Category: ONE Minute REFLECTION

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 December – “Blessed are they who have not seen and yet, have believed.” – John 20:29

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One Minute Reflection – 21 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Feast of St Thomas, Apostle of Christ – Ephesians 2:19-22; John 20:24-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed are they who have not seen and yet, have believed.” – John 20:29

REFLECTION – “The disciples’ weakness was so unsteady that, not content with seeing the risen Lord, they still wanted to touch Him if they were to believe in Him. It was not enough for them to see Him with their eyes, they wanted to put out their hands to His limbs and touch the marks of His recent wounds. It was after He had touched and acknowledged His scars that the unbelieving disciple cried out: “My Lord and my God!” Those scars revealed the One Who, where other people were concerned, healed every wound! Could the Lord not have risen without scars? Yet, He saw within His disciples’ hearts, wounds which those scars which He had preserved in His Body, would heal.

And what does the Lord answer that confession of faith of His disciple, who says: “My Lord and my God”? “Have you come to believe because you have seen Me? Blessed are they who have not seen and yet, have believed.” Who is He talking about, my friends, if not of us? And not just of us but of those, too, who will follow us. For shortly afterwards, when He had disappeared from mortal sight so as to strengthen faith in the heart, all those who became believers, believed without seeing and their faith had great merit. To acquire it they reached out to Him, not a hand with which to touch Him but only, a loving heart! ” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 88).

PRAYER – O Lord, grant us, we beseech Thee, to glory in the Feast-day of blessed Thomas, Thy Apostle, that we maybe helped continually by his patronage and imitate his faith with a devotion like his. Through 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 WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 December – This is My commandment that you love one another …

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One Minute Reflection – 20 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Vigil of St Thomas, Apostle – Ember Wednesday, Third Week of Advent – Sirach 44:25-27, 45:2-4, 45:6-9; John 15:12-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“This is My commandment that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love than this no man hath that a man lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:12-13

REFLECTION – “We cannot truly love God without loving our neighbour, nor can we truly love our neighbour without loving God. This is why … the Holy Ghost was given a second time to the disciples. First He was given by the Lord while He was still dwelling on earth and later, while He was watching over us in Heaven (Jn 20:22; Acts 2). He was given to us on earth, that we may love our neighbours; from Heaven, that we may love God. Why first on earth and later from Heaven – except for the reason given us openly by John: “How can anyone, who does not love his brother, whom he sees love God Whom he does not see?”

So let us love our neighbours, my friends, let us love the one who is near us, so that we may be able to attain the love of the One, Who is above us! Let our hearts reflect on what our neighbours hold up to God, so that we may be found completely worthy, to rejoice in God with them. Then shall we reach the happiness of the heavenly multitude, the happiness of which, we have received an assurance from the Holy Spirit. Let us move forward toward that goal, where we shall be happy without end, with all our love. There is the holy community of heavenly citizens, there is the sure and solemn observance, there untroubled rest, there the true peace which is no longer dependent on us but given to us through our Lord Jesus Christ (Jn 14:27).” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Excerpt Sermons on the Gospel No 30).

PRAYER – Put forth Thy power, O Lord, we beseech Thee and delay not and with Thy great might, come to our aid, so that what is hindered by our sins, maybe hastened by Thy merciful goodness. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect)

Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 December – “The Lord is near. Have no anxiety [at all]” Phil 4:5-6

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One Minute Reflection – 18 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Monday of the Third Week of Advent and the Feast of Our Lady of Expectation – Ferial Day – Philippians 4:4-7; John 1:19-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“[One is standing] in the midst of you, … Whom you do not know.” – John 1:26

REFLECTION – “The Lord is near. Have no anxiety [at all]” (Phil 4:5-6). This is what God the Father says in the Prophet Isaiah: “I am bringing on My Justice,” – that is to say, His Son; “My salvation shall not tarry. I shall put salvation within Zion and give to Israel My glory” (46:13). It is what today’s Gospel says: “One is standing in your midst, One Whom you do not know” Mediator between God and men, a Man (1Tim 2:5), Christ Jesus, arises in the camp of this world, to fight the devil. As victor, He rescues man and reconciles him with God our Father. But you do not know Him!

“Sons have I raised and reared but they have disowned Me. An ox knows its owner and an ass, its master’s manger. But Israel does not know Me and My people have not understood” (Is 1:2-3). How close the Lord is to us! And we do not know Him! “I have fed My children with My blood,” He says to us, “as a mother feeds her children with her milk. I have raised the human nature I have taken, to which I am united, above the Choirs of Angels.” Could He show us greater honour? “And they have rejected Me. See whether there is any sorrow like Mine” (Lam 1:12) …

So, then, “have no anxiety at all,” for it is anxiety concerning material things which makes us forget the Lord!” – St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Franciscan, Doctor of the Church (Sermons for Sundays and Feast days, 3rd Sunday of Advent).

PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that we, Thy suppliants, who believe her to be truly, the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with Thee. Through 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 ADVENT REFLECTIONS, BAPTISM, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, St JOHN the BAPTIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 December – “ I baptise with water but, in the midst of you, there has stood One Whom you do not know.” – John 1:26

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One Minute Reflection – 17 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Gaudete Sunday, The Third Sunday of Advent – Philippians 4:4-7; John 1:19-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ I baptise with water but, in the midst of you, there has stood One Whom you do not know.” – John 1:26

REFLECTION – “I baptise with water but, in the midst of you, there has stood One Whom you do not know.” John did not baptise with the Spirit but, with water, since he was unable to take away the sins of those being baptised. He washed their bodies with water but not their hearts with pardon. Why did one whose baptism did not forgive sins baptise, except that he was observing his vocation as forerunner? He, whose birth foreshadowed a greater birth, by his baptising, foreshadowed the Lord, Who would truly baptise; he ,whose preaching made him the forerunner of Christ, by baptising, also became his forerunner, using a symbol of the future Sacrament.

With these other mysteries he makes known the Mystery of our Redeemer, declaring that He has stood among men and not been known. The Lord appeared in a human body – He came as God in flesh, visible in His Body, invisible in His Majesty. He goes onto say about Him: “He who comes after me, was made before me” (Jn 1:15) … he revealed the reason for this precedence when he said: “because He was before me. ”He means, “Even though He was born after me, He surpasses me, in that the time of His Birth does not limit Him. He, Who is born from His mother in time, was begotten of His Father before time!”

John reveals the great humility and reverence he owes Christ by saying: “I am not worthy to undo the strap of His sandal.” It was the custom among the ancients, that if someone was unwilling to take the wife, he should be taking, he, who should have come to her as bridegroom, by right of relationship, would undo his sandal. How did Christ appear among men, if not as the Bridegroom of holy Church?… But since people considered John the Christ, a fact which he denied, he was right to declare his unworthiness to undo the strap of Christ’s sandal. It is as if he was saying … “I am not unjustly usurping, for myself, the name of Bridegroom” (Cf Jn 3:29).” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on the Gospels 4).

PRAYER – Lend Thy ear to our prayers, O Lord, we beseech Thee and brighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy coming. 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 ArchAngels and Angels, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, Quotes on SALVATION, The ANNUNCIATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection –15 December – ‘ … So Mary, by the word of an Angel …’

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One Minute Reflection –15 December – Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Proverbs 8:22-35, Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “So the Lord now manifestly came to His own. Born by His own created order that He Himself bears, He by His obedience on the tree, renewed and reversed what was done by disobedience, in connection with a tree.

The power of that seduction, by which the virgin Eve, already betrothed to a man, had been wickedly seduced, was broken when the Angel in truth brought good tidings to the Virgin Mary, who already, by her betrothal belonged to a man. For as Eve was seduced by the word of an Angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His Word, so Mary, by the word of an Angel, received the glad tidings that she would bear God, by obeying His Word.

The former was seduced to disobey God and so fell but the latter, was persuaded to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of Eve.

As the human race was subjected to death through the act of a Virgin, so was it saved by a Virgin, was precisely balanced by the obedience of Another. Then indeed, the sin of the first formed man was amended by the chastisement of the First Begotten, the wisdom of the serpent was conquered by the simplicity of the Dove and the chains were broken, by which we were in bondage to death.” – St Irenaeus (130-202) Bishop of Lyons, Martyr, Father of the Church (Against Heresies, 5)

PRAYER – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Thy Son, and Who, by Thy Son’s death, foreseen by You, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee through her intercession that we too may come to Thee unstained by sin. 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 CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on GRACE, The ANNUNCIATION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 December – “Hail, full of grace …” – Luke 1:28

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One Minute Reflection – 14 December –The Second Week of Advent, Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Proverbs 8:22-35; Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace …” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “How can I speak? What praises could I possibly make of the holy and glorious Virgin? She surpasses all other beings except for God Himself. She is by nature more beautiful than the Cherubim and Seraphim and the whole Angelic Host. No language, whether of Heaven or earth, or even of the Angels, is enough to praise her. Blessed Virgin, spotless dove, heavenly bride… temple and throne of the Godhead! Christ, the Sun Who shines resplendently in Heaven and on earth, belongs to thee. Thou art the luminous cloud which brought Christ down to earth, He Who is the bright streak of lightening, Who shines across the world.

Rejoice, full of grace, gate of Heaven! It was of thee, the author of the Song of Songs speaks… when he cries aloud: “A garden enclosed is my sister, my bride; an enclosed garden, a fountain sealed” (4:12)… Holy Mother of God, spotless ewe – thou gave birth to Christ, the Lamb, the Word made flesh in thee … How amazing a wonder in the heavens – a woman clothed with the sun (Apoc 12:1), carrying the Light in her arms! … How amazing a wonder in the heavens – the Lord of Angels becomes the Virgin’s Child. Angels judged Eve; now they fill Mary with glory, since it was she who raised Eve from her fall and brought Adam, expelled from Paradise, into Heaven.

Vast is the grace given to this Holy Virgin. Hence Gabriel, first addresses her with this greeting: “Hail, full of grace” resplendent as the Heaven. “Hail, full of grace” Virgin adorned with countless virtues… “Hail, full of grace” thou quench our thirst at the sweetness of the everlasting stream. Hail, holy and Immaculate Mother, thou conceived the Christ Who existed before thee. Hail, royal purple, thou clothed the King of Heaven and earth. Hail, O sealed book, thou enabled the world to read the Word, the Father’s Son!” – St Epiphanius of Salamis (c315-403) Bishop of Salamis,  known as the Oracle of Palestine and Father of the Church (Sermon No 5)

PRAYER – Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of Thy only-begotten Son, so that through His coming we may be able to serve Thee with purified minds. Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HEART, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 December – Our Treasure …

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One Minute Reflection – 13 December – Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent, Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Feast of St Lucy, Virgin Martyr – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18, 11:1-2; Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.” – Matthew 13:44

REFLECTION – “For the man who loves God, it is sufficient to please the One he loves and, there is no greater recompense to be sought, than the loving itself. For love is from God, by the very fact, that God Himself is love. The good and chaste soul is so happy to be filled with Him that it desires to take delight in nothing else. For what the Lord says is very true: – ‘Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.’

What is a man’s treasure but the heaping up of profits and the fruit of his toil? For whatever a man sows, this too will he reap and each man’s gain, matches his toil and where delight and enjoyment are found, there the heart’s desire is attached. Now there are many kinds of wealth and a variety of grounds for rejoicing – every man’s treasure is that which he desires. If it is based on earthly ambitions, its acquisition makes men not blessed but wretched!

But those who enjoy the things that are above and eternal, rather than earthly and perishable, possess an incorruptible, hidden store, of which the Prophet speaks: ‘Our treasure and salvation have come, wisdom and instruction and piety, from the Lord: these are the treasures of justice.’ Through these, with the help of God’s grace, even earthly possessions are transformed into heavenly blessings. It is a fact that many people use the wealth, which is either rightfully left to them or otherwise acquired, as a tool of devotion. By distributing what might be superfluous to support the poor, they are amassing imperishable riches, so that what they have discreetly given, cannot be subject to loss. They have properly placed those riches, where their heart is, – it is a most blessed thing, to work to increase such riches, rather than to fear that they may pass away.” – St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Bishop of Rome and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from Sermon 92).

PRAYER – Hear us, O God our Saviour, that, as we rejoice on the feast of blessed Lucy, YThy Virgin and Martyr, so we may grow in love and devotion. 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 WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on PURITY, The ANNUNCIATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 December – ‘… Mary is the new tree of life …’

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One Minute Reflection – 12 December – Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent, Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Proverbs 8:22-35; Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “Son of God, grant me your own admirable Gift that I may celebrate the wondrous beauty of Thy beloved Mother! The Virgin gave birth to a Son while preserving her virginity; she suckled Him Who gives nourishment to the peoples; in her immaculate breast, she bore Him Who carries the whole world in His Hands. She is Virgin and Mother, what will she not be hereafter? Holy in body, all beautiful in soul, pure of mind, upright in intelligence, perfect in feeling, chaste and faithful, pure of heart and filled with virtue.

May the hearts of virgins rejoice in Mary, since of her was born the One Who set humankind free from dreadful slavery. May the old Adam, wounded by the serpent, rejoice in Mary; it is Mary who gives Adam a posterity which allows Him to crush the accursed serpent and Who cures him of his mortal wound (Gen 3:15). Let Priests rejoice in the blessed Virgin; she has brought the High Priest into the world, Who gave Himself as a victim, putting an end to the sacrifices of the Old Covenant. … Let the Prophets rejoice in Mary, since in her were fulfilled their visions, in her were realised their prophecies, in her were confirmed their oracles. Let all the Patriarchs rejoice in Mary, since she received the blessing promised to them, she, who, in her Son, has brought them to completion. …

Mary is the new tree of life who, instead of the bitter fruit picked by Eve, gives to mankind that sweet fruit on which the whole world is fed!” – St Ephrem (306-373) Deacon in Syria, Father and Doctor of the Church (Marian Hymn).

PRAYER – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Thy Son and Who, by Thy Son’s death, foreseen by Thee, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee, through her intercession that we too may come to Thee unstained by sin.Through 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 CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DEATH, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 December– Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:16

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One Minute Reflection – 11 December – Monday of the Second Week of Advent, Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – St Pope Damasus I (c305-384) Confessor. – 1 Peter 5:1-4, 10-11; Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:16

REFLECTION – “Peter did not say “Thou are a Christ” or “a son of God” but “the Christ, the Son of God.” For there are many christs by grace, who have attained the rank of adoption [as sons] but [there is] only One Who is by nature the Son of God. Thus, using the definite article, he said, THE Christ, THE Son of God. And in calling Him, Son of the LIVING God, Peter indicates that Christ Himself is Life and that death has no authority over Him. And even if the flesh, for a short while, was weak and died, nevertheless, it rose again, since the Word, Who dwelled in it, could not be held under the bonds of death.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Known as “The Pillar of Faith” Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor Incarnationis (Doctor of the Incarnation) (Fragment 190).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in Thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Damasus Thy Sovereign Pontiff, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church. Through 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 DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on PURITY, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 December ‘ … Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 9 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Saturday of the First Week of Advent Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Proverbs 8:22-35, Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “The degeneration caused by sin had obscured the beauty of our original nobility. But when the mother of supreme Beauty is born, our nature finds its purity once more and sees itself moulded according to the perfect model, worthy of God (Gn 1,26)… We had all preferred the world below, to that above. There no longer remained any hope of salvation. The state of our nature cried aloud to Heaven to come to the rescue… Then at last, in His good pleasure, the world’s Divine Artificer determined to make a new world appear, a different world full of harmony and youth.

Now was it not fitting, that a most pure virgin without stain, should place herself at the service of this mysterious plan first of all?… And where was this virgin to be found, if not in this woman, alone of her kind, chosen by the world’s Creator before all generations? Yes, she indeed is Mother of God, divinely named Mary, whose womb gave birth to God Incarnate and whom, He Himself had supernaturally prepared, as His Temple…

In this way, then, the design of the Redeemer of our race was to bring about a birth and, as it were, a new creation to replace the one that went before. Therefore, just as in Paradise, He had taken a little clay out of the pure and spotless earth, to fashion the first Adam (Gn 2,7), so, at the moment of bringing about His Own Incarnation, He made use of another earth, so to speak, namely, this Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings He had created. It is in her that He, Adam’s Creator, has remade us in our very substance and become a new Adam (1 Cor 15:45), that the old might be saved by the new and eternal.” – St Andrew of Crete (660-740) Bishop (Sermon 1 for the Nativity of the Mother of God ; PG 97, 812).

PRAYER – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Thy Son, and Who, by Thy Son’s death, foreseen by You, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee through her intercession that we too may come to Thee unstained by sin. 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 DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, DOGMA, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 December – Blessed art thou among women … St John Damascene

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One Minute Reflection – 8 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of the Immaculate Conception – Proverbs 8:22-35, Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “Today the Creator of all things, the Word Who is God, has composed a new work sprung from the Father’s heart, to be written, as by a pen by the Spirit, Who is God’s tongue. … Most holy daughter of Joachim and Anne! you who have evaded the attention of the Principalities and Powers and the “flaming arrows of the Evil One” (Col 1:16; Eph 6:16), you dwelt within the bridal chamber of the Spirit and were preserved undefiled, so that you might become the bride of God and God’s Mother by nature. … God’s beloved daughter, the credit of your parents, generation after generation calls you Blessed, as you yourself so truthfully affirmed (Lk 1:48). Worthy daughter of God, our human nature’s beauty, restoration of Eve our first mother! For with your birth, she who fell was raised. … For if, through the first Eve, “death entered the world” (Wis 2:24; Rom 5:12) because she put herself at the service of the serpent, yet Mary, who made herself servant of the Divine Will, deceived the deceiving serpent and brought immortality into the world.

You are more to be valued than the entire creation, for from you alone the Creator received a share in the first-fruits of our humanity. His Flesh was made of your flesh, His Blood of your blood; God was nourished by your milk and your lips kissed the lips of God. … In His foreknowledge of your dignity, the God of all the world, has loved you and, in accordance with His love for you, He predestined you and called you into being “in the final time” (1 Pt 1:20; Heb 1:2) … So let wise Solomon shut his mouth and say no more: “Nothing is new under the sun” (Eccl 1:9).” – St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homily for the Nativity of the Virgin, 7, 10 – “See, I make all things new” (Apoc 21:5).

PRAYER – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Thy Son, and Who, by Thy Son’s death, foreseen by Thee, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee, through her intercession that we too, may come to Thee, unstained by sin. T Through 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 CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, Quotes on SALVATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 December – “You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14

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One Minute Reflection – 7 December – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception” – St Ambrose (340-397) – Confessor, Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14

REFLECTION – “I shall always love and reverence the Apostles sent by Christ and their successors, in sowing the seed of the Gospel, those zealous and tireless co-operators in propagating the Word, who may justly say of themselves: Let a man so account of us as the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the Mysteries of God. For Christ, like a most watchful and most faithful householder, wished that the Gospel lamp should be lit by such ministers and delegates, with fire sent down from Heaven and once lit, should not be put under a measure but set upon a candlestick, so that it may spread its brightness far and wide and put to flight, all darkness and error, rife among both Jews and Gentiles.

Now it is not enough for the Gospel teacher to be a brilliant speaker in the eyes of the people; he must also be as a voice crying in the desert and endeavour, by his eloquence, to help many to lead good lives, lest, if he omit his duty of speaking, he be called the dumb dog that is not able to bark, spoken of by the prophet. Yes, he should also burn, in such a way, that, equipped with good works and love, he may adorn his evangelical office and follow the leadership of Paul. He indeed was not satisfied with bidding the Bishop of the Ephesians: This command and teach: conduct thyself in work as a good soldier of Christ Jesus but he unflaggingly preached the Gospel to friend and foe alike and, said with a good conscience to the Bishops gathered at Ephesus: You know how I have kept back nothing that was for your good but have declared it to you and taught you in public and from house to house, urging Jews and Gentiles to turn to God in repentance and to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Such should be the shepherd in the Church who, like Paul, becomes all things to all men, so that the sick may find healing in him; the sad, joy; the desperate, hope; the ignorant, instruction; those in doubt, advice; the penitent, forgiveness and comfort and finally, everyone, whatever is necessary for salvation. And so Christ, when He wished to appoint the chief teachers of the world and of the Church, did not limit Himself to saying to His disciples: You are the light of the world but also added these words: A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a measure but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all who are in the house. Those churchmen err, who imagine that it is by brilliant preaching, rather than by holiness of life and all-embracing love, they fulfil their office.” – St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church (Sermon excerpt).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who have given blessed Ambrose to Thy people as a help for eternal salvation, grant, we beseech Thee that we may be worthy to have him as our intercessor in Heaven, whom we have had as a teacher of life, on earth. ThroughJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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One Minute Reflection – 6 December – ‘ … We do not even belong to ourselves! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 6 December – St Nicholas (270-343) Confessor, Bishop – Hebrews 13:7-17; Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“To one He gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then, he went away, immediately …” – Matthew 25:15

REFLECTION – “What do thou have that thou hast not received?” St Paul says to us (1 Cor 4:7). So, let us not be greedy of our goods, as though they belonged to us …They have been entrusted to our care; we have the use of a wealth in common, not the eternal possession of a personal good. If you acknowledge that this good is yours only for a time here below, you will be able to gain a possession in Heaven which will never end. Remember the servants in the Gospel who had received some talents from their master and what the master, on his return, rendered to each of them. You will then understand that to place your money on the Lord’s table, to make it bear fruit, is far more profitable, than to preserve it in fruitless faithfulness without its returning anything back to its creditor, to the great loss of the useless servant whose punishment will be all the more heavy …

Let us then lend to the Lord, the goods we have received from Him. Indeed, we possess nothing which is not a gift from the Lord and we exist only because He wills it! What is there we could think of as our own, since, by reason of an enormous and exceptional debt, we do not even belong to ourselves! For God created us but He has also redeemed us. Let us be thankful, then; redeemed at great price, the price of the Lord’s Blood, we are no longer worthless things … Let us return to the Lord what He has given us. Let us give to Him, Who receives in the person of every poor man. Let us give with joy that we may receive from Him in gladness, as He has promised!” – St Paulinus of Nola (354-431) Bishop, Father of the Church (Letter 34: 2-4).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who made the holy Bishop Nicholas renowned for countless miracles, grant, we beseech Thee that by his merits and prayers, we may be saved from the fires of hell. Through 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).

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One Minute Reflection – 5 December – ‘Come to us from the Father’s glory …’

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One Minute Reflection – 5 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The First Week of Advent – Ferial Day – Romans 13:11-14; – Luke 21:25-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The night is far advanced; the day is at hand.” Romans 13:12

REFLECTION – “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, Rejoice !” (Phil 4:4). A double joy motivated by a double blessing – the First and the Second Coming. We should rejoice because, at His First Coming, the Lord brought riches and glory to us. We should rejoice again because, at His Second Coming, He will give us “length of days forever and ever” (Ps 20:5) As the Book of Proverbs says: “Long life is in her right hand, in her left, are riches and honour” (Ps 20:5). The left hand is the First Coming with its splendid riches – humility and poverty, patience and obedience. The right hand is the Second Coming with eternal life!

Isaiah speaks about the First Coming in these words: “Awake, awake! Put on strength, O Arm of the Lord! Awake as in the days of old, in ages long ago. Was it not Thou Who crushed Rahab, Thou Who pierced the dragon? Was it not Thou Who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, Who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?” (Is 51:9-10). The Arm of the Lord is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, through Whom and in Whom God created all things … O Arm of the Lord, O Son of God, awake! Come to us from the Father’s glory, assuming our flesh. Clothe Thyself with the strength of Divinity to do battle against the “prince of this world” (Jn 12:31) and “to cast out the strong one” Thou Who are “stronger than he” (Lk 11:21-22). Awake to redeem humankind as in days of old, Thou delivered the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt … Thou dried up the Red Sea – what Thou did then Thou will do again … as Thou made the way in the depths of hell for the redeemed to pass through (Is 25:8).” – St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) FDoctor of the Church (Sermons for Sundays and Feast Days).

PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that we, Thy suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with Thee. Through 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).

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One Minute Reflection – 4 December – “So let your light shine before men …” – Matthew 5:16

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One Minute Reflection – 4 December – St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450) “Golden Words” Confessor, Father & Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8; Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“So let your light shine before men …” – Matthew 5:16

REFLECTION – “The Lord had called His disciples “salt of the earth” because, by means of the taste of heavenly wisdom they changed the hearts of those, who had become tasteless, through the devil. And now, He calls them “light of the world” because, enlightened by Himself, Who is the Eternal and true Light, they, in turn, have become a light in the darkness (Jn 1:5). Because He, Himself, is the “Sun of Justice” (Mal 3:20), He too calls His disciples “light of the world.” Through them, as with shining rays, He can pour out the Light of His knowledge, over the whole earth. They really did, chase away the darkness of error, from the people’s hearts, by displaying the Light of Truth.

Enlightened by them, we too, who were darkness, have become light, as Saint Paul says: “There was a time, when you were darkness but now, you are light in the Lord. Well, then, live as children of Light.” (Eph 5:8) And again: “We belong neither to darkness nor to night; [we] are children of Light and of the day.” (1Thess 5:5). Saint John was correct when he asserted in his letter: “God is Light.” The person who abides in God is in the Light, just as He Himself is in the Light (1Jn 1:5-7). Since we have the joy of being freed from the darkness of error, we must live in the Light and walk in the Light, as true children of the Light.” – St Chromatius of Aquilaea (Died c407) Bishop, Father of the Church (Sermons on St Matthew 5 (Trans – Breviary)

PRAYER – O God, Who willed to foreshow divinely that blessed Peter Chrysologus would be a great Doctor to rule and teach Thy Church, grant, we beseech Thee that we may be worthy to have him as our intercessor in Heaven, who on earth was a teacher of life. 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).

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One Minute Reflection – 2 December – ‘ … And, the greater their purity, the more they will see!’

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One Minute Reflection – 2 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Bibiana (Died c 361) Virgin Martyr – Sirach 51:13-17; Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure, hidden in a field.” – Matthew 13:44

REFLECTION – “Some of the brethren think that they are excluded from the Holy Ghost’s gifts of grace. Because they neglect to practise the commandments, they do not know that he who has an unadulterated faith in Christ, has within himself, the sum total of all the Divine gifts. Since, through our laziness, we are far from having an active love for Him — a love which shows us the Divine Treasures within us — we naturally think that we are excluded from these gifts.

If, as St Paul says: “Christ dwells in our hearts through faith” (Eph 3:17) and, “all the treasures of wisdom and spiritual knowledge are hidden in Him” (Col 2:3), then, all the treasures of wisdom and spiritual knowledge are hidden in our hearts! They are revealed to the heart, in proportion to our purification by means of the commandments. This is the treasure, hidden in the field of your heart which you have not yet found because of your laziness. Had you found it, you would have sold everything and bought that field. But now, you have abandoned that field and give all your attention to the land nearby, where there is nothing but thorns and thistles! It is for this reason that the Saviour says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8) for He is hidden in the hearts of those who believe in Him. They shall see Him and the riches that are in Him, when they have purified themselves, through love and self-control. And, the greater their purity, the more they will see!” – St Maximus the Confessor (c580-662) Abbot and Theologian (Centuries of love 4:69).

PRAYER – O God, giver of all good gifts, Thou Who in Thy servant, Bibiana, joined the flower of virginity with the palm of Martyrdom, by her intercession unite our hearts to Thee in charity, so that, saved from all dangers, we may obtain the rewards of eternal life. 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).

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One Minute Reflection – 1 December – ‘…Consider how near He is and, that none of our thoughts, … escapes Him. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 1 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Ferial Day – Colossians 1:9-14; Matthew 24:15-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And then shall appear the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven. ” – Matthew 24:30

REFLECTION – “Let us fix our eyes on the Father and Creator of the world and cling to His splendid and surpassing gifts of peace and His benefits. Let us see Him with our mind and look with the eyes of the soul at His patient purpose. Let us consider how free from anger He is toward all His creation … For He ordered the universe to be in peace and harmony, in His kindness to all things but especially, to ourselves, who have taken refuge in His mercy …

Take care, dear friends that His many benefits do not bring condemnation upon us, if we do not live worthily of Him … Consider how near He is and, that none of our thoughts, nor the reflections in which we indulge, escapes Him. It is right, therefore, that we should not be deserters from that which He wills … . Far be it from us that Scripture, where it says: “How wretched are those who waver, who are of a doubting heart and say: “We heard those things even in our forefather’s time and here, we have grown old and none of them has happened to us.” You senseless people! Compare yourselves to a tree – take a vine. First it sheds its leaves, then a shoot appears, then a leaf, then a flower and afterward, a sour grape, then a ripe grape. You see in that, in a short time the fruit of the tree comes to maturity. In truth, His will, will be quickly and suddenly accomplished, as the Scripture also bears witness: “He will come quickly and not delay” (Is 13:22) and “The Lord will come suddenly to His Temple and the Holy One for Whom you seek.” (Mal 3:1).” – St Pope Clement I (c35-c101) Apostolic Father of the Church (Letter to the Corinthians 19-23)

PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee and by the intercession of the Blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace that all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. 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).

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One Minute Reflection – 30 November – ”We have found the Messiah”

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One Minute Reflection – 30 November – The Feast of St Andrew, Apostle of Christ – Readings: Romans 10: 9-18; Matthew 4: 18-22

“At once they left their nets and followed him.” – Matthew 4:20

REFLECTION – “After Andrew had remained with Jesus (Jn 1:39) and had learned what he did learn, he did not keep his treasure concealed for himself but hastened to run quickly to his brother, Simon Peter, to share with him, the good things that he had received.
Consider what he told his brother: “We have found the Messiah (which interpreted is Christ)” (Jn 1:41). Do you perceive, in these words, the fruit of what he had learned in such a short time? It shows, at once, the authority of the Teacher who taught His disciples and their own enthusiasm and will to learn from Him, since the very beginning.

Indeed Andrew’s eagerness, his zeal in wanting to spread immediately such a good news, supposes a soul who was longing to see the accomplishment of the many prophecies concerning Christ. It is a mark of brotherly kindness, of loving kinship, of genuine goodwill, to hasten to stretch out a helping hand to one another in spiritual matters. … ”We have found the Messiah” he says – not any messiah but “the Messiah,” the one Christ they were awaiting.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homely on the Gospel of Saint John, 19:1).

PRAYER – Lord, in Your kindness hear our petitions. You called Andrew the Apostle, to preach the Gospel and guide Your Church in faith. May he always be our friend in Your Presence, to help us with his prayers. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. (Collect)

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One Minute Reflection – 29 November – ‘… Let us, too, build a dwelling in our hearts …’

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One Minute Reflection – 29 November – The Vigil of St Andrew Apostle – Ecclesiasticus 44:25-27; 45:2-4; 45:6-9; John 1:35-51 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying and they stayed with Him that day.” – John 1:39

REFLECTION – “John was there and two of his disciples with him.” John was such “a friend of the Bridegroom” that he did not seek his own glory, he simply bore witness to the truth (Jn 3:29,26). Did he dream of keeping back his disciples and preventing them from following the Lord? Not in the least. He, himself, showed them the One they were to follow … He declared: “Why cling to me? I am not the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God … Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.”

At these words the two disciples who were with John, followed Jesus. “Jesus turned and saw that they were following Him and said to them: ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to Him: ‘Rabbi, where are you staying?” As yet they were not following Him definitively, as we know, they joined themselves to Him, when He called them to leave their boat … when He said to them: “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). That was the moment they joined Him definitively, no longer to leave Him. But for now they wanted to see where Jesus was living and put into practice the words of Scripture: “If you see an intelligent man, seek him out at daybreak; let your feet wear away his doorstep! Learn from him the precepts of the Lord” (cf. Sir 6:36). So Jesus showed them where He was living, they went and stayed with Him. What a happy day they spent! What a blessed night! Who can say what it was they heard from the Lord’s mouth? Let us, too, build a dwelling in our hearts, construct a house where Christ can come to teach and converse with us.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on Saint John’s Gospel No 7).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness.Through 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).

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One Minute Reflection – 28 November – ‘… What we shall need to discover, is whether He comes with His Cross! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 28 November – St Catherine Labouré DC (1806-1876) Virgin, Religious Sister of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and the Marian Visionary of the Miraculous Medal. – Feria Day of the Last Sunday after Pentecost – Colossians 1:9-14; Matthew 24:15-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Then the Sign of the Son of Man will appear in Heaven” – Matthew 24:30

REFLECTION – “Would you like to learn that the Cross can be a Sign of the Kingdom? This is the Sign with which the Lord is to come at His second, glorious coming! That you might learn just how worthy of veneration the Cross is, He has made it His Title of Glory …

As we know, His first coming was effected secretly and, that discretion was justified, for He came to seek out what was dead. But this second coming is not to happen like that … He will appear suddenly to all and no-one will need to ask if Christ is here or there (Mt 24:26) … we shall not need to investigate, whether Christ is indeed present. What we shall need to discover, is whether He comes with His Cross!

When the Son of Man comes “the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light” (Mt 24:29). The splendour of His Light will be so great that the most brilliant of the stars must dim before it. “Then the stars will fall from the sky … and the sign of the Son of Man will appear in Heaven.” Do you see the power of this Sign of the Cross? “The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light” but the Cross will shine, clearly visible, so that you might know that its splendour is greater than that of the sun and the moon. Just as soldiers heave the royal standards to their shoulders at the king’s coming and bear them before him, to announce his arrival, so the cohort of Angels and Archangels, bearing this Sign on their shoulders, will warn us of the arrival of that King, Who is Christ at the Lord’s descent from Heaven! Alleluia!” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Great Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon on the Cross and the thief).

PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body, defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee and by the intercession of blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and of blessed Catherine Labouré and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace that all adversities and errors, being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. Through 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).

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One Minute Reflection – 27 November – ‘ …Now then, we do not just rest only on His first advent but look forward to His second too …’

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One Minute Reflection – 27 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal – Feria of the Last Sunday after Pentecost – Colossians 1:9-14; Matthew 24:15-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“They will see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with much power and majesty.” – Matthew 24:30

REFLECTION – “We do not preach only one advent of Christ but a second also, far more glorious than the first. For the first gave us a glimpse of His patience but the second brings with it, the Crown of a Divine Kingdom… In His former advent, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger; in his second, “He covers Himself with Light as with a garment” (Ps 103:2). In His first coming, He endured the Cross, despising shame (Heb 12:2); in His second, He comes attended by a host of Angels, receiving glory.

Now then, we do not just rest only on His first advent but look forward to His second too, when, meeting our Master with the Angels, we may worship Him and say: “Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord” (Mt 21:9). The Saviour will come, not to be judged again but to judge those who judged Him … He came the first time because of a Divine dispensation, teaching people with persuasion but on that day, they will of necessity have Him for their King.” – St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387) Bishop of Jerusalem, Father and Doctor of the Church (Catechetical lectures 15, 1).

PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that we, Thy suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with You. Through 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).

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One Minute Reflection – 26 November – ‘ …What is our mortal life except a way? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 26 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – St Sylvester Gozzolini OSB Silv. (1177– 1267) Priest, Abbot ; – Colossians 1:9-14; Matthew 24:15-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from Heaven and the powers of Heaven shall be moved. ” – Matthew 24:29

REFLECTION – “The powers of Heaven will be moved.” What does the Lord mean by the powers of Heaven, if not the Angels and Archangels, Thrones, Dominations, Rulers and Powers? (Col 1:6). At the coming of the severe Judge ,they will appear visibly before our eyes… “Then they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great authority and majesty.” In other words, they are going to see, in power and majesty, Him Whom they chose not to hear in a state of humility … He said these things about the condemned; words of consolation for the elect follow at once: – “When these things begin to take place, look up and lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near.” Truth is exhorting His elect by saying: “When the disasters of the world become more frequent … let your hearts exult! While the world – which is not your friend, is coming to an end, the redemption you have sought is coming near!”

Those who love God are ordered to rejoice and be merry at the world’s end. They will soon find Him Whom they love, while what they have not loved is passing away. It should be far from the hearts, of all the faithful, who long to see God, to grieve over the disasters of the world, for they know these very disasters are to end. It is written that: “Whoever wishes to be a friend of this world, makes himself an enemy of God (Jas 4:4). Someone who does not rejoice as the end of the world approaches, testifies that he is its friend and this convicts him of being God’s enemy.

Let this be far from the hearts of the faithful, let it be far from those who believe, by their faith that there is another life and who love it by their activities … What is our mortal life except a way? Consider carefully, my friends, what sort of thing it is to grow weary with the exertions of the way and yet, to be unwilling, that the way be ended! … Therefore, my friends, do not love, that which you see cannot long exist!” – St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Great Father and Doctor (Sermons on the Gospel).

PRAYER – Most merciful God, Who when the holy Abbot Sylvester was devoutly meditating upon the vanity of this world beside an open grave, graciously willed to call him into the desert and enrich him with unusual merits, we humbly pray that, following his example, despising the things of earth, we may thoroughly enjoy Thy everlasting presence. Through 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).

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One Minute Reflection – 25 November – ‘…Christ enters at the open door. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 25 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – St Catherine of Alexandria (Died c305) Virgin Martyr – Sirach 51:1-8; 5:12, Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Watch, therefore because you know not the day, nor the hour.” – 25:13

REFLECTION – “You are one of the virgins who illumine the beauty of your body with the light of the mind, you are all the more fit to be compared with the Church. In the hours of the night, think always on Christ and hope for His coming at every moment. …
Christ enters at the open door. He will not fail to do so, for He has promised to enter. Embrace Him, Whom you have sought. Approach Him and be illumined.
Hold Him and ask Him not to go away quickly. Beg Him not to depart. For “His Word runs swiftly” (Ps 147:15) and will not be held by the slothful or negligent soul. Let your soul run to His call and follow closely, the sound of His heavenly Voice, for His passing is swift. …

With what ties is Christ to be held?
Not by force, not by chains but rather, by the bonds of charity.
He is kept and held by the ties of the mind, by the love of the heart.
So, if you wish to hold Christ, seek Him continually and fear no fatigue.
It is often in pain of body, amid the very hands of the persecutors that Christ may really be found. … In a little while, in a brief moment, when you have escaped the hands of your persecutors and have not succumbed to the powers of the world, Christ will meet you and will not allow you to be tempted further.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Archbishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church (De virginitate, PL 16, 283-286 – The Nun’s Ideals).

PRAYER – O God, Who gave the law to Moses on Sinai’s height and through Thy holy Angels, miraculously placed there, the body of blessed Catherine, Thy Virgin and Martyr, grant, we beseech Thee that by her merits and intercession, we may reach that towering eminence which is Christ our Lord.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).

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One Minute Reflection – 24 November – “I am not come to destroy but to fulfil.” – Matthew 5:17

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One Minute Reflection – 24 November – St John of the Cross OCD (1542-1591) Confessor, Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am not come to destroy but to fulfil.” – Matthew 5:17

REFLECTION – “The sacrifice of the lamb, the Passover rite and the letter of the Law have reached their term in Jesus Christ, in view of Whom, everything in the ancient Law took place – and, even more so, in the new dispensation. For the Law became the Word; from being old it became new … the commandments have been transformed into grace and the foreshadowing into Truth; the lamb has become the Son, the sheep has become man and man has become God. …

God, although He was the Lord, put on our humanity; He suffered for him, who was suffering, was bound for him, who was captive, was judged for the guilty, was buried for him, who was buried. He was raised from the dead and cried out in a loud voice: “If anyone wishes to oppose Me, let us appear together” (Is 50:8). It is I Who delivered the condemned man; I Who restored life to the dead; I Who raised up those in the grave. “Who disputes My right?” It is I, He says, I Who am the Christ, I Who destroyed death, Who triumphed over the enemy, Who bound the mighty enemy and carried off man to the heights of heaven; it is I, He says, Who am the Christ.

Come along then, every human family, full of sin as you are and receive the forgiveness of your sins. For I Myself am your forgiveness, I am the Passover of salvation, the Lamb slain for your sakes, your Redemption, Life and Resurrection; I am your Light, your Salvation and your King. It is I Who lead you to the heights of Heaven, I Who will raise you up; it is I Who will bring you to see the Father Who is from all eternity; it is I Who will raise you up by My all-powerful Hand.” – St Melito of Sardis (Died c180) Bishop of Sardis in Smyrna and Father of the Church [Paschal Homily (Passim)]

PRAYER – O God, Who made blessed John, Thy Confessor and Teacher, an extraordinary lover of perfect self-denial and the Cross, grant that, by continually striving to imitate him, we may reach everlasting glory. Through 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 CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on TRUTH, St PETER!, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 November – ‘ … The order willed by God’s Truth remains. … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 23 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – St Clement I – Papacy (c88–c101) Pope Martyr, Apostolic Father. – Philippians 3:17-21; 4:1-3, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build My Church” – Matthew 16:18

REFLECTION – “Brothers, when it comes to fulfilling my duties as Bishop, I discover that I am weak and slack, weighed down by the weakness of my own condition, while at the same time, I want to act generously and courageously. However, I draw my strength from the untiring intercession of the Almighty and Eternal Priest, Who, like us but equal to the Father, lowered His Divinity to the level of man and raised humankind to the level of God. The decisions He made, give me a just and holy joy. For, when He delegated many shepherds to care for His flock, He did not abandon watching over His beloved sheep. Thanks to that fundamental and eternal assistance, I in turn, have received the protection and support of the Apostle Peter, who also does not abandon his function. This solid foundation, on which the whole of the Church is built, never grows tired of carrying the whole weight, of the building which rests on it.

The firmness of faith, for which the first of the Apostles was praised, never fails. Just as everything which Peter professed in Christ remains, so that which Christ established in Peter, remains… The order willed by God’s Truth remains. Saint Peter perseveres in the solidity which he received; he has not abandoned the governance of the Church which was placed in his hands. That, my brothers, is what that profession of faith, inspired by God the Father, obtained in the heart of the Apostle. He received the solidity of a rock which no assault can shake. In the entire Church, Peter says everyday: “Thou art the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” – St Leo the Great (400-461) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon on the anniversary of his Consecration as Bishop).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in Thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Clement Thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church. Through 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).

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One Minute Reflection – 22 November –“ … Keep going, persevere, bear and accept this delay and you have carried His Cross!”

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One Minute Reflection – 22 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – St Cecilia (Died 3rd Century) Virgin Martyr – Ecclesiasticus 51:13-17, Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ … The Bridegroom came and they, who were ready, went in with Him … ” – Matthew 25:10

REFLECTION – “In this world, which is to say, in the Church, wholly following Christ, He says to all of us: “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself.” This command is not being directed to virgins but not married women, to widows but not wives, to Monks but not husbands, to Priests but not laity. It is the whole Church, the whole Body of Christ with all its members, differentiated and divided according to their proper functions that is, to follow Christ. May she wholly follow Him, she who is one alone, the dove, the bride (Sg 6:9); may she follow Him, she who has been redeemed and endowed with the Blood of her Bridegroom. Virginal purity has its place here; the continence of widows has its place here; wedded chastity has its place here…

These members who have their place here should follow Christ, each according to their category, each according to their status, each after its fashion. Let them deny themselves, that is to say, let them not rely on themselves. Let them carry their cross that is to say, bear, for Christ’s sake in the world, all that the world inflicts on them. May they love Him, He, the Only One, Who never deceives or is deceived, the Only One ,Who is not mistaken. May they love Him because, what He promises is true. Yet because, He does not give it to us now, our faith falters. Keep going, persevere, bear and accept this delay and you have carried His Cross!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 96:9)

PRAYER – O God, Who gladden us by the annual feast of blessed Cecilia, Thy Virgin and Martyr, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may by virtuous conduct follow her, whom we venerate in this sacred rite. Through 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 ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 November – ‘ … Let charity expand our hope, as far as the Communion of Saints … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 8 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – The Octave Day of All Saints – Apocalypse 7:2-12; Matthew 5:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in Heaven.” – Matthew 5:12

REFLECTION – “Dearly beloved, let us anxiously attend to all that concerns the profession of our common life, “keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace,” by “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the imparting of the Holy Spirit ”(Eph 4,3; 2 Cor 13:13). From the love of God comes the unity of the spirit; from the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ comes the bond of peace; from the imparting of the Holy Spirit, comes that communion which is necessary to those who live in common. …

“I believe, 0 Lord, in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints” (Credo). This is my hope, this is my trust, this is my confidence, this is the whole of my security in the professing of my faith. … If I am allowed, O Lord, to “love Thee and love my neighbour,” (Mt 22:37-39) although my merits are small and few, yet will my hopes reach beyond them.  I am confident that the merits of the Saints will help me by the communion of charity, so that the Communion of Saints will make up for my insufficiency and imperfection. … Let charity expand our hope, as far as the Communion of Saints, in the sharing of merits and rewards but the sharing of the latter belongs to the future, for it is the sharing in the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Since, then, there are three communions – the first of nature, which includes the sharing of guilt …; the second of grace and the third, of glory. By the communion of grace, that of nature begins to be remade and the sharing of guilt to be excluded but by the communion of glory, that of nature will be perfectly restored and the communion of anger, will be entirely excluded, when “God will wipe away every tear from the eyes” of the Saints (Is 25:8; Rv 21:4). Then, among all the Saints, there will be “one heart and one soul” and “all things will be in common”when God will be “all in all” (Acts 4:2; 1 Cor 15:28). That we may all arrive at this communion and that we all may be one, “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the imparting of the Holy Spirit be with us all forever. Amen.” – Baldwin of Forde O.Cist ( c 1125–1190) Cistercian Abbot, Bishop, then Archbishop of Canterbury (Treatise on the common life).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who granted us to honour the merits of all Thy Saints in a single solemn festival, bestow on us, we beseech Thee, through their manifold intercession, that abundance of Thymercy for which we yearn. Through 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 GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PURITY, SACRAMENTS, The BEATITUDES, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 November – ‘There is nothing as beautiful as a soul which is pure. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 7 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Within the All Saints Octave and the Feast of all the Dominican Saints – Apocalypse 7:2-12, Matthew 5:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.” … Matthew 5:8

REFLECTION – “There is nothing as beautiful as a soul which is pure. If we understood this, we would be incapable of losing our purity. A pure soul is like a beautiful pearl. As long as it is concealed in a shell, at the bottom of the sea, no-one thinks of admiring it. But if you display it in the sun, then this pearl shines and draws people’s eyes.

Purity comes from Heaven, we have to ask God for it. If we ask for it, we shall receive it. We must take great care not to lose it. It closes our hearts to pride, sensuality and every other passion.

Children, we cannot understand the power which a pure soul has over the Good God – it receives all it wishes for. … Before God, a pure soul is like a child before its mother, it caresses her and hugs her and its mother returns its caresses and embraces.

To preserve our purity, there are three things – the Presence of God, prayer and the Sacraments.” … St John-Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859) Curé d’Ars (Selected Thoughts of the Curé d’Ars).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who granted us to honour the merits of all Thy Saints in a single solemn festival, bestow on us, we beseech Thee, through their manifold intercession, that abundance of Thy mercy for which we yearn. Through 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 CATECHESIS, FATHERS of the Church, ON the SAINTS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 November – ‘ … Rejoice, ardent travellers! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 6 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Within the All Saints Octave – Apocalypse 7:2-12; Matthew 5:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in Heaven.” – Matthew 5:12

REFLECTION – “Rejoice in the Lord without ceasing (cf. Phil 4:4), my dear children. I beg you rejoice, citizens of Heaven but exiles on earth, inhabitants of the Jerusalem on high (cf. Gal 4:26) but banished from affairs here below, inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven but disinherited from taking any part at all, in earthly pleasures!  Rejoice, ardent travellers, at undergoing exile and maltreatment in a foreign land in the name of the commandment of God! Rejoice, you who are last in this world but lords of blessings that exceed our understanding (cf. Phil 4:7).
Rejoice, noble company, brought together by God, assembly united in heart and soul, who give life to filial and fraternal love, a replica on earth of the host of Angels! … Rejoice, God’s workers, apostolic men. … Rejoice, you who set your joy in each other, each making his own the reputation of his brother, you in whom is found neither jealousy, rivalry nor envy but, in their place, peace and charity and life in common. In truth, I do not say that we are not attacked – indeed, who is crowned if not the one who struggles and fights, who exchanges thrusts and wounds with his assailants? – but I say that we should not let ourselves be brought down by the machinations of Satan.

Yes, my children, assembly of God, nourish yourselves with the food of the Spirit and drink the water given by the Lord: whoever comes to possess this water will never thirst again but it will become, in Him, a spring of living water welling up to eternal life (cf. Jn 4:14). …  Yet, a little while and we shall have vanquished. And blessed shall we be, blessed also, it shall be said, are the places, family and countries that have borne you (cf Lk 11:27-28).” – St Theodore the Studite (759-826) – Catechesis 47 (The Great Catecheses)

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who granted us to honour the merits of all Thy Saints in a single solemn festival, bestow on us, we beseech Thee, through their manifold intercession that abundance of Thy mercy for which we yearn. Through 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 WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 November – “… The girl is not dead but sleepeth.” – Matthew 9:24

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One Minute Reflection – 5 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Within the Octave of All Saints and the Feast of the Holy Relics – Philippians 3:17-21; 4:1-3; Matthew 9:18-26 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“… The girl is not dead but sleepeth.” – Matthew 9:24

REFLECTION – “Let us consider, dear friends, how the Master is continually proving to us that there is to be a resurrection, of which He made the Lord Jesus Christ the First Fruits, when He raised Him from the dead. Let us observe, dear friends, the resurrection that is regularly taking place. Day and night show us a resurrection – night falls asleep, day arises; day departs, night arrives. Let us take the crops – how and in what way, does the sowing take place? The sower goes out and sows each seed in the ground. They fall into the ground, dry and bare and decay, then from their decay, the greatness of the Master’s Providence raises them up and, from a single grain, many spring up and bear fruit! … Do we, then, regard it as a great and marvellous thing. for the Creator of all things. to bring about the resurrection of those. who have served Him with holiness, in the assurance of a good faith?…

With this hope, then, let our souls be bound to Him Who is faithful to His promises and upright in His judgements. He, Who has commanded us not to lie, will much more not lie Himself. For nothing is impossible to God, except lying (Jer 32:17; Lk 1:37 Heb 6:18). So, let faith in Him be rekindled in us and let us understand that all things are possible to Him.

With His majestic Word, He constituted all things and with a Word, He can overturn them … When He pleases and as He pleases, He will do everything and none of the things He has decreed, will pass away. All things are in His sight and nothing has escaped His Providence.” – St Clement of Rome (c35-c101) Pope from c88 to c101, Father of the Church (Letter to the Corinthians 24-28).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who granted us to honour the merits of all Thy Saints in a single solemn festival, bestow on us, we beseech Thee, through their manifold intercession, that abundance of Thy mercy for which we yearn.Through 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).