Category: The HEART

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Love of Self, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The HEART, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 December– “I am not come to destroy but to fulfil.” – Matthew 5:17

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One Minute Reflection – 4 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450) “Golden Words” Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8; Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am not come to destroy but to fulfil.” – Matthew 5:17

REFLECTION – “Grace which was formerly veiled, so to speak, in the Old Testament, has been fully revealed in the Gospel of Christ by a harmonious disposition of the times, just as God usually disposes of everything with harmony … But within this wonderful harmony, we notice a great difference between the two ages. On Sinai, the people did not dare draw near the place where the Lord was giving His Law; in the Upper Room, the Holy Ghost comes down on all those assembled there, while waiting for the fulfilment of the promise (Ex 19:23; Acts 2:1). In the first instance, the Finger of God inscribed the laws on tablets of stone but now, it is in human hearts where He writes it (Ex 31:18; 2 Cor 3:3). Formerly the Law was written without and brought fear to sinners but now, it has been given to them within, to make them righteous …

Indeed, as the Apostle Paul says, everything written on the stone tablets, “you shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill. .., you shall not covet” and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this saying: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself. Love does no evil to the neighbour; hence, love is the fulfilment of the Law” (Rm 13:9f.; Lv 19:18) … This charity has been “poured into our hearts through the Holy Ghost Who is given to us” (Rm 5:5).” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (On the spirit and the letter, 28-30).

PRAYER – O God, Who willed to foreshow divinely that blessed Peter Chrysologus would be a great Doctor to rule and teach Thy Church, grant, we beseech Thee that we may be worthy to have him as our intercessor in Heaven, who on earth was a teacher of life. 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 CARMELITES, franciscan OFM, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, SACRED HEART QUOTES, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

Quote/s of the Day – 2 December –That precious pearl, that treasure …

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 December – St Bibiana (Died c 361) Virgin Martyr – Sirach 51:13-17; Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Jesus said in parables:
The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure,
hidden in a field. … Again, the Kingdom of Heaven
is like unto a merchant seeking good pearls. ”

Matthew 13:44, 45

“Do you possess a pearl?
Then you know your wealth, it is clenched
in the palm of your hand,
no-one is aware of your fortune.
So it is with the Gospel, if you embrace it with faith,
if it remains enclosed in your heart,
what a treasure you have
You alone know it is there.
Unbelievers, who know neither what it is,
nor what value it has, have no idea
of your incredible wealth!”

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

“Let us draw near to the Heart
of our most sweet Lord Jesus
and we shall be glad and rejoice in it.
How good and how sweet it is to dwell in this Heart!
This is the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price
which we discover, O Jesus, when we dig
in the field of Thy Body (cf Mt 13:44).
Who, then, would cast aside this Pearl?
Far from it! For It, I will give away all my goods
and offer in exchange, all my concerns and affections.
I will lay down all my cares in the Heart of Jesus,
it is He Who will suffice for me and Who will,
without fail, supply all I need to live on!”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274) [Attrib]
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

“It is above all, the Gospel
which supports me during my prayer.
There, I find all which
my poor little soul needs.
There, I always discover new lights,
hidden and mysterious meaning.
… Just when I need it, I discover lights
which I had not seen before.”

St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873-1897)

Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, CATECHESIS, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, St JOSEPH, The DIVINE INFANT, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 1 December – ‘Open your heart and run to meet the Sun of Eternal Light …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The First Sunday of Advent

“Open wide your door to the One who comes.
Open your soul,
throw open the depths of your heart
to see the riches of simplicity,
the treasures of peace,
the sweetness of grace.
Open your heart
and run to meet
the Sun of Eternal Light
Who illuminates all men.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“And the Lord God shall give unto Him
the throne of David, His father
and He shall reign in the house of Jacob forever.
And of His Kingdom there shall be no end.”

Luke 1:32-33

“What is said of the House of David
applies, not only to Joseph but also to Mary.
It was a precept of the law that each man should marry
a wife from his own tribe and kindred.”

St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“The day will come when this Child
will no longer be offered in the Temple,
nor in Simeon’s arms
but outside the City
in the arms of the Cross.
The day will come when He
will not be redeemed
by the blood of a sacrifice
but redeem others ,
with His own Blood. …”
That will be the evening sacrifice;
this is the morning sacrifice;
this one is the happiest
but that one is the most complete;
for this one was offered
at the time of birth
and that one will be offered
in the fullness of time,..”

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

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 November – ‘ … In following the Lord, they gave up everything they might have desired … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 26 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – St Sylvester Gozzolini OSB Silv. (1177– 1267) Priest, Abbot – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6; Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“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.” – Matthew 19:29

REFLECTION – “You have heard, my brethren that Peter and Andrew abandoned their nets to follow the Redeemer at the first sound of His Voice (Mt 4:20) … Perhaps someone will say to himself, under his breath, “What have those two fisherman abandoned to answer the Lord’s call? They had practically nothing.” But, in this matter we should think of their disposition of heart, rather than their fortune. The person who has not kept hold of anything for himself, has left a good deal; the person who has forsaken everything, has left a good deal, even if it is but small.

As for ourselves, we passionately hold onto what we possess and what we do not have, we pursue with all our desire. Indeed, Peter and Andrew left a great deal, since both forsook even the desire to possess. They forsook a great deal because, in giving up their goods, they also gave up their covetousness. In following the Lord, they gave up everything they might have desired, if they had not followed Him.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 5 on the Gospel).

PRAYER – Most merciful God, Who when the holy Abbot Sylvester was devoutly meditating upon the vanity of this world beside an open grave, graciously willed to call him into the desert and enrich him with unusual merits, we humbly pray that, following his example, despising the things of earth, we may thoroughly enjoy Thy everlasting presence. 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 CARMELITES, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on PURITY, The HEART

One Minute Reflection – 25 November – ‘ … I would not have left Him alone so often! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 25 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – St Catherine of Alexandria (Died c305) Virgin Martyr – Sirach 51:1-8; 5:12, Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But at last came also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answering said: Amen I say to you, I know you not.” – Matthew 25:11-12

REFLECTION – “Well, let us imagine that within u, is an extremely rich palace, built entirely of gold and precious stones; in sum, built for a Lord such as this. Imagine, too, as is indeed so, you have a part to play, in order for the palace to be so beautiful; for there is no edifice as beautiful, as is a soul pure and full of virtues. The greater the virtues the more resplendent the jewels. Imagine, also, that in this palace dwells this mighty King, Who has been gracious enough to become your Father and that, He is seated upon an extremely valuable throne which is your heart. …

You will laugh at me, perhaps and say, that which I am explaining, is very clear and you will be correct; for me, although, it was obscure for some time. I understood well that I had a soul. But what this soul deserved and Who dwelt within it, I did not understand because, I had covered my eyes with the vanities of the world. For, in my opinion, if I had understood, as I do now that, in this little palace of my soul, dwelt so great a King, I would not have left Him alone so often! I would have remained with Him at times and striven more, so as not to be so unclean. But what a marvellous thing, that He, Who would fill a thousand worlds and many more with His Grandeur, would enclose Himself in something so small!” – St Teresa of Jesus OCD (1515-1582) Virgin, Carmelite Founder, Mystic, Writer (The Way of Perfection Chapter 28: 9-11).

PRAYER – O God, Who gave the law to Moses on Sinai’s height and through Thy holy Angels, miraculously placed there, the body of blessed Catherine, Thy Virgin and Martyr, grant, we beseech Thee that by her merits and intercession, we may reach that towering eminence which is Christ our Lord.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 19 November – Heavenly Treasures

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 November – St Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231) Widow – Proverbs 31:10-31;, Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Kingdom of Heaven
is like a treasure
hidden in a field.”

Matthew 13:44

“Do not lay up for yourselves
treasures on earth,
where rust and moth consume
and where thieves break in and steal
but lay up for yourselves,
treasures in Heaven …”

Matthew 6:19-20

“For the man who loves God,
it is sufficient to please the One he loves
and, there is no greater recompense to be sought,
than the loving itself.
For love is from God, by the very fact
that God Himself is love.
The good and chaste soul
is so happy to be filled with Him
that it desires to take delight in nothing else.
For what the Lord says is very true:
‘Where your treasure is,
there also will your heart be.’”

“What is a man’s treasure
but the heaping up of profits
and the fruit of his toil?
For, whatever a man sows,
this too will he reap and each man’s gain,
matches his toil and where delight
and enjoyment are found,
there the heart’s desire is attached.
Now, there are many kinds of wealth
and a variety of grounds for rejoicing –
every man’s treasure is that, which he desires.
If it is based on earthly ambitions,
its acquisition makes men not blessed but wretched.
… By distributing what might be superfluous
to support the poor, they are amassing
imperishable riches, so that what they have
discreetly given, cannot be subject to loss.
They have properly placed those riches,
where their heart is – it is a most blessed thing,
to work to increase such riches,
rather than to fear that they may pass away.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
ather and Doctor of the Church

“The love of God is the end,
the perfection and the excellence,
of the universe. ”

(Treatise on the Love of God,
Book 10, Chapter 1)

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

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, HOW to PRAY at ALL TIMES, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The HEART

Thought for the Day – 17 November – How God Answers the Soul

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Thought for the Day – 17 November – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“How to Pray at All Times”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

How God Answers the Soul
Excerpt from Chapter Four

In a word, if you wish to please the loving Heart of God, endeavour to speak to Him as often as you can and, with the fullest confidence which He will answer and speak to you in return.
When you withdraw yourself from conversation with creatures to speak to God alone, He will not speak in a Voice which strikes the ear but, in a Voice which reaches the heart

… He will speak by inspiration, by interior light, by manifestations of His Goodness, by a tenderness which touches the heart, by assurance of pardon, by a feeling of peace, by the hope of Heaven, by intimate happiness, by the sweetness of His Grace, by loving and tender embraces of the soul – in a word, He will speak in a Voice easily understood by those whom He Loves and who have given their hearts to Him alone.”

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The BEATITUDES, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 15 November – St Albert the Great

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 November – St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church

“The greater and more persistent
your confidence in God,
the more abundantly
you will receive,
all you ask for.”

“The surest and quickest way
to attain perfection, is to strive
for purity of heart.
Once the obstacles have been removed,
God finds a clear path and does wonders,
both in and through, the soul.”

“Govern my heart O Lord,
lest it drift into useless and disordered thoughts.
Do not permit me to become excessively preoccupied
with anything at all, even matters and concerns
which are useful and good in themselves.
Temper the affections of my soul,
so that I may neither love, nor hate
anything in a way which exceeds due proportions.
Let me neither rejoice, nor be saddened,
beyond the measure which is fitting and rational.”

Guide Me Lord
By St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Who seeks those who stray
and receives them when returning,
make me approach Thee
through the frequent hearing of Thy Word,
lest I sin against my neighbour,
by the blindness of human judgement,
through the austerity of false justice,
through comparing his inferior status,
through too much trust in my merits
or through ignorance of the Divine Judgement.
Guide me to search diligently,
each corner of my conscience,
lest the flesh dominate the spirit!
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-november-st-albert-the-great-2/

St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Universal Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 November – The Pure Heart

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One Minute Reflection – 13 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – St Didacus de Alcalá de Henares) OFM (c 1400-1463) Confessor – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14; Luke 12:32-34 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be too.” – Luke 12:34

REFLECTION – “…If, therefore, you wash, by a good life, the filth which has been glued on your heart like plaster, the Divine Beauty will again shine forth in you. It is the same as happens in the case of iron. If freed from rust by a whetstone that which but a moment ago, was black will shine and glisten brightly in the sun. So it is too with the inner man which the Lord calls “the heart.” When he has scraped off the rustlike dirt which dank decay has caused to appear on his form, he will once more recover the likeness of the Archetype (Gn 1:27) and, be good. For what is like to the Good is certainly itself good.

Hence, if a man who is pure of heart sees himself, he sees in himself what he desires and thus, he becomes blessed because, when he looks at his own purity, he sees the Archetype in the image. To give an example. Although men, who see the sun in a mirror, do not gaze at the sky itself, yet they see the sun in the reflection of the mirror, no less than those who look at its very orb. So, He says, it is also with you. Even though you are too weak to perceive the Light itself, yet if you but return to the grace of the image with which you were informed from the beginning, you will have all you seek in yourselves.

…For the Godhead is purity, freedom from passion and separation from all evil. If, therefore, these things be in you, God is indeed in you. Hence, if your thought is without any alloy of evil, free from passion, arid alien from all stain, you are blessed because you are clear of sight.” – St Gregory of Nyssa (c335-395) Bishop, Father of the Church (Brother of St Basil the Great) (Sermons 6 sur les Béatitudes – on the Beatitudes 6).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who in Thy wondrous providence, choose the weak things of the world to overcome the strong, mercifully grant unto us Thy humble servants that, by the loving prayers of blessed Didacus, Thy Confessor, we may be found worthy to be raised unto the everlasting glory 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", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MARIAN QUOTES, OUR Cross, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WATCHING, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 November – St Theodore the Studite

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 November – St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church

“Day by day follow God’s path,
keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise.
In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His Apostles,
to all those who seek His will and His testimonies
that He would be with them
until the end of the world (Mt 28:20)
where paths and footsteps
will be unknown (cf Ps 76:20),
as the divine David said in his songs.
Yet, in an invisible way,
He is present to the eyes of the mind,
making Himself seen by those
who have a pure heart
and conversing with them.
So pursue your path …. ”

“He who is immortal, voluntarily shed His Blood.
He who created the Host of Angels,
was bound at the hands of soldiers
and He who is to judge the living and the dead,
was dragged to justice (cf. Acts 10:42; 2 Tm 4:1).
Truth was exposed to false witnesses,
was slandered, struck, covered with spittle,
hung on the Wood of the Cross –
the Lord of Glory (cf. 1 Cor 2:8)
endured every outrage and suffering
without Himself needing these trials. …

So there is nothing surprising about it,
if we submit to even one of these trials,
since such is our condition …
Therefore, we too have to be offended and tempted,
afflicted by the cutting off of our wills.”
(Catecheses 1)

“By the Cross, death was slain
and Adam was restored to life.
The Cross is the glory of all the Apostles,
the Crown of the Martyrs,
the Sanctification of the Saints.
By the Cross, we put on Christ
and cast aside our former self.
By the Cross we, the sheep of Christ,
have been gathered into one flock,
destined for the Sheepfold of Heaven.”

“Who will gather the fruits of life
without having planted virtues in his soul?
Cultivate them, prepare the earth
with the greatest care,
take trouble over it, sweat over it, children,
God’s workers, imitators of the Angels,
competitors with incorporeal beings,
lights for those who are in the world!”

“Let us hike up our tunics, be on the alert,
have eagle eyes – this is the speediest flight
for the trip which leads us from earth to Heaven!
It is true, travellers can have something to endure.
And this happens to you too –
indeed, as you see, you struggle under hard labours …
Briefly, each is at their post.
All go forward on the highway to God,
they approach the great City and, in death,
they will have entry to the unutterable joy
of the good things God reserves,
for all those who have loved Him! ”

“Rejoice, O Mary, House of the Lord,
earth trodden by the Footsteps of God…
Rejoice, O Paradise
more happy than the Garden of Eden,
where every virtue has been seeded
and where the Tree of Life has grown.”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)
Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church

Posted in CATECHESIS, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on THE WORLD, St Francis de Sales, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – The Blessedness of the Pure of Heart

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Within the Octave of All Saints and the Feast of the Holy Relics – Apocalypse 7:2-12; 4:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

The Blessedness of the Pure of Heart

“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.”

“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?”

“Whatever riches and all other transitory things
you may possess, you must keep your heart
free from the slightest affection for them.
Your heart may be surrounded by riches;
however, riches must never master your heart!
… Do not let that mind which is the likeness of God,
cleave to mere earthly goods;
let it always be raised above them,
not sunk in them.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“The pure of heart will see God.
… All the wonders of creation
are rays of the Eternal Beauty of God.
Creatures, therefore, should form, for us,
a material ladder which leads us to God.
We should never become entangled
with transient worldly goods
but, should see and love God in them all.
The Saints were pure of heart
and could see God more clearly
than the most learned scholar.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, ON the SAINTS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PURITY, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 November – “They shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8

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One Minute Reflection – 5 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Within the Octave of All Saints and the Feast of the Holy Relics – Apocalypse 7:2-12; 4:1-3; 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, that which 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 those with a pure heart. This is not without a reason, since the eyes which allow us to see God are in the heart. Those are the eyes the Apostle Paul was speaking of 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 – Almighty, eternal God, Who granted us to honour the merits of all Thy Saints in a single solemn festival, bestow on us, we beseech Thee, through their manifold intercession, that abundance of Thy mercy for which we yearn.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 CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the KING Prayers, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The HEART

Our Morning Offering – 29 October – Be Thou My Vision

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Our Morning Offering – 29 October

Be Thou My Vision
By St Dallan Forgaill (c530- 598)
Martyr

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy Presence my Light.

Be Thou my Wisdom and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my Battle-shield, Sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and Thou only, First in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Son,
Heart of my heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

St Dallan here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/01/29/saint-of-the-day-29-january-st-dallan-forgaill-c-530-598/

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on the POOR, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 October – ‘ … Repay God, with the image of God …’

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One Minute Reflection – 19 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562) Confessor – Philippians 3:7-12, Luke 12:32-34 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be too.” – Luke 12:34

REFLECTION – “God accepts our offerings of money and is pleased with the gifts we make to the poor but, on one condition – that every sinner, when offering God his money, should offer Him his soul at the same time … When our Lord says: “Repay to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar and to God that which belongs to God” (Mk 12:17), what does He seem to say but – “Just as you repay Caesar with his own image on a coin, so repay God, with the image of God within ourselves” (cf Gn 1:26) …

This is why, as we have already said on numerous occasions, when we hand out money to the poor, let us offer our souls to God, so that, where our treasure is, there our heart may also be. Indeed, why does God ask us to give money? Unquestionably because, He knows the special love we have for it, we are always thinking about it and, where our money is, there too is our heart. This is why God urges us to make up our treasure in Heaven by making gifts of it to the poor; it is so that our hearts may follow where we have already sent our treasure and, when the Priest says: “Lift up your hearts” we may answer with peaceful conscience: “We lift them up to the Lord.” – St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Bishop, Father (Sermon 32, 1-3).

PRAYER – O God, Who graciously made blessed Peter, Thy Confessor, glorious by the gift of remarkable penance and sublime contemplation, grant, we beseech Thee, that, by the merit of his prayers, we may the more easily understand the things of Heaven by curbing our passions. 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 EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TIME, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, SAINT of the DAY, The HEART, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 16 October – St Gerard Majella

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 October – St Gerard Majella CSsR (1726-1755) Religious Lay Brother of the Redemptorists

“The Most Blessed Sacrament
is Christ made visible.
The poor sick person
is Christ again made visible.”

“Who except God can give you peace?
Has the world ever been able
to satisfy the heart?”

“Consider the shortness of time,
the length of eternity
and reflect, how everything here below
comes to an end and passes by.
Of what use is it then, to lean upon that
which cannot give support?”

St Gerard Majella (1726-1755)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PEACE, The HEART, The HOLY GHOST, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 August– ‘ … For everything lies in the soul’s inner sanctuary. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 16 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Feast of the Purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of St Hedwig of Andechs (1174-1243) Widow – Proverbs 31:10-31, Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure  hidden in a field; he who finds it, hides it and in his joy, goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” – Matthew 13:44

REFLECTION – “In my opinion, it would be unworthy of us to withdraw, even for a moment, from the contemplation of Christ. When we have lost sight of Him, even briefly, let us turn our mind’s regard back to Him, directing the eyes of our heart, as by a very straight line. For everything lies in the soul’s inner sanctuary. There, after the devil has been expelled and the vices no longer reign at all, the Kingdom of God can be established in us, as the Evangelist says: “For amen I say to you that the Kingdom of God is within you.”

But within us there can be nothing else than knowledge or ignorance of the truth and the love, of either the vices, or the virtues, by which we make ready a Kingdom in our hearts, either for the devil or for Christ.

The Apostle Paul also describes the characteristics of this Kingdom when he says: “For the Kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Thus, if the Kingdom of God is within us and the Kingdom of God is itself, righteousness and peace and joy, then, whoever abides in these things, is undoubtedly in the Kingdom of God … Let us lift up the eyes of our soul to that Kingdom which is endless joy!” – St John Cassian (c360-435) Monk, Theologian, Founder of Monasteries, Father of the Church, Disciple of St John Chrysostom (Conferences No 1).

PRAYER – O God, Who taught blessed Hedwig to forsake worldly vanities that she might, humbly follow Thy Cross, with her whole heart, grant through her merits and example, we may learn to renounce the perishable delights of the world and, by embracing Thy Cross, overcome all things opposed to our salvation. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 September – ‘ … What do we think is meant by the wedding garment, dearly beloved? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 18 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – St Joseph of Cupertino OFM Conv (1603-1663) Confessor – 1 Corinthians 13:1-8; Matthew 22:1-14 – cripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?” – Matthew 22:12

REFLECTION – “But you, my friends, since you have already come into the house of the marriage feast, our holy Church, as a result of God’s generosity, be careful lest, when the King enters, He finds fault with some aspect of your heart’s clothing!

What do we think is meant by the wedding garment, dearly beloved? For if we say it is Baptism or faith, is there anyone who has entered this marriage feast without them? A person is outside because he has not yet come to believe. What then must we understand by the wedding garment but love? That person enters the marriage feast but without wearing a wedding garment, who is present in the holy Church. He may have faith but he does not have love. We are correct when we say that love is the wedding garment because this, is what our Creator Himself possessed, when He came to the marriage feast, to join the Church to Himself. Only God’s Love brought it about, that His Only-Begotten Son, united the hearts of His chosen, to Himself. John says “God so Loved the world that He gave His Only-Begotten Son for us.” – St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father and Doctor of the Church – (Sermons on the Gospel No 38).

PRAYER – O God, Who willed that all things be drawn unto Thy Son, when He was raised above the earth, mercifully grant, by the merits and example of Thy seraphic Confessor Joseph that, having been raised above all earthly desires, we may be found worthy to come unto Him. 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 AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, INDULGENCES, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MOTHER of GOD, Prayers to the SORROWFUL MOTHER, QUOTES on MOTHERHOOD, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – The Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” and The Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin

“The glorious Virgin paid our ransom
as a courageous woman who loved
with the compassionate love of Christ.
In Saint John it is said:
“When a woman is in labour she is sad
that her time has come.” (Jn 16:21)
The Blessed Virgin did not feel the pain
which precedes childbirth
because she did not conceive following
the sin of Eve, against whom the curse was spoken.
She felt her pain later –
she gave birth under the Cross!
Other women know bodily pain,
she felt that of the heart.
Others suffer from physical change;
she, from compassion and love.”

St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

“Bid me bear, O Mother Blest,
On my heart, the wounds imprest,
Suffered by the Crucified!

An Indulgence of 50 days each time.
Plenary Indulgence once a month
under the usual conditions.

“The heart of Mary became,
as it were, a mirror of the
Passion of the Son,
in which might be seen,
faithfully reflected,
the spitting, the blows and wounds
and all which Jesus suffered.”

St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455)

O Quot Undis Lacrimarum
What A Sea Of Tears And Sorrow
Breviary Hymn for the
Feast of the Seven Sorrow
Attrib. Bishop Callisto Palumbella OSM (1687-1749)
Trans. Fr Edward Caswell COrat (1814–1878)

What a sea of tears and sorrow
Did the soul of Mary toss
To and fro upon its billows,
While she wept her bitter loss;
In her arms her Jesus holding,
Torn so newly from the Cross.

Oh, that mournful Virgin-Mother!
See her tears how fast they flow
Down upon His mangled body,
Wounded side, and thorny brow;
While His hands and feet she kisses—
Picture of immortal woe.

Oft and oft, His arms and bosom
Fondly straining to her own;
Oft her pallid lips imprinting
On each wound of her dear Son;
Till at last, in swoons of anguish,
Sense and consciousness are gone.

Gentle Mother, we beseech thee
By thy tears and troubles sore;
By the death of thy dear Offspring,
By the bloody wounds He bore;
Touch our hearts with that true sorrow
Which afflicted thee of yore.

To the Father everlasting,
And the Son Who reigns on high,
With the Co-eternal Spirit,
Trinity in Unity,
Be salvation, honour, blessing
Now and through eternity.
Amen

Attrib. to the Servite Bishop Callisto Maria Vincenzo Antonio Palumbella OSM (1687-1749), who also composed the Office for the Feast inserted in the Breviary in 1720. He was the Bishop of Terracina, Priverno e Sezze, Italy.
This Translation by Fr Edward Caswell COrat (1814–1878)

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/09/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-september-our-sorrowful-mother/

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 September – ‘ … Repay God, with the image of God …’

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One Minute Reflection – 10 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – St Nicholas of Tolentino OSA (1245-1305) Confessor – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14; Luke 12:32-34 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be too.” – Luke 12:34

REFLECTION – “God accepts our offerings of money and is pleased with the gifts we make to the poor but, on one condition – that every sinner, when offering God his money, should offer Him his soul at the same time … When our Lord says: “Repay to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar and to God that which belongs to God” (Mk 12:17), what does He seem to say but – “Just as you repay Caesar with his own image on a coin, so repay God, with the image of God within ourselves” (cf Gn 1:26) …

This is why, as we have already said on numerous occasions, when we hand out money to the poor, let us offer our souls to God, so that, where our treasure is, there our heart may also be. Indeed, why does God ask us to give money? Unquestionably because, He knows the special love we have for it, we are always thinking about it and, where our money is, there too is our heart. This is why God urges us to make up our treasure in Heaven by making gifts of it to the poor; it is so that our hearts may follow where we have already sent our treasure and, when the Priest says: “Lift up your hearts” we may answer with peaceful conscience: “We lift them up to the Lord.” – St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Bishop, Father (Sermon 32, 1-3).

PRAYER – Be mindful, O Lord, of our humble prayers in this commemoration of Thy Saint Nicholas, so that we, who have no confidence in our own righteousness, may be assisted by the merits of those, who have been pleasing to Thee. 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 MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES for CHRIST, The HEART, The INCARNATION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 September – We too are blessed …

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” and Our Lady’s Saturday – Ecclesiasticus
24:14-16; Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Behold, I stand at the gate and knock.
If any man shall hear My Voice
and open the door to Me, I shall come into him
and shall sup with him and he with Me.”

Apocalypse 3:20

“… Rather blessed are those, who hear the Word of God
and keep it.”

Luke 11:28

“We too are blessed when we are mindful
of carrying Him constantly in our heart.
Certainly, Christ’s Conception in Mary’s womb
was a great marvel but it is no less of a marvel
to see Him become the guest of our heart.”

“May Christ be heard in our language,
may Christ be seen in our life,
may He be perceived in our hearts”

St Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on HUMAN DIGNITY, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 September – ‘ … We too are blessed, when we are mindful of carrying Him constantly in our heart. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 7 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” and Our Lady’s Saturday – Ecclesiasticus
24:14-16; Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed is the womb which bore Thee
… blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” – Luke 11:27,28

REFLECTION – “It is true of the Virgin Mary that she conceived Christ in her womb but all, who are chosen, share in carrying Him in their heart with love. Blessed, yes, blessed indeed, is the woman who carried Jesus in her womb for nine months (Lk 11:27). We too are blessed, when we are mindful of carrying Him constantly in our heart. Certainly, Christ’s conception in Mary’s womb was a great marvel but it is no less of a marvel to see Him become the guest of our heart. That is the meaning of John’s testimony: “Behold, I stand at the gate and knock. If any man shall hear My Voice and open the door to Me, I shall come into him
and shall sup with him and he with Me ” (Apoc 3:20).

… Here again, my brothers, let us consider our dignity and ,our resemblance to Mary. The Virgin conceived Christ in her womb of flesh and we, carry Him in the womb of our heart. Mary nourished Christ by giving His lips milk from her breast and we, can offer Him a varied meal with the good works which delight Him!” – St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Cardinal Bishop of Ostia, Doctor of the Church (Sermon 45).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants, that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of thine eternal gladness.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 CARMELITES, CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on WATCHING, SAINT of the DAY, The HEART, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 31 August – Light your lamps and hope…!

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Quote/s of the Day – 31 August – Ecclesiasticus Sir 31:8-1, Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Jesus said to His disciples:
gird your loins
and light your lamps”

Luke 12:35

“ The fire of the Lord is Light Eternal;
the lamps of believers are lit at this fire:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps,”
(Lk 12:35).
It is because the days of our life
are still night that a lamp is necessary.
This is the fire which,
according to the testimony
of the disciples at Emmaus,
the Lord Himself set within them:
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while He spoke to us on the way
and opened the scriptures to us?” (Lk 24:32).
He gives us evident proof of this fire’s action,
enlightening man’s inmost heart.
That is why the Lord will come in fire (Is 66,15)
so as to devour our faults at the resurrection,
fulfil each one’s desires with His Presence
and cast His Light over their merits and mysteries.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Hope, O my soul, hope!
You know neither the day, nor the hour.
Watch carefully, for everything passes quickly,
even though your impatience, makes doubtful,
what is certain and turns
a very short time, into a long one.”

St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, EVENING and NIGHT Prayers, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WATCHING, The HEART, The HOLY FACE, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 28 August – St Augustine

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 August – The Feast of St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Confessor, Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church

“Let Us Hate Our Sins and Love Him
Who Will Exact Punishment for Them.
What then should the Christian do?
He ought to use the world, not become its slave.
And what does this mean?
It means having, as though not having.
… Are we really certain that we love Him?
Or do we love our sins more?
Therefore, let us hate our sins and love Him
Who, will exact punishment for them.
He will come whether we wish it or not.
Do not think that because He is not coming just now,
He will not come at all. He will come,
you know, not when and provided He finds you prepared,
your ignorance of the time of His coming,
will not be held against you.”

“… Every man is both debtor and creditor…
A beggar asks you for alms but you, too,
are God’s beggar, for when we pray
we are all beggars of God.
We stand – or rather, prostrate ourselves –
at our Father’s door (cf Lk 11:5);
we beseech Him with groans,
anxious to receive a grace from Him
and this grace is God Himself!
What does the beggar ask of you?
Bread. And what is it that you are asking of God
but Christ, Who said:
“I am the Living Bread come down from Heaven”
(Jn 6:51).”

“Martha’s life is our own world;
Mary’s life, the world we are waiting for.
Let us live this one in uprightness,
so that we may gain the other, in its fullness.
What do we already possess of that life here below? …
At this moment precisely,
we are leading the life to come to a certain extent –
you have gathered together,
away from matters of business,
apart from family cares and are present here to listen. When you act like this, then you resemble Mary.”

“The great wealth of Christians
is found in the needs of the poor,
provided we grasp how to put our
possessions to good use.
The poor are always before us;
if we entrust our wealth to them,
we shall not lose it.”

Watch, O Lord!
With Those Who Wake,
or Watch, or Weep Tonight
By St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

Watch, O Lord,
with those who wake,
or watch,
or weep tonight
and give Thy Angels and Saints,
charge over those who sleep.
Tend Thy sick ones, O Lord Christ.
Rest Thy weary ones.
Bless Thy dying ones.
Soothe Thy suffering ones.
Pity Thy afflicted ones.
Shield Thy joyous ones.
And all, for Thine Love’s sake.
Amen

Almighty Father, Come Into Our Hearts
By St Augustine (354-430)

Almighty Father, come into our hearts
and so fill us with Thy Love
that forsaking all evil desires,
we may embrace Thee, our only good.
Show us, O Lord our God,
what Thou art to us.
Say to our souls, I Am your salvation,
speak so, that we may hear.
Our hearts are before Thee,
open our ears,
let us hasten after Thy Voice.
Hide not Thy Face from us,
we beseech Thee, O Lord.
Open our hearts, so that Thou may enter in.
Repair the ruined mansions,
that Thou may dwell therein.
Hear us, O Heavenly Father,
for the sake of Thy Only Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with Thee
and the Holy Ghost,
one God, now and forever.
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/08/28/quote-s-of-the-day-28-august-st-augustine-2/

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

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, St JOHN the BAPTIST, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 23 August – Our hearts were made for Thee, O God!

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – – 1 Corinthians. 4:9-14; Luke 12:32-34 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Sell what you possess and give alms.
Make for yourselves purses
which do not grow old,
a treasure unfailing in Heaven,
where neither thief draws near,
nor moth destroys.”

Luke 12:33

“For where your treasure is,
there also will your heart be.”

Lukr 12:34

“Our hearts were made for Thee, O God
And restless must they be
Until, O God, this grace accord,
Until they rest in Thee!”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Where is the heart which loves?
On the thing it loves.
Therefore, where our love is,
there our heart is held captive.
It cannot leave it;
it cannot be lifted higher,
it cannot go either to the right
or the left; see, it is fixed.
Where the miser’s treasure is,
there is his heart and where our heart is,
there is our treasure.
And what is so deplorable is
that the things which hold us in servitude,
are, for the most part,
such unworthy things!”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

Like St John the Baptist did –
“Prepare a path for God
so that He can enter your heart.”

St John Baptiste de la Salle (1651-1719)

Almighty God, Open Thou My Heart
A Prayer for Guidance
By St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church

ALMIGHTY God,
open Thou my heart
and enlighten me with the grace of the Holy Spirit,
to see those things which are well-pleasing to Thy will.
Direct my thoughts and understanding
to those things which it is proper to meditate upon
and to take in hand;
in such fashion, as by fitting character
and deeds, I might be found worthy
of the eternal joy of heavenly life.
Direct my acts to Thy commandments,
that I might, by labour
so unbrokenly study to bring them to fulfilment,
as to attain to an everlasting reward.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 August – “The heart.”

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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/

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be too.” – Luke 12:34

REFLECTION – “…If, therefore, you wash, by a good life, the filth which has been glued on your heart like plaster, the Divine Beauty will again shine forth in you. It is the same as happens in the case of iron. If freed from rust by a whetstone that which but a moment ago, was black will shine and glisten brightly in the sun. So it is too with the inner man which the Lord calls “the heart.” When he has scraped off the rustlike dirt which dank decay has caused to appear on his form, he will once more recover the likeness of the Archetype (Gn 1:27) and, be good. For what is like to the Good is certainly itself good.

Hence, if a man who is pure of heart sees himself, he sees in himself what he desires and thus, he becomes blessed because, when he looks at his own purity, he sees the Archetype in the image. To give an example. Although men, who see the sun in a mirror, do not gaze at the sky itself, yet they see the sun in the reflection of the mirror, no less than those who look at its very orb. So, He says, it is also with you. Even though you are too weak to perceive the Light itself, yet if you but return to the grace of the image with which you were informed from the beginning, you will have all you seek in yourselves.

…For the Godhead is purity, freedom from passion and separation from all evil. If, therefore, these things be in you, God is indeed in you. Hence, if your thought is without any alloy of evil, free from passion, arid alien from all stain, you are blessed because you are clear of sight.” – St Gregory of Nyssa (c335-395) Bishop, Father of the Church (Brother of St Basil the Great) (Sermons 6 sur les Béatitudes – on the Beatitudes 6).

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 CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on JOY, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 August– ‘ … For everything lies in the soul’s inner sanctuary. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 21 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Jane Frances de Chantal VHM (1572-1641) Widow – Proverbs 31:10-31′; Matthew 13:44-52 – – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure  hidden in a field; he who finds it, hides it and in his joy, goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” – Matthew 13:44

REFLECTION – “In my opinion, it would be unworthy of us to withdraw, even for a moment, from the contemplation of Christ. When we have lost sight of Him, even briefly, let us turn our mind’s regard back to Him, directing the eyes of our heart, as by a very straight line. For everything lies in the soul’s inner sanctuary. There, after the devil has been expelled and the vices no longer reign at all, the Kingdom of God can be established in us, as the Evangelist says: “For amen I say to you that the Kingdom of God is within you.”

But within us there can be nothing else than knowledge or ignorance of the truth and the love, of either the vices, or the virtues, by which we make ready a Kingdom in our hearts, either for the devil or for Christ.

The Apostle Paul also describes the characteristics of this Kingdom when he says: “For the Kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Thus, if the Kingdom of God is within us and the Kingdom of God is itself, righteousness and peace and joy, then, whoever abides in these things, is undoubtedly in the Kingdom of God … Let us lift up the eyes of our soul to that Kingdom which is endless joy!” – St John Cassian (c360-435) Monk, Theologian, Founder of Monasteries, Father of the Church, Disciple of St John Chrysostom (Conferences No 1).

PRAYER – Almighty and merciful God, Who endowed St Jane Frances, burning with love of Thee, with a wondrous strength of spirit through all the paths of life, in the way of perfection and willed through her, to ennoble Thy Church, by a new religious family, grant by her merits and prayers, that we who are aware of our weakness, may trust firmly in Thy power and, by the assistance of divine grace, overcome all obstacles in our way. 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 "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 August – ‘May He be perceived in our hearts.’

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 August – St Lawrence (Died 258) Martyr, “Keeper of the Treasures of he Church” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; John 12:24-26 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“If anyone serves Me,
he must follow Me
and where I Am,
there will My servant be too.”

John 12:26

“Abide in Me and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
unless it abide in the vine,
so neither can you,
unless you abide in Me.”

John 15:4

“The present is nothing.
But eternity abides
for those on whom
all Truth, all Good, has shone,
in One Entire and Perfect Light. ”

St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431)

“God, in His promises to hear our prayers,
is desirous to bestow Himself upon us;
if you find anything better than Him, ask it
but if you ask anything beneath Him,
you put an affront upon Him
and hurt yourself, by preferring to Him,
a creature which He created!”

St Augustine of Canterbury (Died c605)
“The Apostle to the English”

“May Christ be heard in our language,
may Christ be seen in our life,
may He be perceived in our hearts”

St Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 July – ‘ … The vision of God is promised ONLY to people with a pure heart. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 30 July– “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – St Abdon and St Senen (Died c250) Martyrs – 2 Corinthians 6:4-10; 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, that which 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 those with a pure heart. This is not without a reason, since the eyes which allow us to see God are in the heart. Those are the eyes the Apostle Paul was speaking of 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).” (1 Cor 13:12).” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 53).

PRAYER – O God, Who bestowed upon Thy Saints, Abdon and Sennen, an abundance of grace to bring them to this glory, grant to Thy servants forgiveness of their sins, so they may be found worthy to be freed from all harm, through the interceding merits of Thy Saints. 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 CATHOLIC Quotes, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, franciscan OFM, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on Love of Self, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), QUOTES on WISDOM, The HEART, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 26 July – Let us Pray!

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 July – St Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Grandmother of Jesus.

St Anne, through her constant prayer,
received, the Mother of God
and then, became the Grandmother of God!

“Let my prayer come
like incense before Thee, O Lord.”

Psalm 140:2

“Exercise your soul!
Use keeps metal brighter
but disuse produces rust.
… So “No-one lights a candle
and puts it under a bushel
but upon a candlestick
that it may give light.”
For of what use is wisdom, if it fails
to make those who hear it wise?”

St Clement of Alexandria (c150-c215)
Father of the Church

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

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

“Arm yourself with prayer
instead of a sword;
be clothed with humility
instead of fine raiment.”

St Dominic OP (1170-1221)

“In prayer, the soul cleanses itself from sin,
charity is nourished,
faith is strengthened,
hope made secure;
the spirit rejoices,
the soul grows tender
and the heart is purified,
truth discovers itself,
temptation is overcome,
sadness takes to flight,
the senses are renewed,
failing virtue is made strong,
tepidity disappears,
the rust of sin is rubbed away.
In it are brought forth,
lively flashes of heavenly desires
and in these fires,
burns the flame of Divine love.
Great are the excellences of prayer,
great its privileges.
The heavens open before it
and unveil therein, their secrets
and to it, are the ears of God ever attentive.”

A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer
Download the book, “A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer”

St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

“When you pray, let it be your intention
to will God’s Will alone and not your own,
as well in asking as in obtaining that is,
pray because God Wills you to pray
and desire to be heard, insofar and, no farther,
than He Wills. Your intention, in short,
should be to unite your will to the Will of God
and not to draw His Will to yours.
And this because, your will, being infected
and ruined by self-love, often errs
and knows not what to ask but the Divine Will,
being always united to ineffable goodness,
can never err.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on TRUTH, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 July – The Treasure and The Pearl

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One Minute Reflection – 26 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – St Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Grandmother of Jesus.– Proverbs 31:10-31, Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Jesus said in parables: The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure, hidden in a field. … Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant seeking good pearls. ”- Matthew 13:44 and 45

REFLECTION – “The two parables of the treasure and the pearl, both teach us the same thing – we should prefer the Gospel before all earthly treasures. … However, there is something even more praiseworthy than this – we should delight to give it preference, joyfully, unhesitatingly. Let us never forget this, to abandon all else, so as to follow God, is to gain more, than one loses. The preaching of the Gospel is hidden in this world like a hidden treasure, a treasure without price.

To gain this treasure … two conditions are required – the forsaking of this world’s goods and a firm determination. For, it is a question “of a merchant searching for fine pearls, when he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” This one pearl is Truth and Truth is one, it is not divided. Do you possess a pearl? Then you know your wealth, it is clenched in the palm of your hand, no-one is aware of your fortune.

So it is with the Gospel, if you embrace it with faith, if it remains enclosed in your heart, what a treasure you have You alone know it is there. Unbelievers, who know neither what it is nor what value it has, have no idea of your incredible wealth!” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on Saint Matthew’s Gospel No 47:2).

PRAYER – O God, Who in Thy kindness gave blessed Anne the grace to be the mother of her, who Mothered Thy Only-begotten Son, graciously grant that we who keep her feast, maybe helped by her intercession with Thee. 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).