Category: QUOTES on SUFFERING

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, PATIENCE - Fr Richard CLARKE, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PHYSICAL SICKNESS, ILLNESS, QUOTES on SUFFERING, REDEMPTIVE Suffering

Thought for the Day – 16 June – On Patience in Sickness

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Thought for the Day – 16 June – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

PATIENCE
Meditations for a Month

On Patience in Sickness

  1. It is not easy for those who have always enjoyed robust health to understand how heavy a cross is a long-continued illness. It is not merely the physical pain, although this is often very difficult to bear. It is the discomfort, the weariness, the languor, the depression which accompany sickness; it is the restlessness, the inability to find repose, the loneliness of the long hours.
    What need the sick have of patience! Patience should be the watchword of their life.
    Grant me patience, 0 Lord, patience to suffer for Thee and with Thee and never to murmur even when the pain and suffering is greatest!
  2. There is a form of ill-health which is the most difficult of all to bear with patience; when we go about our usual occupations in a state of suffering which makes everything a burden. We get little sympathy be cause we are still able to do our work, or perhaps ,we are blamed because we are not able to do it as wel as we should.
    Oh, what compassion we should have for those who suffer thus and, if it is our own lot, we should do our best to unite our sufferings with the sufferings of Jesus and ask Him to grant us patience to carry our heavy cross.
  3. We sometimes fancy that when we are ill and unable to do active work for God, we are useless and cannot gain graces for ourselves or for others. This is a great mistake – we can gain more graces in illness than in health. Suffering is more pleasing to God than doing; it earns greater merit, it prepares us more speedily for Heaven, it blots out sin more rapidly. Many of the Saints were sanctified by sickness. Hence bear it willingly, try to rejoice in it!
Posted in HUMILITY-Fr Richard Clarke, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SUFFERING

Thought for the Day – 9 June – The Attainment of Humility

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

HUMILITY
Meditations for a Month

The Attainment of Humility

Humility does not spring up in our souls of its own accord. On the contrary, every child of Adam has a deep root of pride within his soul.
It is only by a long and painful process that the generality of mankind can attain humility. We cannot expect to become humble unless we fulfill the necessary conditions.

We must make many acts of humility before we can attain any proficiency in the virtue. Our acts of humility must consist, not merely in protesting to Almighty God that we are vile and worthless ,in His sight and in humbling ourselves before Him by reason of our many sins. Our acts of humility must be practiced towards others by being very gentle towards those who provoke us, by bearing contradictions with patience, by accepting disappointments with patience and rebuffs without complaint. All this is a gradual process and we must not expect proficiency in humility until we have long practiced these means to attain it.

We must pray for humility.
No gift of God can be won without prayer and humility least of all
because it is so opposed to the natural bent of our nature and, can never be had without a special grace from God. Prayer, moreover, is an acknowledgement of our dependence upon God,and humility consists in nothing else, than a recognition of this dependence and an acquiescence in it.
Pray, then, for humility! It is not much use praying for humility unless we also pray for the means that are to implant it in our souls. We must ask God, from our hearts, not to spare us if He sees that we shall not become humble without suffering. We must leave ourselves in His Hands, saying only, “O my God, make me humble at any cost! Amen.”

Posted in CARMELITES, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, SELF-DISTRUST

Quote/s of the Day – 29 May – St Maria Magdalena de’ Pazzi

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 May – St Maria Magdalena de’ Pazzi O.Carm (1566-1607) Virgin

“Self-love is like the worm which gnaws at the root
and destroys, not only the fruit but even,
the very life of the plant.
The traitor whom we have to fear most, is self-love, f
or self-love betrays us as Judas
betrayed our Lord with a kiss.
He who conquers self-love, conquers all!”

“I do not desire to die soon
because, in Heaven, there is no suffering.
I desire to live a long time
because, I yearn to suffer much
for the love of my Spouse.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/05/29/quote-s-of-the-day-29-may-st-maria-magdalena-de-pazzi/

St Maria Magdalena de’ Pazzi (1566-1607)

Posted in PATIENCE - Fr Richard CLARKE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING

Thought for the Day – 26 May – The Solution of the Mystery of Suffering

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Thought for the Day – 26 May – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) SJ

PATIENCE
Meditations for a Month

The Solution of the Mystery of Suffering

  1. At the beginning there was no suffering. It was not until the Angels rebelled that pain and suffering made their appearance in God’s universe. Suffering is the necessary expiation of the outrage offered to the Majesty of God by His creatures. It is a fulfilment of the eternal law that, he who sins must suffer. It is the complement and effect of sin. It is the carrying out of the law of retribution. What else are my sufferings but the just punishment for my sins?
  2. But suffering is a great deal more than this. It is the remedy for the disease of sin, the kindly knife which hurts but cures. What a change suffering makes in men. See Nabuchodonosor before he suffered, proud and lifted up, and afterwards – mhumble and submissive. (Daniel 4 : 27) See the prodigal son led by suffering to return to his father’s house. See even the wicked Achab humbled by suffering. (3 Kings 21:27) ‘It is good, O Lord, says David, ‘that Thou hast afflicted me. Before I was troubled I went wrong but now, I have kept Thy word.’
    ‘ Chastisement yields to those who are exercised by it the peaceable fruit of justice.’ (Hebrews 12:I1) It purifies the soul and almost forces men to humility and submission. Has it had this effect with me? If it has, I will thank God.
  3. Suffering is the payment for joy to come. The willing acceptance of it, is the surest road to a high place in Heaven. We can earn more grace for ourselves and for others, by the patient endurance of suffering, than by the most active zeal – it is a safer, as well as a surer means of glorifying God, for we cannot well be proud of our sufferings as we may be of our actions. Thus, it is one of the best gifts which God can give us.
    I, therefore, must be willing to pay the price, if I desire to win the reward!
Posted in PATIENCE - Fr Richard CLARKE, QUOTES on SUFFERING

Thought for the Day – 25 May – The Mystery of Suffering

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Thought for the Day – 25 May – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) SJ

PATIENCE
Meditations for a Month

The Mystery of Suffering

  1. Those who look upon the world without taking into account the nature of sin, the meaning of a state of probation and the rewards and punishments of the life to come, are puzzled by the sufferings which seem everywhere to abound. Why has a merciful God created us to suffer? Why is it that the innocent have to suffer one day, while the guilty seem to prosper? Why is it that the most virtuous often have the hardest lot and the bitterest trials? Suffering is indeed a mystery.
  2. Friendship with God generally entails suffering. How many a man hitherto prosperous falls into every kind of misfortune when he turns to God! It seems as if a high degree of virtue brought misery, not happiness. Dives, surrounded with every luxury and Lazarus, covered with ulcers lying half-starved at his gate; Annas triumphant and Jesus Crucified; Herod feasting and John butchered in his prison cell; the Roman Emperor in all the pride of empire and the friends of God torn by wild beast – what an apparent anomaly! On a small scale there is the same anomaly in my life and in the little world in which I live. I am inclined to find fault with God’s arrangements. Oh how foolishly!
  3. Does God repay good with evil by sending suffering to those He loves? They themselves do not think so and they are the best judges. They rather like sufferings. How can this be? Suffering, in itself, is the reverse of pleasant. But in its effects how wonderful! In its power to counteract evil how effectual! As a mark of God’s favour how valuable! In its promise for the future, how replete with blessings! It may be said to contain, within itself, all sweetness, not in the present but in the future. This is the view I must take of suffering.
Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, PATIENCE - Fr Richard CLARKE, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on SUFFERING

Thought for the Day – 24 May – On Various Trials of our Patience

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Thought for the Day – 24 May – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

PATIENCE
Meditations for a Month

On Various Trials of our Patience

  1. Patience is tried by everything which puts an obstacle in the way of our action – by being kept waiting long; by having to repeat, over and over again, some lesson to a dull learner; by the perverse and wayward conduct of the young; by being interrupted while speaking when we have something we want to say; by a hundred similar incidents which continually occur. All these are a good test of our possession of this virtue. How do I stand the test in each case?
  2. Our patience is also tried by those who misunderstand and misrepresent us. It is not easy to speak and think kindly of them. We are inclined either to avoid them or to show our dislike to them. We want to let them know what we think of them and to give them a return blow for the blows we believe them to have given us. But patience bids us take the offence, real or supposed, quietly and without complaining; it checks the angry word and quenches the fire of resentment. Here, too, I have an excellent means of gauging my possession of this virtue.
  3. Patience is also tried by poverty, sickness, desolation, loneliness; by uncongenial surroundings and employments which are not to our taste. We all have to suffer one or other of these painful circumstances of human existence. He who has the virtue of patience, will bow his head and accept, with ready acquiescence, the trials which come to him. He will find plenty of good reasons, why they have happened to him and, so far from regretting them, or repining under them, he will say, with the Psalmist:
    ‘The Lord will not cast off forever.
    If He cast off, He will also have mercy according to the multitude of His mercies.’     (Lament 3: 31, 32).
Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DEVOTIO, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SUFFERING, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 6 May – Concerning Sensible Devotion and Dryness (Part Two)

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Thought for the Day – 6 May – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

Final Remarks on Prayer and the Combat
LIX: … Concerning Sensible Devotion and Dryness
(Part Two)

“And if, from confusion of mind, you can neither pray nor meditate as usual, yet, you must persist in those exercises with as little anxiety as possible, supplying for the defects of the mind, the affection of the will.

Employ vocal prayer, conversing both with yourself and your Saviour. Such a practice will have surprising effects and, it will afford you great consolation in your anxiety. …

Call to mind the pious sentiments with which God inspired Sara, the wife of Tobias, in her affliction and say with her in spirit and in word –

“My God, all who serve Thee know that if they are visited with trials of affliction in this life, they will be rewarded;,if oppressed with suffering they shall be delivered, if punished by Thy justice, they hope in mercy. For Thou delightest not in seeing us perish, Thou sendest a calm after storms and joy after mourning.
O God of Israel, be Thy Name forever blessed.” (Tob III)

Remember too, thy Christ in the Garden and on the Cross abandoned by Him, Whose Only beloved Son He was – carry your cross with Him and say from the bottom of your heart:
“Not my will but Thine be done.”

Thus, by uniting patience with prayer, in the voluntary immolation of self to God, you will become truly devout.
For, as I have said, true devotion consists in an eager and unswerving
will to follow Christ and to bear the cross at whatever time, in whatever way He shall decide and, it consists too, in loving God because He is worthy of our love and even in forfeiting the sweetness of God for the sake of God!

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/05/05/thought-for-the-day-5-may-concerning-sensible-devotion-and-dryness-part-one/

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Our Morning Offering – 26 April – O Mother of Good Counsel By Pope Pius XII (

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Our Morning Offering – 26 April – Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel

O Mother of Good Counsel
By Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

O Holy Virgin, to whose feet we are led
by our anxious uncertainty in our search for
and attainment of, what is true and good,
invoking thee by the sweet title of Mother of Good Counsel,
we beseech thee to come to our assistance,
when, along the road of this life,
the darkness of error and of evil
conspire towards our ruin,
by leading our minds and our hearts astray.
O Seat of Wisdom and Star of the Sea,
enlighten the doubtful and the erring
that they, be not seduced,
by the false appearances of good;
render them steadfast in the face of the hostile
and corrupting influences, of passion and of sin.
O Mother of Good Counsel,
obtain for us from thy Divine Son,
a great love of virtue and,
in the hour of uncertainty and trial,
the strength to embrace the way
which leads to our salvation.
If thy hand sustains us,
we shall walk unmolested,
along the path indicated to us,
by the Life and Words of Jesus, our Redeemer
and, having followed freely and securely,
even in the midst of this world’s strife,
the Sun of Truth and Justice,
under thy maternal Star,
we shall come to the enjoyment of full
and eternal peace, with thee,
in the Haven of Salvation.
Amen

Posted in GOOD RESOLUTIONS, OUR Cross, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 23 April – The Benefits derived from Meditations on the Cross and the Imitation of the Virtues of Christ Crucified

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Thought for the Day – 23 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LII: … The Benefits derived from Meditations on the Cross
and the Imitation of the Virtues of Christ Crucified

“GREAT are the ADVANTAGES to be derived from meditating on the Cross, the first of which is, not only a detestation of past sins but also, the firm resolution to fight against our ever-present disorderly appetites which, Crucified our Saviour.
The second advantage is, the forgiveness of sins, obtained from Jesus Crucified and, a wholesome self-contempt which inspires us, forever to forsake offending Him and continually to love and serve Him with all our heart, in acknowledgment of that which He suffered for our sakes.

The third, is the unceasing labour with which we root out all depraved habits, however trivial they may appear.
The fourth consists in our ardent efforts to imitate our Divine Master, Who died, not only to expiate our sins but, to bequeath to us, the sublime example of a life of sanctity and perfection.

The following method of meditation will be highly serviceable, assuming, as I do, that you particularly wish to imitate the patience of your Saviour in carrying your crosses.
Consider well these several points:

What the Soul of Christ suffered for God.
What God did for the Soul of Jesus.
What the Soul of Jesus did, for itself and its Body.
What Jesus did for us.
What we ought to do for Jesus.

  1. Consider in the first place that the Soul of Jesus engulfed in the ocean of Divinity, contemplated that Infinite and Incomprehensible Being, before Whom, even the most exalted of creatures is utterly insignificant – contemplated, I say, in a state so debased as to suffer the vilest indignities of ungrateful man, without the least diminution of its essential glory and splendour.
    And from the depths of its suffering, the Soul of Christ adored its Sovereign Majesty, giving it myriad thanks and accepting all for its sake.
  2. Behold, on the other hand, what God bestowed on the Soul of Jesus – consider that the Divine Will decreed the scourgings, spittle, blasphemies, buffetings, crown of thorns, for love of us and the crucifixion which were meted out to Jesus, the Only and Beloved Son of God.
    See with what delight God, knowing the admirable end to which it was all directed, beheld His Divine Son, loaded with infamy and overwhelmed with affliction.
  3. Contemplate next, the Soul of Jesus and observe with what alacrity it submitted itself to the Will of God, either because of the immensity of its Divine Perfection, or the Infinity of Divine Favour bestowed upon it.
    Who can describe the ardent affection of this Soul for crosses?
    This was a Soul which sought, even new ways of suffering,and failing in this, abandoned itself and the innocent Body to the mercy of miscreants and the powers of Hell.
  4. Turn, then, your eyes to Jesus, Who, from the midst of His Agony, addresses you in this affectionate manner:
    “See to what depths of misery I am reduced by thy ungovernable will, which refuses the least constraint in compliance with mine.
    Behold the horrible pains I endure, with no other purpose than to teach thee a lesson of patience.
    And let me persuade you, by all these sufferings, to accept with resignation, this cross I here present and those which I shall send in the future.
    Surrender your reputation to calumny and your body to the fury of the persecutors whom I shall choose for your trial, however vile and inhuman they may be.
    Oh, that you didst know what delight your patience and resignation afford me!
    But then, how can you be ignorant of it, when you behold these wounds received to purchase for you, those virtues with which I would adorn your soul, more dear to me, than life itself?
    If I have suffered this debasement for you, can you not bear a light affliction, in order to lessen My Agony to some degree?
    Can you refuse to heal those Wounds, I have received, through your impatience, Wounds more cruel to me than physical anguish    ?”
  5. Consider who it is who speaks thus to you – consider that it is Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, true God and true Man.
    Consider too, the magnitude of His torments and humiliations, greater than that deserved by the most vicious of criminals. Be
    astonished to behold Him in the midst of these agonies, not only firm and resolute but even replenished with joy, as if the day of His Passion was a day of triumph.
    Just as a few drops of water sprinkled upon a flame, only adds a fresh intensity to its glow, so did His torments, embraced in a charity which made the burden seem light, serve to augment his joy and desire of suffering still greater affliction.
    Moreover, reflect that throughout His entire life, He was motivated, not by compulsion or self-interest but rather, by pure love alone that you may learn from Him, the manner of practicing patience.
    Endeavour, therefore, to attain a perfect knowledge of what He demands of you and consider His delight at your practice of patience. Then form an ardent desire of carrying this cross and heavier ones, not only with patience but with joy, that you may more exactly imitate Christ Crucified and render yourself more acceptable to Him!

Picture to yourself all the torments and indignities of His Passion and amazed at His constancy, blush at your own weakness.
Look upon your sufferings as merely imaginative, when compared to His and regard your patience as not even the faintest anticipation of His.
Dread nothing so much as an unwillingness to suffer for your Saviour, rejecting such unwillingness as a suggestion from Hell.

Consider Jesus on the Cross as you would a devout book, worthy of your unceasing study and, by which you may learn the practice of the most heroic virtues.
This is the book which may truly be called the “Book of Life” [Apocalypse, III, 5], which, at once enlightens the mind by its doctrines and inflames the will by its examples.
The world is full of books but were it possible for man to read them all, he would never be so well instructed, to hate vice and embrace virtue, as by contemplating a Crucified God!

But remember that there are those who spend hours lamenting the Passion of our Lord and admiring His patience and yet, on the first occasion, betray as great an impatience, in suffering, as if they had never thought of the Cross.
Such men are like untried soldiers, who, in their barracks breathe nothing but conquest but on the first appearance of the enemy, beat
a hasty and inglorious retreat!
What is more despicable after considering, admiring and extolling the virtues of our Redeemer, than to forget them all, in an instant, when an opportunity of practicing them presents itself!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 20 April – Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ (Part One)

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Thought for the Day – 20 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LI: … Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ
(Part One)

“That which I previously prescribed concerning the method of praying and meditating on the sufferings of our Lord and Saviour, regarded only the petition of those things of which we stand in need – now, we are to proceed to the adoption of the proper sentiments from our considerations.
For instance, if you have chosen the Crucifixion and its attendant circumstances, as the subject of your Meditation, you may dwell on the following considerations.

Consider firstly, the arrival of Jesus on Mount Calvary.
His executioners rudely stripped Him, tearing the garments off which
adhered to the torn flesh of His lacerated body.
Consider next the fresh wounds made in His Sacred Head by the Crown of Thorns, removed and reset by his barbarous executioners.
Next,visualise Him nailed to the Cross with spikes, driven through the flesh and bone into the wood with a large hammer.
Consider that His hands, not reaching the places designed for them, were stretched so violently that all His bones were dislocated, enabling the onlookers to count His very bones [Psalm XXL:18].
Then think of the actual elevation of the Cross,and the weight of Christ’s body resting on nails which tore gaping wounds in His hands and feet, giving Him excruciating pain.

If, by these and similar considerations you wish to enkindle the flames of Divine love within your heart, try to attain, by meditation, a sublime knowledge of the Infinite Goodness of your Saviour, Who, for you, condescended to suffer so much.
For the more you advance in the knowledge of His love for you, the greater will be your love and affection for Him.
Being convinced of His extraordinary charity, you will naturally conceive a sincere sorrow for having, so often and so heinously, offended Him, Who offered Himself as a sacrifice for your offences.

Proceed then to make acts of hope, considering that this great God on the Cross, had no other plan than to extirpate sin from the world, to free you from the devil, to expiate your crimes, to reconcile you to His Father and to provide a resource for you in all your necessities.
But if, after contemplating His passion, you consider its effects, your sorrow will be turned into joy.
For observe that by Christ’s Death, the sins of humanity were blotted
out, the anger of a Sovereign Judge appeased, the powers of Hell
defeated, death itself vanquished and the places of the fallen Angels filed in Heaven.
And the joy arising from such reflections will be increased by thinking of the joy with which the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin, the Church Militant and Triumphant received the glad, tidings of the Redemption of Mankind.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in "Follow Me", CARMELITES, CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEEKNESS, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, St Francis de Sales, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The LAMB of GOD, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 April – Take God for your Spouse and Friend …

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – Wednesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10; John 20:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My Lord and my God.”

John 20:28

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I Am meek and humble of heart
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For My yoke is easy and My burden light.”

Matthew 11:29-30

“If we wish to make any progress
in the service of God,
we must begin everyday of our life,
with new eagerness.
We must keep ourselves,
in the presence of God,
as much as possible
and have no other view or end,
in all our actions
but the Divine honour.”

St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

“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.”

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

“You will begin to taste, even in this life,
a foretaste of eternal life,
for the principal beatitude of the soul in Heaven,
is to be confirmed forever in the Will of the Father.
Thus, it tastes the divine sweetness.
But it will never taste it in Heaven,
if it is not clothed with it on earth,
where we are pilgrims and travellers.
When it is clothed with it, it tastes God
by grace in its troubles; its memory will be full
of the Blood of the Lamb without blemish;
its mind will be opened and contemplate
the ineffable love that God has made known
in the Wisdom of His Son and the love it finds,
in the Holy Spirit’s goodness, casts out self-love
and love for created things, to love only God.
So do not be afraid … but suffer with joy,
so as to conform yourself to the Will of God.””

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on CHILDREN, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PATIENCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES/PRAYERS on THE FAMILY

Quote/s of the Day –7 April – ‘ He asks for our faith and offers us salvation. …’

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Quote/s of the Day –7 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Low Sunday, The Octave Day of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20. 19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ Blessed are they who have not seen
and have believed.”

John 20:29

“He asks for our faith and offers us salvation.
What He offers us, is so precious
that what He asks of us, is as nothing!”

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

“I shall reflect the image of God
in that I feed on love;
grow certain on faith and hope;
strengthen myself, on the virtue of patience;
grow tranquil by humility;
grow beautiful by chastity;
am sober by abstention;
am made happy by tranquillity
and am ready for death,
by practising hospitality.”

ACW – Ancient Christian Writer
Incomplete Work on Matthew
(Homily 40)

“True piety admits no other rule than that,
whatsoever things have been faithfully received
from our fathers, the same are to be
faithfully consigned to our children
and that, it is our duty,
not to lead religion whither we would
but rather, to follow religion whither it leads
and that, it is the part of Christian modesty
and gravity, not to hand down our own beliefs
or observances to those who come after us
but, to preserve and keep what we have received,
from those who went before us.”

St Vincent of Lérins (Died c445)
Author of the ‘Commonitorium.’

“We should also have great confidence
in the continual assistance which God offers us
in the temptations, troubles and trials of life.
When pain torments us,
when humiliations are difficult to bear,
when all is dark. we fear each moment
and we feel abandoned, let us trust in Him,
Who is the Way, the Truth and Life.
He says to us, as He said to Peter floundering in the waves:
“O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?” (Mt 14:31).
He is always ready to console and comfort.
He is always there waiting for our call.
We are not alone!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, OUR Cross, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 6 April– We Must Never Wish to be Delivered from theTrials we are Patiently Enduring

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Thought for the Day – 6 April– The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

XLI: … We Must Never Wish to be Delivered from the
Trials we are Patiently Enduring

“When you shall find yourself in any painful position and bearing it patiently, take heed lest the devil or your own self-love persuade you to desire deliverance from it; for you may thereby, incur two great evils.

+++ Firstly – If this desire should not rob you at once of the virtue of patience, it would at least gradually dispose you to impatience.
+++ Secondly – Your patience would become defective and would be rewarded by God only according to the duration of the suffering; whereas, if you had not desired to be freed from it but had committed yourself wholly to His Divine goodness, your sufferings, although but of an hour’s duration, or even less, would have been accepted by your Lord as an enduring service.

In this, then and in all things, make it your unvarying rule, to keep your wishes so far removed from every other object that they may tend simply to their true and only end, the Will of God.
For thus, will they be ever right and true and, in any cross, or accident which may occur, you will be not only tranquil but content because, as nothing can happen without the Supreme Will, by willing the same, you will come, at all times, both to will all that happens and to possess all that you desire!

This must not be understood either of our own sins or those of others, for God Wills not these but, it applies to every chastisement arising from them, or from any other cause, although it be so keen and searching, as to reach the very bottom of the heart and, to wither the very roots of the natural life; a cross wherewith God is sometimes pleased to favour His nearest and dearest friends.

And, what I say of the patience which you are bound to practice on all occasions, is to be understood of that portion of any trouble, which still remains, after we have used all lawful means of relief and which, it is the Will of God that we should endure.

And, in the use of these means, we should be guided by the Will and disposal of God, Who has appointed them to be used, not to please ourselves but because He so Wills; nor as loving or desiring deliverance from suffering beyond what is required for His service and by His Will!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CARMELITES, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on ANGELS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 April – [He] hath called you out of darkness …

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Easter Saturday – 1 Peter 2:1-10, John 20:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“[He] hath called you out of darkness
into His marvellous Light … ”

1 Peter 2:9

“Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid.”

John 14:27

“In the world you will have tribulation.
But take heart, I have conquered the world.”
John 16:33

“Who will be crowned without having fought?
Who will go to rest if he is not tired
(cf. 2 Tim 2:5-6)?
Who will gather the fruits of life
without having planted virtues in his soul?
Cultivate them, prepare the earth
with the greatest care,
take trouble over it, sweat over it,
children, God’s workers,
imitators of the Angels,
competitors with incorporeal beings,
lights for those who are in the world
(cf. Phil 2:15)!”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)

“Lord, help me to live this day,
quietly, easily.
To lean upon Thy great strength,
trustfully, restfully.
To wait for the unfolding of Thy will,
patiently, serenely.
To meet others,
peacefully, joyously.
To face tomorrow,
confidently, courageously.”

St Frances of Assisi (c1181-1226)

“Let nothing perturb you,
nothing frighten you.
All things pass.
God does not change.
Patience achieves everything.”

St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of Prayer

“Let us think only
of spending the present
day well.
Then, when tomorrow
shall have come,
it will be called
TODAY
and then, we will think
about it.”

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

Posted in QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on VIRTUE, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 2 April– Esteem All Opportunities of Fighting for the Acquisition of Virtue (Part Two)

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Thought for the Day – 2 April– The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

XXXVIII: … Esteem All Opportunities of
Fighting for the Acquisition of Virtue (Part Two)

“The other consideration (of which we have already spoken) is, that all events which befall us come from God, for our good, in order that we may derive fruit therefrom.

And although, as we have said before, some of these occasions, such as our own defects, or those of others, cannot be said to be of God, Who wills not sin, yet they are from Him, inasmuch as He permits them and though able to hinder them, hinders them not.
But all the sorrows and afflictions which come upon us, either by our own fault or the malice of others, are both from God and of God because He concurs in them and that, which He would not have us do, as being full of a deformity beyond measure hateful to His most pure eyes, He would yet have us suffer, for our greater advancement in holiness, or for some other wise reason unknown to us.

Seeing, then, that it is most assuredly our Lord’s will that we should suffer willingly, any Cross which may come upon us, either from others or from our own evil deeds, to say, as many do in excuse for their impatience that God wills not evil but abhors it, is a vain pretext, whereby to cover our own faults and avoid the Cross which He wills us to bear.

Nay, I will say further, that supposing all other circumstances the same, our Lord is more pleased with our patient endurance of trials which come upon us from the wickedness of men, especially of those, whom we have served and benefited, than with our endurance of other grievous annoyances.
And this because, our proud nature is, for the most part, more humbled by the former than by the latter and also because, by willingly enduring them, we do above measure, please and magnify our God, co-operating with Him in that, wherein His ineffable goodness and omnipotence shine forth most brightly, namely, in extracting from the deadly poison of malice and wickedness, the sweet and precious fruit of holiness and virtue!

No sooner, therefore, does our Lord perceive in us an earnest desire to attempt and persevere in so glorious an undertaking, than He prepares a chalice of strongest temptation and strongest trial, for us, that we may drink it at the appointed hour and we, recognising therein His love and our own good, should receive it willingly and blindly, confidently and promptly drinking it to the very dregs, as a medicine compounded by a Hand which cannot err; of ingredients the more profitable to the soul, in proportion to their intrinsic bitterness!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/01/thought-for-the-day-1-april-esteem-all-opportunities-of-fighting-for-the-acquisition-of-virtue-part-one/

Posted in OUR Cross, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 1 April– Esteem All Opportunities of Fighting for the Acquisition of Virtue (Part One)

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Thought for the Day – 1 April– The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

XXXVIII: … Esteem All Opportunities of
Fighting for the Acquisition of Virtue (Part One)

“I shall not be contented to have you simply NOT shun the opportunities which may present themselves of attaining the different virtues, – for, I would have you esteem them as goods of great price and value – seek and embrace them joyfully whenever they present themselves and, account those dearest and most precious which are most repugnant to nature!

To this end, by the Divine assistance, you will be enabled to attain, by impressing strongly upon your mind, the following considerations:
Firstly – that opportunities are means adapted, nay, necessary, for the attainment of virtue.
When, therefore, you pray to the Lord for any virtue, you at the same time ask for occasions to exercise it; or else would your prayer be vain and you would be contradicting yourself and tempting your God, Who does not usually give patience without tribulation, nor humility without humiliations!

The same may be said of all virtues which are most surely attained by means of Crosses.
And the more painful these are, the more effectually do they aid us and, therefore, the more acceptable and welcome should they be.
For acts of virtue performed in such circumstances, are more generous and energetic and open to us, an easier and more speedy way to virtue.

But, we ought also, to value and not to leave without its appropriate exercise, the most trifling occasion, though it be but a word or a look which crosses our will – because, the acts thus produced, are more frequent, though less intense, than those called forth by circumstances of great difficulty.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in GOD ALONE!, HOLY SATURDAY, INGRATITUDE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The SEVEN LAST WORDS of CHRIST, The SEVEN PASSION Feasts

Thought for the Day – 30 March – The Death of our Saviour

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Thought for the Day – 30 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Death of our Saviour

“Jesus had now come to the last morning of His earthly life.
The Blood had been drained from His Body as a result of His fatal Wounds and He felt a great thirst, “I thirst,” He murmured in a weak voice.
He expressed in these words, not only His physical thirst but also, His spiritual thirst for souls.
He had given everything for the eternal salvation of men, yet, He realised with Divine foresight, that many would refuse to co-operate with His infinite love,
His thirst was a burning love for us and it was answered, on the physical level, by the vinegar which was given to Him to drink and in the moral order, by our ingratitude.

Seeing that His mission was fulfilled with His last breath, Jesus entrusted His soul to His Heavenly Father, “Father, into Thy Hands, I commend My spirit” (Lk 23:46).
Then, in order to show that His Death was voluntary, He cried out in a loud Voice, “It is consummated!” (Jn 19:30).
Jesus was dead!

Let us prostrate ourselves before His lifeless Body covered with sores and furrowed with blood.
Let us vow, never to offend Him again.
Let us give Him our minds, our hearts, our souls, our whole being.
Let us love Him more and more!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/14/thought-for-the-day-14-april-the-death-of-our-saviour/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/03/thought-for-the-day-3-april-the-death-of-our-saviour/

Posted in HOLY WEEK, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The LAMB of GOD, The PASSION, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 26 March – Jesus in Gethsemane

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

Jesus in Gethsemane

“In His sadness and loneliness, Jesus is comforted by an Angel.
It is true that, being God, He was in no need of being consoled by Angels.
Moreover, He had willingly allowed Himself to be offered as a Victim of Expiation for our sins.
“He was offered because it was His own will” (Is 53:7).
But, He wished to be an example to us in this matter too.

If we trustingly abandon ourselves to God’s will in moments of temptation and of sorrow, we shall receive comfort from our Angel too.
How many times have we experienced this mysterious consolation in our souls?
When we have bowed our heads in suffering and have offered ourselves as pure victims to God, we have felt an inner light and peace which only Divine grace can give.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/10/thought-for-the-day-10-april-jesus-in-gethsemane/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/04/11/thought-for-the-day-11-april-jesus-in-gethsemane/

Posted in "Follow Me", FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, LENT 2024, LENTEN THOUGHTS, MARIAN POETRY, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 26 March – ‘Fix your minds on the Passion …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 March – Tuesday of Holy Week – Tuesday of Holy Week – Jeremias 11:18-20, Mark 14:32-72; 15, 1-46 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And some began to spit on Him
and to cover His face and to buffet Him
and to say unto Him: Prophesy;
and the servants struck Him
with the palms of their hands.”

Mark 14:65

“See the destined day arise!
See a willing Sacrifice!
Jesus, to redeem our loss,
hangs upon the shameful Cross;
Jesus, Who but Thee could bear
wrath so great and justice fair?
Every pang and bitter throe,
finishing Thine life of woe?”

“Hail, O Altar, Hail, O Victim,
For the glory of Thy Passion,
By which Life endured death
And by death, restored life!”

St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609)

“Fix your minds on the Passion
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Inflamed with love for us,
He came down from Heaven
to redeem us.
For our sake, He endured
every torment of body and soul
and shrank from no bodily pain.
He, Himself, gave us an example
of perfect patience and love.
We, then, are to be patient, in adversity!”

St Francis of Paola (1416-1507)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, JESUIT SJ, OUR Cross, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, REDEMPTIVE Suffering, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The REDEMPTION, The STATIONS of the CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 26 March – This is My Joy, To Follow My Saviour

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Our Morning Offering – 26 March – Tuesday in Passion Week

This is My Joy, To Follow My Saviour
A Prayer to Seek the Consolation of the Cross
By St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

Jesus, love of my soul,
centre of my heart!
Why am I not more eager to endure pains
and tribulations for love of Thee,
when Thou, my God,
have suffered so many for me?
Come, then, every sort of trial in the world,
for this is my delight,
to suffer for Jesus.
This is my joy,
to follow my Saviour
and to find my consolation
with my Consoler on the Cross.
This is my happiness,
this my pleasure –
to live with Jesus,
to walk with Jesus,
to converse with Jesus,
to suffer with and for Him,
this is my treasure!
Amen

Posted in franciscan OFM, MARIAN QUOTES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, OUR Cross, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, St Francis de Sales, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – ‘… For love of Thy love …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – Monday in Holy Week

I Beg Thee, Lord
By St Francis of Assisi (c1181–1226)

I beg Thee, Lord,
let the fiery, gentle power
of Thy love
take possession of my soul
and snatch it away,
from everything under Heaven,
that I may die,
for love of Thy love,
as Thou saw fit, to die
for love of mine!
Amen

“Now it is that we are to show
an invincible courage towards our Saviour,
serving Him purely for the love of His will,
not only without pleasure
but amid this deluge of sorrows,
horrors, distresses and assaults,
as did his glorious Mother and St John,
upon the day of His Passion.
Amongst so many blasphemies,
sorrows and deadly distresses,
they remained constant in love …”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LENT 2024, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 24 March – Palm Sunday – Behold the Lamb of God

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Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 24 March – Palm Sunday – Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:36-75; 2 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Behold the Lamb of God
Who takes away the sin of the world ”
John 1:29

“Behold the hour is at hand
and the Son of man shall be betrayed
into the hands of sinners.”
Matthew 26:45

PALM SUNDAY – Behold the Lamb

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

“Towards the Lamb of God arise ,the Hosannas of the people, all those pressing round Him in the crowd, praise Him with one and the same confession of faith: “Hosanna to the son of David!” (Mt 21:9). This praise already echoes the choir of Saints, singing: “Salvation comes from our God, Who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb!” (Apoc 7:10). He goes up to where, day-by-day, He will give His last teaching (Lk 20:47). It is there He will accomplish the sacrament of the Jewish Passover, faithfully observed hitherto. He Himself, will bestow a new Pasch on His own, when, having left for the Mount of Olives, He will be put to the test by His enemies and, the following day, set on the Cross. Of such is the Paschal Lamb, see Him draw near today to the place of His Passion and fulfil the prophecy of Isaias: “Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers” (53:7).

He desires to enter His City five days before His Passion; by this He proves that He is indeed the Lamb without blemish Who comes to take away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). He is indeed the Paschal Lamb, Who, when sacrificed, will set the new Israel free from its slavery in Egypt (Ex 12). It is truly five days before His Passion when His enemies irrevocably agree on His death. Today He shows us by this that He is going to redeem us all by His Blood (Apoc 5:9). As from today, He enters God’s Temple amongst the joyful jubilation of those who surround him (Mt 21:12). The “Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus” (1Tm 2:5) will suffer for humankind’s salvation – that indeed is why He came down to earth from Heaven – and today, He wills to draw near to the place of His Passion. Thus it will be clear to all that He bears His Passion of His own free will and by no means by force.” (Sermon No 23).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, I BELIEVE!, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, OUR Cross, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The DIVINE INFANT, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The SIGN of the CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 23 March – ‘The Sign of the Cross of our Lord…’

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 March – Saturday in Passion Week

“The illusions of this world soon vanish,
especially if a man arms himself
with the Sign of the Cross.
The devils tremble
at the Sign of the Cross of our Lord,
by which He triumphed over and disarmed them.”

St Anthony Abbot (251-356)

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

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

“Look then on Jesus,
the Author and Preserver of faith —
in complete sinlessness, He suffered
and, at the hands of those who were His own
and was numbered among the wicked.
As you drink the cup of the Lord Jesus
(how glorious it is!), give thanks to the Lord,
the Giver of all blessings.
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)

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY NAME, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 15 March – Let us weep for our sins and increase in love for our Divine Redeemer .

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 March – Friday of the Fourth Week in Lent – 3 Kings 17:17-24; John 11:1-45 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I Am
the Resurrection
and the
Life”

John 11:25

“Love Him, then, keep Him as a friend.
He will not leave you as others do,
or let you suffer lasting death.
Sometime, whether you will or not,
you will have to part with everything.
Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death,
trust yourself to the glory of Him,
Who alone can help you
when all others fail.“

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

“If thou art bound down by sickness,
if sorrows weary thee,
if thou art trembling with fear,
invoke the name of Jesus!”

St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1456)

“A person who is conscious of his misery,
can certainly have great confidence in God.
In fact, he cannot have true confidence in Him,
without this consciousness of his misery.
This knowledge and acknowledgement
of our misery, leads us to the presence of God.”

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

“Although the sinner
does not believe in Hell,
he will, nevertheless, go there,
if he has the misfortune to die
in mortal sin.”

St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

“Let us weep for our sins
and increase in love for our Divine Redeemer.
The Crucifix will teach us,
as it taught the Saints,
the lesson of charity towards God
and towards our neighbour.
It will teach us to hate sin and to love virtue.
If we cherish it during life,
it will be our consolation
to kiss the Crucifix at the moment of death.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, CATECHESIS, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GOSSIP, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY GHOST, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 4 March – Wisdom for Lent and for Life

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 March – Wisdom for Lent and for Life

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

John 15:4

“Strive to preserve your heart in peace;
let no event of this world, disturb it.”

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

“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!”

“Do not look forward to the changes and chances
of this life in fear – rather look to them
with full hope that, as they arise,
God, Whose you are, will deliver you out of them.
He is your keeper. He has kept you hitherto.
Do you but hold fast to His dear Hand
and He will lead you safely through all things
and, when you cannot stand, He will bear you in His arms.
Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow.
Our Father will either shield you from suffering,
or He will give you strength to bear it.”

“The truly patient man
neither complains of his hard lot,
nor desires to be pitied by others.
He speaks of his sufferings
in a natural, true and sincere way,
without murmuring, complaining,
or exaggerating them.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“If we live good lives, hoping for a Heavenly reward
and guided by the action of the Holy Spirit,
dwelling within us, we shall possess this spiritual joy.
Once we possess it, it will be erased,
neither by temptation, nor by suffering,
nor by persecution, as long, as our faith,
remains firm and steadfast.
The sincere Christian accepts pleasure and pain
with equal readiness because he places
everything in God’s hands.
… We must try, at least, to achieve
that spirit of complete resignation to God’s will
which is always rewarded by peace of soul!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on The SOUL, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), QUOTES on Will (Sensual or Inferior), QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SELF-DISTRUST, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 1 March– The Soldier of Christ Must Avoid All which May Disturb His Peace of Mind (Part Three)

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Thought for the Day – 1 March– The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

XXV: … The Soldier of Christ Must Avoid All
which May Disturb His Peace of Mind
(Part Three)

“And, as anxiety at the approach of adverse events, springs up even more frequently in our hearts, you have two things to do in order to ward off this assault.

+++ The FIRST is, carefully to search out and discover to what these events are adverse, whether to the soul, or to self-love and self-will.
For, if they be adverse to your own will and to self-love, your chief and greatest enemy, they are not to be called adverse but, to be esteemed as special favours and aids from the Most High God, to be received with a joyful heart and with thanksgiving!
And, although they should be adverse to the soul, you ought not. on this account, to lose your peace of mind, as I will show you in the following chapter.

+++ The SECOND is, to lift up the heart to God, accepting all things blindly from the Hand of His Divine Providence, ever full of manifold blessings, beyond your power to comprehend and, seeking to know nothing further!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/02/28/thought-for-the-day-28-february-the-soldier-of-christ-must-avoid-all-which-may-disturb-his-peace-of-mind-part-one/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/02/29/thought-for-the-day-29-february-the-soldier-of-christ-must-avoid-all-which-may-disturb-his-peace-of-mind-part-two/

Posted in QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 28 February – The Soldier of Christ Must Avoid All which May Disturb His Peace of Mind (Part One)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 28 February – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

XXV: … The Soldier of Christ Must Avoid All
which May Disturb His Peace of Mind
(Part One)

Antonio de Pereda y Salgado – The Liberation of St Peter by an Angel

“When we have lost our peace of mind, we should do our utmost to recover it; neither, is there any accident of life which should reasonably have power to deprive us of that peace, or even to trouble it.
Over our own sins, we have indeed cause to mourn deeply but, our sorrow, as I have shown more than once, should be calm and in like manner, without any disquiet but with a holy feeling of charity, should we compassionate other sinners and weep, at least inwardly, over their offenses.

As to other sad and trying events, such as sickness, wounds, or loss of dearest friends, pestilence, fire, war, or suchlike evils – although these being painful to nature, are, for the most part, shunned by the men of this world, yet may we, by Divine grace, not only desire but, even love them, as just chastisements upon the wicked and occasions of virtue to the just.
For, therefore, does our Lord God take pleasure in sending them and thus borne forward by His will, we shall pass, with a calm and quiet spirit, through all the bitterness and contradictions of this life.
And be assured that all disquietude, on our part, is displeasing in His sight for, of whatever kind it be, it is never free from imperfection and always springs from some evil root of self-love.

Keep, therefore, a sentinel always on the watch, who, as soon as he shall discern the approach of anything likely to disquiet or disturb you, may give you a signal, to take up your weapons of defence!

And consider that, all these evils,and many others of a like kind, although outwardly they appear to be such, are not indeed real evils, nor can they rob us of any real good but are all ordered, or permitted by God, for the righteous ends of which we have spoken, or for others, most wise and holy, although beyond our power to discern and understand.

So, may the most untoward accident work for us much good, if we do but keep our souls in peace and tranquillity, otherwise, all our exercises will produce little, or no fruit!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, St Francis de Sales, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The TRANSFIGURATION, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 February – Transfigured!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 25 February – The Second Sunday in Lent – Thessalonians 4:1-7; Matthew 17:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Lord, it is good for us to be here …”

Matthew 17:4

“I know a man in Christ—
whether he was in or outside the body,
I do not know, God knows—
who was snatched up to the third heaven. . .
and heard secret words,
words which it is not granted to man to utter.”

2 Corinthians 12:2-4

“They shall see God.”
Matthew 5:8

“You will surely not be allowed to see
with an impure heart
what one can only see with a pure heart.
You will be moved away,
put at a distance, you will not see!
The vision of God is promised ONLY
to people with a pure heart.
This is not without a reason, since the eyes
which allow us to see God are in the heart.
Those are the eyes the Apostle Paul was talking about
when he said: “May He enlighten your innermost vision”
(Eph 1:18).
So, at the present time because of their weakness,
those eyes are enlightened by faith;
later, because of their strength,
they will be enlightened by vision…
“Now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror;
then we shall see face-to-face.”

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

“You will begin to taste, even in this life,
a foretaste of eternal life,
for the principal beatitude of the soul in Heaven,
is to be confirmed forever in the Will of the Father.
Thus, it tastes the divine sweetness.
But it will never taste it in Heaven,
if it is not clothed with it on earth,
where we are pilgrims and travellers.
When it is clothed with it, it tastes God
by grace in its troubles; its memory will be full
of the Blood of the Lamb without blemish;
its mind will be opened and contemplate
the ineffable love that God has made known
in the Wisdom of His Son and the love it finds,
in the Holy Spirit’s goodness, casts out self-love
and love for created things, to love only God.
So do not be afraid … but suffer with joy,
so as to conform yourself to the Will of God.””

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“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

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 25 February – On Heaven

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 25 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity” – The Second Sunday in Lent – Thessalonians 4:1-7; Matthew 17:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Remember us, O Lord,
in the favour of Thy people;
visit us with Thy salvation.”
Psalm 105:4

“Lord it is good for us to be here”
Matthew 17:4

ON HEAVEN

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor Zelantissimus

“IN this day’s Gospel we read that, wishing to give His disciples a glimpse of the glory of Paradise, in order to animate them to labour for the Divine Honour, the Redeemer was transfigured and allowed them to behold the splendour of His Countenance. Ravished with joy and delight, St Peter exclaimed: “Lord, it is good for us to be here.”
Lord, let us remain here; let us never more depart from this place; for, the sight of Thine Beauty consoles us more than all the delights of the earth!

Brethren, let us labour during the remainder of our lives to gain Heaven. Heaven is so great a good that, to purchase it for us, Jesus Christ has sacrificed His Life on the Cross. Be assured, that the greatest of all the torments of the damned in hell, arise from the thought of having lost Heaven through their own fault.
The blessings, the delights, the joys, the sweetness of Paradise may be acquired but, they can be described and understood, only by those blessed souls who enjoy them. But let us, with the aid of the holy Scripture, explain the little that can be said of them here below.

… In this life we cannot have an idea of any other pleasures than those which we enjoy by means of the senses. … Speaking of Paradise, St Bernard says: “O man, if you wish to understand the blessings of Heaven, know that in that happy country, there is nothing which can be disagreeable and everything which you can desire.”
… In Paradise, death and the fear of death are no more: in that place of bliss there are no sorrows, no infirmities, no poverty, no inconveniencies, no vicissitudes of day or night, of cold or of heat. In that Kingdom there is a continual day, always serene, a continual Spring, always blooming. In Paradise there are no persecutions, no envy, for all love each other with tenderness and each, rejoices at the happiness of the others, as if it were his own. There is no more fear of eternal perdition – for the soul confirmed in grace, can neither sin nor lose God.

… Justly, then, has St Augustine said, that to gain the eternal glory of Paradise, we should cheerfully embrace eternal labour. … The saints have done but little to acquire Heaven. So many kings, who have abdicated their thrones and shut themselves up in a cloister; so many holy anchorets, who have confined themselves in a cave; so many martyrs, who have cheerfully submitted to torments to the rack and to red-hot plates, have done but little. “The sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared to the glory to come.” (Rom 8:18) To gain Heaven, it would be but little to endure all the pains of this life.

Let us, then, brethren, courageously resolve to bear patiently with all the sufferings which shall come upon us during the remaining days of our lives: to secure Heaven, they are all little and nothing.
Rejoice then, for all these pains, sorrows and persecutions shall, if we are saved, be to us a source of neverending joys and delights.
“Your sorrows shall be turned into joy.” (John 16:20)
When, then, the crosses of this life afflict us, let us raise our eyes to Heaven and console ourselves with the hope of Paradise.
At the end of her life, St Mary of Egypt was asked, by the Abbot St Zozimus, how she had been able to live for forty seven years in the desert, where he found her dying. She answered: “With the hope of Paradise.”
If we be animated with the same hope, we shall not feel the tribulations of this life.

Have courage! Let us love God and labour for Heaven. There the Saints expects us, Mary expects us, Jesus Christ expects us – He holds in His Hand a Crown, to make each of us a king in that eternal Kingdom!” [Extracts from Sermons for all the Sundays in the Year – Lent II (1, part 2, 3, 9 & 10)]

Posted in GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 24 February – Of Using the Senses to Advantage in Diverse Situations (Part Two)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 24 February – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

XXIII: … Of Using the Senses to Advantage
in Diverse Situations
(Part Two)

“+++ When walking, remember that every step brings you nearer to death.

+++ Let the flight of birds and the flowing of water remind you that your life is hastening far more swiftly to its close.

+++ Let storms of wind, lightning and thunder, remind you of the tremendous Day of Judgement and kneeling down, worship God and beseech Him to give you time and grace, duly to prepare yourself to appear before His most high Majesty.

In the variety of accidents which may befall you, exercise yourself thus:
+++ When, for instance, you are oppressed by sadness or melancholy, or suffer heat, cold, or the like, lift up your heart to that Eternal Will, Which, for your own good, wills that at such a time and in such a measure, you should endure this discomfort.
Then, rejoicing in the love thus shown you by God and, at the opportunity of serving Him in the way He is pleased to appoint, say in your heart:
“Behold in me is the Divine Will fulfilled, Which from all eternity, has lovingly appointed that I should now endure this trial. All praise be to Thee for the same, my most gracious Lord!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/02/23/thought-for-the-day-23-february-of-using-the-senses-to-advantage-in-diverse-situations-part-one/