Lord, strengthen us!
By St Augustine (354-430)
Doctor of Grace
Blessed are all Your saints, my God and King!
Who have through travail and in peace of soul
all traveled within the ship with You,
the tempestuous sea of mortality and have,
at last, made the desired port of peace and of felicity!
O, cast a gracious eye upon us who are
in our dangerous voyage still!
Remember, succour us in our distress and
think of those who lie exposed to the rough storms
of troubles and temptations!
Strengthen our weakness in Your strength,
that valiantly we may do Your will in this spiritual battle.
Help us against our own negligence,
our cowardice and defend us
from the treachery of our unfaithful hearts.
We are exceedingly frail and indisposed
to every virtuous and gallant undertaking.
Grant, O Lord, that we may bring our vessel safe to shore,
into our desired haven, Lord. Amen
YOU, WHO ARE RICH IN MERCY
By St Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)
Doctor magnificus (Magnificent Doctor);
Doctor Marianus (Marian Doctor)
My prayer is but a cold affair, Lord,
because my love burns with so small a flame
but You, Who are rich in mercy
will not mete out to them Your gifts
according to the dullness of my zeal
but as Your kindness is above all human love
so let your eagerness to hear me
be greater than the feeling in my prayers.
Do this for them and with them, Lord,
so that they may speed according to Your will
and thus ruled and protected by You,
always and everywhere,
may they come at last to glory and eternal rest,
through You who are the living and reigning God,
through all ages. Amen
“Now all things have been filled with light,
both heaven and earth and those beneath the earth;
so let all creation sing Christ’s rising,
by which it is established.”
One Minute Reflection – 22 April – Seventh Day in the Easter Octave
DAILY MEDITATION: “Lord I believe, help my unbelief!”
“He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy becasue they had refusd to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to the, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation.’………….Mark 16:14-15
REFLECTION – “The power of faith is enormous. It is so great that it not only saves the believer: thanks to one person’s faith others are saved also. The paralytic at Capernaum did not have faith. But the men who brought him to Jesus and let him down through the roof had it. The soul of the sick man was ill as well as his body. That is made clear in the Gospel: “And when Jesus saw their faith he said…, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and go home'”. The Gospel does not speak of “his” faith but of “their” faith. The stretcher-bearers believed and the paralytic had the benefit of being healed because of it. (Mark 2:1-11) Then there is the death of Lazarus. Four days had passed. His dead body was already decomposing. How could one who had been dead for so many days believe and himself ask for the Deliverer? He could not possibly do so but his sisters provided the faith for him. When they met the Lord, one sister fell down at his feet. He asked, “Where have you laid him?” The other sister said: “Lord, by this time there will be a bad smell”. Then the Lord said, “If you believe you will see the glory of God”. As if to say, “As regards faith, you must take the place of the dead man”. And the faith of the sisters succeeded in calling Lazarus back from the hereafter. (John 11:1-44). So if these two women by believing in place of the other were able to secure his resurrection, how much more certainly will you be able to secure it for yourself by your own faith in Jesus?
Perhaps your own faith is feeble. Nevertheless, the Lord who is love will stoop down to you, provided only you are penitent and can say sincerely from the depths of your soul: “Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief”. (Mark 9:23)……………………..The Power of Faith: St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 315-386) Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – Loving Father, I believe that You love me. I ask you to watch over me and let me feel the love You shower on me.
I have been born again in baptism and long for the undying life You offer me. Strengthen my faith and help me to share this gift of faith
You have bestowed on me. Amen
Thought for the Day – 21 April – St Anselm of Canterbury – “Magnificent Doctor” / “Father of Scholasticism”
As a young boy in Aosta, Italy, Anselm thought of being a priest. His father, angered by this desire, introduced his son to court life. Anselm forgot about his vocation. But in 1060, Anselm learned of Lanfranc, the leader of monasticism in Normandy, France. Anselm entered Lanfranc’s monastery at Bec. Three years later, Anselm became a prior, or head and began to publish his writings on the existence of God.
Lanfranc
What is it about these great Saints! The perseverance, the zeal and the prolific and endless gifts for all of us. So many lessons to be learnt, so many prayers to be said to them appealing for their intercession! The greatest lesson perhaps is their uncompromising gift of self to God, through thick and thin, in health and in suffering, in the good and the bad times, it is only God who counts and the glory of the Kingdom.
“God has promised pardon to him that repents
but he has not promised repentance to him that sins.”
“O supreme and unapproachable light!
O whole and blessed truth, how far You are from me,
who am so near to You!
How far removed You are from my vision,
though I am so near to Yours!
Everywhere You are wholly present
and I see You not.
In You I move and in You I have my being
and I cannot come to You.
You are within me
and about me
and I feel You not.”
“God often works more by the life of the illiterate
seeking the things that are God’s,
than by the ability of the learned
seeking the things that are their own.”
“For I do not seek to understand in order to believe
but I believe in order to understand.
For I believe this: unless I believe, I will not understand.”
“Remove grace, and you have nothing whereby to be saved.
Remove free will and you have nothing that could be saved.”
“A single Mass offered for oneself during life
may be worth more than a thousand celebrated
for the same intention after death.”
“No one will have any other desire in heaven
than what God wills;
and the desire of one will be the desire of all;
and the desire of all and of each one
will also be the desire of God.”
ST ANSELM OF CANTERBURY (1033-1109)
Archbishop of Canterbury, O.S.B.
Doctor magnificus (Magnificent Doctor);
Doctor Marianus (Marian Doctor)
One Minute Reflection – 21 April Easter Friday Seventh Day of the Octave and the Memorial of St Anselm OSB (1033-1109) Doctor of the Church
DAILY MEDITATION: Lord, let me love You and feed Your sheep.
Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus had asked him three times if he loved him. So he told Jesus, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.” Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep.”
— John 21:17
REFLECTION – “Those who destroy truth with their lies or detractions deny Christ with their mouths. In the third chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, Peter says: “You denied the Holy and the Just One before Pilate and desired a murderer to be given to you” (3:14). Pilate, whose name means a “hammermouth,” symbolises a person who lies and detracts others. Those who tell lies destroy truth as if they had pounded it with a hammer; those who detract others destroy the love of neighbour. In both cases they deny Christ with their mouths. Detraction seeks to transform good into evil and to minimise its worth.”
…..St Anthony of Padua [1195-1231] on John 21.17
PRAYER – Our God and Holy Father, purify our hearts with Your truth and guide them in the way of holiness, so that we may do what is pleasing in your sight. Let your face shine upon us, that we may be freed from sin and filled with Your plenty. That we may radiate the light of Christ Your Son to all we meet and never allow us to sin against any of Your children by lies or detraction. Teach me to feed Your lambs and Your sheep. May the Prayers of St Anselm be to our gain. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.
PRAYER FOR THE GRACE OF LOVE By St Anselm of Canterbury
We love You, O God
and desire to love You more and more.
Grant that we may love You as we wish to love You
and as we should love You. O dearest Friend
who has loved us so deeply and redeemed us;
come and take Your place in our hearts.
Watch over our lips, our steps and our deeds
and we no longer fear for soul and body.
Yes, give us love, most precious of gifts,
which knows no enemies.
Give our hearts that pure love
borne of Your love for us,
that we may love others as You love us.
O most loving Father of Jesus Christ
from whom all love flows,
grant that our hearts, frozen in sin
and grown cold toward You,
may be warmed in the divine glow.
Help and bless us in Your Son. O blessed Lord,
You have commanded us to love one another,
give us the grace that, as we have received
Your unmerited favours,
we may love all persons in You and for You.
We implore your clemency for all people
but particularly for our friends whom You have given us.
Love them, Source of Love and instill in them
a thorough love of Yourself,
that they may seek, utter and do nothing
save what is pleasing to You. Amen
Saint of the Day – 21 April – St Anselm of Canterbury- Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church (c1033-1109) Doctor magnificus (Magnificent Doctor), Doctor Marianus (Marian Doctor), “Father of Scholasticism” – Monk, Prior, Abbott, Archbishop, Theologian, Philosopher. Anselm was born in or around Aosta in Upper Burgundy sometime between April 1033 and April 1034. At the age of fifteen, Anselm desired to enter a Monastery but, failing to obtain his father’s consent, he was refused by the Abbot. The illness he then suffered has been considered a psychosomatic effect of his disappointment but upon his recovery he gave up his studies and for a time lived a carefree life.
Following the death of his mother, probably at the birth of his sister Richera, Anselm’s father repented his earlier lifestyle but professed his new faith with a severity that the boy found likewise unbearable. Anselm, at age 23, left home with a single attendant crossed the Alps and wandered through Burgundy and France for three years. His countryman Lanfranc of Pavia was then prior of the Benedictine abbey of Bec; attracted by the fame of his fellow countryman, Anselm reached Normandy in 1059. After spending some time in Avranches, he returned the next year. His father having died, he consulted with Lanfranc as to whether to return to his estates and employ their income in providing alms or to renounce them, becoming a hermit or a monk at Bec or Cluny. Professing to fear his own bias, Lanfranc sent him to Maurilius, the Archbishop of Rouen, who convinced him to enter the abbey as a novice at the age of 27. Probably in his first year, he wrote his first work on philosophy, a treatment of Latin paradoxes called the Grammarian. Over the next decade, the Rule of Saint Benedict reshaped his thought.
Because of the physical closeness and political connections, there was frequent travel and communication between Normandy and England and Anselm was in repeated contact with Church officials in England. He was chosen as reluctant Archbishop of Canterbury, England in 109 – officials had to wait until he was too sick to argue in order to get him to agree.
“Anselm Assuming the Pallium in Canterbury Cathedral” from E M Wilmot-Buxton’s 1915 Anselm
As bishop he fought King William Rufus’s encroachment on ecclesiastical rights and the independence of the Church, refused to pay bribes to take over as bishop and was exiled for his efforts. He travelled to Rome, Italy and spent part of his exile as an advisor to Pope Blessed Urban II, obtaining the pope’s support for returning to England and conducting Church business without the king’s interference. He resolved theological doubts of the Italo-Greek bishops at Council of Bari in 1098.
In 1100 King Henry II invited Anselm to return to England but they disputed over lay investiture and Anselm was exiled again only to return in 1106 when Henry agreed not to interfere with the selection of Church officials. Anselm opposed slavery and obtained English legislation prohibiting the sale of men. He strongly supported celibate clergy and approved the addition of several saints to the liturgical calendar of England.
He died on Holy Wednesday, 21 April 1109. His remains were translated to Canterbury Cathedral and laid at the head of Lanfranc at his initial resting place to the south of the Altar of the Holy Trinity (now St Thomas’s Chapel). During the church’s reconstruction after the disastrous fire of the 1170s, his remains were relocated, although it is now uncertain where.
Anselm was one of the great philosophers and theologians of the middle ages and a noted theological writer. He was far more at home in the monastery than in political circles but still managed to improve the position of the Church in England. Counsellor to Pope Gregory VII. Chosen a Doctor of the Church in 1720 by Pope Clement XI.
The life of St Anselm told in 16 medallions in a stained-glass window in Quimper Cathedral, Brittany, in France
Giovanni Francesco Romanelli (1610-1662) – The Meeting of the Countess Matilda and Anselm of Canterbury in the Presence of Pope Urban II (1637-1642), oil on canvas, Galleria dei Romanelli, the Vatican.
One Minute Reflection – 20 April – Easter Thursday – Fifth Day of the Octave
Daily Meditation: May we be one in faith. love and peace through the Eucharist.
While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
…..Luke 24:36
REFLECTION – “Let us gather round Him to cherish the memory of His words and of the events contained in Scripture; let us relive His Passion, death and Resurrection. In celebrating the Eucharist we communicate with Christ, the victim of expiation and from Him we draw forgiveness and life. What would our lives as Christians be without the Eucharist? The Eucharist is the perpetual, living inheritance which the Lord has bequeathed to us in the Sacrament of His Body and His Blood and which we must constantly rethink and deepen so that, as venerable Pope Paul VI said, it may “impress its inexhaustible effectiveness on all the days of our earthly life” (Insegnamenti, V [1967], p. 779).”……..Pope Benedict XVI 2009
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, we are scattered in this world and so easily distracted from seeing You. Help me to communicate in love to those around me
who gather in Your love. Let me praise Your name from my heart and rejoice that I have been given the grace of faith through Your love for me. Lord Jesus, remember Your holy Church, built on the apostles and reaching to the ends of the earth and let Your blessing and peace rest on all who gather to celebrate at Your feast in the most holy Eucharist. Amen
I beg of you, O Lord,
by this most holy mystery of Your Body and Blood,
with which You daily nourish us in Your Church,
that we may be cleansed and sanctified
and made sharers in Your divinity.
Grant to me Your holy virtues, which will enable
me to approach Your altar with a clean conscience,
so that this heavenly Sacrament may be a means
of salvation and life to me, for You Yourself have said:
“I am the living bread that has come down from heaven.
If anyone eat of this bread, he shall live forever
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
Most Sweet Bread, heal my heart, that I may taste the sweetness
of Your love. Heal it from all weakness, that I may enjoy
no sweetness but You. Most pure Bread, containing
every delight which ever refreshes us, may my heart
consume You and may my soul be filled with Your sweetness.
Holy Bread, living Bread, perfect Bread, that has come down
from heaven to give life to the world,
come into my heart and cleanse me from every stain of body
and soul. Enter into my soul; heal and cleanse me completely.
Be the constant safeguard and salvation of my soul and body.
Guard me from the enemies who lie in wait.
May they flee from the protecting presence
of Your power, so that, armed in soul
and body by You, I may safely reach
Your Kingdom.
There we shall see You, not as now
as in mysteries, but face to face,
when You will deliver the Kingdom to God
the Father and will reign as God over all.
Then You, who with the same God the Father
and the Holy Spirit, live and reign forever,
will satisfy the hunger of my soul perfectly
with Yourself, so that I shall neither hunger
nor thirst again. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 19 April – Wednesday of Easter Octave
Daily Meditation: Give us the joy of this feast.
Then the disciples from Emmaus told what happened on the road and how they knew he was the Lord when he broke the bread.
— Luke 24:35
REFLECTION – “The fact that archaeologists have not identified the location of Emmaus with any certainty, holds for me a certain value : it suggests that Emmaus is really everywhere, the road that leads there is the path of every Christian, indeed, every human being. On our own journeys, the risen Jesus is a traveling companion who rekindles in our hearts the warmth of faith and hope and the breaking of the bread of eternal life. This beautiful evangelical text already contains the structure of the Mass: in the first part listening to the Word through the Scriptures; second in the Eucharistic liturgy and communion with Christ present in the sacrament of his Body and his Blood. Nourishing ourselves in this twofold meal, the Church builds itself up and is renewed every day in faith, hope and charity.”……………..Pope Benedict XVI 2008
PRAYER – Loving Father, do I feel this joy so deeply each year? I know how solemn this season is and yet I am overcome by sheer delight. I celebrate this joyful time of remembering how I am brought to new life by the sacrifice Your Son made for me. Help me to delight in the gift He left us, help me to experience the great joy of the feast of the Holy Mass and the Holy Eucharist the food to nourish me on my own road to Emmaus. Amen
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ’s side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen
Wash Me With Your Precious Blood
By St. Peter Canisius S.J. (1521-1597)
See, O merciful God, what return
I, Your thankless servant, have made
for the innumerable favours
and the wonderful love You have shown me!
What wrongs I have done, what good left undone!
Wash away, I beg You, these faults and stains
with Your precious blood, most kind Redeemer,
and make up for my poverty by applying Your merits.
Give me the protection I need to amend my life.
I give and surrender myself wholly to You,
and offer You all I possess,
with the prayer that You bestow Your grace on me,
so that I may be able to devote and employ
all the thinking power of my mind
and the strength of my body in Your holy service,
who are God blessed for ever and ever. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 17 April – Easter Monday 2nd Day of the Octave
Meditation for the Day: Help us put our baptism into action.
The women were frightened and yet very happy,
as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples.
— Matthew 28:8
REFLECTION – “We imitate Christ’s death by being buried with him in baptism. If we ask what this kind of burial means and what benefit we may hope to derive from it, it means first of all making a complete break with our former way of life and our Lord Himself said that this cannot be done unless a man is born again. In other words, we have to begin a new life and we cannot do so until our previous life has been brought to an end. When runners reach the turning point on a racecourse, they have to pause briefly before they can go back in the opposite direction. So also when we wish to reverse the direction of our lives there must be a pause, or a death, to mark the end of one life and the beginning of another…….Baptism cleanses the soul from the pollution of worldly thoughts and inclinations: You will wash me, says the psalmist and I shall be whiter than snow. We receive this saving baptism only once because there was only one death and one resurrection for the salvation of the world and baptism is its symbol.”………St Basil the Great
Prayer – Loving Father, How do I live the baptismal promises I made again over the weekend? I want to live my life in service of You.
Help me to carry the gift of faith I received from You. Help me to welcome those who joined the church in baptism.
Guide me and give me the courage to live my faith, to accept Your love. Amen
LORD, I AM YOURS
by St Francis de Sales (Doctor of the Church)
Lord, I am Yours,
and I must belong to no one but You.
My soul is Yours,
and must live only by You.
My will is Yours,
and must love only for You.
I must love You as my first cause,
since I am from You.
I must love You as my end and rest,
since I am for You.
I must love You more than my own being,
since my being subsists by You.
I must love You more than myself,
since I am all Yours and all in You.
Amen.
Wishing our Holy Father Emeritus Papa Benedict XVI a Blessed 90th Birthday
A “modest” 90th birthday party is being planned for Benedict XVI, who stunned the Catholic Church by resigning as pope in 2013.
His personal secretary and long-time aide, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, told an Italian Catholic news agency Saturday that Benedict’s birthday, which falls on Easter Sunday this year, will be celebrated on Monday in Bavarian style, in keeping with the emeritus pontiff’s roots.
“There will be a small moment of celebration in keeping with his strength,” Gaenswein said about the frail churchman.
Benedict cited fading strength when announcing his decision to become the first pontiff to resign in 600 years.
Attending the party will be a delegation from Bavaria and Benedict’s elder brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger. The sibling’s visit will be “the most beautiful” birthday gift, Gaenswein added.
The former Joseph Ratzinger was born on April 16, 1927, in southern Germany. Trained as a theologian, he was a long-time Vatican official in charge of ensuring doctrinal orthodoxy when elected as pontiff in 2005.
Past recent birthdays have seen Benedict celebrate the day with a pint of beer.
Gaenswein told the S.I.R. news agency that Benedict is “serene, in good humor, very lucid.”
“Certainly, his physical strength is lessening. It’s hard for him to walk. However, he uses a walker, which ensures autonomy in movement and safety,” the aide said.
The rhythm of Benedict’s retirement in a monastery on Vatican City grounds consists of “prayer, meditation, reading, study, correspondence,” Gaenswein said. “He has visitors, too. Music certainly still has its place, together with a daily walk.”
It is only right,
with all the powers of our heart and mind,
to praise You Father and Your Only-Begotten Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear Father, by Your wondrous condescension
of Loving-Kindness toward us, Your servants,
You gave up Your Son.
Dear Jesus You paid the debt of Adam for us
to the Eternal Father by Your Blood
poured forth in Loving-Kindness.
You cleared away the darkness of sin
by Your magnificent and radiant Resurrection.
You broke the bonds of death
and rose from the grave as a Conqueror.
You reconciled Heaven and earth.
Our life had no hope of Eternal Happiness
before You redeemed us.
Your Resurrection has washed away our sins,
restored our innocence and brought us joy.
How inestimable is the tenderness of Your Love!
We pray You, Lord,
to preserve Your servants in the peaceful enjoyment
of this Easter happiness.
We ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord,
Who lives and reigns with God The Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever
Amen
“By nothing else except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ has death been brought low: The sin of our first parent destroyed, hell plundered, resurrection bestowed, the power given us to despise the things of this world, even death itself, the road back to the former blessedness made smooth, the gates of paradise opened, our nature seated at the right hand of God and we made children and heirs of God. By the cross all these things have been set aright…It is a seal that the destroyer may not strike us, a raising up of those who lie fallen, a support for those who stand, a staff for the infirm, a crook for the shepherded, a guide for the wandering,a perfecting of the advanced, salvation for soul and body, a deflector of all evils, a cause of all goods, a destruction of sin, a plant of resurrection, and a tree of eternal life!”
“The passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the hope of glory and a lesson in patience. What may not the hearts of believers promise themselves as the gift of God’s grace, when for their sake God’s only Son, co-eternal with the Father, was not content only to be born as man from human stock but even died at the hands of the men he had created?”
– St. Augustine
“No one, however weak, is denied a share in the victory of the cross. No one is beyond the help of the prayer of Christ. His prayer brought benefit to the multitude that raged against him. How much more does it bring to those who turn to him in repentance.”
Hail, Sweet Jesus! Prayer to Christ in His Passion and Death By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
Hail, sweet Jesus! Praise, honour and glory be to Thee, O Christ, Who, of Thou own accord, embraced death, and recommending Thyself to Thy heavenly Father, bowing down Thy venerable Head, did yield up Thy Spirit. Truly thus giving up Thy life for Thy sheep, Thou hast shown Thyself, to be the Good Shepherd. Thou died, O Only-begotten Son of God. Thou died, O my beloved Saviour, that I might live forever. O how great hope, how great confidence have I reposed in Thy Death and Thy Blood! I glorify and praise Thy Holy Name, acknowledging my infinite obligations to Thee. O good Jesus, by Thy bitter Death and Passion, give me grace and pardon. Give unto the faithful departed, rest and life everlasting. Amen
“As they were looking on, so we too, gaze on His wounds as He hangs. We see His blood as He dies. We see the price offered by the redeemer, touch the scars of His resurrection. He bows His head, as if to kiss you. His heart is made bare open, as it were, in love to you. His arms are extended that He may embrace you. His whole body is displayed for Your redemption. Ponder how great these things are. Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind: as He was once fixed to the Cross in every part of His body for you, so He may now be fixed in every part of your soul!”
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit……Luke 23:45-46
REFLECTION – “He died, but He vanquished death; in Himself He put an end to what we feared; He took it upon Himself and He vanquished it, as a mighty hunter He captured and slew the lion.
Where is death? Seek it in Christ, for it exists no longer; but it did exist and now it is dead.
O life, O death of death! Be of good heart; it will die in us, also. What has taken place in our head will take place in His members; death will die in us also. But when? At the end of the world, at the resurrection of the dead in which we believe and concerning which we do not doubt.”…………….St Augustine (Sermon 233:3-4)
PRAYER – God of love, my prayer is simple: Your son, Jesus, suffered and died for me.
I know only that I cannot have real strength unless I rely on You. I cannot feel protected from my many weaknesses until I turn to You for forgiveness and your unalterable love. Help me to share this strength, protection and love with others. St Fulbert of Chartres you worked your whole life to bring the truth and love of God to all, please pray for us, amen.
Excerpt from the Prayer “You are Christ”
by St Augustine
You are Christ,
my Holy Father,
my Tender God,
my Great King,
my Good Shepherd,
my Only Master,
my Best Helper,
my Most Beautiful and my Beloved,
my Living Bread,
my Priest Forever,
my Leader to my Country,
my True Light,
my Holy Sweetness,
my Straight Way,
my Excellent Wisdom,
my Pure Simplicity,
my Peaceful Harmony,
my Entire Protection,
my Good Portion,
my Everlasting Salvation.
May the live coal of Your Love
grow hot within my spirit
and break forth into a perfect fire;
may it burn incessantly on the altar of my heart;
may it glow in my innermost being;
may it blaze in hidden recesses of my soul;
and in the days of my consummation
may I be found consummated with You!
Amen.
By his ‘will’, we have been sanctified through the suffering of the body of Jesus Christ……….Hebrews 10:10
REFLECTION – “God’s infinite power, His profound wisdom and the reign of His justice were known.
However, the dimensions of His clemency were not yet known. Jesus came as interpreter of the Divinity.”……….St Bernard
PRAYER – Merciful Father, let me not spurn Your clemency which You sent us in Jesus Christ. Grant that Christ’s loving sacrifice may bear fruit in me in accord with Your will for me. St Julie Billiart, you carried your crosses always trusting in the clemency of our God and trusted solely in Christ our companion, please pray for us, amen.
How amazing it is – what one person can accomplish when he works for God alone! We all find ourselves in situations of leadership or influence and the good we can do by our labour and our example knows no bounds. Look around, see the lives you can touch – become a genuine influence and example to others. We have every tool we need AND we have every reason to work for the glory of the Kingdom!
Have just men for your……companions;
in the fear of God be your glory…………Sirach 9:16
REFLECTION – “Seek the association of persons who are good. For if you are the companion of their life, you will also be the companion of their virtue.”…….St Isidore of Seville
PRAYER – God of goodness, help me to be continually in the company of true Christians.
Let me be edified by their virtues and their works and let our association bring us all to heavenly glory. St Isidore of Seville, pray for us, amen.
O merciful God,
grant that I may ever perfectly
do Your Will in all things.
Let it be my ambition to work
only for Your honour and glory.
Give me, O God,
an ever watchful heart
which nothing can ever
lure away from You;
a noble heart,
which no unworthy affection
can draw downwards to the earth;
an upright heart,
which no evil can warp;
an unconquerable heart,
which no tribulation can crush;
a free heart,
which no perverted affection
can claim for its own.
Bestow on me, O God,
understanding to know You,
diligence to seek You,
and wisdom to find You;
a life which may please You,
and a hope which may
embrace You at the last.
Amen
Saint of the Day – 4 April – St Isidore of Seville – Father and Doctor of the Church (560-636) Bishop, Confessor, Father, Doctor, Scholar, Writer, Teacher, Reformer and Evangelist – Patron of newsagents, the internet (not officially appointed), computer programmers and technicians, 2 Diocese, 13 Cities. He was, for over three decades, the Archbishop of Seville. The 19th-century historian Montalembert called him, in an oft-quoted phrase, “The Last Scholar of the Ancient World.” Born in Cartagena of a family that included three other sibling Saints–Leander, Fulgentius and Florentina–he was educated by his elder brother, Leander, whom he succeeded as the Bishop of Seville.
St Isidore of Seville is sometimes called “the schoolmaster of the Middle Ages” because his books and schools helped shape the education and culture of medieval Europe. For ten centuries, Isidore’s voluminous works were among those most quoted by other writers. And his establishment of cathedral schools laid a foundation for the medieval universities and for education in the West.
In 599, Isidore became bishop of Seville and for thirty-seven years led the Spanish church through a period of intense religious development. Isidore also organised representative councils that established the structure and discipline of the church in Spain. At the Council of Toledo in 633 he obtained a decree that required the establishment of a school in every diocese. Reflecting the saint’s broad interests, the schools taught every branch of knowledge, including the liberal arts, medicine, law, Hebrew, and Greek.
Isidore wrote many books, the most famous being the Etymologies, an encyclopedia of grammar, rhetoric, theology, history, medicine, and mathematics. He also wrote a dictionary of synonyms, brief biographies of illustrious men, treatises on theological and philosophical subjects, a history of world events since the creation and a history of the Goths, which is our only source of information about them. Throughout his long life, Isidore lived austerely so that he could give to the poor. But while Isidore had compassion for needy, he thought they were better off than their oppressors, as he explains in this selection:
We ought to sorrow for people who do evil rather than for people who suffer it. The wrongdoing of the first leads them further into evil. The others’ suffering corrects them from evil. Through the evil wills of some, God works much good in others. Some people, resisting the will of God, unwittingly do His purpose. Understand then that so truly are all things subject to God that even those who oppose His law nevertheless fulfil His will.
Evil men are necessary so that through them the good may be scourged when they do wrong…Some simple men, not understanding the dispensation of God, are scandalised by the success of evil men. They say with the prophet: “Why does the way of the wicked prosper?” Those who speak thus should not wonder to see the frail temporal happiness of the wicked. Rather they should consider the final end of evil men and the everlasting torments prepared for them. As the prophet says: “They spend their days in wealth and in a moment they go down to hell.”
Shortly before his death, Isidore had two friends clothe him in sackcloth and rub ashes on his head so that he could come before God as a poor penitent. He died peacefully at Seville in 636.
King Reccared abjures his heresy before St Isidore
In 599, Isidore became bishop of Seville and for thirty-seven years led the Spanish church through a period of intense religious development. Isidore also organised representative councils that established the structure and discipline of the church in Spain. At the Council of Toledo in 633 he obtained a decree that required the establishment of a school in every diocese. Reflecting the saint’s broad interests, the schools taught every branch of knowledge, including the liberal arts, medicine, law, Hebrew, and Greek.
AnaStpaul 
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