Quote/s of the Day – 24 October – The Memorialof St Anthony Mary Claret CMF (1807-1870) Archbishop and Founder of the Claretians
“The sole reason why society is perishing is because, it has refused to hear the word of the Church, which is the word of God. All plans for salvation will be sterile, if the great word of the Catholic Church, is not restored in all it’s fullness!”
“Humility, obedience, meekness and love are the virtues that shine through the Cross and the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. O my Jesus, help me imitate you!”
“To labour and to suffer for the One we love, is the greatest proof of our love.”
“Woe to me if I do not preach and warn [sinners], for I would be held responsible for their condemnation.”
Quote/s of the Day – 23 October – Feast of the Most Holy Redeemer
“I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.”
John 12:47
“Come along then, every human family, full of sin as you are and receive the forgiveness of your sins. For I Myself, am your forgiveness, I am the Passover of salvation, the Lamb slain for your sakes, your redemption, life and resurrection; I am your Light, your Salvation and your King. It is I, who lead you to the heights of heaven, I, who will raise you up; it is I, who will bring you to see the Father who is from all eternity; it is I, who will raise you up by My all-powerful Hand.”
St Melito of Sardis (Died c 180) Bishop, Apologist
Paschal Homily
“Many indeed are the wondrous happenings of that time: God hanging from a Cross, the sun made dark and again flaming out; for it was fitting, that creation should mourn with its Creator. The temple veil rent, Blood and Water flowing from His Side – the one as from a Man, the other as from what was above man; the earth shaken, the rocks shattered because of the Rock; the dead risen to bear witness to the final and universal resurrection of the dead. The happenings at the sepulchre and after the sepulchre, who can fittingly recount them? Yet not one of them, can be compared, to the Miracle of my Salvation. A few drops of Blood renews the whole world and do, for all men, what the rennet does for the milk – joining us and binding us together!”
St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Father and Doctor of the Church
“The light of Christ is an endless day that knows no night.”
“Our Saviour’s passion raises men and women from the depths, lifts them up from the earth and sets them in the heights.”
St Maximus of Turin (? – c 420)
“As they were looking on, so we too gaze on His wounds as He hangs. We see His blood as He dies. We see the price offered by the Redeemer, touch the scars of His Resurrection. He bows His head, as if to kiss you. His heart is made bare open, as it were, in love to you. His arms are extended, that He may embrace you. His whole body is displayed for your redemption. Ponder how great these things are. Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind – as He was once fixed to the cross, in every part of His body for you, so He may now be fixed in every part of your soul.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“Mount Calvary is the mount of lovers. All love that takes not it’s beginning from Our Saviour’s Passion is frivolous and dangerous. Unhappy is death without the love of the Saviour, unhappy is love without the death of the Saviour! Love and death are so mingled in the Passion of Our Saviour that we cannot have the one in our heart without the other. Upon Calvary one cannot have life without love, nor love without the death of Our Redeemer.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of Charity
“Yes, my gentle Redeemer, let me say it, You are crazy with love! Is it not foolish for You to have wanted to die for me? But if You, my God, have become crazy with love for me, how can I not become crazy with love for You?”
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Prayer Before The Crucifix – The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass By St Vincent Strambi (1745-1824)
Jesus, by this Saving Sign, bless this listless soul of mine. Jesus, by Your feet nailed fast, mend the missteps of my past. Jesus, with Your riven hands, bend my will to love’s demands. Jesus, in Your Heart laid bare, warm my inner coldness there. Jesus, by Your thorn-crowned head, still my pride till it is dead. Jesus, by Your muted tongue, stay my words that hurt someone. Jesus, by Your tired eyes, open mine to faith’s surprise. Jesus, by Your fading breath, keep me faithful until death. Yes, Lord, by this Saving Sign, save this wayward soul of mine. Amen
“He perspired blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter and, abandoned by the Apostles, He was bound like a criminal, insulted, scourged, crowned with thorns, condemned to death and burdened with a cross; finally, when He arrived at Calvary, He was nailed to the gibbet, where He shed His Precious Blood and gave His life for our redemption. Such was the extent of Jesus’ infinite love for us. “Calvary” writes St Francis de Sales,“is the school of love.” The Saints were moved to tears by the strange spectacle of God-made-man, dying on the Cross for men. What is our reaction?”
Quote/s of the Day – 17 October – The Memorial of St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35 – 107) Father of the Church, Martyr
“Wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.”
(Letter to the Smyrnaeans, Ch 8)
“I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the Bread of God, which is the Flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David and for drink, I desire His Blood, which is love incorruptible.”
“Only let it be in the name of Jesus Christ, that I may suffer together with Him! I endure everything because He Himself, Who is perfect man, empowers me.”
One Minute Reflection – 29 September – The Feast of Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Readings: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 or Apocalypse (Revelation) 12:7-12, Psalms 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, Gospel: John 1:47-51
“Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and it’s angels fought back …” … Apocalypse 12:7
REFLECTION – “We must not think that the devil and his angels dared to fight in heaven, since he could not even tempt Job without God’s permission. Rather by “heaven” he quite manifestly indicates the Church, where each one of the faithful constantly contends against spiritual evils. Therefore, the apostle says, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the principalities and powers and against the world rulers of this present darkness.”
And so he says here, that Michael with his angels fights against the devil because by praying according to the will of God, for the Church in this world and, by granting her his aid, he is properly understood to be fighting for her. And so the apostle says, “Are not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?” Indeed, the name of Michael himself is interpreted to mean “the helper of God” and so, this work is properly assigned to him. Also Daniel said, that in the last distress, [Michael] would come for the succour of the church: “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who stands for the children of your people. And there shall be a time, such as has never been since the nations first began to be. And in that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.” The angels are said to be his by a certain manner of speaking, such as we read, “For their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.”
And so it speaks of those who, by believing, began to be citizens in Christ and thus are His angels, because they are regarded as protected by one guardian king and as made glad by one life-giving spirit. The devil and his angels are not only those who are similar to him in nature and will. They are also as men, who after being caught in his traps, became pursuers of such things. Indeed, because of the qualities of his wil,l it is said about the devil, “An evil man has done this” and about Judas, “[One of you] is a devil.” The devil is said to express himself by way of a twofold body. When he is conquered, he is said to be thrown out by those who have renounced him and have received faith in Christ and so no longer copy his errors. Rather, in them “love [remains] from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith.” Or, since the Church is already separated from any admixture of evil and is glorified by the future blessedness, no place is given to the devil and to his angels to seduce the evil, or to tempt the good. The psalm refers to him and says, “I passed by and lo! he was not and I sought him, but his place was not found.” … Primasius of Hadrumetum Bishop (Died c 560) – Commentary on the Apocalypse, 12
NOTE:Primasius (died c 560) was Bishop of Hadrumetum and primate of Byzacena, in Africa. One of the participants in the Three Chapters Controversy, his commentary on the Book of the Apocalypse (Revelation), is of interest to modern scholars for it’s use of the lost commentary of Ticonius on the same book of the New Testament.
PRAYER – Dear and Holy God, let us offer You all our daily struggles against sin and evil. Grant us the strength to resist all forms of idolatry, to seek only You and never to allow the material goods of this world to seduce us. Sustain us ever more with Your word and help us to find in it, the source of life. Grant that the angels who always minister to You in heaven may defend us during our life on earth and protect us from evil. Grant this, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 17 September – The Memorial of St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church
“The school of Christ is the school of love. In the last day, when the general examination takes place … Love will be the whole syllabus.”
“What is easier, sweeter, more pleasant, than to love goodness, beauty and love, the fullness of which, YOU ARE, O Lord, my God?”
“It is granted to few, to recognise the true Church, amidst the darkness, of so many schisms and heresies and, to fewer still, so to love the Truth which they have seen, as to fly to it’s embrace!”
“Charity is that, with which no man is lost and without which, no man is saved.”
“It seems unbelievable that a man should perish in whose favour Christ said to His Mother: ‘Behold thy son’, provided that he has not turned a deaf ear to the words, which Christ addressed to him: ‘Behold thy Mother.’”
St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church
Quote/s of the Day – 16 September – The Memorial of Sts Cornelius & Cyprian
“The world is going mad in mutual extermination and murder, considered as a crime, when committed individually, becomes a virtue, when it is committed by large numbers. It is the multiplication of the frenzy, that assures impunity to the assassins.”
“You cannot have God for your Father if you do not have the Church for your mother.”
“There is one God and one Christ and one Church and one Chair founded on Peter, by the word of the Lord. It is not possible to set up another altar or for there to be another priesthood besides that one altar and that one priesthood. Whoever has gathered elsewhere, is scattering!”
“Their property held them in chains… chains which shackled their courage and choked their faith and hampered their judgement and throttled their soul… If they stored up their treasure in heaven, they would not now have an enemy and a thief within their own household… They think of themselves as owners, whereas it is they rather, who are owned – enslaved as they are to their own property, they are not the masters of their money but it’s slaves!”
“We have solemnly renounced the world and therefore, whilst we continue in it, we should behave like strangers and pilgrims.”
“He [Christ], protects their faith and gives strength to believers, in proportion to the TRUST, that each man, who receives that strength, is willing to place in Him.”
“The wretched bodies of the condemned shall simmer and blaze in those living fires.”
St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258) Bishop and Martyr, Father of the Church
Quote/s of the Day – 13 September –The Memorial of St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Church
“The waters have risen and severe storms are upon us but we do not fear drowning, for we stand firmly upon a rock. Let the sea rage, it cannot break the rock. Let the waves rise, they cannot sink the boat of Jesus.”
“Let the world be in upheaval. I hold to His promise and read His message, that is my protecting wall and garrison. What message? ‘Know that I am with you always, until the end of the world!’”
“Jesus Christ, the God-Man, was born in a manger and is spiritually reborn on the altar. He suffered on Calvary and continues to offer Himself on the altar. In His earthly life, He spread His teaching and worked miracles among the crowds. In the Eucharist, He spans the centuries and communicates Himself to all.”
“When you see the immolated Lord lying on the altar and the priest who, standing, prays over the victim… can you still believe you are among men, that you are on earth? Are you not, on the contrary, suddenly transported to Heaven?”
“By virtue of this Body, I am no longer dust and ashes, I am no longer a prisoner but free, by virtue of this, I hope in Heaven and to receive its goods, the inheritance of the angels and to converse with Christ!”
“Lift up and stretch out your hands, not to heaven but to the poor… if you lift up your hands in prayer without sharing with the poor, it is worth nothing.”
“Jesus, open the eyes of my heart, that I may hear Your word and understand and do Your will. Open the eyes of my mind to the understanding of Your Gospel teachings. Speak to me the hidden and secret things of Your wisdom. Enlighten my mind and understanding with the light of Your knowledge, not only to cherish those things that are written but to do them. Amen”
One Minute Reflection – 25 August – Tuesday of the Twenty First week in Ordinary Time, Readings: 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-3a, 14-17, Psalms 96: 10, 11-12,13, Matthew 23: 23-26 – The Memorials of Sts Louis IX, (1214-1270) King of France, St Thomas de Cantelupe of Hereford (c 1218–1282) and St Joseph Calasanz (1557-1648) Founder
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier things of the law – judgement and mercy and fidelity. [But] these you should have done, without neglecting the others…” … Matthew 23:23
REFLECTION – “Not only among the Jews but among ourselves as well, we find people sinning in these ways. They are swallowing camels. People of this type frequently show off their religion even in the smallest of things. They are rightly called hypocrites for wanting to exploit their religiosity before men but being unwilling to undertake that very faith, which God Himself has justified. Therefore, the imitators of the scribes and Pharisees must be dislodged and sent away from us, lest a woe, touches us, in the same way it touches them. The scribes could be described as those who valued nothing found in the Scriptures, except its plain sense interpreted legalistically. Meanwhile, they condemn those who look into the very depths of God Himself. Mint and dill and cumin are only spices for food but are not themselves, substantial food. What substantive food would mean in conversion, would be that which is necessary for the justification of our souls—faith and love—unlike these legalisms, which are more like condiments and flavourings. It is as if, a meal might be thought to consist, more of condiments and flavourings than the food itself. The seriousness of judgement is neglected, while great attention is given to minor matters. Spiritual exercises which in and of themselves are hardly justice, are spoken of as justice and compassion and faith. It is lacking in justice to treat these small parts as the whole. When we do not offer to God the observance of all that is necessary for worship, we fail altogether.” … Origen (c 185-253) – Priest, Theologian, Father – Commentary on Matthew, 19
PRAYER – Dear Lord, help me to teach others about You by my example as well as my words. Grant that I may spread Your truth and Your light wherever I go. St Louis and St Joseph of Calasanz, you are examples of the way to true faith and love, assist us by your prayers, in living the true way of life in this world to attain our true home in heaven. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 23 August – Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Readings: Isaiah 22: 19-23, Psalms 138: 1-2, 2-3,6, 8 (8bc), Romans 11:33-36, Matthew 16:13-20 and the Memorial of St Tydfil (Died c 480) Martyr of Wales
“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. ” … Matthew 16:17-18
REFLECTION – “We feel Ourself perfectly safe on the rock of Holy Church. … Supernatural force has never … been found wanting in the Church, nor have Christ’s promises failed; … nay, they are endowed with even greater force for Us after having stood the test of centuries and so many changes of circumstances and events.
Kingdoms and empires have passed away; peoples once renowned for their history and civilisation have disappeared; time and again the nations, as though overwhelmed by the weight of years, have fallen asunder; while the Church, indefectible in her essence, united by ties indissoluble with her heavenly Spouse, is here today radiant with eternal youth, strong with the same primitive vigour with which she came from the Heart of Christ dead upon the Cross. Men powerful in the world have risen up against her. They have disappeared and she remains! Philosophical systems without number, of every form and every kind, rose up against her, arrogantly vaunting themselves her masters, as though they had at last destroyed the doctrine of the Church, refuted the dogmas of her faith, proved the absurdity of her teachings. But those systems, one after another, have passed into books of history, forgotten, bankrupt; while from the Rock of Peter the light of truth shines forth as brilliantly as on the day when Jesus first kindled it on His appearance in the world and fed it with His Divine words: “Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass” (Mt 24:35). (…)
Wherefore, … turn your steps towards this unshaken rock upon which Our Saviour founded the Universal Church, so that the path of him, who is sincere of heart, may not be lost in devious windings.” … St Pope Pius X (1835-1914) (Papal reign: 1903 to 1914 – Encyclical “Iuncunda sane”
PRAYER – God our Father, for love of You, St Tydfil the Martyr, left the world and gave herself to a life of penitence, austerity and charity, loving You and Your Church with the greatest of all loves. Help us by her prayers, so to follow the path of life on earth, in complete love of You and thus of Your children, that we may obtain the fullness of joy in Your presence in heaven and be clothed fit for the wedding feast. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 21 August – The Memorial of St Pope Pius X (1835-1914) (Pontiff 1903-1914)
“Is it permitted for Catholics to be present at, or to take part in, conventions, gatherings, meetings, or societies of non-Catholics which aim to associate together under a single agreement everyone who, in any way, lays claim to the name of Christian? IN THE NEGATIVE! … It is clear, therefore, why this Apostolic See has never allowed its subjects, to take part in the assemblies of non-Catholics.”
“The Church alone, being the Bride of Christ and having all things in common with her Divine Spouse, is the depository of the truth.”
“There is one way in which the unity of Christians may be fostered and that is, by furthering the return to the one true Church of Christ for those who are separated from Her.”
“The daily Adoration or visit to the Blessed Sacrament, is the practice which is the fountainhead of all devotional works.”
“The ROSARY is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayer. It is the prayer that touches most, the Heart of the Mother of God… and if you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the FAMILY ROSARY.”
“If there were one million families praying the Rosary every day, the entire world would be saved.”
“I was born poor, I have lived poor, I wish to die poor.”
Quote/s of the Day – 13 August – The Memorial of St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Father of the Church
“For indeed, what is more dire than the evils which today afflict the world? … What is more terrible for the discerning than the unfolding events? What is more pitiable and frightening for those who endure them? To see a barbarous people of the desert overrunning another’s lands as though they were their own, to see civilisation itself, being ravaged by wild and untamed beasts whose form alone is human.”
“All the ends of the inhabited world … look directly to the most holy Church of the Romans and her confession and faith as to a sun of eternal light, receiving from her, the radiant beam of the patristic and holy doctrines.”
“Since He causes the darkness of ignorance and the evil of men to vanish, my Saviour and my God is called a lamp in Scripture. And since He is the only one able to obliterate the darkness of ignorance and disperse the shadows of sin, He has become the way of salvation for all … The lampstand is holy Church because the Word of God shines out through her preaching. This is how the beams of its truth can enlighten the whole world…”
“To harbour no envy, no anger, no resentment against an offender is still not to have charity for him. It is possible, without any charity, to avoid rendering evil for evil. But to render, spontaneously, good for evil – such belongs to a perfect spiritual love.”
“He who busies himself with the sins of others, or judges his brother on suspicion, has not yet even begun to repent or to examine himself so as to discover his own sins…”
“We adore one Son, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning before all time, is now and ever shall be, for all time and for the time after time. Amen!”
Saint Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662)
Father of the Church
Thought for the Day – 7 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Sacred Images
“There are two extremes to be avoided in venerating the images of Christ and the Saints.
In emulation of the ancient heresy of the Iconoclasts, there are some, who regard the veneration of images as a superstitious and idolatrous practice.
In support of their view, they quote from the Book of Exodus: “You shall not carve idols for yourselves … you shall not bow down before them or worship them” (Ex 20:4-5).
The equivocation is obvious.
This prohibition refers to the images of false gods, not to the images of Saints.
It is the worship of idols which is forbidden, not devotion to the Saints.
There are examples in the Old Testament of the veneration of images and symbols, indicating the presence of God, such as the Ark of the Covenant, adorned by “two cherubim of beaten gold,” (Ex 25:18) and the bronze serpent mounted by Moses on a pole in the desert (Num 21:8).
From the early days of the Church, there existed in the Catacombs, representations of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin and the Martyrs and, the fact that they were adorned with halos, is a clear indication of the veneration with which they were regarded by the faithful.
The historian Eusebius, specifically mentions a bronze statue erected in honour of the Saviour, before which, the faithful prayed and were sometimes awarded with miracles.
Contrary to the accusations of some Protestants, therefore, this practice is not a novelty introduced by the Roman Church.
Moreover, the honouring of images is not idolatry because, it is not a direct adoration but, a relative and indirect veneration.
Homage is not paid to the actual statues or pictures but, to Christ, the Blessed Virgin and the Saints, whom the images represent.
“The images of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of God and of other Saints, are to be kept with honour in places of worship especially and, to them due honour and veneration is to be paid – not because it is believed that there is any divinity or power intrinsic to them, for which they are reverenced, nor because it is from them that something is sought, nor that a blind trust is to be attached to images as it once was, by the Gentiles who placed their hope in idols but, because the honour which is shown to them, is referred to the prototypes which they represent”(Council of Trent, Session 25).
The cult of images has, therefore, a solid theological foundation. “We make images of holy men,” as St Cyril of Alexandria expressed it, “not to adore them as Gods but, as a reminder and a stimulus to ourselves to imitate them. Moreover, we make images of Christ so that our love for Him may be more easily aroused” (In Ps 113:16).
Besides, being theologically correct, the practice is useful!”
One Minute Reflection – 17 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8, Responsorial psalm Isaiah 38:10-12, 16, Matthew 12:1-8 and the Feast of The Madonna of Humility
“I say to you, something greater than the temple is here …” … Matthew 12:6
REFLECTION – ““Christ also reminded them of another prophecy, so that they might learn, that all things that were spoken of previously, were accomplished in Him through the law, that the priests in the temple broke the sabbath without offence, clearly revealing that Jesus Himself was the temple.
In Him, salvation was given to the Gentiles, through the teaching of the apostles, while the people who were bound by the law, wandered about faithlessly, so that He Himself might be greater than the sabbath.
Evangelical faith lived in Christ, transcends the law.” … St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) – Father and Doctor of the Divinity of Christ – On Matthew, 12
PRAYER – Almighty God, to whom this world with all its goodness and beauty belongs, give us grace joyfully to begin this day in Your name and to fill it, with an active love for You and for our neighbour. Grant us the grace to repent of our sins, to turn to the Cross of Your Son and to beg Him in His great love and suffering to forgive us again! Mary, the Madonna of Humility, intercede for us in our weakness and help us become humble and look only at the face of Christ. Amen
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
“I live, no longer I but Christ lives in me,”
Galasians 2:20
“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
“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
“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)
“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
“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).”
Quote/s of the Day – 4 July – The Memorial of Blessed Petrus Kasui Kibe SJ (c 1587-1639) Priest and Martyr“A Christian Walking Through the World” and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati TOSF (1901-1925) “Man of the Beatitudes”
“Let us hoist our sails trusting in the wind of God’s grace.”
Blessed Petrus Kasui Kibe (c 1587-1639)
Priest and Martyr
“A Christian Walking Through the World”
“All around the sick and all around the poor, I see a special light which we do not have.”
“In prayer, the soul rises above life’s sadnesses.”
“The faith given to me in Baptism suggests to me surely – by yourself you will do nothing but, if you have God as the centre of all your action, then you will reach the goal.”
“The times we are going through are difficult because cruel persecution of the Church is raging. But you, bold and good young people, should not be afraid of this small thing, remember, that the Church is a divine institution and cannot come to an end. She will last till the end of the world. Not even the gates of hell can prevail against her.”
“To live without faith, without a heritage to defend, without battling constantly for truth, is not to live but to ‘get along,’ we must never just ‘get along’.”
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925)
“Man of the Beatitudes”
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
“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
“Go to Church for the work of God, not by habit or duty, but rather driven, by the interior desire to praise our Creator.”
“Celebrate holy Mass in the joy of the Spirit.”
“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.”
“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.“
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.”
“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.”
Quote/s of the Day – 5 June – The Memorial of St Boniface (c 672-754) “The Apostle of Germany” – Martyr
Let us listen to these very appropriate quotes for our times!
“In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course.”
“Let us pray the gracious Defender of our life, the only sure refuge of those in trouble, that His right hand may keep us safe amidst these dens of wolves and, that He may guard us from harm, so that the footsteps of apostates walking in darkness may not be found, where should be the beautiful feet of those who carry the peaceful light of the Gospel but, that the most gracious Father and God may help us to gird up our loins, with bright candles in our hands and that He may enlighten the hearts of the heathen to gaze at the glorious Gospel of Christ. Amen”
Quote/s of the Day – 4 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Memorial of St Francis Caracciolo CRM (1563-1591) Priest, Founder
“Let’s go, let’s go to heaven.”
His last words
“The zeal of your house consumes me”
(Ps 69:10)
“My most beloved Lord, how good you are! Blood of Christ shed for me! It is mine, do not deny it to me because it is mine! O priests, strive to offer Mass everyday, inebriate yourselves with this blood. O Paradise, O Paradise, Blessed are those who live in your house, O Lord.”
One Minute Reflection – 30 May – “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31, Psalm 11:4-5, 7, John 21:20-25 and the Memorial of St Ferdinand III King (1199-1252)
Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper” … John 21:20
REFLECTION – “The love of Jesus for His faithful disciple is shown by the words: “Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper” (Jn 21:20).
Someone who truly follows the Lord wants everyone to follow Him, which is why He turns to his neighbour with kind attentions, prayers and proclamation of the Gospel. Peter’s turning around, signifies all those things. In the book of Revelation we find the same idea: “The bridegroom and the bride – Christ and the Church – say: ‘Come!’ Let him who hears say: ‘Come!'” (Rv 22:17). Christ, through interior inspiration and the Church, by preaching, say: “Come!” And whoever hears these words says to his neighbour: “Come!” which is to say: “Follow Jesus!” Then Peter, turning round, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following after. Jesus loves the one who follows Him.
Although his name is not mentioned, John stands out from the others, not because Jesus only loved him but because He loved him more than the others. He loved all the others but this man was closer to Him. … It was he who “reclined upon His chest during the supper” (Jn 21:20). This was a great sign of love, the fact that he alone could have leaned on the chest of Jesus, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3). …
And so, during the Supper in heaven, we shall be satisfied for eternity, we shall take our rest together with John on the chest of Jesus. The heart is in the chest; love is in the heart. We shall rest in His love because, we shall love Him with all our heart and all our soul and shall discover in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. … So to Him be the praise and the glory for endless ages. Amen. … St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor
PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, Your ways are not our ways, teach us to willingly agree to them, for You know which way we should go. Help us to say “yes” always to Your plan and to render ourselves, as a sacrament of Your divine love to all we meet. Fill us with the grace to be your tools, to bring glory to Your kingdom. Our Father, who art in heaven, may Your Will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Mary Mother of God, pray for us! St Ferdinand, you who with the earthly power which rested on you, showed forth only the Love, Power and Will of God, Pray for Us! Through our Our Lord Jesus Christ with You, in the union of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 24 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Seventh Sunday of Easter, Readings: Acts 1:12-14, 1 Peter 4:13-16, Psalm 27(26):1.4.7-8a, John 17:1-11
“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours. All mine are yours and all yours are mine and I am glorified in them. … Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”
John 17:9-11
“… Rather, we pray in public as a community and not for one individual but for all. For the people of God are all one. … The urgency and the unity of their prayer declares that God, who fashions a bond of unity among those who live in His home, will admit into His divine home, for all eternity, only those who pray in unity. …Profess your belief that you are sons of God by giving thanks. Call upon God who is your Father in heaven.”
“The Lord’s words were spoken about His own Church and addressed to members of the Church. If they are agreed, if, as He commanded but two or three are gathered together and pray with one mind, then, although they are but two or three, they can obtain from the divine majesty what they ask. … That means, of course, with the single-hearted and peaceable, with those who fear God and keep His commandments.”
St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200-258)
Bishop, Father of the Church and Martyr
“Out of compassion for us He descended from heaven and although He ascended alone, we also ascend, because we are in Him by grace. Thus, no-one but Christ descended and no-one but Christ ascended, not because there is no distinction between the head and the body but because the body, as a unity, cannot be separated from the head.”
St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace
“A Christian has a union with Jesus Christ – more noble, more intimate and more perfect than the members of a human body have with their head!”
St John Eudes (1601-1680)
“Let us consider that mosaic of Jesus in Monreale Cathedral. Each of us is like a little glass tile in that great mosaic. Therefore, each of us must understand our role and help others understand theirs, so that together, we can make up the unique face of Christ.”
Sunday Reflection– 24 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Seventh Sunday of Easter, Readings: Acts 1:12-14, 1 Peter 4:13-16, Psalm 27(26):1.4.7-8, John 17:1-11 and the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians
“Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one and come. For the winter is now past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have appeared in our land.”
Cant 2:10-12
“One thing alone I know – that, according to our need, so will be our strength.
One thing I am sure of, that the more the enemy rages against us, so much the more, will the Saints in Heaven, plead for us;
the more fearful are our trials from the world, the more present to us will be our Mother Mary and our good Patrons and Angel Guardians;
the more malicious are the devices of men against us, the louder cry of supplication will ascend from the bosom of the whole Church of God, for us.
We shall not be left orphans;
we shall have within us, the strength of the Paraclete, promised to the Church and to every member of it.
My Fathers, my Brothers in the Priesthood, I speak from my heart when I declare my conviction, that there is no-one among you here present but, if God so willed, would readily become a martyr for His sake.
I do not say you would wish it;
I do not say that the natural will would not pray that that chalice might pass away,
I do not speak of what you can do by any strength of yours – but, in the strength of God, in the grace of the Spirit, in the armour of justice, by the consolations and peace of the Church, by the blessing of the Apostles Peter and Paul and, in the name of Christ, you would do what nature cannot do.
By the intercession of the Saints on high, by the penances and good works and the prayers of the people of God on earth, you would be forcibly borne up as upon the waves of the mighty deep and carried on out of yourselves by the fullness of grace, whether nature wished it or no.
I do not mean violently, or with unseemly struggle but calmly, gracefully, sweetly, joyously, you would mount up and ride forth to the battle, as on the rush of Angels’ wings, as your fathers did before you and gained the prize.
You, who day by day, offer up the Immaculate Lamb of God, you who hold in your hands the Incarnate Word under the visible tokens which He has ordained, you who again and again drain the Chalice of the Great Victim;
who is to make you fear?
what is to startle you?
what to seduce you?
who is to stop you, whether you are to suffer or to do, whether to lay the foundations of the Church ‘n tears, or to put the crown upon the work in jubilation?”
St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
1852 – “The Second Spring” at the first Provincial Synod of the newly restored Roman Catholic hierarchy in England.
(John Henry Newman – Spiritual Writings – Selected by John T Ford)
Quote/s of the Day – 21 May – Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter and the Memorial of Blessed Franz Jägerstätter OFS (1907-1943) Layman Martyr “The Man Who Would Not Bow His Head to Hitler.”
“If the Church stays silent in the face of what is happening, what difference would it make, if no church were ever opened again?”
His sacrifice was uniformly regarded as foolish by his neighbours and his story almost forgotten but for a book written by an American, Gordon Zahn, who heard of Jagerstatter when researching the subject of German Catholics’ response to Hitler. This book, In Solitary Witness, influenced Daniel Ellsberg’s decision to stand against the Vietnam War by bringing the Pentagon Papers to public attention. The following quote, taken from one of Jagerstatter’s last letters while in prison.
“Just as the man who thinks only of this world, does everything possible to make life here easier and better, so must we, too, who believe in the eternal Kingdom, risk everything in order to receive a great reward there. Just as those who believe in National Socialism tell themselves that their struggle is for survival, so must we, too, convince ourselves that our struggle is for the eternal Kingdom. But with this difference – we need no rifles or pistols for our battle but instead, spiritual weapons – and the foremost among these is prayer…. Through prayer, we continually implore new grace from God, since without God’s help and grace it would be impossible for us to preserve the Faith and be true to His commandments….”
“Let us love our enemies, bless those who curse us, pray for Those who persecute us. For love will conquer and will endure for all eternity. And happy are they who live and die in God’s love.”
“I can say from my own experience how painful life often is, when one lives as a halfway Christian- it is more like vegetating than living.”
“We are not dealing with a small matter but the great (apocalyptic) life and death struggle has already begun. Yet in the midst of it, there are many, who still go on living their lives as though nothing had changed … “
“I am convinced that it is still best that I speak the truth, even though it costs me my life. For you will not find it written in any of the commandments of God or of the Church, that a man is obliged under pain of sin, to take an oath committing him to obey whatever might be commanded him by his secular ruler. “
“Since the death of Christ, almost every century has seen the persecution of Christians, there have always been heroes and martyrs who gave their lives – often in horrible ways – for Christ and their faith. If we hope to reach our goal some day, then we, too, must become heroes of the faith.”
“I cannot believe that, just because one has a wife and children, a man is free to offend God.”
“I believe it is better to sacrifice one’s life right away, than to place oneself in the grave danger of committing sin and then dying.”
Blessed Franz Jägerstätter (1907-1943)
“Called-up to a Higher Order”
Martyr of Conscientious Objection
Quote/s of the Day – 15 May – Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 15:22-31, Psalm 57:8-12, John 15:12-17
“Love one another as I have loved you”
John 15:12
“Jesus carries us to the inn. Imagine you are in the arms of Jesus, being carried, half-dead in sin—some of your own making, some done to you—to a place of help. You can rest in His arms. In another surprise, the inn is the Church, the hospital for sinners. The innkeeper might be a priest, family member, or friend who helps you through a dark time in your life.
This is the rest of the story – the Good Samaritan is Jesus! He always pursues us, even when we don’t ask for it—even in our sins. We must receive the Good Samaritan’s love and mercy first, or we have nothing to give away (1 Jn 4:19)! And then our response to this love is repentance—going beyond the mind we have now/giving up the lies we believe about God or ourselves—and then going to confession. This is followed by The Ultimate Challenge – to be that good neighbour or the innkeeper in a world where everyone is wounded by something! Be like Jesus—be a good spiritual neighbour in a dark and lonely world!
In a world which demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and fidelity to the Lord, may all of us feel the urgent need, to anticipate one another in charity, service and good works (cf. Heb 6:10).”
One Minute Reflection – 11 May – “Mary’s Month” – Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 14:5-18, Psalm 115:1-2.3-4.15-16, John 14:21-26.
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them, is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” … John 14:21-22
REFLECTION – “The reign of life has begun, the tyranny of death is ended. A new birth has taken place, a new life has come, a new order of existence has appeared, our very nature has been transformed! This birth is not brought about by human generation, by the will of man, or by the desire of the flesh but by God.
If you wonder how, I will explain in clear language. Faith is the womb that conceives this new life, baptism the rebirth by which it is brought forth into the light of day. The Church is its nurse, her teachings are its milk, the bread from heaven is its food. It is brought to maturity by the practice of virtue, it is wedded to wisdom, it gives birth to hope. Its home is the kingdom, its rich inheritance the joys of paradise, its end, not death but the blessed and everlasting life prepared for those who are worthy.
… In this new creation, purity of life is the sun, the virtues are the stars, transparent goodness is the air and the depths of the riches of wisdom and knowledge, the sea. Sound doctrine, the divine teachings are the grass and plants that feed God’s flock, the people whom He shepherds, the keeping of the commandments is the fruit, borne by the trees.
On this day is created the true man, the man made in the image and likeness of God. … He who for our sake became like us in order to make us His brothers, now presents to His true Father His own humanity, in order to draw all His kindred up after Him.” … St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–c 395) Father of the Church- An excerpt from On Christ’s Resurrection, Homily 1
PRAYER – Lord, by Your grace, we are made one in mind and heart. Give us a love for what You command and a longing for what You promise, so that, amidst this world’s changes, we may cling to our Father, live by Your word and carry it out against all the foes around us. May our hearts be set on the world of lasting joy, our true home with You. May the angels and saints intercede for us and may our Mother, the Mother of God, be a constant assistant and guiding hand. We make our prayer, through our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever and ever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 6 May – Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
May God bestow upon our Bishops. all the graces needed to carry out their role in our Church!
“Give him a spirit of courage and right judgement, a spirit of knowledge and love.”
“O Christ, my God, You stooped down to me, poor straying sheep, to take me on Your shoulders (Lk 15:5) and have set me down in green pastures (Ps 23[22]:2). You have quenched my thirst at the springs of true doctrine, through the mediation of Your pastors, whose shepherd You were, before entrusting to them Your flock… And now, O Lord, You have called me… to serve Your disciples, by what design of Your Providence I know not, only You know.
But, Lord, lighten the heavy burden of those sins of mine that have so gravely offended You, purify my mind and heart. Lead me by the right way (Ps 23[22]:3) as by a light enlightening me. Enable me to proclaim Your word boldly, may Your Spirit’s tongue of flame (Acts 2:3) give perfect freedom to my tongue and make me constantly attentive to Your presence.
Be a shepherd to me, O Lord and together with me, be the shepherd of Your sheep, that my heart may not cause me to swerve either to right or to left. Let Your good Spirit lead me in the right way, that my actions may be carried out, according to Your will – even to the end. Amen
St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church
“We do not really want a religion that is right where we are right. We want a religion that is right where we are wrong. We do not want, as the newspapers say, a church that will move with the world. We want a church that will move the world.”
G K Chesterton (1874-1936)
A Prayer for our Bishops
Jesus, Good Shepherd, You sent us the Holy Spirit to guide Your Church and lead her faithful to You, through the ministry of the successors of Your Apostles, the Bishops. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, grant to Your bishops wisdom in leading, faithfulness in teaching and holiness in guarding Your sacred Mysteries. As they cry out with all the faithful, “Our Father!”, may Your Bishops be ever more closely identified with You in Your divine Sonship and offer their own lives with You, the one saving Victim. Renew in Your Bishops deeper faith, greater trust in You, childlike reliance on our Mother Mary and unwavering fidelity to the Holy Father. Holy Mary, intercede for Your bishops.
Sts Peter & Paul, pray for them. St Andrew, pray for them. St James, pray for them. St John, pray for them. St Thomas, pray for them. St James, pray for them. St Philip, pray for them. St Bartholomew, pray for them. St Matthew, pray for them. Sts Simon & Jude, pray for them. St Matthias, pray for them. St Joseph, protect them. St Michael, defend them. St John Vianney, pray for them. All you saints in heaven, pray for them. Amen
“The Church exists, for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became man for no other purpose.”
Quote of the Day – 19 April – Low Sunday the Octave Day of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday
“We, Christians, are the true Israel which springs from Christ, for we are carved out of His Heart, as from a Rock!”
St Justin Martyr (100-165)
Father of the Church and Martyr
“If the Jewish High priest carried the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written on his shoulders and on his breast, how much more Christ, our High Priest, carries our names written on His Heart”
St John of Avila (1500-1569)
Doctor of the Church
Divine Mercy 3 O’Clock Prayer St Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938)
You expired, O Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls and an ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You. Amen
“Jesus, I trust in You” these words summarise the faith of the Christian, which is faith in the omnipotence of God’s merciful Love.”
Pope Benedict XVI
REGINA CÆLI
Second Sunday of Easter, 15 April 2007
Thought for the Day – 18 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Putting Christianity into Practice
“Imagine what the world would be like, if the Gospel of Christ, were practised in it’s entirety, everywhere and by everybody.
It would not, of course, become another earthly Paradise, because suffering and death are the legacy of sin and Our Lord, did not remove these when He redeemed us but made them a necessary element, in our purification and spiritual elevation.
Nevertheless, the full practice of Christianity would transform the world.
A little reflection will convince us of this.
Men would love God above all things and their neighbours as themselves.
The sincere and ardent love of God, would cause wickedness, brutality and every kind of immorality to disappear.
Love of their neighbour, would make men brothers in reality, so that there would be no more wars nor threats of conflict.
The enormous wealth which is squandered on weapons of destruction, could then be diverted to good works.
There would be no more poverty, because, if men loved one another, those who had more than enough, would give to those in want.
There would be no more prisons, because, there would be no more criminals.
There would be no need for a police force, because, everyone would do his duty of his own accord.
The reign of love, which is the reign of Jesus Christ, would triumph upon earth.
Excessive wealth and the selfish love of ease and pleasure, would disappear on one hand, while, on the other, the extreme need of those who can never be sure of a meal, nor of a roof over their heads, would be palliated, until they had been raised to a standard of living, consistent with the laws of God and with the dignity of men.
The love of our neighbour as ourselves, would solve every individual and social problem in this life.
Men would grow into a vast community of brothers devoid of all barriers of hate, selfishness and greed.
This is not a Utopian dream, because it is the clear teaching of the Gospel.
Jesus did not preach the impossible.
He taught us the standards of the perfect life, which we are all obliged to try and lead.”
Quote/s of the Day – 17 April – Easter Friday, Readings: Acts 4:1-12, Psalm 118:1-2, 4, 22-27, John 21:1-14
Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore ..
John 21:4
“In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course.”
St Boniface (672-754)
“Jesus is with me. I have nothing to fear.”
Bl Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925)
“Enemy-occupied territory – that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise and is calling us all, to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”
C S Lewis (1898-1963)
Never forget that only dead fish swim with the stream.
Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990)
Thomas Malcolm Muggeridge (24 March 1903 – 14 November 1990) was an English journalist and satirist. His father was a prominent socialist politician and one of the early Labour Party Members of Parliament. In his twenties, Muggeridge was attracted to communism but after living in the Soviet Union in the 1930s, he became a forceful anti-communist. In 1982, aged 79, Muggeridge was received into the Catholic Church along with his wife, Kitty. This was largely under the influence of Mother Teresa, about whom he had written a book, ‘Something Beautiful for God,’ setting out and interpreting her life.
Lenten Reflection – 3 April – Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent, Readings: Jeremiah 20:10-13, Psalm 18:2-7, John 10:31-42
“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”
“If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” … John 10:37-38
Daily Meditation: Set us free.
“The Apostle teaches that Christ offered Himself for us to God as a fragrant offering and sacrifice. He is the true God and the true high priest who for our sake entered once for all into the holy of holies, taking with Him not the blood of bulls and goats but His own blood. This was foreshadowed by the high priest of old when each year he took blood and entered the holy of holies.
Christ is, therefore, the one who in Himself alone, embodied all that He knew to be necessary to achieve our redemption. He is at once Priest and Sacrifice, God and Temple. He is the Priest through whom we have been reconciled, the Sacrifice by which we have been reconciled, the Temple in which we have been reconciled, the God with whom we have been reconciled. He alone is Priest, Sacrifice and Temple because He is all these things as God, in the form of a Servant but He is not alone as God, for He is this with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the form of God.
Hold fast to this and never doubt it – the only-begotten Son, God the Word, becoming man offered Himself for us, to God, as a fragrant offering and sacrifice. In the time of the Old Testament, patriarchs, prophets and priests sacrificed animals in His honour and in honour of the Father and the Holy Spirit, as well. Now in the time of the New Testament the Holy Catholic Church, throughout the world, never ceases to offer the Sacrifice of bread and wine, in faith and love, to Him and to the Father and the Holy Spirit, with whom He shares one Godhead.” … St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c 462 – 533) – An excerpt from his Treatise on Faith addressed to Peter
The Lord is my rock, and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised and I am saved from my enemies.
Psalm 18:2-3
Intercessions:
Thanks be to Christ the Lord,
who brought us life by is death on the cross.
With our whole heart let us askHhim:
By Your death raise us to life.
Teacher and Saviour,
You have shown us Your fidelity and made us a new creation by Your passion,
– keep us from falling again into sin.
Help us to deny ourselves today,
– and not deny those in need.
May we receive this day of penance as Your gift,
– and give it back to You through works of mercy.
Master our rebellious hearts,
– and teach us generosity. Closing Prayer:
Most forgiving Lord,
again and again You welcome me back into Your loving arms.
Grant me freedom from the heavy burdens of sin
that weigh me down
and keep me so far from You.
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
“O Fountain of everlasting love, what shall I say of You? How can I forget You, Who have vouchsafed to remember me even after I was corrupted and lost?”
Our Morning Offering – 2 April – Thursday of the Fifth week of Lent
O Saviour of the World By St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108) Father of the Church
Lord Jesus Christ,
on the human side
You are sprung from David’s line,
Son of God according to God’s will and power,
born of the Virgin Mary,
baptised by John
and actually Crucified for us in the flesh,
under Pontius Pilate and Herod the Tetrarch.
On the third day, You raised a standard
to rally Your saints and faithful forever
in the one body of Your Church.
By the grace and power of these mysteries,
fit us out with unshakeable faith,
nail us body and soul to Your Cross
and root us in love by Your Blood, shed for us,
O Saviour of the world,
living and reigning, now and forever,
amen.
AnaStpaul 
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