Category: MARIAN POETRY

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, Gerard MANLEY HOPKINS SJ, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARY'S MONTH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

It’s 1 May, The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Posted on by AnaStpaul

It’s 1 May
Let us Rejoice in our Mother Mary!
The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Bright Mother of our Maker, Hail!
Thou Virgin ever blest,
the Ocean’s Star by which we sail
and gain the port of rest!”
(Anonymous 8th Century Latin Hymn)

The May Magnificat
By Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

May is Mary’s month and I
Muse at that and wonder why:
Her feasts follow reason,
Dated due to season-

Candlemas, Lady Day:
But the Lady Month, May,
Why fasten that upon her,
With a feasting in her honour?
Ask of her, the mighty Mother:
Her reply puts this other
Question: What is Spring?
Growth in everything-
All things rising, all things sizing
Mary sees, sympathising
With that world of good,
Nature’s motherhood.

Well but there was more than this:
Spring’s universal bliss
Much, had much to say
To offering Mary May.

Visits to the Altar of Our Lady
On the Love of Mary for Her Children
(Imprimatur, 1867)

Mary loves us because we are her children. A loving and tender Mother is never wearied by the importunities of her little ones and Mary, who is the most loving and tender of all mothers, will never weary of hearing and answering our petitions.
The one great thing that she desires, for all her children is that they should become like her Son Jesus. He is the only Child who never disobeyed her or grieved her.
It is for His love that she loves us.
How great must be His love for us, when He inspires Mary with such a love! The best return we can make Him is to have a perfect trust and confidence in His Blessed Mother.
Those who are not devout to Mary cannot really understand the great Mystery of the Incarnation and do not love Jesus as they should – for, if they loved Him, they would love His Mother too, even a tiny bit as much as He loves her.

Let us try, then, during this Month of May, to become more like Jesus.
Let us consider what spiritual grace we need most, in order to attain this great end and let us ask it with confidence everyday.
Let us also try to induce others, to honour Mary, by special devotion to her during this most beautiful month.

Let Me Love Your Jesus
By St Ildephonsus (c 607-670)

Virgin Mary, hear my prayer,
through the Holy Spirit,
you became the Mother of Jesus,
from the Holy Spirit,
may I too have Jesus.
Through the Holy Spirit,
your flesh conceived Jesus,
through the same Spirit,
may my soul receive Jesus.
Through the Holy Spirit,
you were able to know Jesus,
to possess Jesus
and to bring Him into the world.
Through the Holy Spirit,
may I too come to know your Jesus.
Imbued with the Spirit, Mary, you could say
“I am the handmaid of the Lord,
be it done unto me according to your word,”
in the Holy Spirit, lowly as I am,
let me proclaim the great truths about Jesus.
In the Spirit, you now adore Jesus as Lord
and look on Him as Son,
in the same Spirit, Mary,
let me love your Jesus.
Amen

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Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, The DIVINE INFANT

Our Morning Offering – 31 December – Mary of Christmas

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Our Morning Offering – 31 December – The Seventh Day of the Octave of Christmas – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception”

Mary of Christmas
Unknown Author

I know not how, dear Lady love,
To offer you my praise,
I cannot fashion as I wish
The words that I would raise.
You stand afar, celestial Queen,
The stars are in your crown,
They spangle at each gesture’s path
And dust upon your gown.
Perhaps I might recall the night
You knelt beside the crib,
The night when doors and casements shut
And left a mountain’s rib,
Alone, exposed, to hoard you close
Beside the new-born Child
And seek in Joseph’s kindly eyes
For something worldly-mild.
To counteract such mundane chill
I hereby set my heart,
Dim mirror of an Infant’s warmth,
Its flaming but a part,
A small, sad part of Endless Love
That came on Christmas day
To show a mother wonder-bright
To guide us on our way.
Amen.

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Our Morning Offering – 25 December – Nativity Song

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Our Morning Offering – 25 December – The Nativity of Our Lord, Christmas Day! – the Memorial of Blessed Jacopone da Todi OFM (1230-1306)

Nativity Song
By Blessed Jacopone da Todi OFM (1230-1306)

The beautiful Mother is bending
Low where her Baby lies
Helpless and frail, for her tending
But she knows the glorious eyes.

The Mother smiles and rejoices,
While the Baby laughs in the hay,
She listens to heavenly voices:
“This Child shall be King some day.”

O dear little Child in the manger,
Let me make merry with Thee,
O King, in my hour of danger,
Wilt Thou be strong for me?

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, FRANCISCAN OFM, Hail MARY!, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION

Quote/s of the Day – 21 November – The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 November – The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“In her, God spun a garment
with which to save us.”

Saint Ephrem (306-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“Hail, holy throne of God,
divine sanctuary, house of glory,
jewel most fair, chosen treasure house
and mercy seat for the whole world,
heaven showing forth the glory of God.

Purest Virgin, worthy of all praise, sanctuary dedicated to God
and raised above all human condition,
virgin soil, unploughed field, flourishing vine,
fountain pouring out waters, virgin bearing a child,
mother without knowing man,
hidden treasure of innocence, ornament of sanctity,
by your most acceptable prayers,
strong with the authority of motherhood,
to our Lord and God, Creator of all,
your Son, Who was born of you without a father,
steer the ship of the Church
and bring it to a quiet harbour.”

St Germanus (378-448)

“This fair olive-tree,
led to the temple
and, thenceforward planted
in the House of God
and cultivated by the Spirit,
she, as a fruitful olive-tree,
became the abode of all virtues.”

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

“God Himself, with the whole heavenly court,
made great rejoicings on that day,
beholding His spouse,
coming to the temple.”

St Bernardine of Siena OFM (1380-1444)

“Give thanks to Almighty God
Who resists the proud
and gives grace to the humble
and offer Him all the glory
that this Maiden accorded to His majesty
by her practice of the richest humility
during her childhood
and throughout the rest of her life.”

St John Eudes CO (1601-1680)

Posted in MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering

Our Morning Offering – 21 November – Mary the Dawn

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Our Morning Offering – 21 November – The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary the Dawn
Unknown Author

Morning Psalter
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary the dawn, Christ the Perfect Day.
Mary the gate, Christ the Heavenly Way!

Mary the root, Christ the Mystic Vine.
Mary the grape, Christ the Sacred Wine!

Mary the wheat, Christ the Living Bread.
Mary the stem, Christ the Rose Blood-red!

Mary the font, Christ the Cleansing Flood.
Mary the cup, Christ the Saving Blood!

Mary the temple, Christ the temple’s Lord.
Mary the shrine, Christ the God Adored!

Mary the beacon, Christ the Haven’s Rest.
Mary the mirror, Christ the Vision Blest!

Mary the mother, Christ the mother’s Son.
By all things blest, while endless ages run.
Amen.

Melody: Mary the Dawn,
Music: Anon
Text: Anon, translated by the Dominican Sisters of Summit.

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, To JESUS through MARY

Our Morning Offering – 31 October – Through Thee, to Us, our Saviour Came, Sweet Lady of the Rosary

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Our Morning Offering – 31 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Goodbye October

Through Thee, to Us, our Saviour Came
Sweet Lady of the Rosary
By St Amadeus of Lausanne O.Cist (1108-1159)

Through thee, to us, our Saviour came,
Through thee, to Him, we fain would go.
Our lives are marred by wrong and shame,
Yet, confidence in thee we know.
The friendship thou dost give to all
Who love thy name, shall ever be
Assurance thou wilt hear our call,
Sweet Lady of the Rosary!

Thou art our Strength upon the way,
Our Morning Star, to cheer and guide;
Our Beacon Light to show the day,
And lead us to the Saviour’s Side;
A Comforter in ev’ry pain
We find, O Mother blest, in thee,
And seek we, never, thee in vain,
Fair Lady of the Rosary!

Thy praises, Mary, we would sing,
And all our faculties employ,
That unto thee our hearts might bring
A glory-crown of love and joy.
Bless thou each humble effort made
In thy regard and grant that we,
May by thy influence be swayed,
Our Lady of the Rosary!

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, PAPAL PRAYERS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Our Morning Offering – 1 October – The Holy Rosary by Pope Leo XIII

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Our Morning Offering – 1 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels”

The Holy Rosary
By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

Accept, mighty Maid, we beseech thee,
This prayer with its fragrance of flowers;
With one soul we seek thus to reach thee
And hail thee, God’s Mother and ours.

Thy heart is made glad by our praying;
Thy bounty is generous and wise;
Thy hands are enriched for conveying
What God’s tender Mercy supplies.

We kneel at thy Shrines in the Churches;
Oh, gently look down from above,
And welcome the heart that then searches
For worthy expressions of love.

Let others present precious caskets
Of gems, or heap Altars with gold;
Slight prayer-beads shall serve us for baskets
To bring thee the garland they hold.

With violets lowly we fashion
This wreath and with these combined
Red roses–our faith in the Passion
With Chastity’s lilies entwined.

Our minds, as the Mysteries vary,
Are active, our hands play their part;
And always thy name, Holy Mary,
Oft-uttered, rejoices the heart.

Be with us, we trust thee to guide us
Through life and when labouring breath
At the last, seeks thine aid, be beside us
To help at the hour of our death.
Anen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, THE ASSUMPTION

Our Morning Offering – 15 August – Fly, My Soul, with Mary Fly! By St Alphonsus

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Our Morning Offering – 15 August – The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Fly, My Soul, with Mary Fly!
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor
(From “The Glories of Mary”
Trans. Redemptoris Fathers, 1931)

Fly, my soul, with Mary fly!
Soar beyond the golden sky,
Mount to Mary’s throne on high.

Bright the queenly crown she won,
Sweet the reign she has begun,
As she stands beside her Son.
Fly, my soul, with Mary fly.

How endure this long delay?
Living here, how can I stay
From such beauty far away?
Fly, my soul, with Mary fly.

Sad my lot is here below;
Who can hope or life bestow?
Who will help or pity show?
Fly, my soul, with Mary fly.

But, although far away from me,
Still our sovereign Queen will be
Full of love and clemency.
Fly, my soul, with Mary fly.

With a mother’s loving care
She will lift those hands so fair
And will save us by her prayer.
Fly, my soul, with Mary fly.

Mother’s heart can ne’er forget
That we are her children yet,
By such dangers fierce beset.
Fly, my soul, with Mary fly.

Gently, still, she bends her eyes
On the soul that longs and sighs
For her love, the heavenly prize.
Fly, my soul, with Mary fly.

Blest the soul who, like the dove
Borne upon the wings of love,
Follows her to Heaven above.
Fly, my soul, with Mary fly!

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

Our Morning Offering – 8 August – O Mother Blest By St Alphonsus

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Our Morning Offering – 8 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”

O Mother Blest
By St Alphonsus Maira Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
Trans. Fr Edmund Vaughn C.SS,R, (1827 – 1908 )

O Mother blest, whom God bestows
On sinners and on just,
What joy, what hope thou givest those
Who in thy mercy trust.
Thou are clement, thou are chaste,
Mary thou art fair,
Of all mothers, sweetest best,
none with thee compare.

O heavenly Mother, mistress sweet!
it never yet was told
that suppliant sinner left thy feet,
unpitied, unconsoloed.
Thou are clement, thou are chaste, …

O Mother, pitiful and mild,
Cease not to pray for me;
For I do love thee as a child,
And sigh for love of thee.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …

Most powerful Mother, all men know
Thy Son denies thee nought;
Thou askest, wishest it, and lo!
His power thy will hath wrought.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …

O Mother blest, for me obtain,
Ungrateful though I be,
To love that God who first could deign
To show such love for me.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste,
Mary, thou art fair.
Of all mothers, sweetest, best,
None with thee compare.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTRINE, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, FRANCISCAN OFM, Hail MARY!, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN QUOTES, MARY'S MONTH, QUOTES on GRACE, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY NAME of MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 5 August – Mary!

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Santa Mariæ ad Nives, Dedication of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows

“Mary, Mother of Grace,
it becomes you to be mindful of us,
as you stand near Him who granted you
all graces, for you are the Mother of God
and our Queen.
Help us for the sake of the King,
the Lord God and Master,
Who was born of you.”

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“Mary was placed by God
in the centre of history
and we can say
that everything was made
through her
and with her
and in her.”

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

“Mary is the divine Page
on which God the Father
wrote the Word of God, His Son.
Let us draw near to her and read her!”

St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

“Mary seeks for those
who approach her devoutly and with reverence,
for such she loves, nourishes,
and adopts as her children. ”

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

Blessed Shall be Her Name
Anonymous Author

Praise we the Lord this day,
This day so long foretold,
Whose promise shone with cheering ray
On waiting saints of old.

The prophet gave the sign
That those with faith might read;
A Virgin, born of David’s line
Shall bear the promised Seed.

Ask not how this should be,
But worship and adore;
Like her whom Heaven’s majesty
Came down to shadow o’er.

She meekly bowed her head
To hear the gracious word,
Mary, the pure and lowly maid,
The favoured of the Lord.

Blessed shall be her name
In all the Church on earth,
Through whom that wondrous Mercy came,
The Incarnate Saviour’s Birth.

Jesus, the Virgin’s Son,
We praise You and adore,
Who are with God the Father One
And Spirit evermore.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, PAPAL PRAYERS, ROSARY QUOTES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Quote/s of the Day – 9 July – Our Holy Mother

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 July – Our Holy Mother’s Saturday and the Feast of Our Lady Queen of Peace

“No matter how sinful
one may have been,
if he has devotion to Mary,
it is impossible that he be lost.”

St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“O Mary,
you give assistance
to everyone endeavouring
to rise to God!”

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)

“Let us run to Mary
and, as her little children,
cast ourselves into her arms
with a perfect confidence.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

The Holy Rosary
By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

Accept, mighty Maid, we beseech thee,
This prayer with its fragrance of flowers;
With one soul we seek thus to reach thee
And hail thee, God’s Mother and ours.

Thy heart is made glad by our praying;
Thy bounty is generous and wise;
Thy hands are enriched for conveying
What God’s tender Mercy supplies.

We kneel at thy Shrines in the Churches;
Oh, gently look down from above,
And welcome the heart that then searches
For worthy expressions of love.

Let others present precious caskets
Of gems, or heap Altars with gold;
Slight prayer-beads shall serve us for baskets
To bring thee the garland they hold.

With violets lowly we fashion
This wreath and with these combined
Red roses–our faith in the Passion
With Chastity’s lilies entwined.

Our minds, as the Mysteries vary,
Are active, our hands play their part;
And always thy name, Holy Mary,
Oft-uttered, rejoices the heart.

Be with us, we trust thee to guide us
Through life and when labouring breath
At the last, seeks thine aid, be beside us
To help at the hour of our death.

“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom
of His most chaste Mother,
Christ took to Himself flesh
and united to Himself,
the spiritual Body formed
by those who were to believe in Him.
Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour
within her, may be said,
to have also carried, all those.
whose life was contained
in the life of the Saviour.
Therefore, all we,
who are united to Christ
and, as the Apostle says,
are members of His body,
of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30),
have issued from the womb of Mary,
like a body united to it’s Head.”

St Pius X (1835-1914)
Pope from 1903 to 1914
Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUEENSHIP of MARY

Our Morning Offering – 31 May – Queen on Whose Starry Brow Doth Rest

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Our Morning Offering – 31 May – The Queenship of Mary

Queen on Whose Starry Brow Doth Rest
By St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530-c 609)
Translation by Monsignor Ronald A Knox (1888 – 1957)

Queen, on whose starry brow doth rest
The crown of perfect maidenhood,
The God who made thee, from thy brest
Drew, for our sakes, His earthly food.

The grace that sinful Eve denied,
With thy Child-bearing, re-appears;
Heaven’s lingering door, set open wide,
Welcomes the children of her tears.

Fate, for such royal progress meet,
Beacon, whose rays such light can give,
Look, how the ransomed nations greet
The virgin-womb that bade them live!

O Jesus, whom the Virgin bore,
Be praise and glory unto Thee.
Praise to the Father evermore
And His life-giving Spirit be.
Amen!

Saint Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609) Bishop, Poet, Hymnist, Writer – born c 530 at Rreviso, Italy and died c 609 at Poitiers, modern France of natural causes.
St Venantius was unique, first a travelling lay poet, he later became a Priest and then a Bishop. But he always remained a professional author of poetry, a “Troubadour” of Christ. He is the attributed author of the Ave Maris Stella, amongst many others.

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST

Our Morning Offering – 21 May – The Mater Christi

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Our Morning Offering – 21 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and Sanctae Mariae Sabbato, Mary’s Saturday

The Mater Christi
Unknown Author

Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
What shall I ask of thee?
I do not sigh for the wealth of earth
For the joys that fade and flee,
But, Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
This do I long to see —
The bliss untold which thy arms enfold,
The Treasure upon thy knee.

Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
He was All-in-All to thee,
In the winter’s cave, in Nazareth’s home,
In the hamlets of Galilee,
So, Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
He will not say nay to thee,
When He lifts His Face to thy sweet embrace,
Speak to Him, Mother, of me.

Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
The world will bid Him flee,
Too busy to heed His gentle voice,
Too blind His charms to see,
Then, Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
Come with thy Babe to me,
Tho’ the world be cold, my heart shall hold
A shelter for Him and thee.

Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
What shall I do for thee?
I will love thy Son with the whole of my strength,
My only King shall He be.
Yes! Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
This will I do for thee,
Of all that are dear or cherished here,
None shall be dear as He.

Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
I toss on a stormy sea,
O lift thy Child as a Beacon Light,
To the Port where I fain would be!
And, Mother of Christ, Mother of Christ,
This do I ask of thee —
When the voyage is o’er, oh! stand on the shore
And show Him at last to me.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Hail MARY!, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, Ven Servant of God John A Hardon

Our Morning Offering – 13 May – Hymn to Mary the Virgin

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Our Morning Offering – 13 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and the Memorial of St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church.

St Robert Bellarmine’s Hymn to Mary the Virgin:
Among St Robert’s extant writing, there is a short poem of twenty stanzas which he composed in the nature of a Litany to the Blessed Virgin. The text was first published in Italian some fifty years ago and to the best of the writer’s knowledge, has never been translated into English. Each verse-line begins with the name “Virgin,” joined to a title and petition to Our Lady, starting with the letter “A” and going down the Italian alphabet to “V.” Thus the first seven verses begin with the invocation: “Vergine adorna … Vergine Bella …Vergine casta … Vergine degna … Vergine eletta … Vergine felice … Vergine gradita …”

A translation to this tribute to the Virgin Mother reads as follows: – Servant of God Fr John A Hardon SJ (1914-2000).

Hymn to Mary the Virgin
By St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)
Doctor of the Church.

Virgin adored and clothed with the sun,
grant me thine aid.
Virgin most beautiful, mystical rose,
take abode in my heart.
Virgin most chaste, all undefiled,
grant me true peace.
Virgin deserving of all honour and praise,
give me thy love.
Virgin elect and full of all grace,
lead me to God.
Virgin most blessed, star of the sea,
dispel the storms besetting me.
Virgin most virtuous, holy and sweet,
show me the way.
Virgin illustrious, with thy burning light,
enlighten thou my mind.
Virgin more precious than jewels or gold,
make reparation for me.
Virgin most worthy of all praise,
mother, daughter and immaculate spouse.
Virgin and Mother,
make me more pleasing to Jesus thy Son.
Virgin most innocent of any stain or fault,
make me more worthy of God.
Virgin enriched with every gift and grace,
obtain the remission of my sins.
Virgin most pure, grant me to enjoy
the bliss of heavenly love.
Virgin, thou lily among thorns,
I pray thee for the grace of a happy death.
Virgin more rare than the rarest dream,
bring joy to my heart.
Virgin so great, there is none like thee on earth,
bring peace to my soul.
Virgin most true, loving Mother too, Virgin Mary.
Amen.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CONTEMPLATIVE Prayer, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARY'S MONTH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The HEART, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The WORD

MAY – The Month of our Loving Mother Mary!

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It’s 1 May
The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Month of our Loving Mother!

“The name of Mary
is a tower of strength,
which saves sinners from punishment
and defends the just
from the assaults of hell.”
St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455)

Mary Pondered All These Things in Her Heart (Cf Luke 2:19)

From a Sermon by St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455) Bishop of Venice, Confessor
His Biography here:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/09/05/saint-of-the-day-5-september-saint-lawrence-justinian-1381-1455/

“While Mary contemplated all she had come to know through reading, listening and observing, she grew in faith,increased in merits and was more illuminated by Wisdom and more consumed by the fire of charity.
The Heavenly Mysteries were opened to her and she was filled with joy; she became fruitful by the Spirit, was being directed toward God and watched over protectively, while on earth.
So remarkable are the divine graces, that they elevate one from the lowest depths to the highest summit and transform one to a greater holiness.
How entirely blessed was the mind of the Virgin which, through the indwelling and guidance of the Spirit, was always and in every way, open to the power of the Word of God.
She was not led by her own senses, nor by her own will, thus, she accomplished outwardly, through her body. what Wisdom, from within, gave to her faith.
It was fitting for Divine Wisdom, which created itself a home in the Church, to use the intervention of the most Blessed Mary, in guarding the law, purifying the mind, giving an example of humility and providing a spiritual sacrifice.
Imitate her, O faithful soul!
Enter into the deep recesses of your heart, so that you may be purified spiritually and cleansed from your sins.
God places more value on goodwill in all we do, than on the works themselves.
Therefore, whether we give ourselves to God in the work of contemplation or whether we serve the needs of our neighbour by good works, we accomplish these things because, the love of Christ urges us on.
The acceptable offering of the spiritual purification, is accomplished, not in a man-made temple but, in the recesses of the heart where the Lord Jesus freely enters!”

Mary! How Sweetly Falls That Word
Anonymous, 19th Century

Mary! How sweetly falls that word
On my enraptured ear!
Oft do I breathe in accents low,
That sound when none are near.
Chorus:
Sing, O my lips and loudly proclaim:
O Mary, O Mary, how sweet is thy name!
Sing, O my lip, and loudly proclaim;
O Mary, O Mary, how sweet is thy name!

Sweet as the warbling of a bird,
Sweet as a mother’s voice;
So sweet to me is that dear name,
It makes my soul rejoice.
Chorus.

Bright as the glittering stars appear,
Bright as the moonbeams shine,
So bright in my mind’s eye is seen
Thy loveliness divine!
Chorus.

Through thee I offer my requests,
And when my prayer is done,
In ecstasy sublime I see
Thee seated near thy Son.
Chorus.

Tune: St Basil’s Hymnal: Unnamed Tune. (1889)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN QUOTES, Quotes on SALVATION, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – Blessed Shall be Her Name

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – The Annunciation – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38

“He Who is Infinite, Limitless,
came to dwell in your womb;
God, the Child Jesus,
was nourished by your milk.
You are the ever virginal Doorway of God;
your hands hold your God;
your lap is a throne raised up
above the Cherubim…
You are the wedding chamber of the Spirit,
the “city of the living God,
gladdened by the runlets of the stream,”
that is to say, the waves of the Spirit’s gifts.
You are “all fair, the Beloved” of God.”

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

“And Mary said,
‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be to me according to your word.’”

Luke 1:38

“The price of our salvation
is offered to you.
We shall be set free at once, if you consent.
In the eternal Word of God, we all came to be
and behold, we die.
In your brief response,
we are to be remade.
in order to be recalled to life.

… Answer quickly, O Virgin.
Reply in haste to the Angel,
or rather, through the Angel to the Lord.
Answer with a word,
receive the Word of God.
Speak your own word,
conceive the Divine Word.
Breathe a passing word,
embrace the Eternal Word!”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
The Last Father and
the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

Blessed Shall be Her Name
Anonymous Author

Praise we the Lord this day,
This day so long foretold,
Whose promise shone with cheering ray
On waiting saints of old.

The prophet gave the sign
That those with faith might read;
A Virgin, born of David’s line
Shall bear the promised Seed.

Ask not how this should be,
But worship and adore;
Like her whom Heaven’s majesty
Came down to shadow o’er.

She meekly bowed her head
To hear the gracious word,
Mary, the pure and lowly maid,
The favoured of the Lord.

Blessed shall be her name
In all the Church on earth,
Through whom that wondrous Mercy came,
The Incarnate Saviour’s Birth.

Jesus, the Virgin’s Son,
We praise You and adore,
Who are with God the Father One
And Spirit evermore.
Amen

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 11 February – The Immaculate Virgin Mary

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 11 February – Apparition of the Immaculate Virgin Mary at Lourdes

“This Virgin Mother
of the Only begotten of God,
is called Mary,
worthy of God,
Immaculate of the Immaculate,
One of the One.”

Origen (c 185-253)

“Today humanity, in all the radiance
of her Immaculate nobility,
receives its ancient beauty.
The shame of sin
had darkened the splendour
and attraction of human nature
but when the Mother
of the Fair One par excellence,
is born, this nature again,
regains in her person,
its ancient privileges
and is fashioned according to a perfect model,
truly worthy of God….
The reform of our nature begins today
and the aged world,
subjected to a wholly divine transformation,
receives the first fruits of the second creation.”

St Andrew of Crete (c 650-c 740)
Bishop, Theologian, Hymnist

Rosa Mystica
By Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

The rose in a mystery, where is it found?
Is it anything true? Does it grow upon ground? —
It was made of earth’s mould
but it went from men’s eyes
And its place is a secret and shut in the skies.
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
Find me a place by thee, Mother of mine.

But where was it formerly? which is the spot
That was blest in it once, though now it is not? —
It is Galilee’s growth: it grew at God’s Will
And broke into bloom upon Nazareth hill.
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
I shall look on thy loveliness, Mother of mine.

What was its season then? how long ago?
When was the summer that saw the bud blow? —
Two thousands of years are near upon past
Since its birth and its bloom
and its breathing its last.
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
I shall keep time with thee, Mother of mine.

Tell me the name now, tell me its name.
The heart guesses easily: is it the same? —
Mary the Virgin, well the heart knows,
She is the Mystery, she is that Rose.
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
I shall come home to thee, Mother of mine.

Is Mary the Rose then? Mary the tree?
But the blossom, the blossom there, who can it be? —
Who can her Rose be? It could be but One:
Christ Jesus our Lord, her God and her Son.
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
Shew me thy Son, Mother, Mother of mine.

What was the colour of that blossom bright? —
White to begin with, Immaculate white.
But what a wild flush on the flakes of it stood
When the Rose ran in crimsonings
down the Cross-wood!
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
I shall worship His Wounds with thee, Mother of mine.

How many leaves had it? — Five they were then,
Five like the senses and members of men;
Five is their number by nature but now
They multiply, multiply who can tell how?┬░
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
Make me a leaf in thee, Mother of mine.

Does it smell sweet too, in that holy place? —
Sweet unto God and the sweetness is grace:
O Breath of it bathes great Heaven above
In grace that is charity, grace that is love.
To thy breast, to thy rest, to thy glory Divine
Draw me by charity, Mother of mine.
Amen

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HYMNS, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUEENSHIP of MARY

Our Morning Offering – 5 February – Ave Regina Caelorum

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Our Morning Offering – 5 February – Mary’s Saturday

Ave Regina Caelorum
Queen of Heaven Enthroned

Hail, O Queen of Heaven enthroned.
Hail, by Angels mistress owned.
Root of Jesse, Gate of Morn
Whence the world’s true Light was born,
Glorious Virgin, Joy to thee,
Loveliest whom in Heaven they see;
Fairest thou, where all are fair,
Plead with Christ, our souls to spare.

V. Vouchsafe that I may praise thee,
O sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thine enemies.

Let us pray:
We beseech thee, O Lord,
mercifully to assist our infirmity,
that like, as we do now
commemorate the Blessed Mary
Ever-Virgin, Mother of God;
so by the help of her intercession
we may die to our former sins
and rise again to newness of life.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen

“Ave Regina caelorum” is one of the Marian antiphons said or sung in the Liturgy of the Hours at the close of compline. In the Roman Breviary as revised by Pope Pius V in 1569 it was assigned for this use from compline of 2 February until compline of Wednesday of Holy Week.
The original author is unknown – it has been found in a manuscript from the twelfth-century.
It has been set to music by various composers including Hyden and many others.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 January – ‘Consider the most prudent woman Mary …’

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One Minute Reflection – 11 January – Sixth Day within the Octave of Epiphany

“He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them and his mother kept all these things in her heart.” – Luke 2:51

REFLECTION – “Consider the most prudent woman Mary, Mother of true Wisdom, as the pupil of her Son. For she learned from Him, not as from a child or man but as from God. Yes, she dwelt in meditation on His words and actions. Nothing of what was said or done by Him, fell idly on her mind. As before, when she conceived the Word itself in her womb, so now does she hold within her, His ways and words, cherishing them as it were in her heart. That which she now beholds in the present, she waits to have revealed with greater clarity, in the future. This practice she followed as a rule and law through all her life.” – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke)

PRAYER – All-powerful, eternal God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, let our striving for Your kingdom not fall short through selfishness or fear, may the universe be alive with the Spirit and our homes be the pledge of the world redeemed. May our hearts be eternally longing for that time alone with You, our one true Love. May our worldly duties be such, that they never impede our progress in devotion and may the intercession of our Holy Mother and all the Saints, be a strength and a comfort. Through Jesus, our compassionate and loving Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You forever, amen.

Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN POETRY, POETRY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The DIVINE INFANT, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 26 December – Christ, the Child

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 December – The Second Day in the Christmas Octave

Christ, the Child

“Oh great God! Oh perfect Child!
The Son is in the Father
and the Father is in the Son.
How could the teaching this Child gives,
not be irreproachable?
It includes us all to guide us all, His children.
He has stretched out His hands to us
and we have placed in them all our faith.
To this little Child, John the Baptist himself
also gave testimony – “Behold,” he said,
“the Lamb of God,” (Jn 1:29).
Since Scripture has called children ‘lambs,’
it has called “Lamb of God”
the Word of God Who became man for us
and Who wanted to become like us in all things,
the Son of God Himself, the child of the Father.”

St Clement of Alexandria (150-215)
Theologian, Father

“Maker of the sun,
He is made under the sun.

In the Father He remains,
From His mother He goes forth.

Creator of heaven and earth,
He was born under heaven.

Unspeakably wise,
He is wisely speechless.

Filling the world,
He lies in a manger.

Ruler of the stars,
He nurses at His mother’s bosom.

He is both great in the nature of God
and small in the form of a servant.”

“He became small because you were small –
understand how great He is
and you will become great along with Him.
This is how houses are built,
how the solid walls of a building are raised.
The stones brought to construct the building increase,
you, too, increase, understanding how great Christ is
and how He who appeared to be small is great,
very great indeed…”

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

“He is an infant,
He does not speak,
He only cries but these cries
are cries of love
which invite us to love Him,
cries that demand our hearts.”

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

A Christmas Carol
By G K Chesterton (1874-1936)
English Catholic Convert, Writer, Poet.

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s lap,
His hair was like a light.
(O weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s breast
His hair was like a star.
(O stern and cunning are the kings
But here the true hearts are.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s heart,
His hair was like a fire.
(O weary, weary is the world
But here the world’s desire.)
The Christ-child stood on Mary’s knee,
His hair was like a crown,
And all the flowers looked up at Him,
And all the stars looked down.

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN POETRY, POETRY, SAINT of the DAY

The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Jesus Christ, Mary of Salvation and Memorials of the Saints – 25 December

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The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Jesus Christ –
Celebration of the anniversary of the Birth of Our Lord. In the earliest days of the Church there was no such Feast, the Saviour’s Birth was commemorated with the Epiphany by the Greek and other Eastern Churches. First mention of the Feast, then kept on 20 May, was made by Clement of Alexandria c 200. The Latin Church began c 300 to observe it on 25 December, though there is no certainty that Our Lord was born on that day. Priests have the privilege of saying three Masses, at midnight, daybreak and morning. This was originally reserved to the Holy Father alone – beginning about the 4th century he celebrated a midnight Mass in the Lateran Basilica (in which according to tradition, the manger of Bethlehem is preserved), a second in the church of Saint Anastasia, whose Feast comes on 25 December and a third at the Vatican Basilica. Many peculiar customs of the day are the outcome of the pagan celebrations of the January calendar. The Christmas tree, of which the first known mention was made in 1605 at Strasbourg, was introduced into France and England in 1840. The feast is a holy day of obligation, preceded by the preparatory season of Advent and by a special Vigil – should it fall on a Friday it abrogates the law of abstinence. Today’s Gospel is the prologue of John.

https://anastpaul.com/2019/12/25/the-solemnity-of-the-nativity-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-25-december-2/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/12/25/the-solemnity-of-the-nativity-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-25-december/
AND:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/12/25/25-december-the-solemnity-of-the-birth-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-2/

Mary of Christmas
Unknown Author

I know not how, dear Lady love,
To offer you my praise,
I cannot fashion as I wish
The words that I world raise.
You stand afar, celestial Queen,
The stars are in your crown,
They spangle at each gesture’s path
And dust upon your gown.
Perhaps I might recall the night
You knelt beside the crib,
The night when doors and casements shut
And left a mountain’s rib,
Alone, exposed, to hoard you close
Beside the new-born Child
And seek in Joseph’s kindly eyes
For something worldly-mild.
To counteract such mundane chill
I hereby set my heart,
Dim mirror of an Infant’s warmth,
Its flaming but a part,
A small, sad part of Endless Love
That came on Christmas day
To show a mother wonder-bright
To guide us on our way.

St Adalsindis of Hamay
St Alburga of Wilton
St Anastasia of Sirmium
Bl Artale
St Basilée of the Via Latina
Bl Bentivoglio de Bonis
Bl Diego de Aro
St Eugenia of Rome
St Fulk of Toulouse

Blessed Jacopone da Todi OFM (1230-1306) Priest and Friar of the Order of the Friars Minor, Author of the “Stabat Mater,” Confessor, Hymnist, Poet, Musician, Mystic, Lawyer.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/25/saint-of-the-day-25-december-blessed-jacopone-da-todi-ofm-1230-1306/

St Jovin of the Via Latina
Bl Maria Therese von Wüllenweber
Bl Matthew of Albano
Bl Michael Nakashima Saburoemon
Bl Nera
Blessed Peter the Venerable (c 1092–1156) Abbot
St Romulus of Berry
—

Martyrs of Nicomedia: 20,000 Christians martyred by order of Diocletian. They were reported to have all been in the single basilica to celebrate Christmas. While there unquestionably was an endless series of martyrs under Diocletian, it’s likely the ancient sources exaggerated the numbers of this incident. And as the Christmas holy day was not celebrated in the East in 303, they were probably gathered for another feast. They were burned alive in 303 in the basilica of Nicomedia.

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN POETRY, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The DIVINE INFANT, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord, Nativity Song, Day Nine of the Christmas Novena to the Christ Child and Memorials of the Saints – 24 December

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24 December – Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord/Mass at Midnight
Midnight Mass is the first liturgy of Christmastide that is celebrated on the night of Christmas Eve, traditionally beginning at midnight when Christmas Eve gives way to Christmas Day. This popular Christmas custom is a jubilant celebration of the Mass in honour of the Nativity of Jesus Christ.

Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote a commentary on these words and explained in his Summa Theologiae, “And from this ,the Mass derives its name … the deacon on festival days ‘dismisses’ the people at the end of the Mass, by saying: ‘Ite, missa est,’ that is, the victim [Jesus] has been sent to God through the angel, so that it may be accepted by God.”

Christmas Novena to the Christ Child – Day Nine:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/12/24/christmas-novena-to-the-christ-child-day-nine-24-december-2/

All the Holy Ancestors of Christ – A commemoration of all the holy ancestors of Jesus Christ.
MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/24/24-december-vigil-of-the-nativity-of-the-lord-mass-at-midnight-and-memorials-of-the-saints-24-december/

Nativity Song
By Blessed Jacopone da Todi OFM (1230-1306)

The beautiful Mother is bending
Low where her Baby lies
Helpless and frail, for her tending
But she knows the glorious eyes.

The Mother smiles and rejoices,
While the Baby laughs in the hay,
She listens to heavenly voices:
“This Child shall be King some day.”

O dear little Child in the manger,
Let me make merry with Thee,
O King, in my hour of danger,
Wilt Thou be strong for me?

About Saint Jacopone:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/25/saint-of-the-day-25-december-blessed-jacopone-da-todi-ofm-1230-1306/

St Adam the Patriarch
St Adela of Pfalzel
Bl Alberic of Gladbach
Bl Brocard of Strasbourg
St Bruno of Ottobeuren
St Caran of Scotland
St Delphinus of Bordeaux

St Emiliana and St Trasilla (died sixth Century) Virgins of the Church and aunts of Saint Pope Gregory the Great (540-604). What we know of their lives was recorded by the holy Pope, who was deeply moved by their model of Christian life and virtue.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/12/24/saints-of-the-day-24-december-saints-tarsilla-and-emiliana-died-sixth-century-virgins/

St Euthymius of Nicomedia
St Eve the Matriarch
Bl Francesco dei Maleficii
St Gregory of Spoleto

St Hanno of Worms OSB (Died 978) Benedictine Monk, Bishop of Worms from 950 until his death.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/24/saint-of-the-day-24-december-saint-hanno-of-worms-osb-died-978/

Bl Ignacio Caselles García
St Irmina of Oehren (Died c 716) Virgin Princess, Nun
St Mochua of Timahoe
Bl Pablo Meléndez Gonzalo

St Paola Elisabetta Cerioli (1816-1865) Widow, Founder of the Institute of the Sisters of the Holy Family, the male branch – the Religious of the Holy Family, of which orders she is the Patron.
Her Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/12/24/saint-of-the-day-24-december-saint-paola-elisabetta-cerioli-1816-1865/

Bl Peter de Solanes
Bl Venerandus of Clermont
—
• Blessed Dionysius Roneo
• Blessed Philip Claro
• Blessed Giulio Pons
• Blessed Peter of Valladolid

Blessed Mercedarian Sisters – (6 beati): Six cloistered Mercedarian nuns at the convent of Vera Cruz in Berriz, Spain. Noted for their devotion to the rules of the Order and for their deep prayer lives.
• Blessed Anna Maria Prieto
• Blessed Anna de Arrano
• Blessed Orsola de Larisgoizia
• Blessed Maguna Mary
• Blessed Margaret
• Blessed Mary of the Assumption Sarria

Martyred Maidens of Antioch – (40 saints): A group of forty virgins martyred in the persecutions of Decius. None of their names have come down to us. They were martyred in 250 in Antioch, Syria.

Martyrs of Tripoli – (6 saints): A group of Christians martyred together, date unknown. The only details that have survived are six of the names – Drusus, Lucian, Metrobius, Paul, Theotimus and Zenobius. They were martyred in Tripoli, Libya.

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, ADVENT QUOTES, CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, POETRY, The HEART, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Quote of the Day – 22 December – .If you want … ‘

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 22 December – Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, O Rex Gentium/O King of all Nations,

“If you want, the Virgin will come
walking down the road
pregnant with the Holy and say:
“I need shelter for the night.
Please take me inside your heart.
My time is so close.”
Then, under the roof of your soul,
you will witness the sublime intimacy,
the Divine, the Christ,
taking birth forever.
As she grasps your hand for help,
for each of us is the midwife of God,
each of us.
Yes, there, under the dome of your being,
does creation come into existence eternally–
through your womb,
dear pilgrim–the sacred womb of your soul!
As God grasps our arms for help;
for each of us is His beloved servant never far.
If you want, the Virgin will come,
walking down the street,
pregnant with Light and sing!”

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

Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, POETRY, The ANNUNCIATION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 December – ‘… Answer quickly, O Virgin. …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 20 December – Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent, Readings: Isaiah 7: 10-14; Psalm 24: 1-6; Luke 1: 26-38

“And Mary said,
‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be to me according to your word.’”

Luke 1:38

“The price of our salvation
is offered to you.
We shall be set free at once, if you consent.
In the eternal Word of God, we all came to be
and behold, we die.
In your brief response,
we are to be remade.
in order to be recalled to life.

… Answer quickly, O Virgin.
Reply in haste to the Angel,
or rather, through the Angel to the Lord.
Answer with a word,
receive the Word of God.
Speak your own word,
conceive the Divine Word.
Breathe a passing word,
embrace the Eternal Word!”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
The Last Father and
the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

The Annunciation
By Fr Thomas Merton (1915-1968)

Ashes of paper, ashes of a world
Wandering, when fire is done:
We argue with the drops of rain!

Until one comes Who walks unseen
Even in elements we have destroyed.
Deeper than any nerve
He enters flesh and bone.
Planting His truth, He puts our substance on.
Air, earth and rain
Rework the frame that fire has ruined.
What was dead is waiting for His Flame.
Sparks of His Spirit spend their seeds, and hide
To grow like irises, born before summertime.
These blue thinas bud in Israel.

The girl prays by the bare wall
Between the lamp and the chair.
(Framed with an angel in our galleries
She has a richer painted room, sometimes a crown.
Yet seven pillars of obscurity
Build her to Wisdom’s house, and Ark and Tower.
She is the Secret of another Testament
She owns their manna in her jar.)

Fifteen years old –
The flowers printed on her dress
Cease moving in the middle of her prayer
When God, Who sends the messenger,
Meets His messenger in her Heart.
Her answer, between breath and breath,
Wrings from her innocence our Sacrament!
In her white body God becomes our Bread.

It is her tenderness
Heats the dead world like David on his bed.
Times that were too soon criminal
And never wanted to be normal
Evade the beast that has pursued
You, me and Adam out of Eden’s wood.
Suddenly we find ourselves assembled
Cured and recollected under several green trees.

Her prudence wrestled with the Dove
To hide us in His cloud of steel and silver:
These are the mysteries of her Son.
And here my heart, a purchased outlaw,
Prays in her possession
Until her Jesus, makes my heart
Smile like a flower in her blameless hand.

Fr Thomas Merton (1915-1968), Trappist Monk and Priest. Thomas Merton expressed his vision in his poetry, novels, essays, devotionals and autobiographical writings.

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION

Our Morning Offering – 20 December – Blessed Shall be Her Name

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 20 December – Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Blessed Shall be Her Name
Anonymous Author

Praise we the Lord this day,
This day so long foretold,
Whose promise shone with cheering ray
On waiting saints of old.

The prophet gave the sign
That those with faith might read;
A Virgin, born of David’s line
Shall bear the promised Seed.

Ask not how this should be,
But worship and adore;
Like her whom Heaven’s majesty
Came down to shadow o’er.

She meekly bowed her head
To hear the gracious word,
Mary, the pure and lowly maid,
The favoured of the Lord.

Blessed shall be her name
In all the Church on earth,
Through whom that wondrous Mercy came,
The Incarnate Saviour’s Birth.

Jesus, the Virgin’s Son,
We praise You and adore,
Who are with God the Father One
And Spirit evermore.
Amen,

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, QUEENSHIP of MARY, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 17 December – Queen on Whose Starry Brow Doth Rest

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 17 December – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – Friday of the Third Week of Advent

Queen on Whose Starry Brow Doth Rest
St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530-c 609)
Translation by Monsignor Ronald A Knox (1888 – 1957)

Queen, on whose starry brow doth rest
The crown of perfect maidenhood,
The God who made thee, from thy brest
Drew, for our sakes, His earthly food.

The grace that sinful Eve denied,
With thy Child-bearing, re-appears;
Heaven’s lingering door, set open wide,
Welcomes the children of her tears.

Fate, for such royal progress meet,
Beacon, whose rays such light can give,
Look, how the ransomed nations greet
The virgin-womb that bade them live!

O Jesus, whom the Virgin bore,
Be praise and glory unto Thee.
Praise to the Father evermore
And His life-giving Spirit be.
Amen!

Saint Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609) Bishop, Poet, Hymnist, Writer – born c 530 at Rreviso, Italy and died c 609 at Poitiers, modern France of natural causes.
St Venantius was unique, first a travelling lay poet, he later became a Priest and then a Bishop. But he always remained a professional author of poetry, a “Troubadour” of Christ. He is the attributed author of the Ave Maris Stella, amongst many others.

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, Gerard MANLEY HOPKINS SJ, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 15 December – Rosa Mystica

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 15 December – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – The Octave Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Rosa Mystica
By Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

The rose in a mystery, where is it found?
Is it anything true? Does it grow upon ground? —
It was made of earth’s mould
but it went from men’s eyes
And its place is a secret and shut in the skies.
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
Find me a place by thee, Mother of mine.

But where was it formerly? which is the spot
That was blest in it once, though now it is not? —
It is Galilee’s growth: it grew at God’s Will
And broke into bloom upon Nazareth hill.
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
I shall look on thy loveliness, Mother of mine.

What was its season then? how long ago?
When was the summer that saw the bud blow? —
Two thousands of years are near upon past
Since its birth and its bloom
and its breathing its last.
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
I shall keep time with thee, Mother of mine.

Tell me the name now, tell me its name.
The heart guesses easily: is it the same? —
Mary the Virgin, well the heart knows,
She is the Mystery, she is that Rose.
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
I shall come home to thee, Mother of mine.

Is Mary the Rose then? Mary the tree?
But the blossom, the blossom there, who can it be? —
Who can her Rose be? It could be but One:
Christ Jesus our Lord, her God and her Son.
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
Shew me thy Son, Mother, Mother of mine.

What was the colour of that blossom bright? —
White to begin with, Immaculate white.
But what a wild flush on the flakes of it stood
When the Rose ran in crimsonings
down the Cross-wood!
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
I shall worship His Wounds with thee, Mother of mine.

How many leaves had it? — Five they were then,
Five like the senses and members of men;
Five is their number by nature but now
They multiply, multiply who can tell how?┬░
In the Gardens of God, in the daylight Divine
Make me a leaf in thee, Mother of mine.

Does it smell sweet too, in that holy place? —
Sweet unto God and the sweetness is grace:
O Breath of it bathes great Heaven above
In grace that is charity, grace that is love.
To thy breast, to thy rest, to thy glory Divine
Draw me by charity, Mother of mine.
Amen

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, CHRISTMASTIDE!, HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The ANNUNCIATION

Our Morning Offering – 14 December – The God Whom Earth and Sea and Sky

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 14 December – Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent and , the Memorial of St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)

The God Whom Earth and Sea and Sky
For Mary, The Mother of God
For the Annunciation, Advent and Christmas
By St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)

The God whom earth and sea and sky
Adore and praise and magnify,
Whose might they claim, whose love they tell,
In Mary’s body comes to dwell.

O Mother blest! the chosen shrine
Wherein the Architect Divine,
Whose Hand contains the earth and sky,
Has come in human form to lie.

Blest in the message Gabriel brought,
Blest in the work the Spirit wrought,
Most blest, to bring to human birth
The long desired of all the earth.

O Lord, the Virgin-born, to You
Eternal praise and laud are due,
Whom with the Father we adore
And Spirit blest for evermore.

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DANTE ALIGHIERI!, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 10 December – Maiden yet a Mother

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 10 December – Friday of the Second Week of Advent and the Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto and the Holy House

Maiden yet a Mother
By Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)
Trans. Msgr Ronald A Knox (1888-1957)

Maiden yet a mother,
daughter of thy Son,
high beyond all other,
lowlier is none;
thou the consummation
planned by God’s decree,
when our lost creation
nobler rose in thee!

Thus His place prepared,
He who all things made
‘mid His creatures tarried,
in thy bosom laid;
there His love He nourished,
warmth that gave increase
to the root whence flourished
our eternal peace.

Nor alone thou hearest
When thy name we hail;
Often thou art nearest
When our voices fail;
Mirrored in thy fashion
All creation’s gird,
Mercy, might compassion
Grace thy womanhood.

Lady, let our vision
Striving heavenward, fail,
Still let thy petition
With thy Son prevail,
Unto whom all merit,
prayer and majesty,
With the Holy Spirit
And the Father be.

Maiden Yet A Mother is a translation of a Poem by Durante (Dante) degli Alighieri (c 1265–1321). It is based upon the opening verses of Canto 33 of the Paradiso from his Divine Comedy in which St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) praises and prays to the Virgin Mother on behalf of Dante. It was translated from the original Italian into English by the Catholic convert, Monsignor Ronald A Knox (1888-1957).

Posted in ARMOUR of CHRIST, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, Gerard MANLEY HOPKINS SJ, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, JESUIT SJ, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MARIAN POETRY, MARY'S MONTH, MODESTY, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST in GOD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, SACRED HEART QUOTES, SAINT of the DAY, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – Jesuits

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – The Memorial of All Jesuit Saints and Blesseds

“Hate what the world seeks
and seek, what it avoids.”

“God’s love calls us to move beyond fear.
We ask God for the courage
to abandon ourselves unreservedly,
so that we might be moulded
by God’s grace,
even as we cannot see
where that path may lead us.”

“Act as if everything depended on you;
trust as if everything depended on God.”

St Ignatius Loyola SJ (1491-1556)

I Beg of You, My Lord
By St Peter Faber (1506-1546)

I beg of You, my Lord,
to remove anything which separates
me from You
and You from me.
Remove anything that makes me unworthy
of Your sight,
Your control,
Your reprehension;
of Your speech and conversation,
of Your benevolence and love.
Cast from me every evil
that stands in the way of my seeing You,
hearing, tasting, savouring and touching You,
fearing and being mindful of You,
knowing, trusting, loving and possessing You;
being conscious of Your Presence
and, as far as may be, enjoying You.
This is what I ask for myself
and earnestly desire from You.
Amen

“What a tragedy,
how many souls
are being shut out of heaven
and falling into hell,
thanks to you!”

St Francis Xavier SJ (1506-1552)

“This death … has already levelled
his bow to strike me.
Is it not prudent to prevent its stroke,
by dying now to the world,
that at my death,
I may live to God?”

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)

“We ought to instruct with meekness
those whom heresy has made bitter and suspicious
and has estranged from orthodox Catholics,
… Thus, by whole-hearted charity and goodwill,
we may win them over to us in the Lord.”

St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1397)
Doctor of the Church

“We … are under an obligation
to be the light of the world
by the modesty of our behaviour,
the fervour of our charity,
the innocence of our lives
and the example of our virtues.
Thus shall we be able
to raise the lowered prestige
of the Catholic Church
and, to build up again,
the ruins that others by their vices have caused.
Others, by their wickedness,
have branded the Catholic Faith
with a mark of shame,
we must strive,
with all our strength, to cleanse it
from its ignominy
and to restore it
to its pristine glory!”

The Burning Babe,

As I in hoary winter’s night
stood shivering in the snow,
Surprised I was with sudden heat
which made my heart to glow;
And lifting up a fearful eye to view
what fire was near,
A pretty babe all burning bright
did in the air appear;
Who, scorchëd with excessive heat,
such floods of tears did shed
As though His floods should quench His flames
which with His tears were fed.
Alas, quoth He but newly born in fiery heats I fry,
Yet none approach to warm their hearts
or feel my fire but I!
My faultless breast the furnace is,
the fuel wounding thorns,
Love is the fire and sighs the smoke,
the ashes shame and scorns;
The fuel justice layeth on
and mercy blows the coals,
The metal in this furnace wrought
are men’s defiled souls,
For which, as now on fire I am
to work them to their good,
So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood.
With this He vanished out of sight
and swiftly shrunk away,
And straight I called unto mind
that it was Christmas day.

St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595)
Priest and Martyr

“When He takes away
what He once lent us,
His purpose is to
store our treasure elsewhere,
more safely and bestow on us,
those very blessings,
that we ourselves
would most choose to have.”
(From A Letter to His Mother)

St Aloysius Gonzaga SJ (1568-1591)

“The Catholic religion was the religion of your forefathers
and the only one Jesus Christ founded; –
the one which He promised would endure
till the end of time.
It is in the Catholic religion alone
that you can save your soul.”

“How long are you going to be deaf to His call?
Or are you going to lose your soul,
which Jesus Christ bought at the price
of His Precious Blood?”

St John Francis Régis SJ (1597-1640)

“… Make use of Our Lord
as an armour which covers [us] all about,
by means of which [we] shall resist
every device of [our] enemies.
You shall then be my Strength, O my God!
You shall be my Guide,
my Director,
my Counsellor,
my Patience,
my Knowledge,
my Peace,
my Justice
and my Prudence.”

“He promises to be [our] strength,
in proportion to the trust
which [we] place in Him.”

St Claude de la Colombiere SJ (1641-1682)
“Apostle of the Sacred Heart”

The May Magnificat
By Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

May is Mary’s month and I
Muse at that and wonder why:
Her feasts follow reason,
Dated due to season-

Candlemas, Lady Day:
But the Lady Month, May,
Why fasten that upon her,
With a feasting in her honour?
Ask of her, the mighty Mother:
Her reply puts this other
Question: What is Spring?
Growth in everything-
All things rising, all things sizing
Mary sees, sympathising
With that world of good,
Nature’s motherhood.

Well but there was more than this:
Spring’s universal bliss
Much, had much to say
To offering Mary May.