Our Morning Offering – 6 March
The First Week of Lent
Monday
Loving God,
You call us back to You
to come with all the strength of our hearts.
I feel Your call to me deep inside
and I know You want me to come to You
as much as I wish to return and give You my all.
Please, Lord,
give me the wisdom to know how to
make my journey to You this Lent.
And fill me with Your grace,
forgiveness and gentle love.
Amen
The cross is the tomb which absorbs all human pride:”Come thus far; I said and no farther: here your proud waves shall break” (Job 38:11). The waves of human pride break against the rock of Calvary and they can go no further. The wall God erected against them is too high and the abyss he dug before them too deep. ‘We must realize that our former selves have been crucified with him to destroy this sinful body’ (Romans 6:6). The body of pride — for this is the sin par excellence, the sin that gives rise to all other sins. ‘He was bearing our faults in his own body on the cross’ (1 Peter 2:24). He bore our pride in his body.
But what concerns us in all this? Where is the ‘gospel’, the good and joyful news? It is that Jesus humbled himself also for me, in my place. ‘If one man has died for all, then all have died’ (2 Corinthians 5:14); one has humbled himself for all, therefore all have humbled themselves. Jesus on the cross is the new Adam obeying for all. He is the head, the beginning of a new mankind. He acts in the name of all and for the benefit of all. As ‘by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous’ (Romans 5:19), by one man’s humility, many will be made humble.
Pride, like disobedience, is no longer part of us. It is part of the Old Adam. It has become old-fashioned. The new thing now is humility, which is full of hope because it opens up a new existence based on giving, love and solidarity and no longer on competitiveness, social climbing and taking advantage of one another. ‘The old creation has gone and now the new one is here’ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Humility is one of these marvelous new things.
What, therefore, does it mean to celebrate the mystery of the cross ‘in spirit and in truth’? When applied to what we are celebrating, what is the significance of the ancient maxim: ‘Acknowledge what you are doing, imitate what you are celebrating’? It signifies that you should implement within yourself what you represent externally; put into practice what you are commemorating in the liturgy.
…I must give Christ ‘the sinful body of my pride’, so that he can destroy it de facto just as he destroyed it by right once and for all on the cross. When I was a boy, the people of my region used to light a bonfire in the country at nightfall on the eve of certain feasts which could be seen over the hills. ach family would bring some wood and vine branches to keep the fire going while, around it, the rosary would be recited. Something similar must take place here this evening in preparation for the great feast of Easter. Each one of us should throw, in spirit, his load of pride, vanity, self-sufficiency, presumption, haughtiness into the great furnace of Christ’s passion.
We must imitate the saints in heaven as they adore the Lamb, for this is the model for our adoration here on earth. Revelation tells us the saints approach the throne in procession and fall down before him who is seated and they ‘threw down their crowns in front of the throne’ (Revelation 4:10). They cast the real crowns of their martyrdom and we cast the false crown with which we have crowned ourselves. We must ‘nail all feelings of pride to the cross’ (St Augustine, On Christian Doctrine 2,7,9).
On the cross Jesus did not just reveal or practice humility; he created it too. True Christian humility consists in participating in Christ’s inner state on the cross. St Paul says, ‘In your minds you must be the same as Jesus Christ’ (Phil. 2:5); the same mind and not a similar one. Apart from this, many other things can be taken for humility which are really either natural inclination or timidness, or a liking for understatement, or simply common sense and intelligence, when they are not a refined form of pride.
Once we have put on Christ’s humility, it will be easier, among other things, to work for Christian unity, for unity and peace naturally follow humility. This is also true in families. Marriage starts with an act of humility. A young man who falls in love and who on his knees, as was once the custom, asks a girl to marry him, makes the most radical act of humility in his life. He begs and it is as if he were saying, ‘Give me yourself. Alone, I am not sufficient to myself, I need you!’ We could say that God created humankind male and female to help them to be humble, not to be haughty and self-sufficient and to discover the blessing of depending on someone who loves you. He inscribed humility in our very flesh. But, unfortunately, pride too often takes over again and the person we love has to pay for the initial need we had of him or her. Then a dreadful wall of pride rises between the two partners and their incommunicability extinguishes all joy. This evening, Christian spouses are also invited to place all resentment at the foot of the cross, to be reconciled to one another, embracing each other for the sake of Christ who, on this day on the cross, ‘killed the hostility’ (Ephesians 2:16).
(Fr Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap. is an Italian Catholic priest in the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and theologian and writer. He has served as the Preacher to the Papal Household since 1980, under Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.)
When St Eisebius of Cremona (memorial today) went to Rome to collect funds on behalf of St Jerome, he noticed that Rufinus, an old friend of Jerome’s – though not on good terms with him, was translating the works of Origen, against whose writing St Jerome was arguing. Eusebius secretly removed the works and sent them to Jerome, thus in fact stealing and causing a final rift between the two. So even saints sometimes do disgraceful things and St Eusebius’ theft of Rufinus’ manuscript was a thoughtless act of an overzealous friend embroiled in the controversies of the day. It is good to know that even saints have faults and that such faults detract nothing from their holiness. For – a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying! NEVER FORGET IT!
Quote of the Day – 5 March
St Mother Teresa
One Minute Reflection – 5 March
The Lord is far from the wicked but the prayer of the just he hears….Prv 15:29
REFLECTION – “Let us unceasingly prepare ourselves for prayer by carrying out our dutes with great fidelity. Then let us come before our divine Saviour with all the simplicity of our souls.”,,,,,,,,St Mary Euphrase
PRAYER – Almighty God, move me to prepare myself for prayer by a good life. Grant that I may pray to You by my works as well as by my words. Teach me to truly live the words I pray. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 5 March
The First Week of Lent
Sunday
Lord God,
You who breathed
the spirit of life within me.
Draw out of me
the light and life You created.
Help me to find my way back to You.
Help me to use my life
to reflect Your glory
and to serve others
as Your son Jesus did.
Amen
LENTEN REFLECTION – 4 MARCH
To redeem a servant, the Father spares not His own Son, and the Son delivers Himself up most willingly. Both send the Holy Spirit and the Spirit Himself interceded for us with unspeakable groaning (Romans 8:26).
O hard, and hardened, and hard-hearted children of Adam! How can you remain unmoved by such great kindness, such blazing fire, so prodigious a flame of love and so ardent a lover, who paid such an extravagant price for a worthless piece of goods!
“Not with perishable things like gold and silver” did Jesus redeem us, but with his own “precious blood” (1 Peter 1:18-19) which flowed out liberally from the five parts of Jesus’ body.
What more should He have done that He did not do? He enlightened the blind, brought back the stragglers, reconciled the guilty and justified the ungodly.
Thirty-three years He was seen on earth. He lived among humans, He died for humans, He spoke concerning the Cherubim and Seraphim and all the angelic powers and they came to be (Psalm 33:9). When He wills it, all power is there with him (Wisdom 12:18).
What then does He who sought you with such concern now seek from you, if not that you walk mindfully with your God (Micah 6:8)? No one but the Holy Spirit enables us to this.
It is He who probes the depth of our hearts (1 Corinthians 2:10), He who discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).
He does not allow the slightest amount of chaff to settle inside the dwelling of a heart which He possesses but consumes it in an instant with a fire of the most minute scrutiny.
He is the sweet and gentle Spirit who bends our will, or rather straightens and directs it more fully toward his own so that we may be able to understand His will truly, love it fervently, and fulfill it effectively.
Thought for the Day – 4 March
The calendar of the saints is studded with young saints: Agnes, Aloysius, Doiminic Savio, Maria Goretti……many more and today’s saint, Casimir. They chose to be different, independent and very bold during the times they lived. They chose to stand out from the crowd (almost the complete opposite of the desire of most of the young) and because of this choice, they had to walk a very singular path to sanctity. Casimir and Aloysius, both were princes but chose devotion to God above all, at a very early age. Youth too, needs its. saints and God sends them to us!
St Casimir pray for us especially for our youth!
Quote of the Day – 4 March
““(St Casimir’s) life of purity and prayer
beckons you to practice your faith
with courage and zeal,
to reject the deceptive attractions
of modern permissive society
and to live your convictions
with fearless confidence and joy.”
St John Paul in 1984, to Lithuanian pilgrims, on the 500th anniversary of St Casimir’s death
One Minute Reflection – 4 March – The Memorial of St Casimir (1458-1484) Confessor, Prince
“But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection…” – Col 3:14
REFLECTION – “By the power of the Holy Ghost, Casimir burned with a sincere and unpretentious love for Almighty God that was almost unbelievable in its strength. So rich was his love and so abundantly did it fill his heart, that it flowed out from his inner spirit toward his fellow men. As a result nothing was more pleasant, nothing more desirable for him, than to share his belongings and even to dedicate and give his entire self to Christ’s poor, to strangers, to the sick, to those in captivity and all who suffer. To widows, orphans and the afflicted, he was not only a guardian and patron but a father, son and brother.” (From the Biography of Saint Casimir, written by a contemporary).
PRAYER – Loving Father, pour out Thy divine love into my heart and soul. Let me co-operate with that love and in this way strive for perfection in all virtues. St Casimir, you are a shining example to us all of how love should look, of how love should behave, please pray that we may too become beacons and hearts burning with love for all! Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 4 March – The Memorial of St Casimir (1458-1484 -aged 25)
Prince Casimir chose a life of celibacy and asceticism. He died at the age of twenty-six from tuberculosis, on 4 March 1484. He was buried in the cathedral at Vilna (now Vilnius, Lithuania). When in 1604 his tomb was opened for translation to the church that Sigismund III built in his name, his body was found to be fresh and whole. He was holding this prayer to the Virgin in his hands, in perfect condition.
His Memorial is today, 4 March.
Every day, O my soul,
pay your respects to Mary,
Make her feasts solemn
and celebrate her brilliant virtues.
Contemplate and admire her elevation;
Proclaim her blessedness
both as Mother and Virgin.
Honour her, so that she delivers you
from the weight of your sins.
Invoke her, so as not to be driven
by the torrent of passion.
I do know if anybody
can honour Our Lady worthily
Yet, he who keeps silent
in her praises is senseless.
Everyone should exalt
and love her in a special way,
And never cease to cherish and pray to he.
O Mary, the honour and glory of all women,
You who God has raised above all creatures,
O Virgin of Mercy, hear the prayers of those
who never stop praising you.
Purify those who are guilty
and make them worthy of heaven.
Hail, O holy Virgin,
through whom the gates of heaven
were opened to undeserving souls
You, who, the old serpent’s snares
never managed to seduce.
You repair and console despairing souls,
Preserve us from the evils
that will fall on the wicked,
Obtain perpetual peace for me,
And save us from the misfortune
of the flames of Gehenna;
Obtain for us the virtues of chasty and modesty,
and male us gentle, kind, sober, pious, prudent, upright
and the enemy of all falsehood.
Grant me meekness, love of harmony and purity.
Make me strong and constant
on the path of righteousness.
Amen
LENTEN REFLECTION – 3 MARCH
Christ’s self-emptying was neither a simple gesture nor a limited one. He emptied Himself even to the assuming of human nature, even to accepting death, death on a cross (Philippians 2:7).
Who is there that can adequately gauge the greatness of the humility, gentleness and self-surrender, revealed by the Lord of majesty in assuming human nature, in accepting the punishment of death, the shame of the cross?
But somebody will say: “Surely the Creator could have restored His original plan without all that hardship?” Yes, He could but He chose the way of personal suffering so that man would never again have reason to display that worst and most hateful of all vices, ingratitude.
Even if God made you out of nothing, you have not been redeemed out of nothing. In six days He created all things and among them, you. On the other hand, for a period of thirty whole years He worked your salvation in the midst of the earth.
What He endured in those labours! To His bodily needs and the abuses from His enemies did He not add the mightier burden of the humiliation of the cross and crown it all with the horror of His death? And this was indeed necessary. Man and beast you save, 0 Lord (Psalm 36:6). How you have multiplied your mercy, 0 God!
Thought for the Day – 3 March
At first St Katharine Drexel was going to give only her fortune to the work of the missions but instead, at the suggestion of the Pope, gave herself. Her long life was spent bringing the faith to others and inspiring others to join her. God wants more than our generosity – He wants us! Perhaps we should look around and see how we might serve Him?
Katharine’s vast inheritance was distributed among her father’s twenty-nine favourite charities. Not a penny went to her own community. She wanted her sisters to live by faith, trusting God—not money—for everything!
St Katharine Drexel, pray for us!
Quotes/s of the Day – 3 March
“My sweetest Joy is to be in the presence of Jesus in the holy Sacrament. I beg that when obliged to withdraw in body, I may leave my heart before the holy Sacrament. How I would miss Our Lord if He were to be away from me by His presence in the Blessed Sacrament!”
“It is a lesson we all need – to let alone the things that do not concern us. He has other ways for others to follow Him; all do not go by the same path. It is for each of us to learn the path by which He requires us to follow Him and to follow Him in that path.”
“Often in my desire to work for others I find my hands tied, something hinders my charitable designs, some hostile influence renders me powerless. My prayers seem to avail nothing, my kind acts are rejected, I seem to do the wrong thing when I am trying to do my best. In such cases I must not grieve. I am only treading in my Master’s steps.”
St Katharine Drexel
One Minute Reflection – 3 March
He who does not take up his cross and come after me is not worthy of me…………….Matthew 10:38
REFLECTION – “The cross is the greatest gift God could bestow on His elect on earth. There is nothing so necessary, so beneficial, so sweet, or so glorious as to suffer something for Jesus. If you suffer as you ought, the cross will become a precious yoke that Jesus will carry with you.”…………..St Louis Grignion de Montfort
“The patient and humble endurance of the cross whatever nature it may be, is the highest work we have to do.”………..St Katharine Drexel
PRAYER – Lord Jesus, impress upon me that without a cross on earth there will be no crown in heaven. Help me to bear my cross daily for You as You bore Your Cross for me and for all mankind. St Katharine Drexel, pray for us, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 3 March
Written by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930),
Secretary of State for Pope Saint Pius X
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honoured, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, deliver me, O Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may increase and I may decrease, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, grant me the grace to desire it.
LENTEN REFLECTION – 2 MARCH
Dear friends, at every moment the earth is full of the mercy of God and nature itself is a lesson for all the faithful in the worship of God. The heavens, the sea and all that is in them bear witness to the omnipotence of their Creator and the marvelous beauty of the elements as they obey him demands from the intelligent creation a fitting expression of its gratitude.
But with the return of that season marked out in a special way by the mystery of our redemption and of the days that lead up to the paschal feast, we are summoned more urgently to prepare ourselves by a purification of spirit.
The special note of the paschal feast is this: the whole Church rejoices in the forgiveness of sins. It rejoices in the forgiveness not only of those who are then reborn in holy baptism but also of those who are already numbered among God’s adopted children.
Initially, men are made new by the rebirth of baptism. Yet there is still required a daily renewal to repair the shortcomings of our mortal nature and whatever degree of progress has been made there is no one who should not be more advanced. All must therefore strive to ensure that on the day of redemption no one may be found in the sins of his former life.
Dear friends, what the Christian should be doing at all times should be done now with greater care and devotion, so that the Lenten fast enjoined by the apostles may be fulfilled, not simply by abstinence from food but above all by the renunciation of sin.
There is no more profitable practice as a companion to holy and spiritual fasting than that of almsgiving. This embraces under the single name of mercy many excellent works of devotion, so that the good intentions of the faithful may be of equal value, even where their means are not. The love that we owe both God and man is always free from any obstacle that would prevent us from having a good intention. The angels sang: Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth. The person who shows love and compassion to those in any kind of affliction is blessed, not only with the virtue of good will but also with the gift of peace.
The works of mercy are innumerable. Their very variety brings this advantage to those who are true Christians, that in the matter of almsgiving not only the rich and affluent but also those of average means and the poor are able to play their part. Those who are unequal in their capacity to give can be equal in the love within their hearts.
Quote of the Day – 2 March
“Happy the soul to whom it is given to attain this life with Christ, to cleave with all one’s heart to Him whose beauty all the heavenly hosts behold forever, whose love inflames our love, the contemplation of whom is our refreshment, whose graciousness is our delight, whose gentleness fills us to overflowing, whose remembrance makes us glow with happiness, whose fragrance revives the dead, the glorious vision of whom will be the happiness of all the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem. For He is the brightness of eternal glory, the splendour of eternal light, the mirror without spot.”
St Clare of Assisi to St Agnes of Prague
(Read the entire letter here: http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/bread_on_the_trail/2011/08/a-letter-of-st-clare-to-blessed-agnes-of-prague-on-christian-contemplation.html)
May the Lord……make you overflow with love for one another and for all…………1 Thes 3:12
REFLECTION – “Therefore, most beloved sister, or should I say, Lady worthy of great respect because You are the spouse and the mother and the sister of my Lord Jesus Christ and have been adorned resplendently with the sign of inviolable virginity and most holy poverty. Be strengthened in the holy service which You have undertaken out of an ardent desire for the Poor Crucified, Who for the sake of all of us took upon Himself the Passion of the Cross and delivered us from the power of the Prince of Darkness to whom we were enslaved because of the disobedience of our first parents and so reconciled us to God the Father.”………….St Clare of Assisi to St Agnes of Prague
PRAYER – Loving Father, grant me the grace to strive after perfect love. Help me to bring forth frequent acts of love so that I may grow in this greatest of virtues. Help me to be a loving support to all you need me in any way, stranger or friend. Fill my heart with the love You have for me and the unceasing love of Your Divine Son who died for me. St Agnes of Prague, pray for us! Amen
Our Morning Offering – 2 March
Make my heart, Jesus, one with Yours,
that I may love others as You have loved me,
not for selfish gain but for Your sake alone.
By the power of Your Sacred Heart,
like the power of fire to transform
everything to itself,
make us one in loving You
by drawing all humantity to Yourself.
For You are the Paschal Lamb,
offered for sins,
who, in the Blessed Sacrament,
shines out like a spiritual rainbow.
You radiate in this new
and everlasting covenant,
the very beauty of paradise,
always before the eyes of the Father,
perpetuating here Your perfect sacrifice
on the Cross,
a sacrifice so pleasing that the Father grants
everything good, asked for
in Your Holy Name.
Amen
By Fr Vincent Martin Lucia
“And so we begin a new spiritual journey today – a journey of preparation to rise with the Risen Lord on the day of Easter. As part of our preparation, the Gospel sets before us reflections on three cardinal works necessary for our spiritual life: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These three works deal with three important areas of our life. Prayer is our relationship with God; fasting aims at our personal growth and almsgiving reveals our relationship with our neighbour and our responsibilities toward them.
During the Eucharistic celebration today we will be marked with ashes. By imposing ashes on our foreheads, we are reminded to repent of our sins, to believe in the Gospel and to aim at what is permanent – life with the Risen Lord.” Fr Devasia Joseph SSP
“What the Christian should be doing at all times
should be done now (during Lent) with greater care and devotion,
so that the Lenten fast enjoined by the apostles
may be fulfilled, not simply by abstinence from food
but above all by the renunciation of sin.” – St Pope Leo the Great
Quote of the Day – 1 March
“There is still time for endurance, for patience, time for healing, time for change. Have you slipped? Rise up. Have you sinned? Cease. Do not stand among sinners but leap aside. For when you turn away and weep, then you will be saved.”
St Basil the Great
One Minute Reflection – 1 March
“Whoever is not with me is against me and whoever does not gather with me
scatters”………Luke 11:23
REFLECTION – “The devil desires to keep souls prisones but the Lord desires to set them free. The devil incites us to evil but the Saviour invites us to practise good. What accord is there between works that are so contrary?”…………..St Jerome
PRAYER – My Lord and my Saviour let me never give up the freedom from sin which You won for me. Help me to cling to You and shun all contact with evil. Help me Lord to renew my zeal and ambition to attain holiness in my Lenten journey. May my daily striving be because I love You, Lord Jesus, my love above all things! Amen
Our Morning Offering – 1 March
O Lord,
The house of my soul is narrow;
enlarge it that You may enter in.
It is ruinous, O repair it!
It displeases Your sight.
I confess it, I know.
But who shall cleanse it,
to whom shall I cry but to you?
Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord,
and spare Your servant from strange sins.
St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430)
Thought for the Day – 28 February
After having renounced everything, one can still worship other idols, such as fame and name. To be able to enjoy ‘hundred-fold’, one must detach oneself from ‘self’. A true disciple is not the one who has left all material possessions to follow Jesus, rather the one who has given up the home of self-prestige, brother hatred, sister gossiping, mother backbiting, father pride and child selfishness. When a person is free from such entanglements, she or he will receive a hundred times more the home of humanness, brother love, sister charity, mother understanding, father humility and child generosity. This is the way one obtains eternal life. It is easier to be a philanthropic than a disciple. The former gives from abundance and earns worldwide praises; the latter strives hard to let go the wealth of ego and receives mockery and persecution. Only those who walk the talk can teach the value of renunciation and commitment. (Sr Virginia Rajakumari SAB)
Lord, Lord help us all!
Veronica’s veil, by Claude Mellan (c. 1649).
Quote of the Day – 28 February
“Those on earth who contemplate the wounds of My Face
shall in heaven behold it radiant with glory.”
Jesus to Sr Mary of St Peter in 1844 and dictated The Golden Arrow Prayer
One Minute Reflection – 28 February
Whoever wishes to be my follower
must take up his cross each day
and follow in my footsteps…………..Luke 9:23
REFLECTION – Let the primary desire of your heart be to stir up in yourselves an ardent and affectionate desire to imitate Jesus in all your works.
Strive to do everything as the Lord Himself would do……………St John of the Cross
PRAYER – Lord Jesus, help me to pattern my life after You. Grant that I may imitate You completely – in all my thoughts, words and deeds. May Your Holy Face be before my eyes in every moment, in every word, in every deed. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner! Amen
Our Morning Offering – 28 February
Almighty and Eternal Father,
since it has pleased Our Divine Saviour
to reveal to mankind in modern times
the power residing in His Holy Face,
we now avail ourselves of this Treasure
in our great need.
Since our Saviour Himself promised
that by offering to You His Holy Face
disfigured in the Passion we can procure
the settlement of all the affairs of our household
and that nothing whatsoever will be refused to us,
we now come before Your throne.
Eternal Father, turn away Your angry gaze
from our guilty people whose face has
become unsightly in Your eyes.
Look instead upon the Face of Your Beloved Son;
for this is the Face of Him in whom You are well pleased.
We now offer You His Holy Face covered
with blood, sweat, dust, spittle and shame,
in reparation for the worst crimes of our age.
The All-Merciful Advocate opens His mouth
to plead our cause; listen to His cries,
behold His tears, O God and,
through the merits of His Holy Face,
hearken to Him when He intercedes
for us poor miserable sinners.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 27 February
We welcome you St Gregory of Narek as our newest Doctor of the Universal Church, with gratitude and joy! Gregory’s Book of Lamentations was the source of consolation and guidance for generations in times of immense suffering. His monastery survived for a thousand years but was destroyed by the Turks during the genocide. Armenians lost Narek but they still have the book they call by that name in his honour and many Armenians have traditionally slept with a copy of the work under their pillows. The words of Gregory, too, are consonant with Pope Francis’ call on all Catholics to reach out to God in our brokenness with humble and contrite hearts. Perhaps we should allow St Gregory to lead us through Lent this year? As Gregory wrote in the Lamentations, “Hear the prayers of my embattled heart for mercy, when I cry out to you, ‘Lord,’ in my time of need.”
St Gregory of Narek- Doctor of the Universal Church, pray for us!
All you Holy Martyrs and Saints of Armenia, pray for us!
Quote of the Day – 27 February
“You found me, a sinner, lost in darkness
crying like the psalmist in prayer,
and because of Your willing care
you were called Shepherd, for not only
did You care, but You sought,
not only did You find, O worker of miracles
but with the goodness of Your love,
a love that defies description,
You rescued me,
lifting me upon Your shoulders,
to set down alongside Your heavenly army,
the heirs to Your fatherly legacy. ”
~~~~~ St Gregory of Narek (Book fo Lamentations) – Saint of the Day
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.