Category: The WORD

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 February – The Seed

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Quote/s of the Day – 25 February – Ferial Day – Sexagesima Week – 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9; – Luke 8:4-15 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The seed is the Word of God.”

Luke 8:11

“… Blessed are they who hear
the Word of God and keep it.”

Luke 11:28

“Sacred Scripture is the Lord’s money!”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“The faithful, who spend
at least a quarter of an hour,
in reading Sacred Scripture
with great reverence,
due to the Word of God,
after the manner of spiritual reading,
may gain, an Indulgence of 300 days.”

St Jerome (347-419)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Scripture is perfect wisdom,
starting point and point of arrival,
to which our whole existence
should be adapted.”

St Hesychius of Jerusalem (Died c450)
Priest, Exegete, Father

“It is above all, the Gospel
which supports me during my prayer.
There, I find all which
my poor little soul needs.
There, I always discover new lights,
hidden and mysterious meaning.
… Just when I need it, I discover lights
which I had not seen before.”

St Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873-1897)

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 25 February – “The seed is the Word of God. ” – Luke 8:11

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 25 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – Ferial Day – Sexagesima Week – 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9; – Luke 8:4-15 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“The seed is the Word of God. ” – Luke 8:11

REFLECTION – “The origins of Scripture are not to be found through human research but, in the Divine Revelation coming from the “Father of Lights” “from whom every family in Heaven and on earth, is named” (Jas 1:17; Eph 3:15). From Him, through His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost is poured out upon us. Faith has been given to us through the Holy Ghost, sharing and distributing His gifts to each of us, according to His Will (Heb 2:4) and, “through faith, Christ dwells in our hearts” (Eph 3:17). From this, knowledge of Jesus Christ flows, as from its source, both strength and understanding of the whole of Sacred Scripture. It is impossible, therefore, to enter into a knowledge of Scripture without first of all, possessing an infused faith in Christ, as the Light, doorway and foundation of all Scripture …

The end, or fruit, of Sacred Scripture is not without purpose; it is the fullness of life eternal. For in Scripture are to be found “the Words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68). It has been written, therefore, not only that we might believe in but that, we might also possess the eternal life in which we shall see and love and our desires will be wholly satisfied. Then, when our desires have been satisfied, we shall truly know “the love which surpasses knowledge” and so, we shall be “filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph 3:19). It is to this fullness, Scripture tries to introduce us and, it is to this end, with this intention, Scripture ought to be studied, taught and understood.” – St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Franciscan, Doctor of the Church (Breviloquium, Prologue 2-5).

PRAYER – O God, Thou Who sees how we are deprived of all strength, guard us inwardly and outwardly that in body, we may be protected against all misfortunes and in mind, cleansed of evil thoughts and by the intercession of blessed and gloriosus ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, be assisted on this earthly pilgrimage. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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

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

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

Acts 1:24-25

“When we stand in the light
it is not we who illumine the light
and cause it to shine
but we are illuminated and made shining by the light…
God grants His blessings on those
who serve Him because they are serving Him
and on those who follow Him
because they are following Him
but He receives no blessing from them
because He is perfect and without need.”

St Irenaeus(c130-c208)
Bishop, Father of the Church

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

John 15:16

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

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

“… It was their vocation
to call sinners to repentance,
to heal those who were sick,
whether in body or spirit,
to seek in all their dealing,
never to do their own will
but the Will of Him who sent them and,
as far as possible, to save the world
by their teaching.”

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Bishop, Father & Doctor of the Church

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One Minute Reflection – 24 February – My yoke is easy and My burden light.

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One Minute Reflection – 24 February – Feast of St Matthias, Apostle of Christ – Acts 1:15-26; – Matthew 11:25-30 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I Am meek and humble of heart … For My yoke is easy and My burden light.” – Matthew 11:29-30

REFLECTION – “The Third Coming of Christ our Bridegroom which is still in the future, is that which will occur at the Judgement or, at the hour of death …

The justice of the Judge lies, in the fact that, it is Christ to Whom the Judgement and the Verdict belong, for He is the Son of Man and the Wisdom of the Father, a Wisdom to Whom all Judgement belongs. To this Wisdom, all hearts are open and manifest, whether they are in Heaven, on earth or in hell … The means with which Christ, our Bridegroom and Judge, makes use, at this Judgement, consist in rewarding and punishing with justice, for He gives to all, according to their merits. On the good and for each good deed carried out in God, He bestows the measureless reward of Himself, unmerited by any creature. For indeed, since it is He Who collaborates in each of the creature’s works, it is all thanks to His Power that the creature merits Christ Himself as reward in all justice! …

The First Coming, namely, when God became a human being, lived humbly and died out of love for us, is one which we should imitate exteriorly through the perfect practice of the virtues and, interiorly, through, charity and genuine humility. The Second Coming which is in the present and which takes place when Christ comes, with His graces into every loving heart, is one which we should desire and pray for everyday, so that we might persevere and progress in new virtues. The Third Coming, at the Judgement or at the hour of our death, is one which we should await with longing, confidence and awe, so that we might be released from this present misery and enter the Palace of Glory!” – Blessed Jan van Ruysbroeck (1293-1381) Canon Regular (The Spiritual Espousals 1).

PRAYER – O God, Who added blessed Matthias to the company of Thy Apostles, grant, we beseech Thee, that by his intercession we may ever be aware of the depth of Thy love for us. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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One Minute Reflection – 23 February – ‘ … Do you know what a person is like, who is not fed by this holy Word? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 23 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – St Peter Damian (1007-1072) Cardinal Bishop, Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church – 2 Corinthians 11,19-33; 12,1-9; – Luke 8:4-15 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And other seed fell upon good ground and sprang up and yielded fruit a hundredfold.” – Luke 8:8

REFLECTION – “If you ask me what Jesus Christ means by this Sower Who goes out early to cast his seed over his field then, my brethren, that Sower is the good God Himself, Who began the work of our salvation, from the beginning of the world, by sending us His Prophets, before the coming of Christ, to teach us what was needed, if we would be saved. Not content with sending His servants, He came Himself – He marked out the way we should take; He came to make known His holy Word.

Do you know what a person is like, who is not fed by this holy Word?… Such a person is like a patient without a doctor, a traveller who is lost and without a guide, a poverty stricken person without means of help. Brethren, it is absolutely impossible to love and please God, unless we are fed by this Divine Word. What can draw us to follow Him unless by knowing Him? And Who enables us to know Him, with all His perfections, beauty and love for us, if not the Word of God, Who teaches us about everything He has done for us and the good things He has in store for us, in the next life?” – St John-Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859) The Curé of Ars (Sermons)

PRAYER – Grant us, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, to follow the counsel and examples of St Peter, Thy Confessor and Bishop, so that by setting earthly goods at naught we may attain everlasting happiness. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 February – St Peter, the Gatekeepr of Heaven

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 February – The Feast of the Chair of St Peter at Antioch –1 Peter 1:1-7; Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:16

“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona
because flesh and blood
hath not revealed it to thee
but My Father Who is in Heaven.”

Matthew 16:17

“Upon this Rock I will build My Church”

Matthew 16:18

“God is One and Christ is One,
His Church is One,
His See is One,
founded by the Voice of the Lord on Peter.
No other Altar can be set up,
no other Priesthood instituted
apart from that One Altar and that One Priesthood.
Who so gathers elsewhere, scatters!”

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

“ O blessed gatekeeper of Heaven,
to whom were given the keys of entry to eternity! ”

St Hilary (315-368)
Bishop of Poitiers,
Father & Doctor of the Church

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One Minute Reflection – 22 February – ‘ … What a foundation he had the good fortune to give to the Church! …’

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One Minute Reflection – 22 February – The Feast of the Chair of St Peter at Antioch –1 Peter 1:1-7; Matthew 16:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:16

REFLECTION – “The Lord had asked: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” To be sure, His bodily appearance made known the Son of Man but, in putting this question, He led people to understand that, there was something else to be discerned, over and above what could be seen … The object of the question was, a mystery towards which the faith of the believer had to tend.

Peter’s confession was fully recompensed, as he deserved for having seen the Son of God within the Man. “Blessed” is he, indeed and praised, for having penetrated beyond merely human sight, not looking to that which comes of flesh and blood but, beholding the Son of God, revealed by His heavenly Father. He was accounted worthy to be the first, to recognise, what it was in Christ which was of God! What a foundation he had the good fortune to give to the Church, on the basis of his new name! He became the Rock worthy of building up the Church, so that it might break the laws of hell … and every prison-house of death. O blessed gatekeeper of Heaven, to whom were given the keys of entry to eternity! His judgement on earth, becomes authoritative, beforehand in Heaven, in such a way that, what has been bound or loosed on earth, becomes so also in Heaven.

Jesus also commands His disciples not to tell anyone He is the Christ, since others, namely the Law and the Prophets, must be the witnesses of His Spirit, while witness to the Resurrection belongs to the Apostles. And, just as the blessedness of those, who know Christ in the Spirit, was made known, so also, was made known, the danger of misunderstanding His humility and passion.” – St Hilary (315-368) Bishop of Poitiers, Father & Doctor of the Church (Commentary on St Matthew’s Gospel 16).

PRAYER – O God, Who when giving blessed Peter, Thine Apostle, the keys of the Heavenly Kingdom, bestowed on him the power of binding and loosing, grant that by the help of his intercession, we may be delivered from the bonds of our sins. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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One Minute Reflection – 21 February – ‘ … God desires, before all else, to prevent those who were called first, from despising the last.’

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One Minute Reflection – 21 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – Ferial Day – Septuagesima – 1 Corinthians 9,24-27.10; 1-5 – Matthew 20,1-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Go you also into My Vineyard.” – Matthew 20:7

REFLECTION – “My brethren, you may perhaps ask why all these laboUrers were not sent into the Lord’s Vineyard at the same time? I reply that God’s intention was to call them all at once. But they had not wanted to come, as soon as they were called, at the first hour and this was the cause of their refusal. That was why God Himself went to call each one individually… at the moment when He thought they might turn back and respond to His invitation.

This is what the Apostle Paul clearly notes with regard to himself: “When it pleased God, He set me apart in my mother’s womb,” (cf Gal 1:15). When was it that it pleased God, if not when He saw that Paul would surrender to His call? To be sure, God would have liked to have called him at the beginning of his life but because Paul would not have responded to His Voice, God opted not to call him until he saw that he would respond. In the same way, God did not call the good thief until the last moment, even though He could have done so earlier, if He had foreseen that the man would have surrendered to His call.

And so, if the labourers of the Parable say that no-one hired them, we must remember God’s patience … He Himself, demonstrates , well enough that, for His part, He had done all He could to make it possible, for all to come to Him,from the very first hour of the day. Thus, Jesus’ Parable makes us see that people give themselves to God, at very different times. And God desires, before all else, to prevent those who were called first, from despising the last.” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father & Doctor of the Church (Sermon 64).

PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body, defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee and by the intercession of blessed and gloriosus ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of Thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace that all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 February – Go also …

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 February – Ferial Day – Septuagesima – 1 Corinthians 9,24-27.10; 1-5 – Matthew 20,1-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Go you also into My Vineyard.”

Matthew 20:7

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

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

“But what shall we offer, brothers,
what shall we give Him
for all the benefits He has given us?
He offered the most precious Victim
He possessed for our sake;
in truth, He could not have had
anything more precious.
So let us, too,
do what we can,
let us offer Him the best we have,
that is to say, ourselves!
He offered Himself,
so who are you,
to hesitate to offer yourself?”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father & Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

“We should strive to keep our hearts open
to the sufferings and wretchedness of others
and pray continually,
that God may grant us that spirit of compassion
which is truly the Spirit of God.”

St Vincent de Paul CM (1581-1660)

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 February – Running the Race

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Quote/s of the Day – 19 February – – Ferial Day – Septuagesima – 1 Corinthians 9,24-27.10; 1-5 – Matthew 20,1-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Know you not that they,
who run in the race,
all run indeed but one receiveth the prize?
So run that you may obtain.”

St Paul – 1 Corinthians 9:24

“What determines that the gifts of God dwells in us,
is the measure of each one’s faith.
Because, it is to the extent that we believe
that the enthusiasm to act is given us.
And so, those who act,
reveal the measure of their faith
proportionate to their action,
they receive their measure of grace
according to what they have believed. …”

St Maximus the Confessor (c580-662)
Father of the Church

“Since happiness is nothing else
than the enjoyment of the Supreme Good
and the Supreme Good is above us,
no-one can enjoy happiness,
unless he rises above himself.”

St Bonaventure (1221-1274)
Franciscan Seraphic Doctor of the Church

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

St John Bosco (1815-1888)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 19 February – “Or, is it not lawful for Me to do what I will?” – Matthew 20:15

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One Minute Reflection – 19 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – Ferial Day – Septuagesima – 1 Corinthians 9,24-27.10; 1-5 – Matthew 20,1-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Or, is it not lawful for Me to do what I will?” – Matthew 20:15

REFLECTION – “These men were all ready to work but “no-one had hired them” they were hard workers yet, were made lazy, through lack of both ,work and an employer. Then, a Voice hired them, a Word set them going and, in their zeal, they did not fix on a wage for their work beforehand, as the first comers had done. The Master calculated their labours wisely and paid them as much as the others. Our Lord spoke this parable, so that no-one might say: “Since I was not called in my youth, therefore, I cannot be accepted.” He has shown that, no matter when they are converted, each one is welcomed … “He went out in the morning, at the third, the sixth, the ninth and the eleventh hour” – this can be understood of the beginning of His preaching and then of the course of His Life, up to the Cross, since, it was at the “eleventh hour” when the thief entered into Paradise (Lk 23:43). Lest we call the thief to account for it, Our Lord emphasises his goodwill; if someone had hired him, he would have worked: “No-one has hired us.”

Whatever we give to God, is far from worthy of Him and what He gives to us, is a great deal more than we are worth. We are hired for a task which matches our strength but offered a wage far greater than our work demands … He acts in the same way, to both the first and the last comers: “each one received one gold coin” bearing the King’s image. This signifies. the Bread of Life (Jn 6:35) which, is the same for all; there is a single medicine of Life for those who take it.

In the labour in the vineyard, the Master’s goodness is beyond reproach and nothing can be said against His uprightness. In His uprightness, He gave as He had agreed and in His goodness, He proved Himself merciful, as He desired to do. It was to teach us this that, our Lord spoke this parable and He summed it all up in the words: “Or, is it not lawful for Me to do what I will? (Mt 20:15).” – St Ephrem (306-373) Father and Doctor of the Church (Diatessaron 15: 15-17).

PRAYER – From all perils of soul and body defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee and by the intercession of blessed and gloriosus ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul and of all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace, that all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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One Minute Reflection – 18 February – ‘Prefer nothing to Christ’

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One Minute Reflection – 18 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – St Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879) Virgin, The Visionary of Lourdes – James 1:12-18; Luke 14:26-33 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“So likewise, everyone of you, who does not renounce all he possesses, cannot be My disciple.” – Luke 14:33

REFLECTION – “Our Lord Jesus Christ said to all, on many occasions and while giving many demonstrations of it: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me,” (cf Lk 9:23) and again: “anyone of you who does not renounce all that he possesses cannot be My disciple.” Thus, He seems to demand of us the most entire renunciation… “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be,” He says elsewhere (Mt 6:21). So if we keep back for ourselves any earthly goods or any perishable supplies, our minds will remain sunk in them as though in mud. Then, inevitably, our souls will become unable to contemplate God and will be unmoved by desire for the splendours of Heaven and for the good things promised us. We shall only be able to acquire those good things, if we ask for them unceasingly, with a burning desire that will, besides, make easy the effort needed to gain them.

To renounce ourselves, means to undo the bonds which bind us to this earthly passing life and free ourselves from human contingencies, so that we may become more equal to walking along the way which leads to God. It is to free ourselves from all hindrances, so as to possess and use, the goods that are “far more precious than gold and silver,” (Ps 118:72). And, to sum up, to renounce oneself, is to lift the human heart into the life of Heaven, so as to be able to say: “Our citizenship is in Heaven,” (Phil 3:20). Above all, it is to begin to grow like Christ, Who for our sake, became poor although he was rich (2 Cor 8:9). We need to become like Him, if we wish to live according to the Gospel.” – St Basil the Great (329-379)Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, Father and Doctor of the Church (Greater Monastic Rules Q.8).

PRAYER – Almighty and eternal God, Who has dominion over both the living and the dead and has mercy upon all, whom Thou foreknow will be Thine own by faith and good works; we humbly beseech Thee that all, for whom we have resolved to make supplication, whether the present world still holds them in the flesh, or the world to come holds them out of the body, may, through the intercession of St Bedrnadette and all Thy Saints, obtain of Thine goodness and clemency, pardon for all their sins.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 February – Septuagesima

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Quote/s of the Day – 17 February – Septuagesima

“Why stand you here idle, all the day?”

Matthew 20:6

“Prepare the way of the Lord
make His paths straight” …

Luke 3:4

“What is the surest kind of witness?
“Anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ
came among us in the flesh” (cf 1 Jn 4:2)
and who keeps the commands of the Gospel…
How many there are, each day,
of these hidden martyrs of Christ
who confess the Lord Jesus!
… So be faithful and courageous
in interior persecutions,
so that you may also win
the victory in exterior persecutions.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father & Doctor of the Church

“We are to become vessels
of God’s compassionate love for others.”

“Never forget that the way
which leads to Heaven is narrow
that the gate leading to Life,
is narrow and low
that there are but few who find it
and enter by it and if, there be some,
who go in and tread the narrow path,
for some time, there are but very few,
who persevere therein.”

St Clare (1194-1253)

“The surest and quickest way
to attain perfection, is to strive
for purity of heart.
Once the obstacles have been removed,
God finds a clear path and does wonders,
both in and through, the soul.”

Guide Me Lord
By St Albert the Great (1200-1280)
Doctor of the Church

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Who seeks those who stray
and receives them when returning,
make me approach Thee
through the frequent hearing of Thy Word,
lest I sin against my neighbour,
by the blindness of human judgement,
through the austerity of false justice,
through comparing his inferior status,
through too much trust in my merits
or through ignorance of the Divine Judgement.
Guide me to search diligently,
each corner of my conscience,
lest the flesh dominate the spirit!
Amen

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

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOOD FRIDAY, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 16 February – ‘ … He favoured him with no title, showed him no miracle. …’

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One Minute Reflection – 16 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – Septuagesima Sunday – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 10:1-5 – Matthew 20:1-16. – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“So shall the last be first and the first last.
For many are called but few chosen.” – Matthew 20:16

REFLECTION – “What did that criminal do that he received a share in Paradise following the cross? … While Peter denied Christ, this criminal, raised up on his cross, bore witness to Him. I am not saying this to denigrate Peter but, to draw attention to that criminal’s greatness of soul. … While a whole rabble were standing around Him, murmuring, yelling and heaping oaths and abuse on them both, this criminal paid no attention. He did not even consider the wretched condition of the Crucifixion right before his eyes. All this, he passed over, with a glance full of faith …. He turned towards our heavenly Lord and entrusted himself to Him and said: “Lord, remember me when Thou comes into Thy Kingdom” (Lk 23:42). Let us not casually avoid this criminal’s example, or be ashamed of taking as teacher, the man whom our Lord was not ashamed to lead first into Paradise! …

He did not say to him, as He said to Peter: “Come after me, and I will make you a fisher of men” (Mt 4:19). Nor did he say to him as to the Twelve: “You will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Mt 19:28). He favoured him with no title, showed him no miracle. This criminal did not see Him raise a dead man, nor cast out demons; he did not see the sea obeying Him. Christ said nothing to him about the Kingdom, nor yet about hell. And yet, he bore witness to Him before all and inherited the Kingdom!” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father & Doctor of the Church (Sermon for Good Friday “The Cross and the criminal” ).

PRAYER – O Lord, we beseech You, graciously hear the prayers of Your people, that we who are justly punished for our sins may be mercifully delivered for the glory of Your name. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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One Minute Reflection – 15 February – “I will utter things hidden, from the foundation of the world.” – Matthew 13:35

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One Minute Reflection – 15 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – Epiphany VI (Anticipated) – Feast of The Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners – 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10; – Matthew 13:31-35 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“I will utter things hidden, from the foundation of the world.” – Matthew 13:35

REFLECTION – “In one of the Psalms the Prophet says: “My soul pines for Thy salvation; I hope in Thy Word” (118:1) … Who is expressing this ardent desire if not “the chosen race, the royal priesthood, the people set apart for God” (1 Pt 2:9) each in their own day, in each one of those, who have lived, are living or will live, from humanity’s first beginning until the end of the world? … This is why our Lord Himself, says to His disciples: “Many Prophets and righteous men have wished to see that which you see.” It is their voice, then, we must recognise in this Psalm … Their longing has never come to an end in the Saints, nor does it end even now in “the Body of Christ, the Church” (Col 1:18) until “the Desired of all nations” comes (Hag 2:8) …

So, the beginning of the Church’s era, before the Virgin had given birth, comprised Saints who longed to see Christ’s coming in the flesh and, the period where we are now, following the Ascension, comprises other Saints who long to see the revealing of Christ to judge the living and the dead. From the beginning to the end of time, the Church’s longing has never lost its intensity, excepting only, when our Lord was alive on earth in the company of His disciples.” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of Grace (Discourses on the Psalms Ps 118 No 20).

PRAYER – O God most kind, Who as a salvation for sinners and a refuge for the miserable, didst will the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the Ever Virgin Mother of Thine only Son and the distributor of His graces; grant, we pray, that while celebrating the memory of this most loving Mother’s Heart, we may obtain for sinners, the grace of conversion and an abundance of heavenly gifts, for all the faithful. Through the same Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God forever amen. (Collect).

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on HOSPITALITY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 February – “I was a stranger,” Christ says …

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One Minute Reflection – 14 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – St Valentine (176-273) Bishop and Martyr – Wisdom 10:10-14; Matthew 10:34-42 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And whosoever shall give to drink, to one of these little ones, a cup of cold water only … amen, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.” – Matthew 10:42

REFLECTION – “I was a stranger,” Christ says “and you took Me in” (Mt 25:35). And again, “Insofar as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it to Me.” (Mt 25:40). In every believer and brother, though they be least of all, Christ comes to you! Open your house, take them in. “Whoever receives a prophet, shall receive a prophet’s reward.” … These are the qualities which ought to be in those who welcome strangers – readiness, cheerfulness, liberality. For strangers feel abashed and ashamed and, unless their host shows real joy, they feel slighted and go away and their being received, in this way, makes it worse, than not to have received them at all.

Therefore, set aside a room in your house, to which Christ may come; say, “This is Christ’s room; this is set apart for Him.” Even if it is very simple, He will not disdain it. Christ goes about “naked and a stranger,” He needs shelter, do not hesitate to give it to Him. Do not be incompassionate, nor inhuman. You are earnest in worldly matters, do not be cold in spiritual matters … You have a place set apart for your chariot but none for Christ, Who is wandering by?!  Abraham received strangers in his own home (Gn 18); his wife took the place of a servant, the guests, the place of masters. They did not know that they were receiving Christ, that they were receiving Angels.  If Abraham had known it, he would have lavished his whole substance.  But we, who know we receive Christ, do not show as much zeal as he did, who thought he was receiving mere men! – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 45 on the Acts of the Apostles),

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we who celebrate the anniversary of the death of Thy holy Martyr, Valentine, may, by his intercession, be delivered from all evils which threaten us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thine Son who livest and reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, One God forever, amen (Collect).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 February – ‘ … Is there not anything in you which another has to bear?’

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One Minute Reflection – 13 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – Ferial Day – Colossians 3:12-17 – Matthew 13:24-30 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Suffer both to grow until the harvest” – Matthew 13:30– Matthew 13:30

REFLECTION – “When that which is corruptible in us, clothes itself with incorruptibility and that which is mortal, clothes itself in immortality” (1 Cor 15:54), then there will be perfect sweetness, perfect rejoicing, endless praise and love without fear. … And here below? Do we not enjoy any kind of joy? … Certainly we find joy here below; here we taste in hope, of the life to come, a joy which will satisfy us completely in Heaven.

However, the wheat has much to bear in the midst of the darnel. The seed is mixed up with the straw and the lily grows among the thorns. … And indeed, what is it that was spoken to the Church? “As a lily among thorns, so is my beloved among my maidens” (Sg 2:2). It said, “Among my maidens” and not among foreigners. O Lord, what are the consolations Thou gives us? What the comfort? Or rather, what the alarm? Art Thou calling Thy own maidens “thorns”? By their behaviour, they are thorns, He answers but maidens through My Sacraments. …

But where is the Christian to take refuge then, if he is not to groan in the midst of false brethren? Where is he to go? What is he to do? Is he to fly away to the desert? Occasions for falling will follow him. Will he, who is doing so well, separate himself, to the extent, of not putting up with a single one of his confreres? What about him, then? Supposing nobody was able to put up with him, before his conversion? … So if, under the pretext of making progress, he cannot bear with anyone else, by this very fact, it is clear, he has not progressed as yet. Pay careful attention to these words – “Bear with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph 4:2-3). Is there not anything in you which another has to bear?” – St Augustine (354=430) Father & Doctor of Grace (Discourses on the Psalm Ps 99:8-9).

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 Thy law, so that now and forever, Thy grace may free and save us. Teach us Lord to walk in the ways of the Cross of Thy Son, our Saviour, longing for and rejoicing always in our heavenly home. Through the same Christ our Lord, with the Holy Ghost, God, forever, amen. (Collect)

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 February – ‘ … By the Cross, we put on Christ ‘ and Follow Him

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 February – The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (1233) – Ecclesiasticus 44:1-15; Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And everyone who has left house,
or brethren, or sisters, or father,
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands
for My Name’s sake,
shall receive a hundredfold
and shall possess life everlasting.”

Matthew 19:29

“He Who is immortal, voluntarily shed His Blood.
He Who created the Host of Angels,
was bound at the hands of soldiers
and He Who is to judge the living and the dead,
was dragged to justice (cf. Acts 10:42; 2 Tm 4:1).
Truth was exposed to false witnesses,
was slandered, struck, covered with spittle,
hung on the Wood of the Cross –
the Lord of Glory (cf. 1 Cor 2:8)
endured every outrage and suffering
without Himself needing these trials. …

So, there is nothing surprising about it,
if we submit to even one of these trials,
since such is our condition …
Therefore, we too have to be offended and tempted,
afflicted by the cutting off of our wills!”
(Catecheses 1)

By the Cross, death was slain
and Adam was restored to life.
The Cross is the glory of all the Apostles,
the Crown of the Martyrs,
the Sanctification of the Saints.
By the Cross, we put on Christ
and cast aside our former self.
By the Cross we, the sheep of Christ,
have been gathered into one flock,
destined for the Sheepfold of Heaven.”

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

“It is only right, my brothers,
to celebrate our Lord’s Coming
with all possible devotion,
so greatly does His comfort gladden us…
and His love burn within us.
But do not just think about His First Coming,
when He Came “to seek and save the lost” (Lk 19:10);
think, too, of that other Coming,
when He will come to take us with Him.
I should like to see you constantly
occupied in meditating on these two Comings…
for they are the two arms of the Bridegroom …”

St Bernard (1091-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

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One Minute Reflection – 12 February – ‘ … In exchange for her rags and ashes …’

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One Minute Reflection – 12 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (1233) – Ecclesiasticus 44:1-15; Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“At that time, Peter said to Jesus: Behold we have left all things and have followed Thee: what, therefore, shall we have? ” – Matthew 19:27

REFLECTION – “For forty years, to use the analogy made by Saint Paul (1 Cor 9:24), Clare had now run the race in the stadium of very great poverty. She was drawing close to the goal of her heavenly vocation and, to the reward promised to the victor … Divine Providence hastened to fulfil what it had in mind for Clare – Christ desired to bring His little, poor one into His Royal Palace at the close of her pilgrimage. She, on her part, longed with all the impulse of her desire … to behold, reigning on high in His Glory, the Christ Whose poverty she had imitated on earth …

All her daughters had gathered around their mother’s bed … Then, speaking to herself, Claire said to her soul: “Go in all safety; you have a good Guide for the road. Go, for He Who created you, has also sanctified you. He has always kept you and loved you with tender love, as a mother loves her child. Blessed are you, O Lord, Who have created me!” One of the Sisters asked her, to whom she was speaking. Clare answered: “To my blessed soul.” Her guide for the journey was not far off. Indeed, turning towards one of her daughters, she said: “Do you see what I can see? – The King of Glory!” …

Blessed be her departure from this vale of sorrow, a departure which was, for her, the entry into the life of blessedness! As a reward for her fasts here below, she now knows the joy which reigns at the table of the Saints. In exchange for her rags and ashes, she has entered into possession of the blessedness of the heavenly Kingdom, where she is clothed in the robe of eternal glory!” – Thomas of Celano OFM (c1185-1260) Franciscan Friar and close assistant to St Francis, Biographer of Saint Francis and Saint Clare (Life of Saint Clare).

PRAYER – O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, to keep alive the memory of Your most holy Mother’s sorrows, through the Seven holy Fathers enriched your Church with a new family of her Servants, graciously grant that we may be so united with them in their sorrows, as also to share their joys. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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One Minute Reflection – 11 February – “Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

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One Minute Reflection – 11 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Lourdes – Apocalypse 11:19; 12:1, 10; Luke 1:26-31 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Hail, full of grace!” – Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “The degeneration caused by sin had obscured the beauty of our original nobility. But when, the mother of Supreme Beauty is born, our nature finds its purity once more and sees itself moulded according to the perfect model, worthy of God (Gn 1:26) … We had all preferred the world below to that above. There no longer remained any hope of salvation. The state of our nature cried aloud to Heaven to come to the rescue … Then at last, in His good pleasure, the world’s Divine Artificer determined to make a new world appear, a different world full of harmony and youth.

Now, was it not fitting that a most pure virgin, without stain, should place herself at the service of this mysterious plan, first of all? … And where was this virgin to be found, if not in this woman, alone of her kind, chosen by the world’s Creator before all generations? Yes, she indeed is Mother of God, divinely named Mary, whose womb gave birth to God Incarnate and whom, He, Himself, had supernaturally prepared as His Temple…

In this way, then, the design of the Redeemer of our race was to bring about a birth and, as it were, a new creation to replace the one which went before. Therefore, just as in Paradise, He had taken a litle clay out of the pure and spotless earth, to fashion the first Adam (Gn 2:7), so, at the moment of bringing about His own Incarnation, He made use of another earth, so to speak, namely this pure and immaculate Virgin, chosen from among all other beings He had created. It is in her that He, Adam’s Creator, has remade us in our very substance and become a new Adam (1 Cor 15:45) that the old, might be saved by the new and eternal.” – St Andrew of Crete (c650-c730) Bishop and Father of the Church (Sermon 1 for the Nativity of the Mother of God).

PRAYER – O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for Thy Son, we humbly beseech Thee that, recalling the apparition of the same Virgin, we may obtain health for both soul and body. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, St PAUL!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 February – ‘ … Do you think it might be charity? …’

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One Minute Reflection – 10 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – St Scholastica (c482-547) Virgin Nun, St Benedict’s twin – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18, 11:1-2; Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“But the wise took oil in their vessels” – Matthew 25:4

REFLECTION – “It is some great thing, some exceedingly great thing, that this oil signifies. Do you think it might be charity? If we try out this hypothesis, we hazard no precipitate judgement. I will tell you why charity seems to be signified by the oil. The Apostle says, “I will show you a still more excellent way.” “If I speak with the tongue of mortals and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” This is charity. It is “that way above the rest,” which is, with good reason, signified by the oil. For oil swims above all liquids. Pour in water and pour in oil upon it, the oil will swim above. If you keep the usual order, it will be uppermost, if you change the order, it will be uppermost. “Charity never fails!” … St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor (Sermon 93).

PRAYER – O God, Who, to show us the way of innocence, caused the soul of Thy Virgin, blessed Scholastica, to fly up to heaven in the likeness of a dove, grant us, through her merits and prayers, to live innocently, so that we may be found worthy to reach everlasting joys. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 February – St Cyril of Alexandria

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Quote/s of the Day – 9 February – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) “The Pillar of Faith” “Doctor of the Incarnation,” Bishop,Confessor, Father and Doctor, of the Church

“Young man, I say to thee, arise!”
Luke 7:14

“Even for restoring the dead to life,
the Saviour did not stop at acting by Word alone,
although it was the bearer of Divine Commands.
For such a surpassing work,
He took His own Flesh as His assistant –
if one might put it that way –
that He might show, that it has the power
to give life and, that He might cause it
to be seen that it is entirely One with Him.
… Thus, He not only conferred to His Word
the power to raise the dead
but He even touched the dead,
to show that His Body is Life-giving and,
through His Flesh, He caused life
to pass into their corpses.
If the touch alone of His Sacred Flesh
restores life to a corrupting body,
what profit shall we not discover
in His Life-giving Eucharist
when we make of it our food?
It will wholly transform into its own property
which is immortality, those who participate in it.”

“At that time, the Lord appointed
seventy-two others
and sent them forth …”
Luke 10:1

“By saying that He is sending them
as the Father has sent Him, therefore,
He summarised, in a few words,
the character of the Apostles’ mission.
In this way, they would know that they were bound
to call sinners to repentance,
to heal the sick, whether of body or soul
and in all their dealings as stewards,
not by any means to follow their own will
but the will of Him Who sent them and,
finally, to save the world,
insofar as it received the teachings of the Lord.”

“He who abides in Me and I in Him,
the same bears much fruit”
John 5:5

“We are preserved in being, if we grow onto Him
and cling fast to the holy commandment,
which has been handed down to us
and, if we are eager to keep the blessing of nobility,
that is to say, if we never consent, in any way,
to “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph 4:30),
Who has come to dwell in us and, through Whom,
we believe, God has made His home in us. …
For just as the vine-stock supplies and distributes,
the virtue of its own inherent natural quality to the shoots,
so, too, the Only-Begotten Word of God,
implants, in His people, a sort of affinity
with His own nature and that of the Father.
By the gift of the Spirit, they are united with Him
by every kind of holiness.
He nourishes them, so that they become devout
and He moves them to knowledge of all virtue
and good works.”

“That anyone could doubt the right
of the holy Virgin
to be called the Mother of God,
fills me with astonishment.
Surely she must be the Mother of God,
if our Lord Jesus Christ is God
and she gave birth to Him!”

MORE:
https://anastpaul.com/2024/02/09/quote-s-of-the-day-9-february-st-cyril-of-alexandria-3/

St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father & Doctor of the Church

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on the CHURCH, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 February – “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?” – Matthew 13:27

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One Minute Reflection – 9 February – St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) “The Pillar of Faith” “Doctor of the Incarnation,” Bishop,Confessor, Father and Doctor, of the Church – Colossians 3:12-17 – Matthew 13,24-30 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?” – Matthew 13:27

REFLECTION – “It is not only sheep who abide in the Church, nor do only clean birds fly there to and fro. But amongst the grain other seed is sown, for “amidst the neat grain-fields, burrs and weeds and barren oats, lord it in the land” (Virgil’s Georgics). What is the farmhand to do? Root up the darnel? In that case the whole harvest is destroyed, along with it!

Everyday the farmer diligently drives away the birds, by making a noise or by frightening them with scarecrows … Nevertheless, he suffers from the raids of nimble roes or the wantonness of wild asses; on the one hand, rodents convey the grain to their underground barns, on the other, ants, in a moving column, ravage the crop. This is how things are! No-one who has land is free from care.

While the Householder slept, the enemy sowed tares; when the servants hastened to root them up, the Master prevented them, reserving for Himself the separation of wheat and chaff. … No-one, before the Day of Judgement, can take Christ’s winnowing fan in hand, no-one can pass judgement on another, whoever they might be.” – St Jerome (343-420) Priest, Translator of Sacred Scripture, Father & Doctor of the Church (The Dialogue against the Luciferians).

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. Teach us Lord to walk in the ways of the Cross of Your Son, our Saviour, longing for and rejoicing always in our heavenly home as St Cyril of Alexandria so lovingly and willingly inspires us to do. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God, forever, amen. (Collect)

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, In the PRESENCE of GOD, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on MERIT, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on WATCHING, The HEART, The LAST THINGS, The RESURRECTION, The SECOND COMING, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 8 February – ‘So make haste to please the Lord …’

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Quote/s of the Day – 8 February – Sirach 31:8-11; Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“ … Open the door to Him at once,
when He Comes and knocks.”
Luke 12:35

“So make haste to please the Lord,
wait for Him in your heart without ceasing,
seek Him in your thoughts,
stir up your will and your love,
to reach out towards Him
at every moment!
Then you will see how He Comes to you
and makes His home within you.”

St Macarius of Egypt (c300-390)
Monk, Father (Attrib)

“The fire of the Lord is Light Eternal;
the lamps of believers are lit at this fire:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps,”
(Lk 12:35).
It is because the days of our life
are still night that a lamp is necessary.
This is the fire which,
according to the testimony
of the disciples at Emmaus,
the Lord Himself set within them:
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while He spoke to us on the way
and opened the scriptures to us?” (Lk 24:32).
He gives us evident proof of this fire’s action,
enlightening man’s inmost heart.
That is why the Lord will Come in fire (Is 66,15)
so as to devour our faults at the resurrection,
fulfil each one’s desires with His Presence
and cast His Light over their merits and mysteries.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“ Well done, good and faithful servant
because thou hast been faithful over a few things,
I will place thee over many things.
Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Matthew 25:23

“The parable of the talents is about all those
who, instead of providing assistance to their brethren
with their goods, their advice or, in some other way,
live only for themselves …
Jesus wants to show us, our Lord’s long patience
in this parable but, He also alludes, it seems to me,
to the final resurrection …
In the first place, the servants who give
an account of their dealings
unequivocally acknowledge that which
comes from their Master’s gift
and, that which is the fruit of their stewardship.
… Someone who, for the sake of the other,
has received the grace of word and teaching
but does not put it to use,
will have this grace taken away.
But someone, who uses wisely and zealously,
the grace received, will receive
an even more abundant grace!”

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

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on the CHURCH, QUOTES on WATCHING, St PAUL!, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 February – Blessed are those servants, whom the Master, on His return, shall find watching.

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 8 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” –St John of Matha (1160-1213) Confessor, Priest, Founder – Sirach 31:8-11; Luke 12:35-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Blessed are those servants, whom the Master, on His return, shall find watching.” – Luke 12:37

REFLECTION – “Our Lord spoke these words, recorded by the Gospel, to clarify the function of the servants, He had set at the head of His people: “Who is the faithful and prudent Steward Whom the Master will put in charge of His servants, to distribute the food allowance, at the proper time? Blessed is that servant, whom his Master, on arrival, finds doing so” Who is that Steward, my friends? Undoubtedly, it is Christ, Who said to His disciples: “You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master’ and rightly so, for indeed I Am” (Jn 13:13). And what is that Master’s Household? Surely the one which our Lord Himself Redeemed from the hands of the enemy and took to Himself. This Household is the Holy and Universal Church, spreading with remarkable fecundity throughout the world and priding itself on having been redeemed at the price of His Blood…

But who is the faithful and wise steward? The Apostle Paul shows us when he says – speaking of himself and his companions – “One should regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the Mysteries of God. Now, it is of course required of stewards that they be found trustworthy” (1 Cor 4:1-2). And lest any of you should think that only the Apostles became stewards or, lest some lazy and unfaithful servant should abandon the spiritual combat and fall asleep, the holy Apostle demonstrates that Bishops are just as much stewards, too: “As God’s steward” he says, “a Bishop must be irreproachable” (Tim 1:7). Therefore, we are servants of the Householder, stewards of our Lord and, it is we, who have received the measure of wheat, to be distributed among you.” – St Fulgentius of Ruspe (c462-533) Bishop and Father of the Church (Sermon 1)

PRAYER – O God, Who graciously and by Divine means founded, through blessed John, the Order of the Most Holy Trinity to ransom captives from the hands of the Saracens, grant, we beseech Thee that through Thy help and the merits of his prayers, we may be freed body and soul from captivity. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, Quote on SELF-ABANDONMENT, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VICE, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 February – ‘… True faith knows no delay. …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 7 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – St Romuald (c951-1027) Abbot – Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6; – Matthew 19:27-29 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29

REFLECTION – “Jesus said to them, ‘Come after Me; I will make you fishers of men.’” Happy transformation of fishing! Simon and Andrew are what Jesus caught fishing … These men are made similar to fish, caught by Christ, before going themselves to catch other people. “They immediately abandoned their nets and became His followers.” True faith knows no delay. As soon as they heard Him, they believed, they followed Him and they became fishers. “They immediately abandoned their nets.” I think that with those nets, they abandoned all the vices of the life of this world …

“Proceeding a little farther along, He caught sight of James, Zebedee’s son and his brother, John … He summoned them on the spot. They abandoned their father Zebedee, who was in the boat with the hired men and went off in His company.” You will tell me — faith is daring. What indication did they have, what sublime characteristic had they noted which made them follow Him, as soon as He called them? We realise that evidently something Divine came forth from Jesus’ gaze, from the expression on His Face which incited those who looked at Jesus to turn towards Him … Why am I saying all this? It is to show you that the Lord’s Word was active and, that through the least of His Words, He was working on His task: “He commanded and they were made.” (Ps 148:5) With the same simplicity, He called and they followed … “Hear, O daughter and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father’s house. So shall the king desire your beauty.” (Ps 45:11-12)

Listen well, brother and follow the path of the Apostles; listen to the Saviour’s Voice, ignore your father according to the flesh and see the true Father of your soul and your mind … The Apostles left their father, left their boat, left all their riches of that time; they abandoned the world and its countless riches; they renounced all that they owned. However, God does not consider the mass of riches but rather, the soul of the person who renounces them. Those people who left only a few things would also have renounced a large fortune, if the need had arisen.” – St Jerome (347-420) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospel of Mark).

RAYER – May the intercession of the Blessed Abbot Romuald, commend us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, so that what we do not deserve by any merits of our own, we may obtain by his patronage. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, I BELIEVE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on MISSION, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on TRUTH, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 February – Into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house … Luke 10:5

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 6 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – St Titus (Died c96) Bishop, Confessor – Ecclesiasticus 44:16-27; 45:3-20; Luke 10:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house.
And, if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him but if not, it shall return to you.” – Luke 10:5-7

REFLECTION – “As you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house,‘” (Lk 10:5) so that the Lord Himself might enter and remain there, as with Mary. … This greeting is the Mystery of Faith which shines forth in the world. Through it, enmity is stifled, war is ended and people acknowledge one another. The effect of that greeting was hidden by a veil in spite of the fact that it prefigures the Mystery of the Resurrection … when the light rises and dawn chases night away. From the moment Christ sent out His disciples, people began to give and receive this greeting, a source of healing and blessing. …

This greeting with its hidden power … is amply sufficient for us all. That is why Our Lord sent it out, together with His disciples, as forerunner, so that it might bring about peace and, carried by the voice of the Apostles whom He sent, prepare the way before them. It was sown in every dwelling … it entered into all who heard it, so as to separate and set apart, the children it recognised as its own. It remained in them but it denounced those who were alien to it, for they did not welcome it.

This greeting of peace did not dry up; it began in the Apostles and then sprang up in their brethren, revealing the Lord’s inexhaustible treasures. … Present in those who offered greetings in this way and in those who welcomed the greeting, this announcement of peace was neither diminished nor divided. It announced that the Father is near and is in everyone; it revealed that the Son’s mission is bound up with all, even if its object is to be with His Father. It will not cease to proclaim that images are now brought to completion and Truth will cast all shadows away at last.” – St Ephrem (306-373) Father and Doctor of the Church (Diatessaron 8: 3-4).

PRAYER – O God, Who adorned blessed Titus, Thy Confessor and Bishop, with the virtues of an apostle, grant, through his merits and intercession that by living justly and piously in this world, we may be found worthy to enter Heaven. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on the FAMILY, St PAUL!, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 5 February – Love above all …

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 5 February – 1 Corinthians 1 Cor. 1:26-31; Matthew 19:3-12– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“… A man shall leave father and mother
and shall cleave to his wife
and they two shall be in one flesh.”
Matthew 19:5

“Say your prayers together.
Let each of you go to Church and, returning home,
let the husband ask an account from his wife
and the wife from her husband,
concerning whatever was said or read …
Learn the fear of God and all the rest will flow,
as from a spring and your house
will be filled with countless blessings.
Let us aspire to those good things
that are incorruptible and
the rest will not pass us by.
“Seek first the Kingdom of God
and all the rest will be added to you”
(Mt 6:33).”

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

“If any of you should wish
to act out of love, brothers,
do not imagine it to be a self-abasing,
passive and timid thing.
And do not think that love can be preserved
by gentleness – or rather, docile listlessness.
This is not how it is preserved.
Do not imagine that you love your servant,
when you refrain from beating him,
or that you love your son,
when you do not discipline him,
or that you love your neighbour,
when you do not rebuke him.
This is not love, it is feebleness!
Love should be fervent, to correct.”

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

“If I speak with the tongues
of men and of angels
and have not charity,
I am become as sounding brass,
or a tinkling cymbal.
And if I should have prophecy
and should know all mysteries
and all knowledge
and if I should have all faith,
so that I could remove mountains
but have not charity,
I am nothing!”

St Paul
1 Corinthians 13:1-2

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on MARRIAGE, MARRIED LOVE, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 February – ‘ … Through the marriage bond, God makes two, one and one, two …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 5 February – “The Month of the Blessed Trinity” – St Agatha (c231- c251) Virgin Martyr – 1 Corinthians 1 Cor. 1:26-31; Matthew 19:3-12– Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“… A man shall leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they two shall be in one flesh.” – Matthew 19:5

REFLECTION – “Woman is not independent of man, nor man of woman, in the Lord” (1 Cor 11:11) … Man and woman walk hand-in-hand to the Kingdom. Christ calls both man and woman at one and the same time, without distinction, united by God and joined together by nature, giving them a share in the same actions and tasks in wonderful harmony. Through the marriage bond, God makes two, one and one, two, in such a way that another self is discovered, without loss of individuality or mingling in duality.

But why does God appeal thus to man and and to woman, through the images he gives of his Kingdom? (cf Lk 13:18-21). Why does He suggest such greatness by means of seemingly weak and inadequate examples? Oh my brethren! a priceless mystery is hidden under this poverty. As the Apostle Paul says: “This is a great mystery but I speak in reference to Christ and His Church” (Eph 5:32).

These parables suggest humanity’s greatest goal – man and woman have brought an end to the lawsuit against the world, a lawsuit which dragged on for centuries. The first man, Adam and first woman, Eve, are led from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, to the fire … of the Gospel …. Mouths sickened by the fruit of the poisoned tree are healed, by the fiery taste of the tree of salvation, of that tree tasting of fire which, enflames consciences, frozen by the former tree. Here nakedness makes no difference and no longer inspires shame, for man and woman are fully clothed in forgiveness.” – St Peter Chrysologus (406-450) Bishop of Ravenna, Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermon 99).

PRAYER – O God, Who among other wonders of Thy power hast given the victory of mMrtyrdom even to the gentler sex, graciously grant that we, who commemorate the anniversary of the death of blessed Agatha, Thy Virgin and Martyr, may come to Thee, by following her example.Through esus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, FRUITS of the SPIRIT, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on WATCHING, St PAUL!, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 4 February – Bearing fruit with those talents

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Quote/s of the Day – 4 February – The Parable of the Talents

“And he who had received the five talents
went and traded with them,
and gained five more.

Matthew 25:16

“I have chosen you
and have appointed you,
that you should go
and should bring forth fruit
and your fruit should remain,
says the Lord.”

John 15:16

“What dost thou have that thou hast not received?”

St Paul – 1 Corinthians 4:7

“Watch me, O Lord, this day –
for, abandoned to myself,
I shall surely betray Thee!”

St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

“As a general rule, God gives us
three kinds of talents.
There are – (1) material, like health or riches;
(2) intellectual and moral, such
as intelligence, personality and ability;
and (3) supernatural, like Divine grace,
a vocation, or extraordinary powers.
God lavishly distributes all these talens
to whomsoever He pleases
and in accordance with His own hidden dessigns.
We have no right,, therefore, to envy
the talents of others, nor,
to be discontented with our own.
… If we cheerfully accept and offer to God,
our lack of certain talents,
we can gain great merit in His eyes.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)