Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 18 March – The Feast of St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387) Bishop of Jerusalem, Confessor Father & Doctor of the Church
“Blessed is the man who feareth the Lord, he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments.” Psalm 111:1
“Go, sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven.” Matthew 19:21
Use Your Money for Good!
St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Riches, gold and silver do not belong to the devil, as some think. For the whole world of riches belongs to the faithful man but not a penny to the faithless.
Now, nothing is more faithless than the devil,and God says plainly, by the Prophet, “The gold is mine and the silver is mine” (Haggai 2:8) and He gives it to whoever He wills. Simply use it well and there is nothing wrong with money. But whenever you have made bad use of it, you are unwilling to blame your own management, so you impiously throw the blame back at the Creator.
A man may even be justified by money. “I was hungry and you gave Me to eat” that certainly was from money. “I was naked and you clothed Me” that too was certainly from money.
Do you want to learn how money can become a door to the Kingdom of Heaven? “Go,” Jesus says, “sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven” (Matthew 19:21).
Now, I have made these remarks because of those heretics who say that our possessions and our money and our bodies, are cursed. I do not want you to be a slave to money but neither do I want you to treat, as your enemies do, the good things, to be used for good which God has given you.”
Quote/s of the Day – 29 February – Thursday in the Second Week of Lent – Jeremias 17:5-10, Luke 16:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The poor man died and was carried by the Angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham, far off and Lazarus in his bosom. …”
Luke 16:22-23
“… So then, you rich who have wisdom, apply yourselves to this business… Why let yourselves be transfixed by diamonds and emeralds, by houses that fire devours, time destroys, or earthquakes throw down? Aspire for nothing other than to dwell in the heavens and reign with God. A mere man, a beggar will gain you this Kingdom!”
St Clement of Alexandria (150- 215) Father of the Church
“All of our religion is but a false religion and all our virtues are mere illusions and we ourselves are only hypocrites in the sight of God, if we have not that universal charity for everyone, for the good and for the bad, for the poor people, as well as for the rich, for all those who do us harm, as much as for those, who do us good.”
Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 29 February – Thursday in the Second Week of Lent – Jeremias 17:5-10, Luke 16:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“ I am the Lord Who search the heart and prove the reins: Who give to everyone according to his way and according to the fruit of his devices.” Jeremias 17:10
“The poor man died and was carried by the Angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham, far off and Lazarus in his bosom. …” Luke 16:22-23
True Wealth, True Poverty
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
“When I say that God does not incline His ear to the rich man, do not go so far as to think, my friends that God fails to answer those who have gold and silver, servants and lands. If they were born in that state and occupy that class of society, let them call to mind the saying of the Apostle Paul: “Tell the rich in the present world, not to yield to pride” (1Tm 6:17). People who do not yield to pride are poor before God, Who inclines His ear to the poor and needy (Ps 85:1). Indeed, they know their hope does not lie in gold or silver, or in those things, of which they have an abundance, for a time. It suffices that possessions are not causing their loss and that, if they do nothing for their salvation, at least they are not an obstacle to it … Therefore, when someone despises those things that feed one’s pride, he is one of God’s poor and God inclines His ear towards him, for He knows the troubles of his heart.
It is true, my brethren that the poor man Lazarus, covered with sores, who lay at the rich man’s door, was carried by Angels into the bosom of Abraham. This is what we read and believe. Whereas ,the rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted splendidly everyday, was thrown down to the torments of hell.
But was it really the merit of his destitution which won for the poor man, his being carried away by Angels? And was the rich man delivered up to torment because of his lavish lifestyle? We need to acknowledge that it was humility which was honoured in that poor man and pride which was punished in the rich man!” – (Discourses on the Psalms 85,3).
One Minute Reflection – 28 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity”– St Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin/Gabriel Possenti CP (1838-1862) Confessor, – 1 John 2:14-17; Mark 10:13-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“One thing is lacking to thee; go, sell whatever thou has and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven and come, follow Me.” – Mark 10:21
REFLECTION – “Blessed is the poor man who cried and whom the Lord heard. Blessed is the man poor in offence. Blessed is the man poor in vices. Blessed is the poor man, in whom the prince of this world finds nothing. Blessed is the poor man who, is like that Poor Man Who, although He was rich, became poor for our sake. Matthew fully revealed this when he said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” One poor in spirit is not puffed up, is not exalted in the mind of his own flesh. This Beatitude is first, when I have laid aside every sin and I have taken off all malice and I am content with simplicity, destitute of evils. All that remains is that I regulate my conduct. For what good does it do me to lack worldly goods, unless I am meek and gentle?
Although there are many charms of delights in riches, yet there are more incentives to practice virtues. Although virtue does not require assistance and the contribution of the poor person, is more commended, than the generosity of the rich, yet with the authority of the heavenly saying, He condemns, not those who have riches but those who do not know how to use them. The pauper is more praiseworthy who gives with eager compassion and is not restrained, by the bolts of looming scarcity. He thinks that he who has enough for nature, does not lack. So the rich person is the more guilty, who does not give thanks to God, for what he has received but vainly hides wealth given for the common use and conceals it, in buried treasures. Then the offence consists, not in the wealth but in the attitude.
Purify yourself with your tears. Wash yourselves with mourning. If you weep for yourself, another will not weep for you…. One who is a sinner weeps for himself and rebukes himself, that he may become righteous, for just people accuse themselves of sin. Let us pursue order because, it is written, “Set in order love in me.” I have laid down sin. I have tempered my conduct. I have wept for my transgressions. I begin to hunger. I hunger for righteousness. The sick, when he is seriously ill, does not hunger because, the pain of the illness excludes hunger. What is the hunger for righteousness? What is the bread of which it is said, “I have been young and am old and I have not seen the righteous man forsaken, nor his seed begging bread?” Surely, one who is hungry, seeks increase of strength. What greater increase of virtue is there, than the rule of righteousness?” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church( Exposition on the Gospel of Luke, 5).
PRAYER – O God, Who taught blessed Gabriel to meditate continually on the sorrows of Thy most sweet Mother and Who, through her, exalted him by the glory of a holy life and miracles; grant us, we beseech Thee, through his intercession and example so to share in the sorrows of Thy Mother that her motherly protection may save 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).
Quote/s of the Day – 26 February – Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.”
Matthew 13:44
“Do you wish your prayer to fly toward God? Make for it two wings – fasting and almsgiving!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“What is a man’s treasure but the heaping up of profits and the fruit of his toil? For, whatever a man sows, this too will he reap and each man’s gain, matches his toil and where delight and enjoyment are found, there the heart’s desire is attached. Now, there are many kinds of wealth and a variety of grounds for rejoicing – every man’s treasure is that, which he desires. If it is based on earthly ambitions, its acquisition makes men not blessed but wretched. … By distributing what might be superfluous to support the poor, they are amassing imperishable riches, so that what they have discreetly given, cannot be subject to loss. They have properly placed those riches, where their heart is – it is a most blessed thing, to work to increase such riches, rather than to fear that they may pass away.”
St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Let your tongue be poor with them in converse but let your hands be rich to distribute out of your abundance!”
One Minute Reflection – 26 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity” –St Margaret of Cortona (1247–1297) Penitent – Sirach 51:13-17, Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he finds a single pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” – Matthew 13:45-46
REFLECTION – “For the man who loves God, it is sufficient to please the One he loves and, there is no greater recompense to be sought, than the loving itself. For love is from God, by the very fact, that God Himself is love. The good and chaste soul is so happy to be filled with Him that it desires to take delight in nothing else. For what the Lord says is very true: – ‘Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.’
What is a man’s treasure but the heaping up of profits and the fruit of his toil? For whatever a man sows, this too will he reap and each man’s gain, matches his toil and where delight and enjoyment are found, there the heart’s desire is attached. Now there are many kinds of wealth and a variety of grounds for rejoicing – every man’s treasure is that, which he desires. If it is based on earthly ambitions, its acquisition makes men not blessed but wretched.
But those who enjoy the things that are above and eternal, rather than earthly and perishable, possess an incorruptible, hidden store, of which the Prophet speaks: ‘Our treasure and salvation have come, wisdom and instruction and piety, from the Lord: these are the treasures of justice.’ Through these, with the help of God’s grace, even earthly possessions are transformed into heavenly blessings. It is a fact that, many people use the wealth, which is either rightfully left to them or otherwise, acquired, as a tool of devotion. By distributing what might be superfluous to support the poor, they are amassing imperishable riches, so that what they have discreetly given, cannot be subject to loss. They have properly placed those riches, where their heart is, – it is a most blessed thing, to work to increase such riches, rather than to fear that they may pass away.” – St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Bishop of Rome and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from Sermon 92).
PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord our God, that we may imitate Thy holy Penitent Margaret, may we at least present to her, our humble homage. 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 – 19 February – Monday of the First Week in Lent – Ferial Day –Ezechiel 34:11-16; Matthew 25:31-46 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“For I was hungry and you gave me to eat”
Matthew 25:35
“If there are people who refuse to work that is for the governor and the police to deal with. My duty is to assist and relieve those who come to my door.”
St Thomas of Villanova OSA (1488-1555) Archbishop, Confessor.
“… We must remember that the precept to “give that which remains, as alms” applies also to us. If there is someone in grave need whom we have the means of helping, we are obliged to do so by the command of the Gospel. It is the same Gospel which warns us that if we fail to do so, the Divine Judge will, one day, condemn us!”
“For judgement is without mercy to him who has not shown mercy … And if a brother or a sister be naked and in want of daily food and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ yet you do not give them what is necessary for the body, what does it profit? ” So faith too, unless it has works is dead in itself” (Js 2:13-17).”
One Minute Reflection – 12 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity” – The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (1233) – Ecclus 44:1-15; 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 – “Jesus said to them, ‘Come after Me; I will make you fishers of men.’” Happy transformation of fishing! Simon and Andrew are what Jesus caught fishing … These men are made similar to fish, caught by Christ, before going themselves to catch other people. “They immediately abandoned their nets and became His followers.” True faith knows no delay. As soon as they heard Him, they believed, they followed Him and they became fishers. “They immediately abandoned their nets.” I think that with those nets, they abandoned all the vices of the life of this world …
“Proceeding a little farther along, He caught sight of James, Zebedee’s son and his brother, John … He summoned them on the spot. They abandoned their father Zebedee, who was in the boat with the hired men and went off in His company.” You will tell me — faith is daring. What indication did they have, what sublime characteristic had they noted which made them follow Him, as soon as He called them? We realise that evidently something Divine came forth from Jesus’ gaze, from the expression on His Face which incited those who looked at Jesus to turn towards Him … Why am I saying all this? It is to show you that the Lord’s Word was active and, that through the least of His Words, He was working on His task: “He commanded and they were made.” (Ps 148:5) With the same simplicity, He called and they followed …: “Hear, O daughter and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father’s house. So shall the king desire your beauty.” (Ps 45:11-12)
Listen well, brother and follow the path of the Apostles; listen to the Saviour’s Voice, ignore your father according to the flesh and see the true Father of your soul and your mind … The Apostles left their father, left their boat, left all their riches of that time; they abandoned the world and its countless riches; they renounced all that they owned. However, God does not consider the mass of riches but rather, the soul of the person who renounces them. Those people who left only a few things would also have renounced a large fortune, if the need had arisen.” – St Jerome (347-420) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospel of Mark).
PRAYER – O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, to keep alive the memory of Your most holy Mother’s sorrows, through the Seven holy Fathers enriched your Church with a new family of her Servants, graciously grant that we may be so united with them in their sorrows, as also to share their joys. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – St Raymond of Peñafort OP (1175-1275) Confessor, “Father of Canon Law”
“May you never be numbered among those whose house is peaceful, quiet and free from care, those on whom the Lord’s chastisement does not descend, those who live out their days in prosperity and in the twinkling of an eye, will go down to hell!”
“Your purity of life, your devotion, deserve and call for a reward because you are acceptable and pleasing to God. Your purity of life must be made purer still, by frequent buffetings, until you attain perfect sincerity of heart. If, from time to time, you feel the sword falling upon you with double or treble force, this also should be seen as sheer joy and the mark of love!”
“Look then on Jesus, the Author and Preserver of faith — in complete sinlessness, He suffered and, at the hands of those who were His own and was numbered among the wicked. As you drink the cup of the Lord Jesus (how glorious it is!), give thanks to the Lord, the Giver of all blessings. May the God of love and peace set your hearts at rest and speed you on your journey; may He meanwhile, shelter you from disturbance by others in the hidden recesses of His Love, until He brings you, at last, into that place of complete plenitude, where you will repose forever in the vision of peace, in the security of trust and in the restful enjoyment of His riches. ”
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!”
Quote/s of the Day – 23 September – “Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – Hebrews 9:2-12, Luke 13:6-17 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“She was bent over and utterly unable to look upwards.”
Luke 13:11
“They shall see God.” Matthew 5:8
“You will surely not be allowed to see with an impure heart what one can only see with a pure heart. You will be moved away, put at a distance, you will not see! The vision of God is promised ONLY to people with a pure heart. This is not without a reason, since the eyes that allow us to see God are in the heart. Those are the eyes the Apostle Paul was talking about when he said: “May He enlighten your innermost vision” (Eph 1:18). So, at the present time because of their weakness, those eyes are enlightened by faith; later, because of their strength, they will be enlightened by vision… “Now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
“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!”
“To be faithful, we must live simply. Then, being free from attachments, we are possessed by nothing. We live in such absolute openness to Divine Love that whatever pleases God, becomes our heart’s desire.”
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.
Thought for the Day – 4 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Holy Indifference
“We may wonder whether we are to have a long or a short life. Nature would choose the first alternative because, the will to live and the fear of death are among the strongest of our basic instincts. To obtain a long life, we are prepared to promise God that we shall dedicate it to His glory and spend it in doing good works. But, if God sees that a long life would prove to be an occasion of sin for us and, that we should become too deeply attached to this world and forgetful of Heaven, then we should be resigned to and indeed, content with, a short life.
How many young people like St Maria Goretti, St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, St Dominic Savio and others, have reached the peak of sanctity while still in the flower of their youth?! If this were the will of God for us, surely we should welcome the advent of an early death?
There is another question which often bothers those who attempt to look into the future. Shall I be rich or poor? It is natural to desire wealth and to want to avoid poverty. Yet, Jesus says: “Blessed are the poor … and woe to the rich!” It is clear then that wealth is likely to be a greater spiritual danger than poverty, for it can cause us to become more attached to worldly possessions. We can save our souls whether we are rich or poor, as long as we make right use of whatever we have/
One Minute Reflection – 4 September – “Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – St Rose of Viterbo (c1233 – 1251) Virgin – Galatians 5:16-24, Matthew 6:24-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“No man can serve two masters.” – Matthew 6:24
REFLECTION – “To want to place one’s hope and trust in passing things, is to want to set one’s foundations in running water! Everything passes, God abides. To be attached to what is transitory is to cut oneself off from what endures. For who, carried away by the angry whirling of a rapid, can stand firm in that roiling flood? So, if you wish to avoid being carried away by the current, then flee from all that flows away. Otherwise, the object of our love, will make us finish by doing exactly what we wanted to avoid! Whoever attaches himself to transitory things, will surely be dragged along, to wherever the things he is clinging to, are drifting.
So, the first thing we must do, is to keep ourselves from loving material goods; the second is, not to put our trust in such of those goods, as are entrusted for our use and not our enjoyment. The soul, who is attached to goods which only pass away, very soon loses its own stability. The current of this present life carries off, whoever it bears and, it is a foolish delusion, for whoever this current carries, to try to stand upright in it!” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Morals on Job, 34).
PRAYER – Protect Thy Church by Thine abiding mercy, we beseech Thee, O Lord and since all mortals fall without Thee, may Thy help keep them from danger and guide them to salvation. May the prayers of Thy virgin the blessed Rose, assist us on our journey to Thee. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
One Minute Reflection – 24 August – St Bartholomew the Apostle and Martyr – 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, Luke 6:12-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“At that time, Jesus departed to the mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God.” -Luke 6:12
REFLECTION – “At that time, Jesus departed to the mountain to pray and He spent the night in prayer to God.” Not all those who pray, climb the mountain… but, those who pray well, who rise up above the goods of earth to higher goods, climb onto the summit of watchfulness and love, from on high. Those who worry about worldly riches or honours, do not climb the mountain; no-one who covets another’s lands, climbs the mountain. Those who seek God, go up it and those who go up, beg the Lord’s aid for their journey. All great and noble souls climb the mountain, for it is not to the first comer alone that the prophet says: “Go up onto a high mountain, thou who announce glad tidings to Sion. Cry out at the top of thy voice, thou who bring good news to Jerusalem,” (Is 40:9). Not by physical exploits but by high-minded actions, will you scale this mountain. Follow Christ… search the Gospel – you will find that only His disciples climbed up the mountain with the Lord.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Archbishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church (On the Gospel of Saint Luke 5,41).
PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who bestowed on us the devout and holy joy of this day to celebrate the Feast of Thy blessed Apostle Bartholomew, grant unto Thy Church, we beseech Thee, both to love what he believed and to preach what he taught. 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 – 21 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Jane Frances de Chantal VHM (1572-1641) Widow – Proverbs 31:10-31, Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.” – Matthew 13:44
REFLECTION – “For the man who loves God, it is sufficient to please the One he loves and, there is no greater recompense to be sought, than the loving itself. For love is from God, by the very fact, that God Himself is love. The good and chaste soul is so happy to be filled with Him that it desires to take delight in nothing else. For what the Lord says is very true: – ‘Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.’
What is a man’s treasure but the heaping up of profits and the fruit of his toil? For whatever a man sows, this too will he reap and each man’s gain, matches his toil and where delight and enjoyment are found, there the heart’s desire is attached. Now there are many kinds of wealth and a variety of grounds for rejoicing – every man’s treasure is that which he desires. If it is based on earthly ambitions, its acquisition makes men not blessed but wretched!
But those who enjoy the things that are above and eternal, rather than earthly and perishable, possess an incorruptible, hidden store, of which the prophet speaks: ‘Our treasure and salvation have come, wisdom and instruction and piety, from the Lord: these are the treasures of justice.’ Through these, with the help of God’s grace, even earthly possessions are transformed into heavenly blessings. It is a fact that many people use the wealth, which is either rightfully left to them or otherwise, acquired, as a tool of devotion. By distributing what might be superfluous to support the poor, they are amassing imperishable riches, so that what they have discreetly given, cannot be subject to loss. They have properly placed those riches, where their heart is, – it is a most blessed thing, to work to increase such riches, rather than to fear that they may pass away.” – St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Bishop of Rome and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from Sermon 92).
PRAYER – Almighty and merciful God, Who endowed St Jane Frances, burning with love of Thee, with a wondrous strength of spirit through all the paths of life, in the way of perfection and willed through her, to ennoble Thy Church, by a new religious family, grant by her merits and prayers, that we who are aware of our weakness, may trust firmly in Thy power and, by the assistance of divine grace, overcome all obstacles in our way. 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 – 6 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Riches and Poverty
“In this matter, as in all others, we have a great deal to learn from the Saints. Not only did they give to the poor, whatever was superfluous to themselves but, they deprived themselves even of the necessities of life because they saw in their destitute fellowmen, the person of Jesus Christ.
They really loved their neighbour as themselves and, more than themselves, in fact, for the sake of the love og God. For this reason, they enjoyed clothing the naked and feeding the hungry whenever it was in their power to do so.
We may not be capable of doing exactly the same because we have not reached the same height of perfection, or have ourselves not the material means. But, we must remember that the precept to “give that which remains, as alms” applies also to us. If there is someone in grave need whom we have the means of helping, we are obliged to do so by the command of the Gospel. It is the same Gospel which warns us that if we fail to do so, the Divine Judge will, one day, condemn us!”
One Minute Reflection – 7 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Cajetan (1480-1547) Confessor – Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11, Matthew 6:24-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“No man can serve two masters …” – Matthew 6:24
REFLECTION – “I firmly believe that you know the Kingdom of Heaven is promised and given, by the Lord, only to the poor (cf Mt 5:3) because, she who loves what is temporal, loses the fruit of love.
It is not possible to serve God and mammon, for either the one is loved and the other hated, or the one is served and the other despised; one clothed cannot fight another naked because she who has something to be caught hold of, is more quickly thrown to the ground: someone who lives in the glory of earth, cannot rule with Christ; it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (cf Mt 6:24).
Therefore, you have cast aside your garments, that is, earthly riches, so that instead of being overcome, by the one fighting against you, you will be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven through the straight path and the narrow gate (cf Mt 7:13-14).” – St Clare OSC (1193-1252) Foundress of the Poor Clares (1st Letter to Saint Agnes of Prague 25-29).
PRAYER – O God, Who bestowed upon St Cajetan, Thy Confessor, the grace to follow the apostolic way of life; grant us we beseech Thee, by his intercession and example, ever to trust in Thee and to long only for the things of Heaven.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 – 22 June – St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431) Bishop, Confessor, Father.
“Thus our Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, who voluntarily abandoned vast wealth and became quite poor, when the barbarians sacked Nola and took him prisoner, although abundantly rich in holiness, used silently to pray, as he afterwards told me, “O Lord, let me not be troubled for gold and silver, for where all my treasure is Thou knowest.” For all his treasure was where he had been taught to hide and store it by Him, Who had also foretold that these calamities would happen in the world. Consequently, those persons who obeyed their Lord when He warned them where and how to lay up treasure, did not lose, even their earthly possessions, in the invasion of the barbarians; while those who are now repenting that they did not obey Him, have learnt the right use of earthly goods, if not by the wisdom, which would have prevented their loss, at least by the experience which follows it.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“City of God Book I.X”
On Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus, more simply known as St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431) Bishop of Nola Father of the Church
Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 10 March – Friday of the Second Week in Lent – Hebrews 11:33-39, Luke 6:17-23. – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The just cried and the Lord heard them and delivered them out of all their troubles.” Psalm 33:18
“And He, lifting up His eyes on His disciples, said: Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.” Luke 6:20
POVERTY AMID RICHES St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritas
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God” and if so, woe be to the rich in spirit, for theirs must be the bitterness of hell! By rich in spirit, I mean him, whose riches engross his mind, or whose mind is buried in his riches. He is poor in spirit, whose heart is not filled with the love of riches, whose mind is not set upon them. …
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! … And this, my child, is what your heart should be – open only to Heaven, impenetrable to riches and earthly treasures. If you have them, keep your heart from attaching itself to them; let it maintain a higher level and amidst riches be as though you had none, superior to them. 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.
… Do not fix your longings on anything which you do not possess; do not let your heart rest in that which you have; do not grieve overmuch , at the losses which may happen to you – and then, you may reasonably believe, that although rich in fact, you are not so in affection but that you are poor in spirit and, therefore, blessed, for the Kingdom of Heaven is yours.” (Introduction to the Devout Life – PART III Containing counsels concerning the practice of virtue).
Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 7 March – Tuesday of the Second Week in Lent – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.” Luke 6:20
“I was an hungred and you gave Me to eat, I was naked and ye clothed Me; come, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Matthew 25:34-36
ALMSGIVING St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritas
“MY CHILD, OUR POSSESSIONS ARE NOT OURS – God has given them to us to cultivate, that we may make them fruitful and profitable in His Service and so doing, we shall please Him. And this we must do more earnestly than worldly men, for they look carefully after their property out of self-love and we must work for the love of God. Now self-love is a restless, anxious, over-eager love and so, the work done on its behalf is troubled, vexatious and unsatisfactory–whereas the love of God, is calm, peaceful and tranquil and so the work done for its sake, even in worldly things, is gentle, trustful and quiet. …
… Always dispose of a part of your means by giving them heartily to the poor – you impoverish yourself, by whatever you give away. It is true that God will restore it to you, not only in the next world, but in this, for nothing brings so much temporal prosperity as free almsgiving but meanwhile, you are sensibly poorer for what you give. Truly that is a holy and rich poverty which results from almsgiving.
… Love the poor and poverty, this love will make you truly poor, since, as Holy Scripture says, we become like to that we love. Love makes lovers equal. “Who is weak and I am not weak?” (2 Cor 11:29) says St Paul? He might have said, Who is poor and I am not poor? for it was love which made him like to those he loved and so, if you love the poor, you will indeed share their poverty and be poor like them.
And if you love the poor, seek them out, take pleasure in bringing them to your home and in going to theirs, talk freely with them and be ready to meet them, whether in Church or elsewhere. Let your tongue be poor with them in converse but let your hands be rich to distribute out of your abundance!” (Introduction to the Devout Life Part III – 15. How to exercise real Poverty, although actually Rich).
Thought for the Day – 31 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Outward Appearances
“Men of the world look at the outward appearance of things and are often satisfied with that. Many of them desire and long for physical beauty, wealth, high social status and honours. It does not matter to them if beneath this splendid facade, there are concealed, a mean and impoverish spirit, a corrupt and dishonest heart, an egotism indifferent to noble ideals and an astuteness intent on ousting potential rivals. All this is unimportant, as long as they are successful and can keep up appearances,
We tend to live for what others think and say about us, in other words, for external appearances. Is this you?”
Quote/s of the Day – 28 January – St Peter Nolasco OdeM (c 1182–c 1256) Confessor, Founder – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14, Luke 12:32-34 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Sell what you possess and give alms. Make for yourselves purses which do not grow old, a treasure unfailing in Heaven, where neither thief draws near, nor moth destroys.”
Luke 12:33
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again and out of joy, goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
Matthew 13:44
“It was Christ Who was present to all those to whom, from the beginning, God communicated His Speech and Word. If anyone, therefore, reads the Scriptures with attention, he will find in them, an expression of Christ and a foreshadowing of this new calling. For Christ is the Treasure which was hidden in the field, that is, in this world (Mt 13:38) – a Treasure hidden in the Scriptures, …” Thus it was, that the Lord explained the Scriptures to His disciples, after His Resurrection from the dead, proving to them, by their means, that “it was necessary the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory” (Lk 24:26). So, if anyone should likewise read the Scriptures that person will become a perfect disciple, “like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom things both new and old.” (Mt 13:52).
St Irenaeus of Lyons ((130-202) Bishop, Martyr, Father of the Church
“If you wish to be perfect, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven.”
Matthew 19:21
“In saying this I am speaking the truth because I am relying on the words of Him ,Who is Truth: “If you wish to be perfect, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven” Mt 19:21). Do not be cast down by these words, lest the same thing be said to you, as to the rich young man: “It will be difficult for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 19:23). Still more, when you read this sentence, consider that death can snatch these possessions away from you that the aggression of someone powerful, can carry them away. At the end of the day, you will have seen no further than insignificant goods, in place of great wealth – these are no more than a treasure of coins, rather than treasures of grace. By their very nature, they perish, rather than remaining forever!”
St Ambrose (340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 28 January – St Peter Nolasco OdeM (c 1182–c 1256) Confessor, Founder – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14, Luke 12:32-34 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Sell what you possess and give alms. Make for yourselves purses which do not grow old, a treasure unfailing in Heaven, where neither thief draws near, nor moth destroys.” – Luke 12:33
REFLECTION – “You are a jailor of your wealth, not its owner, you who bury your gold in the ground (cf Mt 25:25); you are its slave and not its master. Christ said: “Where your treasure is there also your heart will be” so it is your heart you have buried. Rather, sell your gold and buy salvation; sell what is metal and acquire God’s Kingdom; sell the field and purchase for yourself eternal life!
In saying this I am speaking the truth because I am relying on the words of Him Who is Truth: “If you wish to be perfect, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven” (Mt 19:21). Do not be cast down by these words, lest the same thing be said to you, as to the rich young man: “It will be difficult for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 19:23). Still more, when you read this sentence, consider that death can snatch these possessions away from you that the aggression of someone powerful, can carry them away. At the end of the day, you will have seen no further than insignificant goods, in place of great wealth – these are no more than a treasure of coins, rather than treasures of grace. By their very nature, they perish, rather than remaining forever!” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church (Naboth the poor, 58).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who, as an example of Thy love, divinely taught St Peter to enrich Thy Church with new offspring, a family of Religious devoted to the ransom of the faithful, grant by his intercession that we may be released from the slavery of sin and rejoice in lasting freedom in Heaven. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Thought for the Day – 23 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Rich
“A very rich man who was convinced that he was a good Christian, went to Confession one day. He discussed his doubts and worries about the passages in Sacred Scripture which have just been quoted (see Part One). The penance which he received from the Confessor, was that he should go and read and meditate in a certain city suburb. This area was full of cabins and shacks, where large numbers of poor, abandoned people were eking out an existence. He drove there in his large streamlined car. He stopped and began reading slowly. After a while, he became greatly affected and wept … He left his car and, as if driven by some irresistible force, began to distribute all the money which he had with him to those poor people. At last, he understood fully and without the need of any glossary, the command of Our Lord: “Give that which remains as alms and behold, all things are clean to you” (Lk 11:41). From that day, he was no longer a self-complacent Christian but a just and charitable rich man.
We can all learn a lot from this story. Even if we are not rich, we certainly have a little more than we need. Let us give it to the poor. They are the poor representations of Christ, our poor Saviour. We shall never be worthy members of the Mystical Body of Christ, if we do not see the image of Jesus Christ in the poor.”
Thought for the Day – 20 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Blessed are the Poor
“Those who are really poor should not be too disturbed. If they are resigned to their poverty and are not consumed by the desire for riches, the blessing of the Gospel is theirs. Let them remember that when Jesus became Man, in order to redeem us, He did not choose to be wealthy. He chose to be the poorest of men. Similarly, Our Blessed Lady, St Joseph and all the Saints, were free from all desire of worldly possessions, so that there was room in their hearts only for God, their supreme good. Let them remember too, for their cosolation that it is much easier for them to gain Heaven because they are not weighed down by worldly cares.
Let us all love and aim at acquiring the true riches of the spirit, which are to be found now in the practice of virtue and later in Heaven.”
One Minute Reflection – 23 August – St Philip Benizi OSM (1233-1285) Confessor – 1 Corinthians. 4:9-14, Luke 12:32-34
“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” – Luke 12:34
REFLECTION – “All this is what that treasure brings about. Either through almsgiving, it raises the heart of a man into Heaven, or through greed it buries it in the earth. That is why He said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” O man, send your treasure on, send it ahead into Heaven, or else your God-given soul will be buried in the earth! Gold comes from the depth of the earth — the soul, from the highest Heaven. Clearly it is better ,to carry the gold to where the soul resides, than to bury the soul, in the mine of the gold. That is why God orders those who will serve in His Army here below, to fight as men stripped of concern for riches and unencumbered by anything. To these He has granted the privilege of reigning in Heaven.” – St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) Bishop of Ravenna, “Doctor of Homilies” Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 22)
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).
Thought for the Day – 6 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Almsgiving
“Even if it is not very great, wealth is a dangerous thing. It is a burden which hampers us spiritually, unless it is enriched by charity. Of itself, wealth is opposed to the spirit of the Gospel. In the Church of God, therefore, the only fitting role which rich men can assume, is to place their abundance at the service of charity and become the servants of the poor.
St Thomas Aquinas says that wealth can be an instrument of virtue and that, it is only in this sense that it can be called good. If it impedes the practice of virtue, then it is evil (Summa Contra Gentiles, 111:134). Let us make good use of our assets, therefore and give generously to those who are in need, without allowing our motives to become tainted with self-interest.
“Sell what you have and give alms,” said Christ, “Make for ourselves purses that do not grow old, a treasure unfailing in Heaven, where neither thief draws near nor moth destroys” (Lk 12:33). It is the possession of this kind of treasure, which will comfort us at the hour of death.”
Thought for the Day – 5 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Riches and Poverty
“We must face this unfortunate fact. One half of the world is living in luxury while the other half lives in squalor. Worse still, both the inanity and arrogance of the wealthy and the degradation and abjection of the destitute, extinguish the light of the Gospel and drown the voice of conscience.
Who is at fault? We must all share the blame, for nobody has ever fully implemented the Gospel teaching, which alone contains a complete solution for the problems of the human race. A great deal of want and misery would disappear, if all those whose assets exceed what they need for themselves, remembered that they are obliged to love their neighbour as themselves. They would then take heed of the precept: “Give that which remains as alms” (Lk 11:41), We should all examine ourselves rigidly on this point because, we could all do far more to help the needy, whom we do not love, unfortunately, as much as we love ourselves!”
Thursday of the Second week of Lent – 17 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Jeremias 17:5-10, Luke 16:19-31
“Deign, O God, to rescue me; O Lord, make haste to help me … ” – Psalm 69:2
“There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously everyday. And at his gate lay a poor man, named Lazarus…”
Luke 16:19–20
“… A CERTAIN MAN, it is said, living in great wickedness, was rich and he experienced no ill fortune but all good things flowed to him as from a perennial fountain. For that nothing undesirable happened to him – no cause of trouble – none of the ills of human lif, is implied when it is said, that “he feasted sumptuously everyday.”
AND THAT HE LIVED wickedly is clear from the end allotted to him and even before his end, from the neglect which he displayed in the case of the poor man – for, that he felt pity neither for the poor man at his gate, nor for any other, he himself showed. …
BUT HE HAD NO FEELINGS, he was more severe and harsh than that judge who neither feared God nor regarded man. For the judge, although so cruel and stern, was moved by the perseverance of the widow to be gracious and listen to her petition but this man, could not even thus be induced to give aid to the poor man, notwithstanding that his petition was not like that of the widow but much easier and fairer. …
WHEN WE ARE URGED, we frequently feel annoyed but when we see those who need our help remaining in perfect silence and saying not a word and although always failing to gain their object, not bearing it hardly but. only appearing before us in silence, even though we are more unfeeling than the very stones, we are shamed and moved by such exceeding humility.
THERE IS ALSO another circumstance of not less weight, namely, that the very appearance of the poor man was pitiable, since he was emaciated by hunger and long sickness. Yet none of these things influenced that cruel man. …
STILL IT CAME TO PASS that a man living in wickedness and inhumanity enjoyed every kind of good fortune and a just and virtuous man lingered in the greatest ills. For that Lazarus was a just man is made plain, as in the other case, by his end and even before his end, by his patience and poverty. Do you not, indeed, seem to see these things present before our eyes?” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (Excerpt First Discourse on Luke 16:19-31)
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.