EASTER – Page 4 – AnaStpaul

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Our Morning Offering – 18 April – The Regina Coeli

Posted on April 18, 2020April 17, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 18 April – Easter Saturday

Remember to exchange your Angelus prayer for the Regina Coeli as from Easter Sunday for the next 50 days of Eastertide.
According to Catholic tradition, St Gregory the Great (540-604) heard angels chanting the first three lines one Easter morning in Rome, while following barefoot in a great religious procession of the icon of the Virgin painted by St Luke the Evangelist. He was thereupon inspired to add the fourth line.

The Regina Coeli

Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
For He whom thou did merit to bear, alleluia.
Has risen, as He said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad, O virgin Mary, alleluia.
For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray.
O God, who gave joy to the world
through the resurrection of Thy son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant we beseech Thee,
that through the intercession
of the virgin Mary,
His mother, we may obtain
the joys of everlasting life.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen regina coeli - for eastertide 18 april 2020

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One Minute Reflection – 17 April – “It is the Lord!”

Posted on April 17, 2020April 17, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 17 April – Easter Friday, Readings: Acts 4:1-12, Psalm 118:1-2, 4, 22-27, John 21:1-14

“It is the Lord!” … John 21:7

REFLECTION – “The Lord says to those tired and disappointed fishermen: “Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some” (v. 6). The disciples trust in Jesus and the result is an incredibly abundant catch. In that exclamation: “It is the Lord!” there is all the enthusiasm of the Paschal faith, full of joy and wonder, which sharply contrasts with the disappearance, the dejection, the sense of powerlessness that had accumulated in the disciples’ hearts.

The presence of the Risen Jesus transforms everything – darkness has become light, futile work has again become fruitful and promising, the sense of weariness and abandonment, give way to a new impetus and to the certainty that He is with us. From that time, these same sentiments enliven the Church, the Community of the Risen One. All of us are the community of the Risen One!” … Pope Francis – Regina Coeli, 10 April 2016 john 21 7 it is the lord - the presence of the Risen Jesus transforms everything - pope francis - 17 april 2020 easter friday

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, You offer the covenant of reconciliation to mankind in the mystery of Easter. Cleanse our hearts by Your truth and guide our lives by Your holiness, may we do what is right and pleasing to You. Open our eyes to see You and our ears to Hear You, that we may follow your commandments and Your Way. Grant that what we celebrate in worship, we may carry out in our lives. May our Holy Mother, ever keep us in her prayers and care. Through Christ, our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour to You, forever, amen blessed virgin mother pray for us 17 april 2020

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 April – Repentance

Posted on April 16, 2020April 16, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 16 April – Easter Thursday, Readings: Acts 3:11-26, Psalm 8:2, 5-9, Luke 24:35-48 and the Memorial of St Benedict Joseph Labre (1748-1783)

“… And said to them,
“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer
and on the third day rise from the dead
and repentance for the forgiveness of sins
should be proclaimed in his name to all nations…”

Luke 24:46-47

“Repentance lifts a man up.
Mourning knocks at heaven’s gate.
Holy humility opens it.”

St John Climacus (579-649)

“The Ladder of Divine Ascent” (Step 25)

“Meditate on the horrors of Hell,
which will last for eternity
because of one easily-committed mortal sin.
Try hard to be among the few who are chosen.
Think of the eternal flames of Hell
and how few there are that are saved.”

“The want of proper examination,
true contrition and a firm purpose of amendment,
is the cause of bad confessions
and of the ruin of souls.”

St Benedict Joseph Labre (1748-1783)
“The Beggar of Perpetual Adoration”

“The saints understood how great
an outrage sin is against God.
Some of them passed their lives
in weeping for their sins.
St Peter wept all his life;
he was still weeping at his death.
St Bernard used to say,
‘Lord! Lord! it is I who fastened You to the Cross!’”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

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One Minute Reflection -– 16 April – “You are witnesses of these things”

Posted on April 16, 2020April 16, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection -– 16 April – Easter Thursday, Readings: Acts 3:11-26, Psalm 8:2, 5-9, Luke 24:35-48

“You are witnesses of these things” ... Luke 24:48

REFLECTION – “After His Resurrection, the Lord appeared to His disciples and greeted them, saying: “Peace be with you!” Peace is what this saving salutation truly is, since the word “salutation” derives from the word for “salvation.” What more could one hope for? Man receives greetings of salvation in person, for our salvation is Christ. Yes, He is our salvation, He who was wounded for our sake and nailed to the tree, then descended from the tree and placed in a tomb. But He is risen from the tomb and His wounds are healed, although still keeping their scars. That His scars remain, is a help to His disciples, so that the wounds in their hearts, might be healed. What wounds are these? The wounds of their unbelief. He appeared before their eyes in a genuine bodily form and “they thought they were seeing a ghost.” This is no light wound to their heart. (…)
But what does the Lord Jesus say? “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts?” It is good for man, not that thoughts should arise in his heart but that his heart should arise – arise, that is to say, to where the apostle Paul wanted to set the hearts of the faithful, when he said to them: “If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory” (Col 3:1-4). What glory is this? The glory of the resurrection. (…)
As for us, we believe in the word of these disciples without their having shown us the Saviour’s risen body. (…) But at that time, such an event seemed unbelievable. And so, our Saviour led them to believe, not by sight alone but by touch, so that by means of the senses, faith might enter their hearts and be preached throughout the world, to those who had neither seen nor touched but who, nevertheless, would believe unhesitatingly (cf. Jn 20:29).” … St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church – Sermon 116; PL 38, 657 luke 24 48 you are witnesses - as for us we believe in the word of these disciples - st augustine 16 april 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, let there be one faith in our hearts, one love for You, one Way in You, for You are the One Truth and the only Way. We linger in Your light and beg Your unending kindness. Grant that by the prayers of Your saints we may obtain Your strength and may Your Mother and ours, walk by our side and hold fast to our hand. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for always and forever, amen.

blessed virgin queen and mother pray for us 5 may 2019

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The RESURRECTION

Our Morning Offering – 15 April – St Bede’s Grant us Your Light, O Lord

Posted on April 16, 2020April 15, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 15 April – Thursday of Easter week

Grant us Your Light, O Lord
By 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

(From ‘On the Apocalypse’)

EASTER, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, The RESURRECTION

Thought for the Day – 15 April – The Resurrection

Posted on April 15, 2020April 10, 2023 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 15 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Resurrection

“The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, is a fundamental truth of our faith.
Jesus intended it to take place, in such a way, that nobody could reasonably deny it.
There is no historical fact which can be upheld by such clear and ample evidence, as the Resurrection of Our Lord.
It emerges, most of all, from the absolute certainty of Jesus’ death.
After the fearful scourging, crowning with thorns and crucifixion, His blood had poured forth for three hours from His nailed Hands and Feet.
Moreover, even though he saw that Christ was dead, the Roman soldier pierced His heart with a lance.
His body was taken down from the Cross and enclosed in the Tomb until the third day.
Jesus, therefore, was dead and buried.
But, there is still further proof.
The Jews remembered that Jesus had prophesied that He would rise on the third day.
For this reason, they had the sepulchre sealed and they placed a guard of soldiers beside it, so that the body could not be stolen.
In spite of the enormous stone at the mouth of the Tomb, however, Our Lord rose in glory, flinging the sentries into a state of terror and confusion.
The frightened guards ran to the leaders of the Sanhedrin and related what had happened.
If the Jewish authorities had believed that the soldiers were responsible, they would have punished them and, if they had believed that the body of Our Lord had been stolen, they would have searched for it.
Instead, they bribed the soldiers to say that the body of Jesus had been stolen while they were asleep (Mt 28:12).
St Augustine comments on the stupidity of the Jews, in calling on the testimony of sleeping witnesses!
Jesus, moreover, saw to it that St Thomas would not be present when He appeared to the other Apostles and, that he would believe only when he had seen the wounds in His hands and feet and had placed his finger in the gash made by the lance, in Our Lord’s side.
What further evidence could anyone expect?
There is a still stronger proof, however.
After the death of Jesus, the Apostles were an insignificant group of discouraged and disillusioned men, without the daring or the ability, to accomplish anything.
It was only the Resurrection of Jesus which could have given them the supreme courage to stand up to the Jews and to convert the world.
Let us fall in adoration before the risen Christ and say with St Thomas, the Apostle: “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28).“

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – Emmaus

Posted on April 15, 2020April 15, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – Easter Wednesday, Readings: Acts 3:1-10, Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9, Luke 24:13-35

“And their eyes were opened and they recognised him.”

Luke 24:31

“Have faith and the one you cannot see is with you.”

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

(Tractates on the Gospel of John, 2.)

“If we encounter Jesus on our road to Emmaus,
He will send us back to our Jerusalem.”

Msgr Alex Rebello

Diocese of Wrexham, Wales

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One Minute Reflection – 15 April – Only by faith is He known to be present…

Posted on April 15, 2020April 15, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 15 April – Easter Wednesday, Readings: Acts 3:1-10, Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9, Luke 24:13-35

“Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” … Luke 24:32 luke 24 32 did not our hearts burn within us -15 april 2020 easter wed

REFLECTION – “Brethren, let us turn to the account of Christ’s appearances to His disciples after the Resurrection, which are most important, first, as showing that such an unconscious communion with Him is possible; next, that it is likely to be the sort of communion now granted to us, from the circumstance that in that period of forty days after the Resurrection, He began to be, in that relation towards His Church, in which He is still and probably intended, to intimate to us thereby, what His presence with us is now.
Now observe what was the nature of His presence in the Church after His Resurrection. It was this, that He came and went as He pleased, that material substances, such as the fastened doors, were no impediments to His coming and that, when He was present His disciples did not, as a matter of course, know Him. … The two disciples on the way to Emmaus do not seem to have been conscious of this at the time but on looking back, they recollected that, as having been, which did not strike them while it was. “Did not,” they say, “did not our heart burn within us?” …
Let us observe, too, when it was that their eyes were opened… when He consecrated and broke the Bread. There is evidently a stress laid on this in the gospel… for so it was ordained, that Christ should not be both seen and known at once, first He was seen, then He was known. Only by faith is He known to be present… He removed His visible presence and left but a memorial of Himself. He vanished from sight that He might be present in a Sacrament and in order to connect His visible presence with His presence invisible, He for one instant, manifest Himself to their open eyes; manifested Himself, if I may so speak, while He passed from His hiding-place of sight without knowledge, to that of knowledge without sight.” … St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) – Cardinal, Founder of the Oratory in England, Theologian, Poet, Writer, Hymnest – PPS 6, 10

PRAYER – Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.
Stay with me Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, so that I may not fall so often.
Stay with me Lord, for You are my life and without You, I am without fervour.
Stay with me Lord, for You are my light and without you, I am in darkness.
Stay with me Lord, to show me Your will.
Stay with me Lord, so that I may hear Your voice and follow You…. St Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968) (Stay with Me, Lord – Excerpt)
And grant holy Father, that the prayers of Our Lord’s Mother and ours, the Blessed Virgin, may assist us on our way. Through Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever, amen. stay-with-me-o-lord-st-padre-pio-23-sept-2018 and 22 sept 2019 2

EASTER, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The RESURRECTION

Our Morning Offering – 15 April – Tis I – Be not Afraid!

Posted on April 15, 2020April 14, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 15 April – Easter Wednesday

Tis I – Be not Afraid!
St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

WHEN I sink down in gloom or fear,
Hope blighted or delayed,
Thy whisper, Lord, my heart shall cheer,
“’Tis I – be not afraid!”

Or, startled at some sudden blow,
If fretful thoughts I feel,
“Fear not, it is but I!” shall flow,
As balm my wound to heal.

Nor will I quit Thy way, though foes
Some onward pass defend,
From each rough voice the watchword goes,
“Be not afraid!… a Friend!”

And O! when judgement’s trumpet clear
Awakes me from the grave,
Still in it’s echo may I hear,
“’Tis Christ! He comes to save.” tis i be not afraid 15 april 2020 st john henry newman easter wed

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 April – Love calls your name

Posted on April 14, 2020April 14, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 3 April – Tuesday in the Easter Octave

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you,
I have called you by name, you are mine.”

Isaiah 43:1

“Since love grows within you,
so beauty grows.
For love is the beauty of the soul.”

“A Christian is:
a mind through which Christ thinks,
a heart through which Christ loves,
a voice through which Christ speaks
and a hand through which Christ helps.”

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

“He will be with you also,
all the way, that faithful God.
Every morning when you awaken
to the old and tolerable pain,
at every mile of the hot uphill dusty road of tiring duty,
on, to the judgement seat,
the same Christ there as ever,
still loving you,
still sufficient for you, even then.
And then, on through all eternity.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

“Think of the Cross when you rise and when you lie down,
when you go out and when you come in,
when you eat and when you walk and when you converse,
when you buy and when you sell,
when you labour and when you rest,
consecrating and sealing all your doings with this one mental action –
the thought of the Crucified.
Do not talk of it to others – be silent, like the penitent woman,
who showed her love in deep subdued acts.
She “stood at His feet behind Him weeping
and began to wash His feet with tears
and did wipe them with the hairs of her head
and kissed His feet and anointed them with the Ointment.”
And Christ said of her,
“Her sins, which are many, are forgiven her, for she loved much
but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” [Luke vii. 38, 47.]”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Parochial Sermons V 23

“Mary –
the revolution of her life,
the revolution destined
to transform the existence
of every man and woman,
begins with a name
that echoes in the garden
of the empty tomb…”

Pope Francis

Feast of St Mary of Magdala

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One Minute Reflection – 14 April – ‘Not everyone saw the Risen Jesus. Why Not?’

Posted on April 14, 2020April 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 April – Tuesday of Easter week, Readings: Acts 2:36-41, Psalm 33:4-5, 18-20, 22, John 20:11-18

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). … John 20:16

REFLECTION – “One question, however, continually arises at this point. Not everyone saw the Risen Jesus. Why not? Why did He not go in triumph to the Pharisees and Pilate to show them that He was alive and to let them touch His scars? But in asking such a question, we are forgetting that Jesus was not a resuscitated corpse like Lazarus and the boy of Naim. They were allowed to return once more, to their erstwhile biological life, which sooner or later, would have to end, after all, with death. What happened in Jesus’ case, was quite different – He did not return to the old life but began a new one, a life that is ultimate, no longer subject to nature’s law of death but standing in God’s freedom and hence final and absolute. A life, therefore, that is no longer part of the realm of physics and biology, although it has integrated matter and nature into itself on a higher plane. And that is why it is no longer within the ambit of our senses of touch and sight. The Risen One cannot be seen like a piece of wood or stone. He can only be seen by the person to whom He reveals Himself. And He only reveals Himself, to the one whom He can entrust with a mission. He does NOT reveal Himself, to curiosity but to LOVE; LOVE is the indispensable organ if we are to see and approach Him.” … Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) – The Word of the Witnesses – Seek that Which is Above (1985)

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, You gave our Saviour the command to become man and undergo the Cross, as an example of humility for all men to follow and showed the Grace of Your love for us. We have the lessons of His suffering, grant us the grace of His love and the fellowship of His Resurrection. May Mary, His Mother and ours, who after the pain and sorrow of the Cross, rejoiced in the glory of His Resurrection, intercede for us, that we may grow in true love of her Son and thus join in her rejoicing. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. holy mary mother of god - pray for us - 13 may 2018

EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering –14 April – St Irenaeus – “O Lamb of God”

Posted on April 14, 2020April 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering –14 April – Tuesday of Easter week

O Lamb of God
By St Irenaeus (c 135- c 202)
Bishop & Martyr, Father of the Church

O Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world,
look upon us and have mercy upon us;
You who art Yourself, both victim and Priest,
Yourself, both Reward and Redeemer,
keep safe from all evil
those whom You have redeemed,
O Saviour of the world.
Amen

o-lamb-of-god-st-irenaeus-of-lyons-28-june-2018

EASTER, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PEACE, The RESURRECTION

Thought for the Day – 13 April – Easter: The Herald of Peace

Posted on April 13, 2020April 8, 2023 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 13 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Easter: The Herald of Peace

“When Jesus was born in the manger at Bethlehem, the sky became brilliantly aglow and Angels descended singing: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men of goodwill.”
When our Lord had risen from the dead, He greeted the Apostles with the words: “Peace be with you!”
Peace, is a gift from God, only He can give real peace.
The peace of this world has a certain value but, it is nothing like the genuine and soul-satisfying, peace, which God can give us.
This is why Jesus said to His Apostles: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you” (Jn 14:27).
Worldly peace is external and can be disturbed or destroyed by men but, the peace of God is internal and nothing can destroy it, except sin.
It is possible to be persecuted and slandered and yet, to preserve interior peace, as the Martyrs and the Saints did in adversity.
It is this inner peace which we must aim at acquiring.
We shall be truly content, when we have achieved it, because, as St Thomas Aquinas says, “the fullness of joy is peace” (Summa Theologiae, I-II, q70, a3).
St Thomas Aquinas defined peace as “tranquillitas ordinis,” (Ibid II-II, q29, a1 ad1) i.e. “tranquillity of order;” St Augustine called it “ordinata corcordia” (De Civitate Dei, XIX:13) i.e. “ordered harmony.”
It is not sufficient for this harmony and order to be established externally among men.
It is necessary that this harmony and order should reign first of all, in our minds and hearts and in our actions.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 April – And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Hail!”

Posted on April 13, 2020April 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 13 April – Easter Monday

“…Now since you are celebrating the holy Pasch,
you should know, brethren, what the Pasch is.
Pasch means, the crossing-over
and so, the Festival is called by this name.
For it was on this day, that the Children of Israel,
crossed over out of Egypt
and the Son of God, crossed over from this world to His Father.
What gain is it to celebrate, unless you imitate Him, Whom you worship;
that is, unless you cross over from Egypt,
that is, from the darkness of evildoing,
to the light of virtue,
from the love of this world,
to the love of your heavenly home?”

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

“The Sunday of the Resurrection”

“Now let the heavens be joyful,
Let earth her song begin.
Let the round world keep triumph,
And all that is therein,
Invisible and visible,
Their notes let all things blend,
For Christ the Lord is risen
Our joy that hath no end.”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father & Doctor of the Church

And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Hail!”

Matthew 28:9

At dawn You were mourned
By women bearing spices,
Grant that my heart may also shed
Tears of fire for Your burning love.

By grace of the angel’s tidings
Shouted from the pinnacle of the rock (Mt 28,2),
Let me hear the last trumpet sound
Proclaiming the Resurrection.

With Your body, born of a Virgin
You were raised from a tomb, virgin and new,
You became for us the first-fruits
And firstborn from the dead

As for me, bound by the Foe
With the evil of bodily sin,
Set me free once more
As You have freed souls in the dwelling of the dead (1Pt 3:19).

You revealed Yourself in the garden
To Mary Magdalene,
But have not consented to approach
One who is yet part of a fallen race.

Show Yourself also to me on the eighth day,
At the great and final dawn
And graciously grant my unworthy soul
To draw near You at that time.

St Nerses Chnorhali (1102-1173)
Armenian Catholic Patriarch

“The astonishing event of the Resurrection of Jesus
is essentially an event of love:
the Father’s love in handing over His Son for the salvation of the world;
the Son’s love in abandoning Himself to the Father’s will for us all;
the Spirit’s love in raising Jesus from the dead in His transfigured body.”

Pope Benedict XVI

23 March 2008

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One Minute Reflection – 13 April – “Stop. Jesus is Risen.”

Posted on April 13, 2020April 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 April – Easter Monday, Readings: Acts 2:14, 22-33, Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11, Matthew 28:8-15

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed and ran to announce the news to his disciples. … Matthew 28:8

ran to announce the news to his disciples matthew 28 8 - 13 april 2020 easter monday

REFLECTION – “Today, the Church continues to say: “Stop. Jesus is Risen.” And this is not a fantasy. The Resurrection of Christ is not a celebration with many flowers. This is beautiful but this is not it. It is something more. It is the mystery of the discarded stone which becomes the foundation of our existence. Christ is Risen. And with faith in the Risen Christ, we too, pebbles on this earth of pain, tragedy, acquire meaning amid so many calamities. The sense to look beyond, the sense to say: “Look, there is no wall; there is a horizon, there is life, there is joy, there is the cross with this ambivalence. Look ahead, do not close within yourself. You pebble, acquire meaning in life because you are a pebble near that rock, that stone which the evil of sin discarded”. Brothers and sisters, this is what I wanted to say to you. Go home today repeating in your hearts: “Christ is Risen”. … Pope Francis – Easter Sunday, 16 April 2017

with faith in the risen christ, we too, pebbles - 13 april 2020 easter monday

PRAYER – Lord God, You bring us joy through the Easter mysteries. Continue to be bountiful to Your people, lead us from darkness to the perfect freedom, by which the joy that gladdens our way on earth, will be fulfilled in heaven. May the prayer of your angels and saints, with Mary the Mother of our Saviour and our Mother, grant us peace and strength. We make our prayer through our Lord, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever amen.

MARY MOTHER OF THE RISEN CHRIST PRA PRO NOBIS PRAY FOR US 13 APRIL 2020

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Our Morning Offering – 13 April – Easter Monday- Victimae Paschali Laudes

Posted on April 13, 2020April 13, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 13 April – Easter Monday

The beautiful ancient Easter sequence
Victimae Paschali Laudes can be said or sung
before the Gospel everyday during the Octave:

Victimae Paschali Laudes

Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems,
Christ, who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.

Death and life have contended
in that combat stupendous,
The Prince of Life, who died, reigns immortal.

Speak, Mary, declaring
What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living,
The glory of Jesus’ resurrection.

Bright angels attesting,
The shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen,
To Galilee He goes before you.”

Christ indeed from death is risen,
our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia!++

victimae paschali laudes no 2 easter monday 13 april 2020

CONFESSION/PENANCE, EASTER, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The RESURRECTION

Thought for the Day – 12 April – The Meaning of Easter

Posted on April 12, 2020April 12, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 12 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Meaning of Easter

“Today the Church adorns herself in festival array.
Gone are the lengthy lamentations of Holy Saturday and the sorrowful recitations of the Passion and in their place, is the glad cry of Alleluia, the hymn of vitory over death and sin.
The true joy of Easter, lies, not merely in external celebration, however but in the spiritual gladness of the soul.
As Jesus has conquered death and sin, so we must purify ourselves of every trace of guilt by a good confession and must be sure, that it will result in a practical renovation of our lives.
We should approach Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist with greater fervour and humility and with greater trust in His goodness and mercy.
When we have received Him into our hearts, we should ask Him to renew and transform us in Himself.
He is everything and we are nothing without Him.
He is strong, we are weak.
We are capable only of feeble desires to do good but He can make them effective by His grace.
We should not be satisfied with forming general resolutions when we go to confession and receive Holy Communion at Easter.
We should examine the depths of our soul and discover the sin which we are most accustomed to commit and the virtue which we are principally lacking.
As a result of our investigation, we should form a particular resolution to combat this sin and to practise this virtue.
It is only in this way, that our celebration of Easter can inaugurate the beginning of a genuine self-renewal which will gain momentum daily, until it becomes a true spiritual resurrection.
It will be a hard battle, which will necessitate a constant vigilance and a readiness to begin again, everytime we realise, that we have fallen.
It will require an unfailing spirit of prayer but, the final victory, will bring us such happiness, that worldly pleasures will seem empty and illusory, by comparison.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Most of us are barred from the Sacraments at present. Some, have been able to make their Easter Confession before all this ‘lockdown’ occurred. For those of us who were not able to do so, now is perhaps the most perfect time to prepare ourselves for the great day, when this time is over and we can, again, joyfully receive the Sacraments! In the meantime, let us be strong in the Risen Christ and rejoice in His Glory – Alleluia!

DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 April -– Easter – ‘The Door is Open’

Posted on April 12, 2020April 12, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 12 April -– Easter Sunday – The Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!!!
For with thee is the fountain of life
and in thy light, we shall see light.

Psalm 36:9

“O Death, where is your sting?
O Hell, where is your victory?
Christ is risen and you are overthrown.
Christ is risen and the demons are fallen.
Christ is risen and the angels rejoice.
Christ is risen and life reigns.
Christ is risen and not one dead remains in the grave.
For Christ, being risen from the dead,
is become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages.”

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

“There is just one Name in the whole world that lives –
it is the Name of One who passed His years in obscurity
and who died a malefactor’s death.
(Two thousand yeas) have gone by since that time but still It has It’s hold upon the human mind.
It has possessed the world and It maintains possession.
Amid the most various nations, under the most diversified circumstances,
in the most cultivated, in the rudest races and intellects,
in all classes of society, the Owner of that great Name reigns.
High and low, rich and poor, acknowledge Him.
Millions of souls are conversing with Him,
are venturing at His word, are looking for His presence. Palaces, sumptuous, innumerable, are raised to His honour.
His image, in it’s deepest humiliations,
is triumphantly displayed in the proud city, in the open country,
at the corners of streets, on the tops of mountains.
It sanctifies the ancestral hall, the closet and the bedchamber,
it is the subject for the exercise of the highest genius in the imitative arts.
It is worn next to the heart in life, it is held before the failing eyes in death.

O fulfil Your Resurrection in us
and as You have purchased us,
claim us, take possession of us,
make us Thine.”
Amen

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

“It seems as if the human world
has no doors opening toward God.
It is locked in upon itself.
It is a prison, a house of the dead.

[BUT TODAY] …
The Door is open
It is called
Jesus Christ”

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger – Pope Benedict XVI

Seek That Which is Above

BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CHRIST the KING, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 April – Easter Sunday – The first day of the new life

Posted on April 12, 2020April 12, 2020 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 12 April – Easter Sunday – The Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord, Readings: Acts 10:34, 37-43, Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23, Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. … John 20:1

REFLECTION – “Here is a wise saying: “The day of prosperity makes one forget adversity” (Sir 11:25). Today the first sentence passed against us has been forgotten – more! not just forgotten but cancelled! This day has wiped away completely all remembrance of our condemnation. In former times childbearing took place in pain, now we are born without suffering. Formerly we were no more than flesh, born of the flesh, today, what is born is spirit, born of the Spirit. Yesterday we were born mere children of men, today we are born children of God. Yesterday we were cast out of heaven to the earth, today, He who reigns in the heavens makes us citizens of heaven. Yesterday, death reigned because of sin, today, thanks to Him who is the Life, righteousness regains its might.

In former times one man opened for us the gates of death, today, the one Man brings us back to life. Yesterday, life was lost to us because of death but today, Life has destroyed death. Yesterday, shame caused us to hide ourselves beneath the fig tree, today, glory draws us towards the tree of life. Yesterday, disobedience expelled us from Paradise, today, our faith causes us to enter it. Once again the fruit of life is held out to us to be enjoyed as much as we wish. Once again the stream of Paradise, whose water irrigates us through the four rivers of the gospels (cf. Gn 2:10), comes to refresh the whole face of the Church. (…)

From now on what are we to do but imitate the mountains and hills of the prophecies in their leaping for joy: “Mountains, skip like rams; hills, like lambs of the flock!” (Ps 114[113]:4). “Come, then, let us sing joyfully to the Lord!” (Ps 95[94]:1). He has broken the power of the enemy and raised up the great trophy of the cross… So let us say: “The Lord is a great God and a great king above all gods!” (Ps 95[94],3). He blesses the year by crowning it with His bounty (cf. Ps 65[64]:12) and He gathers us together in spiritual chorus in Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory for endless ages. Amen.” … St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335-395) – Father of the Church – Homily for the holy and life-giving Pasch jesus christ is risen - in former times - st gregory of nyssa easter sun 12 april 2020

PRAYER – Breviary Hymn
Jesus Christ is ris’n today, Alleluia
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ our heav’nly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save, Alleluia!

But the pains which He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now He rules eternal King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing, Alleluia!

Praise to God the Father sing, Alleluia!
Praise to God the Son, our King, Alleluia!
Praise to God the Spirit be, Alleluia!
Now and through eternity, Alleluia! jesus christ is risen today alleluia 12 april 2020

DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The RESURRECTION

Our Morning Offering – 12 April – St Pope Gregory the Great’s Easter Prayer

Posted on April 12, 2020April 11, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 12 April – Easter Sunday – The Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord

Easter Prayer
By St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
One of the original four Doctors of the Latin Church

It is only right,
with all the powers of our heart and mind,
to praise You Father and Your Only-Begotten Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear Father, by Your wondrous condescension
of Loving-Kindness toward us, Your servants,
You gave up Your Son.
Dear Jesus,
You paid the debt of Adam for us,
to the Eternal Father by Your Blood
poured forth in Loving-Kindness.
You cleared away the darkness of sin
by Your magnificent and radiant Resurrection.
You broke the bonds of death
and rose from the grave as a Conqueror.
You reconciled Heaven and earth.
Our life had no hope of Eternal Happiness
before You redeemed us.
Your Resurrection has washed away our sins,
restored our innocence and brought us joy.
How inestimable is the tenderness of Your Love!
We pray You, Lord, to preserve Your servants
in the peaceful enjoyment of this Easter happiness.
We ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord,
Who lives and reigns with God The Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
Amen easter-prayer-by-st-pope-gregory-the-great-monday-in-easter-week-22-april-2019 and 12 april 2020

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EASTER, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The RESURRECTION

Solemnity of Solemnities – Easter Sunday – 12 April

Posted on April 12, 2020April 11, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Solemnity of Solemnities
Easter Sunday – 12 April – The Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord

A Blessed and Holy Easter to you all!
Alleluia!

Christós anésti.
Jesus Christ is risen! He is truly risen!
Alleluia!
Amen

Today we forget the troubles of the world, for we have reached our goal, today is Easter, the day we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection. This is the single most important feast day of the Church. With Christ’s Death and Resurrection, Christ has conquered sin and death, the gates of heaven are now open to man.

Yes, Lord, make us Easter people,
men and women of light,
filled with the fire of Your love.
Amen

Pope Francis

Fr Francis Fernandez from his ‘In Conversation with God: Daily Meditations, Volume Two.’ explains why this feast is so pivotal:

“The glorious Resurrection of the Lord is the key to interpreting His whole life and the ground of our faith. Without this victory over death, says St Paul, all our preaching would be useless and our faith in vain.
Furthermore, the guarantee of our future resurrection is secured upon the Resurrection of Christ, because although we were dead through sin, God, full of mercy, moved by the infinite compassion with which He loved, gave us Christ…and He raised us with Him. Easter is the celebration of our Redemption and, therefore, the celebration of thanksgiving and joy.
The Resurrection of the Lord is a central reality of the Catholic faith and has been preached as such since the beginning of Christianity. The importance of this miracle is so great that the Apostles are, above all else, witnesses of Jesus’ Resurrection (cf. Acts 1:22; 2:43; 3:15; etc.). They announce that Christ is alive and this becomes the nucleus of all their preaching. After twenty centuries this is what we announce to the world – Christ lives! The fact of the resurrection is the supreme argument for the divinity of Our Lord….”

“And Jesus Christ lives.
And this crowns us with happiness.
This is the great truth which fills our faith with meaning.
Jesus, who died on the cross, has risen.
He has triumphed over death,
He has overcome sorrow, anguish and the power of darkness…
In Him we find everything.
Outside of Him our life is empty “

St Josemaria Escrivá (1902-1975)

EASTER, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, SAINT of the DAY

Easter Sunday: The Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord +2020 and Memorials of the Saints – 12 April

Posted on April 12, 2020April 11, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Easter Sunday: The Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord +2020

Christós anésti.
Jesus Christ is risen! He is truly risen!

St Acutina
St Alferius of La Cava
Bl Andrew of Montereale
Bl Angelo Carletti di Chivasso OFM (1411-1495)
Blessed Angelo’s Biography:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/12/saint-of-the-day-12-apil-blessed-angelo-carletti-di-chivasso/

St Artemón of Caesarea

St Basil of Parion
St Constantine of Gap
St Damian of Pavia
St David Uribe Velasco (1889-1927) Priest and Martyr of the Cristero War
St Erkemboden of Thérouanne
St Florentin of Arles
St Pope Julius I
St Lorenzo of Belem
St Peter of Montepiano
St Sabas the Lector
St Teresa de Jesús “de los Andes” OCD (1900-1920)
St Teresa’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/04/12/saint-of-the-day-12-april-saint-teresa-de-jesus-de-los-andes-ocd-1900-1920/
St Tetricus of Auxerre
St Victor of Braga
St Vissia of Fermo
St Wigbert
St Zeno of Verona (c 300 – 371)
About St Zeno:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/12/saint-of-the-day-12-april-st-zeno-of-verona-c-300-371/

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The GOOD SHEPHERD

One Minute Reflection – 13 May – “…The sheep hear his voice”

Posted on May 13, 2019May 13, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 May – Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter, C – Gospel: John 10:1-10 and the 102nd Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima

“… the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”…John 10:3

REFLECTION – “The mark of Christ’s sheep is their willingness to hear and obey, just as disobedience is the mark of those who are not His.

We take the word ‘hear’ to imply obedience to what has been said. People who hear God are known by Him. No-one is entirely unknown by God but to be known in this way, is to become part of His family.

Therefore, when Christ says, “I know mine,” He means I will receive them and give them a permanent mystical relationship with Myself.

It might be said that inasmuch as He has become man, He has made all human beings His relatives, since all are members of the same race. We are all united to Christ in a mystical relationship because of His incarnation. Yet those who do not preserve the likeness of His holiness are alienated from Him. “My sheep follow me,” says Christ. By a certain God-given grace, believers follow in the footsteps of Christ. No longer subject to the shadows of the law, they obey the commands of Christ and guided by His words, rise through grace, to His own dignity, for they are called “children of God.”

When Christ ascends into heaven, they also follow Him.”… St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor of the Church (Commentary on the Gospel of John)

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, You have rescued Your faithful from enslavement to sin, by Your Son’s self-abasement. You have raised up the world through His suffering. Fill us now with holy joy at His rising and triumph. Let us hear His voice and follow Him to everlasting life. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us! Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen. pray-for-us-mother-of-god-13-may-2017

EASTER, The RESURRECTION

Thought for the Day – 8 May – “A New Life”

Posted on May 8, 2019May 8, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 8 May – Wednesday Third Week of Easter, C

“A New Life”

“The perfect surrender and humiliation were undergone by Christ – perfect because He is God, surrender and humiliation, because He is man.
Now the Christian belief is that, if we somehow share the humility and suffering of Christ, we shall also share in His conquest of death and find a new life after we ave died and, in it, become perfect and perfectly happy creatures.
This means something much more than our trying to follow His teaching.
People often ask when the next step in evolution – the step to something beyond man – will happen. But, on the Christian view, it has happened already.
In Christ, a new kind of man appeared and the new kind of life which began in Him, is to be put into us.”

C S Lewis (1898-1963)

in christ - c s lewis - a new man 8 may 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Thought for the Day – 7 May – Let us sing to the Lord a song of love

Posted on May 7, 2019May 7, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 7 May – Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter, C, Gospel: John 6:30–35

Let us sing to the Lord a song of love

Saint Augustine(354-430)
Doctor and Great Western Father of the Church

An excerpt from Sermon 34

Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise is in the assembly of the saints. We are urged to sing a new song to the Lord, as new men who have learned a new song. A song is a thing of joy, more profoundly, it is a thing of love. Anyone, therefore, who has learned to love the new life has learned to sing a new song and the new song reminds us of our new life. The new man, the new song, the new covenant, all belong to the one kingdom of Go, and so, the new man will sing a new song and will belong to the new covenant.

There is not one who does not love something but the question is, what to love. The psalms do not tell us not to love but to choose the object of our love. But how can we choose unless we are first chosen? We cannot love unless someone has loved us first. Listen to the apostle John – We love him, because he first loved us. The source of man’s love for God can only be found in the fact that God loved him first. He has given us Himself as the object of our love and He has also given us its source. What this source is you may learn more clearly from the apostle Paul who tells us: The love of God has been poured into our hearts. This love is not something we generate ourselves, it comes to us through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Since we have such an assurance, then, let us love God with the love He has given us. As John tells us more fully: God is love, and whoever dwells in love dwells in God and God in him. It is not enough to say, Love is from God. Which of us would dare to pronounce the words of Scripture – God is love? He alone could say it who knew what it was to have God dwelling within Him. God offers us a short route to the possession of Himself. He cries out – Love Me and you will have Me for you would be unable to love Me if you did not possess Me already.

My dear brothers and sons, fruit of the true faith and holy seed of heaven, all you who have been born again in Christ and whose life is from above, listen to me, or rather, listen to the Holy Spirit, saying through me – Sing to the Lord a new song. Look, you tell me, I am singing. Yes indeed, you are singing, you are singing clearly, I can hear you. But make sure that your life does not contradict your words . Sing with your voices, your hearts, your lips and your lives – Sing to the Lord a new song.

Now it is your unquestioned desire to sing of Him whom you love but you ask me how to sing His praises. You have heard the words: Sing to the Lord a new song and you wish to know what praises to sing. The answer is: His praise is in the assembly of the saints, it is in the singers themselves. If you desire to praise Him, then live what you express. Live good lives and you yourselves will be His praise.

EASTER, PRAYERS for PRIESTS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 5 May – “…Lead you where you do not wish to go.”

Posted on May 5, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 5 May – Third Sunday of Easter, Year C, Gospel: John 21:1–19

“…Lead you where you do not wish to go.”…John 21:18

The Gospel of the appearance of the Lord at the Sea of Tiberias, ends with the installation of Peter in his pastoral office. Everything that precedes this, is preparatory -unsuccessful fishing, then the miraculous catch, after which Peter swims to the Lord and stands beside Him on the bedrock of eternity, while the rest of the Church brings her harvest to the two of them, at which point, Peter, himself, hauls the entire netfull ashore. Finally, the crucial question to Peter – “Do you love me more than these?” You, the Denier, do you love me more than the Beloved Disciple there, who stood under the Cross? Made conscious of his guilt by means of the threefold question, Peter answers with a repentant first ‘Yes’ (since he can, by no means say No), undoubtedly, gaining the strength to do so from John (in the communion of saints).
Without this confession of greater love, the Good Shepherd, who gives His life for his sheep, could not entrust His flock to Peter’s pasturing.
For the office Jesus has received from the Father, is identical, with His own loving sacrifice of His life, for His sheep.
Ever since Jesus bestowed this office on Peter, this unity of love and office has been unconditionally required. This unity is then sealed by the prediction of Peter’s crucifixion, the gift of completed discipleship. The cross will be bound up with the papacy, from this point onward, even when it is given to unworthy popes.
The more seriously a pope takes his office, the heavier the weight of the cross, on his shoulder becomes.

Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar

Light of the World

Pray for Pope Francis, amen!

Prayer for Pope Francis

O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful,
look favourably on Your servant Francis,
whom You have set
at the head of Your Church as her shepherd;
Grant, we pray, that by word and example
he may be of service to those over whom he presides
so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care,
he may come to everlasting life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with You in the
unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EASTER, PAPAL SERMONS, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

Quote of the Day- 5 May – “…Become witnesses of His Resurrection”

Posted on May 5, 2019May 5, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day- 5 May – Third Sunday of Easter, Year C

“The Gospel of Easter is very clear –
we need to go back there, to see Jesus risen
and to become witnesses of His Resurrection.
This is not to go back in time,
it is not a kind of nostalgia.
It is returning to our first love,
in order to receive the fire which Jesus
has kindled in the world
and to bring that fire to all people,
to the very ends of the earth.”

Pope Francis

(Easter Vigil Homily, 2014)

“…He certainly meets us
where we are in life – and –
He will never leave us
where He found us!”

Fr Mark J Hunt STD

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, EASTER, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 5 May – Marian Prayer before Mass

Posted on May 5, 2019May 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 5 May – Third Sunday of Easter, Year C

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Before Holy Mass

O most blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of tenderness and mercy,
I, a miserable and unworthy sinner,
fly to you with all the affection of my heart
and I beseech your motherly love,
that, as you stood by your most dear Son,
while he hung on the Cross,
so, in your kindness,
you may be pleased to stand by me, a poor sinner,
and all Priests who today are offering the Sacrifice
here and throughout the entire holy Church,
so that with your gracious help
we may offer a worthy and acceptable oblation
in the sight of the most high and undivided Trinity.
Amen.

(This prayer is adapted from the Priests’ Prayers Before each Mass)

EASTER, SAINT of the DAY

Third Sunday of Easter, Year C *2019 and Memorials of the Saints – 5 May

Posted on May 5, 2019May 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Third Sunday of Easter, Year C *2019

St Angelus of Jerusalem
St Avertinus of Tours
Bl Benvenuto Mareni
St Britto of Trier
Bl Caterina Cittadini (1801-1857)
Biography: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/05/05/saint-of-the-day-5-may-blessed-caterina-cittadini-1801-1857/
St Crescentiana
St Echa of Crayke
St Eulogius of Edessa
St Euthymius of Alexandria
St Geruntius of Milan
St Godehard of Hildesheim
Bl Grzegorz Boleslaw Frackowiak
St Hilary of Arles
St Hydroc
St Irenaeus of Thessalonica
St Irenes of Thessalonica
Bl John Haile
St Jovinian of Auxerre
St Jutta Kulmsee
St Leo of Africo
St Maurontius of Douai
St Maximus of Jerusalem
St Nectarius of Vienne
St Nicetas of Vienne
St Nunzio/Nuntius Sulprizio (1917-1836) Aged 19

St Peregrinus of Thessalonica
St Sacerdos of Limoges
St Sacerdos of Saguntum
St Silvanus of Rome
St Theodore of Bologna
St Waldrada of Metz

CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, SAINT of the DAY, The INCARNATION, The PASSION, The RESURRECTION

Thought for the Day – 2 May – On the Incarnation of the Word

Posted on May 2, 2019May 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 2 May – Thursday of the Second week of Easter, Gospel: John 3:31–36 and the Memorial of St Athanasius (297-373)

On the Incarnation of the Word

Saint Athanasius (297-373)
Bishop, Great Eastern Father & Doctor of the Church
Known as “The Father of Orthodoxy”

An excerpt from On the Incarnation of the Word

The Word of God, incorporeal, incorruptible and immaterial, entered our world. Yet it was not as if He had been remote from it up to that time. For there is no part of the world that was ever without His Presence; together with His Father, He continually filled all things and places.

Out of His loving-kindness for us, He came to us and we see this in the way He revealed Himself openly to us. Taking pity on mankind’s weakness and moved by our corruption, He could not stand aside and see death have the mastery over us, He did not want creation to perish and His Father’s work in fashioning man, to be in vain. He, therefore, took to Himself a body, no different from our own, for He did not wish simply to be in a body or only to be seen.

If He had wanted simply to be seen, He could indeed have taken another and nobler, body. Instead, He took our body in its reality.

Within the Virgin, He built himself a temple, that is, a body, He made it His own instrument in which to dwell and to reveal Himself. In this way, He received from mankind, a body like our own and, since all were subject to the corruption of death, He delivered this body over to death for all and with supreme love, offered it to the Father. He did so, to destroy the law of corruption, passed against all men, since all died in Him. The law, which had spent its force on the body of the Lord, could no longer have any power over His fellowmen. Moreover, this was the way in which the Word was to restore mankind to immortality, after it had fallen into corruption and summon it back, from death to life. He utterly destroyed the power death had against mankind—as fire consumes chaff—by means of the body He had taken and the grace of the Resurrection.

This is the reason why the Word assumed a body that could die, so that this body, sharing in the Word who is above all, might satisfy death’s requirement in place of all. Because of the Word dwelling in that body, it would remain incorruptible and all would be freed forever from corruption, by the grace of the Resurrection.

In death, the Word made a spotless sacrifice and oblation of the body He had taken. By dying for others, He immediately banished death for all mankind.

In this way the Word of God, who is above all, dedicated and offered His temple, the instrument that was His body, for us all, as He said and so paid, by His own death the debt that was owed. The immortal Son of God, united with all men by likeness of nature, thus fulfilled all justice, in restoring mankind to immortality, by the promise of the resurrection.

The corruption of death, no longer holds any power over mankind, thanks to the Word, who has come to dwell among them through His one body.

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Luke 24:46-47

St John Climacus (579-649)

St Benedict Joseph Labre (1748-1783) “The Beggar of Perpetual Adoration”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

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The Resurrection

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Luke 24:31

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

Msgr Alex Rebello

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Isaiah 43:1

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

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Pope Francis

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Easter: The Herald of Peace

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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

St John Damascene (675-749) Father & Doctor of the Church

Matthew 28:9

St Nerses Chnorhali (1102-1173) Armenian Catholic Patriarch

Pope Benedict XVI

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The Meaning of Easter

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Psalm 36:9

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

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger – Pope Benedict XVI

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A Blessed and Holy Easter to you all! Alleluia!

Christós anésti. Jesus Christ is risen! He is truly risen! Alleluia! Amen

Pope Francis

St Josemaria Escrivá (1902-1975)

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“A New Life”

C S Lewis (1898-1963)

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Let us sing to the Lord a song of love

Saint Augustine(354-430) Doctor and Great Western Father of the Church

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Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar

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Pope Francis

Fr Mark J Hunt STD

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On the Incarnation of the Word

Saint Athanasius (297-373) Bishop, Great Eastern Father & Doctor of the Church Known as “The Father of Orthodoxy”

An excerpt from On the Incarnation of the Word

St Athanasius, Pray for Us!

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St Benedict Joseph Labre (1748-1783)
“The Beggar of Perpetual Adoration”

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

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

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

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father & Doctor of the Church

St Nerses Chnorhali (1102-1173)
Armenian Catholic Patriarch

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

A Blessed and Holy Easter to you all!
Alleluia!

Christós anésti.
Jesus Christ is risen! He is truly risen!
Alleluia!
Amen

Saint Augustine(354-430)
Doctor and Great Western Father of the Church

Saint Athanasius (297-373)
Bishop, Great Eastern Father & Doctor of the Church
Known as “The Father of Orthodoxy”