Thought for the Day – 2 November – The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor of the Church
And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”...John 11:35-36
Why do I pray for you, O my brother, who loved me so much and have been carried off from me… ? For I have not lost my relationship to you, rather it has been completely changed in my regard. Up to now, it was inseparable from the body but now, it is indissoluble from feeling. ,,You remain with me and will remain so always… Paul the apostle calls me back and places a sort of brake on my sadness with these words: “We do not want you to be unaware about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest who have no hope” (1Thes 4:13)…
But not all weeping is a sign of lack of faith or of weakness. Natural sorrow is one thing, the sadness of unbelief is another… Sorrow is not alone in having its grief and prayer bathes our bed with tears according to the prophet (Ps 6:7). When the patriarchs were enslaved, their people wept bitterly for themselves, as well. Thus tears are signs of affection and not incitements to sorrow. I confess that I have wept but the Lord also wept (Jn 11:35). He wept for someone not of his own kin, I for a brother. He wept for all men in one man – as for me, I will weep for you, my brother, in every man.
Christ wept with the feeling that is ours, not His own, for divinity has no tears… He wept in that man who was “sorrowful even to death” (Mt 26:38); He wept in him who was crucified, who died, who was buried; He wept in that man… who was born of the Virgin.
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
We believe that Jesus died and rose again, so we believe, that God will bring with Jesus, those who have died, believing in him.…
1 Thessalonians 4:14
“He who saves a soul, saves his own and satisfies for a multitude of sins.”
James 1:20
“The whole Church observes this practice which was handed down by the Fathers – that it prays for those who have died in the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, when they are commemorated in their own place in the sacrifice itself and the sacrifice is offered, also in memory of them, on their behalf.”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
“What great power the holy souls in purgatory have over the heart of God! If we realised this fact and averted to all the graces that we can gain through their intercession, these souls would not be so forgotten.”
St John Vianney (1786-1859)
“If today we are remembering these brothers and sisters of ours who lived before us and are now in heaven, they are there because they were washed in the Blood of Christ, that is our hope and this hope does not disappoint. If we live our lives with the Lord, He will never disappoint us.”
Our Morning Offering – 2 November – The Commemoration of All the Holy Souls in Purgatory
Daily Prayer for the Holy Souls
Immortal God, holy Lord,
Father and Protector of all You have created,
we raise our hearts to You today for those
who have passed out of this mortal life.
In Your loving mercy, Father of all,
be pleased to receive them
in Your heavenly company,
and forgive the failings and faults
they may have done from human frailty.
Your only Son, Christ, our Saviour,
suffered so cruelly that
He might deliver them from the second death.
By His merits may they share in the glory
of His victory over sin and death.
For all the faithful who have died we pray
but in particular for those dear to us,
parents, relatives and friends.
nor do we forget all who did good for us while on earth,
who helped us by their prayers, sacrifice and example.
We pray also for any who may have done us harm,
and stand in special need of Your forgiveness.
May the merits and prayers of our Virgin Mother, Mary
and those of all the Angels and Saints,
speak for us and assist them now.
This we ask in through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
with the Holy Spirit, God forever
amen.
Our Morning Offering – 1 November – The Solemnity of All the Saints
10th Century Catholic Prayer in Praise of the Saints
How shining and splendid are Your gifts, O Lord
which You give us for our eternal well-being
Your glory shines radiantly in Your saints, O God
In the honour and noble victory of the Martyrs.
The white-robed company follow You,
bright with their abundant faith;
They scorned the wicked words
of those with this world’s power.
For You they sustained
fierce beatings, chains and torments,
they were drained by cruel punishments.
They bore their holy witness to You
who were grounded deep within their hearts;
they were sustained by patience and constancy.
Endowed with Your everlasting grace,
may we rejoice forever
with the Martyrs in our bright fatherland.
O Christ, in Your goodness,
grant to us
the gracious heavenly realms of eternal life.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 31 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:22–30 – Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)
“Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be able…”…Luke 13:24.
REFLECTION – “Strive to enter in by the narrow door.” This reply may seem perhaps to wander from the scope of the question. The man wanted to learn whether there would be few who are saved but He explained to him the way whereby he might be saved himself. He said, “Strive to enter in by the narrow door.” What do we answer to this objection? … It was a necessary and valuable thing to know how a man may obtain salvation. He is purposely silent to the useless question. He proceeds to speak of what was essential, namely, of the knowledge necessary for the performance of those duties by which people can enter the narrow door.
I now consider it my duty to mention why the door to life is narrow. Whoever would enter must first, before everything else, possess an upright and uncorrupted faith and then a spotless morality, in which there is no possibility of blame, according to the measure of human righteousness. One who has attained to this in mind and spiritual strength will enter easily by the narrow door and run along the narrow way.
“Wide is the door and broad the way that brings down many to destruction.” What are we to understand by its broadness? It means an unrestrained tendency toward carnal lust and a shameful and pleasure-loving life. It is luxurious feasts, parties, banquets and unrestricted inclinations to everything that is condemned by the law and displeasing to God. A stubborn mind will not bow to the yoke of the law. This life is cursed and relaxed in all carelessness. Thrusting from it the divine law and completely unmindful of the sacred commandments, wealth, vices, scorn, pride and the empty imagination of earthly pride spring from it. Those who would enter in by the narrow door must withdraw from all these things, be with Christ and keep the festival with him.”…St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor (Commentary on Luke, Homily 9
PRAYER – Shed Your clear light on our hearts, Lord, so that walking continually in the way of Your commandments, we may never be deceived or misled. Grant that the prayers of our Blessed Mother and St Alphonsus Rodriguez, who always held Your Light up for others to see by, give us strength. Through Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 31 October – The Memorial of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)
A Prayer to Seek the Consolation of the Cross By St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)
Jesus, love of my soul,
centre of my heart!
Why am I not more eager to endure pains
and tribulations for love of You,
when You, my God,
have suffered so many for me?
Come, then, every sort of trial in the world,
for this is my delight, to suffer for Jesus.
This is my joy, to follow my Saviour
and to find my consolation
with my Consoler on the Cross.
This is my happiness,
this my pleasure:
to live with Jesus,
to walk with Jesus,
to converse with Jesus,
to suffer with and for Him,
this is my treasure.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 30 October – The Memorial of St Angelo of Acri OFM Cap (1669-1739)
One of the oldest paintings of Br Angelo of Acri shows him looking at and contemplating the Crucified, the centre of his preaching and his prayer. Meditation on the Passion of the Lord accompanied his long travels on foot from one place to another in his preaching tours. In long hours of solitary prayer he meditated on the suffering of Christ moment by moment; in the same way he cared for and embraced the sick in body and in spirit, recognising in their illnesses the wounds of Our Lord. He kept in his heart the face and the name of Jesus crucified, the icon of a love without limit.
St Angelo of Acri, whom the Church gives us as a model and example of an authentic and realised life, teaches all Christians, how to proclaim the Gospel to a world thirsty for freedom. Life in the Spirit leads us to that true freedom that makes us able to recognise the dignity of each human being. This movement happens and grows when we embrace the Lord Jesus in faith; He who, taking on our humanity, lifted up the human person to the dignity of a child of God.
His holiness, proclaimed by the Church, joins the great multitude of friars who have followed St Francis of Assisi, proclaiming the Kingdom of God with passion, loving the Church and embracing the lepers of their own time.
May all of us keep within ourselves a soul that is contemplative, simple and joyful. Let us ask the grace to contemplate Christ Crucified, that we might love Him in the suffering flesh of the poor, the marginalised and the one who has need of care and sympathy.
May all of you, as witnesses to the beauty of divine Mystery, be bearers of the peace and love of Christ our Saviour. May the Immaculate Virgin remain with you and support you always.
Rome, 4 October 2017
Feast of our Seraphic Father St Francis
Br Mauro Jöhri, OFM Cap.
General Minister
One Minute Reflection = 30 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:18-21 – Tuesday of the Thirtieth week in Ordinary Time, Year B – The Memorial of St Angelo of Acri OFM Cap (1669-1739)
“What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his garden and it grew and became a tree and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”..Luke 13:18-19
REFLECTION – “In the language of the Gospel, the seed is the symbol of the Word of God, whose fruitfulness is recalled in this parable. The Word of God makes things grow, it gives life. …Because this is the power that makes the life of the Kingdom of God sprout within us. And thus is the Kingdom of God, a humanly small and seemingly irrelevant reality. To become a part of it, one must be poor of heart, not trusting in their own abilities but in the power of the love of God; not acting to be important in the eyes of the world but precious in the eyes of God, who prefers the simple and the humble. When we live like this, the strength of Christ bursts through us and transforms what is small and modest into a reality, that leavens the entire mass of the world and of history. This opens us up to trust and hope, despite the tragedies, the injustices, the sufferings that we encounter. The seed of goodness and peace sprouts and develops, because the merciful love of God makes it ripen.”…Pope Francis = Angelus, 14 June 2015
“To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”...Luke 13:20-21
REFLECTION – “There are three measures: of the flesh, of the soul and of the spirit. This is truer of the spirit in which we all live. The woman, who prefigures the church, mixes with them the virtue of spiritual doctrine, until the whole hidden inner person of the heart is leavened and the heavenly bread arises to grace. The doctrine of Christ is fittingly called leaven, because the bread is Christ. The apostle said, “For we, being many, are one bread, one body.” Leavening happens when the flesh does not lust against the Spirit, nor the Spirit against the flesh. We mortify the deeds of the flesh and the soul, aware that through the breath of God it has received the breath of life, shuns the earthly germs of worldly needs.”…St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctoer- Exposition of the Gospel of Luke, 7.
PRAYER – True light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ, as You enlighten all men for their salvation, give us grace, we pray, to herald Your coming by preparing the ways of justice and of peace. Help us Lord, that we may sprout and bear fruit, fitting to grow and be a home of comfort to our neighbour. By the prayers of St Angelo of Acri, who bore the seed of Your Word to many, may we too be heralds of Your Kingdom. Through Jesus our Lord, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 30 October – The Memorial of St Angelo of Acri OFM Cap (1669-1739)
Pray for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit By St Bonaventure OFM (1217-1274) Doctor of the Church
We beg the all-merciful Father through You,
His only-begotten Son made man for our sake,
crucified and glorified for us,
to send upon us from His treasure-house
the Spirit of sevenfold grace,
Who rested upon You in all His fullness:
the spirit of wisdom,
enabling us to relish the fruit
of the tree of life, which is indeed Yourself;
the gift of understanding:
to enlighten our perceptions;
the gift of prudence,
enabling us to follow in Your footsteps;
the gift of strength:
to withstand our adversary’s onslaught;
the gift of knowledge:
to distinguish good from evil
by the light of Your holy teaching;
the gift of piety:
to clothe ourselves with charity and mercy;
the gift of fear:
to withdraw from all ill-doing
and live quietly in awe of Your eternal majesty.
These are the things for which we petition.
Grant them for the honour of Your Holy Name,
to which, with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
be all honour and glory, thanksgiving, renown,
and Lordship forever and ever.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 29 October – The Memorial of St Gaetano Errico (1791-1860), Founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Day by day, city to city, village to village, among both the poorest and those of high esteem, he saw the hunger each possessed to know that sin was forgiven, that God’s mercy was infinite and that they were loved. Countless souls found a merciful listener, the embodiment of God’s promise of peace and renewal, in Fr Gaetano, in the Confessional.
“The priest, Gaetano Errico, dedicated himself to this sacrament with diligence, assiduity and patience, never refusing it nor counting the cost. He thus entered among the group of other extraordinary priests who tirelessly made the confessional a place to dispense God’s mercy, helping men to rediscover themselves, to fight against sin and make progress in the spiritual life.
The street and the confessional were the two particular places of Gaetano Errico’s pastoral work. The street was the place that permitted him to offer his customary invitation: “God loves you, when shall we meet?” and in the confession he made their encounter with the mercy of the heavenly Father possible. How many wounded souls did he heal in this way! How many people did he help to be reconciled with God through the sacrament of forgiveness!
In this way St. Gaetano Errico became an expert in the “science” of forgiveness, and concerned himself with teaching it to his missionaries: “God, who does not wish the death of the sinner, is always more merciful than his ministers; so be as merciful as you can and you will find mercy with God!”
Pope Benedict XVI, Homily at Canonisation Mass, October 2008
He found his own encouragement on his knees in prayer . . . indeed it was prayer and the hours he spent in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament that strengthened and renewed him and kept the fire of his love for God ever burning.
Let us rediscover the great grace of the Confessional and the immense joy of Eucharistic Adoration for ourselves!
One Minute Reflection – 29 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:10-17 – Monday of the Thirtieth week in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of St Gaetano Errico (1791-1860)
” And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?”…Luke 13:16
REFLECTION – “The whole human race, like this woman, was bent over and bowed down to the ground. Someone already understands these enemies. He cries out against them and says to God, “They have bowed my soul down.” The devil and his angels have bowed the souls of men and women down to the ground. He has bent them forward to be intent on temporary and earthly things and has stopped them from seeking the things that are above.
Since that is what the Lord says about the woman whom Satan had bound for eighteen years, it was now time for her to be released from her bondage on the sabbath day. Quite unjustly, they criticised Him for straightening her up. Who were these, except people bent over themselves? Since they quite failed to understand the very things God had commanded, they regarded them with earthbound hearts. They used to celebrate the sacrament of the sabbath in a literal, material manner and did not notice its spiritual meaning.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor (Sermon 162)
PRAYER – Almighty Lord and God, protect us by Your power throughout the course of this day, even as You have enabled us to begin it – do not let us turn aside to any sin but, let our every thought, word and deed aim at doing what is pleasing in Your sight. Grant we pray, that by the prayers of St Gaetano Errico, we may strive to seek only to please the Sacred Heart of Your Son and the loving Heart of His Mother. Through Jesus our Lord, Your Son, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 29 October – The Memorial of St Gaetano Errico (1791-1860), Founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Prayer to the Two Loving Hearts By St John Eudes (1501-1680)
O Jesus, only Son of God, only Son of Mary,
I offer You the most loving Heart
of Your divine Mother
which is more precious
and pleasing to You than all hearts.
O Mary, Mother of Jesus,
I offer you the most adorable Heart
of your well-beloved Son,
who is the life and love and joy of your Heart.
Blessed be the Most Loving Heart
and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ
and the most glorious
Virgin Mary, His Mother,
in eternity and forever.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 28 October – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Feast of Sts Simon and Jude, Apostles of Christ
As in the case of all the apostles except for Peter, James and John, we are faced with men who are really unknown and we are struck by the fact that their holiness is simply taken to be a gift of Christ. He chose some unlikely people: a former Zealot, a former (crooked) tax collector, an impetuous fisherman, two “sons f thunder,” and a man named Judas Iscariot.
It is a reminder that we cannot receive too often. Holiness does not depend on human merit, culture, personality, effort, or achievement. It is entirely God’s creation and gift. God needs no Zealots to bring about the kingdom by force. Jude, like all the saints, is the saint of the impossible – only God can create His divine life in human beings.
Quote/s of the Day – 28 October – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Feast of Sts Simon and Jude, Apostles of Christ
Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept safe for Jesus Christ: may mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
Jude 1:1-2
But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith, pray in the holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
One Minute Reflection – 28 October – Today’s Gospel: Mark 10:46–52 – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Feast of Sts Simon and Jude, Apostles of Christ
And Jesus said to him, “Go your way, your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.…Mark 10:52
REFLECTION – “We are always in need of salvation. And all of us should take this step everyday – from beggars to disciples. And thus, the blind man sets out behind the Lord, becoming part of His community. The one they wanted to silence, now witnesses aloud to his encounter with Jesus of Nazareth and “all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God”. Let us also allow ourselves to be called by Jesus and let us be healed by Jesus, forgiven by Jesus and let us follow Jesus, praising God. So be it!”…Pope Francis – General audience, 15 June 2016
PRAYER – Lord God, You taught us to call upon Your name, through the preaching of the Apostles. Open our eyes each day, grant that we may see Jesus Your Son at our side, open our ears that we may hear His voice, open our mouths that we may beg forgiveness and proclaim the good news as we follow the way Your Son carved out for us. At the intercession of Sts Simon and Jude, may Your Church continue to grow and to hope in Your love. We make our prayer through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 28 October – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Make Me Pure (Prayer for the Sanctification of our bodies by Christ’s Body) By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
O my God,
teach me to live as one
who truly believes
in the great dignity,
the great sanctity
of this material body
in which You have lodged me.
And, therefore, dear Saviour,
I come often and earnestly,
to be a partaker of Your Holy Body and Blood,
so that by Your unutterable holiness,
I too may be made holy.
O my Lord Jesus,
I believe that our bodies
are the temples
of the Holy Spirit.
Should we not venerate that body
which You feed miraculously
with Your risen Body
and which the Spirit of God,
Your Spirit, inhabits.
O my God, who was nailed to the cross,
‘pierce my flesh with fear of you’
crucify my soul and body
in all that is sinful in them
and make me pure,
as You are pure.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 27 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:1-9 – Saturday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year B
“And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none. Cut it down, why should it use up the ground?”…Luke 13:7
Answering God’s call to repent at last
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church – Confessions Bk. 8
Those trifles of all trifles and vanities of vanities, my one-time mistresses, held me back, plucking at my garment of flesh and murmuring softly: “Are you sending us away?” And ” From this moment shall we not be with you, now or forever?” And: ” From this moment shall this or that not be allowed you, now or forever?” What were they suggesting to me, O my God?… I hesitated to shake them off and leap upwards on the way I was called, for the strong force of habit said to me: “Do you think you can live without them?” But by this time its voice was growing fainter. In the direction towards which I had already turned my face and was quivering in fear of going, I could see the austere beauty of Continence honourably soliciting me to come to her and not linger, her hands full of multitudes of good examples… “The Lord their God gave me to them. Why do you rely on yourself and so fail to stand at all? Cast yourself upon Him and do not be afraid, He will not draw back and let you fall. Cast yourself on Him without fea,; He will receive you and heal you”…
This disputation within my heart was nothing other than a struggle between myself against myself… When my most searching scrutiny had drawn up all my vileness from the secret depths of my soul and heaped it in my heart’s sight, a mighty storm rose up in me bringing a mighty rain of tears. In order to give release to my tears and lamentations, I got up and went out… I flung myself down somehow under a certain fig tree and no longer tried to check my tears, which poured from my eyes in a flood, an acceptable sacrifice to Thee. And I spoke to You freely: “And Thou, O Lord, how long? How long, Lord, will You be angry forever? Remember not our former iniquities.” (Ps 6:4; 78:5)… And I continued my miserable complaining: “How long, how long shall I go on saying tomorrow and again tomorrow? Why not now, why not this very hour?”
And suddenly I heard a voice from some nearby house, a boy’s voice or a girl’s voice, a sort of sing-song repeated again and again: “Take and read, take and read.” I stopped weeping and immediately began to search my mind most carefully as to whether children were accustomed to chant these words in any kind of game and I could not remember that I had ever heard any such thing. Damming back my flood of tears I rose up again, interpreting the incident as quite certainly a divine command to open the book of the apostle Paul and read the first passage on which my eyes should fall… I returned hastily and took up the book and read what I had seen before: “Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscence,” (Rom 13:13). I had no wish to read any further and no need. For in that instant, with the very ending of the sentence, it was as though a light of utter confidence shone in my heart, and all the darkness of uncertainty vanished away.
Quote/s of the Day – 27 Oct – Saturday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year B
Speaking of: Marian Gems
“She (Mary) is like a fiery chariot, because she conceived within her the Word, the only-begotten Son of God. She carries and spreads, the fire of love, because her Son IS love.”
St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) Doctor of the Church
“If every woman were an image of the Mother of God, a spouse of Christ and an apostle of the divine Heart, she would fulfil her feminine vocation no matter in what circumstances she lived and what her external activities might be.”
St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross/Edith Stein (1891-1942)
“O Blessed Rosary of Mary, sweet chain which binds us to God, bond of love which unites us to the angels, tower of salvation against the assaults of hell, safe port in our universal shipwreck, we shall never abandon you.”
Bl Bartholomew Longo (1841-1926)
“Mary is the image and model of all mothers, of their great mission to be guardians of life, of their mission to be teachers of the art of living and of the art of loving.”
One Minute Reflection – 27 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 13:1-9 – Saturday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year B
And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none. Cut it down, why should it use up the ground?’…Luke 13:7
REFLECTION – “Unfortunately, each of us strongly resembles the tree that, over many years, has repeatedly shown that it’s infertile. But, fortunately for us, Jesus is like a farmer who, with limitless patience, still obtains a concession for the fruitless vine. “Let it alone this year” the invincible patience of Jesus! Have you thought about the patience of God? Have you ever thought as well of His limitless concern for sinners? How it should lead us to impatience with ourselves! It’s never too late to convert, never. God’s patience awaits us until the last moment.”…Pope Francis – Angelus, 28 February 2016
PRAYER – Come to help us in our weakness, God of mercy, forgive the sins of Your people and as nothing we can do is worthy in Your sight, save us through the intercession of the Mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We make our prayer through Jesus with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 27 October – Saturday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year B
A Morning Salutation to Mary A Coptic Catholic Prayer
We greet you,
glorious Mother of the Light
O Blessed Mary,
from the rising of the sun
to its setting
praise is due to you,
O Mother of God.
You are the second heaven,
the bright unfading flower,
the ever-virgin mother.
For the Father chose you
and the Holy Spirit overshadowed you
and the Son humbled Himself
and took flesh from you.
Therefore, ask Him to give peace
to the world He has created
and to deliver it from every tribulation.
And we shall sing to Him a new song
and bless Him,
now and forever,
Amen
“There is nothing more worthwhile than to pray to God and to converse with Him, for prayer unites us with God as His companions. As our bodily eyes are illuminated by seeing the light, so in contemplating God our soul is illuminated by Him. Of course, the prayer I have in mind is no matter of routine, it is deliberate and earnest. It is not tied down to a fixed timetable – rather it is a state which endures by night and day.
Our soul should be directed in God, not merely when we suddenly think of prayer but even when we are concerned with something else. If we are looking after the poor, if we are busy in some other way, or if we are doing any type of good work, we should season our actions with the desire and the remembrance of God. Through this salt of the love of God we can all become a sweet dish for the Lord. If we are generous in giving time to prayer, we will experience its benefits throughout our life.
Prayer is the light of the soul, giving us true knowledge of God. It is a link mediating between God and man. By prayer the soul is borne up to heaven and in a marvellous way embraces the Lord. This meeting is like that of an infant crying on its mother and seeking the best of milk. The soul longs for its own needs and what it receives is better than anything to be seen in the world.
Prayer is a precious way of communicating with God, it gladdens the soul and gives repose to its affections. You should not think of prayer as being a matter of words. It is a desire for God, an indescribable devotion, not of human origin but the gift of God’s grace. As Saint Paul says : we do not know how to pray as we ought but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.
Anyone who receives from the Lord the gift of this type of prayer possesses a richness that is not to be taken from Him, a heavenly food filling up the soul. Once he has tasted this food, he is set alight by an eternal desire for the Lord, the fiercest of fires lighting up his soul.
To set about this prayer, paint the house of your soul with modesty and lowliness and make it splendid with the light of justice. Adorn it with the beaten gold of good works and, for walls and stones, embellish it assiduously with faith and generosity. Above all, place prayer on top of this house as its roof so that the complete building may be ready for the Lord. Thus He will be received in a splendid royal house and by grace, His image will already be settled in your soul.”
A reading from the homilies of St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor, (Hom 6 on Prayer)
Prayer: Give us the grace, Lord, to be in constant prayer so all of our lives, may be accomplished in sincerity of heart.
Lord Jesus, May we Seek Your Face By Pope Benedict XVI
Lord Jesus,
grant us restless hearts,
hearts which seek Your Face.
Keep us from the blindness of heart
which sees only the surface of things.
Give us the simplicity and purity
which allows us to recognise
Your Presence in the world.
When we are not able
to accomplish great things,
grant us the courage
which is born of humility and goodness.
Impress Your Face on our hearts.
May we encounter You along the way
and show forth Your image to the world.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 25 October – The Memorial of Saints Crispin & St Crispinian – (†285 or 286) Martyrs
From the example of the saints, it appears how foolish the pretences of many Christians are, who imagine the care of a family, the business of a farm or a shop, the attention which they are obliged to give to their worldly profession, are impediments which excuse them from aiming at perfection. Such, indeed, they make them but this is altogether owing to their own sloth and malice. How many saints have made these very employments the means of their perfection! Saint Paul made tents; Saints Crispin and Crispinian were shoemakers,the Blessed Virgin was taken up in the care of her poor cottage, Christ Himself worked with His foster father and those saints who renounced all commerce with the world, to devote themselves totally to the contemplation of heavenly things, made mats, tilled the earth, or copied and bound good books.
The secret of the art of their sanctification was, that fulfilling the maxims of Christ, they studied to subdue their passions and die to themselves; they, with much earnestness and application, obtained of God and improved daily in their souls, a spirit of devotion and prayer; their temporal business they regarded as a duty which they owed to God and sanctified it by a pure and perfect intention, as Christ on earth directed everything He did to the glory of His Father.
In these very employments, they were careful to improve themselves in humility, meekness, resignation, divine charity and all other virtues, by the occasion which call them forth at every moment and in every action. Opportunities of every virtue and every kind of good work never fail in all circumstances and the chief means of our sanctification may be practised, in every state of life, which are self-denial and assiduous prayer, frequent aspirations and pious meditation or reflections on spiritual truths, which disengage the affections from earthly things and deeply imprint in the heart, those of piety and religion….by Father Alban Butler
Quote of the Day – 25 October – The Memorial of Saints Crisp in & St Crispinian – (†285 or 286) Martyrs
The feast day of Saints Crispin and Crispinian is 25 October. Although this feast was removed from the Roman Catholic Church’s universal liturgical calendar following the Second Vatican Council, the two saints are still commemorated on that day in the most recent edition of the Roman Martyrology. Sts Crispin and Crispinian were the first “band of brothers,” who fought bravely on the battlefield of the soul.
The historian and bishop, St Gregory of Tours (538-594) refers twice in his History of the Franks to a Basilica of Sts Crispin and Crispinian in the northern French city of Soissons, if the Church was already well-established at that time, the commemoration of the martyrs dates from much closer to their martyrdom.
The St Crispin’s Day speech was delivered on 25 October 1415 by King Henry V of England to rouse his soldiers on the morning of the Battle of Agincourt and later chronicled by William Shakespeare in his play, Henry V, in Act IV Scene iii 18–67. In the speech, which fell on Saint Crispin’s Day, Henry V urged his men — who were vastly outnumbered by the French — to recall how the English had previously inflicted great defeats upon the French.
The speech by Shakespeare has been famously portrayed by Sir Laurence Olivier to raise British spirits during the Second World War, and by Sir Kenneth Branagh in the 1989 film Henry V (see video below) and it made famous the phrase “band of brothers.” The play was written around 1600 and several later writers have used parts of it in their own texts.
Note: the text is Shakespeare’s, as the wording of Henry’s historical speech is not known.
WESTMORLAND. O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work to-day!
KING. What’s he that wishes so?
My cousin, Westmorland? No, my fair cousin,
If we are mark’d to die, we are enough
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost,
It yearns me not if men my garments wear,
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmorland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart, his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse,
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call’d the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say “To-morrow is Saint Crispian.”
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say “These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.”
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words—
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester—
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb’red.
This story shall the good man teach his son,
And Crispin, Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be rememberèd— We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother, be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition,
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
One Minute Reflection – 25 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 12:49–53 – Thursday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of Saints Crispin & St Crispinian – (†285 or 286) Martyrs
“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division…”…Luke 12:51
REFLECTION – “In all our affections, order is necessary. Love your father, love your mother, love your children after God. If it becomes inevitable to place love of one’s relatives and children in the balance with love of God, without it being possible to preserve them both, then not to prefer one’s own family, is piety towards God.”…St Jerome (343-420) Father & Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, You glorious Trinity are our lesson in love and unity. Grant us this day the grace of true love for You and true order in all our affections. May the intercession of Sts Crispin and Crispinian, strengthen us. Amen.
O Lord the House of My Soul is Narrow By St Augustine ((354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
O God, the Light of the heart that sees You,
The Life of the soul that loves You,
The Strength of the mind that seeks You,
May I ever continue to be steadfast in Your love.
Be the joy of my heart;
Take all of me to Yourself and abide therein.
The house of my soul is, I confess, too narrow for You.
Enlarge it that You may enter.
It is ruinous but do repair it.
It has within it what must offend Your eyes,
I confess and know it,
But whose help shall I seek in cleansing it but Yours alone?
To You, O God, I cry urgently.
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep me from false pride and sensuality
That they not get dominion over me.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 24 October – The Memorial of St Luigi Guanella (1842-1915)
St Luigi and St Joseph – “The Pious Union of St Joseph”
In his daily life, Fr Guanella had a great devotion to St Joseph, custodial father of Jesus and safeguard of the virginity of Mary, his wife, the Mother of God. He reminded his priests and nuns that St Joseph is the administrator of all their homes. All superiors must have the love and care of St Joseph, as well as the kindness and gentleness of Mary, in dealing with the residents.
His love and care had no limit. His dear impaired people were assisted to the very end. When he was home, it was his duty to give his blessing for the dying. His motto was, “Let us give them bread and paradise” and this was implanted in the hearts of all his nuns and priests.
In Rome, six years before his death and physically tired by his work, Fr Guanella was inspired to build a Church and start an Association in honour of St Joseph, patron of the dying. Pope Pius X, a very close friend, expressed a desire to have a church in Trionfale, a very poor area near the Vatican. The Pope’s desire strengthened Fr Guanella’sown ideas. Trusting to divine providence, he put a down payment on the land and the foundation was immediately begun. On the property, there was a barn which became the first Chapel of St Joseph. The people called it the ‘Basilichetta’ (small Basilica.) In 1912, Fr Guanella announced to the Pope that the Church was completed in honour of St Joseph and His Holiness, whose baptismal name was Joseph Sarto.
The Pope admired Fr Guanella for his courage and devotion to St Joseph and when he heard about the Pious Union Association of prayers for the dying, he said to Fr Luigi, “Please make me the first member.”
In 1913, Pope Pius X gave his approval, making the Church of the Pious Union the main centre for all the universal church. His beloved Pope Pius X died in 1914, one year before Fr Guanella’s own death. The two saints understood each other so well.
Quote/s of the Day – 24 October – The Memorial of St Luigi Guanella (1842-1915)
“The sun of our lives is the Eucharist.”
“The fountain of holy love is in Jesus Christ and we have Jesus with us, in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. From that throne of love, how often He enlightens the minds of His children and how many again find their peace of heart.”
“The earth is filled with tabernacles – Praise Him!”
“Our union in heaven will depend upon our communion with God on earth.”
“Plant your heart in Jesus Crucified and all the thorns will seem like roses.”
“Whoever finds Mary, finds the way to Salvation.”
“Charity lights the path to divine love.”
“Imitate the Heart of Christ in love for the poor.”
One Minute Reflection – 24 October – Today’s Gospel: Luke 12:39–48 – Wednesday of the Twenty Ninth week in Ordinary Time. Year B and The Memorial of St Anthony Mary Claret CMF (1807-1870) and St Luigi Guanella (1842-1915)
“But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into…”…Luke 12:39
REFLECTION – “There is need of living well but, there is even more need of dying well. A good death is everything, especially today, where people think only of things and enjoyment here on earth, rejecting eternity.” … St Luigi Guanella (1842-1915)
“The disciple is one, who awaits the Lord and His Kingdom. May the Virgin Mary help us, not to be people and communities dulled by the present, or worse, nostalgic for the past but striving toward the future of God, toward the encounter with Him, our life and our hope.”...Pope Francis – Angelus, 7 August 2016
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help me to keep my death constantly before my eyes, for this is my final account. I pray You for a holy life that my death may be holy and that I may come to You and live for all eternity with You. When my hour is come, bid me come to You, Lord. Hear the prayers of your Saints, Anthony Mary Claret and Luigi Guanella, who lived each moment of their lives for the glory of Your Kingdom. We ask this through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 24 October – The Memorial of St Anthony Mary Claret CMF (1807-1870)
I Wish to Love Thee, My God By St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)
I wish to love Thee, my God, with all my heart, with all my being, with all my strength. I consecrate to Thee, my thoughts, desires, words and actions, whatever I have and whatever I can be. Let me use what I have for Thy greater honour and glory, according to Thy will. Amen
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