Category: FATHERS of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on WATCHING, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 July – Blessed are those servants, whom the Master, on His return, shall find watching. Luke 12:37

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One Minute Reflection – 15 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Henry II (972-1024) Confessor, Holy Roman Emperor. – Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed are those servants, whom the Master, on His return, shall find watching.” – Luke 12:37

REFLECTION – “How blessed, how happy are those servants, “whom the lord when He comes shall find watching!” (Lk 12:37) Blessed watch, in which they watch for God the Creator of the universe, who fills all things and surpasses all!

Would that myself too, wretched though I be, yet His poor servant, He might deign so to arouse from the sleep of idleness, so to kindle with that fire of Divine Love that the flame of His Love, the longing of His so great Charity, would mount above the stars and the Divine Fire would ever burn within me!

Would that I were of such deserving, that my lamp might ever burn by night in the temple of my Lord that, to all entering the house of my God, it might give light (cf Mt 5:15). Lord, grant me, I pray Thee, in the Name of Jesus Christ Thy Son, my God that love which knows no fall, so that my lamp may feel the kindling touch and know no quenching, may burn for me and for others, may give light!” – St Columban (543-615) Monk, Irish Missionary, Abbot, Writer, Reformer, Teacher, Miracle-worker, Founder of numerous Monateries in present-day France and Italy. (Spiritual Instructions No 12:2)

PRAYER – O God, Who on this day took Henry, Thy Confessor, to the everlasting Kingdom from the throne of an earthly empire; we humbly beseech Thee, that as Thou enabled him, protected by the abundance of Thy grace, to overcome the temptations of the world, so grant that we, in emulation of him, may shun the allurements of this world and come to Thee with pure hearts.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, JESUIT SJ, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 July – ‘A good soldier of Christ Jesus’

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One Minute Reflection – 14 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Bonaventure OFM (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14

REFLECTION – “I shall always love and reverence the Apostles sent by Christ and their successors, in sowing the seed of the Gospel, those zealous and tireless co-operators in propagating the Word, who may justly say of themselves: Let a man so account of us as the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God. For Christ, like a most watchful and most faithful householder, wished that the Gospel lamp should be lighted by such ministers and delegates, with fire sent down from Heaven and once lighted, should not be put under a measure but set upon a candlestick, so that it may spread its brightness far and wide and put to flight, all darkness and error, rife among both Jews and Gentiles.

Now it is not enough for the Gospel teacher to be a brilliant speaker in the eyes of the people; he must also be as a voice crying in the desert and endeavour, by his eloquence, to help many to lead good lives, lest, if he omit his duty of speaking, he be called the dumb dog that is not able to bark, spoken of by the prophet. Yes, he should also burn, in such a way, that, equipped with good works and love, he may adorn his evangelical office and follow the leadership of Paul. He indeed, was not satisfied with bidding the Bishop of the Ephesians: Thus command and teach: conduct thyself in work as a good soldier of Christ Jesus but he unflaggingly preached the Gospel to friend and foe alike and, said with a good conscience to the Bishops gathered at Ephesus: You know how I have kept back nothing that was for your good but have declared it to you and taught you in public and from house to house, urging Jews and Gentiles to turn to God in repentance and to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Such should be the shepherd in the Church who, like Paul, becomes all things to all men, so that the sick may find healing in him; the sad, joy; the desperate, hope; the ignorant, instruction; those in doubt, advice; the penitent, forgiveness and comfort and finally, everyone, whatever is necessary for salvation. And so Christ, when He wished to appoint the chief teachers of the world and of the Church, did not limit Himself to saying to His disciples: You are the light of the world but also added these words: A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a measure but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all who are in the house. Those churchmen err, who imagine that it is by brilliant preaching, rather than by holiness of and all-embracing love, they fulfil their office.” – St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church (Sermon excerpt).

PRAYER – O God, Who gave to Thy people, blessed Bonaventure, as a minister of salvation, grant, we beseech Thee, that we who cherished him on earth as a teacher of life, may be found worthy to have him as an intercessor in heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 July – ‘…Do you see how God can let someone fall into sin? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 13 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Anacletus (c25-c89) 3rd Bishop of Rome and Martyr – 1 Petet 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and, whatever you loose on earth, shall be loosed in Heaven.” … Matthew 16:18-19

REFLECTION – “Peter was to receive on deposit, the keys of the Church, or rather the keys of Heaven and, he should see himself entrusted with the numerous people. What did the Lord actually say to him? “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven” (Mt 16:19).
For Peter had a somewhat abrupt character; if he had been without sin what sort of forgiveness would the disciples have received from him? This is why Divine Grace allowed him to fall into a certain fault, in order that his own trial should make him benevolent towards others.
Do you see how God can let someone fall into sin; this Peter, the leader of the Apostles, the unshakable foundation, indestructible rock, first in the Church, impregnable harbour, unshakable tower — this same Peter, who had said to Christ: “Even though I should have to die with Thee, I will not deny Thee” (Mt 26:35), Peter who, by a divine revelation, had confessed the truth: “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16). …
But as I said, God arranged it in this way and allowed Peter to sin because He had it in mind, to confer numerous people upon him and He feared, that his roughness, joined to his impeccability, might make him unsympathetic towards his brothers.
He gave way to sin so that, remembering his own failure and the kindness of the Lord, he might testify to others, a grace of philanthropy in accord with the divine design conceived by God. The fall had been permitted to the one who was going to see himself entrusted with the Church, the Pillar of the Church, the Harbour of the Faith; the fall had been permitted to Peter, the Doctor of the Universe, in order that, the forgiveness received, might remain the foundation of love for others.” – (Attr) St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (On the Apostle Peter and the Prophet Elijah).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on thy flock, Eternal Shepherd, and keep it in thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Anacletus thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, whom thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE

Our Morning Offering – 12 July – Daily Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas, Grant Me Grace, O Merciful God

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Our Morning Offering – 12 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus”

Grant Me Grace,
O Merciful God
Daily Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas
(1225-1274)
(Which he was accustomed to recite everyday
before the image of Christ.)
Doctor Angelicus & Doctor Communis

Grant me grace,
O merciful God,
to desire ardently
all that is pleasing to Thee,
to examine it prudently,
to acknowledge it truthfully
and to accomplish it perfectly,
for the praise
and glory of Thy Name.
Amen

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 July – For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, is My brother and My sister and My mother. – Matthew 12:50

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One Minute Reflection – 10 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Rufina and St Secunda of Rome (3rd Century) Virgin Martyrs – Proverbs 31:10-31, Matthew 12:46-50 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, is My brother and My sister and My mother.” – Matthew 12:50

REFLECTION – “I beg you to listen to what the Lord had to say when He stretched out His hand towards His disciples: “Here are My mother and My brethren” and, “whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, is My brother and My sister and My mother.” Are we to take it from this that the Virgin Mary did not do the will of the Father, she who by faith believed, by faith conceived; she who was chosen to bring forth salvation on our behalf and who, was by Christ created that Christ in her, might be created? Indeed and indeed, she did the Father’s will and it is a greater thing for Mary that she was Christ’s disciple, than that she was His Mother. It is a happier thing to be His disciple, than to be His Mother. Blessed then is Mary, who bore her Lord in her body, before she gave Him birth…

Mary is holy. Mary is blessed. Yet the Church is greater than she is. What reason do I bring? Mary is part of the Church. She is a holy member of the Church; she is THE holy member; she is the member above all member hut, she is still one member of the whole body… Brothers, listen very closely – you are members of Christ’s body and you are the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27). And this is how you are what He said: “Here are My mother and My brothers.” But how does this prove you are Christ’s mother? He goes on: “Whoever hears and whoever does the will of my heavenly Father, is My brother and My sister and My mother.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 25 on Saint Matthew).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who know how courageously Thy holy Martyrs have confessed the faith, may experience their goodness as they intercede for us with Thee.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GRACE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 July – I have compassion on the multitude … Mark 8:2

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One Minute Reflection – 9 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – Pentecost VI – Romans 6:3-11, Mark 8:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I have compassion on the multitude, for behold they have now been with Me three days and have nothing to eat.” – Mark 8:2

REFLECTION – “ In this account of the miracle we must consider, in one and the same Redeemer, the separate operation of His Divinity and of His Humanity. And the error of Eutyches, who dared to teach that in Christ there is but one operation, must be wholly driven out from Christian lands. Who cannot see that the Lord, in having compassion on the multitude, lest they faint from want of food or from the weariness of the long journey home, was moved by the compassion of human pity but that, feeding four thousand people from seven loaves and a few fish, is a work of Divine Power?

“And they collected seven baskets full of fragments.” That multitude who had just eaten and been fille, did not carry away with them the remains of the loaves but left them to be gathered into baskets by the disciples, as before. And taken literally, this event teaches us to be content with what is necessary and never to look for anything more than that. Then the Evangelist makes known to us the number of those who were satisfied – “Now those who ate were about four thousand and He dismissed them” Here, let us consider that our Lord Jesus Christ does not wish to send anyone away hungry, since to the contrary, He wants to give to everyone the nourishment of His grace.

In a figurative sense, there is this difference between this second miracle and the first multiplication of the five loaves and two fish – the first prefigures the letter of the Old Testament, which was as though full of the spiritual grace of the New, whereas the second, represents the truth and grace of the New Testament fully communicated to the faithful. The multitude who, according to Saint Matthew’s testimony, wait three days for the healing of their sick (Mt 15), represent the elect in the faith of the Holy Trinity, who beg for the forgiveness of their sins, with persevering prayer, or those who are converted to the Lord, through their thoughts, words and deeds.” – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Monk, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on Mark, Book II, ch8 cf PL 92 – quoted by Saint Thomas Aquinas in the Catena Aurea Vol 4)

PRAYER – O God of the heavenly powers, creator of all good things, implant in our hearts the love of Thy Name and bestow upon us, an increase of godliness, fostering what is good and, by Thy loving care, guarding what Thou hast fostered. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on PATIENCE, St Francis de Sales, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 July – Sts Peter and Paul

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – The Octave Day of Sts Peter and Paul

“Upon this rock I will build My Church
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven
and whatever you bind on earth
shall be bound in Heaven and,
whatever you loose on earth,
shall be loosed in Heaven.”

Matthew 16:18-19

“Nothing escaped the Wisdom
and Power of Christ,
the elements of nature lay at His service,
spirits obeyed Him, Angels served Him. …
And yet, out of all the world,
Peter alone was chosen
to stand at the head,
for the calling of all the peoples
and the oversight of all the Apostles
and Fathers of the Church.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
Father and Doctor

“Do not, therefore, lose your confidence,
which has a great reward.
For you have need of patience that,
doing the will of God,
you may receive the promise.
For yet a very little while
and He Who is to come,
will come
and will not delay.”

Hebrews 10:35-37

“St Paul, the incomparable master,
the great Doctor of the Infant Church,
made Jesus Christ on the Cross
the delightful object of his love,
the sweet subject of his discourses,
the end of all his aspirations in this world
and the foundation of all his hopes in eternity
Blessed is the soul, which thus everywhere,
finds Jesus Christ Crucified!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 July – “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” – Matthew 14:31

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One Minute Reflection – 6 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – The Octave Day of Sts Peter and Paul – Sirach 44:10-15, Matthew 14:22-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” – Matthew 14:31

REFLECTION – “Once again the disciples are a plaything of the waves and a storm, similar to the first one (Mt 8:4) hurls itself against them. The first time, however, they had Jesus with them, whereas this time they are alone and left to themselves. … I think this was because our Saviour wanted to stir their sleeping hearts and, by throwing them into a panic, He inspired in them a strong desire for His presence and kept the remembrance of Him constantly in their minds. Hence, He did not come to their help at once but “during the fourth watch of the night He came towards them, walking on the sea …”

Peter, ever volatile, always getting in before the other disciples, said: “Lord, if it is Thee, command me to come to Thee on the water” … He didn’t say, “Command me to walk on the water” but “come to thee,” for, there was none who loved Jesus as much as he. He did the same thing after the Resurrection – unable to bear moving as slowly as the others in the boat, he jumped into the water to get there before them and satisfy his love for Christ. … Getting out of the boat, then, Peter went towards Jesus, more delighted to be going towards Him, than to be walking on the water. But after confronting the greatest danger, that of the sea, he was to give in to a lesser, that of the wind. Such is human nature! Often, having overcome serious dangers we are conquered by lesser ones … Peter had not yet been set free from all his fear … in spite of Christ’s presence beside him. For it is of no use to be beside Christ if one is not close to Him by faith. This is what emphasises the distance separating Master from the disciple …

“O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” So if Peter’s faith had not faltered, he would have resisted the wind without difficulty. And the proof of this, is that Jesus grasped Peter ,while leaving the wind to continue blowing … Just as the mother bird supports the fledgling which has prematurely left the nest, with her wings, as it is about to fall and draws it back into the nest, so does Christ, with regard to Peter.” … St John Chrysostom (345-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church – (Homilies on Saint Matthew’s Gospel no 50, 1-2).

PRAYER – O God, Who made this day holy by the Martyrdom of Your Apostles Peter and Paul, grant Thy Church to follow in all things, the teaching of those, from whom she first received the faith. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The SIN of PRESUMPTION

One Minute Reflection – 5 July – ‘Do you, the smallest of all, want to find Life? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 5 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539) Confessor, Priest, Founder – 1 Timothy 4:8-16, Mark 10:15-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God as a little child, will not enter into it. ” – Mark 10:15

REFLECTION – “Do you, the smallest of all, want to find Life? Keep faith and humility in your heart and there you will find compassion, help and those words that God will speak in your heart, as well as He, Who keeps you and dwells close to you, both secretly and visibly. Do you want to discover what Life gives? Walk on the path of simplicity. Do not claim to know anything before God. Faith follows simplicity but presumption follows subtleties of knowledge and detours in its thinking – it draws us away from God.

When you come before God in prayer, become very small in your thinking, like an ant… like a stuttering child. Do not say anything before Him, which you claim to know but approach God with the heart of a child. Go before Him, to receive the solicitude, with which fathers watch over their very small children. It has been said: “The Lord guards the little children.” The one who is like a little child can approach a snake and the snake will not harm him… In its innocence, the body of the person who is like a little child, is such that the hidden providence, which watches over its fragile members, covers it with an invisible garment, so that nothing can harm it.” – St Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh (c613-c700) Bishop of Nineveh, Monk at Mosul, Father (Ascetical Discourses, 1st series, #19).

PRAYER – Grant, O Lord God that in the spirit of Paul the Apostle,
we may learn the knowledge of Jesus Christ which surpasses all understanding, wherein the blessed Anthony Mary was marvelously learned, who gathered together in Thy Church new households of Clerics and of Virgins. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DOCTRINE, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, HOLY WEEK 2019, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The PASSION, The SIGN of the CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 4 July – St Andrew of Crete

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 July – St Andrew of Crete (c660-c740) Bishop, Father of the Church

“But Jesus he delivered up to their will.”
Luke 23:25

“Then, let us run with Him as He presses on to His Passion.
Let us imitate those who have gone out to meet Him,
not scattering olive branches
or garments or palms in His path
but spreading ourselves before Him as best we can,
with humility of soul and upright purpose.
So may we welcome the Word as He comes (Jn 1:9);
so may God, Who cannot be contained within any bounds,
be contained within us.
For He is pleased to have shown us this gentleness,
He, Who is gentle and who “rides upon the setting sun”
(Ps 56:12) which refers to our extreme lowliness.
He is pleased to come and live with us
and to raise us up or bring us back to Himself

“We are celebrating the Feast of the Cross
which drove away darkness and brought in the light…
Had there been no Cross,
Christ could not have been Crucified.
Had there been no Cross,
Life Itself could not have been nailed to the tree.
And if Life had not been nailed to it,
there would be no streams of immortality,
pouring from Christ’s side –
Blood and Water for the world’s cleansing.
The legal bond of our sin would not be cancelled,
we should not have obtained our freedom,
we should not have enjoyed the fruit
of the tree of life and the Gates of Paradise
would not stand open.
Had there been no Cross,
death would not have been trodden underfoot,
nor hell despoiled…
The Cross is called Christ’s glory;
it is saluted as His triumph,
through the Word which unites to God!”

“… The design of the Redeemer of our race
was to bring about a birth and, as it were,
a new creation to replace the one that went before.
Therefore, just as in Paradise,
He had taken a little clay
out of the pure and spotless earth,
to fashion the first Adam (Gn 2,7),
so, at the moment of bringing about
His Own Incarnation,
He made use of another earth, so to speak,
namely, this Pure and Immaculate Virgin,
chosen from among all other beings He had created.
It is in her that He, Adam’s Creator,
has remade us in our very substance
and became a new Adam (1Cor 15,45)
that the old might be saved by the new and eternal.”

“Today the Virgin is born,
tended and formed
and prepared for her role as Mother of God,
who is the universal King of the ages.
… Therefore, let all creation sing and dance
and unite, to make worthy contribution
to the celebration of this day.
… Let everything, mundane things
and those above, join in festive celebration.
Today, this created world is raised
to the dignity of a holy place
for Him, Who made all things.
The creature is newly prepared
to be a Divine Dwelling Place for the Creator.”

St Andrew of Crete (660-740)
Bishop, Father of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The HOLY NAME, The TEN COMMANDMENTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 July – ‘ … If we understand that religion comes first and filial devotion second … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 4 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – Within the Octave of Sts Peter and Paul – Acts 5:12-16, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29

REFLECTION – “In almost every passage of Scripture, the spiritual meaning plays an important part. But in this passage especially, we must look for spiritual depth within the thread of its meaning. … How is it that He Himself can say: “Peace I leave with you, My own peace I give you” (Jn 14:27) if He has come to divide fathers from their sons, sons from their fathers, breaking their relationship? How can we be called “cursed if you dishonour your father” (Dt 27:16) yet fervent, if we abandon him?!

If we understand that religion comes first and filial devotion second, then we will understand, this question to be clarified – for we have to pass onto the human, after the Divine. For if we have duties towards our parents, how much more to the Father of our parents, to Whom we owe thanksgiving for our parents? … He does not say, then that we must give up those we love but that, we must prefer God before all else. Besides, do we not find in another book: “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Mt 10:37). What is forbidden is not to love your parents but to prefer them to God. For our blood relations are among God’s blessings and no-one is to love the good things they have received, more than the God Who conserves the blessings He has given!” – St Ambrose (340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church (Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, 7)

PRAYER – God, Who hast consecrated this day to the Martyrdom of Thy Apostles Peter and Paul, give Thy Church a precept to follow them in all things. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 4 July – Saint Andrew of Crete (c660-c740) Bishop

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Saint of the Day – 4 July – Saint Andrew of Crete (c660-c740) Bishop of Gorvina, Constantinople, Monk at Mar Sabas, Noted and eloquent Preacher, Poet and Hymnist. Born in c660 at Damascus, Syria and died in c740 in Crete of natural causes. Also known as – Andrew of Jerusalem, Andrew of Gortina, Andrea, Andreas.

Andrew was born in Damascus around 660, i.e. towards the middle of the 7th Century. At the age of fifteen, having reached Jerusalem, he decided to enter the Monastery of San Sabas and the Holy Sepulchre.

In 685 Theodore, Bishop of Jerusalem, sent him as his delegate to the VI Ecumenical Council (known as Constantinopolitan III) to support the condemnation of Monothelitism, a heretical theory that supported one divine will of Christ. During his stay in the imperial capital, Andrew received Ordination as a Deacon and was entrusted with the management of an orphanage and a home for the elderly. It didn’t take long, before perhaps already around the year 700, he was elected to the Episcopal office at Gortyna, the metropolitan Arch-episcopal See of the island of Crete.

In 711 Philippicus Bardane ascended the throne and convened a Synod to try to overturn the response of the previous Synod and establish Monotheism as the official religion of the Empire. Andrew also participated in this Synod and for a short time he even came to recognise the heretical decrees but finally, Bardane was then expelled and the Bishop of Constantinople was left with nothing but to retract, in writing, to the Pope, apologising also in the name of those who had participated in the illegitimate synod.

Andrea was famous as a preacher and composer of sacred Hymns. About fifty sermons have been handed down to us and tradition has arbitrarily attributed to him, the introduction of the type of Hymn, known as Kanon or Canon, typical of the Byzantine Liturgy. In reality, it is true, that he, nevertheless, wrote many of them, some of which are still sung today, remarkable for the originality of their metric and musical form. Among them, the so-called “Great Canon” stands out as his masterpiece, of a Lenten character and made up of two hundred and fifty stanzas!

His sermons proved to be important for the development of Marian devotion – in fact, he exalted the Virgin Mother of God as Immaculate and Assumed into Heaven, thus prefiguring the Dogmatic definitions of Popes Pius IX and Pius XII, which occurred in the 19th and 20th Centuries.

Sainy Andrew of Crete died on the Island of Lesbos in 740 and the Martyrologium Romanum commemorates him on 4 July.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HOLY SPIRIT, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 3 July – Live to Christ … Grow onto Him

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Leo II (611–683) Pope, Confessor – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:16

“Then go and learn,
neither to be moved with injuries nor flatteries.
If you die to the world and to yourself,
you will begin to live to Christ.”

St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390)

“He who abides in Me and I in Him,
the same bears much fruit”

John 5:5

“We are preserved in being, if we grow onto Him
and cling fast to the holy commandment,
which has been handed down to us
and, if we are eager to keep the blessing of nobility,
that is to say, if we never consent, in any way,
to “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph 4:30),
Who has come to dwell in us and, through Whom,
we believe, God has made His home in us. …
For just as the vine-stock supplies and distributes,
the virtue of its own inherent natural quality to the shoots,
so, too, the Only-Begotten Word of God,
implants, in His people, a sort of affinity
with His own nature and that of the Father.
By the gift of the Spirit, they are united with Him
by every kind of holiness.
He nourishes them, so that they become devout
and He moves them to knowledge of all virtue
and good works.”

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

“Christ said that the shepherd
enters through the gate
and that He is Himself the Gate,
as well as the Shepherd.
Then, it is necessary,
that He enter through Himself.
By so doing, He reveals Himself
and through Himself, He knows the Father.
But we enter through Him
because through Him. we find happiness.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus
Doctor Communis

“Those with pride
are not Christ’s sheep
but the devil’s goats!”

St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on GRACE, SAINT of the DAY, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 July – Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

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One Minute Reflection – 3 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Leo II (611–683) Pope, Confessor – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:16

REFLECTION – “Peter did not say “Thou are a Christ” or “a son of God” but “the Christ, the Son of God.” For there are many christs by grace, who have attained the rank of adoption [as sons] but [there is] only One Who is by nature the Son of God. Thus, using the definite article, he said, THE Christ, THE Son of God. And in calling Him, Son of the LIVING God, Peter indicates that Christ Himself is Life and that death has no authority over Him. And even if the flesh, for a short while, was weak and died, nevertheless, it rose again, since the Word, Who dwelled in it, could not be held under the bonds of death.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Known as “The Pillar of Faith” Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor Incarnationis (Doctor of the Incarnation) (Fragment 190).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in Thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Leo Thy Sovereign Pontiff, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The INCARNATION, The REDEMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 2 July – Mary, Mother of God

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 July – The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Mary, having merited to give flesh
to the Divine Word
and thus, supply the price
of our redemption
that we might be delivered
from eternal death, therefore,
she is more powerful
than all others,
to help us gain eternal life.”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“She is the eldest daughter of the Great King.
If you enjoy her favour,
she will introduce you
to the Monarch of the Universe.
No-one has so great an interest with Him than Mary,
who was the occasion of His coming down from Heaven
to become man, for the redemption of mankind.”

St John the Merciful (c 552-c 616)

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin and Mother!
Morning Star, perfect vessel.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Holy Temple in which God Himself was conceived.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Chaste and pure dove.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
who enclosed the One Who cannot be encompassed
in your sacred womb.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you the Conqueror
and triumphant Vanquisher of hell, came to us.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
You have saved every faithful Christian.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

Adapted from a sermon preached by St Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria (444), presiding as representative of the Holy See at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, in 431. In refuting Nestorianism, he is called “Doctor of the Incarnation.

“O daughter of King David
and Mother of God,
the universal King.
O Divine and living object
whose beauty has charmed God the Creator;
your whole soul is completely open
to God’s action and attentive to God alone.
… Your womb will be the abode
of the one whom no place can contain.
Your milk will provide nourishment for God,
in the little Infant Jesus.
Your hands will carry God
and your knees will serve
as a throne for Him
that is more noble
than the throne of the Cherubim.
… You are the temple of the Holy Spirit,
the city of the living God,
made joyous by abundant flowers,
the sacred flowers of Divine grace.
You are all-beautiful
and very close to God,
above the Cherubim
and higher than the Seraphim,
right near God Himself!
Amen”

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

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 July – ‘… Both her Son and her Lord. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 2 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Song 2:8-14, Luke 1:39-47 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”- Luke 1:46-47

REFLECTION – “When a man devotes all his thoughts to the praise and service of the Lord, he proclaims God’s greatness. His observance of God’s commands, moreover, shows that he has God’s power and greatness always at heart. His spirit rejoices in God his Saviour and delights in the mere recollection of his Creator Who gives him hope for eternal salvation.

These words are offered for all God’s creations but especially for the Mother of God. She alone was chosen and she burned with spiritual love for the Son she so joyously conceived. Above all other Saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her Saviour, for she knew that He, Who was the source of eternal salvation, would be born, in time, in her body, in one person both her own Son and her Lord.

Therefore, it is an excellent and fruitful custom of holy Church that we should sing Mary’s hymn at the time of evening prayer. By meditating upon the Incarnation, our devotion is kindled and by remembering the example of God’s Mother, we are encouraged to lead a life of virtue. Such virtues are best achieved in the evening. We are weary after the day’s work and worn out by our distractions. The time for rest is near and our minds are ready for contemplation.” – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father & Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – Bestow upon Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the gift of heavenly grace that as the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin marked the beginning of our salvation, so may the solemn Feast of her Visitation bring us an increase of peace.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The HEART

Quote of the Day – 30 June – ‘ … The heart of the world …’

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Quote of the Day – 30 June – The Commemoration of St Paul, Apostle and Martyr

“And now, who will grant me
to prostrate myself
at Paul’s sepulchre, to contemplate
the ashes of that body which, suffering for us,
filled up what was wanting
of the sufferings of Christ?
The dust of that mouth,
which spoke boldly before kings
and, showing what Paul was,
revealed the Lord of Paul?
The dust of that heart,
truly the heart of the world,
more lofty than the heavens,
more vast than the universe,
as much the heart of Christ, as of Paul
and wherein might be read,
the book of grace, graven by the Holy Spirit?
Oh! that I might see the remains of the hands,
which wrote those Epistles;
of the eyes, which were struck with blindness
and recovered their sight for our salvation;
of the feet which traversed the whole earth!
Yes. I would fain contemplate the tomb
where repose these instruments
of justice and of light,
these members of Christ,
this temple of the Holy Ghost.
O venerable body, which, together with that of Peter,
protects Rome more securely, than all ramparts!”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor

(Chrys. in Epist ad Rom. Serrmon xxxii)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, St Francis de Sales, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 June – ‘There are the gates of our true country … ‘

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 June – Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

“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.”

St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)
“The Troubadour of Christ”

“Yes, the Apostle chosen
to be His co-worker,
merited to share,
the same Name as Christ.
They built the same Building together –
Peter does the planting,
the Lord gives the increase
and it is the Lord, too,
Who sends those,
who will do the watering (cf 1 Cor 3:6f).”

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

“These falls were both very great
but there was this differ­ence.
One acknowledged his guilt; the other despaired.
Yet, our Saviour had inspired in the heart of both,
the same Peccavi [admission of guilt] (“I have sinned”)
… From this time on, St Peter never ceased weeping,
principally when he heard the cock crow
at night and morning, for he remembered
this crowing as the signal for his conversion.
… Why then was Judas not converted?
… Alas, did not this unhappy man know
that Our Lord alone could give it to him,
that He was the Saviour and held Redemption in His hands?
… Certainly, he knew it but he did not wish,
nor dare to ask pardon. ”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“He grieved for his three sins,
not only on that sad night but throughout his life.
St Clement (c35-c101 the third succeeding Pope
after St Peter) writes that he wept so often
that his tears wore two deep furrows in his cheeks
and that, whenever he heard the cock crowing,
the cry pierced his heart.
He loved Jesus sincerely and passionately.
If we really love Jesus as Peter did
and are prepared to face death for His sake,
as Peter was, then we may be sure
that we shall never offend God again.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“I have appeared to you for this purpose,
to appoint you as a servant and witness,
of what you have seen
and what you will be shown.
I shall deliver you from this people
and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,
to open their eyes, that they may turn
from darkness to light
and from the power of Satan to God,
so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins
and an inheritance among those,
who have been consecrated by faith in Me.”

Acts 26:16-18

“Yet I live, no longer I
but Christ lives in me;
insofar as I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God,
Who has loved me
and given himself up for me.”

Galatians 2:20

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, CONFESSION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 June –Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth … Matthew 16:19

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One Minute Reflection – 29 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – Acts 12:1-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven.” – Matthew 16:19

REFLECTION – “Bridegroom and Bride, that is Christ and the Church, are as one, be it in receiving confession or in bestowing absolution. All this makes clear why Christ had to tell each of us: “Go, show yourself to the priest” (Mt 8,4)… It follows that apart from Christ, the Church cannot grant forgiveness and that Christ has no will to forgive, apart from the Church. The Church’s authority to forgive extends only to the repentant, to those, that is, whom Christ has already touched; Christ, on His part, has no intention of regarding as forgiven, one who despises the Church.

Doubtless, Christ need accept no restraints to His power of Baptising, Consecrating the Eucharist, Ordaining Priests, forgiving sins and the like but, the humble and faithful Bridegroom, prefers to confer such blessings, with the co-operation of His Bride. “What God,” then, “has joined, let no man put asunder” (Mt 19,6). “I say this is a great mystery and refers to Christ and the Church” (Eph 5,32)… To remove the Head from the Body (Col 1,18) were to ruin the whole Christ, irreparably. Christ, apart from the Church, is no more the whole Christ, than the Church is complete, if separated from Christ. Head and Body go to make the whole and entire Christ.” – Bl Isaac of Stella (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (Sermon 11, §11-814).

PRAYER – O God, Who made this day holy by the Martyrdom of Thy Apostles Peter and Paul, grant Thy Church to follow in all things the teaching of those from whom she first received the faith. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

ALL PRAISE, honour and glory to the Divine Heart of JESUS. Indulgenced– 50 Days, once a day. 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901.

Posted in CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 28 June – St Irenaeus

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 June – St Irenaeus (c130 – c202) Bishop, Martyr

“The only true and steadfast Teacher,
the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ,
through His transcendent love,
became what we are
that He might bring us to be,
what He is Himself.”

“Eve, by her disobedience,
tied the knot of disgrace
for the human race; whereas
Mary, by her obedience, undid it.”

“For our flesh feeds
on the Lord’s Body and Blood
and is His member.
So Saint Paul writes:
“We are members of His body,
of His flesh and of His bones”
(Eph 5,30; Gn 2,23).
He is not speaking about some spiritual
and invisible man…
he is speaking of the anatomy
of a real man, consisting of flesh,
nerves and bones.
It is this that is nourished by His Chalice,
the Chalice of His Blood
and gains growth from the Bread
which is His Body… ”

O Lamb of God
By St Irenaeus (c130 – c202)
Bishop & Martyr, Father of the Church

O Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world,
look upon us
and have mercy upon us,
Thou who art Thyself,
both Victim and Priest,
Thyself, both Reward and Redeemer,
keep safe from all evil
those whom Thou hast redeemed,
O Saviour of the world!
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/28/quote-s-of-the-day-28-june-st-irenaeus/

St Irenaeus (c130 – c202)
Bishop, Martyr

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 June – And fear you not them who kill the body and are not able to kill the soul …”

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One Minute Reflection – 28 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – St Irenaeus (c130 – c202) Bishop, Martyr – 2 Timothy 3:14-17, 4:1-5; Matthew 10:28-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And fear you not them who kill the body and are not able to kill the soul …” – Matthew 10:28

REFLECTION – “They did not nail Polycarp but only tied him up. And so, he was bound, putting his arms behind his back, like a noble ram taken from a large flock for sacrifice, a burnt offering acceptable to and made ready for God. Then he gazed up to Heaven and said: “O Lord God Almighty, Father of Your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through Whom we have received knowledge of You, God of the angels and the powers and of all creation, God of the whole race of the righteous who live in Your sight: I bless You, for You have thought me worthy of this day and hour, to share the cup of Your Christ, as one of Your Martyrs, to rise again to eternal life in body and soul in the immortality of the Holy Ghost. May I be taken up today into Your Presence among Your Martyrs, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, in the manner You have prepared and have revealed and have now brought to fulfillment, for You are the God of truth… And so also I praise You for all things; I bless and glorify you through our Eternal High Priest in Heaven (Heb 4,14), in Your beloved Child, Jesus Christ, through Whom be glory to You and to Him and to the Holy Ghost, now and for the ages to come. Amen.” – Letter of the Church of Smyrna concerning the Martyrdom of Saint Polycarp (69-155) [Especially appropriate today, as St Irenaeus was a Student and Disciple of St Polycarp.]

PRAYER – O God, Who enabled blessed Irenaeus, Thy Martyr and Bishop, to overcome heresy with true doctrine and to establish peace happily in the Church, grant, we beseech Thee that Thy people may be steadfast in holy religion and give us Thy peace in our times. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

SWEET HEART of JESUS, be my LOVE. – Indulgence 300 Days, Once a Day – Pope Leo XIII 21 May 1802.

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN Aspirations and Ejaculations, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE, St JOHN the BAPTIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 June – – ‘ … Consider, then, the merit of the holy Baptist …’

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One Minute Reflection – 27 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” and Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Succour, Within the Octave of St John – Isaias 49:1-3, 5-7, Luke 1:57-68 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed and he spoke blessing God.” – Luke 1:64

REFLECTION – “When John, his son was born, among his neighbours there was concern about what name he should be given. Writing tablets were offered to his father, so that he himself could put down the name that he had decided upon, so that he might express, in writing, what he could not, in speech. Then, in a wonderful manner, when he had taken the tablets in order to begin writing, his tongue was loosened, the written word gave way to speech and he did not write “John” but spoke it. Consider, then, the merit of the holy Baptist: he gave his father back his voice, he restored the faculty of speech to the priest. Consider, I say, his merit – John unloosed the mouth that the Angel had bound. What Gabriel had closed, the little child unlocked. When John is born, the father suddenly becomes a prophet or priest, speech attains its use, love receives an offspring, the office recognises the priest.” – – St Maximus of Turin (Died c 420) Bishop of Turin, Father (Sermon 6) St Maximus’ Feast Day today.

PRAYER – God our Father, Thou opens the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven to those who are born again of water and the Holy Ghost. Increase the grace Thou hast given, so that the people who have been purified from all sin, may not forfeit the promised blessing of Thy love. Grant that we may ever keep Thy Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, before our eyes and do all in Him and through Him and for Him and may the prayers of our Mother of Perpetual Succour ever guide and bear us in her care! We make our pray through Christ, our Lord,who livest and reignest with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God forever, amen. (Collect).

Ejaculation: My Lady and my Mother, remember, I am thine;
protect and defend me as thy property and possession.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, MODESTY, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on TRUTH, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 June – The many paths?

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 June – Pentecost IV – Romans 8:18-23, Luke 5:1-11 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Master, the whole night through
we have toiled and have taken nothing
but at Thy Word, I will lower the net.”

Luke 5:5

“To arrive at the knowledge of the truth,
there are many paths – the first is humility,
the second is humility
and the third is humility.”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace)

“Those who refuse to be humble
cannot be saved.
They cannot say with the prophet:
See, God comes to my aid;
the Lord is the helper of my soul.
But anyone who makes himself humble,
like a little child,
is greater in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
Father and Doctor if the Church

“At Thy Word I will lower the nets.”
Whenever I lowered them on my own,
I wanted to keep what belongs to Thee for myself.
It was myself I was preaching
and not Thee; my words, not Thine.
That is why I caught nothing.
Or, if I did catch something,
it was not fish but frogs,
only good for croaking my own praise! …”

St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Doctor of the Church

“When insults have no effect on us,
when persecutions and penalties,
have no terror for us,
when prosperity or adversity,
has no influence on us,
when friend and foe,
are viewed in the same light…
do we not come close,
to sharing, the serenity of God?”

St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)
“St Bernard of the North”

“Humility is the mother
of many virtues
because from it,
obedience, fear, reverence,
patience, modesty,
meekness and peace are born.
He who is humble easily obeys everyone,
fears to offend anyone,
is at peace with everyone,
is kind with all.”

“Dismiss all anger
and look into yourself a little.
Remember that he, of whom,
you are speaking, is your brother
and as he is, in the way of salvation,
God can make him a Saint,
in spite of his present weakness.”

St Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555)

“Humility and charity
are the two master chords –
one, the lowest;
the other, the highest;
all the others are dependent on them.
Therefore, it is necessary, above all.
to maintain ourselves in these two virtues,
for observe well,
that the preservation of the whole edifice
depends on the foundation and the roof!”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, St JOHN the BAPTIST

Quote/s of the Day – 24 June – The Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 June – The Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist – Isaias 49:1-3, 5-7, Luke 1:57-68 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“At my birth,
I took away my mother’s barrenness
and while still an infant,
I healed my father’s dumbness,
for You gave me in childhood,
the gift of working miracles.”

St Gregory the Illuminator (c 213-270)

“John is a voice for a time
but Christ is the eternal Word,
from the beginning.”

St Augustine (354-430)
Bishop, Father, Doctor of Grace

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, St JOHN the BAPTIST

Our Morning Offering – 24 June – Præcursor Altus – The Great Forerunner of the Morn

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 24 June –The Nativity of St John the Baptist

Præcursor Altus Luminis
The Great Forerunner of the Morn
By St Bede the Venerable,(673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church

The great forerunner of the Morn,
The herald of the Word, is born
And faithful hearts shall never fail
With thanks and prais, his light to hail.

With heavenly message Gabriel came,
That John should be that herald’s name.
And with prophetic utterance told
His actions great and manifold.

John, still unborn, yet gave aright
His witness to the coming Light;
And Christ, the Sun of all the earth,
Fulfilled that witness at His Birth.

Of women-born shall never be
A greater prophet than was he,
Whose mighty deeds exalt his fame
To greater than a prophet’s name.

But why should mortal accents raise
The hymn of John the Baptist’s praise?
Of whom, or ere his course was run,
Thus spake the Father to the Son:

Behold My herald, who shall go
Before Thy Face Thy way to show,
And shine, as with the day-star’s gleam,
Before Thine Own eternal Beam.

All praise to God the Father be,
All praise, Eternal Son, to Thee,
Whom with the Spirit we adore,
For ever and forevermore.
Amen

Trans. J M Neale (1818-1866)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY, St JOHN the BAPTIST

Saint of the Day – 24 June –The Nativity of St John the Baptist

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 24 June –The Nativity of St John the Baptist

“A man was sent from God, whose name was John.
He came to testify to the light,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”
John 1:6-7

Ordinarily the Church observes the day of a Saint’s death as his Feast, because that day marks his entrance into Heaven. To this rule there are two notable exceptions, the birthdays of Blessed Mary and of St John the Baptist. All other persons were stained with original sin at birth, hence, were displeasing to God. But Mary, already in the first moment of her existence, was free from original sin (for which reason even her very conception is commemorated by a special Feast) and, John was cleansed of original sin in the womb of his mother. This is the dogmatic justification for today’s Feast. In the Breviary St Augustine explains the reason for today’s observance in the following words:

“Apart from the most holy solemnity commemorating our Saviour’s birth, the Church keeps the birthday of no other person, except that of bohn the Baptist. [The feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin had not yet been introduced.]
In the case of other saints or of God’s chosen ones, the Church, as you know, solemnises the day on which they were reborn to everlasting beatitude, after ending the trials of this life and gloriously triumphing over the world. For all these, the final day of their lives, the day on which they completed their earthly service is honoured.

But for John the day of his birth, the day on which he began this mortal life is likewise sacred. The reason for this, is, of course, that the Lord willed to announce to men His own coming through the Baptist, lest if He appeared suddenly, they would fail to recognise Him.
John represented the Old Covenant and the Law. Therefore, he preceded the Redeemer, even as the Law preceded and heralded the new dispensation of grace.”

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES

Quote/s of the Day – 22 June – St Paulinus of Nola

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 June – St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431) Bishop, Confessor, Father.

“Thus our Paulinus, Bishop of Nola,
who voluntarily abandoned vast wealth
and became quite poor,
when the barbarians sacked Nola
and took him prisoner,
although abundantly rich in holiness,
used silently to pray, as he afterwards told me,
“O Lord, let me not be troubled for gold and silver,
for where all my treasure is Thou knowest.”
For all his treasure was where he had been taught to hide
and store it by Him, Who had also foretold
that these calamities would happen in the world.
Consequently, those persons who obeyed their Lord
when He warned them where and how to lay up treasure,
did not lose, even their earthly possessions,
in the invasion of the barbarians;
while those who are now repenting
that they did not obey Him,
have learnt the right use of earthly goods,
if not by the wisdom, which would have prevented their loss,
at least by the experience which follows it.”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“City of God Book I.X”

On Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus,
more simply known as
St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431)
Bishop of Nola
Father of the Church

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/06/22/quote-s-of-the-day-22-june-st-paulinus-of-nola/

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MARIAN TITLES, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SAINT of the DAY

Within the Octave of the Sacred Heart, Feast of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, Madonna Ta’ Pinu, Gharb, Gozo, Malta ( 1883), St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431) Bishop, Confessor and Memorials of the Saints – 22 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thursday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart

Feast of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus

Madonna Ta’ Pinu, Gharb, Gozo, Malta ( 1883):
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/22/madonna-ta-pinu-gharb-gozo-malta-1883-and-memorials-of-the-saints-22-june/

St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431) Bishop, Confessor, Poet, Writer, Apostle of Charity, Preacher, Orator, Senator and Governor. St Paulinus was an inspiration to many—including six great Saints of the Church, who referenced him in letters of encouragement to others: St Augustine, St Jerome, Melania, St Martin of Tours, St Gregory and St Ambrose. St Augustine wrote, “Go to Campania– there study Paulinus, that choice servant of God. With what generosity, with what still greater humility, he has flung from himself the burden of this world’s grandeurs to take on him the yoke of Christ and in His service how serene and unobtrusive his life!”
This glorious Saint Paulinus!:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/22/saint-of-the-day-22-june-st-paulinus-of-nola-c-354-431/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/06/22/saint-of-the-day-22-june-st-paulinus-of-nola-c-354-431-2/

St Aaron of Brettany
St Aaron of Pais-de-Laon
St Alban of Britain
Bl Altrude of Rome
St Consortia
St Cronan of Ferns
St Eberhard of Salzburg
St Eusebius of Samosata
St Exuperantius of Como
St Flavius Clemens
St Gregory of Agrigento
St Heraclius the Soldier
St Hespérius of Metz

Blessed Pope Innocent V OP (c 1225-1275) Papal Ascesion 21 January 1276 unril 22 June 1276 (the date of his death. Friar of the Order of Preachers, Theologian, renowned Preacher, Scholar, Writer,, Dominican Office bearer, disciple of St Albert the Great and collaborator and friend of St Thomas Aquinas.and St Bonaventure.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/22/saint-of-the-day-22-june-blessed-pope-innocent-v-op-c-1225-1275/

St John IV of Naples
St Julius of Pais-de-Laon
Bl Kristina Hamm
Bl Marie Lhuilier
St Nicetas of Remesiana
St Precia of Epinal
St Rotrudis of Saint-Omer
St Rufinus of Alexandria

Martyrs of Samaria – 1480 Saints: 1480 Christians massacred in and near Samaria during the war between the Greek Emperor Heraclius and the pagan Chosroas of Persia. c 614 in the vicinity of Samaria, Palestine.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, PAPAL MESSAGES, PAPAL SERMONS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, SACRED HEART QUOTES, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 June – Popes’ on the Sacred Heart

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 20 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” and Within the Octave of the Sacred Heart

“Learn of the Heart of God
in the Words of God,
so that you may ardently long
for eternal things.”

St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
Great Father and Doctor of the Church

“In the Sacred Heart,
there is the Symbol
and the express Image
of the Infinite Love of Jesus Christ
which moves us to love in return.”

“This Devotion, [to the Sacred Heart] which we recommend to all,
will be profitable to all!”

Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

“His Heart is the natural Sign and Symbol
of His boundless love for the human race.”

Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 June – ‘… Then my life will be alive, filled entirely with You. …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 20 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” and Within the Octave of the Sacred Heart – The Memorial of St Pope Silverius (Died 538) Martyr – Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19, John 19:31-37 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And to have Christ dwelling, through faith, in your hearts, so that, being rooted and grounded in love, you may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know Christ’s Love, which surpasses knowledge,” – Ephesians 3:17-19

REFLECTION – “When once I shall be united to You with my whole being, I shall at last be free of sorrow and toil. Then my life will be alive, filled entirely with You. When You fill someone, You relieve him of his burdens but because, I am not yet filled with You, I am a burden to myself. My joy when I should be weeping, struggles with my sorrows, when I should be rejoicing. I know not where victory lies.

Woe is me! Lord, have mercy on me! My evil sorrows and good joys are at war with one another. I know not where victory lies. Woe is me! Lord, have mercy! Woe is me! I make no effort to conceal my wounds. You are my Physician, I Your Patient. You are merciful; I stand in need of mercy!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (An excerpt from: The Confessions Book 10).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in Thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Sylverius Thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

SACRED Heart of JESUS, Thy Kingdom come! – Indulgence 300 Days – Every time – Raccolta 179 St Pius X, 6 November 1906.