Category: CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 June – ‘ … What we are to do and what we have to hope for… ‘

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Feast of St Barnabas the Apostle, Martyr, The “Son of Encouragement” – Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3; Matthew 10:16-22.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Behold I send you as sheep
in the midst of wolves.
Be, therefore, wise as serpents
and simple as doves. ”

Matthew – 10:16

“Go into the whole world
and preach the Gospel
to every creature.”
Mark 16:15

“You have heard what the Lord said
to His disciples after the Resurrection.
He sent them out to preach the Gospel
and they did so.
Listen: “Through all the earth their voice resounds
and to the ends of the world, their message” (Ps 18[19],5).
Step by step, the Gospel has reached even to us
and the ends of the earth.
In a few words the Lord, addressing Himself
to His disciples, set out what we are to do
and what we have to hope for.
Just as you have heard, He said:
“Whoever believes and is Baptised will be saved.”
He asks for our faith and offers us salvation.
What He offers us, is so precious
that what He asks of us, is as nothing.”

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

“All the brothers should strive to follow
the humility and the poverty of our Lord Jesus Christ …
And they must rejoice when they live among people
who are considered to be of little worth
and who are looked down upon,
among the poor and the powerless,
the sick and the lepers and the beggars by the wayside.
And when it may be necessary,
let them go to seek alms.
And they should not be ashamed
but rather recall that our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of the living and all-powerful God …
was a poor man and a transient and lived on alms,
He and the Blessed Virgin and His disciples.”

St Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226)

(Earlier Rule, #8-9).

“If you truly wish to help
the soul of your neighbour,
you should firstly approach God
with all your heart.
Ask Him simply,
to fill you with charity,
the greatest of all virtues.”

St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)

“If you wish to enter into life,
keep My commandments.
If you will know the truth,
believe in Me.
If you will be perfect,
sell all.
If you will be My disciple,
deny yourself.
If you will possess the blessed life,
despise this present life.
If you will be exalted in Heaven,
humble yourself on earth.
If you wish to reign with Me,
carry the Cross with Me.
For only the servants of the Cross
find the life of blessedness
and of true Light.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

The Imitation of Christ Chapter 56

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One Minute Reflection – 11 June – ‘ … Which of the Lord’s examples will we have to follow? … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 11 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Feast of St Barnabas the Apostle, Martyr, The “Son of Encouragement” – Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3; Matthew 10:16-22.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be, therefore, wise as serpents and simple as doves. ” – Matthew – 10:16

REFLECTION – “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His Footsteps,” (1Pt 2:21). Which of the Lord’s examples will we have to follow? Is it His raising of the dead? Is it to walk on the sea? Not in the least. But it is that of being meek and humble of heart (Mt 11:29) and of loving not only our friends but even our enemies (Mt 5:44).

“So that you might follow in His Footsteps,” writes St Peter. The blessed Evangelist John also says the same thing: “Whoever claims to abide in Christ ought to walk as He has walked,” (1 Jn 2:6). And how has Christ walked? He prayed for His enemies on the Cross, saying: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” (Lk 23:34). They have actually lost their senses and are possessed by an evil spirit and while they are persecuting us, they themselves are undergoing a far greater persecution from the devil. Hence, we should be praying more for their deliverance than for their condemnation.

That is indeed what Blessed Stephen did, he who was the first so gloriously to follow in the Footsteps of Christ. For, when he was struck by a hail of stones, he prayed standing for himself but, falling to his knees, he cried out with all his strength for his enemies: “Lord Jesus Christ, do not hold this sin against them,” (Ac 7:60). So even if we think we cannot imitate our Lord, let us at least imitate him who was just as much His servant as we are.” – St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Father of the Church, Bishop (Sermons to the people, No 37).

PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us by the merits and intercession of blessed Barnabas, Thy Apostle, mercifully grant that we, who ask of Thee favours through him, may obtain them by the gift of Thy grace.ThroughJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

SACRED Heart of JESUS, I trust in Thee.
300 Days Indulgence Once a Day – Plenary, Once a month. Raccolta 175 – St Pius X, 19 August 1905 and 27 June 1906.

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 June – That Pearl, that treasure

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Within the Octave of the Sacred Heart – Proverbs 31:10-31; Matthew 13,44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Who, when he had found one pearl
of great price, … sold all that he had
and bought it.”

Matthew 13:46

“Do not lay up for yourselves
treasures on earth,
where rust and moth consume
and where thieves break in and steal
but lay up for yourselves,
treasures in Heaven …”

Matthew 6:19-20

“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

“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.’”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
ather and Doctor of the Church

“Whoever thinks well on eternity,
troubles himself little about what happens
in these three or four moments of mortal life.”

“By giving yourself to God,
you not only receive Himself in exchange
but, eternal life as well!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

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One Minute Reflection – 9 June – “ Rejoice with Me because I have found My sheep which was lost.” – Luke 15:6

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One Minute Reflection – 9 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” and within the Octave of the Sacred Heart – Saints Primus and Felicianus (Died c304) Confessors, Brother Lay Martyrs – 1 Peter 5:6-11; Luke 15:1-10 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ Rejoice with Me because I have found My sheep which was lost.” – Luke 15:6

REFLECTION – “When the time of mercy had come (Ps 101:14) the Good Shepherd came down from His Father’s side… as had been promised from all eternity. He came in search of the one sheep which had been lost. Promised to her from all eternity, He was sent to her in time; for her sake He was born and handed over, eternally predestined for her. She is unique, drawn from both Jews and Gentiles. .., present among all peoples; she is one in her mystery, many in persons, many through the flesh according to nature, one through the Spirit according to grace – in short, one single sheep, yet a crowd without number! …

As for those whom this Shepherd acknowledges as His Own: “No-one can snatch them out of His Hands” (Jn 10:28). For true Strength cannot be forced, Wisdom cannot be deceived, Charity cannot be destroyed, That is why He speaks with assurance, saying…: “I have lost none, Father, of all those Thou hast given me” (Jn 18:9)…

He was sent as Truth for the misled, Way for the straying, Life for the dead, Wisdom for the foolish, Medicine for the sick, Ransom for captives and Food for the starving. For all those, we might say, He was sent to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt 15:24) that they might be lost no more. He was sent like the spirit into a rigid body, so that, at His coming, its members might become warm again and quicken with a new, supernatural and divine life – this is the first resurrection (Apoc 20:5). Thus, He Himself can say: “The hour is coming and is now here, when the dead will hear the Voice of the Son of God and those who hear It will live” (Jn 5:25). And so He can say of His sheep: “They will hear My Voice and follow Me” (Jn 10:4-5).” – Blessed Isaac of Stella O.Cist. (c1100 – c1170) Cistercian Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (Sermon 35; Second Sunday of Lent).

PRAYER – Grant O Lord, we pray, that we may ever honour the festival of thy holy Martyrs, Primus and Felicianus and Thy truth of the Church of Saints. 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).

Sweet Heart of my JESUS, Make me love Thee ever more and more! – 300 Days Indulgence Once a day, Plenary Once a month – Blessed Pope Pius IX – 26 November 1876

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, PATIENCE - Fr Richard CLARKE, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on PATIENCE

Thought for the Day – 4 June – The Second Degree of Patience

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Thought for the Day – 4 June – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

PATIENCE
Meditations for a Month

The Second Degree of Patience

  1. The repression of external signs of impatience has no value in God’s sight except, insofar as it is a step to the interior virtue. The soldier, the courtier, the servant, suppresses the exterior marks of impatience, from fear of punishment and hope of reward. The Christian must do more than this; he must have within himself, the motive of imitating the patience of Jesus Christ. Smoke is the sign of fire within but the smoke will not warm the house, unless there is the fire on the hearth; so too, external patience will not please God, unless there is also the motive of patience within the soul.
    Am I striving after the interior virtue? Have I even succeeded in repressing the exterior impatience for Christ’s sake?
  2. When some unkindness or injury is done us, there arises in us a double feeling. We feel pained and hurt; in this there is no sort of sin. But we are also conscious of another feeling – a desire to retaliate, a wish to see some retribution befall the offender. We are bitter towards them, we are tempted to indulge ourselves in an animosity which approaches sometimes even to hatred!
    This is what has to be expelled from our souls if we are to resemble Him Who was meek and humble of heart.
  3. What must we do to rid ourselves of this bitterness? Dislike may remain in spite of all our efforts; this we cannot help. But we must resolve that no unkind wish towards the offender shall be indulged. Then we must set to work to pray for calmness and a spirit of forgiveness and we must think of all we deserve for our offences against God and must say, from our heart:
    ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.‘
    Last of all, we must pray for the offender.
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One Minute Reflection – 4 June –  ‘ … They clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ …’

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One Minute Reflection – 4 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – St Francis Caracciolo CRM (1563-1608) Confessor –Within the Corpus Christi Octave – 1 Corinthians 23-29; John 6:56-59.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“For as often as you shall eat this Bread and drink the Cup, you proclaim the Death of the Lord, until He comes.” – 1 Corinthians 11:26

REFLECTION – “In our offering of the Holy Sacrifice we fulfil the Command of our Saviour, as recorded by the Apostle Paul: The Lord Jesus, on the night in which He was betrayed, took bread and after He had given thanks, broke it and said: This is My Body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me. The same way, after the supper, He took the Cup saying: This Cup is the New Covenant in My Blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this Bread and drink this Cup, you shall proclaim the Death of the Lord until He comes.

This Sacrifice is offered, then, to proclaim the Lord’s Death; it is offered in remembrance of Him, Who laid down His Life for our sake. As He says: Greater love than this no man has, that he lay down his life for his friends. Because Christ died for us out of love, we ask, when we make remembrance of His Death, at the time of Sacrifice that we too may be granted love through the coming of the Holy Ghost. We pray, that by the Love which Christ had for us, when He braved the Cross, we may receive the grace of the Spirit and be crucified to the world and the world to us. The Death Christ died, He died to sin, once for all but the Life He lives, He lives to God. Let us imitate our Lord’s Death and also live a new life. Strengthened with the gift of His Love, let us die to sin and live for God.

For God’s Love has been poured out in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us. Indeed our sharing in the Lord’s Body and Blood, when we eat His Bread and drink His Cup, teaches us, that we should die to the world and that we should keep our life hidden with Christ in God, crucifying our flesh with its vices and evil desires.

That is why all the faithful who love God and their neighbour, truly drink the Cup of the Lord’s Love even though, they may not drink the cup of His Bodily Suffering. And becoming inebriated from it, they put to death, whatever in their nature is rooted in earth. They clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not indulge fleshly desires. They do not fix their gaze on visible things but contemplate things, which the eye cannot see. Thus they drink the Lord’s Cup by preserving the holy bond of love – without it, even if a man should deliver his body to be burned, he gains nothing. But the gift of love enables us to become, in reality, what we celebrate as Mystery in the Sacrifice.” – St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c462 – 533) Bishop, Father (An excerpt from Against Fabianus).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Thou Who have given Thy servants, in the confession of the true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of that Majesty, to adore its unity, grant, we beseech Thee, that in the firmness of this faith, we may ever be protected from all harm. And may the example and intercession of Thy Confessor, St Francis Caracciolo ever assist us on our journey to our eternal home. 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).

MAY the HEART of JESUS be loved everywhere. 100 Days, Indulgence Once a day – Bl Pope Pius IX 23 September 1860

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Thought for the Day – 3 June – First Degree of Patience

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Thought for the Day – 3 June – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

PATIENCE
Meditations for a Month

First Degree of Patience

  1. When we are studying to acquire a virtue, it is generally the better plan to begin with external actions and thence, to proceed to the interior dispositions whence those actions proceed. In accordance with this rule, we must begin by repressing all signs of resentment and anger, when we are offended, or when someone crosses our path, or hinders some work in which we are engaged. If under all this, we can keep an unmoved and tranquil countenance and avoid all expression of personal feeling and annoyance, this is a great point gained.
    Am I able to do this?
  2. Why is it important to begin with exterior patience?
    Firstly because, this helps enormously to calm the feelings within us, just as we can work ourselves up into a fury by raging externally. Peace will soon return if we keep a serene face and quiet demeanour.
    Secondly because, exterior calmness, under ill-usage, edifies others and honours Christ our Lord, just as impatience and irritability disedify and dishonour the Name of Christian. I must remember this when I am tempted to yield to my injured pride and to retaliate on those who have offended me.
  3. Our Lord Himself points out exterior patience as the very first thing in which we should imitate Him, for He says:
    ‘Learn of Me, for I am meek and humble of heart.’ Meekness is but patience in its exterior manifestation. If I am sincere in my wish to follow in the footsteps of Christ my Lord, here is the best point with which to begin. I must, for His sake and for love of Him, be more gentle to those who give me pain, more tranquil under words and actions which wound or hurt me.
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One Minute Reflection – 3 June – He who eats this Bread shall live forever. John 6:59

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One Minute Reflection – 3 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Within the Octave of Corpus Christi – 1 Corinthians 23-29; John 6:56-59– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“This is the Bread that has come down from Heaven; not as your fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this Bread shall live forever.” – John 6:59

REFLECTION – Christ is “the bread of life” for those who believe in Him: to believe in Christ is to eat the Bread of Life, to possess Christ within one, is to possess eternal life…
“I am the Bread of Life,” He says; “your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and they are dead” (Jn 6:48f). By this is to be understood ,spiritual death. Why are they dead? Because they believed in what they saw and did not understand what they could not see… Moses ate manna, Aaron ate it and many others, too, who pleased God and are not dead. Why are they not dead? Because they understood, in a spiritual fashion, they were spiritually hungry, they tasted the manna spiritually, so that they might be spiritually satisfied. “This is the Bread that came down from Heaven: whoever eats It will never die” (v.50).
This manna – that is to say, Christ, who Himself spoke like this … was prefigured by the manna but was able to do more than manna could. For manna could not, of itself, prevent dying spiritually… But the righteous saw Christ in the manna, they believed in His coming and Christ, of Whom manna was the symbol, grants to all who believe in Him that they should not spiritually die. Hence He says: “This is the Bread come down from Heaven; whoever eats it will never see death.” Here on earth, here now, before your eyes, your eyes of flesh: here is to be found the “Bread from Heaven” (v.51). The “Bread of Life” we spoke of a moment ago is now called “Living Bread.” Living Bread because it contains, within Itself, the life which abides and can deliver from spiritual death and bestow life. First He said: “Whoever eats It will never die” now He speaks clearly, concerning the life He gives: “Whoever eats this bread will live for ever” (v.58). Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury (c 1125-1190) Cistercian – The Sacrament of the Altar II

PRAYER – Grant, O Lord, that we may always fear and love Thy holy Name, for Thou never fail to guide those whom Thou firmly establishes in Thine Love. 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).

SACRED Heart of JESUS, Thy Kingdom come!
Indulgence 300 Days. Everytime Raccolta 178 St Pius X, 4 May 1906.

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Thought for the Day – 28 May – The Obligation of Humility

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Thought for the Day – 28 May – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900) SJ

HUMILITY
Meditations for a Month

Chapter Two
The Obligation of Humility

Every Christian as such, is under an obligation to follow in the sacred footsteps of Jesus Christ and, to make His Life, the model of his own. In the life of the Son of God on earth, the most wonderful feature is its humility. That the omnipotent God should so humble Himself as to take the form of the lowest of the rational creatures He has made, is an almost incredible marvel.
The condescension, the lowering of Himself which is involved in it, altogether passes our power of comprehension. He could not have stooped so low unless He had been God. Thus, His humility
becomes the characteristic feature of the Incarnation and, in proportion, as we lower ourselves, we imitate Jesus upon earth.

Our Lord is not satisfied with teaching us by His example; He also gives a positive command.
“Learn of Me for I am meek and humble of heart.”
Out of all the virtues, He came to teach us, He selects His humility as that, to the practice of which, He binds us, by which we are to become
like unto Him. How indifferent, how disobedient I have shown myself to our Lord’s command!

Can I say that I have learned the lesson of meekness and humbleness of heart?

We are also bound to practice humility as children of the Catholic Church. Humility and submission is the very essence of her teaching — subjection to God, subjection to all lawful authority, subjection of will and intellect to the Dogmas of Faith. He who is not content with
subjection, cannot be a really good Catholic and no-one can love subjection without humility.
Examine your own heart, to find whether you rejoice in being subject, for Christ’s sake.

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 May – St Augustine of Canterbury

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 May – St Augustine of Canterbury (Died c605) He is consideredthe Founder of the English Church and “The Apostle to the English.” He is the first Archbishop of Canterbury, Confessor, Missionary, Father of the Church.

“God, in His promises to hear our prayers,
is desirous to bestow Himself upon us;
if you find anything better than Him, ask it
but if you ask anything beneath Him,
you put an affront upon Him
and hurt yourself, by preferring to Him,
a creature which He created!”

“Pray in the spirit and sentiment of love,
in which the royal Prophet said to Him,
‘Thou, O Lord, art my portion.’
Let others choose to themselves,
portions among creatures,
for my part, Thou art my portion,
Thou alone I have chosen
for my whole inheritance.”

“Take care of your body,
as if you were going to live forever
and take care of your soul,
as if you were going to die tomorrow.”

St Augustine of Canterbury (Died c605)
“The Apostle to the English”

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One Minute Reflection –13 May– The Lamp and the Lampstand

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One Minute Reflection –13 May – The Memorial of St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church – Wisdom 7:7-14, Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But he who shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” – Matthew 5:19

REFLECTION – “The Lamp on the lampstand is our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Father’s true Light “Who enlightens everyone coming into the world” (Jn 1:9) in other words, the Father’s Wisdom and Word. Having accepted our flesh, He truly became and was called, the “Light of the world.” By our faith and devotion, He is honoured and exalted in the Church. In this way, He is made visible to all nations and shines out for “all the people in the house,” namely the whole world, as He said: “They do not light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand where it gives light to all in the house” (Mt 5:15).

As we have seen, Christ calls Himself a Lamp. God by nature, He became flesh according to the plan of salvation – a Light held within the flesh, as if in a vase… This is what David was thinking when he said: “Your Word is a Lamp to my feet and a Light for my path” (Ps 118:105). Since He causes the darkness of ignorance and the evil of men to vanish, my Saviour and my God, is called a Lamp in Scripture. And since He is the only one able to obliterate the darkness of ignorance and disperse the shadows of sin, He has become the way of salvation for all. He leads towards the Father, all those who, through understanding and virtue, walk with Him along the path of the commandments, as on a road of righteousness.

The Lampstand is Holy Church because the Word of God shines out through her preaching. This is how the beams of its Truth, can enlighten the whole world… On one condition, however, as long as it is not hidden under the letter of the Law. Anyone who clings to Scripture according to the letter only, is living according to the flesh; he is placing the Lamp under a bushel basket. But when, to the contrary, the Church is set on the lampstand, it enlightens everyone.” – St Maximus the Confessor (580-662) Abbot and Theologian, Father (Question 63 to Thalassius)

PRAYER – O God, Who endowed blessed Robert, Your Bishop and Doctor, with wondrous learning and virtue to repel the deceits of error and to defend the rights of the Apostolic See, grant, by his merits and intercession, that we may ever grow in love of truth and that the hearts of the erring may return to the unity of Your Church. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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Thought for the Day – 9 May – Concerning the Manner of Perseverance in the Spiritual Combat until Death

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Thought for the Day – 9 May – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

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

LXI: … Concerning the Manner of Perseverance
in the Spiritual Combat until Death

“One of the requisites in the Spiritual Combat is perseverance in the continual mortification of our unruly passions – for, in this life, they are never utterly subdued but take root in the human heart like weeds in fertile soil.
This is a battle from which we cannot escape – ours is a foe, we cannot evade.
The fight against passion will last a lifetime and he, who lays down his arms, will be slain.
Moreover, we must combat enemies, who hate us, with unquenchable fury and, are consecrated to our destruction.
The more we would make friends of them, the more they would make
derelicts of us!
But be not daunted by their strength or number, for in this war, he alone is conquered, who voluntarily surrenders and the entire power of our enemies is in the hands of that Captain under Whose banner we fight.
And not only will He preserve us from treachery but, He will be our Champion.
He, Who is infinitely superior to all the foe, will crown you with conquest provided you, as a warrior, rely not on your own finite powers but on His Almighty Power and Infinite Goodness.

If, however, He seems slow in coming to your aid and apparently leaves you in the withering fire of the enemy, be not discouraged, rather fight resolutely in the firm belief that He will convert all things which befall you, to your eventual benefit and, even the unexpected crown of victory will be yours.

For your part, never desert your Commanding Officer, Who, for your sake, did not shrink from death itself and, in dying on Calvary’s hill, conquered the entire world.
Fight courageously under His colours and do not lay down your arms, while there is one foe left.
For, if a single vice is neglected, it will be a beam in your eye and a thorn in your side, constantly hindering you from triumph in your glorious and victorious cause.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DEVOTIO, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SUFFERING, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 6 May – Concerning Sensible Devotion and Dryness (Part Two)

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

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

Final Remarks on Prayer and the Combat
LIX: … Concerning Sensible Devotion and Dryness
(Part Two)

“And if, from confusion of mind, you can neither pray nor meditate as usual, yet, you must persist in those exercises with as little anxiety as possible, supplying for the defects of the mind, the affection of the will.

Employ vocal prayer, conversing both with yourself and your Saviour. Such a practice will have surprising effects and, it will afford you great consolation in your anxiety. …

Call to mind the pious sentiments with which God inspired Sara, the wife of Tobias, in her affliction and say with her in spirit and in word –

“My God, all who serve Thee know that if they are visited with trials of affliction in this life, they will be rewarded;,if oppressed with suffering they shall be delivered, if punished by Thy justice, they hope in mercy. For Thou delightest not in seeing us perish, Thou sendest a calm after storms and joy after mourning.
O God of Israel, be Thy Name forever blessed.” (Tob III)

Remember too, thy Christ in the Garden and on the Cross abandoned by Him, Whose Only beloved Son He was – carry your cross with Him and say from the bottom of your heart:
“Not my will but Thine be done.”

Thus, by uniting patience with prayer, in the voluntary immolation of self to God, you will become truly devout.
For, as I have said, true devotion consists in an eager and unswerving
will to follow Christ and to bear the cross at whatever time, in whatever way He shall decide and, it consists too, in loving God because He is worthy of our love and even in forfeiting the sweetness of God for the sake of God!

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/05/05/thought-for-the-day-5-may-concerning-sensible-devotion-and-dryness-part-one/

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One Minute Reflection – 25 April – ‘… Gentleness confronts the arrogant with far greater strength!’

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One Minute Reflection – 25 April – St Mark Evangelist – Ezekiel 1:10-14; … Luke 10:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them forth …” – Luke 10:1

REFLECTION – “As He sent out disciples into His harvest – which had, in truth, been sown by the Father’s Word but which required, to be worked over, cultivated and carefully tended, if the birds were not to ravage the seed – Jesus said to them: “Behold, I send you out like lambs among wolves”. … The Good Shepherd could not but fear wolves amongst His flock: these disciples were sent to spread grace abroad, not to become a prey. But the Good Shepherd’s care prevented the wolves from doing anything against the lambs he sends out. He sends them that Isaiah’s prophecy might be fulfilled: “The wolf and the lamb shall graze alike” (Is 65:25) … And besides, were not the disciples who were sent ordered not even to carry a staff? …

What our humble Lord laid down, His disciples also accomplished by practicing humility. For He sends them out to announce the faith, not by force but by their teaching; not by exerting force of will but by exalting the doctrine of humility. And He thought well to link patience to humility, since, according to Peter’s testimony: “When He was insulted, He returned no insult; when He suffered, He did not threaten” (1 Pet 2:23).

This amounts to saying: “Be imitators of Me, let go of your thirst for revenge, respond to the blows of pride, not by returning evil for evil but, with the patience that forgives. No-one should perform, on their own account, what they reprehend in others – gentleness confronts the arrogant with far greater strength!” – St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor of the Church (Commentary on St Luke’s Gospel 7:45,59).

PRAYER – O God, Who didst exalt Thy blessed Evangelist Mark, by giving him grace to preach Thine Evangel, grant unto us, we beseech Thee, ever to follow more and more what he teaches and ever to be shielded from all evil by his prayers. 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).

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One Minute Reflection – 23 April – “Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4

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One Minute Reflection – 23 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St George (Died c 303) Martyr – 2 Timothy 2:8-10; 3:10-12; John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Abide in Me and I in you.” – John 15:4

REFLECTION – “ [Jesus] is our only Master, who must teach us; our only Lord, on Whom we must depend; our only Head, to Whom alone we should belong; our only Model, Whom we should imitate; our only Physician, Who must heal us; our only Shepherd, Who must feed us; our only Way, Who must lead us; our only Truth, Whom we must believe; our only Life, Who must be our life and our sole sufficiency in all things that in Him, we may have all in All. Except the Name of Jesus, there is no other name given under Heaven, whereby we must be saved and apart from Jesus Christ,

God has given us no other foundation of our salvation, our perfection and our glory: “for other foundation no man can lay but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 3:11). Every house which is not built upon this firm Rock, is founded on the shifting sands and will inevitably fall, sooner or later. Every soul who is not united with Christ, as a branch to the stem of the vine, will fall off, wither and become fit only for the fire. If we are in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in us, we need not fear damnation; neither Angels in Heaven, nor men on earth, neither demons in hell, nor any other creature, can harm us because they cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (cf. Rm 8:38-39).” – St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716) Priest, Renowned Preacher, Founder of Religious Communities [Treatise on the true devotion to the Blessed Virgin (Article one; First Truth)]

PRAYER – O God, Who dost gladden us through the worthy deeds and prayers of thy blessed Martyr George, mercifully grant that all they, who seek Thy mercy through him, may effectually obtain the gift of Thy grace. 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).

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 April – My sheep hear My Voice;

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – – Ferial Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My sheep hear My Voice;
I know them and they follow Me.”

John 10:27

“I am like the sick sheep which strays
from the rest of the flock.
Unless the Good Shepherd
takes me on His shoulders
and carries me back to His fold,
my steps will falter
and, in the very effort of rising,
my feet will give way!”

St Jerome (343-420)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Christ said that the shepherd
enters through the gate
and that He is Himself the Gate,
as well as the Shepherd.
Then, it is necessary,
that He enter through Himself.
By so doing, He reveals Himself
and through Himself, He knows the Father.
But we enter through Him
because through Him. we find happiness.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus
Doctor Communis

“It is never really God Who is silent.
He is forever appealing to us to lead good lives.
He is never really far from us
but is always ready to bestow His gifts on us.
Even when we have sinned,
we hear His Voice prompting us to thoughts of remorse.
Even when we stray away from Him,
He follows and asks us to return to Him.
It is we, who must ensure that the noise of the world,
will not prevent us from hearing His Fatherly appeal
and that sinful temptations
will not destroy His influence over us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – ‘Our Shepherd,Who guides everything from Heaven above …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Good Shepherd,
I know My Own
and My Own know Me.”

John 10:14

“He cries out, saying:
See, I am with you all the days of this age.
He is Himself the Shepherd,
the High Priest,
the Way and the Door
and has become all things at once for us.”

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“So Saul was led to Ananias –
the ravaging wolf is led to the sheep.
But the Shepherd,
Who guides everything from Heaven above,
reassures him…
“Do not fear, I will show him
what he will have to suffer, for My Name’s sake”
(Acts 9:16).
What wonder is this!
The wolf is led, a captive, to the sheep…
The Lamb who died for the sheep,
teaches it not to be afraid any more!”

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

“With good reason Christ declares:
I am the Good Shepherd,
I seek out the lost sheep,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal (Ez 34:16).
I have seen the flock of mankind
struck down by sickness;
I have witnessed my lambs
wander about where demons dwell;
I have seen my flock ravaged by wolves.
All this I have seen
and have not witnessed it from on high.
That is why I took hold of the withered hand,
gripped by pain, as if by a wolf;
I have unbound those whom fever had bound;
I taught him to see,
whose eyes had been shut from his mother’s womb;
I brought Lazarus out from the tomb
where he had lain for four days (Mk 3:5; 1:31; Jn 9; 11).
For I am the Good Shepherd
and the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.”

Basil of Seleucia (Died 448)
Bishop of Seleucia

(Oratio 26)

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

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

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One Minute Reflection – 15 April – ‘Let us consider Christ, our Shepherd …’

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One Minute Reflection – 15 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I Am the Good Shepherd, I know My Own and My Own know Me.”- John 10:14

REFLECTION – “Let us consider Christ, our Shepherd … He rejoices in those sheep of His who are around Him and goes in search of those who stray. Mountains and forests cause Him no fear; He crosses ravines to reach the sheep who is lost. Even if He finds it in a piteous state, He is not angry but touched with pity; He takes it on His shoulders and, from His own weariness, heals the exhausted sheep (Lk 15:4 ) …

With good reason, Christ declares: “I am the Good Shepherd, I seek out the lost sheep, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal (Ez 34:16). I have seen the flock of mankind struck down by sickness; I have witnessed My lambs wander about where demons dwell; I have seen My flock ravaged by wolves. All this I have seen and have not witnessed it from on high. That is why I took hold of the withered hand, gripped by pain as if by a wolf; I have unbound those whom fever had bound; I taught him to see whose eyes had been shut from his mother’s womb; I brought Lazarus out from the tomb where he had lain for four days (Mk 3:5; 1:31; Jn 9; 11). For I am the Good Shepherd and the Good Shepherd lays down His Life for His sheep.” …”

The Prophet knew this Shepherd when, long before His Passion, he declared what would take place: “Like a sheep led to the slaughter or a sheep, dumb before the shearers, He opened not His mouth” (Is 53:7). Like a sheep, the Shepherd has offered His neck for His flock … By His death, He heals from death; by His tomb He empties the tomb … The tombs are full and the prison shut so long as the Shepherd, come down from the Cross, has not come to bring His captive sheep the joyful news of their liberation. We see Him in hell where He gives the order for their release (1 Pt 3:19); we see Him call His sheep once more, giving them the call to life from the dwellings of the dead. “The Good Shepherd lays down His Life for HIs sheep.” This is how He intends to win the affection of His sheep and those who know how to listen to His Voice love Christ.” – Basil of Seleucia (Died c468) ArchBishop and Father of the Church (Oratio 26).

PRAYER – O God, Who, by the humility of Thy Son, didst lift up a fallen world, grant unending happiness to Thy faithful, that those whom Thou hast snatched from the perils of endless death, Thou mayest cause to rejoice in everlasting days. 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).

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One Minute Reflection – 14 April – “I am the Good Shepherd and I know Mine and Mine know Me.”- John 10:14

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One Minute Reflection – 14 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – The Second Sunday of Easter – Commemoration of St Justin Martyr (c100-165) – 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Good Shepherd and I know Mine and Mine know Me.”- John 10:14

REFLECTION – “I am the good shepherd. I know My Own—by which I mean, I love them—and My Own know Me. In plain words – those who love Me are willing to follow Me, for anyone who does not love the Truth, has not yet come to know it.

My dear brethren, you have heard the test we shepherds have to undergo. Turn now to consider, how these words of our Lord, imply a test for yourselves too. Ask yourselves whether you belong to His flock, whether you know Him, whether the Light of His Truth shines in your minds. I assure you that it is not by faith that you will come to know Him but, by love, not by mere conviction but, by action. John the Evangelist is my authority, for this statement. He tells us that anyone who claims to know God, without keeping His commandments, is a liar.

Consequently, the Lord immediately adds: ‘As the Father knows Me and I know the Father and I lay down My life for My sheep.‘ Clearly, He means that laying down His life for His sheep, gives evidence of His knowledge of the Father and the Father’s knowledge of Him. In other words, by the love with which He dies for His sheep, He shows, how greatly He loves His Father.

Again He says: ‘My sheep hear My voice and I know them; they follow Me,and I give them eternal life.’ Shortly before this He had declared – ‘If anyone enters the sheepfold through Me, he shall be saved, he shall go freely in and out and shall find good pasture.‘ He will enter into a life of faith; from faith, he will go out to vision, from belief to contemplation and will graze in the good pastures of everlasting life.

So our Lord’s sheep will finally reach their grazing ground, where all who follow Him in simplicity of heart, will feed on the green pastures of eternity. These pastures are the spiritual joys of Heaven. There, the elect look upon the Face of God with unclouded vision and feast at the banquet of life, forever more.

Beloved brothers, let us set out for these pastures ,where we shall keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow citizens. May the thought of their happiness urge us on! Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith and long eagerly for what Heaven has in store for us. To love thus, is to be already on our way. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that heavenly feast. Anyone who is determined to reach his destination, is not deterred by the roughness of the road that leads to it. Nor must we allow the charm of success to seduce us, or we shall be like a foolish traveller who is so distracted by the pleasant meadows through which he is passing that he forgets where he is going.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Bishop of Rome and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Sermon 14).

PRAYER – O God, Who through the preaching of the Cross,which is to them who perish, foolishness, didst wonderfully teach, unto thy blessed Martyr Justin, the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus Our Lord, grant unto us we beseech Thee, at his prayer,s the grace to cast off all false teaching and ever to hold fast to the Faith. 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).

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Our Morning Offering – 14 April – St Anselm’s Prayer before Holy Communion

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Our Morning Offering – 14 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – The Second Sunday of Easter

Prayer Before Holy Communion
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Doctor of the Church

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of the living God,
Who according to the Will of the Father
and with the co-operation of the Holy Ghost,
has, by Thy Death. given Life to the world,
I adore and revere this, Thy Holy Body
and this, Thy Holy Blood
which was given up
and poured forth, for the many,
unto remission of sins.
O merciful Lord,
I beg of Thee mercy,
that through the power of this Sacrament,
Thou will make me one of that many.
Through faith and love, make me feel
the power of these Sacraments,
so I may experience their saving power.
Absolve and free from all sin
and punishment of sin, Thy servants,
Thy handmaidens, myself,
all who confessed their sins to me,
those whom I have promised,
or am obliged, to pray for
and so too, those who themselves hope
or beg, to be helped, by my prayers to Thee.
Make our Church rejoice
in Thy constant protection and consolation.
Amen

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 April – Self-denial

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Wisdom 5:1-5; Luke 14:26-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“If anyone comes to Me
without hating his father
and mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters
and even his own life,
he cannot be My disciple.”

Luke 14:26

“So likewise, everyone of you,
who does not renounce all
that he possesses,
cannot be My disciple.”

Luke 14:33

“Take nothing for your journey,
neither staff, nor bag,
nor bread, nor money;
neither have two tunics.”

Luke 9:3

“He seems to demand of us
the most entire renunciation …
So, if we keep back for ourselves ,
any earthly goods or any perishable supplies,
our minds will remain sunk in them,
as though in mud.
Then, inevitably, our souls will become unable
to contemplate God and will be unmoved
by desire for the splendours of Heaven
and for the good things promised us.
We shall only be able to acquire those good things,
if we ask for them unceasingly,
with a burning desire that will, besides,
make easy the effort needed to gain them.”

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“If you wish to enter into life,
keep My commandments.
If you will know the truth,
believe in Me.
If you will be perfect,
sell all.
If you will be My disciple,
deny yourself.
If you will possess the blessed life,
despise this present life.
If you will be exalted in Heaven,
humble yourself on earth.
If you wish to reign with Me,
carry the Cross with Me.
For only the servants of the Cross
find the life of blessedness
and of true Light.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

The Imitation of Christ Chapter 56

“True spiritual life consists in this:
that man keep his eyes on God, constantly,
long for nothing but for God,
keep nothing in mind but God
and begin every single action,
in God’s Name
and direct it to Him.”

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

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One Minute Reflection – 13 April – ‘ … In the Kingdom these relationships are transcended …’

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One Minute Reflection – 13 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – St Hermenegild (Died 585) Martyr, Confessor – Wisdom 5:1-5; Luke 14:26-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“If anyone comes to Me, without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:26

REFLECTION – “On another occasion, the Lord says, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children and brothers and sisters and even his own soul, cannot be my disciple.” As a rule, this is more upsetting to the mind of new Christians, who are eager to begin at once, to live in accordance with the precepts of Christ. To those who do not fully grasp its meaning, it would seem contradictory …. He has condescended to call His disciples to the eternal Kingdom. He also called them brothers. In the Kingdom these relationships are transcended because, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither slave nor freeman but Christ, is all things and in all.” The Lord says, “For in the resurrection, they will neither be married nor marry but will be as the Angels of God in Heaven.”

Whoever wishes to prepare himself now, for the life of that Kingdom, must not hate people but those earthly relationships, through which the present life is sustained, the temporary life that begins at birth and ends with death. Whoever does not hate this necessity, does not yet love that other life, in which there will be no condition of birth and death, the condition which makes marriages natural on earth.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father, Doctor of Grace (Sermon on the Mount,15).

PRAYER – OGod, Who didst teach Thy blessed Martyr Hermenegild to choose a heavenly, rather than an earthly crown, grant, we beseech Thee, that we, like him, may so pass through temporal things that we finally miss not those which are eternal. Through esus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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Our Morning Offering – 12 April – Indulgenced Prayer, O Most Compassionate Jesus!

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Our Morning Offering – 12 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”

O Most Compassionate Jesus!
By Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day
6 October 1870

O Most compassionate Jesus!
Thou alone art our Salvation,
our Life and our Resurrection.
We implore Thee, therefore,
do not forsake us
in our needs and afflictions
but by the agony of
Thy Most Sacred Heart
and by the sorrows of
Thy Immaculate Mother,
succour Thy servants,
whom Thou hast redeemed
by Thy Most Precious Blood.
Amen

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 April – Take God for your Spouse and Friend …

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – Wednesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10; John 20:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My Lord and my God.”

John 20:28

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

Matthew 11:29-30

“If we wish to make any progress
in the service of God,
we must begin everyday of our life,
with new eagerness.
We must keep ourselves,
in the presence of God,
as much as possible
and have no other view or end,
in all our actions
but the Divine honour.”

St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

“Take God for your Spouse and Friend
and walk with Him continually
and you will not sin and will learn to love
and the things you must do
will work out prosperously for you.”

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

“You will begin to taste, even in this life,
a foretaste of eternal life,
for the principal beatitude of the soul in Heaven,
is to be confirmed forever in the Will of the Father.
Thus, it tastes the divine sweetness.
But it will never taste it in Heaven,
if it is not clothed with it on earth,
where we are pilgrims and travellers.
When it is clothed with it, it tastes God
by grace in its troubles; its memory will be full
of the Blood of the Lamb without blemish;
its mind will be opened and contemplate
the ineffable love that God has made known
in the Wisdom of His Son and the love it finds,
in the Holy Spirit’s goodness, casts out self-love
and love for created things, to love only God.
So do not be afraid … but suffer with joy,
so as to conform yourself to the Will of God.””

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in "Follow Me", APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ON the SAINTS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY NAME, The RESURRECTION, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 9 April – “My Lord and my God.”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 9 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Tuesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20. 19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My Lord and my God.”

John 20:28

“To one who has faith,
no explanation is necessary.
To one without faith,
no explanations is possible.”

“If then, you are looking for the way
by which you should go,
take Christ, for He, Himself, is the Way.”

Grant Me Grace,
O Merciful God
Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus & Doctor Communis
which he was accustomed to recite everyday
before the image of Christ.

Grant me grace,
O merciful God,
to desire ardently
all that is pleasing to Thee,
to examine it prudently,
to acknowledge it truthfully
and to accomplish it perfectly,
for the praise
and glory of Thy Name.
Amen

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus / Doctor Communis

“Keep yourself faithfully
in the presence of God;
avoid hurry and anxiety,
for there are no greater obstacles
to our progress in perfection.
Have an unlimited confidence
in His mercy and goodness.”

“Our greatest fault is, that
we wish to serve God in our way,
not in His way — according to our will,
not according to His will….
To be truly a Saint, it is necessary
to be one according to the will of God.”

“Alas, how the faith of Jesus’ Apostles
is shaken after His Crucifixion!
Assembled in a room with closed doors,
they are filled with fear.
Then Jesus enters, stands in their midst
and greets them: ‘Peace be with you.’ …
Without the presence of our Saviour,
they felt timid and lacked strength.
Such is the case when one is without God.
They were afraid.
Like a ship tossed in a storm without a pilot,
such was this poor boat.
Our Lord appears to His disciples
to bring relief to their fear.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on JOY, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on WATCHING, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – ‘… For us, a Light from His Light has arisen…’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Easter Thursday

“Our Lord Jesus Christ
Has appeared to us from the bosom of the Father.
He has come and drawn us out of the shadows
And enlightened us with His joyful Light.

Day has dawned for humankind,
Cast out the power of darkness.
For us, a Light from His Light has arisen
That has enlightened our darkened eyes.

Over the world He has made His glory arise
And has lit up the deepest depths.
Death is no more, darkness has ended,
The gates of hell are shattered.

He has illumined every creature,
All the shades from times long past.
He has brought about salvation and given us Life;
Next He will come in glory.

Our King is coming in His great glory:
Let us light our lamps
and go out to meet Him (Mt 25,6);
Let us be glad in Him, as He has been glad in us
And gives us gladness, with His glorious Light.

My friends, arise! make yourselves ready
To give thanks to our Saviour King,
Who will come in His glory and make us joyful
With His joyous Light in the Kingdom.”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father of the Church

(Hymn I on the Resurrection)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 April – ‘ … Mary! …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 4 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Easter Thursday – The Memorial of St Isidore of Seville (c560-636) Bishop, Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church – Acts 8:26-40, John 20: 11-18 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Jesus said to her: ‘Mary!” – John 20:16

REFLECTION – “Sir, if you have taken Him away…” Mary had not yet said Who it was Who made her weep from desire, nor mentioned by Name, Him of Whom she spoke. But the force of love customarily brings it about that a heart believes, everyone else is aware of the One of Whom it is always thinking! … Mary, did not believe that the One for Whom she herself so constantly wept in her desire, was unknown to the other.

Jesus said to her: “Mary!” After he had called her by the common name of “woman” he called her by her own name, as if to say: “Recognise Him Who recognises you.” To Moses too, God said: “I know you by name” (Ex 33:12) because “man” is the common appellation of us all,but “Moses” was his own name. He was rightly told that he was known by name, as if the Lord was saying to him openly: “I do not know you in a general way as I know others but, particularly.”

And so because Mary was called by name, she acknowledged her Creator and called Him at once “Rabboni” that is, “teacher.” He was both the One she was outwardly seeking and, the One Who was teaching her, iTwardly, to seek Him … “Mary Magdalene came and made known to the disciples: ‘I have seen the Lord and He said these things to me.’” See, how the sin of the human race was removed, where it began!? In Paradise a woman was the cause of death for a man; coming from the sepulchre, a woman proclaimed Life to men!” – St Gregory the Great (540-640) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homily 25 on the Gospel).

PRAYER – O God, Who granted to Thy people blessed Isidore as ashepherd of salvation, grant, we beseech Thee that we who cherished him on earth as a teacher of life may be found worthy to have him as an intercessor in Heaven.
T hrough Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, Quotes on SALVATION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 1 April –

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – Easter Monday

“This is the day which the Lord hath made,
let us be glad and rejoice therein.”

Psalm 117:24.

“If we follow Christ closely we shall be allowed,
even on this earth,
to stand, as it were,
on the threshold of the heavenly Jerusalem
and enjoy the contemplation,
of that everlasting Feast,
like the blessed Apostles,
who, in following the Saviour as their Leader,
showed and still show,
the way to obtain the same gift from God.
They said – See, we have left all things and followed Thee.
We too follow the Lord
and we keep His Feast
by deeds rather than by words.”

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“For Christ is our Salvation.
For He is our Salvation,
Who was wounded for us
and fastened with nails to the Wood
and taken down from the Wood
and laid in the sepulchre.
But He rose from the sepulchre
and although His Wounds were healed,
the Scars remained.
For this He judged expedient for His Disciples
that He should keep His Scars,
to heal the wounds of their soul.”

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

“All I want to know is Christ
and the power flowing
from His Resurrection!”

St Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, HOLY COMMUNION, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 April – “Stay with us!” … Luke 24:29

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 1 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Easter Monday – Acts 10:37-43, Luke 24:13-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Stay with us!” … Luke 24:29

REFLECTION – “My brethren, when was it that the Lord made Himself recognised? When He broke the bread. So, we ourselves are convinced, too, that when we break the bread, we recognise the Lord. If He had not wanted to be recognised until that moment, it was for our sakes, we, who were not to see Him in the flesh but who were yet to eat Him in the flesh. So you, who believe in Him, whoever you are, you who do not bear the name of Christian in vain, who do not come casually into Church, who hear the Word of God in fear and hope – for you the broken bread will be a consolation. Our Lord’s absence is not a real absence. Trust, be faithful and He is with you, even if you do not see Him.

When the Lord hailed them, the disciples had no faith. They did not believe in His Resurrection, they did not even hope that He might be raised. They had lost faith, they had lost hope. They were dead men walking alongside a living one, they were walking, dead, with Life itself! Life was walking with them but, in their hearts, Life was not as yet renewed.

And do you long for Life? Imitate the disciples and you will recognise the Lord. They offered hospitality, our Lord seemed determined to proceed on His way but they held Him back … You too, then, keep hold of the stranger if you wish to recognise your Saviour! … Learn where to look for the Lord, where to possess Him, where to recognise Him – in breaking bread with Him!” … St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – O God, Who dost heal the sick world by the solemn gladness of the Passover, continue, we beseech Thee, to pour forth Thine heavenly gifts upon Thy people, until the same shall bring them into perfect liberty and finally, avail them unto life everlasting .Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, HOLY SATURDAY, HOLY WEEK, OUR Cross, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The REDEMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 30 March – Holy Saturday

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 30 March – Holy Saturday

“INTO THY HANDS,
O my God, I entrust my spirit.
Dost Thou wish me to be in dryness or in consolation?
Into Thy Hands, I entrust my spirit.
Dost Thou wish me to be contradicted,
to experience repugnances and difficulties,
to be loved or not, to obey this one or that one
and in whatever it may be,
in great things or small?
Then into Thy Hands, I entrust my spirit!”

“My soul, live henceforward
amid the scourges and the thorns
of thy Saviour and there,
as a nightingale in its bush, sing sweetly:
Live Jesus, Who didst die
that my soul might live!
Ah, Eternal Father!
What can the world return Thee
for the gift Thou hast made it of Thy only Son?
Alas! to redeem a thing so vile as I,
the Saviour delivered Himself to death
and, unhappy me!
I hesitate to surrender my nothingness to Him,
Who has given me everything!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas