Category: MORNING Prayers

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 15 November – The Memorial of St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church

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Our Morning Offering – 15 November – The Memorial of St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church

Prayer “O Lord, King of all!”
St Albert the Great (1200-1280)

We pray to You, O Lord,
who are the supreme Truth,
and all truth is from You.
We beseech You, O Lord,
who are the highest Wisdom,
and all the wise depend on You for their wisdom.
You are the supreme Joy,
and all who are happy owe it to You.
You are the Light of minds,
and all receive their understanding from You.
We love, we love You above all.
We seek You, we follow You,
and we are ready to serve You.
We desire to dwell under Your power
for You are the King of all. Amenour lord, king of all - st albert the geat op

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 14 November : Twelve Reasons From The Teachings Of The Church For Wanting To Spend One Hour With Jesus In The Blessed Sacrament – the Source and Summit of our Faith

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Thought for the Day – 14 November : Twelve Reasons From The Teachings Of The Church For Wanting To Spend One Hour With Jesus In The Blessed Sacrament.

1. You are greatly needed!
“The Church and the world have a great need of eucharistic adoration.”    – (St Pope John Paul II, Dominicae Cenae)

2. This is a personal invitation to you from Jesus!
“Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love.”    – (St Pope John Paul II, Dominicae Canae)

3. Jesus is counting on you because the Eucharist is the centre of our Catholic life – the SOURCE and the SUMMIT!
“Every member of the Church must be vigilant in seeing that the sacrament of love shall be at the centre of the life of the people of God so that through all the manifestations of worship due Him shall be given back ‘love for love’ and truly become the life of our souls.” (St Pope John Paul II, Redeemer of Man)

4. Your hour with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament will repair for the evils of the world and bring about peace on earth.
“Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Jesus and ready to make reparation for the great evils of the world.   Let your adoration never cease.”   –  (St Pope John Paul II, Dominicai Cenae)

5. Day and night Jesus dwells in the Blessed Sacrament because you are the most important person in the world to Him – you are a treasure, believe it!
“Christ is reserved in our churches as the spiritual centre of the heart of the community, the universal Church and all humanity, since within the veil of the species, Christ is contained, the invisible heart of the Church, the Redeemer of the world, the centre of all hearts, by him all things are and of whom we exist.”    – (Blessed Pope Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei)

6. Our Lord Jesus wants you to do more than to go to Holy Mass on Sunday.
“Our communal worship at Mass must go together with our personal worship of Jesus in Eucharistic adoration in order that our love may be complete.”    – (St Pope John Paul II, Redeemer of Man)

7. You grow spiritually with each moment you spend with Jesus!
“Our essential commitment in life is to preserve and advance constantly in Eucharistic life and Eucharistic piety and to grow spiritually in the climate of the Holy Eucharist.”   –  (St Pope John Paul II, Redeemer of Man)

8. The best time you spend on earth is with Jesus, your Best Friend, in the Blessed Sacrament!
“How great is the value of conversation with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, for there is nothing more consoling on earth, nothing more efficacious for advancing along the road of holiness!”    – (Blessed Pope Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei)

9. Just as you can’t be exposed to the sun without receiving its rays, neither can you come to Jesus exposed in the Blessed Sacrament without receiving the divine rays of His grace, His love, his peace.
“Christ is truly the Emmanuel, that is, God with us, day and night, He is in our midst.   He dwells with us full of grace and truth.  He restores morality, nourishes virtue, consoles the afflicted, strengthens the weak.”   –  (Blessed Pope Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei)

10. If Jesus were actually visible in church, everyone would run to welcome Him, but He remains hidden in the Sacred Host under the appearance of bread because He is calling us to faith, that we many come to Him in humility.
“The Blessed Sacrament is the ‘Living Heart’ of each of our churches and it is our very sweet duty to honour and adore the Blessed Host, which our eyes see, the Incarnate Word, whom they cannot see.”   –  (Blessed Pope Paul VI, Credo of the People of God)

11. With transforming mercy, Jesus makes our heart one with his.
“He proposes His own example to those who come to Him, that all may learn to be like Himself, gentle and humble of heart and to seek not their own interest but those of God.”  -(Blessed Pope Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei)

12. If the Pope himself would give you a special invitation to visit him in the Vatican, this honour would be nothing in comparison to the honour and dignity that Jesus Himself bestows upon you with the invitation of spending one hour with Him in the Blessed Sacrament.
“The divine Eucharist bestows upon the Christian people the incomparable dignity.”   –  (Blessed Pope Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei)christ is truly emmanuel - bl pope paul VI - 14 nov 2017 - reasons to come to adoration

Posted in CATHOLIC Quotes, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote/s of the Day – 14 November

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 November

“What is faith but a carriage to heaven?”

St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)what is faith but a carriage to heaven - st aelred of rievaulx - 14 nov 2017

“Pray to God,
‘You are the Spirit
and I am only the trumpet
and without Your breath
I can give no sound.'”

St Joseph of Copurtino (1603-1663)pray to god - st joseph of cupertino - 14 nov 2017

“Can you expect to go to Heaven for nothing?
Did not our dear Saviour track the whole way to it
with His Blood and tears?”

St Elizabeth Ann Seaton (1774-1821)can you expect - st elizabeth ann seton - 14 nov 2017

“I tremble to think,
that I have to give,
an account of my tongue. …
Sometimes we kill with the tongue:
we commit real murders.”

St Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938)i tremble to think - st faustina - 14 nov 2017

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 November

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 November

My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me…..John 10:27

REFLECTION – “The higher we go, the more we can hear the voice of Christ.”…Bl Pier Giorgio Frassatithe higher we go - bl pier - 14 nov 2017

PRAYER – Jesus my Lord and God, help me to climb high enough to hear Your voice.   Help me to strive daily to attain knowledge of You with a heart that longs for and loves you.   For it is Your voice and Your embrace I reach for. Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 14 November

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Our Morning Offering – 14 November

Grant me, O Lord my God
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church

Grant me, O Lord my God,
a mind to know You,
a heart to seek You,
wisdom to find You,
conduct pleasing to You,
faithful perseverance in waiting for You,
and a hope of finally embracing You.
Amen.grant me o lord my god - st thomas aquinas - 14 nov 2017

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, Uncategorized

Thought for the Day – 13 November – The Memorial of St Stanislaus Kostka SJ (1550-1568)

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Thought for the Day – 13 November – The Memorial of St Stanislaus Kostka SJ (1550-1568)

Although the life of St. Stanislaus was short in years, it contains a simple roadmap for us all.

The Three things all saints possess and these things will make us saints too – great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, our Holy Mother and Prayer.   Follow him in these points.   Assist daily, if you can, at Holy Mass, attend Our Lord in the Tabernacle or at Eucharistic Adoration, as often as possible, even for just a few minutes and always prepare yourself carefully for holy Communion;  honour the divine Mother and invoke her with filial trust.   To ask her blessing, morning and night, after the example of St Stanislaus, is easily done and is, moreover, a sign of love and confidence.PRAYER BEFORE OUR LORD IN THE HOLY EUCHARIST - ST STANISLAUS MEMORIAL - 13 NOV 2017

And finally, especially during this month of the holy souls, remember to contemplate your own death each day and do not delay your penance until you are lying on your sick-bed.  While you are in the possession of health, examine your conscience, in order to ascertain if there is nothing which might trouble you on your death-bed.   Should you find anything, remove it without delay.   “For it is difficult, it is very difficult,” says Hugo of St. Victor, “to do true penance at that time and to awaken, in a troubled conscience, earnest repentance.”   Perhaps, at that moment, one does not even think of it, or knows, not what to do in the anxiety of his mind.   “At the time of sickness, you can hardly think of anything but what you feel,” says St Jerome; and St Augustine writes:  “It is in accordance with Divine Justice that he who forgets God during his life, forgets himself in the hour of death.”   “Therefore, whoever wishes to die quietly and peacefully, let him do penance while he enjoys health,” says S. Bernard.   While you are in the possession of health, you would daily employ a few minutes to examine your conscience, in order to ascertain if there is nothing which might trouble you on your death-bed.    Should you find anything, remove it without delay!

A practice of worth for us all, is to beg St Stanislaus to be our patrons of a holy and peaceful death.   Therefore, we pray:

Saint Stanislaus, patron most tender and most powerful, angel of purity and of love, I rejoice with you in your happy death, a death rejoiced in, by your longing to see Jesus and Mary. who was taken up bodily into heaven and consummated by a mighty impulse of love toward her.   I give thanks unto Mary, who was pleased to hear and answer your prayers and I implore you, by the glory of your happy death, to be the advocate and patron of my death.   Intercede with Mary our Mother for me that my death, if not so happy as yours, may at least be peaceful under the protection of Mary, my Advocate and of you my special patron of my inevitable.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

Pray for us, O holy Stanislaus,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

O God, who amongst the other wonderful works of Your wisdom, has bestowed the grace of holiness on them of tender years:   grant, we beseech You, that we, following in the footsteps of blessed St Stanislaus and redeeming the time by unremitting labour, may hasten without fear, to enter into our eternal rest.   Through Christ our Lord, St Stanislaus, pray for us now and at the hour of our death, amen.st stanislaus - pray for us - 13 nov 2017 no 3

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

Quote/s of the Day – 13 November – The Memorial of St Stanislaus Kostka SJ (1550-1568)

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 November – The Memorial of St Stanislaus Kostka SJ (1550-1568)

“I want eternity. I was born for greater things…”i want eternity - stanislaus - 13 nov 2017

“What have I done for Christ?
What am I doing for Christ?
What ought I do for Christ?”

St Stanislaus Kostka SJ (1550-1568)what have i done for christ - st stanislaus - 13 nov 2017

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

One Minute Reflection – 13 November – The Memorial of St Stanislaus Kostka SJ (1550-1568)

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One Minute Reflection – 13 November – The Memorial of St Stanislaus Kostka SJ (1550-1568)

Let no-one despise your youth but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity….1 Timothy 4:12

REFLECTION – “The first lesson is that there can be great sanctity even in youth.   In other words, God is not only no respecter of persons, He is no respecter of angels.   The essence of sanctity is in the grace that He confers. … God gives His grace to whom ever He wishes, in what quantity He wishes and ours is to recognise His gift and not miscalculate. …There can be great sanctity in youth.”…Venerable Servant of God Fr John A Hardon S.J. from his writings on St Stanislausthe first lesson is that - fr john a hardon on st stanislaus - 13 nov 2017

PRAYER – Holy Father, I beg Your grace to achieve sanctity.   Grant me the wisdom to follow Your Son, the fortitude to persevere in all trails but most of all Holy Father, grant me Your grace to obtain eternal life.   Precious youth, St Stanislaus, please pray for us all , amen.st stanislaus - pray for us - 13 nov 2017 - no 4

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 13 November – The Memorial of St Stanislaus Kostka SJ (1550-1568)

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Our Morning Offering – 13 November – The Memorial of St Stanislaus Kostka SJ (1550-1568)

Wash Me With Your Precious Blood
By St Peter Canisius, S.J.

See, O merciful God, what return
I, Your thankless servant, have made
for the innumerable favours
and the wonderful love You have shown me!
What wrongs I have done, what good left undone!
Wash away, I beg You, these faults and stains
with Your precious blood, most kind Redeemer,
and make up for my poverty by applying Your merits.
Give me the protection I need to amend my life.
I give and surrender myself wholly to You,
and offer You all I possess,
with the prayer that You bestow Your grace on me,
so that I may be able to devote and employ
all the thinking power of my mind
and the strength of my body in Your holy service,
who are God blessed for ever and ever. Amenwash me with your precious blood - st peter canisius - 13 nov 2017

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

Thought for the Day – 12 November – The Memorial of St Josaphat Kuncewicz (1584-1623) Martyr of Holy Unity

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Thought for the Day – 12 November – The Memorial of St Josaphat Kuncewicz (1584-1623) Martyr of Holy Unity

As deacon, priest and bishop, St Josaphat was distinguished by his extraordinary zeal in performing the Church services and by extraordinary devotion during the Divine Liturgy.   Not only in the church did he preach and hear confessions but likewise in the fields, hospitals, prisons and even on his personal journeys.  This zeal, united with his kindness for the poor, won great numbers of Orthodox Ruthenians for the Catholic faith and Catholic unity.   Among his converts were included many important personages such as Ignatius, former Patriarch of Moscow and Emmanuel Cantacuzenus, who belonged to the imperial family of the Byzantine Emperor Palaeologus.   His favourite devotional exercise was to make prostrations in which the head touches the ground, saying, the Jesus prayer: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.the jesus prayer - 12 nov 2017

When Archbishop St Josaphat went to Vitebsk to calm the tumult in 1623, he knew well that his hour had come.   “Grant that I be found worthy, Lord, to shed my blood for the union and obedience to the Apostolic See”, he had prayed and his prayer was answered on 12 November as an enraged mob cruelly butchered him and profaned his body. He was in his 44th year.
After five days his mortal remains were recovered from the waters of a river and taken to Polotsk to be exposed to the veneration of the faithful.   For nine days they constantly emitted a fragrance of roses and lilies and a councillor of the city abandoned the schism merely at the sight of the Saint’s beautiful countenance.   Many of the murderers struck their breasts and did likewise.   The martyr had gone gladly to his death, offering his life that the schism might end;  he had said as much beforehand and amongst the many miracles consequent to his murder was the conversion of his assassins.   Four years later the author of the troubles, the dissident bishop Meletius Smotrytsky, was himself struck with remorse and consecrated his life to penance, prayer and the defence of the Union.   Such changes of heart are indeed the greatest of miracles, won by the sanctity of the true servants of God.

Some years after St Josaphat’s martyrdom his body was found to be incorrupt, though the clothing had rotted away.   Again in 1637 and 1767 it was found to be still white and supple. It was eventually taken to the Basilica of St Peter in Rome where it reposes today.

Today, let us offer our prayers, our devotions, our Sunday Mass for unity between ourselves and most especially our Orthodox brethren, our closest family in Christ.   St Josaphat, please pray with us and for us all!st josaphat pray for us.2.

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

Quote of the Day – 12 November – The Memorial of St Josaphat Kuncewicz (1584-1623)

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Quote of the Day – 12 November – The Memorial of St Josaphat Kuncewicz (1584-1623)

“I am ready to die for the holy union,
for the supremacy of Saint Peter
and of his successor,
the Supreme Pontiff.”

St Josaphat Kuncewicz (1584-1623)i am ready to die - st josaphat - 12 nov 2017

Posted in MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

One Minute Reflection – 12 November – The Memorial of St Josaphat Kuncewicz (1584-1623)

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One Minute Reflection – 12 November – The Memorial of St Josaphat Kuncewicz (1584-1623)

Why, then, does one of you make himself judge over his brother and why does another among you despise his brother? All of us will have to stand in front of the judgement-seat of God…… Let us each stop passing judgement, therefore, on one another and decide instead, that none of us will place obstacles in any brother’s way, or anything that can bring him down…Romans 10,13

REFLECTION – “You people of Vitebsk want to put me to death. You make ambushes for me everywhere, in the streets, on the bridges, on the highways and in the marketplace. I am here among you as a shepherd and you ought to know that I would be happy to give my life for you.”…St Josaphatyou people of bitebsk want to - st josaphat - 12 nov 2017

PRAYER – O Lord our God, grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love. That by our love, our brothers in faith may be one. St Josaphat you fought and struggled to unite the Church and by your efforts achieved the crown of martyrdom, please pray for our world, for a one united faith. Amenst josaphat pray for us

Posted in MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, Uncategorized

Thought for the Day – 11 November – The Memorial of St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)

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Thought for the Day – 11 November – The Memorial of St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)

Today, November 11, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours (also known as “Martin the Merciful” and the “Glory of Gaul,”), bishop, teacher, apostle of charity.   Saint Martin saw himself as a member of the “Army of God,” not the army of man.   Zealous in his love for the Lord, he served (sometimes reluctantly, but ever obediently) those in need and those who sought him out, for his eight-one years on the earth.   Remembered for his great charity, Saint Martin inspires us still today to help those in need, as Christ would have helped them.

Martin’s worry about cooperation with evil reminds us that almost nothing is either all black or all white.   The saints are not creatures of another world.   They face the same perplexing decisions that we do.   Any decision of conscience always involves some risk. If we choose to go north, we may never know what would have happened had we gone east, west, or south.   A hyper-cautious withdrawal from all perplexing situations is not the virtue of prudence; it is in fact, a bad decision, for “not to decide is to decide.”

St Martin of Tours, pray for us!st martin of tours pray for us 11 nov 2017- no 2

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

Quote of the Day – 11 November – The Memorial of St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)

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Quote of the Day – 11 November – The Memorial of St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)

“In the name of the Lord Jesus and protected
only by the sign of the cross,
without shield or helmet,
I shall penetrate the enemy’s ranks
and not be afraid.”

St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)in the name of the lord jesus - st martin of tours - 11 nov 2017

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

One Minute Reflection – 11 November – The Memorial of St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 11 November – The Memorial of St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)

Remember your leaders who preached the word of God to you and as you reflect on the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith….Hebrews 13:7-8

REFLECTION – ““I have served you as a soldier. Let me now serve Christ.   Give the bounty to these others who are going to fight but I am a soldier of Christ and it is not lawful for me to fight.”…St Martin of Toursi have served you as a soldier - st martin - 11 nov 2017

PRAYER – Lord God, You were glorified by the life and death of St Martin.   Renew the wonders of Your grace in our hearts so that neither death nor life may separate us from Your love.  Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, with You in union with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity.  St Martin, continue to intercede for us, amen.st martin of tours pray for us 11 nov 2017

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

Our Morning Offering – 11 November – The Memorial of St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)

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Our Morning Offering – 11 November – The Memorial of St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)

I Will Fight Beneath Your Banner, Lord
Prayer of St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)

Lord, if Your people still have need
of my services,
I will not avoid the toil.
Your will be done.
I have fought the good fight long enough.
Yet if You bid me continue to hold
the battle line in defense
of Your camp,
I will never beg to be excused
from failing strength.
I will do the work You entrust to me.
While You command,
I will fight beneath Your banner.
Ameni will fight beneath your banner lord - st martin of tours - 11 nov 2017

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – – 10 November – The Memorial of St Pope Leo the Great (c400-461) Doctor of the Church

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Thought for the Day – – 10 November – The Memorial of St Pope Leo the Great (c400-461) Doctor of the Church

Leo is called Great in large part because he saved the city of Rome on two separate occasions.   But far more noteworthy is his work safeguarding the Roman and apostolic faith from the confusion of so many different figures.   Since Christ as perfect Man reveals man to himself (concerning which Vatican II reminds us in Gaudium et Spes §22), understanding Christ’s dignity is essential for recognising our own as restored and elevated in the grace He has won for us.

Preserving and transmitting this teaching does not usually oblige us to face the barbarians at the gates.   In the face of those who would obscure the truth, our call—Pope Leo’s call—is to put on what St Paul calls “the mind of Christ.”   Embracing what we ourselves have received, we can be tailored to His understanding of us, rather than our conjectures about Him.   There are only two choices: we can either remember Him Whose members we are in the Body of Christ, or slide into the grave danger highlighted by John Courtney Murray, SJ:

“Self-understanding is the necessary condition of a sense of self-identity and self-confidence, whether in the case of an individual or in the case of a people… Otherwise the peril is great. The complete loss of one’s identity is, with all propriety of theological definition, hell.   In diminished forms it is insanity.”

As to insanity, some would say riding out to meet a barbarian without an army fits the bill.   But knowing himself and the One who called him, Pope Leo could ride out to Attila, confident that the Hun’s efforts would amount to an empire built on sand, a mass of broken lives and a brief (but memorable) footnote in the textbooks….(Br Leo Camurati OP)

St Pope Leo the Great Pray for us, that we may build our houses upon the Rock of Christ and His Church!st pope leo THE GREAT - pray for us

Posted in CATECHESIS, CATHOLIC Quotes, DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 10 November – The Memorial of St Pope Leo the Great (c400-461) Doctor of the Church

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 10 November – The Memorial of St Pope Leo the Great (c400-461) Doctor of the Church

“Peter has spoken by the mouth of Leo.”

“Those who are not good to others
are bad to themselves.”

“PEACE is the first thing the angels sang.
PEACE is the mark of the children of God.
PEACE is the nurse of love.
PEACE is the mother of unity.
PEACE is the rest of the blessed souls.
PEACE is the dwelling place of eternity.”

“The faith of those who LIVE
their faith is a serene faith.
What you long for will be given you;
what you love will be yours for ever.”quotes of st pope leo the great - peter has spoken - 10 nov 2017

“Our sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ
has no other purpose than to transform us
into that which we receive.”our sharing in the body - st leo - 10 nov 2017

“God decreed that all nations should be saved in Christ.
Dear friends, now that we have received instruction
in this revelation of God’s grace, let us celebrate
with spiritual joy the day of our first harvesting,
of the first calling of the Gentiles.
Let us give thanks to the merciful God,
“who has made us worthy,” in the words of the Apostle,
“to share the position of the saints in light;
who has rescued us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of this beloved Son.”
This came to be fulfilled, as we know, from the time
when the star beckoned the three wise men
out of their distant country and led them to recognise
and adore the King of heaven and earth.
The obedience of the star calls us
to imitate its humble service:
to be servants, as best we can,
of the grace that invites all men to find Christ.”god decreed - st leo the great - 10 nov 2017

“The cross of Christ is the true ground
and chief cause of Christian hope.”

“Let no one be ashamed of the cross
by which Christ has redeemed the world.
None of us must be afraid to suffer
for the sake of justice or doubt the
fulfillment of the promises,
for it is through toil that we come to rest
and through death that we pass to life.”

“By Baptism we are made flesh of the Crucified.”by baptism - st leo the great - quotes on the cross - 10 nov 2017

“No-one, however weak, is denied
a share in the victory of the cross.
No-one is beyond the help
of the prayer of Christ.”no-one however weak - st pope leo - 10 nov 2017

St Pope Leo the Great (c400-461) Doctor of the Church

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 November – The Memorial of St Leo the Great (c 400-461) Doctor of the Church

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 10 November – The Memorial of St Leo the Great (c 400-461) Doctor of the Church

No temptation has overtaken you, that is not common to man. God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength but with the temptation, will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it....1 Corinthians 10:13

REFLECTION – “Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife.”…St Pope Leo the Great (c 400-461)virtue is nothing without - st leo the great - 10 nov 2017

PRAYER – Lord God, You built Your Church on the firm foundation of the Apostle Peter and You promised that the gates of hell would never overcome it. So too, may we trust in Your power, that by our faith we may receive the grace to withstand the enemy who will not prevail against us. May your Holy Spirit grant us the grace of fortitude to withstand our temptations, supported by the prayers of St Pope Leo the Great, keep us ever faithful to Your love. Amenst pope leo pray for us - 10 nov 2017

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

Our Morning Offering – 10 November – The Memorial of St Pope Leo the Great (c400-461) Doctor of the Church

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 10 November – The Memorial of St Pope Leo the Great (c400-461) Doctor of the Church

Grant to Us, O Lord
By St Leo I, the Great (c400-461)
Pope, Confessor,
Father and Doctor of the Church

Grant to us, O Lord,
not to mind
earthly things
but rather, to love
heavenly things
that while, all things
around us pass away,
we may even now,
hold fast to those things
which last forever.
Amen

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

One last word on the Feast of the Dedication of the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour, today, 9 November.

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One last word on the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica ofthe Most Holy Saviour, today, 9 November.

One of the most beautiful attributes of the Basilica is the octagonal (8-sided) Baptistery. There one reads

“Here is born a people of noble race, destined for Heaven, whom the Spirit brings forth in the waters He has made fruitful.
Mother Church conceives her offspring by the Breath of God and bears them virginally in this water.
Hope for the Kingdom of Heaven, you who are reborn in this font.
Eternal life does not await those who are only born once.
This is the Spring of Life which waters the whole world, taking its origin from the Wounds of Christ.
Sinner, to be purified, go down into the holy water.
It receives the unregenerate and brings him forth a new man.
If you wish to be made innocent, be cleansed in this pool, whether you are weighed down by Original Sin or your own.
There is no barrier between those who are reborn and made one, by the one font, the one Spirit and the one Faith.
Let neither the number nor the kind of their sins, terrify anyone – once reborn in this water, they will be holy.”

And so we say with the words of Scripture:

“Zeal for your house will consume me.”

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 9 November – Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran – “omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput…the Mother and head of all the Churches of the City and the World.”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 9 November – Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran – “omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput…the Mother and head of all the Churches of the City and the World.”

Saint Augustine gives us a few a ideas to meditate on: “‘Jerusalem that is being built as a city.’   When David was uttering these words, that city had been finished, it was not being built.   It is some city he speaks of, therefore, which is now being built, unto which living stones run in faith, of whom Peter says, ‘You also, as living stones, are built up into a spiritual house, that is, the holy temple of God’.   What does it mean, you are built up as living stones?   You live, if you believe, but if you believe, you are made a temple of God; for the Apostle Paul says, ‘For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple’.”

Unlike the commemorations of other Roman churches, this anniversary is a Feast.   The dedication of a church is a Feast for all its parishioners.   In a sense, St John Lateran is the parish church of all Catholics because it is the Pope’s Cathedral.   This church is the spiritual home of the people who are the Church.

We celebrate the dedication of this Church as the seat of the Bishop of Rome from which all other pastoral authority is derived.   We honour the anniversary of a church’s dedication because a church gives full voice to the sacred Liturgy.   The feast of the dedication gives full acceptance and capacity to live the ancient theological principle, legem credendi lex statuat supplicandi (the law of belief given through the law of prayer, or even more of short-hand, the law of prayer is the law of belief).

O God, who out of living and chosen stones, builds up an everlasting dwelling-place for Your Majesty –  help Your people, who humbly pray to You and whatever material room Your Church may set apart for Your worship, let it bring also spiritual increase.
(Post-Communion prayer)o god, who out of living - feast of st john lateran - 9 nov 2017

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

Quote/s of the Day – 9 November – Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 9 November – Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran

“What was done here, as these walls were rising, is reproduced when we bring together those who believe in Christ. For, by believing they are hewn out, as it were, from mountains and forests, like stones and timber; but by catechising, baptism and instruction they are, as it were, shaped, squared and planed by the hands of the workers and artisans. Nevertheless, they do not make a house for the Lord until they are fitted together through love”.

St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of the Church – Sermon 36what was done here - st augustine - 9 nov 2017

“God’s desire to build a spiritual temple in the world, a community that worships him in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23-24). But this observance also reminds us of the importance of the material buildings in which the community gathers to celebrate the praises of God. Every community, therefore, has the duty to take special care of its own sacred buildings, which are a precious religious and historical patrimony. For this we call upon the intercession of Mary Most Holy, that she help us to become, like her, the “house of God,” living temple of his love.”

Pope Benedict XVI  – 9 November 2008.gods desire to build - pope benedict - 9 nov 2017

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

Our Morning Offering – 9 November – Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 9 November – Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran

O God,
who from living and chosen stones
prepare an eternal dwelling for Your Majesty,
increase in Your Church the spirit of grace
You have bestowed, so that by new growth,
Your faithful people may build up
the heavenly Jerusalem.
We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ,
in union with the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.prayer for the feast of the dedication of st john lateran - 9 nov 2017

Posted in CARMELITES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Thought for the Day – 8 November – The Memorial of St Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880-1906)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 8 November – The Memorial of St Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880-1906)

Elizabeth Catez offers hope to any parent who struggles with a strong-willed child.   A holy terror as a toddler, she once embarrassed her mother by shouting out at Mass, “Bad priest! Bad priest! That’s my doll!”   The priest had secretly borrowed her doll to be used as the Christ Child in his creche.   But gradually Elizabeth channeled her willfulness into a determination to become a saint.

Elizabeth’s first communion and confirmation at age 10 touched her deeply without quelling her rambunctiousness.   But from that time she opened up to an interior prayer life that slowly matured into the infused contemplation of a mystic.   At 14 she felt drawn to choose Christ as her spouse.   Without hesitating she made a private vow of virginity. And having been intrigued by visits to the local Carmelite convent at Dijon, France, since childhood, she was determined to become a Carmelite.

Marie, her mother, was horrified at the thought.   She did all she could do to prevent it. She sent Elizabeth to parties in hopes that these might distract her and arranged for suitors to pursue her.   But she could not in the end resist her daughter’s strong will.   She gave up and allowed Elizabeth to enter the Dijon Carmel in 1901.

Appropriately, she took the name Elizabeth of the Trinity, for the focus of her life became her immersion in the Godhead, or rather the Trinity’s immersion in her.   This letter from Elizabeth to a friend typifies her spirituality:

I love to penetrate beyond the veil of the soul to this inner sanctuary where we live alone with God.   He wants us entirely to Himself and is making there within us a cherished solitude.   Listen to everything that is being sung . . . in His heart.   It is Love, the infinite love that envelops us and desires to give us a share . . . in all His blessedness.   The whole Blessed Trinity dwells in us, the whole of that mystery which will be our vision in heaven.  I am “Elizabeth of the Trinity”—Elizabeth disappearing, losing herself, allowing herself to be invaded by the Three…All day long let us surrender ourselves to Love, by doing the will of God, under His gaze, with Him, in Him, for Him alone. . . . And then, when evening comes, after a dialogue of love that has never stopped in our hearts, let us go to sleep still in love. And if we are aware of any faults, let us simply abandon them to Love, which is a consuming fire and so do our purgatory in His love!

Like St Theresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart, another Carmelite, Elizabeth delighted the other sisters in the cloister with her simple and joyful service.   However, in 1903, she contracted Addison’s disease.   She suffered intensely and joyfully until she died in 1906. St. Elizabeth of the Trinity was only 26-years-old.

“During painful times, when you feel a terrible void, think how God is enlarging the capacity of your soul, so that it can receive Him – making it, as it were, infinite as He is infinite.”   Look upon each pain, as a love token coming to you directly from God, in order to unite you to Him.during painful times - st elizabeth of the trinity - 8 nov 2017

St Elizabeth of the Trinity, Pray for us!st elizabeth pray for usno2

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

Quote/s of the Day – 8 November – The Memorial of St Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880-1906)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 8 November – The Memorial of St Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880-1906)

“By our actions we tell Him of our love.”

“A soul united to Jesus is a living smile
that radiates Him and gives Him.”

“May my life be a continual prayer, a long act of love.”

“You will never be commonplace if you are vigilant in love.”by our actions - st elizabeth of the trinity - 8 nov 2017

“I have found
heaven on earth,
since heaven is God
and God is in my soul.”i have found heaven on eart - st elizabeth of the trinity - 8 nov 2017

“Make a little cell in your heart
for Jesus of the Agony;
take refuge there
when you hear Him
outraged by men,
try to make reparation;
you, at least, love Him
and keep your heart
quite pure for Him.
Oh! If you only knew how
the good God loves pure hearts!
It is there that He loves to reign!”

St Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880-1906)make a little cell - st elizabeth of the trinity - 8 nov 2017

Posted in CARMELITES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 November – The Memorial of St Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880-1906)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 8 November – The Memorial of St Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880-1906)

“Father, I will that where I am, they also whom you have given me may be with me….” John 17:24john 17 24

REFLECTION – “Jesus’ desire is for us to be with Him in communion.   This is what He aches for, His deepest desire that He prays for.   This is what Jesus was doing the night before He died.” …St Elizabeth of the Trinityjesus' desire - st elizabeth of the trinity - 8 nov 2017

PRAYER – My Lord and my God, You have prayed that I may be in You and You in me.   This is the guiding consolation of my life and the source of my prayer.   Lead me to Yourself, guide me and teach me that I may never stray from You.   Holy St Elizabeth of the Trinity, in your young life you followed the way of the Lord, the way of the Cross, doing all for God by the love of the Holy Spirit.   Please pray for us, amen.st elizabeth pray for us

Posted in CARMELITES, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Our Morning Offering – 8 November – The Memorial of St Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880-1906)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 8 November – The Memorial of St Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880-1906)

Holy Trinity, Whom I Adore
By St Elizabeth of the Trinity

O my God, Trinity whom I adore, let me entirely forget myself that I may abide in You, still and peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity; let nothing disturb my peace nor separate me from You, O my unchanging God but that each moment may take me further into the depths of Your mystery! Pacify my soul! Make it Your heaven, Your beloved home and place of Your repose; let me never leave You there alone but may I be ever attentive, ever alert in my faith, ever adoring and all given up to Your creative action.

O my beloved Christ, crucified for love, would that I might be for You a spouse of Your heart! I would anoint You with glory, I would love You – even unto death! Yet I sense my frailty and ask You to adorn me with Yourself; identify my soul with all the movements of Your soul, submerge me, overwhelm me, substitute Yourself in me that my life may become but a reflection of Your life. Come into me as Adorer, Redeemer and Saviour.

O Eternal Word, Word of my God, would that I might spend my life listening to You, would that I might be fully receptive to learn all from You. In all darkness, all loneliness, all weakness, may I ever keep my eyes fixed on You and abide under Your great light; O my Beloved Star, fascinate me so that I may never be able to leave Your radiance.

O Consuming Fire, Spirit of Love, descend into my soul and make all in me as an incarnation of the Word, that I may be to Him a super-added humanity wherein He renews His mystery; and You O Father, bestow Yourself and bend down to Your little creature, seeing in her only Your beloved Son in whom You are well pleased.

O my `Three’, my All, my Beatitude, infinite Solitude, Immensity in whom I lose myself, I give myself to You as a prey to be consumed; enclose Yourself in me that I may be absorbed in You so as to contemplate in Your light the abyss of Your Splendour!holy trinity whom I adore - st elizabeth of the trinity - 8 nov 2017

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 7 November – The Memorial of Blessed Anthony Baldinucci SJ (1665-1717)

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Thought for the Day – 7 November – The Memorial of Blessed Anthony Baldinucci SJ (1665-1717)

Today, 7 November we celebrate the feast day of Blessed Antonio Baldinucci (1665-1717), a Jesuit missionary who, despite failing health, served the Lord with every ounce of strength and love he possessed.  While his heart lay in overseas missions, Anthony obediently remained in Italy, giving great missions, reaching many through his preaching and example and working tirelessly for the conversion of souls.   His simple faith and acceptance of the will of the Lord, inspire us today to examine our lives and hopes… and then measure how those relate to what the Lord would have us do.
His words “That God may be moved by my sufferings to touch the hearts of my hearers” are an inspiration to us when we wonder how to offer our sufferings to God. Perhaps ours would be “that God may be moved by my sufferings and use my life as an example to the hearts of sinners.”

Blessed Anthony Baldinucci, Pray for us!bl anthony baldinucci pray for us - 7 nov 2017.no2

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SANCTITY

Quote/s of the Day – 7 November “On Achieving Sanctity”

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 November “On Achieving Sanctity”

“Come, brothers, let us at length spur ourselves on.
We must rise again with Christ, we must seek the world
which is above and set our mind on the things of heaven.
Let us long for those who are longing for us,
hasten to those who are waiting for us
and ask those who look for our coming to intercede for us.
We should not only want to be with the saints,
we should also hope to possess their happiness.
While we desire to be in their company,
we must also earnestly seek to share in their glory.
Do not imagine that there is anything harmful
in such an ambition as this;
there is no danger in setting our hearts on such glory.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Doctor of the Churchcome brothers - st bernard - 7 nov 2017

“Holiness does not consist of doing more difficult things every day
but doing things with greater love every day.
Our great desires for holiness have to be expressed
by persevering in small things.
This has to be your ambition:
to persevere in the exact fulfilment of your present obligations,
because that work – humble, monotonous, small –
is prayer expressed in deeds.
And it prepares us to receive the grace for that other work –
great, broad and deep – about which we dream:
to place Christ at the summit of all human activities.”

St Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)holiness does not consist - st josemaria - 7 nov 2017

“Many little things done with love and for love
comprise our treasure for this or that day,
which we will carry with us into eternity.
Our interior life is normally nourished
by little things carried out with love and attention.”

St John Paul (1920-2005)many little things - st john paul - 7 nov 2017