One Minute Reflection –13 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – The Memorial of St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Matthew 5:13-19
“I have come, not toabolishbut to fulfil.” … Matthew 5:17
REFLECTION – “In Him, the promise made through the shadows of prophecy, stands revealed, along with the full meaning of the precepts of the law. He is the One Who teaches the Truth of prophecy, through His Presence and makes obedience to the commandments possible, through grace. In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No-one should be ashamed of the Cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed. No-one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice, no-one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on Himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then, we are steadfast in our faith in Him and in our love for Him, we win the victory that He has won, we receive what He has promised. When it comes to obeying the commandments or enduring adversity, the words uttered by the Father should always echo in our ears – “This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased, listen to Him.” … St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from Sermo 51).
PRAYER – May the solemn feast of blessed Anthony, Thy Confessor and Doctor, make Thy Church rejoice, O God, so that, ever sustained by spiritual help, she may deserve to reap everlasting joy. 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). MAY the Heart of JESUS in the most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the Tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.Indulgence 100 Days, Once a day. Raccolta 161 Pius IX, 29 February 1868.
“In all our undertakings – when we enter a place or leave it, before we dress, before we bathe, when we take our meals, when we light the lamps in the evening, before we retire at night, when we sit down to read, before each new task — we trace the Sign of the Cross on our foreheads”
Tertullian (c155- c240) Father of the Church
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit By St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
Father, keep us from vain strife of words. Grant to us constant profession of the Truth! Preserve us in a true and undefiled faith so that we may hold fast to that which we professed when we were Baptised in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we may have You for our Father, that we may abide in Your Son and in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen
Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
Holy God, we praise Thy Name. Lord of all, we bow before Thee. All on earth Thy sceptre claim; all in heav’n above adore Thee. Infinite Thy vast domain, everlasting is Thy reign.
Hark, the loud celestial hymn, angel choirs above are raising. Cherubim and seraphim, in unceasing chorus praising, fill the heav’ns with sweet accord: Holy, holy, holy Lord.
Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Ghost, three we name Thee While in essence only One, Undivided God, we claim Thee and adoring, bend the knee, while we own the Mystery.
Spare Thy people Lord, we pray, By a thousand snares surrounded. Keep us without sin today, Never let us be confounded. Lo, I put my trust in Thee, Never Lord, abandon me.
Fr Ignaz Franz Poland (1719-1790) (Attri) Archbishop of Schlawa, Germany, Hymnist, Musician He also functioned as the Assessor for Theological Affairs at the Apostolic Vicariate. He wrote hymn lyrics and compiled religious music. Translated by Fr Clarence A Walworth (1820-1900) Convert, writer. He was one of the Founders of the Order of the Paulists in the USA.
One Minute Reflection – 12 June – Trinity Sunday and “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Romans 11:33-36, Matthew 28:18-20
“Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” – Matthew 28:19-20
REFLECTION – “And so, dearly-beloved, let us rejoice with spiritual joy and let us with gladness pay God worthy thanks and raise our hearts’ eyes, unimpeded, to those heights where Christ is. Minds that have heard the call to be uplifted must not be pressed down by earthly affections, they that are fore-ordained to things eternal, must not be taken up with the things that perish; they that have entered on the way of Truth, must not be entangled in treacherous snares and, the faithful, must so take their course through these temporal things, as to remember that they are sojourning in the vale of this world, in which, even though they meet with some attractions, they must not sinfully embrace them but bravely pass through them.
For to this devotion, the blessed Apostle Peter arouses us and entreating us, with that loving eagerness which he conceived, for feeding Christ’s sheep, by the threefold profession of love for the Lord, says, dearly-beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 1 Peter 2:11 . But for whom do fleshly pleasures wage war, if not for the devil, whose delight it is to fetter souls that strive after things above, with the enticements of corruptible good things, and to draw them away from those abodes, from which he himself has been banished? Against his plots every believer must keep careful watch, that he may crush his foe on the side whence the attack is made. And there is no more powerful weapon, dearly beloved, against the devil’s wiles than kindly mercy and bounteous charity, by which every sin is either escaped or vanquished. But this lofty power is not attained, until that which is opposed to it be overthrown. And what so hostile to mercy and works of charity as avarice, from the root of which spring all evils? And unless it be destroyed by lack of nourishment, there must needs grow, in the ground of that heart, in which this evil weed has taken root, the thorns and briars of vices rather than any seed of true goodness.
Let us then, dearly-beloved, resist this pestilential evil and follow after charity, without which no virtue can flourish, that by this path of love, whereby Christ came down to us, we too may mount up to Him, to Whom with God the Father and the Holy Spirit is honour and glory forever and ever.” – St Leo the Great, Pope (400-461) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 74).
PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Thou Who have given Thy servants, in the confession of the true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of that Majesty, to adore its unity, grant, we beseech Thee, that in the firmness of this faith, we may ever be protected from all harm. 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). MAY the HEART of JESUS be loved everywhere. 100 Days, Indulgence Once a day – Bl Pope Pius IX 23 September 1860
Quote/s of the Day – 11 June – Ember Saturday of Pentecost – Romans 5:1-5, Luke 4:38-44.
“Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a great fever and they besought Him for her.”
Luke 4:38
“May Christ come to our house and enter in and by His command, cure the fever of our sins. Each one of us is sick with a fever. Whenever I give way to anger, I have a fever. There are as many fevers, as there are faults and vices.”
St Jerome (343-420) Father & Doctor of the Church
“We implore You, O All-Holy, Long-Suffering Life and Restoration, Source of goodness, look down from Heaven and visit all those who ever trust in You; rescue our life, Lord, from all constraint and affliction, and, in the faith of truth, guide us all. At the prayers of the Immaculate Mother of God and Virgin, Save your world and those in the world and spare us all, You who, for us, became man without change, only Lover of mankind.”
St Romanos the Melodios (c 490-c 556)
“If thou art bound down by sickness, if sorrows weary thee, if thou art trembling with fear, invoke the name of Jesus.”
St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1456)
Behold Me, O Sweet Lord, Behold Me! By St Aelred of Rievaulx O.Cist. (1110-1167)
Behold me, O Sweet Lord, behold me! For I hope. that in Your Loving Kindness, O Most Merciful One, You will behold me, either as a loving Physician to heal, a kind Teacher to correct, or an indulgent Father to pardon… confident in Your Sweet Powerful Mercy and most Merciful Power, I ask, in virtue of Your Sweet Name and of the Mystery of Your Sacred Humanity that, mindful of Your Kindness and unmindful of my ingratitude, You forgive me my sins and heal the languors of my soul. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 11 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Ember Saturday of Pentecost and the Feast of St Barnabas, Apostle and Martyr – Romans 5:1-5, Luke 4:38-44.
“At that time, Jesus rose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a great fever and they besought Him for her.” – Luke 4:38
REFLECTION – “Jesus laid His Hands upon the sick, one by one and freed them from their malady. He demonstrated that the Holy Flesh, which He had made His Own and endowed with Godlike power, possessed the active presence of the Might of the Word. He intended us to learn, that, although the Only-begotten Word of God became like us, yet He is, nonetheless, God. He wants us to know, that He is easily able, even by His Own Flesh, to accomplish all things. His Body was the instrument by which He performed miracles.
Jesus, then, entered Peter’s house, where a woman was lying stretched upon a bed, exhausted with a violent fever . As God, He might have said, “Put away the disease, arise” but He adopted a different course of action. As a proof that His Own Flesh possessed the power of healing because it is the Flesh of God, He touched her hand. “Immediately,” it says, “the fever left her.” Let us, therefore, also receive Jesus. When He has entered into us and we have received Him into mind and heart, then, He will quench the fever of unbefitting pleasures. He will raise us up and make us strong, even in spiritual things, so that we might serve Him by performing those things which please Him. But observe again, I ask, how great is the usefulness of the touch of His Holy Flesh . For it both drives away diseases of various kinds and a crowd of demons,and overthrows the power of the devil. It heals a very great multitude of people in one moment of time. Although He was able to perform these miracles by a word and the preference of His Will, yet, to teach us something useful, He also lays His Hands upon the sick. For it was necessary, most necessary, for us to learn that the Holy Flesh which He had made His Own, was endowed with the activity of the Power of the Word, by His having implanted in it, a Godlike Might. Let it then take hold of us, or rather let us take hold of it by the mystical “giving of thanks.” May we do this, so that it might free us also, from the sicknesses of the soul and from the assault and violence of demons. ” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Popr, Father, Doctor of the Church (Commentary on Luke, Homily 12)
PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us by the merits and intercession of blessed Barnabas, Thy Apostle, mercifully grant that we, who ask Thee favours through him, may obtain them by the gift of Thy grace. 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.50 Days Indulgence, Once a day, Raccolta, 168 Pope Leo XIII, 13 June 1901.
Quote/s of the Day – 10 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus”
“How good and pleasant it is to dwell in the Heart of Jesus! Who is there who does not love a heart so wounded? Who can refuse a return of love to a Heart so loving? Amen.”
St Bernard (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor
“O Heart of love, I place all my trust in Thee, for I fear all things, from my own weakness, but I hope for all things, from Thy Goodness.”
St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)
“Devotion to the Most Sacred Heart, is the Extraordinary Remedy, for the Extraordinary needs of our time.”
One Minute Reflection – 10 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Ember Friday – Joel 2:23-24; 26-27, Luke 5:17-26 and the Memorial of St Margaret of Scotland (1045-1093
“But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins – He said to the paralytic – I say to you, arise! – Luke 5:24
REFLECTION – “The Word of God has come to dwell in man; He became “Son of Man” in order to accustom man to receive God and God to dwell in man, as it has pleased the Father. See now why the sign of our salvation, Emmanuel born of a Virgin, has been given by the Saviour Himself (Is 7:14). Indeed, it is the Saviour Himself Who saves men, since of themselves they cannot save themselves. … The prophet Isaiah has said: “Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak! Take courage, frightened hearts, be strong, fear not! Here is your God who comes with vindication; He Himself comes, He comes to save us,” (Is 35:3-4). For it is only by God’s help and not of ourselves, that we can stand up to our salvation.
And here is another text where Isaiah predicted that the One who saves us is neither simply a man, nor an incorporeal being: “It was not a messenger or an angel but the Lord Himself Who saved His people. Because of His love and pity, He forgave them; He redeemed them Himself,” (Is 63:9). Yet this Saviour is also truly Man, truly visible: “City of Zion, behold, your eyes shall see our Saviour” … And another prophet has said: “He will again have compassion on us and cast into the depths of the sea all our sins,” (Mi 7:19) … From the land of Judah, from Bethlehem (Mi 5:1) will come the Son of God, He Who is also God, to pour out His praise on all the earth … Thus God has become Man indeed and the Lord Himself has saved us, by giving us the sign of the Virgin.” – St Irenaeus (c 130-c 202) Bishop, Church Father, Theologian and Martyr (Against the heresies III),
PRAYER – O God, Who made blessed Queen Margaret glorious by her remarkable charity toward the poor; grant, by her intercession and example, that Thy charity may continually increase in our 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). SACRED Heart of JESUS, I trust in Thee. 300 Days Indulgence Once a Day – Plenary, Once a month. Raccolta 175 – St Pius X, 19 August 1905; 27 June 1906.
Quote/s of the Day – 9 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Pentecost Thursday – Acts 8:5-8, Luke 9:1-6
“Take nothing for your journey, neither staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; neither have two tunics.”
Luke 9:3
“You are the salt of the earth.”
Matthew 5:13
“It is as a matter of absolute necessity that He commands all this. Why must you be salt? Jesus says in effect: “You are accountable, not only for your own life but also, for that of the entire world. I am sending you not to one or two cities, nor to ten or twenty, nor even to one nation, as I sent the Prophets. Rather, I am sending you to the entire earth, across the seas, to the whole world, to a world fallen into an evil state.”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church
“What is reprehensible, is that while leading good lives themselves and abhorring those of wicked men, some, fearing to offend, shut their eyes to evil deeds instead of condemning them and pointing out their malice.”
St Augustine (354-407) Father and Doctor of Grace
“The love of Jesus is noble and generous, it spurs us on to do great things and excites us to desire always, that which is most perfect. Love will tend upwards and is not to be detained by things beneath. Love will be at liberty and free from all worldly affections… for love proceeds from God and cannot rest but in God, above all things created. The lover flies, runs and rejoices, he is free and not held. He gives all for all and has all in all, because he rests in One Sovereign Good above all, from Whom all good flows and proceeds.”
Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
(Book III, Chapter V, 3-4)
“Entrust yourself entirely to God. He is a Father and a most loving Father at that, Who would rather let Heaven and earth collapse, than abandon anyone who trusted in Him.”
St Paul of the Cross (1604-1775)
“God alone!”
“Chosen soul, how will you bring this about? What steps will you take to reach the high level to which God is calling you? The means of holiness and salvation, are known to everybody, since they are found in the Gospel, the masters of the spiritual life have explained them, the Saints have practised them… These means are – sincere Humility, unceasing Prayer, complete Self-denial, abandonment to Divine Providence and obedience to the Will of God.”
One Minute Reflection – 9 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Pentecost Thursday – Acts 8:5-8, Luke 9:1-6
“Take nothing for your journey, neither staff, nor sack, nor bread, nor money; neither have two tunics.” – Luke 9:3
REFLECTION – “This is a great vision. But if you wish to see it, remove the sandals from your feet. Remove every chain of sin. Remove the chains of the world. Leave behind earthly sandals. Jesus sent the Apostles without sandals, without money, gold and silver, so that they would not carry earthly things with them. The one who seeks to do good is praised, not for his sandals but for the swiftness and grace of his feet. The Scripture says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” Therefore, remove the sandals from your feet, that they may be beautiful for preaching the Gospel!” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church (Flight From the World 5).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who on this day have taught the hearts of the faithful, by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us by that Holy Spirit Himself, to know what is right and ever to rejoice in His help. 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 my JESUS, Make me love Thee ever more and more! – 300 Days Indulgence Once a day, Plenary Once a month – Blessed Pope Pius IX – 26 November 1876
Quote’s of the Day – 8 June – Ember Wednesday within the Octave of Pentecost – Acts 2:14-21, John 6:44-52.
“I Am the Living Bread Who came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever and the Bread that I will give, is My Flesh, for the Life of the world.”
John 6:51-52
“I Am the Bread of Life”
John 6:35
“For His Body, has been given to you under the appearance of bread and His Blood, under the appearance of wine, so that, when you have partaken of the Body and Blood of Christ, you might be One Body and One Blood with Him. So shall we become Christ-bearers [“Christophers”]. His Body and Blood are diffused through all our members – see, then, how we become participants in the Divine Nature!”
St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386) Father and Doctor of theChurch
“Enrich your soul in the great goodness of God – The Father is your Table, the Son is your Food and the Holy Spirit waits on you and then makes His Dwelling in you.”
St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) Doctor of the Church
“What graces, gifts and virtues the Holy Mass calls down!”
St Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)
O Lord, My God, I Am Not Worthy Prayer Before Holy Communion By St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church
O Lord, my God, I am not worthy that You should come into my soul but I rejoice that You have come to me because, in Your loving kindness You desire to dwell in me. You ask me to open the door of my soul, which You alone have created, so that You may enter into it with Your loving kindness and dispel the darkness of my mind. I believe that You will do this, for You did not turn away Mary Magdalene when she approached You in tears. Neither did You withhold forgiveness from the tax collector who repented of his sins or from the good thief who asked to be received into Your kingdom. Indeed, You numbered as Your friends, all who came to You with repentant hearts. O God, You alone are blessed always, now and forever. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 8 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart”– Ember Wednesday within the Octave of Pentecost – Acts 2:14-21, John 6:44-52.Ember Wednesday within the Octave of Pentecost – Acts 2:14-21, John 6:44-52.
“The Bread which I shall give,,is My Flesh for the life of the world” – John 6:52
REFLECTION – “One Man has died for all and now, in every Church, in the Mystery of Bread and Wine, He heals those for whom He is offered in sacrifice, giving life to those who believe and holiness to those, who Consecrate the offering. This is the Flesh of the Lamb; this is His Blood. The Bread that came down from Heaven declared – The Bread that I will give, is My Flesh for the life of the world. It is significant, too, that His Blood should be given to us in the form of wine, for His own Words in the Gospel, I Am the true vine, imply clearly enough, that whenever wine is offered as a representation of Christ’s Passion, it is offered as His Blood. T his means, that it was of Christ, Whom the blessed patriarch Jacob prophesied when he said – He will wash His tunic in wine and His cloak in the blood of the grape. The tunic was our flesh, which Christ was to put on like a garment and which He was to wash in His own Blood.
Creator and Lord of all things, whatever their nature, He brought forth bread from the earth and changed it into His own Body. Not only had He the power to do this but He had promised it and, as He had changed water into wine, He also changed wine into His own Blood. It is the Lord’s Passover, Scripture tells us, that is, the Lord’s Passing. We are no longer to look upon the bread and wine as earthly substances. They have become heavenly because Christ has passed into them and changed them, into His Body and Blood. What you receive, is the Body of Him, Who is the Heavenly Bread and the Blood of Him, Who is the Sacred Vine; for when He offered His disciples the Consecrated Bread and Wine, He said: This is My Body, this is My Blood. We have put our trust in Him. I urge you to have faith in Him, for Truth can never deceive!
When Christ told the crowds that they must eat His Flesh and Drink His Blood, they were horrified and began to murmur among themselves: This teaching is too hard; who can be expected to listen to it? As I have already told you, thoughts such as these must be banished. The Lord Himself used heavenly fire to drive them away by going onto declare – It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you, are Spirit and Life!” – St Gaudentius of Brescia (Died 410) Bishop , renowned Preacher, Theologian, Diplomatic Mediator (An Excerpt from Tractate 2).
PRAYER – May the Paraclete Who proceeds from Thee, enlighten our minds, we beseech Thee, O Lord and guide us to all truth, as Thy Son has promised. 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. – Indulgence 50 Days, Once a day. Raccolta 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901.
Quote/s of the Day – 7 June – Pentecost Tuesday – Acts 8:14-17, John 10:1-10.
“… He goes before them and the sheep follow Him because they know His Voice.”
John 10:4
“And as for that in the good ground they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bring forth fruit with patience.”
Luke 8:15
“… Scripture, as a whole, is God’s one perfect and complete instrument, giving forth, to those who wish to learn … It is one Saving Music…”
Origen (c 185-253) Theologian, Father of the Church
“If you believe what you like in the Gospels and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe but yourself.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“The more you devote yourself, to study of the Sacred utterances, the richer will be your understanding of them, just as the more the soil is tilled,, the richer is the harvest.”
St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church
“He is the origin of all wisdom. The Word of God in the heights, is the source of wisdom. Christ is the source of all true knowledge, for He is “the way, the truth and the life.” (Jn 14:6). … As way, Christ is the teacher and origin of knowledge … Without this Light, which is Christ, no-one can penetrate the secrets of faith.”
One Minute Reflection – 7 June – Pentecost Tuesday – Acts 8:14-17, John 10:1-10.
“I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10
REFLECTION – “Thus says the Lord: “I Myself will come’”… This is what He has undoubtedly done and what He will yet do: “I Myself am coming: I will seek out My sheep, I will tend them as a shepherd tends His flock.” The wicked shepherds took no care of them because they did not redeem their sheep, with their blood… “My sheep hear My Voice. I will seek out My sheep from the midst of the scattered sheep and will bring them out from all the places they were scattered, on the day of clouds and darkness. No matter how difficult it is to find them, I will find them… I will rescue My sheep from foreign lands, I will gather them and lead them back to their own homes; I will lead them to pasture on the mountains of Israel.”
These “mountains of Israel” are the writers of Sacred Scripture. They are the pastures where you are to feed, if you wish to do so safely. Savour everything you learn from them and reject everything outside. Do not go astray in the mists, listen to the Shepherd’s Voice. Gather on the mountains of Sacred Scripture. There, you will find true delight for your heart. There, is nothing poisonous there, nothing dangerous; they are rich pastures… “I will lead them beside rivers, in the best places.” From those mountains we were just talking about, rivers of Gospel preaching pour down since “the voice [of the Apostles] resounds to the ends of the earth” and all the ends of the earth provide pleasant and fertile pastures for the sheep.
“I will cause them to feed in good pasture… and their sheepfold will be there,” that is to say, there, they will rest, there, they will be able to say: “It is good to be here; true enough, it is perfectly clear, we have found the truth.” They will take their rest in the glory of God as in a sheepfold.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 46, On the shepherds; CCL 41, 529).
PRAYER – Let the power of the Holy Spirit be present within us, O Lord, graciously to cleanse our hearts, as well as to guard us from all harm. 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.
One Minute Reflection – 6 June – Pentecost Monday – Acts 10:34, 42-48, John 3:16-21
“Light came into the world” – John 3:19
REFLECTION – “The commandment of the Lord shines clearly, enlightening the eyes” (Ps 18 [19].9). Receive Christ, receive power to see, receive your light, that you may plainly recognise both God and man… Let us open ourselves to the light then and so to God. Let us open ourselves to the light and become disciples of the Lord… Let us, then, shake off forgetfulness of truth, shake off the mist of ignorance and darkness that dims our eyes and contemplate the true God… For upon us, buried in darkness, imprisoned in the shadow of death, a heavenly light has shone, a light of a clarity, surpassing the sun’s and of a sweetness, exceeding any this earthly life can offer. That light is eternal life and those who receive it live. Night, on the other hand, is afraid of the light and melting away in terror gives place to the day of the Lord. Unfailing light has penetrated everywhere and sunset has turned into dawn.
This is the meaning of the new creation (Gal 6,15; Rv 21,1) for the Sun of Righteousness (Mal 3,20), pursuing His course through the universe, visits all alike, in imitation of His Father, “who makes his sun rise upon all” (Mt 5,45) and bedews everyone with His truth… He, it is, Who has changed sunset into dawn and death into life by His Crucifixion, He, it is, Who has snatched the human race from perdition and exalted it to the skies. Transplanting what was corruptible, to make it incorruptible, He has transformed earth into Heaven…
He deifies us by His heavenly teaching, by “instilling His laws into our minds and writing them on our hearts. That all, be they of high estate or low, shall know God. And I will be merciful to them, God says and I will remember their sin no more” (Jr 31,33f.). Let us accept the laws of life, then; let us obey God’s promptings, let us learn to know Him.” – St Clement of Alexandria (150- 215) Theologian, Father of the Church (Exhortation to the Greeks, 11, 113).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who gave the Holy Spirit to Thy Apostles, grant that the devout prayers of Thy people may be effective and, as Thou have given us faith, also grant us 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). DIVINE Heart of JESUS, convert sinners, save the dying, set free the holy souls in Purgatory. Indulgence 300 Days Everytime – St Pius X, 11 September, 1907
Quote/s of the Day – 5 June – Pentecost Sunday, Alleluia! – Acts 2:1-11, John 14:23-31.
“His action is preceded by the beaming rays of His light and knowledge. He comes with the truth of the real Protector; for He comes to save, to lead, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to console, to illumine in the first place the mind of the person who receives Him and through that person‘s works, the minds of others.”
St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386) Father and Doctor of theChurch
“He pours light into our minds, arouses our desire and gives us strength… As the soul is the life of the body, so the Holy Spirit is the life of our souls.”
St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Father and Doctor of the Church
“A soul, that possesses the Holy Spirit, tastes such sweetness, in prayer, that it finds the time, always too short, it never loses, the holy presence of God.”
“The Holy Spirit forms thoughts and suggests words, in the hearts of the just.”
“The Holy Spirit is like a gardener, cultivating our souls.”
St John Vianney (1786-1859)
Nunc, Sancte, nobis Spiritus Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One By St Ambrose (340-397) Trans John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Trans 1836
Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One Art with the Father and the Son. Come, Holy Ghost, our souls possess With Thy full flood of holiness.
In will and deed, by heart and tongue, With all our powers, Thy praise be sung. And love light up our mortal frame, Till others catch the living flame.
Almighty Father, hear our cry Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high, Who with the Holy Ghost and Thee Doth live and reign eternally.
One Minute Reflection – 5 June – Pentecost Sunday, Alleluia! – Acts 2:1-11, John 14:23-31.
“But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things … ” – John 14:26
REFLECTION – “Whoever has the Spirit as their teacher has no need of human knowledge but, enlightened by this Spirit’s Light, beholds the Son, sees the Father and worships the Trinity of Persons, the One God, Who is inexpressibly One by nature.
Stand still, O man! Tremble, you who are mortal by nature, and consider how you have been taken from nothing and how, in coming from your mother’s womb, you saw the world that was made before you were. And if you could have understood the height of Heaven, or show the nature of the sun, the moon and the stars, where they are fixed and how they move… or even the nature of the earth, from which you were taken, its limits and bounds, its size and greatness…, if you had uncovered the end of all things and counted the sand of the sea and if, too, you could have known your own nature… then would you be able to consider your Creator, how, in the Trinity, Unity dwells without confusion and how, in the Unity, there is Trinity without division.
Seek the Spirit!… Perhaps God will comfort you and grant you, as He has already granted you to see the world, the sun and the light of day, yes, He will deign to enlighten you now, in the same way…, to enlighten you with the Light of the Threefold Sun… Then you will learn the Spirit’s grace – that, even when absent, he is present by his power and, when present, He is unseen because of His Divine nature and is everywhere and nowhere.
If you try to see Him with the senses where will you find Him? You will simply say: -Nowhere. But if you have the strength to contemplate Him spiritually, it is He, rather, Who will enlighten your soul and open the eyes of your heart.” – St Simeon the New Theologian (949-1022) Monk, Father (Hymn 21).
PRAYER – O God, Thou, Who on this day have taught the hearts of the faithful by the Light of the Holy Spirit, grant us, by that Holy Spirit Himself, to know what is right and ever to rejoice in His help. 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).
Quote/s of the Day – 3 June – Friday after the Octave of Ascension
“I speak out in order to lead Him into your hearts but He does not choose to come where I lead Him, unless you prepare the way for Him.”
“Everyone without God, has a dead soul. You, who bewail the dead, rather, should bewail sin. Bewail ungodliness. Bewail disbelief.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
“But He still follows behind us and counsels us, that we have despised Him but He still does not cease to call us. We turn our backs on His face, so to speak, when we reject His words, when we trample His commandments underfoot but He who sees that we reject Him, still calls out to us by His commandments and waits for us by His patience, stands behind us and calls us back when we have turned away.”
St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father & Doctor of the Church
“Death is approaching. How many years have we left? How many months? How many hours? We do not know. Perhaps this could be the last day or the last hour of our lives and, if that were true, in what state would we appear before the majesty of God? How terrible if we were in mortal sin – we would be damned for all eternity! But, even if we find ourselves i n the state of grace, what merits have we to present to the eternal Judge? What sacrifices have we made to prove our love for Him? What mortifications and penances have we voluntarily undertake to purify ourselves of our sins? What good works have we done, what alms have we given, what prayers have we said? We may have to admit, that we have wasted most of the time which God has given us in useless or even sinful occupations. Let us treasure, at least, the years, days, or hours which God still wills to grant us, for our full conversion and for our spiritual perfection.”
One Minute Reflection – 3 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – Friday after the Octave of Ascension – 1 Pet 4:7-11, John 15:26-27; 16:1-4.
“But when the Paraclete comes, Whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, Who proceeds from the Father, He shall give testimony of Me. ” – John 15:26
REFLECTION – “The Spirit is simple in being. His powers are many. They are entirely present everywhere and in everything. He is distributed but does not change. He is shared, yet remains whole. Consider the analogy of the sunbeam – each person on whom its kindly light falls, rejoices as if the sun existed for him alone, yet, it illumines land and sea and is master of the atmosphere. In the same way, the Spirit is given to each one who receives Him, as if he were the possession of that person alone, yet, He sends forth sufficient grace to fill the entire universe. Everything that partakes of His grace, is filled with joy according to his capacity—the capacity of his nature, not of His power.
The Spirit does not take up His abode in someone’s life, through a physical approach. How could a corporeal being approach the bodiless One? Instead, the Spirit comes to us when we withdraw ourselves from evil passions which have crept into the soul through its friendship with the flesh, alienating us from a close relationship with God. Only when a person has been cleansed from the shame of his evil and has returned to his natural beauty and [only when] the original form of the royal image has been restored in him, is it possible for him to approach the Paraclete. Then, like the sun, He will show you. in Himself, the image of the invisible and with purified eyes, you will see in this blessed image, the unspeakable beauty of its prototype.
Through Him, hearts are lifted up, the infirm are held by the hand and those who progress, are brought to perfection. He shines on those who are cleansed from every spot and makes them spiritual people, through fellowship with Himself. When a sunbeam falls on a transparent substance, the substance itself becomes brilliant and radiates light from itself. So too, the Spirit-bearing souls, illumined by Him, finally become spiritual themselves and their grace is sent forth to others. From this comes knowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of hidden things, distribution of wonderful gifts, heavenly citizenship, a place in the choir of Angels, endless joy in the presence of God, becoming like God and the highest of all desires – becoming God.” – St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop of Caesarea, Father and Doctor of the Church (On the Holy Spirit, 9).
PRAYER – Almighty and eternal God, give us a will ever dedicated to Thee and a true heart to serve Thy majesty. 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. Everytime Raccolta 178 St Pius X, 4 May 1906.
Quote/s of the Day – 2 June – The Octave Day of the Ascension
“He who believes and is baptised, shall be saved …”
Mark 16:16
“See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!”
Luke 21:8
“[Christ speaks:] I became useless to those who knew Me not, because I shall hide Myself, from those who possessed Me not. And I will be with those who love Me. … I arose and am with them and will speak by their mouths. For they have rejected those who persecute them and I threw over them, the yoke of My love. … Then I heard their voice and placed their faith in My Heart. And I placed My Name upon their forehead (Rv 14,1) because they are free and they are Mine!”
Odes of Solomon (Hebrew Christian text f rom the beginning of the 2nd Century) N° 42
“Faith gives rise to prayer and this prayer obtains an increase of faith.”
“Wherever you are on earth, however long you remain on earth, the Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything!”
St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace
“Let Your Name, not mine, be praised. Let Your Work, not mine, be magnified. Let Your Holy Name be blessed but let no human praise be given to me. You are my glory. You are the joy of my heart. In You I will glory and rejoice all the day and for myself I will glory in nothing but my infirmities. … ”
One Minute Reflection – 2 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart” – The Octave Day of the Ascension – Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:14-20 and the Memorial of Sts Marcellinus, Peter the Exorcist and St Erasmus (Died c 303) Martyrs
“He who believes and is baptised, shall be saved ...” – Mark 16:16
REFLECTION – “When He says, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me,” He touches on their unbelief, showing, that whoever does not believe in Him transgresses the Will of the Father. He covertly shows, that unbelievers are not only at variance with Him but also, with the Father. For if this is [the Son’s] Will and if this is the reason He came, that is, that He might save the entire world, then those who do not believe transgress His Will.
When, therefore, He says, the Father guides someone, there is nothing that hinders that person from coming to [Jesus]. And Paul says, that [the Son] delivers them up to the Father. Now, just as the Father, when He gives, does not take from Himself, so neither does the Son take from Himself when He gives up. The Son is said to give up to the Father because we are brought to the Father by Him. And at the same time, we read that it was the Father “by whom you were called to the fellowship of His Son,” that is, by the Will of the Father.
Faith in Me, He intimates here, is no ordinary thing or one that comes from human reason but [it] needs a revelation from above. And this He establishes throughout His discourses, showing, that this faith requires a noble sort of soul and one drawn on by God. The expression “that the Father gives Me” shows, that it is no accident whether a person believes or not. It shows, that belief is not the work of human reasoning but requires a revelation from on high and a mind devout enough to receive the revelation. “Whoever then,” our Lord says, “comes to Me, shall be saved,” meaning they shall be greatly cared for. For to save such as these, I took up flesh and the form of a servant.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospel of John 45)
PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us each year by the feast of Your holy Martyrs, Marcellinus, Peter and Erasmus, graciously grant, that as we rejoice in their merits, we may be inspired by their example. 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 my JESUS, Make me love Thee ever more and more! – Indulgence 300 Days Everytime – Plenary Once a Month – Raccolta 162 – Bl Pius IX 26 November 1876.
One Minute Reflection – 1 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Wednesday within the Octave of Ascension – Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:14-20
“Go ye into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15
REFLECTION – “You have heard what the Lord said to His disciples after the resurrection. He sent them out to preach the Gospel and they did so. Listen: “Through all the earth their voice resounds and to the ends of the world, their message” (Ps 18[19],5). Step by step, the Gospel has reached even to us and the ends of the earth. In a few words, the Lord addressing Himself to His disciples, set out what we are to do and what we have to hope for. Just as you have heard, He said: “Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved.” He asks for our faith and offers us salvation. What He offers us is so precious, that what He asks of us is as nothing.
“The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings, O my God… from your delightful stream, You give them to drink, for with You is the fountain of life” (Ps 35[36],8f.). Jesus Christ is the Fountain of Life. Before the Fountain of Life came to us, we had only a human salvation like that of the beasts of which the psalm speaks: “Man and beast you save, O Lord” (Ps 35[36],7). But now the Fountain of Life has come even to us, the Fountain of Life died for our sakes. Will He refuse us, His Life, Who, for our sakes, gave His Death? He is Salvation and this Salvation is not worthless, like the other one. Why? Because it does not pass away. The Lord has come. He died but he killed death. In Himself, He brought an end to death. He assumed it and He killed it. Where is death now, then? Look for it in Christ and it is no longer there. It used to be there but there it died. O life, Death of death! Take heart: it will also die in us! What was fulfilled in the Head will also be fulfilled in the members and death will die in us, too.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo and Father and Doctor of the Church (Excerpt from Sermon 233 ).
PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that as we do believe Thine Only-Begotten Son our Saviour to have this day Ascended into the Heavens, so we may also, in heart and mind thither ascend and with Him, continually dwell. 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. (This Ejaculation is Indulgenced – 50 Days, once a day. (See Instructions: – Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901).
Quote/s of the Day – 31 May – The Queenship of Mary
“If the Son is a King, the Mother who begot him is rightly and truly considered a Queen and Sovereign.”
St Athanasius (297-373) Father and Doctor of the Church
“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)
“And as Queen, she possesses, by right, the whole Kingdom of her Son.”
Rupert of Deutz OSB (c 1075- c 1130) Benedictine Abbot
“So Mary is a Queen. And, for our consolation, we ought to remember that she is a most tender and kind Queen, eager to help us in our miseries. So much so, that the Church wants us to call her in this prayer, a Queen of Mercy. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy!”
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Our Morning Offering – 31 May – The Queenship of Mary
Queen on Whose Starry Brow Doth Rest By St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530-c 609) Translation by Monsignor Ronald A Knox (1888 – 1957)
Queen, on whose starry brow doth rest The crown of perfect maidenhood, The God who made thee, from thy brest Drew, for our sakes, His earthly food.
The grace that sinful Eve denied, With thy Child-bearing, re-appears; Heaven’s lingering door, set open wide, Welcomes the children of her tears.
Fate, for such royal progress meet, Beacon, whose rays such light can give, Look, how the ransomed nations greet The virgin-womb that bade them live!
O Jesus, whom the Virgin bore, Be praise and glory unto Thee. Praise to the Father evermore And His life-giving Spirit be. Amen!
Saint Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609) Bishop, Poet, Hymnist, Writer – born c 530 at Rreviso, Italy and died c 609 at Poitiers, modern France of natural causes. St Venantius was unique, first a travelling lay poet, he later became a Priest and then a Bishop. But he always remained a professional author of poetry, a “Troubadour” of Christ. He is the attributed author of the Ave Maris Stella, amongst many others.
One Minute Reflection – 30 May – Monday within the Octave of Ascension – Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:14-20 and the Memorial of St Joan of Arc (1412-1431) “The Maid of Orléans” Holy Virgin
“He who believes and is baptised, shall be saved but he that believes not, shall be condemned.” – Mark 16:16
REFLECTION – “Let us work for the food which does not perish—our salvation! Let us work in the vineyard of the Lord ,to earn our daily wage in the Wisdom, which says: Those who work in me will not sin. Christ tells us: The field is the world. Let us work in it and dig up Wisdom, its hidden treasure, a treasure we all look for and want to obtain.
If you are looking for it, really look. Be converted and come. Converted from what? From your own willfulness. “But,” you may say, “if I do not find wisdom in my own will, where shall I find it? My soul eagerly desires it. And I will not be satisfied when I find it, if it is not a generous amount, a full measure, overflowing into my hands.” You are correct, for blessed is the man who finds Wisdom and is full of prudence.
Look for Wisdom while it can still be found. Call for it while it is near. Do you want to know how near it is? The Word and Wisdom is near you, in your heart and on your lips, provided that you seek it honestly. …
Happy is the man who has found Wisdom. Even more happy is the man who lives in Wisdom, for he perceives its abundance. There are three ways for Wisdom, or prudence to abound in you – if you confess your sins, if you give thanks and praise, and if your speech is edifying. Man believes with his heart and so, he is justified. He confesses with his lips and so, he is saved. In the beginning of his speech, the just man is his own accuser, next he gives glory to God and thirdly, if his wisdom extends that far, he edifies his neighbour.” – St Bernard (1090-1153) The “Last Father” and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church An excerpt from his Sermo de diversis
PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that as we do believe Thine Only-Begotten Son our Saviour, to have this day ascended into the Heavens, so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend and with Him continually dwell. 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).
Our Morning Offering – 30 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Run, Hasten O Lady! By St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor
Run, hasten, O Lady, and in your mercy help your sinful servant, who calls upon you, and deliver him from the hands of the enemy. Who will not sigh to you? We sigh with love and grief, for we are oppressed on every side. How can we do otherwise than sigh to you, O solace of the miserable, refuge of outcasts, ransom of captives? We are certain that when you see our miseries, your compassion will hasten to relieve us. O our Sovereign Lady and our Advocate, commend us to your Son. Grant, O blessed one, by the grace which you have merited, that He Who through you was graciously pleased, to become a Partaker of our infirmity and misery, may also, through your intercession, make us partakers of His happiness and glory. Amen.
One Minute Reflection – 28 May – Saturday within the Octave of the Ascension – 1 Thessalonians, Luke 10:1-9 2:2-9 and the Memorial of Saint Augustine of Canterbury (Died c 605) Bishop, Confessor “The Apostle to the English”
“And He said to them, “The Harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few, pray, therefore, the Lord of the Harvest, to send out labourers into His Harvest.” – Luke 10:2
REFLECTION – “He shows how great the gift is, when He says, “Ask from the Lord of the harvest.” And in an inconspicuous manner, Jesus indicates, that He Himself is the One who holds this authority. Then to signify how promising is the harvest, Jesus calls them to “pray therefore the Lord of the harvest.” In doing so, He indirectly declares this lordship to be His own prerogative. For ,after having said, “pray, therefore, the Lord of the harvest” when they had not made any request or prayer, He Himself ,at once, appoints them,, reminding them also of the sayings of John, about the threshing floor, the separation of the husks from the kernels of grain, the husks that are left over and of the One Who is winnowing. From this, it is clear, thatHe Himself, is the Farmer, He Himself, is the Lord of the Harvest,He Himself is the Master of the prophets.
For if He sent them to gather the harvest, it is clear that they do not harvest what belongs to someone else. Instead, they harvest the things that He sowed through the prophets. In calling their ministry a harvest, He was encouraging them but also, empowering them, to this ministry.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church (The Gospel of Matthew Homily 32.)
PRAYER – O God, Who graciously enlightened the English peoples with the light of the true faith by the preaching and miracles of blessed Augustine, Your Confessor and Bishop, grant, through his intercession, that the hearts of those who have strayed may return to the unity of the true faith and that we may be in harmony with Your will. Grant too, we pray O Almighty God, that by the assistance of the prayers of the Blessed Mary ever a Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, we too may ascend with Him, in heart and mind and continually dwell. 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.
Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles – Celebrated on the First Saturday after the Ascension – 28 May +2022:
After the Ascension, the Apostles returned to the Upper Room to await the coming of the Paraclete, as we read in Acts 1:13-14:
“When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas son of James. All these devoted themselves, with one accord, to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”
Mary joins the Apostles in the Cenacle. She provides a model of prayer and encourages the Apostles to wait and pray for the Holy Spirit . She models how to be active in preparing for the Holy Spirit. It is in her role in the Cenacle that she was endowed with one of the oldest Titles, Queen of Apostles. Mary leads all men to the Truth and to Christ, just as she brought forth the Light of the World. Through Our Lady, the Apostles bring the Good News of salvation to the whole world .
Pope Leo XIII in Adiutricem Populi wrote of Mary in the Cenacle:
“With wonderful care she nurtured the first Christians by her holy example, her authoritative counsel, her sweet consolation, her fruitful prayers. She was, in very truth, the Mother of the Church, the Teacher and Queen of the Apostles, to whom, besides, she confided no small part of the divine mysteries which she kept in her heart.”
Traditionally, the Saturday after Ascension Thursday is the Feast of Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles (the Feast was removed in the 1969 post Vatican II changes). The Feast was originally requested by the Pallottine Fathers. This title appears in the oldest forms of the Litany of Loreto and many Religious Congregrations include this Title within their names or is part of their devotions, such as Salvatorians, Claretians, Pallottines, Missionaries of Steyl, Paulines and more.
St Accidia Bl Albert of Csanád St Bernard of Menthon St Caraunus of Chartres St Caraunus the Deacon St Crescens of Rome St Dioscorides of Rome St Eoghan the Sage St Gemiliano of Cagliari
Bl Mary of the Nativity St Moel-Odhran of Iona St Paulus of Rome St Phaolô Hanh St Podius of Florence Bl Robert Johnson St Senator of Milan Bl Thomas Ford St Ubaldesca Taccini St William of Gellone Bl Wladyslaw Demski
Martyrs of Palestine: A group of early 5th century Monks in Palestine who were Martyred by invading Arabs.
Martyrs of Sardinia – 6 Saints: A group of early Christians for whom a Church on Sardinia is dedicated; they were probably Martyrs but no information about them has survived except the names Aemilian, Aemilius, Emilius, Felix, Lucian and Priamus. Patrons of the Diocese of Alghero-Bosa, Italy.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Blessed Luís Berenguer Moratona
Quote/s of the Day – 27 May – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church –
“Unfurl the sails and let God steer us, where He will.”
“He alone loves the Creator perfectly, who manifests a pure love for his neighbour.”
Grant us Your Light, O Lord By The Venerable St Bede (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
Grant us Your light, O Lord, so that the darkness of our hearts, may wholly pass away and we may come at last, to the Light of Christ. For Christ is that Morning Star, who, when the night of this world has passed, brings to His saints, the promised light of life and opens to them, everlasting day. Amen.
St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
St Bede became known as “Venerable Bede or Bede the Venerable” (Latin: Beda Venerabilis) by the 9th Century because of his great devotion and holiness but this was not linked to consideration for sainthood. According to a legend, the epithet was miraculously supplied by Angels. It was first utilised in connection with St Bede, where he was grouped with others, who were called “venerable,” at two Ecclesiastical Councils, held at Aachen in 816 and 836. Paul the Deacon (c 720-c 796) Italian Monk, Writer, Historian, then referred to him as Venerable consistently. By the 11th and 12th Centuries, the title had become commonplace and it is rarely omitted today.
One Minute Reflection – 27 May – Saint Bede the Venerable (673-735) Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Matthew 5:13-19
“You are the salt of the earth” – Matthew 5:13
REFLECTION – “Salt is useful for so many purposes in human life! What need is there to speak about this? Now is the proper time to say why Jesus’ disciples are compared with salt. Salt preserves meats from decaying into stench and worms. It makes them edible for a longer period. They would not last through time and be found useful without salt. So also Christ’s disciples, standing in the way of the stench that comes from the sins of idolatry and fornication; support and hold together, this whole earthly realm.” – Origen Adamantius (c 185-253) Priest, Theologian, Exegist, Writer, Apologist, Father – (Fragment 91).
PRAYER – O God, Who enlightened Your Church with the learning of blessed Bede, Your Confessor and Doctor, graciously grant that Your servants may ever be enlightened by his wisdom and helped by his merits. 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).
AnaStpaul 
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