Category: Quotes on SALVATION

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MIRACLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, Quotes on SALVATION, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 June – Could anything be of more intrinsic value? St Thomas Aquinas

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One Minute Reflection – 20 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Monday within the Octave of Corpus Christi and the Memorial of St Pope Silverius (Died 538) Martyr – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59.

“He who eats this Bread shall live forever.” – John 6:59

REFLECTION – “Since it was the Will of God’s Only-Begotten Son, that men should share in His Divinity, He assumed our nature in order that, by becoming Man. He might make men gods . Moreover, when He took our flesh. He dedicated the whole of its substance to our salvation. He offered His Body to God the Father, on the Altar of the Cross, as a sacrifice for our reconciliation. He shed His Blood for our ransom and purification, so that we might be redeemed, from our wretched state of bondage and cleansed from all sin. But to ensure that the memory of so great a gift would abide with us forever, He left His Body as food and His Blood as drink, for the faithful to consume in the form of bread and wine.

O precious and wonderful banquet which brings us salvation and contains all sweetness! Could anything be of more intrinsic value? Under the old law, it was the flesh of calves and goats, which was offered but here, Christ Himself, the True God, is set before us as our food! What could be more wonderful than this? No other Sacrament has greater healing power; through it, sins are purged away, virtues are increased and the soul is enriched with an abundance of every spiritual gift. It is offered in the Church for the living and the dead, so that what was instituted for the salvation of all, may be for the benefit of all. Yet, in the end, no-one can fully express the sweetness of this Sacrament, in which spiritual delight is tasted at its very source, and in which, we renew the memory, of that surpassing love for us, which Christ revealed in His Passion.

It was to impress the vastness of this love, more firmly upon the hearts of the faithful, that our Lord instituted this Sacrament at the Last Supper. As He was on the point of leaving the world to go to the Father, after celebrating the Passover with His disciples, He left it as a perpetual memorial of His Passion. It was the fulfilment of ancient figures and the greatest of all His Miracles, while, for those who were to experience the sorrow of His departure, it was destined to be a unique and abiding consolation.” – St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Dominican Priest and Theologian, Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from On the Feast of the Body of Christ).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in Thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Sylvester thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church. 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).
O HEART of love, I place all my trust in Thee; for though I fear all things from my weakness, I hope all things from Thy mercies. – Ejaculation of Saint Margaret Mary – Indulgence 300 Days, Everytime – Raccolta 180 St Pius X, 3 June 1908.

Posted in Act of SPIRITUAL COMMUNION, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, HOLY COMMUNION, HYMNS, Quotes on SALVATION, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The LISTS of the CHURCH

Quote/s of the Day – 19 June – Adoro te Devote

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Solemnity of Corpus Christ. Sunday within the Octave and the Memorial of St Juliana Falconieri OSM (1270 – 1341) Virgin

“The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love.
It signifies Love,
It produces love.
The Eucharist is the consummation
of the whole spiritual life.”

“ O precious and wonderful banquet
that brings us salvation
and contains all sweetness!”

Adoro te Devote
Trans. Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore,
Masked by these bare shadows,
shape and nothing more,
See, Lord, at Thy service low lies here a heart
Lost, all lost in wonder at the God Thou art.

Seeing, touching, tasting are in Thee deceived –
How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed,
What God’s Son has told me, take for truth I do,
Truth Himself speaks truly or there’s nothing true.

On the cross Thy godhead made no sign to men,
Here Thy very manhood steals from human ken –
Both are my confession, both are my belief,
And I pray the prayer of the dying thief.

I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see,
But can plainly call Thee Lord and God as he,
Let me to a deeper faith daily nearer move,
Daily make me harder hope and dearer love.

O Thou our reminder of Christ crucified,
Living Bread, the life of us for whom He died,
Lend this life to me then – feed and feast my mind,
There be Thou the sweetness man was meant to find.

Bring the tender tale true of the Pelican,
Bathe me, Jesu Lord, in what Thy bosom ran—
Blood whereof a single drop has power to win
All the world forgiveness of its world of sin.

Jesu, whom I look at shrouded here below,
I beseech Thee send me what I thirst for so,
Some day to gaze on Thee face to face in light
And be blest forever with Thy glory’s sight.
Amen

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor angelicus/Doctor communis

“There is no more efficacious means than this,
(Eucharistic Adoration)
for nourishing and increasing
the piety of the people,
toward this admirable pledge of love,
which is a bond of peace and of unity.”

St Paschal Baylon (1540-1592)

“The Holy Eucharist,
is a fire that purifies and consumes
all our miseries and imperfections.
Do everything in your power
to make yourself worthy of the Eucharist
and this Divine Fire, will take care of the rest.”

St Hyacinth of Mariscotti (1585-1640)

“Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus
in the Blessed Sacrament
is the greatest, after the sacraments,
the one dearest to God
and the one most helpful to us.”

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
Good Jesus, hear me
Within Your wounds, shelter me
from turning away, keep me
From the evil one, protect me
At the hour of my death, call me
Into Your presence lead me
to praise You with all Your saints
Forever and ever,
Amen

Act of Spiritual Communion
By St Bernard (1090-1153
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

As I cannot this day enjoy the happiness
of assisting at the Holy Mysteries, O my God,
I transport myself in spirit to the foot of Your Altar.
I unite with the Church, which by the hands of the Priest,
offers You, Your adorable Son in the Holy Sacrifice.
I offer myself with Him, by Him and in His Name.
I adore, I praise and thank You,
imploring Your mercy,
invoking Your assistance
and presenting to You,
the homage I owe You as my Creator
and the love due to You as my Saviour.

Apply to my soul, I beseech You, O Merciful Jesus,
Your infinite merits;
apply them also to those
for whom I particularly wish to pray.
I desire to communicate spiritually,
that Your Blood, may purify,
Your Flesh, strengthen
and Your Spirit, sanctify me.
May I never forget that You, my divine Redeemer,
died for me.
May I die to all that is not You,
that hereafter, I may live eternally with You.
Amen.

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PARTIAL Indulgence, PLENARY Indulgences, Quotes on SALVATION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 June –

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One Minute Reflection – 10 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Ember Friday – Joel 2:23-24; 26-27, Luke 5:17-26 and the Memorial of St Margaret of Scotland (1045-1093

“But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins – He said to the paralytic – I say to you, arise! – Luke 5:24

REFLECTION – “The Word of God has come to dwell in man; He became “Son of Man” in order to accustom man to receive God and God to dwell in man, as it has pleased the Father. See now why the sign of our salvation, Emmanuel born of a Virgin, has been given by the Saviour Himself (Is 7:14). Indeed, it is the Saviour Himself Who saves men, since of themselves they cannot save themselves. … The prophet Isaiah has said: “Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak! Take courage, frightened hearts, be strong, fear not! Here is your God who comes with vindication; He Himself comes, He comes to save us,” (Is 35:3-4). For it is only by God’s help and not of ourselves, that we can stand up to our salvation.

And here is another text where Isaiah predicted that the One who saves us is neither simply a man, nor an incorporeal being: “It was not a messenger or an angel but the Lord Himself Who saved His people. Because of His love and pity, He forgave them; He redeemed them Himself,” (Is 63:9). Yet this Saviour is also truly Man, truly visible: “City of Zion, behold, your eyes shall see our Saviour” … And another prophet has said: “He will again have compassion on us and cast into the depths of the sea all our sins,” (Mi 7:19) … From the land of Judah, from Bethlehem (Mi 5:1) will come the Son of God, He Who is also God, to pour out His praise on all the earth … Thus God has become Man indeed and the Lord Himself has saved us, by giving us the sign of the Virgin.” – St Irenaeus (c 130-c 202) Bishop, Church Father, Theologian and Martyr (Against the heresies III),

PRAYER – O God, Who made blessed Queen Margaret glorious by her remarkable charity toward the poor; grant, by her intercession and example, that Thy charity may continually increase in our hearts. 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).
SACRED Heart of JESUS, I trust in Thee. 300 Days Indulgence Once a Day – Plenary, Once a month. Raccolta 175 – St Pius X, 19 August 1905; 27 June 1906.

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The WILL of GOD, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 9 June – ‘Take nothing for your journey …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Pentecost Thursday – Acts 8:5-8, Luke 9:1-6

“Take nothing for your journey,
neither staff, nor bag,
nor bread, nor money;
neither have two tunics.”

Luke 9:3

“You are the salt of the earth.”

Matthew 5:13

“It is as a matter of absolute necessity
that He commands all this.
Why must you be salt?
Jesus says in effect:
“You are accountable,
not only for your own life
but also, for that of the entire world.
I am sending you not to one or two cities,
nor to ten or twenty,
nor even to one nation,
as I sent the Prophets.
Rather, I am sending you to the entire earth,
across the seas, to the whole world,
to a world fallen into an evil state.”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“What is reprehensible,
is that while leading good lives themselves
and abhorring those of wicked men,
some, fearing to offend,
shut their eyes to evil deeds
instead of condemning them
and pointing out their malice.”

St Augustine (354-407)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“The love of Jesus is noble and generous,
it spurs us on to do great things
and excites us to desire always,
that which is most perfect.
Love will tend upwards
and is not to be detained by things beneath.
Love will be at liberty
and free from all worldly affections…
for love proceeds from God
and cannot rest but in God,
above all things created.
The lover flies, runs and rejoices,
he is free and not held.
He gives all for all and has all in all,
because he rests in One Sovereign Good above all,
from Whom all good flows and proceeds.”

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

(Book III, Chapter V, 3-4)

“Entrust yourself entirely to God.
He is a Father
and a most loving Father at that,
Who would rather let Heaven
and earth collapse,
than abandon anyone
who trusted in Him.”

St Paul of the Cross (1604-1775)

“God alone!”

“Chosen soul, how will you bring this about?
What steps will you take to reach the high level
to which God is calling you?
The means of holiness and salvation,
are known to everybody,
since they are found in the Gospel,
the masters of the spiritual life have explained them,
the Saints have practised them…
These means are –
sincere Humility,
unceasing Prayer,
complete Self-denial,
abandonment to Divine Providence
and obedience to the Will of God.”

St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, INDULGENCES, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on FAITH, Quotes on SALVATION, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 June – ‘ … He asks for our faith and offers us salvation. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 1 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Wednesday within the Octave of Ascension – Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:14-20

“Go ye into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15

REFLECTION – “You have heard what the Lord said to His disciples after the resurrection. He sent them out to preach the Gospel and they did so. Listen: “Through all the earth their voice resounds and to the ends of the world, their message” (Ps 18[19],5). Step by step, the Gospel has reached even to us and the ends of the earth. In a few words, the Lord addressing Himself to His disciples, set out what we are to do and what we have to hope for. Just as you have heard, He said: “Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved.” He asks for our faith and offers us salvation. What He offers us is so precious, that what He asks of us is as nothing.

“The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings, O my God… from your delightful stream, You give them to drink, for with You is the fountain of life” (Ps 35[36],8f.). Jesus Christ is the Fountain of Life. Before the Fountain of Life came to us, we had only a human salvation like that of the beasts of which the psalm speaks: “Man and beast you save, O Lord” (Ps 35[36],7). But now the Fountain of Life has come even to us, the Fountain of Life died for our sakes. Will He refuse us, His Life, Who, for our sakes, gave His Death? He is Salvation and this Salvation is not worthless, like the other one. Why? Because it does not pass away. The Lord has come. He died but he killed death. In Himself, He brought an end to death. He assumed it and He killed it. Where is death now, then? Look for it in Christ and it is no longer there. It used to be there but there it died. O life, Death of death! Take heart: it will also die in us! What was fulfilled in the Head will also be fulfilled in the members and death will die in us, too.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo and Father and Doctor of the Church (Excerpt from Sermon 233 ).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that as we do believe Thine Only-Begotten Son our Saviour to have this day Ascended into the Heavens, so we may also, in heart and mind thither ascend and with Him, continually dwell. 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).
All praise, honour and glory to the Divine Heart of JESUS. (This Ejaculation is Indulgenced – 50 Days, once a day. (See Instructions: – Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901).

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, QUEENSHIP of MARY, QUOTES on GRACE, Quotes on SALVATION, The HOLY GHOST, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 31 May – “Hail, full of grace!”- Luke 1:28

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One Minute Reflection – 31 May – The Queenship of Mary – Eccli 24:5; 14:7; 14:9-11; 24:30-31, Luke 1:26-33

“Hail, full of grace!”– Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “Observe how fitting it was that even before her Assumption, the name of Mary shone forth wondrously throughout the world. Her fame spread everywhere, even before she was raised above the heavens in her magnificence. Because of the honour due her Son, it was indeed fitting, for the Virgin Mother, to have first ruled upon earth and then be raised up to Heaven in glory. It was fitting that her fame be spread in this world below, so that she might enter the heights of Heaven on overwhelming blessedness. Just as she was borne from virtue to virtue, by the Spirit of the Lord, she was transported from earthly renown, to Heavenly brightness.

So it was, that she began to taste the fruits of her future reign, while still in the flesh. At one moment she withdrew to God in ecstasy; at the next she would bend down to her neighbours with indescribable love. In Heaven Angels served her, while here on earth, she was venerated by the service of men. Gabriel and the Angels waited upon her in Heaven. The virgin John, rejoicing that the Virgin Mother was entrusted to him at the Cross, cared for her with the other Apostles here below. The Angels rejoiced to see their Queen, the Apostles rejoiced to see their lady and both obeyed her, with loving devotion.

… Therefore, when the Virgin of virgins was led forth by God and her Son, the King of kings. amid the company of exulting Angels and rejoicing Archangels, with the Heavens ringing with praise, the prophecy of the psalmist was fulfilled, in which he said to the Lord: At your right hand stands the Queen, clothed in gold of Ophir.” – St Amadeus of Lausanne O.Cist (1108-1159) Bishop (Excerpt from a Sermon on Mary)

PRAYER – Grant we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we who keep the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Queen, safe under her protection, may be worthy to have peace now and glory, in the future. 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 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on FAITH, Quotes on SALVATION, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 May – ‘Let us work for the food which does not perish—our salvation!’

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One Minute Reflection – 30 May – Monday within the Octave of Ascension – Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:14-20 and the Memorial of St Joan of Arc (1412-1431) “The Maid of Orléans” Holy Virgin

“He who believes and is baptised, shall be saved but he that believes not, shall be condemned.” – Mark 16:16

REFLECTION – “Let us work for the food which does not perish—our salvation! Let us work in the vineyard of the Lord ,to earn our daily wage in the Wisdom, which says: Those who work in me will not sin. Christ tells us: The field is the world. Let us work in it and dig up Wisdom, its hidden treasure, a treasure we all look for and want to obtain.

If you are looking for it, really look. Be converted and come. Converted from what? From your own willfulness. “But,” you may say, “if I do not find wisdom in my own will, where shall I find it? My soul eagerly desires it. And I will not be satisfied when I find it, if it is not a generous amount, a full measure, overflowing into my hands.” You are correct, for blessed is the man who finds Wisdom and is full of prudence.

Look for Wisdom while it can still be found. Call for it while it is near. Do you want to know how near it is? The Word and Wisdom is near you, in your heart and on your lips, provided that you seek it honestly. …

Happy is the man who has found Wisdom. Even more happy is the man who lives in Wisdom, for he perceives its abundance. There are three ways for Wisdom, or prudence to abound in you – if you confess your sins, if you give thanks and praise, and if your speech is edifying. Man believes with his heart and so, he is justified. He confesses with his lips and so, he is saved. In the beginning of his speech, the just man is his own accuser, next he gives glory to God and thirdly, if his wisdom extends that far, he edifies his neighbour.” – St Bernard (1090-1153) The “Last Father” and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church An excerpt from his Sermo de diversis

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that as we do believe Thine Only-Begotten Son our Saviour, to have this day ascended into the Heavens, so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend and with Him continually dwell. 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 DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on HERESY, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 13 May – St Robert Bellarmine

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 May – The Memorial of St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church

“If you are wise,
then know, that you have been created
for the glory of God
and your own eternal salvation.
This is your goal;
this is the centre of your life;
this is the treasure of your heart.
May you consider truly good,
whatever leads you to your goal
and truly evil,
whatever makes you fall away from it.”

“A Pope who is a manifest heretic
automatically (per se),
ceases to be Pope and Head,
just as he ceases, automatically,
to be a Catholic and a Member of the Church.
Wherefore, he can be judged
and punished by the Church.
This is too, the teaching of all the ancient Fathers.”

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/17/quote-s-of-the-day-17-september-st-robert-bellarmine/

St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, GOD the FATHER, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 9 May – St Gregory Nazianzen

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 May – The Memorial of St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

“He wants you to become
a living force for all mankind,
lights shining in the world.
You are to be radiant lights
as you stand beside Christ,
the Great Light,
bathed in the glory of Him
who is the Light of Heaven.”

“Many indeed are the wondrous happenings
of that time:
God hanging from a Cross,
the sun made dark
and again flaming out;
for it was fitting,
that creation should mourn
with its Creator.
The temple veil rent,
blood and water flowing
from His side –
the one as from a Man,
the other as from what was above man;
the earth shaken,
the rocks shattered because of the Rock;
the dead risen to bear witness
to the final and universal
resurrection of the dead.
The happenings at the sepulchre
and after the sepulchre,
who can fittingly recount them?
Yet not one of them, can be compared,
to the Miracle of my Salvation.
A few drops of Blood
renews the whole world
and do, for all men,
what the rennet does for the milk –
joining us and binding us together!”

“God accepts our desires as though
they were of great value.
He longs ardently for us
to desire to and love Him.
He accepts our petitions for benefits,
as though we were doing Him a favour.
His joy in giving,
is greater than ours in receiving.
So let us not be apathetic in our asking,
nor set too narrow bounds to our requests;
nor ask for frivolous things
unworthy of God’s greatness.”

“If anyone does not believe
that Holy Mary
is the Mother of God,
such a one is a stranger
to the Godhead.”

St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 5 May – Mary, Our Mother

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Thought for the Day – 5 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, Our Mother

“Holy Mary, it is consoling for me to know that you are my Mother, who loves and protects me and intercedes with God on my behalf, that I may obtain everlasting salvation.
I desire to be your child and to love you and your Son Jesus, more and more.
I wish to imitate your virtues, as far as possible, especially your complete acceptance in joy and in sorrow, of the Holy Will of God.
Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/05/thought-for-the-day-5-may-mary-our-mother/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/05/05/thought-for-the-day-5-may-mary-our-mother-2/

Posted in HOLY SATURDAY, INGRATITUDE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The PASSION, The SEVEN LAST WORDS of CHRIST

Thought for the Day – 16 April – The Death of our Saviour

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Thought for the Day – 16 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Death of our Saviour

“Jesus had now come to the last morning of His earthly life.
The Blood had been drained from His Body as a result of His fatal Wounds and He felt a great thirst, “I thirst,” He murmured in a weak voice.
He expressed in these words, not only His physical thirst but also, His spiritual thirst for souls.
He had given everything for the eternal salvation of men, yet, He realised with Divine foresight, that many would refuse to co-operate with His infinite love,
His thirst was a burning love for us and it was answered, on the physical level, by the vinegar which was given to Him to drink and in the moral order, by our ingratitude.

Seeing that His mission was fulfilled with His last breath, Jesus entrusted His soul to His Heavenly Father, “Father, into Thy Hands, I commend My spirit” (Lk 23:46).
Then, in order to show that His Death was voluntary, He cried out in a loud Voice, “It is consummated!” (Jn 19:30).
Jesus was dead!

Let us prostrate ourselves before His lifeless Body covered with sores and furrowed with blood.
Let us vow, never to offend Him again.
Let us give Him our minds, our hearts, our souls, our whole being.
Let us love Him more and more!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/14/thought-for-the-day-14-april-the-death-of-our-saviour/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/03/thought-for-the-day-3-april-the-death-of-our-saviour/

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, HOLY SATURDAY, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The LAST THINGS, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Holy Saturday – 16 April – The Lord Descends into Hell

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Holy Saturday (Vigil Mass of Easter) – 16 April – Matthew 28:1-7

“When Christ should appear, Who is your Life, then you also shall appear with Him, in glory.” – Colossians 3:4

“And at the end of the Sabbath,
when it began to dawn
toward the first day of the week,
came Mary Magdalen
and the other Mary,
to see the sepulchre.”

Matthew 28:1

Ancient Christian Writer
Anonymous
(An excerpt from Homily on Holy Saturday)

The Lord Descends into Hell

SOMETHING STRANGE IS HAPPENING — there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and He has raised up all who have slept even since the world began. God has Died in the Flesh and hell trembles with fear!

HE HAS GONE TO SEARCH for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, He has gone to free from sorrow, the captives Adam and Eve, He Who is both God and the Son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the Cross, the Weapon that had won Him the Victory. At the sight of Him, Adam, the first man He had created, struck His breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper and rise from the dead and Christ will give you light.”

I AM YOUR GOD, Who, for your sake, have become your Son! Out of love for you and for your descendants, I now by My Own Authority, command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness, to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the Life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in My image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in Me and I Am in you; together, we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

FOR YOUR SAKE I, your God, became your Son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, Whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden and I was Crucified in a garden.

SEE ON MY FACE the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in My Image. On My Back see the marks of the scourging I endured, to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See My Hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I SLEPT ON THE CROSS and a sword pierced My Side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My Side has healed the pain in yours. My Sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced Me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

RISE, LET US LEAVE THIS PLACE.
The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise but I will enthrone you in Heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life but see, I Who am Life itself, am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The Kingdom of Heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity!

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOOD FRIDAY, HOLY WEEK, HYMNS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Adoration of the Holy Cross – 15 April – Good Friday

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Adoration of the Holy Cross – 15 April – Good Friday – The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ – Faithful Cross!

Faithful Cross! Above All Other
By St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)

Faithful Cross! above all other,
one and only noble tree!
None in foliage, none in blossom,
none in fruit thy peer may be;
sweetest wood and sweetest iron,
sweetest weight is hung on thee.

Bend thy boughs, O tree of glory!
Thy relaxing sinews bend;
for awhile the ancient rigour
that thy birth bestowed, suspend
and the King of heavenly beauty
gently on thine arms extend.

Praise and honour to the Father,
praise and honour to the Son,
praise and honour to the Spirit,
ever Three and ever One:
One in might and One in glory
while eternal ages run.

The Passion of Our Lord
St Leo the Great (400-461) Pope, Father & Doctor
(Excerpt from a Sermon on the Passion and Cross of Christ)

“TRUE REVERENCE for the Lord’s Passion means fixing the eyes of our heart on Jesus Crucified and recognising in Him our own humanity.
The earth – our earthly nature – should tremble at the suffering of its Redeemer.
The rocks – the hearts of unbelievers – should come forth, the massive stones now ripped apart. Foreshadowings of the future Resurrection, should appear in the Holy City, the Church of God – what is happening to our bodies should now take place in our hearts.

NO-ONE, however weak, is denied a share in the victory of the Cross. No-one is beyond the help of the prayer of Christ. His prayer brought benefit to the multitude that raged against Him. How much more ,does it bring to those, who turn to Him in repentance.
Ignorance has been destroyed, obstinacy has been overcome. The Sacred Blood of Christ has quenched the flaming sword that barred access to the tree of life. The age-old night of sin has given place to the true Light.
The Christian people are invited to share the riches of paradise. All who have been reborn, have the way open before them, to return to their native land, from which they had been exiled. Unless indeed, they close off for themselves, the path that could be opened, before the faith of a thief.

THE BUSINESS of this life should not preoccupy us with its anxiety and pride, so that we no longer strive, with all the love of our heart, to be like our Redeemer and to follow His example. Everything that He did or suffered, was for our salvation – He wanted His body to share the goodness of its Head.

in taking our human nature while remaining God, so that the Word became Man, He left no member of the human race, the unbeliever excepted, without a share in His mercy. Who does not share a common nature with Christ, if He has welcomed Christ, Who took our nature, and is reborn in the Spirit, through Whom Christ was conceived?
Again, who cannot recognise in Christ, his own infirmities? Who would not recognise that Christ’s eating and sleeping, His sadness and His shedding tears of love, are marks of the nature of a slave?
It was this nature of a slave that had to be healed of its ancient wounds and cleansed of the defilement of sin. For that reason the Only- Begotten Son of God, became also, the Son of Man. He was to have both the reality of human nature and the fullness of the Godhead.

THE BODY WHICH LAY LIFELESS in the tomb is ours!
The Body which rose again on the third day is ours!
The Body which ascended above all the heights of Heaven to the right hand of the Father’s glory, is ours!
If then, we walk in the way of His commandments and are not ashamed to acknowledge the price He paid for our salvation in a lowly Body, we too, are to rise to share His glory. The promise He made, will be fulfilled in the sight of all – Whoever acknowledges Me, before men, I too will acknowledge him before My Father, Who is in Heaven.”

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 April – But Jesus he delivered up to their will. – Luke 23:25

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One Minute Reflection – 13 April – Spy Wednesday in Holy Week – Isaias 53:1-12, Luke 22:39-71; 23:1-53

“And he released unto them, him who for murder and sedition had been cast into prison, whom they had desired. But Jesus he delivered up to their will.” – Luke 23:25

REFLECTION – “Jesus made His way of His own free will towards the sufferings Scripture had foretold. He had frequently predicted them to His disciples and had even severely rebuked Peter, who had received their discovery with indignation (Mt 16:23). Finally, He showed how they were the cause of the world’s salvation. This was why, to the men coming to arrest Him, He referred to Himself as: “I am he whom you are seeking” (cf. Jn 18:5.8) … He was struck, covered with spittle, mocked, tortured, scourged and, in the end crucified. He allowed two outlaws, one at His right and one at His left, to share His suffering. Classed alongside murderers and criminal, He took vinegar and gall, fruits of a bitter vine. He was struck in mockery by a reed, pierced by a lance in His side and, in the end, laid in a tomb.

All this He suffered while working out our salvation … By His thorns He brought an end to the punishment laid on Adam, since the latter, having sinned, received this sentence: “Cursed be the ground because of you! Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you” (Gn 3:17-18). With the gall He took to Himself all that is bitter and painful in mortal life and sorrowful to men. With the vinegar He accepted human nature’s decline and bestowed on it, its restoration to a higher state. By the purple he symbolised His royalty; with the reed, He indicated how weak and feeble the devil’s power is. Being slapped, He made known our enfranchisement [just as we do in the case of a slave]. He bore with the abuse, punishment and beating due to us.

He was struck in the side, making Him more like Adam. But, far from bringing forth the woman, who, by her straying, gave birth to death, He made a spring of life to gush out (Gn 2:21; Jn 19:34). And this gives life to the world by means of a twofold stream – the first renews and re-clothes us in the garment of immortality in the baptistery and following this birth, the second, feeds us at God’s table, just as one suckles a newborn child.” … St Theodoret of Cyrus (c 393-c 460) Bishop (Treatise on the Incarnation, 26-27).

PRAYER – O God, Who to drive far from us, the power of the enemy, didst will that Thy Son should suffer for us on the gibbet of the Cross, grant us Thy servants, that we may obtain the grace of the resurrection. 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 DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Our Morning Offering – 13 April – In Your Hour of Holy Sadness

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Our Morning Offering – 13 April – Wednesday of Holy Week

In Your Hour of Holy Sadness
By St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father & Doctor of the Church

In Your hour of holy sadness
could I share with You, what gladness
should Your Cross to me be showing.
Gladness past all thought of knowing,
bowed beneath Your Cross to die!
Blessed Jesus, thanks I render
that in bitter death, so tender,
You now hear Your supplicant calling,
Save me Lord
and keep from falling from You,
when my hour is nigh.
Amen.

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, LENT 2022, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, Quotes on SALVATION, The PASSION, The WORD

Tuesday of Holy Week – 12 April – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – ‘… If we put Him on, if He is the Way of our salvation …’

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Tuesday of Holy Week – 12 April – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Jeremias 11:18-20, Mark 14:32-72; 15, 1-46

“May God have mercy on us and bless us; may He cause the Light of His Countenance to shine upon us and may He have mercy on us.” – Psalm 66:2

“And some began to spit on Him
and to cover His face
and to buffet Him
and to say unto Him: Prophesy;
and the servants struck Him
with the palms of their hands.”

Mark 14:65

“HE RECEIVED the spittings of insulters, who with His spittle had a little before made eyes for a blind man.
And He in Whose Name the devil and his angels is now scourged by His servants, Himself suffered scourgings!
He was crowned with thorns, Who crowns Martyrs with eternal flowers.
He was smitten on the Face with palms, Who gives the true palms to those who overcome.
He was despoiled of His earthly garment, Who clothes others in the vesture of immortality.
He was fed with gall, Who gave heavenly food.
He was given to drink of vinegar, Who appointed the cup of salvation.
That guiltless, that just One—nay, He who is Innocency itself and Justice itself—is counted among transgressors and Truth is oppressed with false witnesses.

HE, WHO SHALL JUDGE, is judged and the Word of God is led silently to the slaughter.
And when, at the Cross, of the Lord the stars are confounded, the elements are disturbed, the earth quakes, night shuts out the day, the sun… He speaks not, nor is moved, nor declares His Majesty even in His very Passion itself.
Even to the end, all things are borne perseveringly and constantly, in order that in Christ, a full and perfect patience may be consummated.

AND AFTER ALL THESE THINGS, He still receives His murderers, if they will be converted and come to Him.
And with a saving patience, He who is benignant to preserve, closes His Church to none.
Those adversaries…, if they repent of their sin, if they acknowledge the crime committed, He receives, not only to the pardon of their sin but to the reward of the Heavenly Kingdom.

WHAT CAN BE SAID, more Patient, what more Merciful? Even he is made alive by Christ’s Blood, who has shed Christ’s Blood!
Such and so great is the Patience of Christ and had it not been such and so great, the Church would never have possessed Paul as an Apostle.

BUT IF WE ALSO, beloved brethren, are in Christ.
If we put Him on, if He is the Way of our salvation, who follow Christ in the footsteps of salvation, let us walk by the example of Christ, as the Apostle John instructs us, saying, He who says, he abides in Christ, ought himself also, to walk even as He walked.
Peter also, upon whom by the Lord’s condescension the Church was founded, lays it down in his epistle and says:

CHRIST SUFFERED FOR US, leaving you an example, that ye should follow His Steps, Who did no sin, neither was deceit found in His Mouth; Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, threatened not but gave Himself up to him that judged Him unjustly.” – St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258) Bishop of Carthage and Martyr, Father of the Church (On Patience, 7-9).

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, Quotes on SALVATION, The HEART, The HOLY NAME, The LAMB of GOD, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 31 March – Fullness of goodness

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Quote/s of the Day – 31 March – Thursday of the Fourth week in Lent

“For one Lamb died for all,
to restore the whole flock on earth
to God the Father;
“one died for all”
to make all subject to God;
“one died for all”
to gain all, so that
“all might live,
no longer for themselves
but for Him who died
and was raised to life for them”
(2 Cor 5:14-15).”

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Listen! the reason He is called Saviour
is because, for all those
to whom He is united,
He gains salvation.
Now salvation means,
to be delivered from all ills and,
at the same time,
to find all blessings forever –
Life instead of death,
Light in place of darkness
and, instead of the slavery
of the passions and unworthy deeds,
the complete freedom granted
to all those, who are united to Christ,
Saviour of all beings.
Thus they will possess,
without being able to lose it,
all joy, all happiness, all blessedness (…)
that that none can ever know,
or conceive, or see,
if not sincerely and ardently
attached to Christ.”

St Symeon the New Theologian (c 949-1022)

“True spiritual life consists in this:
that man keep his eyes on God, all the time,
long for nothing but for God,
keep nothing in mind but God,
begin every single action, in God’s Name
and direct it to Him.”

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

“O God, fullness of goodness,
You do not forsake any,
except those who forsake You.
You never take away Your gifts,
except when we take away our hearts.
We rob the goodness of God,
if we claim the glory of our salvation for ourselves.
We dishonour His mercy,
if we say He has failed us.
… We blaspheme His goodness,
if we deny that He has helped and assisted us.
In short, O God, cry loud and clear into our ears:
“your destruction comes from you, O Israel.
In me alone is found your help” (Hos 13:9).

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, franciscan OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, Quotes on SALVATION

Our Morning Offering – 31 March – Forgive Me, Good Jesus

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Our Morning Offering – 31 March – Thursday of the Fourth week in Lent

Forgive Me, Good Jesus
By St Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)

Lord,
I confess that up until now
I have not lived as a Christian.
I am not worthy
to be numbered among Your elect.
I recognise that I deserve to be damned
but Your mercy is great
and, full of confidence in Your grace,
I say to You that I wish to save my soul,
even if I have to sacrifice my fortune,
my honour, my very life,
as long as I am saved.
If I have been unfaithful up to now,
I repent, I deplore,
I detest my infidelity,
I ask You humbly to forgive me.
Forgive me, good Jesus
and strengthen me,
that I may be saved.
I ask You not for wealth,
honour or prosperity,
I ask You for one thing only,
to save my soul.
Amen

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 26 March – Repent!

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 March – Saturday of the Third Week of Lent – Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62, John 8:1-11

“Go and from now on, sin no more”

John 8:11

“Prepare the way of the Lord
make his paths straight” …

Luke 3:4

“You do not know
when your last day may come.
You are an ingrate!
Why not use the day, today,
that God has given you
to repent?”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor of Grace

“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? ”

St Bernard (1091-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN QUOTES, Quotes on SALVATION, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – Blessed Shall be Her Name

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – The Annunciation – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38

“He Who is Infinite, Limitless,
came to dwell in your womb;
God, the Child Jesus,
was nourished by your milk.
You are the ever virginal Doorway of God;
your hands hold your God;
your lap is a throne raised up
above the Cherubim…
You are the wedding chamber of the Spirit,
the “city of the living God,
gladdened by the runlets of the stream,”
that is to say, the waves of the Spirit’s gifts.
You are “all fair, the Beloved” of God.”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“And Mary said,
‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be to me according to your word.’”

Luke 1:38

“The price of our salvation
is offered to you.
We shall be set free at once, if you consent.
In the eternal Word of God, we all came to be
and behold, we die.
In your brief response,
we are to be remade.
in order to be recalled to life.

… Answer quickly, O Virgin.
Reply in haste to the Angel,
or rather, through the Angel to the Lord.
Answer with a word,
receive the Word of God.
Speak your own word,
conceive the Divine Word.
Breathe a passing word,
embrace the Eternal Word!”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
The Last Father and
the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

Blessed Shall be Her Name
Anonymous Author

Praise we the Lord this day,
This day so long foretold,
Whose promise shone with cheering ray
On waiting saints of old.

The prophet gave the sign
That those with faith might read;
A Virgin, born of David’s line
Shall bear the promised Seed.

Ask not how this should be,
But worship and adore;
Like her whom Heaven’s majesty
Came down to shadow o’er.

She meekly bowed her head
To hear the gracious word,
Mary, the pure and lowly maid,
The favoured of the Lord.

Blessed shall be her name
In all the Church on earth,
Through whom that wondrous Mercy came,
The Incarnate Saviour’s Birth.

Jesus, the Virgin’s Son,
We praise You and adore,
Who are with God the Father One
And Spirit evermore.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HOPE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The ANNUNCIATION

Our Morning Offering – 25 March – O Mary, My Hope!

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Our Morning Offering – 25 March – The Annunciation

O Mary, My Hope!
By St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

I salute you, O Mary!
you are the hope of Christians.
Receive the prayer of a sinner,
who loves you tenderly,
honours you in a special manner
and places in you the whole hope
of his salvation.
From you I have my life.
You reinstate me in the grace of your Son:
you are the sure pledge of my salvation.
I beseech of you, therefore, to deliver me
from the burden of my sins,
dispel the darkness of my mind,
banish from my heart the love of the world,
repress the temptations of my enemies
and so rule my whole life, that by your means
and under your guidance,
I may obtain everlasting happiness in heaven.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2022, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, QUOTES on ALMS, Quotes on SALVATION, The WORD

Monday of the Third Week of Lent – 21 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – ‘ Are we going to neglect our own salvation? … ‘

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Monday of the Third Week of Lent – 21 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – 4 Kings, 5:1-15, Luke 4:23-30

“O God, my wanderings You have counted; my tears are recorded in Your sight.” – Psalm 55:9

“There were many widows in Israel”

Luke 4:25

THE WIDOW OF SAREPTA welcomes the prophet Elijah with every generosity and expends all her poverty in his honour, even though she is a Sidonian foreigner. She had never heard what the prophets have to say about the merits of almsgiving, let alone the words of Christ: “You saw me hungry and gave me food” (Mt 25:35).

WHAT EXCUSE DO WE HAVE if, after such exhortations, after the promise of such great rewards, after the promise of the Kingdom of Heaven and its happiness, we fail to reach the same level of goodness as this widow? A Sidonian woman, a widow, burdened with the care of a family, threatened by famine and seeing the advent of death, opens her door to welcome an unknown man and gives him the scrap of meal she has left …

YET WE, WHO HAVE been taught by the prophets, have heard the teachings of Christ, have the opportunity of meditating on what is to come, who are not threatened by famine and who own a great deal more that this woman, are we to be excused if we dare not lay a finger on our goods to give of them? Are we going to neglect our own salvation? …

SO THEN, LET US SHOW GREAT compassion towards the poor so as to be made worthy of possessing good things to come for all eternity, by the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Great Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon on Elijah and the widow and almsgiving; PG 51, 348).

Posted in INDULGENCES, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, Quotes on SALVATION, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 16 March – O Most Compassionate Jesus!

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Our Morning Offering – 16 March – Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

O Most Compassionate Jesus!
By Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day
6 October 1870

O Most compassionate Jesus!
Thou alone art our salvation,
our life and our resurrection.
We implore Thee, therefore,
do not forsake us
in our needs and afflictions
but by the agony of
Thy Most Sacred Heart
and by the sorrows of
Thy Immaculate Mother,
succour Thy servants,
whom Thou hast redeemed
by Thy most Precious Blood.
Amen

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, OUR Cross, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, 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 BAPTISM, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GRACE, Quotes on SALVATION, SACRAMENTS

Thought for the Day – 11 March – The Growth of Jesus

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Thought for the Day – 11 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Growth of Jesus

“It is impossible to stand still in life.
This is true, whether we are speaking of the natural or of the supernatural order of life..
Life is motion and activity; there can be no cessation.
In the natural order, life begins in the womb and passes through the various stages of infancy, adolescence, maturity and old age.

The supernatural life begins in Baptism, matures in Confirmation and is made entirely holy in the Eucharistic union with Jesus
But, if this life begins to fail, the result can be everlasting ruin.
It is true that in His infrinite goodness, Jesus has provided the Sacrament of Penance for those who fall and extinguish in themselves, the supernatural life of grace.
The Sacrament of Penance, has been instituted for their salvation.

At the hour of death moreover, the Sacrament of Extreme Unction heals the soul of sin and soothes the worn-out body with a refreshing ray of the spiritual life.

But woe betide those who abuse God’s gifts!
If anyone repeatedly rejects His favours and appears, instead of advancing in goodness, to be sliding backwards into ruin, he will be engulfed in the languor of spiritual death!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/11/thought-for-the-day-11-march-the-growth-of-jesus/

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, LENT 2022, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Quotes on SALVATION, The LAST THINGS, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 March – Do you want to get well?

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 March – Ember Friday of the First Week of Lent – Ezechiel 18:10-28, John 5:1-15

“Now a certain man was there
who had been thirty-eight years
under his infirmity.
When Jesus saw him lying there,
and knew that he had been
in this state a long time, He said to him,
Do you want to get well?”

John 5:5-6

Rescue Me, Most Merciful God
By Father Martin von Cochem OSFC (c 1630-1712)

Most merciful God,
remember at how great a price
Thou didst purchase me
and how much Thou didst suffer for me.
For the sake of that inestimable price,
do not permit me to be lost,
rescue me,
number me amongst the sheep
of Thy fold.
With them, I will then
praise and magnify Thy loving kindness,
to all eternity.
Amen

Fr Martin von Cochem was a German Capuchin theologian, preacher and prolific ascetic writer. Father Martin’s works embrace a great variety of subjects: a huge volume of apologetics against Protestantism, the life of Christ, lives of the Saints, edifying narratives, the setting forth of certain points in Christian asceticism, forms of prayer, methods to be followed for the worthy reception of the sacraments, etc.
The prayer above is from the renowned “The Four Last Things.”

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, Quotes on SALVATION, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 8 March – St Alphonsus’ Prayer for the Gift of Prayer

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Our Morning Offering – 8 March – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

Prayer for the Gift of Prayer
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

O Incarnate Word,
You have given Your Blood and Your Life
to confer on our prayers that power by which,
according to Your promise,
they obtain for us, all that we ask.
And we, O God,
are so careless of our salvation,
that we will not even ask You for the graces
that we must have, if we should be saved!
In prayer You have given us the key
of all Your Divine treasures
and we, rather than pray,
choose to remain in our misery.
Alas! O Lord, enlighten us,
and make us know the value of prayers,
offered in Your Name and by Your merits,
in the eyes of Your Eternal Father.
Amen

Posted in BAPTISM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The SIGN of the CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 February – ‘… But the work of your salvation, is one upon which, you should be engaged at all times …’

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One Minute Reflection – 25 February – Sexagesima Weekday – 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9, Luke 8:4-15

“But that upon good ground, these are they, who, with a right and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bear fruit in patience.” – Luke 8:15

REFLECTION – “Sow in good season and gather together and open your barns when it is the time to do so and plant in season and let the clusters be cut when they are ripe and launch boldly in spring and draw your ship on shore again at the beginning of winter, when the sea begins to rage. …
But the work of your salvation is one’ upon which’ you should be engaged at all times …. If you are always passing over today and waiting for tomorrow, by your little procrastinations, you will be cheated without knowing it, by the evil one, as his manner is.
Give to me, he says, the present and to God the future; to me your youth and to God old age; to me your pleasures and to Him your uselessness. How great is the danger that surrounds you. How many the unexpected mischances. War has expended you, or an earthquake overwhelmed you, or the sea swallowed you up. Or a wild beast carried you off, or a sickness killed you, or a crumb going the wrong way (a most insignificant thing but what is easier, than for a man to die, though you are so proud of the divine image), or a too freely indulged drinking bout. Or a wind knocked you down, or a horse ran away with you, or a drug maliciously scheming against you, or perhaps, was found to be deleterious when meant to be wholesome. Or [there was] an inhuman judge, or an inexorable executioner, or any of the things which make the change swiftest and beyond the power of human aid.

But, if you would fortify yourself beforehand, with the seal and secure yourself for the future with the best and strongest of all aids, being signed both in body and in soul with the unction … what then can happen to you and what has been wrought out for you? Listen to the Proverbs: “If you sit,” he says, “you shall be without fear; and if you sleep, your sleep shall be sweet.” And listen to David giving you the good news: “you shall not be afraid for the terror by night, for mischance or noonday demon.” Thus, even while you live, will greatly contribute to your sense of safety (for a sheep that is sealed is not easily snared but that which is unmarked’ is an easy prey to thieves) …” – St Gregory Naziazen (330-390) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (Theological Oration 40, On Holy Baptism)

07

PRAYER – All-powerful, eternal God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, turn our ears and hearts to Your Word, that we may hear and live by the seed You have sown. May all that grows in us be of Your good seed and yield fruit a hundredfold. Grant us the grace of imitating the virtues of Mary, the Mother of Your only-begotten Son and our Mother and may her prayers intercede on our behalf. May we may be filled with courage and love and spread Your Word by our lives. We make our prayer through Jesus, our Lord and Word, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever, amen.

Posted in JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on WATCHING, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The HEART, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 25 February – May I Be United With You, Good Jesus

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Our Morning Offering – 25 February – Sexagesima Weekday

May I Be United With You, Good Jesus
By St Peter Canisius (1521-1597)
Doctor of the Church

Let my eyes take their sleep
but may my heart always
keep watch for You.
May Your right hand bless Your servants
who love You.
May I be united with the praise
that flows from You, Lord Jesus,
to all Your saints;
united with the gratitude
drawn from Your Heart, good Jesus,
that causes Your saints to thank You;
united with Your Passion, good Jesus,
by which You took away our guilt;
united with the divine longing
that You had on earth, for our salvation;
united with every prayer
that welled from Your divine Heart, good Jesus
and flowed into the hearts of Your saints.
Amen.

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY CROSS, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 February – ‘ … If then, we are steadfast in our faith in Him and in our love for Him,…’

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One Minute Reflection – 23 February – The Memorial of St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Matthew 5:13-19

“I have come, not to abolish but to fulfil.” … Matthew 5:17

REFLECTION – “In Him, the promise made through the shadows of prophecy, stands revealed, along with the full meaning of the precepts of the law. He is the One Who teaches the Truth of prophecy, through His presence and makes obedience to the commandments possible, through grace.
In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No-one should be ashamed of the Cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.
No-one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice, no-one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on Himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then, we are steadfast in our faith in Him and in our love for Him, we win the victory that He has won, we receive what He has promised.
When it comes to obeying the commandments or enduring adversity, the words uttered by the Father should always echo in our ears – “This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased, listen to Him.” … St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from Sermo 51).

PRAYER – Grant us, we beseech You, almighty God, to follow the counsel and examples of St Peter, Your Confessor and Bishop, so that by setting earthly goods at naught, we may attain everlasting happiness. 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).