Category: QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Posted in NOVENAS, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES on the FAMILY, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

NOVENA FOR THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOSEPH – DAY SEVEN – Patron of Workers – 17 March

Posted on by AnaStpaul

NOVENA FOR THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOSEPH

DAY SEVEN

Patron of Workers

Dear Saint Joseph,
you were yourself once faced
with the responsibility
of providing the necessities of life,
for Jesus and Mary.
Look down with fatherly compassion upon us
in our anxiety over inabilities
to support our families.
Please help any insuch need, to find gainful employment very soon,
so that this heavy burden of concern,
will be lifted from their hearts
and that they soon may be able to provide for those
whom God has entrusted to their care.
Help them to guard against bitterness and discouragement,
so that they may emerge from this trial,
spiritually enriched with virtue
and with even greater blessings from God.
We raise our hearts to you
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus
all the graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly the grace of a happy death,
and the special grace I now implore:
…………….. (Mention your request)
Guardian of the Word Incarnate,
We feel confident, that your prayers on our behalf,
will be graciously heard before the throne of God
St Joseph Most Holy Patron of Workers,
Pray for us!
Amen

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father …

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Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on VANITY, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 10 March – The Hidden Life of Jesus

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Thought for the Day – 10 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Hidden Life of Jesus

“There are many who complain that their work is degrading or heavy or unsatisfying.
This is an indication that they are working for themselves, rather than for God.

We should sanctify our work by prayer.
We should meditate on the example of Jesus and remeber that there are many sins for which we must make reparation.
If we offer our work to God, it will not only become meritorious but, much easier to bear.

To work purely for profit is avarice, to work for the good opinion and praise of others, is vanity and to work in order to pass the time – is a waste of time!
The perfect Christian approach, is to work in order to do our duty, to please God, to atone for our sins and to gain Heaven.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/10/thought-for-the-day-10-march-the-hidden-life-of-jesus/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/10/thought-for-the-day-10-march-the-hidden-life-of-jesus-2/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The KINGDOM of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 March – Our Precious Pearl

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One Minute Reflection – 6 March – “The Month of the St Joseph” – Sts Perpetua and Felicity (Died c203) Martyrs – Ecclesiasticus 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 venerate with unceasing devotion Thy holy Martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas and, although we cannot pay them the honour that is their due, may we at least present to them, 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).

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, VENIAL SIN

Thought for the Day – 24 February – The Duties of Our State

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

The Duties of Our State

“Let us be content, or at least, resigned in the position in which Providence has placed us.
Let us pay special attention to those things which we are obliged to do.
Anything which is not necessary should be left until later, even if it is more pleasant or seems more worthwhile in itself.
Let us never become involved in business which is incompatible with our state or dangerous to our eternal welfare.
Let us not make light of minor offences against the duties of our state.
Smaller transgressions gradually become greater.
Above all, let us try to sanctify our calling.
It is one thing to work conscientiously, another to work in a spirit of holiness.,
Even pagans can do their duty earnestly.
Doing our duty is only a help to our eternal salvation if it is done with God’s grace for the purpose of serving Him, for His love and glory.
This should be our manner of behaviour.
If it is, we can claim to have sanctified our state in life and to have made our work holy.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/16/thought-for-the-day-16-february-the-duties-of-our-state/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/02/16/thought-for-the-day-16-february-the-duties-of-our-state-2/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 4 February – “Ora et labora” – Work and Sanctity

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Thought for the Day – 4 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Ora et labora” – Work and Sanctity

“Everyone imagines that there are innumerable problems in the world to be solved.
As a matter of fact, there are but they can all be reduced to one in the end – the problem of sanctity.
If we were all saints, or at any rate sincerely trying to put into practice the maxims of the Gospel – all the other questions would be answered.

For a Christian, work should mean the employment of his bodily and spiritual energies for the glory of God, for his own benefit and for the common good.
He can work to earn his daily bread, for personal satisfaction, for the advancement of science, art, or society.
These are all good motives.
But the Christian must also have a higher motive.
Even as he is living for eternity, so must he work for eternity.
He must realise that God will admit us to Heaven if we have worked for love of Him and in union with Him.
Like everything else in our lives, work must be raised to a supernatural level.
We must work patiently because it is our duty and the will of God.
In this way, we shall make use of the talents which God has given us, not only for our own benefit but also, as a means of helping so many of our fellowmen, who are dependent on us.

Then work will be something other besides an expenditure of energy and an atonement for our sins.
It will be a pleasure because we shall know that God is counting every moment of sacrifice which we are willingly enduring for His sake.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/04/thought-for-the-day-4-february-ora-et-labora-work-and-sanctity/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/02/04/thought-for-the-day-4-february-ora-et-labora-work-and-sanctity-2/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on REPARATION, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 3 February – WORK

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Thought for the Day – 3 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

WORK

“Since the fall of Adam. work is not only a pleasure but, a burden and an atonement too.
It is deceitful to hold forth the promise, of a paradise of workers, a possibility in which no intelligent person could be expected to believe.
The so-called social plan for workers, designed to create a paradise upon earth, produces only a system of regimentation, in which men cease to be free and become insignificant cogs of the all-powerful state mechanism.
We MUST oppose this degradingly materialistic conception of labour.
Work is a command of God, Who, after the sin of Adam, told him and his sons: “In the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread.” (Gen 3:19).

Let us accept from God this high responsibility of co-operation with Him, in His work of creation and redemption.
Let us accept it alike, when it is a pleasure and when it is a sacrifice.
Let us accept it with the cheerfulness of the Saints, or at least, with resignation.
Let us realise that by working, we purify our souls and atone for our sins.
We also make ourselves useful to our brothers on earth because, the work of our hands and of our minds, exercises a social function, especially on behalf of the abandoned classes.
It is an apostolate of expiation and redemption for large numbers of souls who are sunk in ignorance and sin.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/02/03/thought-for-the-day-3-february-work/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 10 November – Prayer, Work and Leisure

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Thought for the Day – 10 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Prayer, Work and Leisure

“WORK:
Work is a duty commanded by God, Who, after the sin of Adam, told him and his descendants: “In the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread” (Gen 3:19).
So, work becomes an obligation and a means of expiation.
We are all obliged, therefore, to engage in some kind of work, mental or manual, whether we are rich or poor.
Idleness had been condemned by God as the father of all the vices.
“Idleness,” warns the Holy Spirit, “is an apt teacher of mischief” (Eccles 33:29).
It is impossible for a man who works and prays, to commit sin, both because he lacks the time and because he is close to God.
A man who is close to God will certainly never offend Him. whereas the mind of a man who is lazy and inactive, is open to the attractions of sin.

Let us shun idleness, therefore and love hard work, as a means of making reparation for our sins and of gaining merit before God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/10/thought-for-the-day-10-november-prayer-work-and-leisure/

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on TRUST in GOD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The LORD'S PRAYER, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 22 October – Our Daily Bread

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Thought for the Day – October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
Our Daily Bread

“When we pray to God to give us our daily bread, we should remember this beautiful sermon of Christ, (Cf Mt 6:25-34), which will remove all our anxiety and worldly worry.
As long as we are prepared to do our work, we shall obtain our daily bread from our loving Father and shall receive, in addition, spiritual peace, confidence and perfect resignation to His Holy Will.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/21/thought-for-the-day-19-october-our-daily-bread/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/22/thought-for-the-day-22-october-our-daily-bread/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FRANCISCAN OFM, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART

One Minute Reflection – 19 October – ‘ … An incorruptible store …’

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One Minute Reflection – 19 October – St Peter of Alcantara OFM (1499-1562) Confessor – Philippians 3:7-12, Luke 12:32-34 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” – Luke 12:34

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 – O God, Who graciously made blessed Peter, Thy Confessor, glorious by the gift of remarkable penance and sublime contemplation, grant, we beseech Thee, that, by the merit of his prayers, we may the more easily understand the things of Heaven by curbing our passions. 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 GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 13 August – Work and Worry

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Thought for the Day – 13 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Work and Worry

“There are many people who claim that they are working for God and for souls.
In fact, they do work hard and make great sacrifices but, at the first sign of failyre, they are disappointed and discouraged.
Why is that?
It is because, they only believed that they were working for God and for His Church, whereas, in their heart and soul, they were more influenced by self-love and by a desire fore the praise and approval of others.
Their motives were not completely disinterested and their sacrifices were not made entirely for God.
Therefore, they were disturbed by visions of success in human terms and were agitated at the prospect of failure.

The Saints worked hard too but they never worried.
They were always calm because, their attention was focused on Heaven, rather than on themselves.

As long as we work entirely for God and accept, as His Will, the outcome of our efforts, everything will go well for us, even when it seems to be going badly!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/16/thought-for-the-day-16-august-work-and-worry/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The KINGDOM of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 July – Our Precious Pearl

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One Minute Reflection – 21 July – “The Month of the Precious Blood” – the Memorial of St Praxedes of Rome, Virgin Martyr (Died 164) – 1 Corinthians 7:25-3, Matthew 13:44-52

“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.” – Matthew13:45-46

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

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 15 June – The Divine Worker

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Thought for the Day – 15 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Divine Worker

“Work is both a right and an obligation, which belongs to all men.
In the beginning of creation, however, work was a pleasure for the human race and the earth yielded its fruits easily and readily.
“The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to till it and to keep it” (Gen 2:15).
But after Adam’s sin of rebellion, nature, in its turn, rebelled against man.
Work was no longer merely a pleasure but, a chastisement and a dire necessity too.

“Cursed be the ground because of you,” God said to Adam.
“In toil shall you eat of it, all the days of your life; thorn and thistles shall it bring forth to you and you shall eat the plants of the field. In the sweat of your brow, you shall eat bread.” (Gen 3:17-19).

This commandment of God is binding upon everyone.
Idleness is condemned as the source of evil.
“Idleness is an apt teacher of mischief ” (Ecclus 33:29).
Everyone must engage, in either mental or manual labour.
These two kinds of work, complement one another and are equally dignified and necessary.
A man who works with his hands should not envy the man who works with his intellect.
The mental worker should not despise nor consider himself superior to the manual labourer.
We are all brothers and have been placed wherever we are by the designs of Providence.
For this reason, we should love and help one another.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/15/thought-for-the-day-14-june-the-divine-worker/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The HEART

Thought for the Day – 12 March – Detachment from the World

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Thought for the Day – 12 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Detachment from the World

“This is not the same as saying that we should have no interest in worldly affairs.
Far from it.
It is our duty to think about them and make provision for the future.
We cannot and should not, look for miracles from God.
We may have obligations to ourselves or to our family, or to our position in life.
We are in this world to work, not to surrender to apathy or inactivity.
We must engage in worldly activity insofar as our circumstances demand it.
Nevertheless, our hearts should not be engrossed in earthly things, for they belong to God.
In the midst of our other preoccupations, we should adore, love and thank God, the Giver of every good, our Creator and Redeemer.
St John Bosco said, that we should work as if we never had to die.
But, we should also be as detached from worldly things, as if we had to die in one hour.
A man who works like this, can accomplish wonders because, he is not working for himself but, for God.
We should work and pray with our feet on the earth and our minds in Heaven.
We should seek God, not ourselves, in everything which we do.
Let us remember, that one moment in Heaven, is worth infinitely more than all the pleasure, love and vanity of this world!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/12/thought-for-the-day-12-march-detachment-from-the-world/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SLOTH, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 10 March – The Hidden Life of Jesus

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Thought for the Day – 10 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Hidden Life of Jesus

“Jesus chose to be an ordinary workman.
He had power over the Angels of Heaven, over the sun and stars of the firmament, over the waves of the ocean and over all the elements,
By a single act of His Divine Will , He could multiply loaves and change water into wine.
Yet, He elected to earn His living by the sweat of His brow.
In His times, the artisan was held in low esteem and was very often a slave.
Manual labour was regarded as sordid and undignified.
Christ wished to sanctify manual work by His own toil.
He wished to teach men that, in the eyes of God, the hoe is as valuable as the pen.
There is no difference between driving a plough and wielding a sceptre, as long as a man is fulfilling his duty for the love of God.
The only thing in this regard which is displeasing to God, is laziness and inactivity.
Anyone who leads an idle life at the expense of others, is breaking God’s law, which commands everyone to work.

Let us follow the example of Jesus the Worker.
Let us avoid idleness, which is the father of vices and is opposed to the command of God (Cf Gen 3:19; 2 Thess 3:10).
Let no-one claim that there is no need for him to work because he has enough money to last him all his life.
There was far less need for Jesus to work in order to live, yet He chose to work as an ordinary labourer.
If we do not have to work for our own sakes, let us reflect on how much need there is to work for others and for the glory of God.
If justice does not compel us, charity does.
It makes very little difference whether a man goes to hell for lack of justice or for lack of charity!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/10/thought-for-the-day-10-march-the-hidden-life-of-jesus/

Posted in DIVINE MERCY, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The BEATITUDES, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 16 February – O Merciful God By St Thomas Aquinas

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Our Morning Offering – 16 February

O Merciful God
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis

O merciful God,
grant that I may ever perfectly
do Your Will in all things.
Let it be my ambition to work
only for Your honour and glory.
Let me rejoice in nothing but that leads to You,
nor grieve for anything, that leads away from You.
May all passing things be as nothing in my eyes
and may all that is Yours, be dear to me
and You, my God, dear above them all.
May all joy be meaningless without You
and may I desire nothing, apart from You.
May all labour and toil delight me when it is for You.
Make me, O Lord, obedient without complaint,
poor without regret,
patient without murmur,
humble without pretence,
joyous without frivolity,
and truthful without disguise.
Amen

Posted in CONTEMPLATIVE Prayer, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FREE WILL, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HERESY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 8 February – Doing Everything for the Love of God

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Thought for the Day – 8 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Doing Everything
for the Love of God

“In one of his letters, Luther wrote that he was so busy that he had no time to read his Breviary, nor to offer Holy Mass.
There is no doubt that it was this estrangement from prayer and from the love of God, which caused him to finish up as he did.
Our work must be based on charity and the interior life, so that we may be always united with God.
Otherwise, every action of ours, no matter how good it may appear, is sterile and valueless in the sight of God.

Today also, there are many people busily engaged in apostolic work but they have no interior life nourished by charity.
This is what is known as the heresy of action.

Everything we do is useless and even harmful, if our external activity is not accompanied by a flourishing interior life, enriched by divine grace.
St Gregory the Great paraphrases the words of the Gospel as follows: “Our Lord says: If anyone loves Me, let him keep my commandments. Love is proved by action. This is why St John (1 Jn 2:4) says, that the man who claims to love God and does not keep His commandments, is a liar. We love God sincerely if we keep His commandments and avoid the immoderate pleasures of our age.
Anyone who surrenders without reserve to the unlawful desires of this world, certainly does not love God because, he is acting contrary to His will.” (Homil 30 in Ev).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/08/thought-for-the-day-8-february-doing-everything-for-the-love-of-god/
PART TWO HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/05/thought-for-the-day-5-february-doing-everything-for-the-love-of-god/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 5 February – IDLENESS

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

IDLENESS

“Idleness is forbidden by God because work is His commandment.
He had already told Adam and his successors: “In the sweat of your brow, you shall eat bread” (Gen 3:19).

St Paul warns us: “If any man will not work, neither let him eat” (2 Thess 3L10).
This is a universal law which embraces people of all classes and circumstances.
God commands everyone to work.
Therefore, anybody who disobeys this law without reason, sins against God.
Those who lead leisurely inactive lives should meditate seriously on this law of God.
The fact that they possess large fortunes does not excuse them from this divine law.
They must engage in some work, either menial or manual.
It may be for themselves or it may be for their needy brothers who live in want or in illness and cannot fend for themselves.
We are all brothers in Jesus.
It is not right that one brother should live in poverty and wretchedness, while another idly enjoys a life of plenty and of pleasure.

Anyone who loves God is never idle, says St Jerome.
The love of God works wonderful things, if it does not, it cannot be called love.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/05/thought-for-the-day-5-february-idleness/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The HEART

Thought for the Day – 4 February – Ora et labora” – Work and Sanctity

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Thought for the Day – 4 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Ora et labora” – Work and Sanctity

“Everything we do, whether we are working with our hands or with our minds, can and should be made holy by offering it to God.
The peasant who toils in the heart of the sun or in the hardship of winter, to wring a living from the hard soil, the workman who strikes the anvil with his hammer, or who extracts coal from the bowels of the earth, or who controls some complicate piece of machinery in order to produce the press, electricity or other services for men – all these can and should raise their minds frequently in adoration and thanksgiving to God, the Creator and Giver of every good.

In the same way, those who are engaged in intellectual work, dedicated to the study of the different branches of knowledge, human and divine, should remember that light comes from Heaven, not from the earth.
They should, therefore, ask in their prayers for God’s help.
Science without God is cold and soulless.
It can do more harm than good.
It fills the soul with pride and dries up the heart.
It can lead, as experience has shown us, to the destruction, instead of the wellbeing, of the human race.
Students and scientists must be investigators of the mysteries of God, as well as those, of the universe.
Only in God will they find an answer to the problems of the spirit.

There are some who work with both their minds and hearts.
These include priests, teachers, doctors, good sisters sacrificing their lives in the hospitals, the mothers of families and many others.
Their work will be especially fruitful, if it is united in a spirit of faith and charity with their prayers.
Doing all for love of God, becomes love!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/04/thought-for-the-day-4-february-ora-et-labora-work-and-sanctity/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 3 February – Work

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Thought for the Day – 3 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

WORK

“God created man master of the world.
He commanded him to populate it and to rule it (Cf Gen 1:28).
He placed him in an earthly paradise, “to till it and to keep it” (Gen 2:15).

As long as man remained in the state of innocence, however, work was a pleasure.
It gave him the joy of collaborating with God in the work of creation.
Today, work is still a pleasure.
By working, we co-operate with God because, it was His intention, tbat the resources of the earth should be explored by human industry and intelligence and should benefit both the individual and society.
Work is a noble occupation because it involves co-operation with God’s work of creation and conservation.
If anyone tries to deprive it of its lofty human character and to reduce it to the level of mere toil, regarding it as nothing more than an instrument of production or a handy system of exchange, he is debasing the worker and robbing him of all spiritual incentive.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Thought for the Day – 15 December – Merit and the Love of God

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Thought for the Day – 15 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Merit and the Love of God

“The more we know, writes St Catherine of Siena, the more we love and the more we love, the more we receive.
Our merit, she concludes, increases in accordance with the measure of our love (Dialogues, c 131).
We tend to judge men on the strength of their achievements and to judge ourselves, according to the degree of success which we have attained.
Our standards could hardly be more false.
“How much soever each one is in Thy eyes,” the author of The Imitation of Christ cries out to God in the words of St Francis, “so much is he and no more” (Bk III, c 50).

It is not success which counts with God and still less, human esteem.
What matters with God, is our intention of pleasing Him and of working for His glory, from the motive of pure love.
If we are successful in our work, let us praise God.
If we are unsuccessful, let us thank Him, just the same.
Our merit is commensurate with our love for God.
If we love Him very much, we shall work hard and make sacrifices for His sake.
We must work to satisfy God alone, however and not, for ourselves.
If we work for any other purpose, all our labour is wasted.
We sow abundantly and reap little or nothing.
God alone matters.
If we work only for Him, we shall be blessed by Him and shall reap the fruits of everlasting life.
Amen!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on TRUST in GOD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 14 December – Leaving Our Worries in God’s Hands

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Thought for the Day – 14 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Leaving Our Worries in God’s Hands

“Although we ought to be busy, we should never be too preoccupied.
We should do what we can and leave the rest to Providence.
Preoccupation is unprofitable and even harmful, for it produces worry and anxiety.
Very often, it impedes our work because it destroys our peace of mind.
We should do everything of which we are capable, therefore and leave the rest for God to do, if He believes that it is for our spiritual benefit.
If He does not consider that it would be to our advantage, He will leave it undone and we shall be the gainers thereby.

Preoccupation springs from lack of faith and lack of resignation to the Will of God.
One is reminded, in this context ,of a story which is told about St John Bosco.
He was waiting one day for an audience with a Minister of State, with whom he would have to discuss various difficult problems.
There were a good many other people in the waiting room, most of whom walked up and down agitatedly as they pondered over what they intended to say to the Minister and what they hoped to receive from him.
Dom Bosco, however, remained calm, so calm in fact, that because he was also very tired, he fell asleep.
At last the Minister appeared in the doorway and to his amusement discovered the Priest slumbering contentedly.
Dom Bosco awoke when the Minister called him and calmly proceeded to explain, at once, what it was that he desired.
He spoke in the manner of one accustomed to conversing with God and he obtained, without any trouble, everything which he wanted.

We should try and behave with similar serenity.
We should stay close to God and live in complete conformity with His Will.
We should perform our duties attentively and whole-heartedly but, we should never worry about them.
As a result, we shall do more and do it more effectively.
Most important of all, we shall be sure that God will bless our work.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 10 November – Prayer, Work and Leisure

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Thought for the Day – 10 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Prayer, Work and Leisure

“The pattern of our lives should be a combination of prayer, work and leisure.
There should be no room, however, fpr idleness.

Prayer: Prayer is most essential.
The life of a Catholic should be a continual prayer.
As Jesus commanded, we “must always pray and not lose heart” (Lk 18:1).

How can we achieve this?
St Paul has told us, “Whatever you do in word or in work,” he says, “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him” (Col 3:17).
If we follow his instructions, our lives will really be a prayer.
Before we begin our day’s work, we shall turn to God and offer Him our labours and our difficulties.
During our work, we shall raise our minds to God, from time to time, as Jesus, Mary and Joseph must have done, in the home and in the workshop at Nazareth.
Whenever we speak, we should remember that we are in the Presence of God.
Then our conversation and our behaviour will be free from defect and will edify those who are with us.
The grace of God can illumine the most ordinary conversations and actions, which are in themselves, quite indifferent.
It is enough to live in a spiritual atmosphere of our own and on this earth.

If we can aspire to such a spiritual height, then our work will become a prayer pleasing to God, whether it is mental or manual, we shall be no longer working alone but Jesus Christ will be working with us, by His grace.
This is the way the Saints worked and this is how their lives were a prayer.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ARMOUR of CHRIST, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, Gerard MANLEY HOPKINS SJ, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JESUIT SJ, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MARIAN POETRY, MARY'S MONTH, MODESTY, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST in GOD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, SACRED HEART QUOTES, SAINT of the DAY, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – Jesuits

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – The Memorial of All Jesuit Saints and Blesseds

“Hate what the world seeks
and seek, what it avoids.”

“God’s love calls us to move beyond fear.
We ask God for the courage
to abandon ourselves unreservedly,
so that we might be moulded
by God’s grace,
even as we cannot see
where that path may lead us.”

“Act as if everything depended on you;
trust as if everything depended on God.”

St Ignatius Loyola SJ (1491-1556)

I Beg of You, My Lord
By St Peter Faber (1506-1546)

I beg of You, my Lord,
to remove anything which separates
me from You
and You from me.
Remove anything that makes me unworthy
of Your sight,
Your control,
Your reprehension;
of Your speech and conversation,
of Your benevolence and love.
Cast from me every evil
that stands in the way of my seeing You,
hearing, tasting, savouring and touching You,
fearing and being mindful of You,
knowing, trusting, loving and possessing You;
being conscious of Your Presence
and, as far as may be, enjoying You.
This is what I ask for myself
and earnestly desire from You.
Amen

“What a tragedy,
how many souls
are being shut out of heaven
and falling into hell,
thanks to you!”

St Francis Xavier SJ (1506-1552)

“This death … has already levelled
his bow to strike me.
Is it not prudent to prevent its stroke,
by dying now to the world,
that at my death,
I may live to God?”

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)

“We ought to instruct with meekness
those whom heresy has made bitter and suspicious
and has estranged from orthodox Catholics,
… Thus, by whole-hearted charity and goodwill,
we may win them over to us in the Lord.”

St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1397)
Doctor of the Church

“We … are under an obligation
to be the light of the world
by the modesty of our behaviour,
the fervour of our charity,
the innocence of our lives
and the example of our virtues.
Thus shall we be able
to raise the lowered prestige
of the Catholic Church
and, to build up again,
the ruins that others by their vices have caused.
Others, by their wickedness,
have branded the Catholic Faith
with a mark of shame,
we must strive,
with all our strength, to cleanse it
from its ignominy
and to restore it
to its pristine glory!”

The Burning Babe,

As I in hoary winter’s night
stood shivering in the snow,
Surprised I was with sudden heat
which made my heart to glow;
And lifting up a fearful eye to view
what fire was near,
A pretty babe all burning bright
did in the air appear;
Who, scorchëd with excessive heat,
such floods of tears did shed
As though His floods should quench His flames
which with His tears were fed.
Alas, quoth He but newly born in fiery heats I fry,
Yet none approach to warm their hearts
or feel my fire but I!
My faultless breast the furnace is,
the fuel wounding thorns,
Love is the fire and sighs the smoke,
the ashes shame and scorns;
The fuel justice layeth on
and mercy blows the coals,
The metal in this furnace wrought
are men’s defiled souls,
For which, as now on fire I am
to work them to their good,
So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood.
With this He vanished out of sight
and swiftly shrunk away,
And straight I called unto mind
that it was Christmas day.

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

“When He takes away
what He once lent us,
His purpose is to
store our treasure elsewhere,
more safely and bestow on us,
those very blessings,
that we ourselves
would most choose to have.”
(From A Letter to His Mother)

St Aloysius Gonzaga SJ (1568-1591)

“The Catholic religion was the religion of your forefathers
and the only one Jesus Christ founded; –
the one which He promised would endure
till the end of time.
It is in the Catholic religion alone
that you can save your soul.”

“How long are you going to be deaf to His call?
Or are you going to lose your soul,
which Jesus Christ bought at the price
of His Precious Blood?”

St John Francis Régis SJ (1597-1640)

“… Make use of Our Lord
as an armour which covers [us] all about,
by means of which [we] shall resist
every device of [our] enemies.
You shall then be my Strength, O my God!
You shall be my Guide,
my Director,
my Counsellor,
my Patience,
my Knowledge,
my Peace,
my Justice
and my Prudence.”

“He promises to be [our] strength,
in proportion to the trust
which [we] place in Him.”

St Claude de la Colombiere SJ (1641-1682)
“Apostle of the Sacred Heart”

The May Magnificat
By Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

May is Mary’s month and I
Muse at that and wonder why:
Her feasts follow reason,
Dated due to season-

Candlemas, Lady Day:
But the Lady Month, May,
Why fasten that upon her,
With a feasting in her honour?
Ask of her, the mighty Mother:
Her reply puts this other
Question: What is Spring?
Growth in everything-
All things rising, all things sizing
Mary sees, sympathising
With that world of good,
Nature’s motherhood.

Well but there was more than this:
Spring’s universal bliss
Much, had much to say
To offering Mary May.

Posted in FRANCISCAN OFM, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 4 October – St Francis

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 October – The Memorial of St Francis of Assisi (c 1181–1226)

“Alms are an inheritance
and a justice
which is due to the poor
and which Jesus
has levied upon us.”

“Start by doing what is necessary,
then what is possible
and suddenly, you are doing the impossible!”

“He who works with his hands,
is a labourer.
He who works with his hands and his head,
is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands
and his head and his heart,
is an artist.”

“For it is in giving that we receive.”

St Francis of Assisi (c 1181–1226)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/04/quote-s-of-the-day-4-october-beloved-st-francis-of-assisi/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 17 August – Doing Everything for the Love of God

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

Doing Everything for the Love of God

“In one of his letters, Luther wrote that he was so busy that he had no time to read his Breviary, nor to offer Holy Mass.
There is no doubt that it was this estrangement from prayer and from the love of God, which caused him to finish up as he did.
Our work must be based on charity and the interior life, so that we may be always united with God.
Otherwise, every action of ours, no matter how good it may appear, is sterile and valueless in the sight of God.

Today also, there are many people busily engaged in apostolic work but they have no interior life nourished by charity.
This is what is known as the heresy of action.

Everything we do is useless and even harmful, if our external activity is not accompanied by a flourishing interior life, enriched by divine grace.
St Gregory the Great paraphrases the words of the Gospel as follows: “Our Lord says: If anyone loves Me, let him keep my commandments. Love is proved by action. This is why St John (1 Jn 2:4) says, that the man who claims to love God and does not keep His commandments, is a liar. We love God sincerely if we keep His commandments and avoid the immoderate pleasures of our age.
Anyone who surrenders without reserve to the unlawful desires of this world, certainly does not love God because, he is acting contrary to His will.” (Homil 30 in Ev).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/05/thought-for-the-day-5-february-doing-everything-for-the-love-of-god/
PART TWO HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/05/thought-for-the-day-5-february-doing-everything-for-the-love-of-god/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TIME, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 9 August – St John Vianney

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 August – St John Vianney

“When the heart is pure and simple,
it cannot help lovinG
because it has discovered,
the source of love,
which is God.”

“Do not try to please everybody.
Try to please God, the Angels and the Saints –
they are your public.”

“All that we do
without offering it to God,
is wasted!”

“God commands you to pray
but forbids you to worry!”

St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859

LOTS MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/04/quote-s-of-the-day-4-august-st-john-vianney/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 21 February – Detachment from the World

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Thought for the Day – 21 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Detachment from the World

“St John Bosco said, that we should ork as if we never had to die.
But, we should also be as detached from worldly things, as if we had to die in one hour.
A man who works like this, can accomplish wonders because, he is not working for himself but, for God.
We should work and pray with our feet on the earth and our minds in heaven.
We should seek God, not ourselves, in everything which we do.
Let us remember, that one moment in Heaven, is worth infinitely more than all the pleasure, love and vanity of this world!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/12/thought-for-the-day-12-march-detachment-from-the-world/

Posted in "Follow Me", QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, SAINT of the DAY, THEOLOGICAL

Quote/s of the Day – 8 February – St Jerome Emiliani

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 February – The Memorial of St Jerome Emiliani (1486–1537)

“For God, …
does not work in those
who refuse to place all their confidence
and hope in Him alone.
But He does impart
the fullness of His love
upon those who possess
a deep faith and hope;
for them He does great things.”

“With your patience you will save your soul.”

(Letter 3 #1)

“Therefore, having done what you could,
the Lord will be satisfied with you
because for Him,
who is the most benign,
goodwill compensates
for the lack of success.”

(Letter 5 #4)

“…If I do not speak the truth,
I become a slave of the father of lies
and become a member of this father of lies.”

(Letter 6 #5)

St Jerome Emiliani (1486-1537)

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for the NEW YEAR, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Thought for the Day – 7 January – Merit and the Love of God

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Thought for the Day – 7 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

Merit and the Love of God

“The more we know, writes St Catherine of Siena, the more we love and the more we love, the more we receive.
Our merit, she concludes, increases in accordance with the measure of our love (Dialogues, c 131).
We tend to judge men on the strength of their achievements and to judge ourselves, according to the degree of success which we have attained.
Our standards could hardly be more false.
“How much soever each one is in Thy eyes,” the author of The Imitation of Christ cries out to God in the words of St Francis, “so much is he and no more” (Bk III, c 50).

It is not success which counts with God and still less, human esteem.
What matters with God, is our intention of pleasing Him and of working for His glory, from the motive of pure love.
If we are successful in our work, let us praise God.
If we are unsuccessful, let us thank Him, just the same.
Our merit is commensurate with our love for God.
If we love Him very much, we shall work hard and make sacrifices for His sake.
We must work to satisfy God alone, however and not, for ourselves.
If we work for any other purpose, all our labour is wasted.
We sow abundantly and reap little or nothing.
God alone matters.
If we work only for Him, we shall be blessed by Him and shall reap the fruits of everlasting life.
Amen!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES for the NEW YEAR, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on VOCATIONS, QUOTES on WATCHING, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 5 January – Our Work

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 January – Christmas Weekday and the Memorial of St John Neumann (1811-1860)

Our Work

“You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your mind.
And the second is like it:
You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

Matthew 22:36,39

“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)

“Give yourself to prayer
and try by it, to procure,
first the amendment
of your fault,
then the practice of Christian virtues
and finally a great love of God.”

Bl Sebastian Valfre (1629-1710)

“Only one thing is necessary:
Jesus Christ!
Think unceasingly of Him. ”

St John Gabriel Perboyre CM (1802-1840)
Martyr for Christ

“Everyone who breathes, high and low,
educated and ignorant, young and old,
man and woman, has a mission, has a work.
We are not sent into this world for nothing;
we are not born at random;
we are not here, that we may go to bed at night
and get up in the morning, toil for our bread,
eat and drink, laugh and joke,
sin when we have a mind
and reform when we are tired of sinning,
rear a family and die.
God sees every one of us,
He creates every soul . . .
FOR A PURPOSE.
He needs, He deigns to need, every one of us.
He has an end for each of us.
We are all equal in His sight and we are placed
in our different ranks and stations,
not to get what we can out of them for ourselves
but to labour in them for Him.
As Christ has His work, we too have ours –
as He rejoiced to do His work,
we must rejoice in ours also.”

“Man must always be ready,
for death comes when
and where God wills it.”

St John Neumann (1811-1860)

“Our vocation, yours and mine,
is not to go harvesting in the fields of ripe corn,
Jesus does not say to us;
“Lower your eyes, look at the fields and go and reap them,”
our mission is still loftier.
Here are Jesus’ words: “Lift up your eyes and see….”
See how in My Heaven there are places empty,
it is for you to fill them! …
each one of you is my Moses praying on the mountain (Ex 17:8f),
ask Me for labourers and I shall send them,
I await only a prayer, a sigh from your heart!”

St Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (1873 – 1897)
Doctor of the Church

“Without Prayer
nothing good is done.
God’s works are done
with our hands joined
and on our knees.
Even when we run,
we must remain spiritually
kneeling before Him.”

Bl Luigi Orione (1872-1940)