Our Morning Offering – 10 November
May I Love You More Dearly
St Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)
Thanks be to You,
my Lord Jesus Christ
For all the benefits
You have given me,
For all the pains and insults
You have borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer,
Friend and Brother,
May I know You more clearly,
Love You more dearly,
Follow You more nearly.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 9 November – Feast Dedication of The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour in the Lateran
Grant me, O my God
By St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)
Good Jesus,
let me be penetrated with love
to the very marrow of my bones,
with fear and respect toward You.
Let me burn with zeal for Your honour,
so that I may resent terribly,
all the outrages
committed against You,
especially those of which
I myself have been guilty.
Grant further, O my God,
that I may adore and acknowledge You humbly,
as my Creator and that,
penetrated with gratitude
for all Your benefits,
I may never cease to render You thanks.
Grant that I may bless You in all things,
praise and glorify You
with a heart full of joy and gladness
and that, obeying You with docility
in every respect, I may one day,
despite my ingratitude and unworthiness,
be seated at Your table
together with Your Holy Angels and Apostles
to enjoy ineffable delights.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 7 November – The Memorial of
All Saints of the Order of Preachers
“Arm yourself with prayer,
instead of a sword;
be clothed with humility,
instead of fine raiment.”
“We must sow the seed,
Not hoard it.”
St Dominic’s Blessing
By St Dominic de Guzman (1170-1221)
May God the Father,
who made us, bless us.
May God the Son,
send His healing among us.
May God the Holy Spirit,
move within us
and give us eyes to see with,
ears to hear with,
and hands, that Your work,
might be done.
May we walk and preach
the word of God to all.
May the angel of peace
watch over us
and lead us at last,
by God’s grace,
to the Kingdom.
Amen
“I send you a very little word,
THE WORD,
made little in the crib,
THE WORD,
made flesh for us ….
THE WORD,
of salvation and grace
THE WORD,
of sweetness and glory
THE WORD
Who is good and gentle –
JESUS CHRIST!”
“It is by the path of love,
which is charity,
that God draws near to man
and man to God.
But where charity is not found,
God cannot dwell.
If, then, we possess charity,
we posses God,
for ‘God is Charity’
(1 John 4:8).”
“To convert somebody,
go and take them by the hand
and guide them.”
“Charity is
the form,
mover,
mother
and root
of all
the virtues.”
“To love is to
will the good
of the other.”
“The greatest kindness
one can render
to any man
consists in leading him
from error to truth.”
O Jesus, Mary’s Son!
By St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus, Doctor communis
Hail to Thee! True body sprung
From the Virgin Mary’s womb!
The same that on the cross was hung
And bore for man the bitter doom.
Thou Whose side was pierced and flowed
Both with water and with blood.
Suffer us to taste of Thee
In our life’s last agony.
O kind, O loving One!
O Jesus, Mary’s Son!
Amen
“Be strong and kill yourself
with the sword of hate and love,
then you will not hear the insults
and abuse. which the enemies
of the Church throw at you.
Your eyes will not see anything,
which seems impossible,
or the sufferings,
which may follow
but only the light of faith
and in that light ,
everything is possible
and remember ,
God never lays greater burdens
on us than we can bear.”
“What is it you want to change?
Your hair, your face, your body?
Why? For God is in love with all those things
and He might weep when they are gone!”
“Compassion, my dear Brother,
is preferable to cleanliness.
Reflect that with a little soap,
I can easily clean my bed covers
but even with a torrent of tears,
I would never wash from my soul,
the stain, that my harshness toward
the unfortunate would create.”
Our Morning Offering –7 November – Twenty Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
My Lord, I am Unworthy!
Prayer before Holy Communion
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church
My Lord,
Who are You
and who am I,
that I should dare to take You
into my body and soul?
A thousand years
of penance and tears,
would not be sufficient
to make me worthy
to receive so royal a Sacrament even once!
How much more am I unworthy of it,
who fall into sin daily,
I, the incorrigible,
who approach You so often
without due preparation!
Nevertheless, Your mercy
infinitely surpasses my unworthiness.
Therefore, I make bold
to receive this Sacrament,
trusting in Your love.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 5 November – The Memorial of All Jesuit Saints and Blesseds
“Hate what the world seeks
and seek, what it avoids.”
“God’s love calls us to move beyond fear.
We ask God for the courage
to abandon ourselves unreservedly,
so that we might be moulded
by God’s grace,
even as we cannot see
where that path may lead us.”
“Act as if everything depended on you;
trust as if everything depended on God.”
I Beg of You, My Lord
By St Peter Faber (1506-1546)
I beg of You, my Lord,
to remove anything which separates
me from You
and You from me.
Remove anything that makes me unworthy
of Your sight,
Your control,
Your reprehension;
of Your speech and conversation,
of Your benevolence and love.
Cast from me every evil
that stands in the way of my seeing You,
hearing, tasting, savouring and touching You,
fearing and being mindful of You,
knowing, trusting, loving and possessing You;
being conscious of Your Presence
and, as far as may be, enjoying You.
This is what I ask for myself
and earnestly desire from You.
Amen
“What a tragedy,
how many souls
are being shut out of heaven
and falling into hell,
thanks to you!”
“This death … has already levelled
his bow to strike me.
Is it not prudent to prevent its stroke,
by dying now to the world,
that at my death,
I may live to God?”
“We ought to instruct with meekness
those whom heresy has made bitter and suspicious
and has estranged from orthodox Catholics,
… Thus, by whole-hearted charity and goodwill,
we may win them over to us in the Lord.”
“We … are under an obligation
to be the light of the world
by the modesty of our behaviour,
the fervour of our charity,
the innocence of our lives
and the example of our virtues.
Thus shall we be able
to raise the lowered prestige
of the Catholic Church
and, to build up again,
the ruins that others by their vices have caused.
Others, by their wickedness,
have branded the Catholic Faith
with a mark of shame,
we must strive,
with all our strength, to cleanse it
from its ignominy
and to restore it
to its pristine glory!”
The Burning Babe,
As I in hoary winter’s night
stood shivering in the snow,
Surprised I was with sudden heat
which made my heart to glow;
And lifting up a fearful eye to view
what fire was near,
A pretty babe all burning bright
did in the air appear;
Who, scorchëd with excessive heat,
such floods of tears did shed
As though His floods should quench His flames
which with His tears were fed.
Alas, quoth He but newly born in fiery heats I fry,
Yet none approach to warm their hearts
or feel my fire but I!
My faultless breast the furnace is,
the fuel wounding thorns,
Love is the fire and sighs the smoke,
the ashes shame and scorns;
The fuel justice layeth on
and mercy blows the coals,
The metal in this furnace wrought
are men’s defiled souls,
For which, as now on fire I am
to work them to their good,
So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood.
With this He vanished out of sight
and swiftly shrunk away,
And straight I called unto mind
that it was Christmas day.
“When He takes away
what He once lent us,
His purpose is to
store our treasure elsewhere,
more safely and bestow on us,
those very blessings,
that we ourselves
would most choose to have.”
(From A Letter to His Mother)
“The Catholic religion was the religion of your forefathers
and the only one Jesus Christ founded; –
the one which He promised would endure
till the end of time.
It is in the Catholic religion alone
that you can save your soul.”
“How long are you going to be deaf to His call?
Or are you going to lose your soul,
which Jesus Christ bought at the price
of His Precious Blood?”
“… Make use of Our Lord
as an armour which covers [us] all about,
by means of which [we] shall resist
every device of [our] enemies.
You shall then be my Strength, O my God!
You shall be my Guide,
my Director,
my Counsellor,
my Patience,
my Knowledge,
my Peace,
my Justice
and my Prudence.”
“He promises to be [our] strength,
in proportion to the trust
which [we] place in Him.”
The May Magnificat
By Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)
May is Mary’s month and I
Muse at that and wonder why:
Her feasts follow reason,
Dated due to season-
Candlemas, Lady Day:
But the Lady Month, May,
Why fasten that upon her,
With a feasting in her honour?
Ask of her, the mighty Mother:
Her reply puts this other
Question: What is Spring?
Growth in everything-
All things rising, all things sizing
Mary sees, sympathising
With that world of good,
Nature’s motherhood.
Well but there was more than this:
Spring’s universal bliss
Much, had much to say
To offering Mary May.
Our Morning Offering – 4 November – The Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)
Thy Instrument
By St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584)
Almighty God,
Thou hast generously made known
to human beings,
the Mysteries of Thine Life
through Jesus Christ
Thy Son in the Holy Ghost.
Enlighten my mind
to know these Mysteries
which Thy Church
treasures and teaches.
Move my heart to love them
and my will, to live in accord with them.
Give me the ability
to teach this Faith to others,
without pride,
without ostentation
and without personal gain.
Let me realise that,
I am simply Thy instrument,
for bringing others to the knowledge
of the wonders Thou hast done
for all Thy creatures.
Help me to be faithful to this task
Thou hast entrusted to me.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 3 November – “Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”
Heal Us Lord God
By St Albert of Trapani O.Carm. (c 1240-1307)
O my God,
You have created the human race
by Your wonderful power.
It is an act of Your clemency that has called us
to share Your glory and eternal life.
When the first sin condemned us to suffer death,
out of Your goodness,
You wished to redeem us
through the Blood of Your Son,
To unite us to Yourself
through our faith
and Your great mercy.
You have brought us back
from the shame of our sin,
You have veiled our dishonour
in the brightness of Your glory.
Look now and see that what You have created,
giving it subtle limbs and joints
and made beautiful through its immortal soul,
is now subject to the attack of Satan.
Be pleased Lord
to reconstitute Your work and heal it.
May Your power be glorified
and may the malice of the enemy be stunned.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 2 November – All Souls Day – Readings: Wisdom 3: 1-9; Romans 5: 5-11 or Romans 6: 3-9; Gospel: John 6: 37-40
“We should have a daily
familiarity with death,
a daily desire for death.
By this kind of detachment,
our soul must learn to free itself
from the desires of the body.
It must soar above earthly lusts,
to a place where they cannot come near,
to hold it fast.
It must take on the likeness of death,
to avoid the punishment of death!”
“Death is then no cause for mourning,
for it is the cause of mankind’s salvation.
Death is not something to be avoided,
for the Son of God
did not think it beneath His dignity,
nor did He seek to escape it.”
“We should consider how much good
our Lord did us,
by His first coming
and how much more He will do for us,
by His second.
This thought will help us,
to have a great love
for that first coming of His
and a great longing for His return.”
“Keep a clear eye toward life’s end.
Do not forget your purpose
and destiny as God’s creature.
What you are in His sight,
is what you are and nothing more.
Remember that when you leave this earth,
you can take nothing that you have received…
but only what you have given – a full heart
enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.”
“Do now,
what you wish to have done,
when your moment
comes to die.”
Sabbatum Sanctum
By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
I look at You, my Lord Jesus
and think of Your most holy Body
and I keep it before me,
as a pledge of my own resurrection.
Though I die, as die I certainly shall,
nevertheless, I shall not forever die,
for I shall rise again.
O You, who are the Truth,
I know and believe with my whole heart,
that this very flesh of mine will rise again.
I know, base and odious as it is at present,
that it will one day, if I be worthy,
be raised incorruptible
and altogether beautiful and glorious.
This I know,
this by Your grace,
I will ever keep before me.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 1 November – The Solemnity of All the Saints
“He will provide the way and the means,
such as you could never have imagined.
Leave it all to Him,
let go of yourself,
lose yourself on the Cross
and you will find yourself entirely.”
“Teach Us Good Lord”
By St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
Teach us, good Lord,
to serve You as You deserve;
to give
and not to count the cost,
to fight
and not to heed the wounds,
to toil
and not to seek for rest,
to labour
and not to ask for reward,
except that of knowing
that we are doing Your will.
Amen
“Those who risk all for God,
will find. that they have
both lost all and gained all.”
“The Lord delights
in every little step you take.”
“There is no more evident sign
that anyone is a saint
and of the number of the elect,
than to see him leading a good life
and, at the same time,
a prey to desolation, suffering and trials.”
“All a person’s holiness,
perfection and profit
lies in doing God’s will perfectly….
Happy are we, if we succeed
in pouring out our heart into God’s,
in uniting our desires
and our will to His,
to the point,
that one heart and one will are formed,
wanting, what God wants,
wanting, in the way,
in the time
and in the circumstances,
what He desires
and willing it all,
for no other reason,
than that God wills it.”
“Heaven is filled
with converted sinners ,
of all kinds
and there is room
for more!”
“You cannot be half a saint.
You must be a whole saint
or no saint at all.”
MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/11/01/quote-s-of-the-day-1-november-on-the-saints/
Our Morning Offering – 1 November – The Solemnity of All Saints
Grant us Your Light, O Lord
By The Venerable St Bede (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church
Grant us Your light, O Lord,
so that the darkness of our hearts,
may wholly pass away
and we may come at last,
to the Light of Christ.
For Christ is that morning star,
who, when the night of this world has passed,
brings to His saints,
the promised light of life
and opens to them,
everlasting day.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 30 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” and Mary’s Day
Through Thee, to Us, our Saviour Came
To Our Lady of the Rosary
By St Amadeus of Lausanne O.Cist (1108-1159)
Through thee, to us, our Saviour came,
Through thee, to Him, we fain would go.
Our lives are marred by wrong and shame,
Yet, confidence in thee we know.
The friendship thou dost give to all
Who love thy name, shall ever be
Assurance thou wilt hear our call,
Sweet Lady of the Rosary!
Thou art our Strength upon the way,
Our Morning Star, to cheer and guide;
Our Beacon Light to show the day,
And lead us to the Saviour’s Side;
A Comforter in ev’ry pain
We find, O Mother blest, in thee,
And seek we, never, thee in vain,
Fair Lady of the Rosary!
Thy praises, Mary, we would sing,
And all our faculties employ,
That unto thee our hearts might bring
A glory-crown of love and joy.
Bless thou each humble effort made
In thy regard and grant that we,
May by thy influence be swayed,
Our Lady of the Rosary!
Our Morning Offering – 29 October
O Lord,
Have Mercy upon Me, a Sinner
By St Wulfstan (c 1008–1095)
Bishop of Worcester
O Lord,
have mercy upon me, a sinner.
Establish my heart in Your will.
Grant me true repentance for my sins,
give a right faith
and true charity,
patience in adversity
and moderation in prosperity.
Help me and all my friends and family,
all who ask for and trust in my prayers.
Show mercy to all who have done me good
and helped me to the knowledge of good
and grant everlasting forgiveness
to all who have spoken or thought
evil against me.
To You, my God and to all Your holy ones,
be praise and glory forever,
for all the benefits which You have granted me
and for all Your mercy,
shown to me, a sinner.
Amen
St Wulfstan’s life here:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/19/saint-of-the-day-19-january-saint-wulfstan-c-1008-1095/
Our Morning Offering – 27 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary”
She, who stands at the Altar of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, without many of us today, will always be our help, most especially in these times of increasing persecution. Although deprived of the Sacraments, we will never be deprived of her Perpetual Succour.
Most Holy Virgin Mary,
Help of Christian
By St John Bosco (1815-1888)
Most Holy Virgin Mary,
Help of Christians,
how sweet it is to come to thy feet
imploring thy perpetual help.
If earthly mothers cease not
to remember their children,
how can thou,
the most loving of all mothers, forget me?
Grant then to me, I implore thee
thy perpetual help in all my necessities,
in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations.
I ask for thy unceasing help
for all who are now suffering.
Help the weak,
cure the sick,
convert sinners.
Grant through thy intercession,
many vocations to the religious life.
Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians,
that having invoked thee on earth
we may love and eternally thank thee in Heaven.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 26 October – The Memorial of St Alfred the Great (849-899)
We Pray to You, O Lord,
the King of All
By St Alfred the Great (849-899)
We pray to You, O Lord,
Who are the surpeme Truth
and all truth is from You.
We beseech You, O Lord,
Who are the highest Wisdom
and all the wise depend on You
for their wisdom.
You are the supreme Joy
and all who are happy,
owe it to You.
You are the Light of minds
and all receive
their understanding from You.
We love, we love You above all.
We seek You,
we follow You
and we are ready to serve You.
We desire to dwell under Your Power,
for You are the King of all.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 25 October
May the Heart of Jesus
be the King of My Heart!
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity
May Your Heart dwell
always, in our hearts!
May Your Blood
ever flow, in the veins
of our souls!
O Sun of our hearts,
You give life to all things,
by the rays of Your goodness!
I will not go,
until Your Heart
has strengthened me,
O Lord Jesus!
May the Heart of Jesus
be the King of my heart!
Blessed be God.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 24 October – Twenty Second Sunday after Pentecost
Prayer before Holy Communion
By St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church
Lord, I know that I am not worthy
to receive Thy Holy Body and Precious Blood;
I know that I am guilty
and that I eat and drink
condemnation to myself,
not discerning the Body and Blood
of Christ, my God.
But trusting in Thy loving kindness,
I come to Thee, Who hast said –
‘Whoever eats My Body and drinks My Blood,
will dwell in me and I in him’;
Therefore, Lord, have compassion on me
and do not put to shame Thy sinful servant
But deal with me according to Thy great mercy
And grant that these holy gifts,
may be for me,
healing, cleansing, enlightenment,
protection, salvation and sanctification
of soul and body.
May they cast out from me
every dark delusion,
sinful deed or work of the evil one.
May they move me to trust and love Thee always,
to amendment of life,
increase of virtue,
obedience to Thy commandments,
communion of the Holy Spirit,
provision for my final journey
and a good defence before the dreadful
seat of judgement.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 22 October – On Pilgrimage
“Let Your Name, not mine, be praised.
Let Your Work, not mine, be magnified.
Let Your Holy Name be blessed
but let no human praise be given to me.
You are my glory.
You are the joy of my heart.
In You I will glory and rejoice
all the day and for myself
I will glory in nothing but my infirmities. … ”
The Imitation of Christ – Book 3 Chapter 40
“And like the little grain of mustard seed …
we should set it in the garden of our soul,
all weeds being pulled out
for the better feeding of our faith.
Then shall it grow and …
through the true belief of God’s word …
we shall be well able to command
a great mountain of tribulation
to void from the place
where it stood in our hearts,
whereas with a very feeble faith
and faint, we shall scarcely
be able to remove a little hillock.”
“Never listen to those,
who are speaking evil of another
and never say anything evil of anyone,
excepting of yourself
and when you take pleasure in doing this,
you will be advancing rapidly.”
“All our goodness is a loan;
God is the owner;
God works
and His work is God.”
Our Morning Offering – 22 October – Prayer of a Martyr, St Thomas More (1478-1535)
The prayer below, was written by Saint Thomas More while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London, awaiting execution by King Henry VIII.
Give Me Thy Grace, Good Lord!
A Prayer of Hope
By St Thomas More (1478-1535)
Give me Thy grace, good Lord.
To set the world at naught.
To set the mind firmly on Thee
and not to hang upon the words of men’s mouths.
To be content to be solitary.
Not to long for worldly pleasures.
Little by little, utterly to cast off the world
and rid my mind of all its business.
Not to long to hear of earthly things
but that the hearing of worldly fancies,
may be displeasing to me.
Gladly to be thinking of God,
piteously to call for His help.
To lean into the comfort of God.
Busily to labour to love Him.
To know mine own vileness and wretchedness.
To humble myself under the mighty Hand of God.
To bewail my sins past,
for the purging of them,
patiently to suffer adversity.
Gladly to bear my purgatory here.
To be joyful in tribulations.
To walk the narrow way that leads to life.
To bear the Cross with Christ.
To have the last thing in remembrance.
To have ever before mine eyes,
my death that is ever at hand.
To make death no stranger to me.
To foresee and consider,
the everlasting fire of Hell.
To pray for pardon before the Judge come.
To have continually in mind,
the Passion that Christ suffered for me.
For His benefits, unceasingly to give Him thanks.
To buy the time again, that I before have lost.
To abstain from vain conversations.
To shun foolish mirth and gladness.
To cut off unnecessary recreations.
Of worldly substance,
friends, liberty, life and all,
to set the loss at naught,
for the winning of Christ.
To think my worst enemies, my best friends,
for the brethren of Joseph
could never have done him
so much good with their love and favour,
as they did him, with their malice and hatred.
These minds are more to be desired of every man,
than all the treasures of all the princes and kings,
Christian and heathen,
were it gathered and laid together,
all in one heap.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 20 October
Morning Offering
By St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)
My God,
just as I wish to love
nothing more than You,
so I wish to live,
only for You.
I offer You
all my thoughts,
all my words,
all my actions
and all my sufferings of this day;
please bestow
Your holy blessing,
upon them all.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 19 October
Prayer for the Gift of Prayer
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
O Incarnate Word,
You have given Your Blood and Your Life
to confer on our prayers that power by which,
according to Your promise,
they obtain for us all that we ask.
And we, O God,
are so careless of our salvation,
that we will not even ask You for the graces
that we must have, if we should be saved!
In prayer You have given us the key
of all Your Divine treasures
and we, rather than pray,
choose to remain in our misery.
Alas! O Lord, enlighten us,
and make us know the value of prayers,
offered in Your name and by Your merits,
in the eyes of Your Eternal Father.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 17 October – Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost
Prayer before Holy Mass
By St Ambrose (340-397)
Father & Doctor of the Church
Lord Jesus Christ,
We approach Your banquet table
as saints and sinners
and dare not rely on our own worth
but only on Your goodness and mercy.
Gracious God of majesty and awe,
we seek Your protection,
we look for Your healing.
We appeal to You, the fountain of all mercy.
Lord Jesus Christ, eternal King,
Crucified for us, look upon us with mercy
and hear our prayer, for we trust in You.
Merciful Father, purify us in body and soul
and make us worthy to taste the Holy of Holies.
May Your Body and Blood,
which we intend to receive,
unworthy as we are,
be for us the remission of our sins,
the washing away of our guilt,
the end of our evil thoughts
and the rebirth of our better instincts.
May it incite us to do the works pleasing to You
and profitable to our health, in body and soul
and may it deliver us from evil.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 15 October – The Memorial of St Teresa of Jesus of Avila OCD (1515-1582) Doctor of the Church
Thy Holy Will
By St Teresa of Jesus of Avila (1515-1582)
Doctor of the Church
Lord,
grant that I may always
allow myself to be guided by Thee,
always follow Thy plans
and perfectly accomplish Thy Holy Will.
Grant that in all things,
great and small,
today and all the days of my life,
I may do,
whatever Thou may require of me.
Help me to respond
to the slightest prompting
of Thy grace,
so that I may be Thy trustworthy instrument,
for Thy honour.
May Thy Will be done in time
and eternity –
by me, in me and through me.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 14 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Romans 3: 21-30; Psalms 130: 1b-6ab; Luke 11: 47-54
“Whatever you do, do from the heart,
as for the Lord and not for others,
knowing that you will receive
from the Lord
the due payment of the inheritance;
be slaves of the Lord Christ.”
“Love[ing] one another
with the charity of Christ,
let the love you have in your hearts,
be shown outwardly in your deeds …”
“Love is watchful.
Sleeping, it does not slumber.
Wearied, it is not tired.
Pressed, it is not straitened.
Alarmed, it is not confused
but like a living flame,
a burning torch,
it forces its way upward
and passes unharmed
through every obstacle.”
“Nothing is sweeter than love,
nothing stronger or higher or wider;
nothing is more pleasant, nothing fuller
and nothing better in heaven or on earth,
for love is born of God
and cannot rest except in God,
Who is above all created things.”
“On the journey of this life to eternity,
let me carry You in my heart,
following Mary’s example,
who bore You in her arms,
during the flight to Egypt.”
“… It is Him you should love and no other.
Of Him you could and should say
“My Beloved is mine and I am his” (Sg 2:16);
my God has given Himself without reserve
and, without reserve, I give myself to Him;
He has chosen me as the object of His tenderness
and He, among thousands,
He, the radiant and ruddy one (Sg 5:10),
so loveable and so loving,
He is the chosen of my heart,
the only one I wish to love.”
“When the heart is pure and simple,
it cannot help loving
because it has discovered,
the source of love,
which is God.”
I Want to Love You, My God
By St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)
I want to love You, my God,
with all my heart,
with all my being,
with all my strength.
I consecrate to You,
my thoughts,
desires,
words
and actions,
whatever I have
and whatever I can be.
Let me use what I have
for Your greater honour
and glory,
according to Your will.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 14 October
I Beg of You, My Lord
By St Peter Faber (1506-1546)
I beg of You, my Lord,
to remove anything which separates
me from You
and You from me.
Remove anything that makes me unworthy
of Your sight,
Your control,
Your reprehension;
of Your speech and conversation,
of Your benevolence and love.
Cast from me every evil
that stands in the way of my seeing You,
hearing, tasting, savouring and touching You,
fearing and being mindful of You,
knowing, trusting, loving and possessing You;
being conscious of Your Presence
and, as far as may be, enjoying You.
This is what I ask for myself
and earnestly desire from You.
Amen
Our Morning Offering -12 October
May Your Heart Dwell
Always in our Hearts!
by Saint Francis De Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity
May Your Heart
dwell always in our hearts!
May Your Blood
ever flow in the veins of our souls!
O Sun of our hearts,
You give life to all things
by the rays of Your goodness!
I will not go,
until Your Heart has strengthened me,
O Lord Jesus!
May the Heart of Jesus
be the King of my heart!
Blessed be God.
Amen
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.
“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.”
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.”
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
Our Morning Offering – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity
Mother of my God,
Lady Mary, Queen of Mercy
By St Alphonsus Ligouri (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor
Mother of my God and my Lady Mary,
as a beggar, all wounded and sore,
presents himself before a great Queen,
so do I present myself before you,
who are Queen of heaven and earth.
From the lofty throne on which you sit,
disdain not, I implore you,
to cast your eyes on me,
a poor sinner.
God has made you so rich
that you might assist the poor
and has made you Queen of Mercy,
that you might relieve the miserable.
Behold me then and pity me.
Behold me and abandon me not,
until you see me changed
from a sinner into a saint.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 10 October – Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
By St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390)
Father and Doctor
O God,
You alone are unutterable,
from the time You created all things
that can be spoken of.
You alone are unknowable,
from the time You created all things
that can be known.
All things cry out about You,
those which speak
and those which cannot speak.
All things honour You,
those which think
and those which cannot think.
For there is one longing, one groaning,
that all things have for You.
All things pray to You
that perceive Your plan
and offer You a silent hymn.
In you, the One,
all things abide
and all things endlessly run to You
who are the end of all.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
One Minute Reflection – 9 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: : Joel 4: 12-21; Psalm 97: 1-2, 5-6, 11-12; Luke 11: 27-28
“He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” – Luke 11:28
REFLECTION – “Mary was more blessed in accepting the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ. To someone who said, “Blessed is the womb that bore you,” He replied, “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” Finally, for His brothers, His relatives according to the flesh, who did not believe in Him, of what advantage was that relationship? Even her maternal relationship would have done Mary no good unless she had borne Christ, more happily in her heart, than in her flesh.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace (Holy Virginity, 3).
PRAYER – “O my God, whatever is nearer to me than You, things of this earth and things more naturally pleasing to me, will be sure to interrupt the sight of You, unless Your grace interfere. Keep You my eyes, my ears, my heart, from any such miserable tyranny. Keep my whole being fixed on You. Let me never lose sight of You and while I gaze on You, let my love of You grow more and more every day.” … St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) May we run the race in obedience and love of the Will of our God, always seeking Your Face in those who are the leastg. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 4 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Jonah 1: 1 – 2: 1-2, 11; Psalm Jonah 2: 3, 4, 5, 8; Luke 10: 25-37 The Memorial of St Francis of Assisi (c 1181–1226)
“But a certain Samaritan being on his journey, came near him and seeing him, was moved with compassion. And going up to him, bound up his wounds …” – Luke 10:33-34
REFLECTION – “ How good You are, O Divine Samaritan, to gather up this wounded world so sadly fallen along the way, trapped in such mire and so unworthy of Your Goodness!
The more wicked the world, the more Your Mercy shines forth: to be infinitely good to the good, is a thousand times less admirable, than to be infinitely good to souls, who, even though lavished with graces, are simply ungrateful, unfaithful, perverse. The more wicked we are, the more the marvel of Your infinite Mercy gleams and shines. This in itself, suffices to explain, the great good that sin produces on the earth and explains, why You permit it. It makes way for an incomparable greater good – the exercise and manifestation of Your divine Mercy. This divine attribute could not be put into practice without it; goodness could be exercised and shown without sin but failure is needed, if mercy is to be manifested. Ah! My Lord and God, how Good you are! How Merciful! Mercy is, so to speak, the overflow of Your Goodness and what is most passionate in Your Goodness, the weight by which Your Goodness overcomes Your Justice. How divinely good You are! (…)
Be kind to sinners, since God is so kind to us – pray for them, love them. … “Be merciful as our Father is merciful” (cf. Lk 6:36). God “prefers mercy to sacrifice” (cf. Mt 12:7).” – Bl Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916) Hermit and Missionary in the Sahara – (Meditations on the psalms 103, psalm 52)
PRAYER – All highest, glorious God,
cast Your light into the darkness of our hearts,
give us true faith, firm hope,
perfect charity and profound humility,
so that with wisdom,
courage and perception, O Lord,
we may do what is truly Your holy will.
Amen. – St Francis of Assisi
AnaStpaul 
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