Posted in franciscan OFM, JESUIT SJ, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints -18 February

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Bl Alvarez of Cordova
St Auxibius
St Baoithin
St Barbatus of Benevento (c 610-682)
About St Barbatus:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/02/19/saint-of-the-day-19-february-st-barbatus-of-benevento-c-610-682-apostle-of-the-south/
St Beatus
St Belina
St Boniface of Lausanne
St Conon of Alexandria
St Conrad of Piacenza TOSF (c 1290-1351)

Bl Elizabeth of Mantua
St Gabinus
St George of Lodeve

Bl John Sullivan SJ (1861-1933)

His life:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/02/19/saint-of-the-day-19-february-blessed-john-sullivan-s-j-1861-1933/

Bl Józef Zaplata
St Lucia Yi Zhenmei
St Mansuetus of Milan
St Odran
St Proclus of Bisignano
St Quodvultdeus
St Valerius of Antibes
St Zambdas of Jerusalem

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The HOLY FACE, The HOLY GHOST

Lenten Preparation Novena to the Holy Face Second Day – 18 February

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Lenten Preparation Novena to the Holy Face
Second Day – 18 February

st-veronica-2

DAILY PREPARATORY PRAYER

O Most Holy and Blessed Trinity,
through the intercession of Holy Mary,
whose soul was pierced through
by a sword of sorrow
at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son,
we ask Your help,
in making a perfect Novena of Reparation with Jesus,
united with all His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We now implore all the Angels and Saints
to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena
to the Most Holy Face of Jesus
and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen

SECOND DAY

(Console Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer)

Psalm 51,5-6a.
My offences truly I know them,
My sin is always before me,
Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
What is evil in your sight I have done.

Most Holy Face of Jesus,
we are truly sorry that we have hurt You so much
by constantly doing what is wrong
and for all the good works we have failed to do.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Saint Joseph,
intercede for us,
help us to console the Most Holy Face of Jesus.
Pray that we may share in the tremendous love
Thou hast for one another
and for the most Holy and Blessed Trinity.
Amen.

Through the merits of Your Precious Blood and Your Holy Face,
O Jesus, grant us our petition. ……………..
Pardon and mercy.

Prayer of the Church to the Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, Sanctifier, all powerful God of love,
Thou who didst fill the Virgin Mary with grace,
Thou who didst wonderfully transform the hearts of the apostles.
Thou who didst endow all Thy martyrs with a miraculous heroism,
come and sanctify us, illumine our minds, strengthen our wills,
purify our consciences, rectify our judgements, set our hearts on fire and preserve us from the misfortune of resisting Thine inspirations.
We consecrate to Thee our understanding,
our heart and our will, our whole being for time and for eternity.
May our understanding be always submissive to
Thy heavenly inspirations
and to the teachings of Thy Holy Catholic Church,
of which Thou art the infallible guide.
may our heart he ever inflamed with love of God and neighbour,
may our will be ever conformed to the divine will
and may our whole life be a faithful imitation
of the life and virtues of our
Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,
to whom with the Father
and Thee be honour and glory forever.
Amen.

Pray (1) Our Father, (3) Hail Marys, (1) Glory Be.

O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine (Three times)

lenten novena to the holy face day two - 18 feb 2020

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HUMAN DIGNITY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SILENCE

Thought for the Day – 18 February – Interior Silence

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Thought for the Day – 18 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Interior Silence

“Many people allow themselves to be swept away in the confusion of the world around them.
Modern life has become a whirling machine which snatches men up into it’s enormous rotators and carries them with it.
Not only has it become difficult to remain a Christian but it is even difficult to continue to be a man!

You cannot cast aside the natural gifts of intellect, free will and personal dignity which God has given us.
Still less, can we renounce the dignity of being Christians.
This dignity can be retained by interior recollection, which will be nourished by divine grace, if we ask for it and, will find it’s external expression in good works.
A man must be able to detach himself from the din of modern life and spend an occasional moment in recollection.
No matter what is going on around him, he must be able to find time to raise his mind to God.
Otherwise, he will realise one day, that life has passed him by like a cloud, or, worse still, like a lost battle.
We shall not be tormented with useless regrets on our deathbed, if we think about this now.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM, QUOTES on MISSION, SAINT of the DAY, The LAST THINGS

Quote/s of the Day – 18 February – Saint Francis Regis Clet Martyr Missionary

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Quote/s of the Day – 18 February – The Memorial of Saint Francis Regis Clet CM (1748-1820) Priest and Martyr

“What a great treasure is a good Missionary
and how few people in this world, are willing
to serve God and His Church in purity of faith,
detachment from creatures and self-abnegation.”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

st vincent de paul quote - what a great treasure is a goodmissionary - st francis regis clet 18 feb 2020

“My brother, you judge me now,
in a short time my Lord Himself will judge you.”

Saint Francis Regis Clet (1748-1820)
Vincentian Priest and Martyr Missionary

my brother, you judge me now - st francis regis clet - 18 feb 2020

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 February – ‘Spiritual schizophrenia’ 

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One Minute Reflection – 18 February – Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: James 1:12-18, Psalm 94:12-15, 18-19, Mark 8:14-21 and the Memorial of Saint Francis Regis Clet CM (1748-1820) Priest and Martyr

And he cautioned them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”…Mark 8:15

REFLECTION – “Jesus tells us to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.   That leaven is hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy is an internal division, you say one thing and do another.   It is a sort of spiritual schizophrenia.   Furthermore a hypocrite is a phoney – he seems good, courteous but he has a dagger behind him.   A hypocrite is two-faced.   He is a phoney. Jesus, speaking of these doctors of the law, affirms that they say one thing but do not do. This is another form of hypocrisy, it is existential nominalism – those who believe that, by saying things, everything is in order.   No, things must be done, not just said.   On the contrary, a hypocrite is a nominalist, he believes that everything is done with words. Moreover, a hypocrite is incapable of blaming himself, he never finds a smudge on himself, he blames others.   Just think of the speck and the log, this is precisely how we can describe this leaven which is hypocrisy.
May the Lord give to us, to all of us, the Holy Spirit and the grace of the clarity to tell ourselves what is the leaven I grow with, which is the leaven I act with.   Am I a just and transparent person or am I a hypocrite?”…Pope Francis – Santa Marta, 14 October 2016mark-8-15-take-heed-beware-of-the-leaven-jesus-tells-us-pope-francis-19-feb-2019-no-2 and 18 feb 2020

PRAYER – God of mercy, teach us to live as You have ordained.   Help us to follow Your commandments with courage and steadfast devotion.   Let our Saviour be our master, help us to learn from Him, the ways of prayer in silence.   Fill us with the fire of the Holy Spirit, that we may learn.   Grant blessed Trinity, that by the prayers of St Francis Regis Clet, we may grow in holiness.   Through Jesus our Lord, in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Amenst francis regis clet pray for us 18 feb 2020

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 18 February – Jesus, Pierce My Soul with Your Love

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Our Morning Offering – 18 February – Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

Jesus, Pierce My Soul with Your Love
By St Bonaventure OFM (1221-1274)
The Seraphic Doctor

Jesus, pierce my soul with Your love
so that I may always long for You alone,
the fulfilment of the soul’s deepest desires.
May my heart always hunger and feed on You,
my soul thirst for You,
the source of life,
wisdom, knowledge, light
and all the riches of God.
May I always seek and find You,
think about You,
speak about You
and do everything for Your honour and glory.
Be always my hope,
my peace, my refuge and my help,
in whom my heart is rooted,
so that I may never
be separated from You.
Amenjesus pierce my soul with your love st bonaventure 18 feb 2020

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 18 February – Saint Francis Regis Clet CM (1748-1820) Priest and Martyr

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Saint of the Day – 18 February – Saint Francis Regis Clet CM (1748-1820) Martyr, Religious Priest of the Vincentian Order, Missionary to China – born Francois Regis Clet on 19 August 1748 in Grenoble and died 18 February 1820 in Wuchang, China) is one of the Martyr Saints of China.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Francis Regis Clet, the tenth of 15 children, was born into a farm family in Grenoble in the southwest corner of France in 1748 and was named for the recently Canonised fellow-Grenoblian, Jesuit St John Francis Regis (Jean Francois Regis).   After completing studies at the Royal College (founded by the Jesuits), he followed his elder brother and sister into vowed religious life.   In Lyons in 1769, he entered the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians).   After Ordination, Francis served as professor of moral theology at the Vincentian seminary in Annecy where he was affectionately called “the walking library” because of his encyclopedic knowledge and academic discipline.   In 1786, he became Rector of Annecy and two years later, Director of Novices in Paris.st francois regis-clet-2

Francis Regis petitioned to go to China as a missionary several times but his superiors did not accede to his request until 1791.   At the age of 43, he replaced another priest who had to withdraw from the assignment at the last minute.   A confrere, in writing about Clet’s assignment to China, noted:  “He has everything you could ask for – holiness, learning, health and charm.”

After a six month sea journey from France and some transition time in Macao, which included assuming the dress and customs of the Chinese people, the new missioner arrived in Kiang-si in October of 1792 as the only European in the area.   Clet’s acculturation was hampered by his life-long difficulty with the language.   In 1793 Clet joined two Chinese confreres in Hou-Kouang in the Hopei Province where both of his companions died within his first year, one in prison and one from exhaustion.   In that year, Clet became superior of an international group of Vincentian missioners scattered over a very large territory, and he himself pastored an area of 270 thousand square miles.   In that leadership capacity, he developed standards so that there would be a uniform approach to ministry (sacramental and catechetical) among the missioners.

His own life was simple and austere – he lived like the poor in the country.   His great spirit of mortification accommodated the most diverse regimes and it was on foot that he made his long journeys.   Gentle and humble, he nevertheless showed great firmness inspired by sound and upright judgement.st francois regis clet older

In 1811, the anti-Christian persecutions in China intensified with the Christians being accused of inciting rebellion against the ruling dynasty.   For several years, Clet endured abuse and attacks, which frequently forced him to find refuge in the mountains.   In 1819, with a generous reward on their heads, Clet and a Chinese confrere became fugitives.   Like Jesus, he was finally betrayed by one of his own, a Catholic schoolmaster whom Clet had challenged for his scandalous behaviour.   Like the missionary St Paul, Clet endured ignominy and forced marches in chains over hundreds of miles.

During the course of his judgement, Francis Régis Clet was treated with the most extreme inhumanity.   To one of his judges, the holy confessor allowed himself to say:  “My brother, you judge me now, in a short time my Lord Himself will judge you.” A few months later, the magistrate, who fell out of favour, was executed.    On 1 January 1820, Fr Clet was found guilty of deceiving the Chinese people by preaching Christianity and was sentenced to strangulation on a cross.  Pending confirmation of the sentence by the emperor, he wrote: “I prepare for death, often repeating with Saint Paul:  ‘if I live, it is for Jesus Christ and death will be for me a gain’.”   Finally, the emperor Tsiatsïn declared that “the European had deceived and corrupted many people by preaching the Christian religion and that he should be strangled.”   On 18 February Francis Regis Clet was executed.   He was 72 years old, twenty-nine of whom spent in the Chinese mission. st francois regis clet suffering

As in the case of Jesus, Christians took his body and buried it on a hillside where it rested until it was returned to the Vincentian motherhouse in Paris several decades later and is now honoured at St Lazare.

St Francis was Beatified on 27 May 1900 by Pope Leo XIII and Canonised on 1 October 2000 by St Pope John Paul II.st francois_regis_clet_480x645_01

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 18 February

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St Esuperia of Vercelli
St Ethelina
St Flavian (Died 449) Archbishop Martyr
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/02/18/saint-of-the-day-18-february-st-flavian-of-constantinople-died-449-martyr/

St Francis Regis Clet CM (1748-1820) Priest, Martyr

Bl John of Fiesole/Fra Angelico OP – The Angelic Friar Giovanni (1387-1455)
The Artist:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/02/18/saint-of-the-day-18-february-blessed-john-of-fiesole-fra-angelico-o-p-1387-1455/

St Gertrude Caterina Comensoli
St Helladius of Toledo
St Ioannes Chen Xianheng
St Ioannes Zhang Tianshen
St Jean-François-Régis Clet
St Jean-Pierre Néel
Bl Jerzy Kaszyra
Bl John Pibush – one of the Martyrs of Douai
St Leo of Patera
St Martinus Wu Xuesheng
Bl Matthew Malaventino
St Paregorius of Patara
St Sadoth of Seleucia
St Simeon
St Tarasius of Constantinople
St Theotonius
Bl William Harrington
—
Martyrs of North Africa – 7 saints: Group of Christians who were martyred together, date unknown. We know nothing else but seven of their names – Classicus, Fructulus, Lucius, Maximus, Rutulus, Secundinus and Silvanus.
They were born and martyred in North Africa.

Martyrs of Rome – 5 saints: A group of Christians martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. We know nothing else but their names – Alexander, Claudius, Cutias, Maximus and Praepedigna. They were martyred in 295 in Rome, Italy.

Posted in ASPIRATIONS and EJACULATIONS, CATHOLIC Quotes, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, LENTEN PRAYERS & NOVENAS, NOVENAS, PRAYERS for SEASONS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY FACE

Lenten Preparation Novena to the Holy Face Begins today, 17 February

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Lenten Preparation
Novena to the Holy Face
Begins today, 17 February

lenten prep novena to the holy face - begins 17 feb 2020

Shrove Tuesday is also the Feast of the Holy Face.   Many who discover this are quickly struck by the significance of beginning Lent more in love with His countenance.   For having made reparation “with Jesus, united with all His sorrows, love and total abandonment” through the novena, we can begin our Lenten walk with Christ more at the ready to comfort Him along the way, as St Veronica did.

Indeed, this searingly beautiful devotion goes back to the Passion itself, when the veil of Veronica smoothed the injuries of Jesus’ Holy Face, so besieged with pain.

In 1843, Sister Marie of St Peter had visions of Jesus requesting a devotion to His Holy Face called “The Golden Arrow,” [https://anastpaul.com/2019/01/14/our-morning-offering-14-january-month-of-the-holy-name-of-jesus/] which brings Him great delight, as He said to Sr Marie, “All who honour My Holy Face in a spirit of reparation thereby perform for Me the services of the pious Veronica.”holy card those on earth who contemplate the wounds of my Face jpg

In 1938, Jesus appeared to Blessed Maria Pierina de Micheli, His face bloodied by His Passion and said, speaking of His Face, “I wish that it be venerated by a special feast on Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.   I wish that the feast be preceded by a novena in which the faithful make reparation with me, joining together and sharing in my sorrow.”   For:  “Those on earth who contemplate the wounds of My Face, shall in heaven, behold it, radiant with glory.”

Following that request, Pope Pius XII named Shrove Tuesday as the official Feast of the Holy Face in 1958.

We pray our Novena in fine company.
St Augustine (354-430), St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) and St Bernard (1090-1153), St Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), among many others, all venerated the Holy Face.

In the words of St John Paul II:
“And is it not the Church’s task, to reflect the light of Christ in every historical period, to make His face shine also before generations of the new millennium?   Our witness, however, would be hopelessly inadequate, if we ourselves had not first contemplated His face.”

In a similar way, our Lenten witness to the wounds on His Hands and Fee, is inadequate if we have not first contemplated His Face, bitterly kissed by Judas, spat upon, battered, covered with sweat and blood and crowned with thorns, continuing to be dishonoured even today, through the Blessed Sacrament by profanations, sacrilege and neglect.

For so many, Shrove Tuesday is a date on the calendar that gets overshadowed by Ash Wednesday, that memorable day we wear the outward sign of repentance and recall our mortality.   How much more meaningful will our Ash Wednesday be, if we first mark Shrove Tuesday as a Feast of the Holy Face, concluding the Novena we began in Ordinary Time and beginning Lent, more in love, with the countenance of Christ and, through Him, made more beautiful in our own soul. Amen!

THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS

“I firmly wish that My Face, reflecting the intimate pains of my soul, the suffering and love of my heart, be more honoured!   Whoever gazes upon me already consoles me.”

(Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)

This novena prayer may be said at anytime but, especially in the nine days leading up to the Feast of the Holy Face on Shrove Tuesday.   The Holy Face Devotion is approved by the Vatican.

DAILY PREPARATORY PRAYER

O Most Holy and Blessed Trinity,
through the intercession of Holy Mary,
whose soul was pierced through
by a sword of sorrow
at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son,
we ask Your help,
in making a perfect Novena of Reparation with Jesus,
united with all His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We now implore all the Angels and Saints
to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena
to the Most Holy Face of Jesus
and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen

“All those who, attracted by My Love and venerating My Countenance, shall receive, by virtue of My Humanity, a brilliant and vivid impression of My Divinity. This splendour shall enlighten the depths of their souls, so that in eternal glory the celestial court shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features, with My Divine Countenance.”  … Our Lord Jesus Christ to St Gertrude

FIRST DAY

(Console the Holy Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer) above.
Psalm 51,3-4.
Have mercy on me, O God in your goodness,
in your great tenderness wipe away my faults,
wash me clean of my guilt, purify me from my sin.

O most Holy Face of Jesus,
look with tenderness on us who are sinners.
You are a merciful God,
full of love and compassion.
Keep us pure of heart,
so that we may see Thee always.
Mary, our Mother,
intercede for us,
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Through the merits of Thy Precious Blood
and Thy Holy Face, O Jesus,
grant us our petition………………
and Thy pardon and mercy.

Prayer to Our Almighty Father
By St Augustine (354-430)

Almighty Father, come into our hearts
and so fill us with Your love that forsaking all evil desires,
we may embrace You, our only good.
Show us, O Lord our God, what You are to us.
Say to our souls, I am your salvation,
speak so, that we may hear.
Our hearts are before You,
open our ears,
let us hasten after Your Voice.
Hide not Your Face from us, we beseech You, O Lord.
Open our hearts, so that You may enter in.
Repair the ruined mansions, that You may dwell therein.
Hear us, O Heavenly Father,
for the sake of Your only Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen

Pray (1) Our Father, (3) Hail Marys, (1) Glory Be.

O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every Adoration Thine (Three times)

THE HOLY FACE - VERONICA'S VEIL

Posted in I BELIEVE!, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD

Thought for the Day – 17 February – The Will

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 17 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Will

“The coat of arms of the great city of Chicago bears the motto “I will.”
With this forceful approach to it’s programme of expansion, it was not long before it became one of the largest cities in America.
It grew to be a wealthy industrial centre, in which skyscrapers, factories and churches, sprang up side-by-side.

When it is said with sincerity and determination, this little phrase, “I will,”
is capable of producing amazing results, both in the physical and spiritual order.
St Thomas Aquinas was once asked by a nun, what were the requirements for sanctity.
He replied, that the chief thing necessary, was a strong and decisive act of the will, which would be certain to be reinforced by divine grace.
The Saints began every project by making a sincere and definite resolution to succeed.
They were weak creatures like the rest of us but, they knew, that if they wanted something intensely enough, God would grant whatever miracles they needed.
The father who asked Jesus to heal his son pleaded: “If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us,” to which Jesus replied: “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mk 9:16-22).
The same answer could be given to any of us who say, that we are anxious to become holy.
Anything is possible if we really want it, because God will do the rest!“

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, I BELIEVE!, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 17 February – ‘Everything is a sign!’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 17 February – Monday of the Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Year A

And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said,
“Why does this generation seek a sign?

Mark 8:12

“But for what sign from heaven were they asking?
Maybe that He should hold back the sun,
or curb the moon,
or bring down thunderbolts,
or change the direction of the wind,
or something like that?
In Pharaoh’s time there was an enemy
from whom deliverance was needed.
But for one who comes among friends,
there should be no need of such signs.”

St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father & Doctor

mark 8 12- and he sighed deeply for one who comes among friends st john chrysostom 17 feb 2020

“You also are blessed,
because you have heard and believed.
A soul that believes, both conceives
and brings forth the Word of God
and acknowledges His works.
… Christ has only one mother, in the flesh
but we all bring forth Christ, in faith.”

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

you-also-are-blessed-becauxe-you-have-believed-st-ambrose-21-dec-2019-the-vistation and 17 feb 2020

“For those who believe,
everything is a sign!”

Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro (1936-1964)

for-those-who-believe-everything-is-a-sign-bl-benedetta-porro-23-jan-2020 and 17 feb 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, franciscan OFM, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DESPAIR, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 17 February – ‘…Don’t wait for Tabor to “see” God’

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One Minute Reflection – 17 February – Monday of the Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: James 1:1-11, Psalm 119:67-68, 71-72,75-76, Mark 8:11-13 and the Memorial of St Alexis Falconieri (13th century –1310) Priest, One of Seven Founders of the Servites

“Why does this generation seek a sign?” … Mark 8:12

REFLECTION – “Believing even in darkness – The Holy Spirit tells us:  Do not let your mind succumb to temptation and sorrow, for joy of the heart is life for the soul.   Sorrow is no good for anything and causes our spiritual death.

It happens sometimes that the darkness of trial overwhelms your soul’s heaven but this darkness is light!
Thanks to it, you believe even in darkness, the mind feels lost, it fears no longer being able to see, no longer understanding anything.   But this is the moment when the Lord speaks and makes Himself present to the soul and the soul listens, understands and loves in the fear of God.   So don’t wait for Tabor to “see” God when you are already contemplating Him on Sinai.

Progress in the joy of a sincere heart, that is wide open.   And if it is impossible for you to keep that happiness, at least don’t lose courage and keep all your trust in God.” … Saint Pius of Pietralcina “Padre Pio” (1887-1968)mark 8 12 why does this generation seek a sign - dont wait for tabor - st padre pio 17 feb 2020

PRAYER – Almighty Lord and God, protect us by Your power throughout the course of this day, even as You have enabled us to begin it.   Your grace is all that we need to see the loving kindness of Your Son, our Lord Jesus in all we meet.   Do not let us turn aside from His path but by the faith You have granted us, let us find meaning in all, which is the sign of Your glory.   Do not let us turn aside to sin and may the intercession of St Alexis Falconieri and the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites, grant us courage and peace.   Through Jesus Christ, our Saviour, with the Holy Spirit, God now and forever, amen.st alexis falconieri 7 holy founders servites 17 feb 2020 pray for us 17 feb 2020

seven-holy-founders-pray-for-us-17-feb-2017 and 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY

Our Morning Offering – 17 February – Psalm 121 By Fr Daniel Berrigan

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Our Morning Offering – 17 February – Monday of the Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Year A

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Then he left them, got into the boat again and went off to the other shore. – Today’s Gospel: Mark 8:11-13

Psalm 121
By Fr Daniel Berrigan SJ (1921–2016)

I lift my eyes to You
my Help, my Hope

the heavens (who could imagine)
the earth (only our Lord)
the infinite starry spaces
the world’s teeming breath

All this. I lift my eyes
– upstart, delighted –
and I praise.

Fr Daniel Joseph Berrigan SJ was an American Jesuit priest, anti-war activist, Christian pacifist, playwright, poet and author.psalm 121 fr daniel berigan i lift up my eyes to you my help my hope 17 feb 2020

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 17 February – Saint Alexis Falconieri (13th century –1310)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 17 February – Saint Alexis Falconieri (13th century –1310) Religious, one of Seven Founders of the Servites, who are celebrated together on the anniversary of his death.   Born 13th century at Florence, Italy and died on 17 February 1310 at Monte Sennario, Italy.   Patronage – Orvieto, Italy.st alexis falconieri

He was the son of Bernardo Falconieri, a merchant prince of Florence and one of the leaders of the Republic.   His family belonged to the Guelph party and opposed the Imperialists.

Falconieri grew up in the practice of the most profound humility.   He became a wealthy noble in one of Italy’s most wealthy and cultured cities.   He joined the Laudesi, a pious confraternity of the Blessed Virgin and there met the six future companions of his life of sanctity.   He was favoured with an apparition of the Mother of God on 15 August 1233, as were these companions.  She asked these seven young nobles to dedicate their lives to God and they did, founding a religious order. 7 holy founders servites 6

They took up a common life together and were later again visited by Mary, who held a black habit and told them, “I have chosen you to be my first Servants, and under this name you are to till my Son’s vineyard.   Here, too, is the habit which you are to wear, its dark colour will recall the pangs which I suffered on the day when I stood by the cross of my only Son.”

7 holy founders servites 57 holy founders servites 3

Falconieri at once abandoned all and retired to La Camarzia, a house on the outskirts of the town and was bestowed the title of Founder and Mystic.

With humility, he traversed, the streets of the city through which he had lately moved as a prominent citizen, as a mendicant, in quest of alms for his brethren.   So deep and sincere was his humility that, though he lived to the great age of over 100 years, he always refused to enter the Priesthood, of which he deemed himself unworthy.

His duties were confined principally to the material needs of the various communities in which he lived  . In 1252 the new church at Cafaggio, on the outskirts of Florence, was completed under his care, with the financial assistance of Chiarissimo Falconieri.   Saint Giuliana Falconieri, his niece, was trained in sanctity under his personal direction.st alexis falconieri 2

The influence exerted on his countrymen by Falconieri and his companions may be gathered from the fact that in a few years ten thousand persons had enrolled themselves under the banner of the Blessed Virgin in the Servite Order.

He died in Monte Senario on 17 February 1310.

His shrine and entombed body is near the church of the Santissima Annunziata in Florence.   Pope Clement XI declared Falconieri worthy of the veneration of the faithful,  on 1 December 1717 and accorded the same honour to his six companions on 3 July 1725.

About these holy men:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/02/17/saints-of-the-day-17-february-the-seven-holy-founders-of-the-servite-order-osm-formation-on-15-august-1233/

st alexis falconieri death

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 17 February

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Seven Founders of Servants of Mary (Optional Memorial)
• St Alexis Falconieri (c (1200–1310) One of the Seven Founders of the Servites
• St Bartholomew degli Amidei
• St Benedict dell’Antella
• St Buonfiglio Monaldi
• St Gherardino Sostegni
• St Hugh dei Lippi-Uguccioni
• St John Buonagiunta Monetti7 holy founders servites
About these holy men:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/02/17/saints-of-the-day-17-february-the-seven-holy-founders-of-the-servite-order-osm-formation-on-15-august-1233/

St Alexis Falconieri – SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS (13th century –1310)
St Antoni Leszczewicz
St Bartholomew degli Amidei – SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS
St Benedict dell’Antella – SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS
St Benedict of Cagliari
St Buonfiglio Monaldi – SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS
St Bonosus of Trier
Bl Constabilis of Cava
St Donatus the Martyr
Bl Elisabetta Sanna
St Evermod of Ratzeburg
St Faustinus the Martyr
St Finan of Iona
St Fintan of Clonenagh
St Flavian of Constantinople
St Fortchern of Trim
St Gherardino Sostegni – SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS
St Guevrock
St Habet-Deus
St Hugh dei Lippi-Uguccioni – SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS
St John Buonagiunta Monetti – SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS
St Julian of Caesarea
St Loman of Trim
Bl Luke Belludi (c 1200- c 1285)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/02/17/saint-of-the-day-17-february-blessed-luke-belludi-ofm-c-1200-c-1285/

St Lupiano
Bl Martí Tarrés Puigpelat
St Mesrop the Teacher
St Petrus Yu Chong-nyul
St Polychronius of Babylon
St Romulus the Martyr
St Secundian the Martyr
St Silvinus of Auchy
St Theodulus of Caesarea
Bl William Richardson

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on GRATITUDE, QUOTES on HAPPINESS, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on WORK/LABOUR, QUOTES on WORRY/ANXIETY

Thought for the Day – 16 February – The Duties of Our State

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 16 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Duties of Our State

“Everyone finds himself in a certain position in life.
He may be there, either through force of circumstances, or, through somebody else’s desire, or through some secret inspiration from God,
In any case, each of us is in a certain place and God, either wills it or permits it.
We should not complain about our state in life.
No matter what that state is, we can either be saved or damned for all eternity.
In any position, we can do a great deal of good or a great deal of evil, according to the way in which we co-operate with the grace of God.
We should not envy the positions of others.
This would be unjust because, it would be tantamount to questioning the arrangements of Providence, which gives everyone the graces necessary, in his particular state.
It would also be injurious, insofar, as we should be worried and disturbed, instead of working peacefully and earnestly, in the place assigned to us by God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SACRED SCRIPTURE, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 16 February – The Holy Eucharist, The Holy Word of God

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 16 February – The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

“As to the truth of the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ,
there is no room left for doubt.
For both, from the declaration of the Lord Himself
and from our own faith, it is truly flesh and truly blood.
And when these are eaten and drunk,
it is brought to pass,
that we are both in Christ
and Christ is in us.
Is this not so?”

St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368)
Doctor of the Divinity of Christas to the truth of the flesh and blood of jesus christ - st hilary of potiers 16 feb 2020

“Always give good heed to the Word of God,
whether you hear or read it in private,
or hearken to it when publicly preached.
Listen with attention and reverence,
seek to profit by it
and do not let the precious words fall unheeded
but receive them into your heart.”

St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
Doctor caritatisalways give good heed to the word of god - st francis de sales 16 feb 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, JESUIT SJ, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, SUNDAY REFLECTIONS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Sunday Reflection – 16 February – If we only knew the treasure we hold in our hands!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Sunday Reflection – 16 February – The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

If we only knew the treasure we hold in our hands!

St Claude de la Colombiere SJ (1641-1682)

“God is more honoured by a single Mass
than He could be by all the actions of angels
and men together, however fervent and heroic they might be.
Yet, how FEW hear Mass with the intention of giving God
this sublime honour!
How FEW think with joy on the glory a Mass gives to God.
How FEW rejoice to possess the means of honouring Him
as He deserves! . . .
If we only knew the treasure we hold in our hands!”

god-is-more-honoured-by-a-single-mass-st-claude-15-feb-2017 and sun reflection 16 feb 2020

 

Posted in CATHOLIC Quotes, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PAPAL DECREE, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 16 February – “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, (…) the people of God”

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One Minute Reflection – 16 February – The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, Readings: Sirach 15:15-20 (16-21), Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34, 1 Corinthians 2:6-10, Matthew 5:17-37 and the Memorial of Blessed Nicola Paglia OP (1197-1256) Priest

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.   I have come not to abolish but to fulfil” … Matthew 5:17

REFLECTION – At all times and in every race God has given welcome to whosoever fears Him and does what is right (cf. Acts 10:35).   God, however, does not make men holy and save them merely as individuals, without bond or link between one another.   Rather has it pleased Him to bring men together as one people, a people which acknowledges Him in truth and serves Him in holiness.   He, therefore, chose the race of Israel as a people unto Himself.   With it He set up a covenant   Step by step, He taught and prepared this people, making known in its history both Himself and the decree of His will and making it holy unto Himself.

All these things, however, were done by way of preparation and as a figure of that new and perfect covenant, which was to be ratified in Christ and of that fuller revelation which was to be given, through the Word of God Himself, made flesh.   “Behold the days shall come saith the Lord and I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and with the house of Judah (. . ).   I will give my law in their bowels and I will write it in their heart and I will be their God and they shall be my people (. . .)   For all of them shall know Me, from the least of them even to the greatest, saith the Lord” (Jer 31:31f.)   Christ instituted this new covenant, the new testament, that is to say, in His Blood, (1 Cor 11:25) calling together a people made up of Jew and gentile, making them one, not according to the flesh but in the Spirit.   This was to be the new People of God (…) : “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, (…) the people of God” (1 Pt 2:9).

Israel according to the flesh, which wandered as an exile in the desert, was already called the Church of God.  (2 Esd 13:1; Nb 20:4; Dt 23:1f.)   So, likewise, the new Israel, which while living in this present age, goes in search of a future and abiding city (Heb 13:14) is called the Church of Christ. (Mt 16:18)   For He has bought it for Himself with His blood, (Acts 20:28) has filled it with His Spirit and provided it with those means which befit it as a visible and social union. … Vatican Council II – Constitution on the Church “Lumen gentium”, # 9matthew 5 17 do not think that i have come to abolish - christ instituted - lumen gentium 16 feb 2020

PRAYER – Loving and merciful Father!   In all our needs, even when we turn from You and cause You sorrow, You are there to help us!   You grace us with garments of love to protect us from the evils which surround us.   Bless us we pray, as we turn to You in pain and repentance and by the sufferings of Your divine Son Whom You sent to redeem us, grant us peace.   May the prayers of Blessed Nicola Paglia, intercede in our strife as we make our way home to You.   Through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.bl nicola paglia pray for us 16 feb 2020

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CONSECRATION Prayers, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 16 February – Consecration to Our Lady of the Eucharist

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 16 February – The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Consecration to Our Lady of the Eucharist
After Holy Communion
By the Claretian Fathers Teaching Ministr
Order founded by St Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)

Mary is called Our Lady of the Eucharist, because
without her, there would be no physical Body of Jesus
to be present in the Eucharist. (See John 6:51) 

Most kind Mother,
we consecrate to thee, our bodies,
which have just been
honoured and sanctified,
by the presence of thy Divine Son,
our souls which have
conversed with Him
and our hearts which have loved Him.
O dearest Mother,
may the words which we have spoken, be made
acceptable to Him. through thy intercession.
Tell Him the things which we should have said
but were unable to express.
Love Him and beseech Him for us,
thy poor children.
Receive and keep us in thine heart.
Warn us, protect us
and guide us during this day
that we may faithfully serve thy Divine Son
and please Him
in all our thoughts, desires and actions.
Amen

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 16 February – Blessed Nicola Paglia OP (1197-1256)

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 16 February – Blessed Nicola Paglia OP (1197-1256) Priest of the Order of Preachers – Dominicans – born in 1197 in Giovanazzo, Bari, Italy and died aged 58 on 16 February 1256 at Perugia, Italy.   From his hometown Giovinazzo went to Bologna to study.   Here he was drawn to the Order by the vibrant preaching of St Dominic and became his most faithful companion in apostolic wanderings.   Twice he was voted as the Provincial of the Roman province and founded the convents of Perugia and Trani.   A cultured and far-sighted man, he promoted the study of Sacred Scripture and the compilation of biblical Concordances.   He died in Perugia where he is buried in the church of St Dominic.bl nicola puglia

Nicola was born in Giovinazzo, in the province of Bari in 1197 of noble parents.    His parents, raised him with great care.   When he was still a child, an angel appeared to him who ordered him to abstain forever from the flesh because one day he would enter an Order where abstinence was perpetual law.   As he was the son of Judge Lupone, Nicola was sent to study in Bologna.   Here in 1218 met St Dominic.   It was then that the young man decided to enter the Order of the great preacher.

bl nicola puglia home
Bl Nicola’s Birthplace

He was received into the Dominican Order and was donned with the habit by the hands of Father St Dominic himself, who later made him his faithful companion in his apostolic journeys.   He preached in many cities of Italy with immense results and his ardent words were often confirmed by great miracles.

He was the third Provincial of the Roman Province, which then extended from Tuscany to Sicily, which he exercised with strength and gentleness for two terms.   One day, exhorting his religious to mutual charity, he confided to them that a recently died religious had appeared to him for forgiveness, who had been the cause of a serious dispute.   Having urged him to ask for forgiveness from God and not himself, the culprit replied that the Lord demanded this satisfaction from him:  “See Father Nicola, how serious and dangerous it is to offend your neighbour and how important it is to appease him after having him offended.”

Pope Gregory IX commissioned him to visit monasteries and to preach the Crusade against the Saracens.img-Blessed-Nicholas-Paglia

After long years of apostolic labours he retired to the convent of Perugia.   Here he had a vision.   Father Raone Romano, a dear friend of his most fruitful days of religious life, appeared and announced to him, in a message from the Madonna, his near death, which occurred in 1256.Dirk_hendricksz_centen_(teodoro_d'errico),_madonna_del_rosario,_1578,_Q1118,_01

Pope Leo XII confirmed his cultus and named him Blessed on 26 March 1828.

Posted in DOMINICAN OP, SAINT of the DAY

Sixth Sunday n Ordinary Time, Year A +2020 and Memorials of the Saints – 16 February

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Sixth Sunday n Ordinary Time, Year A +2020

St Aganus of Airola
Bl Bernard Scammacca OP (1430-1487) (aged 57)
About St Bernard:  https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/02/16/saint-of-the-day-16-february-blessed-bernard-scammacca-o-p-1430-1487/

St Faustinus of Brescia
St Gilbert of Sempringham
St Honestus of Nimes
St John III of Constantinople
Bl Joseph Allamano (1851–1926)
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/02/16/saint-of-the-day-16-february-blessed-joseph-allamano-1851-1926/
St Julian of Egypt
St Juliana of Campania
St Juliana of Nicomedia
Blessed Nicola Paglia OP (1197-1256)
St Onesimus of Ephesus
Bl Philippa Mareria
—
Martyrs of Cilicia – 12 saints: A group of Christians who ministered to other Christians who were condemned to work the mines of Cilicia in the persecutions of Maximus. They were arrested, tortured and martryed by order of the governor Firmilian.
• Daniel
• Elias
• Isaias
• Jeremy
• Samuel
The group also includes the three known have been sentenced to the mines –
• Pamphilus
• Paul of Jamnia
• Valens of Jerusalem
and those who were exposed as Christians as a result of these murders –
• Julian of Cappadocia
• Porphyrius of Caesarea
• Seleucius of Caesarea
• Theodule the Servant
They were martyred in 309 in Cilicia, Asia Minor (in modern Turkey).

Posted in NOTES to Followers

Apologies – No Power Again!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

So sorry for the sparsity of posts today and even dearest Cardinal Bacci’s advice, on ‘The Order of the Day’ doesn’t help too much, when we suffer 3 periods per day of 2 1/2 hours each, of this thing called load-shedding!

His advice for me, means we have to adapt to suit load-shedding!   I will try harder but, sadly, we are only advised of the planned power cuts each morning – oftentimes too late to pre-plan.

God bless you all and please add South Africa to your planned daily prayers, I beg.

Love
Ana

Cardinal Bacci’s advice here:   https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/15/thought-for-the-day-15-february-the-order-of-the-day/power cut - so sorry 18 march 2019

Posted in CATHOLIC TIME, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 15 February – The Order of the Day

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 15 February – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Order of the Day

“Monks and nuns can have a fixed daily rule of life but this is not possible for everybody.
However, everybody will find it useful to have a general timetable capable of being varied to suit different circumstances.
In constructing a general rule of life for ourselves, we should keep two things in mind, namely, the division of the day into periods and the way in which we shall behave during these periods.

It is hopeless to begin the day without any pre-arranged plan.
Either, there is gong to be order, or disorder.
If there is disorganisation, it will produce two results.
(1) There will be hurry and confusion in fulfilling those duties which have been left over, until the end of the day.
(2) There will be protracted periods of idleness, during which, we shall persuade ourselves, that there will be plenty of time to get everything done before nightfall.

To avoid such a situation, everyone should have a timetable, adapted to his requirements.
Naturally, it should be capable of any reasonable variations, which circumstances may suggest but, in the meantime, it will help us to get through our day, calmly and with results.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

 

Posted in JESUIT SJ, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 15 February – Lord, be the Centre of Our Hearts

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 15 February – The Memorial of St Claude de la Colombiere SJ (1641-1682)

Lord, be the Centre of Our Hearts
by St Claude de la Colombiere

O God, what will You do to conquer
the fearful hardness of our hearts?
Lord, You must give us new hearts,
tender hearts, sensitive hearts,
to replace hearts
that are made of marble and of bronze.
You must give us Your own Heart, Jesus.
Come, lovable Heart of Jesus.
Place Your Heart deep in the centre of our hearts
and enkindle in each heart a flame of love
as strong, as great, as the sum of all the reasons
that I have for loving You, my God.
O holy Heart of Jesus, dwell hidden in my heart,
so that I may live only in You
and only for You,
so that, in the end,
I may live with You
eternally in heaven.
Amenlord be the centre of our hearts st claude de la colombiere 15 feb 2020

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 15 February – Saint Sigfrid of Sweden (Died 11th Century) Apostle of Sweden

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Saint of the Day – 15 February – Saint Sigfrid of Sweden (Died 11th Century) Apostle of Sweden, Bishop, Missionary, Miracle-worker – born at Glastonbury, England in the 10th Century and died in c 1045 at Vaexjoe, Sweden of natural causes.   Patronage – Sweden.

Sigfrid is said to have been born in Glastonbury, England in the second half of the 10th century.   It is said that St Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury, converted him to the Christian faith.   Sigfrid was an eminent Priest in York who was sent by the legendary King Mildred to assist in the Christianisation of Scandanavia.

At the behest of Olaf I Tryggvason, Sigfrid arrived in Norway in 995 with two bishops and his three nephews (Saint Winaman, Saint Unaman and Saint Sunaman) who were Cluniac monks.   There he became a court Bishop for the Norwegian King and travelled to engage a tenacious adversary of Christianity, the renowned pagan sorcerer Raud the Strong. Inclement weather prevented landfall, so Sigfrid took his liturgical vestments to the prow and, lighting tapers and incense, placed a cross upon the stern and read from the Holy Gospel before blessing the vessel with holy water.   The sail was ordered to be stowed away and the king’s ships rowed into the ford, at which point a miracle occurred wherein their passage stayed calm while a storm raged around them.Feb+15+Sigfrid+1

Due to the Battle of Svolder of 999-1000, Sigfrid and his nephews left for Sweden in 1002 where they founded three churches.   This area was already being Christianised by the bishop Odinkar Hvite the Elder, who was based in Skara. Thus Sigfrid and his nephews went east to the region of Värend in Småland to continue their missionary efforts, erecting first a cross and then building a wooden church on the shores of Växjö Lake. Soon, eleven prominent men of the area were soon brought to the Christian faith and baptised in a spring near the mountain Ostrabo.   Their influence began a steady stream of pilgrims, who flocked to hear the Word of God and gaze upon Sigfrid’s silken vestments, gold and silver vessels and other beautiful objects brought with him from England.   King Olof Skötkonung soon became curious and sent a trusted councillor to investigate the matter.   According to the councillor, as Sigrid lifted the paten during the Divine Liturgy, the host became a young Boy, whom he kissed, at which time the vision disappeared.   Astonished by this, the king sent for the holy Bishop immediately but en route, Sigfrid made a detour in Utvängstorp to enlighten and Baptise the people there.

In 1008, Sigfrid Baptised the royal family in a spring near the village of Husaby, making Olof Skötkonung the first Christian King of Sweden, which marked the beginning of the Christianisation of Sweden.   Sigfrid next travelled north to re-establish the See of Uppsala that had been founded by St Ansgar but the reversion to paganism was too strong in the region and he left in failure.   During this time, the English Bishop Gotebald was sent from the Danish frontier city of Lund to Scania, where he built its first church and was appointed Bishop.   In 1014, Olof Skötkonung assisted Sigfrid in the establishment of the Diocese of Husaby (later Skara), which became a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen.   The first Diocesan Dishop, a German named Thurgaut, was consecrated by Sigrid.  Sigfrid-Heiliger-Saint-Apostle-of-Sweden-Handmade-Wood

Entrusting the administration of Växjö to Unaman and his brothers, Sigfrid left to spread Christianity in Denmark.   While he was gone, however, a local greedy nobleman gathered a group of pagans together to kill Sigfrid’s nephews and ransack the church in Växjö.   When Sigfrid returned from his mission, he found his nephews’ heads in a weighted tub at the bottom of Lake Helgasjön near the church.   The bodies were buried deep inside a forest.   According to Sigfrid, the heads still possessed the ability to speak and told him the names of their murderers.   Sigfrid glorified God that He allowed Unaman, Sunaman, and Winaman to become Martyrs.   Soon Olof Skötkonung heard of the occurrence in Växjö and offered to execute the perpetrators, which Sigfrid refused. The King also offered to extract from them monetary compensation, which the saint also refused.   Finally, Sigfrid requested landed property and was gifted the estates known as Hof and Tjuby.   The laying of foundation remained extremely difficult for the destitute Bishop but he eventually rebuilt the church and placed inside of it the relics of his holy kin.Heiliger_Siegfried

In his old age, Sigfrid had become very forgetful, once, he ordered a bath drawn during a fasting day and a voice came down and reproached him, at which point he removed himself from the bath and repented.   He visited Bremen in 1030 and reposed in the Lord in 1045.   His relics were placed below the high altar of the Växjö church and performed many miracles until the shrine was dismantled after the Swedish Reformation.   Sigfrid’s legacy continued under his disciples, Bishops David and Eskil, who were later Martyred.

St Sigfrid was Canonised by Pope Adrian IV in c 1158.Sankt_Sigfrid_i_Växjö

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, JESUIT SJ, SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 15 February

Posted on by AnaStpaul

St Agape of Terni
Bl Angelus de Scarpetti
St Berach of Kilbarry
St Claude de la Colombierre SJ (1641-1682)
Beautiful St Claude: 

https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/02/15/saint-of-the-day-15-february-st-claude-de-la-colombiere-s-j-1641-1682/

St Craton
St Decorosus of Capua
St Dochow
St Druthmar of Corvey
St Eusebius of Asehia
St Farannan of Iona
St Faustinus
St Faustus of Monte Cassino
St Georgia
St Joseph of Antioch
St Jovita
Blessed Michał Sopoćko (1888-1975) Apostle of Divine Mercy
Blessed Michal’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/02/15/saint-of-the-day-15-february-blessed-father-michal-sopocko-1888-1975-priest-apostle-of-divine-mercy/

St Onesimus the Slave
St Quinidius of Vaison
St Sigfrid of Sweden (Died 11th Century) Apostle of Sweden
St Severus of Abruzzi
St Walfrid
—
Martyrs of Antioch:  5 saints
A group of Christians murdered together. We know the names of five of them – Agapev, Baralo, Isicio, Joseph and Zosimus.

Martyrs of Passae:
Castulus
Lucius
Magnus
Saturninus

Martyrs of Prague – 14 beati – Franciscan Friars Minor martyred together by a mob led by Lutherans –
Franciscan Friars Minor martyred together by a mob led by Lutherans.
• Blessed Antonín of Prague
• Blessed Bartolomeo Dalmasoni
• Blessed Bedrich Bachstein
• Blessed Christoffel Zelt
• Blessed Didak Jan
• Blessed Emmanuel of Prague
• Blessed Gaspare Daverio
• Blessed Giovanni Bodeo
• Blessed Girolamo degli Arese
• Blessed Jakob of Prague
• Blessed Jan of Prague
• Blessed Juan Martínez
• Blessed Klemens of Prague
• BlessedSimon of Prague
They were martyred on
• Shrove Tuesday 15 February 1611 at the Church of Our Lady of the Snows in Prague, Czech Republic
• body dumped nearby but given Christian burial on 19 February 1611 in the monastery
• re-interred in the side chapel of the church in 1616.
Beatified
13 October 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI

Martyrs of Sweden:
Sigfrid
Sunaman
Unaman
Winaman

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
Bl Pere Vallmitjana Abarca

Posted in GOD the FATHER, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on TIME

Thought for the Day – 14 February – The Early Hours of the Day

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

The Early Hours of the Day

“Waking up in the morning, is like being raised to life again.
Sleep, which is necessary for the restoration of energy, is an image of death.
During those hours of sleep, it was as if you did not exist any longer.
Your mind was unconscious, your limbs inactive.
Now God gives you life once more and the strength to live it.
Your first thoughts, therefore, should be directed towards Him.
When the sun rises, all creation sings hymns of praise to God.
The flowers shake the night-dew from their petals and send up their perfume to their Creator.
The birds drawing their heads from beneath their warm wings, sing their morning canticles.
Now, man is master of the universe.
Therefore, he should gather together, these perfumes and these voices and offer them to God, along with the homage and adoration of his whole being.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on COURAGE, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DISCIPLESHIP, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY

Quote of the Day – 14 February – Bl Vicente Vilar David … ‘My greatest calling’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote of the Day – 14 February – The Memorial of Blessed Vicente Vilar David (1889-1937) Martyr

“Being Catholic
is my greatest calling,
I will not give up,
even if it means death.”

Blessed Vicente Vilar David (1889-1937) Martyr

being catholic is my greatest calling - bl vicente vilar david martyr 14 feb 2020

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 February – “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 February – Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinay Time, Year A, Readings: 1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19, Psalm 81:10-15, Mark 7:31-37 and the Memorial of Blessed Vicente Vilar David (1889-1937) Martyr

“Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” … Mark 7:34

REFLECTION – “The Gospel relates the healing of a deaf-mute by Jesus.   For Him, this clearly has to do with more than a physical disability.   It is a parable for the people of Israel, who, in turn, represent all mankind.
As the prophets have said so often, Israel is hard of hearing when it comes to the Word of God, which, in turn, renders it incapable of giving a valid response.
Jesus does not make a spectacle out of His miracles.
Hence, He takes the sick man aside, seeking the middle line between entirely avoiding publicity and helping the people.
Physically touching both ears and tongue precedes His upward look toward the Father (in this miracle, the Father acts through Him) and His sign, which probably points to His having been filled with the Holy Spirit.
This trinitarian fullness, indicates that the prayer “Be opened!” speaks not only of physical healing but, of effective grace for Israel and for all mankind.” … Hans Cardinal Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988)mark 7 34 ephphatha be opened - physically touching - hans ur von balthasar 14 feb 2020

PRAYER – Almighty and merciful God, open the ears and eyes of our hearts and fill us with Your grace.   May we follow You in holiness all the days of our lives.   Grant we pray, that as You brought Your Martyr Blessed Vicente to overcome fearlessly, the persecutions of Your people, that we too may remain invincible under Your protection and by his prayers be strengthened against the snares of the enemy.   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. Amen.BL VICENTE VILAR DAVID PRAY FOR US 14 FEB 2020