Our Morning Offering – 20 February – Saturday after Ash Wednesday and always a Marian Saturday
Most Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God Act of Consecration By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Indulgence of 300 days, for each recitation St Pius X, 17 November 1906
Most Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, I ………., most unworthy though I am to be thy servant, yet touched by thy motherly care for me and longng to serve thee, do, in the presence of my Guardian Angel and all the court of heaven, choose thee this day to be my Queen, my Advocate and my Mother and I firmly purpose to serve thee evermore myself and, to do what I can, that all may render faithful service to thee. Therefore, most devoted Mother, through the Precious Blood thy Son poured out for me, I beg thee and beseech thee, deign to take me among thy clients and receive me as thy servant forever. Aid me in my every action and beg for me the grace never, by word or deed or thought, to be displeasing in thy sight and that of thy most holy Son. Think of me, my dearest Mother and desert me not at the hour of death. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 19 February – Friday after Ash Wednesday, Readings: Isaiah 58:1-9, Psalms 51:3-4, 5-6, 18-19, Matthew 9:14-15 and the Memorial of Blessed Alvarez of Cordova OP (c 1350–c 1430)
“Then they will fast” – Matthew 9:15
REFLECTION – “Although it is true, that the washing of regeneration is what chiefly makes “people new” (cf. Eph 4,24 – Col 3,10) nevertheless, because there is still for all of us, a daily renewal against the rust of mortality and in the path of progress, there is no-one, who ought not always to be better. In general, we still have to struggle, so that in the Day of Redemption, no-one may be found in sins of long standing.
What, therefore, dearly beloved, any Christian ought, at all times to do, should now be pursued more carefully and more devotedly, to fulfil the apostolic institution of forty days of fast, not only by scant food but especially by fasting from sins…To these reasonable and holy fasts, nothing is joined more carefully, than the works of almsgiving, which under the one name of mercy, includes many praiseworthy acts of devotion, so that the spirits of all the faithful can be equal in merit, even with unequal means.” – St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father and Doctor – 6th Sermon for Lent, 1-2; SC 49
PRAYER – Lord God, bestow a full measure of Your grace upon us, who seek to make our lenten journey fruitful. Confirm us in Your service and help us to bear witness to You in the society in which we live by our lives, our fasting and prayer, our gift of self. Listen kindly we pray, to the prayers of Bl Alvarez who so avidly followed in the footsteps of our Saviour, Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name, with the Holy Spirit, we pray, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 18 February – Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Jesus, Pierce My Soul with Your Love By St Bonaventure OFM (1221-1274) The Seraphic Doctor
Jesus, pierce my soul with Your love so that I may always long for You alone, the fulfilment of the soul’s deepest desires. May my heart always hunger and feed on You, my soul thirst for You, the source of life, wisdom, knowledge, light and all the riches of God. May I always seek and find You, think about You, speak about You and do everything for Your honour and glory. Be always my hope, my peace, my refuge and my help, in whom my heart is rooted, so that I may never be separated from You. Amen
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.” – Matthew 6:6
REFLECTION – “Going to your room, is returning to your heart. Blest are they who rejoice at returning to their heart and who find nothing bad there…
They are greatly to be pitied who, returning home, have to fear they will be chased away because of bitter fights with their family. But how much unhappier are they, who do not dare return to their own conscience, for fear of being chased away by remorse for their sins. If you want to return to your heart with pleasure, purify it. “Blest are the pure of heart for they shall see God.” (Mt 5,8) Remove from your heart the stains of covetousness, the spots of miserliness, the ulcer of superstition, remove the sacrilege, the evil thoughts, the hatred. I’m not only speaking of those things against your friends but even of those against your enemies. Remove them all, then return to your heart and you will be happy.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father & Doctor of the Church – 2nd Discourse on Psalm 33, <8; PL 36,312
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, just as the Seven Holy Founders, were chosen to be messengers of Your love and forgiveness, grant we pray, that by their prayers, we too may bcome bearers of Your gracious love. Holy Father, You have given Yourself to us in the Face of Your Divine Son. You have given Him to us to be our food and our portion. You have consoled us with His presence on the Altar of Offering and washed us with His blood, day by day, You have sacrificed Him to save us. We pray for the assistance of our holy Mother, during our journey to the eternal glory of the kingdom. Through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 17 February – Ash Wednesday 2021
You Alone are my All and Every Good By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
O Lord, my God, You are my all and every good. And what am I, that I should presume to address You? I am the poorest of Your servants and a wretched worm, far more poor and worthless, than I, can ever realise or express. Yet, Lord, remember that I am nothing, I have nothing and can do nothing. You alone are good, just and holy, You can do all things, fill all things, bestow all things, leaving only the wicked empty-handed. Remember Your mercies, Lord and fill my heart with Your grace, since it is Your will, that none of Your works, should be worthless. How can I endure this life of sorrows, unless You strengthen me with Your mercy and grace? Do not turn Your face from me, do not delay Your coming, nor withdraw Your consolation from me, lest my soul become like a waterless desert. Teach me, O Lord, to do Your will, teach me to live worthily and humbly in Your sight, for You are my wisdom, Who know me truly and who knew me before the world was made and before I had my being. Amen
“Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened?” – Mark 8:17
REFLECTION – “I know, O Lord God Almighty, that I owe You, as the chief duty of my life, the devotion of all my words and thoughts, to Yourself… In our want we shall pray for the things we need. We shall bring an untiring energy to the study of Your prophets and apostles and we shall knock for entrance at every gate of hidden knowledge. But it is Yours to answer the prayer, to grant the thing we seek, to open the door on which we beat (Lk 11,9). Our minds are born with dull and clouded vision, our feeble intellect is penned within the barriers of an impassable ignorance concerning Your mysteries. But the study of Your revelation, elevates our soul to the comprehension of sacred truth and submission to the faith, is the path to a certainty beyond the reach of unassisted reason. And, therefore, we look to Your support for the first trembling steps of this undertaking, to Your aid, that it may gain strength and prosper. We look to You, to give us the fellowship of that Spirit who guided the prophets and apostles, that we may take their words in the sense in which they spoke and assign its right shade of meaning, to every utterance… Grant us, therefore, precision of language, soundness of argument, grace of style, loyalty to truth. Enable us to utter the things that we believe.” – St Hilary (315-368) Bishop of Poitiers, Father and Doctor of the Church – The Trinity, I, 37-38
PRAYER – God of mercy, teach us to live as You have ordained. Help us to follow Your commandments with courage and steadfast devotion. Let our Saviour, true Light of the world, be our master. Fill us with the fire of the Holy Spirit, that we grow in holiness. Grant blessed Trinity, that by the prayers of Bl Philippa Mareri, we may strive towards our heavenly home. Through Jesus our Lord, in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Amen
Grant us Your Light, O Lord By The Venerable St Bede (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
Grant us Your light, O Lord, so that the darkness of our hearts, may wholly pass away and we may come at last, to the light of Christ. For Christ is that morning star, who, when the night of this world has passed, brings to His saints, the promised light of life and opens to them, everlasting day. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 15 February – The Memorial of St Claude de la Colombiere SJ (1641-1682) “Apostle of the Sacred Heart”
Lord, be the Centre of Our Hearts By St Claude de la Colombiere
O God, what will You do to conquer the fearful hardness of our hearts? Lord, You must give us new hearts, tender hearts, sensitive hearts, to replace hearts that are made of marble and of bronze. You must give us Your own Heart, Jesus. Come, lovable Heart of Jesus. Place Your Heart deep in the centre of our hearts and enkindle in each heart a flame of love as strong, as great, as the sum of all the reasons that I have for loving You, my God. O holy Heart of Jesus, dwell hidden in my heart, so that I may live only in You and only for You, so that, in the end, I may live with You eternally in heaven. Amen
REFLECTION – “You must never fail to trust in God, nor despair of His mercy. I should not like you to doubt, or despair of becoming better. For even if the devil were able to throw you down, from the heights of virtue, to the depths of wickedness, how much more, can God recall you to the summit of goodness. And, not just bring you back to the state you were in before your fall but He can make you much happier, than you seemed to be before. Do not lose heart, I beg you and do not close your eyes to the hope of good, for fear that what happens to people, who don’t love God, should happen to you. For it is not, the great number of one’s sins, that leads the soul to despair but disdain for God. As the Wise man says: “It is the characteristic of the impious to despair of salvation and hold it in contempt since they have fallen into the pit of sin” (cf. Prv 18,3 Vg).
Therefore, every thought that takes our hope away, follows on from a lack of faith, like a heavy stone around our neck, it forces us to be always looking downwards, to the earth and doesn’t allow us to raise our eyes to the Lord. But those with a brave heart and enlightened mind, know how to release their necks from this horrid weight. “Behold, as the eyes of servants are on the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid are on the hands of her mistress, so our eyes are on the Lord our God till he have pity on us” (Ps 123,2). – St Rabanus Maurus OSB (776-856) Archbishop, Monk, Abbot,Theologian, Poet – Three books dedicated to Bonosus, Bk 3, 4
PRAYER – To those who love You, Lord, You promise to come with Your Son and make Your home within them. If You will, You can make us clean, come then with Your purifying grace and make our hearts a place where You can dwell. May the prayers of intercession of Saints Cyril and Methodius, help us to reach our everlasting home with You. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 13 February – The Memorial of Blessed Jordan of Saxony OP (1190-1237) and a blessed Marian Saturday
It was Jordan who initiated the custom of singing the Salve Regina in procession each night after Compline, to ask Our Lady’s protection of the brothers against temptations from the devil. This is a custom still practised by Dominicans throughout the world and by our community each night.
Salve Regina Hail Holy Queen By Blessed Herman the Cripple of Reichenau(1013–1054)
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, Poor banished children of Eve; To thee do we send up our sighs, Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, Thine eyes of mercy toward us; And after this our exile, Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
This line, below, by St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
℣ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, ℟ that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: Almighty, everlasting God, who by the co-operation of the Holy Spirit didst prepare the body and soul of the glorious Virgin-Mother Mary to become a dwelling-place fit for Thy Son, grant that as we rejoice in her commemoration, so by her fervent intercession, we may be delivered from present evils and from everlasting death. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen
“And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears and, after spitting. touched his tongue.” – Mark 7:33
REFLECTION – “The Lord heals all your ills” (Ps 102:3). Never fear, all your ills will healed. You say they are big ones but the Doctor is even greater. For an all-powerful Doctor there is no such thing as an incurable sickness. Simply let yourself be cared for, do not push away His hand, He knows what to do. Do not be happy only when He acts with gentleness but bear with it, too, when He prunes. Accept the unpleasantness of the cure, by thinking of the healing it will bring you. Notice all those things, brethren which people put up with in their physical ills, so as to prolong their lives a few days … You, at least, are not suffering for an uncertain result – He, Who has promised you your health,, cannot be mistaken. Why is it that doctors are sometimes mistaken? Because they have not created the body they are treating. But God has made your body, God has made your soul. He knows how to re-create that which He has created; He knows how to re-fashion that which He has formed. You have only to abandon yourself into His Doctor’s Hand! … Endure His Hands, then, O soul who “blesses Him and forgets not all His benefits – He heals all your ills” (P2 102:2-3). He who had made you never to become sick, if you would keep His precepts, will He not heal you? He who made the Angels and, in re-creating you, will make you equal to the Angels – will He not heal you? He who made Heaven and earth, will He not heal you, after having made you, in His Image? (Gn 1:26) He will heal you but you must consent to be healed. He heals every sickness perfectly but He does not heal it, in spite of Himself … Your health is Christ!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church – Sermon on the Psalms, Ps 102[103]: 5-6; PL 37, 1319
PRAYER – Almighty and merciful God, open the ears and eyes of our hearts and fill us with Your grace. May we follow You in holiness all the days of our lives. Grant we pray, that as You brought Your Saints and Martyrs to overcome fearlessly, the persecutions of Your people, that we too may remain invincible under Your protection and by their prayers, be strengthened against the snares of the enemy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Come O Holy Spirit! By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
You made Mary full of grace and inflamed the hearts of the Apostles with a holy zeal, enflame our hearts with Your love. You are the Spirit of goodness, give us the courage to confront evil. You are Fire, set us ablaze with Your love. You are Light, enlighten our minds, that we may see what is truly good and true. You are the Dove, give us gentleness. You are a soothing Breeze, bring calm to the storms that rage within us. You are the Tongue, may our lips ever sing God’s praises You are the Cloud, shelter us under the shadow of Your protection. O Holy Spirit, melt the frozen, warm the chilled and enkindle in us, an earnest desire to please You. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
And he said,“What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and they defile a man.” – Mark 7:20-23
REFLECTION – “It is a terrible misfortune, when there is not to be found, one really interior soul among all those at the head of important Catholic projects. Then, it seems, as though the supernatural had undergone an eclipse and the power of God, were in chains! And the saints teach us that, when this happens, a whole nation may fall into a decline and Providence will seem to have given evil men a free hand, to do all the harm they desire! Make no mistake, there is a sort of instinct by which souls, without clearly defining what it is they sense, are aware of this radiation of the supernatural. What else would bring the sinner, of his own accord, to cast himself at the feet of the Priest and ask pardon, recognising God Himself in His representative? … “John, indeed, did no sign.” (Jn 10:41) Without working a single miracle, St John the Baptist attracted great crowds. St John Vianney, had a voice so weak, that it could not reach most of those in the crowd that surged around him. But, if people could hardly hear him, they saw him; they saw a living monstrance of God and the mere sight of him overwhelmed those who were there and, converted them!” – Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard OCSO (1858-1935) – The Soul of the Apostolate, Part 4, C
PRAYER – God our Saviour, through the grace of Baptism, You made us children of light. Hear our prayer, that we may always walk in that light and work for truth, as Your witnesses before men. May our hearts be purified by You grace and may our hands and lips speak with sincere words of love. May the prayers of St Scholastica and St Benedict, help us in this, our exile. We make our prayer, through Christ our Lord with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 10 February – The Memorial of St Scholastica (480-547) Twin sister of St Benedict (480-547)
Father, In Your Goodness By St Benedict of Nursia (480-547)
Father, in Your goodness grant me the intellect, to comprehend You, the perception, to discern You, and the reason, to appreciate You. In Your kindness endow me with the diligence, to look for You, the wisdom, to discover You and the spirit, to apprehend You. In Your graciousness bestow on me a heart, to contemplate You, ears to hear You, eyes to see You, and a tongue, to speak of You. In Your mercy confer on me a conversation pleasing to You, the patience to wait for You, and the perseverance to long for You. Grant me a perfect end – Your holy presence. Amen
“This people honours me with their lips but their hearts are far from me” … Mark 7:6
REFLECTION – “WE MUST not rely too much upon ourselves, for grace and understanding are often lacking in us. We have but little inborn light and this we quickly lose through negligence. Often we are not aware that we are so blind in heart. Meanwhile, we do wrong and then do worse in excusing it. At times, we are moved by passion and we think it zeal. We take others to task for small mistakes and overlook greater ones in ourselves. We are quick enough to feel and brood over the things we suffer from others but we think nothing of how much others suffer from us. If a man would weigh his own deeds fully and rightly, he would find little cause to pass severe judgement on others. The interior man, puts the care of himself before all other concerns and he who attends to himself carefully, does not find it hard to hold his tongue about others. You will never be devout of heart unless you are thus silent about the affairs of others and pay particular attention to yourself. If you attend wholly to God and yourself, you will be little disturbed by what you see about you. … You will sweetly repose if your heart does not rebuke you. Rejoice at nothing but only your good deeds. Bad men have never a true joy, nor feel inner peace, for “there is no peace for the wicked” (Is 57:21). … He is easily calmed and contented whose conscience is clean. Praise makes you not more holy, nor insult more worthless. What you are you are, what God knows of you, is all that can be said for you. If you will only look at what you truly are, you will not care what men say of you. “Man looks at the appearance but God looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7). – Thomas`a Kempis – The Imitation of Christ – Book II, ch. 5-6
PRAYER – Almighty Lord and God, protect us by your power throughout the course of this day, do not let us turn aside to any sin, purify our conscience and let our every thought, wod and dedd aim at doing only what is pleasing in Your sight. May the intercession of our Holy Mother and all the saints, be a strength and a comfort. Through Jesus, our compassionate and loving Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You forever, amen.
Lord, Thou hast proved me and known me. Thou hast known my sitting down and my rising up. Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off, my path and my line, thou hast searched out. And thou hast foreseen all my ways, for there is no speech in my tongue. Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old, Thou hast formed me and hast laid Thy hand upon me. Thy knowledge is become wonderful to me, it is high and I cannot reach to it. Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy face? If I ascend into heaven, Thou art there, if I descend into hell, Thou art present. If I take my wings early in the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there also, shall Thy hand lead me and Thy right hand shall hold me. And I said: Perhaps darkness shall cover me and night shall be my light in my pleasures. But darkness shall not be dark to Thee and night shall be light as day, the darkness thereof and the light thereof, are alike to Thee. For Thou hast possessed my reins. Thou hast protected me from my mother’s womb. I will praise Thee, for Thou art fearfully magnified, wonderful are Thy works and my soul knoweth right well. Prove me, O God, and know my heart, examine me and know my paths. And see if there be in me the way of iniquity and lead me in the eternal way. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 10 February – Monday of the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time, Readings: Genesis 1:1-19, Psalms 104:1-2, 5-6, 10 and 12, 24 and 35, Mark 6:53-56 and the Memorial of St Jerome Emiliani (1486–1537)
And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him, that they might touch, even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it, were made well. – Mark 6:56
REFLECTION – “Let us set before our interior consideration, someone gravely wounded who is about to breathe his last. … Now, the soul’s wound is sin, of which Scripture speaks in these terms: “Wound and welt and gaping gash, not drained or bandaged or eased with salve” (Is 1:6). Oh you who are wounded, recognise your Physician within you and show him the wounds of your sins. May He understand your heart’s groaning who already knows its secret thoughts. May your tears move Him. Go as far as a little shamelessness in your beseeching (cf. Lk 11:8). Bring forth deep sighs to Him, without ceasing, from the depth of your heart. May your grief reach Him so that He may say to you also : “The Lord has pardoned your sin” (2 Sam 12:13). Cry out with David, who said: “Have mercy on me, O God, in … the greatness of your compassion” (Ps 50[51]:3). It is as though one were to say: “I am in great danger because of an enormous wound, that no doctor can cure, unless the all-powerful Physician comes to help me.” For this all-powerful Physician, nothing is incurable. He heals without charge, with one word He restores to health. I would have despaired of my wound were it not that I placed my trust in the Almighty.” – St Pope Gregory the Great (c 540-604) Father and Doctor of the Church – Commentary on Psalm 50[51]
PRAYER– Father of mercy, You chose St Jerome Emiliani to be a father to orphans in their need. Grant that through his prayer, we may keep faithfully the spirit of sonship, by which we are not only called but really are Your children. Help us to imitate his love and faith, manifesting by our commitment to Your commandments, our true faith. May we seek your grace in temptation and seek ever to avoid the occasions of sin and if we should fall, to run to You in grief and beg Your forgiveness. We make our prayer through Jesus, our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Help us, Defend us, O Lord, our God By St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor
Help us, O Lord, our God, since we cannot flee from the body, nor the body flee from us, we must carry it about because it is bound up with us. We cannot destroy it, we are forced to preserve it. But the world surrounds us and assails us through the five gateways of sense. Alas! Everywhere we are in conflict, everywhere darts fly against us, everywhere there are temptations, there are snares! Deliver us, we beseech You, from our enemies, defend us from all dangers to the soul and to the body, Lord, that at length we may come to Your eternal rest, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen
“Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up and the fever left her and she began to serve them.” – Mark 1:30-31
REFLECTION – “Can you imagine Jesus standing before your bed and you continue sleeping? It is absurd that you would remain in bed in His presence. Where is Jesus? He is already here, offering Himself to us. “In the middle,” He says, “among you He stands, whom you do not recognise.” “The kingdom of God is in your midst.” Faith beholds Jesus among us. If we are unable to seize His hand, let us prostrate ourselves at His feet. If we are unable to reach His head, let us wash His feet with our tears. Our repentance is the perfume of the Saviour. See how costly is the compassion of the Saviour. Our sins give off a terrible odour – they are rottenness! Nevertheless, if we repent of our sins, they will be transformed into perfume by the Lord. Therefore, let us ask the Lord to grasp our hand. “And at once,” he says, “the fever left her.” Immediately as her hand is grasped, the fever flees.” – St Jerome (343-420) Father and Doctor of the Church – Tractate on Mark‘s Gospel, 2
PRAYER – All-powerful, eternal God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, let our striving for Your kingdom not fall short through selfishness or fear, may the universe be alive with the Spirit and our homes be the pledge of the world redeemed. May our eyes see and our hearts have compassion, to all those who need us. May the intercession of our Holy Mother and all the saints, be a strength and a comfort. Through Jesus, our compassionate and loving Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 7 February – Sexagesima Sunday
God, my God May I Always Abide in You By St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
God, my God, inextinguishable and invisible fire, You make Your angels flaming fire. Out of Your inexpressible love, You have given me Your divine Flesh as food and through this communion of Your immaculate Body and precious Blood, You receive me as a partaker of Your divinity. Permeate all my body and soul, all my bones and sinews. Consume my sins in fire. Enlighten my soul and illumine my mind. Sanctify my body and make Your abode in me, together with Your blessed Father and all-holy Spirit, that I may always abide in You, through the intercession of Your immaculate Mother and all Your saints. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 8 February – Saturday of the Fourth Week of Ordinary Time Readings: Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21, Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6, Mark 6:30-34 and the Memorial of Saint Amand of Maastricht (c 584-c 679) Bishop
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile” … Mark 6:31
REFLECTION – “If you wish to come and find Me, seek me aside. As Mark says: “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile. People were coming and going in great numbers and they had no opportunity even to eat.” (Mk 6:31). Alas, such are the passions of the flesh and the turmoil of thoughts coming and going in our hearts that we have no time to eat the food of everlasting sweetness, nor perceive the taste of interior contemplation. That is why our Lord says: “Come away” from the noisy crowd “to a deserted place,” to solitude of mind and heart, “and rest awhile.”For truly, as the book of Revelation says: “There will be silence in heaven for about half an hour” (Rv 8:1); and in the Psalm: “Who will give me wings like a dove that I might fly away and find rest” (Ps 54[55]:7 LXX). But let us listen to what the prophet Hosea says: “I will seduce her and lead her into the wilderness and I will speak to her heart” (cf. Hos 2:16 Vg). These three expressions: seduce, lead into the wilderness, speak to her heart, represent the three stages of the spiritual life – the beginning, development and perfection. The Lord seduces the beginner when He enlightens him with His grace so that he may grow and progress from virtue to virtue. Then he leads him aside from the din of the vices and disordered thoughts, into peace of spirit. Finally, once guided to perfection, God speaks to his heart. Then the soul experiences the sweetness of divine inspiration and can surrender totally to joy of spirit. What depth of devotion, of wonderment and happiness in his heart! By devotion, he is raised above himself, through wonder, he is led above himself, through happiness, he is transported out of himself.” … St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Doctor of the Church – Sermon for the feast of Saint John the Evangelist
PRAYER – All-powerful, eternal God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, let our striving for Your kingdom not fall short through selfishness or fear, may the universe be alive with the Spirit and our homes be the pledge of the world redeemed. May our hearts be eternally longing for that time alone with You, our one true Love. May our worldly duties be such that they never impede our progress in devotion and may the intercession of our Holy Mother, St Amand and all the saints, be a strength and a comfort. Through Jesus, our compassionate and loving Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 6 February – “Month of the Holy Family” and a Marian Saturday
Blessed are You, O Mary! By St Jacob of Sarug (c 451-521) Syrian Bishop and Monk
Blessed are you, O Mary and blessed is your holy soul, for your beatitude surpasses that of all the Blessed. Blessed are you who have borne, embraced and caressed as a Baby, the One who upholds the ages with His secret word. Blessed are you, from whom the Saviour appeared on this exile earth, subjugating the seducer and bringing peace to the world. Blessed are you, whose pure mouth touched the lips of the One, whom the Seraphim look upon in His splendour. Blessed are you, who have nourished, with your pure milk the source, from whom the living obtain life and light. Blessed are you, because the whole universe resounds with your memory and the Angels and human beings, celebrate your feast. Daughter of the poor, you became the Mother of the King of kings. You gave to the poor world the riches that can make it live. You are the bark, laden with the goodness and the treasures of the Father, Who sent His riches once again, into our empty home. Blessed are you, O Mary! Amen
Let Your Will be Mine By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
O most merciful Jesus, grant me Your grace, that it may remain with me always and persevere with me to the end. Grant me always to will and desire, what is more pleasing and acceptable to You. Let Your will be mine and let my will always follow Yours in perfect conformity with it. Let my will and desires, always be one with Yours and let me be unable to will or not to will, except as You will or do not will. Grant that I may die to all worldly things and that I may be despised and unknown for love of You. Grant, above all things to be desired, that I may find rest in You and that in Your Heart alone, may be my peace. You, O Lord, give true peace to the heart and perfect rest to body and soul. Apart from You, all is difficult and never still. In that peace, in You Who are the one, supreme and eternal Good, I will sleep and take my rest. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 5 February – Friday of the Fourth Week of Ordinary Time, Readings: Hebrews 13:1-8, Psalms 27:1, 3, 5,8-9, Mark 6:14-29 and the Memorial of St Agatha (c 231- c 251) Virgin Martyr
“He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother.” … Mark 6:28
REFLECTION – “In what way, then, was this just man harmed by this demise, this violent death, these chains, this imprisonment? Who are those he did not set back on their feet — provided they had a penitent disposition — because of what he spoke, because of what he suffered, because of what he still proclaims in our own day — the same message he preached while he was living. Therefore, do not say: “Why was John allowed to die?” For what occurred was not a death but a crown, not an end but the beginning of a greater life.
Learn to think and live like a Christian. You will not only remain unharmed by these events but will reap the greatest benefits.” … St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor – On the Providence of God, 22.
PRAYER – Increase in us, O Lord, the gift of faith, so that we may arise and offer our praise to You and by Your grace, yield fruit from heaven, for the glory of Your Kingdom. Lord God, let St Agatha, who became precious in Your sight through her pure life and valiant martyrdom, plead for our forgiveness. For, with joy and rejoicing, as though to a feast, St Agatha, went to prison and offered her sufferings to You, with many prayers. Through Jesus Christ, Your divine Son, in unity with the Spirit, one God forever. St Agatha, pray for us, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 6 February – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Ordinary Time, Readings: Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24, Psalms 48:2-3,3-4, 9, 10-11, Mark 6:7-13 and the Memorial of St Andrew Corsini O.Carm (1302-1373) Bishop
And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil, many who were sick and healed them. – Mark 6:13
REFLECTION – “Accordingly, in affirming that they are sent by Him, just as He was sent by the Father, Christ sums up in a few words the approach, they themselves should take to their apostolate. From what He said, they would gather, that it was their vocation to call sinners to repentance, to heal those who were sick, whether in body or spirit, to seek in all their dealing, never to do their own will but the will of Him who sent them and, as far as possible, to save the world by their teaching.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Bishop, Father & Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – Human weakness finds its anchor in You, Lord and our faith is build on You as on a rock. Supported by the teachings, lives and prayers of our fathers, Your Apostles, may we always answer Your call and live in ever-closer union with You. And may St Andrew Corsini and all your Angels, Martyrs and Saints, pray for Holy Mother Church and for us all. Through Christ, our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spiirt, God forever and ever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 4 February – The Memorial of Blessed Rabanus Maurus (776-856)
Veni Creator Spiritus The Golden Sequence By Blessed Rabanus Maurus (776-856)
Come, Creator, Spirit, come from Your bright heavenly throne, come take possession of our souls and make them all Your own. You who are called the Paraclete, best gift of God above, the living spring, the vital fire, sweet christ’ning and true love. . . . O guide our minds with Your best light, with love our hearts inflame and with Your strength, which ne’er decays, confirm our mortal frame. Far from us drive our deadly foe, true peace unto us bring and through all perils lead us safe, beneath Your sacred wing. Through You, may we the Father know, through You, th’eternal Son and You, the Spirit of them both, thrice-blessed Three in One. . . . Amen!
“What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?” – Mark 6:2
REFLECTION – “The Father sent the Word to appear to the world, who was dishonoured by His people, preached through Apostles and believed in by pagan nations. It is He who was from the beginning (Jn 1:1), who appeared new and proved to be old and is ever born young in the hearts of saints. He is the eternal, today counted a son (Ps 2:7). Through Him the Church is enriched and grace unfolding is multiplied in the saints, affording understanding, revealing secrets mysteries, making them understand the signs of the times, rejoicing over the faithful, given to those who seek for it, by whom pledges of faith are not broken and the boundaries set by the Fathers are not passed over. Then the fear of the law is praised in song and the grace announced by the prophets is learned and the faith of the gospels is established and what has been handed down from the Apostles is guarded and the Grace of the Church exults for joy. If you do not offend this Grace, you will learn what the Word talks about, through those through whom He wishes to talk, when He pleases … Draw near, then and listen earnestly to them and you will know what God bestows on those who truly love Him, who become a garden of delight, causing to grow in themselves a thriving tree bearing all kinds of rich fruits. For in this place are planted the tree of knowledge and the tree of life (Gn 2:9) … Let your mind be knowledge and the Word of truth become your life. If this tree grows in you and, if you ardently long for its fruit, you will always gather the vintage of God’s best gifts.” – A Letter to Diognetus (c 130) – 11, 3-7; 12, 1-2 and 7-8;
PRAYER – Lord our God, make us love You above all things and all our fellow-men, with a love that is worthy of You. May we look to Your Divine Son in love and imitation. Grant too, that by the prayers of St Blaise, we too may be granted the grace to follow Your only Son, no matter our sufferings, to one day reachYou, in our heavenly home. We make our prayer, through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever amen.
Lord, for Tomorrow and its Needs By Sister Mary Xavier (1877)
Lord, for tomorrow and its needs I do not pray; keep me, my God, from stain of sin, just for today. Let me both diligently work and duly pray; let me be kind in word and deed, just for today. Let me no wrong or idle word unthinking say; set thou a seal upon my lips, just for today. And if today my tide of life should ebb away, give me Thy sacraments divine, sweet Lord, today. So, for tomorrow and its needs I do not pray but keep me, guide me, love me, Lord, just for today.
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