Category: MORNING Prayers

Posted in MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 4 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 4 July

Heavenly Father,
Give me the courage
to strive for the highest goals,
to flee every temptation to be mediocre.
Enable me to aspire to greatness,
as Blessed Pier Giorgio did,
and to open my heart with joy
to Your call to holiness.
Free me from the fear of failure.
I want to be, Lord, firmly and forever,
united to You.
Grant me the graces I ask You
through Blessed Pier Giorgio’s intercession,
by the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
in union with the Holy Spirit.
Amen

heavenly father - bl pier

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

NOVENA to ST BENEDICT DAY TWO – 3 JULY

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NOVENA to ST BENEDICT
DAY TWO – 3 JULY

In the Holy Rule, St. Benedict you have said:

What, dearest brothers, can be sweeter to us than this voice of the Lord inviting us?   See, in His loving kindness, the Lord shows us the way of life.   Therefore, having our loins girt with faith and the performance of good works, let us walk His ways under the guidance of the Gospel, that we may be found worthy of seeing Him who has called us to His kingdom (cf 1 Thes 2:12).

If we desire to dwell in the tabernacle of His kingdom, we cannot reach it in any way, unless we run to it by good works.   But let us ask the Lord with the Prophet, saying to Him:  “Lord, who shall dwell in Your tabernacle, or who shall rest in Your holy hill” (Ps 14[15]:1)? . (Holy Rule 1)

DAY TWO NOVENA ST BENEDICT

LET US PRAY:  DAY TWO

Glorious Saint Benedict,
sublime model of virtue, pure vessel of God’s grace!
Behold me humbly kneeling at your feet.
I implore you in your loving kindness to pray for me before the throne of God.

To you I have recourse in the dangers that daily surround me.
Shield me against my selfishness and my indifference to God and to my neighbor.
Inspire me to imitate you in all things.
May your blessing be with me always, so that I may see and serve Christ in others and work for His kingdom.

Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces which I need so much in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life.
Your heart was always full of love, compassion and mercy toward those who were afflicted or troubled in any way.
You never dismissed without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to you.
I therefore invoke your powerful intercession, confident in the hope that you will hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I earnestly implore.

{mention your petition}

Help me, great Saint Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to run in the sweetness of His loving will, and to attain the eternal happiness of heaven.

Amen.

O Holy Father, St. Benedict, pray for us.

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

Thought for the Day – 3 July

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Thought for the Day – 3 July

“Poor Thomas! He made one remark and has been branded as “Doubting Thomas” ever since.   But if he doubted, he also believed.   He made what is certainly the most explicit statement of faith in the New Testament:  “My Lord and My God!” and, in so expressing his faith, gave Christians a prayer that will be said till the end of time.   He also occasioned a compliment from Jesus to all later Christians:  “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29).

Thomas should be equally well-known for his courage.   Perhaps what he said was impetuous—since he ran, like the rest, at the showdown—but he can scarcely have been insincere when he expressed his willingness to die with Jesus.   The occasion was when Jesus proposed to go to Bethany after Lazarus had died.   Since Bethany was near Jerusalem, this meant walking into the very midst of his enemies and to almost certain death.   Realising this, Thomas said to the other apostles,  “Let us also go to die with him” (John 11:16b).

Thomas shares the lot of Peter the impetuous, James and John, the “sons of thunder,” Philip and his foolish request to see the Father—indeed all the apostles in their weakness and lack of understanding.   We must not exaggerate these facts, however, for Christ did not pick worthless men.   But their human weakness again points up the fact that holiness is a gift of God, not a human creation – it is given to ordinary men and women with weaknesses, it is God who gradually transforms the weaknesses into the image of Christ, the courageous, trusting and loving one.” Fr. Don Miller, OFM

Saint John Chrysostom said about Thomas:  “Thomas, being once weaker in faith than the other apostles, toiled through the grace of God more bravely, more zealously and tirelessly than them all, so that he went preaching over nearly all the earth, not fearing to proclaim the Word of God to savage nations.”   If Thomas can be transformed, so, too, can we.  When our faith is shaken, we think of Thomas’ doubt… but we also must think of his courage.   What will we accomplish when our faith overflows within us, pouring forth in the courageous acclamation, “My Lord and My God!”?

St Thomas, Apostle of Christ, Pray for us!

st thomas pray for us 2

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

Quote of the Day – 3 July

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Quote of the Day – 3 July

“Faith is a beam, radiating from the face of God.”

~St John Eudes

faith is a beam-st john eudes

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

One Minute Reflection – 3 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 3 July

“My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”…John 20:28-29

REFLECTION – “the Apostle Thomas’ case is important to us for at least three reasons: first, because it comforts us in our insecurity; second, because it shows us that every doubt can lead to an outcome brighter than any uncertainty; and, lastly, because the words that Jesus addressed to him remind us of the true meaning of mature faith and encourage us to persevere, despite the difficulty, along our journey of adhesion to him”………….Pope Benedict XVI, 27 September 2006.

pope benedict - the apostle Thomas case

PRAYER – Father, let our celebration of the Feast of St Thomas the Apostle, be the source of his unfailing help and protection. Fill us with Your life-giving grace through faith in Your Son, whom St Thomas acknowledged to be his Lord and God. St Thomas continue to intercede for us that we may grow strong in faith and trust. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever Amen.

st thomas pray for us

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

Our Morning Offering – 3 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 3 July

The Twenty-Four Hour Prayer
By St John Chrysostum (347-407)
Doctor of the Church

[1]   O Lord, deprive me not of Your heavenly blessings.
[2]   O Lord, deliver me from eternal torment.
[3]   O Lord, if I have sinned in my mind or thought, in word or deed, forgive me.
[4]   O Lord, deliver me from every ignorance and heedlessness, from pettiness of the soul and stony hardness of heart.
[5]   O Lord, deliver me from every temptation.
[6]   O Lord, enlighten my heart darkened by evil desires.
[7]   O Lord, I, being a human being, have sinned;  You, being God, forgive me in Your loving kindness, for You know the weakness of my soul.
[8]   O Lord, send down Your grace to help me, that I may glorify Your holy Name.
[9]   O Lord Jesus Christ, inscribe me, Your servant, in the Book of Life and grant me a blessed end.
[10]   O Lord my God, even if I have done nothing good in Your sight, yet grant me, according to Your grace, that I may make a start in doing good.
[11]   O Lord, sprinkle on my heart the dew of Your grace.
[12]   O Lord of heaven and earth remember me, Your sinful servant, cold of heart and impure, in Your kingdom.
[13]   O Lord, receive me in repentance.
[14]   O Lord, leave me not.
[15]   O Lord, save me from temptation.
[16]   O Lord, grant me pure thoughts.
[17]   O Lord, grant me tears of repentance, remembrance of death and the sense of peace.
[18]   O Lord, grant me mindfulness to confess my sins.
[19]   O Lord, grant me humility, charity and obedience.
[20]   O Lord, grant me magnanimity, and gentleness.
[21]   O Lord, implant in me the root of all blessings, the fear of You in my heart.
[22]   O Lord, vouchsafe that I may love You with all my heart and soul and that I may obey in all things Your will.
[23]   O Lord, shield me form evil persons and devils and passions, and all other lawless matters.
[24]   O Lord, who knows Your creation and that which You have willed for it, may Your will also be fulfilled in me, a sinner, for You are blessed forevermore. Amen.24 hour prayer ST JOHN CHRYSOSTUMou are blessed forevermore. Amen.

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

Thought for the Day – 2 July

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Thought for the Day – 2 July

By the time of his death, Saint Bernardino Realino (saint of the day 2 July) was recognizsed as a man of great zeal and holiness.   Those who had known him at once hailed him as a saint.   Following his death, blood that had been collected from him while alive was observed to defy biological properties.   For over a century, the blood remained liquefied, foaming and frothing on the anniversary of his death.   Similarly, when his tomb was opened, the flesh of his body was found to be incorrupt, his blood frothing and emitting a sweet perfumed scent.

Reliquie_di_San_Bernardino_Realino_Lecce_1205

His life reminds us that it is never too late for a change in perspective!   As a young man, Bernardino achieved great worldly success but realised that worldly recognition and riches left him unfulfilled.   He turned to the Lord, listened for His Will and embraced a rich lifetime of service and obedience, providing necessary spiritual direction to others. On this, his feast day, we might pause to take stock of our own perspective and priorities. How do we judge success in our lives? How might that differ from the manner in which the Lord, Our God, judges success?   Are we able to live today’s Gospel – Matthew 10:37-42?

St Bernardino Realino, pray for us!

st bernardino realino - pray for us.2

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Quote of the Day – 2 July

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Quote of the Day – 2 July

“Whoever has become a servant of the Lord fears only his Master.
But whoever is without the fear of God, is often afraid of his own shadow.
Fearfulness is the daughter of unbelief.
A proud soul is the slave of fear; hoping in itself, in comes to such a state,
that it is startled by a small noise and is afraid of the dark.”

St John Climacus

whoever has become a servant of the lord - st john climacus

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

One Minute Reflection – 2 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 2 July

“No one who prefers father or mother to me is worthy of me….”……..Mathew 10:37

REFLECTION – “To believe in God – for Christians does not mean simply to believe that God exists, nor merely to believe that He is truth.   It means to believe by loving, to believe by abandoning oneself to God completely, uniting and conforming oneself to Him.”…………..St Anthony of Padua

to believe in God - st anthony of padua

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, grant me an operative faith – a faith that will move mountains and is strong enough to know that absolutely nothing and no-one here on earth can compare to You.   Let me show that faith by lively love and by loving deeds and by conforming myself to Your will in all things – teach me that only YOU are first in line. This is how you lived your life St Bernardino Realino – turning your back on success, money and power to put only the God who created us first and now you are a Saint. Please pray for us, amen.

st bernardino realino - pray for us

 

 

 

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MORNING Prayers

The HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTION for JULY 2017

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The HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTION for JULY 2017

LAPSED CHRISTIANS

That our brothers and sisters who have strayed
from the faith, through our prayer and witness
to the Gospel, may rediscover the merciful closeness
of the Lord and the beauty of the Christian life.

holy fathers prayer intention july 2017

Posted in MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 1 July

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Thought for the Day – 1 July

Junipero’s missionary life was a long battle with cold and hunger, with unsympathetic military commanders and even with danger of death from non-Christian native peoples. Through it all his unquenchable zeal was fed by prayer each night, often from midnight till dawn. He baptised over 6,000 people and confirmed 5,000. His travels would have circled the globe. He brought the Native Americans not only the gift of faith but also a decent standard of living. He won their love, as witnessed especially by their grief at his death when the music was drowned out by the weeping!
The word that best describes Junipero is zeal. His motto “always forward, never back” is a great watchword for all of us. His life inspires us each to serve the Lord with the entirety of our hearts, souls and lives. What a difference we might make in the world if we were to embrace our apostolic calling with the same vigor and commitment that St Junipero did!

St Junipero Serra, pray for us!

stjuniperoserra pray for us

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

Quote of the Day – 1 July

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Quote of the Day – 1 July

“Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent.”

St John of the Cross – Doctor of the Church

 

 

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, Uncategorized

Our Morning Offering – 1 July

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Our Morning Offering – 1 July

Constant Prayer of St. Catherine of Siena
to the Precious Blood of Jesus

Precious Blood,
ocean of divine mercy:
Flow upon us!

Precious Blood,
most pure offering:
Procure us every grace!

Precious Blood,
hope and refuge of sinners:
Atone for us!

Precious Blood,
delight of holy souls:
Draw us! Amen.

Constant prayer to the precious blood of jesus by st catherine of siena

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 30 June

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Our Morning Offering – 30 June

Prayer before an Image of Jesus Crucified
by Blessed Titus Brandsma (Martyr)

Dear Lord, when looking up at Thee,
I see Thy loving eyes on me;
Love overflows my humble heart,
Knowing what a faithful friend Thou are.
A cup of sorrow I foresee,
Which I accept for love of Thee,
Thy painful way I wish to go;
The only way to God I know.
My soul is full of peace and light;
Although in pain, this light shines bright.
For here Thou keepest to Thy breast.
My longing heart to find there rest.
Leave me here freely all alone,
In cell where never sunlight shone.
Should no one ever speak to me,
This golden silence makes me free!
For though alone, I have no fear;
Never wert Thou, O Lord, so near.
Sweet Jesus, please, abide with me!
My deepest peace I find in Thee

PRAYER BEFORE JESUS CRUCIFIED BY BL TITUS BRANDSMA

Posted in MORNING Prayers, Uncategorized

Congratulations, Prayers and Love to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the occasion of the 66th Anniversary of his Priestly Ordination

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PRAYER FOR POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT XVI

ON THE 66TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ORDINATION – 29 JUNE 2017

Most gracious Heavenly Father,
We thank You for our faithful Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,
whose spiritual fatherhood and example of fidelity, self-sacrifice, humility and devotion
has been so vital to the faith of Your people
through 66 years of living his role as Your earthly shepherd.
May our spiritual father, who continues his mission for his flock
be always guided by the examples of Saints Peter and Paul,
all the Apostles and their saintly successors.
Give him valiant strength in his twilight years,
hope in times of trouble and sorrow and steadfast love for You,
and for all Your people throughout the world.
May the light of Your Truth continue to shine through him.
We thank You for blessing Pope Emeritus Benedict with his
continued generosity in imparting his knowledge to all Your children.
Bless him and keep him and protect him
and let him know that he is greatly loved and respected.
Our prayers arise to You, our Father for our beloved Pope Benedict
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

CONGRATS 66 YEARS 29 JUNE PAPA Bthank you papa b

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

Thought for the Day – 29 June

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Thought for the Day – 29 June

By their lives and labours, Peter and Paul established the faith and by their deaths they bore witness to is power and truth.   They are part of the Church’s own confession of faith – they were the architects of that faith and they have left their mark indelibly upon Christian history and belief.   After Christ, these two are the cornerstones of the Church and as such they are enshrined in the Church’s memory.   They embody in themselves everything a Christian admires in being a follower of Christ, they are Apostles, Martyrs, Witnesses, Evangelists, Teachers, Prophets and Founders of Churches wherever they went in the footsteps of our Lord.   The two great basilicas in Rome are dedicated to them – St Peter’s is the largest Church in Christendom and St Paul’s Outside the Walls, carries the history of all our Popes and is the site of the Martyrdom of St Paul.
We owe our faith to these two great Fathers and hold them in hallowed love and memory.
Like Jesus Himself, their deaths are our lives!

Sts Peter and Paul, pray for us and for the entire universal Church, protect us by your prayers.

St. Peter’s Basilica

sts peter and paul - pray for us.2

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

Quote/s of the Day – 29 June

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 June

“Where Peter is,
there is the Church.
Where the Church is,
there is Jesus Christ.
Where Jesus Christ is,
there is eternal salvation.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
One of the original four Doctors of the Church

where peter is 2

where peter is, there is the church - st ambrose

“There must be general rejoicing, dearly beloved,
over this holy company whom God has appointed
for our example in patience and for our confirmation in faith.
But we must glory even more in the excellence of their fathers,
Peter and Paul, whom the grace of God has raised
to such a height among all the members of the Church
that He has set them like twin lights
of eyes in that Body whose head is Christ.”

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

he has set them like twinlight - st pope leo the great

 

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

One Minute Reflection – 29 June

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One Minute Reflection – 29 June

“Their sound has gone out into all the earth and their words to the ends of the world” ……….Psalm 19

psalm 19 - sts peter and paul

REFLECTION – “There is one day for the passion of two apostles. But these two also were as one; although they suffered on different days, they were as one. Peter went first, Paul followed. We are celebrating a feast day, consecrated for us by the blood of the apostles. Let us love their faith, their lives, their labours, their sufferings, their confession of faith, their preaching.”………St Augustine

these two also were as one-staugustine

PRAYER – Almighty God, whose blessed Apostles Peter and Paul glorified you by their martyrdom: grant that your Church, instructed by their teaching and example and knit together in unity by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord;  who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Sts Peter and Paul, pray for us and for the universal Church, amen.

sts peter and paul - pray for us

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

Our Morning Offering – 29 June

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Our Morning Offering – 29 June

O God,
who on the Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul
give us a noble and holy joy of this day.
Grant, we pray, that Your Church
may in all things follow the teaching
of those through whom she received
the beginnings of right religion.
Grant that we may be sustained
by the intercession
of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul
and that Your Church,
may ever stand firm upon the one foundation,
which is Jesus Christ our Lord;
who lives and reigns with You,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen

prayer on the solemnity of the apostles peter and paul

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

One Minute Reflection – 28 June

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One Minute Reflection – 28 June

Everyone who looks upon the Son
and believes in him shall have eternal life………….John 6:40

john 6-40

REFLECTION – “The Father made God visible to human beings through numerous mysteries to prevent them from losing everything – even their very lives. For the glory of God is the living person and the life of a person is the vision of God.”………..St Irenaeus – Father of the Church

the fathr made god visible-st irenaeus

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, You left us Your Church and Your Vicar the Holy Father our Pope, to insure our contact with You. Let me always cling to Your Church and follow its teachings in every detail and with all my heart. St Irenaeus, please pray for us all the members of Body of Christ, the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, amen.

st irenaeus - pray for us

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 28 June

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Thought for the Day – 28 June

The Church is fortunate that St Irenaeus was involved in many of its controversies in the second century.   He was a student, well trained no doubt, with great patience in investigating, tremendously protective of apostolic teaching but prompted more by a desire to win over his opponents than to prove them in error.

As bishop of Lyons he was especially concerned with the Gnostics, who took their name from the Greek word for “knowledge.”   Claiming access to secret knowledge imparted by Jesus to only a few disciples, their teaching was attracting and confusing many Christians.   After thoroughly investigating the various Gnostic sects and their “secret,” Irenaeus showed to what logical conclusions their tenets led.   These he contrasted with the teaching of the apostles and the text of Holy Scripture, giving us, in five books, a system of theology of great importance to subsequent times.   Moreover, his work, widely used and translated into Latin and Armenian, gradually ended the influence of the Gnostics.

St Irenaeus’ deep and genuine concern for other people will remind us that the discovery of truth is not to be a victory for some and a defeat for others.   Unless all can claim a share in that victory, truth itself will continue to be rejected by the losers, because it will be regarded as inseparable from the yoke of defeat.   And so, confrontation, controversy and the like might yield to a genuine united search for God’s truth and how it can best be served……….Fr Don Miller, OFM

St Irenaeus pray for us all!

ST IRENAEUS PRAY FOR US

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

Quotes of the Day – 28 June

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Quotes of the Day – 28 June

“Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist
and the Eucharist in turn, confirms our way of thinking.”

our way of thinking - st irenaeus

“It is not you that shapes God.
It is God that shapes you.
If then you are the work of God
await the Hand of the artist who does
all things in due season.
Offer Him your heart,
soft and tractable
and keep the form in which the artist
has fashioned you.
Let the clay be moist
lest you go hard
and lose the imprint of His Fingers.”

it is not you that shapes god-strenaeus

“The preaching of the Church truly continues
without change and is everywhere the same.
It has the testimony of the Prophets
and Apostles and all their disciples.”

the preaching of the church

“Being obedient she (Mary)
became the cause of salvation for herself
and for the whole human race.
The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied
by Mary’s obedience:
what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief,
Mary loosened by her faith.”

being obedient-st irenaeus

“As long as any one has the means
of doing good to his neighbours
and does not do so,
he shall be reckoned a stranger
to the love of the Lord.”

as long as any one has the means-st irenaeus

St. Irenaeus (c130-c202), pray for us!

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

Our Morning Offering – 28 June

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Our Morning Offering – 28 June

O Lamb of God
by St Irenaeus

O Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world,
look upon us and have mercy upon us;
You who art Yourself both victim and Priest,
Yourself both Reward and Redeemer,
keep safe from all evil
those whom You have redeemed,
O Saviour of the world.
Amen

o lamb of god by st irenaeus

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

Thought for the Day – 27 June – The Memorial of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Incarnation

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Thought for the Day – 27 June – The Memorial of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Incarnation

Theotokos is the official name of Mary and it is well to remember the great battle that was fought (and to my mnd, continues to fought today) over this title.  SHE IS the Mother of God – the Son of God was born of her in His human nature, without ceasing to be God. The whole mystery of the Incarnation is bound up in Mary and she is at the very heart of the work of Jesus’ Redemption of mankind!
St Cyril of Alexandria’s battle raged over the combined front of the Divinity of Christ and therefore, Mary the Mother of the Divinity, is summed up thus:   “Only if it is one and the same Christ who is consubstantial with the Father and with men can He save us, for the meeting ground between God and man is the flesh of Christ. Only if this is God’s own flesh can man come into contact with Christ’s divinity through His humanity, through his earthy mother, Mary.  Because of our kinship with the Word made flesh we are sons of God.   The Eucharist consummates our kinship with the word, our communion with the Father, our sharing in the divine nature—there is very real contact between our body and that of the Word.”

St Cyril of Alxandria, pray for us.
Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

st cyril of alexandria pray for usholy mary mothr of god pray for us

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

Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – Memorial of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor

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Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – Memorial of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor

“He who receives Communion is made holy and divinised in soul and body
in the same way that water, set over a fire, becomes boiling…
Communion works like yeast that has been mixed into dough
so that it leavens the whole mass;
…Just as by melting two candles together you get one piece of wax,
so, I think, one who receives the Flesh and Blood of Jesus
is fused together with Him by this Communion
and the soul finds that he is in Christ and Christ is in him.”

as two pieces of wax-st cyril of alexandria

“Indeed the mystery of Christ runs the risk
of being disbelieved – precisely because
it is so incredibly wonderful.”

indeed the mystery of christ - st cyril of alexandria

“It is like employing a small tool on big constructions,
if we use human wisdom
in the hunt for knowledge of reality.”

“Our Saviour went to the wedding feast
to make holy the origins of human life.”

our saviour went to the edding feast-st cyril of alexandria

ST CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA

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

One Minute Reflection – 27 June

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One Minute Reflection – 27 June

Do you not see that your bodies are members of Christ?………..1 Cor 7:15

1 corinthians 7-15

REFLECTION – “All of us are united with Christ inasmuch as we have received Him Who is one and indivisible in our bodies.   Therefore, we owe the service of our members to Him rather than to ourselves.”………. St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Doctor and Father of the Church (Saint of the Day)

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, help me to put all my faculties at the disposal of Christ so as to be His link to others and with the world around me.   Let me give myself wholly to Him this day and every day. St Cyril of Alexandria, defender of the divinity of Christ and the Mother of God, intercede for us, amen.

all of us are united - st cyrill of alexandria

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

Our Morning Offering – 27 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 27 June

Prayer to the Mother of God
by St Cyril of Alexandria (Saint of the Day) 

Hail, Mother and virgin,
eternal temple of the Godhead,
venerable treasure of creation,
crown of virginity,
support of the true faith,
on which the Church is founded
throughout the world.
Mother of God,
who contained the infinite God
under your heart,
whom no space can contain:
through you
the most Holy Trinity is revealed,
adored, and glorified,
demons are vanquished,
Satan cast down from heaven into hell
and our fallen nature again
assumed into heaven.
Through you the human race,
held captive in the bonds of idolatry,
arrives at the knowledge of Truth.
What more shall I say of you?
Hail, through whom kings rule,
through whom the Only-Begotten
Son of God
has become the Star of Light
to those sitting in darkness
and in the shadow of death. Amen

prayer to the mother of god - st cyril of alexandria

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

Thought for the Day – 26 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 26 June

Opus Dei, which means Work of God, emphasizes that men and women can become holy by performing their daily duties with a Christian spirit.   In his homily, Pope John Paul II emphasised the importance of every believer following God’s will, as had the newly sainted founder of Opus Dei.   “The Lord has a plan for each one of us.  Saints cannot even conceive of themselves outside of God’s plan: they live only to fulfill it.”

St Josemaria is a good example of what one person with conviction can do.   Granted, we all have differing personalities and talents but still each of us can do great things with the grace of God and, let us never forget “we are all called to be saints! – a saint is a person who lets the light shine through.”

Let us go forth!   St Josemaria, Pray for us!

a saint is a person who lets the light shine through

st josemaria - pray for us 2

 

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

Quote/s of the Day 26 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day 26 June

“A man who fails to love the Mass fails to love Christ.   We must make an effort to ‘live’ the Mass with calm and serenity, with devotion and affection.   And this is why I have always suspected that those who want the Mass to be over with quickly show, with this insensitive attitude, that they have not yet realised what the sacrifice of the altar means.” AND   “Many Christians take their time and have leisure enough in their social life (no hurry here).   They are leisurely, too, in their professionally activities, at table and recreation (no hurry here either).   But isn’t it strange how those same Christians find themselves in such a rush and want to hurry the priest, in their anxiety to shorten the time devoted to the most holy sacrifice of the altar?”

the man who fails to love the mass-st josemaria

“You don’t know how to pray? Put yourself in the presence of God, and as soon as you have said, ‘Lord, I don’t know how to pray!” you can be sure you have already begun.”

you don't know how to pay - st josemaria

“When you approach the tabernacle remember that he has been waiting for you for twenty centuries.”

when you approach the tabernacle - st josemaria

“To defend his purity, Saint Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow, Saint Benedict threw himself into a thorn bush and Saint Bernard plunged into an icy pond… You – what have you done?” …………………May I give you some advice for you to put into practice daily? When your heart makes you feel those low cravings, say slowly to the Immaculate Virgin:  Look on me with compassion.   Don’t abandon me.   Don’t abandon me, my Mother! – And recommend this prayer to others.”

don't abandon me my mother - st josemaria

“If you have so many defects, why are you surprised to find defects in others?”

IF YOU HAVE SO MANY DEFECTS-ST JOSEMARIA

 

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 26 June

If you live in me and my words stay part of you, you may ask what you will – and it will be done for you………John 15:7

john 15-7

REFLECTION – “Turn your gaze constantly to Jesus who, without ceasing to be God, humbled Himself and took the nature of a slave, in order to serve us………..May you seek Christ, may you find Christ, may you love Christ………..Conversion is the task of a moment; sanctification is the work of a lifetime. To begin is for everyone, to persevere is for saints!”…….St Josemaria Escriva

conversion is the task of a moment - st josemaria

PRAYER – Enable me loving Father, to live a life of purity that will make me live in You. Let me be so united with You that whatever I might ask will be in total accord with Your will for me. St Josemaria, your inspiration and teachings help and show us the way to sanctification, please intercede for us all, amen.

st josemaria - pray for us