Category: The SIGN of the CROSS

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY GHOST, The SIGN of the CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – St Peter Damian

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 February – the Memorial of  St Peter Damian OSB (1007-1072) Doctor of the Church

“Let us faithfully transmit to posterity,
the example of virtue,
which we have received,
from our forefathers.”let us faithfully transmit - st peter damian 21 feb 2019.jpg

“He pours light into our minds,
arouses our desire and gives us strength…
As the soul is the life of the body,
so the Holy Spirit, is the life of our souls.”he-pours-light-into-our-minds-st-peter-damian-21-feb-2018.jpg

“When you are scorned by others
and lashed by God, do not despair.
God lashes us in this life,
to shield us from the eternal lash, in the next.”when-you-are-scorned-by-others-st-peter-damian-21-feb-2018.jpg

“May Christ be heard in our language,
may Christ be seen in our life,
may He be perceived in our hearts”
(Sermo VIII, 5)may christ be heard - st peter damian 21 feb 2019.jpg

“O Blessed Cross,
You are venerated, preached
and honoured by the faith of the Patriarchs,
the predictions of the Prophets,
the senate that judges the Apostles,
the victorious army of Martyrs
and the throngs of all the Saints”
(Sermo XLVII, 14, p. 304)o blessed cross - st peter damian - 21 feb 2019.jpg

“Those, who do not love
the Cross of Christ,
do not love Christ”
(Sermo XVIII, 11, p. 117)

St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Doctor of the Churchthose who do not love the cross of christ do not love christ - st peter damian 21 feb 2019.jpg

those who do not love no 2 st peter damian 21 feb 2019.jpg

Posted in CATECHESIS, CATHOLIC Quotes, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, SPEAKING of ....., The SIGN of the CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 17 January – The Sign of the Cross

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 January – Thursday of the First week in Ordinary Time and The Memorial of St Anthony Abbot (251-356)

Speaking of:  The Sign of the Cross

“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.”

St Anthony Abbot (251-356)the-illusions-of-this-world-st-anthony-abbot-17-jan-2018.jpg

“Let us not then be ashamed to confess the Crucified.
Be the Cross our seal made with boldness by our fingers
on our brow and in everything;
over the bread we eat and the cups we drink;
in our comings in and goings out;
before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake;
when we are in the way and when we are still.
Great is that preservative;
it is without price, for the poor’s sake;
without toil, for the sick, since also its grace is from God.
It is the Sign of the faithful and the dread of evils;
for He has triumphed over them in it,
having made a shew of them openly;
for when they see the Cross, they are reminded of the Crucified;
they are afraid of Him, Who hath bruised the heads of the dragon.
Despise not the Seal, because of the freeness of the Gift
but for this rather honour thy Benefactor.”

St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387) Father and Doctorbe the cross our seal - st cyril of jerusalem - 17 jan 2019.jpglet-us-not-then-be-ashamed-st-cyril-of-jerusalem-17-jan-2018.jpg

“The sign of the cross
is the most terrible weapon
against the devil.
Thus the Church wishes not only,
that we have it continually
in front of our minds,
to recall to us
just what our souls are worth
and what they cost Jesus Christ
but also that we should make it
at every juncture ourselves:
when we go to bed,
when we awaken during the night,
when we get up,
when we begin any action,
and, above all,
when we are tempted.”

St John Vianney (1786-1859)the sign of the cross - st john vianney.- new version - 17 jan 2018 jpg

“The cross is the badge that shows who we are –
our speaking, thinking, looking, working,
we are under the sign of the cross,
that is, the love of Jesus, to the end.”the cross is the badge - pope francis 17 jan 2019.jpg

“Making the sign of the cross when we wake up,
before meals, before a danger, to defend against evil,
at night before sleep means to tell ourselves
and others who we belong to, who we want to be.”

Pope Francismaking the sign of the cross - pope francis 17 jan 2019.jpg

3 Things to Know about the Cross – Fr Mike Schmitz

Posted in CHRISTMASTIDE!, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The CHRIST CHILD, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The HOLY NAME, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The PASSION, The RESURRECTION, The SIGN of the CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 25 December – Blessed is He

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Our Morning Offering – 25 December – The Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ

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

Blessed is the Child, who gladdened Bethlehem today.
Blessed is the Babe, who today renewed the youth of humankind.
Blessed is the Fruit, who bowed Himself down to our hunger.
Blessed is the gracious One, who suddenly enriched our poverty
and supplied our need.
Blessed is He, whose tender mercy led Him to heal our infirmities.
Blessed is He, whom freedom crucified, because He permitted it.
Blessed is He, whom also the wood bore, because He gave it leave.
Blessed is He, whom the grave bound, when He set limits to Himself.
Blessed is He, whose free choice brough Him
to the womb and to birth.
Blessed is He, who sealed our soul and adorned and betrothed her to Himself.
Blessed is the beautiful One, who remade us in His image.
Blessed is He, who made our flesh a tabernacle for His hiddenness.
Blessed is He, who with our tongue spoke out His secrets.
Blessed is the Word of the most high, who became flesh today for us.
Amenblessed is he by st ephrem 25 dec 2018

Posted in ADVENT, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The CHRIST CHILD, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of JESUS, The PASSION, The SIGN of the CROSS

Quote of the Day – 20 December

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Quote of the Day – 20 December

“Christ…took our nature, when He would redeem it,
He redeemed it by making it suffer in His own Person –
He purified it, by making it pure in His own Person.
He first sanctified it in Himself,
made it righteous,
made it acceptable to God,
submitted it to an expiatory passion
and then, He imparted it to us.
He took it,
consecrated it,
broke it
and said,
“Take and divide it among yourselves.”

Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)christ took our nature when he would redeem it bl john henry 20dec2018

Posted in CHRIST the KING, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL SERMONS, SAINT of the DAY, The SIGN of the CROSS

One Minute Reflection – 25 November – The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

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One Minute Reflection – 25 November – Today’s Gospel: John 18:33–37 – The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

“You say that I am a king.   For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth.   Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.”...John 18:37

REFLECTION – “But what is the “truth” that Christ came into the world to witness to?   The whole of His life reveals that God is love – so this is the truth to which He witnessed to the full, with the sacrifice of His own life on Calvary.
The Cross is the “throne” where He manifested His sublime kingship as God Love, by offering Himself in expiation for the sin of the world, He defeated the “ruler of this world” (Jn 12: 31) and established the Kingdom of God once and for all.   It is a Kingdom that will be fully revealed at the end of time, after the destruction of every enemy and last of all, death (cf. I Cor 15: 25-26).   The Son will then deliver the Kingdom to the Father and God will finally be “everything to everyone” (I Cor 15: 28).
The way to reach this goal is long and admits of no short cut, indeed, every person must freely accept the truth of God’s love.   He is Love and Truth and neither Love nor Truth are ever imposed, they come knocking at the doors of the heart and the mind and where they can enter they bring peace and joy.   This is how God reigns, this is His project of salvation, a “mystery” in the biblical sense of the word, a plan that is gradually revealed in history.”….Pope Benedict XVI 26 November 2006john 18 37 - for this i was born - but what is this truth - pope benedict - 25 nov 2018 - christ the king

“When did Jesus reveal Himself as king?   In the event of the Cross!   Those who look at the Cross cannot but see the astonishing gratuitousness of love.   One of you could say, “Father, that was a failure!”.   It is precisely in the failure of sin — sin is a failure — in the failure of human ambitions – the triumph of the Cross is there, the gratuitousness of love is there.   In the failure of the Cross, love is seen, a love that is gratuitous, which Jesus gives us.”…Pope Francis – Angelus, 22 November 2015when did jesus reveal himself as king - pope francis - 25 nov 2018 christ the king no 2

PRAYER – Lord God, You gave the peoples of the world as the inheritance of Your only Son;  You crowned Him as King of Zion, Your holy city and gave Him Your Church to be His Bride.   As He proclaims the law of Your eternal kingdom, may we serve Him faithfully and so share His royal power forever.   We make our prayer, through Him and with Him and in Him, our King and our Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.our lord jesus christ king of the universe - 25 nov 2018.no 2

Posted in QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on PEACE, SAINT of the DAY, The SIGN of the CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 11 November – The Memorial of St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 November – The Memorial of St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)

“Now let me fight for God.
As for your bonus, let someone
who is going to join the battle receive it.
I am a soldier of Christ-
combat is not permitted me.”now let me fight for god - st martin of tours - 11 nov 2018

“In the name of the Lord Jesus
and protected
only by the sign of the cross,
without shield or helmet,
I shall penetrate the enemy’s ranks
and not be afraid.”

St Martin of Tours (c 316-397)in-the-name-of-the-lord-jesus-st-martin-of-tours-11-nov-2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The SIGN of the CROSS

Thought for the Day – 9 October – The Memorial of St Louis Bertrand O.P. (1526-1581) “Apostle of South America”

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Thought for the Day – 9 October – The Memorial of St Louis Bertrand O.P. (1526-1581) “Apostle of South America”

In Catholic iconography, St Louis Bertrand is often portrayed holding a chalice from which serpents are emerging.  In the other hand, he displays a crucifix with a pistol at its base.   These articles call to mind two stories from the great saint’s life when God miraculously saved him from attempts on his life by vile would-be assassins.   The first recalls the story of Brother Louis’ where a native priest gave him a chalice of poison for Mass.   Louis made the sign of the Cross over the toxic potion and serpents sprang from the chalice, thus revealing its true contents and saving his life.

The second object – the crucifix/pistol – recalls another account of near-martyrdom in the life of St Louis Bertrand.   Set upon by a crazed gunman, St Louis calmly made the conquering sign of the Cross.   With this most basic gesture of our faith, the barrel of the gun miraculously turned into a crucifix.

“If because of your preaching men lay aside enmities, forgive injuries, avoid occasions of sin and scandals and reform their conduct, you may say that the seed has fallen on good ground.   But to God alone give all the glory and acknowledge yourselves ever unprofitable servants.”

St Louis Bertrand, OP

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, St Louis Bertrand, Pray for Us!st louis bertrand pray for us - 9 oct 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The SIGN of the CROSS

Thought for the Day – 3 August – The Gift of Every Day

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Thought for the Day – 3 August – The Gift of Every Day

THE GIFT OF EVERY DAY
by St John Vianney (1786-1859)

“Before beginning your work, my dear brethren, never fail to make the Sign of the Cross. Do not imitate those people without religion who dare not do this because they are in company.   Offer quite simply all your difficulties to God and renew from time to time this offering, for by that means you will have the happiness of drawing down the blessing of Heaven on yourself and on all you do.   Just think, my dear brethren, how many acts of virtue you can practice by behaving in this way, without making any change in what you are actually doing.

If you work with the object of pleasing God and obeying His Commandments, which order you to earn your bread by the sweat of your brow, that is an act of obedience.   If you want to expiate your sins, you are making an act of penance.   If you want to obtain some grace for yourself or for others, it is an act of hope and of charity.   Oh, how we could merit Heaven every day, my dear brethren, by doing just our ordinary duties but by doing them for God and the salvation of our souls!

Who stops you, when you hear the chimes striking, from thinking on the shortness of time and of saying in your minds: “Time passes and death comes closer.   I am hastening towards eternity.   Am I really ready to appear before the tribunal of God?   Am I not in a state of sin?”

“My God, I give you my heart and since You are so good as to give me another day, give me the grace that everything I do will be for Your honour and for the salvation of my soul.”my god i give you my heart - the gift of every day - st john vianney - 3 aug 2018

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The SIGN of the CROSS

Thought for the Day – 9 July – Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

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Thought for the Day – 9 July – Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

THE GIFT OF EVERY DAY
St John Vianney (1786-1859)

“Before beginning your work, my dear brethren, never fail to make the Sign of the Cross.before beginning your work - st john vianney - 9 july 2018

Do not imitate those people without religion who dare not do this because they are in company.

Offer quite simply all your difficulties to God and renew from time to time this offering, for by that means you will have the happiness of drawing down the blessing of Heaven on yourself and on all you do.

Just think, my dear brethren, how many acts of virtue you can practice by behaving in this way, without making any change in what you are actually doing.   

If you work with the object of pleasing God and obeying His Commandments, which order you to earn your bread by the sweat of your brow, that is an act of obedience.   

If you want to expiate your sins, you are making an act of penance.

If you want to obtain some grace for yourself or for others, it is an act of hope and of charity.   

Oh, how we could merit Heaven every day, my dear brethren, by doing just our ordinary duties, but by doing them for God and the salvation of our souls!   Who stops you, when you hear the chimes striking, from thinking on the shortness of time and of saying in your minds:

“Time passes and death comes closer.   I am hastening towards eternity. Am I really ready to appear before the tribunal of God?Am I not in a state of sin?”

St John Vianney, Pray for us!st john vianney pray for us - 9 july 2018