Category: St JOSEPH

Posted in CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on WISDOM, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 April –  ‘ … There is no doubt at all, that Saint Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon …’

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One Minute Reflection – 29 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – The Octave Day of the Patronage of St Joseph – Genesus 49:22-26 – Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the Son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “How faithful in humility was the great Saint we are celebrating! That cannot be said in all its perfection for, in spite of what he was, in what poverty and lowliness he lived all the days of his life, a poverty and lowliness beneath which he kept hidden and concealed his great virtues and dignity!… Truly, I have no doubt at all, that the angels came, beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank, to behold and wonder at his humility, while he sheltered that dearest Child, in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment, so as to feed the little Boy and the mother entrusted to him.

There is no doubt at all, that Saint Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon, [who were his ancestors]. Nevertheless, seeing him reduced to the exercise of carpentry, who could have discerned this, unless they were enlightened by a heavenly light, so hidden did he keep the remarkable gifts, with which God had favoured him?

And what wisdom did he not have? For God gave him, His most glorious Son to care for… the universal Prince of heaven and earth… Nevertheless, you can see how low and humbled he was brought, more than can be said or imagined… he went to his own country and town of Bethlehem and none but he, was turned away from all those inns…

Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands. He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes, he orders him to return and he returns. God wants him to be always poor… and he submits to it with love and not only for a while, for he was poor his whole life long.”- St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church – Conferences, no. 19) .

PRAYER – God, Who in Thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose thy blessed servant Joseph, to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant now that he is in Heaven with Thee, we who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be aided by the succour of his prayers, to Thee on our behalf. 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).

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 29 April – Ad Te, Beate Joseph To Thee, O Blessed Joseph By Pope Leo XIII (

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Our Morning Offering – 29 April – The Octave Day of the Patronage of St Joseph

Ad Te, Beate Joseph
To Thee, O Blessed Joseph
By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

O most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family,
defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ.
O most loving father,
ward off from us,
every contagion of error
and corrupting influence.
O our most mighty protector,
be propitious to us
and from heaven assist us
in our struggle with the power of darkness
and, as once you rescued the Child Jesus
from deadly peril,
so now protect God’s Holy Church
from the snares of the enemy
and from all adversity.
Shield, too, each one of us
by your constant protection,
so that, supported by your example
and your aid, we may be able
to live piously,
to die holy
and to obtain eternal happiness in Heaven.
Amen

Posted in HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 23 April –Caelitum, Ioseph, decus, Joseph, the Praise and Glory of the Heavens

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Our Morning Offering – 23 May – Dau 2 Within the Octave of the Patronage of St Joseph

Caelitum, Ioseph, decus
Joseph, the Praise and Glory of the Heavens
By Fr Juan Escollar (Died 1700)

Joseph, the praise and glory of the heavens,
Sure pledge of life and safety of the wide world,
as in our joy we sing to thee, in kindness
listen to our praises.

Thou by the world’s Creator wert appointed
Spouse of the Virgin, thee He willed to honour.
Naming thee father of the Word and guardian
of our salvation.

Thou, thy Redeemer, lying in a stable,
whom long ago foretold the choir of Prophets,
sawest rejoicing and thy God adorest
Humble in childhood.

God, King of Kings and Governor of the ages,
He at Whose word the powers of hell do tremble,
He Whom the adoring heavens ever worship,
called thee protector.

Praise to the Triune Godhead everlasting,
Who with such honour mightily hath blest thee.
O may He grant us at thy blest petition
Joys everlasting.
Amen

Translation by Alan G McDougall (1895-1964).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH, The HOLY GHOST

Quote/s of the Day – 22 April – St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 April – The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph Confessoris

“So, taking Christ’s genealogy from Joseph –
a husband in chastity,
he was father in the same way. …
Are you saying that he did not conceive Jesus
through the operation of nature?
Well then, what the Holy Spirit operated,
He did for them both.
For Joseph was “a just man,” Matthew tells us (1:19).
Both husband and wife were just.
The Holy Spirit dwelt within their mutual justice
and gave each of them, a Son!”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“How faithful in humility was the great Saint
we are celebrating!
That cannot be said in all its perfection,
for, in spite of what he was,
in what poverty and lowliness he lived,
all the days of his life – a poverty and lowliness
beneath which. he kept hidden and concealed,
his great virtues and dignity! …
Truly, I am free of doubt that the Angels came,
beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank,
to behold and wonder at his humility,
while he sheltered that dearest Child
in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment,
so as to feed the little Boy and the Mother entrusted to him.”

“Behold, the Angel of the Lord
appeared to him in his sleep …”
Matthew 1:20

“And what wisdom did he not have? 
For God gave him his most glorious Son to care for …
the universal Prince of Heaven and earth …
Nevertheless, you can see how low
and humbled he was brought,
more than can be said or imagined …
he went to his own Country and Town of Bethlehem
and none but he was turned away from all those inns …
Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands.
He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes;
he orders him to return and he returns.
God wants him to be always poor …
and he submits to it with love and, not only for a while,
for he was poor his whole life long!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

“St Joseph is the Universal Patron of the Church.
We, who are loved children of the Church
should invoke his special intercession,
therefore, for the triumph and expansion
of the Kingdom of God upon earth.
… If we are loyal sons of the Church,
we should pray that She may triumph.
We should ask for the special intercession
of St Joseph, Her Heavenly Patron.”

“We shall come to the end of our lives too,
perhaps sooner than we imagine.
Let us ask the Holy Patriarch
for the favour of a happy death.
Let us ask him to ensure that Jesus and Mary
will help us too, when we are leaving this world.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in franciscan OFM, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, MARIAN QUOTES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 April – ‘Is he not a man chosen and set apart?’

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One Minute Reflection – 22 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph Confessoris – Genesis 49:22-26;  Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “There is a general rule, concerning all special graces granted to any human being. Whenever the Divine favour chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen, with all the gifts of the Spirit, needed to fulfil the task at hand.

This general rule is especially verified in the case of Saint Joseph, the Foster-Father of our Lord and the husband of the Queen of our world, enthroned above the Angels. He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy Guardian and Protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his Divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.

What then is Joseph’s position in the whole Church of Christ? Is he not a man chosen and set apart? Through him and, yes, under him, Christ was fittingly and honourably introduced into the world. Holy Church, in its entirety, is indebted to the Virgin Mother because through her, it was judged worthy to receive Christ. But after her, we undoubtedly owe special gratitude and reverence to Saint Joseph.

In him the Old Testament finds its fitting close. He brought the noble line of Patriarchs and Prophets to its promised fulfilment. What the Divine Goodness had offered as a promise to them, he held in his arms. Obviously, Christ does not now deny to Joseph that intimacy, reverence and very high honour which He gave him on earth, as a son to his father. Rather, we must say that in Heaven, Christ completes and perfects, all that He gave at Nazareth.

Now, we can see ,how the last summoning words of the Lord appropriately apply to Saint Joseph – Enter into the joy of your Lord. In fact, although the joy of eternal happiness enters into the soul of a man, the Lord preferred to say to Joseph – Enter into joy. His intention was, that the words should have a hidden spiritual meaning for us. They convey, not only that this holy man possesses an inward joy but also, that it surrounds him and engulfs him, like an infinite abyss.

Remember us, Saint Joseph and plead for us to your Foster-Child. Ask your most holy bride, the Virgin Mary, to look kindly upon us, since she is the Mother of Him, Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, lives and reigns eternally. Amen.” – St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444) (An excerpt on his Sermon 2 of St Joseph).

PRAYER – God, Who in thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph, to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant that now that he is in Heaven with Thee, we who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be helped by the succour of his prayers to Thee on our behalf. Through the same 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).

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 22 April – Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail! By Fr Faber

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Our Morning Offering – 22 April – The Solemnity of St Joseph, Spouse of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Patron of the Universal Church.

Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail!
By Father Frederick William Faber CO (1814-1863)

Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Chaste spouse of Mary hail!
Pure as the lily flow’r
In Eden’s peaceful vale.
Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Prince of the house of God!
May His best graces be
By thy sweet hands bestowed.

Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Comrade of Angels, hail!
Cheer thou the hearts that faint,
And guide the steps that fail.
Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
God’s choice wert thou alone!
To thee the Word made flesh,
Was subject as a Son.

Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Teach us our flesh to tame
And, Mary, keep the hearts
That love thy husband’s name.
Mother of Jesus! bless,
And bless, ye Saints on high,
All meek and simple souls
That to Saint Joseph cry.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, St JOSEPH

The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph, Notre-Dames de Betharam / Our Lady of Betharam, France (1503), St Pope Soter, St Pope Vaius – Martyrs and the Saints for 22 April

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The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph
Wednesday preceding the Third Sunday after Easter:
Few Catholics are likely familiar with the Eastertide Solemnity of St Joseph.
According to Father Francis Xavier Lasance (1860-1946) it was instituted during the hostile occupation of Rome by the Troops of the Italian King, Victor Emmanuel II. The Pope proclaimed St Joseph the Patron of the oppressed Household of the Faith, entrusting to St Joseph, the defence of Holy Mother Church.In the beginning, this Feast Day was observed on the Third Sunday after Easter but when Pope St Pius X reformed the Liturgical Calendar to restore the Sunday Offices to prominence over those of the Saints, the second Feast of St Joseph was moved to the Wednesday preceding the Third Sunday after Easter.
In 1911, the Feast was raised to a Double of the First Class and it was assigned an Octave after it was moved to the Wednesday before the Third Sunday after Easter.
It is a Common Octave, so the Octave may or may not be commemorated on the intra Octave days depending on the rank of the Feasts which occur during the Octave.
While this Feast day is not in the 1962 Missal, it is still kept by Priests who celebrate Holy Mass according to the pre-1955 reforms.

Notre-Dames de Betharam / Our Lady of Betharam, France (1503) – 22 April:
Saint Bernadette Soubirous frequently visited the Shrine of Betharram. In fact, the rosary beads that Bernadette used when praying with the Blessed Virgin during the first apparition at Lourdes had come from the Betharram Shrine and the priest to whom she was sent after the apparitions, was Saint Michel Garicoïts (1797-1863) the Priest of Betharram. He it was who alone believed Bernadette’s accounts of the apparitions at Lourdes. He was Canonised in 1947. About St Michel Garicoits here: https://anastpaul.com/2019/05/14/saint-of-the-day-14-may-saint-michel-garicoits-1797-1863/
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/22/notre-dames-de-betharam-our-lady-of-betharam-france-1503/

St Pope Caius I (Died 296) Martyr, Bishop of Rome from 17 December 283 to his death in 296. Christian tradition makes him a native of the Dalmatian city of Salona, today Solin near Split, the son of a man also named Caius and a member of a noble family related to the Emperor Diocletian.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/04/22/saint-of-the-day-22-april-saint-pope-caius-i-died-613/

St Pope Soter (Died c174) Martyr, Bishop of Rome from c167 to his death c 174. The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Rome, on the Appian Way, the birthday of St Soter, Pope and Martyr.”
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/22/saint-of-the-day-st-pope-soter-died-c-174/

St Abel McAedh
St Aceptismas of Hnaita

Saint Altfried (Died 849) the Third Bishop of Münster from (839–849) and Abbot of Essen-Werden and Helmstedt. Born in the 9th Century, n Friesland (in modern Netherlands) and died on 22 April 849 of natural causes. Altfried was a nephew of St Ludger (c 742-809) and his second successor in the See of Münster, as well as a successor as Abbot of the Abbey of Essen-Werden (founded by St Ludger). The second successor was also a close relative, St Gerfried of Münster. Altfried also wrote a comprehensive Vita of St Ludger.
St Altfried’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/22/saint-of-the-day-22april-saint-altfried-of-munster-died-849/

St Apelles of Smyrna
St Arwald
St Epipodius of Lyon
St Euflamia

Blessed Francis OFM (1251-1322) Priest of Fabriano of the Order of the Friars Minor, Theologian, Spiritual Writer, renowned Preacher. He was Beatified on 1 April 1755 after Pope Pius VI.
His Fervent Life of Love:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/22/saint-of-the-day-22-april-blessed-francis-of-fabriano-ofm-1251-1322-priest/

St Helimenas
St Joseph of Persia
St Leo (Died c547) Bishop and Confessor of Sens

St Leonides Adamantius (Died 202) Martyr of Alexandria – Layman – Father of Origen (Adamantius) Philosopher, Rhetorician, a great scholar. Died by beheading in 202 at Alexandria, Egypt.
His Life and Death
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/22/saint-of-the-day-22-april-saint-leonides-adamantius-of-alexandria-died-202-martyr/

St Lucius of Laodicea
Blessed Maria Gabriella Sagheddu
St Opportuna of Montreuil
St Senorina

St Theodore of Sykeon (Died 613)
About St Theordore:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/04/22/saint-of-the-day-22-april-st-theodore-of-sykeon/

St Virginio

Blessed Wolfhelm (c1020-1091) Abbot of Brauweiler Abbey, near Cologne, Theologian, Writer, Defender of the Doctrine of the Church and of the property of the Church, Miracle-worker.
His Zealous Faith:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/22/saint-of-the-day-22-april-blessed-wolfhelm-of-brauweiler-c1020-1091-abbot-o/

Martyrs of Persia: Bishops, Priests, Deacons and Laity who were Martyred in Persia and celebrated together. Several of them have their stories related in the Acta of Saints Abdon and Sennen.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on WISDOM, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH

Quote/s of the Day – 19 March – Glorious St Joseph!

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 March – The Month and Feast of St Joseph

“So, taking Christ’s genealogy from Joseph –
a husband in chastity,
he was father in the same way. …
Are you saying that he did not conceive Jesus
through the operation of nature?
Well then, what the Holy Ghost operated,
He did for them both.
For Joseph was “a just man,” Matthew tells us (1:19).
Both husband and wife were just.
The Holy Spirit dwelt within their mutual justice
and gave each of them, a Son!”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“How faithful in humility was the great Saint
we are celebrating!
That cannot be said in all its perfection,
for, in spite of what he was,
in what poverty and lowliness he lived,
all the days of his life – a poverty and lowliness
beneath which. he kept hidden and concealed,
his great virtues and dignity! …
Truly, I am free of doubt that the Angels came,
beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank,
to behold and wonder at his humility,
while he sheltered that dearest Child
in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment,
so as to feed the little Boy and the Mother entrusted to him.”

“Behold, the Angel of the Lord
appeared to him in his sleep …”
Matthew 1:20

“And what wisdom did he not have? 
For God gave him his most glorious Son to care for …
the universal Prince of Heaven and earth …
Nevertheless, you can see how low
and humbled he was brought,
more than can be said or imagined …
he went to his own Country and Town of Bethlehem
and none but he was turned away from all those inns …
Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands.
He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes;
he orders him to return and he returns.
God wants him to be always poor …
and he submits to it with love and, not only for a while,
for he was poor his whole life long!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

Glorious St Joseph!
Prayer for the Intercession
of St Joseph in All Our Needs
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

Glorious St Joseph, Spouse of Mary,
grant us thy paternal protection,
we beseech thee, by the Heart of Jesus Christ.
O thou, whose power extends
to all our necessities
and can render possible for us,
the most impossible things.
Open thy fatherly eyes
to the needs of thy children.
In the trouble and distress
which afflicts us,
we confidently have recourse to thee.
Deign to take under thy charitable charge
this important and difficult matter,
cause of our worries.
Make its happy outcome
be for God’s glory
and for the good of His devoted servants.
Amen

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 19 March –Caelitum, Ioseph, decus, Joseph, the Praise and Glory of the Heavens

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Our Morning Offering – 19 March – “The Month and Feast of St Joseph”

Caelitum, Ioseph, decus
Joseph, the Praise and Glory of the Heavens
By Fr Juan Escollar (Died 1700)

Joseph, the praise and glory of the heavens,
Sure pledge of life and safety of the wide world,
as in our joy we sing to thee, in kindness
listen to our praises.

Thou by the world’s Creator wert appointed
Spouse of the Virgin, thee He willed to honour.
Naming thee father of the Word and guardian
of our salvation.

Thou, thy Redeemer, lying in a stable,
whom long ago foretold the choir of Prophets,
sawest rejoicing and thy God adorest
Humble in childhood.

God, King of Kings and Governor of the ages,
He at Whose word the powers of hell do tremble,
He Whom the adoring heavens ever worship,
called thee protector.

Praise to the Triune Godhead everlasting,
Who with such honour mightily hath blest thee.
O may He grant us at thy blest petition
Joys everlasting.
Amen

Translation by Alan G McDougall (1895-1964).

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, SAINT of the DAY, St JOSEPH

St Joseph! and the Saints for 19 March

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St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 19 March
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/19/solemnity-of-st-joseph-spouse-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-and-memorials-of-the-saints-1-9-march/
St Joseph!
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/03/19/saint-of-the-day-19-march-the-solemnity-of-st-joseph-spouse-of-the-most-blessed-virgin-mary-mother-of-god-and-patron-of-the-universal-church/
AND – Do Not Forget St Joseph, the Patron of a Holy Death! – The Story of a Miracle in South Africa:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/19/second-thought-for-the-day-19-march-do-not-forget-st-joseph/

VIENNA, AUSTRIA – DECEMBER 17, 2014: The St. Joseph paint on the side altar of Salesianerkirche by unknown artist of 19. cent.

St Adrian of Maastricht
St Alkmund of Northumbria
St Amantius of Wintershoven

Blessed Andrea Gallerani (Died 1251) Layman, Penitent, Founder of a Lay Apostolate known as “The Friars of Mercy” (Frati della Misericordia). Andrea was Beatified on 13 May 1798 by Pope Pius VI (cultus confirmation).
His Holy Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/19/saint-of-the-day-19-march-blessed-andrea-gallerani-died-1251/

St Apollonius of Braga
St Auxilius of Ireland

Blessed Clement (1200-1258) Bishop of Dunblane in Scotland, , Priest and Friar of the Order of Preachers, a great and humble carer of the poor and needy, a zealous Administrator but just as much, a shepherd of souls, Reformer, Writer, a highly renowned Preacher and Linguist, a very learned man indeed. Clement was the first member of the Dominican Order in Britain and Ireland to become a Bishop. Born in Scotland in 1200 and died in 1258 in Dunblane, Scotland of natural causes.
An Inspiring Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/03/19/saint-of-the-day-19-march-blessed-clement-of-dunblane-op-1200-1258-bishop/

St Colocer of Saint-Brieuc
St Corbasius of Quimperlé
St Cuthbert of Brittany
St Gemus

Blessed Isnard de Chiampo OP (Died 1244) Priest of the Order of Preachers, known as the “Apostle of Pavia,” Confessor, Miracle-worker,
The Apostle of Pavia:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/19/saint-of-the-day-19-march-blessed-isnard-de-chiampo-op-died-1244-priest-the-apostle-of-pavia/

Blessed John of Parma OFM (c1209-1289) Priest, 7th Minister General of the Friars Minor from (1247–1257) and a noted Theologian. He was known for his attempts to bring back the earlier spirit of the Order after the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. Patronage – of his birthplace, Parma, Italy. His cult was confirmed in 1777 by his Beatification by Pope Pius VI.
Blessed John’s Zealous Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/03/19/saint-of-the-day-19-march-blessed-john-of-parma-ofm-c1209-1289-priest/

St John (6th Century) Founder Abbot in Civita-di-Penna, Umbria, Italy, Miracle-worker.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Civita-di-Penna, the birthday of the blessed St John, a man of great holiness, who came from Syria into Italy, where he constructed a Monastery and, after having been the spiritual guide of many servants of God for forty-four years, rested in peace, renowned for great virtue.”
A Man of Great Holiness:
https://anastpaul.com/2025/03/19/saint-of-the-day-19-march-saint-john-6th-century-abbot/

St Lactali of Freshford
St Landoaldus (Died 668) Priest, Missionary and Bishop (?)
St Leontinus of Braga
St Leontinus of Saintes
Bl Mark of Montegallo
St Pancharius of Nicomedia

Blessed Sibyllina Biscossi OP (1287-1367) Blind Dominican Virgin and Recluse, Penitent, Miracle-worker. She was Beatified on 17 August 1854 by Pope Pius IX. Her body is incorrupt.
Her Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/19/saint-of-the-day-19-march-blessed-sibyllina-biscossi-op-1287-1367/

Martyrs of Sorrento: A group of Three sisters and a brother who were Martyred together. We have little more than their names – Mark, Quartilla, Quintilla and Quintius. They were Martyred in Sorrento, Italy, date unknown.

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 11 March – Ad Te, Beate Joseph To Thee, O Blessed Joseph By Pope Leo XIII

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Our Morning Offering – 11 March – “The Month of St Joseph” and Wednesday, the Day of Saint Joseph – Saint Joseph is known as the Prince and Chief Patron of the Church. As the earthly Foster-Father of Jesus, he had a special role in protecting, providing for and instructing Jesus during His earthly life. Now that Christ is ascended into Heaven, St Joseph continues his fatherly Guardianship of Christ’s Body, the Church. He is a very powerful assistant to all of us.

Ad Te, Beate Joseph
To Thee, O Blessed Joseph
By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

O most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family,
defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ.
O most loving father,
ward off from us,
every contagion of error
and corrupting influence.
O our most mighty protector,
be propitious to us
and from heaven assist us
in our struggle with the power of darkness
and, as once you rescued the Child Jesus
from deadly peril,
so now protect God’s Holy Church
from the snares of the enemy
and from all adversity.
Shield, too, each one of us
by your constant protection,
so that, supported by your example
and your aid, we may be able
to live piously,
to die holy
and to obtain eternal happiness in Heaven.
Amen

Posted in ON the SAINTS, St JOSEPH

Quote/s of the Day – 2 March – “The Month of St Joseph”

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 March – “The Month of St Joseph”

“St Joseph, as the greatest of all the Saints
next to Our Lady, had all the privileges of other Saints.
Hence, we may piously believe that, like St John,
he was cleansed from sin in his mother’s womb.
He was to be Mary’s spouse,
he was to occupy the first and foremost place
in the family of Jesus,
he was, hereafter, to be the Patron of the whole Church!
It was, therefore, fitting that he should be endowed
with this initial privilege of being, from his birth,
a child of God, an heir of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Thank God for this privilege bestowed on him!”

Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
From “The Devout Year”

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, papal ENCYCLICALS, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, St JOSEPH

1 March – The Month of the St Joseph

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Devotion for March
St Joseph

The beloved Foster-Father and Guardian of Jesus and Protector of the Holy Family, is celebrated for this whole month and his Feast Day falls on 19 March .

“Quamquam Pluries”
On the Devotion to St Joseph
Pope Leo XIII

“On 10 March, we begin the Novena to St Joseph, entrusting so many of our woes and cares to his holy and fatherly care and intercession.
His Patronages are numerous, as we know, one of them will fit our needs perfectly and if not, then we should all ask him to intercede on our behalf for our families and for a Happy and Holy Death.”

Indulgenced Prayer
to St Joseph
O St Joseph! Pray for Us Daily
O Joseph!
virgin father of Jesus,
pure Spouse of the Virgin Mother,
pray for us daily
to the Son of God,
that, armed with the weapons
of His grace,
we may fight as we ought in life
and be crowned by Him in death.
Amen
(Indulgence of 100 days, twice a day
St Pius X 26 November 1906)

Patronages in Alphabetical Order:

  • of Accountants • Bursars • Cabinetmakers • Carpenters • Catholic Church • Cemetery Workers • Children • Civil Engineers • against Communism • Confectioners • Craftsmen • against Doubt and Hesitation • the Dying • Emigrants • Exiles • Expectant Mothers • Families • Fathers • Furniture Makers • Grave diggers • Happy Death • Holy Death • House Hunters • House Sellers • Immigrants • Joiners • Labourers • all the Legal Profession • Married Couples • Oblates of Saint Joseph • Orphans • Pioneers • Social Justice • Teachers • Travellers • the Unborn • Wheelwrights • Workers • Americas • Austria • Belgium • Bohemia • Canada • China • Croatian people • Korea • Mexico • New France • New World • Peru • Philippines • Vatican City • VietNam • Canadian Armed Forces • Papal States • 46 Diocese • 26 Cities,States and Regions.
Posted in LENT 2026, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, St Alphonsus de Liguori,, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 17 February – My Beloved Redeemer, Prayer for the Flight into Egypt By St Alphonsus

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Our Morning Offering – 17 February – Feast of the Flight into Egypt

My Beloved Redeemer
Prayer for the Flight into Egypt (Excerpt)
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church

My beloved Redeemer,
I have many times driven Thee out of my soul
but now I hope, that Thou
have again taken possession of it.
I beseech Thee,
do Thou bind it to Thyself
with the sweet chains of Thy love.
Oh, do Thou make Thyself loved,
make Thyself loved by all the sinners
who persecute Thee,
give them light,
make them know the love
Thou hast borne them
and the love Thou deserves,
since Thou goes wandering over the earth
as a poor Infant,
weeping and trembling with cold
and seeking souls to love Thee!
O Mary, most holy Virgin,
O dearest Mother
and companion of the sufferings of Jesus,
do thou help me always
to carry and preserve thy Son
in my heart,
in life and in death!
Amen.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on WISDOM, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 December – ‘… God gave him His most glorious Son to care for …’

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One Minute Reflection – 24 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ – Romans 1:1-6 Matthew 1:18-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep …” – Matthew 1:20

REFLECTION – “How faithful in humility was the great Saint we are celebrating! That cannot be said in all its perfection for, in spite of what he was, in what poverty and lowliness he lived, all the days of his life – a poverty and lowliness beneath which. he kept hidden and concealed, his great virtues and dignity! … Truly, I am free of doubt that the Angels came, beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank, to behold and wonder at his humility, while he sheltered that dearest Child in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment, so as to feed the little Boy and the mother entrusted to him.

There is no doubt at all that St Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon [who were his ancestors]. Nevertheless, seeing him reduced to the exercise of carpentry, who could have discerned this, unless they were enlightened by a heavenly Light, so hidden did he keep the remarkable gifts with which God had favoured him? And what wisdom did he not have? For God gave him His most glorious Son to care for … the universal Prince of Heaven and earth … Nevertheless, you can see how low and humbled he was brought, more than can be said or imagined … he went to his own Country and Town of Bethlehem and none but he was turned away from all those inns … Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands. He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes; he orders him to return and he returns. God wants him to be always poor … and he submits to it with love and, not only for a while, for he was poor his whole life long!” – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church (Conferences No 20)

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who gladden us, year after year, with the expectation of our redemption, grant that we, who now welcome with joy Thy Only-begotten Son as our Redeemer, may also gaze upon Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the same 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).

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, St JOSEPH, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 8 November – The Octave Day of All Saints

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 November – “The Month of The Holy Souls in Purgatory” – The Octave Day of All Saints – Apocalypse 7:2-12; Matthew 5:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.”

Matthew 5:8

“The Almighty has concentrated in St Joseph,
as in a sun of unrivalled lustre,
the combined light and splendour
of all the other Saints.”

St Gregory Nanzianzen (330-390)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“Death to the Saints is not a punishment but a reward.
“For so He giveth His beloved sleep.” (Ps cxxvii: 3).
The death of him, who loves God,
is not called death but sleep, so he can truly say:
“I will lay me down in peace
and take my rest.” (Ps iv: 9).

Cardinal St Fisher, as Saunders relates,
when about to die for the Faith,
put on the best clothes he had, saying, he was going to a wedding.
When he came in sight of the scaffold
he cast away his staff, saying:
“Make haste my feet, make haste, for we are not far from Paradise.”
And before dying he sang Te Deum,
in returning thanks to God, Who had allowed him
to die a Martyr’s death, for the holy Faith
and thus being filled with joy,
he placed his head under the axe.”

St John Fisher (1469-1535)
Bishop, Martyr, Cardinal

“Those in the Catholic Church,
whom some rebuke for praying to Saints
and going on pilgrimages,
do not seek any Saint as their saviour.
Instead, they seek Saints,
as those whom their Saviour loves
and whose intercession and prayer,
for the seeker, He will be content to hear.
For His Own sake,
He would have those He loves, honoured.
And when they are thus honoured for His sake,
then, the honour that is given them, for His sake,
overflows especially to Himself.”

St Thomas More (1478-1535)
Martyr, Confessor

“Let us read the lives of the Saints;
let us consider the penances
which they performed
and blush to be so effeminate
and so fearful of mortifying our flesh.”

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

O Paradise! O Paradise!
By Fr Frederick William Faber CO (1814-1863)
Written in 1854

O Paradise! O Paradise!
Who doth not crave for rest?
Who would not seek the happy land,
Where they that loved are blest.

Where loyal hearts and true,
Stand ever in the Light,
All rapture through and through,
In God’s most holy sight?

O Paradise! O Paradise!
The world is growing old;
Who would not be at rest and free
Where love is never cold?
Where loyal hearts, &c.

O Paradise! O Paradise!
Wherefore doth death delay;
Bright death which is the welcome dawn
Of our eternal day;
Where loyal hearts, &c

O Paradise! O Paradise;
‘Tis weary waiting here;
I long to be, where Jesus is,
To feel, to see Him near.
Where loyal hearts, &c.

O Paradise! O Paradise!
I want to sin no more!
I want to be as pure on earth
As on thy spotless shore.
Where loyal hearts, &c.

O Paradise! O Paradise!
I greatly long to see
The special place my dearest Lord
Is furnishing for me.
Where loyal hearts, &c.

O Paradise! O Paradise!
I feel ’twill not be long;
Patience! I almost think I hear
Faint fragments of thy song.
Where loyal hearts, &c.

Tune: “Paradise” Joseph Barnby, 1856.

Posted in 7 GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Strength, Knowledge, Piety, Fear, BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on HERESY, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, ROSARY QUOTES, St JOSEPH

Quote/s of the Day – 7 November – Dominicans!

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 November – The Feast of All Saints of the Order of Preachers

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 Ghost,
move within us
and give us eyes to see with,
ears to hear with,
and hands, with which Thy 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

“Whoever devoutly serves the Blessed Virgin
through the recitation of the Rosary,
will infallibly, receive blessings
according to their spiritual
and temporal needs.”

“None who persevered in devotion
to the Holy Rosary, will be condemned.”

St Dominic OP (1170-1221)

“Saint Joseph was the just man:
by his constant fidelity -an effect of justice;
by his perfect discretion – a sister to prudence;
by his upright conduct – a mark of strength
and by his inviolable chastity – a flower of temperance.”

“The greater and more persistent
your confidence in God,
the more abundantly
you will receive,
all you ask for.”

St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280)
Universal Doctor of the Church

“The Blessed Virgin was chosen
to be the Mother of God
and, therefore, it is not to be doubted,
but that God fitted her for it
by His graces.”

St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274)
Doctor Angelicus / Doctor Communis

“In the case, in which,
the Pope would become a heretic,
he would find himself,
by that fact, alone
and, without any other sentence,
separated from the Church.
A head separated from a body
cannot, as long as it remains separated,
be head of the same body
from which it was cut off.
A Pope, who would be
separated from the Church by heresy,
therefore, would,
by that very fact itself,
cease to be head of the Church.
He could not be a heretic
and remain Pope
because, since he is outside of the Church,
he cannot possess the keys of the Church.”

St Antoninus OP (1389-1459)

“If you persevere in reciting the Rosary,
this will be a most probable sign
of your eternal salvation.”

Blessed Alain de la Roche OP (1428-1475)

MORE DOMINICAN QUOTES:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/11/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-november-the-feast-of-all-saints-of-the-order-of-preacher/

Posted in CATHOLIC TIME, Of FATHERS, GRANDfathers, GRANDparents, Of PARENTS & FAMILIES of LARGE Families, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, QUOTES on the FAMILY, QUOTES/PRAYERS on THE FAMILY, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 5 November – A Parent’s Prayer to St Joseph

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Our Morning Offering – 5 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – On Wednesdays many Catholics make a special devotion to St Joseph by going to Mass on the 1st Wednesdays of 9 consecutive months and offering their Communions in his honour and for the salvation of the dying.

A Parent’s Prayer to St Joseph

O holy Joseph,
thou faithful Spouse
of the Blessed Mother,
thou who didst protect her
and her Divine Child with such care
and didst devote thy whole life to them;
I beseech thee to be also my
and my children’s protector
and advocate, with Jesus,
thy adopted Son.
Obtain for me the grace
to fulfil my duties to my children,
as thou and Mary have done to Jesus.

St Joseph Pray for all our Fathers
and for our spiritual Fathers
of Holy Mother Church
Amen.

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 22 October – Fr Faber’s Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail!

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Our Morning Offering – 22 October – Wednesday is devoted to Saint Joseph who is known as the prince and most efficacious Patron of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. As the earthly Father of Jesus, he had a special role in protecting, providing for and instructing Jesus during His earthly life. Now that Christ is ascended into Heaven, St Joseph continues his fatherly guardianship of Christ’s Body, the Church. He is a very powerful friend and aid to all of us.

Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail!
By Father Frederick W Faber CO (1814-1863)

Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Chaste spouse of Mary hail!
Pure as the lily flow’r
In Eden’s peaceful vale.
Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Prince of the House of God!
May His best graces be
By thy sweet hands bestowed.

Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Comrade of Angels, hail!
Cheer thou the hearts that faint,
And guide the steps that fail.
Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
God’s choice wert thou alone!
To thee the Word made flesh,
Was subject as a Son.
Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Teach us our flesh to tame
And, Mary, keep the hearts
That love thy husband’s name.
Mother of Jesus! bless,
And bless, ye Saints on high,
All meek and simple souls
That to Saint Joseph cry.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, ROSARY QUOTES, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, St JOSEPH

Thought for the Day – 7 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” The Fifth Joyful Mystery The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

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Thought for the Day – 7 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fifth Joyful Mystery
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

“Mary and Joseph came, according to custom, to celebrate the feast of the Pasch in Jerusalem.
They took with them, Jesus, Who was now twelve years of age.
When the feast was over, the pilgrims came together to return to Nazareth.
As usual, they gathered in the temple to say a final prayer and then divided into two companies, one consisting of men, the other of women.
The children were assigned to either caravan.

At any rate, when the two groups came together for the night after a day’s journey, Mary and Joseph looked in vain for Jesus.
He could not be found in either caravan!
We can imagine how they suffered.
However, they returned without delay to Jerusalem to look for their Child.
They searched for three days.
At last, when they went into the Temple to pour out their troubles to God, they found Jesus, sitting among the doctors, who were amazed at the wisdom of His answers and of His questions.
There was joy and sorrow in Mary’s countenance as she regarded Him.
“Son,” she said gently. “why hast thou done so to us? Behold, in sorrow, thy father and I have been seeking thee.”
Jesus’ reply was also mild and at the same time, mysterious.
“How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”

Then He returned with them to Nazareth, where He remained “subject to them.”
But His mother, we are told, “kept all these things carefully in her heart” (Cf Lk 2:41-51).

This Mystery of the Rosary is, at the same time, joyful and sorrowful.
We can learn a good deal by meditating on it.
We can admire the divine wisdom of Jesus, Who, even from childhood, desired to reveal a little of the truth and also His obedience to Mary and Joseph, until He reached thirty years of age.
We can admire, too, His hidden life in the workshop in Nazareth, interrupted only by this brief demonstration of His divinity and the anxiety of Mary and Joseph to find Jesus when they had lost Him, as well as their delight when He was restored to them.

If we should ever have the great misfortune of losing Jesus, let us have recourse at once, to Mary and Joseph, who lost Him without any fault on their part, searched anxiously for Him and did not rest, until they had found Him. Amen”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, MARIAN PRAYERS, ON the SAINTS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on MORTIFICATION, QUOTES on SACRILEGE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, St Alphonsus de Liguori,, St JOSEPH

Quote/s of the Day – 2 August – St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 August – St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“He loves you as though He had
no-one else to love but you alone.
You, too, should love Him alone
and all others for His Sake.
Of Him you may say and, indeed, you should say:
My Beloved to me and I to Him (Cant, 2:16).
My God has given Himself all to me
and I give myself all to Him;
He has chosen me for His beloved
and I choose Him, above all others,
for my only Love.”

“Sacrilegious tongues blaspheme the God
Who preserves their existence!
… you should be damned forever
and, instead of thanking Him for His goodness,
you, at the very time
that He bestows His favours upon you,
YOU blaspheme His Holy Name!”

“Let us read the lives of the Saints;
let us consider the penances
which they performed
and blush to be so effeminate
and so fearful of mortifying our flesh.”

“Since we all must die,
we should cherish a special devotion to St Joseph
that he may obtain for us a happy death.”

Jesus, My Saviour, Help Me!
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

Jesus, my Saviour, help me!
I am resolved truly to love Thee
and to leave all, to please Thee.
Help me to free myself
from everything which hinders me
from belonging wholly to Thee,
Who has loved me so much.
By thy prayers, O Mother Mary,
which are so powerful with God,
obtain for me this grace,
to belong wholly to God.
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/08/02/quote-s-of-the-day-2-august-st-alphonsus-maria-de-liguori-2/

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Posted in CHARITY - Fr Richard Clarke SJ, QUOTES on PATIENCE, St JOSEPH, The INCARNATION

Thought for the Day – 2 July – The Visitation

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Thought for the Day – 2 July – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

The Visitation

+1. The visit of Mary to her cousin St Elizabeth took place a short time after the Annunciation . It had been suggested to her by the Angel’s message, telling her that Elizabeth was to bear a son.
St Joseph knew nothing of this, yet, he raised no objection to the journey. He had already conceived such a reverence for his spotless spouse that it was enough for him that she entertained a wish. He knew that she never acted on impulse, or without a due cause and so, when Mary asked his leave to visit her cousin, he at once consented.
So we too, should consult, as far as possible, the wishes of others, especially our spouses, seeking to conform our will to others in the spirit of charity.

+2. St Joseph would not allow his young wife to journey alone. He went with her as her escort. What a happiness to him to wait upon her! How tenderly he watches over her
How thoughtfully he sees to all her wants!
Men often idealise those they love but there was no need to idealise Mary. She was an ideal in herself. And when he approached her, Joseph somehow felt that he was drawing near to God and that God dwelt in her ,in some other way than by His graces and gifts.

+3. Arriving at their journey’s end, St Joseph, in his humility, saw to their material needs and did not hear the words of Elizabeth saluting Mary as the Mother of God and announcing the joy of her unborn babe at His Presence.
St Joseph was ignorant and remained in ignorance of the Mystery of the Incarnation. He had to wait – this was to be the law of his life as it is, of the lives of all who are very dear to God.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, Holy Family PRAYERS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on the FAMILY, QUOTES/PRAYERS on THE FAMILY, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY

Quote/s of the Day – 14 May – St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 May – The Octave Day of the Patronage of St Joseph

“Saint Joseph was the just man:
by his constant fidelity -an effect of justice;
by his perfect discretion – a sister to prudence;
by his upright conduct – a mark of strength
and by his inviolable chastity – a flower of temperance.”

St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

“To all fathers of families,
Joseph is verily the best model
of paternal vigilance and care.
In the most holy Virgin Mother of God,
mothers may find an excellent example of love,
modesty, resignation of spirit
and the perfecting of faith.
And in Jesus, Who was subject to His parents,
the children of the family, have a Divine Pattern
of obedience which they can admire,
reverence and imitate.”

Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

Apostolic Letter,
“Breve Neminem Fugit” 1892

“As the Church of Christ is prefigured
in the rites and ceremonies of the Old Law,
so too, the chief personages who centre
around Our Lord in the Redemption of the world,
are foreshadowed in the Old Testament .
We trace the outlines of Our Lady’s graces
in Esther, Jahel, Bethsabee, Judith.
So too, St Joseph’s place in the new dispensation,
is anticipated in the place of the Patriarch Joseph
at the Court of Pharaoh.
Thus it is that, God, in His Love for His chosen ones, paves the way for them centuries before.
From the beginning, He has prepared their work
and the throne they are to earn in Heaven
by their labours and sufferings for Him.”

Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HOSPITALITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on WISDOM, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 May –  ‘ … There is no doubt at all, that Saint Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon …’

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One Minute Reflection – 14 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” –The Octave Day of St Joseph – Feast of St Boniface (Died c307), Martyr – Genesis 49:22-26 – Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “How faithful in humility was the great Saint we are celebrating! That cannot be said in all its perfection for, in spite of what he was, in what poverty and lowliness he lived all the days of his life, a poverty and lowliness beneath which he kept hidden and concealed his great virtues and dignity!… Truly, I have no doubt at all, that the angels came, beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank, to behold and wonder at his humility, while he sheltered that dearest Child, in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment, so as to feed the little Boy and the mother entrusted to him.

There is no doubt at all, that Saint Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon, [who were his ancestors]. Nevertheless, seeing him reduced to the exercise of carpentry, who could have discerned this, unless they were enlightened by a heavenly light, so hidden did he keep the remarkable gifts, with which God had favoured him?

And what wisdom did he not have? For God gave him, His most glorious Son to care for… the universal Prince of heaven and earth… Nevertheless, you can see how low and humbled he was brought, more than can be said or imagined… he went to his own country and town of Bethlehem and none but he, was turned away from all those inns…

Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands. He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes, he orders him to return and he returns. God wants him to be always poor… and he submits to it with love and not only for a while, for he was poor his whole life long.”- St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church – Conferences, no. 19) .

PRAYER – God, Who in Thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose thy blessed servant Joseph, to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant now that he is in Heaven with Thee, we who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be aided by the succour of his prayers, to Thee on our behalf. 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).

Posted in ABOUT - Meditations with Fr RICHARD F CLARKE SJ, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on DEATH, St JOSEPH, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Quote/s of the Day – 7 May – The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 May – The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph

“The Almighty has concentrated in St Joseph,
as in a sun of unrivalled lustre,
the combined light and splendour
of all the other Saints.”

St Gregory Nanzianzen (330-390)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“Since we all must die,
we should cherish a special devotion to St Joseph
that he may obtain for us a happy death.”

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

“ St Joseph is also the protector of all his clients.
In their temporal affairs how trusty a friend,
saving them in circumstances apparently hopeless!
In spiritual necessities how prompt to aid,
how unfailing in resource!
Oh, trust in St Joseph, wait patiently for him
and he will obtain for thee
the desires of thy heart.”

Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Posted in HYMNS, PRAYERS & NOVENA to St Joseph, PRAYERS TO St Joseph, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 7 May – Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail!

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Our Morning Offering – 7 May – The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph, Wednesday preceding the Third Sunday after Easter

Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail!
By Father Frederick W Faber CO (1814-1863)

Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Chaste spouse of Mary hail!
Pure as the lily flow’r
In Eden’s peaceful vale.
Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Prince of the house of God!
May His best graces be
By thy sweet hands bestowed.

Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Comrade of Angels, hail!
Cheer thou the hearts that faint,
And guide the steps that fail.
Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
God’s choice wert thou alone!
To thee the Word made flesh,
Was subject as a Son.
Hail, holy Joseph, hail!
Teach us our flesh to tame
And, Mary, keep the hearts
That love thy husband’s name.
Mother of Jesus! bless,
And bless, ye Saints on high,
All meek and simple souls
That to Saint Joseph cry.
Amen’

Posted in SAINT of the DAY, St JOSEPH

The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph, The Apparition of the Holy Cross over Jerusalem, St Stanislaus (1030-1079) Bishop and Martyr and all the Saints for 7 May

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The Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph
Wednesday preceding the Third Sunday after Easter:
Few Catholics are likely familiar with the Eastertide Solemnity of St Joseph. By Papal Decree of Pope Pius IX on 8 December 1870
According to Father Francis Xavier Lasance (1860-1946) it was instituted during the hostile occupation of Rome by the Troops of the Italian King, Victor Emmanuel II. The Pope proclaimed St Joseph the Patron of the oppressed Household of the Faith, entrusting to St Joseph, the defence of Holy Mother Church.

In the beginning, this Feast Day was observed on the Third Sunday after Easter but when Pope St Pius X reformed the Liturgical Calendar to restore the Sunday Offices to prominence over those of the Saints, the second Feast of St Joseph was moved to the Wednesday preceding the Third Sunday after Easter.
In 1911, the Feast was raised to a Double of the First Class and it was assigned an Octave after it was moved to the Wednesday before the Third Sunday after Easter.
It is a Common Octave, so the Octave may or may not be commemorated on the intra Octave days depending on the rank of the Feasts which occur during the Octave.
While this Feast day is not in the 1962 Missal, it is still kept by Priests who celebrate Holy Mass according to the pre-1955 reforms.

The Apparition of the Holy Cross over Jerusalem: The Commemoration of the appearance on 7 May 351, Pentecost that year, of a luminous image of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. It stretched from Mount Golgotha to the Mount of Olives (about two miles / three kilometers), was brighter than the sun, lasted several hours and was seen by the entire City. It led to many conversions and was reported in a letter attributed to Saint Cyril of Jerusalem.

St Stanislaus (1030-1079) Bishop and Martyr, Preacher, – Patron of Cracow, Poland.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/04/11/saint-of-the-day-11-april-st-stanislaus/

St Abba One of a large group martyred in Africa.

Blessed Alberto of Bergamo OP (1214-1279) Layman, Widow, Apostle of Charity, Pilgrim, Third Order Dominican. Beatified by Pope Benedict IV in 1748.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/07/saint-of-the-day-7-may-blessed-alberto-of-bergamo-op-1214-1279/


Bl Antonio de Agramunt
St Augustine of Nicomedia
St Augustus of Nicomedia
St Cerenico of Spoleto
St Domitian of Huy
St Duje

St Flavia Domitilla of Terracina (1st Century) Virgin Martyr.
The Roman Martyrology states of her today: “At Terracina, in Campania, the birthday of blessed Flavia Domitilla, Virgin and Martyr, niece of the Consul Flavius Clemens. She received the religious veil at the hands of St Clement and in the persecution of Domitian, was exiled with many others to the island of Pontia, where she endured a long Martyrdom for Christ. Taken afterwards to Terracina, she converted many to the faith of Christ by her teaching and miracles. The judge ordered the chamber in which she was, with the virgins Euphrosina and Theodora, to be set on fire and she thus consummated her glorious Martyrdom. She is also mentioned with the holy Martyrs Nereus and Achilleus, on the 12th of this month.”
Her Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/05/07/saint-of-the-day-7-may-saint-flavia-domitilla-of-terracina-1st-century-virgin-and-martyr/

St Flavius of Nicomedia
Bl Francesco Paleari
Bl Gisela of Ungarn

St John of Beverley (Died 721) Bishop of Hexham and then the Bishop of York, Scholar and Teacher, Apostle of the poor, and the sick Ascetic, Miracle-worker., a great friend of St Bede the Venerable. He founded a Monastery at Beverley, Yorkshire from which the Town developed. Today, it is a vibrant market Town of some 31,000 people. It owes its foundation and growth to Saint John of Beverley. The Beverley Cathedral now stands on the site of St John’s Monastery.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At York, in England, St John, Bishop, renowned for his saintly life and miracles.”
A Wonderful Saint from Yorkshire:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/05/07/saint-of-the-day-7-may-st-john-of-beverley-died-721-of-the-miraculous-banner/

St Juvenal of Benevento
St Maurelius of Voghenza-Ferrara
St Peter (Died c735) Bishop of Pavia
St Placid (Died c675) Abbot of Autun
St Quadratus of Herbipolis
St Quadratus of Nicomedia

St Serenicus of Hyesmes
St Serenus of Hyesmes
Bl Villanus (Died 1237) Bishop of Gubbio

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, Meditations on ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, St JOSEPH

Thought for the Day – 31 March – St Joseph, Protector of the Faithful

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Thought for the Day – 31 March – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“Short Meditations for March, St Joseph”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

31st Day — St Joseph, Protector of the Faithful

+I. When God bade St Joseph arise and take the Child and His Mother and fly into Egypt, He was committing unto him, under the guise of Jesus and Mary, the care of the Universal Church. As to Mary were entrusted all Christians in the words, “Woman, behold thy son”
so to St Joseph, in the Angel’s message. He was to be our guardian and protector. He was to keep us safe on the dangerous journey of life! he was to console us and care for us in darkness and sorrow, while we wait in this land of exile for the summons to our true home. Joseph, too, is to bring us safely into the promised land at last.
O holy St Joseph, be my friend and my protector and my keeper, amid all difficulties and dangers and temptations.

+2. St Joseph has care of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, as he had care of the Mortal Body of Jesus. He has to watch over it and guard its temporal interests. He has to defend it against the bitter enemies who seek its destruction. How often he has driven them back!
How often, when all seemed lost, he has restored peace and prosperity, to the Church of God! No weapon aimed against it can harm it, for God has given to St Joseph, the privilege of keeping it ever safe.

+3. St Joseph is also the protector of all his clients. In their temporal affairs how trusty a friend, saving them in circumstances apparently hopeless!
In spiritual necessities how prompt to aid, how unfailing in resource! Oh, trust in St Joseph, wait patiently for him and he will obtain for thee the desires of thy heart

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Of a Holy DEATH & AGAINST A SUDDEN DEATH, of the DYING, FINAL PERSEVERANCE, DEATH of CHILDREN, DEATH of PARENTS, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on DEATH, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, St Francis de Sales, St JOSEPH

Quote/s of the Day – 31 March – St Joseph!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 31 March – Goodbye to “The Month of Saint Joseph”

“The Almighty has concentrated in St Joseph,
as in a sun of unrivalled lustre,
the combined light and splendour
of all the other Saints.”

St Gregory Nanzianzen (330-390)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“Both Mary and Joseph had made a vow
to remain virgins all the days of their lives
and God, wished them to be united
in the bonds of marriage,
not because they repented of the vow already made
but, to be confirmed in it and,
to encourage each other to continue
in this holy relation.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctorof Charity of the Church

“Since we all must die,
we should cherish a special devotion to St. Joseph
that he may obtain for us a happy death.”

St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

“Go to Joseph!
Have recourse with special confidence to St Joseph,
for his protection is most powerful,
as he is the Patron of the Universal Church.”

Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)

Posted in Meditations on ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St JOSEPH

Thought for the Day – 30 March – St Joseph’s Glory in Heaven

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 30 March – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“Short Meditations for March, St Joseph”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

30th Day – St Joseph’s Glory in Heaven

+1. It is an opinion held by many learned theologians that St Joseph, like Our Lady, enjoys the honour of having had his body raised from the grave, at the time of Our Lord’s Resurrection and, he is present in Heaven now, body and soul. There are no Relics of St Joseph, no tomb where his body is honoured. His assumption is, moreover, what we might expect in reward for such spotless purity as his. Our Lady Mary’s spouse, St Joseph, deserved this honour and one, who had tended Jesus with such loving care, had, to some extent, a claim to it.
We may, therefore, piously believe that St Joseph enjoys this wonderful privilege.

+2. We have already spoken of St Joseph as the most glorious of all the Saints.
What else does this mean but that, he has the highest place in Heaven after Our Lady? The Church calls him the glory of the inhabitants of Heaven (coelitum decus). How would this be possible unless, he surpassed them all?
Congratulate St Joseph on his great glory and thank God that you have a friend so near to His throne.

+3. St Joseph was, after Mary, more like to his Divine Son in form and feature, than anyone else ever was. This likeness extended, to his beautiful and stainless soul. In Heaven he still retains this intimate likeness to Jesus which grew and increased by reason of his close union with the Son of God and, familiar intercourse ,with Him.
Likeness to Christ! which is the increase of glory in Heaven. Pray that you too may become, through St Joseph’s help, more like unto Jesus.