MORNING Prayers – Page 181

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD, Uncategorized

One Minute Reflection – 22 February – The Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter

Posted on February 22, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 22 February – The Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter

“On this rock I will build my Church”…Matthew 16:18 on-this-rock-matthew-16-18.22 feb 2017

REFLECTION – “How blessed is the Church of Rome, on which the Apostles poured forth all their doctrine along with their blood!” (De Praescriptione Hereticorum, 36)…….Tertullian
“I decided to consult the Chair of Peter, where that faith is found exalted by the lips of an Apostle; I now come to ask for nourishment for my soul there, where once I received the garment of Christ. I follow no leader save Christ, so I enter into communion with Your beatitude, that is, with the Chair of Peter, for this I know is the rock upon which the Church is built.” (cf. Le lettere I, 15, 1-2)…………..St Jerome (343-420) Father & Doctor

PRAYER – Holy Father, send Your Divine Enlightener into the hearts of all Your faithful, filling us with the strength to fulfil our mission as the followers of the Chair of St Peter. And most of all, we pray Lord Holy God to inspire and light the way of our Holy Father, Francis. Sustain and guide him, keep him in health and strength, to lead Your people by the Light of the Way and the Truth. Holy Father, have mercy on us, Holy Spirit guide and lead us, Lord Jesus Christ be our intercessor and teacher, amen. st-peter-saints-and-popes.-22 feb 2017

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 22 February – Thursday of the First Week of Lent

Posted on February 22, 2018February 22, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 22 February – Thursday of the First Week of Lent

Penitential Prayer
St Jerome (343-420) Father & Doctor of the Church

Show me, O Lord, Your mercy
and delight my heart with it.
Let me find You whom I so longingly seek.
Behold, here is the man
whom the robbers seized, manhandled
and left half dead on the road to Jericho.
Kind-hearted Samaritan,
come to my aid!
I am the sheep who wandered into the wilderness.
Seek after me
and bring me home again to Your fold.
Do with me according to Your Will,
that I may abide with You,
all the days of my life
and praise You with all those
who are with You
in heaven for all eternity.
Amen penintential prayer - st jerome - 22 feb 2018

LENT, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS

21 February 2018 – Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

Posted on February 21, 2018February 21, 2018 by AnaStpaul

21 February 2018 – Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

Jonah 3:1-10, Psalms 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19, Luke 11:29-32

Jonah 3:6-10 – Then tidings reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he made proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, or drink water but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and let them cry mightily to God; yea, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may yet repent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we perish not?” When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not do it.
Luke 11:29 – When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”

It’s quite a mystery – that Jonah, a mere man and a reluctant prophet was able to bring an entire city back to God. But Jesus, who is God in person, fails. What can we make of this? Maybe we can just settle for the perverseness of fallen human nature – our unwillingness to respond to divine goodness, even when, at times, we recognise it.

Sin itself is a mystery. We know what harm it does to ourselves and to others and yet we deliberately choose to commit it. Would we have been converted by the preaching of Jesus? Does His presence now, in the Gospel, bring us back to Him? Why is it that year after year, we need the preaching, of Jesus, of John the Baptist, of the prophets?

I suspect that part of Jonah’s effectiveness resulted from the kind of motivation he inspired – he SCARED the Ninevites into conversion. Inspired by fear or not, the conversion was genuine and the Lord God “saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way”.

All this throws light on our own Lenten journey, it makes us examine our motives for these Lenten practices. We don’t have to observe a strict fast as in the old days but the Church will never give up telling her people of the serious need for self-discipline in their lives. She knows that if we do not control our appetites, they will control us and deprive us of our humanity and any chance of eternal life.

“With all your heart turn to me” says the Lord, ” for I am tender and compassionate” (Gospel Verse)

And it is noteworthy that the Church has us respond to the story of the Ninevites’ conversion by putting into our hearts and mouths the familiar penitential Psalm 51: “Create in me a clean heart, O God and put a new and righty spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

What are my motives for these Lenten practices?
Have I appetites that tend to overpower me?
What can I do to ‘turn around’ and amend my life?

Fr E Lawrence OSB – Daily Meditations for Lent

I Wish to Clasp Your Hand – Do Not Refuse Me!
Prayer of Eugene de Ferronays

“Dear Lord! It is just when I am in the world
that I have most need of You
because You know it is full of snares
that the devil has set for me.
You must hold my hand, dear Lord,
if You will not abandon me.
A little of the world is not bad for me;
it is even good, for it teaches me how small it is
and I feel the greater happiness
when I come back to You.
But that I may surely do so,
You must only loose Your hold a little,
that it may not try me too far,
You must not entirely leave hold.
Do You see dear Lord?
I wish to clasp Your hand – do not refuse me!”

DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 21 February – The Memorial of St Peter Damian O.S.B. (1007-1072) Doctor of the Church

Posted on February 21, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 21 February – The Memorial of St Peter Damian O.S.B. (1007-1072) Doctor of the Church

Born in Ravenna, Italy, in 1007, Peter Damian knew hardship as a child. He became a successful teacher professor but only for a short time. He was ordained to the priesthood and in 1035, he entered a Benedictine monastery. The monks lived in small hermitages, with two monks in each. Peter was known for his fasting, penance and long hours of prayer. In 1043, he was elected abbot. Peter began re-organising the rules of the order to return to the original spirit and purpose of the order. Men were drawn to the monastery and Peter started five other foundations.

In 1057, Peter was made cardinal and bishop of Ostia. Soon he was called upon by the Church to settle disputes, attend synods and fight abuses. He devoted much energy to helping the clergy, as well as the leaders of the empire. With his letters, biographies, sermons, stories and poems, he encouraged others to restore discipline to their lives. He wrote many letters. Some 170 are extant. We also have 53 of his sermons and seven lives, or biographies, that he wrote. He preferred examples and stories rather than theory in his writings. The liturgical offices he wrote are evidence of his talent as a stylist in Latin .Through all his diplomatic missions, Peter Damian remained a monk at heart. He served the Church as he was asked, however and as best he could. He died February 22, 1072, and in 1828, was declared a Doctor of the Church.

Peter was a reformer and if he were alive today, would no doubt encourage the renewal started by Vatican II. He would also applaud the greater emphasis on prayer, that is shown by the growing number of priests, religious and laypersons who gather regularly for prayer, as well as the special houses of prayer recently established by many religious communities.

St Peter Damian, intercede for us that we may learn to pray! st peter damian - pray for us - 21 feb 2018

DOCTORS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN QUOTES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – The Memorial of St Peter Damian O.S.B. (1007-1072) and St Robert Southwell S.J. (1561-1595)

Posted on February 21, 2018February 21, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – The Memorial of St Peter Damian O.S.B. (1007-1072) and St Robert Southwell S.J. (1561-1595)

“He pours light into our minds,
arouses our desire and gives us strength…
As the soul is the life of the body,
so the Holy Spirit is the life of our souls.”

“Through a woman [Eve]
a curse fell upon the earth;
through a woman [Mary] as well,
there returned to the earth a blessing.”

“When you are scorned by others
and lashed by God, do not despair.
God lashes us in this life,
to shield us from the eternal lash in the next.”

St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Doctor of the Church

“God gave Himself to you:
give yourself to God.”

“Where sin was hatched, let tears now wash the nest.”

“Christianity is warfare
and Christians are spiritual soldiers.”

“Not where I breathe
but where I love,
I live.”

“When Fortune smiles,
I smile to think, how quickly she will frown.”

St Robert Southwell (1561-1595)

LENT, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 21 February – Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

Posted on February 21, 2018February 20, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 21 February – Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

The Grace of Thy Love
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

O My God,
strengthen me with Thy strength,
console me with Thy everlasting peace,
soothe me with the beauty of Thy countenance,
enlighten me with Thy uncreated holiness.
Bathe me in Thyself
and give me to drink,
as far as mortal man may ask,
of the rivers of grace
which flow from the Father and the Son,
the grace of Thy consubstantial,
co-eternal Love.
Amen the grace of they love - bl john henry newman - 21 feb 2018

JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 February – The Memorial of St Robert Southwell S.J. (1561-1595)

Posted on February 21, 2018February 21, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 21 February – The Memorial of St Robert Southwell S.J. (1561-1595)

How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few...Matthew 7:14

REFLECTION – “The path to Heaven is narrow, rough and full of wearisome and trying ascents, nor can it be trodden without great toil and therefore wrong is their way, gross their error and assured their ruin who, after the testimony of so many thousands of saints, will not learn where to settle their footing.”…St Robert Southwell (1561-1595) the path to heaven is narrow, rough and full of - st robert southwell - 21 feb 2018

PRAYER – Lord of heaven and earth, You blessed us this day with the grace of the Martyr St Robert Southwell. Grant that, through his intercession, we may, like him, drink from that cup which Christ drank and so rise to eternal life. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus, in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen st robert southwell - pray for us - 21 FEB 2018

LENT, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on PRAYER, The WORD

20 February 2018 – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

Posted on February 20, 2018 by AnaStpaul

20 February 2018 – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalms 34:4-7, 16-19, Matthew 6:7-15

Isaiah 55:10-11 – “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Matthew 6:7-15 – “And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Today we learn another of Lent’s purposes, perhaps the best of all. The Opening Prayer instructs us “Father, look on us, your children. Through the discipline of Lent, help us to grow in our desire for you.” If at Easter, our desire for God is more intense, more demanding, we shall know that our Lent this year, has been a success!

But what nourishes desire for God more than His own word? The more we know about Him, the greater will be our eagerness to possess and be possessed by Him, who is love in person. The desire for God is unlike any other desire. It is its own reward, its own fulfilment but that’s not all. We are satiated but we still yearn for more. Infinite abysses in human hearts demand infinite satisfaction, which is a task that only endless eternity can really gratify. To behold the Face of God!

The prophet Isaiah today provides us with a glorious description of what will happen to us when God’s word becomes our daily nourishment. He compares the word of God to the rain and snow that refresh the land, make it fertile and give life to the seeds planted there. In the same way, God wants His word to refresh our hearts and fertilise the seeds of desire for Him that we so need.

But the best is yet to come. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that what matters is not the quantity of our responses to God’s words to us, it is the quality. It is not what we say or think when we pray but HOW we say or think what is in our hearts.
Remember how we prayed in the Opening Prayer, ‘Father, look on us your children…..’ He looks at us and we look at Him, with Jesus’ own prayer on our lips and in our hearts! “Our Father, who art in Heaven ……”

It has been said that the Lord’s Prayer is the summary of the Gospel. It is Jesus’ own prayer, so it has to be the perfect prayer. It comes from His heart, it is His personal response to all that the Father is and says to Him.

“In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge. From all eternity, you are God.” (Entrance Antiphon) Fr E Lawrence OSB _ Daily Meditations for Lent

There is a sermon that is always being preached, not by the tongue of man but by the myriad voices of God’s vast universe. Day and night, without ceasing, in every land, among all peoples, in the universal language of nature – the language that is foreign to none of the children of men – God is preaching His sermon. He is whispering it upon every breeze, booming it with every thunderclap, flashing it upon the clouds with the lightnings. His message is trailing its way in a blaze of fire across the sky “from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof.” All nature is a panorama created to illustrate the sermon of God, painted in colours gay and sombre by turn to catch the fickle eye of man, the spectator. All the universe is one vast stage for the enacting of the drama that God has written. All human history is a pageant, a never-ending procession passing before the bewildered eyes of mankind and upon every banner in that pageant is written the motto that God would have us read. And yet this obvious lesson is one we never learn. The sermon is one to which we will not listen. The pageant passes in review but we gaze as in a stupor, seeing but not understanding. For the sermon, the lesson, the play, the pageant, the spectacle, is “Life and Death.” Father James M Gillis – A Thought a Day for Lent

LENT, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY FACE, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 20 February 2018 – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

Posted on February 20, 2018February 20, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 20 February 2018 – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

Excerpt from “Behold the Man”, a Lenten Reflection

By Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890)

“I see the figure of a man, whether young or old I cannot tell. He may be fifty, or he may be thirty. Sometimes He looks one, sometimes the other. There is something inexpressible about His face that I cannot solve. Perhaps, as He bears all burdens, He bears that of old age too. But so it is; His face is at once most venerable, yet most childlike, most calm, most sweet, most modest, beaming with sanctity and with loving kindness. His eyes rivet me and move my heart. His breath is all fragrant and transports me out of myself. Oh, I will look upon that face forever and will not cease.

And I see suddenly someone come to Him and raise His hand and sharply strike Him on that heavenly face. It is a hard hand, the hand of a rude man and perhaps has iron upon it. It could not be so sudden as to take by surprise, Him who knows all things past and future and He shows no sign of resentment, remaining calm and grave as before; but the expression of His face is marred; a great welt arises and in a short time that all-gracious face is hidden from me by the effects of this indignity, as if a cloud came over it.

A hand was lifted up against the face of Christ.

Whose hand was that? My conscience tells me: ‘You are the man.’

I trust it is not so with me now. But, O my soul, contemplate the awful fact. Fancy Christ before you and fancy yourself lifting up your hand and striking Him! You will say, ‘It is impossible: I could not do so.’ Yes, you have done so. When you sinned wilfully, then you have done so. He is beyond pain now: still you have struck Him and had it been in the days of His flesh, He would have felt pain. Turn back in memory and recollect the time, the day, the hour, when by wilful mortal sin, by scoffing at sacred things, or by profaneness, or by hard hatred of your brother, or by acts of impurity, or by deliberate rejection of God’s voice, or in any other devilish way known to you, you have struck the All-Holy One.” (to be continued…………….)

NOTE of Interest: A second miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed John Henry (2016) is still in progress of investigation by the Congregation for the Causes of Sainthood and if Vatican theologians and doctors conclude the healing is a divine sign of Newman’s sanctity the Pope will be invited to canonise him as the first English saint since 1970 and the first British saint since 1976. a hand was lifted up against the face of christ - john henry newman - 20 feb 2018

Prayer for the Canonisation of Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

God our Father,
You granted to Your servant,
Blessed John Henry Newman,
wonderful gifts of nature and of grace,
that he should be a spiritual light
in the darkness of this world,
an eloquent herald of the Gospel
and a devoted servant
of the one Church of Christ.
With confidence in
his heavenly intercession,
we make the following petition:
………………………………………….
[here make your petition]
For his insight into
the mysteries of the kingdom,
his zealous defense
of the teachings of the Church
and his priestly love
for each of Your children,
we pray that he may soon
be numbered among the Saints.
We ask this through Christ our Lord,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God forever.
Amen

MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, ON the SAINTS, PAPAL SERMONS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 20 February 2018 -The First Memorial of Saints Francisco (1908-1919) and Jacinta (1910-1920) – “The Shepherds of Fatima”

Posted on February 20, 2018February 20, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 20 February 2018 -The First Memorial of Saints Francisco (1908-1919) and Jacinta (1910-1920) – “The Shepherds of Fatima”

“We were burning in that light
which is God and we were not consumed.
What is God like?
It is impossible to say.
In fact, we will never be able to tell people”

St Francisco Marto of Fatima (1908-1919)

“Speak ill of no-one and avoid the company
of those who talk (ill) about their neighbours.”

St Jacinta Marto of Fatima (1910-1920)

“Father, to You I offer praise, for you have revealed these things to the merest children”. Today Jesus’ praise takes the solemn form of the beatification of the little shepherds, Francisco and Jacinta. With this rite the Church wishes to put on the candlelabrum these two candles which God lit to illumine humanity in its dark and anxious hours. …Father, to You I offer praise for all Your children, from the Virgin Mary, Your humble Servant, to the little shepherds, Francisco and Jacinta. May the message of their lives live on forever to light humanity’s way!”

St Pope John Paul (1920-2005) on the Beatification of Francisco and Jacinta, 13 May 2000

LENT, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL SERMONS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 February 2018 – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent and The First Memorial of Saints Francisco (1908-1919) and Jacinta (1910-1920)

Posted on February 20, 2018February 19, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 20 February 2018 – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent and The First Memorial of Saints Francisco (1908-1919) and Jacinta (1910-1920)

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit..” …John 12:24

REFLECTION – “In Lucia’s account, the three chosen children found themselves surrounded by God’s light as it radiated from Our Lady. She enveloped them in the mantle of Light that God had given her. According to the belief and experience of many pilgrims, if not of all, Fatima is more than anything this mantle of Light that protects us, here, as in almost no other place on earth. We need but take refuge under the protection of the Virgin Mary and to ask her, as the Salve Regina teaches: “show unto us… Jesus”. the three chosen children - pope francis canonisation homily - 20 feb 2018
“The Lord, who always goes before us, said this and did this (Jn 12:24). Whenever we experience the cross, He has already experienced it before us. We do not mount the cross to find Jesus. Instead it was He who, in His self-abasement, descended even to the cross, in order to find us, to dispel the darkness of evil within us and to bring us back to the light.”…Pope Francis at the Canonisation of Saints Francisco and Jacinta on 14 May 2017

the lord, who always goes before us - pope francis - 20 feb 2017 - sts francisco and jacinta

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, just as the little children, Francisco and Jacinta, were chosen to be bearers of Your message, grant we pray, that by their prayers on our behalf, we too may Your bearers of light. Be with us, holy Mother, during our Lenten journey to the Resurrection of your Son, help us to become like little children and in that new purity, shine with His Light. Through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. sts francisco & jacinta - 20 feb 2018

LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 20 February 2018 – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

Posted on February 20, 2018February 20, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 20 February 2018 – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

Thy Grace – a Lenten Prayer
By Blessed John Henry Newman

O my God,
suffer me still,
bear with me in spite of my
waywardness,
perverseness
and ingratitude!
I improve very slowly
but really, I am moving onto heaven,
or at least I wish to move.
Only give me Thy grace
meet me with Thy grace,
I will, through Thy grace, do what I can
and Thou shall perfect it for me.
Then shall I have happy days, in Thy Presence
and in the sight and adoration of
Thy five Sacred Wounds.
Amen thy grace - a lenten prayer - bl john henry newman - 20 feb 2018

franciscan OFM, JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The WORD

19 February 2018 – Monday of the First Week of Lent

Posted on February 19, 2018February 19, 2018 by AnaStpaul

19 February 2018 – Monday of the First Week of Lent

Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18, Psalms 19:8-10, 15, Matthew 25:31-46

Levitus 19:1-2 – And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to all the congregation of the people of Israel, You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy.
Matthew 25:34-36 – Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

We are definitely off now. Lent has really begun.
It begins with a programme for us, proposed by God Himself!
Deeper holiness, more evident godliness is the aim of Lent for us and for whole Church.
Ultimately, the litmus test of our faith is in how we respond to those in need: the hungry, the lonely, the stranger, the sick and the prisoner. We could add to this list – those who are survivors of abuse, refugees looking for a place of safety and many who so despair in finding work.
God identifies with all these so powerfully. What we do or neglect to do for those in need is our response to God.
Sometimes we may feel a sense of ‘compassion fatigue’ – the whole world seems to be such a huge mess and there is so much need all around us. How, where do we begin? It may just feel easier to close our eyes to it. And too, we may experience fear for our own safety.
But despite these obstacles, God is challenging us. Often there are simple things that can make a big difference – a smile, a word of conversation and encouragement, soup delivered to a family in need, a visit to an elderly neighbour. If we try it, because God is God, we shall find that we receive far more than we give! Be not afraid, for I am with you! “The Lord will overshadow you and you will find refuge under his wings” (Communion Antiphon for today).

Can I slow down enough today to be fully present to someone in need – even just with a smile and a little chat?
What is my biggest obstacle in reaching out to others?
What grace do I most need from God?

(Excerpt Fr Nicholas King SJ – The Lenten Journey to Easter & The Long Journey to the Resurrection)

Prayer to do the Will of God
By St Francis of Assisi

Almighty, eternal, just and merciful God,
grant us in our misery, the grace to do for You alone
what we know You want us to do
and always to desire, what pleases You.
Thus, inwardly cleansed, interiorly enlightened
and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit,
may we be able to follow in the footprints of
Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
And, by Your grace alone, may we make our way to You,
Most High, Who live and rule in perfect Trinity and simple Unity
and are glorified God all-powerful, forever and ever.
Amen.
(From “A Letter to the Entire Order”)

almighty eternal just and merciful god - st francis - 19 sept 2018

JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, ON the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 19 February – The Memorial of Bl John Sullivan SJ (1861-1933)

Posted on February 19, 2018February 19, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 19 February – The Memorial of Bl John Sullivan SJ (1861-1933)

It was at Clongowes that his life of prayer and penance began to be noticed. He ate the plainest of food. Staff who looked after rooms said his bed was untouched and he slept on the floor. He was always seen in the chapel praying until late and rising early to do so again. At times, he hardly seemed to notice the world around him. But if he was hard on himself, he was never so on others. Despite his brilliant mind and academic achievements it was his holiness that was recognised. Many revered him as a saint. He prayed constantly – he walked with God continually – he listened to Him and he found Him and God worked through him. Many who were in need of spiritual or physical healing flocked to him and asked his prayers – and strange things happened. The power of God seemed to work through him and many were cured.

But there was another dimension. Apart from his work as teacher, spiritual father and retreat director, Father Sullivan was a familiar figure amongst the sick and the needy for miles around Clongowes. He visited them on foot or on an old battered bicycle. On these home visits to the poor, he brought them small luxuries, including a bit of tobacco, tea and sugar, as well as oranges and apples. In time, there was an ever-widening circle of others, whom he visited in hospitals and consoled by letter, or who came to him from almost every county in Ireland to ask the intercession of his prayers in their illness and misfortunes. He constantly heard confessions in the church attached to the college. People came by bicycle, by horse or donkey and cart, or arranged a lift in a car for a sick person. In later years, it was a common sight to see several vehicles waiting outside the door, in which invalids had been brought to receive his blessing.

Neither weather nor distance seemed to be major obstacles. Once Fr Sullivan walked fourteen miles there and fourteen miles back to pray with and to bless a sick person. His bicycle brought him on longer journeys, including visits to Dublin and back. In his threadbare clothes and his aged and patched boots, he was a familiar sight on the roads around Clongowes and further afield.

Fr Sullivan’s prayers restored people to health, cured their pain, relieved them of psychological problems. His compassion and reverence for the person was often observed. He would draw very close to them, when even medical staff found their condition near nauseating. There have been hundreds of testimonies attributing various healings to him during his life and a number of those are seen as miracles and have been verified as such, which has led to his beatification.

Cardinal Amato, at the Beatification ceremony, also referred to an incident when Fr John, on one of his customary visits to the sick, encountered a priest already in the cottage visiting. “The pastor asked him to leave, fearing a dangerous opponent in the ministry. Upon his brusque command, Fr Sullivan knelt down and asked forgiveness. The pastor was profoundly moved.” The profound humility of Bl John reaches out now still to us all. May we constantly pray for his intercession that God may grace us with this greatest of all virtues, humility!

PRAYER for the CANONISATION of Blessed JOHN SULLIVAN (1861-1933)

O God, who honour those who honour You,
make sacred the memory of Your servant,
John Sullivan,
by granting through his intercession
the petition we now make
……………………………………….
[bring to mind your intention]
Hasten the day when his name will be numbered
among those of Your saints.
We make our prayer through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Bl John, pray for us!

MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 19 February – The Memorial of Bl John Sullivan SJ (1861-1933)

Posted on February 19, 2018February 19, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 19 February – The Memorial of Bl John Sullivan SJ (1861-1933)

“Any friend of the poor, is a friend of God.”

“Take life in instalments.
This one day now.
At least let this be a good day.
Be always beginning.”

Blessed John Sullivan (1861-1933)

JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 February – The Memorial of Bl John Sullivan SJ (1861-1933)

Posted on February 19, 2018February 19, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 19 February – The Memorial of Bl John Sullivan SJ (1861-1933)

Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours...Mark 11:24 mark 11 24

REFLECTION – “In prayer,don’t mind the scaffolding. Get at God.” in prayer, dont mind the scaffolding, get at god - bl john sullivan - 19 feb 2018

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 be our master, help us to learn from Him, the ways of prayer in silence. Fill us with the fire of the Holy Spirit, that we may learn how to pray. Grant blessed Trinity, that by the prayers of Blessed John Sullivan, who so clearly gave himself totally in prayer, we may grow in holiness. Through Jesus our Lord, in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Amen bl john sullivan pray for us - 19 feb 2018

CONFESSION/PENANCE, JESUIT SJ, LENT, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 19 February – The Memorial of Bl John Sullivan SJ (1861-1933)

Posted on February 19, 2018February 19, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 19 February – The Memorial of Bl John Sullivan SJ (1861-1933) and Monday of the First Week of Lent – a Penitential Prayer from St Ignatius

Pardon Me, O my God
St Ignatius Loyola S.J.
(1491-1556)

Pardon me,
O perfections of my God,
for having preferred imperfect
and evil inclinations to Thee!
Pardon me,
O justice of my God,
for having outraged Thee by my sins.
Pardon me,
O holiness of my God,
for having so long stained
Thy sight’s purity, by my sins.
Pardon me,
O mercy of my God,
for having despised so long
Thy mercy’s voice.
In deep sorrow and contrition,
I cast myself at Thy feet.
Have mercy on me.
Amen pardon me o my god - st iggy - 19 feb 2018

LENT, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Sunday Reflection – 18 February – The First Sunday of Lent Year B

Posted on February 18, 2018February 17, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Sunday Reflection – 18 February – The First Sunday of Lent Year B

Beyond the daily life of the believer, the Eucharist extends its action to the whole cosmos.
As Teilhard de Chardin wrote:
“When He (Christ) says through the priest “This is my body”, His words go well beyond the piece of bread over which they are pronounced: they effect the birth of the whole Mystical Body.
Beyond the transubstantiated Host, the priestly action extends to the cosmos itself.”

Every Eucharist is a “Mass on the world.”

This vision inspired a prayer of Teilhard de Chardin that we can make our own, each time we participate in the Mass and even when we cannot participate:

“On the altar of the whole earth
I offer You, Lord,
the work and the toil of the world….
All that will grow in the world
in the course of this day,
all that will decline in it
and all that will die in it…
Receive, Lord,
this total Host that Creation
presents to You,
drawn and moved by You,
at the dawn of a new day.”

Fr Raneiro Cantalamessa OFM (Preacher to the Papal Household) “This is My Body”

ART DEI, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 18 February – The Memorial of Blessed John of Fiesole/Fra Angelico O.P. (1387-1455)

Posted on February 18, 2018February 17, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 18 February – The Memorial of Blessed John of Fiesole/Fra Angelico O.P. (1387-1455)

One of the greatest Christian artists is Giovanni Fiesole, better known to the world as Blessed Fra Angelico, the “Angelic Brother.” Fra Angelico is a patron saint for Catholic artists. His style of painting beautifully bridges the iconographic and gothic traditions. Giorgio Vasari, author of “Lives of the Artists,” referred to Angelico as a “rare and perfect talent.”

Very little of his writings have survived the centuries but one phrase still resonates, more than 400 years after his death. “He who does Christ’s work, must stay with Christ always.”

Saint Paul, in his letter to the Galatians said something similar. “I live; yet now, it is not I, but truly Christ, who lives in me. And though I live now in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and who delivered himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

What does it mean when Paul tells us it is no longer he who lives but Christ who lives in him? What does it mean to stay with Christ always?

In Paul’s time it was believed that the only way to have a right relationship with God was to follow the law, the Ten Commandments and all the thousands of rules that derive from them. But Paul rejected this idea and preached that the only road to justification, to having that right relationship with God, is through faith in Jesus Christ.

It is not enough to simply “follow the rules” and stay out of trouble. If that is all we do then we are trying to achieve heaven by our own merits. God wants more from us than that. God invites us into a relationship of friends and family, a relationship of love. This type of relationship is a living, dynamic one. To love Christ and to want to be near Him is to be crucified with Him.

It means standing up for the Truth even when it is unpopular. It means finding time to pray. It means that we stay faithful to the teachings of Jesus. And it means that when we fail, we humbly confess our sins as we would apologise to a friend we have hurt, so that that relationship can be restored. It means that we must reflect Christ to the whole world, so that when people look at us they do not see us, they see Christ.

For the Artist this means we must deeply consider our vocation, St John Paul described it as a vocation of beauty. Do we work to bring beauty to the world? Do we use our gifts to lift peoples hearts and minds to God? Does our work reflect His splendour and bring hope and joy to our brothers and sisters? This does not mean that every artist must confine themselves to religious art but it does mean that we may be called to sacrifice lucrative opportunities. or turn away from work that does not suit our vocation. But in the end that is what it means to live for Christ and not for ourselves. (Deacon Lawrence Klimecki – Speaker, Writer, Artist)

Blessed Fra Angelico, pray for us!

bl-fra-angelco-pray-for-us-18 feb 2017-no 2

LENT, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE

Quote of the Day – 18 February – The First Sunday of Lent Year B

Posted on February 18, 2018February 17, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 18 February – The First Sunday of Lent Year B

“Lent is like a long ‘retreat’ during
which we can turn back into ourselves
and listen to the voice of God, in order
to defeat the temptations of the Evil One.

It is a period of spiritual ‘combat’
which we must experience alongside
Jesus, not with pride and presumption,
but using the arms of faith: prayer,
listening to the word of God and penance.

In this way we will be able to celebrate
Easter in truth, ready to renew
the promises of our baptism.”

Pope Benedict XVI

ART DEI, MORNING Prayers, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

One Minute Reflection – 18 February – The Memorial of Blessed John of Fiesole/Fra Angelico O.P. (1387-1455)

Posted on February 18, 2018February 17, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 18 February – The Memorial of Blessed John of Fiesole/Fra Angelico O.P. (1387-1455)

Well done you are an industrious and reliable servant…… Come share your master’s joy…………Matthew 25:21

REFLECTION – “In God’s house we must try to accept whatever job he gives us – cook, kitchen boy, waiter, stable boy or baker. For we know that our reward depends not on the job itself but on the faithfulness with which we serve God.”… Pope John Paul I
“Fra Angelico’s painting was the fruit of the great harmony between a holy life and the creative power with which he had been endowed.”… St Pope John Paul II in-gods-house-we-must-try-pope-john-paul-i-18 feb 2018 fra angelico's painting was the fruit - st john paul - 18 feb 2018

PRAYER – O God, in Your providence You inspired blessed Fra Angelico to portray the beauty and sweetness of heaven. By his prayers and the example of his virtues, grant that we may manifest this splendour to our brothers and sisters. Blessed Angelico, pray for us! Through Christ our Lord, amen.

bl-fra-angelico-pray-for-us-2-18 feb 2018

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DEVOTIO, LENT, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 18 February – The First Sunday of Lent, Year B

Posted on February 18, 2018February 17, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 18 February – The First Sunday of Lent, Year B

Act of Oblation before Holy Mass

Eternal Father,
we offer You the sacrifice
wherein your Son Jesus
offered Himself upon the Cross
and which He now renews upon this altar.
We adore You and render to You
that honour which is Your due,
acknowledging Your dominion over all things
and our absolute dependence on You.
You are our first beginning and our last end;
we give You thanks for countless benefits received;
we ask You to forgive our sins
and to offer You worthy satisfaction for the same.
Finally to implore Your grace and mercy
for all of us who will offer this sacrifice today,
for all those who are in tribulation and distress,
for all of us sinners,
for the whole world and for the souls in purgatory.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen. act of oblation before holy mass - prayer of the church - 18 feb 2018 2nd sun of lent year B

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, LENT, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The WORD

Saturday after Ash Wednesday – 17 February 2018

Posted on February 17, 2018February 20, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Saturday after Ash Wednesday – 17 February 2018
Isaiah 58:9-14, Psalms 86:1-6, Luke 5:27-32

Show me Lord, your way, so that I may walk in your truth.

Isaiah 58:9-10: “If you take away from the midst of you the yoke,
the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your darkest hour will be like noon.
Luke 5:32: “I have come to call not the upright but sinners to repentance.”

Isaiah makes it abundantly clear that it is our service to the poor and the weak that wins God’s favour, not lifeless religious practices. The message becomes most meaningful in modern society, marked by unfair distribution of resources, hatred, violence, abuse and mutual accusations. It is only when we strive against such evils that we win God’s approval. “You shall be like the watered garden” the prophet says. The image stands for the possession of every good thing that we desire.

The Gospel speaks of the call of Levi. His joy was so great that he could hardly contain it.
He organised a party for his fellow tax-collectors, which unfailingly earned the criticism of the Pharisees. Jesus’ answer was that His mission was precisely to wrongdoers, to the least and the lost. These words indeed offer us hope when we stray and urge us to reach out to others as Jesus did.
That is the Christian calling, that is the Christian ‘job’!
(Archbishop Thomas Menamparanpil SDB – Gods Word)

Don’t you wonder what it was about Levi that moved Jesus to call him? And what was it that caused Levi to respond?
He must have been a pretty successful man in economic terms but as a tax collector, he was undoubtedly not popular in his own community and was seen as a collaborator with Rome. Perhaps he had a nagging sense of “there must be something more to life”. perhaps a sense of emptiness and sadness. Something touched him so deeply at Jesus call, that he let go of a previous way of life and opened himself instantly to the gift being offered. He was overjoyed, he was filled with joy, he was joyous, he bubbled over and threw a big party in order to share his joy! And Jesus attended the party! He was at the party! He is at our party too when we allow Him entrance to our hearts.

When asked who he is, Pope Francis responded “I am a sinner, whom the Lord has looked upon.” When we are able to see ourselves as Pope Francis does, as loved sinners, we are open to receive the forgiveness and help God longs to give us. When we are aware of ourselves as sinners, loved and called by God, we respond with a deep sense of repentance, gratitude and joy, we throw that party and invite other sinners to join us. We simply have to share the joy!

Where do I experience my own sinfulness?
How is this awareness a gift?
Spend some time with Jesus today sharing with Him your struggles and Your need of His help.
Have a party with Him!
(excerpt Fr Nicholas King S.J. ‘The Long Journey to the Resurrection’)

My soul, what have you done for God?
Look o’er your misspent years and see;
See first what you have done for God,
And then what God has done for thee!

Daily Lenten Prayer

Today Lord, I choose life,
I choose Your love
and the challenge to live it and share it,
I choose hope, even in moments of darkness,
I choose faith, accepting You as Lord and God,
I choose to let go of some part of my burdens,
day by day handing them over to You,
I choose to take hold of Your strength
and power ever more deeply in my life.
May this truly be for me a time of new life,
of change, challenge and growth.
May I come to Easter with a heart open to dying with You
and rising to Your new life, day by day.
Amen

my soul what have you done for god - daily lenten prayer 17 feb 2018

MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 17 February – The Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (1233)

Posted on February 17, 2018February 16, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 17 February – The Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (1233)

Can you imagine seven prominent men of any great city banding together, leaving their homes and professions and going into solitude for a life directly given to God? That is what happened in the cultured and prosperous city of Florence in the middle of the 13th century. The city was torn with political strife as well as the heresy of the Cathari, who believed that physical reality was inherently evil. Morals were low and religion seemed meaningless. In 1240, seven noblemen of Florence mutually decided to withdraw from the city to a solitary place for prayer and direct service of God. Community members combined monastic life and active ministry. In the monastery, they led a life of prayer, work and silence while in the active apostolate they engaged in parochial work, teaching, preaching and other ministerial activities.

Since criminals and people with evil purposes often band together for their common interests, good people often have to do the same. Faced with the immorality and blood feuds of thirteenth century Florence, the Seven Holy Founders banded together for their own spiritual good and succeeded in founding a whole new religious order. Good companions are on of the most powerful helps toward a holy life, for all of us are faced in a new and urgent way with the challenge to make our lives decisively centred in Christ. In this new day, we often find those ‘good companions’ online, let us too band together and live a holy life amidst the dangers around us!

Seven Holy Founders, Pray for us! seven-holy-founders-pray-for-us-17 feb 2017

LENT, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING

Quote/s of the Day – – 17 February – The First Saturday of Lent 2018

Posted on February 17, 2018February 17, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – – 17 February – The First Saturday of Lent 2018

“The statue must be chiselled
with very sharp tools
before it is fit to be placed
in the grand gallery.”

St Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

LENT, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 February – The First Saturday of Lent 2018

Posted on February 17, 2018February 16, 2018 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 17 February – The First Saturday of Lent 2018

And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”...Luke 5:31-32 luke 5 31 32

REFLECTION – “I am a sinner, whom the Lord has looked upon.”…Pope Francis

PRAYER – Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight and give Your angels charge over those who sleep.
Tend Your sick ones, O Lord Christ.
Rest Your weary ones.
Bless Your dying ones.
Soothe Your suffering ones.
Pity Your afflicted ones.
Shield Your joyous ones.
And all for Your love’s sake. Amen…St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church watch, o lord - st augustine - 17 feb 2017

MARIAN PRAYERS, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 17 February – The Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (1233)

Posted on February 17, 2018February 16, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 17 February – The Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (1233)

Prayer to Our Lady
From the Servite Vigil of our Lady I

Loving Mother,
woman of prayer,
we turn to you and pray:
support our prayers
for ourselves,
for all your Servants,
for our friends and families,
for those who share the Christian faith
and for every person on earth
that all may know peace and salvation.
Ask the Father that we may truly know Christ,
be filled with the gifts of the Spirit,
protected in all adversity
and freed from every evil.
Help us to build God’s kingdom:
a kingdom of everlasting praise,
a kingdom of justice and peace
that will endure forever and ever.
Amen. servite prayer to our lady - 17 feb 2018

DEVOTIO, JESUIT SJ, LENT, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FASTING, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The WORD

Friday after Ash Wednesday – 16 February 2018

Posted on February 16, 2018February 16, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Friday after Ash Wednesday – 16 February 2018
Isaiah 58:1-9, Psalms 51:3-6, 18-19, Matthew 9:14-15

Isaiah 58:3-4 – Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high…
Matthew 9:14-15 – 14 – Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Create in me a clean heart, O God and put a new spirit within me.

Genuine faith does not make a believer pretentious.
Dialogue with God is not a business bargain.
External observance of religion wins little favour with God, if it is combined with unfairness to the weak and indifference to the poor.
Openness to the indigent is the door to true religion.
The world itself changes for the better with the widening of human concern for the poor. Good works multiply on the face of the earth and everyones sees the glory of God in action.
The Gospel presents Jesus, as refusing to absolutise ritual fasting.
What He expects from His disciples is that they remain faithful to the mission He is about to give them even at great sacrifice.
It will make evidently greater demands from them than mere ritual fasting.
They should be prepared.
Jesus is introducing a new set of values of immense worth, for which the old order of things must make way.
(Archbishop Thomas Menamparanpil SDB – GodsWord)

Each of us has different talents, material resources and opportunities. Lent is an invitation, not to introspection and penance for its own sake but always to help us to better partner with God in responding to the needs of our world.

Is there a need I feel called to do something about?
Could I ask God to show me where He is inviting me to act?
What one thing might I do today to reach out to someone in need?
(excerpt Fr Nicholas King S.J. ‘The Long Journey to the Resurrection’)

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace,
where there is hatred, let me sow love,
where there is injury, pardon,
where there is doubt, faith,
where there is despair, hope,
where there is darkness, light
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love,
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

St Francis of Assisi (1181/82-1226)

DOCTORS of the Church, LENT, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – – 16 February – The First Friday of Lent 2018

Posted on February 16, 2018February 16, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – – 16 February – The First Friday of Lent 2018

Alas, for our dearest Lord! up to this day what have we done for Him?
You see what He has done for us and the end of His doing it was to gain our love!

We look upon a crucifix and it hardly moves us.
We hear of His bittter passion but our eyes are dry and our hearts indifferent.
We kneel down to pray but we can hardly keep our thoughts fixed upon Him for a quarter of an hour together.
We go into His own most holy presence and we hardly bend the knee before the Tabernacle lest it should spoil our clothes.
We see others sin and what is it to us that Jesus is offended, so long as it is not we, who are risking our souls, by offending Him?
These are strange signs of love!
Surely Jesus cannot be much to us if this is the way we feel about Him.
Yet so it is.
We go our own way and do our own will.
The great thing is to please ourselves and to make things easy to ourselves.
Life must be taught to run smooth.

As to penance, it must be kept at arm’s length.
We must have our bodily comforts and worldly conveniences and our spiritual life must be nothing but a sufficiency of those inward consolations without which our souls give us pain, because they are not at rest.

If we worship God it is for self, if we do good to others, it is self we are seeking, even in our charity.

Poor Jesus Christ! as Saint Alphonsus used to say, “Poor Jesus Christ! Who thinks of Him? Who weds His interest?”

Father Faber – Remember Me: Daily Readings for Lent

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FASTING

Quote of the Day – 16 February – The First Friday of Lent 2018

Posted on February 16, 2018 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 16 February – The First Friday of Lent 2018

“Prayer, mercy and fasting:
these three are one and they give life to each other.
Fasting is the soul of prayer,
mercy is the lifeblood of fasting.
Let no one try to separate them, they cannot be separated.
If you have only one of them or not all together, you have nothing.
So if you pray, fast,
if fast, show mercy,
if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others.
When you fast, see the fasting of others.
If you hope for mercy, show mercy.
If you look for kindness, show kindness.
If you want to receive, give.”

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St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Doctor of the Church

St Robert Southwell (1561-1595)

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Excerpt from “Behold the Man”, a Lenten Reflection

By Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890)

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St Francisco Marto of Fatima (1908-1919)

St Jacinta Marto of Fatima (1910-1920)

St Pope John Paul (1920-2005) on the Beatification of Francisco and Jacinta, 13 May 2000

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Blessed John Sullivan (1861-1933)

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Pope Benedict XVI

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St Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

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St Francis of Assisi (1181/82-1226)

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St Peter Chrysologus (c 406 – c 450) Father & Doctor of the Church

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