Category: PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, PARTIAL Indulgence, PLENARY Indulgences, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUEENSHIP of MARY

Our Morning Offering – 7 May – Regina Caeli Laetari

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Our Morning Offering – 7 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

Regina Caeli Laetari
Eastertide from Holy Saturday
until Trinity Sunday
(in case you forgot to replace the praying
of the Angelus).

Anthem to the Blessed Virgin

Regina Caeli Laetari
Queen of heaven

O Queen of Heaven, rejoice, Alleluia.
For He Whom thou didst merit to bear, Alleluia.
Hath risen as He said, Alleluia.
Pray for us to God, Alleluia.

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary! Alleluia.
R. For the Lord is truly risen, Alleluia.

Let us pray

O God, Who by the Resurrection of Thy Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
hast vouchsafed to make glad
the whole world, grant, we beseech Thee,
that, through the intercession
HIs Holy Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary,
we may attain the joys of eternal life.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen

There is a venerable tradition connected with this joyous Anthem. It is related that a fearful pestilence raged in Rome, during one of the Easters of the Pontificate of St. Gregory the Great. In order to propitiate the anger of God, the holy Pope prescribed a public procession of both people and clergy, in which was to be carried the portrait of our Blessed Lady painted by St Luke.

The procession was advancing in the direction of Saint Peter’s and as the holy Picture, followed by the Pontiff, (it is said that he processed with bare feet), was carried along, the atmosphere became pure and free from pestilence. Having reached the bridge which joins the City with the Vatican, a choir of Angels was heard singing above the Picture and saying: “Rejoice, O Queen of heaven, alleluia! for He whom thou deservedst to bear, alleluia! hath risen, as He said, alleluia!” As soon as the heavenly music ceased, the saintly Pontiff took courage, and added these words to those of the Angels: “Pray to God for us, alleluia!”

Thus was composed the Paschal Anthem to our Lady. Raising his eyes to heaven, Gregory saw the destroying Angel standing on the top of the Mole of Hadrian and sheathing his sword.

In memory of this apparition, the Mole was called the Castle of Saint Angela and on the dome was placed an immense statue representing an Angel holding his sword in the scabbard.

( “The Sovereign Pontiff Benedict XIII, by a brief, Injuntae nobis, 14 September1724, amended by the Sacred Penitentiary Apostolic, 20 February 1933, granted a Plenary Indulgence, once a month, to all the faithful who, everyday, in the morning (6.00), at noon and in the evening at sunset (6.00), shall say, devoutly, the Angelus Dominie, with the Hail Mary, three times, or at Eastertide the Regina Caeli, on any day when, being truly penitent, after Confession and Communion, they shall pray for peace and union among Christian Princes, for the extirpation of heresy and for the triumph of Holy Mother Church. Also an indulgence of ten years, on all the other days in the year, ever time that they shall devoutly say these prayers.”)

Regina caeli, laetare, Alleluia.

Qua quem meruisti portare, Alleluia.
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, Alleluia.
Ora pro nobis Deum, Alleluia.

V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, Alleluia.
R. Qua surrexit Dominus vere, Alleluia.

Oremus

Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui,
Domini nostri, Jesu Christi,
mundum laetificare dignatus es, praesta,
quaesumus, ut per ejus
Genitricem Virginem Mariam
perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae:
per eumdem Christum, Dominum nostrum.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FATHERS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Our Morning Offering – 1 May – You are Holy, Lord, All-Powerful God

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Our Morning Offering – 1 May – The Second Sunday after Easter

You are Holy, Lord,
All-Powerful God
Prayer known as
“Of Peter and the Other Apostles”
(Papyrus of the early Church)

You are Holy, Lord, All-Powerful God,
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Paradise of happiness,
Royal sceptre,
Infinite love,
Assurance of hope…
You are Holy, Lord God,
You are “the King of kings
and the Lord of lords:
You alone have immortality,
You live in the inaccessible light,
that no-one has ever seen” (1 Tm 6:15-16).
You walk on the wings of the winds (Ps 103:3);
You created the sky, the earth and the sea
and all they contain (Acts 4:24).
You make the winds Your messengers
and burning fire Your servant (Ps 103:4);
You made man in Your image
and likeness (Gen 1:26),
You measured out the span of the sky
and the whole earth with the Fingers of Your Hand.
Yes, in Your Presence,
Your works are altogether lovely.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HOLY WEEK, LENT 2022, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 11 April – Dearest Lord Jesus Christ

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Our Morning Offering – 11 April – Monday of Holy Week

Dearest Lord Jesus Christ
The Old Roman Missal

Dearest Lord Jesus Christ,
I entreat Thee
to let me find in Thy Passion,
a strong defence, protection and safegiard.
Let Thy Wounds be my food and drink,
to nourish and make me drunk with delight.
Let the shedding of Thy Blood
wash all my offenses away,
Thy Death, bring me,
the life that knows no ending,
Thy Cross be my everlasting glory.
In them, let my heart find renewal,
gladness, health and delight,
Thou Who lives and reigns,
forever and ever.
Amen.

Posted in LENT 2022, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 3 April – O God, Creator of Us All, Deus, Creator Omnium

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Our Morning Offering – 3 April – Passion Sunday

O God, Creator of Us All,
Deus, Creator Omnium
Stanbrook Abbey

O God, Creator of us all,
From Whom we come, to Whom we go,
You look with pity on our hearts,
The weakness of our wills You know.

Forgive us all the wrong we do
And purify each sinful soul.
What we have darkened, heal with light
And what we have destroyed, make whole.

The fast by law and prophets taught,
By You, O Christ, was sanctified.
Bless all our penance, give us strength,
To share the Cross on which You died.

O God of mercy, hear our prayer,
With Christ Your Son and Spirit blest,
Transcendent Trinity in Whom,
Created things all come to rest.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, INDULGENCES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 4 March – Prayer Before a Crucifix

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Our Morning Offering – 4 March – First Friday of Lent

Prayer Before a Crucifix

Look down upon me,
good and gentle Jesus,
while before Thy face I humbly kneel
and, with burning soul,
pray and beseech Thee
to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments
of faith, hope and charity;
true contrition for my sins
and a firm purpose of amendment.
While I contemplate,
with great love and tender pity,
Thy Five Most Precious Wounds,
pondering over them within me
and calling to mind the words which David,
Thy prophet, said of Thee, my Jesus:
“They have pierced My hands and My feet,
they have numbered all My bones.”
Amen

This Prayer is often said after Holy Mass before the Crucifix in the Church. The faithful receive a Partial Indulgence but on the Fridays of Lent, the Indulgence is a Plenary Indulgence, under the usual conditions.

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Our Morning Offering – 24 February – Exsultet Orbis!

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Our Morning Offering – 24 February – Feast of St Matthias, Apostle and Martyr

Exsultet Orbis!
Let the World Rejoice!
Unknown Author

Now let the earth with joy resound,
And Heaven the chant re-echo round;
Nor Heaven nor earth too high can raise
The great Apostles’ glorious praise.

O ye who, throned in glory dread,
Shall judge the living and the dead,
Lights of the world forever more!
To you the suppliant prayer we pour.

Ye close the Sacred Gates on high.
At your command apart they fly.
O loose for us the guilty chain
We strive to break and strive in vain.

Sickness and health your voice obey,
At your command they go or stay.
From sin’s disease our souls restore;
In good confirm us more and more.

So when the world is at its end.
And Christ to Judgment shall descend,
May we be called, those joys to see
Prepared from all eternity.

Praise to the Father, with the Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One;
As ever was in ages past
And so shall be while ages last.
Amen

(Roman Breviary for the Common of Apostles)
An Office Hymn that was traditionally prescribed for Vespers and Lauds on the Feasts of Apostles and Evangelists outside Easter time.
The Hymn is found as early as the tenth century in a hymnal of Moissac Abbey.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY SPIRIT, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY GHOST

Our Morning Offering – 15 February – Nunc, Sancte, nobis Spiritus

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Our Morning Offering – 15 February – The Commermoration of Sts Faustinus and Jovinus (Died c 120) Martyrs – 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 10:1-5, Matthew 20:1-16

Nunc, Sancte, nobis Spiritus
Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One
By St Ambrose (340-397)
Trans John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Trans 1836

Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One
Art with the Father and the Son.
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls possess
With Thy full flood of holiness.

In will and deed, by heart and tongue,
With all our powers, Thy praise be sung.
And love light up our mortal frame,
Till others catch the living flame.

Almighty Father, hear our cry
Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high,
Who with the Holy Ghost and Thee
Doth live and reign eternally.

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 14 February – Deus Tuorum Militum – St Valentine

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Our Morning Offering – 14 February – The Memorial of St Valentine (176-273) Bishop and Martyr

Deus Tuorum Militum
O God, of Those Who Fought Thy Fight
Unknown Author

O God, of those Who fought Thy fight,
Portion and Prize and crown of Light,
Break every bond of sin and shame,
As now we praise Thy Martyr’s name.

He recked not of the world’s allure,
But sin and pomp of sin forswore;
Knew all their gall and passed them by
And reached the throne prepared on high.

Bravely the course of pain he ran
And bore his torments as a man:
For love of Thee, his blood outpoured
And thus obtained the great reward.

With humble voice and suppliant word
We pray Thee, therefore, holy Lord,
While we Thy Martyr’s Feast-day keep,
Forgive Thy loved and erring sheep.

Glory and praise for aye be done
To God the Father and the Son,
And Holy Ghost, Who reign on high,
One God, to all eternity.
Amen

An Ambrosian hymn historically assigned for Matins and Vespers for the Common Feast of a Martyr in the Roman Breviary. It dates probably from the sixth century and is attributed to the Unknown Author of Rex Gloriose Martyrum and Jesu, Redemptor Omnium. The hymn exists in a longer version of eight strophes and a shorter one of four, which is probably earlier.
The Vatican antiphonary provided two different melodies for use in the Paschal season and during the Octave of the Nativity, during which the Feast of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr occurs.
The hymn is a prayer of the Catholic assembly, asking God to forgive the sins of His servants, on the day of the martyr’s triumph over the pleasures of the world and the torture of persecution.

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HYMNS, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUEENSHIP of MARY

Our Morning Offering – 5 February – Ave Regina Caelorum

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Our Morning Offering – 5 February – Mary’s Saturday

Ave Regina Caelorum
Queen of Heaven Enthroned

Hail, O Queen of Heaven enthroned.
Hail, by Angels mistress owned.
Root of Jesse, Gate of Morn
Whence the world’s true Light was born,
Glorious Virgin, Joy to thee,
Loveliest whom in Heaven they see;
Fairest thou, where all are fair,
Plead with Christ, our souls to spare.

V. Vouchsafe that I may praise thee,
O sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thine enemies.

Let us pray:
We beseech thee, O Lord,
mercifully to assist our infirmity,
that like, as we do now
commemorate the Blessed Mary
Ever-Virgin, Mother of God;
so by the help of her intercession
we may die to our former sins
and rise again to newness of life.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen

“Ave Regina caelorum” is one of the Marian antiphons said or sung in the Liturgy of the Hours at the close of compline. In the Roman Breviary as revised by Pope Pius V in 1569 it was assigned for this use from compline of 2 February until compline of Wednesday of Holy Week.
The original author is unknown – it has been found in a manuscript from the twelfth-century.
It has been set to music by various composers including Hyden and many others.

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 3 February – The BLESSING of ST BLAISE

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Quote of the Day – 3 February – The Memorial of St Blaise Bishop Martyr (Died c 316)

The Blessing of the Throats is a Sacramental of the Church, ordinarily celebrated today, the Feast day of Saint Blaise.

THE BLESSING of ST BLAISE
Through the intercession
of Saint Blaise,
Bishop and Martyr,
may God deliver you
from ailments of the throat
and from every other evil.
In the name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 2 February – O Gloriosa Virginum

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Our Morning Offering – 2 February – The Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. Candlemas

O Gloriosa Virginum
By St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)

O Glorious Virgin, ever blest,
Sublime above the starry sky,
Who nurture from thy spotless breast
To thy Creator didst supply.

What we had lost through hapless Eve,
The Blossom sprung from these restores,
And, granting bliss to souls that grieve,
Unbars the everlasting doors.

O Gate, through which hath passed the King.
O Hall, whence Light shone through the gloom;
The ransomed nations, praise and sing
Life given from the Virgin womb.

All honour, laud and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born, to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
Amen

O Gloriosa Domina is the second half of the hymn: Quem Terra, Pontus, Aethera. It was composed by St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609) the Bishop of Poitiers.
In 1632, in accordance with revisions made to the hymns of the Divine Office by Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644), it was altered and changed to O Gloriósa Vírginum.
It is sung in the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Roman Breviary.
It is said that St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) was always singing this hymn. His mother sang it to him as a baby,and even on his death bed after receiving Extreme Unction, he intoned the hymn.

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Our Morning Offering – 1 February – Omnipotentia Patris

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Our Morning Offering – 1 February – “Month of the Blessed Trinity”

Omnipotentia Patris

O Omnipotence of the Father,
help my frailty
and save me from the depths of misery.

O Wisdom of the Son,
direct all my thoughts,
my words and my deeds.

O Love of the Holy Spirit,
be the source of all the actions of my mind,
that they may always be conformed
to God’s good pleasure.
Amen

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, St PAUL!

Our Morning Offering – 25 January – Great Convert Teacher of the Faith

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Our Morning Offering – 25 January – Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul

Great Convert Teacher of the Faith
Doctor Egregie Paule
Attri. to Elpis (Died c 493)
Trans. The Benedictines
of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK

Great Convert Teacher of the Faith
Who never ceased from preaching Christ,
Saint Paul impart to us your zeal,
That we may reach the joys unseen.

All glory to the Trinity,
For ever honour, sov’reignty;
To God Almighty be all praise,
Beginning and the End of all.
Amen.

Elpis, first wife of the celebrated Philosopher Boethius, was the daughter of Festus, Consul at Rome, 472 and aunt of St Placidus, a disciple of St.Benedict.
The above hymn, as well as, “Aurea luce et decore roseo” are attributed to her. Others also bear her name. She died at an early age, at Padua.

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Our Morning Offering – 24 January – O Fathers of Our Ancient Faith

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Our Morning Offering – 24 January – Feast of Saint Timothy, Bishop and Martyr

O Fathers of Our Ancient Faith

O Fathers of our ancient faith,
With all the heav’n, we sing your fame
Whose sound went forth in all the earth
To tell of Christ and bless His Name.

You took the Gospel to the poor,
The Word of God alight in you,
Which in our day is told again,
That timeless Word, forever new.

You told of God, Who died for us
And out of death triumphant rose,
Who gave the Truth which made us free
and changeless through the ages goes.

Praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Whose gift is faith that never dies,
A light in darkness now, until
The Day-Star in our hearts arise.

O Fathers of Our Ancient Faith is written by the Benedictine Nuns of Stanbrook Abbey. In the Divine Office it is sung at Morning Prayer in the Common of Apostles. It is set to the anonymous tune associated with the 7th century Latin hymn, Creator Alme Siderum.

Posted in Holy Family PRAYERS, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, POETRY, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

Our Morning Offering – 9 January – O House of Nazareth The Blest

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Our Morning Offering – 9 January – Sunday within the Octave of Epiphany and the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

O Gente Felix
O House of Nazareth The Blest
By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

O house of Nazareth the blest,
Fair hostess of the Lord,
The Church was nurtured at thy breast
And shared thy scanty hoard.

In all the spreading lands of earth.
The wandering sun may see
No dearer spot, no ampler worth
Than erst was found in thee!

We know thy humble tenement
Was heaven’s hermitage:
Celestial heralds came and went
In endless embassage.

There, whatsoever Joseph asks
Christ hastens to fulfil;
While Mary loves the household tasks
That wait her joyous will.

There, Joseph toileth at her side
Her joys and griefs to share,
With thousand ties knit to his bride,
Of love and work and prayer.

Yet how their bosoms constant burn
And deeper ardours prove
In love of Christ, whose eyes return
Tokens of mutual love.

O then, in all the homes of earth,
Be Love the bond of life:
May it enthrone at every hearth
The peace that husheth strife.

All praise to thee, O Jesus,
Who parents dost obey;
Praise to the sovereign Father
And Paraclete for aye.
Amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, THE EPIPHANY of the LORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 January – Epiphany and the House Blessing

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 January – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

“All elements in nature testified
that their Creator had come.
Let me indicate them in our everyday fashion.
The heavens knew that He was God,
for they sent a star to herald Him.
The sea knew Him,
for it bore up His feet upon it.
The earth knew Him
and trembled when He died.
The sun knew Him
and hid its light.
The stones and walls knew Him
and were rent at His death.
Hell knew Him
and gave up its dead.
All the insensible elements of nature knew Him
but even up to this minute,
the hearts of the unbelieving Jews
will not recognise Him as God
and–more hard than rock–
will not be rent in penitence.”

St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“But, lo! on entering into the little shed
these holy pilgrims feel a joy
which they had never felt before;
they feel their hearts chained
to the dear little Infant Whom they behold.
The straw, the poverty,
the cries of their little Saviour–
Oh, what darts of love!
Oh, what blessed flames are they
to their enlightened hearts!
The Infant looks upon them
with a joyful countenance
and this is the mark of affection,
with which He accepts them
amongst the first-fruits
of His Redemption!”

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

Chalk the Door – Epiphany House Blessing
20 C+M+B 22
“Christus mansionem benedicat”
The equation is written to be the first two digits of the year,
followed by the initials C, M, and B,
followed by the last two digits of the year.
Each portion is split by plus signs (being the Sign of the Cross).
For this year, the equation would be written as
“20 + C + M + B + 22”

The chalking holds two meanings.
The C, M and B, refer to the traditional names
of the Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar.
The letters also stand for the Latin phrase
“Christus mansionem benedicat” which means
“May Christ bless this house.”
The plus signs represents the Cross
and the 20 and 22 simply refer to the year.

MORE EPIPHANY QUOTES HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/06/quote-s-of-the-day-6-january-epiphany-in-your-light-we-see-light/

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, BREVIARY Prayers, CHRISTMASTIDE!, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Our Morning Offering – 4 January – Of the Father’s Love Begotten

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Our Morning Offering – 4 January – Christmas Weekday “Month of the Most Holy Name”

Of the Father’s Love Begotten
(Excerpt)
By Prudentius, Aurelius Clemens (c 348-c 413)
Trans. J M Neale (1818-1866)

Of the Father’s love begotten
Ere the world began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the Source, the Ending he,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore.

Blessed was the day forever,
When the Virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bore the Saviour of our race
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed His Sacred Face
Evermore and evermore.

Glory be to God the Father,
Glory be to God the Son
Glory be the Holy Ghost,
Persons Three, yet Godhead One,
Glory be from all creation
While eternal ages run,
Evermore and evermore.

Aurelius Prudentius Clemens was a Roman Christian Poet, born in the Roman Province of Tarraconensis (now Northern Spain) in c 348. He probably died in the Iberian Peninsula some time after 405, possibly around 413.
Prudentius practised law with some success and was twice Provincial Governor, perhaps in his native country. Towards the end of his life (possibly around 392) Prudentius retired from public life to become an ascetic, fasting until evening and abstaining entirely from animal food and writing poems, hymns and controversial works in defence of Christianity. Prudentius later collected the Christian poems written during this period and added a preface, which he himself dated 405.
The poetry of Prudentius is influenced by early Christian authors, such as Tertullian and St Ambrose, as well as the Sacred Scriptures and the Acts of the Martyrs. His hymn Da, puer, plectrum – “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”) and the hymn for Epiphany O sola magnarum urbium (“Earth Has Many A Noble City”), both from the Cathemerinon, are still frequently in use today, although many others are too but perhaps less frequently..

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, LITANIES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 3 January – The Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

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Our Morning Offering – 3 January – “Month and Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus”

The Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus received the Church’s approval for private use by Pope Sixtus V in 1585, and public recitation by Pope Leo XIII in 1886. It is one of only six litanies approved for public use.
When this litany is prayed publicly, the congregation’s responses to a leader appear in italics below.

The LITANY of The MOST
HOLY NAME OF JESUS

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us (after each line)
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Ghost,
Holy Trinity, one God,
Jesus, Son of the living God,
Jesus, Splendour of the Father,
Jesus, Brightness of eternal Light,
Jesus, King of Glory,
Jesus, Sun of Justice,
Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary,
Jesus, most amiable,
Jesus, most admirable,
Jesus, the mighty God,
Jesus, father of the world to come,
Jesus, Angel of great counsel,
Jesus, most powerful,
Jesus, most patient,
Jesus, most obedient,
Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Jesus, Lover of chastity,
Jesus, Lover of us,
Jesus, God of peace,
Jesus, Author of life,
Jesus, Example of virtues,
Jesus, zealous Lover of souls,
Jesus, our God,
Jesus, our Refuge,
Jesus, Father of the poor,
Jesus, Treasure of the faithful,
Jesus, good Shepherd,
Jesus, true Light,
Jesus, eternal Wisdom,
Jesus, infinite Goodness,
Jesus, our Way and our Life,
Jesus, Joy of Angels,
Jesus, King of Patriarchs,
Jesus, Master of the Apostles,
Jesus, Teacher of the Evangelists,
Jesus, Strength of Martyrs,
Jesus, Light of Confessors,
Jesus, Purity of Virgins,
Jesus, crown of all Saints,
Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus.
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus.
From all evil, deliver us, O Jesus. (after each line)
From all sin,
From Thy wrath,
From the snares of the devil,
From the spirit of fornication,
From everlasting death,
From the neglect of Thine inspirations,
By the Mystery of Thy holy Incarnation,
By Thy Nativity,
By Thine Infancy,
By Thy most divine Life,
By Thy labors,
By Thine agony and Passion,
By Thy Cross and dereliction,
By Thy sufferings,
By Thy Resurrection,
By Thine Ascension,
By Thine institution of the most Holy Eucharist,
By Thy joys,
By Thy glory,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Hear us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us, O Jesus.
Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, graciously hear us.

Let us pray:

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Who hast said:
Ask and ye shall receive,
seek and ye shall find,
knock and it shall be opened unto you;
mercifully attend to our supplications
and grant us the gift of Thy divine charity,
that we may ever love Thee
with our whole heart
and with all our words and deeds
and may never cease from praising Thee.
Make us, O Lord, to have a perpetual fear
and love of Thy holy Name,
for Thou never failest to help
and govern those whom
Thou dost bring up
in Thy steadfast fear and love.
Who livest and reignest for ver and ever.
Amen.

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CREEDS, I BELIEVE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Our Morning Offering – 31 December – The Apostles’ Creed

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Our Morning Offering – 31 December – The Seventh Day of the Octave of Christmas

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
He descended into hell;
on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand
of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CHRISTMASTIDE!, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 24 December – Silent Night, Holy Night!

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Our Morning Offering – 24 December – Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord/Mass at Midnight

Silent Night, Holy Night!
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!
By Father Joseph Mohr (1792-1818)

Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright,
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child!
Holy Infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night!
Son of God, how the light
Radiates love from Thy heavenly face,
At the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.

Set to Music by Francis Xavier Gruber (1787-1863)

The story of Fr Mohr and his composition of this 203rd Anniversary of the first sound of this favourite Catholic Christmas Carol, here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/12/24/thought-for-the-day-24-december-today-the-200th-anniversary-of-the-first-performance-of-the-beloved-carol-silent-night/

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Our Morning Offering – 23 December – O Come, O come, Emmanuel

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Our Morning Offering – 23 December – O Emmanuel!

O Come, O come, Emmanuel

O Come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high
And order all things far and nigh,
To us the path of knowledge show
And teach us in her ways to go.
Refrain

O come, o come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times did give the law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Refrain

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse’s stem,
From ev’ry foe deliver them
That trust Thy mighty power to save
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
Refrain

O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav’nly home,
Make safe the way that leads on high,
That we no more have cause to sigh.
Refrain

O come, Thou Dayspring from on high
And cheer us by thy drawing nigh.
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadow put to flight.
Refrain

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid every strife and quarrel cease
And fill the world with heaven’s peace.
Refrain

The favourite O Come, O Come Emmanuel carol was originally written in Latin text in the 12th Century. The author of the words and composer to the music of O Come, O Come Emmanuel is unknown. It is, however, believed that the melody was of French origin and added to the text a hundred years later. The Latin was translated into English by John Mason Neale in 1851.

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The O ANTIPHONS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 December – , O Rex Gentium/O King of all Nations

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One Minute Reflection – 22 December – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, O Rex Gentium/O King of all Nations, Readings: Samuel 1:24-28; First Samuel 2: 1, 4-8; Luke 1:46-56

The Lord is at hand, come let us adore Him.

O KING OF ALL NATIONS
and keystone of the Church
come and save man,
whom You formed from the dust!

“My spirit rejoices in God my saviour” – Luke 1:47

REFLECTION – “My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”. The first interpretation of these words is undoubtedly to acknowledge the gifts granted to her, to Mary in particular, by God. But then she recalls the universal blessing with which God never ceases to surround the human race.

The soul glorifies the Lord, when it consecrates all its inner powers on praising and serving God and when, by its submission to the divine commands, it proves that it never loses sight of His power and majesty. The spirit rejoices in God, its Saviour, when it places all its joy in the remembrance of its Creator, from Whom it hopes for eternal salvation. Without doubt, these words exactly express the thought of all the Saints but it was most especially fitting they should be spoken by the blessed Mother of God, who, filled with a special privilege, burned with a wholly spiritual love for the One she had the joy of conceiving in her flesh. More than any other Saint she had good reason to rejoice in Jesus – that is to say, in her Saviour – because He Whom she acknowledged to be the Eternal Author of our salvation, would in time, as she knew, be born in His own flesh and with such authenticity, that in one and the same Person her Son and her God, would be truly present…

Hence it is a praiseworthy and salutary custom, whose fragrance perfumes Holy Church, when everyday at Vespers, we sing the Canticle of the Virgin. We may well expect from this, that the souls of the faithful, by so often calling to mind the Lord’s Incarnation, will be enflamed with even greater fervour and that, such a frequent reminder of His Holy Mother’s example, will strengthen them in virtue. And Vespers is the best time to come back to this song, since our souls, tired by the day and drawn this way and that by the day’s thoughts, need to come back together again, when the hour of rest draws near, so that they may find, once more, their singleness of focus.” – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Monk, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospel, I, 4 ; CCL 122, 25f)

PRAYER – The Magnificat
The Canticle of Mary
Luke 1:46-55

My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour
He looks on His servant in her lowliness
Henceforth, all ages will call me blessed:
The Almighty works marvels for me,
holy is His Name!
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear Him.
He puts forth His arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, His servant,
remembering His mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons forever.
Amen.

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, Hail MARY!, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The O ANTIPHONS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 December – O Oriens/O Radiant Dawn

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One Minute Reflection – 21 December – O Oriens/O Radiant Dawn – “Month of the Immaculate Conception” – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, Readings: Songs 2: 8-14 or Zephaniah 3: 14-18a; Psalm 33: 2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Luke 1: 39-45

The Lord is at hand, come let us adore Him.

O Radiant Dawn,
Splendour of Eternal Light,
Sun of Justice!
Come and shine on those
who dwell in darkness
and in the shadow of death.

“Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” – Luke 1:41-42

REFLECTION – “Everyday we devoutly greet the most Blessed Virgin Mary with the angel’s greeting and we usually add: Blessed is the fruit of thy womb. After she was greeted by the Virgin, Elizabeth added this phrase as if she were echoing the salutation of the Angel – Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. This is the fruit of which Isaiah spoke – On that day the shoot of the Lord shall be splendid and radiant—the sublime fruit of earth. What is this fruit but the holy one of Israel, the seed of Abraham, the shoot of the Lord, the flower arising from the Root of Jesse, the fruit of life, Whom we have shared?

Blessed surely in seed and blessed in the shoot, blessed in the flower, blessed in the gift, finally blessed in thanksgiving and praise, Christ, the Seed of Abraham, was brought forth from the seed of David into the flesh.

He alone among men is found perfected in every good quality, for the Spirit was given to Him without measure so that He alone could fulfill all justice. For His justice is sufficient for all nations, according to the Scriptures. As the earth brings forth its buds and as the garden germinates its own seed, so the Lord God shall bring forth justice and praise before all the nations. For this is the shoot of justice, which the flower of glory adorns with its blessings when it has grown. But how great is this glory? How can anyone think of anything more glorious, or rather, how can anyone conceive of this at all? For the flower rises from the root of Jesse. you ask: “How far?” Surely it rises even to the highest place because Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. His magnificence is elevated above the heavens, so that He, the issue of the Lord, is splendid and glorious, the sublime fruit of earth.

But what is our benefit from this fruit? What other than the fruit of blessing from the blessed fruit? From this seed, this shoot, this flower, surely the fruit of blessing comes forth. It has come even to us; first as a seed it is planted through the grace of pardon, then germinated with the increase of perfection and finally, it flowers in the hope or the attainment of glory. For the fruit was blessed by God and in God, so that God may be glorified through it. For us, too, the fruit was blessed, so that blessed by God, we may be glorified in Him through the promise spoken to Abraham. God made the fruit a blessing for all nations.” – Baldwin of Forde O.Cist ( c 1125– 1190) Cistercian Abbot, Bishop, then Archbishop of Canterbury ( An excerpt from A Sermon on the ‘Hail Mary’).

PRAYER – In Your goodness Lord, as we rejoice at the coming of Your Son in flesh and blood like ours, grant that when He comes again in glory, we may receive the gift of eternal life. And may His Blessed and Immaculate ever Virgin Mother, cast upon us a look of mercy and intercede on our behalf. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and for all eternity, amen.

Posted in ADVENT PRAYERS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 7 December – Veni Redemptor gentium, Saviour of the Nations, Come!

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Our Morning Offering – 7 December – Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent and the Memorial of St Ambrose (c 340-397)- Father and Doctor of the Church

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Our Morning Offering – 28 October – O Fathers of Our Ancient Faith

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Our Morning Offering – 28 October – Feast of Saints Simon and Jude Apostles

O Fathers of Our Ancient Faith

O Fathers of our ancient faith,
With all the heav’n, we sing your fame
Whose sound went forth in all the earth
To tell of Christ and bless His name.

You took the gospel to the poor,
The Word of God alight in you,
Which in our day is told again,
That timeless Word, forever new.

You told of God, who died for us
And out of death triumphant rose,
Who gave the Truth which made us free
and changeless through the ages goes.

Praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Whos gift is faith that never dies,
A light in darkness now, until
The Day-Star in our hearts arise.

O Fathers of Our Ancient Faith is written by the Benedictine Nuns of Stanbrook Abbey. In the Divine Office (1974) it is sung at Morning Prayer in the Common of Apostles. It is set to the anonymous tune associated with the 7th century Latin hymn, Creator Alme Siderum.

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Our Morning Offering – 18 October – Holy and Learned, Great Saint Luke

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Our Morning Offering – 18 October – The Feast of St Luke, the Evangelist

Holy and Learned, Great Saint Luke
Prayer/Hymn in Honour of St Luke
“Plausibus Luca canimus”
Trans the Benedictines of
Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK

Holy and learned, great Saint Luke,
we praise you,
Closely you followed in the steps of Jesus,
As supreme witness to His life and teaching
Shedding your life-blood.

Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
You left in writing, for all time to study
Stories unrivalled for their depth and beauty,
Christ’s love revealing.

Yours are the records
which we read with pleasure
Of the beginning of the Church so fervent,
Under the impulse of the true and living
Spirit of Jesus.

Paul’s earnest helper, sharer in his travels,
Zealous as he was, with a heart as loving,
Make our souls also steadfast and devoted
To the Lord Jesus.

Tender physician, use your gift of healing,
Comfort our weakness with a faith unswerving,
So that rejoicing, we may praise forever
God the Almighty.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Feast of the Divine Maternity – Readings: Ecclus 24:23-31, Gospel: Luke 2: 43-51

But Mary kept all these things,
pondering them in her heart.

Luke 2:19

“Having confidence in you,
O Mother of God, I shall be saved.
Being under you protection,
I shall fear nothing.
With your help,
I shall give battle to my enemies
and put them to flight,
for devotion to you,
is an arm of Salvation.”

St John Damascene (676-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Alma Redemptoris Mater
Loving Mother of the Redeemer
By Blessed Herman of Reichenau/the Cripple OSB (1013–1054)

Loving Mother of the Redeemer!
Hear thou thy people’s cry,
Star of the deep
and portal of the sky!
Mother of Him
Who thee from nothing made,
Sinking we strive
and call to thee for aid;
Oh, by that joy
which Gabriel brought to thee,
Thou Virgin first and last,
let us thy mercy see.

“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom
of His most chaste Mother,
Christ took to Himself flesh
and united to Himself,
the spiritual Body formed
by those who were to believe in Him.
Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour
within her, may be said,
to have also carried, all those.
whose life was contained
in the life of the Saviour.
Therefore, all we who are united to Christ
and, as the Apostle says,
are members of His body,
of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30),
have issued from the womb of Mary,
like a body united to it’s head.”

St Pius X (1835-1914)
Pope from 1903 to 1914

Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11

Hail O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexander (376-444)
Doctor of the Incarnation
Known as ‘The Pillar of Faith”

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin and Mother!
Morning Star, perfect vessel.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Holy Temple in which god Himself was conceived.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Chaste and pure dove.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Who enclosed the One who cannot be encompassed
in your sacred womb.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you the Conqueror
and triumphant Vanquisher of hell came to us.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
You have saved every faithful Christian.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 29 September – The St Michael Prayer

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Our Morning Offering – 29 September – Feast of the Dedication of St Michael

The St Michael Prayer

St Michael, the Archangel,
defend us in battle;
Be our safeguard against the wickedness
and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him,
we humbly pray,
And do thou,
O prince of the heavenly hosts,
By the power of God,
Cast into hell, Satan and all evil spirits
Who prowl throughout the world
seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

You will know or even recall ,that when the Mass was only in Latin (1570-1969) after the High Mass, known in those days as the Summa (Latin for: The Greatest) the St Michael prayer was recited. This St Michael prayer was placed at the end of the Mass by Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) in the 1890’s as a result of a vision he saw concerning the dire state of the world in the 20th century!
The Church has always prayed to St Michael for protection against the evils of the devil.
Michael’s name means “Who is like God.” In Latin: “Quis ut Deus.” He can be found in the Book of The Prophet Daniel (Old Testament) Dn. 10:13; Dn. 10:21; Dn 12:1. In the New Testament he can be found in the Book of Revelation 12:7-9; Epistle of St Jude 1:9 and the Letter of St. Paul to Thessalonians (4:16).
St Thomas Aquinas (1214-1274) writes of him: “Michael is the Breath of the Redeemer’s Spirit, Who at the end of the World will combat and destroy the antichrist, as he did Lucifer in the beginning.”
St Michael is invoked in sickness and most especially at the hour of our death, when
Satan makes his last and fiercest attack on our soul, seeking with cunning, craft, fears and despair to drag us into Hell with him.
Please, let us all restore St Michael to our hearts and pray to him for protection each day, after Holy Mass and after the Holy Rosary.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, LENT, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The REDEMPTION, The STATIONS of the CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 September – “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?

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One Minute Reflection – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross – Readings: Numbers 21:4-9, Psalms 78:1-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38, Philippians 2:6-11, John 3:13-17

“…And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” – John 3:14-15

REFLECTION – “That brazen serpent was hung up as a remedy for the biting serpents, not as a type of Him that suffered for us but, as a contrast. It saved those that looked upon it, not because they believed it to live but because it was killed and killed with it, were the powers that were subject to it, being destroyed as it deserved. And what is the fitting epitaph for it from us? “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?” You are overthrown by the Cross. you are slain by Him, Who is the Giver of Life. You are without breath, dead, without motion, even though you keep the form of a serpent lifted up high on a pole.” – St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (Oration 45).

PRAYER – O God, who willed that Your Only Begotten Son should undergo the Cross to save the human race, grant, we pray, that we, who have known His mystery on earth, may merit the grace of His redemption in heaven. For You placed the salvation of the human race on the wood of the Cross, so that, where death arose, life might again spring forth and the evil one, who conquered on a tree, might likewise on a tree be conquered through Christ. O Cross, You are the glorious sign of victory. Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus. We adore You O Christ and we praise You, for by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen.

Posted in CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS on FAITH, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 30 August – ‘We were the captives. …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 30 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart” – Readings: Thessalonians 4: 13-18; Psalm 96: 1 and 3-5, 11-13; Luke 4: 16-30

“He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free.”

Luke 4:19

“For what reason did God send Him to preach to the poor?
“To preach release to captives.”
We were the captives.
For many years Satan had bound us
and held us captive and subject to himself.
Jesus has come
“to proclaim release to captives and sight to the blind.”
By His word and the proclamation of His teaching,
the blind see.”

Origen (c 185-253)

“He did not treat us as our sins deserved.
For we are now sons of God.
How do we show this?
The only Son of God died for us,
so that He might not remain alone.
He who died as the only Son,
did not want to remain as the only Son.
For the only Son of God made many sons of God.
He bought brothers for Himself by His blood,
He made them welcome by being rejected,
He ransomed them by being sold,
He honoured them by being dishonoured,
He gave them life by being put to death.”

St Augustine (354-430)
Bishop, Great Western Father and Doctor of Grace

“… Veiled in a human body,
He was able to communicate with humans.
He who wanted to assist the guilty
hides the fact that He is a Judge.
He who did not deny dignity to faithful servants,
conceals his Lordship.
He who desired the weak
to be embraced by a parent’s love,
covers His Majesty.”

St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450)
“Doctor of Homilies”
Father and Doctor of the Church

“My beloved Redeemer,
how much did it cost You to raise me from the ruin,
which I brought on myself through my sins?
What can I do without Your grace?
I can do nothing but pray
that You will help me
but even this prayer comes
from the merits of Your suffering and death!
O my Jesus, help me!”

St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most zealous Doctor