Category: St PETER!

Posted in "Follow Me", CATECHESIS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 July – ‘…Do you see how God can let someone fall into sin? …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Anacletus (c25-c89) 3rd Bishop of Rome and Martyr – 1 Petet 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and, whatever you loose on earth, shall be loosed in Heaven.” … Matthew 16:18-19

REFLECTION – “Peter was to receive on deposit, the keys of the Church, or rather the keys of Heaven and, he should see himself entrusted with the numerous people. What did the Lord actually say to him? “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven” (Mt 16:19).
For Peter had a somewhat abrupt character; if he had been without sin what sort of forgiveness would the disciples have received from him? This is why Divine Grace allowed him to fall into a certain fault, in order that his own trial should make him benevolent towards others.
Do you see how God can let someone fall into sin; this Peter, the leader of the Apostles, the unshakable foundation, indestructible rock, first in the Church, impregnable harbour, unshakable tower — this same Peter, who had said to Christ: “Even though I should have to die with Thee, I will not deny Thee” (Mt 26:35), Peter who, by a divine revelation, had confessed the truth: “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16). …
But as I said, God arranged it in this way and allowed Peter to sin because He had it in mind, to confer numerous people upon him and He feared, that his roughness, joined to his impeccability, might make him unsympathetic towards his brothers.
He gave way to sin so that, remembering his own failure and the kindness of the Lord, he might testify to others, a grace of philanthropy in accord with the divine design conceived by God. The fall had been permitted to the one who was going to see himself entrusted with the Church, the Pillar of the Church, the Harbour of the Faith; the fall had been permitted to Peter, the Doctor of the Universe, in order that, the forgiveness received, might remain the foundation of love for others.” – (Attr) St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (On the Apostle Peter and the Prophet Elijah).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on thy flock, Eternal Shepherd, and keep it in thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Anacletus thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, whom thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church.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 DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on PATIENCE, St Francis de Sales, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 6 July – Sts Peter and Paul

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Quote/s of the Day – 6 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – The Octave Day of Sts Peter and Paul

“Upon this rock I will build My Church
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven
and whatever you bind on earth
shall be bound in Heaven and,
whatever you loose on earth,
shall be loosed in Heaven.”

Matthew 16:18-19

“Nothing escaped the Wisdom
and Power of Christ,
the elements of nature lay at His service,
spirits obeyed Him, Angels served Him. …
And yet, out of all the world,
Peter alone was chosen
to stand at the head,
for the calling of all the peoples
and the oversight of all the Apostles
and Fathers of the Church.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
Father and Doctor

“Do not, therefore, lose your confidence,
which has a great reward.
For you have need of patience that,
doing the will of God,
you may receive the promise.
For yet a very little while
and He Who is to come,
will come
and will not delay.”

Hebrews 10:35-37

“St Paul, the incomparable master,
the great Doctor of the Infant Church,
made Jesus Christ on the Cross
the delightful object of his love,
the sweet subject of his discourses,
the end of all his aspirations in this world
and the foundation of all his hopes in eternity
Blessed is the soul, which thus everywhere,
finds Jesus Christ Crucified!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 July – “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” – Matthew 14:31

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One Minute Reflection – 6 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – The Octave Day of Sts Peter and Paul – Sirach 44:10-15, Matthew 14:22-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” – Matthew 14:31

REFLECTION – “Once again the disciples are a plaything of the waves and a storm, similar to the first one (Mt 8:4) hurls itself against them. The first time, however, they had Jesus with them, whereas this time they are alone and left to themselves. … I think this was because our Saviour wanted to stir their sleeping hearts and, by throwing them into a panic, He inspired in them a strong desire for His presence and kept the remembrance of Him constantly in their minds. Hence, He did not come to their help at once but “during the fourth watch of the night He came towards them, walking on the sea …”

Peter, ever volatile, always getting in before the other disciples, said: “Lord, if it is Thee, command me to come to Thee on the water” … He didn’t say, “Command me to walk on the water” but “come to thee,” for, there was none who loved Jesus as much as he. He did the same thing after the Resurrection – unable to bear moving as slowly as the others in the boat, he jumped into the water to get there before them and satisfy his love for Christ. … Getting out of the boat, then, Peter went towards Jesus, more delighted to be going towards Him, than to be walking on the water. But after confronting the greatest danger, that of the sea, he was to give in to a lesser, that of the wind. Such is human nature! Often, having overcome serious dangers we are conquered by lesser ones … Peter had not yet been set free from all his fear … in spite of Christ’s presence beside him. For it is of no use to be beside Christ if one is not close to Him by faith. This is what emphasises the distance separating Master from the disciple …

“O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” So if Peter’s faith had not faltered, he would have resisted the wind without difficulty. And the proof of this, is that Jesus grasped Peter ,while leaving the wind to continue blowing … Just as the mother bird supports the fledgling which has prematurely left the nest, with her wings, as it is about to fall and draws it back into the nest, so does Christ, with regard to Peter.” … St John Chrysostom (345-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church – (Homilies on Saint Matthew’s Gospel no 50, 1-2).

PRAYER – O God, Who made this day holy by the Martyrdom of Your Apostles Peter and Paul, grant Thy Church to follow in all things, the teaching of those, from whom she first received the faith. 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 CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on GRACE, SAINT of the DAY, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 July – Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

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One Minute Reflection – 3 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Leo II (611–683) Pope, Confessor – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:16

REFLECTION – “Peter did not say “Thou are a Christ” or “a son of God” but “the Christ, the Son of God.” For there are many christs by grace, who have attained the rank of adoption [as sons] but [there is] only One Who is by nature the Son of God. Thus, using the definite article, he said, THE Christ, THE Son of God. And in calling Him, Son of the LIVING God, Peter indicates that Christ Himself is Life and that death has no authority over Him. And even if the flesh, for a short while, was weak and died, nevertheless, it rose again, since the Word, Who dwelled in it, could not be held under the bonds of death.” – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Known as “The Pillar of Faith” Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor Incarnationis (Doctor of the Incarnation) (Fragment 190).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in Thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Leo Thy Sovereign Pontiff, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church. 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 DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, St PAUL!, St PETER!

Our Morning Offering – 2 July – Apostolorum Passio

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Our Morning Offering – 2 July – The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles and Martyrs

Apostolorum Passio
By St Ambrose (c 340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

This happy day is sanctified
As Martyr’s glory we recall,
The cross bedewed with Peter’s blood,
The sword that won a crown for Paul.

The triumph of their Martyrdom
United these great souls in death,
Whose faith in Christ had crowned their lives
In service to their latest breath.

Saint Peter held the primacy,
Saint Paul would equal him in grace,
When once, as chosen instrument
The cause of Christ, he would embrace

Once, Simon, leaving Rome, turned back
To give, by death, full praise to God,
That by the cross he too should tread
The self-same path his Master trod.

Now Rome exults, as well she may
And strives to give devotion’s due
To one who sealed with his own blood
His work as Priest and Shepherd true.

And who can count the crowds that come
As loving children to her gate,
Where nations’ teacher, holy Paul
Once dwelt and gladly met his fate.

Grant us, O Lord, the final grace
Of sharing in their joy above,
That with such Princes we may praise
Your bounty and undying love.
Amen

Trans: The Benedictines of St Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The HEART

Quote of the Day – 30 June – ‘ … The heart of the world …’

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Quote of the Day – 30 June – The Commemoration of St Paul, Apostle and Martyr

“And now, who will grant me
to prostrate myself
at Paul’s sepulchre, to contemplate
the ashes of that body which, suffering for us,
filled up what was wanting
of the sufferings of Christ?
The dust of that mouth,
which spoke boldly before kings
and, showing what Paul was,
revealed the Lord of Paul?
The dust of that heart,
truly the heart of the world,
more lofty than the heavens,
more vast than the universe,
as much the heart of Christ, as of Paul
and wherein might be read,
the book of grace, graven by the Holy Spirit?
Oh! that I might see the remains of the hands,
which wrote those Epistles;
of the eyes, which were struck with blindness
and recovered their sight for our salvation;
of the feet which traversed the whole earth!
Yes. I would fain contemplate the tomb
where repose these instruments
of justice and of light,
these members of Christ,
this temple of the Holy Ghost.
O venerable body, which, together with that of Peter,
protects Rome more securely, than all ramparts!”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor

(Chrys. in Epist ad Rom. Serrmon xxxii)

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Thought for the Day – 29 June – St Peter, Prince of the Apostles / St Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles

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Thought for the Day – 29 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

St Peter, Prince of the Apostles
St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles

“It is good to admire the fidelity of St Peter and the designs of Divine Providence in making him the visible Head of the Church but, it is far better, to follow his example.
His love for Jesus, led him to leave his family and his fisherman’s trade, in order to follow Our Lord.
It led him to undertake long voyages, to endure imprisonment and to face martyrdom.
What can we do for the love of Jesus?
Remember that, if love is to be sincere, it must be generous and effective.

Secondly let us meditate on and imitate, the ardent and fearless faith of St Peter.
He was not afraid to preach the teaching of Christ before the Sanhedrin.
He was not afraid of Herod, who cast him into prison.

He was not afraid of the Roman Emperor, who caused him to be crucified.
Our faith should be steadfast and lively, like his!

Finally, let us imitate Peter in his repentance.
Although he loved Jesus very much and had such great faith in Him, in a moment of weakness and of imprudence, he denied Him three times.
All his life, however, be wept bitterly for this sin.
Whenever he heard a cock crowing, it was as if an arrow had pierced his heart.
He was not satisfied, until he was hanging upon the cross like his Divine Master and could prove his love for Jesus by a Martyr’s death.”

St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles

We can learn many other virtues from St Paul, besides his zealous love for God and for his fellowmen.
We can also learn from him, the virtues of humility and of apostolic fervour.
The Apostle of the Gentiles reached such heights of sanctity, as to feel himself transformed into Christ Himself and to deserve to be taken up into the third Heaven, where he enjoyed a foretaste of eternal happiness.
Nevertheless, he considered himself unworthy to be called an Apostle and he realised, that all his gifts came to him from God.
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to think anything as from ourselves but our sufficiency, is from God” (2 Cor 3:5).
Whenever we succeed in any project, we should think on the same lines because, it is only when we are humble and depend on the grace of God, that the success of our actions will redound to the glory of our Creator.
If the cancer of ambition or of self-love, should corrupt our purity of intention, our work would not be blessed by God and would not make us worthy of everlasting life.
Let us repeat often: “All for You, with You and in You, my God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/29/thought-for-the-day-29-june-st-peter-prince-of-the-apostles-st-paul-the-apostle-to-the-gentiles-2/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, St Francis de Sales, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 June – ‘There are the gates of our true country … ‘

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 June – Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

“There are the gates of our true country,
the two lights of the immense world.
There Paul’s voice is heard like thunder;
there Peter withholds or hurls the bolt .
The former opens the hearts of men,
the latter opens Heaven.
Peter is the Foundation-stone,
Paul the Architect of the temple
where stands the Altar
by which God is propitiated.
Both together form a single Fountain,
which pours out its healing
and refreshing waters.”

St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)
“The Troubadour of Christ”

“Yes, the Apostle chosen
to be His co-worker,
merited to share,
the same Name as Christ.
They built the same Building together –
Peter does the planting,
the Lord gives the increase
and it is the Lord, too,
Who sends those,
who will do the watering (cf 1 Cor 3:6f).”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“These falls were both very great
but there was this differ­ence.
One acknowledged his guilt; the other despaired.
Yet, our Saviour had inspired in the heart of both,
the same Peccavi [admission of guilt] (“I have sinned”)
… From this time on, St Peter never ceased weeping,
principally when he heard the cock crow
at night and morning, for he remembered
this crowing as the signal for his conversion.
… Why then was Judas not converted?
… Alas, did not this unhappy man know
that Our Lord alone could give it to him,
that He was the Saviour and held Redemption in His hands?
… Certainly, he knew it but he did not wish,
nor dare to ask pardon. ”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“He grieved for his three sins,
not only on that sad night but throughout his life.
St Clement (c35-c101 the third succeeding Pope
after St Peter) writes that he wept so often
that his tears wore two deep furrows in his cheeks
and that, whenever he heard the cock crowing,
the cry pierced his heart.
He loved Jesus sincerely and passionately.
If we really love Jesus as Peter did
and are prepared to face death for His sake,
as Peter was, then we may be sure
that we shall never offend God again.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“I have appeared to you for this purpose,
to appoint you as a servant and witness,
of what you have seen
and what you will be shown.
I shall deliver you from this people
and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,
to open their eyes, that they may turn
from darkness to light
and from the power of Satan to God,
so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins
and an inheritance among those,
who have been consecrated by faith in Me.”

Acts 26:16-18

“Yet I live, no longer I
but Christ lives in me;
insofar as I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God,
Who has loved me
and given himself up for me.”

Galatians 2:20

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, CONFESSION, CONFESSION/PENANCE, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 June –Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth … Matthew 16:19

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One Minute Reflection – 29 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – Acts 12:1-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven.” – Matthew 16:19

REFLECTION – “Bridegroom and Bride, that is Christ and the Church, are as one, be it in receiving confession or in bestowing absolution. All this makes clear why Christ had to tell each of us: “Go, show yourself to the priest” (Mt 8,4)… It follows that apart from Christ, the Church cannot grant forgiveness and that Christ has no will to forgive, apart from the Church. The Church’s authority to forgive extends only to the repentant, to those, that is, whom Christ has already touched; Christ, on His part, has no intention of regarding as forgiven, one who despises the Church.

Doubtless, Christ need accept no restraints to His power of Baptising, Consecrating the Eucharist, Ordaining Priests, forgiving sins and the like but, the humble and faithful Bridegroom, prefers to confer such blessings, with the co-operation of His Bride. “What God,” then, “has joined, let no man put asunder” (Mt 19,6). “I say this is a great mystery and refers to Christ and the Church” (Eph 5,32)… To remove the Head from the Body (Col 1,18) were to ruin the whole Christ, irreparably. Christ, apart from the Church, is no more the whole Christ, than the Church is complete, if separated from Christ. Head and Body go to make the whole and entire Christ.” – Bl Isaac of Stella (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (Sermon 11, §11-814).

PRAYER – O God, Who made this day holy by the Martyrdom of Thy Apostles Peter and Paul, grant Thy Church to follow in all things the teaching of those from whom she first received the faith. 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).

ALL PRAISE, honour and glory to the Divine Heart of JESUS. Indulgenced– 50 Days, once a day. 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901.

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Our Morning Offering – 29 June – Decora Luce Aeternitatis, What Fairer Light

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Our Morning Offering – 29 June – Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

Decora Luce Aeternitatis
What Fairer Light
Attrib. to H Elphis (Died 493) Wife of Boethius c 477– 524)
Trans. Msgr Ronald Knox (1888–1957)

What fairer light is this
than time itself doth own,
The golden day with beams
more radiant brightening?
The Princes of God’s Church
this Feast day doth enthrone,
To sinners heavenward bound
their burden lightening.

One taught mankind its creed,
one guards the Heavenly Gate,
Founders of Rome,
they bind the world in loyalty;
One by the sword achieved,
one by the cross his fate;
With laurelled brows
they hold eternal royalty.

Rejoice, O Rome, this day;
thy walls they once did sign
With princely blood,
who now their glory share with thee.
What city’s vesture glows
with crimson deep as thine?
What beauty else has earth
that may compare with thee?

To God the Three in One eternal homage be,
All honour, all renown, all songs victorious,
Who rules both heaven and earth
by one divine decree,
To everlasting years
in empire glorious.
Amen

5th century Latin Hymn “Aurea Luce” attributed to H Elphis (Died 493), first wife of the Roman philosopher-poet Boethius (c475–c525). He would eventually be Martyred for his defence of the Faith against the Arian ruler: Theodoric.
Msgr Knox, a convert from Anglicanism, was a noted Scholar, Author, Hymnist and Translator, becoming the Secretary to St Pius X.
Under direction of his religious superiors, he re-translated the Latin Vulgate Bible into English from Hebrew and Greek sources.
What Fairer Light is set to the tune, Decora Lux by the English Catholic Composer, Samuel Webbe (1740–1816).

In 1632, in accord with changes called for by the Council of Trent, Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644) revised the original text of Aurea Luce and divided it into two new Hymns for Lauds and Vespers: Decora Lux and Beate Pastor Petre. In the Liturgy of the Hours, What Fairer Light is used on 29 June, the Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul, Apostles. The above is the Older version.

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, St PAUL!, St PETER!

Sts Peter and Paul, Apostles, Notre-Dame de Buglose / Our Lady of Buglose, France (1634) and Memorials of the Saints

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Sts Peter and Paul, Apostles

https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/29/solemnity-of-saints-peter-and-paul-apostles-and-martyrs-29-june/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/29/a-blessed-and-holy-solemnity-of-saints-peter-and-paul-the-pillars-of-the-church/
https://anastpaul.com/2019/06/29/solemnity-of-saints-peter-and-paul-29-june/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/06/29/the-solemnity-of-saints-peter-and-paul-29-june/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/06/29/blessed-and-holy-solemnity-of-sts-peter-and-paul-29-june/

Notre-Dame de Buglose / Our Lady of Buglose, France (1634) – 29 June:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/06/29/solemnity-of-sts-peter-and-paul-apostles-and-martyrs-notre-dame-de-buglose-our-lady-of-buglose-france-1634-and-memorials-of-the-saints-29-june/

St Anastasius of Bourges
St Benedicta of Sens
St Cassius (Died 558) Bishop of Narni, Italy
St Ciwg ap Arawn
St Cocha
St Ilud Ferch Brychan
St Judith of Niederaltaich
St Marcellus of Bourges
St Mary, the Mother of John Mark
St Salome of Niederaltaich
St Syrus of Genoa
Bl William of Sann

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 May – Upon this rock I will build My Church …

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One Minute Reflection – 19 May – The Memorial of St Pope Celestine V (1210-1296) – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and, whatever you loose on earth, shall be loosed in Heaven.” … Matthew 16:18-19

REFLECTION – “Peter was to receive on deposit, the keys of the Church, or rather the keys of Heaven and, he should see himself entrusted with the numerous people. What did the Lord actually say to him? “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven” (Mt 16:19).
For Peter had a somewhat abrupt character; if he had been without sin what sort of forgiveness would the disciples have received from him? This is why Divine Grace allowed him to fall into a certain fault, in order that his own trial should make him benevolent towards others.
Do you see how God can let someone fall into sin; this Peter, the leader of the Apostles, the unshakable foundation, indestructible rock, first in the Church, impregnable harbour, unshakable tower — this same Peter, who had said to Christ: “Even though I should have to die with Thee, I will not deny Thee” (Mt 26:35), Peter who, by a divine revelation, had confessed the truth: “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16). …
But as I said, God arranged it in this way and allowed Peter to sin because He had it in mind, to confer numerous people upon him and He feared, that his roughness, joined to his impeccability, might make him unsympathetic towards his brothers.
He gave way to sin so that, remembering his own failure and the kindness of the Lord, he might testify to others, a grace of philanthropy in accord with the divine design conceived by God. The fall had been permitted to the one who was going to see himself entrusted with the Church, the Pillar of the Church, the Harbour of the Faith; the fall had been permitted to Peter, the Doctor of the Universe, in order that, the forgiveness received, might remain the foundation of love for others.” – (Attr) St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (On the Apostle Peter and the Prophet Elijah).

PRAYER – O God, Who raised blessed Peter Celestine to the lofty dignity of Supreme Pontiff and taught him to prefer self-abasement instead; mercifully grant that by his example, we may look upon all worldly things as naught and may be worthy to reap, in joy, the rewards promised to the humble.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 CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 April – “Upon this rock I will build my church” – Matthew 16:18

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One Minute Reflection – 22 April – St Pope Soter (Died c174) Martyr and St Pope Caius I (Died 296) Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build my church” – Matthew 16:18

REFLECTION – “Though the earth and all who dwell in it quake, I have set firm its pillars” (Ps 74:40). All the Apostles are pillars of the earth but, at their head, the two whose feast we are celebrating. They are the two pillars who support the Church with their teaching, their prayer and the example of their steadfastness. The Lord himself strengthened these pillars. For at first they were weak, completely incapable of supporting either themselves or others. And in this the Lord’s great design appears – if they had always been strong, people could have thought their strength came from themselves. That is why the Lord wanted to show ,what they were capable of before strengthening them, so that all might know their strength came from God… Peter was thrown to the ground by the voice of a mere servant… and the other pillar was very weak too: “I was once a blasphemer and persecutor and an arrogant man” (1Tm 1:13)…

Hence, we ought to praise these Saints with all our heart – our fathers who bore such trials for the Lord’s sake and who persevered with such determination. It is nothing to persevere in joy, happiness and peace. But this is what is great: to be stoned, scourged, struck for Christ (2Cor 11:25) and in all this, to persevere with Christ. With Paul, it is a great thing to be cursed and to bless, to be persecuted and to endure, to be slandered and to console, to be like the world’s rubbish and to draw glory from it (1Cor 4:12-13)…, And what shall we say of Peter?,, Even if he had undergone nothing for Christ, it would be sufficient to celebrate him today, in that he was crucified for Him… He well knew where He Whom he loved, He Whom he longed for was… his cross has been his road to heaven.” – St Aelred of Rielvaux (1110-1167) Cistercian Monk (Sermon 18, for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul PL 195, 298).

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Soter and Caius, Thy Martyrs and Sovereign Pontiffs, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherds of the whole Church. ThroughJesus 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 CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 April – ‘ …  Belief is not the work of human reasoning but requires a revelation from on high … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 17 April – St Pope Anicetus (Died 168) 12th Bishop of Rome and Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee but My Father Who is in Heaven.” – Matthew 16:17

REFLECTION – “Faith in Me, He intimates here, is no ordinary thing or one that comes from human reason but [it] needs a revelation from above. And this He establishes throughout His discourses, showing, that this faith requires a noble sort of soul and one drawn on by God. The expression “that the Father gives Me” shows, that it is no accident whether a person believes or not. It shows, that belief is not the work of human reasoning but requires a revelation from on high and a mind devout enough to receive the revelation. “Whoever then,” our Lord says, “comes to Me, shall be saved,” meaning, they shall be greatly cared for. For to save such as these, I took up flesh and the form of a servant.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospel of John 45)”

PRAYER – Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd and keep it in Thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Anicetus, Thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, whom Thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church.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 CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE WORLD, St PETER!, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – Grant us Thy Light, O Lord

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” – Easter Saturday – 1 Peter 2:1-10, John 20:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“[He] hath called you out of darkness
into His marvellous Light … ”

1 Peter 2:9

“When we stand in the light
it is not we who illumine the light
and cause it to shine
but we are illuminated and made shining by the light…
God grants His blessings on those
who serve Him because they are serving Him
and on those who follow Him
because they are following Him
but He receives no blessing from them
because He is perfect and without need.”

St Irenaeus(c130-c208)
Bishop, Martyr, Father of the Church

Grant us Thy Light, O Lord
By The Venerable St Bede (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Grant us Thy Light, O Lord,
so that the darkness of our hearts,
may wholly pass away
and we may come at last,
to the Light of Christ.
For Christ is that Morning Star,
Who, when the night
of this world has passed,
brings to His Saints,
the promised Light of Life
and opens to them,
everlasting day.
Amen.

“In the world you will have tribulation.
But take heart, I have conquered the world.”
John 16:33

“Who will be crowned without having fought?
Who will go to rest if he is not tired
(cf. 2 Tim 2:5-6)?
Who will gather the fruits of life
without having planted virtues in his soul?
Cultivate them, prepare the earth
with the greatest care,
take trouble over it, sweat over it,
children, God’s workers,
imitators of the Angels,
competitors with incorporeal beings,
lights for those who are in the world
(cf. Phil 2:15)!”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, ART DEI, EASTER, St PETER!, The RESURRECTION

Quote of the Day – 12 April – The Greatest Story Ever Told and The Greatest Easter Painting Ever Made!

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Quote of the Day – 12 April – Easter Wednesday

The Greatest Story Ever Told
The Greatest Easter Painting Ever Made!

“Look into Peter’s wide open eyes and John’s intense gaze.
Their eyes contain a mix of anxiousness and hope, the way a parent or grandparent’s eyes look at the news of an impending birth.
A new life is about to emerge but there is still uncertainty because it is a mystery beyond full human comprehension or control.
Peter and John’s faces capture the same sense of anticipation.
Burnand created a sparse, simple painting capturing two of the most important players in the greatest story ever told.
Meditate upon their faces, as Burnand intended you to do and through them, discover the empty tomb.”
(Elisabeth Ehrhard-Crises Magazine).

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, St PETER!

Thought for the Day – 8 April – The Repentance of St Peter

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Thought for the Day – 8 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Repentance of St Peter

“When Peter realised how wretchedly he had fallen, the first thing which he did, was to escape from the occasion of sin.
“Peter went out” (Lk 22:62),
He grieved for his three sins, not only on that sad night but throughout his life.
St Clement (c35-c101 the third succeeding Pope after St Peter) writes that he wept so often that his tears wore two deep furrows in his cheeks and that, whenever he heard the cock crowing, the cry pierced his heart.
He loved Jesus sincerely and passionately.
When he was asked three times if he loved Him, he replied humbly, “Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee” (Cf Jn 21:16).

Can we say these same words to Jesus, with equal sincerity and humility?
If we really love Jesus as Peter did and are prepared to face death for His sake, as Peter was, then we may be sure that we shall never offend God again.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/09/thought-for-the-day-9-april-the-repentance-of-st-peter/

Posted in CATHOLIC Quotes, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St PETER!

Thought for the Day – 7 April – Peter Denies Jesus

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

Peter Denies Jesus

“While Jesus was praying and suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter was asleep.
He followed Jesus, at a distance admittedly but he followed fearfully and slowly.

Unfortunately, tepidity is the first step towards falling into sin.
A man who is lukewarm and does not pray, will fall victim to the first assault.
This is what happened to Peter.
The same will happen to us if we do not preserve a bond of love and prayer with Jesus.
At least, after his first fall, Peter should have remembered Jesus’ prophecy.
He should not have continued to trust in his own strength and should have escaped from the occasion of sin.
Instead of this, he remained in it.
As a result, instead of falling only once, he denied his Divine Master three times with oaths and protestations!

Let us learn to flee from the occasions of sin.
When we find ourselves in them, let us escape as quickly as possible.
If our duty obliges us to face them, God will certainly give us the strength to overcome them, as long as we humbly ask for it.
On the other hand, if we are imprudent about placing ourselves in danger, we shall certainly fall.
“He who loves danger, shall perish in it!” (Ecclus 3:25).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/17/thought-for-the-day-17-april-peter-denies-jesus/

Posted in CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, LENT 2023, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DESPAIR, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, St Francis de Sales, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – REPENTANCE

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Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 1 March – Ember Wednesday

“The troubles of my heart are multiplied,
deliver me from my necessities.
See my abjection and my labour
and forgive me all my sins.”
Psalm 24:17-18

“The men of Nineveh will rise up
in the judgement with this generation
and will condemn it;
for they repented
at the preaching of Jonah
and behold, One greater than Jonah is here.”
Matthew 12:41

REPENTANCE
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“LET ANYONE WHO IS STANDING BE FEARFUL lest he fall, says the Apostle [1 Cor 10:12]; let no-one glory in finding himself expressly called by God, to a place where there seems nothing to fear.
Let no-one presume on his good works and think he has nothing more to fear.
St Peter, who had received so many graces, who had promised to accompany Our Lord to prison and even to death itself [Lk 22:33], denied Him, nevertheless, at the whimpering taunt of a chambermaid!
Judas sold Him for such a small sum of money!

These falls were both very great but there was this differ­ence. One acknowledged his guilt; the other despaired.
Yet, our Saviour had inspired in the heart of both, the same Peccavi [admission of guilt] (“I have sinned”) that same Peccavi that God inspired in David’s heart. [2 Kgs (2 Sm.) 12:13].
Yes, He inspired it in both Apostles but one rejected it and the other accepted it. Hearing the cock crow, St Peter remembered what he had done and the word his good Master had spoken to him. Then, acknowledging his sin, he went out and wept so bitterly [Matt 26:74-75; Lk 22:61-62] that he received what we today call a Plenary Indulgence and full remission of all his sins. O happy St Peter! By such contrition for your sins you received a full pardon for such great disloyalty!

From this time on, St Peter never ceased weeping, principally when he heard the cock crow at night and morning, for he remembered this crowing as the signal for his conversion.
It is also reported that he shed so many tears that they hollowed his cheeks into two furrows. With these tears he, who had been a great sinner became a great saint.
“O glorious St Peter, how happy you are to have done such great penance for such great disloyalty. By it you were reinstated in grace. You, who deserved eternal death became worthy of eternal life.”
Not only that but St Peter received here below, special favours and privileges and was lavished with blessings on earth and in Heaven.

On the other hand, although Judas received the same inspi­ration for the same Peccavi, he rejected it and despaired. I know that efficacious and sufficient grace differ, as theologians say but I am not here to prove and dispute, whether Judas’ inspiration … was as efficacious as David’s, or only sufficient.
It was certainly sufficient.
This Peccavi, sent to the heart of Judas, was truly like that formerly sent to David. Why then was Judas not converted?

O miserable man!
He saw the gravity of his crime and despaired.
Truly, he confessed his sin, for in returning to the chief priests the thirty pieces of silver for which he had sold his good Master, he acknowledged aloud that he had sold innocent blood. [Matt. 27:3-5]. But these priests would give him no absolution.
Alas, did not this unhappy man know that Our Lord alone could give it to him, that He was the Saviour and held Redemption in His hands?
Had he not seen this truth clearly in those whose sins Jesus had remitted?
Certainly, he knew it but he did not wish, nor dare to ask pardon. To make him despair, the devil showed him the enormity and hideousness of his crime and, perhaps, made him fear that if he asked his Master’s pardon, He might impose too great a penance.
Perhaps, for fear of such penance, he was unwilling to ask for forgiveness.
Thus, despairing, he hanged himself and his body burst wide open, all his entrails spilling out [Acts 1:18] and he was buried in the deepest of Hells.” – Sermon for Good Friday 25 March 1622.

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PETER!, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 January – St Peter

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 January – Feast of the Chair of the Apostle, St Peter at Rome – 1 Peter 1:1-7, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:16

“Upon this rock
I will build My Church”

Matthew 16:18

“… May grace and peace
be yours in abundance,
through knowledge of God
and of Jesus Our Lord…”

2 Peter 1:2

“So Peter wept and wept bitterly;
he wept so hard
that he washed away his offence with his tears.
And you, too, if you would win pardon,
wipe out your guilt with tears.
At that very moment, in that same hour,
Christ will look at you.
If some kind of fall happens to you,
then He, the ever-present witness
of your intimate life,
looks at you to call you back
and cause you to confess your lapse.
Then do as Peter did, who thrice said:
“Lord, you know that I love you” (Jn 21:15).
He denied three times and three times
he also confessed.
But he denied by night;
he confessed in broad daylight.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Yes, the Apostle chosen
to be His co-worker,
merited to share,
the same Name as Christ.
They built the same Building together –
Peter does the planting,
the Lord gives the increase
and it is the Lord, too,
Who sends those,
who will do the watering (cf 1 Cor 3:6f).”

St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“It is good to admire the fidelity of St Peter
and the designs of Divine Providence
in making him the visible Head of the Church
but, it is far better, to follow his example.
His love for Jesus, led him to leave his family
and his fisherman’s trade, in order to follow Our Lord.
It led him to undertake long voyages,
to endure imprisonment and to face Martyrdom.
What can we do for the love of Jesus?
Remember that, if love is to be sincere,
it must be generous and effective.
… He was not satisfied,
until he was hanging upon the cross
like his Divine Master
and could prove his love for Jesus
by a Martyr’s death.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 January – ‘… Out of all the world, Peter alone was chosen … ‘ St Leo the Great

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One Minute Reflection – 18 January – Feast of the Chair of the Apostle, St Peter at Rome – 1 Peter 1:1-7, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build my church” … Matthew 16:18

REFLECTION – “Nothing escaped the Wisdom and Power of Christ, the elements of nature lay at His service, spirits obeyed Him, Angels served Him. … And yet, out of all the world, Peter alone was chosen to stand at the head, for the calling of all the peoples and the oversight of all the Apostles and Fathers of the Church. Thus, even though there are many Priests and shepherds among the People of God, Peter governed them all in person, while Christ also governs them in the capacity of Head. …

The Lord asks all the Apostles what people think of Him and they all say the same thing, so long as they are making known the doubts deriving from human ignorance. But when the Lord demands to know, what the disciples themselves think, the first to confess the Lord is he, who is the first in dignity of the Apostles. As he had said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” Jesus answers him: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.” That is to say, blessed are you because My Father taught this to you. Earthly opinion has not led you astray but it is heavenly inspiration that has instructed you. It is not flesh and blood that enabled you to discover Me but He, Whose only Son I Am.

“And so I say to you,” that is to say- just as my Father has manifested My Divinity to you, so I Am making known your superiority to you. “You are Peter” namely, I am the unshakeable Rock, the Cornerstone who makes two peoples one (Eph 2:14), the foundation other than which, no-one can lay any other (1 Cor 3:11). But you also, you are rock, since you are impregnable by My Strength and, what I have by virtue of My Power, you have in common with Me, by the fact,, that you participate in it. “On this rock I will build My Church” … On the firmness of this foundation, He says, will I build an everlasting temple and My Church, whose summit is to reach to Heaven, will be raised on the strength of that faith.” … Saint Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father and Doctor of the Church ( 4th sermon for the Anniversary of his Consecration).

PRAYER – O God, Who together with the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven didst bestow on thy blessed Apostle Peter the pontifical power of binding and loosing, grant that by the aid of his intercession, we may be released from the bonds of our sins. ThroughJesus 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 BREVIARY Prayers, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, St PETER!

Our Morning Offering – 18 January – O Peter, Who was Named by Christ!

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Our Morning Offering – 18 January – Feast of the Chair of the Apostle, St Peter at Rome

O Peter, Who was Named by Christ!
By Stanbrook Abbey
For the Feast of the Chair of St Peter

O Peter who was named by Christ!
The guardian-shepherd of His flock,
Protect the Church He built on thee
To stand unyielding, firm on rock.

Thy weakness, Christ exchanged for strength,
Thou faltered but He made thee true.
He knew the greatness of thy love
And gave the keys of heav’n to thee.

Unseen, eternal Trinity,
We give Thee glory, praise Thy Name,
Thy love keeps faith, with faithless men,
Through change and stress, Thou art the same.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FRIENDSHIP, QUOTES on JEALOUSY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 December – ‘ … Peter, therefore, was exposed to action, John was reserved for love … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 27 December – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception” – St John the Apostle and Evangelist, the Beloved – Ecclesiasticus 15:1-6, John 21:19-24 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Peter saw following them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who, at the supper, had leaned back upon His breast … Peter, therefore, seeing him, said to Jesus, Lord and what of this man?” – John 21:20-21

REFLECTION – “There are some persons who think they are not loved because they cannot be promoted and who allege that they are despised, if they are not entrusted with responsibilities and offices. We know that as a result of this type of thinking, no small discord has sprung up, among those who were considered friends, so that estrangement followed upon indignation and railings upon estrangement …

Let no-one say that he is held in contempt, for the reason that he is not promoted, since the Lord Jesus pre­ferred Peter to John in this respect; nor did He, on that account, lessen His affection for John because He had given Peter the leadership. To Peter He commended his Church; to John, His most beloved Mother (Jn 19:27). To Peter He gave the keys of His Kingdom (Mt 16:19); to John He revealed the secrets of His Heart (Jn 13:25). Peter, therefore, was the more exalted; John, the more secure. Although Peter was established in power, nevertheless, when Jesus said, “One of you will betray me,” (Jn 13:21) he was afraid and trembled along with the rest but John, leaning on the bosom of his Master, was made the bolder and, at a nod from Peter, asked who the traitor was. Peter, therefore, was exposed to action, John was reserved for love, according to the words of Christ: “So will I have him remain until I come.” Thus Christ gave us the example that we might do in like manner.” – St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) Cistercian Monk (Spiritual Friendship, III, 115, 117).

PRAYER – O Lord, graciously shed light upon Thy Church, so that, enlightened by the teachings of blessed John, ThyApostle and Evangelist, she may gain YThy everlasting rewards.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 BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, CHRIST the JUDGE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEBRUARY - THE BLESSED TRINITY (Traditional), GOD ALONE!, GOOD FRIDAY, HOLY SPIRIT, HYMNS, QUOTES on THE WORLD, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HOLY GHOST, The MOST HOLY & BLESSED TRINITY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 December – St Ambrose

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Quote/s of the Day – 7 December – St Ambrose (340-397) – Confessor, Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church

“Take nothing for your journey …”

Luke 9:3

“This is a great vision.
But if you wish to see it,
remove the sandals from your feet.
Remove every chain of sin.
Remove the chains of the world.
Leave behind earthly sandals.
Jesus sent the Apostles without sandals,
without money, gold and silver,
so that they would not carry earthly things with them.
The one who seeks to do good is praised,
not for his sandals but for the swiftness
and grace of his feet. ”

“Let God alone be sought,
as the Judge of loveliness,
Who loves even, in less beautiful bodies,
the more beautiful souls.”

“And now, let the feet of our minds.
be stretched out.
The Lord Jesus wills also, to wash our feet,
For He says, not to Peter alone
but to each of the faithful:
If I wash not your feet
you will have no part with Me.
[ John 13: 8 ]”

Nunc, Sancte, nobis Spiritus
By St Ambrose (340-397)
Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One
Trans John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Trans 1836

Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One
Art with the Father and the Son.
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls possess
With Thy full flood of holiness.

In will and deed, by heart and tongue,
With all our powers, Thy praise be sung.
And love light up our mortal frame,
Till others catch the living flame.

Almighty Father, hear our cry
Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high,
Who with the Holy Ghost and Thee
Doth live and reign eternally.

Apostolorum Passio
By St Ambrose (c 340-397)

This happy day is sanctified
As Martyr’s glory we recall,
The cross bedewed with Peter’s blood,
The sword that won a crown for Paul.

The triumph of their Martyrdom
United these great souls in death,
Whose faith in Christ had crowned their lives
In service to their latest breath.

Saint Peter held the primacy,
Saint Paul would equal him in grace,
When once, as chosen instrument
The cause of Christ, he would embrace

Once, Simon, leaving Rome, turned back
To give, by death, full praise to God,
That by the cross he too should tread
The self-same path his Master trod.

Now Rome exults, as well she may
And strives to give devotion’s due
To one who sealed with his own blood
His work as Priest and Shepherd true.

And who can count the crowds that come
As loving children to her gate,
Where nations’ teacher, holy Paul
Once dwelt and gladly met his fate.

Grant us, O Lord, the final grace
Of sharing in their joy above,
That with such Princes we may praise
Your bounty and undying love.
Amen

Translation: The Benedictines of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK

O Lord, Who has Mercy Upon All
By St Ambrose (340-397)

O Lord, who has mercy upon all,
take away from me my sins
and mercifully kindle in me
the fire of Your Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore You,
a heart to delight in You,
to follow and enjoy You,
for Christ’s sake.
Amen

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/07/quote-s-of-the-day-7-december-st-ambrose-2/

St Ambrose (340-397)
Confessor, Bishop
Father and Doctor of the Church

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, OUR Cross, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, St PETER!, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 30 November – St Andrew

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Quote/s of the Day – 30 November – The Feast of St Andrew, Apostle of Christ, Martyr on the Cross for Christ

“He found first, his brother Simon
and said to him:
We have found the Messias.”

John 1:41

This is what the Apostle is claimed to have said, on the occasion of St Andrew’s Martyrdom, according to an ancient account (which dates to the beginning of the sixth century), entitled –

The Passion of Andrew:

“Hail, O Cross, inaugurated by the Body of Christ
and adorned with His limbs
as though they were precious pearls.
Before the Lord mounted you,
you inspired an earthly fear.
Now, instead, endowed with heavenly love,
you are accepted as a gift.

Believers know of the great joy that you possess
and of the multitude of gifts you have prepared.
I come to you, therefore,
confident and joyful,
so that you too may receive me,
exultant as a disciple of the One
Who was hung upon you….

O blessed Cross, clothed in the majesty
and beauty of the Lord’s limbs!…

Take me, carry me far from men
and restore me to my Teacher,
so that, through you,
the One who redeemed me by you,
may receive me.

Hail, O Cross, yes, hail indeed!”

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Quote/s of the Day – 18 November – Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul – ‘… These are the gates of our true country, …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 November – Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul

“The present Feast, therefore, deserves to be more than a local solemnity, its extension to the Universal Church, is a subject for the world’s gratitude.
Thanks to this Feast, we can all make together in spirit today, the pilgrimage, which our ancestors performed with such fatigue and danger, yet never thought they purchased, at too high a price, its holy joys and blessings.
“Heavenly mountains, glittering heights of the new Sion!”
These are the gates of our true country, the two lights of the immense world.
There Paul’s voice is heard like thunder;
there Peter withholds or hurls the bolt .
The former opens the hearts of men, the latter opens Heaven. Peter is the foundation-stone, Paul the architect of the temple where stands the Altar, by which God is propitiated.
Both together, form a single fountain which, pours out its healing and refreshing waters”

St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)
Bishop, Father o the Church

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ON the SAINTS, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The PASSION

Feast of the Holy Relics – 5 November

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Feast of the Holy Relics – 5 November – From the Liturgical Year, 1901.

Relics of the Passion conserved in the Roman Basilica of Santa Croce in Jerusalem

Had we Angels’ eyes, we should see the earth as a vast field sown with seed for the Resurrection. The death of Abel opened the first furrow and ever since, the sowing has gone on unceasingly, the wide world over. This land of labour and of suffering, what treasures it already holds laid up in its bosom! And what a harvest for Heaven, when the Sun of Justice, suddenly darting forth His rays, shall cause to spring up, as suddenly from the soil, the elect ears ripe for glory! No wonder that the Church herself blesses and superintends, the laying of the precious grain in the earth.

But the Church is not content to be always sowing. Sometimes, as though impatient of delay, she raises from the ground the chosen seed she had sown therein. Her infallible discernment preserves her from error and, disengaging from the soil the immortal germ, she forestalls the glory of the future. She encloses the treasure in gold or precious stuffs, carries it in triumph, invites the multitudes to come and reverence it; or, she raises new temples to the name of the blessed one and assigns him the highest honour of reposing under the Altar, whereon she offers to God, the tremendous Sacrifice.

Religuary of St Anthony of Padua

“Let your charity understand,” explains St Augustine (Aug. Sermo cccxviii, de Stephano Mart. V): “it is not to Stephen we raise an Altar in this place but of Stephen’s relics, we make an Altar to God. God loves these Altars and, if you ask the reason – Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (Ps. cxv, 15).” In obedience to God “the invisible soul has quitted its visible dwelling. But God preserves this dwelling; He is glorified by the honour we pay to this lifeless flesh and, clothing it with the might of His Divinity, He gives it the power of working miracles” (Aug. Sermo cclxxv, de Vincentio Mart. II). Hence the origin of pilgrimages to the Shrines of the Saints.

Left–Adoration of the Holy Cross by the Saints in Heaven;
Right– Reliquary of St Stephen

“Christian people,” says St Gregory of Nyssa, “wherefore are you assembled here? A tomb has no attractions, nay, the sight of its contents inspires horror! Yet, see what eagerness to approach this sepulchre! So great an object of desire is it, that a little of the dust from around it is esteemed a gift of great price. As to beholding the remains it conceals, that is a rare favour and an enviable one, as those can testify who enjoy the privilege: they embrace the holy body as though it were yet alive, they press their lips and their eyes upon it, shedding tears of love and devotion. What emperor ever received such honour ”(Greg. Nyssa de Theodoro Mart)?”

“Emperors!” rejoins St John Chrysostom; “as the porters at their gates, such have they become with regard to poor fishers. The son of the great Constantine deemed he could not pay a higher honour to his father, than to procure him a place of sepulture in the porch of the fisherman of Galilee” (Chrys. in Epist. II. ad Cor. Hom. xxvi). And again, concluding his commentary on St Paul’s admirable Epistle to the Romans, the golden-mouthed Doctor exclaims: “And now, who will grant me to prostrate myself at Paul’s sepulchre, to contemplate the ashes of that body which, suffering for us, filled up what was wanting of the sufferings of Christ? The dust of that mouth, which spoke boldly before kings, and, showing what Paul was, revealed the Lord of Paul? The dust of that heart, truly the heart of the world, more lofty than the heavens, more vast than the universe, as much, the heart of Christ as of Paul and wherein might be read, the book of grace, graven by the Holy Spirit? Oh! that I might see the remains of the hands, which wrote those Epistles; of the eyes, which were struck with blindness and recovered their sight for our salvation; of the feet which traversed the whole earth! Yes. I would fain contemplate the tomb where repose these instruments of justice and of light, these members of Christ, this temple of the Holy Ghost. O venerable body, which, together with that of Peter, protects Rome more securely, than all ramparts” (Chrys. in Epist. ad Rom. Hom. xxxii)

Chains of St Peter
The wrist bone of St Paul held in Goza, Malta

In spite of such teachings as these, the heretics of the sixteenth Century profaned the tombs of the Saints, under pretext of bringing us back to the doctrine of our forefathers. In contradiction to these strange reformers, the Council of Trent expressed the unanimous testimony of Tradition, in the following definition, which sets forth the theological reasons of the honour paid by the Church, to the relics of Saints:,

“Veneration ought to be shown, by the faithful, to the bodies of the Martyrs and other Saints, who live with Jesus Christ. For they were His living members and the temples of the Holy Ghost; He will raise them up again to eternal life and glory and through them, God grants many blessings to mankind. Therefore, those who say that the relics of the Saints are not worthy of veneration, that it is useless for the faithful to honour them, that it is vain to visit the memorials or monuments of the Saints, in order to obtain their aid, are absolutely to be condemned and, as they have already been long ago condemned, (Conc. Nic. II. cap. vii), the Church now condemns them once more” (Conc. Tird. Sess. xxv. De invocatione, veneratione et reliquiis Sanctorum).

Posted in CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the KING, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, St PETER!

30 October – Christ the King

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30 October – Christ the King

Christ, King and Priest Forever

An Excerpt from
A Treatise on the Trinity
Faustinus Luciferanus
(Priest)

Our Saviour received a bodily anointing and so, became a true King and a true Priest. Both King and Priest He was of His very self; a Saviour could be nothing less. Hear in His own words, how He Himself became a King – “I have been appoined King by God on Zion, His holy mountain.” Hear, in the Father’s words, that He was a Priest: “You are a Priest forever in the line of Melchizedek.” Aaron was the first, under the law, to be made a Priest by being anointed with chrism, yet the Father does not say, “in the line of Aaron,” lest it be believed that the Saviour’s Priesthood could be passed on by inheritance, for at that time Aaron’s Priesthood was transmitted by lineal descent. But the Saviour’s Priesthood is not inherited because this Priest lives on forever. Therefore, Scripture says: “You are a Priest forever in the line of Melchizedek.”

There is, therefore, a Saviour in the flesh, Who is both a King and a Priest, although His anointing was not physical but spiritual. Among the Israelites, those kings and priests who were actually anointed with oil, were either kings or priests. No man could be both king and priest; he had to be one or the other. Only Christ was both King and Priest because He had come to fulfill the law, He alone possessed the twofold perfection of Kingship and Priesthood.

Those who had been anointed with the oil of kingship or priesthood, although they received only one of these anointings, were called “messiahs.” Our Saviour, however, Who is the Christ, was anointed by the Holy Spirit, so that the passage in Scripture might be fulfilled – “God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness and raised you above your companions.” The difference, then, between the One Christ and the many christs, is in the anointing, since He was anointed with the oil of gladness, which signifies,nothing other, than the Holy Spirit.

This we know to be true from the Saviour Himself. When He took the book of Isaiah, He opened it and read: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me.” He then said that the prophecy was fulfilled in the hearing of those listening.

Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, also taught that the chrism which made the Saviour a Christ was the Holy Spirit, that is to say, the power of God. When, in the Acts of the Apostles, Peter spoke to that faithful and merciful man, the centurion, he said among other things – “After the baptism which John preached, Jesus of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, started out in Galilee and travelled about performing powerful miracles, and freeing all who were possessed by the devil.”

So you see that Peter too said that Jesus, in His humanity, was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. Thus Jesus, in His humanity, truly became the Christ. By the anointing of the Holy Spirit, He was made both King and Priest forever. (Roman Breviary).

Faustinus Luciferanus was a Priest who died in the Diocletian persecution from 304. He wrote a Treatise on the Trinity around the year 380, most probably at the request of the wife of the Emperor Theodosius the Great, the one who made orthodox Catholic Christianity the Faith of the Roman Empire. Faustinus is one of the lesser known of the Early Church Fathers.

Posted in GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, OUR Cross, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 October – “Although the earth and all who dwell in it quake, I have set firm its pillars”

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One Minute Reflection – 26 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Upon this rock I will build my church” – Matthew 16:18

REFLECTION – “Although the earth and all who dwell in it quake, I have set firm its pillars” (Ps 74[75],40). All the Apostles are pillars of the earth but, at their head, the two whose Feast we are celebrating. They are the two pillars who support the Church with their teaching, their prayer and the example of their steadfastness. The Lord Himself strengthened these pillars. For at first they were weak, completely incapable of supporting either themselves or others. And in this the Lord’s great design appears: it they had always been strong, people could have thought their strength came from themselves. That is why the Lord wanted to show what they were capable of, before strengthening them, so that all might know, that their strength came from God… Peter was thrown to the ground by the voice of a mere servant… and the other pillar was very weak too: “I was once a blasphemer and persecutor and an arrogant man” (1Tm 1,13)…

Hence we ought to praise these Saints with all our heart: our Fathers who bore such trials for the Lord’s sake and who persevered, with such determination. It is nothing to persevere in joy, happiness and peace. But this is what is great – to be stoned, scourged, struck for Christ (2 Cor 11,25) and in all this, to persevere with Christ. With Paul it is a great thing to be cursed and to bless, to be persecuted and to endure, to be slandered and to console, to be like the world’s rubbish and to draw glory from it (1 Cor 4,12-13)… And what shall we say of Peter? Even if he had undergone nothing for Christ, it would be sufficient to celebrate him today in that he was crucified for Him… He well knew where He Whom he loved, He Whom he longed for was… his cross has been his road to Heaven.” – St Aelred of Rielvaux (1110-1167) Cistercian Monk (Sermon 18, for the feast of S (ints Peter and Paul ; PL 195, 298).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants, that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness. 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 "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PEACE, St PETER!, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 14 October – ‘Be Thou our Joy and Strong Defence … ‘

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 October – – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19

“Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:16

“Without Me
you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

“… May grace and peace
be yours in abundance,
through knowledge of God
and of Jesus Our Lord…”

2 Peter 1:2

“… There is one Road
and one only,
well secured against all possibility
of going astray
and, this Road is provided
by One Who is Himself
both God and man.
As God, He is the Goal,
as man, He is the Way.”

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

“Be Thou our Joy and Strong Defence,
Who art our future Recompense.
Alleluia, alleluia.
So shall the Light that springs from Thee
Be ours through all eternity.
Alleluia, Alleluia.”

St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church”

“Girded with faith
and the performance of good works,
let us follow in His paths
by the guidance of the Gospel.”

St Benedict (c 480-547)

“For Him all things were created
and to Him, all things must be subject
and God loves all creature,
in and because of Christ.”

St Lawrence of Brindisi(1559-1619)