Category: The WORD

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 5 August

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One Minute Reflection – 5 August

Rejoice, O highly favoured daughter! The Lord is with you………..Luke 1:28

LUKE 1 28

REFLECTION – “The salvation of the whole world began with the “Hail Mary.”
Hence, the salvation of each person is also attached to this prayer.”…St Louise Marie Grignion de Montfort

the salvation of the whole world - st louis de montfort

PRAYER – Lord Jesus, let the great prayer to Your holy Mother be on my lps, morning, noon and night. Enable me to say it especially at the hour of my death – for she will come to me! Mary, Mother of our God, pray for us, amen.

mary mother of god pray for us

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

One Minute Reflection – 4 August

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One Minute Reflection – 4 August

Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you…..James 4:10

REFLECTION – “Humility is like a pair of scales: the lower one side falls, the higher rises the other.   Let us humble ourselves like the Blessed Virgin and we shall be exalted.”………St John Vianney

humility is like a pair of scales-st john vianney

PRAYER – Lord God, light of the faithful and shepherd of souls, who gave blessed John Vianney to Your Church to feed Your flock by his teaching and form them by his example, grant that by his intercession, we may keep the faith which he taught and follow in the way he walked, through our Lord Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit. St John Vianney, pray for us, amen.

st john vianney pray for us

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 2 August

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One Minute Reflection – 2 August

…..At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love…1 Corinthians 12-13

1 cor 12 13

REFLECTION – “We believe in the love of God for us.   To believe in love is everything.   It is not enough to believe in the Truth.   We must believe in Love and Love is our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.   That is the faith that makes our Lord loved.   Ask for this pure and simple faith in the Eucharist.   Men will teach you;  but only Jesus will give you the grace to believe in Him.   You have the Eucharist.   What more do you want?”… St Peter Julian Eymund

we believe in the love of god for us- st peter julian eymard

PRAYER – Lord our God, help us to imitate the constancy and love of St Peter Julian in proclaiming the Real Presence and Love of Jesus Christ, who remains waiting for us all in the Holy Eucharist. By living the love and faith in the Holy Eucharist as St Peter Julian did, may we come to share the life of our Lord Jesus, Your Son, who waits and loves and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. St Peter Julian Eymard, pray for us, amen.

st peter julian eymard pray for us

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 1 August – The Feast of St Alphonsus Liguori

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One Minute Reflection – 1 August

May the Lord…make you overflow with love for one another and for all.1 Thessalonians 3:12

1 THES 3 12 (2)

REFLECTION – “The means for attaining perfect love is to accomplish frequent acts of love.
Fire is kindled by the wood that we cast into it and love is enkindled by acts of love.”….St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church

the means for attaining perfect love - st alphonsus liguori

PRAYER – Loving Father, grant me the grace to strive after perfect love. Help me to bring forth frequent acts of love, to all and sundry, to each of my neighbours, so that I may grow in this greatest of virtues. St Alphonsus Liguori pray for us, amen.

st alphonsus liguori - pray for us

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 31 July

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One Minute Reflection – 31 July

My brothers, I implore you by God’s mercy, to offer your very selves to him: a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for his acceptance, the worship offered by mind and heart………Romans 12:1

romans 12 1

REFLECTION – “We must speak to God as a friend speaks to his friend, servant to his master; now asking some favour, now acknowledging our faults and communicating to Him all that concerns us, our thoughts, our fears, our projects, our desires and in all things seeking His counsel.”…St Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

we must speak to god - st ignatius

PRAYER – Almighty God, grant that the example of Your saints may spur us on to perfection, so that we who are celebrating the feast of St Ignatius, may follow him step by step in his way of life to reach You in heaven. St Ignatius, pray for us, amen.

st ignatius pray for us

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 30 July – Memorial of St Peter Chrysologus

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One Minute Reflection – 30 July

On the way of duty I walk, along the paths of justice, granting wealth to those who love me…..Proverbs 8:20-21

PROVERBS 8 20 21

REFLECTION – “Mary’s grace has given glory to heaven; a God to earth and faith to the nations.Sh has conferred death on vices, order on life and a rule on morals.”….St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450) Doctor of the Church

ST PETER CHRYSOLOGUS MARY'S GRACE

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, grant me the grace to have Mary as my constant intercessor. In all difficulties let me call on her aid, for she is Your beloved Daughter. St Peter, you who so loved our Holy Mother, pray that we too may love her with total abandon and trust. Amen

st peter chrysologus pray for us

Posted in MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 29 July

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Thought for the Day – 29 July – Memorial of St Martha

Martha’s great glory is her simple and strong statement of faith in Jesus after her brother’s death. “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord. . I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world’ (John 11:25-27). ”

Scripture commentators point out that in writing his account of the raising of Lazarus, Saint John intends that we should see Martha’s words to Mary before Lazarus was raised as a summons that every Christian must obey.   In her saying “The teacher is here and is asking for you,” Jesus is calling every one of us to resurrection—now in baptismal faith, forever in sharing His victory over death.   And all of us, as well as these three friends, are in our own unique way called to special friendship with Him….(Fr Don Miller OFM)

St Martha, pray for us!

st martha pray for us 2

Posted in MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 29 July

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her”…..Luke 10:41-42.

REFLECTION – “Without daily prayer lived with fidelity, our acts are empty, they lose their profound soul and are reduced to being mere activism which in the end leaves us dissatisfied. There is a beautiful invocation of the Christian tradition to be recited before any other activity which says : “Inspire our actions, Lord and accompany them with Your help, so that our every word and action may always begin and end in you”. Every step in our life, every action, of the Church too, must be taken before God, in the light of his word.”…….Pope Benedict XVI (General Audience – Saint Peter’s Square,Wednesday, 25 April 2012.)

without daily prayer - pope benedict

PRAYER – Almighty ever-living God, Your Son graciously came as a guest to the home of St Martha. By her prayers give us grace to serve Christ faithfully in our brethren and bring us to Your home in heaven. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, amen.

st martha pray for us

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 27 July

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Thought for the Day – 27 July

Today is the feast of Blessed Rudolf Aquaviva S.J. (1550-1583), who laboured for four years at the court of the Muslim king at Agra, India, seeking converts to Christ.  The mission failed.  Shortly after, Bl Rudolf and four associates were martyred by a Hindu mob.  He wrote movingly of patient hope in the face of apparent failure:

“You know how I longed for this mission and how delighted I was when it was granted me. I have been able to do what I wished for—to bear witness to the name of Jesus Christ before the kings and rulers of this world.

We cannot speak out the truth for fear that if we go too far we endanger the life of King Akbar. So we neither die because they do not kill us and yet we do not live for our zeal wears us out. Or we live only by hope, though that is very uncertain whether it may not turn out rather evil than good. Ours is a very uncertain outlook as far as the King’s conversion goes.

Still, the Lord makes us realise that our labours are just as pleasing and acceptable to His divine majesty as if we were to obtain that for which we are striving, for God is a witness of inmost feelings and a searcher of the heart (see Wisdom 1:6). For day and night we are toiling at a work of great service to God, the planting of his faith in a barbarous nation at such peril of our lives.”

….For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond alll measure…2 Corinthians 4:17

We do NOT give up – ever, for the Lord is with us and blesses our zealous hearts!   Blessed Aquaviva please pray for us!

bl rudolf aquaviva sj. - pray for us jpg

Posted in JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 27 July

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One Minute Reflection – 27 July

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day……2 Corinthians 4:16

REFLECTION – “We live only by hope…Still the Lord makes us realise that our labours are just as pleasing and acceptable to His divine majesty as if we were to obtain that for which we are striving, for God is a witness of inmost feelings and a searcher of the heart!”……Blessed Rudolf Aquaviva S.J. -Martyr – Memorial today 27 July

bl rudolf aquaviva sj

PRAYER – Almighty God, You give Your Martyrs the grace to lay down thei lives for Christ. Help our weakness, give us strength to do all for and to live only for You, for You know the inmost meaning of our hearts. Blessed Rudolf and St Panteleon, pray for us! Amen

ST PANTELEON - JULY 27

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

One Minute Reflection – 26 July

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One Minute Reflection – 26 July

How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him…..Psalm 94

REFLECTION – “Joachim and Anne, how blessed a couple!   All creation is indebted to you. For at your hands the Creator was offered a gift excelling all other gifts:  a chaste mother, who alone was worthy of Him.   Joachim and Anne, how blessed and spotless a couple! You will be known by the fruit you have borne, as the Lord says:  “By their fruits you will know them.”   The conduct of your life pleased God and was worthy of your daughter.   For by the chaste and holy life you led together, you have fashioned a jewel of virginity: she who remained a virgin before, during and after giving birth.   She alone for all time would maintain her virginity in mind and soul as well as in body.   Joachim and Anne, how chaste a couple!   While leading a devout and holy life in your human nature, you gave birth to a daughter nobler than the angels, whose queen she now is.” – from a sermon by Saint John Damascene (675-749) – Doctor of the Church

joachim and anne - st john damascene

PRAYER – O Lord, God of our Fathers, who bestowed on Saints Joachim and Anne this grace, that of them should be born the Mother of your incarnate Son, grant, through the prayers of both, that we may attain the salvation you have promised to your people. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Sts Joachim and Anne, pray for us! Amen

sts anne and joachim pray for us

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 22 July

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Quote/s of the Day – 22 July

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine”

Isaiah 43:1

isaiah 43 1

“Just as a woman had announced the words of death
to the first man, so also a woman was the first
to announce to the Apostles the words of life.”

….St Thomas Aquinas (Super Ioannem, ed. Cai, 2519)

just as a woman - st thomas aquinas

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 22 July

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One Minute Reflection – 22 July

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” …….John 20: 13-15

REFLECTION – “When Mary Magdalen came to the tomb and did not find the Lord’s body, she thought it had been taken away and so informed the disciples. After they came and saw the tomb, they too believed what Mary had told them. The text then says: “The disciples went back home,” and it adds: “but Mary wept and remained standing outside the tomb.” We should reflect on Mary’s attitude and the great love she felt for Christ; for though the disciples had left the tomb, she remained. She was still seeking the one she had not found and while she sought she wept; burning with the fire of love, she longed for Him who she thought had been taken away. And so it happened that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ was the only one to see Him. For perseverance is essential to any good deed, as the voice of truth tell us: “Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved….Jesus says to her: Mary. Jesus is not recognised when He calls her “woman”; so He calls her by name, as though He were saying: ‘Recognise me as I recognise you; for I do not know you as I know others; I know you as yourself.’ And so Mary, once addressed by name, recognises who is speaking. She immediately calls Him ‘Rabboni’, that is to say, teacher, because the one whom she sought outwardly was the one who inwardly taught her to keep on searching.” – from a homily by St Pope Gregory the Great

and so it happened - st pope gregory the great

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ made Mary of Magdala the first herald of Easter joy. Grant that, following her example and helped by her prayers, we may, in this life, proclaimn he living Christ and come to se Him reigning with You in glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever, amen.

st mary of magdala pray for us

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 21 July

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Quote/s of the Day – 21 July

“The word of God is replete with manifold blessings, since it is, so to speak, a treasure of all goods.   It is the source of faith, hope, charity, all virtue, all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, all the beatitudes of the Gospel, all good works, all the rewards of life, all the glory of paradise…For the word of God is a light to the mind and a fire to the will.   It enables man to know God and to love Him.   And for the interior man who lives by the Spirit of God through grace, it is bread and water, but a bread sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, a water better than wine and milk.   For the soul it is a spiritual treasure of merits yielding an abundance of gold and precious stones.   Against the hardness of a heart that persists in wrongdoing, it acts like a hammer.   Against the world, the flesh and the devil it serves as a sword that destroys all sin.”

the word of the lord - st lawrence of brindisi

“The Holy Spirit sweetens the yoke
of the divine law and lightens its weight,
so that we may observe God’s commandments
with the greatest of ease and even with pleasure”

the holy spirit - st lawrence of brindisi

St Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619) Apostolic Doctor

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, franciscan OFM, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 21 July

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One Minute Reflection – 21 July

“I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.”………..Matthew 12:6

REFLECTION – “My dear souls, let us recognize, I pray you, Christ’s infinite charity towards us in the institution of this Sacrament of the Eucharist.  In order that our love be a spiritual love, He wills a new heart, a new love, a new spirit for us.  It is not with a carnal heart but with a spiritual one, that Christ has loved us with a gratuitous love, a supreme and most ardent love, by way of pure grace and charity.  Ah!  One needs to love Him back with one’s whole, whole, whole, living, living, living and true, true, true heart!!” …… St Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619) Apostolic Doctor

my dear souls - st lawrence of brindisi

PRAYER – Lord God, You bestowed on St Lawrence of Brindisi the spirit of counsel and fortitude, so that Your name might be glorified and souls be saved.  At the intercession of St Lawrence, grant that we may see what we have to do and, in Your mercy give us the strength to do it and the courage, love and charity to persevere.  Grant above all, that by his prayers we may love You above all and with all we are. St Lawrence pray for us, amen.

ST LAWRENCE OF BRINDISI PRAY FOR US

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 20 July

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Quote/s of the Day – 20 July

“Let sleep find you holding your Bible
and when you head nods let it be resting
on the sacred page.”
St Jerome (343-420) One of the Original 4 Doctors

le sleep find you - st jerome

“The Holy Bible is like a mirror before our mind’s eye.
In it we see our inner face.
From the Scriptures we can learn
our spiritual deformities and beauties.
And there too we discover the progress
we are making and how far we are from perfection.”
St Gregory the Great (540-604) One of the Original 4 Doctors

the holy bible is like a mirror - st gregory he great

“The Old Testament is like a radio
with its hidden voice
announcing the One to come.
The New Testament is like a television
because the Word became both audible and visible.”
Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen

the old testament - fulton sheen

Posted in MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 20 July

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One Minute Reflection – 20 July

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction and for training in righteousness,so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work……..2 Timothy 3:16-17

REFLECTION – “We therefore grossly deceive ourselves in not allotting more time to the study of divine truths. It is not enough barely to believe them and let our thoughts now and then glance upon them: that knowledge which shows us heaven, will not bring us to the possession of it and will deserve punishments, not rewards, if it remain slight, weak and superficial. By serious and frequent meditation it must be concocted, digested, and turned into the nourishment of our affections, before it can be powerful and operative enough to change them, and produce the necessary fruit in our lives. For this all the saints affected solitude and retreats from the noise and hurry of the world, as much as their circumstances allowed them.” – St. Apollinaris

we therefore grossly deceive ourselves - st apollinaris

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, St Apollinaris fought unto death for the law of his God. He was not afraid of the words of evil men, for he was like a house that is founded on rock. Grant that we too, may be founded on rock and be planted in good saoil to yield many fruits. St Apollinaris, please pray for us, amen.

st apollinaris pray for us

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

Thought for the Day – 18 July

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Thought for the Day – 18 July

Commentary Saint Bruno of Segni on Mark 16:17-18

The Lord said to the Eleven: “These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents in their hands and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick and they will recover”. ..Mark 16:17-18
In the primitive Church all the signs the Lord lists here were fulfilled to the letter, not only by the apostles but many other of the saints.  The Gentiles would not have abandoned the worship of idols if the gospel preaching had not been confirmed with so many signs and wonders.   Indeed, did not the disciples preach “a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,” according to Saint Paul’s saying? (1Cor 1,23)…
As for us, from now on signs and wonders are no longer needed:  it is enough for us to read or hear an account of those that have happened. For we believe in the Gospel, we believe in the Scriptures that relate them.   And yet signs still take place daily and, if we would mark them well, we would acknowledge that they have far more worth than the concrete miracles of former times:

Every day priests administer baptism and call to conversion:  isn’t this to cast out demons?

Every day they speak a new language when they explain holy Scripture by replacing the old letter with the newness of its spiritual sense.

They put serpents to flight when they free sinners’ hearts from their attachment to evil with gentle exhortation…

They heal the sick when they reconcile weak souls to God with their prayers.

Such are the signs the Lord had promised his saints –  it is these they accomplish even today.

St Bruno of Segni – pray for us!

st bruno of segni pray for us.2

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 July

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One Minute Reflection – 18 July

Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age……Matthew 28:20

REFLECTION – “For the most holy Eucharist contains the Church’s entire spiritual wealth:  Christ Himself, our Passover and living bread.   Through His own flesh, now made living and life-giving by the Holy Spirit, He offers life to men………The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice.”…….St John Paul (Ecclesia de Eucharistia 1 &12)

through his own flesh - st john paul

PRAYER – Lord, let me live each day in joy – for You are with us to end of time.   We have the joy of receiving Your Body and thus we live in You and You in us.   Help us to give thanks and praise for the Holy Mass and Your saving Passion.   St Bruno of Segni, your great love of the Holy Sacrament, led you to zealous efforts to spend your life in growing in others, understanding of the great Eucharistic grace we receive, please pray for us, amen.

st bruno of segni pray for us

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

One Minute Reflection – 17 July

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One Minute Reflection – 17 July

Although you have not seen him, you love him;  even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls…..1 Peter 8-9

1 peter 8 9

REFLECTION – “Let us rejoice, my dear Mother and Sisters, in the joy of the Lord, that we shall die for our holy religion, our faith, our confidence in the Holy Roman Catholic Church.”……Sister Henrietta O.C.D. (one of the 16 Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne)

let us rejoice-sister henrietta

PRAYER – Holy God and Father, help us to not only love our Holy Faith but to follow Your Divine Son, happily and with complete trust to the Cross.   Blessed Martyrs of Compiegne, pray for us that we may be graced with your courage and conviction at every moment of our lives, that we may live and die for Christ our Lord, amen.

blessed martyrs of compiegne - pray for us

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, Re-BLOGS, The WORD

POPE FRANCIS: “COME TO ME (Mt. 11:28).”

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Do you attend Eucharistic Adoration? Do you visit Jesus and allow Him to help you with all your burdens?

Posted in CATECHESIS, Re-BLOGS, The WORD

15th Sunday of O.T. (A): THE NECESSITY OF HAVING THE PROPER DISPOSITIONS TO RECEIVE GOD AND HIS WORD. Summary vid + full text.

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Thank you Fr Rolly!

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 16 July

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One Minute Reflection – 16 July

I was (the Lord’s) delight day by day………….Proverbs 8:30

REFLECTION – “So pleasing to God was Mary’s humility that He was constrained by His goodness to entrust to her the Word, His only Son.
And it was that dearest Mother who gave Him to us.”……………St Catherine of Siena

so pleassing to God - st Catherine of Siena

PRAYER – Almighty Lord and God, let the gracious intercession of our Lady of Mount Carmel help us. Under her protection, may we come to the mountain of God, Christ the Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

our lady of mount carmel - pray for us

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 July

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One Minute Reflection – 15 July

With knowledge and understanding he filled them……….Sirach 17:7

REFLECTION – “Do all your actions in accord with the right light of your reason.
In all things, seek your salvation, the edification of others and the praise and glory of God.”…..St Bonaventure

do all yur actions-st bonaventure

 

PRAYER – God of goodness and reason, grant me the gift of right reasoning and Christian understanding. Let me act always in accord with the dictates of that reason and so be pleasing to You. St Bonaventure , pray for us that we may always be graced with the gifts of Holy Spirit, amen.

st bonaventure pray for us

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

One Minute Reflection – 13 July

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One Minute Reflection – 13 July

Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love him………1 Cor 2:9

1 cor 2 9

REFLECTION – “The happiness to which I aspire is greater than anything on earth. Therefore, I regard with extreme joy whatever pains and sufferings may befall me here.”………St Camillus de Lellis

the happiness to which I aspire - st camillus de lellis

PRAYER – Heavenly Father. keep my mind fixed on the surpassing joys stored up for me in heaven. And let me be willing to put up with all sufferings and pains that may come upon me. St Camillus de Lellis, pray for us, amen.

st camillus de lellis pray for us

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

One Minute Reflection – 13 July

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One Minute Reflection – 13 July

Not on bread alone is man to live but on every utterance that comes from the mouth of God………….Matthew 4:4

Matthew 4 4

REFLECTION – “These are fountains of salvation that they who thirst may be satisfied with the living words they contain. In these is proclaimed the doctrine of godliness.  Let no man add to these, neither let him take out from these.”…….St Athanasius of Alexandria

these are fountains of salvation - St Athanasius of Alexandria

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, inspire me to meditate on Your holy words every day and fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I might not only understand them but be filled with the desire to follow and live their instructions.   May they be a consolation, a strength and an assistance on my journey to You.   St Henry – you were inspired and strove to live by the Holy Scriptures, please pray for us all, amen.

st henry pray for us

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 July

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One Minute Reflection – 12 July

You have said, “Seek my face”. My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek”.   Hide not your face from me.  Turn not your servant away in anger, you who have been my help.   Cast me not off, forsake me not, O God of my salvation………Psalm 27:8-9

REFLECTION – “Veronica- ‘Bernice’ in the Greek tradition, embodies the universal yearning of the devout men and women of the Old Testament, the yearning of all believers to see the Face of God.   On Jesus’ Way of the Cross, though, she at first did nothing more than perform an act of womanly kindness: she held out a facecloth to Jesus.   She did not let herself be deterred by the brutality of the soldiers or the fear which gripped the disciples.   She is the image of that good woman, who, amid turmoil and dismay, shows the courage born of goodness and does not allow her heart to be bewildered. “Blessed are the pure in heart”, the Lord had said in his Sermon on the Mount, “for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8).   At first, Veronica saw only a buffeted and pain-filled Face.   Yet her act of love impressed the true image of Jesus on her heart: on His human Face, bloodied and bruised, she saw the Face of God and His goodness, which accompanies us even in our deepest sorrows.  Only with the heart can we see Jesus. Only love purifies us and gives us the ability to see.   Only love enables us to recognize the God who is love itself.”…………..Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (24 March 2005)

at first, veronica saw only a ...- joseph card ratzinger 24 march 2005

PRAYER – Lord God, grant us restless hearts, hearts which seek Your Face. Keep us from the blindness of heart which sees only the surface of things.   Give us the simplicity and purity which allow us to recognise Your presence in the world.   When we are not able to accomplish great things, grant us the courage which is born of humility and goodness. Impress Your Face on our hearts.   May we encounter You along the way and show Your image to the world. St Veronica, Pray for us! Amen.

st veronica pray for us

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

One Minute Reflection – 11 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 11 July

Do not grow slack but be fervent in spirit; he whom you serve is the Lord…….Romans 12:11

romans 12 11

REFLECTION – “There exists an evil fervour, a bitter spirit, which divides us from God and leads us to hell.
Similarly, there is a good fervour, which sets us apart from evil inclinations and leads us toward God and eternal life.”

st benedict - there exists an evil fervour

PRAYER – Loving Father, grant me to have a true fervour in Your service. Let me never tire of following Your Son’s example and avoiding evil. St Benedict, pray for us! Amen

st benedict - pray for us 2

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

Thought for the Day – 10 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 10 July

In today’s gospel reading, (Mt 9:18-26) we read of two different miracles performed by Jesus.    We read of the cure of the woman with a hemorrhage and we read of the raising back to life of the official’s daughter.   While both of these miracles leave us in awe and amazement of God’s power, what is also amazing is the faith of the official and the woman.   Both of them demonstrated an unshakable faith.   Unshakable faith, both the official and the woman had it and because of it they found miraculous cures for insurmountable problems.   May we always remember to look to God for comfort, answers and restoration;  not only when things are good but especially when they seem their worst.   As Christians we are called to have a faith that is unshakable, one that is built upon solid rock, not shifting sand.

“We believe an honourable man on his word.   Why should we put less faith in that of Our Lord?   When a friend desires to prove to his friend that he loves him, he tells him so and he presses his hand affectionately.   When Our Lord wants to show His love for us, He does so in person, discarding the intervention of any third person, whether angelic or human.  Love suffers no intermediate agents.   He remains in the Holy Eucharist that He may repeat to us incessantly: I love you! You must see that I love you!”

St Peter Julian Eymard

our lord wants to show his love for us - st peter julian eymard

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 10 July

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 10 July

My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God……….Psalm 84:3

REFLECTION – “To adore Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament is first of all to acknowledge Him truly, really and substantially present therein by the humble sentiment of a lively and spontaneous faith:  humbly surrendering our feeble reason to the divinity of this sublime Mystery; asking neither to see or touch, like the unbelieving Apostle, before accepting the truth of Jesus Hostia;  merely waiting, to prostrate ourselves at His feet, for the infallible and gentle word of the Church telling us like Saint John the Baptist:  ‘Look, this is the Lamb of God; look, this is He who takes away the sin of the world.’ …………………..St Peter Julian Eymard

PRAYER – Living God, let me desire to see You as often as possible and make use of evey opportunity to visit You and to attend Holy Mass. Grant that I may live in such a way, atoning here on earth for the sins against Your Eucharistic Heart and that I may gain the blessed vision of You in the Holy Eucharist here and now and one day attain the joy of seeing You in Heaven. Amen

PSALM 84 3 - look this is the lamp of god - st p j eymard