Category: PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The CHRIST CHILD, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Our Morning Offering – 24 December – O Sweet Child of Bethlehem

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Our Morning Offering – 24 December – The Eve of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

O Sweet Child of Bethlehem
By St Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

O sweet Child of Bethlehem,
grant that we may share with all our hearts,
in this profound mystery of Christmas.
Put into the hearts of men and women,
this peace for which they seek so desperately
and which You alone can give to them.
Help them to know one another better
and to live as brothers and sisters,
children of the same Father.
Reveal to them, also Your beauty,
holiness and purity.
Awaken in their hearts,
love and gratitude
for Your infinite goodness.
Join them altogether in Your love
and give us Your heavenly peace.
Ameno sweet child of bethlehem by st pope john XXIII 24 dec 2018

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, Thomas a Kempis

Our Morning Offering – 23 December – The Fourth Sunday of Advent

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Our Morning Offering – 23 December – The Fourth Sunday of Advent

Act of Oblation before Holy Communion
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Lord, all things in heaven and on earth
are Yours,
I desire to give myself to You
in willing abandonment
and to remain Yours forever.
Lord, in simplicity of heart,
I offer myself to You this day,
always to be Your obedient servant
and a sacrifice of perpetual praise.
Accept me with the Holy Sacrifice
of Your precious Body,
which I offer You today
in the presence of Your assisting Angels,
for my salvation
and that of all Your people.
Amenact of oblation before holy comm thomas a kempis 23 dec 2018 4 advent

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the day – 21 December – St Peter Canisius and the Hail Mary

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Thought for the day – 21 December – The Memorial of St Peter Canisius S.J. (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church

St Peter Canisius and the Hail Mary
“Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death”

On today’s feast of St Peter Canisius S. J., Catholics may wish to thank this Doctor of the Church for giving us the second half of the Hail Mary prayer.

This 16th-century saint, known as the second Apostle of Germany, followed in the giant footsteps of St Boniface, who evangelised Germany a thousand years earlier.   He was also quite active at the Council of Trent and wrote much on the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The first half of the Hail Mary, of course, comes from Scripture.   What many Catholics don’t know is that the second half of this Catholic prayer is due to the intervention of St Peter Canisius at the Council of Trent.   St Peter began adding on to the scriptural part of the Hail Mary the second half of this familiar prayer, “Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.”   It was Trent that officially accepted the prayer and included it in their famous Catechism of the Council of Trent in 1566.hail mary and ave maria -stpetr canisius holy mary - 21dec2018

This learned saint was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1925.   He was a holy and learned Jesuit, who wrote catechisms based on Trent’s Roman Catechism, which he helped generate.   He also wrote a breviary and many works on Mary.

Saint Peter’s main mission was to counter the Protestant revolt in Germany.   He was providentially born just four years after Martin Luther penned his 95 theses.   To withstand the errors of the Protestant deformers, St Peter wrote his catechism in 1555, which was called a Summary of Christian Doctrine.   This catechism basically enshrined what came to be known as the Counter-Reformation.

St Peter Canisius, Pray for Us!canisius-pray-for-us-2016

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 21 December – Pope Benedict’s Favourite Prayer

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Our Morning Offering – 21 December – Pope Benedict’s Favourite Prayer – The Memorial of St Peter Canisius (1521-1397) Doctor of the Church

The Universal Prayer
By Saint Peter Canisius

Almighty, eternal God, Lord, heavenly Father,
look with Your eyes of undeserved compassion
on our sorrow, misery and need.
Have mercy on all the Christian faithful,
for whom Your only-begotten Son,
our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, was content to give Himself
into the hand of sinners
and shed His precious Blood on the wood of the Holy Cross.
For the sake of the Lord Jesus, most gracious Father,
avert our well-deserved punishments,
present danger and future threats, harm and outrage,
arms and warfare, dearth and misfortune,
sickness and sorrowful, miserable times.
Enlighten and strengthen in all goodness our spiritual leaders
and earthly rulers, that they may do everything
to further Your honour as God, our salvation,
the common peace and the welfare of all Your people.
Grant us, O God of peace, a true unity in faith,
free of all division and separation.
Convert our hearts to true repentance and amendment of life.
Kindle in us the fire of Your love; give us hunger and zeal
for justice in all things, so that we, as obedient children
through life unto death, may be pleasing to You
and find favour in Your sight.
We also pray, O God, as You willed that we should pray,
for our friends and enemies, for the healthy and the sick,
for all Christians in sadness and distress,
for the living and the dead.
To You, O Lord, be entrusted whatever we do,
whatever our path, our work and our dealings,
our living and dying.
Let us delight in Your grace here in this world
and attain the next with all Your chosen ones,
to praise, honour and extol You in unending joy and blessedness.
Grant us this, O Lord, heavenly Father,
through Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son,
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.the universal prayer by st peter canisius 21dec2018 no 4

“The [prayer] I like most…the ‘General Prayer’ by Peter Canisius from the sixteenth century. It remains unchangingly pertinent and beautiful.”
From Pope Benedict, Last Testament, New York, Bloomsbury, 2016, 8.

Posted in ADVENT, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori

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Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787))

17 December 

The Heart of Jesus in the womb of His Mother

“Consider that whatever Jesus suffered in His life and in His Passion was all placed before Him while He was in the womb of Mary.   He accepted everything that was proposed to Him with delight but in accepting all things and in overcoming the natural repugnance of sense, O my God, what anguish and oppression did the innocent heart of Jesus suffer. Our Redeemer accepted each moment even though He continually had before His eyes that confusion which He would one day feel at seeing Himself stripped naked, scourged and suspended by three iron nails, ending His life in the midst of insults and curses.   And for what?   To save us miserable and ungrateful sinners.

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!”

Scripture

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Matthew 1:1

Prayer

O WISDOM
You came forth from the mouth of the Most High
and reaching from beginning to end,
You ordered all things mightily and sweetly.
Come and teach us the way of prudence

Advent Action
Time is fast approaching for Eternity to break into time.   And today we begin our special preparations to celebrate Your birthday.   Your Evangelist, Matthew, begins his Gospel by tracing Your origin as a human being.   You did not come to us as bolt from the blue.   You fully belong to our human stock.   Matthew’s list of Your genealogy is disturbing, if not shocking.   Of course, Your ancestors include great patriarchs of the chosen people.  But it also includes some of ill repute!   It begins with Abraham begetting Isaac.  Ishmael, the first son of Abraham, is not in the picture.   The story continues with Isaac begetting Jacob and not the elder son Esau.   Again, Jacob begets Judah, ignoring Joseph who was obviously the best of the brothers.   With these unreasonable choices, Matthew seems to impress on us that often God does not choose the best or the noblest or the saintly.   Thank You, Lord, for it is only Your unpredictable graciousness that made You choose me and employ me in Your service!   Only by my prayer, ‘O my Jesus, help me’ can I live up to this choice.   And so I increase my prayer this week. (Fr Joseph Thena SSP)_O Wisdom 17 dec 2018

Posted in ADVENT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The CHRIST CHILD, The INCARNATION, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 16 December 2018

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Thought for the Day – 16 December 2018 – The Third ‘Gaudete’ Sunday of Advent

Saint Augustine (354-430)
Bishop and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church

An excerpt from his Sermon 293

John is the voice but the Lord is the Word who was in the beginning.   John is the voice that lasts for a time, from the beginning, Christ is the Word who lives forever.

Take away the word, the meaning and what is the voice?   Where there is no understanding, there is only a meaningless sound.   The voice without the word strikes the ear but does not build up the heart.

However, let us observe what happens when we first seek to build up our hearts.   When I think about what I am going to say, the word or message is already in my heart.   When I want to speak to you, I look for a way to share with your heart what is already in mine.

In my search for a way to let this message reach you, so that the word already in my heart may find a place also in yours, I use my voice to speak to you.   The sound of my voice brings the meaning of the word to you and then passes away.   The word which the sound has brought to you is now in your heart and yet it is still also in mine.

When the word has been conveyed to you, does not the sound seem to say – the word ought to grow and I should diminish?   The sound of the voice has made itself heard in the service of the word and has gone away, as though it were saying – my joy is complete.   Let us hold on to the word;  we must not lose the word conceived inwardly in our hearts.

Do you need proof that the voice passes away but the divine Word remains?   Where is John’s baptism today?   It served its purpose and it went away.   Now it is Christ’s baptism that we celebrate.   It is in Christ that we all believe, we hope for salvation in Him.   This is the message the voice cried out.

Because it is hard to distinguish word from voice, even John himself was thought to be the Christ.   The voice was thought to be the word.   But the voice acknowledged what it was, anxious not to give offence to the word.   I am not the Christ, he said, nor Elijah, nor the prophet.   And the question came:  Who are you, then?   He replied:  I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness – Prepare the way for the Lord!

The voice of one crying in the wilderness is the voice of one breaking the silence.   Prepare the way for the Lord, he says, as though he were saying:  “I speak out in order to lead Him into your hearts but He does not choose to come where I lead Him, unless you prepare the way for Him.”

To prepare the way means to pray well – it means thinking humbly of oneself.  We should take our lesson from John the Baptist.   He is thought to be the Christ, he declares he is not what they think.   He does not take advantage of their mistake to further his own glory.

If he had said, “I am the Christ,” you can imagine how readily he would have been believed, since they believed he was the Christ even before he spoke.   But he did not say it, he acknowledged what he was.   He pointed out clearly who he was;  he humbled himself.

He saw where his salvation lay.   He understood that he was a lamp and his fear was that it might be blown out, by the wind of pride.”

I speak out in order to lead Him - st augustine - 16 dec 2018

“The very Son of God, 
older than the ages, 
the invisible,
the incomprehensible, 
the incorporeal, 
the beginning of beginning, 
the light of light, 
the fountain of life and immortality,
the image of the archetype, 
the immovable seal,
the perfect likeness,
the definition and word of the Father:
He it is who comes to His own image 
and takes our nature for the good of our nature
and unites Himself to an intelligent soul 
for the good of my soul, 
to purify like by like.”

St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Father and Doctor of the Churchthe-very-son-of-god-st-gregory-of-naziazen.17dec2017.gaudete sunday 2017

Come, O Come, Emmanuel!

 

come o come emmanuel - 16 dec 2018

 

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

Our Morning Offering – 15 December “Saturdays with Mary”

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Our Morning Offering – 15 December – Saturday of the Second week of Advent

O Most Blessed and Sweet Virgin Mary
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church

0 most blessed and sweet Virgin Mary,
Mother of God, filled with all tenderness,
Daughter of the most high King,
Lady of the Angels,
Mother of all the faithful,
On this day and all the days of my life,
I entrust to your merciful heart,
my body and my soul,
all my acts, thoughts, choices,
desires, words, deeds,
my entire life and death,
So that, with your assistance,
all may be ordered to the good
according to the will of your beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ameno most blessed and sweet virgin mary - st thomas aquinas - 27 april 2018

Posted in CARMELITES, CHRIST the KING, DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 14 December – O King of Gentleness

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Our Morning Offering – 14 December – The Memorial of St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church

O King of Gentleness
By St John of the Cross

O blessed Jesus,
give me stillness of soul in You.
Let Your mighty calmness reign in me.
Rule me, O King of Gentleness,
King of Peace.o king of gentleness - st john of the cross - 14dec2018

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 13 December – Prayer of St Philip Neri

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Our Morning Offering – 13 December – The Memorial of Blessed Antonio Grassi Cong. Orat. (1592 – 1671)

Mary, I Love You
By St Philip Neri (1515-1595)
Founder of the Oratorians

Mary, I love you.
Mary, make me live in God,
with God and for God.
Draw me after you, holy mother.
O Mary, may your children persevere in loving you.
Mary, Mother of God and mother of mercy,
pray for me and for the departed.
Mary, holy Mother of God, be our helper.
In every difficulty and distress,
come to our aid, O Mary.
O Queen of Heaven,
lead us to eternal life with God.
Mother of God, remember me,
and help me always to remember you.
O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you.
Pray for us,
O holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray to Jesus for me.
Amenmary I love you by st philip neri - 26 may 2918

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

Our Morning Offering – 12 December – Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

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Our Morning Offering – 12 December – Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

St Pope Pius X’s Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Mystical Rose,
make intercession for the holy Church,
protect the Sovereign Pontiff,
help all those who invoke thee in their necessities,
and since thou art the ever Virgin Mary
and Mother of the true God,
obtain for us from thy most holy Son
the grace of keeping our faith,
sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life,
burning charity
and the precious gift of final perseverance.
Amen

This prayer was approved and enriched with an indulgence of five hundred days by St Pope Pius X at all audience held on August, 1908 and was included in the official edition of approved indulgenced prayers (1950).
Raccolta number 389, 500 days Indulgence, St Pope Pius X audience, 15 August 1908.Prayer to our lady of guadalupe - by st pope pius X 12 dec 2018

Posted in ADVENT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The CHRIST CHILD, The INCARNATION, The LAST THINGS

Our Morning Offering – 11 December – Grant us Your Light, O Lord

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Our Morning Offering – 11 December – Tuesday of the Second week of Advent

Grant us Your Light, O Lord
By St Bede (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
(From ‘On the Apocalypse’)

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

grant us your light o lord - st bede - 15 dec 2017

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, Thomas a Kempis

Our Morning Offering – 9 December – The Second Sunday of Advent

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Our Morning Offering – 9 December – The Second Sunday of Advent

Dear Lord, I Approach You
(Prayer before Holy Communion)
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Dear Lord,
with simplicity of heart,
in good and stable faith
and at Your command,
I approach You,
full of confidence and adoration,
truly believing that You are present
in this Sacrament, God and Man.
It is Your will that I receive You
and bind myself to You in love.
Most merciful Lord,
I beg of You that special grace,
that my soul may melt and overflow
with Your love,
never concerning myself again
with any other comfort but Your own.
AmenDear Lord, I Approach You by thomas a kempis 9dec2018

Posted in CONSECRATION Prayers, DOGMA, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 8 December – Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Conception

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Our Morning Offering – 8 December – Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Conceptionin-the-presence-of-god-almight-act-of-consecration-immaculate-conception-8-dec-2017

Act of Consecration
By St Maximillian Kolbe (1894-1941)

O Immaculate, Queen of heaven and earth,
Refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother,
God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to You,
I, an unworthy sinner, cast myself at Your feet,
humbly imploring You
to take me with all that I am and have,
wholly to Yourself as Your possession and property.
Please make of me,
of all my powers of soul and body,
of my whole life, death and eternity,
whatever pleases You.
If it pleases You,
use all that I am and have without reserve,
wholly to accomplish what has been said of You:
“She will crush your head”,
and “You alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world.”
Let me be a fit instrument in Your immaculate
and most merciful hands for introducing and increasing Your glory
to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls
and thus help extend as far as possible,
the blessed Kingdom of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
For, wherever You enter,
You obtain the grace of conversion and sanctification,
since it is through Your hands,
that all graces come to us.
from the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V.Allow me to praise You, O most holy Virgin.

R. Give me strength against Your enemies.
Amenact-of-consecration-8-dec-2017

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

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

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

O Lord, Give me a Heart to Love You
Prayer of St Ambrose (c 340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church

O Lord, who has mercy upon all,
take away from me my sins
and mercifully kindle in me
the fire of Your Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore You,
a heart to delight in You,
to follow and enjoy You,
for Christ’s sake.
Ameno-lord-give-me-a-heart-to-love-you-prayer-of-st-ambrose-7-dec-2017 (1)

Posted in DOGMA, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception By St Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)

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Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception
By St Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)

DAY FIVE – 4 December

Mary, Mother of Fair Love

“I am the Mother of fair love and of fear and of knowledge and of holy hope.”   These are he lessons which Mary reminds us of today.   The lesson of fair love, of living a clean life, of having a sensitive and passionate heart, so that we may learn to be faithful in our service to the Church.   This is no ordinary love.   It is Love itself.   There is no room here for betrayal, or calculation, or forgetfulness.   It is a fair, a beautiful love, because its beginning and end is God, who is thrice Holy, who is all Beauty, all Goodness and all Greatness.
But there is also a reference to fear.   For myself, the only fear I can imagine is that of turning away from Love.   God Our Lord, certainly does not want us to be inhibited, timid or lukewarm about our dedication to Him.   He wants us to be daring, courageous and refined.   When the sacred text speaks of fear here I am reminded of a complaint we find elsewhere in Scripture, “I searched for my heart’s love but found him not.”   This can happen, if one has not yet fully understood what it means to love God.   Then our hearts can be swayed by things which do not lead to Our Lord and so we lose sight of Him.   At other times it may be Our Lord who hides Himself. He knows the reason why. In such cases, He will be encouraging us to seek Him more earnestly and, when we find Him, we shall be able to cry out with joy, “I took hold of Him and I will never let Him go.” (Friends of God, 277)

The spotless purity of John’s whole life makes him strong before the Cross.   The other apostles fly from Golgotha:  he, with the Mother of Christ, remains.   Don’t forget that purity strengthens and invigorates the character.  (The Way, 144)

This heart of ours was born to love. But when it is not given something pure, clean and noble to love, it takes revenge and fills itself with squalor.   True love of God and consequently purity of life, is as far removed from sensuality as it is from insensitivity and as far from sentimentality as it is from heartlessness or hard-heartedness.   (Friends of God, 183)

Why don’t you give yourself to God once and for all… really…, now?  (The Way, 902)

Mary, the holy Mother of our King, the Queen of our heart, looks after us as only she knows how.   Mother of mercy, throne of grace, we ask you to help us compose, verse by verse, the simple poem of charity in our own life and the lives of the people around us;  it is “like a river of peace.”   For you are a sea of inexhaustible mercy: “ All streams run to the sea, but the sea is never full.”  (Christ is Passing By, 187)

Let us Pray:

At this very moment, you should trustingly beg
Our Lady, as you accompany her in the solitude
of your heart, without saying anything out
loud:

“Mother, this poor heart of mine
rebels so foolishly!
If you don’t protect me…”
Holy Mother, come to my aid,
help me here and now.
Help me always to love with a pure heart,
to love my Lord and my God,
to seek Him always!
For you, who I dearly love,
are my Mother,
amen.

And she will help you,
to keep it pure and to follow the
way to which God has called you.
(Friends of God, 180)DAY FIVE - IMM CONCEPTION NOVENA - MARY MOTHER OF FAIR LOVE

Posted in DOGMA, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception By St Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)

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Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
By St Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)

DAY FOUR – 3 December

Mary, Woman of Faith

She teaches us to have faith. “Blessed art thou for thy believing,” were the words of greeting uttered by her cousin Elizabeth when Our Lady went up into the hill country to visit her.   Mary’s act of faith had been a wonderful one, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word.”   When her Son was born she contemplated the greatness of God on earth:  a choir of angels was present and not only the shepherds but also important men of this world came to adore the Child.  Afterwards,however, the Holy Family had to flee to Egypt, to escape Herod’s murderous intent.   Then, silence, thirty long years of simple, ordinary life, just like that of any other home in a small village in Galilee. (Friends of God, 284)

Lord, I do believe!   I have been brought up to believe in You.   I have decided to follow You closely.   Repeatedly during my life I have implored Your mercy.   And repeatedly too  have thought it impossible that You could perform such marvels in the hearts of Your children.
Lord, I do believe but help me to believe more and better!
Let us address this same plea to Our Lady, Mother of God and our Mother and Teacher of faith:   “Blessed art thou for thy believing. the message that was brought to thee from the Lord shall have fulfilment.”  (Friends of God, 204)

The Virgin did not merely pronounce her fiat, in every moment she fulfilled that firm and irrevocable decision.   So should we.   When God’s love gets through to us and we come to know what He desires, we ought to commit ourselves to be faithful and loyal and then be so in fact.   Because “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.”   (Christ is Passing By, 173)

Don’t forget:  if God exalted His Mother, it is equally true that He did not spare her pain, exhaustion in her work or trials of her faith.   A village woman one day broke into praise for Jesus, exclaiming: “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nourished you!”  Jesus said in reply:  “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep  it.”   It was a compliment to His Mother on her fiat, her “be it done.”   She lived it sincerely, unstintingly, fulfilling its every consequence but never amid fanfare, rather in the hidden and silent sacrifice of each day.  (Christ is Passing By, 172)

Let us Pray

“Mother!” Call her again and again. She is
listening, she sees you in danger perhaps and
with her Son’s grace she, your holy Mother
Mary, offers you the refuge of her arms, the
tenderness of her embrace.   Call her and you
will find yourself with added strength for the
new struggle.
The Way, 516

Hail Mary, Holy Mother!
I cry unto you,
help and assist me,
lead me mother,
teach me and guide me.
AmenDAY FOUR - IMM CONCEPTION NOVENA - MARY WOMAN OF FAITH

Posted in ADVENT, DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori 3 December – Monday of the First Week of Advent

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Advent and Christmas Wisdom with St Alphonsus Liguori
3 December – Monday of the First Week of Advent

Fullness of Grace

Behold the happy time is come which was called the designated time:  “When the designated time had come, God sent his Son…to deliver from the law those who were subjected to it” (Gal 4:4).   It is called the fullness of time because of the fullness of grace which the Son of God came to communicate to [us] by the redemption of the world.

THE INCARNATION, BIRTH AND INFANCY OF JESUS CHRIST
Scripture
Brothers [and sisters]:  May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. [Amen.]
Finally, brothers [and sisters], we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God—and as you are conducting yourselves—you do so even more.   For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus...1 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2

PRAYER
Lord, it is my hope that I may always be in “your will
and way.”
Sometimes I am selfish with my time and my own desires.
Today, help me sort out things in my life.
I need to make You the first priority in my life
and not the things that really do not matter.
Assist me in conducting myself in ways that are most pleasing to You.
Lord, it is my desire to live more for You this day.
Amen.

ADVENT ACTION
Advent is a time to practice patience.   Today, be patient with yourself and those around you.   Spiritual growth is tender, it is holy ground.   There is simply no greater investment.advent-preparing the way - day two - 3 december 2018

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception By St Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)

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Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
By St Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)

DAY THREE – 2 December

Mary, Teacher of Prayer

The Lord will grant you the ability to discover many other aspects of the faithful response to grace of the blessed Virgin. And to know these facets of her life is to want to imitate them: her purity, her humility, her fortitude, her generosity, her fidelity… But now I want to speak to you of an aspect that in a way encompasses all the others because it is a condition for spiritual growth. I’m speaking of her life of prayer.
To take advantage of the grace which our Mother offers us today and to follow up at anytime the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, the shepherd of our souls, we ought to be seriously committed to talking with God. We cannot take refuge in the anonymous crowd. If interior life doesn’t involve a personal encounter with God, it doesn’t exist – it’s as simple as that.
There are few things more at odds with Christianity than superficiality. To settle down to routine in our Christian life is to dismiss the possibility of becoming a contemplative soul.
God seeks us out, one by one. And we ought to answer Him, one by one: “Here I am, Lord, because you have called me.”
We are ordinary Christians. We work at the most varied professions. All our activity takes place amid everyday circumstances. Everything follows a customary rhythm in our lives.
The days seem the same, even monotonous . But don’t forget that our condition which is apparently so common has a divine value. God is interested in everything we do, because Christ wishes to become incarnate in our things, to vivify from within even our most insignificant actions.

Review these thoughts in your prayer. Take occasion of them to tell Jesus that you adore Him.  And thus you have a formula to become contemplatives in the middle of the world, amid the noises of the street, at all times and in all places.  This is the first lesson we should learn in the school of intimacy with Christ. And in this school, Mary is the best teacher, because the Virgin always kept this attitude of faith, of supernatural vision, regardless of what happened around her: “And his mother kept all these words in her heart.” (Christ is Passing By, 174)

Our Mother had meditated deep and long on the words of the holy men and women of the Old Testament who awaited the Saviour and on the events that they had taken part in.   She must have marvelled at all the great things that God, in His boundless mercy, had done for His people, who were so often ungrateful. As she considers the tenderness shown time after time by God towards His people, Mary’s immaculate Heart breaks out in loving words, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour, for he has looked graciously upon the lowliness of his handmaid.” The early  Christians, children of this good Mother, learned from her; we can, and we ought to do likewise. (Friends of God, 241)

Let us Pray

Let us ask the blessed Virgin to make us
contemplatives, to teach us to recognise the
constant calls from God at the door of our
heart. Let us ask her now:

Our mother, you
brought to earth Jesus,
who reveals the love of
our Father God.
Help us to recognise Him
in the midst of the cares of each day.
Stir up our mind and will,
so that we may listen to the voice of
God, to the calls of grace.”
AmenDAY THREE - IMM CONCEPTION NOVENA - MARY TEACHER OF PRAYER

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

Our Morning Offering – 2 December – The First Sunday of Advent – My Supreme and only Lord and Love

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Our Morning Offering – 2 December – The First Sunday of Advent

My Supreme and only Lord and Love
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The more, O my dear Lord,
I meditate on Your words, works,
actions and sufferings in the Gospel,
the more wonderfully glorious
and beautiful I see You to be.
And, therefore, O my dear Lord,
since I perceive You to be so beautiful,
I love You
and desire to love You more and more.
Since You are the Goodness,
Beautifulness,
Gloriousness,
in the whole world of being
and there is nothing like You
but You are infinitely more glorious
and more good than even
the most beautiful of creatures,
therefore, I love You with a singular love,
a one, only, sovereign love ….
And, I would lose everything,
whatever, rather than lose You.
For You, O my Lord,
ae my supreme
and only Lord and Love.
AmenMy supreme and only Lord and Love - bl john henry newman - 2 dec 2018

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception By St Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)

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Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
By St Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)

DAY TWO – 1 December

Mother of us all, Mother of each of us

The divine Motherhood of Mary is the source of all the perfections and privileges with
which she is endowed.   Because of it, she was conceived immaculate and is full of
grace, because of it, she is ever virgin, she was taken up body and soul to heaven and
has been crowned Queen of all creation, above the angels and saints.   Greater than she,
there is none but God. “The Blessed Virgin, from the fact that she is the Mother of God, has a certain infinite dignity which comes from the infinite good which is God.” There is no danger of exaggerating.   We can never hope to fathom this inexpressible mystery; nor will we ever be able to give sufficient thanks to our Mother for bringing us into such intimacy with the Blessed Trinity.   (Friends of God, 276)

There is no heart more human than that of a person overflowing with supernatural
sense.   Think of Holy Mary, who is full of grace, daughter of God the Father, Mother of
God the Son, spouse of God the Holy Spirit.   Her heart has room for all humanity and
makes no distinction or discrimination.   Every person is her son or her daughter. (Furrow, 801)

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, brought Mary into his home, into his life.  Spiritual writers have seen these words of the Gospel as an invitation to all Christians to bring Mary into their lives.   Mary certainly wants us to invoke her, to approach her confidently, to appeal to her as our mother, asking her to “show that you are our mother.”
But she is a mother who anticipates our requests.   Knowing our needs, she comes quickly to our aid.   If we recall that God’s mercies come to us through the hands of our Lady, each of us can find many reasons for feeling that Mary is our mother in a very special way.   (Christ is Passing By, 140)

Because Mary is our mother, devotion to her teaches us to be authentic sons and daughters:  to love truly, without limit;   to be simple, without the complications which come from selfishly thinking only about ourselves;  to be happy, knowing that nothing can destroy our hope.   “The beginning of the way, at the end of which you will find yourself completely carried away by love for Jesus, is a trusting love for Mary.”   I wrote that many years ago, in the introduction to a short book on the rosary and since then I have often experienced the truth of those words.   I am not going to complete that thought here with all sorts of reasons.   I invite you to discover it for yourself, showing your love for Mary, opening your heart to her, confiding to her your joys and sorrows, asking her to help you recognise and follow Jesus.   (Christ is Passing By, 143)

Let us Pray

Mother, we thank you
for your intercession before Jesus.
Without you, we would not
have been able to reach Him.
How true it is
that one always goes to Jesus
and returns to Him
through Mary!
AmenDAY ONE - IMM CONCEPTION NOVENA - MOTHER OF ALL

Posted in GOD the FATHER, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 1 December – The Memorial of Blessed Charles of Jesus/Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916)

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Our Morning Offering – 1 December – The Memorial of Blessed Charles of Jesus/Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916)

Father, I abandon myself into Your Hands
By Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916)

Father,
I abandon myself into Your hands;
do with me what You will.
Whatever You may do, I thank You:
I am ready for all, I accept all.

Let only Your will be done in me
and in all Your creatures –
I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into Your hands I commend my soul:
I offer it to You with all the love of my heart,
for I love You, Lord and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into Your hands without reserve
and with boundless confidence,
for You are my Father.
Amenfather, i abandon myself into your hands - bl charles de foucauld - 1 dec 2018

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception By St Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)

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Novena in Preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
By St Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)

DAY ONE – 30 November

MARY FULL OF GRACE

She is the one who is full of grace and the sum of all perfections and she is also our
Mother. Her power before God is such that she can obtain anything we ask for and,
like any mother, she wants to answer our prayers.   Like any mother also, she knows and understands our weaknesses.   She encourages us and makes excuses for us.   She makes the way easy for us and, even when we think there is no possible solution for our worry, she always has one ready to offer us.
Perhaps some of you might be thinking that the ordinary comings and goings, of your
working day, are not going to help you much to stay close to someone, as pure as Our
Lady.   But I would just ask you to reflect a little.   What are we looking for all the time
in things we do, even without thinking about it especially?   If we are motivated by the love of God and we work with a right intention, then we are seeking whatever is good and clean, whatever brings peace to our conscience and happiness to our soul.   Yes, you might say but don’t we still have our faults?   Indeed, but it is precisely by acknowledging our faults that we are able to see, more clearly than ever, just what our goal has to be.   What we are looking for is happiness, not a momentary happiness but one that is deep and lasting and both human and supernatural.
There is one creature who achieved such happiness here on earth, because she is God’s masterpiece, our most holy Mother Mary.   She lives now and is protecting us.   She is
there, body and soul, with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Friends of God, 292)

Holy Rosary, 4th joyful mystery:
When the days of the Mother’s purification are accomplished, according to the Law of
Moses, the Child must be taken to Jerusalem, to be presented to the Lord (Luke 2:22).
And this time it will be you, my friend, who will carry the cage with the doves (Luke
2:24).   Just think: She – Mary Immaculate! – submits to the Law as if she were defiled.
Through this example, foolish child, will you learn to obey the Holy Law of God, regardless of any personal sacrifice?
Purification! You and I surely do need purification! Atonement and more than atonement, Love.   Love as a searing iron to cauterise our souls’ uncleanness and as a fire to kindle with divine flames the wretched tinder of our hearts.

Let us turn to her, tota pulchra! – all beautiful! – taking to heart the advice I gave many years ago to those who felt uneasy in their daily struggle to be humble, pure, sincere, cheerful and generous.   “All the sins of your life seem to be rising up against you.   Don’t give up hope!   On the contrary, call your holy Mother Mary, with the faith and abandonment of a child.   She will bring peace to your soul.”  (Friends of God, 189)

Let us Pray!

Hail Mary full of grace!
It’s fair, gentle Lady,
for me to ask you for a present,
a proof of your affection –
contrition, compunction for my sins,
sorrow of love.
Hear me, O Lady, my life, my hope.
Take me by the hand
and if there is anything in me now
that is displeasing to my Father God,
make me see it,
and between the two of us,
we’ll tear it out.
AmenDAY ONE - IMM CONCEPTION NOVENA - HAIL MARY

Posted in franciscan OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering -29 November – Prayer to do the Will of God

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Our Morning Offering -29 November – The Memorial of All Franciscan Saints and Blesseds and in particular, of St Francesco Antonio Fasani OFM Conv (1681 – 1742)

Prayer to do the Will of God
By St Francis of Assisi (c 1181-1226)

Almighty, eternal, just and merciful God,
grant us in our misery, the grace to do for You alone
what we know You want us to do
and always to desire, what pleases You.
Thus, inwardly cleansed, interiorly enlightened
and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit,
may we be able to follow in the footprints of
Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
And, by Your grace alone, may we make our way to You,
Most High, Who live and rule in perfect Trinity and simple Unity
and are glorified God all-powerful, forever and ever.
Amen.
(From “A Letter to the Entire Order”)prayer to do the will of god by st francis of assisi - 29 nov 2018

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, franciscan OFM, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 27 November – The Memorial of St Leonard of Port Maurice OFM (1676-1751)

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Quote/s of the Day – 27 November – The Memorial of St Leonard of Port Maurice OFM (1676-1751)

“What graces, gifts and virtues
the Holy Mass calls down!”

“I believe that were it not for the Holy Mass,
as this moment, the world would be in the abyss,
unable to bear up under the mighty load of its iniquities.
Mass is the potent prop that hold the world on its base.”

“If the Lord, at the moment of my death,
reproves me for being too kind to sinners,
I will answer, ‘My dear Jesus, if it is a fault
to be too kind to sinners, it is a fault
I learned from You, for You never scolded anyone
who came to You seeking mercy.'”if the Lord at the moment of my death - stleonardofportmaurice-27nov2918

“If you practice the holy exercise
of Spiritual Communion,
a good many times each day,
within a month,
you will see yourself completely changed.”

St Leonard of Port Maurice OFM (1676-1751)

Act of Spiritual Communion
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church

My Jesus,
I believe that You art present
in the Blessed Sacrament.
I love You above all things
and I desire You in my soul.
Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally,
come at least, spiritually, into my heart.
As though You were already there,
I embrace You
and unite myself wholly to You,
permit not, that I should ever,
be separated from You.
Amen

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The HOLY SOULS

Our Morning Offering – 26 November

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Our Morning Offering – 26 November

O Heart of Jesus, All Love
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

O Heart of Jesus all love,
I offer You these humble prayers for myself
and for all those, who unite themselves with me,
in spirit to adore You.
O holiest Heart of Jesus most lovely,
I intend to renew and to offer to You,
these acts of adoration and these prayers,
for myself, a wretched sinner
and for all those, who are associated with me
in Your adoration,
through all moments which I breath,
even to the end of my life.
I recommend to You, O my Jesus,
Holy Church, Your dear spouse
and our true Mother,
all just souls and all poor sinners,
the afflicted, the dying and all mankind.
Let not Your Blood be shed for them in vain.
Finally, deign to apply it in relief
of the souls in Purgatory
and of these in particular….
Ameno heart of jesus, all love - bl john henry newman - 26 nov 2018

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 24 November

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Our Morning Offering – 24 November – Saturday of the Thirty Third Week in Ordinary Time, Year B – Saturday with Mary

O Mother and Handmaid of God
St Methodius of Constantinople (c 815-885)

Your name, O Mother of God,
is replete with all graces
and Divine blessings.
You have contained Him who cannot be contained,
and nourished Him who nourishes all creatures.
He who fills heaven and earth,
and is the Lord of all,
was pleased to be in need of you,
for it was you who clothed Him with that flesh
which He did not have before.
Rejoice, then, O Mother and Handmaid of God!
Rejoice, because you have made Him a debtor
who gives being to all creatures.
We are all debtors to God,
but He is a debtor to you.
That is why, O most holy Mother of God,
you possess more goodness
and greater charity than all the other Saints,
and have freer access to God than any of them,
for you are His Mother.
Be mindful of us,
we beg you,
in our miseries,
for we celebrate your glories
and know how great is your goodness.
Ameno mother and handmaid of god - st methodius - 23 may 2018

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

Our Morning Offering – 23 November – The Memorial of St Columban (543-615)

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Our Morning Offering – 23 November – The Memorial of St Columban (543-615)

Lord, Kindle our Lamps
By St Columban

Lord, kindle our lamps,
Saviour most dear to us,
that we may always shine
in Your presence
and always receive light
from You, the Light Perpetual,
so that our own personal darkness
may be overcome
and the world’s darkness
driven from us.
Amen

(St Columban, Sermon XII)lord, kindle our lamps - prayer of st columban - 23 nov 2018

Posted in JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on HOPE

Our Morning Offering – 22 November – My God, My Hope is in You

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Our Morning Offering – 22 November – My God, My Hope is in You

My God, My Hope is in You
By St Claude de la Colombière, SJ (1641-1682)

Loving and tender Providence of my God,
into Your hands I commend my spirit,
to You I abandon my hopes and fears,
my desires and repugnances,
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 ask me to die, even then I will trust in You,
for You are my father, my God, the support of my salvation.
You are my kind, compassionate and 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.
Amen.my god, my hope is in you - 22 november - st claude de la colombiere

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 18 November – Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

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Our Morning Offering – 18 November – Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B and the Memorial of St Rose Philippine Duchesne RSCJ (1769-1852)
The Prayer below is by the Founder of the Religious Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St Madeleine-Sophie Barat (1779 – 1865)

O Sacred Heart of Jesus
By St Madeleine-Sophie Barat (1779 – 1865)

Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Give me a heart
that is one with your own,
A humble heart,
that knows and loves its nothingness,
A gentle heart,
that holds and calms its own anxiety,
A loving heart,
that has compassion
for the suffering of others,
A pure heart,
that recoils even
at the appearance of evil,
A detached heart,
that longs for nothing
other than the goodness of heaven,
A heart detached from self-love
and embraced by the love of God,
Its attention focused on God,
Its goodness its only treasure,
in time and in eternity.
Ameno sacred heart of jesus by st sophie barat - 18 nov 2018

Posted in PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY

Thought for the Day – 17 November – “The Creed” of Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus

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Thought for the Day – 17 November – St Gregory Thaumaturgus “the Wonder-Worker” (c 213-c 270)

“The Creed”
of Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus

There is one God, the Father of the living Word,
who is His subsistent Wisdom and Power and Eternal Image,
perfect Begetter of the perfect Begotten, Father of the only-begotten Son.
There is one Lord, Only of the Only, God of God,
Image and Likeness of Deity, Efficient Word,
Wisdom comprehensive of the constitution of all things
and Power formative of the whole creation,
true Son of true Father, Invisible of Invisible
and Incorruptible of Incorruptible
and Immortal of Immortal
and Eternal of Eternal.
And there is One Holy Spirit,
having His subsistence from God
and being made manifest by the Son,
to wit to men, Image of the Son,
Perfect Image of the Perfect,
Life, the Cause of the living,
Holy Fount,
Sanctity, the Supplier, or Leader, of Sanctification,
in whom is manifested God the Father,
who is above all and in all
and God the Son, who is through all.
There is a perfect Trinity, in glory and eternity and sovereignty,
neither divided nor estranged.
Wherefore there is nothing, either created or in servitude in the Trinity,
nor anything superinduced, as if at some former period it was non-existent
and at some later period it was introduced.
And thus neither was the Son ever wanting to the Father,
nor the Spirit to the Son
but without variation and without change,
the same Trinity abideth ever.

St Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pray for Us! st gregory thaumaturgus pray for us - 17 nov 2018