Our Morning Offering – 21 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” and the Day of the Passion
A Prayer of the Passion By St Melito of Sardis (Died 180) Bishop of Sardis, Apologist, Father
Lord Jesus Christ, You were bound as a ram, You were shorn like a lamb, You were led to the slaughter like a sheep, You bore the wood of the Cross on Your shoulders, You were led up the hill of Calvary, You were displayed naked on the Cross, You were nailed to the bitter Cross by three spikes, You delivered Your last Seven Words from the Cross You died on the Cross, with a shout of victory, You were buried in noble Joseph’s rock-hewn tomb, By Your boundless suffering on our behalf, fix our eyes unceasingly on Your broken Body and the Blood that poured from Your Hands, Feet and Side. By the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that renews each day Your Sacrifice of the Cross on our Altars, apply the merits of the Cross to all humanity and, especially to those who worship it daily and who offer themselves back to You, our great High Priest and perpetually Intercessor, before the Eternal Throne of God. You live and reign, through all the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 18 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus”
Hail, Sweet Jesus! Prayer to Christ in His Passion and Death By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
Hail, sweet Jesus! Praise, honour and glory be to Thee, O Christ, Who, of Thou own accord, embraced death, and recommending Thyself to Thy heavenly Father, bowing down Thy venerable Head, did yield up Thy Spirit. Truly thus giving up Thy life for Thy sheep, Thou hast shown Thyself, to be the Good Shepherd. Thou died, O Only-begotten Son of God. Thou died, O my beloved Saviour, that I might live forever. O how great hope, how great confidence have I reposed in Thy Death and Thy Blood! I glorify and praise Thy Holy Name, acknowledging my infinite obligations to Thee. O good Jesus, by Thy bitter Death and Passion, give me grace and pardon. Give unto the faithful departed, rest and life everlasting. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 16 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – Pentecost VII
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.
Thought for the Day – 15 July – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Voice of God
“It will go hard with the man who refuses to listen to God. He has reason to be afraid when he lets God’s inspirations and graces pass him by. Anyone who is deaf to God’s appeals, cannot be saved.
God spoke many times in the heart of His Apostle Judas but, he did not listen. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane. when Judas betrayed his Master with a kiss, Jesus spoke to him and called him His friend, giving him the kiss of peace and forgiveness. But, the traitor spurned this last appeal and went his way.
May this never be our fate. “Be not silent” let us plead, “Lord be not far from me!” (Ps 34:22). Above all, let us listen obediently to His Voice from whatever source it comes and let us do what He advises us.”
Quote/s of the Day – 14 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St Bonaventure OFM (1221-1274) Seraphic 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.”
“… One of the soldiers opened His side with a lance and immediately there came forth blood and water. ” John 19:34
“Let us draw near to the Heart of our most sweet Lord Jesus and we shall be glad and rejoice in it. How good and how sweet it is to dwell in this Heart! This is the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price which we discover, O Jesus, when we dig in the field of Thy Body (cf Mt 13:44). Who, then, would cast aside this Pearl? Far from it! For It, I will give away all my goods and offer in exchange, all my concerns and affections. I will lay down all my cares in the Heart of Jesus, it is He Who will suffice for me and Who will, without fail, supply all I need to live on!”
O Holy Lord By St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, everlasting God, for the sake of Your bounty and that of Your Son, Who for me, endured suffering and death; for the sake of the most excellent holiness of His Mother and the merits of all His Saints, grant unto me, a sinner, unworthy of Your blessings, that I may love You only, may ever thirst for Your love, may have continually in my heart the benefits of Your Passion, may acknowledge my own wretchedness and, may desire to be trampled upon and to be despised by all men. Let nothing grieve me, save my guilt. Amen
Mother of Mercy By St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Seraphic Doctor
Virgin full of goodness, Mother of Mercy, I entrust to you my body and soul, my thoughts, my actions, my life and my death. O my Queen, help me, and deliver me from all the snares of the devil. Obtain for me the grace of loving my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, with a true and perfect love, and after him, O Mary, to love you with all my heart and above all things. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 14 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus,” The Friday Devotion of the Passion and Feast of St Bonaventure OFM (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
To Our Lady of Sorrows By St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church
O most holy Virgin, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the Martyrdom, the Crucifixion and the Death, of your Divine Son, look upon me, with eyes of compassion and awaken in my heart, a tender commiseration for those sufferings and a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem and that, henceforward, all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object, the honour, glory and love of our divine Lord Jesus, and to you, the Holy and Immaculate Mother of God. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 14 July – St Bonaventure (1221-1274) – Seraphic Doctor of the Church, Confessor, Friar of the Friars Minor Order of St Francis, Bishop, Cardinal, Theologian, Philosopher, Writer, Mystic, Preacher, Teacher. One of the eaqrly Biographers of St Francis.
St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Bishop and Cardinal, Doctor of the Church By Fr Francis Xavier Weninger SJ (1805-1888)
Practical Lessons on the life of this great Doctor
I. THE LOVE AND DEVOTION OF ST BONAVENTURE to the Passion and Death of our Lord, was great beyond description. He meditated upon them daily. The Crucifix was continually before his eyes and before it, he said his prayers, either prostrate on the ground or on bended knees.
I hope that you are not among those who are ashamed to keep an image of Christ in their room! – As in that case, I must remind you of the saying of our Lord, that, on the Judgement-day, He will be ashamed of those,, who on earth, are ashamed of Him. I will suppose, therefore, that you have a Crucifix in your room but why do you so seldom prostrate yourself before it? Why do you so seldom meditate on the Passion and Death of the Saviour? Is this a sign of love and gratitude towards Him? If any human being had suffered, for love of you, only half what Christ the Lord suffered, or, if he perhaps had died to save you from death, how would you feel towards him? And why have you not the same feelings towards your Redeemer?
Endeavour, at least, to show greater love for Him in future. Let no day pass without praying before the Crucifix, raise your eyes to it sometimes during the day and manifest, by short prayers and pious ejaculations, your love and devotion towards your suffering Saviour, for example: “With my whole heart I love Thee, O Jesus and, it is bitter grief to me that I have offended Thee, O merciful God!” Or “Cleanse my soul with Thy Precious Blood.” Or, “Jesus Christ, Who didst die for me upon the Cross, have mercy on me!”
II. ST BONAVENTURE VERY SELDOM received Holy Communion or said Mass, without shedding tears. Love to the Saviour in the most Holy Sacrament thus moved his heart.
How great is your devotion and love for the Blessed Sacrament, especially at the times when you receive it? How much time do you give to prayer before and after Holy Communion? Do you purify your soul from every stain by a sincere Confession? Do you adorn it with virtues that it may be a worthy dwelling for so great a Guest, as the only Son of the Almighty? Do you appear with due reverence at the table of the Lord? How much time do you give to thanksgiving after your dear Saviour has come to you and what is your devotion during the same? Examine yourself on these points and correct yourself where you have been negligent.
Before all things, however, take care that you never receive your Lord while in mortal sin, “For” says St James of Nisibis (Died 338) “this is a crime that cannot be excused,” a crime, the wickedness of which is so great, that it deserves no pardon, when committed voluntarily, as it offends Christ our Lord above all others. You know, you believe that He Whom you receive is not only your Saviour but also your Judge, Who has power to condemn you. Before Him you will soon appear to receive your sentence for all Eternity. How dare you, therefore, receive Him unworthily, when you know that you thus draw upon yourself, the wrath of your Judge and render yourself deserving of everlasting punishment?! Is there any crime, any blasphemy, which can be compared with this? And does there exist a punishment great enough to atone for so horrible an offence towards our dear Lord? “Woe to him, eternal woe, who dares to go unworthily to the table of the Lord,” says the Venerable Bede.
“Judas, the traitor, was the first to go to Holy Communion in mortal sin. What happened to him is known to you. At the moment he committed the Sacrilege, the devil took possession of him and incited him to betray his Lord. Guard yourself that you may not imitate his wickedness! otherwise, you will receive the same punishment. Let no one dare to approach the table of the Lord like Judas,” says St John. Chrysostom.
Quote/s of the Day – 12 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – St John Gualbert (c985-1073) Abbot – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6, Matthew 5:43-48 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“But I say to you, love your enemies …” Matthew 5:44
St John Gualbert said to his enemy, “I cannot refuse what you ask in Christ’s Name. I grant you your life and I give you my friendship. Pray that God may forgive me my sin.”
St John Gualbert (c985-1073) “The Merciful Knight”
“To the extent that you pray, with all your soul, for the person who slanders you, God will make the truth known to those who have been scandalised by the slander.”
St Maximus the Confessor (c 580–662)
“Remember the sufferings of Christ, the storms that were weathered… the crown that came from those sufferings which gave new radiance to the faith… All Saints give testimony to the truth that without real effort, no-one ever wins the crown.”
St Thomas à Becket (1118-1170) Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury
“Above all, avoid false accusations and the distortion of truth regarding your neighbour.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
The Lord’s Prayer Jesus Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 9 July – St John Fisher (1469-1535) Martyr, Bishop and St Thomas More (1478-1535) Martyr, Confessor
“I reckon in this realm, no one man, in wisdom, learning and long approved virtue together, meet to be matched and compared with him.”
St Thomas More speaking of St John Fisher
“Penance is a needful thing to the sinner, who desires to recover health of his soul. And, in doing penance, there be three things to be considered: serious compunction of heart, confession of mouth and satisfaction by deed.”
“Beware of those prophets who speak unto you and deceive you! They prophecy nothing but the imaginations and forgings of their own minds and not the truth of Holy Scripture!”
St John Fisher (1469-1535)
Give Me Thy Grace, Good Lord! A Prayer of Hope By St Thomas More (1478-1535)
Give me Thy grace, good Lord. To set the world at naught. To set the mind firmly on Thee and not to hang upon the words of men’s mouths. To be content to be solitary. Not to long for worldly pleasures. Little by little, utterly to cast off the world and rid my mind of all its business. Not to long to hear of earthly things but that the hearing of worldly fancies, may be displeasing to me. Gladly to be thinking of God, piteously to call for His help. To lean into the comfort of God. Busily to labour to love Him. To know mine own vileness and wretchedness. To humble myself under the mighty Hand of God. To bewail my sins past, for the purging of them, patiently to suffer adversity. Gladly to bear my purgatory here. To be joyful in tribulations. To walk the narrow way that leads to life. To bear the Cross with Christ. To have the last thing in remembrance. To have ever before mine eyes, my death that is ever at hand. To make death no stranger to me. To foresee and consider, the everlasting fire of Hell. To pray for pardon before the Judge come. To have continually in mind, the Passion that Christ suffered for me. For His benefits, unceasingly to give Him thanks. To buy the time again, that I before have lost. To abstain from vain conversations. To shun foolish mirth and gladness. To cut off unnecessary recreations. Of worldly substance, friends, liberty, life and all, to set the loss at naught, for the winning of Christ. To think my worst enemies, my best friends, for the brethren of Joseph could never have done him so much good with their love and favour, as they did him, with their malice and hatred. These minds are more to be desired of every man, than all the treasures of all the princes and kings, Christian and heathen, were it gathered and laid together, all in one heap. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 6 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus”
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.
Quote/s of the Day – 4 July – St Andrew of Crete (c660-c740) Bishop, Father of the Church
“But Jesus he delivered up to their will.” Luke 23:25
“Then, let us run with Him as He presses on to His Passion. Let us imitate those who have gone out to meet Him, not scattering olive branches or garments or palms in His path but spreading ourselves before Him as best we can, with humility of soul and upright purpose. So may we welcome the Word as He comes (Jn 1:9); so may God, Who cannot be contained within any bounds, be contained within us. For He is pleased to have shown us this gentleness, He, Who is gentle and who “rides upon the setting sun” (Ps 56:12) which refers to our extreme lowliness. He is pleased to come and live with us and to raise us up or bring us back to Himself
“We are celebrating the Feast of the Cross which drove away darkness and brought in the light… Had there been no Cross, Christ could not have been Crucified. Had there been no Cross, Life Itself could not have been nailed to the tree. And if Life had not been nailed to it, there would be no streams of immortality, pouring from Christ’s side – Blood and Water for the world’s cleansing. The legal bond of our sin would not be cancelled, we should not have obtained our freedom, we should not have enjoyed the fruit of the tree of life and the Gates of Paradise would not stand open. Had there been no Cross, death would not have been trodden underfoot, nor hell despoiled… The Cross is called Christ’s glory; it is saluted as His triumph, through the Word which unites to God!”
“… 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 became a new Adam (1Cor 15,45) that the old might be saved by the new and eternal.”
“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.”
St Andrew of Crete (660-740) Bishop, Father of the Church
Thought for the Day – 1 July – “The Feast and Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Passion of Our Lord
“Meditation on the Passion of Jesus” writes St Albert the Great, “is more profitable than fasting on bread and water or than scourging ourselves.”
This is because, when we meditate with love and gratitude on the Passion of our Redeemer, we have the experience of being transformed and set aglow with charity. We realise the truth of St Paul’s words, “The sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that will be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18)).
Let us cast ourselves, therefore, into the merciful arms of God and be prepared to suffer everything, even death, for the love of Jesus.”
Quote/s of the Day – 28 June – St Irenaeus (c130 – c202) Bishop, Martyr
“The only true and steadfast Teacher, the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, through His transcendent love, became what we are that He might bring us to be, what He is Himself.”
“Eve, by her disobedience, tied the knot of disgrace for the human race; whereas Mary, by her obedience, undid it.”
“For our flesh feeds on the Lord’s Body and Blood and is His member. So Saint Paul writes: “We are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones” (Eph 5,30; Gn 2,23). He is not speaking about some spiritual and invisible man… he is speaking of the anatomy of a real man, consisting of flesh, nerves and bones. It is this that is nourished by His Chalice, the Chalice of His Blood and gains growth from the Bread which is His Body… ”
O Lamb of God By St Irenaeus (c130 – c202) Bishop & Martyr, Father of the Church
O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, look upon us and have mercy upon us, Thou who art Thyself, both Victim and Priest, Thyself, both Reward and Redeemer, keep safe from all evil those whom Thou hast redeemed, O Saviour of the world! Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Succour (Help)
“O Mary, you give assistance to everyone endeavouring to rise to God!”
St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)
“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom of His most chaste Mother, Christ took to Himself flesh and united to Himself, the spiritual Body formed by those who were to believe in Him. Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour within her, may be said, to have also carried, all those. whose life was contained in the life of the Saviour. Therefore, all we, who are united to Christ and, as the Apostle says, are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30), have issued from the womb of Mary, like a body united to it’s Head.”
St Pius X (1835-1914) Pope from 1903 to 1914 Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11
“Be our Mother, O Mary, for you have borne us spiritually on Mount Calvary, at the foot of the Cross. Deign to obtain for us, through your intercession that we may love Jesus as you loved Him and follow Him faithfully, as you followed Him, unto Death. Amen.”
Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Prayer to Our Mother of Perpetual Succour, When In Urgent Need By St Alphonsus’ Redemptorists
O Mother of Perpetual Succour, numerous clients continually surround thy Holy picture, all imploring thy mercy. All bless thee as the assured help of the miserable, all feel the benefit of thy motherly protection. With confidence then, do we present ourselves before thee in our misery. See, dear Mother, the many evils to which we are exposed, see how numerous are our wants. Trials and sorrows often depress us, reverses of fortune and privations, often grievous, bring misery into our lives, everywhere we meet the Cross. Have pity, compassionate Mother, on us and on our dear ones, especially in this our necessity …………… (mention your need). Help us, dear Mother in our distress, deliver us from all our ills, or, if it be the Will of God, that we should suffer still longer, grant that we may endure all, with love and patience. These Grace’s we expect of thee with confidence, because thou art our Perpetual Succour, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 23 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” and the Octave Day of the Sacred Heart – Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19, John 19:31-37 – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“… One of the soldiers opened His side with a lance and immediately there came forth blood and water. ” – John 19:34
REFLECTION – “Let us draw near to the Heart of our most sweet Lord Jesus and we shall be glad and rejoice in it. How good and how sweet it is to dwell in this Heart! This is the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price which we discover, O Jesus, when we dig in the field of Thy Body (cf Mt 13:44). Who, then, would cast aside this Pearl? Far from it! For It, I will give away all my goods and offer in exchange, all my concerns and affections. I will lay down all my cares in the Heart of Jesus, it is He Who will suffice for me and Who will, without fail, supply all I need to live on!
It is within this temple, this Holy of holies, this Ark of the Covenant, that I shall come to offer worship and praise to the Lord’s Name. “I have found a heart with which to pray to my God” said David (1 Ch 17:25). And I too have found the Heart of my Lord and King, my Brother and Friend. Shall I not pray to Him, then? Indeed I shall pray, for, I dare to say it – His Heart is all mine…
O Jesus, deign to receive and answer my prayer. Draw me wholly into Thine Heart. Although the deformity of my sins prevents me from entering in, yet Thou can receive and purify me from my impurities since, through an incomprehensible Love, this Heart has expanded and opened wide. O most pure Jesus, wash me from my iniquities so that, purified by Thee, I may dwell in Thy Heart all the days of my life, to see and do Thy will. If Thine Side has been pierced, then it is so that our entrance there should be opened. If Thine Heart has been wounded, then it is so that, sheltered from outward distress, we can make our home within it. And, too, it is so that in this visible wound, we might see the invisible wound of Love.” – [Attrib] St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Franciscan, Doctor of the Church (editations on the Lord’s Passion 3).
PRAYER – O God, Who in the Heart of Thy Son, wounded by our sins, mercifully lavish upon us the infinite riches of love, grant, we beseech Thee, that as we offer Him the faithful service of our devotion, we may also show forth fitting repair. 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).
MAY the Heart of JESUS in the most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the Tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. – Indulgence 100 Days, Once a Day. Raccolta 161 Pius IX, 29 February 1868.
Thought for the Day – 11 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Holy Mass
“The Sacrifice of the Mass is the noblest act of our religion. In it is renewed, in a real but unbloody manner, the Sacrifice of Calvary.
Jesus desired to remain with us throughout the centuries in the Blessed Eucharist as our friend, comforter and spiritual food. Similarly, not being satisfied with having shed His Precious Blood on the Cross for our Redemption, it was His wish that this sacrificial action should be renewed daily in every corner of the world, in such a way, that everyone could participate in it and benefit from it. When we are present at Holy Mass, therefore, we should imagine that we are on Calvary at the foot of the Cross on which our Divine Redeemer is voluntarily giving His Life, as an innocent Victim, for our sins. Let us see Him hanging between earth and sky, a holocaust of propitiation between God and men. Let us see Him imploring with His dying glance, forgiveness for His executioners and for us sinners.
Let us imagine, moreover, His most Holy Mother as she gazes sorrowfully upon her suffering Son. With love far greater than that of any other human creature, she offers herself in union with Jesus, for our salvation.
We should make a similar offering when we assist at the Sacrifice of the Altar. We should sacrifice ourselves along with Jesus. If we are tormented by sufferings, let us offer them up along with those of Jesus. If we are troubled by passionate inclinations to sin, let us sacrifice these bravely, along with Jesus and for love of Him. If we are full of hatred and coldness towards others, let us sacrifice these feelings for love of Jesus, Who forgave everyone who asked and repented and prayed even for His executioners.
Let us remember, that the Sacrifice of the Mass should be our sacrifice too, It is not only the Priest who offers it but we offer it along with the Priest and with Jesus. “Receive, O Holy Trinity, this oblation which we make to Thee.” Let us unite the offering of our entire selves to the Sacrifice of Jesus and we sgall obtain great spiritual benefits.”
One Minute Reflection – 10 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Within the Octave of Corpus Christi and The Memorial of St Margaret Queen of Scotland (1045-1093) Widow – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“For as often as you shall eat this Bread and drink the Cup, you proclaim the Death of the Lord, until He comes.” – 1 Corinthians 11:26
REFLECTION – “In our offering of the Holy Sacrifice we fulfil the Command of our Saviour, as recorded by the Apostle Paul: The Lord Jesus, on the night in which He was betrayed, took bread and after He had given thanks, broke it and said: This is My Body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me. The same way, after the supper, He took the Cup saying: This Cup is the New Covenant in My Blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this Bread and drink this Cup, you shall proclaim the Death of the Lord until He comes.
This Sacrifice is offered, then, to proclaim the Lord’s Death; it is offered in remembrance of Him, Who laid down His Life for our sake. As He says: Greater love than this no man has, that he lay down his life for his friends. Because Christ died for us out of love, we ask, when we make remembrance of His Death, at the time of Sacrifice, that we too may be granted love through the coming of the Holy Spirit. We pray, that by the Love which Christ had for us, when He braved the Cross, we may receive the grace of the Spirit and be crucified to the world and the world to us. The Death Christ died, He died to sin, once for all but the Life He lives, He lives to God. Let us imitate our Lord’s Death and also live a new life. Strengthened with the gift of His Love, let us die to sin and live for God.
For God’s Love has been poured out in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us. Indeed our sharing in the Lord’s Body and Blood, when we eat His Bread and drink His Cup, teaches us, that we should die to the world and that we should keep our life hidden with Christ in God, crucifying our flesh with its vices and evil desires.
That is why all the faithful who love God and their neighbour, truly drink the Cup of the Lord’s Love even though, they may not drink the cup of His Bodily Suffering. And becoming inebriated from it, they put to death, whatever in their nature is rooted in earth. They clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not indulge fleshly desires. They do not fix their gaze on visible things but contemplate things, which the eye cannot see. Thus they drink the Lord’s Cup by preserving the holy bond of love – without it, even if a man should deliver his body to be burned, he gains nothing. But the gift of love enables us to become, in reality, what we celebrate as Mystery in the Sacrifice.” – St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c 462 – 533) Bishop, Father (An excerpt from Against Fabianus).
PRAYER – O God, Who made blessed Queen Margaret glorious by her remarkable charity toward the poor; grant, by her intercession and example that Thy charity may continually increase in our hearts. 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).
MAY the Heart of JESUS in the most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the Tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. – Indulgence 100 Days, Once a Day. Raccolta 161 Pius IX, 29 February 1868.
One Minute Reflection – 8 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” – Feast of Corpus Christi – 1 Corinthians 23-29, John 6:56-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood, abides in Me and I in him. ” – John 6:57
REFLECTION – “The heavenly sacrifice which Christ instituted is indeed the inheritance bequeathed to us through His new covenant. He left it to us on the night He was delivered up to be Crucified, as a token of His Presence. It is viaticum for our journey, food on our life’s path, until we come to it upon leaving this world. That is why our Lord said: “Unless you eat My Flesh and drink My Blood, you do not have life within you.” He wished His deeds of kindness to remain among us and the souls He redeemed, by His Precious Blood, always to be made holy in the image of His own Passion. This is why He commanded His faithful disciples, instituted as the first Priests of His Church, to celebrate these mysteries of eternal life, in perpetuity… Thus all the faithful would have before their eyes, day-by-day, a representation of Christ’s Passion. Taking Him in our hands, receiving Him in our mouths and hearts, we will hold fast to an indelible remembrance of our Redemption.
The bread should be made with the flour of innumerable grains of wheat mixed with water and finished off in the fire. Thus we shall find a close likeness of the Body of Christ in it for, as we know, He forms a single body with the multitude of humankind, brought to completion, by the fire of the Holy Spirit… In the same way, the wine of His Blood, is taken from many grapes – that is to say, the fruit of the vine he planted – is crushed beneath the press of His Cross, poured into the hearts of the faithful and ferments within them, by means of His own power. This is the Passover Sacrifice bringing salvation to all those set free from the bondage of Egypt and Pharaoh which is to say, the devil. Receive it in union with us, with all the eagerness of a pious heart.” – St Gaudentius of Brescia (Died 410) Bishop , Father, renowned Preacher, Theologian, Diplomatic Mediator (An Excerpt from a Paschal Homily no 68:30).
PRAYER – O God, Thou Who in this wondrous Sacrament have left us a memorial of Thy Passion, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to venerate the Sacred Mysteries of Thy Body and Blood that we may ever experience, within us, the effect of Thy Redemption.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). All praise, honour and glory to the divine HEART of JESUS. – Indulgence 50 Days, Once a day. Raccolta 168 Pope Leo XIII, 14 June 1901.
Thought for the Day – 3 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Revealed in the Gospel
“If we meditate on the pages of the Gospel, we shall find that they are vibrant with the infinite love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Let us, in imagination, enter the cave of Bethlehem and kneel before the crib where the Divine Infant is lying. Darkness is all around, darkness over the earth, darkness in the minds and hearts of the majority of men. But, now, the heavens open and from the brightness the voices of angels ring out, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among men of goodwill.” Who is this infant? He is the Eternal Word, the substantial image of God, Who, for love of us, has been made man. He is the Infinite One Who has willed to unite Himself with the finite, in order to lift us towards Himself. This little heart is throbbing like that of any baby but, in this throb, is expressed the love of the God-Man. It is a profound mystery, that God should have loved man so much, that He became a tiny infant. Yet, He did this so that we might love Him more easily and in order to show us His own immeasurable love. There is about this Infant, a fascination, at once human and divine, which compels us to love Him, even as Mary, Joseph and the simple shepherds loved Him. He is asking us for love, adoration and complete surrender. Can we refuse Him?
Now let us take ourselves in imagination to Calvary and kneel at the foot of the Cross. The heart which began to beat with the sacred love in the manger at Bethlehem, has given everything for us, has poured forth it’s precious blood for our salvation and, has bestowed on us, as a final gift, the Blessed Mother of God. Now, this heart is consumed with love for us and ceases to beat only when it has give us everything. “It is consummated” (Jn 19:30). At Bethlehem we have experienced a joyful ecstasy of love. Here, at the foot of the Cross, we should experience a deep sorrow, which will cause us to weep for our sins and to transform our lives after the model of Jesus Christ.”
Our Morning Offering – 17 May – The Vigil of the Ascension
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.
Quote/s of the Day – 28 April – St Paul of the Cross (1604-1775) Confessor, Founder
“Happy the soul which detaches itself from its own pleasure, from its own will, from its own understanding. A sublime lesson is this and God will teach it, to all those who place their happiness in the Cross of Jesus Christ.”
“Whatever may happen to us, we ought not to be disturbed. Let us calmly and quietly say: ‘the will of God be done’– let us leave all to God – the Lord be blessed forever – what He wills, I will, in time and in eternity.”
Quote/s of the Day – 25 April – Feast of St Mark Evangelist
The Gospel of Saint Mark was written in Greek around the 60s. He was Martyred in 68 and his Relics are preserved in the St Mark Cathedral of Venice. He is represented by a Winged Lion, one of the four living creatures of the Apocalypse, for he begins his Gospel by narrating St John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness, like a roaring lion.
By Alexander Sytov 1995
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed …”
Mark 4:30-31
“And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. He said to them: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
Mark 4:39-40
“Take courage: It is I, do not be afraid. And He got into the boat with them and the wind fell”
Mark 6:50-51
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ …, will surely not lose his reward.”
Mark 9:41
“Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God, like a little child, shall not enter it.”
Mark 10:15
“For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His Life as a ransom for many …”
Our Morning Offering – 24 April – “The Month of the Resurrection”
Daily Morning Prayer Of St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritas
Lord, I lay before Thee my weak heart, which Thou fills with good desires. Thou knows that I am unable to bring the same to good effect, unless Thou bless and prosper them and, therefore, O Loving Father, I entreat Thee to help me by the merits and Passion of Thy dear Son, to Whose honour I would devote this day and my whole life. Amen
Quote/s of the Day –9 April – Easter Sunday and “The Month of the Resurrection”
“O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Christ is Risen and you are overthrown. Christ is Risen and the demons are fallen. Christ is Risen and the Angels rejoice. Christ is Risen and Life reigns. Christ is Risen and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being Risen from the dead, is become the First Fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages.”
St John Chrysostom (347-407) 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!”
“Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great stillness because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and has raised up all who have slept, since the world began…
I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the Life of the dead.”
Ancient Christian Writer (ACW)
“The Lord, although He was God, became man. He suffered for the sake of those who suffer, He was bound for those in bonds, condemned for the guilty, buried for those who lie in the grave but He rose from the dead and cried aloud: “Who will contend with Me? Let him confront Me.” I have freed the condemned, brought the dead back to life, raised men from their graves. Who has anything to say against Me? I, He said, Am the Christ, I have destroyed death, triumphed over the enemy, trampled hell underfoot, bound the strong one and taken men up to the heights of Heaven. I Am the Christ. Come, then, all you nations of men, receive forgiveness for the sins that defile you. I Am your Forgiveness. I Am the Passover which brings salvation. I Am the Lamb Who was immolated for you. I Am your Ransom, your Life, your Resurrection, your Light, I am your Salvation and your King. I will bring you to the heights of Heaven. With My own Right Hand I will raise you up and I will show you the Eternal Father.”
O Come And Mourn With Me Awhile By Fr Frederick William Faber CO (1814-1863) (This is the full, original text from an 1852 edition of Fr Faber’s H ymnal “Jesus and Mary”)
O come and mourn with me awhile, O come ye to the Saviour’s side, O come, together let us mourn, Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
Have we no tears to shed for Him, While soldiers scoff and foes deride? Ah! Look how patiently He hangs, Jesus, our Lord, is Crucified!
How fast His Hands and Feet are nailed, His blessed Tongue with thirst is tied, His failing Eyes are blind with blood, Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
His Mother cannot reach His Face; She stands in helplessness beside. Her heart is Martyred with her Son’s; Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
Seven times He spoke, seven words of love And all three hours His silence cried For mercy, on the souls of men. Jesus, our Lord, is Crucified!
What was Thy crime, my dearest Lord? By earth, by heaven, Thou hast been tried, And guilty found of too much love. Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
Found guilty of excess of love, It was Thine own sweet Will that tied Thee tighter far than helpless nails; Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
Death came and Jesus meekly bowed; His failing Eyes He strove to guide With mindful love to Mary’s face; Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
O break, O break, hard heart of mine! Thy weak self-love and guilty pride, His Pilate and His Judas were! Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
Come, take thy stand beneath the Cross, And let the Blood from out that Side Fall gently on thee, drop by drop; Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
A broken heart, a fount of tears, Ask and they will not be denied. A broken heart, love’s cradle is, Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!
O Love of God! O sin of man! In this dread act, your strength is tried And victory remains with love, Jesus, our Lord, is Crucified!
Look on thy God, Christ hidden in our flesh. A bitter word, the Cross and bitter sight: Hard rind without, to hold the heart of Heaven. Yet sweet it is, for God upon that tree Did offer up His Life upon that rood My Life hung, that my Life might stand in God. Christ, what am I to give Thee for my life? Unless take from Thy Hands the cup they hold, To cleanse me with the precious draught of death. What shall I do? My body to be burned? Make myself vile? The debt’s not paid out yet. Whate’er I do, it is but I and Thou, And still do I come short, still must Thou pay My debts, O Christ, for debts Thyself hadst none. What love may balance Thine? My Lord was found In fashion like a slave, that so His slave Might find himself in fashion like his Lord. Think you the bargain’s hard, to have exchanged The transient for the eternal, to have sold Earth to buy Heaven? More dearly God bought me!
St Paulinus of Nola (c 354-431) Father of the Church
Faithful Cross! Above All Other By St Venantius Fortunatus (c 530 – c 609)
Faithful Cross! above all other, one and only noble tree! None in foliage, none in blossom, none in fruit thy peer may be; sweetest wood and sweetest iron, sweetest weight is hung on thee.
Bend thy boughs, O tree of glory! Thy relaxing sinews bend; for awhile the ancient rigour that thy birth bestowed, suspend and the King of heavenly beauty gently on thine arms extend.
Praise and honour to the Father, praise and honour to the Son, praise and honour to the Spirit, ever Three and ever One: One in might and One in glory while eternal ages run.
In Your Hour of Holy Sadness By St Bernard (1090-1153) Father & Doctor of the Church
In Your hour of holy sadness could I share with You, what gladness should Your Cross to me be showing. Gladness past all thought of knowing, bowed beneath Your Cross to die! Blessed Jesus, thanks I render that in bitter death, so tender, You now hear Your supplicant calling, Save me Lord and keep from falling from You, when my hour is nigh. Amen.
“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!”
One Minute Reflection – 7 April – 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.” – John 19:17
REFLECTION – “The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwell in the land of gloom, a Light has shone” (Is 9:1), the Light of Redemption. When they saw that the tyrant, death, was wounded to death, this people came out from darkness to Light; from death they passed to Life.
The wood of the Cross bears Him Who made the universe. Undergoing death for my life, He Who bears the universe is fastened to the tree as one dead. He Who breathes Life into the dead, gives up the spirit on the tree. The Cross brings no shame to Him at all but, like a trophy, confirms His complete victory. Like a just Judge He is seated on the Throne of the Cross. The Crown of Thorns He wears on His brow, confirms His victory – “Take courage, I have conquered the world and the prince of this world, by taking away the sin of this world” (Jn 16:33; 1:29).
That the Cross stands for victory, the stones themselves cry out (cf Lk 19:40), those stones of Calvary where Adam, our forefather, was buried, according to an old tradition held by our fathers. “Adam, where are you?” (Gn 3:9), Christ cries out again from the Cross. “I am seeking for you there and, that I might find you, I stretched out my Hands on the Cross. I turn my outstretched Hands to the Father in thanksgiving for having found you, then I turn them also to you to welcome you. I have not come to judge your sin but to save you out of My Love for humankind (cf Jn 3,17). I have not come to curse you for your disobedience but to bless you, by My obedience. I will shelter you with My Wings, you will find refuge in My shade; My Faithfulness will cover you with the shield of the Cross and you will no more fear the terror of the night (cf Ps 90:1-5) because you will know day without setting (Wsd 7:10). I will seek out your life, concealed in darkness and the shadow of death (Lk 1:79). I will take no rest until, humbled and having descended even to hell to search for you, I have led you back to Heaven.” – St Germanus of Constantinople (c 640-733) Bishop, Father (In Domini corporis supulturam ; PG 98, 251-260).
PRAYER – Deliver us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, from all evils, past, present and to come and by the intercession of the blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God and of the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul and of all the Saints, mercifully grant peace in our days, that through the assistance of Thy mercy we may be always free from sin and secure from all disturbance. 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. Faithful Cross! above all other, One and only noble Tree! None in foliage, none in blossom, None in fruit thy peer may be. Sweetest wood and sweetest iron, Sweetest weight is hung on thee. (Antiphons).
A Prayer of the Passion By St Melito of Sardis (Died 180) Bishop of Sardis, Apologist, Father
Lord Jesus Christ, You were bound as a ram, You were shorn like a lamb, You were led to the slaughter like a sheep, You bore the wood of the Cross on Your shoulders, You were led up the hill of Calvary, You were displayed naked on the Cross, You were nailed to the bitter Cross by three spikes, You delivered Your last Seven Words from the Cross You died on the Cross, with a shout of victory, You were buried in noble Joseph’s rock-hewn tomb, By Your boundless suffering on our behalf, fix our eyes unceasingly on Your broken Body and the Blood that poured from Your Hands, Feet and Side. By the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that renews each day Your Sacrifice of the Cross on our Altars, apply the merits of the Cross to all humanity and, especially to those who worship it daily and who offer themselves back to You, our great High Priest and perpetually Intercessor, before the Eternal Throne of God. You live and reign, through all the ages of ages. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 6 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Night of the Passion
“Picture Jesus during this long and sorrowful night. Abandoned by everyone, betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, unjustly judged worthy of death by the Hight Priest, buffered and mocked by the soldiers, He suffers and prays and offers Himself as a victim of reparation, especially for all those sins which are being committed and will be committed by night! – throughout the ages and all over the world.
Let us bow low before Him in spirit. Let us tell Him with penitent hearts that we shall never offend Him again and that we love and adore Him. Let us promise to offer the prayers and sufferings of this day in reparation for the sins which men commit under cover of darkness.”
AnaStpaul 
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