Category: MORNING Prayers

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

Thought for the Day – 6 August – The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 6 August – The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Commenting on the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor, St Leo contrasts the law, symbolised by Moses, with the grace of the gospel brought by Jesus Christ.   He notes how this glimpse of the glory of His divinity and risen humanity was given to Peter, James & John to prepare them for the shock and scandal of the cross.

“The Lord reveals his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses.   His body is like that of the rest of mankind but He makes it shine with such splendour that His face becomes like the sun in glory and his garments as white as snow.

TWO WITNESSES
This marvel of the transfiguration contains another lesson for the apostles, to strengthen them and lead them into the fullness of knowledge.   Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, appeared with the Lord in conversation with him.   This was in order to fulfill exactly, through the presence of these five men, the text which says:  Before two or three witnesses every word is ratified.

What word could be more firmly established, more securely based, than the word which is proclaimed by the trumpets of both old and new testaments, sounding in harmony and by the utterances of ancient prophecy and the teaching of the Gospel, in full agreement with each other?

The writings of the two testaments support each other.   The radiance of the transfiguration reveals clearly and unmistakably the one who had been promised by signs foretelling Him under the veils of mystery.   As Saint John says:  The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.   In him the promise made through the shadows of prophecy stands revealed, along with the full meaning of the precepts of the law.   He is the one who teaches the truth of the prophecy through His presence and makes obedience to the commandments possible through grace.

In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith.  No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Doctor of the Church

“I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness
but will have the light of life.”……John 8:12

john 8 12

 

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

Novena to St Dominic – DAY EIGHT – 6 August

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Novena to St Dominic

Eighth Day: The Death of St Dominic

Well done, good and faithful servant; because you have been faithful over a few things, I will place you over many. Enter into the joy of the Lord. (Matthew 25:2)

St. Dominic died at Bologna, August 6, 1221, at midday.   Father Ventura, prior of Bologna, was present and thus describes the death of St. Dominic.   “Father Dominic returned from Venice about the end of July.   Although very weary with traveling, he conversed on the affairs of the Order with me till late.   I begged him to rest that night but he prayed in the Church till Matins at midnight and then was present in choir.   Afterwards he complained of his head and his last illness began.   Lying on a straw mattress, he called the novices around him and exhorted them to fervour with cheerful words and smiling coun­tenance.   After being carried to a hill not far off, for better air, he preached to his brethren and was then anointed.   Fearing that he would not be buried ‘under the feet of his brethren,’ he was carried back to the convent.   The brethren re­cited prayers for a departing soul.   When they came to the words, ‘Come to his help, ye saints of God;  hasten to meet him, ye angels of the Lord:  receive his soul and offer it in the sight of the Most High,’ having lifted his hands to Heaven, he gave up his spirit.”

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered the heart of man to conceive what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Pray for us, blessed father, St. Dominic, That we may be made worthy of the prom­ises of Christ.

Let us pray:

O most kind father, St. Dominic,
by your saintly life and death,
bless and guide us in the path of your holy way,
that persevering until death, we may,
ever work for the glory of God
and the salvation of souls,
especially the return to the one, true, faith
of our family and friends who have lapsed.
Finally, we ask for this our special intention …
(make your request)
Through Christ our Lord. Amen

DAY EIGHT-NOVENA ST DOMINIC 6 AUG

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

Quote of the Day – 6 August – The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

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Quote of the Day – 6 August – The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

“No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice;
no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised.
The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death.
Christ has taken on Himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature.
If then we are steadfast in our faith in Him and in our love for Him,
we win the victory that He has won,
we receive what He has promised.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Doctor of the Church

he way to rest - st pope leo the great - doctor

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

One Minute Reflection – 6 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 6 August

‘Master, it is good that we are here; . . . ‘” Luke 9:28-33

REFLECTION – “Jesus goes before us to show us the way, both up the mountain and into heaven and — I speak boldly — it is for us now to follow him with all speed, . . .Let us run with confidence and joy to enter into the cloud like Moses and Elijah, or like James and John. Let us be caught up like Peter to behold the divine vision and to be transfigured by that glorious transfiguration. Let us retire from the world, stand aloof from the earth, rise above the body, detach ourselves from creatures and turn to the Creator, to whom Peter in ecstasy exclaimed: ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here.'”…St Anastasius (died 628)

le us be caught uplike peter - st anastasius

PRAYER – Father, at the Transfiguration in glory of your Only-begotten Son, You confirmed the mysteries of faith by the witness to Jesus of the prophets Moses and Elijah. You foreshadowed there what we shall be when You bring our sonship to its perfection. Grant that by listening to the voice of Jesus, we may become heirs with Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever, amen.

matthew 17 5

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MORNING Prayers

Our Morning Offering – 6 August

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Our Morning Offering – 6 August

Lord Jesus, Meek and Humble of Heart
(Traditional Catholic prayer)

Lord Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
I ardently beseech You to make
my heart like Yours.
Give me the grace to gradually acquire
a heart which is generous
and empty, meek and patient.
Give me the grace to feel good
in silence and anonymity.
Free me from fear of ridicule,
fear of failure.
Keep sadness far from my heart.
Make me free, strong and happy.
Let nothing disturb my peace,
nor frighten me.
Let my heart be free from the need
for self-satisfactions.
Let me sleep in the bed of peace.
Clothe me in Your sweetness and patience,
meekness and strenth,
gentleness and viour, maturity and serenity.
And may Your light shine in me
and those who see me, see You, Lord Jesus.
Amen

 

lord jesus meek and humble of heart - prayer

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

6 August- The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Posted on by AnaStpaul

6 August – The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Transfiguration (1) HEADER

This feast became widespread in the West in the 11th century and was introduced into the Roman calendar in 1457 to commemorate the victory over Islam in Belgrade.  Before that, the Transfiguration of the Lord was celebrated in the Syrian, Byzantine and Coptic rites.   The Transfiguration foretells the glory of the Lord as God and His Ascension into heaven.   It anticipates the glory of heaven, where we shall see God face to face.   Through grace, we already share in the divine promise of eternal life.

francesco-zuccarelli-t
Zuccarelli
the-transfiguration-of-christ-titian
Titian

Our divine Redeemer, being in Galilee about a year before His sacred Passion, took with him St Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, Sts James and John and led them to a high mountain.   Tradition assures us that this was Mount Tabor, which is exceedingly high and beautiful and was anciently covered with green trees and shrubs and was very fruitful.  It rises something like a sugar-loaf, in a vast plain in the middle of Galilee.   This was the place in which the Man-God appeared in His glory.

Whilst Jesus prayed, He suffered that glory which was always due to His sacred humility and of which, for our sake, He deprived it, to diffuse a ray over His whole body.   His face was altered and shone as the sun and His garments became white as snow.   Moses and Elias were seen by the three apostles in His company on this occasion and were heard discoursing with Him of the death which He was to suffer in Jerusalem.

The three apostles were wonderfully delighted with this glorious vision and St Peter cried out to Christ, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents: one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias”   Whilst St. Peter was speaking, there came, on a sudden, a bright shining cloud from heaven, an emblem of the presence of God’s majesty and from out of this cloud was heard a voice which said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him”  The apostles that were present, upon hearing this voice, were seized with a sudden fear and fell upon the ground;  but Jesus, going to them, touched them and bade them to rise.   They immediately did so and saw no one but Jesus standing in His ordinary state.

This vision happened in the night.   As they went down the mountain early the next morning, Jesus bade them not to tell any one what they had seen till He should be risen from the dead.

Excerpted from Butler’s Lives of the Saints, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

the transfiguration

“In the Transfiguration Christ enjoyed for a short while that glorified state which was to be permanently His after His Resurrection on Easter Sunday.    The splendour of His inward Divinity and of the Beatific Vision of His soul overflowed in His body and permeated His garments so that Christ stood before Peter, James and John in a snow-white brightness.   The purpose of the Transfiguration was to encourage and strengthen the Apostles who were depressed by their Master’s prediction of His own Passion and Death.   The Apostles were made to understand that His redeeming work has two phases: The Cross, and glory—that we shall be glorified with Him only if we first suffer with Him.”

—Msgr. Rudolph G. Bandas

transfiguration - for feast day
James Tissot
transfiguration.2
TRANSFIGURATON - FEAST
carl bloch
Carl Boch
ALG169046
Carracci
Transfiguration_of_Christ_Giovanni_Bellini_1487
Bellini
transfigurationofourlordpolishnatlcatholicchurch-wallingtonnj-380
Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

NOVENA in Honour of and preparation for, the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord – Day Nine – 5 August

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NOVENA Transfiguration of our Lord – Day Nine – 5 August

Explanation of this Novena here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/announcing-a-novena-in-honour-of-the-transfiguration-of-our-lord/

The Revelation of Christ’s Divine Glory

Ninth Day: Transfiguration and the Blessed Trinity

The event of the transfiguration marks a decisive moment in the ministry of Jesus. A revelatory event which prefigures the glory of the Resurrection, it was given to the disciples to prepare them for the tragedy of the Cross. The Resurrection of Jesus is the epiphany of the Trinity. The Father raises Jesus from the dead and the first gift of the glorification is the sending of the Holy Spirit.

Let us Pray:

O Christ,
With the Father, You sent us
the Spirit of Love, to guide and inspire,
lead. assist and transfigure us.
You will reform our lowly body
and make it like Your glorious one,
we pray for our brothers and sisters
who have died that they may share
Your glory forever.
Amen

DAY NINE - TRANSFIGURATION NOVENA

 

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 5 August

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Thought for the Day – 5 August

Theological debate over Christ’s nature as God and man reached fever pitch in Constantinople in the early fifth century. The chaplain of Bishop Nestorius began preaching against the title Theotokos, “Mother of God,” insisting that the Virgin was mother only of the human Jesus. Nestorius agreed, decreeing that Mary would henceforth be named “Mother of Christ” in his see. The people of Constantinople virtually revolted against their bishop’s refutation of a cherished belief. When the Council of Ephesus refuted Nestorius, believers took to the streets, enthusiastically chanting, “Theotokos! Theotokos!”….. ( Fr Don Miller, OFM)

“Mary is the Divine Page on which the Father wrote the Word of God, His Son.” … St Albert the Great (1206-1280)
German; scientist, philosopher, theologian and Doctor of the Church

” What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ and what it teaches about Mary, illumines in turn, its faith in Christ” (CCC#487).

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

mary is the divine page - st albert the great - doctor

Prayer to Our Lady of the Snows

Mary, Mother of God,
it is our Christian belief that all who fashion their lives in imitation of your Son, Jesus Christ
and have placed their hope in Him,
are gathered together in a communion of saints.
Those who have gone before us live in intimate communion with Christ.
You are the most eminent of them, for you were drawn into His life and being as no other.
You who gave Him human life followed Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Mary, look at us.
Look at all who are centred on your Son.
At the present time some of His disciples are pilgrims on earth.
Others have died and are being purified, while still others are in glory,
contemplating ‘in full light, God Himself Triune and One, exactly as He is.
All of God’s people hunger to be intimately one with Him.
Mary, we are the wayfarers
and we hunger for this exchange of spiritual goods with you
who were so intimately close to Jesus Christ.
Your image, as protectress of the Roman people,
reminds us that you invite us to live in Christ.
Your arms embrace Jesus fully, effortlessly.
Jesus, whose burden is light and yoke is easy,
wishes to be as close to every individual as He is to you.
You are both wayfarer and guide to us wayfarers on our pilgrimage of faith.
Teach us, Mary, to embrace Christ fully, to make Him our Way, our Truth, our Life.
Teach us, Mary, to carry Christ to the world,
and, each in our own way, to give Him birth in the hearts of many.
Protect your people, Mary – protect your Church.
We ask this, as we ask all things, through Jesus Christ Our Lord,
in union with God our Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever. Amen

Church_of_Our_Lady_of_the_Snow_in_Lviv_(relief)
Church of Our Lady of the Snows – Lviv

 

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

One Minute Reflection – 5 August

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One Minute Reflection – 5 August

Rejoice, O highly favoured daughter! The Lord is with you………..Luke 1:28

LUKE 1 28

REFLECTION – “The salvation of the whole world began with the “Hail Mary.”
Hence, the salvation of each person is also attached to this prayer.”…St Louise Marie Grignion de Montfort

the salvation of the whole world - st louis de montfort

PRAYER – Lord Jesus, let the great prayer to Your holy Mother be on my lps, morning, noon and night. Enable me to say it especially at the hour of my death – for she will come to me! Mary, Mother of our God, pray for us, amen.

mary mother of god pray for us

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 5 August The Feast of the Dedication of Mary Major

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Our Morning Offering – 5 August The Feast of the Dedication of Mary Major

O glorious Maid, exalted far
Beyond the light of burning star,
From Him who made thee thou hast won
Grace to be Mother of his Son.
That which was lost in hapless Eve
Thy holy Scion did retrieve;
The tear-worn sons of Adam’s race
Through thee have seen the heavenly place.
Thou wast the gate of heaven’s high Lord,
The door through which the light hath poured.
Christians rejoice, for through a Maid
To all mankind is life conveyed!
All honour, laud and glory be,
O Jesus, Virgin-born to thee!
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete. Amen

Salus Populi Romani - prayer

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

Novena to St Dominic – DAY SIX – 4 August

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Novena to St Dominic

Sixth Day: Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Mother of God

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!   My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.   Even the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest in which she puts her young by your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God! (Psalms 84:2-4)

The Eucharist and the Mother of God were objects of Dominic’s special devotion.   Before the tabernacle he spent his nights, finding there rest after his labours;  and arriving weary and foot sore from a journey, he always visited the Blessed Sacrament before refreshing his body.   However much fatigued, he always celebrated Mass and if possible sang it.   During the celebration of Mass tears were often seen flowing down his face, moving all to devotion.

Of God’s Mother he was always an ardent and reverent lover.   His life, his work, his Order were placed under her protection, and he invoked her in every difficulty and danger.   He began the custom of saying the Hail Mary before preaching.   The Blessed Mother filled him with heavenly favors, watched over him with motherly care and gave him the habit of his Order.   A tradition cherished in his Order and supported by the testimonies of many popes, ascribes to him the first teaching of devotion to the recitation of the Rosary.   His disciples were called “Friars of Mary” and have carried her Rosary and scapular to the uttermost parts of the earth.

I myself am the bread of life.   No one who comes to me shall ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me shall ever thirst. (John 6:35)

I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.   In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue.   Come to me, all you that desire me, and be filled with my goodness. (Sirach 24: 18; John 14:6)

Pray for us, blessed father, St. Dominic, That we may be made worthy of the prom­ises of Christ.

Let us pray:

O most blessed father, St. Dominic,
who loved our Lord Jesus Christ
in the most perfect manner
and served Mary, His Virgin Mother,
with most fervent devotion,
pray for us, your children,
that we may ever grow in love
of the Sacrament of the Altar,
and that, next to God,
we may at all times trust in the protection
of the Queen of Heaven,
so that at the hour of death
we may be received by her into heaven
and ever abide under the mantle of her love.
We pray that we may grow
in love and devotion
for our Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist
and attach ourselves, with unfailing confidence,
to His Holy Mother’s protection.
We ask too Holy St Dominic,
that our prayers and yours,
may draw back those
who have lapsed from the one, true faith
and for this our special intention …
(make your request)
Through Christ our Lord. Amen

DAY SIX-NOVENA TO ST DOMINIC

 

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

NOVENA in Honour of and preparation for, the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord – Day Eight – 4 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

NOVENA Transfiguration of our Lord – Day Eight – 4 August

Explanation of this Novena here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/announcing-a-novena-in-honour-of-the-transfiguration-of-our-lord/

The Revelation of Christ’s Divine Glory

Eighth Day:  Our Courage in Your Shining Face!

The Transfiguration of the Lord is one shining moment in the life of the apostles that prepares them for the trials ahead.   Peter, James and John experience the glory in the mountain of Transfiguration.
This is a foretaste of the glory that will be theirs in the Father’s kingdom
and it will help them survive with courage the “terrible” days when Jesus undergoes His passion and death
and when they themselves are persecuted in His name.

Let us Pray:

O Christ,
upon the mountaintop
You let the light of Your face
shine over Moses and Elijah.
Peter, James and John.
Shine Your Face upon Your Church,
that we may persevered with courage
and zeal to live for the glory of Your Kingdom.
We ask You too to bless Your people
who call on Your name,
as they strive to reach You
in Your kingdom of light and life. Amen

DAY EIGHT - TRANSFIGURATION NOVENA

 

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

The Feast Day of the Patron of Parish Priests – 4 August – St John Vianney the Curé of Ars

Posted on by AnaStpaul

When Pope Benedict XVI announced a special Year for Priests to be observed in the Church (June 19, 2009 — June 19, 2010), he noted that the timing was not arbitrary. The year coincides, he said, with the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, “a true example of a pastor at the service of Christ’s flock.”

It is, therefore, appropriate that we pray for all our priests today:

Gracious and loving God, we thank your for the gift of our priests.
Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.

Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.
Set their souls on fire with love for your people.

Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.

Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.
Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.

Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest.

Amen

St John Vianney, pray for all our priests!

prayer for priests

st john vianney pray for our priests

Posted in MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 4 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 4 August

The people were careless about practicing their faith, so they were not happy with this priest who was eager to draw them back to God and Christian living. Some caused trouble by lying about John, by acting violently against him and by refusing to cooperate with him. They hoped that he would give up and leave. Instead, Father Vianney increased his prayers, fasting, and penances.
Gradually, people came to celebrate the sacraments and listen to his homilies. Within a few years, Father Vianney was spending 10–16 hours a day in the confessional. People from all over France and other countries came to consult him. The government built a railroad line to Ars to accommodate all the pilgrims. Father Vianney just continued his hard, yet simple, way of prayer, fasting and penance. He was strict with his parishioners but a hundred times stricter with himself. John gave away his furnishings, his belongings and the gifts of clothes and food that the neighbours brought him. Once he received a black velvet cape as an award and sold it to buy food for those who were poor.

Indifference toward religion, coupled with a love for material comfort, seem to be common signs of our times. A person from another planet observing us would not likely judge us to be pilgrim people, on our way to somewhere else. St John Vianney on the other hand, was a man on a journey, with his goal before him at all times – if he could overcome all obstacles, so can we!

St John Vianney, pray for us!

st john vianney pray for us 2

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

Quote/s of the Day – 4 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 4 August

“You must accept your cross.   If you bear it courageously, it will carry you to heaven.”

you must accept your cross

“Here is the rule for everyday life.
Do not do anything which you cannot offer to God.”

here is a rule

“The priest is not a priest for himself – he is for you.
After God, the priest is everything.”

the priest is not a priest for himself

“It is by battles against hell
and by resistance to temptations,
that we give God proofs of our love.”

It is by battles against hell - st john vianney

“His look rests on you alone.”

his look rests on you alone - st john vianney

“The sign of the cross
is the most terrible weapon
against the devil.
Thus the Church wishes not only,
that we have it continually
in front of our minds,
to recall to us
just what our souls are worth
and what they cost Jesus Christ
but also that we should make it
at every juncture ourselves:
when we go to bed,
when we awaken during the night,
when we get up,
when we begin any action,
and, above all,
when we are tempted.”

the sign of the cross - st john vianney

“The Devil writes down our sins –
our Guardian Angel all our merits.
Labour that the Guardian Angel’s book may be full
and the Devil’s empty.”

the devil writes down our sins - st john vianney

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

One Minute Reflection – 4 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 4 August

Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you…..James 4:10

REFLECTION – “Humility is like a pair of scales: the lower one side falls, the higher rises the other.   Let us humble ourselves like the Blessed Virgin and we shall be exalted.”………St John Vianney

humility is like a pair of scales-st john vianney

PRAYER – Lord God, light of the faithful and shepherd of souls, who gave blessed John Vianney to Your Church to feed Your flock by his teaching and form them by his example, grant that by his intercession, we may keep the faith which he taught and follow in the way he walked, through our Lord Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit. St John Vianney, pray for us, amen.

st john vianney pray for us

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

Our Morning Offering – 4 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 4 August

I love You, O my God
St John Vianney (1786-1859)

I love You, O my God.
My only desire is to love You, until the last breath of my life.
I love You, O infinitely loveable God
and I prefer to die loving You,
rather than to live for an instant without You.
I love You, O my God
and I desire only to go to heaven,
to have the happiness of loving You perfectly.
I love You, O my God
and my only fear is to go to hell
because one will never have the sweet solace of loving You there.
O my God, if my tongue cannot say at all times that I love You,
at least I want my heart to repeat it to You as many times as I breathe.
Ah! Do me the grace: to suffer while loving You,
to love You while suffering.
And, that when I die: I not only will love You
but experience it in my heart.
I beg You that the closer I come to my final end,
You will increase and perfect my love for You. Amen

PRAYER OF ST JOHN VIANNEY I LOVE YOU O MY GOD

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

Novena to St Dominic – DAY FIVE – 3 August

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Novena to St Dominic

Fifth Day: The Spirit of Prayer
True devotion was in his mouth and no dishonesty was found upon his lips;  he walked with me in integrity and in uprightness and turned many away from evil. (Malachi 2:6)

As an unbridled tongue destroys a spirit of prayer, Dominic loved silence and retirement, that he might dwell with God.   His intimate friend, William of Montserrat, said that “Dominic always kept the silence prescribed by the custom and rule of the Order, abstained from idle words and always spoke either of God or to God.”

Dominic considered custody of the senses important and fed his soul constantly with spiritual reading.   His books were the Bible and Cassian’s Conferences of the Fathers of the Desert.   The Holy Scriptures he always carried and ordered his spiritual children diligently and unceasingly to read them.   At dinner one religious used to read aloud, that the souls of all might be fed on the Word of God.

If any man offends not in words, the same is a perfect man. (James 3:2)

Pray for us, blessed father, St. Dominic, That we may be made worthy of the prom­ises of Christ.

Let us pray:

O most Holy Father St. Dominic,
who always showed yourself loving to all
and never despised, wounded or offended anyone,
obtain for me from our Saviour,
the grace to be severe only to myself
and my evil passions
and always gentle and loving toward my neighbour,
ever like him, pardoning all who injure or offend me.
We pray that we may learn
from our blessed St Dominic,
not to offend with words
neither in our thoughts or verbally
We ask too Holy St Dominic,
that our prayers and yours,
may draw back those
who have lapsed from the one, true faith
and for this our special intention …
(make your request)
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen

DAY FIVE - NOVENA ST DOMINIC

 

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

NOVENA in Honour of and preparation for, the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord – Day Seven – 3 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

NOVENA Transfiguration of our Lord – Day Seven – 3 August

Explanation of this Novena here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/announcing-a-novena-in-honour-of-the-transfiguration-of-our-lord/

The Revelation of Christ’s Divine Glory

Seventh Day:  Honour and Worship as we await Your second coming

Without the Risen Christ, Transfiguration has no meaning. It would appear to be just futile show without a happy ending. But the Resurrection confirms the glory that was shown during the transfiguration and which rightly belongs to Jesus. The glory will be manifested eventually in His second coming for the last judgment.

Let us Pray: 

O Christ,
You gave light to the world
when the glory of the Creator shone over You.
You predicted Your coming Glory
in the Resurrection
and the Holy Eucharist,
the eternal promise You made to us all,
to remain with us until the end of time.
We pray for all men and women of good will
that they walk in Your light,
as we worship You in the Holy Mass
and await Your second coming. Amen

DAY SEVEN - TRANSFIGURATION NOVENA

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney – Day Nine– 3 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney

DAY NINE – We Pray for a DESIRE FOR HEAVEN

Let us Pray:

O Holy Priest of Ars, your precious remains are contained in a magnificent reliquary, the donation from the priests of France. But this earthly glory is only a very pale image of the unspeakable glory which you are enjoying with God. During the time you were on earth, you used to repeat in your dejected hours, ‘one will rest in the other life.” It is done, you are in eternal peace, and eternal happiness.
I desire to follow you one day. Until then, I hear you saying to me:
“You should work and fight as long as you are in the world.”
Teach me then to work for the salvation of my soul, to spread the good news and good example and to do good towards those around me in order that I will receive the happiness of the Elect with you.
Holy Priest of Ars, I have confidence in your intercession. Pray for me during this novena especially for … (mention silently your special intentions).
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

DAY NINE - NOVENA ST JOHN VIANNEY

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 3 August – August the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 3 August – August the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Pope Paul VI said: “Mary offers a calm vision and a reassuring word to the people of our time, torn as we often are between anguish and hope, defeated as we can be by our own limitations and assailed by limitless aspirations, troubled in our minds and divided in our hearts, uncertain as we face the riddle of death, oppressed at times by loneliness, yet yearning for company and fellowship, a prey to boredom and disgust. Mary shows the victory of hope over anguish, of fellowship over solitude, of peace over anxiety, of joy and beauty over boredom and disgust, of eternal vision over earthly perceptions, of life over death.” (cf Marialis Cultus, 57)
Mary offers us a firm eschatological assurance and hope that God is in charge, through His Son, in His Holy Spirit.
Our love of Mary and devotion to her “fits into the only worship that is rightly called Christian, because it takes its origin and effectiveness from Jesus Christ, finds its complete expression in Christ and leads us through Christ in the Holy Spirit to the Father.” (Marialis Cultus, Introduction)
“Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5) are the last recorded words of Mary in Scripture. It is her message yesterday, today and forever.   It is the hallmark of genuine spirituality, Christian behaviour and commitment to her son.
“Ask our Mother Mary, in whose heart we can find repose and peace, Mary who was full of the Holy Spirit, to nurture and foster the growth of the life of Jesus that is present in us by his Holy Spirit, so we can say that we not only belong to Jesus Christ and His Church but that we have become the Body of Christ because Christ lives in us and the love of Christ impels us to stay faithful as trustworthy stewards and disciples through all the competing pressures of life!”  (Bishop Peter Ingham )

Immaculate Heart of Mary Pray for us!

immaculate heart of mary - pray for us

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE

Quote of the Day – 3 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 3 August

“The life of Jesus Christ is indelibly engraved upon history;
neither the erosion of time nor the devastating and compounding effects of evil
have been able to erase His influence.
Some people thought He was crazy;
others considered Him a misfit, a troublemaker, a rebel.
He was condemned as a criminal, yet His life and teachings,
reverberate throughout history.   He saw things differently
and He had no respect for the status quo.
You can praise Him, disagree with Him, quote Him,
disbelieve Him, glorify Him, or vilify Him.
About the only thing you cannot do is ignore Him
and that is a lesson that every age learns in its own way.
You can’t ignore Jesus because He changed things.
He is the single greatest agent of change in human history.
He made the lame walk, taught the simple, set captives free,
gave sight to the blind, fed the hungry, healed the sick,
comforted the afflicted, afflicted the comfortable and in all of these,
captured the imagination of every generation.
But who is Jesus today? Who is Jesus to you?
Get ready to discover Jesus like you have never known Him.”

– JESUS SHOCK – PETER KREEFT

jesus shock - peter kreeft

Posted in MORNING Prayers

One Minute Reflection – 3 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 3 August

“Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”…..Matthew 13:49-50

REFLECTION – “Never forget that there are only two philosophies to rule your life:  the one of the cross, which starts with the fast and ends with the feast.   The other of Satan, which starts with the feast and ends with the headache.” ..― Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

never forget - ven fulon sheen

PRAYER – Help me Lord, to listen to Your word and live by it, so that I may be counted among the good ones whom Your angels will choose for eternal happiness.   Let me accept the reality of good and evil living side by side in this world.   And let me not be scandalised if the situation is not different also within Your Church in this world.   Holy Martyrs of Spain , pray for us!  Amen

holy martyrs of the spanish civil war - pray for us

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 3 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 3 August

Grant me, O Lord by Thomas à Kempis

Grant me, O Lord,
to know what I ought to know,
to love what I ought to love,
to praise what delights You most,
to value what is precious in Your sight,
to hate what is offensive to You.
Do not suffer me to judge
according to the sight of my eyes,
nor to pass sentence
according to the hearing
of the ears of ignorant men;
but to discern with a true judgment
between things visible and spiritual,
and above all things,
always to inquire,
what is the good pleasure of Your will. Amen

grant me, o lord 3 - by thomas a kempis

 

 

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

Novena to St Dominic – DAY FOUR – 2 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Novena to St Dominic

Fourth Day: St. Dominic’s Prayer

Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and inspired songs. Sing praise to the Lord with all your hearts.   Give thanks to God the Father always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-20)

Prayer was the breath of St. Dominic’s life, the light on his path, the staff on his pilgrimage.   He prayed always.   In childhood his delight was to serve Mass, to visit the Blessed Sacrament and to chant Office.   As a student, he learned wisdom more from prayer than from books.   He won more souls by prayer than by preaching or miracles.   In traveling, St Dominic prayed as he went, sometimes the Veni Creator Spiritus or the Ave Maris Stella or sometimes he recited psalms.   He often reminded his companions to think of God.   Many times St. Dominic spent the night in prayer before the altar.   His methods of prayer were various:  sometimes he lay prostrate, then stood erect, then knelt down.   For hours he would stand before a crucifix, genuflecting and making fervent ejaculations.   Often he stretched out his arms like a cross, pleading earnestly to God.   On occasion he was seen in rapture by the vehemence of his prayer.  “In all labours and trials, in hunger, thirst, fatigue, his heart turned always to God.”

Pray for us, blessed father, St. Dominic, That we may be made worthy of the prom­ises of Christ.

Let us pray:

O God,
who enlightened Your Church
by the virtues and preaching of St Dominic,
Your confessor and our father,
mercifully grant that by his prayers
we may be delivered from present dangers
and ever increase in spiritual blessings.
We pray too, that we may learn
from our blessed St Dominic,
to pray always, constantly living with You
in our hearts, minds and souls.
Pray too Holy St Dominic,
that our prayers and yours,
may draw back those
who have lapsed from the one, true faith
and for this our special intention …
(make your request)
Through Christ our Lord. Amen

DAY FOUR - NOVENA TO ST DOMINIC 2 AUG

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

NOVENA in Honour of and preparation for, the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord – Day Six – 2 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

NOVENA Transfiguration of our Lord – Day Six – 2 August

Explanation of this Novena here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/announcing-a-novena-in-honour-of-the-transfiguration-of-our-lord/

The Revelation of Christ’s Divine Glory

Sixth Day: Equipping us for Service and Endurance

The value of the vision and the accompanying glory is its gift of equipping us for service and endurance.
No one can stay on the mountaintop of Tabor forever, for there are responsibilities in the valley.
Christ fulfilled His life’s work not in the glory but in the valley and it was there He was truly and completely the Messiah.

Let us Pray:
O Christ our Lord,
You took Peter, James and John
and led them up a high mountain by themselves
and there you equipped them, by Your glory,
with understanding and courage for the journey ahead.
We pray for ourselves,
that we may come to be transfigured and prepared,
for service to You, Your Holy Church and our neighbour
and be equipped with endurance to complete our mission
and to look forward in hope of being transfigured at the last day. Amen

DAY SIX - TRANSFIGURATIO NOVENA - 2 AUG

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney – Day Eight– 2 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney

DAY EIGHT – We Pray for EXQUISITE PURITY

Let us Pray:

O Holy Priest of Ars,
a witness of your life made this magnificent praise of you:
‘We would have taken him for an angel in a mortal body.”
You so edified others:
modesty and exquisite purity radiated from your body.
With such charm and with such enthusiasm,
you preached to others about these beautiful virtues
which you said resembled the perfume of a vineyard in bloom.
Please I beg you,to join your entreaties to those of Mary Immaculate
and Saint Philomena in order that I guard always,
as God asks me, the purity of my heart.
You, who have directed so many souls towards the heights of virtue,
defend me in temptations and obtain for me the strength to conquer them.
Holy Priest of Ars, I have confidence in your intercession.
Pray for me during this novena especially for …
(mention silently your special intentions).
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

DAY EIGHT - NOVENA ST JOHN VIANNEY 2 AUGUST

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

The Glory of Eucharistic Adoration

Posted on by AnaStpaul

A way of Eucharistic Adoration on the Feast of St Peter Julian Eymard – Apostle of the Eucharist – 2 August

AnaStpaul's avatarAnaStpaul

The Glory of Eucharistic Adoration

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is one of the best ways to spend time with Jesus. There is so much noise around us these days.   Spending a quiet hour with Jesus in humble adoration will bring many graces and blessings to you.    Things that you have never even considered before will now be made present to you.    Bad things that would have happened to you will now not happen.    Here are some thoughts about what Jesus is asking you during this time.    As He told Peter, “Could you not spend one hour with me?”St. Peter Julian Eymard tells us all how to spend an hour in Adoration!

“MY CHILD, you need not know much in order to please Me; only love Me dearly.   Speak to Me as you would talk to your mother, if she had taken…

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

Thought for the Day – 2 August – The Memorial of St Peter Julian Eymard “Apostle of the Eucharist”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 2 August – The Memorial of St Peter Julian Eymard “Apostle of the Eucharist”

“I can remember very clearly that afternoon when I ran out of this room, down the stairs and out the front door.
I ran into the church with all the energy of a five-year-old.
It was empty.   I did something so out of place.
I climbed and sat on the table of the altar and I just leaned my head against the tabernacle.
My sister, Marianne, asked me, “What are you doing there?”
I quickly answered, ‘I am near Jesus and I’m listening to him.’”

Anticipating the renewal brought about by the Second Vatican Council, Saint Peter Julian Eymard had a vision of Eucharistic communities of priests, deacons, brothers, sisters and lay people living lives of total dedication to the spiritual values that are inspired by the celebration of the Eucharist and deepened through prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
His life was a true journey to Christ in the Eucharist, a journey begun intuitively on that day when a small boy wandered away from his family home to go to church―to listen to Jesus in the tabernacle.

Prayer to Saint Peter Julian Eymard

St Peter Julian,
the Lord has given you,
as he once did to Jacob, His servant,
an ever-searching faith.
All your life long, you have sought the way
to deepen your union with God
and to satisfy the hungers of humanity.
In the Eucharist, you have discovered the answer to your searching:
God’s love was there for you and for all humanity.
Answering this gift of love,
you made the gift of yourself to God
and you have given of yourself to the service of His people.
Your life, modeled on that of the Cenacle,
where Mary and the apostles were united in prayer,
inspired your disciples to live in an atmosphere of prayer.
Their apostolic zeal caused them to build Christian communities
where the Eucharist is the center and source of life.
Saint Peter Julian,
accompany us on our journey of faith.
May our ardent prayer and our generous service
help us to contribute to the establishing of a world
where there is justice and peace.
May our celebrations of the Eucharist
proclaim the liberating love of God
for the renewal of His church
and the coming of His kingdom.
Amen.

St Peter Julian Eymard, Pray for us!

st peter julian eymard pray for us.2

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 2 August – The Memorial of St Peter Julian Eymard “Apostle of the Eucharist”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 2 August – The Memorial of St Peter Julian Eymard “Apostle of the Eucharist”

“During the days of His mortal life, Jesus was present in one place only.   He dwelt in one house only.   Few persons were privileged enough to enjoy His presence and listen to His words.   But today in the Blessed Sacrament, He is, we may say, everywhere at one and the same time.   In a way, His humanity shares the prerogative of His divine immensity which fills all things.   Jesus is present in His entirety in an infinite number of temples and in each one of them.   Since all the Christians scattered throughout the world are members of His Mystical Body, it does seem necessary that He, as the soul of it, should be everywhere present throughout the whole body, giving it life, and sustaining it in each one of His members.”

“Have a great love for Jesus in His divine Sacrament of Love;
that is the divine oasis of the desert.
It is the heavenly manna of the traveller.
It is the Holy Ark.
It is the Life and Paradise of love on earth.”

have a great love for jesus in His divine sacrament of love - st peter julian eymard

“When we work hard, we must eat well.
What a joy, that you can receive Holy Communion often!
It’s our life and support in this life – receive Communion often
and Jesus will change you into Himself.”

when we work hard, we must eat well - st peter julian eymard

“Eucharistic adoration is the greatest of actions.
To adore is to share the life of Mary on earth
when she adored the Word Incarnate in her virginal womb,
when she adored Him in the Crib,
on Calvary,
in the divine Eucharist.”

St Peter Julian Eymard

eucharistic adoration is the greatest of actions - st peter julian eymard