Our Morning Offering – 12 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”and a Friday of the Passion
Constant Prayer
to the Precious Blood of Jesus
By St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
Doctor of the Church
Precious Blood,
Ocean of Divine Mercy,
Flow upon us!
Precious Blood,
Most Pure Offering,
Procure us every grace!
Precious Blood,
Hope and Refuge of sinners,
Atone for us!
Precious Blood,
Delight of holy souls,
Draw us!
Amen
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.
Our Morning Offering – 4 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus”
July Morning Offering
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus,
in satisfaction for my sins
and for the wants of Holy Church.
Blessed be the Precious Blood of Jesus,
which renders bearable the thorns of earth,
redeems our souls,
purifies them from their iniquities
and prepares for them,
an eternal crown.
Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 3 July– “The Month of the Most Precious Blood”
Eternal Father, I Offer unto Thee
By St Margaret Mary Alacogue (1647-1690)
Visionary and Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Eternal Father, I offer unto Thee
the infinite satisfaction which Jesus
rendered to Thy Justice, on behalf of sinners,
upon the tree of the Cross
and I pray that, Thou wouldst make the merits
of His Precious Blood available to all guilty souls
to whom sin has brought death.
May they rise again to the life of grace
and glorify Thee forever.
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the fervent devotion
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in satisfaction
for the lukewarmness and cowardice
of Thy chosen people, imploring Thee,
by the burning Love which made Him suffer death
that it may please Thee,
to rekindle their hearts,
now so lukewarm in Thy service
and to set them on fire with Thine Love
that they may love Thee forever.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee
the submission of Jesus to Thy Will
and I ask of Thee, through His merits,
the fullness of all grace
and the accomplishment of all Thine Holy Will.
Blessed be God!
Amen.
On this day, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
This Feast which had been celebrated in some Diocese since the 15th Century, on the Monday after Trinity Sunday, was extended by Pope Pius IX. over the whole Christian world and its celebration prescribed for the 1st Sunday of July. On the tenth day of August 1849, he instituted the Feast of the Precious Blood.
That most Sacred blood is the price of our Redemption and is poured out daily in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, whence it flows into the channels of the seven Sacraments, as an atonement for our sins and for our sanctification.
For, as in Egypt, God was propitiated by the blood of the paschal lamb, the Type and Figure of the true Lamb of God, so He is propitiated by the Blood of His Son, the true Paschal Lamb which speaketh better than Abel’s.
Herein is the strongest evidence of the Infinite Love of Jesus Christ, Who not only once but seven times, shed His Precious Blood amidst the most cruel sufferings, for our salvation.
Let this seven-fold shedding of the Precious Blood be the subject of our present meditation. Amen – Cardinal Johann Evalgelist Zollner (1825-1900) Archbishop of Salzburg from 1890 until his death on 5 May 1900
Quote/s of the Day – 1 July– “The Feast and Month of the Most Precious Blood”
“Carry me, O Christ,
on Thy Cross
which is salvation to the wanderer,
rest for the wearied
and, in which alone,
is Life for those who die.”
Excerpt from the Prayer
to the Five Wounds of Jesus
By St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)
I pray Thee, O most gentle Jesus,
that having redeemed me
by Baptism from original sin,
so now, by Thy Precious Blood,
which is offered and received,
throughout the world,
deliver me from all evils,
past, present and to come.
And by Thy most bitter Death,
give me a lively faith,
a firm hope
and perfect charity,
so that I may love Thee
with all my heart and all my soul
and all my strength.
Make me firm and steadfast in good works
and grant me perseverance in Thy service,
so that I may be able to please Thee always.
Amen.
“Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judeaorum –
Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.”
John 19:19
“HE DIED, THEN
But although He died for us and was lifted up on the Cross,
those who refuse to look upon Him, will surely die,
for there is no other redemption but in this Cross.
O God, how spiritually beneficial and profitable
is a consideration of Thy Cross and Passion!
Can we contemplate our Saviour’s humility on the Cross,
without becoming humble and,
having some affection for humiliations?
Can we see His obedience, without being obedient?
Certainly not!
No-one has ever looked upon Our Lord Crucified
and remained dead or sick.
On the other hand, all who have died,
have done so because.
they were unwilling to gaze upon Him,
just as the Israelites died.
who were unwilling to gaze upon the serpent
which Moses had raised upon the pole.”
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.
Our Morning Offering – 1 July– “The Feast and the Month of the Most Precious Blood” –
Glory Be to Jesus,
Who in Bitter Pains
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor
Trans. Fr Eward Caswell C.Orat. (1814–1878)
Glory be to Jesus!
Who in bitter pains
Poured for me the Life-Blood,
From His Sacred veins.
Grace and life eternal
In that Blood I find,
Blessed be His compassion,
Infinitely kind!
Blessed through endless ages
Be the precious stream!
Which from endless torment
Doth the world redeem.
There the fainting spirit
Drinks of life her fill.
There, as in a fountain,
Bathes herself at will.
O the Blood of Christ!
It soothes the Father’s ire,
Opens the Gate of Heaven,
Quells eternal fire.
Abel’s blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies
But the Blood of Jesus,
For our pardon cries.
Oft as it is sprinkled
On our guilty hearts,
Satan in confusion,
Terror-struck, departs.
Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Hell with terror trembles,
Heaven is filled with joy.
Lift ye, then, your voices,
Swell the mighty flood,
Louder still and louder,
Praise the Precious Blood!
Tune: “Bemerton (Caswall)” Friedrich Filitz 1847
Our Morning Offering – 28 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus”
O Adorable Heart of my Jesus!
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor
O Adorable Heart of my Jesus,
Heart yearning expressly. for the love of men!
Until now, I have shown towards Thee
only ingratitude.
Pardon me, O my Jesus.
Heart of my Jesus,
Abyss of Love and of Mercy,
how is it possible,
hat I do not die of sorrow,
when I reflect on Thy Goodness to me
and my ingratitude to Thee?
Thou, my Creator, after having created me,
hast given Thy Blood and Thy Life for me
and, not content with this,
Thou hast invented a means of offering
Thyself everyday for me,
in the Holy Eucharist,
exposing Thyself to a thousand insults and outrages!
Ah, Jesus, do Thou wound my heart
with a great contrition for my sins
and a lively love for Thee.
Through Thy Tears and Thy Blood,
give me the grace of perseverance
in Thy fervent love, until I breathe my last sigh.
Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 21 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” –
Eternal Father, I Offer unto Thee
By St Margaret Mary Alacogue (1647-1690)
Visionary and Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Eternal Father, I offer unto Thee
the infinite satisfaction which Jesus
rendered to Thy Justice, on behalf of sinners,
upon the tree of the Cross
and I pray that, Thou wouldst make the merits
of His Precious Blood available to all guilty souls
to whom sin has brought death.
May they rise again to the life of grace
and glorify Thee forever.
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the fervent devotion
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in satisfaction
for the lukewarmness and cowardice
of Thy chosen people, imploring Thee,
by the burning Love which made Him suffer death
that it may please Thee,
to rekindle their hearts,
now so lukewarm in Thy service
and to set them on fire with Thine Love
that they may love Thee forever.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee
the submission of Jesus to Thy Will
and I ask of Thee, through His merits,
the fullness of all grace
and the accomplishment of all Thine Holy Will.
Blessed be God!
Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 22 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”
Glory Be to Jesus,
Who in Bitter Pains
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori 1696–1787) [Attrib]
Transl. Fr Edward Caswell CO (1814-1878)
(An Indulgence of 100 days)
Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pain
Poured for me the life-Blood
From His sacred veins.
Grace and life eternal
In that Blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind.
Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream,
Which from endless torments
Dost the world redeem.
Abel’s blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies;
But the Blood of Jesus
For our pardon cries.
Oft as it is sprinkled
On our guilty hearts,
Satan in confusion
Terror-struck departs.
Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Angel-hosts rejoicing
Make their glad reply.
Lift ye then your voices;
Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
Praise the Precious Blood.
Our Morning Offering – 12 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament”
O Most Compassionate Jesus!
By Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day
6 October 1870
O Most compassionate Jesus!
Thou alone art our Salvation,
our Life and our Resurrection.
We implore Thee, therefore,
do not forsake us
in our needs and afflictions
but by the agony of
Thy Most Sacred Heart
and by the sorrows of
Thy Immaculate Mother,
succour Thy servants,
whom Thou hast redeemed
by Thy Most Precious Blood.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 29 March – Good Friday – The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to St John 18:1-40.19:1-42 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And bearing His own Cross,
He went forth to the place which is called Calvary
but in Hebrew Golgotha.”
“By the Cross, death was slain
and Adam was restored to life.
The Cross is the glory of all the Apostles,
the Crown of the Martyrs,
the Sanctification of the Saints.
By the Cross, we put on Christ
and cast aside our former self.
By the Cross we, the sheep of Christ,
have been gathered into one flock,
destined for the Sheepfold of Heaven.”
“O souls!
Seek a refuge, like pure doves,
in the shadow of the Crucifix.
There, mourn the Passion
of your Divine Spouse
and drawing from your hearts,
flames of love and rivers of tears,
make of them a precious balm
with which to anoint
the Wounds of your Saviour.”
“When you are alone in your room,
take your Crucifix,
kiss Its Five Wounds reverently,
tell It to preach you a little sermon
and then listen to the Words of eternal life
that It speaks to your heart.
Listen to the pleading of the Thorns,
the Nails, the Precious Blood.
Oh, what an eloquent sermon!”
Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 28 March – Maundy Thursday – 1 Corinthians 11:20-32, John 13:1-15 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Carry one another’s burdens.”
Gal 6:2
“He loved them unto the end.”
John 13:1
“He was in the form of God,” equal to God by nature, since He shared in God’s power, God’s eternity and God’s very being … He did the job of a servant “by humbling Himself, obeying His Father even to death, death on a Cross.” (cf Phil 2:5-8). One might consider it to be trivial that, as God’s Son and His equal, He served His Father as a servant. More than that, He served His own servant more than any other servant. For the human being had been created to serve His Creator. What could be more just for you, than to serve him who made you, without Whom you would not be? And what could be more blest, than to serve Him, since to serve Him is to reign? But the human being said to His Creator: “I will not serve.” (Jer 2:20)
Then the Creator said to the human being: “So I will serve you! Go sit down at the table; I will serve. I will wash your feet. Rest. I will take your pains upon myself; I will carry your weakness… If you grow tired or are burdened, I will carry you, you and your burden, so as to be the first to fulfil my law: ‘Carry one another’s burdens’ (Gal 6:2)… If you are hungry or thirsty… here I Am, ready to be sacrificed, so that you might eat My Flesh and drink My Blood… If you are taken into captivity or, if you are sold, here I Am… Redeem yourself by paying the ransom you will get from Me. I give Myself as ransom… If you are sick, if you fear death, I will die in your place, so that from My Blood you may make for yourself, a life-giving remedy!…”
O my Lord, what a price Thou paid to ransom my useless service! … What a way Thou has, full of love, of gentleness and of kindness, to win back and submit this rebellious servant, by triumphing over evil through good, by confounding my pride with Thy humility, by filling this ungrateful person, with Thy kindness! This! This is howThy Wisdom triumphed!” – (1st Sermon for Palm Sunday),
Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 24 March – Palm Sunday – Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:36-75; 2 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Behold the Lamb of God
Who takes away the sin of the world ”
John 1:29
“Behold the hour is at hand
and the Son of man shall be betrayed
into the hands of sinners.”
Matthew 26:45
“Towards the Lamb of God arise ,the Hosannas of the people, all those pressing round Him in the crowd, praise Him with one and the same confession of faith: “Hosanna to the son of David!” (Mt 21:9). This praise already echoes the choir of Saints, singing: “Salvation comes from our God, Who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb!” (Apoc 7:10). He goes up to where, day-by-day, He will give His last teaching (Lk 20:47). It is there He will accomplish the sacrament of the Jewish Passover, faithfully observed hitherto. He Himself, will bestow a new Pasch on His own, when, having left for the Mount of Olives, He will be put to the test by His enemies and, the following day, set on the Cross. Of such is the Paschal Lamb, see Him draw near today to the place of His Passion and fulfil the prophecy of Isaias: “Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers” (53:7).
He desires to enter His City five days before His Passion; by this He proves that He is indeed the Lamb without blemish Who comes to take away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). He is indeed the Paschal Lamb, Who, when sacrificed, will set the new Israel free from its slavery in Egypt (Ex 12). It is truly five days before His Passion when His enemies irrevocably agree on His death. Today He shows us by this that He is going to redeem us all by His Blood (Apoc 5:9). As from today, He enters God’s Temple amongst the joyful jubilation of those who surround him (Mt 21:12). The “Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus” (1Tm 2:5) will suffer for humankind’s salvation – that indeed is why He came down to earth from Heaven – and today, He wills to draw near to the place of His Passion. Thus it will be clear to all that He bears His Passion of His own free will and by no means by force.” (Sermon No 23).
Quote/s of the Day – 23 March – Saturday in Passion Week
“The illusions of this world soon vanish,
especially if a man arms himself
with the Sign of the Cross.
The devils tremble
at the Sign of the Cross of our Lord,
by which He triumphed over and disarmed them.”
“The day will come when this Child
will no longer be offered in the Temple,
nor in Simeon’s arms
but outside the City
in the arms of the Cross.
The day will come when He
will not be redeemed
by the blood of a sacrifice
but redeem others ,
with His own Blood. …”
That will be the evening sacrifice;
this is the morning sacrifice;
this one is the happiest
but that one is the most complete;
for this one was offered
at the time of birth
and that one will be offered
in the fullness of time,..”
“Look then on Jesus,
the Author and Preserver of faith —
in complete sinlessness, He suffered
and, at the hands of those who were His own
and was numbered among the wicked.
As you drink the cup of the Lord Jesus
(how glorious it is!), give thanks to the Lord,
the Giver of all blessings.
May the God of love and peace
set your hearts at rest
and speed you on your journey;
may He meanwhile, shelter you
from disturbance by others
in the hidden recesses of His Love,
until He brings you, at last,
into that place of complete plenitude,
where you will repose forever in the vision of peace,
in the security of trust
and in the restful enjoyment of His riches. ”
Our Morning Offering – 15 March – Feast of the Most Precious Blood for the Friday after Laetare Sunday
By the Merits of the
Precious Blood of Jesus
By Servant of God Pope Pius VII (1742-1823)
Papacy from 1800 to 1823
Indulgenced Act of Oblation to Our Father
Eternal Father!
I offer Thee the merits
of the Precious Blood of Jesus,
Thy well-beloved Son,
my Saviour and my God,
for all my wants,
spiritual and temporal,
in aid of the Holy Souls in Purgatory
and chiefly for those
who most loved this Precious Blood,
the price of our redemption
and who were most devout
to the sorrows and pains
of most Holy Mary,
our dear Mother.
Glory be to the Blood of Jesus,
now and forever
and throughout all ages.
Amen.
Indulgence of 300 days, each time this prayed is offered,
22 September 1817 with a Plenary Indulgence, once a month,
under the usual conditions.
Note of Interest: On 15 August 1811 – the Feast of the Assumption – it is recorded that the Pope celebrated Mass and was said to have entered a trance and began to levitate in a manner that drew him to the Altar. This particular episode aroused great wonder and awe among attendants, which included the French soldiers guarding him, who were awestruck at what had occurred and left records of it.
Our Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 11 March – Monday of the Fourth Week in Lent – 3 Kings 3:16-28; John 2:13-25 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Be my rock of refuge, O God,
a stronghold to give me safety.”
Psalm 30:3
“Destroy this temple
and in three days,
I will raise it up. ”
John 2:19
“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!”
One Minute Reflection – 11 March – Monday of the Fourth Week in Lent – 3 Kings 3:16-28; John 2:13-25 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Destroy this temple and in three days, I will raise it up. ” – John 2:19
REFLECTION – “We are still God’s workmen who are building the temple of God. This temple’s dedication has already taken place in its Head, in that the Lord has Risen from the dead after His victory over death and, having destroyed in Himself what was mortal, He has Ascended to Heaven … But now, we are building this temple through faith, so that its dedication may also be made at the final resurrection. That is why … one of the Psalms has the title: “When the Temple was rebuilt after the captivity” (95:1). Call to mind our own former captivity, when the devil held the whole world in his power, like a flock of the unfaithful. It was due to this captivity that our Redeemer came. He shed His Blood for our ransoming and, by the Blood He poured out, He cancelled the debt which was holding us captive (Col 2:14) … Sold beforehand to sin, we have now been set free by grace.
Following this captivity, the temple is now being built and, to raise it up, the Good News is proclaimed. That is why this Psalm begins as follows: “Sing to the Lord a new song” And, lest you think this temple is being constructed in some insignificant corner, as the heretics who separate themselves from the Church build it, pay attention to what follows: “Sing to the Lord, all you lands” …
“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all you lands.” Sing and clap your hands! Sing and “bless the Name of the Lord” (v. 2). Proclaim the Day born of the Day of Salvation, the Day born of the Day of Christ. For Who is the Salvation of God if not His Christ? This is the Salvation we pray for in the Psalm: “Show us, Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help.” Just men of old longed for this salvation, those of whom the Lord said to His disciples: “Many desired to see what you see, but did not see it” (Lk 10:24) … “Sing to the lord a new song; sing to the Lord” See the fervour of the builders! “Sing to the Lord and bless His Name.” Proclaim the Good News! What good news is that? Day is born from Day … Light from Light; the Son from the Father, the Saving Power of God! This is how the temple is built after the captivity.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 163:5).
PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we who devoutly keep the sacred observances, year by year, may be pleasing to Thee, both in body and soul. 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 Lenten Journey with the Angels and the Saints – 10 March – Laetare Sunday / The Fourth Sunday in Lent – Galatians 4:22-31, John 6:1-15 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“They who trust in the Lord
are like Mount Sion
which is immovable;
which forever stands.”
Psalm 124:1-2
“Make the men sit down.”
John 6:10
“WE read in this day’s Gospel that, having gone up into a mountain with His disciples and seeing a multitude of five thousand persons, who followed Him because they saw the miracles which He wrought on them that were diseased, the Redeemer said to St Philip: “Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat ?” “Lord,” answered St Philip, “two-hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient that every one may take a little.” St Andrew then said: There is a boy here that has five barley loaves and two fishes but what are these among so many? But Jesus Christ said: “Make the men sit down.” And he distributed the loaves and fishes among them. “The multitude were satisfied and the fragments of bread which remained, filled twelve baskets.”
The Lord wrought this miracle through compassion for the bodily wants of these poor people but, far more tender is His compassion, for the necessities of the souls of the poor that is, of sinners, who are deprived of the Divine Grace.
But, my Lord, since Thou hast resolved to take human flesh, would not a single prayer offered by Thee be sufficient for the redemption of all men? What need, then, was there of leading a life of poverty, humiliation and contempt, for thirty- three years, of suffering a cruel and shameful death on an infamous gibbet and of shedding all Thy Blood by dint of torments?
I know well, answers Jesus Christ, that One Drop of My Blood, or a simple prayer, would be sufficient for the salvation of the world but neither,would be sufficient to show the love which I bear to men and, therefore, to be loved by men when they should see me dead on the Cross, for the love of them, I have resolved to submit to so many torments and to so painful a death.
This, He says, is the duty of a good Shepherd “I Am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth His Life for His sheep… I lay down My Life for My sheep.” (John 10:11, 15) …
This tenderness of Jesus Christ was experienced by the sinful woman (according to St Gregory, — Mary Magdalene) who cast herself at the feet of Jesus and washed them with her tears. (Luke 7:47 and 50) The Lord, turning to her with sweetness, consoled her by saying: “Thy sins are forgiven … thy faith hath made thee safe; go in peace.” (Luke 7:48 and 50.) Child, thy sins are pardoned; thy confidence in Me has saved thee; go in peace.
It was also felt by the man who was sick for thirty- eight years and who was infirm, both in body and soul. The Lord cured his malady and pardoned his sins. … We have also a proof of the tender compassion of the Son of God for sinners, in his conduct towards the woman caught in adultery.
… Jesus Christ has come, not to condemn,but to deliver sinners from hell, as soon as they resolve to amend their lives. And when He sees them obstinately bent on their own perdition, He addresses them with tears in the words of Ezechiel:
“Why will you die, O house of Israel?” (18:31). My children, why will you die? Why do you voluntarily rush into hell, when I have come from Heaven to deliver you from it by death?”
He adds: you are already dead to the grace of God.
But I will not allow your death — return to Me and I will restore to you the life which you have lost.
Let us then, sinners, return instantly to Jesus Christ.
If we have left Him, let us immediately return, before death overtakes us in sin and sends us to hell, where the mercies and graces of the Lord shall, if we do not amend, be so many swords which shall lacerate the heart for all eternity!” – (Sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Lent – Intro, 3,8,9,11,12).
Our Morning Offering – 10 March – Laetare Sunday / The Fourth Sunday in Lent
God of Mercy and Compassion
By Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736)
Composer
God of mercy and compassion,
Look with pity upon me,
Father, let me call Thee Father,
‘Tis Thy child returns to Thee.
Refrain:
Jesus, Lord, I ask for mercy.
Let me not implore in vain,
All my sins, I now detest them,
Never will I sin again.
By my sins I have deserved
Death and endless misery,
Hell with all its pains and torments,
And for all eternity.
(Refrain)
By my sins I have abandoned
Right and claim to heav’n above.
Where the Saints rejoice forever
In a boundless sea of love.
(Refrain)
See our Saviour, bleeding, dying,
On the cross of Calvary;
To that Cross my sins have nail’d Him,
Yet He bleeds and dies for me.
(Refrain)
Quote/s of the Day – 5 March – Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent – 4 Kings 4:1-7; Matthew 18:15-22
“Then Peter came up and said to Him,
“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me
and I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus said to him,
“I do not say to you seven times
but seventy times seven.”
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
“No-one heals himself
by wounding another.”
“Our own evil inclinations
are far more dangerous,
than any external enemies. ”
“If a man finds it very difficult to forgive injuries,
let him look at a Crucifix
and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him
and not only forgave His enemies
but, even prayed His Heavenly Father,
to forgive them too.
Let him remember,
that when he says the Pater Noster, everyday,
instead of asking pardon for his sins,
he is calling down VENGEANCE UPON HIMSELF!”
“You must be reconciled to your enemies,
speak to them, as if they had never done you
anything but good, all your life,
keeping nothing in your heart but the charity,
which the good Christian should have, for everyone,
so that we may all appear with confidence,
before the tribunal of God.”
Quote/s of the Day – 25 February – The Second Sunday in Lent – Thessalonians 4:1-7; Matthew 17:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Lord, it is good for us to be here …”
“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.”
“They shall see God.”
Matthew 5:8
“You will surely not be allowed to see
with an impure heart
what one can only see with a pure heart.
You will be moved away,
put at a distance, you will not see!
The vision of God is promised ONLY
to people with a pure heart.
This is not without a reason, since the eyes
which allow us to see God are in the heart.
Those are the eyes the Apostle Paul was talking about
when he said: “May He enlighten your innermost vision”
(Eph 1:18).
So, at the present time because of their weakness,
those eyes are enlightened by faith;
later, because of their strength,
they will be enlightened by vision…
“Now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror;
then we shall see face-to-face.”
“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.””
“At His Transfiguration
Christ showed His disciples,
the splendour of His Beauty,
to which He will shape and colour,
those who are His :
‘He will reform our lowness
configured to the Body of His Glory.”
Our Morning Offering – 19 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity”
I Rise In God’s Strength
An Old Morning Prayer
(Excerpt)
From The Blossoms of the Cross — 1894
The Sisters of St Joseph
I rise In God’s strength,
In God’s power,
In the Agony of Christ,
In the Cross of Christ,
In Christ’s Precious Blood,
These will sustain me against my enemies,
visible and invisible.
I rise in the blessing of Christ
which my dearest Jesus left to the whole world.
Protect me, All-Holy Trinity,
God the Father, Who created me,
God, the Son, Who redeemed me in His Precious Blood,
God, the Holy Ghost, Who sanctified me in Holy Baptism.
God, the Father, I give myself to Thee!
God, the Son, I commend myself to Thee!
God, the Holy Ghost, teach me!
Mary, Mother of God, assist me!
All you Saints of God, pray for me!
All you Holy Angels, protect me!
The Cross of Christ preserve me!
Amen
Thought for the Day – 11 February – The Spiritual Combat (1589) – Dom Lorenzo Scupoli OSM (c1530-1610)
“None shall be crowned who has not fought well.” 2 Tim 2: 5
“Until we have become habituated to ward off sudden strikes, whether of insult or other adverse circumstances, it is well, in order to acquire such a habit, to anticipate them and desire to suffer them, over and over again and so, to await them with a mind prepared.
The way to anticipate them is, to consider the passion to which you are most inclined and also, the places wherein and the persons with whom, you are wont to converse; whence you may readily conjecture what is likely to befall you.
And should you meet with any other untoward circumstance which you have not foreseen, although you will find your soul strengthened by having been prepared to meet the other evils which you did foresee, yet may you also avail yourself of the following additional help.
At the very first touch of the insult or ‘trial,’ whatever it be, rouse yourself at once and lift up your heart to God, reflecting on His ineffable goodness and love, which sends you this affliction that, by enduring it for the love of Him, you may thereby be more purified and brought nearer and united unto Him.
And, knowing, how greatly He is pleased that you should suffer it, turn next to yourself and with a sharp rebuke, say, “O, why will you refuse to bear this cross which is sent to you, not by man but by your Father Who is in Heaven!”
Then turn to the cross and embrace it with all possible patience and joy, saying, “O cross, formed by Divine Providence before I was born; O cross, endeared to me by the dear love of my Crucified Lord, nail me now to youself that so I may give myself to Him, Who died on you for my redemption!”
And if, at first the passion should prevail against you and you should be wounded and unable to raise your heart to God, strive even then, to do, as at the beginning and fight as if still unwounded.
The most effectual remedy, however, against these sudden impulses, is to remove the cause from whence they proceed.
Thus, if you discover that, through your affection for any object, you
are thrown into a sudden agitation of mind, as often as it is presented to you, the remedy is, by persevering efforts, to withdraw your affection from it.
But, if the agitation proceeds from a person, who is so disagreeable to you that every little action of his annoys and irritates you, the remedy here, is to force yourself to love and cherish him, not only as a creature formed by the same Sovereign Hand, with yourself and created anew by the same Divine Blood but also becaus. he offers you an opportunity, if you will accept it, of becoming like your Lord, Who is kind and loving unto all men!”
One Minute Reflection – 6 February – “The Month of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity” – St Titus (Died c96) Bishop, Confessor – Ecclesiasticus 44:16-27; 45:3-20, Luke 10:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And He sent them, … into every city and place …” – Luke 10:1
REFLECTION – “No-one,” the Apostle admonishes us, “can lay another foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1Cor 3:11). It is Christ alone “whom the Father anointed and sent into this world” (Jn 10:36), “the splendour of the Father and the image of His substance” (Heb 1:3), true God and true Man, without Whom no-one can know God with the knowledge for salvation, “neither doth anyone know the Father but the Son and He to whom it shall please the Son to reveal Him” (Mt 11:27). Hence, it follows that to restore all things in Christ and to lead men back to submission to God, is one and the same aim. To this, then, it behoves Us to devote Our care – to lead back mankind under the dominion of Christ; this done, We shall have brought it back to God. When We say “to God” We do not mean, to that inert being heedless of all things human which the dream of certain philosophers has imagined but, to the true and living God, One in Nature, Triple in Person, Creator of the world, most wise Ordainer of all things, Lawgiver most just, Who punishes the wicked and has reward in store for virtue.
Now the way to reach Christ is not difficult to find — it is the Church. Rightly does St John Chrysostom inculcate: “The Church is thy hope, the Church is thy salvation, the Church is thy refuge.” It was for this that Christ founded it, gaining it at the price of His Blood and made it the depositary of His doctrine and His laws, bestowing upon it, at the same time, an inexhaustible treasury of graces, for the sanctification and salvation of men.
You see, then, venerable Brethren, the duty that has been imposed upon Us…? To form Christ in those, who are destined from the duty of their vocation to form Him, in others … It is the same mission … as that which Paul proclaimed in these tender words: “My little children, of whom I am in labour again, until Christ be formed in you” (Gal 4:19). But how will they be able to perform this duty if they be not first clothed with Christ themselves? and so clothed with Christ, as to be able to say with the Apostle: “I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). “For me to live is Christ!” (Phil 1:21). – St Pius X (1835-1914) Pope from 1903 to 1914 (Encyclical “ E Supremi Apostolatus ”).
PRAYER – O God, Who adorned blessed Titus, Thy Confessor and Bishop, with the virtues of an apostle, grant, through his merits and intercession that by living justly and piously in this world, we may be found worthy to enter Heaven. 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).
Quote/s of the Day – 2 February – The Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, Candlemas – Malachias 3:1-4, Luke 2:22-32 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The day will come when this Child
will no longer be offered in the Temple,
nor in Simeon’s arms
but outside the City
in the arms of the Cross.
The day will come when He
will not be redeemed
by the blood of a sacrifice
but redeem others ,
with His own Blood. …”
That will be the evening sacrifice;
this is the morning sacrifice;
this one is the happiest
but that one is the most complete;
for this one was offered
at the time of birth
and that one will be offered
in the fullness of time,..”
“But what shall we offer, brothers,
what shall we give Him
for all the benefits He has given us?
He offered the most precious Victim
He possessed for our sake;
in truth, He could not have had
anything more precious.
So let us, too,
do what we can,
let us offer Him the best we have,
that is to say, ourselves!
He offered Himself,
so who are you,
to hesitate to offer yourself?”
“Let us try and live like Simeon,
with our minds and hearts turned towards Jesus.
Let us think chiefly of Him,
love Him, above everything else
and work only for Him.
Then our death will be as beautiful as his.
In fact, we shall be even more fortunate,
for we can go further than receiving Jesus into our arms.
We shall be able to receive Him into out hearts.
He will be at hand to give us the supernatural strength
which we shall need on our great journey into eternity.”
MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2023/02/02/quote-s-of-the-day-2-february-carrying-jesus/
Quote/s of the Day – 22 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” – St Vincent of Saragossa (Died 304) Protomartyr of Spain and St Anastasius the Persian (Died 628) Martyr – Wisdom 3:1-8; Luke 21:9-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“And you shall be hated by all men,
for My Name’s sake.”
“The fruits of the earth
are not brought to perfection immediately
but by time, rain and care.
Similarly, the fruits of men ripen
through ascetic practice,
study, time, perseverance,
self-control and patience.”
“Rejoice and be happy!
Persevere to the end
and prefer to die
rather than abandon the post,
to which God has called you!”
“Love consists,
not in feeling great things
but, in having great detachment
and in suffering for the Beloved.”
“Now, you must always persevere
in firmly placing all your trust in our Lord,
in the troublesome business you have in hand.
It will give you a fine opportunity
of laying a good foundation of submission
to God’s will and peace of soul.”
Excerpt from the Prayer
to the Five Wounds of Jesus
By St Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)
I pray Thee, O most gentle Jesus,
that having redeemed me
by Baptism from original sin,
so now, by Thy Precious Blood,
which is offered and received,
throughout the world,
deliver me from all evils,
past, present and to come.
And by Thy most bitter Death,
give me a lively faith,
a firm hope
and perfect charity,
so that I may love Thee
with all my heart and all my soul
and all my strength.
Make me firm and steadfast in good works
and grant me perseverance in Thy service,
so that I may be able to please Thee always.
Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 10 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” – Within the Octave of The Epiphany
O Child, So Worthy of Our Love,
I Offer Thee My Heart
(O Grant Me that Gold, Incense and Myrrh
Which I Lack)
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor
O Child so worthy of our love,
I see You lying on the straw in this cave,
so poor and despised.
Yet faith teaches me, that You are my God
come down from heaven for my salvation.
I acknowledge You as my Sovereign Lord and Saviour,
as such I proclaim You,
yet, I have nothing at all to offer You.
I am without Love’s Gold,
since I have given my love to the things of this world –
I have only loved my own whim, rather than loving You,
so infinitely worthy of love.
I am without Prayer’s Incense,
since I have lived wretchedly without thinking of You.
I have no Myrrh of Mortification since,
so as not to forsake some paltry pleasures,
I have so often saddened Your infinite goodness.
So what am I to offer You?
O my Jesus, I offer You my heart, soiled and naked as it is.
Take it and change it, for You have come down to us
to wash our guilty hearts with Your Blood
and so transform us from sinners into saints.
O grant me that Gold, Incense and Myrrh which I lack.
Grant me the Gold of Your Holy Love;
grant me the Incense which is the spirit of prayer;
grant me Myrrh,
the willingness and strength to deny myself
in all that displeases You…
O holy Virgin, you welcomed those devout Magi Kings
with keen affection and satisfied them.
Deign to welcome and comfort me also,
I, who come, following their example,
to visit and offer myself to your Son
Amen.
One Minute Reflection – 2 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” and the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus – Acts 4:8-12; Luke 2:21 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“When eight days were fulfilled for the circumcision of the Child, His Name was called Jesus, the Name given Him by the Angel, before He was conceived in the womb.” – Luke 2:21
REFLECTION – “The Child is circumcised, He is, now, not only a member of the human race, He is made, today, a member of God’s chosen People. He subjects Himself to this painful ceremony, to this symbol of one devoted to the Divine service, in order that He may fulfil all justice.
He receives, at the same time, His Name–the Name is Jesus and it means a Saviour. A Saviour! Then, He is to save us? Yes and He is to save us by His Blood. Such is the Divine appointment and He has bowed down His will to it. The Incarnate Word is upon the earth in order to offer a Sacrifice and the Sacrifice is begun today.
This first shedding of the Blood of the Man-God was sufficient to the fulness and perfection of a Sacrifice but, He is come, to win the heart of the sinner and that heart, is so hard that all the streams of that Precious Blood which flow from the Cross on Calvary, will scarcely make it yield. The drops which were shed today, would have been enough to satisfy the justice of the Eternal Father but not to cure man’s miseries and the Babe’s Heart would not be satisfied to leave us uncured. He came for man’s sake and His love for man, will go to what looks like excess–He will carry out the whole meaning of His dear name–He will be our “Jesus” our Saviour!” – Abbot Dom Prosper Guéranger OSB (1805-1875) (The Circumcision of Our Lord, 1870).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary, have bestowed upon mankind the rewards of eternal salvation, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may enjoy the intercession of her, through whom we have been found worthy to receive among us, the Author of Life, our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son. Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
AnaStpaul 
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