Our Morning Offering – 4 October – Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Cast Upon Us a Look of Mercy
By Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)
O Jesus!
Cast upon us a look of mercy,
turn Your Face towards each of us
as You did to Veronica,
not that we may see it with our bodily eyes,
for this we do not deserve
but turn it towards our hearts,
so that, remembering You,
we may ever draw from this fountain of strength,
the vigour necessary to
sustain the combats of life.
Amen.
One Minute Reflection – 17 September – Thursday of the Twenty Fourth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 28, Luke 7:36-50 and the Memorial of St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church
“Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” ~ Luke 7:48,50
REFLECTION – “A sinful woman has proclaimed to us that God’s love has gone forth in search of sinners. For when He called her, Christ was inviting our whole race to His love and, in her person, He was drawing all sinners to His forgiveness. He spoke to her alone but He was drawing all creation to His grace. (…)
Who would not be struck by the mercy of Christ, who accepted an invitation to a Pharisee’s house in order to save a sinner! For the sake of the woman who hungered for forgiveness, He, Himself felt hunger for the table of Simon the Pharisee and all the while, under the guise of a meal of bread, He had prepared for the sinner a meal of repentance! (…)
In order that you may have the same experience, reflect within yourself that your sin is great but that it is blasphemy against God and an injury to yourself, to despair of His forgiveness, because your sin seems to you to be too great. He has promised to forgive your sins, however many they are; will you tell Him you cannot believe this and dispute with Him, saying that your sin is too great and He cannot heal your sickness? Stop at that point and cry out with the prophet: “Lord, I have sinned against you” (Ps 51[50]:6). At once He will reply, “As for me, I have overlooked your fault, you shall not die.” Glory to Him from us all, through all ages! Amen, Amen.” ~ An anonymous Syrian writer of the 6th century – From a collection of homilies on the sinful woman, 1, 4.5.19.26.28 (Eastern Syrian)
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, teach me to do everything for Your honour and glory. Grant me the grace to work out my salvation with anxious concern each day of my life. St Robert Bellarmine, as you worked tirelessly for the salvation of souls, so now pray for us all, as tirelessly, that we may achieve eternal joy, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 16 September – Wednesday of the Twenty Fourth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: 1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13, Psalms 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22, Luke 7:31-35 and the Memorial of Sts Cornelius & Cyprian
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?” … Luke 7:31
REFLECTION – “The apostle Paul says that there are some, who have no knowledge of God (1 Co 15:34). My opinion is that all those who lack knowledge of God, are those, who refuse to turn to Him. I am certain, that they refuse because they imagine this kindly disposed God, to be harsh and severe, this merciful God to be callous and inflexible, this lovable God to be cruel and oppressive. So it is, that wickedness plays false to itself, setting up for itself an image that does not represent God as He truly is.
What are you afraid of, you men of little faith? That He will not pardon your sins? But with His own hands He has nailed them to the cross. That you are used to soft living and your tastes are fastidious? But He knows the clay of which we are made (Gn 2:7). That a prolonged habit of sinning binds you like a chain? But the Lord loosens the shackles of prisoners. Or perhaps that angered by the enormity and frequency of your sins, He is slow to extend a helping hand? But where sin abounded, grace became superabundant (Rom 5,20). Are you worried about clothing and food and other bodily necessities so that you hesitate to give up your possessions? But He knows that you need all these things (Mt 6,32). What more can you wish? What else is there to hold you back from the way of salvation? This is what I say – you do not know God, yet you will not believe our words. I should like you to believe those whom experience has taught.” … St Bernard (1091-1153) Mellifluous Doctor of the Church – Commentary on the Song of Songs, Sermon 38
PRAYER – Look upon us Lord, Creator and Ruler of the whole world, give us the grace to serve You with all our hearts, to take up our cross and follow You, that we may come to know the power of Your love and the forgiveness which You give and You teach. Grant that by the intercession of Sts Cornelius and Cyprian, we may attain the glory of Your kingdom and see You face to face. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows and of St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)
‘By the cross of our salvation
Mary stood in desolation
While the Saviour hung above
All her human powers failing,
Sorrow’s sword, at last prevailing,
Stabs and breaks her heart of love…
Virgin Mary, full of sorrow,
From your love I ask to borrow
Love enough to share your pain.
Make my heart to burn with fire,
Make Christ’s love my own desire,
Who for love of me was slain.’
Stabat Mater
“The spear which opened His side
passed through the soul of the Virgin,
which could not be torn
from the heart of Jesus.”
St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
“Whoever you are, who love the Mother of God,
take note and reflect
with all your innermost feelings,
upon her, who wept for the Only-Begotten as He died…
The grief she felt in the Passion of her son,
goes beyond all understanding.”
St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)
“Near the cross stood His mother, speechless;
living she died;
dying she lived.”
St Alphonsus (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor
More Sorrowful Mother here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-september-the-memorial-of-our-lady-of-sorrows/
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“Any time spent before the Eucharistic presence,
be it long or short,
is the best-spent time of our lives.”
“We must not wish anything other
than what happens from moment to moment,
all the while, however, exercising ourselves in goodness.”
“And when I hear it said,
that God is good and He will pardon us
and then see, that men cease not from evil-doing,
oh, how it grieves me!
The infinite goodness
with which God communicates with us,
sinners as we are,
should constantly make us love and serve Him better
but we, on the contrary,
instead of seeing in His goodness
an obligation to please Him,
convert it into an excuse for sin,
which will, of a certainty,
lead in the end,
to our deeper condemnation.”
“The one sole thing, in myself,
in which I glory,
is that I see in myself,
nothing, in which I can glory.”
“Oh, what peril attaches to sin, wilfully committed!
For it is so difficult for man to bring himself to penance
and without penitence,
guilt remains and will ever remain,
so long as man retains unchanged,
the will to sin,
or is intent upon committing it.”
“I see clearly with the interior eye,
that the sweet God loves, with a pure love,
the creature that He has created
and has a HATRED for nothing but SIN,
which is more opposed to Him,
than can be thought or imagined.”
St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)
One Minute Reflection – 9 September –Wednesday of the Twenty Third week in Ordinary Time, Readings: 1 Corinthians 7:25-31, Psalms 45:11-12, 14-15, 16-17, Luke 6:20-26 and the Memorial of St Peter Claver SJ (1581-1654) “Slave of the slaves” and Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (1813–1853) “Servant to the Poor” and Founder of the St Vincent de Paul Society
“Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.” … Luke 6:21
REFLECTION – “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Mt 5:5). By this saying the Lord wants us to understand that the path of joy lies in tears. It is through desolation one goes to consolation; in losing one’s life that one finds it; in forsaking it that one possesses it; in hating it that one loves it; in despising it that one keeps it (cf. Mt 16:24 f.). If you would know and have the mastery over yourself, enter within yourself and do not seek yourself without (…) Return to yourself, you sinner, return to where you are, to your heart (…) Will not the one who returns to himself discover himself to be far away, like the prodigal son, in a region of unlikeness, in a foreign land, where he sits and weeps at the memory of his father and his native country? (Lk 15,17) (…)
“Adam, where are you? “(Genesis 3:9) Perhaps still in the shadows, so as not to see yourself, you are sewing leaves together in a vain desire to cover your shame, looking at what is around you and what belongs to you (…). Look inside, look at yourself (…) Return within yourself, you sinner, return to your soul. See and weep for this soul subject to vanity and restlessness who cannot set himself free from his captivity (…) It is clear, my brethren, that we live outside ourselves, we are forgetful of ourselves whenever we fritter our lives away in empty pursuits or distractions decked out with trifles. That is why Wisdom is more concerned to invite us to the house of repentance than the house of feasting, that is to say to call back into himself the man outside himself, saying: “Blessed are they that mourn” and in another passage: “Woe to you who laugh now.”
My brethren, let us groan in the presence of the Lord whose goodness moves Him to forgive; let us turn to Him “with fasting, weeping and mourning “ (Joel 2:12) so that one day His (…) consolation may delight our souls. Blessed indeed are those who weep now, not because they are weeping but because they shall be comforted. Weeping is the way, blessedness the consolation.” … Blessed Isaac of Stella O.Cist (c 1100 – c 1170) Sermon 2 for All Saints, 13-20
PRAYER – God of mercy and love, You offer all peoples the dignity of sharing in your life. Rule over our hearts and bodies this day. Sanctify us and guide our every thought, word and deed, may our hands be held out to our neighbour in imitation of Your love and mercy. By the example and prayers of St Peter Claver and Bl Frederic Ozanam, strengthen us to overcome all racial hatreds and to love each other as brothers and sisters. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 7 September – Monday of the Twenty Third week in Ordinary Time, Readings: 1 Corinthians 5:1-8, Psalms 5:5-6, 7, 12, Luke 6:6-11
“Stretch forth your hand.”
Luke 6:10
“While the withered hand was restored,
the withered minds of the onlookers were not.
… Are you debating what you will do?
Worship Him as God.
Worship the Wonder-worker.
Worship One who worked good things
on behalf of another.”
St Athansius (297-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church
“What He receives on earth
He returns in heaven.
… A poor man is begging from you
and you are begging from God,
he asks for a scrap,
you ask for eternal life.”
St Caesarius of Arles (470-543)
“O God, grant that whatever good things I have,
I may share generously with those who have not
and whatever good things I do not have,
I may request humbly from those who do.”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor anglicus
“If we look forward to receiving God’s mercy,
we can never fail to do good,
so long as we have the strength.
For if we share with the poor,
out of love for God,
whatever He has given to us,
we shall receive according to His promise,
a hundredfold in eternal happiness.
What a fine profit, what a blessed reward!
With outstretched arms He begs us
to turn toward Him, to weep for our sins
and to become the servants of love,
first for ourselves, then for our neighbours.
Just as water extinguishes a fire,
so love wipes away sin.”
St John of God (1495-1550)
“So when you leave prayer
to serve some poor person,
remember, that this very service,
is performed for God.”
St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)
“Yours must be a work of love, of kindness,
you must give your time, your talents, yourselves.”
Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (1813–1853)
“Servant to the Poor”
and Founder of the St Vincent de Paul Society
Quote/s of the Day – 23 August – Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St Rose of Lima (1586-1617)
“My grace is sufficient for thee,
for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly
about my weaknesses,
so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
“The thief on the cross certainly did not receive
the Kingdom of Heaven as a reward for his virtues
but as a grace and a mercy from God.
He can serve as an authentic witness
that our salvation is given to us
only by God’s mercy and grace.
All the holy masters knew this
and unanimously taught
that perfection in holiness
can be achieved only through humility.”
St John Cassian (c 360- c 435)
“Christ shall minister to us
and show us His radiant Face
and His glorious Body
with all the marks of faithfulness
and love therein impressed.
And we shall see all the glorious bodies
clothed with all the many tokens of love
won in the service of God
since the beginning of the world…
And our living hearts
shall flame with burning love for God
and all His saints…”
Bl Jan van Ruusbroec (1293-1381)
Canon Regular, “Doctor Divinus Ecstaticus,”
Mystic, Spiritual Writer –
The seven steps of the ladder of spiritual love
“There is no sinner in the world,
however much at enmity with God,
who cannot recover God’s grace,
by recourse to Mary
and by asking her assistance.”
St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)
Prayer of Blessed Paolo Giustiniani
“Lord, I dare not say to You:
“Show me the light that I may believe in Your Light”
but it is enough for me,
that You make me see my darkness …
Bring me back to myself.
In my misery I have distanced myself
not only from You but from myself,
becoming a stranger to myself.
Make me know my darkness,
that then I may look at the light.
Yes, I tell You and repeat to You incessantly,
Show me to myself,
so that I may know my sins.”
Blessed Paolo Giustiniani (1476-1528)
“Give me grace to amend my life
and to have an eye to mine end,
without grudge of death,
which to them that die in You,
good Lord,
is the gate of a wealthy life.”
St Thomas More (1478-1535) Martyr
“Our Lord and Saviour lifted up His voice
and said with incomparable majesty:
“Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation.
Let them know that without the burden of afflictions,
it is impossible to reach the height of grace.
Let them know,
that the gifts of grace increase,
as the struggles increase.
Let men take care not to stray and be deceived.
This is the only true stairway to paradise
and without the cross,
they can find no road to climb to heaven.”
St Rose of Lima (1586-1617)
St Rose of Lima Quotes here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/08/23/quote-s-of-the-day-23-august-st-rose-of-lima/
One Minute Reflection -19 August – Wednesday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ezekiel 34: 1-11, Psalms 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6, Matthew 20:1-16 and The Memorial of St John Eudes Orat. (1601-1680) “Apostle of Two Hearts” and St Louis of Toulouse OFM (1274-1297)
“Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?
Or do you begrudge my generosity?’
So the last will be first and the first last.” … Matthew 20:15-16
REFLECTION – “One of the robbers crucified with Jesus cried out: “Lord, remember me; it is to you I now turn (…). Remember not my works, for of these I am afraid. Every man has a feeling for his fellow-traveller; I am travelling with you towards death; remember me, your fellow-wayfarer. I do not say, Remember me now, but, “when you come in your kingdom” (Lk 23:42).
What power, O robber, led you to the Light? Who taught you to worship that despised Man, your companion on the cross? O Light Eternal, which gives light to them that are in darkness! (Lk 1:79) “Take courage! Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” because “today you have heard my voice, and have not hardened your heart” (Ps 95[94]:8). Very speedily I passed sentence upon Adam (…) but you, who today have obeyed the faith, today is your salvation. By the tree Adam fell away; by the tree you are brought into paradise (…)
O mighty and ineffable grace! The faithful Abraham had not yet entered but the robber enters! Paul also wondered at this before you, saying, “Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more” (Rom 5:20). They who had borne the heat of the day had not yet entered and he of the eleventh hour entered. Let none murmur against the Master of the House, for He says, “My friend, I am not cheating you. Am I not free to do as I wish with what is my own?” The robber has a will to work righteousness … I accept his faith … I, the Shepherd, have “found the sheep that was lost”; I lay it on my shoulders (Lk 15:5); since he himself has said, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Lord, remember me when You come in Your kingdom.” … St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387) Bishop of Jerusalem, Father, Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – Father of mercies and God of all consolation, You gave us the loving Heart of Your own beloved Son, because of the boundless love by which You have loved us, which no tongue can describe. May we render You a love that is perfect with hearts made one with His. Grant, we pray, that our hearts may be brought to perfect unity, each heart with the other and all hearts with the Heart of Jesus….and may the rightful yearnings of our hearts find fulfilment through Him, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. – Collect from Saint John Eudes’ Mass, Gaudeamus, 1668 St John Eudes and St Louis of Toulouse, Pray for us! amen.
One Minute Reflection – 13 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Thursday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ezekiel 12:1-12, Psalms 78: 56-57, 58-59, 61-62, Matthew 18: 21 – 19:1 and the Memorial of St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) Father of the Church
“Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?” …Matthew 18:33
REFLECTION – ““What is human mercy like? It makes you concerned for the hardship of the poor. What is divine mercy like? It forgives sinners…
In this world God is cold and hungry in all the poor, as He Himself said (Mt 25:40)… What sort of people are we? When God gives, we want to receive, when He asks, we refuse to give? When a poor man is hungry, Christ is in need, as He said Himself: “I was hungry and you gave me no food” (v. 42). Take care not to despise the hardship of the poor, if you would hope, without fear, to have your sins forgiven…
What He receives on earth He returns in heaven.
I put you this question, dearly beloved – what is it you want, what is it you are looking for, when you come to church? What indeed if not mercy? Show mercy on earth and you will receive mercy in heaven. A poor man is begging from you and you are begging from God, he asks for a scrap, you ask for eternal life… And so when you come to church give whatever alms you can to the poor in accordance with your means.” … St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) – Sermon 25
PRAYER – Lord God, who bestowed Your spirit of truth and of love in full measure onthe blessed Saint Maximus, grant that we, who are celebrating his feast, may be supported by his prayer and grow in perfection, as we follow his example. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 23 July – the Memorial of St John Cassian (c 360- c 435), St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)
“Whoever has achieved love
has God within himself
and his intellect is always with God.”
“No structure of virtue
can possibly be raised in our soul
unless, first, the foundations
of true humility are laid in our heart.”
“The thief on the cross certainly did not receive
the Kingdom of Heaven as a reward for his virtues
but as a grace and a mercy from God.
He can serve as an authentic witness
that our salvation is given to us
only by God’s mercy and grace.
All the holy masters knew this
and unanimously taught
that perfection in holiness
can be achieved only through humility.”
“O Lord, make haste and illumine the night.
Say to my soul that nothing happens
without You permitting it
and that nothing of what You permit,
is without comfort.”
“There is no sinner in the world,
however much at enmity with God,
who cannot recover God’s grace,
by recourse to Mary
and by asking her assistance.”
One Minute Reflection – 14 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” = Tuesday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Isaiah 7:1-9, Psalm 48:2-8, Matthew 11:20-24 and the Memorial of St Francisco Solanus y Jiménez OFM (1549 – 1610) Priest – “The Wonder Worker of the New World” and St Camillus de Lellis MI (1550-1614) “The Giant of Charity”
“But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgement for the land of Sodom than for you.”… Matthew 11:24
REFLECTION – “Let us fix our thoughts on the blood of Christ and reflect how precious that blood is in God’s eyes, inasmuch as its outpouring for our salvation, has opened the grace of repentance to all mankind.
For we have only to survey the generations of the past, to see, that in everyone of them, the Lord has offered the chance of repentance to any, who were willing to turn to Him. When Noah preached repentance, those who gave heed to him were saved. When, after Jonah had proclaimed destruction to the people of Niniveh, they repented of their sins and made atonement to God with prayers and supplications, they obtained their salvation, notwithstanding, that they were strangers and aliens to Him.
All those, who were ministers of the grace of God, have spoken, through the Holy Spirit, of repentance.
The very Lord of all, Himself has spoken of it and even with an oath – By my life, the Lord declares, it is not the sinner’s death that I desire, so much as his repentance and, he adds, this gracious pronouncement, Repent, O house of Israel and turn from your wickedness. Say to the children of my people, though your sins may stretch from earth to heaven and though they may be redder than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, yet if you turn wholeheartedly to me and say ‘Father’, I will listen to you as I would to a people that was holy.
Thus, by His own almighty will, He has confirmed his desire that repentance should be open to everyone of His beloved.
Let us bow, then, to that sovereign and glorious will. Let us entreat His mercy and goodness, casting ourselves upon His compassion and wasting no more energy in quarrels and a rivalry which only ends in death.” … St Pope Clement I (c 35-99) – From his Letter to the Corinthians (Chs 7, 4-8, 3; 8, 5-9, 1; 13, 1-4; 19, 2)
PRAYER – God our Father, we are Your children and You have set us aside to come home to You by the light of the way of Your divine Son. Fill us with knowledge of our need to turn to You in sorrow and repentance, that we may one day attain our final home with You. Grant we pray, that by the intercession of Saints Francisco Solanus and Camillus de Lellis, we may too become lights announcing Your love to all around us. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 13 July – “Month of the Precious Blood” – Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Isaiah 1:10-17, Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23, Matthew 10:34–11:1
“Whoever finds his life, will lose it
and whoever loses his life, for my sake, will find it.”
“Do not say,
this happened by chance,
while this came to be of itself.”
In all that exists’
there is nothing disorderly,
nothing indefinite,
nothing without purpose,
nothing by chance …
How many hairs are on your head?
God will not forget one of them.
Do you see how nothing,
even the smallest thing,
escapes the gaze of God?”
“The Lord is near,
do not be anxious
about anything!”
An excerpt from his Sermon 171
“In God’s name let us go on bravely.”
“We must offer ourselves to God,
like a clean, smooth canvas
and not worry ourselves,
about what God
may choose to paint on it
but at each moment,
feel only the stroke of His brush.”
“Consider the shortness of time,
the length of eternity
and reflect how everything here below
comes to an end and passes by.
Of what use is it, to lean upon,
that which cannot give support?”
“We are blind,
left to ourselves,
we should take the wrong way,
we must leave it to Him.”
“I trust in God
and wish nothing else
but His will.”
“Do not be preoccupied
with the future,
God is in charge of it.”
“The glance of God is like a fortifying dew,
a luminous ray, which fertilises and expands –
let us work without noise and without rest,
let us work before God’s eyes,
before God alone!”
“My past, O Lord, to Your mercy,
my present, to Your love,
my future, to Your Providence.”
Quote/s of the Day – 2 July – Thursday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Amos 7: 10-17, Psalms 19: 8, 9, 10, 11, Matthew 9: 1-8
“Be of good heart, son,
thy sins are forgiven thee.”
“If you forgive the sins of any,
they are forgiven them;
if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
” Indeed, the instant you say:
“I have sinned against the Lord”,
the response is given you:
“Your sins are forgiven” (Mt 9:2).
… Only do not keep away, or distance yourself,
from He who has chosen you to sing
and pray but all your life long,
remain close to Him,
either through pure confidence,
or by a holy audacity and courageous confession.”
“When you commit some infidelity,
do not be anxious
but with humility and confidence,
immediately turn to the Lord.
Do not flee from the Offended
but embrace Him as a lover
and ask for forgiveness.”
“My beloved Redeemer,
how much did it cost You to raise me from the ruin,
which I brought on myself through my sins?
What can I do without Your grace?
I can do nothing but pray
that You will help me
but even this prayer comes
from the merits of Your suffering and death!
O my Jesus, help me!”
“To whom does your heart belong?
To the devil, perhaps?
You expected to find satisfaction
and you have found disillusionment.
You hoped for peace and found remorse.
Instead of the happiness you expected,
you will know only despair,
unless you turn back to God immediately.
There is only one way out of your predicament,
the way chosen by the prodigal son –
“I will get up and go to my father” (Lk 15:18).
Rise up, then and cast yourself
into the merciful arms of your heavenly Father,
Who is waiting for you.”
“Even if we are unfaithful servants
and are covered with the leprosy of sin,
let us go to Him and He will heal us.
Even if we have deserved Hell a thousand times,
let us shed tears of repentance at His feet
as Magdalen did and,
He will give us His forgiveness and His peace.”
“Jesus carries us to the inn.
Imagine you are in the arms of Jesus,
being carried, half-dead in sin—
some of your own making,
some done to you—to a place of help.
You can rest in His arms.
In another surprise,
the inn is the Church,
the hospital for sinners.
The innkeeper might be a priest,
family member,
or friend who helps you
through a dark time in your life.”
“So many people
see the Confessional
as a place of defeat
but Confession is a place of victory
every single time.”
One Minute Reflection – 29 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Readings: Acts 12:1-11, Psalm 34:2-9, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18, Matthew 16:13-19
“Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” … Jesus said to him in reply … And so I say to you, you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of the hell shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” … Matthew 16:16,17,18-19
REFLECTION – “Christ the Mediator “ committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth” (1Pt 2:22). How could I venture to draw near Him, I who am a sinner, a grievous sinner whose sins are more numerous than the sands of the sea? He is all that is most pure, I am all that is most impure … This is the reason why God has given me these apostles, men and sinners – very grievous sinners – who learnt for themselves, through their own experience, how merciful they should be to others. Guilty themselves of great offences, they will grant a ready pardon to great offences and repay us according to the measure meted out to them (Lk 6:38).
The apostle Peter committed a very great sin, possibly the greatest of all. He received a forgiveness for it that was as swift as it was ready, even to not losing anything of the privilege of his primacy. And Paul, who unleashed unrestrained aggression against the newborn Church, was brought to faith at the call of God’s Son Himself. In return for so many evils, he was filled with such great blessings that he became “a chosen instrument to carry the Lord’s name before Gentiles, kings and Israelites” (Acts 9:15) (…)
Peter and Paul are our teachers – they learned the way of life fully from the one Teacher of all and continue to teach us today.” … St Bernard (1091-1153) Cistercian Monk, Theologian, Mellifluous Doctor
PRAYER – O God, who on the Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul give us the noble and holy joy of this day, grant, we pray, that your Church may in all things follow the teaching of those through whom she received the beginnings of right religion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen
Thought for the Day – 8 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“The Sacred Heart of Jesus is adorable in itself, not only as the living symbol of His human-divine love but, also, as part of His most holy humanity, insofar as it is hypostatically united to the divinity of the Word.
We should, therefore, pay very special homage to the Sacred Heart.
It is the Heart of the God-Man and, as such, is worthy of our highest adoration.
It’s sentiments harmonised mysteriously with the human will and, at the same time, with the divine Will of the Incarnate Word of God.
Every throb, was a token of an infinite love which we could never fully understand, for we cannot properly “know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge” (Eph 3:19).
But, we should adore this love as represented by the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The adoration is not an act of idolatory.
On the contrary, it is a fitting act of worship, because, it’s object is the Heart of the God-Man and, of the human-divine love of which it is the symbol.
Moreover, we owe the Sacred Heart of Jesus, all our gratitude and a return of love.
Let us reflect on how much Jesus has done for us and how much He has loved us.
Let us consider, not only the general work of Redemption and the supernatural gifts and graces connected with it but, also, the particular favours which we received from our childhood, up to the present moment.
He has bound us to His Heart by a loving chain of graces and of mercies!
How could we dare to break this chain, or to ignore such love?
Love demands love in return.
Favours demand gratitude.
It would be disastrous for us to display indifference and coldness, or, worse still, to respond to such great love, by committing new offences!”
Quote/s of the Day – 15 May – Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 15:22-31, Psalm 57:8-12, John 15:12-17
“Love one another as I have loved you”
“Jesus carries us to the inn.
Imagine you are in the arms of Jesus, being carried, half-dead in sin—some of your own making, some done to you—to a place of help.
You can rest in His arms.
In another surprise, the inn is the Church, the hospital for sinners.
The innkeeper might be a priest, family member, or friend who helps you through a dark time in your life.
This is the rest of the story – the Good Samaritan is Jesus!
He always pursues us, even when we don’t ask for it—even in our sins.
We must receive the Good Samaritan’s love and mercy first, or we have nothing to give away (1 Jn 4:19)!
And then our response to this love is repentance—going beyond the mind we have now/giving up the lies we believe about God or ourselves—and then going to confession.
This is followed by The Ultimate Challenge – to be that good neighbour or the innkeeper in a world where everyone is wounded by something!
Be like Jesus—be a good spiritual neighbour in a dark and lonely world!
In a world which demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and fidelity to the Lord, may all of us feel the urgent need, to anticipate one another in charity, service and good works (cf. Heb 6:10).”
3 November 2011
Quote/s of the Day – 12 May – “Mary’s Month” Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 14:19-28, Psalm 145:10-13, 21, John 14:27-31
“Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
‘He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit” ‘
Lord Jesus Christ, once again grant that of us, too, there may be but “one heart and mind” (Acts 4:32) for then there will be “a great calm” (Mk 4:39).
My dear listeners, I exhort you to good will and kindness to one another and peace with all. For were we to have charity among ourselves, we would have both peace and the Holy Spirit. Let us undertake to become devout and pray to God… since the apostles persevered in prayer… If we set ourselves to fervent prayer then the Holy Spirit will enter us and say: “Peace be with you! It is ,; be not afraid” (cf. Mk 6:50)…
And what ought we to ask God for, my brethren? For all that is for His honour and the salvation of your souls and, in a word, for the help of the Holy Spirit – “Send forth your Spirit and they will be created” (Ps 104[103]:30) – peace and tranquillity…”
First Sermon for Pentecost
“Peace is not the product of terror or fear.
Peace is not the silence of cemeteries.
Peace is not the silent result of violent repression.
Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all.
Peace is dynamism.
Peace is generosity.
It is right and it is duty.”
“May the God of love and peace,
set your hearts at rest
and speed you on your journey,
may He meanwhile,
shelter you from disturbance by others,
in the hidden recesses of His love,
until He brings you, at last,
into that place of complete plenitude,
where you will repose forever,
in the vision of peace,
in the security of trust
and in the restful enjoyment of His riches.”
One Minute Reflection – 11 May – “Mary’s Month” Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 14:19-28, Psalm 145:10-13, 21, John 14:27-31
“My peace I give to you”… John 14:27
REFLECTION – “God’s Spirit is a spirit of peace, even after our most serious failings He makes us feel a sorrow that is peaceful, humble and confident, precisely because of His mercy. The spirit of evil, on the other hand, agitates, irritates and makes us feel a sort of anger at ourselves when we have failed. Yet it falls very much to ourselves to practice charity in the first place. So, when you are bothered by certain thoughts, the agitation never comes from God but from the devil, since God, being a spirit of peace, brings you serenity.” … St Pio of Pietralcina “Padre Pio” (1887-1968) – Letter 549
PRAYER – Loving Father, grant us the grace to strive after perfect love. Help us to bring forth frequents acts of love so that we may grow in this greatest of virtues and thus find perfect peace. In the great love of Your divine Son, who gave Himself for us, He filled us with peace and hope. May these gifts grow always in our hearts. We ask for the intercession of Mary, the Blessed Virgin, His Mother. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
“God wills that all his gifts should come to us through Mary”
“This is the month in which, in the churches and individual homes,
the most affectionate and fervent homage of prayers and devotions
from the hearts of Christians are raised to Mary.
It is also the month in which from His throne, descend upon us,
the most generous and abundant gifts of the Divine Mercy.”
Thought for the Day – 30 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“To whom does your heart belong?
To the devil, perhaps?
It may be that you have allowed him to insinuate himself into your soul, so that you have fallen under his tyranny and are trying to find happiness in the satisfaction of your lower impulses.
Remember the warning of St Paul – “If anyone destroys the temple of God, him will God destroy, for holy is the temple of God and this temple you are” (1 Cor 3:17).
If you have fallen this low, you will suffer the penalty decreed by the Holy Spirit – “There is no peace to the wicked” (Is 48:22).
You expected to find satisfaction and you have found disillusionment.
You hoped for peace and found remorse.
Instead of the happiness you expected, you will know only despair, unless you turn back to God immediately.
There is only one way out of your predicament, the way chosen by the prodigal son – “I will get up and go to my father” (Lk 15:18).
Rise up, then and cast yourself into the merciful arms of your heavenly Father, Who is waiting for you.
There, you will find that peace of soul, which will remain with you until you die.
If you never allow your heart to be separated from God again, this peace will flower into eternal happiness in the next life.”
Sunday Reflection – 19 April – Low Sunday the Octave Day of Easter and the 20th Divine Mercy Sunday
“O Blessed Host,
in Whom is contained the fountain of living water
which springs from infinite mercy for us
and especially for poor sinners.”
The Eucharist is central to devotion to The Divine Mercy and many of the elements of the devotion are essentially Eucharistic–especially the image, the chaplet and the Feast of Mercy. The image, with its red and pale rays, presents the Eucharistic Lord Jesus, whose Heart has been pierced and now pours forth blood and water as a fountain of mercy for us. It is the image of God’s sacrificial gift of mercy made present in every Mass.
Several times in her Diary, Blessed Faustina writes of seeing the red and pale rays coming, not from the image but from the Sacred Host and once, as the Priest exposed the Blessed Sacrament, she saw the rays from the image pierce the Host and spread out from it all over the world (see 441). So too, with the eyes of faith, we should see in every Host the merciful Saviour pouring Himself out as a fountain of mercy for us.
The concept of the Eucharist as a fountain of grace and mercy is not only found in the Diary but also in Church teaching . The Church clearly teaches that all the other Sacraments are directed towards the Eucharist and draw their power from it.
In the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (#10), for example, we read: “Especially from the Eucharist, grace is poured forth upon us as from a fountain.” And, in a note in the Catechism of the Council of Trent, pastors are urged to “compare the Eucharist to a fountain and the other Sacraments to rivulets. For the Holy Eucharist is truly and necessarily the fountain of all graces, containing, as it does, after an admirable manner, the fountain itself of celestial gifts and graces, the Author of all the Sacraments, Christ our Lord, from whom, as from its source, is derived whatever of goodness and perfection the other Sacraments possess.”
No wonder, then, that Saint Faustina was so devoted to the Eucharist and wrote so powerfully about it in her Diary:
“O what awesome mysteries take place during Mass! … One day we will know what God is doing for us in each Mass and what sort of gift He is preparing in it for us. Only His divine love could permit that such a gift be provided for us … this fountain of life gushing forth with such sweetness and power” (914) …
“All the good that is in me is due to Holy Communion (1392) … Herein lies the whole secret of my sanctity (1489) … one thing alone sustains me and that is Holy Communion. From it I draw all my strength, in it is all my comfort … Jesus concealed in the Host, is everything to me … I would not know how to give glory to God, if I did not have the Eucharist in my heart” (1037) …
“O living Host, my one and only strength, fountain of love and mercy, embrace the whole world, fortify faint souls. Oh, blessed be the instant and the moment when Jesus left us His most merciful Heart!” (223).
(From the booklet “The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion”, by Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC and Vinny Flynn)
Let us Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet today,
for the OPENING OF OUR CHURCHES AND THE RETURN OF DAILY MASS!
Thought for the Day – 19 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“God is the Being, Who is infinitely true, beautiful and good.
His goodness is manifested in His infinite love for all the creatures which He has made but, it is in His relations with sinners, in particular, that we call Him merciful.
He loves all things which He has created and directs them towards Himself, their beginning and their end.
When He is dealing, however, with beings endowed with free will, who can separate themselves from Him and even offend Him, He tries, while respecting the liberty which He has given them, to recall them to Himself, by the influence of His love and of His grace.
It is this supernatural outpouring of love towards sinners, which we call mercy.
The mercy of God shines forth in all the pages of Sacred Scripture.
In the Old Testament, there is promised and foreshadowed, in many ways, the coming of the Saviour of the sinful human race.
In the New Testament, Jesus appears, made man for our salvation, meek and humble of heart and merciful towards the unfortunate, especially towards sinners.
For them, He offers His life and His Precious Blood, dying on the Cross with His arms outstretched, as if in an embrace of forgiveness.
He tells us that He has not come to call the just but sinners, (Lk 5:32) and, that He has not come to those who are in health but to those who are sick (Mk 2:17); He assures us that, if we ask the Father for anything in His name, it will be given to us (Jn 16:23).
So much goodness should move and soften our hearts.
Even if we are unfaithful servants and are covered with the leprosy of sin, let us go to Him and He will heal us.
Even if we have deserved Hell a thousand times, let us shed tears of repentance at His feet as Magdalen did and, He will give us His forgiveness and His peace.”
Quote of the Day – 19 April – Low Sunday the Octave Day of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday
“We, Christians,
are the true Israel which springs from Christ,
for we are carved out of His Heart,
as from a Rock!”
“If the Jewish High priest carried the names
of the twelve tribes of Israel
written on his shoulders and on his breast,
how much more Christ, our High Priest,
carries our names
written on His Heart”
Divine Mercy 3 O’Clock Prayer
St Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938)
You expired, O Jesus,
but the source of life
gushed forth for souls
and an ocean of mercy
opened up for the whole world.
O Fount of Life,
unfathomable Divine Mercy,
envelop the whole world
and empty Yourself out upon us.
O Blood and Water,
which gushed forth
from the Heart of Jesus
as a fount of mercy for us,
I trust in You.
Amen
“Jesus, I trust in You”
these words summarise the faith of the Christian,
which is faith in the omnipotence of God’s merciful Love.”
REGINA CÆLI
Second Sunday of Easter, 15 April 2007
One Minute Reflection – 19 April – Low Sunday the Octave Day of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, Readings: Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31
“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them;
if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” … John 20:23
REFLECTION – “Jesus entrusted to [the fearful, astounded disciples] the gift of “forgiving sins”, a gift that flows from the wounds in His hands, His feet, and especially from His pierced side. From there a wave of mercy is poured out over all humanity.
Let us relive this moment with great spiritual intensity. Today the Lord also shows us His glorious wounds and His Heart, an inexhaustible source of light and truth, of love and forgiveness. The Heart of Christ! His “Sacred Heart” has given men everything- redemption, salvation, sanctification.…
Through the mystery of this wounded heart, the restorative tide of God’s merciful love continues to spread over the men and women of our time. Here alone, can those who long for true and lasting happiness, find its secret. “Jesus, I trust in You.” This prayer, dear to so many of the faithful, clearly expresses the attitude with which we too would like to abandon ourselves trustfully into your hands, O Lord, our only Saviour.
You are burning with the desire to be loved, O Jesus and those in tune with the sentiments of your Heart learn how to build the new civilisation of love. A simple act of abandonment is enough to overcome the barriers of darkness and sorrow, of doubt and desperation. The rays of Your divine mercy restore hope, in a special way, to those who feel overwhelmed by the burden of sin.” … St John Paul II (1920-2005) Homily for Divine Mercy Sunday, 22 April 2001
PRAYER – Almighty Father, grant we pray that with Mary’s help, Mater Misericordiae, Mother of Jesus who is the incarnation of Divine Mercy, that we become renewed in the Spirit, in order to co-operate in the work of peace which You are accomplishing in the world and which is not just talk but which is actualised, in the countless gestures of charity by all his sons and daughters. Grant we pray, that we taste the beauty of the encounter with the Risen Lord and draw from the source of His merciful love, to be apostles of His peace. Through Christ, Redeemer and Merciful Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for always and forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 19 April – Low Sunday the Octave Day of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday
O Spirit of God, Spirit of Love and of Mercy
By St Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938)
O Spirit of God, Spirit of love and of mercy,
Who pours into my heart the balm of trust,
Your grace confirms my soul in what is good,
Giving it an invincible strength – constancy!
O Spirit of God, Spirit of peace and of joy,
Who comforts my thirsting heart,
Pour into it the living spring of divine love
And make it dauntless in battle.
O Spirit of God, my soul’s most lovable guest,
I, for my part, desire to be faithful to You
In days of joy, as much as in days of suffering.
Spirit of God, I desire to live always in Your presence.
O Spirit of God who penetrates my being
And lets me know Your divine and Trinitarian life,
You initiate me to Your divine Being;
Thus united with You, I have eternal life.
Amen
Low Sunday the Octave Day of Easter and the Twentieth Divine Mercy Sunday
St Alphege of Winchester (c 953–1012) ArchBishop and Martyr
About St Alphege:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/19/saint-of-the-day-19-april-st-alphege/
St Apollonius the Priest
St Aristonicus of Melitene
St Crescentius of Florence
St Expeditus (Died 303)
His Story:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/04/19/saint-of-the-day-19-april-st-expeditus-died-303-martyr/
St Gaius of Melitene
St Galata of Melitene
St George of Antioch
St Gerold of Saxony
Blessed James Duckett (Died 1602) Layman Martyr
Bl Jaume Llach-Candell
St Pope Leo IX (1002-1054)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/19/saint-of-the-day-19-april-st-pope-leo-ix-1002-1954/
St Martha of Persia
Bl Ramon Llach-Candell
St Rufus of Melitene
St Vincent of Collioure
—
Martyrs of Carthage – 17 saints: A group of Christians martyred in the persecutions of Decius. We know little more than the names – Aristo, Basso, Credula, Donato, Ereda, Eremio, Fermo, Fortunata, Fortunio, Frutto, Julia, Mappalicus, Martial, Paul, Venusto, Victorinus and Victor. Died in the year 250 in prison in Carthage, North Africa (modern Tunis, Tunisia).
Lenten Reflection – 31 March – Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent, Readings: Numbers 21:4-9, Psalm 102:2-3, 16-21, John 8:21-30
“When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I Am He…”…John 8:28
Daily Meditation:
May we be lifted up with you.
“Jesus lifted up draws all to Himself.
Jesus lifted up on the Cross, reveals fully Whoe He really is.
Jesus is most Jesus, when He is on the Cross.
Even though at Calvary, Jesus was taunted and mocked
by the rabid rabble, to come down from the Cross,
He remained transfixed on it, till the very end.
We need to mount the Cross with Jesus!
We need to see the world from that vantage viewpoint.
Then, everything falls into proper perspective,
then we begin to see the world, as it is.
It is only when we are with Jesus on the Cross,
that we are stretched to our fullest dimensions!” … Msgr Alex Rebello
For my days pass away like smoke
and my bones burn like a furnace.
Psalm 102:3
Intercessions:
Praise to Christ, who has given us Himself as the bread from heaven.
Let us pray to Him, saying:
Jesus, You feed and heal our souls, come to strengthen us.
Lord, feed us at the banquet of the Eucharist,
– with all the gifts of Your Paschal Sacrifice.
Give us a perfect heart to receive Your word,
– that we may bring forth fruit in patience.
Make us eager to work with You in building a better world,
– so that it may listen to Your Church and its gospel of peace.
We confess, Lord, that we have sinned,
– wash us clean by Your gift of salvation.
Closing Prayer:
The Word of the Cross
by Saint Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431)
Look on thy God, Christ hidden in our flesh.
A bitter word, the cross and bitter sight:
Hard rind without, to hold the heart of heaven.
Yet sweet it is, for God upon that tree
Did offer up His life upon that rood
My Life hung, that my life might stand in God.
Christ, what am I to give Thee for my life?
Unless take from Thy hands the cup they hold,
To cleanse me with the precious draught of death.
What shall I do? My body to be burned?
Make myself vile? The debt’s not paid out yet.
Whate’er I do, it is but I and Thou,
And still do I come short, still must Thou pay
My debts, O Christ, for debts Thyself hadst none.
What love may balance Thine? My Lord was found
In fashion like a slave, that so His slave
Might find himself in fashion like his Lord.
Think you the bargain’s hard, to have exchanged
The transient for the eternal, to have sold
Earth to buy Heaven? More dearly God bought me.
“Christ’s shoulders are the arms of the cross,
there it is, that I have laid down my sins,
on that gallows I have found my rest. “
Lenten Reflection – 27 March – Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Readings: Wisdom 2:1, 12-22, Psalm 34:17-21, 23, John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
“You know me and you know where I come from?
But I have not come of my own accord;
he who sent me is true and him you do not know.”…John 7:28
Daily Meditation:
May we reach out with joy to grasp Your hand.
“In His Resurrection Christ has revealed the God of merciful love, precisely because He accepted the Cross as the way to the Resurrection. And, it is for this reason, that, when we recall the Cross of Christ, His passion and death, our faith and hope are centred on the Risen One – on that Christ who “on the evening of that day, the first day of the week, . . .stood among them” in the upper Room, “where the disciples were, …breathed on them and said to them: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’ ” (Jn 20:19).
Here is the Son of God, who in His Resurrection, experienced in a radical way, mercy shown to Himself, that is to say the love of the Father which is more powerful than death. And it is also the same Christ, the Son of God, who… reveals Himself as the inexhaustible source of mercy, of the same love… more powerful than sin.” … St Pope John Paul (1920-2005) – Encyclical « Dives in Misericordia » # 8
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:17-18
Intercessions:
Let us pray to Christ our Saviour,
who redeemed us by His Death and Resurrection:
Lord, have mercy on us.
You went up to Jerusalem to suffer and so enter into Your glory,
– bring Your Church to the Passover feast of heaven.
You were lifted high on the cross and pierced by the soldier’s lance,
– heal our wounds.
You made the Cross the Tree of Life,
– give its fruit to those reborn in baptism.
On the Cross You forgave the repentant thief,
– forgive us our sins.
Closing Prayer:
Act of Contrition
By St Alphonsus Mary Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church
My Lord Jesus Christ,
You have made this journey
to die for me, with love unutterable
and I have so many times unworthily abandoned You
but now I love You with my whole heart
and because I love You,
I repent sincerely for having ever offended You.
Pardon me, my God
and permit me to accompany You on this journey.
You go to die for love of me,
I wish also, my beloved Redeemer,
to die for love of Thee.
My Jesus, I will live
and die always united to You.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 26 March – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“God is infinitely happy in Himself from all eternity.
He contemplates His own Essence, which contains evey beauty and perfection.
In the inconceivable joy of this contemplation, He generates the substantial image of Himself, which is the Eternal Word, “the brightness of his glory and the image of his substance.” (Heb 1:3)
When He contemplates Himself, in the the Eternal Word, He naturally loves Himself.
This substantial and infinite Love, proceeds from God, as an eternal principle, insofar, as He knows Himself and thence, proceeds from the Father, Who contemplates and the Word, Who is contemplated.
In this mysterious circle of the divine life, God enjoys an eternal, infinite and perfect happiness.
Consequently, He is not in need of anything.
Nevertheless, He wishes to radiate even outside of Himself, the splendour of His power, beauty and goodness.
He created the world and placed man in it, as the sovereign being.
Unfortunately, sin came to disturb our being and to deprive us of the splendour of divine grace and, in this way, it weakened the sovereignty, which God had given us over all other creatures.
But Jesus, the Eternal Word made man, has raised us once more to the supreme dignity of sons of God and heirs of Heaven.
These reflections should arouse immense gratitude to God on our part, because, He gave us life and made us masters of the universe.
They should also make us deeply grateful to Jesus, because, in His infinite mercy, He raised us up after we had fallen and redeemed us, with His own Precious Blood.”
Lenten Reflection – 24 March – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Readings: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12, Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9, John 5:1-16 and the Memorial of Blessed Didacus Joseph of Cadiz OFM Cap (1743–1801)
Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethzatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. … John 5:2-5
“It was because Jesus did things such as this on the Sabbath
that they began to persecute him.” …John 5:16
For me!
Daily Meditation:
We begin to feel the power of the Fourth Gospel.
The “forces” that are opposed in the gospel
have everything to do with the forces at work in my heart.
“Go down, my brothers and put on the Holy Spirit in the waters of baptism;
be united with those spiritual beings who serve our God.
Blessed be He who instituted baptism for the forgiveness of Adam’s sons!
This water is the secret fire that marks His flock with a sign,
with the three spiritual names that confound the Evil one (cf. Rev 3:12). (…)
John bore witness concerning our Saviour:
“He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mt 3:11).
Here, my brethren, in the true baptism, is that fire and that Spirit.
For baptism is more powerful than Jordan, that little stream,
its waves of water and oil wash away all human sin.
Elisha, by initiating it seven times, purified Naaman of his leprosy (2 Kgs 5:10);
whereas baptism purifies us of sins hidden in our souls.
Moses baptised the people in the sea (1 Cor 10:2)
yet could not cleanse their hearts from within,
Stained, as they were, by sin.
And now here is a Priest, like Moses, who cleanses the soul from its stains
and with oil He marks with a sign, lambs newborn for the Kingdom. (…)
With the water that flowed from the rock, the people’s thirst was quelled (Ex 17:1f.),
See how, through Christ and His spring, is quenched the thirst of nations. (…)
See how, from Christ’s side, there flows a life-giving stream (Jn 19:34),
peoples who thirst have drunk from it and there forgot their affliction.
Pour your dew on my weakness, Lord.
By your blood, forgive my sins.” … St Ephrem (306-373) Father & Doctor of the Church
Intercessions:
God the Father has given us His only Son, the Word made human,
to be our food and our life. Let us thank Him and pray:
May the word of Christ dwell among us in all its richness.
Help us this Lenten season to listen more frequently to Your word,
– that we may celebrate the solemnity of Easter
with greater love for Christ, our Paschal Sacrifice.
May Your Holy Spirit be our teacher,
– that we may encourage those in doubt and error to follow what is true and good.
Enable us to enter more deeply into the mystery of Your Anointed One,
– that our lives may reveal Him more effectively.
Purify and renew Your Church in this time of salvation,
– that it may give an ever greater witness to You.
Closing Prayer:
ACT OF CONTRITION
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
