Category: “Follow Me”

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD

Thought for the Day – 5 December – Daily Progress

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 5 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Daily Progress

“Everyday of our lives should be a further step towards perfection.
Holiness should be our goal in life.
If we set before ourselves any illusory targets at which to aim, we are making a serious mistake and shall have cause, in the end, to appreciate the truth of the prophet’s warning: “You have sowed much and brought in little” (Agg 1:6).
Jesus Christ, moreover, has given us this commandment: “You are to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).

The ideal is high, certainly and, it is impossible for human resources but Jesus assures us, that nothing is impossible with God (Cf Lk 18:27).
We can do nothing without God’s help but, with His grace, we can do everything.
“I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).

Naturally, we cannot hope to accomplish everything in one day.
We should desire to reach the highest possible level of perfection and not to be discouraged by the many difficulties which we are sure to encounter on the way.
But, it would be presumptuous to expect to achieve perfection in a single moment.

The road to sanctity is long and arduous.
It is essential to stride this path resolutely and with complete confidence in God.
We should go forward with enthusiasm, not depending on our own poor resources but, on divine grace.

This is a matter of life and death and here we speak of eternal life.
If we cease to advance and fall into indolence and inacitivity, God will leave us to ourselves and we shall be lost.
A man who is not advancing in the spiritual life must lose ground sooner or later because, he is not obeying the command of Jesus Christ.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT REFLECTIONS, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PATIENCE

Advent Reflection – 5 December – ‘… But He still follows behind us …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Advent Reflection – 5 December – Saturday of the First week of Advent, Readings: Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26,Psalms 147:1-2, 3-4,5-6, Matthew 9:35 – 10:1, 5, 6-8

Be born in us, O Lord!

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. … Matthew 9:36

REFLECTION – “A person is counselled to his face, so to speak, when he is created for righteousness and receives the precepts of rectitude. When he despises these precepts, it is as if he is turning his back to his Creator’s face. 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 – Forty Gospel Homilies, 34

PRAYER – Lord, to free man from his sinful state, You sent Your only Son into this world. Grant to us, who in faith and love, wait for His coming, Your gift of grace and the reward of true freedom. Be born in us O Lord! We ask our most pure Virgin Mary to guide us in her ways. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 4 December – True Love of Self

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 4 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

TRUE LOVE of SELF

“There is a passage in the Gospel which might lead us to believe that we are forbidden to love ourselves.
“Amen, amen, I say to you,” Jesus declares, “unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone but, if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. He who loves his life, loses it and he who hates his life in this world, keeps it unto life everlasting” (Jn 12:24-25).

These words command us to hate ourselves in this world if we wish to attain salvation in the next life.
In what sense, however, does Christ mean that we are to hate ourselves?
He certainly means, that we should mortify our lower inclinations, deny our selfish ambitions, die to the world and be prepared to lose life itself, rather than offend God in any way.
This is the kind of hate to which He urges us, a hatred of any perversion of our nature or of our faculties.
If we prefer our own will, to that of our Creator, or love Him less than we love ourselves, or, worse still, if we forget and ignore Him in favour of passing pleasures, then, we invert the order of spiritual and moral values established by God and create a disorder which could lead us into sin.

Instead, we should love God above all things and subjugate our thoughts, desires and affections to Him.
We should be prepared to forget ourselves for His sake and even to sacrifice life itself or His honour and glory.
Then, our self-hatred will become a sublime love, which will bring us victory in our battle against our sensual inclinations.
It will give us peace and resignation in suffering and, at the hour of death, will give us that consolation and joy, which the martyrs experienced when they shed their blood for the sake of Jesus Christ.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SANCTITY

Thought for the Day – 1 November – The Feast of All Saints

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 1 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Feast of All Saints

“Today’s feast should inspire in us, a burning desire to become holy.
Men long for many things in this world, things which are often useless and, even sinful.
They desire riches, pleasure, honours, success and material comfort.
These things may be lawful but, they cannot satisfy the human heart, which is made for God.
Whenever we achieve any of our ambitions in this world, are we in fact, happy or even perfectly satisfied?
The truth is, that we are not! because, the soul is greater than the objects which surround us. God alone can fill and satisfy it.

Sanctity should be our principal ambition.
We should yearn to be more closely united to God, so that His Divinity may be reflected in our thoughts and in our actions.
If we enjoy God’s friendship, we shall become more like God and shall be lifted up above petty mundane considerations.
Perhaps, we doubt our ability to reach such a high spiritual level?
Even so, we should, nevertheless, desire to reach it and, not just in a passing and indifferent manner but, constantly and actively.
We should keep our desire alive by repeating it to ourselves and by continually praying for God’s grace to fulfil it.
“I intend to become holy,” said little Dominic Savio and he kept the promise which he had made to God.
Many people have formed the same resolution, both desert hermits and University professors, both humble workmen and rulers of nations.
Since we ought to have the same intention, what is there to prevent us?
Let us make this resolution now and put it into effect, with the help of God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRAYERS on FAITH, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on VOCATIONS, The LAST THINGS

Quote/s of the Day – 30 October – Making our way to Life

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 30 October – Making our way to Life

“A person who wishes to become the Lord’s disciple
must repudiate a human obligation,
however honourable it may appear,
if it slows us, ever so slightly,
in giving the wholehearted obedience
we owe to God.”

St Basil the Great (329-379)

O Lord,
You have given us Your word
for a light to shine upon our path,
grant us so to meditate on that word
and follow its teaching,
that we may find in it,
the light that shines more and more
until the perfect day.
Amen

St Jerome (343-420)
“The Man of the Bible”
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Rest is in Him alone.
Man knows no peace in the world
but he has no disturbance
when he is with God.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor

“We must make our way towards eternity,
never regarding what men think of us,
or of our actions,
studying only to please God.”

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)

“Christ first of all,
Christ in the centre of the heart,
in the centre of history
and of the cosmos.
Humanity needs Christ intensely
because, He is our “measure.”
There is no realm,
that cannot be touched
by His strength;
there is no evil,
that cannot find remedy in Him,
there is no problem,
that cannot be solved in Him.
Either Christ or nothing!”

St John Leonardi (1541-1609)

“Only one thing is necessary:
Jesus Christ!
Think unceasingly of Him. ”

St John Gabriel Perboyre CM (1802-1840)
Martyr for Christ

“Our vocation, yours and mine,
is not to go harvesting in the fields of ripe corn,
Jesus does not say to us;
“Lower your eyes, look at the fields and go and reap them,”
our mission is still loftier.
Here are Jesus’ words: “Lift up your eyes and see….”
See how in My Heaven there are places empty,
it is for you to fill them! …
each one of you is my Moses praying on the mountain (Ex 17:8f),
ask Me for labourers and I shall send them,
I await only a prayer, a sigh from your heart!”

“Let us go forward in peace,
our eyes upon heaven.
the only one goal of our labours.”

St Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (1873 – 1897)
Doctor of the Church

“We must always be ready.
Let our faith be lively and active
and our minds turned towards God,
Who is waiting for us.
There is no need to be afraid.
He is good and merciful.
He desires our salvation.
This is a wonderfully consoling thought.
God desires my salvation!
Let us surrender ourselves to Him, therefore,
as if we had to die this very moment!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, SAINT of the DAY, The LAST THINGS, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 29 October – Blessed Chiara “Luce” Badano (1971 –1990)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 29 October – the Memorial of Blessed Chiara “Luce” Badano (1971 –1990)

“I care only about
doing the will of God,
doing it well,
in the present moment.”

“I must not exploit Him
but just love Him
and nothing else.”

“I discovered that Forsaken Jesus
is the key to unity with God
and I want to choose Him as my first Spouse
and be prepared for when He comes.”

“Just as its easy for me to learn the alphabet,
so must it also be, to live the Gospel.
I have re-discovered this phrase that says:
“Give and it shall be given to you.”

“I have nothing left
but I still have my heart
and with that, I can always love.”

Blessed Chiara “Luce” Badano (1971 –1990)

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 October – He departed to the mountain to pray … Luke 6:12

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 28 October – Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles and Martyrs, Readings: Ephesians 2:19-22, Psalms 19:2-3, 4-5, Luke 6:12-16

“In those days he departed to the mountain to pray
and he spent the night in prayer to God.”

Luke 6:12

“Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry,
a foundation for cheerfulness,
a source of constant happiness,
a protection against sadness.”

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

“We pray then to Him,
through Him, in Him
and we speak along with Him
and He along with us.”

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

“When we pray,
the voice of the heart must be heard,
more than the proceedings,
from the mouth.”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

“Prayer is an act of love,
words are not needed.
Even if sickness distracts from thoughts,
all that is needed is the will to love.”

St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582)

“Give yourself to prayer
and try by it, to procure,
first the amendment
of your fault,
then the practice of Christian virtues
and finally a great love of God.”

Bl Sebastian Valfre (1629-1710)

“He who prays most receives most.”

St Alphonsus Maria Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

“My little children, your hearts are small
but prayer stretches them
and makes them capable of loving God.
Through prayer we receive a foretaste of heaven
and something of paradise comes down upon us.
Prayer never leaves us without sweetness.
It is honey that flows into the souls
and makes all things sweet.
When we pray properly,
sorrows disappear like snow before the sun.”

St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)

“Prayer is our strength,
our sword,
our consolation
and the key to paradise.”

St Joseph Freinademetz (1852-1908)

“To pray,
is to think about Jesus
and love Him.
The more we love,
the better we pray.”

Bl Charles of Jesus de Foucauld (1858-1916)

“Prayer is an aspiration of the heart.
It is a simple glance directed to Heaven.
It is a cry of gratitude and love
in the midst of trial as well as joy.”

St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (1873-1897)
Doctor of the Church

“Without Prayer
nothing good is done.
God’s works are done
with our hands joined
and on our knees.
Even when we run,
we must remain spiritually
kneeling before Him.”

Bl Luigi Orione (1872-1940)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The LORD'S PRAYER, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 25 October – “Deliver Us From Evil”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 25 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Deliver Us From Evil”

“Deliver us from evil, amen.”
This is our last request in the Lord’s Prayer.
God is our Father, Creator and Redeemer.
Who cannot desire our ruin but only our welfare.
Nevertheless, He wishes us to ask Him everyday, to deliver us from evil.

We ask God to deliver us from evil of any kind.
There is nothing to prevent us from beseeching Him to save us from physical ills, such as sickness or hardship or any of the other many afflicions of life.
God loves us and, therefore, does not wish us to have to suffer.
He loves us, however, as He knows best and so desires our true welfare.
He knows that suffering and sorrow are our necessary heritage in life.
They are the salt which preserves us from corruption.

It would be fatal for us to be always happy in this world, for then, we should forget God and our true everlasting happiness.
By all means, let us ask humbly for deliverance from bodily ills but, let us not complain, if God does not grant our request.
He alone knows what is best for us, now and in the future.

Finally, when we ask God to rescue us from material evils, we should do so in a spirit of submission and resignation to His holy will.
“Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”
We should keep in mind the words of Jesus Christ.
“If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23).
Where are we to follow Him?
To Calvary, of course.
We must suffer and die as He did.
Only afterwards can we achieve everlasting happiness.

Deliver us from evil, therefore, O God.
Deliver us if possible, from bodily and from earthly ills but, let Your will be done.
We realise, that there is a purpose in suffering, the mission of which, is to purify us and lead us more easily to You.
We shall thank You, if You hear our plea but, we shall be no less grateful, if it pleases You to reject it.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, I BELIEVE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 October – Love of God, love of neighbour – Bl Charles of Jesus de Foucauld

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 25 October – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Readings: Exodus 22:20-26, Psalms 18:2-3, 3-4,47, 51, 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10, Matthew 22:34-40

“You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your mind.
And the second is like it:
You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

Matthew 22:36,39

“No eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor has the heart of man conceived,
what God has prepared,
for those who love him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

“Oh! My God, how much your hand was upon me
and yet how little I was aware of it!
How good you are! How good you are!
How you protected me!
How you covered me with Your wings,
when I did not even believe in your existence!”

“The Gospel showed me
that the first commandment is to love God
with all one’s heart
and that, we should enfold everything in love;
everyone knows,
that the first effect of love is imitation.”

“Every person is a child of God,
who loves them infinitely:
it is, therefore, impossible to want to love God,
without loving human beings –
the more one loves God,
the more one loves people.
The love of God, the love of people,
is my whole life;
it will be my whole life, I hope.”

“When you love,
you feel like speaking the whole time
with the one you love,
or at least, you want to look at Him without ceasing.
Prayer is nothing else.
It is the familiar meeting with our Beloved.
We look at Him,
we tell Him we love Him,
we rejoice to be at His feet.”

“I would like to be
sufficiently good
that people would say:
‘If such is the servant,
what must the Master be like.’”

From the (Auto)Biography of

Blessed Charles of Jesus de Foucauld (1858-1916)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 October – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.” – Matthew 22:34-40

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 25 October – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Readings: Exodus 22:20-26, Psalms 18:2-3, 3-4,47, 51, 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10, Matthew 22:34-40 and the Memorial of St Maurus of Pécs OSB (c 1000-c 1075)

“Master, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” … Matthew 22:36

REFLECTION – “O Lord, what is it that you require of Your servants? “Take my yoke upon you,” you say. And what sort of yoke is this? “My yoke is easy and my burden light.” Now who would not willingly bear a yoke that does not press down but gives strength; a burden that does not weigh heavily but refreshes? As You rightly added: “And you will find rest” (Mt 11:29). And what is this yoke of Yours that does not tire but gives rest? It is the first and greatest of the commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.” What could be easier, better or more agreeable than to love the goodness, beauty and love that is most perfectly Yours, O Lord my God?

Do You not offer a reward to those who keep the com­mandments, which are “more desirable than a heap of gold and sweeter than honey from the comb?” (Ps 19[18]:11) So in every way You offer a very ample reward, as James the apostle says: “The Lord has prepared the crown of life for those who love him” (Jas 1:12) (…) And Paul quotes these words from Isaiah: “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9).

That first and great commandment is not only profitable for the man who keeps it or for God who commands it – the other commandments of God also make perfect, him who obeys them, improves him, instructs him and makes him illustrious; in a word, they make him good and holy. If you understand this, realise that you have been created for the glory of God and for your own eternal salvation; this is your end, this is the object of your soul and the treasure of your heart. You will be blessed if you reach this goal but miserable if you are cut off from it.” – St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church – The Ascent of the Mind to God, 1

PRAYER – Lord God, You fill us with Your grace and teach us true faith. Strengthen in our hearts that faith that no trials may quench the fire, that we may seek Your face in every moment and accept AND LIVE all of Your will. May You be our first thought and our last each day. Send us Your Spirit to keep the fire blazing. May the humble love and intercession of Mary Mother of our faith, be our succour and may St Maurus of Pecs intercede for us on our pilgrim way. Through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 October – “I have come to set the earth on fire!” Luke 12:49

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 22 October – Thursday of the Twent Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ephesians 3:14-21, Psalms 33: 1-2, 4-5,11-12, 18-19, Luke 12:49-53

“I have come to set the earth on fire!”

Luke 12:49

“And I will ask the Father
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth,
which the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows it.
But you know it,
because it remains with you
and will be in you.”

John 14:16-17

“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 (315-387)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Go Forth, Set the World on Fire”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

“A Son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
is a man on fire with love,
who spreads it’s flames wherever he goes.
He desires mightily and strives by all means possible,
to set the whole world on fire with God’s love.
Nothing daunts him,
he delights in privations,
welcomes work,
embraces sacrifices,
smiles at slander
and rejoices in suffering.
His only concern
is how he can best follow Jesus Christ
and imitate Him in working,
suffering and striving constantly
and single-mindedly,
for the greater glory of God
and the salvation of souls.”

St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

For St John Paul II Quotes here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/22/quote-s-of-the-day-22-october-st-john-paul-the-great/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on WATCHING, The LAST THINGS, The PASSION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 October – ‘This then is to watch …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 21 October – Wednesday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ephesians 3:2-12, Responsorial Psalm: Isaiah 12:2-3, 4,5-6, Luke 12:39-48

“Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day
nor the hour.”

Matthew 24:13

“Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Luke 21:36

“Life is short, Death is certain and the world to come is everlasting.”

“If we would God discern
The world we must despise,
His love and hate must learn,
See all things with His eyes.
And we must self forgo
If God we would attain,
His grace must in us grow
And ease us from all pain.
So shall we sing His praise
And be at one with Him,
In peace our voices raise
In the celestial hymn,
That with quadruple harmony
And all mellifluous melody,
In Heaven resounds eternally.”

(The Seven Steps of the Ladder of Spiritual Love)

Bl John van Ruysbroeck (c 1293-1382)

“This then is to watch –
to be detached from what is present
and to live in what is unseen,
to live in the thought of Christ
as He came once and as He will come again,
to desire His second coming,
from our affectionate
and grateful remembrance,
of His first. ”

“He watches with Christ,
whoever commemorates and renews,
in his own person,
Christ’s Cross and Agony
and gladly takes up that mantle of affliction
which Christ wore here
and left behind Him,
when He ascended.”

St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Watch over your thoughts because they become words.

Watch over your words because they become actions.

Watch over your actions because they become habits.

Watch over your habits because they become your character.

Watch over your character because it becomes your destiny.

Unknown Author

Posted in "Follow Me", LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 19 October – St Paul of the Cross

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 19 October – The Memorial of St Paul of the Cross CP (1604-1775)

“We ought to glory in nothing
other than, the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You are blessed and don’t know it.
You have Jesus Crucified, with you!”

“Your crosses dear God,
are the joy of my heart.
How beautiful to suffer with Jesus.”

“Oh cherished cross!
Through thee my most bitter trials
are replete with graces!”

“The passion of Jesus is a sea of sorrows
but it is also an ocean of love.
Ask the Lord to teach you to fish in this ocean.
Dive into its depths.
No matter how deep you go,
you will never reach the bottom.”

“Do not live any longer in yourself
but let Jesus Christ live in you in such a way
that the virtue of this Divine Saviour may be resplendent
in all your actions, in order that all may see in you
a true portrait of the Crucified and sense,
the sweetest fragrance of the holy virtues of the Lord,
in interior and exterior modesty,
in patience,
in gentleness,
suffering,
charity,
humility
and in all others that follow.”

“Look upon the face of the Crucified,
who invites you to follow Him.
He will be a Father, Mother–everything to you.”

St Paul of the Cross (1604-1775)

Posted in "Follow Me", MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, The ASCENSION of the LORD

Thought for the Day – 14 October – The Second Glorious Mystery – The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 14 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Second Glorious Mystery
The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven

“Forty days after His glorious resurrection, Jesus came, with all His friends, among them His Mother, to the Mount of Olives.
This area had already witnessed the opening phase of His passion, which was all the more poignant, perhaps because in Gethsemane, it was not only His body which was lacerated by scourges and nails but, His soul, which experienced the agonising vision of the sins and ingratitude of the human race.
Now, however, He is here with a glorified body as the Conqueror of sin and of death.
He looks for the last time on His small band of followers, to whom He has entrusted His mission of transforming the entire universe by preaching and putting into practice, the Gospel message, throughout the world.
Now, He promises them the Holy Spirit, Who will give them the power to overcome evil.
Then He is lifted up toward Heaven, until a bright cloud hides Him from their sight.

Perhaps, the Blessed Mother, was the last to take her eyes off the disappearing cloud which had removed Jesus from view.
Her human eyes never saw again the beloved figure of her divine Son but, in her soul, she saw Him entering triumphantly into Heaven among choirs of Angels and sitting at the right hand of the Eternal Father.
She saw and thought with infinite yearnng of the not too distant day, when she would have passed from mortal exile, into the everlasting happiness of Heaven, where she would embrace her divine Son again in an ecstasy of love.

We have all been called to ascend to Heaven with Jesus and Mary.
Let us remember, however, that only the innocent and the repentant can be admitted into Paradise.
If we have been unfortunate enough to have lost our baptismal innocence, only the second way is left to us – the way of penance.
We must purify ourselves of our sins by means of good works.
We must ascend higher and highter, towards the summit of Christian perfection.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HYMNS, I BELIEVE!, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 October – ‘Firmly I Believe..’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 12 October – Monday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31, 5:1, Psalms 113:1-2, 3-4, 5 and 6-7, Luke 11:29-32

“Behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

Luke 11:32

Born as a son,
led forth as a lamb,
sacrificed as a sheep,
buried as a man,
He rose from the dead as a God,
for He was by nature God and man.

He is all things:
He judges and so He is Law,
He teaches and so He is Wisdom,
He saves and so He is Grace,
He begets and so He is Father,
He is begotten and so He is Son,
He suffers and so He is Sacrifice,
He is buried and so He is man,
He rises again and so He is God.
This is Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs glory for all ages.

Saint Melito, Bishop of Sardis (Died c 180)
Early Church Father
In Praise of Christ

Firmly I Believe and Truly
By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Firmly I believe and truly
God is three and God is One
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the Son.
And I trust and hope most fully
In that Manhood crucified
And each thought and deed unruly
Do to death, as He has died.
Simply to His grace and wholly
Light and life and strength belong
And I love, supremely, solely,
Him the holy, Him the strong.

And I hold in veneration,
For the love of Him alone,
Holy Church, as His creation,
And her teachings, as His own.
And I take with joy whatever
Now besets me, pain or fear
And with a strong will I sever
All the ties which bind me here.
Adoration aye be given,
With and through the angelic host,
To the God of earth and heaven,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – St Alexander Sauli

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – The Memorial of St Alexander Sauli CRSP (1534-1592) Bishop “The Apostle of Corsica”

“I offer my whole self to You, to You alone.”

St Alexander’s Motto on the profession of his Vows
as a Barnabite.
“EGO TIBI TOTUS, TOTUS TIBI SOLI”

“I will follow God’s inspiration everyday.”

(From a letter written to St Charles Borromeo after his arrival in Corsica)

“If I should start all over, what I have done,
I would do it over again.
For a shepherd,
it is a duty, to give his life for his flock.”

St Alexander Sauli (1534-1592)

(Said just before his death whilst on pastoral visits to his Diocese)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 10 October – St Francis Borgia and St Daniel Comboni

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 10 October – The Memorial of St Francis Borgia SJ (1510-1572) and St Daniel Comboni (1831-1881)

“We must perform all our works in God
and refer them to His glory,
so that they will be permanent and stable.
Everyone—whether kings, nobles, tradesmen or peasants—
must do all things for the glory of God
and under the inspiration of Christ’s example. . . . ”

“We must make our way towards eternity,
never regarding what men think of us,
or of our actions,
studying only to please God.”

“Who could ever soften this heart of mine
but YOU alone O Lord!”

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN QUOTES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 October – “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” Luke 11:28

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 10 October – “Month of the Most Holy Rosary” – Saturday of the Twenty SeventhWeek in Ordinary Time, Readings:Galatians 3: 22-29, Psalms 105: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, Luke 11: 27-28 and the Memorial of St Paulinus of York (c 584-644) and St Francis Borgia SJ (1510-1572)

“While he was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.’” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “Mary was more blessed in accepting the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ. To someone who said, “Blessed is the womb that bore you,” he replied, “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.”

Finally, for his brothers, his relatives according to the flesh who did not believe in him, of what advantage was that relationship? Even her maternal relationship would have done Mary no good, unless she had borne Christ more happily in her heart, than in her flesh.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace – Holy Virginity, 3/

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, you sent St Paulinus and St Francis Borgia to be Your witnesses and to bring Your Church to the pagans for the salvation of souls. Sustain us by their prayers that by our lives we may lead all to You through Holy Mother Church. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 8 October – ‘Immortality is given to the one who perseveres …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 8 October – Thursday of the Twenty Seventh week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Galatians 3:1-5, Responsorial Psalm: Luke 1:69-70, 71-72,73-75, Luke 11:5-13

“I tell you, if he does not get up
to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him
whatever he needs
because of his persistence.
And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and it will be opened to you.”

Luke 11:8-9

“Immortality is given to the one who perseveres;
everlasting life is offered;
the Lord promises His Kingdom.”

St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258)
Bishop and Martyr

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.”

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

“And so it happened
that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ,
was the only one to see Him.
… At first she sought
but did not find
but when she persevered,
it happened that she found
what she was looking for. …
And so Mary, once addressed by name,
recognises who is speaking.
She immediately calls Him Rabboni,
that is to say, teacher,
because the One whom she sought outwardly,
was the One who inwardly
taught her to keep on searching.”

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

“We must pray incessantly,
for the gift of perseverance.”

St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

“In prayer one must hold fast and never let go,
because the one who gives up, loses all.
If it seems that no-one is listening to you,
then cry out even louder.
If you are driven out of one door,
go back in by the other.”

St Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641)

“Aspire to God with short
but frequent outpourings of the heart,
admire His bounty,
invoke His aid,
cast yourself in spirit at the foot of His Cross,
adore His goodness,
treat with Him of your salvation,
give Him your whole soul –
a thousand times in the day.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

Posted in "Follow Me", MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thought for the Day – 5 October – The Third Joyful Mystery – The Birth of Jesus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 5 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Third Joyful Mystery
The Birth of Jesus

“When God became man in order to instruct and redeem the lost and erring human race, the gesture would have been deprived of it’s real significance if He had chosen to be born in a palace, surrounded by the splendour of worldly glory and wealth.

It would have been meaningless, not only for God but also, for us, if He had abandoned the imperishable glory of Heaven and the infinite wealth of everlasting happiness, in order to assume the kind of earthly grandeur which, in His eyes is but a vanishing cloud.
What we needed, was to learn the way of humility and of detachment from worldly things, which can so easily lead us to forget the supernatural.
We needed someone to come and sanctify suffering, which purifies and elevates the soul.
We needed someone to appease divine justice on our behalf and to teach us, that the way of the cross, is the only one which can lead to Heaven.
This was why the Eternal Word of God became a poor and lowly infant, choosing a stable, rather than a palace and the little village of Bethlehem in Judea, in preference to the imperial city of Rome.
He wished His extreme poverty and deprivation, to be His first lesson to mankind.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 3 October – I Believe

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 3 October – Saturday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17, Psalms 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130, Luke 10:17-24

“I Believe”

“Whoever serves me must follow me,
so as to be with me
wherever I am…”

John 12:26

“But it is God,
who establishes us, with you in Christ
and has anointed us,
by putting his seal on us
and giving us his Spirit in our heart,
as a first instalment.”

St Paul
2 Corinthians 1:21

“Remember, then, that you received a spiritual seal,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of knowledge and reverence,
the spirit of holy fear.
Keep safe what you received.
God the Father sealed you,
Christ the Lord strengthened you
and sent the Spirit into your hearts
as the pledge of what is to come.”

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

“Faith is to believe
what you do not see;
the reward of this faith,
is to see what you believe.”

“A person can do other things against his will
but belief is possible,
only in one who is willing.”

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

“If you wish to enter into life,
keep My commandments.
If you will know the truth,
believe in Me.
If you will be perfect,
sell all.
If you will be My disciple,
deny yourself.
If you will possess the blessed life,
despise this present life.
If you will be exalted in heaven,
humble yourself on earth.
If you wish to reign with Me,
carry the Cross with Me.
For only the servants of the Cross
find the life of blessedness
and of true light.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ Chapter 56

“If God had a wallet,
your picture would be in it.”

G K Chesterton (1874-1936)

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 September – ‘Human obligation?’ Luke 9:62

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 30 September – Wednesday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Job 9:1-12, 14-16, Psalms 88:10-11, 12-13, 14-15, Luke 9:57-62 and the Memorial of St Jerome (347-419) Father and Doctor

“Jesus said to him, “No-one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” … Luke 9:62

REFLECTION – “The man said, “Allow me first to go and bury my father.” The Lord replied, “Let the dead bury their dead but go and preach the kingdom of God.” Another man said, “Let me first arrange my affairs at home.” He rebuked him with a stern threat, saying, “No man, putting his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” A person who wishes to become the Lord’s disciple must repudiate a human obligation, however honourable it may appear, if it slows us, ever so slightly, in giving the wholehearted obedience we owe to God.” … St Basil the Great (329-379) – Concerning Baptism

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, You endowed Saint Jerome with a deep reverence and understanding of Holy Scripture, which he loved with all his heart. Sustain us evermore with Your word and teach us by their precepts. Help us to follow each word which Jesus, Your Son, our Redeemer, uttered that we may find therein the source of life. May the prayers of St Jerome assist us in our love and faithfulness. We ask this through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, Amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on INNOCENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 September – ‘… Being like-minded with Him and anxious to walk in His steps.’ – Luke 9:48

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 28 September – Monday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Job 1:6-22, Psalms 17:1, 2-3, 6-7, Luke 9:46-50 and The Memorial of Blessed Bernardine of Feltre OFM (1439-1494)

“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me and whoever receives me, receives him who sent me, for he who is least among you all, is the one who is great.” … Luke 9:48

REFLECTION – “The passion and lust of pride attacked some of the holy apostles. The mere argument about who of them was the greatest is the mark of an ambitious person, eager to stand at the head of the rest. Christ, who did not sleep, knows how to deliver. He saw this thought in the disciple’s mind, springing up, in the words of Scripture, like some bitter plant. He saw the weeds, the work of the wicked sower. Before it grew up tall, struck its root down deep, grew strong and took possession of the heart, He tears up the evil by the very root. In what way does the Physician of souls amputate pride’s passion? How does He deliver the beloved disciple from being the prey of the enemy and from a thing hateful to God and man? “He took a child,” it says, “and set it by him.” He made the event a means of benefiting both the holy apostles themselves and us their successors. This illness, as a rule, preys upon all those who are in any respect superior to other people.

What kind of type and representation did He make the child He had taken? He made the child a representation of an innocent and humble life. The mind of a child is empty of fraud and his heart is sincere. His thoughts are simple. He does not covet rank and does not know what is meant by one man being higher than another is. Christ brought forward the child as a pattern of simplicity and innocence and set him by Him. He showed him as in an object lesson, that He accepts and loves those who are like the child. He thinks they are worthy of standing at His side, as being like-minded with Him and anxious to walk in His steps.” … St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Church – Commentary on Luke, Homily 54

PRAYER – Lord God, You hold out the Light of Your Word to those who do not know You. Strengthen in our hearts, the faith You have given us and the Credo we profess, so that no trials and pride may quench the fire Your Spirit has kindled in us. May the intercession of Blessed Bernardine of Feltre, grant us the grace of following the way of the Cross, to stand beneath it with our Mother, the Mother of God, Ave Maria! We make our prayer through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", INCORRUPTIBLES, ON the SAINTS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 27 September – St Vincent de Paul

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 27 September – The Memorial of St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

“The most powerful weapon
to conquer the devil is humility.
For, as he does not know at all,
how to employ it,
neither does he know
how to defend himself from it.”

“Free your mind from all that troubles you;
God will take care of things.
You will be unable to make haste in this (choice) without,
so to speak,
grieving the heart of God
because He sees that you do not honour Him sufficiently
with holy trust.
Trust in Him, I beg you
and you will have the fulfilment
of what your heart desires.”

“He who allows himself to be ruled or guided
by the lower and animal part of his nature,
deserves to be called a beast,
rather than a man.”

“Perfection consists in one thing alone,
which is doing the will of God.
For, according to Our Lord’s words,
it suffices for perfection to deny self,
to take up the cross and to follow Him.
Now who denies himself
and takes up his cross
and follows Christ better,
than he who seeks not to do his own will
but always that of God?
Behold, now, how little is needed
to become as Saint?
Nothing more than to acquire the habit of willing,
on every occasion,
what God wills.”

“Our business is, to gain heaven;
everything else, is a sheer waste of time.”

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/27/quote-s-of-the-day-27-september-the-memorial-of-st-vincent-de-paul-c-m-1581-1660/
AND here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/27/quote-s-of-the-day-27-september-st-vincent-de-paul/

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SACRED HEART QUOTES, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – – 25 September – And Peter answered, The Christ of God. Luke 9:20

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 25 September – Friday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11, Psalms 144:1, 2, 3-4, Luke 9:18-22

“Then he said to them,
But who do you say that I am?”
And Peter answered,
The Christ of God.”

Luke 9:20

“If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”
Jesus turned, and seeing her he said,
“Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.”
And instantly the woman was made well.”

Matthew 9:21-22

“It is I, be not afraid”

John 6:20

“What determines that the gifts of God dwells in us,
is the measure of each one’s faith.
Because, it is to the extent that we believe
that the enthusiasm to act is given us.
And so, those who act,
reveal the measure of their faith
proportionate to their action,
they receive their measure of grace
according to what they have believed. …”

St Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662)
Monk and Theologian

“I believe
though I do not comprehend
and I hold by faith,
what I cannot grasp
with the mind.”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor

“Believing is
an act of the intellect
assenting to the divine truth,
by command of the will,
moved by God through grace.”

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

“O Heart of love,
I put 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)

“Faith is that which makes us believe
from the depths of our souls…
all the truths that our religion teaches us,
all that the Gospel holds
and all that the Church sets before us.
The just man lives truly by this faith (Rom 1:17),
for it replaces for him,
the greater part of his natural senses.
It so transforms all things,
that the senses are of little use to the soul,
which through them is only deceived,
whilst faith shews it realities.
Where the eye sees but a poor man,
faith sees Jesus (Mt 25:40).”

Bl Charles Eugène de Foucauld of Jesus OCSO (1858-1916)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MOTHERHOOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE

Thought for the Day – 24 September – Depending Always on Jesus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 24 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Depending Always on Jesus

Virtue is difficult and life holds more trials than consolations.
Sometimes, we feel discouraged because virtue seems impossible and we fall so often, in spite of our best resolutions or because, our cross seems too heavy and we feel that we are overburdened.

Where will we find comfort in our sufferings and strength in our weakness?
“Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).
Go to Jesus and depend always on Him.

Difficulties will be overcome, the cross will grow lighter, the pain will be less severe, if we rely always on Jesus.
Isaias, the Prophet, placed these words on the lips of God: “I have made you and I will bear-I will carry and I will save” (Is 46:3).
At that time, Jesus had not yet come; He was not yet present among us with His doctrine, with His consoling spirt and with His Divine Eucharist.
Now things are different; we have Emmanuel, God with us!
Why, therefore, do we not allow ourselves to be carried by Him?
It is necessary for us to allow ourselves to be “Carried by the grace of God,” (Bk II, Ch 9) as The Imitation of Christ puts it.

If God is with us, who or what can prevail against us?

We must, as St Francis de Sales writes, lean on the arm of Jesus, as the child leans securely on the arm of it’s mother.
“It matters little,” he adds, “where she walks, on a grassy plain or on a steep path surrounded by precipices.”
She, is his mother and she carries him; that is enough to make him happy and content.
We must trust Jesus in this way, relying always on His support in joy and in sorrow, in moments of trial and in moments of satisfaction, in life and in death.
Let us not be afraid; Jesus is better and stronger than our earthly mother.
If He guides and supports us, we can be sure of Heaven, no matter what happens!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 September – “And he sought to see him.” Luke 9:9

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 24 September – Thursday of the Twenty Fifth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ecclesiastes 1:2-11, Psalms 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17, Luke 9:7-9

“… Who is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he sought to see him.”

Luke 9:9

“Come to me, all you who labour
and are burdened and I will give you rest. ”

Matthew 11:28

“Through Him, our gaze
penetrates the heights of heaven
and we see, as in a mirror,
the most holy face of God.
Through Christ, the eyes of our hearts are opened
and our weak and clouded understanding,
reaches up toward the light.”

St Pope Clement I (c 35-99)
Apostolic Father, Bishop of Rome and Martyr

“He who calls us, came here below,
to give us the means of getting there.
He chose the wood
that would enable us to cross the sea –
indeed, no-one can cross the ocean of this world,
who is not borne by the Cross of Christ.
Even the blind can cling to this Cross.
If you can’t see where you are going very well,
don’t let go of it, it will guide you by itself. ”

“Do you desire security?
Here you have it.
The Lord says to you, “I will never abandon you,
I will always be with you.”
If a good man made you such a promise,
you would trust him.
God makes it and do you doubt?
Do you seek a support, more sure
than the word of God, which is infallible?
Surely, He has made the promise,
He has written it,
He has pledged His word for it, it is most certain!”

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

“Rest is in Him alone.
Man knows no peace in the world
but he has no disturbance
when he is with God.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor

“If you learn everything, except Christ, you learn nothing.
If you learn nothing, except Christ, you learn everything.”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

“Only one thing is necessary:
Jesus Christ!
Think unceasingly of Him. ”

St John Gabriel Perboyre CM (1802-1840)
Martyr for Christ

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES for CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 September – “… Who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.” … Luke 9:9

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 24 September – Thursday of the Twenty Fifth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Ecclesiastes 1:2-11, Psalms 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17, Luke 9:7-9 and the Memorial of St Gerard Sagredo OSB (980-1046) Bishop and Martyr

“… Who is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he sought to see him.” … Luke 9:9

REFLECTION – “He who wishes for anything but Christ, does not know what he wishes;
he who asks for anything but Christ, does not know what he is asking;
he who works and not for Christ, does not know what he is doing.” … St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

PRAYER – Shepherd of Your Church and we, the sheep of Your flock, who follow You and hear and do Your Word. Support us with grace those who are constantly striving to do Your will, so that following the example of the humble fiat of Your blessed Mother and ours, we may devote all our powers and talents to love of You and our neighbour and finally arrive safely in our heavenly home. May the prayers of St Gerard Sagredo, your faithful servant, be assistance in strengthening us in this vale of tears. In God, our Father we pray through You who live in union with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ages and ages. Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Thomas a Kempis

Our Morning Offering – 24 September – Above All That is Not You

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 24 September – Thursday of the Twenty Fifth week in Ordinary Time

Above All That is Not You
Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

O most loving Jesus,
give me this special grace to rest in You
above all created things,
above all health and beauty,
above all glory and honour,
above all dignity and power,
above all knowledge and prudence,
above all riches and talents,
above all joy and gladness,
above all fame and praise,
above all sweetness and consolation,
above all hope and promise,
above all merit and desire,
above all gifts and rewards
that You may give or send –
except Yourself –
above all joy or happiness
that the human mind and heart
can grasp or feel,
above all Angels and Archangels,
above all the heavenly hosts,
above all things visible and invisible
and above all that is not You,
my God.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on INDIFFERENCE, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SAINT of the DAY, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 September – St Joseph of Cupertino and Free Will – “Our Unique Possession”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 18 September – The Memorial of St Joseph of Cupertino OFM Conv. (1603-1663)

Free Will – “Our Unique Possession”

“Clearly, what God wants, above all,
is our will,
which we received as a free gift from God in creation
and possess as though our own.
When a man trains himself to acts of virtue,
it is with the help of grace from God,
from whom all good things come …
The will is what man has,
as his unique possession.”

St Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663)

“A man may lose the good things
of this life against his will
but, if he loses the eternal blessings,
he does so with his own consent.”

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

“God desires, not death but faith.
God thirsts, not for blood but for self-surrender.
God is appeased, not by slaughter
but by the offering of your free will.”

St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450)
Bishop, Father & Doctor of Homilies

“Remove grace
and you have nothing,
whereby to be saved.
Remove free will
and you have nothing,
that could be saved.”

St Anselm (1033-1109)
Doctor of the Church

“Lord what will Thou have me do?
Behold the true sign of a totally perfect soul –
when one has reached the point
of giving up his will so completely
that he no longer seeks,
expects or desires
to do ought
but that which God wills.”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor

“Happiness is secured through virtue,
it is a good attained by man’s own will.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Angelic Doctor

“But do not forget,
that all the saints cannot endear you to Christ
as much as you can yourself.
It is entirely up to you!”

St Cajetan (1480-1547)

“More determination is required
to subdue the interior man
than to mortify the body
and to break one’s will,
than to break one’s bones.”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

“A man makes the most progress
and merits the most grace,
precisely in those matters,
wherein he gains
the greatest victories over self
and most mortifies his will.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

“I will attempt, day-by-day,
to break my will into pieces.
I want to do God’s Holy Will,
not my own!”

By St Gabriel Francis Possenti
of Our Lady of Sorrows (1838-1862)