Category: The FLIGHT into EQYPT

Posted in "Follow Me", FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on TRUTH, St Francis de Sales, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 August – If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me …

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 10 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Lawrence (Died 258) Martyr, “Keeper of the Treasures of he Church” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; John 12:24-26 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“If it dies, it produces much fruit.”

John 12:24

“If anyone serves Me,
he must follow Me
and where I Am,
there will My servant be too.”

John 12:26

“The present is nothing.
But eternity abides
for those on whom
all Truth, all Good, has shone,
in One Entire and Perfect Light. ”

St Paulinus of Nola (c354-431)

“Destroy yourself completely
and sit, like a chick,
content with the grace of God,
for unless its mother gives it something,
it tastes nothing and has nothing to eat.”

St Romuald (c951-1027)

“Our greatest fault is, that
we wish to serve God in our way,
not in His way — according to our will,
not according to His Will….
To be truly a Saint, it is necessary
to be one according to the Will of God.”

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

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, Meditations on ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, St JOSEPH, The FLIGHT into EQYPT

Thought for the Day – 18 March – St Joseph’s Sixth Sorrow

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 18 March – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

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

18th Day – St Joseph’s Sixth Sorrow
Finding that Archelaus reigned in Judæa

+1. When the appointed time was come , St Joseph received the joyful news – the Holy Family could at length return from their place of exile. An Angel appeared to him by night and informed him that Herod was dead and he might safely return into the land of Israel. But when he arrived there, he found the tyrant had been succeeded by his son,
Archelaus and that Judæa, over which he held sway, was, therefore, no safe abode for Jesus and Mary. What a bitter disappointment it must have been!

+2. It seems as if St Joseph had been deceived by Almighty God. He was encouraged to return and now, he found the place of the dead king was occupied by a son, who was not much better than his father Yet, no thought of discontent was harboured in St Joseph’s heart, not the faintest murmur of complaint escaped his lips. His was the true obedience – blind, confiding, unreasoning, uncomplaining obedience
to the Will of God.
Can I say the same of myself?

+3. Observe St Joseph’s prudence. He might have said that the command to return was a guarantee of safety, from Almighty God.
In spite of this, he took the most extreme natural precautions, going far away from the place of danger. He knew that God requires us to use all natural means to gain our ends and, if we neglect them, we cannot reasonably trust to the supernatural intervention of God on our behalf.

Posted in MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, Meditations on ST JOSEPH, St JOSEPH, The FLIGHT into EQYPT

Thought for the Day – 16 March – St Joseph’s Fifth Sorrow

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 16 March – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

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

16th Day – St Joseph’s Fifth Sorrow
The Flight into Egypt

+I. One night, as Joseph slept, a vision came before his eyes. He saw an Angel who bade him rise and take the Child Jesus and HisMother and fly into Egypt. Without a moment’s delay, he rose quickly, called Our Lady, put together what was necessary for the journey and started ere dawn appeared, in the sky. His heart was torn with sorrow but, like a true son of obedience, he hesitated not for a single moment but accepted all, as coming from God.

+2. Long and perilous was the journey, many were the sufferings of the Holy Family. Perils in the desert perils from the robbers who beset the road, perils from the wild beasts, perils from exposure to the sun by day and to the cold by night. Sorrowful indeed was St Joseph’s heart, as he trudged on day-by-day, leading the ass upon which Our Lady rode. S orrowful not for his own sake but because of the anxiety he felt for the safety of the precious treasure committed to him. Sorrowful at the thought of all they were suffering and would suffer, during their exile.

+3. At last, they arrived at the destination God had fixed for them and here, St Joseph earned a scanty livelihood day-by-day, by his trade as a carpenter. How uncongenial was all around them! They were among those who knew not the true God, among their old oppressors in Egypt, among idolaters and pagans. No murmur ever escaped St Joseph’s lips; he was willing to wait in Egypt, as long as God pleased.
Do I submit with blind obedience to all God commands through my superiors or the arrangement of His Providence, without murmuring or complaining?

Posted in JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SELF-DISTRUST, St JOSEPH, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY INFANCY, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 22 January – “The Arrival in Palestine”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 22 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for AChristmastide
“The Holy Infancy”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“The Arrival in Palestine”

+1. When Joseph with Mary and her Divine Son arrived in their own land, his first thought was to turn to Bethlehem and to dwell in peace where he had dwelt so peaceably before. But to his sorrow he learned that the son of the impious Herod was ruling in his father’s place.
He was not going to expose, to any risk, the treasure committed to him and at once, he determined to turn his steps elsewhere.
Notice his prudence and beware of running any risk with the treasures of grace which God has committed to you. One serious sin will lose them all.

+2. Whither should he go? It was all one to St Joseph, as long as he went where God sent him. He was quite as ready to go to Nazareth as anywhere else, if God directed his steps .
This should be my disposition, to be ready to go anywhere and live in any place, where God may send me.

+3. How did St Joseph decide where he was to dwell? By prayer and by good counsel. He asked of God to turn his steps whither He Willed and he also did not neglect the rules of human prudence.
This is St. Ignatius’ advice:
(1) Act with prudence but never forget to consult God.
(2) While you trust all to God, do not lose sight of the importance of using natural means.

Posted in JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY INFANCY

Thought for the Day – 21 January – “The Return Home”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 21 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Christmastide
“The Holy Infancy”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“The Return Home”

+1. At length , when it seemed as if God had almost forgotten His well-beloved Son, the summons came to return to the land of Israel An Angel appeared to Joseph with the welcome news – those who had sought the life of Jesus were dead and, therefore, they might go back in safety.
Those who are willing to wait, are sure to obtain their desires. It is impatience and the restless desire for immediate relief which leads to so many disappointments. In the things of God, as in all else, it is those who wait, who win.

+2. How full of joy were the hearts of Joseph and Mary as they neared, once more, their native land! Like all the Saints, they had an intense love for their Country , their people and their home.
Holy indifference does not mean that we have no natural affections for kindred and for fatherland,but that, those affections are entirely subordinate to the Will of God .

+3. If the people of Egypt knew not that their God was dwelling among them, they did know that they had, had amongst them, those who were the special friends of God. Mary and Joseph had endeared themselves to all around by their gentleness, charity, patience courtesy, humility, and thoughtful kindness to all.
To these then, how terrible a grief was the departure of the Holy Family.
Do I endear myself to those among whom I live?

Posted in JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY INFANCY, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 20 January – “The Long Waiting”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 20 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Christmastide
“The Holy Infancy”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“The Long Waiting”

+I. For seven long years the Holy Family remained in the land of Egypt . From day-to-day, they knew not whether they were to spend all their days in banishment, far from the dear land of Israel, or to return thither it might be on the morrow; yet, no shade of impatience ever marred the perfection of their peace and resignation to the Will of God.
How different from myself, who am oftentimes so anxious and troubled about the future!

+2. During all this time, St Joseph supported his holy spouse and the Divine Infant Jesus, by working at his trade of a carpenter. They often felt the pinch of poverty but never wanted for bread.
God forsakes not His own, though He sometimes tries them to the very edge of their powers of endurance. He will not forsake me if I put my trust in Him.

+3. How little the people of Egypt knew Who it was Who dwelt ,for these long years, amongst them! If they had known it , they would eagerly have cast aside their idols , and thrown themselves at the feet of the King of Heaven and Earth.
So, if those outside the Catholic Church knew that on every Altar God Himself dwells in the Blessed Sacrament how they would come in crowds to make their humble submission to Him!
Hence teach the great charity to those outside the Church of Christ. It is often ignorance, not malice whicht stands in the way of their conversion.

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on WATCHING, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The HOLY INFANCY

Thought for the Day – 18 January – “The Perils of the Way”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 18 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Christmastide
“The Holy Infancy”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“The Perils of the Way”

+1. Out into the darkness of the night went Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Can these homeless wanderers really be the three whose value in the eyes of Heaven, made all the rest of the world insignificant as a grain of sand, compared with a Cntinent? Yes, this is God’s way of treating those whom He loves best!
Herod , in his luxurious palace, is feasting and revelling in luxury and ease whilst Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are outcasts from their home, shivering in the cold and stormy night.
How foolish then,, to desire ease and comfort or to regret the hardships and disagreeable event which befall me!

+2. Whither were they going To Egypt, along an unknown road to a distant and idolatrous Country; not knowing the way, not knowing how they should find subsistence from day to day.
What was the trial of Abraham compared with this? He went forth with an escort of servants and camels and with tents and a store of good things for the way; the Divine Son of God and His Parents, empty -handed and alone. Compassionate the Holy Family in their sufferings along the way.

+3. What were those sufferings?
Often, they knew not where to lay their heads and had to sleep under the starry sky. Often, they had to beg their bread. Sometimes, they were in danger from the rough bandits who infested the road. Sometimes, the wild beasts howled around them.
This is a model of the life of the Christian – sometimes, deprived of all spiritual sustenance and of all human consolation; sometimes, fiercely attacked by men, sometimes, by evil passions and the rage of Satan; yet, always safe under the watchful care of God!
[Amen – thank be to Thee my God!]

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, St JOSEPH, The DIVINE INFANT, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The HOLY INFANCY

Thought for the Day – 17 January – “Joseph’s Obedience”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 17 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Christmastide
“The Holy Infancy”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“Joseph’s Obedience”

+1. No such questioning as we have supposed in our previous meditation ever occurred to St Joseph’s mind. His duty, his pleasure, was to hear and to obey. Not a moment did he lose. He roused his virgin-spouse and told her what they had to do and ere morning dawned, they had left Bethlehem far behind.

+2. Yet there was no hurry or bustle or undue haste in the preparations they made; no rushing to and fro, no impatience, not a movement but such as was calm and deliberate, modest and dignified. It is one of the marks of sanctity to have thus, under control, every look and every
action.
How can I stand this test When time presses, or my indignation is aroused, or my patience tried, am I gentle and peaceful and calm?

+3. Observe, moreover, how there is not a single word of complaint or of grumbling, no expression of annoyance or word of mutual commiseration. Each seeks to lighten the work of the other. How cheerful both Mary and Joseph
are Almost joyous. It is a trial; yes but, more for the sake of the Divine Child than for their own. Even the thought of what Jesus may have to suffer never destroys their peace.
O happy Joseph! O blessed Mary! make me more like
youselves!

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, The DIVINE INFANT, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The HOLY INFANCY

Thought for the Day – 16 January – “The Angel’s Warning”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 16 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

Meditations for Christmastide
“The Holy Infancy”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

“The Angel’s Warning”

One night when Joseph was peacefully sleeping in Bethlehem, an Angel’s voice aroused him from his slumbers and he saw before him ,one of the Messengers of the Most High, who said : “Arise and take the young Child and His Mother and fly into the land of Egypt, for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
Hence observe:

+1. That God’s ways are so different from ours.
We should have expected that He would exert His Divine Power on behalf of His Only- Begotten Son and that Herod’s soldiers would be struck with blindness on the road, or would somehow fail to discover where Jesus was, or perhaps would come and fall prostrate at the Feet of the newborn King.
How different the course enjoined by the Angel! Apparently so clumsy a way of saving Jesus from His enemies!
Yet such are God’s ways – clumsy in the eyes of men. What strange presumption it is that I should criticise the Divine arrangements as I sometimes do – even now!

+2. That the conditions of safety seemed so unnecessarily difficult.
Why to Egypt – a pagan land, the very name of which was a synonym for bondage and misery. Was this the only way to preserve the Life of the Son of God?
To all this one answer – it was God’s Will and that was enough.

+3. But after all. it was but a vision of the night, perhaps a dream or a mere subjective fancy.
Could anything so wild and imprudent come from God To all this one answer again – I know the message came from God and I cannot and will not, evade the Divine command.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

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

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

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, INGRATITUDE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The DIVINE INFANT, THE EPIPHANY of the LORD, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 January – ‘For they are dead who sought the life of the Child.’ Matthew 2:20

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 5 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”– Vigil of the Epiphany – Galatians 4:1-7, Matthew 2:19-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Arise and take the Child and His Mother and go into the land of Israel. For they are dead who sought the life of the Child.” – Matthew 2:20

REFLECTION – “My dear Jesus, Thou art the King of Heaven
but now I behold Thee as an Infant wandering over the earth –
tell me, whom dost Thou seek?
I pity Thee when I see Thee, so poor and humbled but I pity Thee more when I see Thee treated with such ingratitude by the same men whom Thou came to save. Thou dost weep but I also weep because I have been one of those, who in times past, have despised and persecuted Thee. But now I value Thy grace more than all the kingdoms of the world; forgive me, O my Jesus, all the evil I have committed against Thee and permit me to carry Thee always in my heart during the journey of my life to eternity, even as Mary carried Thee in her arms during the flight into [and return from] Egypt.” – St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church”

PRAYER – O Almighty and everlasting God, do Thou order all our actions in conformity with Thy good pleasure that through the name of Thy well-beloved Son, we may worthily abound in all good works. 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 "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on the ANTI-christ, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 2 December – St Chromatius of Aquileia

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 2 December – The Memorial of St Chromatius of Aquileia (Died c 407) Bishop of Aquileia, Theologian, Exegete, Writer and friend of Saints Ambrose and Jerome, defender of Saint John Chrysostom.

Let us pray to the Lord with all our heart
and with all our faith, let us pray to Him
to deliver us from all enemy incursions,
from all fear of adversaries. …
The Lord will fight to defend you
and you will be silent.
It is He who fights,
it is He who wins the victory….
And so that He may condescend to do so,
we must pray as much as possible.
He Himself said, in fact,
through the mouth of the prophet –
Call on Me on the day of tribulation;
I will set you free and you will give Me glory.

“However, in the allegorical or mystical sense,
this woman prefigured the Church,
which offered the full and entire devotion
of it’s faith to Christ …
There are twelve ounces to a pound
and this is the amount of perfume
the Church possesses, having received
the teaching of the twelve Apostles,
as if it were a precious perfume.
Indeed, what more precious
is there, than the Apostles’ teaching,
which contains both faith in Christ
and the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven? ”

“No man lights a candle
and puts it in a hidden place,
nor under a bushel but upon a candlestick,
that they who come in, may see the light.”

Luke 11:33

“If we fail to live in the Light,
we shall, to our condemnation
and that of others,
be veiling over and obscuring,
by our infidelity, the Light men so desperately need.
As we know from Scripture,
the man who received the talent
should have made it produce a heavenly profit
but instead, he preferred to hide it away
rather than put it to work
and was punished as he deserved.
Consequently, that brilliant Lamp
which was lit for the sake of our salvation
should always shine in us.
For we have the lamp
of the heavenly commandments
and spiritual grace, to which David referred:
Your law is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

St Chromatius of Aquileia (Died c 407)
Father of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, JESUIT SJ, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 18 February – ETERNAL LIFE

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 18 February – “Month of the Most Blessed Trinity” – Septuagesima Weekday

ETERNAL LIFE

“And everyone who has left house,
or brethren, or sisters, or father,
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands
for my name’s sake,
shall receive a hundredfold
and shall possess life everlasting.”

Matthew 19:29

“He seemed to me,
a very foolish man
and very wretched,
who will not increase
his understanding
while he is in the world
and ever with
and long to reach
that endless life,
where all shall be made clear.”

St Alfred the Great (849-899)
King

“Eternal life flows
from this Sacrament
because God,
with all sweetness,
pours Himself out
upon the blessed.”

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

“We must make our way towards eternity,
never regarding what men think of us,
or of our actions,
studying only to please God.”

St Francis Borgia SJ (1510-1572)

“By giving yourself to God,
you not only receive Himself in exchange
but, eternal life as well!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“On the journey of this life to eternity,
let me carry You in my heart,
following Mary’s example,
who bore You in her arms,
during the flight to Egypt.”

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

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The DIVINE INFANT, The FLIGHT into EQYPT

Quote of the Day – 17 February – The Flight

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 17 February – Feast of the Flight into Egypt

“My dear Jesus, Thou art the King of Heaven
but now I behold Thee as an Infant
wandering over the earth –
tell me whom dost Thou seek?
I pity Thee when I see Thee, so poor and humbled
but I pity Thee more when I see Thee
treated with such ingratitude
by the same men whom Thou came to save.
Thou dost weep but I also weep
because I have been one of those
who in times past have despised
and persecuted Thee.
But now I value Thy grace
more than all the kingdoms of the world;
forgive me, O my Jesus,
all the evil I have committed against Thee
and permit me to carry Thee always in my heart
during the journey of my life to eternity,
even as Mary carried Thee in her arms
during the flight into Egypt.”

By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Doctor of the Church

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The DIVINE INFANT, The FLIGHT into EQYPT

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

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

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

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The FLIGHT into EQYPT

The Flight into Egypt, Our Lady of Constantinople, Bari, Turkey (566) and Memorials of the Saints – 17 February

Posted on by AnaStpaul

The Flight into Egypt (year 1)- 17 February:

It was on the seventeenth of February, fifty five days after the Nativity of Jesus, when King Herod’s soldiers — sent to slaughter all little boys in Bethlehem and its neighbourhood who were two years old or under, in order to destroy a rival King, Jesus — were getting perilously near the cave at Bethlehem, where at first they little expected Our Lord to be. Saint Joseph received a message from God through an Angel, whereupon he took Our Lady and the Divine Infant and set off leaving the land of the Jews to travel to a land of the Gentiles. They took no-one with them, by way of servants or friends, as Saint Peter Chrysologus tells us.

The Town to which the Holy Family fled was called Fostat. It was three hundred miles from Bethlehem. A Church has been erected there, on the site of the house where the Holy Family lived during their exile. The little Town where the Holy Family lived in Egypt was not far from Heliopolis, a City in which — when Jesus, Mary and Joseph passed through it — statues of pagan gods crashed to the ground. Both Fostat and Heliopolis are not far from Cairo in Egypt.

Our Lady of Constantinople, Bari, Turkey (566) – 17 February:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/17/our-lady-of-constantinople-bari-turkey-566-and-memorials-of-the-saints-17-february/

St Alexis Falconieri OSM (Died 1310) – One of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/17/saint-of-the-day-17-february-saint-alexis-falconieri-13th-century-1310/

St Antoni Leszczewicz
St Bartholomew degli Amidei – One of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites.
St Benedict dell’Antella – One of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites.
St Benedict of Cagliari
St Buonfiglio Monaldi – One of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites.
St Bonosus of Trier
St Constabilis of Cava OSB (c 1070-1124) Abbot
St Donatus the Martyr
Bl Elisabetta Sanna
St Evermod of Ratzeburg
St Faustinus the Martyr
St Finan of Iona

St Fintan of Clonenagh (c 524 – 603) Abbot, “Father of the Irish Monks,” disciple of St Columba of Iona. Fintan was granted the gifts of prophecy and miracles.
St Fintan’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/02/17/saint-of-the-day-17-february-saint-fintan-of-clonenagh-c-524-603-father-of-the-irish-monks/

St Flavian of Constantinople
St Fortchern of Trim
St Gherardino Sostegni – One of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites.
St Guevrock
St Habet-Deus
St Hugh dei Lippi-Uguccioni – One of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites.
St John Buonagiunta Monetti – One of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites.
St Julian of Caesarea
St Loman of Trim

Blessed Luke Belludi OFM (c 1200- c 1285) Friar of the Order of Friars Minor, companion of St Anthony of Padua on his travels, miracle-woker, founder of convents.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/02/17/saint-of-the-day-17-february-blessed-luke-belludi-ofm-c-1200-c-1285/

St Lupiano
Bl Martí Tarrés Puigpelat
St Mesrop the Teacher
St Petrus Yu Chong-nyul
St Polychronius of Babylon
St Romulus the Martyr
St Secundian the Martyr
St Silvinus of Auchy
St Theodulus of Caesarea
Bl William Richardson

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The FLIGHT into EQYPT, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 December – ‘I see You in the likeness of a child, wandering in exile.’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 29 December – Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the Fifth Day of the Christmas Octave, Readings: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14, Psalm 128:1-5, Colossians 3:12-21, Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. … Matthew 2:14joseph rose and took the child and his mother - matthew 2 14.jpg

REFLECTION – “An angel appeared in a dream to Joseph and warned him that Herod was seeking the Child Jesus’ life:  “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt”.   Jesus had hardly been born before he was being persecuted to the death. (…)  Joseph obeyed the angel’s voice without delay and warned his holy wife.   He took such poor tools as he could carry so that he might have the wherewithal to carry on his work in Egypt and have something with which to maintain his little family.   Mary, for her part, gathered together in a bundle the necessary linen for her divine son, then, going to the cradle where He was lying, she went down on her knees, kissed the feet of her beloved child and, weeping tears of tenderness, said to Him:  “Oh my son and my God, You have come into the world to save humankind yet You have scarcely been born and they seek to kill You!”   Then she took Him in her arms and, as they wept, the holy couple shut the door and set out through the night. (…)

Beloved Jesus, You are the king of heaven and now I see You in the likeness of a child, wandering in exile.   Tell me, who are You looking for?   I am moved with compassion when I see Your poverty and humiliation.   But what distresses me, even more deeply, is the complete ingratitude with which I see You being treated by the very ones You came to save.   You weep and I weep too for being one of those who have despised and persecuted You.   Yet know, that I would now prefer Your grace to all the kingdoms of the world.

Forgive me all the harm I have caused You.   On the journey of this life to eternity, let me carry You in my heart, following Mary’s example, who bore You in her arms during the flight to Egypt.   Beloved Redeemer, I have often cast You out of my soul but now, I trust You have repossessed it.   I beseech You, bind it closely to Yourself with the sweet bonds of Your love.” … St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop and Doctor of the Church – Meditations for the Octave of the Epiphany, no. 3on the journey of this life to eternity - st alphonsus liguori 29 dec 2019 holy family feast no 2

PRAYER – O Most merciful Infant Jesus, I give You thanks for all that You suffered for me. O my sweetest Love, I am sorry that I have offended You.   I desire to be always faithful in Your service.   Fill my heart with Your love.   O Mary, grant that I may belong entirely to you and your Son, Jesus. Amen – St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)holy family pray for us 29 dec 2019.jpg