Category: QUOTES on VIRTUE

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, FATHERS of the Church, ON the SAINTS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 February – ‘… Embrace the breast of Jesus ‘ – Matthew 23:1-12

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One Minute Reflection – 27 February – Tuesday in the Second Week of Lent – Ferial Day – 3 Kings 17:8-16; Matthew 23:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” … Matthew 23:12

REFLECTION – “Humility is a secret power the saints receive when they bring all their life’s ascetical practices to a successful conclusion. For indeed, this power is only bestowed on those who attain to the perfection of virtue, through the strength of grace … It is the same power the blessed Apostles received in the form of fire. Our Saviour commanded them, in fact, not to leave Jerusalem until they had received the power from on high (Acts 2:3; 1:4). Here Jerusalem stands for virtue — the power is humility and the power from on high, is the Paraclete, in other words the Consoler Spirit.

Now this is exactly what Sacred Scripture had said – these Mysteries are revealed to the humble (Lk 10:21). To the humble it is given to receive, within themselves, that Spirit of revelation which uncovers mysteries. That is why certain saints have said that humility is that which brings the soul to fulfilment, in divine contemplation. So let no-one start thinking they have attained complete humility because, at some moment, a thought of compunction came to them or because they shed a few tears …. But if someone has overcome every contrary spirit …, if he has overturned and subjected all the strongholds of the enemy and, if he then feels that he has received that grace in which “the Spirit bears witness to our spirit” (Rom 8:16) in the Apostle Paul’s words, then there is the perfection of humility. Blessed are they who possess it. For they continually embrace the breast of Jesus (cf Jn 13:25).” … St Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh (c 613-c 700) Bishop of Nineveh, Monk at Mosul – Ascetical discourses, 1st series, no 20

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 of all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace that all adversities and errors being overcome, Thine Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. Through t 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", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, THEOLOGICAL

Quote/s of the Day – 24 February – I Am meek and humble of heart …

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 February – Ember Saturday – Feast of St Matthias, Apostle – Acts 1:15-26, Matthew 11:25-30 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

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

Matthew 11:29-30

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

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

“If you wish to reach high, then begin at the lowest level.
If you are trying to construct some mighty edifice in height,
you will begin with the lowest foundation.
This is humility.
However great the mass of the building
you may wish to design or erect,
the taller the building is to be,
the deeper you will dig the foundation.
The building in the course of its erection,
rises up high but he who digs its foundation,
must first go down very low.
So then, you see even a building is low
before it is high and the tower is raised,
only after humiliation.”

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

“True humility consists in persuading
and convincing oneself
that without God, we are insignificant
and despicable
and, in accepting to be treated as such!”

St Ignatius Loyola SJ (1491-1556)

Posted in franciscan OFM, I BELIEVE!, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, ROSARY QUOTES, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, St Francis de Sales

Quote/s of the Day – 20 February – Prayer

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 February – Tuesday of the First Week in Lent – Ferial Day – Isaias 55:6-11, Matthew 21:10-17 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Let my prayer come
like incense before Thee, O Lord”

Psalm 140:2

“In prayer, the soul cleanses itself from sin,
charity is nourished,
faith is strengthened,
hope made secure;
the spirit rejoices,
the soul grows tender
and the heart is purified,
truth discovers itself,
temptation is overcome,
sadness takes to flight,
the senses are renewed,
failing virtue is made strong,
tepidity disappears,
the rust of sin is rubbed away.
In it are brought forth,
lively flashes of heavenly desires
and in these fires,
burns the flame of Divine love.
Great are the excellences of prayer,
great its privileges.
The heavens open before it
and unveil therein, their secrets
and to it, are the ears of God ever attentive.”

A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer
Download the book, “A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer”

St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

“Prayer is the beginning,
the progress and the complement
of all virtues.”

“Souls are won with the knees.”

St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

“The greatest method of praying
is to pray the Rosary.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

“Christian perfection consists in three things:
praying heroically,
working heroically
and suffering heroically.”

St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

Posted in QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 6 February – Of the Enemies We are to Engage and the Courage Necessary to Fight (Part One)

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

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

XV: … Of the Enemies We Are to Engage
and the Courage Necessary to Fight (Part One)

“You see now after what manner you must fight in order to conquer self and to adorn your soul with all virtues.

Know, furthermore, that to obtain a speedier and easier victory over your enemies, it is expedient, nay necessary, that you should fight against them daily and, especially against self-love and learn to esteem, as dear friends and benefactors, all the insults and vexations which the world can heap upon you.

And it is because men know not the necessity of this daily warfare and make too little account of it that, as I said before, their victories are rare, difficult, imperfect and unstable.

Moreover, I warn you that you must bring great courage and steadfastness of soul to this conflict.
And this gift you will readily obtain if you beseech it of God, considering, on the one hand, the undying hatred and fury of your enemies and the vast multitude of their ranks and squadrons and, on the other, how infinitely greater is the goodness of God and the love wherewith He loves you and how much mightier, too, are the Angels of Heaven and the prayers of the Saints, who fight for us.
By this consideration, have so many feeble women been enabled to overcome and conquer, all the power and wisdom of the world, all the assaults of the flesh and all the fury of hell!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, LENT, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, QUOTES on VICE, QUOTES on VIRTUE, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, St Francis de Sales, The PASSION, To JESUS through MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 5 February – In Sexagesima Week, Preparing for Lent

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 February – In Sexagesima Week, Preparing for Lent

“Listen to the Lord’s appeal:
‘Come, then, return to Me
and learn to know Me as your Father,
Who repays good for evil,
love for injury
and boundless charity
for piercing wounds!”

St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450)
“Golden Words”
Father & Doctor of the Church

Have Mercy, Lord
By St Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Have mercy, Lord,
on all my friends and relatives,
on all my benefactors,
on all who pray to Thee for me
and on all who have asked me
to pray to Thee, for them.
Give them the spirit of fruitful penance,
mortify them in all vices
and make them flower
in all Thy virtues.
Amen

“What better penance
can a heart do
which commits faults,
than to submit
to a continual abnegation
of self-will?”

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

O Jesus, My Sweet Love!
(I too have kept Thee suffering)
Prayer of Contrition
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

O Jesus, my sweet Love!
I too have kept Thee suffering
through all Thy life.
Tell me, then, what I must do
in order to win Thy forgiveness.
I am ready to do all Thou askest of me.
I am sorry, O sovereign Good,
for all the offences I have committed against Thee.
I love Thee more than myself,
or at least, I feel a great desire to love Thee.
Since it is Thou Who hast given me this desire,
do Thou also give me the strength to love Thee exceedingly.

It is only right that I,
who have offended Thee so much,
should love Thee very much.
Always remind me of the love
Thou hast borne me,
in order that my soul may ever burn
with love of Thee and long to please Thee alone.
O God of love,
I, who was once a slave of hell,
now give myself all to Thee.
Graciously accept me and bind me to Thee
with the bonds of Thy love.
My Jesus, from this day and forever,
in loving Thee will I live
and in loving Thee will I die.

O Mary, my Mother and my hope,
help me to love Thy dear God and mine.
This is the only favour I ask of thee
and through thee, I hope to receive it.
Amen

Posted in OUR Cross, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, QUOTES on VICE, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), QUOTES on Will (Sensual or Inferior), The HOLY CROSS, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 4 February – Of the Acts to be Performed in order to Acquire Habits of Virtue (Part FOUR)

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Thought for the Day – 4 February – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

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

The Third Weapon
of the Spiritual Combat

XIII: … Of the Way to Resist the Impulses of Sense
and of the Acts to be Performed by the Will,
in order to Acquire Habits of Virtue (Part Four)

“Remember, again, to mortify and thwart your own wishes, from time to time, in lawful but not necessary things; for many benefits follow such discipline; it will prepare and dispose you, more and more, for self-mastery in other things; you will thus become expert and strong, in the struggle with temptation; you will escape many a snare of the devil and accomplish a work well pleasing to the
Lord.

I speak plainly to you; if, in the way I have taught you, you will persevere faithfully, in these holy exercises for self-reformation and self-mastery, I promise you that in a short time, you will make great progress and will become spiritual, not in name only but in truth!
But in no other manner do I bid you hope to attain to true holiness and spirituality, nor by any other exercises, however excellent in your estimation, although you should seem to be wholly absorbed in them and to hold sweet colloquies with our Lord.

For, as I told you in the first Chapter, true holiness and spirituality consists, not in exercises which are pleasing to us and conformable to our nature, nor is it produced by these but, by such only, as nail that nature, with all its works, to the cross and, renewing the whole man by the practice of the evangelical virtues, unite him to his Crucified Saviour and Creator.

There can be no question that, as habits of vice are formed by many and frequent acts of the Superior Will yielding itself to the sway of the Sensual appetites, so, on the contrary, habits of evangelical virtue are acquired, by the performance of frequent and repeated acts of conformity to the Divine Will, Which calls upon us to exercise ourselves now, in one virtue, now, in another.

For as our will, however fiercely assailed by sin or by the suggestions of our lower nature, can never become sinful or earthly, unless it yield or incline itself to the temptation, so you will never attain to holiness and union with God, however powerfully called and mightily assailed by Divine grace and heavenly inspirations, unless, by inward and, if need be, by outward acts, your will be made conformable to His!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/01/25/thought-for-the-day-25-january-of-the-way-to-resist-the-impulses-of-sense-part-one/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/02/02/thought-for-the-day-2-february-of-the-way-to-resist-the-impulses-of-sense-part-two/
PART THREE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/02/03/thought-for-the-day-3-february-of-the-acts-to-be-performed-in-order-to-acquire-habits-of-virtue-part-three/

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 4 February – ‘ … Let us too build a dwelling in our hearts …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 February – Sexagesima Sunday – 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9, Luke 8:4-15 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And as for that in the good ground
they are those who, hearing the word,
hold it fast in an honest and good heart
and bring forth fruit with patience.”

Luke 8:15

“Those who are My sheep
hear My Voice
and follow Me”

John 10:27

“What a happy day they spent!
What a blessed night!
Who can say what it was they heard
from the Lord’s mouth?
Let us, too, build a dwelling in our hearts,
construct a house
where Christ can come
to teach and converse with us.”

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

“He is the origin of all wisdom.
The Word of God in the heights,
is the source of wisdom.
Christ is the source of all true knowledge,
for He is “the way, the truth and the life.” (Jn 14:6). …
As way, Christ is the teacher
and origin of knowledge …
Without this Light,
which is Christ,
no-one can penetrate
the secrets of faith.”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor

Beloved and Most Holy Word of God
By St James of the Marches (1391-1476)

Beloved and most holy Word of God!
Thou enlighten the hearts of the faithful,
Thou satisfy the hungry,
console the afflicted.
Thou make the souls of all,
productive of good
and cause all virtues to blossom.
Thou snatch souls
from the devil’s jaw.
Thou make the wretched holy
and men of earth,
citizens of Heaven!
Amen

Posted in QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on Will (Sensual or Inferior), The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 3 February – Of the Acts to be Performed in order to Acquire Habits of Virtue (Part THREE)

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Thought for the Day – 3 February – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

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

The Third Weapon
of the Spiritual Combat

XIII: … Of the Way to Resist the Impulses of Sense
and of the Acts to be Performed by the Will,
in order to Acquire Habits of Virtue (Part Three)

“Lastly — to adorn and perfect your soul in the habit of all the virtues, exercise yourself in the inward practices directly opposed to all your disorderly passions.

Would you attain, for instance, to the perfection of patience?
On receiving any insult which tempts you to impatience, it will not be enough to exercise yourself in the three modes of warfare above described [see Part One link below], you must do more — even willingly accept and love the indignity you have endured; desiring to submit to it again, from the same person and in the same manner — expecting and disposing yourself to bear, still more difficult things.

These contrary acts are needful to our perfection in all the virtues, because, the exercises of which we have been speaking, manifold and efficacious as they are — will not suffice to eradicate the roots of sin.

Hence (to pursue the same example) although, when we receive an insult, we do not yield to the impulse of impatience but, on the contrary, resist it by the three methods above described, yet, unless we accustom ourselves, by many and repeated acts of the will, to love contempt and rejoice to be despised, we shall never overcome the sin of impatience which springs from a regard for our own reputation and a shrinking from contempt. …

I would add to all that has been said, that if the virtue in which you are exercising yourself, so requires, you must also practice exterior acts conformable to the interior — as, for instance, words of love and meekness and lowly services rendered to those who have, in any way, thwarted or slighted you.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/01/25/thought-for-the-day-25-january-of-the-way-to-resist-the-impulses-of-sense-part-one/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/02/02/thought-for-the-day-2-february-of-the-way-to-resist-the-impulses-of-sense-part-two/

Posted in QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), QUOTES on Will (Sensual or Inferior), SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 24 January – Of the Diverse Wills in Man and the Warfare Between Them (Part Two)

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

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

The Third Weapon
of the Spiritual Combat

XII: … Of the Diverse Wills in Man
and the Warfare Between Them (Part Two)

“But let no-one imagine it possible to persevere in the exercise of true Christian virtues, or to serve God as He ought to be served, unless he will, in good earnest, do violence to himself and endure the pain of parting with all pleasant things whatsoever, whether great or small, around which his earthly affections are entwined!

Hence it is that so few attain to perfection; for after having, with much toil, overcome the greater vices, they will not persevere in doing violence to themselves, by struggling against the promptings of self-will and an infinity of lesser desires.
They grow weary of so unremitting a struggle; they suffer these insignificant enemies to prevail against them and so to acquire an absolute mastery over their hearts!

To this class belong men who, if they do not take what belongs to others, cleave with inordinate affection, to that which is lawfully their own.
If they do not obtain honours by unlawful means, yet they do not, as they should, shun them but, on the contrary, cease not to desire and sometimes, even to seek them in various ways.
If they observe fasts of obligation, yet they do not mortify their palate in the matter of superfluous eating, or the indulgence in delicate morsels.
If they live continently, yet they do not renounce many indulgences which much impede union with God and the growth of the spiritual life and which, as they are very dangerous, even to the holiest persons, and most dangerous to those, who fear them least, should be as much as possible avoided by all.
Hence all their good works are performed in a lukewarm spirit and accompanied by much self-seeking, by many lurking impefections, by a certain kind of self-esteem and by a desire to be praised and valued by the world.

Such persons not only fail to make any progress in the way of salvation but rather, go backwards and are, therefore, in danger of relapsing into their former sins because they have no love of true holiness and show little gratitude to their Lord, Who rescued them from the tyranny of the devil.

They are, moreover, too blind and ignorant to see the peril in which they stand and so, falsely persuade themselves, of their own security.
And here we discover a delusion which is the more dangerous because, it is little apprehended.

Many who aspire to the spiritual life, unconsciously love themselves far more than they ought to do and, therefore, practice for the most part, those exercises which suit their taste and neglect others, which touch to the quick those natural inclinations and sensual appetites, against which they ought, in all reason, to direct the full strength of the battle.

Therefore, I exhort and counsel you, to be in love with pain and difficulty — for they will bring with them, that which is the end and object of the whole struggle — victory over self!

The more deeply you shall be in love with the difficulties encountered by beginners in virtue and in war, the surer and the speedier shall be the victory and, if your love be to the difficult and the toilsome struggle, rather than to the victory and the virtue to be attained, you shall, the more speedily obtain, all you desire!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/01/23/thought-for-the-day-23-january-of-the-diverse-wills-in-man-and-the-warfare-between-them/

Posted in BAPTISM, CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, HOLY WEEK, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The HOLY NAME, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The WILL of GOD, The WORD, THEOLOGICAL

Quote/s of the Day – 22 January – ‘… Always persevere …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” – St Vincent of Saragossa (Died 304) Protomartyr of Spain and St Anastasius the Persian (Died 628) Martyr – Wisdom 3:1-8; Luke 21:9-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And you shall be hated by all men,
for My Name’s sake.”

Luke 21:17

“The fruits of the earth
are not brought to perfection immediately
but by time, rain and care.
Similarly, the fruits of men ripen
through ascetic practice,
study, time, perseverance,
self-control and patience.”

St Anthony Abbot (251-356)

“Rejoice and be happy!
Persevere to the end
and prefer to die
rather than abandon the post,
to which God has called you!”

St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
Doctor of the Church

“Love consists,
not in feeling great things
but, in having great detachment
and in suffering for the Beloved.”

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

“Now, you must always persevere
in firmly placing all your trust in our Lord,
in the troublesome business you have in hand.
It will give you a fine opportunity
of laying a good foundation of submission
to God’s will and peace of soul.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Excerpt from the Prayer
to the Five Wounds of Jesus
By St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

I pray Thee, O most gentle Jesus,
that having redeemed me
by Baptism from original sin,
so now, by Thy Precious Blood,
which is offered and received,
throughout the world,
deliver me from all evils,
past, present and to come.
And by Thy most bitter Death,
give me a lively faith,
a firm hope
and perfect charity,
so that I may love Thee
with all my heart and all my soul
and all my strength.
Make me firm and steadfast in good works
and grant me perseverance in Thy service,
so that I may be able to please Thee always.
Amen.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The BEATITUDES, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 January – Blessed are you … – Luke 6:20

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One Minute Reflection – 20 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”– St Fabian, Pope and St Sebastian, Martyrs – Hebrews 11:33-39, Luke 6:17-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And He, lifting up His eyes on His disciples, said:
Blessed are you …” – Luke 6:20

REFLECTION – “Lord Jesus Christ, to teach us the summit of virtue, You ascended the mountain with Your disciples and taught them the Beatitudes and highest virtues, promising them the rewards applicable to each. Grant that my weakness may hear Your Voice, that I may apply myself, through their practice, to acquire the merit of the virtues, so that by Your Mercy, I may receive the promised reward. As I consider the payment, do not let me refuse the effort of the labour. Make my hope of eternal salvation, sweeten the bitterness of the cure, inflaming my soul with the splendour of Your work. Out of the wretched person I am, create one of the blessed; from the blessedness here below, lead me, by Your Grace, to the blessedness of the homeland.

Come, Lord Jesus Christ, in search of Your servant, seeking Your erring and exhausted sheep. Come, Spouse of the Church, in search of Your lost coin. Come, Father of mercies, welcome the prodigal son returning to You. Come, then, Lord, for You are the only One, able to call back the sheep that has strayed, to find the lost drachma, to reconcile the runaway son. Come, that there may be salvation on earth and joy in Heaven! Turn me towards You and grant that I may carry out a true and perfect repentance, so that I may become an occasion for joy, among the Angels. Sweetest Jesus, I pray Thee, by the immensity of Thine Love for me, a sinner, grant that I may love Thee alone, above all things, that I may be consoled by none but Thee, my sweetest God!” – Ludolph of Saxony (c1300-1378) Monk, Theologian, Writer, Dominican then a Carthusian (Prayers to Jesus Christ).

PRAYER – Be mindful of our weakness, Almighty God and since the burden of our sins weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of Thy holy Martyrs, Fabian and Sebastian sustain us. 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 DOCTORS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, POETRY, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, THE EPIPHANY of the LORD, The EPIPHANY Prayers, THEOLOGICAL

Quote/s of the Day – 6 January – Its Epiphany! Remember to Chalk the Door!

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 January – The Epiphany of the Lord

Chalk the Door – Epiphany House Blessing
20 C+M+B 24

“Christus mansionem benedicat”
Peace be to this house
and to all who dwell herein.
From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem
to adore the Lord – “and opening their treasures
they offered precious gifts –
Gold for the Great King,
Incense for the True God
and Myrrh to symbolise His Burial.”

The equation is written to be the first two digits of the year,
followed by the initials C, M and B,
followed by the last two digits of the year.
Each portion is split by plus signs (being the Sign of the Cross).
For this year, the equation would be written as
“20 + C + M + B + 24”
The chalking holds two meanings.
The C, M and B, refer to the traditional names
of the Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar.
The letters also stand for the Latin phrase
“Christus Mansionem Benedicat” which means
“May Christ Bless this House”
The plus signs represents the Cross
and the 20 and 24 simply refer to the year.

“Three gifts they bring,
three gifts they bear away,
For Incense, Myrrh and Gold,
Faith, Hope and Love
And with their gifts,
the givers’ hearts do stay,
Their mind from Christ,
no parting can remove,
His humble state, His stall, His poor retinue
They fancy more than all their rich revenue.”

St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595)
Priest and Martyr

(Excerpt from the Poem “The Epiphany”)

Oh Jesus, My Love
By St Paul of the Cross (1604-1775)

Oh Jesus, my Love,
may my heart be consumed
in loving Thee.
Make me humble and holy,
giving me childlike simplicity,
transform me into Thy holy Love.
O Jesus, Life of my life,
Joy of my soul,
God of my heart,
accept my heart as an altar,
on which I will sacrifice to Thee,
the gold of ardent charity,
the incense of continual,
humble and fervent prayer
and the myrrh
of constant sacrifices!
Amen

Epiphany Prayer

“Give me, therefore, I pray Thee,
this gold, this incense and this myrrh.
Give me the gold of Thy holy love,
give me the spirit of holy prayer,
give me the desire and strength
to mortify myself in everything
that displeases Thee.
I am resolved to obey Thee and to love Thee
but Thou knowest my weakness,
oh, give me the grace to be faithful to Thee!”

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, JESUIT SJ, NOTES to Followers, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRAYERS on FAITH, QUOTES for the NEW YEAR, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TIME, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, St Alphonsus de Liguori,, The HOLY NAME, The WILL of GOD, THEOLOGICAL

The New Day and Year has Dawned! Its 2024!

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The New Day and Year has Dawned!
Its 2024!

We know that there is only ONE thing necessary
and so, for this New Year, 2024,
I wish you only that ONE THING –
that HE may fill your heart,
your mind, your soul, your whole being,
everyday and every moment
and then, nothing will be wanting to you,
ALL will be yours and even sadness
and pain will serve only to unite you
more and more closely to our Divine Saviour.
And so, abiding in His Sacred Heart,
2024 will be PERFECT!

“We must make our way towards eternity,
never regarding what men think of us,
or of our actions,
studying only to please God.”

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)

The One Thing Necessary
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

O my God,
help me to remember,
that time is short, eternity long.
What good is all the greatness of this world
at the hour of death?
To love Thee, my God
and save my soul is the one thing necessary.
Without Thee, there is no peace of mind or soul.
My God, I need fear only sin
and nothing else in this life,
for to lose Thee, my God, is to lose all.
O my God, help me to remember,
that I came into this world with nothing
and shall take nothing from it, when I die.
To gain Thee, I must leave all.
But in loving Thee,
I already have all good things –
the infinite riches of Christ and His Church in life,
Mary’s motherly protection and perpetual help
and the eternal dwelling place
Jesus has prepared for me.
Eternal Father, Jesus has promised
that whatever we ask
in His Name will be granted us.
In His Name, I pray,
give me a burning faith,
a joyful hope,
a holy love for Thee.
Grant me perseverance in doing Thine will
and never let me be separated from Thee.
My God and my All,
make me a Saint!
Amen

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Quote/s of the Day – 22 December – St Frances Xavier Cabrini

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 December – St Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917)

“I will go anywhere and do anything,
in order to communicate the love of Jesus
to those who do not know Him,
or have forgotten Him.”

“A single act of humility is worth more
than the proud exhibition of any virtue.”

“If you are in danger,
if your hearts are confused, turn to Mary;
she is our comfort, our help;
turn towards her
and you will be saved.”

St Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917)

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The DIVINE INFANT, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Thought for the Day – 17 December – Preparation for the Nativity

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Thought for the Day – 17 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

A Christmas Novena II
Preparation for the Nativity

“Our preparation, finally, should also embrace the will.
In other words, we should make good resolutions during our Christmas Novena.
We should resolve to be more fervent in prayer, to be more mortified and, to make greater efforts to practise virtue.

Everyday and, if possible, every hour, let us think of and invoke the Divine Child.
Let us ask Him to help us to model our lives on His, so that they may be full of humility, of love for God and for our fellowmen, of perfect resignation to suffering and of voluntary mortification and penance, designed to prove our love for Jesus and to expiate our sins.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/17/thought-for-the-day-17-december-a-christmas-novena-ii-preparation-for-the-nativity/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/17/thought-for-the-day-17-december-preparation-for-the-nativity/

Posted in DEVOTIO, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on The SOUL, QUOTES on VIRTUE, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 5 December – Peace of Soul

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Thought for the Day – 5 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Peace of Soul

“After expounding this doctrine of interior peace, The Imitation of Christ goes onto saw:
“But never to feel any grief at all, nor to suffer any trouble of heart or body, is not the state of this present life but, of everlasting rest.
Think nor, therefore, that thou hast found true peace, if thou feel no burden;
nor that then all is well, if thou have no adversary, nor that thou hast attained to perfection, if all things be done according to thy inclination.
Neither do thou conceive a great notion of thyself, or imagine thyself to be especially beloved, if thou experiences great devotion and sweetness; for it is not in such things as these, that a true lover of virtue is known; nor doth the progress and perfection of man consist in these things!” (Bk III c25).

We can see from this that peace of soul in this life, is alway the product of strife and sacrifice.
We must pay the price, if we desire to acquire it.
Only when we have attained, at last, to everlasting happiness, shall we enjoy perfect peace, as the reward of our perseverance and fidelity on earth.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/12/thought-for-the-day-12-december-peace-of-soul/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/05/thought-for-the-day-5-december-peace-of-soul/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The BEATITUDES, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE

Thought for the Day – 1 December – The Blessedness of the Poor

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

The Blessedness of the Poor

“We have established the principle that wealth is, in itself, good and is a gift from God but that, “it is good, insofar, as it leads us towards virtue and evil, insofar, as it leads us towards vice” (Summa Contra Gentiles III 134).
We must now insist, once more, on the necessity of remaining detached from worldly goods and of concentrating our attention primarily on God.
It is an unfortunate fact that only too often, wealth is a spiritual obstacle, for it diverts our attention away from Heaven and towards worldly objects.
If this happens, some of its worse results can be the worship of money, the destruction of high ideals, indifference to the poverty of others, the vain and selfish search for happiness on this earth and complete spiritual blindness.
This is why it is more difficult for the rich man than for the poor man, to save his soul.

“If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell what thou hast and give to the poor” (Mt 19:21).
This is an evangelical counsel which we may have neither the courage, nor the vocation to pursue.
At least, however, let us seek to purify ourselves of all attachments to wealth.
If we have riches, moreover, let us do our best to use them as instruments of virtue.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/28/thought-for-the-day-28-november-the-blessedness-of-the-poor/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 8 November – Strive to reach the Kingdom of Heaven.

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – The Octave Day of All Saints – 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

“Let us listen to the holy Voice of God
which summons us from on high,
from the holy mountain top.
There, we must hasten – I make bold to say –
like Jesus, Who is our leader
and has gone before us into Heaven.
There, with Him, may the eyes of our mind
shine with His light and the features of our soul
be made new; may we be transfigured with Him
and moulded to His image,
ever becoming divine,
being transformed in an ever greater degree of glory.”

St Anastasius Sinaita (Died 6th Century)
Priest and Abbot
of St Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai

“The only true riches are those
that make us rich in virtue.
Therefore, if you want to be rich, beloved,
love true riches.
If you aspire to the heights of real honour,
strive to reach the Kingdom of Heaven.
If you value rank and renown,
hasten to be enrolled
in the heavenly court of the Angels.”

St Pope Gregory III (Died 741)

“Whatever riches and all other transitory things
you may possess, you must keep your heart
free from the slightest affection for them.
Your heart may be surrounded by riches;
however, riches must never master your heart!
… Do not let that mind which is the likeness of God,
cleave to mere earthly goods;
let it always be raised above them,
not sunk in them.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“Let us not strive for the rewards of Heaven,
valuable though they may be
but live, so as to please the God of Heaven.
If God were not in Heaven,
all its beauty, riches and sweetness,
would be dull rather than delightful.
By faith, we know, God already dwells within us.
But in Heaven, we will see God face-to-face.
May we so live that one day,
we will be in Heaven praising
and praying eternally,
before our Lord and Saviour!”

St Jane Frances de Chantal VHM (1572-1641)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MARIAN PRAYERS, MISSIONS, MISSIONARIES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, PRAYERS for PRIESTS, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRIESTS, all CLERGY, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on VIRTUE, ROSARY QUOTES, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 4 November – St Charles Borromeo

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Saint Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) He is known as the “Father of the Clergy” – Some of his Patronages – Bishops, Priests, Seminarians • Catechists • Catechumens • Spiritual Director s • Spiritual leaders.

“Prayer is the beginning,
the progress and the complement
of all virtues.”

“Souls are won with the knees.”

“The Rosary is the most divine of devotions.”

“Just as Christ came into this world only once,
clothed in our flesh, He is also ready
to come again, at any moment,
to dwell spiritually in our hearts
with the profusion of His graces,
as long as we do not resist Him!”

“We are all weak, I confess
but the Lord God has given us means with which,
if we wish, we can be strengthened with ease.”

O Holy Mother of God
A Prayer for our Priests
to the Most Blessed Virgin
By St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

O Holy Mother of God,
pray for the Priests
thy Son has chosen to serve His Church.
Help them by thy intercession,
to be holy,
zealous and chaste.
Make them models of virtue,
in the service of God’s people.
Help them to be prayerful in meditations,
effective in preaching
and enthusiastic in the daily offering
of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Help them to administer
the Sacraments with joy,
O Holy Mother of God.
Amen.

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/04/quote-s-of-the-day-4-november-st-charles-borromeo-2/

St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

Posted in CONTEMPLATIVE Prayer, franciscan OFM, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 19 October – St Peter of Alcantara

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 October – St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562) Confessor

“The soul enjoys silence and peace,
not by many reasonings
but, by simply contemplating the Truth.”

“The trouble, is that everyone talks
about reforming others
and no-one thinks
about reforming himself.”

“In prayer, the soul cleanses itself from sin,
charity is nourished,
faith is strengthened,
hope made secure;
the spirit rejoices,
the soul grows tender
and the heart is purified,
truth discovers itself,
temptation is overcome,
sadness takes to flight,
the senses are renewed,
failing virtue is made strong,
tepidity disappears,
the rust of sin is rubbed away.
In it are brought forth,
lively flashes of heavenly desires
and in these fires,
burns the flame of Divine love.
Great are the excellences of prayer,
great its privileges.
The heavens open before it
and unveil therein, their secrets
and to it, are the ears of God ever attentive.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/10/19/quote-s-of-the-day-19-october-st-peter-of-alcantar/

A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer

Download the book, “A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer”

St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

Posted in MODESTY, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Thought for the Day – 30 September – Christian Modesty

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

Christian Modesty

“The virtue of modesty is necessary, in that it regulates all our actions, internal and external and saves us from everything which threatens the purity of our souls.
It is also an inspiring example to the people around us.
The Saints often converted sinners and incited others to lead better lives, simply because their conduct proclaimed their purity and sanctity.

We should endeavour to do the same, without affectation, however but, in a simple and natural manner.
The continual mastery which we exercise over our interior and exterior faculties, should be reflected in our appearance, in our conversation and, in all our actions.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/30/thought-for-the-day-30-september-christian-modesty/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/09/30/thought-for-the-day-30-september-christian-modesty-2/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on VIRTUE, St Francis de Sales

Thought for the Day – 24 September – Prudence and Simplicity

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Thought for the Day – 24 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Prudence and Simplicity

“Apart from the Christian virtue of prudence, there is also the prudence of the world and of the flesh.
This, however, as St Francis de Sales explains, is really duplicity and craft – it does not avoid dissimulation and falsehood; it seeks its own profit only and is prepared to obtain its end by any means.
“I know nothing at all about the art of falsehood, dissimulation and pretence,” St Francis wrote to the Bishop of Belle, “which is the centre of political activity and the mainspring of human prudence.
That which I have on my lips, I have in my heart.
I hate duplicity like death” (Letters of St Francis de Sales [Spirito] Bk II C24, Letter 178).

Our prudence should, likewise, be inspired by rectitude, sincerity and simplicity.
We must speak the truth with charity and never lie or deceive.
“For we can do nothing against the truth,” says St Paul “but, only for the truth” (2 Cor 13:8).
He advises the Ephesians – “practice the truth in love” (Eph 4:15).
To the Romans he writes: “I would have you wise as to what is good and guileless as to what is evil” (Rom 16:19).

The virtue of Christian prudence then, consists in complete exactitude in all that is good, combined with a holy simplicity, free from any taint of duplicity or evil!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/09/28/thought-for-the-day-28-september-prudence-and-simplicity/

Posted in "Follow Me", JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, ON the SAINTS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SLOTH, QUOTES on TIME, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

Thought for the Day – 20 September – CARELESSNESS

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

CARELESSNESS

“Reflect on the infinite generosity of God, Who created us, redeemed us from sin by shedding the Blood of His Divine Son and enriched our souls with grace and supernatural gifts.
How can we remain indifferent and fail to correspond willingly with such goodness?
Virtue cannot be achieved without diligence and we cannot be true Christians, without virtue.
Let us consider the example given us by the Saints.
They lived in a continual and prayerful union with God; they never refused any task or any sacrifice, in order to show their love for Jesus and their total dedication to His will; they made every effort to attract others towards holinesss and to bring about the triumph of the Kingdom of Christ in the world.

What are we doing?
What are we prepared to do in future?
Are we carelessly wiling away our days in indolence and pleasure?”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/09/23/thought-for-the-day-23-september-carelessness/

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The BEATITUDES, The GOOD SHEPHERD

One Minute Reflection – 20 September – Blessed are you … Luke 6:20

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One Minute Reflection – 20 September – “Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – The Vigil of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist – Wisdom 5:16-20, Luke 6:17-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And He, lifting up His eyes on His disciples, said:
Blessed are you …” – Luke 6:20

REFLECTION – “Lord Jesus Christ, to teach us the summit of virtue, You ascended the mountain with Your disciples and taught them the Beatitudes and highest virtues, promising them the rewards applicable to each. Grant that my weakness may hear Your Voice, that I may apply myself, through their practice, to acquire the merit of the virtues, so that by Your Mercy, I may receive the promised reward. As I consider the payment, do not let me refuse the effort of the labour. Make my hope of eternal salvation, sweeten the bitterness of the cure, inflaming my soul with the splendour of Your work. Out of the wretched person I am, create one of the blessed; from the blessedness here below, lead me, by Your Grace, to the blessedness of the homeland.

Come, Lord Jesus Christ, in search of Your servant, seeking Your erring and exhausted sheep. Come, Spouse of the Church, in search of Your lost coin. Come, Father of mercies, welcome the prodigal son returning to You. Come, then, Lord, for You are the only One, able to call back the sheep that has strayed, to find the lost drachma, to reconcile the runaway son. Come, that there may be salvation on earth and joy in Heaven! Turn me towards You and grant that I may carry out a true and perfect repentance, so that I may become an occasion for joy, among the Angels. Sweetest Jesus, I pray Thee, by the immensity of Thine Love for me, a sinner, grant that I may love Thee alone, above all things, that I may be consoled by none but Thee, my sweetest God!” – Ludolph of Saxony (c1300-1378) Monk, Theologian, Writer, Dominican then a Carthusian (Prayers to Jesus Christ).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God that the worshipful Feast of Thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist, St Matthew, on the eve whereof we now stand, may avail us, to the increase, both of godliness toward Thee and of health to our own souls. 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 PAPAL PRAYERS, PARTIAL Indulgence, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The HEART

Our Morning Offering – 18 September – O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!

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Our Morning Offering – 18 September

O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!
By Pope Benedict XV (1854-1922)

O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!
O Fount of every good!
I adore Thee, I love Thee
and sincerely repenting of my sins,
I present to Thee my poor heart.
Give it back to me
humble, patient,
pure and in everything,
conformed to Thy wishes.
Make me, O good Jesus,
live in Thee and for Thee.
Protect me in dangers,
comfort me in afflictions,
grant me health of body,
succour in my temporal needs,
Thy blessing in all my works
and the grace of a holy death.
Amen

Indulgence – 100 days
Once a day
Pope Benedict XV
4 December 1916

Posted in CHRIST the KING, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Family PRAYERS, HYMNS, POETRY, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The DIVINE INFANT, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY GHOST, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Quote/s of the Day – 6 September – Seek the Kingdom

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 September – Feria Day – Galatians 5:16-24, Matthew 6:24-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But seek first the Kingdom of God
and His righteousness and all these things
shall be added to you.”

Matthew 6:33

“And the Lord God shall give unto Him
the throne of David, His father
and He shall reign in the house of Jacob forever.
And of His Kingdom there shall be no end.”
Luke 1:32-33

“During this present life, Christ rules in the Church.
By faith and love, He dwells
in the hearts of His elect and guides them,
by His unceasing care, toward their heavenly reward.
In the life to come, when their period of exile on earth is ended,
He will exercise His Kingship,
by leading the faithful to their heavenly country.
There, forever inspired by the vision of His Presence,
their one delight will be to praise and glorify Him.”

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

“The only true riches are those
that make us rich in virtue.
Therefore, if you want to be rich, beloved,
love true riches.
If you aspire to the heights of real honour,
strive to reach the Kingdom of Heaven.
If you value rank and renown,
hasten to be enrolled
in the heavenly court of the Angels.”

St Pope Gregory III (Died 741)

Adveniat Regnum Tuum!
Thy Kingdom Come!
By Katharine Tynan (1861-1931)

Thy Kingdom come ! Yea, bid it come!
But when Thy Kingdom first began
On earth, Thy Kingdom was a home,
A Child, a woman and a man.

The Child was in the midst thereof,
O, Blessed Jesus, holiest One!
The Centre and the Fount of Love
Mary and Joseph’s little Son.

Wherever on the earth shall be
A child, a woman and a man,
Imaging that sweet trinity
Wherewith Thy Kingdom first began,

Establish there Thy kingdom! Yea,
And o’er that trinity of love
Send down, as in Thy appointed day,
The brooding Spirit of Thy Dove!

Katharine Tynan (1861-1931) was an Irish born Poet and Writer and a friend of the Jesuit Poet, Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins. She contributed to many periodicals and magazines such as the Jesuit published Studies, the Dominican published Irish Rosary, Irish Monthly, Hibernia and Dublin University Review, besides her own private publications.
After her marriage, the addition of her husband’s name, “Hinkson” is often appended to her publications.

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 CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

One Minute Reflection – 23 August – “Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased thy Father to give thee a Kingdom. ” – Luke 12:32

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One Minute Reflection – 23 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Philip Benizi OSM (1233-1285) Confessor – 1 Corinthians. 4:9-14, Luke 12:32-34 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased thy Father to give thee a Kingdom. ” – Luke 12:32

REFLECTION – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”. The beginning of the New Testament is altogether joyful and full of fresh grace. It even nudges the unbeliever and sluggish to pay heed and, more to the point, to act, by promising happiness to the unfortunate and the Kingdom of Heaven to those in exile, those in any kind of distress. The beginning of the new Law is pleasant to hear and starts off under happy auspices, since the Legislator follows on from this beginning ,by giving so many assurances of beatitude. In this way those who have been attracted by them will go from one virtue to the next, climbing the eight steps that this Gospel has set up and placed within our hearts… For, it is clear that what it is all about, is the ascent of the heart and of the progress of merit, through eight steps of virtue, leading men gradually from the lowest to the highest levels of evangelical perfection. In this way they will at last enter and see the God of gods in Zion (Ps 83: 8), in His Temple, of which the Prophet has said: “It had a stairway of eight steps,” (Ez 40:37).

The first virtue for the beginner, is to renounce the world, through which we become poor in spirit; the second is gentleness, by which we submit ourselves and become accustomed to obedience; then, the grief with which we lament our sins or with weeping beg for the virtues. These we certainly enjoy, wherever we have the greatest hunger and thirst for justice, as much for ourselves as for others and begin to be stirred by zeal against sinners. Yet, lest immoderate fervour turn into fault, the mercy by which it is tempered follows after. Through putting this into practice and training ourselves, when we have learnt how to be just and how to be merciful, then we may, perhaps, be capable of entering into contemplation and giving oursees to the purification of our hearts, so as to see God!” – Blessed Guerric of Igny (c1080-1157) Cistercian Abbot (Sermon for All Saints).

PRAYER – O God, Who through St. Philip, Thy Confessor, gave us an outstanding example of humility, grant that Thy household may follow his example by scorning worldly prosperity and, ever seek the things of 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", MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Thought for the Day – 22 August – Patience

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Thought for the Day – 22 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Patience

“If we are patient from the motive of the love of God, we can gain merit in His sight.

There are three grades of perfection in the virtue.
(2) The first is the acceptance, with Christian resignation, of every kind of misfortune, offering it in expiation of our sins.
(2) The second consists in a cheerful and willing acceptance of these misfortunes because they come from God.
(3) The third stage is reached, when we actually desire them out of our love for Jesus Christ.

Which grade have we attained?
If we wish to please God, it is essential that we should have made the first grade at least.
“A patient man is better than a warrior and he, who rules his temper, than he who takes a city (Prov 26:22).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/31/thought-for-the-day-31-august-patience/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/08/23/thought-for-the-day-23-august-patience/

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ANGELS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WATCHING, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 August – ‘ … Stand ready to obey, when He comes and knocks …’

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One Minute Reflection – 19August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St John Eudes (1601-1680) Confessor, “The Apostle of Two Hearts”– Sirach 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Let your loins be girt about and your lamps burning …” – Luke 12:35

REFLECTION – “It is so that our spirit may be detached from its fantasies that the Word invites us, to shake off this heavy sleep, from the eyes of our souls, so that we may not slide away from the true reality, by clinging to what lacks substance. That is why He sets before us an image of vigilance when He says: “Let your loins be girt about and your lamps burning”… The meaning of these symbols is clear enough. Someone who is girded with temperance, lives in the light of a pure conscience because, filial trust enlightens his life, like a lamp. Lit up by the truth that person’s soul is detached from the sleep of illusion because, no empty dreams are leading it astray. As the Word says – if we do this, we shall enter into a life like that of the Angels…

Indeed, these are they who wait for the Lord at His return from the wedding and who are seated by the heavenly gates, with watchful eyes, so that the King of Glory (Ps 23:7) might once more pass through, when he returns from the marriage feast and enters again into the beatitude above the heavens. “Coming forth like the groom from his bridal chamber” (Ps 18:6)…, He united to Himself like a virgin, the nature we had prostituted to idols, once He had restored its virginal integrity, through sacramental regeneration. The nuptials, having now been accomplished, since the Church has been espoused by the Word… and brought into the chamber of His Mysteries, the Angels awaited the return of the King of Glory to the blessedness which matches His nature.

Hence, the text says that our lives ought to be like those of the Angels. Just as they live far from vice and self-deception, ready to welcome the second coming of the Lord, so we too ought to remain awake at the doors of our dwellings and stand ready to obey, when He comes and knocks at the door.” – St Gregory of Nyssa (335-395) Bishop, Father of the Church, Brother of St Basil the Great (Sermons on the Song of Songs No 11).

PRAYER – O God, Who wondrously enkindled St John, Thy Confessor, to promote the religious veneration of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and through him, willed to found new religious families in the Church, grant, we beseech Thee that we may honour his holy merits and may learn from the example of his virtues. 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).