Category: MORNING Prayers

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 8 January – The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 8 January – The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

“Dearly Beloved, each word and deed of Our Saviour Jesus Christ
is for us a lesson in virtue and piety.
For this end also did He assumed our nature,
so that every man and every woman,
contemplating as in a picture the practice of all virtue and piety,
might strive with all their hearts to imitate His example.
For this He bore our body, so that as far as we could,
we might repeat within us, the manner of His life.
And so, therefore, when you hear mention of some word or deed of His,
take care not to receive it simply as something that incidentally happened
but raise your mind upwards towards the sublimity of what He is teaching
and strive to see what has been mystically handed down to us”

St Basil the Great (329-379) Father & Doctor of the Churchdearly beloved - st basil the great - 8 jan 2018

“Today let us do honour to Christ’s baptism
and celebrate this feast in holiness.
Be cleansed entirely and continue to be cleansed.
Nothing gives such pleasure to God as the conversion and salvation of men,
for whom His every word and every revelation exist.
He wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world.
You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the great light,
bathed in the glory of Him who is the light of heaven.
You are to enjoy more and more, the pure and dazzling light of the Trinity,
as now you have received – though not in its fullness – a ray of its splendour,
proceeding from the one God, in Christ Jesus our Lord,
to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen”

St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390)
Father & Doctor of the Church – from a sermon on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lordtoday let us do honour - st gregory of nazianzen - 8 jan 2018

“O Lord, wishing to fulfill all things
that You ordained before the ages,
You received the servants of Your mystery,
from among the Angels, Gabriel,
from among Men, the Virgin,
from among the Heavens, the Star
and from among the Waters, the Jordan,
in which You washed away the sin of the world,
O our Saviour, glory to You.”

St John Damascene (675-749) Doctor of the Churcho lord wishing to fulfil all things - st john damascene - 7 jan 2018

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 January – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 8 January – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

You cannot have forgotten that all of us, when we were baptised into Christ Jesus, were baptised into his death.   So by our baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glorious power, we too should begin living a new life…Romans 6:3-4romans 6 3 - 8 jan 2018

REFLECTION – “The purpose of Christ’s existence was precisely to give humanity God’s life and His Spirit of love, so that every person might be able to draw from this inexhaustible source of salvation.   This is why St Paul wrote to the Romans that we were baptised into the death of Christ in order to have His same life as the Risen One.” …Pope Benedict XVI Homily on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord 2013the purpose of christs existence was precisely...- pope benedict 2013 - 8 jan 2018

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, I pray to live each day in Your shadow, protected by Your mercy, living out my Baptismal Vows and following Your Son on my journey home to You. Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us, that we may faithfully live as true Christians each moment of our lives, amen.luke-3-22.- 9 jan 2016

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 8 January – The Baptism of the Lord

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 8 January – The Baptism of the Lord

God in flesh made manifest
By Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1885)
(nephew of the great lake-poet, William Wordsworth)

Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to You we raise,
manifested by the star
to the sages from afar;
branch of royal David’s stem,
in Your birth at Bethlehem.

Manifest at Jordan’s stream,
Prophet, Priest and King supreme;
and at Cana, wedding guest,
in Your Godhead manifest,
You revealed Your power divine,
changing water into wine.

Manifest in making whole
weakened body, fainting soul;
manifest in valiant fight,
quelling all the devil’s might;
manifest in gracious will,
ever bringing good from ill.
Anthems be to Thee addressed.
God in man made manifest.god in flesh made manifest - c wordsworth - 8 jan 2018

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, POETRY, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, SAINT of the DAY, THE EPIPHANY of the LORD

The Solemnity of Epiphany – 7 January 2018 – T S Eliot’s “The Journey of the Magi”

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The Solemnity of Epiphany – 7 January 2018 – T S Eliot’s “The Journey of the Magi”

The Journey of the Magi

A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.’
And the camels galled, sorefooted, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
and running away and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.
Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information and so we continued
And arriving at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you might say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This:  were we led all that way for
Birth or Death?   There was a Birth, certainly
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different;  this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

t s eliot
excerpt from t s eliot's journey of the magi
Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The CHRIST CHILD

Sunday Reflection – 7 January 2018 – The Feast of Epiphany

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Sunday Reflection – 7 January 2018 – The Feast of Epiphany

Each Sunday towards the end of Mass, we come to the altar rail, receive Holy Communion, return to our seats and sit or kneel quietly for a while in contemplation.   But in these quiet moments after we have received Communion, what prayers do we offer up?  Perhaps we don’t pray at all but in those quiet moments our thoughts turn to other things, like Sunday lunch or a planned visit to visit the grandchildren after Mass.

I recently came across this wonderful article, written by a priest.  He writes:

“A few years ago it became evident to me that my prayers after distributing Holy Communion to my congregation were wholly inadequate.   As I sat on my seat on the altar I was finding it extremely difficult to express into words, what this moment meant to me.   Looking through my book collection I read all the prayers I could get my hands on but none seemed to be what I was looking for, so I gave up in frustration.   However, each day I would pray to Mary our Blessed Mother asking her to teach me how to express my innermost feelings to the Lord.   Sometime later I was preaching a retreat to a group of nuns when one of the elderly nuns came to visit me and said she felt she had a problem concerning her prayers after receiving Holy Communion.   Feeling I had at last found a kindred spirit, I asked her what she usually prayed and she replied, ‘I don’t pray anything, I just sit in silence and allow Him to love me and to teach me to love Him.’   At that moment I realised that Mary had indeed answered my prayers.

“I just sit in silence and allow Him to love me and to teach me to love Him.”

What a simple, but moving description of what this moment means to us all.

“Above all, let us pray Him to draw us to Him and to give us faith.   When we feel that His mysteries are too severe for us and occasion us to doubt, let us earnestly wait on Him for the gift of humility and love.    Those who love and who are humble will apprehend them, carnal minds do not seek the and proud minds are offended at them but while love desires them, humility sustains them.

Let us pray Him to give us an earnest longing after Him – a thirst for His presence – an anxiety to find Him – a joy on hearing that He is to be found, even now, under the veil of sensible things – and a good hope that we shall find Him there.

Blessed indeed are they who have not seen and yet have believed.   They have their reward in believing, they enjoy the contemplation of a mysterious blessing, which does not even enter into the thoughts of other men and while they are more blessed than others, in the gift vouchsafed to them, they have the additional privilege of knowing that they are vouchsafed it.”….Blessed John Henry Newman  (1801-1890) – Parochial & Plain Sermons, Vol. VI, no. 11let us pray him to give us - bl john henry newman - 7 jan 2018

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL SERMONS, SAINT of the DAY, The CHRIST CHILD

Thought for the Day – 7 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ Excerpt from Pope Francis Homily for Epiphany 2017

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Thought for the Day – 7 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Excerpt from Pope Francis Homily for Epiphany 2017

The Magi thus personify all those who believe, those who long for God, who yearn for their home, their heavenly homeland.   They reflect the image of all those who in their lives have not let their hearts be anaesthetised.
A holy longing for God wells up in the heart of believers because they know that the Gospel is not an event of the past but of the present.   A holy longing for God helps us keep alert in the face of every attempt to reduce and impoverish our life.   A holy longing for God is the memory of faith, which rebels before all prophets of doom.   That longing keeps hope alive in the community of believers, which from week to week continues to plead: “Come, Lord Jesus”.
We want to worship.   Those men came from the East to worship and they came to do so in the place befitting a king:  a palace.   This is significant.   Their quest led them there, for it was fitting that a king should be born in a palace, amid a court and all his subjects. For that is a sign of power, success, a life of achievement.   One might well expect a king to be venerated, feared and adulated.   True, but not necessarily loved.   For those are worldly categories, the paltry idols to which we pay homage:   he cult of power, outward appearances and superiority.   Idols that promise only sorrow, enslavement, fear.

It was there, in that place, that those men, come from afar, would embark upon their longest journey.   There they set out boldly on a more arduous and complicated journey. They had to discover that what they sought was not in a palace but elsewhere, both existentially and geographically.   There, in the palace, they did not see the star guiding them to discover a God who wants to be loved.   For only under the banner of freedom, not tyranny, is it possible to realise that the gaze of this unknown but desired king does not abase, enslave, or imprison us.   To realise that the gaze of God lifts up, forgives and heals.   To realise that God wanted to be born where we least expected, or perhaps desired, in a place where we so often refuse him.   To realise that in God’s eyes there is always room for those who are wounded, weary, mistreated, abandoned.   That His strength and His power are called MERCY.   For some of us, how far Jerusalem is from Bethlehem!for only under the banner of freedom - pope francis 2017 - 7 jan 2018

Herod is unable to worship because he could not or would not change his own way of looking at things.   He did not want to stop worshipping himself, believing that everything revolved around him.   He was unable to worship, because his aim was to make others worship him.   Nor could the priests worship, because although they had great knowledge, and knew the prophecies, they were not ready to make the journey or to change their ways.

The Magi experienced longing, they were tired of the usual fare.   They were all too familiar with, and weary of, the Herods of their own day.   But there, in Bethlehem, was a promise of newness, of gratuitousness.   There something new was taking place.   The Magi were able to worship because they had the courage to set out.   And as they fell to their knees before the small, poor and vulnerable Infant, the unexpected and unknown Child of Bethlehem, they discovered the glory of God.and as they fell - pope francis - epiphany 2017 - 7 jan 2018

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The CHRIST CHILD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 7 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

“If we approach with faith,
we too will see Jesus….;
for the Eucharistic table
takes the place of the crib.
Here the Body of the Lord is present,
wrapped not in swaddling clothes
but in the rays of the Holy Spirit.”

St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Churchif we approach with faith - st john chrysostom - 7 jan 2018

“Truth, by which the world is held together,
has sprung from the earth,
in order to be carried in a woman’s arms.”

St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Churchtruth, by which the world - st augustine - 7 jan 2018

“Today the Magi gaze in deep wonder at what they see:
heaven on earth,
earth in heaven,
man in God,
God in man,
one whom the whole universe cannot contain
now enclosed in a tiny body.
As they look, they believe and do not question,
as their symbolic gifts bear witness:
incense for God,
gold for a king,
myrrh for one who is to die.”

St Peter Chrysologus (406-450) Doctor of the Churchtoday the magi gaze in deep wonder - st peter chrysologus - 7 jan 2018

“What are you doing, O Magi?
Do you adore a little Babe, in a wretched hovel,
wrapped in miserable rags?
Can this Child be truly God? …
Are you become foolish, O Wise Men …
Yes, these Wise Men have become fools
that they may be wise!”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Doctor of the Churchwhat are you doing o magi - st bernard - 7 jan 2018

“It is no magic formula He brings
because He knows that the salvation
He offers must pass through human hearts.
What does He first do?
He laughs and cries and sleeps defenceless,
as a baby, though He is God incarnate.
And He does this,
so that we may fall in love with Him,
so that we may learn to take Him in our arms….”it is no magic formula he brings - st josemaria - 7 jan 2018

“As you kneel at the feet of the child Jesus
on the day of His Epiphany
and see Him a king bearing none
of the outward signs of royalty,
you can tell Him:
“Lord, take away my pride;
crush my self-love,
my desire to affirm myself
and impose myself on others.
Make the foundation of my personality
my identification with you.”

St Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)
Christ is passing by, 31as you kneel at the feet of the child jesus - st josemaria - 7 jan 2018

“As pilgrims of faith, the Wise Men themselves
became stars shining in the firmament of history
and they show us the way.
The saints are God’s true constellations,
which light up the nights of this world,
serving as our guides.
Saint Paul, in his Letter to the Philippians,
told his faithful that they must shine like stars in the world.”

Extract from the Homily of His Holiness Benedict XVI
Vatican Basilica, Sunday, 6 January 2013benedict-on-epiphany.7 jan 2018

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

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One Minute Reflection – 7 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

…..and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage... Matthew 2:11matthew-2-11

REFLECTION – “For by gold the power of a king is signified, by frankincense the honour of God, by myrrh the burial of the body and accordingly they offer Him, gold as King, frankincense as God, myrrh as Man.”…St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Churchfor by gold - st john chrysostom - 7 jan 2018

PRAYER – Lord, God, teach us to see the living presence of Your Divine Son in the Eucharist.   Make our faith so vivid that we will gladly come to encounter Jesus in every Mass.   May we follow in faith and trust, Your bright Light, which shines forever on our paths.   Holy Christ Child, intercede for us, amen.epiphany-feast - 8 jan 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 7 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

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Our Morning Offering – 7 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Traditional Epiphany Prayer

Lord Jesus
may Your light shine on our way,
as once it guided the steps of the Magi:
that we too may be led into Your presence
and worship You,
the Child of Mary,
Mother of God,
the Word of the Father,
the King of nations,
the Saviour of mankind;
in union with Your heavenly Father
and the Holy Spirit,
You are One God
forever and ever, amen.epiphany prayer - 7 jan 2018

 

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, SAINT of the DAY

Blessing of a Home at Epiphany – 7 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

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Blessing of a Home at Epiphany – 7 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Priest:  Peace be to this house.
All:  And to all who live here.

Priest:  Bless, O Lord, Almighty God,
this home, that in it there may be health,
chastity, strength of victory, humility,
goodness, and industry,
a fullness of law and the action of graces
through God the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit and that this blessing
may remain on this home
and on those who frequent it.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen..

After the blessing,
the initials of the Magi
(traditional names: Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar) but which can also be interpreted to mean Christus Mansionem Benedicat, which means ” May Christ bless this house”
are written with chalk over the main door way of the house, like this:
20 + C + M + B + 18
(the + is the Cross of our Salvation; the “18” stands for 2018;
change the year accordingly).house-blessing-7 jan 2018

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, SAINT of the DAY

The Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ – 7 January: God reveals Himself to us

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The Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ
God reveals Himself to us04_Adoration_of_the_Magi_by Botticelli.jpg-800x500640px-Adoration_of_the_Magi_Tapestry_detailsolemnity of epiphany

The Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the oldest Christian feasts, though, throughout the centuries, it has celebrated a variety of things.   Epiphany comes from a Greek verb meaning “to reveal” and all of the various events celebrated by the Feast of the Epiphany are revelations of Christ to man.
Like many of the most ancient Christian feasts, Epiphany was first celebrated in the East, where it has been held from the beginning almost universally on 6 January.   Today, among Eastern Catholics, the feast is known as Theophany—the revelation of God to man.
Epiphany originally celebrated four different events, in the following order of importance- the Baptism of the Lord, Christ’s first miracle, the changing of water into wine at the wedding in Cana, the Nativity of Christ and the visitation of the Wise Men or Magi.   Each of these is a revelation of God to man – at Christ’s Baptism, the Holy Spirit descends and the voice of God the Father is heard, declaring that Jesus is His Son,  at the wedding in Cana, the miracle reveals Christ’s divinity,  at the Nativity, the angels bear witness to Christ and the shepherds, representing the people of Israel, bow down before Him and at the visitation of the Magi, Christ’s divinity is revealed to the Gentiles—the other nations of the earth.
Eventually, the celebration of the Nativity was separated out, in the West, into Christmas and shortly thereafter, Western Christians adopted the Eastern feast of the Epiphany, still celebrating the Baptism, the first miracle and the visit from the Wise Men.   Thus, Epiphany came to mark the end of Christmastide—the Twelve Days of Christmas (celebrated in the song), which began with the revelation of Christ to Israel in His Birth and ended with the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles at Epiphany.
Over the centuries, the various celebrations were further separated in the West and now the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the Sunday after today and the wedding at Cana is commemorated on the Sunday after the Baptism of the Lord.

EPIPHANY CUSTOMS:
Giving of Gifts:  In many parts of Europe, the celebration of Epiphany is at least as important as the celebration of Christmas. While in England and her historical colonies, the custom has long been to give gifts on Christmas Day itself, in Italy and other Mediterranean countries, Christians exchange gifts on Epiphany—the day on which the Wise Men brought their gifts to the Christ Child.

Blessing of our Homes:  the blessing of homes, on whose lintels are inscribed the Cross of salvation, together with the indication of the year and the initials of the three wise men (C+M+B), which stands for Caspar, Melchior and Balthassar (the traditional names of the 3 Magi) but which can also be interpreted to mean Christus Mansionem Benedicat, which means ” May Christ bless this house” written in blessed chalk.   We put 20 + C + M + B + 18, using the initials of the Magi and the year, so that our coming and going would be in search of the Truth.   We are called to remember, each time we enter and leave our homes, that we are in search of Christ, that our mission is to find Him and follow Him.
In the absence of a priest the family gathers around the crib with lighted candles and prays:
Leader: “Peace be to this house and to all who dwell here, in the name of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Reader: When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.
The word of the Lord.
ALL: Thanks be to God
All: Lord God of heaven and earth, You revealed Your only begotten Son to every nation by the guidance of a star.
Bless this house and all who live here and all who visit.
May we be blessed with health, kindness of heart, gentleness and the keeping of your law.
Fill us with the light of Christ, that our love for each other may go out to all.
Grant that we may always remain true to our mission of seeking and preaching
the most Holy Name of Jesus, our Lord.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.Three Kingsepiphany trad imageepiphany 2.EPIPHANY

Posted in franciscan OFM, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 6 January – The Memorial of Sts André Bessette C.S.C. (1845-1937) and St Charles of Sezze O.F.M. (1613-1670)

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Thought for the Day – 6 January – The Memorial of Sts André Bessette C.S.C. (1845-1937) and St Charles of Sezze O.F.M. (1613-1670)

Both the Saints whose Memorials we celebrate today, lived their lives as simple porters, gardeners and the like.   But they both lived their lives in total charity and love of God.    And they are both saints.   They fulfilled their tasks with love and utter commitment to God their Father.   And through their faithfulness to these little things, God rewarded them with great things.

Since God through the Holy Spirit is the giver of charity and since true charity is beyond the capacity of human nature left to its own devices, God can give it without reference to natural gifts like intelligence.   And this seems true in the case of the uncharitable:  there are plenty of examples of intelligent people who lack charity—the “evil genius” is a standard literary character for a reason.   (Br. Bonaventure Chapman, OP)  But today also offers us a positive example of two men graced with charity which is love and is not love both question and answer and the new commandment given us.   What more is needed by the grace of God?

St André Bessette and St Charles of Sezze, Pray for us!st andre bessette pray for us -6 jan 2018st charles of sezze pray for us - 6 jan 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 6 January – The Memorial of Sts André Bessette C.S.C. (1845-1937)

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 January – The Memorial of Sts André Bessette C.S.C. (1845-1937)

“It is with the smallest brushes
that the Artist paints
the best paintings.”it is with the smallest brushes - st andre bessette - 6 jan 2018

“There is so little distance
between heaven and earth
that God always hears us.
Nothing but a thin veil
separates us from God.”there is so little distance - st andre bessette - 6 jan 2018

“When you say to God, ‘our Father’,
He has His ear right next to your lips.”

St André Bessette (1845-1937)when you say to god - st andre bessette - 6 jan 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 January – The Memorial of Sts André Bessette C.S.C. (1845-1937) and St Charles of Sezze O.F.M. (1613-1670)

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One Minute Reflection – 6 January – The Memorial of Sts André Bessette C.S.C. (1845-1937) and St Charles of Sezze O.F.M. (1613-1670)

When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home…..Matthew 1:24matthew 1 - 24 - 2018

REFLECTION – “When you invoke St Joseph, you don’t have to say much.
Say, “if you were in my place, St Joseph, what would you do? Well, pray for this on my behalf.”……..St André Bessettewhen you invoke st jospeh - st andre bessette - 6 jan 2018

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, You constantly provide us with examples of holy life. St André Bessette and St Charles of Sezze were both wonderful examples of service, as was St André’s  hero, the Foster Father of Your Divine Son, St Joseph.   May they be intercessors and examples to me, to give to You my all.   St André Bessette, St Charles of Sezze and St Joseph. Pray for us, amen!st andre bessette pray for us -6 jan 2018-no. 2

ST CHARLES OF sezze pray for us no 2 - 6 jan 2018st joseph pray for us - 6 jan 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 6 January – Month of the Most Holy Name

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Our Morning Offering – 6 January – Month of the Most Holy Name

O Sweet Name of Jesus
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

O sweet Name of Jesus,
holy above all names
in heaven and on earth
and to which every knee,
both of men
and of angels in heaven,
on earth and in hell bends.
You are the the Way of the just,
the Glory of the saints,
the Hope of those in need,
the Balm of the sick,
the Love of the devout
and the Consolation
of those that suffer.
O, Jesus be to me a help
and a protector
so that Your Name
may be blessed for all times.
Amen

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) CRSA …(Manualis Parvulorum XIII)

o sweet name of jesus - thomas a kempis - 6 jan 2018

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 5 January – The Memorial of St John Neumann (1811-1860) – An Adorer of the Blessed Sacrament

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Thought for the Day – 5 January – The Memorial of St John Neumann (1811-1860) – An Adorer of the Blessed Sacrament

St John Nepomucene Neumann (1811–1860), Bishop of Philadelphia from 1852–1860, was graced with an intense devotion to Our Lord in the Sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist.   His personal experience as a boy in Bohemia (modern Czech Republic), then as a priest in the United States and finally as a Redemptorist — a spiritual son of the incomparable Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) (Founder of the Redemptorists and Doctor of the Church) — impelled him to promote prolonged prayer before the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the monstrance.   No sooner had he become bishop of Philadelphia than he sought to introduce the Quarant’ Ore, or Forty Hours Devotion, already practised for three hundred years in Europe.

The good priests of Philadelphia were, for the most part, opposed to the introduction of the Forty Hours Devotion, fearing that, given the prevailing climate of violent anti-Catholicism nurtured by the Know Nothing Movement, it might exacerbate hostilities against the Church and even expose the Most Holy Sacrament to profanation.

Bishop Neumann had very nearly renounced his project when, overcome by exhaustion late one night, he fell asleep while writing at his desk.   A burning candle ignited the papers lying before him.   He awoke to smoke rising from the incinerated papers.   One document alone remained unscathed;  it was the letter he had written to propose the Forty Hours Devotion.   Bishop Neumann fell to his knees to give thanks for having been preserved from harm and, as he did so, he experienced a kind of locution.   God spoke to him inwardly saying,  “As the flames are burning here without consuming or injuring this writing, so shall I pour out My grace in the Blessed Sacrament without prejudice to My honour.   Therefore, do not fear profanation and do not hesitate any longer to carry out your designs for My glory.”

Convinced by this sign, Bishop Neumann overrode the objections of his clergy and initiated the celebration of the Forty Hours at the First Diocesan Synod of Philadelphia in April 1853.   The Church chosen for the first Forty Hours was that of Saint Philip Neri.   It was the latter saint who had, in fact, introduced the Quarant’ Ore to the city of Rome. Bishop Neumann astonished — and edified — his clergy and faithful by spending the greater part of the three days on his knees before the Blessed Sacrament in Saint Philip Neri Church.   There was no anti-Catholic backlash.   Great crowds of the faithful came, by day and by night, to adore Our Lord exposed to their gaze in the Sacrament of the Altar.

Bishop Neumann carried out his original inspiration by organising the Forty Hours Devotion in the entire diocese of Philadelphia in such a way that each parish would celebrate it in turn during the course of the year.   He edited a booklet to facilitate the worthy celebration of the Quarant’ Ore and secured indulgences for the faithful who would participate in the devotion.   So successful was the Forty Hours in the diocese of Philadelphia that it spread from there to other dioceses of the United States.   In 1866 at the Plenary Council of Baltimore the Forty Hours Devotion was ratified for the whole country.

One of the conclusions of the 2005 Vatican Synod on the Eucharist was the recommendation that the Forty Hours Devotion be reinvigorated and reintroduced everywhere in the Church.   This, of course, is fully consonant with the repeated exhortations to Eucharistic adoration of St Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

Saints John and Alphonsus
Saint John Neumann left, among his personal writings, a prayer that, by its language and tenderness, is reminiscent of the outpourings of his spiritual father, Saint Alphonse Liguori, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. It reveals something of the soul of Bishop Neumann:

How much do I love You,
O my Jesus!
I wish to love You with my whole heart,
yet I do not love You enough.
I have but one desire,
that of being near You,
in the Blessed Sacrament.
Thou art the sweet Bridegroom of my soul.
My Jesus, my love, my all,
gladly would I endure
hunger, thirst, heat and cold
to remain always with You
in the Blessed Sacrament.
Amenhow much do I love You O my Jesus - st john neumann - prayer to jesus in the holy eucharist - 5 jan 2018- NO 2

ST JOHN NEUMANN, PRAY FOR THE GROWTH OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION, PRAY FOR HOLY MOTHER CHURCH, PRAY FOR US ALL!st john neumann - pray for us - 5 jan 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 5 January – The Memorial of St John Neumann (1811-1860)

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Quote of the Day – 5 January – The Memorial of St John Neumann (1811-1860)

“Everyone who breathes, high and low,
educated and ignorant, young and old,
man and woman, has a mission, has a work.
We are not sent into this world for nothing;
we are not born at random;
we are not here, that we may go to bed at night
and get up in the morning, toil for our bread,
eat and drink, laugh and joke,
sin when we have a mind
and reform when we are tired of sinning,
rear a family and die.
God sees every one of us,
He creates every soul . . .
FOR A PURPOSE.
He needs, He deigns to need, every one of us.
He has an end for each of us.
We are all equal in His sight and we are placed
in our different ranks and stations,
not to get what we can out of them for ourselves
but to labour in them for Him.
As Christ has His work, we too have ours –
as He rejoiced to do His work,
we must rejoice in ours also.”

St John Neumann (1811-1860)everyone who breathes - st john neumann - 5 jan 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 January – The Memorial of St John Neumann (1811-1860)

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One Minute Reflection – 5 January – The Memorial of St John Neumann (1811-1860)

And now these three remain:  faith, hope and love.   But the greatest of these is love….1 Corinthians 13:13

REFLECTION – “But to accomplish his task, love was necessary.   And love meant giving; love meant effort;  love meant sacrifice.   And in his sacrifice, Bishop Neumann’s service was complete.   He led his people along the paths of holiness.   He was indeed an effective witness, in his generation, to God’s love for His Church and the world.”…Blessed Pope Paul VI at the Canonisation of St John Neumann 19 June 1977but to accomplish - bl pope paul VI on st john neumann - 5 jan 2018

PRAYER – Holy Father, You brought St John Neumann to the new world to show Your ways and lead all to You.   By Your grace, may we all learn to live such zealous and loving lives!   Grant Lord that St John Neumann, by the living power of his example and by the intercession of his prayers, may assist us and intercede to help us, today and forever.  We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.st john neumann pray for us - 2017-5 jan

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 5 January – The Memorial of St John Neumann (1811-1860)

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Our Morning Offering – 5 January – The Memorial of St John Neumann (1811-1860)

My God, how Great Thou Art
By St John Neumann (1811-1860)

My God,
how great Thou art,
how wonderful in all Thy works!
Teach me Thy will,
that I may begin and end
all my actions for Thy greater glory.
Speak to me, 0 my God,
let me know Thy will,
for behold,
I am ready to fulfill
Thy every command.
The difficult, the irksome,
I will patiently endure for love of Thee.
Amenmy god how great thou art - 5 jan 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, ON the SAINTS, PAPAL SERMONS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 4 January – The Memorial of St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821) – “What is a Saint?”

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Thought for the Day – 4 January – The Memorial of St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)  “What is a Saint?”

Excerpt from HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER BLESSED PAUL VI – 14 September 1975, on the Canonisation of St Elizabeth Ann Setonst e a seton- pray for us no 2 - 4 jan 2018

Elizabeth Ann Seton is a Saint!   We rejoice and we are deeply moved that our apostolic ministry authorises us to make this solemn declaration before all of you here present, before the holy Catholic Church, before our other Christian brethren in the world, before the entire American people and before all humanity. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton is a Saint!

She is the first daughter of the United States of America to be glorified with this incomparable attribute!    But what do we mean when we say:   «She is a Saint»?   We all have some idea of the meaning of this highest title;  but it is still difficult for us to make an exact analysis of it.   Being a Saint means being perfect, with a perfection that attains the highest level that a human being can reach.   A Saint is a human creature fully conformed to the will of God.   A Saint is a person in whom all sin-the principle of death-is cancelled out and replaced by the living splendour of divine grace.   The analysis of the concept of sanctity brings us to recognise in a soul the mingling of two elements that are entirely different but which come together to produce a single effect:  SANCTITY.   One of these elements is the human and moral element, raised to the degree of heroism:  heroic virtues are always required by the Church for the recognition of a person’s sanctity.   The second element is the mystical element, which express the measure and form of divine action in the person chosen by God to realise in herself-always in an original way-the image of Christ (Cfr. Rom. 8, 29).

The Church has made this study of the life, that is, the interior and exterior history, of Elizabeth Ann Seton.   And the Church has exulted with admiration and jo, and has today heard her own charism of truth poured out in the exclamation that we send up to God and announce to the world:  she is a Saint!

May the dynamism and authenticity of her life be an example in our day-and for generations to come-of what women can and must accomplish, in the fulfilment of their role, for the good of humanity.

St Elizabeth Ann Seton – Pray for us that we may all travel safely this path of sanctity and join you in Heaven in the halls of Sanctity!st e a seton- pray for us no 3 - 4 jan 2018

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 4 January – The Memorial of St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 January – The Memorial of St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)

“Faith lifts the soul,
Hope supports it,
Experience says it must
and Love says…let it be!”faith lifts the soul - st e a seton - 4 jan 2018

“God is everywhere, in the very air I breathe,
yes everywhere
but in His Sacrament of the Altar
He is as present actually and really
as my soul within my body;
in His Sacrifice daily offered
as really as once offered on the Cross!”

“Our Lord Himself I saw in this venerable Sacrament . . .
I felt as if my chains fell, as those of St Peter,
at the touch of the Divine messenger.”

“How sweet, the presence of Jesus
to the longing, harassed soul!
It is instant peace and balm to every wound.”god is everywhere - st e a seton - 4 jan 2018

“We must pray without ceasing,
in every occurrence and employment
of our lives – that prayer which is rather
a habit of lifting up the heart to God
as in a constant communication with Him.”we must pray - seton - 4 jan 2018

“What was the first rule of our dear Saviour’s life?
You know it was to do his Father’s will.
Well, then, the first purpose of our daily work
is to do the will of God;
secondly, to do it in the manner He wills;
and thirdly, to do it because it is His will.
We know certainly that our God
calls us to a holy life.
We know that He gives us every grace,
every abundant grace
and though we are so weak of ourselves,
this grace is able to carry us through
every obstacle and difficulty.”what was the first rule - st e a seton - 4 jan 2018

“Afflictions are the steps to heaven.”

“Can you expect to go to heaven for nothing?
Did not our Saviour track the whole way to it
with His tears and blood?
And yet you stop at every little pain?”

“The gate of heaven is very low;
only the humble can enter it.”

St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)AFFLICTIONS ARE THE STEPS TO HEAVEN - ST SETON 4 JAN 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 January – The Memorial of St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)

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One Minute Reflection – 4 January – The Memorial of St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)

When the Shepherd appears
you will win for yourselves
the unfading crown of glory………1 Peter 5:41-peter-5-4

REFLECTION – “You are children of eternity.  Your immortal crown awaits you and the best of Fathers waits there to reward your duty and love.   You may indeed sow here in tears but you may be sure there to reap in joy.”…St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)you are children of eternity - st e a seton - 4 jan 2018

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, thank You for making me a child of eternity.   Help me to live each day in such a way that I may deserve to be a child of Yours forever.   Grant that by the prayers of St Elizabeth Ann Seton, we may strive always to keep our eyes fixed on our eternal home and never waiver from Your commandments. Amen.st e a seton - pray for us - 4 jan 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 4 January – The Memorial of St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)

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Our Morning Offering – 4 January – The Memorial of St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)

Lord Jesus
By St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)

Lord Jesus,
Who was born for us in a stable,
lived for us a life of pain and sorrow
and died for us upon a cross;
say for us in the hour of death,
“Father, forgive,”
and to Your Mother,
“Behold your child.”
Say to us,
“This day you shall be with Me in paradise.”
Dear Saviour, leave us not, forsake us not.
We thirst for You, Fountain of Living Water.
Our days pass quickly along,
soon all will be consummated for us.
To Your hands we commend our spirits,
now and forever.
Amenlord jesus - st e a seton - 4 jan 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, franciscan OFM, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

May you be Blessed today on the Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus 3 January 2018

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May you be Blessed today on the Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
3 January 2018

The name of Jesus is the glory of preachers

From a sermon by Saint Bernardine of Siena, priest (Sermo 49, De glorioso Nomine Iesu Christi, cap 2: Opera omnia, 4. 505-506) – Prepared by the Spiritual Theology Department of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross

“The name of Jesus is the glory of preachers because the shining splendour of that name causes His word to be proclaimed and heard.   And how do you think such an immense, sudden and dazzling light of faith came into the world, if not because Jesus was preached?   Was it not through the brilliance and sweet savour of this name that God called us into  His marvelous light?   When we have been enlightened and in that same light behold the light of heaven, rightly may the apostle Paul say to us:  Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.

So this name must be proclaimed, that it may shine out and never be suppressed.   But it must not be preached by someone with sullied mind or unclean lipsbut stored up and poured out from a chosen vessel.   That is why our Lord said of Saint Paul:  He is a chosen instrument of mine, the vessel of my choice, to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.   In this chosen vessel there was to be a drink more pleasing than earth ever knew, offered to all mankind for a price they could pay, so that they would be drawn to taste of it.   Poured into other chosen vessels, it would grow and radiate splendour.   For our Lord said:  He is to Carry my name.

When a fire is lit to clear a field, it burns off all the dry and useless weeds and thorns. When the sun rises and darkness is dispelled, robbers, night-prowlers and burglars hide away.   So when Paul’s voice was raised to preach the Gospel to the nations, like a great clap of thunder in the sky, his preaching was a blazing fire carrying all before it.   It was the sun rising in full glory.   Infidelity was consumed by it, false beliefs fled away and the truth appeared like a great candle lighting the whole world with its brilliant flame.

By word of mouth, by letters, by miracles and by the example of his own life, Saint Paul bore the name of Jesus wherever he went.   He praised the name of Jesus at all times but never more than when bearing witness to his faith.   Moreover, the Apostle did indeed carry this name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel as a light to enlighten all nations.   And this was his cry wherever he journeyed:  The night is passing away, the day is at hand.  Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light;  let us conduct ourselves honourably as in the day.   Paul himself showed forth the burning and shining light set upon a candlestick, everywhere proclaiming Jesus, and Him crucified.

And so the Church, the bride of Christ strengthened by his testimony, rejoices with the psalmist, singing:  0 God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.   The psalmist exhorts her to do this, as he says, Sing to the Lord and bless his name, proclaim his salvation day after day.   And this salvation is Jesus, her saviour.” (Psalm 96:2)psalm 96 2

Prayer

Father,
you gave St Bernardine a special love
for the holy name of Jesus.
By the help of his prayers,
may we always be alive with the spirit of Your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on FAITH, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 3 January – – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus & The celebration of the Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus

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Thought for the Day – 3 January – – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus & The celebration of the Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus titular-feast-jesuit -3 Jan 2018-NO 2

The Mass for the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, the titular feast day for the Society of Jesus, was offered today by Pope Francis in the Church of Jesus/Gesu Church in Rome, the Home of the Jesuits.   Today the Church reminds us “to let the centre of … [our] heart be occupied by Christ.”

“This is the restlessness that Peter Favre [Faber] had, man of great desires, another Daniel.   Favre was a “modest, sensible man of profound interior life and gifted with the gift of close relations of friendship with persons of all sorts” (Benedict XVI, Address to Jesuits, April 22, 2006).   However, he was also a restless, uncertain and never satisfied spirit.   Under the guidance of Saint Ignatius he learned to unite his restless but also gentle — I would say exquisite – sensibility with the capacity to take decisions.
He was a man of great desires;  he took charge of his desires, he acknowledged them.   In fact for Favre, it was precisely when difficult things were proposed that his true spirit was manifested which moved him to action (cf. Memoriale, 301).

Authentic faith always implies a profound desire to change the world.   Here is the question we should ask ourselves:   do we also have great visions and dash?   Are we also daring?   Does our dream fly high?   Does zeal devour us (cf. Psalm 69:10)?   Or are we mediocre and content with our laboratory apostolic programs?

Let us remember always:  the strength of the Church does not lie in herself and in her organisational capacity but is hidden in the profound waters of God.   And these waters agitate our desires and desires enlarge the heart.   It is what Saint Augustine says:  pray to desire and desire to enlarge the heart.   In fact it was in his desires that Favre could discern God’s voice.   Without desires one goes nowhere and it is because of this that we must offer our desires to the Lord.   Stated in the Constitutions is that “one’s neighbour is helped, with desires presented to God our Lord” (Constitutions, 638). Pope Francis 3 January 2014authentic faith - pope francis

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

LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME A SINNERthe jesus prayer - 3 jan 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 3 January – The Most Holy Name of Jesus

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 January – The Most Holy Name of Jesus

“Are you troubled?
Think but of Jesus – speak but the name of Jesus,
the clouds disperse
and peace descends anew from heaven.
Have you fallen into sin? So that you fear death?
..invoke the name of Jesus
and you will soon feel life returning.
No obduracy of the soul, no weakness,
no coldness of heart can resist this holy name –
there is no heart which will not soften
and open in tears at this holy name.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux – (1090-1153) – Doctor of the Churchare-you-troubled-st-bernard- for the holy name - august 2017

“The Name of Jesus is the glory of preachers
because the shining splendour of that Name
causes His word to be proclaimed and heard.
And how do you think such an immense,
sudden and dazzling light of faith came into the world,
if not because Jesus was preached?
Was it not through the brilliance
and sweet savour of this Name
that God called us into His marvelous light?”

St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)the name of jesus - st bernardine of siena - 3 jan 2018

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus & The celebration of the Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus

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One Minute Reflection – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus & The celebration of the Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus

“Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant”…Philippians 2:5-7phil 2 5-7

REFLECTION – “We, Jesuits, want to be conferred the name of Jesus, militate under the standard of His Cross and this means, to have the same sentiments of Christ.   It means to think like Him, love like Him, see like Him, walk like Him. It means to do what He did and with His same sentiments, with the sentiments of His Heart. The heart of Christ is the heart of a God who, out of love, “emptied” Himself.   Every one of us Jesuits who follow Jesus should be willing to empty himself.   We are called to this abasement, to be of the “emptied.”   To be men that do not live centred on themselves because the centre of the Society is Christ and His Church.”…Pope Francis (3 January 2014)we jesuits want to be - pope francis on 3 jan 2014 - my image 3 jan 2018

PRAYER – We pray, to the eternal Lord of the universe, through the help of Your glorious Mother, we may live to empty ourselves for the sake of the glory of Your Kingdom and our own eternal happiness with You.   Mary, Mother of God, help us to be messengers of your Son.   Through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, in union with God our Father, one God forever and ever.   All you holy Jesuit Saints in heaven, pray for us! Amen.jesuits-saints-pray-for-us- 3 jan 2016

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

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Our Morning Offering – 3 January – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
From The Roman Breviary

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.
No voice can sing,
no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus’ name,
The Saviour of mankind.
O hope of every contrite heart!
0 joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find?
Ah! this nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.
Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shalt be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity.
Amenjesus the very thought of thee - roman breviary - 3 jan

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME

3 January – Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

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3 January – Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

Today the Church celebrates the optional memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus.   The Church reveals to us the wonders of the Incarnate Word by singing the glories of His name.   The name of Jesus means Saviour;  it had been shown in a dream to Joseph together with its meaning and to Our Lady at the annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel.

feast-of-the-holy-name-of-jesus-in-nomine-jesu-omne-genu-flectatur-coelestium-terrestrium-et-infernorum-philippians-2-10033c481cc136ea3897c694b37ca1bc23--names-of-jesus-jesus-is

Devotion to the Holy Name is deeply rooted in the Sacred Scriptures, especially in the Acts of the Apostles.   It was promoted in a special manner by St Bernard, St Bernardine of Siena, St John Capistrano and by the Franciscan Order.   It was extended to the whole Church in 1727 during the pontificate of Innocent XIII.   The month of January has traditionally been dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus.header - ihs

This feast marks no progress in the development of the Church year.   It merely embellishes the occasion just observed when the Child received the Name Jesus as had been foretold by the angel.   The feast is meant to impress on us Christians the dignity of the Holy Name.   It is a relatively new feast, stemming out of devotional piety. Nevertheless, it is not difficult to find in it some liturgical or ancient Christian dogma. What did a name signify originally?   The name should express the nature of a thing. Thus Adam in paradise gave the animals names in accordance with their being.   Among the Jews God’s name expressed His essence, Yahweh, i.e., I (alone) am who am (and cause all else to be).   The Jews had the highest respect for the name of God, a reverence that finds continuation in the Our Father:  “Hallowed be Thy Name.”

Persons who played prominent roles in the history of salvation often received their names from God Himself.   Adam — man of the earth;   Eve — mother of all the living; Abraham — father of many nations;   Peter — the rock.   The Saviour’s precursor was given the name God assigned him.   According to divine precedent, then, the name of the Redeemer should not be accidental, of human choosing but given by God Himself.   For His name should express His mission.   We read in Sacred Scripture how the angel Gabriel revealed that name to Mary:  “You shall call His name Jesus.”   And to St Joseph the angel not merely revealed the name but explained its meaning:   “You shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”   The Messiah should not only be the saviour, but should be called Saviour.   With Jesus, therefore, the name actually tells the purpose of His existence.   This is why we must esteem His name as sacred. Whenever we pronounce it, we ought to bow our heads;  for the very name reminds us of the greatest favor we have ever received, salvation.BOW YOUR HEAD!

Excerpted from The Church’s Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FRIENDSHIP, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 2 January – The Memorial of St Basil the Great (329-379) and St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Fathers & Doctors of the Church – On Friendship “We seemed to be two bodies with a single spirit.”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 2 January – The Memorial of St Basil the Great (329-379) and St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Fathers & Doctors of the Church – On Friendship “We seemed to be two bodies with a single spirit.”

St Gregory of Nazianzen
On 2 January the Roman Catholic Church honours the memory of two friends from an area of what is now Turkey that was called Cappadocia.   These men began their friendship while away at school and later became bishops who were the backbone of Catholic Orthodoxy during a period of doctrinal struggle and confusion.   Gregory presided over the 2nd ecumenical council, held at Constantinople, whose great achievement was the completion of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed that the Catholic Church recites each Sunday and the definition of the divinity of the Holy Spirit. These Cappadocian Fathers, both Fathers and Doctors of the Church, proved to be some of the most influential Christian teachers of all time, honoured by both East and West, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic.   Gregory here shares some memories of their friendship.

“Basil and I were both in Athens.   We had come, like streams of a river, from the same source in our native land, had separated from each other in pursuit of learning and were now united again as if by plan, for God so arranged it.

I was not alone at that time in my regard for my friend, the great Basil.   I knew his irreproachable conduct and the maturity and wisdom of his conversation.   I sought to persuade others, to whom he was less well known, to have the same regard for him. Many fell immediately under his spell, for they had already heard of him by reputation and hearsay.

What was the outcome?   Almost alone of those who had come to Athens to study he was exempted from the customary ceremonies of initiation for he was held in higher honour than his status as a first-year student seemed to warrant.

Such was the prelude to our friendship, the kindling of that flame that was to bind us together.   In this way we began to feel affection for each other.   When, in the course of time, we acknowledged our friendship and recognised that our ambition was a life of true wisdom, we became everything to each other:   we shared the same lodging, the same table, the same desires the same goal.   Our love for each other grew daily warmer and deeper.

The same hope inspired us – the pursuit of learning.   This is an ambition especially subject to envy.   Yet between us there was no envy.   On the contrary, we made capital out of our rivalry.   Our rivalry consisted, not in seeking the first place for oneself but in yielding it to the other, for we each looked on the other’s success as his own.

We seemed to be two bodies with a single spirit.   Though we cannot believe those who claim that everything is contained in everything, yet you must believe that in our case each of us was in the other and with the other.

Our single object and ambition was virtue and a life of hope in the blessings that are to come;  we wanted to withdraw from this world before we departed from it.   With this end in view we ordered our lives and all our actions.   We followed the guidance of God’s law and spurred each other on to virtue.   If it is not too boastful to say, we found in each other a standard and rule for discerning right from wrong.

Different men have different names, which they owe to their parents or to themselves, that is, to their own pursuits and achievements.   But our great pursuit, the great name we wanted, was to be Christians, to be called Christians.”

Learning of these two great Doctors of the Church, St Basil the Great and St Gregory of Nazianzen and their lifelong friendship, their collaboration, most especially against the battle against Arianism, cannot help but call to our minds a similar and immensely brilliant collaboration and personal friendship, which yielded endless fruit for the life of the Church.

Sts Basil and Gregory Pray for us!   St John Paul, Pray for us!   Beloved Papa Benedict continue to keep us all in your prayers.   Pray that our friendships may be as Godly as yours was!st basil and st gregory - pray for us - 2 jan 2018