Our Morning Offering – 27 January – The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Consecration to the Most Holy Trinity by Blessed James Alberione (1884-1971) (Founder of the Pauline Family)
Divine Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
present and active in the Church
and in the depths of my soul,
I adore You, I thank You, I love You!
And through the hands of Mary
most holy, my Mother,
I offer, give and consecrate myself
entirely to You
for life and for eternity.
To you, Heavenly Father, I offer,
give and consecrate myself
as Your son/daughter.
To you, Jesus Master, I offer,
give and consecrate myself
as Your brother/sister and disciple.
To you, Holy Spirit,
I offer, give and consecrate myself
as “a living temple”
to be consecrated and sanctified.
Mary, Mother of the Church and my Mother,
who dwells in the presence
of the Blessed Trinity,
teach me to live,
through the liturgy and the sacraments,
in ever more intimate union
with the three divine Persons,
so that my whole life may be
a “glory to the Father, to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.” Amen.
Thought for the Day – 13 January – May I serve You by making You known
The Memorial of St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
This prayer is an excerpt from a sermon On the Trinity by Saint Hilary of Poitiers, a bishop and early Church Father of the fourth century who struggled valiantly against the Arian heresy, defending the divinity of Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity. From a sermon on the Trinity by St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church – (Lib 1, 37-38: PL 10, 48-49)
May I serve You by making You known
“I am well aware, almighty God and Father, that in my life I owe You a most particular duty. It is to make my every thought and word speak of You.
In fact, You have conferred on me this gift of speech and it can yield no greater return than to be at Your service. It is for making You known as Father, the Father of the only-begotten God and preaching this to the world that knows You not and to the heretics who refuse to believe in You.
In this matter, the declaration of my intention, is only of limited value. For the rest, I need to pray for the gift of Your help and Your mercy. As we spread our sails of trusting faith and public avowal before You, fill them with the breath of Your Spirit, to drive us on, as we begin this course of proclaiming Your truth. We have been promised and He who made the promise is trustworthy: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Yes, in our poverty we will pray for our needs. We will study the sayings of Your prophets and apostles with unflagging attention and knock for admittance wherever the gift of understanding is safely kept. But Yours it is, Lord, to grant our petitions, to be present when we seek You and to open when we knock.
There is an inertia in our nature that makes us dull and in our attempt to penetrate Your truth. we are held within the bounds of ignorance. by the weakness of our minds. Yet we do comprehend divine ideas by earnest attention to Your teaching and by obedience to the faith, which carries us beyond mere human apprehension.
So we trust in You to inspire the beginnings of this ambitious venture, to strengthen its progress and to call us into a partnership, in the spirit, with the prophets and the apostles. To that end, may we grasp precisely what they meant to say, taking each word in its real and authentic sense. For we are about to say what they already have declared as part of the mystery of revelation – that You are the eternal God, the Father of the eternal, only-begotten God; that You are one and not born from another; and that the Lord Jesus is also one, born of You from all eternity. We must not proclaim a change in truth regarding the number of gods. We must not deny that He is begotten of You who are the one God, nor must we assert that He is other than the true God, born of You who are truly God the Father.
Impart to us, then, the meaning of the words of Scripture and the light to understand it, with reverence for the doctrine and confidence in its truth. Grant that we may express what we believe. Through the prophets and apostles we know about You, the one God the Father and the one Lord Jesus Christ. May we have the grace, in the face of heretics who deny You, to honour You as God, who is not alone and to proclaim this as truth.”
The above is used in the Roman Office of Readings for the feast (liturgical memorial) of St Hilary of Poitiers on 13 January.
One minute Reflection – 13 January – The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Gospel: Luke 3:15-22 and Memorial of St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
“…when Jesus also had been baptised and was praying, the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son with thee I am well pleased.”…Luke 3:21-22
REFLECTION – “Jesus rises from the waters; the world rises with Him. The heavens like Paradise with its flaming sword, closed by Adam for himself and his descendants, are rent open. The Spirit comes to Him as to an equal, bearing witness to His Godhead. A voice bears witness to Him from heaven, His place of origin. The Spirit descends in bodily form like the dove that so long ago announced the ending of the flood and so gives honour to the body that is one with God.
Today, let us do honour to Christ’s baptism and celebrate this feast in holiness. Be cleansed entirely and continue to be cleansed. Nothing gives such pleasure to God as the conversion and salvation of men, for whom His every word and every revelation exist. He wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the great light, bathed in the glory of Him who is the light of heaven. You are to enjoy, more and more, the pure and dazzling light of the Trinity, as now you have received—though not in its fullness—a ray of its splendour, proceeding from the one God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. “…St Gregory Nazianzen (330-390 – Father & Doctor of the Church (An excerpt from Oration 39: On Holy Light)
PRAYER – Father, keep us from vain strife of words.
Grant to us constant profession of the Truth!
Preserve us in a true and undefiled faith
so that we may hold fast to that
which we professed when we were baptised
in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
that we may have You for our Father,
that we may abide in Your Son
and in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen…St Hilary of Poitiers
Thought for the Day – 17 December – The Memorial of St John of Matha O.SS.T (1160-1213) – Founder of the Trinitarians
The Trisagion Chaplet
The Order of the Most Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives was founded in France by St John de Matha and St Felix of Valois in 1198. From the very early stages of the of order, the Trinitarians have used a form of prayer based on the Trisagion (sometimes Trisagium or Triagion, from the Greek “three” + ”holy”). This is a Byzantine prayer still used in the Divine Liturgy in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches in praise of the Holy Trinity: its simplest form is “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us.”
The Trisagion Chaplet (also called a rosary) has three sets of nine beads each – of course, a rosary can be used too. When reciting the Trisagion Chaplet, each set begins with the Trisagion: “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us.” and the Pater Noster. An invocation is said on each of the nine beads: “To you be praise, glory, and thanksgiving forever, blessed Trinity. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of power and might; heaven and earth are full of your glory.” Each set of nine prayers is followed by a Gloria Patri (“Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…”) and the recitation of the chaplet ends with a closing prayer.
Thought for the Day – 17 November – St Gregory Thaumaturgus “the Wonder-Worker” (c 213-c 270)
“The Creed”
of Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus
There is one God, the Father of the living Word,
who is His subsistent Wisdom and Power and Eternal Image,
perfect Begetter of the perfect Begotten, Father of the only-begotten Son.
There is one Lord, Only of the Only, God of God,
Image and Likeness of Deity, Efficient Word,
Wisdom comprehensive of the constitution of all things
and Power formative of the whole creation,
true Son of true Father, Invisible of Invisible
and Incorruptible of Incorruptible
and Immortal of Immortal
and Eternal of Eternal.
And there is One Holy Spirit,
having His subsistence from God
and being made manifest by the Son,
to wit to men, Image of the Son,
Perfect Image of the Perfect,
Life, the Cause of the living,
Holy Fount,
Sanctity, the Supplier, or Leader, of Sanctification,
in whom is manifested God the Father,
who is above all and in all
and God the Son, who is through all.
There is a perfect Trinity, in glory and eternity and sovereignty,
neither divided nor estranged.
Wherefore there is nothing, either created or in servitude in the Trinity,
nor anything superinduced, as if at some former period it was non-existent
and at some later period it was introduced.
And thus neither was the Son ever wanting to the Father,
nor the Spirit to the Son
but without variation and without change,
the same Trinity abideth ever.
Quote/s of the Day – 8 November – The Memorial of Blessed John Duns Scotus OFM
(c 1265-1308)
O Lord our God! You are one in nature. You are one in number. Truly have You said that besides You there is no God. For though many may be called gods or thought to be gods, You alone are by nature God. You are the true God from whom, in whom and through whom, all things are, You are blessed forever. Amen!
All Shall be Well By Julian of Norwich (c 1342-c 1430)
In You, Father almighty, we have
our preservation and our bliss.
In You, Christ,
we have our restoring and our saving.
You are our mother, brother and Saviour.
In You, our Lord the Holy Spirit,
is marvelous and plenteous grace.
You are our clothing,
for love You wrap us and embrace us.
You are our maker, our lover, our keeper.
Teach us to believe,
that by Your grace
all shall be well,
and all shall be well,
and all manner of things
shall be well.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 6 June – Wednesday of the Ninth Week of Ordinary Time, Year B
Excerpt of the Lorica St Patrick (c 385-461)
I arise today
Through God’s strength
to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation,
Amen
It is believed that St Patrick composed the prayer in 433, before he was about to convert High King of Ireland Lóegaire mac Néill. It is called a “lorica,” which literally means “deer leap” but is usually translated as “breastplate” and is a prayer of one who is going into battle, a prayer for protection. In this case, it was a spiritual battle against the paganism and evil spirits of the Emerald Isle.
Second Thoughts for the Day – 27 May – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Adopted into the Family of God
“In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3) “For all, who are led by the Spirit of God, are children of God.” (Romans 8:14)
…”How would God be revealed to the other families of the earth? How would the other families of the earth enter the Covenant and become heirs to the promises of God.
The language of families here is significant, for it is through the revelation of God as Trinity, the Divine Family, that all other families of the earth would be invited into the Covenant family.
For the reality of the Trinity did not emerge for the earliest Christians in the context of complex philosophical discussions but in the experience of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
As Pope Benedict XVI stated in 2006. “the intimacy of God Himself, discovering that He is not infinite solitude but communion of light and love, life given and received in an eternal dialogue between the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit – ‘Lover, Loved and Love,’ revealed the relational nature of God, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and by the incarnation of Jesus Christ.” (Angelus, St Peter’s Square, 11 June 2006).
And it was by means of the revelation of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that the early Christians came to know themselves as children of God, adopted into the family and Covenant of God. The Spirit, Paul tells us, empowers us to understand, that we too are children of God, for through the Spirit, we are able to cry “Abba, Father!” This Spirit-infused call to God as Abba, is an explicit recognition of our lineage, we belong in this family, for “it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
But the pathway to entering the family as heirs, children destined to share in the gifts and promises of the Father, in the Kingdom of God, was blazed for us, by the obedience of the Son. As Paul says in Galatians 3:29, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.” Christ through His suffering and death for us, has made us “joint heirs with Christ,” worthy of adoption into God’s family. We belong to the family of God, because we belong to the Son, who has made us “joint heirs.” Through the true heir, we are simply joined with our Covenantal and Divine Family.
We are welcomed into God’s family as joint heirs because of the love of the Trinity for us. The Trinity models the nature of the family by allowing us to experience the source of all love. It is because of the Trinitarian model of love for us and our experience of that love, that Jesus instructs us to go out and make the family bigger. We belong to the family of God but so do those who have not yet come home. We have learned something now about the nature of God and the extent of God’s family and the call is the same to all – come home and be loved!…John W Martens “The Word on the Street Year B”
John Martens is Professor of Theology at St Thomas University and Director of the MA in Theology at St Paul’s Seminary School of Divinity, Minnesota.
Thought for the Day – 27 May – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Brothers and sisters, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the holy ones greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you…2 Corinthians 13:11-13
“The one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church is the People of God, the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. These three biblical images, point to the Trinitarian dimension of the Church. In this dimension, are found, all disciples of Christ, who are called, to live it, ever more deeply and in an ever more intense communion.”
Quote of the Day – 27 May – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
In all our undertakings —
when we enter a place or leave it;
before we dress;
before we bathe;
when we take our meals;
when we light the lamps in the evening;
before we retire at night;
when we sit down to read;
before each new task —
we trace the Sign of the Cross on our foreheads.
One Minute Reflection – 27 May – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…“…Matthew 28:19
REFLECTION – “The Son is in the Father and the Father in the Son. O adorable mystery which has been from eternity! I adore You. O my incomprehensible Creator, before whom I am an atom, a being of yesterday or an hour ago! Go back a few years and I simply did not exist, I was not in being and things went on without me but You are from eternity and nothing whatever from one moment could go on without You. O adorable mystery! In the name of God, the Omnipotent Father, who created me! In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Son of the living God, who bled for me! In the name of the Holy Spirit, who has been poured out on me!”…Bl John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
PRAYER – God our Father, You revealed the great mystery of Your Godhead to men, when You sent into the world, the Word who is Truth and the Spirit who makes us holy. Help us to believe in You and worship You, as the true faith teaches, three persons eternal in glory, one God, infinite in mystery. We make our prayer through Jesus our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with you forever amen.
Our Morning Offering – 27 May – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
An Act of Oblation to the Holy Trinity By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of Charity
I vow and consecrate to God
all that is in me,
my memory and my actions, to God the Father;
my understanding and my words, to God the Son;
my will and my thoughts, to God the Holy Spirit.
I consecrate my heart, my body,
my tongue, my senses and all my sorrows
to the sacred Humanity of Jesus Christ,
who consented to be betrayed
into the hands of wicked men
and to suffer the torment of the Cross for me.
Amen
Wishing you all a Blessed and Holy Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity – Trinity Sunday – 27 May 2018
HISTORY AND LITURGY
ORIGIN — The greatest dogma of the Christian faith is the mystery of the Holy Trinity. (Mystery, in this connection, means a supernatural fact revealed by God which in itself transcends the natural power of human reasoning.) During the first thousand years of Christianity there was no special feast celebrated in honour of this mystery but, as Pope Alexander II (1073) declared, every day of the liturgical year was devoted to the honour and adoration of the Sacred Trinity.
However, to counteract the Arian heresy, which denied the fullness of divinity to the Son, a special Mass text in honour of the Holy Trinity was introduced and incorporated in the Roman liturgical books. This Mass was not assigned for a definite day but could be used on certain Sundays according to the private devotion of each priest. (Such Mass texts which are not prescribed but open to choice on certain days are now known as “votive Masses.”) From the ninth century on, various bishops of the Frankish kingdoms promoted in their own dioceses a special feast of the Holy Trinity, usually on the Sunday after Pentecost. They used a Mass text that Abbot Alcuin (804) is said to have composed.
Thus the custom of observing a special feast in honour of the Trinity became increasingly popular in the northern countries of Europe. Several synods prescribed it for their respective territories in France, Germany, England and The Netherlands. In the thirteenth centur, the orders of the Benedictines and Cistercians adopted the annual celebration of the feast. It was kept on different Sundays in different places, until in 1334 Pope John XXII accepted the festival into the official calendar of the Western Church and ordered that henceforth it should be held everywhere on the Sunday after Pentecost.
A new Mass text was written and published. It is interesting to note that the beautiful Preface of the Trinity as read today is the same one that appeared in the first text of the Sacramentary of Saint Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father and Doctor of the Church. Most of the other prayers are of later origin. The Divine Office in its present form, was arranged under Pope Saint Pius V (1572). It is one of the most sublime offices of the breviary.
The Feast of the Holy Trinity, now belongs among the great annual festivals of Christianity. Although it is not observed with additional liturgical services outside the Mass, its celebration quickly took root in the hearts and minds of the faithful and in all countries of Europe popular traditions are closely associated with this feast.
SIGN OF THE CROSS — The making of the sign of the cross, which professes faith both in the redemption of Christ and in the Trinity, was practised from the earliest centuries. Saint Augustine (431) mentioned and described it many times in his sermons and letters. In those days Christians made the sign of the cross (Redemption) with three fingers (Trinity) on their foreheads. The words (“In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost”) were added later. Almost two hundred years before Augustine, in the third century, Tertullian had already reported this touching and beautiful early Christian practice:
“In all our undertakings — when we enter a place or leave it; before we dress; before we bathe; when we take our meals; when we light the lamps in the evening; before we retire at night; when we sit down to read; before each new task — we trace the sign of the cross on our foreheads.” Tertullian (160-220)
DOXOLOGY — The ancient Christian doxology (prayer of praise) “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost” was used in the Oriental Church. The second part (“as it was in the beginning…”) seems to have been added at the time of Emperor Constantine. During the fifth century this beautiful short prayer came into the Western Church and spread very quickly. Since then it has been in constant use in both liturgical and private devotions. Finally, the Council of Narbonne (589) prescribed that it should be added after every psalm and hymn in the Divine Office. It is an ancient tradition that in poetical hymns of the liturgy the Gloria Patri is rendered in a paraphrase (free version) within the last stanza.
EASTERN RITES — The churches of the Byzantine Rite do not celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity. Instead, they observe the Sunday after Pentecost as the Feast of All Saints (Kyriake Ton Hagion Panton). The official calendar of the Greek Church announces this feast with the interesting words “Today, on the first Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate the festive day of all Saints everywhere in the world: in Asia, Lybia, in northern and eastern Europe.” As may be seen from the territories mentioned, the term “whole world” applies only to the countries of that rite. The Uniate Armenians keep the Feast of the Holy Trinity on the same day as the Latin Church.
FOLKLORE
SYMBOLS — During the first centuries of the Christian era the Holy Trinity was sometimes represented in paintings by three young men of identical shape and looks. By the sixth century, however, it had become an accepted practice that only the Father and Son should be shown in human form; the Holy Spirit is represented by the figure of a dove.
In medieval times there were many imaginative and symbolic pictures, as well as designs, to indicate the great mystery of the faith. The Church has not officially accepted any of them, has tolerated some, forbidden others. One of the best-known symbols of this kind is the trefoil (shamrock). A second plant to which this symbolism is attached is the pansy (viola tricolor), which even today is called “Trinity flower” in many parts of Europe. In Puerto Rico a delicately perfumed white flower with three petals is called Trinitaria. Another symbol is the figure of a triangle (Trinity) surrounded by rays (divinity) with the picture of an eye inside the triangle (omniscience and providence). This design became very popular and may be found all over Europe in homes, on wayside shrines and even in churches. An interesting version of this symbol may be seen in the Great Seal of the United States (reproduced on every one-dollar bill).
Centuries ago, architecture made use of many and sometimes strange, symbols to indicate the Trinity, like three animals (hares, stags, birds) in a circle, or three interlocked rings, or a candle with three flames. Some churches display an architectural number symbolism in honour of the Trinity. One of the most remarkable examples of this kind is the Holy Trinity Church of Stadl-Paura, Austria, built in 1722 – see below. It has three aisles, three towers, three doors, three windows on either side, three altars, three bells, and three rows of pews.
SHRINES AND COLUMNS — From the fourteenth century on, the Holy Trinity was generally invoked for help against the dreaded epidemics of the Black Death. Hundreds of Trinity churches in Europe owe their existence to public vows made in time of pestilence and cholera. In subsequent ravages of those terrible diseases, these churches became much-frequented pilgrim shrines. Later, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, public columns in honour of the Holy Trinity were placed in the main squares of cities and towns in central Europe. Sculptured in marble or granite, they carry the traditional image of the Trinity and statues of the saints who were patrons against epidemics. Many of these columns are outstanding examples of late baroque art. The city of Vienna alone has eleven such Trinity columns which were erected during the epidemics of 1679 and 1713.
Plague Column, Vienna, AustriaThe Holy Trinity Column, Olomouc, Czech Republic, a World Heritage Site
POPULAR CELEBRATION — During the late Middle Ages and up to the eighteenth century, the Feast of the Holy Trinity was celebrated with popular manifestations of solemnity, special honour and joy. As an example may serve the festival at the Trinity column of downtown Vienna, in 1680, where the famous Augustinian preacher Abraham a Santa Clara (1709) delivered a sermon before many thousands in the festively decorated square. At the end he appealed to the choir band to express with their instruments the honour, adoration and gratitude of all to the Holy Trinity, “upon which the whole group of many trumpets and kettle-drums right joyfully broke out in a ringing fanfare.”
A proof of the great devotion to the Trinity was the Holy Trinity Confraternities, which flourished to such a degree during the seventeenth century that they surpassed most of the other similar organisations both in the number of local groups and in membership…
Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs by Francis X. Weiser, S.J., Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York, 1958.
COLLECT PRAYER
God our Father, who by sending into the world the Word of truth and the Spirit of sanctification made known to the human race your wondrous mystery, grant us, we pray, that in profession the true faith, we may acknowledge the Trinity of eternal glory and adore your Unity, powerful in majesty. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Glory and honour be to God in the Unity of the Trinity; to the Father and to the Son with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
Follower of Artus Wolffort, 17th century.Master of the Lille Adoration, 1530s.Ribera, c. 1635.El Greco, 1577-79.
St Acculus of Alexandria
St Antanansio Bazzekuketta
St Barbara Kim
St Barbara Yi
St Bruno of Würzburg
Bl Dionysius of Semur
Bl Edmund Duke
St Eutropius of Orange
St Evangelius of Alexandria
St Frederick of Liège
Bl Gausberto of Montsalvy
St Gonzaga Gonza
St James of Nocera
Bl John Hogg
St Julius the Veteran and Companions
St Liberius of Ancona
St Matiya Mulumba
Bl Matthias of Nagasaki
St Melangell
St Ranulphus of Arras
St Restituta of Sora and Companions
Bl Richard Hill
Bl Richard Holiday
St Secundus of Troia
SCRIPTURAL READING “Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each one of us hear them in his own native language?”…(Acts 2, 5-8)
MEDITATION “Jesus said to them: ‘The times and occasions are set by my Father’s own authority and it is not for you to know when they will be. But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”…(Acts 1, 7-8)
PRAYER
Lord Holy Spirit,
come down upon Your sons and daughters
who proclaim the message of salvation.
Perform miracles in the sky above
and wonders on the earth below.
That people of every race and nation
will believe in Christ Jesus, our Savior.
Come, Holy Spirit, we plead;
make us holy as Our Father.
Guide us in our pilgrim way,
for without You no fruits will be gathered,
with You all things come true.
Eternal Holy Spirit,in Your mercy,
please grant my special petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my actions be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations and by faith,
may I come at last to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You forever in heaven.
Amen
Almighty and Everlasting God, by the profession of the true faith, You have given us, Your servants, grace to acknowledge the glory of the Eternal Trinity and in the power of Your Divine Majesty, to worship the Unity. We beg You to grant that, by our fidelity in this same faith, we may always be defended from all dangers. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPTURAL READING “They went about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to where ever they heard He was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside He entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch only the tassel on His cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.”...(Mk. 6:55-56)
MEDITATION “Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the Good News about the Kingdom, and healing people who had all kinds of diseases and sickness. The news about Him spread through the whole country of Syria, so that people brought to Him all those who were sick, suffering from all kinds of diseases and disorders: people with demons and epileptics and paralytics – Jesus healed them all.”…(Mt. 4, 23-24)
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ,
You showed Your love and compassion
for the poor and the sick,
curing everyone who came to You in faith, or in hope.
No one who appealed to You, was ever disappointed,
be they believers or not – both saints and sinners.
Please pour down Your mercies upon us
who are sick and wounded in the struggles
we face in life.
Have mercy on us Lord,
on our infirmities caused by human frailty and sinfulness.
Touch Lord, our aching bodies and spirits
with Your merciful love.
Bless me through the love with which You plead for us
before the throne of God,
bless me in the Blessed Sacrament
with which You give Yourself to us in Holy Communion.
Grant that all this love and bitter pain,
may not be lost on me.
Eternal Son,in Your mercy, grant my petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my actions be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations and by faith,
may I come at last to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You forever in heaven.
Amen
DAY SEVEN GOD The Provider (Father) “Gives us this day our daily bread”
SCRIPTURAL READING When Jesus had said this, He raised His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify You. Just as You gave Him authority over all people, so that He may give eternal life to all You gave Him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God and the one whom You sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that You gave Me to do. Now glorify Me, Father, with You, with the glory that I had with You before the world began. “I revealed Your name to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They belonged to You and You gave them to me and they have kept Your word. Now they know that everything You gave Me, is from You, because the words You gave to Me I have given to them and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from You and they have believed that You sent Me.”…(Jn. 17:1-8)
MEDITATION “So do not start worrying: Where will my food come from? Or my drink? Or my clothes? These are the things the pagans are always concerned about. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead be concerned about everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what He required of you and He will provide You with all those other things. So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the trouble each day brings.”… (Mt. 6:31-34)
PRAYER
We praise and thank You, Father
for Your unfailing gift of Divine Providence.
You feed the birds of the air
and clothe the lilies of the field.
But You provide so much more generously
for Your sons and daughters, who obey and follow Your will.
Bless we pray, the poor and the needy,
not only with spiritual gifts
but also with food, to sustain body
and soul and with their other earthly needs.
Eternal Father in Your mercy,
please grant my special petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my actions be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations and by faith,
may I come at last to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You forever in heaven.
Amen
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, amen.
SCRIPTURAL READING While meeting with them, He enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized you with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim…(Acts 1:4-5, 2:3-4)
MEDITATION “It is best for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. But if I do go away, then I will send Him to you. And when He comes, He will prove to the people that they were wrong about sin and about what is right and about God’s judgement. They are wrong about sin because they did not believe in Me; they are wrong about what is right because I am going to the Father.”…(Jn. 16:7-8)
PRAYER
Come, Holy Spirit, we need You.
Come, Holy Spirit, we pray.
Come with Your strength and Your power,
come with Your loving care.
Come like a spring in the desert,
come to the weary of soul.
Let Your sweet healing power,
come in Your powerful way!
Come, Holy Spirit, we love You.
Come, Holy Spirit, we plead;
make us holy as Our Father.
Guide us in our pilgrim way,
for without You no fruits will be gathered,
with You all things come true.
Eternal Holy Spirit, in Your mercy,
please grant my special petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my actions be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations and by faith,
may I come at last to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You forever in heaven.
Amen
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.
SCRIPTURAL READING He has provided us a mighty Saviour, a descendant of His servant David. He promised through His holy prophets long ago, that He would save us from our enemies, from the power of all those who hate us. He said He would show mercy to our ancestors and remember His sacred covenant. With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham, He promised to rescue us from our enemies and allow us to serve Him without fear, so that we might be holy and righteous before Him all the days of our life in His presence...(Lk. 1:69-75)
MEDITATION
“Do not be afraid Mary, God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘ I am a virgin, how then can this be?’ The angel answered: ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you and God’s power will rest upon you. For this reason, the holy Child will be called the Son of God.”…(Lk. 1:30-35)
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ,
You gave us the Eucharist
as a memorial of Your suffering and death,
may our worship of the Sacrament of Your Body and Blood,
help us to experience the salvation You won for us
and the peace of the kingdom
where You live with the Father
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Bless me through the marvellous goodness
of Your Sacred Heart, which chose death to bring us life.
Bless me through the love with which You plead for us
before the throne of God,
bless me in the Blessed Sacrament
with which You give Yourself to me in Holy Communion.
Grant that all this love and bitter pain,
may not be lost on me.
Eternal Son, in Your mercy, grant my petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my actions be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations and by faith,
may I come at last to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You forever in heaven.
Amen
DAY FOUR GOD THE CREATOR (Father) “In the beginning, when God created the universe”
SCRIPTURAL READING
In the beginning, when God created the Heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland and darkness covered the abyss, while the mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Thus evening came, and the morning followed – the first day.
Then God said: “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from another.” And so it happened: God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it. God called the dome “the sky.” Evening came, and morning followed – the second day.
Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear.” And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into a basin, and the land appeared…Genesis 1:1-9
MEDITATION “And so the whole universe was completed. By the seventh day, God finished what He had been doing and stopped working. He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as special, because by that day He had completed His creation and stopped working and that is how the universe was created.” ...Genesis 2:1-4
PRAYER
God Eternal Father,
bless me through the love,
with which You have begotten Your only Son
from all eternity and shared with Him,
the fullness of Your Divinity.
Bless me through the love, which has adopted us as children
and made us partakers, of the treasures of Your Divinity.
Bless me through the love, which sent us Your Son
and the Holy Spirit to work the miracles of Your power
and mercy in us.
Grant that I may always revere and honour You
as my great God
and love You with my whole heart
as the best of fathers.
Eternal Father, please grant my petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Godhead indivisible, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my action, be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations
and by faith, may I come at last,
to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You
forever in heaven. Amen.
Moses said: “The Lord, the lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity, continuing His kindness for a thousand generation, and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin; yet not declaring the guilty, guiltless, but punishing children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for their fathers’ wickedness!” (Ex. 34, 6-7)
DAY THREE GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT “I will send you the Holy Spirit”
SCRIPTURAL READING But when He comes, the Spirit of Truth, He will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on His own but He will speak what He hears and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is Mine; for this reason I told you that He will take from you what is Mine and declare it to you...John 16:13-15
MEDITATION “Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the Gift I told you about, the Gift my Father promised. John baptised with water but in a few days, you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1, 4-5) “Baptise all nations in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt. 28, 19) Now this is the abiding presence of the Blessed Trinity.
PRAYER
Come Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of Thy faithful
and enkindle in them, the fire of Thy love.
Send forth Thy Spirit
and they shall be created,
and Thou shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray:
O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit,
did instruct the hearts of the faithful,
grant that through the same Holy Spirit
we may be ever truly wise
and enjoy His consolation,
Eternal Holy Spirit,in Your mercy, grant my petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my actions be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations and by faith,
may I come at last to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You forever in heaven.
Amen
Spirit of God in the clear running water. Blowing to greatness the trees on the hill. Spirit of God in the finger of morning. Fill the earth, bring it to birth and blow where you will, blow, blow, blow, till I be, a breath of the Spirit blowing in me.
DAY TWO GOD THE SON “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”
SCRIPTURAL READING
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through Him and without Him nothing came to be. What came to be through Him was life and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it…John 1:1-5
MEDITATION
At the Baptism of Jesus and at the Transfiguration, the Father’s words were heard: “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased, listen to Him”: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life.”; “So that all who will honour the Son, in the same way as they honour the Father. Who does not honour the Son, does not honour the Father, who sent Him.” (Jn. 5,23)
PRAYER
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day, He rose again.
He ascended into Heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
From thence He shall come, to judge the living and the dead.
Bless me through the marvelous goodness
of Your Sacred Heart, which chose death to bring us life.
Bless me through the love with which You plead for us
before the throne of God,
bless me in the Blessed Sacrament
with which You give Yourself to us in Holy Communion.
Grant that all this love and bitter pain,
may not be lost on me.
Eternal Son, in Your mercy, grant my petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my actions be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below, in Your manifestations and by faith,
may I come at last to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You, forever in heaven.
Amen
“None of us lives for himself only, none of us dies for himself only; if we live, it is for the Lord that we live and if we die, it is for the Lord we die. Whether we live or die, then, we belong to the Lord. For Christ died and rose to life in order to be the Lord of the living and the dead.”…(Romans 14:7-9)
DAY ONE GOD THE FATHER “Our Father who art in heaven”
SCRIPTURAL READING
“This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”...Matthew 6:9-15
MEDITATION
In the New Testament, Jesus spoke about the Father and to the Father 170 times. From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus would say: “I was sent by the Father,” “Your God and my God,” “the Father and I are one.” “I do only the things told by my Father,” “Father, not my will but Yours be done,” etc.
PRAYER
God Eternal Father, bless me, through the love,
with which, You have begotten Your only Son, from all eternity
and shared with Him, the fullness of Your Divinity.
Bless me, through the love, which has adopted us as children
and made us partakers of the treasures of Your Divinity.
Bless me, through the love, which sent us Your Son
and the Holy Spirit to work the miracles of Your power and mercy in us.
Grant that I may always revere and honour You as my great God
and love You with my whole heart, as the best of fathers.
Eternal Father, grant my petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my actions be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations and by faith,
may I come at last to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You forever in heaven.
Amen
Announcing a Novena to the Most Holy Trinity Begins – Friday,18 May
Perhaps the deepest, the most profound of all mysteries is the mystery of the Trinity. The Church teaches us, that although there is only one God, yet, somehow, there are three Persons in God. ,,The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, yet we do not speak of three Gods but only one God. ,,They have the same nature, substance, and being.
We came to know this immense mystery because Christ revealed it to us. ,,Just before ascending He told them:, “Go teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). ,,We know that these Three are not just different ways of looking at one person. ,,For at the Last Supper, Jesus told us: “I came forth from the Father.” So He is different from the Father. But He also promised: “If I go, I will send Him [the Paraclete] to you. . . . He will guide you to all truth” (John 16:28, 7, 13). So the Holy Spirit is also different.
Even though the Three Persons are One God, yet they are distinct: for the Father has no origin, He came from no one. But the Son is begotten, He comes from the Father alone. The Holy Spirit comes or proceeds from both the Father and the Son. These different relations of origin tell us there are three distinct Persons, who have one and the same divine nature.
Even though everything the Three Persons do outside the Divine nature is done by all Three, yet it is suitable that we attribute some works specially to one or the other Person. So we speak of the Father especially as the power of creation, of the Son as the wisdom of the Father, of the Holy Spirit as goodness and sanctification.
The two doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation are the foundation of Christian life and worship. By becoming man, God the Son offered us a share in the inner life of the Trinity. By grace, we are brought into the perfect communion of life and love which is God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This sharing in the life of the Trinity is meant to culminate in heaven, where we will see the three Persons face to face, united to them in unspeakable love….Fr William G Most (from the Catechism of the Catholic Church 232-267).
Quote/s of the Day – 2 May – Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter and the Memorial of St Athanasius (c295-373) – Father and Doctor of the Church
“He became what we are, that He might make us what He is.”
“You cannot put straight in others what is warped in yourself.”
“Christians, instead of arming themselves with swords, extend their hands in prayer.”
“Accordingly, in the Church, one God is preached, one God who is above all things and through all things and in all things. God is above all things as Father, for He is principle and source; He is through all things through the Word; and He is in all things in the Holy Spirit.”
Our Morning Offering – 26 January – Memorial of Sts Timothy and Titus, Disciples and Companions of the Apostle Paul and Bishops of the Catholic Church
Consecration to the Most Holy Trinity by Blessed James Alberione (1884-1971) (Founder of the Pauline Family)
Divine Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
present and active in the Church
and in the depths of my soul,
I adore You, I thank You, I love You!
And through the hands of Mary
most holy, my Mother,
I offer, give and consecrate myself
entirely to You
for life and for eternity.
To you, Heavenly Father, I offer,
give and consecrate myself
as Your son/daughter.
To you, Jesus Master, I offer,
give and consecrate myself
as Your brother/sister and disciple.
To you, Holy Spirit,
I offer, give and consecrate myself
as “a living temple”
to be consecrated and sanctified.
Mary, Mother of the Church and my Mother,
who dwells in the presence
of the Blessed Trinity,
teach me to live,
through the liturgy and the sacraments,
in ever more intimate union
with the three divine Persons,
so that my whole life may be
a “glory to the Father, to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.” Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 13 January – The Memorial of St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
“The privilege of our Church is such that it is never stronger than when it is attacked, never better known than when it is accused, never more powerful than when it appears forsaken.” (Treatise on the Trinity)
“The Church is the Ship outside which it is impossible to understand the Divine Word, for Jesus spoke from the boat to the people gathered on the shore.”
“No matter how sinful one may have been, if he has devotion to Mary, it is impossible that he be lost.”
“I am well aware, almighty God and Father, that in my life, I owe you a most particular duty. It is to make my every thought and word speak of You.”
“It is the Father from whom everything that exists has been formed. He is in Christ and through Christ the source of all things. Moreover, His being is in Himself and He does not derive what He is from anywhere else, but possesses what He is from Himself and in Himself. He is infinite because He Himself is not in anything and all things are within Him, He is always outside of space because He is not restricted; He is always before time because time comes from Him…. But, God is also present everywhere and is present in His entirety wherever He is. Thus, He transcends the realm of understanding, outside of whom nothing exists and of whom eternal being is always characteristic. This is the true nature of the mystery of God; this is the name of the impenetrable nature in the Father.” (Treatise on the Trinity)
St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
Our Morning Offering – 13 January – The Memorial of St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
O Holy Trinity! For Perseverance In the One True Faith By St Hilary of Poitiers
Father, keep us from vain strife of words.
Grant to us constant profession of the Truth!
Preserve us in a true and undefiled faith
so that we may hold fast to that
which we professed when we were baptised
in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
that we may have You for our Father,
that we may abide in Your Son
and in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 4 December – The Memorial of St John Damascene (676-749) – Father and Doctor of the Church
“Think of the Father as a spring of life begetting the Son, like a river and the Holy Ghost like a sea, for the spring and the river and sea are all one nature. Think of the Father as a root and of the Son as a branch and the Spirit as a fruit, for the substance in these three is one. The Father is a sun with the Son as rays and the Holy Ghost as heat.”
“‘How can this come about?’ Mary asked. ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you,’ the angel answered’ and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow.’ And now you are the one who puts the question: ‘How can bread become Christ and wine His Blood?’ I answer: ‘The power of the Holy Spirit will be at work to give us a marvel which surpasses understanding.'”
“If the Word of God is living and powerful and if the Lord does all things whatsoever he wills; if he said, “Let there be light” and it happened; if he said, “let there be a firmament” and it happened; …if finally the Word of God Himself willingly became man and made flesh for Himself out of the most pure and undefiled blood of the holy and ever Virgin, why should He not be capable of making bread His Body and wine and water His Blood?… God said “This is my Body” and “This is my Blood.”
“”GLUTTONY should be destroyed by self-control;
UNCHASTITY by desire for God and longing for the blessings held in store;
AVARICE by compassion for the poor;
ANGER by goodwill and love for all men;
WORLDLY dejection by spiritual joy;
LISTLESSNESS by patience, perseverance and offering thanks to God;
SELF-ESTEEM by doing good in secret and, by praying constantly,with a contrite heart;
and PRIDE by not judging or despising anyone, in the manner of the boastful Pharisee and by considering oneself the least of all men.”
“The saints must be honoured as friends of Christ and children and heirs of God. Let us carefully observe the manner of life of all the apostles, martyrs, ascetics and just men who announced the coming of the Lord. And let us emulate their faith, charity, hope, zeal, life, patience under suffering and perseverance unto death so that we may also share their crowns of glory.”
“Angels are intelligent reflections of light, that original light which has no beginning. They can illuminate. They do not need tongues or ears, for they can communicate without speech, in thought.”
St John Damascene (676-749) – Father and Doctor of the Church
AnaStpaul 
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