Category: ENCYCLICALS

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, DOCTORS of the Church, ENCYCLICALS, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The HOLY NAME of MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 21 December – Our Mother

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 December – O Oriens/O Radiant Dawn – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, Readings: Songs 2: 8-14 or Zephaniah 3: 14-18a; Psalm 33: 2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Luke 1: 39-45

“Having confidence in you,
O Mother of God, I shall be saved.
Being under you protection,
I shall fear nothing.
With your help,
I shall give battle to my enemies
and put them to flight,
for devotion to you,
is an arm of Salvation.”

St John Damascene (676-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“O Mary,
you give assistance
to everyone endeavouring
to rise to God!”

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)

“At the mention of this name
[the Blessed Virgin Mary],
the Angels rejoice
and the devils tremble.
Through this invocation,
sinners obtain
grace and pardon.”

St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1397)
Doctor of the Church

“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom
of His most chaste Mother,
Christ took to Himself flesh
and united to Himself,
the spiritual Body formed
by those who were to believe in Him.
Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour
within her, may be said,
to have also carried, all those.
whose life was contained
in the life of the Saviour.
Therefore, all we,
who are united to Christ
and, as the Apostle says,
are members of His body,
of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30),
have issued from the womb of Mary,
like a body united to it’s Head.”

St Pius X (1835-1914)
Pope from 1903 to 1914
Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11

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Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, ADVENT QUOTES, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, DOGMA, ENCYCLICALS, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 8 December – “I am the Immaculate Conception.”

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 December – The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

“I am the Immaculate Conception.”

Our Lady of Lourdes to St Bernadette
25 March 1858

“Come, then and search out Your sheep,
not through Your servants or hired men
but do it Yourself.
Lift me up bodily and in the flesh,
which is fallen in Adam.
Lift me up not from Sarah but from Mary,
a Virgin not only undefiled
but a Virgin whom grace had made inviolate,
free of every stain of sin.”

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

“He came down into the Virgin’s womb,
a womb unstained, unspotted,
hallowed by the touch of divine unction.”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)

O Most Holy Virgin
By St Pope Pius X (1835-1914)

Most holy Virgin,
who pleased our Lord and became His Mother,
Virgin Immaculate in your body and soul,
in your faith and love,
at this solemn jubilee of the promulgation of the dogma
which proclaimed you
to the entire world as conceived without sin,
look kindly on us, unfortunate ones,
who implore your powerful protection.
The infernal serpent,
upon whom the primeval curse was laid,
continues, alas, to attack and tempt
the hapless children of Eve.
Ah! Do you, our blessed Mother,
our Queen and Advocate,
who at the first moment of your conception
did crush the enemy’s head,
do you gather together our prayers
and we beseech you (our hearts one with yours),
present them before God’s throne,
that we may never allow ourselves
to be caught in the snares laid for us
but that we may reach the portal of salvation
and that the Church and Christian society
may once more chant the hymn of deliverance,
of victory and of peace.
Amen

“Enraptured by the splendour of your heavenly beauty
and impelled by the anxieties of the world,
we cast ourselves into your arms,
O Immaculate Mother of Jesus and our Mother Mary,
confident of finding in your most loving heart,
appeasement of our ardent desires
and a safe harbour from the tempests
which beset us on every side.

“O crystal fountain of faith, bathe our minds with the eternal truths!
O fragrant Lily of all holiness,
captivate our hearts with your heavenly perfume!
O Conqueress of evil and death,
inspire in us a deep horror of sin,
which makes the soul detestable to God and a slave of hell!

O well-beloved of God,
hear the ardent cry which rises up from every heart.
Bend tenderly over our aching wounds.
Convert the wicked,
dry the tears of the afflicted and oppressed,
comfort the poor and humble,
quench hatreds, sweeten harshness,
safeguard the flower of purity in youth,
protect the holy Church,
make all men feel the attraction of Christian goodness.”

Ven Servant of God Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/12/09/quote-s-of-the-day-9-december-the-solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception-from-the-fathers/

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, DOCTORS of the Church, DOGMA, ENCYCLICALS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUEENSHIP of MARY, St JOHN HENRY Cardinal NEWMAN!, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quotes of the Day – 22 August – The Memorial of the Queenship of Mary

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Quotes of the Day – 22 August – The Memorial of the Queenship of Mary

“Every Saint belongs
to the court
of the Queen of All Saints.”

St John Eudes (1501-1680)

“Let all the children of the Catholic Church,
who are so very dear to us, hear these words of ours.
With a still more ardent zeal for piety, religion and love,
let them continue to venerate,
invoke and pray to the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, conceived without original sin.
Let them fly with utter confidence
to this most sweet Mother of mercy and grace
in all dangers, difficulties, needs, doubts and fears.
Under her guidance,
under her patronage,
under her kindness and protection,
nothing is to be feared; nothing is hopeless.
Because, while bearing toward us a truly motherly affection
and having in her care, the work of our salvation,
she is solicitous about the whole human race.
And since, she has been appointed by God,
to be the Queen of heaven and earth
and is exalted above all the choirs of angels and saints
and, even stands at the right hand,
of her only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
she presents our petitions in a most efficacious manner.
What she asks, she obtains.
Her pleas can never be unheard!”

Bl Pius IX (1792-1878)

Ineffabilis Deus
(which proclaimed the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December 1854)

“To serve the Queen of Heaven
is already to reign there
and to live under her commands,
is more than to govern.”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

“She is more Mother than Queen.”

St Therese of the Child Jesus (1873-1897)
Doctor of the Church

“With the certainty of faith,
we know that Jesus Christ is king in the full,
literal and absolute sense of the word;
for He is true God and man.
This does not, however, prevent Mary
from sharing His royal prerogatives,
though in a limited and analogous manner;
for she was the Mother of Christ
and Christ is God and she shared
in the work of the divine Redeemer,
in His struggles against enemies
and in the triumph He won over them all.
From this union with Christ the King
she assuredly obtains so eminent a status
that she stands high above all created things
and upon this same union with Christ
is based that royal privilege,
enabling her to distribute the treasures
of the kingdom of the divine Redeemer.”

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

Excerpted from Ad Caeli Reginam

“Mary … as the Mother of our Lord,
comes nearer to Him
than any angel,
nearer even than the Seraphim
who surround Him and cry continuall,
“Holy Holy Holy” …
The Blessed Mother of God
has hosts of angels who do her service
and she is their Queen.”

“Her Son will deny her nothing that she asks
and herein lies her power.
While she defends the Church,
neither height nor depth,
neither men nor evil spirits,
neither great monarchs,
nor craft of man,
nor popular violence,
can avail to harm us;
for human life is short
but Mary reigns above,
a Queen forever.”

St John Henry Newman CO (1801-1890)

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/08/22/quote-s-of-the-day-22-august-from-the-fathers-on-the-queenship-of-mary/

Posted in ENCYCLICALS, GOD is LOVE, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 May – Man is redeemed by love.

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One Minute Reflection – 15 May – Wednesday of the Fourth week of Easter, C, Gospel: John 12:44–50

“I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world”...John 12:47i did not come to condem the world john 12 47 15 may 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “It is not science that redeems man, man is redeemed by love.   This applies even in terms of this present world.   When someone has the experience of a great love in his life, this is a moment of “redemption” which gives a new meaning to his life.   But soon, he will also realise that the love bestowed upon him cannot by itself resolve the question of his life.   It is a love that remains fragile.   It can be destroyed by death.   The human being needs unconditional love.   He needs the certainty which makes him say – “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38- 39).   If this absolute love exists, with its absolute certainty, then—only then—is man “redeemed”, whatever should happen to him, in his particular circumstances.

This is what it means to say, Jesus Christ has “redeemed” us.   Through Him we have become certain of God, a God who is not a remote “first cause” of the world, because His only-begotten Son has become man and of Him everyone can say:  “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20)….Pope Benedict XVI – Encyclical “ Spe Salvi ”#26it is not science that redeems man - pope benedict 15 may 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord God, life of those who believe in You, glory of the humble and happiness of the Saints, listen kindly to our prayer.   We long for what You promises, fill us from Your abundance, give us true faith and obedience.   May the Blessed Virgin, Mother of Your Son, be our constant recourse. Through Our Lord, Jesus with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.mary-mother-pray-for-us-15-may-2018.jpg

Posted in ENCYCLICALS, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST

Sunday Reflection – 9 December – The Second Sunday of Advent

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Sunday Reflection – 9 December – The Second Sunday of Advent

Pope Pius XII and Mediator Dei

The question remains, then, of just how one participates actively “in the most holy mysteries and in the public and solemn prayer of the Church”.   Pope Pius XII situates active participation in a personal and corporate adhesion to the sacrifice of Christ who, in every Holy Mass, exercises His priesthood and offers Himself as a spotless victim to the Father.

One comes to Holy Mass, then, not after the manner of a consumer looking seeking spiritual gratification but, rather, as an offerer bearing to the altar the oblation of his own life, as a royal priest set over all created things in order to raise them heavenward in the Great Thanksgiving (Eucharist) and as a victim, a sacrificial lamb ready to be made over to God in Christ.  In Christ and in the members of His Mystical Body are the prophetic words of Abraham to Isaac wondrously fulfilled:  “God Himself will provide the lamb” (Genesis 22:8). Pope Pius XII writes:

“All the elements of the liturgy, then, would have us reproduce in our hearts the likeness of the divine Redeemer through the mystery of the cross, according to the words of the Apostle of the Gentiles, “With Christ I am nailed to the cross. I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me.”   Thus we become a victim, as it were, along with Christ to increase the glory of the eternal Father.

Let the faithful, therefore, consider to what a high dignity they are raised by the sacrament of baptism.   They should not think it enough to participate in the eucharistic sacrifice with that general intention which befits members of Christ and children of the Church but let them further, in keeping with the spirit of the sacred liturgy, be most closely united with the High Priest and His earthly minister, at the time the consecration of the divine Victim is enacted and, at that time, especially when those solemn words are pronounced:

“By Him and with Him and in Him is to Thee, God the Father almighty, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honour and glory forever and ever”;   to these words in fact the people answer, “Amen.”

Nor should Christians forget to offer themselves, their cares, their sorrows, their distress and their necessities in union with their divine Saviour upon the cross.”

ven pope pius XII mediator dei - sunreflection 9 dec 2018

Posted in ENCYCLICALS, MARTYRS, ON the SAINTS, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, Uncategorized

Thought for the Day – 12 November – “He gave his life for the unity of the Church” – The Memorial of St Josaphat (1584-1623) Bishop and Martyr

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“He gave his life for the unity of the Church”

Pope Piux XI
Bishop of Rome

An excerpt from Ecclesiam Dei

Memorial of St Josaphat (1584-1623) Bishop and Martyr “the thief of souls.”PopePiusXI

“In designing his Church God worked with such skill that in the fullness of time it would resemble a single great family embracing all men.   It can be identified, as we know, by certain distinctive characteristics, notably its universality and unity.

Christ the Lord passed on to His apostles the task He had received from the Father: ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.   Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.’   He wanted the apostles as a body to be intimately bound together, first by the inner tie of the same faith and love which flows into our hearts through the Holy Spirit and, second, by the external tie of authority exercised by one apostle over the others.   For this he assigned the primacy to Peter, the source and visible basis of their unity for all time.  So that the unity and agreement among them would endure, God wisely stamped them, one might say, with the mark of holiness and martyrdom.

Both these distinctions fell to Josaphat, Archbishop of Polock of the Slavonic rite of the Eastern Church.   He is rightly looked upon as the great glory and strength of the Eastern Rite Slavs.   Few have brought them greater honour or contributed more to their spiritual welfare than Josaphat, their pastor and apostle, especially when he gave his life as a martyr for the unity of the Church.   He felt, in fact, that God had inspired him to restore world-wide unity to the Church and he realised that his greatest chance of success lay in preserving the Slavonic rite and Saint Basil’s rule of monastic life within the one universal Church.

Concerned mainly with seeing his own people reunited to the See of Peter, he sought out every available argument which would foster and maintain Church unity.   His best arguments were drawn from liturgical books, sanctioned by the Fathers of the Church, which were in common use among Eastern Christians, including the dissidents.   Thus thoroughly prepared, he set out to restore the unity of the Church.   A forceful man of fine sensibilities, he met with such success that his opponents dubbed him “the thief of souls.”

The seeds of separation were sown in the fourth century when the Roman Empire was divided into East and West.   The actual split came over customs such as using unleavened bread, Saturday fasting and celibacy.   No doubt the political involvement of religious leaders on both sides was a large factor and doctrinal disagreement was present.   But no reason was enough to justify the present tragic division in Christendom, which is 64 percent Roman Catholic, 13 percent Eastern—mostly Orthodox—Churches and 23 percent Protestant and this when the 71 percent of the world that is not Christian, should be experiencing unity and Christ-like charity from Christians! (These figures from Franciscan Media)

St Josaphat, Ora pro Nobis!st jospahat - pray for us - ora pro nobis - 12 nov 2018

Posted in ENCYCLICALS, FRANCISCAN OFM, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 30 October – The Memorial of St Angelo of Acri OFM Cap (1669-1739) Preacher

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Quote of the Day =30 October – The Memorial of St Angelo of Acri OFM Cap (1669-1739) Preacher

Pope Francis writes:

“The preacher has the wonderful but difficult task of joining loving hearts, the hearts of the Lord and His people.
The dialogue between God and His people further strengthens the covenant between them and consolidates the bond of charity.
In the course of the homily, the hearts of believers keep silence and allow God to speak. The Lord and His people speak to one another in a thousand ways directly, without intermediaries.   But in the homily, they want someone to serve as an instrument and to express their feelings in such a way, that afterwards, each one may chose how he or she
will continue the conversation.”

…Pope Francis – Evangelii gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel, 143

the preacher has the wonderful but difficult task - evanelii guadium the joy of the gospel 143 - pope francis - 30 oct 2018

Posted in ENCYCLICALS, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL MESSAGES, PAPAL PRAYERS, WORLD DAYS of PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 1 September – The 4th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

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Thought for the Day – 1 September – The 4th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Excerpt – Message of His Holiness, Pope Francis, 1 SEPTEMBER 2016

Show Mercy to our Common Home

Examining our consciences, repentance and confession to our Father who is rich in mercy lead to a firm purpose of amendment.   This in turn must translate into concrete ways of thinking and acting that are more respectful of creation.   For example: “avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can reasonably be consumed, showing care for other living beings, using public transport or car-pooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, or any number of other practices” (Laudato Si’, 211).   We must not think that these efforts are too small to improve our world.   They “call forth a goodness which, albeit unseen, inevitably tends to spread” and encourage “a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle, one capable of deep enjoyment free of the obsession with consumption” (ibid., 212, 222).

In the same way, the resolve to live differently should affect our various contributions to shaping the culture and society in which we live.   Indeed, “care for nature is part of a lifestyle which includes the capacity for living together and communion” (Laudato Si’, 228).   Economics and politics, society and culture cannot be dominated by thinking only of the short-term and immediate financial or electoral gains.   Instead, they urgently need to be redirected to the common good, which includes sustainability and care for creation.

Despite our sins and the daunting challenges before us, we never lose heart.   “The Creator does not abandon us; He never forsakes His loving plan or repents of having created us… for He has united himself definitively to our earth and His love constantly impels us to find new ways forward” (Laudato Si’, 13; 245).   In a particular way, let us pray on 1 September and indeed throughout the year:

“O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned
and forgotten of this earth,
who are so precious in your eyes…

God of love, show us our place in this world
as channels of Your love
for all the creatures of this earth
God of mercy, may we receive Your forgiveness
and convey Your mercy throughout our common home.

Praise be to you!
Amen.”

(Pope Francis 2016)1 sept join pope francis - daily prayer for the care of creation - 1 sept 2018

Posted in ENCYCLICALS, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MARRIAGE, MARRIED LOVE, The WORD, VATICAN Documents, VATICAN Resources

One Minute Reflection – 15 June – Friday of the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel Matthew 5:27-32

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One Minute Reflection – 15 June – Friday of the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel Matthew 5:27-32

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’   But I say to you that every one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, makes her an adulteress and whoever marries a divorced woman, commits adultery.”…Matthew 5:31-32matthew 5 31-32-but i say to you that everyone who divorces

REFLECTION – “Married love particularly reveals its true nature and nobility when we realise that it takes its origin from God, who is love… Marriage, then, is far from being the effect of chance or the result of the blind evolution of natural forces.   It is in reality the wise and provident institution of God the Creator, whose purpose was to effect in man His loving design.   As a consequence, husband and wife, through that mutual gift of themselves alone… develop that union of two persons in which they perfect one another, cooperating with God in the generation and rearing of new lives.   The marriage of those who have been baptised is, in addition, invested with the dignity of a sacramental sign of grace, for it represents the union of Christ and His Church (Eph 5:32).

In the light of these facts the characteristic features and exigencies of married love are clearly indicated.   This love is above all fully human, a compound of sense and spirit.   It is not, then, merely a question of natural instinct or emotional drive.   It is also, and above all, an act of the free will, whose trust is such that it is meant not only to survive the joys and sorrows of daily life but also to grow, so that husband and wife become, in a way, one heart and one soul and together attain their human fulfilment.

It is a love which is total—that very special form of personal friendship in which husband and wife generously share everything, allowing no unreasonable exceptions and not thinking solely of their own convenience.   Whoever really loves his partner, loves not only for what he receives but loves that partner, for the partner’s own sake, content to be able to enrich the other with the gift of himself.

Married love is also faithful and exclusive of all other and this until death.   This is how husband and wife understood it on the day on which, fully aware of what they were doing, they freely vowed themselves to one another in marriage… Finally, this love is fecund.   It is not confined wholly to the loving interchange of husband and wife;  it also contrives to go beyond this to bring new life into being.”…Blessed Paul VI – Humanae vitae, 8-9whoever really loves - bl pope paul VI - humanae vitae 9 - 15 june 2018

PRAYER – Yours is the day and Yours, the night, Lord God and we are Your children. Grant we pray, that the weakness of our humanity, the drive of our emotions and flesh may not overpower us.   Lead us Lord, through the dangers of our day, give us strength and true love, wishing only our final home for those who share our lives, especially our spouse.   Mary, pray for us, that we may imitate your faithfulness in all things, St Joseph be a guide and a support to us all.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.holy mary holy joseph - pray for us - 15 june 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, ENCYCLICALS, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote of the Day – 24 May “Mary’s Month” – Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians

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Quote of the Day – 24 May “Mary’s Month” – Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians

“This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace,
continues uninterruptedly, from the consent,
which she loyally gave, at the Annunciation
and which she sustained, without wavering beneath the Cross,
until the eternal fulfilment of all the elect.

Taken up to heaven, she did not lay aside this saving office
but by her manifold intercession, continues to bring us
the gifts of eternal salvation.   By her maternal charity,
she cares for the brethren of her Son,
who still journey on earth, surrounded by dangers and difficulties,
until they are led into their blessed home.

Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church
under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress and Mediatrix.
This, however, is so understood,
that it neither takes away anything from,
nor adds anything to,
the dignity and efficacy of Christ the one Mediator.”

Lumen Gentium, 62
Blessed Pope Paul VI (1897-1978)lumen gentium 62 - bl pope paul VI - 24 may 2018

Posted in ENCYCLICALS, FRANCISCAN OFM, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, WORLD DAYS of PRAYER

Quote/s of the Day – Pope Francis – Laudato Si – – 1 September – World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

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Quote/s of the Day – Pope Francis – Laudato Si – – 1 September – World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

“Creatures are not just resources but have value in and of themselves and give glory to God

It is not enough, however, to think of different species merely as potential “resources” to be exploited, while overlooking the fact that they have value in themselves.  Each year sees the disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species which we will never know, which our children will never see because they have been lost for ever.   The great majority become extinct for reasons related to human activity.   Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence, nor convey their message to us.   We have no such right. (33)”

“Overpopulation is not the problem

Instead of resolving the problems of the poor and thinking of how the world can be different, some can only propose a reduction in the birth rate.   At times, developing countries face forms of international pressure which make economic assistance contingent on certain policies of “reproductive health”. […]   To blame population growth instead of extreme and selective consumerism on the part of some, is one way of refusing to face the issues.   It is an attempt to legitimise the present model of distribution, where a minority believes that it has the right to consume in a way which can never be universalised, since the planet could not even contain the waste products of such consumption. (50)”

Pope Francis – Laudato Si

Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfolds rich blessing on our way,
O praise God! Alleluia!
The fruits and flowers that verdant grow,
Let them His praise abundant show.
O praise God, O praise God,
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

St. Francis of Assisi
(Translated by William H Draper) (Image by St Francis by Albert Chevallier Tayler)

dear mother earth - st francis prayer

Posted in ENCYCLICALS, MORNING Prayers, The WORD, WORLD DAYS of PRAYER

One Minute Reflection – 1 September – World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 1 September – World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it...Genesis 2:15genesis 2 15

REFLECTION – “This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life.   This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she “groans in travail” (Rom 8:22).   We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7);  our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters.”..Pope Francis “LAUDATO SI’this sister now cries out to us - pope francis laudato si

PRAYER – O God, from the very beginning of time You commanded the earth to bring forth vegetation and every fruit of every kind. You provide the sower with seed and give bread to eat.   Grant, we pray, that this land, enriched by Your bounty and cultivated by human hands, may be fertile with abundant crops.   Then Your people, enriched by the gifts of Your goodness, will praise You unceasingly now and for all ages unending. Through our Lord Jesus Christ in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.

Posted in ENCYCLICALS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

The Memorial of the Queenship of Mary – 22 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

The Memorial of the Queenship of Mary – 22 August – A Marian feast day decreed by Pope Pius XII on 11 October 1954, in his encyclical Ad caeli reginam to recognise and celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of the world, of the universe, of the angels, of heaven,  Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins, all Saints,of Families, Queen conceived without original sin Queen assumed into Heaven, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Queen of Mercy, Queen of Peace.   The movement to officially recognise the Queenship of Mary was initially promoted by several Catholic Mariological congresses in Lyon, France, Freiburg, Germany and Einsiedeln, Switzerland. Pro Regalitate Mariae, an international society to promote the Queenship of Mary, was founded in Rome, Italy by noted Marioligist and writer Father Gabriel Roschini.   Patronages – the diocese of Cabinda, Angola.

From early times Christians have believed and not without reason, that she of whom was born the Son of the Most High received privileges of grace above all other beings created by God.   He “will reign in the house of Jacob forever,” “the Prince of Peace,” the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”   And when Christians reflected upon the intimate connection that obtains between a mother and a son, they readily acknowledged the supreme royal dignity of the Mother of God.

coronation - fra filippo lippi

Queenship

In this feast, particularly cherished by the Popes of modern times, we celebrate Mary as the Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Pope Pius IX said of Mary’s Queenship:  “Turning her maternal Heart toward us and dealing with the affair of our salvation, she is concerned with the whole human race.   Constituted by the Lord, Queen of Heaven and earth and exalted above all choirs of Angels and the ranks of Saints in Heaven, standing at the right hand of Her only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, she petitions most powerfully with Her maternal prayers and she obtains what she seeks.”

And Pope Pius XII added the following:  “We commend that on the festival there be renewed the consecration of the human race to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.   Upon this there is founded a great hope that there will rejoice in the triumph of religion and in Christian peace…

…Therefore, let all approach with greater confidence now than before, to the throne of mercy and grace of our Queen and Mother to beg help in difficultly, light in darkness and solace in trouble and sorrow…

. . Whoever, therefore, honours the lady ruler of the Angels and of men – and let no one think themselves exempt from the payment of that tribute of a grateful and loving soul – let them call upon her as most truly Queen and as the Queen who brings the blessings of peace, that She may show us all, after this exile, Jesus, who will be our enduring peace and joy.”

St Lomman, Abbot, (5th—early 6th century)

 “The Help of Mary, Queen and Mother”

O Mary, when our eyes close in our last sleep and open to behold thy Son, the Just Judge and the Angel opens the Book and the Enemy accuses us;  in that terrible hour, come to our aid.  Be with us.
When death came to Joseph, you and your Son were with him:  Thy Son to judge, thou to console.   O Happy Joseph!   When death comes for us, be near us.   O Mary, when we are held captive in the place of atonement;  plead for us and visit us, that we may find consolation in thy presence.  Stretch forth thy hand to help us;  deliver us from our bondage.  We are thy children: Thou art our Mother.   As little children we come to thee; we know no fear.
O Mary, He changed water into wine for thee, even as He said:   My hour has not yet come.  Now He will not refuse thee, when you plead for us thy children.   O Mary, come quickly to our aid.   Do not let us stray from the Fold.   The wolf is waiting to destroy us. There shall be neither night nor day to thy praises.
Adoration to the Father Who created thee!   Adoration to they Son, Who took flesh from thee!   Adoration to the Holy Spirit, Thy Divine Spouse!   Three in One, One in Three. Equal in all things.   To Him be glory for ever.   Forever. Forever. Amen.

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Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, ENCYCLICALS, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote of the Day – 24 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 24 May

“This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace, continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the Cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect.   Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation.   By her maternal charity, she cares for the brethren of her Son, who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties, until they are led into their blessed home.   Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress and Mediatrix.   This, however, is so understood, that it neither takes away anything from, nor adds anything to, the dignity and efficacy of Christ the one Mediator.”

Lumen Gentium, 62 –  Blessed Pope Paul VI

Lumen Gentium 62