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Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMAN DIGNITY, QUOTES on THE WORLD, St Francis de Sales, The BEATITUDES, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 December – ‘Let us keep our eyes unceasingly fixed upon the Divine Ideal …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 11 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Sirach 44:16-27; 45:3-20; Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

Matthew 25:21

“Blessed are you poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours …”

Luke 6:20

“Let us keep our eyes unceasingly
fixed upon the Divine Ideal;
let us work to realise, within ourselves,
the perfection to which God wishes us to reach,
in order to imitate His Divine Son.”

Columba Marmion (1858-1923)
Abbot

“Christ acts like a loving mother.
To induce us to follow Him,
He gives us Himself as an example
and promises us a reward in His kingdom.”

St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Evangelical Doctor

“Do not fix your longings on anything
which you do not possess;
do not let your heart rest in that which you have;
do not grieve overmuch,
at the losses which may happen to you –
and then, you may reasonably believe
that although rich in fact,
you are not so in affection
but that you are poor in spirit
and, therefore, blessed,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is yours.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SACRAMENTS, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 10 December – Holy Purity

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Thought for the Day – 10 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception

Holy Purity

“Since Mary excelled so much in this virtue and had so great a love for it, she will obtain for us from God, the grace necessary for us to preserve it, as long as we pray humbly to her, especially in times of temptation.

Let us remember, that at Baptism, we became members of the Mystical Body of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit (Cf 1 Cor 6:15-20).
We are obliged to avoid defiling this temple and making the Mystical Body of Christ a dwelling-place for the devil!
It is not true to say, that this is an impossible fight.
We know, from our own experience, that we can win.
We have often battled with, or fled from occasions of sin.
We have prayed and made sacrifices, in order to avoid sin and, with the help of God and the protection of the Blessed Virgin, we have won!
After our victory, we have felt elated and have experienced that peace, which only God’s grace can bestow.
If we have succeeded so many times, why cannot we do the same always?
There is no need to be afraid.
If we do all that we can, God’s grace will do the rest.
“I can do all things in Him, Who strengthens me,” Phil 4:12) says St Paul.
“God is faithful,” he writes elsewhere “and will not permit you to be tempted beyond your strength but, with the temptation, will also give you a way out, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor 10:13).

If we remain pure, we shall see God.
We shall see Him in the work of His creation in this world and we shall see and enjoy Him forever in Heaven.
“Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/21/thought-for-the-day-21-may-holy-purity/

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on PURITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 9 December – Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception, The Virginal Purity of Mary

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Thought for the Day – 9 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception

The Virginal Purity of Mary

“Purity is the most beautiful of virtues.

It is a virtue which is admired by God and by men, even by the most corrupt.
It is often said, that it makes us like the Angels but in fact, looking at it in a particular way, it makes us superior to the Angels.
Since they have no bodies, the angels cannot sin against purity, while we have to fight many battles and overcome many temptations, in order to preserve our chastity.
Jesus had a very special love for this virtue.
He chose to be born of a Virgin and, He showed a particular affection for St John, who was a dedicated celibate.
On one occasion, He placed His Hands on the head of a little child and said: “Unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of Heaven “(Mt:18.3)

Unfortunately, the virtue of purity is as fragile as it is beautiful.
It can be lost in a single moment of weakness.
We must love this virtue as Mary loved it.
We must be prepared to make any sacrifice, even the most heroic, rather than lose it.
Worldly charm and beauty attract us and the devil works ferociously to control our imagination and our affections.
On account of the disturbance of original sin, the flesh is like a terrible weight retarding our spiritual advancement.
Sometimes it seems as if it is irresistibly drawing us towards the abyss of impurity.
But we need not be dragged down, if we are prepared to fly from the occasions of sin and to pray to God and to our heavenly Mother for her intercession.
We must always act at once, for there is no time to dally.
It is fatal to remain inactive and to allow temptation to make its way into our soul.
This kind of battle, said St Francis de Sales, is won only by soldiers who flee.
We must fly from the occasions of sin, no matter what sacrifice this entails.
Jesus has warned us, that it is better to enter Heaven without a hand or a foot, than to be cast into hell.

We know the remedies – instant flight, heroic sacrifice and constant prayer.
We can leave the rest to the grace of God and to the maternal protection of Mary.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOGMA, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MOTHER of GOD, ORIGINAL SIN, QUOTES on MEDITATION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 8 December – THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

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

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

“Let us read the first chapter of St Luke’s Gospel in order to try and understand, as far as possible, the Immaculate Conception and the sublime holiness of Mary.
“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David and the virgin’s name was Mary. And when the angel had come to her, he said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women’” (Lk 1:26-28).
The Blessed Virgin was troubled when she heard these words but the Angel reassured her.
He told her that she had found favour with God and added, that she would become the Mother of God, for the Word would become flesh in her womb through the power of the Holy Ghost, in such a manner that in her nature, the privileges of virginity and of the divine motherhood, would be miraculously united.
Mary then gave her assent to the Will of God and, her ‘Fiat’ placed her on a pedestal, high above all the generations of humanity and all the choirs of the angelic kingdom.

It is on this passage of the Gospel that the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, chiefly depends.
She was full of grace and the supremely beloved of God.
How then could she have been subject to the rule of sin which we inherited from Adam?
If her soul had been stained with sin at the first moment of her conception, she would not have enjoyed the special favour of God and the plenitude of grace.
She was, moreover, predestined to become the Mother of God.
Was it possible that the Divine Word, Who was to become her Son, could have permitted her soul to have been sullied, even for a single instant, by sin, which deprives us of grace and makes us enemies of God?
It was on good grounds, therefore, that the Church defined, that from the first moment of her conception, Mary was free from all taint of sin, by a singular privilege conferred on her by God and through the merits of her Divine Son, Jesus Christ.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTRINE, DOGMA, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, PAPAL DECREE, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, St Francis de Sales, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION

Quote/s of the Day – 8 December – The Feast of the Immaculate Conception

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of the Immaculate Conception

“Hail, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee,
blessed art thou among women”

Luke 1:28

On 8 December 1854, Pope Pius IX promulgated Ineffabilis Deus, the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.
On 25 March 1858, at Lourdes, when asked by St Bernadette, who she was, Our Lady replied:

“I am the Immaculate Conception”

Our Lady to St Bernadette
at Lourdes on 25 March 1858

“She saw herself raised to the highest dignity
that ever was or will be, for although
it should please God to create anew many worlds,
He could never make a pure creature be greater
than the Mother of God.

Our Lady humbled herself
and acknowledged herself
unworthy of being raised
to the high dignity of Mother of God, therefore,
she was made to be His Mother,
for she had no sooner uttered the protestation of her littleness,
than, having abandoned herself to Him,
by an act of incomparable charity,
she became the Mother of the Most High,
Who is the Saviour of our souls!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

“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!”

Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
The Fulfilment of the Decree

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), QUOTES on WISDOM, The HEART, The HOLY GHOST, The IMITATION of CHRIST, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 7 December –TRUE WISDOM

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

TRUE WISDOM

“According to Christian teaching, both knowledge and wisdom, properly understood, are gifts of the Holy Ghost.
Only the Light and Grace of the Holy Ghost, can enable us to comprehend the Truth which, in its plenitude, is God Himself and to appreciate the vanity of human things, as long as they are not ordained to their final end which is God and the everlasting life of happiness.

St Thomas Aquinas holds that human and earthly things are the proper object of science, insofar however, as they ought to be directed towards God.
“The man who has a correct approach to science, regards creatures as ordained to God, does not value them for more than they are worth and does not permit them to constitute the purpose of his life” (Summa Theologiae II-II q9 a4).
“All creatures are ordained to God and to His glory,” he writes elsewhere, “in that they manifest the Divine Goodness in themselves; they are, moreover, the means to everlasting happiness” (Quaestiones disputate, De Caritate q1 a7).

Nature maybe said to be a sacrament which enables us to gain experience of God (Summa Theologiae III q60 a2 ad1).
This is how knowledge becomes wisdom which is not content merely to have a proper estimation of human objects but, proceeds to penetrate, with the assistance of Revelation and of Grace, into the transcendent Mysteries of the Divinity.
Wisdom, moreover, guides the will and the heart, as well as the intellect.
It is practical, as well as speculative, for it directs our actions, as well as our thoughts towards God.
Like the Saints, we should be guided entirely by this true intellectual and practical wisdom.
“Grant me, O Lord, celestial wisdom,” we should pray with the Author of The Imitation of Christ, “that I may learn, above all things, to seek Tbee and to find Thee; above all things, to relish Thee and to love Thee and to understand, all other things, as they are, according to the order of Thy Wisdom!” (Bk III c27).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRAYERS to the DIVINE INFANT JESUS, The DIVINE INFANT, The HOLY INFANCY, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 7 December – Veni Redemptor Gentium, Saviour of the Nations, Come! By St Ambrose

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“The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Advent II – The Feast of St Ambrose (340-397) – Confessor, Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church

Veni Redemptor Gentium
Saviour of the Nations, Come!
By St Ambrose’s Advent Hymn

Saviour of the nations, come!
Virgin’s Son, here make Thy home!
Marvel now, O Heaven and earth,
That the Lord chose such a birth.

Not by human flesh and blood;
By the Spirit of our God
Was the Word of God made flesh,
Woman’s offspring, pure and fresh.

Wondrous birth! O wondrous Child
Of the Virgin undefiled!
Though by all the world disowned,
Still to be in Heaven enthroned.

From the Father forth He came
And returneth to the same,
Captive leading death and hell
High the song of triumph swell!

Thou, the Father’s only Son,
Hast over sin the victory won.
Boundless shall Thy Kingdom be;
When shall we its glories see?

Brightly doth Thy Manger shine,
Glorious is its Light Divine.
Let not sin o’ercloud this Light;
Ever be our faith thus bright.

Praise to God the Father sing,
Praise to God the Son, our King,
Praise to God the Spirit be
Ever and eternally.
Amen!

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, Quotes on SALVATION, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 6 December – The Word of God

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

The Word of God

“It is especially important for us to acquire the dispositions necessary to enable us to listen attentively to the Word of God and to put it into practice in our lives.
We are all acquainted with the parable of the sower.
The seed, of course, represents the Word of God.
Some of the seed fell by the wayside and was trampled into the earth or carried away by the birds.
Some fell on rocky ground and because of the lack of moisture, it withered away.
Some fell among thorns which choked it and prevented it from springing up.
Finally, the rest of the seed fell on good ground and yielded fruit more or less abundantly (Mt 13:3-8).

How do we receive the Word of God?
Perhaps we are constantly dissipated and distracted?
In that case, the Divine seed will not bear fruit but, will be trampled down or wither away.
It may be, however, that we hear the Word of God with pleasure and joy until our first enthusiasm is strangled by our fondness for money, ease and earthly pleasures which prevents us from laying up merit for everlasting life.

Let us remember that the Word of God is a very precious gift which ought not to be neglected or abused.
Our eternal salvation depends on the manner in which we receive it!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 5 December – Peace of Soul

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

Peace of Soul

“True peace consists in doing the will of God constantly and, with love.
When God gives us consolation and joy, we thank Him for His Infinite Goodness towards us.
When He sends us suffering and privation, we bless and thank Him nonetheless.
Let us recall the example of Job.
When he had lost his children, his health and all his possessions and, was derided by his wife and distrusted by his friends, he exclaimed in a spirit of resignation: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21).

All this may seem too difficult to us but, it is only on these conditions that we can obtain interior peace.
By surrendering our will entirely to God, in all the circumstances of our lives, we can raise ourselves above all the sorrows and vain desires of this earthly existence and, we will find in God, a lasting peace and tranquillity.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/12/thought-for-the-day-12-december-peace-of-soul/

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD is LOVE, INGRATITUDE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, St Alphonsus de Liguori,, The NINE FIRST FRIDAYS

Our Morning Offering – 5 December – O Adorable Heart of my Jesus!

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Our Morning Offering – 5 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The First Friday of November

O Adorable Heart of my Jesus!
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

O Adorable Heart of my Jesus,
Heart yearning expressly. for the love of men!
Until now, I have shown towards Thee
only ingratitude.
Pardon me, O my Jesus.
Heart of my Jesus,
Abyss of Love and of Mercy,
how is it possible,
that I do not die of sorrow,
when I reflect on Thy Goodness to me
and my ingratitude to Thee?
Thou, my Creator, after having created me,
hast given Thy Blood and Thy Life for me
and, not content with this,
Thou hast invented a means of offering
Thyself everyday for me,
in the Holy Eucharist,
exposing Thyself to a thousand insults and outrages!
Ah, Jesus, do Thou wound my heart
with a great contrition for my sins
and a lively love for Thee.
Through Thy Tears and Thy Blood,
give me the grace of perseverance
in Thy fervent love, until I breathe my last sigh.
Amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Love of Self

Thought for the Day – 4 December – TRUE LOVE of SELF

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

TRUE LOVE of SELF

“St Thomas Aquinas writes that man genuinely loves himself, when he directs all his activities towards God (Summa Theologiae I-II, q 100 a 5 ad 1).
True self-love, then, consists in dedicating all our thoughts and actions to God, Who is our highest and only true good.

Anything which does not lead us to God, is vain and useless.
Anything which keeps us away from God, separates us from our true good and, therefore, leads us towards everlasting spiritual ruin.
We should love ourselves then, by loving ourselves in God and for God.
If we fail to do this, we hate, rather than love ourselves because, we make folly, sin and eternal damnation, the objects of our lives.
Christianity, we may now conclude, cannot be said to condemn self-love.
It does not condemn it but simply purifies it.

The Church has always been opposed to any form of Quietism or Puritanism which would advocate the pure and disinterested love of God to the extent, of excluding, any thought of our own happiness, as the reward of our actions.
As if it would be possible to love God, when one had lost Him!
On the contrary, if we love God in Himself and above all things, we love ourselves too because, only in loving God, can we achieve our own perfect happiness.
The pure love of God does not exclude self-love but, elevates and completes it.”

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/04/thought-for-the-day-4-december-true-love-of-self/

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in ADVENT, CHRIST the JUDGE, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, PRAYERS to the DIVINE INFANT JESUS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The DIVINE INFANT, The HOLY INFANCY

Our Morning Offering – 4 December – Daily Prayers to the Infant Jesus

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Our Morning Offering – 4 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

Daily Prayers to the Infant Jesus

O Almighty God, in the form of a little Child!
Make me worthy to meditate upon
Thy Greatness and Power,
Thy Goodness and Mercy
and Thy Majesty as God and Man.

O Divine Infant!
With the most profound reverence,
I contemplate Thy Divine Countenance,
shedding its gentle and forgiving Light like the sun,
on good and bad.
Deign, O friendly Eyes of my Jesus,
to cast one look of grace upon me
and to give to my eyes, sincere tears of repentance
that on my judgement day, they need not fear
Thy look of righteous anger.

O Sweetest Jesus!
Fervent with admiration,
I praise Thy Holy Lips, filled with heavenly wisdom
and uttering words of grace for the remission of sin.
Lest, however, Thy Divine Lips might one day
be forced to pronounce the sentence
of condemnation upon me on account of my own words,
I beseech Thee, O Lord,
place a seal upon my lips, so that they may never
be opened to utter an uncharitable opinion
or a sinful word; may I ever preserve Thy Truth
and Thy Love in my heart and upon my tongue.
Amen

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, Quotes on SALVATION

Thought for the Day – 3 December – The Salvation of Souls

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

The Salvation of Souls

“Remember the countless conversions effected by the Saints as a result of their prayers, mortifications and heroic sacrifices.
No-one can call himself a Christian who does not love, in a practical manner, his fellowmen, especially unfortunate heretics and sinners.

Make up your mind, to offer your prayers and sacrifices for their conversion.
Include them in your daily offering, daily Mass and daily Rosary too.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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

Thought for the Day – 2 December – Recollection

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

Recollection

“We may imagine that all this applies only to Monks but that is not so.
We all need interior recollection and we can find it even during our work and in the midst of turmoil and confusion.
If we fail to find it, moreover, it is too bad for us, as The Imitation of Christ warns us.
“Peace is not in the heart of the carnal man, nor in the man who is devoted to outward things but, in the fervent and spiritual man” (Bk 1 Ch 6:2).

Let us make sure, therefore, that we shall not be distracted by worldly affairs.
In the midst of all our occupations, let us preserve a spirit of detachment and live in the presence of God.
May God be our first thought and our first desire and may He be the true goal of all our actions!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/03/thought-for-the-day-3-december-recollection/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/30/thought-for-the-day-30-november-recollection/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, St Francis de Sales, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 2 December – Our Treasure, our Pearls

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 December – Sirach 51:13-17; Matthew 13:44-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Jesus said in parables:
The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure,
hidden in a field. … Again, the Kingdom of Heaven
is like unto a merchant seeking good pearls. ”

Matthew 13:44, 45

“The two parables of the treasure and the pearl,
both teach us the same thing –
we should prefer the Gospel before all earthly treasures. …
However, there is something
even more praiseworthy than this –
we should delight to give it preference,
joyfully, unhesitatingly.
Let us never forget this, to abandon all else,
so as to follow God, is to gain more, than one loses.
The preaching of the Gospel is hidden in this world
like a hidden treasure, a treasure without price!”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Whoever thinks well on eternity,
troubles himself little about what happens
in these three or four moments of mortal life.”

“The love of God is the end,
the perfection and the excellence,
of the universe. ”

(Treatise on the Love of God,
Book 10, Chapter 1)

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

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on the POOR, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 1 December – The Blessedness of the Poor

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

The Blessedness of the Poor

“We have established the principle that wealth is, in itself, good and is a gift from God but that, “it is good, insofar, as it leads us towards virtue and evil, insofar, as it leads us towards vice” (Summa Contra Gentiles III 134).
We must now insist, once more, on the necessity of remaining detached from worldly goods and of concentrating our attention primarily on God.
It is an unfortunate fact that only too often, wealth is a spiritual obstacle, for it diverts our attention away from Heaven and towards worldly objects.
If this happens, some of its worse results can be the worship of money, the destruction of high ideals, indifference to the poverty of others, the vain and selfish search for happiness on this earth and complete spiritual blindness.
This is why it is more difficult for the rich man than for the poor man, to save his soul.

“If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell what thou hast and give to the poor” (Mt 19:21).
This is an evangelical counsel which we may have neither the courage, nor the vocation to pursue.
At least, however, let us seek to purify ourselves of all attachments to wealth.
If we have riches, moreover, let us do our best to use them as instruments of virtue.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEEKNESS, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 30 November – The Blessedness of the Meek

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

The Blessedness of the Meek

“St John Climacus notes that there are three levels of meekness (Dcala Paradist pp 296-298).
The first grade, he says, consists in enduring with difficulty, the injuries done to us.
The second, consists in enduring them without displeasure and the third, in regarding them as an honour.

Those who reach the first level are to be congratulated, those who reach the second are to be applauded but, those in the third and highest category, are really blessed by God.

“One day,” he says, “I saw three Monks receiving the same insult.
The first was offended but said nothing, the second was not displeased on his own account but regretted the offence against Almighty God and the third wept for the fault of his neighbour.”
The first Monk, the Saint comments, feared God, the second loved God and the third loved both God and his fellow-man.

At What stage of perfection in this virtue can we claim to have arrived?
If we desire to be sincere Christians, we must realise that we ought to have achieved, at least the first level and should hope to advance eventaully, as far as the third and most perfect grade.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/28/thought-for-the-day-28-november-the-blessedness-of-the-poor/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/22/thought-for-the-day-22-november-the-blessedness-of-the-poor/

Posted in Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, The BEATITUDES, The HOLY NAME

Thought for the Day – 29 November – The Blessedness of Those Who Suffer Persecution

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

The Blessedness of Those
Who Suffer Persecution

“Let us implore the Holy Ghost to enlighten us and to grant us this serene joy which is a reflection of the happiness of Heaven.
Oh by Thy Name we shall live in peaceful and fearless anticipation!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/06/thought-for-the-day-6-december-the-blessedness-of-those-who-suffer-persecution/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/29/thought-for-the-day-29-november-the-blessedness-of-those-who-suffer-persecution/

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St PAUL!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 November – “What are you looking for?”

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 November – Vigil of St Andrew Apostle – Ecclesiasticus 44:25-27; 45:2-4; 45:6-9; John 1:35-51 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Jesus turned and saw them following Him
and said to them, “What are you looking for?”

John 1:38

“Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God!”

Matthew 16:16

“It is He Who is our peace.”

St Paul
Ephesians 2:14

“… He effected a wonderful exchange with us,
through mutual sharing –
we gave Him the power to die,
He will give us the power to Live!”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“Grace is given,
not to those who speak [their faith]
but to those, who live their faith!”

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

“May He,
Who is the Track of the runners
and the Reward of the winners,
lead and guide you along it –
He, Christ Jesus!”

Bl Guerric of Igny O.Cist (c1080-1157)

“Let us go to Jesus when we are worn out by conflict
and have no strength left.
Let us go to Him when we feel
that we can walk no further
along the stony path to perfection.
He will help us and restore our courage;
He will grant us an increase of grace which is the source of the spiritual life.
It is essential, however, that we should have
a spirit of recollection.
If we are dissipated, we shall be
unable to hear the Voice of God.
We must speak with God
and open our hearts to Him;
we must tell Him that we love Him
and wish to learn to love Him more
and to conform more completely
to His designs for us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PEACE, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 28 November – The Blessedness of the Peacemakers

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

The Blessedness of the Peacemakers

“Blessed are the peacemakers,” said Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, “for they shall be called children of God” (Mt 5:9).

True Christian peace which accompanies the perfect control of the passions and complete dedication to God’s cause, makes us like God and enables us, by His grace, to become His adopted children.
He is the God of peace, in Whom there is no conflict but only perfect order and harmony.
Since He is pure act, He understands Himself fully in all His beauty and perfection and, knowing Himself, He loves Himself.
He is peace, in an active and not in a passive sense.
For this reason, the peacemakers are singled out in a special way as the children of God.
In other words, they become like God, when they acquire that interior tranquility which is the fruit of virtue and of victory over the flesh.
With the help of Divine grace, we should do our utmost to gain this peace.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/05/thought-for-the-day-5-december-the-blessedness-of-the-peracemakers/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/28/thought-for-the-day-28-november-the-blessedness-of-the-peracemakers/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRAYERS of PETITION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on WATCHING, QUOTES on WISDOM, The BEATITUDES, The HEART

Thought for the Day – 27 November – The Blessedness of the Pure of Heart

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

The Blessedness of the Pure of Heart

“Let us conclude this meditation with an appropriate prayer of St Thomas Aquinas.

“Make my heart watchful, O God,
so that no vain thoughts may distract it from Thee.
Make it noble,
so that it may never be seduced by any base affection.
Make it steadfast,
so that troubles may not dismay it.
Make it free,
so that it may not yield to the onslaughts of passion.
Grant me, my God,
the intelligence, to understand Thee,
the love, to seek Thee,
the wisdom, to find Thee,
words, to please Thee,
the perseverance, to wait faithfully for Thee
and, the hope of embracing Thee, at last.
Grant that I, a repentant sinner,
may bear Thy chastisements with resignation.
Poor pilgrim which I am,
may I draw on the treasury of Thine grace
and may I one day,
be eternally happy with Thee in Heavnely glory!
Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/04/thought-for-the-day-4-december-the-blessedness-of-the-pure-of-heart/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/27/thought-for-the-day-27-november-the-blessedness-of-the-pure-of-heart/

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on MERCY, The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 26 November – The Blessedness of the Merciful

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

The Blessedness of the Merciful

“Let us remember that we have often made ourselves God’s enemies, by our sins.
We were often in need, when we were deprived of Divine grace.
On these occasions, God was merciful to us, for He granted us His forgiveness and His friendship.
These gifts of God, place an obligation on us, to behave in the same way to those who are in need, by assisting them willingly and generously and, to those who are unhappy, by consoling them as far as possible.

Let us remember, the great principle which Jesus Christ has given us.
“Even as you wish men to do to you, so also, do you unto them … Do good to those who hate you … Do not judge and you shall not be judged; do not condemn and you shall not be condemned. Forgive and you shall be forgiven, give and it shall be given to you …” (Cf Lk 6:30-38).
“With what judgement you judge, you shall be judged and with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you” (Mt 7:1).
So it shall be on the day of death, when we shall appear before the Supreme Judge!

Let us be generous throughout life in giving help and consolation to others.
It is more blessed to give, than to receive, as the Gospel says.
By giving, we shall find a little happiness, even in this world and shall be certain that one day, the most merciful Judge will pardon and embrace us!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/03/thought-for-the-day-2-december-the-blessedness-of-the-merciful/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/26/thought-for-the-day-26-november-the-blessedness-of-the-merciful/

Posted in "Follow Me", CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on the POOR, St Francis de Sales, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 November – Shall receive a hundredfold … Matthew 19:29

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One Minute Reflection – 26 November – “The Month of The Holy Souls in Purgatory” – St Sylvester Gozzolini OSB Silv. (1177– 1267) Priest, Abbot – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6 – Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“… Shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29

REFLECTION – “The possessions which we have, are not our own: God has given them to us to cultivate and He wishes us to render them fruitful and profitable … Always deprive yourself, therefore, of some part of your means, giving them to the poor with a willing heart … It is true that God will return it to you, not only in the next world but also in this, for there is nothing which makes a person prosper, in temporal matters, so much, as almsgiving. But until such time as God shall repay it, you will always be impoverished to that extent. Oh! how holy and rich is the impoverishment which is caused by almsgiving.

Love the poor and poverty, for by this love you will become truly poor, since, as Scripture says: “We become like the things that we love” (cf Hos 9:10). Love makes those who love, equal to one another: “Who is weak and I am not weak?” says St Paul (2 Cor 11:29). He might have said: “Who is poor, with whom I am not poor?” For love made him become, such as those whom he loved. If, then, you love the poor, you will be truly participating in their poverty and poor like them. Now, if you love the poor, be often among them; be pleased to see them in your house and to visit them in theirs; associate willingly with them; be glad that they are near you in the Churches, in the streets and elsewhere. Be poor in speech with them, speaking to them as their equal but be rich in deed, giving them of your goods, as one who possesses more abundantly.

Will you do even more? … Become a servant of the poor; go to serve them … with your own hands … and at your own expense. This service has more glory in it than a throne!” – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church (Introduction to the devout life, Part three Ch 15).

PRAYER – Most merciful God, Who when the holy Abbot Sylvester was devoutly meditating upon the vanity of this world beside an open grave, graciously willed to call him into the desert and enrich him with unusual merits, we humbly pray that, following his example, despising the things of earth, we may thoroughly enjoy Thy everlasting presence. Through 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 Act of SPIRITUAL COMMUNION, franciscan OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, St Alphonsus de Liguori,

Our Morning Offering – 26 November – “A Short Act of Spiritual Communion

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Our Morning Offering – 26 November – “The Month of The Holy Souls in Purgatory”

A Short Act of Spiritual Communion
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church

My Jesus,
I believe that Thou art present
in the Blessed Sacrament.
I love Thee above all things
and I desire Thee in my soul.
Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally,
come at least spiritually, into my heart.
As though Thou were already there,
I embrace Thee
and unite myself wholly to Thee,
permit not, that I should ever,
be separated from Thee.
Amen

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, INDULGENCES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for the SOULS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PURGATORY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, St Alphonsus de Liguori,, The HOLY SOULS

Thought for the Day – 9 November – INDULGENCES

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

INDULGENCES

“Indulgences, therefore, are an aid to repentance for sin, not a substitute for it.
In granting them, the Church is only imitating the merciful spirit of Jesus Christ, Who was always compassionate towards sinners.

Let us do our best to make profitable use of the Church’s generosity on our own behalf and, on behalf of the Faithful Departed.
Let us observe the necessary conditions in order to gain as many Indulgences as possible.

Every morning, we should make the intention of gaining all the indulgences which we can, during the day.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/09/thought-for-the-day-9-november-indulgences/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/09/thought-for-the-day-9-november-indulgences-2/

St Alphonsus’ little Morning Prayer:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/08/02/__trashed-24/

Posted in CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, INDULGENCES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, PURGATORY, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MERCY, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, The HOLY SOULS

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

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

How We Can Help the Faithful Departed

“We have a natural obligation to help the faithful departed, for they are our fellow-men.
Are we capable of watching another human being in agony, without feeling pity for him?
If there is some way in which we can help him, moreover, ought we not to do so?
The Holy Souls are in agony, however, they are on fire with the love of God, yet cannot be united to Him.
We have a means of helping them through our prayers and good works.

There is a further obligation on us, arising from our religion.
They have been redeemed, like ourselves, by the Blood of Christ and God has told us that the same degree of mercy, will one day be shown to us, which we have shown to others.
The time will come when we also shall find ourselves in Purgatory and shall be in need of prayer.
If we remember the dead now, they will be in a position, one day, to do the same for us.
Blessed are the merciful, Jesus says, for they will obtain mercy.

When we appear before the judgement seat of God in order to account for the way in which we have spent our lives, He will count as done to Himself, whatever we have done to the poor, hungry and ill-clad.
Only if we have been merciful towards them, will He receive us into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Otherwise, He will send us away, accursed, for all eternity.
Now the Souls in Purgatory are more unfortunate than those who are poor, hungry and homeless in this world.
They hunger for God, they are full of regret for the sins which they have committed and they languish far from the eternal home, to which they belong.

Finally, we have a duty in justice, to help their souls.
Some of them are our parents, brothers, sisters, friends and benefactors.
Perhaps they are suffering now because they loved us too much because they wished to make money for us or because, they were led astray by our bad example!
It is not only charity, therefore but justice, which obliges us to pray for them.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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

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

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

The Communion of Saints
and the Souls in Purgatory

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

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

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

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, St Francis de Sales, The GOOD SHEPherd Prayers, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 Novemer – Promises and Reward

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 Novemer – Within the All Saints Octave – Apocalypse 7:2-12; Matthew 5:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward
will be great in Heaven.”

Matthew 5:12

“ Blessed are they who have not seen
and have believed.”

John 20:29

“Be glad in that day and rejoice,
for behold, your reward is great in Heaven,”

Luke 6:23

“May He,
Who is the Track of the runners
and the Reward of the winners,
lead and guide you along it –
He, Christ Jesus!”

Bl Guerric of Igny O.Cist (c1080-1157)

“Christ acts like a loving mother.
To induce us to follow Him,
He gives us Himself as an example
and promises us a reward in His kingdom.”

St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Evangelical Doctor

“You will be consoled
according to the greatness
of your sorrow and affliction;
the greater the suffering,
the greater will be the reward.”

St Maria Magdalena de’ Pazzi (1566-1607)

“It is true that we require great confidence
to abandon ourselves, without any reserve,
to Divine Providence but, when we do abandon all,
Our Lord takes care of all and disposes of all.
But, if we reserve anything which we are
unwilling to confide to Him, He leaves us,
as if He would say:
“You think yourselves sufficiently wise
to manage that affair without Me –
you can do so and see what will come of it!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PURGATORY, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The WILL of GOD

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

The Consolations of the
Suffering Souls in Purgatory

“That is the way it is in Purgatory.
The suffering souls endure dreadful torments but, they are resigned to the will of God and are happy to suffer, indefinitely, in order to become holy.
Nevertheless, we can and should pray that their sufferings may be minimised and their joy increased while they are awaiting the moment of their liberation and of their entry into eternal glory.
The prayers, penances and good works which we offer, on their behalf, are a great consolation to them and draw God’s blessings upon ourselves.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/05/thought-for-the-day-5-november-the-consolations-of-the-suffering-souls-in-purgatory/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/05/thought-for-the-day-5-november-the-consolations-of-the-suffering-souls-in-purgatory-2/

Posted in CHRIST the KING, Gerard MANLEY HOPKINS SJ, GOD ALONE!, HYMNS, JESUIT SJ, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The PASSION, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – St Ignatius and his Brethren – Seeing God in all things

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – All Saints and Blesseds of the Society of Jesus (SJ)

I Love Thee, O Thou Lord Most High!
Translation and Parphrase
of St Ignatius Loyola’s Latin Hymn
By Fr Edward Caswell CO (1814-1878)

I love, I love Thee, Lord most high!
Because Thou first hast loved me;
I seek no other liberty
But that of being bound to Thee.

May memory no thought suggest,
But shall to Thy pure glory tend;
My understanding find no rest
Except in Thee, its only End.

My God, I here protest to Thee,
No other will have I than Thine;
Whatever Thou hast given me,
I here again to Thee resign.

All mine is Thine — say but the word,
Whate’er Thou wllest shall be done;
I know Thy Love, all-gracious Lord;
I know It seeks my good alone.

Apart from Thee, all things are naught;
Then grant, O my supremest bliss!
Grant me to love Thee as I ought;
Thou givest all in giving this!

“A precious crown is reserved in Heaven
for those who endow their actions with
all the diligence of which they are capable,
for, it is not enough to do good,
we must do it well!”

“God takes special care
to detach from the passing pleasures of this world,
those whom He Loves with special predilection,
by sending them desires after heavenly bliss
and, by the sorrows and bitterness
of the present life.”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

I Love Thee, God, I Love Thee
O Deus Ego Amo Te
By St Francis Xavier (1506-1552)
Translated by Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

I love Thee, God, I love Thee—
Not out of hope for Heaven for me
Nor fearing not to love and be
in the everlasting burning.
Thou, my Jesus, after me
Didst reach Thine arms out dying,
For my sake suffered nails and lance,
Mocked and marred countenance,
Sorrows passing number,
Sweat and care and cumber,
Yea and death and this for me,
And Thou could see me sinning.
Then I, why should not I love Thee,
Jesu so much in love with me?
Not for Heaven’s sake, not to be
Out of hell by loving Thee,
Not for any gains I see,
But just the way that Thou didst me
I do love and will love Thee.
What must I love Thee, Lord, for then?
For being my King and God.
Amen

“We must make our way towards eternity,
never regarding what men think of us,
or of our actions,
studying only to please God.”

St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)

““Man’s salvation and perfection
consists in doing the Will of God
which he must have in view in all things
and, at every moment of his life.”

St Peter Claver (1581-1654)

“Can we think, the life of man,
better employed than in this good work?
What do I say? Would not all the labours
of a thousand men, be well rewarded,
in the conversion of a single soul
gained to Jesus Christ?
I have always felt a great love
for this kind of life
and for a profession so excellent
and so akin to that of the Apostles.”

St Isaac Jogues (1607-1646)
Martyr

“Are we in the habit of seeing all thing in God
and God in all things?
Do we accept all things from His Holy Hands
and do His Will cheerfully and lovingly?
Do we try to control ourselves when God sends
us sorrows, in addition to joy?
If we find we are in need of reform in this matter,
we should make good resolutions and fulfil them!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)