Category: MORNING Prayers

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

NOVENA in Honour of and preparation for, the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord – Day One – 28 July

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NOVENA  Transfiguration of our Lord – Day One – 28 July

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

First Day: Today is a Joyful Day
One day Jesus left Nazareth, His hometown and lived in Capernaum.   During that time it was a big city, not distant form Nazareth.   The decision entailed a gesture of farewell to His mother and His town mates.   Everyone making a decision says goodbye and gives up something.   A vocation of service always signifies some form of sacrifice.   It is the price of the Kingdom of God.

Mary, our mother, like her son, was growing in her faith, her understanding of Jesus’s vocation and her acceptance of the mission God destined for her son.   For her, this process meant uncertainties, sufferings, fears and anxieties, just as for many mothers who share with their son’s commitment to fight for justice and risk their lives.

Let us Pray:

God of life and glory, Your son was revealed in splendour before He suffered death upon the cross;  grant that we, beholding His majesty, may be strengthened to follow Him and be changed into His likeness from glory to glory;   for He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen

DAY ONE - TRANSFIGURATION NOVENA 28 JULY

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney – Day Three – 28 July

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Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney

DAY THREE – We pray for TRUE LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR

day three - novena to st john vianney - true love of neighbour 28 july

Saint John Marie Baptiste Vianney
because of your love of God you showed great charity towards your neighbour.
You could not preach on the Love of God without burning tears of love.
During your last years, it seemed as though you could not talk about any thing else
or live for anything else.
Thus you sacrificed yourself to your neighbour by consoling, absolving and sanctifying them
to the limits of your strength.
Your charity inspires me to greater love of God,
a love which is shown more by acts then by words.
Help me to love my neighbour generously as Christ loves 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.

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

Thought for the day – 28 July – the Memorial of St Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception

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Thought for the day – 28 July

“From early in her life, Sister Alphonsa experienced great suffering.   With the passing of the years, the heavenly Father gave her an ever fuller share in the Passion of His beloved Son.   We recall how she experienced not only physical pain of great intensity but also the spiritual suffering of being misunderstood and misjudged by others.   But she constantly accepted all her sufferings with serenity and trust in God, being firmly convinced that they would purify her motives, help her to overcome all selfishness and unite her more closely with her beloved divine Spouse.   She wrote to her spiritual director:  “Dear Father, as my good Lord Jesus loves me so very much, I sincerely desire to remain on this sick bed and suffer not only this but anything else besides, even to the end of the world.   I feel now that God has intended my life to be an oblation, a sacrifice of suffering” (20 November 1944).   She came to love suffering because she loved the suffering Christ.   She learned to love the Cross through her love of the crucified Lord.

…Every one who has been baptised into Christ has discovered a pearl of “great value” and a “treasure” worth all that one has in life .   For all the baptised share in the very life of the Blessed Trinity and are called to be “light” and “salt” for the world .”…St Pope John Paul at the Beatification of St Alphonsa, 8 February 1986.

Let us be that “light” and that “salt”!

St Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception, pray for us!

st alphonsa pray for us 2

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

Quote/s of the Day – 28 July

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 July

“Jesus Christ is very little known by those
who claim to be His friends.
We observe them seeking in Him,
not His sorrows but their own consolation.”

QUOTE ST JOHN OF THE CROSS 21 JAN

“The road is narrow.
He who wishes to travel it more easily,
must cast off all things and use the cross as his cane.
In other words, he must be truly resolved.
to suffer willingly
for the love of God in all things.”

THE RD IS NARROW-ST JOHN OF THE CROSS

St John of the Cross

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

One Minute Reflection – 28 July

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One Minute Reflection – 28 July

“I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church” ….Colossians1:24

REFLECTION – “I have given myself up completely to Jesus. Let Him please Himself in His dealings with me.   My only desire in this world is to suffer for love of God and to rejoice in doing it” …St Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception (Memorial today 28 July)

I have given myself- st alphonsa

PRAYER – Lord God, as You offer us each year the joy of the feast of St Alphonsa, grant that as we celebrate her memory, we may imitate her in holiness and courage. St Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception, pray for us, amen.

st alphonsa pray for us

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Uncategorized

Our Morning Offering – 28 July (July Devotion) – The Most Precious Blood)

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Our Morning Offering – 28 July

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. Amen

wash me with yur precious blood - st peter canisius sj

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, Uncategorized

ANNOUNCING A NOVENA to ST DOMINIC for the Virtues of Faith, Purity, Charity and especially for all our Lapsed Catholic family and friends- Beginning 30 July

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ANNOUNCING A NOVENA to ST DOMINIC
for the Virtues of Faith, Purity, Charity
and especially for all our Lapsed Catholic family and friends.

The Novena to St Dominic begins on Sunday 30 July.

We pray to Saint Dominic, to ask the great preacher against heresy
and the founder of the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans)
to pray for us, that we may be granted the virtues that he embodied:
a desire to practice penance, through fasting and mortification;
purity of body and soul, in a world that values neither;
the theological virtue of faith, that we may live our lives,
in love of the Lord and in prayer;  and charity toward all men,
especially those who have fallen away from the True Faith
and those who have fallen into lives of sin.

St Dominic, please pray for us!

ANNOUNCING A NOVENA TO ST DOMINIC FOR FALLEN CATHOLICS

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney – Day Two – 27 July

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Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney

DAY TWO – We pray for COMPLETE TRUST IN GOD

DAY TWO - NOVENA TO ST JOHN VIANNEY - COMPLETE TRUST IN GOD - 27 JULY

Saint John Marie Baptiste Vianney,
what confidence the people had in your prayers!
You could not leave your old rectory or your humble church
without being surrounded by imploring souls,
who appealed to you as they would have appealed to Jesus Himself
during His earthly life.
And you, O good Saint, gave them hope by your words,
which were full of love for God.
You, who had always counted entirely on the heart of God,
obtain for me a deep filial trust in His Providence.
As the hope of divine goods fills my heart,
give me courage and help me to always obey the Commandments of God.
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.

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote of the Day = 27 July

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Quote of the Day = 27 July

“The way Jesus shows you is not easy.
Rather, it is like a path winding up a mountain.
Do not lose heart!
The steeper the road, the faster it rises towards ever wider horizons.”

St Pope John Paul

the way jesus shows you - st john paul

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

Thought for the Day – 27 July

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Thought for the Day – 27 July

Today is the feast of Blessed Rudolf Aquaviva S.J. (1550-1583), who laboured for four years at the court of the Muslim king at Agra, India, seeking converts to Christ.  The mission failed.  Shortly after, Bl Rudolf and four associates were martyred by a Hindu mob.  He wrote movingly of patient hope in the face of apparent failure:

“You know how I longed for this mission and how delighted I was when it was granted me. I have been able to do what I wished for—to bear witness to the name of Jesus Christ before the kings and rulers of this world.

We cannot speak out the truth for fear that if we go too far we endanger the life of King Akbar. So we neither die because they do not kill us and yet we do not live for our zeal wears us out. Or we live only by hope, though that is very uncertain whether it may not turn out rather evil than good. Ours is a very uncertain outlook as far as the King’s conversion goes.

Still, the Lord makes us realise that our labours are just as pleasing and acceptable to His divine majesty as if we were to obtain that for which we are striving, for God is a witness of inmost feelings and a searcher of the heart (see Wisdom 1:6). For day and night we are toiling at a work of great service to God, the planting of his faith in a barbarous nation at such peril of our lives.”

….For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond alll measure…2 Corinthians 4:17

We do NOT give up – ever, for the Lord is with us and blesses our zealous hearts!   Blessed Aquaviva please pray for us!

bl rudolf aquaviva sj. - pray for us jpg

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

One Minute Reflection – 27 July

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One Minute Reflection – 27 July

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day……2 Corinthians 4:16

REFLECTION – “We live only by hope…Still the Lord makes us realise that our labours are just as pleasing and acceptable to His divine majesty as if we were to obtain that for which we are striving, for God is a witness of inmost feelings and a searcher of the heart!”……Blessed Rudolf Aquaviva S.J. -Martyr – Memorial today 27 July

bl rudolf aquaviva sj

PRAYER – Almighty God, You give Your Martyrs the grace to lay down thei lives for Christ. Help our weakness, give us strength to do all for and to live only for You, for You know the inmost meaning of our hearts. Blessed Rudolf and St Panteleon, pray for us! Amen

ST PANTELEON - JULY 27

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 27 July

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Our Morning Offering – 27 July

“O God, I love You and not because
I hope for heaven thereby.”
St Francis Xavier translated by Gerald Manley Hopkins

I love You, God, I love You—
Not out of hope for heaven for me
Nor fearing not to love and be
In the everlasting burning.
You, my Jesus, after me
Did reach Your arms out dying,
For my sake suffered nails and lance,
Mocked and marred countenance,
Sorrows passing number,
Sweat and care and cumber,
Yes and death, and this for me,
And You could see me sinning:
Then I, why should not I love You,
Jesu so much in love with me?
Not for heaven’s sake, not to be
Out of hell by loving You;
Not for any gains I see;
But just the way that You loved me
I do love and will love You.
What must I love You Lord, for then?
For being my king and God. Amen

I love you lord - st francis xavier

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney – Day One – 26 July

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Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney 

Day One – 26 July – We pray for an ARDENT FAITH

DAY ONE - NOVENA ST JOHN VIANNEY FOR AN ARDENT FAITH

Saint John Marie Baptiste Vianney you were born of a deeply religious mother;  from her you received the Holy Faith;  you learned to love God and to pray.   At a young age, you were seen kneeling in the front of the statue of Mary.   Your soul was supernaturally carried towards the things on High.

Despite the high cost, you answered your vocation!
Against many obstacles and contradictions, you had to fight and suffer to become the perfect priest which you became.   But your deep spirit of faith supported you in all these battles.

0 Great Saint you know the desire of my soul;  I would like to serve God better;  from Him I have received so many good things.

For this, obtain for me more courage and especially the depth of an ardent faith.

Many of my thoughts, words and actions are useless for my sanctification and for my salvation because this supernatural spirit does not stir up my life.

Help me to be better in the future.
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

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

Thought for the Day – 26 July

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Thought for the Day – 26 July

By tradition Joachim and Anne are considered to be the names of the parents of Mary, the Mother of God.   We have no historical evidence, however, of any elements of their lives, including their names.   Any stories about Mary’s father and mother come to us through legend and tradition.   We get the oldest story from a document called the Gospel of James, though in no way should this document be trusted to be factual, historical, or the Word of God.   The legend told in this document says that after years of childlessness, an angel appeared to tell Anne and Joachim that they would have a child.   Anne promised to dedicate this child to God (much the way that Samuel was dedicated by his mother Hannah — Anne — in I Kings).

For those who wonder what we can learn from people we know nothing about and how we can honour them, we must focus on why they are honoured by the church.   Whatever their names or the facts of their lives, the truth is that it was the parents of Mary who nurtured Mary, taught her, brought her up to be a worthy Mother of God.   It was their teaching that led her to respond to God’s request with faith,  “Let it be done to me as you will.”   It was their example of parenting that Mary must have followed as she brought up her own son, Jesus.   It was their faith that laid the foundation of courage and strength that allowed her to stand by the cross as her son was crucified and still believe. Such parents can be examples and models for all parents. (Fr Thomas Rosica, CSB)

Sts Joachim and Anne, pray for us!

sts joachim and anne - pray for us 2

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote of the Day – 26 July

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Quote of the Day – 26 July

“This world and the world to come,
are two enemies.
We cannot therefore be friends to both;
but we must decide which we will forsake
and which we will enjoy.”

St Pope Clement I

this world and the word to come-s pope clement I

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

One Minute Reflection – 26 July

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One Minute Reflection – 26 July

How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him…..Psalm 94

REFLECTION – “Joachim and Anne, how blessed a couple!   All creation is indebted to you. For at your hands the Creator was offered a gift excelling all other gifts:  a chaste mother, who alone was worthy of Him.   Joachim and Anne, how blessed and spotless a couple! You will be known by the fruit you have borne, as the Lord says:  “By their fruits you will know them.”   The conduct of your life pleased God and was worthy of your daughter.   For by the chaste and holy life you led together, you have fashioned a jewel of virginity: she who remained a virgin before, during and after giving birth.   She alone for all time would maintain her virginity in mind and soul as well as in body.   Joachim and Anne, how chaste a couple!   While leading a devout and holy life in your human nature, you gave birth to a daughter nobler than the angels, whose queen she now is.” – from a sermon by Saint John Damascene (675-749) – Doctor of the Church

joachim and anne - st john damascene

PRAYER – O Lord, God of our Fathers, who bestowed on Saints Joachim and Anne this grace, that of them should be born the Mother of your incarnate Son, grant, through the prayers of both, that we may attain the salvation you have promised to your people. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Sts Joachim and Anne, pray for us! Amen

sts anne and joachim pray for us

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

Our Morning Offering – 26 July

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Our Morning Offering – 26 July

Prayer to Sts Anne and Joachim
Parents of the Immaculate Conception

Good parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
grandparents of our Saviour, Jesus Christ,
When life seems barren,
help us to trust in God’s mercy.
When we are confused,
help us to find the way to God.
When we are lost in the desert,
lead us to those whom God
has called us to love.
When our marriage seems lifeless,
show us the eternal youth of the Lord.
When we are selfish,
teach us to cling only
to that which lasts.
When we are afraid,
help us to trust in God.
When we are ashamed,
remind us that we are God’s children.
When we sin,
lead us to do God’s will.
You who know God’s will
for husband and wife,
help us to live chastely.
You who know God’s will for the family,
keep all families close to you.
You who suffered without children,
intercede for all infertile couples.
You who trusted in God’s will,
help us to respect God’s gift of fertility.
You who gave birth to the Blessed Mother,
inspire couples to be co-creators with God.
You who taught the Mother of God,
teach us to nurture children in holy instruction.
You whose hearts trusted in God,
hear our prayers.
God of our fathers, You gave Saints Anne and Joachim
the privilege of being the parents of Mary,
the mother of Your incarnate Son.
May their prayers help us to attain the salvation
You have promised to Your people.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

prayer to anne and joachim

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

ANNOUNCING A NOVENA in Honour of the Transfiguration of our Lord

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ANNOUNCING A NOVENA
in Honour of
the Transfiguration of our Lord

BEGINNING – 28 JULY

The Revelation of Christ’s Divine Glory

The feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ celebrates the revelation of Christ’s divine glory on Mount Tabor in Galilee (Matthew 17:1-6; Mark 9:1-8; Luke 9:28-36).   After revealing to His disciples that He would be put to death in Jerusalem (Matthew 16:21), Christ, along with Saints Peter, James, and John, went up the mountain. There, Saint Matthew writes, “he was transfigured before them.

And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow.”

QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
Date: 6 August

THE HISTORY OF THE FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
The brightness with which He shone on Mount Tabor was not something added to Christ but the manifestation of His true divine nature and a forecast of His Resurrection.   For Peter, James and John, it was also a glimpse of the glories of Heaven and of the resurrected body promised to all Christians.

When Christ was transfigured, two others appeared with Him:  Moses, representing the Old Testament Law, and Elijah, representing the prophets. Thus Christ, Who stood between the two and spoke with them, appeared to the disciples as the fulfillment of both the Law and the prophets.

At Christ’s baptism in the Jordan, the voice of God the Father was heard to proclaim that “This is my beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17). During the Transfiguration, God the Father pronounced the same words (Matthew 17:5).

Despite the importance of this event, the Feast of the Transfiguration was not among the earliest of feasts celebrated by Christians.   It was first celebrated in Asia starting in the fourth or fifth century and spread throughout the Christian East in the centuries following.   The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that it wasn’t commonly celebrated in the West until the tenth century. Pope Callixtus III elevated the Transfiguration to a feast of the universal Church and established August 6 as the date of its celebration.

The Novena is often prayed as a Community after Benediction for 9 days, however, if our parish is not offering this Novena, we too can pray it on our own, to assist in preparing for this great revelation of our Lord and to help us obtain the great realisation and joy which Peter, James and John experienced.

Let us Pray!

ANNOUNCING A NOVENA in honour of the Transifiguration of our lord

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, Uncategorized

Quote of the Day – 25 July

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Quote of the Day – 25 July

“Considering that when the Saints lived in this world,
they were at liberty to roam the earth,
do you really think that in Heaven,
God would have them tied to a post?”

St Thomas More

considering that - st thomas more

Posted in MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

One Minute Reflection – 25 July

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One Minute Reflection – 25 July

Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.”……Matthew 20:28

matthew 20 28

REFLECTION – “…we can learn much from St James: promptness in accepting the Lord’s call even when He asks us to leave the “boat” of our human securities, enthusiasm in following Him on the paths that He indicates to us over and above any deceptive presumption of our own, readiness to witness to Him with courage, if necessary to the point of making the supreme sacrifice of life. Thus James the Greater stands before us as an eloquent example of generous adherence to Christ. He, who initially had requested, through his mother, to be seated with his brother next to the Master in His Kingdom, was precisely the first to drink the chalice of the passion and to share martyrdom with the Apostles.
And, in the end, summarising everything, we can say that the journey, not only exterior but above all interior, from the mount of the Transfiguration to the mount of the Agony, symbolises the entire pilgrimage of Christian life, among the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God, as the Second Vatican Council says. In following Jesus, like St James, we know that even in difficulties we are on the right path.”…..Pope Benedict XVI – General Audience, June 21, 2006

we can learn much from st james - pope benedict

PRAYER – Almighty ever-living God, who consecrated the first fruits of Your Apostles by the blood of Saint James, grant, we pray, that Your Church may be strengthened by his confession of faith and constantly sustained by his protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. St James the Greater, Apostle of Christ, Pray for us! Amen

st james pray for us 25 july

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Our Morning Offering – 25 July

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Our Morning Offering – 25 July

Prayer for the Intercession of St James

O glorious Apostle, Saint James,
who by reason of your fervent
and generous heart
was chosen by Jesus to be witness
of His glory on Mount Tabor
and of His agony in Gethsemane;
you, whose very name is a symbol
of warfare and victory:
obtain for us strength and consolation
in the unending warfare of this life,
that, having constantly and generously followed Jesus,
we may be victors in the strife
and deserve to receive the victor’s crown in heaven.
Amen

Prayer for the Intercession of St James

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

The Chaplet of St Charbel Makhluf

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The Chaplet of St Charbel Makhluf

THE CHAPLET
The chaplet is made up of five sets of beads, three red, one white and one blue. Five black beads, divide the sets. A medal of the saint connects the beads, with a single white bead following the medal and preceding the five sets.

The red beads are for the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, the virtues by which religious share in the Passion of Christ.

The white beads represent the Holy Eucharist, and the blue beads love and devotion to Our Blessed Mother.

ORDER OF RECITATION
On the first white bead after the medal say the “Father of Truth” prayer. On each black bead recite an “Our Father”.

On the first three red beads say the “Hail Mary” in honor of Saint Charbel’s fidelity to the vow of poverty.

On the second set of red beads say the “Hail Mary” in honor of Saint Charbel’s fidelity to the vow of chastity.

On the third set of red beads say the “Hail Mary” in honor of Saint Charbel’s fidelity to the vow of obedience.

On the three white beads say the “Hail Mary” in honor of Saint Charbel’s love for the Eucharist.

On the three blue beads say the “Hail Mary” in honor of Saint Charbel’s devotion to Our Blessed Mother. Conclude with the prayer to obtain graces on the medal.

Father of Truth Prayer
Father of Truth, behold Your Son, a sacrifice pleasing to You. Accept this offering of Him who died for me; behold His blood shed on Golgotha for my salvation. It pleads for me. For His sake, accept my offering. Many are my sins, but greater is Your mercy. When placed on a scale, Your mercy prevails over the weight of the mountains known only to You. Consider the sin and consider the atonement; the atonement is greater and exceeds the sin. Your beloved Son sustained the nails and the lance because of my sins so in His sufferings You are satisfied and I live.

Prayer to Obtain Graces
Lord, infinitely holy and glorified in Your saints, You have inspired Charbel, the saint monk, to lead the perfect life of a hermit. We thank You for granting him the blessing and the strength to detach himself from the world so that the heroism of the monastic virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience might triumph in his hermitage. We beseech You to grant us the grace of loving and serving You, following his example. Almighty God, who have manifested the power of Saint Charbel’s intercession through his countless miracles and favors, grant us this grace (here mention your intention) which we request from You through his intercession. Amen.

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

Thought for the Day – 24 July – The Memorial of St Charbel of Makhluf

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Thought for the Day – 24 July – The Memorial of St Charbel of Makhluf

In 1950, Father George Webby, a Maronite priest from Scranton, visited Lebanon, took a photo of monks outside the wall of the monastery in which St. Charbel had lived and upon development of the picture saw that St. Charbel miraculously appeared with the monks, according to information provided by St. Anthony’s Church.

StShar02

Art work for holy pictures of this saint is now taken from this photo.   Can you see him? (Hint: smack dab in the middle) click on the picture and then zoom in….

St. Charbel is listed among The Incorruptibles, saints whose bodies were found intact years after burial. His body kept pouring oil and blood until the year before his canonization in 1977.

“…a hermit of the Lebanese mountain is inscribed in the number of the blessed, a new eminent member of monastic sanctity is enriching, by his example and his intercession, the entire Christian people.   May he make us understand, in a world largely fascinated by wealth and comfort, the paramount value of poverty, penance and asceticism, to liberate the soul in its ascent to God…” ……….Pope Paul VI, October 9, 1977

St Charbel Makhluf, Pray for us!

st charbel - pray for us.2.

Watch – “The Saint Charble Song” …it’s special…

A beautiful ode to Saint Charbel, written by J. Michael Thompson- (a Catholic Composer, professor of ecclesiastical chant):

The mountain heights of Lebanon
Resound with songs of joy;
The cedars of that ancient land
Stand tall as we employ
Our hymns of praise and thankfulness
For Sharbel’s saintly ways,
Lived out in strict humility
That guided all his days.

True monk and hermit of the hills,
Saint Maron’s modest son
Scorned wealth and comfort in his life
That heaven’s crown be won.
Of Mary, heaven’s Queen and Gate,
Devoted son was he,
Who cherished all the ancient rites
With great humility.

Fierce lover of the lowly life,
True father of the poor,
As you have done, so help us all
To struggle and endure,
That Christ be praised in ev’ry life,
That riches not ensnare
Or rule us in our daily walk;
That strong may be our prayer!

O Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
One God in persons three,
Receive this hymn we offer now,
And keep your Church e’er free
To follow, as Saint Sharbel did,
Enflamed with love so bright
That we, with eyes fixed firm on Christ,
May vanquish sin’s dark night.

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote of the Day – 24 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 24 July

“Those in the Catholic Church,
whom some rebuke for praying to Saints
and going on pilgrimages,
do not seek any Saint as their saviour.
Instead, they seek saints as those whom their Saviour loves
and whose intercession and prayer for the seeker
He will be content to hear.
For His Own sake, He would have those He loves honoured.
And when they are thus honoured for His sake,
then the honour that is given them for His sake ‘
overflows especially to Himself.”

St Thomas More

those in the Catholic church - st thomas more

Posted in MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

One Minute Reflection – 24 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 24 July

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let them say among the nations: The LORD is king……1 Chronicles 16:31

REFLECTION – “Great is the gladness in heaven and earth today for the beatification of Charbel Makhluf, monk and hermit of the Lebanese Maronite Order. Great is the joy of the East and West for this son of Lebanon, admirable flower of sanctity blooming on the stem of the ancient monastic traditions of the East and venerated today by the Church of Rome.”……Bl Pope Paul VI at the Beatification ceremny at the closing of the Second Vatican Council, in 1965.

great is the joy of the East and West - bl pope paul VI

PRAYER – Lord, infinitely Holy and Glorified in Your Saints, You have inspired Charbel, the saint monk, to lead the perfect life of a hermit. We thank You for granting him the blessing and the strength to detach himself from the world so that the heroism of the monastic virtues of poverty,obedience, and chastity, could triumph in his hermitage. We beseech You to grant us the grace of loving and serving You, following his example. Almighty God, Who has manifested the power of St Charbel’s intercession
through his countless miracles and favours, grant us our intentions through his intercession. Amen

st charbel - pray for us

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 24 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 24 July

Eternal God, our Refuge

By St Boniface

Eternal God, the refuge and help of all Your children,
we praise You for all You have given us,
for all You have done for us,
for all that You are to us.
In our weakness, You are strength,
in our darkness, You are light,
in our sorrow, You are comfort and peace.
We cannot number Your blessings,
we cannot declare Your love:
For all Your blessings we bless You.
May we live as in Your presence,
and love the things that You love,
and serve You in our daily lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

eternal god our refuge-st boniface

Posted in MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 3 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 3 July

St Bridget was an exceedingly active and busy person, besides her deep and mystical life of prayer and communion with God.  Her maid, nevertheless told others after the Saint’s death, that she was “kind and meek to every creature and that she had a smiling face” regardless of what we would today consider to be the ‘stress’ of her activity.   Truly holy people are gentle with others, eminently kind and compassionate toward all and this is the first sign of genuine holiness.   How I treat others, is pretty much a mirror of what is going on in my heart.  If I aim to see God’s face in all and my heart is on fire with love of Him, then how I treat others will shine forth and reflect this love!

St Bridget of Sweden, pray for us.

st bridget of sweden - pray for us.2

 

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

Quote/s of the Day – 23 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 23 July

“There is no sinner in the world,
however much at enmity with God,
who cannot recover God’s grace,
by recourse to Mary
and by asking her assistance.”

there is no sinner - st bridget of sweden

“True wisdom, then, consists in works, not in great talents,
which the world admires;
for the wise in the world’s estimation . . . are the foolish
who set at naught the will of God 
and know not how to control their passions.”

true wisdom, then - st bridget

St Bridget of Sweden

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

One Minute Reflection – 23 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 23 July

You have heard that it was said:
“You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.”
But I say to you: ‘ love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you.’…..Matthew 5:43-44

MATTHEW 5-43,44

REFLECTION – “We must show love for those who do evil to us and pray for them.
Nothing is dearer or more pleasing to God than this.”…St Bridget of Sweden

we must show love for those - st bridget

PRAYER – God of love, grant me the great grace to show love and forgiveness for those who do evil to me. Let me at least be able to pray for their salvation, won for them too, by your Divine Son, Jesus th Christ. St Bridget of Swden, pray for us, amen.

st bridget of sweden - pray for us

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

Our Morning Offering – 23 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 23 July

Prayer in Praise and Thanksgiving
By St Bridget of Sweden

To You be praise indeed, O eternal God
and endless thanksgiving for the fact
that You deigned to become a human being
and that for us in the world,
You willed to consecrate Your venerable Body
out of material bread
and lovingly bestow it on us as food
for the salvation of our souls!
Amen

prayer in praise and thanksgiving by st bridget of sweden