Our Morning Offering – 30 January – Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
May Your Heart Dwell
Always in our Hearts!
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity
May Your Heart dwell
always in our hearts!
May Your Blood
ever flow in the veins
of our souls!
O Sun of our hearts,
You give life to all things
by the rays of Your goodness!
I will not go,
until Your Heart
has strengthened me,
O Lord Jesus!
May the Heart of Jesus
be the King of my heart!
Blessed be God.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop, Confessor and Doctor – “The Gentle Christ of Geneva,” “The Gentleman Saint”
“Nothing makes us
so prosperous in this world,
as to give alms.”
“We must fear God out of love,
not love Him out of fear.”
“In the royal galley of Divine Love,
there is no galley slave:
all rowers are volunteers.”
“Perfection of life
is the perfection of love.
For love is the life of the soul.”
“Let us run to Mary
and, as her little children,
cast ourselves into her arms
with a perfect confidence.”
MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/24/quote-s-of-the-day-24-january-the-gentle-christ-of-geneva/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/24/quote-s-of-the-day-24-january-st-francis-de-sales/
Quotes of the Day – 28 January – Memorial of St Peter Nolasco (c 1182–c 1256) Confessor – 1 Cor. 4:9-14, Luke 12:32-34
“For where your treasure is,
there also will your heart be.”
“ For where thy treasure is,
there is thy heart also.”
“We have had Your treasure
hidden within us,
ever since we received baptismal grace,
it grows ever richer
at Your sacramental table.”
“You have made us for Yourself
and our hearts are restless
until they rest in You.”
“ He who finds Jesus, finds a rare treasure,
indeed, a good above every good,
whereas he who loses Him,
loses more than the whole world.
The man who lives without Jesus,
is the poorest of the poor,
whereas no-one is so rich,
as the man who lives in His grace.
… Let all things be loved, for the sake of Jesus
but Jesus, for His own sake.”
“Love Him, then, keep Him as a friend.
He will not leave you as others do,
or let you suffer lasting death.
Sometime, whether you will or not,
you will have to part with everything.
Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death,
trust yourself to the glory of Him,
Who alone can help you
when all others fail.“
Who lives in Love, loves least to live
and long delays doth rue,
if Him he love by Whom he lives,
to Whom all praise is due,
Who for our love did choose to live
and was content to die,
Who loved our love more than His life
and love with Life did buy.
Let us in life, yea with our life
requite His Living Love,
for best we live when least we live,
if Love our life remove.
Mourn, therefore, no true lover’s death,
life only him annoy
and when he taketh leave of life
then Love begins his joys.
“You leave the land just as it is
when you depart,
you do not carry anything away.
Our first aim
is to go to God,
we are not on earth
for anything but this!”
“If Jesus is not there,
death comes into our souls.”
One Minute Reflection – 28 January – Memorial of St Peter Nolasco (c 1182–c 1256) Confessor – 1 Cor. 4:9-14, Luke 12:32-34
“For where your treasure is,
there also will your heart be.” – Luke 12:34
REFLECTION – “All this is what that treasure brings about. Either through almsgiving, it raises the heart of a man into Heaven, or through greed it buries it in the earth. That is why He said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
O man, send your treasure on, send it ahead into Heaven, or else your God-given soul will be buried in the earth! Gold comes from the depth of the earth — the soul, from the highest Heaven. Clearly it is better ,to carry the gold to where the soul resides, than to bury the soul, in the mine of the gold. That is why God orders those who will serve in His Army here below, to fight as men stripped of concern for riches and unencumbered by anything. To these He has granted the privilege of reigning in Heaven.” – St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) Bishop of Ravenna, “Doctor of Homilies” Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 22)
PRAYER – O God, You Who, as an example of Your love, divinely taught St Peter to enrich Your Church with new offspring, a family of Religious devoted to the ransom of the faithful, grant by his intercession, that we may be released from the slavery of sin and rejoice in lasting freedom in 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.
Our Morning Offering – 28 January – Memorial of St Peter Nolasco (c 1182–c 1256) Confessor
Before Jesus Crucified
(Sweet Jesus, Please Abide with Me!)
By Blessed Titus Brandsma (1881-1942)
Martyr
Dear Lord, when looking up at Thee,
I see Thy loving eyes on me,
Love overflows my humble heart,
Knowing what a faithful friend Thou are.
A cup of sorrow I foresee,
Which I accept for love of Thee,
Thy painful way I wish to go,
The only way to God I know.
My soul is full of peace and light,
Although in pain, this light shines bright.
For here, Thou keepest to Thy breast.
My longing heart to find there rest.
Leave me here freely all alone,
In cell where never sunlight shone.
Should no-one ever speak to me,
This golden silence makes me free!
For though alone, I have no fear,
Never were Thou, O Lord, so near.
Sweet Jesus, please, abide with me!
My deepest peace I find in Thee.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 26 January – The Memorial of St Polycarp (c 69 – c 155) Martyr and Apostolic Father of the Church,
“We are treated as deceivers and yet, are truthful,
as unrecognised and yet, acknowledged,
as dying and behold we live,
as chastised and yet, not put to death,
as sorrowful yet, always rejoicing,
as poor yet, enriching many,
as having nothing and yet, possessing all things.”
“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.”
“If the Church stays silent
in the face of what is happening,
what difference would it make,
if no church were ever opened again?”
“We are not dealing with a small matter
but the great (apocalyptic)
life and death struggle has already begun.
Yet in the midst of it, there are many,
who still go on living their lives
as though nothing had changed … “
Thought for the Day – 25 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Wealth is a gift from God.
Therefore, it is good, like everything else which comes from God.
Worldly wealth, as St Thomas Aquinas says, can be an instrument of virtue.
But, it is good only insofar, as it leads to holiness.
If it interferes with the practice of virtue, it is evil (Summa Contra Gentiles, Bk III, 134).
God created the wealth of the earth, not for a few but, for all mankind.
All men have the right, therefore, to draw their means of subsistence from the earth.
If any individual with large private possessions, however lawfully acquired, battles against this right to live, he commits a grave sin.
This could happen either because a man is lacking in justice or in charity.
Both justice and charity are commanded by God, however and, it matters very little, whether a man goes to Hell because he has offended against justice or because he has offended against charity.
Hell is Hell, in either case!
Let us examine ourselves and see if we are lacking in either of the virtues.
It is certain that there would not be so much misery and want in the world, if the Gospel teaching on the virtues of justice and charity had ever really triumphed.”
PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/27/thought-for-the-day-27-january-the-rich/
Quote/s of the Day – 25 January – Feast of the Conversion of St Paul , Apostle, Acts 9:1-22, Matthew 19,27-29.
“And everyone who has left house,
or brethren, or sisters, or father,
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands
for my name’s sake,
shall receive a hundredfold
and shall possess life everlasting.”
“Yet I live, no longer I
but Christ lives in me;
insofar as I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God,
Who has loved me
and given himself up for me.”
“The Light of Christ
is an endless day
that knows no night.”
“There is nothing sweeter
than to be enlightened
and made beautiful, by this participation
and communion in the Light,
to have one’s heart softened,
one’s soul sanctified
and to be filled with a holy joy
all the days of this present life…
Truly, this Sun of Justice is,
for those who gaze at It,
the transmitter of joy
according to the prophecy of David:
“The just rejoice and exult before God,
they are glad and rejoice!”
“As those who see light,
are in the light, sharing its brilliance,
so those who see God,
are in God, sharing His Glory
and that Glory gives them life.
To see God is to share in Life.”
Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – The Memorial of Blessed Henry Suso OP (1295-1366)
“The eternal God
asks a favour of His bride:
“Hold me close to your heart,
close as locket or bracelet fits.”
No matter whether
we walk or stand still,
eat or drink,
we should at all times
wear the golden locket
“Jesus” upon our heart.”
“Suffering is a short pain
and a long joy.”
“Nowhere does Jesus
hear our prayers more readily,
than in the Blessed Sacrament.”
“It is inner abandonment
which leads men
to the highest Truth.”
MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/23/quote-s-of-the-day-23-january-blessed-henry-suso/
Our Morning Offering – 23 January – The Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Stay With Me, O Lord
By Padre Pio (1887-1968)
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my Life
and without You, I am without fervour.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my Light
and without You, I am in darkness.
Stay with me, Lord,
so that I hear Your Voice and follow You.
Stay with me, Lord,
for I desire to love You very much
and always be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord,
if You wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is,
I want it to be a place of consolation for You,
a nest of Love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late
and the day is coming to a close
and life passes, death, judgement
and eternity approach.
It is necessary to renew my strength,
so that I will not stop
along the way and for that, I need You.
It is getting late and death approaches,
I fear the darkness, the temptations,
the dryness, the cross, the sorrows.
O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!
Stay with me tonight, Jesus,
in life with all its dangers, I need You.
Let me recognise You as Your disciples did,
at the breaking of the bread,
so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light
which disperses the darkness,
the force which sustains me,
the unique joy of my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death,
I want to remain united to You,
if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for,
Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will,
Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You
and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.
With a firm love, I will love You
with all my heart while on earth
and continue to love You perfectly, during all eternity.
Amen.
Thought for the Day – 20 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Detachment from riches implies, the obligation of using them, as a means of reaching eternal life and in accordance with the principles of justice and charity.
This is a positive command of God, which nobody can ignore without falling into sin to a greater or lesser extent.
But over and beyond this general rule, there is an evangelical counsel to which only the privileged few are called in their search for perfection.
This evangelical counsel says to us: “If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell what thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come, follow me” (N 19:21; Mk 10:21; Lk 12:33, 18:22).
If we have received this great call to evangelical perfection, we must listen to it and follow Jesus promptly and generously.
But even if our vocation does not lie in that direction, let us take care not to become too attached to the passing things of this world.
Our hearts were not made for them but, for God alone!
Remember the striking words of St Paul: “Brethren, the time is short; it remains that those who have wives, be as if they had none and, those who weep, as though not weeping and those who rejoice, as though not rejoicing and those who buy, as though not possessing and those who use the world, as though not using it, for this world, as we see it, is passing away” (1 Cor 7:29-31).”
PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/26/thought-for-the-day-26-january-blessed-are-the-poor/
Quote/s of the Day – 20 January – Hebrews 11:33-39; Luke 6:17-23
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.”
“… Anyone of you
who does not renounce
all his possessions,
cannot be my disciple.”
“The Kingdom of Heaven, says the gospel,
is like a mustard seed …
Christ is the Kingdom of Heaven!
Sown like a mustard seed
in the garden of the Virgin’s womb,
He grew up into the Tree of the Cross,
whose branches,
stretch across the world …
Christ is the Kingdom
because all the glory of His Kingdom,
is within Him.
Christ is a Man
because all humanity is restored in Him.
Christ is a Mustard Seed
because the infinitude of divine greatness,
is accommodated to
the littleness of flesh and blood!”
“Keep a clear eye toward life’s end.
Do not forget your purpose
and destiny as God’s creature.
What you are in His sight,
is what you are and nothing more.
Remember that when you leave this earth,
you can take nothing that you have received…
but only what you have given – a full heart
enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.”
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
“This death … has already levelled
his bow to strike me.
Is it not prudent to prevent its stroke,
by dying now to the world,
that at my death,
I may live to God?”
“Do not live any longer in yourself
but let Jesus Christ live in you in such a way
that the virtue of this Divine Saviour may be resplendent
in all your actions, in order that all may see in you
a true portrait of the Crucified and sense,
the sweetest fragrance of the holy virtues of the Lord,
in interior and exterior modesty,
in patience,
in gentleness,
suffering,
charity,
humility
and in all others that follow.”
“It was God Who created the fruits of the earth
and gave them to men.
… Evil consists in the abuse of these goods,
which, in themselves, are intended
to be aids to perfection.
It is necessary, therefore, to preserve
the proper hierarchical order of all that is good.
We must guard against riveting
our ambitions on earthly objects,
as if tbey were capable of constituting
the goal of our lives.
God has given us these things as possessions,
not as ends in themselves.
He has ordered us to be masters of the world,
not it’s slaves.
Detachment is essential but not a complete surrender of our possessions.
The latter was never commanded but simply indicated, as an evangelical counsel of perfection.
The observance of this counsel, however,
is valueless, if it is not accompanied by detachment.
Worldly possessions, such as money,
are good servants but bad masters!”
Thought for the Day – 10 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Now that we have witnessed these contrasting scenes, let us examine ourselves in the presence of God.
Let each of us ask: What will be my fate?
If we can rank ourselves amongst the just, let us thank God.
We are not there on our own merits.
“By the grace of God, I am what I am” (1 Cor 15:10).
Perhaps we need only reproach ourselves with some deficiency or weakness but, have at the same times, a strong desire to serve God and a great love for Him.
In this case, we can take heart.
We can cast ourselves into the merciful arms of God.
But, if on the other hand, we are hardened and habitual sinners, then woe betide us!
Perhaps this meditation is the last grace which God will bestow on us!”
PART ONE HERE – The Death of the Sinner:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/11/thought-for-the-day-11-january-the-death-of-the-sinner/
PART TWO HERE – The Death of the Just:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/12/thought-for-the-day-12-january-the-death-of-the-just/
One Minute Reflection – 8 January – The Third Day within the Octave of Epiphany, Readings: Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20
“But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart.” – Luke 2:19
REFLECTION – “Often, it seems to us, Mary forgot to eat and to drink, keeping vigil in order to think about Christ, to see Christ in His flesh. She burned with love of Him and passionately loved to serve Him. She often did what the Song of Songs sings about: “I was sleeping, but my heart kept vigil.” (Song 5:2) Even when she was resting, she continued to dream of Him who filled her thoughts throughout the day. Whether she was keeping vigil or resting in peace, she always lived in Him, was always occupied with Him.
Where her treasure was, there also was her heart (Mt 6:21); where her glory was, there also was her mind. She loved her Lord and her Son with all her heart, with all her mind, with all her strength (Mt 22:37). She saw with her eyes, touched with her hands, the Word of Life (1 Jn 1:1). How blessed was Mary, to whom it was given to embrace Him who embraces and nourishes everything! How happy was she who carried Him, who carries the universe (Heb 1:3), she who nursed a Son, who gives her life, a Son who nourishes her and all beings on earth (Ps 145:15).
The One, Who is the Wisdom of the Father, put His arms around her neck, the One, Who is the Strength, that gives movement to everything, sat in her arms. He, Who is the Rest of souls, (Mt 11:29) rested on her motherly breast. How gently He held her in His hands, peacefully looked at her, He ,Whom the angels wish to contemplate (1 Pet 1:12) and He gently called her, He ,Whom every being calls upon when in need. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she held Him close to her heart … She never had enough of seeing Him or of hearing Him, Whom “many prophets and kings wished to see … but did not see.” (Lk 10:24) Thus Mary grew evermore in love and her mind was unceasingly attached to divine contemplation.” – St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Bishop (Homily on Mary, 4).
PRAYER – Lord open our hearts to Your grace. As You brought joy to the world through the Incarnation of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, grant that through the prayer of His Ever-Virgin Mother, our hearts too may grow in virtue and love by learning to reflect constantly on His commandments and counsels. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Thought for the Day – 7 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“There are some , unfortunately, who rebel under the lash of pain.
“God is not good,” they say. “If He were good, He would not permit suffering. God does not love me. If He loved me, He would not make me suffer.”
This is false, of course.
God did not create suffering.
It was man who brought it into being by his sins and excesses.
God, Who always draws good from evil, knows how to draw great good, even from suffering, in the way of expiation, redemption and propitiation for our sins.
Precisely because He loves us, God permits our sufferings.
He knows well, that they purify and refine us, as the fire purifies and refines gold.
They raise our thoughts to Heaven.
God permits suffering for our spiritual welfare.
But because it has this elevating and propitiatory power, we ought to receive it with an act of resignation and love, as Jesus did in Gethsamane.
We should unite our sufferings with those of our Redeemer, which have an infinite value before our Heavenly Father.”
PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/07/thought-for-the-day-7-january-the-problem-of-suffering/
Our Morning Offering – 7 January – The Second Day within the Octave of Epiphany
May the Lord Jesus Touch Our Eyes
By Origen (c 185-253)
Father of the Church
May the Lord Jesus touch our eyes,
as He did those of the blind.
Then we shall begin to see in visible things
those which are invisible.
May He open our eyes to gaze,
not on present realities
but on the blessings to come.
May He open the eyes of our heart,
to contemplate God in Spirit,
through Jesus Christ the Lord,
to whom belong,
power and glory,
through all eternity.
Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 5 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – Christmas Weekday, Readings: 1 John 4:7-10, Psalms 72:1-2, 3-4,7-8, Mark 6:34-44
“Beloved, since God loved us so much,
we also ought to love one another.”
“So if I, your Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet,
you also ought to wash
one another’s feet.”
“It is by the path of love,
which is charity,
that God draws near to man
and man to God.
But where charity is not found,
God cannot dwell.
If, then, we possess charity,
we posses God,
for ‘God is Charity’
(1 John 4:8).”
“At the end of your life,
you will be judged by your love.”
“The Gospel showed me
that the first commandment is to love God
with all one’s heart
and that, we should enfold everything in love;
everyone knows,
that the first effect of love is imitation.”
“Before the cave at Bethelehm then,
we should learn two great lessons.
We should learn to love Jesus intensely,
as our highest and only good
and we should learn to love,
in an effective and practical way,
those who are poverty-stricken
or suffering, in whom we should be able
to see Jesus Christ Himself.”
Quote/s of the Day – 4 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – Christmas Weekday, Readings: 1 John 3:7-10, Psalm 98:1, 7-9, John 1:35-42
“Jesus turned and saw them following him
and said to them, “What are you looking for?”
“… There is one Road
and one only,
well secured against all possibility
of going astray
and, this Road is provided
by One Who is Himself
both God and man.
As God, He is the Goal,
as man, He is the Way.”
Thanks be to You,
my Lord Jesus Christ
For all the benefits
You have given me,
For all the pains and insults
You have borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer,
Friend and Brother,
May I know You more clearly,
Love You more dearly,
Follow You more nearly.
Amen
“Those who risk all for God,
will find. that they have
both lost all and gained all.”
Teach us, good Lord,
to serve You as You deserve;
to give
and not to count the cost,
to fight
and not to heed the wounds,
to toil
and not to seek for rest,
to labour
and not to ask for reward,
except that of knowing
that we are doing Your will.
Amen
“All a person’s holiness,
perfection and profit
lies in doing God’s will perfectly….
Happy are we, if we succeed
in pouring out our heart into God’s,
in uniting our desires
and our will to His,
to the point,
that one heart and one will are formed,
wanting, what God wants,
wanting, in the way,
in the time
and in the circumstances,
what He desires
and willing it all,
for no other reason,
than that God wills it.”
“You cannot be half a saint.
You must be a whole saint
or no saint at all.”
One Minute Reflection – 4 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – Christmas Weekday, Readings: 1 John 3:7-10, Psalm 98:1, 7-9, John 1:35-42
He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying and they stayed with him that day … John 1:39
REFLECTION – “John was there and two of his disciples with him.” John was such “a friend of the Bridegroom” that he did not seek his own glory, he simply bore witness to the truth (Jn 3:29.26). Did he dream of keeping back his disciples and preventing them from following the Lord? Not in the least. He, himself showed them, the one they were to follow … He declared: “Why cling to me? I am not the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God …… Behold him who takes away the sins of the world.”
At these words the two disciples who were with John, followed Jesus. “Jesus turned and saw that they were following him and said to them: ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him: ‘Rabbi, where are you staying?” As yet they were not following Him definitively, as we know, they joined themselves to Him, when He called them to leave their boat …, when He said to them: “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). That was the moment they joined Him definitively, no longer to leave Him. But for now they wanted to see where Jesus was living and put into practice the words of Scripture: “If you see an intelligent man, seek him out at daybreak; let your feet wear away his doorstep! Learn from him the precepts of the Lord” (cf. Sir 6:36f.). So Jesus showed them where He was living, they went and stayed with Him. What a happy day they spent! What a blessed night! Who can say what it was they heard from the Lord’s mouth? Let us, too, build a dwelling in our hearts, construct a house where Christ can come to teach and converse with us.” … St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father & Doctor of the Church (Sermons on Saint John’s Gospel, no 7).
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, thank You for making me a child of eternity. Help me to live each day in such a way that I may deserve to be a child of Yours forever. Grant that by the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, all Your Angels and Martyrs and Saints, we may strive always to keep our eyes fixed on Your Son, our entry to You, our Shepherd and our Saviour, Who will lead us to You in our eternal home. May we never waiver from Your commandments. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 2 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“The masters of the spiritual life assure us, that without the practice of meditation, it is almost impossible for the just man to persevere in virtue, ot for the lukewarm and tepid, to become fervent, or for the sinner, to be converted!
God, it is true, can work miracles.
At times the grace of God can strike the sinner with the suddenness of a thunderbolt and convert him.
But, it is the ordinary rule of the spiritual life, that meditation on the truths of eternity, especially on the Last Things, stirs up the soul and moves it, under the influence of Divine grace, to form good resolutions.
Even though, the first fervour early diminishes, the daily repetition of this pious practice, revives and strengthens such good resolutions and causes them to be realised, in activities which are in accordance with Catholic teaching.
Sin and lukewarmness, cannot co-exist with the practice of daily mental prayer, if this is carried out as it should be.
If we keep our hearts united to God and listen willingly and attentively to His Voice, we shall be able to effect, in ourselves, that total renovation of which St Paul speaks: “But be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man, which has been created according to God, in justice and holiness of truth” (Eph 4:23-24).”
PART ONE HERE;
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/02/thought-for-the-day-2-january-the-necessity-of-meditation-in-silence/
Our Morning Offering – 1 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord
“His name was called Jesus, which was called by the angel, before He was conceived in the womb” — Luke 2:21
To Christ Crucified
Traditional Irish Prayer
Trans. Brendan Devlin
May the sweet Name of Jesus
Be written deeply
on my heart and mind.
Through the power of His Passion,
Through the force of His Prayer,
Through the shedding of His Blood,
Through the sweetness of His Sweetness,
Through His cruel Death on the Cross,
for the sake of us all.
O Lord Jesus Christ,
be the Saviour of our souls.
O Mary, Mother of Jesus
and Jesus, be with me,
the bond of love,
binding us together
and never be loosed.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 31 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Now that the year is almost over, cast your mind back to the good resolutions which you made at the beginning of it.
Have you put these resolutions into effect?
Has there been any improvement in your spiritual life during these twelve months, or must you confess, that it has deteriorated?
How often have you committed sin, perhaps even grave sin, during the year?
When God appealed to you to perform some good action, how often did you refuse Him?
Your future outlook is very dark if your life has developed into a gradual descent towards evil.
Anyday, God could grow tired of your ingratitude and obstinacy and send death to end your infidelity.
Then you would almost certainly, be damned forever.
If you have surrendered to spiritual languor and mediocrity, therefore, it is time for you to stir yourself.
It is time to become more generous with God, to display a greater spirit of self-sacrifice in responding to His appeals and to form further resolutions.
Virtue cannot co-exist with spiritual tepidity, which leads inevitably, towards sin.”
PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/31/thought-for-the-day-31-december-the-last-day-of-the-year/
Quote/s of the Day – 26 December – The Second Day in the Christmas Octave
“Oh great God! Oh perfect Child!
The Son is in the Father
and the Father is in the Son.
How could the teaching this Child gives,
not be irreproachable?
It includes us all to guide us all, His children.
He has stretched out His hands to us
and we have placed in them all our faith.
To this little Child, John the Baptist himself
also gave testimony – “Behold,” he said,
“the Lamb of God,” (Jn 1:29).
Since Scripture has called children ‘lambs,’
it has called “Lamb of God”
the Word of God Who became man for us
and Who wanted to become like us in all things,
the Son of God Himself, the child of the Father.”
“Maker of the sun,
He is made under the sun.
In the Father He remains,
From His mother He goes forth.
Creator of heaven and earth,
He was born under heaven.
Unspeakably wise,
He is wisely speechless.
Filling the world,
He lies in a manger.
Ruler of the stars,
He nurses at His mother’s bosom.
He is both great in the nature of God
and small in the form of a servant.”
“He became small because you were small –
understand how great He is
and you will become great along with Him.
This is how houses are built,
how the solid walls of a building are raised.
The stones brought to construct the building increase,
you, too, increase, understanding how great Christ is
and how He who appeared to be small is great,
very great indeed…”
“He is an infant,
He does not speak,
He only cries but these cries
are cries of love
which invite us to love Him,
cries that demand our hearts.”
A Christmas Carol
By G K Chesterton (1874-1936)
English Catholic Convert, Writer, Poet.
The Christ-child lay on Mary’s lap,
His hair was like a light.
(O weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright.)
The Christ-child lay on Mary’s breast
His hair was like a star.
(O stern and cunning are the kings
But here the true hearts are.)
The Christ-child lay on Mary’s heart,
His hair was like a fire.
(O weary, weary is the world
But here the world’s desire.)
The Christ-child stood on Mary’s knee,
His hair was like a crown,
And all the flowers looked up at Him,
And all the stars looked down.
Quote of the Day – 22 December – Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, O Rex Gentium/O King of all Nations,
“If you want, the Virgin will come
walking down the road
pregnant with the Holy and say:
“I need shelter for the night.
Please take me inside your heart.
My time is so close.”
Then, under the roof of your soul,
you will witness the sublime intimacy,
the Divine, the Christ,
taking birth forever.
As she grasps your hand for help,
for each of us is the midwife of God,
each of us.
Yes, there, under the dome of your being,
does creation come into existence eternally–
through your womb,
dear pilgrim–the sacred womb of your soul!
As God grasps our arms for help;
for each of us is His beloved servant never far.
If you want, the Virgin will come,
walking down the street,
pregnant with Light and sing!”
Thought for the Day – 21 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Jesus Christ is the Eternal Word of God, made man, the infinite and substantial image of the Divine Intellect.
Nevertheless, the Divine Infant, Whom we adore in the stable at Bethlehem, is mute and silent.
The voluntary humiliation of the Son of God is such, that He, the Word of God, cannot utter a single human syllable.
By this chosen silence, however, He teaches us many things.
In the first place, He teaches us humility and self-denial.
He teaches us, moreover, to recollect ourselves in the Presence of God, so that it may be easier for us to speak with Him and for Him, to make known what He requires of us.
The silence of prayer brings forth divine consolations and inspirations to holiness,
Do we love to be silent?
It is not necessary to become hermits but, it is essential, from time to time, to place ourselves quietly in the Presence of God.
God cannot be heard through the noise and confusion of the world, whereas, He speaks clearly to the soul, which seeks the silence of prayer.
In any case, if we go about looking for the gossip and idle chatter of the world, it is almost impossible not to offend God.
“Avoid profane and empty babblings,” St Paul urges us, “for they contribute much to ungodliness” (2 Tim 2:16).
“If anyone does not offend in word,” adds St James, “he is a perfect man” (Js 3:2).
“The tongue is a little member,” he continues but, goes onto emphasis that it is capable of doing either a great deal of good or a great deal of harm.
“With it, we bless God the Father and, with it, we curse men, who have been made after the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren ought not to be so” (Js 3:5-10).
There are two main lessons which we should learn, therefore, from the silence of the Divine Infant.
We should learn to love recollection and, we should learn to make proper use of the gift of speech, which can be an equally powerful weapon, in the cause of good, or, in the cause of evil!”
Quote/s of the Day – 21 December – O Oriens/O Radiant Dawn – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, Readings: Songs 2: 8-14 or Zephaniah 3: 14-18a; Psalm 33: 2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Luke 1: 39-45
“Having confidence in you,
O Mother of God, I shall be saved.
Being under you protection,
I shall fear nothing.
With your help,
I shall give battle to my enemies
and put them to flight,
for devotion to you,
is an arm of Salvation.”
“O Mary,
you give assistance
to everyone endeavouring
to rise to God!”
“At the mention of this name
[the Blessed Virgin Mary],
the Angels rejoice
and the devils tremble.
Through this invocation,
sinners obtain
grace and pardon.”
“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom
of His most chaste Mother,
Christ took to Himself flesh
and united to Himself,
the spiritual Body formed
by those who were to believe in Him.
Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour
within her, may be said,
to have also carried, all those.
whose life was contained
in the life of the Saviour.
Therefore, all we,
who are united to Christ
and, as the Apostle says,
are members of His body,
of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30),
have issued from the womb of Mary,
like a body united to it’s Head.”
Thought for the Day – 19 December – Meditations withAntonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Enter in spirit into the stable at Bethlehem and humbly kneel before the Word of God made man.
What do we find Jesus doing in these first moments of His mortal life.
By a single act of His divine will, He could have instantly transformed the human race.
But, He came to redeem men and preach to them before anything else, the virtues which they most needed – humility, indifference to worldly possessions and the acceptance of suffering.
He taught them to endure suffering, neither rebelliously, nor even as a disagreeable necessity but, as a means of purification and sanctification.
Before the time of Jesus Christ, suffering was dreaded and abhorred.
He taught us to love it because it is the salt of the earth which saves us from corruption because, it detaches us from worldly things and because, it lifts our thoughts towards Heaven.
What then do we find Jesus doing in these first moments of His mortal life|?
He is weeping and smiling by turns, as a newborn infant does.
How can we understand the mystery behind these divine tears?
Jesus does not weep because it is cold and damp, nor because He is uncomfortable on His bed of straw.
He could have remedied these inconveniences, if He had so desired by a single act of His will.
No, He weeps for us, for the human race, immersed in sin.
He weeps and suffers, so that we also may learn to weep and suffer for our sins and to do penance for them.
This is the explanation of the tears of the Divine Child.
Let us learn to weep with Him and we shall be purified and comforted.”
Thought for the Day – 18 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Enter once more with faith and love into the stable of Bethlehem.
As soon as her Son has been miraculously delivered without any damage to her virginity, Mary adores Him and, with such maternal love as we could never conceive of, she takes Him to her heart.
Joseph, kneeling in ecstasy at the sight, bows reverently and kisses the forehead of the Divine Infant.
In this moment of blis, he is well rewarded for his unshaken faith and for all the sacrifices which he has made from his youth until the time of his alliance with Mary.
Now Mary and Joseph look around and, since they can find no better cradle for the Baby Jesus, they place Him upon some straw in a manger and cover Him with a rough linen cloth.
They have nothing else to give the Son of God, King of Kings and Lord of the Universe, Who wishes, at this early stage, to present us with this wonderful example of humility and voluntary poverty.
But each of them has once treasure to offer, for they offer and dedicate their hearts to Jesus.
Mary’s heart is only less beautiful and pure than that of our Divine Redeemer and St Joseph’s is similar to hers.
Jesus did not come to look for human wealth or greatness but, He came in search of men’s hearts, so that He might make them holy.
Throughout the centuries there have been many generous-hearted people who joined with Mary and Joseph in loving Jesus and in dedicating themselves entirely to Him.
Does your heart belong completely to Jesus?”
Antonio Cardinal Bacci
One Minute Reflection – 18 December – O Adonai … O Lord – Saturday of the Third Week of Advent, Readings: Jeremiah 23:5-8, Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19, Matthew 1:18-25
O LORD AND RULER
of the House of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the flame
of the burning bush
and gave him the law on Sinai,
Come and redeem us with outstretched arms.
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid” – Matthew 1:20
REFLECTION – “Joseph embraced
the Son of the heavenly Father
as he would a newborn babe
and served Him as his God.
He took pleasure in this
as in goodness itself
and he, who was complete righteousness (Mt 1:19),
worshiped Him.
Oh how great was his wonderment!
“How is it, Son of God Most High,
that I should have You as my Son?
I was angered against Your Mother
and thought to put her away.
I never knew that in her womb
so great a treasure lay,
Who straightway made me rich
in the midst of my poverty.
David the King, arose amongst my forebears
and wore the crown,
yet how great is the destitution
to which I have come!
No king, I am a carpenter,
yet a crown has come to me,
since on my heart there rests,
the Lord of all crowns.” – St Ephrem (306-373) Deacon in Syria, Father and Doctor of the Church (Hymn for the Nativity.)
PRAYER – Write Your Blessed Name, Upon My Heart
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Write Your blessed name,
O Lord,
upon my heart,
there to remain so indelibly engraved,
that no prosperity,
no adversity shall ever move me
from Your love.
Be to me a strong tower of defence,
a comforter in tribulation,
a deliverer in distress,
a very present help in trouble
and a guide to Heaven
through the many temptations
and dangers of this life.
Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 11 December – Saturday of the Second week of Advent
“Let us become like Christ,
since Christ became like us.
He assumed the worse,
that He might give us the better;
He became poor,
that we through His poverty,
might be rich.”
“Those who refuse to be humble cannot be saved.
They cannot say with the prophet:
See, God comes to my aid;
the Lord is the helper of my soul.
But anyone who makes himself humble,
like a little child,
is greater in the kingdom of heaven.”
“Let all your desires then be,
directed toward Him,
the Infinite One,
the Giver of all Good.”
“Who could ever soften this heart of mine
but YOU alone O Lord!”
“Unreasoning and stupid
that you look for God where He is not!
Listen and be filled with awe –
God is in our hearts, I know it.
God lives in the human heart
when this heart lives withdrawn
from all that is not Him,
when this heart heeds God’s knock
at it’s door (Rv 3,20) and,
sweeping and cleaning all its rooms,
makes itself ready to welcome Him
who alone truly satisfies.”
Spanish Trappist monk (Spiritual writings)
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.