Category: OPEN HOUSE…Conversations with…

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, EASTER, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, The HOLY GHOST

Thought for the Day – 15 October – The Third Glorious Mystery – The Descent of the Holy Spirit

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Third Glorious Mystery
The Descent of the Holy Spirit

“Before He left this earth for the glory of Heaven, Jesus promised His Apostles that He would not leave them orphans but would send them the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, “whom the world cannot receive because, it neither sees him, nor knows him” (1 Jn 14:16-18).
This promise was repeated by our divine Redeemer on the day of His Ascension, when He told them not to depart from Jerusalem until the promise would have been fulfilled.
In fact, the Apostles were obedient to His instructions.
They gathered together in the Cenacle, where, they spent the time in constant prayer, along with Mary and a number of the faithful.
On the feast of Pentecost, the house was shaken by a sound from Heaven as of a violent wind blowing and tongues of fire appeared, which settled on each one of them.
Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Cf Act 1:2).

According to a pious tradition, the Holy Spirit descended first on the Blessed Virgin in the form of a ball of flame, from which emerged the tongues of fire, which alighted on the heads of all present.
There is a good deal of significance in this tradition.
As Mary took first place in sharing in the passion of Jesus, so, she ought to be first to share in the glory of the Redemption.
St Bernard compared the Blessed Virgin to an aquaduct, bearing the treasures of grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to all the faithful (Sermo de Aquaeducru).
It is an apt comparison, for the Mother of the Redeemer occupies a position of supremacy in the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ.
Like the Apostles, we should persevere in prayer with Mary (Cf Acts 1:14).
We should ask for the light and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, for we need them very much, if we are to walk always, in the way of truth and goodness.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, The ASCENSION of the LORD

Thought for the Day – 14 October – The Second Glorious Mystery – The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Second Glorious Mystery
The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven

“Forty days after His glorious resurrection, Jesus came, with all His friends, among them His Mother, to the Mount of Olives.
This area had already witnessed the opening phase of His passion, which was all the more poignant, perhaps because in Gethsemane, it was not only His body which was lacerated by scourges and nails but, His soul, which experienced the agonising vision of the sins and ingratitude of the human race.
Now, however, He is here with a glorified body as the Conqueror of sin and of death.
He looks for the last time on His small band of followers, to whom He has entrusted His mission of transforming the entire universe by preaching and putting into practice, the Gospel message, throughout the world.
Now, He promises them the Holy Spirit, Who will give them the power to overcome evil.
Then He is lifted up toward Heaven, until a bright cloud hides Him from their sight.

Perhaps, the Blessed Mother, was the last to take her eyes off the disappearing cloud which had removed Jesus from view.
Her human eyes never saw again the beloved figure of her divine Son but, in her soul, she saw Him entering triumphantly into Heaven among choirs of Angels and sitting at the right hand of the Eternal Father.
She saw and thought with infinite yearnng of the not too distant day, when she would have passed from mortal exile, into the everlasting happiness of Heaven, where she would embrace her divine Son again in an ecstasy of love.

We have all been called to ascend to Heaven with Jesus and Mary.
Let us remember, however, that only the innocent and the repentant can be admitted into Paradise.
If we have been unfortunate enough to have lost our baptismal innocence, only the second way is left to us – the way of penance.
We must purify ourselves of our sins by means of good works.
We must ascend higher and highter, towards the summit of Christian perfection.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, The RESURRECTION

Thought for the Day – 13 October – The First Glorious Mystery – The Resurrection of Our Lord

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The First Glorious Mystery
The Resurrection of Our Lord”

“Jesus could not have remained lifeless in the sepulchre.
He is the Man-God, the conqueror of sin and of death.
He willed to be subject to all the conditions of human exiastence with the exception of sin, therefore, He suffered and died for love of us.

However, as He had foretold, He rose gloriously from the tomb on the third day.
This resurrection is proved historically in a most certin manner, by the behaviour of the Apostles, who, were at first downcast and incredulous and were transformed, into heroes and martyrs, by the glorious appearance of Jesus.
It is confirmed by the obstinacy and deceitfulness of the Jews, who went so far as to bribe the soldiers who were guarding the sepulchre, not to reveal the truth.
It is proved, moreover, by the fact, that the Apostle Thomas, refused to believe in the Resurrection until he had placed his fingers in the wounds of the Redeemer, Who afterwards appeared to him.

We read in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles, that the risen Jesus appeared many times to the Apostles to confirm their faith, to speak with them of the Kingdom of God and to give them His final instructions and commands.
We read also, that He appeared to Mary Magdalen to reward her great love and to console her.
Nowhere, do we read that He appeared to His beloved Mother, Mary.
However, the heart tells us what the Gospels omit to mention.
Surely, it is impossible to suppose that the risen Jesus would not have hastened to embrace and to console her, who had borne Him in her chaste womb and had loved Him so much, that she followed Him to the foot of the Cross?

The apparitions of Jesus narrated in the Gospel, had a public purpose, being intended to confirm the faith of those who were fearful, discouraged or incredulous.
The apparitions to Mary, were intimate and affectionate meetings with His dear Mother, who had never doubted, for one moment, that He would rise again.
There may be another explanation, however.
It is possible, that Mary’s humility would have prevented her from discussing, with others, her happy moments of reunion with her risen Son.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 12 October – The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery – The Crucifixion

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery
The Crucifixion

“At last, Jesus reaches Calvary, breathless and reduced to utter exhaustion.
The instrument of torture is taken from Him and laid upon the ground.
Our divine Redeemer suffers acute pain as Her is again stripped of His garments, which have stuck to His wounds.
Now, He is stretched, an innocent victim, on the altar of sacrifice, the Cross.
One of the executioners grasps His hand, pierces it with a large nail and attaches it to the wood.
Then, he does the same with the other hand and with the two feet.
His Mother is close at hand.
She feels in her heart the blows of the hammer which lacerate the living flesh of Jesus.
Jesus remains silent “as a meek lamb that is carried to be a victim” (Jer 11:19).

Now, the executioners raise up the Cross and fix it in the hold already prepared for it.
The shock of this impact sends a shudder of terrible pain through the Victim’s members and entire frame.
Behold Him now, suspended between Heaven and earth, the mediator between God and humanity, the victim of expiation for the innumerable sins of men.

Come near to the Cross and kiss the bloodstained feet.
While the Jews are insulting Him and most of the Apostles have abandoned Him, let us tell Him how much we love Him.
Let us tell Him of our sorrow for our sins and of our determination to make amends for our faults and for our ingratitude, by living in accordance with His teachings and example.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in HOLY WEEK, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 11 October – The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery – The Road to Calvary

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery
The Road to Calvary

“Scourged, crowned with thorns and derided, Jesus is finally condemned to death.
Burdened with the Cross, He sets out for the place of execution in the midst of a crowd of enemies, blasphemers and idle speculators.
Among them , there is only a tiny group which sympathises with Jesus, namely, Mary His Mother, the devout women and the beloved Apostle, St John.

The divine Redeemer goes forward laboriously beneath the heavy weight of the Cross.
He has already lost a large quantity of blood in Gethsemane and during the scourging and crowning with thorns.
His strength seems to be failing but love sustains Him.
Looking feebly around Him, He sees the mocking Jews, the indifferent and disrespectful Roman soldiers and a throng of curious spectators looking for something to amuse them.
Is there nobody else?
Where are those whom He cured miraculously and those whom He comforted and forgave?
Has nobody any pity for Him?
Suddenly the crowd falls silent.
A woman, pale and tearful, is approaching Him, supported by her friends.
She defies the commands of soldiers and the scowls of the executions and comes close to Him.

Here and there, a murmur is heard – It must be His Mother, poor woman!
Jesus and Mary gaze at one another.
It would be impossible for us to guess at the immense depths of love contained in that loving exchange of glances.
Neither utters a word, for no words could express their anguish, nor manifest their love.
They look and understand one another, offering themselves as a holocaust for the redemption of wayward humanity.

Nevertheless, in this silent meeting, there was great consolation for the Heart of Jesus, for He had found someone who loved and understood Him, amongst those malicious throngs.
Why do we not sympathise with Him too and love Him with all our hearts?”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in LENTEN THOUGHTS, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 10 October – The Third Sorrowful Mystery – The Crowning with Thorns

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Third Sorrowful Mystery
The Crowning with Thorns

“This new torture was a diabolical invention decreed by no law or authority.
Purely for their own savage entertainment, the soldiers procured a bundle of thorned reeds, which they wound into the shape of a crown and pressed into Jesus’ head.

Mary knew what was going on.
She was there with the holy women when Pilate brought her bloodstained Son before the people and, their blasphemous yells pierced her tender heart.
Her mother’s heart felt the sharp thorns too but, she accepted this affliction with resignation, silently protesting against the insults of the crowd by acts of adoration and of love.
We should behave in this way also.
We should participate in the passion of Jesus, by offering our own sufferings and we should make acts of love and of self-surrender, in reparation for these acts of blasphemy!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LENTEN THOUGHTS, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 9 October – The Second Sorrowful Mystery – The Scourging

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Second Sorrowful Mystery
The Scourging

“Think about the manner in which Jesus was scourged.
His chaste body, is stripped by the jeering soldiers, His hands are tied and He is bound to a pillar.
The soldiers come forward with their whips and begin to beat Him mercilessly.
As His Blood flows freely to the ground, Jesus quivers with pain and emits a half-suppressed groan.
But fresh blows continue to rain down on His bruised flesh.
So the prophecy is fulfilled in which Isaias described the punishment of the chosen people, whose sins and whose chastisement, the divine Redeemer has chosen to take on Himself.
“From the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein – wounds and bruises and swelling sores …“ (Is 1:6).

By means of this fearful torment, Jesus willed to offer satisfaction in a special manner, for the sins of the flesh.
In ancient times, sins of impurity provoked the anger of God so much, that they were blotted out by the universal deluge.
Now these sins are still numberless, both in the pagan and, unfortunately, in the Christian world but, they are washed away by the saving Blood of Jesus Christ, Who came on earth to make reparation for all the iniquities of men.

Kiss the wounds of Jesus, bleeding and suffering.
Ask for pardon if you have on occasions, failed to preserve the purity of your body, the dwelling of your immortal soul and the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit.
Resolve to die rather than stain again, with impurity, the soul, which was redeemed and sanctified, by the precious Blood of the Redeemer.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING

Thought for the Day – 8 October – The First Sorrowful Mystery – The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The First Sorrowful Mystery
The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

The life of Mary, like that of her divine Son, was a life of suffering and of sacrifice.

When Simeon held the divine Child in his arms, he had prophesied: “This child is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel and, for a sign that shall be contradicted. And thy own soul, a sword shall pierce” (Cf Lk 2:35).
There was suffering from the very beginning – in the arduous journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to fulfil the obligation of the census; in the refusal of the people of Bethlehem to give shelter to the Holy Family; in the birth of Jesus in a cold cave; in the flight into Egypt to escape from the cruelty of Herod; in the loss of Jesus when He was twelve years old; in the hard life of a humble artisan in Nazareth; in the difficulties of the public life of Jeuse and, in the final tragedy which brought Jesus from Gethsemane to Calvary and, from Calvary to the sepulchre.

When faced with this spectacle of the Man-God and of His Mother Mary suffering for love of us, how can we complain that our own cross is too heavy?
How can we rebel against the merciful God Who afflicts us for our own good, purifies us with suffering and demands, that we should be detached from worldly things, so that we may give more thought to Heaven, for which our souls are destined?
To meditate on all that Jesus and Mary suffered for us, should be enough to make us embrace our cross generously and resign ourselves to the physical or moral afflictions which God sens us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, St JOSEPH

Thought for the Day – 7 October – The Fifth Joyful Mystery – The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fifth Joyful Mystery
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

“Mary and Joseph came, according to custom, to celebrate the feast of the Pasch in Jerusalem.
They took with them, Jesus, Who was now twelve years of age.
When the feast was over, the pilgrims came together to return to Nazareth.
As usual, they gathered in the temple to say a final prayer and then divided into two companies, one consisting of men, the other of women.
The children were assigned to either caravan.

At any rate, when the two groups came together for the night after a day’s journey, Mary and Joseph looked in vain for Jesus.
He could not be found in either caravan!
We can imagine how they suffered.
However, they returned without delay to Jerusalem to look for their Child.
They searched for three days.
At last, when they went into the Temple to pour out their troubles to God, they found Jesus, sitting among the doctors, who were amazed at the wisdom of His answers and of His questions.
There was joy and sorrow in Mary’s countenance as she regarded Him.
“Son,” she said gently. “why hast thou done so to us? Behold, in sorrow, thy father and I have been seeking thee.”
Jesus’ reply was also mild and at the same time, mysterious.
“How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”

Then He returned with them to Nazareth, where He remained “subject to them.”
But His mother, we are told, “kept all these things carefully in her heart” (Cf Lk 2:41-51).

This Mystery of the Rosary is, at the same time, joyful and sorrowful.
We can learn a good deal by meditating on it.
We can admire the divine wisdom of Jesus, Who, even from childhood, desired to reveal a little of the truth and also His obedience to Mary and Joseph, until He reached thirty years of age.
We can admire, too, His hidden life in the workshop in Nazareth, interrupted only by this brief demonstration of His divinity and the anxiety of Mary and Joseph to find Jesus when they had lost Him, as well as their delight when He was restored to them.

If we should ever have the great misfortune of losing Jesus, let us have recourse at once, to Mary and Joseph, who lost Him without any fault on their part, searched anxiously for Him and did not rest, until they had found Him. Amen”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS

Thought for the Day – 6 October – The Fourth Joyful Mystery – The Purification of Our Lady and The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fourth Joyful Mystery
The Purification of Our Lady and
The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple

“Since the fall of our first parents, human mothers have carried in their wombs, souls dead to grace and have given birth to children stained with sin.
Therefore, it is necessary for the waters of Baptism to confer on these infants, a second life, the supernatural life.
A ceremony of purification is also required for these mothers, a rite which was of obligation under the Old Law but, under the New Law, remains only as a pious custom.

The Blessed Virgin was not subject to the rule of sin.
By a special privilege, she was preserved free from the stain of original sin and was created and conceived in the fullness of grace.
Moreover, she became a mother, not by any human agency but, by the power of the Holy Spirit, which preserved intact, her angelic virginity.
For this reason, Mary was not bound by the Mosaic Law which laid down the ceremony of purification as necessary for all mothers.
Nevertheless, in order to give us an example of humility and of absolute obedience to the law of God, she chose to fulfil this sacred rite.

How well do we comply with the law of God, with the precepts of the Church and with the commands of our superiors who represent divine authority?
Perhaps we can excuse ourselves too easily from our obligations.
Perhaps we are not sufficiently ready to give good example to others.
We may evade the sacrifices which our duty demands of us, or we may fail to see God in the person who gives us our instructions.

Let us learn from the Blessed Virgin.
Even when she was not obliged to do so, she obeyed the law and gave us a wonderful example of humility and submission to Almighty God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thought for the Day – 5 October – The Third Joyful Mystery – The Birth of Jesus

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Third Joyful Mystery
The Birth of Jesus

“When God became man in order to instruct and redeem the lost and erring human race, the gesture would have been deprived of it’s real significance if He had chosen to be born in a palace, surrounded by the splendour of worldly glory and wealth.

It would have been meaningless, not only for God but also, for us, if He had abandoned the imperishable glory of Heaven and the infinite wealth of everlasting happiness, in order to assume the kind of earthly grandeur which, in His eyes is but a vanishing cloud.
What we needed, was to learn the way of humility and of detachment from worldly things, which can so easily lead us to forget the supernatural.
We needed someone to come and sanctify suffering, which purifies and elevates the soul.
We needed someone to appease divine justice on our behalf and to teach us, that the way of the cross, is the only one which can lead to Heaven.
This was why the Eternal Word of God became a poor and lowly infant, choosing a stable, rather than a palace and the little village of Bethlehem in Judea, in preference to the imperial city of Rome.
He wished His extreme poverty and deprivation, to be His first lesson to mankind.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The ANNUNCIATION

Thought for the Day – 4 October – The Second Joyful Mystery – Mary’s Visit to St Elizabeth

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Second Joyful Mystery
Mary’s Visit to St Elizabeth

“When the Angel told Mary that she had been chosen to be the Mother of God, he proceeded to reveal also the imminent birth of the Precursor of Jesus Christ.
Her cousin, Elizabeth, he told her, who had been sterile for such a long time, would soon have the joy of bearing a son.
When the Blessed Virgin heard this good news, she set out for a long and difficult journey to congratulate her cousin.

The devout soul is always motivated by charity and pays no attention to difficulties or obstacles because, the grace of God possesses it completely.
We also have received and, continue to receive, many graces from our Creator.
We were nothing and God gave us being.
We were in darkness and He gave us the light of faith.
We were slaves of sin and Jesus Christ broke the bonds in which the devil held us and gave us the freedom of the children of God.
We were exiles on this earth and God became our companion and our guide.
We hungered for the supernatural and, He nourished us with the divine Bread in which He gave Himself to us completely!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS

Thought for the Day – 3 October – The First Joyful Mystery – The Annunciation

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The First Joyful Mystery
The Annunciation

The Rosary is both a vocal and a mental prayer.
When reciting the first five decades, we should meditate on the principal joyful mysteriest of our faith, beginning with the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin.
In other words, during the first decade, we should visualise the scene described in the Gospel.

“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 art thou among women” (Lk 1:26-28).

Note the manner in which the Angel greets Mary.
He proclaims that she is full of grace, pleasing and acceptable to God.
He bows before her and says that she is blessed among women.
On previous occasions Angels had appeared to Patriarchs, Kings and Prophets but always, as superior beings bearing a command from Almighty God.
Why, then, does an Angel bow before this maiden and salute her with such reverence?
The reason is twofold.
Mary is the purest of creatures, immaculate from the moment of her conception; she is also destined to become the Mother of God, a destiny of quasi-infinite dignity.
Let we, poor sinners, bow before her also and beg her to obtain for us from God, the graces of forgiveness and of sanctification.
It is in this spirit of loving humility, that we should recite the first decade of the Holy Rosary.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 3 October – I Believe

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 October – Saturday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17, Psalms 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130, Luke 10:17-24

“I Believe”

“Whoever serves me must follow me,
so as to be with me
wherever I am…”

John 12:26

“But it is God,
who establishes us, with you in Christ
and has anointed us,
by putting his seal on us
and giving us his Spirit in our heart,
as a first instalment.”

St Paul
2 Corinthians 1:21

“Remember, then, that you received a spiritual seal,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of knowledge and reverence,
the spirit of holy fear.
Keep safe what you received.
God the Father sealed you,
Christ the Lord strengthened you
and sent the Spirit into your hearts
as the pledge of what is to come.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“Faith is to believe
what you do not see;
the reward of this faith,
is to see what you believe.”

“A person can do other things against his will
but belief is possible,
only in one who is willing.”

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

“If you wish to enter into life,
keep My commandments.
If you will know the truth,
believe in Me.
If you will be perfect,
sell all.
If you will be My disciple,
deny yourself.
If you will possess the blessed life,
despise this present life.
If you will be exalted in heaven,
humble yourself on earth.
If you wish to reign with Me,
carry the Cross with Me.
For only the servants of the Cross
find the life of blessedness
and of true light.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ Chapter 56

“If God had a wallet,
your picture would be in it.”

G K Chesterton (1874-1936)

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on ANGELS

Thought for the Day – 2 October – Our Guardian Angels

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

Our Guardian Angels

“Among the many expressions of God’s goodness towards us, is His designation of a heavenly spirit to accompany and to assist each of us on our journey through life.
The human eye cannot see him although, he is always on guard by our side.
Even while he is near us, he enjoys the beatific vision of God.

This is a wonderful thought.
During the day, when we are preoccupied with so many affairs which can cause us to forget God, our angel is beside us, to inspire us to love God more.
When we are asleep, he is watching over us and praying for our welfare.
When we pray, he gathers our feeble supplications and offers them to God.
When temptation presses hard, it is he who sustains us and encourages us to resist with Christian fortitude.
Finally, when by some misfortune we fall into grave sin because we have been deaf to the appeals of our Creator, he takes pity on us and inspires in us remorse for our misdeeds and the desire to be restored as soon as possible to God’s favour.

We should be deeply grateful to our kind Guardian Angel and should pray to him often, especially in times of spiritual or bodily danger.
We need his help when we are tempted or afflicted.
We should place much greater trust in him, remember that he is always close at hand to fulfil the mission entrusted to him by God of enlightening and directing us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on TIME, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thought for the Day – 1 October – The Month of the Holy Rosary

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

The Month of the Holy Rosary

“We should say the Rosary devoutly everyday.
This beautiful prayer is very pleasing to Our Lady and, the Church, is particularly anxious that we should recite it during the month of October.
Families which say the Holy Rosary together can hope for a special blessing from God and for the maternal protection of Mary.

If possible, every family should gather together in the evening and recite the Rosary before an image of our Blessed Mother.
If the parents set an example, their child will join them.
It is consoling to come together after the toil and trouble of the day, in order to confide our cares and hopes to Mary.

Do you say the Rosary everyday?
If you have neglected ths pious practice, begin today.
Do not plead lack of time.
There is time for so many other things, so surely, there is time to pray and to entrust ourselves, in a special way, to the protection of our heavenly Mother!
The practice of reciting the Holy Rosary will win for you, the blessing of God and the patronage of the Blessed Virgin.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MODESTY, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PURITY

Thought for the Day – 30 September – Christian Modesty

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

Christian Modesty

“We are told, that one day in the presence of St Francis de Sales, the beauty of a certain noble lady, his cousin, was being described. (Spirito p Vii, c 10)
The Saint described with simplicity: “I’ve heard this said by others also.”
Somebody remarked, that he himself often saw this young relative of his and, therefore, there was no need for others to tell him about her.
The Saint replied with the same holy simplicity: “It is true that I see her often but, I never stare at her.”
This simple but wise reply, underlines the difference between seeing and looking.

We are often obliged, in the ordinary course of living, or by reason of our position, to see many things which could be dangerous to our spiritual welfare.
There are many ugly things around us, although sometimes externally beautiful, which we cannot help seeing.
At home, on the street, in society, almost everywhere, we meet persons and things which constitute a threat to our virtue.
What are we to do?
We must see because, very often, we cannot help it but, we must never stare.

In other words, we should never fix our eyes on anything which would seriously disturb us.
If we experience the beginnings of any such disturbance, we should look elsewhere at once, raising our minds to God in silent prayer.
Delay could cost us our purity.
To guard it, we need the holy virtue of modesty, which St Thomas Aquinas calls, the moderating virtue (Summa Theologiae, II-II, q 160, a 1).
Not only, the Angelic Doctor observes, does it moderate but, it also directs our internal actions as well as our external ones, in such a way, that he, who possesses this beautiful virtue, has perfect control over his outward behaviour and over his inward dispositions (Ibid, q 160, a 2).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 29 September – Frequent Confession and Communion

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

Frequent Confession and Communion

“Among the efficacious means of self-sanctification, are frequent Confession and Holy Communion.
Confession purifies the soul of sin, into which, unfortunately, we continue to fall and confers sacramental grace, through which we are fortified against the assaults of the devil.
It also gives us an opportunity of being guided on the right road by our Confessor, who knows our secret failings and will give us, in God’s name, words of encouragement, comfort and spiritual direction.
We should frequently receive this Sacrament of God’s mercy – in fact, those who are striving after holiness, should go to Confession every week, or, at least every fortnight.
Even if we have not committed grave sin, when we examine ourselves before God, we shall find many faults and failings.
The Holy Spirit reminds us that, even the just man sins seven times a day, which means many times.
“The just man falls seven times” (Prov 24:16).
“If we say that we have no sin” writes St John, “we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8).
Since then, we are all poor sinners and Jesus, in His infinite goodness has given us this means of purifying our souls, we should not neglect to use it to remain in the state of grace.
Frequent Confession, is not difficult.
On the contrary, if we have the proper disposition, it can be a great comfort and consolation to us.
There is not greater solace than to possess the grace of God and to be pure and free from all sin.
Furthermore, by remaining in venial sin, we are in danger of drifting gradually into more grievous sin and, into a state of tepidity, which is so dangerous, as well as so displeasing to God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 28 September – Goodness and Christian Courtesy

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

Goodness and Christian Courtesy

“Christian perfection, when it is genuine and practical, should be reflected externally in our appearance, in our conversation and, in our behaviour.
Discourtesy, sharpness of manner, offensive speech and all that is rude or displeasing, are signs, that we are lacking or weak in virtue.

On the other hand, if we have succeeded in conquering all our evil inclinations and in regulating our interior faculties, so that they are subject to right reason and to the divine law, then our virtue will be reflected in our speech and in our actions.
It was this spiritual charm that made the Saints fascinating to those who knew them or came in contact with them, making them wish to reform their own lives and to strive towards perfection.
St Francis de Sales said, that courtesy is the frame of sanctity – as a picture without a frame is incomplete, so also is virtue, if it is not expressed externally by affability and gentleness.
In the Gospel, Jesus is not satisfied with interior virtue alone but insists, that it should appear outwardly in our actions.
“Even let your light shine before men,” He says, “in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Mt 5:16).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 27 September – Seeing God in All Things

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

Seeing God in All Things

“Very often, when things are not going our way, we become restless and irritable.
We want health and instead, we are sick.
We long for success and high position and instead, God humbles our pride and allows us to fall into sin, again and again.
We wish that affairs in our immediate surroundings, would proceed according to our liking but, in fact, everything happens in an entirely different way.
What is the remedy for the tension and annoyance which we experience on these occasions?
There is only one – we must see God in all the events and circumstances of life and do His will lovingly and generously.
Faith, says St Francis de Sales, is a ray of light from Heaven, which makes us see God in all things and all things in God.


It was his great disciples, St Jane Frances de Chantal, who wrote: “To be nothing, to be much; to be small, to command; to obey one person or another; to be humiliated or forgotten; to be poor or rich; to be underworked or overworked; to be alone or to be in company; to receive spiritual consolations or to experience aridity and temptation; to be healthy or to be sick and obliged to languish for years …. to live a long time or to die soon, perhaps immediately; all must be accepted from God. Our life must be like a great Amen which harmonises with that of the heavenly choirs…”

If we see the love of God in all things, in all happenings and in all the troubles of life, nothing will upset us or cause us excessive anguish.
We know that we are in good hands and that everything is arranged for our good! Amen”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 25 September – Fundamental Facts

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

Fundamental Facts

“Life is passing.
The days chase one another; time is flying.
Childhood has become a distant memory.
Perhaps youth and manhood have also passed and gone and we find ourselves on the threshold of old age.
All those days, months and years that have passed were gifts of God.
He gave them to us for our benefit and sanctification.
But what use have we made of them?
Have we laid up treasure for eternal life?
And, if we have not done so up to now, for what are we waiting?
Let us remember the old saying, that we should never put off till tomorrow, what we ca do today.
Today there is still time to turn from sin, regain sanctifying grace and lead a life of Christian perfection.
But tomorrow?
What do we know about tomorrow?
Tomorrow is in the hands of the Lord and we do not know if the Lord will grant us further time to make amends!

Do not say, therefore, that you will change tomorrow, that tomorrow you will turn away from the path of sin and begin to lead a holy life.
For not alone does time pass but, it often betrays us!
Our Lord tells us that the judgement will come at a time when we least expect it.
The time that is gone will never return; the future is uncertain; there remains, only the present.
But the present is equally uncertain; it is something that passes and, every moment could be the last of our lives.
How many whom we have known, were taken away suddenly in the flower of their youth …
Is that not a warning to us?

Let us do good while we have time; let us gain merit now, for eternal life. Amen”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 24 September – Faith

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

Faith

“A man without the light of faith is like a blind man groping in the dark.
The world which surrounds us is an inconceivable absurdity, unless, we have faith in a God who creates and orders.
Life is an aimless journey if it is not illuminated by faith in a Creator, Who will reward us.
Everything without us and within us, speaks to us of God and directs our steps towards Him, our supreme benefactor, our judge and our eternal reward.
The stars of the heavens and the flowers of the fields, tell us of the infinite beauty and goodness of their Creator.
In the pages of the Gospel, we find, a clearer and more penetrating light which invites us to adore and love the divine Redeemer and to believe in Him, Who alone, has the words of eternal life and Who alone can satisfy the infinite desires of our hearts.

All this is true.
Everything around us and within us leads us to God and invites us to have faith.
The virtue of faith, however, is a supernatural gift, which we must humbly and perseveringly beg from God.
It is, as St Thomas Aquinas says, the foundation of the entire spiritual life (Summa Theologiae,III,q 73, a 3); without it, the spiritual edifice would collapse.
How thankful, therefore, we should be to God for having been called to the faith and for having been born in the Catholic Church.
There are so many souls outside Her, who grope in the darkness, longing for the truth.
We should pray for them that they may reach the port of salvation and may be able to join with us in praising, loving and serving Our Lord Jesus Christ.
We should also be well aware that, as pointed out by St James, faith without good works is dead (Cf Js 2:17-20).
Even the devils believe, as St Augustine observes (De Caritate, 10) but, this does not help their salvation.
Besides faith, the love of God and love of our neighbour are necessary.
The result of this double charity, should be a gradual increase in good works.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 24 September – Depending Always on Jesus

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

Depending Always on Jesus

Virtue is difficult and life holds more trials than consolations.
Sometimes, we feel discouraged because virtue seems impossible and we fall so often, in spite of our best resolutions or because, our cross seems too heavy and we feel that we are overburdened.

Where will we find comfort in our sufferings and strength in our weakness?
“Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).
Go to Jesus and depend always on Him.

Difficulties will be overcome, the cross will grow lighter, the pain will be less severe, if we rely always on Jesus.
Isaias, the Prophet, placed these words on the lips of God: “I have made you and I will bear-I will carry and I will save” (Is 46:3).
At that time, Jesus had not yet come; He was not yet present among us with His doctrine, with His consoling spirt and with His Divine Eucharist.
Now things are different; we have Emmanuel, God with us!
Why, therefore, do we not allow ourselves to be carried by Him?
It is necessary for us to allow ourselves to be “Carried by the grace of God,” (Bk II, Ch 9) as The Imitation of Christ puts it.

If God is with us, who or what can prevail against us?

We must, as St Francis de Sales writes, lean on the arm of Jesus, as the child leans securely on the arm of it’s mother.
“It matters little,” he adds, “where she walks, on a grassy plain or on a steep path surrounded by precipices.”
She, is his mother and she carries him; that is enough to make him happy and content.
We must trust Jesus in this way, relying always on His support in joy and in sorrow, in moments of trial and in moments of satisfaction, in life and in death.
Let us not be afraid; Jesus is better and stronger than our earthly mother.
If He guides and supports us, we can be sure of Heaven, no matter what happens!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Our Morning Offering – 24 September – Above All That is Not You

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Our Morning Offering – 24 September – Thursday of the Twenty Fifth week in Ordinary Time

Above All That is Not You
Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

O most loving Jesus,
give me this special grace to rest in You
above all created things,
above all health and beauty,
above all glory and honour,
above all dignity and power,
above all knowledge and prudence,
above all riches and talents,
above all joy and gladness,
above all fame and praise,
above all sweetness and consolation,
above all hope and promise,
above all merit and desire,
above all gifts and rewards
that You may give or send –
except Yourself –
above all joy or happiness
that the human mind and heart
can grasp or feel,
above all Angels and Archangels,
above all the heavenly hosts,
above all things visible and invisible
and above all that is not You,
my God.
Amen

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Thought for the Day – 18 September – Filial and Servile Fear

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

Filial and Servile Fear

“We should not be afraid of God because He is our greatest benefactor and loves us infinitely.
When we are lost, He searches for us as a loving father would search for a wandering son.
Because they think only of the majesty and justice of God, some people keep themselves at a distance from Him, as Adam did, after he had sinned.
They forget that the Lord told Adam, the sinner, of the coming of the pardoning Redeemer (Gen 3:9).
Bossuet truly observes, that “after the curse which came upon men through sin, there has always remained, in their hearts, a certain dread of the supernatural, which prevents them from approaching God with confidence.”
Jansenism increased this fear, emphasising the justice and majesty of God, rather, than the infinite love of Jesus and the beauty of His teaching.

Some writers compare our souls with the divine majesty and justice, in order to stress our unworthiness but, they forget, that Jesus is “Meek and humble of heart,” that He forgave the penitent woman, the good thief and the adulteress and, had kind words for the lost sheep and the prodigal son.
They never think of the wonderful words of the beloved disciple: “God is love” (1 Jn 4:16).

This false fear of God, dries up our piety and lessens our trust in His mercy.
It can lead to moroseness, to scrupulosity and to discouragement.

We should avoid this excessive fear which separates us from God.
Even though we are sinful and unworthy, we should remember, that God is our loving Father, Who is always ready to help us and to grant us forgiveness.
We should recall, moreover, that out of love for us, He did not spare His own Son, (Cf Rom 8:32) but gave Him to us for our redemption.
If Jesus shed His blood and died for us, how can we doubt His love?!“

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 17 September – The Commandments and the Desires of Jesus Christ

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

The Commandments and the Desires of Jesus Christ

“Sanctity consists, in doing the will of God, in all things.
We can become perfect by doing His will, from the motive of love alone.
“He who has my commandments and keeps them,” said Jesus, “he it is who loves me. But he who loves me, will be loved by my Father and I will love him and manifest myself to him. If anyone love me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our abode with him” (Jn 14:21-23).

Do we wish to know if we love God sincerely?
The proof is this.
If we do His will and obey His precepts, it is a sign that we love him but, if we do not observe His commandments, we lie when we say we love Him.
We must, therefore, show our love, by observing in all things, the commandments of God.
He gave us these commandments our of love for us, so that, by observing them, we should be saved and should be happy with Him.
Even as He has given them out of love, we should observe them out of love, for He is our supreme and only good.
Just as Jesus lovingly did the will of His heavenly Father, from Bethlehem to Nazareth, from Nazareth to Calvary and from Calvary to Heaven, so we should follow in His footsteps, by doing the adorable will of God in all the circumstances of our lives, both joyful and sorrowful.
But, we must obey the divine will out of love, that is, because we love God whole-heartedly and above all created things.

Everything is easy to him who loves.
“When we love him who gives us orders,” says St Francis de Sales, “even the hardest of actions becomes easy.”

Let us examine ourselves.
Are we always ready to obey the commandments of God at any cost and would we die rather than offend Him?
Let us examine ourselves also, to see, if we do all this out of love for Jesus.
“He who does not love,” writes St John, “abides in death” (1 Jn 3:14).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 16 September – Christ’s Work in Us

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

Christ’s Work in Us

“It is not enough that Jesus live in us ; He must increase and act in us continually.
The Spiritual life is like natural life.
It cannot stop, for to halt would mean death!
If Jesus is our life, He should live in us with ever-increasing intensity.
Life is like a stairway, we are either going up or coming down.

If we continue to climb energetically towards Jesus, we shall be coming nearer to Christian perfection.
If, on the other hand, we halt, the supernatural life of Jesus in us, will begin to weaken.
Tepedity will replace fervour and sin will succeed tepidity.
It is difficult to remain unchanged because, life involves movement.
‘Jesus Christ,” writes St Augustine, “was born a baby but, He did not remain one. He grew to boyhood, to adolescence and then, to maturity.”

It is necessary for us to grow also.
More precisely, it is necessary that Jesus grow continuously in us through faith, charity and good works.
“Court the good,” admonishes St Paul, “from a good motive always … until Christ is formed in you” (Gal 4:18-19).

It is not enough that Christ be born in us, it is necessary that He increase to the fullness of perfection (Cf Eph 4:13-16).
“Jesus increases daily,” writes Origen, “in the soul of the holy and just man, which mirror His grace, His wisdom and His sanctity. In the soul of the unfortunate sinner, however, Christ decreases and dies.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 15 September – Mary’s Patience 2

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

Mary’s Patience 2

“We also have our share of suffering and humiliation.
It is useless to try and escape from it, useless to rebel against it.
If we embrace the cross patiently and lovingly, a Jesus and Mary did, it will seem lighter, even welcome.
If we attempt to cast it from us, it will weigh more heavily on our shoulders.
There are two kinds of men, those who bear their cross, patiently and embrace it because they wish to be like Jesus and, those who do not want to suffer and rebel.
The former may stagger beneath their daily burden but, they have peace of soul because they are putting into practice, the great Gospel precept: “By your patience, you will win your souls” (Lk 21:19).
They know that they are on the path to Heaven and this thought is consolation, which cannot be taken from them.
The second group of men, rebel against the cross and, therefore, suffer doubly, in body and in soul.
“The senseless man,” the Holy Spirit says, “loves not to be reproved” (Prov 15:12).

To which of these two categories do we belong?
Do we love our cross, or do we carry it patiently, at least?
Anyone who does not want the cross, does not want Jesus.
Let the example of Mary and of the Saints inspire us.
They always bore their burden patiently, they even looked for suffering and humiliation.
If we cannot reach such heroic heights, let us at last, accept, from the hands of Our Lord, the cross which He offers us.
Let us accept the sufferings which we meet on the way of life.
If we are not heroic enough to seek to be unknown and mortified, let us resolve to accept, patiently, the inevitable sorrows of life.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 14 September – My Life is Christ

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

My Life is Christ

“St Paul reached such a degree of union with Christ that he could exclaim” “To me to live is Christ” (Phil 1:21).
Elsewhere he says” “It is now no longer I that live but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
This is a characteristic of the Saints.
They live their own lives no longer, for they live the life of Christ.
That is to say, their minds and hearts are always fixed on Jesus.
They love the Lord, more than all things and, more than themselves.
God is the object of all their desires, affections and actions.
As a result, the soul is transfigured and is infused with divine life, so that it does nothing which is not activated by grace.
In the Saints, then, there is reflected something heavenly which attracts and stimulates one to virtue.

The Saints preached effectively in simple, unadorned language, as in the case of the Cure of Ars.
But, their most effective sermon was the example of their lives.
They could say with St Paul: “To me to live is Christ.”
They could repeat the thought of St Jerome: “Christ is the breath of my lips.”
Like St John Chrysostom, they could say: “My heart is the heart of Christ.”
They could say with St Augustine: “I am only an instrument in the service of Christ” and, with St Anselm: “My eyes are the eyes of Christ.”

When we meditate on these words, which signify the height of sanctity, we feel very small, shabby and far from the Christian perfection to which we should aspire.
Perhaps we are still immersed in sin, or perhaps, we are wavering between the things of this world and the things of God, or perhaps, as yet, we have not given up our egoism and complacent mediocrity in order to offer ourselves entirely to God.
Real Christianity demands that we renounce ourselves, live the life of Christ and, make every effort to acquire perfection.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thought for the Day – 13 September – The Redemption

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

The Redemption

“The Incarnation of God, was sufficient to have saved us.
It would have been enough for God made man, to have offered Himself to God, for our redemption in a single act of love.
Every act of Jesus, the God-Man, had infinite value and was, therefore, sufficient to be offered to the Father as an infinite satisfaction for all our sins.

But, if Jesus had desired to show more clearly His great love for us, He could have offered Hi sufferings as a child in the cold cave at Bethlehem, when He lay whimpering on a wretched straw bed.
He could have offered the sorrow of His exile in Egypt, He could have offered a single drop of His Precious Blood , during the ceremony of the circumcision.
He could have offered the difficulties and privations of His simple working life at Nazareth, or the fatiguing exertions of His apostolic journeys.
All these, would have been more than enough to have made amends to the divine Father for all the sins of humanity, to have ransomed us from the devil and to have restored to us, God’s grace and love.
But in God, everything is infinite.
His love has no limit.
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart,” He as commanded men “and with thy whole soul and with thy whole strength and with they whole mind and thy neighbour as thyself.”
He, Himself, did infinitely more than this, however, Jesus was not satisfied merely to love us, His brothers by adoption, as He loved Himself but, He wished to love us “more than He loved Himself. Greater love than this no-one has,” He said, “that one lay down his life for his friends” (1 Jn 15:13).
This was what he Himself did.
Sinful though we are, He called us friends.
“You are my friends” (Jn 15:14).
Out of love for us, He gave Himself entirely.
He perspired blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter and, abandoned by the Apostles, He was bound like a criminal, insulted, scourged, crowned with thorns, condemned to death and burdened with a cross; finally, when He arrived at Calvary, He was nailed to the gibbet, where He shed His Precious Blood and gave His life for our redemption.
Such was the extent of Jesus’ infinite love for us.

“Calvary” writes St Francis de Sales,“is the school of love.”
The Saints were moved to tears by the strange spectacle of God-made-man, dying on the Cross for men.
What is our reaction?“

Antonio Cardinal Bacci