Category: CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on FAITH, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 March – The Way …

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 March – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent – Exodus 32:7-14, John 7:14-31

“But of the people,many believed in him …”

John 7:31

“Take my yoke upon you
and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart
and you will find rest for yourselves…”

Matthew 11:29

“… There is one Road
and one only,
well secured against all possibility
of going astray
and, this Road is provided
by One Who is Himself
both God and man.
As God, He is the Goal,
as man, He is the Way.”

“Do you desire security?
Here you have it.
The Lord says to you,
“I will never abandon you,
I will always be with you.”
If a good man made you such a promise,
you would trust him.
God makes it and do you doubt?
Do you seek a support, more sure
than the Word of God, which is infallible?
Surely, He has made the promise,
He has written it,
He has pledged His Word for it,
it is most certain!”

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

“May He,
Who is the Track of the runners
and the Reward of the winners,
lead and guide you along it –
He, Christ Jesus!”

Bl Guerric of Igny O.Cist (c 1080-1157)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The LAST THINGS, The RESURRECTION

One Minute Reflection – 28 March – “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” – John 2:19

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One Minute Reflection – 28 March – Monday of the |Fourth Week of Lent – 3 Kings 3:16-28, John 2:13-25 and The Memorial of St John of Capistrano OFM (1386-1456)

“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” – John 2:19

REFLECTION – “… In my view, both the temple and Jesus’ Body are a symbol of the Church… The temple will be rebuilt and the Body will rise on the third day… For the third day will rise in a new heaven and a new earth (2 Pet 3,13) when the dry bones, that is to say, the whole house of Israel (Ezek 37,11), will stand up on the great Day of the Lord and death will be vanquished…

Just as the Body of Jesus, subject to our vulnerable human condition, was fastened to the Cross and buried and then raised up, so the whole Body of Christ’s faithful was “fastened to the cross with him” and “now no longer lives” (Gal 2,19). For, like Paul, not one of them glories in anything any longer but in the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which made of Him, One Crucified for the world and made of the world, one crucified for Him (Gal 6,14)… “For we were buried with Christ,” Paul says and adds, as if he had received some pledge of the resurrection: “And have been raised to life again with Him” (Rom 6:4-9) Everyone is walking in a new life, therefore but this new life is not yet the happy and perfect resurrection… If anyone is now placed in the tomb, one day he will rise again.” – Origen (c 185-253) Priest and Theologian, Father (Commentary on St John 10,20).

PRAYER – O God, Who, through blessed John, made Your faithful people conquer the enemies of the Cross by the power of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, grant, we beseech You, that by his intercession we may avoid the snares of our spiritual enemies and may be found worthy to receive from You the crown of justice.
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 WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2022, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Fourth Sunday of Lent “Laetare Sunday” – 27 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – ‘… Unless you hold out your hands to receive your portion, you will collapse along the way…’

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Fourth Sunday of Lent “Laetare Sunday” – 27 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Galatians 4:22-31, John 6:1-15

“Mountains are round about Jerusalem; so the Lord is round about His people, both now and forever.” – Psalm 124:2

“When, therefore, Jesus had lifted up His eyes
and seen, that a very great crowd
had come to Him, He said to Philip,
“Whence shall we buy bread
that these may eat?”

John 6:5

“LORD JESUS how well I know You have no wish to allow these people here with me, to remain hungry but to feed them with the food You distribute and so, strengthened with Your food, they will have no fear of collapsing from hunger. I know, too, that You have no wish to send us away hungry, either… As you have said: You do not want them to collapse on the way, meaning, to collapse in the byways of this life, before reaching the end of the road, before coming to the Father and, understanding that You come from the Father…

OUR LORD TAKES PITY, then, so that none may collapse along the way… Just as He makes it rain on the just, as well as the unjust (Mt 5,45), so He feeds the just, as well as the unjust. Was it not thanks to the strength of the food, that the holy prophet Elijah, when he was collapsing on the way, was able to walk for forty days? (1Kgs 19,8). It was an Angel who gave that food to him but, in your case, it is Christ Himself Who feeds you. If you preserve the food you have received in this way, then you will walk, not forty days and forty nights… but for forty years, from your departure from the borders of Egypt, to your arrival in the land of plenty, the land where milk and honey flow (Ex 3,8)…

AND SO CHRIST shares out the foodstuffs and, there is no question, He wants to give it to all. He withholds it from no-one, for He provides for everyone. Nevertheless, when He breaks the loaves and gives them to the disciples, unless you hold out your hands to receive your portion, you will collapse along the way… This bread that Jesus breaks, is the Mystery of the Word of God: it increases as it is distributed. With only a few words Jesus has provided abundant nourishment for all peoples. He has given us His Words as bread and, while we are tasting them, they increase in our mouths… Even as the crowds are eating, the pieces increase and become more numerous, to such an extent, that, in the end, the leftovers are even more plentiful than the loaves that were shared.” – St Ambrose (c 340-397) Bishop of Milan, Great Father and Doctor of the Church (Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Luke, VI, 73-88).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, MIRACLES, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on FAITH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 March – ‘ … We are preferred to them …’

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One Minute Reflection – 27 March – Fourth Sunday of Lent “Laetare Sunday” – Galatians 4:22-31, John 6:1-15

“When the people, therefore, had seen the sign which Jesus had worked, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet Who is to come into the world..” – John 6:14

REFLECTION – “Governing the entire universe, is a greater miracle, than feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread, yet no-one marvels at it. People marvel at the feeding of the five thousand, not because this miracle is greater but because, it is out of the ordinary. Who is even now providing nourishment for the whole world if not the God Who creates a field of wheat from a few seeds? Christ did what God does. Just as God multiplies a few seeds into a whole field of wheat, so Christ multiplied the five loaves in His Hands. For there was power in the Hands of Christ. Those five loaves were like seeds, not because they were cast on the earth but because, they were multiplied by the One Who made the earth.

This miracle was presented to our senses, in order to stimulate our minds… and so make us marvel at “the God we do not see because of his works, which we do see” (Rom 1,20). For then, when we have been raised to the level of faith and purified by faith, we shall long to behold, although not with our eyes, the invisible God Whom we recognise, through what is visible. This miracle was performed for the multitude to see; it was recorded for us to hear. Faith does for us, what sight did for them. We behold with the mind, what our eyes cannot see and we are preferred to them because of us it was said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (Jn 20,29).” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on Saint John’s gospel, 24).

PRAYER – Stay with us Lord Jesus, be our companion on our way. In Your mercy enflame our hearts and raise our hope, so that, in union with our brethren, we may share with each other Your food of life. Listen to the prayers of your Angels and Saints and as we entrust ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, may she open our hearts to compassion and fraternal sharing. Through Your grace with God our Father and the Holy Ghost, forever and ever amen.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2022, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION, The WORD

Friday of the Third Week of Lent – 25 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – ‘ … By Obeying His Word …’

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Friday of the Third Week of Lent – 25 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – The Annunciation – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38

“Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” – Luke 1:28,42

“And Mary said,
‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be to me according to your word.’”

Luke 1:38

“SO THE LORD NOW manifestly came to His own. Born by His own created order that He Himself bears, He by His obedience on the tree, renewed and reversed what was done by disobedience, in connection with a tree.

THE POWER of that seduction, by which the virgin Eve, already betrothed to a man, had been wickedly seduced, was broken when the Angel in truth brought good tidings to the Virgin Mary, who already, by her betrothal belonged to a man. For as Eve was seduced by the word of an Angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His Word, so Mary by the word of an Angel, received the glad tidings that she would bear God, by obeying His Word.

THE FORMER WAS SEDUCED to disobey God and so fell but the latter, was persuaded to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of Eve.

AS THE HUMAN RACE was subjected to death through the act of a virgin, so was it saved by a virgin, was precisely balanced by the obedience of Another. Then indeed, the sin of the first formed man was amended by the chastisement of the First Begotten, the wisdom of the serpent was conquered by the simplicity of the dove and the chains were broken, by which we were in bondage to death.” – St Irenaeus (130-202) Bishop of Lyons, Martyr, Father of the Church (Against Heresies, 5)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN QUOTES, Quotes on SALVATION, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – Blessed Shall be Her Name

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – The Annunciation – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38

“He Who is Infinite, Limitless,
came to dwell in your womb;
God, the Child Jesus,
was nourished by your milk.
You are the ever virginal Doorway of God;
your hands hold your God;
your lap is a throne raised up
above the Cherubim…
You are the wedding chamber of the Spirit,
the “city of the living God,
gladdened by the runlets of the stream,”
that is to say, the waves of the Spirit’s gifts.
You are “all fair, the Beloved” of God.”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“And Mary said,
‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be to me according to your word.’”

Luke 1:38

“The price of our salvation
is offered to you.
We shall be set free at once, if you consent.
In the eternal Word of God, we all came to be
and behold, we die.
In your brief response,
we are to be remade.
in order to be recalled to life.

… Answer quickly, O Virgin.
Reply in haste to the Angel,
or rather, through the Angel to the Lord.
Answer with a word,
receive the Word of God.
Speak your own word,
conceive the Divine Word.
Breathe a passing word,
embrace the Eternal Word!”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
The Last Father and
the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

Blessed Shall be Her Name
Anonymous Author

Praise we the Lord this day,
This day so long foretold,
Whose promise shone with cheering ray
On waiting saints of old.

The prophet gave the sign
That those with faith might read;
A Virgin, born of David’s line
Shall bear the promised Seed.

Ask not how this should be,
But worship and adore;
Like her whom Heaven’s majesty
Came down to shadow o’er.

She meekly bowed her head
To hear the gracious word,
Mary, the pure and lowly maid,
The favoured of the Lord.

Blessed shall be her name
In all the Church on earth,
Through whom that wondrous Mercy came,
The Incarnate Saviour’s Birth.

Jesus, the Virgin’s Son,
We praise You and adore,
Who are with God the Father One
And Spirit evermore.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The ANNUNCIATION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 March – The Annunciation – ‘ … Chosen from among all other beings …’

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One Minute Reflection – 25 March – The Annunciation – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38

“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “The degeneration caused by sin had obscured the beauty of our original nobility. But when the mother of supreme Beauty is born, our nature finds its purity once more and sees itself moulded according to the perfect model, worthy of God (Gn 1,26)… We had all preferred the world below to that above. There no longer remained any hope of salvation. The state of our nature cried aloud to Heaven to come to the rescue… Then at last, in His good pleasure, the world’s Divine Artificer determined to make a new world appear, a different world full of harmony and youth.

Now was it not fitting, that a most pure virgin without stain, should place herself at the service of this mysterious plan first of all?… And where was this virgin to be found, if not in this woman, alone of her kind, chosen by the world’s Creator before all generations? Yes, she indeed is Mother of God, divinely named Mary, whose womb gave birth to God Incarnate and whom, He Himself had supernaturally prepared, as His Temple…

In this way, then, the design of the Redeemer of our race was to bring about a birth and, as it were, a new creation to replace the one that went before. Therefore, just as in Paradise, He had taken a litle clay out of the pure and spotless earth, to fashion the first Adam (Gn 2,7), so, at the moment of bringing about His Own Incarnation, He made use of another earth, so to speak, namely, this Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings He had created. It is in her that He, Adam’s Creator, has remade us in our very substance and become a new Adam (1Cor 15,45), that the old might be saved by the new and eternal.” – St Andrew of Crete (660-740) Bishop (Sermon 1 for the Nativity of the Mother of God ; PG 97, 812).

PRAYER – The Angelus
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee;
Blessed art thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. And the Word was made Flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LET US PRAY
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2022, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The WORD

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent – 24 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – ‘… The sicknesses of the soul …’

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Thursday of the Third Week of Lent – 24 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Jeremias 7:1-7, Luke 4:38-44

“The eyes of all look hopefully to You, O Lord,and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” – Psalm 144:15-16

“Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him and he laid his hands on everyone of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ.”

Luke 4:40-41

“BUT OBSERVE AGAIN, I pray, how great is the efficacy of the touch of His holy flesh. For It both drives away diseases, of various kinds and a crowd of demons and overthrows the power of the devil and heals a very great multitude of people, in one moment of time.
And although able to perform these miracles by a word and the inclination of His will, yet, to teach us something useful, He also lays His hands upon the sick.
For it was necessary, most necessary, for us to learn, that the holy flesh which He had made His own, was endowed with the activity of the power of the Word, by His having implanted in it, a godlike might.
Let It then take hold of us, or rather let us take hold of It, by the mystical “Giving of thanks,” that It may free us also from the sicknesses of the soul and from the assault and violence of demons.

HE WOULD NOT PERMIT the unclean demons to confess Him, for it was not fitting for them to usurp the glory of the Apostolic office, nor with impure tongue, to talk of the mystery of Christ.
Yea! although they speak ought that is true, let no-one put credence in them – for the light is not known by the aid of darkness, as the disciple of Christ teaches us, where he says, “For what communion hath light with darkness? or what consent hath Christ with Beliar?” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Incarnation

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 23 March – The Christian Formation of Character

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Thought for the Day – 23 March – Meditations with
Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Christian Formation of Character

“When Jesus offered Himself as our Divine Model, He used these words, “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29).
Humility and gentleness are essential attributes of the Christian character.
Whoever does not succeed in acquiring them is bulding upon sand!
He will be a torment to others as well as to himself.
Jesus indicates this also, for after He has said: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart,” He adds, “and you will find rest for your souls” (Ibid).
In other words, He tells us, that it is only on this condition that we shall find spiritual peace.
When we have modelled our character on His humility and gentleness, we shall be inflamed with the love of God and of our neighbour.
Only then shall we have succeeded in acquiring a character which is genuinely and deeply Christian.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/23/thought-for-the-day-23-march-the-christian-formation-of-character/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/02/thought-for-the-day-23-march-the-christian-formation-of-character-2/

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 March – St Benedict

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 March – Monday of the Third Week of Lent – The Memorial of St Benedict OSB (c 480-547)

“Girded with faith
and the performance of good works,
let us follow in His paths
by the guidance of the Gospel.”

“There exists an evil fervour,
a bitter spirit, which divides us from God
and leads us to hell.
Similarly, there is a good fervour,
which sets us apart from evil inclinations
and leads us toward God and eternal life.”

“For at all times, we must so serve Him,
with the good things He has given us,
that he may not, as an angry Father,
disinherit his children,
nor as a dread Lord,
provoked by our evil deeds,
deliver us to everlasting punishment,
as wicked servants,
who refuse to follow Him to glory.”

“The first degree of humility,
is prompt obedience.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/07/11/quote-s-of-the-day-11-july-st-benedict-2/

St Benedict (c 480-547)

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, LENT 2022, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The HEART, The WORD

The Third Sunday of Lent – 20 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – ‘The will is drawn also by love. ‘

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The Third Sunday of Lent – 20 March – Ou4 Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Ephesians 5:1-9, Luke 11:14-28

“My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He will free my feet from the snare. Look toward me and have pity on me, for I am alone and afflicted.” – Psalm 24:15-16

“He who is not with Me,
is against Me
and he who does not gather
with Me scatters.”

Luke 11:23

“NO-ONE COMES TO ME unless the Father draws him. Do not think that you are drawn against your will – the will is drawn also by love. We must not be afraid of men who weigh words but are far from understanding what belongs above all to Divine Truth. They may find fault with this passage of Scripture and say to us: “How can I believe of my own free will if I am drawn to believe?” I answer: “It is not enough that you are moved by the will, for you are drawn also by desire.”

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, to be drawn by desire? Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. The heart has its own desires; it takes delight, for example, in the bread from heaven. The poet could say: “Everyone is drawn by his own desire,” not by necessity but by desire, not by compulsion but by pleasure. We can say then with greater force, that one who finds pleasure in Truth, in Happiness, in Justice, in Everlasting Life, is drawn to Christ, for Christ is all these things.

ARE OUR BOIDLY SENSES to have their desires but not the will? If the will does not have its desires, how can Scripture say: The children of men will find their hope under the shadow of your wings, they will drink their fill from the plenty of your house and you will give them drink from the running stream of your delights, for with you is the fountain of life, and in your light we shall see light.

SHOW ME ONE WHO LOVES; he knows what I mean. Show me one who is full of longing, one who is hungry, one who is a pilgrim and suffering from thirst in the desert of this world, eager for the fountain in the homeland of eternity; show me someone like that and he knows what I mean. But if I speak to someone without feeling, he does not understand what I am saying.

YOU HAVE ONLY to show a leafy branch to a sheep and it is drawn to it. If you show nuts to a boy, he is drawn to them. He runs to them because he is drawn, drawn by love, drawn without any physical compulsion, drawn by a chain attached to his heart. “Everyone is drawn by his own desire. ” This is a true saying and earthly delights and pleasures, set before those who love them, succeed in drawing them. If this is so, are we to say that Christ, revealed and set before us by the Father, does not draw us? What does the soul desire more than truth? Why then does the soul have hungry jaws, a spiritual palate as it were, sensitive enough to judge the truth, if not in order to eat and drink Wisdom, Justice, Truth, Eternal Life?

BLESSED ARE THOSE who hunger and thirst for justice, that is, here on earth. They shall be satisfied, that is, in Heaven. Christ says: I give each what he loves, I give each the object of his hope; he will see what he believed in, though without seeing it. What he now hungers for, he will eat; what he now thirsts for, he will drink to the full. When? At the resurrection of the dead, for I will raise him up on the last day.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Great Western Father and Doctor of Grace of the Church (An excerpt from his Treatise 26).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, ONE Minute REFLECTION, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 March – “Joseph, son of David ” – Matthew 1:20

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One Minute Reflection – 19 March – St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6, Matthew 1:18-21

“Joseph, son of David ” – Matthew 1:20

REFLECTION – “There is no doubt that Joseph was a very holy and trustworthy man, since the Mother of the Saviour was to be his wife. He was the “faithful and prudent servant” (Mt 24:45), for God established him to be His Mother’s support, the foster father of His flesh and the assistant for His plan of salvation.

We must recall, that he was of the House of David. He was son of David, not only by bonds of the flesh but even more, because of his faith, holiness and piety. God found in him, a second David, to whom He could confidently entrust His plans, even the most hidden. He revealed to him, as to another David, the mysteries of His Wisdom and disclosed to him, what no teacher in the world, could know. He allowed him to see and listen, to things that so many kings and prophets had wished to see and hear but which,, in spite of their desire, they had not been able to see or to hear (Mt 13:7), even more,, He made him carry and guide, embrace, nurture and protect Him. Both Mary and Joseph belonged to David’s race; in Mary was fulfilled the promise once made by the Lord to David, while Joseph was the witness of this fulfilment.” – St Bernard (1090-1153) (Surname de Fontaine) Priest, Cistercian Monk, The Last Father and Doctor Mellifluus (Mellifluous Doctor) (Homily on the “Missus est”, 2, 16).

PRAYER – May the merits of Your most holy Mother’s spouse help us, we beseech You, O Lord, that through his intercession, we may receive what we cannot obtain by our own efforts. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 March – “They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.”- Matthew 21:39

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One Minute Reflection – 18 March – Friday of the Second Week of Lent – Genesis 37:6-22Matthew 21:33-46 and the Memorial of St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386) Bishop of Jerusalem, Confessor and Father & Doctor of the Church

“They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.”– Matthew 21:39

REFLECTION – “I am the true vine,” Jesus says (Jn 15,1)… People dig trenches around this Vine, that is to say, cunningly dig traps. When they plot to make someone fall into a snare, it is as if they dug a pit in front of him. That is why He mourns about it, saying: “They have dug a pit before me” (Ps 56[57],7)… Here is one example of these snares: “They brought a woman who had been caught in adultery” to our Lord Jesus, “saying: ‘Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?’ ” (Jn 8,3f.)… And here is another: “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to the Emperor or not?” (cf. Mt 22,17)…

However, they discovered, that these traps caused no harm to the Vine. To the contrary, in digging these pits, they themselves fell into them (Ps 56[57],7)… Then they kept on digging, not just His Hands and His Feet (Ps 21[22],17) but they pierced His Side with a lance (Jn 19,34) and uncovered the interior of that Sacred Heart, which had already been wounded by the spear of love. The Bridegroom says in the song of His love that: “You have wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse” (Sg 4,9 Vg.). O Lord Jesus, Your Heart has been wounded with love by Your spouse, Your friend, Your sister. Why, then, was it necessary for Your enemies to wound You again? O you enemies, what are you doing?… Do you not know that this Heart of Our Lord Jesus,’,already pierced, is already dead, already open and cannot be touched by any other suffering? The Heart of the Bridegroom, Our Lord Jesus, has already received the wound of love, the death of love. What other death could touch Him?… The Martyrs also laugh when they are threatened, rejoice when they are struck, triumph when they are killed. Why? Because they have already died through love in their hearts, “dead to sin” (Rm 6,2) and to the world…

Thus Jesus’ Heart has been wounded and put to death for our sake… Physical death triumphed for a moment but only to be conquered forever. It was blotted out when Christ rose from the dead because “death has no power over him any more” (Rm 6,9). – St Bonaventure (1221-1274), Franciscan, Doctor of the Church (The Mystical Vine, ch. 3, § 5-10)

PRAYER – Grant us, we beseech You, Almighty God, through the intercession of the blessed Bishop Cyril, so to acknowledge You, the only true God,and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent, that we may be found worthy to be forever numbered among the sheep who hear His Voice. 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 "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – The Proof of our Love

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – Wednesday of the Second week of Lent – Esther 13:8-11; 15-17, Matthew 20:17-28

“Are you able to drink the cup
that I am to drink?”

Matthew 20:22

“… Now is the time in this life of suffering,
when we journey apart from Him.
… So let us fast and pray now
because, we are in the days of childbirth!”

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

“Only let it be in the name of Jesus Christ,
that I may suffer together with Him!
I endure everything
because He Himself,
Who is perfect man, empowers me.”

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35–107) Martyr

“Embrace, then, Jesus Crucified,
raising to Him the eyes of your desire!
Consider His burning love for you,
which made Jesus pour out His Blood
from every part of His body!
Embrace Jesus crucified,
loving and beloved and in Him,
you will find true life because He is God made Man.
Let your heart and your soul burn
with the fire of love drawn from Jesus on the Cross!
… You will have no other desire than to follow Jesus!
Run, … do not stay asleep
because time flies and does not wait one moment!
Dwell in God’s sweet love!”

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

“To labour and to suffer
for the One we love,
is the greatest proof of our love.”

St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2022, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The PASSION, The WORD

The Second Sunday of Lent – 3 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – COME DOWN, PETER!,

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The Second Sunday of Lent – 3 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Matthew 17:1-9

“In You is the source of life and in Your Light Lord, we see light…” – Psalm 35(36)

“And His face shone as the sun
and His garments became white as snow.”

Matthew 17:2

“THE LORD JESUS,HIMSELF shone bright as the sun, His raiment became white as the snow and Moses and Elias talked with Him (Matt 17:2-3).
Jesus Himself indeed, shone as the sun, signifying that “He is the light which lights every man that comes into the world” (Jn 1:9).

WHAT THIS SUN IS to the eyes of the flesh, that is He, to the eyes of the heart and what that is to the flesh of men, that is He to their hearts.

NOW His raiment is His Church. For if the raiment be not held together by Him Who puts it on, it will fall off. Of this raiment, Paul was, as it were, a sort of last border. For he says himself, “I am the least of the Apostles” (1 Cor 15:9) And in another place, “I am the last of the Apostles.” Now in a garment the border is the last and least part.

WHEREFORE as that woman which suffered from an issue of blood, when she had touched the Lord’s hem, was made whole (Mk 5:34), so the Church, which came from out of the Gentiles, was made whole by the preaching of Paul. What wonder if the Church is signified by white raiment, when you hear the Prophet Isaias saying, “Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow”?(Isa 1:18). Moses and Elias, that is, the Law and the Prophets, what avail they, except they converse with the Lord? Except they give witness to the Lord, who would read the Law or the Prophets? Mark how briefly the Apostle expresses this; “For by the Law is the knowledge of sin but now, the righteousness of God, without the Law is manifested:” behold the sun – “being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets” (Rom 3:20-21), behold the shining of the Sun.

PETER SEES THIS and as a man savouring the things of men says, “Lord, it is good for us to be here” (Matt 17:4) He had been wearied with the multitude, he had found now the mountain’s solitude; there he had Christ, the Bread of the soul. What! should he depart thence again to travail and pains, possessed of a holy love to God and thereby of a good conversation? He wished well for himself and so he added, “If Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias.”

TO THIS the Lord made no answer but, notwithstanding, Peter was answered. “For while he yet spake, a bright cloud came and overshadowed them” (Matt 17:5). He desired three tabernacles – the Heavenly Answer showed him, that we have One, which human judgement desired to divide.

CHRIST, the Word of God, the Word of God in the Law, the Word in the Prophets. Why, Peter, dost thou seek to divide them? It were more fitting for thee to join them. Thou seekest three; understand, that they are but ONE. …

COME DOWN, PETER, thou were desiring to rest on the mount, come down, “preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim 4:2). Endure, labour hard, bear thy measure of torture; that thou may possess what is meant by the white raiment of the Lord, through the brightness and the beauty of an upright labouring in charity. …

THIS PETER UNDERSTOOD NOT YET when he desired to live on the mount with Christ. He was reserving this for thee, Peter, after death. But now He says Himself, “Come down, to labour in the earth; in the earth to serve, to be despised and crucified in the earth.” The Life came down, that He might be slain; the Bread came down, that He might hunger; the Way came down, that Life might be wearied in the Way; the Fountain came down, that He might thirst and dost thou refuse to labour? `Seek not thine own.’ Have charity, preach the truth; so shall thou come to eternity, where thou shalt find security.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of Grace (Homily on the Transfiguration) (Matthew 17:1-9).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 March – Persevere to the end and prefer to die rather than abandon the post to which God has called you!

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One Minute Reflection – 13 March – The Second Sunday of Lent – Daniel 3:47-51, Matthew 17:1-9 and “The Month of St Joseph”

“Lord, it is good for us to be here” – Matthew 17:4

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

But embrace the Cross with patience and hide in God’s breast with your troubles: fix your eyes on the Lamb immolated for your sake and always be content with what God gives you and destines for you. We must act like this because we are sure that God is calling us and has chosen for us ,what will make us the most pleasing in His sight. Thus you will go from light to light and the pains endured for the sake of Jesus Crucified will be delightful to you, whereas the pleasures and consolations of the world ,will become bitter.

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) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church (Sermon for the Second Sunday of Lent [20 Feb 1622])

PRAYER – O God, Who tempered the flames of fire for the three young men, mercifully grant that the flames of sin may not burn us, Your servants.
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 WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 March – ‘How is it, that You dwell amongst men?’

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One Minute Reflection – 12 March – Ember Saturday in Lent – 1 Thess. 5:14-23, Matthew 17:1-9 and the Memorial of St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) – Confessor, Father & Doctor

“And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking together with Him.” – Matthew 17:3

REFLECTION – “Today our Lord truly appeared on the mountain. Today, human nature, which was previously created in the form of God but obscured by the formless figures of idols, has been transfigured into man’s former beauty, created “in the image and likeness of God” (Gn 1,26)… Today man, who had been dressed in garments of skin, plain and dark (Gn 3,21), has put on divine clothing on the mountain, “clothed in light as in a robe” (Ps 103[104],2)…

Moses looked a second time at the fire that did not consume the bush (Ex 3,2) but gives life to all flesh…, and he said : Now I see You : You Who really are and Who exist eternally; You Who are with the Father and have said to me: ‘I am who am’ (v.14)… Now I see You Whom I longed to see before, saying: ‘Let me see your glory’ (Ex 33,18). No longer do I see Your back while hidden in the cleft of the rock (v.23) but I see You, O God, lover of humankind, hidden in human form. No longer do You shelter me with Your right hand (v.22) but You are the Right Hand of the Most High, Who has been revealed to the world. You are the Mediator of both the Old and the New Covenants, O God from of old, New Man…

You Who said to me on Sinai: ‘No-one can see me and live’ (v.20): how is it that You can now be contemplated face-to-face on earth, in the flesh? How is it, that You dwell amongst men? You Who are Life and give life, how is it that You are hastening towards death? You Who dwell in the midst of those beings who are in the highest heavens, how is it that You make Your way lower than the most abandoned of beings, towards those who are dead?… For You wish to appear too to those who have been sleeping for ages past, to visit the patriarchs in the dwelling places of the dead, to descend to deliver Adam from his pains”… For it is thus, that “the just will shine out at the resurrection” (Mt 13,43); it is thus, that they will be glorified, even as they are transfigured.” – St Anastasius of Sinai (Died after 700) Monk (Sermon for the Feast of the Transfiguration).

PRAYER – God our Father, Your rule is a rule of love, Your providence is full of mercy for Your people. Through the intercession of St Gregory, grant the spirit of wisdom and understanding in Your Word through Your Son Jesus Christ. Grant that by the light of His Resurrection we may know our eternal home and strive to attain eternal joy there with You. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, FATHERS of the Church, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 March – “Do you wish to be healed?” John 5:6

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One Minute Reflection – 11 March – Ember Friday of the First Week of Lent – Ezechiel 18:10-28, John 5:1-15

“Jesus said to him, “Do you wish to be healed?” The sick man answered Him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool’ … Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your pallet and walk.” And at once the man was cured.” – John 5:6-8

REFLECTION – “We read in the Old Testament that in the times of Noah, since all humankind had been won over by sin, heaven’s floodgates opened and rain poured down for forty days… This was a symbol – it was less about a flood, than about a baptism. For it was indeed a baptism that bore away the misdeeds of the sinners and spared the uprightness of Noah. And so today, just as it was then, our Lord has given Lent to us so that the skies can open for the same number of days to inundate us with the floods of divine mercy. Once washed in the saving waters of baptism, this Sacrament enlightens us and, just as formerly, its waters bear away the evil of our sins and confirm the uprightness of our virtues.

Today’s situation is just the same as in Noah’s time. Baptism is flood to sinners and consecration for the faithful. In Baptism the Lord rescues justice and destroys injustice. We can see this in the example of one and the same man – before he was cleansed by the spiritual commands, the Apostle Paul, was a persecutor and blasphemer (1Tm 1,13). But once he had been bathed with the heavenly rain of Baptism, the blasphemer died, the persecutor died, Saul died. Then the Apostle, the just man, Paul, came to life… Anyone who lives Lent in a religious manner and observes the Lord’s decrees will see sin die in him and grace come to life… such as these die as sinners and live as righteous persons.” – St Maximus of Turin (?-c 420), Bishop – Sermon for Lent 50

PRAYER – Forgive my sins, O my God, forgive my sins:
the sins of youth, the sins of age, the sins of my soul and the sins of my body,
the sins which, through frailty, I have committed, my deliberate and grievous sins,
the sins I know and the sins I do not know, the sins I have laboured so long to hide from others, that now they are hidden from my own memory.
Let me be absolved from all these iniquities and delivered from the bond of all these evils, by the Life, Passion and Death of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on CHILDREN, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 March – “Great is your faith, be it done for you as you desire.” Matthew 15:21-28

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One Minute Reflection – 10 March – Thursday of the First Week of Lent – Ezechiel 18:1-9, Matthew 15:21-28

“But she said, Yes, Lord; for even the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” – Matthew 15:27

REFLECTION – “See her humility as well as her faith! For He had called the Jews “children” but she was not satisfied with this. She even called them “masters,” so far was she from grieving at the praises of others. She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Behold the woman’s wisdom! She did not venture so much as to say a word against anyone else. She was not stung to see others praised, nor was she indignant to be reproached. Behold her constancy! When He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” she said, “Yes, Lord.” He called them “children” but she called them “masters.” He used the name of a dog but she described the action of the dog. Do you see this woman’s humility?

Then compare her humility with the proud language of the Jews: “We are Abraham’s seed and were never in bondage to any man.” “We are born of God.” But not so this woman. Rather, she calls herself a dog and them masters. So for this reason, she became a child. For what does Christ then say? “O woman, great is your faith.”

So we might surmise that this is the reason He put her off, in order that He might proclaim aloud this saying and that He might crown the woman: “Be it done for you as you desire.” This means “Your faith, indeed, is able to effect even greater things than these. Nevertheless, be it unto you even as you wish.” This Voice was at one with the Voice that said, “Let the heaven be,” and it was. “And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”

Do you see how this woman, too, contributed not a little to the healing of her daughter? For note that Christ did not say, “Let your little daughter be made whole” but “Great is your faith, be it done for you as you desire.” These words were not uttered at random, nor were they flattering words,but great was the power of her faith and for our learning. He left the certain test and demonstration, however, to the issue of events. Her daughter accordingly was immediately healed.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor (The Gospel of Matthew – Homily 52).

PRAYER – We beseech You, O Lord, look graciously upon the fervour of Your people, who mortify themselves in the flesh through abstinence: that they may be refreshed in mind by the fruit of these good works. 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 WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 March – “The sign of Jonah” – Matthew 12:39

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One Minute Reflection – 9 March –Wednesday of the First Week of Lent, Ember Wednesday – 3 Kings 19:3-8, Matthew 12:38-50 and the Memorial of St Dominic Savio (1842-1857)

“The sign of Jonah” – Matthew 12:39

REFLECTION – “God showed patience in the face of man’s weakness because He saw beforehand, the victory He would eventually give him, through His Word. For, when “power was made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9), the Word caused God’s goodness and tremendous power, to be made manifest.
Indeed, it was the same with man, as it was with the prophet Jonah. God permitted Jonah to be swallowed by a sea-monster, not to make him altogether vanish away and die but, so that when he had been vomited out by the monster, he would become more subject to God and would give all the more glory to Him who had given him this unexpected deliverance.
It was, too, to lead the Ninevites to firm repentance and to convert them to Him, Who would deliver them from death, amazed as they were by the sign accomplished in Jonah …
In the same way, God permitted man to be swallowed by that great monster, the author of disobedience, not so that he should altogether vanish away and die but because God, had prepared beforehand, the salvation fulfilled by His Word by means of the “sign of Jonah.”
This salvation has been prepared, for those who have the same feelings for God as Jonah did and, who confess Him in the same words: “I am the servant of the Lord and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (Jon 1:9).
God desired that man, by receiving an unanticipated salvation from Him, would rise from the dead and worship God, saying with Jonah: “Out of my distress I called to the Lord; from the midst of the nether world he heard my voice” (Jon 2:2). God desired, too, that man would always remain faithful in giving Him worship and unceasing thanks for the salvation he has received from Him.” – St Irenaeus (130-208) Bishop of Lyons, Martyr, Theologian – Against the heresies III, 20, 1

PRAYER – Infinite Lord, help me to serve You always in accord with Your holy will. Show us how to make You our Lord and our All. St Dominic Savio, you the little giant showed us all the way of holiness within the confines of our lives, always joyfully doing the will of God. Please pray for us all. 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.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 March – ‘… Who is Himself, the Word and the Message …’

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One Minute Reflection – 8 March – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent – Isaias 55:6-11 Matthew 21:10-17-1and the Memeorial of St John of God (1495-1550)

“For just as from the heavens, the rain and snow come down and do not return there, until they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats.” – Isaias 55:11

REFLECTION – “For the rain and the snow do not return to heaven but accomplish in the earth the will of him that sends them. So the Word that He shall send through His Christ, Who is Himself, the Word and the Message, shall return to Him with great power. For when He shall come and bring it, He shall come down like rain and snow and through Him all that is sown shall spring up and bear righteous fruit and the Word shall return to His Sender but not in vain shall His going have been but thus shall He say, in the presence of His Sender, “Behold, I and the children that the Lord has given me.” And this is the Voice through which the dead shall live. And this is the Voice of God that shall sound from on high and raise up all the dead.” – St Aphraates “the Sage” (Died c 345) (Feast Day – 29 January) Abbot, Father of the Church [see note below] (Demonstrations 8).

PRAYER – Lord God, bestow a full measure of Your grace upon us, who seek to make our lenten journey fruitful. Confirm us in Your service and help us to bear witness to You in the society in which we live by our lives, our fasting and prayer, our gift of self. Listen kindly we pray, to the prayers of St John of God who so avidly followed in the footsteps of our Saviour, Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name, with the Holy Ghost, we pray, one God forever, amen.

St Aphraates was a Syriac Christian author of the third century from the Persian Empire who composed a series of twenty-three sermons on points of Christian doctrine and practice. He was an Ascetic and Celibate. He may have been a Bishop and later Syriac tradition places him at the head of Mar Mattai Monastery near Mosul, therefore, he was certainly an Abbot.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, LENT 2022, The WORD

Quote/s – 5 March – The First Saturday of Lent – “Thus says the Lord God”

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Quote/s – 5 March – The First Saturday of Lent – Isaiah 58:9-14, Mark 6:47-56

“Thus says the Lord God:
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation
and malicious speech.
if you bestow your bread
on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise
for you in the darkness
and the gloom
shall become for you,like midday;
then the Lord will guide you always
and give you plenty,
even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.”

Isaiah 58:9-11

“… If you hold back your foot
on the Sabbath from following
your own pursuits on My holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the Lord’s Holy Day honourable;
if you honour it,
by not following your ways,
seeking your own interests,
or speaking with malice –
then you shall delight in the Lord …”

Isaiah 58:13-14

“Take courage; it is I,
do not be afraid.
And He got into the boat with them
and the wind fell.”

Mark 6:50-51

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2022, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The WORD

First Thursday of Lent – 3 March – ‘Put your house in order … ’ Isaiah 38:1

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First Thursday of Lent – 3 March – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Isaiah 38:1-6, Matthew 8:5-13

To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul:
in You, O my God, I trust …

Psalm 24:1

“In those days, when Hezekiah was mortally ill,
the prophet Isaiah … came and said to him;
Thus says the Lord:
‘Put your house in order,
for you are about to die;
you shall not recover.’

Isaiah 38:1

BEHOLD, NOW IS THE APPOINTED TIME, in which you must confess your sins to God and to the priest and by prayer and by fasting, by tears and by almsgiving, wipe them away.
Why should a sinner be ashamed to make known his sins, since they are already known and manifest to God and to His angels and even to the blessed in heaven?

CONFESSION delivers the soul from death.
Confession opens the door to heaven.
Confession brings us hope of salvation.
Because of this, the Scripture says: First tell thy iniquities that you may be justified (Is. xliii.
Here we are shown, that the man will not be saved, who, during his life, does not confess his sin.
Neither will that confession deliver you, which is made without true repentance.
For true repentance is grief of heart and sorrow of soul because of the evils a man has committed.
True repentance causes us to grieve over our offences and to grieve over them with the firm intention of never committing them again.

And although, everyday, a man lives may rightly be a day of repentance, yet it is in these days more becoming, more appropriate, to confess our sins, to fast and to give elms to the poor; since in these days you may wash clean the sins of the whole year.
Therefore, I counsel all of you and I exhort each one of you singly, to repair, whatever you know within your soul, is blameworthy.
Whosoever among you discerns, within himself, what is unworthy in a Christian, let him correct it. … St Athanasius (297-373) Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Church (The Season of Lent).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on HUMILITY, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 3 March – Lord, I am not worthy

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 March – The First Thursday of Lent – Isias 38:1-6, Matthew 8:5-13

“The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy
to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word
and my servant will be healed.”

Matthew 8:8

“Take my yoke upon you
and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart
and you will find rest for your souls…”

Matthew 11:29

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled
and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Matthew 23:12

“For the Master of humility,
both by word and example,
sat down also, in the house
of a certain proud Pharisee, Simon
and although He sat down in his house,
there was no place in his heart.
For in his heart.
the Son of Man could not lay His head.”

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

“Those who refuse to be humble cannot be saved.
They cannot say with the prophet:
See, God comes to my aid;
the Lord is the helper of my soul.
But anyone who makes himself humble,
like a little child,
is greater in the kingdom of heaven.”

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

“ … If you die with Him,
you shall also likewise
live with Him.
If you are His companion in punishment,
so shall you be in glory.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

“Humility is not just about self-mistrust
but about the entrusting of ourselves to God.
Distrusting ourselves and our own strength
produces trust in God
and from that trust,
generosity of soul is born.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2022, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on PRIDE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 March – ‘ … He strips bare the secret intentions of our souls. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 2 March – Ash Wednesday –Joel 2:12-19, Matthew 6:16-21

“They have received their reward” – Matthew 6:16

REFLECTION – “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them.” Why not? If people see them then what will you get out of them? “You will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.”  My brethren, the Lord is not bringing judgement here but giving an explanation. He casts light on the wiles of our thoughts, He strips bare the secret intentions of our souls. He draws attention to the measure of a just retribution, to those unrighteous, pondering righteousness. Righteousness that sets itself in the sight of others can expect no divine reward from the Father. It wanted to be seen and it was seen; it wanted to please others and it pleased them. It has received the recompense it wanted – the recompense it did not want, it will not have …

“When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do.” “Blow your trumpet” – this is the exact phrase in that this kind of alms is more like a deed of war than of peace. It passes wholly into its sound but has nothing to do with mercy. It comes from the land of disunion but has not been nourished by goodness. It is a dealing in outward show, not chaste commerce …. “So, then, when you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.” You have taken good note: – alms offered at a meeting, in public square and street corners, is not an offering made for the comforting of the poor but has been set forward in the sight of others to attract their admiration … Flee hypocrisy, my brethren, flee from it …. It does not bring comfort to the poor; the groans of the homeless but is only a pretext for it, to seek out even more busily, a spectacular glory for itself. It inflates its praise of the suffering of the poor. – St Peter Chrysologus (406-450) Bishop of Ravenna, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 9).

PRAYER – Grant, O Lord, that Your faithful people may, with true piety, undertake the time-honoured custom of fasting and may carry it out with unwavering devotion. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on TRUTH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 March – ‘Receive Christ, receive power to see …’

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One Minute Reflection – 1 March – Feast of the Holy Face and Shrove Tuesday – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 18:31-43

“And at once, he received his sight and followed Him, glorifying God.” – Luke 18:43

REFLECTION – “The commandment of the Lord shines clearly, enlightening the eyes. Receive Christ, receive power to see, receive your Light, that you may plainly recognise both God and man. More delightful than gold and precious stones, more desirable than honey and the honeycomb is the Word that has enlightened us. How could He not be desirable, Who illumined minds buried in darkness and endowed, with clear vision “the light-bearing eyes” of the soul? Sing His praises, then, Lord and make known to me Your Father, Who is God. Your Word will save me, Your song instruct me. I have gone astray in my search for God but now that You light my path, Lord, I find God through You and receive the Father from You, I become co-heir with You, since You were not ashamed to own me as Your brother. Let us, then, shake off forgetfulness of Truth, shake off the mist of ignorance and darkness that dims our eyes and contemplate the true God, after first raising this song of praise to Him: “All hail, O light!” For upon us, buried in darkness, imprisoned in the shadow of death, a heavenly Light has shone, a Light of a clarity surpassing the sun’s and of a sweetness, exceeding any this earthly life can offer.” – St Clement of Alexandria (c 150-c 215) Thelogian, Philosopher , Father (Exhortation to the Greeks, 11).

PRAYER – Lord God, grant us restless hearts, hearts which seek Your Face. Keep us from the blindness of heart which sees only the surface of things. Give us the simplicity and purity which allow us to recognise Your presence in the world. When we are not able to accomplish great things, grant us the courage which is born of humility and goodness. Impress Your Face on our hearts. May we encounter You along the way and show Your image to the world. St Veronica, Pray for us! Amen.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 February – How then does he call Him the Son of David?

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One Minute Reflection – 28 February – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 18:31-43

“And he cried out, saying, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” – Luke 18:38

REFLECTION – The blind man must have understood, that the sight of the blind cannot be restored by human means but requires, on the contrary, a divine power and an authority such as God only possesses. With God nothing, whatsoever, is impossible. The blind man came near to Him as to the omnipotent God. How then does he call Him the Son of David? What can one answer to this? The following is perhaps the explanation. Since He was born and raised in Judaism, of course, the predictions contained in the law and the holy prophets concerning Christ, had not escaped his knowledge. He heard them chant that passage in the book of the Psalms, “The Lord has sworn in truth to David and will not annul it, saying: ‘of the fruit of your loins I will set a king upon your throne.’” The blind man also knew, that the blessed prophet Isaiah said, “There will spring up a shoot from the root of Jesse and from his root a flower will grow up.” Isaiah also said, “Behold, a virgin will conceive and bring forth a son,and they will call his name Emmanuel, which, being interpreted is, God with us.” He already believed that the Word, being God, of His own will, had submitted to be born in the flesh of the holy Virgin. He now comes near to Him, as to God and says, “Have mercy on me, Son of David.” Christ testifies, that this was his state of mind in offering his petition. He said to him, “Your faith has saved you.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Incarnation (Commentary on Luke, Homily 126)

PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech You, mercifully hear our prayers, loose us from the chains of our sins and keep us from all adversity. 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 WORD and WISDOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 February – ‘Call to God; bow down before Him.’

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One Minute Reflection – 27 February – Quinquagesima Sunday – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 18:31-43

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” – Luke 18:39

REFLECTION – “My friend, you have learned that the Kingdom of Heaven is within you, if that is what you want and that every blessing of eternity lies within your hands. So make haste to see, grasp and win these blessings stored up for you… Call to God; bow down before Him.

Like the blind man of old, you, too, should say: “Have pity on me, Son of God and open the eyes of my soul, that I may see that Light of the world which You Are, O my God and may become, likewise, a child of that Divine Light. O good and generous One: send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, even on me to teach me all about You, all about what is Yours, God of the universe. Dwell also in me, as you have said that I, in my turn, may become worthy of dwelling in You. Make me know how to enter into You and know, that I possess You within me. O Thou, Invisible One, deign to take shape in me, that, seeing Your inaccessible Beauty, I may bear Your image, O You Who dwell in the heavens and may I forget all visible things. Grant to me, the glory the Father has given to You, O merciful One, so that, resembling You as all Your servants do, I may share in Your Divine Life, by grace and may constantly remain with You, now and always, forever and ever!” – St Symeon the New Theologian (949-1022) Greek Monk (Ethics 5).

PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech You, mercifully hear our prayers, loose us from the chains of our sins and keep us from all adversity. 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 WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 February – ‘Show me then whether the eyes of your mind, can see and the ears of your heart, hear.’

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One Minute Reflection – 26 February – Hail Holy Mother! – Sirach 24:14-16, Luke 11:27-28

“Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” – Luke 11:28

REFLECTION – “If you say, “Show me your God,” I will say to you, “Show me what kind of person you are and I will show you my God.” Show me then whether the eyes of your mind, can see and the ears of your heart, hear.

It is like this. Those who can see with the eyes of their bodies, are aware of what is happening in this life on earth. They get to know things that are different from each other. They distinguish light and darkness, black and white, ugliness and beauty, elegance and inelegance, proportion and lack of proportion, excess and defect. The same is true of the sounds we hear: high or low or pleasant. So it is with the ears of our heart and the eyes of our mind, in their capacity to hear or see God.

God is seen by those who have the capacity to see Him, provided that they keep the eyes of their mind open. All have eyes, but some have eyes that are shrouded in darkness, unable to see the Light of the Sun. Because the blind cannot see it, it does not follow that the sun does not shine. The blind must trace the cause back to themselves and their eyes . In the same way, you have eyes in your mind that are shrouded in darkness because of your sins and evil deeds. …

But if you will, you can be healed. Hand yourself over to the Doctor, and He will open the eyes and ears of your mind and heart. Who is to be the Doctor? It is God, Who heals and gives life through His Word and Wisdom. … ” – St Theophilus of Antioch (Died c 185) Bishop of Antioch, Confessor, Apologist, Father (An excerpt from: A Book addressed to Autolycus).

PRAYER – Grant us, Your servants, O Lord God, we beseech You, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body; and by the intercession of glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake to the full of eternal happiness. 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 AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 February – Beloved and Most Holy Word of God

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 February – Sexagesima Weekday – 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9, Luke 8:4-15

“In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.”

John 1:1

“And the word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us.”

John 1:14

“Let the world be in upheaval.
I hold to His Promise
and read His Message,
that is my protecting wall and garrison.
What Message?
“Know that I am with you always,
until the end of the world!”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor of the Church

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

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

“My child, it is indeed
the Voice of God you have heard.
He has given you a great grace
in thus calling you into His one true Church.
While you live,
never cease to thank Him
and bless Him for it.”

St John Francis Régis (1597-1640)

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

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