QUOTES on the CHURCH – Page 13

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MARIAN TITLES, POETRY, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 April – My heart has become Your manger

Posted on April 30, 2019April 30, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 30 April – Tuesday of the Second week of Easter and the Feast of Our Lady, Mother of Africa (1840) and the Memorial of St Pope Pius V OP (1504-1572), The Pope of Lepanto

“…So that everyone who believes, may have eternal life in him”…John 3:15 jesus and nicodemus john 3 15 everyone who believes may have eternal life in him 30april2019.jpg

REFLECTION –
“My Lord, God,
You have led me by a long, dark path,
Rocky and hard.
Often my strength threatened to fail me.
I almost lost all hope of seeing the light.
But when my heart grew numb with deepest grief,
A clear star rose for me.
Steadfast it guided me- I followed,
At first reluctant, but more confidently later.

At last I stood at Church’s gate.
It opened. I sought admission.
From Your priest’s mouth Your blessing greets me.
Within me stars are strung like pearls.
Red blossom stars show me the path to You.
They wait for You at Holy Night.
But Your goodness
Allows them to illuminate my path to You.
They lead me on.
The secret which I had to keep in hiding
Deep in my heart,
Now I can shout it out:
I believe-I profess!
The priest accompanies me to the altar:
I bend my face-
Holy water flows over my head.

Lord, is it possible that someone who is past
Midlife can be reborn (Jn 3:4)?
You said so and for me it was fulfilled,
A long life’s burden of guilt and suffering
Fell away from me.
Erect I receive the white cloak,
Which they place round my shoulders,
Radiant image of purity!
In my hand I hold a candle.
Its flame makes known
That deep within me glows Your holy life.

My heart has become Your manger,
Awaiting You,
But not for long!
Maria, Your mother and also mine
Has given me her name.
At midnight she will place her newborn child
Into my heart.

Ah, no-one’s heart can fathom,
What You’ve in store for those who love You (1Cor 2:9).
Now You are mine and I won’t let You go.
Wherever my life’s road may lead,
You are with me.
Nothing can ever part me from Your love (Rm 8:39).”

St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] OCD (1891-1942) Martyr

PRAYER – True Light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ, as You enlighten all men for their salvation, give us grace, we pray, to herald Your coming, by preparing the ways of justice and of peace. May the intercession of Your Mother and our Mother of Africa and St Pope Pius V, assist us on our journey to You. Who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever, amen. our lady mother of africa pray for us 30 april 2019

st pope pius V pray for us - 30 april 2019

EASTER, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

Christ is Risen! He is Truly Risen, Alleluia! – Thought for the day – 23 April – “Church of men, Church of women”

Posted on April 23, 2019April 23, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Christ is Risen! He is Truly Risen, Alleluia! – Thought for the day – 23 April – Tuesday of Easter Week Christ is risen - easter sunday - christc3b3s-anc3a9sti-1-april-2018

So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know, where they have laid him.”…John 20:2 the-greatest-easter-painting-elise-ehrhard-crises-mag

“Church of men, Church of women”

By Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988)

In the Gospel, Mary of Magdala, the first person to see the open grave, rouses the two most important disciples – Peter (ecclesial office) and John (ecclesial love).

Both disciples run there “together” yet not together, for, unburdened by the cares borne by Office, Love runs faster. Yet Love yields to Office when it comes to examining the tomb and Peter thus becomes the first to view the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head and establish that no theft had occurred. That is enough to permit Love to enter, who “sees and believes” – not precisely in the Resurrection but in the correctness of all that has happened with Jesus. This is as far as the two symbolic representatives of the Church go – things have happened properly, faith in Jesus is justified, despite all the opaqueness of the situation.

It is the woman for whom this first turns into genuine belief in the Resurrection. She does not “go home” but perseveres at the place where the dead one disappeared, searching for Him.

The empty place becomes luminous, measured off by the two angels at the head and the foot. But this luminous emptiness is not enough for the Church’s love – the forgiven woman here, seems to represent the Woman herself, Mary the Mother, she has to have her one true Love. This she receives in Jesus’ call – “Mary!” With that, everything is more than complete – the sought after corpse is the eternally Living One. But she dare not hold Him, for He is on His way to the Father and earth ought not hold Him back. Instead it must consent. As it was with His Incarnation, so now with His return to the Father.

This Yes, turns into the happiness of the mission to the brethren, giving is more blessed than holding on.

The Church is Woman at her most profound depths, as woman she embraces both ecclesial office and ecclesial love, which belong together. “The woman will encompass the man” (Jer 31:22). mary of magdala rouses the two most important - hans urs von balthasar 23 april 2019 church of men church of women.jpg

FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 April – .Jesus should die … to gather into one the children of God..

Posted on April 13, 2019April 12, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 April – Saturday of the Fifth week of Lent, Year C – John 11:45–56

“…Jesus should die for the nation and not for the nation only
but to gather into one the children of God…”…John 11:51-52

REFLECTION – “Saint Paul states that “in these, the last days, God has spoken to us in his Son, whom He has established heir of all things.” (Heb 1:2) Now, doesn’t this sentence mean that the Father considered every person to form a part of Christ’s inheritance? It matches the prophecy of David: “Ask and I shall give you the nations as your heritage, that you may have dominion to the ends of the earth.” (Ps 2:8)
Our Lord Himself declares: “I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw everyone to myself.” (Jn 12:32) Does it not appear that the salvation of every person is promised? Elsewhere we find a prophecy about the Church – “Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be laid low, the rugged places shall become a plain and the highland a broad valley.” (Is 40,4). Does it seem as though anyone has been forgotten or has not been chosen here as one of Christ’s subjects? And what should we think when we read: “All flesh shall come and bow low before me; they will worship me in Jerusalem, says the Lord” (cf. Is 66:23)…
And so the term “people of God” is to be understood in all its fullness. No matter if the majority of people refuse or neglect the Saviour’s grace, it is the whole that is indicated by the words “elect” and “predestined”… The apostle Paul also says: “We proclaim a crucified Jesus Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and folly for pagans… but the power and wisdom of God.” (1Cor 1:23-24) Would Christ be “the power and wisdom of God” in the eyes of the same people for whom he is “a stumbling block” and “folly”? In fact, since certain people are saved because of their faith while others are hardened in their unbelief, the apostle included both faithful and unfaithful under the general term of “chosen”. Thus he showed that those whom he counted as pagans had become strangers to God’s call even though they had heard the Gospel.”…St Prosper of Aquitaine (c 390-c 455)

PRAYER – Lord our God, at all times, You are working out the salvation of man but now, more especially, You enrich Your people with grace. Look kindly on this people, Lord our God and lead us to Yourself. Listen to the prayers of your angels and saints, who intercede on our behalf and may our Immaculate Mother, accompany us on our journey home. We make our prayer through our Saviour, Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen. immaculate mother pray for us 13 april 2019.jpg

GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on ZEAL, SAINT of the DAY, The PASSION

Quote of the Day – 7 April – “Be driven by the love of God”

Posted on April 7, 2019April 7, 2021 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 7 April – The Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C, Gospel: John 8:1–11 and the Memorial of St John Baptiste de La Salle (1651-1719)

“Be driven by the love of God
because Jesus Christ died for all,
that those who live.
may live not for themselves but for Him,
who died and rose for them.
Above all, let your charity and zeal
show how you love the Church.
Your work is for the Church,
which is the body of Christ.”

St John Baptist de La Salle

more quotes by St John Baptiste here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-april-easter-saturday-and-the-memorial-of-st-john-baptiste-de-la-salle-1651-1719/

LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 April

Posted on April 2, 2019April 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 2 April – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of St Francis of Paola O.M. (1416-1507) and St Pedro Calungsod (1654–1672) Martyr

So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me said to me, ‘Take up your pallet, and walk.’ ”...John 5:10-11

REFLECTION – “Christian hypocrites, like these, only interested in their formalities. It was a Sabbath? No, you cannot do miracles on the Sabbath, the grace of God cannot work on Sabbath days. They close the door to the grace of God. We have so many in the Church, we have many! It is another sin. The first, those who have the sin of sloth, are not able to go forward with their apostolic zeal, because they have decided to stand firm in themselves, in their sorrows, their resentments, in all of that. Such as these are not capable of bringing salvation because they close the door to salvation.”…Pope Francis – Santa Marta 1 April 2014

PRAYER – God, our Father almighty, You gave us Christ Your Son to be our Bread of life and the message of truth, justice and love. May we live His lessons in every fibre of our being and thus pass from death to life. May the prayers of your Holy angel, saints and martyrs, St Francis of Paola and St Pedro Calungsod, be an inspiration and a balm in our trials. Through Jesus our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. st francis of paola pray for us 2 april 2019

st pedro calungsod pray for us 2 april 2019

FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, LENT 2019, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN QUOTES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 March – Pope Benedict reflects

Posted on March 25, 2019March 24, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 25 March – The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word.”...Luke 1:38 luke 1 38 - let what you have said be done to me - 18dec2018 ourladyofexpectation

REFLECTION – “The icon of the Annunciation, more than any other, helps us to see clearly how everything in the Church goes back to that mystery of Mary’s acceptance of the divine Word, by which, through the action of the Holy Spirit, the Covenant between God and humanity was perfectly sealed. Everything in the Church, every institution and ministry, including that of Peter and his Successors, is “included” under the Virgin’s mantle, within the grace-filled horizon of her “yes” to God’s will. This link with Mary naturally evokes a strong affective resonance in all of us but first of all it has an objective value….
Everything in this world will pass away. In eternity only Love will remain. For this reason, … taking the opportunity offered by this favourable time of Lent, let us commit ourselves to ensure that everything in our personal lives and in the ecclesial activity in which we are engaged is inspired by charity and leads to charity. In this respect too, we are enlightened by the mystery that we are celebrating today.
Indeed, the first thing that Mary did after receiving the Angel’s message was to go “in haste” to the house of her cousin Elizabeth in order to be of service to her (cf. Lk 1: 39). The Virgin’s initiative was one of genuine charity, it was humble and courageous, motivated by faith in God’s Word and the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit. Those who love, forget about themselves and place themselves at the service of their neighbour. Here we have the image and model of the Church!”…Pope Benedict XVI – Excerpt- Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, Saint Peter’s Square, Saturday, 25 March 2006

PRAYER – Shape us in the likeness of the Divine nature of our Redeemer, whom we believe to be true God and true man, since it was Your will, Lord God, that He, Your Word, should take to Himself, our human nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for always and forever, amen. the-nicest-word-servant-of-god-guy-pierre-de-fontgalland-24-feb-2018-no-2.jpg

LENT 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

Lenten Thoughts – 24 March – Take a step back

Posted on March 24, 2019March 24, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Lenten Thoughts – 24 March – The Third Sunday of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Luke 13:1-9 (The fruitless vine) and The Memorial of Bl Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (1917–1980) Martyr

Every now and then it helps us to take a step back and to see things from a distance.

Every now and then it helps us to take a step back
and to see things from a distance.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is also beyond our visions.
In our lives, we manage to achieve only a small part
of the marvellous plan that is God’s work.
Nothing that we do is complete,
which is to say that the Kingdom is greater than ourselves.
No statement says everything that can be said.
No prayer completely expresses the faith.
No Creed brings perfection.
No pastoral visit solves every problem.
No programme fully accomplishes the mission of the Church.
No goal or purpose ever reaches completion.
This is what it is about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that others will watch over them.
We lay the foundations of something that will develop.
We add the yeast which will multiply our possibilities.
We cannot do everything,
yet it is liberating to begin.
This gives us the strength to do something and to do it well.
It may remain incomplete but it is a beginning, a step along the way.
It is an opportunity for the grace of God to enter and to do the rest.
It may be that we will never see its completion
but that is the difference between the master and the labourer.
We are labourers, not master builders,
servants, not the Messiah.
We are prophets of a future that does not belong to us.

Saint Óscar Romero (1917–1980) Martyr, Pray for us!

PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 8 March – St John of God

Posted on March 8, 2019March 8, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 8 March – The Memorial of St John of God (1495-1550)

“The first (virtue) is faith,
believing all that
holy mother church
believes and holds,
keeping and putting
into practice
what she commands”

“Labour without stopping,
do all the good works you can,
while you still have the time.”

“If we look forward to receiving God’s mercy,
we can never fail to do good,
so long as we have the strength.
For if we share with the poor,
out of love for God,
whatever He has given to us,
we shall receive according to His promise,
a hundredfold in eternal happiness.
What a fine profit, what a blessed reward!
With outstretched arms He begs us
to turn toward Him, to weep for our sins
and to become the servants of love,
first for ourselves, then for our neighbours.
Just as water extinguishes a fire,
so love wipes away sin.”

“Whether you like it or not,
you will grow apart from human beings.
However, Christ is faithful
and always with you.
Fot Christ provides all things.”

“The Heart Commands” – St John of God

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 7 March by Blessed Leonid Feodorov (1879-1935) Martyr

Posted on March 7, 2019March 7, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 7 March – The Memorial of Blessed Leonid Feodorov (1879-1935) Martyr

“When I feel overwhelmed by misfortune,
the greatest joy that the Lord can give me,
is to go to the altar, to put my forehead against it
(as on the day of my ordination to the priesthood)
and to feel the presence of the only reality.
Not only does calm return
but my body seems to be annihilated,
the only true life begins,
the life of that which is intangible.”

(Fr Paul Mailleux, SJ “Exarch Leonid Feodorov, Bridgebuilder Between Rome and Moscow,” page 166)

“If the Soviet Government orders me
to act against my conscience, I do not obey.
As for teaching the Catechism,
the Catholic Church holds that children
must be taught their religion,
no matter what the law says.
Conscience is above the law.
No law which is against the conscience can bind.”

(Adressing the court during his political ‘show trial’ in 1923)

“My whole life has been based on two principles –
the love of the Church to which I am united
and the love of my country, which I adore.
If I do not care, whether I am sentenced
to ten years imprisonment or to be shot,
it is not because I am a fanatic…
Since I joined the Catholic Church,
my sole object has been,
to reconcile my country to that Church
which I believe to be the One True Church.”

“Our hearts are full, not of hatred but of sadness.
You cannot understand us,
we are not allowed liberty of conscience.
That is the only conclusion,
we can draw from what we have heard here.”

(Addressing the court shortly before being sentenced to ten years in the GULAG)

“The true messianism of the Russian (Catholic) Church
is not what the Slavophiles have imagined
but it is the example of suffering.
It is in this way that She shows,
that She is the continuation of Christ in this world.”

(Addressing a friend and confidant who was imprisoned with him at Solovki prison camp)

Prayer for Unity by Blessed Leonid

O Merciful Lord Jesus, Our Saviour,
hear the prayers and petitions
of Your unworthy, sinful servants,
who humbly call upon You
and make us all to be one
in Your One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Flood our souls with Your unquenchable light.
Put an end to religious disagreements
and grant that we Your disciples
and Your beloved children,
may all worship You,
with a single heart and voice.
Fulfill quickly, O grace-giving Lord,
Your promise,
that there shall be one flock
and one Divine Shepherd of Your Church
and may we be made worthy
to glorify Your Holy Name
now and ever and unto the ages of ages.
Amen

Blessed Leonid Feodorov (1879-1935) Martyr

QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 23 February – “Stand Fast!” – St Polycarp

Posted on February 23, 2019February 23, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 23 February – The Memorial of St Polycarp (c 69–c 155) Martyr and Apostolic Father of the Church

“Stand fast, therefore,
in this conduct
and follow the example of the Lord,
firm and unchangeable in faith,
lovers of the brotherhood,
loving each other,
united in truth,
helping each other
with the mildness of the Lord,
despising no man.”

St Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians

“Let us, therefore,
forsake the vanity
of the crowd and their
false teachings
and turn back
to the Word delivered to us
from the beginning.”

“Hear me declare
with boldness,
I am a Christian!”

St Polycarp (c 69–c 155) Martyr

and Apostolic Father of the Church

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Thought for the Day – 22 February – St Pope Leo the Great “The Chair of Peter”

Posted on February 22, 2019February 22, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 22 February – The Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter

Pope Saint Leo the Great (400-461)
Bishop of Rome and Great Latin Father & Doctor of the Church

An excerpt from Sermo 4

Out of the whole world one man, Peter, is chosen to preside at the calling of all nations and to be set over all the apostles and all the fathers of the Church. Though, there are, in God’s people many shepherds, Peter is thus appointed, to rule in his own person, those whom Christ also rules as the original ruler. Beloved, how great and wonderful is this sharing of His power that God in His goodness has given to this man. Whatever Christ has willed to be shared in common, by Peter and the other leaders of the Church, it is only through Peter, that He has given to others, what He has not refused to bestow on them.

The Lord now asks the apostles as a whole, what men think of him. As long as they are recounting the uncertainty born of human ignorance, their reply is always the same.

But when He presses the disciples to say what they think themselves, the first to confess his faith in the Lord, is the one who is first in rank, among the apostles.

Peter says: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus replies: Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven. You are blessed, he means, because my Father has taught you. You have not been deceived by earthly opinion but have been enlightened by inspiration from heaven. It was not flesh and blood that pointed Me out to you but the one whose only-begotten Son I am.

He continues: And I say to you. In other words, as my Father has revealed to you my godhead, so I in my turn make known to you, your pre-eminence. You are Peter: though I am the inviolable rock, the cornerstone that makes both one, the foundation apart from which no one can lay any other, yet you also are a rock, for you are given solidity by my strength, so that which is my very own because of my power is common between us through your participation.

And upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. On this strong foundation, He says, I will build an everlasting temple. The great height of my Church, which is to penetrate the heavens, shall rise on the firm foundation of this faith.

The gates of hell shall not silence this confession of faith; the chains of death shall not bind it. Its words are the words of life. As they lift up to heaven those who profess them, so they send down to hell those who contradict them.

Blessed Peter is therefore told – To you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth is also bound in heaven. Whatever you lose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven.

The authority vested in this power passed also to the other apostles and the institution, established by this decree, has been continued in all the leaders of the Church. But, it is not without good reason, that what is bestowed on all, is entrusted to one. For Peter, received it separately, in trust, because he is the prototype, set before all the rulers of the Church.

Saint Pope Peter
Apostle and Martyr
Pray for us!

FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 February – “On this rock I will build my Church”

Posted on February 22, 2019February 22, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 22 February – The Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:16

“On this rock I will build my Church”

Matthew 16:18

“How blessed is the Church of Rome,
on which the Apostles poured forth
all their doctrine along with their blood!”
(De Praescriptione Hereticorum, 36)

Tertullian (c 155- c 240)
Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus

“I decided to consult the Chair of Peter, where that faith is found exalted by the lips of an Apostle;
I now come to ask for nourishment for my soul there, where once I received the garment of Christ.
I follow no leader save Christ, so I enter into communion with Your beatitude,
that is, with the Chair of Peter, for this I know, is the rock upon which the Church is built.”
(cf. Le lettere I, 15, 1-2)

St Jerome (343-420) Father & Doctor

“The Cross is God’s chair in the world.”

“Today’s celebration highlights
the role of Peter and his Successors
in steering the barque of the Church across this “ocean”….
Let us thank God together
for founding His Church on the rock of Peter.

“Today, …Christ is repeating to each of you:
“I have prayed for you”
that your faith will not fail in the situations
in which your fidelity to Christ,
to the Church,
to the Pope,
may be put to the greatest test.”

St Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

One Minute Reflection – 22 February – The Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter

Posted on February 22, 2019February 21, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 22 February – The Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter

“And I tell you, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it..”…Matthew 16:18 matthew 16 18 and i tell you you are peter and on this rock 22 feb 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “You are Peter and on this rock I shall build my Church.” He was given this name of ‘Peter’ because he was the first to set the foundations of the faith among the nations and because he is, the indestructible rock on which rests, the judgement seat and the whole edifice, belonging to Christ Jesus. It was on account of his faithfulness that he was called Peter, whereas our Lord receives the same name on account of His power according to Saint Paul’s words: “They drank from a spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was the Christ” (1Cor 10:4). Yes, the apostle chosen to be His co-worker, merited to share, the same name as Christ. They built the same building together – Peter does the planting, the Lord gives the increase and it is the Lord, too, who sends those, who will do the watering (cf. 1 Cor 3:6f.).
As you know, my beloved, it was following on from his own failure, when our Saviour suffered, that blessed Peter was raised up. It was after he had denied the Lord that he became the first next to him. Rendered more faithful when he wept over the faith he had betrayed, he received a still greater grace than the one he had lost. To him Christ confided His flock, so that he might guide it like a good shepherd and he who had been so weak, would now become the support of all. He who had fallen when questioned about his faith, must now establish the others, on the unshakeable foundations of faith. Hence he is called the foundation stone of the piety of the Churches.”…St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – Holy Father, send Your Divine Enlightener into the hearts of all Your faithful, filling us with the strength to fulfil our mission as the followers of the Chair of St Peter. And most of all, we pray Lord Holy God to inspire and light the way of our Holy Father, Francis. Sustain and guide him, keep him in health and strength, to lead Your people by the Light of the Way and the Truth. Holy Father, have mercy on us, Holy Spirit guide and lead us, Lord Jesus Christ be our intercessor and teacher, amen. st peter pray for us 22 feb 2019.jpg

QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on FREEDOM, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMAN DIGNITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 10 February – St “Joselito”(1913-1928) and Blessed Aloysius Stepinac (1898–1960) Martyrs

Posted on February 10, 2019February 10, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 10 February – the Memorial of St José Sánchez del Río “Joselito”(1913-1928) and Blessed Aloysius Stepinac (1898–1960) Martyrs

“My faith is not for sale.”

St José Sánchez del Río “Joselito”(1913-1928)

“Blessed be Your name, Lord!
May Your will be done!”

Blessed Alojzije Stepinac’s last words

“We affirm then that all peoples and races descend from God.
In fact, there exists but one race. The members can be white or black.
They can be separated by oceans or live on the opposing poles
but they remain first and foremost, the race created by God,
according to the precepts of natural law
and positive Divine law as it is written,
in the hearts and minds of human, or revealed by Jesus Christ,
the son of God, the sovereign of all peoples.”

25 October 1942

“We always stressed in public life,
the principles of God’s eternal law,
regardless of whether we spoke
about Croats, Serbs, Jews, Gypsies,
Catholics, Muslims, Orthodox or whoever else….
The Catholic Church
does not recognise,
races that rule
and races
that are enslaved.”

Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, 1943

“I know what my duty is.
With the grace of God,
I will carry it out to the end,
without hatred towards anyone
and without fear from anyone.”

Blessed Aloysius Stepinac (1898–1960) Martyr

QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 9 February Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich & St Miguel Febres Cordero

Posted on February 9, 2019February 9, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote’s of the Day – 9 February – The Memorial of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) & St Miguel Febres Cordero Muñoz FSC (1854-1910)

The Church is the only one, the Roman Catholic!
And if there were left upon earth but one Catholic,
he would be the one, universal Church,
the Catholic Church,
the Church of Jesus Christ
against which the gates of Hell shall never prevail.”…

Bl Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824)

“The heart is rich
when it is content
and it is always content
when its desires
are fixed
on God.”

St Miguel Febres Cordero Muñoz (1854-1910)

QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 7 February

Posted on February 7, 2019February 7, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 7 February – The Memorial of Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)

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 16:18

“Now you know well that the most deadly foes of the Catholic religion
have always waged a fierce war but without success, against this Chair;
they are by no means ignorant of the fact,
that religion itself can never totter and fall while this Chair remains intact,
the Chair which rests on the rock which the proud gates of hell cannot overthrow
and in which there is the whole and perfect solidity of the Christian religion.”

Blessed Pope Pius IX

More quotes from Blessed Pius – https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/02/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-february-the-memorial-of-blessed-pope-pius-ix-1792-1878/

JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD, VATICAN Documents

One Minute Reflection – 4 February – Gospel: Mark 5:1–20

Posted on February 4, 2019February 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 4 February – Monday of the Fourth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Mark 5:1–20 and the Memorial of St John de Britto SJ (1647-1693) Martyr

“Go home to your friends and tell them, how much the Lord has done for you and how he has, had mercy on you.”…Mark 5:19

REFLECTION – “As the Son was sent by the Father, so He too sent the Apostles (Jn 20:21), saying: “Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world”.(Mt 28:19) The Church has received this solemn mandate of Christ to proclaim the saving truth from the apostles and must carry it out to the very ends of the earth.(Acts 1:8) Wherefore, she makes the words of the Apostle her own: “Woe to me, if I do not preach the Gospel” (1Cor 9:16) and continues unceasingly to send heralds of the Gospel until such time as the infant churches are fully established and can themselves continue the work of evangelising.
For the Church is compelled by the Holy Spirit to do her part, that God’s plan may be fully realised, whereby He has constituted Christ as the source of salvation for the whole world. By the proclamation of the Gospel she prepares her hearers to receive and profess the faith. She gives them the dispositions necessary for baptism, snatches them from the slavery of error and of idols and incorporates them in Christ, so that through charity, they may grow up into full maturity in Christ. Through her work, whatever good is in the minds and hearts of men, whatever good lies latent in the religious practices and cultures of diverse peoples, is not only saved from destruction but is also cleansed, raised up and perfected unto the glory of God, the confusion of the devil and the happiness of man.
The obligation of spreading the faith is imposed on every disciple of Christ, according to his state. However, although all the faithful can baptise, the priest alone can complete the building up of the Body in the eucharistic sacrifice. Thus are fulfilled the words of God, spoken through His prophet: “From the rising of the sun until the going down thereof my name is great among the gentiles and in every place a clean oblation is sacrificed and offered up in my name”.(Mal 1:11) In this way the Church both prays and labours in order that the entire world may become the People of God, the Body of the Lord and the Temple of the Holy Spirit.”… Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, “Lumen Gentium”, #17 – Vatican Council II

PRAYER – Lord God and Father, who entrusted the earth to men, to till and care for it and made the sun to serve their needs, give us grace this day, to work faithfully for Your Glord and for our neighbours’ good. As we follow the Way of Your Son, fill us with the Holy Spirit of faith, hope and love. Almighty God, You made Saint John of Britto, an illustrious preacher of the gospel. Through his prayers inflame us with love and with his zeal for souls that we may serve You alone. St John of Britto, pray for us! Through Jesus, our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen. st john de britto pray for us 4 feb 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES/PRAYERS on THE FAMILY, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 27 January – The Memorial of St Angela Merici (1474-1540)

Posted on January 27, 2019June 1, 2023 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 27 January – The Memorial of St Angela Merici (1474-1540)

“Pray and get others to pray,
that God not abandon His Church
but reform it, as He pleases
and as He sees best for us
and more to His honour and glory.”

St Angela Merici (1474-1540)

More here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/01/27/quote-s-of-the-day-27-january-the-memorial-of-st-angela-merici-1474-1540/

DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 13 January

Posted on January 13, 2019January 13, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 13 January – The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the Memorial of St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church and Blessed Francesco Maria Greco (1857-1931)

“O Lord, wishing to fulfil all things
that You ordained before the ages,
You received the servants of Your mystery,
from among the Angels, Gabriel,
from among Men, the Virgin,
from among the Heavens, the Star
and from among the Waters, the Jordan,
in which You washed away the sin of the world,
O our Saviour, glory to You.”

St John Damascene (675-749) Doctor of the Church

“God only knows how to be love
and He only knows how to be Father.
And the one who loves is not envious
and one who is Father is so totally.
This name does not permit compromises,
as if God were only father in some aspects
and not in others.”

“The privilege of our Church is such that
it is never stronger
than when it is attacked,
never better known
than when it is accused,
never more powerful
than when it appears forsaken.”
(Treatise on the Trinity)

“The Church is the Ship
outside which
it is impossible to understand
the Divine Word,
for Jesus spoke from the boat
to the people gathered
on the shore.”

“No matter how sinful
one may have been,
if he has devotion to Mary,
it is impossible that he be lost.”

St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church

“In solitude,
in the presence
of the Blessed Sacrament,
I learned the love of Jesus
and the power of this love.”

Blessed Francesco Maria Greco (1857-1931)

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ABORTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 2 January – St Basil & St Gregory

Posted on January 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 2 January – The Memorial of St Basil the Great and St Gregory of Nazianzen

Two are better than one:
they get a good wage for their toil.
If the one falls, the other will help the fallen one.
But woe to the solitary person!
If that one should fall, there is no other to help…

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

“Let us raise ourselves from our fall
and not give up hope, as long as we are free from sin.
Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners.
‘Come, let us adore and prostrate ourselves and weep before him’ (Psalm 95:6).
The Word calls us to repentance, crying out:
‘Come to me, all you who labour and are heavily burdened and I will refresh you’ (Matthew 11:28).
There is, then, a way to salvation
if we are willing to follow it”
(from a letter by Saint Basil the Great)

“A tree is known by its fruit;
a man by his deeds.
A good deed is never lost,
he who sows courtesy, reaps friendship
and he who plants kindness, gathers love.”

“The bread which you use
is the bread of the hungry;
the garment hanging in your wardrobe
is the garment of him who is naked;
the shoes you do NOT wear,
are the shoes of the one who is barefoot;
the acts of charity that you do NOT perform,
are so many INJUSTICES that you commit.”

“The hairsplitting difference between
formed and unformed makes no difference to us.
Whoever deliberately commits abortion
is subject to the penalty for homicide.”

St Basil the Great (329-379) Father & Doctor of the Church

“Give something, however small,
to the one in need.
For it is not small to one who has nothing.
Neither is it small to God,
if we have given what we could.”

“If anyone does not believe
that Holy Mary
is the Mother of God,
such a one is a stranger
to the Godhead.”

“Let us not esteem worldly prosperity,
or adversity, as things real or of any moment
but let us live elsewhere
and raise all our attention to Heaven,
esteeming sin as the only true evil
and nothing truly good
but virtue, which unites us to God.”

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

QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on VIOLENCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 December – St Thomas a Becket (1118-1170) Martyr

Posted on December 29, 2018December 29, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 29 December – St Thomas a Becket (1118-1170) Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury

I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the course,
I have kept the faith.
From now on a merited crown awaits me

2 Timothy 4:7

“Remember then how our fathers worked out their salvation;
remember the sufferings through which the Church has grown
and the storms the ship of Peter has weathered
because it has Christ on board.
Remember how the crown was attained,
by those whose sufferings gave new radiance to their faith.
The whole company of saints bears witness to the unfailing truth,
that without real effort no-one wins the crown.”

“I am ready to die for my Lord,
that in my blood,
the Church may obtain liberty and peace.”

“Better are the blows of a friend,
than the false kisses of an enemy.”

“Who shall resist Anti-Christ when he comes
if we show such patience
towards the vices and crimes of his precursors?
By such leniency, we encourage kings
to become tyrants
and tempt them to withdraw every privilege
and all jurisdiction from the Churches.”

It is dangerous for men in power,
if no-one dares to tell them, when they go wrong.”
(St Thomas to a friend on his ordination)

St Thomas a Becket (1118-1170) Martyr

CHRIST the KING, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the PRIESTHOOD, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day -– 7 December – The Memorial of St Ambrose (c 340-397)- Father and Doctor of the Church

Posted on December 7, 2018December 7, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day -– 7 December – The Memorial of St Ambrose (c 340-397)- Father and Doctor of the Church

Note: I am still unable to make images so these are taken from this site.

“Rise, you who were lying fast asleep…
Rise and hurry to the Church:
here is the Father,
here is the Son,
here is the Holy Spirit.”

“The Church of the Lord is built upon the rock
of the apostles among so many dangers in the world;
it therefore remains unmoved.
The Church’s foundation is unshakeable and firm
against assaults of the raging sea.
Waves lash at the Church but do not shatter it.
Although the elements of this world, constantly beat
upon the Church with crashing sounds,
the Church possesses the safest harbour
of salvation for all in distress.”

“All the children of the Church are priests.
At Baptism, they received the anointing
that gives them a share in the priesthood.
The sacrifice that they must offer to God
is completely spiritual – it is themselves.”

“Let your door stand open
to receive Him,
unlock your soul to Him,
offer Him a welcome in your mind
and then you will see
the riches of simplicity,
the treasures of peace,
the joy of grace.
Throw wide the gate of your heart,
stand before the sun of the everlasting light.”

“If it is “daily bread,” why do you take it once a year? . . .
Take daily what is to profit you daily.
Live in such a way that you may deserve
to receive it daily.
He who does not deserve to receive it daily,
does not deserve to receive it once a year.”

“When we speak about WISDOM,
we are speaking about CHRIST.
When we speak about VIRTUE,
we are speaking about CHRIST.
When we speak about JUSTICE,
we are speaking about CHRIST.
When we speak about PEACE,
we are speaking about CHRIST.
When we speak about TRUTH,
and LIFE and REDEMPTION,
we are speaking about CHRIST.”

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

QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 23 November – The memorial of St Columban (543-615)

Posted on November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 23 November – The memorial of St Columban (543-615)

God called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were less than nothing, now you are God’s own. Once you knew very little of God’s kindness, now your very lives have been changed by it….1 Peter 2:9-10

From St Columban’s letter to the French Bishops:
“We are all fellow members of one body,
whether Franks or Britons or Irish or whatever our race.
Thus, let all our races rejoice, in knowledge of the faith
and in recognising the Son of God …
In Him, let us love one another, praise one another, correct
one another, encourage one another, pray for one another.”

(Letter 2, to the French bishops)

we are all fellow members of one body - st columban - 23 nov 2018

St Columban suffered for his outspokenness in the face of moral corruption and public depravity. He was exiled but his words were remembered years later and many of his warnings heeded. He preached the word of Christ fearlessly and was not afraid of the anger of kings. It is the kind of Christian courage we should have.

From his fourth letter:
“May no-one and nothing separate us from
the love of Christ, no trail, no difficulty, no persecution,
no hunger, no nakedness, no danger,
no death by sword, fire, cross or murder, nothing sad,
nothing sweet, nothing hard, nothing fair,
may none of the world’s vanities
separate us from Christ.”

(Sermon 4,3)

may no-one and nothing - st columban no 2 - 23 nov 2018

St Columban, Pray for us!

QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on SILENCE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 23 November – The memorial of St Columban (543-615)

Posted on November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 23 November – The memorial of St Columban (543-615)

“We, indeed, are,
as I have said,
chained to the
Chair of Saint Peter.”

“Be gentle to the weak,
firm to the stubborn,
steadfast to the proud,
humble to the lowly.”

“Be helpful,
when you are,
at the bottom of the ladder
and be the lowest,
when you are in authority.”

“Be slow to anger,
swift to learn,
slow also to speak,
as St James says,
equally swift to hear.”

“Be respectful to the worthy,
merciful to the poor.”

“Be mindful of favours,
unmindful of wrongs.”

Excerpts from a “Letter to a Young Disciple”
by St Columban (543-615)

MORNING Prayers, PAPAL SERMONS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 19:45–48 – ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’

Posted on November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 23 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 19:45–48 – Friday of the Thirty-third week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St Columban (543-615)

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”…Luke 19:45-46

REFLECTION – “Have I learned to watch over myself, that the temple of my heart is only for the Holy Spirit? Purify the temple, the inner temple and watch. Be careful, be careful: what happens in the heart. Who comes in and who goes out, the feelings, the ideas… Do we speak to the Holy Spirit? Do we listen to the Holy Spirit? Watch out. Let us be attentive to what happens in our temple, in (us) ourselves.”…Pope Francis – Santa Marta, 24 November 2017

PRAYER – Lord God, in the life of St Columban you combined a zeal for mission and a love of the monastic life. May his prayer and example, prompt us to love You above all things, to listen and respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who teaches us to be true ‘stones’ of the temple, building up the Body of Christ. May we always we aware, that our actions affect the whole building of Your Church. Grant us the grace, that by our lives, we may strengthen and increase the household of the Faith. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever amen. st columban pray for us 23 nov 2018

FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Thought for the Day– 18 November – The Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts Peter and Paul

Posted on November 18, 2018November 18, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day– 18 November – The Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts Peter and Paul

“The present feast therefore deserves to be more than a local solemnity, its extension to the Universal Church is a subject for the world’s gratitude. Thanks to this Feast we can all make together in spirit today the pilgrimage, which our ancestors performed with such fatigue and danger, yet never thought they purchased at too high a price its holy joys and blessings. “Heavenly mountains, glittering heights of the new Sion!” There are the gates of our true country, the two lights of the immense world. There Paul’s voice is heard like thunder; there Peter withholds or hurls the bolt . The former opens the hearts of men, the latter opens Heaven. Peter is the foundation-stone, Paul the architect of the temple where stands the altar by which God is propitiated. Both together form a single fountain, which pours out its healing and refreshing waters”

Bishop Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)

Sts Peter and Paul, Pray for Us!

ON the SAINTS, papal ENCYCLICALS, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, Uncategorized

Thought for the Day – 12 November – “He gave his life for the unity of the Church” – The Memorial of St Josaphat (1584-1623) Bishop and Martyr

Posted on November 12, 2018November 12, 2019 by AnaStpaul

“He gave his life for the unity of the Church”

Pope Piux XI
Bishop of Rome

An excerpt from Ecclesiam Dei

Memorial of St Josaphat (1584-1623) Bishop and Martyr “the thief of souls.”

“In designing his Church God worked with such skill that in the fullness of time it would resemble a single great family embracing all men. It can be identified, as we know, by certain distinctive characteristics, notably its universality and unity.

Christ the Lord passed on to His apostles the task He had received from the Father: ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.’ He wanted the apostles as a body to be intimately bound together, first by the inner tie of the same faith and love which flows into our hearts through the Holy Spirit and, second, by the external tie of authority exercised by one apostle over the others. For this he assigned the primacy to Peter, the source and visible basis of their unity for all time. So that the unity and agreement among them would endure, God wisely stamped them, one might say, with the mark of holiness and martyrdom.

Both these distinctions fell to Josaphat, Archbishop of Polock of the Slavonic rite of the Eastern Church. He is rightly looked upon as the great glory and strength of the Eastern Rite Slavs. Few have brought them greater honour or contributed more to their spiritual welfare than Josaphat, their pastor and apostle, especially when he gave his life as a martyr for the unity of the Church. He felt, in fact, that God had inspired him to restore world-wide unity to the Church and he realised that his greatest chance of success lay in preserving the Slavonic rite and Saint Basil’s rule of monastic life within the one universal Church.

Concerned mainly with seeing his own people reunited to the See of Peter, he sought out every available argument which would foster and maintain Church unity. His best arguments were drawn from liturgical books, sanctioned by the Fathers of the Church, which were in common use among Eastern Christians, including the dissidents. Thus thoroughly prepared, he set out to restore the unity of the Church. A forceful man of fine sensibilities, he met with such success that his opponents dubbed him “the thief of souls.”

The seeds of separation were sown in the fourth century when the Roman Empire was divided into East and West. The actual split came over customs such as using unleavened bread, Saturday fasting and celibacy. No doubt the political involvement of religious leaders on both sides was a large factor and doctrinal disagreement was present. But no reason was enough to justify the present tragic division in Christendom, which is 64 percent Roman Catholic, 13 percent Eastern—mostly Orthodox—Churches and 23 percent Protestant and this when the 71 percent of the world that is not Christian, should be experiencing unity and Christ-like charity from Christians! (These figures from Franciscan Media)

St Josaphat, Ora pro Nobis!

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 9 November – The Feast of the Dedication of St John Lateran

Posted on November 9, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 9 November – The Feast of the Dedication of St John Lateran

“What was done here, as these walls were rising,
is reproduced when we bring together those who believe in Christ.
For, by believing they are hewn out, as it were,
from mountains and forests, like stones and timber
but by catechising, baptism and instruction they are,
as it were, shaped, squared and planed
by the hands of the workers and artisans.
Nevertheless, they do not make a house for the Lord,
until they are fitted together through love”.

St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of the Church – Sermon 36

“Today’s feast, brothers, ought to be all the more devout as it is more personal.
For other celebrations we have in common with other ecclesiastical communities
but this one is proper to us, so that if we do not celebrate it, nobody will.
It is ours because it concerns our church,
ours because we ourselves are its theme.
You are surprised and even embarrassed, perhaps,
at celebrating a feast for yourselves.
But do not be like horses and mules that have no understanding.
Your souls are holy because of the Spirit of God dwelling in you,
your bodies are holy because of your souls
and this building is holy because of your bodies.”

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

“Is not this an image of today’s event?
The ancient generations came up to this place,
generations of Romans, generations of bishops of Rome,
successors of St Peter
and they sang this hymn of joy, which I repeat today with you.
I join these generations, I, the new Bishop of Rome,
John Paul II, Polish by origin.
I stop on the threshold of this temple
and I ask you to welcome me in the Lord’s name.
I beg you to welcome me, as you welcomed my Predecessors
throughout the centuries, as you welcomed, only a few weeks ago,
John Paul I, so beloved by the whole world!
I beg you to welcome me too.
The Lord says:
“You did not choose me, but I chose you” (Jn 15:16).
This is the only appeal I can make –
I am not here by my own will.
The Lord has elected me.
In the Lord’s name I beg you therefore – welcome me!”

St Pope John Paul (1920-2005)
RITE OF POSSESSION OF THE CHAIR
OF THE BISHOP OF ROME
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II
Basilica of St John Lateran
Sunday, 12 November 1978

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 November – The Feast of the Dedication of St John Lateran – Today’s Gospel: John 2:13–22

Posted on November 9, 2018November 9, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 9 November – The Feast of the Dedication of St John Lateran – Today’s Gospel: John 2:13–22

But he spoke of the temple of his body...John 2:20

REFLECTION – “Because Solomon was a prophet he built a temple of stone and wood… for the living God, who made heaven and earth and whose dwelling is in the skies… Why did God ask that a temple be built? Was he lacking somewhere to live? Listen to Stephen’s speech at the time of his passion: “Solomon,’ he said, “built a house but the most High does not live in man-made temples” (Acts 7:48). Why, then, did he build, or cause to be built, a temple? To prefigure Christ’s body. The first temple was only a shadow (Col 2:17), when light comes, shadows flee away. Are you now looking for the temple Solomon built? You will find a ruin. Why is this temple only a ruin? Because the reality it announced has been fulfilled. The true temple, the Lord’s body, also fell but has been raised up again and raised up in such a way it will fall no more…
What about our own bodies? They are members of Christ . Listen to Saint Paul: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” (1Cor 6:15). When he says: “Your bodies are members of Christ”, what does this mean but that our bodies, joined to Christ our head (Col 1:18), together form a single temple, God’s temple. Together with Christ’s body, our bodies are this temple… Let yourselves be built up in unity that you may not fall in ruins by remaining separate.”…St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – Almighty God, as we recall with joy, the Dedication of this house of Yours on each recurring anniversary, listen to Your people’s prayer and grant that our worship here may be a sincere and holy service, honouring Your Name and bringing us the fullness of redemption. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen. feast of the dedication of st john lateran - 9 nov 2018

JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL SERMONS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – Feast of All Saints and Blesseds of the Society of Jesus

Posted on November 5, 2018November 5, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – Feast of All Saints and Blesseds of the Jesuits

“If our church is not marked by caring for the poor,
the oppressed, the hungry, we are guilty of heresy.”

“Be generous to the poor orphans and those in need.
The man to whom our Lord has been liberal
ought not to be stingy.
We shall one day find in Heaven as much rest and joy
as we ourselves have dispensed in this life.”

St Ignatius Loyola SJ (1491-1556)

“Take care, take care, never to close your heart to anyone!”

St Peter Faber (1506-1546)

“To do the will of God,
man must despise his own –
the more he dies to himself,
the more he will live to God.”

St Peter Claver SJ (1581-1654)

“God gave Himself to you:
give yourself to God.”

St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595)

“Any friend of the poor, is a friend of God.”

“Take life in instalments.
This one day now.
At least let this be a good day.
Be always beginning.”

Blessed John Sullivan SJ (1861-1933)

“I hold that every poor man,
every vagrant, every beggar,
is Christ carrying His cross.
And as Christ, we must love and help him.”

“Christ roams through our streets
in the person of so many
of the suffering poor, sick and dispossessed
and people thrown out of their miserable slums.
Christ huddled under bridges,
in the person of so many children
who lack someone to call father,
who have been deprived for many years,
without a mother’s kiss on their foreheads…
Christ is without a home!
Shouldn’t we want to give Him one,
those of us who have the joy of a comfortable home,
plenty of good food,
the means to educate
and assure the future of our children?”

St Alberto Hurtado SJ (1901-1952)

” To serve Christ is to love this concrete Church
and to serve her with generosity
and with the spirit of obedience.”

“Ask for the grace of shame;
the shame that comes from the constant dialogue of mercy with Him;
the shame that makes us blush before Jesus Christ;
the shame that puts us in tune with the heart of Christ who is made sin for me;
the shame that harmonises our heart in tears and accompanies us in the daily following of “my Lord”.

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“Church of men, Church of women”

By Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988)

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St John Baptist de La Salle

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Every now and then it helps us to take a step back and to see things from a distance.

Saint Óscar Romero (1917–1980) Martyr, Pray for us!

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“The Heart Commands” – St John of God

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Blessed Leonid Feodorov (1879-1935) Martyr

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St Polycarp (c 69–c 155) Martyr

and Apostolic Father of the Church

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Saint Pope Peter Apostle and Martyr Pray for us!

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Matthew 16:16

Matthew 16:18

Tertullian (c 155- c 240) Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus

St Jerome (343-420) Father & Doctor

St Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)

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St José Sánchez del Río “Joselito”(1913-1928)

Blessed Aloysius Stepinac (1898–1960) Martyr

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Bl Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824)

St Miguel Febres Cordero Muñoz (1854-1910)

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Blessed Pope Pius IX

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St Angela Merici (1474-1540)

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St John Damascene (675-749) Doctor of the Church

St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church

Blessed Francesco Maria Greco (1857-1931)

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Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

St Basil the Great (329-379) Father & Doctor of the Church

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

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2 Timothy 4:7

St Thomas a Becket (1118-1170) Martyr

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

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St Columban, Pray for us!

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Excerpts from a “Letter to a Young Disciple” by St Columban (543-615)

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Bishop Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)

Sts Peter and Paul, Pray for Us!

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“He gave his life for the unity of the Church”

St Josaphat, Ora pro Nobis!

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St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of the Church – Sermon 36

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

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St Ignatius Loyola SJ (1491-1556)

St Peter Faber (1506-1546)

St Peter Claver SJ (1581-1654)

St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595)

Blessed John Sullivan SJ (1861-1933)

St Alberto Hurtado SJ (1901-1952)

Pope Francis SJ – 31 July 2013 on the Feast of St Ignatius

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Saint Pope Peter
Apostle and Martyr
Pray for us!

Tertullian (c 155- c 240)
Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus

Excerpts from a “Letter to a Young Disciple”
by St Columban (543-615)