Category: The WORD

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HOPE, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 April – He is not here, for He is risen, as He said.

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One Minute Reflection – 4 April – Holy Saturday – The Lord’s Vigil Mass of Easter, Blessing of the Fire, Prophecies, Blessing of the Font, First Mass of Easter – Matthew 28:1-7 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And the Angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you, for I know that you seek Jesus Who was Crucified, He is not here, for He is risen, as He said.” – Matthew 28:5-6

REFLECTION – “When the third day dawned of the Lord’s Sacred repose in the tomb … Christ, the “power and Wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:24), with the author of death lying prostrate, conquered even death itself and opened to us access to eternity, when He raised Himself from the dead by His Divine Power in order to make known to us the paths of Life.

Then there was a great earthquake, for an Angel of the Lord came down from Heaven, with raiment like snow and his countenance like lightening.   He appeared attractive to the devout and severe to the wicked – for he terrified the soldiers and comforted the timid women, to whom the Lord Himself first appeared after rising because, their intense devotion, so merited.   Then He was seen by Peter, then by the disciples going to Emmaus, then by all the Apostles except Thomas.   Later He presented Himself to be touched by Thomas, who proclaimed his faith:  “My Lord and my God.”   And thus, during forty days, He appeared in many ways to His disciples, both eating and drinking with them.

He enlightened our faith with proofs and lifted up our hope with promises, so as finally, to enkindle our love with gifts from Heaven!” … St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – O God, Who dost illuminate this most holy night by the glory of the Lord’s Resurrection, preserve in the new children of Thy family, the spirit of adoption which Thou hast given, that renewed in body and mind, they may render to Thee a pure service. Through 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).

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, St Francis de Sales, St PAUL!, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 2 April – Maundy Thursday

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Quote/s of the Day – 2 April – Maundy Thursday

“Be imitators of God, as very dear children
and walk in love, as Christ also Loved us
and delivered Himself up for us …”

St Paul … Ephesians 5:1-2

“But I say to you,
Love your enemies …”

Matthew 5:44

“But the wise took oil
in their vessels”

Matthew 25:4

“The wise ones’ lamps were burning,
from the oil inside them,
from the assurance of their consciences,
from their inner boast,
from their deepest charity.”

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

“Father, forgive them.”
With this prayer, He wanted to make us understand
the Love He bore us, undiminished
by any suffering and to teach us how
our heart should be toward our neighbour.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

“He Loves you as though He had
no-one else to love but you alone.
You, too, should love Him alone
and all others for His Sake.
Of Him you may say and, indeed, you should say:
My Beloved to me and I to Him (Cant, 2:16).
My God has given Himself all to me
and I give myself all to Him;
He has chosen me for His beloved
and I choose Him, above all others,
for my only Love.”

“How to Pray at All Times”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, HOLY WEEK, MAUNDY THURSDAY, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES for CHRIST, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 April – ‘ … Not for His benefit but only for their own!’

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One Minute Reflection – 2 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Maundy Thursday – 1 Corinthians 11:20-32 – John 13:1-15 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“He Loved them unto the end.” – John 13:1

REFLECTION – “Before the feast of the Pasch, Jesus, knowing His hour had come to leave this world and go unto His Father, “having loved those who were His Own, unto the end, He Loved them”… In the Gospel John was epecially called “the disciple whom Jesus Loved.” This disciple declares here what manner of faithful Lover our holy Saviour was, of Whom he, himself, was so Beloved.

For unto these words, he straightaway joins, the rehearsing of Christ’s bitter Passion, beginning with the Last Supper and therein, His humble washing of His disciples’ feet, the sending forth of the traitor and after that, His teaching, His prayer, His capture, His judging, His scourging, His crucifying andH all the whole piteous tragedy of His most bitter Passion.

Before which things, St John sets the aforesaid words to declare all these things which Christ did, in all this, He did it for very Love. Which Love He declared well unto his disciples in many ways, at the time of His Last Supper, giving them charge that, in loving each other they should follow His example (Jn 13:34). For those whom He Loved, He Loved unto the end and this He wished, they too should do. He was not an inconstant Lover Who does as many do, Love for a while and then, upon some light occasion, leave His Love and turn from being a friend to an enemy, as the false traitor, Judas did. But He, still so persevered in Love unto the very end, so that, for very Love, He came to that painful end and that, not only for His friends who were already His but too, for His enemies, to make them His friends and not for His benefit but only for their own!” – St Thomas More (1478-1535) Martyr, Lord Chancellor of England (Treatise on the Passion, 1).

PRAYER – O God, from Whom Judas received the punishment of his guilt and the thief the reward of his confession: grant unto us the full fruit of Thy clemency, that even as in His Passion, our Lord Jesus Christ gave to each a retribution according to his merits, so having taken away our old sins, He may bestow upon us the grace of His Resurrection. Who with Thee lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY COMMUNION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

Devotions for the Month of April – The Resurrection and The Blessed Sacrament

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Devotions for the Month of April

The Resurrection and The Blessed Sacrament

The Month of April is dedicated both to devotion to the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Holy Eucharist – the proof of the promise of the love of God and of ETERNAL LIFE.

“My brethren, when was it that the Lord made Himself recognised? — When He broke the bread. — So, we ourselves are convinced, too, that when we break the bread, we recognise the Lord. — If He had not wanted to be recognised until that moment, it was for our sakes, we, who were not to see Him in the flesh but who were yet to eat Him in the flesh. ” – St Augustine (354-430) Father, Doctor of Grace

“I am the Resurrection and the Life,
he who believes in Me,
although he be dead, shall live.”

John 11:25

“I am the Living Bread
Who came down from Heaven.
If any man eat of this Bread,
he shall live forever
and the Bread that I will give,
is My Flesh, for the Life of the world.”

John 6:51-52

“For His Body, has been given to you
under the appearance of bread
and His Blood, under the appearance of wine,
so that, when you have partaken
of the Body and Blood of Christ,
you might be One Body and One Blood with Him.
So shall we become Christ-bearers [“Christophers”].
His Body and Blood are diffused through all our members – see, then,
how we become participants
in the Divine Nature!”

St Cyril of Jerusalem (c 313-386)
Father and Doctor of theChurch

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, LENT 2026, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 1April – “Jesus remember me” Luke 23:42

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Quote/s of the Day – 1 April – Spy Wednesday in Holy Week – Isaias 53:1-12, Luke 22:39-71; 23:1-53

“Jesus remember me”

Luke 23:42

“Blessed are those who have not seen
and have believed.”
John 20:29

“Blessed, therefore, is everyone
who believes the message
of the holy Apostles who, as Saint Luke says,
were eyewitnesses of Christ’s actions
and “ministers of the word” (Lk 1,2).”

St Cyril of Alexandria (380-444)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“… He effected a wonderful exchange with us,
through mutual sharing –
we gave Him the power to die,
He will give us the power to Live!”

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

“Because it is not by raising a dead man,
commanding the sea and wind,
or casting out demons that He is able
to change the thief’s sinful soul
but, by being Crucified,
pinned down by nails,
covered with insults, spitting, mockery and torture,
so that you might see the two sides
of His Sovereign Power.
He shook all creation,
split the rocks (Mt 27:51)
and drew to Himself the brigand’s soul,
hard as stone, to cover it with honour…”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, HOLY COMMUNION, LENT 2026, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, Quotes on SALVATION, QUOTES on THE MYSTICAL BODY, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 April – – But Jesus he delivered up to their will. – Luke 23:25

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Our Morning Offering – 1 April – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Spy Wednesday in Holy Week – Isaias 53:1-12 – Luke 22:39-71; 23:1-53 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But Jesus he delivered up to their will.” – Luke 23:25

REFLECTION – “Come, come, let us go up together to the Mount of Olives. Together let us meet Christ, Who is returning today from Bethany and going, of His own accord, to that Holy and Blessed Passion, to complete the Mystery of our Salvation. And so He comes, willingly taking the road to Jerusalem, He Who came down from the heights for us, to raise us who lie in the depths, to exaltation with Him, as the revealing Word says: “above all authority and rule and power and above every Name that is named” (Eph 1:21). He comes without display, without boast. For, as the Prophet says, “He will not contend or shout out and no-one will hear His Voice” (Is 42:2). He is gentle and lowly and His entrance is humble…

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 through the Word which unites to God.” – St Andrew of Crete (660-740) Bishop and Father (Homily for Palm Sunday).

PRAYER – O God, Who to drive far from us, the power of the enemy, didst will that Thy Son should suffer for us on the gibbet of the Cross, grant us Thy servants, that we may obtain the grace of the resurrection. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, St PETER!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 31 March – Tuesday of Holy Week – Jesus looked at him

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One Minute Reflection – 31 March – “The Month of the Resurrection and the Blessed Sacrament” – Tuesday of Holy Week – Jeremias 11:18-20 – Mark 14:32-72; 15:1-46– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ I know not this man of whom you speak. And immediately the cock crew again. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said unto him: Before the cock crows twice, thou shalt thrice deny me. And he began to weep.” – Mark 14:71-72

REFLECTION – “The first time Peter denied, he did not weep because the Lord had not looked at him. He denied a second time and did not weep because the Lord still did not look at him. He denied a third time; Jesus looked at him and he wept very bitterly (Lk 22:62).  Look at us, Lord Jesus, so that we might know how to weep for our sins.  This shows us that even the fall of the Saints may be useful to us. Peter’s denial has done me no wrong, on the contrary, I have gained from his repentance – I have learned to be beware of faithless companions. …

So Peter wept and wept bitterly; he wept so fiercely he washed away his offence with his tears. And you, too, if you would win pardon, wipe out your guilt with tears. At that very moment, in that same hour, Christ will look at you. If some kind of fall happens to you, then He, the ever-present Witness of your intimate life, looks at you to call you back and cause you to confess your lapse. Then do as Peter did, who thrice said: “Lord, Thou knowest I love Thee” (Jn 21:15). He denied three times and three times he also confessed. But he denied by night; he confessed in broad daylight!

All this has been written, to make us understand, that no-one should be puffed up. If Peter fell for having said: “Though all may have their faith in Thee shaken, mine will never be” (Mt 26:33), who is there to count on himself? … From whence then, Peter, shall I call you to mind, to teach me your thoughts as you wept? From Heaven where you have already taken your place among the choirs of Angels, or from the grave? For that death, from which the Lord was raised, did not reject you in your turn. Teach us what use your tears were to you. But you taught it without delay, for having fallen before you wept, your tears caused you to be chosen to guide others, you who, to begin with, did not know how to guide yourself!” – St Ambrose (340-397) Bishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church – Commentary on St Luke’s Gospel, 10,89f.

PRAYER – Almighty and eternal God, grant us so to celebrate thy mysteries of our Lord’s Passion, that we may deserve to obtain forgiveness. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HOSPITALITY, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on POVERTY, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on the POOR, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 March – ‘ … You do not look at Him even when He faints with hunger …’

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One Minute Reflection – 30 March  – “The Month of Saint Joseph” – Monday in Holy Week – Isaias 50:5-10 – John 12:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“For the poor you have always with you but Me, you have not always.” – John 12:8

REFLECTION – “The Father did not spare Him for your sake and this, even though He was indeed His Son (Rom 8:32). And yet, you do not look at Him even when He faints with hunger and this too, when you have only to spend for your own food, which is His own! What could be worse than such a breach of law as this?! He was given up for you, slain for you; He lives in hunger for you. You have only to give that which belongs to Him and you, yourself, will get the gain and still, you do not give! What sort of stone is there in place of your heart, besides which these people are not more senseless and who, in spite of such great inducements, continue in this devilish hard-heartedness?

For He was not even satisfied with death and the Cross alone but also, assumed poverty, becoming a stranger and a beggar, naked and cast into prison, undergoing sickness (Mt 25:36) that so, at least, He might call upon you. If you wilt not requite Me, He says, as one Who suffered for your sake, show mercy upon Me for My poverty. And if you are not minded to pity Me for My poverty, at least be moved by My diseases, be softened by My imprisonment . And if, even these do not make you charitable, then for the easiness of the request, comply with Me. For it is no costly gift I ask but bread and lodging and words of comfort … Then I was bound for you, indeed I am so still, so that whether moved on grounds of the former or stirred by the latter, you might be minded to show Me some pity. I fasted for your sake and now, hunger for you; I thirsted when hanging on the Cross and now thirst in the poor, that just as by the former, so also by the latter I may draw you to Myself and make you charitable for your own salvation!..

Indeed, He says: “Whoever welcomes a child such as this, for My Sake, welcomes Me” (Mk 9:37) … For I am able indeed, to crown you even without all these things and yet, I would prefer to be your debtor, so that the crown may make you feel secure. That is why, although I am able to support Myself, yet, I come begging and stand at your door and stretch out My Hand, since My wish is to be supported by you. For I Love you exceedingly and desire to eat at your table!” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father & Doctor of the Church (Sermon 15 on the Letter to the Romans).

PRAYER – In Thy mercy, O Lord, may this hallowing fast enlighten the hearts of Thy faithful people and since Thou have given them the desire to serve Thee, lend a gracious ear to their prayers.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HOLY WEEK, LENT 2026, OUR Cross, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on THANKSGIVING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, St Francis de Sales, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WILL of GOD, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 March – ‘… Cling to that which we believe. …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 28 March – Saturday in Passion Week – Jeremias18:18-23, John 12:10-36 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“He who loves his life, loses it
and he who hates his life
in this world,
keeps it unto life everlasting.
If anyone serves Me,
let him follow Me
and where I am,
there also shall My servant be.”

John 12:25-26

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

Matthew 16:25

“Let us detach ourselves in spirit
from all that we see
and cling to that which we believe.
This is the Cross
which we must imprint
on all our daily actions and behaviour.”

St Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church

O My God, I Thank Thee
An Act of Abandonment
to the Divine Will
By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

O my God, I thank Thee
and I praise Thee
for accomplishing Thy Holy and all-lovable Will
without any regard for mine.
With my whole heart,
in spite of my heart,
do I receive this cross I feared so much!
It is the cross of Thy choice,
the cross of Thy Love.
I venerate it;
nor for anything in the world
would I wish it had not come,
since Thou hast willed it.
I keep it with gratitude and with joy,
as I do everything which comes from Thy Hand
and I shall strive to carry it
without letting it drag,
with all the respect
and all the affection
which Thy works deserve.
Amen

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

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, INDULGENCES, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MOTHER of GOD, PAPAL PRAYERS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 27 March – “Behold, thy mother”

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Quote/s of the Day – 27 March – Friday of Passion Week – The Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady of Sorrows and – St John Damascene (675-749) Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church 

“Behold, thy mother”
John 19:27

“When this hour has passed,
when the sword of sorrow
has completely pierced her soul in labour (Lk 2:35),
then, no more will she
“remember the pain because a child
has been born into the world” –
the new Man Who renews the entire human race
and reigns forever over the whole world,
truly born, beyond all suffering, immortal,
the Firstborn from the Dead.
If the Virgin has thus brought
the salvation of us all into the world,
in her Son’s Passion, then she is, indeed,
the Mother of us all!”

Rupert of Deutz (c1075-1130)
Benedictine Monk, Theologian, Exegete and Writer

Hail Mary, Full of Sorrows!
A Short Prayer to the Most Holy Virgin
in her Desolation
By Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)
Papal Reign 1846-1878
(+102 Raccolta)

His Holiness Pope Pius IX, by a Decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, of 23 December 1847, deigned to grant:

An Indulgence of 100 days to all the faithful, everytime they say, with contrite heart, the following prayer in honour of the most Holy Virgin in her desolation.

HAIL MARY,
full of sorrows!
the Crucified is with thee;
tearful art thou amongst women
and tearful is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of the Crucified,
grant tears to us crucifiers of thy Son,
now and at the hour
of our death.
Amen.

LATIN

Ave Maria,
doloribus plena,
Crucifixus tecum;
lacrymabilis te in mulieribus
et lacrymabilis Fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria,
Mater Crucifixi,
lacrymas impertire nobis crucifixoribus Filii tui,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.

“You are more to be valued than the entire creation,
for from you alone the Creator received
a share in the first-fruits of our humanity.
His Flesh was made of your flesh,
His Blood of your blood;
God was nourished by your milk
and your lips kissed the lips of God. …
In His foreknowledge of your dignity,
the God of all the world, has loved you
and, in accordance with His Love for you,
He predestined you and called you into being ”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/03/27/quote-s-of-the-day-27-march-st-john-damascene-2/

St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, In the PRESENCE of GOD, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SIN, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 26 March – ‘Forgiven … Because she has loved much …’ Luke 7:47

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Quote/s of the Day – 26 March – Thursday in Passion Week –Ferial Day – Daniel 3:25, 34-45 – Luke 7:36-50 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“She began to bathe His feet with her tears
and wiped them with the hair of her head
and kissed His feet
and anointed them with ointment.”

Luke 7:38

“Wherefore I say to you,
her sins, many as they are,
shall be forgiven her
because she has loved much.
But he, to whom little is forgiven,
loves little.”

Luke 7:47

“A servant of the Lord
stands bodily before men
but mentally,
he is knocking at the Gates of Heaven.
with prayer.”

St John Climacus (c 525-606)
Father of the Church

“For, just as water extinguishes a fire,
just so, does charity blot out our sins.”

St John of God (1495-1550)

“ I shall spend every moment loving.
One who loves, does not notice her trials;
or perhaps, more accurately,
she is able to love them.
I shall do everything for Heaven, my true home.
There, I shall find my Mother,
in all the splendour of her glory.
I shall delight with her
in the joy of Jesus Himself,
in perfect safety.”

St Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DYING / LAST WORDS, GOD ALONE!, LENT 2026, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, St Francis de Sales, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 March – How to escape death …

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 March – Passion Sunday – Hebrews 9:11-15, John 8:46-59 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Amen, amen, I say to you,
if anyone keep My word,
he will never see death.”

John 8:51

“Your purity of life, your devotion,
deserve and call for a reward
because you are acceptable
and pleasing to God.
Your purity of life must be made purer still,
by frequent buffetings,
until you attain perfect sincerity of heart.
If, from time to time, you feel the sword
falling upon you with double or treble force,
this also should be seen as sheer joy
and the mark of love!”

St Raymond of Peñafort (1175-1275)

“We must live a dying life
and we must die a living death
in the life of our Lord.”
(The Spirit of St. François de Sales, XV, 6 )

“Unhappy is death,
without the love of Christ;
unhappy is love,
without the Death of Christ!”

(Treatise on the Love of God,
Book 12, Chapter 13)

“We are dying,
little by little;
so, we are to make
our imperfections die
with us, day by day. ”

(Letters to Persons in the World I:5)

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritas

Posted in BLESSED TRINITY PRAYERS, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on STRENGTH, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on WATCHING, QUOTES on WISDOM, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The WORD

Our Morning Offering – 17 March – Excerpt from St Patrick’s BreastplateS

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Our Morning Offering – 17 March – St Patrick (c386-461) “The Apostle of Ireland,” Bishop, Confessor

Excerpt from St Patrick’s Breastplate
(also known as “The Deer Cry”)

I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
His Eye to watch, His Might to stay,
His Ear to hearken to my need;
the Wisdom of my God to teach,
His Hand to guide, His shield to ward;
the Word of God to give me speech,
His Heavenly Host to be my guard.
Against the demon snares of sin,
the vice which gives temptation force,
the natural lusts which war within,
the hostile men who mar my course;
of few or many, far or nigh,
in every place and in all hours
against their fierce hostility, …….
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all who love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the Name,
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One and One in Three,
of Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word.
Praise to the Lord of my salvation:
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.
Amen

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, LENT 2026, The WORD, Thomas Aquinas

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent – 12 March – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas – The Preaching of the Samaritan Woman

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Thursday of the Third Week of Lent – 12 March – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church

Thursday of the Third Week
The Preaching of the Samaritan Woman

“The woman, therefore, left her water-pot
and went her way into the City.”
John iv. 28.

This woman, once Christ had instructed her, became an apostle.
There are three elements which we can gather from what she said and what she did.

  1. The entirety of her surrender to Our Lord.
    This is shown:

(i) From the fact that she left lying there, almost as if forgotten that for which she had come to the well, the water and the water-pot. So great was her absorption.
Hence it is said, The woman left her water-pot and went away into the city, went away to announce the wonderful works of Christ. She cared no longer for the bodily comforts, in view of the usefulness of better things, following in this, the example of the Apostles of whom it is said, “Leaving their nets, they followed the Lord” (Mark 1. 18).

The water-pot represents fashionable desire, by means of which men draw up pleasures from those depths of darkness, signified by the well, i.e. from practices which are of the earth.
Those who abandon such desires for the sake of God, are like the woman who left her water-pot.

(ii) From the multitude to whom she tells the news, not to one nor to two or three but to a whole City.
This is why she went away into the City.

  1. A method of preaching.
    “She saith to the men there: Come, and see a Man Who has told me all things whatsoever I hav done. Is not He the Christ?” John iv. 29.

(i) She invites them to look upon Christ: Come,and see a Man–she did not straightway say that they should give themselves to Christ, for that might have been for them an occasion for blasphemy but, to begin, she told them about Christ facits which were believable and open to observation. She told them He was a Man.
Nor did she say, Believe but come and see, for she knew that if they, too, tasted of that well, looked upon Our Lord, they, too, would feel all she had felt.
And she follows the example of a true preacher in that she attracts the men not to herself but, to Christ!

(ii) She gives them a hint that Christ is God when she says, A Man Who has told me all things whatsoever I have done, that is to say, how many husbands she had had. She is not ashamed to bring up facits which make for her own confusion because the soul, once it is aliight with the Divine Fire, in no way looks to earthly values and standards, cares neither for its own glory nor its shame but only for that Flame which holds and consumes it.

(iii) She suggests that this proves the majesty of Christ, saying, Is not He the Christ?
She does not dare to assert that He is the Christ, lest she have the appearance of wishing to teach others and the others, irritated thereat, refuse to go out to Him.
Nor, on the other hand, does she leave the matter in silence but she puts it before them questioningly, as though she left it to their own judgment.
For this is the easiest of all ways of persuasion.

  1. The Fruit of Preaching.
    “She invites them to look upon Christ: Come,and see … They, therefore, went out of the City and came unto Christ.” John iv. 30.

Hereby it is made clear to us that if we would come to Christ, we too must go out of the City, which is to say, we must lay aside all love of bodily delights.

Let us go forth, therefore, to Him without the camp (Heb xiii. 13)

ST THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274)
Priest, Theologian, Dominican
Doctor Angelicus (Angelic Doctor)
Doctor Communis (Common Doctor)
Added by Pope Saint Pius V in 1568

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), Quotes Self-Oblation, SELF-DISTRUST, St Francis de Sales, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 March – From the heart

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 March – Wednesday of the Third Week in Lent – Exodus 20:12-24, Matthew 15:1-20

“But the things which proceed
out of the mouth,
come from the heart
and it is they which defile a man.”

Matthew 15:18

“Our hearts were made for Thee, O God
And restless must they be
Until, O God, this grace accord,
Until they rest in Thee!”

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

“Govern my heart O Lord,
lest it drift into useless and disordered thoughts.
Do not permit me to become excessively preoccupied
with anything at all, even matters and concerns
which are useful and good in themselves.
Temper the affections of my soul,
so that I may neither love, nor hate
anything, in a way which exceeds due proportions.
Let me neither rejoice, nor be saddened,
beyond the measure which is fitting and rational.”

St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Universal Doctor of the Church

“Do not fix your longings on anything
which you do not possess;
do not let your heart rest in that which you have;
do not grieve overmuch,
at the losses which may happen to you –
and then, you may reasonably believe
that although rich in fact,
you are not so in affection
but that you are poor in spirit
and, therefore, blessed,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is yours.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor Caritatis

“Be brave and try to detach your heart
from worldly things.
Do your utmost to banish darkness
from your mind and come to understand
what true, selfless piety is.
Through confession, endeavour
to purify your heart of anything
which may still taint it.
Enliven your faith which is essential
to understand and achieve piety.”

St John Bosco (1815-1888)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, franciscan OFM, GOD ALONE!, LENT 2026, Of BEGGARS, the POOR, against POVERTY, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GREED, WEALTH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the POOR, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 5 March – ‘ … Give earth and receive Heaven! …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 5 March – Ferial Day – Thursday of the Second Week in Lent – Jeremias 17:5-10 – Luke 16:19-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“There was a rich man,
who was clothed in purple
and fine linen
and who feasted sumptuously everyday.
And at his gate lay a poor man,
named Lazarus…”

Luke 16:19–20

“Amen I say to you,
as long as you did NOT do it
for one of these least ones,
you did NOT do it for Me.”

Matthew 25:45

“Give of your earthly goods
and receive eternal ones;
give earth and receive Heaven!”

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

“What is a man’s treasure
but the heaping up of profits
and the fruit of his toil?
For, whatever a man sows,
this too will he reap and each man’s gain,
matches his toil and where delight
and enjoyment are found,
there the heart’s desire is attached.
Now, there are many kinds of wealth
and a variety of grounds for rejoicing –
every man’s treasure is that, which he desires.
If it is based on earthly ambitions,
its acquisition makes men not blessed but wretched.
… By distributing what might be superfluous
to support the poor, they are amassing
imperishable riches, so that what they have
discreetly given, cannot be subject to loss.
They have properly placed those riches,
where their heart is – it is a most blessed thing,
to work to increase such riches,
rather than to fear that they may pass away.”

St Pope Leo the Great (400-461)
ather and Doctor of the Church

“If thou wouldst see well, pluck out thine eyes and be blind;
if thou wouldst hear well, be deaf
and if thou wouldst speak well, become dumb;
if thou wouldst advance, stand still
and advance with thy mind;
if thou wouldst work well, cut off thy hands
and work with thy heart;
if thou wouldst love much, hate thyself;
if thou wouldst live well, mortify thyself;
if thou wouldst gain much and be rich,
first lose all and become poor
and if thou wouldst enjoy peace, afflict thyself
and be ever in fear and suspect thine own self;
if thou wouldst be exalted and have great honour,
humble and abase thyself;
if thou wouldst be held in great reverence, despise thyself
and do reverence to him who reviles thee;
if thou wouldst that it should be well with thee,
suffer all evil things and if thou wouldst be blessed,
desire that all should speak ill of thee
and if thou wouldst have true and eternal rest,
then toil and suffer and desire to have every temporal affliction.
O what great wisdom it is to know how to do
and to work out these things.”

Blessed Giles of Assisi (c1190-1262)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PEACE, St Francis de Sales, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 3 March – Humility

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Quote/s of the Day – 3 March – Tuesday in the Second Week of Lent – Feruial Day – 3 Kings 17:8-16; Matthew 23:1-12 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled
and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Matthew 23:12

“The one sole thing, in myself,
in which I glory,
is that I see in myself,
nothing, in which I can glory.”

St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)

“Humility is not just about self-mistrust
but about the entrusting of ourselves to God.
Distrusting ourselves and our own strength
produces trust in God
and from that trust,
generosity of soul is born.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor of Charity

“Keep your heart in peace
and let nothing trouble you,
not even your faults.
You must humble yourself
and amend them peacefully,
without being discouraged or cast down,
for God’s dwelling, is in peace.”

St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)
“Visionary and Apostle of the Sacred Heart“

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CONFESSION/PENANCE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD is LOVE, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SACRED HEART QUOTES, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 25 February – Repent

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 February –– Ember Wednesday – 3 Kings 19:3-8; Matthew 12:38-50 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The sign of Jonah”

Matthew 12:39

“It was, too, to lead the Ninevites
to firm repentance and to convert them
to Him, Who would deliver them from death,
amazed as they were by the sign accomplished in Jonah …
In the same way, God permitted man
to be swallowed by that great monster,
the author of disobedience,
not so that he should altogether vanish away
and die but because God, had prepared beforehand,
the salvation fulfilled by His Word
by means of the “sign of Jonah.”

St Irenaeus (130-208)
Bishop of Lyons, Martyr and Father

“To do penance is to bewail
the evil we have done
and to do no evil to bewail.”

“But He still follows behind us and counsels us,
although we have despised Him,
He still does not cease to call us.
We turn our backs on His face, so to speak,
when we reject His Words,
when we trample His Commandments underfoot
but He, Who sees that we reject Him,
still calls out to us by His Commandments
and waits for us by His patience,
stands behind us and calls us back
when we have turned away.”

St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“What are we doing?
If we really love the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
we should offer penance and sacrifices
in order to make reparation for our sins
and the sins of others
and, to propitiate this adorable Heart,
Which ardently desires to bestow
new favours upon us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The BEATITUDES, The HEART, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 24 February – Feast of St Matthias “Thou has Chosen”

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Quote/s of the Day – 24 February – Feast of St Matthias, Apostle – Acts 1:15-26, Matthew 11:25-30 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And praying, they said:
Thou, Lord, Who knows the hearts of all men,
show which of these two Thou hast chosen,
to take the place of this ministry and apostleship,
from which Judas hath, by transgression, fallen …”

Acts 1:24-25

“You did not choose Me
but I chose you…”

John 15:16

“That is amazing grace!
For what were we before Christ had chosen us
besides being wicked and lost?
What then has He chosen in those who are not good?
You cannot say, I am chosen because I believed.
For if you believed in Him,
you had already chosen Him.
Nor can you say, before I believed I did good works
and, therefore, was chosen.
For what good work is there
before faith when the Apostle says,
“Whatever is not of faith is sin?”
What is there for us to say, then
but that we were wicked and were chosen,
that by the grace of having been chosen,
we might become good?”

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

“Day by day follow God’s path,
keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise.
In fact, He Himself said, through the mediation of His Apostles,
to all those who seek His will and His testimonies
that He would be with them
until the end of the world (Mt 28:20)
where paths and footsteps
will be unknown (cf Ps 76:20),
as the divine David said in his songs.
Yet, in an invisible way,
He is present to the eyes of the mind,
making Himself seen by those
who have a pure heart
and conversing with them.
So pursue your path …. ”

St Theodore the Studite (759-826)
Abbot, Confessor, Father of the Church

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, LENT 2026, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The WORD, Thomas Aquinas

The First Sunday of Lent – 22 February – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas – Christ willed to be tempted

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The First Sunday of Lent – 22 February – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Doctor of the Church

The First Week of Lent – Sunday

It was fitting that Christ should be tempted

“Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert,
to be tempted by the devil.”
Matt iv. i

Christ willed to be tempted:

  1. That He might assist us against our own temptations.
    St Gregory says: “That our Redeemer, Who had come to earth to be killed, should will to be tempted, was not unworthy of Him. It was. indeed but just that He should overcome our temptations by His own, in the same way that He had come to overcome our death by His death.”
  2. To warn us that no man, however holy he be, should think himself safe and free from temptation.
    Whence again, His choosing to be tempted after His Baptism, about which St Hilary says: “The devil’s wiles are especially directed to trap us at times when we have recently been made holy because the devil desires no victory as much as a victory over the world of Grace.”
    Whence too, the Scripture warns us, “Son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear and prepare thy soul for temptation” (Ecclus ii. i).
  3. To give us an example of how we should overcome the temptations of the devil, St Augustine says: “Christ gave Himself to the devil to be tempted that, in the matter of our overcoming those same temptations, He might be of service, not only by His assistance but too, by His example.”
  4. To fill and saturate our minds with confidence in His Mercy.
    “For we have not a High Priest Who cannot have compassion on our infirmities but One , without sin but ttempted in all things, like as we are, (Heb iv. 15).

ST THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274)
Priest, Theologian, Dominican
Doctor Angelicus (Angelic Doctor)
Doctor Communis (Common Doctor)
Added by Pope Saint Pius V in 1568

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, GOD ALONE!, GUARDIAN ANGELS - Prayers etc, In the PRESENCE of GOD, LENT 2026, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 February – Begone, Satan!

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 February – The First Sunday of Lent – 2 Corinthians 6:1-10, Matthew 4:1-11

“Begone, Satan!
for it is written:
The Lord thy God shalt thou adore
and Him only shalt thou serve.”

Matthew 4:10

“Do not, therefore, lose your confidence,
which has a great reward.
For you have need of patience that,
doing the Will of God,
you may receive the promise.
For yet a very little while
and He Who is to come,
will come
and will not delay.”

Hebrews 10:35-37

“It might even be said that we are fortunate
to have temptations, for these are the times
of spiritual harvest when we gather up for Heaven. …
If we were thoroughly saturated
with God’s Holy Presence,
it would be easy for us to resist the enemy.
With the thought ‘God sees you!’ we would never sin!

There was a Saint who complained to our Lord
after being tempted and said to Him:
“Where were Thou, my most loveable Jesus,
during that awful storm?”
Our Lord answered:
“I was in the centre of thou heart…”

St John-Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
The Curé of Ars

“When tempted,
turn immediately to your
Guardian Angel and ask him,
with all your heart,
“My Guardian Angel help me now.
Do not let me offend my God!”

St John Bosco (1815-1888)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, LENT 2026, The SACRED PASSION - Meditations for LENT, The WORD, Thomas Aquinas

Saturday after Ash Wednesday – 21 February – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas – Saturday : The Grain of Wheat

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Saturday after Ash Wednesday – 21 February – Our Lenten Journey With St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Doctor of the Church

Saturday : The Grain of Wheat

“Unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone.”
John xii. 24

We use the grain of wheat in two ways, for bread and for seed. Here the Word is to be taken in the second sense, grain of wheat meaning seed and not the matter out of which we make bread. For in this sense it never increases, so as to bear fruit.
When it is said that the grain must die, this does not mean that it loses its value as seed but that it is changed into another kind of thing. So St Paul (i Cor xv. 36) says, “That which then thou sowest is not quickened, except it die first.”

The Word of God is a seed in the soul of man, insofar as it is a thing introduced into man’s soul, by words spoken and heard, in order to produce the fruit of good works.
The seed is the Word of God (Luke viii. II). So also the Word of God garbed in Flesh is a Seed placed in the world, a Seed from which great crops should grow, whence it is compared in St Matthew’s Gospel (xiii. 31, 32) to a grain of mustard seed.

Our Lord, therefore, says to us, “I came as Seed, something meant to bear fruit and, therefore, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone” which is, as much as to say, “Unless I die, the fruit of the conversion of the Gentiles, will not follow.”
He compares Himself to a grain of wheat because He came to nourish and to sustain the minds of men and to nourish and sustain are precisely what wheaten bread does for men. In the Psalms it is written, That bread may strengthen man’s heart (Ps ciii. 15) and in St John, The bread that I will give is My Flesh for the life of the world(John vi. 52).

  1. “But if it die it bringeth forth much fruit” (John xii. 25). What is here explained is the usefulness of the Passion. It is as though the Gospel said, Unless the grain fall into the earth through the humiliations of the Passion, no useful result will follow, for the grain itself remaineth alone. But if it shall die, done to death and slain by the Jews, it bringeth forth much fruit, for example:

(i) The remission of sin.
This is the whole fruit, that the sin thereby should be taken away (Isaias xxvii. 9). And this is the fruit of the Passion of Christ as is declared by St Peter – Christ died once for our sins, the just for the unjust that He might offer us to God (i Pet iii. 18).

(ii) The conversion of the Gentiles to God.
“ I have appointed you that you shall go forth and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain” (John xv. 16). This fruit the Passion of Christ bore, if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself (John xii. 32).

(iii) The fruit of Glory.
The fruit of good labours is glorious (Wis. iii. 15).
And this fruit too, the Passion of Christ brough forth; We have, therefore, a confidence in the entering into the Holies by the Blood of Christ – a new and living way which He hath dedicated for us through the veil, that is to say, His Flesh (Hebr x. 19).

ST THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274)
Priest, Theologian, Dominican
Doctor Angelicus (Angelic Doctor)
Doctor Communis (Common Doctor)
Added by Pope Saint Pius V in 1568

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, LENT 2026, The WORD

Quote of the Day – 21 February – Isaias 58:9-11

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Quote of the Day – 21 February – The First Saturday of Lent – Isaiah 58:9-14, Mark 6:47-56

“Thus says the Lord God:
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation
and malicious speech.
if you bestow your bread
on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise
for you in the darkness
and the gloom
shall become for you,like midday;
then the Lord will guide you always
and give you plenty,
even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.”

Isaiah 58:9-11

Posted in "Follow Me", ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on REPARATION/EXPIATION, The HOLY FACE, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 February – ‘Receive Christ, receive power to see …’

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One Minute Reflection – 17 February– “The Month of the Most Blessed Trinity” – Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus – Shrove Tuesday – Ferial Day –1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – Luke 18:31-43 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And immediately he saw and followed him, glorifying God.” – Luke 18:43

REFLECTION – “The commandment of the Lord shines clearly, enlightening the eyes. Receive Christ, receive power to see, receive your Light, that you may plainly recognise both God and man. More delightful than gold and precious stones, more desirable than honey and the honeycomb is the Word that has enlightened us. How could He not be desirable, Who illumined minds buried in darkness and endowed, with clear vision “the light-bearing eyes” of the soul? Sing His praises, then, Lord and make known to me Your Father, Who is God. Your Word will save me, Your song instruct me. I have gone astray in my search for God but now that You light my path, Lord, I find God through You and receive the Father from You, I become co-heir with You, since You were not ashamed to own me as Your brother. Let us, then, shake off forgetfulness of Truth, shake off the mist of ignorance and darkness that dims our eyes and contemplate the true God, after first raising this song of praise to Him: “All hail, O light!” For upon us, buried in darkness, imprisoned in the shadow of death, a heavenly Light has shone, a Light of a clarity surpassing the sun’s and of a sweetness, exceeding any this earthly life can offer.” – St Clement of Alexandria (c150-c215) Theologian, Philosopher , Father (Exhortation to the Greeks, 11).

PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech Thee, mercifully hear our prayers; loose us from the chains of our sins and keep us from all adversity. 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).

An Aspiration to the Eternal Father
to be Frequently Recited During the Day …

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Holy Face of Jesus,
covered with blood, sweat, dust and spittle,
in reparation for our sins
and the sins of the whole world.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, LENT 2026, MIRACLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 16 February – ‘ … We must understand the miracles of our Lord …’

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 One Minute Reflection – 16 February – “The Month of the Most Blessed Trinity” – Ferial Day – Quinquagesima Sunday –1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – Luke 18:31-43.– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And immediately he saw and followed Him, glorifying God.” – Luke 18:43

REFLECTION – “Our Redeemer foresaw that the hearts of His disciples would be greatly disturbed by His Passion. He foretold to them, far ahead, of both the agony of His Passion and the glory of His Resurrection (Lk 18:31-33). Then, when they beheld Him dying, as had been foretold, they would not doubt that He was to rise again. But since the disciples, still worldly as they were, were entirely unable to grasp, the Words of the Mystery (v.34), there was need of a miracle! A blind man received the Light before their eyes, so that a heavenly deed might strengthen the faith of those, who failed to grasp the Words of the heavenly Mystery.

We must understand the miracles of our Lord and Saviour, dearly beloved, so as to believe that they have been truly effected and that their meaning, nevertheless, still signifies something else too … We do not know the historical identity of the blind man but we do know whom he mystically denotes. The blind man is the human race. In our first parents it was driven from the joys of paradise and ignorant of the brightness of the Divine Light, it suffered the darkness of its condemnation. But yet, it is enlightened by the presence of its Redeemer, to see already, the joys of inward light, by desire and to direct the footsteps of its good works, in the way of Life.” – St Gregory the Great (540-604) Pope, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on the Gospels).

PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech Thee, mercifully hear our prayers; loose us from the chains of our sins and keep us from all adversity. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in SAINT of the DAY, St PAUL!, The WORD

Saint of the Day – 15 February – St Onesimus the Slave (Died c90) Bishop, Martyr, Disciple of St Paul the Apostle.

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Saint of the Day – 15 February – St Onesimus the Slave (Died c90) Bishop, Martyr, Disciple of St Paul the Apostle.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “The birthday of the blessed Onesimus, concerning whom the Apostle Paul wrote to Philemon, He made him the Bishop of Ephesus after St Timothy and committed to him the Office of Preacher. Being led a prisoner to Rome and stoned to death for the Faith in Christ, he was buried in that City but his body was afterwards carried to the place where he had been the Bishop.”

Onesimus, in Greek, means “useful or beneficial.“ The Saint thus named lived in Phrygia (Asia Minor) as a slave to the Christian Philemon, a friend and disciple of the Apostle St Paul.

But then Onesimus escaped (perhaps even robbed his master) and woe betide him if he were caught – he might then be sentenced to a lifetime of forced labour, with the letter “F” (Fugitivus) branded on his forehead.
After days and days of walking, hiding and terror, finally, he sought refuge with St Paul in Rome. The Apostle was held captive under military custody in a house, almost always chained to a soldier but free to receive visitors. Here Onesimus found ready refuge, tried to make himself useful in daily matters and listened to St Paul’s conversations with so many people; the man in chains called everyone to ente“into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

St Paul teaching St Onesimus

And he called Onesimus too, of course, who one day too was converted and able to call himself a Christian, treated by Paul as a son “begotten in chains.” Then the Apostle sent him back to his former master, Philemon.

To Philemon, St Paul wrotes a concise and lively letter in his own hand, clarifying a crucial point – Onesimus, having escaped as a slave, now returns as a “dear brother, first to me but how much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.” Others think of abolishing slavery with laws; Paul erases it from the heart of man in the name of Christ. And if the former slave had robbed Philemon, the Apostle promptly guarantees: “I will pay!”

Onesimus left to return to his master Philemon, with Tychicus, Paul’s most faithful collaborator, who carries his letters to the Christians of Ephesus and Colossae. And so St Paul introduces him to his fellow Colossians: “With Tychicus will come Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will inform you of all things concerning this place.”

Thus the former slave has already become a collaborator in the apostolate. Then he certainly found Philemon, giving him the letter, which hase reached us in the New Testament.

St Philemon rreceives the ‘prodigal’ St Onesimus

“[10] I beseech thee for my son, whom I have begotten in my bands, Onesimus, [11] who hath been heretofore unprofitable to thee but now is profitable, both to me and thee, [12] whom I have sent back to thee. And do thou receive him as my own bowels. [13] Whom I would have retained with me that in thy stead he might have ministered to me in the bands of the Gospel [14] but without thy counsel I would do nothing that thy good deed might not be as it were of necessity but voluntary. [15] For perhaps he, therefore, departed for a season from thee that thou mightest receive him again for ever,
[16] not now as a servant but instead of a servant, a most dear brother, especially to me but how much more to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord?”
[Philemon 1:10-16]

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, The GOOD SHEPherd Prayers, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 December – ‘ … Do you listen attentively to the Voice of the Good Shepherd and obey His Word?’

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One Minute Reflection – 29 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Thomas à Becket (1118-1170) Martyr – Hebrews 5:1-6 – John 10:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I am the Good Shepherd, I know My Own and My Own know Me.”- John 10:14

REFLECTION – “He shows in what manner a shepherd may be proved good and, He teaches that, he must be prepared to give up his life, fighting in defence of his sheep which was fulfilled in Christ. For man has departed from the love of God and fallen into sin and, because of this was, I say, excluded from the divine abode of paradise. And when he was weakened by that disaster, he yielded to the devil tempting him to sin and death, following that sin, he became the prey of fierce and ravenous wolves.  But after Christ was announced as the True Shepherd of all men, He laid down His life for us (1 John 3:16), fighting for us against that pack of inhuman beasts.  He bore the Cross for us that by His own death, He might destroy death. He was condemned for us that He might deliver all of us, from the sentence of punishment – the tyranny of sin being overthrown by our faith -fastening to the Cross, the decree that stood against us, as it is written (Colossians 2:14).

Therefore, as the father of sin had, as it were, shut up the sheep in hell, giving them to death to feed on, as it is written in the Psalms (Ps. 48:16), He died for us, as truly Good and truly our Shepherd, so that the dark shadow of death is driven away, He might join us to the company of the blessed in Heaven and, in exchange for abodes which lie far in the depths of the pit … grants us mansions in His Father’s House above. Because of this, He says to us in another place:  Fear not, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you a Kingdom (Luke 12:32). Do you listen attentively to the Voice of the Good Shepherd and obey His Word? – ” – St Cyril of Alexander (376-444) Known as “The Pillar of Faith” Archbishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Church. (Commentary on the Good Shepherd).

PRAYER – O God, for Whose Church Bishop Thomas, now in glory, fell by the swords of wicked men, grant, we beseech Thee, that the prayers of all who implore his assistanc, may be effective and may lead to salvation. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 December – ‘… They could not yet speak but already, they are confessing Christ. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 28 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Holy Innocents, Martyrs – Apocalypse 14:1-5,– Matthew 2:13-18 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“When Herod realised that he had been deceived by the Magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity, two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the Magi.“” – Matthew 2:16

REFLECTION – “Why, Herod, do you fear when you hear a King is born? He has not come to dethrone you but to overthrow the devil. But you fail to understand, you take fright and fall into a fury. Because you lost the single child you were seeking, you become the cruel murderer of the many. Neither the weeping mothers’ love, nor the mourning of fathers weeping for their sons, nor the screams and howling of the children themselves, holds you back. You massacre these little ones in their bodies because fear is killing you, in your heart. And you think that, if you achieve your end, you will live on for a long time, whereas it is Life itself you are trying to kill! He Who is the source of grace, Who is both small and great, Who is lying in a manger, causes your throne to topple. He accomplishes His design through you, without your knowing it. He gathers together the children of your enemies and makes of them, children of adoption.

These little ones died for Christ without knowing it;  their parents weep for the death of Martyrs. Although they were unable to speak, Christ made them capable of being His Witnesses. See how this King reigns. Already He is setting free and bestowing salvation.  But as for you, Herod, you are oblivious of what is happening, you take fright and fall into a rage. And when you get annoyed with a little Child, you are already placing yourself at His service without realising it.

How great the gift of grace is! What are the merits by which these children won the victory? They could not yet speak but already, they are confessing Christ. Their little bodies are as yet unable to engage in combat but already, they are carrying off the Palm of Victory.” – St Quodvultdeus (Died c 453) Father, Bishop at Carthage from c437-c450 (Second sermon on the Creed).

PRAYER – O God, Whose praise the Innocents, Thy Martyrs, this day proclaimed, not by speaking but by dying, put to death in us all the wickedness of sin, so that the faith which our tongue professes, may be proclaimed also by our life.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).
We praise You, O God, we acclaim You as Lord, the white-robed army of Martyrs praise You. (From the Te Deum).

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 December – “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow Me.” – John 21:22

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One Minute Reflection – 27 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St John, the Apostle and Evangelist, the Beloved – St John the Apostle and Evangelist – Ecclesiasticus 15:1-6 – John 21:19-24 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow Me.” – John 21:22

REFLECTION – “The Church knows of two lives advocated and recommended by God . One in faith, the other in vision; one in our pilgrimage through time, the other in the abode of eternity; one in working, the other in repose; one on the way, the other in our homeland; one in the labour of action, the other in the reward of contemplation. … The first is represented by the Apostle Peter, the second, by John. The first wholly takes place here below, until the end of the world and then comes to an end. The second only reaches its fulfilment after the world’s end; in the world to come, it will never end.

“What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow Me” …. Let your action follow Me, perfect and modelled on the example of My Passion; let the contemplation which has begun, remain until My return: I will perfect it when I come again. For this persevering fervour which stands firm to the death, is a following of Christ and this knowledge, which will then be manifested in fullness, remains until the return of Christ. Here, in the country of mortal men, we must undergo the afflictions of this world; there, we shall contemplate the Lord’s blessings, in the land of the living (Ps 26:13). …

So let no-one divide one from the other of these two, glorious Apostles, for both are contained in what Peter symbolises and both, will be in what John represents.” – St Augustine (354-320) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermons on Saint John’s Gospel No 124: 5-7).

PRAYER – O Lord, graciously shed light upon Thy Church, so that, enlightened by the teachings of blessed John, ThyApostle and Evangelist, she may gain YThy everlasting rewards.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the KING, CHRIST the LIGHT, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, QUOTES on STRENGTH, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 December – ‘… Now Paul rejoices with Stephen, with Stephen he enjoys the brightness of Christ; he exults with Stephen, he reigns with Stephen! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 26 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Stephen the ProtoMartyr (c05-c34) – The Second Day in the Christmas Octave – Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59 –Matthew 23:34-39 –Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” – Acts 7:59

REFLECTION – “Yesterday we celebrated the birth in time, of our eternal King; today we celebrate the triumphant death of a soldier… Our King, although He is most high, came for our sake, in great humility but He could not come empty-handed. He brought with Him, as it were, a great bonus for His soldiers which not only made them abundantly rich but also gave them, strength to fight and conquer. The gift He brought was love, which brings men into fellowship with the Godhead …

The love, then, which brought Christ down from Heaven to earth, lifted Stephen from earth to Heaven … And Stephen, so as to deserve to win the crown— which is what his name means — had love as his weapon and by it was everywhere victorious. Through love of God, he did not yield to the raging of his enemies and through love of his neighbour, he prayed for those who were stoning him. Through love, he accused those, who were in the wrong that they might be corrected. Through love, he prayed for those stoning him, to save them from punishment. Trusting in the strength of love, he overcame the cruel raging of Saul and so, won for himself, as a companion in men, the man who had been his persecutor on earth , This holy and untiring love, ardently desired to acquire as converts by his prayers, those whom he had been unable to convert by argument.

Now Paul rejoices with Stephen, with Stephen he enjoys the brightness of Christ; he exults with Stephen, he reigns with Stephen! There, where Stephen arose, the first, stoned under Paul’s very eyes, there too, Paul has risen with the help of Stephen’s prayers.” – St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c 462 – 533) Bishop in North Africa (Sermon 3, 1-3, 5-6).

PRAYER – Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to imitate what we celebrate, so that we may learn to love, even our enemies; because we keep the anniversary of the invention of Him, Who knew how to plead even for His persecutors with our Lord, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with |Thee. lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).