Category: DOCTORS of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection โ€“ 20 March โ€“ ‘My Son is my entire Locution and Response, Vision and Revelation …’

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One Minute Reflection โ€“ 20 March โ€“ Saturday of the Fourth week of Lent, Readings:Jeremiah 11:18-20, Psalms 7:2-3, 9-10, 11-12, John 7:40-53

โ€œNever before has anyone spoken like this oneโ€ – John 7:46

REFLECTION – โ€œGod could answer: โ€œMy Son is My entire Locution and Response, Vision and Revelation, which I have already spoken, answered, manifested and revealed to you, by giving Him to you as a Brother, Companion, Master, Ransom and Rewardโ€ฆ โ€˜This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear himโ€™ (Mt 17,5).

If you desire me to answer with a word of comfort, behold my Son, subject to me and to others out of love for me and the afflicted … you will see how much He answers you. If you desire me to declare some secret truths or events to you, fix your eyes only on Him and you will discern hidden in Him, the most secret mysteries and wisdom and wonders of God, as my Apostle proclaims: โ€œIn the Son of God are hidden all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of Godโ€ (Col 2,3). These treasures of wisdom and knowledge will be for you far more sublime, delightful and advantageous, than what you want to know. The apostle, therefore, gloried, affirming that he had acted as though he knew no other than โ€œJesus Christ and him crucifiedโ€ (1Cor 2,2). And if you should seek other divine or corporeal visions and revelations, behold Him, become human and you will find more than you imagine. For the apostle Paul also says: โ€œIn Christ all the fullness of the divinity dwells bodilyโ€ (Col 2,9).โ€

One should not, then, inquire of God in this manner, nor is it necessary for God to speak anymoreโ€ฆ: there is no more faith to reveal, nor will there ever be.โ€ – St John of the Cross OCD (1542-1591) Carmelite, Doctor of the Church – Ascent of Mount Carmel, II, ch 22

PRAYER โ€“ In Your gentle mercy Lord, guide our wayward hearts, for we know that left to ourselves, we cannot do Your will. Almighty God, turn our hearts to Your Son, so that we, seeking the one thing necessary, may worship You and follow Him in spirit and in truth. We give You thanks for our faith, increase our faith O our God! May the prayers of all your saints and the Virgin Mary, Queen of All Saints, obtain for us the gift of humility and fidelity so that our lives may always be pleasing. Through Christ our Lord and Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN Saturdays, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 20 March – My Most Sorrowful Lady

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Our Morning Offering – 20 March – Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Mary’s Saturday

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, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection โ€“ 19 March โ€“ ‘How faithful in humility was the great Saint…’

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One Minute Reflection โ€“ 19 March โ€“ The Solemnity of St Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Readings: 2 Samuel 7:4-5,12-14,ย 16,ย Psalms 89:2-3,ย 4-5,ย 27ย ,ย 29,ย Romans 4:13,ย 16-18,ย 22,ย Matthew 1:16,ย 18-21,ย 24ย 

โ€œWhen Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded himโ€ – Matthew 1:24

REFLECTION – โ€œHow faithful in humility was the great Saint we are celebrating! That canโ€™t be said in all its perfection for, in spite of what he was, in what poverty and lowliness he lived all the days of his life, a poverty and lowliness beneath which he kept hidden and concealed his great virtues and dignity!โ€ฆ Truly, I have no doubt at all, that the angels came, beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank, to behold and wonder at his humility, while he sheltered that dearest Child, in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment, so as to feed the little Boy and the mother entrusted to him.

There is no doubt at all, that Saint Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon, [who were his ancestors]. Nevertheless, seeing him reduced to the exercise of carpentry, who could have discerned this, unless they were enlightened by a heavenly light, so hidden did he keep the remarkable gifts, with which God had favoured him?

And what wisdom did he not have? For God gave him, His most glorious Son to care forโ€ฆ the universal Prince of heaven and earthโ€ฆ Nevertheless, you can see how low and humbled he was brought, more than can be said or imaginedโ€ฆ he went to his own country and town of Bethlehem and none but he, was turned away from all those innsโ€ฆ

Notice how the angel turns him about with both hands. He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes, he orders him to return and he returns. God wants him to be always poorโ€ฆ and he submits to it with love and not only for a while, for he was poor his whole life long.โ€- St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church – Conferences, no. 19

PRAYER โ€“ Almighty God, at the beginnings of our salvation, when Mary conceived your Son and brought Him forth into the world, you placed them under Josephโ€™s watchful care. May his prayer still help Your Church to be an equally faithful guardian of Your mysteriest and a sign of Christ to mankind. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, God, forever, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 17 March – Death

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 March – Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Readings: Isaiah 49:8-15, Psalms 145:8-9,13-14, 17-18, John 5:17-30

โ€œI tell you for certain,
that everyone who hears my message
and has faith in the one who sent me,
has eternal life
and will never be condemned.
They have already gone from death to life.โ€

John 5:24

โ€œYou do not know
when your last day may come.
You are an ingrate!
Why not use the day, today,
that God has given you
to repent?โ€

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

โ€œKeep a clear eye toward lifeโ€™s end.
Do not forget your purpose
and destiny as Godโ€™s creature.
What you are in His sight,
is what you are and nothing more.
Remember that when you leave this earth,
you can take nothing that you have receivedโ€ฆ
but only what you have given โ€“ a full heart
enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.โ€

St Francis of Assisi (c 1181-1226)

โ€œDo now,
what you wish to have done,
when your moment
comes to die.โ€

St Angela Merici (1474-1540)

โ€œSee, my children,
to die well, we must live well;
to live well, we must seriously examine ourselves,
every evening think over what we have done during the day;
at the end of each week, review what we have done during the week;
at the end of each month, review what we have done during the month;
at the end of the year, what we have done during the year.
By this means, my children,
we cannot fail to correct ourselves
and to become fervent Christians in a short time.
Then, when death comes, we are quite ready,
we are happy to go to Heaven.โ€

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

Posted in BAPTISM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, QUOTES on SIN, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – Water and Blood

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Readings: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12, Psalms 46:2-3, 5-6,8-9, John 5:1-16

โ€œ โ€ฆ Sin is washed away by the waters of the font,
the Holy Spirit is poured forth in the chrism
and we obtain both of these gifts,
through the hands and the mouth of the Priest.
Thus the whole man is reborn
and renewed in Christ.โ€

St Pacian (c 310โ€“391)
Bishop of Barcelona

โ€œPour your dew on my weakness, Lord.
By your blood, forgive my sins.โ€

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

โ€œBy Baptism we are made flesh of the Crucified.โ€

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
Father and Doctor of the Churchโ€™s Unity

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MIRACLES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection โ€“ 15 March โ€“ ‘Let us remain attached to God in adversity, as much as, in prosperity.’ John 4:43-5

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One Minute Reflection โ€“ 15 March โ€“ Monday of the Fourth week of Lent, Readings: Isaiah 65:17-21,ย Psalms 30:2ย andย 4,ย 5-6,ย 11-12ย andย 13,ย John 4:43-54 and the Memorial of St Pope Zachary (Died 752)

โ€œUnless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.โ€ โ€ฆ John 4:48

REFLECTION โ€“ โ€œUnless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe!โ€ The royal official seems not to believe that Jesus has the power to raise the dead. โ€œCome down before my son dies!โ€ He seems to believe that Jesus does not know how serious his childโ€™s illness is. That is why Jesus reproaches him, to show him that miracles are done, above all, in order to win and heal souls. Thus, Jesus heals the father, who is no less spiritually ill, than the son, who is physically ill and He does so, in order to teach us, that we must be attached to Him, not because of miracles but because of His teaching, which the miracles confirm. For He does not work miracles for those who believe but for those who do not believe โ€ฆ

When the man returned home, โ€œhe and his whole household became believers.โ€ People who had neither seen nor heard Jesus โ€ฆ believed in Him. What teaching can we draw from this? We must believe in Him without demanding miracles; we must not demand of God that He prove His power. In our own day, how many people show greater love of God, when their children or wife have received some sort of relief in their illness. But even if our wishes are not heard, we must persevere, just as much, in thanksgiving and praise. Let us remain attached to God in adversity, as much as, in prosperity.โ€ – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church – Homilies on the Gospel of Saint John, no. 35

PRAYER โ€“ Teach us Holy Father to do Your will! Grant us Your guiding hand and Your grace, that we may trust You in all things. Strengthen us by Your grace and give us a heart willing to live by the love of Your Son, who so loved the world that He gave Himself up to death for our sake. For if we love as He loved, nothing will lead us from You. Grant that the prayers of St Pope Zachary, may intercede in our necessities. We make our prayer through the Christ, our Lord, one God with You and the Holy Spirit, now and for all eternity, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering โ€“ 15 March โ€“ O Merciful God By St Thomas Aquinas

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Our Morning Offering โ€“ 15 March โ€“ Monday of the Fourth week of Lent

O Merciful God
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus
Doctor Communis

O merciful God,
grant that I may ever perfectly
do Thy Will in all things.
Let it be my ambition to work
only for Thy honour and glory.
Let me rejoice in nothing
but that which leads to Thee,
nor grieve for anything,
which leads away from Thee.
May all passing things be as nothing in my eyes
and may all which is Thine be dear to me
and Thou, my God, dear above them all.
May all joy be meaningless without Thee
and may I desire nothing apart from Thee.
May all labour and toil delight me, when it is for Thee.
Make me, O Lord, obedient without complaint,
poor without regret,
patient without murmur,
humble without pretence,
joyous without frivolity,
and truthful without disguise.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LENT 2021, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The INCARNATION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – โ€“ 14 March โ€“ For God so loved the world … John 3:14-21

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One Minute Reflection – โ€“ 14 March โ€“ Laetare Sunday, Readings: 2 Chronicles 36:14-16,ย 19-23,ย Psalms 137:1-2,ย 3,4-5,ย 6,ย Ephesians 2:4-10,ย John 3:14-21

โ€œAnd just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal lifeโ€ฆโ€ – John 3:14-15

REFLECTION – โ€œLet us praise the Son first of all, venerating the blood that expiated our sins. He lost nothing of His divinity when He saved me, when like a good physician He stooped to my festering wounds.
He was a mortal man but He was also God. He was of the race of David but Adamโ€™s creator.
He who has no body clothed Himself with flesh. He had a mother who, nonetheless, was a virgin.
He who is without bounds, bound Himself with the cords of our humanity. He was victim and high priestโ€”yet He was God.
He offered up His blood and cleansed the whole world.
He was lifted up on the cross but it was sin, that was nailed to it.
He became as one, among the dead but He rose from the dead, raising to life also many who had died before Him.
On the one hand, there was the poverty of His humanity, on the other, the riches of His divinity.
Do not let what is human in the Son permit you, wrongfully, to detract from what is divine. For the sake of the divine, hold in the greatest honour, the humanity, which the immortal Son took on Himself, for love of you!โ€ – St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father & Doctor – Poem 2

PRAYER – โ€œAll-powerful God, Benefactor and Creator of the universe,
hearken to my groaning in my peril.
Deliver me from fear and anguish,
free me, by the strength of Your might, You who can do allโ€ฆ
O Lord Christ, cut the threads of my net
with the sword of Your triumphant Cross, with the weapon of life.
This net encompasses me on every side,
holding me captive so as to bring me to my death.
Guide to their rest, my tottering and unsteady steps,
heal the stifling fever of my heart.โ€ – St Gregory of Narek (c 951-c 1010)
Doctor of the Church – Book of prayers, no 40 (Excerpt)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 March – โ€œYou shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heartโ€

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 March – Friday of the Third Week of Lent, Readings: Hosea 14: 2-10, Psalms 81: 6-8, 8-9, 10-11, 14 and 17, Mark 12:28-34

โ€œYou shall love the Lord your God
with ALL your heartโ€

Mark 12:30

โ€œWhatever you do, do from the heart,
as for the Lord and not for others,
knowing that you will receive
from the Lord
the due payment of the inheritance;
be slaves of the Lord Christ.โ€

Colossians 3:23-24

โ€œRemember God
more often
than you breathe!โ€

St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390)
Father and Doctor of the Church

โ€œYou first loved us
so that we might love Youโ€”
not because You needed our love
but because, we could not be
what You created us to be,
except by loving You.โ€

William of Saint Thierry (c 1075-1148)

โ€œWe become what we love
and who we love,
shapes what we become.โ€

St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

โ€œHe who wishes for anything but Christ,
does not know what he wishes;
he who asks for anything but Christ,
does not know what he is asking;
he who works and not for Christ,
does not know what he is doing.โ€

St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

โ€œMan is the perfection of the Universe.
The spirit is the perfection of man.
Love is the perfection of the spirit
and charity, that of love.
Therefore, the love of God is the end,
the perfection of the Universe.โ€

โ€œBy giving yourself to God,
you not only receive Himself in exchange
but, eternal life as well!โ€

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 March – ‘With ALL your heart’ – Mark 12:30

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One Minute Reflection – 12 March – Friday of the Third Week of Lent, Readings: Hosea 14: 2-10,ย Psalms 81: 6-8,ย 8-9,ย 10-11,ย 14ย andย 17,ย Mark 12:28-34 and the Memorial of St Seraphina
(1238-1253) Virgin

โ€œYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heartโ€ – Mark 12:30

REFLECTION – โ€œThe great ones of the earth glorify themselves in possessing kingdoms and wealth.
Jesus Christ finds all His happiness in ruling over our hearts.
This is the sovereignty He desires and, that He decided to conquer, with His death on the cross: โ€œUpon his shoulder dominion restsโ€ (Is 9:5).
Many interpreters understand, by these words, โ€ฆ the Cross our divine Redeemer bore on His shoulders.
โ€œThis heavenly king,โ€ Cornelius ร  Lapide remarks, โ€œis a completely different master to the devil. The latter loads heavy burdens onto his slaves’ shoulders. Jesus, to the contrary, takes the full weight of His lordship on Himself, He embraces the Cross and wants to die on it, so as to reign over our hearts.โ€
And Tertullian says that, whereas earthly monarchs โ€œcarry a sceptre in their hands and wear a crown on their heads as emblems of their power, Jesus Christ bore the Cross on His shoulders. And the Cross was the Throne, to which He ascended to establish His kingdom of loveโ€ โ€ฆ
Let us then hasten to dedicate all our heart’s love to this God who, to win it, has sacrificed His blood, His life, His whole self.
โ€œIf you knew the gift of God,โ€ said Jesus to the Samaritan woman, โ€œand who it is who says to you: ‘Give me to drink’โ€ (Jn 4:10).
That is to say: if you only knew how great is the grace you receive from God โ€ฆ
Oh, if the soul only understood what an extraordinary grace God bestows on it, when He begs for its love in the words: โ€œYou shall love the Lord your God โ€ฆ.โ€ Would not a subject who heard his lord say : โ€œLove me” not be entranced?
And could God not succeed in winning our hearts when He asks us for it with such great sweetness: โ€œMy son, give me your heart?โ€ (Prv 23:26). However, God does not want this heart by halves, He wants the whole of it, without reserve.
His commandment is: โ€œYou shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart.โ€ – – St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop and Most Zealous Doctor of the Church – 6th Discourse for the Octave of Christmas

PRAYER โ€“ Lord Almighty God, You sanctify Your Church, by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Fulfil in us the words of Your Son that our love for You and Your children may be come to perfection. Grant that by the prayers of St Seraphina, we too may attain our heavenly home. Through Christ our Lord, in union with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The HEART, The LAMB of GOD, The REDEMPTION, The TEN COMMANDMENTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day โ€“ 10 March – New in Old, Old through New Matthew 5:17-19

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Quote/s of the Day โ€“ 10 March – Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent, Readings: Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9, Psalms 147:12-13,15-16, 19-20, Matthew 5:17-19

โ€œI have come, not to abolish but to fulfil.โ€

Matthew 5:17

โ€œThe 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 โ€“
and, even more so, in the new dispensation.
For the Law became the Word;
from being old it became new โ€ฆ
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. โ€ฆโ€

St Melito of Sardis (Died c 180)
Bishop, Apologist โ€“ Paschal Homily

โ€œIn the first instance,
the finger of God inscribed the laws on tablets of stone
but now, it is in human hearts,
that He writes it (Ex 31:18; 2 Cor 3:3).โ€

โ€œThe New Testament lies hidden, in the Old;
the Old is made accessible, by the New.โ€

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

โ€œWhen it comes to obeying the commandments
or enduring adversity,
the words uttered by the Father
should always echo in our ears โ€“
โ€œThis is my Son, the beloved,
in whom I am well pleased,
listen to Him.โ€

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

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection โ€“ 10 March – โ€œI have come, not to abolish but to fulfil.โ€ Matthew 5:17-19

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One Minute Reflection โ€“ 10 March – Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent, Readings: Deuteronomy 4:1,ย 5-9,ย Psalms 147:12-13,15-16,ย 19-20,ย Matthew 5:17-19 and the Memorial of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, Armenia (Died 320)

โ€œI have come, not to abolish but to fulfil.โ€ โ€ฆ Matthew 5:17

REFLECTION โ€“ โ€œIn Him the promise made through the shadows of prophecy stands revealed, along with the full meaning of the precepts of the law. He is the one who teaches the truth of prophecy through His presence and makes obedience to the commandments possible, through grace.
In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No-one should be ashamed of the Cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.
No-one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice, no-one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on Himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in Him and in our love for Him, we win the victory that He has won, we receive what He has promised.
When it comes to obeying the commandments or enduring adversity, the words uttered by the Father should always echo in our ears โ€“ โ€œThis is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased, listen to Him.โ€ โ€ฆ St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) โ€“ An excerpt from Sermo 51

PRAYER – Shed your clear light on our hearts, Lord, so that walking continually in the way of Your commandments, we may never be deceived or misled. May your Angels and the FortyHoly Martyrs of Sebaste, pray for us. May the Mother of Our God and our Mother, be at our side and guide our way. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, The HEART

Our Morning Offering – 9 March – For the Sake of Your Only Son By St Augustine

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Our Morning Offering – 9 March – Tuesday of the Third week of Lent

Hear us, O Heavenly Father,
For the Sake of Your Only Son
By St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Almighty Father, come into our hearts
and so fill us with Your love
that forsaking all evil desires,
we may embrace You, our only good.
Show us, O Lord our God, what You are to us.
Say to our souls, I am your salvation,
speak so, that we may hear.
Our hearts are before You,
open our ears,
let us hasten after Your Voice.
Hide not Your Face from us,
we beseech You, O Lord.
Open our hearts, so that You may enter in.
Repair the ruined mansions,
that You may dwell therein.
Hear us, O Heavenly Father,
for the sake of Your only Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection โ€“ 8 March – The Widow of Zareptha – ‘Our flour will be God himself!’ – Luke 4:24-30

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One Minute Reflection โ€“ 8 March โ€“ Monday of the Third week of Lent, Readings: 2 Kings 5:1-15,Psalms 42:2,ย 3;ย 43:3,ย 4,ย Luke 4:24-30 and the Memorial fo St John of God (1495-1550) and Blessed Vincent Kadlubek O.Cist (c 1160-1223)

โ€œThere were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months and a great famine came over all the land. Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.โ€ – Luke 4:25-26

REFLECTION – โ€œThe poor widow had gone out to look for two blocks of wood to bake some brea,: it is at this time that Elijah meets her. This woman is the symbol of the Church because a cross is made of two pieces of wood, the woman, who was destined to die, searches for something by which to live eternally. There is a hidden mystery in this โ€ฆ Elijah tells her: โ€œGo, feed me first with your poverty and you will not run out of your goods.โ€ What a blessed poverty! If the widow received here on earth such retribution, what a reward may she hope to receive in the life to come!

I insist on this point – let us not expect to harvest the fruit of our sowing now, at the time we sow. Here on earth, we sow with difficulty what will be the harvest of our good works but only later on, will we gather the fruits of this with joy, according to what is said: โ€œThose who go forth weeping, carrying sacks of seed, will return with cries of joy, carrying their bundled sheavesโ€ (Ps 125:6). Actually Elijah’s act towards this woman was not her reward, but only a symbol of it. For if this widow would have been rewarded here on earth for having fed the man of God, what a miserable sowing, what a poor crop! She received just a temporal good – a jar of flour that did not empty and a jug of oil that did not run dry, until the day the Lord watered the earth with His rain. This sign that was given to her by God, for a few days was, therefore, the symbol of the future life where our reward could not be lessened. Our flour will be God himself! As the flour of this woman did not run out in these days, we will not be deprived of God for all the rest of eternity โ€ฆ Sow with faith and your harvest will surely come; it will come later on but when it will come, you will reap it endlessly.โ€ – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father, Doctor of the Church – Sermon 11, 2-3

PRAYER โ€“ Lord our God, make us love You above all things and all our fellow-men, with a love that is worthy of You. May we look to Your Divine Son in love and imitation. Grant we pray, that by the prayers of the St John of God and Bl Vincent Kadlubek we too may be granted the grace to follow Your only Son, no matter our sufferings. We make our prayer, through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on ZEAL, The HEART, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 March – โ€œZeal for your house will consume me.โ€ John 2:13-25

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 March – The Third Sunday of Lent, Readings: Exodus 20:1-17, Psalms 19:8-11, 1 Corinthians 1:22-25, John 2:13-25

โ€œZeal for your house will consume me.โ€

John 2:17

โ€œWhatever you do, do from the heart,
as for the Lord and not for others,
knowing that you will receive
from the Lord
the due payment of the inheritance;
be slaves of the Lord Christ.โ€

Colossians 3:23-24

โ€œThis is the glory of man โ€“
to persevere and remain
in the service of God.
For this reason,
the Lord told His disciples:
โ€˜You did not choose Me but I chose you.โ€™
He meant that His disciples
did not glorify Him by following Him
but, in following the Son of God,
they were glorified by Him.
As He said:
โ€˜I wish that where I am
they also may be,
that they may see My glory.โ€™โ€

St Irenaeus (130-202)
Father of the Church and Martyr

โ€œโ€ฆ There is one Road
and one only,
well secured against all possibility
of going astray
and, this Road is provided
by One Who is Himself
both God and man.
As God, He is the Goal,
as man, He is the Way.โ€

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

โ€œโ€ฆ It was their vocation to call sinners to repentance,
to heal those who were sick,
whether in body or spirit,
to seek in all their dealing,
never to do their own will
but the will of Him who sent them and,
as far as possible, to save the world
by their teaching.โ€

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Bishop, Father & Doctor of the Church

Our life is:
โ€œTo breathe God in and out.
To find God in everything.
To reveal God to all.
To radiate the presence of God.โ€

St Vincent Pallotti (1795-1850)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 March – โ€œDestroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.โ€

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 7 March – The Third Sunday of Lent, Readings: Exodus 20:1-17,ย Psalms 19:8-11,ย 1 Corinthians 1:22-25,ย John 2:13-25

โ€œDestroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.โ€ – John 2:19

REFLECTION – โ€œWe are still God’s workmen who are building the temple of God. This temple’s dedication has already taken place in its Head, in that the Lord has risen from the dead after His victory over death and having destroyed in Himself what was mortal, He has ascended to heaven โ€ฆ But now we are building this temple through faith, so that its dedication may also be made at the final resurrection. That is why โ€ฆ one of the Psalms has the title: โ€œWhen the Temple was rebuilt after the captivityโ€ (95[96]:1 Vg.). Call to mind our own former captivity when the devil held the whole world in his power, like a flock of the unfaithful. It was due to this captivity that our Redeemer came. He shed His blood for our ransoming and, by the blood He poured out, He cancelled the debt that was holding us captive (Col 2:14) โ€ฆ Sold beforehand to sin, we have now been set free by grace.
Following this captivity, the temple is now being built and, to raise it up, the Good News proclaimed. That is why this Psalm begins as follows: โ€œSing to the Lord a new songโ€ And, lest you think this temple is being constructed in some insignificant corner, as the heretics who separate themselves from the Church build it, pay attention to what follows: โ€œSing to the Lord, all you landsโ€ โ€ฆ
โ€œSing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all you lands.โ€ Sing and clap your hands! Sing and โ€œbless the name of the Lordโ€ (v. 2). Proclaim the day, born of the day of salvation, the day, born of the day of Christ. For who is the salvation of God if not His Christ? This is the salvation we pray for in the Psalm: โ€œShow us, Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help.โ€ Just men of old longed for this salvation, those of whom the Lord said to His disciples: โ€œMany desired to see what you see but did not see itโ€ (Lk 10:24)โ€ฆ
โ€œSing to the lord a new song; sing to the Lordโ€ See the fervour of the builders! โ€œSing to the Lord and bless his name.โ€ Proclaim the Good News! What good news is that? Day is born from Dayโ€ฆ Light from Light; the Son from the Father, the saving power of God! This is how the temple is built after the captivity.โ€ – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of Grace – Sermon 163,5

PRAYER – Lord our God, Your Son so loved the world that He gave Himself up to death for our sake. Strengthen us by You grace and give us a heart willing to livew by that same love. May His Mother and ours, be with us and give us hope and strength. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever, amen.

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The SIGN of the CROSS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 March – ‘Why not use the day, today?’

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 March – Saturday of the Second week of Lent, Readings: Micah 7:14-15, 18-20, Psalms 103: 1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12, Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32

โ€œQuickly bring the finest robe
and put it on himโ€

Luke 15:22

โ€˜God, be merciful to me a sinner!โ€™

Luke 18:13

โ€œYou do not know
when your last day may come.
You are an ingrate!
Why not use the day, today,
that God has given you
to repent?โ€

โ€œHe who calls us, came here below,
to give us the means of getting there.
He chose the wood
that would enable us to cross the sea โ€“
indeed, no-one can cross the ocean of this world,
who is not borne by the Cross of Christ.
Even the blind can cling to this Cross.
If you canโ€™t see where you are going very well,
donโ€™t let go of it, it will guide you by itself. โ€

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

โ€œA saint is not someone, who never sins,
but one who sins less and less frequently
and gets up more and more quickly.โ€

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor

โ€œAspire to God with short
but frequent outpourings of the heart,
admire His bounty,
invoke His aid,
cast yourself in spirit at the foot of His Cross,
adore His goodness,
treat with Him of your salvation,
give Him your whole soul โ€“
a thousand times in the day.โ€

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2021, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 6 March -O Jesus, Maryโ€™s Son! By St Thomas Aquinas

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Our Morning Offering – 6 March – Saturday of the Second week of Lent and always a Marian day

O Jesus, Maryโ€™s Son!
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus, Doctor communis

Hail to Thee! True body sprung
From the Virgin Maryโ€™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 lifeโ€™s last agony.
O kind, O loving One!
O Jesus, Maryโ€™s Son!
Amen

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SIN, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 4 March โ€“ There was a rich man …

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 March โ€“ Thursday of the Second week of Lent, Readings: Jeremiah 17:5-10, Psalms 1: 1-2, 3, and 6, Luke 16: 19-31

โ€œThere was a rich man
who was clothed in purple and fine linen
and who feasted sumptuously everyday.
And at his gate was laid,
a poor man named Lazarus โ€ฆโ€

Luke 16:19-20

โ€œYou, who think that you have a healthy hand,
beware lest it is withered by greed or by sacrilege.
Hold it out often.
Hold it out to the poor person who begs you.
Hold it out to help your neighbour,
to give protection to a widow,
to snatch from harm
one whom you see subjected to unjust insult.
Hold it out to God for your sins.โ€

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

โ€œโ€ฆ Let us be afraid, my beloved,
lest we also see the poor
and pass them by,
lest instead of Lazarus,
there be many
to accuse us hereafter.โ€

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

โ€œGod resists the proudโ€
whether they are covered with silk or with rags
but โ€œhe gives grace to the humbleโ€ (Jas 4:6)
whether or not, they have possessions in this world.
God looks at what is within,
it is there He assesses,
there He examines.โ€

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

โ€œWhat sort of people are we?
When God gives, we want to receive,
when He asks, we refuse to give?
When a poor man is hungry,
Christ is in need, as He said Himself:
โ€œI was hungry and you gave me no food.โ€
Take care not to despise the hardship of the poor,
if you would hope, without fear,
to have your sins forgivenโ€ฆ
What He receives on earth,
He returns in heaven.โ€

St Caesarius of Arles (470-543)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 4 March – O Lord and Master of My Life

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Our Morning Offering – 4 March – Thursday of the Second week of Lent

O Lord and Master of My Life
By Saint Ephrem (306-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

O Lord and Master of my life,
give me not a spirit of sloth, vain curiosity,
lust for power and idle talk.
But give to me, Thy servant,
a spirit of soberness, humility, patience and love.
O Lord and King,
grant me to see my own faults
and not to condemn my brother.
For blessed art Thou to the ages of ages.
Amen
O God, be merciful to me a sinner.
O God, cleanse me, a sinner.
O God, my Creator, save me
and for my many sins forgive me!

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 3 March – ‘The proof of our love’

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 March – Wednesday of the Second week of Lent, Readings: Jeremiah 18:18-20,Psalms 31: 5-6, 14, 15-16, Matthew 20: 17-28

โ€œAre you able to drink the cup
that I am to drink?โ€

Matthew 20:22

โ€œOnly let it be in the name of Jesus Christ,
that I may suffer together with Him!
I endure everything
because He Himself,
Who is perfect man, empowers me.โ€

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35โ€“107) Martyr

โ€œDo not rejoice in the Cross only in times of peace,
preserve the same faith in times of persecution.
Do not be a friend to Jesus in times of peace alone,
only to become His enemy in times of war.
You are now receiving forgiveness for your sins
and the spiritual gifts lavishly bestowed by your King so,
when war breaks out, fight valiantly for your King.โ€

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

โ€œDo not live any longer in yourself
but let Jesus Christ live in you in such a way
that the virtue of this Divine Saviour may be resplendent
in all your actions, in order that all may see in you
a true portrait of the Crucified and sense,
the sweetest fragrance of the holy virtues of the Lord,
in interior and exterior modesty,
in patience,
in gentleness,
suffering,
charity,
humility
and in all others that follow.โ€

St Paul of the Cross (1604-1775)

โ€œTo labour and to suffer
for the One we love,
is the greatest proof of our love.โ€

St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY

Thought for the Day โ€“ 2 March โ€“ The Christian Formation of Character

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Thought for the Day โ€“ 2 March โ€“ Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Christian Formation of Character

โ€œSt Francis de Sales writes thus, with his usual simplicity:
โ€œA way has been found of making bitter almonds sweet, by pucturing them at the base and squeezing out the juice.
Why cannot we eject our evil inclinations in order to make ourselves better.
There is nobody so good by nature, that a bad habit could not altogether corrupt him.
Similarly, there is nobody so bad by nature, that he could not be trained in goodness by the grace of God and his own perseverance.โ€
St Francis de Sales did not teach this in theory alone but, he put his advice into practice to an heroic degree in his own life.
He was endowed by nature, with a vigorous, irascible and resentful disposition and he bacame an angel of gentleness and affability.
From his youth, he was aware of the defects in his character.
He himself, admitted, that he struggled against them for twenty two years with God’s help.
He reached the point where he was able to remain silent when he was insulted and to refrain from defending himself, when he was slandered, for he had acquired an inward peace and a remarkable calmness of manner.
This gentleness of character enabled him to convert over seventy thousand heretics, to win back hardened sinners to Jesus Christ and, to set countless souls on fire with the love of God.
This is the man called โ€œthe Gentle Christ of Genevaโ€ and โ€œthe Gentleman Saint!โ€
We have a great deal to learn from him!

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/23/thought-for-the-day-23-march-the-christian-formation-of-character/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 1 March – Humility Matthew 23:12

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 March – Monday of the Second week of Lent, Readings: Isaiah 1:10, 16-20,Psalms 50: 8-9,16-17, 21 and 23, Matthew 23:1-12

โ€œWhoever exalts himself will be humbled
and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.โ€

Matthew 23:12

โ€œMy brothers,
keep away from the beast of boasting
and concern for oneโ€™s reputation,
for these destroy and weaken,
every good work.โ€

Bl Raymond of Capua (c 1330-1399)

โ€œThe one sole thing, in myself,
in which I glory,
is that I see in myself,
nothing, in which I can glory.โ€

St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)

โ€œHumility is not just about self-mistrust
but about the entrusting of ourselves to God.
Distrusting ourselves and our own strength
produces trust in God
and from that trust,
generosity of soul is born.โ€

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

โ€œThe most powerful weapon
to conquer the devil is humility.
For, as he does not know at all,
how to employ it,
neither does he know
how to defend himself from it.โ€

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

โ€œThere is more value
in a little study of humility
and, in a single act of it,
than in all the knowledge
in the world.โ€

St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of Prayer

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Our Morning Offering – 2 March – Prayer for the Gift of Prayer By St Alphonsus Liguori

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Our Morning Offering – 2 March – Tuesday of the Second week of Lent

Prayer for the Gift of Prayer
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

O Incarnate Word,
You have given Your Blood and Your Life
to confer on our prayers that power by which,
according to Your promise,
they obtain for us all that we ask.
And we, O God,
are so careless of our salvation,
that we will not even ask You for the graces
that we must have, if we should be saved!
In prayer You have given us the key
of all Your Divine treasures;
and we, rather than pray,
choose to remain in our misery.
Alas! O Lord, enlighten us,
and make us know the value of prayers,
offered in Your name and by Your merits,
in the eyes of Your Eternal Father.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PRAYER, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day โ€“ 1 March – ‘For the measure you give, will be the measure you get back.’ – Luke 6:36-38

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Quote/s of the Day โ€“ 1 March – Monday of the Second week of Lent, Readings: Daniel 9:4-10, Psalms 79:8, 9, 11 and 13, Luke 6:36-38

โ€œJudge not and you will not be judged;
condemn not and you will not be condemned;
forgive and you will be forgiven;
give and it will be given to you,
good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, running over,
will be put into your lap.
For the measure you give,
will be the measure you get back.โ€

Luke 6:37-38

โ€œSomeone who shows no clemency,
who is not clothed with the bowels of mercy and tears,
no matter what sort of student he is in spirituality,
such a one does not fulfil the law of Christ.โ€

St Jerome (343-420)
โ€œThe Man of the Bibleโ€
Father and Doctor of the Church

โ€œLift up and stretch out your hands,
not to heaven but to the poorโ€ฆ
if you lift up your hands in prayer
without sharing with the poor,
it is worth nothing.โ€

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

โ€œRemember that when you leave this earth,
you can take with you,
nothing that you have receivedโ€”
only what you have given โ€“
a full heart,
enriched by honest service,
love, sacrifice and courage.โ€

St Francis of Assisi (c 1181โ€“1226)

โ€œLet us learn of Him,
that holy preference,
which shows most love,
to those who suffer most.โ€

Blessed Frรฉdรฉric Ozanam (1813โ€“1853)
โ€œServant to the Poorโ€

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The TRANSFIGURATION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 February – Transfiguration

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 February – The Second Sunday of Lent, Readings: Genesis 22:1-2, 9, 10-13, 15-18, Psalms 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19, Romans 8:31-34, Mark 9:2-10

Transfiguration

โ€œAnd a cloud overshadowed them
and a voice came out of the cloud,
โ€œThis is my beloved Son; listen to him.โ€

Mark 9:7

โ€œโ€ฆ He was also providing a firm foundation
for the hope of holy Church.
The whole body of Christ was to understand,
the kind of transformation,
that it would receive as His gift.
The members of that body
were to look forward to a share
in that glory which first blazed out
in Christ their head.โ€

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

โ€œIn most holy contemplation
we shall be ever filled with the sight of God
shining gloriously around us,
as once it shone for the disciples
at the divine Transfiguration.
And there we shall be,
our minds away from passion and from earth
and we shall have a conceptual gift, of light from Him
and, somehow, in a way we cannot know,
we shall be united with Him
and, our understanding carried away,
blessedly happy,
we shall be struck by His blazing light.
Marvellously, our minds,
will be like those in the heavens above.โ€

Pseudo Dionysius the Areopogite (5th-6th Century)
(The Divine Names, 1)

โ€œBy His loving foresight,
He allowed them to taste for a short time,
the contemplation of eternal joy,
so that they might bear persecution bravely.โ€

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

โ€œAt His Transfiguration
Christ showed His disciples,
the splendour of His beauty,
to which He will shape and colour
those who are His:
โ€˜He will reform our lowness
configured to the body of his glory.โ€™โ€

St Thomas Aquinas (1225 โ€“ 1274)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY SPIRIT, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The TRANSFIGURATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection โ€“ 28 February – ‘You see, perfect faith is knowledge of the Son of God … ‘ Mark 9:2-10

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One Minute Reflection โ€“ 28 February – The Second Sunday of Lent, Readings: Genesis 22:1-2,ย 9,ย 10-13,ย 15-18,ย Psalms 116:10,ย 15,ย 16-17,ย 18-19,ย Romans 8:31-34,ย Mark 9:2-10

โ€œHe was transfigured before them and his clothes became dazzling whiteโ€ – Mark 9:2-3

REFLECTION – โ€œThree persons were chosen to climb the mountain, two to appear with the Lord โ€ฆ Peter, who received the keys of the Kingdom of heaven, was one of those who climbed up and John, to whom was entrusted the Mother of Jesus and James, who would be the first to be elevated to the Episcopal dignity. Then Moses and Elijah, the Law and the prophets, appeared together with the Word โ€ฆ Let us, too, climb the mountain, let us beg the Word of God to appear to us in His โ€œsplendour and beauty,โ€ to โ€œbe strong, go forth in majesty and reignโ€ (Ps 45[44]:4). โ€ฆ

For if you do not ascend to the peak of a higher knowledge, Wisdom will not appear to you, understanding of the mysteries will not make itself known. The splendour and beauty to be found in the Word of God will not appear to you but God’s Word will seem like a body โ€œwithout grace or beautyโ€ (Is 53:2). He will seem to you like a man of suffering, โ€œaccustomed to infirmityโ€ (v. 3) and like a word born of man, covered with the veil of the letter and not shining with the power of the Spirit (cf. 2 Cor 3:6-17). โ€ฆ

His clothing takes one appearance at the foot of the mountain, another at the top. It might be said that the garments of the Word are Scripture’s words that, so to speak, clothe the divine thoughts. And just as He appeared to Peter, James and John under another aspect, His garment dazzling white, so the meaning of the divine Scriptures is already explained in your mind’s eye. Thus the divine words become like snow โ€œsuch as no one on earth could bleach themโ€ โ€ฆ

Then followed a cloud, that hid them under its shadow. This shadow is the divine Spirit, which does not cover over men’s hearts but brings to light, what lies hidden โ€ฆ You see, perfect faith is knowledge of the Son of God, not just for beginners but for the perfect and even for the inhabitants of heaven.โ€ – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church – Commentary on Saint Luke’s Gospel, VII9 f.

PRAYER – God our Father, You bid us listen to Your Son, the well-beloved. Nourish our heats on Your Word, purify the eyes of our mind and fill us with joy, at the vision of Your glory. May our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary accompan us and intercede for us as we strive to purify our lives. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 28 February – My Lord, I am Unworthy! By St Bonaventure

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Our Morning Offering – 28 February – The Second Sunday of Lent

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

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

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 27 February – St Gregory of Narek, d St Gabriel Francis Possenti

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Quote/s of the Day – 27 February – The Memorial of St Gregory of Narek (950-1003) Father & Doctor of the Church and St Gabriel Francis Possenti of Our Lady of Sorrows CP (1838-1862)

โ€œIn the face of my darkness,
You are light.
In the face of my mortality,
You are life.โ€

โ€œThe soul’s every movement
is a reminder of God,
the taking of a step,
the extension of the right hand,
the raising of the arm,
with thanks for good works,
with shame for bad,
for familiar conversation
and public addresses,
in rational discourse,
in works of success,
in the fervour of virtue,
day and night,
we are guided by You
in the useful movements for our spirit,
asleep or awake โ€ฆ โ€

Assist me by the wings of your prayers,
O you who are called the Mother of the living,
so that on my exit from this valley of tears
I may be able to advance without torment,
to the dwelling of life
that has been prepared for us
to lighten the end of a life burdened by my iniquity.

Healer of the sorrows of Eve,
change my day of anguish into a feast of gladness.
Be my Advocate,
ask and supplicate.
For as I believe in your inexpressible purity,
so do I also believe in
the good reception that is given to your word.

O you who are blessed among women,
help me with your tears
for I am in danger.
Bend the knee to obtain my reconciliation,
O Mother of God.

Be solicitous for me for I am miserable,
O Tabernacle of the Most High.
Hold out your hand to me as I fall,
O heavenly Temple.

Glorify your Son in you,
may He be pleased to operate Divinely in me
the miracle of forgiveness and mercy.
Handmaid and Mother of God,
may your honour be exalted by me
and may my salvation be manifested, through you.
Amen.

St Gregory of Narek (950-1003)
Father & Doctor of the Church

โ€œI will attempt,
day by day,
to break my will into pieces.
I want to do Godโ€™s Holy Will,
not my ownโ€

โ€œDo not bestow your love on the world!โ€

โ€œLove Mary!โ€ฆ She is loveable, faithful, constant.
She will never let herself be outdone in love
but will ever remain supreme.
If you are in danger, she will hasten to free you.
If you are troubled, she will console you.
If you are sick, she will bring you relief.
If you are in need, she will help you.
She does not look to see what kind of person you have been.
She simply comes to a heart that wants to love her.
She comes quickly and opens her merciful heart to you,
embraces you and consoles and serves you.
She will even be at hand,
to accompany you on the trip to eternity.โ€

(From a letter to his brother).

St Gabriel Francis Possenti of Our Lady of Sorrows (1838-1862)

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

Nostra Signora della Luce / Our Lady of Light, Palermo, Italy, (18th Century) and Memorials of the Saints – 27 February

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Nostra Signora della Luce / Our Lady of Light, Palermo, Italy, (18th Century) – 27 February:

Early in the 18th century, a Jesuit, Father John Genovesi, lived in Palermo, Italy. At the beginning of his missionary career, he placed the souls over which he would have charge, under the protection of the Blessed Mother, deciding to take with him, to each of his missions, an image of Mary.
Not knowing which image of Our Lady to use, he consulted a pious visionary telling her to ask Our Lady what she desired. One day as this lady knelt in prayer, she beheld approaching her, the Queen of Heaven, surrounded by pomp, majesty and glory, surpassing anything else she had ever beheld in any of her visions. A torrent of light was shed from the body of the Virgin which was so clear, that in comparison with it, the sun seemed obscure. Yet, these rays were not painful to the sigh; but seemed rather, directed to the heart, which they instantly penetrated and filled with sweetness.
A group of Seraphs hovering in the air were suspended over their Empress and held a triple crown. The virginal body was clothed in a flowing robe, whiter than the snow and more brilliant than the sun. A belt inlaid with precious stones encircled Maryโ€™s beautiful form and from her graceful shoulders, hung a mantle of azure hue. Countless angels surrounded their Queen but, what most enchanted the contemplative soul, was the untold sweetness and grace and benignity shown in the motherly face of Mary. She radiated clemency and love. Our Lady told the pious woman, that she wished to be represented as she was now under the title of Most Holy Mother of Light, repeating the words three times.
The Jesuit hired labourers to begin the work on the picture of Our Lady of Light, however, neither the pious lady, nor the priest, were able to direct it and the result was that after completion, it did not answer Our Ladyโ€™s orders. Our Lady directed the woman to look at the image and seeing the mistake, she again betook herself to prayer and asked Mary to help her. Mary appeared again, commanding the woman to supervise the work, giving directions, while Mary would aid in an invisible manner. Pleased by the finished work, Mary appeared over it and blessed it with the Sign of the Cross.
This wonderful treasure is now in the City of Mexico in the Cathedral of Leon, formerly known as the Jesuit Church. The back of the picture bears the authenticity and four signatures, including that of Father Genovesi, SJ. The painting was transferred from Palermo, Sicily in 1702 and placed on the Altar in Leon in 1732. The people of Leon have an innate devotion and great tenderness toward the Mother of God. In 1849 they solemnly promised before the picture to make Our Lady of Light the patroness of Leon. This promise was confirmed by Pope Pius IX; Leo XIII authenticated the crowning of the image of Our Lady of Light in 1902.

St Gregory of Narek (950-1003) โ€“ Father & Doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial)
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/02/27/saint-of-day-27-february-st-gregory-of-narek-950-1003-doctor-of-the-church/

St Abundius of Rome
St Alexander of Rome
St Alnoth
St Anne Line
St Antigonus of Rome
St Baldomerus of Saint Just
St Basilios of Constantinople
St Comgan
St Emmanuel of Cremona
St Fortunatus of Rome
St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows/Gabriel Possenti CP (1838-1862) Passionist Religious

St Herefrith of Lindsey
St Honorina
St John of Gorze
Bl Josep Tous Soler
St Luke of Messina
Bl Maria Caridad Brader
Bl Mark Barkworth
St Procopius of Decapolis
Bl Roger Filcock
St Thalilaeus
Bl William Richardson
โ€”
Martyrs of Alexandria: โ€“
Besas of Alexandria
Cronion Eunus
Julian of Alexandria