Category: The WORD

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on FAITH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 April – Others said, “This is the Christ.” 

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One Minute Reflection – 6 April – Saturday of the Fourth week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: John 7:40–53

Others said, “This is the Christ.”   But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee?...John 7:41others said this is the christ john 7 41 - 6 april 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him:  ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’   That is the one thing we must not say.   A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else He would be the Devil of Hell.   You must make your choice.   Either this man was and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.   You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher.   He has not left that open to us.   He did not intend to.”…Prof C S Lewisi am trying here - c s lewis john 7 41 6 april 2019 no 2.jpg

PRAYER – In Your gentle mercy Lord, guide our wayward hearts, for we know that left to ourselves, we cannot do Your will.   Almighty God, turn our hearts to Yourself, so that we, seeking the one thing necessary, may worship You in spirit and in truth.   We give You thanks for our faith, increase our faith O our God!   May the prayers of all your saints and the Virgin Mary, Queen of All Saints, obtain the gift of humility and fidelity for us and for every believer, so that our prayer may always be genuine and pleasing to the Lord. Through Christ our Lord and Redeemer, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.virin mary queen of all saints no 2 pray for us 6 april 2019.jpg

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, LENT 2019, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 5 April – “Love…more powerful than sin.”

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Lenten Reflection – 5 April – Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C

The Readings:
Wisdom 2:1A, 12-22; Psalm 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23; John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

St Pope John Paul (1920-2005)

Encyclical « Dives in Misericordia » # 8

“You know me and you know where I come from?
But I have not come of my own accord;
he who sent me is true and him you do not know.”…John 7:28

The Paschal Mystery is Christ at the summit of the revelation of the inscrutable mystery of God.   It is precisely then that the words pronounced in the Upper Room are completely fulfilled:  “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9).   In fact, Christ, whom the Father “did not spare” (Rm 8:32) for the sake of man and who in His passion and in the torment of the cross did not obtain human mercy, has revealed in His resurrection, the fullness of the love that the Father has for Him and, in Him, for all people. “He is not God of the dead, but of the living” (Mk 12:27).

In His resurrection Christ has revealed the God of merciful love, precisely because He accepted the cross as the way to the resurrection.   And, it is for this reason, that, when we recall the cross of Christ, His passion and death, our faith and hope are centred on the Risen One – on that Christ who “on the evening of that day, the first day of the week, . . .stood among them” in the upper Room, “where the disciples were, …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’ ” (Jn 20:19).

Here is the Son of God, who in His resurrection, experienced in a radical way, mercy shown to Himself, that is to say the love of the Father which is more powerful than death.   And it is also the same Christ, the Son of God, who… reveals Himself as the inexhaustible source of mercy, of the same love… more powerful than sin.and it is also the same christ - st john paul - encyclical frifourtheweeklent 5 april 2019.jpg

Daily Meditation:
May we reach out with joy to grasp Your hand.

We keep acknowledging that God is the source of our life.
We realise that we have been seeking other sources of life.
We recognise our weakness and turn to God for help.
Though our hearts are being opened up to their depths,
though we cry out to God for help, we are not discouraged.

The Lord is near to broken hearts.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
Psalm 34:18-19

Closing Prayer:
Loving God of forgiveness,
I come before You humbled and sad
in the face of my own repeated failings.
I hold out my hands as a petitioner would,
asking for mercy.
It is then that I feel You reach out and take my hand
in Your loving grasp.
Thank You for the love You pour out on me so lavishly.
Help me to follow more closely
in the path You have set for me,
the path of Your Son.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amenjohn 7 28 you know me - fridayfourtheweeklent 5 april 2019

Posted in JESUIT SJ, LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 April – “You know me?”

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One Minute Reflection – 5 April – Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 and celebrating St Vincent Ferrer and Blessed Mariano de la Mata

“You know me and you know where I come from?   But I have not come of my own accord;  he who sent me is true and him you do not know.”…John 7:28

REFLECTION – “The crowds are surprised to see Jesus teaching in public, despite the death threats and so wonder if He could indeed be the Messiah.   The crucial question here is, whether or not one perceives Jesus as having been sent by God.   The answer to this question determines whether one is on the right track or engaged in only superficial reflection.   God, in Jesus, continues to come to us in various disguises and forms. If we decide in advance how He must come, then there is the danger that we too might continue to miss Him.   The way to be able to find Him in all things and all things in Him, is to be open and receptive and let God be God.   It is to open our eyes, ear and every fibre of our being to the revelation that He will make and to be prepared for that revelation, in the most unexpected persons, places and events!”…Fr Errol Fernandes SJjohn 7 28 you know me - god in jesus continues to come - gods word 5 april 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Loving God and Father, open our eyes and ears and our hearts.   Help us to recognise the Light of Christ in the world around us.   Too often we are hard of heart and closed up in our ‘rites’ – He is there but He is not only there and we are blind.   May the prayers of the saints and angels help us to be open to Him.   Mary, the Mother He gave us, pray for us.   Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.mother mary pray for us - 5 oct 2018.jpg

st-vincent-ferrer-pray-for-us-5-april-2018.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, The WORD

Lenten Thoughts – 4 April – I Am With You

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Lenten Thoughts – 4 April – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C

I Am With You
By Fr John Woolley 1928-2008
A Missionary of God’s Word

“For the sake of My sheep
I surrender My life”
John 10:15

My child, let it be your privilege, each day, to dwell upon My sacrifice – made for the whole world.

In My suffering love upon the Cross, you see a continuing process….the unrequited love which pursues My children – yearning for the slightest response and profoundly grateful, when one of those children surrenders his or her life to Me.

On the Cross, you see My heart of love crushed, for the moment, by the force of evil which darkens this universe.   Then you see the bursting forth again of love’s power … In my Father’s victory, this power, in its submission and its patience, can change permanently, any human situation.

Although you are conscious of being unworthy of that love, be sure that the pain of rejections is made so much less by even the simplest, imperfect dependence upon Myself.

Here, at the Cross, give Me your heart, anew, everyday!john 10 15 for the sake of my sheep - here at the cross give me your heart i am with you 4 april 2019.jpg

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A departure for me – Fr John Woolley was an Anglican Minister in Chester, England.   His most famous work “I Am With You” is widely regarded and is filled with his reflections which he called “heart whispers from God.”

Posted in LENT 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 4 April – Fertile excuses and evasions

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Lenten Reflection – 4 April – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C

The Readings:
Exodus 32:7-14; Psalms 106:19-20, 21-22, 23; John 5:31-47

“…you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe him whom he has sent.”...John 5:38THURSDAYFOURTHERWEEKLENT - 4 APRIL 2018 JOHN 5 38.jpg

Fertile excuses and evasions
Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Next I observe that a civilised age is more exposed to subtle sins than a rude age.   Why? For this simple reason- because it is more fertile in excuses and evasions.   It can defend error and hence, can blind the eyes of those who have not very careful consciences.   It can make error plausible, it can make vice look like virtue.   It dignifies sin by fine names;  it calls avarice proper care of one’s family, or industry, it calls pride independence, it calls ambition greatness of mind;  resentment it calls proper spirit and sense of honour and so on.

…What all of us want more than anything else, what this age wants, is that its intellect and its will should be under a law.   At present it is lawless, its will is its own law, its own reason is the standard of all truth  . It does not bow to authority, it does not submit to the law of faith.   It is wise in its own eyes and it relies on its own resources.   And you, as living in the world, are in danger of being seduced by it and being a partner in its sin and so coming in, at the end, for its punishment.this-age-dignifies-sin-bljhnewman 10 march 2017.jpg

Daily Meditation:
Lead us to the joy of Easter.
We are still aware of our patterns.
We still are realigning our priorities.
We are still trying to simplify
and trying to eat in solidarity with others.
Most of all, we are still asking for a change of heart.

They made a calf in Horeb
and worshipped a molten image.
They exchanged the glory of God
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
Psalm 106:19-20

Closing Prayer:
Merciful Father, Loving Mother,
I know that the tiny sacrifices I make this Lent
can never serve as a real penance in my life.
But help me to make my whole life
one of following Your Son.
Listening to Him, seeking Him.
I am filled with Your love.
Let Your love shine out from within me
and guide my life in this sacred journey
toward the Easter joy You offer me.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen

Posted in LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 4 April – “A veil hid Him from their eyes”

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One Minute Reflection – 4 April – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C, Gospel:  John 5:31–47 and the Memorial of St Isidore (c 560-636) Father & Doctor of the Church

“If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me.”…John 5:46

REFLECTION – “Moses face had become radiant while he conversed with the Lord. Aaron and the other Israelites saw (it)… and were afraid to come near him… When Moses had finished speaking with them, he would again put the veil over his face” (cf. Ex 34:29f.).   The radiance lighting up Moses’ face was Christ shining within him but He was hidden from the eyes of the Hebrews who did not see him… The Old Testament as a whole is shown to us, veiled like Moses, the symbol of all prophecy.   Underneath this veil, displayed by the lips of the prophets, Christ appears, a judge in majesty, seated on his throne of glory…

If Moses was veiled, what other prophet could have uncovered his face?   All veiled their speech in imitation of him.   They simultaneously heralded and veiled, they put forth their message and, at the same time, covered it with a veil… Because Jesus shone out in their books, a veil hid Him from their eyes, a veil that makes known to all the world how the words of Holy Scripture contain a hidden meaning…

Our Lord lifted this veil when He expounded His mysteries to the whole of creation.   By His coming, the Son of God uncovered Moses’ face, the incomprehensible words, that up to then had been veiled.   The new covenant has come to interpret the old, now, at last, the world is able to grasp those words that nothing covers any longer.   The Lord, our Sun, has arisen over the world and illumined every living being, mysteries and enigmas are at last made clear.   The veil that used to cover those books has been removed and the world beholds the Son of God with uncovered face.”…St Jacob of Sarug (c 451-521) Syrian Bishop and Monkthe new covenant has come to interpret the old john 5 46 thurs4thweeklent 4 april 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Father almighty, grant us Your good grace to trust completely in the Word made Flesh whom You sent to lead us to our heavenly home and save us from our evil ways.   As we proceed by penance and prayer, grant us now perseverance in listening to Him and learning from Him.   May the prayers of St Isidore, assist us on our journey.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with You, now and forever, amen.st-isidore-pray-for-us-4-april-2018.jpg

Posted in GOD the FATHER, LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 April – “Father”

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One Minute Reflection – 3 April – Wednesday of the Fourth week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: John 5:17–30

Jesus answered them, “My Father is working still and I am working.” This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his Father...John 5:17-18

REFLECTION – “Father – with this word I express my certainty that someone is there who hears me, who never leaves me alone, who is always present.   I express my certainty that God, despite the infinite difference between Him and me, is such that I can speak to Him, may even address Him familiarly as “thou” (German du).
His greatness does not overwhelm me, does not reject me as insignificant and unimportant.   Certainly I am subject to Him as a child is subject to his father, yet there is such a fundamental similarity and likeness between Him and me, yes, I am so important to Him, I belong so closely to Him, that I can rightly address Him as “Father”.
My being born is not a mistake, then but a grace.   It is good to live even though I do not always perceive it.   I am wanted. not a child of chance or necessity but of choice and freedom.
Therefore, I shall also have a purpose in life, there will always be a meaning for me, a task designed just for me, there is a conception of me that I can seek and find and fulfil. When the school of life becomes unbearably hard, when I would like to cry out as Job did, as the psalmist did – then I can transform this cry into the word “Father” and the cry will gradually become a word, a reminder to trust, because from the Father’s perspective it is clear that my distress, yes, my agony, is part of the greater love for which I give thanks.”…Pope Benedict XVIjohn 5 17 - jesus answered my father is working - father with this word pope benedict 3 april 2019

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father!   We give You thanks for cleansing our hearts and strengthening us in love through the Holy Spirit.   May we always be grateful for all the goodness You have shown us and may we bear our trials with patience.   You gave us Your only Son, in His life You have shown us the way of love, teach us to follow His steps in the great and small events of our life.   Move us always to hear the cries of our brothers.   May the prayers of all the angels and saints and the guiding hand of our Mother, the Mother of Christ, grant us strength.   Through Jesus our Lord, in the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.mater dei ora pro nobis mary pray for us 3 april 2019.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Lenten Reflection – 2 April – For Me!

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Lenten Reflection – 2 April – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C

The Readings:
Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12; Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9; John 5:1-16

“Without the Way, there is no going,
Without the Truth, there is no knowing,
Without the Life, there is no living.”

“Follow Me. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Without the Way, there is no going.
Without the Truth, there is no knowing.
Without the Life, there is no living.
I am the Way which you must follow,
the Truth which you must believe,
the Life for which you must hope.
I am the inviolable Way,
the infallible Truth,
the unending Life.
I am the Way that is straight,
the supreme Truth,
the Life that is true,
the blessed, the uncreated Life.
If you abide in My Way you shall know the Truth
and the Truth shall make you free
and you shall attain life everlasting.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ

follow-me-the-imitation-of-christ-for-lent-12-feb-2018.jpg

Daily Meditation:
Our embrace leads to praise.

This is second part of Lent.
We begin to feel the power of the Fourth Gospel.
The “forces” that are opposed in the gospel
have everything to do with the forces at work in my heart.
He is clearly about to embrace His passage – His passover – from death to life.
This paschal mystery is what we are preparing to celebrate.

As we grow in love and compassion for what Jesus is facing for us,
we ask to be prepared to embrace His way, His path,
the pattern of His dying and rising.
We ask that we would be prepared to proclaim this gift to others, with great joy

“It was because Jesus did things such as this on the Sabbath that they began to persecute him.” …John 5:16
For me!

Closing Prayer:
Joyful praise in Lent?
I’m not sure I always feel that.
I ask you to help me prepare to understand
and embrace the paschal mystery in my life.
I don’t always see the beauty and mystery of this season
and often I run from the pain.
Help me to see how Your saving grace
and Your loving touch in my life
can fill me with joyful praise of the salvation
You have sent to me.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amenlent tues of the fourth week john 5 16 it was because 2 april 2019.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 April

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One Minute Reflection – 2 April – Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of St Francis of Paola O.M. (1416-1507) and St Pedro Calungsod (1654–1672) Martyr

So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet.”  But he answered them, “The man who healed me said to me, ‘Take up your pallet, and walk.’ ”...John 5:10-11

REFLECTION – “Christian hypocrites, like these, only interested in their formalities.   It was a Sabbath?   No, you cannot do miracles on the Sabbath, the grace of God cannot work on Sabbath days.   They close the door to the grace of God.   We have so many in the Church, we have many!   It is another sin.   The first, those who have the sin of sloth, are not able to go forward with their apostolic zeal, because they have decided to stand firm in themselves, in their sorrows, their resentments, in all of that.   Such as these are not capable of bringing salvation because they close the door to salvation.”…Pope Francis – Santa Marta 1 April 2014john 5 10-11 - it is not lawful to carry your pallet - christian hyprocrites - pope francis - 2 april 2019.jpg

PRAYER – God, our Father almighty, You gave us Christ Your Son to be our Bread of life and the message of truth, justice and love.   May we live His lessons in every fibre of our being and thus pass from death to life.   May the prayers of your Holy angel, saints and martyrs, St Francis of Paola and St Pedro Calungsod, be an inspiration and a balm in our trials.   Through Jesus our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.st francis of paola pray for us 2 april 2019

st pedro calungsod pray for us 2 april 2019

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FREEDOM, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 1 April – “Go, your son will live.”

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Lenten Reflection – 1 April – Monday of the Fourth week of Lent, Year C

The Readings:
Isaiah 65:17-21; Psalms 30:2 and 4, 5-6, 11-12A and 13B; John 4:43-54john 4 50 go your son will live mon fourthweek lent 1 april 2019.jpg

“Go, your son will live.”…John 4:50

Saint Anastasius II of Antioch (550-609)
Monk, then Patriarch of Antioch from 549-570 and from 593-599

Sermon 5, on the Resurrection of Christ, (trans. cf breviary, Office of the Dead)

“To this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Rm 14:9).   But “God is not God of the dead, but of the living” (Lk 20:38). Consequently, the dead over whom He who lives has power are no longer dead but alive. Life has power over them so that they may live without any further fear of death just as “Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again” (Rm 6:9).   Raised up and freed from corruption they shall see death no more.   They will share in the Resurrection of Christ just as He shared in their death.   For no other reason did He descend to earth, whose bars are barriers to eternity, except to “shatter the doors of bronze and cut in two the bars of iron” (Ps 107[106]:16).   He came to lead our lives away from corruption to Himself and gave us freedom in place of slavery.

If the work of this arrangement of providence does not seem to be finished yet, for men still die and their bodies rot in the grave, this should in no way undermine our faith.   In advance of all the good things already mentioned we have even now received a pledge through Christ our first fruits.   Through Him, we attain the highest heaven and take our places with Him who carried us up to the heights with Himself.   That is what Saint Paul says somewhere:  “he raised us up with him and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6).he came to lead our lives away from corruption st anastasius of antioch 1 april 2019.jpg

Daily Meditation:
You give us new life.
We now begin the second part of Lent.
The Gospel according to John will be our guide.
Before we enter into the controversy and the sense of being in a court room,
we have a wonderful story of a healing.
In this gospel, the acts of power that Jesus works
are the “signs” that help us see who He is.

We are reminded that He is the one, who will give us new life.

Lo, I am about to create
new heavens and a new earth.
Isaiah 65:17 The First Reading

Closing Prayer:
God who created me,
You offer me new life through Your Son
and through the gift of Your sacraments.
While I see new life all around me,
I don’t always recognise the new life You offer me.
Help me to grow this Lent in an awareness
of the gifts You place in my life
and in a greater appreciation for Your care.
Give me the courage to ask for help.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

Posted in LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 April – The rest is in God’s hands!

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One Minute Reflection – 1 April – Monday of the Fourth week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: John 4:43–54

So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine.   And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill...John 4:46

REFLECTION – “The mention of Cana and a summary of the first miracle of turning water into wine, anticipates another miracle.   The healing in this miracle, however, is done at a distance.   Though the people will base their faith in Him, merely on signs and wonders, Jesus invites them to realise that these are not what will motivate Him to act. He will act only in accordance with the will of God.   Human expectation cannot determine His action.
Sickness and brokenness are very much visible in our world today and most are in need of some form of repair or consolation.   At times, doctors are not able to diagnose an illness and at other times, when they are and perform a complicated procedure, ask the patient and family members to pray and have faith!   There is only so much that they and the doctors can do, the rest is in God’s hands.”…Fr Errol Fernandes SJand at capernum there was an official wose son was sick john 4 46 1 april 2019 gods word.jpg

PRAYER – Teach us Holy Father to do Your will!   Grant us Your guiding hand and Your grace, that we may trust You in all things.   Strengthen us by Your grace and give us a heart willing to live by the love of Your Son, who so loved the world that He gave Himself up to death for our sake.   For if we love as He loved, nothing will lead us from You.  Grant that the prayers of our most loving and merciful Mother, may intercede in our necessities.   We make our prayer through the Christ, our Lord, one God with You and the Holy Spirit, now and for all eternity, amen.loving and merciful mother ora pro nobis 1 april 2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The WORD

Our Morning Offering – 1 April – Grant that I may love You and be loved by You

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 1 April – Monday of the Fourth week of Lent, Year C

“I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
and be glad in my people…”
Isaiah 65:19

Grant that I may love You
and be loved by You
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)

O God of love,
You are
and shall be forever,
the only delight of my heart
and the sole object of my affections.
Since Jesus said,
‘Ask and you shall receive,’
I do not hesitate to say,
‘Give me Your love
and Your grace.’
Grant that I may love You
and be loved by You.
I want nothing else.
Amengrant that I may love you and beloved by you - st alphonsus liguori 1 april 2019.jpg

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on TRUTH, The LAST THINGS, The WORD

Lenten Thoughts – 31 March – Christ the Way

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Lenten Thoughts – 31 March – “Laetare” Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year C

Christ is the Way to the Light, the Truth and the Life

Saint Augustine (354-430)
Great Western Father & Doctor of the Church

An excerpt from his Treatise on John

The Lord tells us – I am the light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.   In these few words He gives a command and makes a promise.   Let us do what He commands so that we may not blush to covet what He promises and to hear Him say on the day of judgement:  “I laid down certain conditions for obtaining my promises.   Have you fulfilled them?”   If you say: “What did you command, Lord our God?” He will tell you: “I commanded you to follow Me. You asked for advice on how to enter into life.   What life, if not the life about which it is written:  With you is the fountain of life?”

Let us do now what He commands.   Let us follow in the footsteps of the Lord.  Let us throw off the chains that prevent us from following Him.   Who can throw off these shackles without the aid of the one addressed in these words – You have broken my chains?   Another psalm says of Him: -The Lord frees those in chains, the Lord raises up the downcast.

Those who have been freed and raised up follow the light.   The light they follow speaks to them – I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness.   The Lord gives light to the blind.   Brethren, that light shines on us now, for we have had our eyes anointed with the eye-salve of faith.   His saliva was mixed with earth to anoint the man born blind.   We are of Adam’s stock, blind from our birth, we need Him to give us light.   He mixed saliva with earth and so it was prophesied:  Truth has sprung up from the earth  . He himself has said:  I am the way, the truth and the life.

We shall be in possession of the truth when we see Him face to face.   This is His promise to us.   Who would dare to hope for something that God in His goodness did not choose to promise or bestow?

We shall see face to face. The Apostle says: Now I know in part, now obscurely through a mirror, but then face to face.   John the apostle says in one of his letters -Dearly beloved, we are now children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be.   We know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.   This is a great promise.

If you love me, follow me.   “I do love you,” you protest, “but how do I follow you?”   If the Lord your God said to you:  “I am the truth and the life,” in your desire for truth, in your love for life, you would certainly ask Him to show you the way to reach them.   You would say to yourself: “Truth is a great reality, life is a great reality; if only it were possible for my soul to find them!”i am the way the truth and the life jon 14 8 31 march 2019 laetare sunday.jpg

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD the FATHER, LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 31 March – The Best of Fathers!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Lenten Reflection – 31 March – “Laetare” Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year C

The Readings:
Joshua 5:9A, 10-12; Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32lent - laetare sunday 4th sun of lent 31 march 2019.jpg

But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him...Luke 15:20

“I shall get up and go to my father”

St Peter Chrysologus (c 400-450)
Father & Doctor of the Church

If we do not care for this young man’s conduct, his departure horrifies us.   Don’t let us ever abandon such a father!   Simply the sight of the father causes sin to flee, banishes our faults, does away with all bad behaviour and temptation.   Yet, if we have gone away, if we have wasted all our father’s inheritance in a life of debauchery, if we should happen to have committed some fault or misdeed or fallen into the mire of irreligiousness and complete dissipation, let us rise up for good and all and return to this best of Fathers, summoned by such a beautiful example.let us rise up for good and all - st peter chrysologus - 4th sund laetare sun 31 march 2019.jpg

“When the father saw him he ran to embrace him and covered him with kisses.”   I ask you, where is there room for despair here?   What pretext for excuse?   What false reason for fear?   Only, perhaps, if we dread meeting the father, if we are afraid of his kisses and embrace, only if we think that the father, when he takes his child by the hand, draws him to his breast and folds his arms around him, wants to seize the opportunity to make good his loss instead of welcoming in order to forgive.   Such a thought, however, that destroys life and is contrary to our salvation, is fully overcome, wholly destroyed by what follows: “The father said to his servants:  ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.   Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.   Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and has come to life again, he was lost and has been found.’”

When we have heard that, can we delay any longer?   What more could we ask for to return to the Father?

Daily Meditation:
Laetare Sunday: Be joyful!
This Sunday has a joy-filled tone.
We enter into the second part of Lent with a spirit of eagerness.
Our celebration of the mercy and life given to us in Jesus is near.

All the readings are profound.
The letter to the Ephesians can be a meditation for the week.
We have been saved by our Lord, Jesus, the Christ.
That is consoling at this part of Lent. It is not the work we do that saves us.
It is God’s love – in the midst of our darkness.

We can ask to be “lifted up” with Jesus in His surrender with the Father,
lifted up on the cross and therefore, lifted up in Glory.
And, we can express our desire to be an instrument of His consoling love,
in the hearts of those to whom He sends us.

Look to him and be radiant,
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
Psalm 34:5

Closing Prayer:
Loving Father of mine,
I feel the pace quicken, the time draw near.
I am filled with joy as I move toward Easter
and the promised reconciliation with You.
Teach me to follow the example of Your Son,
to be worthy of being called one His people –  a Christ-ian.
Help me to live each day as He did
turning hatred to love and conflict to peace.
I await the new life with eagerness, faith
and a deep gratitude.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 31 March – The Heart of the Father

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 31 March – “Laetare” Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Luke 15:1–32

But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him...Luke 15:20

REFLECTION – “The Father ran and embraced him and kissed him.”  The parable of the prodigal son is, perhaps, the most moving of the parables Jesus tells in the gospels.   The experience and life of the two sons serve solely to reveal the heart of the father.  Nowhere else, does Jesus portray the Father in heaven, more vitally, more plainly.   The impressiveness of the story, begins already, with the fact, that the father grants the son’s request and hands over to him his portion of the inheritance.   For us, a portion of God’s inheritance, is our existence, our freedom, our intellect, our accountability – all of these, are the most sublime goods imaginable, goods that only God could give us.   That we, waste it all and end up in distress and that the distress brings us to our senses, is not really as significant, as the father’s vigil, compassion, extravagant greeting, refurbishing of the prodigal and the feast announced in his honour.
Not even for the refractory and envious brother, does the father have a harsh word – he is not scolding him when he speaks to him, he merely speaks the full truth- whoever sticks by God, possesses everything in common with God!
The remarkable thing about Jesus’ glorification of the Father, is that Jesus Himself, does not figure in this portrayal of God’s reconciliation with sinful men.   He is nothing other than the Word that reports the reconciliation – really, an always-already-reconciledness. He says nothing about the fact, that He is the Word, through which God establishes His eternal reconciliation with the world!”…Cardinal Hans Urs von Bathasar (1905-1988)luke 15 20 but while he was still at a distance - for us - hans urs von bathasar 31 march 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Holy Father, we are sinners who stand in Your presence and serve You.   Grant us Your mercy and forgiveness, for we are all Your prodigal children.   Your Word, our Christ, came to redeem us.   May we honour, love and serve You through His example and by following in His steps.   Grant we pray, that by the intercession of the Mother of Christ and our Mother, we may rejoice in eternity with You.   Through Jesus our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever, amen.mary mother of god pray for us 31 march 2019.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 30 March

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Lenten Reflection – 30 March – Saturday of the Third week of Lent, Year C and the Memorial of St John Climacus (c 525-606)

The Readings
Hosea 6:1-6; Psalms 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21AB; Luke 18:9-14 

On sobriety in prayer

St John Climacus

Do not be over-sophisticated in the words you use when praying, because the simple and unadorned lisping of children has often won the heart of their heavenly Father.   Do not attempt to talk much when you pray, lest your mind be distracted in searching for words. One word of the publican propitiated God and one cry of faith saved the thief.  Loquacity in prayer often distracts the mind and leads to fantasy, whereas brevity- makes for concentration.   If you feel sweetness or compunction at some word of your prayer, dwell on it, for then our guardian angel is praying with us.

Ask with tears, seek with obedience, knock with patience.   For thus the one who asks, receives and the one who seeks, finds and to anyone who knocks it will be opened.

Those who keep constant hold of the staff of prayer will not stumble.   And even if they do, their fall will not be fatal.   For prayer is a devout coercion of God.ask with tears knock with - st john climacus.jpg

Daily Meditation:
Fill our hearts with Your love.

Our lesson today reminds us again of God’s love and Jesus’ desire
that we love one another as we are loved.
On this journey, we are learning why this is a challenge for us.
We are experiencing our human weaknesses and practising ways to be freer,
to open our hearts more fully to God’s love
and to give ourselves in fidelity, every day.

You ask us to express our thanks by self-denial.
“Come, let us return to the Lord,
for he has torn, that he may heal us,
he has stricken and he will bind us up.”
Hosea 6:1

Closing Prayer:
God of infinite love,
You shower me with limitless gifts in my life.
In my every thought and action today
guide me to the bright and loving light of Your kingdom.
Help me to be aware of
the many ways You allow me
to share in Your life so intimately today.
Thank You for the gifts You have placed in my life.
Let me be grateful every moment of this day..

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.Sat of the thirs week lent 30 march 2019.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, MARIAN QUOTES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on PRAYER, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 March –

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 30 March – Saturday of the Third week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Luke 18:9–14

“…For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled but he who humbles himself, will be exalted.”...Luke 18:14luke-18-14-everuone who exalts himself shall be humbled.jpg

REFLECTION – “We must only pray by placing ourselves before God just as we are.   Not like the pharisee who prays with arrogance and hypocrisy.   We are all taken up by the frenetic pace of daily life, often at the mercy of feelings, dazed and confused.   It is necessary to learn how to rediscover the path to our heart, to recover the value of intimacy and silence, because the God who encounters us and speaks to us, is there.  Only by beginning there can we, in our turn, encounter others and speak with them.”…Pope Francis – General Audience, 1 June 2016it is necessary to learn how to pope francis 30 march 2019.jpg

PRAYER – We turn to You our God and Father and seek Your comfort and assurance. Jesus, our Lord, Your Son, taught us how to pray and all we need to be and do, to reach You.   Be patient good Father, as we grow by Your grace.   May such a master of prayer, St John Climacus, be heard together with the Mother of Christ and of Prayer, as they pray on our behalf.   Through Jesus our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.luke 2 19 but mary kept all these things mary mother of prayer pray for us 30 march 2019.jpg

st john climacus pray for us 30 march 2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 29 March – “At the end of your life, you will be judged by your love.”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Lenten Reflection – 29 March – Friday of the Third week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Mark 12:28–34

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.   This is the greatest and first commandment” (vv. 37-38).   And he could have stopped there.   Yet, Jesus adds something that was not asked by the doctor of the law.   He says, in fact:  “And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (v. 39). And in this case too, Jesus does not invent the second commandment but takes it from the Book of Leviticus.   The novelty is in His placing these two commandments together — love for God and love for neighbour — revealing that they are in fact inseparable and complementary, two sides of the same coin.”…Pope Francis – Angelus, 26 October 2014fridayofthe3rdweeklent 29 march 2019.jpg

“Stand fast, therefore,
in this conduct
and follow the example of the Lord,
firm and unchangeable in faith,
lovers of the brotherhood,
loving each other,
united in truth,
helping each other
with the mildness of the Lord,
despising no man.”

St Polycarp, Letter to the Philippiansstand-fast-therefore-in-this-conduct-st-polycarp-23-feb-2019.jpg

Daily Meditation:
Fill our hearts with your love.

Our lesson today reminds us again
of God’s love and Jesus’ desire
that we love one another as we are loved.
On this journey, we are learning why this is a challenge for us.
We are experiencing our human weaknesses
and practising ways to be freer,
to open our hearts more fully to God’s love
and to give ourselves in fidelity, every day.

You ask us to express our thanks by self-denial.
We are to master our sinfulness
and conquer our pride.
We are to show to those in need
Your goodness to ourselves.
Preface for Lent III

Closing Prayer:
God of Mercy,
I feel my heart overflowing with Your tenderness.
I sense Your loving touch deep within my soul.
I ask for Your help in my weakness
that I might be faithful to Your word
and I am so grateful
that Your mercy for my failings
is as strong as Your unbounded love for me.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

“At the end of your life,
you will be judged by your love.”

St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Doctor of the Churchat-the-end-of-your-life-st-j-of-the-cross-14-dec-2017.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 March – Seeing with the Eyes of Christ

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 29 March – Friday of the Third week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Mark 12:28–34

“…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’   There is no other commandment greater than these.” …Mark 12:30-32MARK 12 - 30,31

REFLECTION – “The love-story between God and man consists in the very fact that this communion of will, increases in a communion of thought and sentiment and thus our will and God’s will increasingly coincide – God’s will is no longer for me an alien will, something imposed on me from without by the commandments but it is now, my own will, based on the realisation that God is, in fact, more deeply present to me, than I am to myself.   Then self- abandonment to God increases and God becomes our joy (cf. Ps 73 [72]:23-28).

Love of neighbour is thus shown to be possible, in the way proclaimed by the Bible, by Jesus.   It consists in the very fact that, in God and with God, I love even the person whom I do not like or even know.   This can only take place on the basis of an intimate encounter with God, an encounter which has become a communion of will, even affecting my feelings.   Then, I learn, to look on this other person not simply with my eyes and my feelings but from the perspective of Jesus Christ.   His friend is my friend… Seeing with the eyes of Christ, I can give to others much more, than their outward necessities, I can give them the look of love which they crave.”…Pope Benedict XVI – Encyclical “ Deus caritas est ”, § 17 – 18seeing with the eyes of christ - pope beneidct 29 march 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Holy and eternal Father, we give praise to You for the radiant light You sent into the world, Your divine Son, Your Word made flesh.   For He guides our steps in a path of light and teaches us how to live.   May we love and glorify You and love our neighbour as ourselves.   Grant, we pray, that by the help of Your angels and saints and Mary, our Immaculate Mother, we may proceed to live Your Word of Truth.   Through Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.immaculate mary poray for us.jpg

Posted in GOD the FATHER, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PEACE, SPEAKING of ....., The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 28 March – Our Father

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 28 March – Thursday of the Third Week of Lent, Year C

Speaking of:  Our Father

Dear Father, all that I do
I do it for You.

“I do as the Father
has commanded me, so that the world
may know that I love the Father.”
John 14:31john 14 31 i do as the Father has commanded me 28 march 2019.jpg

“God has created me to do Him some definite service.
He has committed some work to me,
which he has not committed to another.
I have my mission,
I never may know it in this life
but I shall be told it in the next.
I have a part in a great work,
I am a link in a chain,
a bond of connection between persons.
He has not created me for naught.
I shall do good,
I shall do His work,
I shall be an angel of peace,
a preacher of truth in my own place,
while not intending it,
if I do but keep His commandments
and serve Him in my calling.”god has created me - bl john henry newman 3 feb 2019.jpg

“Life passes,
riches fly away,
popularity is fickle,
the senses decay,
the world changes.
One alone is true to us.
One alone can be all things to us.
One alone can supply our need.”life passes riches fly by - one alone - bl john henry newman 28 march 2019.jpg

“I sought to hear the voice of God
and climbed the topmost steeple
but God declared:
“Go down again –
I dwell among the people.”i sought to hear the voice of god - bl john henry newman 29 march 2019.jpg

“I will trust Him.
Whatever, wherever I am,
I can never be thrown away.
If I am in sickness,
my sickness may serve Him,
in perplexity,
my perplexity may serve Him,
if I am in sorrow,
my sorrow may serve Him.
My sickness,
or perplexity,
or sorrow,
may be necessary causes
of some great end,
which is quite beyond us.
He does nothing in vain!”i will trust him - bl john henry newman 28 march 2019.jpg

“Fear not that
thy life shall come
to an end
but rather fear,
that it shall never have
a beginning.”

Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)fear not that thy life - bl john henry newman 28 march 2019.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 28 March – “Whoever does not gather with me scatters”

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Lenten Reflection – 28 March – Thursday of the Third Week of Lent, Year C

The Readings
Jeremiah 7:23-28; Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; Luke 11:14-23luke 11 23 whoever does not gather with me thurs3rdweeklent 28 march 2019.jpg

“Whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
Luke 11:23

St Simeon the New Theologian (949-1022)
Catechesis 27

Your Master is not disturbed by mockery and do you get upset?   He bears spittle, blows, strokes of the lash and can you not take a harsh word?   He accepts the cross, a humiliating death, the torture of the nails and can you not undertake to carry out the lowliest of tasks?   How can you become a sharer in His glory (1 Pt 5:1) if you will not consent to become a sharer in His humiliating death?

Your having forsaken your wealth is truly useless if you have no wish to take up the cross, as He Himself commanded with His word of truth.   “Sell what you have and give to the poor,” stipulated Christ to the young man, as also to ourselves, “Take up your cross”, “Come, follow me” (Mt 19:21; 16:24).   You may indeed have shared out your goods yet without consenting to take up your cross, that is to say, courageously enduring the attack of all kinds of trials.   You have strayed on the path of life and, to your own misfortune, have parted from your most sweet God and Master.

I implore you, my brethren, let us observe all Christ’s commands, let us bear until death, for love of the Kingdom of heaven, the trials that assail us so that we may have communion with the glory of Jesus, share in eternal life and inherit the joy of those good things that cannot be expressed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

how can you become a sharer in his glory - 28 march 2019 st simeon the new theologian 28 march 2019.jpg

Daily Meditation:
May our love grow each day.

We are at the half-way point in our Lenten journey today.
There is so much yet to learn, to examine, to heal, to renew.
We have a sense of the patterns we are naming and a sense of the graces we are asking for,
as well as the ways God is working in us.

We want to be ready and our Lord wants us to be confident.
So we keep asking and we keep giving thanks, throughout our day.

‘Obey my voice and I will be your God
and you shall be my people
and walk in all the way that I command you,
that it may be well with you.’

Jeremiah 7:23

Closing Prayer:
Loving God,
I hear Your invitation, “Come back to me”
and I am filled with such a longing to return to You.
Show me the way to return.
Lead me this day in good works I do in Your name
and send Your Spirit to guide me and strengthen my faith.
I ask only to feel Your love in my life today.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on GOSSIP, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 28 March – A divided household falls.

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 28 March – Thursday of the Third Week of Lent, Year C, Luke Gospel – 11:14–23

“Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste and a divided household falls.”…Luke 11:17

REFLECTION – “But this episode contains an admonishment which is useful to all of us. Indeed, it can happen that deep envy of a person’s goodness and good works can drive one to falsely accuse him or her.   Here there is true, lethal poison, the malice with which, in a premeditated manner, one wants to destroy the good reputation of the other. May God free us from this terrible temptation!   And if, by examining our conscience, we realise that this weed is sprouting within us, let us go straight away to confess it in the Sacrament of Penance, before it grows and produces its evil effects, which are incurable. Be careful, because this attitude destroys families, friendships, communities and even society.”...Pope Francis – Angelus, 10 June 2018luke 11 17 every kingdom divided - indeed it can happen - pope francis - 28march2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord God, You love innocence of heart and when it is lost, You alone can restore it.   Turn then our hearts to You and kindle in them the fire of Your Spirit.   Lead us to purity of heart, that we may be true radiant lights of Christ and no longer spread the darkness of unkindness, jealousy, gossip and may we atone for our sins.   May Your Word take flesh in our lives and Your Truth shine forth in our actions.   Mary, Blessed and Merciful, the Refuge of Sinners, help us!   Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mary refuge of sinners pray for us 28 march 2019 ora pro nobis.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE, The HOLY GHOST, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 March – I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 27 March – Wednesday of the Third week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 5:17–19

“Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets;  I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them.”…Matthew 5:17

REFLECTION – “Grace, which was formerly veiled, so to speak, in the Old Testament, has been fully revealed in the Gospel of Christ by a harmonious disposition of the times, just as God usually disposes of everything with harmony…   But within this wonderful harmony we notice a great difference between the two ages.   On Sinai the people did not dare draw near the place where the Lord was giving His Law;  in the Upper Room, the Holy Spirit comes down on all those assembled there, while waiting for the fulfilment of the promise (Ex 19:23; Acts 2:1).   In the first instance, the finger of God inscribed the laws on tablets of stone but now, it is in human hearts, that He writes it (Ex 31:18; 2 Cor 3:3). Formerly the Law was written without and brought fear to sinners but now, it has been given to them within, to make them righteous…

Indeed, as the apostle Paul says, everything written on the stone tablets, “you shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill…, you shall not covet” and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this saying:  “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.   Love does no evil to the neighbour, hence, love is the fulfilment of the Law” (Rm 13:9f.; Lv 19:18)…   This charity has been “poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rm 5:5)….St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor On the spirit and the letter, 28-30matthew 5 17 think not that I have come to abolish the law - st augustine - in the first instance 27march2019.jpg

PRAYER – Protect Your family, Lord and strengthen us with Your consoling presence. Help us in our way to follow Your commandments and live as disciples of love.   Look now on Your chosen people, grant us the light of Your Spirit and bring us forever to eternal life.   May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Your Son and our Mother, be ever our protective shield.   Through Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.salve regina pray for us - mary 27 march 2019.jpg

Posted in LENT 2019, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 27 March

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Lenten Reflection – 27 March – Wednesday of the Third week of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 5:17–19

“Think not that I have come to abolish the law
and the prophets, I have come,
not to abolish them but to fulfil them.”…Matthew 5:17wed of the third week lent matthew 5 17 27 march 2019.jpg

Daily Meditation:
Make us one in love and prayer.

This was a special liturgy in the early church.
On this day the first of the Scrutinies was celebrated.
We can see why the instruction is about fidelity but tone of the prayer is one of unity.
On this day when the community prayed so earnestly for those about to be baptised,
we can feel the power of asking that we be made one.

We might reflect upon what it is that divides us
and what I might do to let the Spirit of Unity draw us together.

I want all of them to be one with each other,
just as I am one with you and you are one with Me.
I also want them to be one with us.
Then the people of this world will believe that You sent Me.
Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper for
“for everyone else who will have faith
because of what my followers will say about me. “
John 17:21

“We are called to conform our lives to the New Law of grace.   This New Law was taught by Christ and established for us by Christ on the Cross.   Through His passion and death, He merited for us the grace, that enables us to fulfil the New Law, to respond to the action of the Holy Spirit and to go beyond the demands of justice in our dealings with others.   It is the Law of the children of God the Father, that fills our minds with the Wisdom of the Word and directs us to act in accord with the Love of the Holy Spirit.”…Father Jason Mitchell

Closing Prayer:
God, you love me as Your own child.
May I bend my life and will toward You
so that I might accept Your teaching and guidance.
I am so grateful for Your support in my life,
now and in the eternal life, You are preparing for me.
I beg for Your help and Spirit in my life today.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, LENT 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on MERCY, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 26 March

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Lenten Reflection – 26 March – Tuesday of the Third week of Lent, Year C – Gospel: Daniel 3:25, 34-43, Psalm 25:4-9, Matthew 18:21-35TUESDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK 26 march 2019.jpg

Daily Meditation:
Do not let us be put to shame,
but deal with us in Your kindness and great mercy.

Azariah asks God to remember His mercies.
He places his complete trust in God.
These days, we place our lives in God’s hands,
and we let God forgive us.

The challenge of the Gospel is to forgive
as we have been forgiven.
How often we are so very much harder on others
than our God is on us!
An important Lenten examination of conscience.

“So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”
Matthew 18:35

“Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?” …Matthew 18:33

“What is human mercy like?   It makes you concerned for the hardship of the poor. What is divine mercy like?   It forgives sinners…

In this world God is cold and hungry in all the poor, as He Himself said (Mt 25:40)… What sort of people are we?   When God gives, we want to receive, when He asks, we refuse to give?   When a poor man is hungry, Christ is in need, as He said Himself:  “I was hungry and you gave me no food” (v. 42).   Take care not to despise the hardship of the poor, if you would hope, without fear, to have your sins forgiven…

What He receives on earth He returns in heaven.

I put you this question, dearly beloved – what is it you want, what is it you are looking for, when you come to church?   What indeed if not mercy?   Show mercy on earth and you will receive mercy in heaven.   A poor man is begging from you and you are begging from God, he asks for a scrap, you ask for eternal life… And so when you come to church give whatever alms you can to the poor in accordance with your means.”

St Caesarius of Arles (470-543)

Sermon 25

matthew 18 35 should you not have pitty - what sort of people are we - st caesarius of arles 26 march 2019.jpg

Closing Prayer:
God of infinite love,
I thank You for this reminder of Your love
and Your call that we be more patient,
gentle and compassionate with others.
Here in the middle of Lent,
I turn to You to beg for Your help.
Please soften my heart.
Help me to let go of judging others.
I ask You this, through Christ our Lord.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen

Posted in LENT 2019, MORNING Prayers, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 26 March

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 26 March – Tuesday of the Third week of Lent, Year C – Gospel: Matthew 18:21–35

“I forgave you all that debt because you besought me and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?”…Matthew 18:32-33

REFLECTION – “We must wash one another’s feet in the mutual daily service of love.   But we must also wash one another’s feet, in the sense, that we must forgive one another ever anew.   The debt for which the Lord has pardoned us is always infinitely greater than all the debts that others can owe us….not to allow resentment toward others to become a poison in the depths of the soul.   It urges us to purify our memory constantly, forgiving one another whole-heartedly, washing one another’s feet, to be able to go to God’s banquet together.”…Pope Benedict XVI (Holy Thursday homily 20 March 2008)matthew 18 32-33 i forgave you all the debt - the debt for which the lord has pardoned us pope benedict - 26 march 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Almighty God, we thank You for Your endless mercy.   We are sinners but trust in Your merciful forgiveness when we turn to You in sorrow.   Open our hearts, make them forgiving to our brother, teach us Your mercy.   May Mary, Mother of Sorrow, pray for us.   We make our prayer through our forgiving Saviour, who even to those who killed Him, turned to them in love and mercy and asked You for their forgiveness.   In union with the Holy Spirit, one God, for all eternity, amen.our lady mother of sorrows pray for us 26 march 2019

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, LENT 2019, LENTEN THOUGHTS, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN QUOTES, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION, The WORD

Lenten Thoughts – 25 March – Here we are, the servants of the Lord

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Lenten Thoughts – 25 March – The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Mary’s Fiat, must be our Fiat

Mary’s fiat– her faithful “Here am I,” which does not replace her perplexity at her conception of God made human but overcomes it– is an announcement in itself.   In fact, her announcement, is the most important one of today’s Gospel reading.   Let it be our announcement, too, then, for it is appropriate at all times and at any time.   And now, our brief, prayerful, announcement:  “Here [are we], the servant[s] of the Lord, let it be done to [us] according to your word.”

I delight to do thy will, O my God,
thy law is within my heart.
Psalm 40:8mary's fiat must be our fiat 25 march 2019 annunciation

“God Himself is the one Who takes the initiative and chooses to enter, as He did with Mary, into our homes, our daily struggles, filled with anxiety and with desires.   And it is within our cities, in our schools and universities, our squares and hospitals, that the most beautiful announcement we can hear is made:  “Rejoice, the Lord is with you”.    A joy that generates life, that generates hope, that is made flesh in the way we look to the future, in the attitude with which we look at others.   A joy that becomes solidarity, hospitality, mercy towards all.”

Pope Francis – Solemnity of the Annunciation of Our Lord, 25 March 2017

Three times daily, at 6 am, noon and 6 pm, we pray the Angelus.   It is still accompanied by the ringing of a bell (the Angelus bell) in some places such as Vatican City and parts of Germany, Belgium, France, Spain and Ireland.   The Regina Coeli prayer (which may also be sung as a hymn) replaces the Angelus during the Easter season.

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee;
Blessed art thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. And the Word was made Flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LET US PRAY
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.the angelus

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, LENT 2019, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN QUOTES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 March – Pope Benedict reflects

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 25 March – The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word.”...Luke 1:38luke 1 38 - let what you have said be done to me - 18dec2018 ourladyofexpectation

REFLECTION – “The icon of the Annunciation, more than any other, helps us to see clearly how everything in the Church goes back to that mystery of Mary’s acceptance of the divine Word, by which, through the action of the Holy Spirit, the Covenant between God and humanity was perfectly sealed. Everything in the Church, every institution and ministry, including that of Peter and his Successors, is “included” under the Virgin’s mantle, within the grace-filled horizon of her “yes” to God’s will. This link with Mary naturally evokes a strong affective resonance in all of us but first of all it has an objective value….
Everything in this world will pass away.   In eternity only Love will remain.   For this reason, … taking the opportunity offered by this favourable time of Lent, let us commit ourselves to ensure that everything in our personal lives and in the ecclesial activity in which we are engaged is inspired by charity and leads to charity.   In this respect too, we are enlightened by the mystery that we are celebrating today.
Indeed, the first thing that Mary did after receiving the Angel’s message was to go “in haste” to the house of her cousin Elizabeth in order to be of service to her (cf. Lk 1: 39). The Virgin’s initiative was one of genuine charity, it was humble and courageous, motivated by faith in God’s Word and the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit.   Those who love, forget about themselves and place themselves at the service of their neighbour.   Here we have the image and model of the Church!”…Pope Benedict XVI – Excerpt- Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, Saint Peter’s Square, Saturday, 25 March 2006everything in this world will pass away - pope benedict XVI - 25 march 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Shape us in the likeness of the Divine nature of our Redeemer, whom we believe to be true God and true man, since it was Your will, Lord God, that He, Your Word, should take to Himself, our human nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for always and forever, amen.the-nicest-word-servant-of-god-guy-pierre-de-fontgalland-24-feb-2018-no-2.jpg

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, LENT 2019, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION, The WORD

Lenten Reflection – 24 March – “…A full and perfect patience”

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Lenten Reflection – 24 March – The Third Sunday of Lent, Year C

Readings:
Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15; Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-11; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12; Luke 13:1-9 (Different Readings apply for the Scrutinies Mass)

Daily Meditation:
Form a new heart within.

“And he answered him, ‘Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure, And if it bears fruit next year, well and good and if not, you can cut it down.”...Luke 13:8-9The third sunday - year C 24 march 2019.jpg

St Cyprian of Carthage – (c 200- c 258) Bishop and Martyr, Father of the Church

The good of patience, 6, 7-8

“This, beloved brethren, Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, did not teach by words only but he also fulfilled by His deeds… In the very hour of His passion and cross… what violent abuses He listened to with patience and what shameful insults He endured!   He was even covered with the spittle of His revilers when but a short time before, He had cured the eyes of the blind man with His own spittle(Jn 9:6)… He who now crowns the martyrs with eternal garlands was Himself crowned with thorns, He who now gives true palms to the victors was beaten in the face with hostile palms; he who clothes all others with the garment of immortality was stripped of His earthly garments, He who has given us the food of heaven was fed with gall, He who has offered us the cup of salvation was given vinegar to drink.   He the innocent, the just man, nay rather, Innocence itself and Justice itself, is counted among criminals and Truth is concealed by false testimonies.  He who is to judge is judged and the Word of God, silent, is led to the cross.   And although the stars are confounded at the crucifixion of the Lord, the elements are disturbed and the earth trembles… yet He does not speak, nor is He moved, nor does He proclaim His majesty, even during the suffering itself.   He endures all things even to the end with constant perseverance so that in Christ, a full and perfect patience may find its realisation.

And even after such sufferings He still receives His murderers if they are converted and come to Him and, with a patience instrumental in saving man, this kind Master closes His Church to no-one.   He not only receives and pardons those adversaries, those blasphemers, those persistent enemies of His name, provided they do penance for their offence and acknowledge the crime committed but He admits them to the reward of the kingdom of heaven.   What can be called more patient, what more kind? Even he who shed the blood of Christ is given life by the blood of Christ.   Such is the wonderful patience of Christ.   And unless it were so wonderful, the Church would not have had Paul, the great Apostle.”

he not only receives and pardons - st cyprian - 24 march 2019 3rdsunlentyearc.jpg

This Sunday brings us closer to the font of renewing our baptismal commitment.
It is also the first of three Scrutinies for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

We are deeply aware that there is a struggle going on in us.
We turn to God, that we might not become discouraged.
We rely on God’s compassion and love for us.
We acknowledge who we are
– sinners who experience the consequences of our selfishness –
but we know we are loved and we desire to be filled with hope.

We go into this week renewed in our desire to continue our
prayer, fasting and generosity toward others.

Bless the Lord, O my soul
and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy…
Psalm 103:1-4

Closing Prayer:
Loving Father,
So many times I turn away from You
and always You welcome me back.
Your mercy and love gives me confidence
Thank You for the invitation to share, fast and pray
so that You can form a new heart within me.
Your powerful compassion for my weaknesses
leads me to ask for mercy
and await with great hope the Easter joy You share with us.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 24 March – The invincible patience of Jesus! 

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 24 March – The Third Sunday of Lent, Year C, Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none.   And he answered him, ‘Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure.”...Luke 13:7-8

REFLECTION – “Jesus invites us to change our heart, to make a radical about-face on the path of our lives, to abandon compromises with evil — and this is something we all do, hypocrisy…. I think that nearly all of us has a little hypocrisy — in order to decidedly take up the path of the Gospel.   But again there is the temptation to justify ourselves.   What should we convert from?   Aren’t we basically good people?   Unfortunately, each of us strongly resembles the tree that, over many years, has repeatedly shown that it’s infertile.   But, fortunately for us, Jesus is like a farmer who, with limitless patience, still obtains a concession for the fruitless vine.   The invincible patience of Jesus!   Have you thought about the patience of God?   Have you ever thought as well of His limitless concern for sinners?   How it should lead us to impatience with ourselves!   It’s never too late to convert, never.   God’s patience awaits us until the last moment.   It’s never too late to convert but it is urgent.   Now is the time!   Let us begin today.”…Pope Francis – Angelus, 28 February 2016luke 13 7 the fruitless fig tree - unfortunately each of us - pope francis 24 march 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord our God, Your Son so loved the world that He gave Himself up to death for our sake.   Strengthen us by Your grace and give us a heart willing to live by that same love.   We know His excuses for us and His broken heart at our neglect and sin, make us like unto Him O Father, that we might be holy and come to see His Face.   May the prayers of the angels, saints and the Blessed Virgin be of assistance to us.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, amen.ave-maria-pray-for-us-28-sept-2018 and 24 march 2019 no 2.jpg