Category: ONE Minute REFLECTION

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 June – ‘It is not our own love we are to give …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 4 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Thursday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14, Mark 12:28-34

Jesus replied:  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.
The second is this:  ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” … Mark 12:29-31mark 12 29-31 you shall love the lord your god with all your heart -4 june 2020

REFLECTION – “It is God we love;  love of God is the first commandment but the second is like it, namely, that it is only through others that we can return love for love to God.
The danger is when the second commandment becomes the first. However, we have a means of control which is to love each person, to love Christ, to love God in each person, without preference or distinction or exception.
The second danger is, that we cannot do it and will not do it, if we separate charity from faith and hope.
It is prayer that gives us faith and hope.   Without prayer we won’t be able to love. …
Faith and hope infused by prayer, are what will clear the path of our love from its most cluttering obstacle – self-love.
The third danger is to love, not “as Jesus has loved us” but in a human fashion.   And perhaps this is the greatest danger of all. …
It is not our own love we are to give, it is God’s love.   The love of God, a divine person, the gift of God to us but which remains a gift, which has to pass through us, so to speak, to pierce us, in order go elsewhere, to enter others.” … Venerable Madeleine Delbrêl (1904-1964) Missionary to the Outcasts, Author, Poet, Mystic – Fulfilling even on this earth the love for which God has created us (The joy of believing)the third danger is to love, not as Jesus has loved us-ven madeleine delbrel 4 june 2020

PRAYER – God power and mercy, by whose grace, Your people give You praise and worthy service, help us to see Your face in our neighbour. To love them all as we love You. Save us from faltering on our way and grant us the joys You have promised. St Francis Caracciolo, you who loved even unto death, kindly assist our journey by your prayers. Through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.+st francis caracciolo pray for us 4 june 2020

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, SAINT of the DAY, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 June – God of the living

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 3 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Wednesday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12, Psalm 123:1-2, Mark 12:18-27 and the Memorial of St Juan Grande OH (1546-1600)

“He is not God of the dead but of the living.” …Mark 12:27

REFLECTION – “How blind are the eyes of the intellect on its own!   For they have not noticed that “the blind see, the lame walk” (Mt 11:5) on earth at the Saviour’s word…  so that we might believe that the flesh in its entirety will rise again at the resurrection.   If He cured diseases of the flesh on this earth and restored wholeness to the body, how much more, will He do so at the moment of resurrection, so that the flesh might rise again wholly and without blemish…  It seems to me that such people fail to look, at the divine action in its totality, at the beginning of creation, in the forming of man.   They don’t attend to the reason why earthly things were made.
The Word said:  “Let us make man in our image and likeness” (Gn 1:26)… Obviously man, formed in the image of God, was flesh.  Therefore, how absurd it is to claim, that flesh formed by God in His own image is despicable and worthless!   Clearly flesh must be precious in God’s eyes since it is His creation.   And since the culmination of His plan for all the rest of creation is to be found in it, this is what has the greatest worth in the eyes of the Creator.”… St Justin (c 100-160), Martyr, Apologist, Philosopher, Father of the Church (Treatise on the resurrection, 2.4.7-9)mark 12 27 - he is not the god of the dead but of the living - if he cured diseases of the flesh - st justin - 6 june 2018

PRAYER – Holy Father, You made us, we belong to You. Grant that by the prayers of all your holy saints, we may attain eternal life with You to praise and worship You for all eternity.   May the prayers of St Juan Grande (1546-1600) assist us our earthly pilgrimage.   We make our prayer through our Lord, Jesus, with You and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.st juan grande pray for us 3 june 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 June – ‘He sets His image within you …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 2 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Tuesday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: 2 Peter 3:12-15, 17-18, Psalm 90:2-4, 10, 14, 16, Mark 12:13-17

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God, the things that are God’s.” … John 12:17

REFLECTION – “Oh man! why do you despise yourself so, seeing that you are so precious to God?   And why do you demean yourself in this way when God honours you by Christ’s birth in our flesh?   Why search out how you were made and not enquire what you were made for?   Was not this whole dwelling, this world that you see, made for you?   For your sake, light spreads abroad and causes darkness to fade;  for your sake, night is ruled and day measured;  for you, heaven shines with the varied splendours of sun and moon and stars;  for you, the earth is spangled with flowers, trees and fruits;  for you, was created this amazing mass of animal life, in the air, the fields, the loveliness of water, so that no dismal solitude should spoil the new world’s joy….

Besides this, the Creator seeks out what else He can add to your dignity – He sets His image within you (Gen 1:27) so that your visible image, might make present upon earth, the invisible Creator and, to you, He entrusts the care of earthly goods, so that so vast a domain as this is, should not be lacking a representative from the Lord. … And what God accomplished in you by His power, He graciously assumed into Himself – He wanted to be truly manifested in the man in whom, hitherto, He had only appeared in image.   He enabled us to become in reality what had only been a mere likeness before. …  And so Christ is born, to restore all its integrity to fallen nature.” … St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450) Father and Doctor of the Church – Sermon 148, On the mystery of the Incarnationjohn 12 17 render to caesar - why search out how you were made and not enquire what you were made for st peter chrysologus 2 june 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, true light and creator of light, grant us the grace to see clearly by the light who is Light, Your only Son.   Lead us in His path and send us Your Spirit.   Grant us the strength to grow in holiness so that our struggle against the powers of darkness may we a victory over temptation.   May the prayers of the Mother of Your Son, the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother too, be a balm of enduring succour, as we fulfil Your commandments in this world and strive to reach our eternal home.   We make our prayer through Christ Your divine Son, Whom You sent to make us like unto Himself, in the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.blessed virgin mother pray for us 2 june 2020 (1)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 June – “He had one other to send, a beloved son”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 1 June – The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – Monday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Peter1:2-7, 20 or Acts 1:12-14, Psalm 91(90):1-2.14-15, Mark 12:1-12 and the Memorial of Mater Ecclesiae and St Annibale Maria di Francia (1851-1927)

“He had one other to send, a beloved son” … Mark 12:6

REFLECTION – “Christ has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18). Paul brings out the apostles’ greatness by showing us what kind of ministry has been given them, while showing us at the same time the love with which God has loved us.   When people had refused to listen to the one He had sent, God did not give vent to His rage, He did not spurn them but went on calling them both on His own account and through the apostles (…)

God has put into our mouths “the message of reconciliation” (v.19).   And so we come, not for some difficult work but to make everyone friends of God.   When they did not listen, the Lord told us to continue to urge them until they come to faith.   Hence Paul adds: “We are ambassadors of Christ, it is God himself who is appealing through us.   We implore you in Christ’s name, be reconciled to God” (v.20) (…)

What could be compared to so great a love as this?   When we had repaid his blessings with insults, far from punishing us He gave us His Son to reconcile us with Himself.  Yet, far from wanting to be reconciled, we put Him to death.   God sent other ambassadors to urge us and, after that, Himself became our suppliant.   Always it was He who appealed – “Be reconciled to God.”   He did not say: “Reconcile God to yourselves.”   It was not He who turned us away, it was we who refused to become His friends.   Can God experience feelings of hatred?” … St John Chrysostom (c 345-407) Father and Doctor of the Church – 11th homily on the 2nd letter to the Corinthiansmrk 12 6 - he had one other to send -when we had repaid his blessings with insults - the ungrateful tenants - st john chrysostom 1 june 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, You bestowed the Holy Spirit on Your Apostles while they were at prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.   Fill us too with the gift of Your grace in the Holy Spirit, that we may live our lives both in prayer and action and grant, that by Mary’s prayer and the prayer of Your servant, St Annibale Maria di Francia, we may give You faithful service and spread abroad the glory of Your name, by word and example.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, Your divine Son, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, amen.mary mater ecclesiae pray for 10 july 2019

 

st annibale di francia 1 june 2020 pray for us

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, The HOLY GHOST

One Minute Reflection – 31 May – “When you send forth your spirit … you renew the face of the earth.”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 31 May – The Solemnity of Pentecost, Readings:  Acts 2:1-11, Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34, 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13, John 20:19-23

“When you send forth your spirit … you renew the face of the earth.” … Psalm 104:30

REFLECTION – “In the beginning, according to God’s plan, God’s Spirit filled the world, “reaching mightily from one end of the earth to the other and governing all things sweetly.” (Wis 8:1)   But where the Spirit’s work of sanctification is concerned, it was on the day of Pentecost that “the Spirit of the Lord filled the world.” (Wis 1:7)   For it is today, that this Spirit of sweetness is sent by the Father and the Son, to sanctify every creature according to a new plan, in a new way, a new manifestation of the Spirit’s power and strength.

Before this, “the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (Jn 7:39) …   Today, the Spirit, coming from His heavenly abode, is given with all His richness, all His fruitfulness to the souls of mortals.   Thus this divine dew, with its diversity and its spiritual gifts, is spread out over all the earth.   And it is true, that the fullness of the Spirit’s richness flowed down for us from the highest heaven, since a few days previously, through our earth’s generosity, heaven had received a marvellously sweet fruit… Christ’s humanity is all of earth’s grace;  Christ’s Spirit is all of heaven’s sweetness.   Thus, a very salvific exchange was brought about – Christ’s humanity went up from earth to heaven and today, the Spirit of Christ descended from heaven to us…

The Holy Spirit is active everywhere;,the Spirit speaks everywhere.   Of course, before the Ascension, the Lord’s Spirit was given to the disciples when the Lord said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit.   If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them, if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (Jn 20:23)   But before Pentecost, the voice of the Holy Spirit was not heard, His shining power was not seen.   And knowledge of Him had not been given to Christ’s disciples, who had not been confirmed in courage, since fear still made them hide in a locked room.   But starting on that day, “the voice of the Lord is over the waters …it lashes forth flames of fire … and all say, ‘Glory!’ (Ps 29:3-9)” … St Aelred of Rielvaux (1110-1167) Cistercian Monkpsalm 104 30 when you sent forth your spirit you renew-today the spirit, coming from his heavenly abode - st aelred 31 may 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, pour out the gifts of the Holy Spirit on all mankind and fulfil now, in the hearts of Your faithful, what You accomplished at the beginning of the world, every second of everyday and when the Gospel was first preached on earth.   Come, O Holy Spirit, come!   We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

come-o-holy-spirit-20-may-2018-pentecost-sunday AND 31 MAY 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SAINT of the DAY

One Minute Reflection – 29 May – ‘ All should Him speak with the one voice…’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 29 May – “Mary’s Month” – Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 25:13-21, Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20, John 21:15-19 and the Memorial of St Pope Paul VI (1897-1978) and Bl Rolando Maria Rivi (1931-1945) “I belong to Jesus,” Seminarian, Martyr

“Do you love me?” … John 21:17

REFLECTION – “Here I find all good shepherds in the one shepherd (Jn 10:14).   Good shepherds are not lacking but they are in the one.   To speak of many. implies division …  If the Lord entrusted them at the time we speak of, it was because He found Peter – indeed, in Peter himself, He recommended unity.   There were many apostles but to one is said:  “Feed my sheep” …  When He entrusted His sheep to Peter, as one to another, He wished to make him one with Himself and, so to entrust the sheep to him, as to be Himself the Head, while Peter assumed the figure of the body (Col 1:18) …  What, then, does He first say to Peter, in order to entrust the sheep to him yet avoid entrusting them as if to another?   “Peter, do you love me?”   And he answered:  “I do love you.”   And again:  “Do you love me?”   And he answered:  “I do love you.”   And a third time: “Do you love me?”   And he answered a third time:  “I do love you”  He makes sure of love so as firmly to establish unity.

Jesus, the one shepherd, feeds His sheep in these shepherds and they in the Him …  It was not because of a scarcity of shepherds (as though the prophet were foretelling bad times to come) that He said:  “I will feed my sheep myself” as though He had no-one to whom to entrust them.   Even when Peter himself was alive and the apostles were still alive in the flesh, He, the one in whom all the shepherds are one reality, said:  “I have other sheep, that are not of this fold;  them also must I bring, that there may be one flock and one shepherd” (Jn 10:16).   So let them all be in the one Shepherd and speak with the one Shepherd’s voice…   All should Him speak with the one voice and not with different voices.   “I beseech you, brethren, that you all say the same thing and there be no divisions among you” (1Cor 1:10).   Let the sheep hear this voice, cleared of all division and cleansed of all heresy and let them follow their shepherd as He says:  “Those who are my sheep hear my voice and follow me” (Jn 10:27).” … St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace – Sermon 46, On the Shepherds, #30john 21 17 do you love me - when he entrusted his sheep to peter - st augustine 29 may 2020

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help us to accept the tasks you have given us to do in life. Let us be faithful all our days and be able to attain Your eternal reward in heaven.   May our Blessed Mother, St Paul VI and the Blessed little Rolando Rivi, who so diligently showed their love for Your Son, pray for us that we may always praise Your glory and be faithful at all times and in all circumstances, amen.st pope paul vi pray for us 30 april 2019

BL ROLANDO RIVI PRAY FOR US 29 MAY 2020

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One Minute Reflection – 28 May – ‘… Your treasure hidden within us…’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 28 May – “Mary’s Month” – Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter, Readings:  Acts 22:30; 23:6-11, Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11, John 17:20-26 and The Memorial of Blessed Lanfranc of Canterbury (c 1005-1089)

“And I have given them the glory you gave me …” … John 17:22

REFLECTION – “… Through our unremitting zeal for you, Lord, set upon us the sign of Your day that is not measured by the sun. … In Your sacrament we daily embrace You and receive You into our bodies;  make us worthy to experience the resurrection for which we hope.   We have had Your treasure hidden within us, ever since we received baptismal grace, it grows ever richer at Your sacramental table.   Teach us to find our joy in Your favour!   Lord, we have within us Your memorial, received at Your spiritual table; let us possess it in its full reality when all things shall be made new.

We glimpse the beauty that is laid up for us, when we gaze upon the spiritual beauty Your immortal will, now creates within our mortal selves.   Saviour, Your Crucifixion marked the end of Your mortal life;  teach us to crucify ourselves and make way for our life in the Spirit.   May Your Resurrection, Jesus, bring true greatness to our spiritual self and may Your sacraments be the mirror, wherein we may know that self.   Saviour, Your divine plan for the world is a mirror for the spiritual world – teach us to walk in that world as spiritual men.

Lord, do not deprive our souls, of the spiritual vision of You, nor our bodies of Your warmth and sweetness.   The mortality lurking in our bodies spreads corruption through us;  may the spiritual waters of Your love cleanse the effects of mortality from our hearts. Grant, Lord, that we may hasten to our true city and, like Moses on the mountaintop, possess it now in vision.” … St Ephrem (306-373) Father and Doctor of the Church – (Sermo 3, De fine et admonitione 2. 4-5)john 17 22 - and i have given them the glory you gave me - we have had our treasure - st ephrem 28 may 2020

PRAYER – God of mercy, You have filled us with the hope of resurrection by restoring man to his original dignity.   May we who relive this mystery each year come to share it in perpetual love.   May the Mother of Our Lord stand with us as we gaze upward to her Son and may the prayer of Bl Lanfranc, be a support in our troubles.   Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.blessed virgin queen and mother pray for us 5 may 2019

bl lanfranc of canterbury pray for us 28 may 2020

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One Minute Reflection -– 27 May – ‘He will be with me always …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection -– 27 May – “Mary’s Month” Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 20:28-38, Psalm 68:29-30, 33-36, John17:11-19 and the Memorial of St Augustine of Canterbury (Died c 605)

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one. … As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.” … John 17:15,18

REFLECTION – “Well, that God who saved me then, will be with me again in this journey and if I do not abandon Him, He will be with me always and while He is with me, everything that can happen to me will always be a grace, a blessing for which I should thank Him.   If in danger, He wants to withdraw, or pretends to be asleep on the bow of the ship, like the Apostle, I will go to wake Him and let Him see my danger.   And then if He does not want to listen, I will say – Lord, command me to come to You and my soul will walk on the waters, it will go to His feet and be content forever.

I do not know what He is preparing for me in the journey I begin tomorrow.   I know one thing only, He is good and loves me immensely, everything else – calm or storm, danger or safety, life or death, are merely changeable and passing expressions of the beloved immutable, eternal Love.   Yes, my beloved brethren, we have another country, another home, a kingdom where we must all meet, where there will no longer be separations or departures, where past sorrows and danger will merely serve to increase our consolation and glory.” … Blessed Giovanni Mazzucconi P.I.M.E. (1826-1855) Martyr – Giovanni Battista Mazzucconi was an Italian priest from the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions.   He was killed in hatred of the faith in Papua New Guinea during his work there amongst the people.   He was 29 years old.   He was beatified in 1984.   His life is here https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/07/saint-of-the-day-7-september-blessed-giovanni-battista-mazzucconi-1826-1855-martyr/ and includes this, his letter before his last journey to Papua New Guinea.john 17-15 and 18 i do not ask that you take them out of the world - well that god who saved me then -bl giovanni mazzucconi 27 may 2020 his mem 7 sept

PRAYER – Give us the grace Holy God to ever serve You and be faithful to You alone. Nothing of this world is worthy of our love and alone in You do we have life and light. May Your divine Son be our Guide and our Hope and may He always be with us as we make our way to our home country, together with His Mother and ours, the Blessed Virgin.   Listen too, we pray, to the prayers of St Augustine of Canterbury, who we ask to intercede for our needs.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen.mary mother - pray for us - 15 MAY 2018

st augustine of canterbury pray for us 27 may 2020

 

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One Minute Reflection – 26 May- “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 26 May- “Mary’s Month!” – Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 20:17-27, Psalm 68:10-11, 20-21, John 17:1-11 and The Memorial of St Mariana de Jesus de Paredes OFS (1618-1645) “The Lily of Quito”

“Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you,
just as you gave him authority over all people,
so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him.” … John 17:1-2

REFLECTION – “At the conclusion of the central section of the Church’s great Credo—the part that recounts the mystery of Christ, from His eternal birth of the Father and His temporal birth of the Virgin Mary, through His Cross and Resurrection to the second coming—we find the phrase:  “he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.”   From the earliest times, the prospect of the Judgement has influenced Christians in their daily living, as a criterion by which to order their present life, as a summons to their conscience and at the same time as hope in God’s justice.   Faith in Christ, has never looked merely backwards or merely upwards but always also forwards to the hour of justice that the Lord repeatedly proclaimed…

In Christ who was crucified, the denial of false images of God is taken to an extreme.  God now reveals His true Face in the figure of the Sufferer who shares man’s God-forsaken condition, by taking it upon Himself.   This innocent Sufferer has attained the certitude of hope – there is a God and God can create justice, in a way that we cannot conceive, yet, we can begin to grasp it through faith.   Yes, there is a resurrection of the flesh.   There is justice.   There is an “undoing” of past suffering, a reparation that sets things aright.

For this reason, faith in the Last Judgement is first and foremost hope—the need for which, was made abundantly clear in the upheavals of recent centuries.   I am convinced that the question of justice constitutes the essential argument, or in any case the strongest argument, in favour of faith in eternal life.   The purely individual need for a fulfilment, that is denied to us in this life, for an everlasting love that we await, is certainly an important motive for believing, that man was made for eternity but, only in connection with the impossibility, that the injustice of history should be the final word, does the necessity for Christ’s return and for new life become fully convincing.” … Pope Benedict XVI – Pope from 2005 to 2013 – Encyclical “ Spe Salvi ” § 41, 43john 17 1-2 give glory to your son so that he may give eternal life - faith in christ - pope benedict 26 may 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, You opened for us, the way to eternal life, when Christ Your Son was take up to glory and Your Holy Spirit, came to enlighten Your Church.   Grant that, as we share in so great a gift, our longing and hope, for our eternal home may grow every stronger and so our service ever more loyal to Your commandments.   Listen to the prayers of Holy Mother Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mother of Your Son and of St Maria de Jesus de Paredes, whom we beg to pray for our intercession.   Through Christ, Our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God for all time and for all eternity, amen.blessed virgin mother pray for us 26 may 2020

ST MARIANA DE JESUS DE PAREDES PRAY FOR US 26 MAY 2020

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One Minute Reflection – 25 May – ‘Who will be crowned without having fought?’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 25 May – “Mary’s Month” – Monday of the Seventh week of Easter, Readings: Acts 19:1-8, Psalm 68:2-7, John 16:29-33 and the Memorial of St Maria Magdalena de’ Pazzi O.Carm (1566-1607)

“In the world you will have tribulation.
But take heart, I have conquered the world.” ... John 16:33

REFLECTION – “Let nothing intervene to hinder the progress of any who travel alongside each other, in this evangelical life but let us walk with agile step though the road be rough and hard, let us show a brave and manly spirit, overcome obstacles, pass along from pathway to pathway, from hill to hill, until we climb onto the mountain of the Lord and make a home for ourselves in the holy place of His impassibility.

Now, companions assist each other on the way;  so then, my brothers, as the apostle says: “Bear one another’s burdens” (Gal 6:2) and make up for whatever is lacking to others (cf. 2 Cor 8:14 ; Phil 2:30).   To the negligence that perhaps holds sway today, noble courage will succeed tomorrow, now one is in gloom and then suddenly one rises to the surface and discovers joy again, at one moment our passions rise up but soon God comes to help us, they are broken and calm returns.   For you will only be seen like this yesterday and the day before but, dear friend, you will not always remain the same but the grace of God will draw near you, the Lord will fight for you and perhaps, like the great Antony, you will say:  “Where were you just now?” and he will answer: “I wanted to see your combat.”

For now, let us persevere, children, dear children, let us be patient for a little, brothers, dear brothers.…   Who will be crowned without having fought?   Who will go to rest if he is not tired (cf. 2 Tim 2:5-6)?   Who will gather the fruits of life without having planted virtues in his soul?   Cultivate them, prepare the earth with the greatest care, take trouble over it, sweat over it, children, God’s workers, imitators of the angels, competitors with incorporeal beings, lights for those who are in the world (cf. Phil 2:15)!” … St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Monk – Catechesis 28john 16 33 in the world you will have tribulation- who will be crowned without having fought - st theodore the studite 25 may 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, as You brought joy to the world, through the resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, grant that through His Virgin Mother, we may constantly seek and recognise our Lord and Saviour and turn to Him in complete trust and love.   May we ever live in confidence and share our joy with our neighbour.   St Maria Magdalena de’ Pazzi, pray that we may know the courage of our Saviour.   Through Jesus Christ our Lord, with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

BLESSED VIRGIN MARY PRAY FOR US 25 MAY 2020

st maria magdalena de pazzi pray for us 25 may 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MARIAN TITLES, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 May – With Jesus, to the Father

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 24 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Seventh Sunday of Easter, Readings: Acts 1:12-14, 1 Peter 4:13-16, Psalm 27(26):1.4.7-8a, John 17:1-11 and the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians

“Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” … John 17:11

REFLECTION – “In this seeking after God, the principle of our holiness, we cannot find a better model than Christ Jesus Himself.   But, you will at once say, how is this?   Can Christ be our model?   How could He “seek God” since He was God Himself?   It is true that Jesus is God, true God come forth from God, Light arising from the uncreated Light, Son of the living God, equal to the Father (cf. Creed of the Mass).   But, He is likewise man, He is authentically one of us through His human nature. …   And we see Christ Jesus, like a giant, rejoice to run the way in the pursuit of the glory of His Father.   This is His primal disposition.

Let us hear how, in the Gospel, He clearly tells us so:  “I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me” (Jn 5:30).   To the Jews, He proves that He comes from God, that His doctrine is divine, because He seeks the glory of Him that sent Him (cf. Jn 7:18).   He seeks it to such a degree, that He has no solicitude for His own (cf. Jn 8:50).   He has ever these words upon His lips: “My Father,” His whole life is but the magnificent echo of this cry:  “Abba, Father!”   All for Him is summed up in seeking the will and the glory of His Father.   And what constancy in this search!   He Himself declares to us that He never deviated from it:   “I do always the things that please [my Father]” (cf. Jn 8:29).   At the supreme hour of His last farewell, at the moment when about to deliver Himself up to death, He tells us, that all the mission He had received from His Father was accomplished (cf. Jn 17:4). …

If, as God, Jesus is the term of our seeking, as Man, He is the unique Exemplar, wherefrom we ought never to turn our gaze.” … Bl Columba Marmion (1858-1923) Abbot – To seek God (Christ, the Ideal of the Monk)

john 17 11 holy father, keep them in your name - if as god jesus is the term of our seeking, as man he is the unique Exemplar - bl columba marmion 24 may 2020

PRAYER – Since it is from You, God our Father, that redemption comes to us, Your adopted children, look with favour on the family You love, grant us to seek You and to to find You in Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.,, May our whole being become a copy of Your Son’s obedience and thus follow Him to You in our eternal heritage.   We entreat Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and Help of Christians to offer her prayers to You to strengthen us in our trials.   Through Christ, Our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.

our lady help of christians pray for us 24 may 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD the FATHER, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on The SOUL, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – ‘…A beautiful task’

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One Minute Reflection – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 18: 23-28, Psalms 47: 2-3, 8-9, 10, John 16: 23-28

“Until now you have not asked anything in my name,
ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
… For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me.” … John 16:24,27

REFLECTION – “You see, my children, the Christian’s treasure is not on earth, it is in heaven (Mt 6:20).   So our thinking must go to where our treasure is.   The human person has a beautiful task, to pray and to love.   You pray, you love – that is the human being’s happiness on earth.the human person has a beautiful task, to pray and to love - st john vianey 23 may 2020

Prayer is nothing other than union with God.   When our heart is pure and united with God, we feel within ourselves a balm, an intoxicating sweetness, a dazzling light.   In this intimate union, God and the human person are like two pieces of wax that have melted together, you can no longer separate them.   This union of God with his little creature is something beautiful.   It is a happiness that we cannot understand.   We had deserved not to pray but God in His goodness allows us to speak to Him.   Our prayer is incense, which He receives with tremendous pleasure.

My children, your heart is small but prayer expands it and makes it able to love God. Prayer is a foretaste of heaven, an outflowing of paradise.   It never leaves us without sweetness.   It is honey, which descends into the soul and sweetens everything.   Sorrows melt in a prayer, that is well prayed, like snow in the sun.” … St John-Mary Vianney (1786-1859) – Catechism on Prayerjohn 16 24,27 ask and you will receive for the father himself loves you-prayer is nothing other than union with god - st john vianney 23 may 2020

PRAYER – – Since it is from You, God our Father, that redemption comes to us, Your adopted children, look with favour on the family You love, hear our prayer as we unite our voices in the name of Your Son, our Lord and Redeemer.   May our faith, love and joy in Christ bring us all alike to our eternal heritage and may the prayer of His blessed Mother and ours lead us safely home.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God with You, loving Father, forever, amen.bl-mother-of-our-lord-pray-for-us-27-oct-2018

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SAINT of the DAY, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 May – ‘… The Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything.’ – St Augustine

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One Minute Reflection – 22 May – “Mary’s Month” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 18: 9-18, Psalms 47: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, John 16: 20-23

“Your hearts will rejoice and no-one will take your joy from you.” … John 16:22

REFLECTION – “You may object – I am in the world, if I rejoice I certainly rejoice where I am.   What is this?   Do you mean that because you are in the world you are not in the Lord?   Listen again to the Apostle, speaking now to the Athenians in the Acts of the Apostles, he says this is of God and the Lord our creator, In him we live and move and have our being.   If He is everywhere, where is he not?   Surely this was what He was exhorting us to realise.   The Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything.
This is a great truth, that He ascended above all the heavens, yet is near to those on earth.   Who is this stranger and neighbour if not the one who became our neighbour out of compassion?
The man lying on the road, left half-dead by robbers, the man treated with contempt by the priest and the levite who passed by, the man approached by the passing Samaritan to take care of him and help him, that man is the whole human race.   When the immortal one, the holy one, was far removed from us because we were mortal and sinners, He came down to us, so that He, the stranger, might become our neighbour.
He did not treat us as our sins deserved.   For we are now sons of God.   How do we show this?   The only Son of God died for us, so that He might not remain alone.   He who died as the only Son, did not want to remain as the only Son.   For the only Son of God made many sons of God.   He bought brothers for Himself by His blood, He made them welcome by being rejected, He ransomed them by being sold, He honoured them by being dishonoured, He gave them life by being put to death.
So, brethren, rejoice in the Lord, not in the world.   That is, rejoice in the truth, not in wickedness, rejoice in the hope of eternity, not in the fading flower of vanity.   That is the way to rejoice.   Wherever you are on earth, however long you remain on earth, the Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything.” … St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Great Western Father and Doctor of Grace – An excerpt from his Sermon 171john 16 22 your hearts will rejoice - he bought brothers for himself - st augustine 22 may 2020

PRAYER – Holy God and Father, help us to discern through prayer and meditation what You truly want of us.   Then enable us to offer it to You and indeed, to offer ourselves and all we have and all we are, to You.   When You bring us sufferings to mould us closer and make us more like You, help us to accept them and offer them back to You and to do all we do for You in joy at Your nearness.   Following Your divine Son, let us pick up those crosses in peace and love.   Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.   St Rita of Cascia, you prayed so earnestly to give yourself totally to the Lord and suffer for Him, please pray for us, amen.mother of god and our mother - mary pray for us - 14 may 2018

st rita pray for us

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The ASCENSION of the LORD, The CREED, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 May – “A little while and you will see me no longer” John 16:16

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One Minute Reflection – 21 May – “Mary’s Month” – Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 18: 1-8, Psalms 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4, John 16: 16-20 and the Memorial of Blessed Franz Jägerstätter OFS (1907-1943) Layman Martyr “The Man Who Would Not Bow His Head to Hitler.”

“A little while and you will see me no longer” … John 16:16

REFLECTION – “The Ascension of Christ into heaven is in accord with reason – firstly, because heaven was due to Christ by His very nature.   It is natural for someone to return to the place from whence they take their origin.   The beginning of Christ is from God, who is above all things.   Jesus says to the Apostles (Jn 16:28):  “I came from the Father and have come into the world and now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father” … The just ascend into heaven but not in the manner that Christ ascended, namely by His own power, for they are taken up by Christ – “Draw me, we will run after thee.” (Sg 1:3)  Or indeed, we can say that no-one but Christ has ascended into heaven, because the just do not ascend, except, insofar as they are members of Christ who is the head of the Church. …   Secondly, heaven is due to Christ because of His victory.   For He was sent into the world to combat the devil and he did overcome Him.   Therefore, Christ deserved to be exalted above all things – “I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne” (Rv 3:21)

Finally, the Ascension was owing to Christ because of His humility.   There never was humility so great as that of Christ who, although He was God yet wished to become man and although He was the Lord, yet He wished to take the form of a servant and, as Saint Paul says:  “He was obedient even unto death” (Phil 2:7) and descended even into hell. Therefore, He deserved to be exalted even to heaven, to God’s throne, for humility leads to exaltation.   “For whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk 14:11) and, “the one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens” (Eph 4:10).” … St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus/Doctor Communis – Commentary on the Apostle’s Creedjohn 16 16 a little while and you will see me no longer - the just ascend into heaven - st thomas aquinas 21 may 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, You bestowed the Holy Spirit on Your Apostles while they were at prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Fill us too with the gift of Your grace in the Holy Spirit, that we may live our lives both in prayer and action and grant, that by Mary’s prayer, and the prayer of Your loving Martyr, Blessed Franz Jagerstatter, we may give You faithful service and spread abroad the glory of Your name, by word and example and thus ascend to You, to live forever in Your Light. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, Your divine Son, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, amen.holy-mother-mary-at-prayer-pray-for-us-21-may-2018 and 21 may 2020

bl franz jagerstatter pray for us 21 may 2020

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on TRUTH, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 May – ‘In the midst of this life’s darkness…’

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One Minute Reflection – 20 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 17: 15, 22 – 18: 1, Psalms 148: 1-2, 11-12, 13, 14, John 16: 12-15 and the Memorial of Blessed Maria Crescencia Perez FMH (1897-1932) “Sister Sweetness”

“The Spirit of truth will guide you to all truth” … John 16:13

REFLECTION – “Who knows what pertains to a person except the spirit of the person that is within?   Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God” (1 Cor 2:11).   Run, then, to enter into communion with the Holy Spirit.   No sooner do we call on Him than He is there and if we call on Him, it is because He is already present to us. When called, He comes, He comes in the abundance of divine blessings.   He it is who is that rushing river giving joy to God’s city (Ps 46[45]:5).   If, when He has come, He finds you to be humble and without anxiety, fearing God’s word, then He will come to rest on you and reveal to you those things that God hides from the wise and learned of this world (Mt 11:25).   Then, all those truths will begin to shine out before you, that Wisdom spoke to the disciples while on earth but which they could not bear, before the coming of the Spirit of truth that was to teach them all truth…

Just as those who worship God must necessarily worship Him “in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:24), so those who would know Him, have only to seek an understanding of the faith in the Holy Spirit. …   In the midst of this life’s darkness and ignorance, He Himself is the light that shines out for the poor in spirit (Mt 5:3), the charity that attracts and sweetness that ravishes the soul, the love of those who love and the devotion of those who yield themselves without reserve.   He it is, who reveals God’s justice from conviction to conviction;  who gives grace in return for grace (Jn 1:16) and the faith of enlightenment, to the faith of those who listen to the Word.” … St William of Saint-Thierry (c 1085-1148) – The Mirror of Faith, 6john 16 13 the spirit of truth will guide you - run then to enter into communion-st william of thierry 20 may 2020

PRAYER – Send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created and Thou shall renew the face of the earth!   O God who did give life to the world by the resurrection of Thou Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant that through the same Spirit, we may be ever truly wise and rejoice in His consolation and truth.   Let the one holy Blessed Virgin, she who is full of the Spirit, pray for us and may the prayers of Blessed Maria Crescencia, she who was close to the Sacred Heart of Your Son, be a help in our need.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one with You forever and ever, amen.

virgin full of grace pray for us 20 may 2020

BL MARIA CRESCENCIA PEREZ PRAY FOR US 20 MAY 2020

Posted in CARMELITES, DOMINICAN OP, ONE Minute REFLECTION, POETRY, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY GHOST, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 May – ‘Are You the sweet song of love …’

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One Minute Reflection – 19 May – “Mary’s Month” – Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter,Readings: Acts 16: 22-34, Psalms 138: 1-2, 2-3, 7-8, John 16: 5-11 and the Memorial of St Francisco Coll y Guitart OP (1812-1875) “The Apostle of Modern Times”

“It is better for you that I go.   For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.   But if I go, I will send him to you.” … John 16:7

REFLECTION – St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] OCD (1891-1942) Martyr, Co-Patron of Europe
“Who are You, sweet light, that fills me
and illumines the darkness of my heart? (…)
Are You the master who builds the eternal cathedral,
Which towers from the earth through the heavens?
Animated by You, the columns are raised high
And stand immovably firm.
Marked with the eternal name of God,
They stretch up to the light,
Bearing the dome
That crowns the holy cathedral,
Your work that encircles the world:
Holy Spirit, God’s moulding hand! (…)

Are You the sweet song of love
And of holy awe
That eternally resounds around the triune throne,
That weds in itself, the clear chimes of each and every being?
The harmony
That joins together, the members to the Head,
In which each one
Finds the mysterious meaning of being blessed
And joyously surges forth,
Freely dissolved in Your surging,
Holy Spirit, eternal jubilation!”john 16 7 but if i go i will send him - st teresa benedicta are you the sweet song of love 19 may 2020

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, Your ways are not our ways, teach us to willingly agree to them, for You know which way we should go.   Help us to say “yes” always to Your plan and to render ourselves, as a sacrament of Your divine love to all we meet.   Fill us with the Your grace and Your Spirit, to make us Your tools, to bring glory to Your kingdom.   Our Father, who art in heaven, may Your Will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.   Mary Mother of God, pray for us! St Francisco Coll, you who constantly sought to be a light of the beauty of God, pray for us!   Through our Our Lord Jesus Christ with You, in the union of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.ianua caeli heaven's gate pray for us mary - 25 aug 2019

st francisco coll y guitart pray for us 19 may 2020

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY GHOST, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 May – ‘…Our life in God.’

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One Minute Reflection – 18 May – “Mary’s Month” – Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 16:11-15, Psalms 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 9, John 15:26–16:4

“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me” ... John 15:26

REFLECTION – “The Spirit promised by the prophets descended upon the Son of God made Son of man (Mt 3:16), accustoming Himself in this way, to dwell alongside Him within the human race, to rest over humankind and reside in God’s workmanship, working the Father’s will in them and renewing them, by causing them to pass from their old way of life to the newness of Christ.

This is the Spirit David requested for the human race, saying:  “And with your guiding Spirit, sustain me” (Ps 51[50]:14 LXX).   This is also the Spirit who, as Luke says, descended upon the disciples after the Ascension on the day of Pentecost, having power to give all nations entrance to life and to open up the New Covenant to them.   Stirred by one feeling, the disciples uttered the praises of God in every language while the Spirit gathered together into unity a dispersed peoples and offered the Father the first-fruits of all nations (Acts 2).

Therefore, the Lord promised to send the Comforter who would bind us to God.    For as a lump of dough and a single loaf cannot be formed of dry wheat without water, neither could we, being many, be made one in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 10:17) without the water come down from heaven.   And as dry earth does not bring forth fruit unless it receive moisture, so we also, who were, to begin with but dry wood, could never have brought forth fruit unto life without generous rain from above.   For our bodies have received the union that leads to incorruptibility by the washing of Baptism but our souls, by means of the Spirit.   That is why both are necessary, since both contribute towards our life in God.” … St Irenaeus (130-202) Bishop, Martyr, Theologian and Father of the Church – Against the heresies III, 17, 1-2john 15 26 when the advocate comes - therefore the lord promised to send the comforter - st ireneaus no 2 18 may 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, You sanctify Your Church in every race and nation by the joy of Your risen Son.   By His life, Death and Resurrection You grant us life and through Your Holy Spirit, You grant us the fruits of faithful love.  May we ever be graced by Your gift of faith and be led to our heavenly Home.   Through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary may we be strengthened for the journey.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.mother mary trusted guide pray for us 1 nov 2018

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 May – “I am in my Father and you in me and I in you.” John 14:20

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One Minute Reflection – 17 May – Sixth Sunday of Easter, Readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17, Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20, 1 Peter 3:15-18, John 14:15-21 and the Memorial of Blessed Antonia Messina (1919-1935) Virgin and Martyr

“I am in my Father and you in me and I in you.” ... John 14:20i am i my father and you in me and i in you john 14 20 17 may 2020

REFLECTION – “Cloth of scarlet or purple is a very precious and royal fabric, not because of the wool but because of the colour.   The actions of good Christians are of such great value, that heaven is given to us for them.   However, … it is not because they come from us and are the wool of our hearts.   Rather, it is because they are dyed with the blood of the Son of God.   I mean, that the Saviour sanctifies our actions by the merits of His blood.   A branch of the vine, united and joined to the stock, produces fruit, not by it’s own power but empowered by the stock.   Now we are untied by charity to our Redeemer, as members to the head (Eph 4:15-16).   That is why our fruits and good works, drawing their value from Him, merit life everlasting.

… We, ourselves, are branches that are dry, unprofitable and unfruitful.   We are not competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers (2 Cor 3:5-6) and able to do His will. Therefore, as soon as sacred love engraves on our hearts the name of our Saviour, our great Shepherd (1 Pet 2:25), we begin to bear delicious fruits for life everlasting.” …. St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of Charityas soon a sacred love engraves on our hearts the name ofour saviour - st francis de sales 17 may 2020

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, bring us to the joy of Your heavenly city, so that we, Your little flock, may follow where Christ, our Good Shepherd, has gone before us, by the power of His Resurrection.   May our hearts overflow with the joy of His eternal presence, that in Him and through Him and with Him, we may attain the happiness of life eternal.   May the prayers of the Blessed Virgin, guide us and may Blessed Antonia Messina too grant us her intercession, that we may always follow our Shepherd in faithful love.   We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and for all eternity, amen.faithful mother mary pray for us now and at the hour of our death amen 26 oct 2019

blessed antonia messina pray for us 17 may 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 16 May – God watches us

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One Minute Reflection – 16 May – “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 16:1-10, Psalm 100:1-3, 5, John 15:18-21 and the Memorial of St Margaret of Cortona TOSF (1247-1297)

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me first.   If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own but because you are not of the world but I chose you out of the world, therefore, the world hates you.” … John 15:18-19

REFLECTION – “Our Lord’s will is that we should rejoice and leap for joy when we are persecuted (Mt 5:12) because, when persecutions come, it is then, that crowns are given for faith (cf. Jas 1:12), it is then, that Christ’s soldiers prove themselves, then that the heavens open to their witness.
We aren’t employed in God’s force only to think of quiet, running away from service when the Teacher of humility, patience and suffering has Himself provided the same service before us.   What He taught, He first of all, carried out and, if He exhorts us to stand firm, it is because He Himself suffered before us and on our behalf.

If we are to take part in competitions in the stadium, we exercise and train ourselves and think ourselves highly honoured if, before the eyes of the crowd, we have the happiness of receiving the prize.
But here is a trial that is both noble and outstanding in another way, in which God watches us – we, His children – take part in the combat and Himself gives us a heavenly crown ( 1Cor 9:25).   The angels watch us too and Christ comes to our aid.
So let us arm ourselves with all our might, let us fight the good fight, with brave hearts and solid faith.” … St Cyprian of Carthage (c 200- c 258) Bishop and Martyr, Father of the Church

john 15 12 if the world hates you - but here is a trial that is both noble - st cyprian of carthage 16 may 2020

PRAYER – Almighty God, grant that Your faithful, who rejoice in the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may be delivered from every evil here on earth, put on the armour of Your Son and fight the good faith bearing His standard.   Through her prayer and the prayers of Your Saints and St Margaret of Cortona, may we come to the enduring joys of heaven.   We make our prayer through her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, one God with You, in the union of the Holy Spirit, forever amen.blessed-virgin-mary-mother-of-god-pray-for-us-26-nov-2018 and 26 nov 2019

ST MARGARET OF CORTONA 16 MAY 202 PRAY FOR US

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 May – ‘ The stairway to Heaven…’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 15 May – “Mary’s Month” – Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 15:22-31, Psalm 57:8-12, John 15:12-17 and the Memorial of St Dymphna (7th Century) “The Lily of Éire”

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

this is my commandment that you love - 15 may 2020

REFLECTION – “Love, indeed, is the source of all good things, it is an impregnable defence and the way that leads to heaven.   He who walks in love can neither go astray, nor be afraid, love guides him, protects him and brings him to his journey’s end.

My brothers, Christ made love the stairway that would enable all Christians to climb to heaven.   Hold fast to it, therefore, in all sincerity, give one another practical proof of it and by your progress in it, make your ascent together.” … St Fulgentius of Ruspe (460-533) Bishop – An excerpt from his Sermon 3

john 15 12 love one another - my brothers christ made love the stairway - st fulgentius of ruspe 15 may 2020

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, You gave us a new birth in holy baptism and a new life in Your Son, who first loved us and gave His life for us.   Grant us, we pray, the grace to love all as He did and bear much fruit, always striving after what He has taught who goes ahead of us, to lead us to You.   May the prayers of His beloved Mother and ours and St Dymphna, grant us help and inspiration as we travel the road to eternal life.   Through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God now and for all eternity, amen.

immaculate-mary-pray-for-us-26 aug 2017

ST DYMPHNA PRAY FOR US 15 MAY 2020

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 May – “…All that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you.” John 15:15

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One Minute Reflection – 14 May – “Mary’s Month” Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26, Psalm 113:1-8, John 15:9-17 and the Feast of St Matthias, Apostle of Christ

“…All that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you.” … John 15:15

REFLECTION – “Among His disciples Christ chose twelve chief ones whom He destined to be the teachers of the nations.   Accordingly, after one of these had been struck off, He commanded the eleven others, on His departure to the Father, to “go and teach all nations” who were to be “baptised into the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28,19).

So the Apostles – whom this designation indicates as ‘the sent’ – on the authority of a prophecy which occurs in a psalm of David, immediately chose Matthias by lot in place of Judas.   They obtained the promised power of the Holy Spirit for the gift of miracles and tongues and, after first bearing witness to faith in Jesus Christ, throughout Judaea and founding Churches there, they next went out into the world and preached the same teaching of faith to the nations. (…)

Now what it was they preached – in other words, what it was that Christ revealed to them – can properly be proved, in no other way, than by those very Churches that the Apostles founded in person, by directly declaring the Gospel to them, first by word of mouth and subsequently by their epistles.   If, then, these things are so, it is manifest that all doctrine that agrees with the Apostolic Churches, which are the matrix and source of the faith, must be reckoned as true and as undoubtedly containing that, which those Churches received, from the Apostles, the Apostles from Christ and Christ from God.” … Tertullian, full name Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus (c 155- c 240) Father of the Church

john 15 15 - all that i have heard from my father-tertullian now what it was they preached - 14 may 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, You chose St Matthias to complete the number of the twelve.   By his prayer, include us among Your chosen ones, since we rejoice to see that the lot marked out for us, is in Your Love.   May the Mother of Jesus, the Apostles and our Mother, ever intercede for us all.   Through Jesus the Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.BLESSED VIRGIN MARY QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES PRAY FOR US 14 MAY 2020

st-matthias-pray-for-us-14-may-2019

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SACRAMENTS, SAINT of the DAY

One Minute Reflection – 14 May – “Without me you can do nothing”

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One Minute Reflection – 14 May – “Mary’s Month” – Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 15:1-6, Psalm 122:1-5, John 15:1-8 and the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima and St André-Hubert Fournet (1752-1834)

“Without me you can do nothing” … John 15:5john 15 5 without me you can do nothing 13 may 2020

REFLECTION – “Holiness begins from Christ and Christ is its cause.   For no act, conducive to salvation, can be performed unless it proceeds from Him as from its supernatural source.   “Without me,” He says, “you can do nothing.”(Jn 15:5).   If we grieve and do penance for our sins if, with filial fear and hope, we turn again to God, it is because He is leading us.   Grace and glory flow from His inexhaustible fullness…

When the Sacraments of the Church are administered by external rite, it is He who produces their effect in souls.   He nourishes the redeemed with His own flesh and blood and thus calms the turbulent passions of the soul;  He gives increase of grace and prepares future glory for souls and bodies.

Christ our Lord wills the Church to live His own supernatural life and by His divine power permeates His whole Body and nourishes and sustains each of the members, according to the place which they occupy in the body, in the same way as the vine, nourishes and makes fruitful the branches, which are joined to it. (cf. Jn 15:4-6).” … Venerable Pius XII (1976-1958) Papacy 1939 to 1958 – Encyclical “Mystici Corporis”holiness begins from christ - pope pius XII - 29 april 2018 - 5th sun of easter

PRAYER – Holy God and Father, help us to discern through prayer and meditation what You truly want of us.   Then enable us to offer it to You and indeed, to offer ourselves and all we have and all we are, to You.   When You bring us sufferings to mould us closer and make us more like You, help us to accept them and offer them back to You.   Following Your divine Son, let us pick up those crosses in peace and love.   Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!   St André-Hubert Fournet, pray for us.   Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.our lady of fatima pray for us no 2 - 13 oct 2018

st andre hubert fournet pray for us 13 may 2020

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PEACE, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 May – ‘God’s Spirit is a spirit of peace …’

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One Minute Reflection – 11 May – “Mary’s Month” Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 14:19-28, Psalm 145:10-13, 21, John 14:27-31

“My peace I give to you”… John 14:27

john 14 27 my piece I give to you 12 may 2020

REFLECTION – “God’s Spirit is a spirit of peace, even after our most serious failings He makes us feel a sorrow that is peaceful, humble and confident, precisely because of His mercy.   The spirit of evil, on the other hand, agitates, irritates and makes us feel a sort of anger at ourselves when we have failed.   Yet it falls very much to ourselves to practice charity in the first place.   So, when you are bothered by certain thoughts, the agitation never comes from God but from the devil, since God, being a spirit of peace, brings you serenity.” … St Pio of Pietralcina “Padre Pio” (1887-1968) – Letter 549

god's spirit is a spirit of peace - st padre pio 12 may 2020

PRAYER – Loving Father, grant us the grace to strive after perfect love.   Help us to bring forth frequents acts of love so that we may grow in this greatest of virtues and thus find perfect peace.   In the great love of Your divine Son, who gave Himself for us, He filled us with peace and hope.   May these gifts grow always in our hearts. We ask for the intercession of Mary, the Blessed Virgin, His Mother.   Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

holy-mother-mary-at-prayer-pray-for-us-21-may-2018

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 May – ‘…The keeping of the commandments is the fruit…’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 11 May – “Mary’s Month” – Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 14:5-18, Psalm 115:1-2.3-4.15-16, John 14:21-26.

“Whoever has my commandments and observes them, is the one who loves me.   Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” … John 14:21-22

REFLECTION – “The reign of life has begun, the tyranny of death is ended.   A new birth has taken place, a new life has come, a new order of existence has appeared, our very nature has been transformed!   This birth is not brought about by human generation, by the will of man, or by the desire of the flesh but by God.

If you wonder how, I will explain in clear language.   Faith is the womb that conceives this new life, baptism the rebirth by which it is brought forth into the light of day.   The Church is its nurse, her teachings are its milk, the bread from heaven is its food.   It is brought to maturity by the practice of virtue, it is wedded to wisdom, it gives birth to hope.  Its home is the kingdom, its rich inheritance the joys of paradise, its end, not death but the blessed and everlasting life prepared for those who are worthy.

… In this new creation, purity of life is the sun, the virtues are the stars, transparent goodness is the air and the depths of the riches of wisdom and knowledge, the sea.  Sound doctrine, the divine teachings are the grass and plants that feed God’s flock, the people whom He shepherds, the keeping of the commandments is the fruit, borne by the trees.

On this day is created the true man, the man made in the image and likeness of God. … He who for our sake became like us in order to make us His brothers, now presents to His true Father His own humanity, in order to draw all His kindred up after Him.” … St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–c 395) Father of the Church- An excerpt from On Christ’s Resurrection, Homily 1john 14-21-22 whoever has my commandments and keeps them - sound doctrine the divine teachings - st gregory of nyssa - 11 may 2020

PRAYER – Lord, by Your grace, we are made one in mind and heart.   Give us a love for what You command and a longing for what You promise, so that, amidst this world’s changes, we may cling to our Father, live by Your word and carry it out against all the foes around us.   May our hearts be set on the world of lasting joy, our true home with You.   May the angels and saints intercede for us and may our Mother, the Mother of God, be a constant assistant and guiding hand.   We make our prayer, through our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever and ever, amen.holy immm mothr of god pray for us 11 may 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 May – Let us renew our faith in Him

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – – 10 May – The Fifth Sunday of Easter, Readings: Acts 6:1-7, Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19, 1 Peter 2:4-9, John 14:1-12

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do ..” … John 14:12

REFLECTION – “In the Gospel we have just heard, Jesus tells His Apostles to put their faith in Him, for he is “the way, and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6).   Christ is the way that leads to the Father, the truth which gives meaning to human existence and the source of that life which is eternal joy with all the saints in His heavenly Kingdom.   Let us take the Lord at His word!   Let us renew our faith in Him and put all our hope in His promises!
… Praying fervently for the coming of the Kingdom also means being constantly alert for the signs of its presence and working for its growth in every sector of society.   It means facing the challenges of present and future with confidence in Christ’s victory and a commitment to extending His reign.   It means not losing heart in the face of resistance, adversity and scandal.   It means overcoming every separation between faith and life and countering false gospels of freedom and happiness.   It also means rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and political life, since, as the Second Vatican Council put it, “there is no human activity – even in secular affairs – which can be withdrawn from God’s dominion” (Lumen Gentium, 36).   It means working to enrich … society and culture with the beauty and truth of the Gospel and never losing sight of that great hope which gives meaning and value to all the other hopes which inspire our lives.
… In today’s Gospel, the Lord promises His disciples that they will perform works even greater than His (see Jn 14:12).   Dear friends, only God in His providence, knows what works His grace has yet to bring forth in your lives and in the life of the Church! …  Let us now join our prayers to His, as living stones in that spiritual temple which is His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.   Let us lift our eyes to Him, for even now He is preparing for us a place in His Father’s house.   And empowered by His Holy Spirit, let us work with renewed zeal for the spread of His Kingdom.” … Pope Benedict XVI – Fifth Sunday of Easter, 20 April 2008john 14 12 whoever believes in me - let us renew our faith pope benedict 10 may 2020

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, Your ways are not our ways, teach us to willingly agree to them, for You know which way we should go. Help us to say “yes” always to Your plan and to render ourselves, as a sacrament of Your divine love to all we meet.   Fill us with the grace to be Your tools, to bring glory to Your kingdom.   Our Father, who art in heaven, may Your Will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.   Mary Mother of God, Mother of Faith, pray for us!   Through our Our Lord Jesus Christ with You, in the union of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mary-mother-of-faith-pray-for-us-19-may-2018

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 May – “He who has seen me has seen the Father…”

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One Minute Reflection – 9 May – Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 13:44-52, Psalm 98:1-4, John 14:7-14 and the Memorial of Bl Giovanni Benincasa of Montepulciano OSM (1375-1426)

“He who has seen me has seen the Father…”…John 14:9

REFLECTION – “Beloved, Jesus Christ is our salvation, He is the high priest through whom we present our offerings and the helper who supports us in our weakness. Through Him, our gaze penetrates the heights of heaven and we see, as in a mirror, the most holy face of God.   Through Christ, the eyes of our hearts are opened and our weak and clouded understanding, reaches up toward the light.   Through Him the Lord God willed that we should taste eternal knowledge, for Christ is the radiance of God’s glory and as much greater than the angels as the name God has given Him is superior to theirs.
… Think, my brothers, of how we first came into being, of what we were at the first moment of our existence.   Think of the dark tomb out of which our Creator brought us into His world, where He had His gifts prepared for us, even before we were born.   All this we owe to Him and for everything, we must give Him thanks.   To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.” … St Pope Clement of Rome (c 35-99), Apostolic Father, Bishop of Rome and Martyr – An excerpt from his Letter to the Corinthiansjohn 14 9 he who has seen me has seen the father - through him our gaze - st pope clement of rome 9 may 2020

PRAYER – Since it is from You God, our Father, that redemption comes to us, Your adopted children, look with favour on the family You love, give us true freedom and to all who believe in Christ and bring us all alike to our eternal heritage.   Grant we pray, that by the prayers of Your holy angels and saints, Blessed Giovanni Benincasa and most especially our beloved Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ, we may run this race always in prayer, trusting in Your divine Son’s intercession, to attain the Glory of Your Kingdom and the Light of Your Face. Through Jesus Christ, in the union of the Holy Spirit, God with You, forever and ever, amen.

mary-mater-christi-pray-for-us-18-may-2019 and 9 may 2020

BL GIOVANNI BENINCASA PRAY FOR US 9 MAY 2020

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 May – ‘Hitch up your garment and be ready for action…’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 8 May – “Mary’s Month” – Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts 13:26-33, Psalm 2:6-11, John 14:1-6 and the Memorial of Blessed Henri Vergès FMS (1930-1994) Martyr

Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” … John 14:6i am the way the truth and the life john 14 6 8 may 2020

REFLECTION – “Day by day follow God’s path, keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise.   In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His apostles, to all those who seek His will and His testimonies (Ps 118[119]:31 LXX), that He would be with them until the end of the world (Mt 28:20) where paths and footsteps will be unknown (cf, Ps 76:20), as the divine David said in his songs.   Yet, in an invisible way, He is present to the eyes of the mind, making Himself seen by those who have a pure heart and conversing with them.   So pursue your path ….

Take the wings of the love of God to fly like the clouds (cf. Is 60:8), raised above the obstacles of this earth.   Anoint your feet with the oil of joy (cf. Ps 44:8) and temperance. Do not hinder the Lord’s narrow way with your dragging feet.   If you are thirsty in your pusillanimity, drink the water of patience (cf. Sir 15:3), if you are hungry in your spiritual sluggishness, eat the bread that nourishes and strengthens the heart of man (cf. Ps 103[104]:15), a word of wisdom and courage.   Hitch up your garment and be ready for action, look up and don’t burden yourself with those oppressive loads which are your evil desires.   For anyone who is accomplishing the journey from earth to heaven, it is enough to diligently pursue one’s path without assuming extra weight. …

Be strong in the Lord;   go up to the mountain of God, to His holy house (Is 2:3) with Isaiah the cantor, the prophet with such a powerful voice.   Let none remain behind, none sit down;  help one another, everyone rooted in a firm charity.” … St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Monk and Theologian at Constantinople – Catechesis 11do not hinder the lord's narrow way with your dragging feet - st theodore the studite 8 may 2020

PRAYER – “[Lord God] I believe in You, increase my faith.   All my hopes are in You, secure my trust.   I love You, teach me to love You more each day… I adore You as my first beginning, I long for You as my final end. I praise You as my constant helper and call on You as my loving protector.   Guide me by Your Wisdom, correct me with Your Justice, comfort me with Your Mercy, protect me by Your Power…  Lord, enlighten my understanding, enflame my will, purify my heart, sanctify my soul.   Help me to repent of my past sins and to rise above my human weaknesses and to grow stronger as a Christian…”  (from the Universal Prayer by Pope Clement XI (1649-1721)   Mary, Mother of our Lord, pray for us!   Blessed Henri Vergès (1930-1994) Martyr, pray for us!

lord god I believe help my unbelief excerpt universal prayer pope clement - 17 may 2019

bl henri verges pray for us 8 may 2020

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection -– 7 May – ‘… Choose the same things as Himself…”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection -– 7 May – “Mary’s Month” – Thursday Fourth week of Easter, Readings: Acts 13:13-25, Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27, John 13:16-20 and the Memorial of Nlessed Alberto of Bergamo OP (1214-1279)

“A servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” … John 13:16

REFLECTION – “Remember the wonders He has done for us (Ps 104[105]:5) in the past and those he does still. …  In response to what He has done for us let us do even more and return what we owe Him, most venerable brethren.   And what He wants from us is surely that we should fear Him, love Him with all our heart and all our mind (cf. Mt 22:37) and imitate His life in the flesh insofar as we can?

He made Himself a stranger by leaving heaven for earth so that we too might become strangers to thoughts that come from self-will.   He obeyed His father so that you too should unhesitatingly obey …. He humbled Himself even to death (cf. Phil 2:8) so that you too should share this sentiment, abasing and humbling yourselves in thought, deed, word and act.   Where is divine and true glory to be found, if not in becoming, without glory amongst men for God’s sake? …  That which is small and despised, that is what He has chosen, my Saviour and God, who put on our flesh to confound (1 Cor 1:27-28) human fame and wealth.

This is why He was born in a cave, was laid in a manger, was called the son of a carpenter, called a Nazarene.   He was clothed in one poor tunic and a single cloak;  He went by foot, suffered, was stoned by the Jews (cf. Jn 10:31), insulted, arrested, crucified, pierced with a lance, placed in the tomb, after which He rose again.   And so, He wishes to persuade us, brethren, to choose the same things as Himself before the angels, so that we may be crowned in the Kingdom of Heaven, into Christ our Lord Himself, to whom belongs glory and power, together with the Father and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.” … St Theodore the Studite (759-826) Monk and Theologian at Constantinople – Catechesis 78john 13 16 a servant is not greater than his master - he made himself a stranger - st theodore studite 7 may 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, stand by us in Your saving work and stay with us in Your gifts of grace.   You have rescued us from the darkness, keep us ever in Your light.   May the ways of truth and life which Jesus Christ Your Son taught us, be our anchor and our light.   We ask that You hear the intercession of Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mother and Bl Alberto of Bergamo, whom we beseech for help as we work to reach our heavenly home.   Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amenIMM MARY MOTHER OF GOD PRAY FOR US 7 MAY 2020

bl alberto of bergamo pray for us 7 may 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 May – ‘Through Him we have become certain of God…’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 6 May – ‘Mary’s Month” – Wednesday of the Fourth week of Easter, Readings: Acts 12:24–13:5, Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8, John 12:44-50

“I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world”…John 12:47john 12 47 i did not come to condemn the world but to save the world - 6 may 2020

REFLECTION – “It is not science that redeems man, man is redeemed by love.   This applies even in terms of this present world.   When someone has the experience of a great love in his life, this is a moment of “redemption” which gives a new meaning to his life.   But soon, he will also realise that the love bestowed upon him cannot by itself resolve the question of his life.   It is a love that remains fragile.   It can be destroyed by death.   The human being needs unconditional love.   He needs the certainty which makes him say – “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38- 39).   If this absolute love exists, with its absolute certainty, then—only then—is man “redeemed”, whatever should happen to him, in his particular circumstances.

This is what it means to say, Jesus Christ has “redeemed” us.   Through Him we have become certain of God, a God who is not a remote “first cause” of the world, because His only-begotten Son has become man and of Him everyone can say:   “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20)….Pope Benedict XVI – Encyclical “ Spe Salvi ”#26it is not science that redeems man - pope benedict 15 may 2019

PRAYER – Lord God, life of those who believe in You, glory of the humble and happiness of the Saints, listen kindly to our prayer.   We long for what You promises, fill us from Your abundance, give us true faith and obedience.   May the Blessed Virgin, Mother of Your Son, be our constant recourse.   Through Our Lord, Jesus with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.mary-mother-pray-for-us-15-may-2018 and 2019 and 6 may 2020

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

One Minute Reflection – 5 May – ‘Father, lead me to know Jesus’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 5 May – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter, Readings: Acts11:19-26, Psalm 87:1-7, John 10:22-30 and the Memorial of St Angelus of Jerusalem O.Carm (1185-1220) Priest, Martyr

“My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all and no-one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand..” … John 10:29

REFLECTION – “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish and no-one shall snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”   Did these sheep learn by following Jesus and then believe?   No.   “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all.”   It is thus the Father, who gives the sheep to the shepherd, it is the Father, who draws hearts to Jesus.

And the humble prayer that we can say as daughters and sons is:  ‘Father, draw me to Jesus, Father, lead me to know Jesus’ and the Father will send the Spirit to open our hearts and lead us to Jesus. Amen” …   Pope Francis – Santa Marta, 19 April 2016is greater than all john 18 29 - the humble prayer that we can say pope francis 5 may 2020

PRAYER – Lord God, grant Your people constant joy in the renewed vigour of their souls. They rejoice because You have restored them to the glory of Your adopted children, let them look forward gladly to the certain hope of the resurrection.   Draw us constantly to Your son, Jesus, our Lord, teach us to know Him and may the prayers of our Blessed Mother and St Angelus of Jerusalem, who so zealously fought the good fight, be of assistance to us amidst the storms of this mortal life.   We make our prayer through our Resurrected Christ, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen, alleluia!

immaculate mary pray for us - 2 sept 2018

ST ANGELUS OF JERUSALEM PRAY FOR US 5 MAY 2020