LENT – Page 20 – AnaStpaul

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The Stations of the Cross – 18 April – Maundy Thursday

Posted on April 18, 2019April 18, 2019 by AnaStpaul

The Stations of the Cross – 18 April – Maundy Thursday

Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Begin with an Act of Contrition

Forgive my sins, O my God,
forgive my sins –
the sins of youth,
the sins of age,
the sins of my soul
and the sins of my body,
the sins which, through frailty,
I have committed,
my deliberate and grievous sins,
the sins I know
and the sins I do not know,
the sins I have laboured so long
to hide from others,
that now they are hidden
from my own memory;
let me be absolved
from all these iniquities
and delivered from
the bond of all these evils,
by the Life, Passion and Death
of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen

The Ninth Station
Again, a third time, Jesus falls

V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
V. We adore You, O Christ and we bless You.
R. Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

JESUS had now reached almost to the top of Calvary but, before He had gained the very spot where He was to be crucified, again He fell and is again dragged up and goaded onwards by the brutal soldiery.

We are told in Holy Scripture of three falls of Satan, the Evil Spirit. The first was in the beginning; the second, when the Gospel and the Kingdom of Heaven were preached to the world, the third will be at the end of all things. The first is told us by St John the Evangelist. He says: “There was a great battle in heaven. Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought, and his angels. And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And that great dragon was cast out, the old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan.” The second fall, at the time of the Gospel, is spoken of by our Lord when He says, “I saw Satan, like lightning, falling from heaven.” And the third by the same St John: “There came down fire from God out of heaven, … and the devil … was cast into the pool of fire and brimstone.”

These three falls—the past, the present and the future—the Evil Spirit had in mind when he moved Judas to betray our Lord. This was just his hour. Our Lord, when He was seized, said to His enemies, “This is your hour and the power of darkness.” Satan knew his time was short and thought he might use it to good effect. But little dreaming that he would be acting in behalf of the world’s redemption, which our Lord’s passion and death were to work out, in revenge and, as he thought, in triumph, he smote Him once, he smote Him twice, he smote Him thrice, each successive time a heavier blow. The weight of the Cross, the barbarity of the soldiers and the crowd, were but his instruments. O Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God, the Word Incarnate, we praise, adore and love You for Your ineffable condescension, even to allow TYourself, thus for a time, to fall into the hands and under the power of the Enemy of God and man, in order thereby, to save us, from being his servants and companions for eternity.

Or this

This is the worst fall of the three. His strength has for a while utterly failed Him and it is some time before the barbarous soldiers can bring Him to. Ah! it was His anticipation of what was to happen to me. I get worse and worse. He sees the end from the beginning. He was thinking of me all the time He dragged Himself along, up the Hill of Calvary. He saw, that I should fall again in spite of all former warnings and former assistance. He saw, that I should become secure and self-confident and that my enemy would then assail me with some new temptation, to which I never thought I should be exposed. I thought my weakness lay all on one particular side which I knew. I had not a dream that I was not strong on the other. And so, Satan came down on my unguarded side and got the better of me, from my self-trust and self-satisfaction. I was wanting in humility. I thought no harm would come on me, I thought I had outlived the danger of sinning, I thought it was an easy thing to get to heaven and I was not watchful . It was my pride and so I fell a third time.

V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.

I love You, Lord Jesus,
my love above all things,
I repent with my whole heart
for having offended You.
Never permit me to separate myself
from You again grant that I
may love always
and then do with me what You will.
(St Alphonsus Liguori)

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

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Holy Week Thoughts – Maundy Thursday – 18 April – The perfection of love

Posted on April 18, 2019April 18, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Holy Week Thoughts – Maundy Thursday – 18 April

The perfection of love

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

An excerpt from his Treatise 84

Dear brethren, the Lord has marked out for us the fullness of love that we ought to have for each other. He tells us – No-one has greater love than the man who lays down his life for his friends. In these words, the Lord tells us what the perfect love we should have for one another involves. John, the evangelist who recorded them, draws the conclusion in one of his letters – As Christ laid down His life for us, so we too ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. We should indeed love one another as He loved us, He who laid down His life for us.

This is surely what we read in the Proverbs of Solomon: If you sit down to eat at the table of a ruler, observe carefully what is set before you, then stretch out your hand, knowing that you must provide the same kind of meal yourself. What is this ruler’s table, if not the one at which we receive the body and blood of Him who laid down His life for us? What does it mean to sit at this table if not to approach it with humility? What does it mean to observe carefully what is set before you, if not to meditate devoutly on so great a gift? What does it mean to stretch out one’s hand, knowing that one must provide the same kind of meal oneself, if not what I have just said: as Christ laid down His life for us, so we in our turn, ought to lay down our lives, for our brothers? This is what the Hpostle Paul said – Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we might follow in his footsteps.

This is what is meant by providing “the same kind of meal.” This is what the blessed martyrs did, with such burning love. If we are to give true meaning, to our celebration of their memorials, to our approaching the Lord’s table, in the very banquet at which they were fed, we must, like them, provide “the same kind of meal.”

At this table of the Lord we do not commemorate the martyrs in the same way as we commemorate others who rest in peace. We do not pray for the martyrs as we pray for those others, rather, they pray for us, that we may follow in His footsteps. They practised the perfect love, of which the Lord said, there could be none greater. They provided “the same kind of meal” as they had themselves received at the Lord’s table.

This must not be understood as saying, that we can be the Lord’s equals by bearing witness to Him, to the extent of shedding our blood. He had the power of laying down His life, we by contrast, cannot choose the length of our lives and we die, even if it is against our will. He, by dying, destroyed death in Himself; we are freed from death only in His death. His body did not see corruption, our body will see corruption and only then be clothed through Him, in incorruption, at the end of the world. He needed no help from us in saving us, without Him, we can do nothing. He gave Himself to us, as the vine to the branches, apart from Him, we cannot have life.

Finally, even if brothers die for brothers, yet no martyr by shedding his blood brings forgiveness for the sins of his brothers, as Christ brought forgiveness to us. In this, He gave us, not an example to imitate but a reason for rejoicing. Inasmuch, then, as they shed their blood for their brothers, the martyrs provided “the same kind of meal” as they had received at the Lord’s table. Let us then love one another as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us. he need no help from us - st augustine - 18 april 2019 holy thursday.jpg

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – Love, or the name of God

Posted on April 18, 2019April 18, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – Maundy Thursday

Love, or the name of God

St John Climacus (579-649)

The Ladder of Divine Ascent; 30,6-9.21.16

God is love. (1Jn 4:8) So he who wishes to define this, tries with bleary eyes to measure the sand in the ocean.

Love, by reason of its nature, is a resemblance to God, as far as that is possible for mortals. In its activity it is inebriation of the soul and by its distinctive property, it is a fountain of faith, an abyss of patience, a sea of humility.

Love is essentially the banishment, of every kind of contrary, for love thinks no evil. Love, dispassion and adoption, are distinguished, as sons from one another, by name and name only. Just as light, fire and flame combine to form one power, it is the same with love, dispassion and adoption. love by reason of its nature - st john climacus - 18 april 2019 holy thursday.jpg

He who has perfectly united his feeling to God is mystically led by Him to an understanding of His words. But without this union, it is difficult to speak about God.

If the face of a loved one, clearly and completely changes us and makes us cheerful, joyous and carefree, what will the face of the Lord not do, when He makes His presence felt, invisibly in a soul? if the face of a loved one - st john climacus 15 april 2019 holy thursday.jpg

“Love wakes much and sleeps little
and, in sleeping, does not sleep.
It faints but is not weary;
it is restricted in its liberty
and is great freedom.
It sees reasons to fear
and does not fear
but, like an ember or a spark of fire,
flames always upward,
by the fervour of its love, toward God
and through the special help of grace,
is delivered from all perils and dangers.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

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One Minute Reflection – 18 April -He loved them to the end…”

Posted on April 18, 2019April 18, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 18 April – Holy Thursday, Gospel: John 13:1–15

Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end...John 13:1 john 13 1 -now before the feast of the passover - 18 april 2019 holy thursday.jpg

REFLECTION – “The footwashing” – This shows “His love for them to the end” – this is an act of love that Peter, understandably, perceives as completely unacceptable, as turning the world upside-down. Yet, precisely this inversion, is the most upright thing possible. One must first let it happen to himself, precisely as the Lord did it – in His incomparable love’s humbling – before he can take it as “an example” (13:14) for himself and practice this self-abasement with the brethren. This is the Gospel’s tangible demonstration of the subsequent passage’s description of the mystery of the Eucharist – Christians should, like Christ Himself, become edible food and potable drink, for each other.”…Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988)

“Christianity is above all a gift: God gives himself to us – He does not give some thing but Himself. And this takes place not only at the beginning, at the moment of our conversion. He continually remains the One who gives. He always offers us His gifts anew. He always precedes us. For this reason, the central action of being Christians is the Eucharist: gratitude for having been gratified, the joy for the new life that He gives us.”...Pope Benedict XVI 20 March 2008 Holy Thursday – Mass of the Lord’s Supper

PRAYER – Love of You, with our whole heart, Lord God, is holiness. Increase then Your gifts of divine grace in us, so that, as in Your Son’s Death, You made us hope for what we believe, You may likewise, in His Resurrection, make us come to You, our final end. Listen we beg, to the prayers of Your holy ones and may the Blessed Mother walk along with us and keep our hand, ever in hers. Through Jesus Himself, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God with You, forever and ever, amen. our lady mother of sorrows pray for us 26 march 2019.jpg

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Our Morning Offering – 18 April – Jesus Christ Crucified, our Salvation

Posted on April 18, 2019April 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 18 April – Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Jesus Christ Crucified, our Salvation
By St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108)
Father of the Church

Lord Jesus Christ
on the human side
You are sprung from David’s line,
Son of God, according
to God’s will and power,
born of the Virgin Mary,
baptised by John
and actually Crucified for us in the flesh,
under Pontius Pilate and Herod the Tetrach.
On the third day You raised a standard,
to rally Your saints and faithful forever,
in the one Body of Your Church.
By the grace and power of these mysteries,
fit us out with unshakeable faith,
nail us body and soul to Your Cross
and root us in love
by Your blood shed for us.
O Saviour of the world,
living and reigning,
now and forever,
amen. lord jesus christ, by st ignatius of antioch maundy thursday 18 april 2019.jpg

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Maundy or Holy Thursday – 18 April

Posted on April 18, 2019April 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Maundy or Holy Thursday – 18 April

The last three days of Holy Week are referred to as the Easter or Sacred Triduum (Triduum Sacrum), the three-part drama of Christ’s redemption – Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

Holy Thursday is also known as “Maundy Thursday.” The word maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum (commandment) which is the first word of the Gospel acclamation:

Mandátum novum do vobis dicit Dóminus, ut diligátis ínvicem, sicut diléxi vos. “I give you a new commandment, Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)
These are the words spoken by our Lord to His apostles at the Last Supper, after He completed the washing of the feet. We should imitate Christ’s humility in the washing of the feet.

Except for the resurrection on Easter, Holy Thursday is possibly one of the most important, complex and profound days of celebration in the Catholic Church. Holy Thursday celebrates the institution of the Eucharist as the true body and blood of Jesus Christ and the institution of the sacrament of the priesthood.

During the Last Supper, Jesus offers Himself as the Passover sacrifice, the sacrificial lamb and teaches that every ordained priest is to follow the same sacrifice in the exact same way. Christ also bids farewell to His followers and prophesies that one of them will betray Him and hand Him over to the Roman soldiers.

Around the world, Bishops and priests come together at their local Cathedrals on Holy Thursday morning to celebrate the institution of the priesthood. During the Mass, the bishop blesses the Oil of Chrism that will be used for Baptism, Confirmation and Anointing of the sick or dying. At this Mass, the bishop washes the feet of twelve priests to symbolise Christ’s washing of His twelve Apostles, our first bishops and priests.

Later that night, after sundown – because Passover began at sundown- the Holy Thursday Liturgy takes place, marking the end of Lent and the beginning of the sacred “Triduum,” or three, of Holy Week. This Mass stresses the importance Jesus puts on the humility of service and the need for cleansing with water, a symbol of baptism. Also emphasised are the critical importance of the Eucharist and the sacrifice of Christ’s Body, which we now find present in the consecrated Host.

At the conclusion of the Mass, the faithful are invited to continue Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament throughout the night, just as the disciples were invited to stay up with the Lord during His agony in the garden before His betrayal by Judas.

After Holy Thursday, no Mass will be celebrated again in the Church until the Easter Vigil celebrates and proclaims the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“In spite of all this, we do not remain passive recipients of the divine goodness. God gratifies us as personal and living partners. The love that is given is the dynamic of “loving together,” it is intended to be a new life within us, beginning from God. We thus understand the words that, at the end of the account of the washing of the feet, Jesus speaks to His disciples and to all of us: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (John 13:34). The “new commandment” does not consist in a new and difficult norm, one that did not exist before. The new commandment consists in a loving together with Him who loved us first.”

Pope Benedict XVI – 20 March 2008 Holy Thursday – Mass of the Lord’s Supper

i-give-you-a-new-commandment-pope-benedict-holy-thursday-29-march-2008.jpg

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Holy Thursday & Memorials of the Saints – 18 April

Posted on April 18, 2019April 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Holy Thursday – The Mass of the Lord’s Supper *2019

St Agia of Hainault
St Anthia of Illyria
St Athanasia of Aegina
St Bitheus
St Calocerus of Brescia
St Cogitosus
St Corebus
St Eleuterius of Illyria
St Elpidius of Melitene
St Eusebius of Fano
St Galdinus of Milan
St Gebuinus of Lyons
St Genocus
St Hermogenes of Melitene
Bl Idesbald of Dunes
Bl James Oldo OFS (1364-1404)

Bl Joseph Moreau
St Laserian of Leighlin
Bl Louis Leroy
Bl Luca Passi
St Perfecto of Córdoba
St Pusicio
Bl Roman Archutowski
Bl Savina Petrilli
St Ursmar of Lobbes
St Wigbert of Augsburg

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The Stations of the Cross – 17 April – The 7th and 8th Stations

Posted on April 17, 2019April 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

The Stations of the Cross – 17 April – Wednesday of Holy Week

Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Begin with an Act of Contrition:

ACT OF CONTRITION

Forgive my sins, O my God, forgive my sins:
the sins of youth,
the sins of age;
the sins of my soul
and the sins of my body;
the sins which, through frailty, I have committed;
my deliberate and grievous sins,
the sins I know and the sins I do not know,
the sins I have laboured so long to hide from others,
that now they are hidden from my own memory;
let me be absolved from all these iniquities
and delivered from the bond of all these evils,
by the Life, Passion, and Death
of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen act-of-contrition-ash-wed-17 march 2019.jpg

The Seventh Station
Jesus falls a second time

THE pain of His wounds and the loss of blood increasing at every step of His way, again His limbs fail Him and He falls on the ground.

What has He done to deserve all this? This is the reward received by the long-expected Messias from the Chosen People, the Children of Israel. I know what to answer. He falls because I have fallen. I have fallen again. I know well that without Your grace, O Lord, I could not stand and I fancied that I had kept closely to Your Sacraments, yet in spite of my going to Mass and to my duties, I am out of grace again. Why is it but because I have lost my devotional spirit and have come to Your holy ordinances in a cold, formal way, without inward affection. I became lukewarm, tepid. I thought the battle of life was over and became secure. I had no lively faith, no sight of spiritual things. I came to church from habit and because, I thought others would observe it. I ought to be a new creature, I ought to live by faith, hope and charity but I thought more of this world, than of the world to come—and at last I forgot that I was a servant of God and followed the broad way that leads to destruction, not the narrow way which leads to life. And thus I fell from You.

V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be the seventh station jesus falls 2nd time - what has he done - bl johnhenry newman 17 april 2019.jpg

The Eighth Station
Jesus comforts the Women of Jerusalem

AT the sight of the sufferings of Jesus the Holy Women are so pierced with grief that they cry out and bewail Him, careless what happens to them by so doing. Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.”

Ah! can it be, O Lord, that I shall prove one of those sinful children for whom You bid their mothers to weep. “Weep not for Me,” He said, “for I am the Lamb of God and am making atonement at My own will for the sins of the world. I am suffering now but I shall triumph and, when I triumph, those souls, for whom I am dying, will either be my dearest friends or my deadliest enemies.” Is it possible? O my Lord, can I grasp the terrible thought that You really did weep for me—weep for me, as You did weep over Jerusalem? Is it possible that I am one of the reprobate? possible that I shall lose by Your passion and death, not gain by it? Oh, withdraw not from me. I am in a very bad way. I have so much evil in me. I have so little of an earnest, brave spirit to set against that evil. O Lord, what will become of me? It is so difficult for me to drive away the Evil Spirit from my heart. You alone can effectually cast him out.

V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be i love you lord jesus - st alphonsus 11 april 2019.jpg

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Holy Week Thoughts – 17 April – Give Me everything

Posted on April 17, 2019April 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Holy Week Thoughts – 17 April – Wednesday of Holy Week

All belong to you and you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.

…1 Corinthians 3:22-23

The thousands of people, events, ideas and plans that occupy my inner life must become all one in the One and Only Name, Jesus.

I know that I have to move from speaking about Jesus to letting Him speak within me, from thinking about Jesus to letting Him think within me, from acting for and with Jesus, to letting Him act through me.

I know that the only way for me to see the world, is to see it through His eyes.

Everything has to become very simple, very unified, very focused. It is no longer a question of being up-to-date and well-informed.

At this moment in history, my own, as well as that of the world, I have to go to the very centre of being – the centre where time touches eternty, where earth and heaven meet, where God’s Word becomes human flesh, where death and immortality embrace.

There is really no longer a question of options.

With an unmistakable clarity, I have heard a voice saying:

“Give Me everything and I will give you everything.”

Fr Henri Nouwen (1932-1996)

My Lord, I Offer You Myself
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

My Lord,
I offer You myself in turn,
as a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
You have died for me,
And I in turn make myself over to You.
I am not my own.
You have bought me:
I will, by my own act and deed,
complete the purchase.
My wish is to be separated
from everything of this world;
To cleanse myself simply from sin;
To put away from me even what is innocent,
If used for its own sake
and not for Yours.
I put away reputation and honour
and influence and power,
For my praise and strength,
shall be in You.
Enable me to carry out what I profess
Amen

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Quote of the Day – 17 April 2019 – The Passion

Posted on April 17, 2019April 17, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 17 April 2019 – Wednesday of Holy week

“In the passion of our blessed Saviour,
six things chiefly are to be meditated upon.

First, the bitterness of His sorrow,
that we may compassionate with Him.

Secondly, the greatness of our sins,
which were the cause of His torments,
that we may abhor them.

Thirdly, the greatness of the benefit,
that we may be grateful for it.

Fourthly, the excellency of the divine charity
and bounty therein manifested,
that we may love Him more fervently.

Fifthly, the convenience of the mystery,
that we may be drawn to admiration of it.

Lastly, the multiplicity of virtues
of our blessed Saviour which did shine
in this stupendous mystery, that we may
partly imitate and partly admire them.”

St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

“Anyone who turns away from the Cross, turns away from the Resurrection.”

Pope Francis

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One Minute Reflection – 17 April – “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”

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

One Minute Reflection – 17 April – Wednesday of Holy Week, Gospel: Matthew
26:14-25

When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples and as they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”...Matthew 26:20-21

REFLECTION – “He took other human friends, when He had given up His Mother—the twelve Apostles—as if He desired that in which He might sympathise. He chose them, as He says, to be, “not servants but friends” (Jn 15:15). He made them His confidants. He told them things which He did not tell others. It was His will to favour, nay, to indulge them, as a father behaves towards a favourite child. He made them more blessed than kings and prophets and wise men, from the things He told them. He called them “His little ones” (Jn 13:33), and preferred them for His gifts to “the wise and prudent” (Mt 11,25). He exulted, while He praised them, that they had continued with Him in His temptations (Lk 22:28) and, as if in gratitude, He announced that they should sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (v.30). He rejoiced in their sympathy when His solemn trial was approaching.

He assembled them about Him at the last supper, as if they were to support Him in it. “With desire,” He says, “have I desired to eat this Pasch with you, before I suffer” (Lk 22:15). Thus there was an interchange of good offices and an intimate sympathy between them. But it was His adorable will that they too should leave Him, that He should be left to Himself. One betrayed, another denied Him, the rest ran away from Him and left Him in the hands of His enemies… Thus He trod the winepress alone. He who was Almighty, and All-blessed and who flooded His own soul with the full glory of the vision of His Divine Nature, would still subject that soul to all the infirmities which naturally belonged to it and, as He suffered it to rejoice in the sympathy and to be desolate under the absence, of human friends, so, when it pleased Him, He could and did, deprive it of the light of the presence of God.”…Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Meditations and Prayers, Part III

PRAYER – Oh dear God and Father, let us stay with Your Son and never betray or desert Him. The One You sent to save us, needs our love and fidelity in return for His ineffable love. Teach us holy Father, do not abandon us to our weakness but help us to love Him in return with all our hearts, minds and souls. As you holy Mother loved your Son and your God, help us to be perfect imitators of your Immaculate heart. Through Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, one god forever, amen. mary immaculate holy mother of god - pray for us - 28 may 2018.jpg

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Our Morning Offering – 17 April – To Jesus the Life

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

Our Morning Offering – 17 April – Wednesday of Holy Week

To Jesus the Life
By Blessed James Alberione

O Wellspring of eternal life,
all life is grafted in You, Lord,
You break the bonds of death
and give life to us anew.
Descending from Your splendid throne,
You have brought this gift to us below,
profusely from Your open side,
You bestow divine riches.
We have joined Your Mystical Body,
engrafted by baptismal grace,
life flowing from Your seven springs,
lifts up anew our fallen race.
Though wounded
by our parents’ fault,
our nature is restored by grace,
virtue is practised for Your love
and reaps the heavenly reward.
Only You can give true peace,
lead nations to live in harmony,
cause innocence to bloom in homes,
grant prosperity to our works.
Jesus, our everlasting Life, Truth and Way,
by You, we are led,
by You we live,
to Father, You and the Spirit,
may all peoples praise and glory give.
Amen

Blessed Fr James Alberione (1884-1971)
the Founder of the Pauline Family,
composed various Prayers to Jesus Master,
The Way, the Truth and the Life,
specifically directed to honour Jesus, the Master –
to sanctify the whole person, mind, will and heart.
These prayers are prayed by his Orders every day. jesus the life - prayer by bl james alberione - 17 april 2019.jpg

HOLY WEEK 2019

Wishing our Holy Father Emeritus Papa Benedict XVI a Blessed 92nd Birthday! 16 April 2019

Posted on April 16, 2019April 16, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Wishing our Holy Father Emeritus Papa Benedict XVI a Blessed 92nd Birthday!
16 April 2019 16 april 2019 92nd birthday papa benedict with heart stickers love you.jpg

The day of Joseph Ratzinger’s birth has been seen by some as a sign of Divine Providence. It was certainly a sign of things to come. The future Pope Benedict XVI was born on Holy Saturday, 16 April 1927. His birthplace is Marktl-an-Inn, a tiny village less than an hour’s walk away from Altoetting, the most important Marian Shrine in Bavaria.

1927 was the year Charles Lindbergh completed the first ever solo flight across the Atlantic. The Pope in Rome was Pius XI – the successor to Pope Benedict XV.

As Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger celebrated his 85th birthday, his last as Pope, with a Mass in the Pauline Chapel in the Vatican. It was April 16th 2012. Reflecting on his long and eventful life, he claimed he was “facing the final stretch” of his life’s journey. “I do not know what awaits me”, he said. “But I do know that the light of God is there, that He is risen, that His light is stronger than all darkness, that the goodness of God is stronge,r than every evil in this world. And this helps me to proceed with confidence. This helps us to move forward”.

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HOLY WEEK 2019, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The STATIONS of the CROSS

The Stations of the Cross – 16 April – The Sixth Station Jesus and Veronica

Posted on April 16, 2019April 16, 2019 by AnaStpaul

The Stations of the Cross – 16 April – Tuesday of Holy Week

Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Begin with an Act of Contrition

Act of Contrition
By St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church

O my God,
I am exceedingly grieved for having offended thee
and with my whole heart
I repent of the sins I have committed.
I hate and abhor them above every other evil,
not only because, by so sinning,
I have lost heaven and deserved hell
but still more, because I have offended thee,
O infinite Goodness,
who are worthy to be loved above all things.
I most firmly resolve,
by the assistance of thy grace,
never more to offend thee for the time to come
and to avoid those occasions
which might lead me into sin.
Amen

Note: It is little known that St Robert is the Author of this, one of our most widely used prayers

The Sixth Station
Jesus and Veronica

AS Jesus toils along up the hill, covered with the sweat of death, a woman makes her way through the crowd and wipes His face with a napkin. In reward of her piety, the cloth retains the impression of the Sacred Countenance upon it.

The relief which a Mother’s tenderness secured is not yet all she did. Her prayers sent Veronica as well as Simon—Simon to do a man’s work, Veronica to do the part of a woman. The devout servant of Jesus did what she could. As Magdalen had poured the ointment at the Feast, so Veronica now offered Him this napkin in His passion. “Ah,” she said, “would I could do more! Why have I not the strength of Simon, to take part in the burden of the Cross? But men only can serve the Great High Priest, now that He is celebrating the solemn act of sacrifice.”

O Jesus! let us one and all minister to You according to our places and powers. And as You did accept from Your followers refreshment in Your hour of trial, so give to us the support of Your grace when we are hard pressed by our Foe. I feel I cannot bear up against temptations, weariness, despondency and sin. I say to myself, what is the good of being religious? {138} I shall fall, O my dear Saviour, I shall certainly fall, unless You renew for me my vigour like the eagle’s and breathe life into me by the soothing application and the touch of the Holy Sacraments which You have appointed. the sixth station - jesus and veronica - 16 april - bl john henry newman - o jesus i shall certainly fall - 16 april 2019.jpg

V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The PASSION

Holy Week Thoughts – 16 April – Peter’s Denial

Posted on April 16, 2019April 16, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Holy Week Thoughts – 16 April – Tuesday of Holy Week, Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38

Peter’s Denial

Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the cock will not crow, till you have denied me three times….John 13:38

Saint Romanos the Melodist (c 490-c 556)

Hymnist – Hymn 34

O Good Shepherd, You who have laid down Your life for Your sheep (Jn 10:11), come quickly, O holy One and save Your flock…

After the meal Christ said: “Children, my dear disciples, this night you will all deny and abandon me” (cf. Jn 16:32). And since all were seized by the same astonishment, Peter exclaimed: “Even though all deny you, I shall not deny you. I shall remain with you and die with you, crying out to you: Come quickly, O Holy One, and save your flock.”

“Master, what are You talking about? I deny you? I abandon You and flee? And am I no longer to remember Your call and the honour You have shown me? I still call to mind how You washed my feet and now, do you say: “You will deny me”? Once again I see You coming, carrying a basin, You who uphold the earth and support the sky. With the hands that fashioned me my feet have just been washed and do You now assert that I will fall and I will no longer cry out to You: “Come quickly, O Holy One and save Your flock ?”…

At these words man’s Creator answered Peter: “What are you saying, Peter, my friend? You will never deny Me? never flee from Me? never reject Me? I, too, would wish to think so. But your faith is unstable and you do not stand up to temptation. Do you not you remember how you might nearly have drowned had I not stretched out my hand to you? You most certainly walked on the sea as I did myself but immediately you hesitated and quickly gave way (Mt 14:28f.). Then I ran towards you who were crying aloud: “Come quickly, O Holy One, and save Your flock.”

“See, from now on I tell you – before the cock crows three times you will deny Me and, letting yourself be attacked on all sides and your spirit submerged as by the waves of the sea, you will deny Me three times. You who cried out to Me then and are about to weep, you will find Me no longer now extending My hand as before, for I shall be using it to write a bill of remission on behalf of all Adam’s descendants. My visible flesh I will take as My paper and My blood as ink to write out this gift, which I endlessly distribute to those who cry aloud: “Come quickly, O Holy One, and save your flock!” peter's denial john 13 38 - you who cried out to me then - st romanus the melodist 16 april 2019 .jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 16 April – He comforts such as are troubled

Posted on April 16, 2019April 15, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 16 April – Tuesday of Holy Week, Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38

When Jesus had thus spoken, he was troubled in spirit and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”…John 13:21

REFLECTION – “He was troubled, then, who had power to lay down His life and had power to take it again. That mighty power is troubled, the firmness of the rock is disturbed, or is it rather, our infirmity that is troubled in Him? Assuredly so, let servants believe nothing unworthy of their Lord but recognise their own membership in their Head. He who died for us, was also Himself troubled in our place. He, therefore, who died in power, was troubled in the midst of His power. He who shall yet transform the body of our humility, into similarity of form, with the body of His glory, has also transferred into Himself, the feeling of our infirmity and sympathises with us in the feelings of His own soul. Accordingly, when it is the great, the brave, the sure, the invincible One that is troubled, let us have no fear for Him, as if He were capable of failing, He is not perishing but in search of us [who are]. Us, I say, it is us exclusively, whom He is thus seeking, that in His trouble we may behold ourselves and so, when trouble reaches us, may not fall into despair and perish. By His trouble, who could not be troubled, save with His own consent, He comforts such as are troubled unwillingly.”…St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – Almighty Father, we are slow to understand. In that love that You have for us and the grace, mercy and forgiveness You grant us. You gave Your only Son to save us from ourselves, help our lowly hearts, that we may understand Your love and in our smallness, offer all of our hearts, minds and souls, back to You in total submission and love. May Your saints and angels, help us on our way by their prayers and may Mary, the Sorrowful Mother of our Saviour, grant us, her heart, to love You in return. We make our prayer through our Saviour, Your Son, Jesus Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen. mater dolorosa mother of sorrows pray for us 16 april 2019.jpg

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, HOLY WEEK 2019, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 16 April – To Jesus the Way

Posted on April 16, 2019April 15, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 16 April – Tuesday of Holy Week

To Jesus the Way
By Blessed James Alberione

O Jesus,
You are the Way secure,
You guide us om life’s troubled ways,
amid the errors of each age,
while we gaze toward our fatherland.
taking to Yourself our nature,
You came to us in flesh and blood
and as our model and our mould,
You call us to tread the way You trod.
A stable You chose at birth,
long years You laboured tirelessly,
the bitter Cross You did embrace
and so You tell us,
“Learn of me.”
Jesus, our everlasting Way, Truth and Life,
by You we are led,
by You we live,
to Father, You and the Spirit,
may all peoples praise and glory give.
Amen. Jesus the Way - bl james alberione -16 april 2019- tues of holy week.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, HOLY WEEK 2019, LENT 2019, MARIAN QUOTES, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, STATIONS of the CROSS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The PASSION, The STATIONS of the CROSS

The Stations of the Cross – 15 April – Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross

Posted on April 15, 2019 by AnaStpaul

The Stations of the Cross – 15 April – Monday of Holy Week

Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Begin with an Act of Contrition

The Fifth Station
Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross

V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
V. We adore You, O Christ and we bless You.
R. Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

At length His strength fails utterly and He is unable to proceed. The executioners stand perplexed. What are they to do? How is He to get to Calvary? Soon they see a stranger who seems strong and active—Simon of Cyrene. They seize on him and compel him to carry the Cross with Jesus. The sight of the Sufferer pierces the man s heart. Oh, what a privilege! O happy soul, elect of God! he takes the part assigned to him with joy.

This came of Mary’s intercession. He prayed, not for Himself, except that He might drink the full chalice of suffering and do His Father’s will but she showed herself a mother by following Him with her prayers, since she could help Him in no other way. She then sent this stranger to help Him. It was she who led the soldiers to see that they might be too fierce with Him. Sweet Mother, even do the like to us. Pray for us ever, Holy Mother of God, pray for us, whatever be our cross, as we pass along on our way. Pray for us and we shall rise again, though we have fallen. Pray for us when sorrow, anxiety, or sickness comes upon us. Pray for us, when we are prostrate under the power of temptation and send some faithful servant of thine to succour us. And in the world to come, if found worthy to expiate our sins in the fiery prison, send some good Angel to give us a season of refreshment. Pray for us, Holy Mother of God. the fifth station simon of cyrene helps jesus 15 april 2019.jpg

V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be we adore you o christ - i love you lord jesus - st alphonsus - stations 15 april 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The PASSION, The SIGN of the CROSS

Thoughts for Holy Week – 15 April – We are soon going to share in the Passover

Posted on April 15, 2019April 15, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thoughts for Holy Week – 15 April – Monday of Holy Week

We are soon going to share in the Passover

Saint Gregory Nazianzen (330-390)
Bishop and Great Eastern Father and Doctor of the Church

An excerpt from his Oration 45

We are soon going to share in the Passover and although we still do so, only in a symbolic way, the symbolism already has more clarity than it possessed in former times because, under the law, the Passover was, if I may dare to say so, only a symbol of a symbol. Before long, however, when the Word drinks the new wine with us in the kingdom of His Father, we shall be keeping the Passover in a yet more perfect way and with deeper understanding. He will then reveal to us and make clear what He has so far only partially disclosed. For this wine, so familiar to us now, is eternally new.

It is for us to learn what this drinking is and for Him to teach us. He has to communicate this knowledge to His disciples, because teaching is food, even for the teacher.

So let us take our part in the Passover prescribed by the law, not in a literal way but according to the teaching of the Gospel, not in an imperfect way but perfectly, not only for a time, but eternally. Let us regard as our home the heavenly Jerusalem, not the earthly one, the city glorified by angels, not the one laid waste by armies. We are not required to sacrifice young bulls or rams, beasts with horns and hoofs that are more dead than alive and devoid of feeling but instead, let us join the choirs of angels in offering God upon His heavenly altar a sacrifice of praise. We must now pass through the first veil and approach the second, turning our eyes toward the Holy of Holies. I will say more – we must sacrifice ourselves to God, each day and in everything we do, accepting all that happens to us for the sake of the Word, imitating His passion by our sufferings and honouring His blood by shedding our own. We must be ready to be crucified.

If you are a Simon of Cyrene, take up your cross and follow Christ. If you are crucified beside Him like one of the thieves, now, like the good thief, acknowledge your God. For your sake and because of your sin, Christ Himself was regarded as a sinner, for His sake, therefore, you must cease to sin. Worship Him who was hung on the cross because of you, even if you are hanging there yourself. Derive some benefit from the very shame, purchase salvation with your death. Enter paradise with Jesus and discover how far you have fallen. Contemplate the glories there and leave the other scoffing thief to die outside in his blasphemy.

If you are a Joseph of Arimathea, go to the one who ordered his crucifixion and ask for Christ’s body. Make your own, the expiation for the sins of the whole world. If you are a Nicodemus, like the man who worshipped God by night, bring spices and prepare Christ’s body for burial. If you are one of the Marys, or Salome, or Joanna, weep in the early morning. Be the first to see the stone rolled back and even the angels perhaps and Jesus Himself.

DOCTORS of the Church, HOLY WEEK 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SPEAKING of ....., The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – Speaking of the Cross

Posted on April 15, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – Monday of Holy Week

Speaking of the Cross

“If you seek patience,
you will find no better example than the cross.
Great patience occurs in two way –
either when one patiently suffers much,
or, when one suffers things which one
is able to avoid and yet does not avoid.
Christ endured much on the cross
and did so patiently, because,
when He suffered, He did not threaten,
He was led like a sheep to the slaughter
and He did not open His mouth.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor of the Church

“The road is narrow.
He who wishes to travel it more easily
must cast off all things
and use the cross as his cane.
In other words, he must be truly resolved
to suffer willingly for the love of God in all things.”

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

“O souls! Seek a refuge, like pure doves,
in the shadow of the crucifix.
There, mourn the Passion of your divine Spouse
and drawing from your hearts flames of love
and rivers of tears, make of them a precious balm
with which to anoint the wounds of your Saviour.”

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

St Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

“What does he gain who refuses the cross?
He increases it’s weight!”

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MERCY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 March 2018 – St Bernard – “The liquid myrrh of mercy”

Posted on April 15, 2019April 14, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 26 March 2018 – Monday of Holy Week, Gospel: John 12:1–11

Mary brought in a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard and with it, anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the house was filled with the scent of the ointment…John 12:3 john-12-3 mary ointments jesus feet.jpg

REFLECTION – “Anointing the feet of Christ with perfumed oil of compassion
I have already discussed two ointments with you – one of contrition, that takes account of numerous sins — it is symbolised by the perfumed oil with which the sinful woman anointed the feet of Lord: “the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil”, the other of devotion, that embodies numerous blessings… But there is another ointment, far excelling these two, to which I give the name, loving-kindness, because the elements that go into its making, are the needs of the poor, the anxieties of the oppressed, the worries of those who are sad, the sins of wrong-doers and finally, the manifold misfortunes of all people who endure affliction, even if they are our enemies. These elements may seem rather depressing but the ointment made from them, is more fragrant, than all other spices. It bears the power to heal, for “Blessed are the merciful, they will be shown mercy” (Mt 5:7)

A collection therefore of many miseries, on which the eye rests with loving-kindness, represents the ingredients from which the best ointments are made… Happy the soul that has been wise enough to enrich itself with an assortment of spices such as these, pouring upon them the oil of mercy and warming them with the fire of charity! Who, in your opinion, is “the good man who takes pity and lends” (Ps 112:5), who is compassionate, quick to render assistance, who believes that there is “more happiness in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35), who forgives easily but is not easily angered, who never seeks to be avenged and in all things takes thought for his neighbour’s needs as if they were his own?

Whoever you may be, if your soul is thus disposed, if you are saturated with the dew of mercy, overflowing with affectionate kindness, making yourself “all things to all people” (1 Co 9:22) yet considering your deeds, like a discarded flask, in order to be always ready to supply to others what they need, in a word, so dead to yourself, that you live only for others — if this be you, then you possess the third and best of all ointments. Your hands have dripped with liquid myrrh that is utterly enchanting (cf Sg 5:5). It will not run dry in times of stress nor evaporate in the heat of persecution but God will perpetually “remember all your oblations and find your holocaust acceptable.” (Ps 20:4)”...Saint Bernard (1091-1153) Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – Almighty God, grant that we who are constantly betrayed by our own weakness, may draw the breath of new life from the passion and death of Your only-begotten Son. May our hands to drip with the liquid myrrh of mercy to all our neighbours and may our hearts be ever open to forgiveness. Listen, we pray, to the prayers of Your Holy angels and Saints and grant that the Blessed Virgin may guide our steps in this vale of tears. Through our Lord and Saviour, who suffered and died for us, in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. bl virgin mother of sorrows pray for us 15 april 2019.jpg

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, HOLY WEEK 2019, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 15 April – To Jesus the Truth

Posted on April 15, 2019April 14, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 15 April – Monday of Holy Week

To Jesus the Truth
By Blessed James Alberione

O Jesus,
our One, our only Light,
when You illumine the anxious minds,
evil error takes flight
and eternal Truth serenely shines.
The world,
when deprived of Your Light,
remains enwrapped in densest darkness.
May faith and charity benign
unite their flames in every heart.
May every tongue sing praise to You,
may schools and arts in every age,
sing Your praises,
may books and journals bear Your Truth,
resplendent on each printed page.
May nations sing Your glorious paise
and around the globe, Your Truth resound,
transmitted by new means and ways,
which modern man has discovered.
Jesus, our everlasting Truth, Way and Life,
by You we are led,.
by You we live,
to Father, You and the Spirit,
may all peoples praise and glory give.
Amen.

FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, LENT 2019, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The STATIONS of the CROSS

The Stations of the Cross – 14 April – The Fourth Station – Jesus meets His Mother

Posted on April 14, 2019September 27, 2019 by AnaStpaul

The Stations of the Cross – 14 April – Palm Sunday, Year C

Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Begin with an Act of Contrition

The Fourth Station
Jesus meets His Mother

V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
V. We adore You, O Christ and we bless You.
R. Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

JESUS rises, though wounded by His fall, journeys on, with His Cross still on His shoulders. He is bent down but at one place, looking up, He sees His Mother. For an instant they just see each other and He goes forward.

Mary would rather have had all His sufferings herself, could that have been, than not have known what they were by ceasing to be near Him. He, too, gained a refreshment, as from some soothing and grateful breath of air, to see her sad smile amid the sights and the noises which were about Him. She had known Him beautiful and glorious, with the freshness of Divine Innocence and peace upon His countenance; now she saw Him so changed and deformed that she could scarce have recognised Him, save for the piercing, thrilling, peace-inspiring look He gave her. Still, He was now carrying the load of the world’s sins and, all-holy though He was, He carried the image of them on His very face. He looked like some outcast or outlaw who had frightful guilt upon Him. He had been made sin for us, who knew no sin, not a feature, not a limb but spoke of guilt, of a curse, of punishment, of agony.

Oh, what a meeting of Son and Mother! Yet there was a mutual comfort, for there was a mutual sympathy. Jesus and Mary—do they forget that Passion-tide through all eternity? the fourth station - jesus meets his mother - 14 april 2019 palm sunday.jpg

V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.

I love You, Lord Jesus,
my love above all things,
I repent with my whole heart
for having offended You.
Never permit me to separate myself
from You again
grant that I may love always
and then do with me
what You will.
(St Alphonsus Liguori)

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be i love you lord jesus act of contrition by st alphonsus liguori 14 april 2019.jpg

CHRIST the KING, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The LAMB of GOD

Quote of the Day – 14 April – “…You yourselves will be His praise.”

Posted on April 14, 2019April 14, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 14 April – Palm Sunday, Year C

“It is there, on Calvary, that Jesus has His final appointment with a sinner,
to throw open the gates of His Kingdom for him too.
This is interesting, it is the only time that the word “Paradise”
appears in the Gospels.
Jesus promises it to a “poor devil” who, on the wood of the cross,
had the courage to proffer Him the most humble of requests:
“Remember me when you have entered your kingdom” (cf. Lk 23:42).
He had no good works to assert,
he had nothing but he entrusted himself to Jesus,
whom he recognised as innocent, good, so different from himself.
Those words of humble remorse were enough to touch Jesus’ heart.
The good thief reminds us of our true condition before God-
that we are His children, that He feels compassion for us,
that He is defenceless each time
we show our nostalgia for His love.”

Pope Francis

General Audience, 25 October 2017

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

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

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

LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The SEVEN LAST WORDS of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 April – Father, forgive them”

Posted on April 14, 2019April 14, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 April – Palm Sunday, Year C, Gospel: Luke 22:14-23:56

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do……And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”… Luke 23:34,43 THE FIRST WORD - LUKE 23 34 - THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF CHRIST - THE DEVOTION - 26 MARCH 2018

REFLECTION – “Words of Salvation – Whereas Matthew and Mark, report only Jesus’ cry of abandonment, Luke’s account of Jesus’ words from the Cross, carry a different tone. It is as if we hear, translated into spoken words, what the Word of God essentially accomplishes and intends by His suffering.
First He requests of His Father, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do” – the Jews are blinded, they fail to recognise their Messiah. The Gentiles do professionally what they had done a thousand times over, crucify a supposed criminal in accord with military orders.
In fact, no-one knows who Jesus is. His request aims at excusing those who are culpable and it finds a reason to excuse!
His words to the thief, are part of the ‘Grace of Forgiveness’ earned on the Cross.
His dying words, “into your hands Father, I commend my spirit,” replace the cry of abandonment found in the other gospels. Even if the Son no longer senses the Father, even if the Father’s hands have become imperceptible, He has no other place to place Himself. In Jesus’ words, Luke allows something of the Grace so painfully won for us, to radiate from the Cross.”…Cardinal Hans Urs von Bathasar (1905-1988)

PRAYER – Almighty, everliving God, You gave our Saviour the command to become man and undergo the Cross, as an example of humility for all men to follow and showed the Grace of Your love for us. We have the lessons of His suffering, grant us also the fellowship of His Resurrection. With Mary, His Mother and ours, who stood in pain and sorrow at the foot of the Cross, we ask her for prayers for our pardon and mercy. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. mary mother of sorrows - pray for us - 17 may 2018.jpg

HYMNS, LENT 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The PASSION, The WORD

Lenten Thoughts – Palm Sunday – 14 April – “Blessed the King who comes in the name of the Lord”

Posted on April 14, 2019April 13, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Lenten Thoughts – Palm Sunday, Year C – 14 April

This Sunday, called Palm or Passion Sunday, is the first day of Holy Week. Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday are called the Triduum, three days that are the highlight of the Church year. There are two Gospels proclaimed at today’s Mass. The first Gospel, proclaimed before the procession with palms, tells of Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. Riding on a borrowed colt, Jesus was hailed by the crowds as they shouted blessings and praise to God. This event is reported in each of the four Gospels.

“Blessed the King who comes in the name of the Lord”...Luke 19:38

Saint Romanus the Melodist (c 490-c 556)

Composer of Hymns – Hymn 32

Seated on your throne in heaven and on a colt on earth, O Christ, You who are God, You welcomed the praise of the angels and the anthem of the children who called out to You : “Blessed are You, the one who comes to recall Adam”…

The King comes to us, humble, sitting on the foal of a donkey. He comes with haste to suffer His Passion and take sins away. Seated on a dumb animal, the Word, the Wisdom of God, wants to save all beings endowed with reason. And all humankind can contemplate, mounted on a colt, the One who rides on the cherubim (Ps 17:10) and who once bore up Elijah on a chariot of fire. “Though he was rich,” of his own will, “he became poor” (2Co 8:9) ; in choosing weakness he gives strength to all who cry to him :” Blessed are You, the one who comes to call Adam”…

You demonstrate Your strength by choosing poverty… The clothes of the disciples were a sign of this poverty but Your power was measured by the anthem of the children and the great crowd which cried : “Hosanna!”—which means : “Save!”—”Hosanna to You who are in the highest. O Almighty, save those who are humbled. Have mercy on us, in consideration of our palms, may the palms we wave move Your heart, You who come to call Adam”…

“You who are the work of my hands,” the Creator answered …, “I came to you myself. It was not the Law that was to save you since it had not created you, nor the prophets who, like you, I created. I alone can free you from your debt . I am sold for you and I free you. I am crucified for you and you are rescued from death. I die and I teach you to cry : ” Blessed are You, the one who comes to call Adam”.

Did I love the angels as much? No, it is you, the poor, whom I have cherished. I have hidden my glory and, out of my great love for you, have freely made my richness poor. For you I suffered hunger, thirst, fatigue. I roamed the mountains, ravines and valleys looking for you, my lost sheep. I took the name of Lamb to bring you back, calling you with my shepherd’s voice. And I want to give my life for you, to tear you away from claws of the wolf. I bear everything so that you may cry out : “Blessed are You, the one who comes to call Adam”. the king comes to us humble sitting - 14 april 2019 palm sunday.jpg

BREVIARY Prayers, HYMNS, LENT 2019, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 14 April – My Song is Love Unknown

Posted on April 14, 2019April 13, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 14 April – Palm Sunday, Year C

My Song is Love Unknown
Breviary Hymn for Passion Sunday
By Samuel Crossman (1623-1648)

My song is love unknown,
My Saviour’s love to me.
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I, that for my sake
My Lord should take frail flesh and die?

He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange and none
The longed-for Christ would know.
But O! my Friend, my Friend indeed,
Who at my need His life did spend.

Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing,
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King:
Then “Crucify!” is all their breath,
And for His death they thirst and cry.

Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight,
Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
Themselves displease and ’gainst Him rise.

They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away,
A murderer they save,
The Prince of life they slay,
Yet cheerful He to suffering goes,
That He, His foes from thence might free. my song is love unknown = palm sunday breviary hymn - 14 april 2019.jpg

LENT 2019, MYSTICS, Of the SICK, the INFIRM, All ILLNESS, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 14 April – Saint Lydwina of Schiedam (1380-1433)

Posted on April 14, 2019April 12, 2023 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 14 April – Saint Lydwina of Schiedam (1380-1433) aged 53 – Mystic, Ascetic, apostle of the Holy Eucharist and of penance and prayer, also known as Liduina, Lidwid, Lidwina, Lijdwine, Ludivine, Lydwid, Lydwine – born on 18 April 1380 (Palm Sunday) at Schiedam, Netherlands and died on 14 April (Easter Sunday) 1433 at Schiedam, Netherlands of natural causes. Patronages – against all illness, ice skating, prolonged suffering. skaters, Schiedam, Netherlands.

The story of Lydwina, the patron saint of ice skating, is a sad and fascinating one indeed. She was a Dutch girl born on a Palm Sunday and raised alongside eight brothers to a father and mother, Peter and Petronella who were a “poor noble” and ‘poor commoner”.

By all accounts, she was “a lovely and charming girl”. At age fifteen, in a severe winter Lydwina was skating with girlfriends when she fell and broke a rib and was put in bed in her family home. After her injury, gangrene set in and Lydwina became partially paralysed.

She never fully recovered and became progressively more disabled and ill throughout her life. It is believed that she became paralysed with the exception of her left hand and that parts of her body… “fell off”. Blood is reported to have spontaneously poured from her mouth, ears and nose. Some historians have hypothesised that accounts of her affliction may have actually been describing one of the first known cases of Multiple Sclerosis, which of course would not have been known at that time.

Much of Lydwina’s time was spent in prayer, meditation and in offering her pain to God. Devoutly spiritual, she developed a devotion to The Eucharist, was visited by saints and had visions in which she was shown a “Heaven and Purgatory”. Miracles reportedly occurred at her beside. st Lidwina_painting

After Lydwina’s fall while skating, she fasted constantly and became reputed as a healer and holy woman, although many viewed her as being ‘under the influence of an evil spirit’ due to her deteriorating health.

Her hometown of Schiedam created a document that attests to her fasting. She ate only a little piece of apple, then part of a date, watered down wine and then river water that was contaminated with salt from the tides. This document created by Schiedam town officials (which still exists) also claims that she shed skin, bones and part of her intestines, which her parents kept in a vase until Lydwina had her mother bury them after they drew much attention.

She lost her sight seven years before her death but continued to fast and report visions, in one of which her Guardian Angel assisted her, until her death at age fifty three. st lydwina snip

Posthumously, Lydwina’s grave became a place of pilgrimage. Thomas à Kempis’s (1380-1471) publication, Vita Lidewigis, A Life of St Lydwina, caused an increase in veneration. In 1615 her relics were taken to Brussels but in 1871 they were returned to Schiedam. In 1434, a chapel was built over it. Her relics were taken to Brussels, Belgium in 1615 but returned to Schiedam in 1871.

In 1890, Pope Leo XIII Canonised her. She is known as the patron saint of ice skaters and the chronically ill and her “feast day” is observed on 18 March, 14 April (universal memorial) or 14 June depending on the region and area’s tradition. st lydwina snip 2 statue

The Church of Our Lady of the Visatation, which was opened in 1859 in Schiedam closed in 1969 and her statue and relics were removed and moved to the chapel dedicated to her Basilica of Lydwina in West-Frankeland. In Schiedam, her name is attached to numerous institutions and the Intorno Ensemble foundation presents a bi-annual musical theatrical production about Lydwina, the town saint, in one of Schiedam’s churches.

Of her suffering at the end of her life, Lidwina allegedly said, “If I live to be healthy by Ave Maria again I would not want to.” Her final vision was of Christ administering last rites to her.

This powerful and heartwarming history makes it so fitting that Lydwina was named the patron saint of ice skating.

Surely, one of the parables of the story of St Lydwina, is that if you fall down, you never give up and you too may become a Saint. Your search for holiness, may, after all, only begin after the fall! st-lidwina-1

CATECHESIS, LENT 2019, SAINT of the DAY, The PASSION

Memorials of the Saints and Palm Sunday 2019 – 14 April

Posted on April 14, 2019April 13, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Palm Sunday *2019

St Abundius the Sacristan
St Antony of Vilna
St Ardalion the Actor
St Benezet the Bridge Builder
St Bernhard of Tiron
St Domnina of Terni
St Eustace of Vilna
St Fronto of Nitria
Bl Hadewych
St John of Monte Marano
St John of Vilna
St Lambert of Lyon
Bl Lucien Botovasoa (1908-1947) Martyr
Blessed Lucien’s life: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/14/saint-of-the-day-14-april-blessed-lucien-botovasoa-o-f-s-1908-1947-martyr/

St Lydwina of Schiedam (1380-1433)

St Maximus of Rome
St Peter Gonzalez OP (1190 – 1246)
About St Peter: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/14/saint-of-the-day-14-april-blessed-peter-gonzalez-o-p/

St Tassach of Raholp
St Thomaides of Alexandria
St Tiburtius of Rome
St Valerian of Trastevere

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The STATIONS of the CROSS

The Stations of the Cross – 13 April – The Third Station

Posted on April 13, 2019April 13, 2019 by AnaStpaul

The Stations of the Cross – 13 April – Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent, Year C

Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Begin with an Act of Contrition, this one by St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787).

My Lord Jesus Christ,
You have made this journey
to die for me, with love unutterable
and I have so many times unworthily abandoned You
but now I love You with my whole heart
and because I love You,
I repent sincerely for having ever offended You.
Pardon me, my God
and permit me to accompany You on this journey.
You go to die for love of me,
I wish also, my beloved Redeemer,
to die for love of Thee.
My Jesus, I will live
and die always united to You.
Amen act of contrition - st alphonsus 13 april 2019.jpg

The Third Station
Jesus falls the first time beneath the Cross

V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
V. We adore You, O Christ and we bless You.
R. Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

JESUS, bowed down under the weight and the length of the unwieldy Cross, which trailed after Him, slowly sets forth on His way, amid the mockeries and insults of the crowd. His agony in the Garden itself was sufficient to exhaust Him but it was only the first of a multitude of sufferings. He sets off with His whole heart but His limbs fail Him and He falls.

Yes, it is as I feared. Jesus, the strong and mighty Lord, has found for the moment our sins stronger than Himself. He falls—yet He bore the load for a while, He tottered but He bore up and walked onwards. What, then, made Him give way? I say, I repeat, it is an intimation and a memory to thee, O my soul, of thy falling back into mortal sin. I repented of the sins of my youth and went on well for a time but at length, a new temptation came, when I was off my guard and I suddenly fell away. Then all my good habits seemed to go at once, they were like a garment which is stripped off, so quickly and utterly did grace depart from me. And at that moment I looked at my Lord and lo! He had fallen down and I covered my face with my hands and remained in a state of great confusion. the third station jesus falls the first time - bl john henry newman 13 april 20195.jpg

V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.

I love You,
Lord Jesus,
my love
above all things,
I repent
with my
whole heart
for having
offended You.
Never permit me
to separate myself
from You again
grant that I
may love always
and then do with me
what You will.
(St Alphonsus Liguori)

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

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Meditations on the Stations of the Cross By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The Ninth Station Again, a third time, Jesus falls

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The perfection of love

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

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Love, or the name of God

St John Climacus (579-649)

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

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Meditations on the Stations of the Cross By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The Seventh Station Jesus falls a second time

The Eighth Station Jesus comforts the Women of Jerusalem

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Fr Henri Nouwen (1932-1996)

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St Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

Pope Francis

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Meditations on the Stations of the Cross By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The Sixth Station Jesus and Veronica

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Peter’s Denial

Saint Romanos the Melodist (c 490-c 556)

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Meditations on the Stations of the Cross By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The Fifth Station Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross

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We are soon going to share in the Passover

Saint Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Bishop and Great Eastern Father and Doctor of the Church

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Speaking of the Cross

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church

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

St Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church

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Meditations on the Stations of the Cross By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The Fourth Station Jesus meets His Mother

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Pope Francis

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

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Saint Romanus the Melodist (c 490-c 556)

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Meditations on the Stations of the Cross By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The Third Station Jesus falls the first time beneath the Cross

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Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The Ninth Station
Again, a third time, Jesus falls

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

Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The Seventh Station
Jesus falls a second time

The Eighth Station
Jesus comforts the Women of Jerusalem

Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The Sixth Station
Jesus and Veronica

Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The Fifth Station
Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross

Saint Gregory Nazianzen (330-390)
Bishop and Great Eastern Father and Doctor of the Church

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor of the Church

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

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church

Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The Fourth Station
Jesus meets His Mother

Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The Third Station
Jesus falls the first time beneath the Cross