Quote/s of the Day – 9 March – Wednesday of the First Week of Lent, Ember Wednesday and the Memorial of St Dominic Savio (1842-1857)
“Nothing seems tiresome or painful
when you are working
for a Master Who pays well;
Who rewards, even a cup of cold water,
given for love of Him.”
“I need nothing in this world
in order to be happy.
I only need to see Jesus in Heaven,
Whom I now see
and adore on the Altar
with the eyes of faith.”
Thought for the Day – 26 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“After the many plans and worries of the day, it is wonderful to visit a Church in the evening and kneel before the Blessed Sacrament.
There we can adore Jesus and converse lovingly with Him.
We have spent so many hours surrounded by the noise of the world.
It is restful now to spend a quarter of an hour in silent prayer before Jesus, the Prisoner of Love, in the Tabernacle.
It is He, Who invites us.
“Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).
There are so many matters worrying us.
We need some words of advice, which will clear our doubts and strengthen us in suffering.
We need words of encouragement to banish our sadness and enliven our faith.
We need words of love, which will light, in our hearts, the flame of love for God.
We can find all this on our knees before the Tabernacle.
Do not end the day, without seeking a renewal of Christian strength, at the feet of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, if at all possible.”
Thought for the Day – 15 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Besides organising our day on the basis of a timetable, it is wise to work out, in advance, the way in which we shall behave during the different hours.
It is easy to be taken by surprise, carried away by events and, as a result, to waste time or do things badly.
We should make up our minds as to how we should behave in the presence of God and in the presence of men.
Concerning our relations with God, the best resolution is, to begin the day by prayer and, if possible, a visit to the Church.
Our ideal will be to hear Mass and receive Holy Communion.
During the day, especially in moments of trial, we shall raise our minds and hearts to God by means of short aspirations.
We shall live in the presence of God; we shall live in His life.
We shall end the day by making a visit, however brief, to the Blessed Sacrament and by saying our evening prayer.
When we are going to sleep, we shall say certain prayers and remember the presence of God.
This is a day in the life of a good Catholic.
How many can say that they spend their day like this?”
PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/15/thought-for-the-day-15-february-the-order-of-the-day/
Quote/s of the Day – 31 January – The Memorial of St John Bosco (1815-1888)
“Do not try to excuse your faults;
try to correct them.”
“Ask your Angel to console
and assist you
in your last moments.”
“Be ever more convinced
that your Guardian Angel
is really present,
that he is ever at your side.
St Frances of Rome
always saw him standing before her,
his arms clasped at his breast,
his eyes uplifted to Heaven
but, at the slightest failing,
he would cover his face,
as if in shame
and at times,
turn his back to her!”
“Entrust everything to Jesus
in the Blessed Sacrament
and to Mary, Help of Christians
and you will see
what miracles are!”
MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/31/quote-s-of-the-day-31-january-st-john-bosco/
Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – The Memorial of Blessed Henry Suso OP (1295-1366)
“The eternal God
asks a favour of His bride:
“Hold me close to your heart,
close as locket or bracelet fits.”
No matter whether
we walk or stand still,
eat or drink,
we should at all times
wear the golden locket
“Jesus” upon our heart.”
“Suffering is a short pain
and a long joy.”
“Nowhere does Jesus
hear our prayers more readily,
than in the Blessed Sacrament.”
“It is inner abandonment
which leads men
to the highest Truth.”
MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/23/quote-s-of-the-day-23-january-blessed-henry-suso/
Our Morning Offering – 23 January – The Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Stay With Me, O Lord
By Padre Pio (1887-1968)
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,
so that I hear Your Voice and follow You.
Stay with me, Lord,
for I desire to love You very much
and always be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord,
if You wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is,
I want it to be a place of consolation for You,
a nest of Love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late
and the day is coming to a close
and life passes, death, judgement
and eternity approach.
It is necessary to renew my strength,
so that I will not stop
along the way and for that, I need You.
It is getting late and death approaches,
I fear the darkness, the temptations,
the dryness, the cross, the sorrows.
O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!
Stay with me tonight, Jesus,
in life with all its dangers, I need You.
Let me recognise You as Your disciples did,
at the breaking of the bread,
so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light
which disperses the darkness,
the force which sustains me,
the unique joy of my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death,
I want to remain united to You,
if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for,
Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will,
Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You
and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.
With a firm love, I will love You
with all my heart while on earth
and continue to love You perfectly, during all eternity.
Amen.
Thought for the Day – 28 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“There are twenty four hours in a day, eight thousand seven hundred and sixty, in a year.
How have you spent all the hours which God has given you in the past?
How do you intend to use the hours which He will give you in the future?
When you examine the past, you will find much to regret.
Perhaps you have spent many hours in sin, in idle gossp, in useless or dangerous pastimes, or in innumerable business transactions, all of which will contribute NOTHING towards your eternal salvation, which should be our main concern in this life.
How much time have you spent thinking of God, your Creator and Redeemer?
How many hours have you devoted to prayer, thanksgiving and penance.
How many have you spent in apostolic work on behalf of your neighbour?
It may be that the service of God and your spiritual welfare have, so far, been the least of your worries, on which you have expended no more than the few odd moments left over from your other preoccupations.
You are well aware, nevertheless, that the purpose of life is to know, love and serve God.
You know that you ought to offer Him all your thoughts, affections and actions, for He alone can make your happy – or do you NOT know and believe this?”
Thought for the Day – 7 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“We ought not to imagine that contemplation is a privilege exvclusive to Monks and Nuns.
In fact, it belongs to all Catholics.
It is the privilege of the peasant, artisan, or clerk, who, on his way home from work, pays a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
“Here I am, my God,“ anyone of them may say.
“I am very tired.
Please give me some rest for my soul.
I am weary and worried, both in body and in soul.
I wish to love You more and to be faithful to You, until I die.
I wish to think only of You but there are so many other things which I must think about.
I have so many temptations and disturbances, which cause me to forget You and which often lead me into evil.
O God, be the light of my soul, the peace of my heart, the divine strength of my weak will. …”
Murmuring words like these, they listen to God and seem to see Him bending down towards them.
Then there is the student who has spent the day pouring over books, searching for the truth.
He goes into the Church for a moment and kneels down.
His mind is full of the tumult of thoughts, calculations and problems, never completely answered or explained in the books, written by men.
He asks God for the light which he has not found, for the answer which he has not discovered, for the peace and calm, which only He can give.
At least for a moment, all these workers and students are contemplatives.
They have left behind the noise of the world, in order to listen to the Voice of God.
But this Voice, which does not speak in words but in silence and in peace, is the Voice of contemplation.
Prayer comes afterwards, when God makes His presence felt in the soul.
In this way, no matter who or what we are, we should all be contemplatives.
In other words, we should seek, in quiet conversation with God, the truth and tranquiliity which the world cannot give us.”
Quote/s of the Day – 16 November – The Memorial of St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
“Bodily and spiritual affliction
are the surest sign
of Divine predilection.”
“Gratitude for suffering
is a precious jewel
for our heavenly crown…
Man should always firmly believe,
that God sends just that trial
which is most beneficial for him.”
“Every time we look
at the Blessed Sacrament,
our place in Heaven
is raised forever.”
“Angels constantly guard
the clients of the Blessed Virgin
from the assaults of Hell.”
Quote/s of the Day – 5 October – The Memorial of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos CSsR (1819-1867)
“It is only through suffering
that we become holy.
And to become holy is our only purpose in life,
our only preparation for heaven.”
TOP 10 Practical Guide to Holiness
One Minute Reflection – 5 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Jonah 3: 1-10; Psalm 130: 1b–4ab, 7-8; Luke 10: 38-42
“As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak…” – Luke 10:38-39
REFLECTION – “Now when we have received our Lord and have Him in our body, let us not then let Him alone, setting forth about other things, looking no more unto Him but let all our business be about Him. Let us by devout prayer talk to Him, by devout meditation talk with Him. Let us say with the prophet: “I will hear what our Lord will speak within me” (Ps 85[84]: 9).
For surely, if we … attend unto Him, He will not fail with good inspirations to speak such things to us, within us, as shall serve to the great spiritual comfort and profit of our soul.
Let us then, be both Martha and also Mary. And, therefore, let us with Martha, provide that all our inward business may be pertaining to Him, in making cheer to Him and to His company for His sake, that is to say, to poor folk, of whom He takes everyone not only for His disciple but also, as for Himself. For He Himself said: “What you have done to one of the least of these my brethren, you have done to Me” (Mt 25:40) … Let us endeavour ourselves to keep Him still and let us say with His two disciples that were going to the house of Emmaus: “Stay with us, good Lord” (Lk 24:29). And then shall we be sure, that He will not go from us unless we unkindly put Him from us! – St Thomas More (1478-1535) Martyr – (Treatise To Receive the Blessed Body of our Lord.).
PRAYER – Stay With Me, O Lord by Padre Pio (1887-1968)
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,
so that I hear Your voice and follow You.
Stay with me, Lord,
for I desire to love You very much
and always be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord,
if You wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is,
I want it to be a place of consolation for You,
a nest of Love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late
and the day is coming to a close
and life passes, death, judgement
and eternity approach.
It is necessary to renew my strength,
so that I will not stop
along the way and for that, I need You.
It is getting late and death approaches,
I fear the darkness, the temptations,
the dryness, the cross, the sorrows.
O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!
Stay with me tonight, Jesus,
in life with all its dangers, I need You.
Let me recognise You as Your disciples did,
at the breaking of the bread,
so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light
which disperses the darkness,
the force which sustains me,
the unique joy of my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death,
I want to remain united to You,
if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for,
Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will,
Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You
and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.
With a firm love, I will love You
with all my heart while on earth
and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 3 October – The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
O Jesus, Sweetest Love,
Come Thou to Me
1940 Fr Francis Xavier Lasance (1860–1946)
O JESUS, sweetest Love, come Thou to me.
Come down in all Thy beauty unto me.
Thou Who didst die for longing of me
And never, never more depart from me.
Free me, O beauteous God, from all but Thee;
Sever the chain that holds me back from Thee;
Call me, O tender Love, I cry to Thee;
Thou art my all! O bind me close to Thee.
O suffering Love, Who hast so loved me;
O patient Love, Who wearies not of me.
Thou alone O Love! Thou weary not of me!
Ah! Weary not till I am lost in Thee,
Nay, weary not, till I am found in Thee.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 9 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
In Catholic Time, Thursday is the day of the Holy Eucharist – Our Lord instituted the most Holy Eucharist on a Thursday, so it is fitting that we remember this greatest of Sacraments on this day. The Eucharist is the greatest gift of God to mankind, as it is nothing less than Jesus Himself. What gift could be greater?
Therefore, on Thursdays, many spend an hour in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as an aspect of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
By The League of the Sacred Heart
1929 (Ireland)
O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament,
overflowing with gentleness,
tenderness and charity,
I bury in the abyss of The Mercy,
all my iniquities and all my negligence.
I offer Thee
my labours and my sufferings,
my sorrows and my miseries,
I recommend to Thee
my life and my death.
Solace my doubts Sweet Jesus,
calm my fears
and grant, that day by day,
I may become more united to Thy Sacred Heart,
learning Thy love and Thy holiness.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 3 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – The Memorial of St Pope Pius X (1835-1914) (Pontiff 1903-1914)
O Divine Jesus!
Lonely in So Many Tabernacles
By St Pope Pius X (1835-1914)
“Pope of the Blessed Sacrament”
O Divine Jesus!
Lonely today in so many Tabernacles,
without visitor or worshipper,
I offer Thee my lonely heart.
May it’s every beat be a prayer of love to Thee.
Thou art ever watching under the Sacramental Veils,
in Thou love, Thou never sleeps
and Thou art never weary of Thy vigils for sinners.
O Loving Jesus!
O Lonely Jesus!
may my heart be a lamp,
the light of which shall burn and beam
for Thee alone.
Watch, Sacramental Sentinel!
Watch for the weary world,
for the erring soul
and for Thy poor lonely child.
O Jesus, my God, I adore Thee,
here present in the Sacrament of Thy love.
Amen
Indulgences:
100 days each time before the Tabernacle
300 days each time before the Blessed Sacrament Exposed
(St Pope Pius X – 3 July 1908)
Prayers to the Sacred Heart
15th Ed 1936
Our Morning Offering – 17 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart”
Jesus, Joy of Loving Hearts
By St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
and the last Father of the Church
Jesus, joy of loving hearts,
You Fount of life,
You Light of men,
from the best bliss that earth imparts
we turn unfilled to You again.
We taste You,
O You living Bread,
and long to feast upon You still.
We drink of You, the Fountainhead,
and thirst our souls from You to fill.
O Jesus, ever with us stay,
make all our moments calm and bright;
chase the dark night of sin away,
shed o’er the world Your holy light.
Amen, Amen
Our Morning Offering – 12 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” Memorial of St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)
I Come, O Lord
By St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)
I come, O Lord,
unto Thy sanctuary
to see the life and food of my soul.
As I hope in Thee, O Lord,
inspire me with that confidence
which brings me to Thy holy mountain.
Permit me, Divine Jesus,
to come closer to Thee,
that my whole soul may do homage
to the greatness of Thy majesty,
that my heart,
with its tenderest affections,
may acknowledge Thy infinite love,
that my memory may dwell
on the admirable mysteries,
here renewed everyday
and that the sacrifice,
of my whole being,
may accompany Thine.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 8 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“The Eucharist in our spiritual life could be compared to the sun in the physical life of the world.
The sun gives light, heat and life.
We can imagine what a terrible thing it would be if the sun set one evening and never rose again!
Darkness would envelop the earth once more as at the beginning of creation.
The cold would become relentless and life would be gradually extinguished everywhere.
Men could, for sometime, depend on their reserves of artificial light to illuminate their creeping agony but, life would slowly decline, until it ended in death for everything and for everybody.
Such would be the spiritual life without Jesus, especially without Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist, Who lives amongst us as our only true Friend, Who hears, helps and nourishes us.
He is the sun of our souls, the source of our enlightenment, fervour and consolation.
Are we weary and discouraged beneath the weight of our daily cross and of our sins?
Let us go to Jesus and He will help us to carry our cross.
He will wash away our sins and give us the supernatural strength, never to sin again.
Let us unite ourselves to Jesus, by frequent Communion, by a daily visit to Him in the Tabernacle and, by making a spiritual communion whenever we cannot receive Him in the Blessed Eucharist.
Let us make fervent aspirations, whenever we find our cross too heavy for us or when we are strongly tempted.
Many people go on long pilgrimages to famous Sanctuaries, such as Lourdes, Fatima and the Holy Places of Palestine.
These are certainly worthwhile but, we should not forget that the greatest sanctuary of all is close at hand.
It is in every Church which contains Jesus in the Tabernacle.
Here, we have Jesus Himself, really present and anxious to listen to us and to help us.
The Saints could find no greater joy on earth than to to pray before the Blessed Sacrament.
We are all called to be saints!”
Quote/s of the Day – 8 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Readings: First Kings 19: 4-8; Psalm 34: 2-9 (9a); Ephesians 4: 30 – 5: 2; John 6: 41-51
“I am the living bread
that came down from heaven,
whoever eats this bread will live forever
and the bread that I will give is my flesh
for the life of the world.”
“I am the bread of life”
“For His body, has been given to you
under the appearance of bread
and His blood, under the appearance of wine,
so that, when you have partaken
of the body and blood of Christ,
you might be one body and one blood with Him.
So shall we become Christ-bearers [“Christophers”].
His body and blood are diffused through all our members –
see, then, how we become participants
in the divine nature!”
“But the bread of Moses was not perfect,
it was only given to the Israelites.
Because He wanted to show,
that His gift is superior to that of Moses
and the call to the nations still more perfect,
our Lord said: “If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever,”
for the bread from God
“has come down from heaven”
and is given to the whole world (Jn 6:51).”
“God has exercised His condescension
towards our weakness
and placed all His life-force
into the elements of bread and wine,
which are thus endowed
with the spirit of His own life.
So believe in it without hesitation,
for our Lord Himself has clearly said:
“This is my body” and “This is my blood.”
Quote/s of the Day – 7 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – The Memorial of St Cajetan (1480-1547)
“My desire is not my way
but Your way.”
“May all praise and thanks
be continually given
to the Most Holy
and Most August Sacrament.”
“We may seek graces
but shall never find them
without the intercession of Mary.”
Look Down, O Lord
By St Cajetan (1480-1547)
Look down, O Lord, from Thy sanctuary
and from the high habitation of Heaven
and behold this Sacred Oblation
which our great High Priest,
Thy Holy Servant, the Lord Jesus,
immolates unto Thee, for the sins of His brethren
and be propitious to the multitude of our iniquities.
Behold, the Voice
of the Blood of Jesus, our Brother,
cries to Thee from the Cross.
Graciously hear, O Lord,
be appeased, O Lord, hearken and do.
Delay not for Thy own sake, my God
because Thy Name is invoked upon this city
and upon Thy people
and do with us,
according to Thy mercy.
Amen
MORE HERE;
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-august-the-memorial-of-st-cajetan-1480-1547/
Quote/s of the Day – 2 August – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
“If you wish to charm the loving Heart of your God,
set yourself to talk to Him,
as often as you can
and, after a fashion,
continually, together with the fullest
and most confident liberty.
He will not hold aloof from answering you
and participating in the conversation on His part.”
“On the journey of this life to eternity,
let me carry You in my heart,
following Mary’s example,
who bore You in her arms,
during the flight to Egypt.”
“… It is Him you should love and no other.
Of Him you could and should say
“My Beloved is mine and I am his” (Sg 2:16);
my God has given Himself without reserve
and, without reserve, I give myself to Him;
He has chosen me as the object of His tenderness
and He, among thousands,
He, the radiant and ruddy one (Sg 5:10),
so loveable and so loving,
He is the chosen of my heart,
the only one I wish to love.”
“Were you to ask,
‘what are the means of overcoming temptations’,
I would answer:
the first means is prayer,
the second is prayer,
the third is prayer
and should you ask me a thousand times,
I would repeat the same.”
“Sacrilegious tongues blaspheme the God
who preserves their existence!
… you should be damned forever
and, instead of thanking Him for His goodness,
you, at the very time
that He bestows His favours upon you,
YOU blaspheme His Holy Name!”
“Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus
in the Blessed Sacrament
is the greatest, after the sacraments,
the one dearest to God
and the one most helpful to us.”
Act of Spiritual Communion
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor
I desire, good Jesus,
to receive Thee in Holy Communion
and since I cannot now receive Thee
in the Blessed Sacrament,
I beseech Thee to come to me spiritually
and to refresh my soul with Thy sweetness.
Come, my Lord, my God and my All!
Come to me
and never let me ever again
be separated from Thee by sin.
Teach me Thy blessed ways,
help me with Thy grace to imitate Thy example,
to practise meekness, humility,
charity and all the virtues of Thy Sacred Heart.
My divine Master, my one desire is to do Thy will
and to love Thee, more and more.
Help me, that I may be faithful to the end, in Thy service.
Bless me in life and in death,
that I may praise Thee, forever in heaven,
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 1 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Readings: Exodus 16: 2-4, 12-15; Psalms 78: 3-4, 23-24, 25, 54 (24b); Ephesians 4: 17, 20-24; John 6: 24-35
“I am the bread of life”
“For His body, has been given to you
under the appearance of bread
and His blood, under the appearance of wine,
so that, when you have partaken
of the body and blood of Christ,
you might be one body and one blood with Him.
So shall we become Christ-bearers [“Christophers”].
His body and blood are diffused t
hrough all our members – see, then,
how we become participants in the divine nature!”
This the truth to Christians given,
Bread becomes His flesh from heaven,
Wine becomes His holy Blood (Jn 6:55). …
Our Morning Offering – 18 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
Good Jesus, hear me
Within Your wounds, shelter me
from turning away, keep me
From the evil one, protect me
At the hour of my death, call me
Into Your presence lead me
to praise You with all Your saints
Forever and ever,
Amen
For many years the Anima Christi was popularly believed to have been composed by Saint Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) , as he puts it at the beginning of his Spiritual Exercises and often refers to it. In the first edition of the Spiritual Exercises Ignatius merely mentions it, evidently supposing that the reader would know it. In later editions, it was printed in full. It was by assuming that everything in the book was written by Ignatius that it came to be looked upon as his composition. On this account the prayer is sometimes referred to as the Aspirations of St. Ignatius Loyola and so my image shows St Ignatius at prayer.
However, the prayer actually dates to the early fourteenth century and was possibly written by Pope John XXII but its authorship remains uncertain. It has been found in a number of prayer books printed during the youth of Ignatius and is in manuscripts which were written a hundred years before his birth. The English hymnologist James Mearns found it in a manuscript of the British Museum which dates to about 1370. In the library of Avignon there is preserved a prayer book of Cardinal Pierre de Luxembourg (died 1387), which contains the prayer in practically the same form as we have it today. It has also been found inscribed on one of the gates of the Alcázar of Seville, which dates back to the time of Pedro the Cruel (1350–1369).
The invocations in the prayer have rich associations with Catholic concepts that relate to the Eucharist (Body and Blood of Christ), Baptism (water) and the Passion of Jesus (Precious Blood and Holy Wounds).
Our Morning Offering – 13 July – “Month of the Precious Blood”
Act of Spiritual Communion
By St Bernard (1090-1153
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
As I cannot this day enjoy the happiness
of assisting at the Holy Mysteries, O my God,
I transport myself in spirit to the foot of Your Altar.
I unite with the Church, which by the hands of the Priest,
offers You, Your adorable Son in the Holy Sacrifice.
I offer myself with Him, by Him and in His Name.
I adore, I praise and thank You,
imploring Your mercy,
invoking Your assistance
and presenting to You,
the homage I owe You as my Creator
and the love due to You as my Saviour.
Apply to my soul, I beseech You, O Merciful Jesus,
Your infinite merits;
apply them also to those
for whom I particularly wish to pray.
I desire to communicate spiritually,
that Your Blood, may purify,
Your Flesh, strengthen
and Your Spirit, sanctify me.
May I never forget that You, my divine Redeemer,
died for me.
May I die to all that is not You,
that hereafter, I may live eternally with You.
Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 4 July – “Month of the Precious Blood”
For those unable to attend Holy Mass today and for all of us, everyday!
Act of Spiritual Communion
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor
I desire, good Jesus,
to receive Thee in Holy Communion
and since I cannot now receive Thee
in the Blessed Sacrament,
I beseech Thee to come to me spiritually
and to refresh my soul with Thy sweetness.
Come, my Lord, my God and my All!
Come to me
and never let me ever again
be separated from Thee by sin.
Teach me Thy blessed ways,
help me with Thy grace to imitate Thy example,
to practise meekness, humility,
charity and all the virtues of Thy Sacred Heart.
My divine Master, my one desire is to do Thy will
and to love Thee, more and more.
Help me, that I may be faithful to the end, in Thy service.
Bless me in life and in death,
that I may praise Thee, forever in heaven,
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 27 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
By The League of the Sacred Heart
1929 (Ireland)
O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament,
overflowing with gentleness,
tenderness and charity,
I bury in the abyss of Thy Mercy,
all my iniquities and all my negligence.
I offer Thee
my labours and my sufferings,
my sorrows and my miseries,
I recommend to Thee
my life and my death.
Solace my doubts, Sweet Jesus,
calm my fears
and grant, that day by day,
I may become more united to Thy Sacred Heart,
learning Thy love and Thy holiness.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 20 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“At other times however, the tempest will come from outside ourselves and will have a shattering effect on our spiritual life.
It may be some insult which has seriously wounded us.
There may be somebody near to us who has grown quite insufferable.
Or perhaps suffering will come to us in the guise of illness, disgrace or loss of our dear ones.
We shall feel lonely and abandoned in the midst of the storm.
To whom shall we have recourse in our hour of need?
Shall we turn to our fellow-men?
Perhaps there will be nobody able to understand us perfectly, or, if there is somebody who sympathises with us,he may be able to do nothing for us, save to utter a few kind words.
Let us turn, therefore, to Jesus on the Cross and to Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist.
The Crucifix will teach us how to suffer with resignation and with love.
Before this mystery of infinite love, all our anguish and unrest, will give way to a Christian acceptance of suffering.
If this is not enough, let us turn to Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist.
Let us invite Him into our hearts to calm the tempest and to give us His divine grace, which will conquer every temptation and heal every wound.”
PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/17/thought-for-the-day-17-april-the-storms-of-life/
Thought for the Day – 9 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“There are many ways of showing our love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of making reparation for our sins and for the sins of mankind.
We can console ourselves with the reflection, that by these acts of love and reparation, we are removing the thorns which encircle and pierce the Heart of Jesus.
The simplest ways of doing this, are by prayers, aspirations and expressions of love, directed towards the adorable Heart of our Redeemer and, by visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
In silence and recollection, before the Tabernacle, we shall feel the Heart of Jesus, beating with love and, shall offer in return, for His infinite love, the affection of our poor hearts.
We can also receive Holy Communion in reparation.
When Jesus is in us and we are in Jesus, it will be easier and more pleasant, to offer Him our love and expiation.
We can make reparation also, by practising the devotion of the First Fridays of the month.
This pious practice, so pleasing to the Heart of Jesus, aims at being a mass offering of love and reparation, for the sins of the entire human race.”
PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/09/thought-for-the-day-9-june-the-crown-of-thorns-which-surrounds-the-sacred-heart/
Quote/s of the Day – 6 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Corpus Christi, The Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
“O how unspeakable is this Sacrament
which sets our affections ablaze with charity.
… It is the fulfillment of Christ’s Mystical Body.”
“Source of all we have or know,
feed and lead us here below.
Grant that with Your saints above,
Sitting at the feast of love,
We may see You face to face.”
Amen Alleluia!
(Last verse of the Lauda Sion)
“The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love.
It signifies Love,
It produces love.
The Eucharist is the consummation
of the whole spiritual life.”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor angelicus/Doctor communis
Our Morning Offering – 6 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Solemnity of Corpus Christi – The Most Holy Body ad Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Pange Lingua
Sing, My Tongue
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Eng trans – Fr Edward Caswell CO (1814-1878)
(Excerpt on the image – the 4 last stanzas)
Sing, my tongue, the Saviour’s glory,
Of His Flesh, the mystery sing;
Of the Blood, all price exceeding,
Shed by our Immortal King,
Destined, for the world’s redemption,
From a noble Womb to spring.
Of a pure and spotless Virgin
Born for us on earth below,
He, as Man, with man conversing,
Stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
Then He closed in solemn order
Wondrously His Life of woe.
On the night of that Last Supper,
Seated with His chosen band,
He, the Paschal Victim eating,
First fulfils the Law’s command;
Then as Food to all His brethren
Gives Himself with His own Hand.
Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature
By His Word to Flesh He turns;
Wine into His Blood He changes,
What though sense no change discerns.
Only be the heart in earnest,
Faith her lesson quickly learns.
Down in adoration falling,
Lo, the sacred Host we hail,
Lo, o’er ancient forms departing
Newer rites of grace prevail,
Faith for all defects supplying,
When the feeble senses fail.
To the Everlasting Father
And the Son who comes on high
With the Holy Ghost proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honour, blessing,
Might and endless majesty.
Amen. Alleluia.
Written by St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, this Hymn is considered the most beautiful of Aquinas’ Hymns and one of the great seven Hymns of the Church.
The Hymn is also used on Holy Thursday. The last two stanzas make up the Tantum Ergo (Down in Adoration Falling) that is used at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
PANGE, lingua, gloriosi
Corporis mysterium,
Sanguinisque pretiosi,
quem in mundi pretium
fructus ventris generosi
Rex effudit Gentium.
Nobis datus, nobis natus
ex intacta Virgine,
et in mundo conversatus,
sparso verbi semine,
sui moras incolatus
miro clausit ordine.
In supremae nocte cenae
recumbens cum fratribus
observata lege plene
cibis in legalibus,
cibum turbae duodenae
se dat suis manibus.
Verbum caro, panem verum
verbo carnem efficit:
fitque sanguis Christi merum,
et si sensus deficit,
ad firmandum cor sincerum
sola fides sufficit.
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
veneremur cernui:
et antiquum documentum
novo cedat ritui:
praestet fides supplementum
sensuum defectui.
Genitori, Genitoque
laus et iubilatio,
salus, honor, virtus quoque
sit et benedictio:
procedenti ab utroque
compar sit laudatio.
Amen. Alleluia.
Thought for the Day – 4 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“By means of this wonderful gift, we can live the life of Jesus Himself.
It is Our Lord Himself, Who says to us: “As the living Father has sent me and as I live because of the Father, so he who eats me, he also shall live because of me” (Jn 6:58).
In other words, as He draws His divine and human life from the Father and lives by means of Him, to Whom as God, He is substantially united and equal, so anyone who partakes of the Eucharist, is united closely to Jesus, lives His life and is transformed by His supernatural grace.
When Holy Communion is received, therefore, as it ought to be and as the Saints received it, it leads to the mysterious union of which St Paul speaks: “To me to live is Christ” (Phil 1:21).
“It is now no longer I that live but Christ, lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
The effect of Holy Communion on us, should be similar to that of a graft upon a tree, whose life is thereby transformed and which begins to produce the fruit of the new shoot instead of the old trunk.
We should no longer live the life of the old man but, that of the new, which is Jesus.
We ought, therefore, to produce His divine fruits.
Our actions will have a supernatural value because they are performed in Jesus and through Jesus.
We should be very grateful to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for this gift of His infinite love and goodness.
We should approach Holy Communion with humility, love and complete self-surrender.
Our hearts should be fused in the Heart of Jesus and our love should be fused in His infinite love.”
PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/04/thought-for-the-day-4-june-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus-and-the-blessed-eucharist/
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