Category: St Francis de Sales

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on KINDNESS, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales, The ANNUNCIATION

Quote/s of the Day – 17 July – The Feast of the Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 July – The Feast of the Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“The most holy Virgin, Our Lady,
gave us an outstanding example of this
when she spoke these words:
“Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord,
let it be done to me according to your word”
(Lk 1:38). When she said she was
the handmaid of the Lord,
she was performing the greatest act of humility
it is possible to do and,
all the more so, in that she was contradicting
the praise given her by the Angel –
that she would be Mother of God,
that the child to be born from her womb
would be called Son of the Most High, a greater dignity than any we might imagine –
I say, she opposed her lowliness
and unworthiness to all these praises
and greatness, by saying
that she was the handmaid of the Lord.”

“True humility scarecly ever
utters words of jumility.”

“Humility, makes our lives acceptable to God,
meekness, makes us acceptable to men.”

“Humility is not just about self-mistrust
but about the entrusting of ourselves to God.
Distrusting ourselves and our own strength
produces trust in God
and from that trust,
generosity of soul is born.”

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

Posted in "Follow Me", CATHOLIC Quotes, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 July – ‘ … When we do abandon all, Our Lord takes care of all …’

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One Minute Reflection – 17 July– “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Feast of The Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary – St Alexius –1 Timothy 6:6-12, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands,
for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29

REFLECTION – “WE MUST POSSESS a continual and imperturbable equanimity, amid the great variety of human occurrences and although, all things change around us, remain immovable, with our eyes fixed on God alone.
And, although, all things, I will not merely say around us but even within us, should turn topsy-turvy; whether our souls be joyful or sorrowful, in peace or in trouble, in light or in darkness, in temptation or in repose, in happiness or in disgust, although the sun scorch, or the dew refresh – we should always keep our will fixed on the good pleasure of God, as its sole and supreme object.

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( Consoling Thoughts on God and Providence).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants, that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness both of mind and body and, by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, maybe delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness.ThroughJesus 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 CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on the ANTI-christ, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, St Francis de Sales, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 13 July – My Church

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – St Anacletus (c25-c89) 3rd Bishop of Rome and Martyr – 1 Petet 5:1-4; 5:10-11: Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And I say to thee: That thou art Peter
and upon this rock, I will build My Church
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Matthew 16:18

“… About the fourth watch of the night,
He came towards them, walking upon the sea …”

Mark 6:48

“In the expression “fourth watch of the night”
we find the number corresponding
to the signs of His care.
Thus, the first watch was that of the Law;
the second, that of the Prophets;
the third, that of His coming in the flesh;
the fourth is situated in His return in glory.
But He will find the Church declining
and hemmed in by the spirit of the Antichrist
and all the distresses of this world.
He will come when anxieties and afflictions
are at their height …
The disciples will be terrified
even by the coming of the Lord,
fearing the images of a reality distorted by Antichrist and by the deceitful imaginations infiltrating their sight.
But our good Lord will speak to them directly,
casting out their fear and saying:
“It is I”, dispersing their fear of imminent shipwreck
by faith in His coming! ”

St Hilary (315-368)
Bishop of Poitiers,
Father & Doctor of the Church

“We, as Catholics,
are not permitted to believe
anything of our own will,
nor to choose, what someone has believed,
of his [own will].
We have God’s Apostles as authorities,
who did not themselves, of their own wills,
choose anything of what they wanted to believe
but faithfully transmitted,
to the nations,
the teachings of Christ.”

St Isidore of Seville (c560-636)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“Let us trust in Him. Who has
placed this burden upon us.
What we ourselves cannot bear,
let us bear, with the help of Christ.
For He is All-powerful
and He tells us:
‘My yoke is easy and my burden light.’”

St Boniface (c672-754) Martyr

“Thus we do not say that the Pope
cannot err in his private opinions,
as did John XXII;
or be altogether a heretic,
as perhaps Honorius was.
Now, when he, [the Pope],
is explicitly a heretic,
he falls ipso facto, from his dignity
and OUT of the Church! …

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

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 July – ‘ … When we do abandon all, Our Lord takes care of all …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 4 July– “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Within the Octave of Sts Peter and Paul – Acts 5:12-16, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands,
for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29

REFLECTION – “WE MUST POSSESS a continual and imperturbable equanimity, amid the great variety of human occurrences and although, all things change around us, remain immovable, with our eyes fixed on God alone.
And, although, all things, I will not merely say around us but even within us, should turn topsy-turvy; whether our souls be joyful or sorrowful, in peace or in trouble, in light or in darkness, in temptation or in repose, in happiness or in disgust, although the sun scorch, or the dew refresh – we should always keep our will fixed on the good pleasure of God, as its sole and supreme object.

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( Consoling Thoughts on God and Providence).

PRAYER – God, Who hast consecrated this day to the Martyrdom of Thy Apostles Peter and Paul, give Thy Church a precept to follow them in all things. 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 CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 1 July– No other way …

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 July– “The Feast and Month of the Most Precious Blood”

“Carry me, O Christ,
on Thy Cross
which is salvation to the wanderer,
rest for the wearied
and, in which alone,
is Life for those who die.”

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

Excerpt from the Prayer
to the Five Wounds of Jesus
By St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

I pray Thee, O most gentle Jesus,
that having redeemed me
by Baptism from original sin,
so now, by Thy Precious Blood,
which is offered and received,
throughout the world,
deliver me from all evils,
past, present and to come.
And by Thy most bitter Death,
give me a lively faith,
a firm hope
and perfect charity,
so that I may love Thee
with all my heart and all my soul
and all my strength.
Make me firm and steadfast in good works
and grant me perseverance in Thy service,
so that I may be able to please Thee always.
Amen.

“Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judeaorum –
Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.”
John 19:19

“HE DIED, THEN
But although He died for us and was lifted up on the Cross,
those who refuse to look upon Him, will surely die,
for there is no other redemption but in this Cross.

O God, how spiritually beneficial and profitable
is a consideration of Thy Cross and Passion!
Can we contemplate our Saviour’s humility on the Cross,
without becoming humble and,
having some affection for humiliations?
Can we see His obedience, without being obedient?
Certainly not!
No-one has ever looked upon Our Lord Crucified
and remained dead or sick.
On the other hand, all who have died,
have done so because.
they were unwilling to gaze upon Him,
just as the Israelites died.
who were unwilling to gaze upon the serpent
which Moses had raised upon the pole.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, St Francis de Sales, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 June – Confessing Christ

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 June – Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – Acts 12:1-11; Matthew 16:13-19 – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

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

Matthew 16:16

“… Now you must be, for a little time,
made sorrowful in divers temptations.
That the trial of your faith,
(much more precious than gold
which is tried by the fire)
may be found unto praise and glory
and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 1:6-7

“And all who wish to live
piously in Christ Jesus,
will suffer persecution.”

2 Timothy 3:12

“What is the surest kind of witness?
“Anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ
came among us in the flesh” (cf 1 Jn 4:2)
and who keeps the commands of the Gospel…
How many there are, each day,
of these hidden martyrs of Christ
who confess the Lord Jesus!
… So be faithful and courageous
in interior persecutions,
so that you may also win
the victory in exterior persecutions.”

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

“It is an old custom
with the servants of God,
always to have some little prayers ready
and to be darting them up to Heaven
frequently during the day,
lifting their minds to God
out of the filth of this world.
He who adopts this plan,
will get great fruit, with little pains.”

St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

“He who most loves,
will be most loved.”

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

Posted in CATECHESIS, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, Hail MARY!, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, St Francis de Sales, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, To JESUS through MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – – Mother of Perpetual Succour

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Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – – Mother of Perpetual Succour

“Let not your heart be disturbed.
Do not fear that sickness,
nor any other sickness or anguish.
Am I not here, who is your Mother?
Are you not under my protection?
Am I not your health?
Are you not happily within my fold?
What else do you wish?
Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything!”

Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego
9 December 1531

“Gracious Lady,
you are a Mother and Virgin,
you are the Mother
of the body and soul
of our Head and Redeemer,
you are also truly Mother
of all the members of Christ’s Mystical Body.
For through your love,
you have co-operated
in the begetting of the faithful in the Church.
Unique among women,
you are Mother and Virgin,
Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ.
You are the beauty and charm of earth, O Virgin.
You are, forever, the image of the holy Church.
Through a woman came death,
through a woman came life!
yes, through you, O Mother of God.“

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

Whenever I Say Hail Mary
Blessed Alain de la Roche (1428-1475)

Whenever I say Hail Mary,
The Court of Heaven rejoices
And the earth is lost in wonderment
And I despise the world
And my heart is brim full
Of the love of God.

When I say Hail Mary,
All my fears wilt and die
And my passions are quelled.

If I say Hail Mary,
Devotion grows within me
And sorrow for sin awakens.

When I say Hail Mary,
Hope is made strong in my breast
And the dew of consolation
Falls on my soul
more and more,
Because I say Hail Mary.
And my spirit rejoices,
And sorrow fades away
When I say …
Hail Mary!

“Let me now say something of the devotion
which we ought to have toward this holy Virgin.
The worldly-minded imagine
that devotion to Our Lady
usually consists in carrying a Rosary in their cincture.
It seems to them that, it is enough,
to pray it a number of times without doing anything else.
In this, they are greatly mistaken!
For our dear Mistress wants us to do
what her Son commands us [Jn 2:5]
and, considers as done to herself,
the honour we give to her Son,
by keeping His commandments.”

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

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GUARDIAN ANGELS - Prayers etc, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUTH, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, St Francis de Sales, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 26 June – ‘Why do you put yourself in trouble? …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 June – Ecclesiasticus 44:10-15, Luke 12:1-8 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings?
And yet not one of them is forgotten before God.
Yes, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Therefore, do not be afraid, you are of more value t
han many sparrows.”

Luke 12:6-7

“[He] hath called you out of darkness
into His marvellous Light … ”

1 Peter 2:9

“In the world you will have tribulation.
But take heart, I have conquered the world.”
John 16:33

“Who will be crowned without having fought?
Who will go to rest if he is not tired
(cf. 2 Tim 2:5-6)?
Who will gather the fruits of life
without having planted virtues in his soul?
Cultivate them, prepare the earth
with the greatest care,
take trouble over it, sweat over it,
children, God’s workers,
imitators of the Angels,
competitors with incorporeal beings,
lights for those who are in the world.
(cf. Phil 2:15)!”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)

“Fear is a greater evil
than the evil itself.”

(Letters to Persons in the World, VI, 12)

“Why do you put yourself in trouble?
God is good; He sees very well what you are.”

(Letters to Persons in Religion, III, 16)

“The good Angels are around you,
like a company of Sentinels on guard!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“We think not enough of this Truth –
that God is present with us
that He sees our thoughts,
even long before we have them.
That He knows what we think
and shall think, better than we ourselves
that He sees the folds and recesses,
of our heart
and of this other Truth –
that NOTHING HAPPENS to us
but by the order of Providence.
We should all be Saints,
if we well apprehended these Truths.
And truly, it is a great consolation,
to know that God sees
the bottom of our heart.”

St Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641)
Disciple and Collaborator with
St Francis de Sales in Founding
the Sisters of the Visitation

Posted in CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales

Quote/s of the Day – 25 June – ‘The one who walks in the love of God seeks neither gain nor reward …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – St William (1085-1142) Abbot – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6; Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And everyone who has left house,
or brethren, or sisters, or father,
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands
for My Name’s sake,
shall receive a hundredfold
and shall possess life everlasting.”

Matthew 19:29

“The one who walks in the love of God
seeks neither gain nor reward
but seeks only, with the will,
to lose self and all things, for God
and this loss, the lover judges to be a gain! ”

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

The poor in spirit (Mt 5:3) give generously
all they have and their pleasure consists
in being thus deprived of everything
for God’s sake and out of love for their neighbour …”

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

“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 CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on the POOR, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, SAINT of the DAY, St Francis de Sales, St PAUL!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 June– Shall receive a hundredfold … Matthew 19:29

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One Minute Reflection – 25 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – St William (1085-1142) 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 – O God, Who made Thy Saints an example and a help for our weakness, grant us, as we walk the path of salvation, so to venerate the virtues of the blessed Abbot William that we may obtain his intercession and follow in his footsteps. 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).

“JESUS, meek and humble of HEART, make my heart like unto Thine.” – 300 Days, EVERYTIME. (Unless otherwise stated, e.g., “once a day,” a partial Indulgence may be gained any number of times in succession.) St Pope Pius X, 15 September 1905.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, St Francis de Sales, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 19 June – ‘ … This oil – some exceedingly great thing … ‘

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 June – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18, 11:1-2; Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But the wise took oil
in their vessels”
Matthew 25:4

“It is some great thing,
some exceedingly great thing
that this oil signifies.
… “If I speak with the tongue of mortals
and of angels but do not have love,
I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
This is charity.
It is “that way above the rest,” which is,
with good reason, signified by the oil.
For oil swims above all liquids.
If you keep the usual order, it will be uppermost,
if you change the order, it will be uppermost.
“Charity never fails!”

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

“Give me grace,
to amend my life
and to have an eye to mine end,
without grudge of death,
which, to them,
who die in You,
good Lord,
is the gate of a wealthy life.”

St Thomas More (1478-1535)
Martyr

“Love consists,
not in feeling great things
but, in having great detachment
and in suffering for the Beloved.”

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

“To love our neighbour, in charity,
is to love God, in man.”

(Treatise on the Love of God Book 10 Chapter 11)

“We should always love our neighbour,
as in the breast of Christ”

(The Spirit of St François de Sales II, 1)

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

Posted in CHRIST the KING, DOCTORS of the Church, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, St Francis de Sales

Our Morning Offering – 18 June – May the Heart of Jesus be the King of My Heart!

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Our Morning Offering – 18 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” –

May the Heart of Jesus
be the King of My Heart!
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

May Thy Heart dwell
always, in our hearts!
May Thy Blood ever flow,
in the veins of our souls!
O Sun of our hearts,
Thou give life to all things,
by the rays of Thy goodness!
I will not go,
until Thy Heart
has strengthened me,
O Lord Jesus!
May the Heart of Jesus
be the King of my heart!
Blessed be God forever!
Amen

Posted in CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, HOLY COMMUNION, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on LOVE, St Francis de Sales, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The RESURRECTION

Quote/s of the Day – 3 June – The Holy Eucharist is …

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” –

“The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love.
It signifies Love,
It produces love.
The Eucharist is the consummation
of the whole spiritual life.”

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor angelicus/Doctor communis

“The Holy Eucharist
is the perfect Communion of Saints,
for it is the food common to Angels
and sainted souls in Paradise
and ourselves – it is the true Bread
of which all Christians participate.
The forgiveness of sins,
the Author of forgiveness being there, is confirmed;
the seed of our resurrection sown,
life everlasting bestowed. …
This very belief in the Most Holy Sacrament,
which, in truth, reality and substance,
contains the true and natural
Body of Our Lord,
is actually the abridgment of our Faith,
according to that of the Psalmist:
“He had made a memory of His wonderful works.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in DEVOTIO, INDULGENCES, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, PARTIAL Indulgence, PLENARY Indulgences, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, SACRED HEART QUOTES, St Francis de Sales

Devotion for June – THE MONTH OF THE MOST SACRED HEART of JESUS

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1 June – Devotion for June – THE MONTH OF THE MOST SACRED HEART of JESUS

In 1899, Pope Leo XIII Consecrated the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Since then, his successors have exhorted the faithful to turn to the Sacred Heart and make Acts of personal Consecration. They have also begged the faithful to offer prayers and penances to the Sacred Heart in reparation for the many sins of the world.

In his Encyclical on the Sacred Heart entitled Haurietis Aquas (“You Will Draw Waters”) Pope Pius XII notes that the genesis of the devotion to the Sacred Heart lies in the Covenant of Love from the Old Testament. He writes that “in the New Testament, the love which breathes from the Gospel, from the letters of the Apostles and the pages of the Apocalypse, all portray the Love of the Heart of Jesus.” He is linking this devotion to the Old Testament which was brought to life in Christ in the New Testament.

In the early 17th Century, Devotion to the Sacred Heart was given considerable attention in the preaching and writings of St John Eudes, known as “The Apostle of the Two Holy Hearts.”

St Francis (1567-1622) in his “Treatise on the Love of God,” lays out the foundation of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. St Francis would greatly influence St Jane Frances de Chantal who was the Foundress of the Sisters of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the very Order which St Margaret Mary Alacoque VHM. (1647-1690), the Visionary of the Sacred Heart, would later join.

Our Lord appeared to St Margaret Mary, perhaps close to forty times. The first apparition occurred in the Visitation Chapel at Paray-le-Monial on 27 December 1673. The last apparition occurred less than two years later in June 1675. She saw His heart engulfed in flames and surrounded by thorns and heard His gentle voice:

“Behold this Heart which has so loved men that It spares nothing…to prove to them It’s love.   And, in return, I receive from the greater part of men, nothing but ingratitude, by the contempt, irreverence, sacrileges and coldness with which they treat Me in this Sacrament of Love.

I thirst, I burn with a consuming desire for men’s love and I find none to quench this thirst, according to My wish, by making any return of love.”

From her cloister, St Margaret Mary promoted the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, First Friday Devotion, The Twelve Promises and the Holy Hour of Reparation.

The Sacred Heart Enthronement desires to follow in the footsteps of Saints who came before and hold true to the basic request of Jesus to St.Margaret Mary, “I will bless the home in which the Image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honoured.”

Sweet Heart of my JESUS, Make me love Thee ever more and more! – 300 Days Indulgence Once a day, Plenary Once a month – Blessed Pope Pius IX – 26 November 1876

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, HOLY COMMUNION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 31 May – Corpus Christi

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Quote/s of the Day – 31 May – Within the Octave of Corpus Christi

“He who eats My Flesh
and drinks My Blood,
abides in Me and I in him. ”

John 6:57

“The Saviour has instituted
the most glorious Sacrament
of the Eucharist,
which truly contains His Body and His Blood,
so that, whoever eats it will live forever.
Therefore, those who receive it frequently,
with devotion, strengthen their spiritual life
and well-being, to such an extent,
that it is almost impossible for them
to be poisoned by any kind of evil attachment.”

(Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, Chapter 20)

“I often speak with my Teacher, Jesus,
in the Blessed Sacrament
because I learn from Him.
Jesus is the Teacher of the science of holiness.
I go to Him because I would like to learn,
from Him, how to become a Saint.
Of what use to me is all knowledge
and education, if I do not become holy?”

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

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on WISDOM, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 April – ‘ … There is no doubt at all, that Saint Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon …’

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One Minute Reflection – 24 April – The Octave Day of the Patronage of St Joseph – St Fidelis of Sigmaringen OFM Cap (1577-1622) Martyr – Genesis 49:22-26; Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “How faithful in humility was the great Saint we are celebrating! That cannot be said in all its perfection for, in spite of what he was, in what poverty and lowliness he lived all the days of his life, a poverty and lowliness beneath which he kept hidden and concealed his great virtues and dignity!… Truly, I have no doubt at all, that the angels came, beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank, to behold and wonder at his humility, while he sheltered that dearest Child, in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment, so as to feed the little Boy and the mother entrusted to him.

There is no doubt at all, that Saint Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon, [who were his ancestors]. Nevertheless, seeing him reduced to the exercise of carpentry, who could have discerned this, unless they were enlightened by a heavenly light, so hidden did he keep the remarkable gifts, with which God had favoured him?

And what wisdom did he not have? For God gave him, His most glorious Son to care for… the universal Prince of heaven and earth… Nevertheless, you can see how low and humbled he was brought, more than can be said or imagined… he went to his own country and town of Bethlehem and none but he, was turned away from all those inns…

Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands. He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes, he orders him to return and he returns. God wants him to be always poor… and he submits to it with love and not only for a while, for he was poor his whole life long.”- St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church – Conferences, no. 19

PRAYER – God, Who didst vouchsafe to enkindle in blessed Fidelis, the fire of Thy Seraphim and to glorify his toil, to give men a true knowledge of Thee, didst by the Palm-branch of Martyrdom and by great signs and wonders, be entreated, we beseech Thee, for his sake and by his prayers and so, establish us in the knowledge and love of thee, that we also, like him, may be found faithful even unto death, in serving of Thee.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 CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Lady POVERTY, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on WISDOM, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 April– ‘… God gave him his most glorious Son to care for …’

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One Minute Reflection – 19 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Within the Octave of the Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph – Genesis 49:22-26; Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “How faithful in humility was the great Saint we are celebrating! That cannot be said in all its perfection for, in spite of what he was, in what poverty and lowliness he lived, all the days of his life – a poverty and lowliness beneath which. he kept hidden and concealed, his great virtues and dignity! … Truly, I am free of doubt that the Angels came, beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank, to behold and wonder at his humility, while he sheltered that dearest Child in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment, so as to feed the little Boy and the Mother entrusted to him.

There is no doubt at all that St Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon [who were his ancestors]. Nevertheless, seeing him reduced to the exercise of carpentry, who could have discerned this, unless they were enlightened by a heavenly light, so hidden did he keep the remarkable gifts with which God had favoured him? And what wisdom did he not have? For God gave him his most glorious Son to care for … the universal Prince of Heaven and earth … Nevertheless, you can see how low and humbled he was brought, more than can be said or imagined … he went to his own Country and Town of Bethlehem and none but he was turned away from all those inns … Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands. He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes; he orders him to return and he returns. God wants him to be always poor … and he submits to it with love and, not only for a while, for he was poor his whole life long!” – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church (Conferences No 20)

PRAYER – O God, Who in Thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant that now that he is in heaven with Thee, we ,who on earth, do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be assisted by the succour of his prayers to Thee on our behalf. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect)

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, St Francis de Sales

Our Morning Offering – 19 April – Glorious St Joseph!

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Our Morning Offering – 19 April – Within the Octave of the Patronage of St Joseph

Glorious St Joseph!
Prayer for the Intercession
of St Joseph in All Our Needs
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Glorious St Joseph, Spouse of Mary,
grant us thy paternal protection,
we beseech thee, by the Heart of Jesus Christ.
O thou, whose power extends
to all our necessities
and can render possible for us,
the most impossible things.
Open thy fatherly eyes
to the needs of thy children.
In the trouble and distress
which afflicts us,
we confidently have recourse to thee.
Deign to take under thy charitable charge
this important and difficult matter,
cause of our worries.
Make its happy outcome
be for God’s glory
and for the good of His devoted servants.
Amen

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on CHASTITY, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – Within the Octave of the Patronage of St Joseph

“So, taking Christ’s genealogy from Joseph –
a husband in chastity,
he was father in the same way. …
Are you saying that he did not conceive Jesus
through the operation of nature?
Well then, what the Holy Spirit operated,
He did for them both.
For Joseph was “a just man,” Matthew tells us (1:19).
Both husband and wife were just.
The Holy Spirit dwelt within their mutual justice
and gave each of them, a Son!”

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

“God, to Whom Angels submit themselves
and Who Principalities and Powers obey,
was subject to Mary
and not only to Mary
but Joseph too, for Mary’s sake …
God obeyed a human creature;
this is humility without precedent.
A human creature commands God!
it is sublime beyond measure!

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father & Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

“Since God could choose for the Guardian of His Son,
the man in the world, the most accomplished
in all sorts of perfections,
according to the dignity
and excellence of his Charge,
Who was His most Glorious Son,
the universal Prince of Heaven and earth,
how could it be that being able,
He did not will it and did not do it?
There is, then, NO DOUBT that St Joseph
was endowed with all the graces
and all the gifts that were required
for the care which the Eternal Father
willed to give him,
of the temporal and domestic economy
of our Lord and of the guidance of his family … ”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in "Follow Me", CARMELITES, CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MEEKNESS, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, St Francis de Sales, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The LAMB of GOD, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 April – Take God for your Spouse and Friend …

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Ferial Day – Wednesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10; John 20:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My Lord and my God.”

John 20:28

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I Am meek and humble of heart
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For My yoke is easy and My burden light.”

Matthew 11:29-30

“If we wish to make any progress
in the service of God,
we must begin everyday of our life,
with new eagerness.
We must keep ourselves,
in the presence of God,
as much as possible
and have no other view or end,
in all our actions
but the Divine honour.”

St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)

“Take God for your Spouse and Friend
and walk with Him continually
and you will not sin and will learn to love
and the things you must do
will work out prosperously for you.”

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

“You will begin to taste, even in this life,
a foretaste of eternal life,
for the principal beatitude of the soul in Heaven,
is to be confirmed forever in the Will of the Father.
Thus, it tastes the divine sweetness.
But it will never taste it in Heaven,
if it is not clothed with it on earth,
where we are pilgrims and travellers.
When it is clothed with it, it tastes God
by grace in its troubles; its memory will be full
of the Blood of the Lamb without blemish;
its mind will be opened and contemplate
the ineffable love that God has made known
in the Wisdom of His Son and the love it finds,
in the Holy Spirit’s goodness, casts out self-love
and love for created things, to love only God.
So do not be afraid … but suffer with joy,
so as to conform yourself to the Will of God.””

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in "Follow Me", APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ON the SAINTS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY NAME, The RESURRECTION, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 9 April – “My Lord and my God.”

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Tuesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20. 19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My Lord and my God.”

John 20:28

“To one who has faith,
no explanation is necessary.
To one without faith,
no explanations is possible.”

“If then, you are looking for the way
by which you should go,
take Christ, for He, Himself, is the Way.”

Grant Me Grace,
O Merciful God
Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus & Doctor Communis
which he was accustomed to recite everyday
before the image of Christ.

Grant me grace,
O merciful God,
to desire ardently
all that is pleasing to Thee,
to examine it prudently,
to acknowledge it truthfully
and to accomplish it perfectly,
for the praise
and glory of Thy Name.
Amen

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus / Doctor Communis

“Keep yourself faithfully
in the presence of God;
avoid hurry and anxiety,
for there are no greater obstacles
to our progress in perfection.
Have an unlimited confidence
in His mercy and goodness.”

“Our greatest fault is, that
we wish to serve God in our way,
not in His way — according to our will,
not according to His will….
To be truly a Saint, it is necessary
to be one according to the will of God.”

“Alas, how the faith of Jesus’ Apostles
is shaken after His Crucifixion!
Assembled in a room with closed doors,
they are filled with fear.
Then Jesus enters, stands in their midst
and greets them: ‘Peace be with you.’ …
Without the presence of our Saviour,
they felt timid and lacked strength.
Such is the case when one is without God.
They were afraid.
Like a ship tossed in a storm without a pilot,
such was this poor boat.
Our Lord appears to His disciples
to bring relief to their fear.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CARMELITES, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on ANGELS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 April – [He] hath called you out of darkness …

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Easter Saturday – 1 Peter 2:1-10, John 20:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“[He] hath called you out of darkness
into His marvellous Light … ”

1 Peter 2:9

“Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid.”

John 14:27

“In the world you will have tribulation.
But take heart, I have conquered the world.”
John 16:33

“Who will be crowned without having fought?
Who will go to rest if he is not tired
(cf. 2 Tim 2:5-6)?
Who will gather the fruits of life
without having planted virtues in his soul?
Cultivate them, prepare the earth
with the greatest care,
take trouble over it, sweat over it,
children, God’s workers,
imitators of the Angels,
competitors with incorporeal beings,
lights for those who are in the world
(cf. Phil 2:15)!”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)

“Lord, help me to live this day,
quietly, easily.
To lean upon Thy great strength,
trustfully, restfully.
To wait for the unfolding of Thy will,
patiently, serenely.
To meet others,
peacefully, joyously.
To face tomorrow,
confidently, courageously.”

St Frances of Assisi (c1181-1226)

“Let nothing perturb you,
nothing frighten you.
All things pass.
God does not change.
Patience achieves everything.”

St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of Prayer

“Let us think only
of spending the present
day well.
Then, when tomorrow
shall have come,
it will be called
TODAY
and then, we will think
about it.”

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

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, HOLY SATURDAY, HOLY WEEK, OUR Cross, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The REDEMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 30 March – Holy Saturday

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Quote/s of the Day – 30 March – Holy Saturday

“INTO THY HANDS,
O my God, I entrust my spirit.
Dost Thou wish me to be in dryness or in consolation?
Into Thy Hands, I entrust my spirit.
Dost Thou wish me to be contradicted,
to experience repugnances and difficulties,
to be loved or not, to obey this one or that one
and in whatever it may be,
in great things or small?
Then into Thy Hands, I entrust my spirit!”

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

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

Posted in ACT of CONTRITION, HOLY WEEK, LENT 2024, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, St Francis de Sales, St PETER!

Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 26 March – Never Stop Weeping!

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Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 26 March – Tuesday in Holy Week – Jeremias 11:18-20, Mark 14:32-72; 15, 1-46 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“What a fall was this which pierced
the Heart of Our Lord! ”
St Francis de Sales

“Before the cock crows twice,
thou shalt thrice deny Me.
And he began to weep …”
Mark 14:72

Never Stop Weeping!

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“One of the Apostles, Saint Peter, greatly wronged his Master, for he denied and swore he never knew Him and, not content with that, cursed and blasphemed against Him, protesting that he did not know who he was (Mt 26:69). What a fall was this which pierced the Heart of Our Lord! Alas, poor Saint Peter, what are you doing? What are you saying? You do noy know Who He is, you do noy know Him? You, who were called to be an Apostle by His own mouth, who confessed Him to be the Son of the living God? (Mt 16:16). Oh, wretched man that you are, how could you dare to say you do not know Him? Was it not He Who,, only recently, was at your feet washing them (Jn 13:6), who fed you with His own Body and Blood?…

So let no-one rely on their good works and think they have nothing more to fear, since St Peter, who had received so many graces and had vowed to accompany our Lord to prison and even to death itself, nevertheless, denied Him at the mere whisper of a chambermaid!

Hearing the cock crow, St Peter recollected what he had done and what his good Master had said to him and then, realising his fault, he went out and wept so bitterly that, on this account, he received a full, Plenary Indulgence and remission for all his sins. O blessed St Peter who, through such contrition for your faults, have received a general forgiveness for such great disloyalty… I am very certain, it was our Lord’s Holy Look which pierced his heart and opened his eyes, to make him recognise his sin (Lk 22:61)… From that time on, he never stopped weeping, above all when he heard the cock crow at night and in the morning… In this way, from being a great sinner, he became a great Saint!” (From ‘Le Livre des quatre amours’ Bk 10).

Posted in franciscan OFM, MARIAN QUOTES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, OUR Cross, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, St Francis de Sales, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – ‘… For love of Thy love …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 March – Monday in Holy Week

I Beg Thee, Lord
By St Francis of Assisi (c1181–1226)

I beg Thee, Lord,
let the fiery, gentle power
of Thy love
take possession of my soul
and snatch it away,
from everything under Heaven,
that I may die,
for love of Thy love,
as Thou saw fit, to die
for love of mine!
Amen

“Now it is that we are to show
an invincible courage towards our Saviour,
serving Him purely for the love of His will,
not only without pleasure
but amid this deluge of sorrows,
horrors, distresses and assaults,
as did his glorious Mother and St John,
upon the day of His Passion.
Amongst so many blasphemies,
sorrows and deadly distresses,
they remained constant in love …”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HOLY WEEK, LENT 2024, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, St Francis de Sales, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 March – Palm Sunday –

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 March – Palm Sunday – Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:36-75; 27:1-60 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Behold the hour is at hand
and the Son of man shall be betrayed
into the hands of sinners.”

Matthew 26:45

“Yesterday, Christ raised Lazarus from the dead;
today, He is going to His own death.
Yesterday, He tore off the strips of cloth which bound Lazarus;
today, He is stretching out His Hand,
to those who want to bind Him.
Yesterday, He tore that man away from darkness;
today, for humankind,
He is going down into darkness
and the shadow of death.
And the Church is celebrating.
She is beginning the feast of Feasts,
for she is receiving her King as a Spouse,
for her King is in her midst.”

St Ephrem (306-373) (Attri)
Father ad Doctor of the Church

“Oh! how blessed are they
whom our Divine Master chooses to carry Him,
who are covered with the Apostles’ cloaks,
that is, clothed with apostolic virtues,
which render them worthy of bearing our dear Saviour
and of being led by Him.
Blessed are they who conduct themselves
here in lowliness and humility.
They will be exalted in Heaven
[Matt. 18:4; 23:12; Lk. 14:11; 18:14].
Their patience will win for them perpetual peace and tranquility;
for their obedience they shall receive a crown of glory
[Tab. 3:21; James 1:12];
finally, they shall be covered with the hundredfold of blessings
in this life and shall bless the Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
eternally in the next.
May God give us this grace. Amen.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

(Spiritual Conferences, XVII)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on the POOR, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 March– Shall receive a hundredfold … Matthew 19:29

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One Minute Reflection – 21 March – Thursday in Passion Week – St Benedict OSB (c480-547) 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 – May the intercession of the blessed Abbot Benedict, commend us to Thee, O Lord, so that through his merits we may obtain that which we cannot accomplish by our own. T hrough 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 "Follow Me", CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, St Francis de Sales, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 March – Gathering up the Words He speaks to us

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 March – Wednesday in Passion Week – Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-19, 25; John 10:22-38 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My sheep hear My Voice;
I know them and they follow Me.”

John 10:27

“For just as from the Heavens,
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there,
until they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to him who sows
and bread to him who eats.”
Isaias 55:11

“So the Word that He shall send through His Christ,
Who is Himself, the Word and the Message,
shall return to Him with great power.
For when He shall come and bring it,
He shall come down like rain and snow
and through Him all that is sown shall spring up
and bear righteous fruit …
And this is the Voice through which
the dead shall live.”

St Aphraates “the Sage” (Died c 345)
Abbot, Father of the Church

“Always (read and) listen to it (the Scriptures)
with attention and reverence;
make good use of it;
do not let it fall to earth
but take it into your heart
like a precious balm.
Do all this after the example
of the most holy Virgin,
for she carefully kept in her heart
all the words spoken in praise of her Child.
Remember that our Lord gathers up
the words we speak to Him in prayer,
in measure with the way
we gather up those He speaks to us
by His preaching.”

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

(Introduction to the Devout Life
Part 2 Chapter 17)

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, INDULGENCES, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, PARTIAL Indulgence, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on PURITY, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY

Quote/s of the Day – 19 March – St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 March – The Month and Feast of St Joseph

“So, taking Christ’s genealogy from Joseph –
a husband in chastity,
he was father in the same way. …
Are you saying that he did not conceive Jesus
through the operation of nature?
Well then, what the Holy Spirit operated,
He did for them both.
For Joseph was “a just man,” Matthew tells us (1:19).
Both husband and wife were just.
The Holy Spirit dwelt within their mutual justice
and gave each of them, a Son!”

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

“How faithful in humility was the great Saint
we are celebrating!
That cannot be said in all its perfection,
for, in spite of what he was,
in what poverty and lowliness he lived,
all the days of his life – a poverty and lowliness
beneath which. he kept hidden and concealed,
his great virtues and dignity! …
Truly, I am free of doubt that the Angels came,
beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank,
to behold and wonder at his humility,
while he sheltered that dearest Child
in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment,
so as to feed the little Boy and the Mother entrusted to him.”

“Behold, the Angel of the Lord
appeared to him in his sleep …”
Matthew 1:20

“And what wisdom did he not have? 
For God gave him his most glorious Son to care for …
the universal Prince of Heaven and earth …
Nevertheless, you can see how low
and humbled he was brought,
more than can be said or imagined …
he went to his own Country and Town of Bethlehem
and none but he was turned away from all those inns …
Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands.
He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes;
he orders him to return and he returns.
God wants him to be always poor …
and he submits to it with love and, not only for a while,
for he was poor his whole life long!”

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

Indulgenced Prayer
to St Joseph
O St Joseph! Pray for Us Daily

O Joseph!
virgin father of Jesus,
pure Spouse of the Virgin Mother,
pray for us daily
to the Son of God,
that, armed with the weapons
of His grace,
we may fight as we ought in life
and be crowned by Him in death.
Amen

(Indulgence of 100 days, twice a day
St Pius X 26 November 1906)

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY NAME, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 15 March – Let us weep for our sins and increase in love for our Divine Redeemer .

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 March – Friday of the Fourth Week in Lent – 3 Kings 17:17-24; John 11:1-45 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I Am
the Resurrection
and the
Life”

John 11:25

“Love Him, then, keep Him as a friend.
He will not leave you as others do,
or let you suffer lasting death.
Sometime, whether you will or not,
you will have to part with everything.
Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death,
trust yourself to the glory of Him,
Who alone can help you
when all others fail.“

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

“If thou art bound down by sickness,
if sorrows weary thee,
if thou art trembling with fear,
invoke the name of Jesus!”

St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1456)

“A person who is conscious of his misery,
can certainly have great confidence in God.
In fact, he cannot have true confidence in Him,
without this consciousness of his misery.
This knowledge and acknowledgement
of our misery, leads us to the presence of God.”

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

“Although the sinner
does not believe in Hell,
he will, nevertheless, go there,
if he has the misfortune to die
in mortal sin.”

St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

“Let us weep for our sins
and increase in love for our Divine Redeemer.
The Crucifix will teach us,
as it taught the Saints,
the lesson of charity towards God
and towards our neighbour.
It will teach us to hate sin and to love virtue.
If we cherish it during life,
it will be our consolation
to kiss the Crucifix at the moment of death.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)