, Hope and Love
And with their gifts the givers’ hearts do stay,
Their mind from Christ, no parting can remove,
His humble state, His stall, His poor retinue
They fancy more than all their rich revenue.
Our Morning Offering -18 February – Septuagesima Weekday
Lord Jesus, Think on Me
By St Synesius of Cyrene (375-430)
Bishop of Ptolemais, Father
Lord Jesus, think on me
and purge away my sin,
from earth-born passions set me free,
and make me pure within.
Lord Jesus, think on me,
With care and woe oppressed,
let me Thy loving servant be
and taste Thy promised rest.
Lord Jesus, think on me,
nor let me go astray,
through darkness and perplexity
point Thou the heav’nly way.
Lord Jesus, think on me,
that, when the flood is past,
I may eternal brightness see
and share Thy joy at last.
Amen
St Synesius, a native of Cyrene, born circa 375. His descent was illustrious. His pedigree extended through seventeen centuries and in the words of Gibbon, “could not be equaled in the history of mankind.”
He became distinguished for his eloquence and philosophy and as a statesman and patriot he took a noble stand. When the Goths were threatening his Country he went to the court of Arcadius and for three years, tried to rouse it to the dangers that were coming on the empire. But Gibbon says, ”The court of Arcadius indulged the zeal, applauded the eloquence and neglected the advice of Synesius.”
In 410 he was made Bishop of Ptolemaïs (modern Libya) but much against his will. He died in 430. We have extant one hundred and fifty-five epistles and ten hymns written at different periods of his life.
Our Morning Offering – 17 February – Feast of the Flight into Egypt
My Beloved Redeemer
Prayer for the Flight into Egypt (Excerpt)
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church
My beloved Redeemer,
I have many times driven Thee out of my soul
but now I hope, that Thou
have again taken possession of it.
I beseech Thee,
do Thou bind it to Thyself
with the sweet chains of Thy love.
Oh, do Thou make Thyself loved,
make Thyself loved by all the sinners
who persecute Thee,
give them light,
make them know the love
Thou hast borne them
and the love Thou deserves,
since Thou goes wandering over the earth
as a poor Infant,
weeping and trembling with cold
and seeking souls to love Thee!
O Mary, most holy Virgin,
O dearest Mother
and companion of the sufferings of Jesus,
do thou help me always
to carry and preserve thy Son
in my heart,
in life and in death!
Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 10 February – The Memorial of St Scholastica (c482-547) Virgin – 2 Cor 10:17-18; 11:1-2, Matthew 25:1-13
“Our lamps are going out.”
“I have not become as wise
as those five wise Virgins.
… But I have become the most wretched of the foolish ones
by failing to keep some oil for my lamp,
namely, mercy together with virginity
or, still more, the anointing from Baptism’s Sacred fount…
Therefore, the doors of the wedding hall
are closed to me too, in my negligence.
But, O my Bridegroom,
while I am still in my body here below,
listen to my soul, Your Bride…
From now on, I will cry aloud piteously,
“Oh, open to me Your Heavenly Door,
bring me into Your Wedding Chamber on high,
make me worthy of Your Holy Kiss,
Your pure and spotless Embrace.
Oh let me not hear the Voice saying
it does not know me!
I am blind; set alight with Your own Light
my spirit’s extinguished flame!”
“If we wish to make any progress
in the service of God,
we must begin everyday of our life,
with new eagerness.
We must keep ourselves,
in the presence of God,
as much as possible
and have no other view or end,
in all our actions
but the divine honour.”
“Come, O come, for without Thee,
there will be no happy day,
or hour because Thou art my happiness
and without Thee, my table is empty.
I am wretched, as it were, imprisoned
and weighted down with fetters,
until Thou fills me
with the Light of Thy Presence,
restore me to liberty
and show me a friendly Countenance.”
(Book 3 Ch 21:1,4-6)
One Minute Reflection – 10 February – The Memorial of St Scholastica (c482-547) Virgin – 2 Cor 10:17-18; 11:1-2,
Matthew 25:1-13
“But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” – Matthew 25:6
REFLECTION – “The souls’ husband is the Holy Spirit, by His grace. When His interior inspiration calls the soul to repentance, then every enticement of vice is in vain. The pride that wants command, the greed and lust that consumes everything: this was the master that used to control and ravage the soul. Their very names have been removed from the repentant sinner’s mouth… When grace is poured into the soul and gives it light, God makes a covenant with sinners. He is reconciled with them… Then is celebrated the wedding of the Bridegroom with His bride, in the peace of a pure conscience.” – St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – O God, Who, to show us the way of innocence, caused the soul of Your Virgin, blessed Scholastica, to fly up to Heaven in the likeness of a dove, grant us, through her merits and prayers, to live innocently, so that we may be found worthy to reach everlasting joys. 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).
Quote/s of the Day – 5 February – St Agatha (c 231- c 251) Virgin and Martyr – 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Matthew 19:3-12
“Fasting cleanses the soul,
raises the mind,
subjects one’s flesh to the spirit,
renders the heart contrite and humble,
scatters the clouds of concupiscence,
quenches the fire of lust
and kindles the true light of chastity.
Enter again into yourself!”
“If the poison of pride is swelling up in you,
turn to the Eucharist and that Bread,
Which is your God humbling and disguising Himself,
will teach you humility.
If the fever of selfish greed rages in you,
feed on this Bread and you will learn generosity.
If the cold wind of coveting withers you,
hasten to the Bread of Angels and charity
will come to blossom in your heart.
If you feel the itch of intemperance,
nourish yourself with the Flesh and Blood of Christ,
Who practiced heroic self-control during His earthly life
and you will become temperate.
If you are lazy and sluggish about spiritual things,
strengthen yourself with this heavenly Food
and you will grow fervent.
Lastly, if you feel scorched by the fever of impurity,
go to the banquet of the Angels
and the spotless Flesh of Christ,
will make you pure and chaste.”
“Be HUMBLE in this life,
that God may raise you up in the next.
Be truly MODERATE
and do not punish or condemn anyone immoderately.
Be GENTLE,
so that you may never oppose justice.
Be HONOURABLE,
so that you may never voluntarily
bring disgrace upon anyone.
Be CHASTE,
so that you may avoid all the foulness of lust
like the pangs of death.”
(King of Hungary, to his son, St Emeric.
Sadly St Emeric died aged 24 but had
taken a private vow of Celibacy.)
“Chastity depends on the heart,
as its source
but, it is concerned with the body,
as its matter
and, therefore, it maybe lost,
by all the external senses of the body
and by the thoughts and desires of the heart.
It is immodesty to behold,
to hear, to speak, to smell, to touch,
impure things,
when the heart occupies itself with them
and takes pleasure in them.”
(Introduction to the Devout Life
Part Three Chap 13).
“To defend his purity,
Saint Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow,
Saint Benedict threw himself into a thorn bush
and Saint Bernard plunged into an icy pond…
You – what have you done?”
Quote/s of the Day – 21 January – The Memorial of St Agnes (c 291- c 304) Virgin and Martyr – Ecclus 51:1-8, 12; Matthew 25:1-13
“Our lamps are going out.”
“I have not become as wise
as those five wise Virgins.
… But I have become the most wretched of the foolish ones
by failing to keep some oil for my lamp,
namely, mercy together with virginity
or, still more, the anointing from Baptism’s Sacred fount…
Therefore, the doors of the wedding hall
are closed to me too, in my negligence.
But, O my Bridegroom,
while I am still in my body here below,
listen to my soul, Your Bride…
From now on, I will cry aloud piteously,
“Oh, open to me Your Heavenly Door,
bring me into Your Wedding Chamber on high,
make me worthy of Your Holy Kiss,
Your pure and spotless Embrace.
Oh let me not hear the Voice saying
it does not know me!
I am blind; set alight with Your own Light
my spirit’s extinguished flame!”
(Jesus, the Father’s beloved Son 688-693, SC 203)
“Give me grace,
to amend my life
and to have an eye to mine end,
without grudge of death,
which, to them,
who die in You,
good Lord,
is the gate of a wealthy life.”
My Lord Jesus Christ,
You have made this journey
to die for me, with love unutterable
and I have so many times unworthily abandoned You
but now I love You with my whole heart
and because I love You,
I repent sincerely for having ever offended You.
Pardon me, my God
and permit me to accompany You on this journey.
You go to die for love of me,
I wish also, my beloved Redeemer,
to die for love of Thee.
My Jesus, I will live
and die always united to You.”
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 12 January – Seventh day in the Octave of Epiphany, “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” and the Memorial of St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) “St Bernard of the North”
Behold Me, O Sweet Lord, Behold Me!
By St Aelred of Rievaulx O.Cist. (1110-1167)
Behold me, O Sweet Lord, behold me!
For I hope. that in Your Loving Kindness,
O Most Merciful One,
You will behold me,
either as a loving Physician to heal,
a kind Teacher to correct,
or an indulgent Father to pardon…
confident in Your Sweet Powerful Mercy
and most Merciful Power,
I ask, in virtue of Your Sweet Name
and of the Mystery of Your Sacred Humanity
that, mindful of Your Kindness
and unmindful of my ingratitude,
You forgive me my sins
and heal the languors of my soul.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 4 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“In order to understand more clearly, the gravity of sin, it is helpful at this stage, to consider three things:
(a) The world with all its evils – sorrows, diseases, wars, plagues and death.
All these things do not come directly from the Will of God, Who is the highest good but happen, with His permission.”
They are the effect of original sin and of the continuing transgressions of men.
(b) Hell, which is the handiwork of sin, God, infinitely good but also infintely just, has ordained this terrible and everlasting punishment for the rebellious sinner.
(c) The Crucifix.
To save us from sin, the God-Man has suffered the cruellest of torments and death but, men go on offending Him with unbelievable ingratitude!
Now, let us turn the spotlight on ourselves and think of our past lives.
So many sins and abuses of God’s grace!
Such coldness and ingratitude!
Where has all this brough us?
Spiritually, sin has deprived us of God and of the supernatural life, which His grace gives us.
Intellectually, it is an absurdity, a dishonour and a degradation.
Physically, it is an inversion of the right order and often means total ruin.
Let us humbly repent, therefore and make resolutions so firm, that we shall be ready to face any sacrifice, even death, in order to put them into practice.”
PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/09/13/thought-for-the-day-13-september-sin/
Thought for the Day – 29 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“It is sad to have to admit, that in spite of our good resolutions and in spite of the graces which we receive from God, we continue to fall into sin.
Our continual lapses can cause us to become discouraged.
This, however, is a device of the devil, who has already lured us into sin and now, proceeds to suggest thoughts of despair.
He wishes to convince us that resistance is useless, that our nature is completely corrupt and, that there is no escape for us.
“My dear children,” wrote St John to the early Christians, “these things I write to you, in order that you may not sin. But, if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the just and he is a propitiation for our sins, not for ours only but also, for those of the whole world” (1 Jn 2:1-2).
“If we say that that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity.” (1 Jn 1:9).
“He who says that he knows him and does not keep his commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him But he who keeps his word, in him the love of God is truly perfected” (1 Jn 2:5).
It is clear, therefore, that we ought to avoid sin by every means in our power because, it extinguishes our charity and brings death to the soul.
Nevertheless, even if we continue to fall into sin, we should never lose heart.
Discouragement and despair are stratagems of the devil.
No matter how great and how numerous our sins maybe, God is always prepared to pardon them.
Let us recall the example of Mary Magdalen, of the repentant thief and of the prodigal son.
As long as we repent sincerely, we may be sure that God will forgive us and clasp us to His breast, for God is infinitely merciful.”
Thought for the Day – 23 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Let us contemplate Jesus lying on a rough pallet of straw in the manger.
When we see Him looking at us, let us ask ourselves what it is that He requires of us.
In fact, He wants many things from us.
First of all, He wants us to weep for our sins and to promise, never to fall again, as long as we have the assistance of His grace, for which we should pray continually.
For this, He has become man and has entered into the world.
For this He will work miracles, preach His doctrine and shed His Precious Blood on the Cross.
All this He will do to redeem us from sin and to win Heaven for us.
If we return to the path of sin, we destroy the divine work of redemption, inasfar as it applies to ourselves.
We make Christ’s passion, death and resurrection useless in our case.
We brush aside the chain of favours with which His love has girdled us – the Gospel, the Sacraments and the Church, our good mother who is always at our side to instruct and direct us, to rescue us from peril and, to distribute to us, the gifts of her divine Founder.
When we sin, we commit an act of base ingratitude to Jesus and accomplish our own eternal ruin.
The Infant Jesus longs for us to give our hearts to Him.
Since He has given us His own, why should we be unwilling to give ours to Him?
Who or what can we love, if we do not love Jesus?
Nothing else is capable of giving us peace of soul and resignation in suffering.
Jesus alone can bestow these gifts on us, as long as we love and follow Him and abandon ourselves completely to His Holy Will.”
One Minute Reflection – 14 December – Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent, Readings: Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13; Psalm 34: 2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 and 23; Matthew 21: 28-32 and the Memorial of St Berthold of Regensburg OFM (c 1220-1272
“John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him.” – Matthew 21:32
REFLECTION – “John the Baptist is teaching in both word and deed. A true teacher, he shows by example what he describes in speech. Knowledge makes the teacher but action bestows authority. … To teach by doing, is the only rule followed, by one who wants to give instruction, for instructing by words is knowledge but, when it passes on into deeds, then it is virtue. Therefore, that knowledge is genuine that is combined with virtue: this and this alone, is divine, rather than human. …
“In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!‘” “Repent” – Why did he not rather say: “Rejoice“? “Rejoice, rather because what is human gives way to what is divine, what is earthly to what is heavenly, what is temporal to what is eternal, what is evil to what is good, what is unsure to what is certain, sadness to happiness, what is perishable to those things that endure forever. The Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand. Repent!” Let your behaviour as one who has converted be manifest. You who preferred what is human, to what is divine, who desired to be the world’s slave, rather than to conquer the world along with the world’s Lord, Repent. You who fled the freedom which virtue would have won for you because you wished to take on the yoke of sin: Repent. Repent in earnest, you who, for fear of possessing Life, have given yourself up to death! – St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) Bishop of Ravenna, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 167).
PRAYER – Lord God, You hold out the Light of Your Word to those who do not know You. Strengthen in our hearts, the faith You have given us and the Credo we profess, so that no trials may quench the fire Your Spirit has kindled in us. May the intercession of St Berthold of Regensburg who spent himself preaching repentance, grant us the grace of following the way of the Cross, to stand beneath it with our Mother, the Mother of God, Ave Maria! We make our prayer through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Thought for the Day – 10 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Only those who will it themselves, are damned.
God wishes all men to be saved.
It was for this, that He came into the world and shed His Precious Blood.
Moreover, He has given us the means necessary for salvation.
“God our Saviour, wishes all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4).
What can be wanting to us, therefore, in order to obtain salvation?
Divine grace is certainly not lacking, for God gives it to us without reserve.
“I come that they may have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10).
Nor are we lacking in strength, for, as St Paul says, “I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).
We have the Sacraments, good inspirations and the example of the Saints.
All that we can be deficient in, then, is our own goodwill and co-operation with the grace of God.
We must be prepared to play our part in our own salvation.
Our first thought and purpose, therefore, must be our own salvation.
The treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great price (Cf Mt 13:44-46) are symbols of the Kingdom of God and of everlasting happiness.
We should be prepared to sacrifice everything else, in order to find this treasure an to acquire this pearl!”
Part One here:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/27/thought-for-the-day-27-august-those-who-will-to-be-damned/
Quote/s of the Day – 6 December – Monday of the Second Week of Advent, Readings: Isaiah 35:1-10, Psalms 85:9 and 10, 11-12, 13-14, Luke 5:17-26
“Thy sins are forgiven thee …
Arise and walk.”
“Rise, you who were lying fast asleep…
Rise and hurry to the Church:
here is the Father,
here is the Son,
here is the Holy Spirit.”
“Then the righteous shall shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.”
“So from now on, run well (cf. Gal 5:7)
and may the devil not bewitch you (cf. Gal 3:1)
nor hinder you! …
May mercy, peace, charity,
freedom from envy,
from jealousy and ostentation
come upon you, docility, friendly speech,
solidarity, compassion
towards each other, humility.”
“What are you afraid of, you men of little faith?
That He will not pardon your sins?
But with His own hands He has nailed them to the cross.
That you are used to soft living
and your tastes are fastidious?
But He knows the clay of which we are made (Gn 2:7).
That a prolonged habit of sinning binds you like a chain?
But the Lord loosens the shackles of prisoners.
Or perhaps that angered by the enormity
and frequency of your sins,
He is slow to extend a helping hand?
But where sin abounded,
grace became superabundant (Rom 5,20).
Are you worried about clothing
and food and other bodily necessities
so that you hesitate to give up your possessions?
But He knows that you need all these things (Mt 6,32).
What more can you wish?
What else is there to hold you back
from the way of salvation? ”
My Lord Jesus Christ,
You have made this journey
to die for me, with love unutterable
and I have so many times unworthily abandoned You
but now I love You with my whole heart
and because I love You,
I repent sincerely for having ever offended You.
Pardon me, my God
and permit me to accompany You on this journey.
You go to die for love of me,
I wish also, my beloved Redeemer,
to die for love of Thee.
My Jesus, I will live
and die always united to You.”
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 6 December – Monday of the Second Week of Advent
Pardon Lord, I Ask
By St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church
Lord Jesus Christ,
Who stretched out Your Hands on the Cross
and redeemed us by Your Blood,
forgive me, a sinner ,
for none of my thoughts
are hidden from You.
Pardon I ask,
Pardon I hope for,
Pardon I trust to have.
You, Who are full of pity and mercy,
spare me and forgive.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 5 December – The Second Sunday of Advent – Readings: Baruch 5: 1-9; Psalm 126: 1-6; Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11; Luke 3: 1-6
“Prepare the way of the Lord
make his paths straight” …
“There is still time for endurance,
time for patience,
time for healing,
time for change.
Have you slipped?
Rise up!
Have you sinned?
Cease!
Do not stand among sinners
but leap aside!”
“Open wide your door
to the One who comes.
Open your soul,
throw open the depths of your heart
to see the riches of simplicity,
the treasures of peace,
the sweetness of grace.
Open your heart and run to meet
the Sun of eternal Light
that illuminates all men.”
“If we wish to make any progress
in the service of God,
we must begin everyday of our life,
with new eagerness.
We must keep ourselves,
in the presence of God,
as much as possible
and have no other view or end,
in all our actions
but the divine honour.”
“Come, O come, for without You
there will be no happy day
or hour because You are my happiness
and without You my table is empty.
I am wretched, as it were imprisoned
and weighted down with fetters,
until You fill me with the Light of Your Presence,
restore me to liberty
and show me a friendly countenance.”
Thought for the Day –32 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“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 Theologiae, I, q.21, a.2 ad2).
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 that it is a record of the goodness and mercy of God.
We have only to recall Christ’s forgiveness of the Magdalen 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 thous shalt be with me in paradise.”
When we read this chronicle of infinite goodness and mercy, we should experience a boundless hope and confidence.
It does not matter how great our sins, or our ingratitude, may have been.
Once we have repented, God is ready to forgive us and to receive us with open arms!”
AnaStpaul 
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