Category: ONE Minute REFLECTION

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on JOY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 December – “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard …” – Luke 7:23

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One Minute Reflection – 15 December – Wednesday of the Third week of Advent, Readings: Zephaniah 3: 1-2, 9-13; Psalms 34: 2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 and 23; Luke 7:19-23

“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard – the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” – Luke 7:23

REFLECTION – “The sun’s light as seen by our bodily eyes proclaims the spiritual Sun, the “Sun of Justice” (Mal 3,20). This was truly the gentlest of Suns to have arisen on those who, at that time, had the happiness of being His disciples and of seeing Him with their own eyes, while He was sharing man’s life, as though He were an ordinary man. And yet, by nature, He was also truly God, which was why He was capable of restoring sight to the blind, of making the lame to walk and the deaf to hear; He cleansed lepers and, with a word, brought back the dead to life.

And now, too, there is truly nothing sweeter than to fix our spiritual eyes on Him, so as to contemplate and picture to ourselves, His inexpressible, divine beauty. There is nothing sweeter than to be enlightened and made beautiful, by this participation and communion in the Light, to have one’s heart softened, one’s soul sanctified and to be filled with a holy joy all the days of this present life… Truly, this Sun of Justice is, for those who gaze at it, the transmitter of joy according to the prophecy of David: “The just rejoice and exult before God, they are glad and rejoice!” And again: “Exult you just in the Lord, praise from the upright is fitting!” (Ps 68[67],4; 33[32],1).” – St Gregory of Agrigente (c 559-c 630) Bishop (Commentary on Ecclesiastes, 10, 2).

PRAYER – Almighty God, let the splendour of Your glory dawn in our hearts. May the coming of Your only Son dispel all darkness and reveal that we are children of Light. By the care and love of the Mother of Your Son and our Mothers, may we be ever strong as we carry our own crosses after Jesus, our Master and our Saviour. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 December – The Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand. Repent!

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One Minute Reflection – 14 December – Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent, Readings: Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13; Psalm 34: 2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 and 23; Matthew 21: 28-32 and the Memorial of St Berthold of Regensburg OFM (c 1220-1272

“John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him.” – Matthew 21:32

REFLECTION – “John the Baptist is teaching in both word and deed. A true teacher, he shows by example what he describes in speech. Knowledge makes the teacher but action bestows authority. … To teach by doing, is the only rule followed, by one who wants to give instruction, for instructing by words is knowledge but, when it passes on into deeds, then it is virtue. Therefore, that knowledge is genuine that is combined with virtue: this and this alone, is divine, rather than human. …

“In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!‘” “Repent” – Why did he not rather say: “Rejoice“? “Rejoice, rather because what is human gives way to what is divine, what is earthly to what is heavenly, what is temporal to what is eternal, what is evil to what is good, what is unsure to what is certain, sadness to happiness, what is perishable to those things that endure forever. The Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand. Repent!” Let your behaviour as one who has converted be manifest. You who preferred what is human, to what is divine, who desired to be the world’s slave, rather than to conquer the world along with the world’s Lord, Repent. You who fled the freedom which virtue would have won for you because you wished to take on the yoke of sin: Repent. Repent in earnest, you who, for fear of possessing Life, have given yourself up to death! – St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) Bishop of Ravenna, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 167).

PRAYER – Lord God, You hold out the Light of Your Word to those who do not know You. Strengthen in our hearts, the faith You have given us and the Credo we profess, so that no trials may quench the fire Your Spirit has kindled in us. May the intercession of St Berthold of Regensburg who spent himself preaching repentance, grant us the grace of following the way of the Cross, to stand beneath it with our Mother, the Mother of God, Ave Maria! We make our prayer through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 December – ‘ …The Royal Seal …’

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One Minute Reflection – 13 December – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – Monday of the Third week of Advent, Readings: Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a; Psalm 25:4-9; Matthew 21:23-27

“Then why did you not believe him?” – Matthew 21:25

REFLECTION – “The prophets had been sent, along with Moses, to heal Israel but they ministered in tears, failing to overcome evil, as one of them said: “Woe is me! For the faithful have vanished from the earth” (Mi 7:1-2). … Humanity’s wound was great indeed – from the sole of the foot to the head, no sound place, no spot to put bandage or oil or dressing (cf. Is 1:6). Drained with weeping, the prophets said: “Who will send from Zion the healing saviour?” (cf. Ps 14[13]7) … And another prophet pleads thus: “Incline your heavens, Lord and come down” (Ps 144[143]:5). The wounds of humanity surpass our healing . They have killed the prophets and destroyed your altars (cf. 1 Kgs 19:10). We cannot cure our own wretchedness; it is You we need to raise us up.

The Lord heard the prayer of the prophets. The Father has not despised our broken race but has sent His own Son from Heaven as our physician. “The Lord whom you seek is coming and he will come speedily” said one of the prophets. Where? “Into his Temple” (cf. Mal 3:1) where you stoned His prophet (2 Chr 24:21) … And again, God Himself said: “See, I am coming to dwell among you and many nations shall take refuge in the Lord” (cf. Zech 2:14-15) … Now I am coming to gather together all people of all languages because “he came to his own and his own people did not receive him” (Jn 1:11).

You come and what do You give to the nations? “I come to gather nations and I will set my sign among them” (Is 66:18-19). For, following My combat on the Cross, I am giving each one of My soldiers, the Royal Seal to wear on his forehead (Ap 7:3). Another prophet said: “He inclined the heavens and came down, a dark cloud under his feet” (Ps 18[17]:10). However, His descent from Heaven remained unknown to people.” – St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387) Bishop of Jerusalem, Father and Doctor of the Church (Baptismal catechesis 12, 6-8).

PRAYER – “My beloved Redeemer, how much did it cost You to raise me from the ruin, which I brought on myself through my sins? What can I do without Your grace? I can do nothing but pray that You will help me but even this prayer comes from the merits of Your suffering and death! O my Jesus, help me!” … St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most zealous Doctor.

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, St JOHN the BAPTIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 December – “I tell you that Elijah has already come … ” – Matthew 17:12

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One Minute Reflection – 11 December – Saturday of the Second week of Advent, Readings: Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11; Psalm 80:2ac and 3b, 15-16, 18-19; Matthew 17: 9-13

“I tell you that Elijah has already come and they did not recognise him but did to him, whatever they pleased.” – Matthew 17:12

REFLECTION – “Our Lord bore witness that John is the greatest of the prophets, yet he received the Spirit according to a certain degree, since John received a spirit like that of Elijah.

Just as Elijah went to dwell in solitude, so God’s Spirit led John to dwell in the wilderness, mountains and caves. A raven flew to Elijah’s help by feeding him; John ate locusts. Elijah wore a leather belt and John wore a leather loincloth round his hips. Elijah was persecuted by Jezebel; Herodias persecuted John. Elijah rebuked Ahab; John rebuked Herod. Elijah divided the waters of the Jordan; John opened up baptism. Elijah’s double measure of spirit came to rest on Elisha; John placed his hands on Our Lord, Who then received the Spirit without measure (Jn 3:34). Elijah opened Heaven and went up; John saw the Heavens opened and the Spirit of God descending and resting on our Saviour.” – St Aphrahat “Jacob” (c 280-c345) Monk and Bishop near Mosul (The Demonstrations, no 6, 13).

PRAYER – Almighty God, let the splendour of Your glory dawn in our hearts. May the coming of Your only Son, dispel all darkness and reveal that we are children of light and Truth. and may His Holy Mother always intercede for us in this vale of tears. We make our prayer through Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with You, now and forever, amen.

The long list of Syriac writers whose works have come down to us, is headed by Aphraates (fourth century), surnamed the “Persian Sage”. The few biographical data which we possess of this illustrious author are gleaned from his own writings. From these we learn that he was born of pagan parents during the last half of the third century, very probably on the frontier region of the Persian empire.
After his conversion to Christianity he embraced the religious life and was later elevated to the episcopate, on which occasion he assumed the Christian name of Jacob. The adoption of this name subsequently led to a confusion of identity, and for centuries the works of Aphraates were ascribed to the famous Jacob, Bishop of Nisibis (died 338). It was not until the tenth century that the “Persian Sage” was finally identified with Aphraates, the name under which he is known to modern scholars. The writings of Aphraates consist of twenty-three “Demonstrations,” or homilies on moral and controversial topics.

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 December – ‘ … Do not despair then, persevere, happy soul, …’

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One Minute Reflection – 9 December – Thursday of the Second week of Advent, Readings: Isaiah 48:17-19; Psalm 1:1-4 and 6; Matthew 11:11`-15

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence …” – Matthew 11:12

REFLECTION – “Someone wrestled with Jacob until morning perseveringly … and Jacob said to him: “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Gn 32:25.27). … So to you, my brethren, we say, you whose set purpose is to win heaven by force, you who have come together to wrestle with the angel who guards the way to the tree of life, to you we say – it is wholly necessary that you should wrestle perseveringly and without remission, not only until the thigh … is deprived of its vigour but also, until the body is mortified. But your toil will be able to achieve this, only by the touch of God’s strength and through His bounty. …

Do you not seem, to yourself ,to be wrestling with an angel, or rather, with God Himself, when day by day He resists your impatient prayers? … You cry to Him and He does not listen to you; you wish to approach Him and He repels you. You make a decision and the opposite happens and so, in every way, He sets Himself against you, with an unrelenting hand. O Mercy, You conceal Yourself and pretend to be unrelenting! With what loving-kindness You fight against those, for whom You fight. For although You “hide these things in your heart,” I know that You “love those who love you” and that, “the abundance of your sweetness which you hide away for those who fear you is immense” (Jb 10:13; Pr 8:17; Ps 31[30]:20).

Do not despair then, persevere, happy soul, who has begun to wrestle with God; He loves to suffer violence from you. He desires to be overcome by you. For when He is angry and stretches forth His Hand to strike, He seeks, as He Himself confesses, a man like Moses to resist Him. … For if His anger is implacable and His sentence unbending, Jeremiah, who had attempted to resist, will weep and say: “You were the stronger and did prevail” (20:7).” – Blessed Guerric of Igny (c 1080-1157) Cistercian Abbot (2nd Sermon on Saint John the Baptist).

PRAYER – Almighty and merciful God, let neither our daily work nor the cares of this life, prevent us from hastening to meet Your Son. Lord, make straight the winding ways within us. Draw us to repent! Enlighten us with Your wisdom and lead us into His company, that we may love Him and do homage to Him. By the prayers of the Immaculate Mother of Your only-begotten Son, may we receive Your grace and Your strength. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, now and for all eternity. Amen

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 December – ‘ … Mary is the new Tree of Life …’

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One Minute Reflection – 8 December on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – Readings: Genesis 3:9-15, 20, Psalm 98:1-4, Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12, Luke 1:26-38

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus.

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.” … Luke 1:38

REFLECTION – “Son of God, grant me Your own admirable Gift, that I may celebrate the wondrous beauty of Your 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 that 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 Mary, My Hope! By St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
I salute you, O Mary!
you are the hope of Christians.
Receive the prayer of a sinner,
who loves you tenderly,
honours you in a special manner
and places in you the whole hope
of his salvation.
From you I have my life.
You reinstate me in the grace of your Son:
you are the sure pledge of my salvation.
I beseech of you, therefore, to deliver me
from the burden of my sins,
dispel the darkness of my mind,
banish from my heart the love of the world,
repress the temptations of my enemies
and so rule my whole life, that by your means
and under your guidance,
I may obtain everlasting happiness in heaven.
Amen

Posted in JESUIT SJ, ONE Minute REFLECTION, SAINT of the DAY, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 December – ‘ … It is what He still does daily …’

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One Minute Reflection – 7 December – Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent, Readings: Isaiah 40: 1-11; Psalm 96: 1-3 and 10-13; Matthew 18: 12-14 and the Memorial of St Ambrose (c 340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?” Matthew 18:12

REFLECTION – “Imagine to yourself the sadness of the poor shepherd, whose sheep has strayed. The only thing to be heard in the fields roundabout, is the call of this unfortunate lad who, having abandoned the better part of the flock, runs about in woods and hills, passes by thicket and bush, mourning and calling out as hard as he can, unable to make up his mind to go back, until he has found his sheep again and led it back to the fold.

Here is what the Son of God did when men had gone astray, through their disobedience, from their Creator’s way of behaving. He came down to earth and did not stint, either care or labour ,to restore us again to the state from which we had fallen. It is what He still does daily for those who separate themselves from Him by sin. He tracks them down, so to speak, never ceasing to call them back, until He has restored them to the way of salvation. And indeed, if He did not wear Himself out in this way, you well know what would become of us after the first mortal sin – it would be impossible for us to come back again … It is He who has to make all the advances, Who must show us His grace, Who must follow after us, Who must invite us to take pity on ourselves, without which, we would never dream of asking His mercy …

The zeal with which God pursues us is undoubtedly the result of a very great mercy. But the sweetness by which this zeal is accompanied shows an even more wonderful goodness. Notwithstanding the immense desire He has to cause us to return, He never uses force; He only makes use of gentleness for this purpose. In all the Gospel I see no sinner who was invited to repent except by endearments and kindness.” – St Claude la Colombière SJ (1641-1682) “Apostle of the Sacred Heart” (A sermon preached in London before the Duchess of York).

PRAYER – Lord God, You made St Ambrose a teacher of the Catholic Faith and a pattern of apostolic fortitude. Raise up in the Church today, men after Your own heart, to lead Your people with wisdom, strength and courage in the face of widespread evil. And may his prayers intercede for us all. We make our prayer, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, The HEART

One Minute Reflection – 6 December – ‘ … Each day He sees our lack of faith …’

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One Minute Reflection – 6 December – Monday of the Second Week of Advent, Readings: Isaiah 35:1-10, Psalms 85:9 and 10, 11-12, 13-14, Luke 5:17-26

“Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts?” – Luke 5:22

REFLECTION – “Thanks to the faith of others the cripple’s soul would be cured before his body. “Seeing their faith,” the Gospel says. Note here, my brethren, that God is not interested in what foolish people want and does noy expect to find faith among the ignorant … among those who conduct themselves badly. On the other hand he does not refuse to come to the help of others’ faith. Such faith is a gift of grace, at one with God’s will … In His divine goodness, Christ the Physician, strives to draw to salvation, even in spite of themselves, those affected by sickness of soul, those whom the burden of their sins and offences overwhelms, even to delirium. Yet they do not want to submit.

O my brethren, if only we wanted to, if only we all wanted to perceive our soul’s paralysis in all its depth! Then we would see that it is lying on a stretcher of sins, deprived of strength. Christ’s action within us, would be a source of light and we would understand that each day He sees our lack of faith, harmful as it is, that He draws us towards healing remedies and sharply presses our rebellious wills. “My son” He says, “your sins are forgiven you.” – St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) Bishop of Ravenna, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 50 ; PL 52, 339).

PRAYER – Prayer of St Ambrose (340-397)
O Lord, who has mercy upon all,
take away from me my sins
and mercifully kindle in me
the fire of Your Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore You,
a heart to delight in You,
to follow and enjoy You,
for Christ’s sake.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT REFLECTIONS, BAPTISM, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 December – “A pure way will be there, called the holy way”

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One Minute Reflection – 5 December – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” and The Second Sunday of Advent – Readings: Baruch 5: 1-9; Psalm 126: 1-6; Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11; Luke 3: 1-6

“Prepare the way of the Lord” – Luke 3:4

REFLECTION – “Let the desert and the parched land exult! Let the arid ground rejoice and bloom. Let it bloom with abundant flowers” (Is 35:1). What the inspired Scriptures usually call ‘desert’ and ‘waste,‘ is the Church of the pagans. She already existed in former times among the peoples but had not received her mystical Spouse from Heaven, I mean the Christ … Christ came to her, however. Captivated by her faith, He enriched her from the divine river that streams from Him – streams because it is the “fountain of life, stream of delight” (Ps 36[35]:10.9) … At His Presence, the Church ceased to be parched and arid, she encountered her Spouse, brought into the world countless children and was adorned with mystical flowers. …

Isaiah continues: “A pure way will be there, called the holy way” (v. 8). This pure way is the power of the Gospel entering into our lives or, to put it another way, the purifying power of the Spirit. For the Spirit removes the stain imprinted on the human soul, delivers us from our sins and enables us to rise above our uncleanness. Thus, this road is very rightly described as holy and pure, for it cannot be reached by anyone who has not been purified. Indeed, no-one is able to live according to the Gospel who has not first been purified by holy Baptism, no-one, therefore, can do so without faith. …
Only those delivered from the devil’s tyranny can lead the glorious life the prophet describes with these images: “No lion will be there nor beast of prey” (v. 9) on that pure way. Indeed, in former times such fierce beasts, as is the devil, that inventor of sin, used to attack earth’s inhabitants together with the evil spirits. But he was crushed by Christ, driven far away from the flock of believers and stripped of the dominion he used to wield over them. That is why, redeemed by Christ and brought together in faith, they will walk united in heart along this pure way (v. 9). Forsaking their former ways “they will return to Zion,” that is, the Church, “with everlasting joy” (v. 10) that has no end, whether on earth or in Heaven and they will glorify God their Saviour. – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Bishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Church (On Isaiah, III, 3).

PRAYER – Almighty and merciful God, let neither our daily work nor the cares of this life prevent us from hastening to meet your Son. Teach us Holy Father God, silence and solitude, to hear and learn, then lead us into the company of Your Son, as He comes to save us! And may His Mother and ours, the most pure Virgin Mary be our intercessor and advocate. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in ADVENT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 December – Building upon a rock

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One Minute Reflection – 2 December – Thursday of the First week of Advent – Readings: Isaiah 26: 1-6; Psalm 118: 1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27; Matthew 7: 21, 24-27

“Therefore, whosoever hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.…” Matthew 7:24

REFLECTION – “If anyone will piously and soberly consider the sermon which our Lord Jesus spoke on the mount, as we read it in the Gospel according to Matthew, I think that he will find in it, so far as regards the highest morals, a perfect standard of the Christian life and this, we do not rashly venture to promise but gather it from the very words of the Lord Himself.
For the sermon itself is brought to a close in such a way, that it is clear there are in it all the precepts which go to mould the life. … He has sufficiently indicated, as I think, that these sayings which He uttered on the mount, so perfectly guide the life of those who may be willing to live according to them, that they may justly be compared to one building upon a rock.”…St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of the Church (On the Sermon on the Mount)

PRAYER – Take pity on our distress, Lord God; show us Your love. May the coming of Your Son, strengthen us and cleanse us from all trace of sin. May we then follow His Words in complete obedience and fulfil Your Holy Will. And may the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of Our Lord and our Mother, help us on the way. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, our Master in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with You now and forever, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 December – ‘… Some, who do not draw near to the feet of Jesus, are not healed

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One Minute Reflection – 1 December – Wednesday of the First Week of Advent – Readings: Isaiah 25: 6-10a; Psalm 23: 1-6; Matthew 15: 29-37

“And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed …, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet and he healed them…” – Matthew 15:30

REFLECTION – “Again Jesus went up on the mountain where He sat down. Not only people who were healthy but also those suffering from various disorders, went up on the mountain where Jesus was sitting. Think of this mountain to which Jesus went up and sat down, as the Church. It has been set up through the word of God, over the rest of the world and all sorts of people come to it. To this assembly have come, not only the disciples, as if they were leaving behind the multitudes, as they did in the case of the Beatitudes. Rather, there are great crowds here, many of whom are deaf or suffer from many afflictions. Look at the crowds who come to this mountain where the Son of God sits. Some of them have become deaf to the things that have been promised. Others have become blind in soul, not looking toward the true light. Others are lame and not able to walk according to reason. Others are maimed and unable to work profitably. Each of these who are suffering in soul, from such things, go up, along with the multitudes, into the mountain, where Jesus sits.

Som,e who do not draw near to the feet of Jesus, are not healed. But those, who are brought by the multitude and cast at His feet, are being healed. Even those who come only to the edges, just the extremities of the Body of Christ, who feel themselves unworthy to obtain such things, are being healed. So now you come into the congregation of what is more commonly called the Church. See the catechumens? They are, as it were, cast in the far side or back of those who are the extreme end of the Body, as if they were coming merely to the feet of the Body of Jesus—the Church. They are coming to it with their own deafness and blindness and lameness and crookedness. In time, they will be cured,according to the Word. Observing this, you would not be wrong in saying, that these people have gone up with the multitudes into the Church, up to the mountain, where Jesus sits and have been cast at His feet and are being healed. And so the multitudes are astonished at beholding the transformations that are taking place. They behold those who are being converted from such great evils to that which is so much better.” – Origen Adamantius of Alexandria (c 185-253) Priest, Theologian, Exegist, Writer, Apologist, Father – (Commentary on Matthew, 11).

PRAYER – Prepare our hearts, we pray, O Lord our God, by Your divine power, so that at the coming of Christ Your Son we may be found worthy of the banquet of eternal life and merit to receive heavenly nourishment from His hands. Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Posted in GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on NATURE - GOD'S CREATION, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 November – ‘ … Destroy what we see, that it may pass and be transformed into what we believe…’

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One Minute Reflection – 26 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Readings: Daniel 7: 2-14; Daniel 3: 75-81; Luke 21: 29-33 – The Memorial of St Sylvester Gozzolini OSB Silv. (1177– 1267)

“Consider the fig tree” – Luke 21:29

REFLECTION – “The earth that we see does not satisfy us; it is but a beginning; it is but a promise of something beyond it; even when it is gayest, with all its blossoms on and shows most touchingly what lies hid in it, yet it is not enough. We know much more lies hid in it than we see. A world of Saints and Angels, a glorious world, the palace of God, the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, the heavenly Jerusalem, the throne of God and Christ, all these wonders, everlasting, all-precious, mysterious, and incomprehensible, lie hid in what we see. What we see is the outward shell of an eternal Kingdom and on that Kingdom we fix the eyes of our faith.

Shine forth, O Lord, as when, on Thy Nativity, Thine Angels visited the shepherds; let Thy glory blossom forth, as bloom and foliage on the tree,; change with Thy mighty power this visible world into that divine world, which, as yet we see not, destroy what we see, that it may pass and be transformed into what we believe. Bright as is the sun and the sky and the clouds; green as are the leaves and the fields; sweet as is the singing of the birds – we know that they are not all and we will not take up with a part, for the whole. They proceed from a centre of Love and Goodness, which is God Himself but they are not His Fullness; they speak of Heaven but they are not Heaven; they are but as stray beams and dim reflections of His Image; they are but crumbs from the table!” – St John Henry Newman C.O. (1801-1890),Priest, Theologian (The Invisible World » PPS, vol. 4, no.13)

PRAYER – Lord God, creator of all Light and creator of all good, grant that we may look up to You always and know that by Your Light and your goodness we are safe in this world of corruption. May the Light of our Lord Jesus, make the path He has set out bright and clear and may the prayers of St Sylvester Gozzolini be a help in our struggle. Lead us, Lord, in Your kindness and mercy to our heavenly home. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUTH, SAINT of the DAY, The REDEMPTION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 November – ‘ … The redemption you have sought, is coming near!’

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One Minute Reflection – 25 November – Readings: Daniel 6: 12-28; Psalm: Daniel 3: 68-74; Luke 21: 20-28 – The Memorial of St Catherine of Alexandria (Died c 305)

“Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” – Luke 21:28

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 a world, for they know, these very disasters, are soon 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 itself 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 what you see cannot long exist.” – St Gregory the Great (c 540-604) Pope, Father, Doctor of the Church – [Homilies on the Gospel, n.3 (Migne; trans. ©Cistercian publications Inc.]

PRAYER – Lord God, creator of all Light and creator of all good, grant that we may look up to You always and know that by Your Light and your goodness we are safe in this world of corruption. May the Light of our Lord Jesus, make the path He has set out bright and clear and may the prayers of St Catherine of Alexandria be a help in our struggle. Lead us, Lord, in Your kindness and mercy to the banquet which awaits us. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the ANTI-christ, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 November – ‘ … Why fear the hard road of suffering and tribulation? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 24 November – Readings Daniel 5: 1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28; Daniel 3: 62-67; Luke 21: 12-19 and the Memorial of St Colman of Cloyne (c 530 – c 600)

“You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives and friends and they will put some of you to death.” – Luke 21:16

REFLECTION – “Do you want to come to that life where you will be sheltered from error forever? Who does not want this? … We all desire life and truth but how are we to attain it? What path are we to follow? Certainly, we have not reached the end of the journey, yet we can already see it, … we yearn for life and truth. Christ is both one and the other. What is the way to it? “I am the way,” He says. To what will we come? “I am the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6).

This is what the Martyrs loved; this is why they looked beyond the love of present goods that pass away. Do not be astonished at their bravery: in them love overcame suffering. … Let us walk in their footsteps, our eyes fixed on Him, Who is both their Leader and ours. If we would come to so great a happiness, let us not be afraid of treading difficult paths. He Who has promised is true; He is faithful; He could not deceive us. … Why fear the hard road of suffering and tribulation? Our Saviour in person has trodden it!

You answer: “But that was Him, the Saviour!” Know that the Apostles passed that way too. Now you’re going to say: “But they were Apostles!” Yes, I know. But do not forget, that a great many people like yourself, have trodden it in their turn … women have trodden it, too … children, even young girls have gone that way. How could the road that so many passers-by have levelled, still be too hard?” – St Augustine (354-430) Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 306)

PRAYER – Shed Your clear light on our hearts O Lord, so that walking continually in the way of Your commandments, we may never be afraid, never be deceived or misled but by Your strength, stand firm in our faith. For Your Son, walks before us, beside us and behind us. The Holy Spirit of Your love fills us. Let nothing put us to shame . Grant that by the prayers of St Colman of Cloyne and all Your saints, we may be strengthened for the journey. Through our Lord Jesus, in the Holy Spirit, God eternally and forever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 November – ‘..Then I heard their voice and I placed their faith in My Heart … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 23 November – Readings: Daniel 2: 31-45; Psalm: Daniel 3: 57-61; Luke 21: 5-11 – The Mmemorial of St Pope Clement I (Died c 101) Martyr, Apostolic Father, Papacy c 88 – c 101.

“See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!” – Luke 21:8

REFLECTION – “[Christ speaks:]
I became useless to those who knew Me not,
because I shall hide Myself, from those who possessed Me not.
And I will be with those who love Me.
All my persecutors have died
and they, who trusted in Me, sought Me because I am living!
I arose and am with them and will speak by their mouths.
For they have rejected those who persecute them
and I threw over them, the yoke of My love.
Like the arm of the bridegroom over the bride (cf Sg 2,6),
so is My yoke over those who know Me.
And as the bridal feast is spread out by the bridal pair’s home,
So is My love, by those who believe in Me.

I was not rejected,
although I was considered to be so
and I did not perish,
although they thought it of Me.
Sheol saw Me and was shattered
and Death ejected Me and many with Me.
I have been vinegar and bitterness to it
and I went down with it as far as its depth.
Death was released
because it was not able to endure My Face.

And I made a congregation of living, among his dead (1P 3,19; 4,6)
and I spoke with them, by living lips;
in order that My word may not fail.
And those who had died ran toward Me
and they cried out and said, “Son of God, have pity on us.
And deal with us according to Your kindness
and bring us out from the chains of darkness.
And open for us, the door
by which we may go forth to You,
for we perceive, that our death does not approach You.
May we also be saved with You
because You are our Saviour.”

Then I heard their voice
and placed their faith in My Heart.
And I placed My Name upon their forehead (Rv 14,1)
because they are free and they are Mine! – Odes of Solomon (Hebrew Christian text from the beginning of the 2nd century) N° 42

PRAYER – Almighty, everliving God, the holiness of the Saints is Your glory. Let us rejoice in the memory of Saint Clement, Priest and Martyr of Christ Your Son. His life his teaching and his death bore witness to the mystery of faith. Grant us by his prayers, the courage and faith he manifested, to imitate Our Master in all things. We make our prayer through Him Who is the Light and the Power, with You Father and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever, amen.

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 November – ‘… Anything which seemed to be hers, belonged to the poor. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 17 November – Readings: 2 Maccabees 7: 1, 20-31; Psalm 17: 1, 5-6, 8b and 15; Luke 19: 11-28 and the Memorial of St Elizabeth of Hungary TOSF (1207-1231) Princess

“He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’” – Luke 19:13

REFLECTION – “From this time onward, Elizabeth’s goodness greatly increased. She was a lifelong friend of the poor and gave herself entirely to relieving the hungry. She ordered that one of her Castles, should be converted into a Hospital in which she gathered many of the weak and feeble. She generously gave alms to all who were in need, not only in that place but in all the territories of her husband’s empire. She spent all her own revenue from her husband’s four principalities and finally, she sold her luxurious’ possessions and rich clothes for the sake of the poor.

Twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, Elizabeth went to visit the sick. She personally cared for those who were particularly repulsive; to some she gave food, to others clothing; some she carried on her own shoulders and performed many other kindly services. Her husband, of happy memory, gladly approved of these charitable works. Finally, when her husband died, she sought the highest perfection; filled with tears, she implored me to let her beg for alms from door to door.

On Good Friday of that year, when the Altars had been stripped, she laid her hands on the Altar in a Chapel in her own Town, where she had established the Friars Minor,and before witnesses, she voluntarily renounced all worldly display and everything that our Saviour in the gospel advises us to abandon. Even then, she saw that she could still be distracted by the cares and worldly glory which had surrounded her while her husband was alive. Against my will she followed me to Marburg. Here in the Town she built a hospice, where she gathered together the weak and the feeble. There she attended the most wretched and contemptible at her own table.

Apart from those active good works, I declare before God that I have seldom seen a more contemplative woman. When she was coming from private prayer, some religious men and women often saw her face shining marvelously and light coming from her eyes like the rays of the sun!

Before her death I heard her Confession. When I asked what should be done about her goods and possessions, she replied that anything which seemed to be hers, belonged to the poor. She asked me to distribute everything except one worn out dress in which she wished to be buried. When all this had been decided, she received the Body of our Lord. Afterward, until vespers, she spoke often of the holiest things she had heard in sermons. Then, she devoutly commended to God all who were sitting near her and as if falling into a gentle sleep, she died.” – Conrad of Marburg (1180-1233) Priest, Spiritual Director of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (An excerpt from Letter).

PRAYER – Holy God and Father, grant us a strong Faith! Poor Your graces into our hearts that we may believe with all our hearts, minds and souls and that in believing, we may constantly raise our entire being to You in prayer and supplication, in prayer and adoration, in prayer and love. May the intercession of St Elizabeth of Hungary, a woman of deep prayer and charity from her youth, strengthen our perseverance and trust. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on WATCHING, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, The LAST THINGS, The SECOND COMING

One Minute Reflection – 14 November – Let us not resist His First Coming, so that we may not dread the Second.

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One Minute Reflection – 14 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Readings: Daniel 12: 1-3; Psalm 16: 5, 8, 9-10, 11; Hebrews 10: 11-14, 18; Mark 13: 24-32 and the Memorial of St Serapion of Algiers OdeM (c 1179–1240) Mercadarian Priest and Martyr

“And then they will see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory… ” – Mark 13:26

REFLECTION – “All the trees of the forest will exult before the Face of the Lord, for He has come, he has come to Judge the earth. He has come the first time and He will come again. At His first coming, His own voice declared in the gospel: “Hereafter, you shall see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds.” What does He mean, by hereafter? Does He not mean that the Lord will come at a future time when all the nations of the earth will be striking their breasts in grief?
Previously He came through His preachers and He filled the whole world. Let us not resist His first coming, so that we may not dread the second.
… But I wish you to be without anxiety. He who is without anxiety waits without fear until his Lord comes. For what sort of love of Christ is it to fear His Coming? Brothers, do we not have to blush for shame? We love Him, yet we fear His Coming? Are we really certain that we love Him? Or do we love our sins more? Therefore, let us hate our sins and love Him, Who will exact punishment for them. He will come whether we wish it or not. Do not think that because He is not coming just now, He will not come at all. He will come, you know not when and provided He finds you prepared, your ignorance of the time of His Coming, will not be held against you. … ” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop and Great Western Father, Doctor of Grace of the Church – (An excerpt from his On The Psalms (Psalm 95) 14-15.)

PRAYER – Almighty Lord and God, protect us by Your power throughout the course of this day, even as You have enabled us to begin it. Your grace is all that we need, to see the loving kindness of Your Son, our Lord Jesus in all we see and do and think. Do not let us turn aside from His path but by the faith You have granted us, let us find meaning in all, which is the sign of Your glory. Do not let us turn aside to sin and may the intercession of St Serapion of Algiers, grant us courage and peace. Through Jesus Christ, our Saviour, with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PURGATORY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on ZEAL, The HOLY SOULS, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 November – Our fields …

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One Minute Reflection – 12 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Readings: Wisdom 13: 1-9; Psalm 19: 2-5; Luke 17: 26-37

“On that day, … a person in the field, must not return to what was left behind.” – Luke 17:31

REFLECTION – “He that will be in the field, do not let him turn back.” How may I understand what is the field unless Jesus Himself teaches me? He says, “No-one putting his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.” The lazy person sits in the farmhouse but the industrious person, plants in the field. The weak are at the fireplace but the strong are at the plough. The smell of a field is good because the smell of Jacob is the smell of a full field. A field is full of flowers. It is full of different fruits. Plough your field if you want to be sent to the Kingdom of God. Let your field flower, fruitful with good rewards. Let there be a fruitful vine on the sides of your house and young olive plants around your table. Already aware of its fertility, let your soul, sown with the Word of God and tilled by spiritual farming, say to Christ, “Come, my brother, let us go out into the field.” Let Him reply, “I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my vintage of myrrh.” What is better than the vintage of faith, by which the fruit of the resurrection is stored and the spring of eternal rejoicing is watered?” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan and one of the original four Fathers and Doctors of the Latin Church (Exposition on the Gospel of Luke, 8)

PRAYER – Lord God, grant to us that the power of Your protecting hand may keep us unshaken in the face of our ancient enemy and all his hidden snares. Lighten our way so that, through the prayers of intercession of the Angels and Saints, we may experience the joy of Your presence in our hearts, courage in times of suffering and the wisdom to obey Your instructions. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.

Posted in GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

One Minute Reflection – 15 November – ‘ … When you have Christ, you have all the riches you need. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 15 November – Readings: Wisdom 7: 22b – 8: 1; Psalm 119: 89-91, 130, 135, 175; Luke 17: 20-25 – The Memorial of St Martin of Tours (c 316-397) and St Bartholomew of Rossano (c 970-c 1065)

“For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” – Luke 17:21

REFLECTION – “The Kingdom of God is within you,” says the Lord …. Get up, faithful soul, prepare your heart for this Bridegroom, that He may deign to come and dwell within you. For so He proclaimed: “Whoever loves me will keep my word and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him,” (Jn 14:23). Make room for Christ and then, bar the door against all comers. When you have Christ, you have all the riches you need. He will be your Purveyor and your faithful Manager in all things; you will have no need to hope in men. For men are quick to change and speedily die but Christ “remains forever” (Jn 12:34), standing firm to the very end.

Not much reliance should be placed upon man, be he never so beloved or so useful; for he goes to pieces and he dies. And not much sadness should be felt if he sometimes turns against you – with you to-day, against you to-morrow and fickle as the breeze, to return to you again. Put all your trust in God, let Him be your fear and Him your Love. He will answer for you and do that good thing that is best for you.

“Here we have no lasting city” (Heb 13:14), wherever you are, you are “a stranger and an alien” (Heb 11:13); you will never, at anytime have peace until you are intimately one with Christ.” – Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471) – The Imitation of Christ – (Book II, ch. 1, 2-3)– Trans Robert Dudley

PRAYER – Our Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done! Grant us Lord, a true knowledge of our salvation, so that freed from fear and from the power of our foes, we may serve You faithfully, all the days of our lives and thus attain eternal joy with You. May the prayers of St Martin of Tours and St Bartholomew of Rossano, on our behalf, be a succour to us all. Through our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 November – ‘He is satisfied with being loved.’

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One Minute Reflection – 10 November – Readings: Wisdom 6: 1-11; Psalm 82: 3-4, 6-7; Luke 17: 11-19

“Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” – Luke 17:17

REFLECTION – “After having offended our Benefactor by our indifference to His signs of goodwill, we have, nevertheless, not been forsaken by the Lord’s goodness nor cut off from His love but we have been rescued from death and restored to life by our Lord Jesus Christ. And the way in which we have been saved, is even more worthy of wonder. “Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God something to be grasped but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (Phil 2,6-7).

He carried our weakness and bore our sufferings, He was put to death for our sake that we might be saved by His Wounds, He redeemed us from the curse, by becoming accursed for us (cf Is 53,4-5; Gal 3,13). He endured the most degrading of deaths, to lead us to life and glory. And it was not enough for Him to restore to life, those who lay in death. He clothed them again in the divine dignity and prepared for them, in everlasting rest, a happiness that exceeds all human imagining.

How, then, shall we repay the Lord for all He has given us? His goodness is such, that He asks nothing in return for His blessings – He is satisfied with being loved.” – St Basil (330-379) Monk, Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, Father and Doctor of the Church (Great monastic Rules, # 2)

PRAYER – You Lord, Holy Father, never forget Your solemn covenant and grant us new life each day. We though in our hearts of stone do forget and cease to thank and bless You. Make our hearts turn in gratitude, for all we are and have is by Your grace and we are as nothing without You. May our minds, hearts and souls sing with love and thanks to You, Lord our God. Grant us new hearts by the prayers of Your Saint Leo the Great and all the saints in heaven, who always lived with grateful hearts, praising You always. We ask this this through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 November – The unjust steward

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One Minute Reflection – 10 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Readings: : Romans 16: 3-9, 16, 22-27; Psalm 145: 2-5, 10-11; Luke 16: 9-15

“I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”…Luke 16:9

REFLECTION – “A servant cannot serve two masters.” Not that there are two – there is only one Master – for even if there are some people who serve money, it has no inherent right to be a master; they, themselves, are the ones who assume the yoke of this slavery. In fact, money has no rightful authority but constitutes an unjust bondage. That is why Jesus says: “Make friends for yourselves with deceitful money” so that, by generosity to the poor, we will win the favour of angels and saints.

The steward is not blamed. By this we learn, that we are not masters but rather stewards of other people’s wealth. He was praised even though he was in the wrong because, in paying out to others in his master’s name, he won support for himself. And how rightly Jesus spoke of “deceitful wealth” because love of money so tempts our desires with its various seductions, that we consent to become its slaves. That is why He said: “If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?” Riches are alien to us because, they exist outside of our nature; they are not born with us, they do not follow us in death. But Christ, to the contrary, belongs to us because He is Life… So do not let us become slaves of exterior goods because Christ is the only One we should acknowledge as our Lord.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan and Father & Doctor of the Church -(Commentary on Saint Luke’s Gospel, 7, 244s ; SC 52)

PRAYER – Lord God, You built Your Church on the firm foundation of the Apostle Peter and You promised that the gates of hell would never overcome it. So too, may we trust in Your power, that by our faith we may receive the grace to withstand the enemy who will not prevail against us. May we always serve You in our brother and may your Holy Spirit grant us the grace of fortitude to withstand our temptations and thus gain eternal life, supported by the prayers of all the Angels, Saints and our Blessed Mother Mary. Through Christ, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God now and forever, amen.

Posted in BAPTISM, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 November – ‘… The handwriting of sin … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 5 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Readings: Romans 15: 14-21; Psalms 98: 1-4; Luke 16: 1-8 and the Memorial of All Jesuit Saints and Blesseds

“Then to another he said: ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred kors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note, write one for eighty.’” – Luke 16:7

REFLECTION – “What the Gospel of “the unjust steward” says, is also an image of this matter. He says to the debtor [of one hundred measures of wheat], “Take your bill, sit down and write eighty” and the other things that are related.
You see that he said to each man, “Take your bill.”
It is evident from this, that the ‘documents of sin‘ are ours but God writes ‘documents of justice.‘
The Apostle says, “For you are an epistle written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart.” You have in yourselves, ‘documents of God’ and ‘documents of the Holy Spirit.’
If you transgress, you yourself write in yourselves, the handwriting of sin.
Notice, that at anytime, when you have approached the Cross of Christ and the grace of Baptism, your handwriting is fastened to the Cross and blotted out in the fountain of Baptism.
Do not rewrite later, what has been blotted out, or repair what has been destroyed. Preserve only the documents of God in yourself. Let only the scripture of the Holy Spirit remain in you.” – Origen Adamantius (c 185-253) Priest, Theologian, Exegist, Writer, Apologist, Father (Homilies on Genesis, 13)

PRAYER – Lord God, teach us humility, to give and not to count ever the cost to ourselves, to take the lowest part and the back seat – teach us Lord, to strive and not to seek for glory, save for that of Your Kingdom. Let us see Your Face, His Face, He our Teacher, our Saviour in the face of all those in most need. May all those great Jesuit Saints standing before that Face, pray for us! We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who we beg, have mercy on us all, who seek rewards for our own sakes, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 November – ‘ …He sets out in search of the one.’ 

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One Minute Reflection – 4 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Readings: Romans 14: 7-12; Psalm 27: 1, 4, 13-14; Luke 15: 1-10 and the Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) and St Emeric of Hungary (c 1007-1031)

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”…Luke 15:4-5

REFLECTION – “The fact of re-finding something we had lost always fills us anew with joy.   And this joy is greater than that we felt before losing it, when the thing was safely kept.   But the parable of the lost sheep speaks more of God’s tenderness than of the way in which people usually behave.   It expresses a profound truth.   To leave behind something of importance for love of what is more humble, is characteristic of divine power, not of human possessiveness.   For God even brings into existence what is not, He sets out in search of what is lost while still keeping what He had left in place and He finds what had strayed without losing what He has under His protection.
That is why, this Shepherd is not of earth but of heaven.   The parable is not in any respect, a representation of human achievements but it conceals divine mysteries, as the numbers it mentions immediately show: “What man among you,” says the Lord, “having a hundred sheep and losing one of them…”   As you see, the loss of a single sheep has sorely tried this Shepherd, as though, the whole flock, deprived of His protection, had set out along a treacherous path.   This is why, leaving the ninety-nine others there, He sets out in search of the one.   He attends to one alone so that, in that one, all may be found and saved – St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) Father and Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – Lord God, in Your wisdom, You created us, by Your providence You rule us, penetrate our inmost being with Your holy light, so that our way of life, may always be one of faithful service to You. With great love we thank You for the great gifts You shower upon us and for being our Father, who seeks and finds us when we are lost. Grant that by the intercession of St Charles Borromeo and St Emeric, we may ever seek to stay true to our baptism. Through Jesus, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 November – ‘Then our soul will ascend … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 3 November – Readings: Romans 13: 8-10; Psalm 112: 1b-2, 4-5, 9; Luke 14: 25-33

“… Anyone of you, who does not renounce all his possessions, cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:33

REFLECTION – “The tradition and the authority of Holy Scripture show us three renunciations … The first is that by which, as far as the body is concerned, we make light of all the wealth and goods of this world.
By the second, we reject the fashions and vices and former affections of soul and flesh.
By the third, we detach our soul from all present and visible things and contemplate only things to come and set our heart on what is invisible. We have to do all these three at once as the Lord charged Abraham to do, when he said to him “Go out from your country and your kinsfolk and your father’s house.”(Gn 12:1).

First he said “from your country,” that is, from the goods of this world and earthly riches; secondly, “from your kinsfolk,” that is, from this former life and habits and sins, which cling to us from our very birth and are joined to us, as it were, by ties of affinity and kinship; thirdly, “from your father’s house,” that is, from all the recollection of this world, which the sight of the eyes can afford. …

Let us contemplate, as the Apostle says, “not what is seen but what is unseen – for what is seen is transitory but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Co 4:18) … “Our citizenship is in heaven,” … (Ph 3:20) … We shall go forth from the house of our former parent, who was our father from our very birth, according to the old man, when we were “by nature children of wrath, like the rest” (Eph 2:3) and we shall fix our whole mind and concentration on heavenly things …
Then our soul will ascend towards unseen things by constant meditation on divine things and spiritual contemplation.” – St John Cassian (c 360-435) Monk, Founder of Monasteries, Father of the Church (Conference 3, 6-7)

PRAYER – Holy God and Father, You sent Your Son to show us the way to our eternal home. Teach us always to understand that by relinquishing the things of this world and focusing our efforts only on following the Light He shines on our path, we may attain the eternal victory. May the prayers of Your our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, assist us in carrying our cross after Hi m. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The HOLY SOULS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 November – ‘… What about us? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 2 November – Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed – All Souls Day – Readings: Wisdom 3: 1-9; Romans 5: 5-11 or Romans 6: 3-9; Gospel: John 6: 37-40

“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him, may have eternal life and I shall raise him [on] the last day.” – John 6:40

REFLECTION – “He has said two things: “This is the work of God that you should believe in the One whom He has sent,” while here He added, “whoever sees and believes.”
The Jews saw but did not believe; they had the one condition, lacked the other.
How could they attain to eternal life without the other?
The reason those who saw did not attain eternal life was because they did not also believe.
If so, what about us, who have believed but have not seen?
If it is those two things that earn eternal life, seeing and believing—and whoever is lacking one of them cannot attain to the reward of eternal life — what are we to do?
The Jews [who saw Him] lacked the one; we ,the other.
They had seeing but lacked believing.
We have believing but lack seeing.
Well, as regards our having believing and lacking seeing, we have prophetically been declared blessed by the Lord Himself just as Thomas, one of the Twelve, was blessed when he felt his scars by touching them.” – St Augustine (354-430) Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 14)

PRAYER – Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, Whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His Resurrection, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 31 October – ‘ …This is the “Advocate” …’

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One Minute Reflection – 31 October – The last day of the “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Deuteronomy 6: 2-6; Psalm 18: 2-4, 47, 51; Hebrews 7: 23-28; Mark 12: 28b-34

“Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them…” – Hebrews 7:25

REFLECTION – “Petition does not imply here, as it does in popular parlance, a desire for legal satisfaction; there is something humiliating in the idea. No, it means interceding for us in His role of mediator, in the way that the Spirit too is spoken of, as “making petition” on our behalf. “For there is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Even at this moment, He is, as human, interceding for my salvation, until He makes me divine by the power of His incarnate Humanity. “As human,” I say, because He still has with Him the Body He assumed, though He is no longer “regarded as human,” meaning, the bodily experiences, which, sin aside, are ours and His. This is the “Advocate” we have in Jesus — not a slave who falls prostrate before the Father on our behalf. Get rid of what is really a slavish suspicion, unworthy of the Spirit. It is not in God to make the demand, nor in the Son to submit to it; the thought is unjust to God. No, it is by what He suffered as Man, that He persuades us, as Word and Encourager, to endure. That, for me, is the meaning of His “Advocacy.” – St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father & Doctor of the Chuirch (Theological Oration 4 (On the Son), 30)

PRAYER – Lord God, You gave the peoples of the world as the inheritance of Your only Son; You crowned Him as King of Zion, Your holy city and gave Him Your Church to be His Bride. As He proclaims the law of Your eternal kingdom, may we serve Him faithfully and so share His royal power forever. We make our prayer, through Him and with Him and in Him, our King and our Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the KING, DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, POETRY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 31 October – I am Thine and born for Thee

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Our Morning Offering – 31 October – Christ the King

I am Thine and born for Thee,
What wilt Thou do with me?
By St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of Prayer of the Church

Sovereign Lord, upon Thy Throne,
Endless Wisdom, One and Whole,
Goodness that dost feed my soul,
Good and great, One God alone,
As I sing my love for Thee.
What wilt Thou do with me?

Thine I am, for Thou didst make me;
Thine, for Thou alone didst save me;
Thine – Thou couldst endure to have me;
For Thine own, didst deign to take me.
Never once, didst Thou forsake me.
Ruined were I, if not for Thee:
What wilt Thou do with me?

What, O good and loving Lord,
What wilt Thou have this creature do?
This Thy slave, a sinner too,
Waiting till she hears Thy word?
With Thy will in close accord,
Sweetest Love, I come to Thee:
What wilt Thou do with me?

Take, O Lord, my loving heart:
See, I yield it to Thee whole,
With my body, life and soul
And my nature’s every part.
Sweetest Spouse, my life Thou art;
I have given myself to Thee:
What wilt Thou do with me?

Let me live or let me die;
Give me sickness, give me health;
Give me poverty or wealth;
Let me strive or peaceful lie.
Weakness give or strength supply –
I accept it all of Thee:
What wilt Thou do with me?…

I am Thine and born for Thee,
What wilt Thou do with me?

Poem – I am Yours, for You I was born – “Vuestra Soy, para Vos nací ”
(trans. E Allison Peers)

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 October – ‘It is like a theft …’

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One Minute Reflection – 30 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” and Mary’s Day – Readings: Romans 11: 1-2a, 11-12, 25-29; Psalm 94: 12-15, 17-18; Luke 14: 1, 7-11

“He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honour at the table.” – Luke 14:7

REFLECTION – “When,” He says, “a man more honoUrable than you comes, he that invited you and him will say, ‘Give this man place.’” Oh, what great shame is there in having to do this! It is like a theft, so to speak and the restitution of the stolen goods. He must restore what he has seized because he had no right to take it. The modest and praiseworthy person, who without fear of blame might have claimed the dignity of sitting among the foremost, does not seek it. He yields to others what might be called his own, that he may not even seem to be overcome by empty pride. Such a one shall receive honour as his due. He says, “He shall hear Him who invited him say, ‘Come up here.’”

If anyone among you wants to be set above others, let him win it by the decree of Heaven and be crowned by those honours that God bestows. Let him surpass the many, by having the testimony of glorious virtues. The rule of virtue is a lowly mind that does not love boasting. It is humility. The blessed Paul also counted this worthy of all esteem. He writes to those who eagerly desire saintly pursuits, “Love humility.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) The Pillar of Faith” Father and Doctor (Commentary on Luke, Homily 101)

PRAYER – Lord Jesus, help us to appreciate and live Your spiritual virtues and give them the first place in our hearts. Grant that we may always seek them first and remain forever united with You. Send Your Spirit with His gifts and blessings and may the Mother of all Virtue, assist us in our need. Help us to follow the path of humility, the Blessed Virgin so splendidly taught us and may we always beseech Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, for her intercession, that we may obtain from You, a place in Your Kingdom. Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, pray for us. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God now and for all times, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on TRUTH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 October – ‘… The depth of His love for us …’

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One Minute Reflection – 29 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Romans 9: 1-5; Psalm 147: 12-15, 19-20; Luke 14: 1-6

“One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.” – Luke 14:1

REFLECTION – “The world’s eternal and invisible Creator, preparing to save humankind, which for long ages had been hindered by it’s subjection to the heavy law of death, deigned “in these last days” (Heb 1:2) to become man … that in His mercy He might redeem those, who in justice, He condemned. And so, as to show the depth of His love for us, He not only became a man but a poor and humble man so that, by drawing near to us in His poverty, He might make us sharers in His riches (2 Cor 8:9). So poor did He become for our sake, that He had nowhere to lay His head: “Foxes have dens and the birds of the air have their nest but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Mt 8:20).

This is the reason why He agreed to go and dine wherever He was invited, not out of an excessive enjoyment in eating but, so that He could teach the way of salvation and stimulate faith. There He would fill the guests with light by His miracles and the servants, who were kept busy inside and were not free to go with Him, would hear the words of salvation. Indeed, He despised no-one and none were considered unworthy of His love because “he has mercy on all; he hates nothing of what he has made and takes care of them all” (Wsd 11:24).

So that He might carry out this work of salvation the Lord entered the house of an eminent Pharisee on the sabbath. The scribes and Pharisees watched Him with the intention of calling Him to account, so that if He were to cure the man with dropsy they could accuse Him of breaking the Law and, if He did not, they could accuse Him of blasphemy or inability … By the pure light of His word of truth, they were to see the darkness of their deceit vanish away. …” – Blessed Guerric of Igny O.Cist (c 1080-1157) – Cistercian Abbot (Liturgical sermons).

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, shed the light of Your glory on the peoples who are living in the shadow of death, as You did long ago, when our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sun of Justice, came among us from on high. As He taught us the way to life may we keep the precepts and finally reach our everlasting home. May the Mother of Jesus, our Lord and our always loving and merciful Mother, keep us forever in her prayers. With Jesus our Lord and our God, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You now and for all eternity, amen.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 October – ‘Children of promise,’

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One Minute Reflection – 27 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Romans 8: 26-30; Psalm 13: 4-6; Luke 13: 22-30 and the Memorial of Saint Elesbaan of Ethiopia (Died c 555) King of Ethiopia, Confessor

“And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south …” – Luke 13:29

REFLECTION – Those who approach God, leaning on Him with a desire to be saved, are saved indeed. For it is divine inspiration that enables them to conceive this desire for salvation and they come to knowledge of Truth enlightened by Him who calls them. They are indeed children of promise, the reward of faith, the spiritual descendants of Abraham, “a chosen race, a holy priesthood” (1 Pt 2:9), foreknown from long ago and predestined for eternal life. … Through the mediation of Isaiah, our Lord makes known His grace to us, to make new creatures of us all – “See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers …)for my chosen people to drink, the people whom I formed for myself that they might announce my praise” And elsewhere …) “To me every knee shall bend, by me every tongue shall swear” (Is 43:19 f; 45:23).

There is no question but that all this will come to pass because God’s foreknowledge never fails nor do His plans alter, His will is ever active and His promises cannot be mistaken. Therefore, all those to whom these words refer shall be saved. For He sets His laws in their consciences and with His finger He writes them in their hearts (Rom 2:15). They gain access to knowledge of God, not under the influence of human teaching but the guidance of the best of masters – “Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything but only God, who causes the growth” (1 Cor 3:7). … It is given to them all to have a changed heart and just judgement together with an upright will. God brings fear to birth in these people so that they may be instructed in His commandments. … They rejoice in the power of His mercy and all the miracles He has done, for God has chosen them and made them His children, heirs of the new covenant (Jr 31:31).” – St Prosper of Aquitaine (Died c 460) Lay Theologian, Writer and disciple of St Augustine (he was the first continuer of St Jerome’s Universal Chronicle) – (The Summons to All People)

PRAYER – Shed Your clear light on our hearts, Lord, so that walking continually in the way of Your commandments, we may never be deceived or misled. Grant that the prayers of our Blessed Mother, who always holds Your Light up for others to see by, give us strength. Through Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.