Category: MEDITATIONS – ANTONIO CARD BACCI

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI

Thought for the Day – 22 May – Prayer to Mary, Our Mother

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

Prayer to Mary, Our Mother

“There is a story told of a devout man who was wavering before the onslaught of temptation and was accustomed to kneel before a statue of Our Lady and say this simple prayer:  “Show yourself a mother to me.”
When the same man had fallen into sin and, although full of remorse, had not succeeded in reforming, he went one day to Mary’s Altar and pitifully repeated his usual prayer.
Immediately, he heard a gentle voice replying – “Show that you are my son.”

If we wish Our Lady to be a mother to us, we must also show her that we are her children.
Earthly mothers are delighted to think that their offspring take after them.
In the same way, Mary wishes to see, a reflection of her own sanctity in our thoughts, desires and actions.
All this demands sacrifice, of course.
It demands hard work, fervent prayer and constant watchfulness over ourselves.
If we do all that we can and never lose courage, God will not refuse us His help and our good Mother, will not, fail to intercede for us!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PURITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 21 May – Holy Purity

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Thought for the Day – 21 May – “Mary’s Month” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Holy Purity

“Have you ever experienced the sheer delight of climbing the mountains on a summer’s day and coming across one of those little alpine lakes, a tiny mirror, reflecting the still blueness of the sky?
Or have you ever watched an infant smiling in it’s angelic slumber and been held spellbound by this vision of innocence?
Finally, on some calm, clear night, surely you have studied the star-spangled sky and have been so overwhelmed by the beauty of the scene, that you could have cried out with the Psalmist:  “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament proclaims His handiwork” (Ps 18:1).
These, are only faint images of the beauty and virginal purity of Mary.
Her soul was the purest and most beautiful of the entire human and angelic creation because, no-one else was ever raised to the dignity of the Motherhood of God.
She was conceived free from all taint of original sin and enriched with every grace.
In her chaste womb, she conceived the Infant Jesus.
Later, she held Him close to her heart;  she lived for Him and eventually died for love of Him.

Purity is a virtue which is attractive to everybody, even to those who are evil themselves, or to those, who have lost their own chastity.
We love and desire this virtue but, are we prepared to make any sacrifice in order to preserve it, in the manner demanded by our particular state in life?
“The kingdom of heaven has been enduring violent assault,” Jesus said “and the violent have been seizing it by force” (Mt 11:12).
This is especially true in regard to the acquisition of the virtue of purity.
It is not enough to desire it, we must be willing to make sacrifices in order to acquire it.“

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 20 May – Mary, the Source of Holiness

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

Mary, the Source of Holiness

“God is the primary origin of all holiness.
But, the Blessed Virgin gave us Jesus, Who is our Redeemer and the author of grace.
For this reason, she may be called the source of grace, the divine aqueduct, as St Bernard puts it, through which, the supernatural life of grace is brought to us (In adv Domini, Serm 2, no 5).
She was, moreover, full of grace and outstanding in holiness – as the Mother of God, she can obtain anything for us from her divine Son, because “it is the will of God that we receive everything through the hands of Mary” (St Bernard, In Nativ BMV, Serm, no 7).
Thirdly, even by her example, she can be the source of sanctity for us.
If we study her amazing humility, we shall learn to be humble, for our sinfulness gives us such good reason to humble ourselves.
If we meditate on her spotless purity, we shall experience a great desire and love for this beautiful virtue and shall have recourse to her in every danger to save us from impurity.
Then, let us reflect on her ardent love for God and for men.
Her charity prompted her maternal heart to offer up, as a divine Victim, her Son nailed to the Cross.
If we reflect on the nature of her charity, we also shall feel urged to love God above all things and to pray, work and make sacrifices for the salvation of our fellowmen.
Let us have, always before our minds, the image of our heavenly Mother and we shall be inspired to seek perfection in all our actions.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

 

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 19 May – Mary, a Light in the Darkness

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

Mary, a Light in the Darkness

“Let us imagine for a moment, that we have grown blind and are forever plunged in darkness.
It is an unhappy thought.
Never again to see those who are dear to us, never to see the light of the sun nor any of the splendour of the universe.
We should feel as if were alone, for we should have to depend only on sounds and on the voices of others for communication with the external world.
As St Augustine points out, however, in his commentary on the miracle of the man who had been blind from birth, we are all more or less blind in the supernatural order.
The world is the image of God but, do we see His Presence in everything which surrounds us?
Is it not more often the case that created things distract us and lead us to forget their Creator, because, we regard them as a means of satisfying our own comfort and our own ego?
We should look on creatures as go-betweens which help us to ascend to God, the beginning and end of all creation.

Unfortunately, instead of climbing this mystical ladder which leads us to God, we often descend it.
We forget God and become excessively wrapped up in worldly affairs.
Sometimes matters may be even worse, not only do we forget God through our love of creatures but, we use them, to offend Him.
God has given us eyes to admire His works and, as a result, to lead us to praise, thank and love Him.
Instead, we often use this wonderful gift in order to commit sin.
He has given us the gift of speech, the gift of hearing and other senses.
But how do we employ them?
The tongue is a marvellous invention but, as St James writes, “if anyone does not offend in the word, he is a perfect man, able also to lead round by the bridle, the whole body … With it we bless God the Father and, with it, we curse men, who have been made after the likeness of God.   Out of the same mouth, proceed blessing and cursing.   These things, my brethren ought not to be so” (Js 3:2-10).
What can be said of vision and of speech can be said of all the senses and faculties of body and soul.
They are all God’s gifts and should, therefore, be used as means of bringing ourselves closer to Him.
If creatures lead us away from God and cause us to forget Him, or if, worse still, they cause us to offend Him, then we are spiritually blind and far more unfortunate than those who have lost their natural vision.

Most Holy Mary, during your earthly pilgrimage, you never once lost sight of God.
Grant that I may not be lost in the darkness of this world.
Grant that I may not be ensnared by the passing charm and false beauty of these created things which surround me.
Grant that I may see, in all things, the Presence and Beauty of God, so that I may always continue to advance, nearer and nearer to Him.   Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

 

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The HOLY CROSS, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 18 May – Mary, the Source of Peace

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

Mary, the Source of Peace

“Mary is surrounded by an atmosphere of peace.
The countenance of the Virgin Mother, reflects the serenity of her soul.
She was conceived free from original sin and endowed with every grace ad with every supernatural gift.
There was no struggle in her, between good and evil, for this conflict is the effect of concupiscence.
She never experienced the rule of sin of which St Paul complains. “I see another law in my members,” says St Paul, “warning against the law of my mind and making me prisoner to the law of sin that is in my members.   Unhappy man that I am!   Who will deliver me from the body of this death?   The grace of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 7:23-25).
It was quite otherwise with Mary.
Her lower inclinations were completely subject to her spiritual faculties, which were, in their turn, perfectly submissive to the commands and inspirations of God.
Nevertheless, while she enjoyed complete interior harmony, Mary had to endure external conflict and suffering.
Holy Simeon foretold, that the sword of sorrow would pierce her heart.
In fact, her life was altogether interwoven with hardship, want and suffering until, eventually, she knelt at the foot of the Cross on which Jesus was dying for the love of mankind and offered the divine Victim for our salvation.
At the last moment, however, torn with sorrow though she was, she did not depart in the slightest from her spirit of perfect acceptance of God’s will.
Consequently, her peace of soul was never diminished or extinguished.
Let us learn from her to accept everything from God’s hands, both the tiny pleasures which brighten our lives, from time to time and the humiliations, sufferings and death, which it pleases God to keep in store for us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CONTEMPLATIVE Prayer, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 17 May – Contemplation and Our Lady

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Thought for the Day – 17 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Contemplation and Our Lady

“True contemplation has it’s origin in love, for when love is intense it gives a clear insight into that which is loved.
It is never the result of mere learning, which can be cold and uninspiring and, therefore, unable to give us a vision of the truth.
Many are learned without love, while there are others, who have no learning but love God and contemplate Him with a spiritual joy which is a prelude to the happiness of Heaven.
Contemplation is not, therefore, a gift of learning.
Even an illiterate man can have it, while those who study a great deal, may be without it.
For the most part, it is the gift of divine grace.
This is not to deny that the knowledge of sacred things, especially of theology, can promote contemplation.
It can help, as long as it is not the kind of learning which makes a man proud but, rather leads him nearer to God.
This is what St Paul meant when he said that “knowledge puffs up but charity edifies” (1 Cor 8:1).

Contemplation, then, begins in the love which is based on humility and on prayer.
The contemplative must always look for the help of divine grace without ever presuming on his own powers and without fooling himself, that he has made any progress of his own accord.
It does not matter whether he is an ignorant or a learned man, as long as he sees the reflection of God in all things and comes to know and love Him.
Then, under the the influence of divine grace, contemplation flows from the loving knowledge of God.
The Blessed Virgin was created and conceived full of grace and endowed with more supernatural privileges than any other creature.
Therefore, she knew and loved God in a higher way than any of the Cherubim or Seraphim.
It is only to be expected then, that she would have had the gift of contemplation.
Her prayer was an intimate conversation with God.
We have an example of this kind of contemplative prayer in the hymn which she composed when she became the Mother of the Word Incarnate.
“My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;  Because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid;  for, behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed….” (Lk 1:46-48).
In Mary, however, the contemplative life was united to the active life.
This was so, whether she was in the house in Nazareth, or following Jesus on His apostolic journeys, or co-operating with the Apostles in their great mission during her last years on earth.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

 

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 16 May – Prayer and Our Lady

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Thought for the Day – 16 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Prayer and Our Lady

“He told them a parable – that they must always pray and not lose heart” (Lk 18:1).
Nobody else on earth ever carried out this command of Our Lord as perfectly as Our Lady.
St Albert the Great says that, after Jesus Christ, the spirit of prayer is to be found at it’s most perfect, in Our Lady (Sup Miss 80).
It was because of her immense love for her divine Son that Mary was able to put into practice, throughout her life, that Gospel precept of unceasing prayer.
Prayer in it’s fullest sense, is in fact, an act of love rather than supplication.
It is defined as an elevation of soul to God, to adore and praise Him, to thank Him and to ask Him for His favours.
It leads to lasting and intimate union with God, who should be regarded as our only good and as the final end of our lives.
Since Mary was full of grace, she was always closest to God.
Even before she became His Mother, she constantly enjoyed His intimacy.
Despite the many sorrows of her life, this intimacy became still greater and more beautiful, when she became the Mother of Jesus.
From that time, she was able to hold Him to her immaculate bosom and to live in close familiarity with Him.
She was able, too, to follow Him on His apostolic journeys, until He reached Calvary and the Cross and, finally, to see Him gloriously risen from the dead.
After Jesus had ascended into Heaven, her soul expanded with a nostalgic love for her divine Son, until her earthly journey was over and she was taken up into Heaven.
There, she reigns supreme among the Saints and Angels and never ceases to pray for us, her exiled children, who need her help so much.
Let us learn from Mary, how to pray with love and perseverance.
Then, we shall be able to follow her along the difficult way of perfection, which leads towards Heaven.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 15 May – The Power of Mary

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

The Power of Mary

“Virgin most powerful, pray for us.”
This is one of the invocations to Our Lady in her Litany.
Mary’s power derives from her divine Motherhood.
The Eternal Word was made man in her most chaste womb.
By assuming our human nature in the Hypostatic Union, He became her Son.
In the same way as a mother can give instructions to her son, Mary can pray to Jesus with full confidence that she will be answered.
Not only has she the power of love, over Him but, also the power of a mother.
Her prayers have the force of a command and it is impossible for them to go unheeded.
When Mary seeks a favour from her divine Son for us, who are her adopted sons, says St Peter Damian, she commands rather than prays, she is more like the mistress than the handmaid of the Lord (Serm 41 de Nativitate).
Some ecclesiastical writers go as far as describing Mary as being omnipotent in grace and in intercession, even as God is omnipotent by reason of His nature.
“O Mother of God,” writes St Gregory of Nicomedia, “you have such invincible power, that the multitude of our sins can never exhaust your mercy.   Nothing can resist your power, for your Creator regards your glory as His own” (Orat de Exitu B Virg).
This doctrine should console even the most hopeless sinners.
It is enough to have loving recourse to Mary and we shall be sure of salvation.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI

Thought for the Day – 14 May – The Refuge of Sinners

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

The Refuge of Sinners

mary the refuge of sinners - bacci 14 may 2020

“Refuge of sinners, pray for us.”
This is one of the most beautiful invocations in the Litany of Loreto.
In the second half of the Hail Mary, the Church, knowing that we are all sinners, teaches us to pay to our heavenly Mother: “Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”
When a mother sees her sons going astray or behaving badly, she does not cease to love them.
One might say, that, she loves them all the more, because, in addition to her natural affection, she develops a sense of anxious compassion for them when she thinks of the way in which they have risked their eternal salvation by sinning.
Mary’s attitude to us is like this.
The only difference is, that our earthly mothers suffer as a result of our transgressions and ingratitude without being able to do much to change us.
Mary, on the other hand, being the Mother of Jesus as well as our Mother, is not only willing but able, to help us.
No matter how enormous our sins may be, no matter how irresistible our carnal instincts may seem, no matter how hopelessly we may have plunged into the depths of evil, it is enough for us to raise our eyes in confidence towards Mary.
Like a merciful Mother, she will obtain for us from God, forgiveness and the strength to return to the path of penitence and of peace.
“Poor ship-wrecked sinners,” says St Bonaventure, “have recourse to Mary and she will lead you to the port of salvation.” (In Ps 8).
Our good Mother, St Bernard tells us, does not shrink in horror from the most wretched of sinners.
He need only turn to her for help and she will save him from damnation (Or Pan ad BV).
How comforting it should be for us to realise that we have such a merciful and powerful Mother.
Let us turn to her with trust and humility and she will certainly assist us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 13 May – Mary, Our Hope

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Thought for the Day – 13 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, Our Hope

In the beautiful prayer, known as the Salve Regina or Hail, Holy Queen, the Church salutes Mary as “our life, our sweetness and our hope.”
Mary is our hope, because, she gave us our Saviour, Jesus and, because, she prays to Him continually for the graces which we need.
Following the example of Luther, modern Protestants raise the objection that Mary cannot be regarded as a source of hope, because, all our trust should be placed in God.
Anyone who places his trust in creatures, draws down God’s curse upon himself, they say and, they go on to quote from Jeremiah:  “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man” (Jer 17:5).
But this is true only, when we trust in creatures independently of God, as if we can derive any good from them, without recourse to God.
We invoke Mary, however, as the Mother of God and our Mediatrix with Him.
She is our hope, insofar as she obtains for us from God, the graces and favours which we require.
St Bernard assures us, that God has placed in Mary’s hands, all the riches which He wishes to bestow on us (Serm de aquaed).
“He will never experience eternal ruin,” says St Anselm, “for whom Mary has once prayed.”
St Bernard calls upon Mary as the foundation of all his hope (Ibid).
Let us remember, that Mary is our loving Mother who wishes us to pray to her, because, she knows that if she intercedes on our behalf, she will certainly be heard.
It should be most consoling to us to have such a good and powerful Mother in whom, we can safely trust in every peril and in every necessity.
Let us pray to her with love and faith, in the certainty that, we shall be answered in the way that is best for us.
Let us say along with St John Damascene:  “O Mother of God, if I place my trust in you, I shall be saved.   If I am under your protection, I have nothing to fear, because to be devoted to you, is to possess a weapon of salvation which God grants only to those, whom He desires to redeem” (Serm de Nat, cap 4).

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 12 May – “All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed”

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

“All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed”

she made a solemn prophecy behold all generations bacci 12 may 2020

‘A Jewish girl, poor in this world’s goods but rich in virtue, arrived after a long and difficult journey at a village in the hills of Judea, called Hebron.
There, she paid a visit to her cousin, Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth saw the girl, she was immediately enlightened by the Holy Spirit with the knowledge, that her visitor, was the Mother of God.
“How have I deserved,” she cried out, “that the mother of my Lord, should come to me?” (Lk 1:43).
At these words, Mary looked up towards Heaven and gave spontaneous expression to a hymn of humble acknowledgement to God, Who had “regarded the lowliness of His Handmaid” (Lk 1:48).
Then she made a solemn prophecy, which would surely have assured the cynical intellectuals and nobles of the land but, which history has wonderfully fulfilled.
“Behold” she said, “all generations shall call me blessed” (ibid).
We can testify today, that this miracle came to pass.
All the nations have paid reverence to the Jewish girl, who became the Mother of God and our Mother, the Queen of Heaven and earth, the comforter of the afflicted, the conqueror of Satan and the invincible Guardian of the Church.
From the engravings in the Catacombs, to the celestial Madonnas of the Angelico, from the rudimentary sculpture of Roman art, to the prayerful statues on the pinnacles of more modern Cathedrals, the image of Mary has shone as a beacon of hope for all generations.
Men bow before her and ask for light, for comfort and for pardon.
“If anyone follows Mary,” says St Bernard, “he will not lose his way; if anyone pray to her, he will not despair;  if anyone thinks of her, he will not sin;  if anyone reaches out to her, he will not fall;  if anyone places himself under her protection, he need have no fear;  if anyone places himself under her leadership, he will never give up;  if anyone pays homage to her, he is certain reach his destination safely“ (Homil Missus est 2:17).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

if anyone follows mary - st bernard 12 may 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Thought for the Day – 11 May – The Search for God

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

The Search for God

“There was a man who left home in order to travel.
For many months, he wandered on and on, sometimes along broad highways, sometimes on rocky by-roads.
Often he travelled in hail, rain and snow, often beneath a burning sun but no matter what the weather, he journeyed on and on.
He climbed the peaks of the highest mountains and came down again into the valleys.
It seemed as if his journey would never end.
One day, however, he grew very tired and sat down pensively by the side of the road.
A passer-by approached him in a friendly fashion, “You look very tired,” he said. “Have you been a long time travelling?”
“A very long time,” came the answer. “I don’t seem to have any energy left.”
“But where are you going?” his new friend enquired.
The traveller almost started.
After a moment’s consideration, he replied in a toe of wonder:  “Where am I going?   I’m afraid I don’t know!”

Many men, unfortunately, are like the traveller in this story.
They have been a long time on the road.
They can hardly remember when they first set out in search of a distant dream.
They are looking anxiously but often unconsciously, for happiness.
But they cannot find it, for happiness is a name for something greater, for God Himself.
It is God whom we must seek if we wish to find happiness.
Otherwise, our earthly journey will have no purpose and no goal.
Life is unintelligible without God.
“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord,” cried St Augustine “and our heart is restless until it rest in You” (Confessions I, 1:1).
Jesus understands the problem of our human nature.
“Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened,” He says “and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 10 May – Mary’s Patience

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Thought for the Day – 10 May – “Mary’s Month” Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary’s Patience

The Patience of Mary bacci 10 may 2020

“Many people who honour the Cross of Jesus Christ, have no liking for their own cross.
Many of those who pray fervently to Jesus crucified, experience a sense of repugnance and rebellion when they are called upon to suffer with Him and to carry their own cross.
But Jesus has said:  “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23).
If a man does not love his own cross, he does not love the Cross of Jesus Christ.
If we are to be true Christians, we must suffer with resignation and love.
Mary gives us a wonderful example of this kind of loving patience.
She is the Mother of Sorrows, because, when Jesus was in agony for love of us on Mount Calvary, she knelt at His feet.
From the depths of her stricken mother’s heart, she offered up her divine Son and united her own sufferings to the infinite merits of His passion and death.
In this way, she became the co-redemptrix of the human race.
But, she had already suffered in patience throughout the earlier part of her life.
Let us recall to mind the coldness of her reception in Bethlehem, the birth of her infant Son in a damp cave, the persecution by Herod and the flight into Egypt, the daily privations in the home of Nazareth, the anxious devotion with which she followed our divine Redeemer on His long missionary journeys and the day, when He was finally betrayed and arrested.
She knew that her divine Son had it in His power to spare both Himself and her, all this suffering and humiliation.
Even, when they lived in Nazareth, she knew that He had power to multiply loaves of bread, change water into wine, or annihilate His enemies.
But she never asked Him to do any of these things.
All she ever asked for, was a life of intimacy with Jesus.
She was happy to co-operate patiently with Him, in the work of redeeming the human race.
By humbly following Him as far as Calvary, she merited to follow Him triumphantly into Heaven on the day of her Assumption.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE

Thought for the Day – 9 May – The Cardinal Virtues of Mary

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Thought for the Day – 9 May – “Mary’s Month” Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Cardinal Virtues of Mary

“Mary’s soul has been appropriately styled, ‘the Garden of all the Virtues.’
In it, the three theological virtues were wonderfully interwoven with the four cardinal virtues of, justice, prudence, temperance and fortitude.

As St John Chrysostom observed, justice is nothing else but the perfect observance of all the commandments. (Homil 12 super Matth).
The Blessed Virgin obeyed all the commandments in her relations with God, to Whom she dedicated herself, from the moment when she gained the use of reason.
She obeyed them in her relations with her Son, Jesus Christ, for she reared and instructed Him with loving maternal care, even though she knew that He was God and had no need of her attention.
She fulfilled them in her relations with men, for whose salvation, she united her sufferings and her merits, to the infinite sufferings ad merits of our Saviour.

Furthermore, Mary was prudence itself.
This virtue shone forth in all her words and in all her actions.
When the Angel appeared in human form and told her that she was to be the Mother of God, she was not flattered nor complacent.
She thought calmly about the mystery which had been announced to her and asked the Angel how it could come to be, since she had already consecrated her virginity to God.
She pronounced her Fiat only when she was reassured by the Angel that through the intervention of the Holy Spirit, she would be a virgin mother.
This was the beginning of the miracle of the Incarnation.
When she was greeted by St Elizabeth as the Mother of the Lord, she did not boast about her distinction but composed a hymn of gratitude, in which she attributed her glory to God alone.
Mary’s prudence, is equally evident in her words of gentle reproof to Jesus after He had been lost and found again, in the company of the Doctors.
It is again obvious at the wedding celebrations in Cana, when she knew well, how to snatch the first miracle from the heart of Jesus.

Mary possessed the virtue of temperance also, both in her external behaviour and in her perfect internal control over all her faculties.
This was the result of her immunity from original sin, which has created such grave moral disorder in our poor human nature.
This virtue, was further perfected, by the purity and holiness of her daily life.

Finally, the virtue of fortitude was Mary’s to an heroic degree.
But her fortitude was always calm and controlled.
The elderly Simeon had foretold that the sword of sorrow would pierce her heart.
Her whole life was interwoven with suffering and privation.
From the manger in Bethlehem, to the flight into Egypt, from the Circumcision, when Jesus first shed His blood, to the Hill of Calvary, where He gave all He had for our salvation.
Mary offered her sufferings along with those of her divine Son for our redemption.
Her fortitude never wavered but was always serene, for her mind and heart were in constant communication with God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, Uncategorized

Thought for the Day – 8 May – The Theological Virtues of Our Lady

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Thought for the Day – 8 May – “Mary’s Month” Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Theological Virtues of Our Lady

“The three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity, shone like constellations throughout the life of Mary.
“Blessed is she who has believed” (Lk 1:45), St Elizabeth said of her.
Mary’s life was one long act of faith and of love.
She lived continuously in the presence of God, being united to Him by lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity.
Her spirit of constant prayer was the result of her intense practice of these theological virtues.
When the Archangel Gabriel came down from Heaven, to bring her the tidings of her divine motherhood, he found her absorbed in prayer.
When St Elizabeth praised and called her the Mother of her Lord, Mary, from the depths of her faith, attributed everything to God and glorified Him in her Magnificat.
When the baby Jesus was born in the cave of Bethlehem, she adored Him with faith, hope and love, as her God and future Saviour.
When she realised that Herod was searching for her Son to put Him to death, she placed her confidence in Him.
She fled with Him into Egypt and brought Him back later, to their land, always with the same faith, hope and love.
Her faith and hope were not weakened by the loss of Jesus in Jerusalem, only her mother’s love was disturbed, on this occasion.
When it seemed in that hidden life of Nazareth, that Jesus was leading a life of pointless silence, her faith and hope in Him, did not fade, while her love grew greater from day to day.
In the triumphs and sorrows of His public life, she continued to practice, to an extraordinary degree, these three virtues – on the road to Calvary, at the foot of the Cross, at the removal of Our Lord’s body from the Cross, at the tomb, at the glorious Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost.
At last, when she was alone in this world without Jesus, these three virtues seemed to burn more brightly in her soul.
She thought only of Jesus, hoped in Jesus alone and loved Jesus alone.
Then Jesus rewarded the lively faith, expectant hope and flaming charity of His Mother, for on her assumption into Heaven, these three virtues shared in her triumph and coronation.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on HUMILITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 7 May – The Humility of Mary

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Thought for the Day – 7 May – “Mary’s Month” Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Humility of Mary

“The profound humility of Mary was commensurate with her high dignity.
As Dante put it, she was the humblest and noblest of creatures. “Umile ed altra piu che creatura” (Paradiso 33:2)
None of the saints was humbler than Mary, just as none of them was greater.
It was an Archangel who came down from Heaven and bowed before her as he praised her in the highest terms as “full of grace” and announced the unique dignity she was to receive as Mother of God.
She bowed her head in turn and declared herself to be the handmaid of the Lord, ready to do His will in all things.
Then she went to visit and congratulate her cousin, Elizabeth, because she had heard from the Angel that she was to be the mother of the Precursor.
When she arrived at the house, she was greeted by Elizabeth with the words: “How have I deserved that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
Far from being flattered, however, Mary attributed all her glory to God and replied with the Magnificat, a hymn of praise and gratitude in God’s honour.
It was the same when Jesus was born in the manger at Bethlehem.
There was a sudden brightness in the sky and the angels sang “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among men of goodwill.”
But even though she held the Lord of Heaven and earth, in her arms, the Blessed Virgin asked for nothing for herself.
Her only desire was to do the will of God.
The love of Jesus was enough for her.
She did not seek her own glory but the glory of God.
Likewise, on the weary journey into Egypt, she was content because, she was with Jesus and in the obscure life of Nazareth, she desired no other treasure but Her divine Son.
During His public life, she followed Him in silence.
Once only she spoke in a submissive tone, in order to ask a favour for others but not for herself.
It was at the wedding celebrations in Cana, when she asked for the first miracle, in such a way, that it was not even apparent that it was she who had wrung the favour from the filial heart of Jesus.
It was always like that, up to the time of Calvary and the Resurrection, the Ascension and Pentecost.
She remained humbly in the background all the time.
Now, after her departure from this earth, her humility has been gloriously crowned in the dogma of the Assumption and in her Coronation as Queen of Angels and of Saints.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 6 May – The Virginal Purity of Mary

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Thought for the Day – 6 May – “Mary’s Month” Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Virginal Purity of Mary

“It is a Dogma of Faith, that Mary was always a virgin in body and soul.
According to the teaching of the holy Fathers, Mary would have renounced her dignity as Mother of God, rather than lose her virginity.
When the Archangel Gabriel appeared with the news of the great privilege which she was about to receive, Mary was afraid and asked meekly, how she could become the Mother of God, since she had promised to remain always a virgin.
The Angel assured her, that it was through the power of the Holy Spirit, that the eternal Word of God, would take human flesh in her and become her son.
Only then did she bow her had and reply:  “Be it done to me according to thy word.”
Mary’s perpetual virginity is complemented by her purity and absolute immunity from sin.
When we consider sin of any kind, says St Augustine, Mary must always be the one exception to it (Cf De natura et gratia, c 36).
She was preserved free from original sin and possessed the fullness of grace.
The devil never had any power over her spotless soul.
Not even the slightest tarnish marred her virginal splendour.
Free from the concupiscence which has disturbed our human nature, she was like a snow-white lily, sparkling in the sunlight.
Her mortal life was a continuous ascent towards the highest peak of holiness.
It would be wrong to believe that the extraordinary privileges which God had granted her from her conception remained fixed and static, like an acquired inheritance.
On the contrary, her daily correspondence with God’s gifts was as remarkable as her dignity.
The most chaste Virgin Mary, is a model for our imitation.
We cannot obtain her privileges but, we should try and imitate her heroic and constant co-operation with the gifts of God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 5 May – Mary, Our Mother

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Thought for the Day – 5 May – “Mary’s Month” Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, Our Mother

jesus give us his mother - foot of the cross - bacci 5 may 2020

“Let us imagine that we are on Calvary, at the foot of the Cross.
Jesus is nailed hand and foot to the wood and the last drops of blood are trickling from His wounds to the ground.
His thorn-crowned head has now nowhere to rest and the weight of His body is extending the wounds caused by the nails which hold it suspended between earth and sky.
He has given everything for our salvation.
He has given His commandments and His sermons of instruction.
He has given us His merits and the grace to apply them to ourselves.
He has worked miracles to strengthen the faith of His disciples.
He has given us the Sacraments, above all, He has given us Himself in the Blessed Eucharist.
Now, at last, He is giving His life for the redemption of men.
What more could He give us?
His eyes, misty with suffering, look down and see, near the Cross, the two beings whom He loves, even more than the rest.
His Mother Mary and the Apostle John.
All that is left for His infinite goodness to give us, is His own Mother.
He bestows on her, a last loving look and says: “Woman, behold thy son.”
Then, he turns to the beloved disciple.
“Son,” He says, “behold thy mother.”
Now, He has surrendered everything, even His dearest affections.
According to the interpretation of the Fathers and of the Church, in John, we become, from that moment, the sons of Mary and Mary became our Mother.
We are her sons, whether we remain faithful like the beloved Apostle, or, have become the slaves of sin.
A mother does not cease to love her sons when she sees them being led astray, by error or by vice.
She loves them more than ever and does not give up appealing to them to return to the straight path.
It should be a great consolation to us, to realise, that we have Mary as our Mother.
She loves us very much and takes a maternal interest in us, whether we are leading good lives, or have fallen into sin.
In life and in death, she is our most powerful protectress.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

mary our mother bacci 5 mary 2020

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MOTHER of GOD

Thought for the Day – 4 May – Mary, the Mother of God

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

Mary, the Mother of God

“The near-infinite greatness of Mary, flows from the fact, that she is the Mother of God.
The Eternal Word of the Father, consubstantial with Him in nature and equal to Him in majesty, willed to become man in order to set us free from the slavery of sin and to regain Heaven for us.
He became man in the chaste womb of the Virgin Mary.
He took a human body and soul and was born of her, as the God-Man.
For this reason, there is attributed to His Divine Person, the title of Son of Mary and to Mary, the title of Mother of God.

There is a relationship between Mary and each of the three Divine Persons, for she is the daughter of God the Father, the spouse of the Holy Spirit by whose power the Word became incarnate in her and the mother of the Word made Man.
She is, moreover, in the words of Dante, the “termine fisso di eterno consiglio” (Paradiso 33:1-3).
In other words, she is the centre of the eternal plan which God established for the redemption of the human race.
It was God’s eternal design to reunite creation to the Uncreated, by means of Mary.
She became the mother of the Eternal Word, in whom the divine and human natures were indissolubly united.
He redeemed us by His infinite merits but, in this work of redemption, He employed the co-operation of His holy Mother.
All the graces, privileges and virtues of Mary, flow from this great mystery of her divine Motherhood.
As befitted the future Mother of God, she was conceived free from the stain of original sin and full of grace.
Her mortal life was a continuous ascent towards the highest peak of sanctity.
When she died, she was assumed body and soul into Heaven, where she was crowned in glory, as Queen of Angels and Queen of Saints.
When we consider the sublime nobility of Our Lady, we should be moved to love and venerate her.
This love and veneration does not subtract in the slightest from God’s glory, because, she is the Mother of God.
In fact, it is a great advantage to us, to imitate her and to call on her to intercede for us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 3 May – The Imitation of Mary

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

The Imitation of Mary

“Earthly mothers are delighted when they see a reflection of themselves in the features and mannerisms of their children.
In the same way, Mary, our Heavenly Mother, is pleased when her sons seek to reproduce, as far as possible, in their lives, the faithful imprint of her spiritual motherhood.
We should imitate Mary, therefore.
Especially in this month, which is dedicated to her, we should not be content, merely, to pray before her altar and decorate it with flowers but, we should make daily progress in imitating her virtues, particularly, the virtue which we need most.
We may be lacking in humility, that virtue which is so outstanding in Our Lady.
Or perhaps we are lacking in purity, the most difficult yet, the most necessary of all the virtues.
Then again, we may be wanting in acceptance of God’s will when we are suffering or misunderstood.
We should try and do God’s will in everything and with perfect trust in Him, as Mary did at Nazareth and Bethlehem, in exile and in her own country, in her humble home and on the apostolic journeys in which she followed her divine Son, on the sorrowful way of the Cross, on Calvary, at the feet of Jesus, at the Resurrection and glorious Ascension and in the years in which she waited on earth for the final loving reunion in Heaven.
Let us repeat with her always:  “Be it done to me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38).
There is a story told about a holy man who prayed to Mary in all his difficulties:  “Show yourself to be my mother.”
One day, he heard the reply:  “Show yourself to be my son.”
Mary says this to us as well.
If we wish her to prove that she is our mother, we must show her, that we are really her sons, by mirroring in our lives, her outstanding sanctity.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, To JESUS through MARY

Thought for the Day – 2 May – The Intercession of Our Lady

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

The Intercession of Our Lady

“Our Lady’s intercession is very powerful with God.
St Bernard tells us that it is the will of God, that everything comes to us through her holy hands (Sermo in Nativ BMV no 7).
He assures us, that Mary is the Mediatrix through whom we receive all favours from God (In Assump. BMV sermo 2, no 2).
Her power of intercession is the result of her divine and human motherhood.
Because she is the Mother of God, Jesus refuses her nothing;  because she is our mother, she loves us dearly and is eager to obtain from God, the spiritual favours, for which we ask.
For this reason, we should approach her with complete confidence.
St Bernard also writes:  “If anyone feels that he is overwhelmed by the tempests of this world and cannot keep an even course, let him raise his eyes towards Mary, let him remember Mary and call upon her…. In danger and in doubt, let him remember and call upon her.   Let the thought of Mary never leave his mind;  let her name never be far from his lips and from his heart …” (Super Miss. Homil 2, no 17).
In all our necessities, we should have confident recourse to our heavenly Mother.
Let us remember, however, that if we wish to be true sons of Mary and to be sure of being heard by her, we should ask especially, for spiritual graces.
Afterwards, we may ask, with equal confidence but, with resignation to God’s will, for temporal favours, provided they will not stand in the way of our eternal salvation.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 1 May – The Month of Mary

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Thought for the Day – 1 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Month of Mary

“It is often said, that May is the most beautiful month of the year.
The flowers are in full bloom, the weather is mild and the first fruits of the soil are beginning to reward man’s labour.
It is fitting that we should dedicate to Mary, the most beautiful month of the year, for she is the most beautiful of God’s creatures.

We should offer this month to Mary, by increasing our love for her.
We should love her with a filial love, for she loves us with the heart of a mother.
If we contemplate her beauty and goodness, we shall be inflamed with love for her.
It will be a tender love, such as we have for our earthly mother and, at the same time, a respectful and worshipful love, such as we ought to have for the Mother of God.
Our offering of the month of May to Mary, should result in a twofold resolution:
the resolution to make good our failings and to advance in holiness.
This, is the only way, in which we can prove the sincerity of our affection, by deeds rather than by words.
It is certain that we have many faults of character.
Let us examine ourselves in front of Our Lady’s Altar, by comparing our weakness with her magnificence of soul.
When we have discovered our failings, let us be courageous in eradicating them.
We can offer this sacrifice to Mary, with love and generosity, no matter how hard it may be.

We can spend everyday of this month, digging out those weeds in the garden of our soul, which, our passions and the influence of the devil have helped to flourish.
Let us plant and bring to perfection in their place, the flowers of Christian virtue.
In this way, we shall make the month of May, very pleasing to Mary.“

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

 

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DESPAIR, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL

Thought for the Day – 30 April – The Divided Heart

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

The Divided Heart

to whom does your heart belong - bacci 30 april 2020

“To whom does your heart belong?
To the devil, perhaps?
It may be that you have allowed him to insinuate himself into your soul, so that you have fallen under his tyranny and are trying to find happiness in the satisfaction of your lower impulses.
Remember the warning of St Paul – “If anyone destroys the temple of God, him will God destroy, for holy is the temple of God and this temple you are” (1 Cor 3:17).
If you have fallen this low, you will suffer the penalty decreed by the Holy Spirit – “There is no peace to the wicked” (Is 48:22).
You expected to find satisfaction and you have found disillusionment.
You hoped for peace and found remorse.
Instead of the happiness you expected, you will know only despair, unless you turn back to God immediately.
There is only one way out of your predicament, the way chosen by the prodigal son – “I will get up and go to my father” (Lk 15:18).
Rise up, then and cast yourself into the merciful arms of your heavenly Father, Who is waiting for you.
There, you will find that peace of soul, which will remain with you until you die.
If you never allow your heart to be separated from God again, this peace will flower into eternal happiness in the next life.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in BAPTISM, CONFESSION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, CONFIRMATION, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, EXTREME UNCTION, HOLY COMMUNION, HOLY ORDERS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HUMAN DIGNITY, QUOTES on MARRIAGE, MARRIED LOVE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on VOCATIONS, QUOTES/PRAYERS on THE FAMILY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY GHOST, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Thought for the Day – 29 April – The Dignity and Responsibility of Being a Christian

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Thought for the Day – 29 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Dignity and Responsibility of Being a Christian

“It is a great dignity to be a Christian.
By Baptism, we become sons of God, heirs to Heaven, temples of the Holy Spirit and members of the Mystical Body of Jesus, which is the Church.
God’s grace raises us to the supernatural order and makes us, as St Paul expresses it, sharers in the divine nature.
By the Sacrament of Confirmation, the Holy Spirit fortifies our faith and gives us the strength to resist the temptations of the devil and to fight like loyal soldiers, for the triumph in ourselves and in others, of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
The Sacrament of Penance, is our plank of salvation in the shipwreck of sin.the sacrament of penance is our plank of salvation in the shipwreck of sin - bacci 29 april 2020
Although, we are all wretched sinners, by this give of the divine mercy, we can recover our lost innocence and return to the grace and friendship of God.
Moreover, in order to prevent us from falling back into sin, Jesus give us Himself in the Blessed Eucharist, which is called, by St Thomas Aquinas, the greatest miracle of His infinite love (Opusculum 56, Officium de festo Corporis Christi, lectures 1-4).the greatest miracle of his ifinite love - eucharist - bacci 29 april 2020
But this is not all.
If it is our vocation for form a family, God consecrates our union at the altar and gives us the graces necessary, to sanctify it, so that it may produce a good Christian family.
If God has called us, on the other hand, to become spiritual fathers of the souls redeemed by His Precious Blood, He raises us to this high dignity, by the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Finally, when we shall have come to the end of our mortal lives, the Priest will be still by our side, to wash away, by the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, the last traces of sin and to comfort us in our passage to eternity.
The whole life of a Christian, is a chain of favours which accompany him, from the cradle to the grave.
We should be grateful to God for the goodness with which He has treated us and continues to treat us.
We should co-operate generously with His gifts by recognising the lofty honour it is, to be a Christian and by living in accordance with this dignity.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

it is a great dignity to be a christian - bacci 29 april 2020 CORRECT

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 28 April – The Word of God

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

The Word of God

after holy comm the word of god is the most - bacci - 28 april 2020

“After Holy Communion, the Word of God is the most nourishing food of the soul.
St Augustine urges us to listen to the Word of God with the same devotion with which we approach the Blessed Eucharist.
It is the normal method God uses to communicate with our souls in order to instruct and enlighten them and to lead them along the path of virtue.
It is true, that God sometimes makes direct contact with us by means of good inspirations or extraordinary graces but, the ordinary way in which He calls us to eternal life, is by His divine Word, whether it is proclaimed by His ministers, read in Sacred Scripture, illustrated in the lives of the Saints, or, outlined by masters of the spiritual life.
Most important of all, is the living word of the lawful representatives of God.
Jesus did not specifically command His Apostles to write but to preach.
“He who believes and is baptised,” He added, “shall be saved but he who does not believe, shall be condemned” (Cf Mk 16:16).
Mary Magdalen was converted by the preaching of Jesus and wept for her sins.
The sermons of St John the Baptist called upon the Jewish people to do penance.
Centuries earlier, the prophet Nathan had converted David by means of the inspired Word of God and the prophet Jonah, had roused the Ninivites to repentance.
We should treasure the Word of God.
We should read and listen to it, with humility and devout attention.
Whenever we hear a sermon, or read Sacred Scripture, or some spiritual book, we should reflect, that, it is God Himself Who is preaching to us!
We should not be guided merely by a spirit of curiosity, desire for knowledge, or love of eloquence or literary style but, by the determination to apply such instruction to ourselves and to put it into practice.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

the word of god - bacci - 28 april 2020

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on GOSSIP, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on SCANDAL, QUOTES on SIN, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 27 April – Scandal

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

Scandal

“The Gospel contains a frightening condemnation of those who give scandal.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it were better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of scandal! … If thy hand or thy foot is an occasion of sin to thee, cut it off and cast it from thee! It is better for thee to enter life, maimed or lame, than, having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire …” (Cf Mt 18:6-9).
Why was Christ so strict on scandal-givers?
He condemned them because they are the accomplices of the devil.
Not satisfied with doing evil themselves, they seek by means of bad example, to draw others towards ruin as well.
They try to destroy Christ’s work of Redemption and the fruits of the shedding of His Precious Blood.
Let us examine our own conduct.
If we discover anything which could provide an occasion of sin for others, let us remedy it immediately.
Thoughtlessness in such matters can be very dangerous.
Something which seems perfectly innocent to us, could be a source of scandal to others.
Prudence and delicacy are necessary in our relations with our fellow-men.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

scandal - bacci - 27 april 2020

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DESPAIR, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST

Thought for the Day – 26 April – The Only Remedy for All Our Ills

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

The Only Remedy for All Our Ills

“Life is a continual battle.
“Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?” (Job 7:1).
If we consider, only the material aspect of this battle, we are all among the vanquished.
Admittedly, there is some joy and some victory.
But, our pleasures are as short-lived as the flowers of the field, they are soon “withered and dried up like grass” (Cf Ps 101:5).
Our conquests are also very insignificant;  they can inflate us for a while but they do not last long and cannot satisfy us.
After death, only our triumphs in virtue will persist.
Moreover, whereas the joys of this life are few and fleeting, the physical and moral sufferings, are innumerable.
Sometimes, they are so heavy and overwhelming, that they cause us to despair.
But, surely there is a remedy for all the evils which afflict us?
God is infinitely good and He has permitted suffering.
Will He not give us the means of enduring it and the medicine to cure it?
In fact, Our Lord, has given us a remedy for all our ills, even for the most distressing.
It is a bitter medicine but, it will heal anyone who has the courage to swallow it and, it will give him perfect peace of soul.
The treatment consists of three stages:
(1)  Doing the will of God in all things with complete resignation.
(2)  Doing everything for the love of God.
(3)  Doing everything and enduring everything for the love of God alone.
When a man reaches this highest peak of the spiritual life, he acquires that perfect peace of soul, which the Saints possessed.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

life is a continual battle - bacci 26 april 2020

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY

Thought for the Day – 25 April – Word and Example

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

Word and Example

“There is great power in the spoken word.
It can act like a ray of light upon the mind of a man groping about in the darkness of error.
It can present a moving appeal to a sinner, to return to God.
It can comfort the soul in affliction and in loneliness.
Good example, however, is even more powerful than speech.
At times, it can be irresistible.
A man can remain deaf to good advice but, it is difficult for him, to remain unaffected by the virtuous behaviour and spirit of sacrifice of someone, who is trying to lead him towards goodness.
The sermons of the Saints, were effective, not only because they were inspired by love for God and for souls but, also, because they were reinforced by the holiness of the preachers.
St Augustine was converted by the pleadings and prayers of St Monica but, apart from the grace of God, it was the example of his mother’s sanctity, which made her exhortations so convincing.
It was as much by the example of his untiring zeal, as by the simplicity of his sermons, that the Cure d’Ars converted thousands upon thousands of people.
St Francis de Sales would never have converted so many heretics, if his apostolic personality had not possessed such a quality of supernatural attractiveness.
Let us do as much good as we can by means of speech whenever the opportunity arises but, above all, let us make sure, that our lives reflect faithfully, the principles which we proclaim.
This is the only way in which we shall be able to lead our fellow-men to God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

 

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD

Thought for the Day – 24 April – The Three Grades of Perfection – Introduction

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Thought for the Day – 24 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Three Grades of Perfection – Introduction

“God’s great commandment could create in us a sense of confusion and fear.
“You are to be perfect,” He orders us, “even as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).
Is it possible for weak creatures like us, to achieve the perfection of God Himself?
At first sight, this commandment seems quite impossible but, it is possible for us to act upon it with the grace of God.
We must understand it properly, in any case.
We shall never reach divine perfection but, we are obliged by Our Lord’s command, to strive towards it constantly, by every means in our power.
Perfection should be our most ardent desire and, not merely a theoretical ideal but a practical aim.
This practical intention can inspire our entire life, in such a way, that it will become a continual assent towards sanctity and towards God.
We need never lose heart, even when we suffer a set-back in our spiritual progress.
God allows us to fall so that we may be humbled and may place our trust in His grace, instead of in ourselves.“

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

 

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE

Thought for the Day – 23 April – Faith and Charity

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

Faith and Charity

“Faith is a gift from God (Summa Theologiae, II-II, q 45).
We should, therefore, ask for it in our prayers.
Faith cannot enter into a proud soul, because, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Js 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
If a man does not pray, his faith grows weaker and he may lose it altogether.
Faith must be nourished continually by grace, which is obtained through prayer.
A man who is in a state of mortal sin, loses his faith, ‘especially if he is a slave to impurity, because, only the clean of heart can see God’ (Cf Mt 5:8).
St Thomas Aquinas knew what he was talking about when he said, that “faith is the foundation of the entire spiritual edifice of the Christian life” (Summa Theologiae III, q 73, a 3).
It is faith, nourished by grace, which raises us to the supernatural level, where everything which we do, say or think, becomes meritorious in the sight of God.   “My just one lives by faith” (Heb 10:38).
The keener and stronger our faith is, the firmer is the foundation of our spiritual life and the more numerous are our good works.
This is not to say, that faith excludes all study and investigation.
In fact, the more lively is our faith, the more earnest will be our desire to understand better the terms in which our faith is expressed and to explore the intimate connection, between divine revelation and human knowledge.
Study of this kind, will prove, a refreshing experience because, it will bring us to the threshold of the contemplation of eternal truth.
Reason is not humiliated but ennobled by the light of revelation, which raises it to a higher plane.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci