Quote/s of the Day – 7 March – The Memorial of St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274) Confessor, Doctor
“The Cross is my sure salvation. The Cross it is, which I worship evermore. The Cross of our Lord is with me. The Cross is my refuge.”
“O precious and wonderful Banquet that brings us salvation and contains all sweetness! Could anything be of more intrinsic value? Under the old law it was the flesh of calves and goats, which was offered but here, Christ Himself, the True God, is set before us as our food. What could be more wonderful than this? No other Sacrament has greater healing power; through it, sins are purged away, virtues are increased and the soul is enriched with an abundance of every spiritual gift.
“Seek praises from God alone.”
Prayer for Chastity and Purity By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Dear Jesus, I know that every perfect gift and especially that of chastity, depends on the power of Thy Providence. Without Thee, a mere creature can do nothing. Therefore, I beg Thee, to defend, by Thy grace the chastity and purity of my body and soul. And if I have ever sensed or imagined anything that could stain my chastity and purity, blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers that I may advance with a pure heart in Thy love and service, offering myself on the most pure altar of Thy Divinity, all the days of my life. Amen
Prayer to St Thomas Aquinas for the Gifts of Chastity and Purity
Chosen lily of innocence, pure St Thomas, who kept chaste the Robe of Baptism and became an angel in the flesh after being girded by two Angels, I implore thee to commend me to Jesus, the Spotless Lamb and to Mary, the Queen of Virgins. Gentle protector of my chastity, ask them that I, who wear the holy sign of thy victory over the flesh, may also share thy purity and after imitating thee on earth, may, at last, come to be crowned with thee among the Angels. Amen
Thought for the Day – 26 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Interior Silence
“It is much easier to recollect ourselves in the Church in front of the Altar. For this reason, one could not sufficiently recommend a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament every morning before going to work and every evening, before going to bed.
The ideal is always daily Mass and Holy Communion. This will be tiring and maybe, inconvenient. But God is infinitely good and will handsomely reward us for anything we do out of love for Him or, for our own spiritual welfare.”
Thought for the Day – 22 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Early Hours of the Day
“If possible, it is desirable to begin the day by visiting Jesus. He is always in the Tabernacle, waiting patiently and lovingly for us to visit Him. Why could we not spend at least one half-hour with Him? There are twenty four hours in the day. Must we spend them in sleep, work, amusements and conversation without ever pausing to speak with Jesus?
What about Mass and Holy Communion? It is true that we are not obliged to go to Mass on weekdays, nor have we a strict obligation to receive Holy Communion, except during the Paschal period. But a genuine Catholic should not be satisfied with doing only what is commanded under pain of mortal sin. He should love Jesus so much that he will experience an urgent need of communication with Him. He should be ready to sacrifice a little of his early morning sleep, for the purpose of receiving Jesus in Holy Communion – if he is so blessed as to be near an early morning Mass. Never forget (and pray for them) that there are thousands, perhaps millions who are deprived of this great grace of living near a Church! There is no surer way of being able to resist the temptations of the day and of acquiring peace of spirit. The practice of daily Communion can transform a man’s life.”
Quote/s of the Day – 26 November – The Memorial of St Leonard of Port Maurice OFM (1676-1751) Confessor, Priest
“The Little Number of Those Who Are Saved” By St Leonard of Port Maurice
“Alas! The greater number of Catholics, the greater number of those who live here, perhaps even those who are in this assembly, will be damned! What subject could be more deserving of your tears?!”
“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 (1676-1751)
A Short Act of Spiritual Communion By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church
My Jesus, I believe that Thou art present in the Blessed Sacrament. I love Thee above all things and I desire Thee in my soul. Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, come at least, spiritually, into my heart. As though Thou were already there, I embrace Thee and unite myself wholly to Thee, permit not, that I should ever, be separated from Thee. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 13 November – The Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost – All Saints of the Benedictine & Cistercian Orders
Act of Spiritual Communion By St Bernard O. Cist (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
As I cannot this day enjoy the happiness of assisting at the Holy Mysteries, O my God, I transport myself in spirit to the foot of Your Altar. I unite with the Church, which, by the hands of the Priest, offers You, Your adorable Son in the Holy Sacrifice. I offer myself with Him, by Him and in His Name. I adore, I praise and thank You, imploring Your mercy, invoking Your assistance and presenting to You, the homage I owe You as my Creator and the love due to You, as my Saviour.
Apply to my soul, I beseech You, O Merciful Jesus, Your infinite merits; apply them also to those for whom I particularly wish to pray. I desire to communicate spiritually, that Your Blood, may purify, Your Flesh, strengthen and Your Spirit, sanctify me. May I never forget that You, my divine Redeemer, died for me. May I die to all that is not You, that hereafter, I may live eternally with You. Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 7 November – The Feast of All Saints of the Order of Preacher
“These, my much loved ones, are the bequests which I leave to you, as my sons – have charity among yourselves, hold fast to humility, keep a willing poverty.”
“Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then, more effectively, than during my life.”
St Dominic OP (1170-1221)
“Eternal life flows from this Sacrament because God, with all sweetness, pours Himself out upon the blessed.”
“Mary is the divine Page on which God the Father wrote the Word of God, His Son. Let us draw near to her and read her!”
St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280) Doctor of the Church
“At His Transfiguration Christ showed His disciples, the splendour of His Beauty, to which He will shape and colour, those who are His : ‘He will reform our lowness configured to the Body of His Glory.”
“Charity is the form, mover, mother and root of all the virtues.”
“To love is to will the good of the other.”
“The greatest kindness one can render to any man consists in leading him from error to truth.”
St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225 – 1274) Angelic Doctor of the Church
“The eternal God asks a favour of His bride: “Hold Me close to your heart, close as locket or bracelet fits.” No matter whether we walk or stand still, eat or drink, we should at all times wear the golden locket “Jesus” upon our heart.”
Bl Henry Suso OP (1295-1366)
“Enrich your soul in the great goodness of God – The Father is your Table, the Son is your Food and the Holy Spirit waits on you and then makes His Dwelling in you.”
“Charity is the sweet and holy bond which links the soul with its Creator; it binds God with man and man with God.”
St Catherine of Siena OP (1347-1380) Doctor of the Church
“Once humility is acquired, charity will come to life like a burning flame devouring the corruption of vice and filling the heart so full, that there is no place for vanity.”
“A vain question deserves nothing but silence. So learn to be silent for a time; you will edify your brethren and silence will teach you, to speak when the hour is come.”
St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419)
St Dominic’s Blessing By St Dominic de Guzman OP (1170-1221)
May God the Father, who made us, bless us. May God the Son, send His healing among us. May God the Holy Spirit, move within us and give us eyes to see with, ears to hear with, and hands, that Your work, might be done. May we walk and preach the word of God to all. May the angel of peace watch over us and lead us at last, by God’s grace, to the Kingdom. Amen
Thought for the Day – 21 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” “Give Us this Day Our Daily Bread”
“We should not ask only for food for the body but for spiritual nourishment. “Not by bread alone does man live” says Holy Scripture “but, by every word which comes forth from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4; cf Deut 8:3). The soul must be nourished, as well as the body, for it has its own life which is worn away by the daily conflict against sinful inclinations and by the constant struggle to achieve sanctity. It needs to be nourished by the word of God, by His grace and especially, by receiving the Author of grace frequently in Holy Communion. We should ask, before anything else, for the grace of God and for the true Bread of Life, which descends from Heaven. “Whoever eats this Bread shall live forever.”
Let us ask for the life-giving Bread, for ourselves and for our unfortunate brothers who are living apart from Jesus, in a state of spiritual death. May daily Communion become, once more, the inexhaustible source of the spiritual life and of Christian virtue which it was in the early days of the Church.”
Our Morning Offering – 17 October – Memorial of St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) Virgin
Prayer in Adoration of the Sacred Heart By St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) Visionary and Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God, Whom I believe to be really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, receive this most profound Act of Adoration to supply for the desire I have, to adore Thee unceasingly and in thanksgiving, for the sentiments of love which Thy Sacred Heart has for me in this Sacrament. I cannot better acknowledge them, than by offering Thee, all the Acts of Adoration, resignation, patience and love which this same Heart has made during its mortal life and which it makes still and which it shall make eternally in Heaven, in order that through it, I may love Thee, praise Thee and adore Thee worthily, as much as it is possible for me. I unite myself to this Divine Offering which Thou dost make to Thy Divine Father and I consecrate to Thee, my whole being, praying Thee, to destroy in me, all sin and not to permit that I should be separated from Thee, in time and eternally. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 9 October – The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
O Jesus, Sweetest Love, Come Thou to Me (1940) By Fr Francis Xavier Lasance (1860–1946)
O JESUS, sweetest Love, come Thou to me. Come down in all Thy beauty unto me. Thou Who didst die for longing of me And never, never more depart from me. Free me, O beauteous God, from all but Thee; Sever the chain that holds me back from Thee; Call me, O tender Love, I cry to Thee; Thou art my all! O bind me close to Thee. O suffering Love, Who hast so loved me; O patient Love, Who wearies not of me. Thou alone O Love! Thou weary not of me! Ah! Weary not till I am lost in Thee, Nay, weary not, till I am found in Thee. Amen
Thought for the Day – 23 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Spiritual Communion
“St Thomas Aquinas calls the Eucharist “the Sacrament of love” (Opuse 38:25). When love is ardent and sincere, it longs for constant contact with the beloved. Spiritual Communion can be made in a single instant, for it requires only an Act of Faith and an Act of Love. Jesus, come into my heart, for I have need of You. I love You, my Jesus, keep me close to You always.
Aspiration: O Jesus, I cling to You, with all my heart!”
Thought for the Day – 22 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Frequent Communion
“For the practice of daily Communion, however, we should have the approval of our Confessor. We should be fully determined to preserve ourselves free from every sin, especially from grave sin, for otherwise, we could not approach the Eucharistic banquet (if anyone receives Jesus with mortal sin on his soul, he commits a terrible sacrilege). This practice, moreover, should help us to avoid every deliberate imperfection and venial sin and should inspire in us, a lively spirit of Christian charity. “Receive Communion everyday,” said St Augustine, “because it will help you everyday … but you must live in a manner which will entitle you to communicate daily” (De Verbo Domini – Sermon 28).
Frequent Communion, therefore, will enable us to set out upon the road to perfection, without relaxing in our resolution and without any false scruples. “Two kinds of people,” wrote st Francis de Sales, “should receive Communion frequently – the perfect and the imperfect; the perfect in order to preserve their holiness; the imperfect, in order to reach perfection.” (Introduction to the Devout Life c 2).
Let us ask the advice of our regular Confessor. We shall be fortunate if we can approach the Sacred Banquet everyday, or at least very often, for we shall be sure that we are on the path to holiness.”
Quote/s of the Day – 19 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Solemnity of Corpus Christ. Sunday within the Octave and the Memorial of St Juliana Falconieri OSM (1270 – 1341) Virgin
“The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love. It signifies Love, It produces love. The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life.”
“ O precious and wonderful banquet that brings us salvation and contains all sweetness!”
Adoro te Devote Trans. Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)
Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore, Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more, See, Lord, at Thy service low lies here a heart Lost, all lost in wonder at the God Thou art.
Seeing, touching, tasting are in Thee deceived – How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed, What God’s Son has told me, take for truth I do, Truth Himself speaks truly or there’s nothing true.
On the cross Thy godhead made no sign to men, Here Thy very manhood steals from human ken – Both are my confession, both are my belief, And I pray the prayer of the dying thief.
I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see, But can plainly call Thee Lord and God as he, Let me to a deeper faith daily nearer move, Daily make me harder hope and dearer love.
O Thou our reminder of Christ crucified, Living Bread, the life of us for whom He died, Lend this life to me then – feed and feast my mind, There be Thou the sweetness man was meant to find.
Bring the tender tale true of the Pelican, Bathe me, Jesu Lord, in what Thy bosom ran— Blood whereof a single drop has power to win All the world forgiveness of its world of sin.
Jesu, whom I look at shrouded here below, I beseech Thee send me what I thirst for so, Some day to gaze on Thee face to face in light And be blest forever with Thy glory’s sight. Amen
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor angelicus/Doctor communis
“There is no more efficacious means than this, (Eucharistic Adoration) for nourishing and increasing the piety of the people, toward this admirable pledge of love, which is a bond of peace and of unity.”
St Paschal Baylon (1540-1592)
“The Holy Eucharist, is a fire that purifies and consumes all our miseries and imperfections. Do everything in your power to make yourself worthy of the Eucharist and this Divine Fire, will take care of the rest.”
St Hyacinth of Mariscotti (1585-1640)
“Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest, after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us.”
St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me Body of Christ, save me Blood of Christ, inebriate me Water from the side of Christ, wash me Passion of Christ, strengthen me Good Jesus, hear me Within Your wounds, shelter me from turning away, keep me From the evil one, protect me At the hour of my death, call me Into Your presence lead me to praise You with all Your saints Forever and ever, Amen
Act of Spiritual Communion By St Bernard (1090-1153 Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
As I cannot this day enjoy the happiness of assisting at the Holy Mysteries, O my God, I transport myself in spirit to the foot of Your Altar. I unite with the Church, which by the hands of the Priest, offers You, Your adorable Son in the Holy Sacrifice. I offer myself with Him, by Him and in His Name. I adore, I praise and thank You, imploring Your mercy, invoking Your assistance and presenting to You, the homage I owe You as my Creator and the love due to You as my Saviour.
Apply to my soul, I beseech You, O Merciful Jesus, Your infinite merits; apply them also to those for whom I particularly wish to pray. I desire to communicate spiritually, that Your Blood, may purify, Your Flesh, strengthen and Your Spirit, sanctify me. May I never forget that You, my divine Redeemer, died for me. May I die to all that is not You, that hereafter, I may live eternally with You. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 19 June – St Juliana Falconieri OSM (1270–1341) Virgin and Foundress of the Religious Sisters of the Order of Servites, Mystic, Ecstatic, Ascetic.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Florence, St Julian Falconieri, Virgin, Foundress of the Sisters of the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was placed among the Holy Virgins by the Sovereign Pontiff, Clement XII.”
St Juliana Falconieri, Virgin By Fr Francis Xavier Weninger SJ (1805-1888)
The Roman Martyrology, enlarged by Benedict XIV announces today, the festival of St.Juliana. Florence in Italy, is the place where St Juliana was born, in 1270. Her parents were of the illustrious house of Falconieri and were long without issue, until, at last, the fruit of many prayers, this holy daughter was given to them. It was looked upon as a sign of her future holiness, that Juliana, when an innocent child, pronounced the two blessed names of Jesus and Mary, without having been taught by anyone to utter them. Even in her childhood, she endeavoured, so earnestly, to attain Christian virtues, that her uncle, St Alexius, of the Order of Servites, who was her instructor, hesitated not to say to her mother, that she had not given birth to a mortal maiden, but to an Angel.
And in truth, Juliana’s conduct was such, that she resembled an Angel, rather than a human being. Never was it seen, that she raised her eyes to look at the face of any man, much less that she ever regarded the other sex with boldness. Her horror of sin was innate, so that she trembled when she only heard the name of it, nay, she was seen to sink to the ground, as one dead, when a crime was only mentioned. Regardless of her temporal wealth and of many advantageous offers of marriage, she made a vow, in presence of St Philip Benizi, by which she Consecrated her virginity to God, when she was not yet fifteen years of age. She was the first of her sex who entered the Order of the Servites. Many of the highest nobility followed her example. Juliana prescribed certain rules for them, in the composition of which, she showed extraordinary wisdom and holiness. Hence she is justly recognised and honoured, as the Foundress of the Sisterhood of the Servants of Mary.
St Philip Benizi, (one of the Seven Holy Founders) who not only enlarged the Order of the Servites but also, guided those who belonged to it, in a most exemplary manner, was so thoroughly convinced of the virtues of Juliana, that he said, before his death, that there was no-one more fit to be entrusted with the government of the whole Order–men as well as women–than Juliana. She, however, had quite a different opinion of herself and, although, she was appointed to guide others, she performed, with the utmost willingness, the most menial services for those under her. She was so deeply devoted to prayer, that she continued whole days in this exercise, during which time, she often fell into ecstasies and was favoured with divine apparitions. The time unoccupied by work and prayer, she usually spent in reconciling hostile minds, for which kind office, she was peculiarly qualified and also, in converting sinners, many of whom her persuasions brought to the knowledge of their faults, or in nursing the sick, to whom she was devoted with a mother’s love.
Anxious to conquer herself, she more than once sucked the putrid matter from the ulcers of the sick and God, in consideration of such heroic self-abnegation, instantly restored them to health. She was as severe to herself as she was tender towards others. The rest, which she took at night on the bare floor, was very short – as she occupied the greater part of the night in prayer. She chastised her innocent body with scourges and chains of wire. She fasted every Saturday on water and bread. Two days of every week she lived almost without earthly nourishment, as she then received the Bread of Angels, the Blessed Eucharist. On other days, she partook of food but only of very little and that of the most ordinary kind, as otherwise she refused to touch it.
This continual rigour eventually impaired her health and caused her most severe pains, which at last, in the 70th year of her age, ended her life. She had suffered, in this manner, for many years, with the most cheerful and edifying patience. Only one thing pained her exceedingly in her last day,: which was, that, as she could not retain any food, the Priest could not give her the Blessed Sacrament, for which she longed so ardently. Flying for refuge to God, she prayed that He would not permit her to die without this great consolation. Soon after, as if convinced that God would bestow upon her an extraordinary grace, she requested the Priest to bring the holy Eucharist, at least to her room and hold it to her breast. The Priest consented to her request but no sooner had the Blessed Sacrament been placed near her breast, than it suddenly disappeared and at the same time, the countenance of Juliana expressed a great interior satisfaction and happiness. Whilst the Priest strove to recover from his surprise, the servant of God, miraculously fed with the Bread of Life, expired without a struggle. After her death, they found on the left side of her breast, the form of the Host, bearing the image of the Crucified Saviour, like a seal pressed into the flesh. This led to the belief, that the holy virgin had been, in an unprecedented way, comforted in her last hour with the Blessed Eucharist. The fame of this miracle and of many others with which God honoured her after her death, won for Juliana, the esteem of the whole Christian world. Her holy body was buried in the magnificent Church which her father had built in honour of the Blessed Virgin and in memory of the Annunciation.
Thought for the Day – 16 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Feast of Corpus Christi
“This is the Feast of Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist. Let us enkindle in ourselves a more intense faith and love – let us adore and love Him on behalf of those who neglect to do so. Let us resolve to live a Eucharistic life.
Aspiration: I adore You at every moment, O Living Bread from Heaven, O most wonderful Sacrament.”
Quote/s of the Day – 16 June – Corpus Christi, The Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59.
“But when our kind and loving Father rained down the Word, He Himself, became spiritual nourishment to the good. … And then, we are to throw out the old and carnal corruption, our old diet, receiving in exchange a totally new diet — Christ Himself, as we ingest Him for Him to remain hidden there. Then, with our Saviour enshrined in our souls, as it were, we can correct the affections of our flesh.”
St Clement of Alexandria (150-215) Father of the Church
“He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood, abides in Me and I in him.”
John 6:57
“This bread you see on the Altar, consecrated by the word of God, is the Body of Christ. This cup consecrated by the word of God, or rather its contents, is the Blood of Christ. In these two elements our Lord desired to hand over, for our veneration and love, His Body and Blood, shed for the remission of our sins. If you have received them with a good disposition, then you are what you have received. As the apostle Paul declares: “We are, all of us, one bread, one body” (1 Cor 10,17)…”
St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father, Doctor of Grace
Source of all we have or know, feed and lead us here below. Grant that with Your saints above, Sitting at the feast of love, We may see You face to face.
Amen Alleluia!
Lord Jesus Christ, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, we Adore and Love You!
( The last Verse of the Lauda Sion, the Eucharistic Hymn/Sequence By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
“Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Holy Sacrament and a loving embrace, as though we had already received Him.”
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church
“It is enough for us to love Him and to be ready to keep His commandments. Such an act of sincere and effective love for Jesus, will cause Him to enter and to remain in our hearts, even after the sacramental species has been consumed. This is Spiritual Communion, which consists mainly in the yearning for Jesus. “I have come to cast fire upon the earth and what will I but, that it be kindled” (Lk 12:49).”
Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Act of Spiritual Communion By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
I desire, good Jesus, to receive Thee in Holy Communion and since I cannot now receive Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, I beseech Thee to come to me spiritually and to refresh my soul with Thy sweetness. Come, my Lord, my God and my All! Come to me and never let me ever again be separated from Thee by sin. Teach me Thy blessed ways, help me with Thy grace to imitate Thy example, to practise meekness, humility, charity and all the virtues of Thy Sacred Heart. My divine Master, my one desire is to do Thy will and to love Thee, more and more. Help me, that I may be faithful to the end, in Thy service. Bless me in life and in death, that I may praise Thee, forever in heaven, Amen
One Minute Reflection – 16 June – Corpus Christi, The Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59.
“He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood, abides in Me and I in him..” – John 6:57
REFLECTION – “Or think of it this way: Whereas people desire meat and drink to satisfy hunger and thirst, real satisfaction is produced, only by that meat and drink that make the receivers of it, immortal and incorruptible. He’s talking here about the fellowship of the saints where there is peace and unity, full and perfect. Therefore, our Lord has chosen, for the types of His Body and Blood, things that become one out of many.
Bread is a quantity of grains united into one mass, wine a quantity of grapes squeezed together. Then He explains what it is to eat His Body and drink His Blood: “He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him.” So then, to partake of that Meat and that Drink, is to dwell in Christ and Christ in you. Whoever does not dwell in Christ and in whom, Christ does not dwell, neither eats His Flesh nor drinks His Blood; rather, he eats and drinks the Sacrament of it, to his own damnation!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Tractates on the Gospel of John, 26).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who in this wondrous sacrament have left us a memorial of Thy Passion, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to venerate the Sacred Mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, that we may ever experience, within us, the effect of Thy Redemption. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect). EUCHARISTIC Heart of JESUS, model of the priestly heart, have mercy on us. COR JESU Eucharisticum, cordis sacerdotalis exemplar, miserere nobis. – Indulgence 300 Days, Everytime – Raccolta 177 St Pius X, 11 September 1907.
Our Morning Offering – 14 June – The Memorial of St Basil the Great (329-379) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church
O Christ, Our Master and Our God By St Basil the Great (329-379) Father and Doctor of the Church
O Christ, our Master and our God, King of the ages and Creator of all, I thank You for all the good things You have given to me and for the reception of your most pure and life-giving Mysteries. I pray You, therefore, O good Lover of humankind, keep me under Your protection, in the shadow of Your wings. Grant that with a pure conscience, until my last breath, I may worthily partake of Your Holy Things, for the forgiveness of sins and for life everlasting. For You are the Bread of Life, the Fountain of Holiness and the Bestower of Blessings and to You, we give glory together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever, Amen.
Quote’s of the Day – 8 June – Ember Wednesday within the Octave of Pentecost – Acts 2:14-21, John 6:44-52.
“I Am the Living Bread Who came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever and the Bread that I will give, is My Flesh, for the Life of the world.”
John 6:51-52
“I Am the Bread of Life”
John 6:35
“For His Body, has been given to you under the appearance of bread and His Blood, under the appearance of wine, so that, when you have partaken of the Body and Blood of Christ, you might be One Body and One Blood with Him. So shall we become Christ-bearers [“Christophers”]. His Body and Blood are diffused through all our members – see, then, how we become participants in the Divine Nature!”
St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386) Father and Doctor of theChurch
“Enrich your soul in the great goodness of God – The Father is your Table, the Son is your Food and the Holy Spirit waits on you and then makes His Dwelling in you.”
St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) Doctor of the Church
“What graces, gifts and virtues the Holy Mass calls down!”
St Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)
O Lord, My God, I Am Not Worthy Prayer Before Holy Communion By St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church
O Lord, my God, I am not worthy that You should come into my soul but I rejoice that You have come to me because, in Your loving kindness You desire to dwell in me. You ask me to open the door of my soul, which You alone have created, so that You may enter into it with Your loving kindness and dispel the darkness of my mind. I believe that You will do this, for You did not turn away Mary Magdalene when she approached You in tears. Neither did You withhold forgiveness from the tax collector who repented of his sins or from the good thief who asked to be received into Your kingdom. Indeed, You numbered as Your friends, all who came to You with repentant hearts. O God, You alone are blessed always, now and forever. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 15 May – The Fourth Sunday after Easter
Prayer Before Holy Mass By St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor of the Church
Lord Jesus Christ, we approach Your banquet table as saints and sinners and dare not rely on our own worth but only on Your goodness and mercy. Gracious God of majesty and awe, we seek Your protection, we look for Your healing. We appeal to You, the fountain of all mercy. Lord Jesus Christ, eternal King, Crucified for us, look upon us with mercy and hear our prayer, for we trust in You. Merciful Father, purify us in body and soul and make us worthy to taste the Holy of Holies. May Your Body and Blood, which we intend to receive, unworthy as we are, be for us the remission of our sins, the washing away of our guilt, the end of our evil thoughts and the rebirth of our better instincts. May it incite us to do the works pleasing to You and profitable to our health in body and soul and may it deliver us from evil. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 27 February – Quinquagesima Sunday
O Christ, our Master and our God By St Basil the Great (329-379) Father and Doctor of the Church
O Christ, our Master and God, King of the ages and Creator of all, I thank You for all the good things that You have given to me and for the reception of Your most pure and life-giving Mysteries. I pray You, therefore, O good Lover of mankind, keep me under Your protection in the shadow of Your wings. Grant that with a pure conscience, until my last breath, I may worthily partake of Your Holy Things, for the forgiveness of sins and for life everlasting. For You are the Bread of Life, the Fountain of holiness and the Bestower of blessings and to You, we give glory together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now nad forever and ever. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 18 February – “Month of the Most Blessed Trinity” – Septuagesima Weekday
ETERNAL LIFE
“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.”
Matthew 19:29
“He seemed to me, a very foolish man and very wretched, who will not increase his understanding while he is in the world and ever with and long to reach that endless life, where all shall be made clear.”
St Alfred the Great (849-899) King
“Eternal life flows from this Sacrament because God, with all sweetness, pours Himself out upon the blessed.”
St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280) Bishop of Regensburg Universal Doctor of the Church
“We must make our way towards eternity, never regarding what men think of us, or of our actions, studying only to please God.”
St Francis Borgia SJ (1510-1572)
“By giving yourself to God, you not only receive Himself in exchange but, eternal life as well!”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritatis
“On the journey of this life to eternity, let me carry You in my heart, following Mary’s example, who bore You in her arms, during the flight to Egypt.”
St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Thought for the Day – 15 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Order of the Day
“Besides organising our day on the basis of a timetable, it is wise to work out, in advance, the way in which we shall behave during the different hours. It is easy to be taken by surprise, carried away by events and, as a result, to waste time or do things badly. We should make up our minds as to how we should behave in the presence of God and in the presence of men.
Concerning our relations with God, the best resolution is, to begin the day by prayer and, if possible, a visit to the Church. Our ideal will be to hear Mass and receive Holy Communion. During the day, especially in moments of trial, we shall raise our minds and hearts to God by means of short aspirations. We shall live in the presence of God; we shall live in His life.
We shall end the day by making a visit, however brief, to the Blessed Sacrament and by saying our evening prayer. When we are going to sleep, we shall say certain prayers and remember the presence of God.
This is a day in the life of a good Catholic. How many can say that they spend their day like this?”
Our Morning Offering –7 November – Twenty Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
My Lord, I am Unworthy! Prayer before Holy Communion By St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
My Lord, Who are You and who am I, that I should dare to take You into my body and soul? A thousand years of penance and tears, would not be sufficient to make me worthy to receive so royal a Sacrament even once! How much more am I unworthy of it, who fall into sin daily, I, the incorrigible, who approach You so often without due preparation! Nevertheless, Your mercy infinitely surpasses my unworthiness. Therefore, I make bold to receive this Sacrament, trusting in Your love. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 24 October – Twenty Second Sunday after Pentecost
Prayer before Holy Communion By St Basil the Great (329-379) Father and Doctor of the Church
Lord, I know that I am not worthy to receive Thy Holy Body and Precious Blood; I know that I am guilty and that I eat and drink condemnation to myself, not discerning the Body and Blood of Christ, my God. But trusting in Thy loving kindness, I come to Thee, Who hast said – ‘Whoever eats My Body and drinks My Blood, will dwell in me and I in him’; Therefore, Lord, have compassion on me and do not put to shame Thy sinful servant But deal with me according to Thy great mercy And grant that these holy gifts, may be for me, healing, cleansing, enlightenment, protection, salvation and sanctification of soul and body. May they cast out from me every dark delusion, sinful deed or work of the evil one. May they move me to trust and love Thee always, to amendment of life, increase of virtue, obedience to Thy commandments, communion of the Holy Spirit, provision for my final journey and a good defence before the dreadful seat of judgement. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 17 October – Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost
Prayer before Holy Mass By St Ambrose (340-397) Father & Doctor of the Church
Lord Jesus Christ, We approach Your banquet table as saints and sinners and dare not rely on our own worth but only on Your goodness and mercy. Gracious God of majesty and awe, we seek Your protection, we look for Your healing. We appeal to You, the fountain of all mercy. Lord Jesus Christ, eternal King, Crucified for us, look upon us with mercy and hear our prayer, for we trust in You. Merciful Father, purify us in body and soul and make us worthy to taste the Holy of Holies. May Your Body and Blood, which we intend to receive, unworthy as we are, be for us the remission of our sins, the washing away of our guilt, the end of our evil thoughts and the rebirth of our better instincts. May it incite us to do the works pleasing to You and profitable to our health, in body and soul and may it deliver us from evil. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 5 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Jonah 3: 1-10; Psalm 130: 1b–4ab, 7-8; Luke 10: 38-42
“As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak…” – Luke 10:38-39
REFLECTION – “Now when we have received our Lord and have Him in our body, let us not then let Him alone, setting forth about other things, looking no more unto Him but let all our business be about Him. Let us by devout prayer talk to Him, by devout meditation talk with Him. Let us say with the prophet: “I will hear what our Lord will speak within me” (Ps 85[84]: 9).
For surely, if we … attend unto Him, He will not fail with good inspirations to speak such things to us, within us, as shall serve to the great spiritual comfort and profit of our soul.
Let us then, be both Martha and also Mary. And, therefore, let us with Martha, provide that all our inward business may be pertaining to Him, in making cheer to Him and to His company for His sake, that is to say, to poor folk, of whom He takes everyone not only for His disciple but also, as for Himself. For He Himself said: “What you have done to one of the least of these my brethren, you have done to Me” (Mt 25:40) … Let us endeavour ourselves to keep Him still and let us say with His two disciples that were going to the house of Emmaus: “Stay with us, good Lord” (Lk 24:29). And then shall we be sure, that He will not go from us unless we unkindly put Him from us! – St Thomas More (1478-1535) Martyr – (Treatise To Receive the Blessed Body of our Lord.).
PRAYER – Stay With Me, O Lord by Padre Pio (1887-1968) Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life and without You I am without fervour. Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light and without You I am in darkness. Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You. Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much and always be in Your company. Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You. Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is, I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love. Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close and life passes, death, judgement and eternity approach. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches, I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile! Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You. Let me recognise You as Your disciples did, at the breaking of the bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart. Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love. Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more. With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen
Thought for the Day – 20 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Word of God
“After Holy Communion, the Word of God is the most nourishing food of the soul. St Augustine urges us to listen to the Word of God with the same devotion with which we approach the Blessed Eucharist. It is the normal method God uses to communicate with our souls in order to instruct and enlighten them and to lead them along the path of virtue. It is true, that God sometimes makes direct contact with us by means of good inspirations or extraordinary graces but, the ordinary way in which He calls us to eternal life, is by His divine Word, whether it is proclaimed by His ministers, read in Sacred Scripture, illustrated in the lives of the Saints, or, outlined by masters of the spiritual life. Most important of all, is the living word of the lawful representatives of God. Jesus did not specifically command His Apostles to write but to preach. “He who believes and is baptised,” He added, “shall be saved but he who does not believe, shall be condemned” (Cf Mk 16:16). Mary Magdalen was converted by the preaching of Jesus and wept for her sins. The sermons of St John the Baptist called upon the Jewish people to do penance. Centuries earlier, the prophet Nathan had converted David by means of the inspired Word of God and the prophet Jonah, had roused the Ninivites to repentance. We should treasure the Word of God. We should read and listen to it, with humility and devout attention. Whenever we hear a sermon, or read Sacred Scripture, or some spiritual book, we should reflect, that, it is God Himself Who is preaching to us! We should not be guided merely by a spirit of curiosity, desire for knowledge, or love of eloquence or literary style but, by the determination to apply such instruction to ourselves and to put it into practice.”
Our Morning Offering – 9 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
In Catholic Time, Thursday is the day of the Holy Eucharist – Our Lord instituted the most Holy Eucharist on a Thursday, so it is fitting that we remember this greatest of Sacraments on this day. The Eucharist is the greatest gift of God to mankind, as it is nothing less than Jesus Himself. What gift could be greater? Therefore, on Thursdays, many spend an hour in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as an aspect of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament By The League of the Sacred Heart 1929 (Ireland)
O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, overflowing with gentleness, tenderness and charity, I bury in the abyss of The Mercy, all my iniquities and all my negligence. I offer Thee my labours and my sufferings, my sorrows and my miseries, I recommend to Thee my life and my death. Solace my doubts Sweet Jesus, calm my fears and grant, that day by day, I may become more united to Thy Sacred Heart, learning Thy love and Thy holiness. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 7 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – The Memorial of St Cajetan (1480-1547)
“My desire is not my way but Your way.”
“May all praise and thanks be continually given to the Most Holy and Most August Sacrament.”
“We may seek graces but shall never find them without the intercession of Mary.”
Look Down, O Lord By St Cajetan (1480-1547)
Look down, O Lord, from Thy sanctuary and from the high habitation of Heaven and behold this Sacred Oblation which our great High Priest, Thy Holy Servant, the Lord Jesus, immolates unto Thee, for the sins of His brethren and be propitious to the multitude of our iniquities. Behold, the Voice of the Blood of Jesus, our Brother, cries to Thee from the Cross. Graciously hear, O Lord, be appeased, O Lord, hearken and do. Delay not for Thy own sake, my God because Thy Name is invoked upon this city and upon Thy people and do with us, according to Thy mercy. Amen
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.