DOCTORS of the Church – Page 110

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 September – Speaking of “Silence”

Posted on September 10, 2019September 10, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 10 September – Tuesday of the Twenty third week in Ordinary Time, Year C

Speaking of “Silence”

“Silence is God’s first language.”

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

“Jesus is waiting for you in the chapel.
Go and find Him.”

St Jeanne Jugan (1792 – 1879)

“God speaks in the silence of the heart and we listen.
And then we speak to God from the fullness of our heart and God listens.

And this listening and this speaking, is what prayer is meant to be.”

St Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

“Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness.
Listen to God.
Adore Him in the Eucharist.”

Pope Benedict XVI

“Silence is a great magnifier.”

Father Mike Schmitz

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SIN, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 September – “Stretch forth your hand” – St Ambrose

Posted on September 9, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 9 September – Monday of the Twenty-third week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 6:6-11 and the Memorial of St Peter Claver SJ (1581-1654) “slave of the slaves” and Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (1813–1853) “Servant to the Poor”

“On another sabbath, he went into the synagogue and taught and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.” … Luke 6:6 luke 6 6 there was a man thre whose right hand was withred - 9 sept 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “Are you angry at me because I have healed the whole man on the sabbath day?” In this place he revivified, with the salutary strength of good works, the hand which Adam stretched out to pluck the fruit of the forbidden tree. The hand which had withered through a crime, was healed by good deeds. Christ thereby rebuked the Jews who violated the precepts of the law with evil interpretations. They thought that they should rest even from good works on the sabbath, since the law prefigured in the present, the form of the future, in which indeed the days of rest from evils, not from blessings, would come.

Then you heard the words of the Lord, saying, “Stretch forth your hand.” That is the common and universal remedy. You, who think that you have a healthy hand, beware lest it is withered by greed or by sacrilege. Hold it out often. Hold it out to the poor person who begs you. Hold it out to help your neighbour, to give protection to a widow, to snatch from harm one whom you see subjected to unjust insult. Hold it out to God for your sins. The hand is stretched forth, then it is healed. Jeroboam’s hand withered when he sacrificed to idols, then it stretched out when he entreated God” … St Ambrose (340-397)- One of the 4 original Doctors of the Latin Church – Exposition on the Gospel of Luke, 5

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, my 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, for ever and ever amen.

st-peter-claver-pray-for-us 9 sept 2017

bl frederic ozanam pray for us 9 sept 2019

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 8 September – ‘The heavenly trumpet of Christ urges the soldier to battle..’ St Augustine

Posted on September 8, 2019September 8, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 8 September – Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Luke 14:25–33

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

Saint Augustine comments on this verse from the Gospel proclaimed during today’s Mass:

“The Lord gives the signal for us to stand guard in camp and to build the tower from which we may recognise and ward off the enemy of our eternal life. The heavenly trumpet of Christ urges the soldier to battle and his mother holds him back.

What does she say or what argument does she give? Perhaps is it those ten months when you lay in her womb and the pangs of birth and the burden of rearing you? You must kill this with the sword of salvation. You must destroy this in your mother that you may find her in life eternal. Remember, you must hate this in her if you love her, if you are a recruit of Christ and have laid the foundations of the tower. Passers-by may not say, “This man began to build and was not able to finish.” That is earthly affection. It still has the ring of the “old man.” Christian warfare invites us to destroy this earthly affection both in ourselves and in our relatives. Of course, no one should be ungrateful to his parents or mock the list of their services to him, since by them he was brought into this life, cherished and fed. A man should always pay his family duty but let these things keep their place where higher duties do not call.

Mother church is also the mother of your mother. She conceived you both, in Christ. Know that, her Spouse took human flesh, that you might not be attached to fleshly things. Know that, all the things for which your mother scolds you were undertaken by the eternal Word, that you might not be subject to the weakness of flesh. Ponder his humiliations, scourging and death, even the death of the cross.” (Letter 243)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me a sinner!

Amen

DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRAMENTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 8 September – My Lord, I am Unworthy!

Posted on September 8, 2019September 7, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 8 September – Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

My Lord, I am Unworthy!
Prayer before Holy Communion
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Doctor of the Church

My Lord,
Who are You
and who am I,
that I should dare to take You
into my body and soul?
A thousand years
of penance and tears
would not be sufficient
to make me worthy
to receive so royal a Sacrament
even once!
How much more am I unworthy of it,
who fall into sin daily,
I, the incorrigible,
who approach You so often
without due preparation!
Nevertheless, Your mercy
infinitely surpasses my unworthiness.
Therefore, I make bold
to receive this Sacrament,
trusting in Your love.
Amen my lord i am unworthy prayer before holy comm by st bonaventure 8 sept 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY GHOST

Our Morning Offering – 6 September – Holy Spirit, Fire of Love

Posted on September 6, 2019September 5, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 6 September – Friday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C

Holy Spirit, Fire of Love
By St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Doctor of the Church

Holy Spirit,
fire of love,
come rest over each of us,
make our tongue ready
to confess our sins,
that in revealing everything
and concealing nothing,
we may attain heavenly life
to sing eternal praise
with the angels.
With your help,
You who live
and reign through all ages.
Amen holy spirit fire of love - by st anthony of padua -6 sept 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 3 September – St Gregory, Bl Brigida

Posted on September 3, 2019September 3, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 3 September – The Memorial of Saint Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) “Father of the Fathers” and Blessed Brigida of Jesus Morello (1610-1679)

“Holy Scripture presents a kind of mirror
to the eyes of the mind,
so that our inner face may be seen in it.
There we learn our own ugliness, there our own beauty.
And there too we discover the progress we are making
and how far we are from perfection.”

“When we attend to the needs of those in want,
we give them what is theirs, not ours.
More than performing works of mercy,
we are paying a debt of justice.”

St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
Father & Doctor of the Church
“Father of the Fathers”

More quotes from St Gregory:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/03/quote-s-of-the-day-3-september-the-memorial-of-st-pope-gregory-the-great-540-604-father-doctor-of-the-church-father-of-the-fathers/

“Let the Crucifix we wear be our mirror,
so that we may conform our life to that of Jesus,
our guide and model!”

“Confidence, Confidence!
A large heart! God is a Father
and He will never abandon us!”

Blessed Brigida of Jesus Morello (1610-1679)

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 3 September – St Gregory the Great – Acclaim To The Suffering Christ

Posted on September 3, 2019September 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 3 September – Tuesday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) – Father & Doctor of the Church

Acclaim To The Suffering Christ
By St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
Father & Doctor of the Church

O Lord, You received affronts
without number from Your blasphemers,
yet each day You free captive souls
from the grip of the ancient enemy.

You did not avert Your face
from the spittle of perfidy,
yet You wash souls in saving waters.

You accepted Your scourging without murmur,
yet through Your meditation
You deliver us from endless chastisements.

You endured ill-treatment of all kinds,
yet You want to give us a share
in the choirs of angels in glory everlasting.

You did not refuse to be crowned with thorns,
yet You save us from the wounds of sin.

In your thirst You accepted the bitterness of gall,
yet You prepare Yourself to fill us with eternal delights.

You kept silence under the derisive homage
rendered You by Your executioners,
yet You petition the Father for us
although You are his equal in Divinity.

You came to taste death,
yet You were the Life
and had come to bring it to the dead.
Amen acclaim to the suffering christ by st pope gregory the great 3 sept 2019 his memorial

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 3 September

Posted on September 3, 2019September 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) – Father & Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

All about this Great Holy Father: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/09/03/saint-of-the-day-3-september-st-pope-gregory-the-great-540-604-father-doctor-of-the-church/

And Pope Benedict’s Catechesis on St Gregory:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/03/saint-of-the-day-3-september-st-pope-gregory-the-great-540-604-father-doctor-of-the-church-father-of-the-fathers/

St Aigulphus of Lérins
St Ambrose of Sens
St Ammon of Heraclea
Bl Andrew Dotti
St Auxanus
St Balin
St Basilissa of Nicomedia
Bl Brigida of Jesus Morello (1610-1679)
St Chariton
St Chrodegang of Séez
St Frugentius the Martyr
Bl Guala of Brescia
St Hereswitha
Bl Herman of Heidelberg
St Macanisius
St Mansuetus of Toul
St Marinus (Died c 366)
St Martiniano of Como
St Natalis of Casale
St Phoebe
St Regulus of Rheims
St Remaclus
St Sandila of Cordoba
—
Martyrs of Aquileia – 4 saints: Four young women, variously sisters and cousins, who were born to the nobility, the daughters of the pagans Valentinianus of Aquileia and Valentius of Aquileia. Each woman converted and made private vows, dedicating themselves to God. They were arrested, tortured and martyred by order of Valentius for becoming a Christian. We know little else but their names – Dorothy, Erasma, Euphemia and Thecla. They were martyred by beheaded in the 1st century in Aquileia, Italy and their bodies were thrown into a nearby river.

Martyrs of Nagasaki – 6 beati: A group of priests and clerics, native and foreign, murdered together in the anti-Christian persecutions in Japan. They were scalded in boiling water and then burned alive on 3 September 1632 in Nishizaka, Nagasaki, Japan and Beatified on 7 May 1867 by Pope Pius IX.

• Anthony Ishida
• Bartolomé Gutiérrez Rodríguez
• Francisco Terrero de Ortega Pérez
• Gabriel Tarazona Rodríguez
• Jerome of the Cross de Torres
• Vicente Simões de Carvalho

Martyrs of Seoul – 6 saints: A group of Christian lay people martyred together in the persecutions in Korea. They were beheaded on 3 September 1839 at the Small West Gate, Seoul, South Korea and Canonised on 6 May 1984 by Pope John Paul II.
• Agnes Kim Hyo-Ch’u
• Barbara Kwon Hui
• Barbara Yi Chong-hui
• Ioannes Pak Hu-jae
• Maria Pak K’Un-agi
• Maria Yi Yon-hui

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Andrea Calle González
• Blessed Concepción Pérez Giral
• Blessed Dolores Úrsula Caro Martín
• Blessed Joaquim Balcells Bosch
• Blessed Pius Salvans Corominas

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The SIGN of the CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 2 September – Prayer to our Lady of Sorrows

Posted on September 2, 2019September 1, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 2 September – Monday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C ‘Month of Our Lady of Sorrows’

Prayer to our Lady of Sorrows
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Doctor of the Church

O most holy Virgin,
Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by the overwhelming grief you experienced
when you witnessed the martyrdom,
the crucifixion
and the death, of your divine Son,
look upon me with eyes of compassion
and awaken in my heart a tender
commiseration for those sufferings,
as well as a sincere detestation
of my sins, in order that,
being disengaged from all undue affection
for the passing joys of this earth,
I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem
and that henceforward all my thoughts
and all my actions may be directed
towards this one most desirable object,
the honour, glory and love
to our divine Lord Jesus,
and to the you,
the Holy and Immaculate
Mother of God.
Amen prayer-to-our-lady-of-sorrows-st-bonaventure-1-sept-2018.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Sunday Reflection – 1 September – This Body

Posted on September 1, 2019September 1, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Sunday Reflection – 1 September – Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

“When you see (the Most Blessed Sacrament) exposed, say to yourself –
‘Thanks to this Body, I am no longer dust and ashes, I am no more a captive but a freeman, hence, I hope to obtain heaven and the good things that are there in store for me… eternal life, the heritage of the angels, companionship with Christ; death has not destroyed this Body which was pierced by nails and scourged . . . this is that Body which was once covered with blood, pierced by a lance, from which issued saving fountains upon the world, one of blood and the other of water. . . This Body He gave to us to keep and eat, as a mark of His intense love’.”

St John Chrysostom (347 to 407)
Father & Doctor

this bodty he gave to us - st john chrysostom 1 sept 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 August – “That way above the rest”

Posted on August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 30 August – Friday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 25:1–13 and the Memorial of Blessed Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster OSB (1880-1954)

“The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.” … Matthew 25:3-4

REFLECTION – “It is some great thing, some exceedingly great thing, that this oil signifies. Do you think it might be charity? If we try out this hypothesis, we hazard no precipitate judgement. I will tell you why charity seems to be signified by the oil. The apostle says, “I will show you a still more excellent way.” “If I speak with the tongue of mortals and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” This is charity. It is “that way above the rest,” which is with good reason signified by the oil. For oil swims above all liquids. Pour in water and pour in oil upon it, the oil will swim above. If you keep the usual order, it will be uppermost, if you change the order, it will be uppermost. “Charity never fails.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor – Sermon 93 matthew 25 3-4 the foolish ones took no oil - it is some great thing that this oil signifies - st augustine - 30 aug 2019.jpg

PRAYER – God our Saviour, through the grace of Baptism you made us children of light. Hear our prayer, that we may always walk in that light and work for truth, love and charity, as Your witnesses before men. Dispel from our hearts the darkness of sin and keep us ever watchful for the true light, Christ Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever. Blessed Alfredo Schuster, you lived a life of total charity ever watchful to the needs of your neighbour, please pray for us, amen. bl alfredo schuster pray for us 30 aug 2019

7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 30 August – Send Us Your Sevenfold Grace

Posted on August 30, 2019August 29, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 30 August – Friday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time, Year C

Send Us Your Sevenfold Grace
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Doctor of the Church

Send upon us, O God,
the Spirit of sevenfold grace –
the spirit of wisdom,
enabling us to relish the fruit of the tree of life,
which is indeed Yourself;
the gift of understanding,
to enlighten our perceptions;
the gift of strength,
to withstand our adversary’s onslaught;
the gift of knowledge,
to distinguish good from evil
by the light of Your holy teaching;
the gift of piety,
to clothe ourselves with charity and mercy;
the gift of fear,
to withdraw from all ill-doing
and live quietly in awe of your eternal majesty.
These are the things for which we ask.
Grant them for the honour of Your Holy Name,
to which, with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
be all honour and glory,
thanksgiving, renown
and lordship forever and ever.
Amen send us your sevenfold grace - st bonaventure - 30 aug 2019.jpg

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on MUSIC/SINGING, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, St JOHN the BAPTIST

Thought for the Day – 29 August – St Bede -Precursor of Christ in Birth and Death

Posted on August 29, 2019August 29, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 29 August – The Beheading of St John the Baptist

Precursor of Christ in Birth and Death

Saint Bede (673-735)
Priest, Father and Doctor of the Church

An excerpt from Homily 23

As forerunner of our Lord’s birth, preaching and death, the blessed John showed in his struggle, a goodness worthy of the sight of heaven. In the words of Scripture: Though in the sight of men he suffered torments, his hope is full of immortality. We justly commemorate the day of his birth with a joyful celebration, a day which he himself made festive for us through his suffering and which he adorned with the crimson splendour of his own blood. We do rightly revere his memory with joyful hearts, for he stamped with the seal of martyrdom, the testimony, which he delivered, on behalf of our Lord.

There is no doubt that blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as a witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was and gave his life for Him. His persecutor had demanded, not that he should deny Christ but only, that he should keep silent about the truth. Nevertheless, he died for Christ. Does Christ not say – I am the truth? Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ.

Through his birth, preaching and baptising, he bore witness to the coming birth, preaching and baptism of Christ and by his own suffering, he showed, that Christ also would suffer.

Such was the quality and strength of the man who accepted the end of this present life by shedding his blood after the long imprisonment. He preached the freedom of heavenly peace, yet was thrown into irons by ungodly men, he was locked away in the darkness of prison, though he came bearing witness to the Light of life and deserved to be called a bright and shining lamp by that Light itself, which is Christ. John was baptised in his own blood, though he had been privileged to baptise the Redeemer of the world, to hear the voice of the Father above him and to see the grace of the Holy Spirit descending upon him. But to endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for such men as John, rather it was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward. he preached the freedom of heavenly peace - st john the baptist - by st bede 29 aug 2019.jpg

Since death was ever near at hand through the inescapable necessity of nature, such men considered it a blessing to embrace it and thus gain the reward of eternal life by acknowledging Christ’s name. Hence the apostle Paul rightly says: You have been granted the privilege, not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake. He tells us why it is Christ’s gift that his chosen ones should suffer for Him: The sufferings of this present time, are not worthy, to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.

St John the Baptist, Pray for us!

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, St JOHN the BAPTIST, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 August – Whatever He wants I want

Posted on August 29, 2019August 29, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 29 August – The Beheading of St John the Baptist and the Memorial of Blessed Sancja Szymkowiak CMBB (1910-1942)

“O great and admirable mystery!
He must increase but I must decrease, said John,
said the voice which personified all the voices
that had gone before announcing
the Father’s Word Incarnate in His Christ….
But He is said to grow in us, when we grow in Him.
To him, then, who draws near to Christ,
to him who makes progress in the contemplation of wisdom,
words are of little use, of necessity they tend to fail altogether.
Thus, the ministry of the voice falls short,
in proportion as the soul progresses towards the Word,
it is thus, that Christ must increase and John decrease.
The same is indicated by the beheading of John
and the exaltation of Christ upon the Cross,
as it had already been shown by their birthdays –
for, from the birth of John the days begin to shorten
and from the birth of Our Lord they begin to grow longer.”

St Augustine (354-420)
Father & Doctor

“God’s will is my will.
Whatever He wants I want.”

Blessed Sancja Szymkowiak (1910-1942)

Blessed Sancja’s personal motto

DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 29 August – Do, What I Cannot.

Posted on August 29, 2019August 28, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 29 August – The Beheading of St John the Baptist

Do, What I Cannot
By St Anselm (1033-1109) Doctor of the Church

Lord, my heart is before You.
I try
but by myself,
I can do nothing.
Do, what I cannot.
Admit me
to the inner room
of Your love.
I ask.
I seek.
I knock.
You have made me ask,
make me receive.
You have enabled me to see,
enable me to find.
You have taught me to knock,
open to my knock.
Amen do what i cannot st anselm - 29 aug 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, GOD the FATHER, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the day – 28 August – O Eternal Truth, True Love and Beloved Eternity

Posted on August 28, 2019August 28, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the day – 28 August – The Memorial of St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

O Eternal Truth, True Love and Beloved Eternity

Saint Augustine of Hippo
Bishop and Great Western Father of the Church

An excerpt from his treatise, The Confessions

Urged to reflect upon myself, I entered under Your guidance into the inmost depth of my soul. I was able to do so, because You were my helper. On entering into myself I saw, as it were with the eye of the soul, what was beyond the eye of the soul, beyond my spirit: Your immutable light. It was not the ordinary light perceptible to all flesh, nor was it merely something of greater magnitude but still essentially akin, shining more clearly and diffusing itself everywhere by its intensity. No it was something entirely distinct, something altogether different from all these things and it did not rest above my mind as oil on the surface of water, nor was it above me as Heaven is above the Earth. This light was above me because it has made me, I was below it because I was created by it. He who has come to know the truth knows this light.

O Eternal truth, true love and beloved eternity. You are my God. To You do I sigh day and night. When I first came to know You, You drew me to Yourself, so that I might see that there were things for me to see but that I myself was not yet ready to see them. Meanwhile, You overcame the weakness of my vision, sending forth most strongly, the beams of Your light, and I trembled at once with love and dread. I learned that I was in a region unlike Yours and far distant from You and I thought I heard Your voice from on high: “I am the food of grown men, grow then and you will feed on Me. Nor will you change me into yourself like bodily food but you will be changed into Me.”

I sought a way to gain the strength which I needed to enjoy You. But I did not find it until I embraced the mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who is above all, God blessed for ever. He was calling me and saying – I am the way of truth, I am the life. He was offering the food which I lacked the strength to take, the food He had mingled with our flesh. For the Word became flesh, that Your wisdom, by which You created all things, might provide milk for us children.

Late have I loved You, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved You! You were within me but I was outside and it was there that I searched for You. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which You created. You were with me but I was not with You. Created things kept me from You, yet if they had not been in You they would not have been at all. You called, You shouted and You broke through my deafness. You flashed, You shone and You dispelled my blindness. You breathed Your fragrance on me, I drew in breath and now I pant for You. I have tasted You, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me and I burned for Your peace.

St Augustine, Pray for Us!

DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ANGELS, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY SOULS, The SIGN of the CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 28 August – Wonderful Augustine

Posted on August 28, 2019August 28, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 28 August – The Memorial of St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“God in his omnipotence
could not give more,
in His wisdom –
He knew not how to give more,
in His riches: –
He had not more to give,
than the EUCHARIST!”

“I will suggest a means whereby
you can praise God all day long, if you wish.
Whatever you do,
do it well
and you have praised God.”

“One of the holiest works,
one of the best exercises of piety
which we can practice in this world,
is to offer sacrifices,
alms
and prayer
for the dead.”

“It was pride,
that changed angels
into devils;
it is humility
that makes men
as angels.”

“

“He need not fear anything
nor be ashamed of anything,
who bears the
Sign of the Cross
on his brow.”

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

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/28/quote-s-of-the-day-28-august-the-memorial-of-st-augustine-354-430-father-and-doctor-of-grace/

CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 August – Flee to Him by Confessing

Posted on August 28, 2019August 27, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 28 August – Wednesday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 23:27–32 and The Memorial of St Augustine of Hippo (354-430) – Doctor of Grace

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful but within they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” … Matthew 23:27 woe to you scribes and pharisees - whitewashed tombs - matthew 23 27 - 28 aug 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “You are before God. Question your heart, see what you have done and what you have been yearning for there—your salvation or the windy praise of men. Look within, for a person cannot judge one whom he cannot see. If we are assuring our heart, let us assure it in His presence.
“Because if our heart thinks badly”—that is, if it accuses us within, because we aren’t acting with the spirit with which we should be acting —“God is greater than our heart, and he knows all things” (v.20).
You hide your heart from man – hide it from God if you can. How will you hide it from Him to whom it was said by a certain sinner in fear and confession: “Where shall 1 go from your spirit, and where shed! I flee from your face?”… For where does God not exist? “If,” he said, “I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to hell, you are present” (Ps 139[138]:7-8). Where will you go? Where will you flee? Do you want to hear some advice? If you want to flee from Him, flee to Him. Flee to Him by Confessing, not from Him by hiding, for you cannot hide but you can Confess. Tell Him. “You are my refuge” (Ps 32[31]:7) and let there be nursed in you the love that alone leads to life.”…St Augustine (354-430) – Doctor of Grace

PRAYER – Renew in Your Church, we pray , O Lord, the spirit with which You endowed Your Bishop Saint Augustine, that, filled with the same spirit, we may thirst for You, the sole fount of true wisdom and seek You, the author of heavenly love. 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. St Augustine, pray for us! Amen st augustine pray for us 28 aug 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 28 August – Go on, O Lord and Act

Posted on August 28, 2019August 27, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 28 August – Wednesday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time, Year C and The Memorial of St Augustine of Hippo (354-430) – Doctor of Grace and one of the original Four Fathers & Doctors of the Latin Church

Go on, O Lord and Act
By St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace

Go on, O Lord and act,
stir us up and call us back,
inflame us and draw us to Thee,
stir us up and grow sweet to us,
let us now love Thee,
let us run to Thee.
Are there not many men …
who, out of a deeper pit of darkness..
return to Thee–who draw near to Thee
and are illuminated by that light
which gives those
who receive it power from Thee
to become Thy sons?
Amen go on Lord and act - stir us up and call us back - st augustine - mem of simpliacinus 18 jan 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 28 August

Posted on August 28, 2019August 27, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St Augustine of Hippo (354-430) – Doctor of Grace and one of the original Four Fathers & Doctors of the Latin Church(Memorial)
Wonderful St Augustine here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/08/28/saint-of-the-day-28-august-st-augustine-354-430-doctor-of-grace-and-one-of-the-original-four-fathers-doctors-of-the-latin-church/

StAdelindis of Buchau
St Agnes of Cologne
St Alexander of Constantinople
St Ambrose of Saintes
Bl Angelo da Pesche d’Isernia
St Anthes of Salerno
Bl Charles-Arnold Hanus
St Edmund Arrowsmith SJ (1585 – 1628) Martyr
About St Edmund:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/28/saint-of-the-day-28-august-st-edmund-arrowsmith-s-j-1585-1628-martyr/

St Facundinus of Taino
St Felix of Venosa
St Fortunatus of Salerno
St Gaius of Salerno
St Gorman of Schleswig
Bl Henry Webley
St Hermes of Rome
Bl Hugh More
Bl James Claxton
St Januarius of Venosa
St Joaquina Vedruna de Mas
St Julian of Auvergne
St Moses the Black
St Pelagius of Istria
St Restitutus of Carthage
St Rumwold the Prince
St Septiminus of Venosa
St Vicinius/of Sarsina (Died 330)
St Vivian of Saintes
Bl William Dean
—
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
Martyrs of Griñon – 10 beati
Martyrs of Tarragona – 6 beati
• Blessed Agustín Bermejo Miranda
• Blessed Alejandro Iñiguez De Heredia Alzola
• Blessed Andrés Merino Báscones
• Blessed Antonio Solá Garriga
• Blessed Arturo Ros Montalt
• Blessed Aurelio da Vinalesa
• Blessed Celestino Ruiz Alegre
• Blessed Cesáreo España Ortiz
• Blessed Eladi Peres Bori
• Blessed Evencio Castellanos López
• Blessed Francisco López Navarette
• Blessed Germán Arribas y Arribas
• Blessed Graciliano Ortega Narganes
• Blessed Isidre Fábregas Gils
• Blessed Jaume Tarragó Iglesias
• Blessed Javier Pradas Vidal
• Blessed Joan Tomás Gibert
• Blessed Joaquim Oliveras Puljarás
• Blessed José Gorastazu Labayen
• Blessed Josep Camprubí Corrubí
• Blessed Juan Bautista Faubel Cano
• Blessed Lázaro Ruiz Peral
• Blessed Manoel José Sousa de Sousa
• Blessed Modest Godo Buscato
• Blessed Modest Pamplona Falguera
• Blessed Nicolás Rueda Barriocanal
• Blessed Serviliano Solá Jiménez
• Blessed Teodoro Pérez Gómez

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 27 August – Late Have I Loved You

Posted on August 27, 2019August 26, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 27 August – Tuesday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time, Year C and The Memorial of St Monica (322-387)

Late Have I Loved You
By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor

Late have I loved You,
Beauty so ancient and so new,
late have I loved You!
Lo, you were within,
but I outside, seeking there for You
and upon the shapely things You have made
I rushed headlong – I, misshapen.
You were with me but I was not with You.
They held me back far from You,
those things which would have no being,
were they not in You.
You called, shouted, broke through my deafness.
You flared, blazed, banished my blindness.
You lavished Your fragrance, I gasped
and now I pant for You.
I tasted You and now I hunger and thirst;
You touched me and I burned for Your peace. late have i loved you 27 august 2019 st monica's feast day.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 26 August – Give me Strength, O Lord

Posted on August 26, 2019August 25, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 26 August – Monday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time

Give me Strength, O Lord
By St Ephrem of Syria (306-373) Father & Doctor of the Church

Lord Jesus Christ,
King of kings,
You have power over life and death.
You know even things that are uncertain and obscure,
and our very thoughts and feelings are not hidden from You.
Cleanse me from my secret faults,
for I have done wrong and You saw it.
You know how weak I am,
both in soul and in body.
Give me strength, O Lord,
in my frailty and sustain me in my sufferings.
Grant me a prudent judgement, dear Lord,
and let me always be mindful of Your blessings.
Let me retain until the end, Your grace
that has protected me till now.
Amen give me strength o lord - by st ephrem - 26 august 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN TITLES, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 25 August – May our Mother, take us to the path that leads to ‘Heaven’s Gate.’

Posted on August 25, 2019August 25, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 25 August – 21st Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 13:22–30

“Strive to enter in by the narrow door.”

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor strive-to-enter-luke-13-24-whoever-would-enter-st-cyril-of-alex-31-oct-2018

This reply may seem perhaps to wander from the scope of the question. The man wanted to learn whether there would be few who are saved but He explained to him the way whereby he might be saved himself. He said, “Strive to enter in by the narrow door.” What do we answer to this objection? … It was a necessary and valuable thing to know how a man may obtain salvation. He is purposely silent to the useless question. He proceeds to speak of what was essential, namely, of the knowledge necessary for the performance of those duties by which people can enter the narrow door.
I now consider it my duty to mention why the door to life is narrow. Whoever would enter must first, before everything else, possess an upright and uncorrupted faith and then a spotless morality, in which there is no possibility of blame, according to the measure of human righteousness. One who has attained to this in mind and spiritual strength will enter easily by the narrow door and run along the narrow way.
“Wide is the door and broad the way that brings down many to destruction.” What are we to understand by its broadness? It means an unrestrained tendency toward carnal lust and a shameful and pleasure-loving life. It is luxurious feasts, parties, banquets and unrestricted inclinations to everything that is condemned by the law and displeasing to God. A stubborn mind will not bow to the yoke of the law. This life is cursed and relaxed in all carelessness. Thrusting from it the divine law and completely unmindful of the sacred commandments, wealth, vices, scorn, pride and the empty imagination of earthly pride spring from it. Those who would enter in by the narrow door must withdraw from all these things, be with Christ and keep the festival with Him.”

(Commentary on Luke, Homily 9)

May we call upon our Mother Mary as Ianua Caeli, Heaven’s Gate, to guide us in our daily choices and take us to the path that leads to ‘Heaven’s Gate.’ Amen ianua caeli heaven's gate pray for us mary - 25 aug 2019

DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on FAITH, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Thought for the Day – 24 August – “God has given”

Posted on August 24, 2019August 24, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 24 August – The Feast of St Bartholomew, Apostle of Christ – Today’s Gospel: John 1:45–51

The name “Nathanael” means “God has given”

“The apostles’ glory is so indistinguishable and so bonded together by the cement of so many graces that in celebrating the feast of one of them the common greatness of all is called to our interior attention. For they share together the same authority of supreme judge, the same honourable rank and they hold the same power to bind and loose (Mt 19:28; 18:18). They are those precious pearls that Saint John tells us he beheld in the Book of Revelation out of which are constructed the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem (Rv 21:21.14)… And indeed, whenever the apostles beam divine light through their signs or miracles, they open up the heavenly glory of Jerusalem, to all those peoples who have been converted to the christian faith…

Of them, too, the prophet says: “Who are these who fly along like clouds?” (Is 60:8)… God raises the minds of His preachers to contemplation of truths on high… so that they can abundantly pour down the rain of God’s word into our hearts. Thus they drink water from the spring, so as to give drink to us too.

Saint Bartholomew drew from the fullness of this spring, when the Holy Spirit came upon him, as on the other apostles, in the form of tongues of fire (Acts 2:3).”

St Peter Damian (1007-1072) – Bishop, Doctor of the Church (Sermon 42, 2nd for Saint Bartholomew, PL 144, 726)

St Bartholomew, Pray for Us!

DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS for SEASONS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 August – Love the Lord, Love your neighbour

Posted on August 23, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 23 August – Friday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Today’s Gospel: Matthew 23:34-40 and the Memorial of St Rose of Lima (1586-1617)

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart … You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” … Matthew 22:37,40 matthew 22 37 and 40 you shall the lord your god you shall yourneighbour - 23 aug 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “Thus, then, the obedient man,with the light of faith, in the truth burning in the furnace of charity … receives his end from Me, his Creator.”…St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) Doctor of the Church thus-then-the-obedient-man-no 2 - st-catherine-of-siena-23-aug-2018.jpg

PRAYER – “God our Father, for love of You, St Rose of Lima left the world and gave herself to a life of penitence, austerity and charity. Help us by her prayers, so to follow the path of life on earth, in complete love of You and thus of Your children, that we may obtain the fullness of joy in Your presence in heaven and be clothed fit for the wedding feast. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. st-rose-of-lima-pray-for-us-23-aug-2017

DOCTORS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 21 August – I love because I love, I love that I may love

Posted on August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 21 August – Tuesday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) “Doctor of Light”

I love because I love, I love that I may love

Saint Bernard
Abbot and Doctor of the Church

An excerpt from Sermon 83

Love is sufficient of itself, it gives pleasure by itself and because of itself. It is its own merit, its own reward. Love looks for no cause outside itself, no effect beyond itself. Its profit lies in its practice. I love because I love, I love that I may love. Love is a great thing so long as it continually returns to its fountainhead, flows back to its source, always drawing from there the water which constantly replenishes it. Of all the movements, sensations and feelings of the soul, love is the only one in which the creature can respond to the Creator and make some sort of similar return, however unequal, though it be. For when God loves, all He desires is to be loved in return, the sole purpose of His love is to be loved, in the knowledge that those who love Him are made happy by their love of Him.

The Bridegroom’s love, or rather the love which is the Bridegroom, asks in return nothing but faithful love. Let the beloved, then, love in return. Should not a bride love, and above all, Love’s bride? Could it be that Love not be loved?

Rightly then does she give up all other feelings and give herself wholly to love alone, in giving love back, all she can do is to respond to love. And when she has poured out her whole being in love, what is that in comparison with the unceasing torrent of that original source? Clearly, lover and Love, soul and Word, bride and Bridegroom, creature and Creator, do not flow with the same volume, one might as well equate a thirsty man with the fountain.

What then of the bride’s hope, her aching desire, her passionate love, her confident assurance? Is all this to wilt just because she cannot match stride for stride with her giant, any more than she can vie with honey for sweetness, rival the lamb for gentleness, show herself as white as the lily, burn as bright as the sun, be equal in love with Him who is Love? No. It is true that the creature loves less because she is less. But if she loves with her whole being, nothing is lacking where everything is given. To love so ardently then is to share the marriage bond, she cannot love so much and not be totally loved and it is in the perfect union of two hearts that complete and total marriage consists. Or are we to doubt that the soul is loved by the Word first and with a greater love?

St Bernard, Pray for Us!

CONTEMPLATIVE Prayer, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 21 August – St Bernard

Posted on August 20, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 21 August – Tuesday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) “Doctor of Light”

“The measure of love
is love without measure.”

“Action and contemplation are very close companions;
they live together in one house on equal terms.
Martha and Mary are sisters.”

“The three most important virtues are:
humility,
humility
and humility.”

“If the hurricanes of temptation rise against you,
or you are running upon the rocks of trouble,
look to the star – call on Mary!”

“Let us not imagine that we obscure
the glory of the Son by the great praise
we lavish on the Mother –
for the more she is honoured,
the greater is the glory of her Son.
There can be no doubt that whatever we say
in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Doctor of the Church

DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 20 August – High and Holy God

Posted on August 20, 2019August 19, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 20 August – The Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) “Doctor of Light”

High and Holy God
By St Bernard

High and Holy God,
give me this day a word of truth
to silence the lies
that would devour my soul
and kind encouragements
to strengthen me when I fall.
Gracious One,
I come quietly to Your door
needing to receive from Your hands
the nourishment that gives life.
Amen and Amen high and holy god by st bernard of clairvaux 20 aug 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 20 August

Posted on August 20, 2019August 19, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church “Doctor of Light” (Memorial)
St Bernard’s Story:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/08/20/saint-of-the-day-20-august-st-bernard-of-clairvaux-abbot-confessor-doctor-of-the-church-doctor-mellifluus-and-the-last-father-of-the-church/

St Amadour the Hermit
St Bernard of Valdeiglesius

St Bernardo Tolomei (1272 – 1348)
Biography here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/08/21/saint-of-the-day-21-august-st-bernardo-tolomei-1272-1348/
Apologies for the date mix-up. His Memorial in the universal Church is actually today 20 August.

St Brogan
St Burchard of Worms
St Christopher of Cordoba
St Cristòfol Baqués Almirall
St Edbert of Northumbria
Bl Georg Hafner
Bl Gervais-Protais Brunel
St Gobert of Apremont
St Haduin of Le Mans
St Heliodorus of Persia
St Herbert Hoscam
St Leovigild of Cordoba
Bl Louis-François Lebrun
St Lucius of Cyprus
Bl Maria de Mattias ASC (1805-1866)
Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/20/saint-of-the-day-20-august-st-maria-de-mattias-a-s-c-1805-1866/

St Maximus of Chinon
St Oswine of Deira
St Philibert of Jumièges (c 608–684)
St Porphyrius of Palestrina
St Ronald of Orkney
St Samuel the Patriarch
Bl Wladyslaw Maczkowski
St Zacchaeus the Publican
—
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: 8 Beati
Enrique Rodríguez Tortosa
Francesc Llagostera Bonet
Ismael Barrio Marquilla
José Tapia Díaz
Magí Albaigés Escoda
Manuel López Álvarez
María Climent Mateu
Serapio Sanz Iranzo
Tomás Campo Marín

DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 August – “If you would be perfect…”

Posted on August 19, 2019August 19, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 19 August – Monday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Gospel: Matthew 19:16–22 and The Memorial of St John Eudes Orat. (1601-1680) “Apostle of Two Hearts”

Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come, follow me.” … Matthew 19:21

REFLECTION – “O Jesus! can anyone declare that he does not desire this great blessing, especially after he has passed through the chief difficulties? No, no-one can! We all say we desire it but there is need of more than that, for the Lord to possess entire dominion over the soul. It is not enough to say so, any more than it was enough for the young man when our Lord told him what he must do if he desired to be perfect…

Enter then, enter, my daughters, into your interior, pass beyond the thought of your own petty works, which are no more, nor even as much, as Christians are bound to perform, let it suffice, that you are God’s servants, do not pursue so much as to catch nothing. Think of the saints, who have entered the Divine Presence and you will see the difference between them and ourselves. Do not ask for what you do not deserve, nor should we ever think, however much we may have done for God, that we merit the reward of the saints, for we have offended Him. Oh, humility, humility! I know not why but I am always tempted to think, that persons who complain so much of aridity in prayer, must be a little wanting in this virtue… Let us try ourselves, my sisters, or let our Lord try us, He knows well how to do so, although we often pretend to misunderstand Him…

If we turn our backs on Him and go away sorrowfully, like the youth in the Gospel, when He tells us what to do to be perfect, what can God do? for He must proportion the reward to our love for Him. This love, my daughters, must not be the fabric of our imagination, we must prove it by our works. Yet do not suppose that our Lord has need of any works of ours, He only expects us to manifest our goodwill… if we continue in it… doubtless, by persevering in this poverty and detachment of soul, we shall obtain all for which we strive. But, mark this – it must be on one condition – that we `hold ourselves for unprofitable servants.’ (Lk 12:48) … St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) Doctor of the Church – Interior Castle, Mansion 3, Chapter 1

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, Pray for us! amen. st john eudes pray for us 19 aug 2019.jpg

	Santo Paschasius Rad… on Saint of the Day – 26 Ap…
	Santo Richarius… on Saint of the Day – 26 Ap…
	Santo Markus Penulis… on Saint of the Day – 25 Ap…
	Santa Maria Euphrasi… on Saint of the Day – 24 Ap…
	Santo Adelbertus dar… on Saint of the Day – 23 Ap…

Speaking of “Silence”

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

St Jeanne Jugan (1792 – 1879)

St Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

Pope Benedict XVI

Father Mike Schmitz

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St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father & Doctor of the Church “Father of the Fathers”

Blessed Brigida of Jesus Morello (1610-1679)

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St John Chrysostom (347 to 407) Father & Doctor

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Precursor of Christ in Birth and Death

Saint Bede (673-735) Priest, Father and Doctor of the Church

St John the Baptist, Pray for us!

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St Augustine (354-420) Father & Doctor

Blessed Sancja Szymkowiak (1910-1942)

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O Eternal Truth, True Love and Beloved Eternity

Saint Augustine of Hippo Bishop and Great Western Father of the Church

St Augustine, Pray for Us!

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

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“Strive to enter in by the narrow door.”

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The name “Nathanael” means “God has given”

St Bartholomew, Pray for Us!

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I love because I love, I love that I may love

Saint Bernard Abbot and Doctor of the Church

St Bernard, Pray for Us!

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St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Doctor of the Church

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

St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
Father & Doctor of the Church
“Father of the Fathers”

St John Chrysostom (347 to 407)
Father & Doctor

Saint Bede (673-735)
Priest, Father and Doctor of the Church

St Augustine (354-420)
Father & Doctor

Saint Augustine of Hippo
Bishop and Great Western Father of the Church

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

Saint Bernard
Abbot and Doctor of the Church