Category: MORNING Prayers

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

NOVENA in Honour of and preparation for, the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord – Day Three – 30 July

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NOVENA Transfiguration of our Lord – Day Three – 30 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

Third Day: Way of Witnessing to the Resurrection
The Transfiguration was necessary to help the apostles increase their faith and recognise the divinity of Jesus and His union with the Father, the Spirit and the prophets of the Old Testament.
Maybe there is another kind of transfiguration that is needed for us so that, like the apostles, when the vision was over, we may be able to “look up and see no one, but only Jesus.”
The transfiguration to which we refer is the indwelling of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the word, in our neighbour, and in ourselves.
This kind of transfiguration will enable us to see the common things of earth, sky and sea with a new wonder and fresh joy.
It will also enable us to see the presence of Jesus within ourselves and in the people who cross our path, even if they drive us crazy. We may think that such an attitude is too difficult to acquire but it is something that we can continuously ask for and desire.

Let us Pray:

O God, according to Your plan, You have called us to holiness
by Your grace which You have revealed in Jesus Christ.
Through Your Gospel You show us the way
so that we may share in Your mission of the glorious splendour of unending life. Amen

DAY THREE - TRANSFIGURATION NOVENA 30 JULY

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney – Day Five– 30 July

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Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney

DAY FIVE – We pray for the habit of FREQUENT CONFESSIONS

O Holy Priest of Ars,
you knew how important was a good confession for the Christian life.
It was to procure the happy fruits of millions of souls
that you agreed to be in an uncomfortable confessional,
which was like a prison, up to 15 to 16 hours on certain days.
I will try to develop the habit of frequent confession,
to prepare properly each time
and to have always regret for my sins,
so that the grace of final perseverance
but also the sanctification of my soul will be assured.
Ask this grace for me. 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 FIVE NOVENA TO ST JOHN VIANNEY - 30 JULY - HABIT OF FREQUENT CONFESSION

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

Thought for the Day – 30 July – The Memorial of St Peter Chrysologus “Golden Words”

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Thought for the Day – 30 July – The Memorial of St Peter Chrysologus “Golden Words”

In addition to his zeal in the exercise of his office, Peter Chrysologus was distinguished by a fierce loyalty to the Church, not only in its teaching but in its authority as well.   He looked upon learning not as a mere opportunity but as an obligation for all, both as a development of God-given faculties and as a solid support for the worship of God……Next to virtue, learning, in his view, was the greatest improvement to the human mind and the support of true religion.   Ignorance is not a virtue, nor is anti-intellectualism. Knowledge is neither more nor less a source of pride than physical, administrative, or financial prowess. ( Fr Don Miller, OFM)
Keep in mind that we cannot practice anything at all if we do not study it – we cannot “be” a Catholic if we do not study our faith!

St Peter Chrysologus, pray for us!

st peter chrysologus pray for us 2

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on CHARITY, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 30 July – Memorial of St Peter Chrysologus

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Quote/s of the Day – 30 July – Memorial of St Peter Chrysologus

“He (Christ) really made His body a living sacrifice,
because, though slain, He continues to live.
In such a victim death receives its ransom
but the victim remains alive.
Death itself suffers the punishment.
This is why death for the martyrs is actually a birth
and their end a beginning.
Their execution is the door to life
and those who were thought to have been
blotted out from the earth
shine brilliantly in heaven.”

he (Christ) really made his body - st peter chrysologus

“He is The Bread sown in the virgin,
leavened in the Flesh,
molded in His Passion,
baked in the furnace of the Sepulchre,
placed in the Churches
and set upon the Altars,
which daily supplies Heavenly Food to the faithful.”

he is the bread 2.- st peter chrysologus

“For he who touches
the Body of Christ unworthily,
receives his damnation.”

for he who touches the body of christ - st peter chrysologus

“Anyone who wishes to frolic with the devil cannot rejoice with Christ.”

anyone who wishes to frolic with the devil -st peter chrysologus

“The poor stretch out the hand
but God receives what is offered.”

the poor stretch out the hand - st peter chrysologus

“Now that we are reborn,…
in the likeness of our Lord
and have indeed been adopted
by God as his children,
let us put on the complete image
of our Creator
so as to be wholly like Him,
not in the glory that He alone possesses
but in innocence, simplicity, gentleness,
patience, humility, mercy, harmony,
those qualities in which He chose to become
and to be, one with us.”

nw that we are reborn-st peer chrysologus

St Peter Chrysologus (400-450) Doctor of the Church

 

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

One Minute Reflection – 30 July – Memorial of St Peter Chrysologus

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One Minute Reflection – 30 July

On the way of duty I walk, along the paths of justice, granting wealth to those who love me…..Proverbs 8:20-21

PROVERBS 8 20 21

REFLECTION – “Mary’s grace has given glory to heaven; a God to earth and faith to the nations.Sh has conferred death on vices, order on life and a rule on morals.”….St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450) Doctor of the Church

ST PETER CHRYSOLOGUS MARY'S GRACE

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, grant me the grace to have Mary as my constant intercessor. In all difficulties let me call on her aid, for she is Your beloved Daughter. St Peter, you who so loved our Holy Mother, pray that we too may love her with total abandon and trust. Amen

st peter chrysologus pray for us

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 30 July

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Our Morning Offering – 30 July

Prayer before Mass and Holy Communion
By Blessed Angela of Foligno (1248-1309)

Holy God,
I go to You in order to be received,
go pure in order to be purified,
go alive in order to be enlivened,
go just in order to be justified,
go united and conjoined to Christ
in order to be incorporated through Him,
with Him
and in Him,
God created and God made man,
who is given in this most high mystery,
through the hands of the priest.
Thanks be to God always.
Amen

prayer before mass and holy communion by bl angela of foligno

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

Thought for the Day – 29 July

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Thought for the Day – 29 July – Memorial of St Martha

Martha’s great glory is her simple and strong statement of faith in Jesus after her brother’s death. “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord. . I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world’ (John 11:25-27). ”

Scripture commentators point out that in writing his account of the raising of Lazarus, Saint John intends that we should see Martha’s words to Mary before Lazarus was raised as a summons that every Christian must obey.   In her saying “The teacher is here and is asking for you,” Jesus is calling every one of us to resurrection—now in baptismal faith, forever in sharing His victory over death.   And all of us, as well as these three friends, are in our own unique way called to special friendship with Him….(Fr Don Miller OFM)

St Martha, pray for us!

st martha pray for us 2

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

NOVENA in Honour of and preparation for, the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord – Day Two – 29 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

NOVENA Transfiguration of our Lord – Day Two – 29 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

Second Day: My Own Transfiguration
Sometimes during the intense moments of our lives, we ask ourselves, in a very special way, what we ought to do, what our vocation and responsibility is.   These are moments when we are touched by the pain of injustice around us and with our strength, we share something in the hope that things may change.   This is the time when we experience the presence of God, who leads us toward the future full of hope.   This is the moment when God speaks to us and we become so enlightened as to understand Him.   This is how Jesus felt when He was transfigured in the Mountain of Tabor.

Let us Pray:

God you have scattered the darkness with Your light
and have poured Your light into our hearts
so that we might look upon the radiant face of Jesus Christ.
Nourish in us the desire to contemplate Your beloved Son
and in that contemplation to long to be like Him. Amen

DAY TWO - TRANSFIGURATION NOVENA

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS

Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney – Day Four – 29 July

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Novena In Honour of Saint John Marie Vianney

DAY FOUR – We pray for A HORROR OF SIN

Saint John Mary Baptist Vianney,
you were so adamant against sin,
yet so sympathetic and so ready to welcome the sinner.
I come to you today as if you were still alive,
as if I were kneeling at your feet
and you could hear me.
Bend towards me, listen to the repentant confidence
for the weaknesses and miserable deeds of mine.
Priest of the Lord, inexhaustible Confessor,
obtain for me the horror for sin.
You wanted us First to avoid the occasion of sin.
I want to take your advice and make the resolution to break bad habits
and to avoid the dangerous occasions of sin.
Help me today to examine my conscience.
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 FOUR - NOVENA TO ST JOHN VIANNEY

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

Quote of the Day – 29 July – Memorial of St Martha

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Quote of the Day – 29 July – Memorial of St Martha

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” – Luke 10:42

“Our Lord’s words teach us that though we labour
among the many distractions of this world,
we should have but one goal.   For we are but travelers
on a journey without as yet a fixed abode;
we are on our way, not yet in our native land;
we are in a state of longing, not yet of enjoyment.
But let us continue on our way
and continue without sloth or respite,
so that we may ultimately arrive at our destination.”

St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor
(Sermo 103, 1-2, 6: PL 38, 613, 615)

our lords words teach us - st augustine

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

One Minute Reflection – 29 July

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One Minute Reflection – 29 July

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her”…..Luke 10:41-42.

REFLECTION – “Without daily prayer lived with fidelity, our acts are empty, they lose their profound soul and are reduced to being mere activism which in the end leaves us dissatisfied. There is a beautiful invocation of the Christian tradition to be recited before any other activity which says : “Inspire our actions, Lord and accompany them with Your help, so that our every word and action may always begin and end in you”. Every step in our life, every action, of the Church too, must be taken before God, in the light of his word.”…….Pope Benedict XVI (General Audience – Saint Peter’s Square,Wednesday, 25 April 2012.)

without daily prayer - pope benedict

PRAYER – Almighty ever-living God, Your Son graciously came as a guest to the home of St Martha. By her prayers give us grace to serve Christ faithfully in our brethren and bring us to Your home in heaven. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, amen.

st martha pray for us

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

Our Morning Offering – 29 July

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Our Morning Offering – 29 July

Jesus Help me, Your Servant
By Ven Servant of God
Fr John A Hardon S.J. (1914-2000)

Jesus, help me, Your servant,
whom You redeemed by Your Precious Blood.
In every need let me come to You
with humble trust, saying:
Jesus help me.
In all my doubts, perplexities and temptations:
Jesus help me.
In hours of loneliness, weariness and trial:
Jesus help me.
In the failure of my plans and hopes:
Jesus help me.
In disappointments, troubles and sorrows:
Jesus help me.
When I throw myself on Your tender love
as Brother and Saviour:
Jesus help me.
When I feel impatient and my cross is heavy:
Jesus help me.
When I am ill and my head and hands
cannot do their work:
Jesus help me.
Always, always, in joys and sorrows,
in falls and shortcomings:
Jesus help me. Amen

 

jesus help me, your servant by ven servant of god john a hardon sj

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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