MORNING Prayers – Page 201

Thought for the Day – 5 September – The Memorial of St Mother Teresa (1910-1997)

Posted on September 5, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 5 September – The Memorial of St Mother Teresa (1910-1997)

Through her life and work Mother Teresa gave visibility to the invisible God, as a light bulb makes electricity visible. As the light bulb does not produce the electricity, so too the power to do good belonged not to her but to the Lord. There were therefore no grounds for her to be proud. It was clear to her that the more united she was to Jesus, like the branch to the vine, the more abundantly she would bear fruit for Him.
“Let us thank God and Our Lady” was her spontaneous response when people thanked her for the blessings they received through her prayers. Aware of the Source of all power, she wrote in the first pages of her handwritten Constitutions:
“It was Jesus Christ on the Cross through His blessed Mother—in His great mercy and love—who chose one of His most unworthy and most incapable of human beings to start His own work among the poor. Therefore the Society as a whole or in detail is completely and will always remain the sole possession of the Mother of God.”

(Fr Sebastian Vazhakala MC a member of St Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, who knew, worked and loved St Teresa for 31 years)

St Mother Teresa Pray for us that we too may make the invisible God visible! “Let us thank God and Our Lady”

st mother teresa - pray for us.2

MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, Uncategorized

Quote/s of the Day – 5 September – The Memorial of St Mother Teresa (1910-1997)

Posted on September 5, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 5 September – The Memorial of St Mother Teresa (1910-1997)

“The cry of Jesus on the Cross, ‘I thirst’ (Jn 19: 28), expressing the depth of God’s longing for man, penetrated Mother Teresa’s soul and found fertile soil in her heart.”
—Pope John Paul II – 19 October 2003

“As Lent is the time for greater love, listen to Jesus’ thirst. “Repent and believe,” Jesus tells us. What are we to repent? Our indifference, our hardness of heart. What are we to believe? Jesus thirsts even now, in your heart and in the poor – He knows your weakness. He wants only your love, wants only the chance to love you.”

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

“Unless we believe and see Jesus in the appearance of bread on the altar, we will not be able to see him in the distressing disguise of the poor.”

“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.”

“If you can’t feed a hundred people
them just feed one.”

The Simple Path
Silence is Prayer
Prayer is Faith
Faith is Love
Love is Service
The Fruit of Service is Peace

“The so-called right to abortion
has portrayed the GREATEST of GIFTS
a CHILD
as a competitor
an intrusion and
an inconvenience.”

St Mother Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us!

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

One Minute Reflection – September 5 – The Memorial of St Mother Teresa (1910-1997)

Posted on September 5, 2017September 5, 2017 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – September 5 – The Memorial of St Mother Teresa (1910-1997)

Each one has his own gift from God……….1 Cor 7:7

REFLECTION – “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love…..God doesn’t require us to succeed, He only requires that we try…….I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” ….St Mother Teresa of Calcutta

not all of us can do great things - st mother teresa.2

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help me to be holy in the way that You have laid out for me. Let me carry out the duties of my state in life to the full and so attain the holiness proper to me. St Mother Teresa please pray for us that we may all use the gifts we have been given for the Glory of God. Amen

st mother teresa - pray for us

MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 4 September – The Feast of Our Lady of Consolation

Posted on September 4, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 4 September – The Feast of Our Lady of Consolation

Pope Benedict XVI encouraged the faithful to pray to Our Lady of Consolation, stating “From Her We Can Always Learn How to Look Upon Jesus:”

“As we come to the conclusion of this solemn celebration, we offer a prayer to Mary Most Holy, who in Turin is venerated as the principal patroness with the title Blessed Virgin of Consolation. To her I entrust this city and all those who live here. O Mary, watch over the families and the workers; watch over those who have lost faith and hope; comfort the sick, those in prison and all who suffer. O Help of Christians, sustain the young people, the elderly and persons in difficulty. O Mother of the Church, watch over her pastors and the whole community of believers, that they may be “salt and light” in the midst of the world.

The Virgin Mary is she who more than any other contemplated God in the human face of Jesus. She saw him as a newborn when, wrapped in swaddling clothes, he was placed in a manger; she saw him when, just after his death, they took him down from the cross, wrapped him in linen and placed him in the sepulcher. Inside her was impressed the image of her martyred Son; but this image was then transfigured in the light of the Resurrection. Thus in Mary’s heart was carried the mystery of the face of Christ, a mystery of death and of glory. From her we can always learn how to look upon Jesus with a gaze of love and of faith, to recognise in that human countenance, the Countenance of God.”

To our Lord and our God, Jesus Christ, we pray for a greater love of His Mother and to our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Consolation, we lift our prayers for patience, for support and for comfort in our times of confusion, fear and anxiety. Pray for us, Our Lady of Consolation! our lady of consolation pray for us.2

DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 4 September – The Feast of Our Lady of Consolation

Posted on September 4, 2017September 4, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 4 September – The Feast of Our Lady of Consolation

“Has anyone ever come away from Mary,
troubled or saddened or ignorant
of the heavenly Mysteries?
Who has not returned to everyday life
gladdened and joyful
because a request has been granted
by the Mother of God?”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1110-1159)

“As the Mother of Christ,
Mary is the Mother
of our wisdom and justice,
of our holiness and redemption.
She is more our Mother
than the mother of our flesh.”

St Aelred (1109-1166)

“O Mary, I have not doubt
that whenever we run to you,
we shall obtain all that we desire.
Let those then who have no hope, hope in you.”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church

DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 September – The Feast of Our Lady of Consolation

Posted on September 4, 2017 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 4 September – The Feast of Our Lady of Consolation

Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”….John 2:4-5 jesus said to her, woman - john 2 4-5

REFLECTION – “The Church calls Mary the “Queen of Mercy” because we believe she opens the abyss of God’s mercy to whomever she wills, when she wills and as she wills.
No sinner — no matter how great — who has Mary as protector is ever lost.”…St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) – Doctor of the Church the church calls mary the queen of mercy - st bernard

PRAYER – Almighty God, grant that Your faithful, who rejoice in the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may be delivered from every evil here on earth, through her prayer and come to the enduring joys of heaven. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit Mary, our Consolation and Comforter, pray for us! Amen. mary our consolation - pray for us

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 4 September – The Feast of Our Lady of Consolation

Posted on September 4, 2017September 4, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 4 September – The Feast of Our Lady of Consolation

Prayer to Our Lady of Consolation

O Mary Immaculate, our Mother and Consolation,
I take refuge in your most loving heart
with all the confidence of which I am capable;
you shall be the dearest object
of my love and veneration.
To you, who are the dispenser
of the treasures of Heaven,
I shall always have recourse,
in my sorrows to have peace,
in my doubts to have light,
in my dangers to be defended,
in all my needs to obtain your assistance.
Be therefore my refuge,
my strength,
my consolation, O Mary the Consoler!
At the hour of my death,
graciously receive the last sighs of my heart
and obtain for me a place in your heavenly home,
where all hearts shall praise with one accord
the adorable Heart of Jesus for ever more,
and your most lovable heart, O Mary.
Our tender Mother, Comforter of the afflicted,
pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Grant also peace and holiness to the Church,
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen prayer to our lady of consolation no 2

DEVOTIO, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 3 September – The Memnorial of St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) – Father & Doctor of the Church

Posted on September 3, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 3 September – The Memnorial of St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) – Father & Doctor of the Church

By his writings, St Gregory is one of the Four Fathers of the Latin Church and the influence of his writings dominated the Middle Ages. His Pastoral Care, became the pastoral manual of later centuies and his Moralia laid the foundation for medieval spirtuality.
In his thirteen years as Pope, this “servant of the servants of God”, crowded in a lifetime.
He died in 604, sick and worn out, still dictating letters on his deathbed. He was buried at St Peter’s and his epitaph called him “the great consul of God.”

St Gregory shows the critical importance of leadership and the fantastic things that a good leader can accomplish. He influenced every aspect of religious life and is with good reason called “the Great”.
His life shows how important one man’s witness can be.

We are “one man” too – the tiny bit we do might seem inconsequential – but God works in mysterious ways and His Hand covers all the earth – our tiny bit could well be spread by that Hand!

St Gregory the Great, Servant of the Servants, pray for us! st pope gregory pray for us 2

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 3 September – The Memorial of St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) – Father & Doctor of the Church

Posted on September 3, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 3 September – The Memorial of St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) – Father & Doctor of the Church

“If we knew at what time we were to depart from this world,
we would be able to select a season for pleasure
and another for repentance.
But God, who has promised pardon to every repentant sinner,
has not promised us tomorrow.
Therefore we must always dread the final day,
which we can never foresee.
This VERY DAY is a day of truce, a day for conversion.
And yet we refuse to cry over the evil we have done!
Not only do we not weep for the sins we have committed,
we even add to them…”

“Don’t be anxious about what you have,
but about what you are!”

“When we attend to the needs of those in want,
we give them what is theirs, not ours.
More than performing works of mercy,
we are paying a debt of justice.”

“The Emperor of heaven, the Lord of men and of angels,
has sent you His epistles for your life’s advantage—
and yet you neglect to read them eagerly.
Study them, I beg you and meditate daily on the words
of your Creator. Learn the heart of God in the words of God,
that you may sigh more eagerly for things eternal,
that your soul may be kindled
with greater longings for heavenly joy.”

St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) – Father & Doctor of the Church

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

Our Morning Offering – 3 September – The Memorial of St Pope Gregory the Great – Father & Doctor

Posted on September 3, 2017September 3, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 3 September – The Memorial of St Pope Gregory the Great – Father & Doctor

St Gregory’s Prayer of Praise

It is only right,
with all the powers of our heart and mind,
to praise You Father
and Your Only-Begotten Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear Father,
by Your wondrous condescension
of loving-kindness toward us, Your servants,
You gave up Your Son.
Dear Jesus,
You paid the debt of Adam for us
to the Eternal Father by Your Blood
poured forth in loving-kindness.
You cleared away the darkness of sin
by Your magnificent and radiant Resurrection.
You broke the bonds of death
and rose from the grave as a Conqueror.
You reconciled heaven and earth.
Our life had no hope of eternal happiness
before You redeemed us.
Your Resurrection has washed away our sins,
restored our innocence and brought us joy.
How inestimable is the tenderness
of Your Love!
Amen st gregory's prayer of praise.2

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

Quote/s of the Day – 2 September – The Memorial of St Solomon Le Clercq FSC

Posted on September 2, 2017September 2, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 2 September – The Memorial of St Solomon Le Clercq FSC (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HC9QWCtvB8)

“I’m Solomon Le Clercq
and I want,
I want to sign,
to say that I’ll die,
I’ll die a happy man
if Jesus is at my side
and I say:
I want to live for Jesus,
I want!
I want to die for Jesus,
I want!
To live and to die
a real man of God!
To live and die a real
Brother from God!”

i'm solomon - I want!-st solomon le clercq

“As for us, we hold, to what we believed,
ten and twenty years ago;
to what our forefathers believed,
one hundred years ago
and one thousand years ago
and to that which,
the whole Catholic world,
has always believed.”

as for us, we hold to what we believed - st solomon le clercq

“Do not be troubled.
Ask constantly for the help of God ….
Why should we weep
since the Gospel tells us to rejoice
when we have something to endure
for His name’s sake?
Let us then suffer joyfully
and with thanksgiving
the crosses and afflictions
which He may send us.
As for myself,
it would seem that I am not
worthy to suffer for Him,
since I have not as yet
encountered any trials,
whereas so many confessors
of Jesus Christ are in affliction.”

DO NOT BE TROUBLED - ST SOLOMON LE CLERCQ

ST SOLOMON LE CLERCQ (1767-1792)

MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 September – Today’s Gospel Matthew 25:14-30

Posted on September 2, 2017 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 2 September – Today’s Gospel Matthew 25:14-30

For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has.…Matthew 25:29

REFLECTION – ” Fear is the wrong attitude: the servant who is afraid of his master and fears his return hides the coin in the earth and it does not produce any fruit. This happens, for example, to those who after receiving Baptism, Communion and Confirmation subsequently bury these gifts beneath a blanket of prejudice, beneath a false image of God that paralyses faith and good works, thus betraying the Lord’s expectations. However, the parable places a greater emphasis on the good fruits brought by the disciples who, happy with the gift they received, did not keep it hidden with fear and jealousy but made it profitable by sharing it and partaking in it. Yes, what Christ has given us is multiplied in its giving!” …Pope Benedict XVI ( Angelus address of Sunday, 16 November 2008) fear is the wrong attitude - pope benedict - parable of the talents

PRAYER – Lord my God, teach me to be unafraid to share the Light of the Gospel with all. Teach me to go out and spread Your gifts with all who enter my life. For You have called me and I must respond without fear but with joy and love. St Solomon Le Clercq – you ‘wanted’ to be all for God! Please pray for us all, amen. st solomon le clercq pray for us

MORNING Prayers

Our Morning Offering – August 31

Posted on September 2, 2017September 2, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – August 31

Prayer of Abandonment to God’s Will

O Lord, I do not know
what to ask of You.
You alone know
what are my true needs.
You love me more
than I myself know how to love.
Help me to see my real needs
which are concealed from me.
I do not dare to ask,
either for a cross
or for consolation.
I can only wait on You.
My heart is open to You.
Visit and help me,
for the sake of Your great mercy.
Strike me and heal me;
cast me down and raise me up.
I worship in silence Your holy will
and Your unsearchable ways.
I offer myself as a sacrifice to You.
I have no other desire
than to fulfill Your will.
Teach me to pray.
Pray You Yourself in me.
Amen

by Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow
Vasily Mikhaylovich Drozdov

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS

The Holy Father’s Prayer Intention for September 2017

Posted on September 1, 2017 by AnaStpaul

The Holy Father’s Prayer Intention for September 2017

SEPTEMBER:
PARISHES – That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit,
may be places where faith is communicated
and charity is seen.

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

September: Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Posted on September 1, 2017 by AnaStpaul

September: Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Seven Sorrows of
the Blessed Virgin Mary
1. The prophecy of Simeon
2. The Flight to Egypt
3. Loss of Child Jesus for 3 days
4. Meeting Jesus carrying His Cross
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus
6. The Pieta – receiving Jesus’ Body
7. The Burial of Jesus

The month of September is dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
Devotion to the sorrows of the Virgin Mary dates from the twelfth century, when it made its appearance in monastic circles under the influence of St Anselm and St Bernard.
The Cistercians and then the Servites undertook to propagate it.
The Devotion became widespread in the fourteenth and especially the fifteenth centuries, particularly in the Rhineland and Flanders, where Confraternities of the Sorrowful Mother sprang up. It was in this context that the first liturgical formularies in her honour were composed. A provincial council of Mainz in 1423 made use of these in establishing a “Feast of the Sorrows of Mary” in reparation for Hussite profanations of her images.

In 1494 the feast appeared in Bruges, where the Precious Blood of Christ was venerated; later on it made its way into France. It did not, however, become widespread in France before Benedict XIII included it in the Roman Calendar in 1727.

God vouchsafed to select the very things about Him which are most incommunicable and in a most mysteriously real way communicate them to her. See how He had already mixed her up with the eternal designs of creation, making her almost a partial cause and partial model of it. Our Lady’s co-operation in the redemption of the world gives us a fresh view of her magnificence. Neither the Immaculate Conception nor the Assumption will give us a higher idea of Mary’s exaltation than the title of co-redemptress. Her sorrows were not necessary for the redemption of the world but in the counsels of God they were inseparable from it. They belong to the integrity of the divine plan. Are not Mary’s mysteries Jesus’ mysteries and His mysteries hers? The truth appears to be that all the mysteries of Jesus and Mary were in God’s design as one mystery. Jesus Himself was Mary’s sorrow, seven times repeated, aggravated sevenfold. During the hours of the Passion, the offering of Jesus and the offering of Mary were tied in one. They kept pace together; they were made of the same materials; they were perfumed with kindred fragrance; they were lighted with the same fire; they were offered with kindred dispositions. The two things were one simultaneous oblation, interwoven each moment through the thickly crowded mysteries of that dread time, unto the eternal Father, out of two sinless hearts, that were the hearts of Son and Mother, for the sins of a guilty world which fell on them contrary to their merits but according to their own free will.

— Fr. Frederick Faber, The Foot of the Cross.

Mater Dolorosa, please pray for us! mater dolorosa pray for us

MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS

1 September – World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Posted on September 1, 2017August 31, 2017 by AnaStpaul

World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation – 1 September 2017

Pope Francis has designated 1 September as the annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. He hopes this day will be a time for individuals and communities to “reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which He has entrusted to our care and to implore His help for the protection of creation as well as His pardon for the sins committed against the world in which we live.”

On June 18, 2015, Pope Francis released an encyclical on ecology entitled, “Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home.” Prior to the public release, the Holy Father sent the encyclical to all Bishops around the world with a handwritten note, seen below.

WORLD-DAY-OF-PRAYER-FOR-THE-CARE-OF-CREATION

The Ecology Encyclical: Care for Our Common Home: https://youtu.be/RR2s5cZ8Dvw

A prayer for our earth
(from Laudato si’)

All-powerful God, You are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of Your creatures.
You embrace with Your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of Your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in Your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
That we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognise that we are profoundly united
with every creature as we journey towards Your infinite light.
We thank You for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace. Amen WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE CARE OF CREATION 1 SEPT 2017

MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 1 September – the Memorial of St Giles, one of th Fourteen Holy Helpers

Posted on September 1, 2017September 1, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 1 September – the Memorial of St Giles, one of th Fourteen Holy Helpers

Despite the fact that much about St Giles is shrouded in mystery, we can say that he was one of the most popular saints in the Middle Ages. St Giles may not have been a martyr but, as the word martyr means, he was a true witness to the faith. This is attested to by the faith of the People of God in the Middle Ages. He became one of the “holy helpers” and can still function in that role for us today.

It seems appropriate, that St Giles, who loved nature and whom nature loved, who made his home in a forest, in a hollow tree, should have his feast day today, 1 September, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

There is nothing random, nothing that happens by chance – all is held in God’s hands!

St Giles pray for us and for all of God’s creation.

franciscan OFM, MORNING Prayers, papal ENCYCLICALS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Quote/s of the Day – Pope Francis – Laudato Si – – 1 September – World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Posted on September 1, 2017September 1, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – Pope Francis – Laudato Si – – 1 September – World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

“Creatures are not just resources but have value in and of themselves and give glory to God

It is not enough, however, to think of different species merely as potential “resources” to be exploited, while overlooking the fact that they have value in themselves. Each year sees the disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species which we will never know, which our children will never see because they have been lost for ever. The great majority become extinct for reasons related to human activity. Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence, nor convey their message to us. We have no such right. (33)”

“Overpopulation is not the problem

Instead of resolving the problems of the poor and thinking of how the world can be different, some can only propose a reduction in the birth rate. At times, developing countries face forms of international pressure which make economic assistance contingent on certain policies of “reproductive health”. […] To blame population growth instead of extreme and selective consumerism on the part of some, is one way of refusing to face the issues. It is an attempt to legitimise the present model of distribution, where a minority believes that it has the right to consume in a way which can never be universalised, since the planet could not even contain the waste products of such consumption. (50)”

Pope Francis – Laudato Si

Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfolds rich blessing on our way,
O praise God! Alleluia!
The fruits and flowers that verdant grow,
Let them His praise abundant show.
O praise God, O praise God,
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

St. Francis of Assisi
(Translated by William H Draper) (Image by St Francis by Albert Chevallier Tayler)

dear mother earth - st francis prayer

MORNING Prayers, papal ENCYCLICALS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 September – World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Posted on September 1, 2017September 1, 2017 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 1 September – World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it...Genesis 2:15 genesis 2 15

REFLECTION – “This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she “groans in travail” (Rom 8:22). We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters.”..Pope Francis “LAUDATO SI’

PRAYER – O God, from the very beginning of time You commanded the earth to bring forth vegetation and every fruit of every kind. You provide the sower with seed and give bread to eat. Grant, we pray, that this land, enriched by Your bounty and cultivated by human hands, may be fertile with abundant crops. Then Your people, enriched by the gifts of Your goodness, will praise You unceasingly now and for all ages unending. Through our Lord Jesus Christ in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.

BREVIARY Prayers, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 1 September – World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Posted on September 1, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 1 September – World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Praise God for Creation
From the Psalter Week 1

When God had filled the earth with life
and blessed it, to increase,
then cattle dwelt with creeping things
and lion with lamb, at peace.

He gave them vast, untrodden lands,
with plants to be their food;
then God saw all that He had made
and found it very good.

Praise God, the Father of all life,
His Son and Spirit blest,
by whom creation lives and moves,
in Whom it comes to rest.

praise god for creation-psalter week 1 -thursday evening prayer-hymn

MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 31 August – The Memorial of St Raymond Nonnatus

Posted on August 31, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 31 August – The Memorial of St Raymond Nonnatus

The life of St. Raymond Nonnatus is a life filled with extraordinary facts – from his birth after his mother had already died. Then, consider the torment he suffered of having a padlock perforating his lips. Imagine the enormous pain and discomfort of having a padlock cutting through one’s lips even in sleep. Think how this would bother a man and disturb his nervous system! Then, each time that he had to eat, a Moor would come and open the padlock, breaking the wounds anew and causing new sufferings. Closing it would produce additional torments. Was he allowed to drink water during the day? Can you imagine the discomfort of drinking anything in this situation? He endured this life for the period of eight months.

What did he do when he was freed? Did he have a psychological breakdown? Become discouraged? Feel sorry for himself? No. He took an extraordinarily manly attitude and returned to a life of intense activity. You see how he resisted the temptations to feel sorry for himself and stop fighting for the Catholic cause. His attitude demanded a highly supernatural spirit and a strong virile personality. You see the astonishing fortitude of soul such a man had. He returned and continued an active life for another ten years or so.

He traveled throughout Europe as an ambassador of the Pope and a preacher of the Crusade. What a powerful impression the word of his sermons delivered by his wounded lips must have made on the people!

Imagine such a scene: St. Raymond Nonnatus arriving in a city; the bells ringing and the word spreading that Fr. Raymond – the one with the wounded lips – is in town to preach a Crusade on behalf of the Pope. All the nobles and people of the area gather around with their families and he begins to speak. He speaks about the meaning of the Sepulchre of Our Lord Jesus Christ and what its profanation represents. How it is necessary to re-conquer it for the glory of God and Catholic honour. He speaks with the voice and prestige of a saint, with the supernatural power of communication that only the saints have.

The hearts of men opened to saints like St Raymond Nonnatus and St. Bernard who preached the Crusade

The hearts of the knights begin to be touched, the ladies weep and give their consent for their husbands to go and fight for the Holy Land. Everyone goes to Confession and the date of the Crusade is announced. The practical preparations start. All this happens because a saint passes through that area.

This imaginary scene may help you to understand what the Middle Ages was. The influence of the saints and the good reception the people gave them is what really explains why the Middle Ages had so many wonderful things and our epoch does not. The key is the presence of the saints and the openness people had for them. How few saints there are today! Knowing this, we understand the tragedy of the contemporary situation of the Church and the world.

Let us ask St. Raymond Nonnatus to give us more saints to regenerate the Church and the world and make the modern man recognise them and be receptive to their message.

St Raymond Nonnatus, pray for us! st raymond nonnatus pray for us 2

MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote of the Day – 31 August

Posted on August 31, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 31 August

“Let us remember one another in concord and unanimity. Let us on both sides of death always pray for one another. Let us relieve burdens and afflictions by mutual love, that if one of us, by the swiftness of divine condescension, shall go hence the first, our love may continue in the presence of the Lord and our prayers for our brethren and sisters not cease in the presence of the Father’s mercy.”

St Cyprian of Carthage (c 190 – 258) from Letters, 253

DOCTORS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 31 August – Gospel Mathew 24:42-51

Posted on August 31, 2017August 31, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 31 August – Gospel Mathew 24:42-51

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming.’...Matthew 24:42

REFLECTION – “You have been created for the glory of God and your own eternal salvation…..This is your goal! This is the centre of your life; this is the treasure of your heart. If you reach your goal you will find happiness. If you fail to reach it, you will find misery.”……St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church you have been created for the glory of god - st robert bellarmine

PRAYER – My Lord and my God, help me eternal Father, to stay awake! Teach me to be constantly on guard against my own weakness, to constantly keep watch for temptation and to live constantly in prayer, that Your Son will lead me to safety. St Raymond Nonnatus, you suffered torture but always remain prayerful and awake, waiting for the Lord, please pray for me, amen. st raymond nnonnatus pray for us

MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Uncategorized

Our Morning Offering – 31 August

Posted on August 31, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 31 August

O LORD MY GOD
By Saint Anselm

O Lord my God.
Teach my heart this day
where and how to find You.
You have made me and re-made me,
and You have bestowed on me
all the good things I possess,
and still I do not know You.
I have not yet done
that for which I was made.
Teach me to seek You,
for I cannot seek You
unless you teach me,
or find You
unless You show Yourself to me.
Let me seek You in my desire;
let me desire You in my seeking.
Let me find You by loving You;
let me love You when I find You. Amen o lord my god - st anselm

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 30 August

Posted on August 30, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 30 August

Since he had no children, St Pammachius made the poor his heirs and became known in Rome as the benefactor of the blind, the poor and the handicapped. Since he was one of the first Romans of senatorial rank to become a Christian and live the faith to its fullest in love and charity, his works and deeds of extending his hand to all in need, were remembered for centuries and perhaps, even more importantly, he is became a powerful example of the effect of Christian teaching upon a person of rank and power.
For a wealthy man, there are so many opportunities to help others and St Pammachius looked upon his works of charity as an obligation of his Christian conscience. His best friend, St Jerome, Father and one of the original four doctors of the Latin Church, said “instead of speaking saintly words, we must act them” and that is precisely what St Pammachius did – for he lived the words of Our Lord, he lived the Beatitudes!

St Pammachius, pray for us! st pammachius pray for us.2

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote of the Day – 30 August

Posted on August 30, 2017August 30, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 30 August

“Instead of speaking saintly words, we must act them.”

St Jerome (343-420) Father and One of the original Four Doctors of the Latin Church

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 August

Posted on August 30, 2017August 30, 2017 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 30 August

“Do to no-one what you would not want done to you.
Give your bread to those who are hungry
and your clothes to those who are naked.”… Tobit 4:16-17 tobit 4 16 - 17

REFLECTION – “The bread that is in your box belongs to the hungry;
the coat in your closet belongs to the naked;
the shoes you do not wear belong to the barefoot;
the money in your vault belongs to the destitute.”…..St Basil the Great (329-379) – Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – God our Saviour, through the grace of Baptism you made us children of light. Hear our prayer, that we may always walk in that light and work for truth, love and charity, as Your witnesses before men. St Pammachius, you lived a life of total charity to those most in need, please pray for us, amen. st pammachius pray for us

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

Our Morning Offering – 30 August

Posted on August 30, 2017August 29, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 30 August

O Lord, the house of my soul is narrow
By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor

O God, the Light of the heart that sees You,
The Life of the soul that loves You,
The Strength of the mind that seeks You:
May I ever continue
to be steadfast in Your love.
Be the joy of my heart;
Take all of me to Yourself and abide therein.
The house of my soul is,
I confess, too narrow for You.
Enlarge it that You may enter.
It is ruinous but do repair it.
It has within it what must offend Your eyes;
I confess and know it,
but whose help shall I seek
in cleansing it but Yours alone?
To You, O God, I cry urgently.
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep me from false pride and sensuality
That they not get dominion over me.
Amen O LORD, THE HOUSE OF MY SOUL IS NARROW - full prayer -ST AUGUSTINE

MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 29 August – The Beheading of St John the Baptist

Posted on August 29, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 29 August – The Beheading of St John the Baptist

“Dear brothers and sisters, celebrating the martyrdom of St John the Baptist reminds us too, Christians of this time, that with love for Christ, for His words and for the Truth, we cannot stoop to compromises. The Truth is Truth; there are no compromises. Christian life demands, so to speak, the “martyrdom” of daily fidelity to the Gospel, the courage, that is, to let Christ grow within us and let Him be the One who guides our thought and our actions. However, this can happen in our life only if we have a solid relationship with God. Prayer is not time wasted, it does not take away time from our activities, even apostolic activities but exactly the opposite is true: only if we are able to have a faithful, constant and trusting life of prayer will God Himself give us the ability and strength to live happily and serenely, to surmount difficulties and to witness courageously to Him. St John the Baptist, intercede for us, that we may be ever able to preserve the primacy of God in our life. ” (Pope Benedict – Castel Gandolfo, Wednesday, 29 August 2012)

“The vengeance of God fell heavily upon Herod Antipas. Josephus relates how he was overcome by the Arabian Aretas, whose daughter he had repudiated in order to follow his wicked passions; and the Jews attributed the defeat to the murder of Saint John. Herod was deposed by Rome from his tetrarchate and banished to Lyons in Gaul, where the ambitious Herodias shared his disgrace. As to her dancing daughter Salome, there is a tradition gathered from ancient authors, that, having gone out one winter day to dance upon a frozen river, she fell through into the water; the ice, immediately closing round her neck, cut off her head, which bounded upon the surface, thus continuing for some moments the dance of death.” ………..Abbot Gueranger

MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Quote of the Day – 29 August – The Beheading of St John the Baptist

Posted on August 29, 2017August 29, 2017 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 29 August – The Beheading of St John the Baptist

‘Behold, the Lamb of God.’..John 1:36

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“The cry of Jesus on the Cross, ‘I thirst’ (Jn 19: 28), expressing the depth of God’s longing for man, penetrated Mother Teresa’s soul and found fertile soil in her heart.” —Pope John Paul II – 19 October 2003

St Mother Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us!

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St Amadeus of Lausanne (1110-1159)

St Aelred (1109-1166)

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church

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St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) – Father & Doctor of the Church

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ST SOLOMON LE CLERCQ (1767-1792)

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A prayer for our earth (from Laudato si’)

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Pope Francis – Laudato Si

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Praise God for Creation From the Psalter Week 1

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St Cyprian of Carthage (c 190 – 258) from Letters, 253

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“Instead of speaking saintly words, we must act them.”

St Jerome (343-420) Father and One of the original Four Doctors of the Latin Church

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St John the Baptist

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“The cry of Jesus on the Cross, ‘I thirst’ (Jn 19: 28), expressing the depth of God’s longing for man, penetrated Mother Teresa’s soul and found fertile soil in her heart.”
—Pope John Paul II – 19 October 2003

A prayer for our earth
(from Laudato si’)

Praise God for Creation
From the Psalter Week 1