Category: The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The HOLY INFANCY, The HOLY NAME, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Thought for the Day – 5 January – “The Name of Jesus”

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Thought for the Day – 5 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

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

“The Name of Jesus”

+1. At the circumcision, Jewish children receive their name as Catholic children do at their Baptism. Mary’s little Son received the Name of Jesus or Saviour because He was to save men from the slavery to sin. This was His appointed office by the Divine Command – to put an end to the slavery in which men were held by the devil. He was sent to deliver me from the bondage under which I have long laboured, the bondage to the opinion of men, the bondage to ill-temper, the bondage to passion, the bondage to selfishness, the bondage to self-will, the bondage to riches or comforts.
O Jesus, Saviour of those in bondage, by Thy Sacred Blood deliver me!

+2. Jesus is our Saviour from the terrible consequences of sin. Our sins were remitted by the shedding of His Precious Blood. Without the shedding of blood, says St Paul, there is no remission. What reason
I have to dread the consequences due to my sins! Yet Jesus can and will save me from them, if I love Him as
I ought.

+3. Jesus too, is the Saviour of all creation from the curse which came upon the whole earth at the Fall. He has sanctified it by the drops of His Precious Blood which fell upon it. Henceforward, it became a new earth and one day He will cleanse it from all its impurities and renew it to the heavenly beauty and make it worthy to be the home of His elect.

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The DIVINE INFANT, The HOLY INFANCY, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The REDEMPTION

Thought for the Day – 1 January – “The Holy Infancy – The Nativity”

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Thought for the Day – 1 January – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

I love the fact that Fr Clarke keeps us with the Divine Infant and His beloved Holy Family and oriantates our entire New Year to where it should be and too, still in Christmastide unlike the rest of the world around us. Alleluia. P.S. I will be back in full swing, on Monday, God willing.

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

“The Nativity”

+1. Four thousand years had passed since God promised to our first parents that a Redeemer should come to free the world from the curse which had fallen upon it, when Adam was disobedient to the Divine Command. Prophets and kings had desired to see the day when that promise should be fulfilled but had not seen it.
The whole world had long expected the day of redemption.
God is always slow, in His best Gifts. Hence learn to be patient. “”He will surely Come, He will not tarry.”

+2. All the world was at peace at the moment when Christ was born. The angry passions of men were hushed, as if in compliment to the Prince of Peace. He never Comes where strife and confusion prevail. If I desire that He should Come into my heart today, I must resolve to keep, in total submission and denial, my evil passions and, the self -will which dares to do battle against the Will of God!

+3. But when the Gift came at last, it was a Gift worthy of the Divine generosity . It was a Gift of Infinite value, given to all and each of the sons of men. It was a Gift in which God gave Himself to be wholly ours. That little Infant in the cradle before Whom I kneel to-day, is the Omnipotent God, loving me with an immeasurable Love; my King, my Lord, my Redeemer, my best Friend, the Divine Lover of my soul.
Oh, would that I loved Him more!

Posted in ADVENT, ADVENT REFLECTIONS, CHRISTMASTIDE!, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, Meditations for ADVENT, QUOTES for CHRIST, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The O ANTIPHONS

Thought for the Day – 27 December – “O Emmanuel”

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Thought for the Day – 27 December – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)

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

“O Emmanuel”

“O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver,
the expectation of the nations and their Saviour,
Come to save us, O Lord our God!”

+1. Emmanuel, God with us, is a Name which in every way belongs to Christ Our Lord. He is with His people in all their needs, ever ready to help and console them. He is with us on every Altar, waiting for us to come and pour out our sorrow and our needs before Him. He is with us, above all, in Holy Communion, when He Comes to dwell in our heart and to bring with Him every grace we need. He is with us in the hour of death and He will be with us forever in Heaven.

+2. He Who thus Comes to dwell with us in familiar friendship is our King; He Who thus condescends to be our companion, is the God Who has an absolute right to our obedience. He is our Lawgiver and the statutes He enacts for us have but one end and aim and object, to lead His subjects into the ways of happiness and the paths of peace .

+3. Come then, O God, our Lord and our Saviour. Come and save us from all the perils of the Evil One and from our own weakness and frailty.
Come and save us in the hour of temptation, for Thou alone art our King and none save Thee shalt rule over us.
Come and bring us safely through this vale of tears to Thy Eternal Kingdom, where we shall dwell forever, O sweet Jesus, in the everlasting delights of Thy blissful Company.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRISTMAS Quotes, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MARIAN QUOTES, The DIVINE INFANT, The HOLY NAME, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Quote/s of the Day – 24 December – Emmanuel!

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

“… Let us keep the Feast,
not after the manner of a heathen festival
but after a Godly sort;
not after the way of the world
but in a fashion above the world;
not as our own
but as belonging to Him
Who is ours,
or rather as our Master’s;
not as of weakness
but as of healing;
not as of creation
but of re-creation.”

St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Taking up the newborn Emmanuel,
Mary beheld a Light incomparably fairer
than the sun and saw a Fire
that water cannot quench.
She received, in the covering of flesh
Whom she had borne,
the Light Who enlightens all things
and she was worthy,
to carry in her arms,
the Word Who carries the universe!” ”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)
Bishop, Cistercian Monk

(Homilies in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary IV SC 72)

“She shall bring forth a Son
and thou shall call His Name Jesus;
for He shall save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21

“This great Name is compared to oil by the Holy Spirit:
“Thy Name is oil poured out” (Sg 1,3).
Why? Because, as Saint Bernard explains,
just as oil is both light, food and medicine,
so the Name of Jesus, is light for our minds,
food for our hearts, medicine for our souls.
Light for our minds – it was the brilliance
of this Name which enabled the world
to pass from the shadows of idolatry, to the Light of Faith.
… Food for our hearts … And medicine for our souls …
No-one who is tempted, will fall, if he calls on Jesus
and, for as long as he calls,
he will persevere and be saved (cf Ps 17:4).”

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

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, OUR Cross, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 December – ‘ … Give your attention to true abandonment … ‘

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 December – 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; Matthew 16:24-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“For he who will save his life, will lose it
and he who will lose his life
for My sake, will find it. ”

Matthew 16:25

“He who findeth his life, shall lose it
and he, who shall lose his life for Me,
shall find it. ”
Matthew 10:39

“My dear child, accept this cross from God and bear it –
it will turn into a truly lovable cross,
if you would hand these trials over to God,
accept them from Him with true abandonment
and thank God for them:
“My soul magnifies the Lord”
in everything (cf Lk 1:46).
Whether God takes or gives, the Son of Man
must be raised up on the Cross …
Dear child, leave all that behind;
rather, give your attention to true abandonment …
and think about accepting to bear
the cross of temptation, rather than going
in search of spiritual sweetness …
Our Lord has said: “If anyone wishes to come after Me,
let him take up his cross and follow Me” (Lk 9:23).”

Fr JohannesTauler OP (c1300-1361)
Dominican Priest and Friar,
renowned Preacher and Theologian

“Since happiness is nothing else
than the enjoyment of the Supreme Good
and the Supreme Good is above us,
no-one can enjoy happiness,
unless he rises above himself.”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

“My soul, live henceforward
amid the scourges and the thorns
of thy Saviour and there,
as a nightingale in its bush, sing sweetly:
Live Jesus, Who didst die
that my soul might live!
Ah, Eternal Father!
What can the world return Thee
for the gift Thou hast made it of Thy only Son?
Alas! to redeem a thing so vile as I,
the Saviour delivered Himself to death
and, unhappy me!
I hesitate to surrender my nothingness to Him,
Who has given me everything!”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOGMA, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GRACE, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 December – “Hail, full of grace …” – Luke 1:28

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One Minute Reflection – 8 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of the Immaculate Conception – Proverbs 8:22-35, Luke 1:26-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace …” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “How can I speak? What praises could I possibly make of the holy and glorious Virgin? She surpasses all other beings except for God Himself. She is by nature more beautiful than the Cherubim and Seraphim and the whole Angelic Host. No language, whether of Heaven or earth, or even of the Angels, is enough to praise her. Blessed Virgin, spotless dove, heavenly bride… temple and throne of the Godhead! Christ, the Sun Who shines resplendently in Heaven and on earth, belongs to thee. Thou art the luminous cloud which brought Christ down to earth, He Who is the bright streak of lightening, Who shines across the world.

Rejoice, full of grace, gate of Heaven! It was of thee, the author of the Song of Songs speaks … when he cries aloud: “A garden enclosed is my sister, my bride; an enclosed garden, a fountain sealed” (4:12)… Holy Mother of God, spotless ewe – thou gave birth to Christ, the Lamb, the Word made flesh in thee … How amazing a wonder in the heavens – a woman clothed with the sun (Apoc 12:1), carrying the Light in her arms! … How amazing a wonder in the heavens – the Lord of Angels becomes the Virgin’s Child. Angels judged Eve; now they fill Mary with glory, since it was she who raised Eve from her fall and brought Adam, expelled from Paradise, into Heaven.

Vast is the grace given to this Holy Virgin. Hence Gabriel, first addresses her with this greeting: “Hail, full of grace” resplendent as the Heaven. “Hail, full of grace” Virgin adorned with countless virtues… “Hail, full of grace” thou quench our thirst at the sweetness of the everlasting stream. Hail, holy and Immaculate Mother, thou conceived the Christ Who existed before thee. Hail, royal purple, thou clothed the King of Heaven and earth. Hail, O sealed book, thou enabled the world to read the Word, the Father’s Son!” – St Epiphanius of Salamis (c315-403) Bishop of Salamis,  known as the Oracle of Palestine and Father of the Church (Sermon No 5)

PRAYER – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Thy Son, and Who, by Thy Son’s death, foreseen by Thee, preserved her from all taint, grant, we beseech Thee, through her intercession that we too, may come to Thee, unstained by sin. T 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 ADVENT, ADVENT PRAYERS, CHRISTMAS Prayers & Hymns, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, PRAYERS to the DIVINE INFANT JESUS, The DIVINE INFANT, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 7 December – A Great and Mighty Wonder

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Our Morning Offering – 7 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Vigil of the Immaculate Conception

A Great and Mighty Wonder
By St Germanus (c640-c 733)
Father of the Church

A great and mighty wonder,
a glorious mystery,
a Virgin bears an Infant
who veils His Deity.
Refrain:
Proclaim the Saviour’s birth,
“To God on high be glory
and peace to all the earth!”
The Word becomes incarnate
and yet remains on high,
and Cherubim sing anthems
to shepherds from the sky. … [Refrain]
While thus they sing your monarch,
those bright angelic bands,
rejoice, O vales and mountains
and oceans, clap your hands. [Refrain]
Since all, He comes to ransom,
by all, be He adored,
the Infant born in Bethl’em,
the Saviour and the Lord. [Refrain]
All idols then shall perish
and Satan’s lying cease,
and Christ shall raise His sceptre,
decreeing endless peace. [Refrain]

St Germanus was one of the Greek hymnwriters and one of the grandest among the defenders of the Icons. He was born at Constantinople of a patrician family, was Ordained there and became subsequently, Bishop of Cyzicus. He was present at the Synod of Constantinople in 712, which restored the Monothelite heresy but, in after years, he condemned it.
He was made Archbishop of Constantinople in 715. In 730 he was driven from the See, not without blows, for refusing to yield to the Iconoclastic Emperor, Leo the Isaurian. He died shortly afterwards in exile at a good old age.
His Life below:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/05/12/saint-of-the-day-12-may-saint-germanus-of-constantinople-c-640-733/

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the BRIDEGROOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The REDEMPTION, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 November – Let us go out to meet Him …

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 November – St Cecilia (Died 3rd Century) Virgin Martyr – Ecclesiasticus 51:13-17; Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Our Lord Jesus Christ
Has appeared to us from the bosom of the Father.
He has come and drawn us out of the shadows
And enlightened us with His joyful Light.

Day has dawned for humankind,
Cast out the power of darkness.
For us, a Light from His Light has arisen
That has enlightened our darkened eyes.

Over the world He has made His glory arise
And has lit up the deepest depths.
Death is no more, darkness has ended,
The gates of hell are shattered.

He has illumined every creature,
All the shades from times long past.
He has brought about salvation and given us Life;
Next He will come in glory.

Our King is coming in His great glory:
Let us light our lamps
and go out to meet Him (Mt 25,6);
Let us be glad in Him, as He has been glad in us
And gives us gladness, with His glorious Light.

My friends, arise! make yourselves ready
To give thanks to our Saviour King,
Who will come in His glory and make us joyful
With His joyous Light in the Kingdom.”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father of the Church

(Hymn I on the Resurrection)

“And He said to them:
Why are you troubled and why
do thoughts arise in your hearts?”
Luke 24:38

“Christ is truly the Word,
the Only-begotten Son equal to the Father,
united to a truly human soul
and a real body, clean of all sin.
This is the Body which died,
the Body which rose again,
this Body was fastened to the Cross,
this Body laid in the tomb,
this Body is seated in the Heavens.
Our Lord wished to persuade His disciples
that what they were seeing was truly bone and flesh…
Why did He want to convince me of this truth?
Because He knew, just how much it was to my own good,
to have faith in it and how much
I had to lose, if I did not.
You too, then, have faith – it is He, the Bridegroom!”

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

“Behold, the Bridegroom is coming,
go forth to meet Him!”
Matthew 25:6

“He worked and struggled as our Champion
against our enemies,
broke open the bars of our prison,
won the struggle,
vanquished our death through His Own,
redeemed us through His Blood,
freed us through His water in Baptism
and made us rich,
through His Sacraments and His gifts,
so that, as He says in the Gospel (Mt 25:6),
we might “go out” with all virtues to,
“meet Him” in the palace of His glory
and enjoy Him forever in eternity.”

Blessed Jan van Ruysbroeck (1293-1381)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Holy Name PRAYERS, HYMNS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES for CHRIST, The HOLY NAME, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 10 November – Jesu Dulcis Memoria, Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee! By St Bernard

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Our Morning Offering – 10 November – Pentecost XXV

Jesu Dulcis Memoria
Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee!
By St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father and the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

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!
O 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

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MOTHER of GOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The LITTLE OFFICE of MARY, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 25 September – Alma Redemptoris Mater

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Our Morning Offering – 25 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – The Feast Day of Blessed Herman of Reichenau (1013–1054) Benedictine Monk, Confessor, Scholar, Scientist, Writer, Hymnist, Poet, Musical Composer, Teacher.

Alma Redemptoris Mater
Loving Mother of the Redeemer
By Blessed Herman Contractus of Reichenau OSB (1013–1054)

Loving Mother of the Redeemer!
Hear thou thy people’s cry,
Star of the deep
and portal of the sky!
Mother of Him
Who thee from nothing made,
Sinking we strive
and call to thee for aid;
Oh, by that joy
which Gabriel brought to thee,
Thou Virgin first and last,
let we thy mercy see.

Alma Redemptóris Mater,
quæ pérvia cæli
Porta manes, et stella maris,
succúrre cadénti,
Súrgere qui curat pópulo:
tu quæ genuísti,
Natúra miránte,
tuum sanctum Genitórem
Virgo prius ac postérius, Gabriélis ab ore
Sumens illud Ave,
peccatórum miserére.

Marian Antiphon Traditionally said from Advent to the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. Blessed Herman is the Author of the Salve Regina, the Veni Sancte Spiritus and the Alma Redemptoris Mater amongst others.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, BAPTISM, CHRIST the LIGHT, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOOD FRIDAY, HOLY WEEK, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, PRAYERS on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on VICE, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The SIGN of the CROSS, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – Exaltation of the Holy Cross – the “Book of Life”

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – Exaltation of the Holy Cross

“The Cross gives Light to the whole universe;
it casts out darkness
and gathers nations together in charity,
into One Church, One Faith, One Baptism…”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“As they were looking on, so we too gaze on His Wounds as He hangs.
We see His Blood as He dies.
We see the price offered by the Redeemer, touch the scars of His Resurrection.

He bows His Head, as if to kiss you.
His Heart is made bare, open, as it were, in love to you.
His arms are extended that He may embrace you.
His whole body is displayed for your redemption.

Ponder how great these things are.
Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind, as He was once fixed to the Cross in every part of His Body for you, so He may now be fixed in every part of your soul!”

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

“The Kingdom of Heaven, says the Gospel,
is like a mustard seed …
Christ is the Kingdom of Heaven!
Sown like a mustard seed
in the garden of the Virgin’s womb,
He grew up into the Tree of the Cross,
whose branches,
stretch across the world …
Christ is the Kingdom
because all the glory of His Kingdom,
is within Him.
Christ is a Man
because all humanity is restored in Him.
Christ is a Mustard Seed
because the infinitude of Divine greatness,
is accommodated to
the littleness of flesh and blood!”

St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450)
“Golden Words”
Father & Doctor of the Church

“No-one, however weak, is denied
a share in the victory of the Cross.
No-one is beyond the help
of the prayer of Christ.”

St Pope Leo the Great (c400-461)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“The Cross is my sure salvation.
The Cross it is, I worship evermore.
The Cross of our Lord is with me.
The Cross is my refuge.”
[Indulgence of 300 days]

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

“Consider Jesus on the Cross
as you would a devout book,
worthy of your unceasing study
and, by which you may learn the practice
of the most heroic virtues.
This is the book which may truly be called
the “Book of Life” [Apocalypse, III, 5],
which, at once enlightens the mind by its doctrines
and inflames the will by its examples.
The world is full of books but were it possible
for man to read them all, he would never
be so well instructed, to hate vice
and embrace virtue,
as by contemplating a Crucified God!”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

(The Spiritual Combat
LII: … The Benefits derived from
Meditations on the Cross)
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/23/thought-for-the-day-23-april-the-benefits-derived-from-meditations-on-the-crossand-the-imitation-of-the-virtues-of-christ-crucified/

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/09/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-september-exaltation-of-the-holy-cross/

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on Love of Self, QUOTES on SUFFERING, St Francis de Sales, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The RESURRECTION, The SECOND COMING, The WILL of GOD

Quote/s of the Day – 30 July – Heaven

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Quote/s of the Day – 30 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – St Abdon and St Senen (Died c250) Martyrs – 2 Corinthians 6:4-10; Matthew 5:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward
will be great in Heaven.”

Matthew 5:12

“I know a man in Christ—
whether he was in or outside the body,
I do not know, God knows—
who was snatched up to the third heaven. . .
and heard secret words,
words which it is not granted to man to utter.”

2 Corinthians 12:2-4

“Our Lord Jesus Christ
Has appeared to us from the bosom of the Father.
He has come and drawn us out of the shadows
And enlightened us with His joyful Light.

Day has dawned for humankind,
Cast out the power of darkness.
For us, a Light from His Light has arisen
That has enlightened our darkened eyes.

Over the world He has made His glory arise
And has lit up the deepest depths.
Death is no more, darkness has ended,
The gates of hell are shattered.

He has illumined every creature,
All the shades from times long past.
He has brought about salvation and given us Life;
Next He will come in glory.

Our King is coming in His great glory:
Let us light our lamps
and go out to meet Him (Mt 25,6);
Let us be glad in Him, as He has been glad in us
And gives us gladness, with His glorious Light.

My friends, arise! make yourselves ready
To give thanks to our Saviour King,
Who will come in His glory and make us joyful
With His joyous Light in the Kingdom.”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father of the Church
(Hymn I on the Resurrection)

“You will begin to taste, even in this life,
a foretaste of eternal life,
for the principal beatitude of the soul in Heaven,
is to be confirmed forever in the Will of the Father.
Thus, it tastes the divine sweetness.
But it will never taste it in Heaven,
if it is not clothed with it on earth,
where we are pilgrims and travellers.
When it is clothed with it, it tastes God
by grace in its troubles; its memory will be full
of the Blood of the Lamb without blemish;
its mind will be opened and contemplate
the ineffable love that God has made known
in the Wisdom of His Son and the love it finds,
in the Holy Spirit’s goodness, casts out self-love
and love for created things, to love only God.
So do not be afraid … but suffer with joy,
so as to conform yourself to the Will of God.””

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“Let us not strive for the rewards of Heaven,
valuable though they may be
but live, so as to please the God of Heaven.
If God were not in Heaven,
all its beauty, riches and sweetness,
would be dull rather than delightful.
By faith, we know, God already dwells within us.
But in Heaven, we will see God face-to-face.
May we so live that one day,
we will be in Heaven praising
and praying eternally,
before our Lord and Saviour!”

St Jane Frances de Chantal VHM (1572-1641)

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY NAME, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The REDEMPTION

Our Morning Offering – 30 July – A devout Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ,

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Our Morning Offering – 30 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”

Glory, Honour and Praise,
To Our Lord Jesus Christ!
A devout Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ,
to be said both Morning and Evening
By St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)
Doctor of the Church
(From His “A Brief Christian Doctrine”)

GLory, Honour and Praise Be,
May all the world adore Thee,
blessed be Thy Holy Name,
Who for us sinners,
vouchsafest to be born of a humble Virgin
and blessed be Thine infinite goodness,
Who died upon the Cross for our Redemption.
O Jesu, Son of God
and Saviour of mankind,
have mercy upon us
and so dispose our lives here,
by Thy Grace
that we may, hereafter,
rejoice with Thee forever
in Thy Heavenly Kingdom,
Amen.

Posted in ACT of LOVE, DOCTORS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, Our MORNING Offering, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of PETITION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, St Francis de Sales, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 28 July – O Love Eternal! An Act of Love

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Our Morning Offering – 28 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Pentecost X

O Love Eternal!
An Act of Love
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of the Church
(From his “A Treatise on the Love of God”)

O Love Eternal,
my soul needs and chooses Thee eternally!
Ah, come Holy Ghost
and inflame our hearts with Thine Love!
To love — or to die!
To die — and to love!
To die to all other love
in order to live in Jesus’ Love,
so that we may not die eternally
but that we may live in Thine Eternal Love,
O Saviour of our souls,
we eternally sing,
“Live, Jesus! Jesus, I love!
Live Jesus, Whom I love!
Jesus, I love, Jesus Who lives
and reigns forever and ever.”
Amen.

Posted in BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PEACE, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 18 July – Prayer in Praise of God By St Francis of Assisi

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Our Morning Offering – 18 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”

Prayer in Praise of God
By St Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226)

Thou art Holy, Lord, the only God
and Thine Deeds art wonderful.
Thou art Strong.
Thou art Great.
Thou art the Most High.
Thou art Almighty.
Thou, Holy Father art King of Heaven and earth.
Thou art Three and One, Lord God, all Good.
Thou art Good, all Good, Supreme Good,
Lord God, Living and True.
Thou art Love. Thou art Wisdom.
Thou art Humility. Thou art Endurance.
Thou art Rest. Thou art Peace.
Thou art Joy and Gladness.
Thou art Justice and Moderation.
Thou art all our Riches and Thou art Suffice for us.
Thou art Beauty. Thou art Gentleness.
Thou art our Protector.
Thou art our Guardian and Defender.
Thou art our Courage.
Thou art our Haven and our Hope.
Thou art our Faith, our great Consolation.
Thou art our Eternal Life,
Great and Wonderful Lord, God Almighty,
Merciful Saviour.
Amen

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRISTMAS Quotes, CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN QUOTES, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES for CHRIST, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 July – ‘O Mother blest! And chosen Shrine ….’

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Quote/s of the Day – 16 July – The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Ecclesiasticus Sirach 24:23; Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed is the womb
which bore Thee ”

Luke 11:27

“O Mother blest!
And chosen Shrine
wherein the Architect Divine,
Whose Hand contains the earth and sky
vouchsafed in hidden guise to lie;
Blest in the message Gabriel brought;
blest in the work, the Spirit wrought;
Most blest, to bring to human birth,
the long desired of all the earth!”

St Venantius Fortunatus (c530–c609)

“Taking up the newborn Emmanuel,
Mary beheld a Light incomparably fairer
than the sun and saw a Fire,
which water cannot quench.
She received, in the covering of Flesh
Whom she had borne,
the Light, Who enlightens all things
and she was worthy,,
to carry in her arms,
the Word, Who carries the universe!”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)
Bishop, Cistercian Monk

“The Blessed Virgin was chosen
to be the Mother of God
and, therefore, it is not to be doubted,
but that God fitted her for it
by His graces.”

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

“It is through the most Blessed Virgin Mary
that Jesus Christ came into the world
and, it is also through her
that He will reign in the world.”

St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HEART, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY NAME, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 July – ‘ … Christ signifies King, Jesus signifies Saviour. …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 July – St Pius I, Pope (Died c 154) Martyr – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:16

“But the God of all grace,
Who hath called us into His eternal glory
in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little,
will Himself perfect you and confirm you
and establish you.
To Him be glory and empire
forever and ever. Amen.”

1 Peter 5:10-11

“Wake up then, believer
and note what is stated here:
“In My Name.”
That [Name] is Christ Jesus.
Christ signifies King, Jesus signifies Saviour.
Therefore, whatever we ask for
that would hinder our salvation,
we do not ask in our Saviour’s Name
and yet, He is our Saviour,
not only when He does what we ask
but also, when He does not.
When He sees us ask anything
to the disadvantage of our salvation,
He shows Himself our Saviour by not doing it.
The physician knows
whether what the sick person asks for,
is to the advantage or disadvantage of his health.
And [the physician] does not allow
what would be harmful to him,
although the sick person himself, desires it.
But the physician looks to his final cure.”

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

“The Kingdom of Heaven, says the Gospel,
is like a mustard seed …
Christ is the Kingdom of Heaven!
Sown like a mustard seed
in the garden of the Virgin’s womb,
He grew up into the Tree of the Cross,
whose branches,
stretch across the world …
Christ is the Kingdom
because all the glory of His Kingdom,
is within Him.
Christ is a Man
because all humanity is restored in Him.
Christ is a Mustard Seed
because the infinitude of Divine greatness,
is accommodated to
the littleness of flesh and blood!”

St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450)
“Golden Words”
Father & Doctor of the Church

“May Christ be heard in our language,
may Christ be seen in our life,
may He be perceived in our hearts”

St Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Doctor of the Church

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

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Seraphic Doctor

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EUCHARISTIC, GOD ALONE!, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 7 July – Soul of My Saviour, Sanctify My Breast

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Our Morning Offering – 7 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Pentecost VII

Soul of My Saviour,
Sanctify My Breast
Trans. Attri. to Fr John Hegarty (1752-1834)

Soul of my Saviour,
sanctify my breast;
Body of Christ,
be Thou my saving Guest;
Blood of my Saviour,
bathe me in Thy tide;
Wash me with water
flowing from Thy side.

Strength and protection,
may Thy Passion be;
O Blessed Jesus, hear
and answer me;
Deep in Thy Wounds, Lord,
hide and shelter me;
So shall I never, never,
part from Thee.

Hear me, Lord Jesus,
listen as I pray;
“Lead me from night,
to never-ending day.
Fill all the world,
with love and grace Divine,
And glory, laud and praise,
be ever Thine.”

This Hymn is based on the original Latin text of the Anima Christi. Fr Hegarty is attributed with its translation and/or arrangement.
He was born in County Derry, Ireland, educated at Dublin University and was Ordained in June 1890 and spent most of active apostolic years in Brisbane, Australia. He died aged 82 years.

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, FATHERS of the Church, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN QUOTES, SAINT of the DAY, The ANNUNCIATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 4 July – St Andrew of Crete

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 July – The Feast of St Andrew of Crete (c660-c740) Bishop, Father of the Church

“Thou art the Good Shepherd;
seek me, Thy lamb
and neglect me not,
who has gone astray.
[John 10:11-14]”

“Thou art my sweet Jesus,
Thou art my Creator;
in Thee, O Saviour,
I shall be justified.”

“Today, the Virgin is born,
tended and formed and prepared,
for her role as Mother of God,
Who is the universal King of the ages.
… Therefore, let all creation
sing and dance and unite
to make worthy contribution
to the celebration of this day.
… Let everything, mundane things
and those above, join in festive celebration.
Today, this created world is raised
to the dignity of a holy place
for Him, Who made all things.
The creature is newly prepared
to be a Divine dwelling place for the Creator!”

“Today humanity, in all the radiance
of her Immaculate nobility,
receives its ancient beauty.
The shame of sin
had darkened the splendour
and attraction of human nature
but when the Mother
of the Fair One par excellence,
is born, this nature again,
regains, in her person,
its ancient privileges
and is fashioned according to a perfect model,
truly worthy of God ….
The reform of our nature begins today
and the aged world,
subjected to a wholly divine transformation,
receives the first fruits of the second creation.”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/07/04/quote-s-of-the-day-4-july-st-andrew-of-crete/

St Andrew of Crete (660-740)
Bishop, Father of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOOD FRIDAY, INGRATITUDE, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 July – ‘ … While He is judged, Wisdom remains silent and the Word says nothing. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 1 July – “The Feast and Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Hebrews 9:11-15,; John 19:30-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But one of the soldiers opened His side with a lance and immediately there came forth, Blood and water.” – John 19:34

REFLECTION – “Today the Cross is advancing, creation exults. The Cross, path for those who have gone astray, hope of Christians, the Apostles’ preaching, security of the universe, foundation of the Church, fountain for those who are thirsty… In great gentleness, Jesus is led to the Passion – He is brought to Pilate’s judgement seat; at the sixth hour, people mock Him; until the ninth hour, He bears the pain of the nails, then His Death ends His Passion. At the twelfth hour, He is taken down from the Cross. You could say, He is a sleeping lion …

While He is judged, Wisdom remains silent and the Word says nothing. His enemies despise and Crucify Him … Those, to whom yesterday, He gave His Body as food, watch from a distance as He dies. Peter, the first of the Apostles, is the first to flee. Andrew also took flight and John, who rested at His side, did not prevent the soldier from piercing that side with a lance. The Twelve fled – they did not say one word in His favour, they, for whom He is giving His Life. Lazarus is not there, he, whom He called back to life. The blind man did not weep for Him Who opened his eyes to the light and the crippled man, who could walk thanks to Him, did not run to Him.

Only a bandit who was crucified next to Him confessed Him and called Him his King! O thief, precocious blossom from the tree of the Cross, first fruit of the wood from Golgotha! … The Lord reigns, creation rejoices. The Cross triumphs and all nations, tribes, languages and peoples (Apoc 7:9) come to adore Him … The Cross gives Light to the whole universe, it chases away the darkness and gathers the nations … into one single Church, one single Faith, one single Baptism in charity. It stands at the centre of the world and is made firm on Calvary.” – St Ephrem (306-373) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homily attributed to St Ephrem from the Lectionary).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who made Thine Only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and, willed to be reconciled by His Blood, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to worship in this Sacred rite the price of our salvation and to be so protected, by its power against the evils of the present life on earth, that we may enjoy its everlasting fruit in Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Aspiration:  Precious Blood, ocean of Divine Mercy, Flow upon us.

Posted in CATECHESIS, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOMINICAN OP, GOD ALONE!, Hail MARY!, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, St Francis de Sales, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, To JESUS through MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – – Mother of Perpetual Succour

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Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – – Mother of Perpetual Succour

“Let not your heart be disturbed.
Do not fear that sickness,
nor any other sickness or anguish.
Am I not here, who is your Mother?
Are you not under my protection?
Am I not your health?
Are you not happily within my fold?
What else do you wish?
Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything!”

Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego
9 December 1531

“Gracious Lady,
you are a Mother and Virgin,
you are the Mother
of the body and soul
of our Head and Redeemer,
you are also truly Mother
of all the members of Christ’s Mystical Body.
For through your love,
you have co-operated
in the begetting of the faithful in the Church.
Unique among women,
you are Mother and Virgin,
Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ.
You are the beauty and charm of earth, O Virgin.
You are, forever, the image of the holy Church.
Through a woman came death,
through a woman came life!
yes, through you, O Mother of God.“

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

Whenever I Say Hail Mary
Blessed Alain de la Roche (1428-1475)

Whenever I say Hail Mary,
The Court of Heaven rejoices
And the earth is lost in wonderment
And I despise the world
And my heart is brim full
Of the love of God.

When I say Hail Mary,
All my fears wilt and die
And my passions are quelled.

If I say Hail Mary,
Devotion grows within me
And sorrow for sin awakens.

When I say Hail Mary,
Hope is made strong in my breast
And the dew of consolation
Falls on my soul
more and more,
Because I say Hail Mary.
And my spirit rejoices,
And sorrow fades away
When I say …
Hail Mary!

“Let me now say something of the devotion
which we ought to have toward this holy Virgin.
The worldly-minded imagine
that devotion to Our Lady
usually consists in carrying a Rosary in their cincture.
It seems to them that, it is enough,
to pray it a number of times without doing anything else.
In this, they are greatly mistaken!
For our dear Mistress wants us to do
what her Son commands us [Jn 2:5]
and, considers as done to herself,
the honour we give to her Son,
by keeping His commandments.”

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

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, GOD is LOVE, HYMNS, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on GRACE, SACRED HEART PRAYERS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 23 June – Jesu, Creator of the World!

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Our Morning Offering – 23 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Pentecost V

Auctor Beate Sæculi
Jesu, Creator of the World!
Unknown Author

Jesu, Creator of the world!
Of all mankind Redeemer blest!
True God of God in whom we see
The Father’s Image clear expressed!

Thee Saviour, love alone constrained
To make our mortal flesh Thine own;
And as a second Adam come,
For the first Adam to atone.

That selfsame Love that made the sky,
Which made the sea and stars and earth,
Took pity on our misery,
And broke the bondage of our birth.

O Jesu! in Thy Heart Divine
May that same Love forever flow,
Forever mercy to mankind
From that exhaustless Fountain flow.

For this Thy Sacred Heart was pierced,
And both with blood and water ran;
To cleanse us from the stains of guilt,
And be the hope and strength of man.

Jesu! to Thee be glory giv’n,
Who from the Heart dost grace outpour,
With Father and with Holy Ghost,
Through endless ages evermore.

Trans. The Benedictines of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK slightly adapted from  Fr Edward Caswell CO (1814-1878) original translation
Music: PUER NOBIS, LM; adapted by Michael Praetorius, (1571-1621).
This particular Vespers Hymn is taken from the Feast of the Sacred Heart. In a Seminary or Monastery, this hymn would be sung. It has a very compelling melody, which adds to the beauty of a Hymn which extolls the mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The theme of the entire piece is Our Lord’s Sacred Heart and how It is the Fount of Mercy for all who come to Him. It tells how we should value the Infinite Redemption He wrought for us.

Posted in BAPTISM, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MARIAN Aspirations and Ejaculations, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, The HOLY GHOST, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 June – “Blessed is the womb that bore you ’” – Luke 11:27

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One Minute Reflection – 15 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Our Lady’s Saturday – Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16; Luke 11:27-28 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed is the womb that bore you ’” – Luke 11:27

REFLECTION – “By the Spirit, from the womb of the Virgin, was born our Head, the Son of Man and, by the same Spirit, in the waters of Baptism, we are reborn as His Body and as sons of God. And just as He was born without any sin, so we are reborn in the forgiveness of all our sins. As on the Cross, He bore the sum total of the whole Body’s sins in His own physical Body, so He gave His members the grace of rebirth, in order that no sin might be imputed to His Mystical Body. It is written: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sin. The blessed man of this text is undoubtedly Christ, Who forgives sins, insofar as God, is His Head. Insofar as this Man is the Head of the Body, no sin is forgiven Him. But, insofar as the Body that belongs to this Head, consists of many members, sin is not imputed to it.

Just as in Himself, it is He Who justifies Himself. He alone is both Saviour and saved. In His own Body on the Cross, He bore what He had washed from His Body by the waters of Baptism. Bringing salvation through wood and through water, He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world which He took upon Himself. Himself a Priest, He offers Himself as Sacrifice to God and He Himself, is God. Thus, through His own Self, the Son is reconciled to Himself as God, as well as to the Father and to the Holy Ghost.” – Blessed Isaac of Stella O.Cist. (c 1100 – c 1170) Cistercian Monk, Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher (An excerpt from his Sermon 42),

PRAYER – Grant us, Thy servants, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body and by the intercession of glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake to the full of eternal appiness.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).

OUR Lady of the Sacred Heart, Pray for Us! – Indulgence 100 Days. Everytime – Raccolta 174 St Pius X, 9 July 1904.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, Quotes on SALVATION, SACRED HEART ASPIRATIONS, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 June – ‘ …  I Am your Light, your Salvation and your King. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 13 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Cpmfessor, Evangelical Doctor of the Church – Timothy 4:1-8; Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am not come to destroy but to fulfil.” – Matthew 5:17

REFLECTION – “The sacrifice of the lamb, the Passover rite and the letter of the Law have reached their term in Jesus Christ, in view of Whom, everything in the ancient Law took place – and, even more so, in the new dispensation. For the Law became the Word; from being old it became new … the commandments have been transformed into grace and the foreshadowing into Truth; the lamb has become the Son, the sheep has become man and man has become God. …

God, although He was the Lord, put on our humanity; He suffered for him, who was suffering, was bound for him, who was captive, was judged for the guilty, was buried for him, who was buried. He was raised from the dead and cried out in a loud voice: “If anyone wishes to oppose Me, let us appear together” (Is 50:8). It is I Who delivered the condemned man; I Who restored life to the dead; I Who raised up those in the grave. “Who disputes My right?” It is I, He says, I Who am the Christ, I Who destroyed death, Who triumphed over the enemy, Who bound the mighty enemy and carried off man to the heights of heaven; it is I, He says, Who am the Christ.

Come along then, every human family, full of sin as you are and receive the forgiveness of your sins. For I Myself Am your forgiveness, I am the Passover of salvation, the Lamb slain for your sakes, your Redemption, Life and Resurrection; I am your Light, your Salvation and your King. It is I Who lead you to the heights of Heaven, I Who will raise you up; it is I Who will bring you to see the Father Who is from all eternity; it is I Who will raise you up by My all-powerful Hand.” – St Melito of Sardis (Died c180) Bishop of Sardis in Smyrna and Father of the Church [Paschal Homily (Passim)]

PRAYER – May the solemn feast of blessed Anthony, Thy Confessor and Doctor, make Thy Church rejoice, O God, so that, ever sustained by spiritual help, she may deserve to reap everlasting joy. 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).

Sweet Heart of my JESUS, make me love Thee ever more and more! 300 Days Once a Day. ii. Plenary, Once a month. Raccolta – 162. Blessed Pope Pius IX, 26 November 1876.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 May – “We have seen wonderful things to-day.” – Luke 5:26

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One Minute Reflection – 24 May – Pentecost Thursday – Joel 2:23-24; 26-27; Luke 5:17-26 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“We have seen wonderful things to-day.” – Luke 5:26

REFLECTION – “Light is sweet and it is good to see the sun, with these eyes of flesh … that is why Moses said: “And God saw the light and he said that it was good” (Gn 1:4) …

But how good it is for us to reflect on the great, the true and unchanging Light “that enlightens everyone coming into the world”(Jn 1:9), namely Christ, the world’s Saviour and Redeemer. Having disclosed Himself before the eyes of the Prophets, He became Man and entered into the lowest depths of human existence. It is of Him that the Prophet David spoke: “Chant praise to God’s Name. Prepare a way for Him Who rises towards the west, Whose Name is the Lord; exult in His presence” (cf. Ps 67:5). And Isaiah, too, cried out: “People who sit in darkness, behold this light. For yo who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, a light will shine ” (cf.9:1) …

And so, the light of the sun that is seen by these eyes of flesh makes known the spiritual Sun of Righteousness (Ml 3:20), the sweetest of all to rise on those who have the happiness of being taught by Him and seeing Him with their fleshly eyes when He dwelt among us like any ordinary man. Nevertheless, He was not just an ordinary man in that He was born true God, able to give back sight to the blind, cause the lame to walk, enable the deaf to hear, cleanse lepers and restore the dead to life by His Word (Lk 7:22).” – St Gregory of Agrigente (559-594) Bishop, Father of the Church, Friend of St Gregory the Great (On Ecclesiastes, Book 10, 2).

PRAYER – Grant to Thy Church, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that, united by the Holy Ghost, she may in no way be harmed by any assault of the enemy. 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 GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, HOLY COMMUNION, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 29 April – The Role of the Eucharist in Increasing Our Love of God (Part Three)

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Thought for the Day – 29 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LV: … The Role of the Eucharist in
Increasing Our Love of God (Part Three)

“When the time itself draws near, we must consider, attentively, Who it is we are about to receive – for our Guest is to be the Son of the living God, the august Majesty before Whom the heavens and the powers of Heaven tremble in awesome fear!

Our Guest is to be the Saint of Saints, Mirror without blemish, Purity
itself, before Whom all is unclean in comparison.
This is Divinity become Man – One looked upon as the very outcast of men, Who was pleased to be spat upon, struck, reviled and Crucified out of love for us.

You are indeed about to receive God Himself, in Whose Hand is the destiny of the universe.
On the other hand, think of your own utter insignificance and your vile sinfulness which has reduced you below the level of the brute and made you worthy of being the sport and slave of devils!
Consider your acknowledgment of the Infinite favours you have received from your Saviour – you have insulted the Redeemer and trampled upon His Precious Blood, displaying a most absolute ingratitude.

But even human ingratitude cannot overcome Divine charity – capricious fickleness is no match for unchanging Love.
Still the gracious Lord summons you to the Divine banquet and rather
than rebuffing you for your obvious inadequacies, bids you come
under pain of death.
The arms of the merciful Father are always open to receive you, be you leprous, lame, blind, squandering, or possessed by devils.

He demands of you these few requisites alone:

To be sincerely sorry for having so grievously offended Him.
To hate sin of all kinds with an unquenchable vigour.
To consecrate yourself to cheerful acceptance of His Divine
Will, whatever it may be.
To have a firm confidence that He will forgive your sins, cleanse your soul of all taint and defend you against all your enemies.

Encouraged by this ineffable Love of the Lord for you and all penitent sinners, approach the holy table with a prudent fear, tempered by hope and love, saying:

“After so many grievous offences, I am not worthy to receive
Thee, not having fully satisfied Thy justice.
No, my God, I am unworthy of Thee, sullied as I am by an inordinate attachment to creatures and a reluctance to serve Thee completely, with my whole heart and my whole strength.
O my omnipotent Lord, be mindful of Thy goodness and Thy promise; through the Divine alchemy of Love and Faith, make my heart a worthy dwellingplace for Thy Divine Son.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/27/thought-for-the-day-27-april-the-role-of-the-eucharist-in-increasing-our-love-of-god-part-one/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/04/28/thought-for-the-day-28-april-two-role-of-the-eucharist-in-increasing-our-love-of-god-part-two/

Posted in GOD is LOVE, QUOTES on MEDITATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION, THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT - Fr Lorenzo Scupoli

Thought for the Day – 20 April – Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ (Part One)

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Thought for the Day – 20 April – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)

“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5

LI: … Meditation on the Sufferings of Christ
(Part One)

“That which I previously prescribed concerning the method of praying and meditating on the sufferings of our Lord and Saviour, regarded only the petition of those things of which we stand in need – now, we are to proceed to the adoption of the proper sentiments from our considerations.
For instance, if you have chosen the Crucifixion and its attendant circumstances, as the subject of your Meditation, you may dwell on the following considerations.

Consider firstly, the arrival of Jesus on Mount Calvary.
His executioners rudely stripped Him, tearing the garments off which
adhered to the torn flesh of His lacerated body.
Consider next the fresh wounds made in His Sacred Head by the Crown of Thorns, removed and reset by his barbarous executioners.
Next,visualise Him nailed to the Cross with spikes, driven through the flesh and bone into the wood with a large hammer.
Consider that His hands, not reaching the places designed for them, were stretched so violently that all His bones were dislocated, enabling the onlookers to count His very bones [Psalm XXL:18].
Then think of the actual elevation of the Cross,and the weight of Christ’s body resting on nails which tore gaping wounds in His hands and feet, giving Him excruciating pain.

If, by these and similar considerations you wish to enkindle the flames of Divine love within your heart, try to attain, by meditation, a sublime knowledge of the Infinite Goodness of your Saviour, Who, for you, condescended to suffer so much.
For the more you advance in the knowledge of His love for you, the greater will be your love and affection for Him.
Being convinced of His extraordinary charity, you will naturally conceive a sincere sorrow for having, so often and so heinously, offended Him, Who offered Himself as a sacrifice for your offences.

Proceed then to make acts of hope, considering that this great God on the Cross, had no other plan than to extirpate sin from the world, to free you from the devil, to expiate your crimes, to reconcile you to His Father and to provide a resource for you in all your necessities.
But if, after contemplating His passion, you consider its effects, your sorrow will be turned into joy.
For observe that by Christ’s Death, the sins of humanity were blotted
out, the anger of a Sovereign Judge appeased, the powers of Hell
defeated, death itself vanquished and the places of the fallen Angels filed in Heaven.
And the joy arising from such reflections will be increased by thinking of the joy with which the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin, the Church Militant and Triumphant received the glad, tidings of the Redemption of Mankind.”

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on FAITH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection –9 April – ‘ … He Who comes out alive from death and Who rises out of His woundedness, is God indeed!

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One Minute Reflection – 9 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” –Ferial Day – Tuesday in the Second Week of Easter – 1 John 5:4-10, John 20. 19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thomas answered and said to Him: My Lord and my God.” – John 20:28

REFLECTION – “ Why did Thomas seek proof for his faith in this way? … Your love, my brethren, would have preferred it, if lack of faith had left no-one in doubt after the Resurrection. But Thomas bore the uncertainty, not only of his own heart but of all people. And since he was to preach the Resurrection to the gentiles, he sought out, like a good workman, what he would base a Mystery on which demands so much faith. And the Lord showed all the Apostles what Thomas had sought so late. “Jesus came … and showed them His Hands and His Side” (Jn 20:19-20). Indeed, the Person Who entered when the doors were shut, might have been taken for a spirit, by the disciples, if he had not been able to show them that it was none other than He, the Wounds being the mark of His Passion.

Then He came to Thomas and said to him: ”Put your hand in My Side and do not be unbelieving but believe. May the Wounds you are opening make faith flow into the whole world once more, those Wounds which have already poured out the water of Baptism and the Blood of Redemption.” (Jn 19:34). Thomas replied: “My Lord and my God!” Let unbelievers come and hear and, as our Lord said, let them no longer be doubters but believers. Thomas makes known and declares that this is not just a human Body but that, by the Passion of His Body of Flesh, Christ is God and Lord. He Who comes out alive from death and Who rises out of His woundedness is God indeed!” – St Peter Chrysologus (406-450) Bishop of Ravenna, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 84).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God that we, who have celebrated the Paschal Feast, may, by Thy bounty, retain its fruits in our daily habits and behaviour. 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 WORD and WISDOM, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on PURITY, Quotes on SALVATION, The ANNUNCIATION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The INCARNATION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 April – The Annunciation – ‘ … Chosen from among all other beings …’

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One Minute Reflection – 8 April – Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Isaias 7:10-15, Luke 1:26-38 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “The degeneration caused by sin had obscured the beauty of our original nobility. But when the mother of supreme Beauty is born, our nature finds its purity once more and sees itself moulded according to the perfect model, worthy of God (Gn 1:26) … We had all preferred the world below to that above. There no longer remained any hope of salvation. The state of our nature cried aloud to Heaven to come to the rescue … Then at last, in His good pleasure, the world’s Divine Artificer determined to make a new world appear, a different world full of harmony and youth.

Now was it not fitting, that a most pure virgin without stain, should place herself at the service of this mysterious plan first of all?… And where was this virgin to be found, if not in this woman, alone of her kind, chosen by the world’s Creator before all generations? Yes, she indeed is Mother of God, divinely named Mary, whose womb gave birth to God Incarnate and whom, He Himself had supernaturally prepared, as His Temple…

In this way, then, the design of the Redeemer of our race was to bring about a birth and, as it were, a new creation to replace the one that went before. Therefore, just as in Paradise, He had taken a little clay out of the pure and spotless earth, to fashion the first Adam (Gn 2:7), so, at the moment of bringing about His Own Incarnation, He made use of another earth, so to speak, namely, this Pure and Immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings He had created. It is in her that He, Adam’s Creator, has remade us in our very substance and become a new Adam (1 Cor 15:45), so that the old might be saved by the New and Eternal!” – St Andrew of Crete (660-740) Bishop (Sermon 1 for the Nativity of the Mother of God ; PG 97, 812).

PRAYER – O God, Who, by the message of an Angel, willed Thy Word to take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that we, Thy suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be assisted by her intercession with Thee. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, Quotes on SALVATION, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 1 April –

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – Easter Monday

“This is the day which the Lord hath made,
let us be glad and rejoice therein.”

Psalm 117:24.

“If we follow Christ closely we shall be allowed,
even on this earth,
to stand, as it were,
on the threshold of the heavenly Jerusalem
and enjoy the contemplation,
of that everlasting Feast,
like the blessed Apostles,
who, in following the Saviour as their Leader,
showed and still show,
the way to obtain the same gift from God.
They said – See, we have left all things and followed Thee.
We too follow the Lord
and we keep His Feast
by deeds rather than by words.”

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

“For Christ is our Salvation.
For He is our Salvation,
Who was wounded for us
and fastened with nails to the Wood
and taken down from the Wood
and laid in the sepulchre.
But He rose from the sepulchre
and although His Wounds were healed,
the Scars remained.
For this He judged expedient for His Disciples
that He should keep His Scars,
to heal the wounds of their soul.”

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

“All I want to know is Christ
and the power flowing
from His Resurrection!”

St Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226)