Category: The GOOD SHEPHERD

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOMINICAN OP, QUOTES on TRUTH, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY SPIRIT, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 May – ‘ … The Holy Ghost is the Doorkeeper… because all Truth. understood and expressed, comes from Him…’

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One Minute Reflection – 30 May – “Pentecost Tuesday – Acts 8:14-17, John 10:1-10 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Door. By Me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved and he shall go in and go out and shall find pastures.” – John 10:9

REFLECTION – “I am the Door of the sheep” our Lord says He is the Door of the sheepfold. Now what is this sheepfold, the pen into which Christ is the Door? It is the Father’s Heart, into which and of which, Christ, Who has unsealed and opened for us, the Heart hitherto closed to humankind, is indeed our most lovable Door. All the Saints are gathered inside this fold. The Shepherd is the eternal Word; the Door, the humanity of Christ – by the sheep in this house, we understand human souls. But Angels, too, belong to the sheepfold… the Holy Ghost is the Doorkeeper… because all Truth, understood and expressed, comes from Him…

O with what love and goodness He opens the Door of the Father’s Heart to us and grants us access, unceasingly, to the hidden treasure, the inmost dwelling places and all the wealth, of this house! No-one could imagine or comprehend, how welcoming God is, always ready to receive, yes, longing and thirsting to do so and how He precedes us at every moment and each hour… O my children, how obstinately deaf we remain, to this loving invitation… so often we refuse Him our acceptance of this invitation! How many of the Holy Ghost’s summons and appeals are repulsed; we refuse them on the grounds of all kinds of things here below. So often we want something else and not the place God where wants us!” – Fr Johnnes Tauler OP (c1300-1361) Dominican Friar, renowned Preacher and Theologian , leaving us more than 80 sermons. (Sermon 27, 3rd for Pentecost).

PRAYER – Let the power of the Holy Ghost be present within us, O Lord, graciously to cleanse our hearts and to guard us from all harm. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the same Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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Quote/s of the Day –23 April – The Good Shepherd

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Quote/s of the Day –23 April –The Second Sunday after Easter – 1 Peter 2:21-25, John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Those who are My sheep
hear My Voice
and follow Me”

John 10:27

“I am like the sick sheep which strays
from the rest of the flock.
Unless the Good Shepherd
takes me on His shoulders
and carries me back to His fold,
my steps will falter
and, in the very effort of rising,
my feet will give way!”

St Jerome (343-420)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“With good reason Christ declares:
I am the Good Shepherd,
I seek out the lost sheep,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal (Ez 34:16).
I have seen the flock of mankind
struck down by sickness;
I have witnessed my lambs
wander about where demons dwell;
I have seen my flock ravaged by wolves.
All this I have seen
and have not witnessed it from on high.
That is why I took hold of the withered hand,
gripped by pain, as if by a wolf;
I have unbound those whom fever had bound;
I taught him to see,
whose eyes had been shut from his mother’s womb;
I brought Lazarus out from the tomb
where he had lain for four days (Mk 3:5; 1:31; Jn 9; 11).
For I am the Good Shepherd
and the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.”

Basil of Seleucia (Died 448)
Bishop of Seleucia, Writer
Oratio 26

“Christ said that the shepherd
enters through the gate
and that He is Himself the Gate,
as well as the Shepherd.
Then, it is necessary,
that He enter through Himself.
By so doing, He reveals Himself
and through Himself, He knows the Father.
But we enter through Him
because through Him. we find happiness.”

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

“Those with pride
are not Christ’s sheep
but the devil’s goats!”

St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on TRUTH, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 23 April – “I am the Good Shepherd and I know Mine and Mine know Me.”- John 10:14

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One Minute Reflection – 23 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” –The Second Sunday after Easter and the Memorial os St George (Died c 303) Martyr – 1 Peter 2:21-25, John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Good Shepherd and I know Mine and Mine know Me.”- John 10:14

REFLECTION – “I am the good shepherd. I know My Own—by which I mean, I love them—and My Own know Me. In plain words – those who love Me are willing to follow Me, for anyone who does not love the Truth, has not yet come to know it.

My dear brethren, you have heard the test we shepherds have to undergo. Turn now to consider, how these words of our Lord, imply a test for yourselves also. Ask yourselves whether you belong to His flock, whether you know Him, whether the Light of His Truth shines in your minds. I assure you that it is not by faith that you will come to know Him but, by love, not by mere conviction but, by action. John the Evangelist is my authority, for this statement. He tells us that anyone who claims to know God, without keeping His commandments, is a liar.

Consequently, the Lord immediately adds: ‘As the Father knows Me and I know the Father and I lay down My life for My sheep.‘ Clearly, He means that laying down His life for His sheep, gives evidence of His knowledge of the Father and the Father’s knowledge of Him. In other words, by the love with which He dies for His sheep, He shows, how greatly He loves His Father.

Again He says: ‘My sheep hear My voice and I know them; they follow Me,and I give them eternal life.’ Shortly before this He had declared – ‘If anyone enters the sheepfold through Me, he shall be saved, he shall go freely in and out and shall find good pasture.‘ He will enter into a life of faith; from faith, he will go out to vision, from belief to contemplation and will graze in the good pastures of everlasting life.

So our Lord’s sheep will finally reach their grazing ground, where all who follow Him in simplicity of heart, will feed on the green pastures of eternity. These pastures are the spiritual joys of Heaven. There, the elect look upon the Face of God with unclouded vision and feast at the banquet of life, forever more.

Beloved brothers, let us set out for these pastures ,where we shall keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow citizens. May the thought of their happiness urge us on! Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith and long eagerly for what Heaven has in store for us. To love thus, is to be already on our way. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that heavenly feast. Anyone who is determined to reach his destination, is not deterred by the roughness of the road that leads to it. Nor must we allow the charm of success to seduce us, or we shall be like a foolish traveller who is so distracted by the pleasant meadows through which he is passing that he forgets where he is going.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Bishop of Rome and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Sermon 14).

PRAYER – O God, Who dost gladden us through the worthy deeds and prayers of thy blessed Martyr George, mercifully grant that all they, who seek Thy mercy through him, may effectually obtain the gift of Thy grace. 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).

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Our Morning Offering – 17 April – Guide Me Lord By St Albert the Great

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Our Morning Offering – 17 April – “The Month of the Resurrection” –Monday in the Second Week of Easter

Guide Me Lord
By St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Who seeks those who stray
and receives them when returning,
make me approach Thee
through the frequent hearing of Thy Word,
lest I sin against my neighbour,
by the blindness of human judgement,
through the austerity of false justice,
through comparing his inferior status,
through too much trust in my merits
or through ignorance of the Divine Judgement.
Guide me to search diligently,
each corner of my conscience,
lest the flesh dominate the spirit!
Amen

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, ROSARY QUOTES, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The SECOND COMING

Quote/s of the Day – 5 April – St Vincent Ferrer

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 April – St Vincent Ferrer OP (1350-1419) Confessor, called “The Angel of the Apocalypse” and of “The Last Judgement” and the “Mouthpiece of God.”

“Whoever observes this practice,
[the Daily Rosary],
is beyond the reach of adversity!”

“Those with pride
are not Christ’s sheep
but the devil’s goats!”

Grant me, O my God
By St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)

Good Jesus,
let me be penetrated with love
to the very marrow of my bones,
with fear and respect toward You.
Let me burn with zeal for Your honour,
so that I may resent terribly,
all the outrages
committed against You,
especially those of which
I myself have been guilty.
Grant further, O my God,
that I may adore and acknowledge You humbly,
as my Creator and that,
penetrated with gratitude
for all Your benefits,
I may never cease to render You thanks.
Grant that I may bless You in all things,
praise and glorify You
with a heart full of joy and gladness
and that, obeying You with docility
in every respect, I may one day,
despite my ingratitude and unworthiness,
be seated at Your table
together with Your Holy Angels and Apostles,
to enjoy ineffable delights.
Amen

MORE:
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St Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on WISDOM, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 March – Hear and Obey

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 March –Wednesday in Passion Week – Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-19, 25, John 10:22-38 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“My sheep hear My Voice;
I know them and they follow Me.”

John 10:27

“Peace in us is the result
of two kinds of necessary obedience,
the obedience to right reason
of the lower faculties
and the obedience of right reason
to God, our Creator.
“This is the peace which God
gives on earth to men of goodwill;
this is the most perfect wisdom,”

St Augustine (356-430)
Father and Doctor of Grace

“Do all through love,
nothing through constraint.
Love obedience more
than you fear disobedience.”
(Letter to Madame de Chantal)

“To find the Saviour
outside obedience’
is to lose Him altogether!”
(Letters to Persons in Religion, VI, 22)

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

Posted in "Follow Me", GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Our Morning Offering – 17 March – Christ be Near By St Patrick

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Our Morning Offering – 17 March – Friday of the Third Week in Lent and the Memorial of St Patrick (c385-461) Bishop, Confessor, “The Apostle of Ireland”

Christ be Near
Excerpt from St Patrick’s Breastplate
St Patrick (c 386 – 461)

Christ be near, at either hand,
Christ behind, before me stand,
Christ with me, where’er I go,
Christ around, above, below.

Christ be in my heart and mind,
Christ within my soul enshrined,
Christ control, my wayward heart,
Christ abide and ne’er depart.

Christ my Life and only Way,
Christ my Lantern, night and day,
Christ be my unchanging Friend,
Guide and Shepherd to the end.

We have this prayer and his own story in one of the certainly authentic writings of this beloved Saint Patrick – his Confessio, which is, above all, an act of homage to God, for having called Patrick, unworthy sinner, to the apostolate.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 March – “I shall arise and shall go to my Father” – Luke 15:18

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One Minute Reflection – 11 March – Saturday of the Second Week in Lent – Genesis 27:6-40, Luke 15:11-32 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I shall arise and shall go to my Father” – Luke 15:18

REFLECTION – “As the prodigal son, I will return to my Father’s house and I will be welcomed back home. I shall do the same, as he did – will the Father not grant my prayer too? O forgiving Father, here I am at Thy door and I knock, open to me, let me enter, so that I may not ruin myself, go away and die! Thou made me Thy heir and I neglected my inheritance and squandered my goods – from now on, may I be as a mercenary and as a servant to Thee.

As of the tax collector, have mercy on me and I shall live by Thy grace! O Son of God, forgive my sins as Thou did with the adulteress. Save me from the waves, as Thou did with Peter. Have mercy on my lowness, as Thou did for the good criminal and remember me! O Lord, come search for me, like the lost sheep and Thou will find me; carry me on Thy shoulders, Lord, to the house of Thy Father.

As Thou didst with the blind man, open my eyes that I may see Thy Light! As for the deaf, open my ears, that I may hear Thy Voice! As for the paralytic, heal my disability so that I may praise Thy Name. As for the leper, cleanse me of my sin with Thy hyssop (cf Ps 50,9). As the young girl, the daughter of Jairus, make me live, our Lord. As Peter’s mother-in-law, heal me, for I am sick. As the young boy, the widow’s son, raise me up, that I may stand up again. As Thou did with Lazarus, cry out to me with Thy Own Voice and undo my bandages. For I am dead because of sin, like as for a sickness, raise me up from my ruin that I may praise Thy Name!

I beg Thee, Lord of Heaven and earth, come save me and show me Thy Way, so that I may come towards Thee. Bring me back to Thee, Son of the Good Lord and fill me with Thy Mercy. I will come to Thee and then will I be filled with joy!” – St Jacob of Sarug (c451-521) Bishop, Theologian, Poet, Writer, Father (A poem).

PRAYER – Grant that our fasting may be beneficial to us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, so that by chastising our flesh, we may obtain strength for our souls. Through tJesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOOD FRIDAY, Holy Name PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY NAME, The HOLY SOULS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 10 March – Prayer to Christin His Passion and Death By St Francis de Sales

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Our Morning Offering – 10 March – Friday of the Second Week of Lent

Hail, Sweet Jesus!
Prayer to Christ
in His Passion and Death
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

Hail, sweet Jesus!
Praise, honour and glory be to Thee, O Christ,
Who, of Thou own accord, embraced death,
and recommending Thyself to Thy heavenly Father,
bowing down Thy venerable Head,
did yield up Thy Spirit.
Truly thus giving up Thy life for Thy sheep,
Thou hast shown Thyself, to be the Good Shepherd.
Thou died, O Only-begotten Son of God.
Thou died, O my beloved Saviour,
that I might live forever.
O how great hope,
how great confidence have
I reposed in Thy Death and Thy Blood!
I glorify and praise Thy Holy Name,
acknowledging my infinite obligations to Thee.
O good Jesus,
by Thy bitter Death and Passion,
give me grace and pardon.
Give unto the faithful departed,
rest and life everlasting.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, Quotes on SALVATION, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 31 January – “And whoever receives one such little child for My sake, receives Me.” – Matthew 18:5

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One Minute Reflection – 31 January – St John Bosco “Don Bosco” SDB (1815-1888) Priest, Confessor, Founder. – Philippians 4:4-9 , Matthew 18:1-5 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And whoever receives one such little child for My sake, receives Me.” – Matthew 18:5

REFLECTION – “Scripture calls all of us “children” and, when we begin to follow Christ, we receive the name of “little children” (Mt 18:3; Jn 21:5)… So Who is our Instructor and Tutor, the Tutor we have when we are small? He is called Jesus. He calls Himself “Shepherd” by Name, referring to Himself as “the Good Shepherd” (Jn 10:11). He makes a comparison between shepherds guiding their sheep and Himself, the Tutor who guides small children, the Shepherd full of concern for the lambs which, in their simplicity, He compares with the sheep. “They will all be one flock,” He says, “because there will be One Shepherd” (Jn 10:16). Therefore, our Tutor is, of course, the Word of God because He leads us to salvation. As He clearly declared through the mouth of the prophet Hosea: “I am your Teacher” (5:2 LXX).

As for His instruction, that is, the religious formation by which He teaches us how to serve God, forming us in the knowledge of the truth and leading us straight to Heaven… Pilots guide their ships with the intention of bringing their passengers safely to harbour; in the same way, our Tutor, in the care He bears towards us, points God’s children towards the way of life leading to salvation… Thus, He, Who leads us is our holy God, Jesus, God’s Word, all humanity’s guide! God Himself leads us in His love for us… The Holy Spirit said of Him during the Exodus: “He found him in the wilderness, a wasteland of howling desert. He shielded him and cared for him, guarding him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle incites its nestlings forth by hovering over its brood, so He spreads His wings to receive him and bore him up on His pinions. The Lord alone was his Leader” (Dt 32:10-12).” – St Clement of Alexandria (c 150-c 215) Theologian and Philosopher, Professor who taught at the Catechetical School of Alexandria, Father of the Church (Pedagogue, I, 53-56).

PRAYER – O God, Who in Thy Confessor, blessed John, raised up a father and teacher of youth and willed that through him, with the help of the Virgin Mary, new religious families should bloom in the Church, grant, we beseech Thee, that , inflamed by the same fire of love, we may seek to win souls and to serve Thee alone. 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).

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 January – St Francis de Sales, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church

“The measure of love,
is to love without measure.”

“Since God often sends us His inspirations
by means of His Angels,
we ought frequently to offer Him,
our aspirations, through the same channel.
… Call on them and honour them frequently
and ask their help in all your affairs,
temporal, as well as spiritual.”

“Anxiety is the greatest evil
that can befall a soul, except sin.
God commands you to pray
but He forbids you to worry.”

“Friendships begun in this world
will be taken up again,
never to be broken off. ”

“Have patience with all things
but chiefly, have patience with yourself.
Do not lose courage
in considering your own imperfections
but instantly set about remedying them,
everyday begin the task anew.”

“Do not look forward
to the changes and chances
of this life in fear –
rather look to them with full hope that,
as they arise, God, whose you are,
will deliver you out of them.
He is your keeper.
He has kept you hitherto.
Do you but hold fast to His dear hand
and He will lead you safely through all things
and, when you cannot stand,
He will bear you in His arms.
Do not look forward to
what may happen tomorrow.
Our Father will either shield you from suffering,
or He will give you strength to bear it.”

“Thus we do not say that the Pope
cannot err in his private opinions,
as did John XXII;
or be altogether a heretic,
as perhaps Honorius was.
Now, when he, [the Pope],
is explicitly a heretic,
he falls ipso facto, from his dignity
and OUT of the Church! …”

“During the night
we must wait for the Light.”

Hail, Sweet Jesus!
Prayer to Christ
in His Passion and Death
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

Hail, sweet Jesus!
Praise, honour and glory be to Thee, O Christ,
Who, of Thou own accord, embraced death,
and recommending Thyself to Thy heavenly Father,
bowing down Thy venerable Head,
did yield up Thy Spirit.
Truly thus giving up Thy life for Thy sheep,
Thou hast shown Thyself, to be the Good Shepherd.
Thou died, O Only-begotten Son of God.
Thou died, O my beloved Saviour,
that I might live forever.
O how great hope,
how great confidence have
I reposed in Thy Death and Thy Blood!
I glorify and praise Thy Holy Name,
acknowledging my infinite obligations to Thee.
O good Jesus,
by Thy bitter Death and Passion,
give me grace and pardon.
Give unto the faithful departed,
rest and life everlasting.
Amen.

Most Holy Mary,
Virgin Mother of God
Act of Consecration
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Indulgence of 300 days, for each recitation
St Pius X, 17 November 1906

Most Holy Mary,
Virgin Mother of God,
I ………., most unworthy though I am to be thy servant,
yet touched by thy motherly care for me
and longing to serve thee,
do, in the presence of my Guardian Angel
and all the Court of Heaven,
choose thee this day to be my Queen,
my Advocate and my Mother
and I firmly purpose to serve thee evermore myself
and, to do what I can, that all may
render faithful service to thee.
Therefore, most devoted Mother,
through the Precious Blood thy Son poured out for me,
I beg thee and beseech thee,
deign to take me among thy clients
and receive me as thy servant forever.
Aid me in my every action
and beg for me the grace never,
by word or deed or thought,
to be displeasing in thy sight
and that of thy most holy Son.
Think of me, my dearest Mother
and desert me not at the hour of death.
Amen

MORE:
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Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, St PAUL!, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 January – Saul, Paul

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 January – Feast of the Conversion of St Paul, Apostle – Acts 9:1-22, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Acts 9:4.

“So Saul was led to Ananias –
the ravaging wolf is led to the sheep.
But the Shepherd,
Who guides everything from Heaven above,
reassures him…
“Do not fear, I will show him
what he will have to suffer, for My Name’s sake”
(Acts 9:16).
What wonder is this!
The wolf is led, a captive, to the sheep…
The Lamb who died for the sheep,
teaches it not to be afraid any more!”

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

“Now Paul rejoices with Stephen,
with Stephen he enjoys the brightness of Christ;
he exults with Stephen,
he reigns with Stephen.
There, where Stephen arose,
the first, stoned under Paul’s very eyes,
there too, Paul has risen
with the help of Stephen’s prayers!”

St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c 462 – 533)
Bishop in North Africa

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

Galatians 2:20

“It is possible that, as he lay dying,
Stephen looked up at Saul
and uttered his last prayer for this sincere
and honest young Jew, who had been led astray
by the prejudice and passion of the mob.
… Let us endeavour too, to suffer, pray
and work for the conversion of our fellowmen,
so many of whom, are wandering
in the darkness of error
or struggling in the clutches of vice.
Let us try, by our sufferings,
prayers and good example,
to draw down God’s grace
on our unhappy brothers.
If we succeed, we shall share
in the merits of their good actions
and we shall have ensured
our own everlasting salvation.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, St PAUL!, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HEART, The HOLY NAME, The LAMB of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 January – ‘… He had first to be knocked down and afterwards raised up – first struck, then healed. … ‘

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One Minute Reflection – 25 January – Feast of the Conversion of St Paul, Apostle – Acts 9:1-22, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” – Acts 9:4.

REFLECTION – “From Heaven’s height Christ’s Voice overturned Saul. He received a command to carry out his persecutions no more and fell face downwards to the ground. He had first to be knocked down and afterwards raised up – first struck, then healed. For Christ would never have come to live in him, if Saul had not died to his former life of sin. Cast down to the earth in this way, what was it he heard? “Saul, Saul, why are thou persecuting Me? It is hard for thou to kick against the goad” (Acts 9:4-5). And he replied: “Who are you, Lord?” Then the voice from on high continued: “I am Jesus of Nazareth, Whom thou art persecuting.” The members are still on the ground, while the Head cries out, from the heights of Heaven. He is not saying: “Why art thou persecuting My servants?” but “Why art thou persecuting Me?”

And Paul, who had put all his energy into his persecutions, is already preparing to obey: “What do Thou want me to do?” The persecutor is already transformed into the preacher, the wolf has become a sheep, the enemy, a defender. Paul learns what he is to do – if he has become blind, if this world’s light is held back from him for a while, it is so as to make the light within shine in his heart. Light is taken away from the persecutor, so that it may be given to the preacher; at the very moment he no longer saw anything of this world, he saw Jesus. This symbolises the believer – those who believe in Christ, must fix the eyes of their soul on Him, without paying attention to outward things…

So Saul was led to Ananias – the ravaging wolf is led to the sheep. But the Shepherd, Who guides everything from Heaven above, reassures him… “Do not fear, I will show him what he will have to suffer, for My Name’s sake” (Acts 9:16). What wonder is this! The wolf is led, a captive, to the sheep… The Lamb who died for the sheep, teaches it not to be afraid any more!” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father and Doctor of Grace of the Church (Sermon 279).

PRAYER – O God, Who taught the whole world by the preaching of Thy blessed Apostle Paul, grant, we beseech Thee that we, who today celebrate his conversion, may draw closer to Thee, by way of hia example.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on TRUTH, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 December – “I am the Good Shepherd and I know Mine and Mine know Me.”- John 10:14

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One Minute Reflection – 29 December – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception” – St Thomas à Becket (1118-1170) Martyr – Hebrews 5:1-6, John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Good Shepherd and I know Mine and mine know Me.”- John 10:14

REFLECTION – “I am the good shepherd. I know My Own—by which I mean, I love them—and My Own know Me. In plain words – those who love Me are willing to follow Me, for anyone who does not love the Truth, has not yet come to know it.

My dear brethren, you have heard the test we shepherds have to undergo. Turn now to consider, how these words of our Lord, imply a test for yourselves also. Ask yourselves whether you belong to His flock, whether you know Him, whether the Light of His Truth shines in your minds. I assure you that it is not by faith that you will come to know Him but, by love, not by mere conviction but, by action. John the Evangelist is my authority, for this statement. He tells us that anyone who claims to know God, without keeping His commandments, is a liar.

Consequently, the Lord immediately adds: ‘As the Father knows Me and I know the Father and I lay down My life for My sheep.‘ Clearly, He means that laying down His life for His sheep, gives evidence of His knowledge of the Father and the Father’s knowledge of Him. In other words, by the love with which He dies for His sheep, He shows, how greatly He loves His Father.

Again He says: ‘My sheep hear My voice and I know them; they follow Me,and I give them eternal life.’ Shortly before this He had declared – ‘If anyone enters the sheepfold through Me, he shall be saved, he shall go freely in and out and shall find good pasture.‘ He will enter into a life of faith; from faith, he will go out to vision, from belief to contemplation and will graze in the good pastures of everlasting life.

So our Lord’s sheep will finally reach their grazing ground, where all who follow Him in simplicity of heart, will feed on the green pastures of eternity. These pastures are the spiritual joys of Heaven. There, the elect look upon the Face of God with unclouded vision and feast at the banquet of life, forever more.

Beloved brothers, let us set out for these pastures ,where we shall keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow citizens. May the thought of their happiness urge us on! Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith and long eagerly for what Heaven has in store for us. To love thus, is to be already on our way. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that heavenly feast. Anyone who is determined to reach his destination, is not deterred by the roughness of the road that leads to it. Nor must we allow the charm of success to seduce us, or we shall be like a foolish traveller who is so distracted by the pleasant meadows through which he is passing that he forgets where he is going.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Bishop of Rome and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Homily 14).

PRAYER – O God, for Whose Church Bishop Thomas, now in glory, fell by the swords of wicked men, grant, we beseech Thee, that the prayers of all who implore his assistanc, may be effective and may lead to salvation. 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 CHRISTMASTIDE!, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 29 December – Afar from Where the Sun Doth Rise, A Solis Ortus Cardine

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Our Morning Offering – 29 December – The Fifth Day of the Octave of Christmas – “The Month of the Divine Infant and the Immaculate Conception”

Afar from Where the Sun Doth Rise
A Solis Ortus Cardine
By Coelius Sedulius (Died c 450)
Trans Fr Ronald A Knox (1888-1957)

Afar from where the sun doth rise
To lands beneath the western skies,
Homage to Christ our King we pay,
Born of a Virgin’s womb this day

Blessed Creator, Thou didst take__
A servant’s likeness for our sake,
And didst in flesh our flesh restore
To bid Thy creature live once more.

Chaste was the womb where Thou didst dwell,
Of heavenly grace the hidden cell;
Nor might the blessed Maid proclaim
Whence her dread Guest in secret came.

Down from on high God came to rest__
His glory in a sinless breast;
Obedience at His word believed,
And virgin innocence conceived.

Ere long, that holy child she bore
By Gabriel’s message named before,
Whom yet unborn, with eager pride,
The swift forerunner prophesied.

Fast doth He sleep, where straw doth spread,
A humble manger for His bed.
A Mother’s milk that strength renewed,
Which gives the birds of heaven their food.

Glory to God, the angels cry;
Earth hears the echo from on high;
Mankind’s true Shepherd and it’s Lord
By shepherd hearts is first adored.

“A Solis Ortus Cardine…” (Latin for “From the Pivot of the Sun’s Rising”) is a poem by Christian Poet, Coelius Sedulius (Died c 450), recounting Christ’s life from His Birth to His Resurrection.
Its 23 stanzas each begin with a consecutive letter of the Latin alphabet, making the poem an abecedarius.
It is one of the oldest parts of the Roman Catholic liturgy, with two Hymns formed from the first seven and four later verses.
There have been monastic translations into English and later translations into many other languages..

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Our Morning Offering – 15 November – Guide Me Lord by St Albert the Great

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Our Morning Offering – 15 November – St Albert the Great (1200-1280) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church

Guide Me Lord
By St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Who seeks those who stray
and receives them when returning,
make me approach Thee
through the frequent hearing of Thy Word,
lest I sin against my neighbour,
by the blindness of human judgement,
through the austerity of false justice,
through comparing his inferior status,
through too much trust in my merits
or through ignorance of the Divine Judgement.
Guide me to search diligently,
each corner of my conscience,
lest the flesh dominate the spirit!
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE MERCY, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 14 November – Our Beloved Good Shepherd

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 November – St Josaphat Kuncewicz OSBM (1584-1623) Confessor, Archbishop, Martyr – Hebrews
5:1-6, John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I Am the Good Shepherd
and I know mine
and mine know me.”

John 10:14

“Those who are my sheep
hear my voice
and follow me”

John 10:27

“He cries out, saying:
See, I am with you all the days of this age.
He is Himself the shepherd,
the high priest,
the way and the door,
and has become all things at once for us.”

St Athanasius (297-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“The mark of Christ’s sheep
is their willingness to hear and obey,
just as disobedience
is the mark of those who are not His.
We take the word ‘hear’
to imply obedience
to what has been said.”

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

“With good reason Christ declares:
I am the Good Shepherd,
I seek out the lost sheep,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal (Ez 34:16).
I have seen the flock of mankind
struck down by sickness;
I have witnessed my lambs
wander about where demons dwell;
I have seen my flock ravaged by wolves.
All this I have seen
and have not witnessed it from on high.
That is why I took hold of the withered hand,
gripped by pain, as if by a wolf;
I have unbound those whom fever had bound;
I taught him to see,
whose eyes had been shut from his mother’s womb;
I brought Lazarus out from the tomb
where he had lain for four days (Mk 3:5; 1:31; Jn 9; 11).
For I am the Good Shepherd
and the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.”

Basil of Seleucia (Died 448)
Bishop of Seleucia, Writer
Oratio 26

O Lord, Show Thy Mercy to Me
By St Jerome (347-419)
Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

O Lord, show Thy mercy to me
and gladden my heart.
I am like the man
on the way to Jericho,
who was overtaken by robbers,
wounded and left for dead.
O Good Samaritan,
come to my aid.
I am like the sheep which went astray.
O Good Shepherd,
seek me out and bring me home,
in accord with Thy will.
Let me dwell in Thy house
all the days of my life
and praise Thee,
forever and ever
with those who are there.
Amen.

“No matter how grave
and how numerous our sins may be,
let us remember that the Mercy of God is Infinite.
Let us remember that He is waiting for us,
as his father waited for the prodigal son and,
that He is following us like a shepherd
who is searching for his lost sheep.
He allowed us to fall,
in order to humble us
and help us to realise
that we are incapable
of doing anything good by ourselves.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 November – Do you listen attentively to the Voice of the Good Shepherd and obey His Word?

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One Minute Reflection – 14 November – St Josaphat Kuncewicz OSBM (1584-1623) Confessor, Archbishop, Martyr – Hebrews 5:1-6, John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the good shepherd and I know mine and mine know me.”- John 10:14

REFLECTION – “He shows in what manner a shepherd may be proved good and, He teaches that, he must be prepared to give up his life, fighting in defence of his sheep, which was fulfilled in Christ. For man has departed from the love of God and fallen into sin and because of this was, I say, excluded from the divine abode of paradise. And when he was weakened by that disaster, he yielded to the devil tempting him to sin and death, following that sin, he became the prey of fierce and ravenous wolves. But after Christ was announced as the True Shepherd of all men, He laid down His life for us (1 John 3:16), fighting for us against that pack of inhuman beasts. He bore the Cross for us that by His own death, He might destroy death. He was condemned for us that He might deliver all of us, from the sentence of punishment: the tyranny of sin being overthrown by our faith: fastening to the Cross, the decree that stood against us, as it is written (Colossians 2:14).

Therefore, as the father of sin had, as it were, shut up the sheep in hell, giving them to death to feed on, as it is written in the Psalms (Ps. Xlviii.16), He died for us, as truly Good and truly our Shepherd, so that the dark shadow of death is driven away, He might join us to the company of the blessed in Heaven and, in exchange for abodes, which lie far in the depths of the pit … grants us mansions in His Father’s House above. Because of this, He says to us in another place: Fear not, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you a Kingdom (Luke 12:32). Do you listen attentively to the Voice of the Good Shepherd and obey His Word? – ” – St Cyril of Alexander (376-444) Known as “The Pillar of Faith” Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Church. (Commentary on the Good Shepherd).

PRAYER – Arouse in Thy Church, O Lord, the spirit with which blessed Josaphat, Thy Martyr and Bishop, was filled, when he laid down his life for his flock; so that, by his intercession, we, also moved and strengthened by the same spirit, may not fear to lay down our lives for our brethren. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 October – Let us not be ‘foolish travellers‘

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One Minute Reflection – 21 October – Saint Ursula and Companions: (Died c 238) Virgin Martyrs – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6, Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“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

REFLECTION – “Again He says: My sheep hear My Voice and I know them; they follow Me and I give them eternal life. Shortly before this He had declared – If anyone enters the sheepfold through Me he shall be saved; he shall go freely in and out and shall find good pasture. He will enter into a life of faith; from faith he will go out to vision, from belief to contemplation and will graze in the good pastures of everlasting life.

So Our Lord’s sheep, will finally reach their grazing ground where all who follow Him, in simplicity of heart, will feed on the green pastures of eternity. These pastures are the spiritual joys of Heaven. There, the elect look upon the face of God with unclouded vision and feast at the Banquet of Life for evermore.

Beloved …, let us set out for these pastures where we shall keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow citizens. May the thought of their happiness urge us on! Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith and long eagerly for what Heaven has in store for us. To love thus ,is to be already on our way. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that Heavenly Feast. Anyone who is determined to reach his destination, is not deterred by the roughness of the road, that leads to it. Nor must we allow the charm of success to seduce us, or we shall be like a foolish traveller who is so distracted by the pleasant meadows through which he is passing, that he forgets where he is going!” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) – Pope and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Homily 14).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord our God that we may never cease devoutly, to venerate the triumphs of Thy holy Virgins and Martyrs, Ursula and her companions that, as we cannot worthily shew forth their praises, yet we may continually honour them, with lowly service 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 CATHOLIC TIME, DOCTORS of the Church, GOOD FRIDAY, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, NOVEMBER - Month of the SOULS in PURGATORY, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, PURGATORY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on GRACE, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HOLY NAME, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 21 October – Hail, Sweet Jesus! Prayer to Christ in His Passion and Death

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Our Morning Offering – 21 October – Friday, in Catholic Time, the Day of the Passion

Hail, Sweet Jesus!
Prayer to Christ
in His Passion and Death
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church

Hail, sweet Jesus!
Praise, honour and glory be to Thee, O Christ,
Who, of Thou own accord, embraced death,
and recommending Thyself to Thy heavenly Father,
bowing down Thy venerable Head,
did yield up Thy Spirit.
Truly thus giving up Thy life for Thy sheep,
Thou hast shown Thyself, to be the Good Shepherd.
Thou died, O Only-begotten Son of God.
Thou died, O my beloved Saviour,
that I might live forever.
O how great hope,
how great confidence have
I reposed in Thy Death and Thy Blood!
I glorify and praise Thy Holy Name,
acknowledging my infinite obligations to Thee.
O good Jesus,
by Thy bitter Death and Passion,
give me grace and pardon.
Give unto the faithful departed,
rest and life everlasting.
Amen.

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on PRIESTS, the PRIESTHOOD and CONSECRATED LIFE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on WATCHING, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 October – ‘ …This Sacred Household is the Holy, Catholic Church …’

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One Minute Reflection – 13 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” and the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima: The Sixth & Final Apparition – Sirach 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed are those servants whom the Master, on His return, shall find watching.” – Luke 12:37

REFLECTION – “Wishing to emphasise the special office of the servants, whom He has placed in charge of His people, the Lord says, ‘Who, do you think, is the faithful and wise steward, whom the Lord sets over His household, to give to them their measure of wheat at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his Master will find so doing when he comes.” Who is that Master, brethren? Without a doubt, it is Christ, Who says to His disciples: “You call me Teacher and Lord and you are right, for so I am” (Jn 13,13). What, too, is the Master’s Household? Doubtless it is the one which the Lord Himself ransomed… This Sacred Household is the Holy, Catholic Church, which is spread through the whole earth with abundant fertility and glories in the fact, that she has been redeemed by the Precious Blood of her Master. As He Himself says: “The Son of Man came, not to be served but to serve and to give His Life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10,45).

He is, too, the Good Shepherd ”Who laid down His Life for His sheep” (Jn 10,11)…As to who the steward is, who ought to be faithful, as well as wise, the Apostle Paul shows us, when, speaking of himself and his companions, he says: “This is how one should regard us, as the servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy” (1Cor 4,1-2).

Now, lest anyone of us should think that it is only the Apostles who have been made stewards…, the blessed Apostle Paul shows us that the Bishops also are stewards, when he says: “For a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless” (Tt 1,7)…We, therefore, who are the servants of the Master of the Household, we are the stewards of the Lord, we have received the measure of wheat to disburse to you.” – St Fulgentius of Ruspe (467-532) Bishop in North Africa (Homily 1, on the Lord’s servants) (trans. Breviary Common of Pastors).

PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee and by the intercession of blessed and gloriosus ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God,and all the Saints, graciously grant us, safety and peace that all adversities and errors being overcome, thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. 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 DIVINE MERCY, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Our Morning Offering – 30 September – O Lord, Show Thy Mercy to Me By St Jerome

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Our Morning Offering – 30 September – Memorial of St Jerome (347-419) Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

O Lord, Show Thy Mercy to Me
By St Jerome (347-419)
Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

O Lord, show Thy mercy to me
and gladden my heart.
I am like the man
on the way to Jericho,
who was overtaken by robbers,
wounded and left for dead.
O Good Samaritan,
come to my aid.
I am like the sheep which went astray.
O Good Shepherd,
seek me out and bring me home,
in accord with Thy will.
Let me dwell in Thy house
all the days of my life
and praise Thee,
forever and ever
with those who are there.
Amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CREEDS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 July – Blessed art thou

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 July – The Memorial of St Pius I, Pope (Died c 154) Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19

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

Matthew 16:17

“Faith gives rise to prayer
and this prayer obtains
an increase of faith.”

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

“My sheep follow me,” says Christ.
By a certain God-given grace,
believers follow in the footsteps of Christ.
No longer subject to the shadows of the Law ,
they obey the commands of Christ,
and guided by His words,
rise through grace,
to His own dignity,
for they are called children of God.
When Christ ascends into heaven,
they also follow Him.”

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

“And like the little grain of mustard seed …
we should set it in the garden of our soul,
all weeds being pulled out
for the better feeding of our faith.
Then shall it grow and …
through the true belief of God’s word …
we shall be well able to command
a great mountain of tribulation
to void from the place
where it stood in our hearts,
whereas with a very feeble faith
and faint, we shall scarcely
be able to remove a little hillock.”

St Thomas More (1478-1535)

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
He descended into hell;
on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand
of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.
Amen

Posted in DIVINE MERCY, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DESPAIR, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Thought for the Day – 9 July – Falling into Sin

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Thought for the Day – 9 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Falling into Sin

“The second extreme to be avoided is discouragement, which can lead us to despair, as Judas did.
We know that God is entirely good and merciful.
We know that Jesus died on the Cross for our salvation.
How can we doubt that He will welcome us if we repent and return to Him?

No matter how grave and how numerous our sins may be, let us remember that the Mercy of God is Infinite.
Let us remember that He is waiting for us, as his father waited for the prodigal son and, that He is following us like a shepherd who is searching for his lost sheep.
He allowed us to fall, in order to humble us and help us to realise that we are incapable of doing anything good by ourselves.

Let us go to Him humbly and penitently, trusting He will give us the kiss of peace and forgiveness.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/03/thought-for-the-day-3-september-falling-into-sin/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/07/19/thought-for-the-day-19-july-falling-into-sin/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, INDULGENCES, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 June – ‘ … Do not go astray in the mists, listen to the Shepherd’s Voice. …’ St Augustine

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One Minute Reflection – 7 June – Pentecost Tuesday – Acts 8:14-17, John 10:1-10.

“I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10

REFLECTION – “Thus says the Lord: “I Myself will come’”… This is what He has undoubtedly done and what He will yet do: “I Myself am coming: I will seek out My sheep, I will tend them as a shepherd tends His flock.” The wicked shepherds took no care of them because they did not redeem their sheep, with their blood… “My sheep hear My Voice. I will seek out My sheep from the midst of the scattered sheep and will bring them out from all the places they were scattered, on the day of clouds and darkness. No matter how difficult it is to find them, I will find them… I will rescue My sheep from foreign lands, I will gather them and lead them back to their own homes; I will lead them to pasture on the mountains of Israel.”

These “mountains of Israel” are the writers of Sacred Scripture. They are the pastures where you are to feed, if you wish to do so safely. Savour everything you learn from them and reject everything outside. Do not go astray in the mists, listen to the Shepherd’s Voice. Gather on the mountains of Sacred Scripture. There, you will find true delight for your heart. There, is nothing poisonous there, nothing dangerous; they are rich pastures… “I will lead them beside rivers, in the best places.” From those mountains we were just talking about, rivers of Gospel preaching pour down since “the voice [of the Apostles] resounds to the ends of the earth” and all the ends of the earth provide pleasant and fertile pastures for the sheep.

“I will cause them to feed in good pasture… and their sheepfold will be there,” that is to say, there, they will rest, there, they will be able to say: “It is good to be here; true enough, it is perfectly clear, we have found the truth.” They will take their rest in the glory of God as in a sheepfold.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 46, On the shepherds; CCL 41, 529).

PRAYER – Let the power of the Holy Spirit be present within us, O Lord, graciously to cleanse our hearts, as well as to guard us from all harm. 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).

SACRED Heart of JESUS, Thy Kingdom come! – Indulgence 300 Days – Every time – Raccolta 179 St Pius X, 6 November 1906.

Posted in "Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The ASCENSION of the LORD, The GOOD SHEPHERD

Quote/s of the Day – 26 May – The Ascension of Our Lord

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 May – The Ascension of Our Lord

“My sheep follow me,” says Christ.
By a certain God-given grace,
believers follow in the footsteps of Christ.
No longer subject to the shadows of the Law ,
they obey the commands of Christ,
and guided by His words,
rise through grace,
to His own dignity,
for they are called children of God.
When Christ ascends into heaven,
they also follow Him.”

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

“Why do we on earth, not strive
to find rest with Him in Heaven,
even now, through the faith,
hope and love that unites us to Him?
While in heaven. He is also with us
and we, while on earth, are with Him.
He is here with us by His Divinity,
His power and His love.
We cannot be in Heaven,
as He is on earth, by divinity
but in Him, we can be there by love!”

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

Our Hearts are Filled with Joy Today
The Benedictines of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK

Greeting the dawn of this great feast
Our hearts are filled with joy today,
When we recall how Christ our God
Ascended to His realms of light.

Winner forever in the strife
Against the prince of death and sin,
Glory of all creation’s hope,
Before the Father’s face He stands.

Brightest of clouds hid Him from sight,
But pledge remained of life to come,
Since Paradise can now be ours
Which our first parents lost by sin.

Greatest of joys mankind can claim,
That He whom holy Mary bore,
Reigns at His Father’s side in pow’r,
His Cross and bitter Passion past.

Saving Avenger of our race,
To Him our grateful hearts we raise;
In His immortal deity
Our mortal nature dwells on high.

We have a lasting cause for joy,
Which all the saints and angels share;
Theirs is the bliss of seeing Him,
And we still know that He is near.

Jesus, in splendour bright enthroned,
Keep all our hearts at rest in You,
Sending Your Spirit down to us,
To teach the Father’s love for all.
Amen

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One Minute Reflection – 3 May – ‘O Good Shepherd, Who carry the whole flock on Your shoulders …’

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One Minute Reflection – 3 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross – 1 Peter 2:21-25, John 10:11-16

“I am the good shepherd and I know mine and mine know me.”- John 10:14

REFLECTION – “Let us consider Christ, our shepherd …. He rejoices in those sheep of His that are around Him and goes in search of those, that stray. Mountains and forests cause Him no fear; He crosses ravines to reach the sheep that is lost. Even if He finds it in a piteous state, He is not angry but touched with pity; He takes it on His shoulders and, from His own weariness, heals the exhausted sheep (Lk 15:4 f.) …

With good reason Christ declares: “I am the Good Shepherd, I seek out the lost sheep, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal (Ez 34:16). I have seen the flock of mankind struck down by sickness; I have witnessed my lambs wander about where demons dwell; I have seen my flock ravaged by wolves. All this I have seen and have not witnessed it from on high. That is why I took hold of the withered hand, gripped by pain as if by a wolf; I have unbound those whom fever had bound; I taught him to see whose eyes had been shut from his mother’s womb; I brought Lazarus out from the tomb where he had lain for four days (Mk 3:5; 1:31; Jn 9; 11). For I am the Good Shepherd and the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” …

The prophet knew this shepherd when, long before His Passion, He declared what would take place: “Like a sheep led to the slaughter or a sheep, dumb before the shearers, he opened not his mouth” (Is 53:7). Like a sheep, the shepherd has offered His neck for His flock …. By His death, He heals from death; by His tomb, He empties the tomb …. The tombs are full and the prison shut until the shepherd, comes down from the cross, He has come to bring His captive sheep the joyful news of their liberation. We see Him in hell where He gives the order for their release (1 Pt 3:19); we see Him call His sheep once more, giving them the call to life from the dwellings of the dead. “The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” This is how He intends to win the affection of His sheep and those who know how to listen to His voice, love Christ.” – Basil of Seleucia (Died 448) Bishop of Seleucia, Writer – Oratio 26

PRAYER – O Good Shepherd,
You Whom My Soul Loves.
By St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–C 395)
Father of the Church

Where are You pasturing Your flock,
O good Shepherd,
Who carry the whole flock on Your shoulders?
(For the whole of human nature is one sheep
and You have lifted it onto Your shoulders).
Show me the place of peace,
lead me to the good grass that will nourish me,
call me by name so that I,
Your sheep, hear Your voice
and by Your speech,
give me eternal life.
Answer me, You Whom my soul loves.
… Show me then (my soul says),
where You pasture Your flock,
so that I can find that saving pasture too
and fill myself with the food of Heaven,
without which, no-one can come to eternal life
and run to the spring
and fill myself with the drink of God.
You give it, as from a spring,
to those who thirst –
water pouring from Your side, cut open by the lance,
water that, to whoever drinks it,
is a spring of water,
welling up to eternal life.
Amen

This is a tiny excerpt from St Gregory of Nyssa’s commentary on the Song of Songs (Cap. 2: PG 44, 802), using the imagery of Psalm 23, appeals to the Lord Jesus Christ for the promised green pastures, restful waters and noonday rest that is the final, eternal destination of those who love God and walk in His ways.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2021, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – 2 April – ‘ … Anyone who is determined to reach his destination, is not deterred by the roughness of the road …’

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Saturday of the Fourth Week in Lent – 2 April – Our Lenten Journey with the Great Fathers – Isaias 49:8-15, John 8:12-20

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” – Psalm 22:1

“I am the light of the world.
He who follows Me
does not walk in the darkness
but will have the light of life. .”

John 8:12

“… . I KNOW MY OWN—by which I mean, I love them—and My own know Me. In plain words, those who love Me are willing to follow Me, for anyone who does not love the Truth has not yet come to know it.

MY DEAR BRETHREN, you have heard the test we pastors have to undergo. Turn now to consider how these words of our Lord, imply a test for yourselves also. Ask yourselves whether you belong to His flock, whether you know Him, whether the Light of His Truth shines in your minds. I assure you, that it is not by faith that you will come to know Him but by love; not by mere conviction but by action. John the evangelist is my authority for this statement. He tells us that anyone who claims to know God without keeping His commandments is a liar. …

AGAIN HE SAYS: My sheep hear My Voice and I know them; they follow Me and I give them eternal life. Shortly before this He had declared – If anyone enters the sheepfold through Me he shall be saved; he shall go freely in and out and shall find good pasture. He will enter into a life of faith; from faith he will go out to vision, from belief to contemplation and will graze in the good pastures of everlasting life.

SO OUR LORD’S SHEEP, will finally reach their grazing ground where all who follow Him, in simplicity of heart, will feed on the green pastures of eternity. These pastures are the spiritual joys of Heaven. There, the elect look upon the face of God with unclouded vision and feast at the Banquet of Life for evermore.

BELOVED …, let us set out for these pastures where we shall keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow citizens. May the thought of their happiness urge us on! Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith and long eagerly for what Heaven has in store for us. To love thus ,is to be already on our way. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that Heavenly Feast. Anyone who is determined to reach his destination, is not deterred by the roughness of the road, that leads to it. Nor must we allow the charm of success to seduce us, or we shall be like a foolish traveller who is so distracted by the pleasant meadows through which he is passing, that he forgets where he is going.” St Gregory the Great (540-604) – Pope and Great Western Father and Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from his Homily 14).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FRANCISCAN OFM, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, QUOTES on WISDOM, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 February – Good ground

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 February – Sexagesima Sunday – 2 Cor. 11:19-33; 12:1-9, Luke 8:4-15

“And as for that in the good ground
they are those who, hearing the word,
hold it fast in an honest and good heart
and bring forth fruit with patience.”

Luke 8:15

“Those who are my sheep
hear my voice
and follow me”

John 10:27

“… Scripture, as a whole,
is God’s one perfect and complete instrument,
giving forth, to those who wish to learn …
It is one Saving Music…”

Origen (c 185-253)
Theologian, Father of the Church

“He is the origin of all wisdom.
The Word of God in the heights,
is the source of wisdom.
Christ is the source of all true knowledge,
for He is “the way, the truth and the life.” (Jn 14:6). …
As way, Christ is the teacher
and origin of knowledge …
Without this Light,
which is Christ,
no-one can penetrate
the secrets of faith.”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor

“Not content with sending His servants,
He came Himself,
He marked out the way we should take,
He came to make known His holy Word.
… Brethren, it is absolutely impossible
to love and please God,
unless we are fed by this divine Word.”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)

“Cultivate your vineyard
together with Jesus.
To you the task of removing stones
and pulling up brambles.
To Jesus, that of sowing, planting,
cultivating and watering.
But even in your work,
it is still He who acts.
Because, without Christ,
you could do nothing at all.”

St Pio of Pietrelcina
“Padre Pio” (1887-1968)

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 February – St Cyril of Alexandria

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 February – The Memorial of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

“Christ has dominion
over all creatures,
a dominion not seized
by violence
nor usurped but His,
by essence and by nature.”

“For one Lamb died for all,
to restore the whole flock on earth
to God the Father;
“one died for all”
to make all subject to God;
“one died for all”
to gain all, so that
“all might live,
no longer for themselves
but for Him who died
and was raised to life for them”
(2 Cor 5:14-15).”

“The mark of Christ’s sheep
is their willingness to hear and obey,
just as disobedience
is the mark of those who are not His.
We take the word ‘hear’
to imply obedience
to what has been said.”

“If the poison of pride is swelling up in you,
turn to the Eucharist and that Bread,
Which is your God humbling and disguising Himself,
will teach you humility.

If the fever of selfish greed rages in you,
feed on this Bread and you will learn generosity.

If the cold wind of coveting withers you,
hasten to the Bread of Angels and charity
will come to blossom in your heart.

If you feel the itch of intemperance,
nourish yourself with the Flesh and Blood of Christ,
Who practiced heroic self-control during His earthly life
and you will become temperate.

If you are lazy and sluggish about spiritual things,
strengthen yourself with this heavenly Food
and you will grow fervent.

Lastly, if you feel scorched by the fever of impurity,
go to the banquet of the Angels
and the spotless Flesh of Christ,
will make you pure and chaste.”

“My sheep follow me,” says Christ.
By a certain God-given grace,
believers follow in the footsteps of Christ.
No longer subject to the shadows of the Law ,
they obey the commands of Christ,
and guided by His words,
rise through grace,
to His own dignity,
for they are called children of God.
When Christ ascends into heaven,
they also follow Him.”

“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)