THE HOLY FAMILY – FAMILIAE SANCTAE

CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Lady POVERTY, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on WISDOM, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, ST FRANCIS de SALES, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 April– ‘… God gave him his most glorious Son to care for …’

Posted on April 19, 2024April 17, 2024 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 19 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Within the Octave of the Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph – Genesis 49:22-26; Luke 3:21-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … ” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “How faithful in humility was the great Saint we are celebrating! That cannot be said in all its perfection for, in spite of what he was, in what poverty and lowliness he lived, all the days of his life – a poverty and lowliness beneath which. he kept hidden and concealed, his great virtues and dignity! … Truly, I am free of doubt that the Angels came, beside themselves with admiration, rank upon rank, to behold and wonder at his humility, while he sheltered that dearest Child in the poor workshop where he worked at his employment, so as to feed the little Boy and the Mother entrusted to him.

There is no doubt at all that St Joseph was braver than David and wiser that Solomon [who were his ancestors]. Nevertheless, seeing him reduced to the exercise of carpentry, who could have discerned this, unless they were enlightened by a heavenly light, so hidden did he keep the remarkable gifts with which God had favoured him? And what wisdom did he not have? For God gave him his most glorious Son to care for … the universal Prince of Heaven and earth … Nevertheless, you can see how low and humbled he was brought, more than can be said or imagined … he went to his own Country and Town of Bethlehem and none but he was turned away from all those inns … Notice how the Angel turns him about with both hands. He tells him he has to go to Egypt and he goes; he orders him to return and he returns. God wants him to be always poor … and he submits to it with love and, not only for a while, for he was poor his whole life long!” – St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church (Conferences No 20)

PRAYER – O God, Who in Thine unspeakable foreknowledge didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph to be the husband of Thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant that now that he is in heaven with Thee, we ,who on earth, do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be assisted by the succour of his prayers to Thee on our behalf. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect)

AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CATECHESIS, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on CHASTITY, ST FRANCIS de SALES, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – St Joseph

Posted on April 18, 2024April 16, 2024 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 18 April – Within the Octave of the Patronage of St Joseph

“So, taking Christ’s genealogy from Joseph –
a husband in chastity,
he was father in the same way. …
Are you saying that he did not conceive Jesus
through the operation of nature?
Well then, what the Holy Spirit operated,
He did for them both.
For Joseph was “a just man,” Matthew tells us (1:19).
Both husband and wife were just.
The Holy Spirit dwelt within their mutual justice
and gave each of them, a Son!”

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

“God, to Whom Angels submit themselves
and Who Principalities and Powers obey,
was subject to Mary
and not only to Mary
but Joseph too, for Mary’s sake …
God obeyed a human creature;
this is humility without precedent.
A human creature commands God!
it is sublime beyond measure!

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father & Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

“Since God could choose for the Guardian of His Son,
the man in the world, the most accomplished
in all sorts of perfections,
according to the dignity
and excellence of his Charge,
Who was His most Glorious Son,
the universal Prince of Heaven and earth,
how could it be that being able,
He did not will it and did not do it?
There is, then, NO DOUBT that St Joseph
was endowed with all the graces
and all the gifts that were required
for the care which the Eternal Father
willed to give him,
of the temporal and domestic economy
of our Lord and of the guidance of his family … ”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on DEATH, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 17 April – The Patronage of St Joseph

Posted on April 17, 2024April 15, 2024 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 17 April – Solemnity of the Patronage of St Joseph Confessoris

“We also should have recourse to St Joseph
in our spiritual and bodily necessities.
St Joseph had to endure a great deal
in order to provide for the wants of the Holy Family
and to protect them from the many dangers
which threatened them.
For this reason, he is especially attentive
to requests of any kind, as long as they are made
with a lively faith and submission to the Will of God.”

“St Joseph is the Universal Patron of the Church.
We, who are loved children of the Church
should invoke his special intercession,
therefore, for the triumph and expansion
of the Kingdom of God upon earth.
… If we are loyal sons of the Church,
we should pray that She may triumph.
We should ask for the special intercession
of St Joseph, Her Heavenly Patron.”

“We shall come to the end of our lives too,
perhaps sooner than we imagine.
Let us ask the Holy Patriarch
for the favour of a happy death.
Let us ask him to ensure that Jesus and Mary
will help us too, when we are leaving this world.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/03/20/thought-for-the-day-20-march-the-patronage-of-st-joseph/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/03/20/thought-for-the-day-20-march-the-patronage-of-saint-joseph/
PART THREE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/03/19/thought-for-the-day-19-march-the-patronage-of-st-joseph/

ArchAngels and Angels, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY SPIRIT, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 January – The Holy Family

Posted on January 7, 2024January 7, 2024 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 7 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” and tbe Feast of the Holy Family

“He went down with them
and came to Nazareth
and was obedient to them”

Luke 2:51

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

“God, to Whom Angels submit themselves
and Who Principalities and Powers obey,
was subject to Mary;
and not only to Mary but Joseph too, for Mary’s sake [….].
God obeyed a human creature;
this is humility without precedent.
A human creature commands God!
it is sublime beyond measure.”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father & Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

A pious practice among Catholics, is to write “✝ J M J ✝” often flanked by two Crosses at the top of letters, cards, documents and personal notes as a reference to Jesus, Mary and Joseph as the Holy Family.
Where it is written, “✝ J M J ✝” the writer appeals for the blessing and protection of the Holy Family.

MARIAN TITLES, MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

Feast of the Holy Family, Within The Octave of The Epiphany, Our Lady of Egypt and the Return of the Child Jesus from Egypt, Madonna delle Grazie / Our Lady of Grace, Italy (1588) and the Saints for 7 January

Posted on January 7, 2024January 5, 2024 by AnaStpaul

The Second day Within The Octave of The Epiphany

Feast of the Holy Family:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/12/31/31-december-feast-of-the-holy-family-and-the-seventh-day-of-the-octave/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/12/30/feast-of-the-holy-family-of-jesus-mary-and-joseph-30-decembe/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/12/29/feast-of-the-holy-family-of-jesus-mary-and-joseph-fifth-day-of-the-christmas-octave/

Our Lady of Egypt and the Return of the Child Jesus from Egypt — 7 January:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/07/our-lady-of-egypt-and-memorials-of-the-saints-7-january/

Madonna delle Grazie / Our Lady of Grace, Costa Folgaria, Italy (1588) – 7 January, 8 September:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/01/07/our-lady-of-egypt-madonna-delle-grazie-our-lady-of-grace-costa-folgaria-italy-1588-and-memorials-of-the-saints-7-january/

Bl Albert of Siena
St Aldric of Le Mans
Bl Ambrose Fernandez
St Anastasius of Sens
St Brannock of Braunton
St Candida of Greece
St Cedd
St Clerus of Antioch
St Crispin I of Pavia
St Cronan Beg
St Emilian of Saujon
St Felix of Heraclea
St Giuliano of Gozzano (c350-c391) Deacon, Missionary
St Januarius of Heraclea
St Julian of Cagliari
St Kentigerna
St Lucian of Antioch (Died 312) Confessor, Priest, Martyr

Blessed Matthew of Agrigento OFM (1377-1450) Bishop, “Apostle of the Holy Name of Jesus,” Franciscan Priest and Friar, Missionary Preacher often with St Bernardine of Siena, Provincial Vicar and General Commissioner of the Order, founder of many Convents. He was Beatified on 21 February 1767 by Pope Clement XII.
His Zealous Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/01/07/saint-of-the-day-7-january-blessed-matthew-of-agrigento-ofm-c-1377-1450-apostle-of-the-holy-name-of-jesus/

St Pallada of Greece
St Polyeuctus of Melitene
St Reinhold of Cologne
St Spolicostus of Greece
St Theodore of Egypt
St Tillo of Solignac

St Valentine of Passau (Died 475) Bishop in Passau in the Rhaetia region, Switzerland, an area in the border region of modern Italy, Austria and Switzerland, Monk, Abbot, Missionary, Hermit, Miracle-worker. Died on 7 January 475 at Mais, Tyrol, Austria of natural causes. Patronages – against convulsions, against cramps/stomach pain, against epilepsy, against gout, against plague/epidemics, against demonic possession, of cattle diseases, of pilgrims, poor people, City and Diocese of Passau.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/01/07/saint-of-the-day-7january-st-valentine-of-passau-died-475-bishop/

St Virginia of Ste-Verge
Bl Wittikund of Westphalia

GOOD RESOLUTIONS, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES for the NEW YEAR, QUOTES on the FAMILY, QUOTES/PRAYERS on THE FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY NAME

JANUARY – The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Family

Posted on January 1, 2024December 31, 2023 by AnaStpaul

JANUARY – The Month of the Holy Name of Jesus
and the Holy Family

The Second Council of Lyons in 1274 decreed that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow; whenever that glorious name is recalled, especially during the Sacred Mysteries of the Mass, everyone should bow the knees of his heart, which he can do even by a bow of his head.”

It may very well be that the custom of bowing the head at the name of Jesus has passed out of general use, as have other laudable customs, in recent times but, that does not prevent us personally, from continuing to live it and passing on to our children this ancient custom.

The ideal of the Catholic family has been once fully realised.
There have been many good examples, all more or less approaching the ideal.
But all except one must be regarded as having failed, at least in some respects, to achieve the perfection of family life.
That one, of course, is the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Since, therefore, God has given us the ideal fully realised, in the concrete, it is to that rather than the more remote symbols that we must go for our lessons, as to what the Catholic family should be.
The Word was made flesh, to reveal to us, the mind of the Eternal Father. In order, then, to learn the mind of the Eternal Father concerning the nature and end of the Catholic family life, we cannot do better than turn our thoughts to the little home at Nazareth.

… The purpose of the Incarnation, is the salvation of souls.
The purpose of the Church, is the salvation of souls.
The purpose of the first Catholic Family, is the salvation of souls.
The first and foremost purpose, then, of every Catholic family, is to obtain for its members, the possession of everlasting life.
The family does not exist merely for the sake of the love of husband and wife; nor for the love of parent and children; nor for the acquisition of worldly fortunes; nor for the promotion of the children in business; nor for the material prosperity of nations.
All these are lawful and subordinate aims, subordinate to the final aim of all human life — to help immortal souls to reach Heaven.
This is the first and, in a sense, the only lesson to be learned from the Holy Family of Nazareth — the purpose of the Catholic family is the undoing of sin, the hindrance of sin, the propagation of those truths and virtues which lead to Eternal Life!

CHRIST the KING, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Family PRAYERS, HYMNS, POETRY, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on VIRTUE, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The DIVINE INFANT, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY SPIRIT, The KINGDOM of GOD, The NATIVITY of JESUS

Quote/s of the Day – 6 September – Seek the Kingdom

Posted on September 6, 2023 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 6 September – Feria Day – Galatians 5:16-24, Matthew 6:24-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But seek first the Kingdom of God
and His righteousness and all these things
shall be added to you.”

Matthew 6:33

“And the Lord God shall give unto Him
the throne of David, His father
and He shall reign in the house of Jacob forever.
And of His Kingdom there shall be no end.”
Luke 1:32-33

“During this present life, Christ rules in the Church.
By faith and love, He dwells
in the hearts of His elect and guides them,
by His unceasing care, toward their heavenly reward.
In the life to come, when their period of exile on earth is ended,
He will exercise His Kingship,
by leading the faithful to their heavenly country.
There, forever inspired by the vision of His Presence,
their one delight will be to praise and glorify Him.”

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

“The only true riches are those
that make us rich in virtue.
Therefore, if you want to be rich, beloved,
love true riches.
If you aspire to the heights of real honour,
strive to reach the Kingdom of Heaven.
If you value rank and renown,
hasten to be enrolled
in the heavenly court of the Angels.”

St Pope Gregory III (Died 741)

Adveniat Regnum Tuum!
Thy Kingdom Come!
By Katharine Tynan (1861-1931)

Thy Kingdom come ! Yea, bid it come!
But when Thy Kingdom first began
On earth, Thy Kingdom was a home,
A Child, a woman and a man.

The Child was in the midst thereof,
O, Blessed Jesus, holiest One!
The Centre and the Fount of Love
Mary and Joseph’s little Son.

Wherever on the earth shall be
A child, a woman and a man,
Imaging that sweet trinity
Wherewith Thy Kingdom first began,

Establish there Thy kingdom! Yea,
And o’er that trinity of love
Send down, as in Thy appointed day,
The brooding Spirit of Thy Dove!

Katharine Tynan (1861-1931) was an Irish born Poet and Writer and a friend of the Jesuit Poet, Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins. She contributed to many periodicals and magazines such as the Jesuit published Studies, the Dominican published Irish Rosary, Irish Monthly, Hibernia and Dublin University Review, besides her own private publications.
After her marriage, the addition of her husband’s name, “Hinkson” is often appended to her publications.

DOCTORS of the Church, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

Quote of the Day – 20 March – St Joseph

Posted on March 20, 2023March 19, 2023 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 20 March – “The Month of the St Joseph” and his Feast transferred from Sunday 19 March

“Since God could choose for the Guardian of His Son,
the man in the world, the most accomplished
in all sorts of perfections,
according to the dignity
and excellence of his Charge,
Who was His most Glorious Son,
the universal Prince of Heaven and earth,
how could it be that being able,
He did not will it and did not do it?
There is, then, NO DOUBT that St Joseph
was endowed with all the graces
and all the gifts that were required
for the care which the Eternal Father
willed to give him,
of the temporal and domestic economy
of our Lord and of the guidance of his family … ”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/19/quote-s-of-the-day-19-march-st-joseph-2/

DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2023, LENTEN THOUGHTS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on the FAMILY, St JOSEPH, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 20 March – ST JOSEPH, HEAD OF THE HOLY FAMILY

Posted on March 20, 2023April 17, 2024 by AnaStpaul

Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 20 March – St Joseph, Feast transferred from Sunday 19 March – Monday of the Fourth Week in Lent – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6, Matthew 1:18-21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in His commands.”
Psalm 111:1

“And she shall bring forth a son
and thou shalt call His Name Jesus …”
Matthew 1:21

SAINT JOSEPH,
HEAD OF THE HOLY FAMILY
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“OH, WHAT A DIVINE UNION between our Lady and the glorious St Joseph!
A union which made that Good of eternal goods which is our Lord, belong to St Joseph, as he belonged to our Lady, (not by the nature that He had taken in the womb of our glorious Mistress, a nature that had been formed by the Holy Spirit of the most pure blood of our Lady) but, according to grace, which made him a partaker of all the goods of his dear Spouse and, which made him go on growing wonderfully in perfection and this was by his continual communication with our Lady, who possessed all virtues, in so high a degree, that no other pure creature can attain to it.
Still the glorious St Joseph was the one who approached nearest to it. …

Observe the order which is kept in this holy family. …
Who can doubt that our Lady was greater than St Joseph and that she had more discretion and qualities proper for governing, than her spouse?
Yet the Angel does not address himself to her, for what is required to be done, whether it be going or coming, or anything else.
Does it not seem to you that the Angel commits a great indiscretion, in addressing himself rather, to St Joseph than to our Lady, who is the head of the house, carrying with her the Treasure of the Eternal Father?
Had she not reason to be offended at this proceeding and way of acting? Doubtless she might have said to her husband: “Why should I go into Egypt, since my Son has not revealed to me that I ought to do so, nor has the Angel spoken to me of it?” Now our Lady says nothing of this sort. She is not offended because the Angel addresses himself to St Joseph but she obey,s quite simply because she knows that God has so ordered it …”

O God! how beautiful it was to see the respect and reverence with which he treated both the Mother and the Son!
If he had wished to leave the Mother when he was not quite aware of the greatness of her dignity, into what admiration and profound abasement was he not afterwards plunged, when he saw himself so honoured that our Lord and our Lady became obedient to his will and did nothing but by his command?!” (Sermons).

CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 January – ‘ … She, who carried Him, Who carries the universe … ‘

Posted on January 9, 2023January 8, 2023 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 9 January – The Holy Family – Within the Octave of Epiphany – Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:42-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And His Mother kept all these words in her heart.” – Luke 2:51

REFLECTION – “Often, it seems to us, Mary forgot to eat and to drink, keeping vigil in order to think about Christ, to see Christ in His flesh. She burned with love of Him and passionately loved to serve Him. She often did what the Song of Songs sings about: “I was sleeping but my heart kept vigil.” (Song 5:2) Even when she was resting, she continued to dream of Him Who filled her thoughts throughout the day. Whether she was keeping vigil or resting in peace, she always lived in Him, was always occupied with Him.

Where her treasure was, there also was her heart (Mt 6:21); where her glory was, there also was her mind. She loved her Lord and her Son with all her heart, with all her mind, with all her strength (Mt 22:37). She saw with her eyes, touched with her hands, the Word of Life (1 Jn 1:1). How blessed was Mary, to whom it was given to embrace Him who embraces and nourishes everything! How happy was she, who carried Him, Who carries the universe (Heb 1:3), she, who nursed a Son, Who gives her life, a Son Who nourishes her and all beings on earth (Ps 145:15).

The One Who is the Wisdom of the Father, put His arms around her neck, the One Who is the strength, that gives movement to everything, sat in her arms. He Who is the rest of souls, (Mt 11:29) rested on her motherly breast. How gently He held her in His hands, peacefully looked at her, He Whom the angels wish to contemplate (1 Pet 1:12) and He gently called her, He Whom every being calls upon when in need. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she held Him close to her heart … She never had enough of seeing Him or of hearing Him, Whom “many prophets and kings wished to see … but did not see.” (Lk 10:24) Thus Mary grew evermore in love and her mind was unceasingly attached to Divine contemplation.” – St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Bishop (Homily on the Motherhood of Mary, 4).

PRAYER – O Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Who while subject to Mary and Joseph, hallowed family life with virtues beyond description, grant us by their combined intercession, that, having been taught by the example of the Holy Family, we may attain unto their everlasting companionship. 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).

Holy Family PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The HOLY SPIRIT, The KINGDOM of GOD

Our Morning Offering – 9 January – Adveniat Regnum Tuum! Thy Kingdom Come!

Posted on January 9, 2023January 8, 2023 by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 9 January – The Holy Family – Within the Octave of Epiphany

Adveniat Regnum Tuum!
Thy Kingdom Come!
By Katharine Tynan (1861-1931)

Thy Kingdom come ! Yea, bid it come!
But when Thy Kingdom first began
On earth, Thy Kingdom was a home,
A Child, a woman and a man.

The Child was in the midst thereof,
O, Blessed Jesus, holiest One!
The Centre and the Fount of Love
Mary and Joseph’s little Son.

Wherever on the earth shall be
A child, a woman and a man,
Imaging that sweet trinity
Wherewith Thy Kingdom first began,

Establish there Thy kingdom! Yea,
And o’er that trinity of love
Send down, as in Thy appointed day,
The brooding Spirit of Thy Dove!

"Follow Me", DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Family PRAYERS, MARIAN HYMNS, PAPAL PRAYERS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

Quote/s of the Day – 8 January – The Holy Family –

Posted on January 8, 2023January 7, 2023 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 8 January – The Holy Family – Sunday within the Octave of Epiphany – Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:42-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And He went down with them
and came to Nazareth
and was subject to them.”

Luke 2:51

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

(Marriage and concupiscence 1,11; Sermon 51)

“God, to whom angels submit themselves
and who principalities and powers obey,
was subject to Mary
and not only to Mary
but Joseph atoo, for Mary’s sake [….].
God obeyed a human creature –
this is humility without precedent.
A human creature commands God;
it is sublime beyond measure!”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father and Doctor of the Church

O Gente Felix
O House of Nazareth The Blest
By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

O house of Nazareth the blest,
Fair hostess of the Lord,
The Church was nurtured at thy breast
And shared thy scanty hoard.

In all the spreading lands of earth.
The wandering sun may see
No dearer spot, no ampler worth
Than erst was found in thee!

We know thy humble tenement
Was heaven’s hermitage:
Celestial heralds came and went
In endless embassage.

There, whatsoever Joseph asks
Christ hastens to fulfil;
While Mary loves the household tasks
That wait her joyous will.

There, Joseph toileth at her side
Her joys and griefs to share,
With thousand ties knit to his bride,
Of love and work and prayer.

Yet how their bosoms constant burn
And deeper ardours prove
In love of Christ, whose eyes return
Tokens of mutual love.

O then, in all the homes of earth,
Be Love the bond of life:
May it enthrone at every hearth
The peace that husheth strife.

All praise to thee, O Jesus,
Who parents dost obey;
Praise to the sovereign Father
And Paraclete for aye.
Amen.

"Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FRANCISCAN OFM, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 January – “He was subject to them.” Luke 2:51

Posted on January 8, 2023January 7, 2023 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 8 January – The Holy Family – Sunday within the Octave of Epiphany – Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:42-52 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them.” – Luke 2:51

REFLECTION – “He was subject to them.” With these words let all pride dissolve, all rigidness crumble, all disobedience submit. “He was subject to them.” Who? In brief, He Who created all things from nothing; He Who, as Isaiah says, “has cupped in His Hand the waters of the sea and marked off the heavens with a span; Who has held in a measure the dust of the earth, weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance” (40:12). He Who, as Job says, “shakes the earth and the pillars beneath it tremble. He commands the sun and seals up the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the crests of the sea; He Who made the constellations; He does marvellous things beyond reckoning” (9:6-10)… This is He who, great and powerful though He be, was subject. And subject to whom? To a workman and a poor young maid.

O “First and Last”! (Apoc 1:17). O Leader of Angels, subject to men! The Creator of Heaven, subject to a workman; God of eternal glory, subject to a poor young maid! Has anyone ever seen anything like this? Has anyone heard such a thing before?

So no longer hesitate to obey or be submissive… Come down, come to Nazareth, be subject, obey perfectly: all Wisdom lies in this… This is what it means to be soberly wise. Simplicity that is pure, is “like the waters of Shiloah that flow silently” (Is 8:6). There are people of wisdom within religious orders but it is by means of simple men that God brought them there. God chose the foolish and weak, the lowly and ignorant to bring together those who were wise, powerful and of noble birth through them, “so that no human being might boast in itself” (cf 1 Cor 1:26-29) but in Him Who came down, Who came to Nazareth,and Who was subject!” – St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Franciscan, Doctor of the Church (Sermons for Sundays and Feasts of the Saints).

MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

Thought for the Day – 24 December – The Holy Family – Mary

Posted on December 24, 2022December 23, 2022 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 24 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

A Christmas Novena IX
The Holy Family – Mary

“The Blessed Virgin Mary, is the second model proposed for our imitation in the Holy Family.
She is the purest and most beautiful of creatures ever fashioned by the Hand of God.
As Mother of the Word Incanate, her dignity touches the Divine.
Preserved from all stain of sin from the moment of her conception, she is full of grace.
Except in God Himself, no greater beauty and holiness can be found elsewhere, than in Mary.

We do not read that Mary worked miracles, had ecstasies, or possessed any extraordinary external gifts.
Her sanctity was completely internal.
She trod the ordinary way of perfection, therefore, the way most easily imitated by us and, nevertheless, reached the highest peak of holiness.
Since we are her devoted and affectionate children, let us ask her for the grace to follow her in the way of perfection and of complete resignation to the will of God.
Although we may have to follow her from afar, let us follow with enthusiasm and love..”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/24/thought-for-the-day-24-december-the-holy-family-jesus-2/

The WORD, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE, St JOSEPH, ONE Minute REFLECTION

One Minute Reflection – 11 May – ‘Is he not a man chosen and set apart?’

Posted on May 11, 2022May 10, 2022 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 11 May – Octave Day of St Joseph – Genesis 49:22-26, Luke 3:21-23

“And Jesus, Himself, was beginning about the age of thirty years, being – (as it was supposed) – the son of Joseph … “” – Luke 3:23

REFLECTION – “There is a general rule, concerning all special graces granted to any human being. Whenever the divine favour chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen, with all the gifts of the Spirit, needed to fulfil the task at hand.

This general rule is especially verified in the case of Saint Joseph, the Foster-Father of our Lord and the husband of the Queen of our world, enthroned above the Angels. He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy Guardian and Protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his Divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.

What then is Joseph’s position in the whole Church of Christ? Is he not a man chosen and set apart? Through him and, yes, under him, Christ was fittingly and honourably introduced into the world. Holy Church, in its entirety, is indebted to the Virgin Mother because through her, it was judged worthy to receive Christ. But after her, we undoubtedly owe special gratitude and reverence to Saint Joseph.

In him the Old Testament finds its fitting close. He brought the noble line of patriarchs and prophets to its promised fulfilment. What the Divine Goodness had offered as a promise to them, he held in his arms. Obviously, Christ does not now deny to Joseph that intimacy, reverence and very high honour which He gave him on earth, as a son to his father. Rather, we must say that in Heaven, Christ completes and perfects, all that He gave at Nazareth.

Now, we can see ,how the last summoning words of the Lord appropriately apply to Saint Joseph – Enter into the joy of your Lord. In fact, although the joy of eternal happiness enters into the soul of a man, the Lord preferred to say to Joseph – Enter into joy. His intention was, that the words should have a hidden spiritual meaning for us. They convey, not only that this holy man possesses an inward joy but also, that it surrounds him and engulfs him, like an infinite abyss.

Remember us, Saint Joseph and plead for us to your Foster-Child. Ask your most holy bride, the Virgin Mary, to look kindly upon us, since she is the Mother of Him Who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns eternally. Amen.” – St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444) (An excerpt on his Sermon 2 of St Joseph).

PRAYER – O God, Who in thine unspeakable foreknowledge, didst choose Thy blessed servant Joseph to be the husband of thine Own most holy Mother; mercifully grant, that now that he is in heaven with Thee, we, who on earth do reverence him for our Defender, may worthily be assisted by the succour of his prayers to Thee ,on our behalf. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Holy Family PRAYERS, HYMNS, PAPAL PRAYERS, The HOLY FAMILY, THE HOLY FAMILY - FAMILIAE SANCTAE

FEBRUARY – The Month of the HOLY FAMILY OF NAZARETH

Posted on February 1, 2022January 31, 2022 by AnaStpaul

Devotion for February – The Holy Family

A pious practice among Catholics, is to write “✝ J M J ✝” often flanked by two Crosses at the top of letters, cards, documents and personal notes as a reference to Jesus, Mary and Joseph as the Holy Family.
Where it is written, “✝ J M J ✝” the writer appeals for the blessing and protection of the Holy Family.

O Gente Felix
O House of Nazareth The Blest
By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)