Category: MORNING Prayers

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 26 March – O Saviour of the World

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Our Morning Offering – 26 March – Fridaty of Passion Week or the Fifth Week of Lent

O Saviour of the World
By St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35-c 108)
Father of the Church

Lord Jesus Christ,
on the human side
You are sprung from David’s line,
Son of God according to God’s will and power,
born of the Virgin Mary,
baptised by John
and Crucified for us in the flesh,
under Pontius Pilate and Herod the Tetrarch.
On the third day, You raised a standard
to rally Your saints and faithful forever
in the one body of Your Church.
By the grace and power of these mysteries,
fit us out with unshakeable faith,
nail us body and soul to Your Cross
and root us, in love, by Your Blood, shed for us,
O Saviour of the world,
living and reigning, now and forever,
amen

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 March – “Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

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One Minute Reflection – 25 March – The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8: 10, Psalms 40:7-8,8-9, 10, 11, Hebrews 10:4-10, Luke 1:26-38

“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “This woman will be the Mother of God, the door to light, source of life; she will reduce to oblivion the judgement that weighed on Eve. “The rich among the people seek the face” of this woman, “the kings of the nations shall pay her homage,” they shall “offer gifts”… yet the glory of the Mother of God is an interior glory – the fruit of her womb.

O woman, so worthy of love, thrice happy, “blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Daughter of David the king and Mother of God, King of the universe, masterpiece in whom the Creator rejoices… you are to be nature’s full achievement. For you, life is not yours; you were not born for yourself alone but your life is to be God’s. You came into the world for Him, you will serve for the salvation of all people, fulfilling God’s design established from the beginning – the incarnation of the Word and our own divinisation. Your whole desire is to feed on the words of God, to be strengthened by their sap, like “a green olive tree in the house of God,” “like a tree planted by running water,” you are the “tree of life” who “yielded its fruit in due season”…

He who is infinite, limitless, came to dwell in your womb, God, the Child Jesus, was nourished by your milk. You are the ever virginal doorway of God; your hands hold your God; your lap is a throne raised up above the cherubim… You are the wedding chamber of the Spirit, the “city of the living God, gladdened by the runlets of the stream,” that is to say, the waves of the Spirit’s gifts. You are “all fair, the Beloved” of God.” – St John Damascene (675-749) Monk, Theologian, Father and Doctor of the Church – Homily on the Nativity of the Virgin, § 9 ; SC 80 ( Biblical references : Ps 44[45],13; 71[72],11.10; Mt 2,11; Lk 1,42; Is 62,5; Ps 51[52],10; 1,3; cf Gn 2,9, Rv 22,2; cf Ez 44,2; Ps 79[80],2; cf Sg 1,4; Ps 45[46],5; Sg 4,7)

PRAYER – Shape us in the likeness of the Divine nature of our Redeemer, whom we believe to be true God and true man, since it was Your will, Lord God, that He, Your Word, should take to Himself, our human nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for always and forever, amen.

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The ANNUNCIATION, The INCARNATION

Our Morning Offering – 25 March – The Angelus

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Our Morning Offering – 25 March – The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

The Angelus

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee;
Blessed art thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. And the Word was made Flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LET US PRAY
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FREEDOM, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 March – ‘The gift of freedom’

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One Minute Reflection – 24 March – Wednesday of Passion or the Fifth Week of Lent, Readings: Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95, Daniel 3:52, 53, 54,55, 56, John 8:31-42

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples
and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32

REFLECTION – “The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor 3:17) …
But how can we find this freedom who are slaves of this world, slaves of money, slaves of fleshly desires?
It is true that I strive to amend and judge myself, I condemn my faults.
And on their part, let those who hear me, examine the thoughts of their own hearts.
But let me mention that, insofar as I am bound by one of these attachments, I have not been converted to the Lord, nor attained true freedom, since such matters and preoccupations, still have power to hold me. ….

As we know, it is written that: “A person is a slave of whatever overcomes him” (2 Pt 2:19).
Now, even if I am not overcome by love of money, even if I am not bound by concern for possessions and riches, yet I am hungry for acclaim and anxious for human glory when I take account of the regard shown me by others and of what they say about me, when I worry about what someone thinks of me, about someone else’s estimation, when I am afraid to displease one and want to please another.
So long as I have these preoccupations, I am their slave.
Yet I should like to make an effort to set myself free from them and try to break free from the yoke of this shameful slavery and attain the liberty, Saint Paul tells us about: “You were called for freedom, do not become slaves to human beings” (Gal 5:13; 1 Cor 7:23).
But who will gain this freedom for me?
Who will deliver me from this shameful slavery if not He who said: “If the Son sets you free, then you are free indeed” …
So let us faithfully serve and “love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our strength” (Mk 12:30), so that we may merit to receive the gift of freedom from our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Origen Adamantius(c 185-253) Priest, Theologian, Exegist, Writer, Apologist, Father – Homilies on Exodus, no. 12, 4

PRAYER – God of mercy, shed Your light on our hearts that are being purified by penance and in Your goodness, give us a favourable hearing. Teach us to work with You and for You and thus fill the world with Your Spirit. In Christ our Saviour, we become a new creation and Your adopted children, therefore, all things are renewed. May the prayers of the Blessed Virgin assist to humility and fidelity to grace. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offring – 24 March – May I Love You More Dearly

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Our Morning Offring – 24 March – Wednesday of Passion or the Fifth Week of Lent

May I Love You More Dearly
St Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)

Thanks be to You,
my Lord Jesus Christ
For all the benefits
You have bestowed upon me,
For all the pains and insults
You have borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer,
friend and brother,
May I know You more clearly,
Love You more dearly,
Follow You more nearly.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The SIGN of the CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 March – “I AM” – John 8:28

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One Minute Reflection – 23 March – Tuesday of Passion Week or the Fifth Week of Lent, Readings: Numbers 21:4-9, Psalms 102:2-3, 16-18, 19-21, John 8:21-30

“When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realise that I AM” – John 8:28

REFLECTION – “Isaiah the prophet describes an exalted vision for us: “I saw the Lord seated on a throne” (Is 6:1). What a wonderful sight, my brethren! Happy the eyes that saw it! Who would not want with all their heart, to behold the splendour of so great a glory? … Yet here, I am listening to that same prophet give us an account of a very different vision of the same Lord: “We saw Him; He had no beauty, no splendour – we took Him for a leper” (Is 53:2f. Vg.) (…)

And so, if you desire to see Jesus in His glory, try, first of all, to contemplate Him in His humiliation. Begin by gazing on the serpent raised up in the desert, (cf. Jn 3:14) if you wish to see the King seated on His throne. Let the first vision fill you with humility, so that the second, may raise you from your humiliation. Let the former, reprove and heal your pride, before the latter fulfils and satisfies, your desire. Do you see the Lord “emptied?” (Phil 2:7). Do not let this vision leave you untouched, or you will not be able to behold Him later on, in the glory of His exaltation, without anxiety.

“You will be like Him,” indeed, when you see Him “as He is” (1 Jn 3:2); so, be like Him now, as you see what He became for your sake.
If you do not refuse to become like Him in His humiliation, He will certainly give you, the likeness of His glory in return.
He will never allow someone who has shared His Passion, to be excluded from communion in His glory.
So little does He refuse, to admit someone who has shared His Passion, into the Kingdom with Him, that the thief found himself in paradise that very day with Him because he confessed Him on the cross (Lk 23:42) …
Yes indeed, “if we suffer with Him, we shall reign with Him” (Rm 8:17). – St Bernard (1091-1153) Cistercian Monk and Mellifluous Doctor of the Church – Sermon 1 for the first Sunday of November.

PRAYER – Holy Father, we have sinned against You and beg for Your forgiveness and mercy. Through the merits of the saving Cross of Your Son, help Your people O Lord, to persevere in obedience to Your will, so that through this obedience, we may reach our eternal home. May the eyes of our hearts, never cease contemplating the Holy Cross and following the way of its humiliation. We hope for the intercession of your angels and saints and our most loving Mother Mary. Through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, LENT 2021, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, Thomas a Kempis

Our Morning Offering – 23 March – I Will Love and Follow You

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Our Morning Offering – 23 March – Tuesday of Passion Week or the Fifth Week of Lent

I Will Love and Follow You
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

Oh my Lord,
Let my heart expand in Your love.
Let me learn to know
how sweet it is, to serve You,
how joyful it is, to praise You
and to be absorbed in Your love.
Oh, I am possessed by love
and rise above myself
because of the great fervour I feel,
through Your infinite goodness.
I will sing the canticle of love to You
and I will follow You, my Beloved,
wherever You go
and may my soul never weary of praising you,
rejoicing in Your love.
I will love You more than myself
and myself, only for Your sake.
I will love all others in You
and for you,
as Your law of love commands.
Amen

(Book 3 Ch 5:6)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 March – “Go and from now on, sin no more” – John 8:11

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One Minute Reflection – 22 March – Monday of Passion Week or the Fifth Week of Lent, Readings: Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41-62, Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6, John 8:1-11

“Go and from now on, sin no more” – John 8:11

REFLECTION – “One after another all withdrew.”
The two were left alone, the woman in need of mercy and Mercy.
But the Lord, having struck them through with that dart of justice, deigned not to heed their fall but, turning His eyes away from them, “again he wrote with his finger on the ground.”

But when that woman remained alone and all had gone, He raised His eyes to her. We have heard the voice of justice; let us listen too to the voice of clemency…
This woman expected to be punished by Him, in whom sin could not be found.
But He, who had driven back her adversaries with the voice of justice, lifting the eyes of mercy to her, asked her: “Has no-one condemned you?” She answered, “No-one, Lord.”
And He said: “Neither do I condemn you. I by Whom, perhaps, you were afraid of being condemned because you have found no sin in Me; neither do I condemn you.”

What is this, O Lord?
Do you favour sins, then?
Certainly not!
But take note of what follows: “Go, henceforth sin no more.”
The Lord did condemn, therefore but He condemned the sin, not the sinner… Let them be careful, then, those who love the goodness in the Lord but who fear His truthfulness…
The Lord is gracious, the Lord is slow to anger, the Lord is merciful BUT the Lord is also just and the Lord is abounding in truth (Ps 85[86],15).
He gives you time for amendment but you prefer to take advantage of the delay, rather than to reform your ways.
Did you act wickedly yesterday? Be good today. Have you spent today in evil? At any rate change your behaviour tomorrow.

This, then, is the meaning of the words He addresses to this woman, “Neither do I condemn you but, having been made secure concerning the past, be on your guard in the future. I, for My part, will not condemn you, I have blotted out what you have done; keep what I have commanded, that you may gain what I have promised.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father, Doctor of Grace –Tractate 33 on the Gospel of John, 5-8

PRAYER – O Infinite Goodness – Act of Contrition
By St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) – Doctor of the Church

O my God,
I am exceedingly grieved,
for having offended Thee
and with my whole heart,
I repent of the sins I have committed.
I hate and abhor them above every other evil,
not only because, by so sinning,
I have lost heaven and deserved hell
but still more because I have offended Thee,
O infinite Goodness,
who art worthy to be loved above all things.
I most firmly resolve,
by the assistance of Thy grace,
never more to offend Thee for the time to come
and to avoid those occasions
which might lead me into sin.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 22 March – A Lenten Offering By St Thérèse

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Our Morning Offering – 22 March – Monday of Passion Week or the Fifth Week of Lent

A Lenten Offering
By St Thérèse of the Child Jesus
and the Holy Face of Lisieux (1873-1897)
Doctor of the Church

O my God!
I offer Thee all my actions of this Lent
for the intentions and for the glory
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart,
my every thought,
my simplest works,
by uniting them to Its infinite merits
and I wish to make reparation for my sins,
by casting them into the furnace
of Its Merciful Love.
O my God!
I ask of Thee for myself
and for those whom I hold dear,
the grace to fulfil perfectly Thy Holy Will,
to accept for love of Thee,
the joys and sorrows of this passing life,
so that we may one day
be united together in heaven,
for all eternity.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 March – ‘ … If He had not died, the grain of wheat would not be multiplied …’ John 12:20-33

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One Minute Reflection – 21 March – Passion Sunday, Readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalms 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15, Hebrews 5:7-9, John 12:20-33

“If it dies, it produces much fruit” … John 12:24

REFLECTION – “Through the glorious achievements of the holy Martyrs with which the Church blossoms everywhere, we are ourselves, proving to our own eyes, how true are the words we have been singing that:  “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Ps 116[115]:15).   For it is precious both in our sight and in the sight of Him, in whose name the death took place.

But the price of those deaths is the death of one man.   How many deaths did that one man purchase by His death, for, if He had not died, the grain of wheat would not be multiplied?   You heard His words when He drew near His passion, that is when He was drawing near to our redemption:  “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”   On the Cross He carried out a vast transaction, there, the purse of our price was unfastened and, when His side was opened by the lance of the soldier, there streamed the price for the redemption of the whole earth (cf. Jn 19:34).

Now the faithful ones and Martyrs have been purchased but the faithfulness of the Martyrs has been proved – their blood is the proof … “As Christ laid down his life for us, so we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1Jn 3:16).   In another place it is stated:  “At a grand table you have sat;  now carefully consider what has been put before you, since it is your duty to prepare for such things” (cf. Prv 23:1).   That table is great where the Lord of the table is Himself the meal.   No-one feeds guests with Himself as food but this is exactly what the Lord Christ does, He, Himself is the host who in­vites;  He, Himself is the food and the drink.   Therefore, the Martyrs have recognised what they were eating and drink­ing so as to be able to repay such gifts.  But whence can they make such return unless He who first paid the cost, supplies the source from which restitu­tion may be made?   That is the reason for the Psalm, where we sing what is written: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” ... St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor – Sermon 329, for the Feast of the Martyrs, 1-2 ; PL 38, 1454

PRAYER – Lord our God, Your Son so loved the world that He gave Himself up to death for our sake. Strengthen us by Your grace and give us a heart willing to live by that same love. With Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mother of Jesus and our Mother, may we stand at His Cross. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST

Our Morning Offering – 21 March – I Beg You, O Lord By St Peter Canisius

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Our Morning Offering – 21 March – Passion Sunday

I Beg You, O Lord
By St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1597)
Doctor of the Church

I beg You, O Lord
to remove anything
which separates me from You,
or You from me
Remove anything
that makes me unworthy of Your sight,
Your control,
Your reprehension,
of Your speech and conversation,
of Your benevolence and love.
Cast from me,
every evil that stands in the way
of my seeing You,
hearing, tasting,
savouring and touching You,
fearing and being mindful of You,
knowing, trusting, loving
and possessing You,
being conscious of Your Presence
and as far as maybe, enjoying You.
This is what I ask for myself
and earnestly desire from You.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 March – ‘My Son is my entire Locution and Response, Vision and Revelation …’

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One Minute Reflection – 20 March – Saturday of the Fourth week of Lent, Readings:Jeremiah 11:18-20, Psalms 7:2-3, 9-10, 11-12, John 7:40-53

“Never before has anyone spoken like this one” – John 7:46

REFLECTION – “God could answer: “My Son is My entire Locution and Response, Vision and Revelation, which I have already spoken, answered, manifested and revealed to you, by giving Him to you as a Brother, Companion, Master, Ransom and Reward… ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear him’ (Mt 17,5).

If you desire me to answer with a word of comfort, behold my Son, subject to me and to others out of love for me and the afflicted … you will see how much He answers you. If you desire me to declare some secret truths or events to you, fix your eyes only on Him and you will discern hidden in Him, the most secret mysteries and wisdom and wonders of God, as my Apostle proclaims: “In the Son of God are hidden all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God” (Col 2,3). These treasures of wisdom and knowledge will be for you far more sublime, delightful and advantageous, than what you want to know. The apostle, therefore, gloried, affirming that he had acted as though he knew no other than “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1Cor 2,2). And if you should seek other divine or corporeal visions and revelations, behold Him, become human and you will find more than you imagine. For the apostle Paul also says: “In Christ all the fullness of the divinity dwells bodily” (Col 2,9).”

One should not, then, inquire of God in this manner, nor is it necessary for God to speak anymore…: there is no more faith to reveal, nor will there ever be.” – St John of the Cross OCD (1542-1591) Carmelite, Doctor of the Church – Ascent of Mount Carmel, II, ch 22

PRAYER – In Your gentle mercy Lord, guide our wayward hearts, for we know that left to ourselves, we cannot do Your will. Almighty God, turn our hearts to Your Son, so that we, seeking the one thing necessary, may worship You and follow Him in spirit and in truth. We give You thanks for our faith, increase our faith O our God! May the prayers of all your saints and the Virgin Mary, Queen of All Saints, obtain for us the gift of humility and fidelity so that our lives may always be pleasing. Through Christ our Lord and Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN Saturdays, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 20 March – My Most Sorrowful Lady

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Our Morning Offering – 20 March – Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Mary’s Saturday

My Most Sorrowful Lady
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Marian Doctor
Magnificent Doctor

My most sorrowful Lady,
what can I say about the fountains,
that flowed from your most pure eyes,
when you saw your only Son before you,
bound, beaten and suffering?
What do I know of the flood,
that drenched your matchless face,
when you beheld your Son,
your Lord and your God,
stretched on the cross without guilt,
when the flesh of your flesh,
was cruelly butchered by wicked me?
How can I judge
what sobs troubled your most pure breast
when you heard,
“Woman, behold your son,”
and the disciple,
“Behold, your Mother,”
when you received, as a son,
the disciple, in place of the Master,
the servant, for the Lord?
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, LENT 2021, LENTEN THOUGHTS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, SAINT of the DAY, The LAST THINGS, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 March – ‘I placed My Name upon their forehead’

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One Minute Reflection – 17 March – Wednesday of the Fouth Week of Lent, Readings: Isaiah 49:8-15, Psalms 145:8-9,13-14, 17-18, John 5:17-30 and the Memorial of St Patrick (c 385-461)

“The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God” – John 5:25

REFLECTION – “[Christ speaks:]
I became useless to those who knew Me not,
because I shall hide Myself, from those who possessed Me not.
And I will be with those who love Me.
All my persecutors have died
and they, who trusted in Me, sought Me because I am living!
I arose and am with them and will speak by their mouths.
For they have rejected those who persecute them
and I threw over them, the yoke of My love.
Like the arm of the bridegroom over the bride (cf Sg 2,6),
so is My yoke over those who know Me.
And as the bridal feast is spread out by the bridal pair’s home,
So is My love, by those who believe in Me.

I was not rejected,
although I was considered to be so
and I did not perish,
although they thought it of Me.
Sheol saw Me and was shattered
and Death ejected Me and many with Me.
I have been vinegar and bitterness to it
and I went down with iMt as far as its depth.
Death was released
because it was not able to endure My Face.

And I made a congregation of living, among his dead (1P 3,19; 4,6);
and I spoke with them, by living lips;
in order that My word may not fail.
And those who had died ran toward Me
and they cried out and said, “Son of God, have pity on us.
And deal with us according to Your kindness
and bring us out from the chains of darkness.
And open for us, the door
by which we may go forth to You,
for we perceive, that our death does not approach You.
May we also be saved with You
because You are our Saviour.”

Then I heard their voice
and placed their faith in My heart.
And I placed My Name upon their forehead (Rv 14,1)
because they are free and they are Mine.” – Odes of Solomon (Hebrew Christian text from the beginning of the 2nd century) N° 42

PRAYER – Lord God, You crown the merits of the saints and pardon sinners, when they repent. Forgive us our sins, now that we come before You, humbly confessing our guilt. Take our hand and lead us to our heavenly home. May St Patrick Your Saint, pray for us amidst the strife, he kew so well. Through Christ our Lord and Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, God now and for all eternity, amen.

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRAYERS on FAITH, SAINT of the DAY, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Our Morning Offering – 17 March – The Lorica

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Our Morning Offering – 17 March – Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Ordinary Times and the Memorial of St Patrick (c 385-461)

Excerpt of the Lorica
St Patrick (c 385-461)

I arise today
Through God’s strength, to pilot me;
God’s might, to uphold me,
God’s wisdom, to guide me,
God’s eye, to look before me,
God’s ear, to hear me,
God’s word, to speak for me,
God’s hand, to guard me,
God’s way, to lie before me,
God’s shield, to protect me,
God’s hosts, to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation,
Amen

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 16 March – “Do you want to be healed?” John 5:1-16

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One Minute Reflection – 16 March – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Readings: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12, Psalms 46:2-3, 5-6,8-9, John 5:1-16

“Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool….” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” John 5:6-8

REFLECTION – “We read in the Old Testament that in the times of Noah, since all humankind had been won over by sin, heaven’s floodgates opened and rain poured down for forty days… This was a symbol – it was less about a flood, than about a baptism. For it was indeed a baptism that bore away the misdeeds of the sinners and spared the uprightness of Noah. And so today, just as it was then, our Lord has given Lent to us so that the skies can open for the same number of days to inundate us with the floods of divine mercy. Once washed in the saving waters of baptism, this Sacrament enlightens us and, just as formerly, its waters bear away the evil of our sins and confirm the uprightness of our virtues.

Today’s situation is just the same as in Noah’s time. Baptism is flood to sinners and consecration for the faithful. In Baptism the Lord rescues justice and destroys injustice. We can see this in the example of one and the same man – before he was cleansed by the spiritual commands, the Apostle Paul, was a persecutor and blasphemer (1Tm 1,13). But once he had been bathed with the heavenly rain of Baptism, the blasphemer died, the persecutor died, Saul died. Then the Apostle, the just man, Paul, came to life… Anyone who lives Lent in a religious manner and observes the Lord’s decre,es will see sin die in him and grace come to life… such as these die as sinners and live as righteous persons.” – St Maximus of Turin (?-c 420), Bishop – Sermon for Lent 50

PRAYER – Forgive my sins, O my God, forgive my sins:
the sins of youth, the sins of age, the sins of my soul and the sins of my body,
the sins which, through frailty, I have committed, my deliberate and grievous sins,
the sins I know and the sins I do not know, the sins I have laboured so long to hide from others, that now they are hidden from my own memory.
Let me be absolved from all these iniquities and delivered from the bond of all these evils, by the Life, Passion and Death of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 15 March – O Merciful God By St Thomas Aquinas

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Our Morning Offering – 15 March – Monday of the Fourth week of Lent

O Merciful God
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus
Doctor Communis

O merciful God,
grant that I may ever perfectly
do Thy Will in all things.
Let it be my ambition to work
only for Thy honour and glory.
Let me rejoice in nothing
but that which leads to Thee,
nor grieve for anything,
which leads away from Thee.
May all passing things be as nothing in my eyes
and may all which is Thine be dear to me
and Thou, my God, dear above them all.
May all joy be meaningless without Thee
and may I desire nothing apart from Thee.
May all labour and toil delight me, when it is for Thee.
Make me, O Lord, obedient without complaint,
poor without regret,
patient without murmur,
humble without pretence,
joyous without frivolity,
and truthful without disguise.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning offering – 14 March – My Lord and my God

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Our Morning offering – 14 March – Laetare Sunday

My Lord and my God
By St Nicholas of Flue (1417-1487)

My Lord and my God,
take from me everything
which distances me from Thee.
My Lord and my God,
give me everything
which brings me closer to Thee.
My Lord and my God,
detach me from myself,
to give my all to Thee.
Amen

Posted in LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS

Our Morning Offering – 13 March – Mother of Sorrows, of Love, of Mercy

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Our Morning Offering – 13 March – Saturday of the Third week of Lent

Mother of Sorrows, of Love, of Mercy
By Fr Lawrence Lovasik SVD (1913-1986)

Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs,
accept the sincere homage of my childlike love.
Into your heart, pierced by so many sorrows,
welcome my poor soul.
Receive it as the companion of your sorrows
at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus
died for the redemption of the world.
Sorrowful Virgin, with you,
I will gladly suffer all the trials,
misunderstandings and pains
which it shall please our Lord to send me.
I offer them all to you in memory of your sorrows,
so that every thought of my mind
and every beat of my heart,
may be an act of compassion and of love for you.
Loving Mother, have pity on me,
reconcile me to your Divine Son Jesus,
keep me in His grace and assist me
in my last agony,
so that I may be able to meet you in heaven
and sing your glories.
Mary, most sorrowful Mother of Christians,
pray for us.
Mother of love, of sorrow
and of mercy, pray for us!
Amen. Amen!

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 March – ‘With ALL your heart’ – Mark 12:30

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One Minute Reflection – 12 March – Friday of the Third Week of Lent, Readings: Hosea 14: 2-10, Psalms 81: 6-8, 8-9, 10-11, 14 and 17, Mark 12:28-34 and the Memorial of St Seraphina
(1238-1253) Virgin

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart” – Mark 12:30

REFLECTION – “The great ones of the earth glorify themselves in possessing kingdoms and wealth.
Jesus Christ finds all His happiness in ruling over our hearts.
This is the sovereignty He desires and, that He decided to conquer, with His death on the cross: “Upon his shoulder dominion rests” (Is 9:5).
Many interpreters understand, by these words, … the Cross our divine Redeemer bore on His shoulders.
“This heavenly king,” Cornelius à Lapide remarks, “is a completely different master to the devil. The latter loads heavy burdens onto his slaves’ shoulders. Jesus, to the contrary, takes the full weight of His lordship on Himself, He embraces the Cross and wants to die on it, so as to reign over our hearts.”
And Tertullian says that, whereas earthly monarchs “carry a sceptre in their hands and wear a crown on their heads as emblems of their power, Jesus Christ bore the Cross on His shoulders. And the Cross was the Throne, to which He ascended to establish His kingdom of love” …
Let us then hasten to dedicate all our heart’s love to this God who, to win it, has sacrificed His blood, His life, His whole self.
“If you knew the gift of God,” said Jesus to the Samaritan woman, “and who it is who says to you: ‘Give me to drink’” (Jn 4:10).
That is to say: if you only knew how great is the grace you receive from God …
Oh, if the soul only understood what an extraordinary grace God bestows on it, when He begs for its love in the words: “You shall love the Lord your God ….” Would not a subject who heard his lord say : “Love me” not be entranced?
And could God not succeed in winning our hearts when He asks us for it with such great sweetness: “My son, give me your heart?” (Prv 23:26). However, God does not want this heart by halves, He wants the whole of it, without reserve.
His commandment is: “You shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart.” – – St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop and Most Zealous Doctor of the Church – 6th Discourse for the Octave of Christmas

PRAYER – Lord Almighty God, You sanctify Your Church, by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Fulfil in us the words of Your Son that our love for You and Your children may be come to perfection. Grant that by the prayers of St Seraphina, we too may attain our heavenly home. Through Christ our Lord, in union with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, amen.

Posted in JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME, Thomas a Kempis

Our Morning Offering – 12 March – O Sweet Name of Jesus

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Our Morning Offering – 12 March – Frdiay of the Third Week of Lent

O Sweet Name of Jesus
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

O sweet Name of Jesus,
holy above all names
in heaven and on earth
and to which every knee,
both of men
and of angels in heaven,
on earth and in hell bends.
You are the Way of the just,
the Glory of the saints,
the Hope of those in need,
the Balm of the sick,
the Love of the devout
and the Consolation
of those that suffer.
O, Jesus be to me a help
and a protector
so that Your Name
may be blessed for all times.
Amen

Posted in franciscan OFM, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, The LAST THINGS

Our Morning offering – 11 March – Rescue Me, Most Merciful God

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Our Morning offering – 11 March – Thursday of the Third week of Lent

Rescue Me, Most Merciful God
By Father Martin von Cochem OSFC (c 1630-1712)

Most merciful God,
remember at how great a price
Thou didst purchase me
and how much Thou didst suffer for me.
For the sake of that inestimable price,
do not permit me to be lost,
rescue me,
number me amongst the sheep
of Thy fold.
With them, I will then
praise and magnify Thy loving kindness,
to all eternity.
Amen

Fr Martin von Cochem was a German Capuchin theologian, preacher and prolific ascetic writer.
Father Martin’s works embrace a great variety of subjects: a huge volume of apologetics against Protestantism, the life of Christ, lives of the Saints, edifying narratives, the setting forth of certain points in Christian asceticism, forms of prayer, methods to be followed for the worthy reception of the sacraments, etc.
The prayer above is from the renowned “The Four Last Things.”

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 10 March – Christ be Near

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Our Morning Offering – 10 March – Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

Excerpt from St Patrick’s Breastplate
Christ be Near
St Patrick (c 386 – 461)

Christ be near, at either hand,
Christ behind, before me stand,
Christ with me, where’er I go,
Christ around, above, below.

Christ be in my heart and mind,
Christ within my soul enshrined,
Christ control, my wayward heart,
Christ abide and ne’er depart.

Christ my life and only way,
Christ my lantern, night and day,
Christ be my unchanging friend,
guide and shepherd to the end.

We have this prayer and his own story in one of the authentic writings of Patrick – his Confessio, which is above all, an act of homage to God for having called Patrick, unworthy sinner, to the apostolate.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, The HEART

Our Morning Offering – 9 March – For the Sake of Your Only Son By St Augustine

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Our Morning Offering – 9 March – Tuesday of the Third week of Lent

Hear us, O Heavenly Father,
For the Sake of Your Only Son
By St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Almighty Father, come into our hearts
and so fill us with Your love
that forsaking all evil desires,
we may embrace You, our only good.
Show us, O Lord our God, what You are to us.
Say to our souls, I am your salvation,
speak so, that we may hear.
Our hearts are before You,
open our ears,
let us hasten after Your Voice.
Hide not Your Face from us,
we beseech You, O Lord.
Open our hearts, so that You may enter in.
Repair the ruined mansions,
that You may dwell therein.
Hear us, O Heavenly Father,
for the sake of Your only Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen

Posted in LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The WILL of GOD, Thomas a Kempis

Our Morning Offering – 8 March – Only What You Will or Will Not

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Our Morning Offering – 8 March – Monday of the Third week of Lent

Only What You Will or Will Not
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Grant me Your grace,
most merciful Jesus,
so that it may be with me
and work with me
and persevere with me to the end.
Grant that I may always want
and desire that which is
most acceptable and pleasing to You.
Let Your will be mine
and let my will always follow Yours
and be in perfect accord with it.
Let me always will or not will,
the same with You
and may I not be able to will
or not will
anything, except
what You will or will not.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 March – “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

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One Minute Reflection – 7 March – The Third Sunday of Lent, Readings: Exodus 20:1-17, Psalms 19:8-11, 1 Corinthians 1:22-25, John 2:13-25

“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” – John 2:19

REFLECTION – “We are still God’s workmen who are building the temple of God. This temple’s dedication has already taken place in its Head, in that the Lord has risen from the dead after His victory over death and having destroyed in Himself what was mortal, He has ascended to heaven … But now we are building this temple through faith, so that its dedication may also be made at the final resurrection. That is why … one of the Psalms has the title: “When the Temple was rebuilt after the captivity” (95[96]:1 Vg.). Call to mind our own former captivity when the devil held the whole world in his power, like a flock of the unfaithful. It was due to this captivity that our Redeemer came. He shed His blood for our ransoming and, by the blood He poured out, He cancelled the debt that was holding us captive (Col 2:14) … Sold beforehand to sin, we have now been set free by grace.
Following this captivity, the temple is now being built and, to raise it up, the Good News proclaimed. That is why this Psalm begins as follows: “Sing to the Lord a new song” And, lest you think this temple is being constructed in some insignificant corner, as the heretics who separate themselves from the Church build it, pay attention to what follows: “Sing to the Lord, all you lands” …
“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all you lands.” Sing and clap your hands! Sing and “bless the name of the Lord” (v. 2). Proclaim the day, born of the day of salvation, the day, born of the day of Christ. For who is the salvation of God if not His Christ? This is the salvation we pray for in the Psalm: “Show us, Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help.” Just men of old longed for this salvation, those of whom the Lord said to His disciples: “Many desired to see what you see but did not see it” (Lk 10:24)…
“Sing to the lord a new song; sing to the Lord” See the fervour of the builders! “Sing to the Lord and bless his name.” Proclaim the Good News! What good news is that? Day is born from Day… Light from Light; the Son from the Father, the saving power of God! This is how the temple is built after the captivity.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of Grace – Sermon 163,5

PRAYER – Lord our God, Your Son so loved the world that He gave Himself up to death for our sake. Strengthen us by You grace and give us a heart willing to livew by that same love. May His Mother and ours, be with us and give us hope and strength. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever, amen.

Posted in LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The SIGN of the CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 7 March – Prayer Before The Crucifix by St Vincent Strambi

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Our Morning Offering – 7 March – The Third Sunday of Lent

Prayer Before The Crucifix
By St Vincent Strambi (1745-1824)

Jesus, by this Saving Sign,
bless this listless soul of mine.
Jesus, by Your feet nailed fast,
mend the missteps of my past.
Jesus, with Your riven hands,
bend my will to love’s demands.
Jesus, in Your Heart laid bare,
warm my inner coldness there.
Jesus, by Your thorn-crowned head,
still my pride till it is dead.
Jesus, by Your muted tongue,
stay my words that hurt someone.
Jesus, by Your tired eyes,
open mine to faith’s surprise.
Jesus, by Your fading breath,
keep me faithful until death.
Yes, Lord, by this Saving Sign,
save this wayward soul of mine.
Amen

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 March – ‘… Since we are His Israel, we are the vineyard.’ Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

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One Minute Reflection – 13 March – Friday of the Second Week of Lent, Readings: Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13, 17b-28,Psalms 105: 16-17,18-19, 20-21, Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

“They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him”… Matthew 21:39

REFLECTION – “The vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel” says the prophet (Is 5:7). We ourselves are this house… and, since we are His Israel, we are the vineyard. So let us take good care that grapes of wrath (Rv 14:19) rather than sweetness do not grow from our branches, so that no-one may say to us: “I expected grapes but it yielded wild grapes” (Is 5:4). What fruitless soil! The soil that should have presented its master with fruits of sweetness, pierced Him with its sharp thorns.
In the same way His enemies, who ought to have welcomed our Saviour with all the devotion of their faith, crowned Him with the thorns of His Passion. In their eyes this crown expressed insult and abuse but in the Lord’s eyes it was the crown of virtue…

My brethren, take good care that no one says with regard to you: “He expected it to yield grapes but it yielded wild grapes” (Is 5:2)… Let us be careful that our evil deeds do not rub against our Lord’s head like thorns. ” … St Maximus of Turin (c 380-c 420) – Sermon for the feast of Saint Cyprian – CC Sermon 11

PRAYER – Almighty God, help us dear Father to produce fruits acceptable to You. Help us to reach out of our enclosed spaces in love to all. Even when the road is rocky, grant that we may not falter but always turn back to Your merciful gaze.ay the prayers of our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, who fearlessly withstood the fury of evil, be a help in our times of need and fear. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.

Posted in LENT 2021, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 5 March – A Lenten Prayer

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Our Morning Offering – 5 March – Friday of the Second week of Lent

A Lenten Prayer
By St Pope Pius V (1504-1572)

Look with favour, Lord,
on Your household.
Grant that,
though our flesh be humbled
by abstinence from food,
our souls, hungering after You,
may be resplendent in Your sight.
Amen

St Pius V is the Pope of the Council of Trent, the Counter Reformation, the excommunication of Elizabeth I for Heresy and persecution of English Catholics and of the Battle of Lepanto, amongst many other illustrious and holy achievements.

Posted in LENT, LENT 2021, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, POETRY, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection –4 March – ‘They lay outside at my gate’ – Luke 16: 19-31

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One Minute Reflection –4 March – Thursday of the Second week of Lent, Readings Jeremiah 17:5-10, Psalms 1: 1-2, 3, and 6, Luke 16: 19-31 and the Memorial of St Casimir- (1458-1484)

The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. … Luke 16:22-23

REFLECTION – By St Nerses Chnorhali (1102-1173) Armenian Bishop – Jesus, Only Son of the Father, 624 f.

Like the rich man who loved a life of pleasure
I, too, have loved pleasures that pass away
With this animal body of mine,
In the pleasures of that fool.

And from so many and such great blessings
That You have so freely given me
I have not paid back the tenth
From Your own gifts.

But, out of everything under my roof,
Gathered from earth and sky and sea,
I believed Your numberless blessings
To be my own possession.

Nothing of these have I given to the poor,
Nor set anything aside for his needs:
Neither food for the hungry
Nor covering for the naked body,

Neither shelter for the homeless
Nor abode for the foreign guest,
Nor visit to the sick
Nor even concern for the prisoner (cf. Mt 25:31 f.).

I was not saddened for the sorrow
Of the one cast down by his burdens,
Nor shared the joy of the joyful
But burned with jealousy against him.

All of them were another Lazarus, (…)
They lay outside at my gate; …
Yet I, deaf to their appeal,
Never gave them the crumbs from my table. …

The dogs of your Law outside
Comforted them, at least with their tongues;
Yet I, who listened to Your commandment,
Wounded the one who bore Your likeness with my tongue (Mt 25:45). (…)

Yet only grant me repentance here below
That I may make reparation for my sins, …
That these tears may extinguish the blazing furnace
With its burning flames. …

And, instead of acting like the merciless,
Set merciful compassion within me,
That, by showing mercy to the poor,
I may obtain Your mercy.

PRAYER – Dear and Holy God, let us offer You all our daily struggles against sin and evil. Grant us the strength to resist all forms of idolatry, to seek only You and never to allow the material goods of this world to seduce us. Sustain us ever more with Your word and help us to find in it, the source of life. Grant that by the intercession of St Casimir we may grow in charity us during our life on earth. Grant this, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen