Posted in FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MOTHER of GOD, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on MOTHERHOOD, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 September – “Behold, your mother”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 15 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and Memorial of the Seven Sorrows of our Mother – Readings: First Timothy 3: 14-16; Psalm 111: 1-6; John 19: 25-27 or Luke 2: 33-35

“Behold, thy mother” – John 19:27

REFLECTION – “Woman, this is thy son. This is thy mother.” By what right is the disciple. whom Jesus loved, the son of the Lord’s mother? By what right is she his mother? By the fact that, without pain, she brought into the world the salvation of us all, when she gave birth in the flesh to the God-Man. But now, she is in labour, with great pain as she stands at the foot of the Cross!

At the hour of His Passion, the Lord Himself rightly compared the Apostles to a woman in childbirth, when He said: “When a woman is in labour she is in anguish because a child is born into the world” (cf Jn 16:21). How much more, then, might such a Son compare such a Mother, the Mother standing at the foot of His Cross, to a woman in labour? What am I saying? “Compare?” She is indeed truly a woman and truly a mother and, at this hour, she is truly experiencing the pains of childbirth. When her Son was born she did not experience the anguish of giving birth in pain as other women do; it is now that she is suffering, that she is crucified, that she experiences sorrow; like a woman in labour because her hour has come ( Jn 16:21; cf 13:1; 17:1). …

When this hour has passed, when the sword of sorrow has completely pierced her soul in labour (Lk 2:35), then, no more will she “remember the pain because a child has been born into the world” – the new Man Who renews the entire human race and reigns forever over the whole world, truly born, beyond all suffering, immortal, the Firstborn from the Dead. If the Virgin has thus brought the salvation of us all into the world, in her Son’s Passion, then she is, indeed, the Mother of us all!” – Rupert of Deutz (c1075-1130) Benedictine Monk, Theologian, Exegete and Writer – (Commentary on Saint Johns Gospel, 13).

PRAYER – Our Father, when Jesus Your Son, was raised up on the Cross, it was Your will that Mary, His Mother, should stand there and suffer with Him in her heart. Grant that in union with her, the Church may share in the passion of Christ and so be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Be our intercessor and our consolation, Our Lady of Sorrows, amen.

Posted in MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 15 September – O Afflicted Virgin!

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Our Morning Offering – 15 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and Memorial of the Seven Sorrows of our Mother

O Afflicted Virgin!
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

O afflicted Virgin!
O soul, great in virtues
and great also in sorrows!
for both arise from that great fire of love
thou hast for God;
thou “whose heart can love nothing but God.”
O Mother, have pity on me,
for I have not loved God
and I have so much offended Him.
Thy sorrows give me great confidence
to hope for pardon.
But this is not enough;
I wish to love my Lord
and who can better obtain this for me
than thou,
thou who art the Mother of fair love?
O Mary, thou dost console all,
comfort me also.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, SAINT of the DAY, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Saint of the Day – 15 September – Our Sorrowful Mother Mary – The Seven Sorrows

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Saint of the Day – 15 September – Our Sorrowful Mother Mary –

The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Also known as:
• Septem Dolorum.
• Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens
• Beata Vergine Addolorata
• Dolorosa
• Maria Santissima Addolorata
• Mater Dolorosa
• Mother of Sorrows
• Our Lady of the Seven Dolours
• Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows
• Sorrowful Mother

The Seven Sorrows of Mary

The Prophecy of Simeon at the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple:
Forty days after Christ’s birth, Mary presented Him in the temple. The aged Simeon, a just and devout servant of the Lord, took Jesus into his arms and inspired by the Holy Spirit, exclaimed:

“Behold, this child is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel and for a sign that shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:34-35

The Flight Into Egypt:
No sooner did the heartless Herod hear that Jesus, the Infant King of the Jews, had been born, than he sought His life. But an Angel of the Lord appeared to Saint Joseph in a dream and warned:

“Arise, take the Child and His mother and flee into Egypt and remain there until I tell thee.” – Matthew 2:13

The Loss of Child Jesus for 3 Days:
The third sword that pierced Our Lady’s heart was the three-day loss in the temple. At the age of twelve, Jesus went with Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem. Only when Mary and Joseph were travelling home, realise that Jesus was not with them. They hurried back and for three days sought Him among friends and relatives in Jerusalem. Finally, they found Him in the temple, listening and discussing with the teachers there , who were amazed at his knowledge and wisdom.

The Meeting of Jesus on the Way of The Cross:
Mary’s fourth great sorrow we remember in the fourth Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary and also the fourth Station of the Cross. Mary meets Jesus carrying His Cross to Calvary. What a mournful meeting. Imagine the pain in Mary’s heart to see her Jesus groaning and staggering under the cruel Cross. What an anguish to see the One she loved so dearly, being tortured by the taunts of the crowd, as well as the weight of the wood. And there is nothing she is able to do to help Him.

The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus:
But the sword will plunge still deeper. She must see Him shamefully stripped of His garments, rudely thrown upon the Cross and then hear the sickening strokes of the hammer. Helplessly and heartbroken, she must stand beneath His cross watching Him writhe in torture, listening to His parting words, listening for His parting breath.

The Pieta – Jesus Is Laid In The Arms Of His Mother:
And now comes the moment when they take Him down from the Cross. As each nail and each thorn was pulled from His body, it was a new blow to the heart of His Mother. How she must have hugged Him to her heart!

Jesus is Laid in The Tomb:
The seventh sword was to witness that broken body laid in the grave. It was a Mother putting her child to bed. What a grief-stricken good-night that was. Mary must have wished that she could bury her heavy heart with Him.

During Passiontide, on the Friday before Palm Sunday, a second feast of Mary’s Dolors is held, which emphasises particularly, the four last mentioned of the seven sorrows above.

Thus the Church reflects on the feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The prayers of the Mass and the Office are indicative of her sorrows.

The first trace of the feast, St Alphonsus Liguori tells us, is found in Germany towards the beginning of the fifteenth century. Archbishop Theodoric’s ordered the keeping of this day at an assembly convened at Cologne in 1413 to wage battle against heresies of the iconoclast “Hussites,” who were very active in destroying images and pictures of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Before the sixteenth century the feast was observed only in the Diocese of North Germany, Scandinavia and Scotland but by the end of the sixteenth century, it extended over the south of Europe. In 1506 the celebration was granted the Friday before Passion Sunday as the feast of the Sorrows of Mary. To the whole German Church this last date was later assigned. On 22 April 1727, Pope Benedict XIII, extended it to the entire Latin Church under the title “Septem dolorum.”

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, SAINT of the DAY, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

The Octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin and The Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin and Memorials of the Saints – 15 September

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The Octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin and The Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin – Our Lady of Sorrows (Memorial)
About this Sorrowful and Glorious Memorial:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/09/15/memorial-of-our-lady-of-sorrows-15-september/
AND here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/15/memorial-of-our-lady-of-sorrows-15-september-2/

St Aichardus
St Albinus of Lyon
Bl Anton Maria Schwartz
St Aprus of Toul
St Bond of Sens

St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) Married laywoman, Mystic, Apostle of the sick, the poor and the needy, Writer. Her body is incorrupt and rests in a glass reliquary at the Capuchin Church in Genoa.
Catherine’s writings were examined by the Holy Office and declared to contain doctrine that would alone be enough to prove her sanctity and she was accordingly Beatified in 1675 by Pope Clement X and Canonised in 1737 by Pope Clement XII. Her writings also, became sources of inspiration for other religious leaders such as Robert Bellarmine and Francis de Sales and Cardinal Henry Edward Manning. Pope Pius XII declared her Patroness of the hospitals in Italy.
Her Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/15/saint-of-the-day-15-september-st-catherine-of-genoa-1447-1510/

Bl Camillus Constanzo
St Emilas of Cordoba
St Eutropa of Auvergne
St Hernan
Bl Jacinto de Los Ángeles and Bl Juan Bautista
St Jeremias of Cordoba
St Joseph Abibos
St Mamillian of Palermo
St Melitina
St Mirin of Bangor
St Nicetas the Goth
St Nicomedes of Rome

Blessed Paolo Manna PIME (1872-1952) “A Burning Soul” Priest, Missionary in Burma (Myanmar), Superior General of the P.I.M.E., Founder of the Pontifical Missionary Union, Evangeliser, Founder of various Newspapers and Movements to promote the missions.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/15/saint-of-the-day-15-september-blessed-paolo-manna-pime-1872-1952-a-burning-soul/

St Porphyrius the Martyr
St Ribert
St Ritbert of Varennes
Bl Rolando de Medici
Bl Tommasuccio of Foligno
St Valerian of Châlon-sur-Saône
St Valerian of Noviodunum
St Vitus of Bergamo
Bl Wladyslaw Miegon
—
Martyrs of Adrianopolis – 3 saints: Three Christian men martyred together in the persecutions of Maximian – Asclepiodotus, Maximus and Theodore. They were martyred in 310 at Adrianopolis (Adrianople), a location in modern Bulgaria.

Martyrs of Noviodunum – 4 saints: Three Christian men martyred together, date unknown – Gordian, Macrinus, Stratone and Valerian.
They were martyred in Noviodunum, Lower Moesia (near modern Isaccea, Romania).

Mercedarian Martyrs of Morocco – 6 beati: A group of six Mercedarians who were captured by Moors near Valencia, Spain and taken to Morocco. Though enslaved, they refused to stop preaching Christianity. Martyrs. – Dionisio, Francis, Ildefonso, James, John and Sancho. They were crucified in 1437 in Morocco.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
Bl Antonio Sierra Leyva
Bl Pascual Penades Jornet

Posted in DEVOTIO, GOD ALONE!, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SACRED HEART REFLECTIONS, STATIONS of the CROSS, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 14 September – The Cross of Christ

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Thought for the Day – 14 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Crucifix

“The Crucifix is a simple meditation manual, open and intelligible to all, even to the most illiterate.
Anyone who turns to it, can study the sorrowful gaze of Jesus, His heart pierced with love for men.
His head crowned with thorns, His hands and feet transfixed with nails which support His divine body, streaming blood and writhing in anguish.
The Crucifix should be dear and sacred to every Catholic.
It should stand at the head of his bed, hang around his neck and hold a prominent position in his place of work or study.

Above all, however, the Crucifix should have its place in the heart of every fervent Catholic.
At every moment of his life, in time of sadness and of joy, he should remember, that God became man and suffered and died for him.
He should remember also, that this implies an obligation on his part, to work, suffer and die, for the love of God alone!

Many people meditate on the Crucifix.
They kiss it and claim to love it.
But while they love the Crucifix, they have no love for their particular cross, which they try, by every means in their power, to fling far away from them.
Now, it is very certain, that anyone who does not love his own cross, does not really love the Crucifix, for Jesus has told us that, “if anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mt 16:24).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, GOD ALONE!, JESUIT SJ, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS

Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – ‘The death of death is there and the life of life….’

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Quote/s of the Day – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

“How precious the gift of the Cross,
how splendid to contemplate!
In the Cross there is no mingling of good and evil,
as in the tree of paradise;
it is wholly beautiful to behold
and good to taste.
The fruit of this tree is not death but life,
not darkness but light.
This tree does not cast us out of paradise
but opens the way for our return.”

St Theodore the Studite (750–826)


“Let us then learn from the Cross of Jesus our proper way of living.
Should I say ‘living’ or, instead, ‘dying’?
Rather, both living and dying.
Dying to the world, living for God.
Dying to vices and living by the virtues.
Dying to the flesh, but liv­ing in the spirit.
Thus in the Cross of Christ, there is death
and in the Cross of Christ there is life.
The death of death is there and the life of life.
The death of sins is there and the life of the virtues.
The death of the flesh is there and the life of the spirit.”

St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)

“There is no better wood
for feeding the fire of God’s love
than the wood of the Cross.”

St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

“We ought to glory in nothing
other than, the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! …”

St Paul of the Cross CP (1604-1775)

A Prayer to Seek the Consolation of the Cross
By St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

Jesus, love of my soul,
centre of my heart!
Why am I not more eager to endure pains
and tribulations for love of You,
when You, my God,
have suffered so many for me?
Come, then, every sort of trial in the world,
for this is my delight, to suffer for Jesus.
This is my joy, to follow my Saviour
and to find my consolation
with my Consoler on the Cross.
This is my happiness,
this my pleasure:
to live with Jesus,
to walk with Jesus,
to converse with Jesus,
to suffer with and for Him,
this is my treasure.
Amen

St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ (1532-1617)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/14/quote-s-of-the-day-14-september-the-blessed-cross-of-christ/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, LENT, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The REDEMPTION, The STATIONS of the CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 September – “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?

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One Minute Reflection – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross – Readings: Numbers 21:4-9, Psalms 78:1-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38, Philippians 2:6-11, John 3:13-17

“…And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” – John 3:14-15

REFLECTION – “That brazen serpent was hung up as a remedy for the biting serpents, not as a type of Him that suffered for us but, as a contrast. It saved those that looked upon it, not because they believed it to live but because it was killed and killed with it, were the powers that were subject to it, being destroyed as it deserved. And what is the fitting epitaph for it from us? “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?” You are overthrown by the Cross. you are slain by Him, Who is the Giver of Life. You are without breath, dead, without motion, even though you keep the form of a serpent lifted up high on a pole.” – St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (Oration 45).

PRAYER – O God, who willed that Your Only Begotten Son should undergo the Cross to save the human race, grant, we pray, that we, who have known His mystery on earth, may merit the grace of His redemption in heaven. For You placed the salvation of the human race on the wood of the Cross, so that, where death arose, life might again spring forth and the evil one, who conquered on a tree, might likewise on a tree be conquered through Christ. O Cross, You are the glorious sign of victory. Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus. We adore You O Christ and we praise You, for by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen.

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 14 September – O Cross of Christ

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Our Morning Offering – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cros “”

O Cross of Christ
Stanbrook Abbey

O Cross of Christ, immortal tree
On which our Saviour died,
The world is sheltered by your arms
That bore the Crucified.

From bitter death and barren wood
The tree of life is made;
Its branches bear unfailing fruit
And leaves that never fade.

O faithful Cross, you stand unmoved
While ages run their course,
Foundation of the universe,
Creation’s binding force.

Give glory to the risen Christ
And to His Cross give praise,
The sign of God’s unfathomed love,
The hope of all our days.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 14 September – Saint Maternus of Cologne (Died c 325)

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Saint of the Day – 14 September – Saint Maternus of Cologne (Died c 325) the first Bishop of Cologne and Founder of the Diocese of Tongeren, Germany. Born in Trier, Germany and died in c 325 in Cologne, Germany. Also known as – Maternus of Trier, Maternal, Materno.

The Roman Martyrology states of him today: I “In Cologne, Germany, St. Maternus, Bishop, who led the inhabitants of Tongeren, Cologne and Trier to faith in Christ.“

We know him as the first Bishop in the Christian history of Cologne. But from the ninth century a singular legend was born in Germany (and the place of origin is Trier), according to which Maternus would have arrived from Palestine. Not only that, he is also indicated as a disciple of Saint Peter the Apostle and sent by him to proclaim the Gospel in the Germanic world. This imaginative tale was intended to present Trier as the first episcopal see of Germany and, therefore, endowed with jurisdiction “by seniority” over the others.

The truth of history, on the other hand, states that our Saint, the Bishop of Cologne, was an important figure in the Church, now free by the work of Emperor Constantine but exposed – after the external persecutions – to the internal travail of Christians who hurt themselves by heresy.

Maternus is one of the peacemakers, called to settle a hard conflict that was born in North Africa. It was the Donatist schism, from the name of the Bishop Donatus. The schism of the rigorists, averse to any indulgence towards Christians who gave in out of fear during the persecution of Diocletian.

In May 313 Maternus left for Rome to attend a Synod with Pope Miltiades to attempt to resolve the problems faced and inflicted on the Church by the Donatists. (Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History). In 314, he also attended the Synod of Arles and he was the first Apostle of Alsace and successfully promoted the spread of Christianity in that Province and in Western Germany.

We do not know anything else about Maternus, after his mission to Rome, which ends with a judgement in favour of the Bishop elect Cecilian, over whom the heresy erupted in Carthage (but without putting an end to the schism, which will still torment Saint Augustine).

In Cologne and in his hometown of Trier, the faithful began to venerate him as a saint. A popular cult of which the splendid 13th century stained glass windows in the Cathedral Chapel dedicated to his name, also testify. He is venerated in many Churches both in Germany and in parts of modern day France. His cult seems to have been widespread by the many artworks of him in the abovementioned Churches. The image below shows the body of St Maternus arriving in a boat (1722) – sadly, we have no explanation for the obvious miracle around this painting.

He was buried in the Cathedral of Cologne but the Cathedral of St Peter in Trier boasts a large Reliquary, which became and remains, a pilgrimage site.

The Relics of St Maternus at St Peter’s in Trier
Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY CROSS

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Nossa Senhora de Nazaré / Our Lady of Nazareth, Portugal (1182) and Memorials of the Saints – 14 September

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Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Feast) This feast was observed in Rome before the end of the seventh century. It commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross, which had been placed on Mount Calvary by St Helena.
About this great Feast:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/09/14/feast-of-the-exaltation-of-the-holy-crosstriumph-of-the-holy-cross-14-september/
AND by St Augustine:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/14/feast-of-the-exaltation-of-the-holy-cross-14-september-let-me-not-boast-except-in-the-cross-of-our-lord-jesus-christ/

Nossa Senhora de Nazaré / Our Lady of Nazareth, Portugal (1182) -14 September:

The chronicles of old Portugal report this episode that took place in the year 1182, on the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Dom Fuas Roupinho, a Knight and vassal of King Afonso Henriques, was out hunting on a foggy day. He was pursuing a deer when it came to an unexpected precipice and fell to its death into the sea below.

The horse, which was in close pursuit, reared on the very edge of the cliff and it seemed certain that Dom Fuas would follow the deer to his death. Knowing that a little distance to his left was a cave with the Statue of the Virgin of Nazareth, Dom Fuas immediately invoked her protection. He was saved and in thanksgiving he built a small “Chapel of memory” (Ermida da Memória) over the cave in her honour.

According to a document found with it, the little Statue of the Virgin had been venerated in Nazareth in the times of early Christianity. When the iconoclast heresy started in Constantinople and the heretics were destroying all the Statues, a Monk called Ciriaco took it to a Monastery in Spain in the proximity of Merida.

In 714, when the Saracens invaded the Iberian Peninsula, King Rodrigo fled with Friar Germano to the Atlantic coast, bearing the Statue with them. They hid the Statue in a small cave off the coast of the site that was later to become Nazaré, where it remained until it was found by a shepherd in 1179.

After Our Lady miraculously saved the life of Dom Fuas, the devotion to Our Lady of Nazareth spread throughout the country and was the source of countless graces for the people. In 1377 King Fernando ordered a large Church to be built near the little Chapel, and the Statue is venerated there now.

St Aelia Flaccilla

St Albert of Jerusalem (1149-1215) also known as St Albert of Vercelli – Bishop, Canon Lawyer, Diplomat and Peacemaker and is regarded as a Co-Founder of the Carmelite Order.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/14/saint-of-the-day-14-september-st-albert-of-jerusalem-1149-1214/

St Caerealis
Bl Claude Laplace
St Cormac of Cashel
St Crescentian of Carthage
St Crescentius of Rome
St Generalis of Carthage
St Giulia Crostarosa
St Jean Gabriel Taurin du Fresse
St Maternus of Cologne (Died c 325) Bishop

St Peter of Tarentaise O.Cist (1102-1174) Cistercian Monk, Archbishop of Tarentaise from 1141 until his death, Abbot, Apostle of Charity, Miracle-worker.
There are two men named Saint Peter of Tarentaise who lived one century apart. The man we honour today is the younger Peter, born in France in the early part of the 12th century. The other man with the same name became Pope Innocent the Fifth.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/14/saint-of-the-day-14-september-saint-peter-of-tarentaise-o-cist-1102-1174/

Bl Pedro Bruch Cotacáns
St Rosula of Carthage
St Sallustia
St Victor of Carthage

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL

Thought for the Day – 13 September – Sin

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Thought for the Day – 13 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Sin

In that we prefer our own wayward whims to the law of God, sin is an abuse of liberty.
It is a revolt against right reason, the dictates of which, we refuse to obey.
It is an offence against our Creator and Redeemer, whose commandments we despise and whose redeeming grace, we reject by our actions.
It is moreover, an act of supreme folly, for it extinguishes, not only the supernatural splendour of grace but, also, the natural light of reason.
Through sin, man is brutalised and experiences in himself, as his first punishment, the confusion of his whole being.

In practice, the sinner denies God, Who has created and redeemed him.
He upsets the natural order of things and is violently separated from the source of all truth, beauty and goodness.   As a result, he experiences, in himself, the hell which he has constructed with his own hands – a hell of emptiness, disgust and remorse.
Unless the helping hand of God reaches out to rescue him from the abyss, all this is simply a bitter foretaste of eternal despair.
God, as St Augustine has written, has ordained from all eternity, that every dissolute soul will be it’s own punishment.
For the sinner, hell begins on this earth!   There can be no peace for the wicked.

When we realise, the gravity, stupidity and dire consequences of sin, it seems impossible, that a rational being, enlightened and enriched by divine grace, should continue to sin.
Nevertheless, sad experience teaches us that the lives of individuals, families and human society in general, are often distorted by this evil, which is the root of all other evils.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 13 September – ‘But only say the word …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 13 September – Readings: Timothy 2: 1-8; Psalm 28: 2, 7-9; Luke 7: 1-10

“Lord, … I am not worthy
to have you enter
under my roof…
but only say the word …”

Luke 7:6,7

‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

Luke 18:13

“’You can make me clean.’”

Matthew 8:2

“Christ is the artist,
tenderly wiping away
all the grime of sin
that disfigures the human face
and restoring God’s image
to its full beauty.”

St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335–C 395)
Father of the Church

“What are you afraid of, you men of little faith?
That He will not pardon your sins?
But with His own hands He has nailed them to the cross.
That you are used to soft living
and your tastes are fastidious?
But He knows the clay of which we are made (Gn 2:7).
That a prolonged habit of sinning binds you like a chain?
But the Lord loosens the shackles of prisoners.
Or perhaps that angered by the enormity
and frequency of your sins,
He is slow to extend a helping hand?
But where sin abounded,
grace became superabundant (Rom 5,20).
Are you worried about clothing
and food and other bodily necessities
so that you hesitate to give up your possessions?
But He knows that you need all these things (Mt 6,32).
What more can you wish?
What else is there to hold you back
from the way of salvation? ”

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

“Aspire to God with short
but frequent outpourings of the heart,
admire His bounty,
invoke His aid,
cast yourself in spirit at the foot of His Cross,
adore His goodness,
treat with Him of your salvation,
give Him your whole soul –
a thousand times in the day.”

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

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 September – ‘ … God marvelled at a human being! …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 13 September – Readings: Timothy 2: 1-8; Psalm 28: 2, 7-9; Luke 7: 1-10 – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

“And Jesus went with them but when he was only a short distance from the house, the Centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof…” – Luke 7:6

REFLECTION – “I am not worthy that you should enter my house. I am not capable of receiving the Sun of Righteousness in its entirety; a little radiance from it, is sufficient for me to remove sickness, as it does for the darkness.” When our Lord heard this, He marvelled at him. God marvelled at a human being! He said to those who were near Him, “Truly, I say to you, not even in anyone among the house of Israel have I found this kind of faith.” The Centurion had brought them and he came, so that they would be advocates on his behalf. He rebuked them because they did not possess his faith. To show that the Centurion’s faith was the first of the faith of the Gentiles, He said, “Do not imagine that this faith can be limited to the cCnturion.” For he saw and believed. “Many will believe who have not seen.” “Many will come from the east and from the west and will sit at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” – St Ephrem (306-373) Deacon, Father and Doctor of the Church – (Commentary on Tatian’s Diatessaron, 6.)

PRAYER – Lord God and holy Father, guard our faith we pray and grace us with Your mercy. Keep us ever faithful to Your precepts and bring us to Your home, to look upon Your Face. May the prayers of Your saints assist us on our journey. In your untiring life of trust in God, And may our Holy and Sorrowful Mother Mary, be our merciful protector. We ask all this through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.

Posted in CATHOLIC Quotes, Our MORNING Offering, The HOLY GHOST

Our Morning Offering – 13 September – O God, Send forth Your Holy Spirit

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Our Morning Offering – 13 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

Monday is the day in which we . begin the work week with extra devotion to the Holy Ghost, the Third Person of the Trinity to Whom we pray for enlightenment, for wisdom, for the light of inspiration. We ask the Holy Spirit to work in and through us over the course of the day and the week. To remind us we are instruments and help us to seek only the Will of God..

O God, Send forth Your Holy Spirit
By St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Doctor of the Church

O God,
send forth Your Holy Spirit
into my heart
that I may perceive,
into my mind,
that I may remember,
and into my soul,
that I may meditate.
Inspire me to speak
with piety,
holiness,
tenderness
and mercy.
Teach, guide and direct my thoughts
and senses, from beginning to end.
May Your grace,
ever help and correct me,
and may I be strengthened now
with wisdom from on high,
for the sake of Your infinite mercy.
Amen

Posted in SAINT of the DAY, SERVANTS, MAIDS, BUTLERS, CHAMBERMAIDS

Saint of the Day – 13 September – Saint Notburga (c 1265-1313)

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Saint of the Day – 13 September – Saint Notburga (c 1265-1313) Virgin, Laywoman, Servant, Apostle of the poor, Born in c 1265 at Rattenberg, Austria and died on 13 September 1313 at Buch , Austria. Patronages – Servants and peasants. Also known as – Notburga of Rattenberg or Notburga of Eben.

Long revered as the Patron Saint of servants and peasants, Notburga is an example of a Saint whose care for the poor, sprung not out of her own wealth but followed the example of the widow with two mites, whose overflowing generosity compelled her to give all that she had, even though it was little (Lk 21:1-4). Notburga was born circa 1265 at Rattenberg, in the present-day state of Bavaria, Germany. Notburga is a popular German Saint,and three primary legends constitute the core of her biography.

Notburga served as a cook in the family of Count Henry of Rothenburg and used the little authority she had in this position, to assist the poor in the community. Her mistress Ottilia ordered Notburga to feed the leftover food from their dinner table, to the swine but Notburga gave it instead to the hungry. When she was discovered, she instead saved some of her own food and brought it to the poor, especially on Fridays, in observance of the Friday fast and duty of penance. On one such Friday, Notburga encountered her Master on her mission to the poor and Henry commanded her to show him the food that she was carrying. Notburga obeyed but in place of food, Henry saw only wood shavings and sawdust and, when sipping the wine, he tasted only vinegar. As a result, the family dismissed her. But Otilla soon fell dangerously ill. Despite being dismissed from the family service, Notburga remained with her former mistress without pay, to nurse her through her sickness.

Afterward, Notburga entered the service of a peasant in the Town of Eben, with the single condition that she be permitted to go to Mass on holy days. Instead of going during the day and diminishing her hours of work, Notburga would go in the evening. One evening, her master urged her to continue working in the field instead of going to Mass. Seeking some divine assistance to make her case, Notburga threw her sickle into the air and said: “Let my sickle be judge between me and you.” Notburga’s employer watched, astonished, as the sickle remained suspended in mid-air.

St Notburga’s life in pictures

After Notburga left his employ, Count Henry of Rothenburg’s fortunes took a serious turn for the worse. His household suffered endless hardships and bad fortune, which Henry began to ascribe to his dismissal of Notburga. In order to regain his good fortune, Henry sought out Notburga and implored her to return to work for him. Graciously, Notburga agreed and, upon her return, Henry’s estate prospered like never before.

As Notburga approached death, she instructed her Master to place her corpse on a wagon drawn by two oxen and to bury her wherever the oxen would stop. Upon her death, on 13 September 1313, Henry did as she commanded. His oxen drew the wagon to the Chapel of St Rupert near Eben, where she was laid to rest and where she still draws pilgrims who beg her ipowerful ntercession. Her cult was ratified on 27 March 1862 by Pope Pius IX and her feast is celebrated on the 13th of September. Notburga is usually represented with an ear of corn or flowers and a sickle in her hand or suspended in the air.

Saint Notburga, whose generous and faithful love inspired the rich and poor alike—pray for us!

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Beata Vergine delle Grazie / Blessed Virgin of Grace, Chieri, Torino, Piedmont, Italy (1630) and Memorials of the Saints – 13 September

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Beata Vergine delle Grazie / Blessed Virgin of Grace, Chieri, Torino, Piedmont, Italy (1630) – Second Monday of September:

The Bubonic Plague that swept Europe in 1630 was especially deadly in northern Italy. The City of Turin lost over 70 percent of its population. The neighbouring City of Chieri appointed a commission to control the epidemic. In the absence of reliable medical solutions, the commission’s first action was to seek divine help, vowing on 26 June to build a Chapel to the Blessed Virgin of Graces in Chieri’s main Church, Santa Maria della Scala (St. Mary of the Stair). Chieri had lost 40 percent of its population. The survivors built the Chapel, where a wooden Statue of the Madonna and Child by Piedmontese sculptor, Pietro Botto, was installed in 1642. The Blessed Virgin of Graces became the Patron Saint of Chieri, which celebrates her with a Novena of special Masses and prayers and a secular program of music, dancing and food, culminating in her festa on the second Monday in September.

St John Chrysostom (347-407) “Golden Mouthed” Father & Doctor of the Church (Memorial) Feast Day 27 January, after 1969 today.
Full biography here:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/09/13/saint-of-the-day-13-september-st-john-chrysostom-347-407-father-and-doctor-of-the-church-golden-mouthed/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/13/saint-of-the-day-13-september-st-john-chrysostom-347-407-father-and-doctor-of-the-church-golden-mouthed-2/

Dedication of the Basilicas of Jerusalem: Commemoration of the dedications of the Basilicas built on Mount Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
—
St Aigulf

St Amatus OSB (c 560-c 627) Monk, Abbot, Hermit, Penitent, miracle-worker, together with St Romaric, he founded Remiremont Abbey.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/13/saint-of-the-day-13-september-saint-amatus-c-560-c-627/

St Barsenorius
Bl Claude Dumonet
St Columbinus of Lure
St Emiliano of Valence
St Evantius of Autun
St Gordian of Pontus
Bl Hedwig of Hreford
St Julian of Ankyra
St Ligorius
St Litorius of Tours
St Macrobius
St Marcellinus of Carthage
Bl María López de Rivas Martínez

St Maurilius of Angers (c 336-426) Bishop of Angers, Cantor for Saint Ambrose, (Bishop of Milan and Father and Doctor of the Church), Disciple of St Martin of Tours.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/13/saint-of-the-day-saint-maurilius-of-angers-c-336-426/

St Nectarius of Autun

St Notburga (c 1265-1313) Virgin
St Philip of Rome
St Venerius of Tino
—
Martyrs of Ireland:
• Blessed Edward Stapleton
• Blessed Elizabeth Kearney
• Blessed James Saul
• Blessed Margaret of Cashel
• Blessed Richard Barry
• Blessed Richard Butler
• Blessed Theobald Stapleton
• Blessed Thomas Morrissey
• Blessed William Boyton

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War including the Martyrs of Pozo de Cantavieja – 11 beati:
• Blessed Bienvenido Villalón Acebrón
• Blessed Emilio Antequera Lupiáñez
• Blessed Florencio Arnáiz Cejudo
• Blessed Francisco Rodríguez Martínez
• Blessed Joaquín Gisbert Aguilera
• Blessed José Álvarez-Benavides de La Torre
• Blessed José Cano García
• Blessed José Román García González
• Blessed Juan Capel Segura
• Blessed Juan Ibáñez Martín
• Blessed Luis Eduardo López Gascón
• Blessed Manuel Alvarez y Alvarez
• Blessed Manuel Martínez Giménez
• Blessed Pío Navarro Moreno
• Blessed Ramiro Argüelles Hevia
• Blessed Sabino Ayastuy Errasti
• Blessed Teófilo Montes Calvo

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 12 September – Mary, the Source of Peace

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Thought for the Day – 12 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, the Source of Peace

“Mary is surrounded by an atmosphere of peace.
The countenance of the Virgin Mother, reflects the serenity of her soul.
She was conceived free from original sin and endowed with every grace ad with every supernatural gift.
There was no struggle in her, between good and evil, for this conflict is the effect of concupiscence.
She never experienced the rule of sin of which St Paul complains. “I see another law in my members,” says St Paul, “warning against the law of my mind and making me prisoner to the law of sin that is in my members.   Unhappy man that I am!   Who will deliver me from the body of this death?   The grace of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 7:23-25).
It was quite otherwise with Mary.
Her lower inclinations were completely subject to her spiritual faculties, which were, in their turn, perfectly submissive to the commands and inspirations of God.
Nevertheless, while she enjoyed complete interior harmony, Mary had to endure external conflict and suffering.
Holy Simeon foretold, that the sword of sorrow would pierce her heart.
In fact, her life was altogether interwoven with hardship, want and suffering until, eventually, she knelt at the foot of the Cross on which Jesus was dying for the love of mankind and offered the divine Victim for our salvation.
At the last moment, however, torn with sorrow though she was, she did not depart in the slightest from her spirit of perfect acceptance of God’s will.
Consequently, her peace of soul was never diminished or extinguished.
Let us learn from her to accept everything from God’s hands, both the tiny pleasures which brighten our lives, from time to time and the humiliations, sufferings and death, which it pleases God to keep in store for us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 12 September – “And the Virgin’s name was Mary.”

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Quote/s of the Day – 12 September – Feast of the Holy Name of Mary

“And the Virgin’s name was Mary.”

Luke 1:27

“As breathing is not only a sign
but even, a cause of life,
so the name of Mary,
which is constantly found
on the lips of God’s servants,
both proves that they are truly alive
and, at the same time,
causes and preserves their life
and gives them, every succour . . .
may Your name, O Mother of God,
be the last sound that escapes my lips!”

St Germanus of Constantinople (c 640-733)

“The name of Mary
is a tower of strength,
which saves sinners from punishment
and defends the just
from the assaults of hell.”

St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455)

“Wherever you may go,
or wherever you may be,
implore Jesus and call upon Mary . . .
Sing these two names,
sing them in your heart,
sing them with your lips,
sing them with your hands.”

Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/12/quote-s-of-the-day-12-september-the-holy-name-of-mary/

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 September – The love of the Cross.

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 12 September – Readings: Isaiah 50: 5-9a; Psalm 116: 1-9; James 2: 14-18; Mark 8: 27-35 and the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary

“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”- Mark 8:34

REFLECTION – “How can I describe what my soul felt when, from the mouth of the holy prelate, I heard the very thing that is my obsession, that which makes me completely happy in my exile, the love of the Cross! … Oh who will give me the command of words which David had,, to describe the wonders of the love of the Cross? …

Oh! the Cross of Christ, what more can one say? I do not know how to pray, I do noy know what it is to be good. I have not a religious spirit, as I am full of the world. One thing I know, one thing which fills my heart with joy: in spite of seeing myself so poor in virtue, so rich in the reverse, I have a treasure which I would not change for anything or anyone – my cross – the Cross of Jesus, that Cross which is my only ease. How can I explain it? Whoever has not felt this, cannot have the remotest idea of what it is.

Would to God that everyone would love the Cross of Christ! Oh, if the world could know what it is to embrace fully, truly, without reservation and with frenzy of love, the Cross of Christ! … How much time is lost in conversations, devotions, exercises that are good and holy but are not the Cross of Jesus and so are not the best forms of worship …

Poor, worthless, useless creature … dragging out your life, following as best you can the austerities of the Rule, be content with keeping your aspirations in silence, love to distraction that which the world counts nothing because it has no knowledge of it. Adore in silence, without telling anyone of it, the Cross which is your treasure. In silence, at its foot, meditate on the greatness of God, the wonders of Mary, the wretchedness of man … Follow your life in silence always, loving, adoring and united with the Cross. What more can you wish? Savour the sweetness of the Cross, as the Lord Bishop said this morning, find delight in the Cross!” – St Raphael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938) – Spanish Trappist Monk – To know how to wait

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, assist us at all times we pray, to obtain a spirit of worthy penance, for our sins and that of all the world. To the invocation of Your Divine Son, Jesus, we call on the intercession of His holy Mother, to aid us on our pilgrimage. With great affection and confidence, we honour the Holy Hearts and invoke the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, to be our constant source of pure assistance and succour that we might bear fruits worthy of their Names. Blessed be the Name of Mary! Amen

Posted in HYMNS, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, The HOLY NAME of MARY

Our Morning Offering – 12 September – Mary! How Sweetly Falls That Word

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Our Morning Offering – 12 September – Feast of the Holy Name of Mary

Mary! How Sweetly Falls That Word
Anonymous, 19th Century

Mary! How sweetly falls that word
On my enraptured ear!
Oft do I breathe in accents low,
That sound when none are near.
Chorus:
Sing, O my lips and loudly proclaim:
O Mary, O Mary, how sweet is thy name!
Sing, O my lip, and loudly proclaim;
O Mary, O Mary, how sweet is thy name!

Sweet as the warbling of a bird,
Sweet as a mother’s voice;
So sweet to me is that dear name,
It makes my soul rejoice.
Chorus.

Bright as the glittering stars appear,
Bright as the moonbeams shine,
So bright in my mind’s eye is seen
Thy loveliness divine!
Chorus.

Through thee I offer my requests,
And when my prayer is done,
In ecstasy sublime I see
Thee seated near thy Son.
Chorus.

Tune: St Basil’s Hymnal: Unnamed Tune. (1889)

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 12 September – Blessed Apolinaris Franco Garcia OFM (1575-1622) Priest, Martyr,

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Saint of the Day – 12 September – Blessed Apolinaris Franco Garcia OFM (1575-1622) Priest, Martyr, Franciscan Friar (Observant), Missionary to Japan. Additional Memorials – 10 September as one of the 205 Martyrs of Japan, 22 May as one of the Franciscan Martyrs of Japan. Also known as – Apollinar, Apolinar Garcia.

Soon after the glorious Martyrdom of St Peter Baptist and his twenty-five companions at Nagasaki in 1597, numerous missionaries were able to return to Japan and for a time their work was crowned with extraordinary success. However, in 1613 a new persecution commenced, far worse than the first and it lasted until 1638, when Japan adopted a policy of complete isolation. During this persecution some missionaries were able to hide themselves in the mountains and to continue their work in secret, at least for a time and some, including our Blessed Franciscan, even managed to enter the country. Many of them, together with a large number of their converts, won the Martyr’s Crown.

Blessed Apollinaris was born in Old Castile, Spain where he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1614, he was sent to Japan to head the Japanese Franciscan mission, the year after that the new Japanese Shogun had instituted a nationwide ban on Christianity and declared that being a Christian, would be viewed as a capital offence.

Friar Apollinaris Franco evangelised covertly until he was arrested in 1617 and thrown into prison in Nagasaki along with other Priests and laymen. There, they spent five years awaiting execution. The conditions in the prison were exceedingly harsh and inhuman – which was intentional, hoping by this means to force the prisoners to reject the Faith.

Apollinaris ministered to the other prisoners and converted some of the jailers through his example and teaching. On 12 September 1622, he was burned at the stake along with other Franciscans and Jesuits.

Blessed Apollinaris and his companions, were declared Blessed by Pope Pius IX on 27 July 1867. On the same occasion, one hundred and sixty other Japanese martyrs who died between 1617 and 1632 were Beatified.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY NAME of MARY

Feast of the Holy Name of Mary (1683) and Memorials of the Saints – 12 September

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The 16th Sunday after Pentecost
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Feast of the Holy Name of Mary (1683 ) – 12 September:
Feast of the entire Latin Church. It was first observed at Cuenca, Spain in 1513, then extended to the universal Church and assigned to its present place and rank by Pope Innocent XI in 1683 in thanksgiving to God and the Blessed Virgin for the liberation of Vienna, France and the signal victory over the Turks on 12 September 1683. It is the titular feast of the Society of Mary (Marianists) and of the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

Blessed Mother Mary:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/09/12/blessed-memorial-of-the-most-holy-name-of-mary-12-september/

St Ailbe (Died 528) Bishop “The Patrick of Munster,” Confessor, Evangelist – Saint Ailbe is venerated as one of the four great Patrons of Ireland.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/12/saint-of-the-day-12-september-saint-ailbe-died-528-the-patrick-of-munster/

Blessed Apolinaris Franco Garcia OFM (1575-1622) Priest, Martyr

St Autonomous
St Curonotus
St Dominic Magoshichi
St Eanswida
St Francis of Saint Bonaventure
St Franciscus Ch’oe Kyong-Hwan

St Guy of Anderlecht (c 950–1012) Hermit and Pilgrim known as “the Poor Man of Anderlecht”
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/12/saint-of-the-day-12-september-saint-guy-of-anderlecht-c-950-1012/

St Juventius of Pavia

Bl Maria Luisa Angelica/Gertrude Prosperi (1799-1847)
St Mancius of Saint Thomas
St Paul of Saint Clare
Bl Pierre-Sulpice-Christophe Faverge
St Sacerdos of Lyon
St Silvinus of Verona
St Tomás de Zumárraga Lazcano
—
Martyrs of Alexandria – 6 saints: A group of Christians martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian. We know little more than their names – Hieronides, Leontius, Sarapion, Seleusius, Straton and Valerian. They were drowned c 300 at Alexandria, Egypt.

Martyrs of Phrygia – 3 saints: Three Christians who were martyred for destroying pagan idols. We know little more than their names – Macedonius, Tatian and Theodolus. They were burned to death in 362 in Phrygia (modern Turkey).

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Fortunato Arias Sánchez
• Blessed Francisco Maqueda López
• Blessed Jaume Puigferrer Mora
• Blessed Josep Plana Rebugent
• Blessed Julián Delgado Díez

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, GOD ALONE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 11 September – The Commandments and the Desires of Jesus Christ

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Thought for the Day – 11 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Commandments and the Desires of Jesus Christ

“Sanctity consists, in doing the will of God, in all things.
We can become perfect by doing His will, from the motive of love alone.
“He who has my commandments and keeps them,” said Jesus, “he it is who loves me. But he who loves me, will be loved by my Father and I will love him and manifest myself to him. If anyone love me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our abode with him” (Jn 14:21-23).

Do we wish to know if we love God sincerely?
The proof is this.
If we do His will and obey His precepts, it is a sign that we love him but, if we do not observe His commandments, we lie when we say we love Him.
We must, therefore, show our love, by observing in all things, the commandments of God.
He gave us these commandments our of love for us, so that, by observing them, we should be saved and should be happy with Him.
Even as He has given them out of love, we should observe them out of love, for He is our supreme and only good.
Just as Jesus lovingly did the will of His heavenly Father, from Bethlehem to Nazareth, from Nazareth to Calvary and from Calvary to Heaven, so we should follow in His footsteps, by doing the adorable will of God in all the circumstances of our lives, both joyful and sorrowful.
But, we must obey the divine will out of love, that is, because we love God whole-heartedly and above all created things.

Everything is easy to him who loves.
“When we love him who gives us orders,” says St Francis de Sales, “even the hardest of actions becomes easy.”

Let us examine ourselves.
Are we always ready to obey the commandments of God at any cost and would we die rather than offend Him?
Let us examine ourselves also, to see, if we do all this out of love for Jesus.
“He who does not love,” writes St John, “abides in death” (1 Jn 3:14).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on TRUTH, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE, The WORD, Thomas a Kempis

Quote/s of the Day – 11 September – And why do you call me,‘Lord, Lord’and not do what I say?” – Luke 6:46

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 11 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Readings: Timothy 1: 15-17; Psalm 113: 1b-2-5a and 6-7; Luke 6: 43-49

“And why do you call me,
‘Lord, Lord’
and not do what I say?”

Luke 6:46

“If anyone serves me,
he must follow me
and where I am,
there will my servant be also.”

John 12:26

“Let it be understood,
that those who are not found living
as He taught,
are NOT Christian- even though they profess
with the lips, the teaching of Christ.”

St Justin Martyr (c 100-165)
Father of the Church

“It is not that we keep His commandments first
and that then He loves
but, that He loves us
and then we keep His commandments.
This is that grace
which is revealed to the humble
but hidden from the proud.”

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

“The mark of Christ’s sheep
is their willingness to hear and obey,
just as disobedience
is the mark of those who are not His.
We take the word ‘hear’
to imply obedience
to what has been said.”

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

“If you wish to enter into life,
keep My commandments.
If you will know the truth,
believe in Me.
If you will be perfect,
sell all.
If you will be My disciple,
deny yourself.
If you will possess the blessed life,
despise this present life.
If you will be exalted in heaven,
humble yourself on earth.
If you wish to reign with Me,
carry the Cross with Me.
For only the servants of the Cross
find the life of blessedness
and of true light.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
The Imitation of Christ Chapter 56

“ True spiritual life consists in this:
that man keep his eyes on God, constantly,
long for nothing but for God,
keep nothing in mind but God,
and begin every single action,
in God’s Name
and direct it to Him.”

St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FRUITS of the SPIRIT, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, The HEART

One Minute Reflection – 11 September – Good fruit – Bad fruit

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 11 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Readings: Timothy 1: 15-17; Psalm 113: 1b-2-5a and 6-7; Luke 6: 43-49

“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit…” – Luke 6:43

REFLECTION – “Every tree which does not bear fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire.” He is referring to human beings as trees and to their works as the fruit. Do you want to know which are the bad trees and what are the bad fruits? The Apostle teaches us this. He says, “The works of the flesh are manifest – they are fornication, impurity, self-indulgence, idolatry, sorcery, malice, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, conflict, factions, envy, murder, drunkenness, carousing and things of this sort.” Do you want to hear whether trees, which bring forth fruits such as these, belong in the heavenly temple of the eternal King? The Apostle continues: “I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things, will not attain the kingdom of God.” He subsequently lists the fruits of a good tree. He says, “The fruit, however, of the Spirit are charity, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faith, gentleness, self-control. The good man produces good from the good treasure in his heart and the evil man produces evil from the evil treasure.” The treasure in one’s heart is the intention of the thought, from which the Searcher of hearts judges the outcome.

Christ subsequently adds force to His pronouncement by clearly showing, that good speech, without the additional attestation of deeds, is of no advantage at all. He asks, “And why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I say?” To call upon the Lord seems to be the gift of a good treasure, the fruit of a good tree. “For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” If anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord, resists the Lord’s commands by living perversely, it is evident that the good that the tongue has spoken, has not been brought out of the good treasure in his heart. It was not the root of a fig tree but that of a thorn bush that produced the fruit of such a confession — a conscience, that is, bristling with vices and not one filled with the sweetness of the love of the Lord!” – St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church (Homilies on the Gospels, 2.)

PRAYER – Remember Lord, Your solemn Covenant, renewed and consecrated by the Blood of the Lamb, so that Your people may obtain forgiveness for their sins and continued growth by grace. May the Blessed Virgin, the Sorrowful Mother of Christ, our Treasure, intercede for our salvation. We make our prayer through Jesus Christ Your Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with You Father, now and forever, amen.

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The FIVE FIRST Saturdays, THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION

Our Morning Offering – 11 September – Mother of Love, of Sorrow and of Mercy

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 4 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and always Mary’s Saturday

Catholic Time,Saturday: Our Lady – There are a number of theological reasons Saturdays are dedicated to Our Lady, perhaps the most significant is that on Holy Saturday, when everyone else had abandoned Christ in the tomb, she was faithful to Him, confidently waiting for His Resurrection on the first day of the week
On Saturdays, we make the “First Saturdays Devotion” which entails going to Mass and receiving Communion and going to Confession, for the first Saturday of the month for 5 consecutive months in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lady promises those who make the 5 First Saturdays to be with them at the hour of their death.

Mother of Love, of Sorrow and of Mercy
By St Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373)

O Blessed Virgin Mary,
Immaculate Mother of God,
who endured a martyrdom of love and grief,
beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus!
Thou didst co-operate in the benefit of my redemption
by thy innumerable afflictions
and by offering to the Eternal Father,
His only-begotten Son, as a holocaust
and victim of propitiation for my sins.
I thank thee for the unspeakable love
which led thee to deprive thyself
of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus,
true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner.
Oh! make use of the unfailing intercession
of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son,
that I may steadfastly amend my life
and never again crucify
my loving Redeemer by my sins
and that, persevering till death in His grace,
I may obtain eternal life
through the merits of His Cross and Passion.
Amen
Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us!

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 11 September – Saint Elijah Speleota OSBM (863-960)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 11 September – Saint Elijah Speleota OSBM (863-960) Basilian Monk and Hermit, Spiritual adviser. Born as Elia Bozzetta in 863 in Reggio Calabria, Italy and died on 11 September 960 at the Aulon Monastery in Calabria, Italy of natural causes. Also known as – Elijah Bozzetta, Elijah Espeleota, Elia…

The Roman Martyrology states of him today “In the Monastery of Aulinas in Calabria, Saint Elia, known as the Speleota, a distinguished scholar of the hermit and cenobitic life.”

Elijah was born to the wealthy nobility, the son of Peitro Bozzetta and Leonzia de Leontini. At age 18, to avoid an arranged marriage and answer a call to religious life, Elijah left home to become a pilgrim to Rome.

He became a Basilian Monk at Grottaferrata outside Rome. He returned briefly to Reggio Calabria, whereater he and a fellow Monk named Arsenio, travelled to Patras, Greece for further study.

When Elijah returned to Italy, he withdrew from populated areas to live as a Hermit in a cave near Melicuccà, Italy with two fellow Monks, Cosma and Vitale – the word Speleota is Greek for “inhabitant of caves.”

Word of their wisdom and holiness soon spread and pilgrims regularly visited the caves for spiritual direction and advice.

On 11 September 960, when he was already 97 years old, Elijah died. He was buried in the tomb that he had dug in the cave with his own hands. There, his body remained buried until 2 August 1747 when his bones were discovered., as attested by the public deed drawn up by the notary Fantoni Carmelo. On 12 August of that year, Antonio Germanò, a seriously ill young man from Melicuccà, was instantly cured at the mere sight of the bones of Saint Elijah.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto / Our Lady of La Leche, St Augustine, Florida, USA , 16th century and Memorials of the Saints – 11 September

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto / Our Lady of La Leche, St Augustine, Florida, USA , 16th century – First Saturday after The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

On 8 September 1565, Feast of the Nativity of Mary, Pedro Menendez de Aviles landed at St Augustine, Florida and claimed it for Spain. At the Mission of Nombre de Dios here, Spanish missionaries installed a Statue of the nursing Madonna, Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto – Our Lady of Milk and Good Childbirth.

This first Shrine to Our Lady in what is now the United States is still an active place of devotion, as well as a tourist attraction. On the Saturday closest to 8 September, Holy Mass is celebrated at an outdoor rustic Atar to accommodate the large numbers who attend the commemoration of the Anniversary of the First Mass and the founding of the Mission.

Interior view of the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, located on the grounds of Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine. The shrine was established in 1609, a devotion brought to the U.S. by the Spanish explorers and missionaries.

St Adelphus of Remiremont
St Almirus
Bl Baldassarre Velasquez

Blessed Bonaventure of Barcelona OFM (1620-1684) Franciscan Friar, Reformer, Papal Adviser, Founder of Retreat houses.
His Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/11/saint-of-the-day-11-september-blessed-bonaventure-of-barcelona-ofm-1620-1684/

Blessed Carlo (Charles) Spinola SJ (1564-1622) Priest, Martyr, Missionary to Japan.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/11/saint-of-the-day-11-september-blessed-charles-spinola-sj-1564-1622/

St Deiniol of Bangor
St Didymus of Laodicea
St Diodorus of Laodicea
Bl Dominic Dillon
St Elijah Speleota OSBM (863-960) Basilian Monk and Hermit
St Emilian of Vercelli
St Essuperanzio of Zurich
St Felix of Zurich
Bl Francesco Giovanni Bonifacio
Bl Franciscus Takeya
Bl François Mayaudon
Bl Gaspar Koteda
St Gusmeo of Gravedona sul Lario
St Hyacinth of Rome

St John Gabriel Perboyre/Jean Gabriel Perboyre (1802-1840) Priest, Martyr, Missionary.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/09/11/saint-of-the-day-11-september-st-john-gabriel-perboyre-c-m-1802-1840-priest-martyr-of-the-congregation-of-the-mission/

Bl John Bathe
St Leudinus of Toul
St Matthew of Gravedona sul Lario
St Paphnutius of Thebes
St Patiens of Lyon
Bl Peter Taaffe
Bl Petrus Kawano
St Protus of Rome
St Regula of Zurich
Bl Richard Overton
St Sperandea
St Theodora the Penitent
Bl Thomas Bathe
—
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed José María Segura Panadés
• Blessed José Piquer Arnáu
• Blessed Josep Pla Arasa
• Blessed Lorenzo Villanueva Larrayoz

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Thought for the Day – 10 September – The Causes of Discontent

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Thought for the Day – 10 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Causes of Discontent

“It is hard to find anyone, in this world, who is really content.
Some grumble about poor health, others about not having enough to live on, others about an unsuccessful career.
Some complain about the lack of sympathy and the ingratitude of men, others, about constant temptation, spiritual dryness and the discouragement of frequently falling into sin.
Still others, are confined to a bed of pain for weeks, months or even years at a time.
There are some, too, who must endure mental suffering, which is greater than any physical pain.
Perhaps, they have lost a loved one, who was the centre of their own life upon earth, or perhaps they are suffering from a loss of reputation, the result of some calumny or of some moment of weakness, on their own part.
In short, this world can be compared to quote St Therese of the Child Jesus – to an unsatisfactory hotel, in which we must spend the night, while we are waiting for the breaking of an eternal day in which we shall be able to see God.
He is fortunate, who knows how to live contentedly, or, at least resignedly, in this poor boarding-house, until the dawn of that better life, which is the only object of our earthly journey!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 10 September – Being the Lord’s disciple

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Quote/s of the Day – 10 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Readings: First Timothy 1: 1-2, 12-14; Psalm 16: 1b-2a and 5, 7-8, 11; Luke 6: 39-42

“A disciple is not above his teacher…”

Luke 6:40

“Do whatever he tells you.”

John 2:5

“A person who wishes
to become the Lord’s disciple
must repudiate a human obligation,
however honourable it may appear,
if it slows us, ever so slightly,
in giving the wholehearted obedience
we owe to God.”

St Basil the Great (329-379)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Let us then learn from the Cross of Jesus our proper way of living.
Should I say ‘living’ or, instead, ‘dying’?
Rather, both living and dying.
Dying to the world, living for God.
Dying to vices and living by the virtues.
Dying to the flesh, but liv­ing in the spirit.
Thus in the Cross of Christ, there is death
and in the Cross of Christ there is life.
The death of death is there and the life of life.
The death of sins is there and the life of the virtues.
The death of the flesh is there and the life of the spirit.”

St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)

“… God is to be served
chiefly for Himself alone,
for He is the fountain of all goodness
and merits all our devotion,
without any hope of reward.”

Bl Charles Spinola SJ (1564-1622)
Priest, Martyr