The Month of April is dedicated both to devotion to the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Holy Eucharist – the proof of the promise of the love of God and of ETERNAL LIFE.
“My brethren, when was it that the Lord made Himself recognised? — When He broke the bread. — So, we ourselves are convinced, too, that when we break the bread, we recognise the Lord. — If He had not wanted to be recognised until that moment, it was for our sakes, we, who were not to see Him in the flesh but who were yet to eat Him in the flesh. ” – St Augustine (354-430) Father, Doctor of Grace
“I am the Resurrection and the Life, he who believes in Me, although he be dead, shall live.”
John 11:25
“I am the Living Bread Who came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever and the Bread that I will give, is My Flesh, for the Life of the world.”
John 6:51-52
“For His Body, has been given to you under the appearance of bread and His Blood, under the appearance of wine, so that, when you have partaken of the Body and Blood of Christ, you might be One Body and One Blood with Him. So shall we become Christ-bearers [“Christophers”]. His Body and Blood are diffused through all our members – see, then, how we become participants in the Divine Nature!”
St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386) Father and Doctor of theChurch
One Minute Reflection – 25 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity” – The Second Sunday in Lent – Thessalonians 4:1-7; Matthew 17:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“His Face shone like the sunand His garments became white as snow.” – Matthew 17:2
REFLECTION – “The Lord displays His glory before chosen witnesses and makes illustrious that bodily shape which He shared with others, with such splendour that His countenance shone like the sun and His garments were as white as snow. In this Transfiguration, the chief object was to remove the scandal of the Cross from the hearts of the disciples and, to prevent their faith being disturbed, at the humiliation of His voluntary Passion, by revealing the excellence of His hidden dignity. But, with no less foresight, the foundation was laid, of the hope of holy Church, that the whole Body of Christ, might realise, with what a change it was to be endowed and that the members, might promise themselves, a share in that honour which had shone forth in their Head.
But to confirm the Apostles and to lead them onto all knowledge, still further, instruction was conveyed by this miracle. For Moses and Elias, that is, the law and the prophets, appeared talking with the Lord, so that, in the presence of these five men, might most truly be fulfilled, what was said – In two or three witnesses every word stands. What more stable, what more steadfast, than the Word, in the proclamation of which, the trumpet of the Old and of the New Testaments, sounds forth and the records of ancient witnesses, agree with the teaching of the Gospel? For the pages of both Covenants corroborate each other and He, Whom, under the veil of Mysteries, the types that went before, had promised, is displayed clearly and manifestly by the splendour of His present glory.
The Apostle Peter, therefore, being stirred by the revelation of these Mysteries, despising things worldly and scorning things earthly, was carried away by a certain excess of mind, to the desire of things eternal and, being filled with rapture at the whole vision, longed to make his abode with Jesus, in the place where he was gladdened by the sight of His glory. And so also he says: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if Thou wilt, let us set up here, three tents, one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias. But to this proposal the Lord made no reply, signifying that what he asked was not indeed wicked, but irregular, since the world could not be saved, except by Christ’s Death and by the Lord’s example in this, the faithful were called upon to believe that, although there ought not to be any doubt about the promises of happiness, yet, we should understand that, amid the trials of this life, we must ask for power to endure, rather than for glory.” – St Leo the Great (400-461) Pope, Father and Doctor (Sermon on the Transfiguration – excerpt).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who sees how we are deprived of all strength, guard us inwardly and outwardly that in body, we may be protected against all misfortunes and in mind, cleansed of evil thoughts and by the intercession of blessed and gloriosus ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, be assisted on this earthly pilgrimage. 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).
One Minute Reflection – 6 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity” – St Titus (Died c96) Bishop, Confessor – Ecclesiasticus 44:16-27; 45:3-20, Luke 10:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And He sent them, … into every city and place …” – Luke 10:1
REFLECTION – “No-one,” the Apostle admonishes us, “can lay another foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1Cor 3:11). It is Christ alone “whom the Father anointed and sent into this world” (Jn 10:36), “the splendour of the Father and the image of His substance” (Heb 1:3), true God and true Man, without Whom no-one can know God with the knowledge for salvation, “neither doth anyone know the Father but the Son and He to whom it shall please the Son to reveal Him” (Mt 11:27). Hence, it follows that to restore all things in Christ and to lead men back to submission to God, is one and the same aim. To this, then, it behoves Us to devote Our care – to lead back mankind under the dominion of Christ; this done, We shall have brought it back to God. When We say “to God” We do not mean, to that inert being heedless of all things human which the dream of certain philosophers has imagined but, to the true and living God, One in Nature, Triple in Person, Creator of the world, most wise Ordainer of all things, Lawgiver most just, Who punishes the wicked and has reward in store for virtue.
Now the way to reach Christ is not difficult to find — it is the Church. Rightly does St John Chrysostom inculcate: “The Church is thy hope, the Church is thy salvation, the Church is thy refuge.” It was for this that Christ founded it, gaining it at the price of His Blood and made it the depositary of His doctrine and His laws, bestowing upon it, at the same time, an inexhaustible treasury of graces, for the sanctification and salvation of men.
You see, then, venerable Brethren, the duty that has been imposed upon Us…? To form Christ in those, who are destined from the duty of their vocation to form Him, in others … It is the same mission … as that which Paul proclaimed in these tender words: “My little children, of whom I am in labour again, until Christ be formed in you” (Gal 4:19). But how will they be able to perform this duty if they be not first clothed with Christ themselves? and so clothed with Christ, as to be able to say with the Apostle: “I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). “For me to live is Christ!” (Phil 1:21). – St Pius X (1835-1914) Pope from 1903 to 1914 (Encyclical “ E Supremi Apostolatus ”).
PRAYER – O God, Who adorned blessed Titus, Thy Confessor and Bishop, with the virtues of an apostle, grant, through his merits and intercession that by living justly and piously in this world, we may be found worthy to enter 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).
Quote/s of the Day – 18 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conceptio of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Monday of the Third Week of Advent – Ferial Day – Philippians 4:4-7; John 1:19-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Lord is near. Have no anxiety …”
Philippians 4:5-6
“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!”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church
“He became small because you were small – understand how great He is and you will become great along with Him. This is how houses are built, how the solid walls of a building are raised. The stones brought to construct the building increase, you, too, increase, understanding how great Christ is and how He, Who appeared to be small, is great, very great indeed…”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
“In adoring our Saviour’s birth, it is our origin that we celebrate. Christ’s temporal generation is the source of the Christian people, the birth of His Mystical Body. All of us encounter in this Mystery, a new birth in Christ.”
St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father & Doctor of the Church
“If we would please this Divine Infant, we too must become children, simple and humble. We must carry to Him, flowers of virtue, of meekness, of mortification, of charity. We must clasp Him in the arms of our love.”
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
One Minute Reflection – 22 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – St Cecilia (Died 3rd Century) Virgin Martyr – Ecclesiasticus 51:13-17, 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 – O God, Who gladden us by the annual feast of blessed Cecilia, Thy Virgin and Martyr, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may by virtuous conduct follow her, whom we venerate in this sacred rite. 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).
Thought for the Day – 6 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Communion of Saints and the Souls in Purgatory
“Let us remember, however, that this will be impossible if we fall into mortal sin and so extinguish, in ourselves, the Divine life which comes to us through the Mystical Body of Christ. In such an unhappy event, we shall have become branches separated from the vine, lifeless and rotting. We shall no longer be able to claim brotherhood with the blessed in Heaven, or with the Holy Souls in Purgatory. We shall be nothing but dry wood, destined to feed the everlasting flames of Hell!”
One Minute Reflection – 6 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Within the All Saints Octave – Apocalypse 7:2-12; Matthew 5:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in Heaven.” – Matthew 5:12
REFLECTION – “Rejoice in the Lord without ceasing (cf. Phil 4:4), my dear children. I beg you rejoice, citizens of Heaven but exiles on earth, inhabitants of the Jerusalem on high (cf. Gal 4:26) but banished from affairs here below, inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven but disinherited from taking any part at all, in earthly pleasures! Rejoice, ardent travellers, at undergoing exile and maltreatment in a foreign land in the name of the commandment of God! Rejoice, you who are last in this world but lords of blessings that exceed our understanding (cf. Phil 4:7). Rejoice, noble company, brought together by God, assembly united in heart and soul, who give life to filial and fraternal love, a replica on earth of the host of Angels! … Rejoice, God’s workers, apostolic men. … Rejoice, you who set your joy in each other, each making his own the reputation of his brother, you in whom is found neither jealousy, rivalry nor envy but, in their place, peace and charity and life in common. In truth, I do not say that we are not attacked – indeed, who is crowned if not the one who struggles and fights, who exchanges thrusts and wounds with his assailants? – but I say that we should not let ourselves be brought down by the machinations of Satan.
Yes, my children, assembly of God, nourish yourselves with the food of the Spirit and drink the water given by the Lord: whoever comes to possess this water will never thirst again but it will become, in Him, a spring of living water welling up to eternal life (cf. Jn 4:14). … Yet, a little while and we shall have vanquished. And blessed shall we be, blessed also, it shall be said, are the places, family and countries that have borne you (cf Lk 11:27-28).” – St Theodore the Studite (759-826) – Catechesis 47 (The Great Catecheses)
PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who granted us to honour the merits of all Thy Saints in a single solemn festival, bestow on us, we beseech Thee, through their manifold intercession that abundance of Thy mercy for which we yearn. 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).
Quote/s of the Day – 27 October – Vigil of Saints Simon and Jude – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14, John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
John 15:4
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind.”
Matthew 22:37
“Be strengthened in Almighty God and in the power of His might, for with His help, nothing is difficult. Throw off the heavy load of your own will, cast aside the burden of sin and gird yourselves as valiant warriors! Forget what you are leaving behind; strain forward to the great things before you. I tell you that every place where you set foot, shall be yours. For the Spirit, Who goes before your face is Christ the Lord. He will carry you to the topmost peak in the arms of His Love.”
St Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226)
“If, because of your preaching, men lay aside enmities, forgive injuries, avoid occasions of sin and scandals and reform their conduct, you may say that the seed has fallen on good ground. But to God alone, give all the glory and acknowledge yourselves, ever unprofitable servants.”
St Louis Bertrand (1526-1581)
“Amongst all loves, God’s is so to be preferred that we must always stand prepared in mind, to forsake them all for that alone!”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
(Treatise on the Love of God, Book 10, Chapter 7)
“[Jesus] is our only Master, Who must teach us; our only Lord, on Whom we must depend; our only Head, to Whom alone we should belong; our only Model, Whom we should imitate; our only Physician, Who must heal us; our only Shepherd, Who must feed us; our only Way, Who must lead us; our only Truth, Whom we must believe; our only Life, Who must be our life and our sole sufficiency in all things that, in Him, we may have all in All. Except the Name of Jesus, there is no other name given under Heaven, whereby we must be saved and apart from Jesus Christ, God has given us no other foundation of our salvation, our perfection and our glory! ”
One Minute Reflection – 26 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – St Evaristus – (c44–c107) Martyr, Pope Evaristus is the fifth Bishop of Rome, holding office from c99 until his death in c108. – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, 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 – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in Thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Evaristus Thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church. 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).
One Minute Reflection – 10 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – St Francis Borgia SJ (1510-1572) Confessor, Priest of the Society of Jesus, – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29
REFLECTION – “We must follow Christ, cleaving to Him, nor should we forsake Him until we die. As Elisha said to his master: “ As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you ” (2 Kgs 2:2) … So, let us follow Christ and stay close to Him! “To be near God is my good” says the Psalmist (72:28). “ My soul clings fast to Thee; Thy right hand upholds me ” (Ps 62:9). And Saint Paul adds : “ Whoever is joined to the Lord becomes One Spirit with Him ” (1 Cor 6:17). Not just One Body but One Spirit. His whole body lives from the Spirit of Christ through the Body of Christ, we attain to the Spirit of Christ. Remain, therefore, by faith, in Christ’s Body and you will become One Spirit with Him. You are already united to His Body through faith, in vision, you will also be united to Him in spirit. Not that we shall see without a body when we are above but our bodies will be spiritual (1 Cor 15:44).
“Father,” Christ said : “I pray that they may all be one, as Thou, art in Me and I in Thee, that the world may believe” this is what union through faith is. And later He asks: “” this is union through vision.
This is how we are spiritually nourished by the Body of Christ – by having a pure faith in Him, by continually seeking the content of this faith in assiduous meditation and, in this way, discovering, with our minds, what it is we are looking for, by loving passionately, the object of our discovery and imitating, as far as possible, Him Whom we love and, even as we imitate Him, by staying close to Him at all times, so that we may come to everlasting union with Him.” – Guigo II “The Angelic” O.Cart. (Died c1188) The 9th Prior of Grande Chartreuse, from 1174 to 1180 (Meditation 10).
PRAYER – O Lord Jesus Christ, model of true humility and its reward, we beseech Thee, that as Thou made blessed Francis one of Thy glorious imitators, by his contempt for earthly honours, grant us to follow his example and to share in his glory.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).
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).
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.”
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).
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.
Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Succor (Help)
“O Mary, you give assistance to everyone endeavouring to rise to God!”
St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)
“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom of His most chaste Mother, Christ took to Himself flesh and united to Himself, the spiritual Body formed by those who were to believe in Him. Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour within her, may be said, to have also carried, all those. whose life was contained in the life of the Saviour. Therefore, all we, who are united to Christ and, as the Apostle says, are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30), have issued from the womb of Mary, like a body united to it’s Head.”
St Pius X (1835-1914) Pope from 1903 to 1914 Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11
“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)
Prayer to Our Mother of Perpetual Succour, When In Urgent Need By St Alphonsus’ Redemptorists
O Mother of Perpetual Succour, numerous clients continually surround thy Holy picture, all imploring thy mercy. All bless thee as the assured help of the miserable, all feel the benefit of thy motherly protection. With confidence then, do we present ourselves before thee in our misery. See, dear Mother, the many evils to which we are exposed, see how numerous are our wants. Trials and sorrows often depress us, reverses of fortune and privations, often grievous, bring misery into our lives, everywhere we meet the Cross. Have pity, compassionate Mother, on us and on our dear ones, especially in this our necessity …………… (mention your need). Help us, dear Mother in our distress, deliver us from all our ills, or, if it be the Will of God, that we should suffer still longer, grant that we may endure all, with love and patience. These Grace’s we expect of thee with confidence, because thou art our Perpetual Succour, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 23 May – Within the Octave of Ascension – The Memorial of St John Baptiste de Rossi (1698-1764) Priest, Confessor – Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:14-20 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Go ye into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15
REFLECTION – “You have heard what the Lord said to His disciples after the Resurrection. He sent them out to preach the Gospel and they did so. Listen: “Through all the earth their voice resounds and to the ends of the world, their message” (Ps 18[19],5). Step by step, the Gospel has reached even to us and the ends of the earth. In a few words, the Lord addressing Himself to His disciples, set out what we are to do and what we have to hope for. Just as you have heard, He said: “Whoever believes and is Baptised will be saved.” He asks for our faith and offers us salvation. What He offers us is so precious, that what He asks of us is as nothing.
“The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings, O my God… from Thy delightful stream, Thou give them to drink, for with Thee is the fountain of life” (Ps 35[36],8f.). Jesus Christ is the Fountain of Life. Before the Fountain of Life came to us, we had only a human salvation like that of the beasts, of which the psalm speaks: “Man and beast you save, O Lord” (Ps 35[36],7). But now the Fountain of Life has come even to us, the Fountain of Life died for our sakes. Will He refuse us, His Life, Who, for our sakes, gave His Death? He is Salvation and this Salvation is not worthless, like the other one. Why? Because it does not pass away. The Lord has come. He died but he killed death. In Himself, He brought an end to death. He assumed it and He killed it. Where is death now, then? Look for it in Christ and it is no longer there. It used to be there but there it died. O life, Death of death! Take heart – it will also die in us! What was fulfilled in the Head will also be fulfilled in the members and death will die in us, too.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo and Father and Doctor of the Church (Excerpt from Sermon 233 ).
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. And may the merits and intercession of Thy Confessor, John Baptiste de Rossi, be an aid on our journey. 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).
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.”
One Minute Reflection – 5 March – The Second Sunday in Lent – Thessalonians 4:1-7, Matthew 17:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“His face shone like the sunand His garments became white as snow.” – Matthew 17:2
REFLECTION – “The Lord displays His glory before chosen witnesses and makes illustrious that bodily shape which He shared with others, with such splendour that His countenance shone like the sun and His garments were as white as snow. In this Transfiguration, the chief object was to remove the scandal of the Cross from the hearts of the disciples and, to prevent their faith being disturbed, at the humiliation of His voluntary Passion, by revealing the excellence of His hidden dignity. But with no less foresight, the foundation was laid of the hope of holy Church that the whole Body of Christ, might realise, with what a change it was to be endowed and that the members, might promise themselves, a share in that honour which had shone forth in their Head.
But to confirm the Apostles and to lead them onto all knowledge, still further, instruction was conveyed by this miracle. For Moses and Elias, that is, the law and the prophets, appeared talking with the Lord, so that, in the presence of these five men, might most truly be fulfilled, what was said – In two or three witnesses every word stands. What more stable, what more steadfast, than the word, in the proclamation of which, the trumpet of the old and of the new TestamentS, sounds forth and the records of ancient witnesses, agree with the teaching of the Gospel? For the pages of both Covenants corroborate each other and He, Whom, under the veil of Mysteries, the types that went before, had promised, is displayed clearly and manifestly by the splendour of His present glory.
The Apostle Peter, therefore, being stirred by the revelation of these Mysteries, despising things worldly and scorning things earthly, was carried away by a certain excess of mind, to the desire of things eternal and, being filled with rapture at the whole vision, longed to make his abode with Jesus, in the place where he was gladdened by the sight of His glory. And so also he says: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if Thou wilt, let us set up here, three tents, one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias. But to this proposal the Lord made no reply, signifying that what he asked was not indeed wicked, but irregular, since the world could not be saved, except by Christ’s Death and by the Lord’s example in this, the faithful were called upon to believe that, although there ought not to be any doubt about the promises of happiness, yet, we should understand that, amid the trials of this life, we must ask for power to endure, rather than for glory.” – St Leo the Great (400-461) Pope, Father and Doctor (Sermon on the Transfiguration – excerpt).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who sees how we are deprived of all strength, guard us inwardly and outwardly that in body, we may be protected against all misfortunes and in mind, cleansed of evil thoughts and by the intercession of blessed and gloriosus ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, be assisted on this earthly pilgrimage. 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).
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).
Thought for the Day – 8 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Apostolate of Suffering
The Agony in the Garden by Luca Giordono (1634-1705) Naples, Italy
“Suffering has a still further purpose. Besides bearing the role of an apostolate in our own lives, it can also be an apostolate for others, We can offer our sufferings and sorrows to God, not only for our own spiritual advancement but, also for the expiation of the sins of the human race, for our enemies, for the persecutors of the Church (especially those within the Church!) and for all the other suffering members of the Mystical Body of Christ. In this way, we can accomplish great good and can acquire great merit before God.
As a result of our offering, who knows how many hearts, hardened in sin, or how many souls forgetful of Heaven, may be touched by the grace of God? Let us suffer with Jesus. He alone can ease our pain and make it meritorious.”
Thought for the Day – 7 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Problem of Suffering
“Jesus is the Head of the Mystical Body of the Church and we are its members. We ought to suffer with submission and love, as He did. Rebellion increases and aggravates the pain. Resignation and love, on the other hand, lighten it, making it meritorious and even welcome. It is a consolation to suffer with Jesus. St Paul says: “I rejoice now in the sufferings I have for your sake and what is lacking of the sufferings of Christ, I fill up in my flesh, for His Body, which is the Church” (Col 1:24). In other words,the Passion of Christ demands our submissive and joyful co-operation in suffering along with Jesus.
The Acts says of the Apostles, “So they departed from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the Name of Jesus.” (Acts 5:41).
“So great is the reward which awaits me,” exclaims St Francis, “every suffering is pure joy to me!” He knew well, that the sorrows of this world are very tiny compared with the wonderful recompense which awaits us in Heaven. “The sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that will be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18).”
Quote/s of the Day – 23 December – Friday of the Fourth Week of Advent – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception”
“O Emmanuel, King and Lawgiver Desire of the nations, Saviour of all people, Come and set us free, Lord, our God!”
“In adoring our Saviour’s birth, it is our origin that we celebrate. Christ’s temporal generation is the source of the Christian people, the birth of His Mystical Body. All of us encounter in this Mystery, a new birth in Christ.”
St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father & Doctor of the Church
“He came from Him, from Whom He did not depart, going forth from Him, with Whom He stayed, so that without intermission, He was wholly in eternity, wholly in time, wholly was He found in the Father when wholly in the Virgin, wholly in His own Majesty and in His Father’s, at the time when He was wholly in our humanity. ”
Thought for the Day – 10 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Holy Purity
Since Mary excelled so much in this virtue and had so great a love for it, she will obtain for us from God, the grace necessary for us to preserve it, as long as we pray humbly to her, especially in times of temptation.
Let us remember, that at Baptism, we became members of the Mystical Body of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit (Cf 1 Cor 6:15-20). We are obliged to avoid defiling this temple and making the Mystical Body of Christ a dwelling-place for the devil! It is not true to say, that this is an impossible fight. We know, from our own experience, that we can win. We have often battled with, or fled from occasions of sin. We have prayed and made sacrifices, in order to avoid sin and, with the help of God and the protection of the Blessed Virgin, we have won! After our victory, we have felt elated and have experienced that peace, which only God’s grace can bestow. If we have succeeded so many times, why cannot we do the same always? There is no need to be afraid. If we do all that we can, God’s grace will do the rest. “I can do all things in Him, Who strengthens me,” Phil 4:12) says St Paul. “God is faithful,” he writes elsewhere “and will not permit you to be tempted beyond your strength but, with the temptation, will also give you a way out, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor 10:13).
If we remain pure, we shall see God. We shall see Him in the work of His creation in this world and we shall see and enjoy Him forever in Heaven. “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8).”
One Minute Reflection – 29 November – Vigil of the Feast of St Andrew – Romans 13:11-14, Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 13:14
REFLECTION – “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh and its desires, so that you may be clothed with the Life of Him, Whom you have put on in this Sacrament. You have all been clothed with Christ by your Baptism in Him. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female, you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Such is the power of this Sacrament: it is a Sacrament of new lifewhich begins here and now, with the forgiveness of all past sins and will be brought to completion, in the resurrection of the dead. You have been buried with Christ by Baptism into death, in order that, as Christ has risen from the dead, you also may walk in newness of life.
You are walking now by faith, still on pilgrimage in a mortal body away from the Lord but He, to Whom your steps are directed, is Himself the sure and certain Way for you – Jesus Christ, Who, for our sake became man. For all who fear Him, He has stored up abundant happiness which He will reveal to those who hope in Him, bringing it to completion, when we have attained the reality which, even now, we possess, in hope.
This is the octave day of your new birth. Today is fulfilled in you, the sign of faith that was prefigured in the Old Testament by the circumcision of the flesh, on the eighth day after birth. When the Lord rose from the dead, He put off the mortality of the flesh; His Risen Body was still the same Body but it was no longer subject to death. By His Resurrection, He consecrated Sunday, or the Lord’s day. Though the third after His Passion, this day is the eighth after the Sabbath and thus also, the first day of the week.
And so, your own hope of resurrection, though not yet realised, is sure and certain because you have received the Sacrament or sign of this reality and have been given the pledge of the Spirit. If, then, you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your hearts on heavenly things, not the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your Life, appears, then you too will appear with Him in glory.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (An excerpt from: Sermon 8 – On the Paschal Octave).
PRAYER – Put forth Thy power, O Lord, we beseech Thee and come, that with Thee as our protector, we may be rescued from the impending danger of our sins and with Thee as our deliverer, may we obtain our salvation .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).
Quote/s of the Day – 23 November – St Clement I (c 88–c 101) Pope Martyr and St Columban (543-615) Monk, Missionary
“Follow the Saints because those who follow them, will become Saints.”
“This world and the world to come, are two enemies. We cannot. therefore. be friends to both but, we must decide which we will forsake and which, we will enjoy.”
“Who can describe the bond of God’s love? Who is able to explain the majesty of its beauty? The height to which love leads is indescribable. … In love the Master received us, Jesus Christ our Lord, in accordance with God’s will gave His Blood for us and His Flesh for our flesh and His Life for our lives.”
“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)
Lord, Kindle our Lamps By St Columban (543-615)
Lord, kindle our lamps, Saviour most dear to us, that we may always shine in Your presence and always receive Light from You, the Light Perpetual, so that our own personal darkness, may be overcome and the world’s darkness driven from us. Amen
(This is an excerpt from a much longer prayer and is taken from the wonderful Sermon XII by St Columban/us)
Thought for the Day – 6 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Communion of Saints and the Souls in Purgatory
“The consoling Doctrine of the Communion of Saints, is the foundation of devotion towards the faithful departed. The universal Church, both on earth, in Purgatory and in Heaven, constitutes the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the channel of the Divine life of Jesus.
This life is not extinguished by death but only by mortal sin, which makes us like dead limbs separated from the vine which is Cbrist. The souls of those belonging to us who have died in the state of grace, therefore, are living members of the Mystical Body of Christ. Now, the different members of the human body, do not possess a separate life but are all co-ordinated and directed towards the good of the whole body. In the same way, all the members of the Mystical Body, whether they are exiles on earth, suffering souls in Purgatory, or blessed in Heaven, should help one another so as to promote the welfare of the whole.
The blessed in Heaven and the faithful departed certainly do this and we ought to do the same. We should preserve a bond of love and prayer between ourselves and our loved ones, who have departed from this life before us.”
Quote/s of the Day – 29 October – The Mystical Body
“Mary, having merited to give flesh to the Divine Word and thus, supply the price of our redemption that we might be delivered from eternal death, therefore, she is more powerful than all others, to help us gain eternal life.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“It is not surprising if, despite being far apart, we are present to each other and without being acquainted, know each other because, we are members of One Body, we have One Head, we are steeped in One Grace, we live on One Loaf, we walk on One Road and we dwell in the Same House!”
St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431)
“In adoring our Saviour’s birth, it is our origin that we celebrate. Christ’s temporal generation is the source of the Christian people, the birth of His Mystical Body. All of us encounter in this Mystery, a new birth in Christ.”
St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father & Doctor of the Church
“For nothing more glorious, nothing nobler, nothing surely, more honourable can be imagined, than to belong to the One, Holy Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church, in which we become members of one Body as venerable as it is unique; are guided by one supreme Head; are filled with one divine Spirit; are nourished during our earthly exile by one doctrine and one heavenly Bread, until at last, we enter into the one, unending blessedness of heaven. But lest we be deceived, by the angel of darkness, who transforms himself into an angel of light, let this be the supreme law of our love – to love the Spouse of Christ, as Christ willed her to be and as He purchased her with His Blood.”
Pope Pius XII (1876-1958) “Mystici Corporis Christi” 1943
One Minute Reflection – 29 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” and Mary’s Saturday (Salve sancta parens) – Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16, Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Blessed is the womb that bore you ’” – Luke 11:27
REFLECTION – “By the Spirit, from the womb of the Virgin, was born our Head, the Son of Man and, by the same Spirit, in the waters of Baptism, we are reborn as His Body and as sons of God. And just as He was born without any sin, so we are reborn in the forgiveness of all our sins. As on the Cross, He bore the sum total of the whole Body’s sins in His own physical Body, so He gave His members the grace of rebirth, in order that no sin might be imputed to His Mystical Body. It is written: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sin. The blessed man of this text is undoubtedly Christ, Who forgives sins, insofar as God, is His Head. Insofar as this Man is the Head of the Body, no sin is forgiven Him. But, insofar as the Body that belongs to this Head, consists of many members, sin is not imputed to it.
Just as in Himself, it is He Who justifies Himself. He alone is both Saviour and saved. In His own Body on the Cross, He bore what He had washed from His Body by the waters of Baptism. Bringing salvation through wood and through water, He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world which He took upon Himself. Himself a Priest, He offers Himself as sacrifice to God and He Himself, is God. Thus, through His own self, the Son is reconciled to Himself as God, as well as to the Father and to the Holy Spirit.” – Blessed Isaac of Stella O.Cist. (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (An excerpt from his Sermon 42),
PRAYER – Grant us, Thy servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and by the intercession of glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake to the full of eternal appiness.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).
Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity
“Mary, having merited to give flesh to the Divine Word and thus, supply the price of our redemption that we might be delivered from eternal death, therefore, she is more powerful than all others, to help us gain eternal life.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“The One Who is the Wisdom of the Father, put His arms around her neck, the One Who is the strength, which gives movement to everything, sat in her arms. He, Who is the rest of souls, (Mt 11:29) rested on her motherly breast. … Filled with the Holy Spirit, she held Him close to her heart … She never had enough of seeing Him or of hearing Him … Thus Mary, grew evermore in love and her mind was unceasingly attached , to Divine contemplation.”
St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Bishop (Homily on the Motherhood of Mary, 4).
“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom of His most chaste Mother, Christ took to Himself flesh and united to Himself, the spiritual Body formed by those who were to believe in Him. Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour within her, may be said, to have also carried, all those. whose life was contained in the life of the Saviour. Therefore, all we who are united to Christ and, as the Apostle says, are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30), have issued from the womb of Mary, like a body united to it’s head.”
St Pius X (1835-1914) Pope from 1903 to 1914 Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11
Alma Redemptoris Mater Loving Mother of the Redeemer By Bl Herman of Reichenau (1013–1054)
Loving Mother of the Redeemer! Hear thou thy people’s cry, Star of the deep and portal of the sky! Mother of Him Who thee from nothing made, Sinking we strive and call to thee for aid; Oh, by that joy which Gabriel brought to thee, Thou Virgin first and last, let us thy mercy see.
Quote/s of the Day – 19 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – nd the Memorial of St John Eudes (1601-1680) Confessor, “The Apostle of Two Hearts”
“The crosses with which our path through life is strewn, associate us with Jesus in the Mystery of His Crucifixion.”
“No-one who shall invoke this Mother of Grace, with devotion and perseverance, can possibly perish forever.”
“Let infidels and heretics, let the relatives and the friends of bad Catholics, weep without consolation and weep unceasingly, for the death of their departed ones!”
St John Eudes (1601-1680) “The Apostle of Two Hearts”
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