Category: MOTHER of GOD

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MOTHER of GOD, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, To JESUS through MARY

Thought for the Day – 11 October – Mary, the Mother of God

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Thought for the Day – 11 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, the Mother of God

“Most Holy Mary, not only were you raised to the dignity of Mother of God but, you carried out His holy Will, heroically on all occasions.
Obtain for me, from your divine Son, Jesus, the grace to co-operate always and at all costs, with His designs for me, both in life and in death, amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/11/thought-for-the-day-11-october-mary-mother-of-god/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/10/11/thought-for-the-day-11-october-mary-the-mother-of-god/

Posted in ADVENT, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on DOUBT, Quotes on SALVATION, The ANNUNCIATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity

“That anyone could doubt the right
of the holy Virgin
to be called the Mother of God,
fills me with astonishment.
Surely she must be the Mother of God,
if our Lord Jesus Christ is God
and she gave birth to Him!”

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father and Doctor of the Church

The God Whom Earth and Sea and Sky
For Mary, The Mother of God
For the Annunciation, Advent and Christmas
By St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)

The God whom earth and sea and sky
Adore and praise and magnify,
Whose might they claim, whose love they tell,
In Mary’s body comes to dwell.

O Mother blest! the chosen shrine
Wherein the Architect Divine,
Whose Hand contains the earth and sky,
Has come in human form to lie.

Blest in the message Gabriel brought,
Blest in the work the Spirit wrought,
Most blest, to bring to human birth
The long desired of all the earth.

O Lord, the Virgin-born, to You
Eternal praise and laud are due,
Whom with the Father we adore
And Spirit blest for evermore.

“Having confidence in you,
O Mother of God, I shall be saved.
Being under you protection,
I shall fear nothing.
With your help,
I shall give battle to my enemies
and put them to flight,
for devotion to you,
is an arm of Salvation.”

St John Damascene (676-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“And some seed fell on good ground”
Luke 8:8

“Rejoice, O Mary, House of the Lord,
earth trodden by the Footsteps of God…
Rejoice, O Paradise
more happy than the Garden of Eden,
where every virtue has been seeded
and where the Tree of Life has grown.”

St Theodore the Studite (750-826)
Father, Abbot, Theologian, Writer

(Sermon 2 for the Nativity of Mary)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on MOTHERHOOD, Quotes on SALVATION

Our Morning Offering – 11 October – O Mary, Mother of God

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Our Morning Offering – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity

O Mary, Mother of God
By St Ephrem (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

O Virgin most pure, wholly unspotted,
O Mary, Mother of God,
Queen of the universe,
thou art above all the saints,
the hope of the elect
and the joy of all the blessed.
It is thou who hast reconciled us with God;
thou art the only refuge of sinners
and the safe harbour of those
who are shipwrecked;
thou art the consolation of the world,
the ransom of captives,
the health of the weak,
the joy of the afflicted
and the salvation of all.
We have recourse to thee
and we beseech thee
to have pity on us.
Amen.

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, QUOTES on DEATH, ROSARY QUOTES, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Our Morning Offering – 7 October – The Holy Rosary

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Our Morning Offering – 7 October – Our Lady of the Holy Rosary/Our Lady of Victory – Commemorating the Victory of Lepanto – 1571

The Holy Rosary
By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

Accept, mighty Maid, we beseech thee,
This prayer with its fragrance of flowers;
With one soul we seek thus to reach thee
And hail thee, God’s Mother and ours.

Thy heart is made glad by our praying;
Thy bounty is generous and wise;
Thy hands are enriched for conveying
What God’s tender Mercy supplies.

We kneel at thy Shrines in the Churches;
Oh, gently look down from above,
And welcome the heart that then searches
For worthy expressions of love.

Let others present precious caskets
Of gems, or heap Altars with gold;
Slight prayer-beads shall serve us for baskets
To bring thee the garland they hold.

With violets lowly we fashion
This wreath and with these combined
Red roses–our faith in the Passion
With Chastity’s lilies entwined.

Our minds, as the Mysteries vary,
Are active, our hands play their part
And always thy name, Holy Mary!
Oft-uttered, rejoices the heart.

Be with us, we trust thee to guide us
Through life and when labouring breath
At the last, seeks thine aid, be beside us
To help at the hour of our death.
Anen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MOTHER of GOD, PATRONAGE - OF CHASTITY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 18 September – St Methodius of Olympus (Died c311)

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 September – “Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – St Methodius of Olympus (Died c311) Confessor, Bishop, Martyr, Father

“Thou Thyself, O Christ,
art my all.
For Thou I keep myself chaste
and holding aloft my shining lamp,
I run to meet Thee, my Spouse.”

Hail to Thee, Forever Virgin,
Mother of God,
By St Methodius of Olympus (Died c311)

Hail to thee forever-Virgin
Mother of God,
our unceasing joy!
for unto thee do I again return. . . .
Hail, thou fount of the Son’s love for man. . . .
Wherefore, we pray thee,
the most excellent among women,
who boast in the confidence
of thy maternal honours
that thou wouldst, unceasingly,
keep us in remembrance.
O holy Mother of God,
remember us, I say,
who make our boast in thee
and who, in august hymns
celebrate thy memory
which will ever live
and never fade away.
Amen.

(From “Oration on Simeon and Anna”)

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MOTHER of GOD, OUR Cross, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 8 September – Mary, Mother of God

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

Mary, the Mother of God

“St Matthew (Cf Mt 12:46-50) and St Mark (Cf Mk 3:31-35), relate how Jesus was preaching one day in Galilee, surrounded by His Apostles and by a large crowd, when a man approached and said: “Behold, thy mother and thy brethren are standing outside, seeking thee.”
“Who is my mother,” He answered, “and who are my brethren?”
Then He extended His hand towards His disciples and said: “Behold, my mother and my brethren! For whoever does the will of my Father in Heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

These words were directed at us, not at Our Lady.
Not only was she the Immaculate Mother of Jesus Christ but, she performed lovingly, on all occasions, the Will of the heavenly Father.
She did His Will, in poverty and obedience, in exile and on Mount Calvary.
Therefore, she was God’s Mother in the spiritual, as well as, in the physical sense of the word, insofar, as she was constantly united to Him by a bond of love and of conformity with His desires.

Christ’s words indicate, that Mary’s perfect and continuous acceptance of God’s Will, was even more pleasing to God, than the dignity of the divine Motherhood.

We cannot equal her in dignity but, we can imitate her in this other respect.
Jesus will look on us as His brothers and as worthy sons of Mary, if we carry out His Will in all things.
It is not always easy to do this.
It is not easy, when we are strongly tempted to commit sins of pride, anger or impurity.
It is not easy, when we are overcome by sorrow or by sickness, when we are let down or misunderstood by others, when we are in want and, when we feel that we are collapsing beneath the weight of our cross.
At times like these, we should pray for Mary’s spirit of complete acceptance of the Will of God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/09/08/thought-for-the-day-8-september-mary-mother-of-god/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 8 September – The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 September – Feast of theNativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“She is the flower of the field
from whom bloomed
the precious Lily of the Valley.”

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

“And some seed fell on good ground”
Luke 8:8

“Rejoice, O Mary, House of the Lord,
earth trodden by the Footsteps of God…
Rejoice, O Paradise
more happy than the Garden of Eden,
where every virtue has been seeded
and where the Tree of Life has grown.”

St Theodore the Studite (750-826)
Father, Abbot, Theologian, Writer

(Sermon 2 for the Nativity of Mary)

O Mary, Mother of God
By St Ephrem of Syria (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

O Virgin most pure, wholly unspotted,
O Mary, Mother of God,
Queen of the universe,
thou art above all the saints,
the hope of the elect
and the joy of all the blessed.
It is thou who hast reconciled us with God;
thou art the only refuge of sinners
and the safe harbour of those
who are shipwrecked;
thou art the consolation of the world,
the ransom of captives,
the health of the weak,
the joy of the afflicted
and the salvation of all.
We have recourse to thee
and we beseech thee
to have pity on us.
Amen.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GRACE, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 September – ‘ … The Nativity of the whole world’s joy! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 8 September – Feast of theNativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Proverbs 8:22-35, Matthew 1:1-16; 18-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son … ” – Matthew 1:23

REFLECTION – “Come, you nations; come, all peoples of every race and language, every age and rank. Joyfully let us celebrate the nativity of the whole world’s joy! If even the pagans honour the birthday of their king … what ought not we to do to honour that of the Mother of God, through whom all humanity has been transformed and the pain of Eve, our first mother, has been turned to joy? For Eve heard God’s sentence: “You will bring forth children in pain” (Gn 3:16) but Mary: “Rejoice, most highly favoured … the Lord is with you” (Lk 1:28). …

Let all creation celebrate and sing the holy childbirth of a holy woman, for she has brought a lasting treasure into the world. … Through her, the creative Word of God has been united to the whole creation and we celebrate the ending of human barrenness, the ending of the sickness that kept us from possessing all our good. … Nature has given way to grace … As the Virgin Mother of God had to be born of barren Anna, so nature remained without fruit until grace had produced its own. It was to open the womb of its mother, she who would give birth to “The Firstborn of all creation” in whom “all things hold together” (Col 1:15,17).

O blessed couple, Joachim and Anna! All creation owes you thanks; through you it has offered the Creator the best of all His gifts: a Mother worthy of veneration, the only Mother worthy of the One who created her!”- St John Damascene (675-749) Monk, Theologian, Father and Doctor of the Church – Homily on the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, 1-2 (cf SC 80, p. 48)

PRAYER – Lord God, the day of our salvation dawned when the Blessed Virgin gave birth to Your Son. As we celebrate her nativity, grant us Your grace and Your peace. Through 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, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on PURITY, The ANNUNCIATION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 16 August – … Of her was born Jesus,Who is called Christ.

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11, Matthew1:1-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jacob begot Joseph,
the husband of Mary
and of her was born Jesus,
Who is called Christ.”

Matthew 1:16

“O daughter of King David
and Mother of God,
the universal King.
O Divine and living object
whose beauty has charmed God the Creator;
your whole soul is completely open
to God’s action and attentive to God alone.
… Your womb will be the abode
of the one whom no place can contain.
Your milk will provide nourishment for God,
in the little Infant Jesus.
Your hands will carry God
and your knees will serve
as a throne for Him
that is more noble
than the throne of the Cherubim.
… You are the temple of the Holy Spirit,
the city of the living God,
made joyous by abundant flowers,
the sacred flowers of Divine grace.
You are all-beautiful
and very close to God,
above the Cherubim
and higher than the Seraphim,
right near God Himself!
Amen”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“The One Who is the Wisdom of the Father,
put His arms around her neck,
the One Who is the strength,
which gives movement to everything,
sat in her arms.
He, Who is the rest of souls, (Mt 11:29)
rested on her motherly breast.
… Filled with the Holy Spirit,
she held Him close to her heart …
She never had enough
of seeing Him or of hearing Him …
Thus Mary, grew evermore in love
and her mind was unceasingly attached,
to Divine contemplation.”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)

“She saw herself raised to the highest dignity
that ever was or will be, for although
it should please God to create anew many worlds,
He could never make a pure creature be greater
than the Mother of God.

Our Lady humbled herself
and acknowledged herself
unworthy of being raised
to the high dignity of Mother of God, therefore,
she was made to be His Mother,
for she had no sooner uttered the protestation of her littleness,
than, having abandoned herself to Him,
by an act of incomparable charity,
she became the Mother of the Most High,
Who is the Saviour of our souls!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 11August – Blessed are You, O Mary!

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Our Morning Offering – 11August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”

Blessed are You, O Mary!
By St Jacob of Sarug (c 451-521)
Syrian Bishop and Monk

Blessed are you, O Mary
and blessed is your holy soul,
for your beatitude surpasses
that of all the Blessed.
Blessed are you who have borne,
embraced and caressed as a Baby,
the One Who upholds the ages with His secret word.
Blessed are you,
from whom the Saviour appeared on this exile earth,
subjugating the seducer and bringing peace to the world.
Blessed are you,
whose pure mouth touched the lips
of the One, Whom the Seraphim
look upon in His splendour.
Blessed are you,
who have nourished, with your pure milk
the source, from whom the living obtain life and light.
Blessed are you,
because the whole universe resounds with your memory
and the Angels and human beings, celebrate your feast.
Daughter of the poor,
you became the Mother of the King of kings.
You gave to the poor world the riches that can make it live.
You are the bark, laden with the goodness
and the treasures of the Father,
Who sent His riches once again,
into our empty home.
Blessed are you, O Mary!
Amen

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The INCARNATION, The REDEMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 2 July – Mary, Mother of God

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 July – The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Mary, having merited to give flesh
to the Divine Word
and thus, supply the price
of our redemption
that we might be delivered
from eternal death, therefore,
she is more powerful
than all others,
to help us gain eternal life.”

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

“She is the eldest daughter of the Great King.
If you enjoy her favour,
she will introduce you
to the Monarch of the Universe.
No-one has so great an interest with Him than Mary,
who was the occasion of His coming down from Heaven
to become man, for the redemption of mankind.”

St John the Merciful (c 552-c 616)

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin and Mother!
Morning Star, perfect vessel.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Holy Temple in which God Himself was conceived.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Chaste and pure dove.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
who enclosed the One Who cannot be encompassed
in your sacred womb.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you the Conqueror
and triumphant Vanquisher of hell, came to us.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
You have saved every faithful Christian.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

Adapted from a sermon preached by St Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria (444), presiding as representative of the Holy See at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, in 431. In refuting Nestorianism, he is called “Doctor of the Incarnation.

“O daughter of King David
and Mother of God,
the universal King.
O Divine and living object
whose beauty has charmed God the Creator;
your whole soul is completely open
to God’s action and attentive to God alone.
… Your womb will be the abode
of the one whom no place can contain.
Your milk will provide nourishment for God,
in the little Infant Jesus.
Your hands will carry God
and your knees will serve
as a throne for Him
that is more noble
than the throne of the Cherubim.
… You are the temple of the Holy Spirit,
the city of the living God,
made joyous by abundant flowers,
the sacred flowers of Divine grace.
You are all-beautiful
and very close to God,
above the Cherubim
and higher than the Seraphim,
right near God Himself!
Amen”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, ROSARY QUOTES, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT

Quote/s of the Day – 21 May – The Blessed Virgin Mary

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

“As breathing is not only a sign
but even, a cause of life,
so the name of Mary,
which is constantly found
on the lips of God’s servants,
both proves that they are truly alive
and, at the same time,
causes and preserves their life
and gives them, every succour . . .
may Your name, O Mother of God,
be the last sound that escapes my lips!”

St Germanus of Constantinople (c 640-733)

“… The design of the Redeemer of our race
was to bring about a birth and, as it were,
a new creation to replace the one that went before.
Therefore, just as in Paradise,
He had taken a little clay
out of the pure and spotless earth,
to fashion the first Adam (Gn 2,7),
so, at the moment of bringing about
His Own Incarnation,
He made use of another earth, so to speak,
namely, this Pure and Immaculate Virgin,
chosen from among all other beings He had created.
It is in her that He, Adam’s Creator,
has remade us in our very substance
and become a new Adam (1Cor 15,45)
that the old might be saved by the new and eternal.”

St Andrew of Crete (660-740)

“There is no sinner in the world,
however much at enmity with God,
who cannot recover God’s grace
by recourse to Mary
and by asking her assistance.”

St Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373)

“Never will anyone
who says his Rosary everyday,
be led astray.
This is a statement
that I would gladly sign
with my blood.”

St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

Posted in CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2023, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on CHASTITY, QUOTES on HUMILITY, St Francis de Sales, The ANNUNCIATION

Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 25 March – CHASTITY and HUMILITY

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Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 25 March – The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee,
blessed art thou amongst women!”
Luke 1:28

“And Mary said to the Angel:
How shall this be done
as I know not man?”
Luke 1:34

CHASTITY and HUMILITY
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“VIRGINITY AND ABSOLUTE CHASTITY, is an angelic virtue but, although it belongs, more especially to Angels than to men, yet the purity of Our Lady infinitely surpassed that of the Angels, having three great perfections above theirs, even that of the Cherubim and Seraphim…that of the Angels is sterile and can produce no fruit.
On the contrary, that of our glorious Mistress was not only fruitful because she produced, for us, this sweet Fruit of Life, Our Lord and Master but, in the second place, she has begotten many virgins.
It is it in imitation of her, as we have said, that virgins have vowed their virginity …

But she was not only virgin par excellence above all others, Angels as well as men – she was also more humble than all others. This was manifest excellently on the day of the Annunciation.
She then made the greatest act of humility that was ever made, or ever will be made, by a pure creature; for seeing herself exalted by the Angel, who saluted her, saying she was full of grace and that she would conceive a Son Who would be both God and Man…Our Lady, being reassured by the Angel and having learned what God willed to do with her and in her, made this supreme act of humility, saying:
“I am the servant of the Lord.
Let it be done to me as you say.”
She saw herself raised to the highest dignity that ever was or will be, for although it should please God to create anew many worlds, He could never make a pure creature be greater than the Mother of God.

Our Lady humbled herself and acknowledged herself unworthy of being raised to the high dignity of Mother of God, therefore, she was made to be His Mother, for she had no sooner uttered the protestation of her littleness, than, having abandoned herself to Him, by an act of incomparable charity, she became the Mother of the Most High, Who is the Saviour of our souls!” (Sermon on 25 March 1621at a religious Profession).

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION

Our Morning Offering – 9 February – Hail, O Mary, Mother of God By St Cyril of Alexandria

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Our Morning Offering – 9 February – Feast of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) “The Pillar of Faith” “Doctor of the Incarnation”& “Seal of all the Fathers” Bishop,Confessor, Father and Doctor, of the Church.

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin and Mother!
Morning Star, perfect vessel.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Holy Temple in which God Himself was conceived.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Chaste and pure dove.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
who enclosed the One Who cannot be encompassed
in your sacred womb.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you the Conqueror
and triumphant Vanquisher of hell, came to us.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
You have saved every faithful Christian.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

Adapted from a sermon preached by St Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria (444), presiding as representative of the Holy See at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, in 431. In refuting Nestorianism, he is called “Doctor of the Incarnation.”

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quotes on SALVATION, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Our Morning Offering – 14 January – Mother of Salvation, Blessed Lady By St Anselm

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Our Morning Offering – 14 January – Mary’s Day

Mother of Salvation,
Blessed Lady
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Magnificent Doctor
Marian Doctor

Mother of Salvation,
Blessed Lady,
you are the Mother of Justification
and those who are justified;
the Mother of Reconciliation
and those who are reconciled;
the Mother of Salvation
and those who are saved.
What a blessed trust
and what a secure refuge!
The Mother of God is our Mother.
The Mother of the One
in Whom alone, we hope
and Whom alone, we fear,
is our Mother! …
The One Who partook of our nature
and by restoring us to life,
made us children of His Mother,
invites us by this grace, to proclaim
that we are His brothers and sisters.
Therefore, our Judge, is also our Brother.
The Saviour of the world, is our Brother.
Our God has become –
through Mary – our Brother!
Anen

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, SAINT of the DAY

The Circumcision of the Lord, The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord and Memorials of the Saints – 1 January

Posted on by AnaStpaul

All God’s richest blessings for 2023!🙏💖

The Circumcision of the Lord (Holy Day)

The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord

Mary, Mother of God, the Divine Motherhood:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/01/01/the-octave-day-of-the-nativity-of-the-lord-the-circumcision-of-the-lord-mary-mother-of-god-and-memorials-of-the-saints-1-january/

Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus –
But now celebrated on the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus

Bl Adalbero of Liege
St Baglan of Wales
St Basil of Aix
Bl Bonannus of Roio
St Brogan
St Buonfiglio Monaldi
Bl Catherine de Solaguti
St Clarus of Vallis Regia
St Clarus of Vienne
St Colman mac Rónán
St Colman Muillin of Derrykeighan
St Concordius of Arles
St Connat
St Cuan
St Demet of Plozévet
St Elvan
St Eugendus of Condat
St Euphrosyne of Alexandria
St Fanchea of Rossory
St Felix of Bourges
St Frodobert of Troyes

St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c 462 – 533) “The Pocket Augustine,” Abbot, Bishop of the City of Ruspe, North Africa in modern day Tniisia, Theologian, Writer.
About St Fulgentius!
https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/01/saint-of-the-day-1-january-saint-fulgentius-of-ruspe-c-462-533-the-pocket-augustine/

St Gisela of Rosstreppe
St Gregory Nazianzen the Elder
Bl Hugolinus of Gualdo Cattaneo
Bl Jean-Baptiste Lego
Bl Jean of Saint-Just-en-Chaussée
St Justin of Chieti
St Maelrhys
St Magnus the Martyr
St Mydwyn

St Odilo of Cluny OSB (962-1049) “Archangel of the Monks,” Priest, Monk, 5th Abbot of Clun, Reformer, Apostle of the poor and needy, Marian devotee and promoter of prayer for the Souls in Purgatory. He established All Souls’ Day (on 2 November) in Cluny and its Monasteries as the annual commemoration to pray for all the faithful departed. The practice was soon adopted throughout the whole Church.
St Odilo’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/01/saint-of-the-day-1-january-saint-odilo-of-cluny-osb-962-1049-the-archangel-of-the-monks/

St Odilo of Stavelot
St Peter of Atroa (773–837) Abbpt
St Peter of Temissis
St Sciath of Ardskeagh
St Severino Gallo
St Telemachus
St Thaumastus of Mainz
St Theodotus
St Tyfrydog
Bl Valentin Paquay
St William of Dijon
St Zedislava Berka OP (c 1220-1252) Married Laywoman and Mother, Tertiary of the Order of Preachers. Canonised by St Pius X on 28 August 1907.

Breton Missionaries to Britain:
Martyred Soldiers of Rome: Thirty soldiers martyred in Rome as a group during the persecutions of Diocletian. We do not even known their names. They were Martyred c 304 at Rome, Italy.

Martyrs of Africa – 8 Saints: Eight Christians Martyred together in Africa, date unknown. The only details we have are four of their names – Argyrus, Felix, Narcissus and Victor.

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 31 December – ‘You Are All Beautiful, Mary’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 31 December – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception”

“Hail, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee:
blessed art thou among women”

Luke 1:28

“The very fact
that God has elected her,
proves, that none was ever
holier than Mary;
if any stain had disfigured her soul,
if any other virgin
had been purer and holier,
God would have selected her
and rejected Mary.”

St Jacob of Sarug (c 451-521)

“O daughter of King David
and Mother of God,
the universal King.
O Divine and living object
whose beauty has charmed God the Creator;
your whole soul is completely open
to God’s action and attentive to God alone.
… Your womb will be the abode
of the one whom no place can contain.
Your milk will provide nourishment for God,
in the little Infant Jesus.
Your hands will carry God
and your knees will serve
as a throne for Him
that is more noble
than the throne of the Cherubim.
… You are the temple of the Holy Spirit,
the city of the living God,
made joyous by abundant flowers,
the sacred flowers of Divine grace.
You are all-beautiful
and very close to God,
above the Cherubim
and higher than the Seraphim,
right near God Himself!
Amen”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Tota Pulchra Es, Maria
You Are All Beautiful, Mary
Unknown Author – 4th Century

You are all beautiful, Mary,
and the original stain is not in you.
You are the glory of Jerusalem,
you are the joy of Israel,
you give honour to our people.
You are an advocate of sinners.
O Mary, O Mary,
Virgin most intelligent,
Mother most merciful.
Pray for us,
Plead for us,
To the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tota pulchra es, Maria.
Et macula originalis non est in Te.
Tu gloria Ierusalem.
Tu laetitia Israel.
Tu honorificentia populi nostri.
Tu advocata peccatorum.
O Maria, O Maria,
Virgo prudentissima.
Mater clementissima.
Ora pro nobis.
Intercede pro nobis.
Ad Dominum Iesum Christum.

“Let us promise, therefore,
that we shall not be unworthy children
of so great a Mother.
Let us promise to remain free
from the slightest taint of sin,
in order to please God and our Blessed Mother.
Let us promise, finally, to make daily progress
towards that level of sanctity
which God requires of us, i
n the particular state
in which He has placed us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on WISDOM, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The REDEMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 9 December – ‘ … Through a woman, [Mary] there returned to the earth,a blessing!’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 9 December – Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception

“Mary, having merited to give flesh
to the Divine Word
and thus, supply the price
of our redemption
that we might be delivered
from eternal death, therefore,
she is more powerful
than all others,
to help us gain eternal life.”

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

“Through a woman, [Eve]
a curse fell upon the earth;
through a woman, [Mary]
there returned to the earth,
a blessing!”

St Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Doctor of the Church

“O daughter of King David
and Mother of God,
the universal King.
O Divine and living object
whose beauty has charmed God the Creator;
your whole soul is completely open
to God’s action and attentive to God alone.
… Your womb will be the abode
of the one whom no place can contain.
Your milk will provide nourishment for God,
in the little Infant Jesus.
Your hands will carry God
and your knees will serve
as a throne for Him
that is more noble
than the throne of the Cherubim.
… You are the temple of the Holy Spirit,
the city of the living God,
made joyous by abundant flowers,
the sacred flowers of Divine grace.
You are all-beautiful
and very close to God,
above the Cherubim
and higher than the Seraphim,
right near God Himself!
Amen”

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

The Purity and Holiness of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“The One Who is the Wisdom of the Father,
put His arms around her neck,
the One Who is the strength,
which gives movement to everything,
sat in her arms.
He, Who is the rest of souls, (Mt 11:29)
rested on her motherly breast.
… Filled with the Holy Spirit,
she held Him close to her heart …
She never had enough
of seeing Him or of hearing Him …
Thus Mary, grew evermore in love
and her mind was unceasingly attached,
to Divine contemplation.”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-december-the-immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/08/quote-s-of-the-day-8-december-on-the-immaculate-conception/

Posted in MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, QUEENSHIP of MARY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 8 December – I’ll Sing a Hymn to Mary

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 8 December – Feast of the Immaculate Conecption and “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception”

I’ll Sing a Hymn to Mary
By Father John Wyse (1825-1898)
Irish Priest and Hymn writer

I’ll sing a hymn to Mary,
The Mother of my God,
The Virgin of all virgins,
Of David’s royal blood.
O teach me, Holy Mary,
A loving song to frame,
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
To love and bless thy name.

O Lily of the Valley,
O Mystic Rose, what tree,
Or flower, e’en the fairest,
Is half so fair as thee?
O let me, tho’ so lowly
Recite my Mother’s fame.
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.

O noble Tower of David,
Of gold and ivory.
The ark of God’s own promise,
The gate of Heav’n to me.
To live and not to love thee
Would fill my soul with shame.
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.

When troubles dark afflict me
In sorrow and in care,
Thy light doth ever guide me
O beauteous Morning Star.
Lo, I’ll be ever ready
Thy goodly help to claim,
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
To love and bless thy name.

The saints are high in glory,
With golden crowns so bright;
But brighter far is Mary,
Upon her throne of light.
Oh that which God did give thee,
Let mortal ne’er disclaim;
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.

But in the crown of Mary,
There lies a wonderous gem,
As Queen of all the Angels,
Which Mary shares with them;
No sin hath e’er defiled thee,
So doth our faith proclaim;
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.

And now O Virgin Mary
My mother and my Queen,
I’ve sung thy praise so bless me,
And keep my heart from sin.
When others jeer and mock thee,
I’ll often think how I
To shield my Mother, Mary,
Would lay me down and die.

Verses 4, 5 and 6 omitted on image.

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MOTHER of GOD, OUR Cross, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 11 October – Mary, the Mother of God

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity –Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, the Mother of God

“St Matthew (Cf Mt 12:46-50) and St Mark (Cf Mk 3:31-35), relate how Jesus was preaching one day in Galilee, surrounded by His Apostles and by a large crowd, when a man approached and said: “Behold, thy mother and thy brethren are standing outside, seeking thee.”
“Who is my mother,” He answered, “and who are my brethren?”
Then He extended His hand towards His disciples and said: “Behold, my mother and my brethren! For whoever does the will of my Father in Heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

These words were directed at us, not at Our Lady.
Not only was she the Immaculate Mother of Jesus Christ but, she performed lovingly, on all occasions, the Will of the heavenly Father.
She did His Will, in poverty and obedience, in exile and on Mount Calvary.
Therefore, she was God’s Mother in the spiritual, as well as, in the physical sense of the word, insofar, as she was constantly united to Him by a bond of love and of conformity with His desires.

Christ’s words indicate, that Mary’s perfect and continuous acceptance of God’s Will, was even more pleasing to God, than the dignity of the divine Motherhood.

We cannot equal her in dignity but, we can imitate her in this other respect.
Jesus will look on us as His brothers and as worthy sons of Mary, if we carry out His Will in all things.
It is not always easy to do this.
It is not easy, when we are strongly tempted to commit sins of pride, anger or impurity.
It is not easy, when we are overcome by sorrow or by sickness, when we are let down or misunderstood by others, when we are in want and, when we feel that we are collapsing beneath the weight of our cross.
At times like these, we should pray for Mary’s spirit of complete acceptance of the Will of God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/11/thought-for-the-day-11-october-mary-mother-of-god/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The INCARNATION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The REDEMPTION

Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity

“Mary, having merited to give flesh
to the Divine Word
and thus, supply the price
of our redemption
that we might be delivered
from eternal death, therefore,
she is more powerful
than all others,
to help us gain eternal life.”

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

“The One Who is the Wisdom of the Father,
put His arms around her neck,
the One Who is the strength,
which gives movement to everything,
sat in her arms.
He, Who is the rest of souls, (Mt 11:29)
rested on her motherly breast.
… Filled with the Holy Spirit,
she held Him close to her heart …
She never had enough
of seeing Him or of hearing Him …
Thus Mary, grew evermore in love
and her mind was unceasingly attached ,
to Divine contemplation.”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)
Bishop (Homily on the Motherhood of Mary, 4).

“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom
of His most chaste Mother,
Christ took to Himself flesh
and united to Himself,
the spiritual Body formed
by those who were to believe in Him.
Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour
within her, may be said,
to have also carried, all those.
whose life was contained
in the life of the Saviour.
Therefore, all we who are united to Christ
and, as the Apostle says,
are members of His body,
of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30),
have issued from the womb of Mary,
like a body united to it’s head.”

St Pius X (1835-1914)
Pope from 1903 to 1914
Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11

Alma Redemptoris Mater
Loving Mother of the Redeemer
By Bl Herman of Reichenau (1013–1054)

Loving Mother of the Redeemer!
Hear thou thy people’s cry,
Star of the deep
and portal of the sky!
Mother of Him
Who thee from nothing made,
Sinking we strive
and call to thee for aid;
Oh, by that joy
which Gabriel brought to thee,
Thou Virgin first and last,
let us thy mercy see.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity – ‘ … This most prudent woman … ‘ St Bede

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity – Ecclesiasticus 24:23-31, Luke 2:43-51 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them and His mother kept all these things in her heart.” – Luke 2:51

REFLECTION – “Consider the most prudent woman Mary, Mother of true Wisdom, as the pupil of her Son. For she learned from Him, not as from a child or man but, as from God. Yes, she dwelt in meditation on His words and actions. Nothing of what was said or done by Him, fell idly on her mind. As before, when she conceived the Word itself, in her womb, so now, does she hold within her, His ways and words, cherishing them, as it were, in her heart. That which she now beholds in the present, she waits to have revealed with greater clarity, in the future. This practice she followed as a rule and law through all her life.” – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke).

PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that we, Thy suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, maybe assisted by her intercession with Thee.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 JUDGE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quotes on SALVATION

Our Morning Offering – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity

Mother of Salvation,
Blessed Lady
By Anselm (1033-1109)
Magnificent Doctor
Marian Doctor

Mother of Salvation,
Blessed Lady,
you are the Mother of Justification
and those who are justified;
the Mother of Reconciliation
and those who are reconciled;
the Mother of Salvation
and those who are saved.
What a blessed trust
and what a secure refuge!
The Mother of God is our Mother.
The Mother of the One
in Whom alone, we hope
and Whom alone, we fear,
is our Mother! …
The One Who partook of our nature
and by restoring us to life,
made us children of His Mother,
invites us by this grace, to proclaim
that we are His brothers and sisters.
Therefore, our Judge, is also our Brother.
The Saviour of the world, is our Brother.
Our God has become –
through Mary – our Brother!
Anen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The ANNUNCIATION, THE ASSUMPTION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 August – ‘… Masterpiece in whom the Creator rejoices… ‘

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 18 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Within the Octave of the Assumption – Judith 13:22-25; 13:15; 13:10, Luke 1:41-50

“Most blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” – Luke 1:42

REFLECTION – “This woman will be the Mother of God, the door to light, source of life. She will reduce to oblivion the judgement that weighed on Eve. “The rich among the people seek the face” of this woman, “the kings of the nations shall pay her homage”, they shall “offer gifts”…, yet the glory of the Mother of God is an interior glory: the fruit of her womb.

O woman, so worthy of love, thrice happy, “blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” Daughter of David the king and Mother of God, King of the universe, masterpiece in whom the Creator rejoices… thou art to be nature’s full achievement. For thou life is not thine, thou were not born for thyself alone but thou life is to be God’s. thou came into the world for Him, thou will serve for the salvation of all people, fulfilling God’s design, established from the beginning: the Incarnation of the Word and our own divinisation. Thy whole desire is to feed on the words of God, to be strengthened by their sap, like “a green olive tree in the house of God,” “like a tree planted by running water” thou ary the “tree of life” who “yielded its fruit in due season”…

He who is infinite, limitless, came to dwell in thy womb; God, the child Jesus, was nourished by thy milk. Thou art the ever-virginal doorway of God; thou hands hold thy God; thou lap is a throne raised up above the cherubim… Thou art the wedding chamber of the Spirit, the “city of the living God, gladdened by the runlets of the stream” that is to say, the waves of the Spirit’s gifts. Thou art “all fair, the Beloved” of God.” – St John Damascene (675-749) Monk, Theologian, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon on the Nativity of the Virgin 9 ).

PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech Thee, forgive the transgressions of Thy servant, and, forasmuch as by our own deeds we cannot please Thee, may we find safety through the prayers of, the Mother of Thy Son and our Lord.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 LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The INCARNATION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 July – Blessed is the womb that bore You … Luke 11:27

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 16 July – Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Ecclesiasticu, Sirach 24:23-31, Luke 11:27-28

“Blessed is the womb that bore You …”

Luke 11:27

“That anyone could doubt the right
of the holy Virgin
to be called the Mother of God,
fills me with astonishment.
Surely she must be the Mother of God,
if our Lord Jesus Christ is God
and she gave birth to Him!?”

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin and Mother!
Morning Star, perfect vessel.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Holy Temple in which God Himself was conceived.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Chaste and pure dove.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
who enclosed the One Who cannot be encompassed
in your sacred womb.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you the Conqueror
and triumphant Vanquisher of hell, came to us.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
You have saved every faithful Christian.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)

“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom
of His most chaste Mother,
Christ took to Himself flesh
and united to Himself,
the spiritual Body formed
by those who were to believe in Him.
Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour
within her, may be said,
to have also carried, all those.
whose life was contained
in the life of the Saviour.
Therefore, all we who are united to Christ
and, as the Apostle says,
are members of His body,
of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30),
have issued from the womb of Mary,
like a body united to it’s head.”

St Pius X (1835-1914)
Pope from 1903 to 1914

Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, QUEENSHIP of MARY, QUOTES on GRACE, Quotes on SALVATION, The HOLY GHOST, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 31 May – “Hail, full of grace!”- Luke 1:28

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 31 May – The Queenship of Mary – Eccli 24:5; 14:7; 14:9-11; 24:30-31, Luke 1:26-33

“Hail, full of grace!”– Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “Observe how fitting it was that even before her Assumption, the name of Mary shone forth wondrously throughout the world. Her fame spread everywhere, even before she was raised above the heavens in her magnificence. Because of the honour due her Son, it was indeed fitting, for the Virgin Mother, to have first ruled upon earth and then be raised up to Heaven in glory. It was fitting that her fame be spread in this world below, so that she might enter the heights of Heaven on overwhelming blessedness. Just as she was borne from virtue to virtue, by the Spirit of the Lord, she was transported from earthly renown, to Heavenly brightness.

So it was, that she began to taste the fruits of her future reign, while still in the flesh. At one moment she withdrew to God in ecstasy; at the next she would bend down to her neighbours with indescribable love. In Heaven Angels served her, while here on earth, she was venerated by the service of men. Gabriel and the Angels waited upon her in Heaven. The virgin John, rejoicing that the Virgin Mother was entrusted to him at the Cross, cared for her with the other Apostles here below. The Angels rejoiced to see their Queen, the Apostles rejoiced to see their lady and both obeyed her, with loving devotion.

… Therefore, when the Virgin of virgins was led forth by God and her Son, the King of kings. amid the company of exulting Angels and rejoicing Archangels, with the Heavens ringing with praise, the prophecy of the psalmist was fulfilled, in which he said to the Lord: At your right hand stands the Queen, clothed in gold of Ophir.” – St Amadeus of Lausanne O.Cist (1108-1159) Bishop (Excerpt from a Sermon on Mary)

PRAYER – Grant we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we who keep the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Queen, safe under her protection, may be worthy to have peace now and glory, in the future. 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, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 23 May – Hail, O Mary, Mother of God

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Our Morning Offering – 23 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin and Mother!
Morning Star, perfect vessel.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Holy Temple in which God Himself was conceived.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Chaste and pure dove.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
who enclosed the One, Who cannot be encompassed
in your sacred womb.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
From you flowed the true Light, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you the Conqueror
and triumphant Vanquisher of hell, came to us.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
You have saved every faithful Christian.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, MARIAN PRAYERS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUEENSHIP of MARY, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on GRACE

Our Morning Offering – 16 May – Mary, our Queen and Mother of Mercy By St Anthony of Padua

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 16 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

Mary, our Queen and Mother of Mercy
By St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Evangelical Doctor of the Church

Mary, our Queen,
Holy Mother of God,
we beg you to hear our prayer.
Make our hearts overflow with Divine grace
and resplendent with heavenly wisdom.
Render them strong with your might
and rich in virtue.
Pour down upon us the gift of mercy
so that we may obtain the pardon of our sins.
Help us to live in such a way
as to merit the glory and bliss of Heaven.
May this be granted us, by your Son Jesus
Who has exalted you above the Angels,
has crowned you as Queen,
and has seated you with Himself
forever, on his refulgent throne.
Amen.

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 14 April – Our Mother

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 April – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and Mary’s Day – Sirach 24:14 -16, John 19:25-27

“Behold, thy mother”

John 19:27

“Go to Mary and sing her praises
and you will be enlightened.
For it is through her,
that the true Light
shines on the
sea of this life.”

St Ildephonsus (607-670)

“O Mary,
you give assistance
to everyone endeavouring
to rise to God!”

St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)

“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom
of His most chaste Mother,
Christ took to Himself flesh
and united to Himself,
the spiritual Body formed
by those who were to believe in Him.
Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour
within her, may be said,
to have also carried, all those.
whose life was contained
in the life of the Saviour.
Therefore, all we,
who are united to Christ
and, as the Apostle says,
are members of His body,
of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30),
have issued from the womb of Mary,
like a body united to it’s Head.”

St Pius X (1835-1914)
Pope from 1903 to 1914

Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11

Posted in DOCTRINE, MARIAN PRAYERS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES of the SAINTS, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR

Our Morning Offering – 11 May – Mother of my God – By St Alphonsus Liguori

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Our Morning Offering – 11 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

Mother of my God,
Lady Mary, Queen of Mercy
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Mother of my God and my Lady Mary,
as a beggar, all wounded and sore,
presents himself before a great Queen,
so do I present myself before you,
who are Queen of heaven and earth.
From the lofty throne on which you sit,
disdain not, I implore you,
to cast your eyes on me,
a poor sinner.
God has made you so rich
that you might assist the poor
and has made you Queen of Mercy,
that you might relieve the miserable.
Behold me then and pity me.
Behold me and abandon me not,
until you see me changed
from a sinner into a saint.
Amen