Category: MEDITATIONS – ANTONIO CARD BACCI

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 22 November – The Blessedness of the Poor

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Thought for the Day – 22 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of the Meek

“Learn from me,” said Jesus when He proposed Himself to us, as our model, “for I am meek and humble of heart and You will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light” (Mt 11:30).
“By your patience,” He said on another occasion, “you will win your souls” (Lk 21:19).
“Love your enemies,” He said too, “do good to those who hate you and pray for those who persecute and calymuniate you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven, Who makes His sun to rise on the good and the evil and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Mt 5:44).

If we obey this lofty teaching, we shall have peace of soul.
We shall not be easily annoyed but shall rather, regret the misdeeds and unhappiness, of those who unjustly offend us.
Moreover, we shall be able to persuade our fellowmen to follow the path of virtue.
This is why the Psalmist says that “the meek shall possess the land, they shall delight in abounding peace” (Ps 36:11).
“Blessed are the meek,” Jesus repeats in the Sermon on the Mount, “for they shall possess the earth” (Mt 5:4).

What is meant by this promise?
Tyrants, persecutions and evil-doers, have passed away and are remembered with bitterness and execration.
But the Saints still hold sway over the world and dominate the minds and hearts of millions, winning universal love and veneration.
We should imitate the gentleness which can give such peace and exert such influence!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/28/thought-for-the-day-28-november-the-blessedness-of-the-poor/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TIME

Thought for the Day – 21 November – The Glory of God

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Thought for the Day – 21 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Glory of God

“Let us study the behaviour of the Saints, who forgot themselves and thought only of God.
In order to please Him, to win His approval and to co-operate in the manifestation of His glory, they deprived themselves of food and rest and sacrificed themselves entirely for His sake.

Now, consider yourself.
Perhaps you are still excessively self-centred.
Perhaps you love yourself too much and love God too little.
Perhaps you try too hard to achieve worldly success and forget that at the end of life, your insignificant personal conquests and laurels, will seem to you, to be so many useless toys on which you have wasted the precious time which God gave you.
Consider this carefully and form suitable resolutions for the future.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/26/thought-for-the-day-26-november-the-glory-of-god/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 20 November – The Storms of Life

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Thought for the Day – 20 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Storms of Life

“At other times, however, the tempest will come from outside ourselves and will have a shattering effect on our spiritual life.
It may be some insult which has seriously wounded us.
There may be somebody near to us who has grown quite insufferable.
Or perhaps suffering will come to us in the guise of illness, disgrace or loss of our dear ones.
We shall feel lonely and abandoned in the midst of the storm.
To whom shall we have recourse in our hour of need?
Shall we turn to our fellow-men?
Perhaps there will be nobody able to understand us perfectly, or, if there is somebody who sympathises with us,he may be able to do nothing for us, save to utter a few kind words.

Let us turn, therefore, to Jesus on the Cross and to Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist.
The Crucifix will teach us how to suffer with resignation and with love.
Before this mystery of infinite love, all our anguish and unrest, will give way to a Christian acceptance of suffering.

If this is not enough, let us turn to Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist.
Let us invite Him into our hearts to calm the tempest and to give us His divine grace, which will conquer every temptation and heal every wound.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/17/thought-for-the-day-17-april-the-storms-of-life/

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, GOD is LOVE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL

Thought for the Day – 19 November – The Most Terrifying Passage in the Gospel

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Thought for the Day – 19 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Most Terrifying Passage
in the Gospel

“Why should the Eternal Judge punish or reward us, in accordance with our own deeds of charity and of mercy towards our unfortunate fellowmen?
Simply because Christianity consists mainly of charity, since God Himself is charity.
“God is love and he who abides in love, abides in God and God in him” (1 Jn 4:16).
When charity is genuine, being the love of God above all things and of our neighbour as ourselves, it is “the bond of perfection,” (Col 3:14) and, “bears with all things, believes all things, hopes all things endures all things” (1 Cor 13:7).
True love, in the Christian sense, presupposes faith, hope and all the other virtues, whereas faith without charity, is as St Paul says, as futile as “a tinkling cymbal” (1 Cor 13:1).
Even the devils have faith but their faith will not save them.
“He who does not love,” St John tells us, “abides in death” (1 Jn 3:14).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/24/thought-for-the-day-24-november/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SACRAMENTS

Thought for the Day – 18 November – Our Parish

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Thought for the Day – 18 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Our Parish

“Just as every Christian belongs to a family, so also, he belongs to a Parish.
The Parish should be the necessary complement of the family, in which everyone can receive the complete formation which he needs.
The family is the first cell in the organism of the Church.
The parents should regard their duties as Sacred and, in a way, Priestly.
They are joined together, not only for the purpose of procreating children but, also of educating them.
This is a lifty honour and responsibility.
They do not possess, however, the means of completing the education of their children.
They can do a great deal but they cannot do everything, for they are not, in fact, Priests possessing the necessary means of communicating the supernatural life through the Sacraments and through the authoritative Word of God.

Parents are the natural guardians of their children but, in the Church, there is a spiritual father to assist them, namely, the Parish Priest.
No good Catholic should ignore the existence of his Parish Priest and of his Parish.
In his Parish Church, he has received the priceless gift of supernatural life through the Sacrament of Baptism.
There too, he recited his childhood prayers, obtained forgiveness for his sins in the Confessional, received the Sacrament of Confirmation, made his First Holy Communion and received, perhaps, the Nuptial blessing at his marriage.
There will come a day when he will be borne to his Parish Church for the last time, to receive from the Priest, his final blessing and prayers for the repose of his soul.

We should love our Parish, therefore, in the same way as we love our family and, we should cherish our Parish Church.
It is not enough to visit any Church but, we should give pride of place to our own, which houses our spiritual family and our spiritual history and holds, for us, so many precious memories of the past.
We ought to make a special point of attending it, for our own benefit and that of our children and in order to give good example.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OPEN HOUSE...Conversations with..., QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HOLY NAME

Thought for the Day – 15 November – Conversation with God and with Men

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Thought for the Day – 15 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Conversation with God and with Men

“Do not speak too often with men but speak often with God.
We should always be in communication with God because, to converse with God, is to pray.
Jesus has told us that we ought always to pray (Lk 18:1).
We have a great need of intimacy with God, for if the life of grace does not flow within us, we become like arid branches and fall prey to temptations and to tepidity.
In order to remain close to God, we must pray constantly.
As St Paul says, “whatever you do, in word or in work, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through Him” (Col 3:17).
This is what the Saints did.
While their feet walked the earth, their minds were in Heaven.

We should imitate them by trying to cultivate the interior life which will keep us detached from the world and from sin and always close to God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/15/thought-for-the-day-15-november-conversation-with-god-and-with-men/

Posted in "Follow Me", LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ENEMIES, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MODESTY, QUOTES on MORALS, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Thought for the Day – 14 November – Good Example

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Thought for the Day – 14 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Good Example

“The Holy Spirit tells us that God entrusts to everyone, the care of his neighbour (Ecclus 17:12).
“Let your light shine before men,” says Jesus Christ, “in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in Heaven” (Mt 5:16).
St Paul echoes this counsel, when he warns us not to return evil for evil but to “provide good things, not only in the sight of God but also in the sight of all men” (Cf Rom 12:17).
In other words, we are obliged to edify our neighbour by our good example.

Good example is the most effective sermon and it is a sermon which all of us can and should deliver.
We ought to preach this sermon everywhere and at all times – in the Church and outside it, in our family circle and in society, with our superiors, equals and inferiors, when we are speaking and when we are silent, in our behaviour and in our appearance!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/14/thought-for-the-day-14-november-good-example/

Posted in "Follow Me", CONFESSION/PENANCE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY

Thought for the Day – 12 November – Daily Progress

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Thought for the Day – 12 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Daily Progress

“There are two ways in which we should make constant daily progress.
The first is in the removal of our defects and imperfections.
As The Imitation of Christ insists, we should soon become holy, if we were to conquer, at least, one sin every year.

It is opportune, at this stage, to ask ourselves, how many years we have already spent on earth?
During these years, how many personal defects can we claim to have remedied?
Perhaps there was a time when we were better than we are now?
If we have wasted time and have abused our Creator’s gifts and favours, we should humble ourselves and do penance before God.

Finally, we should resolve and do our best, to remedy at least one defect everyday.
We should select, first of all, whatever imperfection we know to be the most dangerous.
This will be difficult and even heroic work but, it is very necessary.
We must work on our own character as a sculptor works on a block of marble, hammering, cutting and chiselling patiently and perseveringly.
With the help of God, we shall be successful.
Even as the Saints succeeded, so we shall succeed, if we depend on God’s grace and make the necessary sacrifices.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/12/thought-for-the-day-12-november-daily-progress/\z

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ANGER

Thought for the Day – 11 November – Sensitiveness

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Thought for the Day – 11 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Sensitiveness

“Our wounded feelings sometimes give rise to an external explosion in the form of bitter and offensive remarks.
These always create disharmony and have various unfortunate after-effects.

It is fatal to lose control over ourselves.
A man who has surrendered to anger and resentment, does not weigh his words and is not responsible for his actions.
When the fit has passed, he is left with a sense of humiliation because of his lack of moderation and must suffer the consequences, both before God and before his fellowmen in his domestic and social enviroment.
“When the angry man has calmed down,” Seneca truly observed, “he is angry with himself.”
“Let anger be foreign to us,” said Cicero, “for an angry man is incapable of acting correctly, or prudently. Anything which is done, in a state of agitation, cannot be done properly, nor can it meet with the approval of the bystanders” (De Officiis I, 38).

Let us meditate also on these apt quotations from Sacred Scripture.
“A mild answer calms wrath but a harsh word, stirs up anger” (Prov 15:1).
“An ill-tempered man, stirs up strife but a patient man allays discord” (Prov 15:18).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/11/thought-for-the-day-11-november-sensitiveness/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR

Thought for the Day – 10 November – Prayer, Work and Leisure

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Thought for the Day – 10 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Prayer, Work and Leisure

“WORK:
Work is a duty commanded by God, Who, after the sin of Adam, told him and his descendants: “In the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread” (Gen 3:19).
So, work becomes an obligation and a means of expiation.
We are all obliged, therefore, to engage in some kind of work, mental or manual, whether we are rich or poor.
Idleness had been condemned by God as the father of all the vices.
“Idleness,” warns the Holy Spirit, “is an apt teacher of mischief” (Eccles 33:29).
It is impossible for a man who works and prays, to commit sin, both because he lacks the time and because he is close to God.
A man who is close to God will certainly never offend Him. whereas the mind of a man who is lazy and inactive, is open to the attractions of sin.

Let us shun idleness, therefore and love hard work, as a means of making reparation for our sins and of gaining merit before God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/10/thought-for-the-day-10-november-prayer-work-and-leisure/

Posted in INDULGENCES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PARTIAL Indulgence, PLENARY Indulgences, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Thought for the Day – 9 November – INDULGENCES

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Thought for the Day – 9 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

INDULGENCES

“Throughout the Centuries, Indulgences have been regulated by the authority of the Church which, in the course of the Council of Trent, (Session XXV Decr. de Indulg.) sanctioned their lawfulness and usefulness, for the Faithful, both living and dead.
There is no question of innovation.
It cam be said quite truly that the first Indulgence was granted by Jesus Himself, to the repentant thief!
“This day,” He told him, “thou shalt be with me in Paradise.”
By these words, Our Lord remitted, not only the sin and the eternal punishment, due to it but, also all temporal punishment.
In the same way, an Indulgence was granted by St Paul, when he mitigated the punishment inflicted on the offender at Corinth (2 Cor 6-8).

Indulgences are called Plenary, when they remit all the temporal punishment due to sin and Partial, when it is the intention of the Church to release the sinner from whatever penalties would have been expiated, if he had done penance for a certain period of time, in accordance with the ancient discipline.
No essential relaxation of practice is intended because the Church always demands that the sinner should first ensure that he is in the state of grace, by making a good Confession.
As the Council of Trent insists, he should be sincerely repentant.
The Church requires, moreover, that in order to gain a Plenary Indulgence, the penitent should be detached from all affections, even towards deliberate venial sin!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/09/thought-for-the-day-9-november-indulgences/

Posted in DEVOTIO, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PURGATORY, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY SOULS

Thought for the Day – 8 November – The Advantages of Devotion to the Souls in Purgatory

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Thought for the Day – 8 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Advantages of Devotion
to the Souls in Purgatory

“The story is told of St John of God who, on one occasion, when he was finding it difficult to provide for the crowds of sick people, whom he had in his hospital, he went about the streets of Granada, crying: “My dear brothers, give alms to yourselves!”
Many were astonished at these words but, the Saint explained that Jesus regards as done to Himself anything which we do for the poor and unfortunate and that, therefore, He repays the generous giver handsomely.
Since the Souls in Purgatory, are poor and needy, it is certain that whatever we do for them, will redound to our own advantage.

St Margaret of Cortona had a keen devotion to the Faithful Departed.
It is related of her that when she was dying, she saw a band of blessed spirits descending from above, in order to escort her into Heaven.
These were the countless souls whom her prayers had rescued from the pains of Purgatory.

“If only everyone realised,” the Cure d’Ars once said to a fellow Priest, “what great influence with God, the Holy Souls in Purgatory possess and, the vast number of favours which we obtain through their intercession, they certainly would not be forgotten. Let us pray earnestly for them and they will intercede strongly for us!”

“Whenever I wish to obtain some favour from our Heavenly Father,” said St Catherine of Bologna, “I have recourse to the Souls in Purgatory. I beseech them to present my petition to the Divine Majesty, in their name and through their inetercession, my request is granted.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/08/thought-for-the-day-7-november-they-advantages-of-devotion-to-the-souls-in-purgatory/

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PURGATORY, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Thought for the Day – 7 November – How We Can Help the Faithful Departed

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 7 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

How We Can Help the Faithful Departed

“There are many ways in which we can come to the assistance of the faithful departed.

(a) We can help them by prayer.
This is the simplest way and one which is possible for everyone.
When we pray for our dead, we feel that we are close to them and are consoled in our sorrow.
Moreover, we can be sure of gaining a great deal in return, for the prayers which they offer on our behalf, are very pleasing to God.

(b) We can offer Holy Mass for them.
When we do this, it is not only we who pray but Jesus joins with us and offers Himself as a victim of reparation on behalf of the suffering souls.
The Mass has an infinite value and one Mass alone would be enough to empty Purgatory.
But the application of its infinite merits are always limited, in accordance with the hidden designs of God.
Ir is certain, however, that there is no more effective means of helping the faithful departed.

(c) We can offer our good works on their behalf.
Every good action has power to satisfy God for some of the debts which we or others have contracted in His regard.
Among the good works which we can offer for the souls in Purgatory, are Holy Communion, voluntary mortifications, meek acceptance of the unavoidable sorrows of life, acts of patience and of compassion, spiritual and corporal works of mercy, Indulgences and almsgivine.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/07/thought-for-the-day-7-november-how-we-can-help-the-faithful-departed/

Posted in DOCTRINE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, ON the SAINTS, PURGATORY, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY

Thought for the Day – 6 November – The Communion of Saints and the Souls in Purgatory

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Thought for the Day – 6 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Communion of Saints
and the Souls in Purgatory

“The consoling Doctrine of the Communion of Saints, is the foundation of devotion towards the faithful departed.
The universal Church, both on earth, in Purgatory and in Heaven, constitutes the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the channel of the Divine life of Jesus.

This life is not extinguished by death but only by mortal sin, which makes us like dead limbs separated from the vine which is Cbrist.
The souls of those belonging to us who have died in the state of grace, therefore, are living members of the Mystical Body of Christ.
Now, the different members of the human body, do not possess a separate life but are all co-ordinated and directed towards the good of the whole body.
In the same way, all the members of the Mystical Body, whether they are exiles on earth, suffering souls in Purgatory, or blessed in Heaven, should help one another so as to promote the welfare of the whole.

The blessed in Heaven and the faithful departed certainly do this and we ought to do the same.
We should preserve a bond of love and prayer between ourselves and our loved ones, who have departed from this life before us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/06/thought-for-the-day-6-november-the-communion-of-saints-and-the-souls-in-purgatory/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PURGATORY, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING

Thought for the Day – 5 November – The Consolations of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory

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Thought for the Day – 5 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Consolations of the
Suffering Souls in Purgatory

“In her description of Purgatory, St Catherine of Genoa, writes as follows:

“The soul in Prgatory is happy with its lot but, its happiness is similar to that of the Martyr at the stake.
Its happiness, in other words, is of a pure and supernatural kind which the world could not understand.
The Martyr allows himself to be put to death, rather than offend God; he feels the pain of dying but, despises death because of his ardent love for God.
In the same way because it realises that God desires and commands its agony, the soul in Purgatory, loves Him and is happy to allow Him to refine and purify it spiritually, through suffering.”

In one of her ecstasies, St Mary Magdalen de Pazzi was accorded a vision of Purgatory so terrifying that it caused her to grow pale and cry out.
Suddenly she saw her own recently deceased brother among the suffering souls.
“My poor brother!” she exclaimed, “how much you are suffering. Yet, I can see too, how greatly you are consoled. Although you are tortured by fire, you are content because, you know that these tortures are the prelude to everlasting happiness.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/05/thought-for-the-day-5-november-the-consolations-of-the-suffering-souls-in-purgatory/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PURGATORY, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on SIN, VENIAL SIN

Thought for the Day – 4 November – More About the Sufferings of Purgatory

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Thought for the Day – 4 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

More About the Sufferings of Purgatory

“The vision of Purgatory accorded to St Frances of Rome, is well known.
She saw Purgatory divided into three separate sections.

(1) The firs was the part furthest from Heaven and bordering, as it were, on Hell.
In it two kinds of people were suffering terrible torments, namely, lay folk who had committed grave sins and postponed their conversion until the moment of death;
and – men and women who had dedicated their lives to God but on account of venial sins, neglect of duty, tepidity and lack of gratitude for their great vocations, had heavy debt to pay to Divine Justice.

(2) The second place, was the most crowded.
Here, the physical pain was still unimaginably severe, while the desire to be purified and to b with God was the cause of intense spiritual anguish.
The souls in this region, however, were not only resigned to their lot but, even longed for greater sufferings which would finally wash away the imperfections which kept them apart from God.

(3) The Third section was the nearest to Heaven and was the abode of purer and more perfect souls.
These did not have to endure much sensible pain but, their yearning for God was so insistent that, every moment of separation, seemed like an eternity.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/04/thought-for-the-day-4-november-more-about-the-sufferings-of-purgatory/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PURGATORY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on The SOUL

Thought for the Day – 3 November – The Pain of Purgatory

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 3 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Pain of Purgatory

“In the course of her vivid description of Purgatory, St Catherine of Genoa writes: “The suffering souls experience such torments as the human tongue could not describe, nor the human intellect comprehend, unless God Himself, revealed them by means of a special grace!”

The ordinary teaching of the Church includes fire as the principal torment.
However, the Church has never defined the nature of this fire, nor determined whether it is physical or spiritual.
It is certain that this fire is as real as the flames of Hell and is created by God, not to be an instrument of service to men but, to be a means of expiation and purification.
This is why it is a far more tormenting fire than that which we know and use on earth.
St Thomas Aquinas holds that it is actually a physical fire.
He meets the objection that material fire could never touch a spiritual soul by saying that, even as the soul is affected on earth, by the suffering of the body, to which it is joined, so it can be subject in the next life, to the action of the fires of Purgatory (Supplementum Tertiae Partis q7, a3).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/03/thought-for-the-day-2-november-the-pain-of-purgatory/

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The BEATITUDES

Quote/s of the Day – 3 November – “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 3 November – Within the Octave of All Saints – Apocalypse 7:2-12, Matthew 5:1-12– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Matthew 5:3

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
Wisely indeed He puts first…
what every man seeks…
For who does not want to be happy?
Why do men universally quarrel and fight,
bargain, resort to flattery
and inflict injuries on one another?
Is it not simply in order to obtain,
by fair means or foul…
something that promises to make them happy?…
So, the Teacher of all men… begins
by redirecting those who have lost the way…;
He Who is “the Way, the Truth and the Life”…
(Jn 14,16; 6,32;4,6) begins with the words:
“Happy are the poor in spirit.”

Bl Isaac of Stella O.Cist. (c 1100–c 1170)
Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher

“Seek for nothing,
desiring to enter for love of Jesus,
with detachment, emptiness
and poverty in everything in this world.
You will never have to do
with necessities greater than those
to which you made your heart yield itself –
for the poor in spirit are most happy
and joyful in a state of privation
and he who has set his heart on nothing,
finds satisfaction everywhere!”

St John of the Cross (1542-1591)
Doctor of the Church

“If humble souls are contradicted,
they remain calm;
if they are calumniated,
they suffer with patience;
if they are little esteemed,
neglected, or forgotten,
they consider this their due;
if they are weighed down
with occupations,
they perform them cheerfully. ”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

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

O merciful God,
grant that I may ever perfectly
do Your Will in all things.
Let it be my ambition to work
only for Your honour and glory.
Let me rejoice in nothing but that leads to You,
nor grieve for anything, that leads away from You.
May all passing things be as nothing in my eyes
and may all that is Yours, be dear to me
and You, my God, dear above them all.
May all joy be meaningless without You
and may I desire nothing, apart from You.
May all labour and toil delight me when it is for You.
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 DOCTRINE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PURGATORY, VENIAL SIN

Thought for the Day – 2 Novemer – “Purgatory”

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Thought for the Day – 2 Novemer – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Purgatory”

“The clear testimony of the New Testament may also be invoked in support of this teaching.
Jesus refers to sins which cannot be forgiven, either in this life or in the next, (Cf Mt 12:31-32) from which, the Fathers deduce that there are sins, namely those of a venial nature, which can be forgiven after death.

St Paul, moreover, speaks of imperfections which will be expiated and purged by fire after death (Cf 1 Cor 3:10-15).
Obviously, this cannot take place in Hell but, only in Purgatory.
It would be impossible to cite here, all the testamoies of the Fathers and of theological writers.
No-one, can deny, that they exist, however, for they combine to build up a tradition which the Council of Trent (Sess XXV) gathered together, when proclaiming the existence of Purgatory and the obligation of the faithful to pray for the dead, who are expiating their sins there.

This is a very consoling Doctrine.
It is comforting to know that one day, we shall find a way of purifying ourselves of all trace of sin and imperfection and that, meanwhile, we can be spiritually united with our departed loved ones and can help them by our prayers.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/02/thought-for-the-day-1-november-purgatory/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/07/thought-for-the-day-7-february-purgatory/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on BAD CONVERSATION, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on ZEAL

Quote/s of the Day – 1 November – All Saints Day

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 November – All Saints Day

“Similarly, anyone who wishes
to understand the minds
of the sacred writers
must first cleanse his own life
and approach the Saints,
by imitating their deeds.”

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“Let listening to worldly news
be BITTER FOOD for you
and let the words of
Saintly men
be as combs
filled with honey.”

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“The Saints must be honoured
as friends of Christ
and children and heirs of God.
Let us carefully observe
the manner of life of all the Apostles,
Martyrs, Ascetics and just men,
who announced the coming of the Lord.
And let us emulate their faith,
charity, hope, zeal, life,
patience under suffering
and perseverance unto death,
so that we may also
share their crowns of glory.”

St John Damascene (676-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“I am a sinner
and do not think much of myself.
I have recourse,
to the greatest Servants of the Lord
that they may pray for me
to the blessed Christ and His Mother.
But do not forget,
that all the Saints
cannot endear you to Christ
as much as you can yourself.
It is entirely up to you!”

St Cajetan (1480-1547) Confessor

“God speaks to us through His Saints.
The Saints are those in whom
God dwells in such a special way
that their entire personalities reflect Him.
They live the Gospel perfectly.
Whenever we encounter
one of these privileged beings,
whether in the pages of a book [or online]
or in our actual surrounding world,
let us pay attention to them
and do our best to imitate their virtues.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, ROSARY QUOTES, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES

Thought for the Day – 31 October – “Pray for Us … at the Hour of Our Death”

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Thought for the Day – 31 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Pray for Us … at the Hour of Our Death”

“My dear Mother Mary, you who lived in the intimate presence of God, obtain for me too, this great grace, so that I may avoid sin, do good and love God, upon earth, in the hope of enjoying Him forever in Heaven. Amen.🙏”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/31/thought-for-the-day-31-october-pray-for-us-at-the-hour-of-our-death/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/31/thought-for-the-day-31-october-pray-for-us-at-the-hour-of-our-death-2/

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD

Thought for the Day – 30 October – Prayer and Our Lady

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Thought for the Day – 30 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“The Month of the Most Holy Rosary”
Prayer and Our Lady

“O Mary, my Mother, obtain for me that spirit of prayer which will keep me always close to God.
I know that sin can never conquer me if I remain united to God.
I know if my heart is filled with the desire of Heavenly gifts, there will be no room in it for useless or sinful affections.
I wish to follow your example and live a life of prayer and recollection.
But, I am very weak and unstable.
Please obtain for me the gift of constant and persevering prayer and grant that I may never lose it.
Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/08/31/thought-for-the-day-31-august-prayer-and-our-lady/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/30/thought-for-the-day-30-october-prayer-and-our-lady/

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on HOPE

Thought for the Day – 28 October – “Mary, Our Hope”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 28 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Mary, Our Hope”

“O Mary, my Mother, I place my trust in you because I know, that your intercession, is all-powerful with your Divine Son, Jesus.
Help me to detach myself completely from sin and, to conquer my rebellious inclinations.
Grant that I may imitate the shining example of your sanctity in such a way, that you may be truly my hope and my sure refuge, now and at the hour of my death.
Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/29/thought-for-the-day-25-october-mary-our-hope-our-life-our-sweetness-and-our-hope/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/29/thought-for-the-day-29-october-mary-our-hope/

Posted in Hail MARY!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on DEATH

Thought for the Day – 27 October – “Hail Mary … Holy Mary”

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Thought for the Day – 27 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Hail Mary … Holy Mary”

“We seek her intercession, moreover, at the hour of death.
Death must come but if we have prayed often to our heavenly Mother, she will certainly be with us in those final and decisive moments of our lives.
If Mary is there to help us, we may be sure that death will come as a consolation, for it will be a peaceful journey towards everlasting happiness.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/26/thought-for-the-day-25-october-hail-mary/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/27/thought-for-the-day-27-october-holy-mary/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on The SOUL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St Francis de Sales, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 27 October – ‘ … Wholly united with Christ. … ‘

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 27 October – Vigil of Saints Simon and Jude – 1 Corinthians 4:9-14, John 15:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the vine, you the branches;
whoever remains in me and I in him,
the same bears much fruit;
for without Me
you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

“To magnify her Royal Lover still further,
the soul must have eyes only for Him,
in other words, with an ever-growing,
anxiously eager attentiveness.
the soul must study all the details of His Beauty,
His perfections, must keep on discovering motives
for finding ever-increasing gratification
in the ineffable Beauty with which it is in love.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

“Place all your trust in God,
let Him be your fear and your love.
He will answer for you,
He will do what is best for you.
You have here no lasting home.
You are a stranger and a pilgrim
wherever you may be
and you shall have no rest,
until you are wholly united with Christ.
Why do you look about here
when this is not the place of your repose?”

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

“For the branch,” says St Augustine,
“there can be no half-measures.
Either it remains united with the vine,
or it is thrown into the fire.”
The same holds true for each one of us.
We must choose, either close union with Jesus,
or separation and spiritual death.
We must decide between a life of fervour in Christ,
or a life of tepidity and sin.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The LORD'S PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 26 October – “Deliver Us From Evil”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 26 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Deliver Us From Evil”

“Deliver us, O God, from the evil of eternal damnation.
Sin is the greatest evil but, as long as we are on earth, it is an evil which can still be remedied, for God, in His Infinite Mercy, is always ready to forgive and to restore us to His divine friendship, if we sincerely repent.
In Hell, however, there is no further remedy, for there, the Mercy of God has been superseded by His Infinite Justice.
Where the tree falls, there it must lie forever.
Such dreadful unhappiness is barely conceivable!

Deliver us from sin, O God, deliver us from a bad death, deliver us from Hell.
Help us to love You more and more and to serve You more faithfully, so that we may one day enjoy Your blessed company, for all eternity.
Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/25/thought-for-the-day-25-october-deliver-us-from-evil/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/26/thought-for-the-day-26-october-deliver-us-from-evil/

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, Holy Name PRAYERS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HEART, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 26 October – Perseverance

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Do not let love and fidelity forsake you,
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then will you win favour and esteem
before God and human beings.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
on your own intelligence do not rely.
In all your ways be mindful of him,
and he will make straight your paths.”

Proverbs 3:3-6

“A person who wishes
to become the Lord’s disciple
must repudiate a human obligation,
however honourable it may appear,
if it slows us, ever so slightly,
in giving the wholehearted obedience
we owe to God.”

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“I think He intends to try you
like gold in the crucible,
so as to number you
amongst His most faithful servants.
Therefore, you must lovingly embrace
all occasions of suffering,
considering them
as precious tokens of His love.
To suffer in silence
and without complaint,
is what He asks of you.”

St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)
“Apostle of the Sacred Heart”

“When the sister of St Thomas Aquinas
asked him how to become holy,
he replied that it needed only one thing –
a firm act of the will,
for God will certainly supply the necessary grace..”
The grace of God is the principal weapon
upon which we must depend,
in order to gain our victory.
We should pray for it humbly and perseveringly.
There will be victors and losers
in the battle for Heaven,
as well as in earthly contests.
We must make sure that we are on the winning side!
For this purpose, we should combine
fervent and constant prayer
with generous co-operation with the grace of God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“My God, Sweetness beyond words,
make bitter all the carnal comfort
that draws me from love of the eternal
and lures me to its evil self,
by the sight of some delightful good
in the present.
Let it not overcome me, my God.
Let not flesh and blood conquer me.
Let not the world and its brief glory
deceive me, nor the devil trip me by his craftiness.
Give me courage to resist,
patience to endure
and constancy to persevere.
Give me the soothing unction of Your spirit,
rather than all the consolations of the world
and in place of carnal love,
infuse into me the love of Your Name.”

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ
(Book 3 Ch 26:1-4)

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, QUOTES on WATCHING

Thought for the Day – 25 October – “Lead Us Not Into Temptation”

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Thought for the Day – 25 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Lead Us Not Into Temptation”

“Why, we may ask, does God permit us to be tempted?
Ir is for our own good because:
(1) He desires us to co-operate with Him, in our own salvation.
The crown of glory, which is to be our reward, will only be given to him who has earned it.
“Blessed is the man who endures temptation,” says Sr James, “for when he has been tried, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him” (Js 1:12);
(2) He wishes us to understand, moreover, that we can do nothing without Him, so that we may be humble and may pray to Him with faith and perseverance;
(3) He desires that we may be vigilant and may live in union with Him, by means of prayer.

He wishes us to realise, that only with His help, can we aspire to the supernatural life and triumph over our enemies.
Apart from Him, we shall be lost but close to Him, we shall be invincible!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/24/thought-for-the-day-24-october-lead-us-not-into-temptation/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/25/thought-for-the-day-25-october-lead-us-not-into-temptation/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, ROSARY QUOTES, The LORD'S PRAYER, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Thought for the Day – 23 October – “Forgive Us Our Debts”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 23 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Forgive Us Our Debts”

“Finally, we owe God a great deal on account of our sins.
Unfortunately, our only return for God’s continual favours, has been negligence, ingratitude and sin!
How many failings we have been guilty of throughout our lives?
Since it is an offence against God, Who is infinitely good and amiable, even venial sin cannot properly be atoned for by the merits of all the Angels and of all the Saints of Heaven.
Therefore, it was necessary for the Son of God, made Man, to offer Himself as a Victim of Expiation, on our behalf.

Remembering His infinite merits, we should humbly ask God – ‘forgive us our debts.‘ that is, our many sins and failings and, whatever punishment is owing to us, for every sin demands some expiation, either in this life or in the next!

Meanwhile, we should accept, with resignation, all the sufferings which God sends us in reparation for our sins and, we should promise never to offend Him again.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/22/thought-for-the-day-22-october-forgive-us-our-debts/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/23/thought-for-the-day-23-october-forgive-us-our-debts/

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, The LORD'S PRAYER, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 22 October – Our Daily Bread

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
Our Daily Bread

“When we pray to God to give us our daily bread, we should remember this beautiful sermon of Christ, (Cf Mt 6:25-34), which will remove all our anxiety and worldly worry.
As long as we are prepared to do our work, we shall obtain our daily bread from our loving Father and shall receive, in addition, spiritual peace, confidence and perfect resignation to His Holy Will.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/21/thought-for-the-day-19-october-our-daily-bread/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/22/thought-for-the-day-22-october-our-daily-bread/