Category: QUOTES on the CHURCH

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST

Thought for the Day – 1 September – The Problem of Evil

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Thought for the Day – 1 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Problem of Evil

“According to St Augustine, great good can come from the evil which God permits.
In the first place, God displays His infinite goodness and mercy.
Even though He permits us to offend Him out of respect for our human liberty.
He is always ready to forgive us, even as He forgave the penitent thief.

In the second place, by permitting evil, God gives the good, an opportunity of practising virtue, especially the virtue of patience.
If there were no persecutors, there would be no Martyrs and the Church would be deprived of the glory which makes her most like her Founder, Jesus Christ.

Finally, each of us has a particular duty to fulfil in resisting the onslaught of evil.
As followers and soldiers of Christ, we cannot remain passive.
The invasion of the forces of darkness and evil, demands a counter-attack by the forces of light and good, in defence of the Faith and of the Church.
As Christians, we are the sons of Martyrs.
We must not refuse, therefore, to make our lives a continuous martyrdom for the triumph of goodness in ourselves and in others.
The faithful exercise of virtue and of the apostolate is often a form of martyrdom.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE & TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/09/01/thought-for-the-day-1-september-the-problem-of-evil/

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, OUR Cross, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on WATCHING, The HOLY CROSS, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 August – “ … The Bridegroom came and they, who were ready, went in with Him … ” – Matthew 25:10

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One Minute Reflection – 30 August – St Rose of Lima OP (1586-1617) Virgin – 2 Cor inthians10:17-18; 11:1-2, Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

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

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

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

PRAYER – Almighty God, Giver of all good things, Who willed that blessed Rose, imbued in early life with the dew of heavenly grace, should bloom among the Indians with the beauty of virginity and patience, grant unto us, Thy servants that, following the fragrance of her sweetness, we may be found worthy to become a sweet savour of Christ. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, ROSARY QUOTES, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION

Quote/s of the Day – 22 August – “ … Am I not here, who is your Mother? … ”

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Octave Day of the Assumption – Ecclesiasticus 24:23-31, John 19:25-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Woman, behold thy son. …
Behold thy mother.”

John 19:26-27

“Gracious Lady,
you are a Mother and Virgin,
you are the Mother
of the body and soul
of our Head and Redeemer,
you are also truly Mother
of all the members of Christ’s Mystical Body.
For through your love,
you have co-operated
in the begetting of the faithful in the Church.
Unique among women,
you are Mother and Virgin,
Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ.
You are the beauty and charm of earth, O Virgin.
You are, forever, the image of the holy Church.
Through a woman came death,
through a woman came life,
yes, through you, O Mother of God.“

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

“Let not your heart be disturbed.
Do not fear that sickness,
nor any other sickness or anguish.
Am I not here, who is your Mother?
Are you not under my protection?
Am I not your health?
Are you not happily within my fold?
What else do you wish?
Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything!”

Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego
9 December 1531

“My child, behold my Heart
all pierced with thorns,
which the blasphemies
and ingratitude of men
drive deeper at every moment . . .
make known to men that:

I promise to assist.
at the hour of death.
with the graces necessary for salvation,
all those who, on the first Saturdays
of five consecutive months,
go to Confession,
receive Holy Communion,
say the Rosary
and spend a quarter of an hour with me,
in meditation on the fifteen
Mysteries of the Rosary,
with the object of making reparation to me.”

Our Lady of Fatima
1917

Make Me Like Yourself, Mary My Mother
By St Louis-Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)

My powerful Queen,
you are all mine, through your mercy
and I am all yours.
Take away from me, all that may displease God
and cultivate in me, all that is pleasing to Him.
May the light of your faith,
dispel the darkness of my mind,
your deep humility,
take the place of my pride,
your continual sight of God,
fill my memory, with His Presence.
May the love of your heart
inflame the lukewarmness, of mine.
May your virtues, take the place of my sins.
May your merits, be my enrichment
and make up for all which is wanting in me, before God.
My beloved Mother,
grant that I may have, no other spirit but your spirit,
to know Jesus Christ and His Divine Will
and to praise and glorify the Lord,
that I may love God, with burning love like yours.
Amen

“Be our Mother, O Mary,
for you have borne us spiritually on Mount Calvary,
at the foot of the Cross.
Deign to obtain for us, through your intercession
that we may love Jesus as you loved Him
and follow Him faithfully, as you followed Him,
unto Death.
Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, LAPSED Catholics, Our MORNING Offering, PARTIAL Indulgence, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 2 August – Indulgenced Act of Reparation By St Alphonsus Liguori

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Our Morning Offering – 2 August – The Feast of St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

Act of Reparation
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
Indulgence of 3 Years Once a Day

O Jesus, my Saviour and Redeemer,
Son of the living God,
behold we kneel before Thee and offer Thee our reparation;
we would make amends,
for all the blasphemies uttered against Thy Holy Name,
for all the injuries done to Thee in the Blessed Sacrament,
for all the irreverence shown toward Thine Immaculate Virgin Mother,
for all the calumnies and slanders, spoken against Thy Spouse,
the Holy Catholic and Roman Church.
O Jesus, Who hast said:
“If you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will give it you,”
we pray and beseech Thee,
for all our brethren who are in danger of sin;
sheld them from every temptation to fall away from the true faith;
save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss;
to all of them, give light and knowledge of the truth,
courage and strength, for the conflict with evil,
perseverance in faith and active charity!
For this do we pray, most merciful Jesus,
in Thy Name, unto God the Father,
with Whom Thou livest and reignest
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
world without end.
Amen.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SACRAMENTS, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The SECOND COMING, The SIN of PRESUMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 July – ‘ … the bad will always be mingled amongst the good in the Church …’

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One Minute Reflection – 21 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Praxedes, Virgin (Died 164) – 1 Corinthians 7:25-34, Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“So shall it be at the end of the world. The Angels shall go out and shall separate the wicked from among the just. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire – there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 13:49-50

REFLECTION – “Our Lord was an example of incomparable patience. He bore with a “devil” among His disciples even to His Passion (Jn 6,70). He said: “Let them grow together until the harvest lest you uproot the wheat when you pull out the weeds” (cf. Mt 13,29f.). As a symbol of the Church, He preached that the net would bring back to shore, namely the end of the world, every kind of fish, both good and bad. And He made it known, in various other ways, whether openly or in parables, that there would always be a mixture of good and bad. But, nevertheless, He stresses, that we have to protect the Church’s discipline when He says: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother” (Mt 18,15)…

Yet today, we see people who think of nothing but stern commandments, who order that troublemakers be reproved, ‘not giving what is holy to the dogs,’ treating, like the publicans, ‘anyone who despises the Church, cutting off the scandalous member from the body‘ (Mt 7,6 ; 18,17 ; 5,30). Their stormy zeal so troubles the Church, that they pull out the weeds before their time and their blindness makes of them enemies, of the unity of Jesus Christ…

Take care not to let these presumptuous thoughts enter our hearts, trying to separate ourselves from sinners, so as not to be soiled by contact with them, wanting to form a band of pure and holy disciples. We will achieve nothing but breaking up our unity, under the pretext of not associating with the wicked. To the contrary, let us remember the parables of Scripture, their inspired words, their striking examples, where we are shown that, until the end of the world and the day of judgement, the bad will always be mingled amongst the good in the Church, without their participation in the Sacraments being harmful to the good, so long as these latter, have not played a part in their sins.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (On Faith and Works – Excerpt ch 3-5)

PRAYER – Graciously hear us, O God our Saviour, that, as we rejoice in the festival of blessed Praxedes, thy Virgin, so may we be nourished by the food of her heavenly teaching, as to be enlightened by the fervour of her dedicated holiness. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 July – ‘…Do you see how God can let someone fall into sin? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 13 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Anacletus (c25-c89) 3rd Bishop of Rome and Martyr – 1 Petet 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and, whatever you loose on earth, shall be loosed in Heaven.” … Matthew 16:18-19

REFLECTION – “Peter was to receive on deposit, the keys of the Church, or rather the keys of Heaven and, he should see himself entrusted with the numerous people. What did the Lord actually say to him? “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven” (Mt 16:19).
For Peter had a somewhat abrupt character; if he had been without sin what sort of forgiveness would the disciples have received from him? This is why Divine Grace allowed him to fall into a certain fault, in order that his own trial should make him benevolent towards others.
Do you see how God can let someone fall into sin; this Peter, the leader of the Apostles, the unshakable foundation, indestructible rock, first in the Church, impregnable harbour, unshakable tower — this same Peter, who had said to Christ: “Even though I should have to die with Thee, I will not deny Thee” (Mt 26:35), Peter who, by a divine revelation, had confessed the truth: “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16). …
But as I said, God arranged it in this way and allowed Peter to sin because He had it in mind, to confer numerous people upon him and He feared, that his roughness, joined to his impeccability, might make him unsympathetic towards his brothers.
He gave way to sin so that, remembering his own failure and the kindness of the Lord, he might testify to others, a grace of philanthropy in accord with the divine design conceived by God. The fall had been permitted to the one who was going to see himself entrusted with the Church, the Pillar of the Church, the Harbour of the Faith; the fall had been permitted to Peter, the Doctor of the Universe, in order that, the forgiveness received, might remain the foundation of love for others.” – (Attr) St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (On the Apostle Peter and the Prophet Elijah).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on thy flock, Eternal Shepherd, and keep it in thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Anacletus thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, whom thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 July – For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, is My brother and My sister and My mother. – Matthew 12:50

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One Minute Reflection – 10 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Rufina and St Secunda of Rome (3rd Century) Virgin Martyrs – Proverbs 31:10-31, Matthew 12:46-50 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, is My brother and My sister and My mother.” – Matthew 12:50

REFLECTION – “I beg you to listen to what the Lord had to say when He stretched out His hand towards His disciples: “Here are My mother and My brethren” and, “whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, is My brother and My sister and My mother.” Are we to take it from this that the Virgin Mary did not do the will of the Father, she who by faith believed, by faith conceived; she who was chosen to bring forth salvation on our behalf and who, was by Christ created that Christ in her, might be created? Indeed and indeed, she did the Father’s will and it is a greater thing for Mary that she was Christ’s disciple, than that she was His Mother. It is a happier thing to be His disciple, than to be His Mother. Blessed then is Mary, who bore her Lord in her body, before she gave Him birth…

Mary is holy. Mary is blessed. Yet the Church is greater than she is. What reason do I bring? Mary is part of the Church. She is a holy member of the Church; she is THE holy member; she is the member above all member hut, she is still one member of the whole body… Brothers, listen very closely – you are members of Christ’s body and you are the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27). And this is how you are what He said: “Here are My mother and My brothers.” But how does this prove you are Christ’s mother? He goes on: “Whoever hears and whoever does the will of my heavenly Father, is My brother and My sister and My mother.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 25 on Saint Matthew).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who know how courageously Thy holy Martyrs have confessed the faith, may experience their goodness as they intercede for us with Thee.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, CONFESSION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 June –Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth … Matthew 16:19

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One Minute Reflection – 29 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – Acts 12:1-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven.” – Matthew 16:19

REFLECTION – “Bridegroom and Bride, that is Christ and the Church, are as one, be it in receiving confession or in bestowing absolution. All this makes clear why Christ had to tell each of us: “Go, show yourself to the priest” (Mt 8,4)… It follows that apart from Christ, the Church cannot grant forgiveness and that Christ has no will to forgive, apart from the Church. The Church’s authority to forgive extends only to the repentant, to those, that is, whom Christ has already touched; Christ, on His part, has no intention of regarding as forgiven, one who despises the Church.

Doubtless, Christ need accept no restraints to His power of Baptising, Consecrating the Eucharist, Ordaining Priests, forgiving sins and the like but, the humble and faithful Bridegroom, prefers to confer such blessings, with the co-operation of His Bride. “What God,” then, “has joined, let no man put asunder” (Mt 19,6). “I say this is a great mystery and refers to Christ and the Church” (Eph 5,32)… To remove the Head from the Body (Col 1,18) were to ruin the whole Christ, irreparably. Christ, apart from the Church, is no more the whole Christ, than the Church is complete, if separated from Christ. Head and Body go to make the whole and entire Christ.” – Bl Isaac of Stella (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (Sermon 11, §11-814).

PRAYER – O God, Who made this day holy by the Martyrdom of Thy Apostles Peter and Paul, grant Thy Church to follow in all things the teaching of those from whom she first received the faith. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

ALL PRAISE, honour and glory to the Divine Heart of JESUS. Indulgenced– 50 Days, once a day. 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 5 June – St Boniface

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 June – The Memorial of St Boniface (672-754) Martyr “The Apostle of Germany,” Confessor, Bishop

“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 trust in Him. Who has
placed this burden upon us.
What we ourselves cannot bear,
let us bear, with the help of Christ.
For He is All-powerful
and He tells us:
‘My yoke is easy and my burden light.’”

“Let us be careful shepherds
watching over Christ’s flock.
Let us preach the whole of God’s plan,
to the powerful and to the humble,
to rich and to poor,
to men of every rank and age,
as far as God gives us the strength,
in season and out of season.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/05/quote-s-of-the-day-5-june-st-boniface-2/

St Boniface (c672-754)
Martyr, Confessor, Bishop
“The Apostle of Germany”

Posted in CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, DYING / LAST WORDS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL

Quote/s of the Day –25 May – St Gregory VII

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Quote/s of the Day –25 May – The Memorial of St Gregory VII (1015-1085) Confessor and Pope

“It is the custom of the Roman Church
which I unworthily serve with the help of God,
to tolerate some things, to turn a blind eye to some,
following the spirit of discretion,
rather than the rigid letter of the law.”

“I have loved justice
and hated iniquity
and, therefore, I die in exile.”

(On his deathbed)

St Pope Gregory VII (1015-1085)

QUOTES OF St Madeleine Sophie Barat (1779-1865)
https://anastpaul.com/2022/05/25/quote-s-of-the-day-25-may-st-madeleine-sophie-barat/

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SACRAMENTS, The ASCENSION of the LORD, The HEART, The LAST THINGS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The SECOND COMING, The SEVEN LAST WORDS of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 May – ‘… And so, our Redeemer’s Visible Presence has passed into the Sacraments. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 22 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Within the Octave of Ascension – Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:14-20 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And the Lord Jesus, after He spoke to them, was taken up into Heaven and took His seat at the Right Hand of God.” – Mark 16:19

REFLECTION – “And so, while at Easter it was the Lord’s Resurrection which was the cause of our joy, our present rejoicing is due to His Ascension into Heaven. With all due solemnity, we are commemorating that day on which our poor human nature was carried up in Christ, above all the Hosts of Heaven, above all the ranks of Angels, beyond those Heavenly Powers, to the very Throne of God the Father.

It is upon this ordered structure of Divine acts, that we have been firmly established, so that the grace of God may show itself still more marvellous when, in spite of the withdrawal from our sight of everything that is rightly felt to command our reverence, faith does not fail, hope is not shaken, charity does not grow cold. It was in order that we might be capable of such blessedness that on the fortieth day after His Resurrection, after He had made careful provision for everything concerning the preaching of the Gospel and the Mysteries of the New Covenant, our Lord Jesus Christ was taken up to Heaven before the eyes of His Disciples and so, His Bodily Presence among them, came to an end.

From that time onward, He was to remain at the Father’s Right Hand, until the completion of the period, ordained by God, for the Church’s children to increase and multiply, after which, in the same Body with which He ascended, He will come again to judge the living and the dead. And so, our Redeemer’s Visible Presence has passed into the Sacraments. Our faith is nobler and stronger because, empirical sight has been replaced by a reliable teaching, whose authority is accepted by believing hearts, enlightened from on high.” – St Leo the Great (400-461) Pope , Great Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 74).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that as we do believe Thine Only-Begotten Son, our Saviour, to have this day, ascended into the Heavens, so we may also, in heart and mind, thither ascend and with Him continually dwell.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 May – Upon this rock I will build My Church …

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 19 May – The Memorial of St Pope Celestine V (1210-1296) – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and, whatever you loose on earth, shall be loosed in Heaven.” … Matthew 16:18-19

REFLECTION – “Peter was to receive on deposit, the keys of the Church, or rather the keys of Heaven and, he should see himself entrusted with the numerous people. What did the Lord actually say to him? “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven” (Mt 16:19).
For Peter had a somewhat abrupt character; if he had been without sin what sort of forgiveness would the disciples have received from him? This is why Divine Grace allowed him to fall into a certain fault, in order that his own trial should make him benevolent towards others.
Do you see how God can let someone fall into sin; this Peter, the leader of the Apostles, the unshakable foundation, indestructible rock, first in the Church, impregnable harbour, unshakable tower — this same Peter, who had said to Christ: “Even though I should have to die with Thee, I will not deny Thee” (Mt 26:35), Peter who, by a divine revelation, had confessed the truth: “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16). …
But as I said, God arranged it in this way and allowed Peter to sin because He had it in mind, to confer numerous people upon him and He feared, that his roughness, joined to his impeccability, might make him unsympathetic towards his brothers.
He gave way to sin so that, remembering his own failure and the kindness of the Lord, he might testify to others, a grace of philanthropy in accord with the divine design conceived by God. The fall had been permitted to the one who was going to see himself entrusted with the Church, the Pillar of the Church, the Harbour of the Faith; the fall had been permitted to Peter, the Doctor of the Universe, in order that, the forgiveness received, might remain the foundation of love for others.” – (Attr) St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (On the Apostle Peter and the Prophet Elijah).

PRAYER – O God, Who raised blessed Peter Celestine to the lofty dignity of Supreme Pontiff and taught him to prefer self-abasement instead; mercifully grant that by his example, we may look upon all worldly things as naught and may be worthy to reap, in joy, the rewards promised to the humble.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Quote/s of the Day – 26 April – Our Lady of Good Counsel

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 April – Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel

This prayer to our Lady of Good Counsel, like many other Marian prayers, asks for Our Blessed Mother’s help in obtaining our salvation.
Note the reference to our earthly existence as being a “vale of tears,”
an expression we find too in the Salve Regina, the Hail Holy Queen.

Prayer to Our Mother of Good Counsel

Most Glorious Virgin
chosen by the Eternal Counsel
to be the Mother
of the Eternal Word made flesh,
thou, who art the Treasurer of Divine Graces
and the Advocate of Sinners,
I, thy most unworthy servant,
have recourse to thee;
be thou pleased to be my Guide
and Counsellor in this vale of tears.
Obtain for me,
through the Most Precious Blood
of thy Divine Son,
the forgiveness of my sins,
the salvation of my soul
and the means necessary to obtain it.
In like manner,
obtain for Holy Mother the Church,
victory over her enemies
and the spread of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ
upon the whole earth.
Amen

Pope Paul II sent two Bishops to investigate the image of Our Lady of Good Counsel and the numerous miracles that took place, following its appearance at this Church (by one account 171 alone in the period from 27 April to 14 August 1467)!

The fresco is still there to this day, having survived earthquakes over the Centuries and even aerial bombardment during World War II which destroyed much of the Church.

Many Popes have been great champions of Our Lady of Good Counsel
and her image. Pope Paul II first approved devotion to her. Popes Urban VIII and Pius IX made visits to the Church in Genazzano to honour her.
In 1753 Pope Benedict XIV established the Pious Union of Our Lady of Good Counsel which has included, among its members, the Popes Pius VIII, Pius IX, Leo XIII and Pius XII,the last, who placed his Papacy under her maternal care. He later composed this prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel which can be used as a novena:

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

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

It is also worth noting, especially in these uncertain times for the Church as for the world (and in many ways, the two may be said to be linked together!) that Our Blessed Mother is ready, willing and more than able,
to help us i“in the midst of this world’s strife.”
We need only to approach her for assistance, in drawing closer to Jesus with fervent, humble prayer and devotion.

Keep in mind too, regarding the line in the first of our prayers above about our Church’s “victory over her enemies” that, in 1571, St Pius V credited Our Lady of Good Counsel with having assisted the Holy League of forces from Catholic maritime states, to defeat the Muslim Ottoman Empire in the famous Battle of Lepanto. This was a decisive victory which kept Italy from being overrun by the Muslims. Let us also pray to Mary for help, as Pope Pius V did, in the midst of our own battles! Amen.

Our Lady of Genazzano (1467) / Our Lady of Good Counsel (Memorial) – 26 April:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/26/our-lady-of-genazzano-1467-our-lady-of-good-counsel-and-memorials-of-the-saints-26-april/

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 April – ‘Is he not a man chosen and set apart?’

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One Minute Reflection – 26 April – Solemnity of St Joseph – Genesis
9:22-26, Luke 3:21-23 – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “There is a general rule, concerning all special graces granted to any human being. Whenever the divine favour chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen, with all the gifts of the Spirit, needed to fulfil the task at hand.

This general rule is especially verified in the case of Saint Joseph, the Foster-Father of our Lord and the husband of the Queen of our world, enthroned above the Angels. He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy Guardian and Protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his Divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.

What then is Joseph’s position in the whole Church of Christ? Is he not a man chosen and set apart? Through him and, yes, under him, Christ was fittingly and honourably introduced into the world. Holy Church, in its entirety, is indebted to the Virgin Mother because through her, it was judged worthy to receive Christ. But after her, we undoubtedly owe special gratitude and reverence to Saint Joseph.

In him the Old Testament finds its fitting close. He brought the noble line of patriarchs and prophets to its promised fulfilment. What the Divine Goodness had offered as a promise to them, he held in his arms. Obviously, Christ does not now deny to Joseph that intimacy, reverence and very high honour which He gave him on earth, as a son to his father. Rather, we must say that in Heaven, Christ completes and perfects, all that He gave at Nazareth.

Now, we can see ,how the last summoning words of the Lord appropriately apply to Saint Joseph – Enter into the joy of your Lord. In fact, although the joy of eternal happiness enters into the soul of a man, the Lord preferred to say to Joseph – Enter into joy. His intention was, that the words should have a hidden spiritual meaning for us. They convey, not only that this holy man possesses an inward joy but also, that it surrounds him and engulfs him, like an infinite abyss.

Remember us, Saint Joseph and plead for us to your Foster-Child. Ask your most holy bride, the Virgin Mary, to look kindly upon us, since she is the Mother of Him Who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns eternally. Amen.” – St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444) (An excerpt on his Sermon 2 of St Joseph).

PRAYER – God, Who in thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph, to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant that now that he is in Heaven with Thee, we who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be helped by the succour of his prayers to Thee on our behalf. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 April – “Upon this rock I will build my church” – Matthew 16:18

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One Minute Reflection – 22 April – St Pope Soter (Died c174) Martyr and St Pope Caius I (Died 296) Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build my church” – Matthew 16:18

REFLECTION – “Though the earth and all who dwell in it quake, I have set firm its pillars” (Ps 74:40). All the Apostles are pillars of the earth but, at their head, the two whose feast we are celebrating. They are the two pillars who support the Church with their teaching, their prayer and the example of their steadfastness. The Lord himself strengthened these pillars. For at first they were weak, completely incapable of supporting either themselves or others. And in this the Lord’s great design appears – if they had always been strong, people could have thought their strength came from themselves. That is why the Lord wanted to show ,what they were capable of before strengthening them, so that all might know their strength came from God… Peter was thrown to the ground by the voice of a mere servant… and the other pillar was very weak too: “I was once a blasphemer and persecutor and an arrogant man” (1Tm 1:13)…

Hence, we ought to praise these Saints with all our heart – our fathers who bore such trials for the Lord’s sake and who persevered with such determination. It is nothing to persevere in joy, happiness and peace. But this is what is great: to be stoned, scourged, struck for Christ (2Cor 11:25) and in all this, to persevere with Christ. With Paul, it is a great thing to be cursed and to bless, to be persecuted and to endure, to be slandered and to console, to be like the world’s rubbish and to draw glory from it (1Cor 4:12-13)…, And what shall we say of Peter?,, Even if he had undergone nothing for Christ, it would be sufficient to celebrate him today, in that he was crucified for Him… He well knew where He Whom he loved, He Whom he longed for was… his cross has been his road to heaven.” – St Aelred of Rielvaux (1110-1167) Cistercian Monk (Sermon 18, for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul PL 195, 298).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Soter and Caius, Thy Martyrs and Sovereign Pontiffs, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherds of the whole Church. ThroughJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in Act of SPIRITUAL COMMUNION, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, HOLY COMMUNION, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The HEART, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day –14 April – I Am with you all days …

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day –14 April – Easter Friday – 1 Peter 3:18-22, Matthew 28:16-20 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And behold, I Am with you all days,
even to the consummation of the world.”

Matthew 28:20

“Never separate yourself from the Church.
No institution has the power of the Church.
The Church is your hope.
The Church is your salvation.
The Church is your refuge.”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Act of Spiritual Communion
By St Bernard O. Cist (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

As I cannot this day enjoy the happiness
of assisting at the Holy Mysteries, O my God,
I transport myself in spirit to the foot of Your Altar.
I unite with the Church, which, by the hands of the Priest,
offers You, Your adorable Son in the Holy Sacrifice.
I offer myself with Him, by Him and in His Name.
I adore, I praise and thank You,
imploring Your mercy,
invoking Your assistance
and presenting to You,
the homage I owe You as my Creator
and the love due to You, as my Saviour.

Apply to my soul, I beseech You, O Merciful Jesus,
Your infinite merits;
apply them also to those
for whom I particularly wish to pray.
I desire to communicate spiritually,
that Your Blood, may purify,
Your Flesh, strengthen
and Your Spirit, sanctify me.
May I never forget that You,
my divine Redeemer,
died for me.
May I die to all that is not You,
that hereafter, I may live eternally with You.
Amen.

“No tongue is able to declare
the greatness of the love
which Jesus bears to every soul
and, therefore, this Spouse,
when He would leave this earth,
in order that His absence
might not cause us to forget Him,
left us, as a memorial,
this Blessed Sacrament,
in which He Himself remained;
for He would not,
that there should be any other pledge
to keep alive, our remembrance of Him,
than He Himself!”

St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

“My dear souls, let us recognise, I pray you,
Christ’s infinite charity towards us
in the institution of this Sacrament of the Eucharist.
In order that our love be a spiritual love,
He wills a new heart, a new love, a new spirit for us.
It is not with a carnal heart but with a spiritual one,
that Christ has loved us with a gratuitous love,
a supreme and most ardent love,
by way of pure grace and charity.
Ah! One needs to love Him back
with one’s whole, whole, whole,
living, living, living
and true, true, true heart!”

St Lawrence of Brindisi(1559-1619)

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 April – The Bride of this Divine Bridegroom

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One Minute Reflection – 11 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Easter Tuesday – Acts 13:16; 13:26-33; Luke 24:36-47 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And He said to them: Why are you troubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?” – Luke 24:38

REFLECTION –

“This Gospel passage… shows us in truth, Who the Messiah is and who the Church … that we might understand well which Bride it is that this Divine Bridegroom has chosen and Who the Bridegroom of this holy Bride is … On this page we can read their deed of espousal …

You have learned that Christ is the Word, God’s Utterance, united to a human soul and human body … Here, the disciples thought they were seeing a ghost; they did not believe that the Lord had a real body. But since the Lord understood the danger of such thoughts, He made haste to snatch them out of their hearts … “Why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at My Hands and My Feet; touch Me and see because, a ghost does not have flesh and bone, as you can see I have.” Yet you, with these same questioning thoughts, strongly oppose the rule of faith you have received …

Christ is truly the Word, the Only-begotten Son equal to the Father, united to a truly human soul and a real body, clean of all sin. This is the Body which died, the Body which rose again, this Body was fastened to the Cross, this Body laid in the tomb, this Body is seated in the Heavens. Our Lord wished to persuade His disciples that what they were seeing was truly bone and flesh… Why did He want to convince me of this truth? Because He knew, just how much it was to my own good, to have faith in it and how much I had to lose, if I did not. You too, then, have faith – it is He, the Bridegroom!

Now listen to what was said about the Bride… “The Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, is to be preached in His Name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” This is the Bride… the Church is spread all over the earth and has taken all peoples to her heart … The Apostles saw Christ and believed in what they did not see, the Church. We, on our part, see the Church; so let us believe in Jesus Christ, Whom we do not see and so, by holding onto what we see, we shall come to Him Whom, as yet, we do not see.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 238).

PRAYER – O God, Who art ever multiplying the children of Thy Church, grant unto the same, Thy servants that they may lead the rest of their lives, according to this beginning, wherein Thou hast given them faith to receive the Sacrament of the New Birth. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CONTEMPLATIVE Prayer, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – St Isidore of Seville

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – The Memorial of St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) Bishop, Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church

“We, as Catholics,
are not permitted to believe
anything of our own will,
nor to choose, what someone has believed,
of his [own will].
We have God’s Apostles as authorities,
who did not themselves, of their own wills,
choose anything of what they wanted to believe
but faithfully transmitted,
to the nations,
the teachings of Christ.”

“In the active life,
all the vices, are first of all,
to be removed by the practice of good works,
so that, in the contemplative life,
a man may, with now purified mental gaze,
pass onto the contemplation of the Divine Light.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/04/04/quote-s-of-the-day-4-april-st-isidore-of-seville-2/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/04/04/quote-s-of-the-day-4-april-st-isidore-of-seville/

St Isidore of Seville (c560-636)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 March – “Awake, O sleeper, arise from the dead and Christ will give you Light.” Ephesians 5:14

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One Minute Reflection – 23 March – “The Month of the St Joseph” – Thursday of the Fourth Week in Lent – 4 Kings 4:25-38, Luke 7:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Young man, I say to thee, arise!” – Luke 7:14

REFLECTION – “Let no-one who is Christian doubt that even now, dead people rise. Certainly, every human being has eyes, by which he can see dead people rising, in the way this widow’s son, whom we just heard about in the Gospel, arose. But not everyone can see people who are spiritually dead rise. For that, it is necessary to have already risen interiorly. It is greater to raise someone, who is to live forever than to raise someone, who will have to die again.

The young man’s mother, this widow, was transported with joy at seeing her son rise. Our Mother, the Church, also rejoices when she sees her children’s spiritual resurrection everyday. The widow’s son was dead with the death of the body but these latter, are dead with the death of the soul. People wept tears over the visible death of the former but people were not concerned by the invisible death of the latter – they did not even see it. The only One Who did not remain indifferent, is the One Who knew these deaths – only the One, Who could give life back to them, knew these deaths. For if the Lord had not come to raise the dead, the Apostle Paul would not have said: “Awake, O sleeper, arise from the dead and Christ will give you Light.” (Eph 5:14).” – St Augstine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 98).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we who are chastising the flesh by fasting, may rejoice in this holy practice and thus, with earthly passions subdued, we may the more readily direct our thoughts to Heavenly things. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in QUOTES on the CHURCH, St JOSEPH

Thought for the Day – 20 March – The Patronage of Saint Joseph

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

The Patronage of Saint Joseph

“St Joseph is the Universal Patron of the Church.
We, who are loved children of the Church should invoke his special intercession, therefore, for the triumph and expansion of the Kingdom of God upon earth.

It is a sad but certain fact, that in every age, the Church is subject to persecution in many parts of the world, even in our own countries!
There is always some nation and often, many of them, where the Church is obstructed in her mission for the salvation of souls and for the true welfare of society.
Sometimes She is compelled to fight for her existence, with the weapons of the Spirit.
“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but, powerful before God …” (2 Cor 10:4).

Sometimes the Church is in bonds and the blood of her Martyrs is poured forth to become the seed, from which new Christians will spring.
There is no reason for surprise at all this, for Christ Himself foretold it quite clearly.
“If they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you too …” (Jn 15:20) but “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18).

If we are loyal sons of the Church, we should pray that She may triumph.
We should ask for the special intercession of St Joseph, Her Heavenly Patron.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/20/thought-for-the-day-20-march-the-patronage-of-st-joseph/

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 March – “This people honours Me with their lips but their heart is far from Me.” – Matthew 15:8

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 15 March – “The Month of the St Joseph” – Wednesday of the Third Week in Lent – Exodus 20:12-24, Matthew 15:1-20 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“This people honours Me with their lips but their heart is far from Me.” – Matthew 15:8

REFLECTION – “We have the Ten Commandments which Moses gave… and everything recommended to us, by the reading of the holy books, of which this has been communicated by Isaiah : “Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do good. Make justice your aim, redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow. Come now, let us set things right, says the Lord.” (Is 1:16) … But we have, too, the law of God’s Word, the words of encouragement, not written on tablets of stone by the Finger of the Lord (Ex 24:12) but, on the human heart (2 Cor 3:3) … These two laws were used by the Word for the instruction of humanity, first by the mouth of Moses and then, by that of the Apostles…

However, we need a teacher to explain these holy words … He is the One who will teach us about the words of God. The school is our Church – our only Teacher is the Bridegroom, the goodwill of a good Father, original wisdom, holiness and knowledge. He is the expiation for our sins, Saint John says (1Jn 2:2) it is He Who heals our bodies and souls, our whole person; He, Jesus, is “the expiation for our sins and, not for our sins only but for those of the whole world. The way that we may be sure we know Him, is to keep His Commandments” (vv 2-3) … “Whoever claims to abide in Him ought to live just as He lived” (v.6).

We, who are pupils of this blessed instruction, are bringing the Church’s beautiful appearance to completion and running towards this kindly mother, like little children. Let us listen to the Word of God and give glory to the happy disposition which guides us by means of this Teacher and sanctifies us as God’s children. We will be citizens of Heaven, if we are pupils of this Teacher on earth. There above, we shall understand everything He has taught us concerning the Father.” – St Clement of Alexandria (c150-c215) Father of the Church, Theologian and Philosopher, Professor who taught at the Catechetical School of Alexandria. Among his pupils were Origen and Alexander of Jerusalem. (The Instructor ]Paedagogus] III 89, 94, 98-99).

PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee and by the intercession of the blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace that all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 March – “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste.” 

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 12 March – The Third Sunday in Lent and the Feast of St Gregory the Great (540-604) – Pope, Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church, “Father of the Fathers” – Ephesians 5:1-9, Luke 11,14-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste.” – Luke 11:17

REFLECTION – “No-one can have God as his father, if he does not have the Church as his mother… The Lord warned us of this when He said: “Whoever is not with me, is against me and whoever does not gather together with me, scatters.” The person who breaks the peace and concord of Christ, acts against Christ; the person who gathers together, outside of the Church, scatters the Church of Christ.

The Lord said: “The Father and I are one.” (Jn 10:30) It is also written of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: “These three are one.” (1 Jn 5:7) From now on, who can believe, that the unity, which has its origin in this divine harmony, which is linked with this heavenly mystery, can be divided up in the Church… through conflicts of will? Whoever does not observe this unity, neither observes the law of God, nor faith, in the Father and the Son – he keeps neither life, nor salvation.

In the gospel, this sacrament of unity, this bond of concord, in indissoluble cohesion, is shown us through the Lord’s tunic. It could neither be divided nor torn but they drew lots, so as to know who would put on Christ (Jn 19:24)… It is the symbol of unity, that comes from on high.” – St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258) Bishop and Martyr, Father of the Church (On the unity of the Church).

PRAYER – O God, Who granted the rewards of everlasting happiness to the soul of Thy servant Gregory, mercifully grant that we, who are weighed down with the burden of our sins, may be raised up by his prayers to Thee. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The SECOND COMING, The SIN of PRESUMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 March – ‘Let them grow together until the harvest’

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One Minute Reflection – 9 March – Thursday in the Second Week of Lent – The Memorial of St Frances of Rome Obl.S.B. (1384-1440) Widow – Proverbs 31:10-31, Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“So shall it be at the end of the world. The Angels shall go out and shall separate the wicked from among the just. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 13:49-50

REFLECTION – “Our Lord was an example of incomparable patience. He bore with a “devil” among His disciples even to His Passion (Jn 6,70). He said: “Let them grow together until the harvest lest you uproot the wheat when you pull out the weeds” (cf. Mt 13,29f.). As a symbol of the Church, He preached that the net would bring back to shore, namely the end of the world, every kind of fish, both good and bad. And He made it known, in various other ways, whether openly or in parables, that there would always be a mixture of good and bad. But, nevertheless, He stresses, that we have to protect the Church’s discipline when He says: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother” (Mt 18,15)…

Yet today, we see people who think of nothing but stern commandments, who order that troublemakers be reproved, ‘not giving what is holy to the dogs,’ treating, like the publicans, ‘anyone who despises the Church, cutting off the scandalous member from the body‘ (Mt 7,6 ; 18,17 ; 5,30). Their stormy zeal so troubles the Church, that they pull out the weeds before their time and their blindness makes of them enemies, of the unity of Jesus Christ…

Take care not to let these presumptuous thoughts enter our hearts, trying to separate ourselves from sinners, so as not to be soiled by contact with them, wanting to form a band of pure and holy disciples. We will achieve nothing but breaking up our unity, under the pretext of not associating with the wicked. To the contrary, let us remember the parables of Scripture, their inspired words, their striking examples, where we are shown that, until the end of the world and the day of judgement, the bad will always be mingled amongst the good in the Church, without their participation in the Sacraments being harmful to the good, so long as these latter, have not played a part in their sins.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (On Faith and Works – Excerpt ch 3-5)

PRAYER – O God, Who along with other gifts of Thy grace honoured blessed Frances, Thy handmaid, with the close companionship of an angel, grant, we beseech Thee, that by the help of her intercession we may be made worthy to attain the companionship of Angels in Heaven. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, OUR Cross, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 February – “What does this mean, “take up a cross?”

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One Minute Reflection – 3 February – St Blaise (Died c 316) Martyr Bishop, Physician, Miracle-worker. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Matthew 16:24-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.” – Matthew 16:24

REFLECTION – “What does this mean, “take up a cross?” It means, he will bear with whatever is troublesome and in this very act, he will be following Me.
When he has begun to follow me, according to My teaching and precepts, he will find many people contradicting him and standing in his way, many who not only deride but even persecute him.
Moreover, this is true, not only of pagans who are outside the Church but also of those, who seem to be in it visibly but are outside of it because of the perversity of their deeds.
Although these glory, in merely the title of Christian, they continually persecute faithful Christians.
Such belong to the members of the Church in the same way, that bad blood is in the body.
Therefore, if you wish to follow Christ, do not delay in carrying His Cross, tolerate sinners but do not yield to them.
Do not let the false happiness of the wicked corrupt you.
You do well to despise all things for the sake of Christ, in order that you may be fit for His companionship.”- St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Bishop of Arles and Father of the Church – (Sermons, 159).

PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us with the yearly festival of blessed Blaise, Thy Martyr and Bishop, mercifully grant that, as we venerate the anniversary of his Martyrdom, we may also rejoice in his protection. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SACRAMENTS

Thought for the Day – 1 February – Divine Worship, Charity and Justice

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Thought for the Day – 1 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Divine Worship, Charity and Justice

“Divine Worship:
We have a strict duty to honour and obey God.
“I, the Lord, Am your God,” He tells us in the first commandment of the Decalogue.
“You shall not have other gods besides me.”
We are obliged, therefore, to worship God both internally and externally, since both soul and body are created by God.
Internal worship is especially necessary, for without it, external worship would be an empty formality.
It is useless to kneel before the Altar, to assist at Sacred Rites and to recite vocal prayers if, all the time, our minds are elsewhere and we are lacking in the love of God.
Spiritual adoration and prayer, are more important than the bowed head and the bended knee.

It would be a grave error, however, to imagine that internal adoration is sufficient and there is not need to assemble in the Church, to observe Feast days or to participate in Sacred Rites and receive the Sacraments, as the Church commands.
Everything should be subject to God.
The Church was founded by Christ and endowed by Him with the authority to lay down the exact manner in which we should pay homage to Almighty God.
She has the right to dictate the feasts and ceremonies in which we are obliged to participate.
Anyone who refused to obey the Church, is guilty of disobedience to God.
“He who hears you hears me,” said Jesus Christ to His Apostles and through them to their successors “and he who rejeccts you, rejects me” (Lk 10:16).

How do we adore God?
Are we among those who pray with their lips and not from the heart?
Or do we believe that private devotion is quite sufficient and that there is no need to subject ourselves to all the laws of the Church?
Some laws we agree with, some we do not and choose to ignore.
In either case, we have gone astray and should be unable to gain God’s favour and cannot be regarded as members of His Church!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CHRIST the LIGHT, CONSECRATION Prayers, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MARIAN PRAYERS, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, PURGATORY, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FRIENDSHIP, QUOTES on HERESY, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the POPE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SAINT of the DAY, St Francis de Sales, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY NAME, The PASSION

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

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church

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

“Since God often sends us His inspirations
by means of His Angels,
we ought frequently to offer Him,
our aspirations, through the same channel.
… Call on them and honour them frequently
and ask their help in all your affairs,
temporal, as well as spiritual.”

“Anxiety is the greatest evil
that can befall a soul, except sin.
God commands you to pray
but He forbids you to worry.”

“Friendships begun in this world
will be taken up again,
never to be broken off. ”

“Have patience with all things
but chiefly, have patience with yourself.
Do not lose courage
in considering your own imperfections
but instantly set about remedying them,
everyday begin the task anew.”

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

“Thus we do not say that the Pope
cannot err in his private opinions,
as did John XXII;
or be altogether a heretic,
as perhaps Honorius was.
Now, when he, [the Pope],
is explicitly a heretic,
he falls ipso facto, from his dignity
and OUT of the Church! …”

“During the night
we must wait for the Light.”

Hail, Sweet Jesus!
Prayer to Christ
in His Passion and Death
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

Hail, sweet Jesus!
Praise, honour and glory be to Thee, O Christ,
Who, of Thou own accord, embraced death,
and recommending Thyself to Thy heavenly Father,
bowing down Thy venerable Head,
did yield up Thy Spirit.
Truly thus giving up Thy life for Thy sheep,
Thou hast shown Thyself, to be the Good Shepherd.
Thou died, O Only-begotten Son of God.
Thou died, O my beloved Saviour,
that I might live forever.
O how great hope,
how great confidence have
I reposed in Thy Death and Thy Blood!
I glorify and praise Thy Holy Name,
acknowledging my infinite obligations to Thee.
O good Jesus,
by Thy bitter Death and Passion,
give me grace and pardon.
Give unto the faithful departed,
rest and life everlasting.
Amen.

Most Holy Mary,
Virgin Mother of God
Act of Consecration
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Indulgence of 300 days, for each recitation
St Pius X, 17 November 1906

Most Holy Mary,
Virgin Mother of God,
I ………., most unworthy though I am to be thy servant,
yet touched by thy motherly care for me
and longing to serve thee,
do, in the presence of my Guardian Angel
and all the Court of Heaven,
choose thee this day to be my Queen,
my Advocate and my Mother
and I firmly purpose to serve thee evermore myself
and, to do what I can, that all may
render faithful service to thee.
Therefore, most devoted Mother,
through the Precious Blood thy Son poured out for me,
I beg thee and beseech thee,
deign to take me among thy clients
and receive me as thy servant forever.
Aid me in my every action
and beg for me the grace never,
by word or deed or thought,
to be displeasing in thy sight
and that of thy most holy Son.
Think of me, my dearest Mother
and desert me not at the hour of death.
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/01/29/quote-s-of-the-day-29-january-st-francis-de-sales/

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PETER!, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 January – St Peter

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 January – Feast of the Chair of the Apostle, St Peter at Rome – 1 Peter 1:1-7, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:16

“Upon this rock
I will build My Church”

Matthew 16:18

“… May grace and peace
be yours in abundance,
through knowledge of God
and of Jesus Our Lord…”

2 Peter 1:2

“So Peter wept and wept bitterly;
he wept so hard
that he washed away his offence with his tears.
And you, too, if you would win pardon,
wipe out your guilt with tears.
At that very moment, in that same hour,
Christ will look at you.
If some kind of fall happens to you,
then He, the ever-present witness
of your intimate life,
looks at you to call you back
and cause you to confess your lapse.
Then do as Peter did, who thrice said:
“Lord, you know that I love you” (Jn 21:15).
He denied three times and three times
he also confessed.
But he denied by night;
he confessed in broad daylight.”

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

“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).”

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

“It is good to admire the fidelity of St Peter
and the designs of Divine Providence
in making him the visible Head of the Church
but, it is far better, to follow his example.
His love for Jesus, led him to leave his family
and his fisherman’s trade, in order to follow Our Lord.
It led him to undertake long voyages,
to endure imprisonment and to face Martyrdom.
What can we do for the love of Jesus?
Remember that, if love is to be sincere,
it must be generous and effective.
… He was not satisfied,
until he was hanging upon the cross
like his Divine Master
and could prove his love for Jesus
by a Martyr’s death.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 January – ‘… Out of all the world, Peter alone was chosen … ‘ St Leo the Great

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One Minute Reflection – 18 January – Feast of the Chair of the Apostle, St Peter at Rome – 1 Peter 1:1-7, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build my church” … Matthew 16:18

REFLECTION – “Nothing escaped the Wisdom and Power of Christ, the elements of nature lay at His service, spirits obeyed Him, Angels served Him. … And yet, out of all the world, Peter alone was chosen to stand at the head, for the calling of all the peoples and the oversight of all the Apostles and Fathers of the Church. Thus, even though there are many Priests and shepherds among the People of God, Peter governed them all in person, while Christ also governs them in the capacity of Head. …

The Lord asks all the Apostles what people think of Him and they all say the same thing, so long as they are making known the doubts deriving from human ignorance. But when the Lord demands to know, what the disciples themselves think, the first to confess the Lord is he, who is the first in dignity of the Apostles. As he had said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” Jesus answers him: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.” That is to say, blessed are you because My Father taught this to you. Earthly opinion has not led you astray but it is heavenly inspiration that has instructed you. It is not flesh and blood that enabled you to discover Me but He, Whose only Son I Am.

“And so I say to you,” that is to say- just as my Father has manifested My Divinity to you, so I Am making known your superiority to you. “You are Peter” namely, I am the unshakeable Rock, the Cornerstone who makes two peoples one (Eph 2:14), the foundation other than which, no-one can lay any other (1 Cor 3:11). But you also, you are rock, since you are impregnable by My Strength and, what I have by virtue of My Power, you have in common with Me, by the fact,, that you participate in it. “On this rock I will build My Church” … On the firmness of this foundation, He says, will I build an everlasting temple and My Church, whose summit is to reach to Heaven, will be raised on the strength of that faith.” … Saint Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father and Doctor of the Church ( 4th sermon for the Anniversary of his Consecration).

PRAYER – O God, Who together with the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven didst bestow on thy blessed Apostle Peter the pontifical power of binding and loosing, grant that by the aid of his intercession, we may be released from the bonds of our sins. ThroughJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on WATCHING, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 January – ‘ …This Sacred Household is the Holy, Catholic Church …’

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One Minute Reflection – 17 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – St Anthony Abbot (251-356) – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6, Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed are those servants whom the Master, on His return, shall find watching.” – Luke 12:37

REFLECTION – “Wishing to emphasise the special office of the servants, whom He has placed in charge of His people, the Lord says, ‘Who, do you think, is the faithful and wise steward, whom the Lord sets over His household, to give to them their measure of wheat at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his Master will find so doing when he comes.” Who is that Master, brethren? Without a doubt, it is Christ, Who says to His disciples: “You call me Teacher and Lord and you are right, for so I Am” (Jn 13,13). What, too, is the Master’s Household? Doubtless it is the one which the Lord Himself ransomed… This Sacred Household is the Holy, Catholic Church, which is spread through the whole earth with abundant fertility and glories in the fact, that she has been redeemed by the Precious Blood of her Master. As He Himself says: “The Son of Man came, not to be served but to serve and to give His Life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10,45).

He is, too, the Good Shepherd ”Who laid down His Life for His sheep” (Jn 10,11)…As to who the steward is, who ought to be faithful, as well as wise, the Apostle Paul shows us, when, speaking of himself and his companions, he says: “This is how one should regard us, as the servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy” (1Cor 4,1-2).

Now, lest anyone of us should think that it is only the Apostles who have been made stewards…, the blessed Apostle Paul shows us that the Bishops also are stewards, when he says: “For a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless” (Tt 1,7)…We, therefore, who are the servants of the Master of the Household, we are the stewards of the Lord, we have received the measure of wheat to disburse to you.” – St Fulgentius of Ruspe (467-532) Bishop in North Africa (Homily 1, on the Lord’s servants) (trans. Breviary Common of Pastors).

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

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, CONFESSION/PENANCE, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 16 January – Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth … Matthew 16:19

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One Minute Reflection – 16 January – Saint Pope Marcellus I (Died 309) – 1 Peter 5:1-4, 10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven.” – Matthew 16:19

REFLECTION – “Bridegroom and Bride, that is Christ and the Church, are as one, be it in receiving confession or in bestowing absolution. All this makes clear why Christ had to tell each of us: “Go, show yourself to the priest” (Mt 8,4)… It follows that apart from Christ, the Church cannot grant forgiveness and that Christ has no will to forgive, apart from the Church. The Church’s authority to forgive extends only to the repentant, to those, that is, whom Christ has already touched; Christ, on His part, has no intention of regarding as forgiven, one who despises the Church.

Doubtless, Christ need accept no restraints to His power of Baptising, Consecrating the Eucharist, Ordaining Priests, forgiving sins and the like but, the humble and faithful Bridegroom, prefers to confer such blessings, with the co-operation of His Bride. “What God,” then, “has joined, let no man put asunder” (Mt 19,6). “I say this is a great mystery and refers to Christ and the Church” (Eph 5,32)… To remove the Head from the Body (Col 1,18) were to ruin the whole Christ, irreparably. Christ, apart from the Church, is no more the whole Christ, than the Church is complete, if separated from Christ. Head and Body go to make the whole and entire Christ.” – Bl Isaac of Stella (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (Sermon 11, §11-814).

PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech Thee, graciously hear the prayers of Thy people, that we may be helped by the merits of blessed Marcellus, Thy Pope and Martyr, whose sufferings we celebrate. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).