Category: The COMMUNION of SAINTS

Posted in DOCTRINE, DOGMA, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, ON the SAINTS, PURGATORY, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, The HOLY SOULS

Thought for the Day – 6 November – The Communion of Saints and the Souls in Purgatory

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 6 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Communion of Saints
and the Souls in Purgatory

“The Communion of Saints is one of the most consoling Doctrines of our religion.
This Dogma assures us, that the Church Militant, Suffering and Triumphant, is one family, whose members are bound together by the bonds of divine charity.
As the Saints in Heaven love and pray for us and for the Souls in Purgatory, so the suffering souls love and intercede for us and so, we should love and pray for them too.
This is a triple harmony of love and prayer, a hymn which rises to the throne of God, from our place of pilgrimage, from the region of expiation, where the separated souls are aflame with the desire to be united with their Creator and from the joyful choirs of Heaven.
The result is the pouring of divine grace on ourselves and on the Souls in Purgatory.

The souls of the dead, therefore, whether they are among the blessed in Heaven, or are expiating their sins in Purgatory, are united to us in that they love us and pray for us.
Between them and us, there is a real but invisible link, an exchange of thought, of affections and of prayer.
There are all the elements of a true and lasting friendship.

This is a very consoling realisation.
We have not lost our dear ones, who have gone to God.
They are looking down on us, thinking of us and waiting for us.
We, in our turn, can think of them, love them still and pray for them, always.

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on PRAYER, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, The LORD'S PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 17 June – The “Our Father”

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Thought for the Day – 17 Juner– Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The “Our Father”

“Our Lord exhorted His disciples on many occasions to pray often and with confidence, if they wished to be heard.
Everything which they asked His heavenly Father, in His name, He said, they would obtain.
Ask, He said and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you.
Finally, He insisted that we ought to pray and never to give up.
In other words, life can be a continuous prayer if we offer to God all our thoughts, words and actions.

The ideal Christian prayer is to do the will of God at all times from the motive of pure love.
The Apostles, however, who had not made that much progress in the spiritual life, asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (Lk 11:1).
It was then that Our Lord composed the most beautiful of prayer, the “Our Father” (Mt 6:9-13).
When we recite it, we speak to God, in the words of Jesus Christ Himself and unite our weak voices, with the powerful voice of the Son of God!
We address the Eternal God, moreover, by the name of Father.
Even in the Old Testament, God is often referred to in this way.
Then, however, He figured as the Father of the chosen people, whereas now, He is the Father of all.
He is our Father, the Father of all mankind and of all races, whom He has willed to redeem from the slavery of sin.
The term “Our Father” has taken on a new and fuller meaning.
Our weak prayer becomes united to that of Jesus, our first-born Brother and to the prayers of the Apostles, Martyrs, Virgins and Confessors, who form and have formed, throughout the centuries, the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the Church.
We need no longer feel that we are on our own, for through the Communion of Saints, our entreaties are joined to those of the entire Church, militant, suffering and triumphant.
We can be confident, therefore, that our prayer will be heard!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE, The LORD'S PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 18 October – The “Our Father”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 18 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The “Our Father”

“Our Lord exhorted His disciples on many occasions to pray often and with confidence, if they wished to be heard.
Everything which they asked His heavenly Father, in His name, He said, they would obtain.
Ask, He said and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you.
Finally, He insisted that we ought to pray and never to give up.
In other words, life can be a continuous prayer if we offer to God all our thoughts, words and actions.

The ideal Christian prayer is to do the will of God at all times from the motive of pure love.
The Apostles, however, who had not made that much progress in the spiritual life, asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (Lk 11:1).
It was then that Our Lord composed the most beautiful of prayer, the “Our Father” (Mt 6:9-13).
When we recite it, we speak to God, in the words of Jesus Christ Himself and unite our weak voices, with the powerful Voice of the Son of God.
We address the Eternal God, moreover, by the name of Father.
Even in the Old Testament, God is often referred to in this way.
Then, however, He figured as the Father of the chosen people, whereas now, He is the Father of all.
He is our Father, the Father of all mankind and of all races, whom He has willed to redeem from the slavery of sin.
The term “Our Father” has taken on a new and fuller meaning.
Our weak prayer becomes united to that of Jesus, our first-born Brother and to the prayers of the Apostles, Martyrs, Virgins and Confessors, who form and have formed, throughout the centuries, the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the Church.
We need no longer feel that we are on our own, for through the Communion of Saints, our entreaties are joined to those of the entire Church Militant, Suffering and Triumphant.
We can be confident, therefore, that our prayer will be heard!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Thanksgiving Novena and Preparation for the Canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thanksgiving Novena
and Preparation for the
Canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

The Journey to Sainthoodannouncing the novena with newman in prep and thanksgiving begins 4 oct 2019.jpg

“I have a part in this great work, I am a link in a chain.”

I know there are some of you, “Newmanites”  here with me.   So let us join our prayerful hands,  with those faithful, all over the world, who are preparing to celebrate the Canonisation of Blessed John Henry Newman on Sunday 13 October. This is a time of special grace for us to form links in a great chain of prayer, where we call upon the soon-to-be-Saint to crown our prayers with his intercession in heaven.

I encourage you to become part of this chain by joining in the Novena with Newman – nine days of prayerful preparation for the Canonisation, starting on tomorrow, Friday 4 October and finishing on Saturday 12 October on the eve of the Canonisation.

The novena highlights each day an aspect of Newman’s character – an example of humility, child of Mary, priest of God’s altar, man of prayer, guardian of conscience, counsellor of converts, educator of the laity, servant of the Church, and model of friendship.   These meditations by the new saint will lead us to a more personal loving conversation with God.   They can be a very good preparation for his Canonisation and ultimately for heaven, calling to mind that we are on a journey to God.   We can also simply say – Saint Newman, help me from heaven to better follow and love our Lord Jesus Christ.

Each day of the Novena includes an intention, an extract from his writings, a decade of the rosary and the Novena prayer.

Let us Pray:
Saint John Henry Newman, Pray for Us!

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MARTYRS, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, YouTube VIDEOS

Thought for the Day – 9 July – “that they be one,”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 9 July – The Memorial of Saints St Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, Martyrs of China (Died 1648–1930)

“This past Christmas, Catholics in China rejoiced, despite the ongoing tensions between the “underground” and state-recognised church.   For the first time in more than six decades, the faithful openly celebrated as one flock, the incarnation of the eternal Word. For the Catholic community in the Middle Kingdom, Christ’s prayer made in agony, “that they be one,” was finally realised.

The quest for unity in the Chinese Catholic Church has been a long one.   The current phase can be traced to the 1950s, when Chairman Mao Zedong closed all churches and the “underground” church developed.   In the late 1970s, when the government established the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (C.C.P.A.), the underground church was invited to come under government registration.   Some of the faithful and members of the clergy accepted.   Many did not.   With a new agreement between the Vatican and China on the appointment of bishops, the Catholic Church in China has entered a new era.

It is true that the September 2018 accord between Beijing and the Vatican entails significant structural and political challenges and risks but untold hours of the difficult work of dialogue, by many players from both the underground and the registered church—especially in recent decades—have left the church in a better position to navigate the challenges to come.

…One of the most esteemed priests from the unregistered church, Father Luo Wen, made a plea for unity to his brother priests and faithful during a convocation of priests last December:  “This is about our faith, not about our opinion or even principles….Faithfulness to the church was the reason we went underground.   The same reason, faithfulness, is why we now embrace the accord.”   This perspective is shared by Bishop Guo himself, who said, “The main purpose of our work is to try to preserve the integrity of our faith, not the pursuit of our rights or personal honour when obedience and humility are at stake.””

(Excerpt – Article 21 March 2019 by John A Worthley, America Magazine)

This Video is well worth watching.   It gives a balanced and encompassing view of the situation in the Church in China.

St Augustine Xhao Rong and all the Martyrs of China,
Pray for the Church in China, Pray for Us All!st augustine zhao rong martyrs of china pray for us 9 july 2019 no 2.jpg

Posted in MORNING Prayers, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, SAINT of the DAY, The COMMUNION of SAINTS, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – – 1 November – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 5:1–12 – The Solemnity of All the Saints

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One Minute Reflection – – 1 November – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 5:1–12 – The Solemnity of All the Saints

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”...Matthew 5:12

REFLECTION – “The first two days of the month of November constitute for all of us an intense moment of faith, prayer and reflection on the “last things” of life.   Today we praise God for the countless host of saints from all ages, simple and ordinary men and women, who were at times “last” for the world, but “first” for God.   At the same time we remember our departed loved ones by visiting the cemeteries, it is a source of great consolation to think that they are in the company of the Virgin Mary, the apostles, the martyrs and all the saints of Heaven!

We, here on earth, along with those who have entered into eternity, form one great family and it is comforting to know, that there are other brothers and sisters, who have already reached heaven, who await us and pray for us, so that together in eternity we can contemplate the glorious and merciful face of the Father.

In the great assembly of saints, God wanted to reserve the first place for the Mother of Jesus.   Mary is at the centre of the communion of saints, as the singular custodian of the bond between the universal Church and Christ, of the bond of the family.   She is Mother, She is our Mother, our Mother.   For those who want to follow Jesus on the path of the Gospel, she is a trusted guide because she is the first disciple.   She is an attentive and caring Mother, to whom we can entrust every desire and difficulty.”…Pope Francis – Angelus, 1 November 2014we, matthew 5 12 - rejoice and be glad - here on earth - pope francis - 1 nov 2018

PRAYER – Father, All-Powerful and ever-living God, today we rejoice in the holy men and women of every time and place.   May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love. Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, our trusted guide and loving mother and all you holy Saints of the Church Triumphant, pray for us!   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.mother mary trusted guide pray for us 1 nov 2018holy-saints-in-heaven-pray-for-us-no-2-1-nov-2018