The WORD – Page 104

One Minute Reflection – 16 May – “Whoever receives the one I send, receives me..”

Posted on May 16, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 16 May – Thursday of the Fourth week of Easter, C, Gospel: John 13:16–20 and the Memorial of St Brandan the Navigator

“Whoever receives the one I send, receives me”...John 13:20

REFLECTION – “But, in order to keep the Gospel forever, whole and alive, within the Church, the Apostles left bishops as their successors, “handing over” to them “the authority, to teach in their own place.”(Saint Irenaeus) This sacred tradition, therefore and Sacred Scripture, of both the Old and New Testaments, are like a mirror in which the pilgrim Church on earth looks at God, from whom she has received everything, until she is brought finally, to see Him as He is, face to face (1 John 3:2)…”...Vatican II – Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation “ Dei Verbum ”, #7-8

PRAYER – Lord God, stand by us in Your saving work and stay with us in Your gifts of grace. You have rescued us from the darkness, keep us ever in Your light. We ask that You hear the intercession of Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mother and St Brendan, whom we beseech for help as we work to reach our heavenly home. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen immaculate mother pray for us 13 april 2019

st brendan the navigator pray for us 16 may 2019

GOD is LOVE, MORNING Prayers, papal ENCYCLICALS, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 May – Man is redeemed by love.

Posted on May 15, 2019May 14, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 15 May – Wednesday of the Fourth week of Easter, C, Gospel: John 12:44–50

“I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world”...John 12:47 i did not come to condem the world john 12 47 15 may 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “It is not science that redeems man, man is redeemed by love. This applies even in terms of this present world. When someone has the experience of a great love in his life, this is a moment of “redemption” which gives a new meaning to his life. But soon, he will also realise that the love bestowed upon him cannot by itself resolve the question of his life. It is a love that remains fragile. It can be destroyed by death. The human being needs unconditional love. He needs the certainty which makes him say – “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38- 39). If this absolute love exists, with its absolute certainty, then—only then—is man “redeemed”, whatever should happen to him, in his particular circumstances.

This is what it means to say, Jesus Christ has “redeemed” us. Through Him we have become certain of God, a God who is not a remote “first cause” of the world, because His only-begotten Son has become man and of Him everyone can say: “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20)….Pope Benedict XVI – Encyclical “ Spe Salvi ”#26 it is not science that redeems man - pope benedict 15 may 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord God, life of those who believe in You, glory of the humble and happiness of the Saints, listen kindly to our prayer. We long for what You promises, fill us from Your abundance, give us true faith and obedience. May the Blessed Virgin, Mother of Your Son, be our constant recourse. Through Our Lord, Jesus with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 May – Saint Matthias, the witness to the resurrection chosen by God

Posted on May 14, 2019May 14, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 May – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter, C, First Reading: Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17.20-26. and the Feast of St Matthias, Apostle of Christ

“During those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers and spoke.”…Acts 1:15

REFLECTION – “Because he is fervent and is the senior member of the group, he is always the first to speak: “My brothers, it is necessary we choose one of the men who accompanied us.” Note how he wants these new apostles to be eyewitnesses. No doubt, the Holy Spirit would come and yet Peter placed a great deal of importance on this point – “One of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us” (v.21). He indicates that they must have lived with Him and not just been disciples. For in fact, in the beginning, many people followed Him… “Until the day when he was taken up from us. He must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” (v.22)

Peter did not say: “a witness to everything else” but only – “a witness to his resurrection.” For a disciple who could say, “Someone who ate and drank and was crucified was the same who was raised” would be more worthy of credence. Therefore,it was not necessary that he should be a witness to the times beforehand, nor to those that followed, nor to the miracles. What was required of him was that he should be a witness to the resurrection. Everything else had been manifest and proclaimed, whereas the resurrection took place in secret. It was manifested only to a few.”…St John Chrysostom (345-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church – 3rd sermon on the Acts of the apostles ; PG 60, 33 (trans. breviary 14/05)

PRAYER – Lord God, You chose St Matthias to complete the number of the twelve. By his prayer, include us among Your chosen ones, since we rejoice to see that the lot marked out for us, is in Your Love. Through Jesus the Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PRAYERS for PRIESTS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 13 May – A Pastor’s Prayer to the Good Shepherd

Posted on May 13, 2019May 13, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 13 May – Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter, C – Gospel: John 10:1-10

A Pastor’s Prayer to the Good Shepherd

St John Damascene (675-749)

Monk, Theologian, Doctor of the Church

O Christ, my God, You stooped down to me, poor straying sheep, to take me on Your shoulders (Lk 15:5) and have set me down in green pastures (Ps 23[22]:2). You have quenched my thirst at the springs of true doctrine, through the mediation of Your pastors, whose shepherd You were, before entrusting to them Your flock… And now, O Lord, You have called me… to serve Your disciples, by what design of Your Providence I know not, only You know.

But, Lord, lighten the heavy burden of those sins of mine that have so gravely offended You, purify my mind and heart. Lead me by the right way (Ps 23[22]:3) as by a light enlightening me. Enable me to proclaim Your word boldly, may Your Spirit’s tongue of flame (Acts 2:3) give perfect freedom to my tongue and make me constantly attentive to Your presence.

Be a shepherd to me, O Lord and together with me, be the shepherd of Your sheep, that my heart may not cause me to swerve either to right or to left. Let Your good Spirit lead me in the right way, that my actions may be carried out, according to Your will – even to the end.”

Amen

a pastor's prayer to the good shepherd - st john damascene 13 may 2019.jpg

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The GOOD SHEPHERD, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 May – “I give them eternal life”

Posted on May 12, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 2 May – The Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year C, Gospel: John 10:27-30 – Good Shepherd/Vocations Sunday

“I give them eternal life”...John 10:27 john 10 27 - i give them eternal life - 12 may 2019 good shepherd sunday

REFLECTION – “The Lord says: “My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me; I give them eternal life”. A little earlier He said to them: “Anyone who enters by me will be saved, he will go in ou, and will find pasture”. (Jn 10:9) He will go into faith, he will go out from faith to vision, from belief to contemplation, will find pasture in eternal refreshment.

The Good Shepherd’s sheep will pasture because whoever follows Him with a guileless heart is nourished with a food of eternal freshness. What are the pastures of these sheep but the eternal joys of an evergreen paradise? The pasture of the elect, is the face of God always before us. When we see Him perfectly, our hearts are endlessly satisfied with the food of life…

Let us seek these pastures, dearly beloved! There we may enjoy the celebration of so many citizens. Let the festival of those who rejoice attract us… Let us enkindle our hearts, my friends, let our faith grow warm again for what it believes, let our desire for heavenly things take fire. To love thus, is to be already on the way. Let no adversity recall us from the joy of inner festivity, no difficulty on his journey, alters the desire, of a person wanting to go to some particular place. Let no seductive good fortune lead us astray, he is a foolish traveller who sees pleasant meadows on his journey and forgets where he is going.”… St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father & Doctor of the Church – Homilies on the Gospel, no15[14]

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, bring us to the joy of Your heavenly city, so that we, Your little flock, may follow where Christ, our Good Shepherd, has gone before us, by the power of His Resurrection. May the prayers of the Blessed Virgin, guide us, that we may always follow our Shepherd and thus reach our heavenly home, to praise Him forever. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and for all eternity, amen. mater dei mother of god pray for us 12 may 2019

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 11 May – “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life..”

Posted on May 11, 2019May 11, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 11 May – Saturday of the Third Week of Easter, C, Gospel: John 6:60–69

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life..”…John 6:68

Excerpt on Pope Benedict’s Catechesis
on Christ and the Church

Wednesday, 15 March 2006

“In choosing the Twelve, introducing them into a communion of life with Himself and involving them in His mission of proclaiming the Kingdom in words and works (cf. Mk 6: 7-13; Mt 10: 5-8; Lk 9: 1-6; 6: 13), Jesus wants to say that the definitive time has arrived in which to constitute the new People of God, the people of the 12 tribes, which now becomes a universal people, His Church.

With their very own existence, the Twelve – called from different backgrounds – become an appeal for all of Israel to convert and allow herself to be gathered into the new covenant, complete and perfect fulfilment of the ancient one. The fact that He entrusted to His Apostles, during the Last Supper and before His Passion, the duty to celebrate His Pasch, demonstrates how Jesus wished to transfer to the entire community, in the person of its heads, the mandate to be a sign and instrument in history of the eschatological gathering begun by Him. In a certain sense we can say that the Last Supper itself is the act of foundation of the Church, because He gives Himself and thus creates a new community, a community united in communion with Himself.

In this light, one understands how the Risen One confers upon them, with the effusion of the Spirit, the power to forgive sins (cf. Jn 20: 23). Thus, the Twelve Apostles are the most evident sign of Jesus’ will. regarding the existence and mission of His Church, the guarantee that between Christ and the Church there is no opposition, despite the sins of the people who make up the Church, they are inseparable.

Therefore, a slogan that was popular some years back: “Jesus yes, Church no”, is totally inconceivable with the intention of Christ. This individualistically chosen Jesus is an imaginary Jesus.

We cannot have Jesus without the reality He created and in which He communicates Himself. Between the Son of God-made-flesh and His Church there is a profound, unbreakable and mysterious continuity by which Christ is present today in His people.

He is always contemporary with us, He is always contemporary with the Church, built on the foundation of the Apostles and alive in the succession of the Apostles.
And His very presence in the community, in which He Himself is always with us, is the reason for our joy.
Yes, Christ is with us, the Kingdom of God is coming.”

MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on FAITH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 May – “Do you want to leave me too?”.

Posted on May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 11 May – Saturday of the Third Week Easter, C, Gospel: John 6:60–69

“Do you want to leave me too?”...John 6:67

REFLECTION – “Jesus confronts His listeners, including His disciples, with an even more merciless decision, in the light of His promise of the Eucharist. Because He refuses to back away, in the slightest, from His statements about the Eucharist, these words seems so ‘intolerable’ to his listeners, that they are faced with the toughest test of all. Indeed, for His disciples, Jesus hones His assertions even more finely, when He predicts His ascent to the Father and claims that all His words are: ‘Spirit and life.”
This draws a line among His disciples, a line that Jesus knew existed from the outset – it was already clear who would follow Him in faith and who would betray Him.
There could be no neutrality.
The account refers to ‘many disciples’ who excused themselves. Judas is not the only one who does not believe. Jesus is not concerned about numbers, hence He even confronts the twelve with the same choice: “Do you want to leave me too?” As spokesman for the small group of faithful ones, Peter gives voice to the word of faith, to the belief that Jesus is “the Holy One of God.” Faith had brought him to a realisation and that realisation, made possible, the virtually blind faith needed for such a decision!”…Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988)

PRAYER – Mould our minds and our hearts, we pray You Lord, by the union of Your Son and His Church. As we belong to You, You joined us to Your Son to become one with Him. May we always strive to live up to this union and may we make our lives, a constant sharing, in Christ’s death and Resurrection. May His Mother give us her heart, to love Him as she does. We make our prayer through Him and in Him and with Him, in the union of the Holy Spirit, God for always and forever, amen. mary mother of god pray for us 11 may 2019

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 May – “He is there and He is also here..”

Posted on May 10, 2019May 10, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 10 May – and Friday of the Third Week of Easter, C, First Reading: Acts 9:1-20 and the Memorial of Blessed Ivan Merz (1896-1928)

“He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”…Acts 9:4

REFLECTION – “How can we show that He is there and that He is also here? Let Paul answer for us, who was previously Saul. First of all, the Lord’s own voice from heaven shows this: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Had Paul climbed up to heaven then? Had Paul even thrown a stone at heaven? It was Christians he was persecuting, them he was tying up, them he was dragging off to be put to death, them he was everywhere hunting out of their hiding places and never sparing when he found them. To him the Lord said, “Saul, Saul.” Where is He crying out from? Heaven. So He’s up above. “Why are you persecuting me?” So He’s down below.”…St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father & Doctor (Sermon 122)

PRAYER – Almighty God, You sent Your Son and we have now come to know the grace of His Resurrection. Through Him we live and move and have our being. As we follow Him, He walks with us and leads us to You. Grant we pray, that His mother and ours, may guide our way to Him and may the prayers of Blessed Ivan Merz, who always followed closely behind the Lord, be a solace in our trials. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen. sancta-maria-mary-most-holy-pray-for-us-10-may-2018 bl ivan merz pray for us 10 may 2019

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 9 May – The Word!

Posted on May 9, 2019May 9, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 9 May – Thursday Third Week of Easter, C

“Catholicism is a matter
of the body and the senses,
as much as it is,
a matter of the mind,
precisely because,
the Word became flesh.”

Bishop Robert Barron

“The Word is NOT a bible verse
BUT living, flesh and blood,
Jesus Christ!”

Fr Enrico V Parry

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 May – “..Reading the Scriptures”

Posted on May 9, 2019May 9, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 9 May – Thursday Third Week of Easter, C, First Reading: Acts 8:26–40

“… and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.”…Acts 8:28

REFLECTION – “Consider, I ask you, what a great effort it was not to neglect reading even while on a journey and, especially, while seated in a chariot. Let this be heeded by those people who do not even deign to do it at home but rather think reading the Scriptures is a waste of time, claiming as an excuse their living with a wife, conscription in military service, caring for children, attending to domestics and looking after other concerns, they do not think it necessary for them to show any interest in reading the holy Scriptures.” … St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor (Homilies on Genesis, 35.) acts 8 28 seated in the chariot - considr what great effort - st john chrysostom 9 may 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, in Your Word, You shed the light of Your glory on the peoples who are living in the shadow of death. By Your Word, You teach us all things and lead us in the way of hope and love. For Your Word is Truth and Your Word became flesh and filled our world with the Sun of Justice, Your Son, He who is the Sun and the Truth. May our steps be guided by His Mother, as we follow in the footsteps of Your Word and may the prayers of Blessed Maria Carmen Rendiles, be a help in our trials. Through Christ, our Lord Jesus, with You in union with the Holy Spirit, now and forever, amen. mary refuge of sinners pray for us 28 march 2019 ora pro nobis.jpg

bl maria carmen rendiles pray for us 9 may 2019.jpg

CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

Marian Thoughts – 5 May – ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.’

Posted on May 8, 2019May 8, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Marian Thoughts – 5 May – “Mary’s Month!”

From the Sermons of St Sophronius (560-638) Father of the Church

(St Sophronius was a courageous leader of the Jerusalem Church during the Islamic conquests of the seventh century, Bishop Saint Sophronius I has his liturgical memorial on 11 March).

The blessings of the Father shone upon men through Mary

‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.’ Could anything transcend the joy that is yours, O Virgin Mother? Could anything surpass this race granted by God to you alone? Is it possible to think of anything more gratifying and more splendid? Nothing can even approach the marvel that we see in you. All things lie far below the grace that is yours; in comparison, even the best of them take second place and their brilliance is overshadowed.

‘The Lord is with you’ and who has dared to strive against you? God has been born of you, who would stand in your way and not gladly give you first place and supremacy? For this reason, when I contemplate the privileges that put you above all creatures I cry out to you in highest praise. ‘Hail O favoured one, the Lord is with you.’ The joy that comes from you is shared not only by mankind but also by the powers of heaven.

Truly, ‘you are blessed among women’ for you have changed the condemnation of Eve into a blessing. Because of you, and through you, Adam who hitherto was cast down and condemned received a blessing.

Truly, ‘you are blessed among women’ for through you the blessing of the Father came to mankind and reprieved them from the age-old sentence.

Truly, ‘you are blessed among women’, because through you, your ancestors found salvation. You were to give birth to the Saviour who would win for them God’s salvation.

Truly, ‘you are blessed among women’ for without the seed of man you bore the fruit that gives a blessing to the whole earth and frees it from being condemned to produce only thorns.

Truly, ‘you are blessed among women’, for though you are a woman like any other woman you will in actual fact become the Mother of God. If the one to be born of you, is in truth God incarnate, you rightly deserve to be called ‘she who gave birth to God’, inasmuch, as you truly did give birth to God.

You have God enclosed within your womb. He lives in you according to the flesh and comes forth from you like a bridegroom, giving joy to all and sharing His divine light with all mankind.

In you, O Virgin, as in the clear brightness of heaven, God ‘has placed his tent’ and He ‘will come forth from you like a bridegroom from his chamber’. Like a giant He will run the course of His life to bring salvation to all living things. That course ‘will stretch from one end of the heavens to the other’ filling all things with the life-giving warmth of God’s radiance.

From the Little Office of Mary
+++++++++++++

Mary, Rosa Mystica, Pray for Us!

EUCHARISTIC Adoration, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 8 May – “I am the bread of life”

Posted on May 8, 2019May 8, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 8 May – Wednesday 3rd Week of Easter, C, Gospel: John 6:35–40

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life, he who comes to me shall not hunger and he who believes in me shall never thirst.”…John 6:35 john 6 35 - 11 april 2018.jpg

“A celebration may be flawless on the exterior, very beautiful —
but if it does not lead us to encounter Jesus Christ,
it is unlikely to bear any kind of nourishment
to our heart and our life.
Through the Eucharist, however,
Christ wishes to enter into our life
and permeate it with His grace,
so that in every Christian community
there may be coherence
between liturgy and life.”

Pope Benedict

General Audience, 12 February 2014

“Through the Eucharist
we enter Christ’s paschal mystery,
allowing us to pass
from death to life with Him.”

Pope Francis

“The Eucharist is Jesus Himself
who gives Himself entirely to us.
Nourishing ourselves of that “Bread of Life”
means entering into harmony with the heart of Christ,
assimilating His choices,
His thoughts,
His behaviour.
It means entering into a dynamism of love
and becoming people of peace,
people of forgiveness, of reconciliation,
of sharing in solidarity.
Heaven begins precisely in this communion with Jesus”

Pope Francis

Angelus, 16 August 2015

MORNING Prayers, PAPAL MESSAGES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 May – “We wish to see Jesus”

Posted on May 8, 2019May 7, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 8 May – Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter, C, Gospel: John 6:35–40 and the Memorial of Blessed Clara Fey (1815-1894)

“This is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life”…John 6:40

REFLECTION – “We wish to see Jesus” (Jn 12:21). This request, addressed to the Apostle Philip by some Greeks who had made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover, echoes spiritually in our ears too… Like those pilgrims of two thousand years ago, the men and women of our own day — often perhaps unconsciously — ask believers not only to “speak” of Christ but in a certain sense to “show” Him to them. And is it not the Church’s task, to reflect the light of Christ in every historical period, to make His face shine also before the generations of the new millennium?

Our witness, however, would be hopelessly inadequate if we ourselves had not first contemplated His face… The contemplation of Christ’s face, cannot fail to be inspired by all that we are told about Him, in Sacred Scripture, which from beginning to end, is permeated by His mystery, prefigured in a veiled way in the Old Testament and revealed fully in the New… Remaining firmly anchored in Scripture, we open ourselves to the action of the Spirit (cf. Jn 15:26) from whom the sacred texts derive their origin, as well as to the witness of the Apostles (cf. Jn 15:27), who had a first-hand experience of Christ, the Word of life – they saw Him with their eyes, heard Him with their ears, touched Him with their hands (cf. 1 Jn 1:1). What we receive from them is a vision of faith based on precise historical testimony.”…St John Paul II (1920-2005) – Apostolic Letter “ Novo Millennio Inuente ”, §16-17

PRAYER – Holy almighty God, in Your wisdom You created us and by Your providence You rule us. Penetrate our inmost being with Your holy light, so that our way of life may always be one of faithful service, as we follow Your Son, who leads us to eternal life. May the prayers of Mary our Mother and Blessed Clara Fey, help us to shine Your light on our neighbour. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. mother mary - pray for us - 6 may 2018.jpg

blessed clara fey pray for us 8 may 2019.jpg

QUOTES of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 7 May – “I am not alone”

Posted on May 7, 2019May 7, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 7 May – Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter C, Gospel: John 6:30–35

“I am the bread of life…” John 6:35 i am the bread of life - john 6 35 - 5 aug 2018.jpg

I am not alone.
Jesus dwells within me.
Whatever is pure, simple and innocent in me comes from Him.
With His love, I can love and give myself to others.
With His eyes, I can see God’s face,
with His ears, I can hear God’s voice,
with His heart, I can speak to God’s heart.
I know that, alone, I cannot see, hear or touch God in the world.
But God in me,
the living Christ in me,
can see, hear and touch God in the world
and, all that is Christ’s in me is fully my own.
His simplicity,
His purity,
His innocence,
are my very own
because they are truly given to me,
to be claimed, as my most personal possessions.
That is what Paul means when he says,
“I have been crucified with Christ,
yet, I live,
no longer I
but Christ,
lives in me.”

Fr Henri Nouwen (1932-1996)

i am not alone jesus dwells within me - fr henri nouwen pg29 7 may 2019.jpg

“The Sun of our lives
is the Eucharist.”

St Luigi Gianella (1842-1915)

BAPTISM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 May – “We have been set free…”

Posted on May 7, 2019May 7, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 7 May – Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter, C, Gospel: John 6:30–35 and the Memorial of St Agostino Roscelli

“…My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.”...John 6:32b john 6 35 - the eucharist is the father's gift to the world.jpg

REFLECTION – ““Sing a new song to the Lord!” (Ps 96[95]:1). It is a new song to match a new situation. As Paul wrote: “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2Cor 5:17). Those who were Israelites according to the flesh were set free from the tyranny of the Egyptians thanks to their mediator at that time, all-wise Moses, they were set free from their levy of brickmaking, the useless sweat of their earthly toil…, the cruelty of their overseers, the inhuman harshness of Pharaoh. They passed through the sea, ate manna in the wilderness, drank water that gushed forth from the rock, crossed dry-footed over the Jordan and entered into the Land of promise.

Now all of this has been renewed for our sakes and this new world is incomparably better than the old. We have been set free, not from an earthly slavery but from a spiritual one, we have no longer been delivered from this world’s tasks but from the stains of carnal pleasure. We have escaped, not from Egyptian foremen or an impious and pitiless tyrant, a man like ourselves but from cunning, immoral demons inciting us to sin and from Satan, the leader of their mob.

We have passed over the waves of this present life like a sea, with its commotion and insane bustle. We have eaten spiritual manna, the bread that came down from heaven giving life to the world. When we put our delight in the living waters of Christ, we drank from water that gushed from the rock. We have passed over Jordan thanks to the grace of the holy baptism we were deemed worthy to receive. We entered the Land promised to the saints and made ready for them, that land, which the Lord called to mind when he said: “Blessed the gentle for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt 5:4)….St Cyril of Alexandria (380-444) Father & Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – Almighty Father, to whom this world, with all it’s goodness and beauty belongs, give us grace joyfully to begin this day in Your name and to fill it with the active love for You and our neighbour. By the food You give us, to sustain us on this journey, we are brought to holiness in Your Son, our Lord Jesus the Christ, whom You gave to us as our food. May the Mother of Your Son and our mother, lead us to You and may the prayers of St Agostino Roscelli, be a succour on our way. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen. mary most holy pray for us - 9 nov 2018

st agostino roscelli pray for us 7 may 2019

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 May – “Our first aim is to go to God…”

Posted on May 6, 2019May 6, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 6 May – Monday of the Third week of Easter, Gospel: John 6:22–29

“Do not labour for the food which perishes but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you...”John 6:27

REFLECTION – “Someone who works frenziedly on Sundays, thinking he is going to earn more money or get more done, is making a mistake in his calculations! Can two or three dollars ever compensate for the harm he does himself by violating the law of God? You imagine everything depends on your work, but then an illness, an accident…! It takes so little: a storm, hail, frost… Do not work for food that perishes but for that which dwells in eternal life. What will you gain by having worked on Sunday? You leave the land just as it is when you depart; you do not carry anything away. Our first aim is to go to God, we are not on earth for anything but this! My brethren, we should die on Sundays and come back to life again on Mondays. Sunday belongs to God – it is His day, the Day of the Lord. He made all the days of the week and could have kept them all. He has given you six of them and has only held back the seventh for himself!”…St John Vianney (1786-1859)

PRAYER – King of heaven and earth, Lord God, rule over our hearts and bodies this day. Sanctify us and guide our every thought, word and deed, according to the commandments of Your law, so that now and forever, Your grace may free and save us. Let us walk in Your ways and be your lights and thus by our lives, help others to follow You. Grant that the prayers of our blessed Mother, the Mother of Jesus Your Son and St Francois Laval, who always lived for You alone, may help us, as we work through each day to reach our heavenly home. Through Jesus the Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.

st francois laval pray for us 6 may 2019.jpg

EASTER, PRAYERS for PRIESTS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 5 May – “…Lead you where you do not wish to go.”

Posted on May 5, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 5 May – Third Sunday of Easter, Year C, Gospel: John 21:1–19

“…Lead you where you do not wish to go.”…John 21:18

The Gospel of the appearance of the Lord at the Sea of Tiberias, ends with the installation of Peter in his pastoral office. Everything that precedes this, is preparatory -unsuccessful fishing, then the miraculous catch, after which Peter swims to the Lord and stands beside Him on the bedrock of eternity, while the rest of the Church brings her harvest to the two of them, at which point, Peter, himself, hauls the entire netfull ashore. Finally, the crucial question to Peter – “Do you love me more than these?” You, the Denier, do you love me more than the Beloved Disciple there, who stood under the Cross? Made conscious of his guilt by means of the threefold question, Peter answers with a repentant first ‘Yes’ (since he can, by no means say No), undoubtedly, gaining the strength to do so from John (in the communion of saints).
Without this confession of greater love, the Good Shepherd, who gives His life for his sheep, could not entrust His flock to Peter’s pasturing.
For the office Jesus has received from the Father, is identical, with His own loving sacrifice of His life, for His sheep.
Ever since Jesus bestowed this office on Peter, this unity of love and office has been unconditionally required. This unity is then sealed by the prediction of Peter’s crucifixion, the gift of completed discipleship. The cross will be bound up with the papacy, from this point onward, even when it is given to unworthy popes.
The more seriously a pope takes his office, the heavier the weight of the cross, on his shoulder becomes.

Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar

Light of the World

Pray for Pope Francis, amen!

Prayer for Pope Francis

O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful,
look favourably on Your servant Francis,
whom You have set
at the head of Your Church as her shepherd;
Grant, we pray, that by word and example
he may be of service to those over whom he presides
so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care,
he may come to everlasting life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with You in the
unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EASTER, PAPAL SERMONS, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

Quote of the Day- 5 May – “…Become witnesses of His Resurrection”

Posted on May 5, 2019May 5, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day- 5 May – Third Sunday of Easter, Year C

“The Gospel of Easter is very clear –
we need to go back there, to see Jesus risen
and to become witnesses of His Resurrection.
This is not to go back in time,
it is not a kind of nostalgia.
It is returning to our first love,
in order to receive the fire which Jesus
has kindled in the world
and to bring that fire to all people,
to the very ends of the earth.”

Pope Francis

(Easter Vigil Homily, 2014)

“…He certainly meets us
where we are in life – and –
He will never leave us
where He found us!”

Fr Mark J Hunt STD

DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 May – “Jesus was standing on the shore”

Posted on May 5, 2019May 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 5 May – Third Sunday of Easter, Year C, Gospel: John 21:1–19 and the Memorial of Saint Nunzio Sulprizio (1917-1836)

“When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore”...John 21:4

REFLECTION – “When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore”
What does the sea indicate but the present age, which is disturbed by the uproar of circumstances and the commotion of this perishable life? What does the solidity of the shore signify but the uninterrupted continuance of eternal peace? Therefore, since the disciples were still held in the waves of this mortal life, they were labouring on the sea. But since our Redeemer had already passed beyond His perishable body, after His Resurrection, He stood on the shore, as if He were speaking to His disciples by His actions, of the mystery of His Resurrection: “I am not appearing to you on the sea, because I am not with you in the waves of confusion” (Mt 14:25)

It is for this reason that He said, in another place, to these same disciples after his Resurrection: “These are the words I spoke to you when I was still with you” (Lk 24:44). It was not that He wasn’t with them, when He appeared to them as a bodily presence but… He, in His immortal body, was apart from their mortal bodies. He was saying, that He was no longer with them, even as He stood in their midst. In the passage we read today, He also disclosed, by the place in which He was standing, when He showed Himself on the shore, while they were still at sea, what He professed, when he was with them.”…St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father & Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – Lord God, grant Your people constant joy in the renewed vigour of their souls. They rejoice because You have restored them to the glory of Your adopted children, let them look forward gladly to the certain hope of the resurrection. May the prayers of our Blessed Mother and St Nunzio, who so bravely fought the good fight, be of assistance to us amidst the storms of this mortal life. We make our prayer through our Resurrected Christ, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen, alleluia! blessed virgin queen and mother pray for us 5 may 2019 st nunzio sulprizio pray for us - 5 may 2019

CARMELITES, MORNING Prayers, POETRY, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 May – “It is I, be not afraid.”

Posted on May 4, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 4 May – Mary’s Month and a Marian Saturday of the Second Week of Easter,Gospel: John 6:16–21 and the Memorial of St José Maria Rubio y Peralta SJ (1864-1929)

“It is I, be not afraid.”…John 6:20 john 6 20 - it is I be not afraid 4 may 2019

REFLECTION – Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] (1891-1942)
Carmelite, martyr, co-patron of Europe – “At the Helm”

Fierce are the waves, Lord, rough the seas,
And dark, so dark, the night.
I beg of You to grant me, please,
On lonely vigil, light.

Then steer your ship with steady arm,
Trust me and rest your soul.
Your little boat I’ll keep from harm,
I’ll guide it toward its goal.

Be firm of purpose as you keep
The compass e’er in view.
Through stormy night you’ll cross the deep,
’twill help you to steer true.

The needle trembles faintly, then
Holds steady and prevails;
It points your way and guides you when
I, God, direct your sails.

Be therefore steadfast, calm and true,
Your God is at your side.
Through storm and night He’ll see you through
With conscience as your guide. then steer your ship - st teresa benedicta of the cross - 4 may 2019 john 6 20.jpg

PRAYER – Let us praise You Lord, with voice and mind and deed and since life itself is Your gift, may all we have and are, be Yours! May our Mother be with us and pray for us and listen, we pray, to the prayers of St José Maria Rubio as we ask his intercession. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, in union with You, one God for all eternity, amen. st jose maria rubio pray for us 4 may 2019

holy-mary-mother-of-god-pray-for-us-sinners-4-may-2018

CATHOLIC Quotes, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 May – I believe

Posted on May 3, 2019May 3, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 3 May – Friday of the Second Week of Easter, Gospel: John 14:6–14 and the Feast of Sts James and Philip and the Memorial of Saint Stanislaw Kazimierczyk CRL (1433–1489)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father…”...John 14:12

REFLECTION – “Jesus is the Father’s Emissary. From the beginning of His ministry, He “called to him those whom he desired … And he appointed twelve, whom also He named apostles, to be with Him and to be sent out to preach.” (Mk 3:13-14) From then on, they would also be His “emissaries” (Greek apostoloi). In them, Christ continues His own mission = “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” (Jn 20:21) The apostles’ ministry is the continuation of His mission, Jesus said to the Twelve: “he who receives you receives me.” (Mt 10:40)

Jesus unites them to the mission He received from the Father. As “the Son can do nothing of his own accord” but receives everything from the Father who sent Him, so those whom Jesus sends can do nothing apart from Him (Jn 5:19.30), from whom they received both the mandate for their mission and the power to carry it out. Christ’s apostles knew that they were called by God as “ministers of a new covenant,” “servants of God,” “ambassadors for Christ,” “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor 4:1).

In the office of the apostles, there is one aspect that cannot be transmitted – to be the chosen witnesses of the Lord’s Resurrection and so the foundation stones of the Church. But their office also has a permanent aspect. Christ promised to remain with them always. The divine mission entrusted by Jesus to them “will continue to the end of time, since the Gospel they handed on is the lasting source of all life for the Church. Therefore, … the apostles took care to appoint successors.” (Vatican II, LG 20) Catechism of the Catholic Church- #858-860

PRAYER – Almighty Father, we believe, strengthen our faith. Divine Son, we follow You, remain with us. Holy Spirit, come, guide our steps. Glory be to the Father and to the So and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, amen. Saints James and Philip, Saint Stanislaw, pray for us! st james and philip pray for us 3 may 2019- no 4jpg.jpg

st stanislaw kazimierczyk pray for us 3 may 2019.jpg

DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 May – He is in them by the Presence of His Spirit and in them He is seen.

Posted on May 2, 2019May 2, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 2 May – Thursday of the Second week of Easter, Gospel: John 3:31–36 and the Memorial of St Athanasius (297-373) – Father and Doctor of the Church and St Antoninus OP (1389-1459), Gospel: John 3:31–36

For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit…he who does not obey the Son shall not see life…John 3:34,36

REFLECTION – “The sanctification or, rather, the deification of the nature of man, is one main subject of St Athanasius’s theology. Christ, in rising, raises His Saints with Him to the right hand of power. They become instinct with His life, of one body with His flesh, divine sons, immortal kings, gods. He is in them, because He is in human nature and He communicates in them that nature, deified by becoming His, that them It may deify. He is in them by the Presence of His Spirit and in them He is seen.”…Bl John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

PRAYER – Lord God, whose name is holy and whose mercy is proclaimed in every generation, send forth Your Spirit into our hearts and grant that, faithfully pondering on all that is holy, we may ever live in the splendour of Your presence. Listen we beseech You, to the prayers we request from St Athanasius and St Antoninus, to help us on this earthly journey. We make our prayer through Christ, Your Son our Lord and Saviour, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever amen. st-athanasius-pray-for-us-2-may-2019

st antoninus - pray for us 2 may 2019

CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, St JOSEPH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 May – “The light that never dims”

Posted on May 1, 2019May 1, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 1 May – Wednesday of the Second week of Easter, the first day of Mary’s Month and the Memorial of St Joseph the Worker, Gospel: John 3:16–21

“But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.”…John 3:21

REFLECTION – “In the evening, when the Bishop is present, the deacon carries in the lamp. And standing in the midst of all the faithful who are there, he will offer thanksgiving. First of all he says the greeting: “The Lord be with you,” and the people respond: “And with your spirit.” – Then he says: “Let us give thanks to the Lord” and they reply: “It is right and just. To Him be the greatness and supremacy together with the glory”… Then he will pray thus, saying:
“We give you thanks, Lord, through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom you enlighten us by revealing the light that never dims. Since day is spent and we have now reached evening, filled with the light of the day you created for our joy and since, through your grace, we do not now lack the light of evening, we praise and glorify you through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom to you be glory and power and honour, with the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and through all ages. Amen.” And everyone will say: “Amen.”
In this way, after the meal, all will stand in prayer. The children say psalms as also the virgins.”…St Hippolytus of Rome (c 170– c 235) Priest and Martyr – Apostolic Tradition, 25

PRAYER – Shed your clear light on our hearts, Lord, so that walking continually in the way of Your commandments, we may never be deceived or misled. Your ways are not our ways, teach us to willingly agree to them, for You know which way we should go. Help us to say “yes” always to Your plan and to render ourselves as a sacrament of Your divine love to all we meet. Fill us with the grace to be your tools to bring glory to Your kingdom. St Joseph, silent and loving husband and father, as you worked for and protected your family on earth, protect us all now in the Church of Your adopted son. Through Him, our Our Lord Jesus Christ with You, in the union of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen. st joseph the worker pray for us 1 may 2019.jpg

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MARIAN TITLES, POETRY, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 April – My heart has become Your manger

Posted on April 30, 2019April 30, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 30 April – Tuesday of the Second week of Easter and the Feast of Our Lady, Mother of Africa (1840) and the Memorial of St Pope Pius V OP (1504-1572), The Pope of Lepanto

“…So that everyone who believes, may have eternal life in him”…John 3:15 jesus and nicodemus john 3 15 everyone who believes may have eternal life in him 30april2019.jpg

REFLECTION –
“My Lord, God,
You have led me by a long, dark path,
Rocky and hard.
Often my strength threatened to fail me.
I almost lost all hope of seeing the light.
But when my heart grew numb with deepest grief,
A clear star rose for me.
Steadfast it guided me- I followed,
At first reluctant, but more confidently later.

At last I stood at Church’s gate.
It opened. I sought admission.
From Your priest’s mouth Your blessing greets me.
Within me stars are strung like pearls.
Red blossom stars show me the path to You.
They wait for You at Holy Night.
But Your goodness
Allows them to illuminate my path to You.
They lead me on.
The secret which I had to keep in hiding
Deep in my heart,
Now I can shout it out:
I believe-I profess!
The priest accompanies me to the altar:
I bend my face-
Holy water flows over my head.

Lord, is it possible that someone who is past
Midlife can be reborn (Jn 3:4)?
You said so and for me it was fulfilled,
A long life’s burden of guilt and suffering
Fell away from me.
Erect I receive the white cloak,
Which they place round my shoulders,
Radiant image of purity!
In my hand I hold a candle.
Its flame makes known
That deep within me glows Your holy life.

My heart has become Your manger,
Awaiting You,
But not for long!
Maria, Your mother and also mine
Has given me her name.
At midnight she will place her newborn child
Into my heart.

Ah, no-one’s heart can fathom,
What You’ve in store for those who love You (1Cor 2:9).
Now You are mine and I won’t let You go.
Wherever my life’s road may lead,
You are with me.
Nothing can ever part me from Your love (Rm 8:39).”

St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] OCD (1891-1942) Martyr

PRAYER – True Light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ, as You enlighten all men for their salvation, give us grace, we pray, to herald Your coming, by preparing the ways of justice and of peace. May the intercession of Your Mother and our Mother of Africa and St Pope Pius V, assist us on our journey to You. Who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever, amen. our lady mother of africa pray for us 30 april 2019

st pope pius V pray for us - 30 april 2019

BAPTISM, CARMELITES, DOCTORS of the Church, DOMINICAN OP, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 April – “A ray of sunlight shining on a smudgy window”

Posted on April 29, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 29 April – Monday of the Second week of Easter, Year C, Gospel: John 3:1–8 and the Memorial of St Peter of Verona OP (1205–1252)

“…that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”...John 3:6

REFLECTION – “We read in Saint John – No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. To be reborn in the Holy Spirit during this life is to become most like God in purity, without any mixture of imperfection. Accordingly, pure transformation can be effected – although not essentially – through the participation of union.

Here is an example that will provide a better understanding of this explanation. A ray of sunlight shining on a smudgy window, is unable to illumine that window completely and transform it into its own light. It could do this, if the window were cleaned and polished… The extent of illumination is not dependent on the ray of sunlight but on the window. If the window is totally clean and pure, the sunlight will so transform and illumine it, that to all appearances the window will be identical with the ray of sunlight and shine just as the sun’s ray. Although, obviously, the nature of the window is distinct from that of the sun’s ray, even if the two seem identical, we can assert, that the window is the ray or light of the sun by participation.

The soul on which the divine light of God’s being is ever shining, or better, in which it is ever dwelling by nature, is like this window. A soul makes room for God by wiping away all the smudges and smears of creatures, by uniting its will perfectly to God’s, for to love is to labour, to divest and deprive oneself for God, of all that is not God. When this is done, the soul will be illumined by and transformed in God.”…St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Church

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, grant that Your faithful people who were buried with Your Son in baptism, may by His Resurrection and intercession at Your right hand, obtain for us eternal life. Send Your Spirit upon Your adopted children and lead us in Your way. Grant that by the intercession of St Peter of Verona, our path may be straightened and glow with Your light. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. st peter of verona pray for us 29 april 2019

DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, EASTER, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on MERCY, QUOTES on PEACE, The HOLY GHOST, The PASSION, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 28 April – “Receive the Holy Spirit”

Posted on April 28, 2019April 28, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 28 April – Low Sunday the Octave Day of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, Gospel: John 20:19–31

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. “...John 20:21-22

Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church

First Sermon for Pentecost

‘He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit” ‘
Lord Jesus Christ, once again grant that of us, too, there may be but “one heart and mind” (Acts 4:32) for then there will be “a great calm” (Mk 4:39). My dear listeners, I exhort you to good will and kindness to one another and peace with all. For were we to have charity among ourselves, we would have both peace and the Holy Spirit. Let us undertake to become devout and pray to God… since the apostles persevered in prayer… If we set ourselves to fervent prayer then the Holy Spirit will enter us and say: “Peace be with you! It is I; be not afraid” (cf. Mk 6:50)… And what ought we to ask God for, my brethren? For all that is for His honour and the salvation of your souls and, in a word, for the help of the Holy Spirit – “Send forth your Spirit and they will be created” (Ps 104[103]:30) – peace and tranquillity… mark 6 50 peace be with you it is i be not afraid - div mercy sun 28 april 2019.jpg

We are to ask for this peace so that the Spirit of peace may come down on us. We should give thanks to God, too, for all His blessings if we want Him to grant us those victories that are the beginning of peace. And to obtain the Holy Spirit we should give thanks to God the Father for having first of all sent Him upon our Head, Jesus Christ, who is our Lord and His Son… – for “from his fullness we have all received” (cf. Jn 1:16) – and for having sent Him upon His apostles that through their hands they might pass Him onto us. We should give thanks to the Son – as God, He sends the Spirit upon those who prepare themselves to receive Him. But, most especially, we should thank Him because, as man, He merited for us, the grace of receiving this divine Spirit…

And how has Jesus Christ merited the Holy Spirit’s coming? When “bowing his head, he gave up his spirit” (Jn 19:30), for, when He gave breathed His last and handed over His spirit to the Father, He merited the Father’s sending His Spirit upon His mystical body. he breathed on them john 20 22 - and to obtain the holy spirit - st francis de sales div mercy sun 28 april 2019.jpg

CONFESSION/PENANCE, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, EASTER, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 April – “Peace be with you.”

Posted on April 28, 2019April 28, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 28 April – Low Sunday the Octave Day of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, Gospel: John 20:19–31

“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”…John 20:21–23 john 20 21 - peace be with you - div mercy sun 28 april 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “This Sunday, … concludes the week or, more properly, the “Octave” of Easter, which the liturgy considers as a single day: “the day which the Lord has made” (Ps 117[116]: 24). It is not a chronological but a spiritual time, which God opened in the sequence of days when He raised Christ from the dead. The Creator Spirit, infusing new and eternal life in the buried body of Jesus of Nazareth, carried to completion the work of creation, giving origin to a “firstfruits” – the firstfruits of a new humanity, which at the same time is a firstfruits of a new world and a new era.

This world renewal can be summed up in a single phrase, the same one that the Risen Jesus spoke to his disciples as a greeting and even more, as an announcement of his victory: “Peace be with you!” (Lk 24: 36; Jn 20: 19, 21, 26).

Peace is the gift that Christ left his friends (see Jn 14: 27) as a blessing destined for all men and women and all peoples. It is not a peace according to a “worldly” mentality, as an equilibrium of forces but a new reality, fruit of God’s Love, of His Mercy. It is the peace that Jesus Christ earned, by the price of His Blood and communicates to those who trust in Him.

“Jesus, I trust in you” these words summarise the faith of the Christian, which is faith in the omnipotence of God’s merciful Love.”…Pope Benedict XVI – REGINA CÆLI – Second Sunday of Easter, 15 April 2007

PRAYER – Almighty Father, grant we pray that with Mary’s help, Mater Misericordiae, Mother of Jesus who is the incarnation of Divine Mercy, that we become renewed in the Spirit, in order to cooperate in the work of peace which You are accomplishing in the world and which is not just talk, but which is actualised in the countless gestures of charity by all his sons and daughters. Grant we pray, that we taste the beauty of the encounter with the Risen Lord and draw from the source of His merciful love, to be apostles of His peace. Through Christ, Redeemer and Merciful Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for always and forever, amen. mater misericordiae mother of merct pray for us 8 april 2019.jpg

CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EASTER, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, The RESURRECTION, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 27 April – By following Him, we can see Him!

Posted on April 27, 2019April 27, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 27 April – Saturday of Easter week

“He is not here, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him” (Mk 16:6)

“There is another important aspect (in the Resurrection), Jesus show Himself in the act of departure.
This is clearest in the event of Emmaus and in His meeting with Mary Magdalen. He summons us to go with Him.
Resurrection is not an indulgence of curiosity – it is MISSION. It’s intention is to transform the world! It calls for an active joy, the joy of those who are themselves going along the path of the Risen One.
That is true today too – He only shows Himself to those who walk with Him. The angel’s first word to the women was “He is not here, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him” (Mk 16:6). So once and for all, we are told where the Risen One is to be found and how we are to meet Him – HE GOES BEFORE YOU. He is present in preceding us.
By following Him, we can see Him!”

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)

The Word of the Witnesses – Seek that Which is Above

EASTER, PAPAL Apostolic EXHORTATIONS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 April – Go Forth

Posted on April 27, 2019April 27, 2019 by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 27 April – Saturday of Easter week, Gospel: Mark 16:9–15

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation...Mark 16:15

REFLECTION – “Evangelisation takes place in obedience to the missionary mandate of Jesus: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20)… The risen Christ sent His followers to preach the Gospel in every time and place, so that faith in Him might spread to every corner of the earth.

The word of God constantly shows us how God challenges those who believe in Him “to go forth”. Abraham received the call to set out for a new land (Gen 12:1-3). Moses heard God’s call: “Go, I send you” (Ex 3:10) and led the people towards the promised land. To Jeremiah God says: “To all whom I send you, you shall go” (Jer 1:7)… All of us are called to take part in this new missionary “going forth”. Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out but all of us are asked to obey His call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the “peripheries” in need of the light of the Gospel.

The Gospel joy which enlivens the community of disciples is a missionary joy. The seventy-two disciples felt it as they returned from their mission (Lk 10:17). Jesus felt it when He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit… This joy is a sign that the Gospel has been proclaimed and is bearing fruit. Yet the drive to go forth and give, to go out from ourselves, to keep pressing forward in our sowing of the good seed, remains ever present. The Lord says: “Let us go on to the next towns that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out” (Mk 1:38)… In fidelity to the example of the Master, it is vitally important, for the Church today to go forth and preach the Gospel to all – to all places, on all occasions, without hesitation, reluctance or fear.”…Pope Francis – Apostolic Exhortation « The Joy of the Gospel / Evangelii Gaudium » §19-23

PRAYER – Lord our God, You increase and multiply Your faithful by Your abundant gift of grace. Look now on Your chosen people and clothe forever in the garment of eternal life, all those who have been reborn in baptism. Grant that the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, the saints and angels, may accompany us on our journey. Through our Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen. BLESSED VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD PRAY FOR US.jpg

QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 26 April – “… only the Cross of Christ”

Posted on April 26, 2019April 26, 2019 by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 26 April – Friday of Easter week and the Memorial of St Rafael Arnáiz Barón OCSO (1911-1938)

“…only the Cross of Christ
sheds light on the path of this life….
God is in the detached heart,
in the silence of prayer,
in the voluntary sacrifice to pain,
in the emptiness of the world and its creatures.
God is in the Cross and,
as long as we do not love the Cross,
we will not see Him, or feel Him….
If the world and men knew….
But they will not know,
they are very busy in their interests,
their hearts are very full of things
that are not God.”

“How good God is, I thought!
There is peace everywhere
except in the human heart.
…God is so good to me that,
in the silence,
He speaks to my heart
and teaches me,
little by little,
sometimes in tears,
always with the cross,
to detach myself from creatures,
not to look for perfection
except in Him …”

St Rafael Arnáiz Barón (1911-1938)

The message of the cross
is foolishness to those
who are perishing
but to us,
who are being saved,
it is the power
of God…

1 Corinthians 1:18

More Quotes of St Rafael – https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/04/26/quote-s-of-the-day-26-april-thursday-of-the-fourth-week-of-eastertide-and-the-memorial-of-st-rafael-arnaiz-baron-1911-1938/ 1-corinthians-1-18-the message of the cross is foolishness - 26 april 2018.jpg

	20 ta’ Diċembr… on Saint of the Day – 20 De…
	Saint of the Day – 1… on Saint of the Day – 19 Septembe…
	17 ta’ Diċembr… on Saint of the Day – 17 De…
	Saint of the Day – 1… on Saint of the Day – 18 Septembe…
	Saint of the Day – 1… on Saint of the Day – 17 Septembe…

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