Category: QUOTES on SANCTITY

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HEART

Our Morning Offering – 28 August – St Augustine’s O God, the House of My Soul is Narrow

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Our Morning Offering – 28 August – St Augustine (354-430) – Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of Grace and Father

O God, the House of My Soul is Narrow
By St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor of Grace

O God,
the Light of the heart, which sees Thee,
The Life of the soul, which loves Thee,
The Strength of the mind, which seeks Thee,
May I ever continue to be steadfast in Thy love.
Be the Joy of my heart,
Take all of me to Thyself and abide therein.
The house of my soul is, I confess,
too narrow for Thee.
Enlarge it, that Thou may enter.
It is ruinous but do repair it.
It has within it what must offend Thine Eyes,
I confess and know it,
But whose help shall I seek in cleansing it
but Thine alone?
To Thee, O God, I cry urgently.
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep me from false pride and sensuality,
that they may not get dominion over me.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CONFESSION/PENANCE, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 August – ‘ … Faith saves, faith justifies, faith cures, both body and soul. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 27 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Joseph Calasanz (1557-1648) Confessor, Priest – Galatians 3:16-22, Luke 17:11-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus said to him: Arise, go your way, for your faith has saved you.” – Luke 17:19

REFLECTION – “And as they were on their way, they were made clean.” Let all sinners listen to this and try to understand it. It is easy, for the Lord to forgive sins. Sinners have often been forgiven before they came to a Priest. In fact, their repentance and cure occur simultaneously – at the very moment of their conversion, they pass from death to life. Let them understand, however, what this conversion means, let them heed the Lord’s words: “Return to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning and rend your hearts and not your garments” (Jl 2:12). To be really converted one must be converted inwardly, in one’s heart…

“One of them, when he saw that he was cured, went back again, praising God at the top of his voice.” In truth, this man stands for all those who, after their cleansing by the waters of Baptism or cured by the Sacrament of Penance, renounce the devil and take Christ as their model, following Him with praise, adoration and thanksgiving and nevermore abandoning His service. “And Jesus said to him: Arise, go your way. for your faith has saved you.” Great, therefore, is the power of faith. “Without it,”as the Apostle says, “it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6). “Abraham believed God and because of this, God regarded him as righteous” (Rom 4:3). Faith saves, faith justifies, faith cures, both body and soul.” – St Bruno of Segni (c1049-1123) Confessor, Bishop (Commentary on Saint Luke’s Gospel 2: 40)

PRAYER – O God, Who through St Joseph, Thy Confessor, did graciously will to provide Thy Church with a new method for the training of youth, in the spirit of understanding and holiness grant, we beseech Thee, that, following his example and through his intercession, we may live and teach so as to acquire an everlasting reward. Through esus 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 "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WATCHING, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 August – ‘Not all those who pray, climb the mountain…’ St Ambrose

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One Minute Reflection – 24 August – St Bartholomew the Apostle and Martyr – 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, Luke 6:12-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“At that time, Jesus departed to the mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God.” -Luke 6:12

REFLECTION – “At that time, Jesus departed to the mountain to pray and He spent the night in prayer to God.” Not all those who pray, climb the mountain… but, those who pray well, who rise up above the goods of earth to higher goods, climb onto the summit of watchfulness and love, from on high. Those who worry about worldly riches or honours, do not climb the mountain; no-one who covets another’s lands, climbs the mountain. Those who seek God, go up it and those who go up, beg the Lord’s aid for their journey. All great and noble souls climb the mountain, for it is not to the first comer alone that the prophet says: “Go up onto a high mountain, thou who announce glad tidings to Sion. Cry out at the top of thy voice, thou who bring good news to Jerusalem,” (Is 40:9). Not by physical exploits but by high-minded actions, will you scale this mountain. Follow Christ… search the Gospel – you will find that only His disciples climbed up the mountain with the Lord.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Archbishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church (On the Gospel of Saint Luke 5,41).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who bestowed on us the devout and holy joy of this day to celebrate the Feast of Thy blessed Apostle Bartholomew, grant unto Thy Church, we beseech Thee, both to love what he believed and to preach what he taught. 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 CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

One Minute Reflection – 23 August – “Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased thy Father to give thee a Kingdom. ” – Luke 12:32

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One Minute Reflection – 23 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Philip Benizi OSM (1233-1285) Confessor – 1 Corinthians. 4:9-14, Luke 12:32-34 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased thy Father to give thee a Kingdom. ” – Luke 12:32

REFLECTION – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”. The beginning of the New Testament is altogether joyful and full of fresh grace. It even nudges the unbeliever and sluggish to pay heed and, more to the point, to act, by promising happiness to the unfortunate and the Kingdom of Heaven to those in exile, those in any kind of distress. The beginning of the new Law is pleasant to hear and starts off under happy auspices, since the Legislator follows on from this beginning ,by giving so many assurances of beatitude. In this way those who have been attracted by them will go from one virtue to the next, climbing the eight steps that this Gospel has set up and placed within our hearts… For, it is clear that what it is all about, is the ascent of the heart and of the progress of merit, through eight steps of virtue, leading men gradually from the lowest to the highest levels of evangelical perfection. In this way they will at last enter and see the God of gods in Zion (Ps 83: 8), in His Temple, of which the Prophet has said: “It had a stairway of eight steps,” (Ez 40:37).

The first virtue for the beginner, is to renounce the world, through which we become poor in spirit; the second is gentleness, by which we submit ourselves and become accustomed to obedience; then, the grief with which we lament our sins or with weeping beg for the virtues. These we certainly enjoy, wherever we have the greatest hunger and thirst for justice, as much for ourselves as for others and begin to be stirred by zeal against sinners. Yet, lest immoderate fervour turn into fault, the mercy by which it is tempered follows after. Through putting this into practice and training ourselves, when we have learnt how to be just and how to be merciful, then we may, perhaps, be capable of entering into contemplation and giving oursees to the purification of our hearts, so as to see God!” – Blessed Guerric of Igny (c1080-1157) Cistercian Abbot (Sermon for All Saints).

PRAYER – O God, Who through St. Philip, Thy Confessor, gave us an outstanding example of humility, grant that Thy household may follow his example by scorning worldly prosperity and, ever seek the things of Heaven. 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 "Follow Me", MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Thought for the Day – 22 August – Patience

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Thought for the Day – 22 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Patience

“If we are patient from the motive of the love of God, we can gain merit in His sight.

There are three grades of perfection in the virtue.
(2) The first is the acceptance, with Christian resignation, of every kind of misfortune, offering it in expiation of our sins.
(2) The second consists in a cheerful and willing acceptance of these misfortunes because they come from God.
(3) The third stage is reached, when we actually desire them out of our love for Jesus Christ.

Which grade have we attained?
If we wish to please God, it is essential that we should have made the first grade at least.
“A patient man is better than a warrior and he, who rules his temper, than he who takes a city (Prov 26:22).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/31/thought-for-the-day-31-august-patience/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/08/23/thought-for-the-day-23-august-patience/

Posted in MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, The HEART

Our Morning Offering – 22 August – Daily, Daily, Sing to Mary

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Our Morning Offering – 22 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of our Most Blessed and Loved Mother Mary

Daily, Daily, Sing to Mary
By Bernard of Cluny (12th Century) Monk
Trans. Fr Henry Bittleshon C.Orat. (1818-1886)

Daily, daily sing to Mary,
Sing, my soul, her praises due.
All her glorious actions cherish,
With the heart’s devotion true.
Lost in wond’ring contemplation,
Be her majesty confessed!
Call her Mother, call her Virgin,
Happy Mother, Virgin blest!

She is mighty to deliver,
Call her, trust her lovingly.
When the tempest rages round thee,
She will calm the troubled sea.
Gifts of Heaven she has given,
Noble Lady, to our race;
She, the Queen, who clothes her subjects,
With the Light of God’s own grace.

Sing, my tongue, the Virgin’s honours,
Who for us, her Maker bore,
For the curse of old inflicted,
Peace and blessings to restore.
Sing in songs of praise unending,
Sing the world’s majestic Queen;
Weary not nor faint in telling,
All the gifts that earth has seen.

All my senses, heart, affections,
Strive to sound her glory forth.
Spread abroad the sweet memorials
Of the Virgin’s priceless worth.
Where the voice of music thrilling,
Where the tongues of eloquence,
That can utter hymns befitting
All her matchless excellence?

All our joys do flow from Mary,
All then join her praise to sing.
Trembling, sing the Virgin Mother,
Mother of our Lord and King.
While we sing her awesome glory,
Far above our fancy’s reach,
Let our hearts be quick to offer
Love the heart alone can reach.

St Casimir (1458-1484) Confessor – his Feast Day is 4 March, called the Blessed Virgin his dear mother and he loved her as a child. In her honour he sang frequently a touching Hymn which is in use even at the present day. It begins thus: “Daily, Daily Sing to Mary.”
He repeated this many times everyday and asked to have it placed in the grave with him.
When his grave was opened after 120 years, both his body and this written Hymn, were untainted by any sign of corruption.

Bernard of Morlaix, or of Cluny, for he is equally well known by both titles, was an Englishman by extraction, both his parents being natives of that country. He was, however, born in France very early in the 12th Century, at Morlaix, Bretagne. Little or nothing is known of his life, beyond the fact that he entered the Abbey of Cluny, of which at that time, Peter the Venerable, was the Abbot, who filled the post from 1122 to 1156. There, as far as we know, he spent his whole life and there he probably died, although the exact dates of his death,and of his birth, are unrecorded.

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 August – St Jane Frances de Chantal

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Jane Frances de Chantal VHM (1572-1641) Widow

“Delight in prayer is no measure of our love of God.
But if we bear difficulties patiently,
resist the urgings of self-love resolutely
and fulfil our duties in life willingly,
if we live trusting in Providence
and desiring to be known – only by God! –
then we will show that we truly love God!
Such deeds are unmistakable signs of love.
Let us always be faithful in doing God’s will
because all else is unworthy of the name of love!”

“May we love and serve the Lord reverently.
with a loving, filial fear of offending our heavenly Father
and of displeasing Jesus, our Divine Beloved.
As long as we are in this life,
we would do well to follow
the well-travelled ways to holiness.
Fear of God is the first step on this path.
We cannot maintain a truly productive desire
of serving God, unless we have a holy fear
of displeasing Our Saviour
and of being negligent
in responding to grace and inspirations.”

“To be faithful, we must live simply.
Then, being free from attachments,
we are possessed by nothing.
We live in such absolute openness to Divine Love
that whatever pleases God,
becomes our heart’s desire.”

Prayer of Abandonment
By St Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641)

O sovereign goodness
of the sovereign Providence of my God!
I abandon myself forever to Thy arms.
Whether gentle or severe,
lead me henceforth whither Thou will.
I will not regard the way
through which Thou will have me pass
but keep my eyes fixed upon Thee,
my God, who guides me.
My soul finds no rest without the arms
and the bosom of this heavenly Providence,
my true Mother, my strength and my rampart.
Therefore I resolve with Thy Divine assistance,
0 my Saviour,
to follow Thy desires and Thy ordinances,
without regarding or examining
why Thou does this rather than that
but I will blindly follow Thee,
according to Thy Divine will,
without seeking my own inclinations.
Hence I am determined to leave all to Thee,
taking no part therein,
save by keeping myself in peace in Thy arms,
desiring nothing, except as Thou incites me to desire,
to will, to wish.
I offer Thee this desire, 0 my God,
beseeching Thee to bless it.
I undertake all it includes,
relying on Thy goodness,
liberality and mercy,
with entire confidence in Thee,
distrust of myself,
and knowledge of my infinite misery and infirmity.
Amen.

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/08/21/quote-s-of-the-day-21-august-st-jane-frances-de-chantal/

St Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641)

Posted in CONTEMPLATIVE Prayer, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The HEART

Thought for the Day – 20 August – The Interior Life

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

The Interior Life

“Let us go to Jesus when we are worn out by conflict and have no strength left.
Let us go to Him when we feel that we can walk no further along the stony path to perfection.
He will help us and restore our courage; He will grant us an increase of grace which is the source of the spiritual life.

It is essential, however, that we should have a spirit of recollection.
If we are dissipated, we shall be unable to hear the Voice of God.
We must speak with God and open our hearts to Him; we must tell Him that we love Him and wish to learn to love Him more and to comform more completely to His designs for us.
Then, we shall find peace and contentment in the interior life, such as the world can neither know, nor communicate.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/29/thought-for-the-day-29-august-the-interior-life/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/08/22/thought-for-the-day-22-august-the-interior-life/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The HEART, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 12 August – St Clare

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 August – St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253) Virgin

“God will be your helper
and best consoler. …”

“Because the way and path is difficult
and the gate through which one passes
and enters into life, is narrow,
there are both few who walk it
and who enter through it.”

“May the love you have in your hearts
be shown outwardly in your deeds.”

Excerpt from the Prayer
to the Five Wounds of Jesus
By St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

I pray Thee, O most gentle Jesus,
that having redeemed me
by Baptism from original sin,
so now, by Thy Precious Blood,
which is offered and received,
throughout the world,
deliver me from all evils,
past, present and to come.
And by Thy most bitter Death,
give me a lively faith,
a firm hope
and perfect charity,
so that I may love Thee
with all my heart and all my soul
and all my strength.
Make me firm and steadfast in good works
and grant me perseverance in Thy service,
so that I may be able to please Thee always.
Amen.

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/08/12/quote-s-of-the-day-12-august-st-clare/

St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HEART, The LAST THINGS, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 August – “Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.” – Matthew 25:7

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One Minute Reflection – 12 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253) Virgin – 2 Cor inthians 10:17-18; 11:1-2 , Matthew 25:1-13

“Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.” – Matthew 25:7

REFLECTION – “There has come a shout at midnight. What can this shout be, if not what the Apostle speaks of – ‘in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.’ For the trumpet will sound and the dead will rise up, imperishable and as for us, we shall be changed (1 Cor 15:52). Once the shout has been raised at midnight, what happens next? They all arose. What is the meaning of “They all arose?” The hour is coming, says the Lord Himself, when all who are in the tombs will hear His Voice and come forth (Jn 5:28-29).

… What is the meaning of “They did not take oil in their flasks?” In their hearts … I mean, look at these foolish virgins who did not carry oil with them; by their self-denial which earns them the name of virgins and by their good works, represented by the lamps they bring, they are intent on pleasing other people. And, if they are intent on pleasing others and that is why they do these admirable things, they are not carrying oil with them. So you, then, mind you carry it with you, carry it inside, where God can see; carry the testimony of your conscience there. … So if you refrain from unlawful things and perform good works, in order to be admired by other people, there is no oil inside you! …

Before those virgins went to sleep, it does not say that their lamps were going out. The wise ones’ lamps were burning, from the oil inside them, from the assurance of their consciences, from their inner boast, from their deepest charity. But those of the foolish ones, were also burning. Why were they burning then? Because there was no dearth of admiration from other people. But after they had risen, that is to say, in the resurrection from the dead, they began to trim their lamps that is, to prepare to give God an account of their works. And because there is no-one then expressing admiration … they were asking for what they had always been used to, that is to say, to shine with someone else’s oil, to live in dependence on others’ admiration. Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 93).

PRAYER – Hear us, O God, our Saviour that as we are gladdened by the festival of blessed Clare Thy virgin, so we may learn from it piety and devotion. 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 MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING

Thought for the Day – 9 August – The Mystery of Life

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

The Mystery of Life

“These reflections reveal to us the transience of this life and make sorrows and hardships seem easier to endure and, even welcome, if we know how to offer them to God.
What difference will the sufferings of a past existence make?

What will remain tomorrow of the trials which we have encountered today?
Only a consoling memory, as long as we have offered them to God.

Let us examine all our affections, desires and sufferings in the light of eternity.
Viewed in that relationship, they can all become a source of self-sanctification.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/09/thought-for-the-day-9-august-the-mystery-of-life/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/08/08/thought-for-the-day-8-august-the-mystery-of-life/

Posted in CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on TRUTH, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 21 July – Holiness

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Thought for the Day – 21 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Holiness

“We need Saints to recall our wayward and corrupt society to the path of Truth, Justice and Charity.
We should pray to God to send us Saints who will reform the world by living the Gospel and making it live for others.
Above all, we should endeavour to become holy ourselves.
To achieve this, we do not have to put on sack-cloth, go into the desert, or shut ourselves up in a Monastery.
Each of us can become a saint in his own home and in whatever position God has allotted him.
All we have to do is obey God’s Will in everything, love Him above everything, love our neighbour as ourselves, avoid sin and aim at what is good.
We can and should, do all this with the help of God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/19/thought-for-the-day-19-july-holiness/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/29/thought-for-the-day-29-march-holiness/

Posted in CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on PURITY, St Francis de Sales, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 July – Virginity, Chastity, Purity

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Praxedes, Virgin (Died 164) – 1 Corinthians 7:25-34, Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And the unmarried woman
and the virgin,
thinketh on the things of the Lord,
that she may be holy,
both in body and in spirit,
in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 Corinthians 7:34

“Virginity can be lost by a single thought.”

St Jerome (343-420)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“He errs who believes
that he can overcome his sensual propensities
and preserve chastity, by his own efforts.
God’s mercy must extinguish nature’s ardour.
Have recourse to the intercession
of the Immaculate Virgin
and rest assured, you will obtain this mercy.”

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

“Chastity depends on the heart, for its source
and on the body, as its subject.
Hence, it may be lost,
by all the external senses of the body
and by the thoughts and desires of the heart.”

(Introduction to the Devout Life, Part III, Chapter 13).

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

Prayer for Chastity and Purity
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Dear Jesus,
I know that every perfect gift
and especially that of chastity,
depends on the power of Thy Providence.
Without Thee, a mere creature can do nothing.
Therefore, I beg Thee, to defend, by Thy grace
the chastity and purity of my body and soul.
And if I have ever sensed or imagined anything
that could stain my chastity and purity,
blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers
that I may advance with a pure heart
in Thy love and service,
offering myself
on the most pure altar of Thy Divinity,
all the days of my life.
Amen

Posted in GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on VOCATIONS, The HEART, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 19 July – St Vincent de Paul

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 July – St Vincent de Paul CM (1581-1660) Confessor, “Holy Hero of Divine Charity.”

“If God is the centre of your life,
no words are necessary.
Your mere presence will touch hearts!”

“We should strive to keep our hearts open
to the sufferings and wretchedness of others
and pray continually,
that God may grant us that spirit of compassion
which is truly the Spirit of God.”

“We should spend as much time,
in thanking God for His benefits,
as we do, in asking Him for them!”

“Perfection consists in one thing alone
which is doing the will of God.
For, according to Our Lord’s words,
it suffices for perfection to deny self,
to take up the cross and to follow Him.
Now, who denies himself and takes up his cross
and follows Christ better than he, who seeks
not to do his own will but always that of God?
Behold, now, how little is needed, to become as Saint?
Nothing more than to acquire the habit of willing,
on every occasion, what God wills.”

“Humility and charity
are the two master-chords:
one, the lowest;
the other, the highest;
all the others are dependent upon them.
Therefore, it is necessary, above all,
to maintain ourselves in these two virtues;
for observe well, that the preservation
of the whole edifice
depends on the foundation and the roof.”

Prayer for Vocations
By St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

O Lord,
send good workers to Thy Church,
but may they be good!
Send good missionaries
to work in Thy vineyard,
labourers, O my God,
such as they ought to be –
utterly detached from themselves,
their own comfort
and worldly goods.
Let them even be few in number,
provided that they are good!
O Lord, grant this grace
to Thy Church.
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/07/19/quote-s-of-the-day-19-july-st-vincent-de-pau/

St Vincent de Paul CM (1581-1660)

Posted in CONFESSION, HOLY COMMUNION, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST

Thought for the Day – 18 July – Our Dominant Passion

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Thought for the Day – 18 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Our Dominant Passion

“We can conquer our predominant passion by the following means:
(a) Fervent prayer.
(b) A daily Examination of Conscience ,in the course of which we shall discover, whether we have made any progress, in the way of perfection and, shall renew our good resolutions.
(c) Weekly, or at least, fortnightly Confession.
(d) Daily, or at least, frequent Communion.
(e) Avoidance of the occasions of sin and employment of the necessary means to overcome sin.
(f) The performance of good actions which, are opposed to our predominant passion.
(g) Determination to fight and to conquer because we are convinced that it is absolutely necessary to do so.

There can be no half measures, for the only alternative to victory is defeat!
If we are conquered, we shall be slaves of passion in this life and shall be everlastingly unhappy in the next.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/20/thought-for-the-day-20-july-our-dominant-passion/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/07/21/thought-for-the-day-21-july-our-dominant-passion/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The HEART, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 16 July – Our Passions

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

Our Passions

“Let us be vigilant in the control of our passions.
As soon as they tempt us to do anything contrary to right reason and the Divine Law, let us renew our resolutions and implore the help of God.
“O God,” let us pray, “I wish to love Thee above all things.
I wish neither to contemplate, nor intend, nor do anything which could offend Thee in any way.”
This is the only way in which we shall find peace and an easy conscience for, as The Imitation of Christ says, “whenever a man desires anything inordinately , straightaway, he is disquieted within himself” (Bk 1 C 6).
“It is by resisting the passions,” it continues, “and not by serving them, that true peace of heart is to be found” (Ibid).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/18/thought-for-the-day-18-july-our-passions/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/07/20/thought-for-the-day-20-july-our-passions/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The HEART

Thought for the Day – 6 July – The Gift of Speech

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Thought for the Day – 6 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Gift of Speech

“Above all, the gift of speech is intended to be used in prayer.
The tongue should express externally, the interior language of the mind and heart which should be principally concerned with the adoration of our Creatpr.
Since we have received everything which we have from God, all our gifts should be used in His service.
Speech was given to us not only to enable us to speak with men but, more particularly, to enable us to speak with God.

Let us sanctify this gift by means of prayer.
Let us take care, however, that our prayers do not remain meaningless and superficial while our minds are absorbed with other matters.

Everything in us should pray.
The intellect should bow in adoration of God’s Majesty; the will should conform itself entirely to His law; the heart should find its true and only happiness in God and, the tongue should praise Him, implore His favour and forgiveness and offer our whole being to Him, from Whom we have receive everything.

This should be the primary function of speech.
If this gift is employed in this way, it will gain for us many other graces and favours from God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/08/thought-for-the-day-8-july-the-gift-of-speech/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

Thought for the Day – 4 July – The New Life

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

The New Life

“All this is difficult and may demand heroism.
“The Kingdom of Heaven has been enduring violent assault and the violent have been seizing it by force” (Mt 11:12).
We have to do violence to ourselves and to our passions but virtue has its reward, not only in Heaven but even in this life.
The reward is the peace of soul which God bestows on us after we have overcome our perverse inclinations.

Holiness brings with it a spiritual youth which will never pass away.
A new life is beginning!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/07/03/thought-for-the-day-4-july-the-new-life-2/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/08/14/thought-for-the-day-14-august-the-new-life/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HOLY SPIRIT, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 3 July – Live to Christ … Grow onto Him

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Leo II (611–683) Pope, Confessor – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:16

“Then go and learn,
neither to be moved with injuries nor flatteries.
If you die to the world and to yourself,
you will begin to live to Christ.”

St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390)

“He who abides in Me and I in Him,
the same bears much fruit”

John 5:5

“We are preserved in being, if we grow onto Him
and cling fast to the holy commandment,
which has been handed down to us
and, if we are eager to keep the blessing of nobility,
that is to say, if we never consent, in any way,
to “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph 4:30),
Who has come to dwell in us and, through Whom,
we believe, God has made His home in us. …
For just as the vine-stock supplies and distributes,
the virtue of its own inherent natural quality to the shoots,
so, too, the Only-Begotten Word of God,
implants, in His people, a sort of affinity
with His own nature and that of the Father.
By the gift of the Spirit, they are united with Him
by every kind of holiness.
He nourishes them, so that they become devout
and He moves them to knowledge of all virtue
and good works.”

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

“Christ said that the shepherd
enters through the gate
and that He is Himself the Gate,
as well as the Shepherd.
Then, it is necessary,
that He enter through Himself.
By so doing, He reveals Himself
and through Himself, He knows the Father.
But we enter through Him
because through Him. we find happiness.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus
Doctor Communis

“Those with pride
are not Christ’s sheep
but the devil’s goats!”

St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The HEART

Quote of the Day – 30 June – ‘ … The heart of the world …’

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Quote of the Day – 30 June – The Commemoration of St Paul, Apostle and Martyr

“And now, who will grant me
to prostrate myself
at Paul’s sepulchre, to contemplate
the ashes of that body which, suffering for us,
filled up what was wanting
of the sufferings of Christ?
The dust of that mouth,
which spoke boldly before kings
and, showing what Paul was,
revealed the Lord of Paul?
The dust of that heart,
truly the heart of the world,
more lofty than the heavens,
more vast than the universe,
as much the heart of Christ, as of Paul
and wherein might be read,
the book of grace, graven by the Holy Spirit?
Oh! that I might see the remains of the hands,
which wrote those Epistles;
of the eyes, which were struck with blindness
and recovered their sight for our salvation;
of the feet which traversed the whole earth!
Yes. I would fain contemplate the tomb
where repose these instruments
of justice and of light,
these members of Christ,
this temple of the Holy Ghost.
O venerable body, which, together with that of Peter,
protects Rome more securely, than all ramparts!”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor

(Chrys. in Epist ad Rom. Serrmon xxxii)

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL

Thought for the Day – 26 June – Interior Mortification

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Thought for the Day – 26 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Interior Mortification

“In the process of mortifying self-love, we mortify our other passions too because, it is the origin of them all!
It is as well to bear in mind, however, that no matter how much we curb our passions, they never die.
We need to be always on our guard, for fear that they may reassert themselves too strongly.

It is necessary for us to increase our love for God because, as St Augustine points out,, it is Divine Charity which conquers our passions.
Constant prayer and union with God, help us to achieve interior mortification.
Prayer without mortification, is an illusion which does not last long, so that it is necessary to combine fervent prayer with self-denial.

We may not be capable of the extraordinary mortification which the Saints practised because, our health or the obligations of iyr state in life may make these impossible for us.
But, if we deny ourselves often in small matters, these will be so many steps up the ladder which will help us to reach Christian perfection.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/22/thought-for-the-day-22-june-interior-mortification/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 June – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.” 

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One Minute Reflection – 21 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – The Feast of St Aloysius de Gonzaga SJ (1568-1591) Confessor – Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11, Matthew 22:29-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Master, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” … Matthew 22:36

REFLECTION – “O Lord, what is it that you require of Your servants? “Take my yoke upon you,” you say. And what sort of yoke is this? “My yoke is easy and my burden light.” Now who would not willingly bear a yoke that does not press down but gives strength; a burden that does not weigh heavily but refreshes? As You rightly added: “And you will find rest” (Mt 11:29). And what is this yoke of Yours that does not tire but gives rest? It is the first and greatest of the commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.” What could be easier, better or more agreeable than to love the goodness, beauty and love that is most perfectly Yours, O Lord my God?

Do You not offer a reward to those who keep the com­mandments, which are “more desirable than a heap of gold and sweeter than honey from the comb?” (Ps 19[18]:11) So in every way You offer a very ample reward, as James the Apostle says: “The Lord has prepared, the crown of life, for those who love Him” (Jas 1:12) (…) And Paul quotes these words from Isaiah: “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor 2:9).

That first and great commandment is not only profitable for the man who keeps it, or for God Who commands it, – the other commandments of God, also make perfect him who obeys them, improves him, instructs him and makes him illustrious – in a word, they make him good and holy. If you understand this, realise that you have been created for the glory of God and for your own eternal salvation. This is your end, this is the object of your soul and the treasure of your heart. You will be blessed if you reach this goal but miserable if you are cut off from it.” – St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church (The Ascent of the Mind to God, 1).

PRAYER – O God, bestower of heavenly gifts, Who in the angelic youth Aloysius joined wondrous innocence of life to an equally wondrous love of penance; grant, by his merits and prayers, that we who have not followed him in his innocence may imitate him in his penance. 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).

SWEET HEART of my JESUS, Make me love Thee ever more and more! – Indulgence 300 Days Everytime – Plenary Once a Month – Raccolta 162 – Pope Pius IX 26 November 1876.

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 14 June – The Divine Worker

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

The Divine Worker

“We should accept our daily work and sanctify it with prayer as Jesus did.
“To pray and to work” was the ancient motto of the Benedictines.

All work which is done with and for God, becomes, as it were, a sacrament which purifies and sanctifies us.
When we offer the sweat of our brow to God it becomes like holy water which washes away our faults, while our weariness is converted into prayer.

Aspiration: Jesus, Divine Worker, bless me, help me and makle me holy.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/15/thought-for-the-day-14-june-the-divine-worker/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/06/15/thought-for-the-day-15-june-the-divine-worker/

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, DYING / LAST WORDS, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 14 June – Lord, I Know that I Am Not Worthy By St Basil the Great

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Our Morning Offering – 14 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Feast of St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church.

Lord, I Know that I Am Not Worthy
Prayer before Holy Communion
By St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Lord, I know that I am not worthy
to receive Thy Holy Body and Precious Blood;
I know that I am guilty
and that I eat and drink
condemnation to myself,
not discerning the Body and Blood
of Christ, my God.
But trusting in Thy loving kindness,
I come to Thee, Who hast said –
‘Whoever eats My Body and drinks My Blood,
will dwell in Me and I in him’;
Therefore, Lord, have compassion on me
and do not put to shame Thy sinful servant
But deal with me according to Thy great mercy
And grant that these Holy Gifts,
may be for me,
healing, cleansing, enlightenment,
protection, salvation and sanctification
of soul and body.
May they cast out from me
every dark delusion,
sinful deed or work of the evil one.
May they move me to trust
and love Thee always,
to amendment of life,
increase of virtue,
obedience to Thy commandments,
communion of the Holy Spirit,
provision for my final journey
and a good defence before the dreadful
seat of judgement.
Amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 12 June – ‘ … You will become altogether beautiful, pure and good.’

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Within the Octave of Corpus Christi

“As mountain hares become white in winter
because they neither see. nor eat
anything but snow,
so, by adoring and feeding on
beauty, purity and goodness itself
in the Eucharist,
you will become altogether
beautiful, pure and good.“”

“Nowhere do we find our Saviour
more tender or more loving,
than here [in Adoration]
where He, so to speak,
annihilates Himself and reduces Himself
to Food, in order to penetrate our souls
and to unite Himself
to the hearts of His friends.”

“I often speak with my Teacher, Jesus,
in the Blessed Sacrament
because I learn from Him.
Jesus is the Teacher of the science of holiness.
I go to Him because I would like to learn,
from Him, how to become a Saint.
Of what use to me is all knowledge
and education, if I do not become holy?”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on The SOUL, ROSARY QUOTES, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 June – ‘… Let us ask for the life-giving Bread …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Within the Octave of Corpus Christi – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“He who eats My Flesh
and drinks My Blood,
abides in Me and I in him.”

John 6:57

“This bread you see on the Altar,
consecrated by the Word of God,
is the Body of Christ.
This cup consecrated by the Word of God,
or rather its contents, is the Blood of Christ.
In these two elements our Lord desired to hand over,
for our veneration and love,
His Body and Blood,
shed for the remission of our sins.
If you have received them with a good disposition,
then you are what you have received.
As the Apostle Paul declares:
“We are, all of us, one bread, one body”
(1 Cor 10,17)…”

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

“Enrich your soul in the great goodness of God –
The Father is your Table,
the Son is your Food
and the Holy Spirit waits on you
and then makes His Dwelling in you.”

St Catherine of Siena OP (1347-1380)
Doctor of the Church

“The soul must be nourished, as well as the body,
for it has its own life which is worn away
by the daily conflict against sinful inclinations
and by the constant struggle to achieve sanctity.
It needs to be nourished by the word of God,
by His grace and especially,
by receiving the Author of grace frequently
in Holy Communion. …
“Whoever eats this Bread shall live forever.”
Let us ask for the life-giving Bread,
for ourselves and for our unfortunate brothers
who are living apart from Jesus,
in a state of spiritual death.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HEART

Our Morning Offering – 10 June – Prayer to the Two Holy Heartsof Jesus and Mary

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Our Morning Offering – 10 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Saturday Within the Octave of Corpus Christi and Mary’s Saturday

Prayer to the Two Holy Hearts
of Jesus and Mary

O Heart of Jesus, pierced for our sins
and giving us Your Mother on Calvary!
O Heart of Mary, pierced by sorrow
and sharing in the sufferings of your Divine Son
for our redemption!
O Sacred union of these Two Hearts!
Praised be the God of Love who united them together!
May we unite our hearts and every heart,
so that all hearts may live in unity and in imitation
of that Sacred unity which exists in these Two Hearts.
Triumph, O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary!
Reign, O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!
– in our hearts, in our homes and families,
in the hearts of those who as yet do not know You
and in all nations of the world.
Establish in the hearts of all mankind the sovereign triumph
and reign of Your Two Hearts so that the earth may resound
from pole to pole with one cry:
Blessed forever be the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
and the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary!
Obtain for me a greater purity of heart
and a fervent love of the spiritual life.
May all my actions be done for the greater glory of God
in unions with the divine heart of Jesus
and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Hear and answer our prayers and intentions
according to Your most merciful will.
Amen

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY, SAINT of the DAY, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 June – ‘We want to see God, we seek to see Him, we ardently desire to see Him. Who does not desire this?’ – St Augustine

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One Minute Reflection – 5 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – The Memorial of St Boniface (672-754) Martyr “The Apostle of Germany,” Confessor, Bishop – Ecclesiasticus 44:1-15. Matthew 5,1-12.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“They shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8

REFLECTION – “We want to see God, we seek to see Him, we ardently desire to see Him. Who does not desire this? But note what the Gospel says: “Blest are the pure of heart, they shall see God.” Do what is necessary in order to see Him! To compare it with something from material reality, how can you want to contemplate the rising sun if your eyes are sick? If your eyes are healthy that light will be a pleasure for you; if they are sick, it will be torture for you. You will surely not be allowed to see with an impure heart what one can only see with a pure heart. You will be moved away, put at a distance, you will not see!

How often did the Lord proclaim people to be ‘blest‘? What reasons for eternal happiness did He cite, what good works, what gifts, what merits and what rewards? No other! the beatitude says, “They shall see God.” This is what the others say: “How blest are the poor in spirit, the reign of God is theirs. Blest are the lowly; they shall inherit the land. Blest are the sorrowing; they shall be consoled. Blest are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they shall have their fill. Blest are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs.” So none other asserts, “They shall see God.”

The vision of God is promised ONLY to people with a pure heart. This is not without a reason, since the eyes that allow us to see God are in the heart. Those are the eyes the Apostle Paul was talking about when he said: “May He enlighten your innermost vision” (Eph 1:18). So, at the present time because of their weakness, those eyes are enlightened by faith; later, because of their strength, they will be enlightened by vision… “Now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face.” (1 Cor 13:12).” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 53).

PRAYER – O God, Who, through the zeal of blessed Boniface, Thy Martyr and Bishop, graciously called a multitude of people to the knowledge of Thine Name, mercifully grant that we, who keep his feast, may also enjoy his patronage.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 "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The ASCENSION of the LORD, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 May – ‘ … Brother, since Christ your Treasure was lifted up to Heaven today, may your heart also be there …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 25 May – The Octave Day of the Ascension and the Memorial of St Gregory VII (1015-1085) Confessor and Pope – Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:14-20 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And the Lord Jesus, after He spoke to them, was taken up into Heaven and took His seat at the Right Hand of God.” – Mark 16:19

REFLECTION – “Father, all those Thou gave Me, I would have in My company where I Am, to see this glory of Mine.” (Jn 17:24) Happy are they who now have, as their Advocate before God, their Judge in person; happy are they, who have interceding for them, the One Whom we must adore, equally with the Father, to Whom He Himself addresses this prayer. The Father cannot refuse to grant this desire which His Lips expressed (Ps 21:3), for He is united with Him in His Will, in His Power, since He is One and the Same God… “All those Thou gave Me I would have in My company where I Am.” What assurance for those who have faith, what confidence for the believers! … The saints, whose “youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps 103:5) “soar as with eagles’ wings.” (Isa 40:31) …

On that day, Christ “was lifted up before the eyes of the disciples in a cloud which took him from their sight.” (Acts 1:9) … He strove to draw their hearts to follow Him, by making Himself loved by them and He promised them, through the example of His Body that their body could be lifted up in the same way… Today, Christ in truth “mounted a cherub and flew, borne on the wings of the wind,” (Ps 18:11) which is to say, He goes beyond the power of the Angels. And yet, in His condescendence before your weakness, “as an eagle… hovering over its brood,” He wants to “receive you and to bear you up on His pinions.” (Deut 32:11) … Some people fly with Christ by means of contemplation; for you, let it at least be through love!

Brother, since Christ your Treasure was lifted up to Heaven today, may your heart also be there (Mt 6:21). Your origin is from there and that is where you will find your inheritance (Ps 16:6); from there, you are awaiting the Saviour (Phil 3:20).” – Blessed Guerric of Igny (c1080-1157) Cistercian Abbot (Sermon for the Ascension).

PRAYER – O God, the strength of those who trust in Thee, Who fortified blessed Gregory, Thy Confessor and Pontiff, with the virtue of firmness to protect the freedom of the Church, grant us, by his example and intercession, bravely to overcome all evil. 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 AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, PENTECOST, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, The ASCENSION of the LORD, The HEART, The HOLY GHOST, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

Quote/s of the Day – 23 May – Ascension

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 23 May – Within the Octave of the Ascension

“Through the Holy Spirit
comes our restoration to paradise,
our ascension into the Kingdom of Heaven,
our return to the adoption of sons,
our liberty to call God, Our Father,
our being made partakers of the grace of Christ,
our being called children of Light,
our sharing in eternal glory
and, in a word, our being brought
into a state of all “fulness of blessing,”
both in this world and in the world to come,
of all the good gifts that are in store for us,
by promise hereof, through faith,
beholding the reflection of their grace,
as though they were already present,
we await the full enjoyment.”

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“And He departed from our sight
that we might return to our hearts
and find Him there.
For He left us
and behold,
He is here!”

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

“May your heart be an Altar,
from which the bright flame
of unending thanksgiving
ascends to Heaven.”

St Mary Euphrasia Pelletier RGS (1796-1868)