FATHERS of the Church – Page 114

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One Minute Reflection – 30 November – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 4:18–22 – The Feast of St Andrew, Apostle of Christ

Posted on November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 30 November – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 4:18–22 – The Feast of St Andrew, Apostle of Christ

And he said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”...Matthew 4:19

REFLECTION – “And they left their nets and followed him.” And yet John (the Evangelist) says that they were called in a different way. From this it is evident that this was a second call. One may conclude this from several evidences. For there it is said that they came to Him when “John had not yet been thrown into prison” but here it says, after he was in confinement. And there Andrew calls Peter but here Jesus calls both. On the one hand, John says, “Jesus saw Simon coming and said, ‘You are Simon, the Son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas, which is translated Peter.’” On the other hand, Matthew says that he was already called by that name, for he says, “Seeing Simon who was called Peter.” In the other instance, Andrew is seen coming into His house and hearing many things. But here, having heard one brief call, they both followed immediately.
When they earlier had seen that John was in prison and that Jesus was withdrawing, it would not have been unnatural for them to return again to their own craft, fishing, having followed Him at the beginning and then later having left Him to fish.
Accordingly, you now see, that Jesus finds them actively fishing. But He neither resisted them at first, when they desired to withdraw from Him, nor having withdrawn themselves, did He let them go altogether. He gave way when they moved aside from Him and came again to win them back. This, after all, is exactly what fishing is all about.”… St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor – (The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 14) matthew 4 19 - follow me and I will make you - accordingly, you now see, st john chrysostom - 30nov2018

PRAYER – Lord, in Your kindness hear our petitions. You called Andrew the apostle, to preach the Gospel and guide Your Church in faith. May he always be our friend in Your presence to help us with his prayers. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen st andrew pray for us - 30nov2018

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One Minute Reflection – 26 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 21:1-4

Posted on November 26, 2018November 26, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 26 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 21:1-4 – Monday of the Thirty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury and he saw a poor widow, put in two copper coins. And he said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them, for they all contributed out of their abundance but she out of her poverty, put in all the living that she had.”…Luke 21:1-4

REFLECTION – “However, in the mystical sense, the woman who placed two small coins in the treasury, is not to be forgotten. Great indeed is that woman who was worthy to be preferred before everyone else according to the divine judgement! Might it not be she who has drawn the two Testaments out of her faith for the help of all humankind? Therefore, no one has done more than she and no one has been able to equal the greatness of her gift, since she joined faith to mercy. And you, too, whoever you are…, do not hesitate to bring to the treasury, two coins, full of faith and grace.”…St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor

“In a certain sense the Church is a widow somewhat, because she is waiting for her Bridegroom to return… Of course, she has her Spouse in the Eucharist, in the Word of God, in the poor but she is waiting for Him to return. This woman wasn’t important, no one knew her. Nothing. She did not shine of her own light.
Likewise, the great virtue of the Church is not shining of her own light but rather reflecting the light that comes from her Spouse. Especially since over the centuries, when the Church wanted to have her own light, she was wrong. The Church receives light from there, from the Lord and all the services we do in the Church, help her to receive that light. When a service is lacking this light, it’s not good because it causes the Church to become rich, or powerful, or to seek power, or to lose her way, as has happened so many times in history, it happens in our life when we want to have another light – our own light, which is not really that of the Lord. When the Church is humble and poor and even when the Church confesses her misfortunes — we all have them — the Church is faithful.
Let us pray to this widow who is surely in heaven that she may teach us to be like the Church, renouncing all we have and keeping nothing for ourselves but instead giving all for the Lord and for our neighbour. Always humble and without boasting of having our own light but “always seeking the light which comes from the Lord.”…Pope Francis (Santa Marta, 24 November 2014)

PRAYER – God our Father, You give us a share in the one bread and the one cup and make us one in Christ. Help us to live as Your children and by our lives to bring Your salvation and joy to all the world. May the Holy Spirit fill us with all His gifts and virtues so that we may await the coming of Your Son, guided by His Light and may Mary, the blessed Virgin, accompany us, guarding and giving us her prayerful help. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. blessed virgin mary mother of god pray for us 26 nov 2018

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Quote/s of the Day 25 November – The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Posted on November 25, 2018November 25, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day 25 November – The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

“Hers was the happiness of first bearing in her womb
Him whom she would obey as her master.”

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

“The kingdom of God, in the words of our Lord and Saviour,
does not come for all to see; nor shall they say:
Behold, here it is, or behold, there it is;
but the kingdom of God is within us,
for the word of God is very near, in our mouth and in our heart.
Thus it is clear that he who prays for the coming of God’s kingdom,
prays rightly to have it within himself,
that there it might grow and bear fruit and become perfect.
For God reigns in each of his holy ones.
Anyone who is holy obeys the spiritual laws of God,
who dwells in Him as in a well-ordered city.
The Father is present in the perfect soul
and with Him Christ reigns, according to the words:
We shall come to him and make our home with him.”

“The kingdom of God cannot exist alongside the reign of sin.
Therefore, if we wish God to reign in us,
in no way should sin reign in our mortal body;
rather we should mortify our members which are upon the earth
and bear fruit in the Spirit.
There should be in us a kind of spiritual paradise where God may walk
and be our sole ruler with His Christ.
In us the Lord will sit at the right hand of that spiritual power
which we wish to receive.
And He will sit there until all His enemies,
who are within u,. become His footstool
and every principality, power and virtue in us is cast out.”

Origen (c185-253) Father of the Church

“The Word of God, as consubstantial with the Father,
has all things in common with Him and, therefore,
has necessarily supreme and absolute dominion,
over all things created.”

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

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One Minute Reflection – 24 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 20:27–40

Posted on November 24, 2018November 24, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 24 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 20:27–40 – Saturday of the Thirty Third Week in Ordinary Time, Year B – The Memorial of St Andrew Dung-Lac & Companions, Vietnam Martyrs

“Now he is not God of the dead but of the living; for all live to him.”...Luke 20:38

REFLECTION – “ Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the earthly one. The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man from heaven. ” If we thus act, beloved, then we shall nevermore die in time to come. Even though our bodies may decay, we shall be living in Christ as he himself affirmed: “Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live.” We are assured, on the witness of our Lord Himself, that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the saints are alive. For it was concerning them that our Lord said: “All are alive for him, for he is not God of the dead but of the living.” And the apostle Paul said, speaking of himself: “For me, life is Christ, death gain. I long to depart and be with Christ.” And again: “So long as we are in the body, we are away from the Lord . For indeed, we walk by faith, not by sight.” This is what we believe, my dearest brethren. Besides: “If we have placed our hope in this world only, we are the most pitiable people of all.”
Life in this world, as you yourselves can see, is just the same for animals, wild beasts, birds and ourselves and it can even be longer for them. But what is proper to humans is what Christ gives us through His Spirit, provided we sin no more – life without end…: “The wages of sin is death; the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”…St Pacian, Father of the Church (c 310–391) (Biblical references: 1Cor 15:49.47; Jn 11:25; Phil 1:21.23; 2Cor 5:6-7; 1Cor 15:19; Rm 6:23) luke 20 38 - he is not god of the dead - what is proper to humans - st pacian - 24 nov 2018

“It is not this life that will serve as a reference point for eternity, for the other life that awaits us; rather, it is eternity — that life — which illumines and gives hope to the earthly life of each one of us! If we look at things from only a human perspective, we tend to say that man’s journey moves from life to death. This is what we see! But this is only so if we look at things from a human perspective. Jesus turns this perspective upside down and states that our pilgrimage goes from death to life – the fullness of life!” …Pope Francis – Angelus, 10 November 2013

PRAYER – O God, source and origin of all fatherhood, who kept the Martyrs Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and his companions faithful to the Cross of Your Son, even to the shedding of their blood, grant, through their intercession, that, spreading Your love among our brothers and sisters, we may be Your children both in name and in truth and thus come to our resurrection with Jesus Christ, Your Son. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. st andrew dung lac pray for us 24 nov 2018

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Quote of the Day – 22 November – St Augustine – Let us sing to the Lord, a song of love!

Posted on November 22, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 22 November – The Memorial of St Cecilia (died 3rd Century) Virgin Martyr – Patron of Musicians

Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful!…Psalm 149:1

Let us sing to the Lord, a song of love!

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

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

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

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

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

From a sermon by Saint Augustine (354-430), Father & Doctor – (Sermo 34.1-3, 5-6; CCL 41, 424-426) …Vatican.va sing with your voices, your hearts, your lips and your lives - st augustine - 22 november 2018 his praise is in the assembly of the saints - st augustine - 22 nov 2018 mem of st cecilia

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Thought for the Day– 18 November – The Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts Peter and Paul

Posted on November 18, 2018November 18, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day– 18 November – The Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts Peter and Paul

“The present feast therefore deserves to be more than a local solemnity, its extension to the Universal Church is a subject for the world’s gratitude. Thanks to this Feast we can all make together in spirit today the pilgrimage, which our ancestors performed with such fatigue and danger, yet never thought they purchased at too high a price its holy joys and blessings. “Heavenly mountains, glittering heights of the new Sion!” There are the gates of our true country, the two lights of the immense world. There Paul’s voice is heard like thunder; there Peter withholds or hurls the bolt . The former opens the hearts of men, the latter opens Heaven. Peter is the foundation-stone, Paul the architect of the temple where stands the altar by which God is propitiated. Both together form a single fountain, which pours out its healing and refreshing waters”

Bishop Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)

Sts Peter and Paul, Pray for Us!

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One Minute Reflection – 18 November – Today’s Gospel: Mark 13:24–32

Posted on November 18, 2018November 17, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 18 November – Today’s Gospel: Mark 13:24–32 – Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – The Feast of the Dediciation of the Basilicas of Sts Peter and Paul and the Memorial of St Rose Philippine Duchesne RSCJ (1769-1852)

And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory…Mark 13:26

REFLECTION – “From this it follows that, at His second coming, Jesus will rule over that land of which there remains much to possess. But how blessed will be those who were His subjects from His first coming! Truly, they will be loaded with gifts in spite of the resistance of so many enemies and the attacks of so many foes, they will receive… their share of the Promised Land. But when submission has been carried out by force, on that day when “the last enemy, who is death, shall have been destroyed” (1Cor 15:26), there can be no more favour for those who refuse to submit.”…Origen (c 185-253) Father of the Church mark 13 26 and then they will see - but how blessed will be those - origen - 18 nov 2018

PRAYER – Lord God, give Your Church the help of the Apostles Peter and Paul, who first brought it the knowledge of the faith, may they always obtain for it an increase of grace and continue to run with us on our journey home to You. And may the prayers of your holy apostle of prayer, St Rose Philippine Duchesne, be a succour in our trials. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen. sts-peter-and-paul-pray-for-us-18-nov-2018

st rose philippine duchesne pray for us no 2 - 18 nov 2018

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 November – The Memorial of St Elizabeth of Hungary – Apostle of Charity (1207-1231) – Speaking of: Charity/Mercy

Posted on November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 17 November – The Memorial of St Elizabeth of Hungary – Apostle of Charity (1207-1231)
Speaking of: Charity/Mercy

As long as anyone has the means
of doing good to his neighbours
and does not do so,
he shall be reckoned a stranger
to the love of the Lord.

St Irenaeus (130-202) Father of the Church

“Mercy imitates God and disappoints Satan.”

“No one has ever been accused for not providing ornaments
but for those who neglect their neighbour,
a hell awaits with an inextinguishable fire
and torment in the company of the demons.
Do not, therefore, adorn the church
and ignore your afflicted brother,
for he is the most precious temple of all.”

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

“Compassion, my dear Brother,
is preferable to cleanliness.
Reflect that with a little soap,
I can easily clean my bed covers
but even with a torrent of tears,
I would never wash from my soul,
the stain, that my harshness toward
the unfortunate would create.”

St Martin de Porres (1579-1639)

“All our religion is but a false religion
and all our virtues are mere illusions
and we ourselves are only hypocrites
in the sight of God,
if we have not that universal charity for everyone –
for the good and for the bad,
for the poor and for the rich
and for all those who do us harm,
as much as those who do us good.”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

“Any friend of the poor, is a friend of God.”

Blessed John Sullivan SJ (1861-1933)

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One Minute Reflection – 17 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 18:1–8

Posted on November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 17 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 18:1–8 – Saturday of the Thirty Second week in Ordinary Time, Year B and The Memorial of St Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231)

“When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?”...Luke 18:8

REFLECTION – “What more powerful incentive to prayer could be proposed to us than the parable of the unjust judge? An unprincipled man, without fear of God or regard for other people, that judge nevertheless ended by granting the widow’s petition. No kindly sentiment moved him to do so; he was rather worn down by her pestering. Now if a man can grant a request even when it is odious to him to be asked, how can we be refused by the one who urges us to ask? Having persuaded us, therefore, by a comparison of opposites that “we ought always to pray and never lose heart,” the Lord goes on to put the question: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, do you think he will find faith on earth?”
Where there is no faith, there is no prayer. Who would pray for something he did not believe in? So when the blessed Apostle exhorts us to pray he begins by declaring: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But to show that faith is the source of prayer and the stream will not flow if its springs are dried up, he continues: “But how can people call on him in whom they do not believe?” (Rom 10:13-14). We must believe, then, in order to pray and we must ask God, that the faith enabling us to pray, may not fail. Faith gives rise to prayer and this prayer obtains, an increase of faith.”…St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor – Sermon 115, 1 ; PL 38, 655

PRAYER – Holy Father, grant us a strong Faith! Poor Your graces into our hearts that we may believe with all our hearts, minds and souls and that in believing, we may constantly raise our entire being to You in prayer and supplication, in prayer and adoration, in prayer and love. May the intercession of St Elizabeth of Hungary, a woman of deep prayer from her youth, strengthen our perseverance. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen. st elizabeth of hungary pray for us - 17 nov 2018

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One Minute Reflection – 15 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 17:20–25

Posted on November 15, 2018November 14, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 15 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 17:20–25 – Thursday of the Thirty Second week in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of St Albert the Great (1200-1280) and St Leopold the Good (1073-1136)

“…For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”...Luke 17:21

REFLECTION – “The kingdom of God according to our Lord and Saviour’s word “does not come with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Lo, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ but the kingdom of God is within us”. For the Word “is very near, in our mouth and in our heart” (cf. Dt 30:14; Rm 10:8). So it is clear, that the one who prays that the kingdom of God may come, prays that the kingdom of God may spring up in him, bear fruit and be rightly perfected. This is because every saint is ruled by God, obeys the spiritual laws of God and dwells in himself as in a well-ordered city. The Father is present with him and Christ rules with the Father, in his perfected soul, in accord with the verse we called to mind a little earlier, “We will come to him and make our home with him” (Jn 14:23).
As we make continual progress, the highest point of the kingdom of God will be established for us when the apostle Paul’s word is fulfilled, when Christ with all His enemies made subject to Him will deliver “the kingdom to God the Father … that God may be all in all” (1 Cor 15:24, 28).
Therefore, let us pray constantly (cf. Thess 5:17) with a character being divinised by the Word and let us say to our Father in heaven, “hallowed be your name, your kingdom come” (Mt 6:9).”…Origen (c 185-253) Father of the Church

PRAYER – Our Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done! Grant us Lord, a true knowledge of our salvation, so that freed from fear and from the power of our foes, we may serve You faithfully, all the days of our lives and thus attain eternal joy with You. May the prayers of St Albert and St Leopold on our behalf, be a succour to us all. Through our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.

st-albert-the-great-pray-for-us-14-nov-2018

st leopold the good pray for us 15 nov 2018

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One Minute Reflection – 13 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 17:7–10

Posted on November 13, 2018November 13, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 17:7–10 – Tuesday of the Thirty Second week in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of St Stanislaus Kostka SJ (1550-1568) & St Agostina Livia Pietrantoni S.D.C. (1864-1894)

“So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty.’ ”…Luke 17:10

REFLECTION – “You do not say to your servant, “Sit down” but require more service from him and do not thank him. The Lord also, does not allow only one work or labour for you, because so long as we live, we must always work. Know that you are a servant overwhelmed by very much obedience. You must not set yourself first, because you are called a son of God. Grace must be acknowledged but nature not overlooked. Do not boast of yourself if you have served well, as you should have done. The sun obeys, the moon complies and the angels serve. Let us not require praise for ourselves, nor prevent the judgement of God and anticipate the sentence of the Judge but reserve it, for its own time and Judge. ”…Saint Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor of the Church (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke, 8) so you also when you have done - luke 17 10 - do not boast of yourself st ambrose - 13 nov 2018

PRAYER– Holy Father, I beg Your grace to achieve sanctity. Grant me the wisdom to follow Your Son, the fortitude to persevere in all trails and to be Your servant to all Your children but most of all Holy Father, grant me Your grace to obtain eternal life. Precious youths, St Stanislaus and St Agostina, please pray for us all , amen. st-stanislaus-pray-for-us-13-nov-2017-no-3 st agostini pietrantoni pray for us 13 nov 2018

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One Minute Reflection – 12 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 17:1-6

Posted on November 12, 2018November 12, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 12 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 17:1-6 – Monday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year B and The Memorial of St Josaphat (1584-1623) Martyr

“Temptations to sin are sure to come but woe to the person through whom they occur! It would be better for him, if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea, than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin…” Luke 17:1-2 luke 17 1-2 - temptations are sure to come but it would be better - 12 nov 2018

REFLECTION – “The accompanying discussion that immediately follows these opening remarks and speaks of our pardoning our brothers and sisters in case they ever sin against us, leads us to the idea that these were the offences meant. What are these offences? They are, I suppose, mean and annoying actions, fits of anger whether on good grounds or without justification, insults, slander and other stumbling blocks similar to these. He says that these temptations must come. Is this then because God, who governs all, forces people to their commission of sin? Away with the thought! Nothing that is evil comes from Him. He is the fountain of all virtue. Why then must this happen? They clearly happen because of our infirmity, for all of us stumble in many things, as it is written. Nevertheless, He says, that there will be woe to the person who lays the stumbling blocks in the way. He does not leave indifference in these things without rebuke but restrains it by fear of punishment. He still commands us to bear with patience those who cause sins to happen.”…St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) – Father & Doctor – Commentary on Luke, “Homilies 113-116”

PRAYER – O Lord our God, grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love and to be only good influences to our neighbour. That by our love, our brothers in faith may be one . St Josaphat you fought and struggled to unite the Church and by your efforts achieved the crown of martyrdom, please pray for our world, for a one united faith. Amen st-josaphat-pray-for-us-12 NOV 2017 - 2

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Thought for the Day – 10 November – Christian, Remember Your Dignity by St Pope Leo the Great

Posted on November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 10 November – Christian, Remember Your Dignity by St Pope Leo the Great

Today we celebrate the feast day of Pope Saint Leo the Great (c 400-461). St Leo is referred to by many names, including “Doctor of Doctrine” and “Doctor of Unity of the Church.” He is the first pope to be referred to by the title “Great” and the first pope made Doctor of the Church. His writings, unifying doctrine and peacemaking, continue to inspire and instruct us today in the ways of the faith. Below, an excerpt from a homily, encouraging Christians to take heed of the joy of Christ and exhorts them to live in freedom and dignity of the Incarnation!

Christian, Remember Your Dignity!

Dearly beloved, today our Saviour is born, let us rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness.
No one is shut out from this joy, all share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free from sin, came to free us all. Let the saint rejoice as he sees the palm of victory at hand. Let the sinner be glad as he receives the offer of forgiveness. Let the pagan take courage as he is summoned to life.
In the fullness of time, chosen in the unfathomable depths of God’s wisdom, the Son of God took for Himself our common humanity in order to reconcile it with its creator. He came to overthrow the devil, the origin of death, in that very nature by which He had overthrown mankind.
And so at the birth of our Lord the angels sing in joy – Glory to God in the highest and they proclaim peace to men of good will as they see the heavenly Jerusalem being built from all the nations of the world. When the angels on high are so exultant at this marvellous work of God’s goodness, what joy should it not bring to the lowly hearts of men?
Beloved, let us give thanks to God the Father, through His Son, in the Holy Spirit, because in His great love for us He took pity on us and when we were dead in our sins He brought us to life with Christ, so that in Him we might be a new creation. Let us throw off our old nature and all its ways and, as we have come to birth in Christ, let us renounce the works of the flesh.
Christian, remember your dignity and now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God’s kingdom.
Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.

St Pope Leo the Great, Pray for Us!

DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY FACE, The HOLY NAME, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 10 November – The Memorial of St Pope Leo the Great (c 400-461) Doctor of the Church and St Andrew Avellino CR (1521 – 1608)

Posted on November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 10 November – The Memorial of St Pope Leo the Great (c 400-461) Doctor of the Church and St Andrew Avellino CR (1521 – 1608)

“By Baptism we are made flesh of the Crucified.”

“The cross of Christ is the true ground
and chief cause of Christian hope.”

“Let no one be ashamed of the cross
by which Christ has redeemed the world.
None of us must be afraid to suffer
for the sake of justice or doubt the
fulfilment of the promises,
for it is through toil that we come to rest
and through death that we pass to life.”

“Our sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ
has no other purpose than to transform us
into that which we receive.”

“He that sees another in error
and endeavours not to correct it,
testifies himself to be in error.”

“The birthday of the Lord
is the birthday of peace.”

“Beyond our grasp,
He chose to come within our grasp.
Existing before time began,
He began to exist at a moment in time.”

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

“One cannot separate
the most Holy Eucharist
from the Passion of Jesus.”

St Andrew Avellino (1521 – 1608)

FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 16:9–15- Commentary by St Clement of Alexandria

Posted on November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 10 November – Today’s Gospel: Luke 16:9–15 – Saturday of the Thirty First Week in Ordinary Time, Year B and The Memorial of St Leo the Great (c 400-461) Doctor of the Church and St Andrew Avellino CR (1521 – 1608)

“I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”...Luke 16:9

REFLECTION – “Consider, then, the splendid reward for your liberality – an everlasting habitation! O excellent trade! O divine commerce! You purchase immortality for money and, by donating the empty things of the world, receive in exchange an eternal mansion in heaven! So then, you rich who have wisdom, apply yourselves to this business… Why let yourselves be transfixed by diamonds and emeralds, by houses that fire devours, time destroys, or earthquakes throw down? Aspire for nothing other than to dwell in the heavens and reign with God. A mere man, a beggar will gain you this kingdom… The Lord did not say: “Give, be generous and bountiful, help your brothers” but: “Make friends for yourselves”. Friendship comes about not by one gift but by long intimacy. For neither faith, nor charity nor patience are the work of one day but “he who endures to the end shall be saved.” (Mt 10:22)...St Clement of Alexandria (150- 215)

PRAYER – Lord God, You built Your Church on the firm foundation of the Apostle Peter and You promised that the gates of hell would never overcome it. So too, may we trust in Your power, that by our faith we may receive the grace to withstand the enemy who will not prevail against us. May we always serve You in our brother and may your Holy Spirit grant us the grace of fortitude to withstand our temptations and thus gain eternal life, supported by the prayers of St Pope Leo the Great and St Andrew Avellino, keep us ever faithful to Your love. Amen st pope leo the great pray for us - 10 nov 2018

st andrew avellino pray for us 10 nov 2018

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 10 November – Mary, Mother of Grace By St Athanasius

Posted on November 10, 2018December 7, 2021 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 10 November – Saturday of the Thirty First Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

Mary, Mother of Grace
By St Athanasius (297-373) Father & Doctor of the Church

It becomes you to be mindful of us,
as you stand near Him
who granted you all graces,
for you are the Mother of God
and our Queen.
Help us for the sake of the King,
the Lord God and Master
who was born of you.
For this reason,
you are called full of grace.
Remember us, most holy Virgin,
and bestow on us gifts
from the riches of your graces,
Virgin full of graces.
Amen MARY, MOTHER OF GRACE - ST ATHANASIUS - it becomes you to be mindful of us - 15 may 2018

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 10 November

Posted on November 10, 2018November 9, 2018 by AnaStpaul

St Pope Leo the Great (c 400 – 461) Father & Doctor of the Church (Memorial) – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said that Leo’s papacy “…was undoubtedly one of the most important in the Church’s history.”

About: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/11/10/saint-of-the-day-10-november-st-pope-leo-i-doctor-of-the-church-c-400-461/

St Aedh Mac Bricc
St Andrew Avellino (1521 – 1608) Theatine Priest

St Anianus the Deacon
St Baudolino
St Demetrius of Antioch
St Elaeth the King
St Eustosius of Antioch
St Grellen
St Guerembaldus
St Hadelin of Sees
Bl Joaquín Piña Piazuelo
St John of Ratzenburg
St Joseph the Martyr
St Justus of Canterbury
St Leo of Melun
St Monitor of Orleans
St Narses of Subagord
St Nonnus of Heliopolis
St Orestes of Cappadocia
St Probus of Ravenna
St Theoctiste of Lesbos
St Tryphaena of Iconium
St Tryphosa of Iconium
—
Martyred Sisters Adorers – 23 beati: 23 nuns, all members of the Sisters Adorers, Handmaids of Charity and of the Blessed Sacrament who were martyred together in the Spanish Civil War.
• Blessed Aurea González
• Blessed Belarmina Pérez Martínez
• Blessed Cecilia Iglesias del Campo
• Blessed Concepción Vázquez Areas
• Blessed Dionisia Rodríguez De Anta
• Blessed Emilia Echevarría Fernández
• Blessed Felipa Gutierrez Garay
• Blessed Francisca Pérez de Labeaga García
• Blessed Josepa Boix Rieras
• Blessed Lucía González García
• Blessed Luisa Pérez Adriá
• Blessed Magdalena Pérez
• Blessed Manuela Arriola Uranda
• Blessed María Dolores Hernández San Torcuato
• Blessed María Dolores Monzón Rosales
• Blessed María García Ferreiro
• Blessed Maria Mercè Tuñi Ustech
• Blessed María Zenona Aranzábal de Barrutia
• Blessed Prima de Ipiña Malzárraga
• Blessed Purificación Martínez Vera
• Blessed Rosa López Brochier
• Blessed Sinforosa Díaz Fernández
• Blessed Teresa Vives Missé
They were martyred on 10 November 1936 in Madrid, Spain and Beatified on 28 October 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Martyrs of Agde – 3 saints: A group of Christians who were tortured and martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. The only about them to survive are the names – Florentia, Modestus and Tiberius. Martyred c 303 in Agde, France.

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 9 November – The Feast of the Dedication of St John Lateran

Posted on November 9, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 9 November – The Feast of the Dedication of St John Lateran

“What was done here, as these walls were rising,
is reproduced when we bring together those who believe in Christ.
For, by believing they are hewn out, as it were,
from mountains and forests, like stones and timber
but by catechising, baptism and instruction they are,
as it were, shaped, squared and planed
by the hands of the workers and artisans.
Nevertheless, they do not make a house for the Lord,
until they are fitted together through love”.

St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of the Church – Sermon 36

“Today’s feast, brothers, ought to be all the more devout as it is more personal.
For other celebrations we have in common with other ecclesiastical communities
but this one is proper to us, so that if we do not celebrate it, nobody will.
It is ours because it concerns our church,
ours because we ourselves are its theme.
You are surprised and even embarrassed, perhaps,
at celebrating a feast for yourselves.
But do not be like horses and mules that have no understanding.
Your souls are holy because of the Spirit of God dwelling in you,
your bodies are holy because of your souls
and this building is holy because of your bodies.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church

“Is not this an image of today’s event?
The ancient generations came up to this place,
generations of Romans, generations of bishops of Rome,
successors of St Peter
and they sang this hymn of joy, which I repeat today with you.
I join these generations, I, the new Bishop of Rome,
John Paul II, Polish by origin.
I stop on the threshold of this temple
and I ask you to welcome me in the Lord’s name.
I beg you to welcome me, as you welcomed my Predecessors
throughout the centuries, as you welcomed, only a few weeks ago,
John Paul I, so beloved by the whole world!
I beg you to welcome me too.
The Lord says:
“You did not choose me, but I chose you” (Jn 15:16).
This is the only appeal I can make –
I am not here by my own will.
The Lord has elected me.
In the Lord’s name I beg you therefore – welcome me!”

St Pope John Paul (1920-2005)
RITE OF POSSESSION OF THE CHAIR
OF THE BISHOP OF ROME
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II
Basilica of St John Lateran
Sunday, 12 November 1978

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 November – The Feast of the Dedication of St John Lateran – Today’s Gospel: John 2:13–22

Posted on November 9, 2018November 9, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 9 November – The Feast of the Dedication of St John Lateran – Today’s Gospel: John 2:13–22

But he spoke of the temple of his body...John 2:20

REFLECTION – “Because Solomon was a prophet he built a temple of stone and wood… for the living God, who made heaven and earth and whose dwelling is in the skies… Why did God ask that a temple be built? Was he lacking somewhere to live? Listen to Stephen’s speech at the time of his passion: “Solomon,’ he said, “built a house but the most High does not live in man-made temples” (Acts 7:48). Why, then, did he build, or cause to be built, a temple? To prefigure Christ’s body. The first temple was only a shadow (Col 2:17), when light comes, shadows flee away. Are you now looking for the temple Solomon built? You will find a ruin. Why is this temple only a ruin? Because the reality it announced has been fulfilled. The true temple, the Lord’s body, also fell but has been raised up again and raised up in such a way it will fall no more…
What about our own bodies? They are members of Christ . Listen to Saint Paul: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” (1Cor 6:15). When he says: “Your bodies are members of Christ”, what does this mean but that our bodies, joined to Christ our head (Col 1:18), together form a single temple, God’s temple. Together with Christ’s body, our bodies are this temple… Let yourselves be built up in unity that you may not fall in ruins by remaining separate.”…St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – Almighty God, as we recall with joy, the Dedication of this house of Yours on each recurring anniversary, listen to Your people’s prayer and grant that our worship here may be a sincere and holy service, honouring Your Name and bringing us the fullness of redemption. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen. feast of the dedication of st john lateran - 9 nov 2018

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

Our Morning Offering – 6 November – Give me Yourself, O My God By St Augustine

Posted on November 6, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 6 November – Tuesday of the Thirty First week in Ordinary Time, Year B

Give me Yourself, O My God
By St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of Grace

Give me Yourself, O my God,
give Yourself to me.
Behold I love You
and if my love is too weak a thing,
grant me to love You more strongly.
I cannot measure my love
to know how much it falls short of being sufficient
but let my soul hasten to Your embrace
and never be turned away,
until it is hidden in the secret shelter
of Your presence.
This only do I know,
that it is not good for me
when You are not with me,
when You are only outside me.
I want You in my very self.
All the plenty in the world
which is not my God is utter want.
Amen give-me-yourself-o-my-god-prayer-of-st-augustine-act-of-petition-22-april-2018-4th-sun-of-easter-year-b-used again 6 nov 2018

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY SOULS

Thought for the Day – 2 November – The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

Posted on November 2, 2018November 2, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 2 November – The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

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

And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”...John 11:35-36 and jesus wept and the jews said see how he loved him - john 11 35-36 - 2 nov 2018

Why do I pray for you, O my brother, who loved me so much and have been carried off from me… ? For I have not lost my relationship to you, rather it has been completely changed in my regard. Up to now, it was inseparable from the body but now, it is indissoluble from feeling. ,,You remain with me and will remain so always… Paul the apostle calls me back and places a sort of brake on my sadness with these words: “We do not want you to be unaware about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest who have no hope” (1Thes 4:13)…

But not all weeping is a sign of lack of faith or of weakness. Natural sorrow is one thing, the sadness of unbelief is another… Sorrow is not alone in having its grief and prayer bathes our bed with tears according to the prophet (Ps 6:7). When the patriarchs were enslaved, their people wept bitterly for themselves, as well. Thus tears are signs of affection and not incitements to sorrow. I confess that I have wept but the Lord also wept (Jn 11:35). He wept for someone not of his own kin, I for a brother. He wept for all men in one man – as for me, I will weep for you, my brother, in every man.

Christ wept with the feeling that is ours, not His own, for divinity has no tears… He wept in that man who was “sorrowful even to death” (Mt 26:38); He wept in him who was crucified, who died, who was buried; He wept in that man… who was born of the Virgin.

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY SOULS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 2 November – The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

Posted on November 2, 2018November 2, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 2 November

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

We believe that Jesus died and rose again,
so we believe, that God will bring with Jesus,
those who have died, believing in him.…

1 Thessalonians 4:14

“He who saves a soul,
saves his own and satisfies
for a multitude of sins.”

James 1:20

“The whole Church observes this practice
which was handed down by the Fathers –
that it prays for those who have died
in the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ,
when they are commemorated
in their own place in the sacrifice itself
and the sacrifice is offered,
also in memory of them, on their behalf.”

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

“What great power the holy souls in purgatory
have over the heart of God!
If we realised this fact
and averted to all the graces
that we can gain through their intercession,
these souls would not be so forgotten.”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

“If today we are remembering
these brothers and sisters of
ours who lived before us and are
now in heaven, they are there
because they were washed in the
Blood of Christ, that is our hope
and this hope does not disappoint.
If we live our lives with the Lord,
He will never disappoint us.”

Pope Francis

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 31 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:22–30

Posted on October 31, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 31 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:22–30 – Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

“Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be able…”…Luke 13:24.

REFLECTION – “Strive to enter in by the narrow door.” 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.”…St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor (Commentary on Luke, Homily 9

PRAYER – Shed Your clear light on our hearts, Lord, so that walking continually in the way of Your commandments, we may never be deceived or misled. Grant that the prayers of our Blessed Mother and St Alphonsus Rodriguez, who always held Your Light up for others to see by, give us strength. Through Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. sancta maria -mary most holy - pray for us - 10 may 2018

st alphonsus rodriguez pray for us no 2- 31 oct 2018

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection = 30 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:18-21

Posted on October 30, 2018October 30, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection = 30 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:18-21 – Tuesday of the Thirtieth week in Ordinary Time, Year B – The Memorial of St Angelo of Acri OFM Cap (1669-1739)

“What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his garden and it grew and became a tree and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”..Luke 13:18-19

REFLECTION – “In the language of the Gospel, the seed is the symbol of the Word of God, whose fruitfulness is recalled in this parable. The Word of God makes things grow, it gives life. …Because this is the power that makes the life of the Kingdom of God sprout within us. And thus is the Kingdom of God, a humanly small and seemingly irrelevant reality. To become a part of it, one must be poor of heart, not trusting in their own abilities but in the power of the love of God; not acting to be important in the eyes of the world but precious in the eyes of God, who prefers the simple and the humble. When we live like this, the strength of Christ bursts through us and transforms what is small and modest into a reality, that leavens the entire mass of the world and of history. This opens us up to trust and hope, despite the tragedies, the injustices, the sufferings that we encounter. The seed of goodness and peace sprouts and develops, because the merciful love of God makes it ripen.”…Pope Francis = Angelus, 14 June 2015

“To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”...Luke 13:20-21

REFLECTION – “There are three measures: of the flesh, of the soul and of the spirit. This is truer of the spirit in which we all live. The woman, who prefigures the church, mixes with them the virtue of spiritual doctrine, until the whole hidden inner person of the heart is leavened and the heavenly bread arises to grace. The doctrine of Christ is fittingly called leaven, because the bread is Christ. The apostle said, “For we, being many, are one bread, one body.” Leavening happens when the flesh does not lust against the Spirit, nor the Spirit against the flesh. We mortify the deeds of the flesh and the soul, aware that through the breath of God it has received the breath of life, shuns the earthly germs of worldly needs.”…St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctoer- Exposition of the Gospel of Luke, 7.

PRAYER – True light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ, as You enlighten all men for their salvation, give us grace, we pray, to herald Your coming by preparing the ways of justice and of peace. Help us Lord, that we may sprout and bear fruit, fitting to grow and be a home of comfort to our neighbour. By the prayers of St Angelo of Acri, who bore the seed of Your Word to many, may we too be heralds of Your Kingdom. Through Jesus our Lord, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. st angelo of acri pray for us no 2 - 30 oct 2018

7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 30 October – The Memorial of St Angelo of Acri OFM Cap (1669-1739)

Posted on October 30, 2018October 29, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 30 October – The Memorial of St Angelo of Acri OFM Cap (1669-1739)

Pray for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
By St Bonaventure OFM (1217-1274) Doctor of the Church

We beg the all-merciful Father through You,
His only-begotten Son made man for our sake,
crucified and glorified for us,
to send upon us from His treasure-house
the Spirit of sevenfold grace,
Who rested upon You in all His fullness:
the spirit of wisdom,
enabling us to relish the fruit
of the tree of life, which is indeed Yourself;
the gift of understanding:
to enlighten our perceptions;
the gift of prudence,
enabling us to follow in Your footsteps;
the gift of strength:
to withstand our adversary’s onslaught;
the gift of knowledge:
to distinguish good from evil
by the light of Your holy teaching;
the gift of piety:
to clothe ourselves with charity and mercy;
the gift of fear:
to withdraw from all ill-doing
and live quietly in awe of Your eternal majesty.
These are the things for which we petition.
Grant them for the honour of Your Holy Name,
to which, with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
be all honour and glory, thanksgiving, renown,
and Lordship forever and ever.
Amen prayer for the seven gifts of the holy spirit by st bonaventure - 30 oct 2018 mem of st angelo of acri

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:10-17

Posted on October 29, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 29 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:10-17 – Monday of the Thirtieth week in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of St Gaetano Errico (1791-1860)

” And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?”…Luke 13:16

REFLECTION – “The whole human race, like this woman, was bent over and bowed down to the ground. Someone already understands these enemies. He cries out against them and says to God, “They have bowed my soul down.” The devil and his angels have bowed the souls of men and women down to the ground. He has bent them forward to be intent on temporary and earthly things and has stopped them from seeking the things that are above.
Since that is what the Lord says about the woman whom Satan had bound for eighteen years, it was now time for her to be released from her bondage on the sabbath day. Quite unjustly, they criticised Him for straightening her up. Who were these, except people bent over themselves? Since they quite failed to understand the very things God had commanded, they regarded them with earthbound hearts. They used to celebrate the sacrament of the sabbath in a literal, material manner and did not notice its spiritual meaning.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor (Sermon 162)

PRAYER – Almighty Lord and God, protect us by Your power throughout the course of this day, even as You have enabled us to begin it – do not let us turn aside to any sin but, let our every thought, word and deed aim at doing what is pleasing in Your sight. Grant we pray, that by the prayers of St Gaetano Errico, we may strive to seek only to please the Sacred Heart of Your Son and the loving Heart of His Mother. Through Jesus our Lord, Your Son, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. st gaetano errico pray for us 29 oct 2018

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PAPAL SERMONS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Sunday Reflection – 28 October – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Posted on October 28, 2018October 27, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Sunday Reflection – 28 October – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Recognise in the bread, that same body that hung on the cross
and in the chalice, that same blood that gushed from His side.

Saint Augustine (354-430)

Transubstantiation
In the offering that Jesus makes of Himself we find all the novelty of Christian worship. In ancient times men offered in sacrifice to the divinity the animals or first fruits of the earth. Jesus, instead, offers Himself, His body and His whole existence – He Himself, in person, becomes the sacrifice that the liturgy offers in the Holy Mass.
In fact, with the consecration of the bread and wine they become His true body and blood.
Saint Augustine invited his faithful, not to pause on what appeared to their sight but to go beyond: “Recognise in the bread — he said — that same body that hung on the cross and in the chalice that same blood that gushed from His side” (Disc. 228 B, 2).
To explain this transformation, theology has coined the word “transubstantiation,” a word that resounded for the first time in this Basilica during the IV Lateran Council, of which in five years will be the 8th centenary. On that occasion the following expressions were inserted in the profession of faith: “his body and his blood are truly contained in the sacrament of the altar, under the species of bread and wine, because the bread is transubstantiated into the body and the wine into the blood by divine power” (DS, 802).
Therefore, it is essential to stress, in the itineraries of education of children in the faith, of adolescents and of young people, as well as in “centres of listening” to the Word of God, that in the sacrament of the Eucharist, Christ is truly, really and substantially present. recognise in the bread - st augustine - 28 oct 2018

Sunday
And let us also keep present that the Eucharist, joined to the cross and resurrection of the Lord, has dictated a new structure to our time.

The Risen One was manifested the day after Saturday, the first day of the week, day of the sun and of creation. From the beginning, Christians have celebrated their encounter with the Risen One, the Eucharist, on this first day, on this new day of the true sun of history, the Risen Christ.

And thus time always begins again with the encounter with the Risen One and this encounter gives content and strength to everyday life. Because of this, it is very important for us Christians, to follow this new rhythm of time, to meet with the Risen One on Sunday and thus “to take” with us His presence, which transforms us and transforms our time.

Pope Benedict XVI – 17 June 2010

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 27 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

Posted on October 27, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 27 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:1-9 – Saturday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year B

“And he said to the vinedresser,
‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit
on this fig tree and I find none.
Cut it down, why should it use up the ground?”…Luke 13:7

Answering God’s call to repent at last

St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church – Confessions Bk. 8

Those trifles of all trifles and vanities of vanities, my one-time mistresses, held me back, plucking at my garment of flesh and murmuring softly: “Are you sending us away?” And ” From this moment shall we not be with you, now or forever?” And: ” From this moment shall this or that not be allowed you, now or forever?” What were they suggesting to me, O my God?… I hesitated to shake them off and leap upwards on the way I was called, for the strong force of habit said to me: “Do you think you can live without them?” But by this time its voice was growing fainter. In the direction towards which I had already turned my face and was quivering in fear of going, I could see the austere beauty of Continence honourably soliciting me to come to her and not linger, her hands full of multitudes of good examples… “The Lord their God gave me to them. Why do you rely on yourself and so fail to stand at all? Cast yourself upon Him and do not be afraid, He will not draw back and let you fall. Cast yourself on Him without fea,; He will receive you and heal you”…

This disputation within my heart was nothing other than a struggle between myself against myself… When my most searching scrutiny had drawn up all my vileness from the secret depths of my soul and heaped it in my heart’s sight, a mighty storm rose up in me bringing a mighty rain of tears. In order to give release to my tears and lamentations, I got up and went out… I flung myself down somehow under a certain fig tree and no longer tried to check my tears, which poured from my eyes in a flood, an acceptable sacrifice to Thee. And I spoke to You freely: “And Thou, O Lord, how long? How long, Lord, will You be angry forever? Remember not our former iniquities.” (Ps 6:4; 78:5)… And I continued my miserable complaining: “How long, how long shall I go on saying tomorrow and again tomorrow? Why not now, why not this very hour?”

And suddenly I heard a voice from some nearby house, a boy’s voice or a girl’s voice, a sort of sing-song repeated again and again: “Take and read, take and read.” I stopped weeping and immediately began to search my mind most carefully as to whether children were accustomed to chant these words in any kind of game and I could not remember that I had ever heard any such thing. Damming back my flood of tears I rose up again, interpreting the incident as quite certainly a divine command to open the book of the apostle Paul and read the first passage on which my eyes should fall… I returned hastily and took up the book and read what I had seen before: “Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscence,” (Rom 13:13). I had no wish to read any further and no need. For in that instant, with the very ending of the sentence, it was as though a light of utter confidence shone in my heart, and all the darkness of uncertainty vanished away.

St Augustine, Pray for Us!

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DEATH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 12:54-59

Posted on October 26, 2018October 26, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 26 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 12:54-59 – Friday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year B

“You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”...Luke 12:56

REFLECTION – “The gospel tells us that some people were rebuked by the Lord because, clever as they were at reading the face of the sky, they could not recognise the time for faith when the kingdom of heaven was at hand. It was the Jews who received this reprimand but it has also come down to us. The Lord Jesus began His preaching of the gospel with the admonition: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 4:17). His forerunner, John the Baptist, began his in the same way: “Repent,” he said, “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 3:2). Today, for those who will not repent at the approach of the kingdom of heaven, the reproof of the Lord Jesus is the same… you hypocritesd luke 12 56 - today, for those who will not repent - st augustine - 26 oct 2018

As for when the end of the world will be, that is God’s concern… Even so, the time is very near for each of us, for we are mortal. There are hazards all around us. We should be in less danger from them were we made of glass. What more fragile than a vessel of glass? And yet it can be kept safe and last indefinitely. Of course it is exposed to accidents but it is not liable to old age and the suffering it brings. We, therefore, are the more frail and infirm. In our weakness we are haunted by fears of all the calamities that regularly befall the human race and if no such calamity overtakes us, still, time marches on. We may evade the blows of fortune but shall we evade death? We may escape perils from without but shall we escape what comes from within us? Now, suddenly, we may be attacked by any malady. And if we are spared? Even so, old age comes at last and nothing will delay it.”…St Augustine (354-430) – Father & Doctor of the Church – Sermon 109

PRAYER – Lord God, You fill us with Your grace and teach us true faith. Strengthen in our hearts that faith that no trials may quench the fire, that we may seek Your face in every moment and accept AND LIVE all of Your will. Send us Your Spirit to keep the fire blazing. May the humble love and intercession of Mary Mother of our faith, be our succour. Through Jesus Your Son our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. mary mother of faith - pray for us - 19 may 2018

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

One Minute Reflection – 25 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 12:49–53

Posted on October 25, 2018October 25, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 25 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 12:49–53 – Thursday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of Saints Crispin & St Crispinian – (†285 or 286) Martyrs

“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division…”…Luke 12:51

REFLECTION – “In all our affections, order is necessary. Love your father, love your mother, love your children after God. If it becomes inevitable to place love of one’s relatives and children in the balance with love of God, without it being possible to preserve them both, then not to prefer one’s own family, is piety towards God.”…St Jerome (343-420) Father & Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, You glorious Trinity are our lesson in love and unity. Grant us this day the grace of true love for You and true order in all our affections. May the intercession of Sts Crispin and Crispinian, strengthen us. Amen. sts crispin & crisp[inian pray for us - 25 oct 2018

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