Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, QUOTES on WISDOM, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, REDEMPTIVE Suffering, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day –20 March – ‘ … Give earth and receive Heaven! …’

Quote/s of the Day –20 March – Ferial Day – Thursday in the Second Week in Lent – Jeremias 17:5-10 – Luke 16:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“There was a rich man,
who was clothed in purple
and fine linen
and who feasted sumptuously everyday.
And at his gate lay a poor man,
named Lazarus
…”

Luke 16:19–20

Amen I say to you,
as long as you did NOT do it
for one of these least ones,
you did NOT do it for Me.

Matthew 25:45

Give of your earthly goods
and receive eternal ones;
give earth and receive Heaven
!”

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

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

If thou wouldst see well, pluck out thine eyes and be blind;
if thou wouldst hear well, be deaf
and if thou wouldst speak well, become dumb;
if thou wouldst advance, stand still
and advance with thy mind;
if thou wouldst work well, cut off thy hands
and work with thy heart;
if thou wouldst love much, hate thyself;
if thou wouldst live well, mortify thyself;
if thou wouldst gain much and be rich,
first lose all and become poor
and if thou wouldst enjoy peace, afflict thyself
and be ever in fear and suspect thine own self;
if thou wouldst be exalted and have great honour,
humble and abase thyself;
if thou wouldst be held in great reverence, despise thyself
and do reverence to him who reviles thee;
if thou wouldst that it should be well with thee,
suffer all evil things and if thou wouldst be blessed,
desire that all should speak ill of thee
and if thou wouldst have true and eternal rest,
then toil and suffer and desire to have every temporal affliction.
O what great wisdom it is to know how to do
and to work out these things.”

Blessed Giles of Assisi (c1190-1262)

Posted in CATECHESIS, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St Francis de Sales, The TRANSFIGURATION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – ‘ … May we be moulded to His Image …’

Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – The Second Sunday of Lent

This is My beloved Son;
in Whom I Am well pleased,
listen to Him.

Matthew 17:5

Let us listen to the holy Voice of God
which summons us from on high,
from the holy mountain top.
There, we must hasten – I make bold to say –
like Jesus, Who is our leader
and has gone before us into Heaven.
There, with Him, may the eyes of our mind
shine with His Light and the features of our soul
be made new; may we be transfigured with Him
and moulded to His image,
ever becoming divine,
being transformed in an ever greater degree of glory.

St Anastasius Sinaita (Died 6th Century)
Priest and Abbot

At His Transfiguration
Christ showed His disciples,
the splendour of His Beauty,
to which He will shape and colour,
those who are His :
‘He will reform our lowness
configured to the Body of His Glory.

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor of the Church

Aspire to God with short
but frequent outpourings of the heart,
admire His bounty,
invoke His aid,
cast yourself in spirit at the foot of His Cross,
adore His goodness,
treat with Him of your salvation,
give Him your whole soul –
a thousand times in the day.

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR

Our Morning Offering – 15 March – Jesus, My Saviour, Help Me!

Our Morning Offering – 15 March – Ember Saturday in the 1st Week of Lent and the Feastday of St Clement Mary Hofbauer C.Ss.R (1751-1820)
Below is a prayer by the Founder of his Order, the Redemptorists, St Alphonsus

Jesus, My Saviour, Help Me!
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

Jesus, my Saviour, help me!
I am resolved truly to love Thee
and to leave all, to please Thee.
Help me to free myself
from everything which hinders me
from belonging wholly to Thee,
Who has loved me so much.
By thy prayers, O Mother Mary,
which are so powerful with God,
obtain for me this grace,
to belong wholly to God.
Amen

Posted in Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The PASSION, The SACRED PASSION - Meditations for LENT, The WILL of GOD

Lenten Meditations – 12 March – Jesus’ Farewell Discourse

Lenten Meditations – 12 March – With Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ”
“Short Meditations for Lent”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Wednesday of the First Week in Lent
Jesus’ Farewell Discourse

Read St John xiv:1-3, 27-31
(Posted at the end)

+1. Our Lord’s farewell to His Apostles begins and ends with words of encouragement. He knew the importance of courage and confidence and, without these, they would never do great things for God. He knew too, how liable all men are to be discouraged and cast down when troubles and trials arise; how difficult it is to struggle on, when all seems dark around one.
To us too, as to the Twelve, He says – “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me.
Why do not we believe more in Christ, trust Him more, appeal more to Him in times of darkness?
He will always have a word of comfort for us.
Let not your heart be troubled. I go to prepare a place for you.”

+2. Amid all the troubles Our Lord foretells to His Apostles, He promises them one gift which will enable them to rise above all their difficulties and all their sorrows. He promises to leave His Peace with them. What gift is there which is like this in the world? If we are at peace, we can bid defiance to all our foes; if we are not at peace, we might be lords of the universe, yet, we should be miserable. No wonder we pray in Holy Mass, “Dona nobis pacem – Give us peace.”

+3. The peace Our Lord promises, is His Peace :
My Peace I give unto you.
What sort of peace is this?
It is the peace He enjoyed all through His Life – the peace of perfect union of His Will with God’s. If we are thus united to God by perfect resignation, we too shall have unalterable and eternal peace

1] Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. [2] In My Father’s House there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you because, I go to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I shall go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself that where I Am, you also may be. [John 14:1-3]

[27] Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [28] You have heard that I said to you: I go away and I come unto you. If you loved Me, you would indeed be glad because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. [29] And now I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it shall come to pass, you may believe. [30] I will not now speak many things with you. For the prince of this world cometh and in Me he hath not any thing.
[31] But that the world may know that I love the Father and as the Father hath given me commandment, so do I: Arise, let us go hence. [John 14:27-31]

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of PETITION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TRUTH, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 10 March – O Merciful God By St Thomas Aquinas

Our Morning Offering – 10 March – Monday of the First Week in Lent

O Merciful God
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus
Doctor Communis

O merciful God,
grant that I may ever perfectly
do Thy Will in all things.
Let it be my ambition to work
only for Thy honour and glory.
Let me rejoice in nothing
but that which leads to Thee,
nor grieve for anything,
which leads away from Thee.
May all passing things be as nothing in my eyes
and may all which is Thine be dear to me
and Thou, my God, dear above them all.
May all joy be meaningless without Thee
and may I desire nothing apart from Thee.
May all labour and toil delight me, when it is for Thee.
Make me, O Lord, obedient without complaint,
poor without regret,
patient without murmur,
humble without pretence,
joyous without frivolity,
and truthful without disguise.
Amen

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of PETITION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 8 March – Lord be Blessed! By St John of God

Our Morning Offering – 8 March – The Feastday of St John of God OH (1495-1550) Confessor

Lord be Blessed!
(A Prayer of Thanksgiving and Self-oblation)
By St John of God (1495-1550)

Lord be blessed!
for in Thy great kindness to me,
who art such a great sinner,
having performed so many wicked things,
yet Thou seest fit to set me free,
from such a tremendous temptation
and deception into which I fell,
through my own sinfulness.
Thou hast brought me into a safe harbour,
where I shall endeavour to serve Thee
with all my strength.
My Lord, I beg Thee, with all my might,
give me the strength of Thine grace
and always let me see Thine clemency.
I wish to be Thy slave,
so kindly show me what I should do.
Give peace and quiet to my soul
which greatly desires this.
O most worthy Lord,
may this creature of Thine,
serve and praise Thee.
May I give my whole heart
and mind, to Thee.
Amen

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, GOD ALONE!, MODESTY, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on MEEKNESS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

Quote/s of the Day – 6 March – Lord, I am not worthy …

Quote/s of the Day – 6 March – Ash Thursday – Isaias 38:1-6 – Matthew 8:5-13

And the centurion, making answer, said:
Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst
enter under my roof but only say the word
and my servant shall be healed.

Matthew 8:8

Whoever exalts himself
will be humbled
and whoever humbles himself
will be exalted.

Matthew 23:12

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.

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

Humility is the mother of many virtues
because, from it are born:
obedience, fear, reverence, patience,
modesty, meekness and peace.
He who is humble easily obeys everyone,
fears to offend anyone,
is at peace with everyone,
is kind to all!

St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1488-1555)

Humility is not just about self-mistrust
but about the entrusting of ourselves to God.
Distrusting ourselves and our own strength
produces trust in God
and from that trust,
generosity of soul is born.

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, St Francis de Sales, The LAST THINGS

Quote/s of the Day – 5 March – Prayer, Fasting and Mercy

Quote/s of the Day – 5 March – Ash Wednesday

Prayer, Fasting and Mercy

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

Fasting is the soul of prayer,
mercy is the lifeblood of fasting.
Let no-one try to separate them;
they cannot be separated.
If you have only one of them,
or not all together, you have nothing.
So if you pray, fast;
if you fast, show mercy;
if you want your petition to be heard,
hear the petition of others.
If you do not close your ear to others
you open God’s ear to yourself!

St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450)
Bishop of Ravenna
“Doctor of Homilies”
Father and Doctor of the Church

Fasting is the death of sin,
the destruction of our crimes
and the remedy of our salvation.

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

For the devil may tempt the good
but he cannot find rest in them;
for he is shaken violently
and upset and driven out –
now by their prayers,
now by their tears of repentance
and now. by their almsgiving
and similar good works.

St Bruno (c1030-1101)

If a man finds it very difficult to forgive injuries,
let him look at a Crucifix
and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him
and not only forgave His enemies
but, even prayed His Heavenly Father,
to forgive them too.
Let him remember,
that when he says the Pater Noster, everyday,
instead of asking pardon for his sins,
he is calling down VENGEANCE UPON HIMSELF!

St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

The sacred gift of prayer
is already in the Right Hand of the Saviour;
as soon as ever you shall have emptied yourself of self,
He will pour it into your heart!

(Letters to Persons in Religion III 19)

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

You must be reconciled to your enemies,
speak to them, as if they had never done you
anything but good, all your life,
keeping nothing in your heart but the charity,
which the good Christian should have, for everyone,
so that we may all appear with confidence,
before the tribunal of God.

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

Posted in GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The GREAT TRUTHS, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 28 February – How to Begin Heaven on Earth

Thought for the Day – 28 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

28th Day – How to Begin Heaven on Earth

Thy Will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven .
(St Matt vi:10)

+I. In this vale of tears, even the happiest life is misery compared to the life in Heaven.
Even the perfect tranquillity and peace, enjoyed by the Saints of God on earth, is confusion and trouble compared to the peace of Heaven. Yet, we can begin even here, a life which contains the germ of Paradise.
The essential element of Heaven, is union with God,and those, who are united to God by supernatural charity, have in them, the seed of Heaven’s happiness.

+2. This supernatural charity does not consist in feeling, or in the absence of suffering, or in brilliant success or in freedom from temptation.
Our life maybe one continual cross, one long series of failures, as men count failure; we may live in poverty and want and die unheeded and uncared for; yet, such a life, maybe the beginning of Heaven upon earth.

+3. In what then, does supernatural charity consist?
Simply in doing what we know to be God’s Will in the details of our daily life; in having the thought of Him before us as the guiding principle of our actions, of doing all for Him and not for self.
One who consistently leads such a life as this, cannot fail to be happy, in spite of all external miseries, for he carries in himself, the principle which constitutes heavenly happiness.
Thy Will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.
Pray for this unfailing compliance with the will of God in all that you do and think and are.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, In the PRESENCE of GOD, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – Preparing to Prepare

Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – Preparing to Prepare

For he who would save his life
will lose it but he who loses his life,
for My sake will find it.

Matthew 16:25

Destroy yourself completely
and sit, like a chick,
content with the grace of God,
for unless its mother gives it something,
it tastes nothing and has nothing to eat.

St Romuald (c951-1027)

May the God of love and peace,
set your hearts at rest
and speed you on your journey,
may He meanwhile,
shelter you from disturbance by others,
in the hidden recesses of His Love,
until He brings you, at last,
into that place of complete plenitude,
where you will repose forever,
in the vision of peace,
in the security of trust
and in the restful enjoyment of His riches.

St Raymond of Peñafort
(1175-1275)

When I look at successful men,
I find in all, three characteristics:
(1) A spirit of cheerfulness and confidence.
They know how to look at everything
from its best side.
Hence, I must pray for these attributes.
(2) A spirit of perseverance.
They are not discouraged by failures.
They recover themselves without delay.
What a lesson for me, not to lose heart
but to say, when I fall, I will rise again
and that, promptly!
(3) A spirit of single-mindedness.
They keep the end in view steadily before them.
If I am to attain, to the End of my life,
to succeed in coming to God at last,
I must keep Him always before me.

Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 February – Go also …

Quote/s of the Day – 20 February – Ferial Day – Septuagesima – 1 Corinthians 9,24-27.10; 1-5 – Matthew 20,1-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Go you also into My Vineyard.

Matthew 20:7

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
…. ”

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

But what shall we offer, brothers,
what shall we give Him
for all the benefits He has given us?
He offered the most precious Victim
He possessed for our sake;
in truth, He could not have had
anything more precious.
So let us, too,
do what we can,
let us offer Him the best we have,
that is to say, ourselves!
He offered Himself,
so who are you,
to hesitate to offer yourself
?”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father & Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

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

St Vincent de Paul CM (1581-1660)

Posted in CARMELITES, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, In the PRESENCE of GOD, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, OUR Cross, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Love of Self, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, REDEMPTIVE Suffering, SAINT of the DAY, St PAUL!

Quote of the Day – 14 February – True Love

Quote of the Day – 14 February – St Valentine (176-273) Bishop and Martyr

Love one another
as I have loved you.

John 15:12

But I say to you,
Love your enemies
…”

Matthew 5:44

He gives according to the love He bears us …,
according to the courage He sees in each
and the love each has for His Majesty.
He will see, that whoever loves Him much,
will be able to suffer much for Him;
whoever loves Him little,
will be capable of little.
I myself hold,
that the measure for being able to bear,
a large or small cross, is love 
…”

St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582)

Take God for your Spouse and Friend
and walk with Him continually
and you will not sin and will learn to love
and the things you must do
will work out prosperously for you.

The one who walks in the love of God
seeks neither gain nor reward
but seeks only, with the will,
to lose self and all things, for God
and this loss, the lover judges to be a gain!
Thus it is, as St Paul asserts:
“For me death is gain” [Phil 1:21],
that is, my death to all things and to myself,
for Christ, is my spiritual gain.
Consequently, the soul declares:
“I was found.”
The soul who does not know how to lose himself,
does not find himself but rather, loses himself,
as Our Lord teaches in the Gospel:
“For he who will save his life, shall lose it
and he who will lose his life for My Sake, will find it.

(Mt 16:25).

St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Doctor of the Church

LOVE
is the only way
to HEAVEN.

St Joseph Calasanz (1557-1648)

The measure of love,
is to love without measure
.”

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

Posted in CONSECRATION Prayers, DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR

Our Morning Offering – 14 February – The Morning Offering of St Alphonsus

Our Morning Offering – 14 February

The Morning Offering
Of St Alphonsus
de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of Church

My most sweet Lord,
I offer and consecrate
to Thee this morning
all that I am and have –
my senses,
my thoughts,
my affections,
my desires,
my pleasures,
my inclinations,
my liberty.
In a word,
I place my whole body
and soul in Thy Hands.
Amen

Posted in GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on Love of Self, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The GREAT TRUTHS, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 9 February – The Necessary Dispositions

Thought for the Day – 9 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

9th Day –The Necessary Dispositions

If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome.
(St Matthew vi:22)

In order to make a good use of the various means afforded us, of making progress towards true happiness, we must consider what should be our state of mind, respecting them.

+1. We must be on the watch, that our inclinations do not run away with us. Most of the foolish things we do are the result of acting on impulse, of being led by our inclinations, of being influenced by wounded self-love.
How many a golden opportunity of merit, we have missed because, we would not patiently accept that which wounded or hurt our self-esteem!

+2. We must try to make ourselves ready, to accept, whatever God sends, whether painful or pleasant. We must take willingly and cheerfully, sickness, pain, unkindness, neglect, failure, poverty and, although nature may cry out against it, yet, we must keep our will united to God’s, so as to be always able to say – ‘Not my will be done, O my God but Thine.

+3. We must try to look on the bright side of everything. There is nothing in the world which does not possess a bright side!
This will make us always patient and, what is more, always happy. We shall acquire a facility for ignoring or passing over the painful side of things, to look at the joyful and hopeful.
Do I try to do this, or do I often grumble and repine?
Offer to God your willingness to endure whatever He sees to be good for your soul.

Posted in GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL

Quote/s of the Day – 7 February – St Romuald

Quote/s of the Day – 7 February – St Romuald (c951-1027) Abbot

In the Psalms there is one way.
Do not abandon it.
If you, who have come,
with the fervour of a novice,
cannot understand everything,
strive to recite, with understanding
of spirit and mind, now here, now there
and when you begin to wander while reading,
do not stop but hasten to correct yourself
by concentrating.

Destroy yourself completely
and sit, like a chick,
content with the grace of God,
for unless its mother gives it something,
it tastes nothing and has nothing to eat.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/02/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-february-st-romuald-3/

St Romuald (c951-1027)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VICE, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 February – ‘… True faith knows no delay. …’

One Minute Reflection – 7 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – St Romuald (c951-1027) 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 – “Jesus said to them, ‘Come after Me; I will make you fishers of men.’” Happy transformation of fishing! Simon and Andrew are what Jesus caught fishing … These men are made similar to fish, caught by Christ, before going themselves to catch other people. “They immediately abandoned their nets and became His followers.” True faith knows no delay. As soon as they heard Him, they believed, they followed Him and they became fishers. “They immediately abandoned their nets.” I think that with those nets, they abandoned all the vices of the life of this world …

Proceeding a little farther along, He caught sight of James, Zebedee’s son and his brother, John … He summoned them on the spot. They abandoned their father Zebedee, who was in the boat with the hired men and went off in His company.” You will tell me — faith is daring. What indication did they have, what sublime characteristic had they noted which made them follow Him, as soon as He called them? We realise that evidently something Divine came forth from Jesus’ gaze, from the expression on His Face which incited those who looked at Jesus to turn towards Him … Why am I saying all this? It is to show you that the Lord’s Word was active and, that through the least of His Words, He was working on His task: “He commanded and they were made.” (Ps 148:5) With the same simplicity, He called and they followed … “Hear, O daughter and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father’s house. So shall the king desire your beauty.” (Ps 45:11-12)

Listen well, brother and follow the path of the Apostles; listen to the Saviour’s Voice, ignore your father according to the flesh and see the true Father of your soul and your mind … The Apostles left their father, left their boat, left all their riches of that time; they abandoned the world and its countless riches; they renounced all that they owned. However, God does not consider the mass of riches but rather, the soul of the person who renounces them. Those people who left only a few things would also have renounced a large fortune, if the need had arisen.” – St Jerome (347-420) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospel of Mark).

RAYER – May the intercession of the Blessed Abbot Romuald, commend us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, so that what we do not deserve by any merits of our own, we may obtain by his patronage. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, The GREAT TRUTHS, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 5 February – God the End of our Life

Thought for the Day – 5 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

5th Day – God the End of our Life

Seek ye, therefore. first the kingdom of God.
(St Matthew vi:33)

+1. Our life is a circle – whence it first came thither, it must return. As we proceeded from God, so, we must go back to Him, if our life is to be a success.
We can never find repose or lasting satisfaction in anything except God. As long as we do not tend to Him, we shall be fluctuating, inconstant, uncertain. Until we make Him the End of our life, we shall feel that we are wandering about in the dark.

+2. What do we mean by making God the End of our life? We mean that to do His pleasure shall be the motive which shall be first and foremost and, when there is a choice between God’s pleasure and our own, when the two seem to be opposed, our general disposition shall be to do God’s Will and not our own. In spite of the pain involved in giving up his own will, the man who makes God the End of his life, will deny that own will, without hesitation and so, will draw nearer to God, his last End.

+3. Every time we do this, we break down a barrier between God and ourselves; we come nearer to the enjoyment of Him, we get a bit closer to Heaven.
The self-willed man is never satisfied; the man whose will is perfectly subject to God, is always happy. The Angels are always happy because they have no will but God’s.
If I want to find happiness in this world, or the next, the first thing is to learn to submit my will to God.
Pray God to break your self-will at any cost.

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, QUOTES on FRIENDSHIP, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, The GREAT TRUTHS

Thought for the Day – 4 February – God our Best Friend

Thought for the Day – 4 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

4th Day – God our Best Friend

All are Thine , O Lord , Who lovest souls.
(Wisdom xi:27)

+1. Friendship is one of the consolations of man upon earth. One faithful friend is worth a hundred acquaintances. A friend who values our friendship, for its own sake, is a treasure without price. Such a friend we have in God.
He has nothing to gain from my friendship, His Infinite Happiness is not increased by it. Yet, His Infinite Goodness includes an intense desire to make me happy!

+2. When we have a faithful friend who is possessed of unlimited influence and power, we consult him in all our difficulties. God is, of all friends, the most faithful and the most powerful; He desires to be consulted by us in things small, as well as great, never tiring of our requests, more ready to hear, than we to pray!
Yet, how little have I had recourse to Him hitherto!
How little I have trusted Him!

+3. The best proof of a friend’s love, is a desire for our company. In this, what friend is like God?
He asks us, begs us, commands us, to be always in His Presence – “Walk with God and be thou perfect .”
His one object, in all His advice, is to secure our company forever in Heaven.
Why am I so indifferent about His Presence, so soon weary of God?
Pray that you may appreciate and relish the Divine Friendship of God.

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, The GREAT TRUTHS

Thought for the Day – 3 February – God our Preserver

Thought for the Day – 3 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

3rd Day – God our Preserver

In Him we live and move and are.
(Acts xvii:28)

+1. If God had merely created us and then left us to ourselves, there would have been some excuse for our forgetting how completely we belong to Him.
But, we are not like a picture which the artist finishes and then leaves to itself. God continues throughout our whole life the act of creation, in the shape of preservation. Without this, we should, at once, lapse into our previous nothingness. We depend upon Him for our being, as the rivulet depends on the spring, or the smoke on the fire.

+2. But, we not only live in Him but, we also move in Him. He co-operates with our every action. We cannot lift a hand or move a finger, unless He not only sanctions the act but actually helps us to perform it. Every breath we breathe, every pulsation of our heart, depends on God’s co-operation.
How completely dependent we are on Him! How careful should we be, that our every action is one suitable to the Divine co-operation!

+3. God does more than this.
He not only preserves us but tends us, with watchful care, delivers us from dangers warns us when we are going awry, shows a never-failing interest in us and an unceasing desire for our happiness.
For all this, we are dependent on Him!
What folly then, to neglect One to Whom we owe everything!
Pray for a sense of continual dependenc and trust of God.

Posted in BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, CONSECRATION Prayers, DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 1 February – An Act of Oblation to the Most Blessed Trinity By St Francis de Sales

Our Morning Offering – 1 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity”

An Act of Oblation to the Most Blessed Trinity
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

I vow and consecrate to God
all that is in me,
my memory and my actions,
to God the Father;
my understanding and my words,
to God the Son;
my will and my thoughts,
to God the Holy Spirit.
I consecrate my heart, my body,
my tongue, my senses and all my sorrows,
to the Sacred Humanity of Jesus Christ,
Who consented to be betrayed
into the hands of wicked men
and to suffer the torment
of the Cross for me.
Amen

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, SELF-DISTRUST, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 31 January – St John Bosco

Quote/s of the Day – 31 January – St John Bosco “Don Bosco” SDB (1815-1888) Priest, Confessor, Founder.

Be brave and try to detach your heart
from worldly things.
Do your utmost to banish darkness
from your mind and come to understand
what true, selfless piety is.
Through confession, endeavour
to purify your heart of anything
which may still taint it.
Enliven your faith which is essential
to understand and achieve piety.”

If one is to do good,
he must have a little courage,
be ready for sacrifice,
deal affably with all
and never slight anybody.
By following this method,
I have always had significant success,
in fact, marvellous success!

Your mortification should be
your diligence in doing your duties
and in putting up with
the annoyances of others.

MORE:
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St John Bosco (1815-1888)

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St JOSEPH, The DIVINE INFANT, The HOLY CROSS, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales

Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church

What we need is
a cup of understanding,
a barrel of love
and an ocean of patience.

Our greatest fault is, that
we wish to serve God in our way,
not in His way — according to our will,
not according to His Will….
To be truly a Saint, it is necessary
to be one according to the Will of God.

Do everything calmly and peacefully.
Do as much as you can, as well as you can.
Strive to see God in all things
without exception and consent
to His Will joyously.
Do everything for God,
uniting yourself to Him in word and deed.
Walk very simply with the Cross of the Lord
and be at peace with yourself.

If, when stung by slander
or ill-nature,
we wax proud
and swell with anger,
it is a proof that our gentleness
and humility
are unreal
and mere artificial show!

How faithful in humility was the great Saint
we are celebrating!
That cannot be said in all its perfection,
for, in spite of what he was,
in what poverty and lowliness he lived,
all the days of his life – a poverty and lowliness
beneath which. he kept hidden and concealed,
his great virtues and dignity! …
Truly, I am free of doubt that the Angels came,
beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank,
to behold and wonder at his humility,
while he sheltered that dearest Child
in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment,
so as to feed the little Boy and the Mother entrusted to him.

We must fear God out of love,
not love Him out of fear.

O Glorious St Francis
Prayer to St Francis de Sales

O Glorious St Francis,
model of the interior life
and full of zeal for the salvation of souls!
Obtain for me the grace
to employ all my faculties,
not for my own sanctification alone
but for that of my neighbour too
that continually spreading abroad,
the sweet odour of Jesus Christ,
by my words and works,
I may attain, with thee, the blessedness
promised to the merciful:
“Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy”
and that I may one day have a share
in the glory which thou dost enjoy
in Paradise with the Angels and Saints,
where those who edify
and instruct to justice,
shall shine as stars
for all eternity (Dan 12:3).
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/01/29/quote-s-of-the-day-29-january-st-francis-de-sales-2/

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

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 January – ‘ … Would you follow Christ? …’

One Minute Reflection – 24 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – St Timothy (1st Century) Disciple of St Paul, Bishop and Martyr – 1 Timothy 6:11-16; Luke 14:26-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

So likewise, everyone of you, who does not renounce all
he possesses, cannot be My disciple.
” – Luke 14:33

REFLECTION – “When the Lord tells us in the Gospel that anyone who wants to be His follower must renounce himself, the injunction seems harsh; we think He is imposing a burden on us. But an order is no burden when it is given by One Who helps in carrying it out.

To what place are we to follow Christ, if not where He has already gone? We know that He has Risen and Ascended into Heaven, there, then, we must follow Him. There is no cause for despair — by ourselves we can do nothing but we have Christ’s promise. Heaven was beyond our reach before our Head ascended there (Col 1:18) but now, if we are His Members, why should we despair of arriving there ourselves? Is there any reason? True, many fears and afflictions confront us in this world but if we follow Christ, we shall reach a place of perfect happiness, perfect peace and everlasting freedom from fear.

Yet, let me warn anyone bent on following Christ, to listen to Saint John the Apostle: “One who claims to abide in Christ, ought to walk as He walked” (1 Jn 2:6). Would you follow Christ? Then be humble as He was humble; do not scorn His lowliness if you want to reach His exaltation!” – St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Bishop, Father of the Church (Sermon 159 1:4-6).

PRAYER – Be mindful of our weakness, Almighty God and because the burden of our sins weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of blessed Timothy, Your Martyr and Bishop, sustain us. 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 LIGHT, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SIMPLICITY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, QUOTES on WATCHING, SELF-DISTRUST, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 January –  ‘ … Open the door to Him at once, when He Comes and knocks. Luke 12:35

One Minute Reflection – 23 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275) – Sirach 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to Him at once, when He Comes and knocks.” – Luke 12:35-36

REFLECTION – “God is the Supreme Being, therefore, direct the thoughts of your mind to Him and do not think of anything else, except to watch for His Coming. Let the soul gather together its thoughts, dispersed by sin, as though it were gathering together children romping about! Let it take them back to the house of its body and there, wait for the Lord, at all times with fasting and love, until He Comes and gathers them up in truth…

If our hearts are not swollen with pride and, if we do not send our thoughts out to feed in the pastures on the mad weeds of sin and if, to the contrary, we lift up our minds and lead our thoughts into the Lord’s Presence with fervent wills, then, in His good Will, the Lord shall certainly Come to us and truly unite us to Himself …

So make haste to please the Lord, wait for Him in your heart without ceasing, seek Him in your thoughts, stir up your will and your love, to reach out towards Him at every moment!Then you will see how He Comes to you and makes His home within you.” – St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390) (Attrib) Monk, Father (Sermon 31).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who chose blessed Raymond to be a renowned minister of the Sacrament of Penance and miraculously brought him through the waves of the sea, grant that, by his intercession, we may produce good results from our penance and reach the Heaven of eternal 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 JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, St JOSEPH, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY INFANCY, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 22 January – “The Arrival in Palestine”

Thought for the Day – 22 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for AChristmastide
“The Holy Infancy”
From “The Devout Year
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“The Arrival in Palestine”

+1. When Joseph with Mary and her Divine Son arrived in their own land, his first thought was to turn to Bethlehem and to dwell in peace where he had dwelt so peaceably before. But to his sorrow he learned that the son of the impious Herod was ruling in his father’s place.
He was not going to expose, to any risk, the treasure committed to him and at once, he determined to turn his steps elsewhere.
Notice his prudence and beware of running any risk with the treasures of grace which God has committed to you. One serious sin will lose them all.

+2. Whither should he go? It was all one to St Joseph, as long as he went where God sent him. He was quite as ready to go to Nazareth as anywhere else, if God directed his steps .
This should be my disposition, to be ready to go anywhere and live in any place, where God may send me.

+3. How did St Joseph decide where he was to dwell? By prayer and by good counsel. He asked of God to turn his steps whither He Willed and he also did not neglect the rules of human prudence.
This is St. Ignatius’ advice:
(1) Act with prudence but never forget to consult God.
(2) While you trust all to God, do not lose sight of the importance of using natural means.

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, OUR Cross, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 January – ‘ … Keep going, persevere, bear and accept this delay and you have carried His Cross!’ … – (Matthew 25:10)

One Minute Reflection – 21 January – “The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family” – St Agnes (c 291- c 304) Virgin and Martyr – Ecclesiasticus 51:1-8, 12; Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ … The Bridegroom came and they, who were ready, went in with Him … ” – Matthew 25:10

REFLECTION – “In this world, which is to say, in the Church, wholly following Christ, He says to all of us: “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself.” This command is not being directed to virgins but not married women, to widows but not wives, to Monks but not husbands, to Priests but not laity. It is the whole Church, the whole Body of Christ with all its members, differentiated and divided according to their proper functions which is, to follow Christ. May she wholly follow Him, she who is one alone, the dove, the bride (Sg 6:9); may she follow Him, she who has been redeemed and endowed with the Blood of her Bridegroom. Virginal purity has its place here; the continence of widows has its place here; wedded chastity has its place here…

These members who have their place here should follow Christ, each according to their category, each according to their status, each after its fashion. Let them deny themselves, that is to say, let them not rely on themselves. Let them carry their cross that is to say, bear, for Christ’s sake in the world, all that the world inflicts on them. May they love Him, He, the Only One, Who never deceives or is deceived, the Only One ,Who is not mistaken. May they love Him because, what He promises is true. Yet because, He does not give it to us now, our faith falters. Keep going, persevere, bear and accept this delay and you have carried His Cross!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 96:9)

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Thou Who choose the weak things of the world to confound the strong, mercifully grant that we, who are celebrating the feast of blessed Agnes, Thy Virgin and Martyr, may reap the benefit ofher patronal intercession with 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 ACT OF FAITH, HOPE & CHARITY, ACT of LOVE, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, OUR Cross, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, St Francis de Sales, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 20 January – O My God, I Thank Thee

Our Morning Offering – 20 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”

O My God, I Thank Thee
An Act of Abandonment
to the Divine Will
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

O my God, I thank Thee
and I praise Thee
for accomplishing Thy Holy and all-lovable Will
without any regard for mine.
With my whole heart,
in spite of my heart,
do I receive this cross I feared so much!
It is the cross of Thy choice,
the cross of Thy Love.
I venerate it;
nor for anything in the world
would I wish it had not come,
since Thou hast willed it.
I keep it with gratitude and with joy,
as I do everything which comes from Thy Hand
and I shall strive to carry it
without letting it drag,
with all the respect
and all the affection
which Thy works deserve.
Amen.

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TIME, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 15 January – St Macarius of Egypt

Quote/s of the Day – 15 January –The Feast of St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390) Priest, Abbot, Hermit, Desert Father of the Church, Spiritual student of Saint Anthony Abbot, Ascetic, Miracle-worker , known as “The Glowing Lantern.”

As the Lord put on the body,
leaving behind all principality and power,
so Christians put on the Holy Ghost
and are at rest
.”

When you do not have a lot of time for prayer,
use the time which you do have.
God will accept your will;
remember the publican’s repentance in prayer
is pleasing unto God.
Be careful not to put a price
on your prayer,
it is God’s business, not ours.

Reading spiritual books enlightens our minds
and shows us the road to salvation.
It nurtures the soul, in the same manner,
as physical food, nurtures the body.

The soul who really loves God and His Christ,
even if it has done thousands of good works,
thinks he has done nothing
because of his insatiable hunger for God.
Even if he has exhausted the body
through fasting and vigils,
he believes that he has not yet begun to be virtuous.
In spite of the gifts of the Holy Ghost,
the heavenly revelations and mysteries,
he believes that he has not yet done anything
because of his immense
and insatiable love of the Lord.
In faith and in love, he is always hungry and thirsty!

MORE:
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St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRISTMASTIDE!, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The DIVINE INFANT, The HOLY INFANCY, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Thought for the Day – 2 January – “The New-born Child”

Thought for the Day – 2 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

I love the fact that Fr Clarke keeps us with the Divine Infant and His beloved Holy Family and oriantates our entire New Year to where it should be and too, still in Christmastide unlike the rest of the world around us. Alleluia. P.S. I will be back in full swing, on Monday, God willing.

Meditations for Christmastide –
“The Holy Infancy”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“The New-born Child”

In the cradle before us lies the new -born Infant wrapped in swaddling-clothes and laid in the manger. Let us contemplate Him for a few moments and see what lessons He teaches us.

+I. He teaches us the unspeakable force of Divine charity. How was it possible for the Eternal Word, the co-equal Son of God, to leave the bosom of His Father to clothe Himself with the flesh of sinful man?
It seems an almost extravagant act of love, one unworthy of the dignity of God. Yet, love puts everything aside, except the burning desire to promote the welfare of the loved. The Son of God forgot all else in His Divine compassion for us.
How dearly He must love us
How great should be our confidence in His Love!

+2. He teaches us never to judge by appearances. If we had been told that God had Come to dwell on earth, would not the stable of Bethlehem have been the last place where we should have sought Him In how many a humble cottage there may still be found saints more dear to God than even those who have a worldwide repute for their holiness and virtue!

+3. He teaches us the true dignity of self-abasement. God could not do anything unworthy of Himself when clad in human flesh. It, therefore, was no disparagement to the Divine honour that He should thus infinitely condescend. Nay, it proved that the greatest possible likeness to God is attained by the most complete humiliation of self.
How little I have learned to practice this lesson!

Posted in GOOD RESOLUTIONS, INGRATITUDE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for the NEW YEAR, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on MEDIOCRITY, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 31 December – The Last Day of the Year

Thought for the Day – 31 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Last Day of the Year

“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.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/31/thought-for-the-day-31-december-the-last-day-of-the-year/
ABOVE IS PART TWO
PART THREE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/12/31/thought-for-the-day-31-december-the-last-day-of-the-year-3/