SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 6 April

Posted on April 6, 2019April 5, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St Agrarius the Martyr
St Amand of Grisalba
St Berthanc of Kirkwall
St Brychan of Brycheiniog
Bl Catherine of Pallanza
St Diogenes of Philippi
St Elstan of Abingdon
St Galla of Rome
St Gennard
St Irenaeus of Sirmium
Bl Jan Franciszek Czartoryski
St Marcellinus the Martyr
Bl Maria Karlowska (1865-1935)
About Blessed Maria: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/06/saint-of-the-day-6-april-blessed-maria-karlowska-1865-1935/

Bl Michele Rua
Bl Notker Balbulus OSB (c 840-912)
Biography: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/06/saint-of-the-day-6-april-blessed-notker-balbulus/

St Phaolô Lê Bao Tinh
St Philaret of Calabria
Bl Pierina Morosini
St Platonides of Ashkelon
St Prudentius of Troyes
St Pope Sixtus I
St Timothy of Philippi
St Ulched
St Urban of Peñalba
St William of Eskilsoe
St Winebald
Bl Zefirino Agostini (1813-1896)
—
Martyrs of Sirmium : 7 saints – A group of fourth century martyrs at Sirmium, Pannonia (modern Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia). We know little more than seven of their names – Florentius, Geminianus, Moderata, Romana, Rufina, Saturus and Secundus.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
Bl Enric Gispert Domenech
Bl Josep Gomis Martorell

PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on MERCY, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 5 April – “A saint of the ordinary?”

Posted on April 5, 2019April 5, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 5 April – Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of Blessed Mariano de la Mata Aparicio OSA (1905-1983)

Blessed Mariano has been called “a saint of the ordinary”, this giving, loving and holy man who spent all he had for his people. Is this ‘ordinary’, is this how ‘ordinary’ folk live, though we should be living thus. Is St Mother Teresa, who likewise, gave all, what we would call an ordinary saint . For the suffering sheep are the beloved of God, they are not ordinary, they are His most in need of the extraordinary love and charity of us, ‘the ordinary.’

I am reminded of the words of Fr Henri Nouwen (1932-1996):

“Visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, consoling the dying or sheltering the homeless, may not catch the public eye and are often perceived as irrelevant when put in the perspective of a possible nuclear holocaust. There are many voices that say: ‘These little acts of mercy are a waste of time when we consider the urgency of stopping the arms race, etc etc.” But the peacemaker knows that true peace is a divine gift that has nothing to do with statistics or measures of success and popularity. Peace is like life itself. It manifests itslef quietly and gently.
Who can say that a lost afternoon with a sick friend is in truth not much more than an interruption of ‘true’ peace work?
Who knows?
Jesus’ way is the humble way. He calls out to use – “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart.'”

Blessed Mariano de la Mata Aparicio , Pray for Us!

DOMINICAN OP, LENT 2019, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 5 April – “Humility”

Posted on April 5, 2019 by AnaStpaul

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

“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.”…

St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)

JESUIT SJ, LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 April – “You know me?”

Posted on April 5, 2019April 5, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 5 April – Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 and celebrating St Vincent Ferrer and Blessed Mariano de la Mata

“You know me and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord; he who sent me is true and him you do not know.”…John 7:28

REFLECTION – “The crowds are surprised to see Jesus teaching in public, despite the death threats and so wonder if He could indeed be the Messiah. The crucial question here is, whether or not one perceives Jesus as having been sent by God. The answer to this question determines whether one is on the right track or engaged in only superficial reflection. God, in Jesus, continues to come to us in various disguises and forms. If we decide in advance how He must come, then there is the danger that we too might continue to miss Him. The way to be able to find Him in all things and all things in Him, is to be open and receptive and let God be God. It is to open our eyes, ear and every fibre of our being to the revelation that He will make and to be prepared for that revelation, in the most unexpected persons, places and events!”…Fr Errol Fernandes SJ

PRAYER – Loving God and Father, open our eyes and ears and our hearts. Help us to recognise the Light of Christ in the world around us. Too often we are hard of heart and closed up in our ‘rites’ – He is there but He is not only there and we are blind. May the prayers of the saints and angels help us to be open to Him. Mary, the Mother He gave us, pray for us. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen. mother mary pray for us - 5 oct 2018.jpg

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

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

Posted on April 5, 2019April 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

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

Grant me, O my God
By St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)

Good Jesus,
let me be penetrated with love
to the very marrow of my bones,
with fear and respect toward You;
let me burn with zeal for Your honour,
so that I may resent terribly all the outrages
committed against You, especially those
of which I myself have been guilty.
Grant further, O my God,
that I may adore
and acknowledge You humbly, as my Creator
and that, penetrated with gratitude
for all Your benefits,
I may never cease to render You thanks.
Grant that I may bless You in all things,
praise and glorify You
with a heart full of joy and gladness
and that, obeying You with docility
in every respect, I may one day,
despite my ingratitude and unworthiness,
be seated at Your table
together with Your Holy Angels and Apostles
to enjoy ineffable delights.
Amen grant me o my god by st vincent ferrer - 5 april 2019.jpg

SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 5 April – Blessed Mariano de la Mata Aparicio OSA (1905-1983)

Posted on April 5, 2019April 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 5 April – Blessed Mariano de la Mata Aparicio OSA (1905-1983) was a Spanish Priest, a professed religious of the Order of Saint Augustine, Missionary, Apostle of Charity, Eucharistic and Marian devotee, Spiritual Director, Teacher and Professor. He joined the missions in Brazil where he served until his death and was known for his educational work with the poor. His age and diminishing health was no obstacle for him throughout his time in Brazil and it did not hinder his efforts to visit the sick or go out to be with the people he looked after. blessed-mariano-de-la-mata-aparicio

Mariano was born into a simple Christian family from Barrio de la Puebla de Valdavia (Palencia), Spain, on 31 December 1905. Three of his brothers preceded him into the Order of Saint Augustine. He himself studied in Valladolid and La Vid. He was vested in the habit on 9 September 1921 and in 1922 made his initial profession, he had received the habit from the Blessed Anselm Polanco (1881–1939) Martyr. In 1926 he was transferred back to Santa María de la Vid where he completed his theological courses. He made his solemn profession on 23 January 1927 and he was later ordained to the priesthood on 25 July 1930. After two years ministering in Spain, he left for Brazil, where he carried out an extensive apostolate in the field of education and especially in the daily care of the poor, the infirm and children. mariano-de-la-mata-d3ba9213-80cf-48f5-bb2c-1b699d374a9-resize-750.jpg

In 1961 he went to teach at the Saint Augustine college and also took on the duties of a spiritual director at the Saint Rita of Cascia Workshop as well as the parochial vicar of the Saint Augustine church. He tended to the needs of those who surrounded him and went to visit the sick on a regular basis as was the case with Sergio Teixera. He visited this student of his for twelve months and gave him private lessons during his illness. Another student – Horacio Gentile – was visited during his two month stay in the hospital, notwithstanding the great distance and steep climb, the prelate had to endure to get to him. bl mariano-de-la-mata-b272cc97-4609-4d6a-8add-37c47860ef4-resize-750

In character he was remembered as an active and enterprising prelate who was open and communicative to all, a person of affection and kindness. He organised more than 200 of the Saint Rita Workshops, which attracted poor people to make clothing that the poor could afford. He was often seen walking down the streets of São Paulo to pastoral visits, though, even as he aged and his strength waned and his vision grew dim he still continued all his pastoral practices.

Fr Mariano may be called ‘a saint of the ordinary.’ He possessed a strong character but was at the same time, a generous and sensitive individual, friendly and approachable with all. He was devoted to the Blessed Virgin, thoroughly committed to his priestly vocation and fervent in his love for the Eucharist. bl mariano-de-la-mata-1a576c19-e4b0-485d-8879-190b26f8a2b-resize-750

Mariano was diagnosed with cancer in early 1983. He underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumour but the cancer continued to spread. He died on 5 April 1983 and was Beatified on 5 November 2006 in the Cathedral of Sao Paulo, Brazil by Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, who said of the new blessed:

“Fr Mariano was poor with the poor, humble among children and compassionate towards the infirm and the elderly. He was conscientious with his students, the faithful and the association of Workshops of Saint Rita (he founded over 200 such workshops which employ people to make affordable clothing for the poor). He was merciful toward his penitents, pure of heart and a lover of peace in his Augustinian community and in his family, overcoming difficulties through prayer and sacrifice, constantly having recourse to the Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Consolation up until the moment he departed this life.”

bl mariano-de-la-mata-b5e9a681-b51b-43d2-af92-af63410c1b5-resize-750

His body rests beside the altar of his beloved Virgin of Consolation in the Church of Saint Augustine in Sao Paulo. bl mariano-de-la-mata-867f9ef2-1e49-4ed8-9cab-afeab82c250-resize-750

As a “saint of the ordinary,” Father Mariano reminds us that the path to holiness is essentially simple – it consists in living the Gospel message in a spirit of faith, freedom and generosity, loving God and neighbour as Jesus instructed us. Mariano is a modern saint, a saint who lived surrounded by the challenges of our contemporary world but with the timeless truth and wisdom of the two great commandments. bl mariano de la mata.jpg

DOMINICAN OP, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 5 April

Posted on April 5, 2019April 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419) (Optional Memorial)
Biography of St Vincent: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/05/saint-of-the-day-5-april-st-vincent-ferrer-o-p-1350-1419/

St Albert of Montecorvino
Bl Antonius Fuster
St Becan
Bl Blasius of Auvergne
St Claudius of Mesopotamia
St Derferl Gadarn
St Gerald of Sauve-Majeure
St Irene of Thessalonica
St Maria Crescentia Hoss
Bl Mariano de la Mata Aparicio OSA (1905-1983)
St Pausilippus
Bl Peter Cerdan
St Theodore the Martyr
—
Martyrs of Lesbos: 5 saints – Five young Christian women martyred together for their faith. We don’t even know their names. island of Lesbos, Greece.

Martyrs of North-West Africa: Large group of Christians murdered while celebrating Easter Mass during the persecutions of Genseric, the Arian king of the Vandals. They were martyred in 459 at Arbal (in modern Algeria).

Martyrs of Seleucia: 120 saints – One-hundred and eleven (111) men and nine (9) women who, because they were Christians, were dragged to Seleucia and martyred for refusing to worship the sun or fire or other pagan idols during the persecutions of King Shapur II. They were burned alive in 344 in Seleucia, Persia.

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 4 April – St Isidore, the Patron of the Internet?

Posted on April 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 4 April – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of St Isidore of Seville (560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church

St Isidore, the Patron of the Internet?

Isidore may seem like a strange choice but his academic works make him a perfect fit.
It may seem strange that a 7th-century saint was chosen as the patron saint of the internet but after a careful examination of his life, St Isidore of Seville turns out to be the perfect choice.

Isidore was a great scholar whose encyclopedic knowledge was far reaching.

Before his death, Isidore wrote a collection of books called Etymologiae, which, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, was “a vast storehouse in which is gathered, systematised and condensed, all the learning possessed by his time. Throughout the greater part of the Middle Ages it was the textbook most in use in educational institutions.”

Interestingly enough, Isidore did not contain himself to only theological topics but successfully collected information on all subjects, both secular and religious. Pope Benedict XVI explained in a General Audience, “The wealth of cultural knowledge that Isidore had assimilated enabled him to constantly compare the Christian newness with the Greco-Roman cultural heritage, however, rather than the precious gift of synthesis it would seem that he possessed the gift of collatio, that is, of collecting.”

For this reason, Isidore has been regarded as the patron saint of the internet. He was, in a certain sense, a human “Wikipedia,” possessing a vast storehouse of information on every topic available.

St Isidore is a great intercessor for all those logging on to the internet, a saint who can help us find what we need as well as protect us from the darker side of the World Wide Web.

St Isidore of Seville, Pray for Us!

CONFESSION/PENANCE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SAINT of the DAY

Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – St Isidore of Seville

Posted on April 4, 2019April 2, 2023 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 4 April – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of St Isidore of Seville (560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church

“The suffering of adversity
does not degrade you but exalts you.
Human tribulation teaches you,
it does not destroy you.
The more we are afflicted in this world,
the greater is our assurance for the next.
The more we sorrow in the present,
..the greater will be our joy in the future.”

“Confession heals,
Confession justifies,
Confession grants pardon of sin,
all hope consists in Confession;
in Confession there is
a chance for mercy.”

St Isidore of Seville (560-636)

Father & Doctor of the Church

LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 April – “A veil hid Him from their eyes”

Posted on April 4, 2019April 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 4 April – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: John 5:31–47 and the Memorial of St Isidore (c 560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church

“If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me.”…John 5:46

REFLECTION – “Moses face had become radiant while he conversed with the Lord. Aaron and the other Israelites saw (it)… and were afraid to come near him… When Moses had finished speaking with them, he would again put the veil over his face” (cf. Ex 34:29f.). The radiance lighting up Moses’ face was Christ shining within him but He was hidden from the eyes of the Hebrews who did not see him… The Old Testament as a whole is shown to us, veiled like Moses, the symbol of all prophecy. Underneath this veil, displayed by the lips of the prophets, Christ appears, a judge in majesty, seated on his throne of glory…

If Moses was veiled, what other prophet could have uncovered his face? All veiled their speech in imitation of him. They simultaneously heralded and veiled, they put forth their message and, at the same time, covered it with a veil… Because Jesus shone out in their books, a veil hid Him from their eyes, a veil that makes known to all the world how the words of Holy Scripture contain a hidden meaning…

Our Lord lifted this veil when He expounded His mysteries to the whole of creation. By His coming, the Son of God uncovered Moses’ face, the incomprehensible words, that up to then had been veiled. The new covenant has come to interpret the old, now, at last, the world is able to grasp those words that nothing covers any longer. The Lord, our Sun, has arisen over the world and illumined every living being, mysteries and enigmas are at last made clear. The veil that used to cover those books has been removed and the world beholds the Son of God with uncovered face.”…St Jacob of Sarug (c 451-521) Syrian Bishop and Monk

PRAYER – Father almighty, grant us Your good grace to trust completely in the Word made Flesh whom You sent to lead us to our heavenly home and save us from our evil ways. As we proceed by penance and prayer, grant us now perseverance in listening to Him and learning from Him. May the prayers of St Isidore, assist us on our journey. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with You, now and forever, amen.

SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 4 April – Blessed Giuseppe Cardinal Benedetto Dusmet OSB (1818-1894)

Posted on April 4, 2019April 3, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 4 April – Blessed Giuseppe Cardinal Benedetto Dusmet OSB (1818-1894) aged 75 Cardinal Archbishop of Catania, Italy, professed Benedictine religious, Abbot, Professor, Apostle of the sick and the poor- born on 15 August 1818 at Palermo, Sicily and died on 4 April 1894 at Catania, Sicily of natural causes. Patronage – Archdiocese of Catania. Blessed Giuseppe served as the Archbishop of Catania from 1867 until his death. He became professed into the Order of Saint Benedict where he took “Benedetto” as his religious name. He studied under the Benedictines prior to joining them before serving as a professor, in addition to prior and abbot. His elevation to the episcopate saw him distinguish himself in cholera epidemics when he tended to the ill while also remaining a strong advocate for the poor of his archdiocese. He remained a Benedictine and was known to continue to don the Benedictine habit instead of the red cardinal’s regalia. bl giuseppe-benedetto-dusmet-13322b60-4158-4903-b772-910e56206a7-resize-750

Giuseppe Dusmet was born in Palermo in 1818 as the first of six children to the nobles Luigi Dusmet and Maria dei Dragonetti. His lineage can be traced back to Flanders in Belgium. Dusmet was baptised just hours after his birth in the Archdiocesan Cathedral as “Giuseppe Maria Giacomo Filippo Lupo Domenico Antonio Rosolino Melchiorre Francesco di Paola Benedetto Gennaro”. He would be referred to as Melchiorre at home.

His two maternal uncles Vincenzo and Leopoldo Dragonetti were both monks of the Order of Saint Benedict.

Dusmet was educated at the San Martino delle Scales convent in Monreale from 1824. It was around this time that the Dusmet’s moved to Naples and his father made him return there in 1832, since he feared exposure in the convent, would mean his son would harbour the desire to follow a religious vocation. But Dusmet returned to the school in 1834 when his father realised that he could not change his son’s vocation. He would later teach philosophical and theological studies at Benedictine houses. He entered the Benedictines at Montecassino and chose the name “Benedetto” as his middle name after professing his formal vows on 15 August 1840. In preparation for his profession he went on a retreat where the preacher was the future cardinal Michelangelo Celesia who became his lifelong friend.

He received the subdiaconate from Archbishop Domenico Balsamo on 11 October 1840 in the Archiepiscopal palace and would later receive the diaconate from the same prelate in the same location on 15 November 1840. He was ordained to the priesthood on 18 September 1841 and had to receive a special dispensation to be ordained since he was under the canonical age requirement.

In 1845 he began serving as an aide to the abbot Carlo Antonio Buglio and travelled with him as the latter made visitation. The General Chapter in 1847 saw Buglio – and Dusmet accompanied him – moved to the San Flavio convent of Caltanissetta. Dusmet served as the prior convent in Naples from 12 June 1850 until May 1852 when he was named as the prior for the San Flavio convent in Caltanissetta. He held that position until 1858 when the General Chapter at Perugia named him as the abbot for the San Nicolò l’Arena convent. But he no longer could hold that position as of 15 October 1866 after the Italian kingdom was established with the state confiscating all religious properties. bl guiseppe.jpg

He was appointed Archbishop of Catania in 1867 and he received his episcopal consecration on 10 March in the Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome. Dusmet issued his first pastoral letter to the faithful on 14 March. He served as a Council Father at the First Vatican Council that Pope Pius IX had convoked. Dusmet could not assume formal possession of his episcopal see since the new political situation with the kingdom saw the government approve bishops prior to formal enthronement. The government did not grant Dusmet the approval until 1878 when he was then enthroned in Catania. Dusmet was later elevated to the Cardinalate in 1889 with Pope Leo XIII naming him as the Cardinal-Priest of Santa Pudenziana. bl giuseppe-benedetto-dusmet-2706873d-f454-4064-8c62-38c66553239-resize-750

Dusmet was close friends with fellow Sicilian cardinal and Servant of God Giuseppe Guarino and he knew also the Servant of God Giuseppina Faro. He was awarded the Grand Cross of the Knights of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and also received the Gold Medal for the Benefits of Public Health on 23 November 1889 in Rome due to his efforts in aiding the ill in cholera epidemics.

Bl Giuseppe died on 4 April 1894 at around 10:30 pm and was buried in the chapel of the Confraternita dei Bianci at a funeral on 6 April that started at 10:00am and ended with his burial at 4:30pm. He had fallen ill at the beginning of 1894 and on 2 April left instructions not to be embalmed and to have a simple funeral. On 4 April attempts at artificial respiration were stopped when doctors said that Dusmet’s death was imminent. His final words echoed that of Jesus Christ: “it is finished”. His relics were later translated to the Catania Cathedral in May 1904. Cardinal Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster – a future Blessed and a Benedictine himself – unveiled a monument dedicated to Dusmet in Catania in 1935. bl guiseppe dusmet catania-monumento-al-cardinale-dusmet Catania_al_Cardinale_Dusmet_-_panoramio

St Pope John Paul II presided at Dusmet’s Beatification in Saint Peter’s Square on 25 September 1988. bl guiseppe shrine relics

SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 4 April

Posted on April 4, 2019April 3, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St Isidore of Seville (c 560-636) (Optional Memorial) Father & Doctor of the Church
St Isidore’s life: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/04/saint-of-the-day-4-april-st-isidore-of-seville-father-and-doctor-of-the-church/

Bl Abraham of Strelna
St Agathopus of Thessalonica
St Aleth of Dijon
St Benedict of Sicily OFM (1526-1589)
About St Benedict: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/04/saint-of-the-day-4-april-st-benedict-of-sicily-o-f-m-1526-1589/

Bl Giuseppe Benedetto Dusmet OSB (1818-1894)
St Gwerir of Liskeard
St Henry of Gheest
St Hildebert of Ghent
St Peter of Poitiers
St Plato
St Theodulus of Thessalonica
St Theonas of Egypt
St Tigernach of Clogher
St Zosimus of Palestine

QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 3 April – I am unable to live a mere earthly life!

Posted on April 3, 2019April 3, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 3 April – Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of Blessed Maria Teresa Casini (1864–1937)

“I feel within my soul an impulse
which spurs me onto God.
I am unable to live a mere earthly life!…
I must raise myself above all worldly things
in order to live for God alone,
to sacrifice myself for priests
and to console the Pierced Heart of Jesus.
Thus fulfilling His desire of love
toward me and toward souls.”

Blessed Maria Teresa Casini (1864–1937)

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Saint of the Day – 3 April – Blessed Maria Teresa Casini (1864–1937)

Posted on April 3, 2019April 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 3 April – Blessed Maria Teresa Casini (1864–1937) – Religious Sister and Founder of the Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Priests known as Little Friends of Jesus , Apostle of Eucharistic Adoration, of Prayer especially for priests. Also known as Sister Maria Serafina of the Heart of Jesus Pierced and Mother Maria Teresa. Additional Memorial – 29 October (Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, diocese of Frascati, Italy, based on the date of her baptism). Born on 27 October 1864 in Frascati, Italy and died around 5am on 3 April 1937 at Oblate monastery on the via del Casaletto in Grottaferrata, Rome, Italy of natural causes, aged 72.

Maria Teresa Casini was born on 27 October 1864 to Tommaso Casini and Melania Rayner as their first born daughter, she was baptised on 29 October.

She travelled to Rome for her studies at the Santa Rufina boarding school that the nuns of the Madams of the Sacred Heart conducted. She received her First Communion on 7 May 1878 which solidified her vocation. Due to a period of ill health, she had to leave school and return home for recuperation. bl maria teresa casini young

Shortly after she turned eighteen, she responded to her vocation and met Father Arsenio Pellegrini who became her guide and her spiritual director and who served as the Abbot of the Basilian Monks of Grottaferrata. Despite entering the convent, ill health forced her to leave, though she attempted to enter once again yet failed due to the death of the foundress after which the institute she joined ceased to exist.

In due time, she became a nun after entering the monastery of Sepolte Vive in Rome on 2 February 1885. Casini only started to live in Grottaferrata with fellow entrants from 17 October 1892 onwards. On 2 February 1894, she founded the Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

It was not until 1925 that Casini started the special work of the “Little Friends of Jesus” in order to promote and to cultivate the vocations of prospective priests. The group’s special character came to life when Cardinal Francesco Satolli requested Casini and her congregation to take up new and vigorous apostolic work. This group also worked for the sanctification of all priests and so the group opened a boarding school for males in order to please the Lord’s request for good and wholesome priests.

Throughout her life, Casini offered “the oblation of herself, in faithful response to the Love that overflows from the open Heart of the Savior, and which she imparted to so many daughters and priests”. This even earned the praise of Pope Pius X in 1904 who wrote: “In order to bring about the reign of Jesus Christ, nothing is more necessary than the sanctity of the clergy. God bless these sisters for their selfless love for these men of God, for through them, through the sacraments, we are fortified and purified for the journey”.

Casini grew ill in the final years of her life and she died in 1937. Her final words were: “I am peaceful. I feel God is near me”.

Casini’s order continues to flourish on an international level in places such as Africa, the United States of America, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, India, Guinea Bissau. The Generalate is in Rome and the Motherhouse is in Grottaferrata, Italy.

The first of the males of the Little Friends of Jesus that Casini herself oversaw was ordained as a priest in 1938. bl maria teresa casini 2

Blessed Maria Teresa was buried in the chapel of the Zealots of the Sacred Heart in a nearby cemetery and her remains were re-interred at the Generalate of the Oblates of the Sacred Heart in Grottaferrata on 20 May 1965. She was Beatified on 31 October 2015 by Pope Francis. The Beatification recognition was celebrated at the Piazza San Pietro at the cathedral in Frascati, Italy, presided by Cardinal Angelo Amato. Her Beatification miracle involved the 25 – 27 June 2003 healing of the brain lesions and trauma of Jacob “Jack” Ronald Sebest, a five year old drowning victim in Youngstown, Ohio. canonisation bl maria teresa maxresdefault.jpg

The Oblate Sisters are called to live and to participate intimately in the Oblation of Jesus to the Father, to repair and console His Pierced Heart, with an intense life of prayer and unconditional gift of ourselves, so that Priests may be holy. They also care for retired and convalescent priests in special homes which they administer.

From their Constitution:
“The exclusive pursuit of God – which is the goal of our community life – is the foundation of that spirit of prayer that must characterise our whole existence as
Christians, religious and Oblates. From the spirit of prayer, springs prayer itself as the source and fundamental expression of our community and personal life because “the Oblate’s life is intimately tied to the altar.” In founding the Institute, Mother
Teresa wanted to root it in faith, prayer and that unconditional gift of herself to priests, which knew no limits in our first sisters, if not in the consummation of life itself.

In silent and adoring prayer we express the typical attitude of our consecration and
Oblate spirituality, because with it, we join our feelings to the feelings of Jesus Himself, which are an endless act of love and an unceasing supplication to the Father for the Church and for its priests. Our individual prayer finds its climax in daily adoration. It brings us close to the altar, seen as the true source of our specific mission in the Church: suppliant and atoning prayer for the holiness of priests.”

“The life Jesus leads in the Sacrament of His love and which the Oblate must imitate and make her own is this – a life of generous and limitless sacrifice… a life of incessant prayer …a life of obedience… a life of poverty…”….Blessed Mother Maria Teresa

SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 3 April

Posted on April 3, 2019April 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Bl Alexandrina di Letto
St Attala of Taormina
St Benatius of Kilcooley
St Benignus of Tomi
St Burgundofara
St Chrestus
St Comman
St Evagrius of Tomi
Bl Francisco Solís Pedrajas
Bl Gandulphus of Binasco
Bl Iacobus Won Si-bo
St John I of Naples
Bl John of Penna
St Joseph the Hymnographer
Bl Juan Otazua Madariaga
Bl Lawrence Pak Chwi-deuk
St Luigi Scrosoppi Cong. Orat. (1804-1884)
About St Luigi: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/03/saint-of-the-day-3-april-st-luigi-scrosoppi/

A little Note about St Luigi – his Canonisation Miracle occurred in my Parish in Oudtshoorn!

Bl Maria Teresa Casini (1864–1937)
St Nicetas of Medicion
St Papo
Bl Piotr Edward Dankowski
St Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)
Biography: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/03/saint-of-the-day-3-april-st-richard-of-chichester-1197-1253/

Bl Robert Middleton
St Sixtus I, Pope
Bl Thurstan Hunt
St Vulpian of Tyre

QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, SAINT of the DAY

Thought for the Day – 2 April – A martyr dies and his rule begins.

Posted on April 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 2 April – The Memorial of St Pedro Calungsod (1654–1672) Martyr

SOREN Kierkegaard once said,
“A tyrant dies and his rule ends.
A martyr dies and his rule begins.”

Pope Benedict XVI referred to San Pedro Calungsod in his homily by his English and German name ‘Peter’. Without saying it directly the Holy Father was signalling all of us to go beyond our usual, if natural, patriotic yet myopic perspective when looking at San Pedro’s elevation to the altar of the Lord. San Pedro or St Peter Calungsod now belongs to the whole Church or, rather, to the whole believing world. We need to rejoice, as he is now officially one of our intercessors with God, for our various needs and concerns.

We need San Pedro Calungsod’s courage to shine through our efforts to face up to the spears of secularism, materialism and hedonism that subject our young and adult Filipinos under constant attack. We need the same courage of San Pedro Calungsod who did not abandon a priest-mentor-friend in mortal danger, to prod us not to abandon what we once heard from the tender lips of our mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers and catechists – the things of God, of His Son Jesus Christ, of His Church, of eternal life, not only of the life here and now.

The early Christian writer Tertullian once wrote, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.” May the blood of St Pedro Calungsod give birth to all of us becoming more Christ-like, not abandoning the truth of the Lord for the tricks of the world.

Then we, like him, shall rediscover the secret of eternal youth.
Fr Eutiquio Belizar SThD (Excerpt)

St Pedro Calungsod, Pray for us!

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The PASSION

Quote of the Day – 2 April – Fix on your minds on the Passion

Posted on April 2, 2019April 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 2 April – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of St Francis of Paola O.M. (1416-1507)

“Fix your minds on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Inflamed with love for us, He came down from heaven to redeem us.
For our sake He endured every torment of body and soul
and shrank from no bodily pain.
He Himself gave us an example of perfect patience and love.
We, then, are to be patient in adversity.”

St Francis of Paola O.M. (1416-1507)

LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 April

Posted on April 2, 2019April 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 2 April – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of St Francis of Paola O.M. (1416-1507) and St Pedro Calungsod (1654–1672) Martyr

So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me said to me, ‘Take up your pallet, and walk.’ ”...John 5:10-11

REFLECTION – “Christian hypocrites, like these, only interested in their formalities. It was a Sabbath? No, you cannot do miracles on the Sabbath, the grace of God cannot work on Sabbath days. They close the door to the grace of God. We have so many in the Church, we have many! It is another sin. The first, those who have the sin of sloth, are not able to go forward with their apostolic zeal, because they have decided to stand firm in themselves, in their sorrows, their resentments, in all of that. Such as these are not capable of bringing salvation because they close the door to salvation.”…Pope Francis – Santa Marta 1 April 2014

PRAYER – God, our Father almighty, You gave us Christ Your Son to be our Bread of life and the message of truth, justice and love. May we live His lessons in every fibre of our being and thus pass from death to life. May the prayers of your Holy angel, saints and martyrs, St Francis of Paola and St Pedro Calungsod, be an inspiration and a balm in our trials. Through Jesus our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. st francis of paola pray for us 2 april 2019

st pedro calungsod pray for us 2 april 2019

SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 2 April – St Pedro Calungsod (1654–1672) Martyr

Posted on April 2, 2019April 1, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 2 April – St Pedro Calungsod (1654–1672) Martyr, Sacristan, Missionary Lay Catechist – born in c 1654 in Ginatilan, Cebu, Philippines, named after Saint Peter the Apostle and died by being hacked to death with a catana on 2 April 1672 at Tomhom, Guam. His mutilated body was thrown into the sea. Patronages – Filipino youth, Catechumens, altar boys, the Philippines, Overseas Filipino Workers, Guam, Cebuanos, Visayans, Archdiocese of Cebu. st pedro snip 2.JPG

Pedro Calungsgod was young native of the Visayas Region in the Philippines. Little is known about his life. Based on accounts, Pedro was taught as a lay catechist in a Jesuit minor seminary in Loboc, Bohol. For young recruits like him, the training consisted of learning the Catechism, Spanish, and Latin. They would be later sent with the priests to the countryside to perform daily religious functions as altar boys or catechists. Some of them were even sent to mission centres overseas to accompany the Jesuits in their arduous task of proclaiming the Good News and establishing the Catholic faith in foreign lands. And that was the case of Pedro Calungsod.

He served as a teenage catechist alongside Spanish Jesuit missionaries to the violent Chamarros in the Ladrones Islands (modern Marianas) in 1668 at age 14.

When he was 17, he and his companion Fr Diego Luis de San Vitores were martyred after baptising the daughter of a Christian woman and a non-Christian village chief in the now-U.S. territory of Guam. Upon hearing of her baptism (with the mother’s consent), the chief attacked the two missionaries. Though Pedro could have escaped, he did not leave his companion.

“From his childhood, Pedro Calungsod declared himself unwaveringly for Christ and responded generously to His call. Young people today can draw encouragement and strength from the example of Pedro, whose love of Jesus inspired him to devote his teenage years to teaching the faith as a lay catechist,” Pope St. John Paul II declared during his beatification in 2000.

“In a spirit of faith, marked by strong Eucharistic and Marian devotion, Pedro undertook the demanding work asked of him and bravely faced the many obstacles and difficulties he met. In the face of imminent danger, Pedro would not forsake Fr Diego but as a ‘good soldier of Christ’ preferred to die at the missionary’s side,” he added.

He was Beatified on 5 March 2000 by St Pope John Paul II at Vatican City and Canonised on 21 October 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.

SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 2 April

Posted on April 2, 2019April 1, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St Francis of Paola O.M. (1416-1507) (Optional Memorial)
St Francis’s Life: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/02/saint-of-the-day-2-april-st-francis-of-paola-o-m-1416-1507/

St Abundius of Como
St Agnofleda of Maine
St Appian of Caesarea
St Bronach of Glen-Seichis
St Constantine of Scotland
St Ðaminh Tuoc
Bl Diego Luis de San Vitores-Alonso
St Ebbe the Younger
St Eustace of Luxeuil
St Francis Coll Guitart
St John Payne
Bl Leopold of Gaiche
St Lonochilus of Maine
St Musa of Rome
Bl Mykolai Charnetsky
St Nicetius of Lyon
St Pedro Calungsod (1654–1672) Martyr

St Rufus of Glendalough
St Theodora of Tiria
St Urban of Langres
St Victor of Capua
Bl Vilmos Apor

CHRIST the KING, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY CROSS, The LAMB of GOD, The PASSION, The RESURRECTION

Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – St Melito Bishop of Sardis (Died c 180)

Posted on April 1, 2019April 1, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – Monday of the Fourth week of Lent, Year C – Saint Melito Bishop of Sardis (Died c 180) Early Church Father

Prayer in Praise of Christ

Born as a son,
led forth as a lamb,
sacrificed as a sheep,
buried as a man,
He rose from the dead as a God,
for He was by nature God and man.

He is all things:
He judges and so He is Law,
He teaches and so He is Wisdom,
He saves and so He is Grace,
He begets and so He is Father,
He is begotten and so He is Son,
He suffers and so He is Sacrifice,
He is buried and so He is man,
He rises again and so He is God.
This is Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs glory for all ages.

“The Lord, though He was God, became man. He suffered for the sake of whose who suffer, He was bound for those in bonds, condemned for the guilty, buried for those who lie in the grave but He rose from the dead and cried aloud: “Who will contend with me? Let him confront me.” I have freed the condemned, brought the dead back to life, raised men from their graves. Who has anything to say against me? I, He said, am the Christ, I have destroyed death, triumphed over the enemy, trampled hell underfoot, bound the strong one and taken men up to the heights of heaven. I am the Christ. Come, then, all you nations of men, receive forgiveness for the sins that defile you. I am your forgiveness. I am the Passover that brings salvation. I am the lamb who was immolated for you. I am your Ransom, your Life, your Resurrection, your Light, I am your Salvation and your King. I will bring you to the heights of heaven. With my own right hand I will raise you up and I will show you the eternal Father.”

– from a letter by Saint Melito of Sardis

St Melito Bishop of Sardis (Died c 180)

Early Church Father

FATHERS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 1 April – St Melito (Died c 180)

Posted on April 1, 2019March 31, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 1 April – St Melito Early Church Father – Bishop of Sardis (Died c 180), ecclesiastical Writer, Confessor, Apologist, Defender of Christ’s dual nature. Saint Melito is believed to have been martyred around the time he wrote his apology to Marcus Aurelius circa 180. Saint Melito of Sardis

Saint Melito of Sardis was Bishop of the Church in Sardis and a prominent ecclesiastical writer in the latter half of the second century. Indications are that he was the second Bishop of Sardis and was successor to “the angel of the Church of Sardis” (the apostle of that Church) to whom was addressed one of the apocalyptic messages. Very little is known of his life and the majority of his writings exist only in fragments and quotations from Eusebius, Polycrates, Tertullian and others. A letter of Polycrates of Ephesus to Pope Victor about 194 states that “Melito the eunuch (this is interpreted “the virgin” by Rufinus in his translation of Eusebius), whose whole walk was in the Holy Spirit”, was interred at Sardis and had been one of the great authorities in the Church of Asia who held the Quartodeciman theory (this was those Churches, primarily in Asia Minor, who celebrated Easter according to the Jewish calendar for Passover).

Saint Melito gave us the earliest indications of the Canon of the Old Testament in his writings and Saint Jerome, speaking of this canon, quotes Tertullian that Melito was esteemed as a prophet by many of the faithful. Saint Melito, also wrote an apology to the emperor Marcus Aurelius, in which he defended the Christians against accusations made against them, urged the emperor to end the persecutions of the Christians and even urged Aurelius to proclaim Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire!

In the early 20th century, there was great excitement among Christian scholars when a homily by Saint Melito on Easter, “Peri Pascha”, was discovered. This homily shows how the early Christians saw Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection foreshadowed throughout The Old Testament. Indeed, in the writings attributed to Saint Melito by Eusebius, the prolific writer Melito gave a listing of the books of The Old Testament, which Saint Melito referred to as “The Old Books”, which indicates to many scholars that the Church of Melito’s time may well have had a New Testament as well. There is also a strong indication from the fragments of Melito’s writing that exist in references by Tertullian, Eusebius, Polycrates, and others, that Saint Melito made extensive use of the Gospel of Saint John and he may have been acquainted with Saint Polycarp, Saint Ignatius of Antioch and other Early Church Fathers of his day. His writings influenced the thinking of St Irenaeus of Lyons, St Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian.

In regard to the death of Melito, there is not much information preserved or recorded. Polycrates of Ephesus, in a letter addressed to Pope Victor (AD. 196) preserved in Eusebius’ history, says, “What shall I say of Melito, whose actions’ were all guided by the operations of the Holy Spirit? Who was interred at Sardis, where he waits the resurrection and the judgement?”. From this it may be inferred that he had died some time previous to the date of this letter at Sardis, which is the place of his interment and it is believed he might have been martyred.

Melito was especially skilled in the literature of the Old Testament and was one of the most prolific authors of his time. Eusebius furnished a list of Melito’s works. While many of these works are lost, the testimony of the fathers remains to inform us how highly they were viewed. Eusebius presents some fragments of Melito’s works and some others are found in the works of different writers. Melito was a Chiliast, and believed in a Millennial reign of Christ on Earth and followed Irenaeus in his views. St Jerome and Gennadius both affirm that he was a decided millennarian and as such believed that Christ would reign for 1000 years before the coming of the final judgement.

The following was written by Saint Jerome, in his book, Lives of Illustrious Men :

Melito the Bishop

Melito of Asia, bishop of Sardis, addressed a book to the emperor Marcus Antoninus Verus, a disciple of Fronto the orator, in behalf of the Christian doctrine. He wrote other things also, among which are the following: On the passover, two books, one book On the lives of the prophets, one book On the church, one book On the Lord’s day, one book On faith, one book On the psalms, one On the senses, one On the soul and body, one On baptism, one On truth, one On the generation of Christ, On His prophecy, one On hospitality and another which is called the Key, one On the devil, one On the Apocalypse of John, one On the corporeality of God and six books of Eclogues. Of his fine oratorical genius, Tertullian, in the seven books which he wrote against the church on behalf of Montanus, satirically says that he was considered a prophet by many of us.

SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 1 April

Posted on April 1, 2019March 31, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Blessed Abraham of Bulgaria
Blessed Alexander of Sicily
Saint Anastasio
Blessed Antonius of Noto
Saint Berhard of Amiens
Blessed Bernhardin of Noto
Saint Celsus of Armagh
Saint Dodolinus of Vienne
Blessed Gerard of Sassoferrato
Saint Gilbert de Moray
Blessed Giuseppe Girotti
Blessed Hugh of Bonnevaux
Saint Hugh of Grenoble
Saint Jacoba of Rome
Blessed John Bretton
Saint Leucone of Troyes
Saint Ludovico Pavoni
Blessed Marcelle
Saint Mary of Egypt
Saint Melito Bishop of Sardis (Died c 180) Early Church Father

Blessed Nicolò of Noto
Saint Prudentius of Atina
Saint Tewdrig ap Teithfallt
Saint Theodora of Rome
Saint Valery of Leucone
Saint Venantius of Spalato
Blessed Vinebault
Blessed Zofia Czeska-Maciejowska
—
Apostles of Picardy:
Saint Caidoc
Saint Fricor

Martyrs of Dalmatia and Istria – 9 saints: A group of Christians martyrs who died at various locations in Dalamtia and Istria (in modern Croatia, whose relics were later taken to Rome, Italy, and who are remembered together. We know the names Anastasio, Antiochiano, Asterius, Gaiano, Mauro, Paoliniano, Septimius, Telio and Venantius.
Died
• on the Adriatic coast of modern Croatia
• relics translated to Rome, Italy

Martyrs of Thessalonica – 6 saints: A group of Christians martyred. We know nothing about them but the names Alexander, Dionysius, Ingenianus, Panterus, Parthenius and Saturninus.
Died
Thessalonica, Greece, date unknown

Martyred Sisters of Thessalonica:
Saint Agape
Saint Chionia

Martyred in Alexandria:
Saint Stephen
Saint Victor

Martyred in Armenia:
Saint Irenaeus
Saint Quintian

Martyred in Heraclea:
Saint Castus
Saint Victor

Martyred in the Mexican Revolution
Blessed Anacleto González Flores
Blessed Jorge Vargas González
Blessed Luis Padilla Gómez
Blessed Ramón Vargas González

SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 31 March – St Guy of Pomposa (Died 1046)

Posted on March 31, 2019March 30, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 31 March – St Guy of Pomposa (Died 1046) Monk, Abbot, Hermit, Spiritual Adviser, Ascetic – Patronage – Speyer, Germany. Also known as Guido, Guion, Wido, Wit, Witen. Born at Ravenna, Italy and died in 1046 at Borgo San Donnino, Italy of natural causes. His remains were interred in the church of Saint John the Evangelist, Speyer, Germany, which was renamed Saint Guido-Stift. guy pomposa snip of getty.JPG

Guy was born near Ravenna in northern Italy to parents who took great pride in him. Primarily to give them pleasure, he was meticulous in his dress and personal appearance. Still, one day during a festival, realising the vanity of this way of being and taken with deep compunction, he stripped himself of his fine garments and gave them all away to the poor. To his parents’ further mortification, their son donned shabby garments and departed for Rome, where he received the tonsure. guy holy card

On his return, he placed himself under the direction of a hermit named Martin, who lived alone on a small island in the River Po. After three years of directing Guy, the hermit sent him to the Abbey of Pomposa to learn the ways of monastic life.

There Guy so advanced in virtue that he quickly rose to high office and was elected abbot. Such was his reputation and so many flocked to the abbey that he was obliged to build another. Even his father and his brother joined the monastery. guy of pomposa 31 mar - 2

At certain times of the year Abbot Guy would retire into solitude a few miles from his monastery and there would submit his body to severe austerities. Particularly during the forty days of Lent, the austerities were such, as to resemble tortures and yet, he was extraordinarily tender toward his monks who were devoted to him.

Guy did not escape the persecution which often comes to those seeking holiness. For unknown reasons, the Archbishop of Ravenna had developed a hatred for the holy abbot and determined to destroy his monasteries. When Guy learned of the imminent attack, he fasted for three days, joined in this mortification by the entire community of monks. When the archbishop arrived with his soldiers, he was met by Guy with such humility and respect, that he was overwhelmed and asked the abbot’s pardon. Mar+31+Guy+of+Pomposa+1

Towards the close of his life Guy again withdrew to his solitary hermitage. The Emperor Henry III, who had come to Italy to consult with the holy abbot, summoned him to Piacenza. Though he was unwilling to do so, the aged abbot obeyed, taking a tender farewell from his brothers whom he said he would see no more. Attacked by a sudden illness in Borgo San Donnino near Parma, he died three days later.

Both Parma and Pomposa claimed his relics but the emperor settled the dispute by having his body translated to the Church of St John the Evangelist at Speyer in Germany. guy of pomposa 31 mar

SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 31 March

Posted on March 31, 2019March 30, 2019 by AnaStpaul

St Abda
St Acacius Agathangelos of Melitene
St Agigulf
St Aldo of Hasnon
St Balbina of Rome
St Benjamin the Deacon
Bl Bonaventure Tornielli of Forli
Bl Christopher Robinson
St Daniel of Venice
St Guy of Pomposa (Died 1046)
Bl Guy of Vicogne
Bl Jane of Toulouse
St Machabeo of Armagh
Bl Mary Mamala
St Mella of Doire-Melle
Bl Natalia Tulasiewicz
St Renovatus of Merida
—
Martyrs of Africa – 4 saints: A group of Christians martyred together for their faith. No details have survived except for of their names – Anesius, Cornelia, Felix and Theodulus. They were martyred in Roman pro-consular Africa.

FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY

Lenten Thoughts – 30 March – The Ladder of Divine Ascent – The Steps

Posted on March 30, 2019March 30, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Lenten Thoughts – 30 March – Saturday of the Third week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of St John Climacus (c 525-606)

The Ladder of Divine Ascent is an ascetical treatise on avoiding vice and practising virtue so that at the end, salvation can be obtained. Written by Saint John Climacus initially for monastics, it has become one of the most highly influential and important works used by the Church as far as guiding the faithful to a God-centred life, second only to Holy Scripture.

Structure and Purpose:
The aim of the treatise is to be a guide for practising a life completely and wholly devoted to God. The ladder metaphor—not dissimilar to the vision that the Patriarch Jacob received—is used to describe how one may ascend into heaven by first renouncing the world and finally ending up in heaven with God. There are thirty chapter,; each covers a particular vice or virtue. They were originally called logoi, but in the present day, they are referred to as “steps.” The sayings are not so much rules and regulations, as with the Law that St Moses received at Sinai, but rather observations about what is being practised. Metaphorical language is employed frequently, to better illustrate the nature of virtue and vice. Overall, the treatise does follow a progression that transitions from start (renunciation of the world) to finish (a life lived in love). the 30 steps of the ladder of divine ascent - 30 march 2019.jpg

The steps are:
On renunciation of the world
On detachment
On exile or pilgrimage – concerning dreams that beginners have
On blessed and ever-memorable obedience (in addition to episodes involving many individuals)
On painstaking and true repentance which constitutes the life of the holy convicts; and about the Prison
On remembrance of death
On joy-making mourning
On freedom from anger and on meekness
On remembrance of wrongs
On slander or calumny
On talkativeness and silence
On lying
On despondency
On that clamorous mistress, the stomach
On incorruptible purity and chastity, to which the corruptible attain by toil and sweat
On love of money, or avarice
On non-possessiveness (that hastens one Heavenwards)
On insensibility, that is, deadening of the soul and the death of the mind before the death of the body
On sleep, prayer and psalmody with the brotherhood
On bodily vigil and how to use it to attain spiritual vigil, and how to practise it
On unmanly and puerile cowardice
On the many forms of vainglory
On mad pride and (in the same Step) on unclean blasphemous thoughts; concerning unmentionable blasphemous thoughts
On meekness, simplicity, and guilelessness which come not from nature but from conscious effort, and about guile
On the destroyer of the passions, most sublime humility, which is rooted in spiritual perception
On discernment of thoughts, passions and virtues; on expert discernment; brief summary of all aforementioned
On holy stillness of body and soul; different aspects of stillness and how to distinguish them
On holy and blessed prayer, the mother of virtues, and on the attitude of mind and body in prayer
Concerning Heaven on earth, or Godlike dispassion and perfection, and the resurrection of the soul before the general resurrection
Concerning the linking together of the supreme trinity among the virtues; a brief exhortation summarising all that has said at length in this book.

Read the book, here

“Repentance is the renewal of baptism.
Repentance is a contract with God for a second life.
A penitent is a buyer of humility.
Repentance is constant distrust of bodily comfort.
Repentance is self-condemning reflection of carefree self-care.
Repentance is the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair.
A penitent is an undisgraced convict.
Repentance is reconciliation with the Lord
by the practice of good deeds contrary to the sins.
Repentance is purification of conscience.
Repentance is the voluntary endurance of all afflictions.
A penitent is the inflicter of his own punishments.
Repentance is a mighty persecution of the stomach
and a striking of the soul into vigorous awareness.”

FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 30 March – St John Climacus – On Prayer

Posted on March 30, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 30 March – Saturday of the Third week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Luke 18:9–14 and the Memorial of St John Climacus (c 525-606)

On Prayer

“The one who requests less than he deserves from God will surely obtain more than he deserves.

This is clearly shown by the tax-collector who requested forgiveness but obtained justification.

And the thief merely requested to be remembered in His Kingdom, but he inherited Paradise.”

St John Climacus

LENT 2019, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 30 March

Posted on March 30, 2019March 30, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Lenten Reflection – 30 March – Saturday of the Third week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of St John Climacus (c 525-606)

The Readings
Hosea 6:1-6; Psalms 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21AB; Luke 18:9-14

On sobriety in prayer

St John Climacus

Do not be over-sophisticated in the words you use when praying, because the simple and unadorned lisping of children has often won the heart of their heavenly Father. Do not attempt to talk much when you pray, lest your mind be distracted in searching for words. One word of the publican propitiated God and one cry of faith saved the thief. Loquacity in prayer often distracts the mind and leads to fantasy, whereas brevity- makes for concentration. If you feel sweetness or compunction at some word of your prayer, dwell on it, for then our guardian angel is praying with us.

Ask with tears, seek with obedience, knock with patience. For thus the one who asks, receives and the one who seeks, finds and to anyone who knocks it will be opened.

Those who keep constant hold of the staff of prayer will not stumble. And even if they do, their fall will not be fatal. For prayer is a devout coercion of God. ask with tears knock with - st john climacus.jpg

Daily Meditation:
Fill our hearts with Your love.

Our lesson today reminds us again of God’s love and Jesus’ desire
that we love one another as we are loved.
On this journey, we are learning why this is a challenge for us.
We are experiencing our human weaknesses and practising ways to be freer,
to open our hearts more fully to God’s love
and to give ourselves in fidelity, every day.

You ask us to express our thanks by self-denial.
“Come, let us return to the Lord,
for he has torn, that he may heal us,
he has stricken and he will bind us up.”
Hosea 6:1

Closing Prayer:
God of infinite love,
You shower me with limitless gifts in my life.
In my every thought and action today
guide me to the bright and loving light of Your kingdom.
Help me to be aware of
the many ways You allow me
to share in Your life so intimately today.
Thank You for the gifts You have placed in my life.
Let me be grateful every moment of this day..

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen. Sat of the thirs week lent 30 march 2019.jpg

LENT 2019, MARIAN QUOTES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 March –

Posted on March 30, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 30 March – Saturday of the Third week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Luke 18:9–14

“…For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled but he who humbles himself, will be exalted.”...Luke 18:14 luke-18-14-everuone who exalts himself shall be humbled.jpg

REFLECTION – “We must only pray by placing ourselves before God just as we are. Not like the pharisee who prays with arrogance and hypocrisy. We are all taken up by the frenetic pace of daily life, often at the mercy of feelings, dazed and confused. It is necessary to learn how to rediscover the path to our heart, to recover the value of intimacy and silence, because the God who encounters us and speaks to us, is there. Only by beginning there can we, in our turn, encounter others and speak with them.”…Pope Francis – General Audience, 1 June 2016

PRAYER – We turn to You our God and Father and seek Your comfort and assurance. Jesus, our Lord, Your Son, taught us how to pray and all we need to be and do, to reach You. Be patient good Father, as we grow by Your grace. May such a master of prayer, St John Climacus, be heard together with the Mother of Christ and of Prayer, as they pray on our behalf. Through Jesus our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen. luke 2 19 but mary kept all these things mary mother of prayer pray for us 30 march 2019.jpg

st john climacus pray for us 30 march 2019.jpg

FATHERS of the Church, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 30 March – St John Climacus (c 525-606)

Posted on March 30, 2019March 30, 2020 by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 30 March – St John Climacus (c 525-606) aged 80-81 – Anchorite Monk, Mystic, Poet, Writer, Ascetic – also known as St John of the Ladder, John Scholasticus, John the Sinaita. John made, while still young, such progress in learning that he was called the Scholastic.

A native of Palestine, at sixteen, John entered a monastery in the Palestinian desert. After four years of training in a community, he took the vows and an aged abbot foretold that he would some day be one of the greatest lights of the Church. snipped out getty st john climacus.JPG

Nineteen years later, on the death of his director, he withdrew into a deeper solitude, where he studied the lives and writings of the Saints and was raised to an unusual height of contemplation. The fame of his holiness and practical wisdom drew crowds around him for advice and consolation. For his greater profit he visited the solitudes of Egypt. He lived forty years as a hermit. Like other desert fathers, he broke his near-total solitude only on Saturdays and Sundays to worship with other hermits and counsel his followers.

Early in his monastic career John decided that as a mark of submision to God he would receive all criticism as true. Once, for example, some monks reproached him for wasting time in idle conversation. So, to correct what he regarded as a serious fault, for a year John observed absolute silence. Only when his disciples insisted that they needed his spiritual teaching did the saint start speaking again. st john climacus 304px-Św_Jan_Klimak,_Jerzy_i_Błażej

He was induced by a brother abbot to write the rules by which he had guided his life and his book called the Climax, or Ladder of Perfection/The Ladder of Divine Ascent, has been prized in all ages for its wisdom, its clearness and its unction. He took his name Climacus or “ladder” from his book . The reader who climbed The Ladder ascended thirty steps to holiness. According to St John, the goal was to reach a state of apatheia or passive disinterestedness in earthly life, so as to anticipate the wonders of heaven. my snip - st john climacus

Each step communicates some practical insight into Christian living that twenty-first-century readers will still find beneficial. An icon known by the same title, Ladder of Divine Ascent, depicts a ladder extending from earth to heaven (cf. Genesis 28:12) Several monks are depicted climbing a ladder; at the top is Jesus, prepared to receive them into Heaven. Also shown are angels helping the climbers and demons attempting to shoot with arrows or drag down the climbers, no matter how high up the ladder they may be. Most versions of the icon show at least one person falling. Often, in the lower right corner St John Climacus himself is shown, gesturing towards the ladder, with rows of monastics behind him.

536px-The_Ladder_of_Divine_Ascent_Monastery_of_St_Catherine_Sinai_12th_century — 12th century icon (Saint Catherine’s Monastery, Mount Sinai, Egypt)

When John was seventy he was elected abbot of the monastery at Mount Sinai. That was an appropriate choice, for many monks saw John as a Moses who had received Christian commandments from God and recorded them in his Ladder. After four years in office, John retired to his cell and died there c 606 at around eighty years of age.

St John’s feast day is 30 March in both the East and West. The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Byzantine Catholic Churches additionally commemorate him on the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent. Many churches are dedicated to him in Russia, including a church and belltower in the Moscow Kremlin.

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