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Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, Meditations for ADVENT, The O ANTIPHONS, The SECOND COMING

Thought for the Day – 17 December – The Signs of His Coming

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Thought for the Day – 17 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

The Signs of His Coming

+1. One of the signs of the Second Coming of Our Lord being nigh at hand, will be that no-one will expect it.
All the world will be satisfied that things will go on as hitherto for many a century and they will ask – “Where is the promise of His Coming?”
In this too, the life of the individual is often a miniature of the history of the world. Christ comes again to many an nexpecting
soul when sudden death, through some accident or nsuspected disease, carries off, in a moment, the man who thought he had long years to live.
“Blessed is he whom his Lord, when He cometh shall find watching.”

+2. Another warning of Our Lord’s approach will be the coming of Antichrist.
He will be one, whose authority and power will be a counterfeit of the Vicar of Christ. His distinguishing marks will be overweening pride, hatred of the Catholic Church, widespread dominion, spirit of rebellion which will enlist, in his service, all who revolt against the authority which comes from God . Examine yourself to see if there lurks in you, any of this dislike of lawful authority and pray for the grace of loyalty to men, for God’s sake.

+3. Before Our Lord’s Coming, there will be a terrible persecution of he servants of God.
In these days, when there is an ever-increasing spirit of tolerance, it is difficult to understand this.
But under the spirit of what is called ‘religious liberalism or ecumenism!‘ lurks a deadly hatred of the Church of Christ. It breaks out from time to time, as in the French Commune. It slumbers but now it blazes up again.
Pray for grace to withstand all the assaults of the persecutor!

Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRIST the JUDGE, GOD ALONE!, Meditations for ADVENT, The SECOND COMING

Thought for the Day – 16 December – The Second Coming of Christ

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Thought for the Day – 16 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

The Second Coming of Christ

+1. When the Apostles on Mount Olivet were gazing after their Master Who had just ascended into Heaven, two Angels stood by them and announced to them that He, Who had just vanished from their sight would return in like manner
Our Lord Himself had already declared – He would Come Again with power and great glory and would sit upon the throne of His glory. At the sound of His approach, the dead will rise from their graves to meet Him and, the nations of the world, who have not accepted His sway, will be filled with unspeakable terror and dismay.
What will be the dispositions with which I shall rise again to meet Christ? What would they be now, if He were to Come today?

+2. The object of His Coming will be to judge the living and the dead.
All which is now hidden, will be made manifest before the world. All the secret thoughts and whispered words and actions, concealed from the eyes of men, will then be made manifest.
How should I like to have all my base and low motives dragged to light, all my unkind words revealed to those against whom they were spoken, all those actions of which I cannot myself think,. without shame, proclaimed so all may behold them?

+3. Our Lord will Come, radiant in majesty and glory, to crush His enemies under His feet and reward His faithful soldiers and servants.
How great then will be the ignominy and shame of the mighty men of earth if they have not bowed their neck to the King of kings! How full of joy will be the hearts of all who have humbled themselves before Him! How will they be beautiful beyond compare and honoured before His holy Angels!
Learn now to humble yourself under the yoke of Christ!

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, OUR Cross, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 December – ‘ … Give your attention to true abandonment … ‘

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 December – 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; Matthew 16:24-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“For he who will save his life, will lose it
and he who will lose his life
for My sake, will find it. ”

Matthew 16:25

“He who findeth his life, shall lose it
and he, who shall lose his life for Me,
shall find it. ”
Matthew 10:39

“My dear child, accept this cross from God and bear it –
it will turn into a truly lovable cross,
if you would hand these trials over to God,
accept them from Him with true abandonment
and thank God for them:
“My soul magnifies the Lord”
in everything (cf Lk 1:46).
Whether God takes or gives, the Son of Man
must be raised up on the Cross …
Dear child, leave all that behind;
rather, give your attention to true abandonment …
and think about accepting to bear
the cross of temptation, rather than going
in search of spiritual sweetness …
Our Lord has said: “If anyone wishes to come after Me,
let him take up his cross and follow Me” (Lk 9:23).”

Fr JohannesTauler OP (c1300-1361)
Dominican Priest and Friar,
renowned Preacher and Theologian

“Since happiness is nothing else
than the enjoyment of the Supreme Good
and the Supreme Good is above us,
no-one can enjoy happiness,
unless he rises above himself.”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

“My soul, live henceforward
amid the scourges and the thorns
of thy Saviour and there,
as a nightingale in its bush, sing sweetly:
Live Jesus, Who didst die
that my soul might live!
Ah, Eternal Father!
What can the world return Thee
for the gift Thou hast made it of Thy only Son?
Alas! to redeem a thing so vile as I,
the Saviour delivered Himself to death
and, unhappy me!
I hesitate to surrender my nothingness to Him,
Who has given me everything!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, Meditations for ADVENT, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on Love of Self, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 15 December – Rejoice Always!

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Thought for the Day – 15 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Rejoice Always!

+1. St Paul goes beyond the mere command to rejoice and to rejoice in the Lord; he bids us to rejoice always! Is this possible? Yes, it is quite possible. If it were not, the Apostle would not have imposed it upon us.
It is not easy because, our self-love and our selfishness destroy
joy. But the Saints, who had driven self-love out of their hearts, found it a pleasant and an easy task, to be always joyful. If we desire the same, we must do our best to rid ourselves of this hindrance to our joy.

+2. How are we to accomplish this task?
It must be a gradual one. It is to be arrived at by many acts of submission to the Will of God and to the will of others, when opposed to our own and the submission, must have for its motive, not the intellectual conviction that what we ourselves desire is in itself inferior but, the determination to submit, for the sake of submission and, as an act of reverence to God. We must be willing to submit, both will and intellect, to those set over us, without complaining or questioning their command. Do I do so?

+3. When this painful process is over and when, at length we begin to learn the happiness of giving up our own will to the will of others we soon begin to receive the reward of our self-conquest.
We acquire, by degrees, an undisturbed calm of soul and an increasing strength of will, as the fruits of our victory over self and, above all, a happy consciousness that we have been learning the lesson of conforming our will to the Will of God, in which the happiness of Heaven consists.

Posted in ADVENT, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, Meditations for ADVENT, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 14 December – Rejoice!

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Thought for the Day – 14 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Rejoice!

+1. The time of preparation is a mingled period of penance and of joy. Of penance, by reason of our sins which have removed us so far away from God; of joy, at the prospect of being brought near to Him once more through Jesus Christ.
On mid-Advent, as on mid-Lent Sunday, it is the joyful side of the matter which comes before us. More than this, joy is insisted upon as a duty. It seems strange that the command to rejoice should be necessary. Do not all men love joy and seek after it unbidden?
One thing it shows, God desires that we should be full of joy. Thank Him for this merciful intention and try to carry it out.

+2. Yet it is not all kinds of joy which are recommended to us. There are many kinds of joy which the Apostle would be far from recommending. To rejoice in the world is but a sorry kind of joy, on account of its transitory character.
Gaudete in Domino, says the Apostle – “Rejoice in the Lord.” This is the only lasting joy and the only joy which is really worth the possession.

+3. What does St Paul mean by rejoicing in the Lord?
He means the joy which is the result of such a love of God as makes us simply wish that His Will should be done in all things and, which feels positive joy, in seeing the accomplishment of the Divine Will, quite apart from any personal advantage or disadvantage which may accrue to ourselves. This is the secret of true joy, for then, that which befalls ourselves, is a matter of indifference to us. Be it wealth or woe, success or failure, we rejoice in it simply because it is what God has ordained for us . This is the meaning of Our Lord’s words – “ Your joy, no man taketh from you.”

Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, GOD ALONE!, Meditations for ADVENT, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Love of Self, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on Will (Sensual or Inferior), The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 13 December – Hope

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Thought for the Day – 13 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Hope

+1. Advent is essentially a time of hope. It is not, in itself, a time of joy, except as far as hope of joy to come, brings with it a present gladness. It is an exact representation of our life on earth.
We are in a place of exile and a vale of tears but yet, our hope amid all the darkness, should be aglow with light and rendered joyous, by the prospect of future joy. The motto of our life is our Lord’s farewell words to His disciples : “You indeed shall have sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
This must be my consolation in all sorrow. I must try to forget my present troubles in the happy thought of joy to come.

+2. Why have we so little hope?
Generally because, we seek to have our happiness here and so
forfeit the right to it hereafter, or at least, forfeit the right to look forward to it with confidence and joy. We cannot eat our cake and keep it. If I seek my satisfaction in money, or comforts , or praise, or applause, or affection of others, I have my reward here and cannot expect to receive any reward hereafter. I have no Crown of Justice to hope for, if already I have had the
crown of satisfied ambition, or pockets filled with money, or a tickled palate, or the buzzing applause of a crowd!

+3. Our hope is also marred, by our self-will which prevents our will from being in complete conformity with the Will of God . We are conscious of a barrier between ourselves and Him which sadly interferes with our hope. We have assumed an independence of God which renders it impossible for Him to pour into our hearts that hope which is in exact proportion
to our conformity to His Will. If I were humble and more resigned in all things, I should be more full of hope.

Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, Meditations for ADVENT, QUOTES on HUMILITY, St JOHN the BAPTIST

Thought for the Day – 12 December – The Forerunner’s Office .

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Thought for the Day – 12 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

The Forerunner’s Office .

+1. St John was something more than a Herald.
He had to prepare the way for the King, to make the crooked ways straight and the rough places smooth. His office was that which is entrusted to us all in our own sphere – to try and make the way in which the followers of Christ have to tread straight and easy.
What a privilege, if we can, by our charity and our edifying life, make the path of life more easy for those whose lot it is to tread the way of the Cross and to walk over rough or stormy paths!
Is this your endeavour in your daily life, or do you place obstacles in the path of others by your bad example, want of charity and consideration, impatience, etc?

+2. St John , as the Herald or Forerunner of Christ, had to proclaim the coming of the King.
He, himself expresses this by his description of himself as the voice of one who cries in the desert; that is , Christ spoke through his mouth.
So He speaks through the mouths of all His servants in proportion to their devotion and singleness of purpose.
How poor an echo are my words of the whispers of Christ to the faithful soul! How mixed with the discordant notes
of self-will and worldliness!

+3. St John’s estimate of himself in comparison with Him, Whom he announced, was that he was not worthy to stoop down and untie the latchet of His sandal. This was the duty of the lowest slaves. It meant that he was unworthy to serve Christ, even in the capacity of a slave and, by doing the work many slaves would consider beneath them .
Am I willing to undertake the humblest and most menial duties in the service of Christ. Do I consider it a privilege to do so?

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CONFESSION/PENANCE, Meditations for ADVENT, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, St JOHN the BAPTIST, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The SECOND COMING

Thought for the Day – 11 December – The Forerunner’s Message

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Thought for the Day – 11 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

The Forerunner’s Message

+1. The refrain of St John’s teaching was a very simple and constant one: “Do penance, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” It seems strange advice . The Coming of the King of Heaven might be a reason for joy, on the part of those who looked for Him and of dread, on the part of His enemies. But why, for doing penance?
Yet the teaching of St John is true now, as it was at the time his words were first spoken.
Penance is the means of preparation for the Advent of our King. This explains the Saint’s love of penance.
What penance do I practice with this object?

+2. Yet, after all it is the natural and most suitable means of preparation. It helps us to bring into subjection, that lower nature which rebels against the sovereignty of our King.
It detaches us from finding our satisfaction in earthly things. It is, in itself, an act of obedience to our King. It renders us humble and teaches us to put our necks under the yoke. It saves us from being separated from the Kingdom we are to share by the long prison of Purgatory.
Learn from all this, to love penance!

+3. Penance is a necessary preparation for receiving our King when He comes to us in humble form in Holy Communion.
This is why Confession is the preliminary of that sacred feast and why, contrition is necessary. We must purge our souls by prayer and penance and sorrow for sins, if we are to rejoice exceedingly in the Bridegroom’s presence and to hear His Voice
sweetly whispering in our ears.
Do I prepare thus for Holy Communion?

Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, Meditations for ADVENT, St JOHN the BAPTIST, The SECOND COMING

Thought for the Day – 10 December – The Forerunner of the King

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Thought for the Day – 10 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

The Forerunner of the King

+1. St John Baptist was the chosen messenger to proclaim the coming of the King of kings.
No other Herald had so important an office. He had to prepare the hearts of men for the Coming of the Messias. It was this which constituted him, “the greatest of those born of women.”
If to proclaim the Coming of Christ in the flesh was so solemn and responsible an office, what then must be the dignity and responsibility of the Priests of God, who are sent to announce His Second Coming in glory?

+2. How did St John prepare for his work?
By a life of seclusion and penance.
From childhood, he lived alone in the desert, his bed the hard
ground, his meat locusts and wild honey, his dress a camel’s skin.
Our Lord contrasts him with those who wear soft raiment. No-one who lives a life of luxury, will ever be an efficient messenger of God. A Priest, above all, must avoid a life of ease and self-indulgence, if he wishes to win souls for Christ.

+3. The secret of St John’s success was thus, the result of practising what he preached. He practiced much more than he preached, for he enjoined upon his hearers, the simple performance of ordinary duties, while he himself, led a life of continual penance and self-denial.
If our words are to carry any weight, we must not preach without practising. The parent or superior, who has the
training of the young, will never train them to virtue, unless he himself is a man of virtue.
No-one can reach the hearts of others, unless he firstly fulfils the lessons he teaches.
Do I do this?

Posted in ADVENT, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, HOLY COMMUNION, Meditations for ADVENT, QUOTES on PURITY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 9 December – The Fulfilment of the Decree

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Thought for the Day – 9 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

The Fulfilment of the Decree

+1. The promised Coming of the Redeemer had indeed been long delayed. Patriarch had succeeded Patriarch, and died without having the privilege of seeing that long-expected day . The long line of the Prophets had passed away but, their desire, for the Messias, had not been satisfied. God always keeps His servants waiting, for His best gifts and, therefore, it was but fitting, they should wait for thousands of years before receiving this Gift of gifts, this Gift in which He gave them Himself.

+2. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity had also been waiting for one, whose immaculate purity should make her fit, as far as any child of Adam could be fit, to be His Mother. There had been many holy women among the daughters of Abraham but none, without sin and, therefore, none in whose womb the Son of God could find repose.
If Christ thus could not come to dwell with one who was stained with sin, what must be the purity He requires now, of those whose Guest He becomes in Holy Communion
O Jesus, forgive me all my careless receptions of Thee, my want of careful preparation, my faults innumerable!

+3. Christ Himself had prepared a resting-place for Himself in Mary’s sacred breast. As we read in Holy Scripture “The Most High has sanctified a tabernacle for Himself.”
So now, if I am to be fit to receive Him, He must prepare my
heart. Do I think of this during my preparation for Communion and pray Him to cleanse me from every stain in His Most Precious Blood, to beautify with many graces the tabernacle where He is to abide?

Posted in CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 9 December – Christ Who is “All in All”

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Resumed Mass of Sunday – Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 11:2-10 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Now, the God of hope,
fill you with all joy and peace
in believing – that you may abound in hope
and in the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Romans 15:13

“And as soon as He sees you seek Him fervently,
He will make Himself known to you.
He will appear to you, grant you His help,
bestow the victory on you
and save you from your enemies.
In fact, when He sees how you are looking for Him,
how you continually place all your hope in Him,
then He will instruct you,
teach you true prayer,
give you that authentic charity that is Himself.
Then, He will become everything to you:
your Paradise, Life-giving Tree,
Precious Pearl, Crown, Architect, Farmer,
One subject to suffering
but not afflicted with suffering,
Man, God, Wine, Living Water,
Lamb, Bridegroom, Soldier, Armour,
Christ Who is “All in All” (1Cor 1B,28).

St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390)

“God accepts our desires as though
they were of great value.
He longs ardently for us
to desire to and love Him.
He accepts our petitions for benefits,
as though we were doing Him a favour.
His joy in giving,
is greater than ours in receiving.
So let us not be apathetic in our asking,
nor set too narrow bounds to our requests;
nor ask for frivolous things
unworthy of God’s greatness.”

St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“Great indeed is the confidence
which God requires us to have
in His paternal care and in His Divine Providence
but why should we not have it,
seeing that no-one has ever been deceived in it?
No-one ever trusts in God
without reaping the fruits of his confidence.”

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

(Spiritual Conferences 6)

Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, St Francis de Sales, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 December – Since our Divine Saviour is so near, what are we to do to prepare ourselves for His coming ?

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One Minute Reflection – 9 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Resumed Mass of Sunday – Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 11:2-10 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Behold I send My Angel before My Face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee.” – Matthew 11:10

REFLECTION – “Since our Divine Saviour is so near, what are we to do to prepare ourselves for His coming ? Saint John the Baptist teaches us : “Repent!” he says, “bring low those mountains of pride, fill those valleys of laziness and pusillanimity, for salvation is near at hand.” The ‘valleys’ are nothing other than fear which, when it becomes too great, leads to discouragement. The sight of the great sins we have committed, brings with them, a shock and fear which strikes the heart. These are the valleys we have to fill, with trust and hope for the coming of our Lord.

“Bring low mountains and hills:”what are these but presumption, pride and self-esteem, which is a very great hindrance to our Lord’s Coming, Who is accustomed to humble and bring low the proud, for He penetrates right to the bottom of our hearts to uncover the pride hidden within them. “Level the highways, the crooked ways make straight to make them a plain.” This is as though He were to say: “Put right all those doubtful intentions, so that you may have none but that of pleasing God, by doing penance, this being the goal to which we should all aim.”

Make straight the path, smooth down your feelings by the mortification of your passions, inclinations and aversions. Oh, what a desirable thing it is, this equanimity of mind and feeling; how faithfully we ought to work to acquire it! For, we are more changing and inconstant, than can be told. People are to be found, who at one moment, being in a good temper, will be of a pleasant and joyful conversation; yet, look on the other side and you will find them sad and restless –in sum, the winding and uneven ways, are to be made straight for the Coming of our Lord!” – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva, Doctor of the Church (Sermon for the 4th Sunday of Advent).

PRAYER – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Thy Son,and Who, by Thy Son’s death, foreseen by Thee, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee, through her intercession, that we too may come to Thee unstained by sin.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in ADVENT, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOGMA, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, Meditations for ADVENT, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on MOTHERHOOD, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 8 December – The Approaching Day

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Thought for the Day – 8 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

The Approaching Day

+1. When the sun is soon to appear above the horizon, the morning star, shining with a light derived indeed from Him but, nevertheless, shining bright and clear, even before His Coming, gives the signal of His approach. So, the holy Mother of God, dawning upon the world, with a grace and beauty which was the gift of her Divine Son, anticipated His Incarnation and made the world more beautiful in God’s Sight, than it had ever been before. Mary was more precious to God than all the rest of men and this, quite independently of her Divine Maternity.
Consider why this was and learn a lesson for yourself.

+2. The morning star is still clearly seen when all other stars have been extinguished by the light of the Coming Day . Mary has a brilliancy so great that the brightness of all the other Saints fades into nothing in comparison with hers. If this was the case even in comparison with the glory of St John Baptist, St Joseph, Abraham the Patriarch, the friend of God – Job, the model of patience, Daniel, the beloved of God, what must her glory be!
Thank God for having created one child of Adam worthy of Himself!

+3. Mary’s consummate beauty is the consequence of there being in her, nothing of her own. All was God’s ; no mixture of self in her motives, in her aims, in her joys and sorrows, her love and hatred.
Her affections were simply a reflection of what God loved and hated; like God she loved all things except sin and those who were the declared and eternal enemies of God.
She desired nothing for herself, except that, she might see God’s holy Will fulfilled in all.
Is this the account which you can give of yourself ?
Only if this is so, are you a worthy child of Mary.

Posted in "Follow Me", ADVENT, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CATHOLIC TIME, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, Meditations for ADVENT, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on TIME, The REDEMPTION

Thought for the Day – 7 December – The Causes of Delay

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Thought for the Day – 7 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

The Causes of Delay

+1. If the wickedness of the world in heathen times was so great, how was it that the Coming of the Redeemer was so long delayed?
To this question we can only give one answer with absolute certainty, it was so decreed by Almighty God in His Infinite Wisdom. We cannot hope, in this life, to comprehend the Mysteries of the Providence of the Most High. We can only humbly bow our heads and say that, the Redeemer came when God so Willed and that which God Wills, is necessarily the best.

+2. Yet, we can at least form some kind of conjecture, as to the causes of delay. God works by natural means.
In order that the religion of Jesus, should spread all over the world, by the ordinary working of the laws which govern the affairs of men, it was convenient that the world should be subject to one central power. This was never the case until, at the time of Christ’s Nativity, the Roman Empire was mistress of the world. Thus, God prepares the way for His Designs of Mercy and arranges the world’s events according to His Will, yet, without forcing the wills of men.

+3. There was another reason for the long delay.
It was to teach us that, God does nothing hurriedly.
He always waits, before executing His Decrees. In this, He wishes us to imitate Him. The Eternal Wisdom of the Most High needs no time for deliberation. His Works are not gradually perfected, or improved, on second thoughts. But ours are and the slow action (in our understanding of time) of the Providence of God, should impress upon us, the importance of waiting before we act and considering and reconsidering, all our plans .

Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, Meditations for ADVENT, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Thought for the Day – 6 December – The Golden Thread

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Thought for the Day – 6 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

The Golden Thread

+1. All through the long ages which elapsed from the promise to the Coming of the Redeemer, a Golden Thread of Light from Heaven ran across their darkness.
In the chosen people of Israel, there ever prevailed a strong conviction of the Coming of a Saviour, Who was to deliver His people from all sin and evil. It was handed down from generation to generation and was, again and again, renewed by the inspired declarations of the Prophets of Israel. Thus God, in His Mercy, never leaves Himself without a witness, to reveal to men of goodwill, the message of hope.

+2. So through all the centuries which have passed since the Coming of Our Lord, the Catholic Church has been the Golden Thread of Light amid the darkness of heresy and heathendom.
What a bright and glorious Thread! What a contrast to all around! How it has, through God’s Mercy , enlightened my life! How can I ever thank God sufficiently for, led by its Divine Light, I am travelling on in peace and safety to the heavenly Jerusalem!

+3. So too, there runs through the life of all those who are to attain at last to the eternal happiness of Heaven, a Golden Thread which never wholly disappears, even though their steps may wander far from the right path.
Sometimes, it is kindness to the poor; sometimes, devotion to the holy souls; very often it is a reverence to the holy Mother of God which thus runs through the whole of life.
In my life God has interwoven some such thread. Do I follow it with grateful perseverance?

Posted in GOD ALONE!, Meditations for ADVENT, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS

Thought for the Day – 5 December – Transient Gleams

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Thought for the Day – 5 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Transient Gleams

+1. “From time to time, there broke through the thick darkness of heathendom, a gleam of light which seemed to be a harbinger of the coming day. Some sage or poet sang of a golden age which soon would be at hand. But the flash of light soon disappeared and only left the darkness, even darker than before. So in the life of those who have hardened themselves against God, there are sometimes moments, when the devil seems to have forsaken his prey and, there seems a hope of better things. But if Jesus’ Coming is still far away the improvement soon passes and the evil seems to have even a more complete mastery than ever before.

+2. There is something very beautiful in the sentiments of the old Greek and Roman poets. Their minstrels ring sweetly in our ears. Their poems proclaim them men of the highest genius. But they have no power to effect a change of heart , such as is wrought by the inspired words of some great Saint or servant of God. God must speak through it – man’s voice, if is to avail to turn others to God.
Do I pray God thus to rule and direct my words that theymay do His work?

+3. So too, many of the deads of the heroes of antiquity, appear worthy of the holy ones of God. Some may have been done from a supernatural motive and may even, have merited eternal life. But no act, however noble in the natural order, is of any value in the sight of God, unless it be done with some sort of conscious desire to please and serve Him.
Do my ordinary actions possess this necessary characteristic?”

Posted in ADVENT, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRIST the LIGHT, Meditations for ADVENT, The INCARNATION

Thought for the Day – 4 December – The Long Darkness .

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Thought for the Day – 4 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

The Long Darkness .

+1. “The Light extinguished at the Fall, was rekindled in the hearts of our first parents, when the promise was given them, of a Redeemer, Who should undo the fatal mischief which had been done.
But, in their children, Adam and Eve had to lament the fatal effects of that deadly evil they had introduced into the world. As generation followed generation, thicker and thicker grew the darkness, farther and farther did men wander away from the Light which, gave to each, the power of guiding his feet aright from earth to Heaven. Thus, it is, each ill deed goes on bearing its deadly fruit, often long after the doer is dead and gone.

+2. Yet every man had Light and Grace sufficient and more than sufficient, to enable him to walk in the ways of God and, to find his way to the Kingdom of Heaven.
But none, save a very few availed themselves of it. They loved darkness more than the Light!
The world gradually lost all regard for virtue and for God.
How grateful should I be to God that I love Him and co-operate with His Light and Grace!

+3. If I had lived then what should I have been? Even with all my countless graces and advantages , what a poor specimen I am of one made by God, for God and in the Image of God!
In heathen days should I not have been among the most depraved? Should I not have recklessly indulged my own inclinations, irrespective of the Voice of God warning and reproaching me What chance should I have had of saving my soul in those days of dark corruption and depravity?”

Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, Meditations for ADVENT, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on WATCHING, The SECOND COMING

Thought for the Day – 3 December – The Announcement of His Coming

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Thought for the Day – 3 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

The Announcement of His Coming

“+1. For a short time after their creation our first parents lived in perfect peace and happiness in the Garden of Eden. If they had continued obedient to the authority of their Creator, during
their whole time of probation, there would have been no need for the advent of the Son of God as their Redeemer from sin, for sin there would have been none.
It was their deliberate rebellion which was the occasion that determined the visit of the Word to this world of ours. No
wonder that the Church sings, O felix culpa! O happy transgression which earned a Redeemer such as this!
Admire God’s wonderful Providence in thus bringing good out of evil and advantage to man for his very sin!

+2. The promise made was couched in words which gave no immediate prospect of the crushing of the serpent’s head and the destruction of his power. It left the curse of sin upon the earth and its inhabitants and announced the sorrows which would accompany them through their time of sojourn here. This law still holds. Christ came to abolish sin but not its temporal consequences.
He who sins shall suffer, is a law which Christ fulfilled and in no way destroyed.

+3. Yet, the promise of a Redeemer rekindled the light of hope in the souls of Adam and Eve. They and all their children, were ever looking and praying for His Coming. God’s intention was to keep them in expectancy. So too, with His Second Coming. There has always been a tradition of expectation. “Blessed is the man whom his Lord , when He cometh, shall find watching.”
Hence, learn to watch and pray.
Come quickly , O Lord Jesus!”

Posted in ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CATECHESIS, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, Meditations for ADVENT, The INCARNATION, The LAMB of GOD, The SECOND COMING

Thought for the Day – 2 December – The Divine Decree .

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Thought for the Day – 2 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

The Divine Decree .

“+1. What brought Christ down from Heaven?
It was man’s sin.
From all eternity the Blessed Trinity, looking forward to the fall of man, had decreed that the Eternal Word should clothe Himself with human flesh and should be born into the world, in order to repair the evil which man had wrought. Thus God, in His Mercy provides a remedy for all the sins and follies of men, even before they are committed. We do the harm and God undoes it.
Has He not often thus averted from me, the consequences due to
my evil deeds?

+2. In what garb was the Son of God to clothe Himself when He became Man?
In one which should give us some idea of the evil He came to undo. He, the Eternal Son, co-equal with the Father, took the form of a servant, was born of a despised race, of humble parents, in poverty and humility and contempt.
All this should impress on us how sin has deserved all these and every other evil imaginable besides. If these were the results of sin on the spotless Lamb of God, what must they be on sinful, feeble man?

+3. The Divine Decree did not stop at this First Coming of the Son of God. There is to be a Second Advent , one in which He will appear in human form indeed, yet now, no longer in lowliness and humiliation but clothed with all the brightness and glory which His Divine Nature can impart to His Sacred Humanity.
In this Second Coming, He is to come and receive the reward which He has earned for His Human Nature and, for all those who had faithfully served Him. He is to come and reign. He is to crush all His enemies under His feet.
Look forward to that glorious day and pray that you may share the glory of the Son of God!”

Posted in ADVENT QUOTES, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, Meditations for ADVENT

Thought for the Day – 1 December – What is Advent?

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Thought for the Day – 1 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Advent
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

What is Advent?

+I. Advent is the season when we are taught to look forward, both to the First Coming of Our Lord into the world at Christmas-time and also, to His Second Coming at the end of time, to judge the living and the dead .
His First Coming was to seek and to save that which was lost. His
Second Coming will be, to gather His elect into the Celestial Paradise and, to trample all His enemies under His feet.
Shall I, on that day, be regarded by Him as a friend or as an enemy? Is my present life one of devotion to Him and union with Him, or one of selfishness, pride, impatience of the yoke of Christ?

+2. Of all the miracles in the world, never was there one to be compared to His Coming on earth in the form of a man. It was a miracle so entirely above and beyond our reason that, unless we knew it by faith, to be a fact, we should be inclined to pronounce it impossible.
That the Infinite God should take the form of a creature! that the Eternal Word should be clad in a body formed of the dust of the earth! that He should, of His Own accord leave the highest heaven for a life of suffering and a death of agony! Nothing but the power of God could work such a wonder as this!

+3. Yet, we know that it is a fact . “For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven.”
He yearned after us with a Divine Love. Willingly , joyfully, almost eagerly, He stripped Himself of all His glory. “He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death.”
Who, after this, can refuse to believe that He loved us and still loves us fondly, tenderly? Who can refuse to love Him in return and, to show this love by a loyal obedience to all He asks of us?

Posted in GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD

Thought for the Day – 30 November– How to Remain Aware of the Presence of God

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

How to Remain Aware of the Presence of God

“The third way of remaining attentive to the Presence of God is to contemplate Him living in ourselves.
While it is true that God is present everywhere, He dwells in a special manner in the human soul which is the masterpiece of creation!

When our souls are adorned with His grace, His delight in us is unbounded.
“I will dwell and move among them. I will be their God and they shall be My people” (2 Cor 6:16).
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you” (1 Cor 3:16).

God dwells among us, therefore and lives in us as in so many temples.
We should recognise His Presence and listen to His Voice, furthermore, we should adore Him, love Him and pray to Him.
Then, we can sincerely claim to belong entirely to Him.”

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/11/28/thought-for-the-day-28-november-how-to-remain-aware-of-the-presence-of-god/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/11/29/thought-for-the-day-29-november-how-to-remain-aware-of-the-presence-of-god/

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, In the PRESENCE of GOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on NATURE - GOD'S CREATION, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD

Thought for the Day – 29 November – How to Remain Aware of the Presence of God

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

How to Remain Aware of the Presence of God

“Another way of increasing our sense of the Presence of God, is to perceive Him in all His creatures.
St Therese of the Child Jesus loved to contemplate the image of her Creator in the flowers of the fields and in the stars of the firmament.

God has created all things for our benefit and He is Present in all things.
He sees what use we make of them and can judge whether we employ them to honour Him, Who is our beginning and our end.
The ray of Divine Beauty,which shines in every created thing, should attract us towards its Creator and cause us to adore and serve Him.
Whenever we meet a learned and holy person, moreover, the reflection of God’s Power and Goodness, is even more compelling.
“Learn to love the Creator in the creature,” says St Augustine, “lest the thing which He has made should grip you and you shuld lose Him by Whom you also were created” (In Ps 19),

In other words, let us learn to see the Creator in all His creatures so that these may not enslave us but cause us to love Him, Who is our highest Good.”

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/11/28/thought-for-the-day-28-november-how-to-remain-aware-of-the-presence-of-god/

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI

Thought for the Day – 28 November – How to Remain Aware of the Presence of God

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Thought for the Day –28 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) [Revisiting our old friend, Cardinal Bacci , until Advent begins on Sunday.]

How to Remain Aware of the Presence of God

“It is useful to consider the ways in which we can develop a constant and effective awareness of the Presence of God.
The first way in which we can do this, is by cultivating a lively faith, which will help us to see God everywhere.
“Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord?” (Jer 23:24).

This kind of faith should deepen our sense of God’s Presence and inspire in us sentiments of love and gratitude, which will guide us in all our actions.
We cannot expect that we shall be able to remain in a state of constant contemplation of God, for this is the privilege enjoyed by the blessed in Heaven, for whom faith has been replaced by the Beatific Vision.
We must be satisfied with exciting in ourselves, as often as possible, the active awareness of God’s Presence.
This should be a quiet and peaceful process, not involving undue mental effort or anxiety.

We should be able to attend quite naturally to our work and other obligations and, we should be helped and consoled in this, by directing our thoughts to God from time to time, in order to offer ourselves to Him.
This can easily be done by means of frequent ejaculatory prayer, by renewing, at regular intervals, our intention of doing everything for the love of God and by being prepared to endure, in complete acceptance of the Divine Will, all the hardships and trials of the day.
Whenever it is possible, moreover, we should escape from the care and confusion of the world into a quiet Church.
Here we can kneel in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist and express, in intimate prayer, our love for Him and our desire to serve Him.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in GOD ALONE!, HOW to PRAY at ALL TIMES, QUOTES on HEAVEN

Thought for the Day – 27 November – Au Revoir St Alphonsus!

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Thought for the Day – 27 November – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“How to Pray at All Times”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

Au Revoir St Alphonsus!

“How good and kind God is to those who lovingly seek Him!
The Lord is good to the soul who seeks Him (Lam 3:25). He is found even by those who do not seek Him – I was found by those who did not seek Me (Rom 10:I2); with far greater willingness, He will anticipate those who seek Him, in order to serve and love Him.

I conclude with a thought from St Teresa.
It is this – The souls of the just should do on earth, through a spirit of love, that which the Blessed do in Heaven.
In Heaven the Saints occupy themselves only with God; all their thoughts are for His glory; all their pleasure is to love Him.
Do you act in the same way.
During your life on earth let God be your only happiness, the only object of your affections, the only end of all your actions and desires, until you arrive at that eternal Kingdom, where your love will be consummated and made perfect and your desires will be completely fulfilled and satisfied.”

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on WATCHING, St Francis de Sales, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 27 November – They will see the Son of Mancoming in the clouds of Heaven

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Quote/s of the Day – 27 November – Feria of the Last Sunday after Pentecost – Colossians 1:9-14; Matthew 24:15-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“They will see the Son of Man
coming in the clouds of Heaven
with much power and majesty.”

Matthew 24:30

“Watch” over your life. …
Sheep will turn into wolves
and love into hatred.
With the increase of iniquity,
people will hate, persecute
and betray each other.
Then the world deceiver
will appear in the disguise of God’s Son.
He will work “signs and wonders”
and the earth will fall into his hands.
He will commit outrages
such as have never occurred before.
Then humankind will come
to the “fiery trial“
and many will fall away” and perish.”

Unknown 1st Century Author [ACW-
Ancient Christian Writer] (Didache 16)

“Hope, O my soul, hope!
You know neither the day, nor the hour.
Watch carefully, for everything passes quickly,
even though your impatience, makes doubtful,
what is certain and turns
a very short time, into a long one.”

St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582)

“Fool that I am to offend God
for the sake of such trifling vanities.
I have forsaken God and for what – for nothing!
On the other hand, devotion and good deeds
will be seen as desirable and delightful
and you will ask yourself –
why did I not take this beautiful
and pleasant path of everlasting joy?
At that hour, your sins –
which at the time seemed so small –
will appear as vast as mountains
and your devotions truly small. …

Pray to God and cast yourself into His arms.
O my God, take me into Thy care on that terrible day;
may all other days be sad, if only that single day
will be a happy one!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in GOOD RESOLUTIONS, HOW to PRAY at ALL TIMES, QUOTES on MEDITATION

Thought for the Day – 26 November – A Method of MENTAL PRAYER, Part III Conclusion

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Thought for the Day – 26 November – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“How to Pray at All Times”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

A Method of MENTAL PRAYER
or Meditation According to St Alphonsus.
Excerpt – Part III Conclusion

III. CONCLUSION.

Three short fervent Acts:

(1) Thank God for the Light He has given you.

(2) Renew your resolution to abstain from some fault, or to do some good thing, during the day.

(3) Ask the Eternal Father, for the love of Jesus and Mary, to aid you to keep your resolutions.
At the end of meditation, always pray for poor sinners and for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

NB: – The acts and prayers of petition should occupy the most of the time. Thus, in a half-hour’s prayer, give three minutes to the preparation; reflect for five minutes and then pray for the balance of the time left to you.

Posted in ACT of ADORATION, ACT of CONTRITION, ACT OF FAITH, HOPE & CHARITY, ACT of LOVE, GOOD RESOLUTIONS, HOW to PRAY at ALL TIMES, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of PETITION, QUOTES on MEDITATION

Thought for the Day – 25 November – A Method of MENTAL PRAYER, II The Body of the Prayer

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Thought for the Day – 25 November – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“How to Pray at All Times”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

A Method of MENTAL PRAYER
or Meditation According to St Alphonsus.
Excerpt – Part II THE BODY OF THE PRAYER.

II. THE BODY OF THE PRAYER.

Use the mind in thinking on some subject as much as is necessary in order to pray fervently. But do not imagine that very much is necessary in order to pray. Do not wait for a great fire to burn up in your soul but cherish any little spark you may feel.

To help your mind, read a text of Scripture or a short Meditation in a book.
St Teresa used a book in her Meditations for seventeen years.

Meditate for a few minutes on any thought which has struck you, that is, think for a short time on the meaning, the lessons it teaches and ask yourself: What have I done about this hitherto? What shall I now do?
But remember, you think only in order that you may pray.

The great benefit of Mental Prayer consists. less in meditation or thinking, than in acts, prayers and resolutions – the fruits of Meditation. The thinking is the needle which draws after it the golden thread of the fruits (the acts, prayers and resolutions)..
The thread is more important than the needle.
The chief part of the time of Meditation should, then, be spent in making:

  1. Acts and Affections:
    Examples. –Acts of Humility: ‘My God, I am nothing in Thy sight.’ Act of Thanksgiving: ‘My God, I thank Thee for Thy goodness.’ Act of Love: ‘ My God, I love Thee with my whole heart. I wish to please Thee in all things. I will only what Thou wiliest. I love Thee because Thou art Infinitely Good. Do with me and mine all that pleases Thee because it is Thy Will.’
    Acts of Love and of contrition are golden chains binding us to God. St Thomas says: ‘ Every Act of Love merits eternal life. Make then many simple but fervent, Acts of Love and Sorrow.
  2. Prayers of Petition:
    In mental prayer, it is extremely useful and, perhaps better than all else, to make many earnest petitions for the graces you wish. Always ask, above all, for (a) the perfect forgiveness of all past sin; (b) the perfect love of God and (c) the Grace of a holy death. …
  3. Resolutions:
    ‘The progress of a soul,‘ says St Teresa, ‘ does not consist in thinking much of God but in loving Him and this love is gained by resolving to do much for Him.‘
    Make one practical resolution which you mean to keep during the day.
Posted in ACT of ADORATION, ACT of CONTRITION, ACT OF FAITH, HOPE & CHARITY, ACT of LOVE, HOW to PRAY at ALL TIMES, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on MEDITATION, SACRED HEART PRAYERS

Thought for the Day – 24 November – A Method of MENTAL PRAYER

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Thought for the Day – 24 November – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“How to Pray at All Times”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)


A Method of MENTAL PRAYER
or Meditation According to St Alphonsus.
Excerpt – Part I Preparation

I. PREPARATION.

A recollected life and regular Spiritual Reading are the best remote preparation.
For the immediate preparation, make three short but fervent Acts of Devotion:

(I) An Act of Adoration of God, present to the soul:
Example: O my God, I believe Thou art really here present;
I bow down and adore Thee. Thou art so good, I am so
sinful; Thou art so great, I am only nothingness … etc.

(2) An Act of Sorrow for Sin:
Example: O my God, I am heartily sorry for all my sins of thought, word, deed and omission and by the help of Thy
holy Grace I will never sin again.

(3) A Petition for Light and Strength:
Example: O my God, give me light to see Thy holy Will, give me Grace to do Thy holy Will. O .Wisdom of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus, direct me in all my ways. O Love of the Sacred Heart, consume me in Thy fire.

Add a Hail Mary to the Blessed Virgin, an Aspiration to St Joseph, your Patron Saints and Angel Guardian.

Posted in HOW to PRAY at ALL TIMES, The HOLY NAME, The HOLY NAME of MARY

Thought for the Day – 23 November – ‘Ask and you shall receive’

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Thought for the Day – 23 November – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“How to Pray at All Times”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

The Practice of Praying Constantly
‘Ask and you shall receive‘
Excerpt from Chapter Five:6

“When you need to arrive at some decision, or to give some important advice, ask God’s assistance before you do so. Repeat as often as you reasonably are able during the day: ‘Incline unto mine aid, O God,’ as St Rose of Lima was accustomed to do.

To obtain this assistance from God turn frequently to the Crucifix or to the image of our Blessed Lady (which, of course, you will have in your room) and do not fail to often invoke the Names of Jesus and Mary …
God, being infinitely kind, has the greatest desire to communicate His Graces to us.

The Venerable Father Alphonsus Alvarez saw our Lord, on one occasion, with His Hands filled with Graces, going about seeking souls to whom He might dispense them.
But He will have us ask Him for them: ‘Ask and you shall receive‘ otherwise He will withdraw His Hands.
He will, on the contrary, stretch them out to us and willingly open them, if we invoke Him.
… David declares, God shows, not only Mercy but Great Mercy, to those who beseech Him: For Thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild and plenteous in mercy to all who call upon Thee (Ps 85:5).”

Posted in GOD ALONE!, HOW to PRAY at ALL TIMES, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 22 November –Self-oblation and Love of God

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Thought for the Day – 22 November – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“How to Pray at All Times”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

The Practice of Praying Constantly
Self-oblation and Love of God
Excerpt from Chapter Five:5

“Following the example of St Teresa, often offer yourself to God during the day and say:
‘Behold me, O Lord, ready to do what Thou wilt.
Make known Thy holy Will to me; I am eager to do all which Thou askest of me.‘

As the hours go by, make repeated Acts of Divine Love, for, to quote St Teresa again, these Acts of Love are the fuel by which divine love is kept burning within the heart.

One day, when the Venerable Sister Seraphine of Capri happened to see the Convent mule, the thought occurred to her that the poor animal could not love God. She expressed her compassion in these words:
‘Poor brute you can neither know, nor love God.‘
Then a wonderful thing happened – tears welled into the animal’s eyes and forthwith began to flow abundantly.
Do you imitate the saintly sister’s example. When you see, creatures incapable of knowing or loving God, use the intelligence, He has given you, to repeat many Acts of Love.”