Category: PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 8 April – ‘I Am’ Your Salvaton

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 8 April – Monday of the Fifth week of Lent

‘I Am’ Your Salvaton
By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor

For Your mercies’ sake,
O Lord my God,
tell me what You are to me.
Say to my soul:
“I Am your salvation.”
So speak, that I may hear, O Lord;
my heart is listening;
open it, that it may hear You,
and say to my soul:
“I Am your salvation.”
After hearing this word,
may I come in haste
to take hold of You.
Hide not Your face from me.
Let me see Your face even if I die,
lest I die with longing to see it.
The house of my soul
is too small to receive You,
let it be enlarged by You.
It is all in ruins;
do You repair it.
There are things in it,
I confess and I know,
that must offend Your sight.
But who shall cleanse it?
Or to what others
besides You shall I cry out?
From my secret sins
cleanse me, O Lord,
and from those of others,
spare Your servant.
Ameni am your salvation by st augustine - 8 april 2019

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 7 April – Prayer in Honour of the Eucharistic King

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 7 April – The Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C

Prayer in Honour of the Eucharistic King
By St Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

O Jesus, King of all peoples and all ages,
accept the Acts of Adoration and praise,
which we, Your brothers by adoption,
humbly offer You.
You are the “Living Bread which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world,”
Supreme Priest and Victim.
On the Cross, You offered Yourself to the Eternal Father
as a bloody sacrifice of expiation,
for the redemption of the human race
and now, You offer Yourself daily upon our altars,
by the hands of Your ministers,
in order to establish, in every heart,
Your “reign of truth and life, of holiness and grace,
of justice, love and peace.”
O King of glory, may Your kingdom come!
Reign from Your “throne of grace”,
in the hearts of children,
so that they may guard untainted
the while lily of baptismal innocence.
Reign in the hearts of the young,
that they may grow up healthy and pure,
obedient to the commands of those who represent You
in their families and schools and in the Church.
Reign in our homes,
so that parents and children may live in peace,
in obedience to Your holy law.
Reign in our lands,
so that all citizens,
in the harmonious order of the various social groups,
may feel themselves children of the same heavenly Father,
called to co-operate for the common good of this world,
happy to belong to the one Mystical Body,
of which Your Sacrament is at once the symbol
and the everlasting source.
Finally, reign, O King of kings
and “Lord of lords,”
over all the nations of the earth
and enlighten all their rules in order that,
inspired by Your example, they may make
“plans for welfare and not for evil.”
O Jesus, present in the Sacrament of the Altar,
teach all the nations to serve You with willing hearts,
knowing that “to serve God is to reign.”
May Your Sacrament, O Jesus,
be light to the mind,
strength to the will,
joy to the heart.
May it be the support of the weak,
the comfort of the suffering,
the wayfaring bread of salvation for the dying
and for all,
the “pledge of future glory”
Amenprayer in honour of the eucharisdtic king.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2019, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 6 April – Prayer to the Sorrowful Mother

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 6 April – Saturday of the Fourth week of Lent, Year C
‘Marian Saturdays’

Prayer to the Sorrowful Mother
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church

My sorrowful Mother,
by the merit of that grief
which you felt at seeing your beloved Jesus
led to death,
obtain for me the grace to bear with patience,
those crosses which God sends me.
I will be fortunate if I also shall know
hot to accompany you with my cross until death.
You and Jesus,
both innocent,
have borne a heavy cross
and shall I,
a sinner who has merited hell,
refuse mine?
Immaculate Virgin,
I hope you will help me
to bear my crosses with patience.
Amenprayer to the sorrowful mother by st alphonsus liguori 6 april 2019.jpg

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE

Lenten Thoughts – 5 April ‘ But You God”

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Lenten Thoughts – 5 April – Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C

And now, my heavy laden soul,
what will you do?
You call with your lips and voice to
God most high,
God, who cares only for deeds and
is not taken in by words.
You, my soul, with a heart always turned toward Egypt,
how can I describe you?

Am I
a Sodom, to be punished likewise with destruction,
or the prosecutor of Ninevah, who was struck dumb?

Am I
more cowardly and barbarous than the
queen of the south,
lower than Canaan,
more stubborn than Amalek,
incurable as the city of idols,
a relic left behind from the rebellion of Israel,
a reminder of the broken covenant of Judah,
more reproachable than Tyre,
more shunned than Zidon,
more immoral than Galilee,
more unpardonable than faithless Capernaum,
maligned like Korazin,
slandered like Bethsaida?

Or am I
immodest as Ephraim as he prayed,
or a dove, whose gentleness seems due to
feeblemindedness and not to inner calm,
or an evil serpent born of lion’s cubs,
or the serpent’s egg filled with decay,
or like the last blow against Jerusalem?

Or am I
in the words of our Lord
and the sayings of the prophets,
an abandoned tabernacle about to collapse,
the unlatched doors of the stronghold,
my speaking edifice stained again,
having given up my rightful inheritance,
my home built by God,
as Moses, David and Jeremiah prophesied?
My thinking body now consumed by disease,
afflicted with carping counsel, rehabilitated by the law,
anointed with the clay of mildness,
incapable of finding my own salvation,
torn away from the maker’s hand,
expelled as just punishment
by order of the Almighty, to an unholy place,
rejected, exiled, greatly shunned, nothing spared,
having buried my gift in the ground,
like the one chastised in the Gospel by
losing his inheritance.

But You, God,
Lord of souls and all flesh,
in the words of one divinely graced,
You are long-suffering and abounding in mercy.
In the voice of blessed Jonah,
grant that I finish to Your delight
this book of prayers, now begun.
And having sown these words with tears
and set forth on this journey toward the dwellings You have prepared,
may I return joyfully in the time of harvest
with the bounty of atonement,
with sheaves of goodness and the fruits of delight.

St Gregory of Narek (950-1003) – Fathe & Doctor of the Churchbut-you-god-st-gregory-of-narek-27-feb-2018.jpg

“If you elevate yourself,
God distances Himself from you.
If you humble yourself,
He leans towards you.”

St Augustine (354-430)if you elevate yourself - st augustine - 5 april 2019.jpg

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 5 April – Grant me, O my God

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 5 April – Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)

Grant me, O my God
By St Vincent Ferrer (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.
Amengrant me o my god by st vincent ferrer - 5 april 2019.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 4 April – The Promise

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Our Morning Offering – 4 April – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C

The Promise
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

And lastly, O my dear Lord,
though I am so very weak
that I am not fit to ask You
for suffering as a gift
and have not strength to do so,
at least I will beg of You,
grace to meet suffering well,
when You, in Your love and wisdom,
brings it upon me,
knowing that in this way,
I shall gain the promise,
both of this life and of the next.
Amenthe promise - bl john henry newman 4 april 2019.jpg

Posted in GOD the FATHER, JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE

Our Morning Offering – 2 April – I Put My Trust in You

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Our Morning Offering – 2 April – Tuesday of the Fourth week of Lent

I Put My Trust in You
By St Claude de la Colombiere SJ (1641-1682)

Loving and tender providence of my God,
into Your hands I comment my spirit,
to You, I abandon my hopes and fears,
my desires and dislikes,
my temporal and eternal prospects.
To You, I commit the wants of my perishable body,
to You, I commit the more precious interests
of my immortal soul,
for whose lot I have nothing to fear,
as long as I do not leave Your care.
Though my faults are many,
my misery great,
my spiritual poverty extreme,
my hope in You surpasses all.
It is superior to my weakness,
greater than my difficulties,
stronger than death.
Though temptations should assail me,
I will hope in You,
though I break my resolutions,
I will look to You confidently
for grace to keep them at last.
Though You should kill me,
even then I will trust You,
for You are my Father,
my God,
the support of my salvation.
You are my kind,
compassionate,
indulgent Parent
and I am Your devoted child,
who casts myself into Your arms
and begs Your blessing.
I put my trust in You
and so trusting,
shall not be confounded.
AmenI put my trust in you - st claude de la colombiere 2 april 2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The WORD

Our Morning Offering – 1 April – Grant that I may love You and be loved by You

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 1 April – Monday of the Fourth week of Lent, Year C

“I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
and be glad in my people…”
Isaiah 65:19

Grant that I may love You
and be loved by You
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)

O God of love,
You are
and shall be forever,
the only delight of my heart
and the sole object of my affections.
Since Jesus said,
‘Ask and you shall receive,’
I do not hesitate to say,
‘Give me Your love
and Your grace.’
Grant that I may love You
and be loved by You.
I want nothing else.
Amengrant that I may love you and beloved by you - st alphonsus liguori 1 april 2019.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 31 March – I Thank You!

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Our Morning Offering – 31 March – “Laetare” Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year C

I Thank You!
Prayer after Holy Communion
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

LORD, Father all-powerful,
and ever-living God,
I thank You,
for even though I am a sinner,
Your unprofitable servant,
not because of my worth,
but in the kindness of Your mercy,
You have fed me with the precious Body
and Blood of Your Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that this holy communion
may not bring me condemnation
and punishment
but forgiveness and salvation.
May it be a helmet of faith
and a shield of goodwill.
May it purify me from evil ways
and put an end to my evil passions.
May it bring me charity and patience,
humility and obedience,
and growth in power to do good.
May it be my strong defense
against all my enemies,
visible and invisible,
and the perfect calming
of all my evil impulses,
bodily and spiritual.
May it unite me more closely to You,
the one true God
and lead me safely through death
to everlasting happiness with You.
And I pray that You will lead me,
a sinner to the banquet
where You with Your Son and Holy Spirit,
are true and perfect light,
total fulfillment,
everlasting joy,
gladness without end,
and perfect happiness to Your saints.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
AmenI thank YOU- prayer after holy comm st thomas aquinas - 31 march 2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2019, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 29 March – I Beg You, O Lord

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Our Morning Offering – 29 March – Friday of the Third week of Lent, Year C

I Beg You, O Lord
By St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church

I beg You, O Lord
to remove anything
which separates me from You,
or 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 maybe,
enjoying You.
This is what I ask for myself
and earnestly desire from You.
Ameni beg you o lord st peter canisius 29 march 2019 no 2.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 28 March -O Jesus, Mary’s Son!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 28 March – Thursday of the Third Week of Lent, Year C

As, today, we celebrate Blessed Venturino of Bergamo OP, we pray a prayer, from one of the greatest of all Dominicans:

O Jesus, Mary’s Son!
By St Thomas Aquinas (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!
Ameno jesus mary's son by st thomas aquinas 28 march 2019.jpg

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 27 March – I Want to Love You, My God

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Our Morning Offering – 27 March – Wednesday of the Third week of Lent, Year C

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

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MERCY, SPEAKING of .....

Quote/s of the Day – 26 March – “Speaking of Charity”

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 March – Tuesday of the Third week of Lent, Year C – Gospel: Matthew 18:21–35

“Speaking of Charity”

“The bread which you use
is the bread of the hungry;
the garment hanging in your wardrobe
is the garment of him who is naked;
the shoes you do NOT wear,
are the shoes of the one who is barefoot;
the acts of charity that you do NOT perform,
are so many INJUSTICES that you commit.”

St Basil the Great (329-379) Father & Doctor of the Churchthe-bread-you-store-up-st-basil-the-great-1-jan-2019.jpg

“Give something, however small,
to the one in need.
For it is not small to one who has nothing.
Neither is it small to God,
if we have given what we could.”

St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Father & Doctor of the Churchgive-something-however-small-st-gregory-of-nazianzen-2016.jpg

“Charity may be
a very short word
but with its tremendous
meaning of pure love,
it sums up man’s
entire relation to God
and to his neighbour.”

St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)charity-may-be-a-very-short-word-st-aelred-12-jan-2019.jpg

“If we look forward to receiving God’s mercy,
we can never fail to do good,
so long as we have the strength.
For if we share with the poor,
out of love for God,
whatever He has given to us,
we shall receive according to His promise,
a hundredfold in eternal happiness.
What a fine profit, what a blessed reward!
With outstretched arms He begs us
to turn toward Him, to weep for our sins
and to become the servants of love,
first for ourselves, then for our neighbours.
Just as water extinguishes a fire,
so love wipes away sin.”

St John of God (1495-1550)with-outstretched-arms-he-begs-us-st-john-of-god-8-march-2019.jpg

“Nothing makes us
so prosperous
in this world,
as to give alms.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Churchnothing-makes-us-so-prosperous-st-francis-de-sales-24jan2019.jpg

“Help me, O Lord, …
that my eyes may be merciful,
so that I will never be suspicious
or judge by appearances
but always look for what is beautiful
in my neighbours’ souls
and be of help to them…
That my ears may be merciful,
so that I will be attentive to my neighbours’ needs
and not indifferent to their pains and complaints.…
That my tongue may be merciful,
so that I will never speak badly of others
but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.…
That my hands may be merciful and full of good deeds.…
That my feet may be merciful,
so that I will hasten to help my neighbour,
despite my own fatigue and weariness.…
That my heart may be merciful,
so that I myself will share
in all the sufferings of my neighbour.”

St Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938)

(Extract from Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary of St Maria Faustina Kowalska, 163)
This prayer was used by Pope Francis for the Year of Mercy 2015 to be universally prayed by the Church.help-me-o-lord-that-i-may-be-merciful-st-faustina-15-feb-2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2019, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 26 March – Lord I am Yours

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 26 March – Tuesday of the Third week of Lent, Year C

Lord I am Yours
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church

Lord, I am Yours,
and I must belong to no one but You.
My soul is Yours,
and must live only by You.
My will is Yours,
and must love only for You.
I must love You as my first cause,
since I am from You.
I must love You as my end and rest,
since I am for You.
I must love You more than my own being,
since my being subsists by You.
I must love You more than myself,
since I am all Yours and all in You.
Amenlord i am yours - st francis de sales 26 march 2019

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 25 March – Prayer to Our Lady of the Annunciation

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Our Morning Offering – 25 March – The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord –

Prayer to Our Lady of the Annunciation
By Blessed James Alberione (1884-1971)
(The founder of the Daughters of St Paul)

Queen of heaven and earth,
daughter of the Father,
Mother of the divine Son,
spouse of the Holy Spirit,
I praise God
for the unique grace given to you.

Mary, you became the great Mother
of our divine Saviour,
our Master, true Light of the world,
uncreated Wisdom,
source of all Truth and first Apostle of Truth.
You gave the world
the book to read, the eternal Word.

For this I bless the holy Trinity
and I ask you to obtain for me
the grace of heavenly wisdom,
to be a fervent disciple of Jesus
and to be lovingly devoted to the Church,
the pillar of truth.

Make the light of the Gospel
shine to the farthest bounds of the earth.
Queen of the Apostles, pray for us!
Amenprayer to our lady of the annunciation by bl james alberione 25 march 2019.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 22 March – Give me the grace, good Lord!

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Our Morning Offering – 22 March – Friday of the Second week of Lent, Year C

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 the grace, good Lord!
By St Thomas More (1478-1535)

Give me the grace, good Lord.
To set the world at naught.
To set the mind firmly on You
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 my own vileness and wretchedness.
To humble myself under the mighty hand of God.
To bewail my sins and, 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 have the last thing in remembrance.
To have ever before my 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 comes.
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 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.
Amengive me the grace good lord - st thomas more - 4 sept 2018 - new version.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 21 March – My Lord, I Offer You Myself

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Our Morning Offering – 21 March – Thursday of the Second week of Lent, Year C

My Lord, I Offer You Myself
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

My Lord,
I offer You myself in turn,
as a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
You have died for me,
And I in turn make myself over to You.
I am not my own.
You have bought me:
I will, by my own act and deed,
complete the purchase.
My wish is to be separated
from everything of this world;
To cleanse myself simply from sin;
To put away from me even what is innocent,
If used for its own sake
and not for Yours.
I put away reputation and honour
and influence and power,
For my praise and strength,
shall be in You.
Enable me to carry out what I profess
Amenmy lord i offer you myself - by john henry newman 21 march 2019 thurs2ndweeklent.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, LENT 2019, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 20 March – Almighty Father, Enter our Hearts

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Our Morning Offering – 20 March – Wednesday of the Second week of Lent

Almighty Father, Enter our Hearts
By St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church

Almighty Father, enter our hearts
and so fill us with Your love,
that, forsaking all evil desires,
we may embrace You our only good.
Show unto us, for Your mercies’ sake,
O Lord our God, what You are unto us.
Say unto our souls, I am your salvation.
So speak that we may hear.
Our hearts are before You;
open our ears,
let us hasten after Your voice
and take hold of You.
Hide not Your face from us,
we beseech You, O Lord.
Enlarge the narrowness of our souls,
that You may enter in.
Repair the ruinous mansions,
that You may dwell there.
Hear us, O Heavenly Father,
for the sake of Your only Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
Who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Amenalmighty-father-enter-our-hearts-st-augustine-16-march-2018-friday-of-the-4th-week-lent-2018.jpg

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 19 March – St Joseph be our Protector By St Pope John XXIII

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Our Morning Offering – 19 March – The Solemnity of St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Guardian of Jesus and Patron of the Universal Church, Patron of Fathers, Patron of the Dying, Patron of Workers. et al

St Joseph, be our Protector
By St Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

St Joseph,
be always our protector.
That your internal spirit of peace,
silence, honest work and prayer
in the service of the Church
give us life and happiness
in union with your blessed Spouse,
our Sweet and Immaculate Mother
in the strong and mild love to Jesus,
Glorious and Immortal King
of the centuries and the people.
Amenst joseph be our protector - st pope john XXIII 19 march 2019.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, POETRY, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The TRANSFIGURATION, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 17 March – Transfiguration

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Lenten Reflection – 17 March – The Second Sunday of Lent, Year C

The Readings
Genesis 15:5-12,17-18; Psalms 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14; Philippians 3:17 – 4:1 or Philippians 3:20 – 4:1; Luke 9:28B-36

And a voice came out of the cloud, saying,
“This is my Son, my Chosen,
listen to him!”
Luke 9:35

Transfiguration
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

They were talking to Him about resurrection,
about law, about the suffering ahead.
They were talking as if to remind Him who He was and
who they were. He was not

Like his three friends watching a little way off,
not like the crowd At the foot of the hill.
A grey-green thunderhead massed
from the sea

And God spoke from it and said He was His.
They were talking about how the body, broken or
burned,
could live again, remade.

Only the fiery text of the thunderhead could explain it.
And they were talking
About pain and the need for judgement
and how He would make Himself

A law of pain, both its spirit and its letter in His own
flesh,
and then break it,
That is, transcend it.
His clothes flared like magnesium

transfiguration-by-bl-john-henry-newman-2nd-sun-lent-25-feb-2018.jpg

Daily Meditation:
Listen to Him.

It is wonderful to begin this week
acknowledging that we need God’s help in listening and hearing.
It is so powerful to ask for the “gift of integrity” –
to express our desire for wholeness.
And, we humbly ask for light in the midst of whatever
might “shadow our vision.”
This is the God who allows Jesus
to be transfigured before His disciples,
to prepare them for what they were about to face.
This is our God, who can give each of us
the change of heart we ask for.

Wait for the Lord,
be strong
and let your heart take courage,
yea, wait for the Lord!

Psalm 27:14

Closing Prayer:

Loving God,
there is so much darkness in my life
and I hide from You.
Take my hand
and lead me out of the shadows of my fear.
Help me to change my heart.
Bring me to your truth
and help me to respond to Your generous love.
Let me recognise the fullness of Your love
which will fill my life.
Free me from the darkness in my heart.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amensecond-sunday-lenten-reflection-luke 9 35 17 march 2019

Posted in LENT 2019, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 17 March – The Food for Service

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 17 March – The Second Sunday of Lent, Year C

The Food for Service
St Pope John XXIII

O Jesus,
present in the Sacrament of the Altar
teach all nations to serve You
with willing hearts,
knowing that to serve God,
is to reign.
May Your Sacrament, O Jesus,
be light to the mind,
strength to the will,
joy to the heart.
May it be the support of the weak,
the comfort of the suffering,
the wayfaring bread of salvation
for the dying
and for all,
the pledge of future glory.
Amenthe food for service by st pope john XXIII 17 march 2019

Posted in PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 10 March – “I am looking at my Lord. It is in looking at Him, that we learn how to love.”

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Thought for the Day – 10 March – The Memorial of St Marie Eugénie de Jésus (1817-1898)

Marie Eugenie led the Assumption for fifty-five years.   Her life was full.   Her first priority was for her sisters:  their happiness, their formation, their work.   She was concerned for their health – more than two hundred sisters were to die before she did, often young and of tuberculosis.

She was constantly travelling from community to community, encouraging, consoling and challenging.   As the Congregation became known, she was invited to start more and more communities.   She saw her work as being always in and for the Church and her loyalty to it was absolute.

The last few years of her life were spent in increasing retirement.   Gradually her health failed.   Her legs refused to carry her and her speech also slowed, so that at the end she could only occasionally say a few words.   Those around her were struck by her gentleness and patience.   One day she managed to say –

“I am looking at my Lord.

It is in looking at Him, that we learn how to love.”

She died, surrounded by her sisters, on the 10th March 1898.i am looking at my lord - st marie eugenie de jesus 10 march 2019

Credo of St Marie Eugenie of Jesus

I believe that our earth is a place of glory for God.
I believe that the destiny of the world is the Reign of Jesus Christ.
I believe that each of us has a mission on earth.
I believe that the aim of our religion, is not just our own eternal happiness
but to let God use us, to make the Gospel known and loved.
I believe that each one enters into God’s plan by prayer, by action and by the cross
And that to refuse His call, is to refuse our own happiness.
I believe the aim of Christian education, is to make Jesus Christ known
As the liberator and ruler of the world..

St Marie Eugénie de Jésus, Pray for Us!st marie eugenie de jesus pray for us 10 march 2019

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 10 March – St Anselm – Prayer before Holy Communion

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 10 March – The First Sunday of Lent

Prayer Before Holy Communion
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Doctor of the Church

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of the living God,
Who according to the Will of the Father
and with the co-operation of the Holy Ghost,
has, by Thy Death. given life to the world,
I adore and revere thi, Thy Holy Body
and this, Thy Holy Blood
which was given up
and poured forth, for the many,
unto remission of sins.
O merciful Lord,
I beg of Thee mercy,
that through the power of this Sacrament,
Thou will make me one of that many.
Through faith and love, make me feel
the power of these Sacraments,
so I may experience their saving power.
Absolve and free from all sin
and punishment of sin, Thy servants,
Thy handmaidens, myself,
all who confessed their sins to me,
those whom I have promised,
or am obliged, to pray for
and so too, those who themselves hope
or beg, to be helped, by my prayers to Thee.
Make our Church rejoice
in Thy constant protection and consolation.
Amen

Posted in LENT 2019, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 8 March – Thy Grace – a Lenten Prayer

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 8 March – Friday after Ash Wednesday

Thy Grace – a Lenten Prayer
By Blessed John Henry Newman

O my God,
suffer me still,
bear with me in spite of my
waywardness,
perverseness
and ingratitude!
I improve very slowly
but really, I am moving onto heaven,
or at least I wish to move.
Only give me Thy grace
meet me with Thy grace,
I will, through Thy grace, do what I can
and Thou shall perfect it for me.
Then shall I have happy days, in Thy Presence
and in the sight and adoration of
Thy five Sacred Wounds.
Amenthy-grace-a-lenten-prayer-bl-john-henry-newman-20-feb-2018.and 8 march 2019.jpg

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 7 March by Blessed Leonid Feodorov (1879-1935) Martyr

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 March – The Memorial of Blessed Leonid Feodorov (1879-1935) Martyr

“When I feel overwhelmed by misfortune,
the greatest joy that the Lord can give me,
is to go to the altar, to put my forehead against it
(as on the day of my ordination to the priesthood)
and to feel the presence of the only reality.
Not only does calm return
but my body seems to be annihilated,
the only true life begins,
the life of that which is intangible.”

(Fr Paul Mailleux, SJ “Exarch Leonid Feodorov, Bridgebuilder Between Rome and Moscow,” page 166)when i feel overwhelmed by misfortune - bl leonid feodorov - 7 march 2019.jpg

“If the Soviet Government orders me
to act against my conscience, I do not obey.
As for teaching the Catechism,
the Catholic Church holds that children
must be taught their religion,
no matter what the law says.
Conscience is above the law.
No law which is against the conscience can bind.”

(Adressing the court during his political ‘show trial’ in 1923)conscience is above the law - bl leonid feodorov 7 march 2019.jpg

“My whole life has been based on two principles –
the love of the Church to which I am united
and the love of my country, which I adore.
If I do not care, whether I am sentenced
to ten years imprisonment or to be shot,
it is not because I am a fanatic…
Since I joined the Catholic Church,
my sole object has been,
to reconcile my country to that Church
which I believe to be the One True Church.”since i joined the catholic church - bl leonid feodorov 7 march 2019.jpg

“Our hearts are full, not of hatred but of sadness.
You cannot understand us,
we are not allowed liberty of conscience.
That is the only conclusion,
we can draw from what we have heard here.”

(Addressing the court shortly before being sentenced to ten years in the GULAG)our hearts are full not of hatred but of sadness - bl leonid feodorov 7 march 2019.jpg

“The true messianism of the Russian (Catholic) Church
is not what the Slavophiles have imagined
but it is the example of suffering.
It is in this way that She shows,
that She is the continuation of Christ in this world.”

(Addressing a friend and confidant who was imprisoned with him at Solovki prison camp)the true messianism of the russian catholic church - bl leonid feodorov 7 march 2019.jpg

Prayer for Unity by Blessed Leonid

O Merciful Lord Jesus, Our Saviour,
hear the prayers and petitions
of Your unworthy, sinful servants,
who humbly call upon You
and make us all to be one
in Your One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Flood our souls with Your unquenchable light.
Put an end to religious disagreements
and grant that we Your disciples
and Your beloved children,
may all worship You,
with a single heart and voice.
Fulfill quickly, O grace-giving Lord,
Your promise,
that there shall be one flock
and one Divine Shepherd of Your Church
and may we be made worthy
to glorify Your Holy Name
now and ever and unto the ages of ages.
Amen

Blessed Leonid Feodorov (1879-1935) Martyrprayer for unity by bl leonid feodorov - 7 march 2019.jpg

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 5 March – Shrove Tuesday 2019

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 5 March – Tuesday of the Eighth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Shrove Tuesday 2019

The Grace of Thy Love
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

O My God,
strengthen me with Thy strength,
console me with Thy everlasting peace,
soothe me with the beauty of Thy countenance,
enlighten me with Thy uncreated holiness.
Bathe me in Thyself
and give me to drink,
as far as mortal man may ask,
of the rivers of grace
which flow from the Father and the Son,
the grace of Thy consubstantial,
co-eternal Love.
Amenthe-grace-of-they-love-bl-john-henry-newman-21-feb-2018.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The LAST THINGS

Lenten Preparation Novena – Day Seven – 3 March 2019 “Come Back to Me With all your Heart”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Lenten Preparation Novena – Day Seven – 3 March 2019
“Come Back to Me With all your Heart”

Lent 2019 will begin on
Wednesday, 6 March
The Holy Triduum is
Thursday 18 April – Holy Saturday 20 April
Easter Sunday 21 April 2019

Litany of Humility
Written by Servant of God Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930),
Secretary of State for Pope Saint Pius X

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honoured, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may increase and I may decrease, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, grant me the grace to desire it.litany of humility - card merry del val - 20 june 2018.jpg

A Meditation for this ‘Prelude to Lent’

REFLECTION – “LET US JUDGE OURSELVES, that we be not judged.
Let us afflict ourselves, that God may not afflict us.”

“And be sure of this – that if He has any love for you,
if He sees aught of good in your soul, He will afflict you,
if you will not afflict yourselves.
He will not let you escape.
He has ten thousand ways of purging those whom He has chosen,
from the dross and alloy with which the fine gold is defaced.
He can bring diseases on you, or can visit you with misfortunes,
or take away your friends, or oppress your minds with darkness,
or refuse you strength to bear up against pain when it comes upon you.
He can inflict on you a lingering and painful death.
He can make “the bitterness of death pass” not.
We, indeed, cannot decide in the case of others,
when trouble is a punishment and when not;
yet this we know – that all sin brings affliction.
We have no means of judging others
but we may judge ourselves.
LET US JUDGE OURSELVES, that we be not judged.
Let us afflict ourselves, that God may not afflict us.
Let us come before Him with our best offerings,
that He may forgive us.”

Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)let us judge ourselves - bl john henry newman - 3 march 2019.jpg

“To be Christian means,
not starting from death
but rather, from God’s love for us
which has defeated our most bitter enemy.
God is greater than nothingness
and a lit candle is enough to overcome the darkest of nights.
Echoing the prophets, Paul cries,
“O death, where is thy victory?
O death, where is thy sting?”

Pope Francis – General Audience, 19 April 2017to be a christian means not starting from death - lent prep nov day 7 3 march 2019

Lenten Preparation Novena
DAY SEVEN

Today Lord I choose Your Light,
I choose Your love
and the challenge to live it and share it,
I choose hope, even in moments of darkness,
I choose faith, accepting You as Lord and God,
I choose to let go of some part of my burdens,
day by day handing them over to You,
I choose to take hold of Your strength and power
ever more deeply in my life.
I choose to judge and afflict myself.
I choose repentance and reparation and suffering,
for all my sins
and those of all the world.
Forgive me my Lord!
May this truly be for me a time of new life,
of change, challenge and growth.
May I come to Easter with a heart open to dying with You
and rising to Your new life, day by day.
Help me to repent of my sins now
and make reparation throughout
this Lenten season and each day thereafter.
United with Your Son,
who makes His way to Calvary,
I offer You my intentions
…………………………………………..
(Mention your special intention)
Amenlenten prep novena day 7 3 march 2019.jpg

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 24 February – Grant me, O my God

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 24 February – Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

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.
Amengood-jesus-let-me-be-penetrated-with-love-st-vincent-ferrer no 2 -24 feb-2019.jpg

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 22 February – May the mystery of Your Passion, enlighten our life

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Our Morning Offering – 22 February – The Memorial of St Margaret of Cortona TOSF (1247–1297)

O St Margaret of Cortona
By St John Paul (1920-2005)

O Saint Margaret of Cortona,
I too come today as a pilgrim and I pause to pray with you
at the feet of the image of Christ Crucified and Risen,
whom, as a penitent, you contemplated at length.
Lord Jesus, crucified for us,
in offering yourself on Calvary for all humanity,
You have revealed to us, the wellsprings of everlasting life.
May the mystery of Your Passion, enlighten our life,
making us ready to follow You on the way of holiness and love.
Rekindle our faith, teach us to recognise and welcome
in our everyday life, the plans of Your mysterious Providence.
Give us the courage to confess our sins
and open our hearts to sorrow,
in order to receive the gift of Your mercy.
Empower us to forgive our brethren
following the example of Your love that knows no bounds.
Help us to be humbly disposed to repair the harm we have done
by actively and generously serving the poor, the sick
and all who are marginalised and without hope.
Give everyone the joy of persevering faithfully,
in full harmony with the Church,
along the way of the particular calling.
Above all others, show the young,
the splendid plan of love that You intend to bring about for them
and with them, in the new millennium.
Enable us to be peacemakers,
tenacious weavers of daily relationships of fraternal solidarity,
artisans of reconciliation,
witnesses and apostles of the civilisation of love.
O glorious Saint Margaret of Cortona,
present this request to your Crucified Lord and ours.
Guide us with the strength of your example,
support us with your constant protection,
be our companion, we beg you,
till we reach our Father’s house.
Amen

Pope John Paul II, 1999o st margaret of cortona by st john paul - 22 feb 2019.jpg

St Margaret of Cortona, Pray for Us!st margaret of cortona pray for us 22 feb 2019.jpg

Posted in JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 21 February – Lord, Whatever You Will

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Our Morning Offering-21 February-Thursday of the Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Year C

Lord, Whatever You Will
By Blessed Rupert Mayer SJ (1876-1945)
The Apostle of Munich

Lord, let happen whatever You will;
and as You will, so will I walk,
help me only to know Your will!
Lord, whenever You will,
then is the time,
today and always

Lord, whatever You will,
I wish to accept,
and whatever You will for me is gain,
enough that I belong to You.
Lord, because You will it, it is right,
and because You will it, I have courage.
My heart rests safely in Your hands!
Amenlord, whatever you will by bl rupert mayer sj- 5 nov 2018 his mem 3 nov.jpg