FATHERS of the Church – Page 105

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Thought for the Day – 25 August – May our Mother, take us to the path that leads to ‘Heaven’s Gate.’

Posted on August 25, 2019August 25, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 25 August – 21st Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 13:22–30

“Strive to enter in by the narrow door.”

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor strive-to-enter-luke-13-24-whoever-would-enter-st-cyril-of-alex-31-oct-2018

This reply may seem perhaps to wander from the scope of the question. The man wanted to learn whether there would be few who are saved but He explained to him the way whereby he might be saved himself. He said, “Strive to enter in by the narrow door.” What do we answer to this objection? … It was a necessary and valuable thing to know how a man may obtain salvation. He is purposely silent to the useless question. He proceeds to speak of what was essential, namely, of the knowledge necessary for the performance of those duties by which people can enter the narrow door.
I now consider it my duty to mention why the door to life is narrow. Whoever would enter must first, before everything else, possess an upright and uncorrupted faith and then a spotless morality, in which there is no possibility of blame, according to the measure of human righteousness. One who has attained to this in mind and spiritual strength will enter easily by the narrow door and run along the narrow way.
“Wide is the door and broad the way that brings down many to destruction.” What are we to understand by its broadness? It means an unrestrained tendency toward carnal lust and a shameful and pleasure-loving life. It is luxurious feasts, parties, banquets and unrestricted inclinations to everything that is condemned by the law and displeasing to God. A stubborn mind will not bow to the yoke of the law. This life is cursed and relaxed in all carelessness. Thrusting from it the divine law and completely unmindful of the sacred commandments, wealth, vices, scorn, pride and the empty imagination of earthly pride spring from it. Those who would enter in by the narrow door must withdraw from all these things, be with Christ and keep the festival with Him.”

(Commentary on Luke, Homily 9)

May we call upon our Mother Mary as Ianua Caeli, Heaven’s Gate, to guide us in our daily choices and take us to the path that leads to ‘Heaven’s Gate.’ Amen ianua caeli heaven's gate pray for us mary - 25 aug 2019

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 August – From the Fathers on the Queenship of Mary

Posted on August 22, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 22 August – The Memorial of The Queenship of Mary, Holy Mother of God

“Let Heaven sustain me in its embrace,
because I am honoured above it.
For heaven was not thy mother
but Thou hast made it thy throne.
How much more honourable
and venerable than the throne of a king
is His mother.”

St Ephrem (306-373) Doctor of the Church

“Be enthroned, Lady,
for it is fitting that you should sit
in an exalted place since you are a Queen
and glorious above all kings.”

St Germanus (378-448)

“O my Lady, my Sovereign,
You who rule over me,
Mother of my Lord . . .
Lady among handmaids,
Queen among sisters.”

St Ildephonsus (607-670)

“Just as Mary surpassed in grace all others on earth,
so also in heaven is her glory unique.
If eye has not seen or ear heard or the human heart conceived
what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9),
who can express what He has prepared
for the woman who gave Him birth
and who loved Him,
as everyone knows, more than anyone else?”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) – Doctor of Light – Mellifluous Doctor

More here from the Saints:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/22/quote-s-of-the-day-22-august-the-memorial-of-the-queenship-of-mary-holy-mother-of-god/ just-as-mary-surpassed-in-grace-st-bernard-22 aug 2017

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One Minute Reflection – 21 August – “..we are illuminated and made shining by the light…”

Posted on August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 21 August – Tuesday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 19:23–30 and the Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) “Doctor of Light”

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life...Matthew 19:29 and-everyone-who-has-left-matthew-19-29-21-aug-2018

REFLECTION – “Abraham became “the friend of God” (Jam 2,23) because he freely and generously followed the Word of God, his call. It was not due to any lack on His part that God’s Word gained Abraham’s friendship. He is perfect from the beginning; “Before Abraham was, I am” (Jn 5,58). But it was that He, who is good, might give Abraham eternal life… Likewise, in the beginning, it was not because He had any need of man that God formed Adam but that He might have someone on whom to bestow His blessings.

Still less was it because He needed our service that He commanded us to follow Him but to win salvation for us. For to follow our Saviour is to have a share in His salvation, just as following the light is to participate in the light. When we stand in the light it is not we who illumine the light and cause it to shine but we are illuminated and made shining by the light… God grants His blessings on those who serve Him because they are serving Him and on those who follow Him because they are following Him but He receives no blessing from them because He is perfect and without need.

If God asks for our service it is that He who is good and merciful might bestow His blessings on those who persevere in His service. Because, if God has no need of anything, yet we have need of communion with God. The glory of man is to persevere in the service of God. That is why our Lord said to His disciples: “You did not choose me, it was I who chose you” (Jn 15,16), thus indicating that… for having followed the Son of God they had been glorified by Him: “Father, I will that where I am they also may be, that they may see my glory” (Jn 17,24). … St Irenaeus of Lyons (c.130-c.208) Bishop, theologian and Martyr – Against the heresies, IV, 14,1 ; SC 100 when we stand in the light - st irenaeus 20 aug 2019.jpg

PRAYER – All-knowing God, let me be able to stand in Your presence with a good conscience. Help me to avoid anything that would sully my conscience and do all I can to remain united with You . You made St Bernard burn with zeal for Your house and gave him the grace to enkindle and enlighten others in Your Church. Grant that by his prayer, we may be filled with the same spirit and always live as children of the Light. Through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. st bernard pray for us 2

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Thought for the Day – 15 August -You have Borne for us the Clothing of Immortality

Posted on August 15, 2019August 15, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 15 August – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven

You have Borne for us the Clothing of Immortality

Saint John Damascene (675-749)
Priest and Father and Doctor of the Church

An excerpt from his Homily 9 – On the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Once indeed God ejected the mortals and first parents of the human race from the paradise of Eden, when they had drunk deeply, from the wine of disobedience and had become so affected by the hangover of sin, through the intoxication of that transgression, which led to the sleepiness of the mind’s eye. Now, however, shall not paradise receive her who repelled the onslaught of all sin, producing the seed of obedience to God and Father and bringing forth life, for all races of mortal men? How can death devour this truly blessed woman, who gave birth to the whole person of the Word of God through union with God? How can hell receive her? When Christ, who is the way and the truth, said Where I am, there will my servant be also, why would there not be a dwelling for His own mother with Him with an even greater justification? It is well said that precious in the sight of the Lord God of Hosts, is the death of His saints but even more precious, is the passing of the Mother of God from this life.

Then Adam and Eve, the founders of our race, exclaimed with a loud voice in great rejoicing: “Blessed are you, O daughter, who bore for us the penalties of the commands that had been broken. When you had gained a mortal body from us, you gave birth to a covering of immortality for us. You repaid us so that it might be well with us, since you received birth from our loins. From beyond the grave you have called us back to our ancient seat, we closed paradise for ourselves but you made open the way of the tree of life. Through our actions, sadness came forth from happiness, through you even more joyful things have returned from sorrow. In what possible way could you be acceptable to death, O Immaculate one? You are the bridge of life and the ladder to heaven, you are a boat over the sea of death reaching to immortality.”

But the woman herself, as she did not shrink from the truth, said: “Into Your hands, my Son, I commend my spirit. Receive this soul which is dear to You, which You have preserved free from any sin. I hand over my body, not to the earth but to You. Take me to Yourself, that where You are, You, the child of my womb, so there I also may be Your companion. I am hastening to You, who have often come to me on this side of that long distance.”

When she had said this, she heard in reply: “Come to my rest, my blessed Mother, arise, come, my beloved, most blessed among all women. Behold, the winter is ended. You are all fair, my beloved and there is no spot of stain found in you, the odour of your ointments are more precious than all other aromas.” you are the bridge of life and the ladder to heaven 15 aug 2019 assumption.jpg

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There is an invocation in a Litany to Our Lord in which we ask: ut ad celestia desideria erigas, te rogamus, audi nos – that our souls be raised to the desire for celestial things, we pray Thee, hear us. This invocation should be the conclusion of our meditation on the Assumption of Our Lady. We should ask, that we may love the celestial happiness of Our Lady, to give her glory and that we may one day be with her in Paradise. We should also love and meditate on her joys, as a way to accept with peace and resignation the sorrows and sufferings God sends us, so that we might prove our love for Him.

Our Lady Assumed into Heaven, Pray for Us!

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One Minute Reflection – 14 August – “There am I in the midst of them.”

Posted on August 14, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 August – Wednesday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time Year C, Gospel: Matthew 18:15–20 and the Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941) “Martyr of Charity”

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” … Matthew 18:20

REFLECTION – “The Lord said: “If two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
These words prove that much is given not to the mere number but to the unanimity of those who pray. “If two of you agree on earth,” He says, putting unanimity and peaceful concord first, teaching us to agree firmly and loyally. But how can one man agree with another when he disagrees with the body of the Church itself, with the whole brotherhood?… The Lord’s words were spoken about His own Church and addressed to members of the Church. If they are agreed, if, as He commanded but two or three are gathered together and pray with one mind, then, although they are but two or three, they can obtain from the divine majesty what they ask.

“Where two or three are gathered, I (he said) am with them.” That means, of course, with the single-hearted and peaceable, with those who fear God and keep His command-ments. With these, though but two or three, He declared His presence, as He was present also with the Three Children in the fiery furnace and, because they continued single-hearted and of one mind, refreshed them with the breath of dew as the flames surrounded them (Dn 3,50); or as He was present with the two apostles in prison, because they were single-hearted and of one mind and Himself opened the prison gates (Acts 25,25)… So when Christ lays down with authority: “Where two or three are gathered, I am with them,” He is not separating men from the Church which He founded and created. But He rebukes the faithless for their discord and with His own voice commends peace to the faithful.” … Saint Cyprian of Carthage, (c 200- c 258) Bishop and Martyr, Father of the Church – On the Unity of the Church

PRAYER – My Lord and my God, You who are the fruit of Mary’s blessed womb and the most Divine Son of our Father, grant that we may always have recourse to You, through her who bore You and through Your Holy Church. Grant that she may help and comfort us me and lead us to You. Mary, Holy and loving Mother of God, pray for us all. Grant O Lord, that through the intercession of St Maximillian, we may entrust ourselves to You through Your and our blessed Mother, amen. st-maximillian-pray-for-us-14-aug-2017 2018 2019

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One Minute Reflection – 11 August – ‘Stewards of the Mysteries of God.’

Posted on August 11, 2019August 10, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 11 August – Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 12:32–48 and the Memorial of St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household….” … Luke 12:42

REFLECTION – “Wishing to emphasise the special office of the servants whom He has placed in charge of His people, the Lord says, ‘Who, do you think, is the faithful and wise steward whom the Lord sets over his household, to give to them their measure of wheat at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” Who is that master, brethren? Without a doubt it is Christ, who says to His disciples: “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right for so I am” (Jn 13,13). What, too, is the master’s household? Doubtless it is the one which the Lord Himself ransomed… This sacred household is the holy, Catholic Church, which is spread through the whole earth with abundant fertility and glories in the fact that she has been redeemed by the precious blood of her Master. As He Himself says: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10,45). He is, too, the good shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep” (Jn 10,11)…

As to who the steward is, who ought to be faithful as well as wise, the Apostle Paul shows us, when, speaking of himself and his companions, he says: “This is how one should regard us, as the servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy” (1Cor 4,1-2). Now, lest anyone of us should think that it is only the apostles who have been made stewards… the blessed Apostle Paul shows us that the bishops also are stewards, when he says: “For a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless” (Tt 1,7)…

We, therefore, who are the servants of the master of the household, we are the stewards of the Lord, we have received the measure of wheat to disburse to you.” … Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe (467-532) Bishop – Homily 1, on the Lord’s servants ; CCL 91A, 889 (trans. breviary Common of pastors)

PRAYER – Holy God, grant we pray, Your Holy Spirit of love and divine grace to grow ever more in faith. By our prayers and love for You and our neighbour, may we merit Your divine assistance. Lord Jesus, help us to dwell often on the manner in which we are following You. Let us strive each day to become more and more like You in all things and, to become beacons of Your Light, to all the world. St Clare of Assisi, you who were a light to all, pray for us, amen. st-clare-of-assisi-pray-for-us-11-aug-2017,2018 and 2019.jpg

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One Minute Reflection – 10 August – “Whoever loves his life loses it ..”

Posted on August 10, 2019August 10, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 10 August – Feast of Saint Lawrence (Died 258), Deacon and Martyr, Gospel: John 12:24–26

“Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life” … John 12:25

REFLECTION – “The Roman Church commends this day to us as the blessed Laurence’s day of triumph, on which he trod down the world as it roared and raged against him, spurned it as it coaxed and wheedled him and in each case, conquered the devil as he persecuted him. … The blessed Lawrence carried out the office of deacon in the Church of Rome. In that office he administered Christ’s sacred blood to the faithful and for Christ’s sake he shed his own blood. The blessed apostle John clearly expounded the mystery of the Lord’s Supper when he said: “Just as Christ laid down his life for us, so should we lay down our lives for our brothers” (1 Jn 3:16). Saint Lawrence understood this and acted accordingly. His self-sacrifice was similar in kind to that which he received at the altar. He loved Christ in his life and imitated Him in death.

Brethren, let us imitate Lawrence if we truly love Christ. We cannot show a better proof of our love than by imitating Him. “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that we might follow his footsteps” (1 Pt 2:21)… Indeed the garden of the Lord contains not only the roses of martyrdom but also the lilies of virginity, the ivy of marriage and the violets of widowhood. So no-one, my dear brethren, need despair of his vocation. Christ suffered for all… Therefore we must try to understand how the Christian ought to imitate Christ other than by shedding his blood or enduring martyrdom.

The apostle Paul says of our Lord Jesus Christ: “His state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God.” What majesty was His! Paul adds: “He emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave and became as men are” (Phil 2,6f.). What humility He showed! Christ humbled Himsel,; the Christian has His example to imitate. “Christ became obedient” (v.8). Why then should a Christian be proud? It was after enduring this humility and defeating death that Christ ascended into heaven, let us follow Him.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church (From a sermon delivered by St Augustine in about 400 AD on the occasion of the Feast of St Lawrence.)

PRAYER – Lord God, You inspired St Lawrence with so ardent a love that his life was renowned for the service of Your people and his death for the splendour of his martyrdom. Help us to love what he loved and to live as he showed us. St Lawrence, Martyr for Christ and His Church, pray for us. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever amen. st-lawrence-pray-for-us-10-august-2018 and 2019.jpg

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Thought for the Day – 6 August – ‘..Today salvation has come to this house.’

Posted on August 6, 2019August 6, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 6 August – Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord – Today’s Gospel: Luke 9:28b-36

It is indeed good to be here, as you have said, Peter. It is good to be with Jesus and to remain here forever. What greater happiness or higher honour could we have than to be with God, to be made like Him and to live in His light?

Therefore, since each of us possesses God in his heart and is being transformed into His divine image, we also should cry out with joy:
It is good for us to be here – here where all things shine with divine radiance, where there is joy and gladness and exultation, where there is nothing in our hearts but peace, serenity and stillness, where God is seen.
For here, in our hearts, Christ takes up His abode together with the Father, saying as

He enters – Today salvation has come to this house.

With Christ, our hearts receive all the wealth of His eternal blessings and there where they are stored up for us in Him, we see reflected as in a mirror both the first fruits and the whole of the world to come.

St Anastasius of Sinai (630-701)

for-here-christ-takes-up-his-abode-transfiguration-homily-st-anastasius-of-sinai-6-aug-2018 and 2019

Fr James Kubicki SJ of the Apostleship of Prayer, shares his own personal experience as a pilgrim, journeying up Mt Tabor, the location traditionally identified with the Feast of the Transfiguration.

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One Minute Reflection – 4 August – ‘You who have wealth, recognise who has given you the gifts you have received.’

Posted on August 4, 2019August 3, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 4 August – Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 12:13–21 and The Memorial of St John Vianney (1786-1859)

“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” … Luke 12:20-21

REFLECTION – “What am I to do? I will pull down my barns and build larger ones.” Now why did that land bear so well, when it belonged to a man who would make no good use of its fertility? It was to show more clearly the forbearance of God, whose kindness extends even to such people as this. He “sends rain on both the just and the unjust, and makes the sun rise on the wicked and the good alike” (Mt 5:45)… These were God’s blessings towards this rich man – fruitful fields, a temperate climate, abundant sowing, oxen to do the work and everything needful to assure his prosperity. But what do we find in this man? A bitter disposition, hatred of other people, unwillingness to give. This is the return he made to his Benefactor.

He forgot that we all share the same nature, he felt no obligation to distribute his surplus to the needy, he paid no heed to those divine precepts: “Refuse n- one the good on which he has a claim” (Prv 3:27), “Let not kindness and fidelity leave you” (3:3), “Share your bread with the hungry” (Is 58:7). Every prophet, every wise man cried out to him these precepts, yet he turned a deaf ear. His barns were full to bursting point but still his miserly heart was not satisfied… Greed would not permit him to part with anything he possessed and yet, because he had so much, there was no place to store his latest harvest And so he was incapable of making a decision and could find no escape from his anxiety. “What am I to do?” he went on saying. Who would not pity a man so oppressed? His land yields him no profit but only sighs… he laments in the same way as the poor do. What am I to do? How can I find food and clothing?…

You who have wealth, recognise who has given you the gifts you have received. Consider yourself, who you are, what has been committed to your charge, from whom you have received it, why you have been preferred to most other people. You are the servant of the good God, a steward on behalf of your fellow servants… “What am I to do?” It would have been so easy to say – “I will feed the hungry, I will open my barns and call in all the poor… Let anyone who lacks bread come to me. You shall share, each according to need, in the good things God has given me, just as though you were drawing from a common well”. … St Basil the Great (329-379) Father and Doctor of the Church luke 12 2- but god said fool - you who have wealth - st basil the great 4 august 2019 no 2.jpg

PRAYER – O God, protector of those who hope in You, without Whom nothing has firm foundation, nothing is holy, bestow in abundance Your mercy upon us and grant that, with You as our ruler and guide, we may use the good things that pass, in such a way, as to hold fast even now to those that ever endure. Help us, by St John Vianney’s example and prayers, to win our brethren for Christ by our love and to share with them now and in eternal glory. 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.

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 August – Marian Gems

Posted on August 3, 2019August 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 3 August – Saturday of the Seventeenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Marian Saturdays

Marian Gems

“Mary is so holy
that she is the perfect model
of all the virtues
to all mankind.”

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

“Mary was placed by God
in the centre of history
and we can say,
that everything was made
through her
and with her
and in her.”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Doctor of the Church

“Mary is the divine Page
on which God the Father
wrote the Word of God, His Son.
Let us draw near to her and read her!”

St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

“The single richest treasure in the Vatican is the Rosary.”

Bl Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)

“Her Heart is so loving
that in comparison to it,
the heart of any other mother
is a piece of ice.”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

“It can be said, that the Rosary is a compendium of our holy religion.”

St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

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One Minute Reflection – 3 August – ‘He is true God…’

Posted on August 2, 2019August 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 3 August – Friday of the Seventeenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 13:54–58 and The Memorial of St Eusebius of Vercelli (c 283-371)

Is not this the carpenter’s son?…And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.…Matthew 13:55,58

REFLECTION – “For if I do not understand the nature placed at my service, I discern Your goodness from the mere fact that it is there to serve me. I perceive that I do not even understand myself but I wonder at You all the more… You have given me intellect, life and human feeling, the source of so many joys, yet I do not begin to understand how I began to be…
So it is through failing to understand what surrounds me, that I grasp what You are and it is through perceiving what You are, that I come to adore You. That is why, in what concerns Your mysteries, my incomprehension, lessens not a bit my faith in Your omnipotence… Your eternal Son’s birth exceeds even the idea of eternity, it is prior to the times everlasting. Before any other thing that exists, He was Son proceeding from You, O God and Father. He is true God… You have never existed without Him… Before ever time was, You are the eternal Father of Your Sole Begotten One.”…St Hilary (315-368) Bishop of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church is-not-this-the-carpenters-son-matthew-13-5558-st-hilary-so-it-is-through-failing-to-understand-3-aug-2018.and 2 aug 2019jpg

PRAYER – “So long as I enjoy that breath of life granted to me by You, Holy Father, Almighty God, I will proclaim You as God eternal but also as Father eternal. Never will I set myself up as judge of Your almighty power and mysteries, never will I set my limited understanding before the true appreciation of Your infinity, never will I claim You to have existed beforehand without Your Wisdom, Power and Word, God the Only-Begotten, my Lord Jesus Christ. For even though human language is weak and imperfect when it speaks of You, this will not inhibit my mind, to the point of reducing my faith to silence, for lack of words, able to express the mystery of Your being…” (St Hilary) Lord God, You hold out the light of Your Word to those who do not know You. Strengthen in our hearts the faith You have given us, so that no trials may quench the fire Your Spirit kindled within us . Grant that the prayers of St Eusebius of Vercelli, may assist us to grow in love of You. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. st eusebius of vercelli pray for us 2 aug 2019

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Thought for the Day – 30 July – Let your Heart be an Altar, our universal Priesthood

Posted on July 30, 2019July 30, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 30 July – The Memorial of St Peter Chrysologus “Golden Words” (c 400-450) Father & Doctor

Present your Bodies as a Living Sacrifice

Let your Heart be an Altar

Saint Peter Chrysologus

From a Sermon

I appeal to you by the mercy of God.

This appeal is made by Paul, or rather, it is made by God through Paul, because of God’s desire to be loved rather than feared, to be a father rather than a Lord. God appeals to us in His mercy to avoid having to punish us in His severity.

Listen to the Lord’s appeal.
In Me, I want you to see your own body, your members, your heart, your bones, your blood. You may fear what is divine but why not love what is human?
You may run away from Me as the Lord but, why not run to Me, as your Father?

Perhaps you are filled with shame for causing My bitter passion. Do not be afraid. This cross inflicts a mortal injury, not on me but on Death.
These nails no longer pain Me but only deepen your love for Me.
I do not cry out because of these wounds but through them, I draw you into My heart.
My body was stretched on the cross as a symbol, not of how much I suffered but of My all-embracing love.
I count it no less to shed my blood – it is the price I have paid for your ransom.
Come, then, return to Me and learn to know Me as your Father, who repays good for evil, love for injury and boundless charity for piercing wounds.

Listen now to what the Apostle urges us to do. I appeal to you, he says, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice. By this exhortation of his, Paul has raised all men to priestly status. How marvellous is the priesthood of the Christian, for he is both the victim that is offered on his own behalf and the priest who makes the offering. He does not need to go beyond himself to seek what he is to immolate to God – with himself and in himself, he brings the sacrifice he is to offer God for himself. The victim remains and the priest remains, always one and the same. Immolated, the victim still lives, the priest who immolates cannot kill. Truly it is an amazing sacrifice in which a body is offered without being slain and blood is offered without being shed.
The Apostle says – I appeal to you by the mercy of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice.
Brethren, this sacrifice follows the pattern of Christ’s sacrifice by which He gave His body as a living immolation for the life of the world. He really made His body a living sacrifice, because, though slain, He continues to live. In such a victim death receives its ransom but the victim remains alive. Death itself suffers the punishment. This is why death for the martyrs is actually a birth and their end a beginning. Their execution is the door to life and those who were thought to have been blotted out from the earth shine brilliantly in heaven.
Paul says: I appeal to you by the mercy of God to present your bodies as a sacrifice, living and holy. The prophet said the same thing – Sacrifice and offering You did not desire but You have prepared a body for me.

Each of us is called to be both a sacrifice to God and His priest. Do not forfeit what divine authority confers on you. Put on the garment of holiness, gird yourself with the belt of chastity. Let Christ be your helmet, let the cross on your forehead be your unfailing protection. Your breastplate should be the knowledge of God that He Himself has given you. Keep burning continually the sweet smelling incense of prayer. Take up the sword of the Spirit. Let your heart be an altar. Then, with full confidence in God, present your body for sacrifice. God desires not death but, faith. God thirsts not for blood but, for self-surrender. God is appeased not by slaughter but, by the offering, of your free will.

Saint Peter Chrysologus, Pray for Us!

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 30 July -From Golden Words and St Maria de Jesus

Posted on July 30, 2019July 30, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 30 July – The Memorial of St Peter Chrysologus “Golden Words” (c 400-450) Father & Doctor and St Maria de Jesus Sacramentado(1868-1959)

“A gentle maiden
having lodged
a God in her womb,
asks as its price,
peace for the world,
salvation for those who are lost
and life for the dead.”

“He is The Bread sown in the virgin,
leavened in the Flesh,
moulded in His Passion,
baked in the furnace of the Sepulchre,
placed in the Churches
and set upon the Altars,
which daily supplies Heavenly Food to the faithful.”

“For he who touches
the Body of Christ unworthily,
receives his damnation.”

“We exhort you, in every respect, honourable brother,
to heed obediently what has been written
by the Most Blessed Pope of the City of Rome;
for Blessed Peter, who lives and presides in his own see,
provides the truth of faith to those who seek it.”

“The poor stretch out the hand
but God receives what is offered.”

St Peter Chrysologus “Golden Words”
(c 400-450) Father & Doctor

“Those who are merciful
with the needy of the world
will not lack God’s mercy.”

“The weight of the cross
is burdensome
for those carrying it
but not, for those,
who embrace it.”

St Maria de Jesus Sacramentado (1868-1959)

FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 July – ‘Before all else …’

Posted on July 28, 2019July 28, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 28 July – Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 11:1–13 and the Memorial of St Pedro Poveda (1874-1936) Martyr

“For everyone who asks, receives and he who seeks, finds and to him who knocks, it will be opened.” … Luke 11:10

REFLECTION – “The attitude of prayer is one and the same for all but there are many kinds of prayer and many different prayers. Some converse with God as with a friend and master, interceding with praise and petition not for themselves but for others. Some strive for more (spiritual) riches and glory and for confidence in prayer. Others ask for complete deliverance from their adversary. Some beg to receive some kind of rank, others for complete forgiveness of debts. Some ask to be released from prison, others for remission of accusations.
Before all else, let us list sincere thanksgiving, first on our prayer-card. On the second line we should put confession and heartfelt contrition of soul. Then let us present our petition to the King of all. This is the best way of praying.” … St John Climacus (c 575-c.650) The Ladder of Divine Ascent 28, 6-7

PRAYER – All-powerful and ever-living God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, chase away the night of sin and fill our minds with the glory of Your coming. Take away our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh, help us in our battle with sin and the devil. By our prayers, Your holy sacraments and the strength of the Holy Spirit, may we be ever vigilant of the evil one. By our baptism in Your Son, we are Your children, grant us Your protection. Listen, to the prayers of Saint Pedro Poveda, as we ask for his intercession, through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen. st pedro poveda pray for us 28 july 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 28 July – Make Your Dwelling in Me

Posted on July 28, 2019July 27, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 28 July – Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Make Your Dwelling in Me
By St John Damascene (675-749)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Hold dominion over my heart, O Lord!
Keep it as Your inheritance.
Make Your dwelling in me,
along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Widen in me
the cords of Your tabernacle,
even the operations
of Your Most Holy Spirit.
For You are my God
and I will praise You,
together with the Eternal Father
and your quickening Spirit,
now, henceforth and forever.
Amen make your dwelling in me - st john damascene - 28 july 2019 17 sun year C.jpg

ArchAngels and Angels, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, SACRAMENTS, SPEAKING of ....., The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 27 July – “Speaking of: Temptation”

Posted on July 27, 2019July 27, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 27 July – Saturday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: 13:24-30

“Speaking of: Temptation”

‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?
How then has it weeds?’

Matthew 13:27

“As we do battle and fight, in the contest of faith,
God, His angels and Christ Himself, watch us.
How exalted is the glory,
how great the joy of engaging in a contest with God presiding,
of receiving a crown,
with Christ as judge.”

St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258)
Bishop, Martyr, Father of the Church

“The dragon sits by the side of the road,
watching those who pass.
Beware lest he devour you.
We go to the Father of Souls
but it is necessary to pass by the dragon.”

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“So let us not be afraid of temptations.
Rather, let us glory in them saying:
“When I am weak, then am I strong.”
[2 Cor. 12:10]”

St Ambrose (339-397 AD)
Doctor of the Church

“He could have kept the devil from Himself
but if He were not tempted,
He could not teach you
how to triumph over temptation.”

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

“Three things are absolutely
necessary against temptation –
prayer to enlighten us,
the sacraments to strengthen us
and vigilance to preserve us.
Happy are souls that are tempted!
It is when the devil discerns
that a soul is tending towards
union with God
that he redoubles his rage!”

St John Marie Vianney (1786-1859)

“God will never permit anything,
to happen to us, that is not for our greater good.”

“The storms that are raging around you,
will turn out to be for God’s glory,
your own merit
and the good of many souls.”

“We have close to us, an angelic spirit,
who never leaves us for an instant,
from the cradle to the grave,
who guides and protects us,
like a friend or a brother.”

St Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968)

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 July – ‘No-one who has land is free from care.’

Posted on July 27, 2019July 27, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 27 July – Saturday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: 13:24-30

“Let both grow together until the harvest and at harvest time, I will tell the reapers, gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned but gather the wheat into my barn.’”… Matthew 13:30

REFLECTION – “It is not only sheep who abide in the Church, nor do only clean birds fly there to and fro. But amongst the grain other seed is sown, for “amidst the neat grain-fields, burrs and weeds and barren oats lord it in the land” (Virgil’s Georgics). What is the farmhand to do? Root up the darnel? In that case the whole harvest is destroyed along with it!
Every day the farmer diligently drives away the birds by making a noise or by frightening them with scarecrows (…) Nevertheless he suffers from the raids of nimble roes or the wantonness of wild asses, on the one hand, voles convey the grain to their underground barns, on the other, ants in a moving column ravage the crop. This is how things are! No-one who has land is free from care.
While the householder slept, the enemy sowed tares, when the servants hastened to go and root them up, the Master prevented them, reserving for Himself the separation of wheat and chaff. (…) No-one, before the Day of Judgement, can take Christ’s winnowing fan in hand, no-one can pass judgement on another, whoever they might be.”… St Jerome (347-420) Priest, translator of the Bible, Father and Doctor of the Church – The dialogue against the Luciferians (SC 473, p 179-180)

PRAYER – All-powerful and ever-living God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, chase away the night of sin and fill our minds with the glory of Your coming. Take away our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh, help us in our battle with sin and the devil. By our prayers, Your holy sacraments and the strength of the Holy Spirit, may we be ever vigilant of the evil one. Grant we pray, that the Blessed Virgin’s prayers, may protect us from all dangers. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. bl virgin mary mother of god pray for us 27 july 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on EDUCATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 26 July – The Parable of the Sower”

Posted on July 26, 2019July 26, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 26 July – Friday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 13:18–23 – “The Parable of the Sower”

“As for what was sown on good soil,
this is he who hears the word and understands it.
he indeed bears fruit and yields,
in one case a hundredfold,
in another sixty and in another thirty.”

Matthew 13:23

“Store up in your minds, the Lord’s words
which you receive, through your ears,
for the Word of the Lord, is the nourishment of the mind …
Be careful, that the seed received
through your ears,
remains in your heart.”

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

Forty Gospel Homilies

“Cultivate your vineyard together with Jesus.
To you the task of removing stones
and pulling up brambles.
To Jesus, that of sowing, planting,
cultivating and watering.
But even in your work, it is still He who acts.
Because, without Christ,
you could do nothing at all.”

St Pio of Pietralcina “Padre Pio” (1887-1968)

Letter 3: 579

FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 July – ‘… Let us work our hearts…’

Posted on July 26, 2019July 26, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 26 July – Friday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 13:18–23 and the Memorial of Sts Joachim and Anne

“As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty and in another thirty.”…Matthew 13:23

REFLECTION – “Indeed, you all know how land is cultivated. First of all you pull out the weeds and throw away the stones, then you work the ground itself. You do it again a second time, a third time and finally… you sow. Oh, let it be like this in our souls! First of all let us uproot the weeds, that is to say our evil thoughts, then take out the stones, in other words, all our malice and obstinacy. Finally, let us work our hearts with the plough of the Gospel and the ploughshare of the cross. Let us break it by repentance, turn over the soil with almsgiving and with charity, prepare it for the seed of Our Lord… that it may joyfully receive the seed of the divine word and bring forth fruit, not just thirty but sixty and a hundredfold.”...St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Monk & Bishop (Sermons to the people, no.6 passim ; SC 175) as-for-what-was-sown-matthew-11-23-st-caesarious-of-arles-finally-let-us-work-our-hearts-27-july-2018.jpg

PRAYER – O Lord, God of our Fathers, who bestowed on Saints Joachim and Anne this grace, that of them should be born the Mother of Your incarnate Son, grant, through the prayers of both, that we may work hard to deserve the grace You send us and thus attain the salvation You have promised to Your people. 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. Sts Joachim and Anne, pray for us! Amen sts joachim and anne pray for us 26 july 2019.jpg

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 July – “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?”

Posted on July 25, 2019July 25, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 25 July – Feast of St James, Apostle, Gospel: Matthew 20:20–28

Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.”……Matthew 20:28 matthew-20-28 - you do not know what you are asking, can you drink - st james 25 july 2017 and 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “Christ laid down His life for us, so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” (1Jn 3,16)… Jesus said to Peter: “When you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted but when you grow old … someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go…” (Jn 21,18). It was the Cross, the Passion, He promised him. “Go even so far as to pasture my sheep, suffer for my sheep.” This is what a good bishop is to be like. If he is not, he is no bishop…

Now listen to this other testimony. Two of His disciples, the brothers John and James who were sons of Zebedee, were ambitious for the first place without consideration for the others… Our Lord answered them: “You do not know what you are asking”, for he added: “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” What cup is this if not that… of the Passion?… And they, forgetting their weakness, immediately said: “We can”. Then He said to them: “My cup you will indeed drink. But to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father”… In this way He gave proof of His humility for, in fact, everything the Father prepares is prepared, too, for the Son… He came in humility – He, the Creator, was created amongst us, He made us but He was made for us. God before time began, man in time, He delivered man from time. This great physician has come to heal our cancer… by His example, He has come to heal pride itself.

This is what we must give our attention to, in the Lord – let us consider His humility, drink the cup of His humility, clasp Him, contemplate Him. How easy it is to have elevated thoughts, easy to take pleasure in honours, easy to give one’s ear to flatterers and people who praise us. But to bear with insult, patiently undergo humiliation, pray for those who persecute us (Mt 5,39.44) – that is the Lord’s cup, that is the Lord’s feast.“… Saint Augustine (354-430) FathEr & Doctor of the Church – Sermon for the ordination of a bishop, Guelferbytanus no.32

PRAYER – Almighty ever-living God, who consecrated the first fruits of Your Apostles by the blood of Saint James, grant, we pray, that Your Church may be strengthened by his confession of faith and constantly sustained by his protection. 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. St James the Greater, Apostle of Christ, Pray for us! Amen st-james-pray-for-us-25-july 2017 and 2019.jpg

CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 July – ‘…whoever does the will of my Father in heaven…’

Posted on July 23, 2019July 23, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 24 July – Tuesday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 12:46-50 and the Memorial of St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven,
is my brother and sister and mother.”

Matthew 12:50

“His mother is the whole Church,
since it is she, who, by God’s grace,
gives birth to Christ’s members,
that is to say, those who are faithful to Him.
Again, His mother is every holy soul,
who does the Father’s will
and whose fruitful charity
is made known in those,
to whom she gives birth for Him,
“until he has been formed in them”
(cf Gal 4:19).

St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor

“O Lord, make haste and illumine the night.
Say to my soul, that nothing happens,
without You permitting it
and that nothing of what You permit,
is without comfort.”

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)

“It is a matter of real sorrow when God has given us strength to break stronger fetters, those of vanity and sin, that we neglect our own progress and the attainment of such great blessings, because we will not detach ourselves from trifles.
Not only do we not advance, we fall back.
For it is well known, that on the spiritual road, not to go on, overcoming self, is to go backwards and not to increase our gain, is to lose.
As wood can never be transformed into fire, if one necessary degree of heat is missing, so the soul, that has even one imperfection, can never be perfectly transformed in God.”

St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church

FATHERS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of tthe Saints – 23 July

Posted on July 23, 2019July 22, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373) (Optional Memorial)

St Bridger’s Story:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/07/23/saint-of-the-day-23-july-st-bridget-of-sweden/

Our Lady of Altino – read here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/07/23/saints-memorials-and-feasts-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-3/

St Anne of Constantinople
St Apollonius of Rome
Bl Vasil/Basil Hopko (1904-1976) Martyr
Bl Beaudoin of Beaumont
St Conan of Cornwall
Bl Emilio Arce Díez
St Eugene of Rome
St Herundo of Rome
Bl Jane of Orvieto
St John Cassian (c 360- c 435)
Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2018/07/23/saint-of-the-day-29-february-st-john-cassian-c-360-c-435/

Bl Josep Sala Picó
Bl Juan de Luca
Bl Juan de Montesinos
Bl Leonard da Recanati
Bl Margarita de Maturana
Bl Pedro Ruiz de los Paños Angel
St Phocas the Gardener
St Primitiva of Rome
St Rasyphus of Macé
St Rasyphus of Rome
St Ravennus of Macé
St Redempta of Rome
St Romula of Rome
St Severus of Bizye
St Theophilus of Rome
St Trophimus of Rome
St Valerian of Cimiez
Bl Wojciech Gondek
—
Martyrs of Barcelona – 7 beati: Seven Christians, some lay people, some members of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and some of the Franciscan Daughters of Mercy, who were martyred in two groups on the same day in the Spanish Civil War.
• Catalina Caldés Socías
• Francesc Mayol Oliver
• Miquel Pons Ramis
• Miquela Rul-Làn Ribot
• Pau Noguera Trías
• Prudència Canyelles Ginestà de Aguadé
• Simó Reynés Solivellas
23 July 1936 in Barcelona, Spain. They were Beatified on 28 October 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI.
Martyrs of Bulgaria: An unknown number of Christians killed for their faith during the 9th century war between the Greek Emperor Nicephorus and the Bulgars.

Martyrs of Carabanchel Bajo – 9 beati: A group of nine Passionist priests, brothers and clerics who were martyred together in the Spanish Civil War.
• Anacario Benito Nozal
• Felipe Ruiz Fraile
• Felipe Valcobado Granado
• José Osés Sainz
• José Ruiz Martinez
• Julio Mediavilla Concejero
• Laurino Proaño Cuesta
• Manuel Pérez Jiménez
• Maurilio Macho Rodríguez
22 July 1936 in Carabanchel Bajo, Madrid, Spain. They were Beatified on 1 October 1989 by Pope John Paul II.

Martyrs of Horta – 10 beati: A lay woman and nine Minim nuns who were martyred together in the Spanish Civil War.
• Ana Ballesta Gelmá
• Dolors Vilaseca Gallego
• Josefa Pilar García Solanas
• Josepa Panyella Doménech
• Lucrecia García Solanas
• Maria Montserrat Ors Molist
• Mercè Mestre Trinché
• Ramona Ors Torrents
• Teresa Ríus Casas
• Vicenta Jordá Martí
23 July 1936 at the Sant Genís dels Agudells highway, Horta, Barcelona, Spain. They were Beatified on
27 October 2013 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Martyrs of Manzanares – 5 beati: Five Passionist clerics who were martyred together in the Spanish Civil War.
• Abilio Ramos y Ramos
• Epifanio Sierra Conde
• José Estalayo García
• Vicente Díez Tejerina
• Zacarías Fernández Crespo
They were shot on 23 July 1936 in Manzanares, Ciudad Real, Spain and Beatified on 1 October 1989 by Pope John Paul II.

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 22 July – O Lord, Bless and Sanctify Us

Posted on July 22, 2019July 21, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 22 July – Feast of St Mary of Magdala

O Lord, Bless and Sanctify Us
By St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father & Doctor of the Church

O Lord,
bless those who bless You
and sanctify those who trust in You.
save Your people and bless their inheritance
and keep Your household, the Church,
under Your protection.
Sanctify those who love the beauty of Your house,
reward them with glory through Your divine power
and do not forsake those who hope in You.
To the sick,
give Your aid, healing and comfort.
Keep safe all who travel by land or water.
Send us seasonable weather
and bless the fruits of the earth.
Keep peace in the world
and among all Your people.
Grant rest to the departed
and remember those
who have offered gifts to You.
Save those who are in any way
afflicted or distressed
and grant us all Your heavenly grace.
Amen o lord bless and sanctify us st john chrysostom - 22 july 2019.jpg

FATHERS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 20 July

Posted on July 20, 2019July 19, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St Apollinaris of Ravenna – Disciple of St Peter – Martyr (Optional Memorial)
About holy St Apollinaris:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/07/20/saint-of-the-day-20-july-st-apollinaris/

Bl Anne Cartier
St Ansegisus
St Aurelius of Carthage
St Bernward of Hildesheim
St Cassian of Saint Saba
St Chi Zhuze
St Elijah the Prophet
St Elswith
Bl Gregory Lopez (1542-1596)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/07/20/saint-of-the-day-20-july-blessed-gregory-lopez-1542-1596/
St José María Díaz Sanjurjo
St Joseph Barsabas
Bl Luigi Novarese
St Margaret of Antioch (3rd century) Martyr
St Maria Fu Guilin
St Mère
St Paul of Saint Zoilus
St Rorice of Limoges
St Severa of Oehren
St Severa of Saint Gemma
St Wulmar
—
Martyrs of Corinth – 22 saints: 22 Christians who were martyred together. We know nothing else about them but the names – • Appia • Calorus • Cassius • Celsus • Cyriacus • Donatus • Emilis • Felix • Fructus • Magnus • Maximus • Nestita • Partinus • Pasterus • Paul • Romanus • Spretus • Tertius • Theodolus • Ueratia • Valerian • Victor. They were martyred in Corinth, Greece.

Martyrs of Damascus – 16 saints: 16 Christians who were martyred together. We know the names of six of then, but no details about any of them – Cassia, Julian, Macrobius, Maximus, Paul and Sabinus. They were martyred in Damascus, Syria, date unknown.

Martyrs of Seoul – 8 saints: Eight lay native Koreans in various states of life who were murdered together for their faith.
• Anna Kim Chang-gum
• Ioannes Baptista Yi Kwang-nyol
• Lucia Kim Nusia
• Magdalena Yi Yong-hui
• Maria Won Kwi-im
• Martha Kim Song-im
• Rosa Kim No-sa
• Theresia Yi Mae-im
They were martyred on 20 July 1839 at the Small West Gate, Seoul, South Korea and Canonised on 6 May 1984 by St Pope John Paul.

Martyrs of Zhaojia – 3 saints: Married lay woman and her two daughters in the apostolic vicariate of Southeastern Zhili, China. During the persecutions of the Boxer Rebellion, the three of them hid in a well to avoid being raped. They were found, dragged out, and killed for being Christian. Martyrs. They were – Maria Zhao Guoshi (mother), Maria Zhao and Rosa Zhao (sisters). They were martyred in late July 1900 in Zhaojia, Wuqiao, Hebei, China.

Martyrs of Zhujiahe – 4 saints: Two Jesuit missionary priests and two local lay people who supported their work who were martyred together in the Boxer Rebellion during and immediately after Mass.
• Léon-Ignace Mangin
• Maria Zhu Wushi
• Paul Denn
• Petrus Zhu Rixin
They were martyred on 20 July 1900 in church in Zhujiahe, Jingxian, Hebei, China and Canonised on 1 October 2000 by St Pope John Paul.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Abraham Furones y Furones
• Blessed Antoni Bosch Verdura
• Blessed Francisca Aldea y Araujo
• Blessed Jacinto García Riesco
• Blessed Joan Páfila Monllaó
• Blessed Josep Tristany Pujol
• Blessed Matías Cardona-Meseguer
• Blessed Rita Josefa Pujalte y Sánchez
• Blessed Vicente López y López

FATHERS of the Church, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 19 July – ‘You whom my soul loves’

Posted on July 19, 2019July 19, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 19 July – Friday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the memorial of St Macrina the Younger – sister of St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–395) Father of the Church

The Full Prayer as paraphrased in our Morning Offering today – This excerpt from St Gregory of Nyssa’s commentary on the Song of Songs (Cap. 2: PG 44, 802), using the imagery of Psalm 23, appeals to the Lord Jesus Christ for the promised green pastures, restful waters and noonday rest that is the final, eternal destination of those who love God and walk in His ways. It is used in the Roman Catholic Office of readings for Thursday in the 33rd week in ordinary time with the corresponding biblical reading taken from Zechariah 11:4-12:8.

St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–395)

Father of the Church

A Prayer to the Good Shepherd

Where are You pasturing Your flock, O good Shepherd, who carry the whole flock on Your shoulders? (For the whole of human nature is one sheep and You have lifted it onto Your shoulders). Show me the place of peace, lead me to the good grass that will nourish me, call me by name so that I, Your sheep, hear Your voice and by Your speech give me eternal life. Answer me, You whom my soul loves.

I give You the name ‘You whom my soul loves’ because Your name is above every name and above all understanding and there is no rational nature that can utter it or comprehend it. Therefore, Your name, by which Your goodness is known, is simply the love my soul has for You. How could I not love You, when You loved me so much, even though I was black, that You laid down Your life for the sheep of Your flock? A greater love cannot be imagined, than exchanging Your life for my salvation.

Show me then (my soul says) where You pasture your flock, so that I can find that saving pasture too and fill myself, with the food of heaven, without which no-one can come to eternal life and run to the spring and fill myself with the drink of God. You give it, as from a spring, to those who thirst – water pouring from Your side cut open by the lance, water that, to whoever drinks it, is a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

If You lead me to pasture here, You will make me lie down at noon, sleeping at peace and taking my rest in light unstained by any shade. For the noon has no shade and the sun stands far above the mountain peaks. You bring Your flock to lie in this light, when You bring Your children to rest with You in Your bed. But no-one can be judged worthy of this noonday rest who is not a child of light and a child of the day. Whoever has separated himself equally from the shadows of evening and morning, from where evil begins and evil ends, at noon he will lie down and the sun of righteousness will shine on him.

Show me, then (my soul says), how I should sleep and how I should graze and where the path is to my noonday rest. Do not let me fall away from Your flock because of ignorance and find myself one of a flock of sheep that are not Yours.

Thus my soul spoke, when she was anxious about the beauty that God’s care had given her and wanted to know how she could keep this good fortune forever.

Amen

“I give them eternal life”

John 10:27 john 10 27 - i give them eternal life - 12 may 2019 good shepherd sunday.jpg

FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Our Morning Offering – 19 July – O Good Shepherd

Posted on July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 19 July – Friday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time and the memorial of St Macina the Younger – sister of St Gregory of Nyssa

Below is an edited and simplified version
of St Gregory’s famous
“To the Good Shepherd” prayer.

O Good Shepherd
By St Gregory Of Nyssa (c 335–395)
Father of the Church

O Good Shepherd,
Who carries the whole flock on Your shoulders,
Where are You pasturing Your flock?
Show me the place of peace,
lead me to the good grass that will nourish me,
call me by name so that I hear Your voice,
Answer me,
For You are the One my soul loves.
I call You ‘the One my soul loves’
because Your name is above every name
and above all understanding
and no one can utter or comprehend it.
How could I not love You,
when You loved me so much?
Even though I was stained dark with sin,
You laid down Your life for the sheep of Your flock.
A greater love cannot be imagined,
than exchanging Your life for my freedom!
Show me where You pasture Your flock,
so that I can find that saving pasture too,
and fill myself with the food of heaven
without which no-one can come to eternal life,
and run to the spring
and be filled with the drink of God.
You give it, as from a spring, to those who thirst –
water pouring from Your side,
water that is a spring welling up to eternal life.
If You lead me to pasture here,
You will make me lie down at noon,
sleeping at peace and taking my rest in light
unconquered by any shade.
For the noon has no darkness
and the sun stands far above the mountain peaks.
You bring Your flock to lie in this light,
You bring Your children to rest in You.
Show me how I should sleep
and how I should graze,
and where the path is to my noonday rest.
Do not let me fall away from Your flock
and become lost.
O Good shepherd,
Who carries the whole flock on Your shoulders.
Amen o good shepherd no 1 st gregory of nyssa 19 july 2019.jpg

FATHERS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day -19 July – Saint Macrina the Younger (c 327-379)

Posted on July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day -19 July – Saint Macrina the Younger (c 327-379) Virgin, Ascetic – born c 327 at Caesarea, Cappadocia (in modern Turkey) and died in 379 at Pontus (in modern Turkey) of natural causes.

With charm and grace, St Macrina ruled the roost in a family of saints. St Basil the Elder and St Emmelia, her parents, had ten children including the younger St Basil (329-379) Doctor of the Church, St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–C 395) and St Peter of Sebaste Bishop (c 340–391). As the eldest child, Macrina exercised a formative influence on her more famous brothers and even on her mother.

A beautiful young woman, Macrina had been betrothed at age twelve. But when her fiancé died, she chose to remain single to devote herself to Christian service. Emmelia had given her daughter a Christian version of a classic education, training her in Scripture instead of Greek literature. In turn, Macrina conducted the early education of her younger brothers and sisters and formed them in piety.

Gregory of Nyssa, her biographer, reported that when Basil returned from Athens University all puffed up with self-importance, Macrina put him in his place—as only an older sister can. Apparently, she persuaded her extremely talented brother to become a monk and subordinate his gifts to God’s purposes. st macrina the younger img-The-Sister-of-Saint-Basil.jpg

When Naucratius (he was a the famous Christian jurist), the handsome and athletic family favourite, died suddenly, Macrina supported Emmelia through her grief. Later she persuaded her mother to join her in renouncing their high standard of living and embracing the simpler life of their servants. Together they formed a small monastic community of nuns under the younger Basil’s direction on the family estate at Annesi in Pontus in present-day Turkey.

In 379, shortly after Basil died, Macrina fell ill. Gregory came to visit her and found her in a very weakened condition, lying on two planks. Even on her deathbed, Macrina continued to live a life of sanctity, as she refused a bed and instead chose to lie on the ground. Although Macrina could barely talk, she spoke eloquently with her brother about death and the future life. Just before she died she prayed as follows:

“O Lord, You have freed us from the fear of death.

You have made the end of life here the beginning of a true life for us.

You, who compassionately gave paradise back to the man crucified with You, remember me also in Your kingdom.

If I have committed sins in word, deed or thought because of the weakness of our nature, don’t let Your eyes discover them.

You, who have power on earth to forgive sins, forgive me so that I may be refreshed.

May I be found before you once I have put off my body, having no fault in the form of my soul.

May my soul be received into Your hands, blameless and spotless, as an offering before You.”

St Gregory of Nyssa expanded his sister’s deathbed reflections on the future life in his book, “Dialogue on the Soul and Resurrection”

Macrina had a profound influence upon her brothers and her mother with her adherence to an ascetic ideal. Her brother, St Gregory of Nyssa wrote a work entitled Life of Macrina in which he describes her sanctity throughout her life. Macrina lived a chaste and humble life, devoting her time to prayer and the spiritual education of her younger brother, Peter. Gregory presents her, as one who consciously rejected all Classical education, choosing instead devoted study of Scripture and other sacred writings.

Saint Macrina is significant in that her brother, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, was able to set standards for being a holy Early Christian woman. He believed that virginity reflected the “radiant purity of God.”

250px-Macrina_the_Younger

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 18 July – The Light Burden of the Law of Christ…St Jerome

Posted on July 18, 2019July 18, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 18 July – Thursday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30.

“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”…Matthew 11:29-30

The Light Burden of the Law of Christ

Saint Jerome (347-420)

Priest, Translator of the Bible,

Father & Doctor of the Church

“Bear one another’s burdens and so you will fulfil the law of Christ.” Sin is a burden as the psalmist attests when he says: “My sins weigh heavy upon me.” But the Lord has carried this burden for us, teaching us, by His example what we ourselves should do. For it is He who bore the burden of our sins. He was stricken for our sake (cf Is 53:8) and invites those who are weighed down by the heavy burden of the Law and of their sins to carry the easy burden of virtue, saying: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light”(Mt 11:30).

Therefore, whoever holds out a hand to the person who begs for support, not despairing of a neighbour’s salvation, who weeps with those who weep, is weak with those who are weak and who regards other’s sins as though they were his own – such a one, fulfils through charity, the law of Christ. What is this law of Christ? “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another” (Jn 13:34). What is the law of the Son of God? “Love one another as I have loved you.” How has the Son of God loved us? No one has greater love than this, “to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”(Jn 15:13).

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

Someone who comes to the assistance of the poor weighed down by the burden of destitution and makes friends with dishonest wealth (Lk 16:9), such a one shoulders the needs of his neighbour. This is the one to whom Jesus will say after the general resurrection: “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink” (Mt 25:34-35). but-the-lord-has-carried-this-burden-for-us-teaching-us-by-his-example-st-jerome-19-july-2018

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 July – “take my yoke upon you and learn from me”

Posted on July 18, 2019July 18, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 19 July – Thursday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30.

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for yourselves…” … Matthew 11:29 matthew 11 29 take my yoke upon you 18 july 2019

REFLECTION – “You are to “take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” You are not learning from me how to refashion the fabric of the world, nor to create all things visible and invisible, nor to work miracles and raise the dead. Rather, you are simply learning of me: “that I am meek and lowly in heart.” If you wish to reach high, then begin at the lowest level. If you are trying to construct some mighty edifice in height, you will begin with the lowest foundation. This is humility. However great the mass of the building you may wish to design or erect, the taller the building is to be, the deeper you will dig the foundation. The building in the course of its erection, rises up high but he who digs its foundation, must first go down very low. So then, you see even a building is low before it is high and the tower is raised, only after humiliation.”… St Augustine (354-430) Fater & Doctor (Sermon 69) if you wish to reach high then begin at the lowest level st augustine 18 july 2019

PRAYER – “Holy God, our Father, we turn to You in confidence as children and pray, give us meekness of heart, make us “poor in spirit” that we may recognise that we are not self-sufficient, that we are unable to build our lives on our own but need You, we need to encounter You, to listen to You, to speak to You. Help us to understand that we need Your gift, Your wisdom, which is Jesus Himself, in order to do the Your will in our lives and thus to find rest in the hardships of our journey.” Hear the prayers we request of St Simon of Lipnica dear Lord and holy God, which we pray through Christ, our Light, in the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen. … Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 7 December 2011

FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 17 July – May the Lord Jesus Touch Our Eyes

Posted on July 17, 2019July 16, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 17 July – Wednesday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time, C – Today’s Gospel Matthew 11:25-27.

“All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father, except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”...Matthew 11:27

May the Lord Jesus Touch Our Eyes
Origen (c 185-253) Father of the Church

May the Lord Jesus touch our eyes,
as He did those of the blind.
Then we shall begin to see in visible things
those which are invisible.
May He open our eyes to gaze,
not on present realities
but on the blessings to come.
May He open the eyes of our heart,
to contemplate God in Spirit,
through Jesus Christ the Lord,
to whom belong,
power and glory,
through all eternity.
Amen may the lord jesus touch our eyes - origen - 17 july 2019.jpg

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“Strive to enter in by the narrow door.”

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