Category: The HOLY NAME

Posted in CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 May – “In that day, you will ask in My Name” – John 16:26

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One Minute Reflection – 22 May – The Fifth Sunday after Easter – James 1:22-27, John 16:23-30

“In that day, you will ask in My Name” – John 16:26

REFLECTION – “At the end of our prayers we say: “Through Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord” and not “Through the Holy Spirit.” This practice of the Universal Church is not without reason. At its root lies the Mystery according to which, Jesus Christ is the Mediator between God and humanity (1 Tim 2:5), a Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek, He who, with His own Blood, entered into the Holy of Holies, not that which was only a copy but, into Heaven itself, where He is at the Right Hand of God and intercedes for us (Heb 6:20; 9:24).

It was in His consideration of Christ’s Priesthood, that the Apostle said: “Through Him let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which confess His Name” (Heb 13:15).
It is through Him that we offer the sacrifice of praise and prayer because it is His death that reconciled us while we were still enemies (Rom 5:10).
He willed to offer Himself in sacrifice for our sakes and, since then, it is through Him, that our offerings can be acceptable in God’s sight. This is why Saint Peter warns us in these words: “Like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, through Jesus Christ” (1 Pt 2:5). This is the reason why we say to God the Father: “Through Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord.” – Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe (467-532) – Bishop in North Africa (Letter 14,36).

PRAYER – O God, from Whom all good things do come, grant to us Thy humble servants, that by Thy holy inspiration, we may think those things that are good and by Thy merciful guidance, may perform the same. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The HEART, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 May – My Name

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 May – The Fifth Sunday after Easter – James 1:22-27, John 16:23-30

“In that day, you will ask in My Name”

John 16:26

“And you shall be hated by all men,
for my name’s sake.”

Luke 21:17

“The eternal God
asks a favour of His bride:
“Hold me close to your heart,
close as locket or bracelet fits.”
No matter whether
we walk or stand still,
eat or drink,
we should at all times
wear the golden locket
“Jesus” upon our heart.”

Bl Henry Suso (1295-1366)

May We Confess Your Name to the End
By St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258)
Bishop and Martyr
Father of the Church

Good God,
may we confess Your Name to the end.
May we emerge unmarked
and glorious from the traps
and darkness of this world.
As You have bound us together
by charity and peace
and as together
we have persevered under persecution,
so may we also rejoice together
in Your heavenly kingdom.
Amen

“The Name of Jesus
is the purest and holiest,
the noblest and most indulgent of names,
the Name of all blessings
and of all virtues,
it is the Name of the God-Man,
of sanctity itself.”

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

Posted in FRANCISCAN OFM, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 20 May – St Bernadine of Siena

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 May – The Memorial of St Bernadine of Siena OFM (1380-1444) Confessor

“Was it not through the brilliance
and sweet savour of this Name,
that God called us into
His marvelous light?”“

Jesus, Name Full of Glory
By St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

Jesus,
Name full of Glory,
Grace, Love and Strength!
You are the Refuge of those who repent,
our Banner of Warfare in this life,
the Medicine of souls,
the Comfort of those who mourn,
the Delight of those who believe,
the Light of those
who preach the True Faith,
the Wages of those who toil,
the Cure of the sick.
To You our devotion aspires,
by You our prayers are received;
we delight in contemplating You.
O Name of Jesus,
You are the Glory
of all the Saints for Eternity.
Amen

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/05/20/quote-s-of-the-day-20-may-st-bernadine-of-siena-1380-1444/

St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

Posted in "Follow Me", CARMELITES, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, SAINT of the DAY, The HEART, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 May – ‘For My Name’s sake’ – Matthew 19:29

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One Minute Reflection – 20 May – The Memorial of St Bernadine of Siena OFM (1380-1444) Confessor – Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11, Matthew 19:27-29.

“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 – “Seek for nothing, desiring to enter for love of Jesus, with detachment, emptiness and poverty in everything in this world. You will never have to do with necessities greater than those to which you made your heart yield itself – for the poor in spirit are most happy and joyful in a state of privation and he who has set his heart on nothing, finds satisfaction everywhere.

The poor in spirit (Mt 5:3) give generously all they have and their pleasure consists in being thus deprived of everything for God’s sake and out of love to their neighbour … Not only do temporal goods – the delights and tastes of the senses – hinder and thwart the way of God but spiritual delights and consolations also, if sought for or clung to eagerly, disturb the way of virtue.” – St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Carmelite, Doctor of the Church (Spiritual maxims, nos. 352, 355,356, 364; 1693 edition).

PRAYER – O Lord Jesus, Who bestowed on blessed Bernardine, Your Confessor, an unusual love for Your Holy Name, we beseech You, by his merits and intercession, graciously pour upon us the spirit of Your love. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in DIVINE MERCY, DOCTORS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, The HEART, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 13 April – Betrayal!

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Quote/s of the Day – 13 April – Spy Wednesday in Holy Week – Isaias 53:1-12, Luke 22:39-71; 23:1-53

“And Jesus said to him:
Judas, dost thou betray
the Son of man with a kiss?”

Luke 22:48

“O God, fullness of goodness,
You do not forsake any,
except those who forsake You.
You never take away Your gifts,
except when we take away our hearts.
We rob the goodness of God,
if we claim the glory of our salvation for ourselves.
We dishonour His mercy,
if we say He has failed us.
… We blaspheme His goodness,
if we deny that He has helped and assisted us.
In short, O God, cry loud and clear into our ears:
“your destruction comes from you, O Israel.
In me alone is found your help” (Hos 13:9).

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis
Treatise on the Love of God, Ch 9

“Sacrilegious tongues blaspheme the God
who preserves their existence!
… you should be damned forever
and, instead of thanking Him for His goodness,
you, at the very time
that He bestows His favours upon you,
YOU blaspheme His Holy Name!”

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

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

“Quote/s of the Day – 11 April – ‘ … We are the aroma of Christ.’

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 April – Monday of Holy Week – Isaias 50:5-10, John 12:1-9

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

St Chromatius of Aquilaea (Died c 407)

“People who associate the name of Christian
with a dishonest life, injure Christ! …
If God’s Name, is blasphemed by bad Christians,
it is praised and honoured,
on the other hand,
by the good:
“For in every place, we are the aroma of Christ”
(2 Cor,14-15).
And it is said in the Song of Songs:
“Your name is oil poured out” (1,3).”

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

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY NAME, The INCARNATION, The KINGDOM of GOD, The SEVEN LAST WORDS of CHRIST

One Minute Reflection – 11 April – ‘ … The sweetness and perfume of His Name.’

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One Minute Reflection – 11 April – Monday of Holy Week – Isaias 50:5-10, John 12:1-9

“The house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” – John 12:3

REFLECTION – “When she had anointed the Lord’s feet this woman did not wipe them with a cloth but with her own hair, to show Him greater honour … Like a thirsty person drinking from a fresh waterfall, this holy woman drank in grace full of delights, from the Springs of Holiness, to quench the thirst of her faith.

However, in the allegorical or mystical sense, this woman prefigured the Church, which offered the full and entire devotion of its faith to Christ …There are twelve ounces to a pound and this is the amount of perfume the Church possesses, having received the teaching of the twelve Apostles, as if it were a precious perfume. Indeed, what more precious is there than the Apostles’ teaching, which contains both faith in Christ and the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven? Furthermore, it is related that the whole house was filled with the scent of that perfume because, the whole world has been filled with the Apostles’ teaching. As it is written: “Through all the earth their voice resounds and to the ends of the world, their message” (Ps 19[18]:5).

In the Song of Songs we read the following words addressed through Solomon, to the Church: “Your name spoken is a spreading perfume” (1,2). Not without cause, is the Lord’s Name called a “spreading perfume.” As you know, as long as perfume is preserved inside its flask, it keeps its fragrance but, as soon as is poured out or emptied, it spreads out its fragrant scent. Even so, as long as our Lord and Saviour reigned with His Father in Heaven, the world was unaware of Him, He was unknown here below. But when, for our salvation, He deigned to humble Himself, by descending from Heaven, to take on a human body, then He spread abroad in the world, the sweetness and perfume of His Name.“ – St Chromatius of Aquilaea (Died c 407) – Bishop of Aquileia, Italy, Theologian, Exegete (Sermon 11).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech thee, almighty God, that we who fail through our weakness, in so many difficulties, may be relieved through the pledging of the Passion of Thy only-begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, DIVINE MERCY, Holy Name PRAYERS, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 24 March – Behold Me, O Sweet Lord, Behold Me! By St Aelred

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Our Morning Offering – 24 March – Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

Behold Me, O Sweet Lord, Behold Me!
By St Aelred of Rievaulx O.Cist. (1110-1167)

Behold me, O Sweet Lord, behold me!
For I hope. that in Your Loving Kindness,
O Most Merciful One,
You will behold me,
either as a loving Physician to heal,
a kind Teacher to correct,
or an indulgent Father to pardon…
confident in Your Sweet Powerful Mercy
and most Merciful Power,
I ask, in virtue of Your Sweet Name
and of the Mystery of Your Sacred Humanity
that, mindful of Your Kindness
and unmindful of my ingratitude,
You forgive me my sins
and heal the languors of my soul.
Amen

Posted in Holy Name PRAYERS, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, Our MORNING Offering, The HOLY NAME, THOMAS a KEMPIS

Our Morning Offering – 18 March – O Sweet Name of Jesus

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Our Morning Offering – 18 March – Friday of the Second week of Lent

O Sweet Name of Jesus
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

O sweet Name of Jesus,
holy above all names
in Heaven and on earth
and to which every knee,
both of men and of Angels in Heaven,
on earth and in hell bends.
You are the Way of the just,
the Glory of the Saints,
the Hope of those in need,
the Balm of the sick,
the Love of the devout
and the Consolation
of those that suffer.
O, Jesus, be to me a help and a protector
so that Your Name may be blessed for all times.
Amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – The Proof of our Love

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 March – Wednesday of the Second week of Lent – Esther 13:8-11; 15-17, Matthew 20:17-28

“Are you able to drink the cup
that I am to drink?”

Matthew 20:22

“… Now is the time in this life of suffering,
when we journey apart from Him.
… So let us fast and pray now
because, we are in the days of childbirth!”

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

“Only let it be in the name of Jesus Christ,
that I may suffer together with Him!
I endure everything
because He Himself,
Who is perfect man, empowers me.”

St Ignatius of Antioch (c 35–107) Martyr

“Embrace, then, Jesus Crucified,
raising to Him the eyes of your desire!
Consider His burning love for you,
which made Jesus pour out His Blood
from every part of His body!
Embrace Jesus crucified,
loving and beloved and in Him,
you will find true life because He is God made Man.
Let your heart and your soul burn
with the fire of love drawn from Jesus on the Cross!
… You will have no other desire than to follow Jesus!
Run, … do not stay asleep
because time flies and does not wait one moment!
Dwell in God’s sweet love!”

St Catherine of Sienna (1347-1380)
Doctor of the Church

“To labour and to suffer
for the One we love,
is the greatest proof of our love.”

St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on PRAYER, Quotes on SALVATION, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 8 March – St Alphonsus’ Prayer for the Gift of Prayer

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Our Morning Offering – 8 March – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

Prayer for the Gift of Prayer
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

O Incarnate Word,
You have given Your Blood and Your Life
to confer on our prayers that power by which,
according to Your promise,
they obtain for us, all that we ask.
And we, O God,
are so careless of our salvation,
that we will not even ask You for the graces
that we must have, if we should be saved!
In prayer You have given us the key
of all Your Divine treasures
and we, rather than pray,
choose to remain in our misery.
Alas! O Lord, enlighten us,
and make us know the value of prayers,
offered in Your Name and by Your merits,
in the eyes of Your Eternal Father.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD the FATHER, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 10 February – The One Thing Necessary By St Alphonsus

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Our Morning Offering – 10 February

The One Thing Necessary
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

O my God,
help me to remember,
that time is short, eternity long.
What good is all the greatness of this world
at the hour of death?
To love You, my God
and save my soul is the one thing necessary.
Without You, there is no peace of mind or soul.
My God, I need fear only sin
and nothing else in this life,
for to lose You, my God, is to lose all.
O my God, help me to remember,
that I came into this world with nothing
and shall take nothing from it, when I die.
To gain You, I must leave all.
But in loving You,
I already have all good things,
the infinite riches of Christ and His Church in life,
Mary’s motherly protection and perpetual help
and the eternal dwelling place
Jesus has prepared for me.
Eternal Father, Jesus has promised
that whatever we ask
in His Name will be granted us.
In His Name, I pray,
give me a burning faith,
a joyful hope,
a holy love for You.
Grant me perseverance in doing Your will
and never let me be separated from You.
My God and my All,
make me a Saint!
Amen

Posted in Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 31 January – May We Confess Your Name to the End

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Our Morning Offering – 31 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus”

May We Confess Your Name to the End
By St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258)
Bishop and Martyr
Father of the Church

Good God,
may we confess Your Name to the end.
May we emerge unmarked
and glorious from the traps
and darkness of this world.
As You have bound us together
by charity and peace
and as together
we have persevered under persecution,
so may we also rejoice together
in Your heavenly kingdom.
Amen

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, St PAUL!, The HEART, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 January – Our Light and Life

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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.

“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

“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

“The Light of Christ
is an endless day
that knows no night.”

St Maximus of Truin (Died 420)
Bishop, Father

“There is nothing sweeter
than to be enlightened
and made beautiful, by this participation
and communion in the Light,
to have one’s heart softened,
one’s soul sanctified
and to be filled with a holy joy
all the days of this present life…
Truly, this Sun of Justice is,
for those who gaze at It,
the transmitter of joy
according to the prophecy of David:
“The just rejoice and exult before God,
they are glad and rejoice!”

St Gregory of Agrigente (c 559-c 630)
Bishop

“As those who see light,
are in the light, sharing its brilliance,
so those who see God,
are in God, sharing His Glory
and that Glory gives them life.
To see God is to share in Life.”

St Irenaeus (130-202)
Bishop, Father of the Church, Martyr

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The HOLY NAME, The KINGDOM of GOD, The WORD, THOMAS a KEMPIS

Quote/s of the Day – 24 January – ‘A person who wishesto become the Lord’s disciple …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 January – Saint Timothy, Bishop and Martyr, 1 Timothy 6:11-16, Luke 14:26-33.

“If anyone comes to me
without hating his father
and mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:26

“Pursue justice, godliness,
faith, charity, patience, mildness.
Fight the good fight of the faith,
lay hold on the life eternal,
to which you have been called …”

1 Timothy 6:11-12

“Are you able to drink the cup
that I am to drink?”

Matthew 20:22

“Leaving all things,
they followed him.”

Luke 5:11

“I am the light of the world;
he who follows me will not walk in darkness
but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

“A person who wishes
to become the Lord’s disciple
must repudiate a human obligation,
however honourable it may appear,
if it slows us, ever so slightly,
in giving the wholehearted obedience
we owe to God.”

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“… Anyone of you
who does not renounce
all his possessions,
cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:33

“The tradition and the authority
of Holy Scripture, show us three renunciations …
The first is that, by which,
as far as the body is concerned,
we make light of all the wealth
and goods of this world.
By the second,
we reject the fashions and vices
and former affections of soul and flesh.
By the third,
we detach our soul from all present
and visible things and contemplate only
things to come and set our heart
on what is invisible.
We have to do all these three at once,
as the Lord charged Abraham to do,
when he said to him
“Go out from your country
and your kinsfolk
and your father’s house.”(Gn 12:1).”

St John Cassian (c 360-435)
Monk, Founder of Monasteries,
Father of the Church
(Conference 3, 6-7)

The Love of Your Name

“My God, Sweetness beyond words,
make bitter all the carnal comfort
that draws me from love of the eternal
and lures me to its evil self,
by the sight of some delightful good
in the present.
Let it not overcome me, my God.
Let not flesh and blood conquer me.
Let not the world and its brief glory
deceive me, nor the devil trip me by his craftiness.
Give me courage to resist,
patience to endure
and constancy to persevere.
Give me the soothing unction of Your spirit,
rather than all the consolations of the world
and in place of carnal love,
infuse into me the love of Your Name.”

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ
(Book 3 Ch 26:1-4)

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUTH, SAINT of the DAY, The HEART, The HOLY EUCHARIST, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – Blessed Henry Suso

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Quote/s of the Day – 23 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – The Memorial of Blessed Henry Suso OP (1295-1366)

“The eternal God
asks a favour of His bride:
“Hold me close to your heart,
close as locket or bracelet fits.”
No matter whether
we walk or stand still,
eat or drink,
we should at all times
wear the golden locket
“Jesus” upon our heart.”

“Suffering is a short pain
and a long joy.”

“Nowhere does Jesus
hear our prayers more readily,
than in the Blessed Sacrament.”

“It is inner abandonment
which leads men
to the highest Truth.”

Bl Henry Suso (1295-1366)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/01/23/quote-s-of-the-day-23-january-blessed-henry-suso/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 January – “And you shall be hated by all men,for my name’s sake.” – Luke 21:17

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – The Memorial of Saints Vincent of Saragossa (Died 304) Martyr – Wisdom 3:1-8, Luke 21:9-19

“And you shall be hated by all men,
for my name’s sake.”

Luke 21:17

“Blessed are you
when men revile you
and persecute you …
on my account”

Matthew 5:11

“So everyone who acknowledges me before men,
I also will acknowledge before my Father,
who is in heaven…”

Matthew 10:32

“Sheltered under the name of
Jesus Christ,
I do not fear these pains ….”

St Lawrence (Died 258)
Deacon and Martyr

“If all the swords in England
were pointed against my head,
your threats would not move me.”

St Thomas à Becket (1118-1170)
Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury

“Crosses, contempt,
sorrows and afflictions,
are the real treasures
of the lovers of Jesus Christ Crucified.”

St Margaret Mary Alacoque
(1647-1690)

“We must love God so much,
that we are prepared
to endure everything willingly,
for love of Him.
Those who suffer are blessed, therefore,
only on one condition,
namely, on condition
that they suffer for love of God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, Quotes on SALVATION, The HOLY NAME, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER

Our Morning Offering – 21 January – Complete Us, O Lord Jesus Christ

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Our Morning Offering – 21 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus”

Complete Us, O Lord Jesus Christ
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Magnificent and Marian
Doctor of the Church

O Lord Jesus Christ,
our Redemption and our Salvation,
we praise You and give You thanks.
Although we are unworthy of Your benefits
and cannot offer to You, the devotion You deserve,
let Your loving-kindness complete
whatever our weakness tries to do.
Before You, O Lord,
we lay all our desires
and whatever our heart rightly wishes,
it is because of Your gifts.
Help us to love You as You command.
Do not let Your gifts be unfruitful in us.
Complete what You have begun,
give what You have made us desire,
convert our lukewarmness
into fervent love of You,
for the glory of Your Holy Name.
Amen.

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, DIVINE MERCY, INGRATITUDE, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 12 January – Behold Me, O Sweet Lord, Behold Me!

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Our Morning Offering – 12 January – Seventh day in the Octave of Epiphany, “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” and the Memorial of St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) “St Bernard of the North”

Behold Me, O Sweet Lord, Behold Me!
By St Aelred of Rievaulx O.Cist. (1110-1167)

Behold me, O Sweet Lord, behold me!
For I hope. that in Your Loving Kindness,
O Most Merciful One,
You will behold me,
either as a loving Physician to heal,
a kind Teacher to correct,
or an indulgent Father to pardon…
confident in Your Sweet Powerful Mercy
and most Merciful Power,
I ask, in virtue of Your Sweet Name
and of the Mystery of Your Sacred Humanity
that, mindful of Your Kindness
and unmindful of my ingratitude,
You forgive me my sins
and heal the languors of my soul.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 10 January – Most Holy Name

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus”

“People who associate the name of Christian
with a dishonest life, injure Christ…
If God’s Name, is blasphemed by bad Christians,
it is praised and honoured, on the other hand,
by the good:
“For in every place, we are the aroma of Christ”
(2 Cor,14-15).
And it is said in the Song of Songs:
“Your name is oil poured out” (1,3).”

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

“The Name of Jesus
is the purest and holiest,
the noblest and most indulgent of names,
the Name of all blessings
and of all virtues,
it is the Name of the God-Man,
of sanctity itself.”

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

“Sacrilegious tongues blaspheme the God
who preserves their existence!
… you should be damned forever
and, instead of thanking Him for His goodness,
you, at the very time
that He bestows His favours upon you,
YOU blaspheme His Holy Name!”

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

Posted in FRANCISCAN OFM, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME

Saint of the Day – 7 January – Blessed Matthew of Agrigento OFM (c 1377-1450) “Apostle of the Holy Name of Jesus”

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Saint of the Day – 7 January – Blessed Matthew of Agrigento OFM (c 1377-1450) “Apostle of the Holy Name of Jesus” Bishop, Priest and Friar of the Friars Minor, Missionary Preacher often with St Bernardine of Siena, Provincial Vicar and General Commissioner of the Order, founder of many Convents. The Etymology of the name Matthew is “man of God,” from Hebrew. Born in 1377 as Matteo Guimerà on the Via Arco di San Francesco di Paola in Rabbato, Agrigento, Italy and died on 7 January 1450 in the Franciscan Monastery (which he had founded) of Santa Maria di Gesù, Palermo, Sicily, Italy of natural causes. Also known as – Matteo/Matthew Guimerà.

The Roman Martyrology states: “In Palermo, transit of Blessed Matteo Guimerá, Bishop of Agrigento, of the Order of Minors, lover and advocate of the Most Holy Name of Jesus”

Matthew was born on the southern coast of Sicily in c 1377. His parents were pious Catholics and they educated and instilled in him, a fervent love of the Faith.

He entered the Seraphic Order in 1391-92 at the Convent of St Frances of Assisi in Agrigento where he made his religious profession in 1394. He studied theology in Bologna, Italy and Barcelona, Spain, where he earned his doctorate and was Ordained a Priest in 1400.

Matthew became a travelling missionary preacher in the region of Tarragona, Spain from 1400 to 1405 and was then appointed Novie Master. In 1417, Matthew returned to Italy, desiring to work with St Bernardine of Siena, who was leading the observant reform movement of the Franciscan Order which gave rise to the Observant Franciscans. They met in 1418, perhaps at the General Chapter of the Order held at Mantua and Matthew, soon afterwards, asked his superiors for permission, to transfer to the Observing branch of the Order.

Matthew’s friendship with St Bernardine had a profound effect on his life. The two were fellow preachers and shared a desire for reform. Both preached tirelessly and led an austere life, in keeping with the spirit of Franciscan rule. Likewise, both encouraged devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus – in the case of Matthew, joined to the name of Mary, the Mother of God – for this reason, many of the Convents he founded in Italy and Spanish lands bear the name of Santa Maria de Jesús.

Matthew had the support of King Alfonso the Magnanimous and Pope Eugene IV, for the expansion of the reform movement. . In 1425, Pope Martin V granted him the power to found observant convents, in addition to those he had already reformed: Messina , Palermo , Agrigento, Syracuse , Barcelona , Valencia , etc. In addition, he was Provincial Vicar of the Order in Sicily between 1425 and 1430 and General Commissioner from 1432 to 1440.

Invited by the King of Spain, in 1427-1428, he preached in Valencia , Barcelona, Vic and other places. Invited again, he returned in 1430 to preach and perform peacekeeping missions, spreading devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus and founding new observant convents. He was chosen Bishop of his native City, Agrigento which he wanted to refuse but at the insistence of King Alfonso, he was appointed Bishop on 17 September 1442 and Consecrated the following year.

Cathedral of Agrigento, where Blessed Matthew was Bishop.

He was a reformist and a zealous Bishop of the ecclesiastical discipline of the clergy, which pitted him against a section of the clergy and the nobility, who slandered him (accused him of squandering Church property by exercising charity to the poor) and having illicit relations with a woman) and asked the Holy See to investigate. Prosecuted by the Papal Curia, he was found innocent and acquitted, regaining the Pope’s confidence. Again, however, his enemies provoked new conflicts and Matthew, realising that he was unable to maintain order, presented his resignation from the Bishopric.

When this was accepted in 1445, he retired to the Convent of Palermo, where he lived as a Friar until his death on 7 January 1450. He was buried in the same Convent.

Convent of St Mary of Jesus of Palermo, founded by the Blessed and where he died and was buried.

The people soon considered him a saint and began to venerate him. In 1759 the Diocesan process of Beatification began , which led to the confirmation of the immemorial cult, equivalent to the Beatification by Pope Clement XIII on 22 February 1767.

Around a hundred of Blessed Matthew’s sermons are preserved, which were found during the twentieth century and only from 1960 began to be published by Agostino Amore. Written in Latin and the vernacular, they comment on biblical texts with great theological depth.

Posted in Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 5 January – Daily Prayer to the Most Holy Name

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Our Morning Offering – 5 January – Christmas Weekday “Month of the Most Holy Name”

Daily Prayer to the Most Holy Name
by St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)
Apostle of the Most Holy Name

Jesus,
Name full of glory, grace, love and strength!
You are the refuge of those who repent,
our banner of warfare in this life,
the medicine of souls,
the comfort of those who mourn,
the delight of those who believe,
the light of those who preach the true faith,
the wages of those who toil,
the healing of the sick.
To You, our devotion aspires;
by You, our prayers are received;
we delight in contemplating You.
O Name of Jesus,
You are the glory
of all the saints for eternity.
Amen.

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, The HOLY NAME, The WORD, THOMAS a KEMPIS

One Minute Reflection – 3 January – ‘Rise up!’

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One Minute Reflection – 3 January – “Month and Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – Readings: John 3: 22 – 4: 6; Psalm 2: 7bc-8, 10-11; Matthew 4: 12-17, 23-25

“The people who sat in darkness, have seen a great light and to them who sat in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen.” – Matthew 4:16

REFLECTION – “Because human nature, petrified by the cult of idols and solidified by the ice of paganism, had lost all its motivation towards the good, because of this, the Sun of Justice rises over that rigorous winter and brings in the spring. Just as the rays are rising in the East, the south wind causes this ice to melt by warming the whole mass, so that man, made rigid by the cold, should be penetrated by the Spirit with heat and melt under the rays of the Word and once again, he might become a spring, bubbling up to life eternal. “A breath from him and the waters flow” (Ps. 147:7 LXX). This is what the Baptist openly proclaimed to the Jews, when he told them that the stones would rise up to become children of the Patriarch (cf. Mt 3:9), imitating his virtue.

This is what the Church learns from the Word, when it receives the brightness of truth, through the windows of the prophets and the trellis of the Law. So long as the wall of doctrine and its figurative expression remains, I mean the Law, (cf. Sg 3:9) it shows the shadow of things to come but not the image itself of the realities. But behind the law stands the Truth that follows the figure. First of all it makes the Word shine out for the Church through the prophets, then the Gospel revelation dissipates all shadowy performance in figures. Through it “the dividing wall is broken down” (Eph 2:14) and the air in the house is invaded by celestial light: there is no more need any longer to receive light through the windows, since the true Light itself lightens everything inside, with the rays of the Gospel.

This is why the Word Who raises the broken cries to the Church through the windows: Rise up (from your fall, of course), you who slid in the mud of sin, who were chained by the serpent, who fell to the ground and whom disobedience dragged into falling. Rise up!” – St Gregory of Nyssa (c.335-395) Monk and Bishop, Father of the Church (The Spiritual Spring).

PRAYER – The Love of Your Name

“My God, Sweetness beyond words,
make bitter all the carnal comfort
that draws me from love of the eternal
and lures me to its evil self,
by the sight of some delightful good
in the present.
Let it not overcome me, my God.
Let not flesh and blood conquer me.
Let not the world and its brief glory
deceive me, nor the devil trip me by his craftiness.
Give me courage to resist,
patience to endure
and constancy to persevere.
Give me the soothing unction of Your spirit,
rather than all the consolations of the world
and in place of carnal love,
infuse into me the love of Your Name.”

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ
(Book 3 Ch 26:1-4)

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, LITANIES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 3 January – The Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

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Our Morning Offering – 3 January – “Month and Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus”

The Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus received the Church’s approval for private use by Pope Sixtus V in 1585, and public recitation by Pope Leo XIII in 1886. It is one of only six litanies approved for public use.
When this litany is prayed publicly, the congregation’s responses to a leader appear in italics below.

The LITANY of The MOST
HOLY NAME OF JESUS

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us (after each line)
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Ghost,
Holy Trinity, one God,
Jesus, Son of the living God,
Jesus, Splendour of the Father,
Jesus, Brightness of eternal Light,
Jesus, King of Glory,
Jesus, Sun of Justice,
Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary,
Jesus, most amiable,
Jesus, most admirable,
Jesus, the mighty God,
Jesus, father of the world to come,
Jesus, Angel of great counsel,
Jesus, most powerful,
Jesus, most patient,
Jesus, most obedient,
Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Jesus, Lover of chastity,
Jesus, Lover of us,
Jesus, God of peace,
Jesus, Author of life,
Jesus, Example of virtues,
Jesus, zealous Lover of souls,
Jesus, our God,
Jesus, our Refuge,
Jesus, Father of the poor,
Jesus, Treasure of the faithful,
Jesus, good Shepherd,
Jesus, true Light,
Jesus, eternal Wisdom,
Jesus, infinite Goodness,
Jesus, our Way and our Life,
Jesus, Joy of Angels,
Jesus, King of Patriarchs,
Jesus, Master of the Apostles,
Jesus, Teacher of the Evangelists,
Jesus, Strength of Martyrs,
Jesus, Light of Confessors,
Jesus, Purity of Virgins,
Jesus, crown of all Saints,
Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus.
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus.
From all evil, deliver us, O Jesus. (after each line)
From all sin,
From Thy wrath,
From the snares of the devil,
From the spirit of fornication,
From everlasting death,
From the neglect of Thine inspirations,
By the Mystery of Thy holy Incarnation,
By Thy Nativity,
By Thine Infancy,
By Thy most divine Life,
By Thy labors,
By Thine agony and Passion,
By Thy Cross and dereliction,
By Thy sufferings,
By Thy Resurrection,
By Thine Ascension,
By Thine institution of the most Holy Eucharist,
By Thy joys,
By Thy glory,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Hear us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us, O Jesus.
Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, graciously hear us.

Let us pray:

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Who hast said:
Ask and ye shall receive,
seek and ye shall find,
knock and it shall be opened unto you;
mercifully attend to our supplications
and grant us the gift of Thy divine charity,
that we may ever love Thee
with our whole heart
and with all our words and deeds
and may never cease from praising Thee.
Make us, O Lord, to have a perpetual fear
and love of Thy holy Name,
for Thou never failest to help
and govern those whom
Thou dost bring up
in Thy steadfast fear and love.
Who livest and reignest for ver and ever.
Amen.

Posted in ARMOUR of CHRIST, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, The HOLY NAME, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 2 January – Jesus

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus”

“And this is his commandment,
that we should believe
in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ … ”

1 John 3:23

“Nothing so curbs the onset of anger,
so allays the upsurge of pride.
It cures the wound of envy,
controls unbridled extravagance
and quenches the flame of lust.
It cools the thirst of covetousness
and banishes the itch of unclean desire…
For when I Name Jesus,
I set before myself,
a Man Who is meek and humble of heart,
kind, prudent, chaste, merciful,
flawlessly upright and holy
in the eyes of all
and this same Man is the all-powerful God
Whose way of life heals me,
Whose support is my strength.”

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

(Sermon 15 On the Song of Songs)

“Was it not through the brilliance
and sweet savour of this Name,
that God called us into
His marvellous Light?”

St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

“If thou art bound down by sickness,
if sorrows weary thee,
if thou art trembling with fear,
invoke the name of Jesus.”

St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1456)

Posted in "Follow Me", Archbishop Alban GOODIER SJ, CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, CHRISTMASTIDE!, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ON the SAINTS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on THE LIGHT of CHRIST, The HOLY NAME, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 January – Jesus is ….

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One Minute Reflection – 2 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – and the Feast of the Holy Name celebrated today (Feast 3 January), Readings: Epistle Acts 4:8-12, Psalm 105:47, Isa 63:16, Ps 144:21, Gospel Luke 2:21-24

“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus”…Luke 2:21

REFLECTION – “The Name stands as a complete summary and description of our Lord’s character and office and it is under this aspect that it has been regarded by thousands of Saints, whose hearts have melted at its mere sound. To them Jesus is their God, Jesus is their King, Jesus is their Redeemer, Jesus is their Mediator, Jesus is their Saviour, Jesus is their great Priest, Jesus is their Intercessor, Jesus is the Captain under Whom they fight, Jesus is the Leader Whom they follow, Jesus is their Teacher, Jesus is the Giver of their law, Jesus is the Spouse and Shepherd of their souls, Jesus is their Light, Jesus is their Life, Jesus is the Judge before Whom they rejoice to think, that they must one day stand, Jesus is their final and eternal Reward, for which alone they live.

But He is also to them the Mirror of all the most glorious and winning virtues. He is, and His Name tells them that He is, unbounded Charity, infinite Mercy, extremest Kindness, deepest Humility, most devoted Piety, transparent Simplicity, uttermost Poverty, Chastity without a stain. It is the prerogative of love to transform those who love into the likeness of Him Whom they love and as the mere name of one who is loved cannot sound in the ear or be thought of in the mind, without adding to the love which is already there, so the thought of the Holy Name and the mention of the Holy Name have a kind of sacramental power in the hearts of His Saints. The [name] seems to convey the grace which enables men to think like Him, to speak like Him, to act like Him, to sacrifice themselves like Him and to Him and for Him and along with Him, to make Him known to others, not by word only but also by reproduction of Him in themselves and to win all men to love Him.” – Fr Alban Goodier SJ (1869-1939) Archbishop – Excerpted from The Prince of Peace.

PRAYER – O God, who founded the salvation of the human race on the Incarnation of Your Word, give Your people the mercy they implore, so that all may know there is no other Name to be invoked but the Name of Your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 2 January – Jesu, Dulcis Memoria

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Our Morning Offering – 2 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” and the Feast of the Holy Name celebrated today (Feast 3 January)

Jesu, Dulcis Memoria
Prayer, Poem, Hymn
By St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Doctor Mellifluous
Trans. Fr Edward Caswell C.Orat. (1814-1878)

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.
No voice can sing,
no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus’ Name,
The Saviour of mankind.
O hope of every contrite heart!
0 joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find?
Ah! this Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.
Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shall be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity.
Amen

Jesu, Dulcis Memoria is a celebrated 12th century prayer/hymn by St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Doctor Mellifluous. The entire hymn has some 42 to 53 stanzas depending upon the translation. Parts of this hymn are used for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus on 3 January.

Posted in Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, The HOLY NAME

Catholic Devotion for JanuaryThe Month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS

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Catholic Devotion for January
The Month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS

“Oh Most Sacred Name,
Name of peace,
Balsam of life,
which is the centre of all the sighs,
of the most fervent lovers of Jesus.
The Sign of those who truly love Jesus
is to bear Jesus imprinted in the heart
and to name often and with devotion,
the Most Holy Name of Jesus.”

St Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)

Very early on, Christians came to understand, that the very Name of Jesus had great power, and the recitation of His Name, was itself, a prayer. This short prayer is a combination of that early Christian practice and the prayer offered by the publican in the parable of the pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:9-14).
It is perhaps the most popular prayer among Eastern Christians, both Orthodox and Catholic.

The Word of God:
“Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Luke 18:9-14

And so we say the Jesus Prayer:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
have mercy on me, a sinner.”

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.

At the mention of the Most Holy Name, BOW YOUR HEAD and in private prayer, make an ACT of REPARATION, at the misuse of the MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on BLASPHEMY, The HOLY NAME

Quote/s of the Day – 1 January – The Most Holy Name of Jesus

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – The Octave Day of the Nativity of Jesus and the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord,

May We Confess Your Name to the End
By St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258)
Bishop and Martyr
Father of the Church

Good God,
may we confess Your Name to the end.
May we emerge unmarked
and glorious from the traps
and darkness of this world.
As You have bound us together
by charity and peace
and as together
we have persevered under persecution,
so may we also rejoice together
in Your heavenly kingdom.
Amen

“Sacrilegious tongues blaspheme the God
who preserves their existence!
… you should be damned forever
and, instead of thanking Him for His goodness,
you, at the very time
that He bestows His favours upon you,
YOU blaspheme His Holy Name!”

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

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for the NEW YEAR, The HOLY NAME, The LORD'S PRAYER, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 January – ‘Hallowed be Thy Name’ – New Year Resolution?

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One Minute Reflection – 1 January – “Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” – – The Octave Day of the Nativity of Jesus and the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord, Readings: Titus 2:11-15; Luke 2:21.

“At that time, after eight days were accomplished that the Child should be circumcised. His Name was called Jesus, which was called by the Angel before He was conceived in the womb.” – Luke 2:21

REFLECTION – “In the Old Law (Gen 22;12), it was required that every male child should, on the eighth day after his birth, be circumcised and thus admitted among God’s chosen people. The rite of circumcision in the Old Law, corresponded to the Sacrament of Baptism in the New Law and was the means of remitting original sin. Our Lord, although free from every sin, submitted to this rit,e in order to show, that He was a true Son of Abraham, to manifest respect and obedience to the established law and to prove that He had a real human body. At the time of circumcision, a name was given to the child. Our Lord was called Jesus, which signified His office as Saviour. On this Feast of the Circumcision, therefore, it is most appropriate that we should meditate on the first petition of the Lord’s prayer, “hallowed be thy name.”
I. The first petition of the Lord’s Prayer. 1. In the opening words of the Lord’s Prayer we ask that God’s Name may be honoured, which shows that God’s glory should be our chief desire. 2. This petition does not mean, that God’s essential glory or perfection should be increased, nor that the honour given Him on earth, should be equal to that shown Him in heaven.
II. The objects of this petition. We ask: 1. That we may praise God with our hearts and lips; 2. That those in error may be brought to recognise and revere His Church; 3. That sinners may be converted to His service; 4. That men may learn to refer all blessings to Him as to their Author and Source.
CONCLUSION. Our conduct should be in conformity with this petition, I. Catholics must not cause the Name of God or of His Church to be profaned by their own evil words and, actions. 2. On the contrary, by clean speech and good example, Catholics ought to excite others to exalt the Name of God, to respect the Faith of Christ and to honour His Church. 3. Good resolutions for the New Year.” Excerrpt Catechism of the Council of Trent, (Part IV – Hallowed be Thy Name).

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jeus Christ, may Your Name be hallowed on earth as it is in Heaven. May we bow our heads and revere and honour the Holy Name and teach others to do the same. We offer our hearts and penances in reparation to You for the blasphemies suffered each moment of each day and we resolve to do all in our power to amend this evil. We make our prayer, through Your Son, Jesus our Saviour in union with the Holy Spirit, God now and for all eternity, amen.