Quote/s of the Day – 14 August – The Memorial of Blessed St Maximillian Kolbe OFM Conv (1894 -1941)
“If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so, for one reason: HOLY COMMUNION.”
“Let us remember, that love lives through sacrifice and is nourished by giving. Without sacrifice, there is no love.”
“When we dedicate ourselves to Mary, we become instruments in her hands, just as she is an instrument in God’s hands. Let us then be guided by her, for she will provide for the needs of body and soul and overcome all difficulties and anxieties.”
“Jesus honoured her before all ages and will honour her for all ages. No-one comes to Him, nor even near Him, no-one is saved or sanctified, if he too will not honour her. This is the lot of Angels and of men.”
“Modern times are dominated by Satan and will be more so in the future. The conflict with hell cannot be engaged by men, even the most clever. The Immaculata alone, has from God, the promise of victory over Satan. However, assumed into Heaven, the Mother of God now requires our co-operation. She seeks souls, who will consecrate themselves entirely to her, who will become in her hands effective instruments for the defeat of Satan and the spreading of God’s kingdom upon earth.”
Quote/s of the Day – 7 August – The Memorial of St Albert of Trapani O.Carm. (c 1240-1307) and St Cajetan (1480-1547)
Heal us Lord God Prayer of St Albert of Trapani O.Carm. (c 1240-1307)
O my God,
You have created the human race
by Your wonderful power.
It is an act of Your clemency that has called us
to share Your glory and eternal life.
When the first sin condemned us to suffer death,
out of Your goodness,
You wished to redeem us
through the blood of Your Son,
To unite us to You through our faith
and Your great mercy.
You have brought us back
from the shame of our sin,
You have veiled our dishonour
in the brightness of Your glory.
Look now and see that what You have created,
giving it subtle limbs and joints
and made beautiful through its immortal soul,
is now subject to the attack of Satan.
Be pleased Lord
to reconstitute Your work and heal it.
May Your power be glorified
and may the malice of the enemy be stunned.
Amen
St Albert of Trapani (c 1240-1307)
“My desire is not my way but Your way.”
“I am a sinner and do not think much of myself; I have recourse to the greatest servants of the Lord, that they may pray for me to the blessed Christ and His Mother. But do not forget, that all the saints cannot endear you to Christ as much as you can yourself. It is entirely up to you!”
“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.”
Quote/s of the Day – 5 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of the Dedication of Mary Major
“Mary was placed by God in the centre of history and we can say, that everything was made through her and with her and in her.”
St Bernard (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church
“Mary is the divine Page on which God the Father wrote the Word of God, His Son. Let us draw near to her and read her!”
St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church
“The single richest treasure in the Vatican is the Rosary.”
Bl Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)
“All to Jesus through Mary, all to Mary for Jesus.”
St Marcellin Champagnat (1789-1840)
“No matter how enormous our sins may be, no matter how irresistible our carnal instincts may seem, no matter how hopelessly we may have plunged into the depths of evil, it is enough for us to raise our eyes in confidence towards Mary. … Like a merciful Mother, she will obtain for us from God, forgiveness and the strength to return to the path of penitence and of peace. … Let us turn to her with trust and humility and she will certainly assist us.”
Quote/s of the Day – 4 August – The Memorial of St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
“The Holy Spirit leads us along, as a mother leads her two year old child by the hand, as a sighted person leads a blind one. We should say each morning: “Oh my God, send me Your Holy Spirit who will make me understand what I am and what you are …” A soul who possesses the Holy Spirit enjoys an exquisite taste in prayer, it never loses the holy presence of God.”
“There is one thing everyone can do, whether they find it hard to meditate or not and that is to make up their mind in the morning, to cultivate some particular virtue during the day, to practice the interior Presence of God and to live their life in union with Him.”
“The sign of the cross is the most terrible weapon against the devil. Thus the Church wishes not only, that we have it continually in front of our minds, to recall to us just what our souls are worth and what they cost Jesus Christ but also that we should make it at every juncture ourselves: when we go to bed, when we awaken during the night, when we get up, when we begin any action, and, above all, when we are tempted.”
“To serve the Queen of Heaven is already to reign there and to live under her commands, is more than to govern.”
“What does Jesus Christ do in the Eucharist?
It is God, who, as our Saviour, offers Himself each day for us to His Father’s justice.
If you are in difficulties and sorrows, He will comfort and relieve you. If you are sick, He will either cure you or give you strength to suffer, so as to merit Heaven. If the devil, the world and the flesh are making war upon you, He will give you the weapons with which to fight, to resist and to win the victory. If you are poor, he will enrich you with all sorts of riches for time and for eternity. Let us open the door of His Sacred and Adorable Heart and be wrapped about for an instant, by the flames of His love and we shall see, what a God who loves us, can do. O my God, who shall be able to comprehend?”
“We should consider those moments spent before the Blessed Sacrament as the happiest of our lives.”
“We do not have to talk very much to pray well,” we know that God is there in His Holy Tabernacle. Let us open our hearts to Him, let us rejoice in His Sacred Presence. This is the best prayer.”
“When we cannot go to the church, let us turn towards the tabernacle; no wall can shut us out from the good God.”
“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)
Historically, devotion to Mary Most Holy in the form of her Immaculate Heart first occurs in the thirteenth century with St Mechtilde, St Gertrude, St Bernardine of Siena and others. In the seventeenth century, St Francis de Sales was an exponent of this devotion. But it was St John Eudes the great apostle of the Immaculate Heart (1601-1680), who gave the decisive impulse to the practice.
In the same century, the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus came back to light through St Margaret Mary Alacoque and her confessor, St Claude de La Colombiere. As the devotion to the Sacred Heart spread, so did the devotion to the Immaculate Heart. Both St Margaret Mary and St Claude, were deeply dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as well.
Beginning with Pope Pius VI, several popes incrementally spread the devotion but in 1944 Pope Pius XII extended it to the whole Church, fixing the Feast Celebration on 22 August. Today, the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is celebrated on the Saturday following the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which is movable, always observed on a Friday, nineteen days after Pentecost Sunday.
The Physical Heart, Symbol of the Spiritual Heart
The Fathers of the Church consider that when, from the Cross, Our Lord Jesus made the Blessed Lady, the mother of St John and thus He appointed her the mother of all men.
Thus, Mary’s heart is the physical symbol of her boundless love for God and humankind. But Our Lady’s physical heart is also the symbol of her spiritual heart. Thus, in the Immaculate Heart of Mary we also honour her inner life, her virtues, her perfect purity, her boundless humility, her affections and her sorrow.
Poignant in Catholic tradition is the representation of Mary’s heart pierced by a sword, symbol of her immense sorrow at witnessing and willing her Son’s passion and death for the salvation of our souls.
Fatima and the Immaculate Heart of Mary
–The Five First Saturdays Devotion
In the second apparition of Fatima, Our Lady showed the seers, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, her heart encircled by thorns. Later, on 10 December 1925, in a private apparition to Sister Lucia, she asked for the devotion of reparation of the Five First Saturdays.
The Blessed Mother appeared alongside the Child Jesus who stood over a luminous cloud. Our Lady rested one hand on the Child’s shoulder while she held on the other hand a heart pierced with thorns.
The Child said,
“Have pity on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother which is covered with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment with no-one to extract them with an act of reparation.
I want My Church to…put the devotion to this Immaculate Heart beside the devotion to My Sacred Heart.”
“Look, my daughter, My Heart surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me at every moment with blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, make sure to console me and announce that all those who for five months, on the first Saturdays, go to Confession, receive Communion, say five decades of the Rosary and keep me company for 15 minutes meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary, with the purpose of making reparation to Me, I promise to assist them at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for the salvation of their souls.”
Our Lady assured 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
“…Let us continue Immaculate Mary’s mission. All is included in it. May [we].. follow her example and be the handmaid of the Lord in everything, everywhere and always.”
Quote/s of the Day – 23 July – the Memorial of St John Cassian (c 360- c 435), St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)
“Whoever has achieved love has God within himself and his intellect is always with God.”
“No structure of virtue can possibly be raised in our soul unless, first, the foundations of true humility are laid in our heart.”
“The thief on the cross certainly did not receive the Kingdom of Heaven as a reward for his virtues but as a grace and a mercy from God. He can serve as an authentic witness that our salvation is given to us only by God’s mercy and grace. All the holy masters knew this and unanimously taught that perfection in holiness can be achieved only through humility.”
St John Cassian (c 360- c 435)
“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.”
“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.”
Quote/s of the Day – 16 July – The Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
“Speaking of Mary”
“In her, God spun a garment with which to save us.”
St Ephrem (306-373) Father & Doctor
“A gentle maiden having lodged a God in her womb, asks as it’s price, peace for the world, salvation for those who are lost and life for the dead.”
St Peter Chrysologus “Golden Words”
(c 400-450) Father & Doctor
“No-one will ever be, the servant of the Son without serving the Mother.”
St Ildephonsus (607-670)
“If the hurricanes of temptation rise against you, or you are running upon the rocks of trouble, look to the star – call on Mary!”
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor
“What shall we say, brethren? Is she not our mother? Certainly, brethren, she is in truth our mother. Through her we are born, not to the world but to God.”
St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)
“Mary is the most sweet bait, chosen, prepared and ordained by God, to catch the hearts of men.”
St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
Doctor of the Church
“Just as there is not one among all the Blessed who loves God as Mary does, so there is no-one, after God, who loves us as much as this most loving Mother does. Furthermore, if we heaped together all the love that mothers have for their children, all the love of husbands and wives, all the love of all the angels and Saints for their clients, it could never equal Mary’s love for even a single soul.”
St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church
(The Glories of Mary)
“Only after the Last Judgment will Mary get any rest; from now until then, she is much too busy with her children.”
“To serve the Queen of Heaven, is already to reign there and to live under her commands, is more than to govern.”
St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
”To desire grace, without recourse to the Virgin Mother, is to desire to fly without wings!”
Ven Servant of God Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)
“Always stay close to this Heavenly Mother, because she is the sea to be crossed to reach the shores of Eternal Splendour.”
St Padre Pio (1887-1968)
“Honouring Mary, no matter how sacred, is only the door leading to Jesus. Mary is the means, Jesus is the end. Mary is the road, Jesus is the destination.”
Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – The Memorial of St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Doctor of the Church
“Bonaventure so united holiness and theological knowledge that he rose to the heights of mysticism, while remaining a very active preacher and teacher, one beloved by all who met him. To know him was to love him; to read him is still for us today to meet a true Franciscan and a gentleman.”
“If you learn everything, except Christ, you learn nothing. If you learn nothing, except Christ, you learn everything.”
“When we pray, the voice of the heart must be heard, more than the proceedings, from the mouth.”
“Men do not fear a powerful hostile army, as the powers of hell, fear the name and protection of Mary.”
“If you do not know your own dignity and condition, you cannot value anything at its proper worth.”
“In everything, whether it is a thing sensed, or a thing known, God Himself is hidden within.”
St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church
Thought for the Day – 20 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed”
‘A Jewish girl, poor in this world’s goods but rich in virtue, arrived after a long and difficult journey at a village in the hills of Judea, called Hebron. There, she paid a visit to her cousin, Elizabeth. When Elizabeth saw the girl, she was immediately enlightened by the Holy Spirit with the knowledge, that her visitor, was the Mother of God. “How have I deserved,” she cried out, “that the mother of my Lord, should come to me?” (Lk 1:43). At these words, Mary looked up towards Heaven and gave spontaneous expression to a hymn of humble acknowledgement to God, Who had “regarded the lowliness of His Handmaid” (Lk 1:48). Then she made a solemn prophecy, which would surely have assured the cynical intellectuals and nobles of the land but, which history has wonderfully fulfilled. “Behold” she said, “all generations shall call me blessed” (ibid). We can testify today, that this miracle came to pass. All the nations have paid reverence to the Jewish girl, who became the Mother of God and our Mother, the Queen of Heaven and earth, the comforter of the afflicted, the conqueror of Satan and the invincible Guardian of the Church. From the engravings in the Catacombs, to the celestial Madonnas of the Angelico, from the rudimentary sculpture of Roman art, to the prayerful statues on the pinnacles of more modern Cathedrals, the image of Mary has shone as a beacon of hope for all generations. Men bow before her and ask for light, for comfort and for pardon. “If anyone follows Mary,” says St Bernard, “he will not lose his way; if anyone pray to her, he will not despair; if anyone thinks of her, he will not sin; if anyone reaches out to her, he will not fall; if anyone places himself under her protection, he need have no fear; if anyone places himself under her leadership, he will never give up; if anyone pays homage to her, he is certain reach his destination safely”(Homil Missus est 2:17).”
Quote/s of the Day – 20 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
“I want My Church to…put the devotion to this Immaculate Heart beside the devotion to My Sacred Heart.”
Jesus to Lúcia of Fatima
“Look, my Daughter,” Our Lady said to Lúcia on 10 December 1925, “at my heart, surrounded with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce me. “
Our Lady assured 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
“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)
“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
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)
“…Let us continue Immaculate Mary’s mission. All is included in it. May [we].. follow her example and be the handmaid of the Lord in everything, everywhere and always.”
Quote/s of the Day – 9 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A and the Memorial of St Ephrem of Syria (306-373) Father & Doctor of the Church
“We give glory to You, Lord, who raised up Your Cross to span the jaws of death like a bridge by which souls might pass from the region of the dead to the land of the living. .. You are incontestably alive. Your murderers sowed Your living body in the earth as farmers sow grain but it sprang up and yielded an abundant harvest of men raised from the dead.”
“Jesus, who feared nothing, experienced fear and asked to be freed from death – although He knew it was impossible. How much more, must we persevere in prayer before temptation assails us – so that we may be freed when the test has come!”
“She bore within herself, as a child, Him by whom the world was filled. He descended to become the model that would renew Adam’s ancient image.”
“You gave us so many gifts on the day of Your birth, a treasure chest of spiritual medicines for the sick. spiritual light for the blind, the cup of salvation for the thirsty, the bread of life for the hungry.”
“We have had Your treasure hidden within us, ever since we received baptismal grace, it grows ever richer at Your sacramental table.”
“Mary’s titles are numberless… she is the palace in which the mighty King of kings abode, yet He did not cast her out when He came, because it was from her that He took flesh and was born. She is the new heaven in which dwelt the King of kings, in her, Christ arose and from her, rose up to enlighten creation, formed and fashioned in His image. She is the stock of the vine that bore the grape, she yielded a fruit greater than nature and He, although other than her in His nature, ripened in colour on being born of her. She is the spring from which living waters sprang up for the thirsty and all those who drank them, yielded fruit a hundredfold.”
St Ephrem (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church
Quote/s of the Day – 6 June – The Memorial of St Norbert (c 1080-1134) and St Marcellin Champagnat FMS (1789-1840)
On the day of his ordination, St Norbert said:
“O Priest! You are not of yourself because you are of God. You are not of yourself because you are the servant and minister of Christ. You are not your own because you are the spouse of the Church. You are not yourself because you are the mediator between God and man. You are not from yourself because you are nothing. What then are you? Nothing and everything. O Priest! Take care, lest what was said to Christ on the cross be said to you: ‘He saved others, himself he cannot save!”
“You will never enjoy the sweetness of a quiet prayer, unless you shut your mind, to all worldly desires and temporal affairs.”
St Norbert (c 1080-1134)
“All to Jesus through Mary, all to Mary for Jesus.”
Quote/s of the Day – 18 May – “Mary’s Month” – Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter and the One Hundredth Anniversary of St Pope John Paul’s Birthday (1920-2005)
“The blessed martyrs cry to our hearts. Believe in God who is love! Believe in Him in good times and bad! Awaken hope! May it produce in you, the fruit of fidelity to God, in every trial!”
St Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) At the Beatification of the 108 Martyrs of World War Two in Poland, 13 June 1999
“To die for the faith is a gift to some, to live the faith is a call for all.”
“Let the eyes of our faith never wander from the Cross of Calvary.”
“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”
“Never, as in the Rosary, do the life of Jesus and that of Mary, appear so deeply joined. Mary lives only in Christ and for Christ!”
Adoro te Devote, latens Deitas! I Devoutly Adore You, hidden Deity By St John Paul II (1920-2005)
We adore You, O wonderful Sacrament of the presence of the One who loved His own “to the end.” We thank You, O Lord, who edifies, gathers together and gives life to the Church. O divine Eucharist, flame of Christ’s love that burns on the altar of the world, make the Church, comforted by You, evermore caring, in wiping away, the tears of the suffering and in sustaining the efforts of all who yearn for justice and peace. And you, Mary, “Eucharistic” Woman who offered your virginal womb for the incarnation of the Word of God, help us to live the Eucharistic Mystery in the spirit of the “Magnificat.” May our lives be a never-ending praise of the Almighty who concealed Himself beneath the humility of the Eucharistic signs.
Adoro te devote, latens Deitas. .. Adoro te… adiuva me!
I Devoutly Adore You, hidden Deity I Adore You, help me!
Praying With Our Mother
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)
“My dear brothers in Christ and in the love of Mary!
The Sacred Altar is the meeting point, of all, that is for the Christian and the Catholic, a vision of heavenly doctrine, inspired by divine grace, the inexhaustible source of strength, holiness and joy in our life here below, in the certainty of the eternal life to come.
Follow Me then to this Blessed Altar of My Sacrifice, which is the Sacrifice offered for you and with you, for all that is dearest to you in the innermost sanctuary of your souls and in your family life and in the various relationships of your civil and social activity.
The land where we were born, which is so dear to us, is always, even when resplendent with natural beauty, full of thorns and of things which cause us distress and pain.
True comfort is found, only in union with the Cross of Christ and His sufferings, united with the sorrows of His Mother, who is our Mother too.
Oh, how beautiful is and how consoling, to believe, live and pray with our Mother, sharing in her love with her Son, the Word of God, made man for us, as a sign of blessing, prosperity and peace amid the uncertainties of this present life, in the certain hope of the eternal joys which await us. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 14 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Refuge of Sinners
“Refuge of sinners, pray for us.”
This is one of the most beautiful invocations in the Litany of Loreto.
In the second half of the Hail Mary, the Church, knowing that we are all sinners, teaches us to pay to our heavenly Mother: “Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”
When a mother sees her sons going astray or behaving badly, she does not cease to love them.
One might say, that, she loves them all the more, because, in addition to her natural affection, she develops a sense of anxious compassion for them when she thinks of the way in which they have risked their eternal salvation by sinning.
Mary’s attitude to us is like this.
The only difference is, that our earthly mothers suffer as a result of our transgressions and ingratitude without being able to do much to change us.
Mary, on the other hand, being the Mother of Jesus as well as our Mother, is not only willing but able, to help us. No matter how enormous our sins may be, no matter how irresistible our carnal instincts may seem, no matter how hopelessly we may have plunged into the depths of evil, it is enough for us to raise our eyes in confidence towards Mary. Like a merciful Mother, she will obtain for us from God, forgiveness and the strength to return to the path of penitence and of peace. “Poor ship-wrecked sinners,” says St Bonaventure, “have recourse to Mary and she will lead you to the port of salvation.” (In Ps 8).
Our good Mother, St Bernard tells us, does not shrink in horror from the most wretched of sinners.
He need only turn to her for help and she will save him from damnation (Or Pan ad BV).
How comforting it should be for us to realise that we have such a merciful and powerful Mother. Let us turn to her with trust and humility and she will certainly assist us.”
Behold Your Mother
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)
“Shortly before His death, Jesus, seeing His Mother with the beloved disciple by her side, said to Mary, indicating John: “Behold your son.”
Then He said to His disciple: “Behold our Mother.”
As if enraptured by the infinite generosity of God, St Robert Bellarmine asserts, that whoever draws near to the most high God with a frank and open heart may obtain grace and salvation. In fact, Jesus, who wanted us to be co-heirs with Himself of His Father’s Kingdom, invites us too, to share in the kindness of His perfect Mother and, she herself loves to carry on her work of mercy and solicitude for all who are working their way to their home with her Son.
“Let us then,” says Bellarmine, “hasten with confidence to Christ’s throne of grace and with prayers and profound contrition, let us beg Him to repeat for everyone of us, the words He said His Mother: “Behold your son.” In the same way, as He looks at Mary, may He repeat to everyone of us, the wonderful invitation: “Behold your Mother.”
In short, here we find our true relationship, already established on earth, with Jesus our Redeemer and our brother and our relationship with Mary, the Mother of Jesus and of all who belong to the to those He has wished to redeem.
It is, therefore, a glory of Catholic worship and of the Christian Doctrine, which always presents the Lord Jesus to us with His Mother by His side.
How eternally happy are those faithful, who invoke the heavenly Queen by the sweet name of Mother and faithfully follow her counsel, her inspiration and her example!”
Thought for the Day – 13 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Mary, Our Hope
In the beautiful prayer, known as the Salve Regina or Hail, Holy Queen, the Church salutes Mary as “our life, our sweetness and our hope.” Mary is our hope, because, she gave us our Saviour, Jesus and, because, she prays to Him continually for the graces which we need. Following the example of Luther, modern Protestants raise the objection that Mary cannot be regarded as a source of hope, because, all our trust should be placed in God. Anyone who places his trust in creatures, draws down God’s curse upon himself, they say and, they go on to quote from Jeremiah: “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man” (Jer 17:5). But this is true only, when we trust in creatures independently of God, as if we can derive any good from them, without recourse to God. We invoke Mary, however, as the Mother of God and our Mediatrix with Him. She is our hope, insofar as she obtains for us from God, the graces and favours which we require. St Bernard assures us, that God has placed in Mary’s hands, all the riches which He wishes to bestow on us (Serm de aquaed). “He will never experience eternal ruin,” says St Anselm, “for whom Mary has once prayed.” St Bernard calls upon Mary as the foundation of all his hope (Ibid). Let us remember, that Mary is our loving Mother who wishes us to pray to her, because, she knows that if she intercedes on our behalf, she will certainly be heard. It should be most consoling to us to have such a good and powerful Mother in whom, we can safely trust in every peril and in every necessity. Let us pray to her with love and faith, in the certainty that, we shall be answered in the way that is best for us. Let us say along with St John Damascene: “O Mother of God, if I place my trust in you, I shall be saved. If I am under your protection, I have nothing to fear, because to be devoted to you, is to possess a weapon of salvation which God grants only to those, whom He desires to redeem” (Serm de Nat, cap 4).
Quote/s of the Day – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” The Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima
“Look, my Daughter,” Our Lady said to Lúcia on 10 December 1925, “at my heart, surrounded with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce me. “
Our Lady assured 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.
To Jesus Through Mary
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)
The simple words of the first page of Matthew’s Gospel: “Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ” (Mt 1:16) suffice for me, to establish the fundamental principle of all the great theological teaching which illustrates the connection between the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady.
Christian piety has rejoiced to learn from the Book of Acts, that Mary was present at the first gatherings of the faithful, when they broke read together as brothers and spent long hours in prayer.
And modern art has often portrayed the heavenly Mother in the act of receiving, from the hand of St John, the beloved apostle, the Communion of the Body and Blood of her Son.
But all this is superfluous and unnecessary for our convinced belief.
When we say, that in the Eucharist, we have the Son and in Mary, we have His Mother, have we not said all?
The great genius of Hippo, St Augustine, with his eagle-eyed power of vision, found the words which so brilliantly contain the Doctrine – Ave corpo vero, nato de Maria Virgine – Hail, true body, born of the Virgin Mary!
In this way – a delightful thing to say, a sublime thing to contemplate – the terms of this twofold mystery are merged into one, so that Mary appears to us radiant in the light of the Eucharistic mystery; they are merged and yet they are the two extreme points, between which is evolved and developed, the whole Catholic Dogma of the Incarnation and of the continuing life of the Church.
Thought for the Day – 12 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed”
‘A Jewish girl, poor in this world’s goods but rich in virtue, arrived after a long and difficult journey at a village in the hills of Judea, called Hebron. There, she paid a visit to her cousin, Elizabeth. When Elizabeth saw the girl, she was immediately enlightened by the Holy Spirit with the knowledge, that her visitor, was the Mother of God. “How have I deserved,” she cried out, “that the mother of my Lord, should come to me?” (Lk 1:43). At these words, Mary looked up towards Heaven and gave spontaneous expression to a hymn of humble acknowledgement to God, Who had “regarded the lowliness of His Handmaid” (Lk 1:48). Then she made a solemn prophecy, which would surely have assured the cynical intellectuals and nobles of the land but, which history has wonderfully fulfilled. “Behold” she said, “all generations shall call me blessed” (ibid). We can testify today, that this miracle came to pass. All the nations have paid reverence to the Jewish girl, who became the Mother of God and our Mother, the Queen of Heaven and earth, the comforter of the afflicted, the conqueror of Satan and the invincible Guardian of the Church. From the engravings in the Catacombs, to the celestial Madonnas of the Angelico, from the rudimentary sculpture of Roman art, to the prayerful statues on the pinnacles of more modern Cathedrals, the image of Mary has shone as a beacon of hope for all generations. Men bow before her and ask for light, for comfort and for pardon. “If anyone follows Mary,” says St Bernard, “he will not lose his way; if anyone pray to her, he will not despair; if anyone thinks of her, he will not sin; if anyone reaches out to her, he will not fall; if anyone places himself under her protection, he need have no fear; if anyone places himself under her leadership, he will never give up; if anyone pays homage to her, he is certain reach his destination safely“ (Homil Missus est 2:17).”
Thought for the Day – 6 May – “Mary’s Month” Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Virginal Purity of Mary
“It is a Dogma of Faith, that Mary was always a virgin in body and soul. According to the teaching of the holy Fathers, Mary would have renounced her dignity as Mother of God, rather than lose her virginity. When the Archangel Gabriel appeared with the news of the great privilege which she was about to receive, Mary was afraid and asked meekly, how she could become the Mother of God, since she had promised to remain always a virgin. The Angel assured her, that it was through the power of the Holy Spirit, that the eternal Word of God, would take human flesh in her and become her son. Only then did she bow her had and reply: “Be it done to me according to thy word.” Mary’s perpetual virginity is complemented by her purity and absolute immunity from sin. When we consider sin of any kind, says St Augustine, Mary must always be the one exception to it (Cf De natura et gratia, c 36). She was preserved free from original sin and possessed the fullness of grace. The devil never had any power over her spotless soul. Not even the slightest tarnish marred her virginal splendour. Free from the concupiscence which has disturbed our human nature, she was like a snow-white lily, sparkling in the sunlight. Her mortal life was a continuous ascent towards the highest peak of holiness. It would be wrong to believe that the extraordinary privileges which God had granted her from her conception remained fixed and static, like an acquired inheritance. On the contrary, her daily correspondence with God’s gifts was as remarkable as her dignity. The most chaste Virgin Mary, is a model for our imitation. We cannot obtain her privileges but, we should try and imitate her heroic and constant co-operation with the gifts of God.”
Thought for the Day – 3 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Imitation of Mary
“Earthly mothers are delighted when they see a reflection of themselves in the features and mannerisms of their children. In the same way, Mary, our Heavenly Mother, is pleased when her sons seek to reproduce, as far as possible, in their lives, the faithful imprint of her spiritual motherhood. We should imitate Mary, therefore. Especially in this month, which is dedicated to her, we should not be content, merely, to pray before her altar and decorate it with flowers but, we should make daily progress in imitating her virtues, particularly, the virtue which we need most. We may be lacking in humility, that virtue which is so outstanding in Our Lady. Or perhaps we are lacking in purity, the most difficult yet, the most necessary of all the virtues. Then again, we may be wanting in acceptance of God’s will when we are suffering or misunderstood. We should try and do God’s will in everything and with perfect trust in Him, as Mary did at Nazareth and Bethlehem, in exile and in her own country, in her humble home and on the apostolic journeys in which she followed her divine Son, on the sorrowful way of the Cross, on Calvary, at the feet of Jesus, at the Resurrection and glorious Ascension and in the years in which she waited on earth for the final loving reunion in Heaven. Let us repeat with her always: “Be it done to me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38). There is a story told about a holy man who prayed to Mary in all his difficulties: “Show yourself to be my mother.” One day, he heard the reply: “Show yourself to be my son.” Mary says this to us as well. If we wish her to prove that she is our mother, we must show her, that we are really her sons, by mirroring in our lives, her outstanding sanctity.”
Thought for the Day – 2 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Intercession of Our Lady
“Our Lady’s intercession is very powerful with God. St Bernard tells us that it is the will of God, that everything comes to us through her holy hands (Sermo in Nativ BMV no 7). He assures us, that Mary is the Mediatrix through whom we receive all favours from God (In Assump. BMV sermo 2, no 2). Her power of intercession is the result of her divine and human motherhood. Because she is the Mother of God, Jesus refuses her nothing; because she is our mother, she loves us dearly and is eager to obtain from God, the spiritual favours, for which we ask. For this reason, we should approach her with complete confidence. St Bernard also writes: “If anyone feels that he is overwhelmed by the tempests of this world and cannot keep an even course, let him raise his eyes towards Mary, let him remember Mary and call upon her…. In danger and in doubt, let him remember and call upon her. Let the thought of Mary never leave his mind; let her name never be far from his lips and from his heart …” (Super Miss. Homil 2, no 17). In all our necessities, we should have confident recourse to our heavenly Mother. Let us remember, however, that if we wish to be true sons of Mary and to be sure of being heard by her, we should ask especially, for spiritual graces. Afterwards, we may ask, with equal confidence but, with resignation to God’s will, for temporal favours, provided they will not stand in the way of our eternal salvation.”
Rejoice! It’s 1 May and the Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“God wills that all his gifts should come to us through Mary”
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor
“This is the month in which, in the churches and individual homes, the most affectionate and fervent homage of prayers and devotions from the hearts of Christians are raised to Mary. It is also the month in which from His throne, descend upon us, the most generous and abundant gifts of the Divine Mercy.”
Quote/s of the Day – 28 May – Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter and the Memorial of St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716), St Peter Chanel (1803-1841) Priest and Martyr, St Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962), Blessed María Felicia of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament OCD (1925-1959)
“God alone!”
“Chosen soul, how will you bring this about? What steps will you take to reach the high level to which God is calling you? The means of holiness and salvation, are known to everybody, since they are found in the Gospel, the masters of the spiritual life have explained them, the Saints have practised them… These means are – sincere Humility, unceasing Prayer, complete Self-denial, abandonment to Divine Providence and obedience to the Will of God.”
“Since grace enhances our human nature and glory adds a still greater perfection to grace, it is certain, that our Lord remains in heaven, just as much the Son of Mary as He was on earth. Consequently, He has retained the submissiveness and obedience of the most Perfect of all Children, towards the Best of all Mothers.”
True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, #27
“The greatest saints, those richest in grace and virtue, will be the most assiduous in praying to the most Blessed Virgin, looking up to her, as the perfect model to imitate and as a powerful helper to assist them. “
St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)
“It does not matter, whether or not I am killed, the religion has taken root on the island, it will not be destroyed by my death, since it comes not from men but from God.”
St Peter Chanel (1803-1841) Priest and Martyr
“The stillness of prayer is the most essential condition for fruitful action. Before all else, the disciple kneels down.”
“Our body is a cenacle, a monstrance – through its crystal, the world should see God.”
St Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962)
“Father, for Your glory, accept the total surrender of my being, in union with the perfect sacrifice of Your divine Son. In Him, through Him and with Him, I live, love, believe, suffer and die….”
Blessed María Felicia of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament (1925-1959)
Quote/s of the Day – 26 April – Third Sunday of Easter
“…He certainly meets us where we are in life – and – He will never leave us where He found us!”
Fr Mark J Hunt STD
“Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Holy Sacrament and a loving embrace, as though we had already received Him.”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor of the Church
“In the morning let your first act be to greet My Heart and to offer Me your own. Whoever, breathes a sigh toward Me, draws Me to himself.”
Jesus to St Matilda/Mechtilde of Hackeborn
(c 1241-1298)
“O blessed Jesus, give me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of Gentleness, King of Peace.”
St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Doctor of the Church
“There are some who make a spiritual communion everyday … If we are deprived of Sacramental Communion, let us replace it, as far as we can, by spiritual communion, which we can make every moment; for we ought to have always, a burning desire to receive the good God. Communion is to the soul, like blowing a fire that is beginning to go out but that has still plenty of hot embers; we blow and the fire burns again. After the reception of the Sacraments, when we feel ourselves slacken in the love of God, let us have recourse at once, to spiritual communion. When we cannot go to the church, let us turn towards the tabernacle; no wall can shut us out from the good God.”
St John Vianney (1786-1859)
“Do not neglect to say, ‘Jesus, I love You’ and make one Spiritual Communion, at least, each day, in atonement for all the profanations and sacrileges He suffers because He wants to be with us.”
St Josemaria Escrivá (1902-1975)
“…Let us continue Immaculate Mary’s mission. All is included in it. May [we].. follow her example and be the handmaid of the Lord in everything, everywhere and always.”
Sabbatum Sanctum – Holy Saturday, The “Second Sabbath” – 11 April
Holy Saturday (from Sabbatum Sanctum, its official liturgical name) is sacred as the day of the Lord’s rest. It has been called the “Second Sabbath” after creation.
The day is and should be, the most calm and quiet day of the entire Church year, a day broken by no liturgical function.
Christ lies in the grave, the Church sits near and mourns.
After the great battle He is resting in peace but upon Him we see the scars of intense suffering…
The mortal wounds on His Body remain visible…Jesus’ enemies are still furious, attempting to obliterate the very memory of the Lord by lies and slander.
Mary and the disciples are grief-stricken, while the Church must mournfully admit that too many of her children return home from Calvary cold and hard of heart.
When Mother Church reflects upon all of this, it seems as if the wounds of her dearly Beloved were again beginning to bleed.
We are tempted to rush from Good Friday to Easter. Mother Church with wisdom, separates the two with Holy Saturday – a day of peace and rest – a day to quietly ponder and pray – a day to sit in silence at the tomb of Jesus. “What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence and stillness, a great silence, because the King sleeps, the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages.” We do not need words to express our misery. We need silence to ponder the mystery. Silence is the best expression of what is deepest in us, for silence alone, can express what words cannot.
According to tradition, the entire body of the Church is represented in Mary – she is the “credentium collectio universa” (the gathering of the universal Church) (Congregation for Divine Worship, Lettera circolare sulla preparazione e celebrazione delle feste pasquali, 73).
Thus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, as she waits near the Lord’s tomb, as she is represented in Christian tradition, is an icon of the Virgin Church keeping vigil at the tomb of her Spouse while awaiting the celebration of His Resurrection.
The pious exercise of the Ora di Maria is inspired by this intuition of the relationship between the Virgin Mary and the Church – while the body of her Son lies in the tomb and His soul has descended to the dead to announce liberation, from the shadow of darkness to His ancestors, the Blessed Virgin Mary, foreshadowing and representing the Church, awaits, in faith, the victorious triumph of her Son over death. — Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy
Quote of the Day – 25 March – The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
“Mary’s titles are numberless… she is the palace in which the mighty King of kings abode, yet He did not cast her out when He came, because it was from her that He took flesh and was born. She is the new heaven in which dwelt the King of kings, in her, Christ arose and from her, rose up to enlighten creation, formed and fashioned in His image. She is the stock of the vine that bore the grape, she yielded a fruit greater than nature and He, although other than her in His nature, ripened in colour on being born of her. She is the spring from which living waters sprang up for the thirsty and all those who drank them, yielded fruit a hundredfold.”
Lenten Reflection – 25 March – The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord –- Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10, Psalm 40:7-11, Hebrews 10:4-10, Luke 1:26-38
“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” … Luke 1:38
Daily Meditation:
Today we step out of Lent, in one way.
We are nine months away from Christmas.
This is the feast of the Incarnation – the enfleshment of our God for us.
In Jesus, God entered this world, our world.
“God, who is Mighty has done great things for me, holy is his name” … Luke 1:49
“Contemplate Mary, my beloved, see how Gabriel went into her house and her questioning: “How can this be?” The Holy Spirit’s servant gave her this answer: “Nothing is impossible for God, for him, all is easy.” Consider how she believed the word she had heard and said: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord.” From that moment the Lord descended in a way known to Him alone, He bestirred Himself and came according to His good pleasure, He entered her without her feeling it and she opened herself to Him without experiencing any suffering. She bore within herself, as a child, Him by whom the world was filled. He descended to become the model that would renew Adam’s ancient image.” … Saint Ephrem (306-373) – Father and Doctor of the Church – Sermons on the Mother of God, 2, 93-145
Intercessions:
Let us give thanks to God, our Father:
through the power of the Spirit He purifies our heart and strengthens us in love.
Let us humbly ask Him:
Lord, give us Your Holy Spirit.
Help us to receive good things from Your bounty with a deep sense of gratitude;
-and to accept with patience the evil that comes to us.
Teach us to be loving not only in great and exceptional moments,
-but above all in the ordinary events of daily life.
May we abstain from what we do not really need,
-and help our brothers and sisters in distress.
May we bear the wounds of Your Son,
-for through His body He gave us life.
Closing Prayer:
God of infinite love,
I thank You for this feast of our salvation,
right here in the middle of Lent.
I turn to You to beg for Your help.
I need the inspiration and help of Mary on this journey.
Please grant me the grace to be humbly faithful
to what You are calling me to do.
Please give me what I need to be free and to be Your servant.
Please let Mary guide us in the path to peace in our world.
I ask You this, through Jesus our Lord.
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.