Category: QUOTES on SIN

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on VANITY, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior)

Thought for the Day – 28 August – The Sons of God

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Thought for the Day – 28 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Sons of God

“In the beginning of his Gospel, St John speaks of the eternal nature of the Son of God, the Word through Whom all things were created and Who became man to enlighten and redeem the world, which was wallowing in ignorance and sin.
Unfortunately, he adds, instead of welcoming Him, the world rejected Him but, he goes on to say that “to as many as received him, he gave the power of becoming the sons of God” (Cf. John 1:1-12).
These words are a summary of the history of Christianity and, indeed, of the human race, for Jesus Christ was to be a “sign that shall be contradicted” (Lk 2:34).
On our side, there have always been the children of the world, those who ignore or openly combat Christ; on the other, the children of God,the thousands who acknowledge Christ as the Hope of salvation and the Light of the world and adore and love Him as God.

To which side do I belong?
Perhaps I am convinced that I have never attacked or rejected Christ.
But, in effect, I did so every time I committed a deliberate sin, for I put my own caprice before His will.
God’s grace in me was weakened by venial sin, or extinguished altogether by mortal sin.
As a result, I cased to be a child of God and became a child of Satan.
In losing Jesus, I forfeited all real happiness in this world AND in the next!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MUSIC/SINGING, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TIME, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY CROSS, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Quotes of the Day – 28 August – St Augustine

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Quotes of the Day – 28 August – The Memorial of St Augustine of Hippo (354-430) – Father and Doctor of Grace

“To fall in love with God,
is the greatest romance;
to seek Him,
the greatest adventure;
to find Him,
the greatest human achievement.”

“You ask what you might offer to God?
Offer yourself!
What does God expect from you,
except yourself?”

“He bought brothers for Himself by His blood,
He made them welcome by being rejected,
He ransomed them by being sold,
He honoured them by being dishonoured,
He gave them life by being put to death.
So, brethren, rejoice in the Lord,
not in the world.
That is, rejoice in the truth,
not in wickedness,
rejoice in the hope of eternity,
not in the fading flower of vanity.
That is the way to rejoice.
Wherever you are on earth,
however long you remain on earth,
the Lord is near,
do not be anxious about anything!”

“God provides the wind
but man must raise the sails.”

“A man may lose the good things
of this life against his will
but, if he loses the eternal blessings,
he does so with his own consent.”

“Do you wish to RISE?
Begin by DESCENDING.
You plan a tower
that will pierce the CLOUDS?
Lay first the foundation
of HUMILITY.”

“If we live good lives,
the times are also good.
As we are, such are the times.”

“He who calls us, came here below,
to give us the means of getting there.
He chose the wood
that would enable us to cross the sea –
indeed, no-one can cross the ocean of this world,
who is not borne by the Cross of Christ.
Even the blind can cling to this Cross.
If you can’t see where you are going very well,
don’t let go of it, it will guide you by itself. ”

“We pray then to Him,
through Him, in Him
and we speak along with Him
and He along with us. ”

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

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on INDIFFERENCE, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior)

Thought for the Day – 27 August – Those Who Will to be Damned

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Thought for the Day – 27 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Those Who Will to be Damned

“There are many who are so steeped in vice that they never think of eternity and seek their happiness in sinful and worldly pleasures.
They have grown deaf to God’s voice, although He instils in them remorse and restlessness and invites them by good inspirations, to return to His merciful embrace.
They are deaf, too, to the voice of conscience, which, in spite of their degradation, cannot fail to make them feel the attractiveness of virtue and their great need of their Creator.
They are fundamentally unhappy, doubly so because, in this life “there is no peace to the wicked” (Is 48:22) and, in the next life, they will be damned forever.
Only a miracle of divine grace can save them from the abyss into which they have voluntarily precipitated themselves.

There are others who want to have their heaven both in this world and in the next.
They oscillate uncertainly, between good and evil, today being full of good resolutions and tomorrow giving way to sin because virtue seems to demand too many sacrifices.
They would like to be good but they will not take the necessary trouble.

Indecisive and lukewarm, they think that they can serve God and the devil at the same time!
Naturally, this is impossible, as Christ has told us, “No man can serve two masters … You cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt 6:24).
If people of this kind will not make up their minds, they are running the risk of eternal damnation.

To what category do you belong?
Think about this and make a firm decision.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 August – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” Matthew 23:27

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One Minute Reflection – 26 August – Wednesday of the Twenty First week in Ordinary Time, Readings: 2 Thessalonians 3: 6-10, 16-18, Psalms 128: 1-2, 4-5, Matthew 23: 27-32 and the Memorial of Our Lady of Czestochowa

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful but within they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” … Matthew 23:27

REFLECTION – “You are before God. Question your heart, see what you have done and what you have been yearning for there—your salvation or the windy praise of men. Look within, for a person cannot judge one whom he cannot see. If we are assuring our heart, let us assure it in His presence.
“Because if our heart thinks badly”—that is, if it accuses us within, because we aren’t acting with the spirit with which we should be acting —“God is greater than our heart, and he knows all things” (v.20).
You hide your heart from man – hide it from God if you can . How will you hide it from Him to whom it was said by a certain sinner in fear and confession: “Where shall 1 go from your spirit, and where shed! I flee from your face?”… For where does God not exist? “If,” he said, “I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to hell, you are present” (Ps 139[138]:7-8). Where will you go? Where will you flee? Do you want to hear some advice? If you want to flee from Him, flee to Him. Flee to Him by Confessing, not from Him by hiding, for you cannot hide but you can Confess. Tell Him. “You are my refuge” (Ps 32[31]:7) and let there be nursed in you the love that alone leads to life.”…St Augustine (354-430) – Doctor of Grace

PRAYER – Lord, be the beginning and the end of all that we do and say. Prompt our actions with Your grace and complete them with Your all-powerful help. Fill us with the grace of Your true love, that our hearts may be made of flesh and not of stone. May our hearts, minds and souls belong to You alone. May the guiding hand of the Mother of Your Son lead us, with unfailing tenderness, to You. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit, ‘totus tuus’ Maria – please pray for us, amen.

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 25 August – Pride is Robbery!

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Thought for the Day – 25 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Pride is Robbery!

“When we are proud, we steal from God!
Everything which we are and have, both in the natural and supernatural order, is a gift from God.
Therefore, when we claim the credit for ourselves, we take from Him that which really belongs to Him.
“What hast thou that thou hast not received.” asks St Paul. “And if thou has received it, why do thou boast as if thou had not received it?” (1 Cor 4:7).

Pride is a very grave sin, therefore.
According to Sacred Scripture, “pride is the reservoir of sin, a source which runs over with vice” (Ecclus 10:15).
“The beginnong of pride,” says the same Book of Ecclsiasticus, “is man’s stubbornness in withdrawing his heart from his Maker” (10:14).
It is worth meditating on these words, for because of this sin “God sends unheard-of afflictions and brings men to utter ruin” (Ecclus 10:15).
As St Augustine points out, the first sin was one of pride and it changed an angel into a demon. (In Ps 18:15).

When we reflect on the matter, it becomes quite clear, that pride is the basis of every sin (Ibid).
When man disobeys the law of God, he prefers sin to God.
Sin, therefore, is always an act of rebellion against God.
It is as if we were to say to Him: “I prefer to obey my own caprice, rather than to obey Your will.”
In this sense, it is true to state, that every sin is founded on pride and involves a turning away from God.
But, when we turn away from our Creator and Redeemer, where are we to go?
“Lord,” let us say with St Peter, “to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of everlasting life …” (Jn 6:69).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EDUCATION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SIN, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 25 August – St Louis IX and St Joseph Calasanz

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 August – The Memorials of St Louis IX (1214-1270) King of France and St Joseph Calasanz (1557-1648) Founder

“Dear son, have a tender pitiful heart for the poor
and for all those whom you believe to be
in misery of heart or body and,
according to your ability, comfort
and aid them with some alms.”

“In order to avoid discord,
never contradict anyone
except in case of sin
or some danger to a neighbour
and, when necessary to contradict others,
do it with tact and not with temper.”

“In prosperity,
give thanks to God with humility and fear,
lest by pride,
you abuse God’s benefits
and so offend him.”

St Louis IX King of France (1214-1270)

“All who undertake to teach
must be endowed with deep love,
the greatest patience and,
most of all, profound humility.
They must perform their work with earnest zeal.
Then, through their humble prayers,
the Lord will find them worthy
to become fellow workers
with Him in the cause of truth.”

“As Scripture says,
“Those who instruct many in justice
will shine as stars for all eternity.”
They will attain this more easily,
if they make a covenant of perpetual obedience
and strive to cling to Christ
and please Him alone
because, in His words,
“What you did to one of the least
of my brethren, you did to me.”

“For if from childhood,
a child is diligently imbued
with piety and literacy,
a happy course of life
can be foreseen.”

St Joseph Calasanz (1557-1648)
Patron of children
and of Catholic schools,
Pray for Us!

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL

Thought for the Day – 24 August – Christian Joy

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Thought for the Day – 24 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Christian Joy

“Christianity is neither sad nor pessimistic.
On the contrary, it is the harbinger of “great joy,” (Lk 2:10) to quote the expression used by the Angels when they announced to the shepherds, the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

Obviously, this joy is something quite distinct from sensible pleasure.
It is the spiritual happiness which accompanies an innocent life, sorrow for sin, or suffering bravely borne for the love of God.

Any other form of earthly happiess can never be more than a partial and transitory pleasure, capable of satisfying the human heart completely.
When Christianity urges us to be detached from worldly objects, however, it does not condemn the joys of the present life.
The historian Tacitus, was very far from the truth when, in the description in his Annals of the burning of Rome at the time of Nero, he accused the Christians of hating the human race, although not of having set fire to the city.
Although the teaching of Christianity is preoccupied with the joys of Heaven, it does not frown upon legitimate worldly pleasures.

Jesus “went about doing good and healing all who were in the power of the devil” (Acts 10:38).
He loved to give joy to others and sanctified the marriage feast of Cana by His presence and by working His first miracle there.
He restored happiness to the widow of Naim, by raising her son to life and to Martha and Mary, by giving them back their brother, Lazarus, who had been dead for four days.
He spent His entire life giving happiness to others.

There is only one kind of merriment which Christianity cannot countenance and that is, the inordinate pleasure which leads to sin, or, is the result of sin.
This kind of pleasure has no kinship with spiritual joy.
It is a momentary exaltation, which soon disappears and leaves behind disillusionment and remorse.
It leads inevitably to sorrow; this is a chastisement from God which can only become meritorious if it is offered up in expiation.
“The end of joy may be sorrow,” says the Book of Proverbs (14:13)
For this reason, let us seek spiritual joys, not those which lead to sin, nor those, which are the result of sin.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 23 August – The Surest Way to Avoid Sin

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Thought for the Day – 23 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Surest Way to Avoid Sin

“The surest way of never offending God, is to love Him.
If we love God sincerely, it will be impossible for us to offend Him.
“Love,” says St Paul, “is the fulfilment of the Law,” (Rom 13:10) and charity “is the bond of perfection” (Col 3:14).
If all our actions are inspired by the love of God, it will not matter how insignificant they are, for they will be pleasing to Him and will gain merit for ourselves.
Then it will be impossible for us to sin.

If most of our actions, on the other hand, are dictated by an inordinate attachment to creatures and to ourselves, they will certainly not lead us to God.
Our hearts need love and cannot live without it.
But whom shall we love if we do not love God, Who is our Creator and Redeemer?
We shall find love or a moment in beauty, in goodness and in pleasure but, it will soon pass away and leave us with empty hearts.
God is our highest good and only He can fully satisfy our hearts.
But He wishes us to belong completely to Himself.

Our hearts are too tiny to be divided between God and creatures.
We must belong entirely to God.
If we love Him sincerely, all created things will form a ladder, which will help us to ascent to Him.
Let us love God and remain united to Him in all our actions.
Then sin will never find it’s way into our souls.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MARIAN QUOTES, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 23 August – “My grace is sufficient for thee …”

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 August – Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St Rose of Lima (1586-1617)

“My grace is sufficient for thee,
for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly
about my weaknesses,
so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

2 Corinthians 12:7-9

“The thief on the cross certainly did not receive
the Kingdom of Heaven as a reward for his virtues
but as a grace and a mercy from God.
He can serve as an authentic witness
that our salvation is given to us
only by God’s mercy and grace.
All the holy masters knew this
and unanimously taught
that perfection in holiness
can be achieved only through humility.”

St John Cassian (c 360- c 435)

“Christ shall minister to us
and show us His radiant Face
and His glorious Body
with all the marks of faithfulness
and love therein impressed.
And we shall see all the glorious bodies
clothed with all the many tokens of love
won in the service of God
since the beginning of the world…
And our living hearts
shall flame with burning love for God
and all His saints…”

Bl Jan van Ruusbroec (1293-1381)
Canon Regular, “Doctor Divinus Ecstaticus,”
Mystic, Spiritual Writer –
The seven steps of the ladder of spiritual love

“There is no sinner in the world,
however much at enmity with God,
who cannot recover God’s grace,
by recourse to Mary
and by asking her assistance.”

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)

Prayer of Blessed Paolo Giustiniani

“Lord, I dare not say to You:
“Show me the light that I may believe in Your Light”
but it is enough for me,
that You make me see my darkness …
Bring me back to myself.
In my misery I have distanced myself
not only from You but from myself,
becoming a stranger to myself.
Make me know my darkness,
that then I may look at the light.
Yes, I tell You and repeat to You incessantly,
Show me to myself,
so that I may know my sins.”

Blessed Paolo Giustiniani (1476-1528)

“Give me grace to amend my life
and to have an eye to mine end,
without grudge of death,
which to them that die in You,
good Lord,
is the gate of a wealthy life.”

St Thomas More (1478-1535) Martyr

“Our Lord and Saviour lifted up His voice
and said with incomparable majesty:
“Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation.
Let them know that without the burden of afflictions,
it is impossible to reach the height of grace.
Let them know,
that the gifts of grace increase,
as the struggles increase.
Let men take care not to stray and be deceived.
This is the only true stairway to paradise
and without the cross,
they can find no road to climb to heaven.”

St Rose of Lima (1586-1617)

St Rose of Lima Quotes here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/08/23/quote-s-of-the-day-23-august-st-rose-of-lima/

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HYMNS, I BELIEVE!, MARIAN QUOTES, ON the SAINTS, POETRY, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUEENSHIP of MARY, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on VANITY, QUOTES on WISDOM, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 20 August – St Bernard

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 August – The Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Mellifluous Docotr, “Doctor of Light”

“In every lodging, at every corner,
have reverence for thy Angel.
Do not dare to do in his presence
what you would not dare to do, if I were there.
Or do you doubt that he is present
whom you do not behold?
What if you should hear him?
What if you should touch him?
What if you should scent him?
Remember, that the presence of something
is not proved only by the sight of things.”

” It is true that the creature loves less
because she is less.
But if she loves with her whole being,
nothing is lacking,
where everything is given.”

“There are those who seek knowledge
for the sake of knowledge;
that is Curiosity.
There are those who seek knowledge
to be known by others;
that is Vanity.
There are those who seek knowledge
in order to serve;
that is Love.”

“The road to hell
is paved
with good intentions.”

“A saint is not someone, who never sins,
but one who sins less and less frequently
and gets up more and more quickly.”

“Just as Mary surpassed in grace all others on earth,
so also in heaven is her glory unique.
If eye has not seen or ear heard or the human heart conceived
what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9),
who can express what He has prepared
for the woman who gave Him birth
and who loved Him,
as everyone knows, more than anyone else?”

“Rest is in Him alone.
Man knows no peace in the world
but he has no disturbance
when he is with God.”

Jesu Dulcis Memori

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
with sweetness fills my breast,
But sweeter far Thy face to see
and in Thy presence rest.

Nor voice can sing nor heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find
a sweeter sound than Jesus’ name,
O Saviour of mankind.

O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek
to those who fall, how kind Thou art,
how good to those who seek!

But what to those who find?
Ah this nor tongue nor pen can show,
the love of Jesus, what it is none
but His loved ones know.

Jesus our only joy be Thou
as Thou our prize wilt be.
Jesus, be Thou our glory now
and through eternity.
Amen

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/08/20/quote-s-of-the-day-21-august-st-bernard/

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD

Thought for the Day – 18 August – Renouncing All Things

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

Renouncing All Things

renouncing all things - bacci 18 aug 2020

“If we want God to take possession of our souls, we must drive out every inordinate affection to earthly things.
It is not possible for God to dwell within us, if we are still attached to sin or preoccupied with worldly aims.

God should reign supreme in us and inspire all our desires and actions.
This can never happen if we retain an attachment to deliberate sin, even if it is not grave sin.
In the case of venial sin, it is not so much the sin which prevents God from ruling us absolutely, as the attachment to sin.

It is possible for anybody to fall through human weakness, “for the just man falls seven times and rises again” (Prov 24:16).
It is when we remain willingly in the state of sin, that we offend God and weaken our faith and charity.
At such times, it is as if Jesus were asleep within us, as He slept in the boat during the storm on the lake of Galilee, when the terrified Apostles cried out:   “Lord save us! We are perishing!” (Mt 8:25).
We must keep ourselves free from all trace of sin, if we wish to remain intimately united with God and to be governed only by Him!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CONFESSION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 August – ‘… The medicine of confession’

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One Minute Reflection – 12 August – Wednesday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22, Psalms 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, Matthew 18:15-20 and the Memorial of St Jane Frances de Chantal VHM (1572-1641)

“Whatever you bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.” … Matthew 18:18

REFLECTION – “For our well-being and salvation, all the Holy Scriptures warn us constantly and humbly, to confess our sins, not only before God but also before a holy and godfearing man.   This is what the Holy Spirit advises us to do through the mouth of James the apostle: “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed” (5:16) … and the psalmist says: “I confess my faults to the Lord and you took away the guilt of my sin” (Ps 32[31]:5).

We are always wounded by our sins and, in the same way, we should always have recourse to the medicine of confession.   For indeed, if God wants us to confess our sins, it is not because He would be unable to know what they are but, because the devil wants to find something of which to accuse us before the judgement seat of the eternal Judge.  That is why he would rather we thought more about excusing them than accusing ourselves of them.   Our God, to the contrary, being good and merciful, wants us to confess them in this world, so that we may not be ashamed because of them in the next.   So if we confess them then He, on His part, shows Himself to be merciful;  if we acknowledge them then He forgives …   As for ourselves, my brethren, we are really your spiritual physicians, seeking with all concern to heal your souls.” … St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Bishop and Monk – Sermons to the laity, no. 59matthew 18 18 whatever you bind on earth - our god being good and merciful- 12 aug 2020 st caesarius of arles

PRAYER – Lord, You chose St Jane Frances to serve You, both in marriage and in religious life.   By her prayers help us to be faithful in our vocation and always to work against our perverse inclinations. Only in You and with You and through You may we attain perfection. Lead us Lord!   We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.   St Jane de Chantal, pray for us, amen.st jane fances de chantal pray for us 12 aug 2020

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 8 August – The Awareness of the Presence of God

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Thought for the Day – 8 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Awareness of the Presence of God

the awareness of the presence of god - bacci 8 aug 2020

“The cultivation of a continual awareness of the presence of God is such a useful practice that many writers regard it as the fundamental principle of the spiritual life.
As St Alphonsus de’Liguori points out, it obliges us to do three thing:
(1) To preserve ourselves completely free from sin;
(2) To practise virtue, in every possible way and
(3) To seek a closer and more loving contact with God (Al Servizio Divino, III, 1,3).

The realisation of the presence of God is a particularly good way of subduing our passions and conquering temptation.
“If we were always aware of God’s presence within us,” writes St Thomas Aquinas, “we should never, or hardly ever, sin” (Opusc 58, c 2).

It is unlikely that a man who is committing sin adverts to the fact that God is watching him and could intervene to punish him at any moment.
He has forgotten the presence of God, his Creator and Redeemer, Who has been so good to him and Who will one day be his judge.
His mind has been darkened and his heart led astray by the deceptive pleasures of this world.

God is far from the sinner because the sinner ignores His inspirations and advice and has, in short, rejected Him.
The unhappy man will never find peace in this world and is doomed to eternal unhappiness in the next.

“If we remained always in the presence of God,” wrote St John Chrysostom, “we should neither conceive, nor do anything evil” (Homil 8, ad, Phil 2).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD

Thought for the Day – 28 July – Temptations

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Thought for the Day – 28 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Temptations

temptations bacci 28 july 2020

“When a man fears and loves God, temptation is the greatest trial which he can endure.
“No-one, is so perfect and holy,” says The Imitation of Christ, “as not sometimes to have temptations and we never can be wholly free from them.
Nevertheless, temptations are often very profitable to a man, troublesome and grievous though they may be;  for, in them, a man is humbled, purified and instructed.
All the Saints passed through many tribulations and temptations and profited by them.
And they that could not support temptations became reprobate and fell away …

A man is never wholly secure from temptation as long as he lives, for there is within us, the source of temptation, since we were born in concupiscence …

Inconstancy of mind and little confidence in God, is the beginning of all evil temptations.
For as a ship, without a helm, is driven to and fro by the waves, so the man who is negligent and gives up his resolutions,is tempted in various ways.
Fire tries iron and temptation, a just man” (Bk 1, c 13).”

These words from The Imitation of Christ, should encourage us.
God sends us temptations in order to test our virtue and to make us understand that we are in continual need of Him.
The important thing is to overcome them with the help of His grace, for a thousand temptations do not constitute a single sin.
When we are prepared to make sacrifices and to rely upon God’s assistance, temptations can be a source of merit for us.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptations,” writes St James, “for when he has been tried, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him” (Js 1:12).

We should not fear temptations, nor be discouraged by them.
Instead, we should watch and pray and love God!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 July – ‘So from now on, run well …’

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One Minute Reflection – 28 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Tuesday of the Seventeenth week in Ordinary Time, year A, Readings: Jeremiah 14:17-22, Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13, Matthew 13:36-43

“The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom, all causers of sin and all law-breakers and throw them into the fiery furnace.   In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.   Then the righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.   He who has ears, let him hear.” … Matthew 13:41-43matthew 13 40-43 the sone of man will send his angels 28 july 2020

REFLECTION – “In your imagination see our Lord Jesus Christ seated on a throne of glory;   beside Him stand the seraphim, cherubim and each angelic order, serving Him with fear and trembling.   Then those who will have finished the combat, without allowing themselves to be drawn by any worldly pleasures or seduced by the attractions of this vain world, will hear the blessed voice of the Master.   “Then, he says, the righteous will shine like the sun” (Mt 13:43) when they have come from east and west, north and south to take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (cf. Mt 8:11) in an indescribable joy (cf. 1 Pt 1:8), when our King and Lord, will distribute gifts according to their merits.   Ah! my brothers and children. ah! how great and beautiful is the glory which the thrice blessed will enjoy and the saints who practised asceticism!   Yes, most certainly, each will receive the blessings promised, according to the degree to which they have pleased God. …

So from now on, run well (cf. Gal 5:7) and may the devil not bewitch you (cf. Gal 3:1) nor hinder you! …   May mercy, peace, charity, freedom from envy, from jealousy and ostentation come upon you, docility, friendly speech, solidarity, compassion towards each other, humility.   Live like this, act like this, praying, too, with all your heart for my humble self that I may not be thrown into the eternal fire.   May we all escape it, having been judged worthy of the kingdom of heaven, in Christ Himself, our God, to whom belongs all glory, honour, adoration, magnificence, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, world without end.   Amen.” … St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Monk and Theologian – Catechesis 42

so from now on run well and may the devil - st theodore the studite 28 july 2020

PRAYER – All-powerful and ever-living God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, chase away the night of sin and fill our minds with the glory of Your coming.   Take away our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh, help us in our battle with sin and the devil.   By our prayers, Your holy Sacraments and the strength of the Holy Spirit, may we be ever vigilant of the evil one.   By our Baptism in Your Son, we are Your children, grant us Your protection.   Kindly listen to the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints and angels, whose prayers we beg, through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.

bl virgin mother pray for us 28 july 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, INCORRUPTIBLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 July – The disposition of the ground …

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One Minute Reflection – 24 July – Friday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Jeremiah 3:14-17, Responsorial psalm Jeremiah 31:10-13, Matthew 13:18-23 and the Memorial of St Charbel Makhluf (1828-1898)

“As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it;  he indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty and in another thirty.”...Matthew 13:23

REFLECTION – “And yet, if both the land be good and the Sower one and the seed the same, wherefore did one bear a hundred, one sixty, one thirty?
Here again the difference is from the nature of the ground, for even where the ground is good, great even therein, is the difference.
Understand that not the Sower is to be blamed, nor the seed but the land that receives it? not for its nature but, for its disposition.
And herein too, great is His mercy to man, that He does not require one measure of virtue.
… And these things He says, lest they that followed Him should suppose that hearing is sufficient for salvation.
… Yes, both vainglory and all the rest belong to this world and to the deceitfulness of riches, such as pleasure and gluttony and envy and vainglory and all the like.

But He added also the “way” and the “rock,” signifying that it is not enough to be freed from riches only, but we must cultivate also the other parts of virtue.
But what if you are free indeed from riches, yet are soft and unmanly? and what if you are not indeed unmanly but are remiss and careless about the hearing of the word?
No one part is sufficient for our salvation but there is required first, a careful hearing and a continual recollection, then fortitude, then contempt of riches and deliverance from all worldly things.” … St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctormatthew 13 23 - parable of the seed - but what if you are free indeed from riches - st john chrysostom 24 july 2020

PRAYER – A pure heart create for me O God, put a steadfast spirit within me! (Ps 50[51]) Lord God, bestow a full measure of Your grace to us.   Keep us within in the path of Your commandments, help us to work on the earth of our souls, rooting out the weeds and casting forth the stones of malice.   Grant that by the prayers of St Charbel Makhluf, who by Your grace triumphed in all virtues, we may succeed in attaining sanctity.   Through Christ, our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever, amen.st-charbel-pray-for-us-24-july-2017-2018-and-2019 and 2020

Posted in CONFESSION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SCANDAL, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION

Thought for the Day – 20 July – Our Dominant Passion

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

Our Dominant Passion

our dominant passion bacci 20 july 2020

“Among the passions which disturb us, there is one predominant tendency, which is our particular weakness.
Perhaps we are not aware what it is but, those who have to live with us, know it well!
It is essential for us to know it also, in order to make it a special objective in our spiritual combat.

This information may be obtained by praying earnestly to the Holy Spirit to enlighten us to know ourselves, by making a daily examination of conscience and, by seeking the advice of our confessor, of our spiritual director and of any sincere friend.

It is our predominant passion which most often leads us into sin.
It recurs in all our confessions and we have great difficulty in overcoming it.
The predominant passion of Cain was envy, which he failed to combat in time, so that eventually, it caused him to commit fratricide.
Lust was the predominant passion of Mary of Magdala and of St Augustine and until they managed to control it, it led them into many grave errors.
It was because the Apostle Judas, neglected to struggle against his own avarice, that he became a traitor.
There are others who are inordinately proud and ambitious and, still others, who are governed by a craving for pleasure.

What is your predominant passion?
You must know what it is, in order to combat it determinedly, for otherwise, it will lead you into one sin after another, until you are eternally ruined!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 July – Hell

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – The Sixteenth Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19, Psalm 86:5-6,9-10, 15-16, Romans 8:26-27, Matthew 13:24-43

Hell

“Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels
and they will gather out of his kingdom,
all causers of sin and all law-breakers
and throw them into the fiery furnace.
In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Jesus
Matthew 13:40-42

matthew 13 40-42 just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire - 19 july 2020

“Every man will receive the eternal punishment,
or reward which his actions deserve.
Indeed, if all men recognised this,
no-one would choose evil even for a short time,
knowing that he would incur the eternal sentence of fire.
On the contrary, he would take every means
to control himself and to adorn himself in virtue,
so that he might obtain the good gifts of God
and escape the punishments.”

St Justin Marytr (100-165)
Father of the Church and Martyr

everyma will receive the eternal - st justin martyr 19 july 2020

“Then shall those, already in the midst of the torments,
cry out with pleading voices
and there will be no-one to speak for them to the Lord
and they shall not be heard.”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

the shall those already in the midst - st ephrem 19 july 2020

“I am filled with fear and trembling
and all my bones are shaken,
at the thought of that unhappy country
of the damned.”

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

i am filled with fear and trembling - st bernard 19 july 2020

“So then, I am speaking to you who live in the habit of mortal sin,
in hatred, in the mire of the vice of impurity
and who are getting closer to hell each day.
Stop! and turn around;
it is Jesus who calls you and who,
with His wounds, as with so many eloquent voices,
cries to you, “My son, if you are damned,
you have only yourself to blame:
‘Thy damnation comes from thee.’
Lift up your eyes and see all the graces
with which I have enriched you
to insure your eternal salvation.'”

St Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)

so then i am speaking to you who live in the habit of mortal sin st leonard of port maurice 19 july 2020

“Poor Judas!
Above [2000] years have elapsed
since he has been in Hell
and his Hell is still only beginning.”

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

poor judas - st alphonsus 19 july 2020

“Meditate on the horrors of Hell,
which will last for eternity
because of one easily-committed mortal sin.
Try hard to be among the few who are chosen.
Think of the eternal flames of Hell
and how few there are that are saved.”

meditate-on-the-horrors-of-hell-st-benedict-joseph-labre-16-april-2020 and 19 july 2020

“I was watching souls
going down into the abyss,
as thick and fast as snowflakes,
falling in the winter mist.”

St Benedict Joseph Labre (1748-1783)

i was watching souls going down - st benedict joseph labre 19 july 2020

“I tremble when I see so many souls lost these days.
See, they fall into Hell,
as leaves fall from the trees
at the approach of winter.”

St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)

i tremble when i see so many souls lost - st john vianney 19 july 2020

“The natural fire that we see during this life
has great power to burn and torment.
Yet this is not even a shadow of the fire of Hell.”

St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

the natural fire we see ....yet this is not even a shadow - st anthony mary claret 19 july 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 July -“Then the righteous will shine like the sun…” Matthew 13:43

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One Minute Reflection – 19 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – The Sixteenth Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19, Psalm 86:5-6,9-10, 15-16, Romans 8:26-27, Matthew 13:24-43

“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” … Matthew 13:43

REFLECTION – “When this, which is corruptible in us, clothes itself with incorruptibility and this, which is mortal, clothes itself in immortality” (1 Cor 15:54), then there will be perfect sweetness, perfect rejoicing, endless praise and love without fear. … And here below?   Do we not enjoy any kind of joy? … Certainly we find joy here below;  here we taste in hope of the life to come, a joy that will satisfy us completely in heaven.
However, the wheat has much to bear in the midst of the darnel.   The seed is mixed up with the straw and the lily grows among the thorns. … And indeed, what is it that was spoken to the Church?   “As a lily among thorns, so is my beloved among my maidens” (Sg 2:2).   It said, “Among my maidens” and not among foreigners.   O Lord, what are the consolations you give us?   What the comfort?   Or rather, what the alarm?   Are you calling your own maidens “thorns”?   By their behaviour they are thorns, He answers, but maidens through my sacraments. …
But where is the Christian to take refuge, then, if he is not to groan in the midst of false brethren?   Where is he to go?   What is he to do?   Is he to fly away to the desert?   Occasions for falling will follow him.  Will he who is doing so well, separate himself to the extent, of not putting up with a single one of his brothers?   What about him, then? Supposing nobody was able to put up with him before his conversion? … So if, under the pretext of making progress, he cannot bear with anyone else, by this very fact it is clear, he hasn’t progressed as yet.   Pay careful attention to these words:  “Bear with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph 4:2-3).   Isn’t there anything in you that another has to bear?” … St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace – Discourses on the Psalm, Ps 99, 8-9matthew 13_43 then the righteous will shine like the sun - st augustine 19 july 2020

PRAYER – Father and almighty God, You have given Your Son to redeem us with complete and absolute love and mercy.   He has taken our flesh and given Himself to us and extended endless mercy for all time.   He has taught us the path of love and mercy.   Grant, we pray, that our hearts may grieve and repent with true sorrow.   And may the prayers of His Mother and ours, the Most Holy and Pure Virgin, assist us to extend love and mercy to all.   We make our prayer through the merits of His saving love and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever, amen.MOST HOLY AND PURE VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD PRAY FOR US 19 JULY 2020

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD

Thought for the Day – 17 July – The Voice of God

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Thought for the Day – 17 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Voice of God

the voice of god - bacci 17 july 2020

“God speaks to us in many ways by means of created things.
We see His glory in the stars of the firmament, (Cf Ps 13:2), in the seas, mountains and valleys and in the trees and flowers.
St Therese was once examining the petals of a flower, when she exclaimed:  “How good thou art, O God!”

God also speaks within us.
Sometimes, He sees how absorbed we are in worldly affairs and He stirs up, in us, a restlessness and a longing for Heaven.
When we fall into sin, He pricks us with remorse and appeals to us to rise again, making us realise that everything else is empty and futile, if we have lost Him.
He speaks to us still more clearly by means of Revelation, which is contained in Sacred Scripture, as officially interpreted by the Church.

The revealed Word of God has always been with us to answer the searchings of the human heart and to allay it’s anxieties.
The Gospel is as new and as illuminating today, as yesterday.
It is a book which we should study reverently and diligently, in order to solve our personal problems and the problems of mankind.

Let us listen to God when He speaks to us in these diverse ways.
Let us respond to His appeals and carry out whatever He requires of us, in our daily lives.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 July – ‘… The Seed of the Divine Word’

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One Minute Reflection – 12 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – The Fifteenth Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalm 65:10-14, Romans 8:18-23, Matthew 13:1-23

“As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it;  he indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”…Matthew 13:23

REFLECTION – “Indeed, you all know how land is cultivated.   First of all you pull out the weeds and throw away the stones, then you work the ground itself.   You do it again a second time, a third time and finally… you sow.   Oh, let it be like this in our souls!   First of all let us uproot the weeds, that is to say our evil thoughts; then take out the stones, in other words all our malice and obstinacy.   Finally, let us work our hearts with the plough of the Gospel and the ploughshare of the cross.   Let us break it by repentance, turn over the soil with almsgiving and with charity, prepare it for the seed of Our Lord… that it may joyfully receive the seed of the divine word and bring forth fruit, not just thirty but sixty and a hundredfold.”… St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Monk & Bishop (Sermons to the people, no.6 passim ; SC 175)matthew13 23 - as for what was sown on the good soil-let us work our hearts with the plough of the gospel and the ploughshare of the cross - st caesarius 12 july 2020

PRAYER – A pure heart create for me O God, put a steadfast spirit within me! (Ps 50[51]) Lord God, bestow a full measure of Your grace to us.   Keep us within in the path of Your commandments, help us to work on the earth of our souls, rooting out the weeds and casting forth the stones of malice.   Grant that by the intercession of the Mother of Your Son and our Mother too, we may succeed in attaining sanctity. Through Christ, our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever, amen.holy mother mary pray for us 16 jan 2019

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 11 July – St Benedict

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 July – The Memorial of St Benedict of Nursia OSB (c 480-547)

“It is time now for us to rise from sleep!”

it is time now for us to rise from sleep! st benedict 11 july 2020

“Listen and attend
with the ear of your heart.”

listen and attend with the ear of your heart st benedict 11 july 2020

“He should know,
that whoever undertakes,
the government of souls,
must prepare himself
to account for them.”

he should know that whoever undertakes the government - st benedict 11 july 2020

“For at all times
we must so serve Him
with the good things He has given us,
that He may not, as an angry Father,
disinherit His children,
nor as a dread Lord, provoked by our evil deeds,
deliver us to everlasting punishment
as wicked servants who refuse
to follow Him to glory.”

for at all times we must so serve Him - st benedict 11 july 2020

“He, who labours as he prays,
lifts his heart to God,
with his hands.”

he who labours as he prays lifts his heart to god with his hands - st benedict 11 july 2020

“Run, while you have the light of life!”

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/07/11/quote-s-of-the-day-11-july-st-benedict/

St Benedict (c 480-547)

run while you have the light of life! 11 july 2020 st benedict

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 8 July – Falling into Sin

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Thought for the Day – 8 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Falling into Sin

falling into sin - bacci 9 july 2020

“The just man falls seven times,” says the Book of Proverbs (24:16).
Unfortunately, we have all experienced how true this is.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves” (Cf 1 Jn 1:8).

We fall often, in many ways – in thought, in speech, in action and by omission.
Sometimes, we fall in a moment of weakness or of impatience, at other times, we sin by an act of premeditated malice.
“Watch and pray,” Our Lord warns us, “that you may not enter into temptation” (Mt 26:41).

Our Lord also said that we “must always pray not lose heart” (Lk 18:1).
In other words, we should have a spirit of prayer which is based on the love of God and keeps us close to Him.
It is only when we are united to God, that temptations cannot hurt us and we are protected by His grace, from falling into deliberate sin.

It is idle to protest that this would require the virtue of anchorite and that we are entangled in all kinds of other business.
Virtue is necessary for everybody, not only for anchorites.
“The kingdom of heaven has been enduring violent assulat and the violent have been seizing it by force” (Mt 11:12).
In order to attain to the kingdom of God, therefore, we have to do violence to our corrupted nature.
A life of solitude is not essential for prayer, however.
One can be busy from morning till night and pray continuously, so that his work is offered to God and done for the love of God.
In this way, work becomes prayer and will save us from falling into sin.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SLOTH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, SPEAKING of ....., The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 July – ‘… The Measure of each One’s Faith…’

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 July – Monday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Hosea 2:14-16, 19-20 (16-18, 21-22), Psalm 145:2-9, Matthew 9:18-26

‘… The measure of each one’s faith…’

“If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”
Jesus turned, and seeing her he said,
“Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.”
And instantly the woman was made well.”

Matthew 9:21-22

matthew 9 21-22 if I only touch his garment i will be made well - 6 july 2020

“I live, no longer I
but Christ lives in me,”

Galasians 2:20

galasians-2-20-i-live-no-longer-i-but-christ-lives-in-me-25-jan-2020 - ST PAUL - and 6 july 2020

“Elizabeth says:
‘Blessed are you because you have believed.’
You also are blessed,
because you have heard and believed.
A soul that believes,
both conceives and brings forth
the Word of God
and acknowledges His works.”

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

A Commentary on Luke, Book 2

elizabeth says blessed are you because you have believed - you also are blessed - st ambrose 6 july 2020

“What determines that the gifts of God dwells in us,
is the measure of each one’s faith.
Because it is to the extent that we believe,
that the enthusiasm to act is given us.
And so those who act,
reveal the measure of their faith
proportionate to their action,
they receive their measure of grace
according to what they have believed. …”

St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662)
Monk and Theologian

what determines that the gifts of god dwells in us - st maximus the confessor 6 july 2020

“Pray in the spirit and sentiment of love,
in which the royal prophet said to Him,
‘Thou, O Lord, are my portion.’
Let others choose to themselves,
portions among creatures,
for my part, You are my portion,
You alone I have chosen for my whole inheritance.”

St Augustine of Canterbury (Died c 605)

pray-in-the-spirit-and-sentiment-of-love-you-alone-i-have-chosen-st-augustine-of-canterbury-27-may-2020 and 6 july 2020 speaking of faith

“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 ….
Do not hinder the Lord’s narrow way
with your dragging feet.
Hitch up your garment and be ready for action,
look up and don’t burden yourself
with those oppressive loads
which are your evil desires.
For anyone who is accomplishing
the journey from earth to heaven,
it is enough to diligently pursue one’s path
without assuming extra weight. … ”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)
Monk and Theologian at Constantinople

 

“Faith is like a bright ray of sunlight.
It enables us to see God in all things,
as well as, all things in God.”

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

faith is like a bright ray of sunlight - st francis de sales 6 july 2020

“By faith we adhere to Christ
and the edifice of our spiritual life
becomes thereby firm and stable.
Christ makes us share
in the stability of the divine rock
against which even hell’s fury
cannot prevail (Mt 16:18).”

Blessed Columba Marmion (1858-1923) Abbot

Our faith, the victory over the world

by faith we adhere to christ - bl columba marmion 6 july 2020

“Life has only one face – LOVE.”

Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro (1936-1964)

life-has-only-one-face-love-bl-benedetta-porro-23-jan-2020 and 6 july 2020

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Thought for the Day – 3 July – The Good Shepherd

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 3 July – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Good Shepherd

the good shepherd - we may often have been - bacci 3 july 2020

“The Good Shepherd is the theme of two of the most moving passages in the Gospel.
“I am the good shepherd,” Jesus says. “The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. But, the hireling, who is not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. and the wolf snatches and scatters the sheep … I am the good shepherd and I know mine and mine know me, even as the father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for my sheep” (Jn 10:11-15).

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep,” He says elsewhere “and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after that which is lost, until he finds it?   And when he has found it, he lays it upon his shoulders rejoicing.   And on coming home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, “Rejoice with me because, I have found my sheep that was lost.”
“I say to you that, even so, there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, more than over ninety nine just, who have no need of repentance” (Cf Lk 15:4-7).

These texts vividly describe God’s mercy towards poor sinners.

We may often have been amongst the lost sheep which are separated from the flock of Jesus Christ.
We found, perhaps, the poisoned pastures of error and vice and strayed from the path of truth and goodness.
But what happened?
We experienced disillusionment and remorse and knew that we had lost our only real good, which is God.
How sad our fate would have been, if the Good Shepherd, Jesus, had not come to look for us and to enlighten us with His grace.
We should have been lost forever, in the desert of sin!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SIN, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 July – “Thy sins are forgiven thee.”

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One Minute Reflection – 2 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Thursday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Amos 7: 10-17, Psalms 19: 8, 9, 10, 11, Matthew 9: 1-8 and the Memorial of St Swithun (c 800-863) Bishop

“Be of good heart, son, thy sins are forgiven thee.” … Matthew 9:2

REFLECTION – “The scribes declared that God alone can forgive sins. But Jesus, even before He forgave sins, revealed the secrets of the heart, thereby showing, that He also possessed that other power reserved to God …  For it is written:  “You alone, O Lord, know the secrets of humankind” and “Man sees the outward appearance but God sees the heart” (2 Chr 6:30; 1 Sam 16:7).   In this way Jesus reveals His divinity and equality with the Father, uncovering the depths of their hearts to the scribes and making known those thoughts, they are afraid to speak openly for fear of the crowd.   And this He did with great gentleness. …
The lame man might have made his disappointment known to Christ by saying:  “OK! You have come to cure another kind of sickness and heal another kind of evil – sin.   But what proof am I going to get that my sins are forgiven?”   Yet he said nothing of the sort but put his trust in the One who had the power to heal him. …
To the scribes, Christ said:  “Which is easier?   To say:  Your sins are forgiven, or rather:  Take up your stretcher and go home?”   In other words:  ‘What seems easier to you?   To strengthen a paralysed body or put aside the sins of the soul?’   Obviously, to heal a body since forgiveness of sins goes as much beyond the healing, as the soul is above the body.   But since one of these works is visible and the other not, I am equally going to carry out the work that is visible and lesser, in order to prove, that which is greater and unseen.   At that very moment Jesus witnessed by His works that He is “He who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn 1:29).” … St John Chrysostom (c 345-407) – Doctor of the Church – Homilies on Saint Matthew’s Gospel, no. 29, 2 ; PG 57, 359matthew 9 2 be of ood heart son thy sins - which ios easier - st john chrysostom 2 july 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, be the beginning and the end of all that we are and do and say.   Prompt our actions with Your grace, may Your light be our only way, may Your commands be our only need and complete all, with Your all-powerful help.   St Swithun, your love of God in all things proved by Him in your countless miracles, pray for us!   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever and ever, amen.

st swithun pray for us 2 july 2020

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on SIN, SAINT of the DAY, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 June – ‘Peter and Paul are our teachers…’

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One Minute Reflection – 29 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Readings: Acts 12:1-11, Psalm 34:2-9, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18, Matthew 16:13-19

“Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” … Jesus said to him in reply … And so I say to you, you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of the hell shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” … Matthew 16:16,17,18-19matthew 16 18 upon this rock i will build my church 22 feb 2020 chair of st peter

REFLECTION – “Christ the Mediator “ committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth” (1Pt 2:22).   How could I venture to draw near Him, I who am a sinner, a grievous sinner whose sins are more numerous than the sands of the sea?   He is all that is most pure, I am all that is most impure … This is the reason why God has given me these apostles, men and sinners – very grievous sinners – who learnt for themselves, through their own experience, how merciful they should be to others.   Guilty themselves of great offences, they will grant a ready pardon to great offences and repay us according to the measure meted out to them (Lk 6:38).

The apostle Peter committed a very great sin, possibly the greatest of all.   He received a forgiveness for it that was as swift as it was ready, even to not losing anything of the privilege of his primacy.   And Paul, who unleashed unrestrained aggression against the newborn Church, was brought to faith at the call of God’s Son Himself.   In return for so many evils, he was filled with such great blessings that he became “a chosen instrument to carry the Lord’s name before Gentiles, kings and Israelites” (Acts 9:15) (…)

Peter and Paul are our teachers – they learned the way of life fully from the one Teacher of all and continue to teach us today.” … St Bernard (1091-1153) Cistercian Monk, Theologian, Mellifluous Doctorpeter and paul are our teachers - st bernard - 29 june 2020

PRAYER – O God, who on the Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul give us the noble and holy joy of this day, grant, we pray, that your Church may in all things follow the teaching of those through whom she received the beginnings of right religion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amensts-peter-and-paul-pray-for-us-18-nov-2017

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, I BELIEVE!, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SOLITUDE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 28 June – Holy Solitude and Blessed Paolo Giustiniani

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Memorial of Blessed Paolo Giustiniani ECMC (1476-1528) – Monk, Hermit and Founder of the Congregation of the Camaldolese Hermits of Monte Corona

“The supreme goal to which the monk tends,
the summit of the perfection of his heart,
is indeed the union of his heart with his Lord.”

St John Cassian (c 360-435)

Monk, Father of the Church
and Founder of Monasteries
Disciple of St John Chrysostom

te supreme goal to which the monk tends - st john cassian 28 june 2020

“O Hermitage, only those who know you,
who rest sweetly in your arms,
can tell of your grandeur
and chant your praises.
As for me, I only know this
and affirm it in all sincerity –
Whoever forces himself with perseverance
to enter more and more
into the desire to love You,
will finally enter Your mystery and,
at the same time,
the mystery of God.”

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

o hermitage, only those who know you, who rest sweetly in your arms - st peter damian 28 june 2020

“Go to Church for the work of God,
not by habit or duty,
but rather driven,
by the interior desire
to praise our Creator.”

go to church for the work of god - bl paolo giustiniani 28 june 2020

“Celebrate holy Mass in the joy of the Spirit.”

celebrate holy mass in the joy of the spirit - bl paolo giustiniani 28 june 2020 (1)

“I desire to serve my Lord Jesus Christ.
However, I blindly entrust the manner of service
to His decision – in action or in contemplation,
in peace and quiet
or in suffering and tribulation,
in the quiet of the cell
or else in wearisome wanderings.
So long as I am serving Him,
I have no preference or taste of my own.”

i desire to serve my lord Jesus Christ - bl paolo giustiniani 28 june 2020

“To me it appears incontrovertible,
that, above the light and discourse of reason,
there is another light.
It is clearer and more evident,
given by God to those human minds
that do not refuse to receive it
and by means of it, God can be properly understood. ….
This is the light of faith.“

this is the light of faith bl paolo giustiniani 28 june 2020

Prayer of Blessed Paolo Giustiniani
“Lord, I dare not say to You:
“Show me the light that I may believe in Your Light”
but it is enough for me,
that You make me see my darkness …
Bring me back to myself.
In my misery I have distanced myself
not only from You but from myself,
becoming a stranger to myself.
Make me know my darkness,
that then I may look at the light.
Yes, I tell You and repeat to You incessantly,
Show me to myself,
so that I may know my sins.”

prayer of bl paolo biustiniani lord i dare not say to you - 28 jue 2020

“Until I was alone I never really lived.
Until I was alone, I was not with myself.
Until I was alone, I never drew near to my creator.”

Blessed Paolo Giustiniani (1476-1528)

until i was alone i never really lived - bl paolo giustiniani 28 june 2020

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 26 June – The Four Ends of the Holy Mass

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

The Four Ends of the Holy Mass

THE FOUR ENDS OF THE HOLY MASS - BACCI 26 JUNE 2020

“Let us meditate on the fact, that the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, was instituted for four ends, namely:

1. TO HONOUR GOD
All the Angels and Saints of Heaven and all the human beings upon earth, could not possibly honour God, as He ought to be honoured because, they are creatures who derive everything which they possess from God.
Only Jesus the God-Man, could offer the Eternal Father, the infinite honour due to Him, by offering Himself.

2. TO MAKE ADEQUATE SATISFACTION FOR ALL OUR SINS
Insofar, as they are a revolt against God, our sins are, in a certain way, infinite.
This is because they offend an Infinite Being.
Only Jesus, being at the same time man and God, could offer for us, His brothers, an infinite satisfaction to the Eternal Father.
Only He, could redeem us from the debt of crime and punishment, which we had contracted, by offering Himself, without reserve, in the Eucharistic Sacrifice.
It must be explained, however, that although the Mass is of infinite value in itself, God applies this value to us in a finite way only, according to His good pleasure and according to our dispositions.
For this reason, we should do well to attend Mass, as often as possible and with the maximum fervour.

3. TO GIVE THANKSGIVING TO GOD for all the benefits which we have received from Him.

4. Finally, TO OBTAIN ALL THE GRACES AND FAVOURS of which we and other people stand in need.
The Mass is an extraordinary gift.
Let us attend at Mass with recollection and devotion.
It will be for us, the source of every grace and virtue!”
Amen

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SIN, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 June – “… Go show yourself to the priest”

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One Minute Reflection – 26 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Friday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings 2 Kings 25:1-12, Psalm 137:1-6, Matthew 8:1-4 and the Memorial of Blessed Andrea Giacinto Longhin OFM.Cap (1863 – 1936) Bishop

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘See that you tell no-one but go show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.’” … Matthew 8:4matthew 8 4 see that you tell no-one but go show yourself to the priest - 26 june 2020

REFLECTION – “What then was the gift that was to be brought by the leper according to the law?   “Two small birds,” one of which the priest killed “over running water.”   Taking “cedar wood and broken scarlet and hyssop” and the living bird, he dipped them “in the blood of the slain bird, over running water.”   He anointed the right ear, hand and foot of the leper who was cleansed.   He sent the living bird outside the city, “into the open field.”
Observe, therefore, how perfectly Christ depicts these things for us.   By the living bird you may understand the living, heavenly Word.
By the blood of the slain bird, you should understand the blood of our suffering Lord, for whom, we say, that He suffered “in the flesh,” rather than “in his own body.”
The cedar is a wood not prone to rot.   The incorruptible flesh, the body of Christ, “did not see corruption.”
Hyssop symbolises the effervescence, activity and power of the Spirit.
Scarlet intends the confession of the covenant made with blood.
The running water signifies the life-creating gift of baptism.
Through this baptism, whoever has become a leper through sin may be cleansed.
The sending of the living bird outside of the city teaches us to abandon this world, as did Christ in His ascension into heaven.
Having thus come into the presence of God the Father, He makes intercession for all of us and we, therefore, shall be cleansed.
By the anointing of the leper’s right ear, hand and foot, we are taught that we must be, in contemplation and in action and in our way of life, in touch with divine things.” … St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father known as “The Pillar of the Faith” Doctor of the Incarnation (Fragment 93)what then was the gift that was to be brought by the leper - st cyril of alex 26 june 2020

PRAYER – Enable me loving Father, to live a life of purity that will make me live in You.   Let me be so united with You that whatever I might ask will be in total accord with Your will for me.   Bl Andrea Giacinto Longhin, your tireless work and preaching for the glory of the Kingdom show us the way to sanctification, please intercede for us all. May Mary our Mother of Compassion, be our constant companion.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.BL ANDREA GIACINTO LONGHIN PRAY FOR US ORA PRO NOBIS 26 JUNE 2020