Category: DOCTORS of the Church

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, INDULGENCES, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The SIGN of the CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 June – In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

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One Minute Reflection – 12 June – Trinity Sunday and “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Romans 11:33-36, Matthew 28:18-20

“Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” – Matthew 28:19-20

REFLECTION – “And so, dearly-beloved, let us rejoice with spiritual joy and let us with gladness pay God worthy thanks and raise our hearts’ eyes, unimpeded, to those heights where Christ is. Minds that have heard the call to be uplifted must not be pressed down by earthly affections, they that are fore-ordained to things eternal, must not be taken up with the things that perish; they that have entered on the way of Truth, must not be entangled in treacherous snares and, the faithful, must so take their course through these temporal things, as to remember that they are sojourning in the vale of this world, in which, even though they meet with some attractions, they must not sinfully embrace them but bravely pass through them.

For to this devotion, the blessed Apostle Peter arouses us and entreating us, with that loving eagerness which he conceived, for feeding Christ’s sheep, by the threefold profession of love for the Lord, says, dearly-beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 1 Peter 2:11 . But for whom do fleshly pleasures wage war, if not for the devil, whose delight it is to fetter souls that strive after things above, with the enticements of corruptible good things, and to draw them away from those abodes, from which he himself has been banished? Against his plots every believer must keep careful watch, that he may crush his foe on the side whence the attack is made. And there is no more powerful weapon, dearly beloved, against the devil’s wiles than kindly mercy and bounteous charity, by which every sin is either escaped or vanquished. But this lofty power is not attained, until that which is opposed to it be overthrown. And what so hostile to mercy and works of charity as avarice, from the root of which spring all evils? And unless it be destroyed by lack of nourishment, there must needs grow, in the ground of that heart, in which this evil weed has taken root, the thorns and briars of vices rather than any seed of true goodness.

Let us then, dearly-beloved, resist this pestilential evil and follow after charity, without which no virtue can flourish, that by this path of love, whereby Christ came down to us, we too may mount up to Him, to Whom with God the Father and the Holy Spirit is honour and glory forever and ever.” – St Leo the Great, Pope (400-461) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 74).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Thou Who have given Thy servants, in the confession of the true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of that Majesty, to adore its unity, grant, we beseech Thee, that in the firmness of this faith, we may ever be protected from all harm. 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 be loved everywhere. 100 Days, Indulgence Once a day – Bl Pope Pius IX 23 September 1860

Posted in BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, DOCTORS of the Church, FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Our Morning Offering – 12 June – An Act of Oblation to the Holy Trinity by St Francis de Sales

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Our Morning Offering – 12 June – Trinity Sunday

An Act of Oblation
to the Holy Trinity
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

I vow and consecrate to God
all that is in me,
my memory and my actions,
to God the Father;
my understanding and my words,
to God the Son;
my will and my thoughts,
to God the Holy Spirit.
I consecrate my heart, my body,
my tongue, my senses
and all my sorrows
to the Sacred Humanity of Jesus Christ,
who consented to be betrayed
into the hands of wicked men
and to suffer the torment
of the Cross for me.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 June – The Divine Physician

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 June – Ember Saturday of Pentecost – Romans 5:1-5, Luke 4:38-44.

“Now Simon’s mother-in-law
was suffering from a great fever
and they besought Him for her.”

Luke 4:38

“May Christ come to our house
and enter in and by His command,
cure the fever of our sins.
Each one of us is sick with a fever.
Whenever I give way to anger,
I have a fever.
There are as many fevers,
as there are faults and vices.”

St Jerome (343-420)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“We implore You,
O All-Holy, Long-Suffering
Life and Restoration,
Source of goodness,
look down from Heaven
and visit all those
who ever trust in You;
rescue our life, Lord,
from all constraint and affliction,
and, in the faith of truth, guide us all.
At the prayers of the
Immaculate Mother of God and Virgin,
Save your world
and those in the world
and spare us all,
You who, for us,
became man without change,
only Lover of mankind.”

St Romanos the Melodios (c 490-c 556)

“If thou art bound down by sickness,
if sorrows weary thee,
if thou art trembling with fear,
invoke the name of Jesus.”

St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1456)

Behold Me, O Sweet Lord, Behold Me!
By St Aelred of Rievaulx O.Cist. (1110-1167)

Behold me, O Sweet Lord, behold me!
For I hope. that in Your Loving Kindness,
O Most Merciful One,
You will behold me,
either as a loving Physician to heal,
a kind Teacher to correct,
or an indulgent Father to pardon…
confident in Your Sweet Powerful Mercy
and most Merciful Power,
I ask, in virtue of Your Sweet Name
and of the Mystery of Your Sacred Humanity
that, mindful of Your Kindness
and unmindful of my ingratitude,
You forgive me my sins
and heal the languors of my soul.
Amen

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, EMBER DAYS, FATHERS of the Church, INDULGENCES, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 June – The Touch of His Hands!

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One Minute Reflection – 11 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Ember Saturday of Pentecost and the Feast of St Barnabas, Apostle and Martyr – Romans 5:1-5, Luke 4:38-44.

“At that time, Jesus rose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a great fever and they besought Him for her.” – Luke 4:38

REFLECTION – “Jesus laid His Hands upon the sick, one by one and freed them from their malady. He demonstrated that the Holy Flesh, which He had made His Own and endowed with Godlike power, possessed the active presence of the Might of the Word. He intended us to learn, that, although the Only-begotten Word of God became like us, yet He is, nonetheless, God. He wants us to know, that He is easily able, even by His Own Flesh, to accomplish all things. His Body was the instrument by which He performed miracles.

Jesus, then, entered Peter’s house, where a woman was lying stretched upon a bed, exhausted with a violent fever . As God, He might have said, “Put away the disease, arise” but He adopted a different course of action. As a proof that His Own Flesh possessed the power of healing because it is the Flesh of God, He touched her hand. “Immediately,” it says, “the fever left her.” Let us, therefore, also receive Jesus. When He has entered into us and we have received Him into mind and heart, then, He will quench the fever of unbefitting pleasures. He will raise us up and make us strong, even in spiritual things, so that we might serve Him by performing those things which please Him. But observe again, I ask, how great is the usefulness of the touch of His Holy Flesh . For it both drives away diseases of various kinds and a crowd of demons,and overthrows the power of the devil. It heals a very great multitude of people in one moment of time. Although He was able to perform these miracles by a word and the preference of His Will, yet, to teach us something useful, He also lays His Hands upon the sick. For it was necessary, most necessary, for us to learn that the Holy Flesh which He had made His Own, was endowed with the activity of the Power of the Word, by His having implanted in it, a Godlike Might. Let it then take hold of us, or rather let us take hold of it by the mystical “giving of thanks.” May we do this, so that it might free us also, from the sicknesses of the soul and from the assault and violence of demons. ” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Popr, Father, Doctor of the Church (Commentary on Luke, Homily 12)

PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us by the merits and intercession of blessed Barnabas, Thy Apostle, mercifully grant that we, who ask Thee favours through him, may obtain them by the gift of Thy grace. 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. 50 Days Indulgence, Once a day, Raccolta, 168 Pope Leo XIII, 13 June 1901.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS

Our Morning Offering – 11 June – O Jesus, Mary’s Son!

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Our Morning Offering – 11 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart”

O Jesus, Mary’s Son!
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus, Doctor communis

Hail to Thee! True body sprung
From the Virgin Mary’s womb!
The same that on the cross was hung
And bore for man the bitter doom.
Thou Whose side was pierced and flowed
Both with water and with blood.
Suffer us to taste of Thee
In our life’s last agony.
O kind, O loving One!
O Jesus, Mary’s Son!
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SACRED HEART QUOTES

Quote/s of the Day – 10 June – The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus”

“How good and pleasant it is
to dwell in the Heart of Jesus!
Who is there who does not love a heart so wounded?
Who can refuse a return of love
to a Heart so loving?
Amen.”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor

“O Heart of love,
I place all my trust in Thee,
for I fear all things,
from my own weakness,
but I hope for all things,
from Thy Goodness.”

St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)

“Devotion to the
Most Sacred Heart,
is the Extraordinary Remedy,
for the Extraordinary needs
of our time.”

Pope Pius XI (1857-1939)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The WILL of GOD, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 9 June – ‘Take nothing for your journey …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Pentecost Thursday – Acts 8:5-8, Luke 9:1-6

“Take nothing for your journey,
neither staff, nor bag,
nor bread, nor money;
neither have two tunics.”

Luke 9:3

“You are the salt of the earth.”

Matthew 5:13

“It is as a matter of absolute necessity
that He commands all this.
Why must you be salt?
Jesus says in effect:
“You are accountable,
not only for your own life
but also, for that of the entire world.
I am sending you not to one or two cities,
nor to ten or twenty,
nor even to one nation,
as I sent the Prophets.
Rather, I am sending you to the entire earth,
across the seas, to the whole world,
to a world fallen into an evil state.”

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

“What is reprehensible,
is that while leading good lives themselves
and abhorring those of wicked men,
some, fearing to offend,
shut their eyes to evil deeds
instead of condemning them
and pointing out their malice.”

St Augustine (354-407)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“The love of Jesus is noble and generous,
it spurs us on to do great things
and excites us to desire always,
that which is most perfect.
Love will tend upwards
and is not to be detained by things beneath.
Love will be at liberty
and free from all worldly affections…
for love proceeds from God
and cannot rest but in God,
above all things created.
The lover flies, runs and rejoices,
he is free and not held.
He gives all for all and has all in all,
because he rests in One Sovereign Good above all,
from Whom all good flows and proceeds.”

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

(Book III, Chapter V, 3-4)

“Entrust yourself entirely to God.
He is a Father
and a most loving Father at that,
Who would rather let Heaven
and earth collapse,
than abandon anyone
who trusted in Him.”

St Paul of the Cross (1604-1775)

“God alone!”

“Chosen soul, how will you bring this about?
What steps will you take to reach the high level
to which God is calling you?
The means of holiness and salvation,
are known to everybody,
since they are found in the Gospel,
the masters of the spiritual life have explained them,
the Saints have practised them…
These means are –
sincere Humility,
unceasing Prayer,
complete Self-denial,
abandonment to Divine Providence
and obedience to the Will of God.”

St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, INDULGENCES, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 June – ‘ … Leave behind earthly sandals. …’ St Ambrose

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One Minute Reflection – 9 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Pentecost Thursday – Acts 8:5-8, Luke 9:1-6

“Take nothing for your journey, neither staff, nor sack, nor bread, nor money; neither have two tunics.” – Luke 9:3

REFLECTION – “This is a great vision. But if you wish to see it, remove the sandals from your feet. Remove every chain of sin. Remove the chains of the world. Leave behind earthly sandals. Jesus sent the Apostles without sandals, without money, gold and silver, so that they would not carry earthly things with them. The one who seeks to do good is praised, not for his sandals but for the swiftness and grace of his feet. The Scripture says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” Therefore, remove the sandals from your feet, that they may be beautiful for preaching the Gospel!” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church (Flight From the World 5).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who on this day have taught the hearts of the faithful, by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us by that Holy Spirit Himself, to know what is right and ever to rejoice in His help. 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 Indulgence Once a day, Plenary Once a month – Blessed Pope Pius IX – 26 November 1876

Posted in CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS

Our Morning Offering – 09 June – St Therese’s Daily Offering to the Sacred Heart

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Our Morning Offering – 9 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart”

Daily Offering to the Sacred Heart
By St Thérèse of the Child Jesus
and the Holy Face (of Lisieux) OCD (1873-1897)

O my God!
I offer Thee all my actions of this day
for the intentions and for the glory
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I desire to sanctify
every beat of my heart,
my every thought,
my simplest works,
by uniting them
to His Infinite Merits
and I wish to make reparation for my sins,
by casting them into the furnace
of His Merciful Love.
O my God!
I ask of Thee for myself
and for those whom I hold dear,
the grace to fulfil perfectly
Thine Holy Will,
to accept for love of Thee,
the joys and sorrows of this passing life,
so that we may one day, be united together
in Heaven for all Eternity.
Amen

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOCTRINE, DOMINICAN OP, EUCHARISTIC, FATHERS of the Church, FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), HOLY COMMUNION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The WORD

Quote’s of the Day – 8 June – I Am the Living Bread

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Quote’s of the Day – 8 June – Ember Wednesday within the Octave of Pentecost – Acts 2:14-21, John 6:44-52.

“I Am the Living Bread
Who came down from Heaven.
If any man eat of this Bread,
he shall live forever
and the Bread that I will give,
is My Flesh, for the Life of the world.”

John 6:51-52

“I Am the Bread of Life”

John 6:35

“For His Body, has been given to you
under the appearance of bread
and His Blood, under the appearance of wine,
so that, when you have partaken
of the Body and Blood of Christ,
you might be One Body and One Blood with Him.
So shall we become Christ-bearers [“Christophers”].
His Body and Blood are diffused through all our members – see, then,
how we become participants
in the Divine Nature!”

St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386)
Father and Doctor of theChurch

“Enrich your soul in the great goodness of God –
The Father is your Table,
the Son is your Food
and the Holy Spirit waits on you
and then makes His Dwelling in you.”

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

“What graces, gifts and virtues
the Holy Mass calls down!”

St Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)

O Lord, My God,
I Am Not Worthy
Prayer Before Holy Communion
By St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor of the Church

O Lord, my God,
I am not worthy
that You should come into my soul
but I rejoice that You have come to me
because, in Your loving kindness
You desire to dwell in me.
You ask me to open the door of my soul,
which You alone have created,
so that You may enter into it
with Your loving kindness
and dispel the darkness of my mind.
I believe that You will do this,
for You did not turn away Mary Magdalene
when she approached You in tears.
Neither did You withhold forgiveness
from the tax collector
who repented of his sins
or from the good thief
who asked to be received into Your kingdom.
Indeed, You numbered as Your friends,
all who came to You with repentant hearts.
O God, You alone are blessed always,
now and forever.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 June – ‘They know His Voice

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 June – Pentecost Tuesday – Acts 8:14-17, John 10:1-10.

“… He goes before them
and the sheep follow Him
because they know His Voice.”

John 10:4

“And as for that in the good ground
they are those who, hearing the word,
hold it fast in an honest and good heart
and bring forth fruit with patience.”

Luke 8:15

“… Scripture, as a whole,
is God’s one perfect and complete instrument,
giving forth, to those who wish to learn …
It is one Saving Music…”

Origen (c 185-253)
Theologian, Father of the Church

“If you believe what you like in the Gospels
and reject what you don’t like,
it is not the Gospel you believe
but yourself.”

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

“The more you devote yourself,
to study of the Sacred utterances,
the richer will be your understanding of them,
just as the more the soil is tilled,,
the richer is the harvest.”

St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“He is the origin of all wisdom.
The Word of God in the heights,
is the source of wisdom.
Christ is the source of all true knowledge,
for He is “the way, the truth and the life.” (Jn 14:6). …
As way, Christ is the teacher
and origin of knowledge …
Without this Light,
which is Christ,
no-one can penetrate
the secrets of faith.”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, INDULGENCES, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 June – ‘ … Do not go astray in the mists, listen to the Shepherd’s Voice. …’ St Augustine

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One Minute Reflection – 7 June – Pentecost Tuesday – Acts 8:14-17, John 10:1-10.

“I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10

REFLECTION – “Thus says the Lord: “I Myself will come’”… This is what He has undoubtedly done and what He will yet do: “I Myself am coming: I will seek out My sheep, I will tend them as a shepherd tends His flock.” The wicked shepherds took no care of them because they did not redeem their sheep, with their blood… “My sheep hear My Voice. I will seek out My sheep from the midst of the scattered sheep and will bring them out from all the places they were scattered, on the day of clouds and darkness. No matter how difficult it is to find them, I will find them… I will rescue My sheep from foreign lands, I will gather them and lead them back to their own homes; I will lead them to pasture on the mountains of Israel.”

These “mountains of Israel” are the writers of Sacred Scripture. They are the pastures where you are to feed, if you wish to do so safely. Savour everything you learn from them and reject everything outside. Do not go astray in the mists, listen to the Shepherd’s Voice. Gather on the mountains of Sacred Scripture. There, you will find true delight for your heart. There, is nothing poisonous there, nothing dangerous; they are rich pastures… “I will lead them beside rivers, in the best places.” From those mountains we were just talking about, rivers of Gospel preaching pour down since “the voice [of the Apostles] resounds to the ends of the earth” and all the ends of the earth provide pleasant and fertile pastures for the sheep.

“I will cause them to feed in good pasture… and their sheepfold will be there,” that is to say, there, they will rest, there, they will be able to say: “It is good to be here; true enough, it is perfectly clear, we have found the truth.” They will take their rest in the glory of God as in a sheepfold.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 46, On the shepherds; CCL 41, 529).

PRAYER – Let the power of the Holy Spirit be present within us, O Lord, graciously to cleanse our hearts, as well as to guard us from all harm. 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).

SACRED Heart of JESUS, Thy Kingdom come! – Indulgence 300 Days – Every time – Raccolta 179 St Pius X, 6 November 1906.

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PENTECOST, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on STRENGTH, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 5 June – ‘ .. The life of our souls.’

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 June – Pentecost Sunday, Alleluia! – Acts 2:1-11, John 14:23-31.

“His action is preceded
by the beaming rays of His light and knowledge.
He comes with the truth of the real Protector;
for He comes to save, to lead, to teach, to counsel,
to strengthen, to console,
to illumine in the first place the mind of the person
who receives Him
and through that person‘s works,
the minds of others.”

St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386)
Father and Doctor of theChurch

“He pours light into our minds,
arouses our desire
and gives us strength…
As the soul is the life of the body,
so the Holy Spirit is the life of our souls.”

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

“A soul, that possesses the Holy Spirit,
tastes such sweetness, in prayer,
that it finds the time, always too short,
it never loses, the holy presence of God.”

“The Holy Spirit forms thoughts
and suggests words, in the hearts of the just.”

“The Holy Spirit is like a gardener,
cultivating our souls.”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

Nunc, Sancte, nobis Spiritus
Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One
By St Ambrose (340-397)
Trans John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Trans 1836

Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One
Art with the Father and the Son.
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls possess
With Thy full flood of holiness.

In will and deed, by heart and tongue,
With all our powers, Thy praise be sung.
And love light up our mortal frame,
Till others catch the living flame.

Almighty Father, hear our cry
Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high,
Who with the Holy Ghost and Thee
Doth live and reign eternally.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PENTECOST, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 4 June – The Paraclete – ‘the Kiss of God’

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 June – The Vigil of Pentecost – Acts 19:1-8, John 14:15-21.

“And I will ask the Father
and He shall give you another Paraclete,
that he may abide with you forever.”

John 14:16

“We have from God,
a great Helper and Protector.
A great Teacher of the Church.
A great Warrior,
Who fights for us!”

St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387)
Archbishop of Jerusalem
Father and Doctor of the Church

“O Holy Spirit,
descend plentifully into my heart.
Enlighten the dark corners
of this neglected dwelling
and scatter there,
Thy cheerful beams.”

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

“The kiss of God
is the Gift of the Spirit!”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PENTECOST, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 June – “But you shall know Him because He shall abide with you and shall be in you.” – John 14:17

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One Minute Reflection – 4 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Vigil of Pentecost – Acts 19:1-8, John 14:15-21.

“But you shall know Him because He shall abide with you and shall be in you.” – John 14:17

REFLECTION – “The Holy Spirit is the wheat that comforts us along the road to the Fatherland, the wine that gives us joy in tribulation, the oil that sweetens life’s sorrows. This threefold support was needed by the Apostles, who had to go out to preach through the whole world. This is why Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to them. They are filled with Him – filled, so that no impure spirits might gain entrance into them for when a container is completely full nothing else can be put into it.

The Holy Spirit “will teach you” (Jn 16,13) so that you can know; he will prompt you so that you can will. He gives both knowledge and will add to this our “ability” according to the measure of our strength and we shall be temples of the Holy Spirit (1Cor 6,19).” – St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Doctor of the Church (Sermons for Sundays and the Feasts of the Saints).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the brightness of Thy glory may shine upon us and may the light of Thy Light may, through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, strengthen the minds of those who are reborn through Thy grace. 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).

Breathe in Me, O Holy Spirit By St Augustine (354-420)

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

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, DOCTORS of the Church, FRUITS of the SPIRIT, Our MORNING Offering, PENTECOST, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 4 June – Come O Holy Spirit! By St Alphonsus

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Our Morning Offering – 4 June – The Vigil of Pentecost

Come O Holy Spirit!
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

You made Mary full of grace
and inflamed the hearts of the Apostles
with a holy zeal,
enflame our hearts with Your love.
You are the Spirit of goodness,
give us the courage to confront evil.
You are Fire,
set us ablaze with Your Love.
You are Light,
enlighten our minds,
that we may see what is truly igood and true.
You are the Dove,
give us gentleness.
You are a Soothing Breeze,
bring calm to the storms which rage within us.
You are the Tongue,
may our lips ever sing God’s praises
You are the Cloud,
shelter us under the shadow of Your protection.
O Holy Spirit, melt the frozen,
warm the chilled
and enkindle in us,
an earnest desire to please You.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the JUDGE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TIME, The LAST THINGS

Quote/s of the Day – 3 June – Death is approaching. How many years have we left?

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 June – Friday after the Octave of Ascension

“I speak out in order to lead Him
into your hearts
but He does not choose to come
where I lead Him,
unless you prepare the way for Him.”

“Everyone without God,
has a dead soul.
You, who bewail the dead,
rather, should bewail sin.
Bewail ungodliness.
Bewail disbelief.”

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

“But He still follows behind us and counsels us,
that we have despised Him
but He still does not cease to call us.
We turn our backs on His face, so to speak,
when we reject His words,
when we trample His commandments underfoot
but He who sees that we reject Him,
still calls out to us by His commandments
and waits for us by His patience,
stands behind us and calls us back
when we have turned away.”

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

“Death is approaching.
How many years have we left?
How many months?
How many hours?
We do not know.
Perhaps this could be the last day
or the last hour of our lives
and, if that were true,
in what state would we appear before
the majesty of God?
How terrible if we were in mortal sin –
we would be damned for all eternity!
But, even if we find ourselves i
n the state of grace,
what merits have we to present
to the eternal Judge?
What sacrifices have we made
to prove our love for Him?
What mortifications
and penances have we voluntarily undertake
to purify ourselves of our sins?
What good works have we done,
what alms have we given,
what prayers have we said?
We may have to admit,
that we have wasted most of the time
which God has given us
in useless or even sinful occupations.
Let us treasure, at least,
the years, days, or hours
which God still wills to grant us,
for our full conversion
and for our spiritual perfection.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, INDULGENCES, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PARTIAL Indulgence, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 June – ‘ … Only when] the original form of the royal image has been restored in him, is it possible for him to approach the Paraclete.

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One Minute Reflection – 3 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Friday after the Octave of Ascension – 1 Pet 4:7-11, John 15:26-27; 16:1-4.

“But when the Paraclete comes, Whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, Who proceeds from the Father, He shall give testimony of Me. ” – John 15:26

REFLECTION – “The Spirit is simple in being. His powers are many. They are entirely present everywhere and in everything. He is distributed but does not change. He is shared, yet remains whole. Consider the analogy of the sunbeam – each person on whom its kindly light falls, rejoices as if the sun existed for him alone, yet, it illumines land and sea and is master of the atmosphere. In the same way, the Spirit is given to each one who receives Him, as if he were the possession of that person alone, yet, He sends forth sufficient grace to fill the entire universe. Everything that partakes of His grace, is filled with joy according to his capacity—the capacity of his nature, not of His power.

The Spirit does not take up His abode in someone’s life, through a physical approach. How could a corporeal being approach the bodiless One? Instead, the Spirit comes to us when we withdraw ourselves from evil passions which have crept into the soul through its friendship with the flesh, alienating us from a close relationship with God. Only when a person has been cleansed from the shame of his evil and has returned to his natural beauty and [only when] the original form of the royal image has been restored in him, is it possible for him to approach the Paraclete. Then, like the sun, He will show you. in Himself, the image of the invisible and with purified eyes, you will see in this blessed image, the unspeakable beauty of its prototype.

Through Him, hearts are lifted up, the infirm are held by the hand and those who progress, are brought to perfection. He shines on those who are cleansed from every spot and makes them spiritual people, through fellowship with Himself. When a sunbeam falls on a transparent substance, the substance itself becomes brilliant and radiates light from itself. So too, the Spirit-bearing souls, illumined by Him, finally become spiritual themselves and their grace is sent forth to others. From this comes knowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of hidden things, distribution of wonderful gifts, heavenly citizenship, a place in the choir of Angels, endless joy in the presence of God, becoming like God and the highest of all desires – becoming God.” – St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Father and Doctor of the Church (On the Holy Spirit, 9).

PRAYER – Almighty and eternal God, give us a will ever dedicated to Thee and a true heart to serve Thy majesty. 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).
SACRED Heart of JESUS, Thy Kingdom come!
Indulgence 300 Days. Everytime Raccolta 178 St Pius X, 4 May 1906.

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, I BELIEVE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, The HEART, The HOLY NAME, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 2 June – Thank You for our Faith Lord!

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 June – The Octave Day of the Ascension

“He who believes and is baptised,
shall be saved …”

Mark 16:16

“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name,
saying, ‘I am he’
and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!”

Luke 21:8

“[Christ speaks:]
I became useless to those
who knew Me not,
because I shall hide Myself,
from those who possessed Me not.
And I will be with those who love Me.
… I arose and am with them
and will speak by their mouths.
For they have rejected those
who persecute them
and I threw over them, the yoke of My love.
… Then I heard their voice
and placed their faith in My Heart.
And I placed My Name upon their forehead (Rv 14,1)
because they are free and they are Mine!”

Odes of Solomon
(Hebrew Christian text f
rom the beginning of the 2nd Century)
N° 42

“Faith gives rise to prayer
and this prayer obtains
an increase of faith.”

“Wherever you are on earth,
however long you remain on earth,
the Lord is near,
do not be anxious about anything!”

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

“Let Your Name, not mine, be praised.
Let Your Work, not mine, be magnified.
Let Your Holy Name be blessed
but let no human praise be given to me.
You are my glory.
You are the joy of my heart.
In You I will glory and rejoice
all the day and for myself
I will glory in nothing but my infirmities. … ”

Thomas `a Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

The Imitation of Christ – Book 3 Chapter 40

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PARTIAL Indulgence, PLENARY Indulgences, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 June – ‘ … Belief is not the work of human reasoning but requires a revelation from on high …’ St John Chrysostom

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One Minute Reflection – 2 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Octave Day of the Ascension – Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:14-20 and the Memorial of Sts Marcellinus, Peter the Exorcist and St Erasmus (Died c 303) Martyrs

“He who believes and is baptised, shall be saved ...” – Mark 16:16

REFLECTION – “When He says, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me,” He touches on their unbelief, showing, that whoever does not believe in Him transgresses the Will of the Father. He covertly shows, that unbelievers are not only at variance with Him but also, with the Father. For if this is [the Son’s] Will and if this is the reason He came, that is, that He might save the entire world, then those who do not believe transgress His Will.

When, therefore, He says, the Father guides someone, there is nothing that hinders that person from coming to [Jesus]. And Paul says, that [the Son] delivers them up to the Father. Now, just as the Father, when He gives, does not take from Himself, so neither does the Son take from Himself when He gives up. The Son is said to give up to the Father because we are brought to the Father by Him. And at the same time, we read that it was the Father “by whom you were called to the fellowship of His Son,” that is, by the Will of the Father.

Faith in Me, He intimates here, is no ordinary thing or one that comes from human reason but [it] needs a revelation from above. And this He establishes throughout His discourses, showing, that this faith requires a noble sort of soul and one drawn on by God. The expression “that the Father gives Me” shows, that it is no accident whether a person believes or not. It shows, that belief is not the work of human reasoning but requires a revelation from on high and a mind devout enough to receive the revelation. “Whoever then,” our Lord says, “comes to Me, shall be saved,” meaning they shall be greatly cared for. For to save such as these, I took up flesh and the form of a servant.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospel of John 45)

PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us each year by the feast of Your holy Martyrs, Marcellinus, Peter and Erasmus, graciously grant, that as we rejoice in their merits, we may be inspired by their example. 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! – Indulgence 300 Days Everytime – Plenary Once a Month – Raccolta 162 – Bl Pius IX 26 November 1876.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, St Francis de Sales, The HEART

Our Morning Offering – 2 June – May the Heart of Jesus be the King of My Heart! By St Francis de Sales

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Our Morning Offering – 2 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart”

May the Heart of Jesus
be the King of My Heart!
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

May Your Heart dwell
always, in our hearts!
May Your Blood ever flow,
in the veins
of our souls!
O Sun of our hearts,
You give life to all things,
by the rays of Your goodness!
I will not go,
until Your Heart
has strengthened me,
O Lord Jesus!
May the Heart of Jesus
be the King of my heart!
Blessed be God.
Amen

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, INDULGENCES, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on FAITH, Quotes on SALVATION, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 June – ‘ … He asks for our faith and offers us salvation. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 1 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Wednesday within the Octave of Ascension – Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:14-20

“Go ye into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15

REFLECTION – “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.

“The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings, O my God… from your delightful stream, You give them to drink, for with You is the fountain of life” (Ps 35[36],8f.). Jesus Christ is the Fountain of Life. Before the Fountain of Life came to us, we had only a human salvation like that of the beasts of which the psalm speaks: “Man and beast you save, O Lord” (Ps 35[36],7). But now the Fountain of Life has come even to us, the Fountain of Life died for our sakes. Will He refuse us, His Life, Who, for our sakes, gave His Death? He is Salvation and this Salvation is not worthless, like the other one. Why? Because it does not pass away. The Lord has come. He died but he killed death. In Himself, He brought an end to death. He assumed it and He killed it. Where is death now, then? Look for it in Christ and it is no longer there. It used to be there but there it died. O life, Death of death! Take heart: it will also die in us! What was fulfilled in the Head will also be fulfilled in the members and death will die in us, too.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo and Father and Doctor of the Church (Excerpt from Sermon 233 ).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that as we do believe Thine Only-Begotten Son our Saviour to have this day Ascended into the Heavens, so we may also, in heart and mind thither ascend and with Him, continually dwell. 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. (This Ejaculation is Indulgenced – 50 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.) 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901).

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, QUEENSHIP of MARY, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR

Quote/s of the Day – 31 May – The Queenship of Mary

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Quote/s of the Day – 31 May – The Queenship of Mary

“If the Son is a King,
the Mother who begot him
is rightly and truly considered
a Queen and Sovereign.”

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“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

“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 (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/22/quotes-of-the-day-22-august-the-memorial-of-the-queenship-of-mary/

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on FAITH, Quotes on SALVATION, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 May – ‘Let us work for the food which does not perish—our salvation!’

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One Minute Reflection – 30 May – Monday within the Octave of Ascension – Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:14-20 and the Memorial of St Joan of Arc (1412-1431) “The Maid of Orléans” Holy Virgin

“He who believes and is baptised, shall be saved but he that believes not, shall be condemned.” – Mark 16:16

REFLECTION – “Let us work for the food which does not perish—our salvation! Let us work in the vineyard of the Lord ,to earn our daily wage in the Wisdom, which says: Those who work in me will not sin. Christ tells us: The field is the world. Let us work in it and dig up Wisdom, its hidden treasure, a treasure we all look for and want to obtain.

If you are looking for it, really look. Be converted and come. Converted from what? From your own willfulness. “But,” you may say, “if I do not find wisdom in my own will, where shall I find it? My soul eagerly desires it. And I will not be satisfied when I find it, if it is not a generous amount, a full measure, overflowing into my hands.” You are correct, for blessed is the man who finds Wisdom and is full of prudence.

Look for Wisdom while it can still be found. Call for it while it is near. Do you want to know how near it is? The Word and Wisdom is near you, in your heart and on your lips, provided that you seek it honestly. …

Happy is the man who has found Wisdom. Even more happy is the man who lives in Wisdom, for he perceives its abundance. There are three ways for Wisdom, or prudence to abound in you – if you confess your sins, if you give thanks and praise, and if your speech is edifying. Man believes with his heart and so, he is justified. He confesses with his lips and so, he is saved. In the beginning of his speech, the just man is his own accuser, next he gives glory to God and thirdly, if his wisdom extends that far, he edifies his neighbour.” – St Bernard (1090-1153) The “Last Father” and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church An excerpt from his Sermo de diversis

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that as we do believe Thine Only-Begotten Son our Saviour, to have this day ascended into the Heavens, so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend and with Him continually dwell. 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 DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 30 May – Run, Hasten O Lady! By St Bernard

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Our Morning Offering – 30 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

Run, Hasten O Lady!
By St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor

Run, hasten, O Lady,
and in your mercy help your sinful servant,
who calls upon you,
and deliver him from the hands of the enemy.
Who will not sigh to you?
We sigh with love and grief,
for we are oppressed on every side.
How can we do otherwise than sigh to you,
O solace of the miserable,
refuge of outcasts,
ransom of captives?
We are certain that when you see our miseries,
your compassion will hasten to relieve us.
O our Sovereign Lady and our Advocate,
commend us to your Son.
Grant, O blessed one,
by the grace which you have merited,
that He Who through you
was graciously pleased, to become a Partaker
of our infirmity and misery,
may also, through your intercession,
make us partakers of His happiness and glory.
Amen.

Posted in CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on VOCATIONS, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 April – ‘Teach us, good Lord,to serve You as You deserve’

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 April – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Saturday within the Octave of the Ascension

“There are two ways of keeping God’s word,
namely, one, whereby we store in our memory
what we hear and the other,
whereby we put into practice,
what we have heard
(and none will deny that the latter
is more commendable, inasmuch,
as it is better to sow grain,
than to store it in the barn).”

Blessed Jordan of Saxony (1190-1237)

“Those who risk all for God,
will find. that they have
both lost all and gained all.”

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

“Our business is to love what we have.
He wills our vocation as it is.
Let us love that and not trifle away our time
hankering after other people’s vocations.”

“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

“Teach Us Good Lord”
By St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

Teach us, good Lord,
to serve You as You deserve;
to give
and not to count the cost,
to fight
and not to heed the wounds,
to toil
and not to seek for rest,
to labour
and not to ask for reward,
except that of knowing
that we are doing Your will.
Amen

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

One Minute Reflection – 28 May– ‘ … He Himself, is the Lord of the Harvest, …’

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One Minute Reflection – 28 May – Saturday within the Octave of the Ascension – 1 Thessalonians, Luke 10:1-9 2:2-9 and the Memorial of Saint Augustine of Canterbury (Died c 605) Bishop, Confessor “The Apostle to the English”

“And He said to them, “The Harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few, pray, therefore, the Lord of the Harvest, to send out labourers into His Harvest.” – Luke 10:2

REFLECTION – “He shows how great the gift is, when He says, “Ask from the Lord of the harvest.” And in an inconspicuous manner, Jesus indicates, that He Himself is the One who holds this authority. Then to signify how promising is the harvest, Jesus calls them to “pray therefore the Lord of the harvest.” In doing so, He indirectly declares this lordship to be His own prerogative. For ,after having said, “pray, therefore, the Lord of the harvest” when they had not made any request or prayer, He Himself ,at once, appoints them,, reminding them also of the sayings of John, about the threshing floor, the separation of the husks from the kernels of grain, the husks that are left over and of the One Who is winnowing. From this, it is clear, that He Himself, is the Farmer, He Himself, is the Lord of the Harvest, He Himself is the Master of the prophets.

For if He sent them to gather the harvest, it is clear that they do not harvest what belongs to someone else. Instead, they harvest the things that He sowed through the prophets. In calling their ministry a harvest, He was encouraging them but also, empowering them, to this ministry.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church (The Gospel of Matthew Homily 32.)

PRAYER – O God, Who graciously enlightened the English peoples with the light of the true faith by the preaching and miracles of blessed Augustine, Your 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 Your will. Grant too, we pray O Almighty God, that by the assistance of the prayers of the Blessed Mary ever a Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, we too may ascend with Him, in heart and mind and continually dwell. 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.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WILL of GOD

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

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

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

“He alone loves the Creator perfectly,
who manifests a pure love
for his neighbour.”

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

Grant us Your 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.

St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
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.

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One Minute Reflection – 27 May – “You are the salt of the earth”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 27 May – Saint Bede the Venerable (673-735) Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Matthew 5:13-19

“You are the salt of the earth” – Matthew 5:13

REFLECTION – “Salt is useful for so many purposes in human life! What need is there to speak about this? Now is the proper time to say why Jesus’ disciples are compared with salt. Salt preserves meats from decaying into stench and worms. It makes them edible for a longer period. They would not last through time and be found useful without salt. So also Christ’s disciples, standing in the way of the stench that comes from the sins of idolatry and fornication; support and hold together, this whole earthly realm.” – Origen Adamantius (c 185-253) Priest, Theologian, Exegist, Writer, Apologist, Father – (Fragment 91).

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).

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Saint of the Day – 27 May – Saint Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor ‘… The holy death of the servant of God … ‘

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 27 May – Saint Bede the Venerable (673-735) Confessor, Priest, Monk, Father and Doctor of the Church (Added by Pope Leo XIII in 1899),

Today, … England brings forward her illustrious son, the Venerable Bede. This humble Monk, whose life was spent in the praise of God, sought his Divine Master in nature and in history but above all in Holy Scripture, which he studied with a loving attention and fidelity to Tradition. He, who was ever a disciple of the ancients, takes his place today among his masters, as a Father and Doctor of the Church.

He thus sums up his own life: “I am a Priest of the Monastery of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul. I was born on their land and ever since my seventh year, I have always lived in their house, observing the Rule, singing day by day in their Church and making it my delight to learn, to teach, or to write. Since I was made a Priest, I have written commentaries on the Holy Scripture for myself and my brethren, using the words of our venerated Fathers and following their method of interpretation. And now, good Jesus, I beseech Thee, Thou Who hast given me in Thy mercy, to drink of the sweetness of Thy Word, grant me now, to attain to the Source, the Fount of Wisdom,and to gaze upon Thee forever and ever.” (Bede, Hist. Eccl. cap. ult.)

The holy death of the servant of God was one of the most precious lessons he left to his disciples. His last sickness lasted fifty days and he spent them, like the rest of his life, in singing the Psalms and in teaching. As the Feast of the Ascension drew near, he repeated over and over again, with tears of joy, the Antiphon: O King of Glory, Who hast ascended triumphantly above the heavens, leave us not orphans but send us the Promise of the Father, the Spirit of Truth. He said to his disciples, in the words of St Ambrose: “I have not lived in such a way, as to be ashamed to live with you but I am not afraid to die, for we have a good Master.” Then returning to his translation of the Gospel of St John and a work, which he had begun, on St Isidore’s Day, he would say: “I do not wish my disciples to be hindered after my death, by error, nor to lose the fruit of their studies.”

On the Tuesday before the Ascension ,he grew worse and it was evident that the end was near. He was full of joy and spent the day in dictating and the night in prayers of thanksgiving. The dawn of Wednesday morning found him urging his disciples to hurry on their work. At the hour of Tierce they left him to take part in the procession made on that day (the last of the Rogation days), with the relics of the Saints. One of them, a youth, who stayed with him, said: “Dear Master, there is but one chapter left; hast thou strength for it?” “It is easy,” he answered with a smile, “take thy pen, cut it and write – but make haste.” At the hour of None, he sent for the Priests of the Monastery and gave them little presents, begging them to remember him at the Altar. All wept. But he was full of joy, saying: “It is time for me, if it so please my Creator, to return to Him Who made me out of nothing, when as yet I was not. My sweet Judge has well ordered my life and now, the time of dissolution is at hand. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Yea, my soul longs to see Christ my King in His beauty.”

So did he pass this last day. Then came the touching dialogue with Wibert, the youth mentioned above. Dear master, there is yet one sentence more. Write quickly. After a moment – “ It is finished,” said the youth. “Thou sayest well,” replied the blessed man. “It is finished. Take my head in thy hands and help me face the Oratory, for it is a great joy to me to see myself facing that holy place where I have so often prayed.” When they had laid him on the floor of his cell, he said: “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost” and when he had named the Holy Ghost, he yielded up his soul.