Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, papal ENCYCLICALS, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The HOLY NAME of MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 21 December – Our Mother

Quote/s of the Day – 21 December – O Oriens/O Radiant Dawn – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, Readings: Songs 2: 8-14 or Zephaniah 3: 14-18a; Psalm 33: 2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Luke 1: 39-45

“Having confidence in you,
O Mother of God, I shall be saved.
Being under you protection,
I shall fear nothing.
With your help,
I shall give battle to my enemies
and put them to flight,
for devotion to you,
is an arm of Salvation
.”

St John Damascene (676-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

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

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)

“At the mention of this name
[the Blessed Virgin Mary],
the Angels rejoice
and the devils tremble.
Through this invocation,
sinners obtain
grace and pardon.

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

“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 DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION, The O ANTIPHONS

One Minute Reflection – 20 December – “Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

One Minute Reflection – 20 December – Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent O Clavis David/O Key of David – Readings: Isaiah 7: 10-14; Psalm 24: 1-6; Luke 1: 26-38

The Lord is at hand, come let us adore Him.

O KEY OF DAVID,
and Sceptre of the House of Israel,
who opens and no-one shuts,
who shuts and no-one opens.
Come and bring forth the captive from his prison,
he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “This woman will be the Mother of God, the door to Light, source of Life; she will reduce to oblivion the judgement that weighed on Eve. “The rich among the people seek the face” of this woman, “the kings of the nations shall pay her homage”, they shall “offer gifts”…, yet the glory of the Mother of God is an interior glory: the fruit of her womb.

O woman, so worthy of love, thrice happy, “blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Daughter of David the king and Mother of God, King of the universe, masterpiece in whom the Creator rejoices…: you are to be nature’s full achievement. For you, life is not yours; you were not born for yourself alone but your life is to be God’s. You came into the world for Him, you will serve for the salvation of all people, fulfilling God’s design established from the beginning: the Incarnation of the Word and our own divinisation. Your whole desire is to feed on the words of God, to be strengthened by their sap, like “a green olive tree in the house of God,” “like a tree planted by running water,” you are the “tree of life” who “yielded its fruit in due season”…

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) Monk, Theologian, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homily on the Nativity of the Virgin, # 9 ; SC 80) [( Biblical references : Ps 44[45],13; 71[72],11.10; Mt 2,11; Lk 1,42; Is 62,5; Ps 51[52],10; 1,3; cf Gn 2,9, Rv 22,2; cf Ez 44,2; Ps 79[80],2; cf Sg 1,4; Ps 45[46],5; Sg 4,7].

PRAYER – Lord, at the Angel’s message, Mary, the Immaculate Virgin, became the temple of God and was filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, when she received Your divine Word. Grant that, after her example, we may humbly and steadfastly follow Your will. Through Christ the Incarnate Word, our Lord and Saviour, with the Holy Spirit, one God for all ages, amen.

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 15 December – The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Quote/s of the Day – 15 December – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – The Octave Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“I am the Immaculate Conception.”

Our Lady of Lourdes to St Bernadette
25 March 1858

“He came down into the Virgin’s womb,
a womb unstained, unspotted,
hallowed by the touch of divine unction.

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)

“Enraptured by the splendour of your heavenly beauty
and impelled by the anxieties of the world,
we cast ourselves into your arms,
O Immaculate Mother of Jesus and our Mother Mary,
confident of finding in your most loving heart,
appeasement of our ardent desires
and a safe harbour from the tempests
which beset us on every side.

Ven Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin
By St Paschasius Radbertus (785–865)

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin,
Mother most pure,
to accept the loving cry of praise
which we send up to you
from the depths of our hearts.
Though they can but add little to your glory,
O Queen of Angels,
you do not despise, in your love,
the praises of the humble
and the poor.
Cast down upon us a glance of mercy,
O most glorious Queen,
graciously receive our petitions.
Through your immaculate purity
of body and mind,
which rendered you so pleasing to God,
inspire us with a love of innocence and purity.
Teach us to guard carefully the gifts of grace,
striving ever after sanctity, so that,
being made like the image of your beauty,
we may be worthy to become the sharers
of your eternal happiness.
Amen

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION

Quote/s of the Day – 8 December on the Immaculate Conception

Quote/s of the Day – 8 December on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

“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)
Priest, Theologian, Exegist, Writer, Apologist, Father

“Thou alone and Thy Mother,
are in all things fair,
there is no flaw in Thee
and no stain in Thy Mother.

St Ephrem of Syria (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Come, then and search out Your sheep,
not through Your servants or hired men
but do it Yourself.
Lift me up bodily and in the flesh,
which is fallen in Adam.
Lift me up not from Sarah but from Mary,
a Virgin not only undefiled
but a Virgin whom grace had made inviolate,
free of every stain of sin.

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

“The very fact
that God has elected her,
proves, that none was ever
holier than Mary;
if any stain had disfigured her soul,
if any other virgin
had been purer and holier,
God would have selected her
and rejected Mary.

St Jacob of Sarug (c 451-521)
Bishop, Theologian, Poet, Writer

“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

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PRAYER

Quote/s of the Day – 27 November – The PROMISES of The MIRACULOUS MEDAL

Quote/s of the Day – 27 November – Memorial of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal the “Medal of the Immaculate Conception”

THE PROMISES OF THE MEDAL
When Our Lady appeared to
Saint Catherine Labouré
on 27 November 1830,
rays of light flowed from
the rings (made of precious stones)
on her fingers.
However, some of the stones on the rings did not shine.

Our Lady explained:

“These rays symbolise the graces
I shed upon those who ask for them.
The gems from which rays do not fall
are the graces for which souls omit to ask.

All who wear it.
will receive great graces.
They should wear it around the neck.
Graces will abound for persons
who wear it with confidence.”

Graces will be poured out
on all those, small, or great,
who ask for them
with confidence and fervour. … ”

The Blessed Virgin Mary
to Saint Catherine Labouré DC (1806-1876)
November 1830

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, EUCHARISTIC, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 16 November – St Gertrude the Great

Quote/s of the Day – 16 November – The Memorial of St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)

Bodily and spiritual affliction
are the surest sign
of Divine predilection.

Gratitude for suffering
is a precious jewel
for our heavenly crown…
Man should always firmly believe,
that God sends just that trial
which is most beneficial for him.

“Every time we look
at the Blessed Sacrament,
our place in Heaven
is raised forever.

Angels constantly guard
the clients of the Blessed Virgin
from the assaults of Hell.

St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)

MOR HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/11/16/quote-s-of-the-day-16-november-the-memorial-of-st-gertrude-the-great-1256-1302/

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on HERESY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TIME

Quote/s of the Day – 9 November – The Church

Quote/s of the Day – 9 November – Feast Dedication of The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour in the Lateran – Gospel: John 2:13-22

Zeal for your house will consume me.

John 2:17

Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?
How then has it weeds?

Matthew 13:27

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!”

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

…The great movement of apostasy being organised in every country for the establishment of a One-World Church which shall have neither dogmas, nor hierarchy, neither discipline for the mind, nor curb for the passions and which, under the pretext of freedom and human dignity, would bring back to the world (if such a Church could overcome) the reign of legalised cunning and force and the oppression of the weak and of all those who toil and suffer. […] Indeed, the true friends of the people are neither revolutionaries, nor innovators – they are traditionalists.

Truly we are passing through disastrous times,
when we may well make our own,
the lamentation of the Prophet:
“There is no truth,and there is no mercy
and there is no knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1).
Yet in the midst of this tide of evil,
the Virgin Most Merciful rises before our eyes
like a rainbow, as the arbiter of peace
between God and man.

St Pius X (1835-1914)

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity

Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Feast of the Divine Maternity – Readings: Ecclus 24:23-31, Gospel: Luke 2: 43-51

But Mary kept all these things,
pondering them in her heart.

Luke 2:19

“Having confidence in you,
O Mother of God, I shall be saved.
Being under you protection,
I shall fear nothing.
With your help,
I shall give battle to my enemies
and put them to flight,
for devotion to you,
is an arm of Salvation.”

St John Damascene (676-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Alma Redemptoris Mater
Loving Mother of the Redeemer
By Blessed Herman of Reichenau/the Cripple OSB (1013–1054)

Loving Mother of the Redeemer!
Hear thou thy people’s cry,
Star of the deep
and portal of the sky!
Mother of Him
Who thee from nothing made,
Sinking we strive
and call to thee for aid;
Oh, by that joy
which Gabriel brought to thee,
Thou Virgin first and last,
let us thy mercy see.

“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

Hail O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexander (376-444)
Doctor of the Incarnation
Known as ‘The Pillar of Faith”

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

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The LAST THINGS

Quote/s of the Day – 8 October – St Bridget

Quote/s of the Day – 8 October– The Memorial of St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)

O Lord, make haste
and illumine the night.
Say to my soul
that nothing happens
without You permitting it
and that nothing of what You permit,
is without comfort.

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

There is no sinner in the world,
however much at enmity with God,
who cannot recover God’s grace,
by recourse to Mary
and by asking her assistance
.”

Let everyone who has
the grace of intelligence,
fear that because of it,
he will be judged more heavily,
if he is negligent.”

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, ROSARY QUOTES, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thought for the Day – 1 October – The Month of the Holy Rosary

The Month of the Holy Rosary

One of the main advantages of the Rosary is that it enables us to unite with our vocal prayer, meditation on the principal Mysteries of our faith.
During each decade we should meditate briefly on one of these Mysteries.
In this way, our faith will be enlivened and we shall be roused to imitate, in our lives, the example of Jesus and Mary.

The Rosary is composed of the Church’s most beautiful prayers – the Our Father, which Jesus Himself taught us to say when addressiug our heavenly Father and the Hail Mary, which consists of the Angel’s greeting to the Blessed Virgin when he came to announce to her, that she was to be the Mother of God, of the inspired words of St Elizabeth on the occasion of the Visitation and of the moving plea for mercy, both now and at the hour of our death, which the Church places upon the lips of her sinful children (composed and proposed by St Peter Canisius 1521-1597) Doctor of the Church).
Each decade concludes with the short hymn of praise in honour of the Blessed Trinity: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, amen.
This prayer, expresses the two principal Mysteries of our faith, namely, the Unity and Trinity of God and, in an indirect fashion, the Incarnation of the Second Divine Person.

If we think of all this when we are fervently reciting the Holy Rosary, it will prove to be a treasury of grace.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/01/thought-for-the-day-1-october-the-month-of-the-holy-rosary/

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES

Quote of the Day – 19 September – Keeping Sunday Holy … Our Lady of la Salette

Quote of the Day – 19 September – The Feast of Our Lady of La Salette

“If my people will not submit,
I shall be forced to let fall
the arm of my Son.
It is so strong, so heavy,
that I can no longer withhold it.
… ‘Six days I have given you to labour,
the seventh I have kept for Myself –
and they will not give it to Me.’
It is this which makes
the arm of my Son so heavy.”

Our Lady of la Salette
19 September 1846
To Maximin Giraud (11)
and Melanie Calvat (14)

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 15 September – Mary’s Only Treasure

Thought for the Day – 15 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary’s Only Treasure

Jesus had only one consolation in the midst of His terrible sufferings.
His Mother, Mary was beside the Cross along with His beloved Apostle
and the holy women who had always followed Him.
Mary loved her Son with a love greater than that of any mother, which is the greatest love possible on earth.
She loved Jesus with the heart of a Mother and of a Virgin – He was her only treasure.
Moreover, she loved Him, not only as her Son but, also as her God.

Precisely because she loved Him as her God, her love was in perfect harmony with the divine will.

She understood the mystery which led Jesus to accept death on the Cross – the mystery of the Redemption.
“He was offered because it was his own will” (Isa 53:7).
He was offered on our behalf, as a voluntary victim to His heavenly Father.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – When Mary Weeps

Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and Memorial of the Seven Sorrows of our Mother

“Let my heart languish
and my soul melt away
and be consumed with love of You,
my beloved Saviour Jesus
and my dear Mother Mary!
But because I cannot love You
unless You give me grace,
then give me grace,
O Jesus and Mary —
by Your merits, not mine —
to love You as You deserve to be loved.
O God, lover of humankind,
You loved sinful human beings
to the point of death.
Will You deny Your love and Your Mother’s
to anyone who begs for it?”

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

“During the entire course of her life,
the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
never deviated in the slightest
from the precepts and examples of her Divine Son.
This was true both in the most sweet joys Mary experienced
and in the cruel sufferings she underwent,
which made the the Queen of Martyrs.”

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

When Mary Weeps
By Father Frederick M Lynk (1881-unknown)

When Mary weeps, her mother’s heart
Is full to overflowing.
When Mary weeps, pain’s piercing dart
Stabs Him beyond all knowing,
Who is by sinners Crucified,
Blasphemed, forsaken and denied.

When Mary weeps, God’s holy wrath
Is kindling cruel fires.
When Mary weeps, poor mankind’s path
Leads through war’s blood-soaked mires
And makes all human mothers moan
In love and pity for their own.

When Mary weeps, it’s time to pray
To have our sins forgiven.
When Mary weeps, each night and day
By sorrow must be riven,
Until His and her children will

Once more seek peace on Calvary’s hill.
When Mary weeps, we all must try
To dry her tears of sorrow.
When Mary weeps, we too must cry
To glimpse a brighter morrow,
When her Son’s name is recognised
And all, in love adore the Christ.

Amen

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-september-our-lady-of-sorrows-and-of-st-catherine-of-genoa/

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 September – “And the Virgin’s name was Mary.”

Quote/s of the Day – 12 September – Feast of the Holy Name of Mary

And the Virgin’s name was Mary.”

Luke 1:27

“As breathing is not only a sign
but even, a cause of life,
so the name of Mary,
which is constantly found
on the lips of God’s servants,
both proves that they are truly alive
and, at the same time,
causes and preserves their life
and gives them, every succour . . .
may Your name, O Mother of God,
be the last sound that escapes my lips!”

St Germanus of Constantinople (c 640-733)

“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)

Wherever you may go,
or wherever you may be,
implore Jesus and call upon Mary . . .
Sing these two names,
sing them in your heart,
sing them with your lips,
sing them with your hands.”

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/12/quote-s-of-the-day-12-september-the-holy-name-of-mary/

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CHRIST the LIGHT, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, MARIAN QUOTES, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The HEART, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 8 September – Mary, Mother of Grace

Quote/s of the Day – 8 September – Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“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

“Go to Mary and sing her praises
and you will be enlightened.
For it is through her,
that the true Light
shines on the
sea of this life.”

St Ildephonsus (607-670)

“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

“We may seek graces
but shall never find them
without the intercession of Mary.”

St Cajetan (1480-1547)

“If you put all the love, of all the mothers into one heart,
it still would not equal the love
of the Heart of Mary for her children.”

St Louis de Montfort (1673-1716)

“Never do anything
that your heart tells you,
is displeasing to Mary
and, in addition,
never deny her anything
that you know she would welcome
and desire from you.”

St Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860)

Mary, Mother of Grace
St Athanasius (297-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

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.
For this reason,
you are called full of grace.
Remember us, most holy Virgin,
and bestow on us gifts
from the riches of your graces,
Virgin full of graces.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY NAME of MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 5 September – St Lawrence Justinian

Quote/s of the Day – 5 September – The Memorial of St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455) Bishop

“There is no prayer or good work
so great, so pleasing to God,
so useful to us,
as the Holy Mass.”

“The name of Mary
is a tower of strength,
which saves sinners from punishment
and defends the just
from the assaults of hell.”

“By the practice of prayer
we can construct an impregnable citadel,
in which we shall be securely protected
against all the snares of the enemy.”

St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455)

Posted in DOCTRINE, I BELIEVE!, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 3 September – St Pius X and St Gregory the Great

Quote/s of the Day – 3 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary”

“Truly we are passing through disastrous times,
when we may well make our own,
the lamentation of the Prophet:
“There is no truth,and there is no mercy
and there is no knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1).
Yet in the midst of this tide of evil,
the Virgin Most Merciful rises before our eyes
like a rainbow, as the arbiter of peace
between God and man.”

“…The great movement of apostasy being organised in every country for the establishment of a One-World Church which shall have neither dogmas, nor hierarchy, neither discipline for the mind, nor curb for the passions and which, under the pretext of freedom and human dignity, would bring back to the world (if such a Church could overcome) the reign of legalised cunning and force and the oppression of the weak and of all those who toil and suffer. […] Indeed, the true friends of the people are neither revolutionaries, nor innovators – they are traditionalists.”

“I accept with sincere belief,
the doctrine of faith
as handed down to us
from the Apostles,
by the orthodox Fathers,
always in the same sense
and with the same interpretation.”

St Pope Pius X (1835-1914)

MORE HERE;
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/21/quote-s-of-the-day-21-august-st-pope-pius-x/

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

SOME QUOTES HERE

Quote/s of the Day – 3 September – St Pope Gregory the Great!

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 31 August – Prayer and Our Lady

Thought for the Day – 31 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Prayer and Our Lady

“He told them a parable – that they must always pray and not lose heart” (Lk 18:1).
Nobody else on earth ever carried out this command of Our Lord as perfectly as Our Lady.
St Albert the Great says that, after Jesus Christ, the spirit of prayer is to be found at it’s most perfect, in Our Lady (Sup Miss 80).
It was because of her immense love for her divine Son that Mary was able to put into practice, throughout her life, that Gospel precept of unceasing prayer.
Prayer in it’s fullest sense, is in fact, an act of love rather than supplication.
It is defined as an elevation of soul to God, to adore and praise Him, to thank Him and to ask Him for His favours.
It leads to lasting and intimate union with God, who should be regarded as our only good and as the final end of our lives.
Since Mary was full of grace, she was always closest to God.
Even before she became His Mother, she constantly enjoyed His intimacy.
Despite the many sorrows of her life, this intimacy became still greater and more beautiful, when she became the Mother of Jesus.
From that time, she was able to hold Him to her immaculate bosom and to live in close familiarity with Him.
She was able, too, to follow Him on His apostolic journeys, until He reached Calvary and the Cross and, finally, to see Him gloriously risen from the dead.
After Jesus had ascended into Heaven, her soul expanded with a nostalgic love for her divine Son, until her earthly journey was over and she was taken up into Heaven.
There, she reigns supreme among the Saints and Angels and never ceases to pray for us, her exiled children, who need her help so much.
Let us learn from Mary, how to pray with love and perseverance.
Then, we shall be able to follow her along the difficult way of perfection, which leads towards Heaven.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

On this last day of the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, let us call upon her in all our great needs.

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin
By St Paschasius Radbertus (785–865)

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin,
Mother most pure,
to accept the loving cry of praise
which we send up to you
from the depths of our hearts.
Though they can but add little to your glory,
O Queen of Angels,
you do not despise, in your love,
the praises of the humble
and the poor.
Cast down upon us a glance of mercy,
O most glorious Queen,
graciously receive our petitions.
Through your immaculate purity of body and mind,
which rendered you so pleasing to God,
inspire us with a love of innocence and purity.
Teach us to guard carefully the gifts of grace,
striving ever after sanctity, so that,
being made like the image of your beauty,
we may be worthy to become the sharers
of your eternal happiness.
Amen

St Paschasius Radbertus was a Theologian and the Benedictine Abbot of Corbie.
Read about him here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2019/04/26/saint-of-the-day-26-april-saint-paschasius-radbertus-785-865/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, THE ASSUMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 15 August – The Assumption

Quote/s of the Day – 15 August – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven

“How can death devour this truly blessed woman,
who gave birth to the Whole Person of the Word of God,
through union with God?
How can hell receive her?
When Christ, who is the way and the truth, said
“Where I am, there will my servant be also, .”
why would there not be a dwelling
for His own Mother with Him,
with an even greater justification?
It is well said, that precious in the sight
of the Lord God of Hosts,
is the death of his saints –
but even more precious,
is the passing of the Mother of God from this life..”

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

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-august-the-assumption/

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, HOLY COMMUNION, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MARIAN QUOTES, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 August –St Cajetan

Quote/s of the Day – 7 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – The Memorial of St Cajetan (1480-1547)

“My desire is not my way
but Your way.”

“May all praise and thanks
be continually given
to the Most Holy
and Most August Sacrament.”

“We may seek graces
but shall never find them
without the intercession of Mary.”

Look Down, O Lord
By St Cajetan (1480-1547)

Look down, O Lord, from Thy sanctuary
and from the high habitation of Heaven
and behold this Sacred Oblation
which our great High Priest,
Thy Holy Servant, the Lord Jesus,
immolates unto Thee, for the sins of His brethren
and be propitious to the multitude of our iniquities.
Behold, the Voice
of the Blood of Jesus, our Brother,
cries to Thee from the Cross.
Graciously hear, O Lord,
be appeased, O Lord, hearken and do.
Delay not for Thy own sake, my God
because Thy Name is invoked upon this city
and upon Thy people
and do with us,
according to Thy mercy.
Amen

MORE HERE;
https://anastpaul.com/2018/08/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-august-the-memorial-of-st-cajetan-1480-1547/

St Cajetan (1480-1547)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 19 July – Nineveh

Quote/s of the Day – 19 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Readings: Exodus 14: 5-18; Exodus 15: 1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6; Matthew 12: 38-42 and the Memorial of St Arsenius s the Great (c 354-c 449)

The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgement
with this generation and
condemn it, for they repented …”

Matthew 12:41

If you will, you can make me clean.”

Mark 1:40

“I have come, to warn the faithful,
to amend their lives
and ask pardon for their sins.
They must not continue to offend Our Lord,
Who is already too much offended.”

Our Lady of Fatima
1917

There is still time for endurance,
time for patience,
time for healing,
time for change.
Have you slipped?
Rise up!
Have you sinned?
Cease!
Do not stand among sinners
but leap aside!”

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Today, for those who will not repent
at the approach of the kingdom of heaven,
the reproof of the Lord Jesus is the same…
As for when the end of the world will be,
that is God’s concern…
Even so, the time is very near for each of us,
for we are mortal.”

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

“Brethren, the just man shall scarcely be saved.
What, then, will become of the sinner?

St Arsenius s the Great (c 354-c 449)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SAINT of the DAY, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – St Bonaventure

Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” and the Memorial of St Bonaventure OFM (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church

“As “pride is the beginning of all sin,” (Eccl. 10:15)
so humility is the foundation of all virtue.
Learn to be really humble and not,
as the hypocrite, humble merely in appearance.”

“Run with eager desire
to this Source of Life and Light,
all you who are vowed
to God’s service.”

St Bonaventure’s Sermon of 4 October 1255

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

Have Mercy on Me, O Lady

Have mercy on me, O Lady,
for thou art called the Mother of Mercy.
And according to thy mercy,
cleanse me from all my iniquities.
Pour forth thy grace upon me
and withdraw not from me
thine accustomed clemency.
For I will confess my sins to thee
and I will accuse myself of all my crimes before thee.
Reconcile me to the Fruit of thy womb:
and make peace for me with Him,
Who has created me.
Amen.”

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure

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

MORE HERE:

Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – St Bonaventure

AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/07/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-july-the-wisdom-of-st-bonaventure/

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

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 23 June – St Joseph Cafasso

Quote/s of the Day – 23 June – The Memorial of St Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860)

“A single word from him –
a look, a smile, his very presence –
sufficed to dispel melancholy,
drive away temptation
and produce holy resolution in the soul.”

St John Bosco, writing about St Joseph

“All a person’s holiness,
perfection and profit
lies in doing God’s will perfectly….
Happy are we, if we succeed
in pouring out our heart into God’s,
in uniting our desires
and our will to His,
to the point,
that one heart and one will are formed,
wanting, what God wants,
wanting, in the way,
in the time
and in the circumstances,
what He desires
and willing it all,
for no other reason,
than that God wills it.”

“We are born to love,
we live to love
and we will die,
to love still more.”

“Never do anything
that your heart tells you,
is displeasing to Mary
and, in addition,
never deny her anything
that you know she would welcome
and desire from you.”

Heaven is filled
with converted sinners ,
of all kinds
and there is room
for more!”

St Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860)

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, MARIAN QUOTES, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 12 June – The Immaculate Heart of Mary

Quote/s of the Day – 12 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Our Lady assured Blessed Lúcia:

“My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge
and the way that will lead you to God.”
Thus, if we devote ourselves to her Immaculate Heart,
Mary will lead us to her Son, Jesus Christ
and we will be on the way to Heaven.

Our Lady of Fatima

“Do you not know,
that not only is Jesus,
resting and dwelling continually
in the Heart of Mary
but that He is, Himself the Heart of Mary … “

St John Eudes (1601-1680)
Apostle of the Two Holy Hearts

“If you put all the love, of all the mothers into one heart,
it still would not equal the love
of the Heart of Mary for her children.”

St Louis de Montfort (1673-1716)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the KING, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, QUOTES for CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 2 May – St Athanasius

Quote/s of the Day – 2 May – “Mary’s Month” – and the Memorial of St Athanasius (297-373) Father & Doctor of the Church

“If we follow Christ closely we shall be allowed,
even on this earth,
to stand, as it were,
on the threshold of the heavenly Jerusalem
and enjoy the contemplation,
pf that everlasting feast,
like the blessed Apostles,
who, in following the Saviour as their leader,
showed and still show,
the way to obtain the same gift from God.
They said – See, we have left all things and followed You.
We too follow the Lord
and we keep His feast
by deeds rather than by words.”

“He cries out, saying:
See, I am with you all the days of this age.
He is Himself the shepherd,
the high priest,
the way and the door,
and has become all things at once for us.”

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.

More Here:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/02/quote-s-of-the-day-2-may/

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

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on VIRTUE, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thought for the Day – 1 May – The Month of Mary

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

The Month of Mary

“This work of eradicating of our faults and replacing them by their opposite virtues, is a difficult task which we cannot carry out on our own.
Prayer is necessary if we are to obtan the grace which we need.
During Mary’s month, we should beseech our heavenly Mother, with greater earnestness, to obtain for us, from her divine Son, the grace which we need to correct the evil in our nature and to perfect it in goodness.

Mary wants us to pray to her because she wishes to obtain for us, the graces which we require.
She loves us very much and is ready to help us to become, like her, living imitations of Jesus, insofar as the weakness of our nature will permit.

Among our other prayers, let us remember to give pride of place to the Holy Rosary, whether we recite it in Church or with the family.
Let us include, at least a quarter of an hour meditation; a daily visit, however short, to the Blessed Sacrament and to Our Lady’s Altar; an examination of conscience in the evening and many ejaculatory prayers during the day, which will express our love for Mary and for her divine Son.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/01/thought-for-the-day-1-may-the-month-of-mary/

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on SUFFERING, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The ANNUNCIATION, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Quote/s of the Day – 28 April – St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort

Quote/s of the Day – 28 April – The Memorial of Quote/s of the Day – 28 April – The Memorial of St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

“Take advantage of little sufferings
even more than of great ones.
God considers not so much what we suffer,
as how we suffer. . .
Turn everything to profit
as the grocer does in his shop.”

“The salvation of the whole world
began with the “Hail Mary.”
Hence, the salvation of each person
is also attached to this prayer.”

“Mary is the great mould of God …
He who is cast in this divine mould
is soon formed and moulded in Jesus Christ
and Jesus Christ in him.
With little effort and in a short time,
he will become divine,
since he is cast in the same mould
which formed a God.”

“The Rosary is the most powerful weapon
to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer,
who loves His Mother.”

St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/28/quote-s-of-the-day-28-may-god-alone

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SILENCE, The ANNUNCIATION, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 25 March – The Recollection of Mary

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

The Recollection of Mary

“It is believed that when the Angel Gabriel visited the Blessed Virgin in order to tell her that she was to be the Mother of God, she was in a quiet corner of her home, absorbed in prayer.
She had no love for the noise and confusion of the world but preferred to be recollected in the company of God.
This was to be the pattern of her whole life.
In the midst of her domestic duties, on her journey to St Elizabeth and on her travels in Galilee and Judea, in the wake of her divine Son, her mind and heart were always concentrated on God.

Interior recollection is a wonderful thing.
It helps us to hear God’s voice more clearly.
It keeps us removed from the temptations of the world and assists us in sanctifying every moment of our lives.

“The cell continually dwelt in growth sweet,” (Bk 1, C 20:5) says The Imitation of Christ and goes onto ask:  “What can thou see elsewhere that thou does not see here?   Behold the heavens and the earth and all the elements, for out of these are all things made” (Ibid C 20:8).
“As often as I have been amongst men,” it exclaims, “I have returned less a man” (Ibid C 20:2).
When we move around chattering with different people, we have lost something of ourselves by the time we return home.
Perhaps we have wasted a good deal of time in useless conversation or, worse still, have seen or heard unpleasant or disturbing things.
When we go about in the world, we do not often see much that is edifying or instructive and rarely meet people whose conversation does us good.
For this reason, even when we cannot remain apart, we should carry in ourselves, as Mary did, a spirit of interior recollection and communication with God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – The Annunciation of the Lord

Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8: 10, Psalms 40:7-8,8-9, 10, 11, Hebrews 10:4-10, Luke 1:26-38

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord;
let it be to me according to your word.”

Luke 1:38

“And so, when God’s birth is proclaimed to you, keep silent.
Let Gabriel’s word be held in your mind
for nothing is impossible to this glorious Majesty,
who humbled Himself for us
and was born of our humanity.”

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

St Ephrem (306-373) Father & Doctor

“He came from Him,
from whom He did not depart,
going forth from Him,
with whom He stayed,
so that without intermission,
He was wholly in eternity,
wholly in time,
wholly was He found in the Father
when wholly in the Virgin,
wholly in His own majesty
and in His Father’s,
at the time
when He was wholly in our humanity. ”

“Has anyone ever come away from Mary,
troubled or saddened or ignorant
of the heavenly Mysteries?
Who has not returned to everyday life
gladdened and joyful
because a request has been granted
by the Mother of God?”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1110-1159)

“The Father bending down to this beautiful creature,
who was so unaware of her own beauty,
willed that she be the Mother, in time,
of Him, Whose Father He is, in eternity.
Then the Spirit of love,
Who presides over all of God’s works,
came upon her; the Virgin said her fiat:
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord,
be it done to me according to thy word”
and the greatest of mysteries, was accomplished!”

St Elizabeth of the Trinity OCD (1880-1906)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 27 February – St Gregory of Narek, d St Gabriel Francis Possenti

Quote/s of the Day – 27 February – The Memorial of St Gregory of Narek (950-1003) Father & Doctor of the Church and St Gabriel Francis Possenti of Our Lady of Sorrows CP (1838-1862)

“In the face of my darkness,
You are light.
In the face of my mortality,
You are life.”

“The soul’s every movement
is a reminder of God,
the taking of a step,
the extension of the right hand,
the raising of the arm,
with thanks for good works,
with shame for bad,
for familiar conversation
and public addresses,
in rational discourse,
in works of success,
in the fervour of virtue,
day and night,
we are guided by You
in the useful movements for our spirit,
asleep or awake … ”

Assist me by the wings of your prayers,
O you who are called the Mother of the living,
so that on my exit from this valley of tears
I may be able to advance without torment,
to the dwelling of life
that has been prepared for us
to lighten the end of a life burdened by my iniquity.

Healer of the sorrows of Eve,
change my day of anguish into a feast of gladness.
Be my Advocate,
ask and supplicate.
For as I believe in your inexpressible purity,
so do I also believe in
the good reception that is given to your word.

O you who are blessed among women,
help me with your tears
for I am in danger.
Bend the knee to obtain my reconciliation,
O Mother of God.

Be solicitous for me for I am miserable,
O Tabernacle of the Most High.
Hold out your hand to me as I fall,
O heavenly Temple.

Glorify your Son in you,
may He be pleased to operate Divinely in me
the miracle of forgiveness and mercy.
Handmaid and Mother of God,
may your honour be exalted by me
and may my salvation be manifested, through you.
Amen.

St Gregory of Narek (950-1003)
Father & Doctor of the Church

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

“Do not bestow your love on the world!”

“Love Mary!… She is loveable, faithful, constant.
She will never let herself be outdone in love
but will ever remain supreme.
If you are in danger, she will hasten to free you.
If you are troubled, she will console you.
If you are sick, she will bring you relief.
If you are in need, she will help you.
She does not look to see what kind of person you have been.
She simply comes to a heart that wants to love her.
She comes quickly and opens her merciful heart to you,
embraces you and consoles and serves you.
She will even be at hand,
to accompany you on the trip to eternity.”

(From a letter to his brother).

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