Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRAYERS to THE HOLY GHOST, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WATCHING, St PAUL!, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HEART, The HOLY GHOST, The HOLY NAME, The LAMB of GOD, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 17 June – Visiting St Augustine

Quote/s of the Day – 17 June – Ferial Day – Visiting St Augustine

Our hearts were made for Thee, O God
And restless must they be
Until, O God, this grace accord,
Until they rest in Thee
!”

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

He asks for our faith and offers us salvation.
What He offers us, is so precious
that what He asks of us, is as nothing!”

Breathe in Me, O Holy Ghost
By St Augustine (354-420)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Breathe in me, O Holy Ghost,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Ghost,
that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Ghost,
that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Ghost,
to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Ghost,
that I always may be holy.
Amen

Then they tried to seize Him.”
If only they had seized Him!
But by faith and intellect, not so as to mock and put Him to death!
At this very moment, as I speak to you …
all of us, both you and I, are wanting to seize Christ.
To ‘seize’ what does that mean?
You have ‘seized’ when you have understood.
But Christ’s enemies were looking for something different.
You have seized in order to possess
but they wanted to seize Him in order to get rid of Him!
And because, this was how they wanted to seize Him,
what does Jesus do? “He escaped from their power.”
They were unable to seize Him because
they did not have the hands of faith. …
We truly seize Christ, if our minds grasp the Word!

Let Us Hate Our Sins and Love Him
Who Will Exact Punishment for Them.
What then should the Christian do?
He ought to use the world, not become its slave.
And what does this mean?
It means having, as though not having.
… Are we really certain that we love Him?
Or do we love our sins more?
Therefore, let us hate our sins and love Him
Who, will exact punishment for them.
He will come whether we wish it or not.
Do not think that because He is not coming just now,
He will not come at all. He will come,
you know not when and provided He finds you prepared,
your ignorance of the time of His coming,
will not be held against you.”

Watch, O Lord!
With Those Who Wake,
or Watch, or Weep Tonight
By St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

Watch, O Lord,
with those who wake,
or watch,
or weep tonight
and give Thy Angels and Saints,
charge over those who sleep.
Tend Thy sick ones, O Lord Christ.
Rest Thy weary ones.
Bless Thy dying ones.
Soothe Thy suffering ones.
Pity Thy afflicted ones.
Shield Thy joyous ones.
And all, for Thine Love’s sake.
Amen

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

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, JESUIT SJ, PATRONAGE - OF CHASTITY, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 16 June – Fishers of men and St John Francis Régis

Quote/s of the Day – 16 June – St John Francis Régis SJ (1597-1640) Priest, Confessor, Missionary –The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
– Romans 8:18-23; Luke 5:1-11 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

St John Francis Regis Quotes HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/16/quote-s-of-the-day-16-june-st-john-francis-regis-sj-1597-1640/

I shall reflect the image of God
in that I feed on love;
grow certain on faith and hope;
strengthen myself, on the virtue of patience;
grow tranquil by humility;
grow beautiful by chastity;
am sober by abstention;
am made happy by tranquillity
and am ready for death,
by practising hospitality.

ACW – Ancient Christian Writer
Incomplete Work on Matthew
(Homily 40)

O my Lord, what a price Thou paid
to ransom my useless service! …
What a way Thou has, full of love,
of gentleness and of kindness,
to win back and submit this rebellious servant,
by triumphing over evil through good,
by confounding my pride with Thy humility,
by filling this ungrateful person,
with Thy kindness!
This! This is howThy Wisdom triumphed!

Blessed Guerric of Igny (c1080-1157)
Cistercian Abbot

Fear not, henceforth you shall catch men.
Luke 5:10

At Thy Word I will lower the nets.”
It is at the command of divine grace
and supernatural inspiration that the nets
of preaching are to be spread out.
Otherwise, the preacher wastes his time in lowering
the lines of his words.
People’s faith is won, not by carefully composed speeches
but the grace of a divine vocation…
O fruitful humility!
When those who so far have not caught a thing,
put their trust in Christ’s Word,
they catch a great number of fish…”

St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Doctor of the Church

Humility and charity
are the two master chords –
one, the lowest;
the other, the highest;
all the others are dependent on them.
Therefore, it is necessary, above all.
to maintain ourselves in these two virtues,
for observe well,
that the preservation of the whole edifice
depends on the foundation and the roof!

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

Posted in CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on SPIRITUAL WORKS of MERCY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 16 June – Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men. – Luke 5:10

One Minute Reflection – 16 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – St John Francis Régis SJ (1597-1640) Priest, Confessor, Missionary –The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
– Romans 8:18-23; Luke 5:1-11 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

And Jesus saith to Simon: Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men. – Luke 5:10

REFLECTION – “On that night of light [ Christmas, at fourteen years of age] began the third period of my life, the most beautiful and the most filled with graces from Heaven … I could say to Him like His Apostles: “Master, I fished all night and caught nothing.” More merciful to me than He was to His disciples, Jesus took the net Himself, cast it, and drew it in filled with fish. He made me a fisher of souls. I experienced a great desire to work for the conversion of sinners. The cry of Jesus on the Cross sounded continually in my heart: “I thirst!” These words ignited within me an unknown and very living fire. I wanted to give my Beloved to drink and I felt myself consumed with a thirst for souls …

To awaken my zeal, God showed me my desires were pleasing to Him. I heard talk of a great criminal just condemned to death for some horrible crimes; everything pointed to the fact that he would die impenitent. I wanted, at all cost,s to prevent him from falling into hell… I felt, in the depths of my heart, certain that our desires would be granted but to obtain courage to pray for sinners I told God I was sure He would pardon the poor, unfortunate Pranzini; that I’d believe this, even if he went to his death without any signs of repentance or without having gone to Confession. I was absolutely confident in the mercy of Jesus. But, I was begging Him for a “sign” of repentance, only for my own simple consolation. My prayer was answered to the letter! …

After this unique grace, my desire to save souls grows each day and I seemed to hear Jesus say that which He said to the Samaritan woman: “Give me to drink!” It was a true interchange of love – to souls, I was giving the Blood of Jesus – to Jesus, I was giving these same souls, refreshed by the Divine Dew. I slaked His Thirst and the more I gave Him to drink, the more the thirst of my poor, little soul increased and it was this ardent thirst, He was giving me as the most delightful drink of His Love.” – St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873-1897) Carmelite (Autobiographical Manuscript).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servant, that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, Thy Saints, remembering Thy Confessor John Francis Regis, may be delivered from present sadness, and enter into the joy of thine eternal. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

MAY the Heart of JESUS in the most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the Tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. – Indulgence 100 Days, Once a Day. Raccolta 161 Blessed Pius IX, 29 February 1868.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, INDULGENCES, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The WILL of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 16 June – O Jesus, Mary’s Son!

Our Morning Offering – 16 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

O Good Jesus, Make Me
Live in Thee and for Thee
By Pope Benedict XV (1854-1922)

O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!
O fount of every good!
I adore Thee, I love Thee
and sincerely repenting of my sins
I present to Thee my poor heart.
Give it back to me
humble, patient,
pure and in everything,
conformed to Thy wishes.
Make me, O good Jesus,
live in Thee and for Thee.
Protect me in dangers,
comfort me in afflictions,
grant me health of body,
succour in my temporal needs,
Thy blessing in all my works
and the grace of a holy death.
Amen

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATHOLIC Quotes, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN Saturdays, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, St Alphonsus de Liguori,

Quote/s of the Day – 15 June – Our Lady’s Saturday

Quote/s of the Day – 15 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Our Lady’s Saturday

No matter how sinful
one may have been,
if he has devotion to Mary,
it is impossible that he be lost.

St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368)
Father & Doctor of the Church

O, that the soul of Mary were in us,
to glorify the Lord!
That the spirit of Mary were in us,
to rejoice in God.
May the life of Blessed Mary
be ever present to our awareness.
In her, as in a mirror,
the form of virtue
and beauty of chastity, shine forth.
She was Virgin, not only in body
but in mind and spirit.
She never sullied the pure affection of her heart
by unworthy feelings.
She was humble of heart.
She was serious in her conversations.
She was prudent in her counsels.
She preferred to pray rather than to speak.
She united in her heart the prayers of the poor,
and avoided the uncertainty of worldly riches.
She was ever faithful to her daily duties,
reserved in her conversations
and always accustomed to recognise God
as the witness of her thoughts.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus!

(On Virginity II 2.7)

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“ … For His brothers
His relatives according to the flesh
who did not
believe in Him,
of what advantage was that relationship?
… Even her maternal relationship
would have done Mary no good,
unless she had borne Christ
more happily in her heart,
than in her flesh.

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

It is an axiom in Theology
that when a person is chosen by God
for any state, he receives,
not only the dispositions necessary for it
but, even the gifts which he needs
to sustain that state with decorum.”
(Speaking on the subject of the
Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God).

St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

No-one who shall invoke
this Mother of Grace,
with devotion and perseverance,
can possibly perish forever.

St John Eudes (1601-1680)
“The Apostle of Two Hearts”

Look Down, O Mother Mary!
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Transl, Fr Edmund Vaughan, CSSR in 1863

Look down, O Mother Mary!
From thy bright throne above;
Cast down upon thy children
One only glance of love.

And if a heart so tender
With pity flows not o’er,
Then turn away, O Mother!
And look on us no more.

See how, ungrateful sinners,
We stand before thy Son;
His loving Heart upbraids us
The evil we have done.

But if thou wilt appease Him,
Speak for us—but one word;
Thou only canst obtain as
The pardon of our Lord.

O Mary, dearest Mother!
If thou wouldst have us live,
Say that we are thy children,
And Jesus will forgive.

Our sins make us unworthy
That title still to bear
But thou art still our Mother,
Then show a Mother’s care.

Open to us thy mantle,
There stay we without fear,
What evil can befall us
If, Mother, thou art near?

O sweetest, dearest Mother!
Thy sinful children save;
Look down on us with pity,
Who thy protection crave.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 14 June – St Basil the Great

Quote/s of the Day – 14 June – St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church.

Let listening to worldly news
be BITTER FOOD for you
and let the words of
Saintly men
be as combs
filled with honey.

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

A tree is known by its fruit,
a man by his deeds.
A good deed is never lost,
he who sows courtesy,
reaps friendship
and he who plants kindness,
gathers love.

Be constant in secret prayers
which God, Who indeed sees in secret,
rewards in the open.
Hold fast to this exercise
of a most excellent way of life.
that you may find hidden treasure
in the day of need.

Lord, I Know that I Am Not Worthy
Prayer before Holy Communion
By St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Lord, I know that I am not worthy
to receive Thy Holy Body and Precious Blood;
I know that I am guilty
and that I eat and drink
condemnation to myself,
not discerning the Body and Blood
of Christ, my God.
But trusting in Thy loving kindness,
I come to Thee, Who hast said –
Whoever eats My Body and drinks My Blood,
will dwell in Me and I in him
’;
Therefore, Lord, have compassion on me
and do not put to shame Thy sinful servant
But deal with me according to Thy great mercy
And grant that these Holy Gifts,
may be for me,
healing, cleansing, enlightenment,
protection, salvation and sanctification
of soul and body.
May they cast out from me
every dark delusion,
sinful deed or work of the evil one.
May they move me to trust
and love Thee always,
to amendment of life,
increase of virtue,
obedience to Thy commandments,
communion of the Holy Spirit,
provision for my final journey
and a good defence before the dreadful
seat of judgement.
Amen.

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/06/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-june-st-basil-the-great-2/

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

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on SIN, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 June – ‘… This is the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price …’

One Minute Reflection – 14 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” and the Octave Day of the Sacred Heart – Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19, John 19:31-37 – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“… One of the soldiers opened His side with a lance and immediately there came forth blood and water. ” – John 19:34

REFLECTION – “Let us draw near to the Heart of our most sweet Lord Jesus and we shall be glad and rejoice in it. How good and how sweet it is to dwell in this Heart! This is the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price which we discover, O Jesus, when we dig in the field of Thy Body (cf Mt 13:44). Who, then, would cast aside this Pearl? Far from it! For It, I will give away all my goods and offer in exchange, all my concerns and affections. I will lay down all my cares in the Heart of Jesus, it is He Who will suffice for me and Who will, without fail, supply all I need to live on!

It is within this temple, this Holy of holies, this Ark of the Covenant, that I shall come to offer worship and praise to the Lord’s Name. “I have found a heart with which to pray to my God” said David (1 Ch 17:25). And I too have found the Heart of my Lord and King, my Brother and Friend. Shall I not pray to Him, then? Indeed I shall pray, for, I dare to say it – His Heart is all mine…

O Jesus, deign to receive and answer my prayer. Draw me wholly into Thine Heart. Although the deformity of my sins prevents me from entering in, yet, Thou can receive and purify me from my impurities since, through an incomprehensible Love, this Heart has expanded and opened wide. O most pure Jesus, wash me from my iniquities so that, purified by Thee, I may dwell in Thy Heart all the days of my life, to see and do Thy will. If Thine Side has been pierced, then it is so that our entrance there should be opened. If Thine Heart has been wounded, then it is so that, sheltered from outward distress, we can make our home within it. And, too, it is so that in this visible wound, we might see the invisible wound of Love.” – [Attrib] St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Franciscan, Doctor of the Church (editations on the Lord’s Passion 3).

PRAYER – We beseech Thee, O Lord, hear our prayers which we offer on the festival of blessed Basil, Thy Confessor and Bishop and through his intercessory merits, who had the grace to serve Thee worthily, absolve us from all our sins. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

MAY the Heart of JESUS in the most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the Tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. – Indulgence 100 Days, Once a Day. Raccolta 161 Pius IX, 29 February 1868.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN TITLES, NAPLES, SAINT of the DAY

The Octave Day of the Sacred Heart, Notre-Dame de la Treille / Our Lady of the Trellis, France (1234), St Basil the Great and the Saints for 14 June

The Octave Day of the Sacred Heart

Notre-Dame de la Treille / Our Lady of the Trellis, Lille, Nord, Flandres, France (1234) – 14 June:
HERE:

https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/14/notre-dame-de-la-treille-our-lady-of-the-trellis-lille-nord-flandres-france-1234-and-memorials-of-the-saints-14-june/

St Anastasius of Córdoba
St Burchard of Meissen
St Caomhán of Inisheer
St Castora Gabrielli
St Cearan the Devout
Bl Constance de Castro
St Cyprien
St Cyriacus of Zeganea
St Davnet
St Digna of Córdoba
St Dogmael of Wales
St Elgar of Bardsey

St Etherius of Vienne
St Felix of Córdoba
St Fortunatus of Naples (4th Century) Bishop Confessor
St Gerold of Evreux
Bl Hartwig of Salzburg
St Joseph the Hymnographer

St Mark of Lucera

St Nennus of Arran
Bl Peter de Bustamante
St Protus of Aquileia
St Quintian
St Richard of Saint Vannes

St Theopista

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY GHOST, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WORD

Quote/s (and Prayers) of the Day – 13 June – St Anthony of Padua

Quote/s (and Prayers) of the Day – 13 June – St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Cpmfessor, Evangelical Doctor of the Church

But the Apostles
“spoke as the Spirit gave them
the gift of speech.”
Happy the man whose words issue
from the Holy Ghost
and not from himself!

At Thy Word I will lower the nets.”
Whenever I lowered them on my own,
I wanted to keep what belongs to Thee for myself.
It was myself I was preaching
and not Thee; my words, not Thine.
That is why I caught nothing.
Or, if I did catch something,
it was not fish but frogs,
only good for croaking my own praise! …

Do you wish to have God
always in your mind?
Be just as He made you to be.
Do not go seeking another “you.”
Do not make yourself otherwise
than He made you.
Then you will always have God in mind.

O Father, in Thy Truth
(that is to say, in Thy Son,
humbled, needy and homeless)
Thou haste humbled me.
He was humbled in the womb of the Virgin,
needy in the manger of the sheep
and homeless on the wood of the Cross.
Nothing so humbles the proud sinner
as the humility of Jesus Christ’s humanity!

The Arm of the Lord is Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
through Whom and in Whom God created all things …
O Arm of the Lord, O Son of God, awake!
Come to us from the Father’s glory, assuming our flesh.
Clothe Thyself with the strength of Divinity
to do battle against the “prince of this world” (Jn 12:31)
and “to cast out the strong one”
Thou Who are “stronger than he” (Lk 11:21-22).
Awake to redeem humankind as in days of old,
Thou delivered the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt …
Thou dried up the Red Sea – what Thou did then
Thou will do again … as Thou made the way in the depths
of hell for the redeemed to pass through (Is 25:8).

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/06/13/quote-s-of-the-day-13-june-prayer-to-st-anthony-for-the-restoration-of-things-lost-or-stolen-and-prayers-by-st-anthony/

St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Evangelical Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, Quotes on SALVATION, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 June – ‘ …  I Am your Light, your Salvation and your King. …’

One Minute Reflection – 13 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Cpmfessor, Evangelical Doctor of the Church – Timothy 4:1-8; Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

I am not come to destroy but to fulfil.” – Matthew 5:17

REFLECTION – “The sacrifice of the lamb, the Passover rite and the letter of the Law have reached their term in Jesus Christ, in view of Whom, everything in the ancient Law took place – and, even more so, in the new dispensation. For the Law became the Word; from being old it became new … the commandments have been transformed into grace and the foreshadowing into Truth; the lamb has become the Son, the sheep has become man and man has become God. …

God, although He was the Lord, put on our humanity; He suffered for him, who was suffering, was bound for him, who was captive, was judged for the guilty, was buried for him, who was buried. He was raised from the dead and cried out in a loud voice: “If anyone wishes to oppose Me, let us appear together” (Is 50:8). It is I Who delivered the condemned man; I Who restored life to the dead; I Who raised up those in the grave. “Who disputes My right?” It is I, He says, I Who am the Christ, I Who destroyed death, Who triumphed over the enemy, Who bound the mighty enemy and carried off man to the heights of heaven; it is I, He says, Who am the Christ.

Come along then, every human family, full of sin as you are and receive the forgiveness of your sins. For I Myself Am your forgiveness, I am the Passover of salvation, the Lamb slain for your sakes, your Redemption, Life and Resurrection; I am your Light, your Salvation and your King. It is I Who lead you to the heights of Heaven, I Who will raise you up; it is I Who will bring you to see the Father Who is from all eternity; it is I Who will raise you up by My all-powerful Hand.” – St Melito of Sardis (Died c180) Bishop of Sardis in Smyrna and Father of the Church [Paschal Homily (Passim)]

PRAYER – May the solemn feast of blessed Anthony, Thy Confessor and Doctor, make Thy Church rejoice, O God, so that, ever sustained by spiritual help, she may deserve to reap everlasting joy. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Sweet Heart of my JESUS, make me love Thee ever more and more! 300 Days Once a Day. ii. Plenary, Once a month. Raccolta – 162. Blessed Pope Pius IX, 26 November 1876.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, franciscan OFM, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thursday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart and The Feast of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, 13 June 1917 – The Second Apparition of our Lady of Fatima, Madonna della Cava/ Our Lady of the Cave, Italy, St Anthony of Padua and the Saints for 13 June

Thursday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart and
The Feast of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus

https://anastpaul.com/2023/06/22/21-june-feast-of-the-eucharistic-heart-of-jesus-thursday-within-the-octave-of-the-sacred-heart/

Bl Achilleo of Alexandria
Bl Alfonso Gomez de Encinas
Bl Anthony of Ilbenstadt

St Aquilina of Syria (281–293) Virgin Martyr

St Aventino of Arbusto
St Damhnade
St Diodorus of Emesa

St Fandilas of Penamelaria
St Felicula of Rome
St Fortunatus of North Africa

St Lucian of North Africa
St Mac Nissi of Clonmacno
St Maximus of Cravagliana
St Nicolas Bùi Ðuc The
St Peregrinus of Amiterno
St Rambert
St Salmodio
Bl Servatius Scharff
St Thecla

St Victorinus of Assisi

Posted in CARMELITES, CATHOLIC Quotes, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WATCHING, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 June – ‘ … Shake the deep sleep from our eyes … and watch carefully’

Quote/s of the Day – 12 June – Ecclesiasticus i 31:8-11; Luke 12:35-40– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org

“Let your loins be girt about
and your lamps burning …

Luke 12:35

So that our minds might be free of these illusions,
the Word invites us to shake this deep sleep
from the eyes of our soul, so that we might not slip away
from the true realities, by becoming attached
to that which has no consistency.
That is why He suggests that we be watchful when He says:
“Let your loins be girt about and your lamps burning …” (Lk 12:35)
For when the light shines before our eyes,
it chases sleep away and, when our loins are held tight by a belt,
they prevent the body from succumbing to it…
The person who has fastened on the belt of temperance
lives in the light of a pure conscience;
the trust of a child illuminates his life like a lamp…
If we live in this way, we will enter a life like that of the Angels!

St Gregory of Nyssa (c335–c395)
Father of the Church
(Brother of St Basil the Great)

The fire of the Lord is Light Eternal;
the lamps of believers are lit at this fire:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps,”
(Lk 12:35).
It is because the days of our life
are still night that a lamp is necessary.
This is the fire which,
according to the testimony
of the disciples at Emmaus,
the Lord Himself set within them:
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while He spoke to us on the way
and opened the scriptures to us?” (Lk 24:32).
He gives us evident proof of this fire’s action,
enlightening man’s inmost heart.
That is why the Lord will come in fire (Is 66,15)
so as to devour our faults at the resurrection,
fulfil each one’s desires with His Presence
and cast His Light over their merits and mysteries.

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

It is time now for us to rise from sleep!

St Benedict (c 480-547)

Hope, O my soul, hope!
You know neither the day, nor the hour.
Watch carefully, for everything passes quickly,
even though your impatience, makes doubtful,
what is certain and turns
a very short time, into a long one.

St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, I BELIEVE!, Lady POVERTY, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, OUR Cross, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on POVERTY, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SELF-DISTRUST, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

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

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

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

Matthew – 10:16

Go into the whole world
and preach the Gospel
to every creature.

Mark 16:15

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

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

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

St Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226)

(Earlier Rule, #8-9).

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

St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)

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

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

The Imitation of Christ Chapter 56

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the POOR, The HEART, The WORD

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

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

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

Matthew 13:46

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

Matthew 6:19-20

Sell what you possess and give alms.
Make for yourselves purses which do not grow old,
a treasure unfailing in Heaven,
where neither thief draws near,
nor moth destroys.

Luke 12:33

For the man who loves God,
it is sufficient to please the One he loves
and, there is no greater recompense to be sought,
than the loving itself.
For love is from God, by the very fact
that God Himself is love.
The good and chaste soul
is so happy to be filled with Him
that it desires to take delight in nothing else.
For what the Lord says is very true:
‘Where your treasure is,
there also will your heart be.’

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

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

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

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, Lady POVERTY, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on POVERTY, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 June – The pearl of great price

One Minute Reflection – 10 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Within the Octave of the Sacred Heart – St Margaret of Scotland (1045-1093) Widow – Proverbs 31:10-31; Matthew 13,44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, … sold all that he had and bought it.” – Matthew 13:46

REFLECTION – “Among the gifts of grace which Francis received from God the generous Giver, he merited, as a special privilege, to grow in the riches of simplicity through his love of the highest poverty. The holy man saw that poverty was the close companion of the Son of God and now that it was rejected by the whole world, he was eager to espouse it in everlasting love. For the sake of poverty, he not only left his father and mother but also gave away everything he had. No -one was so greedy for gold, as he was for poverty; nor was anyone so anxious, to guard his treasure, as he was in guarding this pearl of the Gospel.

In this, especially, would his sight be offended, if he saw in the friars, anything which did not accord completely with poverty. Indeed, from the beginning of his religious life until his death, his only riches were a tunic, a cord and underclothes and, with this much, he was content. He used to frequently call to mind with tears the poverty of Jesus Christ and his mother, claiming that it was the queen of the virtues because, it shone forth so preeminently in the King of kings (1Tm 6:15) and in the Queen, His Mother.

When the Friars asked him at a gathering what virtue does more to make one a friend of Christ, he replied as if opening the hidden depths of his heart: “Know, brothers, that poverty is the special way to salvation, as the stimulus of humility and the root of perfection, whose fruit is manifold but hidden. This is the Gospel’s treasure “hidden in a field” (Mt 13:44); to buy this, we should sell everything and, in comparison to this, we should spurn everything we cannot sell.” – St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Franciscan, Doctor of the Church (Life of Saint Francis).

PRAYER – O God, Who made blessed Queen Margaret glorious by her remarkable charity toward the poor; grant, by her intercession and example that Thy charity may continually increase in our hearts. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

ALL PRAISE, honour and glory to the Divine Heart of JESUS. Indulgenced– 50 Days, once a day. 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOCTRINE, DOGMA, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUEENSHIP of MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 8 June – The Queenship of Mary

Quote/s of the Day – 8 June – The Queenship of Mary

She is the eldest daughter of the Great King.
If you enjoy her favour,
she will introduce you
to the Monarch of the Universe.
No-one has so great an interest with Him than Mary,
who was the occasion of His coming down from Heaven
to become man, for the redemption of mankind.

St John the Merciful (c 552-c 616)

And as Queen,
she possesses, by right,
the whole Kingdom of her Son
.”

Rupert of Deutz OSB (c 1075- c 1130)
Benedictine Abbot

The Angels rejoiced to see their Queen,
the Apostles rejoiced to see their lady
and both obeyed her, with loving devotion.
… Therefore, when the Virgin of virgins
was led forth by God and her Son,
the King of kings. amid the company of exulting Angels
and rejoicing Archangels,
with the Heavens ringing with praise,
the prophecy of the psalmist was fulfilled,
in which he said to the Lord:
At your right hand stands the Queen,
clothed in gold of Ophir.

St Amadeus of Lausanne O.Cist (1108-1159)

So Mary is a Queen.
And, for our consolation,
we ought to remember
that she is a most tender and kind Queen,
eager to help us in our miseries.
So much so, that the Church wants us
to call her in this prayer, a Queen of Mercy.
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy!

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-17

O Queen of Angels and of Saints,
my most powerful and most loving Mother,
have pity on me, for I am surrounded
by such great perils and need so much
to advance in virtue.
Although I am weak and weary,
I desire ardently to imitate
the shining example of thy holidness.
Obtain for me, from thy Divine Son,
the grace to imitate thee,
as far as I am able on earth,
so that one day I may share thy happiness
in the Presence of God for all eternity.
Amen.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HOLY COMMUNION, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PARTIAL Indulgence, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, Quotes on SALVATION, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The INCARNATION, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 June – Could anything be of more intrinsic value? St Thomas Aquinas

One Minute Reflection – 6 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” –St Norbert O. Praem. (c 1080-1134) Bishop, Confessor, Founder of the Premonstratensians –The Octave Day of Corpus Christi – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

He who eats this Bread shall live forever.” – John 6:59

REFLECTION – “Since it was the Will of God’s Only-Begotten Son that men should share in His Divinity, He assumed our nature in order that, by becoming Man. He might make men gods . Moreover, when He took our flesh. He dedicated the whole of its substance to our salvation. He offered His Body to God the Father, on the Altar of the Cross, as a sacrifice for our reconciliation. He shed His Blood for our ransom and purification, so that we might be redeemed, from our wretched state of bondage and cleansed from all sin. But to ensure that the memory of so great a gift would abide with us forever, He left His Body as food and His Blood as drink, for the faithful to consume in the form of bread and wine.

O precious and wonderful banquet which brings us salvation and contains all sweetness! Could anything be of more intrinsic value? Under the old law, it was the flesh of calves and goats, which was offered but here, Christ Himself, the True God, is set before us as our food! What could be more wonderful than this? No other Sacrament has greater healing power; through it, sins are purged away, virtues are increased and the soul is enriched with an abundance of every spiritual gift. It is offered in the Church for the living and the dead, so that what was instituted for the salvation of all, may be for the benefit of all. Yet, in the end, no-one can fully express the sweetness of this Sacrament, in which spiritual delight is tasted at its very source, and in which, we renew the memory, of that surpassing love for us, which Christ revealed in His Passion.

It was to impress the vastness of this Love, more firmly upon the hearts of the faithful, that our Lord instituted this Sacrament at the Last Supper. As He was on the point of leaving the world to go to the Father, after celebrating the Passover with His disciples, He left it as a perpetual memorial of His Passion. It was the fulfilment of ancient figures and the greatest of all His Miracles, while, for those who were to experience the sorrow of His departure, it was destined to be a unique and abiding consolation.” – St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Dominican Priest and Theologian, Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from On the Feast of the Body of Christ).

PRAYER – To God, Who made blessed Norbert, Thy Confessor and Bishop, a brilliant preacher of Thy Word and through him, enriched Thy Church with a new religious family, grant, we beseech Thee, that by his prayerful intercession and Thy help, we may be able to do what he has taught us by his words and deeds. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

O HEART of love, I place all my trust in Thee; for though I fear all things from my weakness, I hope all things from Thy mercies. – Ejaculation of Saint Margaret Mary – Indulgence 300 Days, Everytime – Raccolta 180 St Pius X, 3 June 1908.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PARTIAL Indulgence, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 June – ‘… With Him, we form a Unity, which is in God! …’

One Minute Reflection – 5 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – St Boniface (672-754) Martyr “The Apostle of Germany,” Confessor, Bishop – Within the Corpus Christu Octave – – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

As the living Father has sent Me and as I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me.” – John 6:58

REFLECTION – “We believe that the Word became Flesh and that we receive His Flesh in the Lord’s Supper. How then can we fail to believe, that He really dwells within us? When He became Man, He actually clothed Himself in our flesh, uniting it to Himself forever. In the Sacrament of His Body, He actually gives us His own Flesh, which He has united to His Divinity. This is why we are all one because the Father is in Christ and Christ is in us. He is in us through His Flesh and we are in Him. With Him, we form a Unity, which is in God.

The manner of our indwelling in Him through the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, is evident from the Lord’s own Words: This world will see Me no longer but you shall see Me. Because I live ,you shall live also, for I am in My Father, you are in Me and I am in you. If it had been a question of mere unity of will, why should He have given us this explanation of the steps, by which it is achieved? He is in the Father by reason of His Divine Nature, we are in Him by reason of His Human Birth and He is in us, through the Mystery of the Sacraments. This, surely, is what He wished us to believe; this is how He wanted us to understand the perfect Unity that is achieved through our Mediator, Who lives in the Father, while we live in Him and Who,, while living in the Father, lives also in us. This is how we attain to Unity with the Father. Christ is in very truth in the Father by His Eternal Generation; we are in very truth, in Christ and He likewise is in us.

Christ Himself bore witness to the reality of His Unity, when He said: He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood, lives in Me and I in him. No-one will be in Christ, unless Christ Himself has been in him; Christ will take to Himself only the Flesh of those who have received His Flesh.

He had already explained the Mystery of this perfect Unity, when He said: As the living Father sent Me and I draw life from the Father, so he who eats My Flesh will draw life from Me. We draw life from His Flesh, just as He draws life from the Father. Such comparisons aid our understanding, since we can grasp a point more easily, when we have an analogy. And the point is that Christ is the well-spring of our life. Since we, who are in the flesh, have Christ dwelling in us through His Flesh, we shall draw life from Him in the same way, in which He draws life from the Father.” – St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Bishop of Poitiers , Father and Doctor of the Divinity of Christ (An excerpt from his On the Trinity).

PRAYER – O God, Who, through the zeal of blessed Boniface, Thy Martyr and Bishop, graciously called a multitude of people to the knowledge of Thine Name, mercifully grant that we, who keep his feast, may also enjoy his patronage.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

HEART of JESUS burning with love of us, inflame our hearts with love of Thee. 100 Days, once a day. (See Instructions. – Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) [169 Raccolta or Collection of Indulgences, 1910] Pope Leo XIII, 16 July 1893.

Posted in CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, HOLY COMMUNION, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on LOVE, St Francis de Sales, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The RESURRECTION

Quote/s of the Day – 3 June – The Holy Eucharist is …

Quote/s of the Day – 3 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” –

The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love.
It signifies Love,
It produces love.
The Eucharist is the consummation
of the whole spiritual life.

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor angelicus/Doctor communis

The Holy Eucharist
is the perfect Communion of Saints,
for it is the food common to Angels
and sainted souls in Paradise
and ourselves – it is the true Bread
of which all Christians participate.
The forgiveness of sins,
the Author of forgiveness being there, is confirmed;
the seed of our resurrection sown,
life everlasting bestowed. …
This very belief in the Most Holy Sacrament,
which, in truth, reality and substance,
contains the true and natural
Body of Our Lord,
is actually the abridgment of our Faith,
according to that of the Psalmist:
“He had made a memory of His wonderful works.

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in "Follow Me", ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY COMMUNION, INDULGENCES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on WISDOM, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 June – Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city …’ Luke 14:21

One Minute Reflection – 2 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – The Solemnity of Corpus Christi The Second Sunday after Pentecost – 1 John 3:13-18; Luke 14:16-24.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

The servant went and reported this to his Master. Then the Master of the house was angry and commanded His servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and bring in here, the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame…” – Luke 14:21

REFLECTION – “He turned to the Gentiles from the careless scorn of the rich. He invites both good and evil to enter, in order to strengthen the good and change the disposition of the wicked for the better. The saying that was read today is fulfilled, “Then wolves and lambs will feed together.” He summons the poor, the maimed and the blind. By this, He shows us, either that handicaps do not exclude us from the Kingdom of Heaven that the Lord’s mercy forgives the weakness of sinners. Whoever glories in the Lord, glories as one redeemed from reproach, not by works but by faith.

He sends them into the highways because Wisdom sings aloud in passages. He sends them to the streets because He sent them to sinners, so that they should come from the broad paths, to the narrow way which leads to life. He sends them to the highways and hedges . They, who are not busied with any desires for present things, hurry to the future on the path of goodwill. Like a hedge, which separates the wild from the cultivated and wards off the attacks of wild beasts, they can distinguish between good and evil and extend a rampart of faith against the temptations of spiritual wickedness.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church (Exposition on the Gospel of Luke, 7).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who in this wondrous sacrament have left us a memorial of Thy Passion, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to venerate the Sacred Mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, that we may ever experience, within us, the effect of Thy Redemption. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
EUCHARISTIC Heart of JESUS, model of the priestly heart, have mercy on us.
COR JESU Eucharisticum, cordis sacerdotalis exemplar, miserere nobis. – Indulgence 300 Days, Everytime – Raccolta 177 St Pius X, 11 September 1907.

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, EUCHARISTIC, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HOLY COMMUNION, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 2 June – Lauda Sion Salvatorem

Our Morning Offering – 2 June – The Solemnity of Corpus Christ, The Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ

Lauda Sion Salvatorem
Sion, Lift Up thy Voice and Sing

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

Sion, lift thy voice and sing,
Praise thy Saviour and thy King,
Praise with hymns thy Shepherd true,
Dare thy most to praise Him well,
For He doth all praise excel,
None can ever reach His due.

Special theme of praise is Thine,
That true living Bread divine,
That life-giving flesh adored,
Which the brethren twelve received,
As most faithfully believed,
At the Supper of the Lord.

Let the chant be loud and high,
Sweet and tranquil be the joy
Felt to-day in every breast;
On this festival divine
Which recounts the origin
Of the glorious Eucharist.

St Thomas Aquinas wrote the Liturgy for Corpus Christi when Pope Urban IV added the Solemnity to the universal Church’s Liturgical calendar in 1264. He provided a great sequence, one of the great poems chanted or recited before the proclamation of the Gospel.
Lauda Sion is one of only four medieval sequences which were preserved in the Roman Missal published in 1570 following the Council of Trent (1545–1563)—the others being Victimae Paschali Laudes (Easter), Veni Sancte Spiritus (Pentecost) and Dies irae (requiem masses).
(A fifth, Stabat Mater, would later be added in 1727.)
Before Trent, many feasts had their own sequences. The existing versions were unified in the Roman Missal promulgated in 1570.
The Lauda Sion is still sung today as solemn Eucharistic hymn, though its use is optional in the post-Vatican II Ordinary form.
As with St Thomas’s other three Eucharistic Hymns, the last few stanzas of the Lauda Sion are often used alone, in this case, to form the “Ecce Panis Angelorum”.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, HOLY COMMUNION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 31 May – Corpus Christi

Quote/s of the Day – 31 May – Within the Octave of Corpus Christi

He who eats My Flesh
and drinks My Blood,
abides in Me and I in him.

John 6:57

The Saviour has instituted
the most glorious Sacrament
of the Eucharist,
which truly contains His Body and His Blood,
so that, whoever eats it will live forever.
Therefore, those who receive it frequently,
with devotion, strengthen their spiritual life
and well-being, to such an extent,
that it is almost impossible for them
to be poisoned by any kind of evil attachment.

(Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, Chapter 20)

I often speak with my Teacher, Jesus,
in the Blessed Sacrament
because I learn from Him.
Jesus is the Teacher of the science of holiness.
I go to Him because I would like to learn,
from Him, how to become a Saint.
Of what use to me is all knowledge
and education, if I do not become holy?

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

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the JUDGE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HOLY COMMUNION, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on JUSTICE, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY NAME, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 31 May – Christ has hidden enemies.

One Minute Reflection – 31 May – Within the Octave of Corpus Christi – Mamorial of St Petronilla of Rome (1st Century) Virgin Martyr – 1 Corinthians 23-29; John 6:56-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ … For he who eats and drinks unworthily, … eats and drinks judgement upon himself.”- 1 Corinthians 29

REFLECTION – “Christ has hidden enemies. All those who live unjust and irreligious lives are Christ’s enemies, even if they are signed with His Name and are called ‘Christians’ – I mean the ones to whom he is going to say, “I do not know you and they say to Him, “Lord, in Thy Name we ate and drank. In Thy Name, we performed many deeds of power. What did we eat and drink in Thy Name?”

You see that they did not value their food very highly and yet, it was with reference to It that they said they belonged to Christ. Christ is the Food that is eaten and drunk. Even Christ’s enemies eat and drink Him! The faithful know the Lamb without spot on which they feed, if only they fed on It in such a way that they are not liable to punishment! The Apostle says, “Whoever eats and drinks unworthily, is eating and drinking judgement upon himself.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 308).

PRAYER – Graciously hear us, O God our Saviour, that as we rejoice in the festival of blessed Petronilla, Thy Virgin, so may we be nourished by the food of her heavenly teaching that we may be enlightened by the fervour of her dedicated holiness.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 31 May – My Most Sorrowful LadyBy St Anselm (

Our Morning Offering – 31 May – “The Month of the Most Blessed Virgin Mother” and as it is Friday, we remember the Passion of Our Lord

My Most Sorrowful Lady
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Marian Doctor
Magnificent Doctor

My most sorrowful Lady,
what can I say about the fountains,
that flowed from your most pure eyes,
when you saw your only Son before you,
bound, beaten and suffering?
What do I know of the flood,
that drenched your matchless face,
when you beheld your Son,
your Lord and your God,
stretched on the Cross without guilt,
when the flesh of your flesh,
was cruelly butchered by wicked me?
How can I judge
what sobs troubled your most pure breast
when you heard,
Woman, behold your son,”
and the disciple,
Behold, your Mother,”
when you received, as a son,
the disciple, in place of the Master,
the servant, for the Lord?
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, EUCHARISTIC, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HOLY COMMUNION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Quote/s of the Day – 30 May – The Solemnity of Corpus Christi

Quote/s of the Day – 30 May – The Solemnity of Corpus Christi, The Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Receive the Body and Blood of Christ
very frequently. The sight of a Christian’s lips
red with the Blood of Christ terrifies the enemy.
He immediately recognises the sign of his own ruin.
He cannot stand the Instrument of Divine Victory,
by which he was taken captive and cast down.

St Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Doctor of the Church

Everything in us which is strong, steadfast,
firm, happy and joyful to carry out God’s commands,
bear with misfortune, act obediently, stand up for justice –
all these things come from this Bread’s strength,
this Wine’s gladness.
Happy are they whose deeds are strong and joyful!
And since no-one can do it of themselves,
happy are they who have an eager desire
to cleave to what is just and right
and to be strengthened in everything
and rejoice through Him
… ”

Baldwin of Canterbury (c1125-1190)
Cistercian Abbot of Forde Monastery and
Archbishop of Canterbury

Pange Lingua Gloriosi Corporis Mysterium
Sing, My Tongue
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Eng trans – Fr Edward Caswell CO (1814-1878)
(Excerpt on the image – the 4 last stanzas)

Sing, my tongue, the Saviour’s glory,
Of His Flesh, the Mystery sing;
Of the Blood, all price exceeding,
Shed by our Immortal King,
Destined, for the world’s redemption,
From a noble Womb to spring.

Of a pure and spotless Virgin
Born for us on earth below,
He, as Man, with man conversing,
Stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
Then He closed in solemn order
Wondrously His Life of woe.

On the night of that Last Supper,
Seated with His chosen band,
He, the Paschal Victim eating,
First fulfils the Law’s command;
Then as Food to all His brethren
Gives Himself with His own Hand.

Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature
By His Word to Flesh He turns;
Wine into His Blood He changes,
What though sense no change discerns.
Only be the heart in earnest,
Faith her lesson quickly learns.

Down in adoration falling,
Lo, the Sacred Host we hail,
Lo, o’er ancient forms departing
Newer rites of grace prevail,
Faith for all defects supplying,
When the feeble senses fail.

To the Everlasting Father
And the Son Who comes on high
With the Holy Ghost proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honour, blessing,
Might and endless majesty.
Amen. Alleluia.

Written by St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) the Angelic and Common Doctor of the Church, for the very first Solemnity of Corpus Christi, this Hymn is considered the most beautiful of Aquinas’ Hymns and one of the seven great Hymns of the Church.

The last two stanzas make up the Tantum Ergo (Down in Adoration Falling) which is used at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The Hymn is also used on Maundy Thursday during the procession from the Sanctuary to the Altar of Repose, where the Blessed Sacrament is kept until Good Friday.

“As mountain hares become white in winter
because they neither see. nor eat
anything but snow,
so, by adoring and feeding on
beauty, purity and goodness itself
in the Eucharist,
you will become altogether
beautiful, pure and good.”

Nowhere do we find our Saviour
more tender or more loving,
than here [in Adoration]
where He, so to speak,
annihilates Himself and reduces Himself
to Food, in order to penetrate our souls
and to unite Himself
to the hearts of His friends.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

O Divine Jesus!
Lonely in So Many Tabernacles

By St Pope Pius X (1835-1914)
Pope of the Blessed Sacrament

O Divine Jesus!
Lonely today in so many Tabernacles,
without visitor or worshipper,
I offer Thee my lonely heart.
May it’s every beat be a prayer of love to Thee.
Thou are ever watching under the Sacramental Veils,
in Thou love, Thou never sleeps
and Thou are never weary of Thy vigils for sinners.
O Loving Jesus!
O Lonely Jesus!
may my heart be a lamp,
the light of which shall burn and beam
for Thee alone.
Watch, Sacramental Sentinel!
Watch for the weary world,
for the erring soul
and for Thy poor lonely child.

O Jesus, my God, I adore Thee,
here present in the Sacrament of Thy love.
Amen

Indulgences:
100 days each time before the Tabernacle
300 days each time before the Blessed Sacrament Exposed
(St Pope Pius X – 3 July 1908)
Prayers to the Sacred Heart

15th Ed 1936

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/06/11/quote-s-of-the-day-11-june-he-left-his-body-and-his-blood/

Posted in CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 29 May – Most Holy Mary By St John of the Cross

Our Morning Offering – 29 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mother of God” –

Most Holy Mary
By St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Doctor of the Church

Most holy Mary,
Virgin of virgins,
Shrine of the most Holy Trinity,
joy of the Angels,
sure Refuge of sinners,
take pity on our sorrows,
mercifully accept our sighs
and appease the wrath
of your most holy Son.
Amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on PEACE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 May – Into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house … Luke 10:5

One Minute Reflection – 28 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Augustine of Canterbury (Died c 605) He is consideredthe Founder of the English Church and “The Apostle to the English.” He is the first Archbishop of Canterbury, Confessor, Missionary, Father of the Church. – 1 Thessalonians 2:2-9; Luke 10:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house.
And, if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him but if not, it shall return to you.
” – Luke 10:5-7

REFLECTION – “As you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house,‘” (Lk 10:5) so that the Lord Himself might enter and remain there, as with Mary. … This greeting is the Mystery of Faith which shines forth in the world. Through it, enmity is stifled, war is ended and people acknowledge one another. The effect of that greeting was hidden by a veil in spite of the fact that it prefigures the Mystery of the Resurrection … when the light rises and dawn chases night away. From the moment Christ sent out His disciples, people began to give and receive this greeting, a source of healing and blessing. …

This greeting with its hidden power … is amply sufficient for us all. That is why Our Lord sent it out, together with His disciples, as forerunner, so that it might bring about peace and, carried by the voice of the Apostles whom He sent, prepare the way before them. It was sown in every dwelling … it entered into all who heard it, so as to separate and set apart, the children it recognised as its own. It remained in them but it denounced those who were alien to it, for they did not welcome it.

This greeting of peace did not dry up; it began in the Apostles and then sprang up in their brethren, revealing the Lord’s inexhaustible treasures. … Present in those who offered greetings in this way and in those who welcomed the greeting, this announcement of peace was neither diminished nor divided. It announced that the Father is near and is in everyone; it revealed that the Son’s mission is bound up with all, even if its object is to be with His Father. It will not cease to proclaim that images are now brought to completion and Truth will cast all shadows away at last.” – St Ephrem (306-373) Father and Doctor of the Church (Diatessaron 8: 3-4).

PRAYER – O God, Who graciously enlightened the English peoples with the light of the True Faith by the preaching and miracles of the blessed Augustine, Thy Confessor and Bishop, grant, through his intercession that the hearts of those who have strayed, may return to the unity of the True Faith and that, we may be in harmony with Thine Will. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 27 May – St Bede the Venerable

Quote/s of the Day – 27 May – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

St Bede became known as “Venerable Bede or Bede the Venerable” (Latin: Beda Venerabilis) by the 9th Century because of his great devotion and holiness but this was not linked to consideration for sainthood. According to a legend, the epithet was miraculously supplied by Angels. It was first utilised in connection with St Bede, where he was grouped with others, who were called “venerable,” at two Ecclesiastical Councils, held at Aachen in 816 and 836. Paul the Deacon (c 720-c 796) Italian Monk, Writer, Historian, then referred to him as Venerable consistently. By the 11th and 12th Centuries, the title had become commonplace and it is rarely omitted today.

The soul glorifies the Lord,
when it consecrates all its inner powers
on praising and serving God
and when, by its submission
to the Divine commands,
it proves that it never loses sight
of His Power and Majesty.
The spirit rejoices in God, its Saviour,
when it places all its joy
in the remembrance of its Creator,
from Whom it hopes for eternal salvation.

I was no longer the centre of my life
and, therefore, I could see God in everything!

Unfurl the sails
and let God steer us
where He will.

Purgatorial fire will be more intolerable
than all the torments which can be felt
or conceived in this life.

Be Thou our Joy and Strong Defence,
Who art our future Recompense.
Alleluia, alleluia.
So shall the Light that springs from Thee
Be ours through all eternity.
Alleluia, Alleluia.

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/05/27/quote-s-of-the-day-27-may-st-bede-the-venerable-2/

St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 May – ‘ … that it may shine to all …’ Matthew 5:15

One Minute Reflection – 27 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church – Timothy 4:1-8; Matthew 5:3-19. – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but upon a candlestick that it may shine to all who are in the house.” – Matthew 5:15

REFLECTION – “Nothing is more cold than a Christian who is not dedicated to saving others. In this respect there can be no pretence of poverty – the widow who gave her two tiny coins would rise up and call you to account (Lk 21:2). Peter too, who said: “Silver and gold have I none” (Acts 3:6). And Paul, who was so poor that he often went hungry and lacked the necessary means to live on (1 Cor 4:11). Neither can you protest your humble birth – they too were of modest degree. Ignorance will noy give you any better excuse – they were uneducated too … It is no good claiming sickness – Timothy was subject to frequent illnesses (1 Tm 5:23) … Anybody at all can be of service to his neighbour if he would do what he can …

Do not say that it is impossible for you to draw others because, if you are a Christian, it is impossible that you should not! Every tree bears its own fruit (Mt 17:17) and, since there is no contradiction in nature, what we are saying is likewise true, since it follows from the very nature of a Christian … It is easier for light to be darkness than that the Christian should not shine!” – St John Chrysostom (345-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles, 20:3-4 ).

PRAYER – O God, Who enlightened Your Church with the learning of blessed Bede, Your Confessor and Doctor, graciously grant that Your servants may ever be enlightened by his wisdom and helped by his merits. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 27 May – Grant us Thy Light, O LordBy St Bede

Our Morning Offering – 27 May – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Confessor, Priest, Monk, Linguist, Translator, Historian, Father and Doctor of the Church (Added by Pope Leo XIII in 1899)

Grant us Thy Light, O Lord
By St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Grant us Thy Light, O Lord,
so that the darkness of our hearts,
may wholly pass away
and we may come at last,
to the Light of Christ.
For Christ is that Morning Star,
Who, when the night
of this world has passed,
brings to His Saints,
the promised Light of Life
and opens to them,
everlasting day.
Amen.