Thought for the Day – 24 January
Holiness, St Francis taught, is for everyone – from housewife to queen, from soldier to pope. He was one of the first to open the gates of methods of holiness to all and sundry. By his time in the history of the world most could read – then as now – there is really no excuse. Much more so in our time – everything to assist on the pathway to holiness is at our fingertips. WE ARE ALL called to be and CAN BE SAINTS!
St Francis de Sales, Pray for us!
Quote/s of the Day – 24 January
“Nothing makes us so prosperous in this world
as to give alms.”
“Man is the perfection of the Universe.
The spirit is the perfection of man.
Love is the perfection of the spirit
and charity that of love.
Therefore, the love of God is the end,
the perfection of the Universe.”
“There are no galley-slaves in the royal vessel of divine love – every man works his oar voluntarily! “
“All the pains in a hundred thousand million Hells suffered with the greatest perfection possible to a human creature would have been nothing compared to the smallest sigh of Our Lord, to the smallest drop of blood that he shed for love of us.”
“Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life in fear; rather look to them with full hope that, as they arise, God, whose you are, will deliver you out of them. He is your keeper. He has kept you hitherto. Do you but hold fast to his dear hand and he will lead you safely through all things; and, when you cannot stand, he will bear you in his arms. Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. Our Father will either shield you from suffering, or he will give you strength to bear it.”
“A quarrel between friends, when made up, adds a new tie to friendship.”
“Friendships begun in this world will be taken up again, never to be broken off. “
~~~ St Francis de Sales
One Minute Reflection – 24 January
Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart……….Mt 11:29-30
REFLECTION – “If there was something better than meekness, God would certainly have told us.
But He exhorts us above all to be meek and humble of heart.”………..St Francis de Sales (Saint of the Day)
PRAYER – Lord Jesus, teach me what true meekness entails. Inspire me to practise it after Your example in all circumstances of my life. St Francis de Sales, you learnt the true meaning of humility and meekness, please pray for us, amen!
Our Morning Offering – 24 January
An Act of Abandonment
by ST FRANCIS de SALES
O my God, I thank You and I praise
You for accomplishing Your holy
and all-lovable will without any regard for mine.
With my whole heart,
in spite of my heart,
do I receive this cross I feared so much!
It is the cross of Your choice,
the cross of Your love.
I venerate it;
nor for anything in the world
would I wish that it had not come,
since You willed it.
I keep it with gratitude and with joy,
as I do everything that comes from Your hand;
and I shall strive to carry it without letting it drag,
with all the respect
and all the affection which Your works deserve.
Amen.
Thought for the Day – 23 January
In 1888, Mother Marianne and two sisters went to Molokai to open a home for “unprotected women and girls” there. The Hawaiian government was quite hesitant to send women for this difficult assignment; they need not have worried about Mother Marianne! On Molokai she took charge of the home that Saint Damien de Veuster had established for men and boys. Mother Marianne changed life on Molokai by introducing cleanliness, pride and fun to the colony. Bright scarves and pretty dresses for the women were part of her approach.
Awarded the Royal Order of Kapiolani by the Hawaiian government and celebrated in a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, Mother Marianne continued her work faithfully. Her sisters have attracted vocations among the Hawaiian people and still work on Molokai.
The government authorities were reluctant to allow Mother Marianne to be a mother on Molokai. Thirty years of dedication proved their fears unfounded. God grants gifts regardless of human short-sightedness and allows those gifts to flower for the sake of the kingdom.
To the Reverend Sister Marianne,
Matron of the Bishop Home, Kalaupapa.
To see the infinite pity of this place,
The mangled limb, the devastated face,
The innocent sufferers smiling at the rod,
A fool were tempted to deny his God.
He sees and shrinks; but if he look again,
Lo, beauty springing from the breasts of pain!
He marks the sisters on the painful shores,
And even a fool is silent and adores.
St Marianne Cope Pray for us!
Quote of the Day – 23 January
“Creep down into the heart of Jesus.
He alone can comfort you in your
supreme hour of sorrow.”
~~~ St Marianne Cope (Saint of the Day)
One Minute Reflection – 23 January
Do not grow slack but be fervent in spirit;
he whom you serve is the Lord………….Romans 12:11
REFLECTION – “Let us make the very best use of the precious moments and do all in our power for His dear sake and for His greater honour and glory…………I do not think of reward; I am working for God and do so cheerfully.”….St Marianne Cope (Saint of the Day)
PRAYER – Loving Father, grant me to have a true fervour in Your service. Help me to become a zealous worker for Your honour and glory, in imitation of your Son and of your holy saints. St Marianne Cope, ntercede for us all, that we may go forth unafraid to serve the most needy of our Father’s children. Please pray for us, amen!
Our Morning Offering – 23 January
Twenty-four Hour Prayer of St John Chrysostum
[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.
Thought for the Day – 22 January
There is a certain genius that comes from the faith and we saw it in our day in St Mother Teresa. The saints tackle great and difficult things and accomplish wonders because they did NOT and do NOT depend on their OWN strength and effort. They KNOW that all things are possible with and in God – they take Him at His word – they ask for miracles and receive them! They are never disappointed – this is the genius of faith!
St Vincent Pallotti, pray for us!
Quote of the Day – 22 January
“You must be holy in the way that God asks you to be holy.
God does not ask you to be a Trappist monk or a hermit.
He wills that you sanctify the world and your everyday life.”
~~~ Saint Vincent Pallotti (saint of the Day)
One Minute Reflection – 22 January
In him who is the source of my strength, I have strength for everything…………Phil 4:13
REFLECTION – “Remember that the Christian life is one of action; not of speech and daydreams. Let there be few words and many deeds and let them be done well ………….By myself I can do nothing but in union with God, I can do all things. Out of love for God, I want to do all things”
~~~ St Vincent Pallotti (Saint of the Day)
PRAYER – God of all might, grant that I may place myself in Your hands and never despair. Let me not shrink from even the hardest of tasks – for with Your help I can do anything. St Vincent Pallotti, you who accomplished so much for the Glory of the Kingdom of God, please pray for us, amen!
Our Morning Offering – 22 January
Not the intellect, but God
Not the will, but God
Not the heart, but God
Not taste, but God
Not touch, but God
Not food and drink, but God
Not clothing but God
Not tranquillity, but God
Not the worldly goods, but God.
Not riches, but God.
Not honours, but God.
Not distinction, but God.
Not dignities, but God.
Not advancement, but God.
God in all
God always.
– Saint Vincent Pallotti (written by him before his first Holy Mass)
Thought for the Day – 21 January
St. Agnes’s death was “a new kind of martyrdom!” (St Ambrose). She taught us adults the meaning of valor while she was still a child. Agnes hurried to the place of her execution more joyfully than a bride goes to her wedding. And she was adorned not with plaited hair, but with Christ himself. Agnes is a symbol that holiness does not depend on length of years, experience, or human effort. It is a gift God offers to all.
St Agnes, Pray for us!
Quote of the Day – 21 January
“You may stain your sword with
my blood but you will never profane
my body that I have consecrated to Christ.”
~~~ St Agnes (Saint of the Day)
One Minute Reflection – 21 January
After I have been with you all this time, you still do not know me?……….John 14:9
REFLECTION – 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……St John of the Cross
PRAYER – Lord Jesus, let me know myself and know You. Grant me the grace to follow You in Your sorrows, accepting all the sorrows of my life for Your sake. Help me to learn from this child Martyr, Agnes, who understood so much more than I do, who joined her pain to Yours, accepting them for love of You. St Agnes, teach me and pray for us all, amen!
Our Morning Offering – 21 January
O Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ,
source of all virtues, lover of virgins,
most powerful conqueror of demons,
deign to cast Your eyes upon my weakness
and through the intercession of Mary
most blessed, Mother and Virgin
and of Your beloved spouse St. Agnes,
glorious virgin and martyr,
grant me the aid of Your heavenly grace,
in order that I may learn to despise all earthly things
and to love what is heavenly;
to oppose vice and to be proof against temptation;
to walk firmly in the path of virtue,
not to seek honours,
to shun pleasures,
to bewail my past offenses,
to keep far from the occasions of evil,
to keep free from bad habits,
to seek the company of the good
and persevere in holiness,
so that, by the assistance of Your grace,
I may deserve the crown of eternal life,
together with St. Agnes and all the saints,
forever and ever, in Your kingdom. Amen.
(Traditional)
Thought for the Day – 20 January
Many saints, like St Sebastian, are merely names in history and little is known of their lives and their deaths. But something of their example remained aglow in the memories of their contemporaries, who passed on their stories to future Christians. They are remembered for their heroic witness to Christ – that is what is treasured – they express the very substance of the faith, and their names are immortal.
St Sebastian Pray for us!
St Fabian Pray for us!
Quote of the Day – 20 January
“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others.
It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy.
It has eyes to see misery and want.
It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.
That is what love looks like.”
~~~ St Augustine
One Minute Reflection – 20 January
May the Lord….make you overflow with love for one another and for all……….1 Thes 3:12
REFLECTION – “The means for attaining perfect love is to accomplish frequent acts of love.
Fire is kindled by the wood that we cast into it and love is enkindled by acts of love.”……..St Alphonsus Liguori
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, even if, like St Sebastian, through my love for others, I should suffer and die for You. St Sebastian Pray for us, amen!
Our Morning Offering – 20 January
I love You, O my God
and my only desire is to love You
until the last breath of my life.
I love You, O my infinitely lovable God,
and I would rather die loving You,
than live for an instant without loving You.
I love you, O my God
and I desire only to go to heaven
to have the happiness of loving You perfectly.
I love You, O my God
and my only fear is to go to hell
because one will not have
the sweet solace of loving You there.
O my God,
if my tongue cannot say at all times that I love You,
at least I want my heart to repeat it to You as I breathe.
Ah! Do me the grace to suffer while loving You,
to love You while suffering.
And, that when I die, I not only will love You
but experience it in my heart.
I beg You that the closer I come to my final end,
You will increase and perfect my love for You, amen.
Thought for the Day – 19 January
A king or queen’s throne is not the best place to become a saint – since power and privilege can turn the head and heart of even the holiest of men. But sanctity can flourish anywhere and those kings, queens and princesses who have become saints – Canute of Denmark, Louis of France and Edward the Confessor, yesterday we had Margaret of Hungary, there were also Margaret and Elisabeth of Scotland and Elizabeth of Portugal et al – are proof of this. Nobility of birth can become nobility of soul which, by circumstance of birth, is undoubtedly a battle exceeding ours. In the Providence of God, there is NO state of life which is exempt from His love and call to sainthood!
St Canute the Holy, Pray for us!
Quote of the Day – 19 January
“Here the will of God is done, as God wills and as long as God wills.”
~~~Saint Gerard Majella
One Minute Reflection – 19 January
Each one has his own gift from God……….1 Cor 7:7
REFLECTION – All the faithful of every state and condition are armed with a great deal of wondrous means of salvation. They are thus called by the Lord – each in his or her own way – to attain that perfection of holiness with which the heavenly Father is perfect….Vatican II Constituion on the Church No 11
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help me to be holy in the way that You have laid out for me. Let me carry out the duties of my state in life to the full and so attain the holiness proper to me. St Canute, as a King you offered your life to the King of Kings and died for love of Him, please pray for us, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 19 January
Hold dominion over my heart, O Lord:
keep it as Your inheritance.
Make Your dwelling in me,
along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Widen in me the cords of Your tabernacle,
even the operations of your Most Holy Spirit.
For You are my God and I will praise You,
together with the Eternal Father
and your quickening Spirit,
now, henceforth and forever, amen.
by St John Damascene
Thought for the Day – 18 January
The church recognizes Margaret of Hungary as a saint in spite of the traces of willfulness and pride that seem to have marked her life. But she excelled in charity and “love covers over many a sin” (1 Peter 4:8). Those of us who want to be holy, but have many “in-spite-ofs” to contend with, can be glad for that. There is hope for us all yet!
St Margaret of Hungary Pray for us!
Quote of the Day – 18 January
”People say:
‘What is the sense of our small effort?’
They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time,
take one step at a time.
A pebble cast into a pond causes ripples that spread
in all directions.
Each one of our thoughts, words and deeds is like that.
No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless.
There’s too much work to do.”
~~~ Dorothy Day
One Minute Reflection – 18 January
Above all, let your love for one another be intense because love covers a multitude of sins…………….1 Peter 4:8
REFLECTION – “Your eyes, O Lord, have a true view of people. This is what they really are and nothing more.”…………..St Francis de Sales
PRAYER – All-knowing Lord, let me realise that my real self is only what I am in Your eyes. All my weaknesses and sins You know but true too, You know the love I bear for You and for Your children. Grant me Your grace to love more and more, so that I may become a saint and join St Margaret in heaven, she who is a true example of immense love. St Margaret of Hungary pray for us, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 18 January
A Morning Offering of St Francis de Sales
My God, I give You this day.
I offer You, now,
all of the good that I shall do
and I promise to accept,
for love of You,
all of the difficulty that I shall meet.
Help me to conduct myself during this day
in a manner pleasing to You, amen.
Thought for the Day – 17 January
In an age that smiles and jeers at the notion of devils and angels, a person known for having power over evil spirits must at least make us pause. And in a day when people speak of life as a “rat race,” one who devotes a whole life to solitude and prayer points to an essential of the Christian life in all ages. Anthony’s hermit life reminds us of the absoluteness of our break with sin and the totality of our commitment to Christ. Even in God’s good world, there is another world whose false values constantly tempt us.
Our most powerful protection IS the Sign of the Cross.
St Anthony Abbot Pray for us!
Quote of the Day – 17 January
“The illusions of this world soon vanish,
especially if a man arms himself with
the Sign of the Cross. The devils tremble
at the Sign of the Cross of our Lord,
by which He triumphed over and
disarmed them.”
~~~ St Anthony Abbot (Saint of the Day)
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