Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 26 February – Have recourse to Mary

Quote/s of the Day – 26 February – Mary’s Saturday

Pray, pray a great deal
and make sacrifices for sinners,
for many souls go to Hell
because they have no-one
to make sacrifices
and pray for them.

Our Lady of Fatima 1917
13 May to 13 October 1917

O sinner, be not discouraged
but have recourse to Mary,
in all your necessities.
Call her to your assistance,
for such is the divine Will
that she should help
in every kind of necessity.

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

“O Mary, I have not doubt
that whenever we run to you,
we shall obtain all that we desire.
Let those then who have no hope,
hope in you!”

“In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties,
think of Mary, call upon Mary.
Let not her name depart from your lips,
never suffer it to leave your heart.
And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer,
neglect not to walk in her footsteps.
With her for guide, you shall never go astray;
while invoking her, you shall never lose heart;
so long as she is in your mind,
you are safe from deception;
while she holds your hand, you cannot fall;
under her protection you have nothing to fear;
if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary;
if she shows you favour, you shall reach the goal.”

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

It seems unbelievable
that a man should perish
in whose favour Christ said to His Mother:
‘Behold thy son’,
provided that he has not turned a deaf ear
to the words, which Christ addressed to him:
‘Behold thy Mother.’

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

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)

It would be hard to find
a more touching plea.
We ask our heavenly Mother
to intercede for us
now because we have such great need
of her assistance
in this vale of tears and temptations.
May she be always by our side,
to shelter us beneath her mantle

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 23 February – St Peter Damian

Quote/s of the Day – 23 February – The Memorial of St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church

Those, who do not love
the Cross of Christ,
do not love Christ!

The best penance is,
to have patience
with the sorrows God permits.
A very good penance is,
to dedicate oneself to fulfill
the duties of everyday with exactitude
and to study and work,
with all our strength.

When you are scorned by others
and lashed by God,
do not despair.
God lashes us in this life
to shield us from the eternal lash
in the next.

He pours light into our minds,
arouses our desire
and gives us strength…
As the soul is the life of the body,
so the Holy Spirit is the life of our souls.

Through a woman, [Eve]
a curse fell upon the earth;
through a woman, [Mary]
there returned to the earth,
a blessing!

St Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Doctor of the Church

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

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 DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 February – “Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

One Minute Reflection – 11 February – Apparition of the Immaculate Virgin Mary at Lourdes – Readings: Apocalypse 11:19; 12:1, 10; Luke 1:26-31.

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 – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Your Son, we humbly beseech You that, recalling the apparition of the same Virgin, we may obtain health for both soul and body.
Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen. (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, SAINT of the DAY, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The LAMB of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 9 February – St Cyril of Alexandria

Quote/s of the Day – 9 February – The Memorial of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

“Christ has dominion
over all creatures,
a dominion not seized
by violence
nor usurped but His,
by essence and by nature
.”

For one Lamb died for all,
to restore the whole flock on earth
to God the Father;
“one died for all”
to make all subject to God;
“one died for all”
to gain all, so that
“all might live,
no longer for themselves
but for Him who died
and was raised to life for them

(2 Cor 5:14-15).”

The mark of Christ’s sheep
is their willingness to hear and obey,
just as disobedience
is the mark of those who are not His.
We take the word ‘hear’
to imply obedience
to what has been said
.”

If the poison of pride is swelling up in you,
turn to the Eucharist and that Bread,
Which is your God humbling and disguising Himself,
will teach you humility.

If the fever of selfish greed rages in you,
feed on this Bread and you will learn generosity.

If the cold wind of coveting withers you,
hasten to the Bread of Angels and charity
will come to blossom in your heart
.

If you feel the itch of intemperance,
nourish yourself with the Flesh and Blood of Christ,
Who practiced heroic self-control during His earthly life
and you will become temperate.

If you are lazy and sluggish about spiritual things,
strengthen yourself with this heavenly Food
and you will grow fervent.

Lastly, if you feel scorched by the fever of impurity,
go to the banquet of the Angels
and the spotless Flesh of Christ,
will make you pure and chaste.

“My sheep follow me,” says Christ.
By a certain God-given grace,
believers follow in the footsteps of Christ.
No longer subject to the shadows of the Law ,
they obey the commands of Christ,
and guided by His words,
rise through grace,
to His own dignity,
for they are called children of God.
When Christ ascends into heaven,
they also follow Him.”

That anyone could doubt the right
of the holy Virgin
to be called the Mother of God,
fills me with astonishment.
Surely she must be the Mother of God,
if our Lord Jesus Christ is God
and she gave birth to him
!”

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

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

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES on DEATH, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 31 January – St John Bosco

Quote/s of the Day – 31 January – The Memorial of St John Bosco (1815-1888)

“Do not try to excuse your faults;
try to correct them.

Ask your Angel to console
and assist you
in your last moments.

“Be ever more convinced
that your Guardian Angel
is really present,
that he is ever at your side.
St Frances of Rome
always saw him standing before her,
his arms clasped at his breast,
his eyes uplifted to Heaven

but, at the slightest failing,
he would cover his face,
as if in shame
and at times,
turn his back to her!

“Entrust everything to Jesus
in the Blessed Sacrament
and to Mary, Help of Christians
and you will see
what miracles are
!”

St John Bosco (1815-1888)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/31/quote-s-of-the-day-31-january-st-john-bosco/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on The SOUL

Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales

Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop, Confessor and Doctor – “The Gentle Christ of Geneva,” “The Gentleman Saint”

Nothing makes us
so prosperous in this world,
as to give alms
.”

We must fear God out of love,
not love Him out of fear.

“In the royal galley of Divine Love,
there is no galley slave:
all rowers are volunteers.

“Perfection of life
is the perfection of love.
For love is the life of the soul.”

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

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/24/quote-s-of-the-day-24-january-the-gentle-christ-of-geneva/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/24/quote-s-of-the-day-24-january-st-francis-de-sales/

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

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES on CHILDREN, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 14 January – St Hilary

Quote/s of the Day – 14 January – The Memorial of St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church

The privilege of our Church is such that
it is never stronger
than when it is attacked,
never better known
than when it is accused,
never more powerful
than when it appears forsaken.

(Treatise on the Trinity)

“The Church is the Ship
outside which
it is impossible to understand
the Divine Word,
for Jesus spoke from the boat
to the people gathered
on the shore.”

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

“Little children follow
and obey their father.
They love their mother.
They know nothing of covetousness,
ill-will, bad temper, arrogance and lying.
This state of mind,
opens the road to Heaven.
To imitate our Lord’s own humility,
we must return to the simplicity
of God’s little ones.

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

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/13/quote-s-of-the-day-13-january-st-hilary-2/

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, THE ASSUMPTION, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE

Quote/s of the Day – 12 January – St Aelred

Quote/s of the Day – 12 January – The Memorial of St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) “St Bernard of the North”

If Saul, who “breathed murderous threats
against the disciples of the Lord” …
was the object of such mercy …
that he was “caught up to the third heaven,
whether in the body or out of the body,”
it is not surprising,
that the holy Mother of God –
who stayed beside her Son
through all the trials He endured,
from His cradle onwards –
should have been lifted up to Heaven,
even in her body
and exalted high above the Choirs of Angels.

“Charity may be
a very short word
but with its tremendous
meaning of pure love,
it sums up man’s
entire relation to God
and to his neighbour.

“Faith is not even a virtue,
unless it is expressed by love;
nor is hope,
unless it loves what it hopes for.

And if we look more closely,
do we not see,
that temperance is only love,
that no pleasure can seduce
?

that prudence, is only love,
that no error can mislead
;

that fortitude is only love,
courageously enduring adversity

and that justice, is only impartial love.
mitigating the injustices of this life?

Charity, therefore, begins with faith,
is exercised through the other virtues
but achieves perfection in itself
.”

St Aelred of Rievaulx O. Cist. (1110-1167)
St Bernard of the North

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/12/quote-s-of-the-day-12-january-st-aelred-of-rievaulx/

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The HEART, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 January – “But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart.” – Luke 2:19

One Minute Reflection – 8 January – The Third Day within the Octave of Epiphany, Readings: Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20

But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart.” – Luke 2:19

REFLECTION – “Often, it seems to us, Mary forgot to eat and to drink, keeping vigil in order to think about Christ, to see Christ in His flesh. She burned with love of Him and passionately loved to serve Him. She often did what the Song of Songs sings about: “I was sleeping, but my heart kept vigil.” (Song 5:2) Even when she was resting, she continued to dream of Him who filled her thoughts throughout the day. Whether she was keeping vigil or resting in peace, she always lived in Him, was always occupied with Him.

Where her treasure was, there also was her heart (Mt 6:21); where her glory was, there also was her mind. She loved her Lord and her Son with all her heart, with all her mind, with all her strength (Mt 22:37). She saw with her eyes, touched with her hands, the Word of Life (1 Jn 1:1). How blessed was Mary, to whom it was given to embrace Him who embraces and nourishes everything! How happy was she who carried Him, who carries the universe (Heb 1:3), she who nursed a Son, who gives her life, a Son who nourishes her and all beings on earth (Ps 145:15).

The One, Who is the Wisdom of the Father, put His arms around her neck, the One, Who is the Strength, that gives movement to everything, sat in her arms. He, Who is the Rest of souls, (Mt 11:29) rested on her motherly breast. How gently He held her in His hands, peacefully looked at her, He ,Whom the angels wish to contemplate (1 Pet 1:12) and He gently called her, He ,Whom every being calls upon when in need. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she held Him close to her heart … She never had enough of seeing Him or of hearing Him, Whom “many prophets and kings wished to see … but did not see.” (Lk 10:24) Thus Mary grew evermore in love and her mind was unceasingly attached to divine contemplation.” – St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Bishop (Homily on Mary, 4).

PRAYER – Lord open our hearts to Your grace. As You brought joy to the world through the Incarnation of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, grant that through the prayer of His Ever-Virgin Mother, our hearts too may grow in virtue and love by learning to reflect constantly on His commandments and counsels. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

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)